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

[monoceroscaeli]

[Whoever the prisoner was is noisy, and before he even reaches the tent, he's already not looking forward to dealing with them. But his eyes widen when he sees Yoimiya, bound by her wrists, not having any of this whatsoever. He barely knows what to say at first, a little shocked to see her captive, and can't even process how on earth she ended up out here far enough to get captured.

His agent seems to sense this, and immediately braces himself for what's to come next. The Harbinger Childe isn't known to abuse his underlings, but that doesn't mean that anyone should try to seek out his ire, as unpredictable as the man is.

Tartaglia composes himself, not quite answering Yoimiya immediately, but does lift a finger to her to let her know to give him just a minute. He turns to the agent, who straightens themselves immediately.]

Tell me, were the reports and intel on the operations within Inazuma during the Sakoku Decree kept from our soldiers here on Narukami Island?

[The agent gulps.]

No, sir.

So, then they should have known that Naganohara Fireworks was a place of refuge from the Tenryou Commission. Explain to me why they would think that they would churn out a spy for the Shogunate? Especially the one who was in charge of said operations?

[It's now that the agent knows that they'll all in deep shit, especially since it seems the girl is a friend of the Harbinger's.]

There's no excuse. Please accept my apology sir, I will reprimand those responsible.

Good. See to it.

[His agent scurries off, and the moment he's out of view, Childe's shoulders fall as he sighs in exasperation.]



Sorry about all this. They try their hardest, but I can't say that all our soldiers are the sharpest tools in the shed...

[He gives her an apologetic look as he walks into the tent. A small hydro knife is formed in his hand as he cuts Yoimiya's bonds, frowning at how tight they were around her wrists.]

Are you alright? They didn't harm you, did they?

[niwabi]

[ seeing childe felt like a wave of relief splashing over her. although their time together had been brief, yoimiya found herself growing fond of him in that short amount of time. watching the way he interacted with the kids, even going as far as joining in on their silly great mujina youkai hunt made her realize that there's more to him than just his status as a fatui harbinger. she trusts him and knows he'll get her out of this mess.

it's thanks to that trust, she takes no issue with shutting up and letting childe do his buisness. even if he hadn't told her to, she certainly would have gone quiet watching the way the harbinger commands his underlings with intense conviction. it almost felt weird to watch, yoimiya had gotten so used to him acting as an older brother to the children, it felt as though she's witnessing a completely different side of him that she's not supposed to see.

before she could ponder any further, her thoughts are cut short by the feeling of her restraints being removed. as soon as she's freed, she happily stands up, stretches her arms and sends an assuring smile his way. ]

It's all good! I'm totally fine, they didn't lay a scratch on me. [ more like, her obnoxious shouting probably made them extremely hesistant to harm her. ] I can't really blame them, seeing an unfamiliar person stroll into their camp would certainly raise some alarm bells.

[ most people would call her crazy for trying to empathize with fatui agents. while yoimiya will never be able to fully wrap her mind around their less-than-stellar methods, she could at least understand that from their perspective, a random girl wandering around their campsite in the middle of nowhere would look beyond suspicious. there's no way anyone would believe someone stupidly screaming "i just happened to be in the area!" as a valid excuse. despite that actually being the honest to archon truth. ]

I'm so sorry for causing you trouble. If me being a knucklehead ends up bringing you problems later on down the road, I wholeheartedly promise to make it up to you! I'll take full responsibility.

[ she quickly clasps her hands together and bows her head down. it's also starting to dawn on yoimiya that if it was literally any other harbinger in charge, this situation would turn out very different. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's a relief to hear that she was unharmed, and he relaxes a little more knowing that. But this all raises another issue, the fact that she's here and he's here and she definitely just saw him acting as if he was in charge. Tartaglia waves a hand dismissively, shooting her a warm smile.]

