Do you guys fw my vision. Questions welcome if you have any but also, trust me.
(Shenhe, Wanderer, and Kazuha still pending on what I decisively headcanon for them so they aren't here yet. They can be added when I know for sure)
Ara being buddies with Chongyun because it's been flirting with his aunt and it's decided it likes this anxious young'n pretty well. He's got a very good heart. So of course one day it introduces him and Bennett, with whom it is already functionally family, hoping they'll get along.
They do get along! And later on, when it mentions being pleased about that, Bennett fesses up almost accidentally that he has a crush, actually, and could Ara please throw him off of Starsnatch Cliff about it? Thanks.
Of course, it does not do that, and instead thoroughly encourages this- it'll even put a good word in for Bennett, if he likes!
Of Compelling Negotiations, and Unrefusable Offers
Venti x Arapaima
Premise: Venti has been trying to figure out a way to convince Arapaima to visit Mondstadt proper, so he comes looking in hopes of making an entreaty
The boar hadn't noticed anything.
Least of all the hunter approaching it.
True, if Ara was really driven to, it could use Dendro to snag the animal, to wrap vines around its hooves and hold it in place, poised and squealing and primed for killing. But that seemed downright unsportsmanlike. And so, it crouched, ears pricked and tail pinned low, club clutched in hand as it tried to close the distance enough. All it needed was to be near enough that it could quickly close the space, and then a single swing of its weapon would put a painless end to the-
Somewhere behind it, a rustle sounded through the trees. The boar lifted its head with a snort, then turned on a heel to flee. Ara would have cursed at the loss if it hadn't also snapped to alertness, spinning in the direction of the noise. A low snarl rumbled in its throat, and it held out its club in warning- and then its brain caught up to it, made sense of what it was looking at.
Oh, it's him.
Ara's good eye fixed on the intruder currently lounging so carelessly in the tree branches, relaxing among the leaves, lazily kicking his legs as though nothing could touch him, and despite its instincts the fur of its tail began to lie flat again. The rumbling growl in its chest faded with a huff, and it straightened, lowering its club to plant against the ground- a makeshift cane to lean against.
"You're awful blasé about carelessly startling armed travelers, breeze-bard. Don't you know that people's blade hands often move faster than their brains?"
Nevermind that Ara had more reason than most to be overly vigilant. This traveling musician didn't need to hear its entire miserable backstory to know that sneaking up was unwise. It strongly suspected that if it loosened its lockjaw about all the horrors it had seen, these visits would come to a stop. It lets out a sigh, flicking its ear as it appraises its stubbornly recurrent guest and adjusting its coat in an aimless fidget.
"I figured you for a hilichurl when I heard you coming, or a bandit, and I was 'bout ready to gut you. You're lucky your outfit is so distinct, makes you easy to recognize- you lost me a boar, though. You owe me one."
Still, despite Ara's continued efforts to seem irritated by the interruption, it couldn't help the way its eye softened, gaze brightening as it approached the tree the interloper was so peacefully smiling down from. For his part, the stranger merely grinned unapologetically, grabbing a plump, shiny apple from a branch and polishing it against his shirt before biting into the delicate skin.
Stranger....as if the word applied anymore. Ara may not use his name often, but he knew it. Venti, the self-proclaimed finest bard of Mondstadt, who also by now knew Arapaima's name. At least, he knew the one it had so recently chosen. A rare secret it hadn't yet made habit of sharing, but somehow Venti had pried the information loose, as he seemed uniquely capable of doing. His seafoam eyes, always swirling with energy, peered down from the tree as Ara approached, lighting with familiar warmth.
"Sorry! That's my bad, I wasn't trying to spoil your hunt. I just wanted to stop by for a visit with my favorite woods hermit is all- though..."
Venti grinned, showing off teeth that were a little strangely white, a little oddly sharp, but infuriatingly dazzling to the mercenary standing beneath the tree.
"Maybe you'll let me make it up to you? If you'll come with me into Mondstadt City this time, I'll buy you lunch at Good Hunter! Anything you want, to repay for the meal I just scared off."
