renascinem

[renascinem]

Retracing its previous journey, the Express stops by the Xianzhou Luofu for a spell. A moment to rest, enjoy the sights, and celebrate the rare downtime empty of sudden crises, Stellaron disasters, emergency signals and the like.

Naturally, even though certain situations have forced them all to depart the train in the past, they do still consider it rather rude to leave Pom-Pom completely alone when it's not necessary. And so, after first getting his share of the place still trying to win the title of home in his heart, Dan Heng stays behind to help clean up the lobby, while the others set out on a tour of their own.

Clean up the lobby he does, putting away the coffee cups, sweeping the tables and fixing the pillows on the sofas. He then moves to the next car, readjusting the flowers on the small table, when a sudden noise in the lobby catches his attention. What was that? There's no way they came back so quickly, not to mention there is no sound of March's overly excited chatter.

Both curious and mildly alarmed, he puts down the flower vase and heads back. When he steps into the lobby again, he blinks in surprise at the sight of a little figure standing now in the center, looking around. Silently at first, as though to make sure she is real before he says anything, he approaches; it is just as he is right behind her that she realizes his presence and turns, exclaiming his name as the shock on her face turns into a smile, one he is unable to not return - for it is always good to see her.

"Miss Bailu," he greets, complete with the title out of sheer habit. "What are you d—" he begins before pausing, realizing that there is no point asking a question when he already knows the answer. His smile widening ever so slightly, he shakes his head, as though to signify that the subject is dropped. "Never mind that. How have you been? May I help you somehow?"

two meet as one

[ bailu & dan heng]

[renascinem]

Lynette releases her hat companion once more, and shortly after, the air fills with the smell of gas and fire. Dan Heng watches, calm and unsurprised, as Firefly unleashes carnage and devastation on the battlefield, showing no mercy to the beast they are fighting.

Though he is not privy to all details about the nature of her creation and mission, but he has gleaned this and that between shared stories and the information found in the data bank - enough, at least, to know her abilities in the art, if one can call it that, of Destruction.

Between that knowledge and the simple fact that he is accustomed to such sights, Dan Heng observes the scene before him largely unmoved, and when Firefly takes a step aside to regulate herself after everything she's done, he steps in to try and finish the job.

Bogglecat Box hits all enemies! [-3HP. BENARES 15/200HP] Dan Heng 10/10HP rolls 3 energy [3 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Elemental Skill: Dracore Libre three times. [1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 5 + 2 = 7, Hit! -9.5HP. BENARES 5.5/200HP] [Roll: 1] BENARES 5.5/200HP is inflicted with Imprisonment. [1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Normal Attack on Benares 5.5/200HP. [Roll: 9 - 2 = 7, Hit! -3.5HP. BENARES 2/200HP] BENARES 2/200HP is unable to counterattack due to Imprisonment.

The dragon answers his call as always, sending forth a deluge and crashing into the exhausted beast anew, allowing it no moment of respite or mercy. Where there was flame a moment ago, there is now thick steam; where Destruction seemed to only just finish its work, it arises anew.

Through the cloud, it is a little hard to see whether or not the deed is done, and Dan Heng does not let his guard down as he waits, ready to finish it off if necessary.

But just as he prepares, a gust of wind brushes past his face. Lynette's companion - he is reminded. Could it be?...

Is That a Fucking Dragon, Asked a Dragon

Spiral Abyss: Team 4, Floor 3

[renascinem]

@huntersoath @chrysalidembers @phantomiaou

Before they can finish the battle proper, the scene before and around them shifts again, and the Stings disappear. Whatever, I guess. No longer surprised or taken aback by this turn of events, for very few things manage to catch Dan Heng off-guard more than once, he waits patiently to see what will happen.

Indeed, soon the scene stabilizes, and where there once were the annoying loud exploding bugs, there is now...

Is that a dragon?

The Vidyadhara pauses, and spends a moment studying the large creature in front of them, marching now slowly towards them. Whatever he thinks about the new situation at hand, he does not reveal it out loud.

This whole situation is just bizarre. It's like some Aeon out there - Aha, probably - is having some supreme fun while also trying to get a reaction out of him.

Well, THEY are not getting one besides him simply assuming fighting stance again. Time to see what they're facing this time.

