#( TWINS : ERABUNDUS. )

[mmriesoftvat]

@erabundus: "humans love to come up with flimsy reasons to celebrate nothing… although, i suppose their being alive at all is something of a feat in its own right."

"i spent close to five hundred years trying to understand their whims and what drives them, and the best i can determine is that they find enjoyment in the mundane."

[lapisdex]

@erabundus

"Qingxin is known for its bitterness so when brewed as a tea many don't find it pleasant to drink, more of a tea you enjoy when you have an acquired taste. Though it all comes down to how long it is brewed, the quality of the flowers and how long you let it steep." Long tangent about tea while he had been brewing a small pot on a tiny fire basin. The beautifully made teapot then poured the tea out in a perfect stream into the two awaiting cups that must have matched the set.

The cup passed over to the wanderer for him to enjoy. Something, maybe intuition, told Zhongli best to brew a more bitter tea for this young one.

A sweet tea wouldn't do.

"Bitterness usually equates medicine and many are never fond of taking it. Though sometimes a little bitter never hurt any, a small pucker of the face in the taste of bitterness should be welcomed once in awhile." Zhongli took his first sip of tea and of course it was bitter but not overly, the tea brewed just right.

[vixlenxe]

@erabundus​ said:

he is, personally, out to get him but only when it fits the joke --

Hilarious, because Ren is actually one of his ‘clones’ that Zero actually trusts.

I compared them to a pair of pissy brothers, always arguing with each other but never actually fighting. Then someone else tries the shit they do to each other & they’re throwing hands.

It’s their actual dynamic.

[fleetinglotus]

Kuragari found himself ‘pon a grand balcony of Tenshukaku, looking down at the city.

Oh how much did he yearn to see more than a few glimpses, to actually mingle amidst humans, alas there is no true place for a puppet like him. After all, he’s just a mere prototype, one that strays from what result his ‘mother’ hoped.

Yes, that’s right, just a failed creation from those so called feelings. 

Many words told to him, by his creator no less, left a sour taste somewhere within. 

‘You’re sick, you don’t get to leave’.

& yet he would give so much to see and experience beyond the walls, beyond Inazuma itself.

@erabundus​

[mmriesoftvat]

leaning his head out the window, he lifts a hand in a half-hearted wave. "next time you break in, can you at least bring snacks with you?" of all the things to take offense to, it's that they didn't get to indulge in shitty people food together.

he  thinks  he  should  take  MILD  OFFENSE  to  that  —  yet  ultimately,  it  only  serves  to  work  out  in  his  favor.  (  the  less  time  he  needs  to  waste  explaining  himself,  the  better.  )  the  wanderer  offers  a  brisk  nod,  and  says,  ❝  if  you  say  so.  ❞

he  then  proceeds  to  drop  backwards  from  the  window  like  a  stone. classic ren indeed.

[myjustice]

SONG CHALLENGE.

Share at least five songs that you associate or remind you of your muse.

rabbit heart ( raise it up ) - florence + the machine numb - marina killer queen - queen ancient dreams in a modern land - marina bloody mary - lady gaga all eyes on me - or3o happy face - jagwar twin the main character - will wood

tagged: i saw this meme yesterday so i wanted to try it! tagging: @feilyne ( lynette! ), @arlquin, @visionkept, @vishapsking, @vaultingfist, @narvvhal, @starsdescent ( navia! ), @erabundus, @lumintaru, @maskdthief, @wiindscng, @havfayth ( neuvillette! ), @grislyintentions, @the-lytenye-realms ( jeht! ), @mercyburned ( lumine! ), @ruinlost, @abyssl, @gonguji, @scarletooyoroi & anybody else who wants to try feel free!

