A/N: ...weekly update, as promised.
Well. That was a vacation, yet it was also not a vacation.
Visiting family was nice and all, but I got henpecked half to death by everybody.
You don't visit often enough they say, you should come by more often. Nevermind the fact that I live across the country.
In any case, I returned home and marathoned most of Sumeru. Scaramouche's quest was quite the surprise! Still working through the story quests.
That said, can anyone see this? Site is still broken it seems. NO NOTIFICATIONS FOR NEARLY WEEKS NOW. At least the app works, so there's that. Alas, it seems site notifications are busted at the moment. Folks get them in the app, but not on the web browser, which is becoming a proper pain for some of us. Hopefully they'll fix it soon...though it has been almost a month with no response about the emails...
In other news depression's starting to hit real hard these days. Even after fifteen years of being on this site, Sometimes I wonder why I do anything at all. I can't claim to understand what's going wrong with my head. I don't even know why! One moment I'm fine, then my mood craters for a few hours, then I'm back again for a bit, and the cycle repeats. Its rather annoying; as though I've become a prisoner in my own mind sometimes. Sure, what's one more mental problem on the pile. Not like I don't have enough, what with already being this old. Feels like every day is a battle sometimes. My doctor is of no help at all. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
*siiiigh* Don't mind the rambling of this geezer...
Now for the Q&A. Apparently folks wanted it back so here it is. We'll keep it brief this time:
Q: You gonna fix the date for the Sabzeruz Festival? Dates don't quite line up.
A: Noticed that, sorry. Meant to say month last chapter, not a week.
Q: Faster updates! Move, move move! Give us Elden Ring!
A: ...patience. I only just got back from vacation. Ronin is sick again, Slifer won't be back for about a wee, and Dark primarily betas when I have a chance to send something. Haven't heard from Dylan in awhile, so no idea what's happened to him. Meanwhile, I' trying to work with the Patient One on Wordplay,, as well as update Rogue Heart with Agurra of the Darkness.
In conclusion, I'm a very busy fellow. I can't just update Elden Ring 24/7, though the updates for that are coming.
Q: ...you do realize Dehya doesn't have cat ears, right? That's just the way she styles her hair, kinda like Keqing. Who we haven't seen yet! Where the heck is Liyue?!
A: Yes, I did realize she does not, in fact, have cat ears. Its going to be something of a running joke in this story.
Liyue and Inazuma will be saved for later; they're due for quite the arc...
To say nothing of Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhynya. That'll be fun.
Q: Do you know about the spoilers for Fontaine or the new archon they revealed-
A: SHHHH! I only know the barebones and Sumeru was already spoiled for me, something which irks me to this day. I'm only just now dipping a toe into the waters of Fontaine. Have mercy.
Q: Please save *SPOILER* and *SPOILER* not to mention poor *SPOILER* especially after she defied fate!
A: What did I just say?!
Q: You do realize you're not done with Sumeru, right? The lore-
A: Yes, yes, I'm aware of King Deshret, the Irminsul issue, the desert, and all the rest. Worry not.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this should remain a story. Simple as that.
As ever, I own nothing at all, no quotes, references, themes or memes.
They're tributes to legends far, faaaar greater than I, one and all~!
Verbatim and spoilers for Sumeru, but that's obvious by now.
Now we see the ripples of Naruto's meddling...
...and ohohoho there are a lot of 'em...
Here we go~!
"You know, I just looove being underestimated. Even now! It always makes me smile, ya know.
Azar and those idiots thought they knew true wisdom, rather, what a true sage was.
They didn't have a clue; didn't even scratch the surface. Here. Lemme show ya.
"Wait, show me whaaaoooohmysweetarchonshowareyoudoingthat?!"
"See, that's it, right there! That's the look! Never gets old!"
~The Moment.
A True Sage
Sumeru was changing
For better or for worse, Nilou couldn't be entirely certain, only that it was.
Even now she struggled to wrap her head around it all; such was the speed with which her world had been altered.
It felt like only yesterday that the Grand Sage himself had come down from the akademiya to harass her and the other performers in the Grand Bazaar, threatening them with censure or worse if they didn't disband before next month's Sabzeruz festival. She'd felt so small then, so utterly defeated, all her arguments made meaningless before his rigid dogma.
Now he was dead.
