essek.

[tactic]

Comments

[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. ]

[unconsecuted]

[It's fine... It's fine. Slowly, his shoulders droop as he relaxes (sorta) again.]

Sorry.

[tactic]

Don't be. Get it out of your system.

[ WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ESSEK AAAAAA ]