[That's the thing about "justice"— everyone has their own definition of the word. He isn't naïve enough to claim his way is the right way, but when the alternative is sitting back and letting good people get hurt, he has to try.
Lowering his head, Diluc shakes it.]
Some. Others don't care for the results of my efforts, like the nobility and those in power, but it isn't them I'm concerned about. It's the underrepresented that can't defend themselves that I act in the interests of.
[That little stumble aside, Ellis is doing fine, so Diluc sees no need to stop now. He's a beginner, after all. He's bound to make some literal missteps. Diluc pulls back far enough to speak, a thin smile on his lips.]
You'll have the hang of this in no time. Are you enjoying yourself?
[ Ellis always looks up at Diluc when he pulls back a little, because he thinks that's his cue for talking. He nods quickly, since he's enjoying it very much! thanks god. ]
[Right. His discomfort is palpable, but Diluc draws no attention to it. He seems to be restraining himself, however, so he's unfortunately solidified Diluc's attention on him. You're a strange little guy, Akechi.]
Naturally. This is an unusual circumstance we've found ourselves in, so I can't fault you for feeling out of sorts. I'd much rather not be here any longer than necessary either.
[Truth be told it's hard to say that Akechi Goro has ever felt in of sorts--]
[He smiles briefly, more of a twitch of his lips than much else, and nods.] We're certainly in agreement, there. How far is the... plot of land you've been saddled with? I wouldn't be opposed to sharing information, should I come across something pertinent to a potential escape.
[At the mention of escape routes, Diluc scowls a bit. He doesn't mean to, quickly smoothing it over, but to answer her question—]
Unfortunately not. It seems we're well and truly stuck here until a year has passed and the Goddess lets us go. She must be confident she can have us all married off and settled on the island before then. And I still have no intention of ceding to her demands.
[ She doesn't seem as upset by it as he is, though the prospect of marriage is still making her very uncomfortable. Still, though, she continues skating forward. ]
That's okay, then. I mean, it's not, but. At the very least, you must have made some good acquaintances out of this experience...right?
[Please, Tartaglia, you'll make him blush. It doesn't matter how lowly he bows his head so long as he bows it, and perhaps Tartaglia expected him to laugh, celebrate his very minor victory, but he doesn't. He simply ruffles Tartaglia's hair, silent as death, before urging him back by the shoulder. It's not a particularly strong push, just enough to say we're done here.]
I can't decide whether you're simply naïve and trust I won't kill you or naïve enough to believe you'd be able to retaliate in time. You're not very bright, are you?
[But now they've both succeeded in checking off a square. He'll be using this one to reclaim his blade, thank you very much.]
Dodging the question, I see. That's alright. I can wait.
[ Expecting to glean very little out of this conversation, Tartaglia's mouth is contorted with such a nasty smile. Underhandedness doesn't rule him. This confidence is peerless and wretched, and he's bereft of shame as his fingers rub his shoulder. ]
When you can pose an actual threat, come find me.
[ If you'll excuse him, Diluc, he'll go back to tilling the field, hacking away at the soil. Treated to so much gentleness, there's no bite left to his voice. ]
Well! Safe travels, comrade. Lose your life before we reunite and you'll have to give up for good.
[So: rucking. Diluc has no experience in this arena, and he was sure to mention as much to He Xuan when they agreed to work on their bingo cards together, but that shouldn't matter much in the scheme of things. A lack of experience isn't a lack of capability, and with that in mind, he meets He Xuan at the hot springs for their agreed upon venture: marking off that bathing (smut...) square.]
I don't suppose much more is necessary beyond handling this in the water.
[Unless He Xuan has a better understanding of what bathing as a kink entails... For now, Diluc's still fully dressed, staring down the hot springs. He'll undress just as soon as he knows what he's getting himself into here.]
[ Absolutely laughing. Can't believe I made ruck as a typo and haven't lived it down since...
Anyway, let's try to make this serious instead of a meme-filled tag. ]
You'll need to get undressed first. And it will be more involved than simply sitting in the water naked.
