#i see zhongven all over this

[pachimation]

redrawing my very first chiscara comic/art i ever did for chscr day!!

old comic under the cut!!

lol a bunch of sappy semi serious stuff below bc i cant help but be a bit genuine about this ship today :’3

i cant possibly put into words how important this silly little ship and its community mean to me haha,,,, this comic was made in 2021 but i didnt really get serious about chscr until late 2022 after a bunch of pretty bad interpersonal stuff happened and i needed an outlet,, COINCIDENTALLY a certain someone was announced to be playable around then and i was already thought chscr was Pretty Neat™️ so i ended up diving headfirst into the ship. it also gave me a good excuse to work on more comics too!! i’d done a pretty big zhongven comic earlier that year in the summer, but in terms of lore there was only so much i could have worked with at the moment.

childe and scaramouche have that perfect combination of silliness and angst and violence that could be explored or expanded in so many ways and i love love love seeing other people’s interpretations of their dynamic and relationship. they’re so complex,,,,they’re narrative foils,,,they’re narrative parallels,,,they’re trans allegories,,,they’re flies in the spiderweb of the games lore,,,they’re my stupid little meow meows,,, they’re just two losers i want to see make out,,,

in a nutshell, they’re everything to me. well, i hope i get that kind of sentiment across in my own comics,,,,

and i cant get started on all the people ive met through chiscara or the way that having something i can call “my thing”, as in, the thing that i like and that i will spend a lot of time and effort (and money, but lets not talk about that) to surround myself with because it makes me smile. its stupid to say, but being a nerd about these two stupid guys who have never had a single canon onscreen interaction in some random game has made me a much happier and confident person that i could have ever imagined back in my freshman year of college,,, when i say i dont know who i’d be if i hadnt gotten into chiscara, i really do mean it lol

i’m actually surprised i’m making it to over a full year of regular-ishly making art, especially for the same game and ship! thats never happened before and my art has improved so much over this past year!! more than anything else, i’m happy! i get to be excited talking about these characters with my friends and i love to see art of them pop up on the tl. i make stickers of them and decorate my phonecase with them and have little figures of them in my room that i look at when im up late at night working on schoolwork. sometimes just the thought of finishing a comic or daydreaming about a scenario or seeing what my mutuals are up to are some of the few things getting me through a tough day.

,,,,so believe me when i say, to both childe and scara and to everyone else as obsessed with these pathic losers as i am, thank you! i’m having a lot of fun!!!

(also i just found out tumblrs copy/paste doesnt work on my ipad??? idk if this ends up legible i may or may not have deleted smth by accident and im not in a mood to proofread haha)

[banterismylovelanguage]

So… Genshin ships, huh?

Here’s mine.

(They’re numbered but everything past #1 gets scrambled depending on the day and the feels).

XIAOVEN. It’s my Genshin OTP. I got into the game because of these two pretty much. Individually, I adore their stories, their VAs, all their scenes, everything. And then you want to put them together?? Count me all in. (Plus, I’m grabbing onto the scraps that Xiao wants to meet Barbatos in canon 👉👈)

CYNARI. This popped up so recently but my love is growing rapidly. I love Tighnari’s sassiness. I love Cyno’s dual personality of a stoic guy with dad jokes. They have an adopted child. They have BANTER. Need I say more?

SHENJIN. Grew on me SO much. I love a stoic Shenhe and an overactive and over-thinker Yun Jin making it work. I kinda see Yun Jin as the female version of Venti, but a little more… self-aware? Self-conscious? Assertive? Just more of something. So short girl trying to pick up the tall beauty? Hell yes.

VENLUMI/LUMIVEN. All right, OTP aside, I love most ships with Venti. You could slide into my dms, say, “Hey Banter, what do you think of [random character] x Venti?” And I’d probably be A-Ok with it and start brainstorming headcanons for them (y’know, just don’t give me a child character ship). I’m so easily swayed. That being said, Lumine’s (mostly headcanoned) sassy, headstrong, and almost stoic personality mixed with a sly, teasing Venti (who gets easily flustered/vulnerable sometimes) is my absolute jam in f/m ships so you can bet this one runs in my mind rent-free. Plus, the whole “my warrior” pet name business? MMMM.

DILUVEN/ZHONGVEN. Okay, I know these are totally separate ships but I’m going to put them together because I gotta get my favorite Venti ships out of the way and explain that I do see these two on the same level, but love them for very different reasons. So, Diluven is—hot, but also just. Tragic. Mortal and immortal? Count me in. The whole business where Venti calls Diluc Master? (A translation thing and it’s just Venti being respectful but it’s still hot). Zhongven, on the other hand, has banter. Old friends. Immortal and immortal yearning. Tragedy ending, tense beginning. Lots of potential. Yeah.

And that’s pretty much it for ships I actively seek out.

But there’s some that I either want to get into more or am curious about. Let’s list a couple:

Albether—two blondes together? Very calm and gentle personalities? Aether is adorable? Interested.

Jeanlisa—witch and knight. Also, I like the potential for a mature romance from them, you know? They’re both responsible adults, so I don’t think there’d be much shyness here, just the existential questions to explore this really deep, intimate relationship and whether or not they have the capacity to put their all in it with Jean’s responsibilities and Lisa’s half-cut life. It’s really nice for it to be so. Adult.

Yanlan—Assassin and lawyer? Is Yanfei completely oblivious or does she… help? Fun, fun potential aus.

Eimiko—They’ve got banter. I really like Yae’s design and both of their personalities. I see political aus abound with these two.

Thomato—aside from the adorable name, I like the dynamics of this ship. Housekeeper and lord. Awesome.

That’s all for now. There’s others but… I’m not super invested as of now.

Though, I wish I could get into ships with Kaeya, Gorou, and Heizou, but I can’t seem to get into the ships with these three. Maybe if I actually read a good fic on them or something. Idk, recommendations for any ships listed (or new ships) are welcome!

[woxinling]

tea and solitude

(a little zhongven-ish thing i wrote for a random competition)

Despite the late hour, the city never had been more lively. The moon hung high in the sky, though the light reflected by it drowned in the lights of the lanterns on the ground.

Golden specks reflected in the lotus ponds and the eyes of children running through the bustling streets, holding lanterns of their own or tangren on sticks, that also amazed any foreigners who had travelled the distance to witness the festivities.

The air was pregnant with a variety of scents, sweet and smoke and spice convoluted into the event's very own fragrance that was as familiar to him as the back of his hand.

The wood underneath him creaked with every new figure that made their way onto the bridge over the street, the perfect spot for a view of the harbour.

Sitting at a small table, he held onto his cup of tea, a small cloud raising from it in the autumn cold and his gloved fingers tracing the porcelain absentmindedly.

A child holding tanghulu ran by the table, causing it to shake a bit with its steps. The man held onto his tea as he stared into the cup, reminiscing.

No amount of lanterns and laughter managed to take away the inherent numbness of his heart, though.

Sipping on his tea as if it could give him back the warmth he had missed, he looked up at the sky, a few stray sky lanterns rising into the darkness until they vanished.

He had seen this sight more often than anyone and not everytime it had been lanterns vanishing.

The other seats at the table were empty, one by one had been abandoned through the course of time until he was left with no one to share the tea with.

With every one of his friends leaving, a numbness clung to his heart, a stone in his stomach that not the best tea in the world could melt, nor the warmth of any lantern.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Around him was noise, around him was laughter and shouting and music and life, something he had witnessed ceasing.

After millennia, he was still in the same spot. The landscape had changed, structures had fallen and risen like the tide, and every opening of his eyes brought upon a new day, though nevertheless as empty as the one before.

A gust of wind ruffled his hair and clothes, bringing a sweet scent of apples and wine, and upon opening his eyes, he watched the steam from his cup swerve like a sail. In the dark tea a pair of light eyes reflected, a warm smile on a soft face.

“Would you mind if i joined you here, 老朋友?”

The words reached his ears like a long forgotten ballad, still the same after all this time and immediately recognized by the beating heart in his heavy chest.

They had come after all.

A hand was extended, pale fingers on a package sliding it across the table until it reached the middle. The same fingers unwrapped it with sweet care, and revealed mooncakes.

The same fingers had waved at him in the past, had held him as if to keep him from falling apart, had become his anchor until they had disappeared into the depths and left him behind.

One of the mooncakes was taken by the other, and a smile still plastered onto their face.

“Have some, you look a bit empty”

He was. He had been empty ever since his friends had passed, one by one vanishing either into the afterlife or the world.

But seeing this familiar smile across from him, the warm glow of the lanterns shining onto them, the heavy rock in his stomach was replaced by a softness.

He smiled, and for the first time in a while it had been genuine. This gained a soft chuckle from the person across, who raised the mooncake to their lips and bit into the golden dough.

He finally reached for a mooncake himself, and the sweetness melted his sorrows for a night.

________________________

"老朋友" → old friend

[roboticspacecase]

Zhongven | ABO | Nest Making Fluff

Venti made nests differently than other omegas. It probably had something to do with the fact that other omegas weren't bird-like gods that had the urge to grab every shiny thing they saw and cram it somewhere into the nest.

Thankfully, he had mastered putting them in places that wouldn't dig into anyone that laid in it. They were perfect ornaments, things that would catch the light and highlight just how big and fancy his nests were. It did make his alpha antsy sometimes, though. Zhongli would often catch him tearing up a part of the nest to bury a new piece of jewelry or some of the scales that the alpha had shed that week.

Most of the time, an omega tearing up part of the nest meant that they were stressed and trying to gain some sort of control of their surroundings. Zhongli walking in on him doing something like that caused the alpha to fawn over him, asking him if he was alright and if there was anything he could do to make him feel better.

While Venti appreciated the extra love, he sometimes found it tedious to remind the alpha that he was perfectly fine and only wanted to incorporate a new treasure to the nest.

