you are a call to motion

when you move, i'm put to mind of all that i wanna be. when you move, i could never define all that you are to me. icons border by poetryrph

[aniimxses]

✧ ✦ ✧ a genshin impact multimuse ✦ ✧ ✦

✦ sideblog to @minstrxll

independent // private // selective // low activity // 18+

✦ featuring both canon and crossover muses, as well as original characters ✧ this sideblog is for limited interactions ✦ all shippable muses are of age and/or aged up appropriately and are considered adults. ✧ shipping is for a very select few

✦ carrd with rules + muselist ✦

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

Resourceful, is the word that immediately comes to mind. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Fischl is one of the top investigators of the Adventurer’s Guild- despite her many eccentricities. Still, it’s an impressive application of her Vision, so he does offer a nod of approval.

“That’s a fairly useful trick,” he comments, observing how she handles the transformed construct without being shocked. “Not everyone is so resistant to their own element.”

Diluc certainly isn’t. The old burns under his gloves and sleeves are testament to that. Yet there’s no resentment or jealousy in that remark; he would never begrudge someone for not suffering. It’s good that she can take care of herself.

Speaking of tricks…

“Auge der Verurteilung…” The language of Old Mondstadt rolls off his tongue smoothly and he looks forward again, brow furrowed in thought as he scans their surroundings for any signs for Bennett’s particular brand of trouble. “You’ve mentioned that a few times now. What does it do, exactly?”

(If she actually has some kind of navigational abilities, that might actually prove useful in this instance…)

 ✧ ✦ ✧ “Hah!” The short bark of a laugh comes out of Fischl before she can even think to stop herself. “Allow thy Prinzessin to bestow upon thee some knowledge, dear Master.” And with that, the girl strikes an impassioned pose. “This eye which pierces through darkness, that which peers beyond gloomy fates- is no mere artifact.” With her arms outstretched, Oz’s feathers flare outwards, motes of electricity sparking off of her as she waves her arms about. 

“Auge de Verurtilung draws its strength from the shadowy depths of this world- a power that shan’t be called upon by ordinary mortals. Those blessed by the blood of royals may wield such dark magicks, for any other would surely peri-” As she goes to draw a hand against her eyepatch, a rustle in the closest bushes interrupts her.

“What was that-!?” Fischl squeaks and draws her bow in a flash, wildly aiming her arrow at any potential foe that might come leaping out of the underbrush. In all the monologuing, it’d escaped her notice that they were now deep within Wolvendom with the last light of day fading by the minute. ✦  ✧  ✦ 

[aniimxses]

adversaryss​:

Aias watches in amusement as the other boy clumsily picks himself up off the floor. It’s hard to imagine someone like this got past the recruitment process. He could probably wipe the floor with him real easy- which means he has no interest in doing so.

Only real challenges are worth his time.

⟦ Forget the nurse. It’ll heal on its own, ⟧ Aias says with a careless wave of his bandaged hand. It’s clear that he’s pleased that his fellow recruit deigned to respond to him in a language he’s more comfortable with though, since he leans in over the side of his own cot with a roguish smile.

⟦ And for your information, it was the Harbinger that’s been running this joint. ⟧ There’s pride in his voice as if getting the stuffing beaten out of you by a Harbinger is an accomplishment. Considering he lived to tell the tale, he rather thinks it is one.

✧ ✦ ✧  ⟦ T-The Harbinger? ⟧ Nikita repeats as several possibilities spring to mind, each and every single one more violent and terrifying than the last. He feels his heart beat quicken. The blood blooming from the other boy’s wound has a different context now that Nikita knows more about how it happened. 

But it’s simply not enough.

There’s a tightness in his throat like a thirst yearning to be quenched. Nikita wants to know how his fellow recruit got into a scuffle with a Harbinger of all things. He wants to know which one and how this boy lived to tell the tale. He wishes he could know where it happened so he could touch the scars of their battlefield.

The bandages are soaked red.

