logs | ( closed ) how do we breathe, how do we climb

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( closed ) how do we breathe, how do we climb

WHO: Lumine + others
WHERE: Shadowlands, and then various places in Stygia
WHEN: December
WHAT: event shenanigans + notice board things
WARNINGS: blanket warning for event-related stuff, possible spoilers for the sumeru updates

[ ooc: closed starters will go here. if you want a custom starter, send me a PM or comment on my plotting post and let's hash things out. ]

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[ it's one thing to find kokomi and childe in this world, knowing that her friends may one day meet the end of their existence on teyvat. it's another to find her twin brother, the one person she's been looking for since she woke up from her sleep all those months ago.

what happened to him? where has he been all this time? what was his relationship to dain, to khaenri'ah? what had become of his journey that changed him so much?

so many questions, and there are still more she wishes to ask of him; surely, he can no longer deny her if they're both here, right? but lumine keeps those questions to herself anyway, holding back and biting her tongue. is there still a point in pursuing an answer to those questions when they're together again? what does it still matter? after all, her journey's goal had always been back to his side, whatever the truth of the world reveals to her.

she squeezes his hand as they sit in front of the fireplace in her teapot-like home in the shadowlands, huddled together under a pile of blankets she managed to find. the traveler would prefer to sit themselves on the couch but seeing that she's just had a creature of lore tear through it, well ...

she hopes aether isn't too uncomfortable sitting on the floor. it's polished sandbearer wood ok. ]

Is it still too cold? I know how much you dislike it before ...

[ or has he gotten used to the cold already? in the abyss or elsewhere he's been to. ]

[ this is a mistake. this is the biggest mistake she's made in her centuries-plus life.

okay, maybe not, but it's certainly one of the bigger ones. lumine supposes that it's not as bad as challenging one of the harbingers to a high-stakes, life-or-death duel in front of the raiden shogun. after all, the instructions for the commission are quite straightforward and the place they agreed to meet in is right across esmeralda's shop in mirth, making it convenient for her to deliver the goods once she's done with them. quick, simple, easy.

or at least, that's what she hopes it would be. with callisto as her partner, she's starting to question if it will be at all quick, simple, and easy. his highness had a tendency to complicate things, complicate her.

but whatever, this allows her to hit two birds with one stone: his gift and this commission. it should work, it definitely should.

she exhales warm air onto her hands, rubbing them together again, as she stands outside the hotel she's indicated in the message she's sent. a part of her wonders idly if she should've just opted to meet elsewhere, like her temporary home in serene; that place would've been less sketchy than this. but it is what it is, and lumine had opted for convenience over comfort. ]

... Maybe Serene was a better location, after all.

[ too late to change the venues. the bag slung on the crook of her arm is starting to get heavy as the minutes pass, the chill settling in deep into her bones. where are youuuuu, callisto? ]

Edited 2022-12-08 23:52 (UTC)

[ if they're dead, why does everything hurt?

that's honestly a question lumine continues to ask every time she gets into trouble in the netherworld and has yet to find an answer to. the splitting headache she endured after getting hit by the guards, the barely-healing brand on her arm, the injuries she's managed to collect while attempting to escape—they were all unpleasant to deal with in a world where they're supposed to be dead. then again, it isn't as if she believes that they're dead, but considering how everyone and their mother seems to insist that they are?

well, she demands an explanation for her sore muscles and what feels like a sprained wrist.

she groans as she hauls one of the library tables that's been smashed into an unrecognizable mess out of her home through her living room. the creature that invaded her doorway was a literal pain in the ass, thrashing her place and her with it. she supposes that, at the very least, she's very grateful that her tethers escaped unscathed and so did a number of rooms in this fake serenitea pot. the rest is, well, a total mess, one that she's cleaning up in the aftermath of the attack. ]

Seriously, this world ...