Don't worry about it. There's hardly anyone that I could possibly get in trouble with, especially for something so minor. Though, I suppose that means the cat's out of the bag. You see...I'm one of the Fatui Harbingers. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I thought it best if I kept that under wraps with the kids around. I didn't want them to have a colored view of me from the start.

[He wasn't even sure if they knew what a Fatui Harbinger was, but he'd rather not risk it. News spreads everywhere, and even the Sakoku Decree wouldn't keep the wind of an ancient god attacking Liyue from reaching Inazuma's shores.]

I hope you'll forgive me for that.

[niwabi]

[ it certainly is shocking to hear that the person she and the kids had been hanging around is actually one of the feared fatui harbingers. but in hindsight, everything starts to click. from the way iwao described his unique fighting style to the disaster that almost befell liyue. it makes sense that he would be someone who holds a high rank among the fatui.

there's a brief moment of pause before a soft smile curves on yoimiya's lips. she's not bothered by this revelation at all. ]

There's no need to apologize. You were doing what's best to protect the children's innocence. No one should fault you for that.

[ all of the kids, especially iwao got quite attached to tartaglia. even if they didn't know what a harbinger is, hearing such news could still break their spirits. the fatui is a name that is nortorious among teyvat, so in her eyes, it's understandable as to why he would want to hide the truth from them. ]

Harbinger or whatever, you're still Tartaglia in my eyes. My opinion on you hasn't changed in the slightest.

[monoceroscaeli]

[The Harbinger's eyes seem to brighten when she says that, not used to people being so accepting of him when they find out who he really is. Sure, some businesses don't care when the Fatui strike a deal with them, but individuals are still wary of them, especially someone like him. He can't help but laugh, gesturing for her to follow him.]

I'm glad to hear that. Come, allow me to accompany you back to Inazuma City. This camp is pretty far away, so I'm surprised to see you here.

[Also, she can stride right past all the soldiers that had treated her as a spy next to him- and that's kind of the point of why he suggests to go now. He hopes that'll teach them a lesson, in addition to the one he'll give them when he gets back.]

What were you doing all the way out here? It seems a bit too far to even test new fireworks out here. There's still ronin and monsters about.

[There's a hint of worry to his voice, even though he's sure she can take care of herself.]

[niwabi]

[ with a pep in her step, yoimiya happily follows alongside the harbinger. she even goes as far as to give the passerby fatui soliders a peace sign. as long as they learn their lesson and maybe get a bit more educated on their intel, then it's all good. ]

Well, I just happened to be in area making a delivery to this super adorable couple who put in a order for our fireworks.

[ she has to stop herself from going on a tangent about them, or else poor childe would end up having to listen to her ramble about how cute they are and how much their first meeting touched her heart. ]

Then I remembered one of my friends telling me that he uh... [ she clears her throat and begin doing her best impersonation of itto, even going as far as to wave her arms in an extremely over-the-top manner. ]. saw some of the most ULTRA MEGA GINORMOUS onikabuto that would strike FEAR into the hearts of anyone that laid their eyes on it.

[ somewhere in hanamizaka, itto lets out a sneeze and probably starts going on about how someone must OBVIOUSLY be talking about how great he is. someone please save shinobu, because she does not deserve to have to listen to this. ]

Or so he claims anyway. He tends to overexaggerate things. Anyways, I thought I would bring some back to the kids but I didn't have much luck finding any. So I just kept wandering around until I found your camp by chance.

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's hard to keep a laugh down when she gives the soldiers a peace sign and how she happily trots along with him. He's sure they're all feeling the cloud of dread over their heads as Childe and Yoimiya pass by them. He keeps his head forward, only deviating to pay attention to her and her only, as they walk and talk. He'll give it to her, that's a level of confidence a lot of people wouldn't have walking through a camp full of Fatui agents and soldiers. It's endearing.

Though he's not sure who she's impersonating, but they sound big and loud and that does make him laugh, trying to keep his laughter toned down so he doesn't interrupt her as she speaks.]

