Fandom A World Reborn (Genshin AU) -- IC

[Aes_Dragon]

Location: Mondstadt City, Mondstadt
Interactions: Chu Hua (@ PanPanMondAay )

Sigil thought the girl's reaction was opposite to her appearance. Not that she expected her to be all friendly and make small talk or anything, but rather than having given a firm dismissal, her gaze quickly shied away like a startled squirrel scurrying across a branch. She didn't dwell on it much and passed the time by looking at other things. The tarps and flags hung high between each building fluttered vigorously. Yet they were suspended securely and showed no signs of being swept away. Things were rarely left out in the open. Good Hunter, the restaurant just a few dozen steps away from the Adventurer's Guild, only put out its tables and chairs once guests had actually arrived. Otherwise, they were packed up in boxes and bound to wagons. Vendors almost always held their goods in boxes or buckets with plenty of open space left in the container, lest some ware go fugitive and become unsalable. Sigil stared at the small flower bed between the Adventurer's Guild and the souvenir shop just across from it, noting how the stems bent helplessly to the will of the winds.

For better or for worse, the threats in Mondstadt were unchanging and had no secrets to them. Hilichurls grouping together with a mitachurl was dangerous, but they were just that: hilichurls and mitachurls. Additionally, she was the newest member of the Department, so when people were needed for an investigation, the sign-up started through the senior members, and usually, it ended there. As a result, Sigil had only actually worked for the Intelligence Department a few times. She unconsciously turned to gaze at Dragonspine in the distance, wondering when exactly the Knights would grant admission to adventurers again. It had been closed ever since Sigil was 10, and no one seemed to object to the decision. On one hand, she thought there must be something extremely dangerous for it to be shut down so long, but on the other hand, if something that dangerous really was there, then... Well, something must have happened by now, right?

"Hey, so which one of you is Sigil?"

This time, Sigil was caught at the end of a thought, so she wasn't as off-guard as before. She turned to see a man with short blonde hair and a fairly soft, freckled face, standing in the doorway beside the reception desk. He was glancing between Sigil and the green-haired girl. Something about his appearance felt uncanny to her.

"Me," Sigil replied while lightly raising a hand. Grinning, the man stuck his arm out, and Sigil shook his hand lightly while he did so firmly.

"I'm Aldrich. You probably expected my m... Maria, but she's currently sick, so I'm temporarily managing all things Intelligence Department," he explained. Sigil nodded, satisfied that her curiosity had been curbed. "Anyways, right now, there's nothing that needs investigation in Mondstadt, but" - he was holding some papers in his right hand, and a gust suddenly threatened to dislodge them - "let's go inside." Crossing her arms over her chest, Sigil walked towards him as he held the door open for her. Aldrich stared at Chu Hua for a few moments. "Would you like to come inside too? The same quest papers are available," he assured.

 

[Nothingness]

Interactions
explosiveKitten
Mentions
N/A
Liyue Harbor: Wanmin Restaurant
____________________________________________________________________
While seated and waiting for his order to be completed as his kitten, Yuki had still been laying on the table constantly rubbing its little stomach in anticipation for the meal coming up. Jin had been completely unaware of another person approaching the restaurant just to end up taking a seat beside him. It wasn't till the voice of the female speaking up did Jin snap out of his wandering thoughts just to notice the woman beside him as she questioned him about handing her one of the menus. Slowly responding with nothing more than a nod of his head, he reached for one of the menus just to hand it over towards the woman.

Moments went by before Chef Mao had approached the table just to place down the order that Jin had placed. The Black-Back Perch Stew, it was a rather large bowl that had a red colored liquid and multiple pieces of fish filets inside it and chopped up chili peppers on top. Staring down at the bowl in a bit of shock at its size and aroma, he'd glance up towards the man who only smiled and was quick to head over towards the woman who had just taken her seat to greet her in the same fashion that he had done to Jin earlier.

Meanwhile, Jin and the Yuki stared at the bowl in shock for a few moments, the scent from it alone was enough to confirm its spicy level. The kitten however was the first to dig straight into the bowl by grabbing a large piece of the fish filet just to stuff it into its little mouth to begin chewing in delight. Jin on the other hand only stared at his companion in silence for a few moments wondering if the spice was alright for the little one. Just as he expected, the kitten's entire face had started to turn a bright crimson in a matter of seconds before it started to fan its mouth rapidly from the amount of spiciness that was in the peppers. Concern came over Jin as he attempted to fan the feline with his own hand while trying not to be impolite to call for the chef to hand over some kind of cooling drink for the feline while he was taking the order of the woman beside him.

 

[RandomBlobMan]

Whispering Woods, Mondstadt

A squad of hilichurls ran off into the distance bare handed. The wooden clubs and shields that were on their hands lay on the ground, what's left of their form being slowly consumed by the ember that leeched on them. A figure with fiery red hair kept their flaming bow aimed at the four until they saw the four ran away from the castle of Mondstadt. The flames that took the shape of weapons dissipated. Soon there was only the figure, and a few small piles of ash.
Sari let out a sigh that he doubt anyone would hear. It appeared that the timing of his return from a long seclusion from the world was, simultaneously, the best and the worst time for the steel melting myth to come back. He witnessed the sight of the genocide of Archons, a dawning of a new age of uncertainty and well expected rising of chaos. In a dangerous world like this, the abrupt vacancy of such great power of protection could only bring such results. It was a shame he himself had no such power. If he did, he could protect them with ease. All he could do was drive monsters away from the settlement. Lucky for him, he was yet to be overpowered by any.

 

[AI10100]

Zhangzheng Haoran
Location: Some town, Natlan
Interacting with: Ambiloquous Colorless Spectrum . D O V E Nellancholy
​

Despite the fact that he was proven wrong, Haoran merely grinned. "Good! Though they may have proper materials, but I think Marmar trusts you more." Sure, the repairmen in the town probably wouldn't be all that bad but having a trusted person fix your things always made you feel more secure. It was just like how he'd never let anyone else repair his sword if they're not from the Wu family— specifically, Master Wu who had forged the blade in the first place.

Apparently, the job really was specifically only for Margaux. It involved having to take pictures of the Boksa Batalo champion and a few others places. Haoran's face seemed to brighten even more. "Ooohh, you mean Xipil? I didn't know they had photoshoots for that kind of thing! That's pretty cool! He's definitely a photogenic man." He nodded along, remembering how Xipil looked after the competition when they paraded him around and his name was the talk of the town for quite a while. He sniffed, rubbing his finger against his nose to find out that his nose had long stopped bleeding. At least he won't look unpresentable when they meet him again so soon!

"I'm Haoran." He added to the introductions with a grin. Once that was finished, he looked around. Where would be a good spot for negotiations? The usual places that they had eaten from were just small time carts to save mora. Not that they were particularly short on mora. If they really needed to, Haoran could always go back to his family and ask for allowance there. They were much more forgiving in giving him money in exchange of a couple of errands. In any case, if it's a business meeting, it should be in a quieter, more isolated place. But... where?

Well, might as well ask the native!

"One more thing, where do you want to talk? We're kind of travelers so we're not too familiar with the... uh... higher end places."

 

[Nellancholy]

"Huh." Lyuda raised her eyebrows. "If I knew Margaux was going to be photographing the champion, I would've shown up earlier to join the tournament." Just like most of the other things she said, her delivery was exceedingly dry. It was nothing more than an idle...flirtation? At any rate, she probably wouldn't do too well in a competition like that. Rules in contests were restraints, and in the face of adversity those dedicated to competition would refine their techniques within those restraints. She wasn't used to that, but she could see something in common with them. Necessity was the mother of invention, whether it came to punching someone in the nose or reinforcing the drivetrain of an armored car.

Neither Hao nor Kyoya seemed to be opposed to the man's offer, so she saw no reason to as well. Quietly, out of view of the others, Lyuda let her hand give Margaux's arm a little nudge, subtly extending an invitation to let Lyuda carry the Kamera instead. No matter how delicate she seemed, Margaux was a traveler who had already seen a fair part of the world, and carrying her own equipment was likely no problem. Still...Lyuda got the feeling she'd at least appreciate the offer.

