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empyrangel · 1 year

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Finally got around to doing the new event and I gotta say it’s pretty good. Have a few thoughts about it.

Very Kaveh centered (almost like a Kaveh story quest) of course and I think he deserved it. I think it was executed very well. Alhaitham is important to anything Kaveh related, they’re a package deal, and his parts seemed pretty good too. Even though Kaveh was the main character I think they did a good job of incorporating most of the other Sumeru characters.

Layla had a nice arc and it was good seeing her interactions with the other characters like Tighnari.

Tighnari and Cyno didn’t have a huge role, but I think the screen time they did have was sufficient. They had some nice scenes and got just as much attention as they needed, especially considering that they were already significant characters in the last event.

Faruzan was great as always. Loved her dynamic with Kaveh! Seeing her appreciate someone instead of always looking down on everyone was refreshing. Their interactions might have been the best part of the event.

Wanderer had a nice role. Enigmatic background work suits him. The reveal at the end about him having been entered into the championship by Nahida was anticlimactic and underwhelming since that was already obvious from the beginning, especially since he even told us she was the one who enrolled him in Vahumana. The concept of him being sentenced to something like that as like community service or something is kinda funny. But also imagine being a top Vahumana scholar and you’re favored to be picked to represent your darshan in the championship and then Lesser Lord Kusanali herself picks some stranger who wrote a few essays and on top of that he doesn’t even try at all until the final round. Your darshan would be a laughing stock and have the worst performance of any darshan in any championship ever. Vahumana must be in shambles right now.

As for Nahida herself, I think only including her at the very end was a good move. Everything even remotely Sumeru related for the past like 8-9 months has been about her. This event can stand to not be about her. She fulfilled her purpose and her inclusion didn’t feel forced or contrived, that’s good enough.

Dehya and Candace didn’t have a lot of screen time but I think it worked for them. Their purpose was casual appearances as tourists in Sumeru city and to advance the plot line about the eremite assassins. While I inwardly wish that Candace had been there more, I understand that this wasn’t about her and she didn’t need more screen time than she got. Fingers crossed she’s the next four star to get a hangout event so she can finally get more attention.

Dori also had a minor role, one which was mostly confined to side quests. Still, I think it went pretty well. Her purpose was to introduce information which would give us context about the main plot line of the event. I’d say that was executed good enough. My only criticism would be that her giving us free information multiple times felt contrived and out of character, but it’s such a trivial detail that I guess it doesn’t matter.

Collei and Nilou are where you can tell that they really just tried to squeeze every playable Sumeru character into this event no matter how it turned out.

Collei was there for two seconds no joke. I thought for sure that she would come back to help Tighnari in the other two rounds but that didn’t happen. She was so insignificant that I almost forgot she was even in the event at all. I don’t feel too sorry for her though, and I don’t really care much about this because Collei hogged over half of the screentime in the last Mondstadt event and I think she deserves a taste of her own medicine.

But Nilou. Oh Nilou. They did her dirty. They did her so dirty. I came into this event thinking that surely they’d half-ass it and only portray her as this shallow, ditzy, nice girl- I really didn’t expect much for her, but I still did not expect that they simply wouldn’t portray her at all. Genuine question; Why the hell was she even there? She did absolutely nothing. She had like three lines and two of them were like “let me go get the paper for the lots” or something. All of the commentary and announcer stuff (and literally anything else) that she could have done was done by Alhaitham. If one announcer was all they needed then why pretend that Nilou has any business being there, she was just there for no reason. If she’s not needed then don’t give me false hope just to not incorporate her into the event at all, what a waste. I heard that Alhaitham and Nilou were going to interact and I was excited to see their dynamic. I think he acknowledged her maybe once and that’s it. They could’ve had their conflicting personalities be used as a source of comedy, or as foils to one another. So much potential and nothing came of it. Giving Nilou literally anything to do wouldn’t have distracted from the rest of the event in the slightest. I’m so disappointed at that.