[euthymicblade]

@erabundus

Ei doesn't know how confidently she can stride in Liyue compared to Sumeru. The recent passing of the Geo Archon gives her slight unrest, though only in what will happen to the nation in light of their decision to press onward with the country without their old god guiding them. Of course, she doubted his actual death, but would not meddle into the affairs of another nation. She turned her attention to the forests and desert, and the city that lay at the heart of it. This was to be less official matters, though still to understand what had changed in these centuries, and tell of what has happened much more recently in her own country.

However, she doesn't make it there before she runs into a simple interactions between two travelers. One wears a strikingly beautiful kasa, and seems to be dealing in some sort of trade. She sees tea leaves being exchanged, and she patiently waits a distance away as to not interrupt a deal. After all, she was a bit transfixed by the craftsmanship of such an accessory. When it's over, the man turns, now facing Ei, and showing his face completely.

It sent a chill down the puppet's body.

That face is unmistakable. It was nearly identical to her own, something she feels deep in the soul that rests within her blade. She knew her own face well, having crafted such a perfect copy with the Shogun, but there were just the slightest differences in their faces that Ei knew exactly who's face this man wore. He wore Makoto's. But that was impossible, all attempts at making her sister had failed, and only when she had simply made the Raiden Shogun did her attempts work. Yet in his perfect face, there stood her twin, the differences only seen by the one who had been around her since birth.

The sheer absurdity of it is enough to give her and the body she occupies pause, long enough for nearly identical eyes to meet. She can feel the very air chill the moment they lock, or perhaps what caused the hair on the back of her neck to raise was the Electro energy behind both pairs of eyes. Ei finds her voice, carrying over the now still air, "You... You have Makoto's face. What are you...?"

[ironbloodcd]

@erabundus & @momijiba

It doesn’t matter how many times Lyney’s been on stage prior to tonight - there’s always an anxiousness that hangs over his head, a worry that something will go wrong despite all of his and Lynette’s careful planning. He’s well aware of how easily the illusion can be broken if even one mistake is made.

He reminds himself that the risk makes the payoff of a successful show all the more satisfying though. There’s a certain thrill that he only gets when he’s up on stage, with all eyes on him, and the audience is waiting with bated breath. It’s almost as if they’re as nervous as he is, like they’re not entirely convinced that what he’s suggesting can be pulled off. It’s up to him and Lynette to prove them wrong during the course of the show.

And as the spotlight falls upon the two of them, Lyney’s expression becomes one of utmost confidence, the doubts in his mind falling behind a carefully crafted mask. The audience won’t believe in him if he appears not to believe in himself.

“Good evening everyone, and welcome to Lyney and Lynette’s magic show!” The magician spreads his arms wide, while his sister curtsies at his side, one leg crossing behind the other with practiced ease, “Tonight, you’ll see spectacular feats that will be sure to amaze, and wonders that are beyond comprehension! And perhaps, by the end of it all–”

Without warning, Lyney gives a clap of his hands and beside him, Lynette’s body begins to lift up from the ground, her body rising up to hover several feet in the air. From the crowd, a chorus of awed gasps and whispers can be heard as the young woman is seemingly held aloft by nothing, swaying gently from one side to another. After a moment or two is given to the audience to take in the sight, Lynette gives a graceful twist of her body and steps, as if she were dancing in midair, much to the amazement of their onlookers. It’s a promising start, and the crowd is obviously already invested.

Now, the twins just need to make sure that the rest of the show lives up to their expectations. “Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the show!”

[mmriesoftvat]

FATE HAS A funny way of making his life miserable. all of his life, he'd been dealt one bad hand after another, somehow always making all the wrong twists and turns that led to this moment. he'd tried so hard to fight his own emotions, his own demons. it didn't matter how long he'd tried to work for buer, he ALWAYS found himself coming back here. still wishing he could start completely over somehow.

all of sumeru hates him. he'd grown used to being hated and loathed, being once a harbinger that threw out abuse like it was rubbish. he'd belittled, mocked and discarded anyone who had failed him in the most asinine ways. it doesn't feel good to have that same mistreatment thrown back in his face by the average person. if not for buer and the traveler, kaminari is certain he'd have tried this a long time ago.

