(Your brother and his friends pull you into an alleyway, away from the evening light and throw you against the wall. Your brother insults you and you snap back at him because as usual, he has no idea what he’s talking about. Your brother begins to say something about your mother. You punch him before he can finish.
Another boy punches you in the face and your hand instinctively reaches to hold your mouth. You can taste blood from your lip and you decide there’s no point in talking anymore. There never is. They never listen. It’s the same thing every time and you know if you don’t fight back now, they’ll just get a head start on you.
The two of you roll around on the ground, exchanging punches and kicks, pulling hair and cursing each other. Your brother suddenly draws a knife and his friends back off, holding their hands in the air, “H-hey…” One tries to mediate, “He’s still…”
“He’s not my brother!” Your brother spits, trying to bring his hunter’s knife at you. You manage to stop it but at the cost of grabbing the blade with your hand. You wince as the blade cuts into your palm and fingers but you don’t dare let go. If you do, that knife will end up in your stomach and you’ll be left in the alley.. Even if your brother was caught, he wouldn’t get in trouble. You know this. Such is the privilege of being your father’s sons.
“Let go!” Your brother yells and when you yell back, a flash of light appears in front of you. In the air, a crescent moon shines and startles the others in the alleyway including your brother who suddenly drops his knife and backs away.
“What was that?” One of the boys whisper and they begin to question if it was magic. One yells that he didn’t come to pick a fight with a mage and they run away and leave you behind. You let go of the knife and look down at your hand. Though your hand is covered in blood, there’s not a single cut or scratch. You raise a hand to your lip and feel the cut on your lip is also healed. You can still taste the iron on your tongue.
What was that? You wonder, looking around you. The light is gone and the sun had begun to set on the city. Had that light... Healed you? Had that power come from you…? As you focus on your hand, a crescent moon appears and you jump back from surprise. The light disappears.
You clench your fist. Though you don’t understand this power, you know it’s yours. )
[Jun wasn't expecting this to happen when he picked up the dagger in the field. To watch as such a vivid memory flashes across his eyes in the first person.
The first part of it is...disorienting to him, confusing. Jun never had a family of any kind, a Seal Knight was discourage from forming such bonds. So even if this was far from a positive sibling relationship, much of the nuance and emotions being shown are lost on him. All he knew about family was what he read in stories. But why would brothers be seeking to kill each other? Was it for power or for jealousy?
It's only when the crescent moon sigil appears that things start to make sense to Jun. Right, powers like this can often awaken with strong emotions or when one's life was in peril. And what was a better situation than that?
He's left to think quietly to himself, unaware that someone else could be around after seeing that]
(Says a voice from nearby. Claude wasn't too far away from Jun, his bow in his hand and a yellow seelie floating next to him. He'd come out to get some practice shots in when his seelie suddenly started to try and catch his attention, leading him over towards where Jun was just in time to see the memory play out.)
[Jun will be snapped from his thoughts, looking a little surprised to see him. He hadn't seen past the first person perspective, so he didn't know who that'd been - but now the dots are connecting.]
(He will neither confirm or deny. Still, it's pretty obvious. He clearly understands what Jun saw, even if he doesn't seem to react to much of the what unfolded. He's casual about the entire thing,)
(Well, it looks like he isn't going to get anymore practice in... He slings his bow over his shoulder and shrugs,)
Maybe his brother did better in an exam and embarrassed him in front of the whole class. (How dare the little brother outdo his older brother in the archery exam! ) Maybe they just didn't like each other.
(Thank you, he knows he's fake as heck and he really doesn't try to hide it once it's out. Knowing someone has secrets and is a faker doesn't help anyone understand the secrets or what you're hiding any better.)
It depends on the family! (This was... pretty normal. Maybe on the more extreme end but definitely not too far out there. Oops.) It's not completely unheard of where I'm from... why, I can name a few other families that hate each other...
[Jun can see an attempt to deflect when he sees one. Claude was really trying to sell this as no big deal, even if it was certainly not the case. Maybe another person would try to press for more details, try to get Claude to open up a little, but...
Well, apathy was kicking in for Jun. While he was curious, it ultimately wasn't his problem. Claude wasn't the first person he's encountered with a troubled past, and he won't be the last. If Claude was unwilling to share, then there's no reason to force the subject]
... Whatever. Your family affairs don't affect me.