#traveler from another world ✨#genshin #genshin impact #genshin sumeru #interdarshan competition #interdarshan championship #a parade of providence #sumeru characters #genshin nilou #nilou #gi nilou

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iridescentmirrorsgenshin · 28 days

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The parallels between Kaveh and his mother and what this implies for Kaveh and Alhaitham

(This is an excerpt taken from my Haikaveh essay! If you're interested you can check it out here or as a pdf <3)

When discussing Kaveh’s mother, Faranak, with her old teacher Zaha Hadi in order to discover the password that will unlock Faranak’s journal, “companionship” is given as the password over “understanding”. This is due to Faranak placing more value in the companionship of Kaveh’s father over him understanding her artistry, as despite his lack of understanding, he stayed at her side regardless in order to “support” her. Zaha Hadi states that Kaveh’s father’s support was likely the reason that Faranak chose him over her “many admirers”, which Kaveh then equates to “companionship”:

A romantic connotation is created by the association of “companionship” with the relationship between Kaveh’s mother and father. Although companionship is also assigned to a platonic connection, pictured in Faranak’s journal of the gathering consisting of Tighnari’s parents, Alhaitham’s parents, and Cyno’s adoptive father. Her advice to Kaveh of pursuing companionship, too, falls in the platonic category, as she states for him to: “seek a friend” in order to gain support. Companionship, then, becomes dually used for romantic and platonic connections.

It is interesting then, that Faranak herself can be used as an allusion to Kaveh. This is emanated in how the two share many similarities, not only in physical attributes, their studying in Kshahrewar, and their shared profession as an architect, but also in their mannerisms and their method of working.

Just as Faranak keeps a diary, Kaveh writes in an ‘Old Sketchbook’. Faranak is described as a “perfectionist” who insisted on redesigning drafts, just as Kaveh designs six drafts for a singular client.

She is also described to have a “sensitive and vulnerable heart”, just as Kaveh is described to be “sensitive” due to his empathetic nature.

Just like Kaveh, she is said to have gotten into a “heated argument” with a friend, presumably over conflicting viewpoints on art. As an artist, her woes are that of Kaveh’s, stemming from being misunderstood by others.

As she is directly compared with Kaveh and as their similarities are listed, it can be inferred that the two are to be paralleled due to their resemblance. It is relevant then to look to her view of her relationship with Kaveh’s father as it provides a perspective of an ideal companion for a struggling artist:

This is interesting in regard to the relationship presented here to that which exists between Kaveh and Alhaitham.

Kaveh and Alhaitham have a mutually deep understanding of each other, which creates a sense of intimacy that they share with no other character. Additionally, Kaveh has the similar struggle of being eclipsed by a “dream” in his heart, as in, his ideals conflicting with his own self-interest. Kaveh’s father, rather than understanding Kaveh's mother's ideals in relation to himself, seeks to support her, “listen[ing] to her joys and share[ing] in her sorrows”. This is a similar statement to Alhaitham’s “listen[ing] intently” to Kaveh’s troubles when meeting in a tavern, calling to question Kaveh’s pursuit of his ideals: “How has realising your ideals gone for you?”

Where Faranak writes of meeting her future husband for the first time, Kaveh’s meeting Alhaitham is recorded in a similar instance:

When comparing Faranak’s first impression of her future husband with that of Kaveh’s impression upon first meeting Alhaitham, the two are dissimilar. Kaveh notes that it is rare to meet someone of his intellect, and therefore appears to treasure the bond, whereas Faranak is seemingly indifferent to Kaveh’s father, but he appears to grow on her. In regard to Kaveh and Alhaitham’s relationship history as a whole, however, similarities can be noted.

Where Kaveh and Alhaitham fell out due to differing viewpoints and their inability to effectively communicate, Kaveh can be seen to not “think much” of Alhaitham’s perspective. When the two meet again in the future, this perception of Kaveh’s has the potential to become applicable only to a “younger [Kaveh]”, as Alhaitham is the only person whom he has formed an “intimate bond” with. Although Alhaitham will not be able to understand him in terms of empathy, Alhaitham can provide companionship, just as Kaveh’s father did for Faranak, which in turn, caused their relationship to develop into that of an “intimate bond”.

A parallel can be drawn between the bond Kaveh’s mother and father had, and the bond between Kaveh and Alhaitham. As although Alhaitham cannot understand Kaveh’s artistic struggles and his personal struggles of empathy, he supports Kaveh in trying to alleviate Kaveh’s suffering and his willingness to listen.

As Kaveh’s mother specifically highlights that it is not understanding which will help Kaveh, it is companionship, which draws strong links to the identified message in A Parade of Providence. As Alhaitham states that he knows that Kaveh will never understand Alhaitham’s way of thinking in regard to his own ideals, but that their relationship is not based upon who is right or wrong. A more in-depth analysis regarding this can be found here.