but even their concern is never enough. he had tried, he had tried so hard to build himself back up. he'd earned himself a name and a vision, and even SOCIALIZED briefly. but nothing ever felt like enough, nothing would ever work in his favor again.

which is why he finds himself standing before irminsul, really taking in the glory of this cursed tree. it's overwhelmingly large and bright; kaminari had never appreciated it before. it can do the impossible, and it can bend the will of people around it. it can also hold people prisoner.

but can it actually grant him his wish of freedom? not freedom to leave...but the freedom to start completely over from scratch. if kaminari could go back, he'd make better choices. he could even possibly save niwa.

the name hurts. kaminari doesn't think about him much anymore, because remembering brings about an ache that will never heal. true, his vision allowed SOME of that pain to lessen, but generally, he cannot manage his grief. niwa had died due to a series of mistakes, and if kaminari could do it all over again, he would.

entranced, he's stepping forward and reaching out for irminsul without thinking. there's one single wish on his mind: to start over anew in a world where people don't know him.

irminsul seems to respond. the light envelops his being, pulling him into some abyssal space that feels like shrinking and expanding simultaneously. though, there is no pain from it. it's enough that kami feels confined and unable to move, but he can still see. sort of. the area surrounding irminsul is dimming and fading from view, leaving him in total and complete darkness.

he isn't sure if he slept or not. he isn't sure how much time had passed. but his next sense of awareness is falling to the ground soundlessly. part of him still doesn't want to move, wishing to go back to that endless stretch of nothing -- it had been peaceful there. but the brightness of irminsul is back, causing him to squint.

it's not just vision that's returning, but sound. because kaminari can now hear voices coming from the other side of the tree. they sound far too familiar for his comfort, and it's only when he hears the sound of his own voice that kaminari realizes that something is wrong.

fate has a funny way of playing tricks on people. it can give someone exactly what they want, and never leave them needing anything else. it can also cruelly take and take and take from others until they're at their lowest point with no hope of climbing. fate can also change the entire scope of reality to fit its own whims.

as kaminari circles the tree to see what is going on, he learns that he's a victim of the third option. fate is definitely toying with him, and not in a very amusing way.

is this what you wanted, one who is formerly scaramouche? you wished to enter a world where you were never known.

he stares into the eyes of his mirror image, and kaminari realizes that this is going to be a very long day.

[mmriesoftvat]

kami is not dumb enough to think he's smarter than ren or that he knows more. they're both incredibly similar, having gone through a lot of the same ordeals and trauma. their lives DID veer off though, where ren went through irminsul and erased himself, and kami did not. HOWEVER, their emotions, no matter the outcome are still similar in that they both share a huge lack of trust in people and a huge dislike for their past.

though, kami still feels inclined to protect ren!! not because he's older (what's ~100 years in the grand scheme of life?), and not because he chose a more difficult road, but because he knows that suffering alone isn't worth it. he can't tell ren what to do or how to act because KAMI himself doesn't know! they're both just floundering through their shitty existence with the shitty hand they were dealt, but the difference is kami can support ren.

that's his brother! ren is his family!!!

kami also doesn't want to go back to his own world quite yet. he COULD at any time. he knows that if he were to go back to irminsul and be like "take me home", he could go back and face life a little bit stronger and a little bit wiser. but kami is also stupidly selfish and isn't ready to leave behind the one person who understands most what he's going through. it's not some heightened understanding, but kami can bullshit as well as the next person. he spent time in the fatui too, he lived as a harbinger, he knows things, he's done things. he likes to pretend to impart little nuggets of wisdom, and ren seems to humor him well enough. (or maybe kami actually does know what he's talking about sometimes, and it helps that it honestly seems to benefit ren.)

but that's why he's here with ren! they might not NEED each other. more specifically, ren might not need kami, but that support system, especially with someone who can empathize, is a whole lot better than going through it alone. plus, who needs therapy when you can be murder twins together? that's the best kind of therapy!