"None of us...speak for Margaux." Lyuda nodded at Cipali. "But it's safe to say there's no objections here. She'll do the job, and we'll follow." It had been a while since Lyuda had taken instructions that didn't involve smashing something open, or pillaging someone's possessions, or shooting something full of holes...

Ambiloquous . D O V E

 

[Ambiloquous]

CIPALI

Cipali eyed the re-application of Pomagranite juice on Margaux’s streaky cape and wondered if it was hygienic long-term — flies would surely be attracted to the scent and the sugar, unless something was done to combat it. He thought for a moment, running through the list of common paint supplies he had noted for certain studio projects. Ayo had a habit of accidentally wrecking places he frequently visited, and Cipali didn’t enjoy working in a place that was half-rubble, Cryo-enchanted or not. His thoughts landed on a non-toxic colorant widespread in Natlan, and he tilted his head towards the short sentence on the fabric. “Mineral paints would be a better choice.”

Before he could agree to the juice-written demands of the town’s future contract employee, the Inazuman with Oni-like features proceeded to introduce herself and the Kamera owner. The masks he’d seen called “Oni” appeared to be exaggerated versions of her, if less cheerful, and her sharpened nails were reminiscent of his own claws, if not a little more refined and uniform. He had already heard the owner’s name, but Kyoya seemed to want to keep a sense of propriety. The sculptor nodded at her. “Cipali of the Xochizal. You’re all free to join.”

He would shake hands with the group, but his claws were more than a bit mangled from his trials in shaping proper tools and would likely jab and poke at their skin terribly. He glanced at the reddish skin around Kyoya’s lower arms. Perhaps not all of them, but enough that it would be unwelcome.

When Haoran spoke about Xipil, his brows arched up in muted surprise. So the man knew him; what a small world it was. He almost expected the man to say he knew his brother next. They were both known extroverts who fared well against foreign sensibilities and took insults lightly enough that they could drink and joke with the other by sunset — they were also “BBF” or “Battle Buddies Forever” as Ayochin liked to say. But if Xipil knew Haoran, he couldn’t be all that bad as a person. His eyes curved slightly, and he said, “Yes, it's Xipil.”

At Lyuda’s concluding statement and Haoran’s question, he pointed in the direction of Papalopito's Kitchen and said, “No need for high-end. Down the street is a restaurant with private rooms. It will do.”

INTERACTIONS

. D O V E Colorless Spectrum AI10100

MENTIONS

Nellancholy​

 

[PanPanMondAay]

Location: Mondstadt City, Mondstadt
Interactions: Chu Hua (@ PanPanMondAay )

Sigil thought the girl's reaction was opposite to her appearance. Not that she expected her to be all friendly and make small talk or anything, but rather than having given a firm dismissal, her gaze quickly shied away like a startled squirrel scurrying across a branch. She didn't dwell on it much and passed the time by looking at other things. The tarps and flags hung high between each building fluttered vigorously. Yet they were suspended securely and showed no signs of being swept away. Things were rarely left out in the open. Good Hunter, the restaurant just a few dozen steps away from the Adventurer's Guild, only put out its tables and chairs once guests had actually arrived. Otherwise, they were packed up in boxes and bound to wagons. Vendors almost always held their goods in boxes or buckets with plenty of open space left in the container, lest some ware go fugitive and become unsalable. Sigil stared at the small flower bed between the Adventurer's Guild and the souvenir shop just across from it, noting how the stems bent helplessly to the will of the winds.

For better or for worse, the threats in Mondstadt were unchanging and had no secrets to them. Hilichurls grouping together with a mitachurl was dangerous, but they were just that: hilichurls and mitachurls. Additionally, she was the newest member of the Department, so when people were needed for an investigation, the sign-up started through the senior members, and usually, it ended there. As a result, Sigil had only actually worked for the Intelligence Department a few times. She unconsciously turned to gaze at Dragonspine in the distance, wondering when exactly the Knights would grant admission to adventurers again. It had been closed ever since Sigil was 10, and no one seemed to object to the decision. On one hand, she thought there must be something extremely dangerous for it to be shut down so long, but on the other hand, if something that dangerous really was there, then... Well, something must have happened by now, right?

"Hey, so which one of you is Sigil?"

This time, Sigil was caught at the end of a thought, so she wasn't as off-guard as before. She turned to see a man with short blonde hair and a fairly soft, freckled face, standing in the doorway beside the reception desk. He was glancing between Sigil and the green-haired girl. Something about his appearance felt uncanny to her.

"Me," Sigil replied while lightly raising a hand. Grinning, the man stuck his arm out, and Sigil shook his hand lightly while he did so firmly.

"I'm Aldrich. You probably expected my m... Maria, but she's currently sick, so I'm temporarily managing all things Intelligence Department," he explained. Sigil nodded, satisfied that her curiosity had been curbed. "Anyways, right now, there's nothing that needs investigation in Mondstadt, but" - he was holding some papers in his right hand, and a gust suddenly threatened to dislodge them - "let's go inside." Crossing her arms over her chest, Sigil walked towards him as he held the door open for her. Aldrich stared at Chu Hua for a few moments. "Would you like to come inside too? The same quest papers are available," he assured.

"Hey, so which one of you is Sigil?"

Chu Hua jumped abit slightly surprised she tilted her head up abit to look at the voice of a man with short blonde hair with light freckles splotched around his face, stood in the doorway beside the reception desk. He was glancing between Sigil and Chu Hua. Somewhat of a mysterious present In her view, everything felt mysterious to her but he gave off a different vibe one she couldn’t quite put her tongue on.

"Me," Sigil replied while lightly raising a hand. Chu Hua turned back slowly stepping behind the girl to get in line. She watched as the two shook hands tilting her head abit.

"I'm Aldrich. You probably expected my m... Maria, but she's currently sick, so I'm temporarily managing all things Intelligence Department," he explained. Chu Hua almost stepped I her curiosity getting the best of her she began to ponder how the person who she assumed is a girl got sick anyways and what sort of disease it was was it contagious or not is it a come disease or something else "Anyways, right now, there's nothing that needs investigation in Mondstadt, but" - The man held papers in his right hand, One that almost blew away due to the Mondstadt wind Chue Hua hair also blew in the wind tickling her neck abit - "let's go inside." Crossing her arms over her chest, Sigil walked towards him as he held the door open for her. Aldrich stared at Chu Hua she however barely notice as she tried to fix her hair and get the few strands out of her face "Would you like to come inside too? The same quest papers are available," he assured.

Chu Hua jumped once more turning to stare abit wide-eyed as she tried to gather her thought would she like to come? That was a tough question with a perplexing answer her eyes flickered back in forth before she opened her mouth “ Ah I wouldn’t mind coming along yes” her voice was uneven some moments she whispered and other she raised his voice abit higher than normal. This made her embarrassed? Or something uncomfortable as she walked closer towards the two.

 

[. D O V E]

Margaux Blanchet​

---

Margaux felt blood rush to her head once she figured out that Lyuda was flirting with her. A burning sensation swarmed the tips of her ears as they grew red, albeit her face remained unmoved as a stone. A moment later, she felt the Schneznayan gave her arm a small nudge. The subtle message seemed to have flown over her head at first, but apparently it made a sharp detour and hit the imaginary light bulb above her. If her face had allowed it, she would be flashing Lyuda a big smile as she handed the said woman her Kamera. She took it as a sign that the wandering craftswoman finally agreed to fixing her trusty device.

Once that was done, Margaux returned her attention to the rest of the group. She was pleased to hear that Haoran and Kyoya were willing to go with her to the business lunch, as their presence would surely ease her nerve and fool her into thinking it was just a hang-out between friends. It was the first time someone actually employed Margaux, after all. All the commissions she had participated in so far were all mainly directed to either Haoran or Kyoya.

The Natlani eventually introduced himself to be Cipali of the Xochizal. Margaux thought that it was a beautiful name. While she didn't know its meaning, the way the letters were strung together made his name synergize well with his appearance. It was a strange little thing that made perfect sense to the child of Fontaine. Normally, Margaux would offer her hand to shake (Fontaine custom), but it was currently drenched in Pomegranite juice. She knew for certain that Cipali wouldn't appreciate an unsanitary gesture.

