Childe "I Can Make Her Worse" Tartaglia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
monoceroscaeli) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
insurmountable2022-11-26 09:40 pm
monoceroscaeli) wrote in insurmountable2022-11-26 09:40 pm
Entry tags:
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...]
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...]
no subject
But... huh, the Elder's revelation takes her by surprise. She totally thought he was real and in the flesh the moment they met. The powers lurking within Vanaranara continue to amaze her, she's got questions for the Elder but for now, they need to focus on the plan and get Dottore off their backs for good. ]
Alright, we'll ask Aralauka when we leave the hut. He's been nothing but kind and helpful to us, so I have a good feeling he'll go along with it.
[ There's a part of her that almost wants to ask the gutsy Aramiya or Arajax to join them but it's probably for the best those two avoid Dottore at all costs. She's still baffled that two Aranara resemble Ajax and herself, no doubt the Doctor would also find that extremely suspicious. ]
So, if I'm understanding this correctly, I'll approach Dottore with Aralauka and "introduce" them to each other. And then at some point, we'll hand over the Dendro Archon's fake Aranara to him? How should we go about doing that?
[ Goodness, she hopes she doesn't sound dumb. Everyone in this room is way more intelligent than she'll ever be. Nahida nods her head and brings a hand to her chin to contemplate how they should go about the switch. ]
Why don't we do a "switch"? I could make the fake Aranara resemble Aralauka and then at some point, we'll swap the real one out for the fake.
no subject
That shouldn't be a problem. Aren't the Aranara generally invisible to people, with few exceptions like Yoimiya and myself? If that's the case, then making the swap won't even need an expert slight of hand.
[With the situation seemingly more in favor of their side, Tartaglia is feeling a lot more confident than when they started this. Before Nahida showed up, he had no idea how they would fool Dottore.]
And I noticed that the Aranara seem to have some power over dreams, which seems in line given the Dendro Archon also has power over dreams, [he says with a knowing look towards Nahida.]
I also heard that Dottore's experiment came at the defeat of in infinite samsara loop until the Dendro Archon decided to stop it, thus giving the Traveler enough battle experience to defeat that mech he made once and for all. So...we introduce Aralauka inside of a samsara loop, which will give us do-overs if we mess it up and he sees through us, until we're successful and he buys the story. Once he's released from the loop, we hand over the fake Aranara, which will have been there the whole time. Aralauka just needs to appear inside of the samsara, thus ensuring his safety. What do you say, Lesser Lord Kusanali? Is my plan thorough enough?
no subject
Yoimiya brings a hand to her forehead because this is so, so much information to take in. What the heck is a samsara loop? Did he say there was a mech involved? Do-overs? Huh?? What is all this???? This is why she prefers a simple hands-on approach because information overload is just frying her brain. It's a good thing Nahida is here because she has no idea what Ajax is even saying right now. This is why she is super not cut out for the Akademiya life, sometimes it pays to live a simple life out in the country. ]
You lost me at the samsara loop thing. I'm gonna have to ask you for the synopsis later because I'm so confused.
[ Even the elder Aranara seems to understand everything perfectly. A talking plant knows more than her.... she feels like her head is gonna explode.
Bless Nahida because at least she isn't the sort to poke fun at her lack of brain cells. The Dendro Archon cracks a small smile at Yoimiya, charmed that she's so simple-minded, and now it makes sense as to why she has the power to see the Aranara. ]
I'm impressed at how thorough your plan is, you really thought of everything. If you weren't affiliated with the Fatui, you could easily enroll in the Akademiya with how sharp you are. Anyhow, I don't see a single flaw in your plan so you have my approval.
no subject
But now isn't the time to worry about that. Tartaglia will take that compliment from Nahida, but dismisses the very idea of him enrolling as a student with a wave of his hand.]
I'm flattered. Now, why don't we break for now- we can ask Aralauka for his assistance and put the plan into motion in a few days from now. We've been missing from the Fatui envoy for a few days now already, but we can easily pass that off if we're able to produce an Aranara to the Doctor.
During this time, would it be too much to ask for you to look into Seraphina for us, Archon? Yoimiya and I would be more than happy to assist you with ensuring she's unable to do anything to the citizens of Sumeru.
[Childe's hand comes up over his chest, and his words couldn't be more sincere. He's boiling inside about what that woman has already done to them, too cowardly to come out and face him herself in a one-on-one brawl between them. Instead, she chooses to manipulate him and alter his mind...absolutely dishonorable. Nahida can sense this without having to read his mind, so she nods in agreement.]
I will. Okay. I'll leave it to you two to talk to Aralauka, and I'll be back in a few days to put this into motion. Hopefully we can bring some peace to Sumeru. Goodbye for now.
[And with a little bow, Nahida turns to leave, leaving Yoimiya, Ajax, and Araja the elder. Childe turns to her, breathing out a small sigh of relief.]
Guess all that leaves us is with time to get prepared. I get the feeling I'll need to explain a bit to you, huh?
no subject
It's like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders, she sighs alongside him, turning her attention to Ajax with relief painting her features. Judging from his own sigh, she can tell he's also feeling a little semblance of reassurance for the first time in what's felt like forever. Yoimiya can't recall the last time they were allowed proper rest and with any luck, they'll finally achieve it during these next days. ]
Yeah... a bit. [ She chuckles at her own admission, bringing her hand to scratch the side of her cheek. ] Sorry I couldn't keep up with the conversation, strategizing has never been my strong suit.
[ There's a lot to unpack with everything that was said and Archons she doesn't even know where to begin. For now, the best course of action to take is to recruit Aralauka and get the ball rolling on their plan. ]
Let's talk while we seek out Aralauka. We also can't forget about our promise to prepare a grand feast for Aramiya. Maybe having a discussion after dinner might be better?
[ Because Archon knows if Aramiya is just like Yoimiya, she too will be just as confused. ]
🎀
[Not that he wants Yoimiya to like the guy- better to be wary of him and keep a healthy distance if you're someone like her. It's too bad they had to seek him out for help, but then, if a certain eldritch-style lady would have stayed out of their lives, they wouldn't be in this predicament to begin with.]
Let's go seek out Aralauka. Elder, thank you for hosting us. We'll be off until the appointed day.
[Gesturing to Yoimiya, they both leave to go find their other little friend in the village and make a nice dinner for Aramiya as promised.]