[ There's lots of appropriate ways of dealing with grief and anger. Talking about them, for one. Crying's another good way! Singing, or finding some kind of creative or athletic outlet... any of those would be considered productive and healthy ways to let off the intense grump that Lumine has been feeling since Caeli trounced her in the VR room and her brother's swift and unceremonious departure while she was recovering.
Unfortunately for Caeli, Lumine has chosen to do exactly none of those things, and has instead chosen to put a beef bullion cube inside the shower head he usually uses and fill his toothpaste with wasabi. ]
[ he was already have a badā¦ well, everything, honestly! so having his day to day routine fucked with isnāt exactly welcome. he figures itās got to be lumine, because the rest of Wild city doesnāt seem nearly as malicious and, letās be real, bratty. ]
[ after heās finished showering ( again! ) and brushing his teeth ( again! ) he goes to bang on her door. ]
Not funny. Do it again and Iāll throw you in baby jail.
[ She is aware she's being pretty shitty and petty right now. She also feels like she's pretty justified in her pettiness and anger since she has no idea what the fuck happened or why other than that Caeli suddenly decided they should all go die for no reason other than solving a PUZZLE slowly, so she doesn't hesitate to open the door when he comes knocking, and she also doesn't hesitate to go toe-to-toe with him. ]
Oh? Isn't that going a little light on me? You didn't just want to throw me into a few more walls, or loved ones instead? Although I suppose I'm fresh out of those. So maybe just cut off my arms? Or perhaps you could just try breaking my wrist or ribs again. With so many fun options, why, you must be having a real hard time trying to pick!
[ he didnāt plan for the escape room to do ANY of that, but he doesnāt even bother explaining any of that to her, since sheās much more interested in blaming him for every. little. thing. this isnāt new, but it sure does suck to have one of the travelers screaming at him. ]
If I were interested in any of those things do you think I would be hesitating right now, tovarisch?
And you can be upset about your brotherās departure, but you donāt have to misdirect your anger and take it out on me. Youāre not the only one upset that heās gone.
I might have tried to explain any of what happened to you, but youāre making it real hard to want to, because I know be wasting my breath.
[ reaches out to flick her nose, turning her into a bunny. ] Find someone else to be your punching bag. Iām not interested. [ maybe once upon a time, and under different circumstances, but heās emotionally and mentally compromised right now, so his tolerance is at an all time low. ]
[ There's probably something comical about having a bunny berating such a tall guy; her nose quivers and she actually hops a little as she speaks. Too bad neither of them are in a laughing mood. ]
So I get to be your punching bag, but gods forbid I get mad back?
[ Fuck that noise. She's not handicapped by the VR room anymore, so she poofs right back to being a person. ]
All's fair when the mighty Caeli decides he wants to do something, and the rest of us should bend over and take it. Is that how you think it should be? You should be grateful all I did was make you have to re-clean yourself. You said it yourself--people around here kill each other over less.
[ childe just laughs. ] You donāt even have half the story, Lumine, but if you feel like jumping to stupid conclusions and making stupid mistakes, then by all means, keep on going. Itās amusing if nothing else, and I love how you keep putting words in my mouth. I never said you didnāt have to retaliate. Itād just be in your best interest not to. [ because if she keeps pushing him heās not going to bother holding back. ]
[ It's hard to have a very large sense of self preservation when the things you start to let yourself care about keep getting pulled out from underneath you. Right now, Lumine is feeling reckless indeed--and it's about to really show. ]
And who is it that's always keeping me half in the dark, Caeli? Or should I say--Childe. Am I right?
It's not my responsibility to ensure you claw your way out of the darkness. You have the same tools as everybody else. You can do Lives and you can earn points and you can buy memories. What have you been doing with your time, exactly, hm? Nothing???
I know who I am. I've taken several memories by this point. [ he's not admitting shit and even if he did it wouldn't make much of a difference. ] What's your point?
Strange, that the knowledge that she was right gives her no sense of satisfaction. ]
So it's just a coincidence, then, that you happen to be a person who was up to no good back home--someone who explicitly told me I could count on to keep me safe here--who tried to kill me here too.
[ She laughs but it's a very bitter, jangly sound. Smileless. ]
I guess I should thank you. I was actually starting to believe you.
[ At least, if he was going to betray her, and hurt her, he did it fast. Before she actually might have started to really like him. So what if it means she's less certain than ever if she can trust anyone here? That's probably for the better, too. ]
[ sets a hand on her head and digs his fingers turned to claws in; holding it steady as he leans in. ] I might not be a good guy, Lumine, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of caring here or there. We might have had our differences, briefly, in Liyue, but that didn't stop me from occasionally looking out for you. And the same was true here, though, not going to lie, you're making me regret promising your brother anything.
