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[emblazer]

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[ACTION, backdate to june] (lmk if this is ok!)

[locumstudentesquire]

Ryunosuke is in low spirits when he gets back to Greentruth. He'd bid Dextera farewell back in Godsblood and made his way to the portal with a heavy heart, knowing exactly the horrible task that waited him on the other side.

How would Thoma react to the news? Ryunosuke honestly has no way of knowing, not even if he tries to imagine their positions switched. He doesn't know the man very well, aside from one rather reassuring conversation they'd had via communion, and a few brief words exchanged in-person, here and there over the days that have passed since they'd both arrived in the Greentruth settlement.

Regardless of how little he wants to do this, it's a duty he can't shirk. Wherever Thoma is, Ryunosuke will track him down, arriving at his metaphorical (or literal?) doorstep with a hangdog expression on his face, undeniably alone.

perfectly okay, but also I now realize I never did any layouts for this journal .............

[emblazer]

Thoma's been working hard on descaling all the fish he caught that morning to make some sashimi for the group and can be found in the community kitchen (or whatever passes as for one). There's a bucket of fresh catches on the edge of one table and a reasonably sharp knife in his hand as he carefully works his way through a particularly large fish, only pausing the moment Ryunosuke comes into view.

As eager as he is to be approached by a familiar face, Thoma can tell something is wrong just from reading Ryunosuke's expression, making him set the knife down and wipe his hands vigorously as he fixes Ryunosuke with a frown.

"I was going to offer you a bite to eat if you wanted, but–... are you feeling okay?"

He knows dealing with the infected in Venera took a lot out of all of them, and the aftermath hasn't been easy to cope with even though most of the infected have more or less returned to their normal lives, feeling eternally grateful for the help.

No worries!

[locumstudentesquire]

Ah, another tragedy... Under normal circumstances? He would absolutely flip for some sashimi. Right now, though, he feels much too guilty to have an appetite.

Ryunosuke opens his mouth to answer him, but he can't get the words out. He's had the whole journey back to think of what to say, but now that he's here? His mind is just blank. His mouth works silently for a moment, throat catching, before he just breaks and sinks into a deep bow of apology.

"Mr. Thoma, I... I am so sorry...!"

[emblazer]

What is he apologizing for? Thoma's frown deepens as he slips around the table to approach Ryunosuke, hoping his scent isn't overwhelmingly unpleasant –not that that is much of a priority at the moment. He wonders what went wrong.

"It's okay... whatever it is, it's probably okay."

One hand settles on Ryunosuke's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze in an attempt to ease some of Ryunosuke's discomfort.

"Just take a deep breath– Was someone hurt or–?"

He doesn't want to think about what the worst thing Ryunosuke could say at this moment could be.

[locumstudentesquire]

Somehow, Thoma showing such care and concern makes this hurt even worse. He can appreciate the effort, but he really feels as if he's failed him; Lumine may been the leader on the trip to Venera, but Ryunosuke still feels some responsibility for her safety.

"N... Not exactly."

At least, he hopes not.

"But... She's vanished. Miss Lumine." Ryunosuke doesn't let that hang for very long before launching into a hasty explanation. "I don't know how it happened--! One moment she was there, walking ahead of us, and the next-- she can't have been out of our sight for more than a few seconds! We looked everywhere--!"

[emblazer]

...Oh.

His heart starts beating fast, fingers curling tightly, trying to remain calm. Charging after her isn't going to help anyone, especially when he doesn't have the full story. He tries to nod to acknowledge he heard Ryunosuke, but the gesture is a little stilted.

"Vanished into thin air? And with our mind link–..."

He tries to for a moment to reach out to her that way, a simple call of her name: Lumine. Yet no response comes. Just a faint, tugging feeling at the back of his mind, the wisps of what was there.

"Did she leave anything behind when she disappeared?"

Whatever remains of their connection, it's very faint and fragile, a frayed thread ready to snap, but it assures Thoma that she's not dead. That she's just very, very far away somewhere.

Hopefully.

[locumstudentesquire]

Ryunosuke watches him try to reach out via the Communion sadly, same as he and Dextera had attempted before. He doesn't try to stop him; it's something that's better for him to experience himself.

All the same, he feels horrible about this.

He shakes his head at the question. "I suppose any of her belongings here in the settlement must be where she left them, but everything she had on her at the time... It. It's like she turned the corner and walked into another world. I know that must sound insane, but..."

He flounders a moment, trying to think of what else to say. This is all just horribly, horribly sad... Even if he's fairly confident that Lumine is safe, wherever she is, the lack of proof is infuriating.

"It... It's possible that. She may have simply gone home," Ryunosuke says hesitantly. "Not by choice, but... We all showed up here so abruptly, I suppose it's not impossible we might leave the same way, right? And there are those among us who have... Seen their homes again, for lack of a better word. If you speak to Cid Garlond.... He can probably explain it better..."

[emblazer]

"It doesn't sound as insane as you think!" Well, maybe to someone who isn't in the know about Lumine's unique abilities. "Back where I'm from, we called her the Traveler for a reason. She wasn't originally from Teyvat either."

If anyone was going to figure out how to leave this place, it was going to be her. He knows it seems unconventional to a lot –it was definitely a shock to Thoma the first time he'd heard it. He never imagined there was a whole other existence out there outside of their own, but it turns out they're just a very small piece of a tapestry that spans across many different worlds.

