Whoa— you're seriously already playing sides in this place? Yeah, I'm currently harmonized as a Zenith because I need to be able to use my powers. A Meridian died to save me because I had no access to my abilities, and like hell am I ever letting anyone ever do that again.
[ he sounds extremely bitter and humiliated at the last sentence, but that feeling melts away quickly. ]
Edited (ahh sorry bracket was missing) 2022-12-21 01:23 (UTC)
[ there's a bit of icyness that starts to come from his side. ]
So, what, then? You actually believe in what the Tribune has to say? You hate him less than Yima? You just like being a warmonger and fighting with everyone that dares bother you while they're looking for their own answers?
Come on, tell me what I should be pledging my allegiance for since you're so sure about what's going on here.
I do not tell other people where they should pledge themselves. Nor am I a warmonger.
[She isn't a proselytizing monk. She is not here to tell people that Meridian is the right choice. ... Just that believing in Zenith's philosophy is the wrong one.]
But I refuse to believe what that Yima woman preaches. My world, all those worlds- They cannot be gone. So yes. I will throw my lot in with the Tribune. And I will respect the wishes of that man, Manon.
He said that he fled to Meridian, and so it is to Meridian that I delivered him.
[She had waited to make the final decision until consulting with Liem, to confirm with him that she had heard what she thought she had... but she will take full responsibility for that choice.]
I hope beyond hope you're correct about those worlds.
[ he's quietly thinking now, although his standoffish nature seems to be easing off. ]
Thank you, that's all I really wanted to know.
Now, the real reason I'm here. I want to get to the bottom of what happened to Manon without the political bullshit that's already in the air. I feel that regardless of which side 'wins' the debate on his fate, that we won't be given full answers from either party.
I can't make you, but I would like you to consider working with me behind the factions to get to the bottom of this. That way there's no argument on what the truth is or isn't. Manon's situation may be something that we all should be cautious of. This information needs to be revealed without political incentives.
And yet you serve the woman who preaches their death.
[She does not understand it. And she will not forget it so easily. She listens to what he says, but-]
What assurance do I have that this is what sort of man you are? You say you have come barking at me after hearing somehow of my deeds from a woman I did not tell of them... so how do I know you will not go racing back to her with anything that may be uncovered?
...Not all of us can carry the hope of a hero, anymore.
[ the feeling coming from him on his end is something festering like salt on a wound, but what that wound is is not identifiable. ]
You don't want assurance; you want to be proved right that I'm the piece of shit you already decided I am. You would never take the time to know me for any assurance whatsoever. It's looking like I was stupid for reaching out for your help, but I'm not that stupid.
Do you really believe Yima and Cyrus don't already know everything I'm asking you to help me find out? I don't believe that at all. Because I'm pretty sure you and I both know that no one ever comes to the rescue when you need it most. No one ever helps or saves anyone when they need it most. Especially not the people who act like they want to help for absolutely no reason at all.
[The feeling in her own communion is not dissimilar. Apparently, she does not imagine anyone would call her, or anything related to her, "heroic" without meaning insult.]
And do not tell me what I want or what I would never do, when you have spoken to me one whole minute long.
The only stupid I am calling you is stupid for thinking any sane person wouldn't question your motives or your allegiance when approached out of the blue by a stranger who serves the woman they do not.
And I am not stupid. So I ask again- What assurance do you offer that will make me wish to work with you?
Hmph. [ it's not mocking, exactly, since he really doesn't know anything about it, but it's just as fine to him if she thinks of it that way. but—
—she hasn't cut off the link with him. Inhaling slowly he takes a deep breath on his end. Fine, he'll say the only two things he has right now. ]
My word and my honor as a warrior. I will say this once, and never again—What you do with this information is yours to decide: I never break a promise. And I am promising one thing right now to you: when we are working together for this cause, I am serving no one else but myself.
[A warrior. She has no reason to believe anything she is told from a stranger in this place... but she would have respected a warrior, if she had ever been able to live the life she once thought that she would.]
And what sort of warrior are you, Childe? In your proper world.
[ he question gets a sincere pause on his end, curious almost before he asks honestly: ]
You sound... almost like him asking that question. I don't know how he wants me to answer, still... How do you? I'm technically a knight and a leader of an army, but usually someone asking that question to me seems to be looking for something more profound than that.
