Vill

[villvillhaitham]

Arranged marriage beard couple Diluc and Eula.

Eula losing what little good graces with the general populace she had after a friend of her was found murdered after Eula swore vengeance... For a lovely thoughtful gift she had gotten. The public pushes for banishment, the Lawrence Clan at the very front of the movement.

In a desperate play the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius turns to her childhood friend and only person in Mondstadt whose reputation is so blindingly stellar nothing could reach, the Uncrowned King of Mondstadt.

He agrees after Kaeya remarks about needing to draw some knights from the investigations into the Dark Night Hero to investigate what would not be a clear cut case anymore.

Their marriage is amicable. Both know it's for convenience and safety, even though Eula doesn't know what kind of favours Jean and Kaeya now owe Diluc (Jean doesn't either).

Eula is too valuable as a Captain in the Knights of Favonius to be a mother at the moment, they claim, but she can have a lot of work meetings with Amber.

Diluc can live his aro/ace life happily ignoring other women's advances.

When Eula finds out he is the DNH she covers for him (at first she thinks she owes him, but the longer the Knights take to investigate the case where her Husband knows it's her own family who had ordered a Fatui hit on her friend, the more she agrees. Her colleagues are horribly inefficient.)

They stay together long after the case is closed. The agreement is still mutually beneficial, even if the benefits are different now than what they used to be.

[villvillhaitham]

After watching a video suggesting there is a canon shape for star-representing I cannot get the picture of a bunch of Rtawahist students sitting in a room, trying to fold "akademiya approved Origami stars". Struggling. Cramping hands, discarded half finished stars all over this room. Torn papers all over. Occasional cries of joy.

[villvillhaitham]

In a more modern setting, Diluc would leave the Company to Kaeya and be the one to go into law enforcement.

Do I want CEO Kaeya being a ruthless businessman destroying the competition? Yes. I think it would suit him.

Also actual Law enforcement Diluc. Like I'm thinking Diluc as an agent in the Alphabet soup, and he would be very good at it.

Just a little role reversal.

[villvillhaitham]

When Al Haitham is blackmailed into staying the acting Grand Sage... Someone has to deliver the list of potential interim Scribes.

Al Haitham's life is a comedy.

[villvillhaitham]

Sumeru Akademiya's Cafeteria has not only the Standard rows of square-ish tables, but also some tables in really odd shapes. Like yeah sure, circles aren't too odd, but a Hexagonal table? Or a pentagonal table?

All results of a joined research project between Ksharewar and Vahumana, something about better social spaces, accessibility and space use and so on.

The chairs all look the same, well, there's an older model and a newer model and those sometimes intermingle when students were dragging and mixing them around, but the tables, ooh boy. Some of the tables are boring tables, while othera are decorative masterpieces- in design at least, because some have a few minor flaws here and there. They are really just Ksharewar's practice pieces.

[villvillhaitham]

Has wanting to write a Sumeru Akademiya Diluc AU led to me trying to figure out when who was where in comparison to Diluc's age? Yes.

Am I satisfied with the results? No, but that's only because things won't work out in ways I would have liked.

Anyway I want to share my data points and result, so:

General:

This was made with information from 3.5. Read before Kaveh release.

Lisa studied two years on the advanced track. I am assuming that a "regular course length" is three years and all characters in question had the intelligence to only need these three years for their studies.

Also I'm kind of assuming the traveller is in Sumeru about a year after the story begins. That's just personal preference and the only thing this really effects is Tighnari's age and time as forest ranger (as well as Cynos time as General Mahamatra/Matra)

Also all of these events have a little wiggle room of about 1-2 years, although some can be "wiggled" less

Data Points for Tighnari and Cyno:

Tighnari was investigated by Cyno when he joined the Akademiya for being suspiciously well liked. This implies that either Matra trainees start their work while still studying, which I doubt, or that Cyno's first year as a Matra was Tighnari's first year at the Akademiya.