[ she stops herself before her shadow can gleefully take over, taking a deep breath and pressing her lips together. instead, she takes this time to toss out the remnants of the table from her doorway into the wilderness of the shadowlands, just in time for her little souvenir from krampus to start talking in a very loud voice. ]

SHE CARES ABOUT YOU, SHE'S JUST BAD AT SHOWING IT BECAUSE YOU'RE FATUI, AND A HARBINGER AT THAT. JUST ACCEPT IT.

[ what. ]

Edited 2022-12-08 23:52 (UTC)

[ the cold's never bothered her before.

before, being the operational word here. the chill that settles all around her doesn't feel normal as lumine watches frost creeps across her armguards and the gold decorations of her dress. a few merchants she works with also calls out her lack of layers, her dress revealing pale skin that's growing even paler in the cold. soon enough, it'll match the white and light blue colors of her ensemble. ]

It's fine, I'm used to it. But thank you.

[ she smiles at one of the older women looking over a stall, gently pushing back the cloak she's offering her while she exchanges the bag of vegetables and herbs with a few coins.

it's only after lumine's walked away from the stall that she pauses under a store awning, exhaling hot air into her hands and rubbing her arms, watching the snow slowly fall down from the skies. it's gotten so cold she can't even focus anymore, but this won't do. she still has a few things to do, a few errands and requests to run.

a few moments later, she puts on a determined look on her face. yup, she's getting out of the canopy and going back to work. no use chickening out just because of the cold. she's dealt with this before. ]

In three, two ...

[ Why does it feel so much colder in Stygia than it does anywhere else? Maybe it's all in her head, but even layering as thoroughly as she has been, Hibiki can't seem to shrug off the chill. But this should be the last supply run she needs to make before taking an extended trip into the wilds--and away from everyone else. She's already had enough awkward situations to last her a lifetime in the past few days, and she would like to not have to lock lips with whoever crosses her path thank you very much!

Mittened hands clutching a metal thermos, Hibiki turns and pushes the small cafe door open with her back, shivering as cold air rushes inside. Whelp, time to brave the elements once more, ugh. ]

I owe you one, Zlata! I'll bring you some cake when I get back!

[ Stepping outside, the small blonde turns and presses the door shut with her hip. She is going to hold on to that warm thermos like her life depends on it. Exhaling deeply, her gaze slides from the shop she left to the small woman standing under the canopy next door. The one with barely anything on, her complexion nearly as pale as the snow falling from the sky. ]

Um...

[ Tilting her head slightly as she faces Lumine, Hibiki puts on a mildly-concerned smile. Girl you're going to die (again) of frostbite (~~again~~) at this rate, what are you even doing dressed like that? ]

[ It's true: if they're supposed to be dead, then why does everything hurt? Tartaglia has lost count of how long it's been since he had to fight off Krampus from completely trashing his own home, but now that so much time has passed, all the bruises he collected from the brief encounter still hurt like hell. It sucks.

Not that this is anything he can't handle, but still, he's entitled to whine about it when almost everyone around them is convinced they're dead. Or as close to it as they're going to be. Oh, well. Maybe he should be more productive. That's the whole reason why he's here hanging around the area where Lumine's door is located, dragging pieces of broken furniture away from her place.

He's in the middle of hauling a chair missing one of its legs when a particularly loud and obnoxious voice cuts through the noise. ]

Huh?

[ He heard that, because of course he did, but — ]

Don't tell me Paimon ended up here too.

[ It sounds just like her... (Also, he's dumb.) ]

[ wrong canopy to stand under, really.

lumine glances when the door in the next shop opens, the bell tinkling softly in the chaos of the harbor. her gaze flickers at the thermos held by the other girl and a part of her debates getting something inside before she rushes off into the cold again. maybe it's a good idea, if only to momentarily melt the snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes and hair.

but she still has errands to run ...

before she can make a decision though, she blinks, meeting the other girl's look and smile. lumine instinctively smiles back, looking sheepish. ]

Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. [ at the thermos in her hands ;; ] Is the coffee here good?

