yoohankim throuple potential is truly insane. everyone already knows joongdok needs infinite kayfabe and infinite worlds to keep falling in love with each other; we're always working on that (and so is hsy). meanwhile yoohan is PURE cold war spy/assassin or "mr. & mx. smith" flavored nonbinary yaoi or worstie coworkers/colleagues/peers because yjh is at his core a metaslave, but hsy is a dungeon master; he cannot win her games. and finally, dokja and sooyoung by themselves are just rock paper scissors: the more one gaslights gatekeeps girlbosses, the more the other manipulates manwhores manslaughters, and vice versa, endlessly. that's why they need a gamer to declare a winner, be the winner, call them both losers, or commit arson.
originally written in: feb 12, 2019 (outdated google docs link)
felt encouraged to publish this after learning that mista is now araki’s favorite character! and i have been a mista best character advocate since day fucking 1 of the vento aureo anime announcement!!!
Have you ever wondered about how, in Mista’s backstory, he lives in this really nice, really big house and always eats nice food? And yet we’re led to believe he spends his days doing shit like mugging people who hate Clint Eastwood? Because boy have I got a theory for you.
And that theory is: Mista’s an orphan.
This theory came about due to me thinking WAAAYYY too deeply about the literal *crumbs* we get in terms of extra details regarding Mista's life, e.g.:
his canon living conditions before Passione (strangely nice)
the fact that he apparently just thugged around all day (mugging people who hate Clint Eastwood) before joining Bruno’s gang
the fact that he is canonically the “guy who hotwires cars” among our guys (as shown in Babyface)
the fact that, when Mista got arrested (in his backstory), he had NO family to bail him out or even visit him
and, finally, the fact there is no mention of other family or friends any time afterwards
Also, it’s really hard to miss how—throughout the entire manga—he treats Narancia, Fugo, Giorno, etc. like younger peers, in a way. He has this attitude that makes him seem as if he’s used to rowdiness and being around lots of people; i.e., he seems like the kind of person who grew up in a large house. Too large. Too many adults AND too many kids, all with their own bullshit complexes.
Okay so. Orphan Mista. I've been (over)thinking about this for years and it all just seems to fit.
First of all, an orphanage would explain the nice, BIG house we see in his backstory (which is the same in both the anime and manga), and the fact that he’s apparently well off enough to spend his days sleeping in late and being in appreciation of nice food, a roof over his head, and generally pleasant surroundings.
It fits his behavior that he isn’t rich at all, but not totally impoverished either (else he’d be more motivated to rise up by that fact).
I reckon the orphanage is also run by nuns, considering the bit in his character page about him “believing in god on a fundamental level,” his obsession with luck, and commitment to staying on fate’s good side.
His fatalism is reminiscent of a vaguely/culturally Christian upbringing—because while he's not all that religious, he still believes in some sort of higher power + a central force outside of his control. So, this speaks of his upbringing as being not so strictly religious, but more of having been around a bunch of people who ARE and being influenced by them BUT, crucially, without being forced into the same lifestyle.
This theory also explains strangely well the fact that, out of the members of Bruno’s gang, Mista is actually the only one who can be classified as a genuine thug through and through.
See, if he was an orphan, he should’ve gone to a public school up to high school along with others in his age group, and then been expected to find a job in preparation for leaving the orphanage once he turned 18 years old or something.
(And yes, I DO think he went to school—because if not, he would’ve been in the same boat as Narancia and I doubt it wouldn’t be brought up by Fugo OR Leone’s judgey asses. He can count, spell, read, think critically, and enjoy any type of art for any of the senses. He’s street smart! No need for any more excessive book learnin’!)
Anyway, the thing is, Mista’s a super carefree person, who only really cares about the simple things and isn’t the type to dream big or over-complicate his life. He knows exactly what he wants, his preferred food + fashion + tools + creature comforts.
AND he manages the Sex Pistols like people, earning their respect and cooperation through trust and treats.
AND he treats the youngest most neglected/abused/confused members of Bruno’s squad (Giorno & Trish) with absolute devotion and respect.
Never breaks boundaries or abuses or exploits. When he was in Trish’s body, he kept perfect focus on the mission without even a moment to spare messing/playing with the unfamiliar anatomy (made even more apparent by Trish’s choice of outfit then).