Tighnari:

When the traveller reaches Sumeru he has been a forest ranger for at least a year with the reputation he has gotten. (Must have graduated at Diluc's 22 years of age at latest)

Lisa (our great connection):

Studied two years

Came to Mondstadt when Kaeya was Cavalry Captain and Varka was still around. This leaves her finishing her studies within a two year span between Diluc's 18th year (Kaeya becomes Cavalry Captain) and his 20th, where Varka leaves (2 years before game start).

Lisa and Cyno in relation:

Lisa refers to Cyno as a senior, so he must have been both a student and at least a year into his studies when she arrives.

Lisa and Tighnari: Tighnari's voiceline about Lisa does not sound like they met. Therefore I will be assuming they did not study at the Akademiya at the same time. (He only knows of her through Cyno, and she was quite the living legend at the Akademiya, so he would have heard of her then and not through Cyno later)

Also this version of the timeline is made to give Cyno as much time as possible as an active Matra when Diluc turns 18 (I wanted to prove to my friend why Diluc would beat Cyno in a fight) (I'll put wiggle room behind events)

Cyno starts studying at Spantamad when Diluc is 14 (D14)

Lisa starts her studies 2 years laster (D16)

Cyno graduates and becomes a Matra the year after (D17)

Lisa graduates the next year (D18)

Tighnari Starts his studies (D19)

Cyno becomes the General Mahamatra somewhere between D20 and D22,

Tighnari graduates and becomes a forest watchers at D21

This entire construct in relation can be pushed back 1 year

Cynos studies can be pushed back 1 year (everything else can stay)

Or 2 years (rest of timeline moves one year back because Cyno->Lisa->Tighnari) (Cyno can't have started at the same time as Lisa, who was not at the Akademiya when Tighnari started)

Cyno's Promotion time is pure and utter guessing game, couldn't find anything on it, so I just picked something I liked and it's there now.

Al Haitham and Kaveh are not on here because there is no possible point of reverence for either yet (although one could say that Kaveh consulted Tighnari for the flora around the palace of Alcazarzaray and has probably done so while they were in the Akademiya, so must have build that thing in the given three year period and... Yeah... That's like, not good enough, at all (especially because it's unclear to me whether he built it before or after graduation/it being his graduation work) and Kaveh is the only reference for Al Haitham (being a senior -> having started at least a years earlier))

[villvillhaitham]

AU, where Diluc goes to the Akademiya after his father's death, to learn how to run his business.

The first weeks are fine, nobody bothers him, he is polite enough for people not to dislike him but people respect his mourning enough to not disturb him.

And then the rumours hit the Akademiya. Diluc Ragnvindr denounced his vision. Diluc Ragnvindr, one of the youngest ever allogenes is now visionless. There's not a lot of precedence to this. Old records deep in the Akademiya speak of prisoners who had been stripped of their visions who had seemingly lost all their ability to function, dying of starvation despite being given food.

First people are sceptical, it can't be true, nobody would do something like that, it's blasphemy. And then someone loses a dare. And suddenly it's not a rumour, it's the truth. Diluc Ragnvindr is visionless, and now at least half of Amurta wants to study him (it's bad enough the Matra assign him a Guard. The ex-cavalry captain almost snorts at the idea, but he understands politics as well as any other Vahumana scholar, if not better, and accepts his shadow graciously) (There's still a few who worry for him)

Just the idea of Diluc becoming a part of the Suneru boys friend group is very entertaining to me.

