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

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

[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...]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Huh...? You want me to make a weapon out of pyro?

[ She glances down at her hands, wondering if her powers are even capable of such a feat. Sure, she made that Yoifish light for their journey through the cave and other cute firey animals for the kids but this is a first for her. In all her wildest imaginations she's never even thought about creating a weapon with her powers.

But there's just one problem. ]

I don't mind giving it a shot but won't Pyro burn me...? I've never directly touched any of the cute fire critters I made.

[ Granted, she's always down to play with fire but Yoimiya does her best to be safe about it. ]

Well, I don't know.

[He holds his hand up to his chin in thought. She makes a point, a weapon made of pure fire could burn someone. He's not sure if that would be the case for the wielder of the elemental energy, though. He tries to consider how it works for him first.]

...When I make my swords, they're certainly wet due to the nature of hydro, but my hands aren't wet after I use them. Nor do they slide around in my hands, so I can't say for sure that you'll be burned by your own power. Besides, we'd have to see if you can even do it first.

[He takes her hand, holding it out in front of her, as if she could summon her bow into it.]

Usually when one uses their elemental powers to create a weapon, it'll take a form that reflect the user's life experiences. You've seen mine, yes? They resemble a harpoon- something used frequently in Snezhnaya to catch large fish.

[ When he puts it like that, she's reassured that maybe, just maybe, she'll be fine holding a weapon made out of fire. It's only natural his hands would be soaked after using his arsenal of hydro-infused weapons and now that she thinks about it, she's never noticed any wet spots on him after battle. So, maybe it will be okay...

Any concerns she might have hand immediately vanish as he takes her hand. She glances up with a soft reassured smile, enjoying the warmth of his strong hands that have been through countless battles. Ajax might hail from the coldest country in Teyvat but in his presence, she feels like she's basking underneath the sun on a summery day. ]

I see... that makes sense. If you don't mind me asking, I've seen you make a variety of weapons out of your powers. Since you lived your whole life in Morepesok, I take it that all your experience in fishing paved the way for the harpoon being the first of your creations?

[ Yoimiya doesn't know what she's doing or even how to go about this but she figures that talking through this will give her the inspiration she needs. She takes a deep breath to concentrate on the powers stirring inside of her. ]

[Now that he's put Yoimiya in a good position, he lets go and takes a step back to stand more beside her than in front, just in case. And to her question, he nods.]

Indeed. I've even dove in the water myself to catch fish with my bare hands. It's all a part of life when you live in a fishing village, so I suppose all my exposure to it helped form the basis of my elemental powers. For you, that should be all you've experienced and seen in Inazuma.

[He waits patiently for Yoimiya to concentrate, so she can focus and form a weapon in her hands, not knowing what exactly it might look like. He can only guess, from a land of samurai and ronin ruled by the Shogun, how it'll form.]

Just focus on which weapon you want, and you'll see how it'll manifest.

[ Even just little snippets of Ajax's childhood memories can brighten her spirits. She can see it now, tiny Ajax attempting to catch fish with his small, bare hands. Listening to him is just the inspiration she needs and with that, Yoimiya takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and begins to concentrate on the powers within.

She channels all the pyro energy within her to summon the perfect to use at her disposal. The first one that comes to mind is a katana, she's lived around samurai her whole life and watched Ayaka perform the most elegant sword play she's ever witnessed. So, it's only natural that a katana is the first thing to come to mind. It's not long until she feels something powerful taking shape in her hand, her whole hand permeates with heat, it's hot and yet, and feels strangely familiar. Slowly, she opens her eyes to see a sword she absolutely was not expecting. ]

A-Ajax...

[ Yoimiya sputters, stunned by what she's seeing. Flames surround the sword from the golden hilt all the way to the galactic-looking blade. ]

What kind of sword is this?!

[ She was expecting to summon a katana, not whatever.... this is. It looks so ornate and completely unlike anything she's ever seen. ]

[He's silent as he lets her concentrate. No need to interrupt unless something goes wrong, but Yoimiya's had the powers of her vision long enough that he feels confident that she'll be just fine. It's just a matter of using her elemental powers in a different way, and being versatile as a vision user is key to becoming stronger. So he waits, letting her work until she's able to form the weapon.

