Buckle the Fuckle up, bc I like making Theories

I'm fascinated by how the animators for TADC handle Caine's impossible anatomy so well. There's so much to balance and they've somehow engineered a solution for his expressions to hold during speech.

Traveler: … slowly loads gun

Clip so good it got me out of Genshin retirement omg

She's only just started playing this patch, but she's been watching Minsleif and Ashikai with me for a couple months now, as well as watching me play through all of Nod-Krai, so she's a newbie that's insanely immersed in the lore lmao

As always, corrections are more than welcome, but please no leaks for the sake of other people who don't want to see them <3

⚠️ Spoilers for Act 8 of the Nod Krai archon quest below ⚠️

So in the dialogue at the end of “Outlander Who Caught the Wind”

Alice remarks that “the Abyss is the hatred of fates that will not come to pass”

Paimon basically explains this means it’s the hatred of “not being chosen”

And Who is the one who’s basically Leading the Abyss Order?

Falling into quicksand, she's trying to pull them out and gets sucked in because of it. Aether's legit about to be killed by Raiden, she doesnt move until she's forced out of the way (which, still puzzles me. why would the shogun give a fuck???). Trapped by Rerir, and Paimons trying to free Aether.

The only times when Paimon is avoiding danger is when she is explicitly told by Aether to stay put because he doesnt want to risk her getting hurt.

Paimon is ALSO very defensive of getting replaced as Aether's 'Guide'. Like, she genuinely enjoys both Mualani and Ineffa's company, but everytime theres a joke about them being better guides than Paimon, she starts freaking out.

She knows that arguably, she isnt really Aether's guide, anymore. She's his companion and best friend, she's claimed herself, accurately, as such, Aether has as well. She just as often introduces herself as Aether's companion as she does guide (I wonder if people just assume that Paimon is some weird Seelie because of the guide thing tbh? Like 'wtf is she- ohhh a guide? Guess she's some special seelie or smth..') But specifically, if anyone else ever dares to insinuate themself as Aether's guide, she freaks out. She's not just upset, she's genuinely terrified of being replaced by someone better- particularly Ineffa. Like literally she has never reacted as badly to anyone else 'replacing' her as Aether's guide as she has Ineffa.

Paimon is also like.. the only thing keeping Aether stuck to a genuine self-care routine. Aether only eats when Paimon is hungry, only sleeps when Paimon is tired, really only ever stops in his journey for Paimons sake (when its just the two of them.) Aether isnt human, but he still functions like one, and does still require the same care as one for the most part. He entirely disregards that though, until Paimon insists on it. Hell, he really only goes to get treated for injuries at Paimons insistence.

Also Paimon canonically speaks Aether and Lumines native language and everyone glosses over that.

Anyways.

Im starting to wonder if Paimon is the result of a combination between Asmoday and the Ship AI, even if the Ship AI isnt Phanes themself. Like, genuinely.

Asmoday was entirely subservient to the HP, at least until stopping the twins. Afterwards, we dont know when she defected.

Theres also a large number of digital-ness with Phanes and the Shades, even without the whole Ship AI = Phanes theory.

So consider.

After stopping the twins from leaving, Asmoday is tasked with removing the ship from Teyvat. While doing this, the Ship AI reawakens, and recognizes that A: The Twins are gone; B: The ship was forced to stop on Teyvat (possibly early, possibly at all) and C: This being is both powerful, and recently interacted with the twins.

And with Asmoday being seemingly digital in nature, the Ship AI ends up attaching itself to Asmoday in a means to protect the twins. In doing so, it installs its core directives into Asmoday- guiding and protecting the twins.

But what it also does, is it also passes the undying care it has for the twins to Asmoday.

Asmoday does not care for the Heavenly Principles. Hell, NONE of the Shades do. They care for Teyvat, as they were designed to do, as we see with Ronova caring for Natlan, but the Heavenly Principles is shown to punish them for that care. The Shades are all incredibly detached. They uphold their duty, maintaining Teyvat and adhering to the Heavenly Principles, but most likely, as seen with the Angels, they have no care or love for the Heavenly Principles themself. But while the Angels were designed specifically to care and love humanity- which backfired on Phanes, the Shades were only ever designed to maintain Teyvat. They were not meant to love it, Ronova's care was stepping out of line. Its been implied that of the Four Shades, before Asmoday's defection, she was the one who adhered closest to the Heavenly Principles, even acting as their sustainer.

