armwriostle | ♦ [INBOX] ♦

Yer attentive, caring, and ya take care of others well. With yer endless patience with me, I'm surprised ya don't even consider yerself hubby material.

[And really, Rinne knows how annoying he can be. Hell, Monika was a refreshing reaction because she reminded him of how people acted back home, the way he planned it. He's pretty sure he can piss off the overly patient Tatsumi more than he can Wriothesley.]

If yer holding back coz of yer past, everyone's got skeletons in their closets. If ya think it's yer schedule, then ya just gotta make time for 'em. And if it's yer personality... Well, I can guarantee ya it's not gonna be half as much of a problem as you think.

Now, if yer just not interested, then there's nothing that can be done there. If anything, I'd say run the other way if someone forces you to tie the knot. But if it's something ya wanna do eventually, then ya just gotta do your best to provide for 'em and make them happy. That's how I see it.

[He can't help but laugh, but there's something flustered in the sound. He can't really hide the slight flush of his face and how his ears burn a little, but he tries and not talk about it.

He should had known better about asking for Rinne's opinion. It's worse because Rinne knew about his past.] It's nothing like that. Whether I'm interested or not is besides the point. [The elevator opens to Wriothesley's floor and he starts to head down the hallway to his room.]

I just don't think it's in my cards. [Why he thinks that is...well, it's simple to him, but Rinne is right. Wriothesley is an idiot.]

Uuuugh, why are you all like this?

[He grumbles, and this time he scowls, shoving at his face. Not at all cute anymore, even as he starts kicking.]

Put me down! We're picking up those parts again.

[Why are his tastes in men like this? Ugh. They need to love themselves more.]

We're going on a date.

[What are you? A petulant child, Rinne??? But he puts Rinne down since they're now kicking and throwing a fit in his arms and they obviously don't want to be carried anymore.

He tilts his head curiously, watching with a bit of amusement at the change in demeanor.]

Oh? [His day is going very differently than expected. He thought he'd be getting some coffee and head back to his room to tinker about and most likely fall asleep. Now he was going on a date. He tilts his head curiously.] Do my words bother you that much?

Yup.

[He's not even going to pretend. He is bothered.]

I'm gonna make ya love me til ya wanna marry me.

[He grins, and yes--- that is a threat. Or perhaps a solution? It's definitely a nonsensical declaration despite his early proposal, fake as it was.]

I gotta do my job as an idol sometime, after all.

[He can't help but laugh a little at that. He's pretty sure that's an actual threat and the man intends to go through with their words.

Wriothesley can't help but be charmed to say the least. Rinne was surprisingly sweet in their own way, even if this was a somewhat ridiculous way to go about it.] Hmm, are you prepared to court me then? I'm not an easy target, so you have your work cut out for you.

[Wriothesley makes his way back to wear his dropped items were left to pick up the sheets of metal and bag of bits and bolts.] So what kind of date do you have in mind, hmm?

That's what idols do. Yer my sweetheart today.

[He will help with picking up those things, but admittedly, he isn't quite sure what they can do just yet. Well, the stuff they're holding was at least something in the right direction.]

Depends. What were you planning to do with these?

Know how to make a guy feel special, do you?

[Wriothesley is a man who can easily be pleased. He had a lot of simple pleasures given how he couldn't have them for awhile, so Rinne has it easy if anything.]

Oh, this stuff? I like to tinker around. I used to do it a lot, but did it less so once I became administrator. It's just something to pass the time here and I've been told that I should get some hobbies already. [Because Wriothesley lacked hobbies, unfortunately. He can't really think of anything else he does that he would count as a hobby. Unless being a bottomless well of information about tea and preparing tea counts.]

'Already'? Who told you that?

[He shifts the items that he helps pick up under his arm and one hand, to free his other hand to rest around Wriothesley's waist and keep him close. Maybe it looks a little strange like this, but since Wriothesley's hands were preoccupied, holding hands might be no good. He was going to date him the only way he knows how.]

Why don't we head to the gardens? The artificial air might be good, and the bunnies are nearby.

A few people back home. I don't have a lot of hobbies. [He doesn't count boxing as one since it's more of a lifestyle for him. Admittedly, when he thinks about what he does back home, it was working, sleeping, eating, and boxing for the most part. There wasn't much else he did outside of that.