[ His edgy and volatile emotions seem fine; on the other hand Hayame probably can't miss how his demeanor and sincerity seems a lot clearer towards her. As much as he insisted he was here for her help and, thus would be interested in her specifically, it is clear (at least compared to now) that wasn't really all that true before. As one would expect of a stranger approaching an indubitably on an 'opposing side' it was an interest of necessity and one he didn't want to have, Privacy allay having expected conflict.
Now though, he does seem interested in her insight, like a child almost might ask a teacher. Not that he thinks she's older or any sort teacher, but she does sound like she might come from a place where being a warrior meant something, like all those ancient legend of heroes his dad used to tell him as a boy. ]
[She detests this vagueness. But it is perhaps not surprising that she does. She does not come off as a woman who likes so much as tolerates, who does not feel joy so much as she feels a lack of anger.
As for the way she means to ask about him being a warrior...]
I am an archer, and a jinba. I hunt, I track, and I retrieve.
If you are a general, I suspect you are accustomed to being obeyed. But I will not take orders from you, should we work together on this. Not unless I acknowledge that you are my better or the more versed on the effort at hand.
Ah, just some guy from back home, his name is Zhongli. I would definitely bore you telling you about him.
Oh, I'm an archer most of the time, too. If you're dedicated to it, maybe you'd be willing to help me with my form sometime?
As for people obeying me, don't worry, we're equals through and throb, especially here. I give orders back home, yeah, but I prefer to be on the battlefield alongside them, so it has never gone to my head or anything. And this isn't home.
[Why the hell is he telling her about some guy from back home, then... ? Hayame does the mental equivalent of a squint... and then moves on. With a tch.]
If you need help with your form then perhaps I should be the one giving orders.
[... She does not quite get why a leader would want to be with his troops. That's not the point of a general.
Besides,]
I highly doubt we use bows of the same type.
[... Mainly because she's seven feet tall and her bow is six.]
[ he didn't mean to it just came out! Anyway, he's much more friendly (chipper) now that she's taking more to him and send to at least be considering working with him. Easy to please, maybe? ]
Sure, sure~. You can give the orders if it's that important to you; but if we get fucked in any manner, you'll have to automatically take full blame instead of 50/50 defaults as equals.
—Ah, good point. [ yeaaahhh he might do a Pikachu face when he meets her for real and sees how big she is even though he did technically see her in Liem's communion, no big deal. ]
[... Pass. But she does know some of those names. And unlike this sudden arrival in her... gods damned head... She trusted some of them. Enough for this, anyway.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ he sounds extremely bitter and humiliated at the last sentence, but that feeling melts away quickly. ]
no subject
[Her response this time is sharp and fast.]
And I do not pledge my allegiance for coin or because I am useless without "powers".
[Honestly, he should be bitter and humiliated if that happened to him. At least that makes sense.]
no subject
So, what, then? You actually believe in what the Tribune has to say? You hate him less than Yima? You just like being a warmonger and fighting with everyone that dares bother you while they're looking for their own answers?
Come on, tell me what I should be pledging my allegiance for since you're so sure about what's going on here.
no subject
[She isn't a proselytizing monk. She is not here to tell people that Meridian is the right choice. ... Just that believing in Zenith's philosophy is the wrong one.]
But I refuse to believe what that Yima woman preaches. My world, all those worlds- They cannot be gone. So yes. I will throw my lot in with the Tribune. And I will respect the wishes of that man, Manon.
He said that he fled to Meridian, and so it is to Meridian that I delivered him.
[She had waited to make the final decision until consulting with Liem, to confirm with him that she had heard what she thought she had... but she will take full responsibility for that choice.]
no subject
[ he's quietly thinking now, although his standoffish nature seems to be easing off. ]
Thank you, that's all I really wanted to know.
Now, the real reason I'm here. I want to get to the bottom of what happened to Manon without the political bullshit that's already in the air. I feel that regardless of which side 'wins' the debate on his fate, that we won't be given full answers from either party.
