tempered-chill

[tempered-chill]

Yanqing's trek across Teyvat has taken him from Liyue to Inazuma. Admittedly, going on a long boat ride to find himself here hasn't been the easiest thing he's ever done. He's not afraid of the water by any stretch, but on the Luofu, which is a giant ship that sails through the stars, there hasn't been any seas as large as this one.

He had taken in the endless waters that went on for days rather than hours, had listened to the loud laughs of the crew that had taken him in, and had thanked them merrily with mora after he slipped from sea to land once more. The Lieutenant had waved to their disappearing faces, and had stood at the docks until their features had no meaning and their bodies turned into blurbs of colour.

Yanqing doesn't really know where to go from here. He had been taking on some Adventurer's Guild commissions in order to further his budget to buy more swords, and usually, that would be where he would go immediately, but there is the problem that-

Yanqing has no clue where to go.

He leaves the docks and moves through the crowds of people, luggage tucked safely against his side. After asking a few strangers around, he manages to find someone who's willing to take him to the city. Along the way, he fights off a few bandits, and this journey isn't long at all.

Finally, he finds himself in the city. The lieutenant sets his luggage down in an inn after getting some directions from nearby residents, and then, finally, goes to sleep. The next day, Yanqing vows, will be filled with excitement.

So, he does what he usually does when he goes somewhere new. He goes to a blacksmith, and asks for their finest sword to buy.

Problem: Yanqing is lost, again.

The street is crowded with a multitude of different kinds of people - tourists, regular citizens, all crowding up different stalls. Yanqing squeezes his way through, mumbling 'excuse me' heres and 'pardon me!' theres, until he manages to get a breath of fresh air in a side street that isn't that crowded. Here, though, he sees a woman - she's dressed in what seems to be resident's typical style, so she's probably someone who knows her way around. Plus, people aren't crowding around her, so he can just go up and say hi.

Yanqing approaches her with a wave and a smile, jogging over before coming to a halt. "I'm so sorry to bother you, ma'am, but do you happen to know where the nearest blacksmith is?"

@almightyelectro

a foreign stroll

w/ @almightyelectro

[tempered-chill]

a foreign stroll

w/ @almightyelectro

[tempered-chill]

Shout out to Yanqing, 14 years old, who’s biggest threat to his career is the fact that his boss is also his dad

[tempered-chill]

🎺 "What kind of music do you mostly listen to? Do you know how to play an instrument, and if not, which one would you want to learn to play?"

"I suppose I don't really listen to music all that much - I'm usually too busy running errands or practicing my swordplay. However, that's not to say that I don't enjoy it, or that I can't play an instrument. I wouldn't consider myself proficient at it by any stretch, but I do enjoy playing my flute. It's a treasured gift from the General that mustn't go unused, after all!"

[tempered-chill]

⚰️ - A dream/nightmare that featured someone no longer in their life

Sometimes, Yanqing dreams of his parents - the ones that brought him into this world, only to abandon him. He dreams of them in different ways - sometimes they are warm, and kind, and they take him into their arms and tell him that they are proud of him. Sometimes, they tell him that they are so sorry for leaving him behind, and that if they had it another way, in another life, they would be by his side.

Sometimes, they are cold. He runs after them, reaching for them, to know the truth of why they abandoned him, but they offer no response, their blurry faces always fixed ahead instead of behind. Sometimes, they turn on him, telling him that he was a mistake, that he should have never been born, that if they had it their way, he would have never exited in the first place. They tell him they left him on that battlefield for dead, hoping some mara-struck would rid him of life.

Sometimes, he doesn't know if he wants to meet them or not, if they are alive.

[tempered-chill]

💽 "Do you collect anything? Why?"

"Swords, of course! And sheaths. I collect two of every sword that I buy - one for decoration purposes, and the other for actual use. I also buy proper sheaths for all of them, too."

"Why? I collect them because I love what I do, that's why, and I love the swords that I use to fight. So, I like to gather as many as possible. It feels comforting."

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Yanqing turns to Zhongli with a look of surprise that quickly morphs into relief. "Oh! You're not intruding at all," he reassures the stranger, before registering the question. "Well, uh, yes," he says, still holding both swords in both of his hands.

"You see, I'm looking for a weapon of good calibre, but I'm not familiar with Liyue's ores or smithing style, so I'm not sure which one is the better one for the sake of combat..." He explains his situation. "I've kind of narrowed down my search to these two, but I have no clue what they're made of, or if one has a particular advantage to them or not," he says, giving the very tall stranger a very sheepish smile.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on like that," the lieutenant collects himself. He's usually better at keeping himself more presentable when talking to strangers, but swords are just so wonderful to talk about, and they're what he loves more than anything else. It's hard for Yanqing not to ramble. At least he hadn't talked this man's ear off before catching himself, like the time he'd talked to a stranger in a smithy...

what makes a good sword?

w/ @stoneharbor

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🌻 random in-character questions

an ask game where, instead of replying from your perspective, you answer as if it's your original character/muse/self-insert/etc. answering the question ✨

🌧️ "When outside during the rain, do you use a raincoat, an umbrella, or something else? Do you enjoy rain?"

