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For Chongyun!
Your muse is trying to calm down/unwind after a long, bad day in a hotel room/out of state, away from family and friends and most of their things. What do they do?
Your muse has to share something that’s hard for them to talk about. What is the biggest thing they don’t want to say aloud/admit? What makes it hard for them to say it?
Tell us about a small, passing relationship your muse has with someone in their everyday life. Are they on a first name basis with their barista? What about the busdriver?
MEME I CAN'T REMEMBER
Your muse is trying to calm down/unwind after a long, bad day in a hotel room/out of state, away from family and friends and most of their things. What do they do?
chongyun is the kind of person who prefers somewhere quiet over busy settings. they aren't able to be in loud atmospheres anyway, so getting away to somewhere far more quiet is always preferable. but if they were lonely and wanted some company after a bad day, chongyun would go outside and meditate, focus on the scenery around him and try to take his mind off his mood. since (as far as we know) there isn't any easier way to connect with people from a long distance, chongyun would start making their way back home, while taking in the scenery around them in the meantime.
Your muse has to share something that’s hard for them to talk about. What is the biggest thing they don’t want to say aloud/admit? What makes it hard for them to say it?
chongyun's BIGGEST weakness is his insecurity. he never feels like he's doing a good enough job for the career he has. he's got quite a bit of notoriety to him, with people expecting flawless excecution each time. chongyun is known as the best exorcist to grace liyue. the problem is, you can't be the best at something if you don't actually do it properly. they're insecure about it all, and rarely express any doubt or show how low their self esteem is. it's hard to make peace with that and manage the expectations put on him.
Tell us about a small, passing relationship your muse has with someone in their everyday life. Are they on a first name basis with their barista? What about the busdriver?
there are many, many people that chongyun's only met briefly. going strictly by canon (even though i disagree with it heavily and think they both deserve a deeper bond), chongyun when they first met xiao. that was such a small, passing encounter, but it was one that chongyun was deeply touched by. this is someone chongyun massively respects and looks up to, and wants to prove himself to above all else.
but i choose to disregard canon. it's my blog canon, that chongyun is well aware of who zhongli really is, and that he serves and worships both him and xiao loyally. i do not agree with the fact that the most famed exorcist and the conquerer of demons do not have a deep bond with each other. they 100% do, and i will not hear otherwise.
is change a matter of time or a matter of will?
the wanderer does NOT enjoy this line of questioning. he doesn't enjoy these questions that force him to think, to contemplate his own past, compared to where he is now. kaminari especially doesn't want to face the changes he made in his own life.
because the answer is, he really doesn't know. his own anger and grief had been shaped by perceived betrayal, then fostered and grown into full hatred by outside influences. kami does not know how to separate the manufactured anger from his own, natural anger.
but on the flip side, time IS changing him for the better. there's no denying that the longer he stays in sumeru, the better off he's becoming. kami isn't sure if it's will, either. he would have staunchly refused to believe there was any kind of help for someone like him.
but ― aren't they both getting something out of this? kaminari can't deny for a second that lumine's company isn't enjoyable. part of him is almost EAGER to seek out her company. would that count as will, too? it's hard to say, and he doesn't want to spend forever contemplating this line of thinking, either. kami will table it for now, and wait until later when the question DOESN'T give him a headache.
"there is never any right time for anything." he scoffs. "i don't like who i've become in my past. but that doesn't mean i'm fully content to leave it alone either." he's still alluding to his act of revenge. he knows lumine well enough by now to know she'll understand, even.
"i'm also aware that change isn't always negative. it's a positive, for those who want it. i'm not sure what camp i fall under yet." he doesn't want to talk about himself anymore. they already spent way too long talking about him. from his initial defeat, to his new name and new partnership with nahida, to now.
"let's talk about you for once," he says abruptly. "you speak of change like you're not somehow effected by it. i remember you used to ask around constantly for your brother, and now you barely speak about him. what changed that?"
The scarves hanging from his hat moved, the ornaments ringing softly the moment his face disappeared under it, where she could barely see through the shadow casted on his features. Even then, her eyes still averted away from his figure, somewhere lost in the horizon before them.
Her whole existence had been bound to change; the same way shooting stars never stayed to the same place, her journey was followed by constant changes; civilisations falling and arising, stars rising and dying. There was no consistency to it, but it was almost inevitable to avoid mutation. And the same way the world had changed around her, the same way it had crumbled under her feet the moment she had awakened by herself in Teyvat- she had to adapt herself to that new existence where there was no more Sun to light her path like he always had for her.
