Architect of the Tower of Suffering

(because this is my most current obsession~~)

The Narwhal of Dihua Marsh by GreyLiliy

Childe hears of a strong Adeptus living at the Wangshu Inn. Despite warnings from Zhongli that fighting Xiao would be a deathly mistake, Childe seeks out the Adeptus living in the Dihua Marsh eager for a proper fight.

However, Childe severely underestimates his opponent, and the consequences of his actions may keep him from returning home to Snezhnaya.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This fic is interesting primarily because it’s not necessarily what you would call an easy story to read. The content can surprisingly get quite heavy as the relationship between Childe and Zhongli isn’t healthy and it becomes increasingly obvious as the story progresses. You swing between wanting to separate the two and also desperately wishing that they’ll work out because there is something there. The story snowballs from what seems like an innocuous, if stupid and rash, decision on Childe’s part to a complicated mess that you can’t help but be enthralled in. I went in expecting your typical romance and ended up in something that was more complex than I expected but also beautifully thought provoking.

Entirely Out of Spite by Bgtea

“Welcome to a new user experience! You have triggered this interface with the keywords, ‘Stupid game! Stupid devs! I want my f*****g money back!’ You are now bound to the character Tartaglia, the Eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui, codename: Childe! We hope you have an enjoyable user experience and we welcome you once again to Genshin Impact 2.0!”

Those are some of the first words Ajax, starving college student extraordinaire, has the misfortune of hearing upon waking up in a brave new world from what he’s fairly sure is a very, very fatal accident involving water and a shit ton of electricity.

Okay, so he’s not dead. That’s good. But what’s this about him being stuck playing the character Tartaglia? Tartaglia, as in the shitty, one-dimensional, cartoonish villain who met his untimely, gruesome death in the first act of the original game?

Fuck that noise. Like hell Ajax is going to share that fate.

And so begins one man’s journey to unfuck himself.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Whenever this updates, I squeal. If you’re a fan of The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System or just transmigration/reincarnation plots in general, you’re going to love it. Bgtea does a beautiful job in balancing humor with the trauma that comes with the whole reincarnation plotline. The whole of it is beautiful written and watching Childe/Ajax interact with the other characters (and the perspective of those characters) is a delight! 

"Oh I don't normally use AI, I just wanted it to plan my trip"

You lived on this planet for decades, you know what you like, there are hundreds of websites where you can type into any search engine " things to do in [area]" and have at least a hundred different options.

"Oh I only use it so I can figure out what to make during the week with what I have"

The most popular website as you type in "recipes" into google have sections where you click dinner- quick and easy and those usually rely on staples + 1 or 2 items. I found 30 recipes on chicken alone.

"I had a writing idea, so I typed a few sentences into Chat GPT and I was able to write 20 pages with it."

Do I know exactly how? No.

✦ Getting the kids ready for Snezhnaya

Proposal (marriage) vs Proposal (project)

I held my tongue a little, but I got the impression that people who can afford a live-in nanny really don't spend enough time with their kids. Partly from what the adult said and partly from the kid's reaction when my bean ran up to me, held my hand until I finished what I was saying to another adult, and then asked like 7 questions rapid fire to settle a kid dispute about if a Nintendo Switch is a comouter, including one I had to look up the answer to, and I just answered them all.

"You shouldn't indulge interruptions like that, they need to learn manners."

I held my tongue a little, but I got the impression that people who can afford a live-in nanny really don't spend enough time with their kids. Partly from what the adult said and partly from the kid's reaction when my bean ran up to me, held my hand until I finished what I was saying to another adult, and then asked like 7 questions rapid fire to settle a kid dispute about if a Nintendo Switch is a comouter, including one I had to look up the answer to, and I just answered them all.

"You shouldn't indulge interruptions like that, they need to learn manners."

I held my tongue a little, but I got the impression that people who can afford a live-in nanny really don't spend enough time with their kids. Partly from what the adult said and partly from the kid's reaction when my bean ran up to me, held my hand until I finished what I was saying to another adult, and then asked like 7 questions rapid fire to settle a kid dispute about if a Nintendo Switch is a comouter, including one I had to look up the answer to, and I just answered them all.

"You shouldn't indulge interruptions like that, they need to learn manners."

"No, it was perfectly logical for me to jump out of the shuttle at that time. I had a breathing apparatus, and I was certain I could seal the subspace rift by hand before the Romulans opened fire. This was the only solution that would result in zero casualties. I might have died, but giving up is illogical."

She's known as one of the most fearless members of the crew.