[ even without turning around, lumine can sense him quietly shift, a heavy disquiet saddled in his movement as he closes the gap that they once never had. like a man on his way to his death, she thinks, and she wonders if he anticipates her to press her gleaming blade right beneath his jaw.
it's tempting, she won't deny it. she's his enemy now, and he hersโand there will come a time when they'll both face each other off, a confrontation to determine who has the stronger will and stomach to kill the other. she supposes she can grant him her judgment now. and it's so easy, when she can simply summon her sword while he stands defenceless behind her.
but she stays her hand, fingers curling and nails digging into her palm. she makes a derisive sound again at his question, his remark, closing her eyes as if that would keep her from imagining what his face looks like that moment. ]
I never imagined an enemy of mine would one day ask how I would be faring.
[ lumine wants to ask him if that's how she looks like to him: exhausted and burdened by the weight to wage war against the gods and avenge a fallen nation. a weight that should've been his to bear, as khaenri'ah's twilight sword. why is he asking this of her now when she's been carrying out his duties for the past five hundred years?
if there's anyone to blame for her weariness, isn't it him?
the acid lingers on her tongue and she wants to spit it out at him, but once more, she swallows the words down. even now, even centuries after they've gone their separate ways, he can all the same sway her against her uncontrollable impulses and temper her fire.
she lifts her gaze to the sky. as always, the false stars above teyvat are blinding, unlike the neverending darkness in the abyss. quietly, almost imperceptibly: ]
Sleep has never come easily to me since that day. I'm used to it by now.
[ a self-proclaimed prophet once asked him a simple question: what is that strand of blonde hair to you?
golden and bright, just as Lumine always is — is she someone he must kill? or the object of his penitence? the line between the two had blurred together so many years ago that it's hard to say which is which anymore. Dainsleif can't deny that the guilt he feels for betraying Lumine is heavy, settled right there in his ribs like shackles around his heart, but he knows just as well what it means for them if she continues to walk right into hell with the abyss.
it would be unavoidable, inevitable, for both of them to draw each other's swords on one another. just as Lumine can never forgive the gods for what they've done, Dainsleif can't allow the Abyss Order to continue to wage their war against fate, dragging Lumine along for the ride. once upon a time, they were travelling companions, friends, but right here and now, they are enemies.
it would have been so easy for her to turn around and sink her blade into his chest, but the fact that she didn't, the fact that she gave him an answer rather than trying to cut things short has his breath feeling much lighter. ]
Because of nightmares?
[ it was a horrific sight, after all, what they both saw. the collapse of the pride of humanity is something that will forever be seared into his memory, something that will linger even if everything else surrounding it has all but faded. it wouldn't be so surprising if she wakes up in the middle of the night after being caught reliving that moment in a cruel dream.
he understands how difficult it must be, because the very same happens to him. ]
Then before they come for you, you should rest. I'll stand watch just like before.
[ perhaps it's foolish of him to think she'll accept this so easily, but given where they are now, he figures it wouldn't hurt to try. ]
[ silence sets in between the two of them once more, tension pervading their radius around them.
does he truly believe that she'll let her guard down, allow him to slip a blade between her ribs, and essentially end his war against the abyss order? she might have been foolish years and years ago, but five hundred years is more than enough time to stamp out a rose-coloured view of teyvat the gods. dainleif should know her better than anyone else, but he still asks her of this. foolish, indeed.
lumine turns around to look at him, a sliver of white and gold reflected in those depths of deep blue. those eyes of his have always been beautiful, even now when they're framed by lines of exhaustion and the passing of time.
softly, curiously: ] Why are you doing this, Dain?
[ she tilts her head and lifts a hand, brushing her fingertips against his cheek. his skin is cold, seemingly made of ice beneath her palm. but that's just like him; khaenri'ah's twilight sword has always been made of stone, unmoving and persistent. ]
Do you enjoy the mental and emotional torment our reunion brings you, or is this perhaps your way of expressing your cruelty?