Nevertheless, as a Hydro Vision Holder, a scenario such as this one would be the last of her problem. With that thought, the ashen-haired brought her hands together and opened them The marks on each side of her neck glowed the color of a vibrant ocean as a ball of water formed on top of her palms. Strings of water began to flow out of the ball, lacing around her hands as they slowly cleansed them of stains, before making their way to her white cape. A few moments later and the fabric has been washed anew, while the remaining liquids dripped into the floor and gathered with the pool of red. A flock of hydro birds emerged from there until the floor has been completely dried, all of them flying out and disappearing into the morning sky to be dissolved at a larger body of water.

---

The business meeting had gone well. Margaux and Cipali managed to reach an agreement that was suitable for the both of them. Furthermore, Margaux also managed to convince Haoran, Kyoya, and Lyuda to come along with them. It involved a lot of writing on her board and vibrating, but she was glad that it all worked out in the end. She was also extra glad that Haoran and Kyoya were able to get their iced teas while they were on it. It seemed like her stay on Natlan was starting to turn for the better.

Now, the group finds themselves by one of the town's local spots. A wide lake sat before them, its waters reflecting the red sands that were beneath and around it. Margaux had never seen such thing in Fontaine or anywhere else! All the lakes she had seen before were either filled with crystalline waters or boiling lava. This one looked like a cross of both. She would be lying if she said that she didn't think of diving in as soon as she laid eyes upon its exotic beauty.

She glanced at her companions before nodding her head, signalling that she was about to do her job. She stretched her hand to the lake and conjured mimics of flamingos out of its surface, commanding some of it to fly towards the sky while the rest stand on designated positions. The photographer started taking numerous shots of the place, switching from one odd position to the next as she did so.

The Kamera worked just as fine as it used to, and Margaux was extremely grateful to Lyuda for fixing it in such a short time.

Nellancholy Colorless Spectrum AI10100 Ambiloquous

 

[Nellancholy]

"Phew..." Lyuda sat down at a patch of grass close to the lake that served as their first destination, a place that was barely any warmer than the streets of the town and definitely more humid. Her tools and the disassembled Kamera sat close by on a mat, Margaux watching closely with Lyuda's permission. This was the kind of work that someone without her...gift would find easier to do on a workbench, but she was used to doing repairs in the field anyway.

It took only a few moments looking over the parts of the Kamera to determine what the problem was. The casing of lacquered wood and steel strips was intact, and all it took was removing a few screws to reveal the internal mechanisms. "Hm. There's your problem..." She muttered, as much to the Kamera as to Margaux. Not one to belabor the point, Lyuda got to work. The shutter button was connected to the shutter itself by a hinged arm and a spring that would pull the shutter open for a split second when the button was pressed, but those parts seemed to have rusted solid, leading to the spring snapping the last time Margaux tried to take a picture. On top of that, the external lens was scratched across. Based on the signs, maybe she had dropped it into water at some point? Sea water, or maybe a particularly silty pond. Margaux would probably be forthcoming with that information if she felt like it.

By Lyuda's legs sat the materials Cipali had easily provided, a smooth cube of gleaming, freshly smelted iron that fit easily in Lyuda's palm, and a pane of clear glass about the length and width of a magician's catalyst book. Once again a faint orange glow emanated from her palms as she pressed on the cube of iron, working it as easily as clay. To cast and cool the replacement parts could take up to an hour for anyone else, but she could handle it in a snap. Pinching off half of the iron, she twirled it between her fingers, pulling it into a thick, slightly rigid wire. Reaching into her toolbox with her eye on Margaux, Lyuda took out a thin wooden wand. In a few seconds, the wire was coiled tightly around one end of the wand, almost like the way some of those street vendors back in Liyue liked to cool their pieces of sticky, drippy candy. The moment Lyuda let go, the coiled metal set, allowing her to slide it off and give it a few testing stretches and squeezes.

The lever arm came out much the same way from the other half of the iron, two segments held at an angle to each other by a tiny bolt. As for the lens...Lyuda set the pane of glass against her thigh, holding a chisel over it. With a few gentle taps, just as she would crack an egg, she chiseled out a...more or less elliptical piece of glass. "Now then..." She pinched a corner of the larger pane of glass and twisted, breaking a tiny piece off cleanly. Not a single shard or grain fell. Crushing it between her fingers, the minute fragments barely hurt the calloused skin. Her hands continued to move deftly, using the crushed glass to grind down and smooth out the lens, leaving a gleaming, crystal clear convex lens.

With the replacement parts built, reassembling the Kamera was a breeze. Lyuda couldn't help feeling rather satisfied seeing Margaux's appreciation as she handed it back to her. "Here you go, koschka. I never say 'good as new', but I think you won't notice the difference." Leaning back a little to relax, she passed Margaux a roll of film as well. "Go ahead, give it a try...doesn't have to be at me, though." Not that she would mind if Margaux wanted to take one of her...

---

The results of her efforts were quite clear from where she sat, watching Margaux work. She wasn't sure that Cipali or his department particularly wanted a display of...non-native wildlife, but the kind of passion Margaux showed in the use of her Vision was undeniably...lovely. A warm, comfortable feeling sat inside Lyuda for a moment, and she let herself relax for a moment, watching the shimmering blue flamingoes take flight at Margaux's direction.

. D O V E

 

[Aes_Dragon]

Location: Mondstadt City, Mondstadt
Interactions: N/A
Mentions: Chu Hua ( PanPanMondAay )

"Haha, yeah, come on in," Aldrich urged. Sigil didn't pay Chu Hua much mind, not even hearing half of her reply, and stepped past Aldrich to go inside.

The inside of the Guild was fairly cramped. From the outside, one would reasonably think that it was quite spacious, but in reality, the Guild's fixture was just one portion of the building, and there were a few other people who lived on the upper floors. It also reeked of wood, a somewhat stuffy sort of smell that seemed to only bother Sigil and no one else, though in her mind she assumed they'd just gotten used to it. The entrance led to a small hallway which turned left, and that hallway opened up to a much less suffocating room with a front desk which more or less resembled the one outside. Around a wooden table with a distinct wooden crack that ran across its center, there were a few wooden chairs surrounding it, one of which had a chipped ear and happened to wobble. Beside the furniture was an opening with a flight of stairs. On the wall perpendicular to the inside desk was a slightly off-center quest board. Sigil thought the quest board on the inside would be more useful than the one on the outside, since she'd noticed papers contained more detailed descriptions of quest details. Right then, the board looked a bit barren.

After Chu Hua stepped in, Aldrich followed behind her, forced to walk at her pace before talking to Sigil. After pointing Chu Hua to the quest board, he hurried over to Sigil, smiling. "Hey, so, you wanted to know about any investigations?"

Sigil nodded, straightening her posture and slotting her thumbs in her front pockets. "Yeah." She could sort of guess what direction the conversation might go, based on the fact that he'd said there weren't any current investigations in Mondstadt.

"Yeah, so..." He looked as if he might cut past Sigil, but instead circled around to get behind the counter. A few folders and books stuck out of the wall behind the desk, which he pushed in as he walked. As Sigil walked towards him, he glanced at Chu Hua, and lowered his voice just a bit. "Well, yeah. There's nothing in Mondstadt that needs investigating, but..." He looked down at the papers in his hand. "The branch in Liyue recently sent us a bit of a memo. There is something they need people investigating over there. But, well..." He gave a dry laugh. "It's in Liyue, obviously. So no one here really wants to take it."

"Mmm." Going all the way to Liyue definitely seemed a bit... drastic for Sigil, even if the journey might have personally interested her just a bit. Still, she eyed the paper in Aldrich's hands, and he seemed to notice, holding it out to her.

"Basically, there are sightings of monsters that look like 'elemental orbs' over there, and those need investigating," he explained as she stared at the paper. Sigil quickly realized she couldn't read most of the text. At the very least, she was able to find a number, and she could tell that meant the estimated pay. She didn't know how to pronounce the amount, but her eyes lit up.