l;sjksdl;fk i just think so much about these two. i think so much about how much kami actually loves ren and would do anything for him. he can offer his own wisdom with his own thoughts and life experience and hope it gives ren some perspective, and he can also be an obnoxious prick to give ren something else to think about and do instead of falling into a depressed stupor over things neither of them can control. as long as they're together, kami DOESN'T have to worry about either of them getting hurt. he can see that ren is slowly getting happier, and surviving well enough. eventually kami might have to leave and go back home, but for now, he's not going to worry about that.

because he still wants to help, he still NEEDS to help. he needs to be certain 100% that ren doesn't need him anymore. but as long as ren continues to trust him and even want to return the favor, kami is going to take that as permission to stay put and continue to protect ren the only way he knows how: by sheer anemo kick ass power.

they're brothers, your honor.

[mmriesoftvat]

@erabundus: "seems like that's just asking for trouble."

"these people constantly hounding you are definitely asking for trouble. say the word and i'll get rid of them for you."

[mmriesoftvat]

❝  is  it  ACTUALLY  your  birthday?  ❞  it  seems  like  such  a  strange  question  to  pose,  and  the  fact  that  it's  phrased  in  ren's  usual  (  blunt  )  manner  reveals  little  of  his  intentions.  ❝  ...  or  is  it  just  the  day  you  decided  to  use?  ❞

perhaps  he's  curious.  just  a  bit.

he COULD give ren a snarky answer, but that thought dies the second kaminari opens his mouth. now that he thinks about it, the past few hundred years are nothing but a BLUR -- a lot of memories are hazy at best.

"huh." kami sticks his pinkie in his mouth and chews on the end, biting down on his knuckle. "that's the funny thing." he can recall celebrating once with niwa around this date, but that had been ages ago. HAD he been created on this date? or did he really just pick a day at random to 'celebrate'?

the more kami ponders, the more he even begins thinking about why he'd picked a day to begin with. that family he'd had in tatarasuna had certainly given him reason once to enjoy the simple things in life. not even the harbingers had cared as much about these things, so it had stopped meaning something a long, long time ago.

"i can't remember," he finishes, pulling his finger out of his mouth. "funny thing, that." he snorts, wiping his pinkie off on his chest. "i'd say we can ask the electro archon, but i'd rather walk right into an ambush of hungry rishboland tigers."

[mmriesoftvat]

hey kami, isn't it kind of unfair that ren gets to go off and start this new happy life while you're left alone in the dust? and isn't it pretty messed up that he's dragging /kaedehara/ along with him, after everything he's done? it's like he doesn't give a damn about a single thing beyond his own gratification. you're better off dropping him and worrying about yourself, don't you think?

INSULT MY LOVED ONES

there is something so fucked up about everything being thrown at him. kami can remain poised and even INDIFFERENT on the surface, but inside, he can feel his walls crumbling.

there's not a lie being told about HIM specifically. kami really is alone, save for nahida and ren, while ren has found HAPPINESS in the form of kazuha. while kami can't fault either of them for being happy, the reminder that kaminari probably won't find anyone is still a wound he refuses to dress and let heal.

"kaedahara doesn't know the truth about us yet," kaminari says, through clenched teeth. "i'm not part of that equation, you can keep me out of it. if you're that upset by the idea, take your grievances up with ren."

kami COULD leave it there, let the subject drop entirely. but the biggest SORE SPOT is the idea that he would up and abandon ren. while his 'twin' can be the biggest headache and a nuisance on the best of days, there's no one else kaminari trusts MORE, and the idea that either of them would ditch each other is not a thought kami enjoys considering.

"it used to be so easy to leave people behind," kaminari mutters. "i could go back to those days where i didn't have to care. but you are too stupid to remember i'm not that person anymore." sometimes, he wonders what life would've been like had he actually gone through irminsul and erased himself. how MUCH would he have changed? how much different would ren be had he not gone through with erasing himself? both of them still carry the scars of their past regardless of their paths.

