[ as another week passes and new one arrives, diluc finds himself lost again. a new city, with new sights, and new people. his roommate is also different this week, unlike last...but that's not important right now.
he gets exploring, wandering the canals outside the mansion. canopus flies a bit ahead of him, finding a bench to perch on, as she's an owl right now.
this is where you'll find him, standing and looking at the litter of colorful glass. ooo shiny. ]
[ xie lian is doing the same as diluc this fine monday - exploring, getting a lay of the land. each new location brings new surprises, after all, and he wants to know the lay of the place.
he sees canopus first, and then tilts his head and spots diluc, brightening a little at the sight. his ferret chitters excitedly, leaping off of xie lian's shoulder, and transforms into a qilin so he can pad over to canopus faster and greet him. ]
Hello, Mr. Diluc! [ with a little bow. ] What've you found...?
[ you blink. in front of you are familiar faces, those of your fellow knights, regulars at the tavern, and most important of all, your father. you’re at Angel’s Share celebrating your coming of age! you’re an adult now, so surely you will want to have a drink or two to celebrate! but you politely decline, as you are still on duty, as calvary captain you must behave in a knightly manner! but you agree to have drinks sometime, in the comfort of your own home, which your father so generously offers.
it was a nice celebration, but Crepus calls out to you, the clouds are rolling in so it’s best to head home now, before the rain starts.
you’re steering the carriage, knowing the way back to the winery like the back of your hand, when your father peeks out from inside. he’s going on, again, about how he also wanted to be a knight when he was your age. but he failed in doing so, after all the gods had different plans for him. you keep your eyes on the road ahead, telling him not to belittle himself in that way, after all he does plenty for the knights and for the city!
then you’re struck with a warm feeling, as your father speaks again, I’m so proud of you, my son.
the next sentence Crepus speaks is deafened and soon after is when things take a change for the worse.
in a matter of seconds you find yourself thrown from your seat on the carriage. now faced with a great dragon, one that you immediately recognize as Ursa the Drake. you try to fight it off, with help from some of the winery staff that had come with you to town, but in moments they’re all lying on the ground. some unconscious and some...dead. you’re propped up against the back of the carriage, clutching your side, trying to numb the pain, stop the bleeding, anything. you’re staring death in the face and it’s staring back.
this may be your end, but then your father is there. he’s wearing some kind of strange glove, it’s something you’ve never seen before. what is it?
dark purple and red chains fly out of a glyph that appears around Crepus’ arm, shooting at Ursa and wrapping around him. what is this power? and how? you find yourself with so many questions.
there’s a sudden FLASH of light and the dragon begins to ROAR and thrash uncontrollably. your father is in front of you immediately, shielding you from any oncoming blows. there's a splash of crimson.
the rain is falling hard and everything is white noise. you’re on your knees, holding your father in your arms.
WHAT DO I DO!!?? you find yourself thinking frantically, as your hands shake, eyes wide and unable to look anywhere but your father. he speaks, thankful that you’re safe and he’s sorry. sorry to have to leave you like this. you are his pride and joy, he’s so proud of you.
you’re scrambling, telling him it will be okay, you’ll get him to the church where the healers can help. everything will be alright! don’t die don’t dieDON’T DIE
he’s slowly disappearing in your arms. his body seeming to turn to ashes and dissolve in the rain. he’s gone. your father has left you.
you stare down at your blood soaked gloves, hot tears streaming down your face as you try to make sense of it all.
[ xie lian is intensely, intensely empathetic, and coming free of a memory like this surprises him - he takes a soft, sharp breath as the vision and the music start to fade, and his heart just aches in his chest. there are many things he doesn't understand, about diluc and kaeya's realm, but the way diluc felt - the way xie lian felt - when his father defended him resonates so deeply that it leaves him momentarily stunned.
he thinks about feng xin, breaking his own arm.
the loss - and the feeling of helplessness, of being powerless- resonates like he's been punched in the gut.
(what's it like? to have a father who shows pride. xie lian isn't sure if he would've liked that more or less than his own - he and his father butted heads so often. still do, even now, but he's learned from the firebrand mistakes of his youth, and he's tried to understand, and seeing diluc's father die like that makes xie lian miss his own, almost desperately.)
after a long moment of processing, xie lian reaches out, fingers curling in the air, before he gently touches diluc's arm. ]
... Mr. Diluc. [ his voice is soft, as ever. ] ... It is a memory.
[ the music had long since faded and the memory gone, but he found himself stuck there, staring and...crying?? there sure were tears running down his face.
reliving the worst day of your life does that to you. ]
...OH [ xie lian's touch bring him back, he looks at him apologetically. ]
I'm sorry...I got caught up in it...
[ he rubs at his face, taking a deep breath to collect himself. ]
[ oh the tears make xie lian look so immediately worried. he fusses around in his sleeve for a moment as he pulls his hand back, and eventually offers diluc a small silk handkerchief. ]
Here - no, please don't apologize. That you have lost something so dear to you... I am sorry that you had to experience such a thing.
[ these words are very, very genuine and gentle, as he clasps his hands back in front of himself. san lang looks to canopus, immediately worried, too, hopping off of xie lian's shoulder and going to find his friend. ]
It was not your fault. But - to feel powerless and frustrated in such a situation... it is only natural to think that it is.
