startraveler | Inbox

Aether, a moment of your time. There's a question I must ask.

Sure, go on. Did something happen?

No, nothing's egregious has happen please do not worry.

I would like you ask you, if it's not too forward, if you happen to have any other imprinted bonds besides me.

I don't mind, don't worry. I do have a couple, actually. What about you?

[...]

I see.

And who might they be?

One of them is Gilbert, a person I met here. Then there's Childe. Or maybe he introduced himself as Tartaglia, if you met him already? He's from Teyvat like me. And Yoimiya is my friend from Teyvat as well. I think I bonded with her when we first arrived here.

[....................]

I am familiar with both Tartaglia and Miss Yoimiya.

Do you intend to keep these bonds as well?

[Aether is very friendly.]

I do.

...Does it bother you?

You are very lucky to have found bonds with others from your home planet.

I was not expecting it. That is all.

I see. I'm very thankful for those bonds.

And I'm glad I can have a bond with you as well.

Of course.

Forgive me for prying. I'll speak with you another time, Aether.

[He's just going to go sulk for a while.]

Edited 2025-05-03 16:34 (UTC)

Why do I have a feeling that it does bother you?

If you'd like to tell me something or ask me about anything else, don't hesitate.

I'm sorry, I may have made an assumption much too soon. I was under the impression that our bond may have been of importance.

[He's not jealous. You're jealous...! ...]

But you assumed right. Our bond is important to me.

[Why wouldn't it be??]

Edited 2025-05-03 18:08 (UTC)

And yet you have many other ones.

Having many friends doesn't make all those friendships mean less. I cherish all of you.

I wonder if that's true.

Having one strong bond can feel special, while others may seem less significant by comparison.

You don't trust me? Is there anything I could do to make you believe it?

It might be selfish of me to ask you not to form bonds with anyone else.

[...]

I'm sorry, that really is not something I can do.

Is the bond with me the only one you have?

That is not important.

[NO COMMENT.]

Of course it's important. You can't expect me to have a bond only with you while you have bonds with other people.... Not that I would want you to bond only with me, anyway. I hope you make many friends, Sunday.

[He sighs. Because he does know he's being a little hypocritical.]

It is not that I'm opposed to making friends. I had hoped to find the value in the bond that we shared.

I just don't understand why would it be less valuable if I shared similar bonds with others.

Perhaps I cannot find the words to explain it.

[He just needs like 3-5 business days to get over it...]

I see.

Still, I will always listen if you want to tell me about how you feel or about your worries. That's what friends do.

Friends, of course.

I'm sorry for bothering you with such things, Aether.

When you have the time, I would like to see you.

Don't worry about it, really.

And you can see me anytime you wish.

In a few days time, then.

[He still needs that 3-5 business days.]

Alright, I'll be waiting.

Until then, Aether. Take care.

[ Ring, ring. Please pick up. It's urgent.

Probably.

He will pick up, right?

...Right? ]

[Aether sees the name on the screen and considers his options for a very, very long time.

Maybe he won't pick up.

...Or maybe he will eventually.

He won't say anything when he picks up, though.]

Edited 2025-05-22 16:17 (UTC)

[ That's fine. ]

Why the hell didn't you pick up?! Everyone knows you gotta pick up on the third ring! Now Rinne-kun's angy.

[ ...

He's angy. ]

[Angy...]

I see. So it wasn't anything important. In that case, see you around, Rinne.

[Ending the call. Try again once you're no longer angy???]

[ WAIT NO HE'S SPUTTERING HOLD ON ] IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

C'monnnn, you can't hang up on a guy on his birthday!

[Ah.

Another moment of silence.]

Happy birthday, Rinne.

[Said in the most flat tone ever.]

... Yeah♪

[ He sounds satisfied. ]

Now give me presents!

Me? Shouldn't you give me something? And invite me to some cake?

[Totally how birthday works.]

That's what all my friends did.

[He's not even lying.]

Trust me, I would, but I'm a disaster and a half in the kitchen.

Tell you what? If you meet me at [ insert address of a VERY SHADY shop in Karteria ] I'ma teach you my favorite game. It's super fun, I promise!

Hm, well, I can try to teach you if you want.