Sweat begins to dot Nikita’s brow. He can’t tear his eyes away. The alluring siren call of mystery beckons him. He needs to see what it looks like underneath- needs to drink in the sight of such a gruesome wound to know what powers wrought it upon this other boy. It’s a fresh injury now but one day it will scar over, leaving behind flesh that remembers being graced by a Harbin-

A hand is being waved in his general direction and Nikita pulls himself out of his own ever-spiraling thoughts.  ⟦ S-S... Sorry. I was... um, zoning out. ⟧ He spares another cursory glance at the wound before jerking his head to the side, forcing himself to stare at the plain paneling of the infirmary walls.  ⟦ C-Could you... t-tell me more? A-About what happened. With your... injury. ⟧  ✦  ✧  ✦  

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

That definitely wasn’t one of Diluc’s more shining moments as a Knight Captain. There was no finesse or honor to that battle, only a desperate struggle for survival that led to more blood being shed than he’s strictly comfortable with. He tries not to look at their fallen adversaries too closely, more preoccupied with the way his brother is holding his side.

“Kaeya!” he calls out to him, not bothering to quiet his tone with all the ruckus they’d just been making. “Are you hurt?”

Perhaps it’s a foolish question when both of them are both covered in scrapes and bruises, but those are minor inconveniences. Diluc wants to know if Kaeya is hurt- if there’s anything he needs to be worried about for the inevitable battles ahead. He moves closer to get a better look, putting his stained claymore aside to reach out for his kin.

His hands are shaking, ever so slightly. The young knight pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. Lets it out again slowly. When he speaks next, his voice is much more even than before.

“Let me take a look at that.” Not that he’s really sure what to do about it if something is seriously wrong. They didn’t exactly bring a whole medkit in with them...

✧ ✦ ✧ Kaeya’s in the middle of catching his breath when his brother’s worry pierces through the gloom. The campfire the monsters had been surrounding had gone out at some point during their scuffle, leaving only the dim glow of the domain entrance they had come through and some still-lit torches dropped by the hilichurls.

“I’m fine. Just had to get my bearings.” He assures reflexively, dropping his hand from his aching side to wave at Diluc with a waggle of his fingers instead. “See? Not even a scratch.” 

There’s no blood, but his ribs aren’t all that happy to be clobbered with a wooden club. It’s fine, though. Kaeya tells himself as he sweeps his hair over his shoulder and silently grits his teeth as he does. It wouldn’t do to dally for too long in this place. Not when there’s monsters and other foul things afoot. Not being quick enough had been the reason he’d taken a hit in the first place.

He flicks his sword back into its scabbard and looks to Diluc, one sharp eye quickly assessing the damage, if there is any. After all, his brother was the one who’d tussled with the biggest foe head-on. “Should we take a moment?” He doesn’t see any injuries, but that doesn’t mean that Mr. Sunshine-and-Chivalry isn’t sporting any. ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

“…This explains a lot about your funeral services…”

“That was one time and I had just gotten hit by a high-speed carriage! Damn worth 20,000 mora if I ever saw it.”

[aniimxses]

“Imagine reading a Bible.” ... “No, that’s it, that’s all I’ve gotta say.”

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

“Eep-” A small squeak escapes the gunman as his mouth is unceremoniously assaulted with the candy he’d just been begging for. He’s quick to part his teeth before they can find out if crystallized sugar can break enamel, snapping them shut again on the stick before his travelling companion can shove the whole thing down his throat.

Seriously, what was with the attitude? Vash just did what he asked!

Also why does this taste kind of bitter?!

“Gh…” He cups a hand over his mouth and swallows down a complaint with the bittersweet flavor, knowing full well that Wolfwood will just take it back if he does voice it. Too late he realizes he’s tasting the cigarettes that have no doubt irrevocably stained the preacher’s mouth with how many he goes through in a single day.

A small wheeze of gratitude ekes out from between his pursed lips, “…Fhhanks…”

✧ ✦ ✧ The priest walks swiftly ahead of Vash, not acknowledging the other man’s thanks as he trudges forward. His footprints leave mismatched divots in the sand as the wind sweeps them away, and he wishes the heat on his face were from a sunburn.

