muses-of-teyvat

[muses-of-teyvat]

"Not at all," Nahida assured. Technically, this place never locked down for the night, even if strangers weren't supposed to be able to walk in without thorough examination first. Since the Sages had held control over the Akademiya, a lot of the regulations had been gradually loosened, but paperwork was still required so everything could be kept in order. Some of the staff would joke that all the bureaucracy was left in place only so they could keep their jobs, but they all knew that it was a safety concern above all. As much as Nahida wanted to offer knowledge freely to all who came searching for it, she'd seen time and time again how dangerous the wrong book or wrong capsule was in the hands of those who wanted to cause harm. Or even just those who didn't know how to tread carefully with what they had been granted.

But those types tended to get nervous upon being caught, and Nahida sensed none of that now. More than that, the stranger felt like something else entirely. And curiosity wanted to be indulged. A set of steps of light and curling vines appeared and allowed Nahida to hop up and sit beside the mysterious non-human person. "You're very casual about sneaking past the guards. They couldn't cause any trouble for you even if they tried, could they?" That was something Cyno would be displeased to hear, and Nahida would have to break the news gently tomorrow.

Dangling her legs off the little platform she'd created for herself, she mulled over what she'd already learned. There were few things in this world that were truly ever news to her, and the existence of other realities was not one of them, and yet, this was significant. "Is there a reason you chose this version to visit? And will you be able to leave as easily as you came? A good friend of mine had no issue entering, but has been stuck unable to leave ever since then."

Arevs, don't concern yourself with those snobby scholars! It will do you no good! In another life, the young Tayvetian Samvel Aram had heard nothing but ill of the Akademiya scholars, those jungle-dwellers who looked down their noses at the Eremites who lived freely and liberated within the deserts and oases. Samvel had never cared much, as they lived in ivory towers far away from the world and the young Sumerian was happy with his simple life within Aaru Village.

If only they could see where he was now, alive when they weren't, knowing more than they ever could.

Yet, as he absently traced the leathery spines of the thousands of books contained in one towering bookshelf, the presence of the Dendro Archon drew a soft scoff from the Memokeeper, but it wasn't derisive. Kusanali in his world had been more mature, almost a spitting image of her past life, Rukkhadevata.

"Lord Kusanali, I'm not intruding, am I?" he teased the young Archon indulgently. "I mean, technically, I shouldn't even be here... Those Mahamatra would've been on my ass in two seconds... if they could see me. But, they can't, so it's fine." He turned away from the tomes and inclined his head.

"Not really. I'm just... reminiscing. Been awhile since I've been in Teyvat, just... not this one."

[muses-of-teyvat]

@remembranced radish for you

It was rare for Nahida to be wandering around late at night, considering she preferred to spend the time most everyone was asleep traveling through their dreams. She considered it part of her duty as an Archon as well, to soothe some of the worst nightmares and share in their simple joys.

But tonight, she'd taken some advice and sought out peace and quiet to think, walking through the echoing halls of the House of Daena, her eyes glowing faintly in the dark as she did not need to bother with a light.

She wouldn't have been surprised to find a scholar or two still awake and researching even at this hour... but what was surprising was the fact that this person was floating next to one of the taller bookshelves. And... giving off an energy she could not quite place immediately.

Nahida frowned up at them curiously. "Are you looking for a specific book?"

[muses-of-teyvat]

i sometimes feel like i make Zhongli talk too much, and then i have to remind myself that this is Zhongli, who will dump an entire book's worth of fun facts and observations on people at any given time

and, really, this level of eloquence and educated speech is what makes him so reminiscent of an Ancient Chinese scholar (and ruler!)

if he didn't spout poetic similes about the silkflower trade, Rex Lapis wouldn't have been nearly as revered as an Archon (and, on a meta level, he wouldn't have carried the necessary gravitas especially Chinese audiences would expect from what he symbolizes as a character)

[muses-of-teyvat]

Ah, yes. Zhongli talking for a real long time sounded par for the course. When Ajax had first met him, he'd barely gotten a sentence in during their initial tour of Liyue Harbor, the old archon all too happy to share a flood of facts and anecdotes. It had made more sense, in retrospect, how much he loved his nation, and Ajax had never minded learning. One could gain many advantages just from listening, usually more than from chatting away without thought.

"... it wasn't there before?" Liyue Harbor was old. The oldest still inhabited city in the world, in fact. Shoi-Ming had been asleep since at least the Archon War? "It is pretty impressive," he agreed, "The trade capital of the world. You can sit at the docks for a day and meet people from all seven nations without ever moving from your spot."