[Surely, there has to be something Rinne would be able to make without much issue... right?? (Maybe he's Ei's levels of disaster in the kitchen)

Aether eyes the address. He's probably familiar with that place already, given his curiosity and the nature of a traveler.]

...And what kind of game you want to play with me, I wonder.

[ His ass is not learning how to cook! Maybe it looks like weaponized incompetence. Whatever. Rinne doesn't care. INSTEAD— ]

Sounds like you're stalling, Aeth. Scared I'll kick your ass at mahjong?

I don't even know how to play mahjong, but I wouldn't lose anyway.

[Overconfident??? Maybe a little.]

Fine, fine. Since it's your birthday I can go.

[A pause.]

So what do I get if I win?

[Asking important questions!]

Oho! I like this question. What can ya win? Rinne-kun ain't exactly stinkin' rich, but he's a generous god, you know? I gotta think about this carefully.

[ Hmm. He has a dinner date later, so he can't make it too ridiculous. ]

How 'bout this? If you win, you can ask me for whatever you want♪

[He thinks about it for a moment.]

Is "honesty" on the table?

[Anything to help him understand what is going on through this guy's head.]

I don't know what else I could even want from you.

[Aether doesn't really need much to begin with.]

Mm, you're gonna have to be more specific. Not that you can win, anyway☆

[ Now he's just trying to piss Aether off. ]

That's for us to find out. I'm pretty bad at losing, you know?

[He'll win this no matter what, mark his words.]

Kyaha! Then get your ass over here and fight me!

[ Aaaand he hangs up. Whether Aether actually shows up or not, he... okay, he would care a little. He'll just be playing with three other randos in this mahjong parlor, where the air is thick with the smell of cigarette smoke. ]

[He will show up, because turning a blind eye on a challenge is not his style. And also maybe he wants to wipe the smirk off Rinne's face and finally get a better picture of what the other is about.

As Aether shows up, he first starts coughing thanks to the smoke. Very unheroic, but that won't stop him from standing before Rinne with arms crossed over his chest.]

Like I said, you'll lose.

[...Coughing a few more times. He's not that good with smoke.

Anyway--] So how do you play this game?

Aeth! [ Like he's an old friend he hasn't seen in a long time. Rinne's hard to miss with his red fox ears and bushy fox tail. It sways behind him as he waves Aether down. ] You made it! Sorry 'bout the... uh, everything. Whew, it's nasty. Someone get a fan in here, huh?

[ He claps a hand on Aether's shoulder whether he likes it or not and steers him toward a table. The tiles are all ready. ]

Anywho, mahjong's just poker with tiles. All you gotta do is make a winning hand faster than these dumbasses. [ He gestures to the two locals at the north and west sides. Don't worry, they're used to Rinne's shenanigans. He presses Aether into his seat. ] Relax, relax. They don't bite like I do. [ ??? ] I'll walk ya through it!

[ Whew. Now that Rinne's settled into his own seat... ]

You get 13 tiles at the start of the game. On your turn, draw one and discard one. A winning hand's four tiles of three and a pair. The three tiles gotta be straight or three of a kind.

You following?

[Fox tail and ears fit Rinne perfectly, but they also make Aether kind of want to reach out and pet them. He can't really help himself thinking that. Rinne is acting way too friendly with him anyway, so if it happens one day, he'll only have himself to blame.]

Poker with tiles, got it. [Spoken like he knows how to play poker??? He does not, by the way.

Aether may not exactly like all that pushing that Rinne is doing, but he at least doesn't complain and sits down to listen to the tutorial.

"They don't bite like I do" The traveler's brow raises at that. Seriously, this guy is so much. Aether merely gives a nod.]

Don't worry, I learn fast.

[Continued from here]

[He gently pats Gil on the back as if to encourage him. No apologizing, there is no need for that.]

I am actually worried, that's true. But I think there could be something more to it. Maybe this place is making everyone affected with nightmares to see how they'll take it.

[That could maybe explain people falling asleep in random places.]

But as long as it's just a dream, it won't hurt me.

Maybe.

[He wouldn't put it past them.]

But if they continue, you're sleep will suffer, and then you'll feel worse. You may even catch a cold!

I... should be fine for a while, but if this keeps going it will be a problem.

[But how to combat nightmares?]

Maybe... you could stay with me for a bit? That way you can wake me up if I have another nightmare. Sleeping next to someone put me at ease in the past, too.

