Chapter Text
It doesn't seem like he had to go searching far, because a girl with unmistakable green hair and purple eyes approaches him. "Mr. Wanderer! T-This way..." She's tense under his stare, hiding it when she turns around and leads him to one of the huts.
He randomly thinks up a joke with her name, but stomps it out of his mind in cringe and at the fact that it was not an appropriate time to think up a joke.
I'm so sorry.
I shouldn't have said those things.
Please come back.
Your brother was just being stupid.
Why wasn't I fast enough?
You shouldn't have.
I shouldn't have.
He found himself blinking at a scroll in his hands.
When he looked up and around, he saw a white-haired boy - ꐞꁲꌚꐇ, his mind supplied - shuffling through thin and thick books, occasionally making a choking sound or coughing.
The scroll in his hands was pretty dusty.
"What are we looking for again?" He had asked, rolling the scroll before placing it into a box with others. The boy reached deep inside the shelf he was looking through, and he sneezed as he brought out another dusty book.
"We're looking for 'Ra—er F—g– —–.' I dunno if it's a scroll or a book - but it exists here somewhere..." ꐞꁲꌚꐇ set down the book on a tall pile when it wasn't the one he was looking for.
"??? You? don't? even know? what it looks like?"
ꐞꁲꌚꐇ flustered a bit, "shush! I just remember reading it with —–, okay? He was pretty intrigued by it, but I thought you'd prefer it more than we did. It was like, weeks ago. Be glad I even remember the name..."
"What's it about?" He crossed his legs, watching the white-haired boy wipe the thin layer of dust off with a rag.
"It's like a series of stories compiled by ancestors. No one knows if it's true or not, just that it's sometimes bizarre to the point that it seems really fake." He opened the book and briefly scanned through the yellowed pages. "I think there was one story about a man who detailed his experience with deja vu. —– was pretty interested in that one."
"Why do you like it?" He asked curiously, "The stories, I mean."
"Because it's from my ancestors!..." ꐞꁲꌚꐇ had answered almost immediately, before he winced slightly. "...or, um, his ancestors. Either way, it has some useful techniques hidden in it - no matter how vague it's written."
The boy stood, patting his clothing, before he moved on to search somewhere else in the room.
He watched ꐞꁲꌚꐇ, and he wondered why he wasn't used to it yet.
Wanderer doesn't move from the corner of the room, watching unblinking as Tighnari checks on Kabukimono. In his hand was a cup of Rukkhashava Tea. Collei offered it to him when they arrived, but he hasn't drank any, and it's gotten cold.
The girl stands a few feet beside him, her hands wringing together nervously. She occasionally moves around the room to grab whatever Tighnari asks her to, before moving back to her spot.
Tighnari lets out a small sigh, and Wanderer immediately speaks up: "How is he?"
"He's just passed out from exhaustion. Although I have to ask, when was the last time he slept?" Tighnari asks, going to the other side to inspect Kabukimono's left arm - which still had the metal piece even though his body had undergone some... visible, physical changes.
"We don't sleep."
Tighnari doesn't seem too surprised to be dealing with their unique circumstances anymore, "Kabukimono is going to take a while to wake up. I'm sure you're more aware of what his body requires than I do, so I trust that you can take care of him?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Wanderer deadpans, finally taking a sip of the tea. It tastes bittersweet, and cold. He's not sure what to think of it.
Tighnari gestures for Collei to follow him before leaving. He was now alone in the hut with an unconscious...
...boy?
Wanderer approaches Kabukimono's slumbering form. It was akin to a preserved body that he had once saw in that man's laboratory. Still, tranquil, unknowing of the cruelties of the world. The complete opposite of them both.
Most would think that Kabukimono's mentality wasn't that far off a child's - and from an immortal's perspective, he is a child - but on the contrary, Kabukimono knew a lot more than most adults.
It was simply... repressed, in a way.
Wanderer obtained more information from him than Nahida, to be honest - at least of a future.
【"One day, you'll create a relationship with another that runs deep." Nahida said, his hands in her small palms, rubbing gentle circles. "Like a brilliant tree to soil, or moth to a flame."
"I don't think you should use the latter for something as fragile as 'attraction,' romantic or not." Wanderer replied, already used to her physical contact. "Flames will burn that moth."
"It's a metaphor, Wanderer."
"Well, it's not a very good one." Wanderer pulled on her finger, and Nahida retracted her hand, only to place it on top of his.
