#venti being..well

[babychoko]

🌺𝔸 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥🌺

Part 14

If I had been told at that time that I should have remained a loner, I would have been against this proposal. But only deep down in my heart.

If I had been told that, if I had known how my life would degenerate, then I would agree. But not for my sake.

Some things really should have remained silent.

"Are you home alone tonight?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then I'll drive you to him. Sit tight for now, please."

His intention was so clear that I didn't deny it. Xiao took his cell phone out of his leather bag, picked out a number. I was so in shock that I didn't catch what he was saying. But the call didn't last a minute. His voice relaxed. Unlike me. I think I sounded rather shaky.

Xiao put his phone back in his jacket pocket, not worrying about it falling out, and turned back to me. A few minutes later, I was sitting behind him while he steered the motorcycle.

"Sorry..."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For the trouble."

"You didn't cause any trouble at all. I'm not going to let you keep going down this road alone."

"How can I thank you?"

"It's all right." It wouldn't make any sense at all if I had asked why he said that. Xiao wasn't a bad person at all. Then I remembered that I still had his number for emergencies. Wait... I didn't call at all?

"But you're just the most careless person I know. If you have a bad gut feeling, don't hesitate." Gave Xiao softly as he continued. I didn't deny anything. Because Xiao is right in my opinion. I am a reckless person.

It was particularly windy that evening. I wondered if he would like his helmet back after all. Can he still see the road?

And that I would ever see him again, I never thought. Especially not in this way. Those clothes..oh and he had piercings too!

"Xiao, could it be that you're into punk?"

"Do you want me to drop you off here?"

I better keep my mouth shut.

..

"I'm just joking." He said a few seconds later. Joking?

After a while, I recognized the small forest where he passed through and saw Venti's home. When we arrived, Xiao parked his motorcycle. I got off first and took off my helmet, which I gave back to him. When he took his helmet back in his hands, Xiao looked at me for a few seconds without saying a word. "(Name), what is Venti to you?" I think he had asked me this question before. But why again this time?

I don't know why, but I think his eyes fixed on my neck for a moment. And I think on my abdomen. He then looked to the side briefly, as if he was processing something for a few seconds.

"It's fine. You don't have to answer.'' Okay...whatever he means. From the looks of it, his question answered itself.

The door opened because apparently he must have heard us. I silently walked behind Xiao, feeling a tiny bit embarrassed.

"There you are! Did you guys get here okay?" Venti stood on his doorstep and looked at us. He looked a bit worried, but relieved at the same time. "Nothing happened." Answered Xiao and then looked at me. Before I could say anything, Venti completely shamelessly hugged me in front of him. Then he broke away from the hug and took my hands in his. "(Name)! Lucky nothing happened...stay with me today, will you?" Then Venti turned his gaze to Xiao. "What would anyone do without you? Why don't you come in, I could make us all some tea." He was eager to do something good for him.

"It's all right. I have some things to do..." In the end, Xiao rejected Venti's suggestion and went on his way again. I turned to Venti with a guilty look. A feeling of shame and guilt came over me. "I'm sorry. I..."

"It's okay. Now come on in, it very chilly!" I entered his home as he then walked me to his small kitchen.

"I'll make us something to drink. Hmm...I don't have a wide selection of tea. Apple mint, Turkish apple..." Counted Venti up and inspected his tea cans.

"You know, I'm okay with anything..." I assured him and took off my jacket. "Oh, really? Hmm... it's apple with lavender then." He bent down to one of the tea cans and turned on the stove. Until now, I've rarely seen tea made the traditional way. I picked that up from him.

He sat down opposite me. The atmosphere in the kitchen was calm, the ticking of the kitchen clock was clearly in the foreground, and the orange kitchen lamp reflected off the window with its white lace curtains. This also put me at ease.

"How about you stay with me for now?" Venti suggested with a smile and lightly blew his tea. This caused the warm steam to blow in a different direction instead of upward dissipating into thin air. I looked uneasily at him because he must certainly have a lot on his mind. His hair was tied in a ponytail and he had pajamas on. Over his pajamas he had a cardigan on. That meant he must have been typing. "You know, I'd always appreciate some company..."

"I must have been imagining it." I quietly said, looking down at my cup.

"Safety first. So?"

"Alright..thanks." As I took a sip of the slightly chilled tea, I tasted the sweetness because of the apple, but also the slightly bitter of lavender. It smelled very good.

"Ah, do you like this combination? I got that last from my cottage. When we picked the apples. I let them dry in nature along with the lavender."

"Yes, I remember. You fell asleep on the sofa with the lavender bouquet." I Smiled.

"You remember that too!" Sighed Venti, leaning his head on his arms. Did I say something wrong? Then Venti sat back up and looked at me. "Xiao looks cool in those clothes doesn't he? I bet you've never seen him like that. Oh, did he just happen to spot you like that?"