"i'm changed," kami continues. "regardless of how little you think of myself or ren, both of us are on a different path. and it's that reason i stick by him. if he wants me to leave, i will, but only on his word. not kaedahara's, not nahida's, and especially not yours. now, do us all a favor and go die."

[mmriesoftvat]

it's  at  times  like  this  when  ren  seems  to  think  he's  more  subtle  than  he  actually  is.  his  back  is  to  kami,  but  the  line  of  his  shoulders  is  too  tense  to  be  anything  but  unnatural.  fingers  curl  around  a  cup  of  tea  —  still  warm,  with  delicate  swirls  of  steam  drifting  from  its  contents.  he  seems  more  interested  in  holding  it  with  white-knuckled  grip  than  he  does  taking  a  drink.

❝  i  have  a  thought  experiment  for  you.  ❞  the  wanderer  says.  he  speaks  up  so  suddenly  it's  a  bit  jarring.  ❝  imagine  there's  a  person  who  holds  a  significant  role  in  your  life.  someone  who  has  managed  to  become ...  important,  despite  your  better  judgement.  ❞  his  expression  twists;  a  vague  look  of  self-disgust.  he  feels  ashamed  by  his  own  lack  of  subtlety  —  but  it's  not  the  kind  of  question  he  can  pose  with  any  degree  of  tact.  ❝  they  want  to  make  a  commitment  to  you  that  isn't  exactly  easy  to  go  back  on ...  however,  there's  certain  matters  regarding  your  past  they  still  aren't  privy  to  —  and  if  they  find  out,  it's  likely  they  will  never  look  at  you  the  same.  it  may  even  ruin  the  life  you've  built  in  its  entirety.  ❞

he  already  knows  the  answer.  he  simply  needs  to  hear  it  from  someone  with  the  same  gruesome  memories;  an  echo  of  the  words  he  keeps  telling  himself.  ❝  what  do  you  do?  ❞

it's hard to tell what's on ren's mind these days. more often than not, he's off doing his own thing, leaving kami to his own devices. which kami doesn't MIND, since kami has his own life to live. or whatever is left of said life. it's hard to rebuild the broken bits and pieces when he doesn't really have anyone to turn to, but he's long since accepted that lot in life. he'd CHOSEN it.

he's spacing out currently, staring through ren's back and PROBABLY off into space, thoughts vaguely around the life of sumeru and what he SHOULD be doing instead of sitting here, when ren's voice snaps him out of his stupor. with a couple of blinks, kami tries to redirect his thoughts back to to the conversation -- it sounds important.

a significant person -- kami has no idea what that would feel like. he's never really had time to go off and meet anyone, though he's aware ren has. with the corners of his lips twitching downward, kami shuffles closer, wondering what exactly he's supposed to say, or even how to RESPOND to this conversation. this is a topic far beyond him. perhaps ren doesn't have anyone else to actually come to about this?

it's when ren finishes his thoughts that kami sits back, resting his elbows on his knees. his initial thoughts had been correct; kami is NOT EQUIPPED to handle this kind of conversation. for starters, he has no idea what a healthy relationship is supposed to look like, and he's never been the kind of person to dole out advice like this.

"i'm not sure," kami finally responds. "if you've made an agreement," kami knows very well what ren meant by COMMITMENT, but kami can't understand those terms. he'll use terms he does understand. "-a contract, really, then you should honor it by being honest with this person."

the vague hints toward their shared past have kami biting down on his tongue. he knows all too well how much of a pain that specific bout of history had been, how PAINFUL it still is to think about. "would you want to know the truth about someone you've established rapport with?" kami asks in turn. "regardless of how devastating the news would be? were i in their shoes, or in your situation, i'd want to know. whatever my reaction after said news is on my shoulders."

he shrugs then, shaking off any negativity. "that's the price we pay for building bonds with people, ren. they get to know us, both positive and negative. we can't erase or escape our past, and anyone who learns of it is going to have to accept that we're..." he trails off, hesitation in his eyes.

