#lunaether

@lunaether​.

         a traitor   ?   no, that couldn’t be right. the twilight sword had long since been a trusted ally to the royal family and had served khaenri’ah loyally for many years. the paintstaking confusion between their fleeting gazes in mondstadt had already been driving the prince up the wall with curiosity. various reports from abyss mages had them fleeing from the former knight, and accounts of the weary traveller’s wilting persona at the same time the abyssal monarch arrived seemed all too coincidental. he loathed the idea that they might be on opposing sides of this war, but knew better than to jump to conclusions at the first sign of a possible betrayal. after all, he hadn’t seen dainsleif in a very, very long time and   ...   according to hearsay accounts, for dainsleif, it had been much, much longer.

         the abyssal traces left behind would intertwine flawlessly with elemental energy, such a revelation he would bitterly admit, came from both abyssal and allogene abilities. to be hunted like this seemed reminiscent of the first few years after the cataclysm, only kaeya had been the one being ushered away instead of the mages at his sides. catching sight of familiar starry eyes, afflicted with perpetual homesickness as the prince was, should have been a comfort. instead, it gave him a dreadful sense of foreboding.   ‘   sir dainsleif   ...   ’   stood between the cryo mages and the most powerful knights of the dynasty made him feel smaller, as if a child again, even if he was now able to stand his own ground. gloved hands twitched aching for his blade, diamond eyes flitting down to where the rumoured corrupted hand might be under his cloak. that there was caution there instead of relief between them left a great ache in kaeya’s chest.

         ‘   what are you doing here   ?   ’

Perhaps reuniting with Lumine had make his movements a little slower than usual, Aether already having to resist the urge to glance back one last time before turning his back on the sibling that he had begun this journey long ago to awaken and leave this world with. This meeting was a reunion on a number different fronts, the lost traveler only feeling the need to intervene when his eyes caught sight of a power he thought he would never see once again. Although he was certain that he would have to jump in at some point - Lumine had grown strong in his absence - surely it was hurried along by the presence of that man by her side. 

@lunaether​.

         the frostwind night was a storyteller at heart,   more used to making the common and mundane more interesting than it seemed, always reading novels about other nations, and seeking out the tales of any wayward traveller that happened upon the land of song. though kaeya’s life wasn’t exactly dull in the slightest, the confinement he had to the nation by promises, by duty, meant remaining bound here for some time, and the only stimulus left was to observe whatever outside forces deigned to visit the sleepy city. grandeur and complicated as kaeya’s life actually was, his day to day schedule when not in the midst of an operation was   ...   boring, or at least, he thought so   —   the only other means of entertainment was the gossip that flowed through the windmills as common as any breeze.

         while there was no shortage in people who’d love to delve into kaeya’s past, how quickly they desired to unravel the stories the prince had accumulated, the request had never felt so   ...   well, the word wasn’t “ unnerving ” but something similar to it, when it came to dainsleif. maybe it was because of some misplaced rivalry, a desire to tell a story so grandeur that it would leave even the bough keeper impressed   -   but then again, at this point, was there any story that could impress someone who had a power near omnipotent   ?   in comparison kaeya’s petty gossip seemed silly, childish even. and then, stories about kaeya himself. well, kaeya had been called egotistical before, conceited, self - absorbed, he’d made an art of talking about himself without actually revealing anything. he could tell those kinds of verbal gymnastics wouldn’t work on dainsleif, and   ...

         ...   well, kaeya didn’t have any inclination to be dishonest with him like he was with so many others. the twilight sword had already seen so many ugly parts of him, some mundane little facts would hardly make a difference.

         the situation quieted him some, silently taking the offered bloom and adding it to the bouquet clutched in elbow while contemplating his responses. he really, couldn’t compare himself to omnipotence, what could dainsleif possibly hope to know   ?   when uncharacteristically timid vision rose to see even the slightest quirk of his lips, kaeya startles slightly. for as hauntingly attractive as dainsleif was, with little care for corruption, his stubborn mannerisms, or frustratingly straightforward way of thinking   ...   like this, temporarily rid of worry, he’s beautiful. the prince felt like an idiot for not seeing that sooner, the complications of realising such a thing aside. he let out a stuttered breath, barely noticeable, that might have been the closest thing to a flustered stutter kaeya had ever come to.

         he recovered quickly, or tried to at the very least, soft breathy laughter making the smile lines at the corner of his eyes manifest. genuine.   ‘   i feel as if you’re having too much fun trying to read me like this.   ’   warmth in his chest, melting the ever present fortress around frostrime heart. kaeya followed to walk alongside him eagerly.   ‘   love, i feel, is one of the most compelling emotions there is. emotions like sadness, rage, and loneliness are clear cut, simple things, but the addition of love   —   grief, vindiction, longing   —   the implication that the emotions stem from love make them all the more complex.   ’   kaeya twirled one the flowers in his opposite hand, watching the curl of it’s petals and wondering if this was worth pressing.   ‘   humans do stupid things in the name of love, not all of it clear cut, or pretty. stories born from it are the most fascinating. would you agree, or no   ?   ’

from.

@lunaether​ sent:   [  mentor  ] sender  takes  muse  under  their  wing            wordless command .

