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TEST DRIVE MEME #1
1. now it's fun to wake up in a strange chateau
[you wake up.
it doesn't matter where you were before. going to bed? dying? opening the door to face a great evil? same result. you wake up in a soft bed with starched sheets in a cool, darkened room, sunlight peeking out from behind thick curtains. maybe you're alone; maybe you aren't. maybe you immediately notice the folded paper on the bedside table near your head. if you don't, you better fix that real quick: you won't be able to even open the door before you read it.
the note itself is written in a neat hand on white card stock; there is a stylized logo of a ship with the words SERENA ETERNA printed underneath. the note reads as follows:
Dear Passenger(s),
As your cruise director, it is my great honor to welcome you aboard the Serena Eterna, your destination for fun and adventure! We know you could have chosen any cruise line for your vacation, and we're very grateful you chose ours! On behalf of the Captain, I would like to assure each and every passenger that will we do whatever it takes to fulfill all your needs and desires during your journey with us.
At your earliest possible convenience, please attend the mandatory lifeboat drill by the end of the day. I'm sure everyone is very eager to get started on all the fun and sun, but safety always comes first! You can find your life jacket in your cabin's closet; carry it to your assigned muster station on deck one, where I will take you through the drill. If you can't find me in the crowd, just look for the gal with the winning smile!
See You Real Soon!
Sincerely,
Gal Friday
you walk to deck one. you have no other choice: every time you try to step in a direction some unseen being considers "not towards deck one," you find your legs no longer move, staying stock still, frozen. whether compelled quickly by curiosity, or delayed by pure stubbornness, the result is the same, and you are left milling around with other similarly curious or stubborn people.
you see someone in uniform near the front of the crowd. she seems to be a gal, but is missing the winning smile, along with most of her other features. she seems to see you, though, rushing to your side and placing a lei around your neck with great formality. a voice, cheery but artificial, sees to come from nowhere and everywhere.]
Welcome aboard! We're so glad to have you!
[you touch the lei. rooster feathers, lotus seeds, and a carved circle of something white and hard, linked onto a silk string.]
2. messing with my mind was fun at the time
[freshly lei'd, your legs are forced to lead out onto the deck and towards your muster station. the same woman is there, carrying a clipboard. this time, she introduces herself as Gal Friday, the cruise director, before immediately going into the muster drill spiel. it is very boring, and you are not allowed to move, except when you are required to show you know how to put your life vest on. you could try to not do this, but Friday will move to stand in front of you very closely and just. look in your direction until such a time that you decide to do it. and I'm sure your fellow passengers want you to just get on with it, too.
but, once it ends? she reiterates her desire to welcome you aboard. and, then, you're free.
well, free to move about the ship at your own leisure, of course. which is a kind of free, and probably the best one you can hope for. you could try to escape, maybe, if you have the means to; Friday certainly won't be one to stop you. that's what the barrier is for, after all.
but, wouldn't you much rather have fun?
the buffet is full. the pool is open. the casino jingles and chimes.
welcome aboard.]
3. lots of mystery in the history of the devils I knew
[you were never alone.
a few days have passed since you first arrived on the Serena Eterna. perhaps you've made yourself a little routine, and settled in a bit. or maybe you haven't done that at all. either way, you're here, and it looks like somebody is pretty pissed off about it.
it starts small. sometimes nearby plates skid off tables, or a pool chair upends while you're walking next to it. and sometimes that chair is aimed right at your head. objects are moving with quickly increasing frequency, and a wide variety of styles: some are dropped, or pushed, and others and others are tossed, but a few of the items are thrown, with great force and odd accuracy. if Friday is around during the lighter moments, she simply titters and cleans up whatever mess is made. if a pot of soup sails off the buffet line and nearly drenches you in boiling minestrone, she simply walks away.
and then there's the voices. hundreds, maybe thousands, calling out. not all are intelligible English, but you seem to understand them anyway. some sound scared, or angry. some are screams, others whispers. some sound entirely strange, while others are achingly familiar. and they're all saying the same exact thing:
Get Out.]
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Yes. How could I miss the opportunity to see rare stones that may not exist in Teyvat? This is a rare chance that is truly hard to come by. [ he moves to walk by Childe now, only adding to his words as their shoulders barely brush against each other in the process. ] Anything beyond that, I am sure you would rather discover on your own.