"I suppose... but that's the wonder of it." Nahida looked up at him, her legs idly swinging. "Perhaps you'll meet a moth that will be attracted to your flame, a connection that you wouldn't see as a transaction - but one of mutual giving... romantic or not." She tilted her head, "If you find it, I hope you'll protect them from your scathing flames, and instead embrace them with your warmth."
Nahida ignored his snarky remark, adding one more sentence: "and I hope that they will do the same for you."】
Is it fair? He wonders. He gives and gives, but I only take and take.
His memories; and with his memories, his emotions; and his identity in this world. What have I given to him?
What could he give? What could possibly be a good 'gift' to this who shares the same face as him, and yet is an entirely different person?
Wanderer realizes, as he looks down at the kabukimono's sleeping face, and as he brushes a lock of hair back, feeling just how much turmoil the other is experiencing even in his dreams:
Kabukimono shouldn't exist anymore.
In a forest, long ago...
"Hey, hey, calm down..." ꐞꁲꌚꐇ, now a samurai-in-training, held his shoulders, rubbing his thumbs. "Look, book is gone, see?"
"You- *hic* idiot! W-Why would you throw it in the fire?!" He yelled and used his sleeves to wipe his tears, only for more to fall.
"I... saw you shaking and panicked..." ꐞꁲꌚꐇ softly said, his hands going down to his knees as he sat in a proper seiza. "It's okay, I still remember the contents. R—, please don't be mad..." His red eyes seemed a bit wet and his expression looked remorseful.
He turned away from the boy with a huff, his arms crossed over his chest.
ꐞꁲꌚꐇ leaned into his line of sight, eyes wide and watery. "R—..."
"Stop! Using those damn puppy eyes on me!" He pushed his face away, his cheeks would be a bit flushed if possible. He pursed his lips, "...I wanted to read it some more, but no, you decided that fire had the owning privileges."
"If you want, I can recite it word-for-word?"
"It's not the same!" He rubbed his fingers on his eyes, attempting to stop tears from falling. "It was his writing!"
ꐞꁲꌚꐇ went silent. The crackling of the flames filled the silence of their momentary camp.
"I'm... sorry, R—." The boy apologized, looking down at the ground.
"Forget it, it's fine." He answered, slowly getting his unusually chaotic feelings together.
It had been weird, to lose control over his emotions upon reading a couple words of his writing. He never wants to be expressive like that. Crying was never allowed. "You... said you know it right? Just say it, I guess..."
"..." After a few quiet breaths between them, ꐞꁲꌚꐇ spoke in his practiced, poetic way. "The bladesmith believed it was but a dream - however the differences weighed on his shoulders like molten iron, and his chest still felt the sting of shards..."
Cyno has been trekking through the desert for quite a while now, happy to be able to head back after working. He hadn't touched his TCG deck in a while, being loaded with duties(not that he minded - if not for his duties, he'd never have met a hidden TCG prodigy) and he was itching to have a match in a tavern or something... check whether his current deck still stood strong against whatever new cards there were.
For now though, he's mentally writing up a report that he'll pen once he gets back to his office... and then, he'll send that in to the Grand Sage - before continuing with his current duty in taking care of Kabukimono.
Speaking of, Cyno wonders how he's doing? Did he find Alhaitham's house on his own, or did he get lost? Hopefully everything is okay.
Now, onto that report.
【Cyno had trudged through familiar sands - which was a strange thing to say, considering that everywhere was sand - onto his destination. Alhaitham had tipped him off about a base of operations for group he's been tracking down. (honestly, where does that guy get his information)
The base of operations, though, was a former place of studies for him.
Cyno couldn't let that pass.】
Whenever his mind was focused, it helped stave off the fatigue for a little while after a long job. His soles dug into the sands, night time drenching the surroundings in an unbelievable cold after heat in the day time. The change was a bit uncomfortable, but Cyno was used to it.
Upon arriving at the location, there were one sunfrost, two clearwater, five daythunder. Description matches information. Committed two of the six cardinal sins. Judgment enlisted, awaiting proper capture.
Attached underneath is written transcript of interrogation.
And then Cyno will attach the pages that one of his comrades painstakingly wrote (they received proper compensation and a pat on the back from the entire team), then he'll meet up with Kabukimono some time tomorrow.
Sounds like a great plan.
Cyno feels like... something was off though.
