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[erabundus]

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄  𝐇𝐀𝐒  𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍  𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐌𝐘  𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄  ... and  there  is  seemingly  no  end  in  sight. on that note, hello!  this  is  a  brand  new  blog  for  𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐍  𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐔𝐍Í𝐍  of  𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐔𝐑'𝐒  𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄  𝟑!  (  adored,  clowned  on  and endlessly  brainrotted  over  by  avalon.  ) i'm  original  character,  multimuse,  crossover  and  duplicate  friendly. if  you  wouldn't  mind  giving  this  post  a  quick  𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  or  𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆  if  you're  interested  in  interacting,  i  would  appreciate  it  very  much!

[erabundus]

["So this year anhe decided to try a new chocolate recipe this year,bitter as always you should have seen how tai's face scrunched up..its not much but we tried to make them a little bit bigger this year we hope you like them happy valentines day-!"]

Farrow handed a box out to his brother ,inside was an array of dark chocolates in the shape of messy stars tucked together,there was also a folded note within it that when open had a recipe written on it as well as a message

'ren I apologize I meant to give this to you the last time you visited but it slipped my mind,I thought you'd might want to make some chocolates on your own!,let me know what you think next time you visit aha,hope you enjoy and I wish you safe travels -sincerly anhe' -farrow & anhe (sorta hfds)

he  seems  a  bit  SURPRISED  by  the  chocolates  —  and  it  takes  several  (  long  )  seconds  before  ren  has  the  presence  of  mind  to  wipe  the  expression  clean  from  delicate  countenance.  wordlessly  he  reaches  out  to  accept  the  box.  he  doesn't  open  it  immediately,  merely  taking  a  moment  to  observe  the  colorful  packaging.  the  wanderer  is  one  who  values  personalized  gifts  quite  highly;  as  a  result,  he  feels  almost  compelled  to  appreciate  every  detail.  ❝  i  suppose  it's  an  acquired  taste.  ❞  he  muses  —  the  bitterness,  that  is.  (  life's  true  flavor,  as  he  often  calls  it.  )  most  can't  bring  themselves  to  stomach  it;  he  isn't  surprised  taiyang  can't  handle  the  intensely  flavored  chocolates.  perhaps  it's  for  the  best  that  he  can't ... even if sweetness is but a cloying lie.

opening  the  box,  he  exhales  a  soft  huff  of  amusement  at  the  sight  that  greets  him.  the  only  stars  that  might  bring  him  COMFORT  these  days  —  as  real  as  the  ones  glittering  above  their  heads.  his  eyes  settle  on  the  scrap  of  paper  tucked  away  within,  and  ren  wastes  no  time  snatching  it  up  to  peer  quizzically  at  the  contents. chocolate is quite the tedious thing to make from scratch; he knows from EXPERIENCE, after clumsily attempting to create something acceptable enough to gift kazuha. perhaps he'll have to give the recipe a try. he trusts anhe not to steer him wrong.

❝  thank  you.  ❞  the  wanderer  says,  punctuating  the  gratitude  with  a  shallow  dip  of  the  head.  ❝  let  anhe  know  i  appreciate  it ...  depending  on  how  things  go,  i  might  drop  by  to  bother  her  for  more  baking  advice.  ❞

[erabundus]

@momijiba &&. said... out of nowhere, kazuha wraps a familiar scarf around ren's face. it was the very same scarf that kazuha had given him on christmas a year ago. he tried his best to have the scarf smell like him and that his fiancé had something to remember him by when he wasn't with him.       ❝  happy valentines day, my love, my everything, my precious aoi hasu~  ❞ whispering every word into ren's ear and giving a little kiss on the outer shell.

a  faint  sound  of  surprise  tears  itself  free  from  his  throat  —  somewhat  muffled,  courtesy  of  the  scarf.  by  now,  the  wanderer  would  have  assumed  he  should  have  AMPLE  TIME  to  grow  accustomed  to  kazuha's  antics  —  yet  reality  all  too  often  has  a  way  of  straying  from  one's  expectations.  though  he  feigns  a  lack  of  amusement  with  how  hands  grasp  impatiently  to  pull  the  soft  fabric  away  from  his  face,  there's  a  quizzical  tilt  to  his  lips  that  suggests  ren  is  biting  the  inside  of  his  cheek  to  keep  from  SMILING  OPENLY.  ❝  was  handing  it  to  me  too  difficult  for  you?  ❞   a  touch  of  his  usual  snark  bleeds  into  the  words,  though  it's  ultimately  more  conversational  than  genuine  critique.  it  takes  a  few  moments  for  him  to  recognize  the  scarf,  shoulders  falling  —  as  if  the  scent  alone  is  so  calming,  it  drains  every  scrap  of  fight  from  his  body.  there's  a  pause,  fingers  dragging  over  the  familiar  material.  when  did  the  human  snatch  it  away  from  him?  he  hasn't a clue.