[ he takes the handkerchief and gets rid of the mess on his face. he doesn't tend to show emotion like that, these shards really are powerful. he takes a breath. ]
Thank you, Xie Lian. I greatly appreciate it.
[ canopus is at diluc's feet, greeting the ferret with a gentle head butt, she's thankful for the concern. ]
I spent 4 years searching for answers, saw many things during that time. Many lessons were learned along the way, shaping me as I am today.
[ xl has always been so easy to talk to? diluc is fond. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
week 2, monday
he gets exploring, wandering the canals outside the mansion. canopus flies a bit ahead of him, finding a bench to perch on, as she's an owl right now.
this is where you'll find him, standing and looking at the litter of colorful glass. ooo shiny. ]
no subject
he sees canopus first, and then tilts his head and spots diluc, brightening a little at the sight. his ferret chitters excitedly, leaping off of xie lian's shoulder, and transforms into a qilin so he can pad over to canopus faster and greet him. ]
Hello, Mr. Diluc! [ with a little bow. ] What've you found...?
[ hit me with that good good memory please ]
1/2
he returns the small bow. ] Good to see you, Xie Lian.
Canopus was attracted to these shards of stained glass [ he's reaching into his bag to pull one out when everything freezes and goes silent.
drum roll aaaaaaaaaaaaaand ]
2/2
it was a nice celebration, but Crepus calls out to you, the clouds are rolling in so it’s best to head home now, before the rain starts.
you’re steering the carriage, knowing the way back to the winery like the back of your hand, when your father peeks out from inside. he’s going on, again, about how he also wanted to be a knight when he was your age. but he failed in doing so, after all the gods had different plans for him. you keep your eyes on the road ahead, telling him not to belittle himself in that way, after all he does plenty for the knights and for the city!
then you’re struck with a warm feeling, as your father speaks again, I’m so proud of you, my son.
the next sentence Crepus speaks is deafened and soon after is when things take a change for the worse.
in a matter of seconds you find yourself thrown from your seat on the carriage. now faced with a great dragon, one that you immediately recognize as Ursa the Drake. you try to fight it off, with help from some of the winery staff that had come with you to town, but in moments they’re all lying on the ground. some unconscious and some...dead. you’re propped up against the back of the carriage, clutching your side, trying to numb the pain, stop the bleeding, anything. you’re staring death in the face and it’s staring back.
this may be your end, but then your father is there. he’s wearing some kind of strange glove, it’s something you’ve never seen before. what is it?
dark purple and red chains fly out of a glyph that appears around Crepus’ arm, shooting at Ursa and wrapping around him. what is this power? and how? you find yourself with so many questions.
there’s a sudden FLASH of light and the dragon begins to ROAR and thrash uncontrollably. your father is in front of you immediately, shielding you from any oncoming blows. there's a splash of crimson.
You defeated it...now we can-
Father?
the rain is falling hard and everything is white noise. you’re on your knees, holding your father in your arms.
WHAT DO I DO!!?? you find yourself thinking frantically, as your hands shake, eyes wide and unable to look anywhere but your father. he speaks, thankful that you’re safe and he’s sorry. sorry to have to leave you like this. you are his pride and joy, he’s so proud of you.
you’re scrambling, telling him it will be okay, you’ll get him to the church where the healers can help. everything will be alright! don’t die don’t die DON’T DIE
he’s slowly disappearing in your arms. his body seeming to turn to ashes and dissolve in the rain. he’s gone. your father has left you.
you stare down at your blood soaked gloves, hot tears streaming down your face as you try to make sense of it all.
Everything happened so fast…
Why…?
Why couldn’t I do anything to stop it? ]
Father...
no subject
he thinks about feng xin, breaking his own arm.
the loss - and the feeling of helplessness, of being powerless- resonates like he's been punched in the gut.
(what's it like? to have a father who shows pride. xie lian isn't sure if he would've liked that more or less than his own - he and his father butted heads so often. still do, even now, but he's learned from the firebrand mistakes of his youth, and he's tried to understand, and seeing diluc's father die like that makes xie lian miss his own, almost desperately.)
after a long moment of processing, xie lian reaches out, fingers curling in the air, before he gently touches diluc's arm. ]
... Mr. Diluc. [ his voice is soft, as ever. ] ... It is a memory.
no subject
reliving the worst day of your life does that to you. ]
...OH [ xie lian's touch bring him back, he looks at him apologetically. ]
I'm sorry...I got caught up in it...
[ he rubs at his face, taking a deep breath to collect himself. ]
Sorry that you had to see that...
no subject
Here - no, please don't apologize. That you have lost something so dear to you... I am sorry that you had to experience such a thing.
[ these words are very, very genuine and gentle, as he clasps his hands back in front of himself. san lang looks to canopus, immediately worried, too, hopping off of xie lian's shoulder and going to find his friend. ]
It was not your fault. But - to feel powerless and frustrated in such a situation... it is only natural to think that it is.
no subject
Thank you, Xie Lian. I greatly appreciate it.
[ canopus is at diluc's feet, greeting the ferret with a gentle head butt, she's thankful for the concern. ]
I spent 4 years searching for answers, saw many things during that time. Many lessons were learned along the way, shaping me as I am today.
[ xl has always been so easy to talk to? diluc is fond. ]