"I found a new gemstone today, that's all," he hummed, finding himself locked away behind the alpha's big arms.

"Yes, but why did you need to take apart that entire side of the nest? All of your nests are perfect. You could place the gem anywhere, and they would continue to be perfect." Zhongli gave him a light squeeze. "Would you like me to make some tea? You know we have plenty of calming-"

"I don't need tea," Venti laughed. "You know this is normal for me, darling. We go through this nearly every month." He fought and wiggled against the alpha's hold, turning around so that he could face him. Or rather, look up at his face, seeing as he was two heads taller than him. "I'm sorry that this worries you, but remember, me adding shiny things to the nest means I'm happy! Thrilled, one could even say. Finding new things that make a better nest for us to share is the best!"

Zhongli gave a low hum in response, bringing a hand up to cup Venti's cheek. "And I adore that about you. I just can't help worrying, is all. I want you to be happy as often as possible, so I'll do my best to remember not to coddle you too much when you remake the nest."

"Well," Venti drawled, leaning into the touch. "I don't mind some coddling. I think a good compromise would be if you complimented the nest, rather than hover and ask me how I'm doing. That way, I get the lovely attention, and you get the chance to do something that you know omegas like. It's a win-win!"

The alpha laughed. "I believe that can be arranged. Though, I would like to lay in the nest while I compliment it. Kind words are most sincere when one has sampled the work firsthand."

Venti didn't wait for Zhongli to finish speaking before he was tugging the alpha along into the nest. "Of course! I think a nice nap would be the perfect test. Then, when we wake up, you can tell me all about how much you love my work."

The two settled in, Zhongli once more wrapping his arms around Venti. "Sounds like a wonderful plan to me."

[gaecactae]

Little question about Genshin: do you have any ships?

Yeah, stupid question but I'm curious because I recently started playing Genshin myself

yessir!!

even though it feels illegal to ship barely anything sometimes in Genshin (usually due to characters’ ages that may not match their appearance sometimes) I do have a few!

❄️Kaebedo!🏔

I was sceptical at first cause I had a different Kaeya ship but my gf spent half of our relationship teaching me how to multiship NDNDN and she managed to teach me. So yeah I think kaebedo is adorable and the chemistry might be about right here! Kaeya is into him, just how he says that in the voice lines. They have Klee too, while Albedo treats her like a younger sister and Kaeya acts like her babysitter (sort of) - they definitely hang out together. Not to mention their curious Khaenri’ah roots!!!

🏔ZhongVen! 💨

Naw man these are just. Quality. It’s a rare ship cause Venti usually ends up with Xiao and it’s way more popular; zhongven is a curious ship. First of all, it’s awesome they both have Visions that act funny with other elements - and can’t work with each other! I think it makes curious chemistry. Their characters don’t match either shdhshw Venti is a lil shit (Archon of Freedom) while Zhongli is this tall serious dude (Archon of Contracts). Second, they’re two remaining archons that fought in Archon War if I remember correctly and I believe they would have an interesting history ^^

🔥Thomato💧

DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS ONE I love these two sm. Thoma may be the housekeeper of Kamisato Estate but it’s so sweet Ayaka and Ayato treat him like part of their family 🥹 I love how thankful Ayato is, and how much he appreciates Thoma’s work around! He also claims that in his position he can’t really trust too many people but Thoma is one of them. And on the other side, Thoma is happy to look out for Ayato when he’s at home cause he feels like thats all he can do. They make me feel all fuzzy 🥹🥹

❄️AyaMiya🔥

It’s sort of a side ship, not much of any OTP, I think they’re neat! And the opposite Visions make it quite spicy too - overall 8/10!

🌱AlHaitham x Kaveh 🌱

I can’t wait until they’re out as playable characters. 🧍🏽 Their little lore sounds pretty funny, considering AlHaitham is allowing Kaveh to stay over and they both freak out at each other; it leads to Kaveh literally bitching about him everywhere in Sumeru which if you ask me, it’s just straight hilarious. I’m not sure how I feel about two same Dendro visions in a ship cause for most of the time I shipped like- one vision with something different, you get what I mean. We will see! Can’t wait till they’re here

These are my main ships honestly! I also ship majority of the characters x therapy but maybe they don’t have that in teyvat yet jdjdjd

[leafyduckwebs]

I SEE VENTI AS AROACE TOO AND I KIND OF WANNA SEE WHY YOU DO AS WELL (if you're comfortable sharing!!) GQIDBEKWWJ

We may have different reasons and I'm. I shall explain myself but I see Venti as just very...????? I can't verbalize myself well rn because I just got out of something grueling (and if this fly doesn't leave me alone it had best be prepared to face the wrath of a god.) I see Venti as quite literally just a wisp of wind. A bit of wind. He's a wisp of anemo playing pretend, molding himself into the body of a human he was attached to in some form. He's just very? Non human to me. How would the wind feel attracted to anything? I see him in a similar light to HSR's aeons, more like a concept than a normal person tbh

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER IT'S FINE <333

And Venti shippers are cool no hate, Zhongven comics always make me laugh sjsjsj

YAY SHARED HC SHARED HC !!! You're not even my only genshin friend who's an aroace Venti truther....I'm like a magnet for cool based people,,,,,

Tbh I always viewed Venti as aroace but I didn't realize it for a bit at first. Like whenever I stumbled upon ship art or anything sexualizing him as a new player I was like "Nuh uh 🤨 this is NOT a vibe 😐👎👎 Boo 🍅🍅!!!"

OK YOUR REASONING WITH HIM BEING THE WIND IS SO COOL !! MIGHT STEAL IT IDK. I mainly see him as aroace because I can't see him having romantic or sexual feelings at all tbh. I just do not see it. Also a lot of his character is based of platonic love and I don't wanna overshadow that with shipping. This guy IS platonic love and found family personified. I love seeing art/fics/voicelines/quests/etc that just show him loving everything around him.

To me he loves and adores every Mondstadt character like a parent would with their child because they literally are his children in a way. This man took down a tyrant for his best friend and took on said friend's form so he could create a better future. As a god he literally changed the geography to make his land more comfortable for the people iirc. He loves Aether/Lumine as a friend and will absolutely accept them as one of his own if they wanted. He and Hu Tao are chaos besties fr fr. I don't see him loving Xiao as much, but he does care about him even though they never talk.

Zhongven is the only romantic ship of his I tolerate because they have a very good long standing relationship and old man yaoi is sacred :)

Also this isn't exactly a reason why he's aroace to me, but I don't ship him partly because I don't like some of his fandom. 90% of them are cool ofc, but sometimes genuinely what the hell is even happening over there!? Like after 4.4, some loud xiaoven shippers started harassing xiaoaether artists and that left a bad taste in my mouth for xiaoven permanently tbh. DON'T GET ME WRONG they're generally very cool but every character and ship has unhinged fans AAJKDSLKJD

[asterryplace]

womp womp

tiny update to all the things i'm doing and will be doing and all the bullshit i'm working on [there is a lot!]

So, first of all, I know i've been super inactive, yeah. I started working on a zine [!!! as a mod!!!!!], and got a ton of health issues on the way [as per usual], so my energy levels have been all over the place. To explain all the happenings as a list;

BISU, the software!

still working out the kinks and possibilities, while settling on how to start the project so we can maybe gather some new people and coders. Would be insanely helpful.

Settled on what each version should have and what we need, just need to work out the math and all the dumb kinks of graphic tablets. Will take time, but it's headache inducing.

Zines; a masterlist

working on the disability companion for a vidya

doing a zhongven zine. there's a lot going on there but it's alright . skull emoji

kitty love zine! about 25% done. It features a ton of cats [duh] including my own dumbasses

seazine; scrapped the old version. will probably remake it in csp cause procreate kinda sucks for that

Illu projects

Doing mermay and a bunch of other competition works! Mostly using this as just an opportunity to train and get better, cause I feel like I suck!

Making a few smaller illus for prints; focusing on a simpler design that could be pleasant for a green interior. Looking for a good print-on-demand service still [cause printful doesn't have the best ratings, tbh]

Buncafe

biiiig backburner. Have to wait for better wifi to focus on it more, unfortunately.

Still assembling a good database of resources! If you find anything and want to add it, email me wak@asterry.space ! I promise I don't bite [through the screen, at least]

Fanworks masterlist

tmnt fancomic still in progress! had to put it on the backburner due to all the other stuff happening

doing a bit of genshin redesigns?? it's kinda fun and i can't wait to show them all off

also drawing a manga based off of outward's world and lore! I hope to release it on a chapter by chapter basis, so all the binge readers can just go through a chapter and then wait for the next "episode" instead of a single page per week [it's also kind of better for my health state]

Animation

Working on a baby show [!!!]! still storyboarding it out and learning things on the way. I'll probably have to learn 3d to cut corners a bit here and there, otherwise this will suck real bad

there's a secret in the works. it's taking a long time but i hope it will be something enjoyable :-]

And that's that for now! Whew that's a lot of stuff. Well, see you whenever I manage to do any of these things, ciao!

[taconafide2]

after thinking it over i've come to the conclusion that focalors & neuvilette are basically the zhongven of fontaine rather than hu tao & zhongli and that i don't particularly care about the romantic aspect of zhongven as a ship but god they're such an interesting pair. But again i do think zhongli tolerates hu tao because she reminds him of two of his long lived upbeat friends (guizhong & venti) so their relationship mirrors zhongven & guili in a way. what i find so enticing about zhongven is that they probably did *not* get along initially but thousands of years and plenty of war crimes later they're the only constant unchanging anchors in each other's lives, aren't they? The only 2 of the original 7 left? Surely there's also ei though i've always assumed it was moreso... Makoto that handled international affairs? I badly want to see her interact with the 2 of them and traumabond over khaenri'ah and all, but back to the topic. I guess all dragon men are the same huh. I do want to think that furina & neuvilette genuinely have an unlikely friendship going on underneath what looks like neuv babysitting and shading furina every chance he gets, he's probably the reincarnated hydro sovereign it's not like he *has* to play house with an archon, his natural enemy in a way? i do think what connects them first and foremost is concern for the people of fontaine but i wanna know if there's more to it!!! after all. Immortal life gets lonely..... You do need someone to ground you and stop you from completly eroding with the wind..... Even if that person is annoying as hell!!