I nodded in response. "It was a coincidence. I really didn't think I'd see him again. I really owe him one. But what's he doing out so late?" Venti didn't think twice about my question. His answer sounded more like a question.

"Seeing to justice...?" At that moment, I had a mental image of Xiao beating down a gang, grabbing them by the collar and scaring them. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Is he a delinquent...?"

"Nope. He's driving around at night like he always does. He's a total night owl. That's just the way he is. Pretty odd, isn't he?" I then remembered a few odd things he said. Venti stood up briefly to put the teapot back on the cool stove.

Odd?

"You know. Xiao asked me what you are to me. But then he stared at me..and then waved me off."

He then looked at me while hanging a lemon pattern kitchen towel. "Ah, that..." He scratched the side of his head in embarrassment. "He and Zhongli are good friends of mine. The fact that I have powers is not strange to them." I nodded, that they would know about it would be obvious then.

"I can tell you because I can trust you." He peeked inside a tea tin for a moment and closed it quite well. "Those two are extraordinary, too. Xiao must have seen traces of me on you." Said Venti quite unbothered.

"I see." I guess that explains some...some.... Wait a minute.

"Traces..of you..on me? How? On my body?"

Venti turned his head toward me, then looked toward the kitchen cabinet as he smiled slightly. "Well..."

I could clearly feel the heat shooting from my entire body into my cheeks. "You've got to be kidding me. Venti, please tell me this is a joke."

"Ehe, isn't such a thing natural among lovers? Surely it's nothing to be ashamed of. If you knew what Zhongli can see. Bahaha, no wonder he's so omniscient. But don't worry, they won't say anything. They respect privacy."

Oh, do they? Xiao did such a great job of that..

Oh, shoot.

Was it the fact that Venti wasn't the only one who was extraordinary, or that Xiao now knows an intimate detail about me? No..about us!

"You didn't tell me about that! Th-That's..." I said totally embarrassed.

Venti snorted and laughed for a moment. "You can be really cute. I'm just joking with you. There is no such thing."

I felt totally swindled and propped my hands on the kitchen table.

"How shameless..don't joke about something like that!" I said to him instantly upset. Venti smiled at me.

"So, was I able to distract you well now?" Huh.. I grabbed myself where my heart resides. I was able to forget for a moment what I was strongly afraid about.

"Sorry... but you should have seen your face!" He will definitely regret that someday..even if he meant well. That boy...oh, what ever.

But, it actually helped.

That night, Venti made sure he didn't let go of me at all. We slept close to each other with one hand intertwined. There was har no need for a heater. His body gave me enough warmth.

The incident had been going on for about two days.

Finally, I could not process the whole incident until we left together. I now crouched on the grass in front of the small blooming flowers and kept my eyes closed.

I had time to think. I was grateful to him for pausing and not panicking. It probably would have made me more afraid.

The wind blew through my hair and I laid my head lightly on the back of my neck. Then I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the lightly clouded sky.

We did go to the police station..but nothing could locate an unknown person.

No details, no real support. But what I got to hear was that it must have been imagination. As a student, one often imagines things. This answer did not please Venti at all. And to me, it gave a jolt to reality. It made me think.

Maybe I needed a different kind of support. Things couldn't go on like this with me.

"(Name), aren't you cold?" Venti called out, coming out of the hut with a shawl of mine. I wiped my eyes briefly, stood up and turned to his direction. "It's already gotten a little warm, so..thanks."

"Nope there!" He insisted that I wear the shawl anyway and put it around me. Then he looked toward me.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I then turned around and looked at a small river. I could feel the wind blowing harder. My skirt flew around and the rest of what was on our bodies was not spared.

"Venti, you know... maybe I should actually get some help."

"In what way?" He continued to look at me.

I remembered what my doctor advised me and what I always denied. Besides, I shouldn't be so attached to one person.

"Maybe I should see a therapist, is what I'm saying." I smiled to myself as I looked down to the river and saw my reflection. Venti said nothing for a moment.

Then he hugged me from behind.

"Remember when I said in this very place that you could escape to me anytime you wanted?"

"Venti... I really should..."

"No, that's not what I meant." He took my hands in his and looked to me. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you in it. Don't ignore something like that." I looked to him, not knowing what to say. He had a serious look on his face.

"I will always be with you."

I nodded.

"So... will you accompany me, then?"

My eyes widened. "Venti..."

"When you graduate too... let's live together? That way, we can accompany each other." He then said to me with a smile. "Here or continue to live in the city...I may not be able to offer you a luxurious life. I'm really scatterbrained, tactless and shameless sometimes... but what won't change with me as well is my love for you!"

I pressed my lips together slightly and smiled.

"I love you too." I fell into his arms at that. Venti stood motionless for a second until he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

What just happened, however, was not imagination.