Alhaitham and Kaveh cannot understand each other in the sense that they can properly empathise and relate with each other’s way of thinking, but they can support one another in the progression of self, and ultimately be a constant source of support for the other. This is demonstrated in the elaboration of the bond between Kaveh’s mother and father, and the parallels drawn between Kaveh and his mother. Companionship is a solution for Kaveh’s mother just as it is for Kaveh.

This can be seen in Faranak’s drawing of a gathering and the picture obtained at Kaveh’s Hangout ending, ‘Leisurely Gathering’. The player is prompted to draw parallels between the people in the picture and the characters the player has met:

The photo shown parallels the ‘Leisurely Gathering’ ending route picture, as Kaveh is positioned where his father sat, and Tighnari, Alhaitham, and Cyno placed in accordance to where their fathers are placed. Rather than being turned away from Alhaitham, like Kaveh’s father is to Alhaitham’s father in the drawing, Kaveh and Alhaitham are centre frame, and their focus is on each other. Companionship then, whilst being this particular group of friends, particularly refers to that of the bond between Kaveh and Alhaitham. The dual meaning assigned to “companionship” means that both a romantic and platonic interpretation has been generated to apply here - another example of methods used to queercode Kaveh and Alhaitham's relationship.

#haikaveh #kavetham #alhaitham #kaveh #haikaveh meta #genshin meta #it is time to post some of my fav excerpts from the essay #this one had me going crazy in particular because it's there in the surface text #kaveh and his mother are 'similar'#then zaha hadi goes on to explain kaveh's akademiya days #kaveh's hangout and a parade of providence are intrinsically linked #and the idea of companionship being an antidote comes up again after the interdarshan championship #when kaveh takes his friends out for a meal #BUT ALHAITHAM ISNT THERE #and kaveh talks about alhaitham's note that he cant figure out and how he wants to talk to alhaitham...#im so so sick but you know this

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taterdraws · 1 year

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he’s just a respectable scholar with a simple ordinary name your honor

#genshin impact #genshin #wanderer #scaramouche #gi #aether #paimon #tighnari #cyno #interdarshan championship #tater's art

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saetoru · 11 months

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kaveh is the boyfriend that shows a picture of you in his wallet on the first meet to anyone like “have i told you about my girlfriend ?? i have a girlfriend. do you want to see my girlfriend ?? isn’t my girlfriend so pretty ?? i’m so lucky to have my girlfriend. i love my girlfriend.”

#he takes every opportunity to shift the subject to you #here’s how i imagine the dinner after the interdarshan championship went:#tighnari: it was so hot in the desert i could hardly breathe #kaveh: you know who else breathes ?? my girlfriend. and you know what else is hot ?? also my girlfriend. you’ve met my girlfriend right ??#everyone in unison: yes kaveh. we ALL know your girlfriend

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meadowofdarts · 1 year

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A Play of Vigorous Wisdom (PART ONE)

Here it is, everyone! The awaited reader insert of 3.6's event.

Before we get into it, I want to say- HOLY SHIT I didn't expect that it would blow up immediately on the first day- I was so surprised at the amount of notifications I had LOL

Now, regarding the post, I did say I would allow a platonic relationship or a love interest, but not that many people said which they preferred. But only a few said they mostly wanted a pairing and were able to give out what they wanted as a love interest.

And from the few, the majority vote was Scaramouche/Wanderer. So this is a Wanderer x Reader pairing.

For those who wanted a different love interest - I am so sorry if Wanderer wasn't the love interest you were hoping for. but, don't go, I have a surprise for those people who wanted a different love interest. Check it out at the end of the post!

Anyways, sorry that this is a long ass author note but- I want to thank everyone. Whether you liked, reblogged, commented on the post, or followed my account, I truly appreciate the amount of support I got from that single day. You don't know how happy I was- I legit teared up, I really wasn't expecting it 😭

I hope I won't disappoint you guys with this, so thank you, and enjoy!

//////

You were walking towards the Sanctuary of Surasthana with millions of thoughts running through your head. Most of them (Actually all of them) are about your lover, formerly Scaramouche and now known as Wanderer. You figured that you were called by Nahida regarding him.

Which reminded you that you haven't seen Wanderer for quite some time.

On your way, you noticed some Akademiya students setting up booths nearby. You see one of the stalls included a cute star toy that reminded you a lot of the theme of the Akademiya Darshan - Rtawahist. You figured these stands have something to do with the upcoming Akademiya Extravaganza.