Ara snorted in answer, immediately resistant to the idea. It could handle talking to people out here, one on one in the wilds past the Whispering Woods. Could even manage chitchats with strangers on the edges of Springvale these days, but setting foot inside the main city, surrounded by a concentrated crowd of strangers... the thought made it uneasy. Ducking the question, it opted for teasing instead, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, so are you telling me you actually have mora for once? I thought you spent every cent at the tavern the second you got it, breeze-bard. No wonder you seem strangely sober today."
The words may have seemed sharp, but there was an undeniable softness in how they were spoken, the sentence trailing into a rough chuckle. Encouraged, Venti swallowed yet another bite of his apple before swinging his legs over the edge of the branch, dropping from the tree with a grace that bordered on uncanny and landing perched amidst the roots. From here, the difference in height between them was glaring, with Venti having to tip his head back to make eye contact with his friend.
"Aww, your lack of faith in me is downright hurtful! Sure, I love my dandelion wine, but I am capable of saving up when I really want something. I've been slaving over this lyre all week, I'll have you know. Even for the finest musician in Mondstadt, money doesn't exactly come easy!"
He grinned, reaching up to tap a finger against Ara's nose. In turn, Ara snorted, giving its head a shake and pretending to snap at him, though the gesture is belied by the mirth glimmering in its good eye.
"And what exactly d'you have to save up for that's so special you'd give up some of your weekly booze allowance? Can't figure that you're thinking a week's wages is gonna put a payment on anything. You finally gonna invest in a proper bow like I've been saying you ought?"
In emphasis, Ara shot a glance toward the disheveled old hunting bow strapped to Venti's back. The damn thing was worn with age and not worth its splinters in combat, but Ara had long since accepted that trying to get Venti to change weapons was a losing battle- a sentiment proven all the more true when the bard simply laughed in answer, shaking his head."No silly, my bow does just fine by me. I meant what I said before, I'm saving up to take you to Good Hunter! Sara doesn't just hand out food for free, after all."
That was a surprise. Caught off kilter, Ara blinked, narrowing its eye.
"...Again, bold of you, considering I hadn't even agreed to come with you anywhere. Ain't it considered better practice to ask before you decide you're taking somebody someplace?"
Still smiling, apparently unperturbed, Venti offered a wink in answer.
"I'll admit, it probably is a little presumptuous of me. You'll have to forgive this wandering bard's audacity, I'm just excited! And I'd like to think that maybe, if I stick with it...I can convince you to humor me, I swear the apple roly-poly is more than worth the trip!"
He fixed Ara with a pleading stare, who grumbled in answer.
“Y’say that like you think my main worry’s a bad taste.”
A pause, and then Ara sighed, padding closer to where Venti stood with confusion writ across its face.
“Why’re you so stubborn on it anyway? About any of this, even. You keep findin’ me- strange both that you can, and that you want to- and now you wanna haul me into town? Seems like much ado to make for somebody you just happened to stumble on in the woods a moon and a half ago, windsinger."
The words were meant as inquiry, but come off almost as accusation, sharpened and suspicious solely from the unfamiliarity of the kindness. Despite the incidental harshness, Ara’s face betrayed a curiosity- something that Venti saw easily, despite the posturing. The dog-man dwarfed him in size, and yet the bard never flinched, the playfulness in his expression giving way to something softer.
"Is it really so impossible to believe that I simply enjoy your company?"
Not giving space for Ara to answer, Venti stepped slightly closer, perching on a root only mere inches from his companion. To his credit, Ara didn't flinch away, only fixing the smaller man with that same curious, conflicted look as he continued to speak.
"I love Mondstadt. I love the food, and the sights, and the people- and I know the people would love you, if they got the chance to know you! You do okay out here for yourself, I know, but..I really do just want to share the sights with you! You're out here by yourself so often, and...I think it would be fun, to spend time together like that."
