✵ We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.

[phoenixblessed]

⌛ Who: Diluc Ragnvindr (phoenixblessed), Red Wine (judgementor), & Raphael (cupiditasmedendi) and perhaps you?
⌛ What: TDM things, general prompts, closed prompts for October. Drop me a prompt to answer if you like!
⌛ When: Through October
⌛ Where: Noted in prompts
⌛ Warnings: Will be marked when they are needed


---

✵ Diluc Ragnvindr
  + [OTA] Visiting Hours
  + [OTA] We're Closed
  + [OTA] Behold The Pearl - Sarusawa Pond
  + [OTA] Deer Deer

✵ Red Wine
  +

✵ Raphael
  +

✵ Thanatos
  +

✵ Vennessa
  +

Comments

✵ Diluc Ragnvindr

[phoenixblessed]

[OTA] Visiting Hours

[phoenixblessed]

[It hadn't occurred to Diluc immediately, just how gravely injured he must have been to have ended up being kept in the hospital for more than a few hours. While brushes with his own mortality aren't entirely out of the ordinary for him, there's a peculiar detachment from this one likely held up by not really being able to remember much of what happened yet.

He did remember that without a single thought for himself, he had willingly risked his own life to keep Kaeya safe.

A few people have been told he's here. Ones that he thinks would notice if he was off the radar for a few days. He doesn't really expect visitors, though. Not out of any belief that they wouldn't care, but rather that it isn't worth the fuss. And besides... his brother hasn't left his side since long before he woke up.

Which is why anyone visiting would be very likely to find that Diluc isn't alone. There's a slim young man fast asleep against his chest, sporting red-streaked blue hair. Diluc has an arm around him, idly sliding the side of his thumb back and forth against the back of Kaeya's shoulder. When the door opens and someone looks in, he glances over and presses the tip of his finger to his lips.]

Ssh. He's finally asleep.



(( ota, even if your character doesn't necessarily know he's there. he can also be alone, just ignore the last bit ;) ))

[brilliantdiamond]

[If Diluc really thought none of his friends would come visit him, he must not know them as well as he thinks. Because Aether is there the same day, though possibly with a few hours delay depending on just which city he's laid up in. He knocks quietly before entering, poking his head in-- just as Diluc shushes him.]

[But he'll also get to see a curious reaction, Aether almost appearing to wince when he sees Kaeya. Clearly it's nothing. Clearly. The fact that his hair only turns red when he comes in? Also nothing.]

I'll try to keep it down... how are you feeling? It's not too bad, is it?

[notgrande]

Alright.

[ He says it quietly from the doorway before moving light on his feet to Diluc's side. He's glad to see him. Not just him being well, but him with Kaeya propped against him asleep - red streaks in his hair. He's just happy to see them getting along so well. His smile says it all, too. ]

You look like you're doing better.

[ Whether he means on an emotional level because of Kaeya being here, or simply physically? It's up in the air. And he won't clarify either. ]

Should you be out soon?

[OTA] We're Closed

[phoenixblessed]

[It's late at night (or early in the morning, depending on your perspective of time) at a bar in Gion, and Diluc is alone. The owner, tired of waiting for that last group of stragglers to finish their wine and get out, had tossed his late-night bartender the keys and told him to lock up when they were done.

Diluc doesn't mind. He gets paid for the extra time.

Once the last patrons finally decide it's time for them to go home, Diluc brings the tables and chairs in from the street-side seating area and stacks them up just inside the door. The door he leaves propped slightly open, to let the smell of smoke and spilled alcohol air out, and then he goes about tidying up and cleaning the tables and bar and picking up chairs. It's busywork, but oddly comforting in its way.

While he's working, he hums softly. Now and then he murmurs a snatch of a song in a pleasant-sounding baritone, but trails off when he hears what sounds like movement at the door.]

We're closed! [He calls out, waiting for a reply. If he doesn't get one, he listens for a few moments more before going back to work. If there's a voice, or he can hear footsteps, he'll head towards it immediately.

Didn't he say the place was closed?]

[icepatch]

[Well, so much for keeping quiet. But Kaeya didn’t answer right away, instead he continued stepping on inside and (with all the chairs and stool put away) outright hoisted himself onto the bar counter. He hadn’t intended on actually coming in, the humming is what drew him in.

It was a song he hadn’t heard in quite some time, let alone from Diluc. It was… nice. It was really nice to hear, so he waited to see if he ended up starting back up again but it seemed Diluc had realized that someone was still in the bar and had come back. Kaeya gave a cheeky wave and grin.]