"I mean it, (Name). No matter where you want to go, I will stay with you. If something worries you, don't run away from it. You have to take it seriously!"

I knew long ago that I was hiding my problems far inside. But not what exactly was dragging me down. It was definitely not just the experiences I had in my youth.

His gaze became gentle. "I didn't know it was that bad. I think I must have stopped you..." What is he saying? He certainly didn't stop me! I looked at Venti now and shook my head. "Honestly, I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't met you. So please don't say things like that." My answer didn't seem to have calmed him down. I was squeezed harder today than I had ever been before.

"Then I'm glad I met you, too."

We went for a little walk and examined a shed that was nearby. I had seen this garden shed a few times, but I never knew what was inside.

It was an oblong but small garden shed made of brown wood. Slightly overgrown with quite a few plants surrounding it. If asked what I would think of it, I would answer with fever dream. A shed in the middle of nowhere, full of secrets.

Venti pointed to the garden shed when he noticed me looking."(Name), would you like to take a look inside?"

Somehow, I felt weird. It's not like I hadn't seen Venti walk out of the shed a few times. But still, I never got to see the inside. It's a ordinary shed..so what's the big deal?

"Can I really?"

The door rattled as he unlocked it. Together we opened the door, caught by nature. The little bit of sun that shone for a few seconds every few minutes served us some light.

"Whew, this old thing really needs work." He said, trying to move the door a little more to get the plants off. He got that done after a few times. "Okay, that's a wrap. Go on in!"

I think I was right.

It was a very normal garden shed with tools, flower pots, wood... oh and chairs? They looked very nice. They would just need to be repainted. I walked over to a window that was completely brown. But if you looked closely, you could see patterns of birds. What would the window look like if it were free of dust? Beautiful, I'm sure. Engraved patterns could be seen a little.

Venti lightly kicked the wall with the toe of his shoe. Nothing stirred from stain. When a strong draught of wind hit the little hut, nothing happened either. The garden shed only whistled lightly, as was usually the case when the weather shifted.

He then put both hands on his hips. "Hmm, stability test passed. But honestly, I don't see any use anymore. What about you?" I looked at him a tiny bit confused.

"With me? What about me?"

"Well, it can be all yours. A bit of redecorating and it'll be good as new. So, would you have some ideas?"

Speechless, I shook my head. I didn't have an idea yet. After all, I had to reprocess the info that I had just been given a little garden shed!

The steam from the warm water rose, even as I lifted the bath water with one hand. Afterwards, there was no sign of the steam as the water flowed from my hand back into the bathtub.

"Any idea..." I muttered and leaned back against Venti's chest. He seemed to be thinking as well.

"How about a greenhouse?" He suggested.

"But there are plenty of plants outside..."

"Um... then... how about a atelier?" Was his second idea. A atelier? But wouldn't it be better for a musician like him?

"I don't know... what about your instruments?"

"I have enough room for them at home." He put his arms around me and his chin on my neck. "Besides, you need a little place for your creativity. I want to give you that."

I smiled and put a hand on his arm. "Thank you...but are you sure about this? How can I give that back to you?"

Venti shook his head. "You don't have to give me anything. It's stood so lonely and rejected for so long. It's yours."

"Still, it's a great gift. Please name one thing I could do for you." I remained adamant. Venti heaved a sigh in response. "If you want it so badly, then..hmm." He didn't think twice, because he apparently thought of something. "Eheh, do you remember my promise? Come here!"

"Oh sorry. That's been taken care of." I had to state to his disappointment.

"What, when and how?!" He grumbled. I pointed to his forehead where I gave him a kiss. "Right there. You were so drunk that you fell asleep on me. So I just took over."

Venti pouted. "Ehh... how did I miss that...?!" I couldn't look at his puppy dog eyes for long and shrugged. "You know, it's not the end of the world. You can take as many as you like."

Only the dripping of water from the faucet could be heard in the background.

"As many..as I like?" Venti repeated softly as confirmation. I nodded and turned a tiny bit to face him as he sat behind me. It might have been a little cramped in the bathtub, yet the two of us fit in perfectly.

"(Name), may I now...?"

"Mhm..." He didn't really need to ask. "Anytime, actually."

It didn't take long for our lips to meet. But it took a long time for them to separate again.

The splashing of rain in the dark interrupted us. As we turned our gaze to the open wall, the sky quickly turned gray and the rain grew heavier.

"A rainstorm?"

"Yes, it is."

"I like rain, you know." I said.

Venti laughed. "Me too!"

We didn't need to dry our hair, thankfully, since we just bathed together. The whole starter pack of showers..we would have been way too tired for that. At least we now smelled like blossoms. We made the shower gel all by ourselves. It was not difficult. We bought glycerin base soap for it, which you have to melt and mix it with distilled vitamins, then let it cool. In the end, the soap is pureed with essential oils and the liquids that you can extract from plants.