It’s amazing how Vash can do so little but make Wolfwood want to beat some sense into him so much.

Thankfully, that little candy is enough to keep Vash quiet for now, because Wolfwood’s not sure what words would come out of his mouth if he did have to speak. Habit finds a lit cigarette between his teeth before he knows it, the smoke settling and burning out that strange, tangled feeling in his chest.

It’s not the first time he’s asked himself how he got saddled with watching over this ridiculous man. It likely wouldn’t be the last time either.  ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

To most men, such a provocation might draw offense, or even anger- especially in the desert. A man’s pride is often the only thing one can hold onto in an unforgiving place like this.

Fortunately for his hide and his sweet tooth, Vash’s pride is a loose, detachable thing. He doesn’t even hesitate.

“Is that all? Alright!” Both hands are clasped underneath his chin in a pose not unlike the one Wolfwood mocked him with (near identical really,) his wide eyes practically sparkling in anticipation. “Can I please, please, please have some of your candy? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”

✧ ✦ ✧ Wolfwood has seen plenty of people willing to throw their pride away- some cry and grovel in the tear-stained dirt, some wail and scream like there’s a chance that they could be saved, others whisper a final plea just before they reach the cusp of accepting their end.

This is just something else- the way Vash- no, Vash the Stampede, the man made of myth, legend, and tall tales alike- is so willing to part with it that it almost makes him wonder if this lunatic’s ever had any stakes in the game at all. Maybe that’s why Wolfwood keeps doing this. Just to see what other lines Vash won’t dare to cross.

So far, nothing yet. It’s embarrassing, really. If he hadn’t witnessed it for himself, it’d be hard to believe that this is supposed to be The Humanoid Typhoon. He could probably ask him to get on all fours and bark like a dog, and this sick bastard would actually do it like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

Archons, this man pisses him off.

The clench of his jaw reminds him of what it is that Vash is begging for when the lollipop cracks slightly between his teeth.

“Fine! Just take the damn thing, you needle-noggin!” And he unceremoniously wrenches it out of his own mouth just to shove it into Vash’s in an attempt to shut him up.  ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

Oh, cruel world, what injustice is this that a guy can’t even get a little snack? A little treat? Without being lambasted for his sweet crimes?

At the very least, Vash doesn’t try to deny it.

“Aha, ahaha…” The gunman just laughs sheepishly and rubs his prosthetic over the back of his head, metal fingertips scritching the short shorn hair. “You’re still on about that pudding? Come on, man, that was one time! And I don’t sound like that.”

✧ ✦ ✧  “Oi, it didn’t come cheap.” Wolfwood retorts. “You sure you don’t sound like that? Think you’ve swindled me out of enough sweets by now to have it down pat.” He readjusts his grip on the cross hefted over his shoulder- the only shade for him in this empty desert. “But I’m nothing if not giving, and I’m always willing to hear you beg.”  

Seriously, what kind of priest is he, anyway? ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

&& continued from (x) because Tumblr sucks; @devctiion​

✧ ✦ ✧ “Just one?” Wolfwood asks, rolling the lollipop across his tongue and nestling it on the inside of his other cheek. “That’s what you said last time about the Padisarah Pudding. ‘Oh, Wolfwood, I just want a bite, that’s all, I swear!’” The priest has his palms pressed together in a poor mimicry of his companion’s pleas. He lets out a snort, glasses tilted down to meet Vash’s gaze. “You know it’s a sin to lie, blondie. We both know that you’re not gonna be satisfied with just a taste.” ✦  ✧  ✦  

[devctiion]

"Why, Wolfwood, what big teeth you have-"

[aniimxses]

✧ ✦ ✧ “Don’t think I don’t see what you’re trying to do there, Spikey.” A loose, crooked smirk. The clack of hardened sugar against enamel. “’fraid I’ve got the last candy right here, sorry. No sharin’ today.” ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

Slimes and hilichurls, huh… Not exactly the most dangerous things Diluc has ever gone up against in his career as a knight, though they could pose a problem in big enough numbers, since there really is only the two of them here and now. The potential of one of the larger sort being in this confined space is definitely an issue though. They’ll have to prioritize taking that one down first, as quickly as possible.