However people's minds were not as simple as that constant flow, it could not be compared to the Sun rising and hiding every day as per its habit. People's emotions, their ambitions and desires, their lives... A river could follow a similar path, but its waters never stayed the same for how similar they would look with the naked eye.
"Is change a matter of time or a matter of will?" she had waited for Kami to complete his thoughts out loud, her gaze drifting away from some birds she had been following in their flight. Did she believe people could change? It would be foolish to either deny or agree to it. "It does not matter what I believe in, as long as actions prove one's words of will to do so." she was not deaf to the resentment that still tainted Kami's tone around her, and yet here they were, standing by each other's side even if she had promised herself to take responsibility for Teppei's fate herself. Perhaps even Ei herself had been looking for anything, someone to drag her out of her own broken existence, a hand to cling to so she could overcome her own fear of change. Where there was change there was gain and loss after all.
"Perhaps there will never be a right time for you to face more of your past, however you should do so when you feel ready to. You have the opportunity to choose, which is not necessarily a negative thing."
If somehow, someway a god fond themselves indebted to Wanderer, what would he ask for, if anything at all? Think of it as a reverse Nahida and Wanderer situation. I’m curious 🤔
oh this is a really good question. honestly, i'm not sure!!
i think instinctively, wanderer would PROBABLY ask for justice for what happened to niwa, or at least, that'd be the first thought to come to his head. he wouldn't voice it, because he's well aware that wishes and desires don't always yield the desired results.
ultimately, i think he wouldn't ask for anything. he lives an ideal life where he's in service to a just archon, and he's slowly building up his life and even social circle. he may not outwardly like very many people, but we have seen shades of character growth in him, as shown in his various happenings in sumeru.
while he'll always be angry about what happened in the past, and the shitty hand he was dealt, i don't think wanderer would ask for much else than what he currently has. because he really got off easy, and is living a pretty cushy life after all.
the god may still be indebted to him, but wanderer, or at least my portrayal of him, wouldn't see much of a purpose in that either. he'd refuse a deal and send the god on their way, while he gets to continue life while it's still good.
there's also accounting for the trust issues. any stranger wanderer is unfamiliar with would definitely raise his ire and suspicion. there's no telling who said god might be in disguise. and wanderer has been burned too many times to just accept what seems obvious. it may not be obvious.
"maybe i'll let you guess." kami grins as he wiggles his finger around. it hurts, but not so bad that he's going to complain about it. he did taunt her, after all.
"you have permission to bite to your heart's content, i'm not going to help you with anything or give you suggestions." he sits down opposite her, with a smirk on his face. "stopping a raccoon from biting should be illegal, after all."
@oficeandwind replied to your post :
"who says i'm stopping you?"
─「エデン」─ " so you do want me to bite you ? are you going to tell me where ? or do i have to guess ? " she had no problem guessing by biting until she got it right, of course.
reminder that i made a ns/fw sideblog over on my mumu. you can find said sideblog @icewindafterdark < there.
if one were to ask HIM, he'd agree that rizz sounds negative. therefore, he hopes ren has all of it.
this is still spoilers i think, but headcanon for chongyun:
how often does chongyun go to chenyu vale to do their job? the world quest you get with the area literally talks about thaumaturges and exorcisms right off the bat. this is literally SCREAMING chongyun specialty!!
i know hoyoverse won't ever actually do anything with chongyun, but i'm gonna say that chongyun travels there a lot to do work for a decent amount of mora. and even if not mora, then chongyun definitely gets paid in decent food.
we also already know chongyun and gaming are at the very least acquaintances, if not friends, so i'm going out on a limb and saying chongyun regularly meets up with gaming every time he goes to chenyu vale. either before they have to go exorcise something, or after, so chongyun can rest and unwind and even have a nice chat.
I HAVE. SO MANY FEELINGS. ABOUT CHONGYUN THOUGH.
i am forever bitter that hyv refuses to actually use the backstory they gave chongyun. there's so much lore and in-game potential, but he's treated like a side character when he's got main character energy, right here.
anyway.
chongyun loves chenyu vale anyway, and constantly goes there, even if just to enjoy the calm/eerie setting and take notes on the history of the area. and he's friends with gaming.
chongyun browses the menu, not sure what sounds more appetizing. jade parcels had always looked tempting, but as they contain the jueyun chilies, chongyun also isn't willing to risk it, especially not when he's already not at his peak right now.