Meanwhile, Giorno trusts him wholly and IMPLICITLY, despite them only knowing each other for a few days, because not even once has Mista even tried to take advantage of him in any way. He just pulls all the triggers Giorno cannot—regardless of whether that hurts him personally... AND he complains but ENDURES Gold Experience’s excruciating healing. No pulling back and no shoving Giorno away no matter how much pain he’s in.
That is downright RELIGIOUS levels of devotion and faith and trust. That is love, in its own way. Not sexual, or romantic, or platonic, or any combination thereof. It’s just love. Capital L Love, which cannot be snuffed out by any capital punishments or stigmas or taboos.
Anyway. Back to the theory.
I imagine that even with the looming pressure of finding a job and securing his future post-orphanage, Mista never felt the need to stress about it because he KNOWS it’s better to just go with the flow.
He just does what he wants: beating up and mugging Clint Eastwood haters, taking inspiration from movies about trying to hotwire cars the very first time he’s confronted with the opportunity to do (and it’s in service to saving HIS gang), and occasionally screwing up his antics and getting beat up or spending the night in jail (but it’s cool because he’ll only bounce back and do the same shit again the next day).
And then, we have Mista’s absolute lack of family to be concerned for him when he gets arrested or any time afterwards. Building up on what I said earlier, if he grew up in an orphanage, it’s very likely he’ll just be kicked out once he turned 18. So, when he got arrested for his “3 counts of murder” at 17, they just left him to his own devices a bit early.
The authorities or guardians or other supposed adults in his life previously did not actually care about him, when it came down to it. Didn’t even seem to notice his absence + becoming a literal professional criminal.
Evidence of this: nothing holds him back from joining Passione at all. It’s like, there’s no hope whatsoever of anyone helping him appeal his 30-year prison sentence and taking Polpo’s test is his only lifeline. Also, in all his time in the gang, he seems like he has nothing else going on at all in his life other than being a gangster. He just *is* THE professional marksman under Capo Bruno of Passione—no one else, nothing else.
He goes along with Bruno’s every order, doesn’t even hesitate to join Bruno when he turns traitor (even laughs about it to Giorno like it’s such an easy and obvious choice, and even though he probably actually grasps the severity of the situation, he’s SO sure and SO committed to his choice that he can joke about it to try and lighten the mood for everyone else), and readily accepts his new position in Giorno’s inner circle upon him becoming the new Don of Passione.
The second-in-command. The most honored and most trusted. The only one the new Don knows would never betray him—because he has proven it already. In seven fucking days.
Someone with a family wouldn’t be THIS carefree about risking his life, much less be so singularly attentive + dedicated to his role in the gang. So, it REALLY irks me that a normal family seems to overwhelmingly be how fic writers and fan-artists depict him—because it makes so little sense, and it’s lazy.
A normal, loving family wouldn’t leave him to rot by himself in jail. A problematic home life, on the other hand, doesn’t add up with Mista’s core personality (simple-minded and carefree); neglectful or abusive parenting leaves scars and leads to troubled youth. Mista has neither of those as far as we’re shown.
Everyone else in Bruno’s gang has a specific motivation that ties them to the gang (Bruno with what happened to his dad, Fugo with his being indebted to the gang, Narancia with his sense of trust after being abandoned multiple times in his life, Abbacchio with his loyalty to Bruno, and finally Giorno with his dream to get rid of drugs). Meanwhile, Mista’s just kind of… there because he pretty much has nothing else to do, and he’s found his calling in shooting things anyway, so why not?
I’ve read the manga multiple times and there’s really no mention of Mista having any family or anything that could hold him back from what he does in Passione. I often see/hear Mista be described as the guy who acts most like a traditional gangster among Bruno’s gang, and I agree wholeheartedly with that!
Moreso, I raise: this is the kind of behavior/mentality of someone who’s always been fending for himself and 100% accepts it.
So no, he wouldn’t “groom” Giorno or Trish or anyone else. He has proven it by being Giorno’s most trusted AND being in Trish’s body and keeping perfect focus on his mission.
He’s their friend. A very special friend, who pulls the triggers they can’t, who must leave sometimes, but he always knows what’s happening. He watches. He protects. And, he kills—so Giorno and Trish and Fugo won’t have to, anymore. Won’t have to suffer and die like Bruno and Leone and Narancia and La Squadra and even Diavolo.
