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[ Jean lets out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. She supposes that that's true. Lisa and Eula are more than capable of handling the knights—and Mondstadt, if anything were to happen, knock on wood. Perhaps she's getting worried over nothing, but then again, she's never been gone this long from the city.

Jokingly: ] Try not to slack off too much just because I'm not around as well, Kaeya.

[ Well, she's confident he completes his tasks anyway, before he supposedly slips away or slacks off to archons-know-where. So it's really something that doesn't need to be said out loud or reminded him about. ]

Oh, that reminds me. [ She briefly lifts her head from his shoulder to look at his face. ] Which gem were you bonded to?

[he laughs at that - jean so rarely makes jokes, so he treasures the few she does make and responds in kind:] I promise to get your paperwork done, anything beyond that is a maybe at best.

[he knows that she knows that he will get whatever she needs done done, but it's a running joke between them that he really is a slacker. it may not be a joke within the rest of the knights, but he doesn't care about what they think, even helps perpetuate the rumors from time to time.]

Sapphire. And yourself?

[ Oh ... But well, considering the powers abilities granted to those bonded to the gem, it probably shouldn't surprise her that it's Kaeya's gembond. If anything, she's more surprised that it's her, given her Vision back in Teyvat.

In any case, Jean shifts in her seat, sensing that her leg has fallen asleep, before she leans against him once more. She hopes he doesn't mind humouring her a bit longer. ]

I have the same gembond, would you believe?

[ And it has been ridiculously challenging to control at times. She wrinkles her nose, recalling a time when she used it during a lesson of sorts at the academy. That wasn't very fun. ]

I accidentally froze someone while trying it out once ...

Edited 2021-12-13 15:13 (UTC)

[a poignantly raised eyebrow, knowing the effects a sapphire gembond can have on one's personality. seductive being the main one and the reason he's raising his eyebrow in the first place. but aether had mentioned he'd yet to encounter a seductive sapphire, so it seems she'd been spared of that particular effect. he can only imagine how incredibly embarrassed she'd be after trying to seduce anyone.

a huff of laughter, at hearing that she nearly froze someone.]

Now that's funny. Wish I had been there to see it happen.

[he's not going anywhere, don't you worry. this couch is comfy and he's catching up with one of his favorite people. the hand on her shoulder is firmly there to reassure.]

Do you need practice with your cryo?

[ Stop laughing pls, Kaeya.

It hasn't been easy, and that includes suppressing the instinct to seduce someone to get what she wants or needs. It's akin to fighting against one's reflexes, except she's never had the impulse to try and attract anyone before, so it's even more stressful. She's never been this conflicted in her entire life. ]

It was embarrassing, all right? [ She buries her face in her hands, shaking her head. ] As someone who's familiar with handling the elements, I should've had more control over it. I'm only glad it didn't leave any lasting effects on them.

[ Her healing, at least, is much better and improved, which helped during the situation. Probably because her Vision has the same effect. ]

And it's all right, Kaeya. I wouldn't want to freeze you by accident as well.

[poor jean...just a literal ball of stress...

he can't help the residual chuckles, though, shifting to switch which leg is crossed over the other.]

Do you know how many times I've frozen myself when I first got my Vision? It's fine, nothing I'm not used to.

[~the cold never bothered him anyway~]

[ ok elsa

Jean hums quietly against his shoulder, considering his offer. On the one hand, it's very tempting; if there's anyone who's mastered the element, it's definitely Kaeya. And as a Sapphire himself, they can at least learn how to navigate the peculiarities of their gembonds. On the other, it does feel like she's inconveniencing him.

Again. ]

At the rate that we're going, I'll be owing you a lot of favours. [ Not that she minds, but she also doesn't want it to be one-sided. ] If you need help too, don't hesitate to ask me. Even if I'm more than aware that you'd rather deal with things yourself.

[he waves a hand, as if shoving that notion aside]

The amount of times you've covered for my absences have more than made up for it, I assure you. [and looking the other way when he does something reckless, looking the other way when he does something not technically against code but not a suggested method either, looking the other way when he-- well, the list goes on. she lets him get away with a lot is the point.]

Though I could use some pointers on healing. It's quite handy, but I'd like to be able to heal more than, say, a cut.

