Chapter Text
The stars have turned your favorite Genshin Characters into mystical accessories!
You can find these items, called Gotcha, scattered throughout the city (in the same city for plot purposes). Once worn, the user is bestowed the power of said characters!
However, the Genshin Characters’ spirits still reside in these items.
This creates the following “complications”:
- Once the user, also known as Anchor, wears a Gotcha, it can’t be taken off!
-> Because of this Bond, there are no hat items, at least after bonding.
-> Not your style? Fret not! All Gotcha can remodel itself into a more modern look if the Character wants to blend-in. (Looking at you, Xiao )
E.g. Hu Tao’s hat could turn into a hair-pin after Bonding
-> Only 1 Gotcha per Anchor, 1 Anchor per Gotcha.
- Once Bonded, Anchor is linked physically and mentally to that Character, which may create various effects, such as, but not limited to, gaining new obsessions/aversions.
E.g. Chongyun’s congenital positivity (rip any Chongyun Anchor who likes spicy food) - Once Bonded, the said Character trapped in the Gotcha gains a physical form, hence the user’s title as an “Anchor”.
This form resembles the Character as a Chibi akin to the official Genshin Impact’s chat emoji.
Other than being Paimon-sized, the Characters retain all abilities (and the lack thereof) at an inferior rate of their original form.
E.g. Albedo can summon his flowers, albeit a tiny one. Like his original form, he cannot fly. - **Once Bonded, Anchor may transform into said character to access their full power. This transformation is initiated by contact between Anchor and Character with the intent of merging/transformation.
Once transformed, Anchor is basically that Character’s original body and the chibi Character disappears (they’re part of you now, haha). You and the Character can telepathy to each other in battle.
Be warned, fatigue or falling unconscious in battle can cause the transformation to end. At which, Anchor and Character would separate, you back to normal self and Character as their chibi form.
- Friendship level is crucial!
Like Digimon/Pokemon, the better the bond, the more powerful the Characters become.
E.g. Longer transformation, transformation without contact (so that Chibi Character can be a separate mobile unit to aid in battle), and even give full power back to the Chibi Character!
Anchors can improve the bond by interacting with their Characters.
- Beware, transformation can become temporarily permanent under these conditions:
A] Character’s will overpower the user’s (usually happens with non-playable factions like Hilichurls and Fatuis, but may extend to… Characters with extreme ambition)
E.g. fighting as Childe, in which he may forcibly take the wheel from you in the heat of the battle
B] Being in contact with a Character’s aversion/achilles heels/etc during Transformation
E.g. eating carrot with Xingqiu (you monster)
C] Too many transformation (there will be an “instinct” that warns the Anchor, but you can choose to ignore it)
E.g. cooking as Xiangling every afternoon so you can feel like Golden Ramsay
Other notes:
- This situation can occur for any character of Genshin Impact! This includes hilichurls, Fatuis, and even… weekly bosses.
- Anchors can include animals (not insects), though Characters preferably choose humans for higher functionality.
-> Unlike humans, which can transform into full version of the Characters, animals only gain certain compatible traits, such as a color change. On the bright side (?), Characters will have full control over these critters.
E.g. If Kaeya Bonds to a cat, the cat would become blue, have Khaenri'ah diamond pupils, and be able to talk, swing swords, and use ice powers. Otherwise, it’s still a cat. It will not gain a human Kaeya face.
- Chibi Characters are visible to everyone, though passerbys may mistake them as Genshin Impact doll merchandise (their Chibi anatomy is waaaay too disproportionate to be a child or a toddler).
- Chibi Characters have telepathic connections to the Gotcha item.
- Gotcha items are “technically” removable by these ways:
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- Destroyed via a Character’s weapons. Can only be done outside transformation by another Anchor. (e.g. a Hilichurl mask, a Gotcha item, would be hard as titanium against a bulldozer but fragile as glass against Amber’s arrows)
- Consent to being cut-off from each other while (only applies to sentient beings) both have a powerful enough bond to “let go”.
- After the 2 worlds disconnect, for Gotchas will lose all their power at that point.
**If you want to use this au, sure! This whole page is more like “guidelines.”
Feel free to adapt it to your liking.