Au Where Everything Is The Same But They Have Phones

you. you understand. you get it

no more risking your life to save everyone. just getting lost in ikea while buying furniture for your new apartment. and sitting on the floor with your s/o as you reread the instructions for the 4th time and wondering how you managed to fuck up so bad that you built a shelf instead of a desk. and adopting a pet together and giving it a silly name and babytalking to it when you think your s/o isn’t looking. and getting into a flour fight while baking together and wearing stupid cute little aprons. and-

Anyone else have an unpopular love for "powerful character x civilian reader"?

It's just

So soft cmon

- ein

killshot anon! YEAH i totally agree w/ your view on kaeya. it's so weird to me that people will blame him for his role in a situation he was forced into as a child through no choice of his own. that itself had to be traumatic, not to mention everything that happened later. i hate when people say he's untrustworthy - like yeah, he's lied, so has everyone? it's clear he does it mostly to protect himself. not to mention that (& sadism) can be symptoms of trauma. kaeya deserves nothing but happiness

take a seat folks it’s time for a “brynn should’ve been an english major” lesson! today we’re gonna learn some literary theory; specifically, we’re gonna apply psychoanalytical trauma theory to kaeya’s backstory and current character. killshot anon i bet you never thought this would result in a whole ass essay.

disclaimer one! you are allowed to dislike kaeya! i am not saying you need to like him or his character, you’re entitled to your opinion and i’m not here to change your mind.

disclaimer two! i am in no way an expert and this is all for fun! this is just my silly little analysis of one of my favorite characters as someone who’s studied literary theory and rhetoric and can also apply personal experience. seriously analysis is like a hobby to me and this is just an excuse for me to ramble about kaeya.

disclaimer three! this contains lots of spoilers! basically for everything we know in-game, general knowledge as well as stuff from his voicelines and character story. don’t read this if you don’t want spoilers.

since this is going to be filled with spoilers and is about to get really long, everything will be under a cut. for those who wanna read my dumb super informal essay: enjoy!

final note: yeah this is over 2000 words long can you tell i like analysis

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let’s start by getting a quick rundown of trauma theory out of the way. to begin, what is “trauma?” in this case, trauma is going to refer to an experience that greatly affects and changes one’s life; attitudes, memories, behaviors, mental state, etc. while not all changes may be bad, per se, the overall effect of trauma is generally a negative one, which is why it’s so significant. literary trauma theory, then, explores these changes and the impact of trauma in literature. it analyzes the psychological and social effects of trauma, explaining what those effects are and why they happen. in the context of a specific character, trauma theory breaks down said character’s behaviors, feelings, and general mentality in relation to their past experiences; trauma theory hopes to explain to others the reasons for why a character may act or feel the way they do, all based upon the character’s experiences, particularly traumatic ones. our character today is the lovely kaeya alberich, with the “literature” being genshin impact. i’ll be referencing kaeya’s wiki page to ensure i get all details correct for his character story and voicelines.

it would be good to review kaeya’s backstory before delving into the actual analysis. though we don’t know much about his life before living in mondstadt, we’re told he was sent as an agent of khaenri’ah. and by “sent,” i mean his biological father abandoned him in a completely unfamiliar land to serve khaenri’ah’s interests and fullfil his mission—what this entirely entails hasn’t been revealed. mondstadt, however, welcomed kaeya “with open arms when they found him.” crepus ragnvindr took him in as his adopted son, with diluc as his adopted brother. kaeya and diluc were “almost like twins,” so close they “[knew] each other’s thoughts and intentions without a word.” he’d began a new life in mondstadt, one surrounded by friends and family that loved him; one that was completely shattered by crepus’s death. kaeya arrived at the scene of the disaster, and was led to believe diluc was the one who killed their father to “set his father free” from the effects of his delusion. there’d always been one big question in kaeya’s life: if it came down to it, who would he support? the nation that abandoned him, but he still felt loyal to, or the nation and family that took him in and really loved him? overrun with guilt, kaeya confessed his purpose to diluc, sparking a fight between the two brothers. in this fight, kaeya receives his cryo vision. though both brothers stepped away alive, they’ve never been able to make peace with one another. now, kaeya is the eccentric and charming cavalry captain of the knights of favonius; a man who gets his way by using any means necessary, regardless of whether or not it seems right.

