[CLOSED] lizard times

[aquaveiled]

WHO: Himeka & others
WHAT: Various closed prompts during Soviseri
WHERE: Multiple, mostly Lohkimareen
WHEN: Throughout July
WARNINGS: TBD

Comments

[vapour]

[ Childe stares at her, and his eyes tell nothing. They show nothing but an abyssal and endless void— no emotions, no light, no life despite the clear turmoil that's coming from his mouth and his mind.

Does he notice the headaches? Sure. Does he think it makes her look weak? Maybe, but whereas that might normally deter him from bothering with her, he knows better, anyway. He expects her strength is on par with Lumine's, so he finds her unwillingness to leave as her accepting an invitation for some pain.

Any other time he might laugh, he might even show some excitement that she's not so easily intimidated and wants to stick around despite being threatened. Not right now, though. Childe doesn't care for the apology, just as he doesn't care much that she knows his name (—or, at least what he is usually called if not his actual name.) No one has ever apologized to him before, and he's got no reason to think they will now and actually mean it.

(But I could feel her more than nearly anyone else.)

. . .

The water at his feet is rippling suspiciously despite him not having moved an inch once he stood to face her, the orb belted to his waist slow-pulsing a blue light.

The oppressive projection of emotions along with his accusations suddenly silence around them.

His voice when he replies is nothing more than apathy, as if all that rage spilling from him a moment ago has become too much effort to bother with. ]

No?

[ The smallest lace of amusement (but it's not playful, it's downright deranged) accompanies an equally unsettling barely-there smirk. ]

I don't like being jerked around, girlie~. I've searched every inch of this shrine. There's no one here but us.

[aquaveiled]

[ The movement of the water is enough to draw her attention for a moment--is he preparing an attack? Himeka shifts her gaze back to Childe but does start to summon the tingling of aether at the fingertips of her right hand, where she flexes them as they grip onto her cane.

But it's the silence that puts her on higher alert. Himeka narrows her eyes.

So her attempt to placate him didn't work. She supposes that it shouldn't be much of a surprise, they have only been on opposing sides since they met and he has no reason to trust her intentions. And, to be honest, they're not entirely pure either--while she does want to find Lumine and would appreciate assistance, they're mostly to try and minimize the threat he poses, whether that means to herself or to anyone else who makes the mistake of showing up at the Shrine about now.

Her inclination is to go forward anyway. She wants to see it for herself. Yet as her eyes draw over him, they're drawn to his hands--not just the tension within them, but the cracked and broken skin, the dirt caked in--

--...has he really been trying to dig her out?

...

He's taken her disappearance very personally. To an alarming degree. ]

...That's very thorough of you.

[ Himeka forces herself to relax. ]

Then maybe I can help instead.

[ Slowly as to not look like she's readying an attack, Himeka reaches out with her left hand, holding her palm upwards. The aether still dances across her own skin, small wisps of something calm and blue rising and falling in the air above it, like a gentle mist on the forest floor. ]

Even if she's not here now...it's possible she was recently.

[vapour]

[ There's forceful exhales of air through his nose at her initial response, but at least Childe doesn't seem entirely convinced that it's worth attacking her over. Or, if he did, before he can get to that point she's speaking again and acting. The Harbinger tenses, uncertain, but he can at least somewhat sense whatever she's doing isn't meant to be harmful, even if he doesn't know what it's supposed to be. Gritting his teeth and holding his jaw locked tight, the urge to lash out is still overwhelming as the despair and anger that he's no longer projecting is still being internalized and fighting against any and all of his current mental restraints.

He shouldn't listen, but he can't help but wonder if the two women have a similar ability, that perhaps Himeka may be able to sense something or at least find some sort of trail to follow like Lumine had been able to do neck in Teyvat. ]

. . . [ Fists trembling, the water splashes like shallow waves at his feet, but the movements are ultimately harmless: they're simple movements of water and water only made from the turmoil in his heart rather than meant as anything to harm.

Licking his lips, Childe does attempt to say something in response, but he has no words. With his voice suddenly failing him, and him equally unable to dismiss that the Pleroma woman might indeed be able to see something he is incapable of, his only answer is to shift and move out of her way. Childe walks to one side of the cave, coming to press a shoulder against the near "wall" with his back facing the rest of the inner shrine to let Himeka have free movement and no obstructions.