"Although it's a little abrupt she left without announcement or any goodbyes, but she probably didn't trigger it consciously. Maybe her power had manifested without warning from a deep wish or desire..."

He can't blame her. He wants to return to his world quite badly, too, as do they all. He should really be feeling relieved on her behalf.

"Does that mean... Cid Garlond– did he disappear once before? How about anyone else?"

1st of Firaseri.

[vapour]

Hey. I need you to do something for me.

[emblazer]

[ TFW you're enjoying a nice sandwich, but a Fatui pops in your head. He squawks out loud and nearly drops the sandwich. ]

Er... hello, Childe. You're not going to ask me to bite you again, are you?

[ It was weird enough the first time. ]

[vapour]

[ omg. ]

You... You're free to pretend that none of that ever happened, you know!

[emblazer]

[ Oh good. ]

Consider it forgotten! What's this about then? You know it's not safe for you to be poking around rebel affairs.

[vapour]

[ Childe's low chuckle resonates through the mindscape they share. ]

Awh, what, gonna tattle on me, Thoma? And here I thought we were buddies after everything by now!

[emblazer]

[ Childe's chuckling doesn't do anything to make this situation less unsettling. ]

No, I think they'd take my head off if I even mentioned us communing. You saw what they did to Kaeya.

[vapour]

[ the amusement fades drastically at mention of Kaeya and what happened to him ]

Actually... no, but I heard about it plenty. Maybe you're not on such a great side afterall, who knows.

[ still, he's not here to mess with Thoma's loyalties right now. ] Estinien killed a girl recently from the Kenoma, and she has since defected to the Pleroma. I can't look out for her anymore obviously, so I'm asking you to do it, instead.

You're the only one I can think of that won't let this Pleroma/Kenoma bullshit ever get to your head where you wouldn't protect her. I don't trust anyone else, not even Himeka who she is closest to.

Her name is Meteion.

[emblazer]

[ A Fatui trusting him... he's not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but Thoma definitely wouldn't let anything happen to her. He has his own reasons for questioning some of the brutality of the other rebels and knows from his lord's dealings with the Tri-Commission and the Shogun that conflicts are often messy rather than a matter of pure good versus bad. ]

You know I'd do my best to keep an eye on her, but why'd she join us if her murderer is on our side? That seems like an odd choice. I would have thought she'd be more hateful towards the Pleroma after.

[vapour]

[ it's selective trust, Thoma. You're fine. ]

I don't think she thinks like that. Especially because Estinien is important to Himeka.

...Either way, when I spoke to her I could tell she was so much happier away from the Kenoma's influence. She doesn't belong here, and not only will she keep getting in the Regent's way if she were, putting her in danger from both sects, the Regent will break her before letting her go if they capture her.

[emblazer]

I can't imagine the Regent would go any easier on the defectors than they did the rebels.

[ He'll definitely have to keep a close eye on her. ]

I think you can send a mental image, so I know what she looks like. That way I can spot her quicker.

[vapour]

Probably worse. I haven't seen a trace of the two traitors that were captured, but I have seen Himeka and Abel.

[ childe sends a quick mental image as requested, as well as a brief memory of the communion message when he spoke to Meteion so he can hear what she sounds like, too. ]

[emblazer]

[ ...So adorable. Why would anyone kill a child that soft and cute? He knows Estinien must have had his reasons, but the situation strikes him as very odd. ]

They were probably already executed. I expect Himeka and Abel are being kept alive so they can reveal more about us and our whereabouts.

[ He wonders if the Regent can peek inside their heads somehow. ]

[vapour]

I don't think so. Execution is too kind in the Regent's eyes for an aion that's betrayed them.

[ why yes Thoma they actually can. If only you know the right questions to ask. ]

I think they're being used as bait for all of you.

[emblazer]

That's... that's bad, but I know there's no way to get them free without crossing into Achamoth.

[ And he knows some people would be all too happy to charge in blindly and kill whoever gets in their way. What a mess. ]

I don't suppose there is a secret entrance I can wriggle out of you?

[ What would he even trade for that kind of information? ]

[vapour]

Mm... I don't think you would have a problem sneaking into Acamoth even if you went through the front gate so long as you don't cross paths with a Kenoma aion. It's not guarded like Inazuma or Snezhnaya. It's the Citadel you'll need to be able get in and out of, and that's a hell of a lot more tricky, since even us Kenoma don't know the full extent of its layouts yet.

The bigger problem is, though, your group of Pleroma aren't one for espionage. They'll screw you over faster than anyone else and you'll pay with your life and then some. I'm also betting the only single chance you'll have to make contact with Himeka and Abel is while they're on public display, and that's going to be over in a few days. You simply won't be able to get to Acamoth fast enough.

[emblazer]

[ What a time not to have the Shuumatsuban around to do the snooping for them. They really are lacking in any stealth. ]

You're right. I don't know how they're planning to get that deep into the city without catching anyone's notice. Those that are planning an outright attack probably aren't going to make it back. Do you know what's underneath the Citadel?

[vapour]

So they are taking the bait, huh? [ a sharp bark of laughter, but there's no amusement. Honestly, it hurts him how stupid the Pleroma agenda is. The fact they haven't been destroyed already should be testament to the fact they're fated by the cosmos to be eternally blessed. ]

Well, what else is new. Maybe someday they'll learn how to be smart about this, but that's not today. They're emboldened by the recent victories, maybe. There will be a lot of death, and I'm willing to bet my life it won't end in satisfaction for the Pleroma agenda.

—Yeah. Water.