ren  has  frequently  been  quite  BLUNT  in  his  disregard  for  mortal  festivities  and  holidays.  when  one  lives  as  many  years  as  he  has,  what  appeal  they  might  hold  has  a  tendency  to  burn  out  rather  quickly.  it's  only  quite  recently  that  he's  been  given  a  reason  TO  CARE  once  again.  not  for  his  own  sake  —  but  rather,  for  that  of  those  who  seem  determined  to  gather  around  him despite  the  great  personal  risk.  valentines  day  is  one  such  example;  he  can't  recall  a  time  he  ever  celebrated  it  prior  to  meeting  kazuha.  were  he  not  in  a  RELATIONSHIP,  the  wanderer  doubts  he  would  ever  pay  it  any  attention  at  all. he thought himself incapable of the feelings he inspires within him, much less the type to dabble in something as human as marriage.

eyes  close  for  just  a  moment.  that  familiar  scent  is  more  intoxicating  than  the  finest  perfume.  ❝  ...  thank  you,  my  heart.  ❞   a  scrap  of  genuine  TENDERNESS  peeks  through  his  sea  of  poisonous  words.  just  as  quickly,  ren's  eyes  open  yet  again  —  and  he  cants  his  head,  arching  a  thin  brow.

❝  i  don't  suppose  you'd  be  interested  in  joining  me  for  dinner?  ❞  the  invitation  is  spoken  CASUALLY  —  as  if  it  is  a  spur  of  the  moment  decision  and  not  practically  a  given.  one  hand  sneaks  forward  as  he  speaks,  capturing  the  ronin's  own  and  intertwining  their  fingers  with  undue  care.  ❝  unless  you  would  prefer  a  different  avenue  to  celebrate ...  ❞  there's  an  air  of  implication  to  his  words  that  contrasts  quite  harshly  with  the  chaste  way  he  raises  their  hands  to  his  lips  —  a  featherlight  kiss  pressed  to  his  fiancé's  knuckles.  ❝  i'm  in  a  surprisingly  good  mood,  ❞  the  wanderer  continues,  ❝  if  you  have  any  ideas,  i'm  not  opposed  to  indulging  them.  ❞   it  isn't  as  though  he  doesn't  already  endeavor  to  use  what  limited  means  he  has  available  to  spoil  kazuha  in  whatever  way  he  can  —  but  the  offer  feels  particularly  MEANINGFUL  today  of  all  days.

[erabundus]

❝  who  knows.  ❞  he  has  a  feeling  the  question  is  rhetorical,  yet  answers  it  regardless.  ❝  you  could  always  try  ASKING ...  although,  i'd  imagine  it  wouldn't  reflect  especially  favorably  on  them.  ❞   considering  the  traveler  continues  to  draw  breath  —  continues  to  act  as  such  an  INCONVENIENCE.  brushing  shoulders  with  such  high-profile  individuals  should  be  a  death  sentence.  the  fact  that  they're  still  alive  is  a  dark  stain  on  the  FATUI'S  purported  competence. although, he would jump at the chance to land his coworkers in hot water ... simply for no reason other than he can.

a  brief  flicker  of  discontent  drifts  over  the  balladeer's  features  before  he  has  the  sense  to  MUFFLE  IT.  simply  observing  the  traveler  for  now  seems  like  a  massive  lapse  in  judgement  —  and  while  he  hardly  cares  about  the  tsaritsa's  goals,  the  fact  that  it  may  very  well  impede  his  own  is  considerably  more  CONCERNING.  still,  he  knows  he's  already  walking  on  thin  ice;  if  their  conversation  has  proven  one  thing,  it's  that  he  needs  to  take  particular  care  to  play  the  part  of  the  obedient  little  underling  —  lest  his  lifetimes  of  time  and  effort  go  to  waste.   ❝  if  we  find  out  what  they  want,  we  could  just  as  easily  use  it  to  our  advantage.  ❞  kunikuzushi  says  aloud,  raising  a  thoughtful  hand  to  his  chin.  if  KILLING  THEM  is  entirely  off  the  table,  he  supposes  they  may  as  well  try  to  make  use  of  them.   ❝  i  can't  imagine  their  actions  are  guided  by  pure  altruism ...  there  has  to  be  a  reason  why  they're  making  themself  known  now.  ❞  why  they're  turning themself  into  an  INCONVENIENCE.

❝  everyone  has  a  price.  ❞   he  concludes.  ❝  it's  really  just  a  matter  of  finding  out  what  theirs  is.  ❞

Hmm, a traveler of unknown origins. And they just strolled into Mondstadht one day. This was all very concerning. The Tsaritsa pondered, if the gnosis were of not much interest to this Traveler, what is their end goal in this world. The goddess continued to listen to the words spoken by the balladeer. If this Traveler was going to pose a problem then yes, they should be removed.

Or she should bide her time. Watch this Traveler for a bit, and just see if they truly were a threat. "I wonder. Have they met any of my other Harbingers yet? While I do agree it would be wise to get rid of them. I merely want you to observe them for a time." And if the gnosis was of no interest to them, the Tsaritsa had one less worry.

"Do whatever else you want, we don't know what they are capable of. Perhaps those questions will be answered at another time. Proceed with caution." Things were beginning to be set in motion. And at the end of this all, what will happen.