🍳 "Are you a good cook? Do you enjoy cooking? What's your favorite thing to cook?"

🧼 "Do you prefer to take a shower during the morning or evening? Do you like taking baths? What's your favorite scent of shower gel?"

❌ "Would you do something that someone told you not to do? Why? Is there someone you'd actually listen to more than everyone else?"

🏳️ "What will make you give up?"

📖 "What kinds of books do you read? Do you have a lot of time to read?"

⛸️ "What's your favorite kind of sport? Do you follow sports closely or don't care at all?"

😷 "How often do you get sick? Do you stay at home when sick or do you end up going outside to, say, get some groceries? If you go outside, would you wear a mask?"

🥼 "Do you have to wear a uniform somewhere? If yes, how do you feel about it? If no, what kind of uniform would you love to wear?"

🥂 "How do you celebrate you accomplishments?"

🛴 "What's your preferred way of getting somewhere - own car, public transport, a bicycle, or something else? How well do you follow the traffic rules?"

🕰️ "What do you use to check what time it is?"

🥰 "What would make you feel happy and loved?"

🐇 "Do you believe in other dimensions?"

🎺 "What kind of music do you mostly listen to? Do you know how to play an instrument, and if not, which one would you want to learn to play?"

💽 "Do you collect anything? Why?"

🧋 "What's your go-to thing to drink? Do you prefer cold or hot drinks?"

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💤 Peek into my Character's Dreams 💤

💭 - An ordinary dream

🎀 - A dream that left them feeling happy

☔ - A dream that left them feeling upset

🌈 - A dream from their childhood

🗯️ - An ordinary nightmare

🐛 - An intense nightmare that made them wake up in a cold sweat

⚰️ - A dream/nightmare that featured someone no longer in their life

🌡️ - A fever dream

📿 - A dream your character believes is prophetic

👁️‍🗨️ - A lucid dream

🛏️ - A dream that made your character want to go back to sleep so they could continue the dream

[tempered-chill]

IN CHARACTER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS .

send an emoji/series of emojis for my muse to answer any of the following questions in character! for some questions, there are fields italicized and bolded for you to fill in with the name of a person/place/event/etc in the muse's life. please remember to fill in these spaces in order for the question to make sense! each emoji is described in case you can't see them, and they are listed alphabetically. ♡

✈️ AIRPLANE — have you traveled anywhere that helped you discover something about yourself and/or about the world?

😠 ANGRY FACE — how easy or difficult is it for you to express your emotions? if you find it difficult, what do you think is holding you back?

🎨 ARTIST PALETTE — what are some hobbies that you like to partake in? do you think they're just to pass time or to distract yourself, or do you believe some of them potentially have therapeutic outcomes for you?

🎈 BALLOON — what is something you've created and/or accomplished recently that you're proud of?

🖤 BLACK HEART — what would you say is the darkest thought you've ever experienced? what do you think caused you to have that thought? have you ever planned on or fantasized about acting on it?

🏹 BOW AND ARROW — if there's something from your past that you'd give anything to go back in time and redo, what is it?

💔 BROKEN HEART — is there anyone in your life you wish you had a better relationship with? if so, how come? what makes this person important to you?

🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your favorite holiday and why?

🌙 CRESCENT MOON — what would you say is your current biggest dream and/or career aspiration and why?

❌ CROSS MARK — how would your life be different if [name of person] had never been in it? would it be better or worse?

⚔️ CROSSED SWORDS — do you have any skills that you are absolutely grateful you have and that mean a lot to you? how do you usually use these skills? would they come in handy if someone you cared about was in trouble?

🔮 CRYSTAL BALL — what is a core memory from your childhood that you think defines you today?

🗡️ DAGGER — what is something or someone you know you can't afford to lose? how far are you willing to go to make sure you don't lose it/them?

💧 DROPLET — are you grieving something or someone? do you feel like you lost something or a part of yourself with it/them?

😶‍🌫️ FACE IN CLOUDS — is there something you're hiding from the people you love? if so, how urgent is it for them to hear it? what's holding you back from sharing it?

🍂 FALLEN LEAVES — how would you metaphorically describe your life and the journey(s) you've been on?

👻 GHOST — is there someone or something that you feel is missing from your life? do you know if there's any way to find it/them?

🩶 GRAY HEART — what kind of friend do your friends consider you to be (mom friend, uncle friend, funny friend, etc) and why? what do you think this says about your personality?

🤝 HANDSHAKE — do family or platonic relationships mean more to you? or do they mean different things to you?

❤️‍🔥 HEART ON FIRE — what angers you the most? what triggers this anger, and how do you cope with it? what does this anger feel like, if you had to describe it?

💋 KISS MARK — if you had to share a romantic kiss with a loved one, where would you share that kiss and why? are you thinking about giving this romantic kiss somewhere other than the other person's lips?

✝️ LATIN CROSS — are you a religious person? did you grow up religious? does your faith mean anything to you today?

🩵 LIGHT BLUE HEART — what do you fantasize about the most often (generally/sexually/etc)? are there any people that are significant to or that you can see in this fantasy and why?