That's a lot of Mora, isn't it?" she commented. Aldrich scratched the back of his head. He leaned over, looking at the paper.

"30,000? Yeah, definitely. Looks like they're willing to pay even more depending on what you find." Sigil tilted her head, staring at the squiggles. She could make a lot of Adventurer's Breakfast Sandwiches with that much Mora. And buy some nice, warm clothes too. "Either they're really generous, or it's really dangerous," Aldrich mumbled. Sigil glanced at him, thrusted back into reality by the bleak prospect. Trying to lighten the mood, he continued. "I mean, it's an investigation, so I guess as long as you keep a safe distance, you're fine." He shrugged with the last bit. "So yeah. Just let me know if you're interested and I'll let Katheryne know." Nodding again, Sigil blew some air out of the side of her mouth.

"Getting there is my problem, right?" Having to walk to Liyue and back was a complete dealbreaker, no matter how much Mora was on the table. And that was assuming a smooth journey. And if her legs didn't fall off. Aldrich's eyes pointed up diagonally as he crossed his arms.

" I mean..." He went silent for about fifteen seconds, occasionally looking around. After the suspenseful silence, he simply replied "I'll go check for you." An answer that sparked some hope. He disappeared up the staircase, and the room was nearly silent, save for the blustery wind outside. Sigil leaned back against the wall, sighing. Liyue. The idea that she might be travelling all the way to another nation had yet to fully set in. Especially the potential dangers. She wondered how her mom might react. Probably... not well. For a short while, she entertained the possibility of not telling her, but quickly decided that would be out of the question. Maybe telling her the pay would soften the blow. Of course, all this hinged on the idea she was able to get there. She stared at the empty staircase, and listened carefully for any thumping sounds from above.

 

[explosiveKitten]

Juniper kindly took the menu from the man with a quiet thank you and began to look at it.

"Ah! Another new face! Strange that we have so many new people showing up at my restaurant. Not an unwelcome occurrence, of course, but strange nonetheless! What can I get for you, young lady?" The man behind the counter said with a smile, Juniper's ears perked up and her eyes lifted to look at him when he leaned on the counter in front of her.

"Oh? Oh, yes, me! I apologize, my mind has been rather absent today." The young woman said, putting the menu down on the counter to get a better look at the man. Its the respectful thing to do.
"I'm sorry, I hate to ask, but well... I uh, have a sensitive stomach, unfortunately, it um, kind of comes with the territory," She reached up and tugged on her cat ears to point them out, "So um, what on the menu here is the least spicy? As much as I want to explore the local cuisine, I also... like being able to keep my food down. Heheh..." That was a bit too much information. Archons, why can't I just keep my mouth shut?

"Ah, sensitive stomach, huh? I might have an idea of something. Are you looking for a cold dish, a warm dish, something solid... maybe a soup?" The man questioned, looking at the young woman curiously.
"Ah, something warm, I think, a soup sounds wonderful, as long as there isn't any milk... um... Yeah."
"No milk in the soup. I see... I may have something just right for you. It'll be a moment."
"Thank you, sir, truly, I appreciate the accommodations, and I apologize for any trouble."
"Ah, no trouble! Everyone's got different tastes and restrictions, its always fun to have a challenge thrown at me."

With his new task at hand, the chef turned to start cooking. The young woman continued to casually read the menu, trying to absorb as much about it as possible. Who knows when she was going to come to Liyue next, if ever? So despite all her tired, she was trying desperately to commit it all to memory. After several minutes of that, she finally put the menu down and merely took to watching the chef, before her attention was grabbed by something else. A... A kitten?

The young woman turned her wide eyes towards the kitten, cat ears swiveling to shove forward and key in to the sounds of the kitten accompanying the man sitting next to her. She hadn't noticed it before, but now, her cat-senses were tingling, and she couldn't help but stare. How cute!

Nothingness

 

[HerculePyro]

Rolf slowly rowed down the stream, he had been down this route many times in his life and the as before amazing view no longer drew his attention. Even at the southmost part of Liyue, the towering buildings could be seen, the lanterns swaying gently in the ocean breeze and the everpresent sound of noise from the commercial district and the port itself.

Rolf rowed specifically to avoid that noise, from his scouting he had determined that this river was the quietest part of all of Liyue, deep in a valley that surrounded the city no one seemed to look down and he could scoot by without drawing the annoying gaze of the guards. Of course, he’d been to Liyue many times now and some of the older residents had begun to recognise the diminutive fisher boy and would let him pass, but every time Rolf came to Liyue he saw more fresh faces adorning the armour of the city watch and more faces that would get up in his business when he didn’t need it.

He looked up as he reached a particular section of cliff in the river valley. Lifting out his oars he threw a rope towards the shore, snagging a nondescript hook and pulling his little dinghy up against the cliff-face. Carefully stepping out of the boat he pressed himself up against the narrow cliff-face. It was only due to his thin frame that he could even moor his boat at this point, larger individuals would have no such luck.

Peaking up past the nearest overhang he saw the fence he was aiming for.
Shutting his eyes briefly, he raised his left hand and water swirled out of it before shooting up in a thin line and wrapping around the fence. With a tug of his arm Rolf was pulled upwards, a basket clutched in his other hand. The spring-like contraction flung him upwards and he landed safely on the pavement and glanced around making sure he was still unseen.

Confirming the lack of eyes on him Rolf briskly walked forward to the nearest building, smoke was rising from it and the click and clack of kitchen utensils was audible from the valley, this was the famous Wanmin Restaurant, one of the most popular eateries in all of Liyue. Rolf made his way through the back door into the kitchen and opened his basket.

“Well, well, look who’s showed up” the jovial voice of the Chef Mao called behind him. Walking over the Chef looked into the basket and gave Rolf a heavy pat on the back, bothering the elf.
“Impressive haul today, this’ll keep us stocked for a few weeks. Many thanks, ma’ boy” he exclaimed. Rolf chose to ignore being called a boy, Mao had first met him when he was Rolfs height so he knew very well that Rolf was the elder of the two.

“Actually we just had a newcomer pop by for some of our Black-Back Perch Stew. Why not stick around and see someone actually appreciate what you bring to the tablet,” Mao suggested as he pulled one particular fish out of the basket and walked over to the cutting board. Rolf frowned at the back of the Chefs head. What benefit would there be to seeing someone's reaction to eating a fish, what good would that do Rolf?

He chose to ignore the chef and continued carefully storing all of his fish. Mao soon walked out to deliver the stew, he came back and moved to the safe. Opening it and procuring a decent sized bag of mora which he placed in Rolfs now empty basket. Before he could talk he was distracted by another newcomer and went out to greet them. Rolf closed his basket and stood back up, ready to leave.

As Mao walked back in and saw Rolf he quickly placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, why leave so quick? You’re always out on your boat by yourself, why not stick around and have a bite to eat, my treat. There are a couple travelling folk out there too, maybe you can exchange stories,” Mao insisted.

Rolf turned and looked at him with a glum, ‘are you serious?’ face. Mao chuckled and pointed out to the dining area.
“Go on, even if you don’t talk to them I’ll whip you up something good,” he said. With a loud sigh, Rolf placed his basket back on the ground and walked out into the dining table. He could identify the travellers Mao had been talking about easily enough the white-haired man with the cat on his table was strange enough.

Briskly walking to the tablet, Rolf pulled up the third seat and sat down, picking up the menu and burning his face in it to minimise conversation with the seated people. His only reason for staying was the thought of a nice free meal.

explosiveKitten Nothingness

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Amamiya Kyoya

"Woah." Kyoya had said upon laying her eyes upon the red lake of Natlan. Its beauty was something to behold, not even something the islands of Inazuma could match but then again, her land of origin held a different kind of beauty altogether. She turned her eyes to Margaux and the Kamera, remembering the first time the gadget was introduced to her. There was a childishness that she has shown that day, slightly embarrassing but Kameras were not a thing in Inazuma.

The Oni inched closer to Haoran and spoke in hush tones, "I'm glad the Kamera is working now, I can see how in her element Margaux is in doing this kind of work." She said amazed at her ashen-haired companion's artistic sense. After a few clicks of the Kamera, an avian creature of bright colors appeared from the lake. A large bird with a slender body and a long neck, its slumber disturbed by the hydro mimics that Margaux had conjured. It looked angry.

