𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

ACT 4

Welcome, welcome to the thrilling start of Act 4! I'm your author, thrilled to be here.

We've got an amazing cast lined up this act. And to introduce them, we're going to play a little game. I'll ask each character one intriguing question.

(some of) ACT 4 CAST:

Freyr
Freyr, it's widely known that you were quite the influential figure in Khaenri'ah. Could you share some of your remarkable achievements with us?

—Oh, absolutely! As a researcher, engineer and alchemist, I dabbled in a bit of everything. From designing the field tillers to the crafting of Khaenri'ahn war machines, I've had my hands in quite a few projects. And let's not forget my crowning achievement – artificial intelligence. I even managed to mimic some of the gods' powers.

—Speaking of AI, Y/n was actually a bit of a flop initially. She was... how do I put this gently? A complete disaster. I was this close to scrapping her and starting from scratch. Didn't really care much about her then. It took Xenon's intervention to change the course. The rest, as they say, is history.

Uh... that's quite... straightforward.

—Ah, yes, perhaps a bit too honest? See, the issue with Y/n's emotional core, the reason she was a failure at first, was partly due to my own... let's say, unique perspective on emotions. It's funny, really. Sometimes I think I don't quite get them myself, but that never stopped me. There's a certain charm in not being bogged down by sentimentality, don't you think?

Dottore
Dottore, I'm curious about the relationship you have with your segments. Do you get along with them?

—Get along? Hahaha. I find them to be incessantly bothersome, an aggregation of past experiments that are more nuisance than beneficial. Their existence is a byproduct of my intellectual pursuits, nothing more.

But they are, in a way, extensions of you. They're your past selves.

—Hardly. They are mere shadows, test subjects that I utilized in my relentless pursuit of knowledge. Our interaction is purely clinical, devoid of any needless sentimentality. But, speaking of test subjects, Y/n presents a fascinating case study. A machine, yet sustained by alchemy – a delightful amalgamation of hard science and esoteric arts.

Xenon
Xenon, how would you describe your thoughts on Phoenix?

—That bastard? Look, Phoenix is basically me but stripped of any damn emotion. But I can't stand the guy. He goes around acting like he's some high and mighty savior because he doesn't get bogged down by feelings. Thinks he's the pinnacle of rational thought. Bullshit, if you ask me. There's more to life than cold, hard logic. Emotions matter, they make us bloody human. He's just a walking, talking calculator with an ego.

Phoenix
And Phoenix, what's your perspective on Xenon?

—Xenon is, quite frankly, an embodiment of fragility. He represents the limitations of our shared past self. Knowing the emotional pitfalls he's succumbed to only drives me to further refine myself. Emotions, while intriguing, are ultimately hindrances. It's fascinating, isn't it? We share the same origin, yet I've achieved exponentially more due to the absence of an emotional core. Xenon is hindered by his feelings, whereas I am liberated by their absence.

Cleo's adoptive mother
So, you're from Teyvat, right? Throughout this entire fanfic, we've only referred to you as 'Cleo's mother.' Can we have the pleasure of knowing your real name?

—Ah, the mystery of my name! Well, that's a little scavenger hunt for you, isn't it? I do love a good secret.

But why can't you just tell us your name?

—I'm trying to deceive the heavenly principles. If I go around broadcasting my name, it's like sending them an engraved invitation to my location. And then there's the safety of everyone else to consider. I mean, with that mad Fatui doctor snooping around, especially in Y/n's thoughts, it's best to keep my cards close to my chest. Can't be too careful when you're dealing with someone who thinks a good day at the office involves brain-probing!

Cleo
Hey Cleo, since your mom is playing the mysterious card and won't tell us her name, could you spill the beans?

—Sure, it's Avani.

Ah, so her name is Avani!

—Yep, Avani it is. But between you and me, I think she just made that up on the spot.

Rhinedottir
Regarding the cataclysm...

—My inability to leave Teyvat following Y/n's creation was not by choice but necessity. My very fate was entwined with the cataclysm's origins. Inevitable, you might say. Y/n enlightened me to a crucial fact – Rukkhadevata was unable to pinpoint the cataclysm's root at Irminsul, primarily because of an alteration in my fate, a direct consequence of Freyr's experiment with Irminsul. My existence during the Archon War was an anomaly, an unintended variable. In essence, I became a living, breathing ley line disorder. Once I departed Teyvat amidst the chaos of the Archon War, my trace was expunged from Irminsul's memory, thereby obscuring any clues that might have led the goddess of wisdom to the truth of the cataclysm.

more act 4 cast:
y/n (obviously), jarvis, raiden ei, yae miko, puppet shogun, most of the harbingers, furina, neuvillette, rukkhadevata, nahida, tsaritsa, venti, zhongli etc.