⚡️ LIGHTNING BOLT — how has [significant event in muse's life] impacted you? what has it made you realize about yourself? about others? about the world?

💄 LIPSTICK — have you had any romantic or sexual experiences that made you realize something about yourself?

🪄 MAGIC WAND — would you describe yourself as a superstitious person (someone who believes in superstitions)? do you believe in luck?

❤️‍🩹 MENDING HEART — how strongly do you experience your emotions? does it depend on who you're interacting with and/or the context of the situation?

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what song lyrics do you think most accurately describe you? your journey through life? who you are as a person?

🫂 PEOPLE HUGGING — generally speaking, do you feel very supported by the people in your life? how strong and cohesive is your support system, if you have one? do you often feel like you're at the front of the line or pushed to the side by the people in your life?

❤️ RED HEART — what is/are your love language(s)? how do you use it/them to communicate your feelings about others?

💞 REVOLVING HEARTS — who and/or what are you most grateful for in your life?

🎀 RIBBON BOW — how confident are you with your physical appearance? is there anything about it that you are insecure about? is there anything about it that you are happy about or gives you confidence? how do you think people perceive you based on your physical appearance?

🧪 TEST TUBE — if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what is one thing you absolutely have to resolve and/or do before then?

🤔 THINKING FACE — what three emotions tend to dominate your mindset? do you know why they do?

💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — is there something or someone you find yourself thinking about more often than other things? if so, why do you think you do this?

💀 SKULL — how has [name of person] 's death influenced your outlook on life, if anything?

☀️ SUN — would you describe yourself as more of an introvert or extrovert, or are you somewhere in between? how come?

🪽 WING — if you could choose to have one superpower for a day, what would it be and why? what would you do with it?

✍️ WRITING HAND — what is one thing you wish you were better at? this can be a tactical skill, social skill, hobby, etc.

[tempered-chill]

Liyue reminds Yanqing of the Luofu. From the architecture, to the welcoming aura that it has, to the food - it's like a home away from home. Of course, the residents of Liyue do not suffer from mara, and their lifespans are that of a short-life species, but the reminiscences in culture have Yanqing relaxed as he scours the paths in the city, skipping leisurely along, the breeze ruffling his hair.

He fits right in, even with his clothes - and he truly does feel safe here, in this place that reminds him so much of home. It's almost a little eerie, but the lieutenant won't complain. Why should he? However, after tasting Liyue's food and climbing its mountains to witness the sunrise, buying a few flowers and taking photos of them for the General - there's a few more things to do, but the main thing that Yanqing wants to do is...

Buy a sword, of course!

Yanqing makes is way over to the blacksmith's, buzzing with energy and excitement. Every place he's been to - every different planet has access to different resources and materials. This gives birth to many different kinds of swordsmanship and fighting styles, as well as different kinds of swords in general. Some of them are even tailored to unique fighting styles that reflect in the materials itself!

Yanqing finally arrives, and asks to see the different kinds of swords that the blacksmith - who introduces himself as Master Zhang - has on display.

Ah. And here comes the difficult part. Trying to find out if he's being scammed or not.

The thing is, after the first few times he's been ripped off after visiting a new place, the lieutenant has learned to be cautious. He picks a sword up off of a shelf and swings it a few times to get a feel of it, and frowns, looking it over. He can't quite tell which one is the best quality, even after trying out a few different swords for a few different times.

At least Master Zhang doesn't seem to mind his sword wielding in the middle of the daytime, even if a few other customers look at him curiously. And even so, Yanqing is still at a loss, humming to himself as he looks between two swords. Which one to get? Which one is better? Maybe one isn't meant for battle, but is still rare? If only there were an expert around to help him...

@stoneharbor

what makes a good sword?

w/ @stoneharbor

[tempered-chill]

what makes a good sword?

w/ @stoneharbor

[tempered-chill]

About: Mondstadt

"Mondstadt? I haven't ever visited before, but I definitely plan on doing so in the near future! I wonder, what kinds of swords do they make there, with what kinds of materials? Each planet has access to its own unique resources, which creates opportunities to see many different types of swords and styles of swordplay."

[tempered-chill]

About: General Feixiao

"General Feixiao? She's a formidable warrior, and a great teacher. She has wealths of wisdom in terms of strategy and she's one of the strongest people I know - I mean, she's a General, of course."

"She did teach me something new recently in terms of how to analyze how our enemies work to turn those strategist against them, which is something I am very thankful for. I enjoy talking to her, too."

[tempered-chill]

hc + ⛄ for a season-themed headcanon

Yanqing, unsurprisingly, loves snow, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that winter is his favourite season. I actually think that he's got a really good resistance to the cold in general, actually - he's the kind of Canadian kid that you see going outside in -20 degrees with shorts on. I don't know if they have seasons on the Xianzhou, but I think he would love to make snowmen with Jing Yuan.

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i need yall to know the yanqing i rp 100% sits on his flying swords sometimes

Yeah I know, Yanqing again. But he's just so fun to draw with the swords and all! I wish I could use swords as stairs too.