He sounds like quite the character, [the Harbinger states, letting out one last chuckle before continuing.] We could catch a few of these...monstrous onikabuto on our way back. I've gotten pretty good at it now.

[The kids probably would love it, and he does have some time to kill. It's better than sitting bored back at the Fatui camp.]

They want them for that little game they play with the onikabuto, right? Where they try to flip the opponent's bug with theirs.

[niwabi]

I think you two would get along if you ever happen to meet him. [ childe and itto would be a recipe for a fun disaster... ]

[ the mention of catching onikabuto together causes yoimiya's eyes to sparkle with excitement, she happily nods her head to his suggestion. it warms her heart to see that even though he's probably busy making preparations to leave, he's still thinking about the children. although she appreciates that the traveler was simply looking out for her well-being, it's moments like this where she truly does not see any bad in tartaglia. there's a lot more to him than just being a fatui harbinger. ]

Hehe, I'm willing to bet that the great Anti-Mujina Specialist is better at catching onikabuto than me at this point.

[ she also won't say no to spending more time with him. especially since there's no telling how long his job will hold him up in snezhnaya. ]

Yeah, that's right! It's a super popular game with the kids. It's really endearing to watch the children give names to their onikabuto and raise them to get big and strong for battles. If your little brother gets the chance to visit Inazuma, he should totally bring his onikabuto and play with the others. I think he'd have a great time.

[monoceroscaeli]

[Admittedly, Tartaglia looks pretty proud at the compliment. He doesn't know if he's any better at it than she is, but that doesn't mean he won't take that praise. It's accompanied by a proud smile at his newly christened title as Anti-Mujina Specialist. Pretty good name they came up with, if you ask him.]

I'd love to bring Teucer here. I think he and my other siblings would really enjoy Inazuma. And they could play with Iwao and the others...the more I think about it, the more I think it would make for a great vacation.

[He's not sure how to feel about the fact that he's already starting to plan his return here, and how much he'll miss Inazuma. His first love will always be Snezhnaya, this country has already found a place in his heart. Unlike Liyue, there's a lot here to return to that he's really looking forward to. The great food, the beautiful scenery, the kids, the monsters on the islands...and Yoimiya.]

Hm, I'll have to let you know when we'll be visiting again. But for now, let's get the kids some onikabuto. We could make it a little more interesting and make it a game ourselves...whoever comes back with the bigger onikabuto wins. Do you accept?

[There's a competitive glint in his eye, because it sounds fun to him to see who really is better at catching the bug.]

[niwabi]

[ the prospect of tartaglia's return to inazuma has her thrilled. not only is she happy to hear he might be back, but she had been dying to meet his siblings from the moment he talked about them. they all sounded like good kids. she's fairly certain that teucer would get along well with iwao, saika and matsuzaka. not just them, but she would also love to introduce him to klee if she's not trapped in solitary confinement allowed to leave mondstadt. ]

Oooh that sounds really fun, I'm game! I can't let myself get shown up by a newbie onikabuto hunter.

[ she's totally joking about the newbie part. never before has she seen someone pick up the art of catching those slippery onikabuto so quickly. tartaglia strikes her as the type of person that would excell at anything he does. he just seems like a natural at everything.

naturally, his suggestion is right up her alley. yoimiya is always down to make everything more fun and interesting, it's a trait she feels they share a kindred spirit with one another. his idea for a game has definitely ignited a fire in her heart. ]

Whatd'ya think about making it a little more exciting by raising the stakes? Maybe something like, the loser has to fulfill one request from the winner? If you're interested, that is!

[monoceroscaeli]

[Hearing her call him a newbie only makes his grin wider and more mischievous. It's about having fun, but that doesn't mean he won't try his hardest to win- and he'll use all his skills and abilities to do so. But what really, can help someone find the biggest, bulkiest, and gain-iest onikabuto in the forest?

