crescentview | autumn catch-all

autumn catch-all

WHO: Aether and you!
WHAT: Open prompts
WHEN: Throughout autumn
WHERE: Various
WARNINGS: None for now

A. Arco Lunar
[The date with Steinbeck aside, Aether is curious to explore Arco Lunar on his own. You may see him looking at the sea while leaning against the railing, trying out different dishes in the buffet and peeking inside the spa or massage studio.

It's really rare for him to be surrounded by such luxury. He's just a traveler, after all and the best he can usually get is a comfy, but modest room in an inn... or his current home.]

B. The Dulces Sueños Resort
[Obviously, Aether wouldn't be himself if he wasn't curious about the resort. Perhaps you are the one who invited him to go, perhaps the two of you just bumped into each other and now venture into the resort together.

If you use the open bath together with Aether you will pick up that beneath the optimistic demeanour, there's actually a lot of lingering loneliness and exhaustion.

If the two of you end up spending the night in the same room, you will see one of Aether's memories. Was it a good one of fun festivals? Or was a sad memory of something lost?]

C. Chocolates
[Perhaps you are minding your own business, when suddenly someone hugs you. A sheepish voice quickly says:]

Sorry! I didn't really mean that...

[The traveler laughs softly, if not a bit awkwardly and pulls away. The chocolates he received seem to cause the person who has eaten them to want to hug others. Aether wasn't aware of that, of course, so he tried one in the morning and its effect seems to linger for the time being. It's a bit awkward, but he doesn't mind too much.

He may be giving some away depending if you're fine with such an effect or not. Or maybe he'll just decide that you need all the hugs you can get and will gift you one without an explanation.]

D. Wildcard
[If you'd like your own starter, a completely different prompt, etc feel free to contact me at discord Ashka#4609 or plurk (spiritualwhisper)! Or just go for it. Also if you'd like to do something from his bingo that's also fine! :D ]

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[He follows without another word, wondering where Childe is planning to take him, but not too worried about it either.

As they arrive at the suite, Aether can't help but take a look around, noting the basket that has been thrown away and the way Childe pulls the curtains choking the sunlight from the outside. The isn't completely dark, though, thanks to the lamps. In this dim-lit room, it feels like the world has shrunk just to the two of them.

The traveler takes a few steps closer to Childe, but still keeping a small distance apart. His eyes are nothing but serious and sincere, and there's not a moment of hesitation in his voice.]

I meant every word.

[As surprising as it may sound.]

[ Brushing past the Traveler unimpeded, Childe sits on the side of the bed and forsakes all sense of caution, peeling his boots off one at a time. ]

Oh, so you're the prying sort. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad thing. I'm just not sure how to phrase this. Most people don't ask the way you have, for obvious reasons.

[ Once that task's accomplished, he swings his legs over to sprawl out on the duvet, arms crossed behind his head. No invitation for Aether to take the empty space on the mattress or remain standing or plunk himself down on the chair closest to the door. The offer is implicit but unspoken: get comfortable. ]

Then again, you're hardly just anyone, are you? Beating me... ahaha, you make it sound so easy.

[ Is he really just an object of ridicule, and not the oh-so-fearsome Harbinger plunging a city into chaos for little more than provocation? Funny. On the nightstand, the lamp oozes light like some bright and untempered sun besides him, but Childe's no longer staring at it or at Aether, only the dim ceiling. A couple hours until they'll be forcibly escorted off-board, huh. It should be more than enough time. ]

What do you want to know? Rather, what can I tell you?

[Aether hesitates for a moment, before slowly approaching the bed. He removes his own shoes and leaves them carelessly on the ground, while he joins Childe on the mattress. But instead of lying down, he sits there, gaze fixed on his companion.]

Listen... [He sighs heavily.] I'm sorry. I never meant for it to become some sort of spectacle.

[He recognizes that it's all his fault he got carried away. At first he only wanted to keep Childe out of trouble, but the longer the auction was going, the more fixed on the victory Aether became.]

...It was never my intention to put you in such an awkward position. I just...

[He pauses, then air leaves his lungs and he drops on the bed, face flat, burying his head in the pillows.] I guess I wanted this date on my own terms.

[Maybe it doesn't really matter in the long run, but it felt like there's a different if it's Childe offering and Aether taking him up on it or the other way around. Sadly, the traveller's plan was foiled painfully.]

And don't make it sound like I want to interrogate you.

Moping?

[ Ah, was he too heavy-handed? Glancing sidelong, he ruffles Aether's hair as he mumbles into the pillow. There, there. Easy come, easy go, what will be, will be. ]

It's not a big deal, come off it. You know how I enjoy putting on a performance. This isn't that different. Would've been nice if I had a hand in it, but I did get to see another side of you, Traveler. That alone was well worth the heckling.

