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I am dying to see a Star Rail/Genshin absolute madcap hijinks crossover where it turns out Zhongli is actually just the aeon of Permanence who faked his own death and fucked off to Teyvat when he got tired of his first job, where he's been loafing (and re-retiring--because hey, if the fakeout death thing worked once, why not give it a go again??) for the last 6000+ years.

Only for Dan Heng and the Astral Express to roll up (look, the train can definitely fit through the big ass hole in the sky now) because there's some issue seriously affecting the Xianzhou's Vidyadhara and the Garden of Recollection says Teyvat's primordial dragons may have information that can help save the day.

Bonus points for:

Zhongli spending the first half of the fic like

desperately trying to dodge responsibility for his past actions.

2. Zhong-"How about we don't talk to the hydro dragon today"-li. (Dan Heng will get along great with Neuvillette though!)

3. ZhongChi (with scandalized Dan Heng in the background because there is no way his oldest ancestor is flirting with some 20-year-old ginger.)

4. Blade's there at least part of the time. Why? Because I want to see Zhongli put him on the ground and then be like "Oh dear, is this someone you know, Dan Heng? My apologies," and bodily pick Blade up and dust him off--only to then immediately grind Blade into the ground again after getting the actual story.

5. Dad!Li and Son!Heng feels. Does Zhongli know how to be a responsible parent? No. But that's okay, because Dan Heng also has no idea how to be a son. They'll get it worked out eventually. Probably.

6. Where in the name of Teyvat did the rest of the Express Crew go? *comedically large explosion in the distance* "Oh no. Those are my monkies. That is my circus!" - Dan Heng, probably

You know what I think about Sakura? This is less about Sasuke and more about herself. See, as person who dislikes Sakura, I actually think that because I’m not biased with fanfiction interpretations that I have a better grasp of Sakura’s character than some people who love her. Sakura, despite her bravado, is not a person of real confidence. She has low self-esteem and very little self-worth. I think that part of the reason she is so hung up on Sasuke is its a sense of validation for herself. She was shy, friendless, unpopular, and overlooked as a child. She liked Sasuke, but even better, to be acknowledged by someone everyone likes, everyone admires, that would make her special. That would make her somebody worthwhile, right? Of course I do believe that Sakura does have feelings for Sasuke, but is she really in love with Sasuke the person, or is it the idea of him? That he doesn’t notice her or pay attention to her only makes this insecurity worse. Sakura is constantly angsting over not doing enough, not fitting in on her team, not belonging or being someone of necessity. As stated (in the only time she ever elaborates on her feelings) she is attracted to Sasuke because he’s attractive, talented, and “cool”. A person who personifies, in essence, everything she believes herself not to be. God, there’s so much to say about this really, but I’ll save it for later. 

It’s part of why Sasusaku is such an out of left field idea to me. Sasusaku shippers portray the ship as the exact same way that leads Sakura’s problematic behavior. They ship it because they love the idea of Sakura being the “special one” who is the exeption to Sasuke’s personality and his greatest weakness and is the “fangirl who’s different from all the other girls”, which is so irritating because she’s not. Sakura is the antithesis of these concepts. There is nothing different or special about Sakura’s love. There is nothing different or special about her as far as relating to Sasuke goes. As I detailed in my previous posts, she doesn’t know him, she’s doesn’t understand him, she doesn’t even have a basic grasp on the concepts that are necessary for those things. Sasuke has not singled her out. She doesn’t appeal to him or interest him. She doesn’t challenge him in any emotional, mental, or physical way. They’re not even close. What does Sasuke even know about Sakura, or understand about her? Sakura, as far as Sasusaku goes, has nothing different or special about their relationship or dynamic that couldn’t be done by any other generic fangirl. Absolutely nothing. Nothing that transpired between them is anything that wouldn’t have happened had any other fangirl been placed on his team. That’s really the only thing Sakura had going for her or that seperates her from, I don’t know, Ino. Do any of you Sasusakus honestly think that if Ino was on his team that he wouldn’t have saved her life? That he wouldn’t have grown to care for her as a teammate? That he wouldn’t have thanked her for caring about him? That he would have left her to die? Or treated her like dirt on the bottom of his shoe? Do you really think that these “Sasusaku proofs of love” aren’t just generic shit that would come with virtually any other teammate, and is actually something unique that would only be there with Sakura?

