homophonic ❆ wolfwood

[bindings]

wolfwood

Of course I missed you.

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[bindings]

There was someone else they wanted to be alive more than me.

[she says it simply, easy.] It didn't matter in the end. I didn't die.

[crucifer]

[ He hates that it's easy for her to say. He doesn't hide the bitterness in his expression, the sour. ]

I killed a man for exploiting kids like that.

[ He just throws that out there, like shoving it out of himself before he decides to change his mind. ]

[bindings]

Good.

[no judgement, no disappointment, just - yeah. good.]

... Thank you.

[crucifer]

...That's my secret back. I don't like leaving things unbalanced.

[ Doing the mental equivalent of basically patting down his own ruffled feathers. ]

[bindings]

[it's not touch week anymore - it's way past it, but. he's mentally unruffling his feathers, and she very carefully and lightly reaches to touch his arm.]

You didn't need to, but I appreciate it. [...] I hope that counts. I don't know that it's a secret so much as I don't tell people because it upsets them.

[crucifer]

[ He stills, very much like when an animal is suddenly touched and becomes wary, but doesn't flee or push back. ]

It's what I wanted to. Like I said, I don't like leaving things unbalanced.

[ All he does is take. If he can do anything at all, starting small, it's give back so there's no imbalance. ]

I'd consider a piece of the past to be a secret.

[bindings]

[she understands the tension, because she does it too - she doesn't pull away, but she doesn't push any further.]

Then I suppose I'll be fine for the upcoming week. [...] I don't like leaving things unbalanced either.

Do you think there will be another rule?

[crucifer]

Maybe. They sure like throwing in new things, between the rules and... the thing, on Thursday. And the extra bullshit yesterday too.

[ IT'S

ONLY!

WEEK ONE ]

I'd say be prepared.

[bindings]

[a little nod.

she finally pulls her hand away, and reaches to adjust her braid where it's hanging over her shoulder.]

... I'd like to ask you a question.

[crucifer]

[ He doesn't necessarily relax, but he wasn't as tense by the time she pulled away either. ]

Yeah? What is it.

[bindings]

[she adjusts the ropes tying her hair.]

Is there something that makes you happy? Objects, food, activities.

[crucifer]

[ Happy?

He's not really that kind of a depressing guy, he wouldn't say nothing. But things have been really rough lately and the standards for 'happy' are a bit high.

He blinks once and says the first thing that comes to mind about happiness. ]

Seein' a real smile.

[bindings]

[huh. she thinks about that, for a moment, watching him.]

Ah... I'd hoped it'd be something that I could do. [she says, tilting her head. a beat.] I suppose I'll need to... practice.

[crucifer]

[ The question 'why?' immediately comes to the forefront of his mind, though he only blinks once outwardly. ]

You know you don't owe me anything.

[bindings]

No. This isn't about owing anything to you. I'd just like to.

You already make me happy, if you're worried about balance.

[crucifer]

Last I checked, I made you pissed, actually.

What'd I do that's so special?

[bindings]

I was already... pissed. [thankfully she knows this one.] That had little to do with you.

[as far as the rest:] You've been kind. [...] I would not trust just anybody to watch out for me as I slept, Wolfwood.

[crucifer]

[ He really is just gradually teaching her every fuck word under the twin suns.

A part of him does want to deny this, that Shenhe's only known him two weeks, maybe it's just because they're teammates, maybe you shouldn't leave your back open to a barely tamed wolf -- but he also doesn't. He likes her. The trust is like a little sliver of light granted and he's selfish. ]

Thanks for the compliment. [ It wasn't exactly one, but he'll say it like this anyway. Girl who always says what she means vs guy who rarely ever does. ] Yeah, keeping guard is one of my special talents. Responsibilities of a shepherd and all.

[bindings]

[it was kind of a compliment, so she allows the thanks, watching him with a vaguely amused look. he's an interesting person, to her, the push and pull that he is.]

A shepherd. [she repeats, tilting her head.] ... I'm not a sheep. Or a goat.

[nyeh!! with the tone of like, having had to correct someone over and over on something.]

[crucifer]

It's the holy title, girl. Remember I said I'm a priest? Well, there's a lot of different positions associated with the church, like altar boy, minister, Father.

I'm a pastor. Tend over the flock, which is a metaphor for God's children -- in other words, mankind.

[ Estinien Noises ]

[bindings]

[estinien noises is my favorite bracket tag]

Oh. [man. it's wild to hear about religions. teyvat has such an interesting relationship with their gods that religion is almost not even faith-based, it's not about believing - it's almost more like a monarchy.]

Have you met your god? [...] Is there not more than one? Did this god kill all the rest of them?

[crucifer]

[ Wolfwood really is just the blueprint after which all the rest of my characters are modeled. ]

Never even heard from Him, actually. There's only the one in this religion. Though the branch I was in in particular focused less on God, and more on the angel.

I guess I did meet that one.

[bindings]

[she frowns...]

I'm not sure that I know what angel means in this context. [...] But you met it?

[crucifer]

They're normally God's messengers. Heralds to bring His news to the people. Winged and holy and all that.

[ The easiest example is Gabriel announcing to Mary about her pregnancy but having to explain that and/or the entirety of baby Jesus to Shenhe seems like a big pot of worms he doesn't feel like cooking at the Liyue restaurant fires.

He shakes his head again though, this time a little dissonantly, looking but not really looking at Shenhe. ]

And just about as monstrous.

[bindings]

[she's getting the sense that he's not a big fan of whatever this herald is, which means she isn't either.]

Hm. I don't like the sound of it. [but then again she's not very respectful to. any of the gods she's met, so.]