Author's Note
Hello again, we are still without a stat fix but I am not without words so here they are! Enjoy!
Formatting this site is giving me headache, and it's not even that hard. Looking back I should have figured out how to write these from one perspective at a time but like, I didn't regard that as a big issue until sort of recently. This one is another 2-for-1
Beidou
"So, all in all, you retreated because of one man?" High General Varka challenged.
The vulture-esque man tapped his long fingernails on the arm of his chair, the heavy black furs over his shoulders shifting as he tilted his head.
What a fucking creep. Beidou crossed her arms and tried not to look visibly pissed.
The members of the council were peering closely at them, and a few of them had the audacity to look disapproving.
"Had we acted otherwise, there was a very real risk that we wouldn't have been doing anything more productive than marching off of a cliff. What he could do superseded all of our expectations, it shouldn't be remotely possible that-" Jean started.
"We're very aware of what he did, thank you, General." High Dean Sinclair cut in, raising her hand. "But what exactly transpired when the hunters engaged? We heard the report, but was it not their entire job to safeguard against such circumstances? This is a tremendous loss to suffer, Jean."
"They reported that what Childe was doing was either nonmagical or in some way shrouded," Albedo informed the room. "They had no such countermeasures against a nonmagical anomaly."
"Have we considered that they just aren't as special as we thought?" the High General cut in once more.
Beidou cracked her knuckles loudly, exhaling slowly through her nose: "No. Not really. I'm personally inclined to trust the people who were actually there."
To her right, Beidou felt Jean shift uncomfortably, and the high general narrowed his eyes at her, but she saw High Lady Eldervine hide a smile and she couldn't much care what Varka thought anyway.
"Regardless, we lost this one, but now we know actually what they can do. Can't we just hit them again, with a force that's more prepared?" the High Lady spoke.
"That would be ill-advised, Madame Eldervine, at least from my side of the room," High Director Lowthe noted.
The director was an impressive figure, dressed in a fine navy uniform over which they had pinned the silken folds of a fine, black, hooded cloak. Of the councilors, Beidou probably disliked them the least.
"Why would you say so, Kaleb?" Sinclair cut in.
As she spoke, the sun shifted into the line of the stain-glass window overlooking the room. Prismatic light cascaded over her ruby-colored hair, and the golden earrings dangling from her feline ears sent bright reflections dazzling over the nearest surfaces. She had nice eyes but everything about the councilwoman was just so noble and clean… she was pretty but she just seemed so refined and poised in a way that made Beidou uneasy.
"We didn't see the extent of what he could do, it would require a great deal of investigation before I would ever feel confident moving forwards against that region," Lowthe, who served as the spymaster, responded; gesturing with a gloved hand to emphasize their concern.
"I agree," the high general followed up.
"If it is indeed as you say," Varka's gaze lingered on Beidou for a moment as he spoke, "...then we need to proceed with caution."
The cynical tone in his voice made Beidou want to just kick his fancy chair over.
"You haven't much spoken, Jared. What do you think of everything before us here?" Lady Eldervine turned to the leftmost chair, where the High Scientist was curled up, not looking as if he was even remotely interested in the discussion.
Jared Rhinedottir was a slender man with high cheekbones and the same sandy hair as his son.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen; I can't help but think back to my, ah… earlier findings if you will. Nonmagical yet seemingly arcane power of unexpected strength… it, well, it lines up cleanly," he began, frowning slightly at the floor in front of him.
Beidou felt Albedo shift slightly at the sound of his father's voice.
"You said that wouldn't be possible," High General Varka challenged, looking closely at the high scientist's face.
"No, no I didn't. I said it wouldn't likely be possible for years, and that it was good that we have stopped their research," Rhinedottir corrected him.
"So you were mistaken then?" the High Dean pressed him, sounding mildly worried.
"It is, ahh, it is possible… I suppose, that what we found was older than we thought… and that they have been continuing elsewhere with the project," the scientist proposed.
"I'm sorry, what's up?" Beidou called out. The council fell silent as her voice echoed throughout the elaborately-furnished chamber.
What had these creepy high people been keeping from them?
Varka looked mad for nothing again. Eldervine and Sinclair seemed conflicted, and Lowthe was simply watching Rhinedottir, who, for his part; hadn't even so much as directly looked at anyone else today.
"Perhaps we should explore this possibility in private," the high general proposed, furrowing his thin eyebrows at Beidou.
Beidou felt her temper rising. If this old fucking bitch thought he had any right to keep a secret when he had already risked killing all her men by keeping his mouth shut she would-
"If there has been something the council has elected to keep secret, I think it would be best for at least the generals to know. A great number of people almost lost their lives and perhaps if we had known more; that wouldn't have been the case," Jean spoke out, stepping forward.