Dead, devastated, denied, desiccated, destroyed, and many other words that began with the letter "D". There had been no trial, no judgement, only summary execution. Nilou...wasn't quite sure how she ought to feel about such a sudden demise. On the one hand Azar been an awful man and she was glad to be rid of his ilk, but on the other she was a gentle soul, one who didn't delight in death and disliked killing as a general rule. Perhaps he'd deserved his untimely end. Perhaps not.
That was for the Archons to decide, not her.
Although...after hearing the Gods of Anemo and Dendro read out a long and lengthy list of the man's crimes before the Akademiya, she found herself leaning toward the latter. Insurgency and treason against Sumeru's Archon and crimes against the state were bad enough, not to mention human trafficking and inhumane extermination-but the intent to sacrifice their own god to a new one?
Heresy wasn't a big enough word for what the people felt. Not even blasphemy could suffice.
How could one possibly plot against such a pure being like Lesser Lord Kusanali?
It was just...wrong.
To that effect, they didn't just destroy the former Grand Sage, but rather ruined Azar's reputation for all of Teyvat to see. Now all of Sumeru would remember him and his cronies as the Great Betrayers forevermore. Some like Setaria had shown contrition and been spared due to their relative lack of knowledge on this, but such instances were few and far between. The sage's scheme had run deep; as such the rot must be excised. Execution and exile became commonplace as each and every traitor was ripped out of the akademiya, root and stem.
Try as she might, Nilou couldn't bring herself to feel bad for them.
Sumeru's long lost God of Wisdom had returned, and while her mercy was great, the Anemo Archon was not so kind to her betrayers.
That said, he was perfectly pleasant to most everyone else, herself included.
Nilou prided herself on remembering every last little detail about anyone, even if it sounded completely trivial. As such, she liked to help out wherever she could, if only because everyone else here took such good care of her. It made her feel...impossibly guilty sometimes. Such were her feelings toward the current Anemo Archon.
Naruto Uzumaki had swept into Sumeru like an orange maelstrom and turned everything on its head.
With his declaration, the Zubayr Theater need never fear closure ever again.
Surely that was worth a little chaos?
At first she felt like she owed him something for that, like she was indebted to him, so much so that she found herself thinking of ways to repay him. It took her some time to realize that by simply observing him, or rather listening to what he had to say, she could save herself both time and a headache.
So she did just that, and by doing so, her eyes were opened, in more ways than one.
The Anemo Archon was an enigma to most. He'd taken Sumeru by storm, upheaving centuries of tradition to return their Archon to them, summoned the General Mahamatra back to the city and clapped him on the back -much to Cyno's confusion!- and swiftly set about making so many reforms that it threatened to make her head spin.
Yet did he demand praise?
Nope.
Tribute?
Not here.
Adulation?
Not a once.
Any compliment paid unto to him was swiftly redirected to Lesser Lord Kusanali -she was so small, so adorable, so cute!- whom he seemed quite intent on protecting, watching over her the smaller Archon like a smiling shadow. Always encouraging her, urging her one, never once contradicting her as she spoke with her people. Even now she could scarcely believe her eyes and ears. How could one man be so humble? He truly was one of the bravest, kindest most passionate people she'd ever met.
Even if he could be a...little scary sometimes.
"Sharif, was it?" the Archon's voice drew her back to reality, causing her to pause in her preparations for the festival. "You're starting to annoy me. No, you can't speak to Nahida right now; as I said, she's sleeping." she dared to peer over the stage and sneak a peek as she heard his voice rise. "Its me or nothing. Now what do you want?"
"It is not so much what I want as what i need...
Nilou's heart sank into her stomach. Oh, no. She'd forgotten all about Inayah's father.
If there was anyone remaining in the Akademiya who could see them shut down, it was Inayah's father. The man seemed to hate them almost as much as he did his "disappointing daughter"...
Naruto scoffed suddenly, responding to something she'd missed. "Shut down the theater
"What?" The scholar sputtered and adjusted his glasses. "Lord Archon, I beg you pardon, but this theater is worse than a distraction." he flung up an arm at the stage above them. "It is an eyesore, an insult to the very notion of the Akademiya. It must be closed down at once-
"Nope." the Archon smacked his lips and shook his head in blatant dismissal. "Not happening. Go write an essay or something if it bothers you that much."