"...flawed."

kami falls silent after that, glancing down at the forgotten tea resting next to him. it's cooler now, and probably no longer as DELICIOUS as it could have been.

"sorry i couldn't be more help to you."

[lapisdex]

Zhongli could sense this little one was like their kind.

It made hackles raise but why did something like this exist? The resemblance to Makoto was uncanny as well, what on Teyvat had Ei done? Though it is best he does not reveal exactly what and who he was since Rex Lapis was dead to the world, ‘slaughtered’ two years ago during a Rite of Decension.

“Good afternoon as well weary traveler from Inazuma.” The garb was from the land of eternity no doubt about that, Zhongli’s keen eye can even notice similar patterns to Ei and Makoto’s kimonos they wore.

This was all like some weird deja vu, or some twisted irony.

“I would ask if you are lost though I think that question would be best suited for me. I am a funeral consultant, I am out here finding specific minerals for a burial.” Thankfully his occupation was excuse enough for him to be out in the Chasm alone when in reality he came here in reflection of feeling something had gone missing a few weeks ago.

@lapisdex &&. said... Off to see a wanderer this far from the harbor, right on the border of Sumeru and Liyue. The former archon narrowed his eyes at him, even from a distance he could sense something was off. Though Zhongli can talk, someone dressed nicely at him out near the chasm would draw up suspicion.

a  wanderer  needed  no  destination  —  only  a  whim,  and  the  will  to  follow  it.  the  dense  forests  of  sumeru  slowly  bled  into  dirt  roads  and  steep  cliffsides.  his  steady  footsteps  trekked  along,  somehow  managing  to  be  EQUALLY  aimless  as  they  were  purposeful.  he  had  encountered  shockingly  few  interruptions  on  his  travels  —  something  ren  viewed  as  a  wholly  positive  thing.  (  introverted  type  that  he  was.  )  while being  left  alone  with  his  thoughts  could  often  be  just  as  much  a  curse  as  it  was  a  boon,  the  wanderer  believed  he  deserved  a  healthy  dose  of  both.  self  reflection  was  the  only  medicine  that  could  ever  hope  to  help  him  now.

unfortunately,  it  seemed  his  solitude  would  be  coming  to  an  end.  unfortunately,  it  seemed  he  had COMPANY.

his  footsteps  stilled.  one  hand  raised  to  tip  back  his  hat  —  a  sharp set  of  eyes  (  impossibly,  unnaturally  bright  )  peered  out  from  underneath,  visible  even  at  a  distance.  interesting  choice  of  attire ...  he  looked  more  suited  to  fiddling  about  with  bureaucratic  nonsense  down  at  the  harbor.  what  was  he  doing  loitering  around  such  an  UNSIGHTLY  place?  completely  by  his  lonesome  from  the  looks  of  it,  too ... that was strange; ren could have at least understood if he was there to badger the poor fools stumbling about the chasm over a bit of red tape.

the wind blew. his hat clinked softly in the breeze. ( not unlike a windchime. ) finally, the wanderer broke the heavy silence.

❝ ... good afternoon.  ❞ who are you supposed to be?

[mmriesoftvat]

quick sidenote before i go back to my regular schedule of playing genshin/writing starters but

outside of rare crack where kami interacts with other wanderers, my main twin au is with @erabundus. we have a couple plotted verses where they are brothers/are close to each other, and outside of plotting/crack, kaminari doesn't actually know many other wanderers. (there are very few exceptions)

while dash commentary and crack is fun, it's not blog canon unless otherwise plotted out between myself and the other party. if you see me interacting with ren either in threads or dash crack, it's not random sillies, it's a plotted verse, and i would appreciate if other wanderers didn't constantly try to jump in without talking to either of us first. thank you!