#genshin impact zhongli

finally finished something

also happy new year everyone!

yes, ml is not the only fandom I’m in x) this is zhongli and my genshin oc - Aisha! That boy has bday today, so it’s kinda a gift as well

all the people that have taken commissions from me, i haven’t forgot about it, I’m working and I’m almost finished ✨ thank you for the support!

Gift for my lovely girl

I’ve connected the dots

This is so dumb I’m sorry-

Casual conversation

Quiet archon moments

Zhongli outfit references

Drew my ZhongChi Bby again

childe with Zhongchi bby I made up.

DEAR TARTAGLIA HATERS, PLEASE READ THIS. I KNOW A BUNCH OF YALL HATE HIM BECAUSE OF THE LIYUE ARC, BUT PLEASE LEMME GIVE YOU SOME REASONS ON WHY YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER! This is not an attack on you!

*for those dear Tartaglia lovers, please reblog *

Hey everyone, my name is Nattie, and you could consider me a Local Tartaglia enthusiast. I can’t believe I’m gonna do this but here we go.

I’m not gonna waste too much of your time, lovely tumblr peeps, but I saw another Tartaglia hate post and well, now I’m moved to finally do this. Please understand that before you read this, I have no intentions on forcing you to change your opinion, but I would really really like it if you would do this kind stranger a favor and go into reading this with an open mind. For now I would like you to discard your negative Liyue arc Childe thoughts, and let me take you on this journey.

(Before you begin reading, please understand that this is months worth of deep research, analysis, and facts. There will be some points made based on supported theory but I will tell you where. Lastly, most of all the information regarding the first mistranslation issue is information that belongs to Levinano on Reddit, props to him and I would never try to steal his credit for the information he found. I will leave a link to his Reddit post at the bottom, please go give him some support and read it yourself!)

Ahem. So you’re actually reading this? I really appreciate that if you are, thank you for being open minded. I know there was a lot of crazy stuff that happened in the Liyue arc regarding Childe, and I know it brings a lot of emotions. I’ve been there, I was up till 4am on the night of the release and finished the arc in one go, I know those conflicting feelings because I felt them too. Now, Childe is my favorite character, and has been from the moment I saw him, but I love him because of depth, and this post is why I hope I can open your own hearts to this truly, lovable character.

The Major Catalyst: The huge mistranslation.

Okay! So we all know Childe after you defeat him in the golden house that he summons the large sea monster, creature, thingy. The thing that Rex lapis- *coughs* Zhongli had to defeat many many many years ago from destroying Liyue, the backstory of the Guyun Stone Forest- okay blah blah yall are smart, y’all already know that. BUT, I think what caused the biggest hate for Tartaglia, is why he did this, and the things he said in the English translation. Every game you play that is not your original language will always have mistranslation errors, it’s unavoidable, and as wonderful of a job Genshin does with trying to avoid these issues, it still happens. It happened. Yup that’s right, you heard me. It happened. THAT ONE SCENE, where people want to describe him as an egotistical asshole, was the MISTRANSLATION. Of all the scenes, it had to be such a crucial moment as this one was. Crazy I know, but it really is the scene of the mistranslation. Don’t believe me? Let me show you what I mean. I’m sure you are all familiar with his English lines but let me give you a quick refresh if you don’t remember;

English:

“I had hoped it would never come to this. I absolutely detest working with those who are weaker than I.”

"The truth is, the world belongs to those of us who desire to become strong. I seldom willingly mingle with any dull and boring weakling who think otherwise.”

"Unfortunately, we cannot be picky about our methods as Fatui Harbingers. Children must all learn to eat their vegetables sometime.”

These lines are the single most reason people hate Tartaglia as a character- but what if I told you, as I stated before, those lines of dialogue was a mistranslation to the English addition. Levinano was informed that the Chinese and Japanese translations, both say the same thing, THAT ISN’T WHAT THE ENGLISH CHILDE SAYS.

The original translation for Chinese and Japanese goes as following;

“My backup plan involves affecting the weak, under normal circumstances I wouldn’t want to be using it.”

"but at the end of the day, this world exists for those who seek to become stronger. There’s no room for me to worry about the weak.”

"Not to mention, Fatui Harbingers cannot choose their methods. There are times when even children have to eat stuff they don’t like you know. ”

Now, read the English translation again, and then read the original translation again. Completely different right??! I was shocked myself, it’s stating an entirely different thing then what the English says! Still don’t see why it’s better and what it really means? Allow me to quote Leviano, because I believe he says it better then I could ever put it, but I will give my input.

Leviano; “In the English version, Childe refers to his subordinates and how useless they are compared to him who’s almighty and worthy of being in this world.

In the Japanese version, Childe refers to the people of Liyue. He has stated that the best part about being a Harbinger is the fights, he doesn’t like the deceptive and manipulative things Harbingers do, instead, he likes to run head first for the fight. That’s why he never intended to kill the MC, just to fight him. The people of Liyue cannot put up a fight, hence, he doesn’t like the idea of involving them in the conflict.

