[ talk about a fever pitch. ryuu almost feels as though he'd gotten used to the incandescent temperatures clutched about the city like the jaws of an animal over its prey - almost. the heat had quickly gone from summery to sweltering, more than enough to exploit his sapphire's weakness. its element was soothing water, yes, but also rigid ice, and ryuu guesses too late that the ice aspect is what's making it so hard to cope. it's been frustrating to go from sun-tolerant to easily overexerted, but that's why ryuu is somewhere familiar. though he's made a space for himself in sumarlok, the islands of marilla are like a little taste of home. blue skies, open air, white sands. the heat isn't kind even in this paradise, but ryuu makes do.
by spending nearly the whole day beneath the surface of the rolling waves, using his gem's ability to breathe underwater to escape the scorching air. he bankrupts his manna in the process, but it's a small price to pay. in comparison, the beachside cabana he'd rented was not a small price to pay, but you know.
of course, even with the use of the sapphire embedded into the small of his back, he's still only human. he can't stay submerged forever. it's only when dusk befalls the island and a breeze roves the beach that he comes up and back onto the alcove shoreline. it's no where near as temperate as he's used to, but with the sky darkening into a tropical sunset gradient, the air in turn becomes thick and balmy rather than fierce and feverish. in swim bottoms and with his shirt in hand, ryuu walks the beach for a while while he drip dries, head mostly empty of thoughts other than the breeze drifting over his skin. dense salt and speckles of sand cling to him, making him think going back into the water might actually be the better idea. waves crest at his ankles - he knows the tides are rising with the moon. he walks the short distance further to his cabana where he'd left some personal effects behind to show someone was staying there. nothing too valuable, as he'd left the curtains tied wide open to keep the place cool in his absence.
it's only when he realizes that his footprints aren't the only ones leading up to it in the sand that he blinks away some of the heat haze, gold eyes flicking upwards to pin on the source. it's not a silhouette he immediately recognizes, but on an alien planet with so many others in a predicament just like his, that's not so surprising anymore. ]
- oh... hello? [ a tentative but inoffensive enough venture - ryuu notices that the air temperature has spiked. ] Is everything okay?
[ What is it that brought him here, he wonders. Through the static flustering his mind into flurries of nothing, he assumes the ocean is the reason—it must be familiar. A safe-haven of sorts— maybe just a place to let himself loose for a bit. These islands are vast, though, how did he end up coming upon this little cabana? Was he hopping there might be someone he could get to sate this roaring need electrocuting through him in constant pulses from the brilliant red gem at the nape of his neck? Childe isn't sure himself, but it seems there isn't an individual here at the moment (which is probably good.)
However, just as quickly, he suddenly becomes aware of the presence of another, which ... well, perhaps he may yet be able to control the aching need to literally jump anyone. Slowly turning around, his deep blue eyes immediately go to meet gold ones— and that just about seals the deal on his intentions because damn does he ever have a fondness for eyes of that color. Shit, why. ]
Not really. [ He admits it easily. It's too much effort and focus to bother playing coy. Still, despite his thoughts, he refrains from making any moves.
In fact, Childe brings a hand up to ever so gently flap his fingers in a wave to one side in a move-over-and-out-of-my-way fashion. ]
Ahem. Do you mind... scooting a good deal to the side so I can walk by you without jumping you for sex? [ He clears his throat, closing his eyes as his body starts throwing a tantrum over the fact he's trying to be a nice guy about this rather than just get himself some much needed relief. He's very deliberate to emphasize it as sex rather than simply synchrony so this other gets that he's really unstable at the moment, and no cutesy demonstrations of affection are on the table for being able to fix it.
Basically, he's really dangerous, especially towards pretty faces with pretty eyes. ]
Kind of dealing with some stuff... which you've probably seen before here in this place.
[ honesty usually has a sating effect on his nerves. he values it, keeps it at his core like a shield off of which bad intentions can bounce. yet an honesty like this mingles the two in a way that leaves him temporarily speechless, expression pulling in surprise and then furrowing again before he casts it aside quickly, like he shouldn't be witnessing it. cheeky, yet brutal, a threat wearing the soft veneer of a warning... lucky that he's already warm enough to be red-cheeked, but the stranger's words make the color flood all the way up to the tips of his ears.
not because he hasn't heard it before, but because he has. he's realizing it now, the charge in the air that's making the breeze prickle at his skin rather than soothe it. he swallows down the heartbeat thick in his throat, the electric needling that digs at his chest. his sapphire interferes, its gentle glow kneading at his apprehension. ]
...yeah, I've seen it. Sorry. [ spoken low and clear, his carefulness and curiosity mingled. ] You have - a Ruby?
[ he guesses, even when he doesn't have to. ryuu does step aside, though it's less getting out of the way and more an inquisitive arc in the sand that has its own gravitational push and pull, his attention never leaving the other man. he knows he told him to get lost and not to start a conversation, but the cadence of his approach gives him away. ]
[ The Harbinger watches the other, his eyes already dark with lust, but he seems able to at least maintain some sort of control as he does shift himself to observe the other rather than having to bolt off. Childe doesn't yet move to leave, sensing that this person isn't going to simply let him leave without attempting some form of communication. He personally doesn't know this push and pull of the two gems, but later it'll make sense to him as clearly as the elements. ]
I do. [ It's said with purpose, as if confirming that the Ruby is responsible for everything and it's unstoppable at this point, so this individual expects no way out of this scenario if he doesn't bother to listen. Also, there may be a little bit of blame shifting to relieve any potentially guilty feelings ver that whatever happens will be on his hands.
It's not his fault if the gem is impossible to stop, right? He's telling this person straight.
