you hide your face with your disguise // 'cause someone filled your head with lies

[monoceroscaeli]

[It had been a few days since the hunt for the Great Mujina Youkai had come to an end, having to say goodbye to the kids and to Yoimiya too. The ship that was to take him back to Snezhnaya would be arriving a bit later in the day, and Childe sighs as he sits back in his chair in the tent he's occupying in one such hidden Fatui camp. He had a great time in Inazuma. The country was beautiful, rich with a new culture to learn and all sorts of places to explore and fight new and more exciting enemies. All his things were in order- the gifts that he'd bought to bring back to his family, Teucer's Onikabuto in a little bug box with some food to keep it alive during the trip back- all he'd have to do is wait for the ship and he'd be on his way.

He tells himself that he'd return to the country one day, once tensions between the Fatui and the Shogunate calm down. It was a miracle that he was able to stay as long as he has, evading the Tenryou Commission. He has some people to thank for that, and he won't forget what they did for him while he's been here. Some gifts would be in order for them upon his return.

The Harbinger idly plays with a writing utensil between his fingers. He'd like to bring something from Snezhnaya for Yoimiya, too.

There's a sharp rap at his door, and Childe sighs. He doesn't really want to deal with work right now, perfectly happy reminiscing on the time he's spent in Inazuma before he leaves, but answers with a bored tone to his voice:]

Come in.

[An agent enters, bowing and standing at attention.]

Sir, we've captured a Tenryou Commission spy that was found sneaking around. We've taken her into custody and are awaiting your orders on how to deal with her.

[Childe's eyebrow raises. It should have been hard to find this camp, even by the Shuumatsuban. Somehow, doubt creeps into his mind, but stands from his chair.]

Alright, I'll deal with it myself. At least I can have one last bit of fun before I depart.

[The agent only bows once more, to lead Childe towards the prisoner. He knows better than to argue with the Harbinger, but feels sorry for the spy. The two cross the camp to another tent, the agent stopping him right before lifting the flap for his senior commander.]

She claims to be from the fireworks shop, but we've seen Tenryou soldiers stop frequently at it.

[Before he can answer, the flap is lifted to reveal a certain girl that he'd met not but a few days ago...]

Comments

[niwabi]

[ She's absolutely taking his advice to heart. Maybe when they're finally allowed to have peace, they can go on a crystalfly catching spree in the real world. Oh, how wonderful it would be to have a garden with crystalflies from each of the nations fluttering about, she'd love nothing more than to build a magnificent sanctuary for his siblings.

Hey, maybe they'll be the first to catch 9999 of those buggers! Surely there's not a single person who has accomplished such a feat. That would be crazy, right? RIGHT?????? ]

That's a great question! I think... I want to name it Moriko.

[ She flickers her gaze at the dainty green creature sitting pretty on her finger. It's so pretty and even if it's only a dream, the little crystalfly reminds her that life is beautiful and there are plenty of wonderful things worth living for. ]

"Mori" means forest in Inazuman, I think that's pretty fitting for a creature from the dendro nation. What about you? Since it landed on your head first, it's only fair you have a say in its name too.

coming back to this thread and seeing you call me out AGAIN

[monoceroscaeli]

[Inazuman names don't mean much to him, hailing from a country that doesn't use the same scheme, but what does mean something to him is that Yoimiya is happy. Ajax smiles softly back at her, thinking the name is pretty cute. He has no idea what to name it personally, and anything he comes up with is battle related, which doesn't seem right for a beautiful crystalfly.]

No, I think that's a fitting name. I'm not any good at naming things anyway, so I think we can christen this little fellow as Moriko.

[Childe isn't one to talk to something that can't understand him, so he just nods in approval.]

Perhaps this arch here is simply the home for many crystalflies...seems they like to hang around it. A perfect spot for a picnic, wouldn't you say?

[niwabi]

[ Moriko it is! Inazuman names might not mean much to Ajax but Yoimiya is pleased at her naming sense. She sighs with admiration as the creature flutters its wings atop of her finger. And soon enough, the lil crystalfly moves from her hand to the top of her blonde head, looking like a living bow sitting in her hair. ]

You're right! This will be a lovely spot for a picnic. We gotta do that while we're here! I'm sure Aramiya will enjoy it too.