Recently, you enrolled yourself in Akademiya's Darshan - Vahumana. Since you're still trying to explore many areas of Sumeru, you figured that this Darshan could help expand your knowledge of Sumeru's history and learn about other nations.

You've heard of this festival from many of your peers in Vahumana. They said it was a fun influence event held by the Akademiya. The two main parts of the event were the Wisdom Gala and the Interdarshan Championship.

You figured you could watch the Interdarshan Championship while playing the fun booths of the Wisdom Gala.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you opened the entrance of the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Seeing the whole open area still gives you the chills. You looked ahead to see the God of Wisdom along with your said lover you haven't seen for a while.

"Ah, there you are!" Nahida beamed, noticing you. The indigo-haired male beside her turned in your direction too.

"Hello, Nahida. I hope I wasn't late," You said, walking up.

"Not at all! He had just arrived too." Gesturing towards Wanderer, who was already glancing at you.

You smiled at him as a 'hi' while he looked down, closed his eyes, and acknowledged your greeting.

She placed her hands on her arms, changing her expression. "Now that the two of you are here, I came here to discuss something with you two."

"Are you both aware of the festival coming soon?" She had asked.

You nodded. "The Akademiya Extravaganza? Yes, I have. While walking, I saw some students already setting it up."

"So, what about it?" Wanderer asked, speaking up for the first time. "Do you want us to participate in it?"

"Actually, yes," Nahida answered. "But, there is something I both would like you to do."

...

The three of you were discussing the topic Nahida asked you to come for. It took a while, but you and Wanderer agreed to the job given to you.

...

"That is all. Any questions?" The tiny god asked both of you.

You thought of it for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I understand. But, Kusanali, are you sure both of us can be representatives? Won't everyone think it will be unfair?"

"Don't worry, I don't want to be stuck with you either," Wanderer remarked as you shot him an annoyed look.

"Don't worry, I have already talked about this with the Sages and the Planning Committee, and they decided they will make an exception this year just for you two," answered Nahida.

"Hmm, alright." You nodded.

She then smiled. "Okay, you two can go now. I hope to see your progress in the festival soon."

The two of you walked out of the Sanctuary of Surasthana and strolled into the streets of Sumeru City.

"I didn't know you registered yourself in Vahumana. Is that why I haven't seen you in a while?" You asked as you two walked.

"Probably. And I didn't sign up in my own free will. It was Lesser Lord Kusanali that registered me in Vahumana." Wanderer said.

"You do know I am a member of Vahumana, right?"

"Of course, I know. You told me about your past works before."

"Then, how come I never heard of you? Usually, my friends would chat about new members added to the Darshan. Surely, I would've heard about you at least once."

He muttered. "It's probably because of the name I go by in the Darshan."

...

///FLASHBACK///

It was another tiring day at the Akademiya. You and your friends were seated at a table in the House of Daena, chatting and complaining about your classes and research.

"Hey, I saw a new guy coming into our class earlier. I think he is who I think he is." One of your friends shared.

You rolled your eyes playfully at them as you listened in while reading your book.

"Oh, yes. I've heard. So, you got Hat Guy in your class?" Your other friend asked. But what they said made you look at both with a confused expression.

"Huh? Who's Hat Guy?" You repeated making the two look at you.

"I don't know much, but I've heard from the other students that someone by the name 'Hat Guy' had made interesting inquires against a researcher regarding incidents of Inazuma." One of your friends answered.

Your other friend nodded. "Yeah. I've heard from my teacher that he has written such impressive essays. The professor gave me a glance at Hat Guy's work, and it was truly outstanding!"

"Hmm, he seems interesting." You trailed off. "But, really? What kind of name is Hat Guy?"

"Right? I was weirded out when I heard of his name." One of your friends agreed.

Your friend chimed in, "Oh, come on. It obviously can't be his real name. It's probably just an alias or something."

"But, why 'Hat Guy?' You wondered.

'Well, when I saw him earlier in my class, he did have a noticeable unique hat on him. Maybe it's that." Your friend shrugged.

...

//////

"Wait, your... 'Hat Guy'?" You confirmed as you watched him nod.

...

You were silent, processing the ridiculous yet amusing information you received about him.

He looked at you, seeing your blank face.

...

He then heard you let out a giggle. He sighed as he had expected this reaction.