"i think i'll get the mooncakes and the lotus crisps," chongyun says, setting the menu down on the table. "and cold tea." that's still a fair amount of food, but chongyun is hungry, and eating that much is going to help give a return of some of the energy he is missing.
"you really don't have to pay for this, but thank you." TECHNICALLY, hu tao isn't paying for it. her funeral home is paying for it, which still isn't a huge deal. though chongyun can see mr. zhongli being confused about the expenses later on, maybe.
"to go back to your earlier statement―" chongyun almost hesitates here. it's not that they can't get the words out, or that they're afraid hu tao wouldn't understand. chongyun's just never been vulnerable with friends very much, too independent and even lonely to realize how healthy relying on others can be.
they suppose this is a good time as any to trust their friends a little more.
"― it's not that i can handle things on my own. it's more that i've never really learned how to rely on others." there's an awkward pause after this, even more awkward when the server comes back to ask for their orders. chongyun gives his, before waiting for hu tao to order.
"there's a lot i tend to keep to myself, because i never really learned how to open up. my parents never really..." chongyun waves his hand around. "i don't know. taught me to work with others?"
"How can I not worry about...~" her voice trailed off mid-protest.
She couldn't blame Chongyun for finding humor in her state of concern. Immediately she straightened up hearing his polite decline for help. "Ahem..Right, of course. You always could handle stuff on your own, haven't you?" she remarked as she continued walk along side of him.
Such an idea was something she learned overtime when hanging out with the Liyuian exorcist. Partly from her own mistakes even. Hu Tao knew he wanted to be trusted with what he was capable with. Especially when it came to his work and fighting skills.
As always the sites around Liyue Harbor had both an invigorating and yet calming effect to the funeral director. If the winds blew just right you can almost taste the sea. Similar to Chongyun, fish based dishes were always a favorite. Then again, the teahouse was just as good, if not a bit better with its ideal atmosphere.
The mortician elicited a soft hum as Chongyun relayed his own experience with yin and yang as well as his training. "I think I get what ya mean. Not only is it your own way, but it's one you want to prove is just as good. " Right that made sense. Her face scrunched up slightly. Was she giving unwanted advice again? Much more sounding strange? It almost wasn't like her to be stumbling over her own thoughts.
"Nearly everyone expects me to act and behave a certain way. The belief got to my undertakers. They barely speak a word, because of how others perceive our business. I respect those traditions. Really I do." Again another pause. It was a selfish mix of trying to relate. Yin and yang energies were something to be balanced like the concepts of life and death.
Fortunately such heavy thoughts were whisked away when the empty table was pointed out. "I'll definitely consider visiting your home, but until then I must admit I've been starving quite a bit," the director said as she sat down on one of the rounded chairs.
It wouldn't be long before a server dropped off a pair of menus. As expected there was a plethora a tea listed included the popular chenyu brew. As well as complimentary dishes including lotus flower crisps, jade parcels, rice buns, and full mooncakes. All of which looked appetizing.
One item in particular caught her attention. "Ah! They are having crystal shrimp dumplings here again ~ I mean of course you should order what you like. And don't worry about the cost. I'll put it on the funeral parlor's tab to cover it"
it's LUCKY that chongyun was nearby when the possession had happened. they are used to being called whenever an incident occurs, but chongyun had always helped strangers, distant acquaintances at best. never anyone they have a personal relationship, or someone chongyun might even consider a friend.
so to be called this time had chongyun getting straight to business, mentally preparing their talismans and even weapon, preparing for a long battle. chongyun almost collapsed in fear upon realizing the person they needed to assist this time was GAMING.
there hadn't been any time to let emotions show. there hadn't even been a need to lift a blade against the host body. because as soon as chongyun arrived, the demon had all but fled, though chongyun had managed to throw down at least one attack, a circle of chilled air to surround gaming and keep him still. mostly still.
it seems as though gaming is coming back, so chongyun crouches down, ignoring the panicked murmurs from the others. it had been yet another disappointing experience, and chongyun feels ill over it this time. he doesn't like seeing people lose their sense of self in general, he likes it even less when it's someone he has a fondness for. he watches as gaming struggles to regain his senses, so chongyun balances his claymore over his knees, resting his elbows upon it.