Hermanubis¹ is prickling under his skin each time he even thinks of the puppet boy, itching to take control. Cyno has to reign them in.
wrongwrongwrong
This unsettling emotion inside him makes him hurry his steps... until he starts sprinting towards Aaru Village, and eventually towards the cities.
Just what happened?
R— hadn't appeared in a while.
He thought his friend was dead.
He asked his other friend what a prolonged disappearance meant, and his other friend replied: "Maybe they're out adventuring?" His other friend doesn't know who R— is. His other friend doesn't know what R— is like.
...Right?
"You're fidgeting." —–, his other friend, observed as they sat under a blooming tree.
"My mind is a plethora of tangled strings." He had replied in a daze, mindlessly playing with a leaf that had fallen. "I desperately, await the day you return, oh my dearest friend..."
"You sound in love." —–, seemingly less chaotic then and more calm, had observed once more. Normally, it would've made him sputter, but maybe he hadn't processed it properly back then.
"In love? No, no, I..." He had furrowed his brows in confusion. "Love is a strong word. I like them like a friend."
"Love is love, dear Kazuha." —– sighed and slung an arm over his shoulder. "It doesn't matter if it's romantic or not, what matters is that you care for them. Like I do to you, for example! Ahem," His other friend cleared his throat, "Kazuha, I love you."
He lightly scrunched his face, but leaned into his friend's comfortable warmth. "You say it so easily."
"I say it easily because it's true. I love myself, I love my brother, and I love you." —– said with certainty. He already believed those words a long time ago. "Now, why don't you tell me about your friend? He's the one you told me was interested in the Niwa's part, right? Of that one book you brought like, months ago?" —– looked very interested.
He had decided to entertain his friend's curiosity, so he spoke of R—.
...but,
—–'s reaction had been strange, especially when he heard R—'s name.
"Relax, breathe, one... two... Yes, I know you don't need to breathe, but it's certainly a nice feeling."
-ꐞꁲꌚꐇ(Kaedehara Kazuha)
He's with his youngest friend this time, he had thought while poking the head of his friend's current small form.
"Just because I'm an aranara now doesn't mean you can poke me!" They, with a small aranara form, huffed at him with their high pitched voice. "In case you're forgetting, this world has tall people that are taller than you!"
He may have accidentally ignored them in favor of thinking: if ꂵꁲꋊꐞō, ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ, and ꐞꁲꌚꐇ were here... then would ꒻ꂑꋊꁅꅏꈼꂑ also be here?
"R—? Hey? Are you okay?" ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ looked up at him with worry in their... :] face, a hand? on his balljoint excuse of a knee. "If- um- if it helps, I'm still shorter..."
"That's not what I'm worried about," He patted their head, "I'm just wondering where in the world are we."
"A forest, obviously. Sumeru, because when have you seen an aranara in Inazuma?" ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ gestured with their small arm at their surroundings. "See that tree? That's Adhigama. And that is those annoying mushroom things that fart out Dendro gas."
He hummed, before he had leaned down to pick them up. They didn't protest, only looking up at him with their beady... diamond eyes.
"Are you fine with being an Aranara?" He asked them, slowly walking, wandering to wherever.
"I've always wanted to know what being one is like." They replied. "I'm okay with it."
"Mm." He tilted his head down, snuggling by the leaf-like shapes at the top of their head. "This is why you're my favorite. You adapt so easily."
"I got it from you, obviously!" ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ proudly said, "Although, are you sure it's me? Not ꂵꁲꋊꐞō - or hell- I mean heck - even ꐞꁲꌚꐇ?"
"ꂵꁲꋊꐞō, I get - but what's ꐞꁲꌚꐇ for?"
"??? ꐞꁲꌚꐇ literally spoils you as much as big bro does."
"Right, but can he carry me on his back though?" ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ fell silent, but he knew that they didn't even need to think about it. He and ꐞꁲꌚꐇ were the same height and build, after all.
"...Maybe if he carries you in a box and does concentrated breathing." had been his aranara friend's answer.
A few moments of silence before he snorted, and ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ lead their laughter. A light feeling entered his chest.
Cyno is fine.
Totally.
Nothing is wrong.
Except when Lord Kusanali entered his mind as soon as he stepped on patch of grass.