[ As much as he would love to say he's really simply ogling shiny items like he would back home, it's not quite the case here. ] I am heading to the next shop now. There are so many to visit, an old man like myself needs to get a head start.
You are welcome to come, otherwise I will not be offended if you choose to continue with your own agenda. [ It doesn't seem as if Zhongli is tired with Childe, angry at him, or anything of the sort. It's merely typical distance between mere acquaintances, like when they first met in Liyue.
Polite, cordial, and brief in public. There's no sense holding Childe and his time hostage. ]
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but it's not as if he's really looking for anybody, not like there's anyone here he'd be keen on seeing aside from the Traveler, and he imagines that if they were here he would have long since spotted that familiar head of blond hair. aside from Zhongli and Childe's own kin there wasn't really anyone here he was keeping an eye out for.
past grievances aside, Zhongli is/was mostly dependable. having an ally like him to face the unknown would be a smart decision so long as Zhongli didn't hog all the fun and kill steal him at every opportunity.
so he laughs a little at the jostling, the sound just barely edged in amusement. it's easy and familiar to fall into step beside the other man as they make their way out of the shop and he'd be more mad that it's almost second nature if he didn't have other things to worry about. namely - where they were going. ]
You know, for someone who's been kidnapped you're awfully calm. You don't worry over what's happening to your precious Liyue while you're away?
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Liyue does not need me to protect it—thus I am no longer necessary. I have full faith in its people's ability to carry on through the unknown. [ there's a momentary pause as Zhongli comes to watch the cards dealing themselves at one of the tables, the ex-archon clearly fascinated by the situation. He continues speaking. ] Besides... with the Tsaritsa now having what she wanted, Liyue is no longer a place of interest for the Fatui, yes?
[ everything else Liyue must learn to take care of by itself. That doesn't mean the Adepti will not come to its aid should it be necessary, so Zhongli is feeling quite at peace with leaving it to spread its wings whether he is there to witness it or not.
Zhongli shifts his attention to look at Childe, his head tilted the slightest bit. ]
As for being calm... are you not the same, Childe?
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[ it was practically the Fatui base of operations and he knows for a fact that there are still operatives roaming the mountainsides. at least, that was knowledge he'd been made aware of prior to his departing the city. though nowadays he's unsure what it might have become, with the Liyue Qixing extracting reparations for the harbor.
the casino itself is definitely something he's never really had much experience with, although he's familiar enough with the nature of cards to recognize a few of the games being dealt. there are a few people already seated at tables here and there in a small semi-circle, tapping for hits or else flipping up the smallest edges of their cards as though wary of someone sneaking a peek. the shuffling of casino chips is a monotonous white noise to the whole room, easily able to drown out the mutters and murmurs of those engrossed in their games.
it's absolutely boring. ]
I don't think that's something I can answer. I don't speak for Her; I am only a means to Her ends.
[ it's said with the utmost conviction, as if this is something that has been ingrained in him since birth. ]
As for my being calm... how else do you expect me to act? Do I seem like the type to start screaming and throwing a fit when thrown headlong into unknown danger? Really, Zhongli. I thought we were friends.
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Zhongli doesn't seem to understand the concept very well of the casino and all its games, although he is familiar with gambling parlors in Liyue. Luckily, for all his failings in responsible mora usage, Zhongli is not much of a gambler. He is not interested in the currency, only what the currency buys. He observes the cards for a few moments longer, attempting to discern if they are truly dealing themselves with something akin to magic or if there's some sort of supernatural entity behind the motions. It's only once Childe speaks with that unwavering loyalty that he pulls his attention elsewhere and continues wandering through the casino and all its offered flair and temptations. If nothing else, the architecture is quite interesting.
What gets him to turn his attention back on Childe are his last words once he reaches the bar in the casino where drinks and food are for the taking. There is the slightest hint of a rueful smile. ]
You and I... we are friends, and our motives for that friendship have always been the same.
[ Zhongli is careful to make it easily sound like he is saying they are really not friends at all, considering how they used one another as means to their own ends. It's an easy assumption, one that most would run with despite it no such thing being actually said. In other words, the truth is that Zhongli remains silent on their status as friends, and truly, how can he do otherwise? It's possible both of them had been sincere in the friendship despite both initiating it for their own gains. It ended in betrayal, but that betrayal can have nothing to do with an actual friendship forged. There's nothing personal. Zhongli doesn't know how sincere Childe was, however, and he certainly is not going to reveal if the "friendship" was real to him or not. He is overall emotionally inept, but not void of emotions entirely. A heart of stone is still a heart nonetheless. He can feel loss, regret, and the despair of knowing what was viewed a friendship as real was merely part of the motions for a goal rather than a curious and unexpected side effect of mutual interest.