"he's fine," chongyun finally responds. "give him room to breathe." they wave their hand, removing the circle of cold, trusting that whever the demon is now, it's not within gaming. "also no, he isn't going to die, calm down."
their gaze remains focused on the lion dancer. gaze probably more hardened than usual, though it's to hide how worried chongyun feels.
"gaming, can you hear me?" they finally ask. "if you can hear me, give me a thumbs up." it would be just like gaming to do something like that, what with how laid back and jovial he is on a good day.
@oficeandwind || Starter Call
Everything had gone so quickly that the world felt like a blur to Gaming. One moment, he’d been fighting off a bunch of Treasure Hoarders, trying to keep the relics that he’d been tasked to escort safe from their greedy hands, and the next–
The next, he’d felt as if something had wrapped around him, making it so he couldn’t see, hear, or breathe. His body felt as if he’d been encased in ice, both numbing and painful as he floated in what seemed to otherwise be a suffocating nothingness. It didn’t matter how he might try to fight against whatever had a hold over him, for each time he did, it was as if that frigid grip on him tightened further, threatening to strangle him completely. Still, Gaming knew that he needed to get free, needed to escape whatever was happening - he didn’t know what this was, but it was clearly nothing good.
And then, suddenly, it was gone, with everything returning at once. Sight, sounds, sensation, and most importantly, the ability to suck oxygen into his lungs. Along with that, however, was also a sudden weakness that caused the claymore to fall from his hands and his body to drop. Everything felt as if it were moving in slow motion as his legs buckled and he began falling to the ground, stopping only when he met with the hard dirt path. All around him, he could hear what sounded like panicked voices, and he vaguely recognized some as his employers, while others were his fellow escorts - one, however, was entirely unfamiliar to him. Had one of the Treasure Hoarders come back… ?
Someone rolled Gaming over onto his back, and the guard found himself blinking foggily up at the sky, with the world as little more than a blur around him - except there was something above him that wasn’t the sky. It took him a moment to realize this, as the figure shared many colours with the expanse that stretched out above him. Had the individual not moved, Gaming wouldn’t have even noticed them there at all…
“Is he gonna be okay?” came a frantic voice. That was… Jietang? Why did he sound so freaked out? “He’s still really pale - is he gonna die, Chongyun?”
Chongyun? He… knew that name…
"you continue to flatter me," kami says, lowering his gaming device. it's quickly shut off and put away, with attention once more being directed to aventurine. "if i didn't know any better, i'd say you were trying to butter me up for your own purposes."
getting to his feet, kami glances around the hotel, not nervously, just still not wanting to attract a lot of attention. though if they're going to stay here, he might as well remain on his best behavior for the time being. he still doesn't like being out in the public eye, for fear of someone, or something spotting him. though that's not something aventurine is aware of right now. HOPEFULLY.
returning the bow, kami offers him an almost mischievous grin. "lead the way, my friend. those drinks sound rather delicious right now."
while kami isn't sure of how this night is going to go, he can't deny his eagerness to actually get to know aventurine more, and figure out why exactly kafka had an issue with him. they both come with secrets, it seems, and kami is eager to learn them.
Though the plan for this date was initially a countermeasure to the shenanigans that arose against him, he would be lying if he said it was not an interesting prospect to look forward to.
The idea of hanging out with a stranger he had nothing to negotiate with was normally met with reluctance, yet this time around the other had seemed to keep a good match to his back and forth at an entertaining degree. Plus it was only fair that he kept his word after being spared from getting iced (boy, was he lucky!).
A text provided him the location he needed to arrive; and with a last inspection to ensure everything was in place―his outfit a change from the usual uniform, accompanied by his trademark pink shades and white fedora―the Stoneheart went on his way to arrive at last in the lobby of the Reverie, to search for his date.
A quick glance around was what only took to spot Kami, who remained fairly unasuming in a far corner, clearly avoiding any more attention despite being well dressed up for the occassion. He approached him with a charming smile plastered across his features.
"Hiding away while wearing such a ravishing attire? I take you're self-aware of the attention you'd bring to yourself, looking good like this." It wasn't an empty compliment, for the other truly was of beautiful complexion in his own right.
His hat was placed against his chest as he bent for a little polite bow. "Aventurine here at your disposal, a pleasure to see you again, my friend. Shall we go to the V.I.P area for the promised drinks?"
it's been awhile since i talked about this, so i'm gonna talk about it again.
RE: YANG ENERGY
Chongyun's yang energy is ever present. My personal take is that when Chongyun is keeping it at bay and suppressing their emotions/trying to keep cool, their eyes are the slits we seen in game.