Don’t stop on my account. Who knew that Master Diluc could actually serenade his patrons?

[Kaeya knew.]

[notgrande]

[ He's never heard Diluc sing or hum, not even the smallest few notes, so he stands in the doorway for a few moments and he just tries to catch notes again and again. And when he gets the call that it's closed, he doesn't answer. It will be a few moments before he starts in Diluc's direction and look up at the young man bright eyed, blushing, and grinning broadly. ]

Were you --

[ He had been working out late tonight, and working meant that on his hip was his lyre bundled up safely. He moves a hand to gently pat it as he looks up towards Diluc. ]

That's really nice. Reallynice.

[ He seems really happy to hear the other sing. Or at least hum. At least that's what he thought he heard. He doesn't really want him to stop singing, either. ]

I could join you.

[OTA] Behold The Pearl - Sarusawa Pond

[phoenixblessed]

[It's a stunning place. From the first moment he got here, curious enough about the place to actually take the time to explore it, he had realised that it held a beauty that no other part of Nippon that he'd seen so far quite compared to.

He'd avoided the mask-making, not really wanting to be too much drawn into the local customs, and had (for a time) gained a couple of strange, leggy, ghostly companions that had seemed content to sit on his shoulders for a while before a local had approached him with a smile and pushed a snack into his hand, and... Diluc had smiled and stopped to talk, and the creatures seemed satisfied by that.

Usually he chooses to leave in the evenings, but there's at least one night where he stays and finds his way to the pond where the best view of the moon can be found. He seats himself on a grassy spot on the shore where he's less likely to be bothered and he tries his damned hardest to just... let himself enjoy the serene atmosphere and the light chatter of people walking up and down the pathway. Easier than it sounds for someone who finds it almost impossible to switch his mind off.

So he picks idly at the grass in front of him, twisting the blades between his fingers. A few of them slowly fry to cinders between his hands and as time passes by he ends up with a slowly growing pile of uprooted grass in front of him, some of it simply dropped and some of it burned to a crisp. There's a look about him, to anyone who watches for more than a moment, that makes it clear he has no idea what his hands (and his Pyro abilities) are currently doing.]

[acutabove]

[ after his first memorable evening spent at the pond, whether it was because of the lingering feelings he had about the area or the fact that the city was something he'd wanted to familiarize himself with if only to break out of the monotony of his life, it was uncertain; but Childe found himself here, again, a few days later, walking along the grassy shores and watching the little boats drift here and there across the water.

the night has long since settled in, bathing everything in an ethereal, luminescent glow that makes it all seem so much more dreamy than it has any right to be. he's seen a few promising inclines both from the water and on his way to the pond, and he makes his way for one out of the sheer want to stretch his legs and get a bit of exercising and sightseeing in before he made his way back home.

he hadn't expected anything exciting to happen and, honestly, being alone with his thoughts on a grassy hill overlooking the pond was just as good as being out in the middle of it with a fishing rod in hands.

but it's on his way up to one of the higher inclined areas that he spots a familiar red head of hair and catches sight of what looks like sparks coming from the man's hands. Childe isn't near enough to be noticed, but he is near enough to see as Diluc picks up another few blades and burns them with a thought, or a word, or a touch or whatever he does with his Vision. it's rather impressive, really. in no time at all the man has created a rather sizeable mound of vegetation, and he can't help the laugh that comes out which serves the double purpose of announcing his presence.

at least to his credit, Childe doesn't approach - but when he speaks, his voice rings out all the same as if he had. ]

You know, I'm pretty sure they have people to cut the grass for them. But that's nice of you.

[afoolshope]

[An albino shiba inu stared curiously at Diluc, dressed in his cream colored vest with white wings. Minato hadn’t thought they would run into trouble so the evoker collar was left at home, but the vest provided some light protection just in case.

Nonetheless, Koromaru sniffed around the spot that Diluc was pulling grass from. Was there something wrong with it? Why was the man burning the grass? The smoke irritated his nose and he sneezed. And then, he barked. He tilted his head up at Diluc.

Meanwhile, a faint voice called for the dog. "Koro-chan! Koro-chan, where did you go?"

Koromaru turned and barked louder and soon, footsteps drew closer.]

There you are. Koro-chan, please don’t run off like that.

[Minato noticed the gentleman then and, ignoring the pile of burnt grass because while weird, it wasn’t really his business (and it didn’t look like a forest fire was going to start anytime soon anyway), he bowed his head.]

Sorry, was Koromaru bothering you?