Dan Heng 10/10HP rolls 3 energy [1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Elemental Skill: Dracore Libre once. [1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Transcendence on Benares 200/200HP. [Roll: 17 + 2 = 19, Crit! -7 + 5 = -12HP, Benares 188/200HP] Benares 188/200HP counterattacks with Absolute Zero. [Roll: 15, Hit, -1.5HP, Dan Heng 8.5/10HP] Ricochet hits Lynette. [-0.5HP, Lynette 9.5/10HP]

His strike pierces the hide, but the monster does not take it lying down, firing shards of ice his way; Dan Heng hisses as he feels them cut his skin. He also notes that some of the shards flew towards his allies, but he doesn't even get a chance to warn them in time.

[1 energy] Dan Heng 8.5/10HP uses Elemental Burst: Azure’s Aqua Ablutes All and hits 3 random enemies. [-4HP, Benares 184/200HP] Dan Heng 8.5/10HP gains 2 Squama Sacrosanta.

He retreats to a safer distance before launching one more attack, then further increases the distance between himself and the enemy.

He should be cautious. The others seem to have forms of self-recovery, but alas, all he knows is Destruction. He must make sure that the dragon's wrath does not become his undoing.

Is That a Fucking Dragon, Asked a Dragon

Spiral Abyss: Team 4, Floor 3

[renascinem]

Inbetween finishing off the last opponent and catching his breath before things start all over again, Dan Heng catches it - the weird look that Lynette gives him. He glances towards her, only for her to instantly turn away with a swish of her tail. He pauses, his head tilting slightly to the right in confusion. Did he offend her somehow?...

He is not given enough time to inquire or even try to guess, though. New enemies manifest, and the Vidyadhara's expression turns into an almost perfectly straight line in displeasure.

The damn exploding bugs. Fantastic.

Well, complaining isn't going to help anyone. Dan Heng steels his resolve as the Cloud-Piercer reappears in his hand. In the meantime, Lynette's companion joins the battle once more, swirling gusts of wind against the enemies. As the Stings are knocked off-balance by it, he spots an opening and jumps into the fray.

DAN HENG 10/10HP rolls 5 energy. [3 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Elemental Skill: Dracore Libre three times. [1 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 8 + 2 = 10, Hit! -6.5 + 4 = -10.5HP. Swarm: True Sting reduces damage taken by 1. SWARM: TRUE STING 88.5/100HP. JUVENILE STING A 37.5/50HP. JUVENILE STING B 37.5/50HP] [1 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Elemental Burst: Azure’s Aqua Ablutes All and hits 3 random enemies. [-3 + 4 = -7HP. Swarm: True Sting reduces damage taken by 1. SWARM: TRUE STING 82.5/100HP. JUVENILE STING A 30.5/50HP. JUVENILE STING B 30.5/50HP] DAN HENG 10/10HP gains 2 Squama Sacrosanta.

Focusing his power until it swirls around him in the shape of a dragon's tail, he slams it into the enemies with force, knocking them to the floor with a deluge and leaving them utterly drenched in energy-charged water - before gesturing again and summoning the dragon to crash into them again. For good measure.

Not bad for a beginning, he would say. Still, one cannot get careless.

"Steer clear of their attacks if you can," he warns his companions as he retreats to rejoin their side. "The large one especially can really hurt. The small ones though... try to focus them down, they have friendly fire when defeated."

A pause, followed by a wince on his face as he continues.

"Just, uh... once you defeat them, make sure you get away quickly. They, uh, explode. It's not dangerous to you, but it sure is nasty."

haha no self heal dan heng

spiral abyss 2024 ★ team 4, floor 2

[renascinem]

The man before her seemed much too young to bear the burdens his faltering seemed to imply. As brief as his hesitation was, the fact remained that this all seemed to bring back less than savory memories-- an unfortunate experience that Clorinde could certainly sympathize with. She stands nearby, wrist resting on the pommel of the sword at her waist. It's hard to judge how to approach the situation as a whole; it's not appropriate to directly address something she had no business delving into, but... The added stress in a warzone would only serve to weigh him down further.

"Are you alright?" The Duelist offers quietly, violet eyes settling on his face. "I apologize for the intrusion. I simply wish to make sure we're all okay to continue this assault." Maybe to strangers, she comes off as awkward. But to those that know anything about her, they'll realize that it's her way of showing her care.