When Kaeya proposes moving closer, he nods in agreement and mirrors his movements, steadying his breath and pressing himself flat to the wall behind him. They creep alongside it slowly at practically a snail’s pace, their boots barely scuffing the ground with how deliberately they take each step.

Kaeya rounds the corner first and Diluc finally sees his face properly lit up in the dim illumination from the far corner of the next room. His brow is pinched and his jaw is squared. Diluc can feel that same tension in his own face- he doesn’t know what kind of expression he’s making right now, but it surely isn’t any less relaxed. When he rounds the corner after him, he has to squint against the firelight.

It’s just as Kaeya said before. There are Pyro slimes sitting in water basins like he’s seen many times before in these sort of camps and Hilichurls dancing around a fire, making enough noise that perhaps their utter silence isn’t completely necessary, but better safe than sorry.

What draws Diluc’s gaze the most immediately however is the Mitachurl sitting in the corner, sharpening its axe on its lap. The stone scraping across that huge blade makes a dull screech that he recognizes now for what it is. This close, the sound puts his teeth on edge and he grinds them together once, twice, trying to dispel the unpleasant feeling. Then he reaches out to tug on his brother’s sleeve and catch his attention.

“Focus the large one,” he says in a whisper that’s more breath than voice, leaning in close to speak as near to his ear as possible. If they can catch it off guard and take it out of the fight sooner than later, Diluc is sure that he could handle the rest, even on his own.

✧ ✦ ✧ It’s all riding on Kaeya’s shoulders.

Which isn’t the first he’s been put in such a position. You are our last hope. No matter how he tries, those words will never leave him. Right now, Diluc is placing his faith in him. They only have each other to rely on, to support. Mondstadt, whether they know it yet or not, is hoping for their success here. Kaeya draws in another breath, starting the mental countdown for when he’s going to move in. He knows his brother will follow him. He knows that in this moment, he’s the leader.

But all it takes is one slime to notice them first, and their plan goes right out the metaphorical window.

Kaeya’s eye widens in alarm as the monsters start to stir, becoming restless at the presence of intruders.

Shit.

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 　　·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ 　　.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .

Jean prays that she isn’t too late.

Diluc and Kaeya haven’t returned from their patrol like they usually do, and the sun has long since faded into night. She’s been waiting at her post near HQ all this time, each time the door opened had her head perking up with the hope that her friends have made it home safe and sound.

They were supposed to switch off at sunset.

After raising some concerns to the Grandmaster, she’d been allowed to search for them. The rumor mill is thankfully small in Mondstadt, given the size of their town. It takes little time before Jean is riding a horse out to the western ruins.

Every minute, every second that passes could be a second too late. By the time she finds a group of men huddled outside a dark stone corridor, what little remaining patience she had is quickly diminished. She dismounts swiftly, not even letting the mare come to a full stop before she’s swinging off of its saddle.

At her questions, the men stand at attention and fill her in on the situation as fast as their mouths can move. Those boys going into a domain of all things- it’s practically a nightmare scenario.

And while prayer and good faith are things that Jean has, she also happens to have a sword at her side and good experience. Varka can take his sweet time making it here- she’ll be damned if she lets anything happen to Diluc or Kaeya.  ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

✧ ✦ ✧ "You want to know what Kaveh keeps in that bulky briefcase he totes around? Hah. There's a simpler way to acquire the knowledge you seek."

"Just ask him about where his housekeys are. You'll surely learn for yourself what sort of priorities he has." ✦  ✧  ✦

@devctiion

[devctiion]

╔═════════════ ☽【❖】☾ ════════════╗

❝ 𝒢𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁 𝓉𝑜 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓽𝔂, ㅤ'𝒞𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝐻𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓎, 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓶𝓮. ❞

╚═════════════ ☽【❖】☾ ════════════╝

ㅤㅤa dual genshin multimuse promo ㅤ.·:·.✧ alhaitham ✦ credit ✦ kaveh ✧.·:·.