[mamichigo]

zhongven // weary

*

The bow was heavy in his hands. He knew he didn’t need to wield the weapon; just his raw elemental powers were more than enough to do what was required of him. But as fire blazed all around him, as the wind brought nothing but the sound of screams, the graze of the bowstring as he pulled it back was an undeserved but needed comfort.

To Barbatos, it was much easier to focus on that sensation and drown out the world around him. And even then, as the arrow flew and took everything in its path, his tears fell one after the other. An infinite but impassive stream. Barbatos no longer had it in him to sob and wail, even if his heart clamored for it.

When a hand touched his shoulder, his heart froze inside his chest. Barbatos sucked a breath through his teeth and twirled, bow at ready. He simply needed to shoot. As long as he thought of nothing at all, it’d be okay–

“Barbatos, lower your weapon,” the stranger commanded calmly.

No, not a stranger. Barbatos realized he knew those golden eyes very well and, with a gasp, stumbled a few steps back. His grip loosened and the arrow clattered on the battered ground. Without his tight hold around his bow, Barbatos realized he was shaking.

“Morax,” he whispered, unable to say much more with his wobbling lips.

The force he used to propel himself forward felt like the last of his energy, and Barbatos crashed into Morax’s body violently. Morax didn’t budge an inch even when he took the full impact of Barbatos’ clumsy embrace.

“We have honored our part of the contract,” Morax told him, still in that neutral tone of his that others often confused for a lack of care. “It’s out of our hands now.”

It was hard to settle on an emotion as he processed the news. Barbatos was still lost in the adrenaline burning in his veins, and the persistent buzzing in his ears. He shoved his face into Morax’s neck and laughed wetly.

“So that’s it?” He hissed. “We destroy most of a nation, wage war on humans, then we leave as if we never played a role in it?”

“It is what we agreed to do.”

“That doesn’t comfort me at all.”

Although his words lacked warmth, Morax laid a hand on Barbato’s head, the other placed on the small of his back. Although Morax’s touch was no different to the feeling of holding a gem, Barbatos relaxed. His heartbeat, which had been hammering inside his ribcage, finally slowed down, no longer suffocating him.

Morax sighed, long and exhausted, like the world itself fell upon his body.

“You were never one for war,” Morax mused.

“I was shaped by it, Morax,” Barbatos rebutted, a little amused, a little outraged. From the moment Barbatos became aware of his existence, the land had been plagued by war. “Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not. I’m well aware of the events that gave you the form you currently hold.” Morax moved his hand along his back, to his arm, then finally down to Barbatos’s hand. He pressed a thumb against his calluses, acquired from playing the lyre. “I simply believe your heart is wounded much easier. You were made for softer things.”

At this, Barbatos pulled away a little, just enough to look at Morax.

“And you?” He closed his fingers around Morax’s. “Do you believe yourself to be made of stone?”

The lack of response meant more than any actual answer could. Barbatos lifted himself onto his tiptoes and pressed his nose to Morax’s jaw.

“You old fool.”

The silence that followed made him all too aware of the ache plaguing his body. From the corner of his eyes, he could still see the flames that consumed the depths of Khaenri’ah. He squeezed his eyelids closed.

“I’m so tired,” Barbatos admitted in a whisper like a confession of sin. His entire body sagged, and just as he felt he might collapse, Morax put a steady arm around his waist.

“You can rest,” Morax said. His voice rumbled on Barbatos’ chest, gentle in a way that Morax was so adamant in believing himself incapable of. “I’ll watch over you.”

Barbatos shuffled until he found the dip between Morax’s shoulder and chest. His eyelids were heavy, and his eyes burned.

“Will you hold me?” Barbatos asked.

Immediately, Morax complied. He hoisted Barbatos into his arms so he no longer felt the soles of his feet ache. Barbatos sighed, relieved. Everything but Morax’s steady pulse was pushed away from his mind, and he let his bow fall out of his hand.

“Sleep well, Barbatos.”

[klixxy]

Genshin Fic Recs

so... i ventured into the vast world of Google looking for some good GI fic recs... only to find such a pitiful amount that i was promptly devastated. therefore, the solution is to make my own! :D

keep in mind most of these will be ChiLi or XingYun, and yes, i will try not to include smut unless it was one i really really liked. if anyone wants a separate list for just smut (though that will most likely be shorter) i can try to make one later.`

ft. my bookmark comments :)

CHILI

wrapped up in pure gold by beyondwinter

(chili; accidental marriage; chili/childe-centric; 22k words; ongoing)

"Do you understand its meaning, Childe?" He finally asks. There's a hard glint in his eyes, like he's trying to steel himself for his answer.

"Yeah." Loyalty and devotion, right? Between business partners? "I do. It's traditional, isn't it?"

Zhongli's eyes glow a warm amber in the near darkness, reflecting the soft shine of the lanterns. He studies his face with a strange intensity, as though Childe were a piece of high quality Nocticulous Jade being sold for suspiciously small sum and he's trying to find the blemishes that would explain the price. The weight of his gaze should be uncomfortable, boring into him like he can see into the very depths of his abyss-tainted soul, but Childe finds himself preening under the attention instead.

Childe accidentally proposes to Zhongli. Zhongli accepts.

The World is Water by Millereflets

(chili; smut; hurt/comfort; chili-centric; 7k words; oneshot)

Childe doesn't visit Zhongli until it's almost too late.

(my bookmarks: HOW DO YOU MAKE A SMUT SCENE SO POETIC HOLY SHITTTTT)

Set in Stone by seredemia

(chili; fake dating au; angst; some smut?; chili/chiilde-centric; 55k words; ongoing)

What do you do when you write about a certain six thousand year old consultant so much in your letters that it somehow convinces your entire family you're not only dating each other, but that you're also engaged?

In Childe's case, the answer is plain and simple: he goes along with it, of course. Absolutely nothing can go wrong if he makes a contract with the God of Contracts, vowing that the two of them will pretend to be lovers for the duration of his family's stay in Liyue. Afterwards, they'll return as normal and speak no more of this mess. No feelings or complications involved whatsoever.

Contract accepted. A fool-proof plan set in stone. Right?

Private Ledger of the Eleventh Harbinger by JuHuaTai

(chili; humor; getting together; chili/ekaterina-centric; 5k words; oneshot)

“So guess what I did next?”

Ekaterina contemplated not answering, but Harbinger Tartaglia was just… grinning and waiting. It’s honestly rather creepy the longer time passed.

In the end, she gave a long suffering sigh that seems lost on him, “You bought him the Erhu—“

“I bought him the antique, cor lapis based Erhu,”

-

When she first left her homeland for the unknown nation of Liyue, Ekaterina was ready to be many things: To be a soldier, to fell Tsaritsa’s enemies in her name, to bring glory to Snezhnaya and her leader.

Being a receptionist in a cozy bank wasn’t so bad in comparison, but she absolutely can do without the front row seat to Harbinger Tartaglia’s (expensive) love life.

i know i'm where i'm meant to go by paperclips (pastel_paperclips)

(chili; humor; fluff; chili-centric; 12k words; ongoing)

"Childe," Zhongli says suddenly. "I am enjoying myself greatly." Childe’s face breaks into a grin. "Then-" Zhongli gasps, grabbing his wrist and tugging him over to an unsuspecting peddler with a cart full of rocks. "Is that an intrusive igneous pegmatite formed in the Inazuma regions?" Childe’s grin smooths into a small, adoring smile. He has all the time in the world to figure the other man out.

OR: Finding the Geo Archon is on Childe's to-do list but hanging out with Zhongli is significantly more fun.

CHILIVEN

Crumbling Stone by avtorSola

(chiliven; ANGST; PAIN; mind control; zhongli-centric; 74k words; ongoing)

When Morax unleashes his plan to test the Liyue Qixing and his adepti, he does not take into account the stirring of the Abyss Order in the north and the corruption of Dvalin - for why would he fear an organization that works in such shadows? He is secure in his power, after all, unlike his flighty ex, the absentee archon of Mondstadt who rises only when his people are in danger.

But, somehow, the Abyss Order discovers his plan. Somehow, they capitalize on it. And he, the God of Stone who cannot sicken, is struck down - taken by an order bent on destroying all of humanity as Liyue crumbles around him. For even Archons aren't immune to Durin's blood, and Morax is no exception. But then the question becomes - if even Archons may fall to the agony of this corrupting burn - how is their traveling friend Aether immune?

The answer comes from beyond the stars - an ancient malice that knows no kindness or mercy. A malice whose legacy the Abyss Order now bears, seeking to topple all the Archons and their people into the void of utter destruction. And they have begun in Liyue.

Fortunately, it takes a long time to erode stone.

(my bookmarks: IM SCREAMING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)

PLATONIC ZHONGVEN

left-behind city by trixstar

(platonic zhongven; angst; ANGST; venti-centric; 1k words; oneshot)

"An associate of mine has just informed me that Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon has been assassinated."

Venti blinks.

Or: Venti and how he copes with finding out he is all that remains.

i circle ten thousand years long; and i still do not know if i am a falcon, a storm, or an unfinished song by birdsofpassage

(platonic zhongven; angst; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 4k words; oneshot)

Venti and Zhongli, and the vignettes of a much-needed vacation around Mondstadt.

