#source. [ g.enshin. ]

[resolutepath]

woops my hand slipped

[daybreakrising]

vautrin starter call | @maquiscursed

"Are we fighting a losing battle?"

It's a dreary day outside. A grey, overcast sky has followed him from morn til' eve, always with the threat of rain that has yet to come. It's a fair representation of his current mood, a manifestation of the troubles brewing inside his head.

He looks out across the Court with a heavy gaze. Outside these walls, people will be heading home, the work day done. They will be sitting down to family meals, enjoying a chance to relax, and rest. There will be warm fires, soft beds waiting. What will they talk about, he wonders. The day to come tomorrow? Errands to run, chores to undertake? Gossip or news gathered at work or on the streets of Fontaine?

Will they whisper about the Melusines and the people who stand beside them-

He turns from the window, turning his back on the world beyond. Every day that passes, with every bitter opinion spat in his face, he feels more and more like he stands apart from it.

"Do you ever wonder if this is all in vain?" A hard gaze meets that of the Iudex - is he seeking reassurances, or a confirmation of his fears? Even he does not know. "It seems every time we take a step forward, we are pulled back three. I don't understand how Carole can remain so... so optimistic."

He cannot share her optimism, not when he sees the looks that follow her wherever she goes. The people of Fontaine reject anything that is considered different, other. From where he stands, it is impossible to imagine a change in their future.

[resolutepath]

Hu Tao holding ceremonies and working with clients is very different from Hu Tao otherwise. She has had to be refined for work from a young age and of course the side effect is that she has a lot of energy / development that needs some outlet. This manifests in her own chaos which can be quite frequently be seen in the workplace in a number of ways:

Leaving things on different people's desks within the funeral parlour that do not belong there

Over-brewing / under-brewing the tea when it is her turn to make it

Switching conversations rapidly from jobs, to potential offers, to rites she needs to follow through, to coffins, to friends, to to-do lists

Half closed drawers or papers spilled over a desk that have been left there and though she knows where everything is it looks messy

Ink splatters on her hands or cheeks if she's been working late into the night

[daybreakrising]

@resolutepath: "Hey, hey, hey!" The beat of feet on the city road speaks only of chaos as the funeral director holds onto her hat and chases after the General. It had taken some planning and the cashing in of a few owed favours and a trinket for Zhongli, but she'd managed to bargain for enough time to make the trip in time for her gaming partner's birthday. "Well now, you aren't an easy man to track down, and here's little old me just trying to deliver a small token!" A hand holds out a card to Cyno as Hu Tao rocks on her heels, taking the time to admire the area. Eventually she looks back to him and the envelope and nods. "You'll want to open that one, Liyue exclusive!" What else would she get her opponent but a rare Genius Invokation card??

He hears the steady pounding of rapid footsteps approaching long before the call reaches his ears. A previously tense posture slackens into something more at ease as the familiarity of the voice registers in his mind, and he is smiling in that soft, subtle manner of his even before he has fully turned to greet his approaching friend.

"If I was easy to track, that would make my job rather more difficult." He points out with amusement. His attention is directed then to the item held out to him - a simple looking envelope upon which is scrawled his name, and nothing else. Now the smile upon his face is far more obvious - of course, he thinks, of course she remembered.

Liyue exclusive. There's a sudden gleam of excitement in amber eyes, a quickening beat within his chest, and it is all he can do to not tear open the envelope like a savage. Instead, he carefully peels back the flap and slides free the item within. The Sumeru sunlight catches the foil face of the card, the image glimmering like the stars he so often sits beneath.

There were only 100 of these cards made, he knows. What he doesn't know is how she managed to get her hands on one - and he isn't going to ask. He carefully slides the card back into its envelope for safekeeping, and then he does something that is most uncharacteristic of the General Mahamatra - at least, to those who only know the image he presents in public: he throws his arms around Hu Tao and lifts her clear off the ground in a crushing hug.

"Thank you, Hu Tao." It is said with great feeling. He sets her back onto her feet, holds her at arm's length, and gives her a mischievous grin. "Hey, what's a gift's favourite kind of music?" A pause. "Wrap."