He is the regulator of fate itself. He is Fairness. Blind Justice. Angel with a Shotgun. Whatever.
different types of trans people need varying degrees of distance from their birth names:
some choose to simply invert it in order to perform + convince intolerant family/friends/community that they're literally still the same person, just sex-swapped. no worries, always was, always will be, etc.
some choose the name of an elder or relative in order to lay claim to that person's legacy and reputation in their family/community, whether as an act of honor or subversion.
some choose the name of a celebrity or fictional character as a way of communicating that they are applying the lessons they learned from those media to their own lives. if it's a celebrity or character who meets a gruesome end, the intention is often, "i will live the better ending they should've gotten" or "i will change the world so as to prevent the end they met."
some want to be as memorable as possible, choosing exotic spellings or combining existing names/phrases/words in clever ways.
some want just the opposite, a common noun, short and punchy, silly to strangers but unforgettable to those who truly matter to them.
...but it's not just trans people who do this. parents naming their children, owners naming their pets, performers choosing stage names or band names or other role names—really, anyone in the position to decide on the name of something or someone.
no name is ever chosen without thought or consideration. some names are meant to provoke, to blaspheme, to mock or be mocked. others are meant to deceive or misdirect, so as to filter gossips from real listeners or observers.
the purpose of naming things is to check who is still paying attention, who finds the subject beneath their consideration/curiosity, who projects themselves or gravitates solely through previous associations they had with that name.
not all birth names are dead, but some definitely are; must be killed so the person who'd been assigned to that name can become.
really, names are prophecies of sorts: predictions or warnings of destiny. what name do you need, how many do you need, where or with whom specifically do you use them—just so you can be your authentic self?
okay so. this whole thing started on a jojo shitpost discord and now i feel an overwhelming urge to share with y’all the absolute BLAST of an idea that is:
ghiaccio and prosciutto are incredibly bitter ex-best friends.
since it’s kinda implied in the manga that la squadra was already a functioning unit before they were part of the gang, i don’t think it’s far-fetched to assume they only got their stands after being absorbed by passione and, before then, they were just a regular band of assassins.
if you take in to account the order of the two's appearances in VA + the fact that ghiaccio is 2nd in command while prosciutto has enough seniority to sorta lecture and train a new(er) member while on a very high stakes job with said member, i reckon it ain't far fetched ghia and pro joined at close to the same time. so i raise that pre-passione (and pre-stands) ghiaccio and prosciutto were close friends + an excellent tag team.
then they got their stands, with white album being the Literal Perfect Counter to grateful dead’s ability.
it’s almost funny how impossible it is for them to work together now without sabotaging each other. and this happens so much that ghiaccio and prosciutto have grown to completely fucking hate each other.
at first the sabotaging was accidental, but then, at some point it just isn’t anymore and the two of them actively antagonize each other whenever they can during jobs together. risotto has to make them never team up ever just so it doesn’t get out of hand.
risotto: why are you guys like this. you used to be friends
ghiaccio and prosciutto: do not speak of the Before Time, capo, that era is Gone and Past
but like. the thing about hating someone who was once your best friend is---they've got a humongous amount of shit on you. example: prosciutto purposefully fills official documents and letters with terms/phrases/figures of speech that he knows For A Fact will piss ghiaccio off. and the rest of la squadra often has no idea so everyone’s just “???” when ghiaccio explodes in anger upon reading them and Neither Of The Two Will Attempt To Explain Anything.
everyone knows prosciutto wakes up first in the morning and always makes a steaming pot of extremely specific coffee (which is hard to make and which no one else can make) to begin the day, so ghiaccio makes it a point to set 2 alarms every morning. the 1st is so he can sneak up on prosciutto in the kitchen and freeze the coffee, and then go back to sleep before prosciutto notices. the 2nd is his actual alarm.