(my bookmarks: ; - ;      ;  -  ; )

oh ye with little faith by air_fried_air

(platonic zhongven; angst; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 2k words; oneshot)

Two former archons do a little tour around Mondstadt.

(my bookmarks: why are all genshin angst fics so melancholy.... i feel so empty)

the wind through the mountain tops by glassdrachma

(platonic zhongven; humor; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 21k words; finished)

Boredom brings Barbatos of Mondstadt to bother a certain ex-Archon of the Earth.

(my bookmarks: venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship-)

XINGYUN

the art of exorcism by Agried

(xingyun; ghost au; hurt/comfort; chongyun-centric; 9k words; oneshot)

On the road back from one of his jobs, Chongyun runs into Xingqiu, the wandering swordsman. And then they keep meeting, over and over again. or, alternately; how a ghost and an exorcist learn how to love, one step at a time.

Bane of All Evil by tzitzimeme

(xingyun; humor; romance; chongyun-centric; 24k words; hiatus)

When Chongyun unintentionally offends Liyue's second most powerful adepti, he vows to mend the thorny relationship between Adeptus Xiao and human exorcists-- even though no one has succeeded in currying Xiao's favor for over a thousand years.

His best friend Xingqiu offers to come alone, mainly because he's worried about what kind of trouble Chongyun will run into. Along the way, they receive help from others: Xiangling packs them meals for their journeys, while Zhongli gives them advice on what demons to track.

Childe is just there because he thinks the whole thing is hilarious.

[On indefinite hiatus due to burnout; sorry!]

kiss me slowly (so i don't forget) by xiwangmu

(xingyun; humor; romance; light angst; xingqiu-centric; 8k words; oneshot)

Wangshu Inn Bulletin Board

Guest Message: My best friend whom I harbor affections for kissed me last night, but due to his special condition he does not recall a single moment of it. I am quite conflicted about whether to disclose these events to him or not, because that would most certainly require me to confess my feelings as well. If anyone has experience in romancing boys with excessive positive energy, this one humbly asks you to share some advice.

Reply: Our greatest apologies—although we would like to offer some words in response, we simply cannot decipher your handwriting. Perhaps you may return with a neater message next time?

time trials by idlestars

(xingyun/many ships; humor; modern au; xingyun-centric; 2k words; oneshot)

A modern social media AU.

Xingqiu Teases Demons. Chongyun Almost Cries. [The clip shows Xingqiu, lit by the sickly green of night vision, as he stares bored into a dark room. He’s alone - Chongyun left to see if Xingqiu could lure out the ghosts. Xingqiu glances at the camera, smirks, and then opens his mouth.

“Hey demons, it’s me, yah boy.”]

OTHER/GEN

woe be the wallet of the god of wealth by glassdrachma

(gen; humor; identity reveal; keqing/zhongli-centric; 12k words; finished)

Or, the story of how the Yuheng of the Qixing came to idolize, befriend, and discover the identity of the God of Geo, in that order.

(personal comments: hilarious, made me burst out into laughter multiple times, and was just a masterful piece of writing)

to dream of dust by miao_x

(guili/gen; ANGST; hurt/no comfort; zhongli-centric; 5k words; oneshot)

Some nights, Zhongli dreams.

He dreams of soft light, golden song, and a gentle breeze whispering tales of millennia past. It is warm, familiar, and comforting.

It feels like home.

And then he opens his eyes, and awakes to reality.

(my bookmarks: oh zhongli... made me cry)

To drown in your own tears by C_rin_nyan

(guili/gen; ANGST; TEARS; PAIN; zhongli-centric; 2k words; oneshot)

As Rex Lapis, he had never shed a tear, even as he slaughtered hundreds, destruction following his every step. As Zhongli, he had shed much more than he would like to admit, however.

Or, “Zhongli’s soul gave its last scream long ago, yet even now, the echo of said sound was still strong enough to reach Rex Lapis.”

[urdailybs]

that one cracky zhongven fic

Summary: Jean gets alerted that there's a possible child predator in the city and takes it super seriously and then... the "child" in question is her god. Her 2000+ yrs old god and the "predator" is his 6000+ yrs old boyfriend.

Anna had been near the fountain, swishing her hands through the crystal waters as she watched the people of Mondstadt do their daily routines.

The guards were around the gate, Carol was at her merchant stall, some little kids were playing around with the stray dogs. Overall it was a very peaceful day, most days were since Storterrors defeat and Dvalin’s rise.

Lord Barbatos must’ve blessed them, she thought. The weather was just right, not too hot nor too cold. It cooled everyone’s skin nicely and everyone seemed to enjoy their day. Perhaps the lord was in a good mood himself, maybe this was his way of forgiving them for treating the Dvalin situation so horribly. Lord Barbatos was never rumored to hold grudges long.

Anna smiled to herself, joy creeping at her sides. How fun, she mused. But something bad is bound to happen. Maybe that Bennett boy would come in and ruin their luck once again, trouble seemed to follow the teenager and it just so happened he liked to take his daily stroll around this time.

She suppressed a groan. If he were to appear today would be rather eventful. She does not think that it would sour the mood of the Mondstadt citizens, maybe even make them laugh at the child’s poor luck but that didn’t mean the boy would feel the same.

Her grin morphed into a frown at that thought but she shook those thoughts away. Better not dwell on a future that wasn’t set in stone.

Anna’s head roamed around once again, maybe she’d see someone she hasn’t met yet.

But instead, her eyes landed on the local bard, Venti, she recalled him calling himself. According to her brother, he played at Angel’s Share frequently but also went around telling tales of the gods around Barbatos statue. He was a traveling bard, if asked he could probably sing you a song about the Dendro archon.

She stood from her spot on the edge of the fountain, patting down her dress to go greet the teenager, ask him how his day was. Venti was known for being very conversational after all. She started heading over, a grin on her face. Maybe she'd be able to convince him to play her a song, she doubts he'd protest.

Anna walked around the fountain, making sure she didn't trip over any pebbles before looking up again. But now there was someone at Venti's side. The man was tall in stature, with long limbs that had some obvious muscle on them. She hesitated in her steps, perhaps it was a bad time. But Venti didn't appear as if it was, instead he had a bright grin as he looked at the elder.

She wasn't in hearing distance, and even if she was their voices would probably be drowned out by the crowd and the happy shrieks of Mondstadt's children.

So, Anna watched. She wasn't necessarily concerned, it was probably an uncle or a family friend. Yeah, that's right.

Venti's hands traveled to grip the elder man's hands, in a firm but gentle grip. The young bard bounced on his toes as he talked avidly to the man who in return smiled down fondly at him. Unease crept into Anna's gut but she stood where she was and continued to watch.

The man's hands also wandered, moving from Venti's grip to tug on the strands of his braids that framed his face. Venti giggled at the elder but continued to talk, moving his hands to wrap around the man's neck.

Anna frowned and shifted in place, something was wrong, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

After moments of just talking and Anna's feet shifting is when they kissed. It took a moment but the elder man pressed his lips to Venti's, quickly shutting up the young teenager. Anna let out a gasp and moved her eyes away, not being able to see Venti's reaction. This was obviously some sort of child predator situation and she should tell the acting grandmaster immediately.

Running for the stairs she ignored the concerned call of her brother, Anthony, and wasted no time to tell the nearest knight she could find.

Jean sighed into her palms, rubbing at her temple. A frown rested on her lips as she stared at Lisa who sat next to her. "What do I do? Miss Anna didn't provide much information." She could tell the woman was panicked, fearful for the teen she brought up but she could've at least mentioned some names. All Jean had managed to get out was that fact it was a bard and a man in Liyue-styled clothing.

Her wife, Lisa, didn't offer much help but that didn't mean Jean didn't appreciate her appearance, nor did it mean that Lisa did not care. "There are so many bards in Mondstadt, Lord Barbatos encourages the sound of music so much that nearly anyone native to Mondstadt can play an instrument." And many have made a career out of it, she did not say. It was no use worrying herself further. She should just get to the bottom of this as fast as possible.

If there was a child predator in Mondstadt, only the archons may know how many kids he may go after next. Lisa rubbed at her leg in a comforting manner, providing as much calm as she could. "She mentioned she saw them near the fountain, no? Perhaps they're still there."

Jean nodded. Sometimes she forgot Lisa was just as much of a knight as she was. "You're right. I'll go check, stay here."

Her wife nodded, giving her a soft smile. "If you need me I'll be here." Jean smiled at that and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before heading out the door, making sure to grab her sword on the way out. Even if she didn't wish for it, things may get violent.

Huffing, she brushed past her fellow knights, ignoring Kaeya's good afternoon. She'd have to fill him in later, she's sure he'd understand.

Running into the plaza, she caught her breath leaning up against a wall. She couldn't see any sight of a bard or a man in Liyue clothing, so it was best to ask questions. Walking over to a nearby shop-owner she asked and asked but only got shakes of heads and a 'sorry' in return. She was fast to reassure them that it wasn't their fault for not noticing.

She paced across the stairs and hummed in thought. Usually bard's play in taverns, more likely the most popular ones.

Jean smiled at her lead, time for an impromptu visit to Angel's Share.

The door to Angel's Share burst open and Diluc nearly screamed. He really hoped he wouldn't need to get it fixed. Turning around he was surprised to see Jean, a determined look on her face as she walked up to him. "Diluc," She said seriously, forgoing his title. They were friends after all, and her tone was quiet enough for nobody else to hear so it wouldn't raise suspicion. "Have you seen a man in Liyue clothing and a bard around?"

Diluc raised a brow. "Do you mean Venti and Zhongli?"

Jean blinked at him. "What? No? Who even is Zhongli?"

"What do you mean 'Who is Zhongli'? He's Venti's boyfriend or whatever." He's also the geo archon, went unsaid but still heard.

