[The hilarity of going from a Fatui Harbinger to a guy who just looks vaguely unsettled because he's never met a non-NPC enemy Fatui in his life. He still looks a little uncertain, but... well. He DOESN'T KNOW SHE GAVE UP HER GNOSIS and he also doesn't know the extent of her power anyway so. It's fine.]
Oh, that reminds me--I was actually wondering if you could help me with something.
I'd like to sit down with you and go over some ideas to help Wolfwood, Vash, and Livio with their world. There's a few different things I'd like to do for them, and I have no idea if anything we could come up with would be effective in their world, but I promised I would try.
[Being in a team game when you love so many people is SO HARD.]
nahida looks thoughtful at that, and then she nods.]
...if that's something they're open to, I'd be glad to contribute what I can. [as a god of teyvat, she should probably not be meddling in the affairs of other worlds. but it's something else if the people living in that world are open to it.] It's their world, so... imposing my perspective on it wouldn't be a good thing. But if the ideas we come up with are something they'd like to try, then I'll gladly do what I can to bring them to fruition.
Well, some of it would be applicable to our world anyway. Theirs is primarily a barren desert--I'm told that the "plants" they rely on for food and water are more like limited resources. From my experience, desert sand isn't typically ideal for construction materials, but I wanted to see if we couldn't come up with some ideas on how to repurpose it so it could be of greater use to them. I was also toying with the idea of some kind of device that could produce water for them, though I'm not sure how we'd accomplish that without Visions or alchemy. They'd probably have to build it themselves, since we don't have any materials here, of course, but I thought... if we all make it out of here, maybe we could send them back with some notes, and they could adapt it for what they have. And we could bring them back ourselves, too, and see what we can do.
[For their desert-dwellers... who do have more resources and such than the Triguns do, but, y'know. Life is still so much harder out there than it is on the other side of the Wall.]
As for the rest--[He hesitates a little, because this is so much more personal, but. He did promise.]--I think they might be dealing with someone not unlike, um... [IT FEELS WEIRD TO SAY HAT GUY NOW???] that false god the Sages created. I'm not entirely sure if he's still a threat or not, it's a little confusing... but I was hoping you might be able to think of some way to help them.
I understand it's not our world, but... [But he's a softhearted baby and he's incapable of not trying to do something, now that he knows how many people are in danger.] I can't sit back and do nothing.
So many of the things we rely on involve elemental energy in some way, it might be difficult to convert them to be useful in a world that doesn't make use of them in the same way that we do. But it would be interesting to see what sorts of devices we could come up with.
...why don't we revisit the library and do some research next week? There are texts from worlds that aren't our own there - maybe we can find information about what worlds where people don't have a connection to the elements did to survive in the desert. Something we find there might give us an idea of how to approach coming up with something for their world.
[she doesn't seem opposed to this idea in the slightest. it'll be tough, and it'll certainly be a Project, but this is the kind of thing she's fascinated by. innovation and adaptation - the two bright, shining stars in the night sky that is human wisdom.]
...I can definitely see what I can come up with about the person you're describing. But... I would probably need to know a little more about them. Is that something they would be comfortable sharing with me? [hmm...] ...I know you can't sit back and do nothing. That's one of the many things I admire about you, Kaveh.
[she smiles.]
Using the knowledge you have to assist other people and give them the opportunities to flourish and grow... in my eyes, that's a very important part of what it means for Sumeru to be a Nation of Wisdom. You understand that better than almost anyone I've ever met.
Yes, I was thinking of doing something similar. I think developing a better understanding of worlds without our same degree of elemental energy will be beneficial to Teyvat anyway; we can adapt the theories we uncover and open up new lines of research that might help non-Vision Bearers.
[Even people without Visions can still make use of Teyvat's rich elemental energy, of course, and they can always buy oils and such, but still. He's a scholar, and she's the God of Wisdom--it doesn't surprise him that they're on the same page about looking into this. With a pang, he thinks of Tighnari (and maybe, possibly, Alhaitham)--but he refuses to consider the idea of Nahida, at least, not making it back to them, so he pushes the thought away.