[ she's done her best to give him a wide berth since their separation, always taking several steps ahead to deliberately avoid himโfor both him and herself. you'd think he'd already gotten the point after all these years, intelligent as he is. still, he continuously seeks for her, binding himself to the memory of a girl that's no longer here and a dream that's faded so long ago.
it's too late for us, she wants to tell him. but only her fingers can express the words, a gesture along the line of his jaw that one might misconstrue as a lover's caress before she pulls her hand away. ]
[ an even-toned murmur, hushed words mixing in with sadness and regret that are centuries old. it's a question that doesn't really need an answer.
he doesn't dare to close his eyes when she turns around to face him, keeps the night-blue hues locked on golden ones. she is so much like the sun and that's all he really needs to know that the fractures they've created on whatever they used to be, fragile as it already was, can never be truly mended. it wouldn't be magically fixed even if he manages to earn her forgiveness.
after all, he has to learn to forgive himself too.
it's too late for us, he can see the way she's trying to say it in her eyes, the way she caresses the side of his face as if nothing was wrong. it's too late for them, he knows that, he knows, but a desperate part of him doesn't want to give up on her.
if he does, then what is left to hope for? ]
Can one truly call this cruelty... or is it simply wishful thinking at this point? Regardless of what it is, I won't give up on you.
[ he's failed her once before. he doesn't intend to let it happen again. ]
she doesn't even think that he's ever expected this to work in the first place, to be able to snatch her away from her usual keepers and ward them off. it shows in the lack of surety of his words, the heaviness in his steps. so really, what answer can he give her to that question?
but oh my, what sincere words from him, she thinks with a press of her lips. centuries have passed, and it seems that he hasn't changed in that regard, at leastโexcept perhaps for the look of wretchedness in his eyes that coils around her heart and squeezes it tight. makes her work for every breath as she continues to hold his gaze.
honestly, does he know what he does to her? ]
But isn't it heartless to let me hope that you'll stand by my side again?
[ facetious words on her part, especially after his betrayal of her, but maybe that will dissuade him from continuing this folly. chasing after her like this, unwilling to concede defeatโwhat's the point of wasting his years on her when the both of them are aware of the different paths they've taken since khaenri'ah's fall?
she lets a cruel smile tug at her lips as she reaches out to him once more, cold fingers curving against his cheeks and sinking into his hair. ]
[ it's only fair for her to meet his lack of sincerity with words that don't hold any weight. Dainsleif knows this, understands it's what he deserves, and yet somehow a part of him still has the audacity to feel disappointment settling in deep. his lips are a thin line, no match against the cruel curve of her own.
it doesn't suit her at all, he thinks, but these are words that will never be said out loud. ]
You know I can't. Even if I wanted to... [ what he wouldn't do to be by her sixe once again— ] Even if I said yes, it wouldn't be the same.
[ you wouldn't trust me, not like before.
despite his words, he reaches up to grab ahold of her hand, the one framing his face. Lumine's hands may be cold but Dainsleif's continues to be warm and steady, holding onto her with no intention of letting go. ]
What are you hoping to accomplish by the end of this, Lumine?
[ she said it was her war against destiny, but there must be something more than that. something he can't quite grasp.
maybe if he understands, then he'll know what to do in order to bring her back. ]
[ he holds her hand the same way he held it all those years ago, reverent and protective. and yet the words that accompany the action differ this time around, rejection rather than acceptance. unspoken words of absolution than promises of fealty, no longer the knight who served her with the utmost loyalty.
good, lumine thinks. that's good. perhaps he has grown and changed even a little throughout these centuries, after allโeven if he continuously tries to chase after her. ]
What else would I be hoping for other than the fall of the gods and an end to this war?
[ to end this nightmare, perhaps. to reunite with her twin, to leave teyvat, to continue with their journey. 500 years, and there's a small part of her that has become exhausted, willing to reach out to her twin brother and simply leave this world. another part of her compels her to stay, to finish what she's started, and to see things through.]
she feigns an expectant expression on her face, tilting her head just a little. she too wonders what he wishes to accomplish by following the path he's taken, the path conflicting hers. ]
Is that not what you hope for as well? [ a beat, as she twines their fingers together. ] Or is there something else you hope for? My death by your hands, perhaps?
Ending this war is never worth it if you have to sacrifice yourself along the way, Lumine.