He watched as confusion, shock, understatement, and relief crossed her face, all in a span of two minutes. She looks ready to cry, he thought. Good or bad he did not know.

Slowly a laugh bubbled out of her and she slammed her hand down on the bar table, making a customer next to her jump in surprise. "Of course," She muttered under her breath.

Seemingly have sensed her presence (Diluc wouldn't be surprised if he actually had), Venti walked over, Zhongli trailing after him. The elder man looked very out of place due to his clothing but did not seem to realize the stares he attracted.

"Is everything alright over here?" Venti asked with a smile before looking at Diluc and sliding over some mora. "Also, can I get another Dandelion wine? I finished my previous one like ten minutes ago."

Sighing, Diluc took the mora and went to grab a cup but kept his ears strained for the conversation.

The acting grandmaster was exhausted. Now she wasn't one to be vulgar but tonight was an absolute shit-show and she never wanted to repeat it (though she had a feeling something similar will happen, eventually).

Lisa looked up from her book when she walked in, quick to rush over and give her a gentle hug. "Did you catch the perp?" She asked.

The blonde laughed and for a second she feared she may have had one too many drinks after her realization. Could you blame her though? She deserved that wine.

"I wouldn't say I caught anything." She started, watching a grimace cross Lisa's face. "It was actually a false alarm." She didn't know how to explain it to her wife without spoiling Venti and Zhongli's secret. How shall she do this?

"What do you mean?"

"Well, turns out this 'teenager' is actually a very old adult and so is the other adult. Miss Anna had just mistaken him for a minor." She ended up saying.

"Oh! How unfortunate for the couple than, I believe it'll be a little hard to display affection in public if one is that easy to mistake as a child."

"Yes, I suppose so."

[raincappuccino]

Venti remembers the man in the alleyway, lit almost ablaze in the lamplight. The gold in his eyes. The meteor orbiting his shoulders. His hands had been as steady as the earth, and when he held Venti, he had called him— —a name he hadn’t heard in a long, long time. After hearing news of Morax’s death, Venti travels to Liyue to honor a tradition that the Original Seven had long held: each time one of them passed on, those that remained would gather to drink a toast and say their final goodbyes. He figures Morax deserves this, at the least, even if it’s a party of one. He didn’t think it would be so hard to do it alone. Drunk, lonely, and despairing, Venti takes to wandering the streets of Liyue and stumbles upon a well-dressed stranger by the name of Zhongli, who reminds him far too much of what he’s just lost.

pairing: venti/zhongli rating: T word count: 10.8k tags: fluff and angst, love confessions, misunderstandings, reunion, idiots in love

hi hi i wrote a zhongven fic and i figured i'd post it on tumblr too so please check it out! it involves venti thinking morax is dead and not recognizing zhongli at all, zhongli rescuing an extremely drunk venti, zhongven going on a cute date, and all hell breaking loose when venti finds out. there's a lot of both of them being very, very bad at handling emotions <3

Preview under the cut! The whole thing's pretty long, so check it out over on ao3!

Venti wakes up to a room that’s way too bright for his piercing headache. The curtains are drawn, but light filters through the gaps between them, painting a zigzag across the dull blue blanket covering him. The air is still and quiet, and the shadow of a waving tree branch flutters outside the window.

He looks around, trying to remember where he is. Everything is unfamiliar. The architecture of the room is traditionally Liyue, with a polished lacquer folding screen standing by the large trunk at the foot of the bed, inlaid with ivory and mother of pearl, simple but elegant. It reminds him of Morax’s taste, but the room itself is completely foreign to him, as is any knowledge of how he’d arrived here.

To be fair, this was far from the first time he’d woken up after a night of drinking in a stranger’s bed with zero memory of how he’d gotten there, but usually he was unclothed, which at least gave some hint as to what might have transpired. Instead, he was still clad in his undershirt, with an embroidered silk robe he’d never seen before draped over his shoulders.

He hears footsteps, and sits up quickly as he hears a door open. The fast movement makes his head spin. “I see you’re awake.” Venti looks up, meeting the eyes of a well-dressed stranger. It was the man from last night, he remembers vaguely, though only fuzzy images come to mind. In the mid-morning light, his hair is a softer brown than Venti had previously thought, and the lines of his face seem less stern and more thoughtful. His eyes, now looking a dull amber in the daylight, regard Venti curiously.

“Um,” Venti mumbles, trying to remember how to speak. His tongue feels awkward in his mouth, and his way with words that usually gifted him onstage and at taverns vanishes as he fumbles for what to say. “Yes. Hi.”

“Good morning, although it’s nearly noon.” The man sets down a towel and a tray by the bedside. “I’ve brewed you some tea. It should help with your headache.”

“Uh, thanks.” Venti wonders if he sounds as confused as he is. “Do I… Are you… What did…?” He can’t seem to form a coherent sentence.

Ignoring this, the man continues speaking. “You should be more careful. The townsfolk here are not quite as free-spirited as what you’re used to in Mondstadt. If you wander the streets drunk and incoherent, someone might take advantage of you.”

Flashes of last night come back to Venti, and he clears his throat, trying to regain the ability to speak. “Oh please. Thanks for your concern, but I assure you—Wait, how did you know where I’m from?”

“It is obvious from the flower in your hat,” the stranger responds smoothly, pulling said hat off a coat rack in the entryway and throwing it at his face. The rest of his clothes, Venti notices, are folded and stacked in a neat pile nearby, and the thought of the man removing them from his body the night before sends heat rushing through his cheeks again.

He blinks, trying to clear his head. “Anyway, like I was saying, I assure you, I’ve got plenty of practice lately getting wasted and sleeping with strangers, so you can spare me the lecture. Thanks for your hospitality, though, and I’ll be taking off—”

A look passes over the stranger’s eyes. Judgment, perhaps—Venti wouldn’t be shocked; it isn’t as if he’s never been scolded for his fast-and-loose way of living—but then the man’s eyes narrow, dark with something akin to anger, and Venti wonders if there’s something he’s missing, something he’s not understanding.

“You should rest,” the man says shortly. “You’re in no shape to travel.”

Perhaps against his better judgment, Venti obeys, leaning back into the headboard. He studies the other man with interest, watching the way his fingers wrap around the handle of the teapot, slowly and with immense care, as though he were cradling a fragile creature. It makes Venti think of the way Morax held him the very first time, and he has to choke back a noise that very nearly makes it out of his throat.

The stranger hands him a cup of warm, dark liquid, smelling of spices and something domestic, and Venti sips it. It tastes exactly like the sobering tea Morax used to make him drink if he got too wild, and the nostalgia almost brings tears. He breathes in sharply. He has to stop connecting every little thing here to Morax, from the tea to the decor to the man himself, but how can he, when all of Liyue may as well be suffused with his breath, as if he were still living?

Read the rest on ao3!!! >>> https://archiveofourown.org/works/31732375

[roboticspacecase]

Zhongven but Zhongli is a big fan of Venti from 5WIRL and one day accidently finds him out while chaperoning his boss in a theme park. He lost her but hey, he found Venti?

A response to the prompts I'm sorry if this isn't what you had in mind I'm gonna dip 🫠

I love Zhongven so much, I'm so glad someone submitted a prompt for them ;w; It's exactly the sort of prompt I love, anon!

"This is rather unfortunate," Zhongli muttered to himself.

Using his tall stature to his advantage, he scanned over the crowd of people to see if he could spot the top of his boss's head.

No luck. Hu Tao was lost. Well, it was actually more likely that she was perfectly fine, but had wandered off to see something that caught her interest.

Zhongli agreed to take her out to the theme park to keep her from doing something that might get her kicked out. Like asking folks what their plans are if the roller coasters were to decapitate them, or if they would like a coupon in case one of the mascots was secretly a runaway serial killer hiding from the police.

She was an odd person, to say the least.

Rather than walk around aimlessly, Zhongli decided that he would go and wait at one of the information booths. They had agreed to meet at a place like that if they got separated, so he would just need to wait for her to realize that she had lost him and make her way back.

A green-painted, metal bench sat under a nice patch of shade from a tree not far from the booth, a perfect place for him to wait. Zhongli pulled his phone from the pocket of his slacks, swiping through some notifications from his social media.

He didn't use that sort of thing very often, but Hu Tao insisted that he make at least one account on a popular site to better stay connected to possible clients. That and she knew better than anyone that Zhongli enjoyed seeing people be creative, and social media gave a never-ending stream of creativity.

People walked by him, mostly unnoticed, as he watched videos, liked pictures, and looked through comments to see others' opinions. The only time he glanced up from his phone was when a stranger plopped down next to him with a large sigh.

At first, Zhongli only gave the other a small, quick once-over. Nothing about him stuck out, and he figured it was just another person needing a break from the long walk around the park. Though, the pair of shorts the stranger wore rode up his legs a little, revealing a bright blue tattoo around one of his thighs.

Throughout his time on social media, Zhongli had gone down more than a few rabbit holes. Artists, shows, bands, and weird internet theories all caught his interest at one point. None had stuck with him quite like 5WIRL, though.

Hu Tao had poked fun at him a few times for liking a boy band of all things, but even she liked their posts and would tag him in things related to them. Mostly pictures of Venti, the main man of the group.

His youthful features and extroverted personality made him a fan-favorite. Not to mention, his voice was heavenly. Each member of 5WIRL could sing, of course, but Venti could belt out the dictionary and still sound like a one-man chorus, sent from Celestia. Zhongli could recognize his voice anywhere.

Which was why the second the stranger sent a voice message on his phone, something about taking a break, Zhongli's mind went into overdrive. The signature tattoo, the style of his summery outfit, and his voice all added up. Venti had just sat right next to him.