[notgrande]

[ Venti likes it here. It's proven to be a lovely place to relax after far too much excitement at the end of last month. He doesn't hide that he's approaching, allowing the soft breeze blow past Diluc. He otherwise doesn't make any other announcement of his presence (though his footsteps are clear as he walks). After a moment, he settles himself next to Diluc near the shore. There's something unusually quiet about how Venti seems to be, even as he settles in next to the other.

Although he tries to bury that urge to stay quiet fast and brushes a hand through the grass here. Despite everything, his tone has his typical bright and cheery sound. ]

The grass... What did it do to you, Diluc?

[ Hm. ]

[brilliantdiamond]

[They talked about going to the festival together at some point while Diluc was still in the hospital, so it's only natural that Aether would have scouted it out the day before to get an idea of what it would be like. He's be spending a few days with Lumine in Nara anyway, so it would be no big deal! He could just pop in and take a look around.]

[And then many things happened.]

[And that's why, on the day where they've agreed to meet at the festival, Aether comes and sits next to Diluc... h-holding a parasol over his head. No, it's not raining. And no, it's clearly not meant as an accessory to compliment his outfit. Does he look a little tired? He might look a little tired.]

...h-hey, Diluc.

[baneofallevil]

[ Being who he was, Xiao tended to find the places where the least amount of people were at all times. Granted, he had gotten a lot better at being more sociable when it came to being around people but it was a habit he'd spent years doing and wouldn't be so easily broken.

Once the moon rose, he went for a walk and to find a place to enjoy some quiet and at first it wasn't easy. As to be expected here, but eventually he found his way to the pond and where there was a good view to just view the moon without being bothered, though it was clear he wasn't alone. Fiery red hair was first visible, catching his eye before anything else and it drew the yaksha over until he was within a few feet of the man.

Gold eyes took in the sight of grass nearby and the various states it was in, before exhaling a soft sigh and settling in to sit next to him. ]

I see relaxing doesn't come easy to you, either.

[ That's what he's picked up from this situation here, and his tone is light and inoffensive more than anything else. ]

Is there something on your mind, Diluc?

[OTA] Deer Deer

[phoenixblessed]

[Diluc is not, by any stretch of the imagination to anyone who knows him even in passing, a cruel or evil man. He can admittedly be blunt, short-spoken and can say things that seem unkind, but there is always a heart of gold beneath it all.

Those who have not got to know him well enough to see that he is in fact capable of showing any expression except a line-faced scowl might barely recognise him as he sits on a park bench in Nara surrounded by at least half a dozen of the tiny deer-like creatures all eagerly eating crackers out of his hands. He's talking softly to them and smiling, lightly shooing them off his clothes when they get a bit too nippy but overall not seeming to mind their incredibly eager attention in the least.

He looks content, even happy to be doing this simple thing.

The saiwaika are pretty cute. That's obviously the only thing that's going on here.]

[acutabove]

[ It's no surprise that he finds himself in Nara again and again, though he's hardly here to sightsee. His time here is fast approaching that dangerous plateau of bored restlessness, and Childe knows more than anyone that if he doesn't find an outlet soon it could spell trouble.

Miraculously, he manages to avoid the leggy ghosts and the tiny deer up till this point, and it isn't long before his feet take him to a very familiar head of red hair. Having encountered Diluc fairly recently - and with the ending of that rendezvous fresh in his mind - he's prepared for this to turn out in much the same way.

But the deer that are eating out of his hands are... cute. And Diluc is actually smiling at them, which is already a marked difference from their last two meetings. Childe is making his way to the bench before he realizes it, taking in the scene for himself and - that sure is his communications device in hand.

If Diluc is familiar enough with it he'll probably recognize the telltale shutter sound as his picture is being taken. ]

You seem to be in a good mood.

Tokyo during the festival

[icepatch]

[It had been a bit of a mad dash to get to the train and out of Tokyo for most people. Kaeya was one of the lucky ones and that was largely due to Diluc, who worked a bar that had two locations. One being Tokyo. The owner needed the help and, as long as Kaeya also helped, he paid for both of their tickets to essentially get the hell out of dodge and help man the bar from the influx of natives and refugees alike fleeing from Tokyo.

The next few days were a bit of a blur, exhausting and turbulent. Kaeya took it in stride as best he could despite not having manned a bar in... well, ever, if he thought about it. He knew what went into it but unlike Diluc, Kaeya had never had the time to help at Angel's Share even before their fallout. But he was familiar with serving the people so it was simply a matter of switching gears and figuring out where he would be best be used since there were only so many drinks he actually knew how to make compared to his brother. It was while he was making one of those few drinks he knew how that the headache he had since the early morning seemed to worsen, the lights in the bar making his eye squint as he seemingly struggled to find the right bottle of liquor to add to the tumbler. He had felt heavy and tired all day and he originally accounted to some piss poor sleep the last couple nights, but now it was worsening all at once.