[ Pointedly and bluntly. It's okay, He Xuan has no problems with leading Diluc. Think of it as gaining experience points in the sexy area. As an aside, this will at least be a simple matter because while he originally had no plans on fulfilling said squares...well, they know each other passingly, and they agreed on this for practical reasons.
As it is, it does help it's only the two of them now, and while He Xuan doesn't give too many cares about submerging himself in water while wearing clothing, it will be counterproductive in hot water. So he begins to efficiently strip himself of his own fabrics. ]
[Diluc hasn't bothered looking at the bingo card Kaeya left on the nightstand. Knowing he left it there on purpose, he's gone out of his way to avoid looking at it, but after more than a week of protracted silence and no sign of him, he can't help taking a glance and seeing how busy he's been filling out squares.
...Some draw his attention more than others. He'd given him such a hard time about sleeping with someone to punch off a square, so what explanation is there for all of this? It's so hypocritical that it's almost laughable, and Diluc stows Kaeya's bingo card in a drawer so he won't be tempted to let it frustrate him any longer.
He has no intention of seeking Kaeya out, frustrated as he is, but he happens upon him in the forest and stops. If he doesn't talk to him now, he expects the other man will simply run off and continue acting out, so Diluc corners him and makes it clear he won't be letting Kaeya go until they talk about this.]
Leaving so soon? I understand you've been busy, but we need to talk.
[ Kaeya has no intentions of speaking with Diluc, not while his dashed feelings are still fresh. He's been sleeping in other people's beds and at the local tavern, not in the mood to head back home and deal with the mess that was left behind. So, when he's cornered by Diluc in the forest, he's less than pleased about the situation. ]
[ Time to try and get out of it! ]
Do we? If you'd pardon me, I'd rather refrain from talking about anything with you.
[He hasn't left the forest since his most recent spat with Kaeya. He paces its depths aimlessly, so frustrated that he's spent hours and hours training in a vain effort to ward off his frustrations. He'd fashioned a makeshift practice blade out of some tree trunks, but it's no substitute for training with his blade. Still, it's better that he doesn't have that on hand. If he did, Kaeya would be... no. He refuses to think about it.
Some hours into his training, he hears the crunching of leaves underfoot and turns around. That's a new face, but he's in no mood to humor them with conversation, so he's quick to dismiss her before she even opens her mouth.]
I have no interest in being observed. Hurry along before I remove you myself.
[ Diluc looks awfully a lot like someone that she doesn't like, but then again, the list of people Danielle actually likes is rather short, so she leaps down from the higher angle from a tree in an attempt to shove her stiletto into Diluc's skull. ]
[Diluc's at the market squeezing, poking, and knocking on melons one fine afternoon, as you do. When Gaku walks in, he regards him with the usual flat stare, but he wasn't born in a barn, so he greets him properly... and moves over to allow him to grope the melons too. It's a peace offering...?]
Good afternoon.
[Something about Gaku seems off. Something in his eyes, something in the way he's carrying himself. Diluc isn't staring so much as looking at something just below the surface, but he makes no move to hide the fact that he's observing Gaku intently.]
[Guess who has his sword back? Some weeks after their initial encounter, Tartaglia will find a letter addressed to him in his mailbox challenging him to a duel on top of the mountain— far away from any prying eyes or ears.
Sounds like Diluc finally has his sword back and is ready to kick some Fatui ass. See you there, trash.]
Whether by oversight or confidence, Diluc failed to specify an actual time to go with that date and location. Namely, it means that Tartaglia's ditched any sense of self-preservation (and decorum besides) to wait it out in a tree up on the peak in question.
Situated out there in the cold, he's unconcerned about vengeance coming for his throat any more than he is whatever grudge is compelling Diluc's loathing.
The realest countermeasures is also the one parceled without pretenses. Whenever Diluc deigns to arrive, he'll nock an arrow and bury it between those shoulder-blades to apply Riptide if allowed. So much for subtlety. ]
[ As promised, Ellis stops by Diluc's house the next day (when is it? we just never know) with a bottle full of apple smoothie. He has usual notepad and such so that they can communicate easily instead of Ellis tracing letters on the table or on Diluc's palm.