Inayah's father sputtered with all the indignation of a scholar who didn't know how to have fun. "Do you have any idea who I am?!"
An annoyed blond brow rose. "A pain in my ass is what you are."
"You dare?! The Dendro Archon shall hear of this!"
"Oh, I'm sure she will. Now get OUT!
A swift kick to the posterior sent him sailing out the bazaar, to the delight of many.
Nilou hid a small smile behind her her hand, then joined in the applause that followed.
Yes, things were changing. She wondered if he'd share a dance with her when the festival began...
(.0.0.0.)
Paimon was Paimon.
Simple, right? She liked simple; because simple was good. She'd be the first to admit she wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box -was that the right saying?-but even she could see that something was going on in Sumeru, something big. She wasn't sure what exactly, but it was something!
It made her want to rush ahead of the others and fly there herself, but she couldn't do THAT because there were monsters and she was just a poor little Paimon.
Naruto was doing things. Changing things. Helping people. That was good! Really, it was! She just wished he was doing it with her; he'd kept his word and sent a bunch of shadow clones right back, but it wasn't the same. They were all distracted at the moment, and they weren't him.
Still, they were getting closer! She could see the city from here.
It would be great to see him again.
She couldn't wait~!
(.0.0.0.)
Cyno was wary.
Not by nature, but practice.
...alright, maybe a little bit of nature on his part.
But could one blame him? As General Mahamatra it was his solemn and sacred duty to discipline those who broke the tenets of the Akademiya. He was the one who meted out justice, punishment when necessary. It was he who commanded the rest of the matra and kept them to their tasks, preserving peace and order in Sumeru.
Azar believed otherwise.
"The power of the General Mahamatra is granted by the sages. You have no right to judge us."
Those were his words, his dismissal. Cyno had realized then, that to the Grand Sage, the matra were nothing more than tools; weapons which the sages used to assert and maintain their control over knowledge. The vows that they took, they principles that they strove to uphold, they were meaningless to the Akademiya of today. With that it mind he had fled, believing it wise to hide and take the investigation into his own hands...before the sages took action against him.
In hindsight, he'd thought it a sound idea at the time; that this way, they would no longer see or predict his actions. He had sworn never to give up on his work, that there was no need for someone else to give him power or authority. Once he found the truth he would administer judgement and justice by his own name and bring both crashing down on the grand sage's head...
.
..
...but none of that mattered now.
Because you see, Azar was dead. Him and his conspirators, slain in a single night, reduced to bloody puddles upon the floor. With their deaths, their minions were rounded up, exiled and executed wholesale. In the wake of this chaos had been invited back to the city by the Dendro Archon herself and, if word was to be believed, she had another Archon guiding her.
He hadn't wanted to believe it at the time; it all seemed too good to be true.
But then he'd met the man -God?- and things changed.
So yes, Cyno was wary...or had been.
He was not Alhaitham; he did not live to seek wisdom for wisdom's sake. He was a warrior. He knew how to fight. He knew the look of a liar and when he'd met the Archons, neither of them had such a look when he finally met them. Quite the contrary, They were all too happy to welcome him back with open arms; better yet, they were true to their word and reinstated his position with full honors.
Then they let him loose on the Akademiya.
He had cleansed much corruption these past few days. Many scholars been exiled, others executed, more jailed for their offenses. Azar's corruption ran deep. For a time, the halls ran rather scarce of scholars...until the doors of the school were flung wide open, allowing a plethora of new students to apply and refill their ranks. Each were thoroughly vetted by him personaly and though dark rumors of him abounded, Sumeru flourished.
Not once did Lesser Lord Kusanali reprimand him for his work.
The Anemon Archon had even clapped him on the back and thanked him!
It baffled him. Had their Gods truly been among them this entire time? If so, he would gladly serve them for the rest of his days...
A distant clatter claimed his attention. He looked up from sharpening his spear and found one of his matra was escorting a thoroughly battered, bruised, and bespectacled man with brown hair. Judging by the state of his glasses, he looked like he'd run face first into a wall. He vaguely recalled his name. Sharif, was it? Poor bastard must've crossed the Anemon Archon. Naruto was a kind man, but merciless to his enemies. This fool should count himself lucky he still had his fingers.