Since we are both fans of handmade things, I caught myself buying less and less finished products and preferring to make them myself. I thought from the beginning that it was a joke to adapt habits from the partner. But this little joke turned into a sweet routine.

"I haven't embroidered this pillowcase in a while..." I stated, holding up the cover. I looked at the little bees I hadn't finished embroidering. "You left it here. Oho? Do I see a mistake there?" Grinned Venti as he looked over my shoulder.

"Show-off! It was still from the very beginning." I pulled the pillowcase away and threaded the patterns. Venti, on the other hand, pouted. "Please don't. Processes of a result should never be erased..." I sighed and relented. "If you care so much about the failed bee, I'll spare him." I continued embroidering a few patterns in return. Venti was content, even though it confused me a bit. It was just a pattern. He seemed really attached to a lot of things. Mistakes, for example, have a lot of meaning to him. He once told me that you are reminded of how far you have come. That's how you perceive your own development.

And I didn't have to think long about why. Because he doesn't want to deny his own past himself, for example.

"Listen, Venti." I began. It had been in the back of my mind for some time what I wanted to address. Well, not really for a long time...only since we got back out of town. "I'm all ears."

"Are you really okay with it? Being here now that you're so busy." It was his suggestion to go back to the cabin, after all. Nonetheless, I felt bad about it.

"Honestly, I really needed to get away from college. So don't worry about that." He plopped down next to me on the sofa. "Besides, I think it's safer for you to be here. I don't mean to scare you with that! I just thought it might distract you, you know?"

I nodded... "Yeah thanks..." I didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill. But for the most part, I'm sure I wasn't imagining things. From the lounge to the day I got off work- no.

That can't be right either...

I think this has been going on for a long time. This person...I must have seen him at some point. None of this could have been a coincidence. No matter how hard I concentrated, trying to dig into my deepest memories, it ended up being like a blockage. It just gave me a headache when I tried. In this way, I did not succeed in remembering previous encounters.

"Is there something on your mind, (Name)? Should we stop talking about it?" Venti wrapped his arms around me. "Waah, we really should!"

I agree with him then. "Yeah, it's just giving me a headache now.... good idea." It's not like I could do anything about it Venti squeezed me tight once. "Nothing can happen to you. I'll protect you, okay?"

"Okay..."

That night, I woke up. I didn't know the reason because by a nightmare it didn't happen. Nor the reason why I woke up with tears. I wiped my eyelids.

When I became a little more awake, I sat up and found that I was alone in bed. Venti was no longer lying next to me. I bent over to a bedside cabinet and flicked on the little orange light because it's quite dark without the moon. A few seconds I scrambled out of bed and put on a cardigan over my nightgown, followed by slippers.

I could see him sitting right outside on the bench as I stepped out of the room. There was a rectangular window next to the door, adorned by a white sheer curtain and herbs on the windowsill that were clearly growing. For a while I watched him playing his lyre. But the sounds were far too gentle to rouse me from sleep.

Quietly, I joined him and leaned against the side of the door.

"Can't sleep?" I asked Venti softly. He stopped playing the lyre. "I woke up a while ago because I had a great need to make music." That might be one of the reasons he can be a morning sleepyhead. "I didn't wake you up, did I?" He asked to be sure. I shook my head.

"Are you going to sit with me? Or do you want to go to sleep?" I opted for the first suggestion and sat with him. I placed the wool blanket I took from the sofa over our legs.

"You'll catch cold if you don't."

"Even late at night, you're so thoughtful to me." He smiled at me and put his lyre aside. The bubbling from the running pond made one tired because it sounded very relaxed. My eyes felt heavy, but somehow I was able to keep them open anyway. It was very fresh outside and the wool blanket could keep us warm.

I leaned my head on Venti's shoulder.

"Your shoulder is comfortable."

"Then you can lean on me as long as you like." Said Venti, adjusting the wool blanket back onto my lap just before it slid down. I mumbled an okay.

"I've been thinking..." I began.

"Mmm?"

"My bed is still pretty new. Where do you want it then?"

"Huh...oh-are you really sure about that?"

"Yes, it would be a shame to throw it away otherwise."

Venti looked with me into the far distance, into nowhere.

Further away, there was a brighter sky, but the trees and everything else looked like a black shadow. And that's when you realize that even a sky without stars and moon can look beautiful.

"The bed in this cottage is very old. Maybe it can go here?" Suggested Venti. His voice was gentle as always and the smile could be clearly heard. "That's a good idea."

We would soon be very busy then.

Part 15

Masterlist

[oyster-sauce-tart]

Barbatos and Morax: *enter a barrage of insults and fighting noises*

Guizhong: uhhhmm…they’ve been fighting like this for awhile… *turns to The Creator* your Divinity don’t you think we should-

Guizhong:

Guizhong: y-your Divinity…?