What he didn't expect is what sword ends up forming in her hands.

Ajax's eyes go wide with surprise and shock as something more otherworldly forms in her hand, surrounded by flames with a pattern of the stars that reminds him of the Foul Legacy Transformation. His eyes dart between it and her, as the flames dance in his eyes and the reflection of the galaxy in the blade shine against them.]

I...I don't know. Well, I have a few guesses, but...

[He steps forward, examining the blade, in complete awe of its beauty and power. There's no way she could of formed that out of her elemental powers alone...]

...hmmmmm. I've seen something similar before, but Yoimiya...did someone teach you how to use this power...?

[ Ajax's surprised face mirroring hers tells her everything she needs to know, he's just as startled and confused as she is. This isn't good, if there's one person with an expansive knowledge of weapons it's her battle-loving sweetheart. If he doesn't know, then who else could they ask? From a crazy ex wanting her dead to a mysterious otherworldly weapon, the situation keeps getting stranger with every passing second.

Still, Yoimiya isn't about to be deterred. There has to be a reason why she created such a magnificent weapon. As Ajax inspects it, she holds the sword out to him, allowing him to grasp it if he so wishes. Since it's not burning her hands, she figures it should be fine for him. ]

No. This is the first time I've tried to make a weapon out of my own powers. I didn't even know such a feat was possible until I met you...

[ He's seen something similiar before? That definitely catches her attention. Yoimiya isn't sure if he's talking about creating weapons or something else entirely. ]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're not talking about the ability to create weapons. So... um, what was it that you saw?

Edited 2024-12-28 20:00 (UTC)

[Childe reaches gingerly for the weapon when presented, not knowing whether or not it would burn him. Flames lick at his hands as they draw closer, and though he can feel the heat, it doesn't feel as if that heat was meant to burn him. Carefully, with one hand on the hilt and the other hand on the flat side of the blade, he takes the sword from her to examine even more. It feels easy to hold, familiar in a way, like an old friend that he's reunited with.

Stepping back to give himself some room, Tartaglia gives the sword a few swings, slicing through the air expertly with perfect technique. He could use this...almost as if it were made for him.]

That's right, [he admits to her,] I'm talking about the design of the blade itself.

[He hands it back to her, still confused as to how she could possibly make a blade that looks like that...]

It might be easier just to show you than to explain it. It's something that's similar to my own powers. This might be a good time too...I wouldn't use this power in the presence of the Aranara. Mind taking a few steps back?

Edited 2024-12-28 22:45 (UTC)

[ As she watches him take the blade, she can't help but be concerned about the flames flickering all across the weapon, he might be an expert but she can't rule out the possibility of him getting burned. But thankfully, she quickly realizes her concerns are unfounded as he looks completely unaffected with the sword in hand. In fact, he looks like an expert swinging it around. Yoimiya's whole visage lights up with joy as she watches him slice the air with fine point precision, he looks so cool wielding such an otherworldy blade. He swings it around like the blade was tailor-made for him as if he's used it many times...

She swears Ajax and that sword looks like they're a match made in heaven.

The sword being handed back to her snaps her out of her reverie, she takes it back to inspect it once more, still confused with a myriad of questions running through her head. But for now, she's far more curious about what Ajax has to show her. If he's cautious enough to use his power in the presence of the Aranara, then it must be something beyond her wildest imagination. ]

Of course! [ With her sword in hand, she quickly takes a few steps back, putting a good amount of distance between them. ] Ready whenever you are.

[Good. With Yoimiya now standing a fair distance away, this gives him plenty of room to show her exactly what he's talking about. And, afterwards, they'll probably be able to clear this little trial they find themselves in with even more ease than previously. Of course, he doesn't have to use his full power in here, but it's better to let Yoimiya know exactly what's up with him before it becomes a surprise in the heat of an important battle.]

Alright, brace yourself. Don't go flying off on me.

[And when he says that, he means it.