Her excitement only fuels his, appreciative that she really seems into the idea of making it a contest of sorts. He wonders briefly how she is on the battlefield, not having the chance to really address the idea of a spar. He knows she wields a pyro vision, it's right there in plain sight. But how does she use it?

Chasing that idea away for the moment, he considers her proposal to up the stakes.]

Huh...

[He doesn't even know what he'd ask for.]

I don't see why not. I'll have to think of something worthwhile to request from you after I win.

[There's a smug cockiness to his voice, trying to egg her on. It'll be fun. Let's get that competitive spirit going.]

[niwabi]

[ she lets out a hearty laugh. it's the arrogant tone of voice combined with his mischevious grin that easy fans the flames of her competitive spirit. her pride as a fairly decent onikabuto hunter is at stake, she absolutely cannot lose to some newbie. still, she knows it's all in good fun and even appreciates that tartaglia knows how to bring some excitement into her life. there's never a dull moment with him around.

she also can't deny that his cocky attitude is quite endearing. even if she totally wants to wipe the floor with him right now. ]

Oho, getting cocky now are we Mister?

[ not that she has any room to talk. ]

You might want to hold off on that thought because I already know exactly what I'm going to ask you to do when I win.

[ she returns his cheeky grin with a smug smirk of her own. ]

Wanna meet back here in an hour, then? I think that should give us plenty of time to find a super ultra mega sized onikabuto.

[monoceroscaeli]

An hour? If you think it will take you that long, then that's fine by me.

[A little more egging, another cocky smile. He's got her going, and a part of him loves the fact that she's taken on his challenge and even raised the stakes a little. Never a dull moment indeed, and it seems to him that she too, likes to keep things from becoming too mundane.

He's already going through in his mind where he'd seen some onikabuto a few days before, hoping that some of the bugs stuck around. But will they be big enough, that's another story.]

Don't get your hopes up, I happen to know a few spots already where onikabuto like to hide out. We'll see who triumphs over who.

[Childe rolls his shoulder, ready to take off running whenever she's ready to go.]

Ready?

[niwabi]

And here I thought I was doing you a favor by giving you an extra thirty minutes to hunt.

[ it's been a long time since anyone's engaged with her in light-hearted banter like this, let alone be able to keep up with her. of course, yoimiya will always enjoy playing with the kids, chatting with her fellow hanamizaka neighbors and much more but there's something different about wisecracking with tartaglia that really gets the adrenaline rush going. meeting a fellow thrill-seeker has given her a much needed excitement she's yet to truly experience. ]

Ready! Good luck out there, newbie.

[ seeing the way he rolls his shoulder causes her lips to curve into a smirk. if they weren't in the middle of a competition, she would have told him he kinda looked cool in that pose. she could tell that he's taking their game seriously and she couldn't be anymore thrilled. before yoimiya takes her leave, she sends a wink his way while also playfully poking her tongue out at him as one last attempt at jovial provocation. with that out of her system, she excitedly trots off in the oppposite direction of him. her heart is full of fire and she's determined to find the biggest, baddest onikabuto teyvat has ever seen. yeah!!!

however, twenty minutes pass and yoimiya's already letting out a dejected sigh.

despite her grandiose egging with tartaglia just a moment ago, she's had zero luck in finding any monstrous onikabuto. even though she's searched high and low from trees to bushes, the only ones she's encountered is just a few average sized ones. at this point, she feels lucky to have even seen a single one of those beetles. another sigh escapes from her lips. just as yoimiya's getting ready to write off itto's claims as bullshit, her thoughts are cut off by the sound of a loud STOMP from behind. she turns around, her gaze meeting with not a giga onikabuto but instead, a very angry-looking thunderhelm lawachurl. judging from the expression on it's face, the creature is not at all pleased about the stranger girl intruding on it's territory. ]

Well, well, what do we have here? An unexpected guest I see... [ she draws her bow, thundering pulse. ] Hehe, I guess I'm gonna have to take care of you first before I continue on with Tartaglia's game.