Basically, the Japanese version suggests that Childe never wanted to bring harm to the people of Liyue, he has to do what he did because he has to do it. The English version suggests that he’s someone who doesn’t care about his subordinates and views everyone and everything else as trash, and that this world is only fit for “strong people” like himself to live in, hence, he feels no hesitation to summoning the god and destroying Liyue, which makes this version of him psychotic and egotistic.”

INSANE RIGHT???? I bet you never considered that. When it boils down to it, it’s important you understand that Childe loves to fight, he doesn’t like to hurt people. It’s two completely different things. He’s a harbinger for the fights, and most harbingers don’t like Childe because he doesn’t approve of the methods that the Harbingers use to get their way. He’s never approved of this, and he never will because he has a significant set of morals that he is devoted to. So please understand, that Childe is someone who deserves more empathy, because he was forced. Again I repeat, he was forced to summon the creature. Childe does not believe you should hurt or fight those who cannot defend themselves, the people of Liyue had no way to protect themselves. Childe’s morals are against involving innocent into conflicts.

Forced?? What in the world are you talking about Nattie, you’re just some Childe Obsessor who wants people to ignore what he did.

Understand, I’m disappointed in what he did, I’m not ignoring that he did it, but there was a reason why, and why I’m saying he was forced, so before you get upset listen to me carefully.

If you haven’t already figured it out and put the information together, Zhongli and La Signora used Childe, and is the reason he summoned the god in the first place. Zhongli made a deal with the Tsarista to give her his gnosis, La Signora was in on it, Childe was not. Childe was not informed. La Signora, Zhongli and the Tsarista, were the ones who planned to summon the creature all along, but they forced Childe to be the one to do it.

But why would he do it? Couldn’t have he refused? He didn’t have to do it?

In theory, he could have refused. But you need to realize that Childe is a Harbinger, and he’s part of the Fatui, not to mention there are reasons that made him incapable to walk away. The BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT REASON OF ALL, is his family. It’s plain and simple. What do I mean? Well. For those who played his story, they would have realized how much Tartaglia cares about his siblings and his family, he would do anything for them, despite his father being the one who sent him off to be in the fatui without a choice. I have Tartaglia myself, and he has a story, which are letters to his sister, that he wrote for her. His sister is the biggest clue to this.

Well that doesn’t really say much?

*Here comes a bit of supported theory*

You can think that, but if you listen carefully, In his character demo video, Tartaglia says something extremely valuable to this case. He begins with, “Dearest Sister.” Meaning this is a letter to his sister Tonia. BUT near the very end of the video Tartaglia says; “The future the Tsarista desires.. The future the people of Snezhnaya desire.. it will be had.” THAT LINE RIGHT THERE. This indicates the relationship Tartaglia has with the Tsarista, despite being completed devoted to her, and looking up to her. Whatever the Tsarista wants, is something the people of Snezhnaya want. It’s something Tartaglia wants, because the future, that future, is a future for his siblings. That future, is a future the Tsarista is promising to give Childe’s family and the people of Snezhnaya. Childe does his job as a harbinger and what he needs to do for the Tsarista, so she can achieve that future. Whatever that future is, Tartaglia wants it for his family. Now does that sound like something you can just walk away from? A future for your family?

Think about it, if Childe had refused to summon the creature that La Signora and the Tsarista asked him to, the Tsarista could have threatened that coming future for his family. All his work, all his efforts and everything that he’s endured for his family could disappear within a moment. Not only that, but knowing how the Fatui works, I want you really understand that the likelihood of Childe being assassinated, and or murdered for refusing orders as a Harbinger, is not at all unrealistic. It would be considered treason. Tartaglia is strong, but the Tsarista is an archon. Childe was playing with death. And to bring his family in this, and use it as a threat against him is also not unrealistic. People will break and bend, and go against their own morals for their family. That’s a human thing guys.

THIS CONCLUDES TO THE REASONS WHY CHILDE DID WHAT HE DID, AND WHY HE ACTUALLY COULDN’T REFUSE IT;

1. Childe was forced against his own morals, by La Signora, the Tsarista, and unknownst to him, Zhongli.

2. The fatui are Ruthless, his life was on the line.

3. And the most important one of all, the future that the Tsarista promises for Childe’s family and the people of Snezhnaya, was riding on him not resisting.

At the end of it all, his weaknesses were put against him and exploited.

At the end of all of this, all I ask of you is to be open. I TRULY HOPE THAT AFTER READING ALL OF THIS IF YOU HAD, YOU CAN SEE THAT CHILDE ISNT ACTUALLY EVIL. Childe is not a monster, and he’s actually just a person, with human emotions like you and me, that was manipulated and forced to go against his beliefs for the success of the Tsarista. Childe did not want any of this, he never wanted to kill the traveler, and he never wanted to harm the people of Liyue. He wants to help him family, and he wants to give his siblings a good future so they never have to get involved with the darkness of the fatui as their way of making a living.