[hiraya-rawr]

— dark alhaitham au .

based on this post.

the reason why hoyoverse made alhaitham a simple man was because if he were the slighest bit ambitious with darker intentions, then sumeru would have fallen into his hands long ago

whether or not he's the grand sage, he'd be the manipulative character pulling all the strings

if he could create multiple strategies for a tiny team to rescue a god from the government— THEN HE CAN COUNTER THAT in the reverse situation

imagine sumeru arc just dropped, and alhaitham is the villain in the trailer

him with a dark green background? glowy eyes?? DEEP VOICE INTRO something about watching the world burn???

curiosity knows no bounds. he does things to entertain his thirst for knowledge because as a smart man, everything has become so so boring.

meeting with him in port ormos still applies but he's a little more cruel in his negotiations.

remember that fight with cyno in the desert? where cyno makes you doubt alhaitham's intentions?

yeah, you realize he isn't just part of the akademiya— he is the akademiya. it's a battle between the general mahamatra and someone who's technically his ex-boss.

he has the army at his disposal, he wouldn't hesitate to use the people of sumeru themselves against you

climactic scene where you scream at him, asking him why he's doing all this and he answers "It's simply interesting. Wouldn't you want to know if humans could create gods?"

alhaitham finding out all about you losing your sibling to an unknown god, finding ways to convince you to be on his side; "If you could have the power of gods at your disposal, wouldn't that speed up your journey more? Aren't you exhausted running around as everyone's errand boy/girl?"

after all, alhaitham isn't exactly a bad ruler. he's quite good at it— much of the public leans to his side, he knows better than to be a cruel dictator yet he wields his authority without fear of consequences. he even let's nilou's theater do whatever they want!

I feel like alhaitham would figure out how to reverse public opinion against you.

REMEMBER HIS STELLAR ACTING IN THAT SCENE WITH THE GRAND SAGE? yes!! THAT!

A public display of his acting. Everyone witnessing (and misunderstanding) as you argue with him and just so happen to "intentionally hurt" him. that's attempted murder against their grand scribe.

Or maybe he pleads with you. He knows you're a powerful force on your own, so he switches the cards and tries to ask you to spare sumeru's people.

all of a sudden, you're the bad guy out to destroy sumeru's peace.

kofi / gen.mlist

all of a sudden, you're the bad guy trying to destroy sumeru's peace.

which is why it comes as a surprise when you try to encourage everyone to go against the akademiya. you explain that he's trapping lessor lord kusanali, or that he's collaborating with the fatui, but they simply tell you "hmm. . . if it's grand sage alhaitham, perhaps he knows what he's doing?

[hiraya-rawr]

is villain alhaitham not that appealing to u guys bc lack of interaction or maybe im just so thirsty for a villain crush that im twisting my thoughts bc EVIL ALHAITHAM IS SO—

[villvillhaitham]

Villain Al Haitham is very appealing. Especially because I can see multiple ways of how it came to the shift in sides.

Either Villain Al Haitham just has ambition and a Lack of morals. But also this could make him Join Cyno, because be would want to be Grand Sage, knows He can Spin a story about never knowing the Akasha ran on an imprisoned goddess, how he can't imagine he never questioned it etc. Al Haitham would be a great Grand Sage I believe, because a well off Sumeru means a well off him, more knowledge and research he can get his hands on. His potential to bullshit everyone frightens me, and I love it.

Or Al Haitham is on the Sages side, but because of manipulation in his early years. Like he already has a high level of rationality, what if the Akademiya Sages had wanted to see how far this rationality could be pushed? If the Akasha can steal dreams, I can certainly implant desires, or not? Can it change feelings?

The Al Haitham this sages create is a loyal one, loyal to rationality, curiosity and knowledge. Loyal to the Sages who enable his desire to know, the only true feeling he knows besides gratitude (he thinks he's always been this way. There are no dreams to remember his Grandmother in, he has never dreamed for he is rationality personified.) Yes this takes agency away from him but just imagine the conflict for Nahida later on:

This is one of her children, a child of Sumeru that has been hurt and used and now he stands against her, out of his own free will, no matter how limited this will may be. If she denies him the Gnosis, if she stops him, she too will hurt him, will forsake one of her own, no matter how far apart they were (she had tried to reach him in his dreams, but it had been impossible. Had always been, even when she first became aware of the Sages plans to make a "god of knowledge", an entity if rationality. For by then it had been too late and a young hawk Had dreamed their last dream). Al Haitham wants to bargain with her, but he has no chips, not really, except for one he doesn't know he holds.

