#but nahida makes him feel a little less lonely. he knows that she understands that feeling better than anyone else

[viaetor]

❛ i thought you’d like some company. ❜  (and from nahida so you have the whole selection <3)

ㅤㅤㅤ @maquiscursedㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤDIALOGUE PROMPTSㅤㅤ/ㅤㅤclosed!

ㅤㅤshould loneliness be such a new feeling to him? thousands are the immortal years that weigh upon his shoulders, long and many were stories he could narrate of his star-made-human experiences, nigh uncountable are the expressions he has learned in ancient or newborn languages. he knows of mutterseelinallein, of tante, of saudade. he has engraved their meanings in his mind, enchanted by the puzzle they prompt for mortal emotions and all their needs; memorised their writing and tonality. but he had never understood such conceptual words fully with his heart, it seems. such truth is made heavy in how he clutches his chest, bittersweet look painting the outsider’s visage as warm tones of street lights illuminate the dancing citizens of sumeru city. celebrating a festivity at the local bazar, everyone seems to have a pair to share laughter or confessions with. complementary or opposition, two, three or four, they keep each other company in more ways than just physically. humans have such big hearts—always looking for more loved ones to fill it and make it blossom more colourful. come on, let’s dance together! everyone, form a circle!

ㅤㅤhe has lived among them, sometimes being confused as one of them, finding temporary havens for his tiring travels in kind people and their houses. yet there’s a tug in his heartstrings, a husky voice that tells him he doesn’t quite belong in that picture. even if their spinnings and cheers remind him of the stars he grew up chasing, he’s not meant to be a part of their world for long. whenever he dreams, the cosmos are calling for him and his sister back—for them to return home. whatever that meant. he wasn’t sure he correctly understood such a concept anymore, either. and shouldn’t it be impossible to feel alone when you’re surrounded by a crowd or always accompanied during your journeys? then why now, of all times and places, is he feeling that way?

ㅤㅤshe would’ve loved this festival.

ㅤㅤah. so that’s why.

ㅤㅤeven amongst immortals or deities, few were the ones who could relate to him. most immortals looked for those who shared similar interests, finding kin in unexpected places, but bonding through eternity alongside one another’s company. gods generally walked with one another, forever entangled in their own affairs. and aether? well, he only knew one other star-born wanderer out there. and for whatever reason it was that he was still trying to figure it out, she didn’t want him around anymore. to not feel trapped and left behind was close to impossible.

ㅤㅤperhaps this is why lord kusanali’s voice comes as a surprise amidst his messy thoughts. with widened eyes, he stares down at her when her small hand clasps around his gloved fingers. i thought you’d like some company. her hand is warm, her eyes are full of wonder, and she feels like a friend he’s had for millennia. there’s a knowing smile on her face, as if she’s seen that expression of his thousands of times—be it on the traveller’s face, or on a mirror. he squeezes her hand back ever so lightly, swallowing dryly all the complicated feelings he knew not how to profess. but she did. she did, didn’t she? oh… perhaps he wasn’t so alone after all. if there was someone who knew how much a heart could ache for closure, for company, for belonging, then that someone would be her. not as the god of wisdom, but as herself, surely. besides, when you’re alone with someone else, it stops being so lonely, doesn’t it? koev halev through philia.

ㅤㅤ“thank you, nahida.”   through his grin, he feels another feeling, one never too new or old to enjoy. understanding. isn’t that o so very fitting?   “this festival just got better.”