Your little giggles turned into full-on laughter. (Luckily, the streets you guys were in are very crowded, so nobody focused their attention on you.)

He rolled his eyes as you continued laughing out loud.

"I-I CAN'T-! HAT GUY!" You wheeze out in the middle of your waves of laughter.

"Y-Y'know, if you told me *snickered*-you were signing up for Vahumana- I would've helped you pick a better name, and you chose Hat Guy." You trailed off, resuming laughing.

He groaned. "Oh, shut up, will you? It's not like I wanted to be named this way. It was Lesser Lord Kusanali's fault."

You laughed harder at that :D

...

Both of you were now in an empty alleyway to avoid attention. You two sat on crates as you sipped vigorously on a water bottle.

Your throat ached from laughing a lot, so Wanderer bought water for you.

"Are you better now?" He muttered as you wiped your mouth.

"Yeah, I think..." You giggled, still on about his name. "Sorry, it's just- It's so funny-"

Wanderer grunted. "You're not letting go of that name, are you?"

"Nope." You smiled.

"Alright then," He shrugged. "Then, let me help you get your mind off it for a while."

You raised your eyebrows, but before you knew it, you let out a surprised noise as his lips were now on yours.

It was a quick peck before he leaned away and kissed you again.

You cup his cheeks, pulling him away while laughing with a blush on your face. "Heh, what's this for?"

"Well, mainly to get your mind off a while. But, consider it a gift to you for not seeing you for a while." His words made your smile widen.

You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in his shoulder. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." You feel him hugging back.

You two stayed like that for a moment before he softly grabbed your head and connected your lips again.

(author: LMAO- Is this OOC, am i doing his character right- wtf this isn't him?? reminding myself that he is now wanderer, not fatui scara. okay what am i doing, I'm so sorry everybody)

...

A few days have passed, and the Akademiya Extravaganza is now taking place. Many students from the darshans are looking around the booths and around Sumeru City.

You and Wanderer were holding hands, finding your way to the main venue of the Interdarshan Championship.

Finally, spotting it outside, you see many people already gathered around and saw behind the stage, which you assume are the other representatives.

Wanderer led you to where they stood but kept his close distance from them while wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

You didn't mind, as you don't know some of them. You could see in the corner of your eyes some of the representatives raising their eyebrows at the both of you.

You scanned through them and noticed a familiar forest watcher. You slightly waved at him, and he looked slightly surprised but waved back.

Just then, you hear a voice from the stage, which you assumed was the organizer, starting the event.

...

The Traveler and Paimon had just arrived at the venue, as they were here as guest commentators for the championship.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Akademiya Extravaganza!" The organizer, Kareena, welcomed.

"Now then, allow me to reveal the prizes for this iteration of the Interdarshan Championship--" She stated. "Fabulous monetary rewards, research funds, a limited-edition Genius Invokation TCG card… and the right to wear the Diadem of Knowledge. I believe that I need not elaborate as to how this is a symbol of great honor!"

The people muttered as they admired the Diadem of Knowledge.

"I believe that most of you have already seen the Diadem of Knowledge, or have heard tales about it."

"Twenty years ago, a researcher named Sachin bought it for a large sum of Mora before donating it to the Akademiya. The generous Championship prizes are also sourced from his sponsorship. Before we begin, allow me to express our gratitude to this researcher, who cannot be with us right now..."

...

The traveler spaced out for a moment, thinking something was wrong. But decide to listen to Kareena first.

"Alright, I'm sure we're all more than ready for the Championship to begin!" Kareena cheered.

"Now then, let's invite our six Darshan representatives to the stage! Our contestants are--"

"Representing Amurta, Tighnari!" Tighnari side-eyed the audience.

"Representing Spantamad, Cyno!" Cyno crossed his arms.

"Representing Rtawahist, Layla!" Layla shyly looked down.

"Representing Haravatat, Faruzan!" Faruzan slyly smiled.

"Representing Kshahrewar, Kaveh!" Kaveh showed a confident expression.

"And for Vahumana... Huh?" She looked behind. "Is Vahumana's representative not here yet?"

It was silent for a moment as Paimon whispered. "I wonder who's Vahumana's representative? It could be someone we know."

"Ooh, could it be (Name)?" Paimon silently hoped. "They are a member of Vahumana, right?" The traveler nodded.

Everyone was looking around for a sign of entrance until two new presences entered the stage.

"These introductions are pointless. Let's just get this over with."

