#(Maybe Kaeya’s wasn’t intended to be so dark but the line prior to this one sure made it up to interpretation)

[dkniade]

(reading some past birthday mails)

Fischl 2021 birthday mail*: heard you like collecting crystal cores so I got some for you :D

Kaeya 2022 birthday mail: …heard you like collecting crystal cores so I got some for you :))

*possibly Oz’s translation since it’s in prose?

-

(Reacting to Albedo’s birthday mail)

“人们说，作画的目标就是将一刹那的美景化作永恒。”

(as an artist) so you understand!!

“发现旧作的颜料干裂时，我偶尔会循着裂纹补上几笔，如此竟能得到一幅新的得意之作。”

*hiding my face in embrassement/happiness*

“确认了岁月在彼此脸上留下的风霜后，心生慨叹，却也让彼此的情谊更加醇厚。”

...WHY IS THIS GUY SO SMOOTH. Whoever wrote for Albedo’s birthday message this year KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE DOING

风霜？？ figuratively meaning hardships BUT ALSO LITERALLY USING CHARACTERS FOR WIND AND FROST

you poetic Dragonspine bastard is this what living in the City of Poetry does to a person (affectionate)

[link to the Chinese wiki page on character birthday mails]

What kind of poem would he write…..

Oh but, the idea of adding a few strokes upon an old work’s cracked dry paint… Brings to mind Albedo doodling around his imperfection (star mark) which in theory sounds cute but it is the neck we’re talking about

But, adding a few strokes… Hmm, how inspiring. I’ll have to try that sometime with my art too. Of course it doesn’t quite feel the same on a digital artwork but… I guess for too long I’ve held the belief that physical artworks are prone to destruction.

No, actually, an artist I knew in real life has also told me the same thing about adding new strokes to old artworks—or even painting over them completely.