The enemies fall, and the brief moment of respite they have earned before all hell inevitably breaks loose again should be taken advantage of. Dan Heng dismisses his spear for the time being, and takes a deeper breath - before turning as he hears someone approaching him. His eyes meet Clorinde's, a shade of embarrassment dancing in his pupils when she speaks.

"It's alright. You have nothing to apologize for, I imagine that was a weird sight," he assures her, shaking his head. A moment passes in silence before he decides that he can continue and tell the truth. "I'm fine, don't worry. They were... enemies related somewhat to my past, is all. It's a long story... and not a pleasant one," he adds, both as an excuse and a soft explanation as to why he does not intend to elaborate for the time being.

"I apologize for giving you reasons for concern. I assure you, I'll be able to continue unhindered now."

[renascinem]

First Firefly, then Clorinde - Dan Heng realizes that they both notice the brief moment of weakness and distress he had shown. Of course, they are both seasoned warriors, from what he has gathered, so it would make sense that they would be perceptive to such things.

Still, they follow the lead that he and the young cat-like lady (Lynette, if he correctly recalls Clorinde mentioning her name?) offer, and before long, two of three enemies are swiftly and efficiently dispatched, offering little resistance before the devastating onslaught.

(It really puts the Shackling Prison's defenses into question sometimes, he thinks. The borisin overwhelmed them so easily, too.)

(This is where he realizes he probably could have broken out as well if he was the type of prisoner to resist. He just wasn't.)

The only opponent left standing, and barely at that, is the mara-struck warden. She swings at Clorinde, but to no effect, and earns a heavy blow in return. The purple-clad duelist sends the opponent nearly flying across the floor with a kick - and watching from behind, Dan Heng seizes the opportunity before the enemy can so much as try to regain her footing.

DAN HENG 10/10HP rolls 5 energy. [3 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Dracore Libre x3.[1 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 11 + 2 = 13, Hit! -5.5HP. MARA-STRUCK WARDEN 0/38HP]

And just like that, one powerful burst of water later, it's over. The mara-struck is slammed into the ground by the deluge, and soon all that remains of her is a cloud of black dust, slowly dissipating.

And just like that, only he and his allies are left on the field. Even if he suspects this peace will not last, the moment of it should be appreciated.

He takes a deep breath, before turning away from where the enemies once stood, facing his companions. A faint smile appears on his face.

"Thank you for your help."

haha no self heal dan heng

spiral abyss 2024 ★ team 4, floor 2

[renascinem]

Amidst the battle, suddenly and without warning, the area around them shifts. Dan Heng shakes his head to regain his balance, and before long, he finds the enemies they had just been fighting had vanished; in their place, three others appeared, ones he is well familiar with. Too well.

Though he tries to keep his emotions in check, a wince nevertheless passes through his face at the sight.

His prison guards.

For a brief moment, his hand hesitates as images from the past flood him, overwhelming, suffocating - especially so in the absence of a trusted friend's hand that would get him out of this trance. He covers his face with his hand with a quiet groan, shaking his head, but still feeling as though some force is pulling him into the dark ocean depths. He cannot fight. He is not supposed to resist. They will increase his punishment—

Bogglecat Box 5/5HP hits all enemies. [-2HP. MARA-STRUCK WARDEN 36/38HP. AURUMATON SPECTRAL ENVOY 44.5/52HP. WRAITH WARDEN 31/33HP]

What forces him out of this trap and back into the here and now is a gust of wind that hits him, catching him by surprise. With a short gasp, he raises his head, pulling his hand away from it, and looks around. The girl that arrived recently and suddenly has summoned her equipment - or companion, perhaps, would be the better term - and it strikes at the foes, giving him an opening.

He's fine.

He can fight.

He's allowed to fight.

Finally, the pained wince disappears, replaced with an expression of steel. "Right," he says - whether to his companions, or just to himself, it is hard to tell, and perhaps it doesn't matter.

And then, he reaches into the depths of his heart to dig out all of his fury.