Tartaglia's hand comes up as electricity sparks around him, his clothing changing rapidly from the grey uniform to the black of his delusion, mask donning on his face as he coalesces and concentrates all his power. It arcs off of him, searing the grass around his feet, before he moves into the next part of his transformation.]

[With one shockwave, power explodes outwards from him in a blinding purple light, radiating and threatening to blow anyone away who doesn't have a good foothold. Dark armor begins to digitize around his arms, legs, and finally his body, clasping onto it violently as power surges through him. It catches the attention of the monsters in the area, who shrink back at the display. Trees and other vegetation all struggle within the presence of Tartgalia, and with another wave that blasts out from the core of the Harbinger, the armor fully adorning him as one last blast of wind hits everything in the surrounding area.

A glaive materializes into his hands, of which he separates immediately into two blades that match the mass of stars that shine in the cape that flows behind him, staring at Yoimiya from behind a red mask with a single eye. He steps forward once the transformation ends, feeling the weight of it, heavy on his shoulders and joints.]

Y̙̝̘o͔̪͜u͔̪̫ s̪͚͚e͎͎͉e̞̼͙,͍͉͉ t̡͔͕h͇͖͇i̼͖͔s̢̪̞ i̢͎̠ș͙ w͍͍̝h̢̘̺e͇̞̟r̦̟̫e̘͉̘ I͕͎͎'̝̼͙v͇̠͚e̼̺ s͎̼̘e̞͜͜e̙̪͇n̻͇̼ a̠̻̺ b͔̞͇l͔̦͙a͙͙̻d̡͕͙e͎̼͜ l̠͉̠i̘̠͜k̟̘̦e͚̦ t̢͉͎h̟̫̦a͚̠͍t̼̟͚ b͉̼̘e̘̝f̝̠o̺͇̫r͙̻͓e͇̼̦.̺͕̫ I̢̘̙t̘̘̫ m͚͙̪i̠̦r̟̞͔r̙̘͎o̠̟̠r̢̠̫s̡̫̘ m͖̟y͓̪͍ o̢͚̞w̡̦͜n̢̻͔.͓͉̘

[He slams one blade into the ground, massive in size and sticking upward for her to see and compare to the sword in her own hand.]

[ Oh, dear... she understands why he warned her in advance. The sparks crackling around him are so intense that Yoimiya is forced to dig her heels into the ground and hold up an arm to shield herself from the sheer power radiating off him. She knows the element he's using like the back of her hand— electro. Ajax is harnessing the element the Archon of her homeland presides over. Through the space between her fingers, she manages to see his powers have even changed his clothing.

Incredible, she knows Ajax's powers are out of this world but he always finds a way to continue amazing her.

And he certainly pulls out all the stops to blow her mind. Yoimiya sinks both of her heels and the sword into the now dirt ground to keep her balance. But even so, the shockwave is so intense that it brings her down to her knees. Everything around him is on the verge of disintegrating just from his Harbinger uniform transforming into armor that looks unlike anything in Teyvat. As that last blast of wind comes to a stop, Yoimiya slowly lowers her arm and is stunned by what she's seeing. Her dear sweet Ajax no longer looks human, he's shot up in size, donning armor from head to toe, and she can no longer see his face. Even his voice is so different, it sounds so distorted from what she's used to, the only remnant of him is his bright ginger hair gusting against the breeze.

It's hard to believe the otherworldly being staring at her through a single eye behind his red mask is her beloved but even underneath all that armor, she knows he's still the same man she fell head over heels for. ]

Ajax...

[ She slowly approaches him, holding out her sword to compare the two weapons. Archons, she swears that glaive alone is bigger than her. She flickers her gaze back and forth between the weapons and sure enough, the blades look identical, both sharing the same star pattern as the cape that flows behind him. It's certainly a match but at this point, the mysterious sword is the least of her worries. She's far more concerned about Ajax. ]

What kind of power is this? You look so... different.

[While she examines the two weapons together, he is too. It really does match his weapon, and his suspicions only grow larger now that he can see it with his own eyes. His power comes from somewhere beyond this world- and here Yoimiya is, making a weapon with the same power. At least, he assumes it's the same. But no one's taught her that technique, so how in the world can she make something like that?