I’m not into Yumejoshi (it’s not bad to be, in my opinion but I’m just saying I’m not), I’m not an obsessor, I’m not a’ fan aggressive. But I truly love Childe’s complexity and who he is as a person, he’s so much more deep beneath the surface then a lot of people want to understand or see. Childe falling into the Abyss at such a young age is also an important factor on why his behavior is the way it is, but that’s another explanation for another day. I just want the characters I love to be happy, and if they’re happy I feel like I’ve done my job. And if I can stop them from being hated over a misunderstanding, then I truly feel I can call myself a true supporter of my character.

IM SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG, THANK YOU ALL SO SO SO SOOOOO MUCH FOR READING ALL OF THIS IF YOU DID, PLEASE GIVE CHILDE SOME MORE LOVE, HE DESERVES IT AND HE WANTS YOU TO NOT HARBOR ILL WILL TOWARDS HIM OVER THIS

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HATES TARTAGLIA OVER THIS MISTRANSLATION PLZ SEND THIS TO THEM!

IF ANY OF YOU KNOW TARTAGLIA HATERS, SEND THIS TO THEM, REBLOG THIS, LIKE THIS AND SHARE IT! EVEN RETWEET IT ON TWITTER FOR ME! (Please make sure that my name and Leviano’s name are stated and you give credit to us! You can credit me here or with Natalie_Greene, Nattie, and so forth. Or you can credit me by linking a tweet to this post or @ing me on Twitter at Rosemantic4You)

DONT HESITATE TO REBLOG! FOLLOW UP THIS POST WITH #TartagliaDeservesUnderstanding and #ChildeIsNotEvil. I really hope you will do this for me, and for him.

Thank you again, one last time for reading all of this, and for keeping an open mind. Throughout this explosion of information, I truly appreciate it.

Have a wonderful day!!!

P.S heres the link to Leviano’s Original Reddit Post: (give them some love and appreciation please!)

PLEASE REBLOG!!!!

#TartagliaDeservesUnderstanding #ChildeIsNotEvil

nights of remembrance

masterlist

characters:venti, zhongli

genre:angst

contains:hinting the loss of a lover, (name) isn’t specifically mentioned

summary:with their journey continuing, the traveler decides to pay the archons a visit.

notes: just an idea i had :) not a request but i promise i’m working on them!

“we’ve never seen their homes, have we?” paimon hums as they float beside their partner. the twin nods quietly, watching as paimon continues to interrupt conversations in search of the archon’s residence.

venti -

“you’re looking for venti?” jean echoes, earning a nod from the duo. the acting grand master sorts through papers for a few seconds before settling on a single file. her eyes scan over them before she states. “i think this is where he lives.”

she hands the paper over to the adventurers. paimon peers over the traveler’s shoulder before cheering, “oh! paimon knows where that house is!”

“you do?” the traveler chuckles, following their floating companion out of the knights’ headquarters.

“mhm! we pass by it all the time!”

the traveler, trusting paimon’s word, continues following after them before they arrive at the door of a secluded home.

the blond(e) knocks on the wooden door, sharing a confused look with paimon when no response is given.

“do you think he’s ignoring us?” paimon asks, prompting the traveler to shake their head. paimon puffs out their cheeks before proposing, “let’s see if the door’s open!”

“…why not?” with a shrug, the traveler goes to push open the door. and to their surprise, it opens with a simple nudge.

“is he not home?” paimon questions, floating around the empty living room. the traveler begins walking through the home, noting the picture frames littered around the rooms.

some were turned down with their photos pressed against the counter. others were simply empty, the backs of them broken as if the last person clawed at them.

they eventually reach the top of the stairs, a single door open by an inch. they peek through the gap of the door, spotting a person standing in front of a mirror.

the person’s eyes were closed and their hands cupped their own cheeks. they stroked their own skin as they hummed quiet songs, taking shaky breaths in between each one.

“hello traveler,” the person suddenly greets, remaining in front of the mirror with shut eyes.

“u-uh, hello!” the blond(e) replies nervously, opening the door to step into the room. “sorry, we thought this was someone else’s house…”

“who were you looking for?” they inquire, turning around to face them.

“a friend of ours. he’s… a bard!”

“hold on,” with that, they disappear from the traveler’s view. after a minute or so, venti walks in from what was seemingly a bathroom. “what pleasure do i owe you, traveler?”

“we just wanted to visit!” paimon, who had floated beside the traveler, answers.

“ah, i see, i see,” venti laughs half-heartedly.

“who was that earlier?”

“hm?”

“the person in here,” the traveler clarifies. “the one in front of the mirror.”

venti purses his lips before looking over his shoulder, staring at the one frame that still contained a photograph. he lets out a quiet sigh before walking over to it, delicately taking it from its place on the wall.