[Afternoon, maybe? Actually, let's say it's morning. Diluc isn't a morning person at all, so when Ellis comes knocking, he answers the door looking bedraggled with his hair down and his night clothes askew. Unfortunately, it gets worse: he's yet to realize it, but his thoughts are being telegraphed to Ellis in a thought bubble above his head.]
( What is Ellis doing here so early in the morning? Has he no manners? )
[...But wait, there's more. Before he can get a single word in, he's pulling Ellis into his arms and kissing him. Oh. He's never been compelled to spontaneously kiss anyone in his entire life, so maybe he's gone insane? Or maybe he needs to shove his claymore up the Goddess' ass in an act of retribution, but whatever. That's clearly going to wait as he unhands Ellis and jolts awake, apologizing profusely.]
I'm— sorry, Ellis. I had no intention of kissing you. Please... come in.
[He's just gonna step aside and try not to die...........]
[He's well aware that Kaeya is avoiding him. After everything that's happened — that series of ugly arguments, his bloody death in his arms, the heavy conversations that followed with everyone but Kaeya — Diluc's arrived at his conclusion.
It's one that's been years in the making, truly, but it's taken being broken apart and put back together to accept that the path before him had been obfuscated only by his own refusal to take it. He'd been quick to condemn Kaeya as a liar and a coward, but who was it who refused to bury the hatchet and settle the score with him? Who was it who knew all along how much the truth burdened him and found solace only in his own bitter frustration?
Should things continue as they are, they'll never speak again. They'll never properly address the ugly fight that split them apart, nor will they find a way to walk this path together and finally let go of the past.
If Diluc isn't the one to extend his hand to Kaeya just as he had when they were only boys, strangers long before they were friends, they'll both lose the one thing that's made this turbulent life worth living. Whenever Kaeya succumbed to his fears, it was always Diluc who jumped to his rescue and haul him back onto his feet. The path before them was so clear back then, but only because they had each other. Only because there was no one they trusted more... even if they each had a secret or two they couldn't bear to tell the other.
None of that matters now. Leaving the past in the past, Diluc consults the Goddess to learn Kaeya's whereabouts, and to her credit, she tells him exactly where to find him. When Diluc arrives, be it at the inn or any of the homes Kaeya's been staying at, he knocks and knocks and knocks until Kaeya relents and opens the door.]
[ Despite Trahearne being a great source of comfort, Kaeya couldn't bring himself to overstay his broody welcome. It's only after a single night that he returns back to the inn, where he has been spending most of his time. With heavy thoughts and emotions, he hasn't been feeling very sociable, so he's been sparse around the town. When he is wandering around, though, he specifically goes out of his way to avoid any spots that he may find Diluc. ]
[ With the reassurance and knowledge that Diluc's alive, Kaeya doesn't find the need to disrupt their continued no-contact status. He continues to avoid him and with his general anti-socialness for the past few days, he perfectly does this by staying indoors. Well, it was perfect until now - for some unknown reason, Diluc has decided to drop by and knock relentlessly at his door. Kaeya was perfectly fine ignoring it for the first handful of knocks, but at the minutes grew longer and longer and the knocks kept on going, he realized that he can't get out of this nightmare. ]
[ With a frustrated sigh, he pushes himself up from his seat and just barely opens the door. Diluc can sneak a peek if he tries, but Kaeya is deliberately keeping the space narrow so he doesn't have to look at Diluc. ]
My, don't you know how to take a hint, Master Diluc?
[ He tries to sound distant as well. He'd prefer for Diluc to leave as quickly as possible. The faster that he can learn how to properly forget about Diluc, the faster he can mend this broken heart of his. ]
gaku
Lowering his head, Diluc shakes it.]
Some. Others don't care for the results of my efforts, like the nobility and those in power, but it isn't them I'm concerned about. It's the underrepresented that can't defend themselves that I act in the interests of.
