It's As Though Ren Guessed His Very Thoughts Because Ren Flying Away Is Exactly What Chongyun Is Fearing.

it's as though ren guessed his very thoughts ― because ren flying away is exactly what chongyun is fearing. the reassurance is at least helpful, if not wholly reassuring. they almost say something there, but chongyun instead settles back, resting their claymore over their jacket and still picking mud off their skin.

there are moments where chongyun pauses, like the revelation that ren is actually much, MUCH older than chongyun had originally thought. ren certainly looks to be around chongyun's age, give or take a few years. but isn't that the point of him being a nonhuman entity? that he's supposed to look one way forever?

"you sound really hard on yourself," chongyun says, not sure how to broach this topic. he almost doesn't want to KNOW what sins ren committed in the past. he can guess from the way ren sounds and even looks, that it's definitely not a topic to push on. chongyun is going to give the puppet his space to come forward in his own time ― maybe chongyun needs to earn more trust.

"i don't know what's so terrible in your past, and maybe i'm better off not knowing. but i'm glad you're finding redemption, and i'm glad your vision is helping you stay on that road." TRULY chongyun has no right to judge. they themself have committed many sins of their own, just by virtue of protecting their clan. chongyun's hands certainly are not bloodless by any means, though that probably also gives them both something else to bond over.

"would you believe it's the talk of liyue that i could have had a pyro vision instead?" chongyun isn't exactly THRILLED to open up about himself. it's always awkward, trying to find interesting facts about himself that would hold someone's interest. but conversation with ren always seemed to flow in ways chongyun never experienced with others.

"i believe it was my resolve to become the greatest exorcist that granted my my cryo vision. but the rumors around the city are that i could have had a pyro vision instead, because of my goals. i'm still not sure how that would work with my yang energy." he flicks more mud off his face. it's starting to dry up a touch, leaving chongyun feeling itchy.

"i'd be yang drunk forever, if that were the case."

he  can  understand  chongyun's  intention,  even  if  they're  trying  to  be  subtle  about  it.  comparing  the  two  relationships  is  something  of  a  mercy;  it  means  ren  doesn't  have  to  delve  into  detail  he  isn't  exactly  COMFORTABLE  with.  (  he  can  simply  use  the  adeptus  as  an  example  and  leave  it  as  that.  )  ❝  i  suppose  it  does. ❞  the  wanderer  says  aloud.  he  isn't  picky;  he'll  take  the  out  that  his  companion  so  generously  OFFERS  to  him.  it's  easier  than  giving  context  —  for  that  would  necessitate  elaborating  on  the  balladeer's  aspirations  of  divinity  and  the  disservice  he  very  nearly  inflicted  upon  sumeru  and  its  people.  he  wonders  if  chongyun  would  judge  him  for  that.  he  wouldn't  blame  him  even  if  he  did;  he's  a  good  person  —  and  it's  only  natural  for  anyone  with  a  coherent  grasp  of  basic  MORALITY  to  find  his  past  actions  abhorrent.

❝  you  can  ask. ❞  about  his  vision,  that  is.  a  faint  sigh  punctuates  the  statement,  however.  ❝  i'm  not  going  to  fly  away  like  a  frightened  bird  if  you  say  something  i  don't  like.  it's  just  a  little  tricky  to  EXPLAIN ... ❞   what  does  he  tell  them?  how  much  context  does  he  give?  after  a  moment  of  consideration,  ren  says,   ❝  i've  lived  in  this  world  for  nearly  five  hundred  years...  sooner  or  later,  everyone  makes  mistakes  —  but  even  in  that  time,  i've  still  made ...  an  inordinate  amount. ❞   to  put  it  lightly.  he  glances  at  the  water,  meeting  the  eyes  of  his  own  reflection.  the  mirrored  gaze  feels  accusatory  —  probably  what  he  deserves.  ❝  i  thought  if  i  had  never  been  born,  i  could  at  least  spare  all  of  the  innocent  people  who  suffered  as  a  result  of  my  very  existence ...  as  it  turns  out,  fate  isn't  nearly  that  easy  to  fool. ❞  eyes  narrow,  and  he  looks  away.

