How Does Kami Feel About Others Calling Him By His Old Names? What If For Whatever Reason They Refuse

How does Kami feel about others calling him by his old names? What if for whatever reason they refuse to call him by his new name?

I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER! i daydreaming and imagined him running into another harbinger, and trying to imagine what he would say to them in response. because i have a feeling that on instinct, they would call him scaramouche, or even kunikuzushi if they knew that name. it would be more out of habit than any actual malicious intent, but it would still slip out.

from a harbinger, i can see kami getting a little bit eye twitchy, and reminding them firmly that those aren't his names anymore, that he has an actual name now, and he'd prefer to be called that from now on. he'd force a reminder a few times before raising his voice and demanding a certain level of respect. just because he left their cause and is paving his own path doesn't mean they get to blatantly disrespect him or what he wishes to be called.

THIS IS JUST WITH THE HARBINGERS. part of kami still fears, yet loathes them, and as an ex-colleague, he still owes them a certain amount of respect. he would walk away if things started to get ugly, like if they refused to give him the dignity of calling him by kaminari.

with anyone else outside the harbingers, if they dared try to provoke him by calling him scaramouche, i can see him getting a little more testy/impatient. it would take one warning from him to set them straight. anything after that, and he'd probably break an inanimate object in front of said person to make his point very clear. he wouldn't go through anything more extreme than that, but the threat would be very very implied.

he wouldn't fight anyone unless it was a last resort. it would be tempting sometimes, especially if he wasn't in the mood for it, but he'd hold himself back and walk away from a situation that upsets him. part of going through this entire process and healing in sumeru is actively changing all his ways. it's much more fun to lash out with tongue than with action, and he still can dish out insults left and right, but never let things escalate beyond that.

all he wants is for people to NOT call him scaramouche or kunikuzushi in the first place. he's finally been granted a real name, by someone he has complex emotions for (traveler), and he's going to wear this name like a badge of honor and pride. the least people could do is call him by this name instead of trying to poke the proverbial dragon just to see what happens.

@windsfavored | yakshaverse

sumeru city.

it's not a place they'd been to before. they almost shouldn't be here in the first place, with their karmic debt still plaguing every step. their entire existence is painful, and they would have chalked up their latest dream to be just THAT, except for the return of memories long forgotten.

changed his fate? binarius doesn't know how that's even possible in the first place. how could they have forgotten their old friend like they did? had that even actually been a dream? had they actually seen the dendro archon in their mind, offering them some comfort?

binarius leans on his claymore, eyes scanning the many pathways leading all over the city. it's a bustling, lively place, way too easy to get lost in. there's no telling where he'll even begin to find his old friend, and he's already so worn out, exhausted.

he walks upward, a winding stone patch that seems to stretch on in many directions. binarius isn't even paying attention to where he's going, there's nothing enjoyable about being here in the first place. all he knows is that some force, some innate desire, is pushing him ahead. he's so weak and ill; he'll need days to recover. hopefully.

at long last, or what FEELS like forever, binarius finds himself staring up at a rather large, ornate building. it's far too massive, too intimidating, and some fear inside him is preventing him from getting closer. there are way too many people inside; binarius can't risk them getting hurt by his own ailments. once more, he's leaning on his claymore, trying to ponder his next step.

―a flash of blue, amid the sea of green and white uniforms, draws their gaze instantly. it's a large hat, strange as it may appear, and underneath it is the very face binarius had been missing for so long. too long.

picking their weapon back up, binarius moves closer, brushing their hair out of their face. they flash back to when the pair had first met ― binarius was just as disheveled and dirty as they are now.

"kab-" they begin, lifting an arm. only to slowly lower it again. the figure is disappearing inside the building. they have no choice but to follow. practically running.

"kabukimono!" they call out.

please don't let it be too late.

ren's confession almost passes by unacknowledged. kami doesn't want to discuss the finer intricacies of ren's love life. in part, because kami is still JEALOUS that ren can find love, and also part because the idea that ren can befriend and even marry one of the descendants of the raiden gokaden is still so, so laughable to kaminari. it stands to reason he'd gloss right over this.

except―

tipping his kasa back, kami GLARES at ren with the most bombastic side eye. there is nothing funny about what ren's told him, but this entire confession is even more laughable than the idea that ren is dating his supposed enemy.

"ren." kami's voice comes out far more curt than he'd like. but then again, it's not sharp enough, either. "you are going to marry this man," kami continues. he shifts his body, angling it more toward his brother. "you instinctively correct me on what your titles to each other are. you are dedicating yourself to him in the most mundane, pointless ceremony to ever exist. and yet, you haven't told him anything about yourself?"

kami's TRYING to place himself in ren's shoes. he's trying to understand where ren's coming from. if kami had such a loyal partner as kaedahara, certainly he'd feel comfortable enough to share the darkest parts of his past, to ensure his partner would still love him.

isn't that how it's supposed to be?

kami ISN'T in ren's shoes. though they share incredibly similar experiences, and may have even walked in the same footsteps, their opinions and outlooks on life are still entirely separate from each other. case in point: ren and kaedahara being engaged.

"are you going to lie by omission this entire time?" kami continues. "forget even the fatui. does he even KNOW you're the one who kickstarted his clan's downfall?" he puts a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle the sudden onslaught of laughter, but this is way too fucking rich. this isn't funny. ren isn't funny. but okay― this is a little funny.