DAN HENG 10/10HP rolls 4 energy. [3 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Dracore Libre x3.[1 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 11 + 2 = 13, Hit! -6.5 + 4 = 10.5HP. MARA-STRUCK WARDEN 25.5/38HP. AURUMATON SPECTRAL ENVOY 34/52HP. WRAITH WARDEN 20.5/33HP]

Shaping his power into the likeness of a dragon, Dan Heng sends it crashing into the foes in a deluge, drenching them and knocking them down to the ground.

He pauses for a moment afterwards, taking a deep breath, but - no, he's fine. His shackles are long gone. They can't do anything to him.

"I'm fine," he says, his voice now calmer, nodding to his companions. They may have seen his moment of weakness and gotten worried, something he would never wish to do. "Be careful, they are strong."

haha no self heal dan heng

spiral abyss 2024 ★ team 4, floor 2

[renascinem]

"Firefly—"

An outstretched arm in a futile attempt to stop her is all Dan Heng can do as she shields him from the Automaton Spider's explosion. He is frozen for a moment, shocked - he is much more accustomed to doing this for others than the other way around - and does not move again until he sees that she is fine. Only then does he sigh.

"You didn't have to do that, I would have been fine," he says, relatively calm, although with a note of exasperation in his voice nonetheless. "Please be careful. I don't want Blade on my tail again."

There is no time to elaborate further for either of them. Just when he thought they were done, he suddenly feels a healing wave washing over him, and notes swiftly that Firefly and Clorinde received the same, which is reassuring. What is not reassuring is that another wave of enemies - this time entirely unfamiliar ones - approaches them. And then, from behind him, all of a sudden, appears... a new ally, by the looks of it.

Who—" He begins, his wariness taking over, but he interrupts himself the instant he sees her charge at the enemies, the cat-like eyes of a hunter already focused on the prey, the obstacle before her. Seeing that, he relents. "Never mind. Your assistance is appreciated."

And should not be wasted.

Bogglecat Box attacks all enemies! (-1HP; KNIGHT 20/21HP, BLAZING CHARIOT 24/25HP, RANGER 19/20HP, FROST GUISARMIER 20/23HP) DAN HENG 10/10HP rolls 5 energy. [3 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Elemental Skill: Dracore Libre x3. [1 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 7, Hit! -2.5HP. KNIGHT 17.5/21HP, BLAZING CHARIOT 21.5/25HP, RANGER 16.5/20HP, FROST GUISARMIER 17.5/23HP] [1 energy] DAN HENG 10/10HP uses Elemental Burst: Azure’s Aqua Ablutes All and hits 3 random enemies. [-1HP. KNIGHT 16.5/21HP, BLAZING CHARIOT 20.5/25HP, FROST GUISARMIER 16.5/23HP]DAN HENG 10/10HP gains 1 Squama Sacrosanta.

And so, as the gust of the magic hat she had summoned whirls at enemies, Dan Heng gathers his energy before jumping into the air, sending powerful, dragon-shaped deluge upon the enemies.

"Hang in there! We're not done!" He calls.

Love Is in the Air? Wrong. THE SWARM 🪲🪲🪲

Spiral Abyss: Team 4, Floor 1

[renascinem]

Mere seconds pass between his verbal warning and the Automaton Spider activating its explosion module right in Clorinde and Firefly's faces; they are luckily not badly injured, with the former rolling away in time to save herself from serious harm, and the latter being a lot more resilient than she looks, but it still sets him briefly on edge.

They need to be careful.

Luckily, the ladies gather their bearings quickly, and return to the fray. Firefly nearly destroys the second Beetle, while the automatons themselves seem more keen on focusing on Clorinde, but she holds her own fine, fending them off. There is expertise behind those sword swings; Dan Heng has no doubt that she is an experienced fighter. It would be most interesting to try and find out more about her later, perhaps, if an opportunity presents itself.

But first, they need to finish this. As soon as Clorinde is a safer distance away from the robots, Dan Heng gathers his power once again.