I can't make you, but I would like you to consider working with me behind the factions to get to the bottom of this. That way there's no argument on what the truth is or isn't. Manon's situation may be something that we all should be cautious of. This information needs to be revealed without political incentives.
no subject
[She does not understand it. And she will not forget it so easily. She listens to what he says, but-]
What assurance do I have that this is what sort of man you are? You say you have come barking at me after hearing somehow of my deeds from a woman I did not tell of them... so how do I know you will not go racing back to her with anything that may be uncovered?
no subject
[ the feeling coming from him on his end is something festering like salt on a wound, but what that wound is is not identifiable. ]
You don't want assurance; you want to be proved right that I'm the piece of shit you already decided I am. You would never take the time to know me for any assurance whatsoever. It's looking like I was stupid for reaching out for your help, but I'm not that stupid.
Do you really believe Yima and Cyrus don't already know everything I'm asking you to help me find out? I don't believe that at all. Because I'm pretty sure you and I both know that no one ever comes to the rescue when you need it most. No one ever helps or saves anyone when they need it most. Especially not the people who act like they want to help for absolutely no reason at all.
no subject
[The feeling in her own communion is not dissimilar. Apparently, she does not imagine anyone would call her, or anything related to her, "heroic" without meaning insult.]
And do not tell me what I want or what I would never do, when you have spoken to me one whole minute long.
The only stupid I am calling you is stupid for thinking any sane person wouldn't question your motives or your allegiance when approached out of the blue by a stranger who serves the woman they do not.
And I am not stupid. So I ask again- What assurance do you offer that will make me wish to work with you?
no subject
—she hasn't cut off the link with him. Inhaling slowly he takes a deep breath on his end. Fine, he'll say the only two things he has right now. ]
My word and my honor as a warrior. I will say this once, and never again—What you do with this information is yours to decide: I never break a promise. And I am promising one thing right now to you: when we are working together for this cause, I am serving no one else but myself.
no subject
And what sort of warrior are you, Childe? In your proper world.
no subject
You sound... almost like him asking that question. I don't know how he wants me to answer, still... How do you? I'm technically a knight and a leader of an army, but usually someone asking that question to me seems to be looking for something more profound than that.
[ His edgy and volatile emotions seem fine; on the other hand Hayame probably can't miss how his demeanor and sincerity seems a lot clearer towards her. As much as he insisted he was here for her help and, thus would be interested in her specifically, it is clear (at least compared to now) that wasn't really all that true before. As one would expect of a stranger approaching an indubitably on an 'opposing side' it was an interest of necessity and one he didn't want to have, Privacy allay having expected conflict.
Now though, he does seem interested in her insight, like a child almost might ask a teacher. Not that he thinks she's older or any sort teacher, but she does sound like she might come from a place where being a warrior meant something, like all those ancient legend of heroes his dad used to tell him as a boy. ]
no subject
[She detests this vagueness. But it is perhaps not surprising that she does. She does not come off as a woman who likes so much as tolerates, who does not feel joy so much as she feels a lack of anger.
As for the way she means to ask about him being a warrior...]
I am an archer, and a jinba. I hunt, I track, and I retrieve.
If you are a general, I suspect you are accustomed to being obeyed. But I will not take orders from you, should we work together on this. Not unless I acknowledge that you are my better or the more versed on the effort at hand.
[Maybe it wasn't so deep after all.]
no subject
Oh, I'm an archer most of the time, too. If you're dedicated to it, maybe you'd be willing to help me with my form sometime?
As for people obeying me, don't worry, we're equals through and throb, especially here. I give orders back home, yeah, but I prefer to be on the battlefield alongside them, so it has never gone to my head or anything. And this isn't home.
no subject
If you need help with your form then perhaps I should be the one giving orders.
[... She does not quite get why a leader would want to be with his troops. That's not the point of a general.
Besides,]
I highly doubt we use bows of the same type.
[... Mainly because she's seven feet tall and her bow is six.]
no subject
Sure, sure~. You can give the orders if it's that important to you; but if we get fucked in any manner, you'll have to automatically take full blame instead of 50/50 defaults as equals.
—Ah, good point. [ yeaaahhh he might do a Pikachu face when he meets her for real and sees how big she is even though he did technically see her in Liem's communion, no big deal. ]
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I do not need an explanation from you of what being a leader means.
[Tch. Like she hasn't led hunting parties before. "Led".]
Who else have you accosted to join this group of yours?
no subject
Meridians Liem and Vander.
Zeniths Rosaria and Barnaby.
I only officially proposed to Liem so far, though. If I couldnt get you and him on board, there was no point.
no subject
Very well.
Tell me when you plan to start preparations.