He frowns a little, then, thoughtful.]
It's difficult to say. Vash claims that he shouldn't be a threat any longer, but Wolfwood seems convinced otherwise. I can speak to Vash, though I don't know how much he'll tell me if he thinks the problem is mostly solved. I've mostly discussed this with Wolfwood, and he's...
[Kaveh hesitates, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wants to say.]
...Life in their world is unkind. Wolfwood is more like Alhaitham than like me, to be honest. [Which is why Kaveh likes him so much, really. He's grounded realism to an almost pessimistic degree, sometimes--but Kaveh needs that, especially when he starts getting too caught up in his ideals.] He believes in solving things himself, and caring almost exclusively for his own. He doesn't believe that anything we come up with will be of any use. ...I think, in part, it's because he's unused to people trying to help without personal gain.
[Wolfwood could very well be right, of course. Kaveh made sure to acknowledge that he couldn't make any promises, especially considering, as he and Nahida have just discussed, how little they know about any worlds that operate differently from their own. Any gods or godlike beings could operate on wildly different rules, and there's a higher chance than not that their ideas alone will have little impact. But Kaveh can't bear the thought of them returning home to hardship and strife, only to die again in a few short months, or years. Even if it's meaningless in the end, there's no way he could let them walk away empty-handed if there's even the slightest possibility that he could do something to keep them safe a little longer.
Her compliment startles him a little, since it's so unexpected--and it's a little embarrassing, so there's a touch of awkwardness to his smile, but otherwise, it's genuine.]
Well, that's the purpose of society, after all. And that's what Kshahrewar exists to do. [He huffs a little.] The Akademiya as a whole, really. Alhaitham never agreed with me about that while we were students.
Mhm. The more we know, the more we can do. Even a piece of knowledge that seems random or trivial at best may very well end up becoming crucial to know someday, so just because we don't immediately see the application of it because we're accustomed to other options doesn't mean we shouldn't learn it.
[this pair of nerds can live in the library next week, that's fine... "what about the new setting" library... the library can't hurt them.........
anyway, nahida's brow furrows a little and her ears droop.]
Mm... I think that talking to Vash would be for the best. I don't know how much I should say... I saw some things in one of his memories. But... that's his story to tell, rather than mine. [...] I can understand Wolfwood being that way, especially after the things I've seen about their world. And I can understand why he might have trouble accepting outside help. If he's had to do things by his own hands all along...
[she sighs.]
But it's still... it's better to try. Maybe something we come up with or send them back with won't work exactly the way we intend for it to, but they'll be able to adapt it to their own world and find a better way to use it. Or maybe it will serve as the building blocks for their own solutions. Even if he doesn't think that what we come up with will be useful, that he's willing to let us give it a try at all instead of refusing to allow us to try it says something, I think.
...you're a good friend to him, Kaveh. To all three of them.
[as for alhaitham - ]
There's a lot that Alhaitham knows, but... also a lot that he fails to understand. I'll always be grateful to him for what he did to help me, but I think there's a lot for him to learn about the world, still, and... not just out of books.
[To the first, Kaveh just nods along as she speaks, humming in agreement. They're in agreement with this, of course; he'd figured they would be, since the drawbacks are negligible and the benefits, if all goes well, will far outweigh the costs. And, you know. They don't have a proper research facility here, so this is the best they can do. Failing to achieve any worthwhile results will still teach them something.
As for the rest, his gaze softens.]
Okay. I'll try to find a good moment to bring it up. [Which will not be during memshare week because that's too much.] With any luck, this will only have to be something of a failsafe anyway.
[I, pixi, am like 99.9% sure that it will not be and that shit is horrible in trigun but Kaveh does not have the power of knowing it's a fucked up scifi series. Alas.
As for Alhaitham, he just huffs.]
See, that's what I've always tried to tell him too! He's just so stubborn. He's barely changed at all since we were at the Akademiya.
We were both in the House of Daena. I'd gone in to study and I thought he was being bullied by his classmates, so I went to talk to him. It turns out he just thought they weren't worth his time.