However, when Chongyun's yang energy takes over and he becomes yang drunk, that's when his pupils become more round, and more akin to a standard human's eyes. When one sees round pupils, that's when it's safe to assume that Chongyun is not himself, he's out of control and likely needs to be put on a leash himself.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY HE BLACKS OUT. I do not like the idea/hint that it's an entirely split personality, so I made tweaks to how it effects Chongyun. I call it yang drunk, because they act drunk. Chongyun's personality becomes louder, more playful, a lot more chaotic and willing to stir up trouble, and rarely do they ever become violent/dangerous/an actual threat. Will they chase after and attack their friends? Absolutely. Chongyun is known to swing their claymore around, never with the intent to hurt. They do restrain themself if it comes down to it, because it's still Chongyun.
Chongyun still remembers the things he's done while in this state. He doesn't black out entirely, it's more akin to feeling hazy/loopy and regretting everything after the fact.
When plunging into the yang drunk state, Chongyun feels dizzy, floaty, and completely disconnected from his body, and that feeling tends to last until the state dissipates. either by Chongyun finally getting himself somewhere cool/cold, passing out, or finding other ways of relieving that energy so he can calm down naturally.
When coming down, Chongyun will feel sluggish, disoriented and a little depressed, feeling a lot of guilt and shame for their actions while drunk. Lots of apologies, lots of attempts to make it up to people, and trying to isolate so they can rest and recover.
Chongyun's yang drunk state can be triggered by either getting royally pissed off, suffering a little too long in the heat, or by getting incredibly stressed out. If you see them struggle to walk straight, and their eyes start changing, it's probably best to get them somewhere quiet and cool so they can try to recover.
i joke about calling chongyun a baby but the truth is he’s incredibly dangerous and definitely is the kind of person to wave with one hand while readying his claymore with the other.
he’s a huge force to be reckoned with and he does not hesitate to do the reckoning.
so i woke up from a nap with an epiphany about kami, and some lasting results--
so kaminari never went through irminsul, right? the pain he suffers from trying to find redemption isn't just emotional, but physical too. BECAUSE he never went through and erased himself, he still has all the marks on his back from being attached to the mecha. though, i imagine that with nahida's help and help from some of the others in sumeru, those marks are cleaned up as best as possible with surgeries done to keep them closed up.
but regardless, kaminari still feels the constant pain on his back from them. should someone put their hands on his back, they could feel the tiniest little ridges from where the openings were inserted, and kaminari would wince at each touch from anyone.
he regrets it so much. kaminari hates the reminders that are permanently on his back, unable to ever go away in this lifetime. but at the same time, they're also a reminder of how much he loathes dottore and what he almost went through in order to get them in the first place! he's aware it was mostly self induced, but kaminari's anger and rage and quest for redemption and vengeance are all inside those little circles on his back. without them, he'd certainly lose his way a second time, he's sure of it.
Okay so I tried to piece things together in a coherent manner but it’s been exhausting, but after thinking about this for the better part of 2 weeks, here at long last, is my headcanon on Chongyun’s family/family history.
I first started doing research when I noticed Chongyun’s affiliation changed from Liyue harbor to Tianheng Thaumaturges. After doing some research and trying to piece together lore, I have decided that Chongyun’s clan can trace their lineage back to when the Guili Assembly was still very much in use. Thaumaturges established their presence by helping to forge the blackcliff catalyst. (and thus where the blackcliff weapons came from)
From there, I can only gather that the thaumaturges started using their magic for exorcisms, since it all seems to go hand in hand in general. The clan grew and spread out, keeping their residence near Mt. Tianheng, or perhaps moving into the city of Liyue once that came into existence.
Since Chongyun mentions briefly that there are relics in their family that can be traced back generations, and there is an established hierarchy in said clan, I can assume that they have somewhat decent standing, especially considering they’re ‘renowned’ throughout Liyue. I refuse to believe that one becomes renowned without having some level of fortune/high class citizenship.
Also to branch off a bit, I feel like Chongyun’s half the clan wasn’t really present when Shenhe’s story happened. Perhaps the elders all agreed collectively to let each individual family do their own thing for the sake of exorcisms and demon hunting, we don’t know. But since they’re part of the same clan, it’s easy to assume that Chongyun did grow up on stories of Shenhe and everything that happened.
