#answered//ccrepus

[galactia]

"you have no idea how worried i was ... please, don't ever do that again, kae ..."

[ you just know crepus lost like 10 years off his life when baby kaeya ran away to sumeru sdfsdkf ]

@ccrepus | inbox call

"I-... didn't think. I didn't mean to worry you."

Kaeya had thought-.... he'd thought-.... well. He remembered his mother's stories. Her people had been from Sumeru. He remembered watching her fingertips tracing the branches of a tree in a book she held close. And did you know, my little darling? Your father's city used to extend beneath the surface of my homeland.

He'd thought he might be able to learn something, anything.

He'd intended to come back. The merchants came and went from the winery often, and there surely would have been another ship that could have taken him back just as easily.

Kaeya did admit he was hungry. A little tired, from sleeping fitfully amongst the crates in the belly of ship. (And he missed Diluc-) But he didn't feel particularly strongly of either with Master Crepus looking at him like that.

"I-.... I'm sorry, Master Crepus."

[predvestnik-a]

disbelievingly: " ... kaeya ... ?"

( was there something a bit ... off about the grapes he'd used for this latest batch of wines ... ? )

‘ ...dad? ʼ his voice comes out in such a pitch it more resembles the mewling of a newborn cat. being looked at like he's a stranger by the one who truly raised him makes his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest — and so his hand is raised to it. ‘ it's me, kaeya. have you forgotten about me?ʼ

[tenebriism]

"diluc." though crepus is smiling at his son, it's not a smile that reaches his eyes; rather, it's a strained expression, as if he's only narrowly keeping some strong emotions in check. sitting on the couch behind where he stands is thirteen-year-old kaeya, wrapped in a blanket and looking all sorts of regretful, unable to meet his big brother's eyes. "do you know anything about a trip to springvale your little brother decided to take on his own ? because said trip involved a little ... accidental spill in the lake. he can't swim, diluc."

[ big brother privilege is getting scolded for all your baby bro's ill-advised misadventures, even when they're not your fault sdfsdk ]

" Yes, fath--- " Seeing Crepus' face, the well tucked away displeasure behind it, makes something within Diluc's chest leap. It has him straightening his backside, providing both his father AND his younger brother his full, undivided attention, as if daring to be distracted even a LITTLE bit may result in a scolding. Slowly, do bright, doe eyes pivot betwixt the head of the Ragnvindr household, and the deflated, shivering boy just nearest him, lingering a tad too LONG on the younger male, before returning to that of their father's creased face.

" Trip to . . . n-no, father, I . . . I promise, I did not. " And, never, would he LIE to his beloved dad. ESPECIALLY not if it meant it may encourage Kaeya to do this again. The way he looks now, dripping with water, likely to catch a cold from whatever had possessed him to sneak out by his lonesome . . . it CONCERNS Diluc. There were far nastier, grizzlier things lying in wait out there that could take him out swifter than a body of water.

Diluc would rather his brother not meet so grim a fate.

" Next time, take me WITH you, Kae ! You could have gotten even more hurt ! " Probably not what Crepus wants to hear--- they shouldn't be wandering so far from the winery by themselves, REGARDLESS of whether they travel as a unit or solo, but Diluc, at heart, was still a CHILD despite how quickly he'd matured, compared to most children his age.

Marking his place in the book he'd been reading, Diluc hops from the couch and disappears into his bedroom, returning with the blanket his mother had woven for him just before her untimely death. It joins the other spread of linen upon Kaeya's shoulders, adjustments made so it would not slip off. " You can borrow this, but ONLY if you promise me you won't do this again, 'kay ? Knight's honor. "

@ccrepus ;; ♥

[mmriesoftvat]

"i'm curious ... tell me, what do you know about delusions ?"

[ for bedo ! 8)c ]

Albedo has to stop and think about this question for a moment. This topic isn't one he's put too much interest in before, but Albedo can't say he's never heard of them before.

Putting a finger to his chin, Albedo turns to look at Crepus, as if he can see through the man's head and into his inner thoughts. It's admittedly a rather strange topic to bring up, but Albedo is going to give it his full attention.

"I know they're a Fatui design," Albedo says slowly. "I don't know what exactly they're meant to do, other than grant people the ability to use elemental abilities otherwise unavailable to them. Whatever effects they may have are completely outside my realm of knowledge, I'm afraid."

Tilting his head to the side, Albedo crosses his arms. "Why do you ask?" There's no judgement in his tone, merely curiosity. Because to Albedo, it almost seems as though there's a good reason Crepus is bringing this up, and now that Albedo's attention is piques, he's going to get the answers he now wants.

"Did something happen?"

[heldvisionsarch]

will you stop worrying?

[ for adelinde ! / affectionate ;u; ]

“ no. ” the maid responds with a rolling of her green eyes and a long, over-dramatic and almost ridiculously beleaguered sigh as she poured a cup of freshly brewed tea for the master of the winery. “ it’s pretty much my job description to worry, master crepus. ” despite the maid’s status as ‘ official worrywart of the winery ��� and snarky words, her voice held a clear warmth and fondness towards the other.  “ besides, someone ought to be the voice of reason around here, and it might as well be me. ”

@ccrepus

[ever-winter]

@ccrepus asked: 

“  you said you wouldn’t do this anymore.  ”

[ for dottore !! ]

DARKER THRILLING PROMPTS

Had he? He couldn’t recall, nor did he rather much care, though he was a little curious as to what in particular it was that he’d done to step over whatever line the other had drawn for him, and for now he choose to ignore it, simply taking a seat and the drink he’d left on the table earlier, watching the master of the house with a slight smile. It almost seemed as though the other was nervous, but that couldn’t possibly be the case, could it? Course, he didn’t much care if he made the other male feel uneasy. He was just here to talk with an old friend, pass on a small gift - nothing sinister at all. 

“Oh. Was I not to visit your home?”, he finally decided to ask, mocking slight interest as he placed the glass of wine back on the table. He wasn’t the biggest drinker, but he’d admit that Mondstadt wine had that edge compared to most other nations, or perhaps it simply reminded him of simpler times? Maybe he was becoming a little reflective in his old age? As humorous as that would be. But it wasn’t that often he’d venture out of Snezhnaya like he had, but this felt like something that should be given in person - rather than using one of his many copies. Old friends got special treatment ~ 

Reaching into the bag by his side, he dug through the contents for a few seconds before lifting out a black box, sliding it across the table, “I came to give you this. Since you have two younglings running around now, I thought it may come in handy. This world is such a dangerous place, is it not?”. 

[risingsol]

@ccrepus​

for this weinlesefest, a whisper on the wind, a request:   please check in on my sons; i'm sure they're both hurting ...

Across all the various worlds he had set foot in, festivals of the inhabitants had been events that he liked to attend if he was able to. Holidays along with food and drink were so intricately tied into the cultures that enriched each and every place on the journey of his life. There was also some kind of magic associated with watching every town in the days and weeks before the beginning of a festival, already jovial air in Mondstadt intensifying as supplies were gathered and decorations were placed up. 

Yet for festivals to only contain joy wasn’t realistic; for him each and every new event he came to experience in Teyvat,  a faintly somber aftertaste echoed in his heart when walking though the streets with new companions reminded him of a lost companion who had been by his side for millennia. Maybe it was his own brand of melancholy that had him feeling more attuned to the whisperings of the wind today, though the presence of Venti amongst his companions probably heightened such even more. 

Maybe Venti’s presence had an influence on how this chain of events progressed, the traveler picking up on a curious wind as he followed Kaeya into Dawn Winery to grab that barrel for Razor. 

As even Diluc insisted on all of them staying for dinner, a slight smile tugged over the corners of his lips. 

The hurting might not go away in a short period of time, but I think your sons will be just fine. 

