Corona Immortalis

May the Moon be witness to silken reds.

Study in: devourer of all that is dark, moonlit knight why do you bleed, O' Mother Moon guard me as i guard you, to be exempt from Life & Death, evil of legend parading amongst mortals, arrowhead strikes first and true, beware of the knife once it aims, tis but a medic's duty to save lives, evil basking under the moonlight glow, weaver of nightmares & maker of dreams, the monster under your bed, one's own meaning of immortality, the pleasure of pain, promises for the future.

It takes a moment for his nonexistent brain to catch up on what she's asking of him; to learn is essentially to learn how to speak like everyone else, the base language that is and there are bound to be words that slips by him.

Its such a foreign question or would it be fair to call it ridiculous?. What else could possibly transpire other than instinctively take a life?. A part of Lohen wants to audibly scoff at the notion that nothing wrong will take root & yet as of right now, wheter in hypothesis or if truly making an attempt.

Beside, the old man forbid it, saying he's not ready.

In thruth, neither were the people of Mondstadt, for the wounds of a great tragedy, that HE is the cause of, are still fresh on them and oft it is difficult to resist the cries at night, to devour, to kill.

''I don't know?'', but even so, Lohen can silently acknowledge that it is a work in progress, to find potential distractions or how ever the current Grand Master puts it; the man had a knack for being all wise & cryptic, saying things like 'we'll work in lockstep', 'don't rush it', 'stick to the indoors jobs', etc.

The look on his face falters a tad & as per usual, it goes right past him, perhaps it is the curse of having made himself a human disguise, to operate body functions like a real person, to shed blood that do not really exist, to perfect the art of breathing, to express emotions.

He is pondering at something, gleaned from the conversation at present, much to his aloof face, a face that stays inexpressive on the outside. ''Is this about their nightmares then'', of her people, of whatever is really meant to happen in Fontaine.

Part of Lohen feels uninterested still and wherever that itch is coming from, he pays no mind to it.

Dreams?.

Nightmares, dreams, what difference could it have?, they are both illusions of the mind in the end. So long as a Drude gets what it wants, follow what they have spawned for, what difference does it makes between the two?.

'Sides, the person did not have to be sleeping, for them to be vicious, to hunt.

''The old man is helping me...'', in a very roundabout way, in regard to those so called 'let's find distractions' or so he claims but even still, is this what they call... trust?

Distractions he says, ugh!, what good could that possibly offers?!, to someone whomst still reject himself, reject the name bestowed upon him, struggle with who Lohen should be.

Frankly, it is vexing, annoying to a degree and its not borne out of impatience, moreso inner struggles.

Is this how reclusive nonhuman species feels when trying to experience society?

''.....''.

''I don't know what will happen'', not without trying at the very least but if the old man deems it a danger, the least Lohen can do is listen. By comparison to... say a long lived Adeptus, the Drude is far younger by a long shot, with plenty to look forward to.

🥺 he's come so far from feeling hardly anything, to question himself from being such a menace to society for so many reasons.

Personally, it was more along the line of killing for enjoyment when it came to Druden than something out of a neccessity. His eyes squint, a bitterness surfacing, if for a moment, in magenta hued eyes as he barely look over to Focalors and how little effect her reasoning did to him.

''You can replace a pig for more meat production, but not a mother's child'', words barely above a whisper, even if the parents do get another, it'll never be like the one that was once alive. Meanwhile pigs relatively looked the same, behaved the same, served the same purpose.

Whereas humans had their own unique personalities, physical traits, etc.

Much to not looking her way, even as she got right up and paced, Lohen says no further either but nor glance in Focalors's direction, contemplating a few things for himself, mostly things that had no relation to what is happening in this moment.

There was no justifying what happened these months ago. Druden took and took because he ordered it so, because it was instinctual from the very beginning, not as a mean to survive.

He stare at the seat opposite of him, bereft of ownership when she stepped away.

''I'm... still figuring that out'' Lohen mutters, yet it is easier said than done. For, whenever he would look at a child on the streets, hear them from inside their homes, its hard to shake off that voracious feeling, to want to lunge at them, 'eat' until there is not even a breath left in their tiny bodies.

While not impossible to find an alternative, it will certainly require immovable restraints but well, as told, he is working on that, on holding those urges at bay.

''I think the old man calls it 'distractions' '', the one person actively looking out for him, yet Lohen feels nothing in return, not even an ounce of what people would call gratitude or somekind of pity.

''I have killed people...'', and they were never coming back, not the knights who gave their all, and certainly not kids caught in the crossfire, of preyed upon.

Even now, in the right conditions, Lohen was still capable of lashing out , to return to old instincts, manipulate other Druden to do his biddings as The Weaver.

His gaze lowers to the table's contents, never once interested by the stuffs. An exhale... ''but i am still learning'', how to be human, but there was much to be desired, especially when there is nothing apologetic-sounding in his voice, about the chaos he showered Mondstadt with so ruthlessly.

Nights had always been the most dangerous hours, even to the most vigilant.

Truthfully, he's yet to understand what the old man saw in him that day they fought tooth and nail, to go as far as appointing a wretched ghost, now written in legend, to be a medic over whatever favorable positions there could have been. And because of that alone, Lohen finds himself unable to offer an appropriate response, for it does not come from his judgement but that of the current Grand Master.

He did not like having to go in-depth with this side of conversation. Not only does it makes the foulness rattles its cage for freedom but the faces of deceased ones are not so easily forgotten, much to not feeling a slight sorry.

Why should he be anyways.

