like we know Venti/Barbatos is related to Istaroth, but sharing VAs for all languages??? what does that imply??? this is CRAZY (when i first watched it i can't recognise that was Erika's voice and i still refuse to accept it. talk about a VA's range)
also Rhinedottir reveal!! this is THE woman who is one of the 5 sinners of Khaenri'ah, a member of the Hexenzirkel and now the Shade of Life
like, Rhinedottir just shows up for a meeting with the other Shades and head to a tea party with Hexenzirkel afterward be like 'you girls have no idea how bad the work condition is under the Heavenly Principles' like some after-work gossip
interesting little things in 5.6 archon quest that i HAVE to talk about
I'M ON EXTREMELY HIGH ADRENALINE AFTER COMPLETING THE QUEST AND I DEFINITELY NEED TO GET IT OUT OF MY SYSTEM.
it felt too short and i just can't get enough of it. even though considering this is an interlude chapter, it's jam-packed with a LOT of things.
SPOILERS INCOMING!!! if you haven't played the quest, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND you play and experience it youself, it's worth it i promise
Mondstadt genuinely feels like family and home to me. that part where people from all over the city talked over the wind current during the fight? they feel real and alive, friendly and united. the emphasis of family throughout the quest too, with Diluc and Kaeya, Jean and Barbara and even Albedo with his...uhh...unique family, i love it.
i don't know why but seeing Sucrose speaks up in the trial is so satisfying to me that i freaking cheered when i saw her dialogue lol. she deserves more screentime.
now that we know more people who are aware of Venti's identity, i sort of want to see more teasing towards Venti from these people. that whole conversation with Dahlia and Venti? absolutely hilarious. and we get to see Venti being embarrassed or flustered.
Venti and Varka's interaction is also absolute gold. jokester for jokester dynamics. what do you mean Varka says he is being chased around by enemies and Venti replies with 'have fun with that'???
i love how when Alice mentions that she is going to be 'here right away', Jean's immediate reaction is like 'no wait, right here?? right now?? my office???'.
i didn't have much thought on Venti and Albedo interacting before but when it actually happens with them knowing each other's identity, it tickled something in my brain. watch as i write 2 more long posts on each of them separately cause they are the heaviest lore carry (which should have included Kaeya given his background, but it isn't relevant in this quest so...) in Mondstadt and probably the entire story really. i just love my mysterious and powerful boys ok?
speaking of mysterious and powerful boys, while his name was only brought up once, we all love seeing Wanderer being involved in another important archon quest.
now to the climax...
HUMAN DURIN??? like i was already hella shocked when Albedo said that he is going to 'replace Dragonspine Durin with Mini Durin' but that whole cutscene where he utilised the entire Mondstadt city as his alchemy site??? the rune running across the entire city??? (with Timaeus and Sucrose rushing to investigate the work of their master which is so wholesome) his chant??? the peek at human Durin form at the end??? HOLY SHIT OF BARBATOS this whole thing is so cool and beautiful.
like like, the 2 shot where it zooms out on the entire Mondstadt city with golden light so bright even the fireworks cannot compare??? i am so in love with this cutscene i'm gonna rewatch it so many time and freaking laser beam it into my brain.
been super duper excited for the Mondstadt update since the release of the special program art and now seeing THIS being circulated??? abolutely losing my mind!!
like BRO??? the ART the COMPOSITION the CHARACTERS!!!! the stained glass of the three major parties in Mondstadt overlooking the city GOSHHH
also, the fact they put 'Venti' and not 'Barbatos' in the middle like??? does that mean Venti will actually reveal his identity as the anemo archon to others? or is this just Venti monologuing about the current major forces in Mondstadt like how he introduced the four winds in his teaser, so the image is of himself instead of his archon form? ooooh i'm so excited to see how this plays out!!
i know her memory is also altered by the Irminsul, but like did the Traveller or Wanderer ever tell her about it? or is it general consensus that only Traveller, Wanderer and maybe Nahida thru the fairytale know it?