[ ...

it's not paimon, thankfully; she can't imagine having to deal with the little fairy on top of everything else she has to deal with. but lumine also knows what it is, the sound coming from the pocket where she's stuffed that coin, her lips pulling at the corners to a thin line and her expression feigning ignorance.

as if she's one to acknowledge it, somehow quick to realize what it's talking about and who. instead, she turns around, her back towards childe. nope, she's not giving the coin the time of the day nor the harbinger the chance to pick on her. ]

She did, as my Tether.

[ and tethers don't speak, last she recalls, simply floating there eerily like an illusory doll. time to refocus his attention on the clean-up! ]

Hold on, I have a few more things here that need—

SHE'D GET ALONG WITH YOU BETTER IF YOU WEREN'T FATUI.

[ archons. that gets lumine moving, walking briskly further into the door. ]

[ She sees you eyeing that thermos, Lumine. Hibiki also sees that there's a severe lack of coat, boots, or anything else that would keep frostbite at bay. How long has she been standing there like that? This girl is going to freeze to death, and she isn't about to have that on her conscience!

Making her way over, mittened hands still cupped over the warmth inside the thermos (it's soup, not coffee sadly), Hibiki tilts her head slightly before smiling sweetly at the traveler. ]

Mine's better. Wanna try?

[ Holy shit? HIBIKI??! ]

[ lumine blinks at the remark, taking a full second to realize what the other girl just said and what she actually meant. and it sends a shot of warm amusement through and elicits a laugh from her lips, which is surprisingly clear and unaffected by the cold, free of chattering teeth and stuttered sounds.

to be fair, she does wonder if she's truly freezing over, seeing that that took her a while to catch the double entendre. ]

Will it change my life?

[ for better or for worse, but it's coffee. it always changes one's life for the better, in her experience with the drink, unless it's badly made. ]

[ considering he's gone to war and survived in wastelands in the frigid cold, he doesn't think twice of about seedier places. it isn't that he frequents such places, but knowing that they exist is probably only natural, considering that these sorts of businesses were rampant in any nation. even his own. it does get a furrow of his brows at the concept of that and the shadier nobles who profited off of that, lining their wallets and bellies with lust and greed. that said, despite the serious undertone to it all, it is...

kind of funny that lumine wanted to meet here. a concept that doesn't completely escape him. aka, he's never going to let her live this down. with that idea all the more solidified with every step he takes, he finds himself in an oddly jovial mood.

though, considering how miffed she seemed over text, perhaps it would have been prudent for him to cut back. instead, when he sees her, he gives her his usual smirk. ] That may be true, but you likely selected this place with purpose, am I wrong? [ as for what purpose, he leaves that completely up to interpretation.

that said, there is a second before: ] Were you that keen on taking advantage of me? [ by using him for the quest, he means. ]

[ his greeting is not at all surprising. one would think that, as a prince or a royal, he would've learned manners enough to know that a double entendre is not a greeting. but lumine is cold, she wants to get out of the wind, and she's more than willing to let this pass just so they can get this over and done with. surely, that would please callisto, right?

right?

the blonde traveler closes her eyes as she makes terrible peace with herself, fighting the urge to hit him after that little follow-up and reminding herself that she needs him. right now. for coins. yes. coins. ]

You're letting yourself get taken advantage of. [ she shrugs her shoulders. ] How can I resist?

[ anyway, she starts shuffling towards the hotel, rubbing her arms again to warm her skin up. the sooner they get into the hotel, the sooner they can get out of the cold ok. ]

[ Lumine's attempts to get him to refocus on the clean-up would have worked just fine if the coin has managed to keep its big trap shut. Alas, it seems that luck isn't on Lumine's side. It doesn't seem like anyone is on her side today, because now the Harbinger is convinced it will be a lot of fun to try and get a conversation started with the coin. ]

Huh, so she's holding back because I'm Fatui? That's not surprising.

[ That's about what he expected, honestly. And what he'd prefer. No good will ever come out of him making friends because look at what his last attempt at doing so gave him: a bruised ego and a strange emotion that he's been ignoring for the past little while. ]

What else can you tell me about our dear Traveller?