He placed his hand on the bottle he was looking for and pulled it off the shelf, only to have it slide right out his weak grip when the world tilted sideways.]

[phoenixblessed]

[Diluc had assured the bar owner that his brother could be useful and that the two of them together would definitely bring in business. He'd been right, of course. The redhead alone tends to draw attention but both of them with their clearly matching kizuna had quickly become a sensation as they worked behind the bar.

And Diluc does his best to support Kaeya's limited knowledge and experience with his own, giving him pointers and tips or taking the lead with grace when he fumbles, and despite the difficulty of their situation he manages to avoid losing his temper about anything.

That day, he'd noticed that his brother didn't seem to be feeling well but Kaeya had brushed off his concern and Diluc, who despite his determination that the other should never lie to him again had been allowing certain obvious untruths, had let it go. He keeps an eye on him through the evening though, noticing that he isn't acting like himself, though he isn't quick enough to catch the bottle as it falls.

The liquor bottle smashes on the floor and several patrons whoop and clap while Diluc and another member of staff immediately dart to Kaeya's side.]

Kaeya! [Diluc kneels beside him, touching a hand to his forehead and cursing softly.] I need to take him-- can you manage?

[The other staff member nods, hurrying off to find a mop. Luckily, it's getting close to the end of the night.]

Hey, Kaeya, come on... I need you to get up.

Tokyo - During the Sakumi Festival

[baneofallevil]

[ If he had the physical power to destroy a room, there would be one less room with one less set of atrocious paintings.

They had soured Xiao's mood on a way that stuck with him, to where he'd spent hours just cuddling with Venti and a pathetic mess to say the least. Once he managed to get his bearings about him, he'd decided he had to go and find one of the ones involved in one of the nightmarish things he'd see unfold in that room.

He asked his boyfriend where one may find a certain red-head, so it didn't take long for him to appear outside what appeared a bar. It was late, so he hoped that Diluc was here. Golden eyes looked around in search of the man, not seeing him so he headed towards the door of the bar.

He WOULD find him, damn it. ]

[phoenixblessed]

[In Tokyo, talk of the festival amongst those who hadn't fled it was sparse. They acted as if it was nothing more than a superstition at times, and though Diluc knew better he wasn't about to argue with any of them about it.

As the end of the night draws in he starts cleaning up and heavily hinting towards the last few stragglers that it's time to finish their drinks and go home. Diluc's way of 'subtle hinting' includes a stare that could melt iron, so they get the idea fairly quickly and have left only a few minutes before he hears the door open again.]

I told you it's time to-- [As he emerges from the other end of the bar, a towel held in his hand like he intends to use it as a weapon, he finds himself simply blinking in surprise at who he finds standing there instead.]

Xiao? What are you doing here?

✵ Red Wine

[judgementor]

✵ Raphael

[cupiditasmedendi]

✵ Thanatos

[inevitablerest]

✵ Vennessa

[vennessa]

for Venti (@notgrande)

[vennessa]

[She had made herself scarce from the mishaps to befall those who stayed for the strange-sounding festival and had made her way across the border as quickly as she could. Vennessa, still mistrustful of Nippon and even more so when it sounded like suspicious things were already happening, doesn't stay within Tokyo itself but sets herself a small camp up in the marshland outside of the city, using some of the stipend she had been given on arriving to purchase a small shelter (a tent) and some other supplies.

And she stays out there alone for a few days before she starts to feel lonely. At night the strangeness of the place presses in on her even more than during the day, and she feels the absence of friends and family all the more.

Prodding at the fire she had made, several days into her self-imposed isolation, Vennessa looks up at the sky and lets out a soft sigh. She doesn't want to bother him and yet she knows he'd want to know if she wished for his company. The young woman closes her eyes, parts her lips and speaks only a few words - just a few, gently phrased into a question.]

... Venti, can you hear me?

[notgrande]

[ He's keeping away from the chaos, as recommended. The trains not running means nothing to a guy who can teleport in seconds. Still, he's kept with his normal routines, as much as he possibly can. He spends his day out working and playing music, and then in the evening he drinks. As usual.

He hears his name, said by someone he would always listen for, and grabs a bottle of wine before he makes his leave to find her - disappearing from where he was standing. He follows the source and ends up several feet from her camp, but he approaches cheerfully. He lifts a hand in a wave. ]

Of course I can! Hello, Vennessa. I'm glad to hear you call.