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[ Gaku lets that sit for a moment, letting his own thoughts form as he sinks into the water enough so only his head pokes out. ]
You're not a bad guy.
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So you're willing to overlook the fact that I'm a murderer, then? What a noble man you are.
[That might or might not be mildly sarcastic. It's hard to tell with Diwuc, but he appreciates Gaku nonetheless.]
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ellis
You'll have the hang of this in no time. Are you enjoying yourself?
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akechi
Naturally. This is an unusual circumstance we've found ourselves in, so I can't fault you for feeling out of sorts. I'd much rather not be here any longer than necessary either.
babygirl.
[He smiles briefly, more of a twitch of his lips than much else, and nods.] We're certainly in agreement, there. How far is the... plot of land you've been saddled with? I wouldn't be opposed to sharing information, should I come across something pertinent to a potential escape.
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lucia
Unfortunately not. It seems we're well and truly stuck here until a year has passed and the Goddess lets us go. She must be confident she can have us all married off and settled on the island before then. And I still have no intention of ceding to her demands.
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[ She doesn't seem as upset by it as he is, though the prospect of marriage is still making her very uncomfortable. Still, though, she continues skating forward. ]
That's okay, then. I mean, it's not, but. At the very least, you must have made some good acquaintances out of this experience...right?
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tartaglia
I can't decide whether you're simply naïve and trust I won't kill you or naïve enough to believe you'd be able to retaliate in time. You're not very bright, are you?
[But now they've both succeeded in checking off a square. He'll be using this one to reclaim his blade, thank you very much.]
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[ Expecting to glean very little out of this conversation, Tartaglia's mouth is contorted with such a nasty smile. Underhandedness doesn't rule him. This confidence is peerless and wretched, and he's bereft of shame as his fingers rub his shoulder. ]
When you can pose an actual threat, come find me.
[ If you'll excuse him, Diluc, he'll go back to tilling the field, hacking away at the soil. Treated to so much gentleness, there's no bite left to his voice. ]
Well! Safe travels, comrade. Lose your life before we reunite and you'll have to give up for good.
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He Xuan
I don't suppose much more is necessary beyond handling this in the water.
[Unless He Xuan has a better understanding of what bathing as a kink entails... For now, Diluc's still fully dressed, staring down the hot springs. He'll undress just as soon as he knows what he's getting himself into here.]
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Anyway, let's try to make this serious instead of a meme-filled tag. ]
You'll need to get undressed first. And it will be more involved than simply sitting in the water naked.
[ Pointedly and bluntly. It's okay, He Xuan has no problems with leading Diluc. Think of it as gaining experience points in the sexy area. As an aside, this will at least be a simple matter because while he originally had no plans on fulfilling said squares...well, they know each other passingly, and they agreed on this for practical reasons.
As it is, it does help it's only the two of them now, and while He Xuan doesn't give too many cares about submerging himself in water while wearing clothing, it will be counterproductive in hot water. So he begins to efficiently strip himself of his own fabrics. ]
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sorry for the delay lum!! i was out of town for a trip
That's all good, life happens 'u'
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that gag tag was too real
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Kaeya
...Some draw his attention more than others. He'd given him such a hard time about sleeping with someone to punch off a square, so what explanation is there for all of this? It's so hypocritical that it's almost laughable, and Diluc stows Kaeya's bingo card in a drawer so he won't be tempted to let it frustrate him any longer.
He has no intention of seeking Kaeya out, frustrated as he is, but he happens upon him in the forest and stops. If he doesn't talk to him now, he expects the other man will simply run off and continue acting out, so Diluc corners him and makes it clear he won't be letting Kaeya go until they talk about this.]
Leaving so soon? I understand you've been busy, but we need to talk.
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[ Time to try and get out of it! ]
Do we? If you'd pardon me, I'd rather refrain from talking about anything with you.
[ Trying to walk off! ]
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Danielle
Some hours into his training, he hears the crunching of leaves underfoot and turns around. That's a new face, but he's in no mood to humor them with conversation, so he's quick to dismiss her before she even opens her mouth.]
