#wiseinnocence

Farrow puts a hand on yanfeis shoulder

send me “ what am i?” and my muse will describe yours in 3 words.

random asks / @wise-innocence. always accepting !

Yanfei had recently mentioned taking up some 'bodyguard work' for an illustrious painter. An eccentric man who only puts out work on his own schedule but is supposedly renown in the art world. Azhdaha doesn't have an ear to the ground in that field but they'll believe what she tells them. The young Hunter has no reason to fib about such matters and so they take it at face value. If they had more interest in the man, an internet search would answer all of their questions—but Yanfei is more than capable of handling herself. Lest he become an old miserly man who only nags in her eyes; they shudder at the thought.

They're absolutely cool. (Right?)

Nevertheless, her work with this 'Rafayel' is why they're currently engaging in this exercise. She must have been inspired by her charge's latest works. The canvas is a place of self-expression, a window into one's soul. Or at least that's what the ancients used to believe and was why artisans were taken in by patrons and sometimes gods themselves. Golden eyes stare at the brushstrokes gliding across the expanse, slowly filling in the blanks. Filling in the gaps, once empty, slowly filling with color. Their gaze shift to her at the thought—painting his world anew with fresh hues.

Eyes soften and as their guard falls, the memories return—an open field of golden flowers, a lone tree glowing with azure light and two silhouettes standing at each other's side looking up at the moon.

Yanfei's voice pulls Azhdaha out of their thoughts. She must have felt their gaze and thought to break the silence.

Penguins? He recalls the new penguin keychain plushie on her bag from a recent trip to Twinkle Toys arcade. Ah.

As they are about the respond, her next question catches them off guard. Laughter bursts and eyes crinkle in amusement. A hand reaches for his stomach, trying not to double over. Azhdaha wipes a tear from their eye.

"'Pelt them with love rocks'? Why on earth would I do that?" Since recalling her memories after helping him find fragments of his Cor Lapis, Yanfei has been inquisitive about the Earth Spirit's true nature. It's a welcome change in their relationship, one that they don't mind. They no longer toe around the 'should' and 'could's of what topics to avoid.

"If you're inquiring about courtships, my kind did not have such rituals." Azhdaha stands and walks around their easel, towards her. His gaze is soft, gentle—always with her, always...

You were special. The words die at the tip of his tongue, upon the graveyard of unspoken sentences longing for release.

"We usually remain alone for as long as we exist." They slowly reach for her hand and entwines their fingers. "But we welcome companionship. So long as the other party is willing to stay—we will welcome the shared warmth."

ah,   the   joys   of   youth   and   humour.   unfortunately,   he   did   have   a   tiny   bit   of   decorum   to   maintain.

❛    i'm   afraid   it   wouldn't   be   quite   so   masterful   anymore   if   it   were   common   knowledge,   wouldn't   you   agree   ?   ❜

@wise-innocence sent: "Boom!" The poor wooden piece is practically slammed against the board as the winning move was played. Yanfei quickly apologized for the outburst but the excitement left her beaming. She had lost five - no, six games in a row and was beginning to lose all hopes at victory up until that point. "That's game, Mr. Zhongli. It's a shame we didn't make any wagers... should we play again?"

Zhongli's eyes widen slightly at his opponent's enthusiastic final move but soon after it brings a soft smile to his lips. She has fought valiantly, improved with every game they played, her strategy developing in real time for him to observe. Anyone else might have taken pity on her a few games ago and let her win, but Zhongli doesn't see the gain in that. While one purpose of the game is to spend time with a friend and enjoy the process, the goal that drives every move is still to win and the pieces placed on the board are the tools with which each player hones their skill. He wouldn't be doing her any real favor by treating her like a child who cannot defeat an opponent through her own wits and perseverance.

"I believe the wise things for me to do is to stop now. You have seen through my strategy, and it is the final battle that counts more than the ones that came before." He starts picking his pieces off the board and placing them back into their wooden bowl. "Perhaps you will grant me a rematch next week? I will refine my strategy or devise a new one until then. For now.. would you keep me company for another cup of tea? I am curious to hear what made you change tactics to drastically in your last fifteen moves."

“Mr. Zhongli ! Do you have a moment for dessert?” She stood before him with a questionable looking mini cake in hand. Clearly homemade but perhaps lacking in experience (or a recipe).

The cake presented before him draws forth a memory of a distant past in which another one of his peers decided to exercise her culinary skills. To this day, the prospect of eating slimy textured seafood erodes his constitution.

"That is most generous of you," Zhongli offers a wry smile. "But I am afraid I'd have to decline as I have just concluded with lunch a moment ago. Perhaps we can reconvene at a later date?"

@wise-innocence asked: "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Because you could entitled to compensation."