He tilted his head to regard the surly scholar. "Another one for the cells, then?"
His subordinate saluted happily. "Yessir!"
Cyno hid the ghost of a smile.
There was work to be done.
And work was good.
(.0.0.0.)
"I had a lovely dream last night."
Naruto rolled over in his cot, mildly amused to find Nahida sitting on his chest, green eyes sparkling in the early morning light. She'd just planted herself there and pinned him down like he were some sort of human chair. Lucky for her he was too comfortable to move right now or he'd give her a tickle attack she'd not soon forget.
Kurama snorted at him for his laziness. "Softy."
"Hey, hey. Don't ruin my rep.
"Sof~ty~!"
Mildly bemused, he turned a weather eye to the pale goddess currently perched atop his heart. Did you now?
"Mmm." she nodded, then launched into a colorful explanation. "I was siting in the middle of a flower terrace and everyone in the city was holding hands as they danced rounded and around, and they looked really happy. Oh!" she snapped her fingers, recalling something else. " I got to sit on a gigantic flower carriage really high above the ground while the Knight of Flowers threw Yalda candies to the children. And you were there, too! You were wearing a mask for some reason...
This was how it should be; a joyous time when everyone got together to celebrate her coming birthday.
He snorted a little at that. "Strange dream. Looking forward to the festival, are we?"
"I am!" she bounced one atop his chest, drawing a grunt from him. "The connection between the two of us is frankly amazing. Its like flora and the fence it grows upon." a pause followed, and he knew at once that she was up to something again. "Although you've helped me with lots, there's still one thing I hope you can assist me with...
He had an inkling and frowned. "Nahida, no. You have to go outside today. The people need to see you."
"Awww...!" She drooped atop him like a wilting flower, then tried to rally. "But if everyone sees me they'll all be quiet and stiff! What if I end up scaring them and ruin this wonderful feast? That's the last thing I want!" she latched onto his shirt in a fit of panic. "You have to go with me!"
That...was not what he expected. "Eh?"
She wasn't letting go, was she?
This might be a problem.
"Don't blame me," Nahida giggled merrily, not relenting for a moment. "The flora also climbs up the fence to get closer to the sky~!
"You and your analogies!" He tried to sit up, only for her to latch onto his shoulders instead. "Lemme go!"
She buried her head in his chest with a happy hum, forcing him back down. "Never~!"
Well, darn. Seemed he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
Naruto sank back against the headboard with a sigh and absently steadying the little goddess against his knee, one hand to her back as a father might hold a young child. He was under no such illusion. Despite her young appearance, he knew full Nahida was older them him, eclipsing him by centuries.
Oddly enough, the thought brought him some small comfort.
"They're calling you the hero who managed to rescue a God." she prodded his ribs with a finger. "I'm quite fond of that; it not only explains your identity, but also serves as a witness to your relationship with me."
Relationship, eh? He wasn't quite sure what theirs was just yet, but he was willing to wait until she regained her true form before he tried anything. Wouldn't do to be untoward. If she wanted to cuddle for now, however, then he'd not stop her.
"Will you stay awhile?" he looked back down and found those guileless green eyes seeking his once more. "Things are going to be busy for awhile with the approaching festival. We only have two of the six sages remaining as well, and I need to oversee their replacements personally, not to mention the matter of Irminsul...
"My friends should be arriving any day now," he replied. "They might be able to help speed things along," then he saw her smile. "Or was that your intent all along?"
Her small smile became decidedly impish. "Maaaybe? I'm also curious to meet your other paramours."
His face went red. "Greedy girl." She really wanted to keep him here, didn't she?
"Greed is like wisdom. Such is life, and such is humanity," she sniffed before launching into another analogy. Or was it a metaphor? He couldn't tell. "Whoever has tasted the joys and sorrows of life in the human realm is human. Whoever has loved and lost, cried with grief, howled with rage at the tragedy of death that eclipses the miracle of life...they are human too. And speaking of living!" her brow furrowed as she turned a very cross look upon him. "We need to talk about what you did yesterday!"
"Whoa, hey!" he raised a hand to ward off her sudden fit of temper. "Why are ya lookin' at me like that?!