The Creator: *obsessively staring at the huge mess of limbs that is the god of freedom and the god of contracts fighting with elated interest*

Cloud retainer: …one believes that the Divine One is…how do you say…rather enthused by their spat…

[mikashisus]

connections between venti and arlecchino that i found particularly interesting, a rambling 🗣️

ARLECCHINO STORY QUEST SPOILERS‼️‼️

(these r just some cool things i found kinda sus and interesting. this was for fun.)

1. first, my thoughts on clervie — specifically what she says in response to learning about mondstadt:

2. the similarities between arlecchino and venti regarding “freedom”:

venti fought for freedom that was earned, and eventually became the god of freedom shortly after he earned said freedom.

he also tested vennessa. he tested her by saying he could grant her freedom and waited to see if she would leave the cell with him, but she didn’t. she stayed and showed him how freedom was meant to be earned, not given. venti was more than satisfied with her answer and left.

venti has shown time and time again that he believes freedom is meant to be earned. at least, that’s how i see his character and his ideals.

now i want to bring up what arlecchino said towards the end of her story quest. i find it interesting how she also believes that freedom is meant to be earned, not given.

pretty interesting.

3. now for my own personal rant and theories:

“freedom” itself is always being mentioned in this game. it started in mondstadt, the nation embodying freedom. the god of freedom himself entered the fray and showed us what freedom truly meant.

liyue was “freed” from their own god, who saw it time to step down from his position as archon and left the task of ruling & protecting liyue to the humans.

wouldn’t say there’s much freedom in inazuma tbh. unless you count the people being “freed” from the vision hunt decree and the sakoku decree.

nahida being freed from the hands of the sages/akademiya.

furina being freed from her curse and the act she played out for 500 years.

i wonder if we’ll see any freedom in natlan too.

ANYWAYS, ALL THIS TO SAY (i didnt mean for this to become a venti rant, i have constant venti brainrot) — i believe that venti and freedom play an ENORMOUS part in the lore of the game and we haven’t seen anything yet.

i am a firm believer that venti is one of the most important characters in this game. bro has lore in literally every nation, maybe with the exception of fontaine (iirc, there hasn’t been anything in fontaine calling back to barbatos).

he even has lore in the chasm and enkanomiya, which says A LOT. i haven’t finished the remuria world quest yet, so idk if there’s any lore about him or istaroth sprinkled there too. tbh i wouldn’t be surprised if there was.

everything always comes full circle when it comes to venti. he’s everywhere, which is pretty cool to think about when you realize that he’s supposed to be the embodiment of the wind, which is everywhere all at once and can hear everything.

which brings me to my last point —

4. this voiceline from arlecchino about the wind.

hmmm.. 🤨

[blueinkjpeg]

Thinking about that one pretty Greek boy Ganymede that was so pretty and so good at wine mixtures that Zeus snatched him up so he could be his side piece forever.

Anyway. Happy Diluven December to those who celebrate

[thunder-sea]

Spoilers for Fontaine Act 5 and previous archon quests!

-

What's really sad about Furina is that she has been seeing what is a god in human terms. She sees them as perfect, unmovable deities rather than beings who do make mistakes, therefore trying to become 'perfect', lovable, and unmoving herself.

She hasn't had the chance to actually meet/get to know the archons like the traveler has, hence why she has such a naive worldview of what is a 'god', while we know them as imperfect (and sometimes silly) beings.

The archons we've got to meet have had little knowledge on how humans work, made mistakes that would affect their own living, have made enough bad decisions to start a civil war, have had their own people doubt and hurt them, have cried, have tried to lay low, have been beaten, have felt heartache, etc etc...

This whole demanding act that Furina put upon herself was sometimes unnecessarily harsh on herself, because archons are more human than she thinks.

[stardustdiiving]

How evil is arlecchino and what is she cooking

As of 4.2, I’m really curious what they’re planning with Arlecchino as a character, especially as a villain/antagonist/morally dubious character, and how far/which direction they may go with that

Intuitively my impression is we’ll see her do something way more “villainous” than she presents herself as being for majority of Fontaine’s AQ in front of us right—(which isn’t a surprise given that, you know, Arlecchino nor the House of Hearth have never been presented as 110% ethical LOL) but I find myself not being in complete agreement with most analysis or speculation threads I see about Arlecchino’s morality and the like, level of sinister people seem to ascribe to her.