kaeya’s not evil; he’s morally ambiguous, and that stems from what appears to be a general distrust of others. his life is one shrouded in secrecy. from the moment he stepped foot into mondstadt, he was surrounded by secrets. even now, he doesn’t talk about a lot of things, namely his past, vision, and feelings. though he’s always willing to get information out of others, kaeya never reveals anything about himself. he repeatedly tells the player they can confide in him, but whenever you try and pry into his life, he deflects your questions with some sort of witty comment or flirty remark. anything he does reveal is vague, or spoken in some sort of “code.” for example, his “interesting things” voiceline. he tells us about the owl of dragonspine, how it “seems to look right through you, while letting go of none of its own secrets,” and then tacks on a “quite fascinating, don’t you think?” it seems like an awfully accurate parallel to himself; kaeya does all he can to get information from others, but never gives anything about himself. now, this whole thing—his relationship with diluc falling apart and his need for secrecy—could have probably been avoided if he had just come clean about his mission years ago. so why didn’t he? to start, kaeya was a literal child. not only are children unable to properly tell the difference between right and wrong, but they’ll also typically follow their parents’ orders blindly. kaeya had just been abandoned, and he wouldn’t want to risk being cast out by mondstadt as well if he came clean right away. you see, there’s this thing about trauma, something that trauma theory states. traumatized people feel a sort of shame or guilt regarding their traumatic experience; they’ll keep quiet because they don’t want to cause problems or bother others with their issues. of course kaeya wouldn’t tell the truth about his past, he doesn’t want to destroy the genuinely loving relationships he’d built in mondstadt. his fight with diluc only proves what he was afraid of: if he’s honest, he’ll be abandoned again. and if kaeya’s used to all the lies, why should he bother changing?

another thing, if he’s not going to tell the truth, then why would he have initially gone along with his father’s plans? again, he was a child. he really had no choice, and was forced into a very wrong and cruel situation. there’s a good explanation for this, too, which is also stated in trauma theory; traumatized people will still do their best to please their abusers. especially if said abuser is a parent, that will drive traumatized people to work even harder to please them. although his father hurt him by ruthlessly abandoning him, kaeya still sought to make him and his homeland proud. he was willing to be used as a tool for their gain; that is, until he found people who actually cared about him. he was an impressionable child, of course he’s going to obey orders. but as he gets older, he feels torn. does he serve those who abandoned him, or those that took him in? his father—and arguably, khaenri’ah as a whole—hurt him, sure, but he still feels some loyalty and connection to his former home. instead of revealing anything, he lets the situation play out. that way, he can’t be blamed when things fall apart.

the thing about claiming he’s untrustworthy is that hardly anyone in-game believes that. he’s adored by the older folks in mondstadt, and foes and allies alike find him easy to talk to. despite seeming lazy and uninterested in work, kaeya takes his job very seriously. in fact, his story states that crepus’s death was the “first and only time kaeya failed in his duty.” the “only time” is especially important, because it signifies kaeya still fulfills his duties successfully. he’s had a total of one slip-up, and hasn’t failed since. no, kaeya is not untrustworthy. rather, kaeya finds everyone else untrustworthy. it’s not unlikely that this is a direct consequence of being abandoned as a child. although it’s been established that kaeya and diluc were very close as children, when crepus dies, kaeya assumes diluc is the one that killed him. in order to jump to such an extreme conclusion against someone he was so close to, there had to be some underlying sense of distrust. furthermore, kaeya expresses feeling as though he doesn’t belong anywhere. he was abandoned by khaenri’ah, and then worried he wouldn’t be accepted by mondstadt. he is, but there’s still that worry. if you place him in your teapot as a companion, he tells you that your home feels like someplace he belongs, following it up with a “heh, who’d have thought…” kaeya still feels as though he doesn’t belong in mondstadt; despite the fact that he’s a high-ranking knight of favonius and rather popular, he still feels like an outsider. he doesn’t trust that anyone actually wants him around, and he finds joy in testing peoples’ trustworthiness. it’s noted in his story and through his voicelines that the beloved cavalry captain has a rather sadistic nature. he likes putting people into difficult situations, to see what decisions they will make. he does this to both opponents and allies, testing to see who’s going to back out and who’ll keep fighting; in the sake of allies, who can he trust? or who will turn tail and abandon their teammates at the slightest hint of danger? i mentioned it previously, but kaeya doesn’t care what measures he has to take so long as his job gets done and he gets the answers he wants. it’s a sort of self-preserving mindset, putting himself above the safety of others. kaeya’s trying to protect himself, which makes sense with all he’s been through. he doesn’t want to be hurt, and instead finds pleasure in threatening harm upon others. it’s twisted, sure, but it’s because he can only trust himself in a world that he believes is out to get him. he’s got as many enemies—if not more—as he does allies; of course kaeya focuses on protecting himself first, whether physically or through keeping his secrets, well, secret.

