#he's rly bitter when it comes to gliding; i hc he always avoids it and much prefers walking or hiking

[viaetor]

headcanon i'll absolutely write more about later and probably draw it out: aether's wings are broken. after the fight with the unknown god, he quite literally fell from the sky in teyvat and, when he woke up, his wings were seriously injured. he doesn't know what happened to them exactly, if it was the falling or something that the unknown god did to them, but no matter how much he tries, it's like he can't heal them back to their original state. long gone are the days when he could expand his six long wings to fly whenever he wanted, not a care in the universe... now, all that's left of his wings are shattered pieces, resembling stained glasses glued to his back, fragmented to their roots and completely useless. they resemble burnt roots. he misses them so, so dearly. flying was his favourite activity. it's the main reason why he avoids gliding at any cost—it tastes too bitter. just a fancy way of falling, is how he sees it. he avoids touches on his back because of this. any contact around the area can be very painful. and if he ever allows your muse to see them... never comment on it. it's his way of silently trusting them.