#vigilant shadow

[boundlesswanderers-moved]

✦  @vigilant-shadow  cont. from here

Xiao was afraid. It wasn't something he'd admit to, of course, but, there was no denying it from the way he just stared at the ground, trembling, tense. It felt as if his karma was taking over him fast, and there was no way out.

Safe to say, when he felt his chin pulled up, only to meet those amber eyes, his own only widened, glossed over with a sheet of unshed tears. His breaths were quick and heavy, hands clutching desperately at his spear. "Lumine... You- you should run. You shouldn't be here."

Lumine hadn’t spend that much time around the other one yet, but still... in the amount of time they actually knew each other, she never had seen Xiao like that. Stubbornly trying to avoid looking at her, a slight tremble shaking his body. It hurt to see him like that, because it wasn’t anything like the Xiao she had gotten to know and the traveler couldn’t deny that she was worried about her friend. 

Closing the distance between them and more or less forcing him to look at her was a decision made purely on the emotions currently running through her, but once their eyes met, she was certain that it had been the right decision to make at this moment, even though the other one seemed to think different. 

There was something in Xiao’s eyes, something that felt so wrong, wrong, wrong and if possible her grip on the others chin got slightly stronger still trying not to hurt him while doing so. 

“I’m not leaving you behind.” she said, voice determined. It was a new situation for her, because usually it were people - her brother - leaving her behind without any explanations. Lumine was tired of running after people, so starting to run away was the last thing she wanted to do right now. 

“Whatever it is, we’ll go through it together. You’ll be fine.” 

[risingsol]

@vigilant-shadow​ asked for an Abyss Prince 

“You’re as silent as your legends say that you are.” The story of how the yakshas had suffered in the wake of the great archon war and subsequent destruction brought on by the days of old were a tale that he was more than familiar with - recalling the dwindling energy felt in the walls of the chasms that came after the Cataclysm. The loss of kin, the feeling of hopelessness despite all your efforts, and a persistence of duties - these were all feelings that he could understand well and ones that he empathized with. To cross the other would be a dangerous error. 

“I have no quarrel with those who guard Liyue.”

[risingsol]

@vigilant-shadow​

His target this time around was an easy one, just a couple of bandits who thought jumping people in the middle of the night would be fun. And it was definitely a coincidence that he'd saved Aether in the process.

Yes, a coincidence. He definitely didn't care entirely too much about the other's safety and definitely didn't jump head first into danger to bail the other out.

Him? Caring? Most certainly not.

And yet still, he turns to the blond, kneeling to his height with a frown, eyes checking him over for any trace of injuries.

//For the mafia au!

Whoever knew that wanting to make some extra money on the side could result in something so dangerous? Aether hadn’t really thought much of it when he had gone ahead and put in his application for food delivery via a familiar ride share app, but it was pretty true that sometimes it entailed delivering food at odd hours of the night if possible. Of course, such a thing was one of the few side jobs that fit into his schedule, the blonde having decided this would be his last delivery for the night before getting accosted by a group just a few steps before his car. 

He barely had enough time to put his arms in the air after being unceremoniously shoved to the ground before the sound of blows being landed reached his ears, popping an eye open to be greeted with the sight of the other instead. 

“Um, ‘m okay.” Save for some scraped up palms, he really was - casing an eye over Xiao’s form instead to do the same. 

“I uh, where did you come from? I thought it was just me here - then again, I guess they kinda just popped out of nowhere too. Um... thank you. Are you hurt anywhere?”

[risingsol]

@vigilant-shadow​

Exhaustion… / Not Accepting “I promise I’ll sleep in a bit, just let me finish this, first.” - from a very visibly exhausted yaksha

“No way.” The traveler gave a firm shake of his head, hands only inches from physically stopping the other himself - personal space only remembered given the clearly exhausted condition of the yaksha and opting to just go with a stern fold of his arms. “Because I know what you’re gonna do if I let you do! You’re gonna finish this one thing, claim that it went by faster than you thought it would, and then go ahead to the next thing. Then, when I’ll try to get you to stop again, you’ll say the same thing and we’ll be stuck in this cycle until something happens or you pass out - well, that’s not how it’s gonna be today. Sit down.” 

Granted, there wasn’t any stopping the other if he truly wished to leave, Aether knowing that he couldn’t exactly take away the other’s ability to teleport away at will, but he would only hope that Xiao even talking about this was a sign that his mind could be changed. “...what if you collapse somewhere that we can’t get to you? What if an enemy notices your state and overtakes you? Just... please take a break.” 

[risingsol]

Is there something you really would want to write? What about not wanting to write something?

And What is something or someone you have always wanted to write with? i.e. a particular plot, a character, etc. //Also I promise I didn't forget about our threads! I'll reply to them soon!!

Munday / Accepting  

Continuing on from a thread getting more into the traveler’s feelings, I think I would like to sort of memory dive into him. Like we know that he didn’t come from this world and thus has experienced many different things - maybe something where he talks a bit about himself in those other worlds. I think that besides wanting to look for Lumine, the two of them always found some kind of magic in traveling so why not share what bits of magic they found while doing so? 

