[ 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
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. ]