[He shifts, glancing away. For all his huffing and complaining, he can't quite pretend that those early days were horrible. He wishes he could, truthfully. It would make their relationship so much simpler now.]
I guess you could put it like that. We were friends once.
It's alright. I don't mind. It's just... hard to explain. [He's quiet for a moment.] I guess the crux of it is--being "worth his time" is purely a matter of capability and intellect. It has nothing to do with... actually connecting. It took me longer to realize that than it should have.
Well, I can't speak for all people, of course. But yes, once you move past politeness and obligation, and even past scholarly debates--interactions tend to involve building bonds with others. They're an essential part of life.
Alhaitham doesn't agree, though. He thinks things like small talk and niceties are a waste of time, because he doesn't value human connection.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Oh, that reminds me--I was actually wondering if you could help me with something.
no subject
What is it? I'd be happy to help.
no subject
[Being in a team game when you love so many people is SO HARD.]
no subject
nahida looks thoughtful at that, and then she nods.]
...if that's something they're open to, I'd be glad to contribute what I can. [as a god of teyvat, she should probably not be meddling in the affairs of other worlds. but it's something else if the people living in that world are open to it.] It's their world, so... imposing my perspective on it wouldn't be a good thing. But if the ideas we come up with are something they'd like to try, then I'll gladly do what I can to bring them to fruition.
no subject
[For their desert-dwellers... who do have more resources and such than the Triguns do, but, y'know. Life is still so much harder out there than it is on the other side of the Wall.]
As for the rest--[He hesitates a little, because this is so much more personal, but. He did promise.]--I think they might be dealing with someone not unlike, um... [IT FEELS WEIRD TO SAY HAT GUY NOW???] that false god the Sages created. I'm not entirely sure if he's still a threat or not, it's a little confusing... but I was hoping you might be able to think of some way to help them.
I understand it's not our world, but... [But he's a softhearted baby and he's incapable of not trying to do something, now that he knows how many people are in danger.] I can't sit back and do nothing.
no subject
...why don't we revisit the library and do some research next week? There are texts from worlds that aren't our own there - maybe we can find information about what worlds where people don't have a connection to the elements did to survive in the desert. Something we find there might give us an idea of how to approach coming up with something for their world.
[she doesn't seem opposed to this idea in the slightest. it'll be tough, and it'll certainly be a Project, but this is the kind of thing she's fascinated by. innovation and adaptation - the two bright, shining stars in the night sky that is human wisdom.]
...I can definitely see what I can come up with about the person you're describing. But... I would probably need to know a little more about them. Is that something they would be comfortable sharing with me? [hmm...] ...I know you can't sit back and do nothing. That's one of the many things I admire about you, Kaveh.
[she smiles.]
Using the knowledge you have to assist other people and give them the opportunities to flourish and grow... in my eyes, that's a very important part of what it means for Sumeru to be a Nation of Wisdom. You understand that better than almost anyone I've ever met.
no subject
Yes, I was thinking of doing something similar. I think developing a better understanding of worlds without our same degree of elemental energy will be beneficial to Teyvat anyway; we can adapt the theories we uncover and open up new lines of research that might help non-Vision Bearers.
[Even people without Visions can still make use of Teyvat's rich elemental energy, of course, and they can always buy oils and such, but still. He's a scholar, and she's the God of Wisdom--it doesn't surprise him that they're on the same page about looking into this. With a pang, he thinks of Tighnari (and maybe, possibly, Alhaitham)--but he refuses to consider the idea of Nahida, at least, not making it back to them, so he pushes the thought away.
He frowns a little, then, thoughtful.]
It's difficult to say. Vash claims that he shouldn't be a threat any longer, but Wolfwood seems convinced otherwise. I can speak to Vash, though I don't know how much he'll tell me if he thinks the problem is mostly solved. I've mostly discussed this with Wolfwood, and he's...
[Kaveh hesitates, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wants to say.]