(Though he doesn't say it out loud, he's thankful to have the topic dropped. There are things Claude doesn't mind talking about but his family is not one of them.
He gives Jun a small smile, apologetic and grateful. "Sorry and thank you." Maybe Jun can try again when they're closer... )
It isn't important here. (Brushing it under a rug.) You were wondering about something else earlier though, weren't you?
(He holds out his hand to Jun, not unlike "Jun" would have done in the memory. Right now, nothing appears from his hand. His palm is empty.)
[Truthfully, he probably won't try again. Claude didn't want his past prodded, and Jun has no reason to prod it- so he won't. Unfortunately, it also means Jun will be less inclined to share his own secret past with him. So. Good job there Claude for setting that standard. ]
[Ah, so there it was. As Claude activates it, Jun will use his elemental sight to look at it. His own senses would be better at confirming it, but ...
He puts his hand on his hip.]
Hm...well I haven't heard it called a Crest before, but if I had to guess...is it a mark of acknowledgement from a god that blesses a person with special abilities?
(And he calls back his Crest. It disappears in a shower of light,)
A long time ago, the goddess blessed ten heroes with Crests to help protect Fodlan from darkness and evil and defeat the Fell King, Nemesis. (Story time!) After defeating the big, bad, evil villain, they were able to pass on their Crests to their children who passed it on to their children who passed it on to their children and then passed it on to their children and... well, you get the picture.
(He's not really keeping count of the generations but Jun gets the point, right?)
The ten elites ended up starting families that would become the noble houses of Fodlan. Kings, emperors, dukes, counts... the whole set. And some of them would break off and start their own nations and make new sets. The Goddess blessed them with her power so it's only natural they would use their powers to guide Fodlan and protect it for years to come.
(And then he sort of just... shrugs.)
There hasn't really been a lot of darkness or evil for a while. Mostly, we've just been making our own trouble.
I see... that sounds like it could get complicated.
[Actually what he really means it sounds like a hot mess and probably flawed system that could be easily rift with abuse. 10 noble families believing they have a holy right to rule but no real actual duty against the darkness to uphold anymore? Yeesh. That can't be good. History was full of terrible things done by people in power who felt they were "ordained by God or the gods". It was yet another reason the Seal Knights maintained a low profile and insisted on selflessness.
But Fodlan wasn't Jun's world, nor was this goddess his deity. It wasn't his place to critique things. Like the issues he had with Teyvat's system, he holds his tongue and thinks about what is relevant. ]
Well...regardless of the status your Crest gives you in Fodlan, I suggest holding your tongue to the locals about your Crest and Fodlan's goddess. Teyvat's ruled by other gods, and by nature gods have a tendency to be ... territorial.
[In other words gods be crazy, don't make yourself a target Claude]
(He feels you on this, Jun. And Jun really has it pretty figured out. At least, he understands the basics. Ten noble families with the divine right to rule for what seems like forever and a society that just accepts it all. Claude feels like the status quo has kept Fodlan from reaching its' full potential... but he can't complain too much considering how he'd exploited its system to fit in. )
Hah! I get the feeling we don't really have to worry here. (In this part of Teyvat.) But between you and me? You aren't going to catch me singing praises or spreading the good word any time soon.
Don't be too sure of that. Barbatos may not mind, but he's not the highest god of this land. [There was always a chance Celestia may decide to intervene. Honestly, it was surprising they hadn't yet
Still, he knows that song and dance that Claude is eluding at.]
[He lets out a little sigh. Yeah, he can tell Claude is being dodgy and it's not hard to guess why. He's a holy knight, it's not uncommon for people to assume things about his viewpoints]
...Mm. I agree.
Worshipping a god should be a personal choice. One should even be allowed to reject worshipping gods altogether, if that's what feels right to them.
[Pretty much! Jun is committed to God, but he doesn't expect everyone to follow the same path. And frankly, considering he's gay, asian and his gender leans more towards "it's complicated"? He is very aware there's sects of his own religion that would never accept him.
So. Yeah. Not a hardcore believer in the Church Always Being Right For All.]