“them?” the single word he uttered held a sadness the traveler was quite familiar with.

a sadness that screamed desperation and longing.

“that’s them,” they nod. venti hums quietly, holding the frame close to his chest.

“they… were my muse. and they still are.”

zhongli –

“ah, you’re looking for zhongli?” hu tao grins, adjusting her grip on a box.

“yep! we’re just here to visit,” paimon states, twirling in their spot in the air. “is he here?”

“unfortunately, you came at the wrong time,” the director replies, shaking her head. “zhongli is on his break right now.”

“i wouldn’t expect zhongli to be the type to take a break,” the traveler chuckles. hu tao drops the box near her desk before whirling around to face the duo.

“i know where you could find him, though!” she beams, swatting at the ghost chewing at her hair. without waiting for a response, she grabs the blond(e)’s hand and drags them out of the parlour, pointing down the walkway. “if you go down this road, there’s one house! that’s where he should be right now.”

“he owns a house?” paimon questions, furrowing their brows. “he doesn’t seem like he could afford it.”

“he doesn’t!” hu tao grins once more before disappearing into the funeral parlour. brushing off hu tao’s normal, happy-go-lucky attitude, the two head down the path through liyue.

a small home greets them at the end with small bushes of flowers surrounding it. the silk flowers, qingxin, and glaze lilies planted around were well taken care of. small water droplets could be seen on their petals, falling to the grass with each passing second.

the wooden stairs barely made a sound as the traveler stepped on them, allowing the blond(e) to walk up them silently. paimon kicks the air excitedly before pushing the door, letting out a yelp when the door swings open without a squeak.

from where they stood, they could see a figure with (h/color) hair mumbling to themselves as they paced around the kitchen.

“um…! excuse us!” paimon calls out as they squeeze through the gap in the door. The person turns around, smiling softly as they nod in acknowledgment. they motion towards one of the empty chairs at the table.

“thank you…?” the traveler nods, pulling out the chair to sit down. they glance around the room, staring at the small pieces of paper taped on the walls. only a few notes were intelligible from where they sat.

take care of the flowers every day.

tea breaks after work.

ingredients for bamboo shoot soup, almond tofu, universal peace, and crab roe tofu are in the cabinets.

tend to azhdaha’s tree.

“apologies,” the (h/color)-haired person hums, placing two cups in front of the traveling duo. they take a seat across from them with their own cup, taking a small sip as they ask, “is there something you needed from me?”

“we were looking for zhongli!” paimon cheers, jumping in the air. “hu tao said he lived here.”

“ah, i see,” they nod before standing up. “i can get him for you.”

a few minutes pass before the two hear soft footsteps. They turn their heads, finding the geo archon walking towards them with a picture frame clutched in his hand. he takes the seat across from the traveler, placing the frame in the middle of the table.

“i assume you have questions about who they were,” he mutters, turning the frame to show the picture inside.

“are they your partner?” paimon teases, folding their hands together.

“they are,” zhongli chuckles, gliding his fingers over the glass. “they are the one thing i will protect from erosion. no matter the cost. such is… my final contract with them.”

phantom tales of teyvat || first engima

masterlist

characters: aether, venti, zhongli

genre: fluff? idk it’s something

contains: spoilers for phantom tales of the night (manga series), my own au i literally created on the spot, aether’s tired of being teyvat’s dog,(name) is not referred to by name but it’s you :), some talks about cannibalism, some similar to hypnosis is kinda insinuated? i don’t know how to describe it

summary: it seems a traveler has wandered into a quiet inn on the outskirts of teyvat. however, the source of payment the innkeeper seeks isn’t mora. in fact, it’s nothing physical. it’s the visitor’s deepest darkest secret.

notes: so i’ve been waiting for phantom tales of the night vol. 5 to be delivered to my house so i can finish up to vol. 7. so while i’m waiting, here i am making a weird au based on it. i hope you enjoy :D this basically follows the first chapter of vol. 1 but with genshin,,,
also i got a bit carried away with this going to 2,979 words…

all he wanted was to find his sister. his sweet twin sister who always stuck by his side, no matter what challenges they were faced with.

instead, he was stuck here, in a world he was widely unfamiliar with accompanied by a strange pixie-like being. he traveled through cities, aiding in whatever fetch quests he was asked to complete in exchange for… nothing.

mora here (which was always used up for resources, leaving him with double-digit amounts), food there (which were always eaten by paimon), respect elsewhere. what about the help he was promised by the higher ups of the cities?

the knights of favonius promised to help find his sister after he defeated a raging storm fueled by a dragon’s anger. and all they did was put up missing person posters.

the liyue qixing promised the exact same thing in exchange for defending the city from an awakened ancient god. and, once again, all they did was put up missing person posters.

he was tired. he was tired of being teyvat’s dog with no reward.

all he wanted was his sister back.

“aether?” paimon called out nervously, watching as the blond traveler trudged through the grass. heavy bags had formed under his eyes and his blond hair stuck out of his braid is curly wisps.