So in this case, the Ship AI passing its love for the Twins to Asmoday would likely be one of the first instances of Asmoday truly caring for anything. As such she would love them more than she does herself. The love for them given to her by the Ship AI would no doubt grow into a love for them born of her own self.

In this case, Asmoday would want to be at the Twins sides, protecting and guiding them as the Ship AI is designed, as- Lumine wouldnt be an option, because she would still have the directive to avoid the abyss. But Aether would be.

So she would downgrade herself- perhaps like Rukkhadevhata to Nahida, or perhaps breaking a fragment off of herself, so to be at his side. Considering Paimons insistence at there being more of her out there, and the whole '1/5th' thing, the fragment part seems more likely to me.

Obviously, Aether's own wellbeing would override her own- partially because the Shades themselves have been shown to care less for themselves than most (Ronova taking the punishment in Xbalanque's place despite saying she'd blame him) and the Ship AI wouldnt have any reason to care for itself beyond keeping itself in working condition.

Obviously, something partially born of an AI designed to guide and protect the Twins would take offence to being replaced. Especially by Ineffa- another robot? a dragon robot? A dragon robot that could seemingly care for Aether moreso than Paimon? No. No way. She's Aether's Guide.

Hell, over their journey, the love Paimon would have for Aether already would no doubt deepen into something far more complex. She doesnt just love him as her master, as the Ship AI did. But she loves him as her friend, her companion, her other half. She loves the twins both, but no longer equally.

She's terrified about being separated from him, but she still will listen and stay put if he tells her. At the same time, she doesnt seem to have ever once considered being left in Teyvat when the Twins leave. And why would she, if she's part of the ship they'd be leaving in? While Asmoday alone would no doubt be left, the fact that Paimon is born of Asmoday and the Ship AI combined, that fear isnt one that's ever occurred to Paimon. She's their guide. She'll be with Aether, and Lumine, wherever they go of course.

The theory also adds a level of complexity to the whole 'reveal' bit. Paimon wouldnt just be Asmoday. But also the same AI that has cared for them for who knows how long, thousands of years at the least. And alongside that, Paimon is Paimon.

Now.. do i have much actual evidence to this theory? Not really. This is mostly vibe based theorizing, which i am rather adept at. If i tried i could probably find actual evidence but im way too lazy to do that rn you kidding me?

going "yeah sure i'll sing to the glaze lilies" and deciding, of all things, to do a short refrain of barbara's song, and then sucking at it so bad they upset a whopperflower

keeping the fatui disguise mask and subtly putting it on when paimon isn't looking and then standing there silently waiting for her to notice

literally keeping their mouth shut about the holy lyre being tenuously Fake Repaired, Not Really Though like it's their little conspiracy secret with venti that they have to keep from an entire convent of nuns. plus barbara. and the traveller has carried this secret with them through to inazuma and beyond. what single detail about this isn't funny as hell

Also adding on, Idk if these are underrated per se, but I think about these a lot

Traveller and Paimon having the option to just relentlessly mess with this one guy locked in a cage in an Inazuma world quest instead of freeing him. At some point they conclude he's a snickery snackery werewolf. Then the guy starts ignoring them and both were like "what's his problem?" as if they haven't been driving him up a wall the whole time

A shade of the past left behind for future heroes that venture into the depths of Enkanomiya, asks the Traveller if they have any questions, and Traveller proceeds to ask "do you like eating butter crab?"

Psychological warfare that Traveller and Paimon commit against Saimon Jirou (a small extract):

Telling him he's been locked in that cage for centuries and is the chosen hero

Threatening him with execution as if they're Tenryou Commission ninjas

Threatening to cut off his fingers. "There's no need to dirty your blade. Take Paimon's! It's smaller so it'll be slower and hurt more."

(five seconds later:) "...we made him cry?"

Can you imagine a serious quest and dotted here and there those two are ragebaiting other characters. Or if they decided to insult and judge their enemies, or if they did it to their enemies faces and started to ragebait them until this massive threats becomes a blubbering, sniffling mess like "you guys are so mean...*sniff*...mum said if you have nothing nice to say, dont say it"

Paimon never thought she'd be spending her birthday in Nod-Krai this year… and with so many little cuties keeping her company, too!

Look, they're dancing in a circle! Don't they look like they're celebrating Paimon's birthday?

Honestly, Paimon likes moments like this even more than fancy gifts. It's so lively, and so heartwarming…

Of course, things would be even more perfect with another slice of sweet, sweet cake!

Hoyolab