[There is a soft audible scratch at Dainsleif's front door and if he moves quick enough, he'll spot a small creature fleeing from his doorstep. The fox is smaller than those that usually roam Folkmore and if he looks very closely, Dainsleif might notice the familiar red kitsune marks painted onto the orange face.
On his door step is a small gift wrapped in white paper painted with delicate strokes of a brush in an attempt to emulate wrapping paper. Inside the small package is a beaded bracelet. It looks normal at first but upon closer inspection Dainsleif will notice a slight simmer of magic that has been enchanted into the bracelet. It's difficult to know what it'll do but if its near him in his sleep, he'll have sweet dreams.
[Unfortunately for G'raha, a mix of unfamiliarity and suspicion means that Dainsleif is not much in the habit of checking his relic unless he needs to use it himself. While this has been more often since the commencement of what he is timidly and privately referring to as a relationship with the other man it is still past half past seven in the morning before circumstances transpire for him to notice the barrage of messages that he's been getting.
Though he has been awake since five, he hadn't thought to look at himself in a mirror until it's time to think about doing something during the day. It's only then that he sees it, the change being so starkly obvious that he could not have possibly missed it, and he spends a good ten minutes simply staring at himself and occasionally rubbing his eye as if that might somehow fix the problem.
Where it came from is obvious. He hasn't spent so long looking into those very same eyes to not recognise one of them even in his own face. When he finally shakes himself away from the mirror it's too late for him to tell G'raha to stay at home... though he would not have done so in any case.]
I hope you're bringing an explanation with you.
[Not that he's blaming him, but... hopefully G'raha would have more of an idea of what is going on than he does. He has enough time to get dressed and make himself presentable, so he does that along with heating up some water for tea (mostly for something to do).
Then he waits, occasionally pacing, trying to ignore the uncomfortable surges of nausea in the pit of his stomach.]
[ Dainsleif doesn't have to wait too long, thankfully. They might live in different neighborhoods, but they're still in the same area of Folkmore, and G'raha sprints the entire way. Gods, but he misses the convenience of an aethernet right now.
He's gasping for air when he finally reaches Dainsleif's door and bangs on it, assuming that Dainsleif doesn't cut him off at the pass by opening it first. Either way, when he opens it and they make eye contact, two things become immediately obvious. The first is confirmation for both of them that the other's right eye has been changed to match. The second is that there's also a psychic connection involved, as all of G'raha's accumulated anxiety hits Dainsleif like a freight train, too jumbled and sudden to make any sense.
It's brief, at least, as the connection is quickly broken by G'raha buries his face in his hand, as though he's trying to stave off a headache that has already arrived. ]
[He's close enough to the door that G'raha doesn't need to wait long for it to be opened, and the moment he meets the other man's eyes the sudden impact of someone else's anxiety compounded on top of his own has him gripping the door frame to keep himself from staggering under the intensity of it.
Dainsleif lets out a curse, and though the word he uses would be utterly foreign to G'raha's ears the tone would make it more than clear that it was profanity. He takes a moment to steady himself, pinching the bridge of his nose, then he ushers the other in out of the cold and shuts the door behind him.
G'raha is not the only one who is anxious here, and though Dainsleif can make little sense of the jumble of feelings that hit him his own are so deeply rooted in issues he has already expressed that it ought to be relatively clear where they stem from. The aversion to being changed by forces beyond his control is an almost tangible one, and to have it happen again even in such a small way is enough to trigger all too many unpleasant memories.]
Come-- come and sit down.
[Better that than lingering about in the hallway. At least the living room is warm, with the fire already beginning to build in the hearth. Dainsleif's steps are a little unsteady but he still keeps his arm around G'raha's shoulder while they move rooms.]
[One day when Dainsleif comes to home there is a letter folded up and tucked in a safe space at eye level.]
Dain, I’d like to visit tomorrow at lunch if you’re free.
