[He does sometimes wonder if Kaeya is really ready to see Khaenri'ah. If it might be too much, or if the reality might not live up to his expectations. In the end, though... he can push those concerns aside with the knowledge that the younger man would likely simply just love to see the place for what it was.
Dainsleif settles back into his own chair and lifts his cup to his lips. His eyes dart Kaeya's way at the question and he pauses for just long enough to sip his drink before he answers.]
Of course you can. [Any question, of course, always comes with the caveat that Dainsleif may not be able to answer it. That is something that has been long-established.] You don't need to ask my permission for that.
[His ears perk up then lower. He coughs and looks to the side. How to ask this? He decides to go for it.] Would you describe it to me? Your old residence. It's alright if you'd rather not.
[Like any time he jots things down, he pulls out a small battered-looking journal. It will be placed in his private files, just like all the rest. Things Dain wants to be kept private go into a locked journal for their eyes only.]
[He finds it interesting that that is the question that was asked out of all of the potential ones that Kaeya might have chosen in that moment. If it had been asked of him before that particular journey into the past he would not have been able to answer it save for in vague impressions which he would not have even been able to guarantee were from his own home.
But... there is a condition that comes with this particular query. Dainsleif reaches over and lightly places his hand on the notebook.]
But not for that. This isn't a lesson or something to be committed to record. This is my home, Kaeya. Do you understand?
[Kaeya tips his ears slightly and smiles gently. There is a lot he could say, but he says the most honest.] I understand how precious a home is.
[He meets his eyes.] All of my records have not just been to preserve the past. But also to preserve what you remember for yourself.
[He tucks his pen away.] But, I understand. There are some things I don't want to be written down too. [He merely has to think about this morning; Diluc smiling at him from the bathroom. Just for him. He straightens up.]
[He was sure Kaeya would understand, and he smiles slightly as he nods and then wraps both hands around his cup.]
I lived not too far from the king's palace, high enough in the city to have the most... spectacular view. [Dainsleif doesn't meet Kaeya's eyes - he's looking at the table, his gaze distant as he remembers things that he had thought lost to him forever.] It wasn't anything special, as far as homes go... I had no need for unnecessary luxury.
[That he prefers the simple kind of life should probably not surprise Kaeya, with how easily he has settled into it here.]
There was a small entryway as you walked in... and then a living room. I had a lot of books, all the way along one wall, although I didn't read as often as I would have liked to.
Too busy? [Kaeya asked as he relaxes into his seat. Just listening to the words. Once he left the Ragnvindr estate his own flat is nothing special just like Dain. He had what he needed and that was all he wanted.
How interesting they both preferred the simple life.] A simple home isn’t so bad.
[Kaeya, please, of course he knows where you live. As much as anyone who might have casually seen him walk in and out of the same place on repeated occasions might be able to easily surmise that he lives there.
Dainsleif lets out a little laugh then and shakes his head.]
But... yes, too busy, I suppose... I have often found myself almost envious of people able to live a simple, uncomplicated life. I was busy back then, but my life was not complicated.
[His eye goes wide as the first statement sinks in. He had been very careful about his comings and goings from the tea shop.
Careful in keeping tabs on Dain each time he came to Mondstadt. He feels he had made a clean break from the past. But there is always the worry that he has been lying to himself and that the past will grab him eventually.
He swallows. Then sighs,] I see the life of a high ranking knight will never stop being busy. I had my hopes of some days being not so full of tasks.
[He takes a sip and closes his eyes. The scar over the eye normally covered itches a little. He rubs at it then opens his eyes.] While I know it is unlikely, I still hope you get some peaceful uncomplicated days ahead.
You’ll have at least one. I want you to be at my wedding in whatever capacity you want to be. Mondstadt weddings are very free form.
[If there was one thing that Dainsleif had not expected to hear, it was that. An invitation to a wedding is not something that has been extended to him in a long time and even with their relationship being as good as it is now, he would not have been offended had Kaeya not extended that kind of invitation to him.]