‘Cause see, that's my whole thing. Can’t say that about Naruto. I can’t say that if Kiba had been his teammate, everything about their relationship would be more or less exactly the same. Or Shikamaru. Or Chouji. Or Neji. ‘Cause you see, the manga has shown me this. Its shown me the depth, the reason, the relationship, the uniqueness between the two. In fact, while reading this I bet you were thinking of how different the dynamics would have been between Sasuke and those male characters, because, surprise surprise, there is actually something substantial there that can’t be replicated and receive the same results. Seriously, replace Ino with Sakura and think of what would change in regards to Sasuke. Ino would have cared. Ino would have tried to stop him. Seeing as how there are no substantial moments of bonding or exclusivity between the two, there is nothing that would have happened that Ino couldn’t fill in for. Sasuke waxed lyrical about Naruto and how much he’s always loved him and the ways in which he enriched his life for two straight chapters while Sakura got no mention (except, of course, in the Team 7 picture where he refers to them as such). Sakura was just afforded the opportunity of being the closest girl around and female main character with her legs always wide open and ready with basically no standards or expectations. 

For fucks sake, Sakura literally has nothing to do with Sasuke’s character or story arc. Seriously, delete Sakura from the manga and tell me what about Sasuke’s person or journey as character throughout the story changes. Please. Tell me something that would have affected his plot if some other girl with healing powers were on his team.

I’m just saying, there is nothing inside of Sasusaku. Nothing at all. Kishimoto doesn’t give a fuck about this pairing (lol I don’t know how they got together I don’t want any SS in the pairings movie there wasn’t gonna be any in the Bolt movie either but the SS fans are complaining so I guess I’ll come up with something here have a family pic of Sasuke looking like he’s about to run away as soon as the camera flashes and a Karin lookalike child who feels neglected), and it cannot become more apparent how little actual thought goes into this ship. Its just a vicarious fantasy ship where Sasuke is standard shoujo angsty bad boy bishie and Sakura is “independent, normal girl who’s different from all the rest” which is pretty much the antithesis of these characters. 

I swear to god, if this manga ends in such underwhelming way, I'll have to ask mangakas how do they manage to fucking do that!! Cuz there has to be some kind of bullshitery skill!

AOT, Tokyo Ghoul, Naruto, etc.. many, many manga has ended in such way and honestly, I think it'a time that even after years I really should get used to Code Geass having THE BEST ENDING in anime history (ft. Kimetsu no Yaiba, kind of, but then again the author is a woman and she rockes for it, even if it was kinda rushed).

Lelouch, you and Suzaku's ending will always be iconic, fr. Imagine dying at your bff's hands while you also make him take up your secret identity. King Emperor behavior!

And!! What is wrong with you and treating Katsuki like this?? Making him 15th in Hero Charts and also making him Izuku's wingman and making him give Izuko romance advice? Next thing I know he will be married to some extra probably 🤌 In what hell did I wake up?

The peoples of Georgia (the country, not the state) have been extracting and processing gold for many thousands of years. Georgia is even home to the oldest known gold mine in the world -- a site known as Sakdrisi, where there is evidence of gold mining operations dating back to about 3400 BCE (roughly 5400 years ago).

Sadly, the prehistoric gold mine at Sakdrisi was damaged (and largely destroyed) in 2014, after a Russian mining company (RMG Gold) was given permission to resume its own mining venture on the site. The full extent of that damage has yet to be determined.

The Tsnori Lion: this figurine dates back to the Bronze Age in Eastern Georgia; it is one of the many artifacts that have come to represent the history of goldsmithing in this part of the Caucasus

The goldsmithing traditions of Georgia also continued to flourish during antiquity, and the ancient Kingdom of Colchis (in what is now Western Georgia) was renowned for both its wealth of gold and its skilled goldsmiths. To the Greeks, Colchis was also known as the homeland of the fabled Golden Fleece -- the treasure sought by Jason and the Argonauts during their mythical voyage into the Caucasus, as described in the Greek Argonautica.

It's believed that the legend of the Golden Fleece may have had at least some basis in reality. Ethnological and historical accounts indicate that the peoples of Colchis/Georgia traditionally used sheepskins to sift for gold in the rivers of the Caucasus; during that process, the fleece would slowly become encrusted with tiny particles of "gold sand," until it eventually took on the appearance of a "golden fleece." Additional research has confirmed that the rich alluvial deposits found within the region certainly would have been sufficient to have produced this "golden fleece" effect.

Researchers believe that those customs may have given rise to the Greek legends about the Colchians and their Golden Fleece -- legends that ultimately evolved into the story of the Argonautica.

The unique goldsmithing traditions of Georgia played an important role in the cultural/political development of the South Caucasus, and those traditions are reflected in the wealth of golden artifacts that have been found throughout Georgia (and elsewhere).