i was rewatching the episode and only realised this is King imitating his DAD?! he even bends his right leg after laying down in a pool of water. he is either wanting to feel connected to his dad or embracing he will one day be just like the Titan of the Boiling Isles, or both
and Steve placing this folded witch figure on King just like how witches started living on the Boiling Isles. genuinely sobbing now
Durin's 'Heart Crystal' Thing I Want to Talk About and I'm Making This Everyone's Problem
this all stems from a tweet i saw that said the protruding spike from the bars above the heart makes Durin unhuggable. imagine trying to hug this kid and ended up with a hole in your chest...ya...not the best hug i would say, and certainly not one you would want to experience again
and i think that's exactly the point of that design
remember, this is Durin, not JUST Mini Durin or JUST Dragonspine Durin, this is a combined, neutralised version of Durin. this is an alchemical transmutation being composed of Dragonspine Durin's blood, Mini Durin's soul and Bakunawa's flesh. essentially, both Durin 'died' and rebirth as this here Durin we see
so i wouldn't expect this Durin to be pure and bubbly like Mini Durin or beast-like and corrupted like Dragonspine Durin. this Durin now has the ability and responsibility of a human to differentiate and decide what's right and wrong for himself
and the process of figuring this out is scary. before he found his own compass, there could be a lot of things that go wrong. he could unknowingly harm people around him or have others harm himself because he doesn't understand the others' intention.
that spike exists to protect others and himself. to keep people at a safe distance while he orientates himself. if in a more literal sense, it could also be because the 'spirit' of both Durins are not completely neutralised and are constantly battling with each other, causing outlashes that are harmful. basically, this Durin still has doubt about his existence, his mind and himself, and is not ready to actively interact with others now. the placement of the spike right above his heart crystal is also a very good visual representation of him sealing off his heart from others
while i mourn the decreased huggability of Durin, i also don't see this Durin constantly wanting to give hugs to others given how anxious he looks in the Nod-Krai teaser. so rather than the design making him unhuggable, it reflects his unwillingness to be close to others just yet. i believe that in the future story, he will find what he stands for and enjoy the human life he is now given
opening the archon quest with separating Paimon and Traveler in action, what could go wrong? (everything)(except for the delicious showcase of the bond between Paimon and Traveler)(yes, i'm dedicating a post just for her)
she's so worried uweueue
and the few times they were apart, it's some life and death situation, so Paimon's worry is definitely warranted
oh gosh she is full on crying with tears in her eyes now
Paimon is actually standing in for the Traveler during their absence. all the time they were travelling together and she managed to build herself the same connection in Teyvat too. she knows that's what the Traveler would do and do it for them. i'm...so normal about this (i'm not, i'm really not)
AHHHHH THIS WHOLE SCENE KILLED ME
if you've seen the fic i posted a few days ago, you'd know that i'm an avid 'Paimon takes care of the Traveler' advocate. and Paimon really putting that kamera of hers to good use cause this particular photo is so precious to me (and her ofc!)
the way Traveler is looking at Paimon while handing her candy, Paimon requesting that the Traveler holds the pose for her to capture because she finds this particular moment to be memorable and the Traveler AGREEING TO IT uweueue
'looking after Paimon' as one of the things that makes up their life now oh gosh they are the parent-child/siblings
they are both so happy to see each other again arhhh
(and now that they are reunited, let's move on to the more carefree side of Paimon)
you go Paimon!
it's always 'take good care of yourself Traveler' and never 'take good care of yourself Paimon'. oh Lauma, you beautiful soul
oh Paimon...i'm scared of where your growth would lead you in the story and at the same time i'm just glad that you're getting any growth at all
i wonder how many things have the Traveler shared with Paimon before, being the sole companion that accompanied them during the good and bad. and the Traveler travelled with their sibling before, which probably means they are used to having someone by their side at all time
while i don't think Paimon is a 'substitute' for the Traveler's sibling, she definitely earned her own title as a trusted companion that the Traveler can rely on emotionally