[galactia]

@ccrepus​ | interaction call

"i'll tuck you in, if you'd like.   and read you a bedtime story, too   ---   one of diluc's favorites, about a sleepy little owl."   kaeya may be a shy child, but he's as sweet as can be, and crepus is trying his very, very best to make the poor boy feel wanted and loved ...

Kaeya’s small head, a thick tuft of blue in the white of the pillows and sheets in a bed that could swallow him with how much larger it was, nodded. Hair hung across his face, practically concealing his right eye, as he stared up at the master of the Ragnvindr household with some mixture of uncertainty and longing, the kind it seemed only a child could manage in equal parts with such pure sincerity. 

Except, the boy didn’t feel pure or sincere. He wondered, what the father of the boy he already loved like a brother would do if he knew... knew that his father had taken him by the shoulders, and told him he must be ready, and he must remember who he was loyal to and the words were burned into him, even if all he remembered feeling was... not being able to breathe, as his father left him alone. 

He blinked, not realizing there was a tear rolling down his cheek until it startled him, salty, against his lips. He lifted a small hand, to touch it, sniffling against the sudden urge to cry. Why...? 

“I’m sorry. I-... sorry.” He swiped desperately at his eyes, “I want a story, I-...”

[galactia]

@ccrepus​ asked:

"you're really growing up to be a fine young man, kaeya."   crepus' eyes are twinkling merrily as he sets a hearty plate of breakfast mondstadt hash browns in front of his adopted son.   "varka says you've shown a great deal of potential ... i think he's got his eyes on you for a promotion in the near future."

a roughened hand comes to rest on kaeya's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"now, if only your brother would come downstairs before his get cold ... "   a pause, and crepus frowns.   "ah, i was going to ask you  ---  does diluc seem alright to you ?   he hardly ate dinner yesterday.   i must confess i'm worried, but he doesn't tell me much these days ... "

Kaeya practically glowed at his father's praise, and found himself smiling, far enough that it touched his eyes (at least, the one not obscured by a lock of thick, dark blue hair). "Thank you, father." He answered, watching Crepus with a measure of adoration he did not bother to conceal. They were at home, after all, not out in the public eye where he and Diluc both were expected to be the finest and most well-mannered noble sons in Mond. In some ways, joining the Knights had been freeing. The Knights of Favonius were interested only in his skill with a blade and his measure of loyalty, as least as far as he'd risen thus far. It was easy, to bury himself in the training and duties, and forget-...

Forget.

"Alright?" Diluc had been-... tired. He had been throwing everything he had into his work and training, and more than once, he had told Kaeya all he wanted was to make their father proud. 'You already have.' Kaeya had told him, but Diluc had always given his all into every task he'd set his mind to. Even when they had been boys, it had been that way, only now-... now he seemed determined to shoulder a legacy, singlehanded and single-minded. 

"I-... he's exhausted, father. I'm afraid he might be overworking himself."

[heldvisionsarch]

i’ll be honest ,  i’ve lied to myself .

[ crepus to adelinde as he's slowly coming apart at the seams in the days / weeks / months following his wife's passing, trying to care for a baby diluc and run his business while grieving bitterly ... ]

“ there’s not much i can say. an ‘ i’m sorry ’, just feels hollow at this point. ” adelinde replies truthfully, pouring a piping hot cup of hot tea for him. it’s the hour before dawn- the darkest part of the night. her vision sits in a pocket of her apron, hitting the chair she had dragged from one side of crepus’s desk to the other- and resting a hand on his shoulder as she sat next to him.

“ master crepus, forgive me for speaking out of turn- but you do not have to be strong in this moment. ” her voice is calm, compassionate, but firm in her tone. “ conner, tunner and i can manage the estate and business. you need to take some time off, and spend it with young master diluc. grieve for your wife. ” her grip tightens on his shoulder. “ right now- your grief takes precedent. because seeing you run yourself ragged- it’s sad, and it worries me. right now- you need to take a sabbatical from, ” she waves her hand at him and his overflowing desk. “ all of this. ”

the society. @ccrepus​