When she speaks again, his attention moves over to her. The look on her face, he can see that none of this matters more than him to her, and his body relaxes, knowing that he's probably got a bit of explaining to do now. It's not like this is a normal, everyday transformation.]

I͇͔t̟͇̫'͚͚̦s͓͚̞ c̪͓̙a͇̟l̠̪̺l̢͍͓e̠̘̞d͎̞̝ t͎͕͙h̢͇͙e̪̝͓ F̺̫͜o͖̻͎u̫̞͜l͕̪͓ L̡̡̦e̙͔͍g͚̪͓a̢̘͖c̘͚͎y̫͍̠ T̟͇̪r̦͓̙a̟͚͎n̡̘͉s̫͍f̻͇̻o̦̪r̞̫͍m͖͓͍a̝̪t͕͔̺i͇̙o͓̝̟n̠͓.̠͍͜ .͓͚͜.̪̝͉.͙̝I̻̪̠t̡̢ w̡̻̫a̦̞͔s͖̼ s̢͖͜o͕͎m͖̝͚e̡̦͕t̞͔h̡͜͜i̠͚͉n̙̫͙g͍̝͖ m̡͎͉y̟͜ m͔͇͜a̟̞̟s̟̻͙t͙̝͜e͍̞͚r͉͎͉ t͖͚̼a͎͉͔u̢̟͔g͔͕h̪͖͔t̻͕͙ m̢̞͜e̼̝̙ a̙̠̟ l̻̼̠o͕͔n͓̦͓g͕͇̙ t̢̢͕i̡̘m̺͇̺e̡̟͇ a̫̪̪g̫̫̪o͇͖̪.͇͎̘ T͓͎͚h͍͓͕a̙̪͜t̢͕̝'̞̙͔s̘͍̟ ș̻̠o̙̼r͙͓t̝͖͙ o͉͙͜f͙͇͖ a͎͚͔ l̡̙o̡͚̫n͉̻g̡̞͍ s̢̪̫t̺͉o͇͙̙r̪̺y̼̠̙.͓̺

[As if it were a question that Ajax was underneath that mask, his hand goes up to scratch behind his head. He hadn't really thought he'd have to show let alone explain the Foul Legacy Transformation.]

I̼͇͓t̝̠͉'͇͓͜s͖͙͎ a̟̠̦ p̟̟̙o̦̦̙w͇̟͉e̡̘̘r̝͉ f̡̞͜r̡̠o̢̪̫m̢̪ b͍̠e̡͎͇y͕̺͚o͔̘͚n̠̘̟d̟̼͖ t̡͇h̡͔i̝͙͖s̘͍̝ w͕͙̝o͓͕͜r̙̼l̞͕̼d̝̦̦.̙͍͖ I̡͎̫m͓̝̫a͙̟̪g̞̟i̺͓̻n̻͉̘e̙͓̙ m̢̘y̘̞͕ s͉̫͔u̼͉͇r̢̺̝p͖͙̠r̡͇i̢̟͇s͓̫e̙͜ w̢̼͜h͚̙̪e̞͍̦n͉̟͉ y͙͎͜o͓̙̙u̪͕͚ m͓͍̝a͙̞d̺̦͉e͓̞͓ a̫͉ w̡͕͕e͔̘͔a̞͕̘p͍͔̪o̞͖͜n̦̠̺ s̙̝̘i̢͇͕m͍͖i̻̼̺l̝̻̠a̦̻r̼͉ t͙͔̝o͉͎̘ t͙̦̻h̫̞i͖̠͇s͓͕̺ p͔̻͇o̡̪̦w̪̺e͚͇̝r̞͙̘.͓͕̼

[ On one hand, it's good to know this strange sword isn't completely random since it matches with Ajax. But on the other hand, this leaves her with more questions than answers. How the heck was she able to conjure up something that looks so otherworldly? Yoimiya has always considered herself to be pretty ordinary and aside from the Sakoku Decree, she's lived a relatively normal life. She definitely doesn't have strange Abyssal powers like Ajax so theoretically, and heck, she's never even heard of Foul Legacy or powers from beyond this world.