Everyone turned to the pair that went upstage. You were standing next to Wanderer with neutral expressions.

"Eh? W-Wait a sec, why is he there with (Name)?" Paimon muttered in confusion as the traveler felt the same.

"Finally! Our final contestants are Vahumana's representatives: Hat Guy and (Name)!" He crossed his arms while you stood with one arm on your hips.

"Huh? Why are there two representatives for one Darshan?" One of the students muttered.

Another one answered them (Which the Traveler and Paimon's heard.) "Haven't you heard? The planning committee did announce that one of the Darshans would have two representatives."

"But isn't that like... I don't know, kind of unfair to the other representatives?"

"Well, I guess. But I heard that the committee decided hard on this and made an exception this year. The other representatives were aware of it too. But then again, they didn't say you aren't allowed to have a partner in this championship..."

"Hmm, that's true."

Paimon shrugs as she looks at the Traveler. Both traveling companions hear more about 'Hat Guy' and (Name)'s work in Vahumana. And they hear other people talk about the pair as representatives.

"It's so weird... Sure, I could get (Name), but him? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would participate in competitions like this one."

"I'm quite puzzled, too..." The traveler muttered.

"Now that we have our contestants, the Championship will soon begin!" Kareena announced. "Who will triumph this time around? Hold on to your hats, because we're all in this ride together!"

"Huh, we really do know a lot of the contestants," Paimon said. "Ooh, right, we're guest commentators, aren't we? So figuring out everyone's reasons for participating is in our job description."

"Let's go ask them when we go say hi. Especially him… Paimon still thinks it's weird that he's here." Obviously referring to 'Hat Guy'

...

The guest commentators have talked with the representatives, catching up on them and asking about their reasons for participating. After chatting with Kaveh, Faruzan, and Layla, they only have two more people to go which are the Vahumana representatives.

You and Wanderer were chatting and observing the area around you until you noticed the two coming to you.

"Hi traveler, hi Paimon." You waved.

"Hi (Name)!" Paimon waved back until she turned to your lover. "Um, so... what... what, uh..."

"Just call me Hat Guy. That's the name I use in Vahumana." He said. You silently giggled.

"That sounds like a nickname, not a real name!" Paimon said.

"So I can't go by a simple, ordinary name?"

"Fine, suit yourself. Alright then, Hat Guy and (Name), why are you both taking part in the Interdarshan Championship? We're specially invited guest commentators, so play nice and answer our questions."

Wanderer smirks. "You could be matra for all I care. So what if we don't answer you? What then?"

"You...!" Paimon whined. "(Name)! Tell your boyfriend to behave properly and answer our question!"

You sweatdropped. "Well, I can't do anything about that. But I'll say this; we can't reveal our reasons for participating."

"You two aren't plotting something in secret, are you?" She questioned.

"Well, it's hard to say. Why don't you take a guess?" He teased back. You shook your head at him.

"Oh, Paimon's had it with you!" She exclaimed at him. "Fine, be that way! Then we won't ask why you're participating. Instead... Uh, why did you join Vahumana?"

Wanderer turned to them. "You two sure like to poke your noses where they don't belong. If I don't say anything, are you going to annoy me to death?"

He then signed and told his reason anyway, talking about how he refuted a researcher named Aqaba and made commentary on societal issues in Inazuma.

"But when Lesser Lord Kusanali heard about this, she went out of her way to get me registered in Vahumana... She used the name, Hat Guy."

"So it was Nahida's doing..." The traveler muttered.

You chimed in, laughing. "Honestly, I didn't even know he was in Vahumana until a few days ago. And he really had to surprise me with his name."

"Enough chit-chat. You're better off wasting your time with the other contestants." The indigo-haired male said, then smirked. "Someone's about to get very unlucky - wanna guess who?"

Both Traveler and Paimon had annoyed expressions. "How is anyone supposed to relax with you around!?"

Paimon muttered something to her partner, something about keeping a close eye, which amused you.

...

"I will now announce the rules of the first round of the competition. Please listen carefully!" Alhaitham announced, gaining everyone's attention.

"During the opening ceremony, Akademiya staff released several cages of butterflies, and many of them are now fluttering within Sumeru City. Amongst these butterflies, three of them will be special Swiftflies. They have a different appearance and also fly a little faster."

"Your objective is to find a Swiftfly and bring it to me. Three points will be awarded to the first participant to return, two to the second, and one point to the third. That is all for the first round. Should you require clarification on anything, please ask any of the other staff."