The creature raised its head to the sky and whistled. It was hardly something one could hear but it was clearly something that it does to call for help as they were now surrounded by hound-shaped creatures that smelled like burning flesh, snarling at the group while dark smoke released between its teeth.

Kyoya was quick to pull out her weapon, chains rattling. "It seems the photo shoot will have to continue later." She said to everyone before turning her attention to the hounds. Lightning crackled around her Kusarigama as it began to glow, throwing it to one of the hounds before pulling the creature closer to her. Cold and distant eyes of an Oni pulling the blade out by kicking the enemy away.

mention: || interaction: AI10100 . D O V E Nellancholy Ambiloquous

 

[Nellancholy]

More monsters, here of all places. And she was just getting relaxed...

The avian creature that emerged from the water had called out a pack of terrestrial beasts that were suffused with Pyro energy, like so many others here in Natlan. With the archons...displaced, powerful monsters, natural disasters, and other elemental phenomena had grown more prolific. There was probably some dry humor to be had in the fact that while humans in many places became more dissolute, monsters ironically seemed to be working together better than ever. Lyuda had heard word of a being called the Oceanid, who claimed to want to protect the water from human exploitation. With Liyue's archon gone and the adepti distant as always, it was surprising that Oceanid had yet to swallow the harbor whole.

Thankfully, the waterfowl that had emerged before the group was nowhere near as dangerous, but Lyuda got the feeling that the dogs before them weren't here to be pet. Good thing the ground beneath her wasn't too hard, nor was it worked by human hands. Her hand dipped into the soil as easily as it would have into a basin of water, and when she pulled her arm out, a clump of earth hardened around her forearm in the approximate shape of a heavy gauntlet.

Thinking her easy prey, one of the flaming hounds leapt at her...only for her to tuck forward into a crouch, spring up, and meet its muzzle with a ferocious straight punch. The obsidian that served as a scaffolding for its primordial elemental energy splintered as the soil engulfing her hand turned inside-out, encasing the front part of its body in a gleaming Geo barrier to contain its heat like a furnace contained burning coals.

With the first of many assailants indisposed and Kyoya dealing with another, Lyuda took advantage of the opening to reach around her back, hefting her hammer. With a twist along the handle, the ingenious device telescoped, extending to its full, fearsome stature. It didn't hum to her the way earth and metal did, but the strength and precision granted by her Vision made it a worthy instrument in her hands nonetheless.

Lyuda didn't quite plan to shield Margaux like some kind of bodyguard, but she closed the distance to her somewhat, in case she needed help.

A snarl arose from behind Lyuda as another dog tried to ambush her. Barely managing to leap out of the way of its blazing claws, the cloth hems of her pant legs singed away cleanly, the raging flames leaving no trace of that which they consumed.

. D O V E Colorless Spectrum

 

[TheImmortalDeity]

Anom

A long, exasperated sigh escaped Anom's chapped lips. It was now his third day exploring the igneous lands of Natlan, and he was worse for wear. Subconsciously kicking at a rock along the dirt path that he traversed, he reminisced of his time spent in Inazuma. Despite the egregious political turmoil that had been plaguing the nation for the better part of fifteen years, at least the scenery held a soothing atmosphere that was abundant in frivolity and life. Here in Natlan, there were rocks, magma, questionable plants, and a burnt egg roll that had lost any form of taste since his initial arrival. To make things worse, he had no mora to his name, having lost it after being discovered by the captain of the vessel he used to flee Inazuma, labeled as a stowaway that was trying to mooch off their goods and demanding compensation immediately. If they didn't want their food eaten, then they shouldn't have had such lax guards watching over them, he thought to himself, his stomach grumbling in turn.

So far, he had gotten by from the kindness of the locals, who were not hesitant in the least to depart with meager scraps here and there. Considering the visibly poor state of some, Anom had thought to refuse their generous donations from time to time, but his gluttony always got the better of him. Now, it appears his luck had finally run out. He hadn't come across a civilization, let alone a single person, to help him in his time of need in what felt like an eternity. With only his Vision, "Book", and needlessly charred Inazuman apparel, he had been promoted from an Inazuman bum into a Natlani bum. Perhaps this was his destiny. He wouldn't put it past this world bereft of gods to pull one over him like this.

Anom ceased his senseless rock kicking at the sound of some commotion off to his right. It had been much too long since he had last seen a lake in his, albeit short, journey. He blinked twice, washing away the soot from his sullen eyes, wondering if the heat was playing tricks on him. When the pond did, in fact, still exist, a sense of relief washed over him. "Maybe I can finally get rid of the sand wedgy I've had these last few days," he muttered to himself, gleefully taking a step forward . . . only to be stopped by the vicious combat taking place nearby.

It was a far cry for Anom to say he was a diviner; hell, his entire palm reading profession was a hoax, to begin with. He did, however, have a knack for sizing up others from a glance. The group he saw ensnared within the Pyro Puppy™ ambush were the type of people that, if traveling with, would end in the untimely demise of one's corpse lost within an unknown corner of the world, never heard or seen from again. For him, meddling within their affairs was more trouble than it was worth, and even if he had to say goodbye to the wonderous concept of a relaxing bath, it was a wise decision on his part if he was able to keep his head on his shoulders for a day longer. With steeled resolve, the white-haired man gave a salute to them, turning to leave in a hurry.

Then a Molten Mutt™ appeared in his path.

From the rocky bristles of its gravelly fur to the built-in furnace that dwelled within its mouth at every snap, Anom was keenly aware of the position he was in. He was no fighter. Not by choice, at least. There were plenty of times where people had voiced their envy of his beautiful Vision, and how they, too, wished to be smiled upon by the gods. In his experience, it was more like a curse. This unwanted power of his often led him straight into unfavorable outcomes, much like the one he faced now. So, without further delay, Anom turned on his heels and bolted for the group in a burst of speed that was rather surprising given his current shabby state. Once he had promptly planted himself smack dab in the middle of their semi-established foothold against their attackers, Anom curled into a ball, meekly prostrating himself to anyone that cared to notice.

"PleaseifyouhaveanyheartIbegofyoutoprotectmefromthesethings," he cried, praying for the fight to finish swiftly.
AI10100 Nellancholy . D O V E Colorless Spectrum Ambiloquous

 

[AI10100]

Zhangzheng Haoran
Location: Some lake, Natlan
Interacting with: . D O V E Colorless Spectrum Nellancholy Ambiloquous TheImmortalDeity
​

The area they found themselves in was truly beautiful. Haoran was in awe for the entire time that they were there... before he started to walk around the area. Margaux usually took her time with getting perfect shots with her Kamera and Haoran wasn't one for staying still for a long time. Considering that they had other friends with them at the moment, Haoran felt at ease in moving to a further area than just a small perimeter around. People could mistake him for doing rounds— checking if there were any nearby monsters. In truth, he just wanted to stretch his legs and see if there were any pretty rocks he maybe look into.

When he returned to the group, Kyoya was making her way towards him and he tilted his head as she leaned in closer to whisper. "You should see her in the water." He claimed with a shrug and a grin. "But yeah, it's great to see her in a more comfortable situation."

Haoran turned his attention back to the scenery before them. Something else had been there, probably some animal that was resting but was disturbed by the appearances of Margaux's mimics. For a moment, he had thought that it would simply fly away and the high-pitched whistle almost didn't register in his ears. However, only a few seconds later, hounds had surrounded them.

"You know, something did feel off about this place." He said as he slid his sword out of its scabbard, his geo vision resonating with his thoughts and intentions. "It seemed way too peaceful for it to be in the wilderness!"

As Lyuda and Kyoya launched their respective attacks, Haoran's arms began to glow with the energy of geo and, just before he could activate his shields, someone had run straight into the middle of their group and curled into a ball. Surprised, but nevertheless convinced that he just needed help, Haoran continued. Geo shields formed around his allies, and the random man. "Just stay there, sir! You won't get harmed!" He reassured the curled up man before turning to Lyuda where she had just managed to dodge one of the hounds.

