// anyway don't mind me

// his role has always been greater, and to become a proper descender-like being with a will to rival the world you have to thoroughly understand and be accepted by that world. albedo's story is all kinds of green flags specifically because he was, most likely, created in the traveler's likeness

// my opinions on albedo have always been pretty controversial with the albedo side of the fandom actually

most people want to read certain darker themes into his character and i totally get it!! i understand why 100%, it's just, i don't think it's the kind of story genshin is telling w/ him

// as a certified albedo stan who has over analyzed his character to hell and back since 2.3 and predicted many elements of paralogism & albedo's current arc as a budding descender years in advance i have very strong opinions about this topic JDJFAIENAJDJAND

// URAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH unfortunately my albedo is a Very Good Person but I could go on a 20 page rant about dottore and albedo being foils...

"Ah, please pay me no mind. I was making a light joke."

// i'm sorry

"Dinner?"

Ah, Alice. Ever the crafty one. There was always some rhyme or reason to her whimsy - a methodology behind the madness. So that was why she had them go to great lengths to help the phantoms from the past...

// i feel like while albedo has def developed found family within the knights he's still kinda separate from them in the same way klee is more associated with alice/hexenzirkel

albedo klee and dottore are all characters who are...... transcendent to say the least.......

// listen they have a mutual through ivanovna

(His eyes narrow subtly.)

... Perhaps.

Should you change your mind, my lab on Dragonspine is always accepting missives.

// would he be successful is a different question entirely

// tbh i can actually see albedo trying to recruit dottore into the hexenzirkel's clutches to put his skills to good use while also training him to be more socially good/keeping him away from those he already hurt...

I believe you would be better off working in my lab instead. The Knights of Favonius is always recruiting - I'm quite sure I could make it worth your while.

There would be conditions, of course.

(He can't help but smile.)

The results were excellent.

(Holds up a portrait of The Doctor, covered head to toe in splattered red tomato. Albedo captured the very moment each tomato hit him perfectly.)

As expected... you are truly one of a kind, Il Dottore.

(Scribbling notes down.)

How will you react when hit with a tomato specifically? To invoke a good friend of mine from Sumeru, I believe the potential data gained from this experiment could prove to be most 'fruitful.'

Ah. But you see, therein lies the rub. We can extrapolate with the data we have on hand, yes, but there is nothing more certain in this world than the results that come from the process of repeating an experiment - with a small change in variables, of course.

+

Weaponize? Goodness, no. Surely a scientist of your caliber understands the sheer number of tomatoes it would require to weaponize them against the Trilune Authority?

What is life if not derived from the very same foundational building blocks that flow through the Ley Lines? Even tomatoes contain a small quantity of elemental energy.

How many tomatoes do you think it would take, Doctor? Teyvat is indebted to you for your willingness to be our test subject.

Tomatoes, too, may dilute concentrated Light Realm energy. If you have enough of them, that is...

⠀
⠀⠀ ''What is freedom, if demanded by a god?''
⠀

// read!!

// i wrote xiao for a little while... it would be difficult for me to find the muse again. it's just been too long since his story content, my brain has recency bias 😭

// for sure! there's a small group on bsky and they're pretty nice. i can point out names/accounts in recommendation if you want!

// your art is so cute!!