I, uh...
[He distracts himself with his drink for a moment, having still not touched his food, and looks down at the table.]
Hmn. [A few responses push their way to the front of his mind. 'Are you sure that's a good idea', he thinks, knowing of the kind of danger that tends to follow in his wake and the possible problems that can come attached to openly associating with a pure-blooded Khaenri'ahn.
But Kaeya knows all of that.]
I'll be there. I cannot say in what capacity, but even if you don't see me, rest assured that I was present.
[There is a heavy thumping sound. Kaeya pretends it isn’t his tail wagging but the stupid smile on his face gives him away.] I know it is a lot to ask. Thank you.
It won’t be heavily formal or anything. Neither of us want that. [Considering what their wedding would be like at Mondstadt this will be so far from that. He gets a cold sweat thinking of all the decor and formality he would have to have as a knight captain marrying an old noble family noble.
He drains half of his drink. He waves a hand.] Sorry, sorry. I thought of how it would be if it was in Mond and had a moment.
[They were talking about that, weren't they. He puts his mind back to it... and, stars, he's finding himself so strangely fretful that the memories returned to him will begin to slip away again. The erosion of time and the curse on him is not something that he has ever been able to fully combat, although things to resurface now and then and sometimes concentration in examining what recollections remain can turn up something new, but he has never recalled anything in such startling clarity as these fresh memories of places long-since destroyed.]
Where was I... ah... the books.
[He gives a small shake of his head.]
The kitchen was not often used... I tended to prefer to eat together with my men and the meals served there were more than serviceable. I preferred to foster a sense of family amongst us, rather than keeping myself aloof as their superior.
[Over time he's learned that Dain really isn't someone to be wary of. He still worries sometimes about his own family. He suspects a lot, but. This...it reminds him his knights look at him like he could battle the heart of the abyss and come out fine.] ...that sounds lovely.
[And familiar. But his lips twitch as he adds,] A kitchen rarely used...well, that used to be the case for me too. Luc is the king of ours, mm; it's enough to make a man feel a little competitive.
[He couldn't let Diluc have all the fun.] While I'm not surprised some things overlap with knighthood, it is nice to see.
It may have been five hundred years, but how humans connect with one another hasn't changed that much. I needed the trust and confidence of those under my command... I never felt that I could achieve that by keeping myself distanced from them.
[So he would sit with them, eat with them, laugh and show them that he was human too, and they would know that when it came down to it he would always be there at their backs just as they were at his.]
They followed my orders without question to the very end. I've always been very proud of them. [Ah, and there's something there... some little sting of pain that he skims over with a small smile.]
Aside from that, there was a bedroom, a bathroom, everything you might expect. As I said, I didn't live extravagantly.
It suits you. [His tail thumps against his seat again. He smiles.] I like it too. That’s something I miss here. I liked eating with my men and sharing drinks off duty.
Time in a tavern after a long day…it was always nice. [He smiles fondly and sips his drink. Then he settles.] Thank you for sharing that with me.
[Suits him? Hm... he supposes it does. It's the kind of life he had missed, that he sometimes envies the ability of others to have, and now...
Now he has that very thing, yet he finds it difficult to be grateful for it as he would be were he ever able to attain such a thing in Teyvat. But that's the thing, isn't it... he's never going to be able to have this in Teyvat.]
I'll admit... I feel like I've regained something lost by having spent time with you.
[It's not the first time he has expressed to Kaeya that he appreciates having him around, but the words come out regardless.]
You have no idea what it's meant. To just look into eyes like my own and not see hatred or suspicion in them.
[He sets his drink down and gets up. He comes within reach as he says,] I can say the same.
I don't...feel the weight of legacy and duty when I look at you. It's nice just to be and feel the ties of kinship. [Without the weight of what he suspects. Dain said his family weren't involved. But...he suspects that isn't true.
He sighs,] It's one of the things that makes this time very special. It will always live in my heart.
