vapour | (no subject)

'Atta girl. I'll make sure to take you out for a nice meal, too.

[ she almost declines, recalling the disgusting sludge they were fed the first time around. feelings that couldn't quickly stamp down to hide from him. it can't be helped when such emotions seem to induce that sense of nausea after everything that had happened.

(also doesn't help that her drink got spiked somewhere down the road ...) ]

Get me ingredients and I'll cook instead?

[ there's a pause, but it may be one of understanding over that sudden jolt of reflexive emotion.

It may not be, however. Childe offers no hints. ]

It's fine, I can do the cooking.

Worried I'll poison you? I haven't really found anything poisonous in this place

[ her voice trails off. nope, not using that. not sharing that either. ]

I suppose the Regent has provided you everything you need, then?

You? Poison me? They would be a serious plot twist.

[ he does note her trail off, but doesn't focus too hard or attempt to make anything of it. She'll just close off further if he prods or pries. ]

They have. It's certainly a comforting perk for a lot of the others. It's nice, no doubt.

Everything has a price, though.

[ if only those methods were something she employed, then she'd be dragging the rug from underneath him. but she supposes that's where they're similar in a way, preferring to meet someone head-on in battle than employing disreputable means. ]

And the price is that of our shards? Is that a price you're willing to pay?

The Pleroma shards?

Yes.

Not yours.

Your new friends are all fair game to me, though.

[ There's something chilling there, and it's no doubt something far beyond things that have to do with what the Regent wants or demands for their generosity. It's unspoken jealousy. ]

The others... Mm, is it so unusual for those to look after themselves when they are alone in this foreign place? I can't fault them at all.

[ she has no doubt that his newfound friends will decide to take their shards without hesitation. she's not too fussed about that revelation, to be honest, or surprised. no, she's more curious about his decision. ]

Mm, I don't fault them either for acting in accordance with the demands of the one providing for them in this world.

You shouldn't play favouritism, though.

That's asking a bit much of me, comrade. You're the only one that matters to me on any level here.

I realise that, but Childe.

[ there's another pause here, another waxing and waning of feelings on the matter. not over her own safety, really; she's not at all concerned about that when she's capable of taking care of herself. instead: ]

You're not going to get into your Regent's good graces this way, you know.

The Regent isn't the Tsaritsa. Unless that somehow changes, I'll keep you as my favorite all I want.

[ if only he wasn't actually closet crazy, that might be touching. He means well for the most part. The rest is selfishness, but the majority is well-meaning. That's good enough to him. ]

[ sometimes it pays to have someone unhinged obsess over you, you know. not all the time, but sometimes. but then, lumine thinks she's just as unhinged to dance like this around someone like childe. ]

How comforting that I somehow took first place in this world.

But you know, if you take my shard, it'll be yours forever. Kept safe within your hands.

[ maybe they deserve one another in the end. ]

Hou, are you trying to tempt me, aibou? I can only assume you're doing such a thing to try to protect your friends from me.

Edited 2022-04-30 03:16 (UTC)

Why? Are you tempted?

Besides, they don't need protection from me. You saw what they were capable of that day.

[ the other pleroma are more than competent in handling and protecting themselves and the entire group without her lending a hand. that in itself is a reassurance, to know that she doesn't need to shoulder everything in this world as she did back in teyvat. ]

[ there's distinctive laughter now, and it echoes with that familiar airiness, amused but there's layers of something(s) that are disconcerting—while normally nothing new, this time& it's—perhaps a little moreso than the usual. ]

You should already know I'm always tempted when it comes to you. And to have my North Star and Venus in my possession forever and ever is so very tempting.

...At the same time... you'll never shine as brightly in my possession as you will out of my reach.

That won't stop me forever, though.

[ they're still talking about shards only, right. ]

[ ................. there's a part of her that regrets this entire conversation, a part of her that's sufficiently shoved down to keep him from sensing it and using it against her. after all, despite his show of concern, there are still some aspects of childe that she'd rather not deal with nor reveal her emotions to so openly.

on that note, this reminds her too much of their time in the onmyou chamber. ]

I worry about you sometimes, Childe.

[ HEH. ]

Aw, that's sweet of you. You're one of the only ones that does. That's hard to replace, you know. Keep your shard, Ojou-chan, and give me something to keep chasing~

[ Absolutely he knows what she really meant, but that doesn't mean he had to go along with it. ]

[ she also wonders sometimes if his delusion affects him in more ways than one. his brain, for one. ]

You know, you never told me why your new benefactor is seeking our shards and why you're refusing to take mine.

If the concept is similar to Visions, then I see how this won't be too different from Inazuma's Shogun collecting them. But it doesn't seem like it.

[ ...fair. ]

They are a lot more vital to us than Visions.

I imagine it's because your shard is the only thing they need to force you into joining their cause. Your physical body is just a shell that can be restored so long as your shard is in tact, so if the Pleroma are going to resist, it's much less hassle to bring back their shard than bringing them back alive.

A shard alone is not capable of withstanding corruption or purification like a shard with a body, either, I assume.

[ that, in a way, tells her more than what she expected to learn. that explains why holding her shard feels uncomfortable in some ways, like it knows that it's vulnerable in such a state in her hands. ]

So [ she's trying to imagine this, give her a minute. ] They expect you to simply stick your hand into our body once we're incapacitated and take it?

[ that's all well and good, but not all of them have their shards located in a very innocuous spot. ]

Pretty much.

You also can do the same to us for a similar effect. Although I imagine the Pleroma don't care much for the idea of forcing purification like the Regent will force corruption. Regent says there's no one else like them, especially with the Pleroma, so I figure their method is somewhat unique.

[ there's a slight ripple of agitation over her reference about Rex Lapis and his exuvia, although it's short lived. (She's mocking him, though, isn't she. ISN'T sHE). ]

[ it's not her fault that's what he literally did. any feelings of agitation or guilt are not her responsibility. ]

Where's your shard located?

[ hmph. ]

Guess. If you have the guts to take it from that spot, I'll even give it to you.