He doesn't know what to do anymore. This world is worthless, but, really, so is he. There's no place to go, no one and nothing to escape this emptiness, and now there's nothing to even look forward to at the end of the road, whether it's a victory or defeat for he himself. There's nothing quite like seeing real heroes triump over the badguys, but his doubts increase each time he interacts with them. He was sure they would win if they had Lumine with them so long as they really were doing the correct and just thing. Now, however, Childe doesn't know. He doesn't know any of the Pleroma well enough to have an idea their capability to do so since fighting ability is only one part of the puzzle. Lumine was the only one that he had proof could pick up the slack for anything the Pleroma lacked. He can hope that they're still in a good position, but hope is a quickly dying commodity here.

If it's not fair, can either side be just in winning the war? Who knows.

Childe neither fears death nor does he want to die, but sometimes, especially now, he almost longs for the inevitably, if only to stop the current gaping wound at his chest from spilling his despair like they're his guts.

Leaning his head against the rocky walls he goes still with no other words his belly obtained company. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ Silence can speak volumes.

From the way the water trembles at his feet to the way that Childe's shoulders seem to carry a terrible weight as he moves to the cave's entrance, Himeka can only see someone in pain. What little Lumine has told her is that he's not someone she should take lightly nor trust and, really, after their initial bout she feels like the first should be self-evident. And yet she can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.

He's allowing her forward which is the most important thing. Himeka won't let this opportunity to search without an altercation pass. So she steps forward into the cave, knowing full well she's making herself vulnerable by putting her own back to him. But she has to show a sign of trust, doesn't she? Otherwise her gestures are for naught.

There don't appear to be signs of any recent "hatchings", the crystals that lay broken have dried or are in the process of it. Still, Himeka makes a point to check all of them, running her hand lightly along the shattered crystal as well as the pools of coagulated liquid piled on the ground. Beneath her palm, a calm bluish light--a projecting of her own life's aether trying to pick up any ping of familiarity.

One of them--now heavily cracked--she does sense a bit of Lumine on it but recognizes it as the selfsame crystal the other woman had appeared from. The only silver lining is that she can positively identify at least some traces of her aether.

Y'shtola would be so much better at this...

She grimaces slightly. Thoughts to her friends who haven't joined them on Horos are not infrequent. What she would often give for the presence for her own selfish need for those she cares about, let alone their guidance and talents.

No other traces of Lumine appear to be around the cave--nothing recent, nothing large enough for Himeka to detect it. The way her own shoulders slump and she lights out a sigh as the light beneath her palm dwindles probably says enough in and of itself, but she does the proper thing and turns to face Childe as she moves back towards the entrance of the cave. ]

You're right. There are no traces of her here--not recent ones, at least.

[vapour]

[ he could think of a million nasty comments to make in response to her confirmation, but he doesn't have the energy for it—not even to acknowledge her words.

He remains turned away but eventually will speak again. It's quiet but clear. The only motions he seems to be actively making is picking and digging at the wounds beneath his soiled and tattered gloves, like making the blood flow is keeping him sane.

It probably is. ]

Then get out.

[ he doesn't have anything else he can think of saying, he just wants to be alone and he doesn't know where else to be alone but here. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ This is my shrine too, she thinks. Lumine was someone she considered a friend, but there's no great history there. Whether Childe's intentions with the other woman were truly born out of friendship, admiration, or something more twisted, Himeka rarely likes seeing other people in pain.

Can she trust him here, though? What would happen to the shrine if he decides to let out his anger and frustration on it? (Gods, would anything happen to her with her connection to it? She's never thought to consider.) Giving him the benefit of the doubt could be inherently dangerous...but it's also exactly what she needs to do.

It's a long moment before Himeka sighs, passing over the threshold back out of the cave. ]

I'll leave.

[ But she pauses, still a few feet away from him as not to corner Childe into anything, but close enough to try and garner his attention. ]

But first...could you show me your hands?

[vapour]

[ she is valid to worry. He's contemplated destroying this place, and the only thing stopping him from trying was the fact that he assumes it would prevent Lumine from returning ... wherever the hell she is now. He doubts she went off on her own without saying anything to the Pleroma. She wouldn't want them panicked. He can only assume she is... gone somehow and quite suddenly.

Why, is the question he wants to ask Himeka at her request, but even that seems pointless. Besides, she's willing to leave him alone if he does this, so surely he can cooperate with her a tiny bit? He'll glance to her as he offers one of his hands out towards her harmlessly. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ Though she doesn't take his hand in turn, she does take a step closer and lean in a bit to inspect his injuries further. Mostly superficial and likely self-inflicted, isn't it? Surely it's the sort of thing that any warrior could stave off easily enough, but...

She does feel an onze of sympathy for him all the same.

In her right hand, she summons up a dim blue light. But she keeps it only there in her hand. ]

Would it be alright if I helped this along?