[erabundus]

the  discomfort  in  the  air  is  tangible  enough  to  be  cut  with  A  BLADE.  the  wanderer  pretends  to  clear  his  throat,  fighting  the  urge  to  avert  his  gaze  like  a  coward.  perhaps  he  deserves  this  —  after  everything  he's  done.  (  for  there  is  surely  no  greater  punishment  for  his  sins  than  to  be  the  only  one  to  remember  them.  )  instinct  compels  him  to  reject  the  offer  of  gratitude,  yet  logically  he  knows  he  has  no  reason  CONCRETE  ENOUGH  to  justify  his  awkwardness  that  the  other  would  be  privy  to.  social  decorum  is  a  tedious  song  and  dance  rife  with  misdirection;  free  though  he  might  technically  be  to  refuse,  it  would  still  be  considered  STRANGE  nonetheless.

he  doesn't  think  he  did  anything  particularly  exceptional  to  begin  with.  he  was  supposed  to  keep  an  eye  on  things  —  yet  another  fact  the  wanderer  is  incapable  of  sharing. 

❝  i'm  not  really  picky.  ❞   he  says  after  a  moment.   ❝  i'll  eat  anything  as  long  as  it  isn't  sickeningly  sweet ...  but  there's  no  reason  to  make  a  big  deal  out  of  it.  ❞

" hah, oh most definitely.. " the forest watcher trails off, offering up a half-hearted tone that he doesn't fully intend to seem sarcastic.. but won't make an effort to fix. he rubs at the back of his neck briefly, before crossing his arms in front of him.

" i still want to properly thank you for that. you're free to decline of course, but would you like to get lunch? "

tighnari.. doesn't frequently offer meetups within the city. far too loud, far too draining, but he does want to at least imply his gratitude... even if he secretly hopes the other will decline. his expression remains flat and reserved, despite the friendly disposition.

[erabundus]

❝  ...  ❞  the  wanderer's  brow  furrows.  it's  clear  without  the  need  to  SPEAK  ALOUD  that  he  has  questions  —  who  happens  to  be  responsible  for  such  an  injury  first  and  foremost  among  them.  however,  though  he  may  be  blunt  (  oftentimes  to  a  degree  most  would  consider  a  fault  )  he  isn't  the  sort  to  pry  without  a  proper  motive  to.  considering  he  spends  much  of  his  time  meticulously  guarding  his  own  secrets,  it  would  be  an  act  of  blatant  HYPOCRISY  to  not  afford  others  the  same  courtesy.  if  the  knowledge  was  somehow  pertinent  to  his  own  goals,  that  would  be  a  different  story  —  yet  digging  for  truth  simply  for  the  sake  of  satisfying  his  GREEDY  CURIOSITY  isn't  sufficient  justification  in  his  eyes.  more  importantly,  it  only  invites  others  to  return  the  favor  —  and  that  is  something  he  would  hate  to  encourage.   ❝  i  see.  ❞  ren  finally  responds.   ❝  sounds  pretty  inconvenient.  ❞

the  fact  that  his  own  injuries  heal  instantly  is  oft  as  much  convenience  as  it  is  a  curse.  he  can  only  imagine  what  sorry  state  he  would  find  himself  in  after  the  doctor's  machinations  if  he  wasn't  able  to  regenerate  from  his  experiments  without  a  trace.

❝  ...  do  you  want  to  sit  down?  ❞  the  wanderer  asks.  his  words  come  out  a  touch  AWKWARD,  as  if  trying  to  be  accommodating  isn't  something  he's  accustomed  to.   ❝  i  can  prepare  the  tea.  ❞

"Side effects?" It was something she never thought of. Hell, it was something she paid very little attention to it. Always figured it was a wasted effort in everything she went through. It always felt permanent.

"Probably confusion? In general a lack of memory..." She thinks for another moment. Trying to think of anything in that moment. Not even sure why was even telling him these things. "I've been told it's like brain damage. I couldn't tell you what was even done to me by-" She realized for a moment she accidentally slipped and stopped her sentence. It's not something she ever actually wanted to speak about. Her mind must be really off today to have accidentally slightly mentioned it.

"Sorry. I normally just take the day after one of these. Then I'll be better."

[erabundus]

❝  do  you  —  ?  ❞   the  words  stop  just  as  quickly  as  they  began,  muffled  by  his  own  BEWILDERMENT.  cyno  is  an  undeniably  strange  individual,  even  by  ren's  already-warped  standards.  intelligent,  observant,  highly  capable,  yet  with  a  tendency  to  act  in  ways  more  eccentric  than  even  the  wanderer  himself  —  all  the  while  touting  an  entirely  stony  demeanor  that  leads  him  to  believe  such  preposterous  QUIPS  are  meant  to  be  taken  seriously.  his  jaw  works  uselessly,  yet  no  sound  manages  to  escape  him;  it  takes  a  brisk  shake  of  the  head  for  ren  to  finally  free  himself  from  his  stupor.  ❝  do  you  actually  think  i  would  do  something  like  that?  ... for  the  sake  of  winning  one  of  your  CARD  GAMES?  ❞  the  words  may  lead  one  to  believe  he's  OFFENDED  by  the  accusation  —  but  frankly,  it's  the  motive  he  finds  more  absurd  than  anything.  playing  fair  is  for  the  uninspired,  yet  even  the  wanderer  occasionally  tries  to  be  more  considerate  about  what  hills  he  chooses  to  die  on.