To be fair, it wasn't like he had any frame of reference for those actions. He'd only woken up after that had all been dealt with, after all. And besides that, he'd be able to tell if someone was bad, right? That's what he liked to think. That if there was anyone who was a threat to him, he'd know. And most of the people he'd encountered didn't seem that way. Even Zhongli who was so strong Eros could sense it had been polite and even took him under his wing. And that had been his first interaction after waking up! So surely other people had to be similar enough, right?

Besides that, this was just a mortal! What could a mortal do to him anyway? His tail began to wag as the other spoke, though. "Yeah! Mr. Zhongli! When I woke up, he talked to me for a real long time and took me to the Harbor! I was like woah! Cuz- cuz that wasn't there when I was awake before, nope. He said that the mortals built that! And the floaty thing in the sky, too! Isn't that cool?" Knowing that Childe knew Zhongli made him feel even better about him, honestly. To the smaller, the former archon was an excellent judge of character!

[muses-of-teyvat]

first impressions matter a collection of meet cutes and meet uglys from yours truly. (add a “swap” to swap the sender/receiver in the prompt (or just do it manually).)

ankle, sender twists their ankle and stumbles forward, coincidentally falling into receiver's arms.

bark, a dog barks loudly, making sender jump and send their phone flying into receiver's face.

chips, sender and receiver both reach for the last bag of chips in the grocery store, their fingers touching by accident.

drink, sender chokes on their drink and ends up spitting it out all over receiver as they walk past.

emergency, in the middle of an awkward blind date, sender pretends to be receiver's friend and helps them get out of the date by faking an emergency.

french, sender pretends they can only speak french to get out of giving a stranger directions. receiver is a witness.

gift, sender is about to get scammed into overpaying for something before receiver steps in to help (and haggle).

hair, sender gets something they're wearing caught in receiver's hair and ends up yanking a chunk of it out when attempting to separate.

ice, sender is ice skating for the first time and skates uncontrollably in receiver's direction.

jail, sender and receiver are both thrown into the same holding cell at a police station.

kid, sender loses a child that they're caring for, only to end up finding them in receiver's company.

lock, sender crashes their ex's wedding, and receiver, a bridesmaid / groomsman, locks them both in the bathroom to prevent sender making a scene.

match, sender and receiver both end up being sat at the same table in a full restaurant.

nauseous, sender is drunk, and while receiver is attempting to help them, ends up throwing up all over receiver's shoes.

oops, sender is carrying a bag full of groceries that ends up breaking. receiver helps them pick their groceries back up.

plug, receiver walks into the bathroom to find sender stuffing tissues up their nose in an attempt to plug up a nosebleed.

quarter, sender doesn't have enough coins for the vending machine, so they stick their hand up the flap and gets their arm stuck just as receiver approaches.

rain, sender and receiver both get stuck under the same awning when seeking shelter from sudden rain.

shh, sender and receiver are both sitting beside each other at the movies. sender keeps whispering to themself every few minutes.

tooth, sender accidentally bites down too hard on their food, resulting in a tooth falling out and skittering across the floor to land at receiver's feet.

undone, the laces on sender's shoes ends up coming undone and they trip and fall, bringing receiver down with them and into the fountain beside them.

vacation, there's a problem with the booking of sender and receiver's hotel rooms and they end up having to share one. thankfully there are two beds.

woods, sender and receiver bump into each other in the woods. one of them is holding a shovel.

x-rated, in a bookstore, sender accidentally drops a few of the erotic books they were planning on purchasing on the floor, which receiver picks up.

yawn, sender, who is dressed down and has not yet slept, bumps into receiver, who is dressed up and just woken up, in line for coffee.

zap, sender calls out to receiver to ask for directions, but as it's late receiver mistakes sender for a creep and tases them.

[muses-of-teyvat]

"And yet you are a wise and compassionate leader now. It takes a rare sort of person to pass through the fires of war and emerge with those qualities still intact. That is deserving of at least a little flattery, if you will indulge an old veteran." He is teasing, ever so gently, but there is nothing but truth in his words.

Perhaps he is speaking with a little too much familiarity, or brushing too quickly over pleasantries to get to true depth in their conversation, but that is merely force of habit. In Liyue, Zhongli still quite often soothes the worries of the people, and gives praise and support when they most need it, even if they are unaware of his identity. He cannot sense Jing Yuan's desires the same way, and will never receive a prayer from him, and yet, he falls into familiar patterns anyhow.