[ five hundred years is a long time to rearrange one's priorities, but even then, Dainsleif finds himself in danger of being lured in by sentimentality. it has been so long since he once swore to be Lumine's knight, even more so when the two of them were able to stand side by side, and yet despite rejecting her invitation this time around, he wants nothing more than to go back to when things were a lot less complicated between the two of them.
he glances down at where their fingers are laced together, a faint whisper of how close they used to be. ]
There was once a prophet who asked me the very same thing. [ what is that strand of blonde hair to you? someone you must kill? ] Even until now, I have no answer to give.
All I know... If there is a way to save you, I will find it.
[ his hand grips hers tight, a gesture of reassurance and conviction, but it's hard to say whether the promise is being made to her or himself. ]
[ what sweet words, poised to take her heart and break it all over again.
she too once dreamed about returning to the life they once had. it was simpler, unworldly, their concerns circling around where to go, what to see, who to meet. she too longed for the time when he was still by her side, her steadfast knight. when feelings were tender and fleeting, pure. and had he uttered these words then, she might have held onto that promise with no hesitation or uncertainty.
perhaps that's the reality he needs to accept, the answer he needs to give to this prophet. this momentary reunion is just a respite of sorts, a reprieve from the harsh truth that one day, they'll find themselves on opposite sides of the war.
she lightly traces the glowing leylines on his arm, reminded of the irminsul trees that burrow deep into the abyss. even now, she still recalls the warmth beneath it, the lean muscles under his skin, the line of his arm that she used to draw a pathway along with her fingers. what she wouldn't give to have him by her side once more, but even she has to admit that she's already given enough. ]
And if saving me entails my death, what then?
[ she lifts her gaze back to his face. he's given her his word right here, in the presence of these false stars and mondstadt's winds; is he to betray her a second time? ]
Will you take my life with your own hands, or do you intend to pass this undertaking to my twin brother?
( ooc. it's so bad lately... idk what's up with it. )
[ they stand where the stars feel like they're within reach. if Dainsleif reaches up now, he might be able to grasp one of those fleeting, twinkling lights over their heads, as though it holds all the answers he currently seeks. he doesn't know what to tell Lumine, doesn't know how to say that this is something that has already crossed his mind — the inevitability of her death, in order to save her and everything else.
his eyes follow the trail of her fingers, all the way until she reaches where leylines intersect and crawl up his shoulder. the touch almost has meaning to it, a ghost of reminder of what they once had, but he understands the reality: it wouldn't be so easy to go back to what they used to be.
it wouldn't be so easy, and yet he knows he'll yearn for it regardless.
if only it was so easy to cut one's heart out to stop these useless feelings. ]
Your brother... Your brother's journey has only begun, and there is much to learn about Teyvat and its secrets.
[ it's a journey he and Lumine both undertook so many years ago, a journey that changed them both for the worse. even now, Dainsleif wouldn't be able to say where he truly stands. does he find fault in Lumine's actions? absolutely, it's why he continues to chase after her despite her constant refusals. but does he understand her reasonings?
that's where things start to get a little tricky.
he reaches forward, cursed hand tracing the outline of her face, down the side of her jaw. he would have tangled his fingers in her hair like he always used to do but he manages to keep himself from doing so. ]
If he comes to a decision at the end of his journey that I can accept, then I will stand down and let him choose your fate — but until then, that responsibility is mine alone.
[ a beat passes, followed by a gentle hush of Mondstadt's breeze. ]
We started this journey together, Lumine. I will not let you go through it alone.
( ooc: sorry for the delay, the holidays and post-holidays are a little terrible this year )
[ it's almost instinctive, the way her eyes flutter close at his touch. the way she leans against his hand as if captivated by the warmth spreading from his fingertips. it tells a story of what they were, what they once had been, what could have been if he did not pursue a path against her. and while they're more than aware of the impossibility of their desire to remain with each other, well ...
she lifts herself a little higher as she leans in closer to him, close enough to feel his warmth, his breath, before her lips curve to a crooked smile. what a greedy, possessive, selfish man he is, continuously refusing to relinquish his control over her and her heart, even more so now. ]
Girls don't like it when guys are too clingy, Dain.