❝  anyway ...  if  i  was  going  to  cheat,  i  would  be  a  little  more  CREATIVE  about  it.  ❞   he  punctuates  the  thought  with  a  dismissive  wave.  perhaps  it's  in  poor  taste  to  admit  as  much  before  his  CURRENT  COMPANY,  but  this  entire  conversation  is  ridiculous  enough  to  make  it  excusable.  ❝  trying  to  interrogate  someone  in  their  sleep  is  too  risky.  i  would  rather  go  through  their  belongings  —  or  coerce  a  trusted  confidant  into  giving  me  the  information  i  need.  ❞ hypothetically speaking.

"There is one motive anyone could have, and it is a most nefarious one." Cyno raises one finger for emphasis, looking straight at the Wanderer with sharp acumen in his eyes. Like the most inspired detective peering into the mind of a notorious criminal.

"In the seventh chapter of King of Invokations, a villain decides to take advantage of the night to approach his upcoming adversary at the tournament that will decide the fate of their kingdoms. This adversary is a formidable player, whose strategies appear flawless and capable of winning every match. He does not reveal the secret behind his skills, but he has a habit of talking in his sleep. The villain sneaks into his bedroom and whispers questions in his ear to force him to reveal his chosen deck for their match, so he can figure out his strategy ahead of time and anticipate his moves. Maybe you could be tempted to do the same someday."

[erabundus]

[erabundus]

a  soft  huff  of  amusement.  then,  ❝  fine by  me.  ❞   he  doesn't  consider  himself  one  of  the  intrepid  adventurers  who  oft  heroically  offer  their  SERVICES  in  the  name  of  slaughtering  nuisances  for  the  greater  good  —  or  whatever  lies  the  overly  altruistic  tell  themselves  to  justify  their  efforts.  however,  occasionally  he  might  dabble  in  BOUNTIES  if  only  for  the  sake  of  easing  his  boredom  or  snatching  up  a  bit  of  easy  mora.  though  there  is  a  part  of  him  that  once  yearned  so  desperately  over  the  allure  of  a  NORMAL  LIFE,  he  has  spent  much  of  his  existence  entrenched  in  constant  chaos.  while  he  unmistakably  enjoys  what  quiet  time  he  gets  to  himself,  ren  also  cannot  go  too  long  without  burning  off  a  bit  of  steam.  he's  grown  too  accustomed  to  it  by  now  to  simply  quit.

he  knows  there  are  bulletin  boards  scattered  about,  rife  with  jobs  for  the  taking.  in  fact,  there  is  one  only  a  short  walk  away  —  and  he  beckons  his  companion  to  follow  as  he  makes  his  way  over.  lavender  gaze  sweeps  across  the  chaotic  medley  of  papers.  ren  has  little  sympathy  for  treasure  hoarders  and  the  like,  but  he  isn't  sure  how  comfortable  she  is  with  testing  out  her  weapons  on  PEOPLE.  after  a  moment  of  careful  consideration,  he  snatches  up  one  that  catches  his  eye.

❝  here.  ❞  the  wanderer  holds  the  paper  over  his  shoulder.  a  ruin  guard,  known  for  straying  dangerously  close  to  a  vulnerable  settlement.  no  immunity  to  electro  damage;  it  seems  like  a  suitable  TARGET  by  his  standards. ❝ would something like this work?  ❞

Were he to think to ask her, he might receive a recommendation.

More likely though, it would be a scoff and the insinuation that the minds at the Akademiya were hardly what they once were, in these past hundred years. Certainly, there were the unusual talents, the generational geniuses- but her disappointment in the overall student body would be impossible to mistake.

At the question that does come, her answering smile is blindingly bright, cheerful in a way it probably shouldn't be when she replies- "I dabble in th' occasional violence for hire, yeah." A little flutter of her hand, a turn of the wrist- the catalysts in question jingle as merrily as the average set of bracelets.

"I'll let you pick what we go after- might as well let you have some fun too while we're at it, yeah?"

[erabundus]

anonymous &&. said... Does Ren enjoy spicy food? Especially now that he’s residing in Sumeru.

he  does!  i  think  there  was  a  point  in  his  life  where  he  wasn't  nearly  as  fond  of  it  —  though  that  was  largely  owing  to  his  pain  tolerance  being  wildly  different  from  what  it  is  today.  (  considering  the  two  are  so  deeply  interconnected.  )  i'd  imagine  the  kabukimono  wasn't  nearly  as  comfortable  with  spice  purely  because  he  was  still  quite  new  to  the  concept  of  food  in  general  —  and  eating  something  incredibly  hot  on  top  of  that  would  be  a  bit  too  overstimulating  for  him  to  handle  comfortably.  these  days,  i can envision  ren  is  more  the  type  who  could  eat  something  that  would  reduce  most  people  to  an  incomprehensible  mess  without  so  much  as  blinking.  he  doesn't  go  out  of  his  way  to  seek  it  out,  but  he  also  won't  flinch  if  you  offered  him  a  meal  of  incredibly  spicy  food.  in  general,  he  really  isn't  a  picky  eater  at  all;  as  long  as  it  isn't  sweet  or  of  the  sticky  sort  of  texture  that  he  hates,  he's  generally  pretty  open  to  trying  just  about  anything.  he  literally  can't  be  poisoned,  so  there's  really  no  risk  whatsoever.