AAALL that so ghia can cancel the freezing the MOMENT pro starts making a new pot.
prosciutto introducing pesci to the rest of la squadra for the first time: and here we have my least favorite teammate, ice bitch
ghiaccio, to pesci: i hope you’re fully aware that your aniki has a shriveled up, wrinkly dick
pesci: ?????
melone: don’t worry about those two, this is kind of A Thing
also, ghiaccio knows so much embarrassing shit about prosciutto, which he then proceeds to retell wholesale to pesci.
risotto has long given up on trying to play babysitter at this point ever since melone convinced him it’s better to just sit back enjoy the shitshow.
and the whole team grows to accept this dynamic so much that formaggio and illuso definitely conspire to shrink and hide ghiaccio’s belongings sometimes and try to get him to think it’s prosciutto’s fault they’re missing, and vice versa, to get the two of them to fight.
exhibit a: ghiaccio walks into the living room of their hideout all pissed and screaming “OKAY WHICH ONE OF YOU FUCKERS HID MY PERSONAL FLASH DRIVE” and formaggio automatically answers “oh i remember prosciutto saying he needed to borrow it last night when you left it plugged in”
illuso high fives him once ghiaccio has stormed out of the room to ice prosciutto to a wall or something, and then proceeds to misplace the thing using mirrors. shit like this works so well that 90% of the time ghiaccio and prosciutto never figure out it’s a set-up.
prosciutto actually used to be better than ghiaccio at pure hand-to-hand combat and it pisses him off BEYOND WORDS that white album gives ghiaccio insta-wins now. ghiaccio, of course, is very happy about this fact.
*slides you $20* pls tell me more about florist!bkg
OKAY *puts hands together* this is gonna be LONG so i’m putting the majority under a read more
i’ve had this mental image of a super mundane modern au with katsuki as an agri major (who almost never attends his classes; who needs that shit when you can do most things online) part-timing at his dad’s flower shop. meanwhile, shouto is a nursing student from a nearby college
katsuki definitely lectures all of his customers about how to take care of their plants and he Will fight them about it 100%
tdbk first meet when, on a particular father’s day, shouto comes into the shop and literally just slams money on the counter asking katsuki for the ‘fuck you bouquet’
BUT THE THING IS
instead of being surprised or asking questions or ANYTHING like that, katsuki just internally goes ‘this is my fucking moment’ because he has Definitely considered this before and just tells shouto whilst smirking “oh, i know EXACTLY what you need”
shouto’s almost prepared to hightail had katsuki made fun of him or something like that because shit, what a way to make a first impression to this guy who i’m suddenly realizing is Really attractive. oh fuck
but then katsuki’s running around the shop, swiping up flowers and ribbons off the shelves and then suddenly shouto is treated to what’s probably one of the most beautiful bouquets he’s ever seen, in or out of context
and when shouto sees it he just. lights up.
and he’s like, all in awe with eyes sparkling and everything and asks katsuki “thank you very much you don’t know what this means to me how much do i owe you???”
katsuki, too caught up in staring at him, mistakenly blurts out “don’t worry about it; it’s on the house”
he overthinks the entire interaction until DAYS after it happened and, on slow afternoons when he’s so bored he brings takes out his uni homework and just alternated between doing that staring at the outside of the shop, lowkey wishing shouto would come back
then a week later, he DOES.
but then it’s like shouto did a complete 180; he’s suddenly super awkward and spends like two minutes looking around the displays before katsuki asks him “well? what is it you came for?”
5% of katsuki’s brain thinks shouto came back to tell him the bouquet is shit, lbr
shouto spends like 30 more seconds awkwardly looking around before he says “a… a gift. i’m looking for a gift”
“for…?” katsuki tries to clarify, head titled slightly and eyebrows quirked
shouto actually flushes a little bit, because wait, he didn’t think it through this far
“…a friend”
“oh. oh i get it”
“no it’s not like that!”
“dude. i’ve been doing this job for three fucking years. from a factual standpoint, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about”
“i know. but it’s not like that”
a chuckle. “if you insist”
and they just kind of stare at each other for a long moment before katsuki remembers his job and asks “are you thinking of anything specific? or will one of the ready-made bouquets be enough?”
more awkward staring at the displays.
“uh… would it be okay to ask you to make one right now instead?”
“it’s my job???”
“…”
“okay, but were you thinking of a specific theme or just… general gift stuff?”
