jikan_rpg | [Nov Catchall] ✵ Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.

Mmn, I'm afraid not.

[He hasn't really been here long enough to amass a collection of medicines and he won't touch that uki stuff. The last time he had a headache himself, Kaeya had been there, and he'd just put a cold cloth on his forehead to help him get to sleep.

But Diluc's headache had been down to spending too much time with a bottle of rice wine, and he doesn't think the same remedy would work here.

Kazuha might be a stranger, relatively, but that doesn't mean Diluc doesn't care.]

Is there anything else that might help?

[Kazuha sighs again at that response. It's not that he's disappointed or upset at Diluc, just mourning that if he had his travel pack he'd have something to help deal with this headache. He's gathered plenty of medicinal herbs, nevermind what he's been able to purchase.

There's no sense in lingering on something he can't do anything to change at the moment.

He shakes his head, but the motion makes him a little dizzy and the stab of pain worse.]

It's the noise. The sound throbs in my ears.

[He keeps his hand on Kazuha's shoulder as if to steady him, mulling over how they might tackle this problem. Obviously, an evening of seeing the other man in pain there's no way for him to escape from isn't ideal for either of them.

But if it's just the noise...

Well, he isn't sure that painkillers would have done any good to begin with, even if he had had something that could serve as one. Unthinking, he brushes his fingers against Kazuha's damp hair.]

I don't have much in the way of soundproofing here... What would you usually do?

[Diluc gets a smile from Kazuha anyway, despite the storm.]

This storm pales in comparison to the thunderstorms of Inazuma.

[It's an assurance he'll be fine, eventually, though the issue is still present. It's his turn to blush, his cheeks coloring as Diluc's fingers stroke against his hair. He opens his eyes again, looking at him, and then glances around.

The home is rather empty. What could they use?]

Do you have bandages?

[His smile to that is little more than a facial tic, neither denying nor acknowledging that he had ever made it to Inazuma in the years after he left home. The storms there could be spectacular... that much was true.

He hadn't been thinking much when he'd touched the man's hair like that but the blush he spies makes him more aware of it. At least the question offers a quick distraction.]

Ah, yes. [Owing to a confrontation with Childe not long ago he had found himself in need of them. Luckily their fight hadn't gone on for long or Kazuha might have seen more signs of it. All he came out with was a glancing cut across the back of his ribs that had hardly been worth bothering any healers with.

Diluc nods and stands, finally extracting his hand from between Kazuha's. He leaves the room briefly and comes back with a neat roll of bandages that he sets down on the kotatsu table.]

Here. Is that enough?

[The warmth of Diluc's hands is missed when he draws them away, though Kazuha finds himself laying his head on his hands while the taller man is busy searching for the bandages he asked for. It wouldn't be a great muffling of sound for his ears, though he is grateful for anything.

His mind wanders while Diluc is out of the room. The Ragnvindr heir is kind and attractive; had his own family not lost their own fortune, it would have been easy to imagine their families mingling at some boring diplomatic affair. Kazuha would have embarrassed his father, for certain.

He smiles again when Diluc returns, bowing his head in thanks before he sets his hands on the offered bandages. It's almost reflex for him to search for something to cut it with, before remembering he isn't wrapping his hand.]

This will be fine.

[He's meticulous but quick, folding gauze to thicker layers to lay on his ears, and then he looks to Diluc.]

May you help me wrap my ears?

[If Kazuha's family hadn't fallen, and Crepus had still been alive, it wouldn't have been such a strange thing to imagine them having met at some kind of function. Diluc himself, though, had never really had the patience for such things outside of their use as a tool to weigh up an adversary. Maybe if things hadn't happened as they had eighteen years ago, that might have been different too.

He doesn't need to ask to understand what Kazuha wants to do with the bandages, watching the quick movements of his hands quietly. At the question he nods, shifting closer and taking the gauze from his hands.]