“not… not now, paimon,” aether sighed, swatting at his floating companion. a few moments passed before aether heard the familiar sparkling sound of paimon disappearing to archons know where. he let out another sigh, one that was more resigned and choked.

as he wallowed in his sorrows, he didn’t notice the geo creature towering behind him.

“watch it,” a calm voice echoed through his ears. just as aether turned to face the roaring geovishap, he felt the back of his scarf get tugged on as he was pulled back.

from what he could see through the blur of rock and ash, the dark brown scales were what caught his attention the most. the creature’s tail flowed along with the golden fur gathered at the end of it, its claws tipped as gold as mora. the polearm it grasped in its clawed hands matched its body perfectly, from the color to the rigid edges mimicking crystals.

“who…?” was the only word aether managed to mutter as he stared up in awe at the creature. it, or rather he, peered over his shoulder to look down at the traveler, his eyes sharp as he stared.

“i’m afraid we will attract more attention if we remain here,” he bellowed, seemingly speaking to someone other than aether. “it would be wise to bring him inside.”

“of course,” a distant voice responded. as aether blinked, he found himself a ways away from where he had been before. instead of the soft grass of liyue, he found himself sitting on smooth rock littered with sparkling geodes and crystals. in front of him stood an intricate building framed by lanterns of varying sizes and designs.

“aether,” the same voice cooed, this time coming from a source visible to him. walking towards him was a figure wearing a (color) kimono covered by a similar haori. hanging from their fingers was a lantern, its light illuminating the area far better than the countless lanterns hanging on the building behind them. “i have been awaiting your arrival. please come inside.”

aether managed to push himself up, careful to avoid the sharp and ragged edges of the rock beneath him. the figure stared at him for a moment before greeting, “i shall be your host. if you have any requests, please feel free to ask.”

“my… host?” aether echoed, cautiously walking towards the (h/color)-haired figure. their smile remained unchanged as he grew closer.

“yes. that is our job here, after all. come, we mustn’t delay,” the host ushered, reaching out to grab aether’s wrist. they pulled him along the trail before continuing, “if we do, there’s no guarantee they won’t catch up to us.”

“they…? huh?!” aether quickly glanced over his shoulder to see a hoard of geovishaps and their hatchlings barreling towards them. he reached out to summon his sword but was quickly interrupted by the hand of his host.

“ah, there’s no need for that,” they muttered, lightly pushing aether’s hand down as wind began to swirl around the two. “let us handle this matter. for now, let’s head inside.”

“inside… this?” aether questioned, nodding up to the lantern-filled building.

“my inn,” the host answered with the same smile, watching for a few moments as the wind began to flow towards the hoard of monsters. “i can assure you that this inn is the safest place to be when being chased by teyvat’s creatures. however…”

the host released aether’s wrist, prompting the traveler to pause just before the steps of the inn. the host turned around slowly, their haori flowing behind them as if it were a cape.

“i do need… one thing from you.” their lantern seemed to glow brighter, causing the shine in their eyes to become more intense than before. “i ask that you grant me one of your secrets.”

the moment aether stepped inside, the inn was far grander than he had previously thought. keeping up the theme, the ceiling was shrouded in lanterns, making the wood that presumably supported it invisible due to them while tatami mats lined the floor in a distinct pattern.

“well? is it suitable for your tastes?” the host asked, sliding the door closed as quietly as possible.

“uh… how do i say this…?” aether muttered to himself, looking around at the room he had just stepped foot in. “it’s… actually really nice. am i even allowed to be here?”

“of course,” the host reassured, ignoring the roars outside the door. aether jumped back suddenly as the door was pushed in, barely keeping intact as another roar was heard.

“how is this even standing…?”

“ah, company secret,” the host grinned before clapping their hands lightly. “now then. venti! get the luggage, would you?”

aether yelped as he felt wind fly up behind him, the bag he had carried being hoisted from his shoulders into the air. as the wind began to swirl, a figure began to manifest from the air.

“huh?! wh-what?!” aether gaped, looking back and forth between his host and the wind being only known as “venti”.

“don’t fret,” the host called. “he works for me.”

“that’s not what’s weird…” aether clarified, fiddling with the end of his scarf. “he… formed from the wind.”

“oh? it seems our guest is not as shocked as we thought he would be,” the host hummed, glancing over their shoulder at the traveler.

“he isn’t one to be easily scared,” venti points out, twirling the end of one of his braids with his finger. “in fact, i would have been surprised if he were afraid of a mere wind spirit.”

“i guess let the wind lead was literal, huh?” aether laughed to himself, earning a small smile from venti.

“that it is,” venti hummed softly, part of his body disappearing as the wind carried it away. the upper half of his body remained, allowing him to float around the host and wrap his arms around them. the host remained unbothered, lifting one of their hands to lightly glide their fingers along venti’s neck. “the people of mondstadt cherish that saying. in a way, they cherish my ability to lead them in the right direction. and you were led here. we will do our best to help you relax. both body and mind.”