(Al Haitham only joined the Akademiya late-ish and not as a child because of his Grandmother. But if his parents had pushed a little harder, if he had stood out a little but earlier, well, this is villain Al Haitham where he gets to still be a "good guy" if only for lack of real choice, just as much a victim as everybody else).

But yeah, Villain Al Haitham is juicy, especially because he'd be a frightening opponent, willing and able to manipulate any number of people with a few words, knowledgeable in many different fields and with a curiousity so bright, if it burned down Irminsul nobody would be surprised.

[hiraya-rawr]

A "choose only one" scenario—

We know that Crepus loved both his sons dearly, raised them with equal love and affection. They're his pride and joy.

But in a scenario where he's pushed to only choose one (maybe in a classic hostage scene? or a cliff-falling scene? either way, the other can be saved while the remaining will suffer) how would the loving father act?

If we're going with the cliché, he'd instinctively choose Diluc. Arms rushing to grab at his own blood and kin, desperate to save the boy he raised since day one. Diluc is the last he has left of his wife, after all.

Diluc is a Ragnvindr, and Kaeya is. . . a Ragnvindr as well, but perhaps in this scenario, he's a little less than that to Crepus.

How would Kaeya react then?

Were there ever moments when Crepus acted instinctively to prioritize his blood related son first while growing up? How could this have affected kid Kaeya in the future–

aaaah I've been reading found family works in my free time so I can't help but think!!!

[villvillhaitham]

Diluc would see his father rushing, and deliberately sacrifice himself for Kaeya. That's the feeling I get from what we know of pre-confession Diluc and Kaeya.

If it's the Cliff: Diluc sees Crepus running. He turns to Kaeya, rocks still falling around them in the landslide and he knows one of them won't make it out. He looks into Kaeya's eye(s) and says "Tell dad I love him, won't you brother?" And let's go. The other Ragnvindrs scream his name, but it is lost in the noise of the disaster. Crepus pulls Kaeya to safety, they cry. A week later they bury an empty coffin, because Diluc's body could not be recovered. The entirety of Mondstadt weeps for it's uncrowned prince. Weeping at his brother's grave till midnight, Kaeya's tears turn into drops of ice, and the light of his new Cryo vision guides him home to his father. The Abyss shudders, their Scion has chosen the enemy.

Hmm Hostage Situation honestly screams either modern AU with like an ex employee that got fired or like a funny joke to Il Dottore investigating a father's love.

"who's it going to be Ra-gn-vin-dr?" The voice is manic, Crepus heart breaks, over and over, every moment, every breath, into pieces. He doesn't doubt the person on the other side for a second, whatever child he does not choose will die, he will probably lose both of his sons, because he doesn't know if he'll actually gets the one who's name he says back. Kaeya has already been betrayed by a father, Diluc has only ever known love but he knows neither would forgive him for not choosing the other. Diluc out of compassion, Kaeya out of self hatred, ingrained into him by his previous family, if Crepus dares call them that. His children look resigned, tears drying on their cheeks, and a look of steely resolve enters Diluc's gaze. He looks into his father's eyes "Take Care of my brother for me, father, please, as a last wish" and how could Crepus deny his child? Kaeya is shocked, Crepus is as well, but Diluc closes his eyes and smiles. It's the last expression he makes, as Crepus claims Kaeya again as his, and Diluc dies to the sound of manic laughter.

(alternatively Diluc would actually make so much of a nuisance of himself that he gets killed without Crepus doing anything) (but I like this)

The people responsible are hounded down, Mondstadt going to war over the loss of the Ragnvindr blood heir. Kaeya, fresh vision on his belt is not allowed in the actual fighting, but is not denied access to the investigation and planning. Someone made an enemy, and Mondstadt gained the undivided loyalty of the first silver serpent Knight, Kaeya Ragnvindr, the uncrowned Prince of Mondstadt.