Large sunglasses sat on his face, and his hair was styled into a ponytail rather than his usual braids. His floppy sun hat covered his head and shoulders in shade, all of which were probably to hide his true identity while he enjoyed the park. Zhongli had to play it cool and not expose him to the surrounding crowd, or he'd lose his chance to say hello and maybe get a nice response back.

He cleared his throat, tucking his phone away so that he could hold out his hand. "Hello there," he managed out. "It's so nice to see someone else taking some time to enjoy the shade."

Venti looked over at him then down at his extended hand, then back up to his face. "It is pretty sunny out today! It seems we're the smart ones for taking such a nice spot. It's a little strange that this bench was open." He grabbed Zhongli's hand and gave it a firm shake while he spoke, a large smile on his face. "Guess it works out for us, though."

His hand was so soft. Zhongli almost didn't let go, though he knew if he held on for a second longer, Venti would realize that he was panicking and trying too hard to play it cool.

"I agree, it has worked out. Especially since I'm waiting for my manager to find me." He chuckled, looking out over the crowd. "She never answers her phone, and it takes her a while to realize that I'm gone. Are you also waiting for someone?"

Venti laughed as well, a melodic sound that brought a warm smile to Zhongli's face. "Actually, it's the other way around. I agreed to meet with some friends, but walking all the way through the park is exhausting, so I had to take a short break."

"It is a large park," he hummed. "Well, I hope you don't mind me saying, but it's an honor getting to wait with someone like you. Not to be too forward, but I really love your music, and your stage presence is impeccable."

"Impeccable, huh?" Venti snorted. "You're not being too forward or anything like that, but you're so proper when you speak. Is that how you normally talk, or are you nervous? Because if you are, there's no need to be! I love meeting fans, especially ones that I wouldn't be able to guess are fans."

Zhongli let out a strained laugh, sitting up straighter. "Ah, to be honest, it's a bit of both. It's important to conduct oneself in a manner that both commands and gives respect. And being right next to you is also a little overwhelming. I've only ever seen videos and pictures. It's hard to believe you're real, sometimes."

Venti placed his hand on Zhongli's shoulder, giving him a few pats. "I'm definitely real! And definitely interested in talking more about other proper things you do and say. But I should really get going, or my friends are going to worry about me." He stood, adjusting his hat and holding his phone out. "Type in your username, and I'll look you up on one of my personal accounts so we can chat later. If you're cool with that, anyway."

"Oh, uh, yes, very cool with that." Zhongli nearly dropped the phone as he took it and typed in his username, struggling to remember it even though it was just his name with a zero for the O and a one for the I. Coming up with anything else had been too difficult at the time and seemed unprofessional anyway.

"Awesome! I'll hit you up after this trip, okay?" He took his phone back and tapped a few things on the screen. "Talk to you then, Zhongli!" Venti lowered his sunglasses enough to wink and blow a kiss before he skipped away, leaving Zhongli breathless and thoughtless on the bench.

Whatever he had done in that brief interaction that made Venti interested in him, Zhongli was forever thankful for it. His head spun too much to even think back on any of the conversation, so rather than dwell on what he said, he stared at his phone, eyeing the notification of a new follower.

Hu Tao was never going to believe his luck.

[gastricpierrot]

Title: Ships in the Night 

Series: Genshin Impact

Relationship: ZhongVen

Rating: T

Summary:

Barbatos had always wanted to enjoy a Ludi Harpastum with Morax, making so many empty promises with him over the years to go together one day. A festival of fun and games close to his own heart, it’s a change of pace he always thought Morax could appreciate. They finally manage this after all these centuries, yet Barbatos just had to be an idiot at the very end.

He rests his arm over his eyes, exhaling a slow breath. He's such an idiot.

Also on AO3

--------------------------

The sheer idea of festivities lasting two whole weeks sounds absolutely exhausting to Morax, yet even at the peak of the Ludi Harpastum, Mondstadt’s people do not seem like they are slowing down anytime soon.

Morax’s tugged along by the cuff of his sleeve, Barbatos in the lead as they weave their way through the packed streets. Songs and cheer fill the air, mingled with the scents of various food, flowers, and of course, the city’s beloved wine. Barbatos himself is already tipsy despite it still being rather early in the day, having downed almost every pint of free alcohol that’s offered to him by the countless vendors they come across. There's an occasional stumble in his steps, but his spirits remain high as he shows Morax around with wholehearted excitement, a bright grin across his lips, a lively blush on his cheeks.

Morax finds the myriad of sensations dizzying, too many sights and sounds and scents bombarding him all at once—and he holds on to Barbatos’ presence for balance. Barbatos, in contrast, seems to harbour no such qualms, flitting from one booth to the next with ease, only pausing to look back when he finds something he wants to recommend. The apples from this store, the handcrafted trinkets from another, the freshly made Mora Meat from yet another one. He isn’t shy when it comes to haggling—even though Morax did remember to bring his wallet for once (much to Barbatos’ exaggerated horror) and he’s certain there would be enough between them to last the day—but it seems to be a normal occurrence to the vendors. Morax watches their good-humored banters, sees how comfortable Barbatos is around these parts and in these situations.

It’s clear how much he loves Mondstadt, and how much he is loved in return.

They spend the rest of the afternoon like this, navigating the packed streets, Barbatos showing him his favorite spots, stopping only for the occasional breathers and snacks. Mondstadt’s festivals have a very different atmosphere to them compared to those back in Liyue, unique in a way Morax can’t exactly pinpoint. Rowdier, perhaps, with the people more comfortable when it comes to mingling with strangers. Morax has lost count of the number of times he’s been randomly approached to be given some sort of gift, or to be invited for meals or gatherings he politely declines. Perhaps the community here is simply tighter knit as a whole, as compared to the more family-centric people of Liyue.

Barbatos leads him to a park at some point, declaring it’ll be their last stop before he has to prepare for a performance after sunset. Morax notices how it’s mainly families and children in this area, not a single wine vendor in sight. There are booths for games instead, where players will have the chance to earn various prizes if they win. Each is packed with groups of youngsters, all vying for the best toys on offer. Shrill, excited voices cheered and jeered at one another; in a way inciting even more chaos here compared to the people crowding the market lanes.

“Why don’t you give one a try? Even adults are allowed to play, you know,” Barbatos suggests when Morax stops to watch a child’s attempt at a game of throwing hoops over cups marked with numbers. Morax glances at him, sees his wayward smile.

“I don't think it’d be fair to the young ones if I did,” he says, to which Barbatos only barks out a laugh.

“Show off,” he retorts, and even Morax cracks a smile.

“Um, excuse me.”

They’re just about to continue on their way when a voice calls out to them. Morax turns around, not seeing anyone until it occurs to him to look down. A lone young girl stares at him wide-eyed from below, a messy flower crown clutched tightly in her hands.

“Mister, please have this!” She offers the item to him, her words slightly rushed from her enthusiasm. Morax has turned down countless gifts throughout the day, but this time, at least, he knows better than to needlessly upset a child.

So he kneels down to be a little closer to eye-level with her. “It is an honor to receive your gift.”

She stretches out her arms, and Morax tips his head to let her crown him.

The child giggles in delight as she steps back. “You really are like a prince, mister! Bye-bye!”

Morax watches her run back to her parents a little way off, warmth blossoming in his chest as he waves his own farewell to her. He gets back on his feet, and finds Barbatos looking at him with an expression he’s never seen him wear.

“It suits you,” he says, like he actually means it rather than the usual sarcasm Morax’s expected he would go for. He supposes he must be quite the sight, a full-grown adult with a falling-apart flower crown perching lopsided atop his head.

“It probably suits you more, Bar—” he stops himself just in time, remembering that they’re here only as humans and nothing more, and that they should at least make a bit of effort to keep up appearances. Though, it's not like anyone within their vicinity would actually be paying attention.

“Venti,” he tries anyway, and immediately breaks into a frown. The name still feels strange on his tongue, no matter how much he’s tried to practice saying it.

“Gods, it does feel weird hearing you call me that,” Barbatos admits with a slight wince, but Morax could somewhat tell that he appreciates it, nonetheless. It's the way his features brighten at the sound of it, the way his eyes would light up ever so slightly. It is, after all, a name bestowed upon him by a beloved friend many years ago. Barbatos has not been called such for a long time. “But yeah, no, you should keep that. Have some fun, let loose a little!”

Morax doesn’t exactly see how wearing flowers in his hair contributes to “letting loose”, but he doesn’t argue.

They have time to go grab something for dinner just as dusk falls, and then Barbatos is bringing him to what he claims to be one of the main final highlights of the Ludi Harpastum: an event of all night drinking and fireworks. There are several spots around the city hosting such sessions, all offering endless streams of food and alcohol sponsored by Mondstadt’s major wineries. Barbatos will be performing in the one held at the city square—the main place, he boasts—first of the few bards invited there to further enliven the mood.

Dozens of chairs and tables are set up across the open space, most already packed with people by the time they get there. There’s a small stage at the very front, the sides of the venue lined with booths in charge of the food and drinks. Waiting staff donning bright uniforms dart from table to table, expertly weaving their way around the already half-intoxicated crowd.

It’s almost overwhelming; the energy, the pungent scent of food and strong wine, the sheer rowdiness of the people gathered around. Morax stops by a convenient tree a respectable distance away from the square, just far enough that the chances of a random drunkard stumbling over and dragging him in would be minimal.

And “I think I’ll stay here,” he says, when Barbatos turns to him with raised eyebrows.

“Don’t want to join in?” he asks, despite Morax’s answer already being obvious.

“I’m sure I can enjoy the atmosphere well enough from here.”

“Hmm, fair enough.” Barbatos shrugs after a quick gauge of the distance between them and the heart of the event. Then he smiles, hands on his hips. “Anyway. I’ll get going first, then. I’ll come find you when I’m done?”