[ A little endearing, give or take all of this embarrassment. Don't say you'll wallop him so effortlessly in front of a crowd? It isn't as if he doesn't get flustered? Caught up in the throes of that feeling, Childe clears his throat. ]

You said we had things in common, but I don't see it. Enlighten me?

Edited 2023-02-08 18:38 (UTC)

[His hair is ruffled, surprising Aether, but his shoulders relax a bit, too. Childe doesn't seem to be mad, so it's all good.

The traveler turns his head to look at him, his cheek sinks into the pillow.]

You said it once... that family is the most important to you.

[That is something they both have in common. But back there, in Liyue, the two of them were also nothing more but outlanders, living a life of constant challenges far away from home. And even though Aether doesn't have a place to call "home", he definitely understands the longing.]

It is. When I think of them, I know for certain I won't die in battle, because I made a promise to go home and see them again. Family is precious. [ Remembering that he wasn't always this monstrous and bestial thing filthying his hands with blood is important. Love is something that doesn't ask to be reciprocated, but his heart is full when he's with them. ] I could only entrust my little brother to a friend who would understand.

[ All of the chances that Teucer could've ran into someone unsavory existed, and yet it was the Traveler that he stumbled upon that day, like something inevitable. ]

... You always looked so lonely. When we fought, I noticed you favored one side... like you were used to covering for another person's blindspots. That's how I knew, even back then... that you lost someone irreplaceable.

[ Lifting his hand, Childe leaves it loosely splayed on his chest, breath rising and falling where it's caged in it. ]

Tell me about your family. Your sibling.

[Indeed, he understands.

That wish to prevail, to stay alive no matter what because someone out there is waiting for your return - it's something Aether is very familiar with. So he's silent, watching Childe with soft eyes as the other talks about his family.

Then his companion shifts the subject to Aether, surprising him. Childe was watching really closely, it seems.]

...You're right.

[He has no reason to deny that.]

My sister... she means everything to me. And I would do anything to bring her back home.

[But his "home" does not exist if she's not by his side. Aether's cheek sinks further into the pillow.]

[ Underestimating an opponent or overestimating yourself, it ends the same way. Restraint doesn't come easily to him, but he's employing it now. ]

I'd help you search, if you asked. How could I not, when she means this much to you?

[ Like the things that he admits, it's all between the lines, so much terrible impreciseness. Aether shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Childe owes his loyalty to the Tsaritsa first and foremost. ]

Still, she's your sister. Her reason for keeping her distance must be a good one. Can't imagine that she doesn't miss you. When you reunite, you can ask why she made you wait this long.

[ The light from the lamp's impressed deeply on his face, like the darkness in this room where only the two of them exist. ]

I've been trying to picture her, but I can't see it. Is she like you?

[His eyes narrow ever so slightly.]

Nothing was stopping you. After all, with Keqing's help I put missing person posters all over Liyue Harbour.

[Has Childe never seen one of those? Well, they didn't prove to be particularly effective, especially considering that only with Dain's help Aether finally managed to get closer to his sister.

He sighs a little.]

I appreciate your sentiment, but... I guess I was hoping you could tell me something. I know that the Fatui keeps information on me... And I know that the Jester has met my sister in the past.

[He's not going to say when exactly that happened, but he guesses Childe may have an idea. Just like he knows that Aether is not an ordinary traveler.]

My sister... we're twins, so there's a lot we have in common. You will know that it's her if you ever meet her.

I'm not as close to the reality of things as you're thinking.

[ Actually, he couldn't stray any further from it. Why lead Aether on? There's a reason why Signora and Zhongli duped him, why Dottore was able to catch up with Scaramouche long before a genuine opportunity ever presented itself to him. It isn't that he's wandered out of his depth; over and over, details are deliberately kept from him.

And Childe's complicit in it, as a pawn and as someone who clearly hasn't renounced his ties to the Fatui. Wherever he ends up, he'll always be a Harbinger. Perhaps he's even meant to be led astray, like some red herring in a far grander scheme. ]

So you're asking me to be truthful, but you won't give me her name?

[ Met with all of this disrespect, Childe doesn't begrudge him for it. He's known for quite a while now that the Traveler isn't so young, despite appearances to the contrary. ]

That's a little cold. What is it you're convinced I'm hiding from you?

[He knows by now that Childe doesn't have that many information. The Harbingers are hardly on friendly terms and don't seem to be interested in what others are doing either. They all have their own goals, while doing whatever missions they are assigned to.

Come to think of it, in Inazuma Signora wasn't aware of Scaramouche's presence either.]

Does my sister's name matter? Perhaps she wouldn't want me to give it out... so I won't.

[Aether rolls to lie on his back, his gaze fixed on the dim-lit ceiling.]

I'm not saying you're hiding anything... I'm saying that the Harbingers likely have more information regarding my sister.