[It is how Kaeya always handles his visits. He asks, and if the reply is a yes, then at the time agreed on he arrives. He is as punctual as he teases others about. At the proper time there is the sound of something hitting the snow near the house. Kaeya stands up in the thick snow, adjusting his pack. Seven and a half feet of a seamless blend of wolf and man shakes himself once.
He trudges through the snow and raises a hand to knock. It’s a large hand. He is a dark blue werewolf with fur that edges from pale blue to white. Wind whorls are patterned at his sides and back. His voice is deeper, more resonant as he grins when Dain answers the door.] Take this pack from me before the cold gets to it. I can feel it even through all this fur.
[The answer is a yes, this time, though it would rarely be a 'no' when it comes to Kaeya.
When Dainsleif answers the door there is a momentary pause of surprise. Not at the form - he's seen it before - but that it looks... different? And that Kaeya is still in it. He takes the pack as bidden and sets it down just inside the doorway.]
I have it, and you're not coming in here like that. You'll knock down the ceiling lights.
[He will step back to let the younger man in, but not until he's in a more height-appropriate shape for the space beyond the doorway.]
And be quick about it, Kaeya. You're letting the heat out.
[In a blink, Kaeya is human again and steps inside as Dain moves to let him pass. Once the door shuts, he sighs.] Sorry, I've been checking over all my forms since I woke up from the coma. They'll all different from before.
[He kneels down and picks up the pack. He grins as he takes out a case that emits warmth.] But I brought some heat with me! I made hot sandwiches, Mondstadt style.
[He offers the case to Dain with a small smile.] I thought some good food would go nicely with the visit. [He reaches into his pocket and produces a massive golden dragon scale.]
[Despite the biting chill outside, the inside of Dainsleif's house is warm. Once the door is closed and with no intention of allowing any other visitors, he ushers Kaeya along with everything he's carrying into the cosy kitchen and sets his mask on the back of the couch on the way through. It's getting easier to not wear it these days, at least where a small number of people are concerned. Kaeya is someone who sees him without it (and without gloves, too) fairly regularly.]
We have indeed.
[And finally he turns his mismatched eyes to the dragon scale with an expression of open distaste.]
I hope you have a good reason for bringing that along. Those damned lizards could have killed the Exarch if they'd kept him much longer than they did. [He'd been so exhausted when Dainsleif had found him. Seeing that scale just brings back all the worry.] I'll get some plates. Bring the sandwiches here.
Hey, Dain Would you like to get some hot chocolate with me in Wintermute and catch up? I want to show you something too. I'll be around here until it starts getting dark.
It's always dark in Wintermute right now, Aether. I'll be there soon.
[It doesn't take him long, and when he shows up he's dressed very warmly to brace against the weather. The majority of his clothes are black and grey, but there is a warm scarf in several shades of blue wrapped around his neck.
One notable difference since the last time Aether saw him is the colour of his right eye - it's now a bright, vivid red with a slitted, cat-like pupil.]
I hope this is an important thing that you need to show me.
[No mention of the eye. He sits down with the other man and pushes his gloved hands into his sleeves.]
[Aether himself is dressed up more than usual. He's holding onto his chocolate to help himself a little warmer. Helios is hiding themselves, floating near Aether's shoulder. It's actually Helios who signals to Aether that Dainsleif has arrived.]
Hello to you, too, Dain.
[Of course Aether notices his eye right away. He could speculate about what happened, as there could be many reasons for it. It seems every month this world throws something at them that attempts to harm them.]
Your eye, are you all right? [He doesn't mean to be rude and ignore his statement, but he's concerned.]
[ There's been something on G'raha's mind for a while now, but it's never been the right time to bring it up. He can't broach the subject while Dainsleif's busy with anything else, it too easily slips his mind once he's focused on a book or some other task, and when the time is most appropriate, he's too quickly and thoroughly swept up in Dainsleif's rhythm to mention it. He's debated with himself whether he even should mention it. It's not as though he's dissatisfied with things as they are, far from it. He's simply curious about the alternative.