[ yoimiya's fingers pull back on the string of her treasured bow, it's violet sheen similiar to the electro achron's could be seen glistening through the trees of the forest. she starts off by firing off a pyro-infused arrow, aiming directly at the lawachurl's massive frame. naturally, her fighting style is just as loud and boisterous as she is. the arrows she shoots are akin to a firecracker, the sounds of blazing explosions could be heard from miles away ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[It would be a lie to say that he wasn't enjoying in the banter as well. Just like a fight, some words exchanged to fire each other up is just as fun, and that wink of hers coupled with her sticking her tongue out at him cheekily like that only stirs something more within him. Tartaglia feels his chest buzz with warmth, determination setting into his jaw as he turns himself to head into the woods to find an onikabuto that'll make her so surprised she'll be at a loss for words.

And as those twenty minutes pass, he's managed to find some, but they're not all that large. Not the way he's imagined them in his mind. He's kept a couple for later regardless, making a little cage out of hydro to keep them in for the moment. If they're for the kids, having some is better than none at all, but he really wants to find the one bug that's going to win the contest for him.

And there it is. A giant onikabuto. The Harbinger begins his descent on it, sneaking up and trying not to startle it when-

BOOM.

He hears the sounds of explosions happening off in the distance somewhere. Was that...fireworks? His head snaps in that direction, the sudden movement scaring off the onikabuto he was trying to capture. But he's forgotten about it for the time being. Now that he's fixed his senses onto whatever is happening, he can smell it- battle. There's a fight happening, and he wants to see it for himself, maybe if he's lucky he'll get to join. But through his bloodlust, he remembers that Yoimiya is also in this forest, and this battle might be hers.

All of Tartaglia's instincts kick in, and he starts running in that direction. If it's her, what is she doing? He has no idea if she can fight, and if it is her, she might be in trouble. He can see flashes of purple in front of him through the trees, trying to make out what he's seeing. Something big, and something else...his bow snaps into his hand, ready to fire it off to keep whatever it is that's making this ruckus at bay. That's when he finds her locked in battle with a thunderhelm lawlachurl- not an easy opponent, that's for sure. Childe is ready to shoot, but he notices that...she seems to be taking it on just fine. As her attacks continue, he can't help but be in awe of how she incorporates her own fireworks into her battle technique. It's showy, flashy, and it's awesome.

His bow is lowered, knowing not to interrupt during another warrior's fight- and he watches her take it on. Ready to step in just in case, but he's enjoying watching her fight, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth as he does so.]

[niwabi]

[ ok so, yoimiya won't deny that staring down at the face of a thunderhelm lawachurl all by herself is somewhat intimidating. especially since the beast had already entered it's enhanced electro shield phase. she knew that she would have to be extremely careful in strategically planning out her attacks and dodges with good timing. however, that thought didn't deter her at all.

if anything, her heart had begun racing with excitement. a smile tugs on the corners of her lips as she whistles, she's not scared in the slightest.

her golden eyes filled with intense fervor continues to observe the lawachurl, she notices the monster taking a step back before making a quick dash towards her. easy peasy! she thinks to herself, having dodged many charged dashes before. with it's back turned towards her, yoimiya goes into her niwabi fire-dance stance, a small ring of flames circles around her as she begins firing off a barrage of blazing arrows. with every tug and pull of the bow's string, she didn't hesitate in shooting off her pyro-infused arrows in rapid succession with one another.

thankfully, she had the upper hand in terms of elements. she's fairly certain that assault alone is enough to at least take out half of it's shield strength. but of course, she knew the monster wasn't done yet. enraged by yoimiya's attacks, both of the lawalchurl's fists slam to the ground, causing a field of shockwaves to erupt. yoimiya manages to swiftly dodge it's electrifying smash by backflipping onto a nearby tree branch. although she no longer had the advantage of being able to rapidly fire off her arrows on smooth foundation, being able to avoid the electro shards left by the beast is still quite crucial. she knew that she didn't have much leeway to destroy the shards and evade the monster's attacks at the same time.