Hold it here... [The redhead mutters, and he smooths Kazuha's hair out of the way with an almost respectfully gentle touch.] And here. Good.

[And with the muffling fabric held in place by Kazuha's hands he takes a moment to consider the best angle for the bandages to sit at before using them.]

I hope it helps.

[Kazuha's father, on the other hand, probably would have been happy if his son only focused on such things like that. Their relationship wasn't strained entirely — the Kaedehara heir had a focus on bushido that an old samurai master could be proud of — but he was not an heir that could save the clan.

He's made peace with it long ago.

This feels almost like an intimate moment, between everything, like he's really getting to know Diluc. It wasn't even the confession about the Delusion— it was getting to interact with him in a private setting, to know how he conducts himself outside the public space. The Inazuman regrets the circumstance.

He touches his ears, the world just a little bit quieter, like he's been blanketed with snow. Almost blindly, his hands find the backs of Diluc's, brushing against them before they are able to be pulled away.]

It's better. Quiet. [Peaceful.] My blessing is sometimes a curse.

I wouldn't trust a blessing that appears to have no drawbacks. [Diluc says, his voice not at all raised with the assumption that Kazuha will still be able to hear him perfectly well regardless. He pauses in the movement of his hands when they're touched, and after half a moment of thought he lightly takes the smaller man's hands in his own.

He runs his thumbs across the knuckles and makes no further motion to move away in any sense. Kazuha doesn't seem to mind him being close by, and truth be told he doesn't mind it either.

There are certain people with whom closeness feels instinctively comfortable. For Diluc those people are often few and far between but the quiet and unassuming nature of this Inazuman makes him easy to linger near to.]

You're an interesting man, Kazuha. And I mean that as the highest praise.

[Diluc would be correct anyway. While the bandaging helps muffle the sound of the storm in the distance, he can still hear the Mondstadter well enough. He might have even said something in response — some agreement to the sentiment - if not for the brush of roughened thumbs over his hands stealing his breath away for a moment.

Paired with the compliment and Diluc has the humble samurai blushing to his ears and a startled but flattered laugh. He pulls one hand away, briefly, to pick at the edge of the haori and lift it like one would hide their face with a fan when attempting to be coy.]

Have I intrigued you with mystery and pretty words?

[His head hurts, but he still be a little bit of a playful gremlin.]

[He does have to laugh at that, and the answering flush of pink in turn just colours the tops of his ears, mostly hidden under his hair.]

I wouldn't get far in business if I was easily swayed by pretty words. [Diluc says wryly. There are other ways in which he wouldn't get far either, but those are better not discussed. He brings the hand he still has hold of to his lips to press a brief kiss to the backs of Kazuha's fingers.

An almost mischievous smile dances at the corners of his mouth as he does this.]

The mystery, on the other hand, is intriguing. And someone who can coax me to talk about myself is always going to be a person of interest.

[Are they flirting now? Probably. Kazuha definitely feels like he’s being flirted with somewhat, the kiss on his hand making butterflies flutter in his stomach. He’s somewhat weak to little gestures, and he drops the haori with another laugh, lower this time, and glances his head away as he blushes more.]

I’m just a wandering samurai you could find just about anywhere. I listen to nature and it tells me things. You too are part of nature, Ragnvindr-san.

[Even the way he talks about stuff is cryptic. He sounds like he’s trying to peddle Diluc a fortune telling session.]

[The blushing is interesting too and he observes the reactions he's getting with muted curiosity. He supposes they're flirting now. Diluc has grown used to such things and minds less and less when they happen. It isn't as if the situation is out of his control.

He clasps Kazuha's hand between both of his and holds it.]

I do wonder... just what I've told you about myself that I haven't said. [He cants his head slightly to one side. Kazuha listens, but more than that, he understands. Diluc would not be surprised at all if he had revealed far more than he meant to in what he had declined to say, as much as what he had said.]

And you can call me Diluc, if you'd like.

[He’s not really someone who touches people much when he has all his wits about him, and the tenderness of the warm hands around his has Kazuha’s pulse speeding up slightly. After wrestling with the part of him that gets very bashful, the smile he turns towards Diluc is wide and warm.]

Only that you have many great burdens from your past, Diluc.

[Boldly, with his other hand, he reaches for the larger man. Weapon roughened fingers brush over the edge of a cheekbone as he takes some hair and tucks it behind the man’s ear.]

Hah... true enough.

[Diluc never really talks about his past, not in great detail, but he doesn't deny it either. He looks back on it with a kind of calculating coldness at times, seeing it only as the steps that he took to become who he is now and nothing more than that. Detaching himself from it emotionally is often the only way to move forwards. Probably not the healthiest of things to do, and... becoming increasingly difficult recently.

He startles minutely when Kazuha reaches for him, but doesn't move away. His head tips towards the light brush against his cheek and hair, and he captures the smaller hand in one of his own to hold it in place.]

I find it often takes someone carrying similar burdens to recognise it in others.

[Assuming nothing, he delivers that statement quietly and then turns his head to kiss the inside of Kazuha's wrist.]

Or am I mistaken?

[It was an impulsive gesture, but Kazuha would never claim to not be. He’s done too many impulsive things now to still have the right to claim otherwise. The sudden closure of fingers around his hand still surprises him, his breath catching in his throat as soft lips press against his skin.

His cheeks are probably as red as the streak that grows in his hair. Both his hands are held in Diluc’s own in some way— he could probably tear them free if he wanted to.

If he wanted to.

He casts his eyes away again, a bit of bashfulness mixing with a memory. His scars are also on display for Diluc to see, to touch, though the mental ones he usually keeps hidden behind his smile.]

There are many sad stories in Inazuma.

[It may sound dismissive. It probably is somewhat, but Kazuha liked to remind himself to be humble. He looks back to Diluc’s eyes after a moment, red meeting red.]

Sometimes the will that granted a Vision is strong enough that it burns as it dies.

[Both of his hands are held, but so lightly that it wouldn't take much at all to escape from the grasp. Diluc has no intentions of holding him against his will in any respect, but he takes nothing but encouragement from how hard Kazuha is blushing now.

Their eyes meet, and Diluc's flicker like a gentle flame. He has no expectations here. They are relative strangers and there's nothing here to force them together in a way that wouldn't feel natural to them, but they have both allowed the closeness experienced so far to occur without complaint.

He looks at the man quietly, thoughtfully, then shifts his eyes very briefly in the direction of Kazuha's scarred hand.]

Ah...

[It's cryptic. Like a riddle. But he thinks that he understands. He tips his head into the fingers still clasped warmly to his cheek.]

You lost someone important.

[Despite the blush that has taken residence on his face, Kazuha is comfortable. It may because he finds it easy to be comfortable around strangers— not that he would count Diluc as one now. It’s the fact the larger man is so gentle.

The statement draws a low sigh from the samurai. It was easy to figure out from how Kazuha has conducted himself, the questions he asks, but still it weighs heavy.

His fingers stroke Diluc’s cheek.]

I’m unwelcome in Inazuma. I stole the Vision from the goddess’s hand as she sought to claim it. I just…

[He’s said this to few people. His eyes flicker for a moment, considering his feelings on his actions.]

I couldn’t bear to have his Vision inlaid in a cold statue.

[He releases both of Kazuha's hands in favour of focusing his attention solely on the scarred one, and he holds it with a reverent softness as he smooths the side of his thumb over the back of the knuckles. Little news comes out of Inazuma these days and Diluc knows nothing about the statue that Kazuha speaks of, but he can guess much by context and inference and he only nods.]

A noble thing to do.

[By the Seven, such a stupid thing as well, but undoubtedly noble. He shakes his head slightly.]

You must have loved him very much.