Idk how to put it, especially in regards to her children I do agree they are not a wholesome found family, that Arlecchino is not above pulling strings or using them for her own ulterior motives, but I kind of hesitate on the idea she only cares about the Hearth children as a means to the end/things she can control and there’s nothing else going on with her characterization wise there. I’m not saying that impression seems remotely unreasonable or unfounded, but just that it feels there’s something intentionally missing in how we are supposed to conceptualize her as a person

My main reasoning for this hunch is the fact they have not elaborated on Arlecchino and the previous Knave—who Arlecchino is stated to have taken over the position from by force. The extra tidbits I think about are that 1) Arlecchino was previously an orphan in the Hearth 2) the previous Knave is described as way, way crueler to the children of than Heart than Arlecchino was from when she took control of the House

Often, people’s major indicators that the House of the Hearth is kind of super fucked up are the NPCs we meet in world quests who are part of it and clearly suffering. But one thing I haven’t ever seen people mention w this that i think is a very interesting detail is, in The Very Special Fortune Slip Inazuma worldquest, where we stop this House of Hearth guy (Efim Snezhevich) from manufacturing tension between Watasumi/the Shogunate to restart the war with his other Hearth subordinates, at the end of the quest we get this dialogue that reveals he had been acting under the previous Knave’s directives:

It’s also mentioned he’s employing this plan in an attempt to “rebuild the prestige of the Knave” following Signora’s death, iirc? Now, see, the dialogue itself says that this is “assuming our captive is telling the truth” so who knows what’s really going on, but I find this a really odd/interesting thing to highlight. I’m a bit fuzzy on other world quests with Hearth members, and am not saying none of them were acting and subsequently being treated poorly by our Arlecchino, but like, this gives me a lot of questions especially when paired with implications this previous Knave seemed to be way worse

Like, what drove Arlecchino to take over? How unexpected and controversial was this within the House? Assuming the above information is all true it definitely says something this guy went rogue and acted on what the previous Knave would want and didn’t think our Arlecchino would greenlight it, which does feel consistent with the previous Knave being described as basically worse & crueler than our Arlecchino. It also makes me question how much house of hearth things we’ve seen outside the main story are the work of our Arlecchino or if there’s a bigger divide of loyalty. Heck, I could be wrong but it doesn’t even seem like we know if the previous Knave is dead or not

This isn’t me saying Arlecchino couldn’t possibly be treating hearth children worse than she wants us to know, especially ones who aren’t her “favorites” the way the fontaine trio seem to be, but I really don’t feel sure about making a solid conclusion of her exact level of malice the way ppl r generally understanding it rn when it feels there’s going to be more about her. Just the idea of she, as a Hearth child, clashed with the previous leader who was known for being cruel, overtook their position and took on less harsh methods of leading that made at least some members with more power/possible closer proximity to the previous Knave go rogue and try to commit atrocities in the previous Knave’s name…I feel this leaves a lot of room to suggest there’s more going on with how Arlecchino is as a person

I don’t mind if she’s just very evil and deceptive bc if she totally had me fall for thinking she was less evil than she actually was that’s fun tbh. But I feel people suggest that’s all her character could be with no degree of like, “sympatheticness” or deep grey morality and that if her character did go there it would be automatically poor writing and genshin walking back on making a truly evil woman when IDK. I feel you can claim at this point they have left it open ended and it’s never been completely confirmed she’s pure evil. Also sometimes I just get a hunch and feel cautiously confident in Genshin executing certain characters well. Not all characters, just certain ones. Especially given Fontaine’s character writing being very good and a character like Lyney feeling very solid to me when any development with Arlecchino would likely involve him and his siblings as well, I honestly feel open to the idea of Arlecchino being satisfyingly written to be both villainous/morally dubious but “sympathetic/likable as a person” in ways outside of just her ruthlessness if that makes sense

If I’m wrong/they drop the ball with it more than I anticipate I’ll eat my hat but I am pretty excited about her character and which way they decide to go with it. I will say the only potential impression I have of where they’ll go with her has been wondering if it will go in a “cycles of abuse” direction—I’d be surprised if they ever elaborated on Arlecchino’s character especially in how she feels about things and her also growing up as an exploited child of the hearth wasn’t relevant

[xelilow04]

NOTE: I have so much to say about the Poetry Gala Event because I enjoyed it so much. It's going to be lengthy but feel free to read me rambling haha.

I don't mean to be dramatic but... Chongyun enthusiasts, WE WON! I'm so happy that he was able to show up so much in this event! Like he actually got lines and so much screentime!! I know he always appears in Lantern Rite, but this just hits different. Did you see how fast he was talking and the way he did his little jump after having those chili peppers? XD Also the way he was giving Xingqiu some sass at the at the end of the story? Show him, Chongyun!

And I never thought I would be able to see two of my favorite characters in the same frame! This is going to keep me fed until the next Lantern Rite haha.