so she knew had to end things quickly. not that she was worried about the battle dragging out too long but more-so because she wanted to get back to onikabuto hunting. no offense to the lawachurl or anything but showing up tartaglia is waaay more important than fighting some silly monster. she had less than an thirty minutes now and she didn't want to waste anymore time with it.

yoimiya decides that it's now or never, quickly jumping out of the tree and into the air, aiming her next arrow with the utmost precision. a flashy display of fireworks surrounds her as she fires off her affectionately named goldfish of doom, leaving a mark of her signature goldfish on the lawachurl. upon contact, it doesn't take long for the mark to explode, stunning the monster in progress. using this chance, she takes to the ground and once again, starts shooting off a gunfire of flaming arrows. taking the full brunt of the electro shard shockwaves does kind of sting. it also causes the ribbon in her hair to loosen up but it's fine! she's able to grin and bear it while she finishes off the lawachurl. with one last blow from her niwabi fire dance, the creature is done for and falls to the ground in defeat. the elecro shards explode in the process, making the battlefield look almost like one of her firework show displays. ]

Whew! Now maybe that'll teach you not to interrupt people when they are in the middle of important buisness!

[ except that the poor lawachurl will never be able to barge in on people ever again. it's dead, jim.

a sigh of satisfaction escapes from her lips. although she's not near as battle hungry as tartaglia, she couldn't deny that it felt quite thrilling to come out as a victor. aside from a few scratches, her hair coming undone, she didn't have any serious injuries. she certainly thanks her lucky stars for that. at least she's able to continue on with the onikabuto hunt with no problems.

... after she takes a quick breather, that is. even though she easily won, the fight still left her a tad bit tired. a five minute rest should be more than enough to get her back up to speed. after putting her bow away, she plops down on the ground and closes her eyes. a rare moment of quiet fills the air around her. as yoimiya takes in her surroundings, she gets the sinking feeling that someone might be watching her? she opens her eyes back up, her gaze flickering around the trees. ]

Hmm...?

[ or maybe she's just imagining things due to exhaustion. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's really a treat to be able to watch her use her display of abilities.

Childe watches on as Yoimiya plans her moves, making strategic moves on the battlefield as she faces the lawlachurl down with precise movements and strikes. Every hit he knows is weakening the shield the monster uses to protect itself- he knows because he's fought more than one of them himself- and that her Vision is perfectly suited to take care of one such enemy. Even some of the lawlachurl's more powerful moves don't seem to catch her off guard, and he can't help but smile brightly as she dodges them all.

Though he does wonder how she plans to finish it off, and that question gets answered shortly when she seizes the opportunity presented to her. The bright explosion of fireworks that go off as she uses her move to brand the monster with her goldfish mark, subsequently stunning it and allowing her to finish it off. It's a bold move, he thinks, to take the residual electro energy that pulsates off of the lawlachurl's crystals. But she powers through it like it's nothing, and for a second, his breath leaves him as her ribbon loosens to let some of her hair fall from its secured spot as the monster dies.

The Harbinger makes his way silently towards her, pushing down his excitement and trying to slow his own heartbeat before he speaks.]

That was quite the display you put on there.

[He appears near her, walking up with a hand on his hip and a huge smile on his face. The light of the fireworks from her attacks seems to have left a glow that usually isn't there in his eyes that's slowly starting to fade since the battle has ended, giving a small chuckle before he takes a seat next to her.]

I heard the sound of fighting in the forest and rushed here immediately, but it seems you had it all under control. I'm impressed, Yoimiya.

[niwabi]

[ the sudden appearance of tartaglia is a bit surprising, very much catching her off guard. due to taking on the full force of the lawachurl's electro crystals, she truly assumed that her mind was just playing tricks on her. so it's a relief that she's not suddenly going delirious. ]

Sheesh, hearing that from you is mighty flattering.