DAN HENG 7.5/10HP rolls 5 energy. [3 energy] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP uses Dracore Libre x3.[1 energy] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 11, Hit! -2.5HP. AUTOMATON SPIDER A 1/14HP. AUTOMATON BEETLE B 1/17HP]

The dragon-shaped wave crashes into the enemies again, leaving both automatons on their last legs, functional on the last remnants of a still desperately running algorithm. Perhaps he can finish it here and now -

[1 energy] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP uses Normal Attack against AUTOMATON SPIDER A 1/14HP. [Roll: 3, Miss! -0HP. AUTOMATON SPIDER A 1/14HP] AUTOMATON SPIDER A 1/14HP counterattacks with Ram. [Roll: 2, Hit! -1.5HP. DAN HENG 6/10HP]

- except he evidently misjudged his opponent's weakness; his spear misses its mark, and for his carelessness he is awarded with a ram directly into his hip, forcing a hiss of pain out of him as he retreats.

Well, that was dumb. He cannot afford to make such amateur mistakes.

"They're not done! Careful!" He calls, hoping that his companions will not repeat his failures.

Love Is in the Air? Wrong. THE SWARM 🪲🪲🪲

Spiral Abyss: Team 4, Floor 1

[renascinem]

Screeching of metal against metal rings in his ears as Miss Clorinde and Firefly both follow him into this unprompted battle with bravery and determination. Indeed it is as both he and the purple-clad woman observed - in peril, one gets to know new people quickly and effectively indeed.

It is not his preferred method of meeting people, nor will it ever be - but that is simply how it is, and it is one of the many truths of life he has learned and grown to accept.

Air soon fills with sparks of electricity, then with smoke and the thick aura of the two deadly element combined. The air before his eyes flickers, as though he were holding a candleflame right in front of his face; and through this distortion, he fails to see the enemies who had gotten closer to him than he had predicted.

AUTOMATON SPIDER A 10/14HP uses Ram on DAN HENG 10/10HP. [Roll: 15, Hit! -1.5HP. DAN HENG 8.5/10HP] DAN HENG 8.5/10HP counterattacks with Normal Attack. [Roll: 10, Hit! -1.5HP. AUTOMATON SPIDER A 8.5/14HP]

AUTOMATON BEETLE A 0.5/17HP uses Unstable Forcefield on DAN HENG 8.5/10HP. [Roll: 8, Hit! -1HP. DAN HENG 7.5/10HP] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP counterattacks with Normal Attack. [Roll: 4, Hit! Damage is negated by Barrier.AUTOMATON BEETLE A 0.5/17HP]

Well, one must pay for one's mistakes. An "Ugh!" leaves the Vidyadhara through clenched teeth as first one automaton rams into him, then another, forcing him a step back. Gathering his energy, he throws a surge of water first at one, then the other; the former is cast aside, but the latter, Belobog's infamous Beetle model, blocks the strike with a forcefield, and remains standing even in spite of the great damage Firefly had inflicted.

"Well, that's annoying," he grumbles, before focusing. He floats back a few steps to gain safe distance, calling the dragon's soul to answer his call. The time for the defensive approach was over - now, his turn has arrived to bring forth Destruction.

DAN HENG 7.5/10HP rolls 5 energy. [3 energy] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP uses Dracore Libre x3. [1 energy] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Fulgurant Leap and hits all enemies. [Roll: 9, Hit! -2.5HP. AUTOMATON SPIDER A 7.5/14HP. AUTOMATON HOUND 1.5/9HP. AUTOMATON SPIDER B 4.5/14HP. AUTOMATON BEETLE A 0/17HP. AUTOMATON BEETLE B 10.5/17HP] AUTOMATON SPIDER B 4.5/14HP is inflicted with Imprisonment. AUTOMATON BEETLE A has been defeated!

Gathering his power, he unleashes a deluge upon the automatons from all sides. Furious and perhaps one should say desperate beeping is soon heard in response; four of the robots are left heavily damaged, the fifth - the accursed Beetle - lies now in pieces.

Before the bots can regain their footing, Dan Heng's eyes - the eyes of a Hunter - spot a moment of weakness, and he quickly summons his spear to strike at the weakest of them; for a hunter cannot afford to let his prey get away.

[1 energy] DAN HENG 7.5/10HP uses Normal Attack against AUTOMATON HOUND 1.5/9HP. [Roll: 11, Hit! -1.5HP. AUTOMATON HOUND 0/9HP] AUTOMATON HOUND has been defeated!

And just like that, one more is now left defeated. Three to go.

"Don't let down your guard," he calls to his companions. "They tend to have nasty tricks up their sleeve."