[ What other secrets is she hiding? ]

[ lumine closes her eyes, a hand coming up to her face to pinch her nose as she walks through her trashed living room and stave off the growing headache threatening to split her head into two. and childe isn't helping at all, once more finding amusement at her expense. next time something like this comes up, she's certainly not asking for his assistance anymore.

at his question, she stops in her tracks in the middle of the room and whirls around, looking at him square in the face. ]

Childe, please focus—

SHE WANTS TO KNOW—

[ the traveler stuffs her hand into her pocket, fingers wrapping tightly around the yapping coin and hoping her palm over its proverbial mouth would shut it up. but no, it doesn't because (1)it doesn't have a mouth, and (2)it serves to torment her. honestly, what did she do to deserve this other than hit krampus and get hit back tenfold? ]

IF YOUR OTHER SIBLINGS ARE A MENACE JUST LIKE YOU. THEY MUST BE ADORABLE.

[ okay, okay. that's not too bad, she thinks. considering how much he talks about them, she assumes that it's a valid thing to be curious about. ]

Ah, so if my siblings are being a menace, then you think they're adorable?

[ But not him? Good to know, good to know. His mischievous aura doesn't lessen at all; if anything, it's much worse now.

To his credit, at least, he does focus back on the task at hand, clearing out the chair he'd been holding onto earlier so that it can join the rest of the broken pieces in a pile nearby. He continues to repeat the motions while they clean up the mess that Krampus left behind in Lumine's leaving room. ]

It depends on what you consider as menacing behaviour. If you're thinking something like what Teucer did, [ which was a heart attack on its own, stowing away on a ship from Snezhnaya all the way to Liyue ] then Anthon and Tonia aren't as bad. Not that they're any less cute than Teucer.

[ In his opinion, all of his siblings are adorable.

And then, at his next question, his voice softens: ]

Were you looking forward to meeting them?

[ archons help her.

lumine refuses to answer that question, nope, and quickly takes advantage of childe resuming his preoccupation, striding towards the further end of the hall to where the bookshelves have fallen over. that should keep the coin quiet for a long while as long as distance is maintained. she lifts one of them, pushing the structure back against the wall as carefully as she can to keep it from falling over her.

picking up the fallen books one by one, ] I did promise Teucer that we'll play again ...

[ when she gets to snezhnaya, that is. if the country even allows her entry, given her status and the atrocities she's so far committed again the fatui organization. she wouldn't be surprised if she turned out the same as diluc: a persona non grata. ]

So it's only inevitable that I'd meet them along with him.

[ she's not very good with kids, and teucer's antics in liyue shaved a few centuries off of her life as it did his brother's. but it isn't as if she hasn't dealt with them. if anything, she preferred playing with the liyuen kids as a commission over doing everyone else's chores. ]

[ there's a look on his face at her words. not quite a grimace, but not exactly a look of delight by any means. though, it seems to smooth out relatively quickly, his expression shifting by the time he opens his mouth to speak. ] So you have some awareness. [ of you using him!!! or so he tries to say, but really... he doesn't mind at all.

that said, he does take a look at the hotel once more before simply following after her. without another words, he removes the clasp on his cape, if just to drape it over her head as she travels ahead of him. considering her smaller stature, he almost laughs at the idea that it seems way too large for her.

but, ill-fitted or note, he continues walking, enough that he soon moves in front of her. after a small stint of silence, he eventually asks the question any normal person would have likely asked much earlier. ] What business did you have here exactly?

[ pls, she's more than aware.

if there's anyone that's very aware of everything around her and herself in general, it's the girl who's lived centuries more than most people. besides, callisto is a pretty easy read, somewhat predictable with his actions and reactions, and if he did mind being used, then he wouldn't have come here to meet her. that's not her fault, is it?

not that she's able to respond to that, not with a familiar cape being unceremoniously tossed onto her head. she'd complain, but it alleviates a bit of the cold she's been trying her best to stamp out with a straight face.

pulling the cape closer, lumine mumbles a quiet "thanks" under her breath as she trails after him, biting her lower lip to chase away the chill. ]

Esmeralda and her commission. [ which is across the street, btw. ] Also, a few other errands I needed to run in Mirth earlier.

