songerein | Take a seat, Tell me the whole story...

[ In turn, Nahida observes the man before her. With the leaves out of the way, his appearance stands out to her. His outfit is familiar in the way that haunted inn from the carnival a few weeks ago had been, but the clothing is very distinctly Inazuman rather than just being an approximation. The symbol emblazoned on his outfit, and the badge he wears—the Tenryou Commission's symbol, if she remembers correctly. He did not have the bearing of a samurai—doushin, then, but their duties wasn't what he preferred to do.

She's seen him before, she realizes, for the last part of her deduction couldn't be something she could observe at a glance. He must be an acquaintance of the Traveler's, she thinks, for that would be the only reason she would be familiar with an Inazuman whom she's certain has never stepped foot in Sumeru.

He, too, seems to have figured who she might be, and her smile shifts subtly, eyes twinkling in knowing. ]

I was careless in my approach, so the leaf creatures caught me. There was nothing I could do to escape, so my only option was to wait for help.

[He senses that slight shift in her demeanor, the recognition in her eyes unmistakable. Frankly Heizou isn't entirely sure how she's able to recognize him, but the fact that she does remains. He can only guess that it's something that goes hand in hand with her abilities as an immortal. As a god.

This is Lesser Lord Kusanali, after all.

But he'll keep that knowledge to himself for the time being. After having met both Venti and Zhongli, he's not sure whether or not she prefers to keep her identity secret. And as someone who definitely isn't from Sumeru, well... He has only his deductions to go on here.]

A wise decision indeed! The way they connect to this world's dreamotion magic must've made them quite formidable against you... So then it's fortunate that I'm the one who found you! Anemo is particularly useful when it comes to blowing leaves away~

[ She giggles at the word emphasis—confirmation that he definitely knows who she is, and her eyes gleam proudly. Though he is not one of her people, she is still happy to see a brilliant deduction, and he is so quick to catch on, having little but her appearance and her mannerisms to go off. ]

Indeed. I'm still trying to understand the full capabilities of dreamotion, and it's interesting to see what the energy replicates and what it doesn't.

[ To note, so far everything suggests that her divinity has not been replicated, but all other things hold true. In essence, Nahida is much like a Vision Holder now, in terms of what she can and cannot combat, though she still holds some of her inherent abilities like mind reading. ]

Perhaps the best way to combat these creatures is Pyro, then.

[Oh, Heizou likes this. It's like a game of wits, except really they've both already won their prizes and now they're just enjoying them together. And hey, she doesn't seem taken aback by him figuring her out so quickly, or scolding him for showing off or anything. That seems like a good sign to him, on top of being something he still isn't used to.]

It's a tricky thing for certain. As I understand it, some of the dreamers here who are more well-versed in the use of dreamotion will sometimes offer to teach others. Unfortunately it's not something I've taken advantage of yet... A real shame, since maybe then I'd have some way to test our little Pyro theory here.

[He looks back over at the leaf creature with a sort of sigh, tilting his head thoughtfully.]

But it does sound like our best bet. If someone like you can't quite control or influence them, then combat is probably the only way.

[ How does it feel to know so many Archons, Heizou? Perhaps it's astounding that the man hasn't found himself overwhelmed in the presence of four gods—he's more than clever enough to figure them out if he's already met them. And she knows for certain he's met the Anemo Archon—she remembers now, how the Wanderer had mentioned an Inazuman detective attaching himself to the drifter, and in the same conversation mentioning his closeness to Barbatos.

Her expression turns contemplative at his suggestion. That a Vision Holder could learn to wield more than one element...even that hadn't occurred to her. Could she, too, learn to control other elements here? She lives and breathes Dendro—to imagine the shape of another element is beyond her—for the moment. ]

For now, we will have to settle for mundane ways of handling them.

[ By which she means regular fire, of course. ]

[If she honestly asked him that... He'd admit it feels pretty damn strange. But then again, this entire dream world is strange, so it's almost starting to feel normal. And isn't that strange~?

Those are thoughts he'll save for another time. For now, he needs to find a way to light a fire under all these leaves.]

Yes, you're right. I don't suppose you happen to have any flint on you, hm?

[Though even as he's said that, Heizou starts wandering around the area looking for some dry twigs that they can try to rub together. He doesn't expect Kusanali to carry flint around, or have one of those special lighters Heizou has seen with offworlders here. So it's camping basics for them!]

[ It is strange, and that's why she's concerned about the existence of this dream world. It's not normal or healthy for people to stay in dreams for an extended period of time. Not because the dream would harm the dreamer, but because it usually meant their physical body in reality was being neglected.

That wasn't true of this world, however, and the way they existed here as shards of their subconscious. But because it wasn't normal, wasn't what she knew, she had to make sure it was safe. It was her duty, as an Archon.

But yes, that wasn't the matter at hand. Even though Heizou asks that, he's already turning away to search for the requisite materials, knowing she wouldn't carry it on her person. ]

Let me help you search for what you need.