Still, the most that can be admitted was the very following; ''Druden are creatures long associated with nightmares and 'spawn' from sites of great tragedies in Mondstadt, often killing in the process by sitting on the chosen victim's chest to rupture airflow while feeding''.

@visionsofecho - "How long have you been standing there? I don't enjoy the staring." (From Diluc, for Lohen)

There is a moment in time, where he stare up at the house a good meter or two, ahead of him, like a vulture in the desert land, circling at a long deceased body, help themselves at the bones.

Its a scrutinizing gaze but it does not last, not with the subsequent interruption, especially when it is the dead of night.

Oh joy, he's been found.

''If you're suggesting i stare at you instead, by all means, i don't mind one bit''.

''I mean, you don't look like you're in haste to leave for the night'', Lohen certainly was not in a rush, even if he got someone at home waiting on him.

All of this ceaseless waltz for a matter of prophecy?

What good could he possibly offer in turn against something of this scale?, isn't such reality tied hand-in-hand with Fate. But nor did he have any real ties himself, with the people of Fontaine or anything that does not pertain Mondstadt.

Though the library within the Favonius Headquarters offers a plethora of topics to peruse in, for him to get familiar with, there will always be things not meant for the shelves, the gruesome chaos he wrought on the Nation of Wind, is no different, alot has been omitted in fact or turned to happier endings.

Who could want the aid of a masquerading evil amidst mortals?.

She almost sound like the old man in that regard, to suggest such a folly but Lohen feels no inclination to laugh, nor dismiss it. The way Focalors's demeanor constantly shifted as she spoke, a given considering her connection to Hydro, to the very waters within Teyvat, he's no reason to believe this is all made up.

Still, there is something underlying those claims, these sensitive truths and he can't help himself...

''You sound like you're dying'', the 'man' observes.

Erosion they call it, he thinks.

Or the intention to die, he also ascertain.

A matter of life and death huh?, what a completely laughable statement to make when neither concepts affects a creature like Lohen. Perhaps that in itself, is the reason why he got dragged so unceremoniously into such hidden plane of existence.

Though, wheter she knew that part or not, he has no desire to tell.

Prophecy huh, what great crisis could she be omitting right now?. Not to mention how it seems this Archon wants him to help a specific someone than just an entire population.

Eh, for the moment, he supposes there is no prodding at that, unless he gives in turn...

''I am a Drude, evil ghoul if you want it simpler'', despite the hint of reluctance, Lohen no longer feel like playing this game, if it can be refer to as such.

Still, deep down, he did not like having to make such admittance.

Though the shift to somewhere new pops up, redden atmosphere fading away in the process, Lohen does not bring it back. There is no more point to it & it hardly had been once there to intimidate, for sought comfort, only to how on edge this has him.

What more could she possibly want to learn?, is the prior display not enough to tell he's not normal in the slightest?, especially when she blatantly pointed that out on several occasion.

''.....'', he cares not for the brightness that hits him when the place had changed in its entirety.

Civilized, she'd ask & yet, Lohen remains stone-face.

Civilized?, is that something to be demanded from one that is still learning?

While the nonhuman does not harbor loathing, or an intention to lash out, unlike what is thrashing about from the hollowness of his human guise.

He can't possibly be faulted for being so monotone, surely?...

Gaze drifts at the opposing chair, only for the piece furniture to come sliding back, in an unbearable screeching halt against pristine pavement of what looked to be some giant office-like lobby.

Sure, he may be fine with sitting by now but it does not make Lohen any more pliant than that.

''Why the interest?'', he choose to reiterate, in a calmer disposition for the time being.

This Archon of Teyvat can stall and pry all she wants, she will be met with the same inquiry. In an extent, it makes him feel... restless?.

Its no wonder the old man said so many times how challenging it would be; to act human, to feel at real emotions, find himself a personality he can eventually work with.

''Or are you going to put a curtain between us still'', or was it center of attention?

That look on her face, regardless of how brief it blossomed; fear and stubborness are familiarities to the Drude than anything else. It reminds him of that day...

The stubborness of knights, all that wished to protect, to draw blades in the sake of purging evil, no matter their motivations, reasonings or even in the name of duty. It reminds Lohen of the old man's stubborness to fight him head on, for the peace of Mondstadt & yet there came a cost to it; casualties. No matter how frail or little of age they have been, Druden are voracious creatures, even he is not exempt from this, even now.

Sometimes, he can still feel the monster stirs, to craves both nightmares and lives alike.

Such is the struggles of an evil in disguise.

The air of contemplation he felt for himself wears off but not the redden vibrancy quite literally showering the inhuman being. There is an inevitable, quickly thrown out 'tsk' in response to the rambling woman, still circumventing the whole ordeal, or whatever 'help' she is trying to get out of creature like him.

Fontainians and their utter fondness for dramatics, what a hassle.

He's not amused one bit, not by how she was unwilling to let this question of hers take a rest. Alas, in spite of managing to manipulate a good half of this interior landmark, that's about as much as Lohen can do.

Alas, he is stuck here or perhaps it is a curious itch that he can't feel for himself.

How long he has?, truthfully the Vice Captain can't be bothered still but if this Archon is so keen on an answer...

''I'm dead'', there is something ghostly, bestial even, in such a short statement, mayhaps even a smidge of annoyance that Lohen fails to perceive or so it was whomst really dwells inside him, that is speaking in turn.

What does it matter how long he has?, when you're not 'alive' from the very beginning.

He offers no further context to that, out of not wanting to recall things from barely months ago.