There are, admittedly, many things he has not told Kaeya. Things he would hope not to need to tell him, with how close they have become... it would have only been a reason to be suspicious of him before. By now, Dainsleif is fairly confident of where Kaeya's allegiances lie.
As for his family... that's complicated. He hadn't entirely lied. But... he hadn't been truthful, either.]
Likewise. It's good, to not feel isolated... don't you think?
It’s wonderful. It makes me happy we both get to experience it. [His eyes are bright as he lifts his drink up in a toast.
He is content here. He knows he has to go back eventually, but this world isn’t so bad sometimes. Especially for moments like this where he and Dain can enjoy a bond they never thought they would have with their own people.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2023-02-18 05:30 pm (UTC)Dainsleif settles back into his own chair and lifts his cup to his lips. His eyes dart Kaeya's way at the question and he pauses for just long enough to sip his drink before he answers.]
Of course you can. [Any question, of course, always comes with the caveat that Dainsleif may not be able to answer it. That is something that has been long-established.] You don't need to ask my permission for that.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-18 05:37 pm (UTC)[Like any time he jots things down, he pulls out a small battered-looking journal. It will be placed in his private files, just like all the rest. Things Dain wants to be kept private go into a locked journal for their eyes only.]
no subject
Date: 2023-02-19 06:37 pm (UTC)[He finds it interesting that that is the question that was asked out of all of the potential ones that Kaeya might have chosen in that moment. If it had been asked of him before that particular journey into the past he would not have been able to answer it save for in vague impressions which he would not have even been able to guarantee were from his own home.
But... there is a condition that comes with this particular query. Dainsleif reaches over and lightly places his hand on the notebook.]
But not for that. This isn't a lesson or something to be committed to record. This is my home, Kaeya. Do you understand?
no subject
Date: 2023-02-19 08:07 pm (UTC)[He meets his eyes.] All of my records have not just been to preserve the past. But also to preserve what you remember for yourself.
[He tucks his pen away.] But, I understand. There are some things I don't want to be written down too. [He merely has to think about this morning; Diluc smiling at him from the bathroom. Just for him. He straightens up.]
I'm ready.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 05:13 pm (UTC)I lived not too far from the king's palace, high enough in the city to have the most... spectacular view. [Dainsleif doesn't meet Kaeya's eyes - he's looking at the table, his gaze distant as he remembers things that he had thought lost to him forever.] It wasn't anything special, as far as homes go... I had no need for unnecessary luxury.
[That he prefers the simple kind of life should probably not surprise Kaeya, with how easily he has settled into it here.]
There was a small entryway as you walked in... and then a living room. I had a lot of books, all the way along one wall, although I didn't read as often as I would have liked to.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 06:57 pm (UTC)How interesting they both preferred the simple life.] A simple home isn’t so bad.
In Mond, I live above a tea shop.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-01 06:35 pm (UTC)... I know.
[Kaeya, please, of course he knows where you live. As much as anyone who might have casually seen him walk in and out of the same place on repeated occasions might be able to easily surmise that he lives there.
Dainsleif lets out a little laugh then and shakes his head.]
But... yes, too busy, I suppose... I have often found myself almost envious of people able to live a simple, uncomplicated life. I was busy back then, but my life was not complicated.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-01 07:33 pm (UTC)Careful in keeping tabs on Dain each time he came to Mondstadt. He feels he had made a clean break from the past. But there is always the worry that he has been lying to himself and that the past will grab him eventually.
He swallows. Then sighs,] I see the life of a high ranking knight will never stop being busy. I had my hopes of some days being not so full of tasks.
[He takes a sip and closes his eyes. The scar over the eye normally covered itches a little. He rubs at it then opens his eyes.] While I know it is unlikely, I still hope you get some peaceful uncomplicated days ahead.
You’ll have at least one. I want you to be at my wedding in whatever capacity you want to be. Mondstadt weddings are very free form.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-04 01:32 pm (UTC)I, uh...
[He distracts himself with his drink for a moment, having still not touched his food, and looks down at the table.]