I have no interest in being observed. Hurry along before I remove you myself.
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Then remove me yourself, coward.
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tw incoming death
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gaku 2: electric gakuboo
Good afternoon.
[Something about Gaku seems off. Something in his eyes, something in the way he's carrying himself. Diluc isn't staring so much as looking at something just below the surface, but he makes no move to hide the fact that he's observing Gaku intently.]
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Hey. How's it going?
[ He's smiling, at least, having no trouble with Diluc approaching him. ]
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tw death ment
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1/2
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kicking tartagliass
Sounds like Diluc finally has his sword back and is ready to kick some Fatui ass. See you there, trash.]
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Whether by oversight or confidence, Diluc failed to specify an actual time to go with that date and location. Namely, it means that Tartaglia's ditched any sense of self-preservation (and decorum besides) to wait it out in a tree up on the peak in question.
Situated out there in the cold, he's unconcerned about vengeance coming for his throat any more than he is whatever grudge is compelling Diluc's loathing.
The realest countermeasures is also the one parceled without pretenses. Whenever Diluc deigns to arrive, he'll nock an arrow and bury it between those shoulder-blades to apply Riptide if allowed. So much for subtlety. ]
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i'm here to be a menace
He knocks on the door. ]
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( What is Ellis doing here so early in the morning? Has he no manners? )
[...But wait, there's more. Before he can get a single word in, he's pulling Ellis into his arms and kissing him. Oh. He's never been compelled to spontaneously kiss anyone in his entire life, so maybe he's gone insane? Or maybe he needs to shove his claymore up the Goddess' ass in an act of retribution, but whatever. That's clearly going to wait as he unhands Ellis and jolts awake, apologizing profusely.]
I'm— sorry, Ellis. I had no intention of kissing you. Please... come in.
[He's just gonna step aside and try not to die...........]
1/2
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mo kaeya mo problems (death ment)
It's one that's been years in the making, truly, but it's taken being broken apart and put back together to accept that the path before him had been obfuscated only by his own refusal to take it. He'd been quick to condemn Kaeya as a liar and a coward, but who was it who refused to bury the hatchet and settle the score with him? Who was it who knew all along how much the truth burdened him and found solace only in his own bitter frustration?
Should things continue as they are, they'll never speak again. They'll never properly address the ugly fight that split them apart, nor will they find a way to walk this path together and finally let go of the past.
If Diluc isn't the one to extend his hand to Kaeya just as he had when they were only boys, strangers long before they were friends, they'll both lose the one thing that's made this turbulent life worth living. Whenever Kaeya succumbed to his fears, it was always Diluc who jumped to his rescue and haul him back onto his feet. The path before them was so clear back then, but only because they had each other. Only because there was no one they trusted more... even if they each had a secret or two they couldn't bear to tell the other.
None of that matters now. Leaving the past in the past, Diluc consults the Goddess to learn Kaeya's whereabouts, and to her credit, she tells him exactly where to find him. When Diluc arrives, be it at the inn or any of the homes Kaeya's been staying at, he knocks and knocks and knocks until Kaeya relents and opens the door.]
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[ With the reassurance and knowledge that Diluc's alive, Kaeya doesn't find the need to disrupt their continued no-contact status. He continues to avoid him and with his general anti-socialness for the past few days, he perfectly does this by staying indoors. Well, it was perfect until now - for some unknown reason, Diluc has decided to drop by and knock relentlessly at his door. Kaeya was perfectly fine ignoring it for the first handful of knocks, but at the minutes grew longer and longer and the knocks kept on going, he realized that he can't get out of this nightmare. ]
[ With a frustrated sigh, he pushes himself up from his seat and just barely opens the door. Diluc can sneak a peek if he tries, but Kaeya is deliberately keeping the space narrow so he doesn't have to look at Diluc. ]
My, don't you know how to take a hint, Master Diluc?
[ He tries to sound distant as well. He'd prefer for Diluc to leave as quickly as possible. The faster that he can learn how to properly forget about Diluc, the faster he can mend this broken heart of his. ]
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