『 Cyno, welcome back. 』
He had been surprised at first, his steps slowing down, before resuming at their fast pace, speeding through the forest. 「Lord Kusanali, do you need my assistance?」
『You can postpone you reports for some other time, head to Gandharva Ville. Something happened to Mono.』
She doesn't need to say anymore. He was already manuevering on the trees, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
The foreboding feeling he had gotten became much more clear, and the divine spirit dwelling in him did not like it one bit. Electro sparks at his limbs, urging him to use the power to navigate faster, and he does so.
fasterhurrytimedontfail
He won't be late this time. Not this time.
He had spent a lot of time with ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ, simply wandering through the woods. Other aranaras dubbed him as Wandering Not-Nara, and ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ as Wandering Arakala. Arama, a green aranara with a red scarf, hung around them a lot. Often they were discussing with ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ - or Arakala now - about accessories.
【"I want a scarf too!" Arakala said to Arama. "Oh, and maybe earrings!"
Arama tilted their head. "Arama thinks Arakala should wear hem ring instead."
"What's a hem ring?" Arakala asked, hopping onto a nearby rock.
"Hem rings are Aranara fashion! Nara Varuna once attached hem ring to an aranara, and aranara ascended!"】
It had been... strange to hear about aranara fashion - they had no idea that aranaras even cared about fashion, but w to Nara Varuna, he supposed.
Arakala had begun to ask him for a hem ring, tugged at his clothes, pulled at his veil (huh? when did he get his veil back?), and bounced on his head. "R—! Please~"
"Some other time, dear."
"Aw..."
--
Some other time had apparently meant ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ's birthday in Teyvat calendar. He begun carving small pieces of... wood. He hadn't known what wood it was - that was ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ's job to know.
A small, diamond piece that resembled his accessory. Light enough to weigh like nothing, heavy enough to feel like something.
【"Ow, ow, ow, ow." ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ uttered as he fiddled with their hem.
"Does it actually hurt?" He asked, moving on to their other hem. He removed his own accessory and attached it, so it could be matching.
"No not really but ow anyways."】
ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ had flaunted it to their aranara friends. They twirled around, hopped around, made it jingle, and he's glad they liked his gift.
ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ was a smart child though. They immediately noticed his missing accessory and scolded him, before ignoring him consequently. (It didn't take too long)
They figured out when they were, especially when the news of 'Inazuma's lockdown decree ending' spread.
Lumine hasn't seen Kabukimono in a while, focused on Abattouy and another Rana situa—
Coughs.
Anyway, she slides up the leaves of the hut, alone because Paimon decided to keep Abattouy company to help him regain his sensibility.
【"White- wah..." Abattouy murmured, sluggishly reaching towards Paimon who scooted away. "Noo... white... mushroom..."
Tighnari intervened, gently pressing the researcher back down to lay on the bed. Collei held a medicinal tray beside him.
"Abattouy is aba-out-of-it." Lumine commented, making both Paimon and Tighnari simultaneously groan.
"Traveler, please leave the humor to someone else. Yours are terrible."
Lumine shrugged, unperturbed by Paimon's exasperated chide.】
Greeting her on the other side of the leaves was Wanderer's sitting figure, right beside Kabukimono's bed. Wanderer raises a brow, his arms crossed as he stares down - or up, since he's sitting - at Lumine.
"Long time no see. I'd rather you kept it that way, though."
Lumine peeves a bit, hearing Wanderer's snarky tone yet again. She smiles, somewhat strained, her eye twitching minutely. "Why? Can't handle my pretty face?"
Wanderer immediately scoffs, giving her a bombastic side eye. "I'm afraid you'd blind everyone with that muck in your teeth."
Lumine silently gasps, bringing out a mirror from her inventory. It materializes in her hands, and she holds it up to her face, opening her mouth slightly.
There was no muck.
This little-
She gives him a criminally offensive side eye as she stores the mirror away. He only returns an amused quirk of his lips.
"I didn't come for you. How's he?" Lumine forcibly changes the topic, walking over to the side of the bed opposite of Wanderer's.
"Stable." Is Wanderer's only response.
...
"That's it?"
Wanderer sneers, "Maybe you should try to understand what stable means when it comes to those like me."
Lumine nods resolutely, "Got it. Absolutely unwell."
"No, you-" Wanderer takes a deep, probably unnecessary breath to calm himself. Lumine feels victorious in making him take an actual breath. "Go read a dictionary."
He stands up, walking away from the bed and to a desk with some items on it. Lumine doesn't bother him further, leaning to take a closer look at Kabukimono.