“follow me,” the host ushered as venti fluttered after them in a gust of wind. as aether walked down the halls, he couldn’t help but take in the only piece of decoration that littered the inn.

lanterns. varying lanterns of size, color, shape, and design lined the walls and filled the ceilings. he recognized a few of them as xiao lanterns, the very same ones he had written a wish in during liyue’s lantern rite.

“uh, excuse me?” aether called out, prompting the host to look over their shoulder at him. “i’m… i’m really grateful for all of this but… i don’t think i can afford any of this? it just looks really expensive…”

“…pfft!” venti, who had appeared beside the host in a gust of wind, tried to suppress his laugh but to no avail.

“venti, you’re being rude,” the host scolded as they guided aether into a separate room, they led the traveler to a small table beside a window, the outside still littered with floating lanterns. the host took their seat and motioned to the chair in front of them, causing aether to sit opposite of them.

they placed their lantern on the table and interlocked their fingers, resting their chin on the small platform they had formed. “aether, the compensation i’m searching for is not mora. i’ve told you before, the one request i ask of you is simply your secret. nothing more.”

“that… that’s it?” aether asks, nervously squirming in his seat. “there’s no… extra thing you need? nothing for me to find or fight or make. just… a secret?”

“that’s all,” the host reassures, smiling softly. “and in exchange, we promise to do whatever we can to find your sister. and that’s not putting up missing person posters.”

it was as if aether just shut down at that moment. anything regarding his sister, even if it’s a lie, is sure to attract aether. all he could think about at that moment was reuniting with lumine and leaving this world that took advantage of him and his kindness.

“just a secret… just a secret…” aether muttered to himself, squeezing his hands. “let’s see… i guess my secret is that i’m not from this world.”

“…”

“ah-hahahaha!” venti’s laugh echoed throughout the room, causing aether to furrow his brows in confusion.

“venti!” the host calls, snapping their fingers as if scolding an animal. they let out a quiet sigh before leaning forward, their arms resting on top of the table. “i’m afraid that isn’t much of a secret to us.”

“…huh?”

“it’s quite clear to anyone who has heard of you and your deeds. no normal person from teyvat should be capable of that,” the host explains, prompting aether to hum softly.

“…i guess? so, that means i can’t stay here, right? and… you can’t help me?”

“i wouldn’t say that,” the lantern’s light suddenly dims, casting shadows on the host’s face and body. “but… i hope you don’t think that’s all you have to offer.”

“i… what are you talking about?” aether felt a chill run up his spine.

“there are other secrets, one that particularly interests me. it’s a secret that may shake your very existence,” the host points out, reaching across the table to place their finger on aether’s lips. with a sickeningly sweet smile and glazed over eyes, the host mutters, “and unless we reveal that, i’ll be unable to assist you.”

he really should have left this inn when he had the chance. one minute he was in the hot spring outside with the strangely pushy host and the next…

he’s caught in the middle of a geovishap attack with nothing but a towel to guard him. not even his sword was hidden away in the pocket space it always disappeared to.

just as the geo creature’s claws were about to crush the blond, a familiar polearm-wielding creature intercepted the attack.

“owner…” the creature huffed, kicking their weapon towards another geovishap. “with all due respect, why did you let him outside?”

“he is a bit carefree, isn’t he?” the host, now known to aether as owner, hummed. similar to aether, the only item that guarded them was a towel obtained from the hot springs. however, in their hand, they held their signature lantern, brightly lit with a flame. owner wipes away the water dripping from their face before explaining, “we were in some sort of rut regarding what he is, that’s all.”

“…i trust your judgment, owner, but we must be more careful with our guests,” the dragon-based creature sighs as it traps the geovishaps in stone.

“yes, yes, of course,” they hum as they head towards the grassy area aether had previously been taken to. they face the geovishaps before smiling, “now then, i ask that you return my guest.”

the geovishap lets out a roar followed by a series of growls. venti’s top half begins to form behind owner as he drapes their haori over their slightly dry body. “zhongli? what’s it saying?”

“hm… they’re complaining,” zhongli answers, his tail swishing as he continues to translate. “they claim to have found our guest first and that we stole him from them.”

“huh… odd,” owner hums, reaching up as venti peers over their shoulder to cup his chin. “surely you wouldn’t be complaining once you admit you followed the wind and the earth to him. without them, you wouldn’t have found him. if you’re making excuses, at least make a good one.”

as the geovishap lets out another roar, owner moves their hand to cup their lantern’s flame into their palm. “this will be my final warning to you.”