Going back to where I think the clan stands in society: I firmly believe they have money, and lots of it. They may not be as well know or super high class as say, XQ and his clan, but Chongyun’s family does have importance and is treated with respect. They would have to have money in order to obtain and upkeep a large family, storage for all their relics, weapons, talismans, charms, probably spellbooks even. I can also assume that they pay for private tutoring/weapons training and training in general. And for Chongyun personally, there’s probably a need to keep mora handy for ordering and commissioning customized clothing/fabric to keep Chongyun comfortable. Not to mention, the cost of importing food from different nations.
For Chongyun especially, in the game it’s stated that people mistrust him because of how powerful they are, but I honestly don’t buy that. The notion to be honest is ridiculous to me. Chongyun has performed hundreds of exorcisms, with a 100% success rate, I really doubt that putting in that much effort for an ungrateful people makes no sense. I can buy confusion and curiosity, but to say that Chongyun has to actively apologize to people upsets me, so I wish to disregard it.
I also think, since it’s stated that Chongyun is heir to the clan, that he is either an only child, or the eldest child and is set to take over as clan leader when his parents/elders no longer can run it. It’s not a responsibility they want exactly, but Chongyun will readily accept it because they do care for their clan/family and do not wish to see their traditions and practices fall to the wayside.
But ultimately, the clan as a whole has a presence that is well established and well known since the founding of Liyue. They’re influential, but not powerful, but are also rich enough to afford a lot of things.
sources:
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okay honesty but i'm thinking about it right now
just think about how exactly morbid chongyun is. interest in the supernatural is less niche than normal, occult along the same lines. but chongyun not only seeks it out as part of their career, but actively gets a major thrill from it.
where one should exorcise caution and a healthy level of fear, chongyun is kinda like shane madej in that he's just. stomping around the place going "COME OUT DEMONS LET'S TANGO." Chongyun is so eager to see/fight the supernatural that all caution tends to fly out the window.
and it's so funny to me cause you have what looks like a quiet, timid young adult here. and you probably give him a passing wave, and then oops he's swinging his giant claymore and throwing magic all over the place.
in these moments i'm not sure what would be more disturbing. running into the supernatural, or running into an enthusiast who gives almost zero qualms about what they're doing and is just. way too hyped up about it.
"we'd be more evenly matched if you used a weapon you could actually master."
"I'm quite sure we were fairly matched, now."
I wouldn't call this a bad take necessarily, more of a misconception. I'm seeing a lot of character redesigns on tiktok, especially for Chongyun which those look awesome!! I'm not knocking those ideas down.
But a lot of people are under the impression that Chongyun should have a tan on account of being in the sun constantly, so I'm gonna step in with some corrections.
1. Chongyun canonically carries a parasol with him to shield himself from the sun. Sun =not his friend.
2. Chongyun works at night. This is canon, especially if you pay attention to his stories. He works from sundown to sunup so the homeowners can get some sleep. Which leads me to
3. Chongyun, as I imagine, would sleep during the day, waking up late afternoon at earliest. This way he'd miss the sunlight of the noon period where the sun is highest, and instead be coming outdoors when it's getting cooler/darker outside.
Chongyun is the opposite of tanned, he is pale. Guy does not like the sun and takes every approach possible to avoid it. Not to mention Chongyun already burns at a hotter temperature, sunlight would exacerbate the fever and slide him right into yang!drunk territory.
Sun and Chongyun do not get along. Boy looks like a popsicle, thank you for coming to my ted talk.
❛ what do you mean, he escaped? ❜ - Dottore / Kami
oh good, dottore ISN'T deaf. which means he'd heard the sixth the FIRST time he'd spoken up about an escaped prisoner. the balladeer still isn't entirely sure how this is his problem to begin, he'd simply just reported the mess to someone who would actually CARE about such a thing.
"i fail to see how this is my problem," scaramouche responds, almost dismissively. "i was simply reporting what i saw to you, figuring you or one of your underlings would take care of the problem." he COULD turn away, he could walk away even, but that would place him squarely within the doctor's irritation zone, and the balladeer has no time or patience for the doctor's wrath. well, PERHAPS he could test that theory a little. not this second, of course. seeing dottore lose his patience is always interesting; the balladeer does enjoy seeing what makes him tick.
