I wouldn't dream of it. I'll continue to work hard.
[ After all, he is learning from an expert and he'd hate to make it feel like she's just wasting her time here. One must never be satisfied with being "good enough," so he'll go right back to being a diligent student once this break is over.
For now, however, he is content to keep up with the mundane conversation. He taps at his own eyepatch while he returns with the arrows. ]
[Finishing a bit more of her drink, Hayame puts the flask back on her "belt" before holding out her hand in demand for Kaeya's arrows. They had to make sure they'd gotten their money's worth from that smithy. These arrows weren't made with bamboo like hers were- she's also a bit curious.
The eyepatch, though...]
... It has been, yes.
[A slight delay, as if admitting other people were right was still slightly difficult for her. But she does it. And when he hands over the arrows, she falls silent for the inspection beyond a low hum, bringing the fletching closer to her remaining eye and slowly running her gaze down the shaft looking for cracks.]
[ Kaeya hands the arrows over to her for inspection, a smile blooming on his face. ]
I'm glad to hear it. [ At least that's one good thing. ] Everything else has been alright too, then?
[ She can take it however she'd like — whether by assuming he's still talking about the eyepatch or everything else that's going on with her life. A lot has happened since they last spoke so here's his small attempt to try and find out if she's been doing okay. ]
[The arrow shafts seem to be passing inspection, if the lack of annoyed sounds is any indication. Next, the arrowheads.
But when he asks about... "everything else"... she pulls her eye from the arrow and looks over to Kaeya instead, one eyebrow raising. ... The one mostly concealed by her eyepatch. (Maybe she should switch expressive eyebrow sides.)]
Kaeya thinks it's cute, however, but won't say that statement out loud. He shrugs and thinks about the best way to approach this. Then again, this is Hayame, and she'd probably appreciate a straightforward attempt more than most. ]
Oh, you know. How you're adjusting to things here and the like. Compared to Achamoth, I'd say this place is a lot quieter besides the small blip in Alenroux.
[ Alenroux was more than just a blip. More so for others. ]
[She wished that the demon who had taken her eye had scarred her entire face. At least then... she would never forget there wasn't anything there anymore. Her eyebrow still rises, her eyelashes still flutter, her eyelids still squint. There is simply... nothing but dark emptiness behind them.
But he wants to know how she is... adjusting. He calls the incident in Alenroux... a small blip.
And that makes her lips purse, her remaining gaze pull from the arrowhead to find Kaeya, instead. A small blip...]
Liem Talbott died.
[... She had nearly died, as well. But she would rather keep that shame between herself, the priest of Abadar, and the one who she'd needed to heal her so she didn't just expire on the way to the sacred tree, Liem's shard and the monster's tucked into against her breast.]
Kaeya won't take back what he said. Death is a strange concept to consider when one is a Shard-bearer, just as fleeting as a breeze on a hot day. He heard that there were casualties during that blip at Alenroux, but not that Liem had been one of them. And to think, the man even wished him well not too long ago...
He can only sigh, a touch sheepish. ]
I hadn't heard. I'm sorry to hear that he did. [ He isn't going to ask about the circumstances that led to this outcome. It's clear enough from how Hayame declared it that it wasn't a pretty sight. ] Last I spoke with him, he seemed to be doing well— but I understand that everyone deals with death differently.
[ He wonders if Hayame blames herself for what happened. Is that why she's gone so quiet? ]
[If she wanted him to take it back, she would have demanded he take it back. She has done so in the past. But just because death was no stranger to her harsh world... did not mean she did not resent it being trivialized when it touched the few people she considered worth... allying herself with.]
It was unfortunate. He fought bravely, and it was only thanks to his efforts combined with mine own that slayed the beast there that killed so many others.
[If the look she shoots him then could speak... it might imply that she was under the impression Kaeya knew some of those people, too.
As for blame... there is plenty about that night she would like to have gone differently. A pathetic end to that fight she would like to forget, but cannot. The sensation of her hand groping in the blood-slick grass for Liem's shard as blood dripped from her last remaining eye.
Thankfully, unlike the loss of her left one... apparently magical healing could cure it as long as it was still there.]
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no subject
I wouldn't dream of it. I'll continue to work hard.
[ After all, he is learning from an expert and he'd hate to make it feel like she's just wasting her time here. One must never be satisfied with being "good enough," so he'll go right back to being a diligent student once this break is over.
For now, however, he is content to keep up with the mundane conversation. He taps at his own eyepatch while he returns with the arrows. ]
How about your eyepatch? Has it been comfortable?
no subject
The eyepatch, though...]
... It has been, yes.
[A slight delay, as if admitting other people were right was still slightly difficult for her. But she does it. And when he hands over the arrows, she falls silent for the inspection beyond a low hum, bringing the fletching closer to her remaining eye and slowly running her gaze down the shaft looking for cracks.]
no subject
I'm glad to hear it. [ At least that's one good thing. ] Everything else has been alright too, then?
[ She can take it however she'd like — whether by assuming he's still talking about the eyepatch or everything else that's going on with her life. A lot has happened since they last spoke so here's his small attempt to try and find out if she's been doing okay. ]
no subject
But when he asks about... "everything else"... she pulls her eye from the arrow and looks over to Kaeya instead, one eyebrow raising. ... The one mostly concealed by her eyepatch. (Maybe she should switch expressive eyebrow sides.)]
What else is there?
[... Is she serious? She might be serious.]
no subject
Kaeya thinks it's cute, however, but won't say that statement out loud. He shrugs and thinks about the best way to approach this. Then again, this is Hayame, and she'd probably appreciate a straightforward attempt more than most. ]
Oh, you know. How you're adjusting to things here and the like. Compared to Achamoth, I'd say this place is a lot quieter besides the small blip in Alenroux.
[ Alenroux was more than just a blip. More so for others. ]
no subject
But he wants to know how she is... adjusting. He calls the incident in Alenroux... a small blip.
And that makes her lips purse, her remaining gaze pull from the arrowhead to find Kaeya, instead. A small blip...]
Liem Talbott died.
[... She had nearly died, as well. But she would rather keep that shame between herself, the priest of Abadar, and the one who she'd needed to heal her so she didn't just expire on the way to the sacred tree, Liem's shard and the monster's tucked into against her breast.]
no subject
Kaeya won't take back what he said. Death is a strange concept to consider when one is a Shard-bearer, just as fleeting as a breeze on a hot day. He heard that there were casualties during that blip at Alenroux, but not that Liem had been one of them. And to think, the man even wished him well not too long ago...
He can only sigh, a touch sheepish. ]
I hadn't heard. I'm sorry to hear that he did. [ He isn't going to ask about the circumstances that led to this outcome. It's clear enough from how Hayame declared it that it wasn't a pretty sight. ] Last I spoke with him, he seemed to be doing well— but I understand that everyone deals with death differently.
[ He wonders if Hayame blames herself for what happened. Is that why she's gone so quiet? ]
no subject
It was unfortunate. He fought bravely, and it was only thanks to his efforts combined with mine own that slayed the beast there that killed so many others.
[If the look she shoots him then could speak... it might imply that she was under the impression Kaeya knew some of those people, too.
As for blame... there is plenty about that night she would like to have gone differently. A pathetic end to that fight she would like to forget, but cannot. The sensation of her hand groping in the blood-slick grass for Liem's shard as blood dripped from her last remaining eye.
Thankfully, unlike the loss of her left one... apparently magical healing could cure it as long as it was still there.]
Here.
[She hands back his arrow.]