bakerstreet | tear-water tea

I posted a rough selfie and lost a follower, once.

I'll never know who it was. My follower count went down by one, and to this day I'll never know who it was that I scared away with a photo taken from that horrid under-chin angle.

( it haunts him. )

My existence, really. I was born eight years after my brother, crown Prince of Brodia, and by then he could fight with a sword better than soldiers three times his age. He's strong, brave, smart, everyone adores him and I've never been able to measure up.

I'm just an afterthought. Anything I tried, Diamant could already do better. All I can really do is use a bow and apologize.

My entire life, the ending to pretty much any story I can come up with.

Also my brother's continued delusions that he's some sort of ladies' man and that his outdated technology is somehow cutting edge

Uwaaaaaahhh...That one time I thought I had a foolproof plan to make money off of an otherworldly holiday, just for that dumbass incubus to go ruining it with his harebrained schemes...And everyone blamed me at first!

It's so hard to be a genius...No one gets it...Uuuuuu...

I saw my dad die once. [ Her voice is quiet. She considers leaving it at that, but... ] Our last conversation before that was an argument. I'm pretty sure one of the last things I said to him was that I hated him. And then he was gone.

[ The floodgates have opened, verbally speaking. At least she isn't crying? ~~Yet~~ ] Fortunately, he didn't stay dead. But that image stays with me, and the feeling of thinking I'd never see him again.

Tell your people you love them, 'kay?

That’s dreadful. No one should have to witness that—even if your father did, uh, come back. [ Weird, but not totally out of the realm of cutting-edge science. ]

I suppose I’m in the same boat. The last time I spoke with my parents, we said some hurtful things to one another. [ Oops, suddenly there’s an urge to overshare, even if he’d rather not heap his own family drama on a stranger. ] I haven’t been in contact for years now.

[ He clears his throat and manages a commiserating smile. ] Did you reconcile with your father after that, or … ?

Yeah, once the initial shock wore off when he came through the door, we talked things over and made up. [ Claire's no stranger to coming back from the dead, though usually she's the one doing it. ] We've always been pretty close; that was a particularly rough patch.

[ She knows she's lucky to have made it through and remain on good terms. There's a slight frown as he talks about his own situation. ] I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you get a chance to reconcile with them - I mean, if that's something you want?

[ While she's close with her parents, other family... not so much. So she understands if someone wants to keep distance. ]

[ There's a twinge of envy at that; both the ease of making up and being close to begin with. The question elicits a conflicted pause. ]

I thought I knew what I wanted, but you've made me reconsider.

Now, I suppose I'd like to try again someday. To be fair, they're behaving like any parents would. They just want what's best—in their eyes, anyway. But I'm still frustrated that they can't understand my perspective.

[ He cocks his head. ] If it's not too personal, what did you and your father disagree about?

It was pretty similar, actually. The two of us disagreeing on what's best for me. [ This is all a big oversimplification of what went down. That's a much longer story that gets much weirder. At the core, she thinks the themes are similar enough. ]

We were all in a lot of danger at the time, and we had different ideas of how to deal with it. Dad wanted to make us move away, but I was tired of running.

In a way, we were both right. It almost cost us everything to figure that out, though.

[ Claire's smile is genuine, if a little sad. ] Do you think you'll reach out to your parents?

Not quite yet. We’re dealing with our own kind of danger. [ He probably can’t get away without elaborating, so he makes a flourish with his cybernetic hand. Light bends and shimmers as photons coalesce into a bright lotus blossom in his palm, accompanied by a whiff of vivid fragrance. ] I have something special—a discovery—that could mean wonderful things for the world … or utter disaster.

My parents want me to give up—to cooperate with the very people who could bring about the latter. [ The petals wilt, and there’s the sickly sweet smell of rot before they fall away. ]

I’ve explained exactly why I can’t, but they don’t trust me to know what’s best. I’m still their misfit son who flaunts the rules, you know? [ He’s still trying to maintain a smile, but it’s more of a grimace. ]

[ Claire's seen her fair share of incredible scientific and technological advances, but no matter how much she's seen, she's never anything less than impressed when witnessing something new. She's not terribly familiar with the concept of manipulating light in this fashion, so she watches attentively. Not that she'll try her hand at it; it just never hurts to know things. ] You sound a little like I used to.

I can't say I disagree with your stance on things, even if I do understand where your parents are coming from. They probably want you to choose the path that would be safest for you, right? But what's life without risks? And what's the point in having something that could help the world if you don't use it?

[ Yep, she's seeing a lot of herself in his story. Flaunting the rules, parents who are maybe misguided in thinking they know best but ultimately mean well. It's hashtag relatable. ] I hope you can find common ground with your folks and help them understand. It really sounds like you're trying to do what's right.

Exactly! My parents have never wanted me to step off the beaten path, but that’s where life is most interesting and beautiful. [ He raises a brow and manages a genuine, mischievous smile. ] And dangerous.

I’ll never get anywhere with just words, so I’ll just have to prove them wrong by changing the world for the better. Easy, right? [ He laughs, but he seems optimistically—maybe naively—excited by the prospect. ]

… Thank you for reminding me that family isn’t something to be taken for granted.

I think my parents understood my desire to explore and test boundaries, even if they tried their best to keep me on safer paths. My dad was definitely the more over-protective one. [ She can laugh at some of those memories now, and find comfort in them, rather than the opposite. It helps that she's matured and proven that she can rein in her more impulsive tendencies. ]

Facing danger and trying to change the world for the better, huh? We have that in common.

[ Claire offers a friendly, beaming smile. Her optimistic side always seems to shine through. ] Sometimes a little outside perspective goes a long way. I'm glad I could help.

Always refreshing to meet more people willing to rise to the challenge—even if it means disappointing their parents along the way.

… Oh dear, all this heavy talk and I haven’t even introduced myself. [ He presses his palms together and tilts his head in a bow. ] I’m Niran. Though I like to go by Lifeweaver these days. Can’t be too careful when you’re a wanted man!

[ A wink. ] But you don’t look like the bounty-hunting type.

[ She nods her head in return, her smile softening. ] Niran. I like that- Lifeweaver. It's cool. And a pleasure to meet you. I'm Claire.

Definitely not a bounty hunter or anything of the sort. [ It's pretty safe to say they're on the same side. Claire's had people after her for various reasons. ]

They'd probably be just as likely to chase me too, if I'm honest.

Oh, but the pleasure is all mine, Miss Claire!

[ A mix of surprise and curiosity crosses his face to hear she’s in the same boat. ] Why would they possibly be after you?

[ He asks that, but as a very nice young man from a wealthy, upstanding family, he never planned on being a fugitive. It just sort of happened. ]

No, no. Let me guess—you run afoul of the mafia? Stole irrefutable evidence that aliens are real? [ A hushed whisper. ] … Accumulated too many library fines?

I had to watch the Silver Millennium collapse from the Time Lanes.

Some Darkstalkers fear people and some people fear Darkstalkers and there is no reason for any of us to not get along.

[ cw: animal death.]

My furbaby died and I wasn't there to bury her.

tear-water tea

raihan ( pkmn swsh )

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giving "task failed successfully" vibes lol

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