He quickly ran towards the hound and stabbed it from its behind. Not enough to kill it, the hound quickly sped forward and turned around to face him. It charged and he moved just enough to aim his sword straight into the hound's mouth. The blade slid straight into the beast and two geo swords materialized above the beast and struck it down. He pulled out his sword and it turned into ashes, signifying its death.

He turned to see that a hound was targetting the cowering man. With a burst of movement, he jumped over the man and placed himself in the way of the attack. As expected, the hound's jaws were unlike the rifthound's and the shield glowed as it absorbed the attack for him.

 

[Ambiloquous]

CIPALI

The Natlani hadn’t been exactly sure what materials the fixing of the Kamera necessitated, but Cipali was quite glad that the unfinished results of a child’s polished building block and a mirror without the reflective coating had been enough for Lyuda’s repairing needs. There had been other choices, of course, but they happened to be more costly than the leftovers due to the bulk sizing, and the shopkeeper had mentioned that they would all work the same in the end. He was fairly sure Konsilisto had been given a near negligible budget from the start, and being a responsible helper, he would have to mark his current expenses under her project, so he may as well help her save some where he could.

Once at the location of the first shoot, Cipali wondered if it was truly good practice to allow hydro mimic flamingoes in the photos. He would have interrupted Margaux’s session, but he didn’t have any concrete rules from Konsilisto that stated otherwise, and the Kamerawoman’s concentration was at an all time high — he understood what it felt like to be broken out of the artistic flow from personal experience. He definitely would not wish it upon the one he had employed; not to mention that doing it for uncertain reasons oftentimes led to displeasure, and displeasure was never a good emotion in the sole hope of a project already on shaky standing.

Though he had chosen to take a step back from delaying the occasion for sensible reasons, the world seemed to have grasped ahold of that chance themselves. An Atotolin had turned the lake into its residence — such a fact was not recorded at the local adventurer’s guild office — and with the well-documented temper of a being known as king of all waterbirds, it clearly did not appreciate intruders disturbing it from its rest. Chupas fell upon their group with its high-pitched whistle, and Kyoya and Lyuda quickly took up thinning their numbers.

“The surroundings were supposed to be cleared,” he called at Haoran’s comment. “I apologize.”

Cipali felt a great deal of remorse for subjecting the travellers’ first job to such unfortunate circumstances. Perhaps if he had planned a little better, or not been so stingy with the money and hired guards, he wouldn’t have forced his guests and hired help to lend a hand in the upcoming battle. Even bringing along his brother would have been considerable support — he had always been the sibling better suited to taking down wild beasts, not speaking of the fact that he had managed to turn that talent into a career.

As if the situation couldn’t be worse, a passersby happened to be passing by at the exact moment everything was turning into Chupa-related violence and caught the eye of a far-lying canine the moment he made to leave. The only thing the poor man could do was run for the group, and luckily, Haoran was kind enough to shelter the white-haired newcomer beneath his shields.

He would make his formal apologies later, for now, he moved to join the frontline fighters. The sculptor had to admire the grace and ease the group took to physical conflict with the wildlife; at least he was sure he wouldn’t be paying for any funerals, sorrowful as a thought that was. Since the hounds consisted of pyro energy, there was not much his vision was good for in this confrontation — but such was not the same for the Atotolin. If he could eliminate the leader, the rest of the Chupas would likely flee at the sight of their dead brethren.

Kicking out an arc of golden flames at a nearby Chupa and knowing it would barely faze the creature, he tensed his legs and leapt high in the direction of the colourful bird sitting regally upon the lake. It eyed the person hurtling straight at it and fluttered frantically away — but unfortunately, it had decided to move closer to the shore in its panic. Due to the weight-lessening effect, his jump took him far above the rocks bordering the lake, and he crashed down onto the Atotolin with a resounding thud. His flames weren’t waterproof, but if the impact didn’t take the creature down, strangling it surely would. Its neck was quite fragile, from what he had heard of it.

INTERACTIONS

AI10100

MENTIONS

Nellancholy . D O V E Colorless Spectrum TheImmortalDeity​

 

[Nothingness]

Interactions
explosiveKitten
Mentions
HerculePyro
Location
Liyue Harbor: Wanmin Restaurant
OOC
((Apologies on the lateness of this post. Been really busy as of late.))
____________________________________________________________________
Continuing to fan his feline companion's mouth, Jin paid no mind to the woman and the chef as they spoke with one another. With nothing making the situation any better, the male soon brought his attention up towards the chef who had returned to the kitchen to begin preparing another dish. Raising a hand to attempt and get the attention of the chef who appeared to have begun speaking with another male, this one was behind the counter, so it was clear to see that he wasn't just any other customer. Questions started to form in Jin's head at the thought of who this other person was, maybe they were just an assistant or something. His thoughts wandered for a few moments before a tug at his sleeve from his feline companion had him snap out of his thoughts in an instant. "O-oh...um, sir. Is there...any kind of refreshing drink you can give me to cool down this heat?" Calling out to the chef who only chuckled at Jin's response, giving the quick stir of the pan he was preparing other dishes as well as checking the heat on a pot of soup he had been preparing as well, he'd head over towards the side of the kitchen for a few minutes before approaching the counter and handing Jin a glass of some kind of blue liquid. "Here ya go! Learned this from a pal of mine in Mondstadt! This should cool ya down!" Chuckling heartily, the male was quick to take the drink and hand it to his feline companion who immediately dunked its little head into the liquid to begin drinking it as quickly as it possibly could.

Even with seeing this, Jin simply watched in amusement even when the other strange male who was once behind the counter made his way over to take a seat with the trio at the table.

By the time the kitten had finally had its mouth cooled down and returned to the food once more, Jin had begun focusing on his surroundings while waiting for his kitten to finish up with its meal. That was when he had noticed the woman from earlier who had asked about the menu had been staring at his companion quite a bit. The sight of this had him arch a brow as he waved a hand in between the woman's view and his kitten. "Um, hello? Miss? May I help you?" In the midst of questioning the woman, the kitten had finally finished its meal just to wipe its mouth with one of its paws before looking up towards Jin before tugging at his sleeve once more. "Alright! Now that I'm all full, where to next? The adventure's guild?...huh...? Jin?" Attempting to get the attention of its much taller companion, the kitten constantly tugged at his sleeve until it had turned over just to see there had been a person staring at it. The sight of this had the feline quickly hiss and rile up its fur as though the woman was a threat.

 

[. D O V E]

Margaux Blanchet​

---

The photography session was proceeding as smoothly as the surface of serene waters. The crimson lake captivatingly contrasted its golden backdrop as though it was a ruby entrenched in a piece of jewelry. While Margaux was never one to boast about her work, she felt confident that Cipali would appreciate the images for the natural beauty they had captured. In fact, the lake was such a picturesque subject that Margaux's skill was hardly needed. It made her feel honored to be the one tasked to capture the locality's wonders.

It was simply a shame that there seemed to be a commotion ensuing behind her. Margaux had been far too focused on her job that she missed the advent of the ruckus, explaining her surprise when she turned around and found that the rest of her party was in combat with monsters. It didn't take long until her ocean orbs landed on a stranger cowering in their midst, making her wonder where in the name of Dantelion did he pop out of?

Margaux vibrated in place, her wide eyes shifting back to the attacking creatures. They looked familiar to her. She reckoned she probably read about them during her time in the academy. If her memory was serving her well, they were called Chupas. They were hound-like creatures infused with the power of Pyro, usually traversing the land of Natlan in packs. She recalled that they have some sort of hierarchy, each pack headed by an alpha whose defeat would typically send the rest running with their tails tucked between their legs.

