crescentview | 🌸 be not defeated by the rain 🌸

[Hasn’t Otegine met a tsundere before? Though there’s very little dere with Owen, admittedly…]

I know I just said you were obtuse, but really?

[There’s no way he can be serious… How low can his self-esteem be?

Owen does at least finally turn his attention back towards Otegine, expression flat.]

I’m not in the habit of asking things just to be rejected. You don’t have any interest me, and it’s obvious, so I took the chance that was there.

[So there. Makes total sense!!!!]

Wh-- Wait, what do you mean, "really"?

[Should he be offended at this? At any of this??? He isn't sure.]

And who told you something like that?? Weren't you the one that just said you have to give yourself the chance to understand something? [To Otegine, at least, Owen is one of the most interesting people present in the town, even if it's not always in a positive light. Was... he going about all this wrong, if Owen thought otherwise?]

Why do you think I keep trying to talk to you? Because I'm bored or something?

[Well, while they sort themselves out Syrlya slides into one of the seat at the table, watching the kitchen window carefully. It's a good thing they had this place repaired well before this, though it'll be a shame if they have to get it repaired again so soon.]

[This is a stupid conversation.]

You don’t have a romantic interest in me.

[There’s absolutely no way. It’s basically impossible, and Otegine would rather spend his time with people who aren’t as callous as Owen. That’s just common sense.

He’d rather be with someone better.]

It’s obvious, and I don’t think you want to have sex with me, either. That would actually make sense, but you don’t look at me like a man that’s interested.

I... Uh...

...

Do you have to say it like it's some sort of a problem with you? That's... not something I think I can have any interest in, Owen.

[Right? Right. He's a Touken. That shouldn't be possible. Romance doesn't make sense, and sex isn't something he can even begin to think about. Sure, there were some people he liked spending time with for different reasons. But he's pretty sure he's gonna be stuck in this town forever if he can't think of another way around things.]

You're really good at just assuming things, huh... [But it sounds like Owen's made up his mind about the whole matter. So Ote bites at his lip and stares down at the floor, keeping silent for a long while.]

...

I wouldn't have said no if you had just asked, you know.

I don't like getting rejected either, so... I get it. But you... you know why I got so mad at you, right?

[Just. Staring. Looking more and more irritated with each word.]

Right. So what exactly was I doing at this thing I’ve never heard of? It sounds like it was a colossal waste of time.

[Who cares about the feelings of anyone else!! Owen needs more information relevant to him!!]

Yeah, I figured you'd think that... [He rests his chin in one hand, looking deeply irritated... but not at Owen. Really, it's just another person shoved into this whole thing without consent. Even if Owen had been himself, there would have been problems.]

I don't think you meant to go there at all. You, uh... seemed pretty lost, though. It was the place with the most commotion the whole day.

I didn't even see you were there until you came and found me on your own. By then, uh... you... you'd figured out how to play the game.

[He doesn’t need pants. He might not even be wearing underwear now, either. That will never be confirmed in this thread.]

I don’t think they’ll enjoy being locked up.

[He takes a seat across from Syrlya, crossing his legs primly.]

You should let them wander freely.

[release the hens]

[There would be a sinking sensation of dread, if Owen was capable of feeling dread. Mostly he just feels - well. He feels like he needs to get to the bottom of this.]

“Had figured out how to play”? You’re going to need to be more specific about that.

[Huh. Does Owen know much about birds?]

Eh? Ah... I mean, not with that storm out there. If stuff breaks, they don't need to get hurt by being out in the open. Syrlya really cares about them, you know.

[He's graciously taking a few steps away before vigorously shaking out his own hair, strands sticking up wildly in every direction. Be right back, he needs a minute to change...

Behave, Owen.]

I mean, you bid in the auction. You figured out giving coins to somebody might give them something "nice." And you won.

[Just. Gonna leave it at that for a second, so Owen can have time to either laugh or blow up at the idea.]

Well, it's always a problem with me.

[He says it matter of factly, without any trace of self-pity. He's never really felt sorry for himself or how everyone assumes the worst of him regardless of any action he's taken (or not taken, in some instances), and it's been something that's colored any relationship he's never had. Owen isn't someone who gets close to people, and it's not even really like it's always been his choice. Even if he wanted to get close to people, it's not easy to do when they're afraid you're going to curse or kill them if they look at you funny.

