Hehe, yes. Because of it, I've been able to see so much of Teyvat, even when I wasn't able to leave Sumeru. I'm very grateful for it.
["this might as well happen" is such a murdergame mood for a normie. poor guy.
anyway, nahida's gaze returns to the creepy house, and she nods. his flare of irritation is matched with an undercurrent of frustration and melancholy, but her expression is pretty neutral, at least.]
...I agree; that does seem to be something this place enjoys. [cyoa. tch.] Although, I suppose if we familiarize ourselves with it now, it won't seem as creepy to us later... if that is where our tasks are to take place, that is.
...You're a god, though, right? Shouldn't you be able to go wherever you want?
And if it's not, we've just wasted a bunch of time stomping around the set of a horror movie or nothing. [ sighs. ] You're going in there either way, aren't you?
Hmm... that's an interesting question. But, I guess... let's put it this way. If you believed in a god, how would you feel if that god left you and went somewhere you didn't want them to go?
[her expression is still pretty neutral, but... that melancholy feeling is stronger now.]
...I can't deny I'm curious about what's in there. But we don't have to go in there now if you don't want to.
[ he's not much of a believer, probably, beyond the annual shrine trip at new year's. but if he tries to think about it... ]
Worried. [ it's a different situation, but he can't help but picture ichika as she goes into work every day, and comes home looking haggard. some days, he really wishes she wouldn't go in at all, and yet, she always does.
as some of that melancholy starts settling under his skin, too, kazuki adds, ] Depending on why or how long they're gone... maybe a little like they don't care.
...If you want to go, we can. I can help us get out quick, if we need to.
I thought it was better if I stayed where my people wanted me to be.
[there's a twinge of anger at that - where they wanted her to be, at least for the sages, had meant out of the way. and it really hadn't been what was best for sumeru at all. but... mostly she still feels sad, when she thinks of it.
she'd been slow to anger in the first place, but even after having gotten angry, she regrets having lost their faith enough that they would move forward with that plan. even if it had just been for the sake of accumulating their own power, they might not have felt the need to proceed with it if she hadn't lost her memories.]
...are you sure? I'd appreciate it, but I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do.
But... that's not right. [ her anger starts to mingle with his, and frankly? it sounds annoying. ] It sounds like they didn't want to listen to what you wanted or cared about in the first place.
[ for all his concern with ichika, he'd never actually try to stop her. ask her to slow down or take a break, maybe, but if there's one thing about her kazuki had always looked up to, it's her dedication to helping people. he'd never try to take that away from her, so doing that to a god just seems... insane. ]
No, it's fine, as long as there's not an actual serial killer in there.
[ even if nahida is a god, it's probably best not to go in a place like that alone, so... ]
[it sounds like they didn't want to listen to what you wanted or card about in the first place hits a little closer to home than nahida was expecting. her mood dips from melancholy into downright sad, and she's quiet for a few moments.
then, with a smile - ]
...it's okay. They're listening now. And I'm listening to them, too. It's gotten much better.
[or at least it had started to before she died. lol.
anyway.]
I doubt there would be. Okay, let's go take a look around.
[onward! up the hill!! she is trying to focus on her excitement to explore and not on her lingering sad feelings about how all that nonsense with the sages had gone down.]
[ not sad... kazuki can relate, though, in a way. maybe he's not a god, but having no one listen... he understands that, at least. maybe there is the faintest twinge of jealousy as nahida says it's gotten better, but all the same, he is glad for that. ]
As long as they remember to keep listening and don't shut you out again.
[ anyway. pushing all that aside, he'll follow her up the hill. ]
Are you always reckless enough to go charging into clearly dangerous places just to see what it is?
[she smiles at that first part. that's how she hopes it will go.
as for the house on the hill...]
Normally I would have other ways of finding information about it before going in, but... I don't have those resources here. So, I'm just working with what I have.
[there's a beat.]
Between the two of us, this might be the safest way to explore it. You can get us in and out quickly, and if there is something dangerous, I can put up a barrier or heal us.
[ he's probably pronouncing that wrong but it's fine. nahida has a point, so he just laughs a little and nods along. ]
Can't argue with that. They can talk big about the elemental psychs all day long, but Drift and Healing Aura are tailor-made for exploring stuff like this.
Mhm. If I was still able to access Irminsul from here, I could look up records about that house's history and what sorts of people used to live there, or if anything of significance happened there... it's a little frustrating not being able to do that.
[it still takes time to find information - irminsul being a vast repository of all of teyvat's memories, and all - but it was a resources she was accustomed to using. now that she's cut off from it, it... feels really strange.]
Hehe, right? [well, here they are. the door is locked... hmm. some of the windows are alreaedy broken, though.] ...oh, this is a little weird. It looks like we're not the first ones to try and check this place out.
...hehe. Well, let's be as careful about this as we can.
[she will very carefully move some of the broken glass out of the way to increase the chances of climbing in through a window without hurting themselves.]
[ he watches her in silence for a second, then just shakes his head. ]
I've got it.
[ putting a hand on her shoulder, he activates his psych. the sound of a guitar swells through the air as a musical staff circles them both, notes shimmering off the lines to fill their vision.
a moment later, the music begins to fade, the staff disappears, and they'll find themselves inside. ]
[they've climbed into a living room window; nahida indicates the kitchen. everything here seems to be falling apart... it's kind of creepy, if she's being honest, but she looks around with some muted interest.]
It doesn't look like any of this has been used in a while...
Maybe, but I heard none of those houses are locked. It's like there's something they don't want us to find in here.