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

Dehya might not be someone he’s exceptionally close to, and he wouldn’t normally go this far into an acquaintance’s personal preferences, but she’s fought by his side once and watched his back. That’s reason enough to look after her in his own way and make sure she’s healthy.

“Hmmm… Roasting and frying tends to overwhelm the natural flavor profile of things like vegetables, as well as obliterating many of the nutrients, but I’ll see what I can do.” Tighnari taps his chin in thought, his fluffy tail swishing from side to side.

“How are you with spices? I have rather sensitive olfactory senses myself, but if you find them tolerable, that could be an easy way to make them more palatable for yourself while still getting the full benefits.”

✧ ✦ ✧ “Spices? Eh, I’m pretty good with ‘em.” Dehya says with a shrug. “Better than most faunus anyway. I actually can handle a lot of the spices my lady has in her meals. But don’t overdo it, I don’t want you choking on some turmeric.” She doesn’t really get Tighnari’s concern with her health- especially since she’s perfectly capable of doing her work as is. But, he is going through all this effort and he is a doctor of sorts. He probably knows better than the average person.

“I’m not going to turn down a meal that’s been cooked for me by a friend. So, let’s do this thing.” She says with a crack of her knuckles and a cocksure grin. “Who knows, maybe we’ll impress Candace too. She’s been trying to get me to eat my veggies for ages.” 

And so marks the beginning of Dehya and Tighnari’s valiant efforts to conquer flavorless vegetables. ✦  ✧  ✦

[aniimxses]

snowtombedstar​:

　　THE LOUD NOISE PRODUCED FROM HER KICK, and the echoing of their enclosure isn’t something she’d thought about, and it hurts her ears, completely negating whatever calm she’d been trying to achieve from the act in the first place.

　　The Snezhnayan sighs, and runs her hand through her hair, palm pausing against her forehead as she takes a new, slower breath. It’s more than just Nikita’s apparent lack of backbone that’s got her so worked up; sure, she’d still be annoyed, but when isn’t she? No, it’s the fatui affiliation that’s got her on edge, though she’s shocked that someone like this is part of them at all.

　　Tem blinks when he speaks, and drops her hand.  “ It was nothing. ”  Well, it’s annoying when machines like that drift out of reach of her sword, but she’d be worthless if she let that outdo her.

　　The cavern they enter is, quite honestly, gorgeous. Tem’s expression finally softens, dark eyes bouncing over the different structures, more stalagmites and stalactites than icicles. Nikita’s cry and the sound of a rock dislodging itself has her whipping her head around, and she’d be hard-pressed to admit that she’s relieved to see that he’s still on level with her, and not tumbling down alongside that rock below.

　　Even so, another annoyed huff escapes her, after which, Tem only stares at him for a moment. She’s not trying to be cold, but her expression likely implies otherwise. Turning her head away from him, she glances down below and then back up, genuinely thinking on the best course of action.

　　“ You probably can’t climb very well, huh? ”  She finally asks, and she’s stopped moving for now.  “ I mean, we can down down, or we can go up. Both have their own hazards, but… ”  Her eyes lower again, and she stares there vacantly for a moment as she tries to get a reading one way or the other. Energy of more living creatures probably indicates a way for them to get in and out, right…?

　　Nikita doesn’t fight her on it after that, and they take the time to descend. The puzzle they come across, she thinks, is an indication of choosing the correct path; if any exits haven’t been caved in, that is. However, that may not matter, because even after a good bit of time of her trying to figure out the mechanism, she somehow feels no closer to solving it. She’s not stupid, by any means, but this is way more complex than the things she’d run into on the surface of the mountain, and quite honestly, she’d really like to just smash through it.

✧ ✦ ✧ Nikita knows when to stay out of someone’s way.