Honestly I’m just open to any and all interactions - but I kinda would like a somewhat hostile thread sometimes LOL. Just one where Aether’s being challenged on something or another - I like that the traveler can harmonize with just about anyone in the story, but I like... conflict sometimes. 

[boundlesswanderers]

@vigilant-shadow cont. from here 

The small adeptus had been wandering around, looking for Morax around Dihua marsh. They were supposed to be training! And he’d found an odd crystal tingier earlier which nearly blew him away! His papa must’ve known something about that!

In his frenzied search, the young boy didn’t notice the woman on the road, bumping straight into her leg, which sent him tumbling to the ground. “A-ah, I’m sorry!” He exclaimed. He didn’t mean to run into her.

The small boy carefully moved the long strands of hair, most of which were currently neatly put up into a braid, aside from his bangs and the two teal strands sticking out, from his face to get a better look at her, only to realize he’d never seen her before, nor had he ever felt her energy, which almost instantly made him grow more shy and quiet. “U-um… Hello...”

Lumine once again was  back on her way to Mondstadt, after completing a recent commission in Liyue. Travelling back and forth between the two nations wasn’t exactly a hobby of hers, but she didn’t mind that much as it always was a chance for her to find some traces for the whereabouts of her brother. 

Paimon currently was distracting her with telling her something about where to get their next dinner, so for a few seconds she hadn’t exactly looked where she was going, but it seemed to have been enough for something - or more someone - stumbling against her legs. 

Looking down she soon enough spotted a little boy, a child that somehow felt familiar and yet… not. “It’s okay.” she mumbled, while Paimon said something about watching where they were going, something that sounded a bit strange looking at the fact that Lumine hadn’t exactly done that either. “

And so she watched the child brushing his hair away, soon enough noticing how something about the boys behavior changed once their eyes met. 

“Hello little one, are you lost?” Paimon eventually spoke up before Lumine even got the chance to say anything, but that was okay. Instead of speaking up the same question, she got down on her knees to be able to look closer at the boys eyes. 

He still felt familiar. 

“You’re not hurt, are you?” 

[mxmoria-a]

@vigilant-shadow ~ sc. ~

During her travels in Liyue recently, Atria had heard the stories of the Yaksha, and was curious enough to try and find the one that still remained.

Considering her current origins, it probably wasn't the best idea, but maybe he wouldn't try to kill her if she didn't attack him first? She could really only hope at this point.

In reality, instead of finding him, Atria moreso stumbled across him. It was easy to tell it was the Yaksha, though, considering the weighty feeling beginning to settle in her chest from the pure karmic debt radiating off of him.

Is that why he was always alone? Atria couldn't blame him, then.

"Ah, you're Xiao, correct?" She spoke up as carefully as she could, as not to startle him if he hadn't noticed her presence already.

[risingsol]

📘          »        what    is    a    memory    that    makes    your    character    feel    proud    ?    describe    the    memory    .

🧊          »        what    does    your    character    first    notice    about    another    individual    ?

💍          »        what    is    your    character’s    favourite    gift    that    they’ve    received    ?

Thought Provoking Questions / Not Accepting

what    is    a    memory    that    makes    your    character    feel    proud    ?    describe    the    memory    .

“There was one time when Lumine and I were staying uh... a place for a pretty long period of time and there was this species of fruit that a lot of local gardeners said were super difficult to plant and cultivate here. She had come home with huge bag of seeds and other gardening things, insisting that we grow some of the biggest fruits for a festival that was gonna happen later on in the year.” He sighed a little, remembering just how tedious the whole gardening affair had been - but it really had all been worth it when she had ripped his sheets off at the ass crack of dawn, bags under her eyes as she yelled about a sprout poking up from the soil. “We didn’t win, mind you - there was some guy who grew a pumpkin the size of my body! But heh, we did get a medal!” 

what    does    your    character    first    notice    about    another    individual    ?

“Their eyes! Aside from that cheesy reasoning about eyes being the window to the soul - sometimes it’s easy to tell a person’s nature from them. For example... you’re a very direct person, so your gaze is very straight and true. Some other people might shift their gaze elsewhere; they’re either a nervous person, someone who respects your position, or shifty.” The traveler chuckled a little. “It’s not a complete foolproof way of telling things, but hey! You gotta take all the clues you can get, right?” 

what    is    your    character’s    favourite    gift    that    they’ve    received    ?

“It’s kinda hard to rank gifts... it’s kinda like ranking how thoughtful a person is, which is also... y’know, hard.” Aether rubbed his chin a little in thought - he appreciated all presents and gifts, considering that he wasn’t the type of person who expected to be gifted things in general. “Mm, would it be cheating if I said this?” Reaching a hand up, he carefully tucked back some locks to show his earring to the other. With a sheepish grin, he continued. “...my sister got it for me - it’s made from the same material that this part of my shirt’s made out of. Would you believe me if I said they weren’t bought at the same time? We found it in a marketplace elsewhere - it just seemed right to buy.”