On a similar note, this event was just as good as last year's goofy Lantern Rite! I will never stop talking about how much I love it when characters from different nations are able to meet each other, like the whole Xingqiu/Mika/Noelle interaction was really sweet! (But the way Xingqiu told them to just not get caught when sneaking away from home XD He's such a bad influence haha)

AND THIS. The way Zhongli and Venti were looking at the children, it really solidifies the fact they they're retired. Don't mind me crying over here 🥺

I didn't expect the event to dive a bit into Diona's lore, so that was really cool!! Also really glad that learning about Oceanids and their power kind of helped Chongyun come to terms with his yang energy. (I shall now wait patiently for some lore drop on Chongyun.)

The whole story was just so nice. And the MUSIC for Callirhoe's story was the final cherry on top 👌

[cometrose]

Say, what do you think Zhongli struggled with the most after he started full-time cosplaying a mortal?

it’s kind of weird cause i feel like he struggled with everything and nothing at all

Obviously the first is not having unlimited money at his disposal to buy whatever he wanted. Zhongli lives a very elegant lifestyle. He wears outfits created by the adepti, he only takes the finest birds on walks he eats at the finest restaurants and he buys whatever he lays eyes on.

Then there is the fact that “Zhongli” is a permanent human and not a body Morax uses whenever he wants before transforming into another one. It would be funny if he woke up one morning wanting to shapeshift and having to stop himself mid transformation because humans don't normally grow floor length hair or swap genders overnight.

I always imagined Zhongli struggled keeping his Morax knowledge separate from his Zhongli knowledge. Morax knows the day everyone was born in Liyue, Zhongli does not. Morax knows the day each building was built, the day they built a pond in the harbor, he knows every business owner that has ever worked on his land but Zhongli should not.

But the thing about Zhongli I feel like he just learned to work around these problems without changing too much of himself lol. Like he cant buy everything he wants? Just get a wallet or get someone else to buy his things.

Too much knowledge? Great all of Liyue knows him as the all knowledgeable consultant who knows everything but nobody knows where he came from.

he’s too adored by the population for anyone to bother him about it.

Hu Tao mentions that Zhongli knows so much but has no worries so I think he just doesnt care? I think Zhongli just gets to stay the same cause everyone accepts his weirdness.

But seriously I think he struggles with contracts. He doesn't have the same authority to enforce contracts as before but he is still the god of contracts. So I think he has some dissonance in that regard, like he sees someone break a contract and if he were still Rex Lapis he would punish them but Zhongli has no such control. Considering how he worked around those fake archeologists in his first story quest, I think he if still wants to "punish" someone he has to approach the situation very differently.

Its funny to imagine Zhongli sees someone break and contract and chills run down his spine he feels faint but he can't do anything about. But then again Liyuens is pretty particular about contracts, so even if he cannot enforce them there are countless others (the qixing, the millelith, hell even yanfei) who will maintain order in his stead. i think it will work out

[kqluckity]

how some people can look at Zhongli and Venti's dialogue during this Lantern Rite and interpret it as beefing instead of, you know, flirting truly blows my mind? like it's not just what they're saying, but also the way they're saying it. it's flirting, they're flirting. and even if they aren't flirting, that's obviously an inside joke? look at Venti's face when Zhongli acts like they're strangers, does it look like someone who can't stand the other and isn't willing to play along with the other's dumb idea? please. I don't understand how people can still think they hate each other even tho it's established that they're friends, not only through items lore and their own character stories (I really doubt someone like Zhongli would let a guy he hates forge his sigil, let him destroy his precious vase, let him pour wine on his head, and then yearn for him for 500 years bffr), but also in the first Liyue Archon quest Zhongli talks about "a friend from Mondstadt" who used to bring him wine all the time, and Venti has a "refined gentleman friend from Liyue" he wishes he could spend more time with. a friend he still visits often, so much so that madame Ping commissioned Tubby to make a Mondstadt-inspired house for the teapot with good acoustics so he could play inside with no problem.

[officially-other]

UGH y'know what I'm gonna admit it:

I wish I could make silly little dragon noises. Like, idk something about being able to make inhuman sounding noises particularly makes me happy. Part of it is because they would be great vocal stims, too! There's just... one problem with that.

My voice never does what I want it to!!! ever!! I've had lots of reminders lately that I don't sound right in my brain. Not just the gender aspects, but like- I should be able to make noises! I should be able to have a much wider vocal range than I do. Not in pitch, but in like.... idk, flavor? I should be able to make a bunch of different sounds and I'm not. I'm hoping that doing voice training for gender reasons will help with that, since I'll actually learn to have some control over my voice. I'm just feeling particularly salty about it today, and wanted to throw it into the void since I know some other alterhumans will probably be able to relate.