He punctuated his admission with a smile- gentle and earnest, so unlike the mischievous one he often wore, and so unlike any look Ara had ever found directed at itself. It made Ara's chest flutter, and in answer it looked away, pinning its ears back again. For a moment there was quiet, only the chirping of songbirds to be heard as Venti's offering of sincerity sat between them, dense and unexpected.
But...eventually, Ara sighed, giving its tail a wave and looking at its smaller companion with something that might have been a smile, if you looked close enough.
"...You're as boarheaded as they come, you know that? "
A pause, and then- with new softness, slow and uncertain, unfurling in its voice like a new fern.
"If you're really so sold on this, I doubt I can talk you outta it. And besides, if you've been pouring your blood, sweat, and tears into sing-songing on that lyre all week, you've kinda got my hands tied. Can't rightly turn that down."
Again, there's a pause, during which Venti seems to almost be in disbelief, seafoam eyes wide as though he may have misheard. One second passes, two, and then his smile spreads, as bright and dazzling as the sun returning from the cloudcover. It's nearly enough to set Ara alight, who responds by clearing its throat- as if trying and failing to dislodge that same softness taking dangerous root somewhere in its chest.
"I just hope you know I'm gonna hold you to your word. Anything I want, and its all on your tab. That's the price you pay for draggin' me away from my hunting and subjectin' me to the public."
Venti nodded instantly, almost seeming to bounce with enthusiasm and he reached out and took Ara's hands. The hunter stiffened briefly, but allowed the contact, unable to stop the smile that crept over its own features. It...never would have anticipated such eagerness could be provoked by merely the promise of its presence.
It was...nice. Even when Venti took off on a ramble.
"That's wonderful! I promise, you won't regret it! I'll take you to Good Hunter, and show you the Favonius Library- I can introduce you to Dahlia, finally! He's my best friend and he's always at the Cathedral. Maybe I can take you to the Angel's Share too! My tab is...mostly paid, so Diluc shouldn't be too reluctant to let me in again. I'll offer to play a live show for the tavern, even!"
The bard's eyes shone with new light as he beamed at his friend, turning on a heel and tugging it along. Ara startled in turn- it hadn't anticipated doing this right away- but...as with most things involving Venti, it found itself moving along with him, following in his footsteps with a snort that quickly devolved into a laugh.
Thinking about in my selfship verse when the Raiden Shogun/Ei goes to kill Aether and Thoma is going to try to save him, my s/i sees what's about to happen, changes form, and attacks her. It's an insane thing to do. Ara knows it can't win. This is the Electro Archon and while it's a skilled fighter, it's not going to outdo a god. It's solely trying to distract her long enough for Thoma to get Aether away.
And it works! It's impossible to stay focused with a horse-sized wolf with Dendro abilities launching itself at you, it buys precious seconds for Thoma to grab Aether and Go. But it comes at a cost. Ara swipes claws at her, throws attacks with Dendro, takes a slash from her polearm and keeps coming. Finally it just closes its jaws on her shoulder or arm, and predictably, she uses her element. Electroshocks the hell out of it with lightning, and it winces. Whines. But just locks it's teeth tighter and hangs on, uses the shock to grip tighter.
It only lets go when it has to, and is promptly thrown, leaving a smear of blood where it lands. It's spasming from residual shock and limping, but..it looks, and Thoma and Aether are gone. Good.
Only Then does it snarl and bolt, running as hard as it can, making distance in any direction and only going to find Thoma and Aether when it's sure it's lost any chance of being pursued.
It survives, but not without scars, and not without a lot of help. Honestly, it's a bit of a miracle that it manages to come back from that at all.
4. Who is more comfortable with public displays of affection
Ara and Venti are unbearable with PDA. Partners that are constantly holding each other's hands, arms around each other, foreheads bonked together, trading kisses, leaning and nuzzling into each other mid-conversation. Disgusting. Diluc and Jean have taken to just rolling their eyes about it.