"if you expect me to do something about one of your prisoners, it's going to take a lot more than bargaining or pleading. i just don't have the time to focus on everyone's projects at once. i have places to go, nations to visit, my own agenda to accomplish." maybe he could test fate here, put his own experiments to the test.
he turns to walk away then, but pauses briefly, looking over his shoulder and keeping dottore in his peripheral vision. "don't mistake my apathy for disdain, either. i do support your cause for the most part." scaramouche turns away fully now. "but you're on your own when it comes to tracking him and any other prisoner down."
i have thoughts on arlecchino i'm going to post later, but right now i have thoughts about kaminari i want to post first.
so kami not going through irminsul has opened so many plot possibilities for me. for example, he would recognize the magician twins. while kami was never close to the other harbingers while acting as scaramouche, he WOULD have most likely been invited to view a magic show/opera as a VIP possibly through arlecchino.
kami would have seen a few magic shows while as harbinger, and upon arriving back to fontaine, kami would recognize the twins, and would probably even congratulate them on a job well done, genuinely impressed with their magic and showmanship.
he holds no ill will toward them and knows that while arlecchino had her way with them initially, they still seem to be well adjusted and able to fit in with regular society. kami would ALSO be aware they're still in contact with the knave, but it's none of his business who they talk to, just as long as neither of them try to drag him back into that organization, because THEN he'd have issues.
I've talked about his wrist guard once a few months ago, but I'm having a thought now.
In game, Chongyun mostly uses his right hand with his claymore, barely using his left. I talked about how he sustained an injury, and it's the reason Chongyun wears one in the first place, but now I want to elaborate.
I see Chongyun as ambidextrous. So Chognyun could theoretically use both hands, though for awhile he defaulted to using his left hand for a majority of things. This caused great strain on their wrist, and they've had to start wearing a guard to prevent even more injury.
Unfortunately, Chongyun's wrist never recovered properly, even after resting it, so Chongyun wears the guard when out fighting/training. When they're taking a break or not having to fight, the guard comes off and is replaced with bandages.
There are times when pain will flair up and Chongyun can't do much of anything, which is part of why he isn't supposed to overwork himself, but he still tries anyway.
The same strain is starting to happen to their other wrist, but Chongyun is being more vigilant about it and keeping bandages on for that extra bit of support.
Claymores are heavy, and with how much Chongyun carries them one handed, it's no surprise that Chongyun's injuring himself.
some spoilers, but i want to make sure everyone understands this:
it was the abyss itself that caused the war. this has nothing to with the abyss twin. apparently people on other sites are blaming the twin for this when I isn't them.
abyssal order is not the actual abyss. the twin is innocent in this.
"seriously kami, why do you even bother with ren? he's rude, cold and lies to everyone. it's pretty obvious he doesn't care about anyone other than himself. the second you say something he doesn't like, he just cuts you out of his life like that? after everything you've been through? talk about cruel. you're better off without someone like that hanging around."
kami agrees. HE AGREES. ren has a very short fuse, he's always had one. kami knows that all too well ― he's LIVED it before.
part of his entire journey now is to find some sort of recovery, no matter what form it takes. he should have expected the bumps in the road; kami and ren are too similar in some aspects. they both take hurt and offense way too quickly ― ANYONE would butt heads with either of them.
"you're right," kami says coldly, rooted in place, staring out into the distance from whence he came. "ren has a sharp tongue that's going to land him in trouble. and his dishonesty is going to land him in even more. he needs to curb that temper of his if he's going to make any meaningful progress with the people in his life."
he stops there. because as much as kami agrees with the words thrown his way, he also, at his core, still cares deeply for ren. there is NO ONE ELSE who could even attempt to understand or share his pain.
even now, subtly and just barely unseen, kami is holding out his hand, absorbing the breeze and wind, letting it swirl menacingly in a circle. a small funnel that's he's staring at with narrowed and hate-filled eyes.
"but if you think i'm going to stand here and let you talk about him that way, you're dead wrong. it doesn't matter what i did or what he said, he's still my brother, and you have not earned the right to speak about, or even think about him."
he's never caused a tornado before. perhaps he's learned this trick by watching kaedahara from a distance, wistfully wishing he'd been allowed to have friends. but he could still learn by watching and hearing about what other visions can do, and he's applying that knowledge to this situation with a level of malice that only the balladeer could conjure up.
with a swish of his hand, the tornado grows in size, gaining speed and becoming far more deadly. it's not quite big enough to be a STORM, but it's enough to cause plenty of damage. it's headed straight for the accuser.
"now do me a favor, and die."
@windsfavored