Every representative starts muttering to themselves, as you notice Spantamad's representative leaving already. You figured everyone was planning already.

"Well, we're definitely not doing this first round." You say as you walked up to Wanderer.

"Why? You want to go with them?" He asked.

"What? No!" You immediately shook your head. "I don't want to go around Sumeru to look for butterflies. Besides, I'm already terrible at catching crystal flies."

He deadpanned. "They are different. A butterfly isn't an elemental-life form like a crystal fly, idiot."

"I know that!" You huffed. "But, anyway, now what should we do?"

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment before making eye contact with the traveler. "...Hmph."

You looked behind him. "Huh? What is it?"

"It's nothing," Wanderer reassured. "But, I think I'll stay for a while to obverse the others. I'll meet you later."

"Oh, okay," You shrugged. "Well, I'm quite hungry, so I think I'll go to Puspa Cafe. I'll see you there?"

"Sure."

You smiled and kissed his cheek, making the corner of his lips turn upward. "Bye!"

...

The couple was sitting outside of Puspa Cafe, both enjoying their little date.

He stopped talking once he noticed someone coming. "What brings you two here?"

You turned to see the Traveler and Paimon again.

"Huh? Are you both here having coffee? Aren't you both supposed to be a participant?" Paimon asked.

"Well, heh, I got quite hungry." You sheepishly admitted.

"Is there really any need for us to take part while everyone's running around like it's some sort of carnival? Don't worry, we'll get involved once things actually get serious." Wanderer responded for us.

The two companions looked at each other, shrugging before ultimately leaving the two of you alone.

"Anyways, Hat Guy, I would like to ask you something." You said, teasing him with his new name.

He rolled his eyes. "Is that going to be your new name for me?"

"Would you prefer if I called you an umbrella?"

"...Tsk. What is it?"

You smiled. "Is it alright if we can go to the Wisdom Gala booths? I would like to play those cool games I saw!"

"Huh? I suppose." He replied. "But why? Just to remind you that you are already a Vahumana student."

"I know that, but I just want to see them!" You pouted.

He laughed. "Alright, alright. We'll go walk around and go to the nearest one."

...

You two were holding hands are you walked around Sumeru City. You guys have already been to one booth, which was Kshahrewar's, and you two decide to go to the other ones.

"Wow, I never thought I had such unique building skills." You beamed.

"Honestly, it was such a simple task. It's just a task of using your resources to help you gain the goal." He shrugged.

You chuckled. "Well, yeah, but it felt like I was building my own parkour."

You both hear rushing footsteps in your direction. You looked behind to see Layla with wide eyes.

She was staring at you while you awkwardly said. "Uhh, hello. Can I... help you with something?"

"Uh, (Name)?" Wanderer called out to you. "You have a butterfly on your head."

"Huh? I do?" You noticed the blue wings at the corner of your eyes. But the insect looked different than the normal ones. "Are these... one of the swift flies?"

You see Layla dropping her shoulders until you realize why she stared. "Hey, are you looking for this on my head? Go take it if you want."

She looked up very surprised as the Traveler and Paimon entered the scene.

...

Layla carefully took the Swiftfly off your head, still slightly confused as you reassured her with a smile.

"(Name)? You gave Layla the swift fly?" Paimon wondered.

You turned to them. "Huh? Yeah, why? Is that... not allowed?"

"Uh,- (Name) was it?" You turned as Layla called your name. "A-Are you sure you want to give me the swift fly? I mean, it went to you... after all."

"Oh well, I didn't participate in the first round, and I have no intention of stealing it from you. Besides, didn't you say you caught sight of it first? I think it's fair if you take it." You tell her.

"I..." Layla was at a loss for her words. "...Thank you."

"Wow, that's so nice of you, (Name)!" Paimon beamed.

"Really," You blushed. "It's no problem at all."

"Well, since you've caught the last swift fly, I assume the first round is over, then," Wanderer said.

"Oh, right!" Paimon turned to her companion. "Let's bring the swiftly back together with Layla!"

The trio waved you goodbye as you both continued on your way.

...

(author: i feel like the end was lazy- i'll make it up once part two comes out)-

BONUSES:

-Fighting For The Diadem (Cyno, Tighnari, Kaveh, Layla, Faruzan)

Thank you for reading! See you next time in part two!

PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE

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