And if you really think that I invited the three of you to that escape room to try to kill you, then I really am disappointed. [ squeezes. harder. ] I didn't plan for things to turn out like that. I wanted something fun, something distracting, but catching a break in hell when the chips are down really is pretty damn impossible. [ he straightens up and turns his back to her, starting to walk off. ] I like you, your brother, and Xiansheng, and I wouldn't have gone out of my way to be helpful in any capacity if that weren't true.
But go ahead, Lumine, and join the entirety of Teyvat in hating me. [ he had been heading to the kitchen, but decides to veer off track. ]
[ COOL, SOME MORE INJURIES... to add to the ones that she hasn't taken care of so far. Well, whatever. It's fine and whatever she doesn't care!! In fact she care so little she makes no attempt to stop him this time, or to argue, and instead retreats back into her room, slamming the door behind her and then sinking down to sit on the floor with her back to the wood behind her. ]
Now who's putting words in other peoples' mouths.
[ It turns out, though, it's even less satisfying arguing with empty air. ]
[ and he's just going to vanish from wild city for the remainder of the day. at the moment he's got no reason to be there and he's not interested in existing in a hostile environment, not when he's still struggling to cope with everything that's happened over the past few days. ]
[ at some point he returns, late, a bunch of store 'bought' ingredients in hand along with a bottle of liquor ( half empty ). time to prep food at midnight! ]
[ He probably expects that most of the unit will be gone to be by then, or at least not using the kitchen. That would be normal, anyway. And yet when he arrives home and makes his way to the kitchen, he'll hear the occasional sound of someone sniffling and, rounding the bend in the hall, find the lights on and the table occupied--by probably the last person he wants to see right now, a mountainous spread of library books (bookmarked and in a few cases open and dog-eared), and a literal box of wine. Her head is bent over one of them and she doesn't look up when he comes in. ]
[ kozuru aside she is at the top of his shit list. he just doesn't have the spoons to deal with her, so as soon as he notices that she's in the kitchen too he frowns, biting back a sigh. for a moment he stares at the book she's got her nose buried in, but she's thoroughly captivated, so maybe he can just make his snake and fuck off. ]
[ At the moment, it's Demonology. Sitting beside it, there's a copy of the King James Bible, also open though apparently not being read at this very second. Spread across the table but closed are Learning Japanese: Hiragana and Katakana; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan; several National Wildlife Federation Nature Guides; and Firearms: An Illustrated History.
She's not as captivated by the book as he thinks--she's tried reading the same paragraph five times now and still can't remember what it says. Most likely that's the wine. Although it could just also be how generally sad she feels. She is entirely aware that he's in the kitchen--but she doesn't have the energy for another fight right now. Her body hurts, her heart hurts.... everything just hurts.
In any case, there's plenty of reason for him to think if he comes in he can make his food unbothered, shit-list or not. ]
[ childe takes note of a couple of the books in passing... but 90% of them sound so dull. not wonder she's falling asleep at the wheel. he can smell the wine, but he's not blaming it. ]
[ it's clearly! the books!! ]
...you should be in bed. [ it's an off-hand comment made from the counter as he chops up a bunch of ingredients for the borscht he's decided to spontaneously make at the asscrack of night. he's not interested in another fight either, but he sincerely doubts she's going to put herself to bed, so perhaps a little nudge... and then he can have the kitchen to himself. ] It looks like you're only a few seconds from falling asleep.
[ She frowns, trying to think about what wine and milk will do together in her stomach. Surely not curdle? Does she even like milk? She can't remember having had it since she woke up. ]
I don't know. Probably shouldn't use a stove right now...
[ She might burn herself. Or the whole kitchen... ]
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childeishly) wrote2021-02-25 12:10 pm
Day 374 or 375
Unfortunately for Caeli, Lumine has chosen to do exactly none of those things, and has instead chosen to put a beef bullion cube inside the shower head he usually uses and fill his toothpaste with wasabi. ]
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[ after heās finished showering ( again! ) and brushing his teeth ( again! ) he goes to bang on her door. ]
Not funny. Do it again and Iāll throw you in baby jail.
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Oh? Isn't that going a little light on me? You didn't just want to throw me into a few more walls, or loved ones instead? Although I suppose I'm fresh out of those. So maybe just cut off my arms? Or perhaps you could just try breaking my wrist or ribs again. With so many fun options, why, you must be having a real hard time trying to pick!
Re: Day 374 or 375
If I were interested in any of those things do you think I would be hesitating right now, tovarisch?