“this outlander is my guest. keep away from him.”

zhongli seems to growl at the geo creature as it responds to owner. the innkeeper lets out a dry chuckle before placing their finger on their chin, lightly tapping it as they warn, “or else, i’ll expose your secrets right here and now. do i make myself clear?”

surprisingly, the geovishaps let out a noise akin to a low whimper and scamper off, leaving aether behind in the grass. he looks off into the distance, searching for the monsters as they disappear beyond the horizon. he opens his mouth to say something before letting out a sneeze, earning a light laugh from venti. “you know, you’re the first one to run off with nothing but a towel. do you want your clothes back? they might not help much, though…”

“did… you know those things?” aether grumbles, ignoring venti who simply fiddles with the end of his wings. “you… knew their secret. you must have known them, then!”

“…i suppose you’re not wrong,” owner nods, lifting their lantern to illuminate their face. “we definitely aren’t friends, per se… but regardless, you were too occupied with the idea of us being enemies. had you stayed calm, i would have answered any questions you had. although, i don’t blame you due to all of the fetch quests you’ve been through…”

owner fiddles with the top of their lantern, the quiet squeaking of the handle moving filling the air.

“to answer your question before, they’re a part of teyvat’s creatures that are in an active search for their country’s downfall. or rather, they were recruited by that nation’s survivors to search for their oppressors or their lost comrades. it was only a matter of time before he found us since we house a myriad of creatures.”

aether paused before slowly turning to stare up at owner. oppressors. if those geovishaps had infiltrated this inn after encountering him…

what had he done to be labeled an oppressor?

“what… what did you mean by oppressors?”

owner slowly looks down at aether to meet his stare, their eyes darkened as they lift their lantern up to their face. “oh dear. you really don’t know, huh?”

they slowly walk towards the blond traveler, reaching down to trace the underside of his jaw lightly. as their finger curls back towards their palm, aether finds himself drifting towards them as if searching for their touch once more.

and as their finger pressed against his forehead, he remembered.

the cataclysm.

the fall of k'haenriah.

he wasn’t an oppressor they were searching for.

he was one of the lost comrades.

“what… what do you want from me?” aether hissed. his first question was to ask of their identities, but he felt in his gut that he already knew the answer. “you’re not… here to take me celestia, are you? or did you save me to… eat me or something…?”

“eat you?” owner echoed, covering their mouth with the tips of their fingers. “me? eat you?”

the air was soon filled with loud laughs which came from owner themselves. they turned to look at their employees, giggling, “guys! did you hear him? another one’s asked if we’re here to eat him! why do they all think they’re worth it?”

“i have no answer for that,” zhongli hums softly, his tail, once again, flicking behind him.

“maybe it’s what they want deep down,” venti giggles, his body half formed from the wind.

“heh… aether, do you remember what i’ve said before?” owner asks quietly. “mora holds no value here. we have no interest in the weight of your soul as ordained by the gods, either. and, to answer your question, i am not interested in eating your body. i’ve lost the pleasures i felt when indulging in those actions. the only thing i wish for is your secrets. nothing more.”

aether let out a yelp as he was pushed to the ground. he blinked to see owner directly above him, their legs straddling his waist and their face mere inches in front of his. they reached up and seemed to cradle his face, their thumbs brushing against his bottom lip.

“gnawing at your bones, nipping at your flesh, swallowing your remains, all of that is a source of nourishment that my body does not need nor crave. aether,” as his name came out as a soft coo from their lips, aether felt his mind fogging up and becoming distant. “i yearn for something that is much deeper in you. and that only comes to the surface when your mind and body are completely offered up to me through your deepest, darkest secret.”

“that is what i strive to have.”

zhongli’s rest day
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Latest version of my in-progress (and belated birthday) Zhongli art!

It’s taking a very long time to finish

WIP for Zhongli birthday art that I’m not gonna get finished on time ヘ（。□°）ヘ

anon asked:
hello! same anon with the xiao and childe rqt. :) it was great! love it! came back to ask if i could have the same rqt but with zhongli and albedo, please? ty!

hii again anon! tysm for requesting again, i really enjoyed writing the scenarios!! although i am not very used to writing albedo (or any genshin character, that’s my first time doing this T-T), i am happy to see someone request him and zhongli!! i hope yall enjoy it <3

gn reader x zhongli, gn reader x albedo
sfw
word count: around 500 each
warnings: eavesdropping ? but that’s it i believe!

zhongli

it was a peculiar feeling, this thing mortals called jealousy. 

it was an overwhelming feeling as well, consuming every part of zhongli’s mind, only growing stronger with the passing of time. his throat felt tight, along with the million words he wanted to say to your pursuiter, but never came out. what was this feeling, after all? zhongli had never felt this before, and he made a mental note of studying this so-called “jealousy” afterwards.

zhongli sipped his tea once again, looking at you, who was talking to your friend. it was quite obvious what was happening, even for zhongli — your friend wanted to ask you out, and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. you weren’t even that close to this friend, as you had met them a few weeks ago and since then, they had been infatuated with you. zhongli couldn’t blame them for being infatuated, as he could say the very same thing about himself. but this? this was too much.