If that’s what you want.

[He hopes Aether doesn’t notice how his ears burn.]

I’ll stay with you for as long as you need. Please, it would make me feel better if you slept.

[Continued from here]

[[He can tell that his companion isn't happy with his answer. Aether frowns lightly to himself, then nods.]

You're right. I'm not planning to push myself either. [Then, carefully:] Would you like to stay with me for a while?

[It would be beneficial to both of them.]

[That's right, he's not very happy with Aether's answer. Aether seems like the go-getting, troublesome sort and he has enough to deal with the Trailblazer... Although, they're not here. It still feels the same.]

I think that would be best. Until you are feeling better and are on your feet.

[Sunday answers quietly as he moves to sit next to Aether. He might be hovering over Aether like this but...

Well. Good.]

[It's almost... overprotective and Aether can't help but smile, amused by it. Sunday definitely is a big brother type, isn't he?]

I promise to not move an inch until I'm recovered.

[Amusement seeps into his voice a little, but... he really is planning to be good and stay in place!]

[Sunday truly is a big-brother type. Tried and true.

He sighs slightly and reaches out to put a stray lock of blond hair neatly back in its place. His touch is gentle and careful not to overstep.]

Very good. I hope you know that I take promises to heart.

[As his hair is pushed away, he feels some strange feeling stirring in his chest. Usually he's the one treating others as a big brother so whenever he gets the reverse treatment it always makes him pause.

And then he smiles at the gentleness of it.

Wait... the promise. It means he literally can't move at all to not break the promise.]

W-well, "not to move an inch" could be taking it a little too far. I'm not planning to go anywhere though.

[Sunday raises an eyebrow. Before he gently lets out a small, quiet laugh.]

No, there's no need to take it ... that literally. I only hope that you take care of yourself.

You laughed.

[This is probably the first time he heard Sunday laugh. It's nice to hear, even if it's a quiet sound.]

I will, I will. I'm already feeling better when you're here with me.

[Continued from here]

[Aether gives a simple nod.]

Then we both feel the same.

[He also has a bad feeling about all of this. There's too many questionable things happening.

At the comment, Aether crosses his arms over his chest, a small smirk on his face.]

Edited 2025-05-30 18:30 (UTC)

[Continued from here]

[Aether grins at that. He never said he would give that kind of lessons, but he isn't opposed to the idea.]

You'd have to attend many of them for the full story. I hope you're ready for that? There will be an exam at the end of my cooking classes, too.

[Is he telling the truth? Who knows.]

[Well, he enjoys that Aether is being a good sport about it. Though, for the matter of there supposedly being an exam...]

Mmmm... That depends: is the exam a written one, or a practical one?

[His neutral resting smirk makes it really hard to tell if he's just playing along or actually asking in seriousness, tbh.]

A written exam for cooking would be a bit ineffective... So a practical one it is.

[He says that as if he's only now decided. Truth to be told, he's just going with the flow, curious where this conversation will lead them to. Is there going to be some actual exam for Elan? Who knows! But Aether would still like to see his improvements if Elan really decides to take some cooking lessons from him.]

Only if you practice a lot, you can become a really good cook.

[He's cooked so many meals for Paimon, he's a pro now.]

Hah.

[His expression is... Probably kind of hard to read, for a moment? He's not used to having conversations like this. Ones where someone is actually being really friendly and encouraging in what at least seems to be a genuine manner.]

...Normally I'm not much for putting in an excessive amount of effort, but... We'll see, I guess. If it holds my attention.

[He won't waste his time on anything that doesn't spark joy.]

That's fair.

[Aether doesn't seem to mind at all, simply smiling as he continues on with the cooking. Thanks to his many travels he's learnt how to get along with all kinds of people.]

So what's your name? Mine's Aether.

[Ahh... The part of meeting new people that he most loathes. The exchanging of names.

He smiles pleasantly.]

Ah, right. You can call me Elan.

[Very deliberate phrasing being used here. He hates the name, and he doesn't NEED to use it here, but he doesn't have anything else to call himself.]

[Continued from here]

[There's a small smile appearing on his face, as he appreciates the sentiment. It may be just a few simple words, but to Aether it still means a lot. That pleasant feeling is soon replaced with dread. A dark thought that he may never see his sister again, that he'll be stuck here, in this room for his entire awfully long life.