❝  ...  to  make  a  long  story  short,  finding  purpose  through  accepting  my  sins  is  how  i  ended  up  with  this. ❞  hand  raises  to  the  gem;  it  thrums  with  faint  light,  as  if  responding  to  the  wanderer's  touch.  (  not  unlike  a  HEARTBEAT.  )

❝  what  about  you? ❞

YOU RECEIVED A COMMON CHEST!

If opened, one may find this chest full of Red Wolfhooks. Is this why such berries in this color is rarely seen in the forest?

usually when chongyun finds a chest somewhere in the wild, it's filled with older weapons and artifacts they can make use of. things to store around their home, to clean up and maybe sell to blacksmiths. useful things.

wolfhooks are far less useful; chongyun isn't even sure they remember what one tastes like. they know wolfhooks are medicinal in some form, but perhaps that can be useful for whenever chongyun is making up a first aid kit for whenever he's on the go.

RED wolfhooks, on the other hand ― chongyun has never seen one before. granted, he doesn't spend a whole lot of time near wolvendom in the first place, knowing this place isn't exactly the friendliest for humans. but red wolfhooks? red?

curiosity drives them. they're taking a small knife out of their pouch, and using said blade to cut into the berry for taste. it doesn't taste bad, but it's not chongyun's favorite natural flavor.

come to think of it, perhaps they can give these to bartenders for drinks, right? getting back to his feet, chongyun grabs as many wolfhooks as he possibly can carry in his arms, before turning to head back for mondstadt. maybe diluc or diona would enjoy these.

at least in genshin terms, we know that puppets do not need much sleep. that's not to say it's impossible, but they can survive forever without it if they're inclined.

with pena.cony being a dreamscape, i wonder if kami can sleep enough to enter it properly. of course, there's the hassle of getting checked into a hotel first, and laying in the pool, but that aside. could he enter it?

i'm kinda leaning toward yes, he probably could. just because he's a puppet doesn't make him completely immune to needing food and rest to live. he's still a living being after all.

i don't know how often he goes to visit the dreamscape though, because getting there in the first place is a huge hassle. but he probably has his ways of hacking into the system to borrow whatever is needed for himself.

i'll have to play more to learn more about it, but sleep + kami + pen.acony = i need to think about this more.

every single thought flies out of kaminari's head the second those fingers wrap around his throat. before he can even THINK to fight back, or react, he's being slammed back against the wall. of COURSE, only someone matching own strength, that's able to render him briefly limp and semi conscious. kami's seeing spots, vision half blurred as he stares up at the silhouette of the balladeer.

kami's already struggling to shake off the impact. even with the massive headache forming, his half-lidded eyes blink slowly up at scaramouche with his mind churning and creaking, trying to catch back up to the conversation. the idiot is still rambling on about something, though now the words are slightly out of focus, almost fuzzy sounding. his ears almost miss the context, but as if through some delayed response, kami can catch the gist of the monologue; something related to being afraid.

if only he could actually fight back, now that the balladeer is well within range. it's too bad he'd taken the initiative to DAZE kami first. it's embarrassing, really. for kami to be so strong, having overcome so much in his life. and is now once again reduced to being a prisoner with no real escape. anyone else would have already been long overpowered and beaten, but he'd almost forgotten how strong he was in this embarrassing stage of life.