She general was frowning and drawing herself up higher where she stood, with one hand draped over the ornate pommel of her sword.
Beidou was kind of surprised. She had never seen the other general pick a fight. The council, however, seemed less enthused.
"I respect your commitment, General, but all in due time. Continue as you would under High General Varka's direction, and while you ensure that our borders are secure, the council will handle this new information. Thank you," spoke the high dean.
At that moment, the door to the chamber was opened by two guards and a slender secretary strode in.
"A message from the front; outpost Ratatoskr has fallen to a Snezhnayan force. Nearby units are already inbound, I have come with the full report," he proclaimed.
The council was stunned for a moment, but then Varka stood from his chair.
"Motion to adjourn," he rasped, raising a thin hand. "We will speak later, generals."
Beidou saw that Lowthe stiffened a bit, but the council motioned for dismissal. Albedo muttered as he turned away, and while Jean was visibly frustrated she too left the room without protest.
Beidou lingered for a moment, scanning the council. Lowthe looked back at her, their expression verging on curious. Beidou met their gaze for a moment, but she was painfully aware that she was now standing alone before the most powerful people outside of Snezhnaya and Inazuma, so she left the council chambers without another word.
Lumine
"So, we're expecting an attack? Who went to address the threat?" Aether asked, leaning his chair back against the wall.
"We don't know. They ushered us out as soon as the message was delivered and said they would speak to us later," Beidou answered, grinding a whetstone down the edges of her trident.
"They could never push this far in but there might be some border action for a bit," Kaeya reassured him.
Lumine nervously flipped her sword in the air and let it dissipate, before repeating the motion. If Childe had continued to press forwards what could they do about it? Maybe long-range threats combined with cyro mages to shut down or steal his resources? What was their plan?
"So, we just hope that we can hold out against him?" Aether implored, tapping the back of his head against the wall behind him.
The three generals had no response and Kaeya just shrugged unhelpfully. The door to the sunrise tavern, having been opened silently, slid shut.
"There may be a more hopeful answer," offered a smooth voice from the front of the taproom.
Kaleb Lowthe shrugged off their cloak and hung it on the coat rack by the door.
"Director? Hi, it's nice to see you again…?" General Gunnhildr began, rising to greet the councilor.
Kaeya shot Lumine a bewildered look but she definitely didn't know why they were here. Wouldn't the council have business to attend to? What could Lowthe want with them?
"It's nice to see you all again as well," the director greeted.
Lumine had never spoken to the director personally, she had only seen them in various meetings and briefings. They had long, bright, blonde hair that was fading in places to a stark white color, and their blue eyes were dark against their pale skin. They brushed the snow from the front of their shirt and gently shook General Gunnhildr's hand.
"I'm sorry for your cool reception earlier, my coworkers can be… judgemental," Lowthe continued.
"Would you like to sit down, councilor?" Kaeya invited.
"Oh, yes; thank you."
The spymaster took a seat beside the group.
"Not a worry, director, we've dealt with the council before," Beidou interjected. "But, is there something we can do for you?"
Only when she really wanted to know something was she ever so polite. Lumine noticed that the woman was actually leaning forwards over the table towards the councilor.
"Well, I've decided that you need to know a little bit more than the rest of the council is willing to tell you. Fortunately, I have the authority to remedy that myself," the director answered. "In short, what Councilman Rhinedottir meant was when he had analyzed some of the findings that were seized from an underground Snezhnayan laboratory in Fontaine. He had concluded that they were researching means to supercharge someone's signature into something far more powerful but assured us that it was near-impossible."
"But, apparently not, because that's how Childe does what he does?" finished Kaeya.
"That's the theory, yes," Lowthe confirmed.
"That would make sense, yeah. It wasn't magic, and he definitely had signature-like eyes," Aether commented.
Lumine looked over at him. She hadn't noticed the eyes but it checked out.
"Can I ask, Director, why are you telling us this?" General Gunnhildr inquired, tightening her gloves slightly.
"Well, we know that the research must have been completed in the capital. They wouldn't move their scientists, especially not Dottore, after we infiltrated that lab. They would have needed all of them- not to mention their equipment, to finish this. The Yunyao Division has been asked to send a party north," Lowthe answered.
"Oh, you don't mean…?" Kaeya began.
"I want this group to handle it. Not only have you faced him, I think that the academy brightest are the best for this job. It might get messier than my spies could handle," The councilor confirmed. "Specifically, I mean to leave this with you; generals."
"Who else will be assigned to the mission besides this group here right now?" Albedo inquired.
"Well, that's not up to me. It's your prerogative, but when you have gathered your party of choice please do come to find me at the agency."