"You know why. Eleazar is a manifestation of the withering on the human body and we can only cure it by finding a way to take care of Irminsul's own withering. However!" She thrust a finger into his chest. "What you did was dangerous! Effective yes, but dangerous all the same. You mustn't try that again."
Why not?" If he could heal people, it stood to reason that he should, and he said as much.
For some reason, that seemed to make Nahida terribly sad.
"Naruto, you took the Eleazar into yourself and neutralized it. How many times can you do that before you contract the disease itself?"
He lifted his chin, defiant. "I won't catch it."
"You say that now, but how can you be sure?" she pressed a hand to his collarbone, just above his beating heart. "Ignoring this would be ignoring the safety of my people for my own selfish goals. How is that any different from what the sages were doing?"
...fine." He tried to argue out of habit, then paused. "I won't say I'll stop, but I will be careful." of course, he didn't hesitate to change the subject where he could. "Look at you, being all clever and wise." he mussed her hair with one hand, drawing a wine from her. "Spoken like the true goddess of Sumeru~!"
She flushed at that, her pale face turning a deep rosy red as she squirmed atop his knee. "Stop that, you're embarrassing me...
Together they settled back down in comfortable silence, content to bask in the morning sun.
He knew it could last. They were both far too energetic to remain quiet.
...are we really going to take Dottore's advice?"
"Maybe." Nahida squirmed a little, looking like she wanted to crawl into his lap, then thinking better of it. "We're in the dark as of now, since we still don't know anything about the Fatui's goals, any rash move might tip them off and lead to terrible consequences. There might be a reason they want me to regain my former self. Then again, their might not"
"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you."
She puffed out her cheeks in an adorable pout. "Thinking is what I do!"
His brow furrowed, recalling something. "Is that why you gave Dunyarzard that vision after I healed her?"
Nahida hid a giggle behind a small hand. What can I say? I've always liked observing all kinds of people, and she stood out in the crowd. As for giving, well." she touched a finger to her chin, briefly sounding far older than she looked Well, its not quite that simple. There are other rules involved that you don't know about, but suffice to say intent is one of the key concepts.
Intent? Key concepts?
His world spun a little at that. "Ha?"
"You'll understand someday." Now it was her turn to pat his head. "I'm sure you've already handed out a least one Vision without even realizing it!
(.0.0.0.)
A continent away, Teppei sneezed.
And in sneezing, he accidentally conjured a storm.
Laughing nervously, scratched the back of his head and regarded the light green vision hanging from his belt...
(.0.0.0.)
"You've really put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?
"Hehehe," her smile was contagious. "Its my duty to protect Sumeru's citizens after all. Think of it lie this." she held up a finger, lecturing him anew. See, this is why wisdom alone cannot answer all questions. We look, we see, and we comprehend, but the question still troubles us. In the end, the answer is not everything. People yearn to find the truth and then conquer the troubles they face."
"But when you give someone the truth, you give them a chance to choose their own destiny, and the freedom to use it.
"Correct!" She beamed at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "Well done. Never forget that even when we walk beneath dark clouds, along a road filled with suffering, the light of wisdom is always thee, guiding us toward a better destination. Changing the world, changing the past, changing the fate of other people...these are not easy things to accomplish."
"Even so, I'm gonna try.
Nahida laughed and cuddled closer.
"I'm sure you will, my Archon. I'm sure you will...
(.0.0.0.)
Curiosity often proved to be the most dangerous thing in Sumeru.
Be it academics or knowledge, everything had its boundaries. If those lines were crossed, the rules and order that governed everything in the world would be destroyed. He'd lived his life according to that philosophy and it had served him well for now. But here...it was as if a miasma of misery had been lifted from the Akademiya. Curious. Even from here, he could see the festivities being prepared, hear the voices raised in merriment. Just what had changed while he was away?
He was both a scribe and scholar.
He had to see the truth.
He simply must know.
(.0.0.0.)
Scaramouche seethed.
He didn't want to, but he just couldn't HELP himself; the knowledge of his failure raged in his brain, rich with mockery, drenching his every thought in dark shadows. He gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists, dug his heels into the ground, and resisted the urge to rage. It was so tempting to snarl and shout and scream, but he mustn't. He mustn't, no matter how tempting it might be...
Instead, he turned his fury on the fore before him.
"What do you mean the plain failed?" he nearly choked on the words. "We've barely begun-
"Just so." Dottore replied. "Azar and his allies are dead."