“y/n, are you really sure you don’t wanna go out today? perhaps tomorrow, or even later? i’d be willing to wait, you know” they said, apparently oblivious to your uncomfort. 

they already knew about zhongli too, and yet didn’t seem to care at all he was there to watch it all. before their arrival, you both were drinking some tea at heyu tea house, enjoying the performances as zhongli told you curious facts about liyue. everything was fine before, so why did they have to show up? 

“ah… i’m quite busy recently, i’m afraid I won’t be able to hang out with you…” you replied, turning back to sit again with zhongli. 

yet, that rascal decided to grab your wrist as you were leaving, and that was the breaking point to zhongli. he slowly put down his tea and got up, having enough of this discussion. your friend backed up a little bit, but tried to maintain his facade. you were confused, too. zhongli was a peaceful and polite man, but you couldn’t see the usual calm in his eyes.

“aren’t you aware they are saying ‘no’? shall you still bother them with such idle chatter?” he said, staring into your friend’s eyes. your friend never heard zhongli talk, but it seemed like being questioned by him made them quite frightened. “or should i explain what ‘no’ means?”

your friend gulped, staring between you and zhongli back and forth. they surely hadn’t anticipated zhongli would step up, and he knew it. maybe seeing the tall man make his way towards them was enough to make them feel afraid, and maybe cornered. perhaps then they would stop bothering you?

“uhm… yes, now that i look at it, you don’t seem interested… sorry for bothering you, y/n” your friend said, and quickly made their way out of the tea house. 

you looked at zhongli and gave him a mischievous smile, knowing fully well what had happened. he only smiled back, the usual calm coming back to his eyes now that your pursuiter was gone. zhongli grabbed your hand and guided you back to the table, sitting beside you with a relaxed figure. 

“it seems like the tea is still warm. well then, shall we continue with the tales of liyue?”

albedo

albedo never thought he’d be doing something like this.

this was just supposed to be a short trip to the library, albedo thought. but what am i doing? he wondered, pushing himself to the darkest and most hidden corner he could find, just so he could hear what was happening. he was quite surprised to hear your voice while looking for some alchemy textbooks sucrose asked him to get for her, and was about to greet you, until he heard another voice. now, albedo was stuck between two bookshelves, trying to perhaps find out what this was about.

“…but this is so interesting to hear! say, do you have more to tell me about sumeru academia?” you said, voice full of excitement. it was one of the things he liked about you, your endless excitement over the smallest things. 

maybe this was considered eavesdropping, and albedo knew it. but it’s for research reasons, of course, he thought. it was always a research, everything involving you. it was a research for both you and him, as he was quite new to all these feelings he suddenly found himself having. albedo wasn’t one for relationships, but everything you did… it was fascinating. it made him want to give it a try, for once. maybe it wasn’t a waste of energy and time if it was you, after all.

“i’d love to tell you more! what you say, we go out for a date- i mean, a dinner, and i could tell you more-” the voice said, but a sudden loud noise made the library ground tremble. 

you stopped listening and went to look for the source of noise with worry, just to find textbooks on the ground, next to albedo’s emotionless figure. seeing your face, albedo let out a small smile, which quickly disappeared at the sight of your other companion, a young sumeru scholar who had just showed up in mondstadt. you lower yourself, trying to help him with the mess he had just made. this was unlike him, and he knew you knew, but maybe albedo just accidentally stumbled over himself and let the books fall, right?

“hi, albedo! didn’t see you there, are you fine?” he quickly nodded with a slight smile, lowering himself as well to help with his own mess. 

maybe it was subconscious, but his hand quickly made its way to yours, brushing it lightly while grabbing the books. you looked at him with blushed cheeks, while he kept on collecting the books, trying to hold a smile. you quickly recollected yourself, grabbing the rest of the heavy textbooks.

“do you need help taking these to sucrose?” you offered, to the sumeru scholar’s dismay. he was about to protest, until albedo looked at him for a brief moment, and then back to you.

“i’d enjoy your help, if you don’t mind” he replied.

albedo knew he was fully capable of lifting those books alone, but who was he to deny your help? and he needed to find out why his heart felt so tight when you were next to the scholar. maybe he could make some notes about these feelings later. as you two left the library, you replied with a soft “i’m sorry, but i think i’ll pass” to the sumeru scholar. albedo’s heart felt lighter, and now he could focus on accompanying you.

after all, time spent with you was never lost time. 

him

i dont even play genshin why am i drawing him?????

This is my entry for Genshin Impact’s zhongli fanart contest, if you guys could boost it on Twitter as well I would appreciate it so much !! Here’s the link, process pics can also be found here! https://twitter.com/skekkaa/status/1392142400718471169?s=21

COOL ZHONGLI AZHDAHA ART UP NOW | skekka :) on Twitter

Smth for the Zhongli fanart event

Bruh look I’m finally done;; This is my submission for Genshin Impact’s “A Sea of Lights” fanart event

Genshin Impact characters but they know what the fandom is up to

Requests are from Instagram~~