A gift in return for his favourite gaming buddy. (He thinks).

[resolutepath]

I've finished her quest and really enjoyed it actually, so here's a few mini hcs about Escoffier!

She's a coffee fiend. Awfully so. You can pry that fuel from her exhausted fingers. If she hasn't got a coffee on the go there's probably one brewing. And just like her cooking she will absolutely experiment with syrups and infusions, making notes on what she prefers.

If Escoffier starts going off on a rambling tangent, don't worry, she's just been hit by a culinary brainwave. No one can break through these, so best to just leave her to it while she's rambling about how she will do it, scribbling notes down or debating with herself. If you really need her attention, create some smoke and let her think something's burning in the kitchen.

None of her scoldings are without purpose. She will always have a hidden direction within her words, whether you can find it, that's up to you.

She has her own codex of culinary works and it is a mess of notes, diagrams, crossing outs and attachments.

She's still in contact with Xiangling, sending letters to Liyue to talk to the chef who inspired her to begin venturing again in search of new flavours. She really likes the energy she brings to the table and wants to keep an eye on her growth.

There's nothing about going to The Fortress of Meropide she regrets. It was a journey in itself and she would rather it was her than anyone else on her team. While there she had many chats with Sigewinne about the interesting meals she was making but after a few sharp looks from fellow inmates and the Duke decided it was safer not to critique them.

[daybreakrising]

@maquiscursed: what would you have done differently? (neuvillette to beisht)

She sits upon the windowsill, her hand extended out through the open window to feel the rain upon her skin. She watches the droplets dance between her fingers, her lips quirking in an absent smile as she idly toys with them, making patterns in the air - a simple manipulation, but a calming one. Fontaine feels comfortable - far more so than any other region outside of her home. She can feel the hydro so intensely here, and it reminds her of the underwater domain where she ruled alongside her husband for so many, many years.

She doesn't feel trapped here.

Vivid turquoise eyes slide slowly in the direction of the dragon, her gaze sharp and keen. She feels him too, the power contained within that humanoid vessel. Power calls to power, hydro calls to hydro. Here is another who turned against the gods above - though admittedly with greater success.

"Are you asking about my situation, or yours?" Her fingers cease their idle play as she hops from the sill and faces him more directly. She is still unsure of what to make of him, this Chief Justice, as the mortals call him. How alike they are - two ancient and powerful beings forced into such primitive forms, destined to always stand on the outside of humanity. Her restrictions are self-imposed, of course, for the sake of survival - she cannot imagine being crammed into such a compact vessel for five centuries with no hope of freedom.

She smiles, as if the topic doesn't trigger memories of that agonising moment when she felt her husband fall, miles from her reach; as if she hasn't asked herself that question a thousand times over only to yield the same result. That fury, that anguish, is now buried deep below the waves. The past cannot be rewritten and it is a study in futility to try.

"Let me ask you a question, Hydro dragon." There's a playful edge to her tone, a spark in eyes that betray her otherness. "Why do you love them so?" She moves; a dancing skip across the marbled floor, her body fluid like the languid roll of the waves upon Fontaine's shores. She stands within his personal space, a deliberate challenge - a test, almost, to gauge a reaction. "What is it about humanity that softens your heart?"

[resolutepath]

when it comes to kinich's voice (EN), my hcs will remain alongside the old voice actor's direction. there was a little more grit / a more solemn tone that I prefer given his backstory.

[daybreakrising]

@immobiliter: ❝ there are ghosts everywhere. we carry them with us wherever we go. ❞ ( navia for vautrin! )

He sits upon the edge of the platform, his gaze fixed upon the water waiting below his dangling legs and the distorted reflection it provides. Poisson offers a kind of unique peace - there is noise and bustle, yes, but it is... homely, almost. A far cry from the cacophony of the city, at least. He is starting to understand why Neuvillette suggested he make contact with the president of the Spina di Rosula. It was not only to provide him with a means of work, but perhaps, also, to offer him some reprieve from the confines of the Court.