Fellowship amongst two kindred souls wasn’t a foreign concept to him ( Kaeya and Jean come wistfully to mind ), but time and self-imposed solitude were vicious vices and --- it was no longer for the man he had become ( a sorrow to admit, but conviction rang true ).  The indulgence of being guided and the grounding safety it allowed are but thorns of faraway stars, and it’s been a while since he’s stargazed.

Complications of no longer being human in the most practical of senses, he supposed.

And yet.  ❝  I was wondering...  ❞  Curiously intoned as meticulous hands swipe away the blood sticking to his weapon of choice, brow arched and gaze busy at task ( even if interest thrums underneath the calm visage ).  ❝ How long are you planning to stay in Mondstadt ?  ❞

Weaves carefully a small and feather-like luminescent flower he has picked up from his journey to Tsurumi Island with the elastic band of Kaeya's hair and then steps back, regarding the prince with a soft gaze. ❝I knew it would suit you. It highlights the unique color of your hair.❞ (from @lunaether!)

         the gradual change in attitude was most definitely a curiosity. that the bough keeper seemed more firmly rooted in his ways than any great forest was an understatement. eventually a duality would come into play, though dainsleif was capable of being cold and ruthless when need be, there was a charming innocence born from isolation, born from a soul who’d never wished to be corrupted as he had. though kaeya was sure dainsleif kept secrets from him, he was sure he’d never lied, never deceived him, spoke only what he thought even when the truth was harsh and biting. so too, his affections were of the same clarity, crystal clear, and without ill intent. kaeya had been on the receiving end of many a rough, uncaring approach. though he’d been a prince, he had been handled carelessly, approached as if an object, and sometimes the frostwind knight would go along with it. he was not used to this gentleness, unbridled care from a man who could perform unfathomable destructions and yet still was so gentle when touching him.

         it hurt almost, to be cared for like this.

         he’d caught him off guard, truth be told, a rare feat for kaeya indeed. dainsleif had never been one to initiate touch as often as kaeya did, the act of pulling aside unruly blue tresses leaving kaeya with a curious hum, a slight quirk of his lips. to act out of the ordinary, to keep him engaged, to keep him thinking, that had been his initial draw to dainsleif. it wasn’t until later on that this urge to remind dainsleif what it had been like to be human rose, to reintroduce even a fraction of this domesticity. the prince had always believed his station in mondstadt boring, uninspired, but he saw the wear in which the eons, teyvat in itself, put upon dainsleif and thought that maybe his sleepy nation could be a temporary respite, despite the fact that abyssals swarmed to mondstadt to seek shelter from vengeful gods. kaeya certainly felt safe when dainsleif was here, for reasons that weren’t all together related to his status as a formal royal knight.

         kaeya brushed his hair over his shoulder, luminescent flora coming to life with the sun setting at their backs, soon to be engulfed with a blanket of stars. he wonders briefly if the other had taken into account the frostwind’s lament of homesickness, confessed in moments of hurtful vulnerability, and knows - devastatingly - that it was true. though dainsleif had said things before that had fractured kaeya’s soul, they had always been truthful, they had always been honest. he knew not how to react to someone who was noble at heart, someone that had only twisted his own image of himself into a monster when all of these actions were inherently kind. he had known plenty of men who had lived shorter lives and become despicable people. this he’d known all his life, but not how to react to dainsleif when offered such sincerity. instead, kaeya mirrored his smile, the calla lily he’d been twirling between nervous fingers now pinned to the twilight sword’s lapel in equal offering. it was the least he could do, for someone who offered him time, to keep kaeya company despite his corruptions, the lily was a symbol of purity after all.

         he has sentiments lined up that could imply so many things, from warnings to come ons, but instead the prince exhaled amusement, eyes closing for a fraction only to meet dainsleif’s in the end.

         ‘   you flatterer.   thank you.   ’

out of the corner of his eye ragnvindr spotted a figure, tall and dark amidst the trees, silhouette shaped by the soft moonlight. the city lights did not reach this place, and the sky was clear and cloudless. letting out a quiet growl, diluc turned his attention back to the riftwolf under his blade. though his identity was somewhat masked in the darkness, he had little interest in trying to tiptoe around this stranger once his fight was finished. he thought perhaps they would be gone by the time he'd killed the abyssal creatures that threatened wolvendom, so he kept himself focused on the wolves.

diluc felt weak, weaker than he'd been to begin with, weaker than he usually found himself by this point in a fight. it frustrated him that the hounds had this effect; though he knew that the wolves were falling one by one, their attacks seemed to only get stronger over time, leaving him struggling with the last two whelps. with his greatsword in his right hand, the cloaked hero reached out with his left, and the curve of his father's delusion glinted in the moonlight, bright red much akin to his pyro vision. from this movement thick chains materialized under hand, and with the expertise diluc accumulated over the years those chains wrapped tightly around the muzzle of the hound before him. though this did not stop the enemy by any means, it gave him just enough time to cleave its head in two with his claymore. with one whelp left, killing the creature was a much easier process, especially with the exhaustion his body was feeling. when the last wolf fell, diluc dropped to his knees, trying to calm his breathing and combat the dizziness in his head. getting home would be a difficult prospect at this point.

leaning forward on his hands, noctua suddenly remembered that he was not alone. still feeling the effects of the rifthounds, diluc lifted his head to speak aloud, gaze drifting to where he'd first seen the figure of a person.

❝ who are you, and what are you doing here? ❞