It would be great if she could easily identify which one was the pack's leader, yet they all look the same to her. Nonetheless, their group seemed to have no problem handling the encounter. Haoran had encased all of them with a Geo shield while warding the Chupas, and Margaux had lost count of how many times his elemental skill has saved her hide. Then, there was also Kyoya who busied herself with slicing whichever poor Chupa decided to lock onto the battle-frenzied Oni. The hulking woman's duality has always amazed Margaux, albeit she'd be lying if she claimed that it didn't invoke slight fear in her. In the corner of her vision, she caught a glimpse of Cipali descending with a fiery kick straight to the Atotolin. It was quite the sight, she could only wish that she had snapped a picture, although she was unsure whether Cipali would appreciate it or not. Then, there was Lyuda who stuck close by her side, defending her and the trembling stranger from approaching Chupas with her mighty hammer. The Schneznayan's agile movements struck Margaux with awe, silently wishing that she had the former's skill when it came to wielding the weapon type.

While Margaux was grateful for her friends' protection, she wanted to pull her own weight and contribute to the fight. That said, she should safeguard her recently fixed Kamera lest they return to step one. Margaux carefully approached the terrified wanderer and crouched in front of him. She gave the person a tap on the shoulder before her sharp gaze completely narrowed on his, once again vibrating in place as she handed him her Kamera. Without further explanation, the ashen-haired female stood up and materialized a Hydro construct of a war hammer in her hands, all while keeping her gaze on the poor stranger. All of a sudden, she pulled her arms back and swung her hammer forward.

A high whistle resounded as the hammer collided with the body of a Chupa that was about to leap over the prostrating man. The heavy blow sent the creature flying, but Margaux wasn't done yet. She rushed past the stranger, making sure that she had distanced herself sufficiently from her Kamera before summoning a rush of wave that propelled her onto the air. With her great hammer out, Margaux crashed down to the spot where the Chupa landed, the impact creating a small crater on the dry land. However, once the created mist of dust settled, Margaux realized that the monster wasn't lying where it should be. Instead, it pounced on her from the side. In the heat of the moment, Margaux summoned another wave to push her into the open air. She used the momentum to flip midair and add force to her next hit, which came shortly as the surface of her hammer met the cheek of the Chupa.

The brute force sent the creature skidding onto the ground, its lifeless form eventually colliding with a hardened protrusion of sand. Margaux took a deep breath and cast her gaze on the rest of the battle's participants. Luckily for her, her Hydro abilities directly countered the Chupas. Intending to help the rest, Margaux summoned a flock of red birds from the lake and sent them flying like projectiles onto the remaining enemies.

Nellancholy Colorless Spectrum AI10100 Ambiloquous TheImmortalDeity

 

[Nellancholy]

The Chupa that Lyuda had encased in a layer of solid rock sputtered and extinguished like a wet firework, its glassy body becoming inert. Could it reanimated if filled with concentrated Pyro energy? Lyuda didn't care to find out.

The situation only got more chaotic as another man passing by had to all but hurl himself into danger to reach them and apparently plead for protection. He'd have been safer...wherever he was, and Haoran had to divide his attention for a moment to protect the newcomer over defending the others. Hao's projected energy encased Lyuda as well, forming a gleam like a sturdy, transparent orange breastplate over her.

Before Lyuda could do anything further, Margaux took the initiative, surging forward on a wave of water that would have drenched Lyuda if not for the barrier encasing her. The wall of water left behind condensation on the barrier that sizzled in the increasingly hot air. Lyuda wasn't too worried about their survival, but this situation could easily escalate if they didn't drive them off in time, and the lake wasn't far enough from the town to dismiss the possibility of some of the Chupas slipping by.

Cipali had apparently gotten to work on neutralizing the Atotolin, and the combined efforts of the group had thinned the pack of Chupas noticeably. It could be an easy rout, but trying to defeat each of them one by one could indeed risk the safety of others. Across Lyuda's years of experience, one thing that remained consistent when facing large groups was that eliminating the commander was certain to throw them off balance, and that was the perfect opportunity to push the advantage and scatter them.

A quick glance over the fray yielded the answer. "There..." One of the Chupa was about a foot taller and noticeably bulkier than the others, its frame not only formed out of obsidian and soil encasing raging flames, but also studded with Agnidus that only amplified its ferocity further.

Lyuda let out a bellow as she spun once with Stake Driver, taking out another Chupa snapping at her as she went. Building momentum, she jumped slightly and slammed it sharply into the ground. It wasn't like hammering a nail straight down. The kind of force that was needed, only her Vision could grant. Instead of transmitting the impact all around her, it instead created a fissure a few feet deep, creeping ahead of her like the cut of a sword. Jagged rock erupted alongside the fissure, scattering the surviving pack of Chupa and leaving the alpha isolated for a split second. All it would take was someone else following up...

"Hao! Margaux! That one!" She grunted, glaring at the alpha and taking a moment to steady herself and back them up if they needed.

. D O V E AI10100

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Amamiya Kyoya

The hound within her grasp whined as it lay on the ground before coming to a snarl at her. Perhaps a common citizen of Natlan would flinch or scream but Kyoya merely stared back. The Chupa she was facing off quickly got up to its feet, its eyes filled with hate as it stared into the Oni before lunging. She wrapped her arm with the chains and used it to defend herself from the bite of the fiery hound. It wasn't enough to defend herself from it for its long fangs pierced her skin and burned her flesh. "Tsk."

Kyoya's eyes started to glow as a surge of electro enveloped her body blasting the Chupa away from her. She dashed toward the very same Chupa, Kusarigama in hand, and sliced it clean with two slashes of her sickle. Its body landed just a few inches away from a man quaking in fear with Margaux's newly fixed Kamera and Haoran, completely unaware of the stranger's entrance to their group but that was of no importance to the situation.

Haoran was protecting the stranger and Margaux supporting everyone else with her mimics, Kyoya took it upon herself to heed Lyuda's call even when it wasn't really meant for her. With the Alpha of the Chupas wet from the Hydromancer's ability. She flung the weight towards the biggest hound, the metal glowing with a tinge of purple and smacking its side, inducing electro-charged and gaining its attention.

The Chupa tackled Kyoya to the ground after a growl left its mouth. She could smell the smoke that was mixed with its breath and found it disgusting. It went for a bite but the Oni was able to prevent the attack by grabbing at its mouth. She could feel the heat from its mouth and teeth through the bandages that were wrapped around her hands. The Chupa struggled in gaining control of their jaw while Kyoya further opens it by force until she heard it crack, making the creature flinch. She threw the hound to the side and gave it a powerful right hook. She grabbed the hound by the head slammed it into the jutted rock before tossing it to the fissure.

mention: || interaction: AI10100 . D O V E Nellancholy Ambiloquous TheImmortalDeity

 

[TheImmortalDeity]

Anom

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The pounding of his chest was all that Anom heard as the fight intensified. His eyes were shut tight, and his hands were covered over his ears. I'm dead. I'm so, so, so, so dead. There were so many things I wanted to do, too. Eat new food, find a beautiful place to relax, maybe take a nice afternoon nap . . . Now that I think of it, I didn't have much going on today. Maybe a Chupa chowing down on me isn't that bad of a way to go after all? Then, it dawned on Anom that he was, in fact, completely fine and not roleplaying as a Chupa's squeaker toy. Next came a gentle poke on his shoulder. With a bit of hesitance, he looked up, seeing some sort of geo shield encasing him and the degrading stare of one of the party members he had been observing earlier.

A wave of fear washed over his body. The cold, merciless judgment that exuded from their posture was enough to make Anom want to turn tail and swim his way back to Inazuma. As soon as he tried to move, however, she began to . . . vibrate? Exchanging no words, she placed a Kamera into the palm of his hand.

"Wh-what do you want me-" Anything he was going to say was immediately shot down as the woman produced a war hammer out of thin air, its watery texture rippling within her grip. Anom's mind ran a mile a minute trying to compute what this stranger wanted from him, as well as the motive behind her actions. As she began to raise the hammer into the air, he closed his eyes again, expecting the worst.

THONK. PSSSSSHHHHHTT. Rawrf~.

He turned to see that they had protected him from an oncoming attacker. "Oh, uh, thanks- aaaaaaaand they're gone." Watching as Margaux took to the battlefield, Anom slumped onto his bottom, a bit awestruck from the whole ordeal. The team continued to further crackdown on the threat until the oni woman with the Inazuman attire eventually threw the pack leader into the gorge, signaling the end of the Chupa's onslaught. Now left with the view of a battlefield littered with craters and disintegrating bodies, Anom turned his attention to the water, wondering where the Natlani gentleman had disappeared off to.