Ugh, all these questions are making her head hurt. All she can do is inwardly sigh and accept they won't be getting any answers today.

What's more important to her is her sweetheart. To say she's shocked by his transformation would be an understatement. She still can't believe Tartaglia has a power beyond this world capable of transforming him into something almost unrecognizable. But even so, she can still see he's very much Ajax underneath that distorted voice. The way he scratches the back of his head is so him and it's pretty amusing to see something so big do something so normal. Definitely her Ajax. ]

Yeah, this whole ordeal is blowing my mind. My mind can't even conjure up what powers from beyond this world would even look like.

[ Nevertheless, Yoimiya cracks a soft smile and makes a motion for him to get closer. ]

Do you mind bending down closer to me? You're so tall, I wouldn't be able to reach you even if I jumped.

[He imagines Yoimiya's really going through it right now, between her sword and his transformation. A lot of normal people would probably be freaking out right now, but not his Queen of the Summer Festival- she's taking it in stride a lot better than he could of hoped for. Childe's glad for that, stepping closer as beckoned, and leans down towards her. He's not sure why, but he does it anyway.]

H̻̺̦a̟͎͕h̺̙͇a̡͚͕,͉͓̦ w̘͍̼e͍͜l̦̻͕l̞̫,͖̟̞ t̠͇͜h̢͇̫e̟̼͜ h͖̻̺e͖͖̻i̙̠̪g̢̻͓h̪͙̦t͎̠̫ g͍̘͓a̪͚͕i̪͔͎n͕͓͖ h̪̠͔a͖̝̼ș̦ i̡͔̼t̡͔͔s̡̫̪ a͇̻̟d̞͎v͚͔͉a̟̼͓n̻͚͍t͍̠͉a͉͜g͚̺͎e̡͚͖s͍̞͓ a͚͉̝n̡̝̦d̞͖͙ d̡͍̟i̪͎̪s̺͚̝a͎̟̼d̦̠v̘͔͜a͓͎̻n͖̟̫t̟̪͚a̡̙͙g͉̝͕e͎͔s̝͔͜.̞͓͉.͖̞̝.̢͍̙

[Maybe she wants to inspect more of his armor, it's pretty cool in his opinion and if it were him, he'd want to get a good look at it too. So he happily stands there to let her do whatever it is she wants ^^]

[ Thankful that he's going along with her, Yoimiya takes advantage of his position by bringing her small hand to side of his masked face. Her hand is extra tiny in comparison to him but she is not intimidated in the slightest. Giggling, Yoimiya stands up on the very tip of herb toes to place a soft kiss on his mask. Chuu! ]

You might have a different appearance but it's still you. Your size just happens to match your heart.

[ No matter his appearance, he will always be Ajax in her eyes. She wubs her monster boyfriend uwu ]

A͚͚h͎̝.̟̘͜.͍̼.͙͎

[He was not expecting to get a kiss while transformed, and though he can't feel it, it still makes him blush furiously beneath the mask. She's stunned him into silence for a moment, that and that compliment that came out of nowhere...]

C͇̞̘'͔̪m͙̘o̢̪̫n̟͓̠.͕͜͜.̡̝.̢̪͖n͖̦͙o͇͎͇w̝̟̦ y̡̻̟o̫̫u̪͜͜'̼̺̠r̘̘e̦̪͇ e͚͇̦m̺͙b̺͔a̝͎͜r̫͙r̞͇̫a͎͖̪s̻͜s͍͉̞i̢̠͜n̪̘̙g͍̼̼ m̻͓͎e̪͇.͓̦͕

[Yoimiya ૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫﹏<⸝⸝꒱ა]

[ Oh my gosh. Although Yoimiya can't see it, she has a sneaking suspicion he's flustered underneath that mask of his. Her big ol' monster boyfriend... blushing and acting embarrassed over a tiny kiss and a compliment. Anyone who has fought him in this form would probably fall over with shock if they saw the all-mighty Foul Legacy getting blushy over his tiny girlfriend.