[ lol. he picks at some utensils doubtfully. ]
...And the stuff here seems a lot older than the rest of the neighborhood should have, too. Looks like some of it could crumble into dust at any second.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ the concept of irminsul is a little much for him, but. okay. he will just accept this like sure, why not, might as well happen. ]
Creepy might be the point. They seem to like putting us through things that the rest of us aren't exactly comfortable with.
[ a little flare of irritation - it was always there, in his emotions, just quiet, waiting for a trigger... or maybe a target. ]
no subject
["this might as well happen" is such a murdergame mood for a normie. poor guy.
anyway, nahida's gaze returns to the creepy house, and she nods. his flare of irritation is matched with an undercurrent of frustration and melancholy, but her expression is pretty neutral, at least.]
...I agree; that does seem to be something this place enjoys. [cyoa. tch.] Although, I suppose if we familiarize ourselves with it now, it won't seem as creepy to us later... if that is where our tasks are to take place, that is.
no subject
And if it's not, we've just wasted a bunch of time stomping around the set of a horror movie or nothing. [ sighs. ] You're going in there either way, aren't you?
no subject
[her expression is still pretty neutral, but... that melancholy feeling is stronger now.]
...I can't deny I'm curious about what's in there. But we don't have to go in there now if you don't want to.
no subject
Worried. [ it's a different situation, but he can't help but picture ichika as she goes into work every day, and comes home looking haggard. some days, he really wishes she wouldn't go in at all, and yet, she always does.
as some of that melancholy starts settling under his skin, too, kazuki adds, ] Depending on why or how long they're gone... maybe a little like they don't care.
...If you want to go, we can. I can help us get out quick, if we need to.
no subject
I thought it was better if I stayed where my people wanted me to be.
[there's a twinge of anger at that - where they wanted her to be, at least for the sages, had meant out of the way. and it really hadn't been what was best for sumeru at all. but... mostly she still feels sad, when she thinks of it.
she'd been slow to anger in the first place, but even after having gotten angry, she regrets having lost their faith enough that they would move forward with that plan. even if it had just been for the sake of accumulating their own power, they might not have felt the need to proceed with it if she hadn't lost her memories.]
...are you sure? I'd appreciate it, but I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do.
no subject
[ for all his concern with ichika, he'd never actually try to stop her. ask her to slow down or take a break, maybe, but if there's one thing about her kazuki had always looked up to, it's her dedication to helping people. he'd never try to take that away from her, so doing that to a god just seems... insane. ]
No, it's fine, as long as there's not an actual serial killer in there.
[ even if nahida is a god, it's probably best not to go in a place like that alone, so... ]
no subject
then, with a smile - ]
...it's okay. They're listening now. And I'm listening to them, too. It's gotten much better.
[or at least it had started to before she died. lol.
anyway.]
I doubt there would be. Okay, let's go take a look around.
[onward! up the hill!! she is trying to focus on her excitement to explore and not on her lingering sad feelings about how all that nonsense with the sages had gone down.]
no subject
As long as they remember to keep listening and don't shut you out again.
[ anyway. pushing all that aside, he'll follow her up the hill. ]
Are you always reckless enough to go charging into clearly dangerous places just to see what it is?
no subject
as for the house on the hill...]
Normally I would have other ways of finding information about it before going in, but... I don't have those resources here. So, I'm just working with what I have.
[there's a beat.]
Between the two of us, this might be the safest way to explore it. You can get us in and out quickly, and if there is something dangerous, I can put up a barrier or heal us.
no subject
[ he's probably pronouncing that wrong but it's fine. nahida has a point, so he just laughs a little and nods along. ]
Can't argue with that. They can talk big about the elemental psychs all day long, but Drift and Healing Aura are tailor-made for exploring stuff like this.
no subject
[it still takes time to find information - irminsul being a vast repository of all of teyvat's memories, and all - but it was a resources she was accustomed to using. now that she's cut off from it, it... feels really strange.]
Hehe, right? [well, here they are. the door is locked... hmm. some of the windows are alreaedy broken, though.] ...oh, this is a little weird. It looks like we're not the first ones to try and check this place out.
no subject
[ she has his sympathy. ]
It's not that surprising. Half the people here don't have any sense of self-preservation. Naturally they'd dive right without even thinking about it.
no subject
[she will very carefully move some of the broken glass out of the way to increase the chances of climbing in through a window without hurting themselves.]
no subject
I've got it.
[ putting a hand on her shoulder, he activates his psych. the sound of a guitar swells through the air as a musical staff circles them both, notes shimmering off the lines to fill their vision.
a moment later, the music begins to fade, the staff disappears, and they'll find themselves inside. ]
no subject
...I'm a little jealous. That's really neat.
no subject
...But it has its perks.
no subject
[she smiles.]
...but as long as we're cooperating, we can work together to help everyone. That's the important thing.
no subject
So - this is your adventure. Pick a direction, Nahida.
no subject
[they've climbed into a living room window; nahida indicates the kitchen. everything here seems to be falling apart... it's kind of creepy, if she's being honest, but she looks around with some muted interest.]
It doesn't look like any of this has been used in a while...
no subject
[ he's like. vaguely curious at best, but mostly just creeped out. ]
I wonder why it was locked, if no one's even been here.
no subject
[all the other houses in the neighborhood are in decent condition so why is this one so creepy]
no subject
[ lol. he picks at some utensils doubtfully. ]
...And the stuff here seems a lot older than the rest of the neighborhood should have, too. Looks like some of it could crumble into dust at any second.
no subject
[huh. curioser and curioser.
although, she'll start to feel a little uneasy as they look around, and she glances over her shoulder, her brow furrowing. no one's there, but...]