[ this is the most convenient location ok. ]

[ There are no Archons here to show her any mercy. It's just Childe and his ever-so-unpredictable whims. Luckily for her, it seems the topic of his siblings is enough to make him behave for the time being. Maybe it's because just talking about them is dragging out a gnawing feeling that he's been trying to ignore.

His Shadow cuts through the noise, asking him what makes him think they'd want him back even if he crawled his way out of here. He tries not to think about that.

Whatever good-natured humour he had earlier on withers a tiny bit. ]

Yeah? And you intend to keep that promise?

[ He tosses another broken piece of furniture into the pile, maybe a bit too forcefully. He acts like that didn't happen. ]

They'll like you, you know. I've been telling them all about you whenever I have the time to write them letters. Tonia is really eager to meet the strong girl who managed to take her big brother down.

[ He laughs, but there's no humour to it this time. It's almost helpless, even. (Hopeless.) ]

[ silence fills the room for one long moment as lumine goes through the different books in her arms, sorting them out into their respective places on the shelf before resuming to pick up those that had fallen some few feet away. ]

Not while I'm here, [ is her quiet response after a while, skimming through her copy of vera's melancholy and blinking when a bookmark falls out of it.

did she stop reading it, or was it someone else who did?

then again, she wonders idly, is there any point returning to teyvat now? it was her goal from the moment she woke up in this place, her fate laid out to her like a story she's hearing for the first time. she wanted to get her foothold back and resume her journey, this time to find an exit out of this world. but with aether's arrival in this place, her twin brother's presence the only reason why she's even lingered in teyvat, it changes everything.

stay. linger. who are these people but brief interludes in your journey, names and faces you'll eventually forget and move on from? ]

Are you worried that I won't?

[ Promises are the one thing that Tartaglia tries very hard to keep. It's the same standard that he expects out of everyone he knows that has promised him something, but nowadays it's been getting just a little bit harder to believe that he can keep this up. Every single day that passes by where he's still stuck here just adds more fuel to the fire that his Shadow has started in his head.

He doesn't know what he'd do if he can't keep his promise to Teucer about coming home soon. ]

If we wanna believe what they've been telling us here, then you already broke one promise.

[ Technically. After all, he told the Traveler that she couldn't die until they could have their battle again — with his pride as a Harbinger on the line. ]

But you don't seem like the type to go back on your word. So no, I'm not worried.

[ And yet he looks like something is still bothering him. ]

What else needs to be cleared out?

[ you already broke another promise. what's another one to break?

lumine glances over her shoulder as she arranges another armful of books back on the shelf, wrinkling her nose at how empty this teapot is, her gaze landing on childe. and it isn't just her broken furniture, a heap of splintered wood, slashed fabric and disintegrated cushion in one corner. she's never truly realized how expansive this space is without the people from teyvat coming and going. ]

Just one of the studies left, but ... [ and she wrinkles her nose again in dismay. ] There's a mistletoe inside the room and I'd rather the sprite in there gets no acknowledgment from anyone.

[ seriously, it's the last thing she wants to deal with on top of all of this.

in any case, she resumes her preoccupation with the shelf, clearing the remaining books from the floor. a few moments of silence pass, pages being flicked through and cloth covers rustling against each other the only sound filling in the space between them, before she speaks up again. ]

... Do you want to talk about it or would you rather just stew on your own?

[ while it does make a lot more sense and while it was rational all things considered, it doesn't make him any less likely to continue to use this as a bargaining chip (does that even constitute as any real sort of bargain?) to tease her with. ] So you're planning to run me dry.

[ since she did mention other errands, and somehow, he is implementing himself into her business per usual. well, he can't say he didn't enjoy spending time with her. it was inarguable that she was... a fairly curious lady. the second capable of using magic that he's met, and one who didn't see caught up in titles. despite appearing no older than him, she also seemed to possess a fair amount of knowledge, or would it be more accurate to state some degree of worldliness? regardless, it made her quite different from most of the sheltered nobles he knew. ... and perhaps, it wouldn't be too farfetched to say that he enjoyed that.

but, that was neither here or there and instead, he opens the door of the hotel for her, before... proudly getting them a room. i'm embarrassed bc this is so business proposal. ] I never thought the day where we'd share a room like this would come so soon.