He is quite happy to have a chance at answers through a pleasant chat, rather than digging through databases. It's... still unusual for him to work with digitized data, although he was familiar with the Akasha system when it was still functional. His eyes always feel strained when reading on screens. Learning through conversations is much more natural, and he will be able to get Jing Yuan's own thoughts on things, which will be interesting in itself. "I have nothing but time," he assures with a smile. Retirement is kind like that. And he did take time off his actual job for this trip. "And I've brought tea from my home to share with potential new friends."

The General chuckles. "No need for flattery my good fellow. My days of flashy heroics were a long time ago."

That was not entirely the truth but only the Astral Express crew could prove otherwise for that so Jing Yuan would just not mention it.

The more then stranger spoke, the more Jing Yuan wondered what the home planet was of the peculiar person before him.

"There is likely a very long line of people who would like to speak to the Permanence, you would likely have to join the end of that queue," he jokes.

Zhongli blew right past the issue of trespassing, and while a bit annoyed Jing Yuan would let it lie for now given that the other had caused no damage to the site.

"Should you have time to kill, I can try and curb your curiosity with what I do know. I used to be close friends with one."

[muses-of-teyvat]

The old archon's expression turned into an even more thoughtful one. Ever since he'd taken the necessary steps towards his retirement, and to help Liyue enter into a new age of independence, he often thought about what had lead to his decision, and wondered what the future might bring. He had never regretted it, but the entire affair was connected with many emotions for him, still. "To linger on the example of birds for a moment... the people of Liyue, too, needed to spread their wings and leave the nest one day. To always rely on the safety of a single god's leadership and protection can lead to stagnation. They need to trust in themselves and each other to step into the future." A soft, wistful smile graced his features. "And besides, I have lived a long, long life in the service of this nation. There must be a time to rest and enjoy the fruits of my labor." Talk of erosion could wait, at least for now. Zhongli still felt in perfectly good health, both mentally and physically. He was sure he would have many good centuries ahead of him yet.

"... of course. I would be a terrible teacher if I neglected your physical needs as well as your intellectual ones. We will acquire an appropriate wardrobe for you in due time, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to wear once you have an understanding of today's fashion." He found himself unable to resist patting Eros on the head. How small he was. Every dragon he had met before had kept a human form that towered over others, be it out of instinct or simply the habit of looking down. "Ah, speaking of manipulating the earth... it would be wise to be careful with who you display your power in front of." He did a half-turn amidst his walking, his coat swishing slightly around his legs. "Do you see the glass bauble at my back? I wear it to fool people into believing it's where my elemental abilities come from. It allows me to pass as a human."

It had been so long since he'd experienced much of anything. Back in those days, things were very different. He'd never even really seen a human. Not since his mother kept him more or less hidden away after his father's demise. For a Sovereign needed to be kept safe until he could understand his role in things. That's what she had said, at least. "Humans are- varied in talents like the birds, okay! Like- like how frogs come in different colors, too!" Eros repeated with a little nod. "So- so you were in charge of them? Why not anymore?"

Following quickly behind the other when he was steered over, he'd stop when Zhongli did. His head tilting at the appearance of the robe. So he knew magic, too! It was definitely different than whatever Gaeia had used so long ago to make his special frog pockets, but it was interesting nonetheless. When it was passed to the smaller male, he'd slip it on and giggle. How warm it felt compared to his usual clothing. Though, suppose that tended to happen when one wasn't used to having a more human body. He didn't know what needed to be covered. "You're the best! This is so pretty and comfy and nice! Thank you!" Hearing him speak, the smaller gave a little nod of understanding. "That's what Mama said, too. I have to know where I belong in the song! That's how you learn to understand it and how- how I can do fun stuff with it, too. Yessir!"

[muses-of-teyvat]

The enthusiasm made Zhongli laugh. It was almost like that of a new hatchling, not that he had much experience with that. There were so very few dragons in Teyvat these days, Sovereigns or not, and Zhongli himself had not been young for a very long time. "Humans are as varied in their talents as the colors of the birds in the sky." He hummed. "But, as a whole, they carry an ambition, a resilience, and a spirit of discovery that make me proud to have been recognized as a leader and a god by them."