his most obvious traumatic effect is definitely his alcoholism. but he uses it as a distraction, not just to wallow in self-pity. this is seen again in his story, particularly in story 3. it’s found that when his favorite drink, death after noon, is out of season, mondstadt’s crime rate is decreased drastically. at face value, this just means kaeya spends more time working when death after noon is low in supply. but kaeya doesn’t skip work to go to taverns; it’s already been established he takes his job very seriously, so this means he actually patrols and tracks down threats while off work when he can’t indulge in his favorite alcoholic drink. he doesn’t get drunk simply because he’s depressed. if he did, there wouldn’t be a drop in incidents when death after noon is out of season. no, kaeya uses both the alcohol and fighting to distract himself. after all, it’s a little hard to think about feeling sad when you’re either drunk out of your mind or fighting for your life.

despite being so secretive, kaeya gives us glimpses of his true emotions from time to time. as previously mentioned, his flirty attitude is nothing more than a mask to hide how he really feels; and kaeya is terribly, terribly lonely. that may be why he seems so extroverted. constantly being around people should, logically, drive away that feeling, but it doesn’t work like that. when he talks with the player, he frequently expresses disappointment when you have to leave. each time, though, he dampens the weight of his words with playful or flirty language. he’s lonely, but doesn’t want you to know that, like he’s afraid of asking you to stay. he takes the seriousness of his feelings, and basically bends it into some sort of lighthearted joke. kaeya hides his true feelings—negative feelings, to be exact—so that he doesn’t bother anyone. which is, again, something that happens with traumatized people. he displays that hesitance to reveal his true feelings, because there’s a shame or guilt that comes with his past. he doesn’t want to bother others or hold them back, so he puts on a smile and amps up the charisma. one other very important thing—but very small detail—i would like to note is his feelings toward family. his fell apart not even once, but twice, and kaeya still holds familial relationships in high regard. we know he doesn’t exactly care how he goes about getting his work done. he doesn’t pay attention to what’s “right” or “wrong,” so long as he gets what he needs. but one of his informants, vile, notes that the cavalry captain has one exception: he won’t work with those who threaten others’ families. in fact, kaeya claims those who do should be hunted down and destroyed. even though his own families have caused him so much pain—and he ended up estranged from both—he still understands the importance of having people who love you in your life. because he didn’t get that.

kaeya’s not evil. ultimately, as a knight of favonius, his goal is to protect others, because no one was there to protect him. and because no one was there to protect him, because he’s been hurt time and time again by people who were supposed to love him, kaeya has taken to protecting himself. he hides any and all negative feelings with a charismatic, friendly façade, because he thinks it’ll drive away his persistent loneliness. any “bad” actions of his were hardly his fault; he was forced into a life of secrecy and lies, and then abandoned by the first people who truly loved him. kaeya’s a multi-faceted, tragic character, one that toes the line between good and evil, and that’s what makes him so interesting.

⭒ kaeya with an artsy s/o headcanons ⭒

request for @cheshirepirouette: Hello! Could I request headcanons for Kaeya with an s/o who’s particularly artsy? Not a slouch when it comes to combat, but chronic pain has them a bit more conscious of how they spend their energy, so they devote most of their time to learning to create things through different mediums like yarn or silk, clay, even learning to play piano, anything that catches their eye when feeling well enough- They’d tend to flit around between projects as interests grow and wane but they’re always ready to make something personal for the one they love, and tend to be pretty sweet and silly overall? This was very long skjfdhlsf thank you, and I love your blog!

aaa i love this request omg!!! i can really relate to this, and that may be why this was so easy for me to write LOL it took me less than half an hour (that is not normal)

i hope you enjoy it! and thank you, i’m so glad you like my blog so much <3

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pairing: kaeya/reader

characters: kaeya alberich

genre: fluff

word count: 483

⭒

⋆ very understanding and encouraging! will make jokes about how he’s “alright with being the fighter” between you two, but it’s always genuinely lighthearted

⋆ he thinks it’s really impressive that you can have so many different hobbies and projects. even if you don’t think you’re amazing at a particular skill, kaeya is quick to tell you that being “just alright” at a wide variety of activities is something you should be proud of

⋆ always encourages you to try anything you’re thinking about, along with furthering the things you’ve already tried

⋆ if you’re struggling with anything at all, he does his best to help. looking at new methods? sure, he’ll do them with you. need new or more materials? he’s already heading for the door, just tell him what you need.