...Life in their world is unkind. Wolfwood is more like Alhaitham than like me, to be honest. [Which is why Kaveh likes him so much, really. He's grounded realism to an almost pessimistic degree, sometimes--but Kaveh needs that, especially when he starts getting too caught up in his ideals.] He believes in solving things himself, and caring almost exclusively for his own. He doesn't believe that anything we come up with will be of any use. ...I think, in part, it's because he's unused to people trying to help without personal gain.
[Wolfwood could very well be right, of course. Kaveh made sure to acknowledge that he couldn't make any promises, especially considering, as he and Nahida have just discussed, how little they know about any worlds that operate differently from their own. Any gods or godlike beings could operate on wildly different rules, and there's a higher chance than not that their ideas alone will have little impact. But Kaveh can't bear the thought of them returning home to hardship and strife, only to die again in a few short months, or years. Even if it's meaningless in the end, there's no way he could let them walk away empty-handed if there's even the slightest possibility that he could do something to keep them safe a little longer.
Her compliment startles him a little, since it's so unexpected--and it's a little embarrassing, so there's a touch of awkwardness to his smile, but otherwise, it's genuine.]
Well, that's the purpose of society, after all. And that's what Kshahrewar exists to do. [He huffs a little.] The Akademiya as a whole, really. Alhaitham never agreed with me about that while we were students.
no subject
[this pair of nerds can live in the library next week, that's fine... "what about the new setting" library... the library can't hurt them.........
anyway, nahida's brow furrows a little and her ears droop.]
Mm... I think that talking to Vash would be for the best. I don't know how much I should say... I saw some things in one of his memories. But... that's his story to tell, rather than mine. [...] I can understand Wolfwood being that way, especially after the things I've seen about their world. And I can understand why he might have trouble accepting outside help. If he's had to do things by his own hands all along...
[she sighs.]
But it's still... it's better to try. Maybe something we come up with or send them back with won't work exactly the way we intend for it to, but they'll be able to adapt it to their own world and find a better way to use it. Or maybe it will serve as the building blocks for their own solutions. Even if he doesn't think that what we come up with will be useful, that he's willing to let us give it a try at all instead of refusing to allow us to try it says something, I think.
...you're a good friend to him, Kaveh. To all three of them.
[as for alhaitham - ]
There's a lot that Alhaitham knows, but... also a lot that he fails to understand. I'll always be grateful to him for what he did to help me, but I think there's a lot for him to learn about the world, still, and... not just out of books.
no subject
As for the rest, his gaze softens.]
Okay. I'll try to find a good moment to bring it up. [Which will not be during memshare week because that's too much.] With any luck, this will only have to be something of a failsafe anyway.
[I, pixi, am like 99.9% sure that it will not be and that shit is horrible in trigun but Kaveh does not have the power of knowing it's a fucked up scifi series. Alas.
As for Alhaitham, he just huffs.]
See, that's what I've always tried to tell him too! He's just so stubborn. He's barely changed at all since we were at the Akademiya.
[Says Kaveh, who does not know he is married.]
no subject
[lol. lmao. trigun.
and then there's the subject of alhaitham... nahida chuckles a little under her breath.]
You must hav ea lot of stories about him from the days when you two were students.
[the reverse is probably also true - alhaitham likely also has many, many stories about kaveh from that same period of time.]
no subject
[HUFF HUFF]
no subject
[help.]
no subject
no subject
[nahida, wondering how they became friends in the first place if his personalityw as always that bad]
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I guess you could put it like that. We were friends once.
no subject
[she puts a hand on his arm as he glances away.]
How would you put it? [a beat.] You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm curious, but that doesn't mean you have to indulge my curiosity.
no subject
no subject
that... seems kind of lonely, actually.]
But... you wanted to connect with him?
no subject
Anyway]
Of course, at first. Isn't that why people normally talk to others?
no subject
I know it's why I do, but... I'm aware that not everyone approaches things the same way as me.
[she is lonely and desperate for connections so, like, yeah.]
no subject
Well, I can't speak for all people, of course. But yes, once you move past politeness and obligation, and even past scholarly debates--interactions tend to involve building bonds with others. They're an essential part of life.
Alhaitham doesn't agree, though. He thinks things like small talk and niceties are a waste of time, because he doesn't value human connection.
(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)