He does suppose, however, that statement warrants an additional acknowledgement. ]
...In light of that, while you were the aggressor and none of it would have come to pass if not for your actions, reflection has convinced me that I do owe you an apology. My intent was not to betray our friendship or any trust that developed unexpectedly.
[ Again, he's careful because... he will never know what Childe is truly thinking or feeling. As much as he wishes otherwise, he understands that there are depths in that mind and that soul that even a god cannot reach—at least not any god that the Harbinger hasn't pledged his loyalty to.
(—And even then, concerning Her... who can truly say?) ]
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it's probably testament to the nature of their relationship - all the easy little half-truths, the subterfuge and the deceit they'd both utilized with each other (less maliciously on Zhongli's end, though that's still debatable) - that Childe doesn't question him nor does he ask for him to elaborate. if the former Geo Archon had any consequential plans after the Osial incident that revolved around the protection of his precious city, it was probably something that he wasn't going to go to any great lengths to execute.
of that, he was pretty certain. even if their previous interactions had all been a farce, enough of Zhongli's personality had bled through enough he'd like to think he had a good read on him.
that still didn't mean they were friends. no matter that it was Childe who had brought it up first.
it isn't as if there isn't anything there - a begrudging respect, only enough to be deemed appropriate for an Archon that he hadn't sworn loyalty to and who had come out of the war with a good number of kills tucked under his belt (victories, kills, whatever) - but Childe isn't going to go out of his way to deepen anything between them, either.
still, old habits die hard, and falling into step beside the old man as he makes his rounds about the casino is something he'll have to try hard to shake. even being away from Liyue for so many months hadn't completely quashed what had become instinct by this point. ]
That's not much of an apology, you know. You didn't even say sorry.
[ it's hard to tell whether he's joking or being serious. with the straight-faced manner that he delivers the next line, perhaps it's a bit of both, the corner of Childe's lips curving into a wicked, crooked smile. ]
But if you really want to make it up to me, I won't say no to a fight.
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There is a moment of quiet at Childe's request, keeping his attention on the other's face before accepting. ]
Very well. I do not see a reason to deny you.
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it's as he thinks that Zhongli is just going to spend the rest of their exploration staring at him that the man speaks, and while they aren't really the words he'd expected to hear there's a welling of excitement within him regardless.
but Zhongli had never agreed to it before - rather, Childe had never gotten the chance to ask him, now that he thinks about it - and he wonders if maybe this isn't Zhongli's attempt at trying to adapt to a moral man's sense of humor. ]
Be careful with your jokes, Zhongli. It's rude to get someone's hopes up, you know.
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Is this something you desired immediately or the coming days? Either way, this is an inappropriate place to cross weapons. [ therefore they must move to a different location, so Childe might as well follow along. ]
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[ the way he lingers behind is telling, as though giving some sort of weight to the idea that he'd willingly throw down in a crowded casino, damn anyone else that might get caught in the middle of it. whether it's because he's itching for a bout with Zhongli or the fact that he really is just that mad to so casually disregard anyone else is uncertain. it's probably a mixture of both, honestly. ]
I don't see anything wrong with making this our battleground. Of course, if you're scared that you won't be able to go all-out like you want to, I understand. [ he'll take a few steps in Zhongli's direction, but doesn't really keep the goading from his tone. ] After all, it's probably been a couple thousand years for you, right? You must be pretty rusty.
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[ Zhongli asks, and while there's no emotional hint to go on in his voice, if Childe manages to see his face he'll see the consultant's nose is wrinked ever so slightly as if he's detected a sudden and unpleasant odor. ]
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[ though it wasn't as if he hadn't led Zhongli to that particular conclusion, like leading an animal to water. as much as he felt unsuited for the types of scheming and plotting the Fatui and his fellow Harbingers usually got up to, that didn't mean he wasn't capable in roundabout, petty ways like this. he was just a little more aggressive in his prodding, especially when a potential fight lay on the line.
that expression is interesting, and it's telling that Zhongli is so calm and collected that seeing anything aside from the sort of look the suggests a state of deep, tranquil thinking at all times is cause enough for concern. ]
What's the matter? Something wrong?
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[ as destructive as childe can be, Zhongli can't help but be genuinely curious what the other is thinking for the bed to attempt provocation. Is he really really so intent to create a total mess that it must be here, or does he somehow feel if he doesn't enter the fight immediately, Zhongli will deny him?
Or, could it be something entirely different? ] While we have mentioned my reasonings [ true or not ] I do not understand your own for feeling a need to fight right here.
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[ his tone is goading, eyes challenging. it's as if he wants to rile Zhongli up enough that he puts his all into the fight, that he doesn't stay his hand when it comes to meting out punishment against the "rascal from Snezhnaya". it's just as easy for the god to walk away, he knows, but how often does the opportunity come up to see the crack in Zhongli's veneer of composure? he had to at least try.
Zhongli is so calm. he's infuriatingly calm. Childe wants to see him come apart and really go all out against him because, despite everything, he knows that he could take Zhongli in a fight. it's simply another challenge, isn't it? so long as he had the opportunity to even face off against him, he knew he had a chance. ]
Are you trying to stall or something? You're asking more questions than I thought you would.
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I see. Shall I make a contract with you over it, then? It is rather unnecessary to me as it is occuring at our immediate destination, but if you require the assurance I will not leave you before the fight is concluded, then so be it.
[ Without waiting for the answer, he will turn and start walking, expecting the other to follow. He will not let Childe get under his skin here, about a fight no less. He expects the Harbinger to follow, and if Childe hesitates, there will be a rather firm, "Come."
Just to reaffirm him he is not walking away, even without a contact. Even so, it takes two to tango and Childe must follow. The sooner this is over the sooner it can be laid to rest. ]
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[ Though should he be surprised, given Zhongli's old moniker? Probably not. Old habits were hard to break, especially if they'd been around for six thousand years or so. It was probably like trying to break himself of his penchant for fighting, his thrill for a conflict and the potential to better himself. What else was there in life if not a constant flow of improvement?
He didn't want to even imagine. Just the notion of it made him restless.
When Zhongli turns and begins to walk, Childe hesitates for perhaps a fraction of a second before he follows. It's not as if he's reconsidering or anything like that; far from it, in fact. He just can't believe Zhongli is actually humoring him.
The casino is given one last cursory glance before they're out the door. He's not sure what Zhongli means by "immediate destination", or if he had something in mind that wasn't just outside the corridor and hopefully no one would stumble upon them as they duked it out. ]
Where are we going?
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Zhongli is fine with answering the direct question, however. ]
To deck seven, specifically the place called the Sports Deck. It seems to be a recreational area, but of course the passengers have more important things to concern themselves with than using such a place. [ what that suggests about the two of, however, well.. ]
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it's a three deck ascent, the walk taking them past several eateries and pools and bars. it's all familiar territory, all things Childe himself has examined over the past few hours. ]
You've been through all the decks in this ship, then? [ he's fine with walking in silence, but given that it's Zhongli it feels weird to. ] See anything interesting?
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[ Zhongli walks with a steady purpose, not so quickly that he seems to wish to get there in a hurry but also not so slow as to suggest he intends any detours. As they start climbing the stairs to the next deck, Zhongli will offer something more. ]
One thing of note, however, is that we are in an enclosed space rather than an open world. As of yet, I cannot tell if the enclosure moves along with us like a shield in a radius about the ship and will open way to more places when we are closer to them rather than in the sea; but, once you leave the ship, you can only get so far before being physically barred.
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[ for all that he knew, they were all trapped here. it wasn't as if he hadn't tried to break the barrier himself, first with his physical strength and then with his wielded elements. in the end it had all been for nothing.
he can only imagine how Zhongli might have come to the same conclusion. somehow, he seems far too composed to have jabbed into the barrier with the point of his spear, and as far as brute strength went... well. that suit didn't really leave much room for flexibility, he thinks. he's half expecting the former Archon to shed it like a second skin before their bout. ]
So, essentially, it's like a mobile cage. I wonder where we're going.
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Zhongli nods to Childe's words. ] I am most surprised that they will not tell us the name of our destination, as surely none of us would be privvy to its nature if they are attempting to keep it secret.
[ once they get to deck six and can step outside, the weather seems decently pleasant despite their unsettling situation. ] I also wonder if this "cage" is responsible for the spirits inhabiting this ship.
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I wouldn't be so sure. Given that a majority of us seem to come from different worlds, I wouldn't be surprised if they're hush-hush about the whole thing on the off chance that someone might actually know it from experience.
[ there wasn't any identifying markers, of course, but that didn't mean that people couldn't find familiarity in a name.
as they step out into the sunlight, Childe's arrested with a sudden feeling of peace and nostalgia as the rays of warmth light on his hair and face. it's enough for him to bask in it, momentarily forgetting that he was following Zhongli and causing him to break out into a short little jog to catch up with him as the man continues. ]
You think they're the spirits of all the people that couldn't get out? I suppose as the funeral parlor consultant you would know, huh?
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Zhongli considers Childe's opinion and finds his thoughts sound. Zhongli would not think of it, but humans seem very eager to make known what is unknown. Finding a similarity in a name of one place they have never been to with that of a place that they share an emotion to may allow them to manifest that emotion about the unknown. That gives a little bit more feeling of control if one knows how they should act towards it. ] Yes, you make a good point. I did not think of that.
[ Zhongli will walk, leading them along the deck in order to finally reach stairs to the smaller deck just above it.
As Zhongli walks forward and further into the area, he materializes momentarily the Memory of Dust, letting it float over this outstretched palm. There is a hint of melancholy seen in the ex-archon's now glowing eyes as he observes it even as it becomes obvious one of his jade barriers is forming around the entirely of deck seven. ]
They are unable to pentrate my barrier, therefore I cannot fathom their ability to escape beyond the other. It is an idle pondering at best, of course, with no way to find out the truth, currently.
[ The Memory of Dust rises hovering on away from Zhongli to the top center of the jade barrier, as if to oversee the battle before it disappears. There's a thick brilliant sheen that spills from the top of the barrier and around like shooting stars before they fade to a dull, pulsing yellow.
With that, Zhongli begins the process of unbuttoning his coat. ] This will assure no interruptions and contain the sounds of battle so curiosity does not bait an audience.
[ also no one will accidentally get hit with anything if someone or something is knocked off the deck.
once his coat is off, he folds it neatly over one arm before moving to a not-far-off bench to leave it there. ]
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[ geo resonance and all. but Childe doesn't doubt his abilities and his experience make him a formidable opponent in his own right, even when facing off against someone who had countless millennia of battle history tucked under his belt. there was a reason why Morax was collectively referred to as Liyue's martial god in many of the transcripts he'd read, a reason why he was still an imposing, indomitable force despite the defensive nature of geo itself.
he's excited just thinking about it.
as he watches Zhongli move to lay his coat out of the way of whatever imagined paths of destruction the god envisions, Childe himself takes up his position a few paces away. his usual handicap with the bow goes ignored for the moment; against an opponent like Zhongli, it would be an insult not to give it his all.
(though, he'd be lying if there wasn't a part of him that wanted to, anyway, just for the chance to lord it over him on his victory).
still, even as he sets his hands on his hips, watching as Zhongli makes his way back to their makeshift battleground, he can't help but to try provoking him again. it's less serious this time around, more teasing, like the idle banter they had before their mutual games of trickery and deceit. ]
What's the matter? Don't want anyone to see you lose?
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[ Zhongli declares such in a cool and confident tone. Just because he chose to not meet Childe on the battlefield (or Osial) does not reflect his confidence in his once-position as the oldest Archon. Perhaps Childe does not wish to make the connection, but the reason a deal was forged in the first place was because even the Tsaritsa knew there was no hope of taking his gnosis unless he willingly allowed it. It is interesting, though ,for someone who is so hungry to fight strong opponents that he fails to understand what he is up against. Perhaps the docile nature of Zhongli has confused Childe or led him into a false assumption. Or is it that Zhongli no longer has his gnosis that gives the boy an inflated boost? No matter.
Vortex Vanquisher solidifies from the glow of geo energy in his hand before he beckons to the Harbinger with his free one. ]
On the contrary, I would rather not humiliate you in public. I am assuming from your demeanor this defeat will be hard for you to swallow as is. I am not so cruel as to compound on it.
Come, Harbinger Eleven. Strike me down for your Queen, if you can as you claim. [ the glow in his sharp gaze and his tone of voice already say Childe can't.]
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