that  being  said,  i  do  think  he's  the  type  whose  eyes  start  to  water  whenever  he's  eating  something  incredibly  hot.  it  isn't  necessarily  an  indicator  that  it's  too  much  for  him  to  handle  as  much  as  it  is  just  his  body's  natural  response  to  spicy  food  —  so  there  will  be  situations  where  he's  very  calmly  chewing  on  something  with  tears  absolutely  streaming  down  his  face  and  no  other  visible  reaction  whatsoever.  half  of  the  time  he  doesn't  even  notice,  but  on  the  occasions  wherein  he  actually  does,  he  probably  finds  it  annoying.  (  embarrassing,  even.  )  they  may  not  be  the  same  as  genuine  tears  provoked  by  feelings  of  intense  emotion,  but  visually  they're  identical  enough  to  inspire  discomfort.

he  does  definitely  enjoy  the  food  in  sumeru,  though  i  don't  think  it's  a  matter  of  what  sumeru  produces  being  particularly  complimentary  to  his  tastes  so  much  as  it  is  ren ( again )  just  being  super  non-picky.

[erabundus]

an  approving  nod.  ❝  fine  by  me.  ❞   pragmatic  sort  that  he  is,  it  comes  as  little  surprise  ren  would  prefer  to  get  started  as  soon  as  possible.

yet  no  sooner  do  the  words  leave  his  mouth  than  the  wanderer  HESITATES.  only  for  a  moment  —  only  long  enough  for  the  abrupt  stilling  of  his  movements  to  become  noticeable.  he  presses  the  bag  to  his  chest,  wherein  it  disappears  in  a  flash  of  electro-hued  light.  it's  always  a  bit  UNCOMFORTABLE  the  first  handful  of  times  he  displays  such  an  ability  before  an  audience.  it  serves  as  a  shining  beacon  of  his  inhumanity  —  easy  enough  to  brush  off  as  the  talent  of  a  vision-wielder  to  the  uninformed,  but  considerably  harder  to  excuse  when  dealing  with  those  who  actually  know  what  he's  talking  about.  even  so,  he  feels  as  though  he's  in  SAFE  COMPANY.  (  an  admittance  that  feels  a  bit  like  tempting  fate,  even  kept  within  the  confines  of  his  own  head.  )  he  may  be  an  anomaly,  yet  the  wanderer  supposes  they  both  are.

❝  ...  that's  strange.  ❞  of  course,  the  first  thing  he  says  after  such  a  display  is  BLATANT  HYPOCRISY.  however,  ren  speaks  not  to  tease  —  but  rather  as  a  statement  of  fact.   ❝  do  they  do  anything  else?  or  are  they  just  a  flashy  distraction?  ❞

"No way, this is your moment Ren go for it!" It was sweet he wanted her say, but the most he could work on was the Flute she didn't have the clockwork gears quite ready yet, but they wouldn't have to wait to start renovation. In her mind, Zola thought if one was resorted to how it was the better chances of finding Stringless would be after all if three of the four managed to give a location to start with, the odds of actually finding the bow all together with at least two of four properly fixed was there!

Still the moment he mentioned his curiosity, Zola rubbed the back of her neck with a sweatdrop. "Honestly.. with how magic and alchemy are in Teyvat with Visions I can't say when these music notes started going over my head. T-though they show up at positive emotions that I'm completely sure of!"

[erabundus]

anonymous &&. said... Who confessed first? Ren or Kazuha? 👀

to  consult  ye  olde  kazuren  lore  ™️  (  circa  one  year  ago  )  i  don't  think  there  was  ever  anything  cut  and  dry  as  a  straightforward  confession.  during  the  early  days  of  their  dynamic,  there  was  a  sort  of  acknowledgement  of  mutual  attraction  —  but  they  spent  a  lot  of  time  dancing  around  it  for  their  own  personal  reasons.  i  know  ren  in  particular  spent  a  lot  of  time  wracked  with  self-disgust  over  developing  feelings  for  kazuha  at  all;  his  intention  was  to  merely  ensure  he  lived  the  best  life  possible.  after  everything  he  had  done,  he  didn't  feel  like  he  had  the  right  to  want  anything  else  —  to  involve  himself  in  his  life  more  than  he  had  already.  i  think  the  closest  they  came  to  a  conventional  confession  is this  conversation,  which  marked  the  formal  beginning  of  their  relationship.  it  was  a  disaster.  it  started  because  of  a  stupid  joke  about  bananas.  but  going  by  that  logic,  ren  is  technically  the  one  who  confessed  first!

milla  and  i  actually  did  have  plans  for  a  more  conventional  confession,  but  they  kind  of  fell  through?  we  had  a  sideplot  going  around  that  same  time  where  kazuha  asked  ren  to  attend  the  lantern  rite  with  him  on  his  birthday  —  and  we  were  building  up  to  that  being  their  formal  first  date.  it  still  ended  up  being  a  very  cute  little  interaction,  and  it  was  a  blast  letting  them  lower  their  guard  a  bit  and  just  have  fun  together  —  however,  the  clunky  potassium-confession  happened  when  we  were  still  in  the  middle  of  things,  and  we  ended  up  having  to  change  our  plans.  i'm  not  upset  about  how  it  played  out  at  all,  though!  we  ended  up  writing  two  very  lovely  threads  for  the  price  of  one  —  and  honestly,  the  spontaneity  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  i  love  roleplaying  so  much  to  begin  with.