[ Excitement aside, she still has questions about the magnificent structure. ]

But surely there's more to this structure than acting as a home for crystalflies, right? It stands out way too much.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Really, if only they had a Kamera. Yoimiya looks so cute and sweet with the crystalfly now hanging out in her hair instead. Childe's eyes gleam at the sight.]

Yes, I suppose it does. We could always just ask someone, couldn't we? Speak of the devil, there's a free Aranara right now.

[In a village full of Aranara, one was eventually going to cross their path, and one does- a particularly strange looking one on top of it. Its body is a lighter wood shade than the rest, accented by a red scarf around its neck with an orange leaf on top of its head that doesn't look so different than the ginger who's broken away from Yoimiya to approach it.]

Excuse me, we'd like to ask you a question, if you have a moment. This wooden arch here in the middle of your town...what is it for?

[The Aranara blinks back at them in surprise, having never seen Nara here before in Vanaranara but...]

Arch? Oh, you mean Silapna? Why, that's just something you can use for training, if you can get it to activate. Arajax uses it all the time, except I fight the monsters inside instead of avoiding them!

[niwabi]

[Aranara are swarming all over the place, making this the best village she's ever been in. There's plenty to ask and as she watches Ajax approach one that happens to be nearby, the creature's peculiar color and red scarf catch her attention, causing her to stop and stare with her jaw slack open.

She can't even process what the lil orange aranara is saying. Something something Silapna. What is that? Something about training? Why do they have to activate it???? None of that matters when she's staring at the Aranara version of her boyfriend. She sends a glance over his way, holding up her arm in his direction. ]

Ajax... I know we're in a dream but could you pinch me, anyway?

[ After the whole Aramiya debacle, the appearance of Arajax shouldn't surprise her and yet, it's hard to grasp what she's seeing.

Arajax is here too!! ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[It doesn't dawn on Childe right away, he just sees a cute little Aranara walking along, minding his own business. It slowly starts to click though, when it says its name is Arajax and Yoimiya asks him to pinch her. He hasn't forgotten, they'd talked about Arajax before they dealt with Aramiya. Tartaglia hadn't expected they'd run into a tiny him here already, though.]

O-Oh! Hey now, no need for pinching.

[They'd specifically talked about acting cool in front of Arajax, because he knows that if this little guy is like him, he'll pick up on their lies and deception quickly...neither of them are great at it.]

What did she say your name was? Ajax? That sounds suspiciously like Arajax...who are you? And why does a Nara look like me?

[This puts Ajax instantly on edge, feeling himself sweat already. He has to learn to lie to himself in one sentence...]

Who's to say, [he begins,] perhaps it's just a coincidence. Where I'm from, Ajax isn't an unknown name. It's only fitting that an Aranara has the same name. I'm actually flattered to know that I share a name with someone from Vanaranara. But, I'm more interested in what you said last. What's this about training?

[Trying to change the subject as fast as he can to something he knows he'd zero in on immediately!!!]

[niwabi]

[ It's times like these that make Yoimiya wish she was a good liar and could pull off a poker face. Shoot, they did talk about keeping their cool in front of Arajax just in case he was lurking around and she already blew it in the first few second. Great job, Yoimiya..., she mentally facepalms at her obvious.

Maybe Ajax isn't the best liar but he's certainly better than herself, she'd be floundering if it wasn't for him. Yoimiya is able to pull herself together thanks to his quick thinking, nodding her head to try and make it seem authentic. ]

It's nice to meet ya, Arajax. I'm Yoimiya! Sorry if I scared you, I was so impressed you have the same name as him that I couldn't believe what I was hearing for a second. Ajax is a strong warrior, so it wouldn't surprise me if you were just as powerful.

[ Whew, she's still not great at lying but hopefully that keeps him from looking too deep into the situation. If he's truly anything like Tartaglia, then she has no doubt the little Aranara will hone in on picking a fight with her beloved. ]

Yeah, do you mind elaborating on the part about training? Both of us enjoy fighting and we're always looking to improve our skills in any way we can.

[ Welp, it's not a total and complete lie on her end. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Arajax doesn't look like he's totally buying what they're selling, but then his priorities are in other areas than figuring out why a Nara looks like him and shares the same interest as him. He's just happy that the two of them are expressing interest in this! Plus he's definitely interested in Ajax now...strong opponents sounds great.

He puffs out his chest a little bit when told that he must be powerful too. He is! Thank you for noticing.]