Hmn. [A few responses push their way to the front of his mind. 'Are you sure that's a good idea', he thinks, knowing of the kind of danger that tends to follow in his wake and the possible problems that can come attached to openly associating with a pure-blooded Khaenri'ahn.
But Kaeya knows all of that.]
I'll be there. I cannot say in what capacity, but even if you don't see me, rest assured that I was present.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-04 05:33 pm (UTC)It won’t be heavily formal or anything. Neither of us want that. [Considering what their wedding would be like at Mondstadt this will be so far from that. He gets a cold sweat thinking of all the decor and formality he would have to have as a knight captain marrying an old noble family noble.
He drains half of his drink. He waves a hand.] Sorry, sorry. I thought of how it would be if it was in Mond and had a moment.
Can I keep hearing about your place?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-05 06:32 pm (UTC)[They were talking about that, weren't they. He puts his mind back to it... and, stars, he's finding himself so strangely fretful that the memories returned to him will begin to slip away again. The erosion of time and the curse on him is not something that he has ever been able to fully combat, although things to resurface now and then and sometimes concentration in examining what recollections remain can turn up something new, but he has never recalled anything in such startling clarity as these fresh memories of places long-since destroyed.]
Where was I... ah... the books.
[He gives a small shake of his head.]
The kitchen was not often used... I tended to prefer to eat together with my men and the meals served there were more than serviceable. I preferred to foster a sense of family amongst us, rather than keeping myself aloof as their superior.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-07 07:11 pm (UTC)[And familiar. But his lips twitch as he adds,] A kitchen rarely used...well, that used to be the case for me too. Luc is the king of ours, mm; it's enough to make a man feel a little competitive.
[He couldn't let Diluc have all the fun.] While I'm not surprised some things overlap with knighthood, it is nice to see.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-11 08:57 pm (UTC)[So he would sit with them, eat with them, laugh and show them that he was human too, and they would know that when it came down to it he would always be there at their backs just as they were at his.]
They followed my orders without question to the very end. I've always been very proud of them. [Ah, and there's something there... some little sting of pain that he skims over with a small smile.]
Aside from that, there was a bedroom, a bathroom, everything you might expect. As I said, I didn't live extravagantly.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-12 07:37 pm (UTC)Time in a tavern after a long day…it was always nice. [He smiles fondly and sips his drink. Then he settles.] Thank you for sharing that with me.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-17 07:14 pm (UTC)Now he has that very thing, yet he finds it difficult to be grateful for it as he would be were he ever able to attain such a thing in Teyvat. But that's the thing, isn't it... he's never going to be able to have this in Teyvat.]
I'll admit... I feel like I've regained something lost by having spent time with you.
[It's not the first time he has expressed to Kaeya that he appreciates having him around, but the words come out regardless.]
You have no idea what it's meant. To just look into eyes like my own and not see hatred or suspicion in them.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-18 09:17 pm (UTC)I don't...feel the weight of legacy and duty when I look at you. It's nice just to be and feel the ties of kinship. [Without the weight of what he suspects. Dain said his family weren't involved. But...he suspects that isn't true.
He sighs,] It's one of the things that makes this time very special. It will always live in my heart.
think we can wrap this one up? :3
Date: 2023-03-24 12:09 pm (UTC)There are, admittedly, many things he has not told Kaeya. Things he would hope not to need to tell him, with how close they have become... it would have only been a reason to be suspicious of him before. By now, Dainsleif is fairly confident of where Kaeya's allegiances lie.
As for his family... that's complicated. He hadn't entirely lied. But... he hadn't been truthful, either.]
Likewise. It's good, to not feel isolated... don't you think?
Ye!
Date: 2023-03-25 01:41 pm (UTC)He is content here. He knows he has to go back eventually, but this world isn’t so bad sometimes. Especially for moments like this where he and Dain can enjoy a bond they never thought they would have with their own people.
His tail wags and he smiles. It’s a good day.]