The Location of Modern-Day Georgia: as this map illustrates, Georgia is nestled right at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea located on one side and the Caspian not far from the other; it is bordered by Russia to the North and Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the South

Sources & More Info:

Quaternary International: A modern field investigation of the mythical “gold sands” of the ancient Colchis Kingdom and “Golden Fleece” phenomena

Archaeo Sciences: Bronze Age Gold in Southern Georgia

Britannica: Archaeologists uncover traces of Bronze Age gold workshops in a cemetery near Tbilisi, Georgia

BBC: Artefacts from the world's oldest gold mine

UW Jackson School of International Studies: Georgian environment, heritage at risk as RMG Gold exploits Sakdrisi

UTA Department of Slavic & Eurasian Studies: Ancient Georgia - crossroads of Europe and Asia

Atinati: The Golden Kingdom of Colchis

The Past: Georgia's Treasures: from the Land of the Golden Fleece

National Geographic (Georgian): Golden Lion from Kakheti

Smithsonian: Why this Ancient Civilization Fell Out of Love with Gold for 700 Years

National Geographic's "Out of Eden Walk:" Treasures of the Caucasus

Ancient Colchis was located in what is now the nation of Georgia, nestled in the South Caucasus (modern-day Georgia can be seen on this map). It stood right on the boundary between the Eastern and Western worlds, with Europe on one side and Asia on the other; as a result, there are many Colchian (and Georgian) artifacts that combine the different styles and techniques of cultures from throughout Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Central Eurasia.

From the Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice exhibition at NYU:

In technique and form, the piece is firmly rooted in local Colchian production. What makes the piece so fascinating, however, is its wide array of cultural influences.

Framed on three sides by rounded studs, the central area features a stylized stag and three smaller deer set around it––a motif also present in the gold work of the nomadic Scythians in the northwest. The piece’s openwork design recalls objects produced in Luristan in the southeast. Along the folded upper edge is a pair of outward-facing lions that, in composition, seem loosely related to Assyrian door guardians. Between them are three birds, a motif that occurs throughout ancient cultures, but which is particularly present in the goldwork at Vani.

The Colchians were also renowned for their talent as goldsmiths, and Colchis itself was famous as the place where Jason and the Argonauts were said to have acquired the Golden Fleece (according to the Greek Argonautica).

There are many incredible pieces of goldwork that have been unearthed from Colchian sites, but this has always been one of my favorites.

Sources & More Info:

Institute for the Study of the Ancient World: Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice

J. Paul Getty Museum: Golden Graves of Ancient Vani

J. Paul Getty Museum: About Colchis and Vani

The necklace was discovered during excavations at a site known as Vani, in Georgia (the country, not the state). Ancient Vani once served as the religious and administrative center for the Kingdom of Colchis; as I've previously discussed, Colchis was also known as the homeland of the fabled Golden Fleece, and to much of the ancient world, the Colchians themselves were renowned for their skills in goldsmithing.

The turtle pendants on this necklace are all decorated with ornate filigree and granulation patterns. The eyes of the 30 smaller turtles were originally made with glass inlay, while the eyes of the largest turtle (seen in the center) were made from drops of gold.

As this article also notes (translated from Georgian):

[This necklace] is unique because of the zoomorphic depiction that it presents. Among the known examples of goldsmithing from antiquity, the depiction of a turtle is not attested anywhere other than the Vani necklace. 

The local origin of the necklace is primarily indicated by the stylistic unity of the pendants with other examples of Colchian goldsmithing. It should be noted that the land turtle depicted on the pendants was widespread in Colchis.

The excavations at Vani have uncovered lots of other artifacts made by Colchian goldsmiths. These artifacts include temple ornaments, zoomorphic figures, pieces of jewelry, diadems, headdresses, hairpins, drinking vessels, and appliqués, among other things, and they've provided some really valuable insights into the unique goldsmithing traditions that existed among the peoples of Colchis -- and the myths that evolved as a result.

A few of the other golden artifacts from Vani:

Top: headdress ornament featuring an openwork design, c. 350-300 BCE; the central panel of this piece depicts a stag and three other deer, while the frame is topped by two lions and several rows of birds; Bottom: a diadem with a set of temple ornaments, c. 400-350 BCE; all of the panels along the front of the diadem depict scenes of prey animals being hunted by lions

Top: necklace with a series of ram-shaped pendants, c. 400-350 BCE; each pendant was forged from two separate castings that were sealed together to form a complete shape, and the ears/horns were then soldered onto each piece; Bottom: set of bracelets with boar finials, c. 460-440 BCE

Golden appliqués depicting various animals, c. 400-300 BCE

Set of temple ornaments that depict two pairs of riders on horseback, c. 400-350 BCE