[erabundus]

@momijiba &&. said... it has been a while since kazuha has been to chenyu vale. but it has been a place that would assault his nose and other senses as the smell of the famous tea from its region what the locals call chenyu adeptea. it was not only smelled nice but also very nice and soothing. a tea he definitely wanted to bring back home to ren. with lantern rite being here he wanted to surprise his loved one with a little package of all the things he came across on his little journey in the Chenyu vale. placing the simple brown box on the table of their little home in the teapot, with a few bags of tea leaves, a clearwater jade and a little container holding red liquid. a little something that ren could use for his eye makeup that made those gorgeous indigo eyes stand out more and also helps with the looks ren would give to people. ⸻ kazuha just really likes to watch his to-be-husband ⸻ to-be-husband.... speaking about that… kazuha has shamefully been avoiding the planning of their wedding for months now. not that he doesn't want to he is just very nervous and very inexperienced… as he doesn't know who to ask for help with it. he never paid that much attention to the wedding stuff his family would teach him as he didn't see himself getting married anyway. letting out a deep sigh he sat down and stared out of the window, counting the leaves on the tree thinking about what he should do.

he  often  walks  so  silently  that  it  isn't  uncommon  for  people  to  be  caught  off-guard  when  the  wanderer  seemingly  MANIFESTS  out  of  nowhere.  it  isn't  intentional,  although  it  would  be  dishonest  to  say  the  surprised  reactions  he  earns  in  turn  don't  inspire  a  bit  of  amusement  —  dregs  of  some  past  life's  cruelty  wherein  he  basked  in  what  DISCOMFORT  he  could  bring  others  with  his  mere  existence.  kazuha  is  more  alert  than  most  humans,  yet  ren  still  takes  care  to  ensure  his  footsteps  are  deliberate  enough  for  the  other  to  take  notice.  (  he  is  perhaps  the  only  person  the  wanderer  would  not  glean  entertainment  from  catching  off-guard.  )  he  can  tell  from  how  the  ronin  sits  and  gazes  so  listlessly  out  the  window  that  he's  clearly  DISTRACTED  by  something.  although  what  may  be  bothering  him  in  particular  is  entirely  beyond  ren's  knowledge.

❝  ...  ❞  he  spares  the  assortment  of  items  spread  across  the  table  a  CURIOUS  GLANCE  —  jaw  working  as  though  grinding  an  inquiry  between  his  teeth.  the  time  to  ask  will  come  later,  surely;  ren  has  his  priorities  before  satisfying  his  own  nosiness.

❝  you  seem  to  be  in  quite  the  mood.  ❞  is  what  the  wanderer  says  when  he  finally  chooses  to  speak.  his  kasa  joins  everything  else  set  upon  the  table,  and  he  sinks  down  behind  his  fiancé.  arms  curl  around  the  human's  waist  —  his  grip  is  loose,  should  the  other  be  in  low  enough  spirits  to  REJECT  TOUCH.  (  force  of  habit  simply  compels  him  to  seek  out  physical  contact.  )  ❝  aren't  i  supposed  to  be  the  one  with  the  FOUL  PERSONALITY?  don't  tell  me  i'm  rubbing  off  on  you.  ❞   words  spoken  in  jest,  of  course.  he  hardly  has  a  scrap  of  charisma  to  his  name,  yet  throughout  the  duration  of  their  relationship,  the  wanderer  has  at  least  become  a  touch  more  adept  at  COMMUNICATING.  (  although,  to  say  there  was  room  for  improvement  is  an  understatement.  )  with  a  little  hum,  he  rests  his  chin  on  kazuha's  shoulder  —  falling  into  a  brief  yet  comfortable  silence,  content  to  simply  drink  in  his  presence, his scent, his gentle warmth.  any  moment  they  are  afforded  the  opportunity  to  share  is  so  immeasurably  precious,  and  ren  doesn't  want  to  waste  it.

❝  if  you  think  any  harder,  i'd  expect  smoke  to  come  pouring  out  of  your  ears.  ❞  a  faint  huff.  ❝  feel  like  sharing  what  has  you  so  bothered,  or  are  you  going  to  leave  me  in  suspense?  ❞  there  is  no  true  OBLIGATION  to  confess  —  and  he's  sure  kazuha  knows  him  well  enough  by  now  to  discern  when  the  wanderer  is  being  truly  demanding.  if  he  would  prefer  to  keep  his  secrets,  ren  will  not  begrudge  him;  he  simply  wants  to  know  for  the  sake  of  easing  his  SUFFERING.