[ so soon... but, he should definitely have added "if ever," but listen. he's confident. the hotel staff is probably wondering why they're involved in this exchange. ]

What's there to talk about?

[ As far as he's concerned, there's nothing that can be fixed by having a simple conversation alone. It's true that the next-to-no chance that all of them could return back to Teyvat is bothering him like no other, but how is talking about that supposed to help? Tartaglia has always been the type to believe in actions more than words, and right now, there's nothing he can really do about it.

That's all he has to say about it unless Lumine insists.

He makes his way over to the shelf that she's currently working on, glancing towards one of the studies that they hadn't touched yet. ]

You've been ignoring the sprite in there? [ Colour him surprised. ] I didn't think you were the type to shy away from a challenge.

[ He's teasing. He knows dealing with a mistletoe is the farthest thing from a challenge, but it's hilarious to him that Lumine is showing such distaste for it. ]

[ Well, she didn't mean it that way, but as soon as she hears the other blonde laugh, Hibiki locks on. Oh, she's fun--all the more reason for her to step in and offer assistance. She is going to make sure that this woman has some time to warm up, and that she sends her home with something to wear over her current outfit. Frostbite is a real, genuine concern here. ]

It'll change your unlife, guaranteed. But there's only one way to find out for sure, huh?

[ Gesturing for Lumine to follow, Hibiki turns to walk deeper into the marketplace. If this mysterious traveler doesn't immediately follow, she will reach out for her arm. This way, please! ]

SHE—

[ let it be said that the traveler's instincts are quick and her reflexes even more. the moment lumine hears the familiar grating voice of the coin, her hand slips into her pocket and takes it out, chucking the irritating piece of souvenir from krampus towards the one room that's the farthest away from them without any shift in her expression. that should shut it up for a bit while childe is around and hovering near her.

he's right, what's there to talk about. and she wants to yell at that coin that there's nothing, nothing at all that they need to talk about. ]

It's not a challenge when it's practically coercion. I either kiss someone or I get cursed.

[ frying pan or fire, she can't tell which is the lesser evil. she supposes getting cursed is the more evil consequence here, considering the number of curses it can somehow inflict on a person. but she can't really say that kissing a complete stranger is pleasant either.

yes, because you didn't enjoy kissing the others at all. lumine rolls her eyes, shoving a book into the shelf with more force than necessary. ]

I also don't want to indulge my own Shadow any more than it has already indulged.

[ i hope you're enjoying this au before it ends in a dumpster fire ]

I am, so let me know if you don't have the stamina to keep up, Your Highness. [ a beat: ] Or do I call you "big brother"?

[ it's his mistake to offer her his cloak, if only because it's chasing away the chill settling in her and is slowly warming her up. enough for her to start retorting and teasing him back—not that he's the type to be teased in any way, but she doesn't want to lose their usual game of wits.

she trails after him once more until they reach the room in question, ignoring the hotel staff. not out of rudeness or lack of desire for any kind of interaction, but she also wants to stamp out any form or feeling of embarrassment and mortification. she just wants to get this over and be done with it without anyone judging her! ]

Do you mind if I ask you a question? [ lumine says this after the door closes behind him and she takes a seat on the edge of the bed, letting the cloak swallow her whole when she does. ] Have you never interacted with a girl before?

[ mic drop ]

[ is she turning into someone like paimon, easily convinced by food or drinks?

lumine chuckles to herself, forgoing the debate of staying under the awning and continuing with her notice board commissions after a minute and instead following the girl right out into the streets. she's probably making a terrible mistake, already shivering the moment a rather strong breeze decides to blow over them, but she trails after her anyway.

even though common sense reminds her that she really shouldn't follow random strangers into the cold and deeper into a marketplace full of restless. ]

You're not leading me to a place where I'll be turned into coffee instead, right?