[It's just a fact, nothing more. If Childe knows nothing about it, then Aether will believe him, because why wouldn't he? Childe may be hiding things, manipulating the circumstances in his favour, but what would he achieve by lying here?]

You can't really blame me for following any clue that I get, can you?

Rooting out info on someone I can't recount by name is no simple task.

[ Vague physical descriptors are hardly enough. How's he supposed to win anyone over if he wasn't trusted with that much? None of those posters mentioned even an alias and that was evidently an intentional choice, but Childe isn't attributing malice to stupidity or anything so ridiculous as that. What's painfully apparent here are the things that they'll keep from each other, like this impasse between them will exist forever.

Resignation is just another word for that overlong sigh in Childe's throat. ]

Once our time in this place is spent, come find me. That's what I would say, were it the only thing standing between us. [ It obviously isn't. Maybe Aether will never accompany him to Snezhnaya. ] Who's to say I'm not lying to you as we speak? Think it over.

[ Abhorring deceit doesn't mean he isn't reluctantly wielding it by trade. Sometimes, Childe commits deeds that he despises more so than any other. ]

Don't you think I'd tell you if I knew anything that would prove useful in your search?

[Aether tilts his head slightly to the side.]

So which one is it? Are you saying you're lying? Or that I should trust you that you have no information to share?

[Aether sighs too.]

...Actually, I don't think you would lie. You have no reason to, because what would be your goal? There is no Tsaritsa here, no Fatui. We don't know how long we'll be staying here either... and who knows. Maybe my sister will show up here eventually.

[There really is not much Childe could gain with lies.]

Only one who can decide that is you. Not like I can prove it, one way or the other. Pretty sure it all comes down to what's in your heart.

[ Bogus logic or not, Childe sits up on an elbow, glancing down on him from where he's perched above on the bed. ]

Make the call, comrade. Can you trust me? Or were these feelings misplaced?

[Aether is silent for a moment, before letting a heavy sigh and turning to lie on his side. He looks at Childe.]

I'll trust you if you make a promise to not betray that trust.

[He knows ll too well that Childe takes his promises very seriously.]

[ Principles just govern him too strongly. Gone still where he's lying on his side, Childe's voice comes out gouged, oddly raw-sounding. ]

Is my word that important? You know how I am. [ Kind of horrible to put him in this position, given where his loyalties lie, but no way around it. ] ... I promise. In return, you had better not betray mine. Trust shouldn't be taken lightly, comrade.

[ Cross him even once and that's the day this faith in him ends. ]

I know.

[He isn't trying to change Childe or convince him to betray his Tsaritsa. He knows that it's not possible. Not with how devoted Childe is.]

And I thought you knew that I'm not the kind to betray someone.

[Hasn't he proven that much already?]

...It's a promise.

Ahaha, how could I forget? You were that way from the moment we met. [ So compassionate and yet so deadly; it's quite a dichotomy, and Childe can't help straying close, trying to figure out what makes him tick. ] That's why... some things are better left unsaid. I have no taste for deception.

[ So it's better if Childe doesn't reveal too much, not about his family or his allegiances or what'll become of them both at the end. When he eventually rushes for the Traveler's jugular, like he can conquer Aether like he means to conquer the world, there won't be any room for kindness. ]

If I catch you out in a lie, we'll have a reason to fight again. When that time comes, I want you at your strongest.

Don't worry. I'm not planning to pry information out of you. Like I said... I just want to understand you better.

[He doesn't feel he's made much progress so far though. If anything, he's only confirmed what he already knew.]

...As always, you only think about fighting, huh? [He laughs a little.] And what if you never catch me in a lie?

What else? We'll remain good friends!

[ Keeping in touch for the indeterminate future doesn't sound so bad. The benefit of wondering aloud is the ability to stay waylaid from any further promises, but Childe's already been entrapped, anyways. ]

... Burning up with curiosity, huh. [ At the rate Aether's going, he may just turn to ash by sunrise. ] Like you, I'm no stranger to wandering around. Explains why I can make the most of things, right?

[ Three months in the Abyss did wonders to his mental state, and it's hardly anything he regrets now. ]

Tell me about the places you've been! Let's see how you match up.

I figured that's the case. You get sent to all kinds of places for your missions, don't you?

[He thinks about the times he's run into Childe in Inazuma.]

As for me, I travelled through Mondstadt, Liyue and Inazuma... and recently I also journeyed through Sumeru. The region is far bigger than I thought, but most of it seems to be the desert.

Yeah, lots to see, plenty to do. I get sent all over the place.

[ A huge flourish, talking very vaguely of the delights and the horrors he's witnessed. Getting up to all these shenanigans, Childe just gets more and more foolish. His chin tips just a little, when he drops back on the bed. ]

Gone that far already? [ Nonchantly, he mulls over it. ] Haven't been to Sumeru yet. Sand ever get in your boots? Seems like it'd be hard to avoid when trekking through the dunes.

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