[ a beat, before she pulls away from him, walking towards the cliff overlooking mondstadt and sitting on the edge, feet dangling over the crevasse. this moment reminds her far too much of their travels together, the sights of teyvat hitting a little near to the things she holds close in her chest. ]
... Why did you make contact with Aether? Did you mean to lure me out with him?
[ is this his way of gauging her twin's ability in some way? she can't tell. so much of what he does, she can never truly predict or tell anymore, and it's inwardly frustrating. ]
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no subject
it's tempting, she won't deny it. she's his enemy now, and he hersโand there will come a time when they'll both face each other off, a confrontation to determine who has the stronger will and stomach to kill the other. she supposes she can grant him her judgment now. and it's so easy, when she can simply summon her sword while he stands defenceless behind her.
but she stays her hand, fingers curling and nails digging into her palm. she makes a derisive sound again at his question, his remark, closing her eyes as if that would keep her from imagining what his face looks like that moment. ]
I never imagined an enemy of mine would one day ask how I would be faring.
[ lumine wants to ask him if that's how she looks like to him: exhausted and burdened by the weight to wage war against the gods and avenge a fallen nation. a weight that should've been his to bear, as khaenri'ah's twilight sword. why is he asking this of her now when she's been carrying out his duties for the past five hundred years?
if there's anyone to blame for her weariness, isn't it him?
the acid lingers on her tongue and she wants to spit it out at him, but once more, she swallows the words down. even now, even centuries after they've gone their separate ways, he can all the same sway her against her uncontrollable impulses and temper her fire.
she lifts her gaze to the sky. as always, the false stars above teyvat are blinding, unlike the neverending darkness in the abyss. quietly, almost imperceptibly: ]
Sleep has never come easily to me since that day. I'm used to it by now.
no subject
golden and bright, just as Lumine always is — is she someone he must kill? or the object of his penitence? the line between the two had blurred together so many years ago that it's hard to say which is which anymore. Dainsleif can't deny that the guilt he feels for betraying Lumine is heavy, settled right there in his ribs like shackles around his heart, but he knows just as well what it means for them if she continues to walk right into hell with the abyss.
it would be unavoidable, inevitable, for both of them to draw each other's swords on one another. just as Lumine can never forgive the gods for what they've done, Dainsleif can't allow the Abyss Order to continue to wage their war against fate, dragging Lumine along for the ride. once upon a time, they were travelling companions, friends, but right here and now, they are enemies.
it would have been so easy for her to turn around and sink her blade into his chest, but the fact that she didn't, the fact that she gave him an answer rather than trying to cut things short has his breath feeling much lighter. ]
Because of nightmares?
[ it was a horrific sight, after all, what they both saw. the collapse of the pride of humanity is something that will forever be seared into his memory, something that will linger even if everything else surrounding it has all but faded. it wouldn't be so surprising if she wakes up in the middle of the night after being caught reliving that moment in a cruel dream.
he understands how difficult it must be, because the very same happens to him. ]
Then before they come for you, you should rest. I'll stand watch just like before.
[ perhaps it's foolish of him to think she'll accept this so easily, but given where they are now, he figures it wouldn't hurt to try. ]
no subject
does he truly believe that she'll let her guard down, allow him to slip a blade between her ribs, and essentially end his war against the abyss order? she might have been foolish years and years ago, but five hundred years is more than enough time to stamp out a rose-coloured view of teyvat the gods. dainleif should know her better than anyone else, but he still asks her of this. foolish, indeed.
lumine turns around to look at him, a sliver of white and gold reflected in those depths of deep blue. those eyes of his have always been beautiful, even now when they're framed by lines of exhaustion and the passing of time.
softly, curiously: ] Why are you doing this, Dain?
[ she tilts her head and lifts a hand, brushing her fingertips against his cheek. his skin is cold, seemingly made of ice beneath her palm. but that's just like him; khaenri'ah's twilight sword has always been made of stone, unmoving and persistent. ]
Do you enjoy the mental and emotional torment our reunion brings you, or is this perhaps your way of expressing your cruelty?