With some floundering and the frantic splashing of water, Anom watched as Cipali nonchalantly forced the Atotolin into submission. Sure, perhaps the palm reader was stretching the truth a little bit with what he saw, but it felt as if the man was finding no trouble in dealing with such a creature. With a swift movement from Cipali, the bird ceased to struggle and then began to flake away, much like the Chupas from earlier, leaving them swimming alone in the lake.

That meant the fight was all over, right? No more danger, yeah? As calmly as he could muster, Anom stood up and dusted himself off. He didn't wish to stick around any longer than is needed, so he figured a quick thank you and goodbye were sufficient enough. "Thank you for all the hard work. I'm gonna go now, bye," he said meekly, not daring to make eye contact as he shuffled off in the other direction. It was only after a few steps that he realized the Kamera was still in his possession. Ah, I should probably return this before they beat me up, too.

As he went to turn around, Anom felt his body become sluggish. His vision was spotty as if tiny black specs clouded his mind, and then, without a chance to rectify himself, his legs gave out from under him, his consciousness fluttering.

AI10100 Ambiloquous . D O V E Nellancholy Colorless Spectrum

 

[AI10100]

Zhangzheng Haoran
Location: Some lake, Natlan
Interacting with: . D O V E Ambiloquous Colorless Spectrum Nellancholy TheImmortalDeity
​

The fight seemed to have ended in almost a blink of an eye— which wouldn't have been far from the truth. Each of them got to work on their own opponents and made quick work of them. He charged forward against the chupa he had blocked and he struck forward only for the hound to slide to the side. He minimized his shield until it was close to his skin and he raised his arm as the hound bit down on him. The shield began to crack under the intense continuous pressure but Haoran was undeterred. He raised his sword and struck the blade straight through its skull. The fight inside the hound didn't last long as its jaws loosened and it dropped onto the ground.

By the time Haoran had turned back to the others, everything had been dealt with. How wonderfully efficient! Haoran knew that he, Margaux, and Kyoya worked together well— with the addition of Cipali and Lyuda, everything fell into place. He was glad to have them with the group. It was a shame he couldn't watch them fight because he was busy with his own opponents. He had seen Lyuda fight before and it was fascinating— it was alike with Margaux's upfront and personal hammer time attacks though. With Cipali, however, he didn't see a weapon so was it hand-to-hand combat? It would fit the Natlani fighting style. He wondered if he had a different fighting style than the others. It would be nice to learn from him too. Haoran was always more than happy to add things to his arsenal.

He turned to Cipali, calling out. "It's alright! It's good exercise!" He finally responded regarding his earlier apology. It wasn't like they were in any real danger if Haoran was going to be honest. It felt like a normal stroll down the beaten path at this point. Being an adventurer made you numb to the danger posed by the outside world. "Great job as always guys." He told their other three companions, giving them a thumbs up.

The stranger made himself known once again as thanked them and began to walk away. Haoran was about to ask if he needed help getting back to the town but the stranger turned around to head back over to them with Margaux's Kamera still in his hands. Oh, she probably dropped it on him for safekeeping considering he wasn't joining the fight. However, in the middle of returning to them, the man began to sway. "Sir, are you—" Haoran didn't even get to finish his sentence as the stranger collapsed on his feet.

Haoran quickly dashed towards the stranger, catching him with one arm and grabbing the falling Kamera on the other. "Sir? Sir?" He called out, gently shaking him to see if the stranger was even conscious. After a few shakes and trying to call him out. It seemed like the stranger had passed out for the moment. Had the stranger been injured in any way? If he remembered correctly, his shield hadn't gone down for the entirety of the fight. Could it have been stress from the fight? His breathing was even, as far as Haoran could tell, so he could rest easy knowing it wasn't some grievous injury that had taken him down. It wasn't a failure on his part in particular.

Either way, it wouldn't be safe to leave him there. Without another thought, he leaned the stranger against his arm and hooked his other under his knees, and lifted him up in a princess carry. Haoran made his way to the others in the group. "Uh, do you think we should head back into town and get this guy to a healer?" He asked, lifting the stranger up a bit to gesture to him.

 

[Ambiloquous]

CIPALI

Cipali smiled briefly at Haoran’s comment, dripping wet in knee deep water with steam rising in lazy curls around him. There was a pair of feather-stripped chicken-like wings and drumsticks slowly sinking into the water beside him — leftover from the long-gone Atotolin — and he quickly made to fish them up. “Atotolin would make a good snack after this… ‘exercise’.” He paused and glanced at the group milling about in ashy remains of the Chupas. “Unless you would like to sell the meat.”

Clambering out of the shallow area of the lake with the slightly boiled provisions cradled awkwardly in his arms, his face twisted into a slight frown, though it was out of no displeasure at the people he faced. “I apologize for the circumstances you’ve ended up in,” he stated solemnly, this time speaking directly to all the people who had agreed to this expedition. “You all took more part in this battle than I, and I have no excuse. If you would like to quit this job, I’ll not blame you. Either way, I’ll reimburse you for your time and efforts during this journey. If there’s anything else you need during your stay, I will do my best to fulfill it.”

While Konsilisto had no additional mora lining her pockets, the same could not be said for himself. The fairly well-off sculptor felt that his personal savings were enough for the four, should they be desiring recompense more than he already planned. Money couldn’t solve everything, especially if that something led to an early expiry, but it was the least he could do to sightseers who had been put into a situation that would have possessed a high risk of death if they were any less competent at eradicating the pack of Chupas.

Their battle prowess was certainly a pleasant surprise — Kyoya had fought almost like a Natlani, with bare hands and strength beyond the norm — but not one that he should have counted on; especially with an extra stranger caught up in the melee. Even Margaux, who seemed least likely to participate in conflict with nary a thought, had summoned a hydro weapon and easily dealt with the Chupas. There appeared to be a pattern here though: mysterious travellers, all seemingly from different cultures, with abnormal combat ability and wielding powerful visions. He glanced thoughtfully at the hammer Lyuda held; it gave the impression of sturdiness and had dull violet edges with a distinct electro emblem. The sculptor had some ideas on where the violet hammer originated from, but it was no business of his to understand how and why the Kamera-fixer had acquired it.

His train of thought broke the moment the unfamiliar white-haired man fainted away after a whispered line of gratitude. As Haoran picked him up in a carry that reminded Cipali of his affection-displaying brother and his wife, the half-Yahui looked at his mutilated nails and hesitantly added, “Allow me. You are guests. I know a healer outside town.”

INTERACTIONS

AI10100 Colorless Spectrum . D O V E Nellancholy

MENTIONS

TheImmortalDeity​

 

[Nellancholy]

"Phew..." As she should have expected, Hao and Margaux's new, burly companion was the one to close the distance to the Chupa and absolutely mangle it. If they had come to blows earlier, Lyuda...well, she didn't think she'd be in much danger, but she would definitely be right to keep out of Kyoya's reach. Either way, Kyoya was...a friend now, and all those thoughts were just hypotheticals.

She let out a quiet scoff at the sight of their dignified host emerging from the lake covered in warm water after his decidedly bold move of wrestling with the Atotolin. Turns out they weren't pure elementals, and there was enough material on them to eat. As nice as that would have been otherwise (and she was no stranger to hunting), she didn't quite feel in the mood for it after seeing how the Atotolin was made, so to speak.

Haoran seemed to have the interloper well in-hand, and while their present location wasn't especially dangerous as long as someone didn't provoke anything through large elemental displays, it was certainly sensible to make sure he woke up in a marginally better location.

With all that considered, Lyuda shrugged, giving Cipali a nod. "I know it'll spoil if we wait, but...do people just buy meat off you here? You can keep the Mora if you want, we don't negotiate extra pay for things like this." It was barely a struggle. She didn't think Hao or Margaux would be the type to pinch pennies, and if Kyoya thought otherwise...she'd probably speak up.

As for Margaux...Lyuda rested a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. "Holding up, kosechka? Think you want to finish the job?"

Ambiloquous . D O V E