He gently steered Eros into the right direction, along the street, then paused. "Ah, perhaps you should..." A moment of thought, then he raised his hand and a shimmering piece of golden brown fabric appeared. It was a simple robe, recalled from his own Adeptal Abode, but still ornately decorated with golden embroidery. Matching the current fashions enough to not draw much attention. Zhongli eyed Eros for another moment, with the eye of someone who had at least watched many tailors do their work, and then the robe shrunk in his grip before he passed it on to him. "A gift. Wearing this should keep people from staring all too much, and you will be able to conceal your tail in it, should you wish to stay in this form." Not much to be done about the horns, but they were less obviously draconic. Folding his hands behind his back, Zhongli peered up at the mountains. "It took me quite a while to learn how to listen as well. I would bathe in the song of the stone, letting it wash over me instead of endeavoring to understand my part in it."

"Mm... I guess that's fair. I didn't even know back then." His ears flicked again as he tilted his head. "I don't know what some of those words mean...but I'd like to see the city and the things the mortals do, I think! They must be very talented at what they do if you think it's great." He was all but running circles around the taller now, taking his hand to tug him towards a direction before realizing- well, he didn't know where they were going.

"A teacher? I don't think I've ever had that. I mean, I had Mama and the others but everyone taught me stuff and helped me lots. Mama especially of course. She taught me how to listen to the earth. I can hear it always but listening...listening to it was hard." Understanding, that is. It was like learning a second language if one were to compare them. But it had been more than worth it- especially now. Even if he hated the cries of the corrupted earth, at least he knew that it was there.

[muses-of-teyvat]

[muses-of-teyvat]

"Every minute that you think about work outside of working hours is a minute of unpaid overtime."

[muses-of-teyvat]

It was a little concerning that Shoi-Ming had just agreed to follow him so easily, not an ounce of distrust in him. Ajax could be a bad guy for all he knew. (He was still the person who had nearly drowned Liyue Harbor, tricks and contracts aside.) Sure, he didn't intend any harm, but he was much more used to people being wary of him for good reason. The way Shoi-Ming was acting reminded him a little of how trusting Teucer could be, and that was something their parents and siblings had tried to train him out of.

Then again, maybe this tiny dragon was just too powerful to have to worry about getting kidnapped or anything like that. Ajax could sense power in him, certainly. Though hearing of that 'friend' brought some relief with it. Of course that old lizard was already involved. Even with him having given up his position as the Archon of this land, he still couldn't help but stick his nose into everyone's business and helping them along. It was somewhat endearing, like an elderly fisherman who still sat at the docks every day despite being retired from the actual work. "That friend of yours... older guy, tall, likes to talk a lot?"

Mostly because Eros only saw the Adepti by chance most of the time. And they were polite to the Sovereign, but he felt like they didn't necessarily like him yet. He was still by all technicalities, a stranger to them all. "Okay! Wander around then." He hummed softly, following behind the other as they walked. His tail wagging absently as it trailed behind him in the dirt. Just- blissfully unaware as he usually was, looking down at his frog instead of at Ajax.

"Nice to meet you," he parroted, because it was polite, right? That's what you were supposed to say. And if Eros had gone and told the other his actual name that would cause issues, right? Because he wasn't a human? He couldn't remember exactly why he was supposed to give mortals this name instead. Just that he was. "Nope, sometimes I stay with um- my friend, mhm. But I like to go out because- 'experience is the best teacher.' Oh! I have a friend, mhm! He teaches me all sorts of things! He's so nice to me and he brings tea whenever we play!"

[muses-of-teyvat]

"Few of us know our exact age anymore, so I would advise you not to worry about it too much," Zhongli said. He himself wasn't too sure. Counting years hadn't been quite so... in fashion back when he'd been young. "It... can be sad, yes, and it certainly takes one a while to get used to how fast their lives go by. But they achieve great feats within that limited time. If you'd like to accompany me to the city, I could show you a plethora of examples." Perhaps it would be a bit of a culture shock, but Eros would need to learn how to interact with humans sooner rather than later.

The mention of Apep had him falter ever so briefly. It would be quite difficult to reveal that all of those old, powerful creatures were long gone now, save for one who had been irrevocably changed over the course of his life among the humans. For now, Zhongli decided to focus on the present. There would be a time for heavy conversations. "There's certainly merit in self-control and politeness, yes. It depends on your relationship with the one you're speaking with. With a teacher, it is wise to share your inner thoughts so they can help you make sense of them."