Yup, this really is her Ajax, adorable even when transformed. Yoimiya can't help herself as she laughs and gives him a small boop with her finger before peeling herself off him. ]

Hehehe, does that mean I defeated the great and powerful Foul Legacy?

[ And she didn't even have to lift a finger! YOISTRONG ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ ]

I'm just kidding. I always knew you were a foe to be reckoned with, but your powers go beyond my wildest imaginations. You're truly incredible, Ajax.

[Yoimiya casually becoming one of the most powerful characters in genshin by making FL Childe get all (〃￣ω￣〃)ゞ]

Y̞̞o͍̻͉u͓͓͇ f̟̞̝l͎͓̦a͚̙t͍̻̻t̡̟͖e͓̫̺r̡̙ m̞͇͕e͎̘̼.̞̟̫ J̢͔u͎̘͜s̟̘t̙̻̦ w̼͖͜a̺̙͇i̠̙͙t͖̪̦ u̢̢͉n̟̞̝t͇̦͜i̘̙͜l̢͔̠ y͕͙͙o͇̙u͇̞̞ s̻͓e̡̫e̪̙̼ m̡̼̼e͖̞ i͓͚̙n͔͍ a͖̟̞c̺̺͜t͍̼i̻͙o̪͕̠n̙͙̺,̠͖͉ a͙͉̠n͖̪̪d̻͚͔ t̢̢̝h̠͉͕e̫͉͉n͕͍͖ t͚͓͕e̞̪͜l͖͜l̡͇̪ m̠̼̠e͙̼͚ w̢͇̫h͖͖̺a͍͙̼t̼͍ y̼͜͜o̻͙̪u̢̝͎ t̡̪͕h̢̫͜i͕̟͉n͙̻͜k̞̦͎.͉̙̺

[If he could wink at her, he would here- but as it stands, she can't see an inch of his face, so he simply stands confidently while declaring it. She's so small and tiny to him in this form...it makes him want to pick her up and fly her around just so he can see her priceless expression from soaring through the air.

But since they're in a dream within a dream, he'll hold off. They do have monsters to kill, but he got a little caught up in Yoimiya flirting with him...]

A̡͎͇n͓͙̺y̝͖͓ f̫͕͜o̢͓͎e̢͙̼ t̟̝̻h̢̢͜a̙̻̘t̡͚̼ s̡̺͙ț͜͜a̡͉̪n̢̫̺d͔̼̪ș̡̢ b̢͔͎e̡̢f̫̘͎o̡͉r̡͙͖e̠͖͜ y̡̡̺o̢̝̠u̟̻͙,͔̺ I̫͎̟'̟͉l̪̪͎l̡̡̞ m͔͍͖a̙̠k̡̠̦e̦̫ s͍̼u̢͓͜r͎͉͉e̡͚͍ t͙̫̘o̡̪̘ c͍̝͙r̢͔͇u̘̪͎s͖̦h͍͎͇ i͙͔t͚͙͚.̘̟͜ Y̝͚͜o̙͍͕u̺͚̞ c̡̙͇a̡͎̼n͙̪̻ c͚̼̙o̙͉u̘͜n̢̺͜t̪̻͎ o͙͉̘n͙̪͚ m͕͙̘e̙̼ t̺̞͔o͉̠̙ b͇̘̟e͍̘͎ y̫̟̞o͉͎̞u̼̙͜r̠̙̙ l̢͖o̼͓͖y͙͙̠a͉̫̟l̪̠͙ k̡̦̦n͎͖̪i͕͓͜g̢̪͜h͔̺̦t͚̠̫.̝͉͜

[ She definitely cannot wait to see him in action, she has no doubt he'll look terrifyingly awesome as he swings his glaive around to smite anyone daring to stand in his path. His declaration fills her heart to the brim with joy, with him at her side she finally feels safe and out of harms way from Seraphina. As long as she has her loyal knight, she firmly believes everything will be okay. ]

I have the best knight anyone could ask for. Strong, handsome, talented, and big. Since you've been so sweet, I'd like to give you a reward.