[erabundus]

❝  i  won't  lie  and  say  i  haven't  been  A  LITTLE  curious.  ❞   the  wanderer  replies,  punctuating  the  admittance  with  a  shrug.   ❝  then  again,  i'm  surrounded  by  strange  people  on  a  regular  basis.  by  my  standards,  a  little  quirk  like  that  feels  positively  mundane.  ❞   and  in  typical  ren  fashion,  his  words  veer  BLUNT  ENOUGH  to  be  easily  misconstrued  as  an  insult  —  regardless  of  what  his  original  intention  might  be.  he's  simply  being  honest;  between  gods,  the  fatui  and  whatever  the  traveler  might  be  (  along  with  the  medley  of  others  who  have  drifted  in  and  out  of  his  life  )  zola  having  her  own  personal  orchestra  feels  more  akin  to  an  interesting  but  ultimately  miniscule  footnote.  ❝  although,  ❞  head  then  cants  as  he  continues,   ❝  now  that  you  mention  it,  i  guess  i  am  a  little  curious.  ❞   to  be  honest,  he  thought  it  was  simply  a  magician  thing.

attention  then  shifts  to  the  tools.  ren  hums,  accepting  them  with  a  little  nod  —  and  immediately  setting  to  work  inspecting  the  selection  thoroughly.  opening  the  bag,  he's  quick  to  pull  out  the  first  to  brush  against  his  curious  fingertips.  ❝  interesting ...  ❞  the  wanderer  murmurs  vaguely.

a  brief  pause  follows,  before  he  LOOKS  UP  once  again.   ❝  i  could  start  working  on  the  restorations  now,  if  you'd  prefer.  ❞  they  don't  have  the  entire  set  assembled  yet  —  but  to  be  frank,  ren  hardly  sees  a  point  in  WAITING.  although,  he'll  ultimately  leave  the  choice  up  to  zola.

"Y-ya know Ren it's okay to say something about the mini orchestra over my head.. but really I am interested in learning more - especially food from Inazuma." Try as she could with each note that would be swiped away another would appear from the happiness she felt, at this point Zola had given up trying to make the makeshift melody go away. Especially since this was something Ren was offering to her after they completed their search for the Stringless.

"Ah, that reminds me." The brunette placed her hand in her hat and took out a bag. "Pa- er my dad had my brother send me this, he took care of the tools cleaned them even everyday because it was gift for picking up blacksmithing while he was a alchemist." Zola placed her hat on her head and held over the tools with a grin. "Hehe.. he has a knack for tinkering so he was excited when I asked for them, told me on the letter even to send a photo of the resorted weapons."

[erabundus]

he  doesn't  actually  need  to  sleep,  nor  does  he  possess  any  interest  in  doing  so.  however,  there  is  something  admittedly  quite  COMFORTING  about  immersing  himself  in  nature  —  eyes  closing,  centuries  of  tension  bleeding  away  with  the  melody  of  birdsong.  (  the  gentle  breeze,  the  anemic  rays  of  sunlight  upon  cold  skin.  )  free  to  simply  exist  free  from  whatever  burdens  come  along  with  it  —  not  unlike  how  he  once  did,  before  he  held  even  the  barest  perception  of  what  WORLD  he  had  been  so  unwittingly  thrust  into.  it  isn't  a  luxury  the  wanderer  grants  himself  often,  if  only  because  the  instances  wherein  he  feels  he  can  go  without  being  BOTHERED  come  few  and  far  between.  evidently  he's  made  a  miscalculation  in  believing  he  could  get  away  with  it  here.

sitting  up,  ren's  expression  is  predictably  SOUR  —  as  though  he  was  so  unceremoniously  awoken  from  an  actual  sleep  after  all.  ❝  you  were  the  one  bothering  me.  ❞   he  quips  flatly,  crossing  his  arms.  the  effect  is  perhaps  not  as  INTIMIDATING  as  intended;  there  is  an  errant  leaf  resting  in  his  hair.   ❝  if  anything,  i  should  be  the  one  asking  the  QUESTIONS  here.  ❞

what she was trying to do sounds like a good place to start.

The redhead froze in the middle of her movement, obviously gotten caught. She just came across this guy seemingly sleeping in the wilderness and after watching him for a moment, she decided to go and poke him awake. She was bored, and maybe he fell asleep accidentally, here in the wilderness? Couldn't be safe for a random person.

Now her eyes fell on his anemo vision, then darted to his eyes, a grin forming on her lips. "Oh? So you're awake after all." She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms behind her back innocently, but her smile said that she wasn't really sorry. Perhaps it would've been more fun to poke the bear, literally? "What if I don't?", she challenged in a light and playful tone.

[erabundus]

@curiouskinetic &&. said... "Hey Ren, I've been meaning to ask-- what kind of books do you like to read?" She'd seen him with quite a few different books over time, and was curious about the kinds of stories he preferred. She... may or may not also be thinking of future gift ideas, but that part was a secret.

❝  hmm?  ❞  the  hum  suffices  for  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  of  the  question,  though  it  certainly  isn't  a  proper  response.  his  eyes  flick  to  and  fro  across  the  pages  of  his  most  recent  find  —  a  cookbook,  large  and  weathered  splayed  out  across  his  lap.  its  dog-eared  pages  show  clear  signs  of  fading  with  age,  and  the  margins  are  oft  decorated  with  a  smattering  of  notes  —  corrections,  alterations  and  personal recommendations  for  additions  to  the  recipes  contained  within.  he  likes  to  acquire  his  reading  material  secondhand  whenever  he  can  specifically  for  reasons  like  this;  as  long  as  its  contents  are  still  legible,  ren  hardly  cares  about  what  STATE  the  book  itself  might  be  in.  he  also  saves  a  considerable  amount  of  mora.  yet  most  important  of  all  is  what  personal  touches  inevitably  end  up  left  on  the  makeshift  canvas  with  each  set  of  hands  it  passes  through.  the  end  result  is  oft  something  entirely  UNIQUE  —  even  to  other  editions  of  the  same  tome.  he  can't  help  but  find  it  interesting.