[ she's done her best to give him a wide berth since their separation, always taking several steps ahead to deliberately avoid himโfor both him and herself. you'd think he'd already gotten the point after all these years, intelligent as he is. still, he continuously seeks for her, binding himself to the memory of a girl that's no longer here and a dream that's faded so long ago.
it's too late for us, she wants to tell him. but only her fingers can express the words, a gesture along the line of his jaw that one might misconstrue as a lover's caress before she pulls her hand away. ]
no subject
[ an even-toned murmur, hushed words mixing in with sadness and regret that are centuries old. it's a question that doesn't really need an answer.
he doesn't dare to close his eyes when she turns around to face him, keeps the night-blue hues locked on golden ones. she is so much like the sun and that's all he really needs to know that the fractures they've created on whatever they used to be, fragile as it already was, can never be truly mended. it wouldn't be magically fixed even if he manages to earn her forgiveness.
after all, he has to learn to forgive himself too.
it's too late for us, he can see the way she's trying to say it in her eyes, the way she caresses the side of his face as if nothing was wrong. it's too late for them, he knows that, he knows, but a desperate part of him doesn't want to give up on her.
if he does, then what is left to hope for? ]
Can one truly call this cruelty... or is it simply wishful thinking at this point? Regardless of what it is, I won't give up on you.
[ he's failed her once before. he doesn't intend to let it happen again. ]
no subject
she doesn't even think that he's ever expected this to work in the first place, to be able to snatch her away from her usual keepers and ward them off. it shows in the lack of surety of his words, the heaviness in his steps. so really, what answer can he give her to that question?
but oh my, what sincere words from him, she thinks with a press of her lips. centuries have passed, and it seems that he hasn't changed in that regard, at leastโexcept perhaps for the look of wretchedness in his eyes that coils around her heart and squeezes it tight. makes her work for every breath as she continues to hold his gaze.
honestly, does he know what he does to her? ]
But isn't it heartless to let me hope that you'll stand by my side again?
[ facetious words on her part, especially after his betrayal of her, but maybe that will dissuade him from continuing this folly. chasing after her like this, unwilling to concede defeatโwhat's the point of wasting his years on her when the both of them are aware of the different paths they've taken since khaenri'ah's fall?
she lets a cruel smile tug at her lips as she reaches out to him once more, cold fingers curving against his cheeks and sinking into his hair. ]
Won't you become my knight once more, Dain?
[ say no. please, say no. ]
no subject
it doesn't suit her at all, he thinks, but these are words that will never be said out loud. ]
You know I can't. Even if I wanted to... [ what he wouldn't do to be by her sixe once again— ] Even if I said yes, it wouldn't be the same.
[ you wouldn't trust me, not like before.
despite his words, he reaches up to grab ahold of her hand, the one framing his face. Lumine's hands may be cold but Dainsleif's continues to be warm and steady, holding onto her with no intention of letting go. ]
What are you hoping to accomplish by the end of this, Lumine?
[ she said it was her war against destiny, but there must be something more than that. something he can't quite grasp.
maybe if he understands, then he'll know what to do in order to bring her back. ]
no subject
good, lumine thinks. that's good. perhaps he has grown and changed even a little throughout these centuries, after allโeven if he continuously tries to chase after her. ]
What else would I be hoping for other than the fall of the gods and an end to this war?
[ to end this nightmare, perhaps. to reunite with her twin, to leave teyvat, to continue with their journey. 500 years, and there's a small part of her that has become exhausted, willing to reach out to her twin brother and simply leave this world. another part of her compels her to stay, to finish what she's started, and to see things through.]
she feigns an expectant expression on her face, tilting her head just a little. she too wonders what he wishes to accomplish by following the path he's taken, the path conflicting hers. ]
Is that not what you hope for as well? [ a beat, as she twines their fingers together. ] Or is there something else you hope for? My death by your hands, perhaps?
no subject
Ending this war is never worth it if you have to sacrifice yourself along the way, Lumine.
[ five hundred years is a long time to rearrange one's priorities, but even then, Dainsleif finds himself in danger of being lured in by sentimentality. it has been so long since he once swore to be Lumine's knight, even more so when the two of them were able to stand side by side, and yet despite rejecting her invitation this time around, he wants nothing more than to go back to when things were a lot less complicated between the two of them.
he glances down at where their fingers are laced together, a faint whisper of how close they used to be. ]
There was once a prophet who asked me the very same thing. [ what is that strand of blonde hair to you? someone you must kill? ] Even until now, I have no answer to give.