Dahlia is a little less, but only when he's on the clock. It's not a good look to be doing all that while he's working! When he's clocked out though, he will happily sit in Venti or Ara's lap and hang off of them like a happy koala.
Lyney was a little nervous of anything beyond 'stage PDA'. Think kissing knuckles, producing roses with a wink to hand off to Ara, that kind of thing. He feared the idea of his adoration for Ara being public knowledge due to his jobs- both as a celebrity and as a major player of the Fatui. In recent times, he's relaxed about this a bit, but still exercises restraint if too many eyes are about.
Magni is EMBARRASSED. He's not unreceptive, as he is by nature quite touchy and very much enjoys how affectionate Ara can be with him, but he is also GRIEVOUSLY embarrassed and flustered by knowing other people might be watching. If it gets commented on he feels like he's going to blow up. He likes to pretend that Ara is being absurd, but god forbid it try to pull away. No take-backs.
Xiao...would prefer some restraint on the matter. He's skittish about being perceived in public much in the first place, and can get overwhelmed by too much attention. He has his little ways- holding hands is amiable, or keeping an arm around his shoulders/waist. Just...nothing too distracting. He doesn't want people to think he's gone soft, or to really look that closely at him at all.
12. Where are the characters' favorite place to kiss their significant other(s)?
Everyone loves lips kisses, I'll go ahead and say that right off the bat. BUT, barring that...
Dahlia loves to kiss Ara and Venti's shoulders! He loves to come up behind them for it. He kisses the top of Venti's shoulder, and the blade of Ara's- he's too short to easily reach the top of its shoulder.
Venti love love loves neck kisses! Giving and receiving!! He adores tucking his face into his partners' necks and kissing all over their throat up to their jaw. Sometimes it's playful, meant to tickle more than anything, and sometimes it's far more flirtatious.
Lyney loves to kiss hands and wrists- his hands are his livelihood! Quick, nimble, and clever, and he admires Ara's just the same! Loves to kiss the knuckles, palm, or pulse point on its wrist especially.
Xiao likes to find scars and kiss them. For a warrior who has spent literal centuries fighting, he finds the kissing of scars incredibly intimate and vulnerable- a way to soothe old pains and acknowledge Ara's past resilience.
Magni really enjoys kissing Ara's collar and chest, feeling the organic, lively thrum of its pulse and the warmth of its bloodflow. It feels so incredibly alive, and he's enamored- as much as it flusters him, he never gets tired of keeping his face there.
Ara is a complicated answer- it has a favorite spot for each partner! It goes like this. Venti's neck, Lyney's back, Magni's face, Dahlia's hands, Xiao's arms!
20. Who usually initiates kisses?
Honestly if they're not in public this is pretty equal across the board. These guys love to kiss and will take most opportunities to do so. No easy way to quantify it!
27. If one or multiple characters in a ship like to cook, what would be their favorite meal to surprise their partner(s) with?
Funny thing about that, every playable genshin character has a Specialty Dish! Magni and Ara don't have any of course, but here's the ones that exist.
Venti: Ratatouille!
Dahlia: Crispy Potatoes topped with Shrimp!
Lyney: Fruit Pate!
Xiao: Almond Tofu!
If Ara had one, I think it would be a variant on the Matsutake Meat Roll, and if Magni had one, I think it would be a variant on the Apple Roly-Poly
@dudeshusband
OH BOY. Hang on I'll order them out.
22. Who is more argumentative?
1. Magni. No contest. Magni feels most comfortable pretending to be less emotional than he actually is- his creator actively rejected him for being too emotional- but. He's got a temper. He can be stubborn and reactive. Also prone to the sunk cost fallacy of "well I've fought this long I can't give up now" type issue. He's working on it, and it's not terrible, but out of everyone? Yeah. He will apologize for any harshness once he's cooled off.
2. Ara. My self-insert. Does not pick arguments with partners or loved ones, but will rise to the occasion if they pick an argument with it, and somewhat lacks a filter with people who aren't part of its social circle, especially early on. It mellows out more with time and character development, but is prone to speaking its mind even when it maybe should not, and can be pretty rigid about the hills it picks to die on, for better or for worse. Will apologize if it overdoes it though.