[ a tinge of pink colors her cheeks. receiving such a compliment from the harbinger feels like a major accomplishment. while she's still unsure of everything that the fatui is capable of, she's fairly certain that tartaglia has been in the battlefield a hundred times more than she has. so to hear that kind of praise from him makes her feel proud of her own battle prowess.

the huge smile on his face is also quite the treat to witness. a tender warmth begins to flutter inside of her chest, there's something about that honest, boyish grin that fills her with delight. it's a sight that made fighting that lawachurl totally worth it. her own lips curve into an affectionate expression as she thinks about how nice it would be to see him smile like that more often. ]

Sorry Tartaglia, I think I'm gonna have to take a quick breather after that. I'll be back to searching for onikabuto in no time, though. Don't worry!

[ also!! gotta take a minute to fix her hair because it feels like a mess. well... okay, messier than what it normally is. luckily, the ribbon didn't go flying off too far and happened to be sitting on the ground in-between the two of them. she scoops up the hair decoration and begins the process of pulling her golden locks back into her usual messy ponytail. ]

Have you had much luck with the onikabuto?

[monoceroscaeli]

[He can't help but laugh, watching her scoop her ribbon back up, paying attention to how she puts it all back into place. How nice how her blonde hair is accented so well by the adornments she wears in it, how it frames her face. The warm look she gives him forces him to fight down the urge to reach out and brush some of the hair from her face so he can better view it- instead, he shoots her a cocky grin.

Though, his eyes never leave her, locked in place as he answers. But that means he doesn't notice the giant onikabuto that he'd been hunting fluttering down between them, resting on the rock after all the commotion from earlier.]

I've caught a few. I put them in a little cage I fashioned for later...but I saw one that's going to take the cake as soon as I can find it again.

[That's the problem...finding it again. He tilts his head at her curiously, his eyes searching hers to as he asks his question to see if she'll try to bluff him or not.]

What about you? Have you found any yet? I can't imagine many of them sticking around too long after that fight, haha.

[niwabi]

[ after putting on the finishing touches by tying the last knot on her ribbon, she lets out a sigh and hangs her head down at tartaglia's question. even if they were average bug sized, she still regrets not picking up the two onikabuto she saw while in the middle of searching. granted, they absolutely would have peaced the heck out after witnessing her merciless beat down of that lawachurl. ]

My luck has been the absolute worst, I was starting to doubt there are even onikabuto in this forest. [ her expression quickly shifts from dejection to amazement at the mention of his amazing find. ] Ehhh? Really?! That's awesome! Such a shame that you couldn't catch it, I would have loved to have seen it for my own eyes.

[ maybe their anti-mujina specialist really is just a prodigy at beetle hunting, she ponders to herself. but before yoimiya could let that thought deter her, from the corner of her eye, she notices a blob of purple just chilling on a nearby rock. her gaze flickers over to the sight and instantly, her golden eyes sparkle in excitement. there he is! the monster onikabuto she's been dreaming about!! so much for being tired because any exhaustion she felt from the fierce battle had evaporated. not wasting any time, she quickly snatches up the bug, all the while giving tartaglia the most smug grin imaginable. ]

Tartaglia! Look, look!! This guy is a beast. I bet he's waaaay bigger than the one you saw!

[ sorry pal... you simp snooze, you loose. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

Yes, well...

[He's cut off by her looking over. Curiosity coats his face, her eyes sparkling at something. But he looks over too late, and it seems that Yoimiya's snatched the bug up before he even got a chance. He'd been too caught up in staring at her that he hadn't even noticed it, and for a moment he looks half-offended.]

Hey! That's the one I saw earlier-!

[Gobbled up right under his nose! His jaw drops, but he then sighs in defeat as his shoulders drop. The reality is that he knows there's no way he's going to find a bigger onikabuto than that, twenty minutes, if that, is barely enough time to find a bug at all.