But today, things have lined up perfectly. He finished the book he was reading right before dinner, leaving him with the full length of the meal to plan out what he wants to say and the perfect opportunity to speak his mind after the plates are cleared and before any other activities start.
He's clearly nervous as Dainsleif finishes cleaning up, fidgeting with his arms while his tail swings back and forth. But once Dainsleif's attention turns to him, he straightens up, shoulders back, and with a deep breath, he finally makes his feelings known. ]
I would like to try swapping roles in bed tonight!
[For the full length of the meal Dainsleif has been aware that G'raha's mind was somewhere else. His lack of pressing the issue was in part because he's trying to temper the amount of fussing he's been doing since the other man returned and partly because he's curious to see if whatever it is will come out on its own rather than needing to be coaxed from him.
As it turns out, the latter is the case. He feels G'raha's eyes burning into his back until his attention shifts, and he is about to finally ask what the matter is before he sees the tell-tale signs of the other man building himself up to something.
From the expression on his face, it would be more than obvious that this was not what he expected to hear.]
Excuse me?
[The words blurt out, then just as quickly he's waving one hand to dismiss them.]
No, I heard you. [He definitely heard.] And while I'm not against the idea... I didn't think you'd be interested.
[ Now that the request is out there, the nervousness returns, as he feels the need to justify his desire. ]
I, ah, I do very much enjoy our usual way of doing things, that much is certain. But I cannot help but be curious about how things would be the other way around.
Are you free? You should come over for a while. You could bring Gin too if he wants an outing. Bean would be happy to have someone to play with today..
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
@traveler | text
Date: 2022-10-11 12:00 am (UTC)This is Dainsleif, right? It's Aether.
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Date: 2022-10-11 12:07 am (UTC)It is.
Is something wrong?
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Date: 2022-10-11 12:17 am (UTC)I just wanted to see how you were doing since the last time we talked.
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Date: 2022-10-11 12:21 am (UTC)I'm doing as well as you might expect under the circumstances.
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From:Christmas Gift
Date: 2022-12-28 07:08 pm (UTC)On his door step is a small gift wrapped in white paper painted with delicate strokes of a brush in an attempt to emulate wrapping paper. Inside the small package is a beaded bracelet. It looks normal at first but upon closer inspection Dainsleif will notice a slight simmer of magic that has been enchanted into the bracelet. It's difficult to know what it'll do but if its near him in his sleep, he'll have sweet dreams.
There is no note.]
text
Date: 2023-01-11 11:46 pm (UTC)Sent: 4:37 AM
Message: Dainsleif, are you awake?
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 4:46 AM
Message: No, of course not. Please contact me when you awaken.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 5:24 AM
Message: I should clarify. I have an important question for you. I fear it is somewhat urgent.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 5:55 AM
Message: I have realized it would simply be faster to ask here. Have you looked in a mirror yet today?
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 6:17 AM
Message: That may be too vague a question. Could you please check the condition of your eyes for me?
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 6:26 AM
Message: I need to know if they're intact.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 6:35 AM
Message: Intact was not the correct word and I deeply apologize for any alarm I may have caused.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 6:38 AM
Message: I need to know if they look how you would expect them to or not.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 6:54 AM
Message: It would be a change in color.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 7:09 AM
Message: It would be immediately noticeable so pray do not linger overlong trying to notice some minor change.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 7:20 AM
Message: I would like the answer as quickly as possible.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 7:31 AM
Message: Are you still asleep? This is fairly urgent.
From: crystalexarch
Sent: 7:37 AM
Message: I'm on my way over.
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Date: 2023-01-12 05:01 am (UTC)Though he has been awake since five, he hadn't thought to look at himself in a mirror until it's time to think about doing something during the day. It's only then that he sees it, the change being so starkly obvious that he could not have possibly missed it, and he spends a good ten minutes simply staring at himself and occasionally rubbing his eye as if that might somehow fix the problem.