Mm, it's nice how open minded and accepting the people are here. [Unlike SOME country that claims to follow freedom- not to name names of course!] I've heard Barbatos takes a hands-off approach to ruling his land. So the state of Mondstadt is actually more thanks to its people.
Jun, (cw: bullying, violence)
(Your brother and his friends pull you into an alleyway, away from the evening light and throw you against the wall. Your brother insults you and you snap back at him because as usual, he has no idea what he’s talking about. Your brother begins to say something about your mother. You punch him before he can finish.
Another boy punches you in the face and your hand instinctively reaches to hold your mouth. You can taste blood from your lip and you decide there’s no point in talking anymore. There never is. They never listen. It’s the same thing every time and you know if you don’t fight back now, they’ll just get a head start on you.
The two of you roll around on the ground, exchanging punches and kicks, pulling hair and cursing each other. Your brother suddenly draws a knife and his friends back off, holding their hands in the air, “H-hey…” One tries to mediate, “He’s still…”
“He’s not my brother!” Your brother spits, trying to bring his hunter’s knife at you. You manage to stop it but at the cost of grabbing the blade with your hand. You wince as the blade cuts into your palm and fingers but you don’t dare let go. If you do, that knife will end up in your stomach and you’ll be left in the alley.. Even if your brother was caught, he wouldn’t get in trouble. You know this. Such is the privilege of being your father’s sons.
“Let go!” Your brother yells and when you yell back, a flash of light appears in front of you. In the air, a crescent moon shines and startles the others in the alleyway including your brother who suddenly drops his knife and backs away.
“What was that?” One of the boys whisper and they begin to question if it was magic. One yells that he didn’t come to pick a fight with a mage and they run away and leave you behind. You let go of the knife and look down at your hand. Though your hand is covered in blood, there’s not a single cut or scratch. You raise a hand to your lip and feel the cut on your lip is also healed. You can still taste the iron on your tongue.
What was that? You wonder, looking around you. The light is gone and the sun had begun to set on the city. Had that light... Healed you? Had that power come from you…? As you focus on your hand, a crescent moon appears and you jump back from surprise. The light disappears.
You clench your fist. Though you don’t understand this power, you know it’s yours. )
no subject
The first part of it is...disorienting to him, confusing. Jun never had a family of any kind, a Seal Knight was discourage from forming such bonds. So even if this was far from a positive sibling relationship, much of the nuance and emotions being shown are lost on him. All he knew about family was what he read in stories. But why would brothers be seeking to kill each other? Was it for power or for jealousy?
It's only when the crescent moon sigil appears that things start to make sense to Jun. Right, powers like this can often awaken with strong emotions or when one's life was in peril. And what was a better situation than that?
He's left to think quietly to himself, unaware that someone else could be around after seeing that]
A healing power, perhaps...?
no subject
(Says a voice from nearby. Claude wasn't too far away from Jun, his bow in his hand and a yellow seelie floating next to him. He'd come out to get some practice shots in when his seelie suddenly started to try and catch his attention, leading him over towards where Jun was just in time to see the memory play out.)
no subject
Claude...this was your memory then?
no subject
(He will neither confirm or deny. Still, it's pretty obvious. He clearly understands what Jun saw, even if he doesn't seem to react to much of the what unfolded. He's casual about the entire thing,)
Talk about a bunch of jerks, though.
no subject
Welp, ok fine be that way Claude. He's just going to assume that it was him now. ]
Yeah. Why did he want to kill his brother?
[he doesn't sound upset by the notion. More he simply...didn't get it. Sibling killings felt like something out of fiction or history.]
no subject
Maybe his brother did better in an exam and embarrassed him in front of the whole class. (How dare the little brother outdo his older brother in the archery exam! ) Maybe they just didn't like each other.
Siblings fight all the time.
(It's no big deal!!!)
no subject
I don't have family, but even I don't think that was a normal sibling fight.
[I WAS RAISED BY A CULT AND EVEN I CAN TELL THIS IS NOT NORMAL OR HEALTHY CLAUDE]
no subject
It depends on the family! (This was... pretty normal. Maybe on the more extreme end but definitely not too far out there. Oops.) It's not completely unheard of where I'm from... why, I can name a few other families that hate each other...
no subject
Well, apathy was kicking in for Jun. While he was curious, it ultimately wasn't his problem. Claude wasn't the first person he's encountered with a troubled past, and he won't be the last. If Claude was unwilling to share, then there's no reason to force the subject]
... Whatever. Your family affairs don't affect me.