[villvillhaitham]

Xiao survives into modern Teyvat, but the history he has loved has faded into myths, legends and half remembered truths. He still hasn't visibly aged so is forced to attend school when he is unable to procure proper documentation (the digital age has made it a lot harder for him to fake documents).

Some kid in his classroom is holding a presentation on the Yaksha. Xiao suffers, but in a hilarious way of "nonono that's all wrong why would they even what?"

[hiraya-rawr]

think of the archons retiring together and setting up a little teahouse cafe and it's the most chaotically domestic thing ever as they try their best to live the "normal mortal life".

zhongli is in charge of the kitchen, ei and venti are waiters, nahida can take the counter. they all live on the second and third floor.

but which nation is it in? it's in every nation. a small little building by the outskirts of their cities. you enter the cafe only to be confused bc why are there people from other nations there like why is it so diverse— unknowing that the door has access everywhere.

zhongli and venti would argue over the final menu. ei thinks there should be more deserts. nahida is just enjoying the experience.

just a cafe run by retired gods.

[villvillhaitham]

When Focalors joins they keep track of all the permits. It's hard to be up to legal standards in 7 nations, especially without a fixed address, but they manage.

Venti starts Karaoke nights on the third Friday every month.

Ei finally learns how to bake. It's just cookies, but the decorations really make them perfect. Sometimes, Zhongli is having a meetup with his precious Adepti friends after closing. They sit around, drink tea and eat the days leftovers.

It becomes an open secret, an urban legend that everyone knows to be not quite that legendary, that if you need help or advice, the weird teahouse is the place to go. Someone there can help you.

Also, like, "classes" for the new Archons.

[villvillhaitham]

Al Haitham is this Person:

Someone: Drink water!

Al Haitham: I drink lots of water. Filtered Water. Filtered through coffee grounds.

(This is also what Tighnari would say, if he needed to drink coffee. Which be doesn't because he knows the value of sleep and actually gets enough of it.)

[villvillhaitham]

After Al Haitham's Story Quest:

1) As there are no current candidates for the position of (acting) Grand Sage your resignation has not been approved. You will keep the position or be released from your duties to the Akademiya altogether until a replacement for the position has been elected.

Al Haitham: what the fuck

Kaveh: dying of laughter

2) Cyno: enters room with other Matra "Acting Grand Sage Al Haitham"

Al Haitham: What now?

Cyno: in light of recent events the Matra have decided to assign you a personal Guard. The stability of Sumeru as a nation is at stake, attacks against the current acting Grand Sage cannot be allowed to happen

Al Haitham: Cyno the fuck

Cyno: It is what it is

Al Haitham: I am against this

Cyno: unfortunately the safety of the Akademiya is a matter of the Matra, and as of your own ruling, the Sages are not permitted to interfere with Matra operations

[villvillhaitham]

Yao Yao when facing people who like to downplay ailments:

Yuegui!

Person: why is your thing throwing radishes at me?

Yaoyao: Because you're hurt that's why!

(based on Yuegui targeting Characters under 100% HP and me being a sucker for hiding an injury/sickness trope)

[hiraya-rawr]

THE DIFFERENCE OF ALHAITHAM AND DILUC'S FIGHTING STYLES // character studies

Diluc's style is brutal and unforgiving, he's accustomed to working alone so he tries to be the strongest offense from the start. I hc that he used to have a more defensive style, the type we typically see with other claymore users, but now he fights in a heavy way, throwing his claymore head-on to push back his enemies.

Whereas, Alhaitham's style is almost lazy. He tries to put the most minimal amount of physical work by hitting the weakest points. He is quick, efficient, and wants the fight to be over with with the little effort. Unlike Diluc who fights head first, Alhaitham takes his time to understand the enemy and that's when he takes the offensive.