So he's just always been alone and always been aware that it's because of who (and what) he is that he's alone, and it's how he likes it. Or it's supposed to be how he likes it, this island be damned.]

You don't want to be embarrassed, or mocked, or feel like someone's making a fool of you.

[He's not even going to question if he's on the money or not, because he has more prying things to ask and getting confirmation on what he already knows would be a waste of time.]

Why do you think you can't experience love? What are you exactly, Otegine? Because you don't talk or act like any human or any wizard I've ever met.

[he wants to dead]

So I won a date, because -

[He huffs, cutting himself off from his own annoyance.]

What, exactly, was the prize? Or who.

[...

He looks at the floor.]

Me. You bid on mine.

...

Sorry.

[Well.

He doesn’t know what he was expecting.]

Why? Did you force my hand?

[What does he have to be sorry for!]

We went through a lot of trouble to get them. [That is: Otegine went through a lot of trouble. Syrlya got off easy.

He grabs his own cup of tea and blows on it before taking a slow sip.]

Of course it's gonna be a problem if you don't let anyone get a say in otherwise. Come on. It won't kill you to let people around here make their own opinions about you, you know. [As far as he knows, anyway. If Owen wanted people to hate him, or wanted retaliation, or wanted a miserable life, that was entirely in his own hands here.

As far as Owen's callout, Otegine at least gives him a firm nod. No need to question it, that's mostly correct.]

Yeah. I may not be the best, but even someone like me deserves some basic respect. Why shouldn't I get irritated if someone shows they don't care? Why shouldn't I feel hurt if they ignore what I say?

All that tells me is that I'm only something useless to them. I'm not about to be discarded.

[And for Owen? He still is pretty firm in that assumption. How he talks, how he acts, how dismissive and mocking he is about the smallest things...

Owen asks his question to break up the topic, and Otegine's expression thins. He really is smarter than he acts... But Otegine doesn't spare him an answer at first, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms tight against the chill of the evening.

...]

Someone back home is a lot like you, you know. Kind of impulsive and unpredictable. Ruthless. Asks us to to remove our clothes all the time, even in the middle of battle... that kind of stuff. He always makes everything a guessing game or some weird joke, and goes out of his way to be a pain to everyone.

He says it's because he's cursed. Someone has bad luck with him, and decided that it had to be his fault when he had no say. So now he believes he can't help it. Nobody trusted him as he was in the past, so it's fine that nobody trusts him now. He'd kill our master with his own hands if he wanted, and he doesn't mind saying as much.

...

I can't always stand him. He bullies me constantly. But I still consider him a friend, and someone I would still trust with my life without a second thought. He has people all around him that desperately want him to thrive, but he gets so caught up in what he thinks he must be now that he doesn't let himself try to be anything else.

[...

He pointedly spares a look at Owen, eyes softening.]

What do you think I am, Owen?

Edited 2023-02-06 05:54 (UTC)

Eh...? N-no of course not! The goddess wouldn't have allowed that, anyway.

I just... figured this isn't something you would have been all that happy about even if you had been lucid. [Their history together has been mixed, and while he knows Owen doesn't hate him... asking him on a date willingly seems about the furthest thing Owen would ever attempt. Really, Otegine would expect him to have done what Mishka and Childe managed, bidding to cause a ruckus only to leave the second he got bored.]

...

That's not all of it, either. Someone wrote an application for you, too.

[Why ask people on dates if you can just be a huge asshole every step of the way?]

Of course I wou-

[wait a minute]

An application for me?

Yeah. [It's clipped. He has opinions about that whole debacle of people signing up others, because it caused nothing but trouble for half the people involved.] It wasn't harshly written or anything, but that's beside the point. I don't know who did it.

One of the new guys dropped everything he had on it.

I don’t think getting anything here is all that difficult.

[He dumps a handful of sparkling crystals in his tea, reaching for a spoon to stir the sugar in before taking a sip.]

How did you even get them in the first place? Just do it again.

No thank you.

[Shouted very dryly from the bedroom. He is not about to get his ass handed to him by the goddess again!!]

[New guys?]

I’m going to kill them.

[Does he mean the date or the poster? Stay tuned to find out.]

It wasn’t harsh? What did it say? You read it, right?

[What lies are being spread about him? Also he should probably get up from the floor, so he’s going to scramble back to his feet.]

🌸 be not defeated by the rain 🌸

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