The rippling image below transfixes him, as does the itch beneath his skin that calls, yearns, for the water. An itch he is still adjusting to; an itch he suspects he will carry with him for... well, however long he is expected to live in this new... form. The noise around him melts away into the background until all he can hear is the soft lapping of waves.

...and then, rather abruptly, a voice at his side.

He lifts his head, slides his primordial gaze away from the water below and instead looks upon the face that so readily welcomed him in. She is of increasing interest to him - she carries a weight in her heart that he recognises all too well, yet it doesn't seem to diminish the light that exudes from her in seemingly effortless waves.

"Some of us carry more than others." His eyes linger upon her, momentarily distracted by the faint shimmer he can see upon her skin. Neuvillette said little regarding her experiences during the unfolding of the prophecy, but he knows what that shimmer means. He sees it whenever he dares to look in a mirror. The Primordial Sea.

Aware that he is staring, he averts his gaze, returning his focus to the surface of the water once more. "And what can you do when the weight becomes too much to bear? When it threatens to drag you to the depths?"

She has caught him in one of his bouts of melancholy, it seems - a frequently recurring affair since his return to the living world. He was never a... cheerful person by any means, but this is something else entirely. Yet another side effect of his time in the Sea, it appears. "How do you bear it, Demoiselle? How can you remain so... vibrant?"

[resolutepath]

"As you wish..." Diluc allows for a small nod as he mentally begins to make plans to arrange the missive to be sent forth to the mother of this young adventurer to ease the worries that she might harbour otherwise. He nods again at the location and the contents to be included, wandering across to the writing desk at the front to retrieve pen and paper so that he might begin scribing. It does not take him long, the elegant script that adorns the page his personal best to ensure Izuku's mother knows that her son is in safe hands.

The boys' enthusiasm draws a soft smile to his face and he listens attentively, crimson eyes watching carefully to keep an eye on the tea in his hand. "Liyue Harbour is quite the spectacle, you would have quite the experience." His brow furrows at the sheepish admittance and he tips his head. "If swordplay is where you find yourself lacking, I am capable of aiding you in part. Once the storm eases..."

"Oh...! Sending a message would be great, please...!" A pause. "She, heh, tends to worry a lot about me. I can't blame her! She wasn't keen on me being into adventuring, but also....she was really understanding. Coming from Inazuma, we couldn't really...well, go out much." A pause. "Ah, sorry! A message! We're inside of Mondstat, in one of the smaller houses in the back streets - behind the....uhh, place with all the cats!" He always forgets the name, but loves feeding the cats when they cross paths. "Um - if you can, could you just pass on where I am, that I'm okay and I'll be home tomorrow once the storm passes?" That should appease his Mother, at the minimum....plus, the berries and fruit he foraged should be welcome, too.

Considering he'd been muttering away for a moment, Izuku opts to cut that off by sipping at the tea. It really was nice. "Ah, I read about that in the Library! I'm really interested in exploring the mountains there. But I also want to travel to Liyue Harbour when Lantern Rite is on! All the kites...!" A pause. "Still...before any of that, I need more control with my Vision. And learn how to not snap my swords." The last part is rather sheepish.

[resolutepath]

Lauri met my challenge so...

[daybreakrising]

plotted starter | @ccaptain

The hem of a ragged cloak sweeps across the frozen ground, fabric cracked and stiff with frost. Each step blooms a fresh layer of ice, splintering out in jagged shards beneath the heel of a leather boot. The already chilled air cools rapidly in his presence; any moisture freezes in an instant, shatters upon impact with the ground. Eyes like chips of ice lift to the frozen throne before him - a seat of power and judgement.

He settles into place as though reclining upon the softest of couches, unbothered by the contact of ice and skin. For one who lives in such a frozen wasteland, his attire seems more suited to a life beneath the sun: naked to the waist - save for the fur cloak at his shoulders - and a skirt of ragged cloth that barely meets his knees. The skin on display is rippled with scars and pale fingers of frost, pulled taut across firm muscles that promise a fearsome strength.

Such is it that the god of death poses a formidable sight to those who enter his throne room.