"i'm not scared of you," kami finally mutters, gaze drifting down to the wrist still holding him in place. "now it's the exact opposite." he's drawing up a leg, tucking it up against himself and using it to keep himself propped up. it's not a whole lot of action, but it's still SOMETHING. "you're nothing but a moron with a captive audience," kami finishes speaking, before snapping his leg out to catch kunikuzushi in the stomach. the kick is probably weaker than normal, since his stupid body is still struggling to snap out of its temporary daze.

not MUCH is expected from this ― it's not like kami is concerned over being choked. neither of them have the lungs or air to worry about that. what kami IS worried about is the balladeer slamming him again, succeeding in actually knocking him unconscious. there's no way kami can withstand another blow against the wall, so the sooner he gets himself free, the better.

already, he's drawing up his leg again to prepare for a second kick. second time's the charm.

give  it  back?  kunikuzushi  blinks  in  surprise  —  are  his  ears  MALFUNCTIONING?  he  simply  cannot  believe  what  he's  hearing.  yet  the  initial  shock  is  soon  followed  by  (  incredulous  )  laughter.  gentle,  like  the  chiming  of  tiny  bells  —  a  sound  that  would  be  considered  BEAUTIFUL  under  different  circumstances,  yet  feels  downright  jarring  here  when  contrasted  against  the  obvious  cruelty  in  his  eyes.  ❝  why  should  i? ❞   the  balladeer  asks,  arms  spread  and  palms  raised  upwards.  ❝  aren't  you  the  one  who  STARTED  this  fight? ❞  provoking  him  —  such  arrogance!  ❝  for  all  that  you  pretend  to  know  about  me ...  are  you  so  naive  as  to  think  i  would  let  you  go  merely  because  you  asked? ❞   perhaps  he  did  hit  his  head  after  all.  kunikuzushi  hasn't  exactly  been  paying  much  attention  to  how  this  pathetic  doppelganger  was  tossed  around.  surely  he  can't  actually  believe  the  sixth  would  be  at  all  inclined  to  show  him  MERCY  —  oil  and  water  would  be  more  liable  to  mix!

❝  this  isn't  an  ideological  battle.  i  couldn't  care  less  about  whatever  lies  you  feed  yourself  to  find  peace  in  such  an  inferior  existence. ❞  and  he  isn't  particularly  inclined  to  listen,  either.  kunikuzushi  was  destined  for  greatness,  for  divinity  —  and  unlike  this  FAKE,  he  has  endured  far  too  much  to  simply  GIVE  UP  now.  ❝  ...  i  just  want  to  see  you  suffer. ❞

without  warning,  the  harbinger  disappears  in  a  burst  of  electricity  bright  enough  to  SEAR  the  eyes.  cold  fingers  curl  around  kaminari's  throat  —  he  pulls  up  his  doppelganger  as  if  he  weighs  nothing  at  all,  cruelly  slamming  him  against  the  wall.  he's  changed  his  mind;  kunikuzushi  really  doesn't  care  whether  this  gives  him  the  opportunity  for  a  counterattack  —  because  they  both  know  his  anemo-wielding  counterpart  won't  dare  go  anywhere  without  his  PRECIOUS  VISION.  (  and  any  pain  he  can  inflict  upon  the  sixth  is  utterly  inconsequential.  )  ❝  cling  to  that  false  bravado  as  much  as  you  like. ❞  the  balladeer  says,  voice  dropping  to  little  more  than  a  whisper.  at  such  a  close  proximity,  the  glow  from  his  eyes  appears  almost  eerie  —  as  if  they  are  glassy  and  doll-like,  backlit  by  a  purple-hued  light.  unnatural,  inhuman  and  godly.  it  casts  strange  shadows  across  his  too-perfect  features,  only  serving  to  accentuate  the  sadistic,  controlled  mania  that  characterizes  every  word  out  of  the  sixth's  mouth.  ❝  the  truth  is ...  you're  TERRIFIED,  aren't  you? ❞  oh,  kunikuzushi  did  not  miss  that  look  for  the  split-second  it  lit  up  his  face.  on  the  contrary,  he  RELISHES  it.

❝  surrendering  to  something  as  weak  as  fear ...  just  like  a  common  animal.  how  very  human  of  you. ❞

"Oh!" Chongyun's eyes widen at the mention of his popsicles. He'd completely forgotten about them ― they're probably all a melted mess right now. Quickly, he's bending over to rummage through his pouch, and in dismay, finds that he'd guessed correctly. "They melted," he tells her dramatically. It IS dramatic, considering how tired Chongyun is right now. It's never a huge deal in the first place, but in Chongyun's current state, it's easier to play around a little more for those sympathy points.