Nara are interesting in training too, huh? Well, first you'll need a song to enter! Once you're inside, you'll need to use all your skills to deal with the Fungi and Hilinara inside while collecting seeds! Only Arabalika has beat Arajax in the trials. But I'll beat him one day!

[Childe can't believe what he's hearing- it's as if he's listening to a recording of himself. He laughs nervously, throwing a hand behind his head only because now he can hear himself when he talks like that too. Not ashamed at all about it, it's just...weird.]

We'd certainly love a chance at it ourselves, Arajax. But...perhaps you'll spar with me sometime? We'll be here for the foreseeable future, and I'm always looking for strong opponents to cross blades with. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about how Nara fight. What do you say?

[He folds his arms over his chest now, looking confident and doing his best to wipe away the momentary image of him before that was mildly weirded out.]

How could I turn that down? Anytime you want, Ajax! I'm always ready for a spar. Will you be joining in too, Red Nara?

[niwabi]

[ Archons above, Yoimiya cannot believe what she's hearing either... his love for fighting, his offer to spar with Ajax, his determination to beat whoever this Arabalika is, Arajax sounds like a mini-me of her sweetheart. She's forced to bite back the giggles that threaten to spill out of her lips but goodness, she nearly loses it when sees the little creature puff out his chest in pride.

Yup, that's definitely a walking plant version of her dearling Ajax. They look like mirror images of one another with Ajax confidently crossing his arms and Arajax puffing out his chest. She has no doubt he's probably weirded out right about now, once they're alone, she absolutely has plans to poke fun at him but for now, she needs to focus on keeping a straight face as not to clue the perceptive Aranara in. ]

Yes! Of course! I'd love to train with y'all. It will be an honor to fight with two strong warriors, hehe.

[ As ridiculous as the scene unfolding in front of her is, this little bit of silliness is just what she needs to take her mind off Seraphina. Coming to this village has been the best blessing she could ask for, seeing all the cute Aranara and chatting with them has lifted her spirits and she finally feels a bit more like her usual perky self. She still can't wrap her mind around Aramiya and Arajax actually existing and acting just like them but for now, she's happy to enjoy this much-needed break from all the doom and gloom of the real world. ]

I happen to have a lyre on me. [ In fact, she produces it as they speak. ] Could you show me how to play the song?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Now that it seems everything's settled to Arajax, it's time to teach these Nara how to enter the Silapna. It's really more Arana's job to be teaching this since it's her song, but it couldn't hurt, right? Helping them learn means more battles for Arajax, and that's what he wants at the end of the day. So, the little Aranara holds his little stubby arms out happily as he nods to Yoimiya's request.]

Of course! It goes a little something like this.

[Arajax begins to sing a simple tune for the both of them, easy to learn and easy to play. Once he finishes, he looks at both Ajax and Yoimiya proudly, happy with his performance.]

There, now you Nara can enter the gate. If you can beat the monsters in there, you can probably take on the Iron Chunks too. Those are the most fun to fight.

Haha, thank you, Arajax. Yoimiya, think you can play that? We could try the gate out right now if you wanted...

[Maybe that would earn them some trust among the Aranara, which is their goal anyway. He can't believe that coming across his Aranara twin might end up proving very useful today. Fate has a funny way of making things come together like this.]

[niwabi]

[ How could something so bloodthirsty also be so cute? Yoimiya is so charmed by lil Arajax singing a tune for them that she almost forgets he's here for a fight. Ajax's question snaps her out of her cuteness overload reverie and she quickly holds up her lyre. The song was so adorable and yet so simple, so even for someone who can't play her way out of a wet paper bag, this shouldn't be too hard. Hopefully. ]

Let's see... like this?

[ With Arajax's song fresh on her mind, her fingers carefully strum across the lyre's strings, playing the song note for note. Just like that, Silapna's opening glows a bright green, spooking away nearby crystalflies in the process. Yoimiya looks amazed at the sight, she can't believe she's already learned two songs from the cute Aranara. ]

Oh, look at that! It's glowing! How pretty... I guess I need to start keeping track of the songs y'all taught me.

[ Hopefully her blonde head will be able to fit everything... 💦💦💦 ]

Well, do we just hop in to get in on the action?