[ Unable to contain her urges, Yoimiya leaps at him, slinging her arms around his neck to assault him with kisses. She makes sure no part of him is deprived of affection as she smooches him all over his face, neck, shoulders, and anywhere else in reach.

It's the Yoikiss attack! Mwah mwah mwah. Chuu chuu chuu. ]

O̢͓̪h̡̢̝-̡͔͜!͓̝̺

[He catches her mid-leap, pulling her upwards and holding her right against his chest as Yoimiya delivers her signature Yoikiss attack, standing up to his full height now as she gives him all sorts of kisses. He can't feel any save for the ones applied to his neck, and those feel good against the black of his abyssal skin. Ajax cranes his head to the side to allow Yoimiya much more purchase to it, indicating that he'd like them there above all the other places...]

H̙͔͓e̞͕̝y̞̪̦ n̢͍̺o̻̠̙w̻͜,̙͜ s̫͎t̝͙͔o͎͚̻p͚͚͓ t̪͜h̡͍͎a͚̻̼t̻̟͙.͚͕͚.͕̞.͉̦̞y͍͖̠o͓̞͇u͉͚'̘̘̝r̘͓̟e̠̻̘ t̻͖̼o̟̫͜o͕͔͕ a͚͓̪d̫͚o͖̠͜r̡͍̞a̢̦͔b̦̘l͙̫̞e̢̻̝,̙̝ i̺̙̟t̠͎̻'͖͚͜s͉͚̘ a͔̘͎s̼͓̠ i̞͙̟f͎͙̙ I̠͚̠ h̞͇a̠̺v͔͇̼e̼͙͎ n̢͙̘o͔͉͖ p̺͇̪o̘̼̦w͔͚̦e͖̘̞r͕̪ h͓̟̘e͍͉͖r̙͍̫e̼͓͍.͎͕̙.͙̪͜.͕̻h̠̞͉a̢̦h̡̪̞a̡͖͖h͉͎̪a͉͉h͓͇a̟̘!̢̟͖

[His laugh is soft and fond despite how distorted it is, loving every second of affection that Yoimiya pours on him. It almost lulls him into a sense of complacency, being with her in a realm that's only filled with monsters that have taken to hiding away and not coming near them for fear of complete annihilation. So he giggles more, humming with pleasure at the soft, sweet kisses, until he suddenly feels a presence in the area.

They're not alone.

One second he's drinking in Yoimiya's affection, the next he's pivoted with one hand pointing the blade of his glaive at a small cabbage-like child while holding Yoimiya protectively against his chest with the other. Tartaglia's focus is lasered in on the young looking girl, but he knows if she's here, she must be anything but.]

Sorry, but am I interrupting?

[ Although his laugh lacks his usual boyish dulcet, she knows its still him beneath the otherworldly distort and all the rough and gruff, he's still the same man who knows how to make her heart soar above the clouds. She's having the time of her life delivering the powerful Yoikiss attack.

But then it all comes to a close. One moment she's showering him with affection and then the next, she's huddled in his chest with Ajax whipping his blade out at an unexpected guest. She briefly flickers her gaze to see a small girl. ]

Ah! Who are you...?

T̢̠̫h̠͕̝a̟̪͓t̫̙͉'̢͎̟s̼͖͇ w̢̦͙h͚̞a̫͎͖t̻̼̦ I͎͜'͖̟̼d͉̻̺ l͕̝̘i͉͓͙k̡͙̘e͍̘̟ t̢̘o̢̡̺ k͖̺n̫̦͜o̟͖w̫̻̞.̼͕͖

[Tartaglia feels so on edge, it's such a terrible whiplash from the giddy emotions he was feeling just moments ago as he and Yoimiya enjoyed a stress-free moment together. But with the threat of someone being able to get in a space he thought was secure puts him on edge, and his blade is unwavering as he points it at this little girl's face.

Never would he ever take an action like this against a child, but he's convinced she's not.]

I think I should be the ones asking you two that question. The Aranara don't often let adults come into their lands, but for some reason, they made an exception for you.