That trailed-off sentence from the other sparks something in him, though, as if realizing —well, realizing two things, really. It's so typical, he thinks, someone in theory doesn't want to press anything upon him, but they feel they hang to do it anyway. Like Zhongli had no desire to make him doubt everything between them... but did it anyway.
Why?
Well, of course he knows why (and in a rational non-emotional sense, too), but his bitterness twists it to simply be that Childe wasn't worth acting a different way for.
The similarity equally fuels his desire as much as his displeasure. He doesn't look angry, but the smile gracing his lips is a little unsettling as he chuckles. ]
Ohh... Aha, hmmmm, let me guess~. You're the type that ultimately cares more about everyone than yourself, and you're afraid if I leave without doing anything to you that someone else who is less capable of dealing with the situation will be who has to suffer when I finally snap.
[ Canting his head to one side, he sighs, reaching for the mask hanging to the side of his head thoughtfully. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
▴ childe (event)
by spending nearly the whole day beneath the surface of the rolling waves, using his gem's ability to breathe underwater to escape the scorching air. he bankrupts his manna in the process, but it's a small price to pay. in comparison, the beachside cabana he'd rented was not a small price to pay, but you know.
of course, even with the use of the sapphire embedded into the small of his back, he's still only human. he can't stay submerged forever. it's only when dusk befalls the island and a breeze roves the beach that he comes up and back onto the alcove shoreline. it's no where near as temperate as he's used to, but with the sky darkening into a tropical sunset gradient, the air in turn becomes thick and balmy rather than fierce and feverish. in swim bottoms and with his shirt in hand, ryuu walks the beach for a while while he drip dries, head mostly empty of thoughts other than the breeze drifting over his skin. dense salt and speckles of sand cling to him, making him think going back into the water might actually be the better idea. waves crest at his ankles - he knows the tides are rising with the moon. he walks the short distance further to his cabana where he'd left some personal effects behind to show someone was staying there. nothing too valuable, as he'd left the curtains tied wide open to keep the place cool in his absence.
it's only when he realizes that his footprints aren't the only ones leading up to it in the sand that he blinks away some of the heat haze, gold eyes flicking upwards to pin on the source. it's not a silhouette he immediately recognizes, but on an alien planet with so many others in a predicament just like his, that's not so surprising anymore. ]
- oh... hello? [ a tentative but inoffensive enough venture - ryuu notices that the air temperature has spiked. ] Is everything okay?
no subject
However, just as quickly, he suddenly becomes aware of the presence of another, which ... well, perhaps he may yet be able to control the aching need to literally jump anyone. Slowly turning around, his deep blue eyes immediately go to meet gold ones— and that just about seals the deal on his intentions because damn does he ever have a fondness for eyes of that color. Shit, why. ]
Not really. [ He admits it easily. It's too much effort and focus to bother playing coy. Still, despite his thoughts, he refrains from making any moves.
In fact, Childe brings a hand up to ever so gently flap his fingers in a wave to one side in a move-over-and-out-of-my-way fashion. ]
Ahem. Do you mind... scooting a good deal to the side so I can walk by you without jumping you for sex? [ He clears his throat, closing his eyes as his body starts throwing a tantrum over the fact he's trying to be a nice guy about this rather than just get himself some much needed relief. He's very deliberate to emphasize it as sex rather than simply synchrony so this other gets that he's really unstable at the moment, and no cutesy demonstrations of affection are on the table for being able to fix it.
Basically, he's really dangerous, especially towards pretty faces with pretty eyes. ]
Kind of dealing with some stuff... which you've probably seen before here in this place.
sorry for the delay! moving woes
not because he hasn't heard it before, but because he has. he's realizing it now, the charge in the air that's making the breeze prickle at his skin rather than soothe it. he swallows down the heartbeat thick in his throat, the electric needling that digs at his chest. his sapphire interferes, its gentle glow kneading at his apprehension. ]
...yeah, I've seen it. Sorry. [ spoken low and clear, his carefulness and curiosity mingled. ] You have - a Ruby?
[ he guesses, even when he doesn't have to. ryuu does step aside, though it's less getting out of the way and more an inquisitive arc in the sand that has its own gravitational push and pull, his attention never leaving the other man. he knows he told him to get lost and not to start a conversation, but the cadence of his approach gives him away. ]
I don't want to make it tough on you, but...
[ he is worried, and not just for his own sake. ]
Hee no worries, worth the wait. ♥
I do. [ It's said with purpose, as if confirming that the Ruby is responsible for everything and it's unstoppable at this point, so this individual expects no way out of this scenario if he doesn't bother to listen. Also, there may be a little bit of blame shifting to relieve any potentially guilty feelings ver that whatever happens will be on his hands.
It's not his fault if the gem is impossible to stop, right? He's telling this person straight.
That trailed-off sentence from the other sparks something in him, though, as if realizing —well, realizing two things, really. It's so typical, he thinks, someone in theory doesn't want to press anything upon him, but they feel they hang to do it anyway. Like Zhongli had no desire to make him doubt everything between them... but did it anyway.
Why?
Well, of course he knows why (and in a rational non-emotional sense, too), but his bitterness twists it to simply be that Childe wasn't worth acting a different way for.
The similarity equally fuels his desire as much as his displeasure. He doesn't look angry, but the smile gracing his lips is a little unsettling as he chuckles. ]
Ohh... Aha, hmmmm, let me guess~. You're the type that ultimately cares more about everyone than yourself, and you're afraid if I leave without doing anything to you that someone else who is less capable of dealing with the situation will be who has to suffer when I finally snap.
[ Canting his head to one side, he sighs, reaching for the mask hanging to the side of his head thoughtfully. ]
Well? Tell me how I did.