[The scarring is quite severe. There are parts of his hand he has no feeling, and others where Diluc’s touch makes his fingers twitch. How hard he must have held onto the Vision that was burning him to cause such damage.

Diluc’s statement makes his hands shake, a little draw a breath that might be inaudible under the sound of rain and wind if they weren’t so close. Kazuha remembers his friend’s face, warm but regretful, on the autumn day they departed. Kazuha had left feeling that with a connection that strong they’d surely meet again soon, that fate would draw them back together.]

Yes.

[There’s a tear beading at the corner of an eye, a familiar heaviness in his chest. He blinks and it rolls away, down his cheek.

He’s getting better each day. Slowly.]

I’ve wondered how things may have been different if I’d arrived in time, but…

[His eyes are distant as he thinks of his friend, but when he trails off the focus comes back and he turns a smile at Diluc.]

The past is not something I can change. I can only seek justice in the present.

Sometimes, life can change in an instant.

[The words don't sound quite like Diluc's, but more as if he's quoting them from somewhere - or someone - else. His own thoughts are elsewhere now too, by the side of a dirt road on a rainy afternoon. Somewhere he doesn't want to be. He pulls himself back to the present with a tiny shake.

Sometimes things simply don't work out for the best.

Diluc brushes the tear-track from Kazuha's cheek with a light swipe of his thumb, though the intimacy of such a gesture isn't lost on him. His hand lingers a moment before it drops.

Shine True.

Evil cannot go unpunished. Never settle for mediocrity. Never forget that the dawn will one day come.]

I don't think that you and I are all that different.

Edited 2021-11-04 21:57 (UTC)

Perhaps not…

[It may be why he’s able to understand and sympathize with Diluc so much. Why he worries about him because of the low value on his own life, despite them being recently acquainted.

It makes him sad to think about, since Kazuha wouldn’t wish this sort of similarity on anyone.

His cheek almost chases the hand, seeking intimacy, but he has something better in mind. He raises his free hand, settling it on the redhead’s shoulder before he slides it around it, and then he leans in and bumps his forehead against the other man’s collarbone.

It’s sort of a hug, with respectful distance.]

Edited 2021-11-04 22:31 (UTC)

[It's strange to feel like he could tell Kazuha anything. They barely know one another and yet Diluc feels so comfortable in his presence that he could so easily slip into speaking of so many things that he had never mentioned to anybody. Things that even Kaeya didn't know.

The hand on his shoulder surprises him, and then Kazuha leans in and--

Ah...

He's warm. Diluc can feel the flush creeping unbidden across the tops of his cheekbones. His fingers tighten briefly around the hand they're holding, and then he moves his arm to wrap it around the small Inazuman's waist so he can pull him in against his chest.

Damn the distance.]

Mmph.

[That’s not really a sound of protest, just mild surprise and acceptance as the samurai feels himself tugged closer. Where he’d had just a small part of his head leaned against him before, he can now lay his cheek fully against him.

The tension drains out with a heavy sigh.

The Mondstadter is warm and solid. He’s never seen him in combat, but his body feels strong, and it’s an assurance to Kazuha that he won’t break as he slumps against his chest, lingering in the embrace. His own hand lays more firmly against the larger man’s shoulders, holding him with a gentle but steady grip.]

Thank you.

[He doesn't even so much as sway backwards under Kazuha's weight, holding that arm around him and resting his cheek against the samurai's head. Kazuha feels so small like this but Diluc can sense the strength in him as well.]

Mm. [Diluc murmurs, the sound vibrating softly through his chest. Over the house the sky continues its soft, stormy grumblings though with far less intensity than before.

He moves his fingers through Kazuha's hair, from his forehead to over his ear, brushing it back but leaving it to fall back into place as he moves on. His hand comes to rest on the man's shoulder and Kazuha is all but wrapped up in his arms.]

Seemed like you needed it.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject