[Well those aren't concerning brackets at all!! But also yeah it's fine. The picked the nicest (?) Harbinger.]
I didn't think you would. [And if they did, they'd probably put up a good fight about it, which would still be a win for him. Awful. But no, Lust doesn't strike him as the type, with the buffer of acknowledgment that all of this could be an act.
(He fell for it with Zhongli, after all. He won't be making the same mistake twice.)
Speaking of trust, though... he just hums, picking up his tea again.]
If I'm going to ask anyone, it'll be you. Quite frankly, you're the one who matters most to me in this place. [Because they're right. Childe may be hyperaware of feeling like a pawn in a game, but ultimately, he's used to that, and he'll do it gladly if it means he gets what he wants out of it. No matter what alliances he forms or which people he taps to gather information for him, he's prioritizing his own interests above all else. It's fine if Lust is manipulating him, so long as he gets what he came for.
There's a lull, as he swirls his tea around, debating. He remembers their first conversation, and how Lust behaved. So, a little more quietly--]
I can't say it's trust, exactly. [Because he doesn't trust anyone, at the end of the day. He simply can't afford to. If anything, the fact that he's saying it out loud is a show of trust in its own way. A peek at the cards he's holding to his chest.] But I do enjoy spending time with you. I would do so even if we weren't aligned.
no subject
I didn't think you would. [And if they did, they'd probably put up a good fight about it, which would still be a win for him. Awful. But no, Lust doesn't strike him as the type, with the buffer of acknowledgment that all of this could be an act.
(He fell for it with Zhongli, after all. He won't be making the same mistake twice.)
Speaking of trust, though... he just hums, picking up his tea again.]
If I'm going to ask anyone, it'll be you. Quite frankly, you're the one who matters most to me in this place. [Because they're right. Childe may be hyperaware of feeling like a pawn in a game, but ultimately, he's used to that, and he'll do it gladly if it means he gets what he wants out of it. No matter what alliances he forms or which people he taps to gather information for him, he's prioritizing his own interests above all else. It's fine if Lust is manipulating him, so long as he gets what he came for.
There's a lull, as he swirls his tea around, debating. He remembers their first conversation, and how Lust behaved. So, a little more quietly--]
I can't say it's trust, exactly. [Because he doesn't trust anyone, at the end of the day. He simply can't afford to. If anything, the fact that he's saying it out loud is a show of trust in its own way. A peek at the cards he's holding to his chest.] But I do enjoy spending time with you. I would do so even if we weren't aligned.