Right, they also talked about food. He needs to use that distraction.]

Then you need to try it. I have a friend, who absolutely loves it. It's a popular dish in Liyue Harbour.

[He wants to think back to his friends, the places he's seen. If he focuses on that, maybe he can keep going.]

[ to be honest, rafayel isn't sure why he says it.

maybe it's because he could relate to it, or maybe it could be a small shred of gratitude he may have felt not to be alone in a situation like this. not that he wasn't accustomed to being alone, but he wasn't used to all these other emotions. the apprehension, or the way in which he feels like the walls are closing in on them, and that this was the last glimmer of freedom they'd ever have.

but, seeing the small smile, however brief does seem to ground him. a reminder for him to also not display his own vulnerabilities so easily. he wears a similar sort of smile, albeit more practiced. ]

A friend? Here? [ he tilts his head. ] Liyue, huh. I can't say I know it, but if it's a place with shrimp, I'm guessing it's a goodie.

[Aether smiles a little more, as if encouraged by the other's expression. Then he shakes his head.]

She's not here. She's back home, where she should be. [It's better like that. He wouldn't want more of his friends suffering like this. Experimented on, tormented with thoughts of what else might happen to them. The less people experience it, the better, though, it actually makes anger boil in his blood that anyone has to experience this at all.

But Liyue... Yes. They should talk about Liyue now.]

It's a nice place! They have a lot of seafood dishes so I think you would like it there. The sea looks especially nice during the Lantern Rite. It's a celebration when countless lanterns are set free into the sky carrying the wishes of the people and their glow reflects in the water below.

[He plays the scene over and over in his mind and it seems to calm him. Even if he won't see it again, he's still so glad he was able to witness it.]

[ "she's back home, where she should be."

those words seem to resonate with him, and despite him normally being able to mask his thoughts quite well, he feels it may have unintentionally slipped. his lips twitch just slightly, before he course corrects. he fixes his eyes back on aether, as if nothing was amiss. ] Not gonna lie, this place is kinda...

[ ...

well, he doesn't have to finish that sentence. just like aether, he is all too comfortable with the prospect of letting this newfound topic overrule any of their present thoughts. instead, he wills his imagination, his thoughts already focusing on the lanterns. he can already picture the ocean without much help, thankfully. ] Funny, we have a similar celebration where I'm from, too. Do you decorate your own lanterns?

[Rafayel doesn't have to finish the sentence. Aether understands. There's so much needless cruelty in this place, even looking at their confinement, but thankfully the traveler doesn't get too much time to focus on that. Instead, his mind drifts off to the lanterns.]

Really? I wish I could see that. I wonder how different they are.

[His expression softens, like that thought alone is saving him from the fears and worries. The thought of celebrations in another world, their similarities, their differences. It always fascinated him, no matter how much he has seen in his life.]

You make your own lantern and then you write a wish inside it, before setting it off into the sky. I know how to make them... so maybe I could make one to show you.

[Maybe it's the drug wearing off, but he... feels calmer somehow.]

[ it's funny how a single question could lead his thoughts down so many different avenues, and how his brain travels through so many memories in the span of seconds. in turn, it softens rafayel's features for just a second, before he clearly shakes it off. seamlessly, he wears his usual mask of nonchalance with a touch of controlled whimsy. ]

What did your lantern look like? [ there's a lot you could tell about a person's preferences from how they create something, after all. with that thought, rafayel doesn't even notice that their racing thoughts finally seem to be slowing down in tempo with aether's own calmness. ] Like, what colors and decorations did you choose? [ and most of all... he wonders what he wished for? but, rafayel doesn't actually ask. intuitively feeling like it's something he shouldn't. ]

Inbox - Karteria

text; un; melodia

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🎀

un: AMAGIBIGDICK69 | may 18th

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I'M SORRY, I LOST THIS TAG. let me know if you want to skip the tutorial. lmfao

no worries and sure, we can skip the tutorial!

May TDM - Gil

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May TDM - Sunday

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May TDM - Wanderer

May TDM - Elan

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May TDM - Rafayel

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comes back to this after a long time, sorry for the delay!

no worries!!! welcome back to us both ehe

♥

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