hearthwarming | inbox 🌙 songerein

[ If this had happened a week ago, before Ori had gone home, Thoma's reaction might have stirred some confusion. All she had earnestly been asking was if her lovers had managed to avoid the sort of trouble that this place often pulls its residents into in her absence. But now, with a little more perceptiveness around how her partners react to things she does, a little less obliviousness, and a bit more self-assuredness, she knows exactly what of what she's said caused her sunshine to fluster.

She's so relieved to find that he's just as sweet and adorable as when she'd left.

The thoughts are lost to the ether of the next revelation facing Oriphi, however, which is that the amount of time that had passed here is much, much less than what's passed for her. ]

A little over a week?

[ She repeats it, in disbelief, as she props herself up on her arms and looks around at what she can see of the house. In the corner of her eye she spots a vase full of the flowers she had left for Diluc when they had said their goodbyes - still alive, blooming and well. Surely, dreamotion has played a part in keeping them fresh - but only by so much. And most everything else is almost exactly as she'd left things, with the exception of a few things that Thoma has most certainly tidied up and organized since waking up, Ori suspects.

Her brow furrows as she contemplates the meaning of it all, but perhaps it's all for the best. That means Diluc was only alone for a few days before Thoma woke up, and that both of them have only had to be without her for a few days - and on her end, even if eight months had passed… she didn't remember them. And she didn’t know that she didn’t remember them, didn’t know how much she missed them, until now.

If she had actually returned here eight days after she woke up from her first time in Reverein... well, she would be in much worse shape. Thank goodness that Thoma and Diluc didn't have to see her in such a state. Hopefully they never have to. Misalignments in the passage of time surely don't make things any easier to grapple with, but in a way, it's a small blessing.

At length, she looks back down at Thoma, and there’s no small measure of bittersweetness in her eyes as she answers, ]

It’s been eight months for me.

[ Thoma props himself up on his elbows, concern plain on his face as he watches Ori sort through the new information she's been given, trying to slot it into whatever reality she's just lived. He understands that feeling well. He'd plopped down for what he thought was a single night's sleep and then woke up a whole month later. It's... jarring, to say the very least. ]

Eight months?

[ He doesn't quite manage to mask his surprise. And he thought the short bit of time he spent at home in his dreams was hard to reconcile. For Ori, it's been over half a year since she left. Over half a year since she last saw them. ]

Oh, starlight. You must have been through so much... I can't even imagine.

[ It's then that he flings his arms around her, letting gravity take them back down to the bed of flowers as he holds her tight. His fingers curl into the fabric of her dress - something he has yet to realize he's never seen her in before. ]

I'm so glad you're back.

[ Eight months out from everything that’s happened, Ori has at least had some time to reckon with the aftermath of it all. But returning to Reverein feels like a current pulling the memories back to the surface, reminding her of just how much has transpired in those months that she was awake.

When Thoma puts those feelings to words, the wave hits her again. But where she might have been pulled into the undertow by worries and regrets and what ifs before, the look that Thoma would find on her is instead one of relief, of peace.

She has been through so much - but it’s done and over and she feels herself at a place, in her heart, where she can truly live a life in this dream realm free of what bound her to her old home. It will always be home for the Oriphi who is awake and celebrating Cibark’s marriage with her friends, who is seeing the world with Colin; but the Oriphi who resides in this dream realm is truly home, now, and even more so in Thoma’s arms as he pulls her into an embrace, loose petals blowing up into the air from the soft impact of their falling back into the flowers.

She hums, her own arms wrapping around him, as she kisses his cheek. ]

So much has happened… But everything’s going to be alright. [ Words that would have been rare for her to have said in the past, emphasized by the falling petals glowing in her own warm light. ] The me who’s still awake is well and happy, and she has so much to look forward to, but… I’m home now, my sweet.

[ She presses in to catch his lips in another kiss, and behind her, a gentle breeze (dreamotion) pushes their front door shut. ]

[ The light of his own joy has since dimmed, leaving only a few floating motes of sunshine bobbing around. He’s concerned, certainly, but even the weight of the truth of Ori’s absence cannot completely extinguish his happiness. When he searches her face for some sign of how she might be feeling, of how that time might have changed her, he finds a different sort of light there.

There’s a distinct sort of peace in her expression. Closure. Hope.

He’s spent so long trying to help Ori find her place, to help her build some confidence, and now here she is, blooming beautifully. It’s not often that joy gives way to tears, at least not for him, but in that moment, his heart is so full he can’t help it. Tears prick the corners of his eyes and though he tries to blink them away, some still spill over. ]

Welcome home, Ori.

[ And of course he kisses her back gladly, his arms winding tighter around her in a massive bear-hug. He’s happy to stay like this for a long while, wrapped up in her warmth and the soft glow of flowers and sunshine both. ]

[ Although all that stayed with Ori when she awoke was a fleeting feeling of having had the most wonderful, happy dream, as she lays there with him, she wants to believe— no, she knows that in the absence of memories of Diluc and Thoma, she still carried their love, their encouragement, their support with her in her heart. Perhaps it was that which pushed her to survive, to fight with all of her power in the face of despair. They were, are her hope, and she knows it.

When she breaks their kiss for air, she smiles sweetly at him as her hand comes up to gently wipe tears away from his cheek. She won't tell him not to cry when she knows it's out of happiness, though seeing him makes her eyes well up with joyous tears, too. ]

There’s nowhere else I would rather be, in this realm or any other.

[ She kisses him one more time before she simply settles in against him, similarly happy to stay like this for as long as they can. The only way this homecoming could be any more perfect would be their moonlight, but she knows by now that he’s likely doing Important Diluc Things, and she’s not in a hurry to disrupt his daily activities. They have all the time in the world now, after all. ]

[ They can both lay there for a bit and be weepy messes, then, but the happy kind. He’s yet to get the full details of what happened from Ori, but he knows just by looking at her that it was good for her. He could sincerely not be happier. He will have to get the whole story out of her sometime, perhaps when Diluc is here. ]

I’m glad to hear it.

[ As she settles against him, he stops squeezing her quite so tight, and moves one his hands to brush through her hair instead. ]

I went home too, while I was sleeping. It was confusing at first, but I’m sure it wasn’t a dream and that I was really there.

[ Ori's hair is, as ever, full of flowers, although it's a little neater and more braided up than usual, a consequence of having dressed up for a special occasion. But she doesn't mind Thoma's fingers carding through her hair and perhaps loosening a few of those braids inadvertently - how could she mind, when her own fingers are preoccupied with toying with the tail end of his ponytail, as she's come to be so fond of doing?

At what he says, she pauses to look up at him. ]

Is that so?

[ She studies his face, briefly, searching for the same kind of signs that he had been searching for in hers. ]

What was it like? Did you get to see your Lord and your Lady?

[ He might be idly working some of those braids loose, though certainly not intentionally. Touching her is a comfort, and they both love toying with each other's hair. It just comes naturally. ]

I did.

[ He smiles at her, his expression one of warmth. ]

Everyone was doing well. We got to attend a festival together, which is quite the occasion since Lord Ayato is usually so busy. Oh! That reminds me. I have something for you. Can you sit up?

[ The inquisitive look on Ori's face gives way to a warm one as Thoma tells her of his own time at home. She loves hearing her boys talk about Teyvat and the people who've had the absolute honor of knowing the both of them; that hasn't changed in the time that she's been away and then came back. Soon, though, he manages to surprise her. ]

Hmm? Something for me?

[ But of course, she does as he asks of her and pulls away to sit up in his lap, her head tilting to one side curiously. ]

[ Thoma doesn’t want to totally let Ori go, so it’s a little awkward as he wiggles around and digs into his pocket. Finally he pulls something out, hidden by curled fingers. ]

I wasn’t home for months and months like you were, but a lot still happened in that short amount of time.

The festival we attended? It was a celebration. The Raiden Shogun finally lifted the Sakokou Decree. Inazuma’s borders are finally open again!

[ He takes Ori by the hands, pressing a small object into her palm. ]

This is a lucky omamori. My mom gave it to me when I left Mondstadt. I really believe this is what guided me all the way to Inazuma, even through the storm.

But the storm’s gone now, so I don’t need it anymore. I want you to have it, so that one day, you can find your way to Inazuma too.

[ Thoma's enthusiasm and happiness has always been a contagious force of nature on their own, and this time is no different. As he continues to recount his memories from home, she smiles more and more. She can somewhat imagine the elation that must have accompanied the news of Inazuma's borders being open again, its people finally free to come and go as they please and free from a stifling oppression, having seen what that sort of isolation did to the people of Duskvale in her own realm.

Still, she can't guess at where Thoma is headed, so she listens to him carefully, even as she peers down at the small, red charm in her hand. And with every word, her heart and soul are moved, filled with no small measure of gratefulness, awe, and complete adoration for the incredible man before her. ]

Oh, Thoma...

[ He's so endlessly thoughtful and kind, and for just a second Ori almost slips back into an old habit, to think herself undeserving of such a gesture. But instead her fingers close around this small, but utterly precious gift, and she closes her eyes and holds it to her chest. She wants to remember this moment and his words forever. ]

I... Thank you, my sweet sun. This is an incredible gift, and I promise to keep it forever. I... I'll find my way to Inazuma, to you, [ with her free hand, she reaches over to cup his cheek, ] and then we'll find Diluc in Mondstadt. And then we can give this back to your mother together, and thank her for keeping you safe and leading us back to each other.

[ He knows that while he was back home, he had no memory of Reverein or the people he had met, but true to his words – his heart remembered. Though he went about his business as usual, there was some small feeling nagging at the back of his mind that he’d left something precious. Try as he might, he couldn’t just grab onto that thread to tug it and see what unraveled.

But if any of them could do it, surely Ori can. Her heart is the biggest of them all.

So he chooses to have faith that one day, all of them will be reunited in the waking world, no matter what it takes. ]

I really like the sound of that. My mom would love you guys.

[ Thoma's faith is well-placed; Ori only seems to be getting more powerful with her magic, her connection to both nature and dreams strengthening with her experiences from the waking world and a nourishing confidence in herself. It stands to reason that her grasp on dreamotion would grow stronger, too.

Now, as she resolves to do whatever she can to protect this gift, and to fulfill this promise when the time comes, the bed of flowers around them grows and flourishes even more, even as she offers Thoma another smile. ]

Ah, I'll do my best to impress her.

[ As if her crossing over literal worlds to be there in the first place wouldn't be impressive enough. Her lighthearted tone suggests that she's joking, at least. ]

[ With more flowers springing up around them - something Thoma figures is a sign of happiness on Ori's part - he loops his arms around her again to flop back into the bed of blooms. Sure, they're on the floor in the middle of the entryway, but he can't quite bring himself to move. ]

Trust me, you're gonna endear her immediately.

[ With that, he angles his head to catch Ori's lips again. Even if it has only been a few days by his reckoning, that's an awful long time to go without getting to kiss Ori. He has some lost time to make up for! ]

[ Ori is more than happy to be pulled back down onto the beflowered bed to kiss her sunshine. After all, it had been nearly a month since he had been awake before she left, and now she's been without him for eight more months on top of that. She'll be spending a lot of time making up for all of that in the days to come, too.

So of course she kisses him back gladly, her fingers curled against his chest - omamori grasped tightly within and all. It's not until they absolutely must break the kiss for air that she pulls away just barely, just to mutter against his lips: ]

Spirits, I love you so much.

[ In a lot of ways, kissing Ori feels more like coming home than actually going home did, and he hopes that she feels the same. A part of his heart and his loyalty will always remain in Inazuma, and another part still in Mondstadt, but this is where he truly belongs.

He smiles against her, breathing out a soft laugh. ]

I love you, too, starlight. Always.

[ Another kiss, this one shorter than the last but just as sweet. ]

But I should probably stop keeping you all to myself and let Diluc know you're back, huh?

[ Home has never really been about any particular place for her. "Home" is about the people she's with. Growing up, home was wherever her she and Valphi could be together. Home is with her friends, through thick and thin. And now home is in Thoma and Diluc's hearts, across the boundaries of realms and now across time, too.

She hums thoughtfully, casting her gaze idly out the nearest window and seeing that it seems to be a bit late in the afternoon. ]

Hmm... Is he at the winery? I think I'd like to surprise him.

[ She sits up, although her free hand goes right back to playing with his hair. ]

I could go get him and bring him back for dinner here. What do you think? I... I have a lot to tell you two about everything that happened at home.

You sure surprised me, and I don't see why I should get to have all the fun.

[ This time when she sits up, he does the same for a few moments, letting her toy with his hair before finally easing her from his lap so he can get to his feet.

He offers her a hand up. ]

I think that sounds like a great idea! I'll get dinner ready. Any requests? I'll make whatever you want. It'll be like a little celebration.

[ She pulls herself back up to her feet with his assistance. The moment that he asks her what she'd like for dinner, though, her response is immediate, and filled with no small measure of excitement. ]

Miso soup, please!

[ Punctuated by the many flowers in her hair - some woven into her braids for the wedding she'd just been at, and some newly sprouted from the dreamotion manifesting around her - doing a little bounce.

Now that she's up, Ori carefully deposits the omamori into a small pouch hanging at her hip before she takes a moment to look down at and straighten her dress out a little bit. ]

How do I look?

Edited (words are hard!!) 2022-06-10 21:50 (UTC)

[ Ah, he should have known that would be the first thing out of her mouth. It's only fitting that the first meal they shared together would be the first meal they shared upon her return. He laughs brightly, sweeping into a bow. ]

As my lady wishes.

[ When he straightens, he finally gives her a once over, and realizes that... she's dressed rather beautifully. It reminds him of the way she was dressed up for the Flower Festival. ]

You look absolutely radiant.

[ Though she's much less unsure of her entire existence as she had been before, there will always be some part of Ori that will feel a little bashful when praised so highly. It's far from the first time that she's been called "radiant" by one of her lovers, but it's been quite some time since she'd heard herself described as such - so she can't help but blush a little even as she smiles, her hands clasping each other. ]

Ah, thank you, Thoma. Hopefully Diluc agrees.

[ At least nowadays, she wouldn't outright refuse the compliment. ]

I was just at my friend's wedding. I guess I must have started daydreaming in the middle of it to have finally ended up back here.

Daydreaming about us in the middle of a wedding, huh? Is there something you’d like to tell us?

[ The crooked little smile on Thoma’s face clearly says he’s joking – but perhaps not entirely. The three of them are so wholly devoted to each other that it wouldn't be too far-fetched to imagine them going that extra step, even if only privately.

Hm. ]

Well, congratulations to your friend! It sounds like things are going well back home.

[ Her hands move to rest at her hips, as she proudly says, ]

Nothing that you don’t already know, sunshine.

[ If he detects a teeny bit of sass in her response, that’s because there is. Having been faced with the realization that she had been eight months without them, and having just made a promise to overcome the boundaries of worlds and realms to be reunited with them in the waking world some day, she’s more certain now than ever of her commitment to Thoma and Diluc, to spending the rest of her life with them. ]

Things are going well back home… Though now I can’t help but think it would be even better if you were there. Diluc, too. I’m sure Cibark wouldn’t mind if I had two more plus ones!

[ There is a brief moment of stunned silence from Thoma as Ori takes his teasing and sasses him back without even a hint of her usual flustered embarrassment. It's different to be sure, but Thoma would call this an improvement. With every moment, every word from her lips, Ori shows him just how much she's grown, and his heart swells with love to see it.

Ori has always been amazing, but now she realizes it for herself, making her all the more radiant.

He laughs, the sound sudden, like it's been startled out of him. Perhaps it has, as he adjusts to this new side of his beloved starlight. ]

You didn't even bat an eye, did you? I like this new side to you.

[ In true Ori fashion, though, as soon as her remarks are met with silence, even briefly, she has to wonder if she was maybe a bit much— until he dispels that momentary worry with the sweet sound of his laughter. She joins him in it, chuckling even as she reaches up to idly tuck her hair behind her ear. ]

Good. I can't promise that it'll always be like this, [ everyone has bad days, after all, but she's more forgiving of herself when those days do happen than she would have been before. ] but I'm doing my best.

[ And, she can't help it, but she closes the distance between them once more to wrap her arms around his waist. ]

I hope that I can keep surprising you every now and then, though.

inbox 🌙 songerein

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