[Meaning he's dropping the subject.]
no subject
He gives Jun a small smile, apologetic and grateful. "Sorry and thank you." Maybe Jun can try again when they're closer... )
It isn't important here. (Brushing it under a rug.) You were wondering about something else earlier though, weren't you?
(He holds out his hand to Jun, not unlike "Jun" would have done in the memory. Right now, nothing appears from his hand. His palm is empty.)
no subject
Mm, that crescent moon sigil. What was it?
no subject
A Crest. (He replies simply, as if that explains everything,) It's pretty good timing, actually, considering I just got it back...
(And from his palm, the same moon appears.)
I'm guessing that doesn't make any sense to you though.
(Crests aren't a thing outside Fodlan or anywhere else, it seems!)
no subject
He puts his hand on his hip.]
Hm...well I haven't heard it called a Crest before, but if I had to guess...is it a mark of acknowledgement from a god that blesses a person with special abilities?
no subject
(And he calls back his Crest. It disappears in a shower of light,)
A long time ago, the goddess blessed ten heroes with Crests to help protect Fodlan from darkness and evil and defeat the Fell King, Nemesis. (Story time!) After defeating the big, bad, evil villain, they were able to pass on their Crests to their children who passed it on to their children who passed it on to their children and then passed it on to their children and... well, you get the picture.
(He's not really keeping count of the generations but Jun gets the point, right?)
no subject
But yeah, he gets the point.]
So in other words, it's a hereditary blessing. [Different from how his worked, but it's not something unfathomable.]
Do the descendants still use their crest to protect Fodlan from evil and darkness?
no subject
(And then he sort of just... shrugs.)
There hasn't really been a lot of darkness or evil for a while. Mostly, we've just been making our own trouble.
no subject
[Actually what he really means it sounds like a hot mess and probably flawed system that could be easily rift with abuse. 10 noble families believing they have a holy right to rule but no real actual duty against the darkness to uphold anymore? Yeesh. That can't be good. History was full of terrible things done by people in power who felt they were "ordained by God or the gods". It was yet another reason the Seal Knights maintained a low profile and insisted on selflessness.
But Fodlan wasn't Jun's world, nor was this goddess his deity. It wasn't his place to critique things. Like the issues he had with Teyvat's system, he holds his tongue and thinks about what is relevant. ]
Well...regardless of the status your Crest gives you in Fodlan, I suggest holding your tongue to the locals about your Crest and Fodlan's goddess. Teyvat's ruled by other gods, and by nature gods have a tendency to be ... territorial.
[In other words gods be crazy, don't make yourself a target Claude]
no subject
(He feels you on this, Jun. And Jun really has it pretty figured out. At least, he understands the basics. Ten noble families with the divine right to rule for what seems like forever and a society that just accepts it all. Claude feels like the status quo has kept Fodlan from reaching its' full potential... but he can't complain too much considering how he'd exploited its system to fit in. )
Hah! I get the feeling we don't really have to worry here. (In this part of Teyvat.) But between you and me? You aren't going to catch me singing praises or spreading the good word any time soon.
no subject
Still, he knows that song and dance that Claude is eluding at.]
Not a fan of your goddess?
no subject
(That isn't really answering Jun's question but he can't help but be a little dodgy considering their first conversation.)
I don't really have time for people with narrow views.
no subject
...Mm. I agree.
Worshipping a god should be a personal choice. One should even be allowed to reject worshipping gods altogether, if that's what feels right to them.
no subject
(Hm, maybe they're more on the same page than he thought?)
It's why I don't mind Barbatos and the church here. They're pretty big on the idea of freedom here even if they have their systems.
no subject
So. Yeah. Not a hardcore believer in the Church Always Being Right For All.]
Mm, it's nice how open minded and accepting the people are here. [Unlike SOME country that claims to follow freedom- not to name names of course!] I've heard Barbatos takes a hands-off approach to ruling his land. So the state of Mondstadt is actually more thanks to its people.
no subject
(He just really loves and believes in people like a true protag lord.)
(no subject)