“If I haven’t already left,” Morax says, because he genuinely does not know how much of this unbridled revelry he can tolerate. Even now, part of him wants nothing more than to walk off and find somewhere quiet to wind down for the rest of the evening.

Of course, his statement immediately gets Barbatos whining. “At least wait for me!!!”

“Just go before you’re late.” Morax shoos him off, though he doubts anyone present currently retains even the slightest sense of time.

“Fine, fine!” Barbatos relents, cheeks still puffed, “but I’m going to throw rocks at you if you really leave without me, alright?”

Morax halfheartedly assures he can throw as many rocks at him as he wants if it comes to it, then with a sudden rush of wind and a final harrumph, Barbatos turns on his heels and strides towards the stage, his people cheering his name the moment they spot him.

“Looking forward to what you have for us tonight, Venti!”

“Venti you rascal, you really made us wait this time!”

“Venti, you’re looking lovely as ever!”

Venti, Venti.

The descent of a god, unknown to his own people.

Barbatos takes his seat on the single stool placed on the stage, crossing his legs just so, his posture relaxed yet brimming with elegance. The wind carries the sounds of his lyre all the way to where Morax stands, clear and proud amidst the endless chatter of the crowd. He begins with a slow tune, a moment of calm cutting through the chaos. Demanding attention.

Quiet. Listen.

Morax too, catches himself holding his breath.

And then Barbatos strums another note and smoothly transitions into a new tune, and the crowd explodes with excitement. His next song matches more to the barely suppressed merriment around him, its melody upbeat and festive. He’s skilled at involving his audience, easily encouraging them to sing and dance along. Charming, radiant. He captivates all who behold him—even Morax, despite such genre of music never being to his tastes. It’s a rather belated realization to come to, but seeing him fully in his element like this, Morax can tell that Barbatos’ boastings indeed hold their weight, and that he truly has mastered the craft of a bard.

Barbatos leaves the stage around the middle of his fourth song, slipping into the crowd as he continues his performance. He sings and twirls and dances, one with his people—and somehow still, Morax spots him managing to down some drinks in between. His current song involves a back and forth; he sings one line, then prompting the nearest person to follow up. It seems to be a piece everyone’s wholly familiar with, all who enthusiastically join in barely stumbling on their turn.

Morax notices too, after a few minutes of observation, that it also seems to be endless; constantly looping around the chorus. He wouldn’t put it past Barbatos for doing this deliberately, for as long as it continued, he could drink.

And he does drink. He drinks so much that it’s almost impressive, since he only has a few seconds at a time to gulp down his alcohol. Morax wrinkles his nose from afar, already dreading the stench he would exude when he returns later.

Morax doesn’t see it, at first. He can pinpoint Barbatos’ general location based on the reaction of the people and when he hops onto benches and tables for some elevation, but he’s partly obscured from his sight most of the time. It’s only as Barbatos makes his way further towards the back of the crowd, closer to where Morax stands, that he notices how else some members of his audience interact with him.

People who take advantage of the general unruliness of a large-scale drinking session in a packed area, hands that touch places past normal boundaries. His thighs, his back, his neck.

Barbatos does not falter, either too immersed in his own performance or too intoxicated to realize and care. Or perhaps he is simply used to this, having been a bard for as long as he’d been a god. Morax does not know.

Fire flares in his stomach the longer he watches, filling his mouth with a bitter taste. It is truly an uncomfortable sight. Intoxication is not consent, nor is silence. Morax could not stand it for long, reaching for the flower crown on his head and tossing it aside before striding toward where Barbatos is lingering within the crowd.

He grabs a person by the wrist and wrenches their hand away from Barbatos, his grip hard enough to make them cry out. Barbatos must’ve heard the commotion, turning at the sound and eyes widening in surprise when he sees Morax right there behind him.

Morax glares at him—a misdirection of his anger, he admits—but he only breaks into a satisfied grin, and finally decides to move his song along. He leaps onto the nearest table, feet stepping delicately between the many glass mugs piled across its surface. His tune reaching a crescendo, his finale presented with flourish.

His audience, quite literally, erupts into cheers and applause.

Barbatos half stumbles down from the table amidst the cacophony of the reception, Morax moving to catch him just as his knees buckle beneath him and he loses his balance. He's trembling, his forehead visibly damp with sweat.

And before Morax can properly help him get back on his feet, he throws up all over his sleeve.

xXx

Barbatos supposes his age must finally be catching up to him.

Or perhaps he’d simply overestimated himself, thinking that participating in the Ludi Harpastum’s all-night drink session wouldn’t be too different from his usual gigs, only with a little more people.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have stepped off the stage in the first place, shouldn’t have danced quite so hard, and should’ve saved the drinking until after his performance ended. The lack of air, the thick haze of human odour mixed with the saccharine scent of alcohol, his own sweeping movements—Barbatos had not expected them to combine into an experience quite so nauseating, even for a god.

He vaguely remembers throwing up once more while Morax carried him somewhere, then a third time in a washroom he didn’t recognize. Then he draws a blank after that.

He stirs to find himself on a bed, his clothes replaced with a set of loose cotton pajamas and his body smelling faintly of floral soap. His head throbs with a dull ache, but he figures he’s seen worse days. More than anything, he feels dehydrated, his lips dry and throat like sandpaper. He braces his palms against the mattress, and slowly pushes himself upright.

He's in a dimly lit room, probably one in an inn not too far off from the venue of the drink fest. He hears the sounds of running water from behind the door opposite the bed; Morax is probably there cleaning up after the mess Barbatos made. There’s a jug on the bedstand, a fresh glass of water already poured out for him. Barbatos’ chest warms as he reaches for it, endeared by how fastidious Morax remains, despite everything.

He returns to lying down a little later, admittedly just a little bitter at how things have turned out. He’s had such an amazing day. He'd always wanted to enjoy a Ludi Harpastum with Morax, making so many empty promises with him over the years to go together one day. A festival of fun and games close to his own heart, it’s a change of pace he always thought Morax could appreciate, since he’s constantly at work. They finally manage this after all these centuries, yet Barbatos just had to be an idiot at the very end.

He rests his arm over his eyes, exhaling a slow breath. He's such an idiot.

The sounds of the shower eventually come to a stop, leaving a ringing sort of silence in their absence. The ruckus of the ongoing party not far off carries all the way to their window; people laughing, cheering, singing. Fireworks bursting in the sky.

He'd wanted to show Morax the fireworks too, damn it.

He lowers his arm and turns when he hears Morax stepping out of the bathroom. He’s wearing a similar set of pajamas as himself, though admittedly it looks so out of place on him that Barbatos almost lets out a snort.

“Hey,” he greets, because he’s genuinely not sure how else he should start. Morax meets his gaze from behind his damp fringe, his face betraying no particular emotion.

“Hey,” he returns, every bit as curt. Barbatos cracks a lopsided smile, and decides there’s no point trying to go around it.

“Listen, Morax, I’m so sorry things ended up like this,” he says, twisting to lie on his side facing him. Morax doesn’t respond to that immediately, and neither does Barbatos see much of a change in his expression.

“Barbatos, how many times do you think I've had to handle your drunk antics over the years?”

Barbatos winces at that. “Now you’re making me feel even worse.”

“You should,” Morax agrees, running a towel over his damp hair. “It’s about time you realize how self-centered and inconsiderate and – “

“Okay, okay, I get it!!” Barbatos interjects before his feelings are actually hurt. “I’m sorry!”

Morax only shoots him a meaningful look and says nothing else, knowing at the end of the day he’d do it all over again anyway. Barbatos supposes he can’t blame him; he’s more aware than anyone that he’s been the way he is for more than a millennium, never once giving even the slightest indication that he would change.

Maybe it’s time he considers, after all that’s happened today, but he decides he’ll mull over that some other time.

His eyes follow Morax as he steps away to hang his towel on a rack, his confusion growing when Morax proceeds to stand rooted in place, frowning slightly and arms crossed as though deep in thought. Barbatos stares at him for a solid couple of minutes before speaking up.

“What are you doing?”

“Thinking about what I should do next,” Morax answers, in all seriousness. Barbatos can’t believe this man is for real. He bursts into laughter, earning himself a puzzled look.

“You really don’t know what ‘rest’ means, do you?” he marvels, then scooting closer against the wall and patting the empty spot before him. “Come here and lie down, we’ve been up and about the entire day. Aren’t you tired?”

Morax’s frown deepens by a fraction. “But I don’t think there’s sp-”

“There’s more than enough space for the both of us!” Barbatos assures, chest light with newfound mirth. Morax really is too much of a gentleman at times. “This bed’s huge!”

Morax remains hesitant for a moment longer, but with just a little more gentle pestering, he relents in the end. “Then, if I may.”

Barbatos watches as he moves to take the space beside him, watches the way his long hair falls over his shoulders, the way the collar of his shirt shifts to reveal the hollow of his throat, a small window of his chest.

Morax fully lies down, and Barbatos realizes there really is just enough space for them to stay still like this. Huh. Has Morax always been such a big person? Or maybe the bed really isn’t that wide to begin with, and whatever alcohol lingering within his system is just messing with his perception of space. Not that it matters at this point. Morax still smells fresh from his shower, his uncharacteristically messy hair and comfortable clothes giving him an air of innocence Barbatos never expected to see on him. Unguarded, youthful. They’re a mere half-arm's length apart, close enough that Barbatos can almost feel his every exhale of breath.

“So how did you find the Ludi Harpastum?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper, perhaps part of him being rather conscious about the little distance between them. Did it live up to the expectations he set for him by constantly inviting him to one over the years, he wonders? Did Morax at least enjoy himself a little with all the festivities? Barbatos noticed he’d mostly followed his lead, trying the many things he’d recommended to him, visiting only the places he brings him. Barely making many choices for himself. It’s too late at this point, yet Barbatos still worries about being overbearing without meaning to. Could Morax really have had fun without as much as a freedom of decision?