[ She lets out a laugh at that. Well, he's not wrong, having turned a blind eye on a lot of his methods, the way he does things that are usually not very knight-like. She's also relied on him on matters that require sensitivity, where the Order can't get involved outwardly but needs to deal with anyway. ]

Very well, then. I'll help you with healing and you can help me with my new powers.

[ Truth be told, Barbara is a better healer than her, but she's not here. Which is a good thing; the last thing she wants is for her sister to deal with all of this. ]

Though I would say that my Vision is still more effective at it than the gembond. [ If only it doesn't consume more manna when she uses it. ] There's only so much healing we can do as Sapphires.

[that's definitely good to know, and may be a factor in why he's not very good at it. or maybe it's just a convenient excuse for him.]

It's a deal.

[oh, right. and he's curious-] Ah, have you gone through the transformations yet?

[it may be the one thing he's truly nervous about. he can deal with lack of inhibitions and being more affectionate. he'll just hide in his apartment if he's feeling that much of the gembonds effects. but the monster transformation lands too close to- ah, well. ~~khaenri'ah~~]

[ Ah ... of course he'd ask about that. Jean briefly hesitates, a little uncertain how to explain it to him. It was also her first time transforming, but it didn't seem as severe as the others—especially considering the others' transformations that she's witnessed. ]

Sometime before I fell asleep, [ she admits with a slight nod, a little grateful that he can't really see her reddening face. ] But it wasn't very drastic, I'd like to think, compared to the others. I only had a few physical changes. Much of the change was with my ... habits.

[ Such as seeking companionship, to put it gently. Not that she'd admit it out loud to Kaeya, nor did she even try either, suppressing any and all desire to find a partner. It was just too mortifying. ]

[partial transformation is also a thing, is it? okay, okay, he can probably handle that at the very least.]

Were you able to tell which monster you were transforming into?

[he happens to look at her, catches sight of reddened skin. he smiles at that- never change, jean. keep that pure spirit!!]

[ Jean hesitantly nods, still burying herself against Kaeya's shoulder.

Even she never told Diluc or Venti or even the Traveler about this, unwilling to be seen as less dignified than she usually is. Which is more than enough to tell how much she trusts her second-in-command and his silence on the matter. ]

Some of the transformations seem to share certain traits when I read about them in the library. [ Guess who practically slept in the library for the first few days of her arrival in Noctium. ] But there's only one transformation that had a forked tongue, so.

Oho- that sounds like it'd be a pretty handy thing to have around here. [he says with a bit of a purr. sorry he can't help but be lewd sometimes, jean.

god, that trust though. if kaeya knew to the extent she trusted him unconditionally... that she hadn't told anyone else... well, he'd be incredibly touched, for a man often viewed as sussy as fuck by a great number of people.]

It does call into question- what determines a full transformation versus partial or no transformation?

[ Why are you like this, Kaeya!

Jean gently hits his arm, pulling away just slightly to give him a scandalized look, her cheeks red. Honestly, of all things to say and of all people to say it to—not that she's unused to his promiscuity and Noctium is all sunshine and rainbows. See, this is why even Diluc is faring better than her in these circumstances. ]

That, I have no idea. I've only experienced it once so I'm sorry that I can't really give you more information about it. I don't think there's a pattern either, or if there is, I haven't found any information about it.

[ She pauses, looking thoughtful. ] It might be best to ask the others who have been here longer than I have, like Venti.

[he can't help but laugh as she gives him a little smack. what else do you expect from the man who is tits and ass out all day! he does give her a token apologetic pat on her arm, though and "sorry but it was funny" look on his face]

It's fine, I'll do a little research myself and ask our favorite bard to join me at a local tavern if I have to. If I find anything, I'll be sure to share.

How long has he been around, anyway?

[ Fine, good point. But she's still allowed to be embarrassed; she supposes that it's at least less horrifying to talk to Kaeya about these things compared to their other friends and acquaintances. ]

He arrived months before I did, according to him, [ she replies, sitting back on her haunches. ] Which I'm sure you find strange since I have a feeling you've also recently seen him at Angel's Share.

[ See? Timelines are a mess in this place. ]

Anyway, what are your plans moving forward? I'm not the Acting Grandmaster in this place, so I won't really hold you to your responsibilities here.

[timelines sure are a mess. but if he recalls, that venti is from lumine's timeline. he'll definitely have to grab a keg of wine with him and pick his brain - he's sure to have a lot of info on him. kaeya already resigns himself to picking up the other's tab in exchange for it.]

Ah, the usual of course. [a smirk] Checking out the taverns is first on the list. Perhaps take a stroll here and there - I've been seeing some decorations go up, I'm curious to see them when they're done.

[translation: he's gonna be trolling around for any scraps of information in the taverns and stray conversations on the street. he won't say it, but he knows that jean can pretty much guess that this is what he's doing. he won't confirm her suspicions, though.]

And, of course, keep my manna supply steady. [he'll leave the details out... he's done enough teasing to jean in one night.] So don't you waste your time worrying about me on that front.

[ Jean offers him a faint smile, pressing a hand against his cheek. ]

Since when did I stop wasting time worrying, anyway?

[ Even if he tells her not to worry, her tendency to worry is still going to be there. It never goes away, Kaeya, even more so while they're here in Noctium. But at least she's more than certain that her second-in-command is capable of taking care of himself one way or another in this place; she'll definitely have fewer worries with him. ]

Can I ask your help to check on Master Diluc as well?

[he leans into that touch- and then she mentions checking in on diluc.

kaeya's control over his expressions and emotions is impeccable, his grip on them like stone. he can't allow anything to slip in his expression lest anyone read too much into it and use it against him.

but when she asks about diluc, there's a little involuntary twitch of his hand resting on her arm. otherwise, his smile is placid.]

Of course, but I can't guarantee he won't slam the door in my face. [he laughs, mostly joking.]

[ Well, his reaction, no matter how faint it is, is not surprising. She's more than aware of the rift between their relationship and it isn't as if it's improved over the past year since Diluc has returned to Mondstadt; if anything, it seems to have gotten worse and is only getting worse.

But it isn't as if she's unfamiliar with Diluc and his temperament, either. ]

I'm sure he won't, [ Jean reassures him quietly, shaking her head. ] He might not serve you wine, though, since I don't think the place he works at has wine.

[ Unless KFC now serves wine ... Who knows! ]

But if he does slam the door in your face, let me know so I can talk to him.

[it's a sliding scale. if diluc is already in a bad mood, kaeya puts it at 70% likely the door's getting shut. if kaeya annoys him in that already bad mood, the possibility is likely at 90%. or given the equivalent of kfc grape juice instead of what he actually ordered.]

And where might I find Master Diluc on an average day?

[he promises not to be a nuisance during work hours like childe... or team up with childe if he's also around to become the ultimate Bother Diluc squad...

...maybe.]

[ Properly talking will reduce that percentage, Kaeya. Honestly, these two—does she need to mediate just so they can sort of get along while they're here in Noctium? They're both adults, aren't they? ]

He works in a restaurant downtown.

[ She rummages for a blank piece of paper from the coffee table, sighing when she can't find one from the mess she's managed to make. She needs to at least clean up before she goes back to work. ]

I'll send the information to your device instead, since I don't seem to have anything I can write on at the moment.

A restaurant, is it? I suppose it makes sense, given his tastes.

[that diluc doesn't actually like alcohol - it figures since he doesn't have a legacy to uphold here, he'd switch jobs (ah, but how strange it might be to not see him at a tavern with that carefully neutral look on his face! there was some routine in that that he'll... miss.)]

That's fine. It's not as if I'm planning to go immediately.

[it's absolutely amazing how two grown men who grew up together can utterly fail at communicating with each other.]

What's his restaurant serve? Maybe I'll go grab a bite to eat while I'm at it.

[ It does make sense, in a way. Then again, Jean never really questioned the man what made him decide to switch to working in a restaurant rather than a tavern or bar. It's in the food industry anyway, which is something Diluc's most familiar with, so it isn't as if it's too strange for him.

And it's not like he would ever decide to work for this world's government, not when his heart has always been loyal to Mondstadt. ]

Uh, [ she pauses thoughtfully, furrowing her eyebrows as she tries to recall the name of the dish. ] Fried chicken? It seems like seasoned fowl and then deep-fried. It's a little too oily for my taste, but I can see why the natives here enjoy it.

[ Because it seems very indulgent despite seemingly unhealthy ... Not that she'll ever say that out loud. She's not raised to be a picky person when it comes to food, after all. ]

You need not worry. He's not much different from when he's bartending back at Mondstadt.

[ a.k.a. he's as churlish as ever ]

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refroze - 2021-12-23 02:50 (UTC) - Expand