[Ajax stares hard at her for several moments, and the gears begin to click in his head. Little green girl, looks like she belongs to Sumeru, appearing in a dream...

His glaive lowers and his body relaxes, turning fully to face her with Yoimiya still tucked safely away in his arm.]

F͚̻̦o̡̘r͍͇̦g͉̙͔i͎͙̫v̟̝͙e̢̪̙ m̢͕͎e̪̠̺,͔͉̦ A̡͚͔r̺̝͚c̺͇h̫͎̘o͜͜n̢̡͔.̞̠̼ I̟͍͜ d̙̟̻i̡̘̙d͙̫͔n̻͚̼'̠͓̼t̢͚ r̼̺͖e̼͎̠a̢̠͕l͖͕͖i̢̻͇z͍̫̞e̡͔̺ w̺̘̪e͉͚͔ w̙̼͙e̡̠͔r͓̘͓e͇͔̠ s͍͙̻p͚͎͔e̡̞͔a̼̻͜k͇̫̫i̻͚n͖̝̟g̡͎͓ t͔͓o̟͇̠ t̝̙h̡͍̫e̼̼̪ L̡͚̘o̪̙̻r̠̺͍d̝̺̞ o̫͉f̫̫̫ V̡͍͙e͇̞̫r͉̘͓d͓͖͍u̟̦͉r̙͎̪e͇̟͓.͉̠̼

[ Lord of Verdure... oh, oh, OH!!!!

Yoimiya knew there was something off about this young girl as soon as she made her appearance but it finally dawned on her right then and there. They're face-to-face with the Dendro Archon herself. In an instant, she goes from even more shocked to somewhat embarrassed, she was being all cute and PDA in an Archon's domain. Oh goodness, she just hopes the god of her own country forgives her for this transgression. She quickly peels herself off Ajax and immediately bows her head down in reverence. It's rare for her to get flustered but being this lovey-dovey in front of an Archon would certainly do just about anyone in.

Especially since she looks like a little girl... ughhh. How mortifying! ]

Please forgive me as well, Dendro Archon! If I had known we were having an audience with you, I would have given you the respect you deserve.

[ Now that he's lowered his glaive, Nahida visibly relaxes, feeling the tension in the air dissipate. He might be a Harbinger but at least he's reasonable and for that, she knows they'll be willing to talk. ]

It's quite alright. I'm not asking for respect, I'm just curious about you two. Now please, could you tell me exactly who you are?

[At least, they're not in danger. If anything, with the Dendro Archon here, they're even more safe than before, which is a huge relief on Childe's part. The glaive is dismissed into the ether, and with one deep breath, the dark armor begins to crumble and dissipate like sand in the wind off of his body. Moments later, in the place where his monstrous form once stood, is Tartaglia looking like his normal self, eyes closed as the last of the Foul Legacy Transformation finally flicks off of him and into nothingness.

He switches into diplomat mode as quickly as he can switch to battle mode, keeping his attention on Nahida and paying no mind to Yoimiya. He doubts there's much Yoimiya can do that would anger this particular archon, so he's not worried about it.]

You'll have to forgive us, Archon. I'm number eleven of the Fatui Harbingers, codename Childe. And this is Miss Naganohara Yoimiya, of Inazuma. We're here as sort of refugees, seeking temporary asylum from an outside threat that's been following us from Snezhnaya.

[That pretty much sums it up, he thinks. It's more likely Nahida knows why they were allowed in Vanaranara, so no need to sum that up.]

I'm guessing my little stunt there disturbed the peace here, didn't it? My apologies, I hadn't meant to frighten anyone.

[Nahida looks thoughtfully at the both of them, trying to gauge Childe more than Yoimiya. He is the most dangerous one here in her opinion, but she's curious as to what could possibly be so threatening that even he, with that power, would have to hide.]

You both shook up the Aranara quite a bit, and I sensed a lot of peculiar energy coming from this realm. But, apology accepted. At least I know that the forest isn't in danger. Maybe we can chat a little more somewhere else? This realm isn't safe either to have a discussion.

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