"I wonder how old I am now..." Eros mumbled, looking around a moment and then back up at the other. "The mortals do not live for very long? That's- very sad, I think. For them to just...bloop! Gone. Very sad." Not that he'd met a mortal yet. But the thought of things dying was always a rather sad notion, wasn't it? Even just little things people didn't seem to notice. Like strange little lizards and frogs.

He grinned at that, bouncing again on the tips of his toes. "Oh, okay! Then I will be- honest and let the inside thoughts be outside thoughts, mhm. Mama always said sometimes quiet thoughts should stay inside, though. Like when I really want Miss Apep to play with me but I must be patient."

[muses-of-teyvat]

They certainly wouldn't like it if Ajax showed up without asking, either, so he was a little glad that wouldn't be the case. There wouldn't be any violence, as they'd all been asked to be civil with each other, but talking to any of them always ended up being a little awkward. "Guess we'll just wander around a little, then." That sounded like as decent a plan as any. There was a Fatui camp not too far, but Ajax didn't feel particularly inclined to give them a scare by showing up right now.

"Pleasure to meet you, Shoi-Ming," he said, smiling at how they'd both seemed to choose an appropriate name for the time being, rather than sharing a more personal one. Ajax wasn't Ajax to anyone but his family. To himself... he wasn't really anything. "So you aren't settled down anywhere, huh? Do you travel on your own all the time? No friends to teach you to avoid hilichurls?"

Really it was only because of the fact that he knew what he was. That if there were something that could be stronger than someone like him- well, then he knew they were dangerous. Something that scared him wasn't to be taken lightly, after all. Like...whatever had tainted the earth back in the Chasm. That sort of thing.

Eros tilted his head slightly at the question. Home- or with the Adepti? Oh, Zhongli had said this would happen, hadn't he? "Um- no, I'm not an Adepti. They're very nice to me, but I don't think they'd like if I showed up without asking." At least, he didn't think most people would. He only ever really did that to- well, to the old man! He never seemed to mind since Eros enjoyed listening when he talked about things. He found he really liked learning! And the former Archon always seemed happy to teach. So it worked well enough! "And- I don't really have a home either, I guess. Nope, not me."

Childe- okay. Wait- what was the name he was supposed to give humans again? That's right! "Um- I'm Shoi-Ming. That's- what you get to call me, at least."

[muses-of-teyvat]

"I'm quite aware of who you are, yes." Zhongli smiles with real warmth. "It is an honor to meet a leader with such a keen mind for strategy. I read quite a bit about your achievements in the past... and in the present. Most would have trouble understanding how much it takes to keep one's people prospering through times of peace, especially with conflict always looming on the horizon. My homeland once made a very similar transition, many years ago." And so did the Archon himself, of course. At the time, war seemed much simpler to him than that new era of growth, of travel and commerce. All the more genuine is his admiration for the general in front of him for being a good leader through both.

He's not surprised at being questioned, especially considering how he has certainly broken a local law or two, and his smile never dims. Getting into a bit of trouble is always rejuvenating. "There are many things I'd like to learn about, but I must admit, the vidyadhara's cycle of rebirth is fascinating. When I first read about your Alliance, I wondered whether your dragon-folk would be anything like ours. It turns out, at least when it comes to matters of immortality, we share more in common with the Xianzhou's humans." His gaze wanders up to the horned statue once more. "... if only it were possible to speak with the Permanence, I doubt anyone else would be capable of answering my questions to the full extent."

Although it did not show on his regular, sleepy casual expression Jing Yuan did have a lot running through his head at the moment. Something was... different about this stranger from the many other Outworlders that visited the Luofu but he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zhongli," a hand is laid over the General's heart as he gives a polite dip of his head. "My name is Jing Yuan."

He neatly folds his hands behind his back. "I see. Still, it's quite difficult for one to wander their way into a place as remote and restricted as Scalegorge Waterscape. Were you curious about something specific?"

[muses-of-teyvat]

That sounded like the reaction most people had to danger. Ajax couldn't relate. If there was something he knew could beat him, he always felt the urge to challenge it. His impulses had been curbed quite a bit by his training, and he didn't needlessly throw himself into battles he couldn't win, but that didn't mean part of him didn't want to.

It was a bit surprising that the stranger was so willing to simply follow, when Ajax hadn't even had to put on any air of authority (which he didn't enjoy much in the first place). "I could walk you home if you have one," he offered, "Or do you want me to drop you off with any of the adepti?" A question to test the waters since he was still somewhat confused about who he was dealing with here. He'd go through with it, though, since he'd offered, even if the majority of the adepti didn't think particularly highly of him.