The figure that enters is cloaked and hooded, yet the lord of the underworld knows who comes before him. They have not yet spoken a word to one another, but he knows the song of his soul - with but one shared glance, he knows him. Even before slender hands draw back the hood, Wriothesley knows the face that is revealed.

Though his own face betrays nothing, his traitorous heart quickens in his chest. Those brilliant eyes, soft and warm and full of light and life, spark something in him that he has not felt for centuries, if ever at all.

A rustle of movement behind the throne signals the arrival of his most trusted companion: the lumbering canine form steps into the cold light, sits dutifully beside his master's throne. Three pairs of frosty eyes regard this visitor with quiet interest; three tails lay still and content. The mere presence of the underworld's famed guard dog is often enough to instil fear, but Wriothesley senses none in the delicate deity who almost shyly meets his gaze.

"There aren't many who wander so boldly into my domain." His voice is as cool as his kingdom, deep like the rumble of some great beast. "What brings you to my halls, little flower?"

[resolutepath]

"Oh dear... I think I struck a nerve..."

[daybreakrising]

The doctor perks up a little at the mention of karmic debt. He knows the term, of course. He knows what it means, what it does - he has researched it plenty, both before and since treating Xiao. He has an idea of the burden it puts upon the adeptus' shoulders, but he has not yet heard Xiao speak of it directly.

And... he understands. Perhaps he is one of the few who can relate so strongly to carrying such a heavy sentence. He, too, faces a certain death, long before his time ought to be up. He took it upon himself willingly, yes, but it is still a looming shadow that threatens to consume.

He sits back, sips his tea, and lets Xiao talk. This is an important moment, he senses, and he does not wish to steer him off track. So, with interest, he gently pushes him on. "The five yaksha, yes, I have read of such." His tone is soft, soothing, the kind of voice he puts on when talking patients through their diagnosis, their treatments.

"To face an inevitable end in such a way... it is a heavy cost for the duty you perform, have performed for so long. It is the fate of the world, it seems, to punish those who do such good. An ill side effect of the necessary deeds one must perform in order to serve and protect."

Is that, perhaps, a hint of bitterness in the doctor's words? Certainly, Changsheng makes a soft, almost soothing hiss, the tip of her snout nudging lightly against the doctor's cheek. It isn't fair, he thinks. None of this is fair.

the doctor's tiredness does not pass xiao's keen gaze, but he does not push it for now. changsheng will most likely be the one to speak of it-- they are close, after all.

"changsheng is correct," xiao replies, bowing his head slightly as he speaks. "well, correct as what she said is half of my opinion on having my own mortality like the innkeeper and his wife, and the other half being that i do not feel like i deserve such a thing."

there is the rustling of the leaves of the great tree the inn surrounds as xiao continues to speak, his words a little softer now. "to continue my duty, mortality would not suit someone like me. it would be best if i were to die during my duty and not merely wait until my karmic debt finally takes me over whole."

this is the first time that xiao's mentioned that his karmic debt is going to kill him to the doctor. the yaksha does not seem distressed at this fact, merely understanding of it in a way, accepting it like one would accept a terminal illness with their head held high and eyes focused forward. in fact, the yaksha is now seated up straight, golden eyes looking out to the horizon.

he is calm, all previous traces of distress erased from his expression. "i do not know when it will happen, only that i know it will. before your time, baizhu, there were other yakshas like me--they all succumbed, one way or another."

[daybreakrising]

@avaere: " you are impossible to find a gift for. "

and yet there is a small, flat envelope handed over to cyno at the tavern's table, tighnari sighing quietly to himself; " ... i gave it my best to find a card that you, possibly, do not have in your deck but i cannot tell them apart. this one is made it natlan at least, and while i couldn't quite grasp its purpose in a deck i... assumed that perhaps it'd be use of to you?" it was a miracle he could tell it was from natlan to begin with, and all credit should go to the salesperson.