“i don’t know what that means, i’m sorry”
katsuki is dying
“let me rephrase: a flower i can go off from?”
shouto’s eyes drift around the displays, settling on the peonies
before he even says anything, “got it, then”
and like, katsuki is extremely efficient so he’s done in a flash, handing shouto the flowers
for about 10 seconds shouto just kind of stares at him, dumbfounded, his eyes flicking from katsuki’s face to the bouquet then back and forth
katsuki’s about to ask him if something’s wrong or if the bouquet is shit (despite how he knows it’s not) but that’s when shouto mumbles an awkward ‘thank you’ and a ‘how much do i owe you?’
thankfully katsuki doesn’t short-circuit like the first time and is able to muster enough coherency to say the price
shouto lingers for a few moments, seemingly wanting to say something but at the same time at a loss as to what
it’s only after shouto is out the door that the thought of asking his name occurs to katsuki
on the third time shouto visits, katsuki just cuts the bullshit and immediately asks him: “do you live around here?”
shouto gives him a confused look first before answering with a cautious tinge, “yes, i do. i go to [uni only like 200 meters away from the one katsuki “attends”]”
unsure how to add to that, katsuki just nods. “so. what do you want this time?”
and fucking hell, shouto looks even more awkward than he did the last time. “a-another gift”
“how hard is it to woo this person exactly? should i up my game or something?”
“i told you it’s not like that. i’m not ‘wooing’ anyone”
mockingly, “sure you aren’t”
cue shouto glaring at him
“anyway, what’ll it be? i’d suggest the cliche ‘new relationships’ bundle, but something tells me you’re too hipster for that shit”
“how about those?”
“…are you fucking kidding me? those are funeral flowers”
“oh…………okay not those then”
“obviously”
“well, if i’m too ‘hipster,’ as you put it, for your regular recommendation, what do you suggest instead?”
at this point, shouto is just wondering why katsuki is still asking him considering it’s been made more than clear he knows jackshit about flowers, lbr
katsuki narrows his eyes at shouto, appearing to scrutinize him. then, “chrysanthemums. or lilacs. sweetpeas could work, too”
shouto, affronted by how katsuki hadn’t made fun of him and actually offered suggestions, fumbles for something to say. “oh, uh–thank you um,” his eyes flick to katsuki’s name tag “bakugou.” he doesn’t mention how he’s not entirely sure what chrysanthemums or sweetpeas look like
katsuki reads it from his expression anyway. “those in the vase closest to the door from the left are the sweetpeas.” then, pulling out another vase unseen behind the counter, “these are the chrysanthemums. those on the high shelf are the lilacs. you could combine them, too, i guess. whatever you want”
shouto, slightly embarrassed now, “oh, i see. a combination of all three?”
“you don’t have to be so fucking nervous about it, holy shit. it’s just a bouquet”
“i never thought i’d hear that from a florist”
“do you want me to fix up your flowers or not?”
“how many customers do you get with this kind of customer service, if you don’t mind me asking?”
katsuki smiles. “enough that it won’t cost me much if i punch your face in right now”
“to the earlier question, my answer is yes”
katsuki hands shouto the bouquet, and as shouto thanks him for it, he asks, “don’t you feel even somewhat obliged to tell me your name by now?” he hopes the slight tint of self-consciousness as he says it isn’t too obvious
at a loss how to react, katsuki just backs up to familiar territory. “well, todoroki shouto–” he hands him the bouquet with a smirk, “good luck on your conquest. sweep them off their fucking feet or whatever”
shouto, tired of this, doesn’t even repeat his previous negations. “thanks. i’ll need it”
after the bouquet is paid for, shouto lingers a bit again before once more awkwardly saying goodbye, leaving katsuki to be mostly bored for the rest of the afternoon.
he should really attend more of his classes, shouldn’t he?
the next time shouto comes to the flower shop, ochako–whom katsuki knows because they have calculus together–is with him
upon seeing him, she immediately exclaims, “kacchan?!”
“what the fuck, you two know each other?”
she gasps. “you didn’t say ‘don’t call me that, asshole’! you’re really done in.” she turns to shouto “i don’t think you have anything to worry about”
“i understood none of the shit you just spouted”
ochako smiles. “doesn’t matter,” she dismisses, glancing at her phone. “anyway, i’m being summoned elsewhere now. later, todoroki-kun!”
and she just. leaves. and shouto looks like he either wants to shoot himself in the face or shoot katsuki in the face and never come back.
after taking a deep breath, “i need another gift”
and the whole process repeats, but this time, while katsuki’s making the bouquet, shouto offhandedly asks: “so, how do you know uraraka-san?”