"... you can call me Childe, by the way."

"I guess that makes sense. Maybe they get scared. I'd get scared, too if there were something I knew could beat me pretty easy." Not that he enjoyed violence in the first place. Didn't see a point to it. He just really liked exploring so far. And bothering that one old man from time to time. He usually had tea- and always had to remind Eros to hide his horns and tail. Which- he'd forgotten to do today. Whoops.

Not that he'd been expecting to run into anyone while he wasn't in the city proper! So really it wasn't his fault, right? Totally not. That's the way that he'd see it, at the very least! No way he could get upset if Eros said it was an accident!

His ears flicked and swiveled again as Ajax continued talking. "'kay! Where are we going then?" Tail wagging absently as he made his way over to where the other was. As if 'we should get going' was an invitation. Really, he'd probably follow anyone anywhere if they just said 'come with me.'

[muses-of-teyvat]

Strange. Hm. Well, Ajax didn't have much else to do, he might as well try to figure out what he could about this oblivious little guy. It was far from the scheduled alone time he'd been aiming for when setting out, but it wasn't as though he minded a quick change of plans when something interesting popped up.

"The smaller ones tend to run away when they think someone isn't worth messing with." At least they did so with Ajax, and often with higher ranked Fatui agents. They were smarter than most gave them credit for. After all, they'd been people like anyone else once.

He crossed the distance between them and peered down at the evidently only unconscious lawachurl. "We should get going before he wakes up. I could take him down again, but at that point that'd just be cruel. I usually leave them alone unless they cause trouble first." There was no hilichurl of any shape that could pose a genuine challenge to him, after all, so dealing with them was more of an annoyance.

"Lawachurl...mm. Ummm- no." He thought they didn't at least. When he'd been awake properly, he hadn't seen anything like that. And when he'd wandered to get out of the Chasm, he hadn't been paying attention to anything. He'd felt so sick by the way the earth was corrupted, after all. Nothing else had mattered in that moment than getting out and getting away.

How terrified he'd been at the time-. Everything else hadn't mattered. And even now that he'd become a bit more aware of things- he still didn't pay mind unless there was a reason to actually utilize that dormant power that he held.

Eros rested his cheek against the lizard's head as he watched Ajax for a moment. "Is that why the little ones kept chasing me? They always ran away though...I never even had to use Qīngwā or Xīyì. They just went off like whoooosh! Ran away yelling and saying stuff I didn't understand. But I don't understand a lot anyway."

[muses-of-teyvat]

"... that's fair." Many people back in the village Ajax had grown up in couldn't read well, either, kids pulled out of school too early in order to help their families make it through the harsh winters. But they, at least, were all very proficient in staying away from anything that looked like it would tear them into pieces if they got too close.

This person, on the other hand, seemed entirely oblivious. And that was puzzling, considering he appeared to be an adeptus or some other sort of immortal being. Others didn't usually come with tails.

Ajax tilted his head curiously, sizing up the stranger with more interest now. "It's called a lawachurl. They always get aggressive if you get too close. Do they... not have those where you come from?" That was the only somewhat plausible explanation, except hilichurls were everywhere. Even Enkanomiya had hilichurls. So where could someone hide from the world well enough to never learn about them?

@muses-of-teyvat asked: An arrow wreathed in the power of hydro whips past the small sovereign's head, embedding itself in the eye of the towering lawachurl that had just been poised to attack. The electro around its body reacts in sizzling arcs as it cries out and falls. "That was a close one!" Hopping off a nearby rock, Ajax lazily twirls his bow before tucking it away. "You know, you shouldn't be wandering around in their territory. They've started putting up road signs to warn people off." (boy delivery from you know who)

The sound of the arrow whizzing past had barely even caught his attention at first. Not until he heard the sound of the lawachurl groaning before its subsequent collapse. And the little Sovereign would look up and around. Locking eyes with the stranger as he tilted his head. "Huh? Territory?" He stood up now, holding the small lizard he'd found in his hands.

"I can't read." Simple and easy enough. Whether it be an actual sign that most people could decipher or not. He really hadn't been paying attention. He'd just been following a butterfly and then from there he'd found a lizard. The weird creatures that had bothered him on the way were just- well, they were just that. Weird creatures. And they stopped as soon as he'd wandered far enough past them, so why worry over it?

"Did you shoot that thingy? The big one? He was sleeping when I came over here..."

i prompted this <3