childeishly | 🐳 imeeji; inbox 2.

...alright. [ he looks a little disappointed. ] How about I call you... Krasivyi then! [ that gets an immediate look of disapproval from his father. ] Ajax, why don't you come over here? [ grabs for his arm, giving a firm yank, but just as he does so one of the lines to the far left starts moving. ]

I got it! [ ajax tugs away from his father and carefully heads to the hole, taking a hold of the line and slowly starting to reel it in. the fish seems to be resilient, putting up a bit of a fight, so ajax doesn't hear the crack of the ice... ] Almost got it, almost got i-

[ the ice suddenly gives and the entirety of the little fishing set up falls into the frozen lake, ajax included. his father is on his feet in seconds, shouting at his brothers to grab their axes so they can start hacking away at the surrounding ice to make the hole bigger. he's shedding his excess clothing - hat, gloves, coat, scarf - and then diving into the water. ]

[ the dream skips around after that, with scaramouche being shown a number of things, most of it being ajax recovering from being deathly sick while still trying to push himself to do the things his dad and brothers do. he ends up staying at home though... cooking and cleaning with his mother and sister. he doesn't hate it, but he craves more... his father regularly telling him stories to try to sate the appetite he has, since he can't go out to fulfill the need that way. ]

[ eventually scaramouche will find himself in ajax's room, the scrappy little kid putting together a small pack of stuff, because he intends to run away. ]

... Where are you going? It's cold outside, and you just recovered.

[ It's weird, jumping from scene to scene in this dream. But he knows it has to be important, or it wouldn't be on Childe's mind. His presence changes things somewhat, but he's pretty sure these are things that happened to him ]

Your mother will be worried. I'll cry, too.

It's always cold outside. [ he ties his boots tight. ] ...and she'll be fine. You too. [ he grabs a sword he stole from his father. ] You never even gave me your name. [ he affixes the pack he put together to his belt. ] What did you say the first day you stopped by, about my ambition, ..? My ambition is far greater than my body allows. I'm not going to let it stop me. I'm going to become stronger, and I'll do it despite what everybody believes, what everybody things I'm capable of...

Ah, but in the end you're only human. No matter how ambitious you are all that awaits you is the cold bite of death.

[ he crosses his arms at his chest ]

Humans live so little and yet they throw it all away for nothing.

[ well, not nothing. Childe being the way he is is why he loves him. But there is something different about seeing him being reckless, when he was still so young ]

...it is not for nothing. How can you say you lived if you don't do anything. I'm not going to live just sitting around here. I'm going to become the hero I know I was destined to be, with or without anybody's help. [ he finishes bundling himself up and then he opens the window, a crisp breeze blowing in and nipping at the both of them. ] Maybe when I'm older, much bigger and stronger, I'll come visit you in Inazuma. [ and with that... he climbs out the window, hurrying through the snow before anybody's got a chance to realize he's leaving. it'd be a shame to get caught so early. ]

[ scaramouche is left sitting on his bed in the chilly room for a lot longer than he may expect, the dream not skipping immediately... eventually though, it does jump, and he'll get to see ajax fending off a pack of wolves in the snowy snezhnayan woods, hurrying along and trying not to become a snack... but he trips, tumbling into a small ditch, the ground crumbling before his eyes before just opening up and swallows him whole... ]

[ do you want to follow him into the abyss, scara? ]

[ is that really a question. He wants to know what's up with this dream, why this is important to Childe. So he follows, though he's cheating and just floating down there ]

[ scaramouche is going to find him looking like shit, his clothes torn, his face covered in dirt, blood, cuts & scrapes. he's clutched that sword of his, hands trembling as he sits tucked in a corner trying to huddle for warmth. the atmosphere in the abyss is oppressive, like the air, itself, is trying to choke you with each breath of it you take. it wears on you, your mental state draining the longer you stick around, until either the monsters kill you or it drives you mad and you kill yourself. ajax has been down here for a week already... a heap of meat to his side from some monster he killed. it smells foul, tastes even worse, but it is what it is. he can't afford to start a fire, not when it's lurking nearby, so he just sits there, quiet, trying not to let his teeth chatter too loudly. ]

[ he shouldn't interfere with the dream, but he does. He doesn't know Childe is trying to avoid getting caught, so he does manifest a fire right in front of him, warm - but also bright ]

What a strange dream you're having.