“same calculus class”
“oh, so you go to…”
katsuki shrugs. “yeah, technically”
shouto narrows his eyes. “technically…”
instead of clarifying, katsuki just looks at shouto. “you know, i understand now. that smartass bitch is hard to woo”
“i’m gay,” shouto blurts out.
katsuki’s eyes widen, and in his head he can’t help the neon banners emblazoned with “there is hope!” and he feels super fucking dumb about it
“same,” he just says. dumbly. while staring pointedly at the ribbons in his hands
this happens a few more times. shouto visits once or twice each week, lingering longer and longer each time to banter with katsuki more.
katsuki starts wondering about who the flowers are for, and the fact that it’s a he only makes him feel stupider and stupider for staying quiet. but how much of a dumbass move would it be to tell shouto he liked him if he’s clearly interested in someone else, as shown by the–hello?–frequent buying of flowers to give to that guy katsuki mentally refers to as “too damn lucky”
it doesn’t help that he would also maybe like to keep the status quo, which was composed of having a handful of of minutes on certain days which pretty much brighten his entire week. he made that entire remark of the damage not mattering had he punched shouto’s face in, but in truth, business is actually slow, and as much as it stings to admit it, when shouto visits it’s basically the highlight of katsuki’s day
on one particular afternoon wherein shouto made his way for the door after much reluctance, katsuki stops him with a “wait!”
but then he instantly backtracks once shouto looks back, the little-est bit of mirth in his eyes
katsuki angrily makes bouquets and vase arrangements the rest of his shift
since he hates losing (escpecially to his own self) more than anything, he decides, what the hell? fuck all this unwritten rules shit
one thing he knows is that shouto always visits on fridays, so on the next friday, katsuki prepares a bouquet of camellias, hollyhocks, and thornless pink roses
the moment shouto arrives, katsuki immediately holds up the bouquet to offer it to him
shouto smiles at him. “do you want me gone that badly?”
katsuki facepalms. “no, you dumb shit, it’s for you” he’s maybe practiced that line in a slightly different way about 20 times, but still he’s flushing as he says it
but it’s okay, shouto’s flushing a little too. “oh.”
“so?”
“so what?”
katsuki gapes at him. “so reject me already and we can go on to pretend this shitstorm never happened”
shouto’s taken aback. “what? no why would i do that i’ve liked you this entire time”
“what?”
he’s blushing full on now. “i won’t say it again”
katsuki, still not processing: “what?”
shouto sighs. “i thought it was obvious”
katsuki scoffs at him, setting the bouquet down and crossing his arms. “oh, sure, you regularly coming here to buy “gift” bouquets and being all shy about it definitely doesn’t point towards you having someone else you like to whom you’re giving all those bouquets”
“i stand by my point. i think it was obvious enough i keep frequenting here to see you”
“are you saying i’m shitty at my job?!”
“no! do you know how hard i was trying to keep those bouquets alive?!”
“you did what”
“i couldn’t just throw them away”
“then why the fuck did you buy them– you know what? don’t answer that. how are they doing?”
“…they died” shouto looks at him guiltily
katsuki quirks an eyebrow. “what, you think i’d be mad? flowers in bouquets aren’t designed to last, stupid. holy shit”
shouto exhales in disbelief. “how was i supposed to know–”
“let me guess, you put them in a vase with water and some random painkiller or cold tablet”
hello and welcome to the first in a series of genshin team showcases i will be doing! this was inspired by my wonderful friend @zhongscaraʼs build showcase post series. here, i hope to show a few of my favorite teams in genshin impact, how to build and play them, and why i like them so much, along with a showcase of said teams beating a bunch of bosses.
first on the list is... mono hydro!
introduction
mono hydro is a team that relies on almost purely hydro damage using some of the best units in the game, plus an anemo unit equipped with the 4-piece viridescent venerer artifact set, to provide resistance shred and crowd control (where applicable). or, there will be three characters doing hydro damage and one anemo character for grouping and to increase the hydro unitsʼ damage.
i decided to go with a team made up of yelan and xingqiu as my double hydro core providing off-field DPS and team buffs, ayato as my on-field DPS, and kazuha as my anemo crowd control unit with 4pc VV.
however, this is not the only mono hydro team. strong teams can be formed utilizing characters such as kokomi, neuvillette, childe, or furina among your hydro options and venti, sucrose, jean, or sayu for your anemo options.
character builds
all four units on this team use their “standard” builds.