And a map showing the location of modern-day Georgia (just for reference):

As this map illustrates, Georgia is nestled right at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea located on one side and the Caspian not far from the other; it is bordered by Russia to the North and by Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the South

Sources & More Info:

National Geographic (Georgian): Golden Kolkheti

Atinati: The Golden Kingdom of Colchis

Smithsonian: Summary of "Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: the Golden Graves of Ancient Vani" Exhibition

Burusi (Georgian): The Archaeological Discoveries at Vani

(This scene is actually not explicitly shown in the fic but implied ahaha, or just the moment where Harry finally catches Draco)

“Catch me”. And Draco’ bolting away, quick as a fox, racing through the field again.

he was so loved, loved too much. So in return, he tried to give it back as much as possible. Even when the devil himself ask him for his soul as she watched in sideline. When his battered body is left alone in the pristine ceramic now dyed with blood. A mother reach out for her son, steadying his hands that were shaking non stop. Murmuring assurances that she herself didn’t believed. Deep in her thought, she wished she hadn’t loved her son too much, she wished, he didn’t choose her over himself. She cursed herself by wanting to be loved. She didn’t realized the sacrifices that comes with it. With the same love she finally received, she managed to drowned her son with her.

So she prayed once more, whatever happen next, she’s ready to sacrifice everything, when the devil himself ask her for the truth, a lie will be spouted seamlessly from her lips.

“Where are you?”

“We could go anywhere”

“Anywhere?”

“Anywhere”

“Let’s go where you are, where are you? If this is real, tell me!”

“Do you remember when we were eleven?”

“Let’s go back to that”

“Do you think..”

“We could’ve ever been friends?”

All rivers lead to the sea.

The far-off ring of a warning bell; Draco slows down at the level crossing and waits.

Harry looks at him.

"I was wrong, you know”

"Wrong about what?"

Draco rests both hands on the steering wheel, gazing at the road on the other side of the crossing.

"I think we could have been friends," Harry says quietly.

Draco doesn't move his gaze.

"Really?" he asks, sounding disbelieving.

"You seemed to think otherwise earlier."

The train is nearly at the crossing now. Now or never. He reaches across and takes Draco's hand.

Draco looks startled, but he doesn't resist.

"These fields," he repeats, slowly reaching out and brushing a hand over the tall canola flowers. Still green and young, they haven't yet reached the brightness of Cornwall's canola fields. Harry stares intensely across the field, his eyes narrowed with focus. As though, if he looks hard enough, he might see the ghost of a young Draco racing between the canola plants.

Harry grins and takes a step forward.

"Where are you going?" Draco asks, sounding slightly startled.

"Away from you," Harry says, and takes off.

It's one thing he and Draco have in common: a lonely childhood. The only time Harry ever got close to playing games like tag was when he found himself running for his life as a jeering Dudley waddled after him, or Aunt Marge's bulldogs snapped at his heels. It's a very different experience to be racing through a field, the night sky clear and crisp above him, listening to the sound of light footsteps behind him. Draco's voice cuts across the field.

"You're insane, Potter! Are you seriously playing games — "

"We're playing games, you mean," he calls over his shoulder. "You're chasing me, after all."

"I am not chasing you! Get back here!"

"Make me!" Harry laughs and picks up speed; behind him, the footsteps quicken. Harry takes a sharp left, feeling the thin stalks of the canola plants feather through his fingers. He zig-zags his way across the field, running faster and faster until all he can hear is the blood thumping in his ears, the effort of breathing in his throat, and then he pauses. He can't hear footsteps behind him anymore.

Harry turns around. The field seems empty, the canola plants swaying gently in the night air. He frowns, his brow creasing, and drops his hands to his side, his fingers slowly uncurling. The silent night gives nothing away; not the slightest footstep nor the faintest draw of breath. Harry takes a step backwards.

Someone grabs him; he shouts out and nearly jumps out of his skin. Behind him, Draco starts laughing, his arms still around Harry.

"You shrieked," Draco manages between fits of laughter, his voice unnervingly close to Harry's ear. Harry reddens.

"I did not! I — I shouted, that's all. You startled me," he adds accusingly.

"You shrieked, admit it. For a moment, I thought I'd grabbed Astoria."

"Oh, very funny! Hey — where are you going?" Harry asks as Draco drops his arms and turns, poised to flee.

"Catch me." And Draco's bolting away, quick as a fox, racing through the field again.

Harry starts running.

——

Illustration based on this specific scene from running on air by @tinyhistory (eleventy7)

This is part 1 of the illustration I drew for an edit

The edit :