[ She's aware of many ways to light a fire the mundane way. Given what they have at had, she guesses that he may be looking towards friction between two twigs, with dried leaves as kindle, but she waits for him to reply before moving to help. ]

[He looks over at her with a cheerful grin.] Please, by all means! Two pairs of eyes are better than one here, after all~

[With that, he bends down to pick up a couple of small sticks, looking them over to see if they're dry enough and suitable for what they need.]

I'm Shikanoin Heizou, by the way. Introductions seem a bit overdue, and I'm not sure if you had any means to learn that without my saying so~

It's a pleasure to meet you Heizou. You may call me Nahida.

[ She doesn't move to search for sticks—rather, she scans the area from her current position, and when she spots something promising, she raises her hands in mimicry of a Kamera screen. Dendro flares out, and a moment later, she has a few sticks in her hand. ]

Would this be suitable?

[ They're nice and dry—perfect as firestarters. ]

It's my great honor to meet you, Nahida~

[The name doubly confirms things for Heizou, and it makes his smile grow a little bit. Since he's not from Sumeru, he's never heard the name Nahida specifically in regard to the Dendro Archon... But he has heard it from the Wanderer. Of course it's not particularly surprising that she prefers a different name. It's just like how Barbatos goes by Venti and Morax goes by Zhongli.

He looks back over at her when she draws his attention, and he immediately straightens up and returns to her side with a grin. He brings along the few sticks he's found as well, though they're more to act as tinder than anything else.]

Perfect! You must be wonderful to go off on adventures with~

[ He means it as a compliment of course—but it just brings into relief the memories of captivity, and the dreams that were not real. She's been on adventures, yes, but only in her sleep, in a world that was only a mimicry of the one she really wanted to be in.

But it's alright now, because now she really can go on adventures if she wanted to. ]

Thank you. I'm glad to help.

[ She hands the sticks over to Heizou. Fires were not her domain, so she's content to watch Heizou start it up. ]

Edited 2023-11-15 21:56 (UTC)

[His head tilts ever so slightly, thinking that maybe he sees a flicker of something in her eyes. Even he has heard the stories of Lesser Lord Kusanali's limited movements, something that's only changed recently. Of course he doesn't know the full story, but he can guess that maybe her adventuring experience is... minimal at best.

As he takes the offered sticks, he regards her with a curious look.]

Would you like to start it up? It can be tricky to get the hang of, but it's a good skill to know in the long run.

[ She blinks, not quite expecting the offer. ]

...may I?

[ She knows how to start a fire in theory, but it's different in practice. She's not sure she'll get it on the first try, but she suspects Heizou won't mind. ]

[That reaction earns her a boyish grin.]

Of course! We're not in any rush, are we? You can take all the time you need to learn~

[ Well, if he insists, then she'll take the sticks back from Heizou. But first, before they could start a fire, they have to create an environment that would prevent the fire from spreading out of control. A sand pit, or at least flat ground with nothing flammable nearby.

There's a well-trodden path nearby, which suits their purposes for now, so she moves over to it and begins piling the tinder into the shape of a nest. She piles the kindling on top, forming a cone with the pieces of wood.

Using Dendro, she carves one piece of wood into a flat shape—the fireboard—and the other into a point—the drill. With a few more adjustments, she's ready to create the sparks—but it's going to require a lot of pressure and friction to get the wood to light.

Well, she's already used Dendro to speed up the process, so it wouldn't hurt to use Dendro again to apply the pressure and speed needed. So she lets the Dendro do the work—holding the fireboard still with her hands as the elemental energy spun the drill into the board.

It doesn't take long for the wood to catch and embers to begin spreading. With a gentle hand, she brings it over to the tinder and nestles it within the bundle, blowing to encourage the embers to spread. It does, and soon, they have a fire going. ]

[Heizou watches her set to work with a smile and a slight tilt of his head. He'd expected to have to walk her through how to do it, but somehow he isn't all that surprised to see at the very least she already knows the instructions. With her Dendro abilities it seems to go even more smoothly than anticipated, and so Heizou instead busies himself with a different task.

It's nothing fancy or difficult on his part. He just puts together another bunch of twigs that they can use like torches, just to bring the flames over to where the leaf creature is still waiting to ensnare its next victim. By the time Nahida is done, Heizou has a few bundles of twigs with tinder leaves on one end, all ready to go.

But first, he has to beam and applaud the archon's good work.]

Expertly done! You didn't even need any guidance from me. Are you sure you haven't built campfires like this before?

[ She beams at the praise—in this case, it seems it wasn't as difficult to translate knowledge into action. She's glad for that. ]

I haven't, but I'm glad the knowledge I have is useful.

[ Now, she stands back to give Heizou room to like the makeshift torches. ]

[He chuckles softly as he bends down to light one of them, using a little puff of Anemo to help the flames spread where he needs them to.]

If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were trying to put one over me~

[Once he has one torch lit, he carefully hands it over to Nahida while he gets the other one done.]

For now, shall we take care of these terribly dangerous leaf beings?

[ She holds the torch gingerly, marveling at the flame she created. Here she is, treading the steps of mankind when it was at its infancy. It is almost exhilarating, knowing she has the freedom to do such things now. ]

Yes, let us do that.

