essek.

[tactic]

Comments

w6, thursday night.

[tactic]

[ WHERE ARE WE WHERE ARE WE WHERE ARE WE

It doesn't matter! Aventurine spots Essek in the distance, hurries to catch up with him, and immediately tosses an arm around his shoulders! ]

Essek!

[unconsecuted]

[This is destroying me. WE HAVE 270 COMMENTS OF IDIOCY IN HERE!!!!!!! THEY'RE I DON'T FUCKING KNOW THEY'RE SOMEWHERE

Imagine I said Essek was silently crying and upset, putting Aventurine once again in the worst possibly light. No, it's fine, he isn't. He does fucking startle, as usual, but more as if he had been lost in his own thoughts while walking than anything.]

Would you stop running up suddenly like that?

[ELBOWING HIM.]

[tactic]

[ Blocks the elbow because he's gotten used to this song and dance by now!! ]

What, I can't be happy to see you?

[unconsecuted]

[Don't just block it, asshole. He doesn't make much of a fuss like usual about it, as if he's distracted.]

No, you're clearly up to something.

[tactic]

Am I...?

[ Trails off as he takes notice of how distracted Essek appears. ]

Has something happened?

[unconsecuted]

[He looks annoyed for a second, but in the way he usually fondly looks annoyed at Aventurine - he was probably getting ready to brush it off in some way, but seems to suddenly grow weary and think better of it.

His look melts into a small frown.]

It isn't what you think. [WHAT DOES AVENTURINE THINK.] I haven't slept with anyone.

[tactic]

[ OKAY? ]

I wasn't thinking that, but how nice of you to share.

[ He pulls back a bit, taking his arm with him as he gives Essek a quick once-over like he's trying to figure out what's going on. ]

If you haven't slept with anyone, what is it that you've done?

[unconsecuted]

Right.

[MY GOD!!!! THE WAY AVENTURINE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE THOTS SITUATION BECAUSE HE WAS NOT THERE AND NOW HE TOLD ON HIMSELF!!!!!]

I haven't done anything. I don't ever do anything. It's everyone else doing something.

[tactic]

[ Lowkey thinks this is kind of funny. ]

Alright, then. What is that everyone else has done?

[unconsecuted]

[He is gonna start swinging.]

I am worried about Childe. He isn't... well from wherever he went.

[...]

He kissed me.

[tactic]

[ OKAY!!!!

Kind of just stunned for a moment before he speaks back up. ]

You're going to have to give me more context than that, Essek. Did he kiss you because he was unwell, or because his trip made him realize something?

[unconsecuted]

There is no context! If there was context, I wouldn't be so bewildered! I don't know!

[He is losing his whole mind!]

He's kissed me because... he's unwell and thinks we were together? Are together? We've separated. I don't know.

[tactic]

[ Huh. Huh? ]

When I spoke to him after his return, he couldn't recognize me. He said something about how it had been... 800 years?

[ So, yeah. Strange things have happened to poor Childe. ]

Did you kiss him back?

[unconsecuted]

He went through - timelines. Realities. Many timelines, over and over. It's scrambled his... They're overlapping, so he flows in and out of all of them from time to time.

[The question makes him balk, and then his face turns a darker purple.]

Kiss back?! I didn't know he was going to kiss me in the first place!

[tactic]

[ me narrowing my eyes like hei?

Anyway, the way Essek is caught up in such drama... Aventurine will give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ]

Alright, well... He took you by surprise, that's all. You can have a conversation about this with him when he's back to his usual self.

[unconsecuted]

[He just kind of stares in frozen silence at Aventurine like HUH?]

A conversation...?

[tactic]

Don't tell me you were simply going to ignore it.

[ ESSEK ]

[unconsecuted]

He might not even remember. What am I - how am I going to bring this up in any remotely not embarrassing way, Aventurine?!

[WHY TALK ABOUT IT WHEN YOU CAN SIMPLY IGNORE IT.]

[tactic]

[ Hmmmmm. ]

I'll bring it up with him.

[unconsecuted]

[HELLO???]

Wha - No!

[tactic]

Then you tell him.

[ Stubborn. ]

[unconsecuted]

[He makes a face not unlike a teenager being cornered into having to do something they don't wanna do.]

We will probably talk about it anyway. You are so bothersome.

[tactic]

Okay, Essek, next time I'll advise you to run away from all your problems. That'll solve things.

[ HE IS BEING SO HELPFUL? ]

[unconsecuted]

[HE ISN'T!!!!!]

I'm not running away! No one ever wants to be forthcoming with me about anything regarding their feelings, and that is the one single aspect of life I don't understand or have experience in!!

[He yells this with slowly increasing exasperation but then sighs after and seems to feel better for it actually.]

[tactic]

[ Oh, Essek... Vent away. Aventurine will put a hand on his shoulder as he yells his feelings. ]