...
Hm...
So technically, this is what Wanderer looks like asleep.
Wow, how peaceful...
Lumine shamelessly admits to herself that Wanderer was very gorgeous, or handsome - a very physically appealing face.
Kabukimono wasn't breathing. He was still missing half of his left arm, but his limbs didn't have balljoints anymore. He looks like Wanderer now, but with different clothes.
Snap.
Lumine blinks, watching the fingers that snapped in front of her face.
"Quit staring. It's creepy." Wanderer cuts her from her thought, retracting his hand from her view. Lumine looks at him, watching as he places a hand on Kabukimono's forehead, and another on the back of his neck.
He then stays like that, a somewhat concentrated look on his face.
Lumine opens her mouth to ask, but Wanderer interrupts here before she could even get a word out. "Don't talk or you'll end up as collateral damage."
...
Lumine is a bit sure that he's not actually serious...
C...Collateral damage of what, though?
...Yeah, she'll stay silent. For now, at least.
He and ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ had been careful, steering clear of the Fatui and... anyone else, really.
He's half-certain that there's a myth about him circulating somewhere in the children's books of Sumeru.
Either way, they both lived a secluded life by themselves, occasionally getting a visit from one of Arakala's Aranara friends.
It was very peaceful.
...
Had been far too peaceful.
He never learns, though.
So as ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ attempted to convince him of taking back his accessory, he feels a quick, strange pain in his chest.
Kind of like a heart attack - except it was supposed to be impossible due to him having a puppet's constitution rather than a human's.
It had been very quick. In one moment, he was with his friend. And in the blink of an eye, he was swallowed in black liquid - a sea of darkness, an inescapable void.
Everything felt as if it was falling apart into pieces and drifting far, far away from him.
And he floated, and floated, and existed in the nonexistent.
Everything is endless.
Was he falling? He seemed like he was falling. There was nothing to stand on - to hold on to.
He tried to think, but it felt like even his thoughts were sucked into this neverending void.
Perhaps we should stay this way.
Your life will become meaningless.
He wanted to be with his friends.
You are not even a speck of dust in this world.
He hasn't found ꒻ꂑꋊꁅꅏꈼꂑ yet.
Surrender yourself to the greater cause.
These...
Reality is a senseless construct.
...were his thoughts...?
Your existence is void.
He is
f a
Fall into the limitless inane.
l ł
ì
ņ
ğ 。。。
Tighnari's ear twitches as he tucks in the researcher's once again unconscious form. He sends a look towards Collei, keep an eye on him.
Collei takes a bit to understand, but she nods, quickly taking his place at Abattouy's bedside.
Meanwhile, Tighnari heads out of the medical bay, heading to the middle of the wooden bridge, waiting for someone to show up.
Minutes later, Cyno approaches him, slowing into a brisk jog. Tighnari tilts his head, noticing that the general was a bit out of breath. (which was a rare thing)
"Where is he." Cyno says as soon as he gets into Tighnari's range, placing his hands on the the fox's shoulders. He could feel hints of electro through Cyno's fingers.
Tighnari raises a brow, gently grasping Cyno's wrists and removing his hands, "Welcome back. Everything is alright."
"Tighnari, where is-"
"Breathe, Cyno."
Right away, Cyno inhales deeply, his tense shoulders somewhat relaxing. He lets Tighnari draw circles on his hand. After some time, Cyno asks again. "Where is Mono?"
"I'm not allowing you to see him in your state." Tighnari replies in a matter-of-fact tone, looking at Cyno's current visage.
His hair was frizzy, his cloak stained with wet sand, with hints of grass near the bottom. His hands were dirty, slightly red with bruises, twitching from leftover electricity...
...A mess, basically.
"Oh." Cyno realizes his current state as well, and he tries to pry his hands out of Tighnari's. "I'm dirty."
Tighnari doesn't let go, staring right at him.
Cyno looks down at their intertwined hands, a moderately blank expression on his face, before he looks up at Tighnari again.
The forest watcher silently begins to lead Cyno towards his personal quarters, which had access to a bathing area where Cyno could clean up. He had to drag Cyno inside when the other hesitated to enter, and then he nudges him towards the showers. ²
"Clean up, then you can see Mono." Tighnari seamlessly uses Kabukimono's supposedly new nickname, closing the bathroom door on Cyno's face.
