YOU RECEIVED A COMMON CHEST!

YOU RECEIVED A COMMON CHEST!

If opened, one may find this chest full of Red Wolfhooks. Is this why such berries in this color is rarely seen in the forest?

usually when chongyun finds a chest somewhere in the wild, it's filled with older weapons and artifacts they can make use of. things to store around their home, to clean up and maybe sell to blacksmiths. useful things.

wolfhooks are far less useful; chongyun isn't even sure they remember what one tastes like. they know wolfhooks are medicinal in some form, but perhaps that can be useful for whenever chongyun is making up a first aid kit for whenever he's on the go.

RED wolfhooks, on the other hand ― chongyun has never seen one before. granted, he doesn't spend a whole lot of time near wolvendom in the first place, knowing this place isn't exactly the friendliest for humans. but red wolfhooks? red?

curiosity drives them. they're taking a small knife out of their pouch, and using said blade to cut into the berry for taste. it doesn't taste bad, but it's not chongyun's favorite natural flavor.

come to think of it, perhaps they can give these to bartenders for drinks, right? getting back to his feet, chongyun grabs as many wolfhooks as he possibly can carry in his arms, before turning to head back for mondstadt. maybe diluc or diona would enjoy these.

something I've noticed about chongyun lately is aside from being protective of the people they care for, they're very touchy-feely. like they'll sweep hair out of someone's face, or check their temperature, or other little touches like that to show their concern.

I don't think it's something Chongyun does on purpose, but something definitely does to show his worry and concern. because worrying about someone is not just an emotion, and I half believe that he checks/feels because he himself is a sickly person, and while he struggles to regulate his own bodily temperature, he knows what one is supposed to feel like, and any deviated from the norm on someone else would have Chongyun incredibly concerned and worried.

They care for people and that care manifests into physical touch. which then has me thinking that touch is Chongyun's love language after all. Not because they're touch starved, but because they appreciate when people touch them, so Chongyun dishes out the same treatment because to him, it's comforting, it's a feeling of safety, and he wants others to feel as safe and comforted as he does when people touch him.

well i'm actually in h.sr gonna try to spend the next few days getting caught up (wish me luck).

but i'm also hoping to reawaken muse for h.sr!chongyun, and reconfigure his part in the verse.

" ... would you like to try some? It is a special tea I brew when peaceful sleep eludes me. " Kazuha gestures towards the fresh, steaming brew with a gentle smile. " Most may find it a touch too bitter, but the flavor, I find, helps draw forth the benefits even more. " // to Kami!

Kami still isn't sure why Kaedahara is being nice to him. He's not sure why he feels so suspicious, either. It's not like the wanderer to lift a finger against others, Kaminari knows that much.

The offer of tea is too tempting to pass up though. He sniffs the air, leaning forward just a touch to get a better glimpse of the liquid that smells so good, in spite of all his misgivings.

"You do know I don't need to sleep, right?" It's all Kami really has to offer for now. "But yes, I would like some." He stops there, trying to figure out where their bond is actually going. This could very well be a spark of friendship, even if Kami is still partially cautious around Kaedahara. Maybe a little less.

"...thank you. For the tea." Maybe also thanks for Kazuha actually showing him kindness in a world that still despises him. No smile is offered, no softer expression. Kami is still very guarded, but he can accept this much. That, and it's not like he never sleeps at all. Sometimes, he does indulge in the occasional nap.

it's 7am and I'm sleepy but I have a lot of thoughts about chongyun this morning, especially concerning trust.

I've never really explored the concept of trust in rp very much, probably because for me it's always been a given. but I'm thinking hard about the use of blindfolds and how chongyun would most likely use them in training to enhance their reflexes or in meditation. and I'm toying with the idea that chongyun would bring a friend into this to also work on trust levels.

like maybe chongyun wants said partner to throw attacks his way, so chongyun can block the attacks either with his claymore, his cryo, or both. and honestly the idea of chongyun being nervous and really pushing boundaries and trust here is so appealing.

and blindfolds themselves are incredibly intimate. you're cutting off one sense: your sight. so in that regard one would have no choice but to rely so heavily on trust and camaraderie to get through whatever the scenario would be.

every single thought flies out of kaminari's head the second those fingers wrap around his throat. before he can even THINK to fight back, or react, he's being slammed back against the wall. of COURSE, only someone matching own strength, that's able to render him briefly limp and semi conscious. kami's seeing spots, vision half blurred as he stares up at the silhouette of the balladeer.

kami's already struggling to shake off the impact. even with the massive headache forming, his half-lidded eyes blink slowly up at scaramouche with his mind churning and creaking, trying to catch back up to the conversation. the idiot is still rambling on about something, though now the words are slightly out of focus, almost fuzzy sounding. his ears almost miss the context, but as if through some delayed response, kami can catch the gist of the monologue; something related to being afraid.

if only he could actually fight back, now that the balladeer is well within range. it's too bad he'd taken the initiative to DAZE kami first. it's embarrassing, really. for kami to be so strong, having overcome so much in his life. and is now once again reduced to being a prisoner with no real escape. anyone else would have already been long overpowered and beaten, but he'd almost forgotten how strong he was in this embarrassing stage of life.

