[ ah, he wasn't expecting an obstacle, especially not a body and, physically, Childe is stronger. Which means down he goes, but Aether makes use of the ground to keep moving; rolling halfway to one side before pushing himself forward to spring up with his own momentum and wildly swinging his blade with no intention to hit but rather just hopefully keep Childe away long enough so he can successfully get up and recover.

If he does, he'll pivot sharply to make a tight turn, deciding that being the aggressor indiscriminately is not going to have him win against the other. Time for new strategy. Defend. Defend a lot unit he can get a sense of Childe's style. It's familiar, Aether thinks, but only subconsciously and he can't rely on that.

So he needs to provoke his opponent.


If he doesn't manage to get up before childe gets too close, well he's still on the ground, then. ]