But the Harbinger is hardly a sore loser, so when he looks up he's only smiling. He did get a little too caught up with the pretty lady next to him to of had the chance at it, and he supposes that's probably on him.]

Alright, alright. Looks like you win.

[Next time Yoimiya, next time...]

[niwabi]

[ in hindsight, she does find it really funny that she just straight up stole the bug he had been hunting down this entire time. the half-offended expression he's making just adds to the hilarity of the situation. she does make a mental note to buy him a drink later because the poor guy really does deserve it for his misfortune. ]

Yay!! It's only natural a veteran onikabuto hunter like myself would win. Victory is mine!

[ with her cheering out of the way, she averts her gaze onto her prize— the fatui harbinger. she scoots a tad bit closer to him, crossing her legs and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. trouble is practically written all over her face all the while staring at him with a mischievous grin that could almost rival a certain pink foxy lady shrine maiden. a stark contrast to the innocent onikabuto that is just resting on her lap. ]

Hehe, this means I get to ask you to do aaaanything I want, right? [ her lips curl into a smirk. ] Do you think you'll be able to handle any request I'll make?

[monoceroscaeli]

[Childe's arms fold over his chest at her boasting, but his eyes widen just a little bit when she scoots closer. It's a look he recognizes immediately, his own siblings and even himself have worn that expression more than one. It's the look you give someone when you've got plans for them, not usually not good ones, even if they're harmless. What kind of tricks does she have up her sleeve, he wonders.]

Haha, just about anything...it depends on what it is.

[Anything regarding the Fatui is off limits, but he's pretty sure she's not about to ask him about anything sensitive.]

I'm sure I can handle anything you throw at me. So go ahead, tell me- what does our dominant victor of today's contest demand of a Harbinger?

[He sits, waiting for her, confident that there isn't anything she could possibly ask him that he wouldn't be able to grant or do for her.]

[niwabi]

[ mr. 11th harbinger of the fatui certainly has a way with words. the way he calls her the dominant victor of their competition fills her an immense sense of gratification. if he continues to shower her with praise like that, then she's only going to become even more determined to beat him in future contests... just kidding. kind of. sort of. okay, not really.

but she knows they don't have all the time in the world. he has to go back soon.

there's a moment's pause before yoimiya's cheeky grin is instead replaced by a much more warmer smile. it's rare for her to feel hesitation, it's a word that practically doesn't even exist in her vocabulary. despite this sensation being almost foreign, she's at least fully aware of the uncertainty stirring around in her, it's tartaglia's departure. the idea that they might not see each other for a long time makes the air around her feel somewhat somber. straightening her posture, she briefly glances down at the resting onikabuto before shifting her gaze back to his deep blue eyes. ]

Do you mind coming to Amakane Island with me? There's something I want you to see before you go back to Snezhnaya.

[ it's certainly not about fatui secrets at the very least. ]

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's easy for him to pick up on the demeanor change from her. Yoimiya's warm smile, how she looks away and back at him again, he can tell a little of what might be going through her head. Some of it most certainly is the clock ticking down before he has to return to Snezhnaya. What else it might be, he's not sure, just as why he's not sure why he's feeling a tightness in his chest when he considers that time for himself.

He returns her gaze, a sense of longing settling in his core that demands for something he hasn't quite put his finger on yet, either. He's got a few ideas, but Tartaglia has a feeling he'll get his answer on Amakane Island.

He nods, standing up and brushing a bit of the dirt and foliage that had stuck to his uniform when he'd ran to see what the commotion was, before offering a hand to her to help her up.]

Sure, I've still got a bit of time left. If I remember right, there was something going on over on that island, though I never got the opportunity to check it out myself.

[Too busy with Fatui matters, which sucked. But at least he got to come to Inazuma because of it, so he won't be too upset.]