"I don't have a change of clothes, though." The mahamatra's muffled voice states, which Tighnari waves a hand at. (though the motion isn't seen at all)
"I'll bring you some spare ranger uniforms, so just wash up."
"Okay," Cyno agrees, and then, "thank you, 'Nari."
Tighnari lets a small smile form on his face as he rummages through cabinets.
ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ dropped the wooden carving, and if it were possible, their mouth would be agape in shock.
R—... R— had been right there.
But... h-he's gone?
ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ approached the place that R— was standing in just moments ago. Empty. It was empty. Emptyemptyemptyempty
"R—?" ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ called out. No one responded. "R—? This isn't funny..."
No one responded.
They don't know what happened. R— was smarter than them. R— could've pieced the puzzle together easily. They can't.
"R—? R—?!"
No one responded.
Why?
Why?
Where did he go?
Arakala had begun to panic. Where was he? He said they would be together - that he wouldn't leave Arakala alone again.
Where? Wherewherewhere?
Where is he?
Where is...
Where is...
...huh.
Where is who? Where...
Who?
Who is Arakala looking for?
Arakala tilted their head, looking around the hut they were in, before they left.
What were they doing in there? Arakala had to go back to Vanarana.
The wooden carving remained on the ground, forgotten.
"This is for me? Made by you? Really?"
-ꌚꈼꂑꀗꂦ(Arakala)
Wanderer irks.
Why? Because there was a little thing floating beside him, disrupting his concentration.
"Why are you holding his neck like that-"
"Will you shut it." Wanderer grits out, trying to keep his touch gentle as he places his palm over the kabukimono's nape. "Traveler, shut her up."
"Hey! Paimon's not a- mmmph-" Thankfully, the Traveler was a lot less stupid than whatever Paimon is, and she covers her mouth.
He ignores the Traveler whispering - something about 'you should be sleeping' - and puts all his focus on the sleeping boy.
Now, what was he doing again?
First, check for disconnection. Then, snap it into place.
Check for disconnection.
I' 'a ,m t' r ÿ ì ņ g
Snap into place.
—to understand! You know this, you know me—
Check for disconnection.
Š' ô. ŕ r ÿ
Snap into place.
—that I'm like this- H-Hey! Why are you walking—
Check for disconnection.
Ẃ 、ā 'ı ť
Snap into place.
—wait! Don't go, t-the light is re—
Check for disconnection-
Ś 'Ć Ŕ .Ę Ẹ Č Ĥ
Wanderer flinches back, covering his ears.
He hears high-pitched ringing, like the aftereffects of an explosion - except this one was caused by something akin to a fork and a chalkboard. It takes a while before he finally regains his hearing. Lumine was in front of him, waving a hand. It seems like he had fallen out of his chair.
"-Wanderer, Wanderer!" The Traveler calls out, before she turns to Paimon. "Should we call Nahida?"
"...No need." Wanderer stands up, brushing past her and towards the kabukimono, placing his hand back on his forehead.
"Should you really be getting up so quickly? Paimon doesn't know what happened, but it didn't look too good..."
"Your concern is unnecessary."
"Agh! Just accept that Paimon is sorta worried for you, okay?" He wasn't looking, but he's sure Paimon had either stomped her feet in air or crossed her arms.
"What are you doing now?" Lumine - Archons, he needs to process - asks him.
Wanderer focuses on the boy's expressions, watching it contort slightly under his touch. After so long of being motionless, he moved, leaning into Wanderer's hand.
Paimon gasps from beside him, but the Traveler hushes her.
He closes his eyes, delving into the shallow places of the kabukimono's mind.
--
Endless darkness. It feels like something heavy was weighing Wanderer down, trying to drag him into the depths. In the middle, his not-so-counterpart sat, curled up and covered by a veil.
Although he's not one to get poetic, each figurative step Wanderer takes felt like he's sinking into the deepest parts of ocean. If he hadn't suffered through... mental strain, to put it lightly, then he'll probably be pushed out as soon as he even got in.
The pressure stops when Wanderer stands behind his seated figure.
"...You know how I feel." The other begins quietly, but it echoes in the blackspace of his mind. "You know what it feels like, regaining the memories of your past."
Wanderer slowly opens his mouth, "...What do you remember?"
"Only some memories, my name is still a bit foggy." he answers vaguely, "I realize that I haven't really lived that long - not as long as you." And, after a moment, "There's still some big gaps in my memory. Maybe it's significant events."