⋆ he cherishes every single thing you make for him, again, even if you don’t think it’s “good.” to kaeya, the fact that you took time to make him anything at all means more than the actual quality of the final product

Keep reading

dio’s fuckhouswe

Rex Lapis dull

I want him

gfdkjsjdshi hi hi!! i'm not familiar with code vein or god eater but i do have an idea for you! could i request hcs for how diluc, childe, & kaeya might celebrate pride month with their boyfriend (idk if teyvat has that, but shh)?? i know this isn't your main fandom so if it doesn't Spark Joy dw about it!! i love your writing bro, happy pride :)

Format: Headcanons

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Pairing(s): Diluc, Kaeya, Childe

Warnings: None

Genshin Impact Masterlist

Diluc, Kaeya, & Childe x M! Reader: Pride Month

Diluc:

You know this bitch can and will hang a pride flag at his tavern and winery

Will let lgbtq+ couple have a discount (if they're obviously a couple)

Definitely refuses to serve those that put their unneeded opinion where it isn't welcome

Takes you out on dates slightly more often

Diluc is really stiff, I doubt he'd change his appearance for pride month, but if you ask him nicely, he may wear matching bracelets with you of his pride colours

If Mondstadt has a pride parade, he's not going to enjoy it as much as you will because of his clearly introverted ass, but he will go with you and enjoy himself

Probably a bit more touchy feely during pride because he realizes just how lucky his chance is to be with you

Kaeya:

This man is a raging Bi no doubt

If he gets the chance, he's definitely going to switch out his little half cape for a Bi flag

Will strut around with his arm around your waist not that he doesn't do that enough already

Definitely more loud with how he's in a relationship with you

He'll wear all the matching pride things with you; bracelets, necklaces, earrings, he's game for anything

Like Diluc, he'll get more touchy feely during pride, but he was already rather touchy

Tries to abuse the discount Diluc has at his tavern, but whenever it's Diluc bartending which during the month it usually is it's probably a good idea you try to pay

Kaeya's annoying, there's no way Diluc is giving him the discount

Childe:

Probably not all that aware of pride month tbh

Is more than happy to learn about it

And the more he learns, the more excited he gets

You actually might have to reel him in a bit

If you don't you can expect a Childe walking around with a rainbow suit throwing glitter or something stupid like that

Though you have to give him a little slack

He's so excited to be proud of being different, and he gets to be different with you!

Be careful saying you like things during the month as well, especially at the parade day

The man is loaded and he's not afraid to spoil you, his cute attractive little boyfriend

Because Liyue has a stick up its ass, he's more than willing to travel for the pride event, even if he does have a mission for the Fatui

Dragon Zhongli!

This was actually my first ask I got before I moved from the other blog to this one! How awesome!! Thank you so much anon! This got lost in the drafts though...How embarrassing :)

—————————

Zhongli can change forms whenever he wants, he’s taken on the form of an old man, a young woman, a huge dragon, he can be anything he wants!

But sometimes, being a small dragon...is fun, relaxing and self indulgent for him. If you’re ok with it he’d love to just shift forms to take a nap on your lap or chest, leeching your warmth and listening to your heartbeat while he rests

He’d love to curl up inside your shirt too, not in a sexual way at all just to be close to you and leech warmth off of you

If you scratch at the scales on his neck or back he may even purr :0 not like cat purrs, it’s more like tiny sighs but it counts dammit!!

He’ll lay over your shoulders around your neck while you read so he can read with you! And when you go to sip your tea, he’ll dunk his lil head in there to steal a gulp or two

Being small is fun because he can cause a little chaos...as a treat <3

He is still very much himself, you can see it in his eyes and the way he moves around. It doesn’t matter what form he takes, he’ll still always look at you with pure love and adoration

hawks: be gay, stop crimes. school can come later

Hi! Can I request headcanons or scenarios about Childe and Kaeya(separately) reacting to this:

Reader : asks to be hugged

Childe/Kaeya: says something like "oh? You really want a hug from me?"

And then reader just says "oh, sorry. I didn't want to bother you" and starts leaving. Reader is just pretending, because he's tired of their teasing and wants it to backfire! He want's to see their reaction too! Hope this makes sense! Male reader. Fluff. Thank you!

This makes a lot of sense! Very fluffy, I love it :)

Childe

-asking this man for a hug fills his ego

-“oh? The pretty boy wants a hug from a handsome man?”

-smug man thinks he’s gonna see you flush when he smirks up at you

-Childe thinks he’s gonna make his boyfriend turn bright red with embarrassment but he’s shocked when he sees your reaction

-“then I’ll just go ask Scaramouch, since he’s ya know, a handsome man.”

-his jaw drops to the floor when he hears that

-“what do you mean baby? I’m right here??”

-look him up and down for dramatic affect

-Childe can’t hide his true emotions from you so it’s very obvious that he’s freaked out

Kaeya

-this man gets so giddy whenever you ask him for hugs

-any affection from his cute boyfriend makes him so happy

-except this time this smug cyro user decided to get cocky and tease you

-“hm? Asking me for a hug? You want me to warm you up? Just say so,handsome~”

-he was so confident that he would get a flustered yes and then pull you into a loving embrace,but no

-“well,with your vision it might be hard to warm me up...I’m gonna go see if Diluc is busy

-“HUH????”

-man is so shocked he literally throws himself at you and starts to beg

-he might even start to sniffle before you can explain yourself