no looky for real this time

[preordain]

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[preordain]

[ ryo nods. unfortunately for akira, this is a topic that greatly fascinates ryo so even with all her hangups regarding deities, it is something she is ready to talk about. sometimes you go to another word and spend a lot of time learning about their gods. ]

It's sort of similar, yes. There's actually a lot of connections between our world and theirs-- each region sort of mirrors areas from Earth. Scaramouche and [ grimaces ] Itto are from Inazuma, which is like another version of Japan. Mondstadt is rather Germanic, and Liyue can be compared to China.

[ a pause. this is getting a little off topic to the god talk. ]

There was this one ancient country that was more or less wiped out by gods, but you can still find people who come from there. They typically have a deep hatred for the archons, for obvious reasons...

[ ryo can keep going please stop her, she has done so much fuckin research on this while in teyvat ]

[tearduct]

[No.

It's so rare for Ryo to actually like something, or have strong interest in anything (outside of, like, him). So he would much rather Ryo babble on about this than be apathetic, disinterested.

The ghost of a smile twitches at the corner of his lips. Not about the topic. Ryo is cute like this... being a nerd.]

Sounds pretty cool. I mean, that world, not... [The one country. ANYWAY.] You must have studied them a lot. You sound like a professor again.

[preordain]

[ it's so funny since ryo did technically have a life and went to school and did so many things before reuniting with akira back in japan, but literally all of it went out the window the second she started obsessing over demons. and then it got worse and worse when the satan aspects of her personality got more and more prominent.

so, now we have someone who is trying to figure out how to make the human traits and habits she's learned co-exist with her inhumanity. it is a Journey. ]

Hm... well, admittedly one reason I went there was because Scaramouche told me about the gods. [ it was also the sappy emotional reason but ryo wouldn't make a major decision like that without something logical to fall back on. ] And I did want something to focus on. We did a lot of exploration and learning the culture, but you still end up with free time outside of that.

[tearduct]

[He wants to be, like, Scaramouche better shut his twink mouth, but... with the fact he was breaking away from Ryo and going to do his own thing, he didn't have any say in the matter. It wouldn't have been fair, among other things.

And he trusted Scaramouche to relate enough to Ryo to have Ryo's best interest in mind. In terms of freedom and pursuit. Not in terms of doing the right thing. Fucking Scaramouche!]

What'd you learn about the gods?

[preordain]

Ours is still worse.

[ there's a slight smile on her face, although it's not really a happy one. ]

But they're interesting. Some were more human than others, but those ones more or less abandoned their duties as gods. They intermingle with the common folk as if they are one of them. And then there were others, like... Scaramouche's. It seemed like there was some sort of recent change with her, but she had previously been extremely fierce in how she ruled Inazuma. A little familiar to ours, in some ways, from what I heard.

... I think I learned a lot, but it still wasn't enough, in the end.

[tearduct]

...

[He pauses, watching Ryo's face gently. Hilariously, he doesn't even know their own God. At first, he wasn't sure if he could trust Ryo's depiction of God either. It was so different than Miki's parents' depiction.

But what did they know either really?]

God didn't bother you there, right? And God didn't bother you here either so far...?

[Ryo had been here when he got back.

He reaches up to brush his fingers through the side of Ryo's hair. He bumps her with his shoulder lightly.]

[preordain]

... I've been fine here. And Teyvat as well, but I don't know if that's because it's the domain of other gods.

[ interdimensional travel is such a fascinating concept but the problem is that you don't quite know how it works and what might affect what. ]

As soon as I went back to Earth, though, it was pretty immediate. After... [ she glances at akira and quickly looks away ] I ended up having to flee back here. And it's been okay since.

[ admittedly, ryo also isn't sure if she's been undisturbed because technically she's been miserable the entire time so that's still a form of punishment. akira being here does add some uncertainty to that into the mix, but also ryo is aware that's the paranoia talking and akira might point that out if she voices the concern. ]

[tearduct]

[His lips thin a bit when Ryo glances at him then looks away. Well.

He’s disappointed, but can’t say he’s surprised really. Strange how God can be so forgiving and also so unforgiving somehow.

He looks away himself, pushing food around with the chopsticks.]

If you’re okay here, good. That’s what matters. We just won’t go back there anymore ever again.