Wanderer scrunches his face at the thought - one of the seemingly important memories he received from him contained the face of that Kaedehara.
The other - honestly, what should Wanderer call him at the moment? Nameless? - Nameless tilts his head and turns towards him.
"You should wake up. Your mind isn't very pleasant to stand around in." Wanderer states before Nameless could say anything else, and he holds out his hand. "Come on. People are waiting for you."
"Are you?"
Wanderer furrows his brows. Nameless continues, blinking up at him. "Are you waiting for me in the real world too?"
...
Wanderer sighs heavily, the question awfully reminiscent of this one Archon that was his current guardian. "You two just love to torment me, don't you?"
Nameless grins - cheeky, victorious, slightly awkward - and accepts Wanderer's hand, allowing him to pull their consciousness away from this strange nihilistic void.
His waking was a bit slow.
It was fine though, because he wakes up to Wanderer holding his hand.
He turns his head to the man while smiling, and Wanderer sneers in false disgust. He doesn't pull his hand away though.
"Where are we?" He asks, sitting up. Surprisingly, Wanderer doesn't push him back to lay down, and instead just arranges pillows that he could lean on. It was also then that he noticed he wasn't wearing the... hm, white part of his clothing? The... uppermost layer. He's not sure what it's called.
"Gandharva Ville." Wanderer responds, settling down on a stool, crossing both his arms and legs. "Earlier, the Traveler and her flying thing visited."
"Ah, she's finished with Abattouy?"
Wanderer shrugs, "We'll find out tomorrow. You shouldn't move too mu-"
"Mono."
They both turn to look at the entrance of the hut. It was Cyno, his hair strung up into a bun, his clothes a forest ranger's uniform (though only the shirt and pants), and a dark green towel slung over his shoulder.
Tighnari peeks in from behind him, his ears straightening when he sees him.
Tighnari approaches first, "Mono, you're awake! That's good. How are you feeling?"
"I feel eternally dead."
...
"What?" Cyno looks a little bit mortified, his fingers very slightly twitching.
He clears his throat, "Sorry, inside joke. I'm okay."
Tighnari nods, "That's good. Do you mind if do a final check on you?" When he shakes 'no', Tighnari then pointedly raises a brow at Wanderer.
Wanderer gestures with his head, standing up from his seat and moving a few feet away from the bed.
The forest watcher walks over, stopping Cyno from following closely behind with a 'not yet.' It was the first time he had seen Cyno deflate.
Tighnari checks on him with quick, clinical movements. He eyes the way the fox's tail flicks ever so often, and the way his ears relax when no one is talking.
"All done." As soon as Tighnari announces this, Cyno is immediately at Kabukimono's bedside, asking questions in a soft tone.
Clearly, Cyno was attached.
Tighnari takes a few steps back, standing beside Wanderer, and they both watched as Cyno and Kabukimono interacted.
"He has light in his eyes now." Tighnari vocalizes his observation, loud enough for Wanderer to hear.
"He regained more of his memories. He'll most likely be more expressive in the near future." Wanderer returns, shrugging off his haori. Curiously, Tighnari briefly inspects the lines visible on Wanderer's turtleneck - probably imprinted on Wanderer's skin as well - but he doesn't pry.
Tighnari views Wanderer walking over, not really interrupting whatever conversation the other two were engrossed in, and draping the haori over Kabukimono's shoulders. He sees the puppet - or, not so, given what Tighnari observed during the check up - clutch at the cloth with a hand while continuing to speak with Cyno.
Then, he hones into their discussion and sweatdrops.
Cyno was showing off his new TCG cards, and Kabukimono was holding onto the only card he had and comparing it to Cyno's. Not only that, but Wanderer is also peeking over, scrutinizing their exchange over Genius Invokation TCG.
Tighnari holds his head in his hands, a fond yet very exasperated sigh escaping his lips. "Cyno, quit showing off and let him rest..."
He needs some rest too. After a long day, Tighnari just wants to nestle into his own bed and sleep...
Sigh.
Preview:
"Oh, hello." A soft, yet apathetic voice greets. The Traveler seems very alarmed, though. "I would say it's nice to see you two again after so long but..."
It was a man about a shorter male's height, his eyes cold as ice as he slowly swivels to face them, movements somehow impossibly graceful - much like Wanderer's if he ever felt like it. "...judging by the expression on your face, I doubt it's a reunion you want."