"i've Been Submerged In Water Before," Chongyun Begins. "mostly To Help With Meditation. I've Found That

"i've been submerged in water before," chongyun begins. "mostly to help with meditation. i've found that being underwater helps me focus a lot more." this is all beside the point though.

"i didn't think too much about it at the time, but i wonder if it's worth experimenting with in the future. to just go sit in a lake somewhere and contemplate the..." he frowns. "i guess, results? to see if we actually can feel anything."

      ‘ Hmm... ʼ Interesting debate and introduction to a new observation, but, still, Kaveh is true to the bit of information he's presented. ‘ We would know once it changes the aspect of a given thing, like turning it malleable in the case of our hair or clothes. But feeling wet, that isn't well translated. Take being completely immersed in water for example — would you say you can still 'feel' it despite knowing you're soaked? ʼ

"then i suggest you steer clear of childe. knowing him and his penchant for mayhem," chongyun stops there to rethink his words.

"―more than even me." that's better.

"he'd try to get you to drink it."

"How would I know however visions work? I don't bother whatever your gods created, all I care for is that I can burn... enemies.", she squinted her eyes, her expression showed disgust.

"I have never planned to drink hydro. That sounds... just weird."

"for any future incidents, if the exorcist is going to drop a figurative bomb on us, please do everyone a favor and knock them unconscious. it will save ALL of us from the biggest headache."

"you tell me she's changed, but i don't know if i believe people can change that quickly." kami's also partially referring to himself ― lumine only knows a FRACTION of everything he'd suffered. she knows more than anyone else, but kami doesn't want her arrogance to assume she knows more than he's willing to tell her. kami is still dealing with five hundred years of anger and resentment, and so much hurt. that would not be a tale he wants to share with anyone, ever.

for him, he might be on a new path, but kami can't shake the resentment and disdain that still creeps up from time to time. humans as a whole are still so frail, far too fragile to get that close to them. kami doesn't want to take any risks if he can avoid it, but lumine. she is different. kami is aware she isn't a typical human, and surely that's why she'd know better than most how fickle change can be when habits are still hard to break.

"she's been seeking eternity for as long as i've been alive," kami continues. he's not even looking at lumine now, pulling his hat low to stare at the ground. he doesn't want lumine to see his face, or the doubts etched on it. "i don't believe for a second that she can change her mind just because you happened to help the rebels win a war."

that's...probably a lot harsher than kami intended. this isn't supposed to be a scathing review on lumine's abilities ― she had only done what was right for the nation, he supposes. wars can't last forever, after all. "what i mean to say is, do you really believe she's changed that quickly? you know me, you know what i've done, and i don't FEEL any different than how i used to feel. do you believe people can actually turn around for the better?"

he's almost tired of learning this lesson. it never sticks for long, his thoughts continuously stray to bitterness and resentment, and forgiveness is difficult. yes, even forgiving lumine is difficult. her part in everything he'd done in the past had only lended to him getting more and more frustrated, resulting in their final showdown. she hadn't actually done anything other than stand up to him and fight, but it had still done a lot of harm for his own emotions and goals.

"if you really think i should go see her, then we probably should get it over with. i should also let lord kusanali know where i'm going to ensure she has backup if she needs an errand boy."

Second chances did not come often, Lumine was extremely aware of that.

What happened to him it was indeed a rare occurrence, however some demons never stopped clinging to his shadow despite this new journey of his.

Betrayal, sorrow, regret, loneliness. Wounds could heal with time, sometimes they'd only leave scars, sometimes they'd never stop bleeding.

They might have not had the best start of whatever bond they now shared, however more than anyone else she could somehow sense the inner battle that currently plagued Kami.

All she wanted it was to be by her brother side again. All she wanted it was to have him between her arms again, hear is soft laugh carried by the wind like the sweetest lullaby she had always fallen asleep to. But he had chosen a path without her, he had taken a journey in which he didn't need her. Would things be different when they'd meet again? She had faith in her brother, yet that fear creeped in more often now, thorns coming through the cracks of her own open wounds.

"Some debts might never get fulfilled" Her arms fell by her sides, her features now softening too. Someone could search for forgiveness, but after all it all depended from those who would be willing to provide it. Healing was a complex process for each side involved. "I might not be able to carry those debts for you, however I can stand by your side in this journey if you ever need me to." And she truly meant it. Torment was not meant to be held by oneself alone, ironic to came from someone like her of all people.

"She has also changed." She would be lying herself if she said she had forgotten all the affliction the Electro Archon had brought to Inazuma and her gained comrades. The fear she had felt in her presence, the anger that had raged before Ei when she was determined to destroy her ideals. The same way she had never forgotten Teppei's life slipping away in front of her helpless eyes. Forgiveness was truly a hard matter to deal with.

"But as you said, we always have our plan A anyway if the encounter takes a wrong turn." She stuck her tongue out playfuly.

i just want to go into a lil bit of yun’s dark side here cause that headcanon i just posted kinda made me sad but.

chongyun has blood on their hands. vangquishing evil isn’t just limited to the abyss or hilichurls or ghosts, but the clan has and will go after people who steal from them or people who threaten those they worship.

chongyun especially can be ruthless. he’s one of the few members of his clan that actually has a vision, the majority of them don’t, so chongyun is very much inclined to put a swift end to anyone who threatens/hurts his family.

it doesn’t require them to go into their yang state, either, because in those moments, chongyun is very focused and driven to protect, so any thoughts he’d have normally are gone. they don’t regret any of it either, always looking back and saying it was for the good of their people/clan.

not very many people in liyue or people who know chongyun know this about him, and it’s not even something he’d talk about with his inner circle of friends. this is something kept only between those who’ve witnessed him in action, so mostly the clan, and probably xiao. but chongyun has killed people, and will kill people in the future. zero regrets.

what better way to play with my emotions and mental state than to play the aq right after a heavy emotional thread?

this is fine. this is fine.