[preordain]

... we can try a different Earth. It could be okay if it's not ours.

[ ryo is still unsure about it but she's trying very hard to make staying with her sound as appealing as possible. what if some other random human comes and seduces akira??? one day ryo will be normal about this but today is not that day. ]

As long as I have you, it'll be fine.

[ maybe one day ryo will be able to properly articulate how running into akira again felt like being given permission to live again. for now she'll try to convey this by being a hole. ]

[tearduct]

Let’s not worry about Earth right now.

[They don’t have to leap back into a similar world. He has spent a quarter and a whole lifetime in two.

He can wait.

He glances sidelong at Ryo.]

I want to see other worlds with you. Ones not like ours too.

[preordain]

... we do have a lot of options with that.

[ they have learned there are a lot of worlds out there, so they could be visiting other ones for a while. which is good, considering they have so much time to spend.

there's a pause, and ryo will just reach out to take another sip of the beer. ]

And whenever we're tired of that we can just come back to our house.

[tearduct]

Yeah. It’ll be here for us.

[He has nothing against abandoning adventure to return home for some time. If they’re together.

He puts the last little bit of food into his mouth, what he had pushed around idly before.]

It’ll be like… vacations.

[preordain]

[ the conversation got so heavy for a date... then again, it's them, it's weird if they don't start talking about something serious at least once a conversation.

at least they're not arguing. if they were then the host might swoop in to save the day...... (no) ]

Right. Maybe we'll get to see an even more beautiful sky together.

[tearduct]

[One day, maybe they will run out of heavy stuff to talk about during all of their good times. They wren’t arguing, at least!! Small miracles.]

We’ll see a lot, I’m sure.

[And not a sky from everything being annihilated terribly, and not a sky where God’s wrath is raining down.]

Do you want to go later? After a bit. I know you’ve been here for a while already.

[preordain]

We can, yeah.

[ it would probably be best not to just yeet themselves off immediately considering they still need to like. get used to being around each other in general. it's been less than a week and they are admittedly still in the honeymoon stage of the reunion.

ryo is not thinking that they will leave this honeymoon stage but, objectively speaking, they are. ]

There's still a few things I'd like to do with you first before we go anywhere.

[tearduct]

[It’s what happens when you live forever for all of time.

He gives Ryo a playful sidelong look.]

Oh yeah? Like what?

[What is Ryo going to show him…?]

[preordain]

Why would I spoil the surprise?

[ the last time ryo decided to surprise akira she showed up as a girl

so

mystery ]

[tearduct]

[DAMMIT!!!!!

He makes a disgruntled expression and sulks mildly at the fact he will be left in suspense for who knows how long!!]

Something you’re gonna show me later, or…?

[preordain]

Sure.

[ she reaches over to pat akira on the cheek (face). pat pat. ]

Maybe after the date.

[tearduct]

[He grunts softy, pretends to bite at the hand, then nuzzles at it afterward.]

You don’t have to. I didn’t know if it was something you were showing me now or later.

[He holds veggies in the chopsticks out at Ryo.]

Do I get a hint…?

[preordain]

[ ah... she will nom the veggies. this is like trying to get your child who is extremely picky about food to eat. ]

It's something on our island.

[tearduct]

[This is how Ryo has always been, so he will simply force Ryo to eat things or do things. Like throwing Ryo into a pool despite Ryo having a broken leg.]

Oh. Alright.

[This satisfies him actually!

He will allow himself to be surprised later.]

Are you full?

[If so, he will be the garbage disposal boyfriend and eat the rest and drink the beer.]

[preordain]

[ there was literally no reason for him to do that

ryo could probably keep eating considering she only ate a little bit, but ryo still nods anyway before leaning against akira's shoulder. ]

You can finish the rest. We still need to get dessert, right?

[tearduct]

[No. Clearly, Ryo needed to swim in the pool immediately!! The fact the cast would have dissolved. The fact Ryo really didn’t kill him for it.

He happily and eagerly starts eating what’s left even though Ryo should eat more. He is careful not to throw Ryo off his shoulder.]

Oh yeah, dessert. Do you want some too? Let’s get some.

[preordain]

Mm. Maybe we can get one thing and share...

[ she trails off, and then looks at all the food akira is eating right now.

hmmm. ]

We can get our own.