“It was...” Morax trails off ominously, pausing to weigh his words while Barbatos braces himself for the continuation. “Different, I suppose.”

“A good different or a bad one?”

“Just different,” Morax affirms. “It certainly feels livelier than the celebrations in Liyue.”

“Then,” Barbatos perks up, a little more hopeful now with the way Morax has responded so far. “What did you like most?”

Morax hums to that, silent in a moment of contemplation. “If I were to choose, I quite enjoyed some of the places we visited.”

He goes on to recall the few locations he’d found a liking to, admiring the history and cultural significance of each that Barbatos had explained to him, the various architectural designs and artistic liberties that define Mondstadt’s trademarks. The motifs of the cobbled streets, the poems framed and hung inside windmills serving as charms for Barbatos’ blessings, even the theme of the patterns carved on many a doorplate—Morax seems to have been quite fascinated by them.

He wears a different expression when he talks about the things that strikes his fancy. A slight upturn of his lips, the faintest crinkles at the corner of his eyes. Even his voice adopts a different tone, laced with a smallest hint of excitement—perhaps even joy, because someone cares to listen.

Barbatos could listen to him like this for an eternity, if he had the chance.

“You’re staring at me,” Morax stops to say at some point, a slight knit across his brow. Barbatos supposes he must be wearing quite the expression, for him to look at him like that. But he could not help it; after all, who wouldn’t be utterly captivated by someone as quietly radiant as this god before him?

“I think I'm in love with you, Morax.”

Are the words that take form, a confession he’s surely taken long enough to make. He no longer even remembers when was the first time it’d dawned him, that his feelings for Morax had progressed into something that wasn’t platonic. How many years has it been since he started seeing him with a different sort of admiration, with the barely suppressible urge of wanting to be closer to him?

Morax blinks at him once, twice. Processing what he’s just heard; understandable, as it really had come out of nowhere.

Then he averts his gaze, reaching to cover his mouth as a wave of red creeps up his entire face.

“Why don’t you tell me that again when you’re sober?” he mumbles into his hand, and Barbatos effectively short-circuits for a moment.

“This is the most sober I’ve been all day, though???”

Morax is adamant, shifting to turn away from him as though to physically end the conversation. “That’s what a drunk person would say. Now stop talking and go back to sleep.”

“No, no, no, isn’t this a little sudden?? Morax??” Barbatos is half laughing now, seeing how desperately Morax is trying to deal with his own embarrassment. It is surprisingly contagious, though; even he’s starting to feel a little shy the longer he badgers him.

“Morax?? Heyyy, Morax? Rex Lapis?”

And yet he refuses to let it stop him. He can see how red Morax’s ears are even from behind him like this. Barbatos pokes at his back, a mix of fondness and mischief welling in his chest when the idea occurs to him.

He squirms forward, closing the little distance between them.

“Zhongli.”

Morax tenses at that, the slightest reaction that Barbatos would’ve missed if he as much as blinked. He's...really cute when he’s like this. Part of Barbatos refuses to believe that this is happening. Morax, the Geo Archon, the honourable Rex Lapis, Adepti Prime—has this absurdly adorable side to him.

“Zhongli,” Barbatos dares to say again, just to see what other sort of response he could elicit from him. “Zhongli.”

He leans out of the way just in time before Morax twists to face him once more, bracing himself for a well-deserved smack—but is instead pulled into a tight embrace.

“You’re so obnoxious,” Morax says, his exasperation obvious even in his quiet tone. Barbatos smiles as he returns the hug with just a much intensity, leaning into their contact with a sigh, a swell of his heart.

Morax is much warmer than he could’ve ever imagined.  

xXx

They say that both the Geo and Anemo Archons are fond of disguising as humans, often descending from their divine residence in Celestia to mingle with the commonfolk of their respective nations.

No one knows what are their preferred appearances, as oftentimes they are indistinguishable from the everyday person. No one knows if they preferred to present as men or women or even children, or if the rumours of them taking human form even hold any truth. After all, who’s to say they wouldn’t choose to appear as an animal, a sprite, or perhaps a fragment of the elements they embody?

Not many in the nations of Liyue and Mondstadt have ever had the chance to see their respective gods, nor to realize that they’ve lain eyes upon them at all. It is something the people have accepted to simply leave up to chance, as there is no point to obsessing over the miniscule possibility of coming face to face with the deity they worship. There are enough mundane things worth paying attention to on the daily; the clarity of the skies, the specials available in the markets, the trees newly bearing fruit.

A particular sight has grown more common as well within the borders of the two neighbouring nations in recent years, one of a pair often spotted strolling together through the busy city streets, the bustling villages, and even the vast wilderness, when the weather is agreeable.

Should one have their stars aligned just right, they may just chance upon a certain bard and gentleman, both usually engrossed in jovial chatter or some lighthearted bickering no matter the location. Oddly out of place sometimes, seeming right at home the rest. Greet them if you wish, and they would usually respond warmly in return. But take heed, at times you may notice their hands linked and fingers intertwined, the pair lost in a world of their own—and that will be your sign to give space, for even gods would appreciate a little time to themselves.

[cloud-gays]

i hav returned from the void to say wlecom to zhongven hell <3

AKDJAKSJAJ i love u...hello welcom back, if u check to your right (my genshin tag) you can see all the art i have lost my mind over thabku

[kae-karo]

for the ship thing dabihawks kaeluc and zhongven :3

HELLO HI HELLO LOVE 💜💜💜

[send me a bnha or genshin ship and i’ll answer some questions based on whether i ship it!]

dabihawks !!!!! did u mean my bnha otp??? my overwhelming majority of fic content for bnha????

What made you ship it?

u know what’s really funny i don’t know if i can find it again but i think i saw some joke in the bnha tag on tumblr at some point abt how ppl shipped it as a crack ship even tho they’d never met in canon and then they met in canon AFTER that person made the post and i think that’s half of what got me shipping it, and i actually went out of my way to get and read the manga JUST so i could put dabihawks into the (un)lost (x)

What are your favorite things about the ship?

hopefully this makes sense but like...it’s just so raw? like. it has all these deep elements to it - sure, you have the enemies to lovers, maybe childhood friends to enemies to lovers tropes, but like. there’s this really intriguing way they’re juxtaposed even in canon with each other that makes them so remarkably similar and still so different? and as characters they are SO much fun to play with and get them to interact and learn and grow from those interactions. they run the gamut of possibilities in fic, too - like sure any ship can be portrayed in whatever way, but they have so much canon-compliant possibilities for their characterizations? like you can make them toxic as hell, you can make them lean on each other or begrudgingly become allies or literally whatever and you can still tie that back to their characters in a really believable way? which i think is such a unique and really intriguing type of character. not to even get started on their backstories and how those can come into play to give them this really intense depth to both their own characters but especially in relation to each other. gods i could go on and on lmaooooo there’s a reason i have them in so many of my bnha fics

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

are there unpopular dabihawks opinions? idk lmaoooo. i feel like it’s probably bigger now, but when i first started writing in dabihawks it felt pretty small (for a bnha ship), and i think everyone was p chill? i think this question is always a little funny for me bc there are rarely any opinions i have that are so strong that they vehemently come into conflict with other ppl’s opinions like i’m not deadset on ‘one of them tops always’ or whatever lmao

kaeluc kaeluc kaeluc i love them i ship them otp content right there

What made you ship it?

how cliche is it of me to say the VERY first scene we even saw diluc where he came and rescued kaeya from the abyss mage??? (x) it is extremely cliche but that’s the one. i hadn’t even started playing genshin yet i was watching over @revyourriley​‘s shoulder while he was playing and we deadass looked at each other after we saw that and both went YEP WE SHIP IT

What are your favorite things about the ship?

gods what’s not to like abt kaeluc???? the childhood friends to enemies to lovers??? *chef’s kiss* the fire and ice / red and blue / quiet polite loner and outgoing mysterious smooth-talker like man i could go on and on. not to mention kaeya as a character in general is just supremely sexc not just bc u kno he’s sexc but because he’s got this whole wealth of possibility as a character that’s as yet unaddressed. some AMAZING potential for angst and regained trust and reconciliation and rediscovering buried feelings or seeing the other in a totally new light or like gods i can’t get enough of these two tbh

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

LMAO i mean. the fact that i ship it at all is unpopular. although hot spicy take at least for me, i view p much everything through a writing lens. this is just how my brain works. so when it comes to ‘oh are kaeluc adopted brothers or sworn brothers or what’ and all that discourse, i have two thoughts: first, that i will listen to chinese fans’ explanation of the meaning of sworn brothers when it comes to understanding their canon relationship. and in some ways, their canon relationship doesn’t matter to me all that much unless the game decides to address it in more detail. and second, that when i am writing fic, they’re whatever the hell i want them to be for the sake of my plot. sometimes they view each other as brothers and that hasn’t changed, sometimes it’s changed over time/they’ve grown apart. sometimes they really only view each other as childhood friends/allies. sometimes they’ve never met in my fics. it just depends on what kind of story i’m trying to tell. is that unpopular? i really don’t know lmao

zhongven!!! okay i do ship it but it’s not all that high on my list of ships lmao like i usually ship zhongli and venti with other ppl first

What made you ship it?

honestly the art? the connection they have as immortals and archons and the only two remaining of the original seven? very inch resting potential right there

What are your favorite things about the ship?

immortals with a long and intertwined history as the only two remaining original archons? very spicy food for thought. the most polar of opposites in personality and appearance and methodology of interacting with their people??? there is so much depth to their history and each of their respective pasts to delve into which could be so intriguing to write

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

hmhmhm given that this isn’t something i ship like actively, probably not? I Just Think They’re Neat lmaoooo

[send me a bnha or genshin ship and i’ll answer some questions based on whether i ship it!]