All I know... If there is a way to save you, I will find it.
[ his hand grips hers tight, a gesture of reassurance and conviction, but it's hard to say whether the promise is being made to her or himself. ]
no subject
[ what sweet words, poised to take her heart and break it all over again.
she too once dreamed about returning to the life they once had. it was simpler, unworldly, their concerns circling around where to go, what to see, who to meet. she too longed for the time when he was still by her side, her steadfast knight. when feelings were tender and fleeting, pure. and had he uttered these words then, she might have held onto that promise with no hesitation or uncertainty.
perhaps that's the reality he needs to accept, the answer he needs to give to this prophet. this momentary reunion is just a respite of sorts, a reprieve from the harsh truth that one day, they'll find themselves on opposite sides of the war.
she lightly traces the glowing leylines on his arm, reminded of the irminsul trees that burrow deep into the abyss. even now, she still recalls the warmth beneath it, the lean muscles under his skin, the line of his arm that she used to draw a pathway along with her fingers. what she wouldn't give to have him by her side once more, but even she has to admit that she's already given enough. ]
And if saving me entails my death, what then?
[ she lifts her gaze back to his face. he's given her his word right here, in the presence of these false stars and mondstadt's winds; is he to betray her a second time? ]
Will you take my life with your own hands, or do you intend to pass this undertaking to my twin brother?
no subject
[ they stand where the stars feel like they're within reach. if Dainsleif reaches up now, he might be able to grasp one of those fleeting, twinkling lights over their heads, as though it holds all the answers he currently seeks. he doesn't know what to tell Lumine, doesn't know how to say that this is something that has already crossed his mind — the inevitability of her death, in order to save her and everything else.
his eyes follow the trail of her fingers, all the way until she reaches where leylines intersect and crawl up his shoulder. the touch almost has meaning to it, a ghost of reminder of what they once had, but he understands the reality: it wouldn't be so easy to go back to what they used to be.
it wouldn't be so easy, and yet he knows he'll yearn for it regardless.
if only it was so easy to cut one's heart out to stop these useless feelings. ]
Your brother... Your brother's journey has only begun, and there is much to learn about Teyvat and its secrets.
[ it's a journey he and Lumine both undertook so many years ago, a journey that changed them both for the worse. even now, Dainsleif wouldn't be able to say where he truly stands. does he find fault in Lumine's actions? absolutely, it's why he continues to chase after her despite her constant refusals. but does he understand her reasonings?
that's where things start to get a little tricky.
he reaches forward, cursed hand tracing the outline of her face, down the side of her jaw. he would have tangled his fingers in her hair like he always used to do but he manages to keep himself from doing so. ]
If he comes to a decision at the end of his journey that I can accept, then I will stand down and let him choose your fate — but until then, that responsibility is mine alone.
[ a beat passes, followed by a gentle hush of Mondstadt's breeze. ]
We started this journey together, Lumine. I will not let you go through it alone.
no subject
[ it's almost instinctive, the way her eyes flutter close at his touch. the way she leans against his hand as if captivated by the warmth spreading from his fingertips. it tells a story of what they were, what they once had been, what could have been if he did not pursue a path against her. and while they're more than aware of the impossibility of their desire to remain with each other, well ...
she lifts herself a little higher as she leans in closer to him, close enough to feel his warmth, his breath, before her lips curve to a crooked smile. what a greedy, possessive, selfish man he is, continuously refusing to relinquish his control over her and her heart, even more so now. ]
Girls don't like it when guys are too clingy, Dain.
[ a beat, before she pulls away from him, walking towards the cliff overlooking mondstadt and sitting on the edge, feet dangling over the crevasse. this moment reminds her far too much of their travels together, the sights of teyvat hitting a little near to the things she holds close in her chest. ]
... Why did you make contact with Aether? Did you mean to lure me out with him?
[ is this his way of gauging her twin's ability in some way? she can't tell. so much of what he does, she can never truly predict or tell anymore, and it's inwardly frustrating. ]