Where it came from is obvious. He hasn't spent so long looking into those very same eyes to not recognise one of them even in his own face. When he finally shakes himself away from the mirror it's too late for him to tell G'raha to stay at home... though he would not have done so in any case.]
I hope you're bringing an explanation with you.
[Not that he's blaming him, but... hopefully G'raha would have more of an idea of what is going on than he does. He has enough time to get dressed and make himself presentable, so he does that along with heating up some water for tea (mostly for something to do).
Then he waits, occasionally pacing, trying to ignore the uncomfortable surges of nausea in the pit of his stomach.]
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Date: 2023-01-13 06:21 am (UTC)He's gasping for air when he finally reaches Dainsleif's door and bangs on it, assuming that Dainsleif doesn't cut him off at the pass by opening it first. Either way, when he opens it and they make eye contact, two things become immediately obvious. The first is confirmation for both of them that the other's right eye has been changed to match. The second is that there's also a psychic connection involved, as all of G'raha's accumulated anxiety hits Dainsleif like a freight train, too jumbled and sudden to make any sense.
It's brief, at least, as the connection is quickly broken by G'raha buries his face in his hand, as though he's trying to stave off a headache that has already arrived. ]
'Tis exactly as I feared....
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Date: 2023-01-13 01:17 pm (UTC)Dainsleif lets out a curse, and though the word he uses would be utterly foreign to G'raha's ears the tone would make it more than clear that it was profanity. He takes a moment to steady himself, pinching the bridge of his nose, then he ushers the other in out of the cold and shuts the door behind him.
G'raha is not the only one who is anxious here, and though Dainsleif can make little sense of the jumble of feelings that hit him his own are so deeply rooted in issues he has already expressed that it ought to be relatively clear where they stem from. The aversion to being changed by forces beyond his control is an almost tangible one, and to have it happen again even in such a small way is enough to trigger all too many unpleasant memories.]
Come-- come and sit down.
[Better that than lingering about in the hallway. At least the living room is warm, with the fire already beginning to build in the hearth. Dainsleif's steps are a little unsteady but he still keeps his arm around G'raha's shoulder while they move rooms.]
You should have called me. I would have answered.
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From:Paper letter to action
Date: 2023-01-30 01:21 am (UTC)Dain, I’d like to visit tomorrow at lunch if you’re free.
[It is how Kaeya always handles his visits. He asks, and if the reply is a yes, then at the time agreed on he arrives. He is as punctual as he teases others about. At the proper time there is the sound of something hitting the snow near the house. Kaeya stands up in the thick snow, adjusting his pack. Seven and a half feet of a seamless blend of wolf and man shakes himself once.
He trudges through the snow and raises a hand to knock. It’s a large hand. He is a dark blue werewolf with fur that edges from pale blue to white. Wind whorls are patterned at his sides and back. His voice is deeper, more resonant as he grins when Dain answers the door.] Take this pack from me before the cold gets to it. I can feel it even through all this fur.
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Date: 2023-01-31 03:09 pm (UTC)When Dainsleif answers the door there is a momentary pause of surprise. Not at the form - he's seen it before - but that it looks... different? And that Kaeya is still in it. He takes the pack as bidden and sets it down just inside the doorway.]
I have it, and you're not coming in here like that. You'll knock down the ceiling lights.
[He will step back to let the younger man in, but not until he's in a more height-appropriate shape for the space beyond the doorway.]
And be quick about it, Kaeya. You're letting the heat out.
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Date: 2023-01-31 06:33 pm (UTC)[He kneels down and picks up the pack. He grins as he takes out a case that emits warmth.] But I brought some heat with me! I made hot sandwiches, Mondstadt style.
[He offers the case to Dain with a small smile.] I thought some good food would go nicely with the visit. [He reaches into his pocket and produces a massive golden dragon scale.]