pausing  mid  page-turn,  ren  finally  takes  a  moment  to  consider  the  question.  what  kind  of  books  does  he  like?  ❝  anything.  ❞  he  answers  vaguely  —  then  wrinkles  his  nose,  as  if  dissatisfied  with  his  own  RESPONSE.  ❝  i'm  not  especially  picky.  most  of  the  time,  i  usually  find  myself  reading  just  for  the  sake  of  having  something  to  do.  ❞  something  that  feels  just  a  bit  productive  —  for  he  is  not  the  type  to  derive  comfort  from  simply  laying  about.  it  used  to  be  about  voraciously acquiring  vast  quantities  of  KNOWLEDGE  (  and  occasionally  it  still  is  )  but  these  days  the  subjects  he  isn't  at  least  passingly  informed  on  grow  few  in  number  —  and  fewer  still,  with  each  new  book  he  manages  to  get  his  hands  on.  historical  accounts,  recipes,  poetry  and  other  works  of  creative  fiction.  the  wanderer  is  perfectly  content  to  tear  through  them  all.

❝  the  only  thing  i  truly  DISLIKE  is  encountering  something  i've  already  read  before ...  ❞   words  trail  off  for  a  moment,  before  he  exhales  a  faint  huff  and  admits,   ❝  let's  just  say  my  memory  is  better  than  most ...  so  there's  nothing  to  gain  from  experiencing  it  a  second  time.  ❞  an  understatement;  it's  close  enough  to  be  perfect  to  be  downright  TORTUROUS. nothing fades in any notable capacity. it's as eternal as anything else about him.

there's  a  pause,  jaw  working  somewhat  AWKWARDLY  before  he  asks,   ❝  ...  what  about  you?  ❞

[erabundus]

the  gestures  earn  a  faint  huff  of  AMUSEMENT  —  though  ren  takes  care  not  to  comment.  (  he  doesn't  want  farrow  to  get  embarrassed  over doing  the  right  thing.  )  a  hand  presses  to  his  chest,  withdrawing  a  book.  it  isn't  anything  particularly  notable;  just  a  cheap  novel  he  picked  up  during  an  excursion  to  the  marketplace.  he  would prefer if his brother didn't  feel  PRESSURED  to  come  up  with  a  design  simply  for  the  sake  of  doing  so  —  the  creative  process  isn't  something  to  be  rushed.  keeping  himself  busy  (  or  pretending  to  )  is  hopefully  enough  to  alleviate  any  pressure  the  other  might  feel.  it's  one  of  the  subtle  ways  the  wanderer  attempts  to  express  consideration  without  the  use  of  words.  

he  looks  up  from  his  book  only  when  farrow  speaks  again,  and  it  disappears  back  into  the  void  from  whence  it  came.  he  takes  a  few  steps  closer, leaning over to peer curiously at the page  —  and  has  to  bite  the  inside  of  his  cheek  to  keep  from  LAUGHING.  ❝  i  wasn't  aware  you  were  such  a  talented  artist.  ❞  ren  quips,  gazing  at  the  little  doodles  populating  the  margins.  he's  glad  to  see  farrow  is  having  fun  with  this,  if  nothing  else.

❝  don't  concern  yourself  with  size  just  yet.  ❞   the  wanderer  continues,  quickly  returning  to  BUSINESS.   ❝  we  can  figure  out  the  measurements  once  we  settle  on  a  design.  ❞  he  raises  a  hand  to  his  chin,  lavender  gaze  flicking  across  the  sketches.  occasionally,  he  nods  —  though  it's  difficult  to  tell  whether  he  does  so  in  APPROVAL  or  merely  in  response  to  some  internal  discussion  with  himself.  ❝  did  you  want  to  make  two?  ❞  the  question  is  punctuated  with  an  arched  brow.  ren  doesn't  particularly  care;  if  farrow  is  interested  in  making  both,  he'll  gladly  oblige.  ultimately  it's  only  another  excuse  to  PRACTICE  MORE.  more  importantly,  ❝  a  perfectly  straight  blade  would  be  easier  to  make ...  but  i'm  not  opposed  to  showing  you  other  methods  if  that's  what  you  would  prefer.  ❞

Farrow gave a little smile in acknowledgement and nod before bringing his attention back to the paper staring ,he tapped on it again a few times ["right yes"] the automatons eyebrows furrow, he knows it doesn't have to be perfect but there's a small part of him that wishes it could be so the assurance does help in that matter.

He finally began to scribble down and begin his draft,trying to keep focus,while he has drawn things out before its definitely still something he has been practicing and also slightly observing techniques from others (though mostly his brothers and anhe).

["how its meant to be used..."] he repeated quietly to himself voice traling off as he thought upon that for a moment ,farrow made his own hand motions as if he holding a knife (slightly mimicking his brother from earlier) pausing and stopping himself in a moment of self awareness - and slight embarrassment ,after some mintues had passed, farrow then canted his head eyeing over his little sketch it was only really the handles but its a start he supposes ,he held up the paper for ren to see.

["uh ..how does this look so far? ,a base feels best to start I tried making them a bit small-I think?'"]