"You're certain?"
"Quite so." The ghost of a smile quirked his visage as he reclined in the seat opposite him. "The Tsaritsa has ordered me to cease any and all aggressive actions against the Dendro and Anemo archons at this time. But the same cannot be said for...other parties."
Tch. He could see what the bastard was getting at. He wasn't stupid, no matter what that good for nothing doctor might thing.
If that damn Dottore wouldn't help him with his plan, he would find a way of his own.
He had to. He must. If only to rid himself of this human filth in his chest.
He would be purified.
Free.
A/N: Aaaand scene. There we have it!
Sumeru does NOT wan to let me go, gotta get the gang from Mondstadt but noooo the Archon quests keep sucking me in!
Hope you enjoyed this; its rare that I write a dialogue heavy chapter. Now then, should this be moved to a weekly update? Yay or nay! Really need to hear from you this time.
Once more, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story? Well...I'll not continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore. My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Right then, as ever, Reviews are love, Reviews are Life.
Reviews keep me safe from any and all strife.
So in the immortal words of Atlas...
...revieeeeew, would You Kindly?
Enjoy these humble previews.
Next time: Forget Me Not.
As ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
(Preview)
"PAIMON MISSED YOU!"
Naruto didn't bother to brace himself; he knew full well
His little travel guide struck him like a starry
A few enterprising souls had been curious enough to take him up on
Truly there was no fast travel like shadow clone fast travel; his doppelgangers could carry people as well as gifts. Granted, it wasn't the most comfortable ride
Ergo, Sumeru City saw a sudden influx of guests, much to the curiosity of the Akademiya.
Beidou had fobbed him off with an excuse about swinging by later
Right, Mondstadt. We'll be right back. Give us a day, yeah?
"Alright, stand to, people! We've got a country to fix!
Nilou's dance was..beautiful.
Best get out of here before there's trouble.
How cute.
Was this how Orochimaru felt when he stared them down in the Forest of Death? A master facing three idiots, utterly out of their league. He could appreciate the irony, if he still didn't have the best opinion of said snake sanin.
And what kind of trouble would that be?"
This kind! The bruser growled and threw a punch straight at his face.
Naruto rolled his eyes and tossed Nahida straight up into the air, sending her flying out of harms way with a shriek. In the same moment he bent backward, leaving his spine nearly parallel with the ground as the punch passed him by and drove a leg upward into the one place no self-respecting warrior wished to be kicked. The thug crumpled with a groan, clutching at his groin.
All this, in the blink of an eye, an instant really.
Nahida came crashing down out the sky a heartbeat later, hollering at the top of her lungs.
Naruto caught the little archon with a grin
"Gotcha!~!"
He expected anger, indignation at the very least. Instead she giggled and clapped her hands, utterly delighed. That was fun! Again, again!
Shenhe was on the bandits a moment later.
Poor bastards. They had a bad time.
A very bad time indeed.
Paimonial wraaaaath!"
Collei flinched. "I'm sorry. I don't like being touched.
"S'fine." the amusing archon before her shrugged. "Your just remind me of someone. A certain red-wearing girl with a bow.
Her eyes lit up. "You know Amber?"
"Who is this small child?"
Klee clapped her hands with a delighted squeal. "New friend!"
Jeanne bowed her head. "I...overreacted. For that, I wish to apologize."
Shenhe latched onto his arm. Latched hard, and turned a fearsome pout upon him. "No running off again."
...you're not letting go, are you?"
"No. No, I am not."
"Are you certain you won't go to Liyue?"
Lumine squinted at him. Naruto squinted back. Grinned now.
"Did we just become best friends?"
Blood spattered his face.
His victim laughed. "There he is. There's the monster. You can be surprisingly...heartless...when push comes to shove...
They died in his arms, still laughing.
She went by many names. Lesser Lord Kusanali, the God of Wisdom, Buer. But Nahida. That was hers.
"May I have this dance?"
Furina blinked. She blinked hard.
Oh, jeez. Why was her face so darn warm...?!"
Hold it right there! Blond hair, traveler, and a floating fairy. We've got you alright." the mercenary leader spread his arms with a grin. "Take a look around. You've fallen right into our trap."
Is that what you think this is?
Still wasting time with idle chitchat, are ya? We'll shut you up soon enough.
Lumine took a deep breath. You dishonor your heritage.
Excuse me?!
No, she smiled, I won't, but I will beat you black and blue.
Amber stepped back. "Aaaand just like that, you went and flipped her switch."
Lumine giggled. "You get me!"
Alright, I'll bite. What's your angle.
Angle? The Anemo Archon -she couldn't think of him as anything else after that display- tilted his head to regard her as a curious fox might a lone lioness. I'm afraid I don't follow.
Oh, so that's how he was gonna play it, eh? Dehya planted a fist on her hip and cocked her body to the right. Sumeru is run by the wise and ighty sages. To them, us desert dwellers are nothing but tools that can be discarded at their whim. We're cheap labor like livestock, just easier to control.
And you?
Me? As long as I can enjoy every day with a drink i my hand, tasty food in my stomach, and a good night's rest, that's enough for me. I must be the least ambitious person you've ever met.
Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Yet here you are, talking about taking down the wall of Samiel. I don't get you.
Oh, you will~! he grinned. I don't give a flying fig about this king Deshret guy. If he wants to "ressurrect" and pick a fight with me, that's on him. I know gods that would've eaten him for breakfast. You wanna see a god? I'll show you a god. He pressed both hands to the sand and snarled.
"WATCH AND LEARN."
"We just did a good thing, didn't we? So why...why am I crying?"
"Oh, honey. Its alright. Come here...
"What have we done...?"
"We all nestle under the great tree of wisdom, peering out to perceive the world. From the earth and from the rain we perceive its wonders until we become a white bird to perch atop a branch and finally snap off the most important leaf. Once upon a time, I alone dreamed in this world.
In my dreams, everybody would also dream after they fell asleep. Wild and wonderful thoughts would emerge from their minds. Some would tumble to the ground, and others floated to the sky, connecting all things in this world into a dazzling net. Among a plethora of worlds were numerous smaller worlds, all of fate, finding within the tapestry their brilliant glow. I gradually understood that these indescribable and constantly changing things are the most profound things in the world.
Only they can completely repel the madness. Only dreams can awaken consciousness from the deepest darkness. I'm the one who posed this question, yet also the one who sought a solution. Saving the world with the dreams of the people used to be my answer. And now, despite my objections, you've also found your own answer. So I shall return all the dreams to the people.
Goodnight, people of Sumeru. May you be blessed tonight with the sweetest of dreams.
...now that you've done that, you can apologize for making Nahida cry."
"Ehehe, I suppose I'm in trouble, aren't I? How did you do it?"
Never you mind that. Apologize. Now.
"Owww! My ear! Okay, okay!"
Naruto flicked her forehead. "You're acting like a child."
The Shogun recoiled with a yelp, clutching her stung brow. "Excuse me?!"
"Losing your loved ones...yeah, that sucks, I know. Being alone is worse. It makes you want to scream at the world. I can understand that. But this?" He swept a hand up, indicating the desolate landscape around them. "This isn't the answer. I know it hurts. I know you want to hide away from it all. Yet what you're doing here is wrong."
"And what would you know of it?"
"More than you could possibly imagine."
How dare he...! "You cannot even BEGIN to imagine what I have lost."
"You're right." his nod startled her. "I can't. But you don't know me, either. So why don't we sit down and talk this out like adults." those piercing blue eyes glimmered green, glancing to her weapon. "We've got plenty of time in here. Or we could fight." he planted his feet and strengthened his stance, ready to move at the slightest provocation. "Kill each other again and again until death finally sticks for one of us. Is that what you want?
"..."
"Neither, then? Fine. Be a coward. Think about it. You know where to find me when you're ready to talk."
His peace said, he turned his back on her and strode away.
She twitched. "You would walk away from me...?"
A continent away, Venti winced. "Oh, dear. I heard that from here. He's really angry...
...why are you in a tree?"
"Dunno. Why are you dancing where no one can see?"
Ayaka felt heat spear through her face. "You are...a very strange man."
"Lady, you don't know the half of it.
EDIT: Hey, thanks for making it!
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. The recent earthquake in Turkey/Syria serves as a terrible example. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work tonight~!
Maybe you all have a good day, and may it be blessed with muc luck;
~Nz.