"i can't believe you," kami laughs. "i can't wait to see the look on his face when―, and yes, i'm expecting you to actually tell him, ―he learns the truth about you."

kami bows his head, biting on a finger to try and control himself. he can't just keep laughing at ren, but sometimes kami wonders how much of an idiot he really can be.

"―and i thought i was the reckless one."

the  anger  earns  a  blink  —  though  ren  isn't  so  ignorant  as  to  assume  it's  directed  at  HIMSELF.  the  situation  they've  found  themselves  in  goes  beyond  merely  messy.  it's  a  veritable  minefield  with  no  end  in  sight  where  each  step  carries  the  risk  of  setting  off  yet  another  explosive  —  vitriolic  feelings,  some  echo  of  past  trauma,  a  memory  better  left  buried.  instead  of  adding  more  fuel  to  those  white-hot  sparks  of  anger,  the  wanderer  decides  to  observe  in  silence.  chin  propped  up  on  that  same  fist  that  once  feigned  snatching  up  the  lights  of  the  city  below,  eyes  sharp  and  unapologetically  attuned  to  every  detail.

❝  she  wouldn't. ❞   he  only  speaks  up  when  kaminari  decides  to  shift  the  SUBJECT.   ❝  ...  and  frankly,  i  would  prefer  not  to  have  that  conversation  with  her  —  even  if  she's  already  well  aware  of  the  details. ❞  lord  kusanali's  wisdom  is  invaluable,  but  her  guidance  is  too  GENTLE.  ren's  mind  craves  an  answer  —  direct  and  uncompromising.  he  cannot  handle  a  vague  push  meant  to  gently  nudge  him  towards  his  own  conclusions.  his  head  is  far  too  muddled  to  produce  anything  of  value,  emotions  clouding  his  judgement.  it's  precisely  for  that  reason  why  he's  decided  to  consult  KAMINARI  about  this  —  knowing  full  well  that  his  twin  is  both  similarly  straightforward  and  already  aware  of  the  ugly  feelings  HAUNTING  him.  it's  a  shame  he  didn't  take  the  time  to  consider  that  might  lend  itself  to  the  same  hindrances.

❝  ... ❞  take  the  plunge,  huh?  it's  certainly  an  idea.  perhaps  it's  the  only  option  they  truly  have.  ❝  he's  my  fiancé. ❞  ren  quickly  corrects  —  words  spoken  on  REFLEX  rather  than  conscious  thought.  ❝  ...  not  my  boyfriend. ❞  honestly,  the  wanderer  doesn't  particularly  care  much  for  the  difference  —  and  he  doesn't  care  much  for  the  concept  of  marriage  in  general.  still,  it's  important  to  KAZUHA.  ❝  i  doubt  we  have  the  funds  to  pay  for  a  personal  trip  to  inazuma ...  but  if  they  happen  to  already  be  heading  in  that  direction,  there's  a  chance  we  could  tag  along. ❞  although,  even  thinking  about  it  has  discomfort  squirming  in  the  pit  of  his  nonexistent  stomach.  this  is  very  rapidly  beginning  to  feel  a  bit  too  REAL.  ❝  to  be  honest,  i'm  not  sure  how  deeply  i  want  kazuha  to  be  involved.  he's  already  has  his  own  experiences  involving  my  mother,  and  i  can't  imagine  they're  PLEASANT ...  it  would  be  SELFISH  to  involve  him  in  my  issues  on  top  of  that,  wouldn't  it? ❞  yes,  they  may  be  in  a  relationship  —  and  yes,  he  knows  by  definition  that  means  they  should  be  around  to  support  one  another...  but  is  it  so  wrong  to  want  to  PROTECT  HIM  from  discomfort  that  would  otherwise  be  completely  avoidable?

...  perhaps.  ren  knows  he  has  a  tendency  to  keep  SECRETS.  (  more  than  he  should.  )

case  and  point,  ❝  he  still  doesn't  know  about  the  fatui. ❞

"for any future incidents, if the exorcist is going to drop a figurative bomb on us, please do everyone a favor and knock them unconscious. it will save ALL of us from the biggest headache."

@vohunara: People cannot perceive wetness; rather, they recognize other sensory aspects, temperature being the most prominent. So whether water is wet, we can't say for sure, as we don't know what wetness is.

"what about when we take showers or baths? don't we instinctively know we're wet then?" chongyun presses his hands together in front of his mouth, deep in thought. "my brain always tells me that i know i'm getting wet, but i never stopped to to think about how it actually feels."

actually I just had a thought because I'm replaying the story on an alt account.

People in Liyue say at the beginning that the adepti are seen as a myth, that no one's actually seen them. Which doesn't make any sense, because Chongyun + clan actively works alongside Xiao and have been for centuries.

Does this mean that Chongyun themself is a secret keeper? That they knew all along of how sacred Jueyun Karst is because of the adepti? That the adepti never left?

I always headcanoned that the clan holds documents/armor/weapons/etc from Khaenri'ah, but does this mean that they could also hold documents and whatnot from the fallen yaksha themselves if this is a case?

If the clan knew about the adepti from the beginning, then what else do they know?