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

so since chen zhongli didn't have a connection to raniya, would he have one with venti? they're traditionally seen more often together (i joined like ~1.5-2 years ago i think it's because of last years lantern rite they're seen together but they're could be more i'm missing) and they're dynamic is always so funny i think it'd be a shame if they didn't know each other somehow

(but also knowing venti he probably would've blown up zhongli's phone by now lmao)

also as a second thought what is going on in like inazuma and fontaine if it isn't too like spoiler? do they have something mirroring the sokoku decree since there's no visions? is ei still in government to help the closed borders policy?

would neuvi have a position similar to his in teyvat? or is he just a dragon of myth like how rex lapis is?

sorry if that's too much i just love the aus you create and i love fleshing universes out

honestly? venti and zhongli have only appeared together in like one lantern rite scene and one poetry event and that's literally it, so i wouldn't say they're 'traditionally more often together'. on both times it was hu tao's fault anyway? so i don't think we've had zhongli expressly seek venti out like ever. but the reason why they have indeed interacted the most when it comes to inter-archon relationships (which isn't saying much because the only other ones who've interacted are furina and zhongli so like. venti doesn't seem like an outlier if he only has one extra instance over her) is because they're the only original two. so they know the other the most out of the rest, because again. only original two

so as for zhongli not having a connection to rukkha in this au and not having one to venti either; the only reason they know each other in-game is because of the archon war.

there's- there's no archon war in this au, at least not one that involves them. so like-

no. idk how to justify any of the archons having met each other imma be honest, which is why they haven't

as for the other nations- since zhongli isn't anything remotely resembling an authority figure in liyue, then neither are any of the rest, so no, ei isn't in office. ei and makoto are probably living normal lives as like- the descendants of a fabled samurai clan who now run a kendo dojo together after their father died or something idk. i could absolutely see their dojo and their sword arts being like- the same ones the shogunate's men use? so ei and makoto would be like the official sword art teachers of the entire military. that way we can keep sara a simp in any timeline LMAO also inazuma probably did have a closed borders policy but like in the past. so now they're all about trying to catch up for time lost in getting to know other nations and having other nations enjoy their culture. so the kamisatos are thriving is what i'm saying

neuvillette is a bit of a spoiler imma be real. not in that neuvillette is going to appear and matter (sorry), but in that if i try to tell you what's up with him i'm going into spoiler territory bc you can extrapolate that to other things, so no. but i CAN say that he's like- a judge. like of the justice system. maybe a lawyer? but i think judge fits better bc you know. he's a normal human guy, same with chen zhongli. furina is a famous actress but she does have a law degree bc i think it's interesting that she was essentially the prosecutor of fontaine, from what we saw.

[sleepyorchidmonster]

So, we already know that Makoto died in Khae'nriah, and Rukkhadevatta perished while purifying Irminsul.

Of the other archons, Venti was fighting Durin with Dvalin while Zhongli was probably in Khaen'riah with Tsaritsa and Murata.

As for Fontaine, what if the previous Hydro Archon refused the call, considering Celestia's acts of destroying and cursing a whole nation for the sins of a select few as unfair, and preferring to defend her domain from the Abyssal monsters?

What if she was executed with a Celestial Nail right then and there? Maybe even in front of Furina and the Oceanids?

We already know Furina doesn't want to make an enemy out of the divine.

[jils-things]

fontaine stuff blahblah

before the trial even started i was like. "watch. the twins are going to be not what they seem." AND I WAS RIGHTTTTTT OUUHHHHHH I DIDN'T THINK THEY'RE FATUI BRUHHHHH‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ I KNEW THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE KNAVE BUT NOT LIKE THISSSSSS

THE WHOLE COURT GIMMICK IS MY FAV FOREVER. IT GIVES ME SO MUCH ACE ATTORNEY AND DNGRNP VIBES ITS SOOOO 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

LIKE THISSSS FUCKS SEVERELY UGHHH the court record thing reminds me of aa so much and then the CRIME RECAP (SEE IMAGE) IS DEFINITELY THE CLOSING REMARKS FROM DNGRNP LIKE DHHDHFHDHDSS MY GOOUYDGHH I LOVE IT SO MUCH

MY HUMSS ASS IS SHAKING ‼️‼️‼️‼️

[boy-above]

venti is already an adult i am so tired of some people insisting the 2600(+) year old depressed alcoholic god is a child because he looks feminine. i'm tired of people doing "adult venti" designs as an excuse to make him more masculine. there's female characters that have the same proportions as he does but they dont "look like they're 12" to these people because they're women therefore femininity is acceptable, but a male character having feminine proportions means immediate infantilization for any male character no matter how obvious it is that they're an adult. "adult venti" my ass you just made cisgender venti / adheres to gender roles venti 🙃🙃🙃

[beanmaster-pika]

Ragnvindr bros angst is fun but it’s also very important to remember that these absolute dorks still hang out with each other despite the Everything. I’m oversimplifying here but it’s like fighting with your sibling but then texting them a meme twenty minutes later but ramped up to 11 and more emotionally fraught.

[kirbytripledeluxe]

God do I wish we weren't scared to exist as a system without judgement. Hi .