He lets the other stand close to him as they head to the elevators, all of the scrap metal now nestled in his arms.] The gardens work fine. I like going there, personally. Sometimes I can find some flora from home. [And Wriothesley was someone who did kind of yearn for pieces of home nowadays.]

Mm, yeah. Same. It's annoying, really.

[Wriothesley might have good memories of the plantlife, but Rinne's seen trees that reminded him of the forest that grew around his hometown. Not his favorite memory, if he were to be honest.]

I wanna see more alien stuff! What's the point of whiskin' me off to the unknown and showing me the same thing back home? Hey, make sure to point out yer flowers for me.

Annoying, huh? Not fond of it?

[There's no judgment, of course. People are allowed their opinions and Rinne must have his reasons.]

Let me drop this stuff off at my suite and we can head off to the gardens. I think that if you are looking for foreign flowers, then there are no better ones than Fontaine. You might find interest in a Romaritime flower. They're more commonly found underwater, but can also be found on land. Their petals are slightly elastic and they absorb water. There are a few other flowers with some unique attributes to a common flower, I think. [He starts to head to the elevator to head to his room.]

I grew up in one.

[He gives by way of explanation, which doesn't--- really explain anything, he supposed. He doesn't say anything for a moment, not about the flowers, not about the forest, but he does follow him to the elevator.

It's only when the doors are shut that he continues.]

What do you mean the petals absorb water?

Is that so.

[A thoughtful hum, but he doesn't push the subject.

He leans against one of the walls of the elevators and waits for it to reach the floor with his suite.] Mm? I mean, it's literal. The flowers are water absorbent. They also immediately bloom when water makes contact with them. Underwater, they're always in bloom, but things like rain if they're on land makes them bloom. They have some daily use, though I'm not particularly knowledgeable of their use.

Eeeeh? I've never seen anythin' like that. Would've made a bunch of people lose their minds if they saw that.

[Would have been a fun way to harness the ability for the village, even if it was outdated. Heck, they might have gotten excited about it when he was a kid.]

Somethin' that blooms that fast upon gettin' wet could have a lot of uses, depending on what it can do. Well, not like I'd know what to do with that knowledge if we ain't got the plant there.

Teyvat is rather attuned to the elements, and Fontaine is very closely interlinked with Hydro since our Archon represents that element. I've grown up with it, so it's just everyday for me. I can only imagine how one might react if it's something they're unused to. I think being able to appreciate something so marvel in one's eyes when it might be mundane in another is nice to see though. That our experiences are so different, means no person is truly the same.

[And Wriothesley is really, truly fond of people.

The elevator arrives at his floor and he walks down the hallway. Instead of entering his room though, he merely opens the door so that he can toss the stuff he collected into the foyer. He'll deal with it later.]

I think that there are some medicinal uses to it, but I'm only knowledgeable at basics and things like resetting bones. [When one fights in the ring enough, you just pick up stuff like that. He would not want someone to think he has the same expertise as a medical professional though.]

Ya just need to get out more, Warden, then ya'd find there's a lot of things in the world to marvel at. The world out there's huge, bigger than this dingy lil casino and it's flashy lights.

[He's never really hid his disdain about the place, not really, despite how he acts. The lack of an outside world was his whole issue with this, after all.

Still, he does agree with his point.]

And ya know... Most people don't even know how to do that. Yer pretty whack, huh?

Don't preach to me. [His tone is calm, but his words are firm as he shuts the door of his suite.] You make it sound like I don't know what's outside. I spent decades knowing what I didn't have, so you don't need to tell me what's outside a pretty cage like this.

[Wriothesley smiles, but there's a certain coldness in his gaze.] Just because I spent half my life behind bars doesn't mean I don't know how spectacular the world I was born into is.

[He starts to head back to the elevator.] It was necessary if you wanted to survive. Other inmates weren't going to take care of you if you got hurt. [Sure, the infirmary existed and Sigewinne's love for humans meant no one would probably die on her watch. Wriothesley was just not the most trusting growing up.]

Oh?

