ᴏᴘᴇɴ ▸ we became strangers.

[subsist]

WHO: Kaeya & you.
WHAT: Event aftermath.
WHERE: Achamoth + Venera.
WHEN: Early into the month of Visoseri (June).
WARNINGS: Alcohol abuse and bad coping mechanisms.

i. liminal spaces.
achamoth

[ the past few days have been harrowing, but hasn't that been the case since he arrived here? it doesn't feel like rest and relaxation are part of the horos vocabulary, but that's fine with him, really. he can use the distraction. after coming back from venera, it's been difficult to stop himself from going over what happened in detail, over and over and over again, as if the next time he does it, he'll find something he should have done differently. formulating a better plan for the future is better than wallowing in misery, but that's not what happens though.

what happens is that he ends up more spaced out than not.

this is the best time to catch him unaware. he might be in the library, standing next to a shelf while he pours over a book without really reading its contents. or he might be walking down any hallway without an apparent destination in mind, aimlessly wandering until he realizes someone is trying to get his attention. he'll excuse himself and try to head the other way, if allowed to escape. and when he thinks no one is looking, he just seems... tired. exhausted.

the next few days are when it's much more difficult to spot him anywhere. he is making a conscious effort to avoid everyone, no matter where he goes. you might catch glimpses of him in some places at the citadel, not that he lingers long enough. he's also never around when it's time to eat, but somehow he'll always show up to any training sessions where your presence is mandatory, smile attached and mask firmly in place. any attempts to wrangle him into a communion will be ignored and left hanging for hours on end.

something is definitely on his mind, but the chances of getting him to talk about it are... well, only one way to find out. ]

ii. you look lonely.
achamoth | cw: alcohol abuse

[ if kaeya is nowhere to be found in the citadel, then he'll be at one of the many bars in achamoth's entertainment district.

sometimes, he makes a point of not hiding the fact that he's an aion, content to surround himself with adoring fans while he enjoys their company and a few too many glasses of alcohol. he appears to be mostly unaware of his surroundings, uncaring of how many he's had to drink. he might listen to someone if they try to put a stop to this, but for the most part, he'll ignore any voice of reason, saying things like I've earned this, you know or Did you want to join me? or anything along those lines.

other times, he sits by himself at the furthest corner of every bar you find him in. it's like he's completely unaware of whoever tries to approach him, staring quietly at the empty glass he's holding. there's an alarming amount of them on the table, too. he's also just about to flag the bartender for one more glass if he isn't stopped. ]

iii. ambience.
venera

[ it's not long before kaeya makes his way back to venera.

while the contagion that once held the city hostage has been dealt with for the most part, there are still plenty of things that the venerans are left to take care of. kaeya can be found floating from one area to the next, helping around with whatever the locals need at that point. you might find him carrying someone's groceries, sometimes shopping on their behalf. you might also see him helping out with any rebuilding and clean-up efforts, because there are some areas in the city that didn't survive the incident unscathed.

for the most part, he doesn't bother hiding that he's an aion. he doesn't go out of his way to reveal the shard underneath the eyepatch but most of the locals do regard him warily, as if they're reluctant to let him help out. not that it deters him too much. if anything, that makes him more determined to lend a helping hand.

if he catches you in the same area, he will either invite you to go along with him if you're from kenoma or he might just head for the other direction if you're from pleroma. either way, his characteristic smile is nowhere to be found, and he looks... tired, like he hasn't slept properly in a while. ]

iv. wildcard me, baby.

( ooc. sorry for all the come bother him! prompts, but he's a mess rn. i'm happy to write custom starters if none of these work though. other things i think kaeya can do will be aimlessly wandering around the streets of achamoth or venera for no apparent reason. he can be hassled into sharing what happened back at venera in full detail, but he'd likely only share these with fellow kenomies, at least the ones he semi-trusts (which he can count on one hand, oops). anyone from the lover legacy will be able to tell kaeya is feeling strangely empty despite the convincing smiles on his face. i'm sure i can think of more so just hit me up. 💜 )