"there's also this ..." for while he didn't understand cards, he did understand deck covers and offered was a hand stitched case for cards, leather engraved with leaf motives; "... whether you wish to use it or not is entirely up to you, but i needed a back-up in case i bought a card you happen to own ten of ... so, happy birthday, cyno ..."

he can't believe what slips out of him next; "... celebrating you is... a piece of cake..."

He is about to assure his companion that a gift is entirely unnecessary - that simply his company over a nice meal is more than enough - when the envelope is pushed into his hands and he knows instantly what lies inside it. He knows the feel of a genius invokation card, knows the weight of it in his hand. Any argument he might have been ready to make evaporates on his tongue, in the wake of a sudden rush of exhilaration that ignites the moment Tighnari explains.

Made in Natlan. He hasn't managed to source any of the Natlan cards yet - not for lack of trying, simply a lack of time to dedicate to the cause, though he suspects Tighnari doesn't know that (or does he?). Already, this gift means a great deal to him, and he's quick to open up the envelope to get his first glimpse of this new and (currently) rare card.

He's so absorbed in studying the card, in reading the details of its effects, that he almost misses the second gift that is offered to him. Amber eyes lift, perhaps widened just a fraction in what could only be surprise, and take in the beautifully crafted case. "Tighnari..." His voice is soft, warm with affection and gratitude. He sets the new card down in favour of taking up the case to study it in greater detail, running his fingertips over the engraved detailing in the leather. "These are very thoughtful gifts, thank you. You didn't have to - I would have been satisfied with dinner, you know that-"

And the gifts keep on coming.

For a moment, the general can only stare at his companion in what starts out as nothing short of shock - and then, rapidly, his gaze softens, warms, fills with emotion that can only be described as delight. "You made a joke." There is a grin, now, unrestrained upon the general's usually rather stoic face. His hands reach across to clasp one of Tighnari's between them, as if to hold onto this moment. "You made a joke."

Delivered with great reluctance, certainly, but a joke all the same. Oh, he's not going to forget this. He's going to treasure this memory for eternity. And, yes, he is absolutely going to tell Collei later-

[resolutepath]

CONTINUED. // @yingren

His thanks are waved away with a waft of her hand, unnecesary for she is glad that she could simply offer a little help to a passing traveller, take part with a kind deed to ease any stresses of the day. Her eyes light up as her name falls from his lips, proud that word of her dance has travelled enough for someone new to hear, for her performances to matter to the people enough to be shared through word of mouth, reviewed as something meaningful and important to the nation's daily life.

After all, there was a time when the arts within Sumeru were under threat of being erased entirely, and it had only been through the sheer need to fight, the determination of the team doing so and the grace of Lesser Lord Kusanali that they remain.

"That's me!" Her tone is cheery and she smiles reassuringly as she catches a glimpse of sheepishness in his gaze. He is not the first to know of her rather than know her, there was a time when she was overwhelmed by those who knew her for her dramatic stand against the Akadeymia, or her role in the Sabzeruz Festival, but fortunately the nervous flutter in her chest that once was has quietened into a simple beat that she can find rhythm to.

"I should thank you for your kind words, and hope that I live up to them. You will have to be the judge of that." A small laugh flutters over her lips, hidden behind her palm as she smiles and nods along, happy to accompany him towards the theatre, for she has a performance to attend anyway and the company makes the road easier travelled. "You'd be more than welcome to join me on my merry way, perhaps you might even stay and watch our training then you shall really be able to tell me if the word on the street is worthy."

Perhaps flaunting a dance before the sages themselves stoked something rebellious and confident within her, for she threads her arm through his own once more, this time more deliberate than a quick move to direct from the oncoming crowds.

"So now we're friends... can I have a name for the face?"

[daybreakrising]

@mmriesoftvat in response to x

The click of a tongue is the initial reaction; knee-jerk, instinctive, insulted. Amber-yellow eyes narrow at her, arms coming to cross stubbornly over his chest in a stance that should, by now, be familiar. Let it not be said that there is anything in Teyvat more stubborn than the Geo Yaksha.

"Need has nothing to do with it." His gaze almost dares her to argue further. "In any case, it always best to be prepared for anything, no? Now, stand still whilst I check your measurements-,"