[That's a surprise. He didn't actually think he'd push a button with that, not when Wriothesley's been endlessly patient with him. He hadn't even been sure he could ever annoy him on any level, and maybe that shouldn't be someone's goal at all-- but really, Rinne's not thee most orthodox when it comes to getting to know people.]

That actually riled ya up? I didn't expect that. Here I thought you were enjoyin' this kinda life plenty.

[This might not be the date he promised, not when unfortunately Rinne's found a little string to follow.]

[Wriothesley frowns a little at that as he folds his arms over his chest.]

Do people usually enjoy being patronized? [It wasn't like Rinne's words were wrong, but it rubbed him the wrong way to be told things that made him sound ignorant to what was out there. It didn't sit well with him.] Enjoy what? Living a life of lavish splendors with nothing to do but apparently get lost in debauchery?

[He snorts.] Sorry to say, but I much prefer my day job back at home.

[Wriothesley was duty bound despite what air he holds. His acclimating to just sleeping around was less because he was some sex addict and a man who was familiar with the concept of using it as a transaction.

He just also finds that it might as well be enjoyable if he was going to sell his body.]

Kyaha~ Guess I learned somethin' new about ya. I could never tell in this place, just who likes bein' here and who wants to go.

[He doesn't deny he was patronizing him. It was a poor habit of Rinne's, one born of contempt for his life. It's a bit of a bad habit he could kick if he chose to, but he was still high up on the defensive scale here. He doesn't think he can remove that one self-defense anytime soon.]

Well, my bad. I might as well have spent most o' my life in a pretty cage, so bein' thrown into another one after a few years of freedom pisses me off. It's a wonder for me why there's less rebellion than I expected.

I like the people here. [Wriothesley's feelings about staying or going is a little complicated. He does want to go home, but he also knows that unless he can help others out first, he wouldn't take the option of leaving right away. Now that he knew some of the people here more intimately, the idea of just leaving them without helping them first just isn't possible.] But I already did my time before and I can't say I'm too keen to do it again.

[Especially because this place seems intent on keeping them indefinitely.

Wriothesley clicks his tongue as he regards the other.] Rebelling without having a clear goal at the end is just throwing a tantrum. [He knows a few people are digging around the place to learn what they can of it. Wriothesley himself is hungry to learn more about what makes this place tick and how to get a foot in the door to have any amount of leverage. He also doesn't want to make himself a target right away because it becomes more of an uphill battle when eyes are on you more than they already are.

Are they even gonna have a nice date anymore? He has forgotten about what the original plan.] Some peoples' circumstances seem to even be better here than home, so there's a lot of cogs in this place to take into account. [Which makes things all the more complicated.]

Throwin' a tantrum, huh?

[Rinne doesn't disagree, at least. He knows what he's been doing is just nothing more than what a child acting out does, and he falls silent as he stares straight ahead, thinking about it.]

Yer really a good kid, Warden.

[It's not really a compliment, not from Rinne. It's probably closer to an insult, if other idols were asked, but there's a quietness to the tone even as he smiles at him.]

Then lemme ask ya this. If the only way out is to destroy this place, would ya stop someone who'd be desperate enough to try it?

Oh, fuck off. [And Wriothesley isn't interested in being told such bullshit words. The last time he was called a good kid, it was by monsters pretending to be loving parents.] I'm not interested in shitty platitudes. What matters to me is figuring the best possible route going forward.

[What was best for everyone. Not for himself, but for the overall.

Which is to say-] If the only way out was to destroy this place, then do you think I wouldn't be a part of making it happen? [Because Wriothesley can certainly make the hard decisions. If the way out was to destroy this place and it benefited most people here, then it certainly was not an option he was suddenly going to stray from.

He wasn't exactly going to shy away from potentially being the villain in someone's story.]

Ya just said so yerself, didn'tcha? Some people's lives are better here than back home. If ya help destroy this place, they'd have to get back to their lives before.

[He can think of at least one person who really has no intentions of going back if he could. Rinne isn't sure what to do about that, not when the pros and cons aren't adding up to a nice middle ground he can really settle on.

He doesn't like it.]

What if there ain't a nice middle ground to thread on? We either stay here or go home, isn't it best to think of that possibility too?

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