"I'll come with you. I'm not so far gone that I can't walk." They're taking their pouch off their waist and holding it in their hands. With the liner inside, Chongyun isn't worried about the contents inside leaking, but it's still better to keep it off their clothing just in case. "What are you thinking as far as food?" They're even tipping it over to let the liquid inside spill out.

If they can avoid Wanmin Restaurant, Chongyun will be pleased. He's only eaten Xiangling's cooking a handful of times; he knows her pechant for creating spicy dishes. Chongyun is too tired to play 'guess the outcome' where anything outside his comfort zone and yang energy is concerned. "Maybe rice? Pork fried rice. Fish." They're definitely hungry. As if the naming of food isn't enough, Chongyun's stomach grumbles. "―I haven't eaten for a few hours, either," they admit. "Not that I haven't had food, I mean. I ate fruit and nuts, mostly."

He moves closer to her, wearing a more genuine smile. Feeling slightly more awake than before, too. "You are being a good friend. Thank you for helping, Hu Tao, I appreciate it."

Fortunately  an  expression  of  disappointment  from  the  funeral  director  was  never  with  ill-intentions.  Most  of  the  time  it  was  merely  a  firm  request  for  the  other  to  take  better  care  of  themselves.  "As  much  as  I  would  love  the  support  for  my  business...."  her  voice  trailed  off  slightly  before  she  tch'd  out  a  short  laugh.

"Funny  enough  the  Yuheng  herself  was  going  through  her  own  bouts  of  insomnia  a  few  months  ago.  And  mostly  for  the  very  same  reason.  Overwork."

Regardless,  she  knew  Chongyun  wasn't  doing  any  of  this  on  purpose.  More  that  it  was  a  difficult  habit  to  get  over.  She  took  pushed  herself,  even  taking  on  jobs  that  she  could  have  just  handed  to  her  undertakers.

It  seemed  that  the  pure  yang  energy  was  both  a  curse  and  gift.  That's  how  she  interpreted  as.  As  for  herself,  while  it  wasn't  exactly  pure  she  did  display  qualities  of  having  the  contrasting  yin.  Usually  she  could  go  with  the  flow  and  be  open  to  any  changes.  However,  when  it  was  too  much  she  became  more  lethargic  and  often  isolated  herself.

She  turned  to  the  exorcist  "Oh?  Did  you  run  out  of  those  popsicles  you  usually  carry  around?"  She  had  noticed  the  signs  of  both  thirst  and  hunger.  She  made  a  soft  hum.  Liyue  was  mostly  known  for  its  spicy  dishes.  Or  at  least  ones  that  were  cooked  hot.  Still,  she  wasn't  just  going  to  sit  there  and  do  nothing  about  this.

"I  can  go  find  ya  something..."  His  next  compliment  might  have  caught  her  off  guard  for  a  moment.  She  breathed  out  a  small  smile  in  return.  Her  hand  moved  to  scratch  absentmindedly  at  the  back  of  her  head.  "Aiyaaa...isn't  that  what  a  friend  is  for?  ~"

it's 7am and I'm sleepy but I have a lot of thoughts about chongyun this morning, especially concerning trust.

I've never really explored the concept of trust in rp very much, probably because for me it's always been a given. but I'm thinking hard about the use of blindfolds and how chongyun would most likely use them in training to enhance their reflexes or in meditation. and I'm toying with the idea that chongyun would bring a friend into this to also work on trust levels.

like maybe chongyun wants said partner to throw attacks his way, so chongyun can block the attacks either with his claymore, his cryo, or both. and honestly the idea of chongyun being nervous and really pushing boundaries and trust here is so appealing.

and blindfolds themselves are incredibly intimate. you're cutting off one sense: your sight. so in that regard one would have no choice but to rely so heavily on trust and camaraderie to get through whatever the scenario would be.