"i'm not scared of you," kami finally mutters, gaze drifting down to the wrist still holding him in place. "now it's the exact opposite." he's drawing up a leg, tucking it up against himself and using it to keep himself propped up. it's not a whole lot of action, but it's still SOMETHING. "you're nothing but a moron with a captive audience," kami finishes speaking, before snapping his leg out to catch kunikuzushi in the stomach. the kick is probably weaker than normal, since his stupid body is still struggling to snap out of its temporary daze.

not MUCH is expected from this ― it's not like kami is concerned over being choked. neither of them have the lungs or air to worry about that. what kami IS worried about is the balladeer slamming him again, succeeding in actually knocking him unconscious. there's no way kami can withstand another blow against the wall, so the sooner he gets himself free, the better.

already, he's drawing up his leg again to prepare for a second kick. second time's the charm.

give  it  back?  kunikuzushi  blinks  in  surprise  —  are  his  ears  MALFUNCTIONING?  he  simply  cannot  believe  what  he's  hearing.  yet  the  initial  shock  is  soon  followed  by  (  incredulous  )  laughter.  gentle,  like  the  chiming  of  tiny  bells  —  a  sound  that  would  be  considered  BEAUTIFUL  under  different  circumstances,  yet  feels  downright  jarring  here  when  contrasted  against  the  obvious  cruelty  in  his  eyes.  ❝  why  should  i? ❞   the  balladeer  asks,  arms  spread  and  palms  raised  upwards.  ❝  aren't  you  the  one  who  STARTED  this  fight? ❞  provoking  him  —  such  arrogance!  ❝  for  all  that  you  pretend  to  know  about  me ...  are  you  so  naive  as  to  think  i  would  let  you  go  merely  because  you  asked? ❞   perhaps  he  did  hit  his  head  after  all.  kunikuzushi  hasn't  exactly  been  paying  much  attention  to  how  this  pathetic  doppelganger  was  tossed  around.  surely  he  can't  actually  believe  the  sixth  would  be  at  all  inclined  to  show  him  MERCY  —  oil  and  water  would  be  more  liable  to  mix!

❝  this  isn't  an  ideological  battle.  i  couldn't  care  less  about  whatever  lies  you  feed  yourself  to  find  peace  in  such  an  inferior  existence. ❞  and  he  isn't  particularly  inclined  to  listen,  either.  kunikuzushi  was  destined  for  greatness,  for  divinity  —  and  unlike  this  FAKE,  he  has  endured  far  too  much  to  simply  GIVE  UP  now.  ❝  ...  i  just  want  to  see  you  suffer. ❞

without  warning,  the  harbinger  disappears  in  a  burst  of  electricity  bright  enough  to  SEAR  the  eyes.  cold  fingers  curl  around  kaminari's  throat  —  he  pulls  up  his  doppelganger  as  if  he  weighs  nothing  at  all,  cruelly  slamming  him  against  the  wall.  he's  changed  his  mind;  kunikuzushi  really  doesn't  care  whether  this  gives  him  the  opportunity  for  a  counterattack  —  because  they  both  know  his  anemo-wielding  counterpart  won't  dare  go  anywhere  without  his  PRECIOUS  VISION.  (  and  any  pain  he  can  inflict  upon  the  sixth  is  utterly  inconsequential.  )  ❝  cling  to  that  false  bravado  as  much  as  you  like. ❞  the  balladeer  says,  voice  dropping  to  little  more  than  a  whisper.  at  such  a  close  proximity,  the  glow  from  his  eyes  appears  almost  eerie  —  as  if  they  are  glassy  and  doll-like,  backlit  by  a  purple-hued  light.  unnatural,  inhuman  and  godly.  it  casts  strange  shadows  across  his  too-perfect  features,  only  serving  to  accentuate  the  sadistic,  controlled  mania  that  characterizes  every  word  out  of  the  sixth's  mouth.  ❝  the  truth  is ...  you're  TERRIFIED,  aren't  you? ❞  oh,  kunikuzushi  did  not  miss  that  look  for  the  split-second  it  lit  up  his  face.  on  the  contrary,  he  RELISHES  it.

❝  surrendering  to  something  as  weak  as  fear ...  just  like  a  common  animal.  how  very  human  of  you. ❞