[villvillhaitham]

Actually I HC Diluc used to be a sword user. They say he was a model knight, and most knights use a longsword. The only exceptions are ranged fighters and Eula, who is an anomaly herself. Of course there's Grandmaster Varka, but again, they say Diluc trained with Kaeya and Jean, both of whom use sword. I actually like the think that Diluc used to be a lot more careful, especially because he was a captain.

It would also be another point in the "why nobody in Mondstadt knows Diluc is the Darknight Hero" debate. If of the three things people know to be true about the DNH don't apply to Diluc, he's out of contemplation.

(1: uses Pyro: to the General Public Diluc denounced his vision and it's still with the KoF. Only a few people know he has it back, maybe that number is limited to Kaeya and Jean)

(2: uses Claymore: If Diluc used to use a longsword, this would also not apply)

(3: is rich: there's a lot of rich people in Mondstadt, if they can afford the lifestyle we see)

And then he started using a Claymore, something new, to gain the maximum possible distance from the KoF he could, without having to learn completely new concepts (like a catalyst, bow or polearm, though we know he is proficient with a bow).

Also Diluc's Voiceline "let's finish this, quickly" tells a lot: his fighting is brutal, but also efficient. Yes, Al Haitham likes to be overly efficient, but going straight for the kill has it's own efficiency. (Also Diluc is smart, but not Al Haitham Level smart, who seems to be a good league above even Tighnari and Cyno who both have made their names in the Akademiya as geniuses)

[hiraya-rawr]

Diluc angst brainrot:

When Diluc and reader were having their first child, Diluc was incredibly worried that reader would pass on during the birth. I read in another fic that this is how his mother died, so Diluc is paranoid of time repeating himself.

As Diluc holds his newborn in his arms, he wonders if he is next.

I THINK ABOUT THIS A LOT- like we don't have a lot of parents-lore for much of the genshin characters, but if we're talking realism then diluc must've at least thought of it once??

like, what if mc (or diluc) weren't by the baby's side? would history repeat itself and would his child be raised by a single parent? (and if it's him, can he cope with the grief and difficulties of raising the baby on his own?). i have no doubt that crepus was an amazing parent who didn't make the absence of another known to his son, but could diluc do the same??

diluc would be paranoid and overprotective of mc and the baby, especially on the first few years.

[hiraya-rawr]

so if you followed me for a while now you'd know I used to brainrot about Genshin's end game being very desolate and war-like, where the 7 nations are more or less destroyed or apocalyptic.

with the upcoming lantern rite festival, imagine endgame genshin, and liyue being in ruins, everyone's just sad or lost 🥹

but a single lantern is released into the sky as a symbol of hope. maybe it was the traveler, or maybe it was xiao (the one person who used to not celebrate at all)

in mondstadt's wildblume festival (a festival originating from rebellion against tyranny), a lone bard sings a quiet song of freedom in the middle of a refugee camp with all the survivors. people sing along quietly, hoping to feel the gentle winds comfort them.

again in mondstadt, during weinlesefest where mondstadters are called to come back home, we find the survivors fight to try and take back the walls of mondstadt (overtaken by the fatui or abyss order)

hsjxhsjxjsj i am a sucker for things going absolutely terrible before getting better again

[izuhmmi-deactivated20230318]

aughff so good... i read this line:

a lone bard sings a quiet song of freedom in the middle of a refugee camp with all the survivors. people sing along quietly, hoping to feel the gentle winds comfort them.

my musical theatre braincell: do you hear....the people sing... (dragged away)

[hiraya-rawr]

I was 100% imagining the start of that piece where they all quietly whisper under their breaths "do you hear the people sing- singing the songs of angry mean" and it gradually gets louder 😭

[villvillhaitham]

And when they go to take back Mondstadt "warriors" plays

(here we are don't turn away now)- sliding shot from Mond's forces over to the enemies flooding out of Mond's gates and screeching flying over the walls

(we are the warriors that build this town)- the charge, Diluc, Varka and Jean in Front

And then epic battle. Also at one point Diluc almost gets killed by something, but Kaeya shows up, having chosen Mondstadt over the Abyss.