He does it frequently- particularly whenever he happens to be in the vicinity of a certain few Harbingers on a bad day.

As level-headed as Tem seems- her ramping frustration makes it clear soon enough as she starts stomping around the various activation switches positioned nearly on the floor. At one point, Nikita thinks she might whip out her claymore and take a real crack at the puzzle with how she starts huffing and puffing.

“U-Um...” He tries meekly, but it goes unheard.

The Fatui soldier yelps when Tem yells in frustration and it echoes off of the cavern walls. His anxiety has him looking up at the various stalactite-like icicles looming above them, and he almost breathes a sigh of relief seeing that they have yet to be disturbed.

“M-Maybe- um... I-I th-think I have the s-solution...” Honestly, he’s worried that Tem will take her claymore to his head next with how long it’s taken for him to speak up. Meekly, he shuffles over to the activation switches, tapping on the surface of the blocks until different runes appear. “T-There were, um, runes- o-on s-some of the doors... a-and on the m-machine you... uh... d-defeated.” He explains lamely.

“I’m an intelligence o-officer... so... this is kind of w-what I do on a d-day-to-day basis...” He’s really not trying to show off- not that there’s much to show off in the first place. Tem’s expression is unreadable to him- then again, it probably wouldn’t have mattered what face she made, Nikita would still be anxious. Their little alliance is only a temporary, tenuous bond. Who knows what that’ll be like on the other side of all this. Once he seems to finish adjusting the runes, there’s a whole new set projected onto the walls. With a slow grinding of rock and gears, a door opens; its long hall is darkened, giving no clarity of what might lurk on the other side.

“...Let’s hope I did something right for once...” He mumbles to himself.  ✦ ✧ ✦

[aniimxses]

devctiion​:

“…You could say that,” Diluc replies dryly after a moment. That would be a diplomatic way of putting it. He doesn’t really need to explain to himself, but she probably asked because she wanted some conversation. Perhaps as a distraction, that would understandable. Her friend did just go missing out of the blue.

“You may have heard that I used to be a knight for the Ordo Favonius. Bennett has always had penchant for finding trouble, so I would usually be the one fishing him out of it. This is nothing new to me.”

The brisk wind hits him next, whipping through his hair and coat and making them flair out behind himself like twin banners. It doesn’t really affect him, considering his constitution, but it occurs to him that Fischl’s attire seems geared more towards fashion than practicality.

“It’s only going to get colder from here on out,” he says suddenly, glancing at her over his shoulder. “I don’t suppose the familiar of yours doubles as a heat source, does he?”

It’s odd to find herself following rather than leading in this situation, but Fischl maintains her pace easily, keeping behind Diluc as they make towards Wolvendom. “Ah, thine Wayward Squire hath crossed paths with thee before. These are not tales that mein ears have been made privy. Though thy Prinzessin hath been regaled with stories of thou renown by the wind-blessed patrons whom tread upon these light-touched lands, these are accounts long-since passed. Fear not, mein humble supplicant. Auge der Verurteilung now pierces through the veils to guide thee through such twined entanglements.”

Really it’s no surprise that Bennett’s luck has always been, well... Bennett’s luck.

Oz brings his head up from where he had been tucking it into a wing to continue preening his feathers. Seeing as the wine master has no need for translation, he’s quite out of place in such a moment until a question is posed.

“I do not happen to serve as a heat source. But rest assured, mein fraulein has weathered through such conditions before, Sir Diluc. We are well-prepared.”

The wind howls through the winding trees, leaves and branches swept up in its arms. Sunset is approaching rapidly with these autumn months. They probably only have a few scant hours left before nightfall. Diluc is right, the temperatures will only continue to drop.

“Oz,” Fischl calls out, extending her arm. The familiar hops off of her shoulder and swoops into the air, circling around her before coming to rest with his wings wrapped around her shoulders. With a snap of her fingers, Oz takes on a new form as a feathered capelet, shimmering with electro energy.

She does give him a well-deserved pet, gliding her fingers through the soft downy feathers in thanks.