[monoceroscaeli]

[And just like that, the gate springs to life and emits a strange aura from the entrance. It beckons all who stand before it to come in, and while Yoimiya asks her question and worries about learning songs, Tartaglia steps forward to reach his hand out gingerly towards the portal. Nothing seems to happen upon him touching it, and he retracts his hand. Guess he'll have to take the plunge to find out.]

That's right! Just step inside and your trial will begin. Good luck, you two!

[Arajax, who has assumed that both Yoimiya and Ajax both want to attempt the gate's trial, plip-plods behind the both of them. In the next second, Ajax can feel a force on his back that's pushing both himself and Yoimiya forward towards the gate, but he doesn't try to resist- he wants to do this more than anything.

That must be that Aranara's power...I can't wait to challenge him.

In he goes, through the portal into a darker version of the very forest they find themselves in. No Aranara are present inside, and he looks around to see what exactly it is they're looking at. He calls out for his companion, looking behind to see if she'd gotten pushed in too.]

Yoimiya?

[niwabi]

[ One shove and in they go, the sudden force against her catches Yoimiya by surprise. Was that really the work of Arajax? She ponders to herself. All she can think about is the tiny creature somehow hoping in the air to shove them both in but of course, she knows something like that isn't possible. Somehow or another, Arajax must have used his powers to push them in, a feat that seems incredible for such a small plant-like creature. It's hard to believe that something so cute harnesses powers which go beyond the realm of possibilities.

But Yoimiya doesn't ponder for too long, they're engulfed by the strange green light and before she even realizes what's happening, the two of them are brought to an almost eerie version of the same forest. As she glances around, the blonde is amazed by what she sees, the forest still has its lush foliage but the surroundings are darker.

It's not long until her boyfriend's voice cuts through her muddled thoughts, bringing her back to... well, as much of a reality as they can get. She looks over to see that familiar head of ginger hair she adores so much, relieved and thankful they haven't been separated. ]

Ajax!

[ She quickly rushes to his side to grab his arm. ]

Oh, thank goodness you're here! I thought I lost you for a second.

[ Maybe she's being a bit more clingy than usual because of Seraphina but considering the circumstances, the idea of separation rips at her heart. ]

That was wild, wasn't it? I'm still trying to figure out how he shoved us in. But wow, this is like, a darker version of the Aranara forest! Their powers sure are on a whole new level.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Seems she got through the portal okay too, so main concern is taken care of. He's happy that she's at his side, but right now he needs her to be a warrior instead of a lover. Childe hadn't missed how fungi bounce in certain areas of the forest here, just as Arajax had told them they would. No doubt there's more where that came from. He scans the forest as soon as he knows that Yoimiya is here and safe next to him, now very squarely in Battle Mode now that they're inside.]

They certainly are...especially to practically create a dream within a dream.

[It's the only thing that makes sense to him for this to be. He's sure Arajax would confirm it too once they complete this trial.]

Let's not waste too much time in here. Arajax expressed that he likes to defeat the monsters in here despite it not being necessary...so that means whatever we need to do isn't just slaying fungi. They seem to be in places around those strange green floating objects. They might be guarding them, which means those are our true targets.

[niwabi]

[ She sees Ajax go straight into warrior mode and decides that she needs to do the same. As much as she'd like to cling to him, they're in the middle of a training session and she can't afford to hold him back, especially not when she already feels so useless and undeserving to stand at her lover's side.

Yoimiya quickly pulls herself together by slapping her cheeks and manifesting her bow. Speaking of Arajax.... where is the lil fella, anyway? She could have sworn he had every intention of joining them. But then again, he is an Aranara version of Ajax and has been through this training session multiple times so there's no need to worry. The little orange sprout will crop up eventually. ]

That makes sense! Sounds like you can either choose to fight the Fungi or deal with whatever the objects are. But we'd be missing the point of training if we ran away from mushrooms.

[ She knows she doesn't have to tell her boyfriend twice, he's going to fight everything within sight. Besides, they could totally use this as a way to blow off steam after all the stress thrown their way. With her bow armed and ready, Yoimiya can vaguely make out the sight of the green floating object that Ajax was talking about. She's never seen anything like it and has no idea what it is but what she does know is that they can't afford to waste time. ]

Oh, I think spot one up ahead. Let's go, Ajax!