[ she won't make for good coffee, hibiki. sorry. ]

[ Quietly, the Harbinger watches Lumine chuck the talkative coin towards the furthest room away from them. Whatever it was about to say must be the real truth of the matter but he doesn't get to hear it now that there's a distance he has to cross. Man. Just when it was about to get juicy, too. ]

I guess it can be a problem if you're too worried about the whole kissing someone.

[ To him, it's just a kiss. Maybe years ago, when he'd been younger, he might see this as more trouble than it's worth, spouting things about how you should only kiss someone when you like them, but he isn't that little boy anymore. He can see the benefit of taking the path of least resistance sometimes.

Especially when the sprites' pranks were not fun. ]

And what's wrong with indulging it? [ Did she forget his offer from before? ] It wouldn't hurt to loosen up sometimes.

[ Before she can get a chance to ask him what he meant, he's just going to go ahead and walk across the room. He heads straight for where she'd tossed the coin so he can pick it up for her.

When he comes back, he's flipping the coin in his hand. He picks up the conversation where he'd left it off as if he didn't just do something ridiculous. ]

Unless you're scared of what you'd become if you do.

[ what is this existential conversation they're currently having in the middle of her living room? why is he playing the devil's advocate in the situation? why is he talking like dealing with shadows is the same as swapping clothes?

also, why is he walking towards the coin that she's clearly decided to get rid of? ]

I—

SHE DOESN'T WANT TO LOSE CONTROL IN FRONT OF YOU.

[ thank you for nothing, coin.

lumine closes her eyes as if making terrible peace with herself as she turns away from the harbinger and shoves another book onto the shelf, the other books rattling from the force. any harder, and she might just break the bookshelf in half. but what's one more broken piece of furniture to clean up after, right? if only she could break that thing instead.

then again, it's not like it's wrong per se; the "in front of you" part is just unnecessary. ]

... Are you telling me to treat kissing like fighting and don't hold back? [ well, isn't kissing a battle in itself? a fight against her shadow that keeps wanting to have its own holiday fun. ] Anyway, I'm not worried about kissing anyone. I just think it's pointless since it's still going to be there even if I kiss someone underneath.

[ and locking doors in this fake teapot has been impossible so far. ]

[ have faith... in what exactly? nobody knows.

there's a slight twitch of his brow as he hears her words, which are both suggestive and obviously intending to draw out some sort of rise from him. ] I wouldn't write off my stamina. [ objectively, he was confident in at least that much. after all, he's come back from the brink of death before, so everything else seemed like child's play. ] You're welcome to test it if you'd like. [ he speaks steadily as he approached her now in the hotel room.

to be honest, callisto behaves fairly naturally despite being in closed quarters in a place like this. while it's unfamiliar and as a crown prince, he'd definitely never stepped foot in a seedy hotel like this one before, he finds her presence comforting, and well... her potential discomfort was also kind of entertaining. ] ...

[ wow, rude??? but, it's true that he wasn't exactly experienced in the field of romance or intimacy. ]

Are you that curious of my past? I assure you, I'm ready to take responsibility.

Not in front of me, huh. Good to know.

[ Thanks for everything, coin. That's probably the most interesting thing it's said all day.

He doesn't bother addressing it for now. Instead, he heads for the door and chucks the coin as far away from Lumine's home as possible. Where it ends up is none of his concern anymore since he's satisfied with everything he's learned so far. That, and it feels like Lumine might strangle him if he keeps trying to tease her with it for much longer.

(Not a bad thing in his opinion, but you know.)

He makes his way over to stand by Lumine's side, helping her with putting the books on the shelf. ]

Maybe you just haven't kissed the right person.

[ He sure doesn't know if that's how it works. His Shadow is encouraging him to go and find out, but he isn't interested in listening to it. ]

Someone has to be worthy, considering who you are and what you can do.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

( closed ) how do we breathe, how do we climb

— aether

— callisto

— childe

— hibiki

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