3. Lyney. This may come as a surprise because of his people-pleasing tendencies! But Lyney can really dig his heels in when he decides to. Does not argue often, but when he does argue by gods it's hard to budge him. Operates by his own code for the most part and will debate the point for an unnecessary amount of time if that is challenged. Unfortunately can be quite convincing, so you may find yourself swayed. Hates arguing with loved ones though, gets VERY stressed over anyone he's close to being mad at him.
4. Dahlia. Not super interested in arguing! He loves other people's drama and sticking his nose squarely into everyone else's arguments, but doesn't pick fights of his own. Would much rather just let people talk themself into a knot while he listens and gives gentle input. If you attempt to pick an argument with him he'll find every way imaginable to blow you off, completely unfettered, and then complain to friends and partners about you. Immune to ragebait and often smooths the arguments of other polycule members.
5. Xiao. See the thing about Xiao is he won't argue he'll just stubbornly decide something and then not talk about it beyond that. No need to argue if he doesn't feel like he has to convince you and he knows you aren't going to convince him. He's improved on this majorly over time and is far, far more willing to listen to input and actually Voice things than he used to be (as well as content to go along with what others decide if it's something he isn't opinionated about) but still occasionally just, locks in on what he's going to do without regard for feedback. Only argues if the topic is something very emotionally raw for him.
6. Venti.
VARKA...He's an interesting case! Ara...does not expect to like him. I've already mentioned that Ara has a bit of a bias against the Knights of Favonius- it likes some of them as individuals, but it doesn't love what the institution represents as a whole. Before canon begins, it has only distantly crossed paths with Varka, and then he leaves on his expedition before it ever properly interacts with him.
After he leaves, there's an increasing sense of mythology about Varka. People talk about him like he's more legend than man, all these larger-than-life stories. Ara struggles to have faith in that, especially when it already doubts the Knights as a whole. It doesn't hate Varka, especially since Razor and Venti and others care about him, but...it's predisposed to uneasiness about him.
And then they actually meet, and Ara is taken by surprise. Not only is Varka strong and brave, as advertised, but he's also...humble. Down to earth. Not half as stringent or as concerned with political control as some of the Knights can be. He's kind, respectful, friendly, and somewhat irreverent. Exactly the sort of person Ara likes, and they actually hit it off quite nicely! They like to swap war stories and have common ground in their social circles and in their warrior professions. Varka, as it would turn out, is genuinely just a good man with a noble heart, and the unease that his looming legend instilled dissipates quickly when it meets him. He even demystifies the Knights for Ara a little bit- though it will still never, ever join.
Bonus: In an exchange talking about Razor, Varka offhand mentions that he's glad someone else connected with and looked out for Razor in his absence. This makes Ara emotional.
@celestialship
Kaeya: Already answered here!
Paimon: Ara is endeared to Paimon. Partly because she's very, very good for Aether, and partly because it thinks she's funny and takes note of how much she genuinely cares about things. It does, however, find her extraordinarily tease-able, and doubles down on "emergency food" jokes often, snapping its teeth aimlessly in her direction and calling her bite-size. It does, at times, find her a little judgmental- it talked to her about her harsh judgment of Venti after their first meeting, for example- but overall while it pokes fun at and teases her, it would fight to keep her safe. She's family too! Even if it likes to playfully bully her.
Amber: Though it avoided her profusely in its woods-hermit days, in the present day, Ara likes Amber a lot!! Ara has a strong connection to Bennett and later Razor, and even later Collei, and just because of what they each tend to Do with their days and prior connection, I imagine this leads to crossing paths with Amber quite often! Ara has a complicated relationship with the Knights of Favonius, but Amber is a rule-breaker who doesn't strictly adhere to the rules and authority the Knights have established, and in Ara's eyes, that makes her more trustworthy. She's kind, loud, fun, and courageous. What's not to love! They are friends :)