[ ajax startles as soon as a fire just kind of... pops in out of nowhere. not to mention there's a guy suddenly there too. talking to him. his sword is up and, to his credit, he doesn't immediately stab scaramouche. he's guarded though, looking like a cornered wild animal. ]

W- What are you talking about? What are you doing here? [ his throat is raw, since he hasn't really drank anything recently... but also from crying and yelling and just being so god damn tired. ] And what are you doing? [ he's quick to kick dirt on the fire. ] Trying to get us killed? It's around here. [ he manages to put the fire out, but the wisps of smoke seem to have gotten the monster's attention. it howls, causing the entire cavern to quake, and ajax quietly curses... grabbing scaramouche's hand to yank him away. they need to get the hell out of there. ]

Come on, this way!

I don't know. What are you doing here?

[ he does follow, running right behind Childe, not letting go of his hand ]

I really don't like this place.

[ he squeezes scaramouche's hand a little tighter at the question. ] I, I don't know. I don't know. [ he continues to tug him along until his mind seems to give them some reprieve, the chase just ending abruptly... and leaving them in the relative silence of the abyss. he keeps a hold of scara's hand, but he doesn't turn to look back at him. ]

I don't know where I am or... or anything. I just know that, I have to survive. If I don't, then I... I won't be able to see my family again. [ assuming he can ever find a way back. ] You're the first person I've seen down here. [ he's pretty sure there's somebody else down here, that's been... stalking him, but he can neither confirm nor deny it at this very moment. ] There's other weird creatures, not really human... but human... like. They're not friendly though. [ ... ] You... won't leave, right?

[ It's so strange to see Childe like this. Vulnerable and scared. He's weak to the sight, not just because it's Childe but because he looks so young now, so fragile ]

But I'm not human either.

Won't you be worried I'll end up devouring you?

[ he blinks, looking at their joined hands, and then back up at scaramouche. ] No. [ he squeezes his hand again, tightly, as tightly as he can manage. ] I feel like I can trust you, and you’re making it a little bit more bearable down here… like, like it doesn’t hurt as much.

Did you… want to devour me or something?

... Mm. Maybe when you grow up a little.

[ he squeezes his hand, and then brings it to his lips to kiss ]

Has it been hard for you, being here all alone?

[ …lol. ]

[ feels his teenage boy heart jump, looking aside as his cheeks flush. the nickname he gave to scaramouche on the lake was beautiful, so he’s always had a thing for him, whether he’s realized it or not. ]

I don’t like being alone…

I don't like being alone either. It's sad, isn't it? But you do have me no. And I won't leave you alone, my little fox.

It is, and I don’t like. [ he’s used to people, so many people. ] Good. [ …holds his pinkie out. ] Promise? [ scoots closer, stealing some of his warmth. ]

[ he does link his pinkie with him, giving him a soft, gentle smile at the gesture ]

I promise. If you want, I can take you out of here too. We could go somewhere nicer, just the two of us.

… [ he looks a little curious, and skeptical, but eventually nods. ] Where, where would you take us?

[ he wraps his arms around him, pulling him as close as he can. He won't answer, but a moment later the entire place changes, bringing them to the garden Childe purchased for him ]

This is better, isn't it.

[ he blinks, startled at the change. he pulls away from scaramouche as soon as they're in the garden, seeming to realize that, like he had said at the beginning, it's... a dream. he stands there silently for a moment, before he changes back to himself - older and foxier ( literally ). ] Much.

[ oh, he's back to normal. He doesn't let go of him and instead keeps his hold ]

Should I have changed your dream right away? I wasn't sure.

...it's alright. [ he's just... not sure how to feel about having shown scaramouche all that, and knowing that he's likely in his bed, drenched in sweat, because he'd been having a bunch of stupid nightmares. ] I was bound to wake up sooner or later anyway. [ sets a hand on scaramouche's back. ]

If you're having nightmares, I can keep watch when you sleep. Like I did after the game.

Did you want to come over then?

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night

Re: 502 night