[ As soon as they're within arms reach of the mysterious object, a Winged Dendroshroom accompanied by a group of mini fungus appear from the ether to guard it from the two intruders. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[That's exactly what he wants to hear. Avoiding fighting the monsters is out of the question unless the mission specifically needed it to be successful. But as far as he's concerned, there's no reason to avoid them. He takes off alongside Yoimiya, eyes scanning everywhere around them, making sure they're not running headfirst into a trap. He's never fought fungi before, but he's excited to see if they're worth the time. But a wonder of the trial inside of the portal surprises him when fungi manifest from seemingly nowhere to defend the little green flying object from the two of them.

His blades are drawn quickly, looking at them like they were a nice snack to be enjoyed along the way towards their goal. Ajax's eyes light up with excitement, and he poises himself for a moment and says:]

Four to two, is it? No matter- let's make short work of them.

[There isn't a single moment of hesitation from the Harbinger, gleefully leaping right into the fray between them all, his blades flashing between swings that slice open one of the smaller fungi to fluid, effortless dodges from him when attacks are pointed his way. Tartaglia has done this on purpose of course- to give Yoimiya the opening she needs to pummel them freely with her bow without having to worry about being chased.]

[niwabi]

[ Seeing Ajax in his element, gleefully fighting is just the medicine she needs to begin the healing process. It's the first bit of "normalcy" the couple were granted ever since that harrowing ordeal in the cave. As Yoimiya preps her bow for the beatdown, she can't help but glance over at her excited boyfriend, looking happy and thrilled to show off his prowess. His boyish entusiasm over a quick scrap brings a bright smile to her face and now, more than ever, she's determined to be a strong girlfriend who can stand at his side.

Yoimiya quickly rushes into the fray with him, shooting a series of pyro-infused arrows at the smaller fungi. The combination of his hydro blades and her arrows makes short work of the fungi, each of her arrows explode on impact from the contrasting reactions. ]

Is that all y'all got?

[ Now with the mob dealt with, they have the big boss to take care. Yoimiya focuses all her firepower in this one shot, tugging on the strings of her bow until she releases a powerful shot directed at the Dendroshroom and succesfully, searing her signature goldfish mark for Ajax to go wild with the vaporize. ]

Strike them down, Ajax!

[monoceroscaeli]

[The fungi could never of seen the vaporize duo coming nor known what they were getting into by attacking them. He watches a few fungi practically explode from the elemental reaction as her arrows land and literally vaporize them and they disappear from this dream they find themselves in. It's a joyous sight to him, living in the moment and loving that the two of them work as such a great team when fighting monsters.]

Already on it~!

[He laughs like a maniac as he closes in on the largest creature, slamming his blades together into his glaive as he torques himself around and slashes the monster in half- leaving it only a second to realize its fate before it dissipates into nothingness. With a few twirls of his weapon, he slams it into the ground and lets it disappear effortlessly.]

Hey, not bad! That's the first time we've really fought together, isn't it?

[niwabi]

[ What a flawless execution! The aftermath of their vaporize devastation causes the fungi to disappear into the void leaving not a single trace of it behind. It's gone and Yoimiya couldn't be any happier to see her beloved indulging in his one true love— fighting. His manic laughing might be concerning to most people... but for Yoimiya, she sees it as Ajax having the time of his life.

Besides, she thinks the laughter is more cute than creepy. ]

Yeah, you're right. This was the first time we truly fought alongside each other and I'm having a great time.

[ At this point, she'll do anything to spend time with Ajax. She's bound and determined to get stronger for his sake. She has to keep pushing forward if she wants to overcome Seraphina. ]

We make a pretty good team, don't we? I'm happy to see our powers working in perfect sync.

[monoceroscaeli]

Hahahaha, they'll never know what hit them.

[He's happy to hear that she's happy. Tartaglia already knew that Yoimiya was the kind of person who would never back down from a challenge like this, but it's really nice to have someone standing by his side that enjoys fighting alongside of him. He doesn't really have too many friends like that- they're few and far in between, and some of them don't even know he's a Harbinger- so it's nice that not only does he have someone like this, this certain someone is one of the most important people to him that he loves dearly.

He collects the little floating green firefly-like object the fungi were protecting, only to have it disappear and reappear behind him, albeit smaller, and like it's attached to his back instead of free-floating as it was before.]

Huh...guess that answers any questions I had. I suppose now that we understand exactly what this course is, we should finish it with flying colors, shouldn't we?

