seasonsrpg | 🔥 Permanent Catch-All 🔥

[He watches Childe test the 'barrier' out of the corner of his eye and does not venture to make a fool of himself by doing the same thing. The reciting of that old Liyue saying just pulls a soft, almost disbelieving 'ktch' sound from the redheaded man as he leans against the railing of the bridge with his arms folded across his chest.

Diluc does not want to look at the other man again, but he has a feeling that he's not going to have much of a choice in the matter if they're going to deal with whatever trickery is being pushed upon them now.]

Enough. Clearly something is expected of us here.

[Old Liyue sayings, he thinks, are probably not going to be the answer.]

Congratulations, it seems that you're going to get my cooperation after all. [Not that fight, though, sorry Childe.] So, now what.

[Childe smirks; he's sure Diluc would rather jump off the bridge than have to work with him on something, but thanks to the magic of the bridge, it doesn't seem like the man is getting a choice in the matter. He doesn't mind, he's used to this kind of treatment anyway, and this just makes everything a little more amusing.

But the truth of the matter is is that he doesn't really know what to do, but putting their heads together is what's going to get the out of here and Tartaglia knows it.]

Taking a look of what we have in front of us is a good start, if you ask me. The only thing that's changed here is the light that shines on us now and the barrier in place, in addition to the effect it's had on both of us. Now, I've never heard of anyone starving and dying on this bridge, have you?

[That wasn't in the briefing that he remembers, at least.]

Edited (spelling ughrhg) 2023-05-10 00:44 (UTC)

[The thought does cross his mind but, unfortunately, he doesn't think it's going to be that easy. As for putting their heads together he makes no assumptions on the level of Childe's intelligence... but they do say 'two heads are better than one' for a reason, do they not? For the moment he's just going to have to put his animosity aside and deal with the other man with some measure of civility for long enough to get out of this.

Now if he could just stand to look at him without seeing things in him that he would rather not have to think about...]

No, but I have never heard of what is happening at the moment to happen on this bridge, either.

[He should have expected it, really. Introducing an unknown element into an unusual situation, what did they think was going to happen? Of course it would go wrong.

Diluc lets out a frustrated little groan and rakes one hand through his hair. Restless. He dislikes feeling trapped like this.]

You're not suggesting we wait it out, are you?

[He'd say it was amusing to see Diluc frustrated at the entire situation, but the fact does remain that they do have to figure out the puzzle to the bridge. If they don't, they might be the first ones to starve and die here after all.]

No, it's unlikely that waiting it out is going to help us any. It's more likely that the solution involved the magic being used here- that being the fact that when I look at you, I see you in an entirely different light.

[He peers at Diluc, now actually amused at how the redhead still won't look at him.]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that what you see is the same as me...and that's why you won't look at me anymore.

[He doesn't react too much to the accusation but the reaction is definitely there. The faint curl of his lip - there and gone in a moment - and the way the top of his jaw tenses as his hands briefly curl into fists.]

And if it is? It's an illusion.

[No, he will absolutely not believe or admit that he and this man have anything in common. It's completely unthinkable and the fact he saw it right in front of him is nothing more than a ridiculous illusion cast by this bridge.

Ugh, he never should have come here.]

What do you want from me, Tartaglia. Just speak plainly, I don't have the patience for games.

[He snorts a laugh through his nose as he pops himself up on the railing of the bridge, relaxing and enjoying how Diluc's hands curl in and his patience wears even thinner. The Harbinger seems completely unbothered by this situation, as it doesn't seem to be hurting them in any fashion, but underneath the surface he is curious to know what it is that Diluc sees when he looks at him.]

Alright. Why don't you just follow my lead instead; I don't think you're going to enjoy hearing what I want, and it's hardly fair for me to demand something of you without giving you an incentive first. So I'll start.

[Childe believes that once they know what each other is looking at, they can solve the mystery behind the bridge and free themselves from it. But the first step is going to be the hardest one in his opinion- getting Diluc to work with him.]

Illusion or not, what I see in front of me is a bit of myself that also resides in you- a strong will to protect the ones we hold dearest in our hearts, a deep love for our country and its people, as well as a few other things. Write it off as an illusion all you want, but these are simply basic truths about ourselves. But there's more- what else do you see when you look at me, Diluc? You can say it- I'm not ashamed of who I am.

[It would be true to say he would be agitated to be stuck like this with anyone but the fact it's Tartaglia definitely makes it worse in so many ways. He doesn't think the other man will attack him and nor does he doubt his own ability to defend himself should it unexpectedly come to that... it's more that every word that comes out of him hits Diluc's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

He can feel himself bristling, still, even with the awareness that there's really no need for it. The situation they are in is undoubtedly a vulnerable one and he expects that Tartaglia recognises that just as much as he does.

If he could just walk away from this and leave his current companion wanting for answers he would, but he has to begrudgingly admit that there is a good point being made. Whatever it was that he had seen - what they are both seeing - is being shown to them for a reason.

Funny, though, that Tartaglia should mention shame. He finally looks over at him, raking him up and down with vivid crimson eyes, and as much as he would have wished to see the monster he would like to believe this man is - that they all are - instead of something so very relatable to himself he wonders just what it is that the young Harbinger expects him to be being shown.]

... More that I recognise as a reflection of myself than I would have anticipated.

[He looks away then, but he's not done. Diluc loosely folds his arms and curls his fingers around his elbows.]

Everything you just said, and more. The dark parts of your life that you carefully keep hidden from those you love so they aren't hurt by knowing. A level of innocent lost, maybe earlier than it should have been. [A soft breath puffs out through his nose.]

Do you want to hear me say we aren't that different?

[There's a part of him that's surprised to hear Diluc say it, expecting more pushback and more stubbornness on the matter. Tartaglia is under no illusion to how much Diluc despises the Fatui, and himself as well by not only association but his rank to boot. But to hear him say that, to correctly describe exactly the terror and dark secrets of his past is humbling and enlightening. He knows about Diluc's loss, he doesn't need to ask why the two of them share something so deeply scarring, even if the circumstances between both of them are wildly different, even though the two of them ended up walking completely different paths in life.

So he chuckles softly, a different kind of laugh than the arrogant one he lets out when challenging his enemies or the sly one when he's successfully put a plan together that will be carried out in the Tsaritsa's name.]

Well, even if I think that phrase is a bit cliche, I wasn't expecting it per se...

[He shrugs as he slides down off of the railing to approach Diluc, hands spread out in a non-threatening manner.]

...but I think I can safely say we understand each other a little better now, wouldn't you agree? Sometimes, all life is is the opposite side of a coin...and hopefully, now that we've been able to see this, we can use it to lower the barrier and really figure out the mystery of this bridge.

[He could have stood there and said nothing, but he's smart enough to realise that that isn't going to get them anywhere. He could have lied, but that probably wouldn't work either. Diluc isn't a fool - being honest about what he saw is probably going to be the best idea and Childe, at least, is not the worst Harbinger he could be stuck here with. If it had been certain others they would have been fighting from the moment he laid eyes on them.

When Childe approaches him he doesn't back off, but he does fold his arms, and the corners of his eyes pinch slightly as he watches the younger man. He might have been open about what he saw but he is clearly not intending to let his guard down in the slightest.]

Fine.

[He does step away from Childe then, though it's only to reach out one hand and touch his fingertips against the barrier.]

If they knew this was going to happen I'm going to be having some words with the people in charge. [Diluc does not like being a guinea pig, thank you very much.] What else is there..? Hmm.

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