YELAN
yelan uses the elegy for the end bow for its high energy recharge substat and buff providing bonus attack to the team. the best alternatives for this are the favonius warbow (which gives clear energy particles for the team) and sacrificial bow (which allows her to use her elemental skill twice). to maximize her damage, she may also use her signature weapon—aqua simulacra.
she is equipped with the 4pc emblem of severed fate artifact set for its 20% ER bonus and additional burst damage synergizing well with yelanʼs high ER needs and majority of damage output coming from her burst.
her artifact stats are HP/Hydro DMG%/CRIT—with as much ER, CRIT, and HP%, and flat HP as possible in the substats. though, as you can see, my own build is far from perfect. if you canʼt meet her ER requirements (~200%), consider using an ER sands.
XINGQIU
my xingqiu uses the sacrificial sword for its high ER substat and passive that allows him to use his elemental skill twice in quick succession (since it otherwise has a really long cooldown). the best alternative for this is the favonius sword.
he should also ideally be equipped with 4pc emblem of severed fate, but as you can see, i am lacking a piece in that department.
his artifact stats are ATK/Hydro DMG%/CRIT—with as much CRIT, ER, ATK%, and HP% as possible in the substats. if you canʼt meet his ER requirements (~200%), consider using an ER sands.
AYATO
my ayato uses the lionʼs roar sword for its high ATK% substat, but if you have the battlepass weapon the black sword or his signature haran geppaku futsu, those are much better.
ayato is really accessible to build artifact-wise. one of his best sets is 4pc gladiatorʼs finale, which you can get passively and through the artifact strongbox, for its 18% ATK stat and normal attack damage bonus. other options are 4pc heart of depth and 4pc echoes of an offering (BiS if you have under 100ms ping).
his artifact stats are ATK/Hydro DMG%/CRIT—with as much CRIT, ATK%, and flat ATK in substats as possible. my build is very barebones in this regard, but serviceable.
ayato doesnʼt need much ER, with his requirements being low to none, so you can ignore this stat as long as heʼs bursting as often as you want him to.
KAZUHA
my kazuha uses his signature weapon, freedom-sworn, with its high elemental mastery substat and passive giving a buff to the team. however, equipping him with the ER weapons favonius sword and sacrificial sword, or EM weapons iron sting and xiphosʼ moonlight is perfectly fine.
his artifact set is—no question and no alternative—4pc viridescent venerer, which provides a huge buff to swirl damage as well as resistance shred to elements swirled. this increases hydro damage dealt by the team.
his artifact stats are, if you can manage it, EM/EM/EM—with as much ER and EM as possible in the substats. CRIT is low priority but nice to have. if, like me, you can't meet his ER requirements (~200%), use an ER sands.
rotation & showcase
(notation:
Q - elemental burst
E - elemental skill
NA - normal attack
-> - switch character)
the rotation i use is:
ayato Q -> kazuha E -> xingqiu E Q -> yelan E Q -> kazuha E Q -> ayato E NA spam -> kazuha E -> xingqiu E -> yelan E, then back to start. though i screw it up sometimes.
in other words, start with ayatoʼs burst to set up, then kazuhaʼs skill to get your hydro swirl. after that, pop xingqiuʼs, yelanʼs, and kazuhaʼs bursts in that order. before each burst, you use their skill first for energy. then, with everything set up, switch back to ayato, activate his skill, and go ham. after ayatoʼs skill ends, quickly cycle through the skills of kazuha, xingqiu, and yelan for energy. by this point, everyoneʼs bursts should be back up. with that, youʼre ready to return to ayato and start the rotation anew.
disclaimer: iʼm not an expert or a theorycrafter. i donʼt know if this is the best or correct rotation; itʼs just what's comfortable and works for me.
now, for the fun part: the showcase!
hereʼs me bullying the emperor of fire and iron AKA giant pyro crab boss :D
and now here's me bullying the aeonblight drake!
aaand here's me bullying the jadeplume terrorshroom!
closing thoughts
overall, itʼs a really effortless team to play, with an easy set-up and yelan + xingqiuʼs coordinated attacks synergizing perfectly with ayato. they all also help each other generate energy, allowing a smooth rotation. the only thing you need to watch out for is your health because this team has no healer.
iʼm still practicing my rotations and improving my builds, but as it is, iʼm having a lot of fun with this team. if iʼm fortunate enough to pull several other characters to make up a second team and the matchups allow for it, i would love to use this team in the spiral abyss.