We've had some interesting times of late.
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Date: 2023-01-31 11:00 pm (UTC)We have indeed.
[And finally he turns his mismatched eyes to the dragon scale with an expression of open distaste.]
I hope you have a good reason for bringing that along. Those damned lizards could have killed the Exarch if they'd kept him much longer than they did. [He'd been so exhausted when Dainsleif had found him. Seeing that scale just brings back all the worry.] I'll get some plates. Bring the sandwiches here.
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From:think we can wrap this one up? :3
From:Ye!
From:text
Date: 2023-01-31 01:58 am (UTC)Would you like to get some hot chocolate with me in Wintermute and catch up? I want to show you something too. I'll be around here until it starts getting dark.
[Attached is the exact location.]
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Date: 2023-01-31 03:15 pm (UTC)I'll be there soon.
[It doesn't take him long, and when he shows up he's dressed very warmly to brace against the weather. The majority of his clothes are black and grey, but there is a warm scarf in several shades of blue wrapped around his neck.
One notable difference since the last time Aether saw him is the colour of his right eye - it's now a bright, vivid red with a slitted, cat-like pupil.]
I hope this is an important thing that you need to show me.
[No mention of the eye. He sits down with the other man and pushes his gloved hands into his sleeves.]
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Date: 2023-02-01 03:32 am (UTC)Hello to you, too, Dain.
[Of course Aether notices his eye right away. He could speculate about what happened, as there could be many reasons for it. It seems every month this world throws something at them that attempts to harm them.]
Your eye, are you all right? [He doesn't mean to be rude and ignore his statement, but he's concerned.]
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From:The day he woke up - text - un: WolfofFavonius
Date: 2023-08-21 03:40 pm (UTC)What I last remember now is returning from Sumeru.
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Date: 2023-08-23 07:40 pm (UTC)And I can only apologise for my behaviour that day.
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Date: 2023-08-24 07:56 pm (UTC)And now you know. Diluc said things were quiet while I was out.
…what was left of my soul mate mark is gone.I think it’s okay that it left.
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Date: 2023-09-03 06:05 pm (UTC)But today, things have lined up perfectly. He finished the book he was reading right before dinner, leaving him with the full length of the meal to plan out what he wants to say and the perfect opportunity to speak his mind after the plates are cleared and before any other activities start.
He's clearly nervous as Dainsleif finishes cleaning up, fidgeting with his arms while his tail swings back and forth. But once Dainsleif's attention turns to him, he straightens up, shoulders back, and with a deep breath, he finally makes his feelings known. ]
I would like to try swapping roles in bed tonight!
[ o ok ]
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Date: 2023-09-03 08:41 pm (UTC)As it turns out, the latter is the case. He feels G'raha's eyes burning into his back until his attention shifts, and he is about to finally ask what the matter is before he sees the tell-tale signs of the other man building himself up to something.
From the expression on his face, it would be more than obvious that this was not what he expected to hear.]
Excuse me?
[The words blurt out, then just as quickly he's waving one hand to dismiss them.]
No, I heard you. [He definitely heard.] And while I'm not against the idea... I didn't think you'd be interested.
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Date: 2023-09-04 12:06 am (UTC)I, ah, I do very much enjoy our usual way of doing things, that much is certain. But I cannot help but be curious about how things would be the other way around.
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From:text | @empyrean
Date: 2024-10-01 01:13 pm (UTC)You could bring Gin too if he wants an outing. Bean would be happy to have someone to play with today..
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Date: 2024-10-06 01:46 pm (UTC)Whether Gin comes or not will be his decision.
[Though, the cat does have a tendency of following him whenever he does go to see Kaveh.]
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Date: 2024-10-13 12:59 pm (UTC)Just be sure to remind him I prepared some good treats today.
Um, anyway. I'm here all day, so. Whenever you're ready.
[ Ugh. Could he possibly be any more awkward? ]
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