[ She approaches one of the leaf monsters close by, which seems to shrink away from the torch in her hand. So they had some level of survival instinct within them.

However, there is the concern that burning them might cause the area around them to light up in flames as well. She looks over to Heizou curiously, to see what he plans to do. ]

[He has to smile a little at that careful way she holds the torch. That's only fair, he supposes. This is her very first campfire, and he won't grudge her the opportunity to marvel at it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to take a moment to be proud of what she's accomplished with her own two hands.

With the aid of a little Dendro energy, maybe.

Equipped with his own makeshift torch, Heizou crosses over to the very same leaf monster that Nahida's approached. And with one quick glance at their surroundings, he understands why she's hesitant to be the first to light it up. There are just enough flammable things nearby to be concerned about the fire spreading-- but that's not too difficult to fix. He kicks at the ground lightly, using Anemo to swirl the air and make a bit more of a clearing around where the leaf monster is so the fire can't get too out of control.]

Here we go, that should help... But mind the rest of the leaves on the ground! We'll take care of those in just a moment~

[And with the help of another tiny gust of Anemo, Heizou flicks his torch right at a concentrated patch of dry leaves on the monster's being.]

[ She observes Heizou's movements for a moment, watching how he carefully directs the flames towards the leaf monsters, before she turns back to the leaf monster and waves the torch at it in a vertical motion so as to avoid throwing embers into their surroundings.

The leaf monsters begin to burn, though the rate at which they do seems slower than one would expect. ]

It seems to be working, but the fire is not progressing as quickly as expected.

[Heizou's head tilts thoughtfully while he watches. At least they don't seem to be writhing in pain or anything, despite shrinking back from the flames. Which is probably for the best. That might have made Heizou feel a little bad for them.]

Hmm... You're right. Maybe adding a little Dendro energy will help it along? What do you think?

[ She thinks for a moment. Applying Dendro onto the creatures would trigger a stronger burning reaction, and she has already confirmed that they are not wholly immune to Dendro. It's certainly worth a shot.

But that's not the only variable in this equation. Though they appear to be using Dendro and Anemo respectively, that's not what's actually happening. It's being replicated through the dream's unique energy source—dreamotion. And she thinks it's worth exploring what it can do. ]

I believe it should help. I also ask for you to use your Vision to cause a reaction with the flame.

[ If it's dreamotion that matters more than their element, the boost to the flame's capability should be near equal.

Without further ado, she taps her foot against the ground gently, and a burst of Dendro sweeps over the leaf monster. When it encounters the flames, they react, glowing brighter and burning the creatures even faster. ]

[There's a knowing little twinkle in Heizou's eyes when he looks at Nahida, as if he can see exactly how the wheels in her head are turning and connecting dots. She isn't Teyvat's God of Wisdom for nothing, and he can't help but be pleased to see for himself just how sharp she is.]

All right. On your lead, then~

[There's something kind of fascinating about the small, gentle movements she makes when using her powers. It's a sharp contrast to his sudden punches into the air. He does as she instructs, though, allowing his own Anemo powers to fuel the fire that they've already started, helping it spread throughout the leaf creatures' "bodies" until they finally start to lose any kind of cohesive shape. Until they're little more than piles of ash and cinders.

Only when they're done does Heizou brush his hands together and glance around.]

That... seems to be all of the ones in this area. Do you see any more?

[ It's hard to gauge how much more effective Anemo was over Dendro, but it's clear that it was more effective than the fire on its own. Perhaps dreamotion is the sum of a dreamer's will to change the environment around them. That might explain why it's far more effective than following the natural laws of reality. It's a topic worth exploring in more detail.

But that is something for later. She looks around the area. ]

I don't sense anymore enemies in the area. We should be safe for the time being.

[Honestly the mechanics of dreamotion isn't something Heizou often stops to think about. But if Nahida is ever willing to share her thoughts on it, then he'd definitely love to hear them.

For now, Heizou just lets out a little sigh of relief. He may be a decent fighter but he doesn't really like having to do it. So it's good that the matter with the leaf monsters didn't end up getting more complicated. He hopes it stays that way.]

That's good. We should probably get away from here before that changes. Are you hungry at all? We could go someplace to eat if you'd like~

[Is this Heizou jumping at an opportunity to get better acquainted with another of Teyvat's gods? Nooooo, of course not!]

[ The leaf monsters weren't too dangerous, but she couldn't be sure there would be lingering aftereffects, or that they wouldn't come back. Changing locations is a good idea. ]

I would be happy to continuing chatting over a meal.

[ She has a feeling he's very curious about her, and she doesn't blame him. She's just happy that he hasn't shied away like most of her people do. ]

[Heizou beams when she accepts the offer and he immediately starts to head for a place that's a safe distance away from where they are. Just in case.]

Wonderful! I've been here for a while now, so I happen to know of a charming cafe near here, if that's all right with you~

[ She follows along, keeping an eye out for more leaf monsters as they walk. ]

Of course. I am always open to new experiences.

[ Of which she's been enjoying food quite often. Every new dish presented a novel experience, and she reveled in it all. ]

Take a seat, Tell me the whole story...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject