she is in the tree at the park, which you can probably tell because of her stupid arm danglies that are coming down out of said tree. hopefully it is not too much of a shock when she hangs out of the tree abruptly and holds out a packet of tabasco to jonas.]
He's absolutely right. [ he's not going to tell her otherwise because it's funnier. ] You didn't scare me. Surprised me, yeah, a little, but scare is a very different thing.
[that's fair, i think people should simply tell her the wrong thing always.]
I was testing your reflexes. [this might be a little teasing, actually.] ... Hm, no, I just like it up here. It's the closest thing to the mountains I've found so far.
I guess I got a C-. [ shenhe doesn't know what grades are, but it's okay. ] Makes sense though. We're in a city surrounded by a bunch of buildings and nothing else. This is probably really different than Teyvat?
anyway she doesn't know what grades are so she just assigns jonas C- in her head like yes this will be relevant information eventually]
I think that it isn't much different from some places. Mondstadt and Liyue Harbor are similarly full of people and businesses, and while the technology here seems to be much different... I can see how it would feel familiar.
I live in the mountains, however. I've found it difficult to acclimate.
It's not different from places I've seen, too, but you aren't the first to tell me you feel unsettled here. [ thinking... ] Oregon's...got a lot of trees and lakes and mountains and stuff, but there's still cities. We're just surrounded by a lot of farmland, too.
Beautiful. [she answers.] When you rise with the sun, the world is painted orange and pink. The dew on the grass is cold and sweet, and the wind is bracing. I wish that I could show it to you. I think everybody should see it at least once.
It sounds...really calming. [ which is something. he lives in a place that isn't exactly a huge urban metropolis but there's still something to be said about mountains and being away from terrible things, or places where your life is constantly in chaos. ] No wonder this place is hard to get used to.
[ ... ]
Think there's room up there for one more? [ how big is our singular tree. he feels weird just standing here talking up at her, but also imagine it's like just a small tree like the kind that're on sidewalks around here. ]
[she nods a little, in response to the first part. she's trying, but there's so much about this place that just sucks in general that she can't quite get past.
but when he asks if there's room, she reaches down without hesitation. idk how big the tree is it's a large tree the size of a small tree.]
There is. [and she'll just pull him up into it if he lets her! she's pretty strong even when nerfed.]
[ WE DID IT. now we harass pixi into destroying ikea furniture to build an actual treehouse. ]
Thanks. I might hide out here when I really don't feel like doing what we've been doing. [ let him have his decompression tree. both of you stop claiming the tree. ]
So...Liyue's at the base of the mountains? Nahida told me a little about Sumeru. [ and they both mentioned teyvat, so he's figured that out. ]
I will make sure nobody bothers you if you do. [she tells him, settling down in the branches. depending on how close he is she'll lean against him, because touch week.]
It is. It borders Sumeru, but I've never been. [she says, looking out over the city.] I only recently even visited Liyue Harbor.
[ the real w0 kill is us bc pixi murders us for asking. also help she is. so serious about it? he looks a little surprised by it, but he is not surprised by the way she leans against him for some reason. hm. weird. he settles and adjusts a little so she's more comfortable. ]
Don't worry too much. I can take care of it. [ but he doesn't linger on that. ] Tell me about Liyue Harbor? Must've been an important reason to visit if you left the mountains to go.
[shenhe isn't good at really... sensing how other people are feeling, or how their emotions work. but words help, and she remembers when people tell her things. hiding out is what she does when she's overwhelmed, so... if he needs space, she can make sure that he gets it.
she doesn't really do things for other people a lot, but she's trying to be a little better.]
It's a long story. [she says, closing her eyes.] Liyue was attacked by an ancient god, some time ago, and to stop the attack, the Tianquan sent her Jade Chamber as a projectile. It defeated the god, but it destroyed the structure.
My Master sent me to aid in the contest that was held to rebuild to Jade Chamber. I hadn't planned on getting heavily involved until I met the Traveler.
[ he appreciates that she doesn't pry further, really. like she just kind of gets what he's saying without him actually saying it, and that she so easily answers the question.
he's a little less surprised hearing about ancient gods and everything after talking to half the people here. but there's some stuff that makes sense, too. ]
So...the ruler of the nation threw her house at a god to save the her people, it broke, and you were sent to help out. Had you ever even met this...what'd you call it, Tianquan, before that? And who's the Traveler?
Yes. And... no, I had never met anybody in Liyue. [her voice is a little softer here.] It was the first time I had really spoken to another human.
[sure, she'd had brief conversations with bandits but for the most part - the only people she'd even known in her life were the adepti.]
The Traveler is an extraordinary woman. [uses lumine bc genshin's marketing team can't stop me from liking girls] She came to Liyue in search of her brother.
[she tucks her hair behind her ear.] She is the first friend I ever made.
[ so he gets that her master is maybe a different kind of god, but he's not going to ask entirely. that's shenhe's story to share if she wants. ]
Then that must've been kind of scary, actually. [ any new situation like that would be enough to unnerve a person. bless lumine though. he just accepts that this woman solely goes by a title considering vash the stampede and livio the doublefang are running around. ] She must be special if you're actually calling her a friend.
[ he doesn't know shenhe well, but...he can sort of guess they're similar in the way that they only sincerely throw out the word "friend" in serious situations. ]
[god jonas really is so normie but he's taking all this buckwild shit like a champ]
She is. [special, shenhe means. she thinks that maybe friend is a concept she'd like to reach for, but isn't always sure how to approach.
as for the rest:] A while. I had no interest in the competition - I was only there to deliver sigils, but I wanted to help the Traveler. So I did. She stayed for a while after the competition... we saw an opera together.
[ look sometimes you spend a whole night dealing with pissed off ghosts and getting possessed repeatedly and then turning around to wake up dead. eventually you just have to stop thinking about how fucking weird shit is. ]
It's not a bad thing to want to help a person, even if you aren't friends right away. It's...sort of a basis for making friends, I think? And it means becoming closer friends with people anyway. [ ...although. ] An opera?
she thinks about that, though. it's not a bad thing to help people - that's what yun jin said, sort of. that the fact that shenhe was thinking about trying meant that she was closer to being the person she wants to be than she thought.
she swings her legs gently back and forth in the air, slow.]
It was called The Divine Damsel of Devastation. The opera.
[ he doesn't rush her for whatever she's thinking, at least. ]
What was it about? [ maybe that's easier for her to answer. except, hm, wait. ] Maybe that part's less important. Sometimes you can see something you absolutely don't like watching or even really understand but still like it because of the company you're with.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
w0, MONDAY
she is in the tree at the park, which you can probably tell because of her stupid arm danglies that are coming down out of said tree. hopefully it is not too much of a shock when she hangs out of the tree abruptly and holds out a packet of tabasco to jonas.]
For protection.
[ok]
no subject
Ahh!! Jesus, Shenhe, what are you--[ and there is a packet of tabasco. okay. uh. ] T...hanks? Guess this could come in handy.
[ he can squirt tabasco into someone's eyes, he guesses. ]
no subject
Yes. Wolfwood informed me that it is a weapon of great repute where he comes from. [uwu] Did I scare you?
[she's still hanging out of the tree.]
no subject
He's absolutely right. [ he's not going to tell her otherwise because it's funnier. ] You didn't scare me. Surprised me, yeah, a little, but scare is a very different thing.
[ tree... ]
What're you doing up there?
no subject
I was testing your reflexes. [this might be a little teasing, actually.] ... Hm, no, I just like it up here. It's the closest thing to the mountains I've found so far.
no subject
I guess I got a C-. [ shenhe doesn't know what grades are, but it's okay. ] Makes sense though. We're in a city surrounded by a bunch of buildings and nothing else. This is probably really different than Teyvat?
no subject
anyway she doesn't know what grades are so she just assigns jonas C- in her head like yes this will be relevant information eventually]
I think that it isn't much different from some places. Mondstadt and Liyue Harbor are similarly full of people and businesses, and while the technology here seems to be much different... I can see how it would feel familiar.
I live in the mountains, however. I've found it difficult to acclimate.
no subject
It's not different from places I've seen, too, but you aren't the first to tell me you feel unsettled here. [ thinking... ] Oregon's...got a lot of trees and lakes and mountains and stuff, but there's still cities. We're just surrounded by a lot of farmland, too.
[ he tilts his head. ]
What're your mountains like?
no subject
Beautiful. [she answers.] When you rise with the sun, the world is painted orange and pink. The dew on the grass is cold and sweet, and the wind is bracing. I wish that I could show it to you. I think everybody should see it at least once.
no subject
[ ... ]
Think there's room up there for one more? [ how big is our singular tree. he feels weird just standing here talking up at her, but also imagine it's like just a small tree like the kind that're on sidewalks around here. ]
no subject
but when he asks if there's room, she reaches down without hesitation. idk how big the tree is it's a large tree the size of a small tree.]
There is. [and she'll just pull him up into it if he lets her! she's pretty strong even when nerfed.]
no subject
...not a bad view, actually. I can see why you're hiding out up here with your weapons. [ tabasco... ]
no subject
It's at least a little like Liyue. [she says wryly.] You are welcome up here at any time.
[don't just claim the tree]
no subject
Thanks. I might hide out here when I really don't feel like doing what we've been doing. [ let him have his decompression tree. both of you stop claiming the tree. ]
So...Liyue's at the base of the mountains? Nahida told me a little about Sumeru. [ and they both mentioned teyvat, so he's figured that out. ]
no subject
I will make sure nobody bothers you if you do. [she tells him, settling down in the branches. depending on how close he is she'll lean against him, because touch week.]
It is. It borders Sumeru, but I've never been. [she says, looking out over the city.] I only recently even visited Liyue Harbor.
no subject
Don't worry too much. I can take care of it. [ but he doesn't linger on that. ] Tell me about Liyue Harbor? Must've been an important reason to visit if you left the mountains to go.
no subject
she doesn't really do things for other people a lot, but she's trying to be a little better.]
It's a long story. [she says, closing her eyes.] Liyue was attacked by an ancient god, some time ago, and to stop the attack, the Tianquan sent her Jade Chamber as a projectile. It defeated the god, but it destroyed the structure.
My Master sent me to aid in the contest that was held to rebuild to Jade Chamber. I hadn't planned on getting heavily involved until I met the Traveler.
no subject
he's a little less surprised hearing about ancient gods and everything after talking to half the people here. but there's some stuff that makes sense, too. ]
So...the ruler of the nation threw her house at a god to save the her people, it broke, and you were sent to help out. Had you ever even met this...what'd you call it, Tianquan, before that? And who's the Traveler?
no subject
[sure, she'd had brief conversations with bandits but for the most part - the only people she'd even known in her life were the adepti.]
The Traveler is an extraordinary woman. [uses lumine bc genshin's marketing team can't stop me from liking girls] She came to Liyue in search of her brother.
[she tucks her hair behind her ear.] She is the first friend I ever made.
no subject
Then that must've been kind of scary, actually. [ any new situation like that would be enough to unnerve a person. bless lumine though. he just accepts that this woman solely goes by a title considering vash the stampede and livio the doublefang are running around. ] She must be special if you're actually calling her a friend.
[ he doesn't know shenhe well, but...he can sort of guess they're similar in the way that they only sincerely throw out the word "friend" in serious situations. ]
How long did she stay in Liyue with you?
no subject
She is. [special, shenhe means. she thinks that maybe friend is a concept she'd like to reach for, but isn't always sure how to approach.
as for the rest:] A while. I had no interest in the competition - I was only there to deliver sigils, but I wanted to help the Traveler. So I did. She stayed for a while after the competition... we saw an opera together.
It was nice.
no subject
It's not a bad thing to want to help a person, even if you aren't friends right away. It's...sort of a basis for making friends, I think? And it means becoming closer friends with people anyway. [ ...although. ] An opera?
no subject
she thinks about that, though. it's not a bad thing to help people - that's what yun jin said, sort of. that the fact that shenhe was thinking about trying meant that she was closer to being the person she wants to be than she thought.
she swings her legs gently back and forth in the air, slow.]
It was called The Divine Damsel of Devastation. The opera.
no subject
What was it about? [ maybe that's easier for her to answer. except, hm, wait. ] Maybe that part's less important. Sometimes you can see something you absolutely don't like watching or even really understand but still like it because of the company you're with.
no subject
You're right. Company can make all the difference.
I don't mind telling you about it, though. It's a nice story. But I wouldn't want to bore you.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)