[He smirks at her before turning to look in the direction of the rest of the fireflies, noting that it's sort of taking them around the village and back again. It really is just an obstacle course- one that he's sure he and Yoimiya will have no problems clearing.]

[niwabi]

[ Now that they've cleared the first course, Yoimiya watches the spoils of their victory vanish and attach itself to Ajax's back. How adorable... she swears that everything in this village is just so stinkin' cute. She can't help but giggle at the sight of the little fireflies looking like they've made a home on his back. ]

Absolutely! We might even be in the running for the fastest clear time. Arajax will be so amazed at us.

[ And also eager to challenge them to a duel, if his human version is anything to go by. Now that her confidence is through the roof, Yoimiya is ready to head out to the next mechanism to continue proving her prowess to her battle-hungry sweetheart. She gets to fight with him and he gets to be happy, it's an absolute win in her book.

Onwards they go! Yoimiya turns on her heels to walk across the water surrounding the village leading them to the next part of this fantastical obstacle course. The next object isn't too far away, just a few steps away from them. She makes sure to keep her bow at her side, certain that they'll be met with another group of fungi ready to defend their sacred object. ]

Speaking of... have you seen the lil fella? I thought he was coming along with us.

[ Kind of surprising he didn't jump into the fray alongside them. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Fastest clear time might be a little optimistic to him, but with the ease of which they'll clear it, it might as well be child's play in his opinion. Childe grins as he follows Yoimiya onward to the next point, which isn't far away at all. He's got a feeling the course itself isn't all that big, it's just fraught with danger. He glances down at her bow, and thinks to himself about Yoimiya's weapon choice...

Which gets interrupted. He hadn't thought about Arajax coming in, after he pushed them both in.]

No. I assumed he was being thoughtful of our warrior's honor by letting us face the incoming challenge head on without his help. Or maybe he is in here, and he just hasn't revealed himself to us yet.

[Who knows. What they do know is they won't find out till the very end.]

By the way, I was thinking...have you ever considered using another weapon?

[niwabi]

[ When he puts it like that, makes sense. If there's anyone who knows Ajax better than her, it's himself, even if it's a mini plant-like version of him. If he didn't join them, she figures he'll learn about their achivement in due time and most likely, will be begging for a fight.

With the matter of Arajax out of the way, her boyfriend asks a question that has crossed her mind a few times. Using a different weapon... she glances down at her shimmering bow as the walk, seriously thinking about his suggestion. Yoimiya had never taken fighting super seriously until she started dating the Harbinger and ever since they became a couple, she's been itching to improve her skills. ]

It's crossed my mind a few times. A bow is nice for long-range and all but hand-to-hand combat is definitely not one of my strong suits.

[ The moment she gets interrupted it's yoiver, a fact that she is unfortunately well aware of. ]

I've only ever used a bow and arrow my whole life but... I'd like to try my hand at close-range fighting.

[monoceroscaeli]

Then why don't you try out something new right now?

[He grins at her like it's an obvious choice. They're in a training ground, fighting a bunch of monsters that he doesn't really consider all that difficult to fight. Yoimiya will need more battle skills for the future if they're to take on the psychic entity that's trying to kill her and capture him, so this seems like a great time.]

I'd be more than happy to teach you, and we can use these fungi as targets. How are you with handling a sword?

[Ajax's mind is already coming up with all sorts of ways for Yoimiya to learn how to fight, ways he can teach her and how he can help her get really good at it as fast as possible...because he's a freak ε-(ｰдｰ)]

[niwabi]

[ Yoimiya's eyes instantly light up at his suggestion. Yeah, he's right! Why doesn't she try it out now? They're inside a special place meant for training, it'd be a waste not to at least give it a shot. It's a brilliant idea and she really could stand to learn how to get better at combat for their inevitable battle against Seraphina.

Her smile is wide, bright, and full of conviction. No words are needed to know that she is absolutely down for this idea and is thrilled to have Ajax as her trainer. ]

I've held swords in my hands but I've never seriously used one. Whenever I see you or my friend Ayaka slicing and dicing enemies with your blades, I can't stop thinking about how cool y'all look.

[ Yoimiya doubts she'll be able to reach that level but maybe one day in the distant future she'll be at least semi-proficient at cutting down a slime. ]

Hehe, I guess that's my way of saying I'd love to learn how to use a sword! Would you be willing to create a practice one out of your hydro powers for me?