And you can be upset about your brotherās departure, but you donāt have to misdirect your anger and take it out on me. Youāre not the only one upset that heās gone.
I might have tried to explain any of what happened to you, but youāre making it real hard to want to, because I know be wasting my breath.
[ reaches out to flick her nose, turning her into a bunny. ] Find someone else to be your punching bag. Iām not interested. [ maybe once upon a time, and under different circumstances, but heās emotionally and mentally compromised right now, so his tolerance is at an all time low. ]
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So I get to be your punching bag, but gods forbid I get mad back?
[ Fuck that noise. She's not handicapped by the VR room anymore, so she poofs right back to being a person. ]
All's fair when the mighty Caeli decides he wants to do something, and the rest of us should bend over and take it. Is that how you think it should be? You should be grateful all I did was make you have to re-clean yourself. You said it yourself--people around here kill each other over less.
[ Like you tried to kill her. And her brother. ]
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And who is it that's always keeping me half in the dark, Caeli? Or should I say--Childe. Am I right?
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I know who I am. I've taken several memories by this point. [ he's not admitting shit and even if he did it wouldn't make much of a difference. ] What's your point?
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...
Strange, that the knowledge that she was right gives her no sense of satisfaction. ]
So it's just a coincidence, then, that you happen to be a person who was up to no good back home--someone who explicitly told me I could count on to keep me safe here--who tried to kill me here too.
[ She laughs but it's a very bitter, jangly sound. Smileless. ]
I guess I should thank you. I was actually starting to believe you.
[ At least, if he was going to betray her, and hurt her, he did it fast. Before she actually might have started to really like him. So what if it means she's less certain than ever if she can trust anyone here? That's probably for the better, too. ]
Re: Day 374 or 375
And if you really think that I invited the three of you to that escape room to try to kill you, then I really am disappointed. [ squeezes. harder. ] I didn't plan for things to turn out like that. I wanted something fun, something distracting, but catching a break in hell when the chips are down really is pretty damn impossible. [ he straightens up and turns his back to her, starting to walk off. ] I like you, your brother, and Xiansheng, and I wouldn't have gone out of my way to be helpful in any capacity if that weren't true.
But go ahead, Lumine, and join the entirety of Teyvat in hating me. [ he had been heading to the kitchen, but decides to veer off track. ]
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Now who's putting words in other peoples' mouths.
[ It turns out, though, it's even less satisfying arguing with empty air. ]
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[ at some point he returns, late, a bunch of store 'bought' ingredients in hand along with a bottle of liquor ( half empty ). time to prep food at midnight! ]
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She's not as captivated by the book as he thinks--she's tried reading the same paragraph five times now and still can't remember what it says. Most likely that's the wine. Although it could just also be how generally sad she feels. She is entirely aware that he's in the kitchen--but she doesn't have the energy for another fight right now. Her body hurts, her heart hurts.... everything just hurts.
In any case, there's plenty of reason for him to think if he comes in he can make his food unbothered, shit-list or not. ]
Re: Day 374 or 375
[ it's clearly!
the books!! ]
...you should be in bed. [ it's an off-hand comment made from the counter as he chops up a bunch of ingredients for the borscht he's decided to spontaneously make at the asscrack of night. he's not interested in another fight either, but he sincerely doubts she's going to put herself to bed, so perhaps a little nudge... and then he can have the kitchen to himself. ] It looks like you're only a few seconds from falling asleep.
Re: Day 374 or 375
[ There's no bite to the response--if anything, she does genuinely sound sleepy--but just a sort of quiet assertiveness. ]
'll never understand this place if I... don't teach myself. I still have too many questions.
[ And there, it seems, is the answer to his question as to what she's been doing with all her time since she's been here. ]
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I donāt think youāll find the answers in those books. Perhaps a few scattered, but this place doesnāt exactly follow a strict set of rules.
Go get some rest.
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... I can't sleep.
[ There's something embarrassed to the way that's mumbled out. ]
I might as well try to make myself useful.
[ Although he does have a good point that the alcohol was a bad idea.... she sags forward, resting her head against the open book. ]
I shouldn't have bought the wine.
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But if you canāt sleep, then how about some warm milk?
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I don't know. Probably shouldn't use a stove right now...
[ She might burn herself. Or the whole kitchen... ]
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[ probably not the best combo, but it miiiight help? ]
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Are the stoves here magic too?
[ #drunklogic ]
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Or you can just have some of the soup I'm making. That could probably help too. You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach.
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[ Was that one of the things he promised her brother? Her brother.... ]
D'you think Aether's got food to eat?
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