Love Is in the Air? Wrong. THE SWARM 🪲🪲🪲

Spiral Abyss: Team 4, Floor 1

[renascinem]

@huntersoath @balemouns @chrysalidembers

He doesn't recall coming to this weird place, he doesn't remember releasing his draconic form, and of the three people who appear to have wandered into this space alongside him, he only recognizes one, the girl from the Stellaron Hunters.

Not that this is all that weird by the standards of things and events Dan Heng goes through, he could easily name a few that were worse, but it still puts him in... not the best of moods. Especially once the sound of moving machinery grabs his attention and he looks to see a group of Belobog-style automatons marching towards them.

Well, that's annoying. But he'll manage, and he won't complain. He always manages - he has to.

His eyes briefly wander back to the three women accompanying him.

"No better ice-breaker than a life and death situation, huh," he says, his tone deadpan flat. "Or a vision or dream of one. Wherever this is... Anyway, I'm Dan Heng," he adds after a moment. To Firefly, he offers a short nod. He doesn't believe she has seen him in this form yet.

Just then, an unfriendly BEEP from the other direction prompts a frown on his face. "... And I guess we have a fight on our hands, so we'll be getting to know each other in a rush."

No more time to lose. Turning his attention fully to the enemies, Dan Heng shoots up into the air and focuses.

Dan Heng 10/10HP rolls 3 energy [1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Elemental Burst: Azure’s Aqua Ablutes All and hits 3 random enemies. [-1HP. Automaton Hound 17/18HP. Automaton Spider B 19/20HP. Automaton Beetle A 23/24HP] Automaton Hound 17/18HP is inflicted with Imprisonment. Dan Heng 10/10HP gains 1 Squama Sacrosanta.

With a single gesture, he summons the dragon spirit and sends it crashing down into the enemies in a blast of water. The attack looks more impressive than it actually is, however - for the time being, he wishes to simply warm himself up. One of the automatons, at least, does end up immobilized by the strike.

[1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Dracore Libre x1. [1 energy] Dan Heng 10/10HP uses Alternate Attack: Trandescence on Automaton Beetle A 23/24HP. [Roll: 10, Hit! -4.5HP. Automaton Beetle A 18.5/24HP] Energy remaining: 0

Another, one of the Beetles, gets back up quickly and begins to rapidly walk towards him, readying an attack. Quick to react as always, Dan Heng gathers energy in his hand and, moving his fingers, commands energy to strike at the opponent, sending it staggering backwards and away from him.

They're gonna be here for a little while, huh.

Love Is in the Air? Wrong. THE SWARM 🪲🪲🪲

Spiral Abyss: Team 4, Floor 1

[renascinem]

Teyvat's Got Some Weird Dogs || Dan Heng & Clorinde

[renascinem]

The expedition to Teyvat’s vast desert was something of a spontaneous decision. Dan Heng cannot claim to have fondness for sands and high temperatures, which is not much of a surprise given his origin; it doesn’t bother him that much, either, however. There is little the cosmos can offer him at this point that does not allow him to claim that “he’s been through worse”, and even if he does run into it, he can usually still handle it.

He doesn’t think much of what that says about him as a person.

In any case, the sand and scorching sun are not enough of a deterrent for him to give up on the premise of learning more about the mysteries of lost, ancient civilizations. For all his reservation and caution, Dan Heng is also a very inquisitive mind, and a chance to broaden his horizons (and add more information to the data bank) is one he will always take if he can. Even though he still hasn’t really seen that much of it yet, the world of Teyvat has already piqued his curiosity, and he is eager to discover more.

And this time, he is accompanied by a young man native to Sumeru, who appears to be more than happy to indulge him. Though Dan Heng does not say much while the other speaks, the interest in his eyes as he listens is clear to see.

“Hm…” He ponders the question received for a moment. When he speaks, there is a light, cordial smile on his face. “I guess you could say both. I was indeed asked to help with the Primal Constructs –” setting aside that I don’t even really know what those are yet – “but I am also interesting in collecting information and gathering new things. I suppose I could say that I’m killing two birds with one stone here.”

There is a moment of pause, before he follows up with a question of his own.

“The way you speak of his reign makes it sound like his territory fell outside of the jurisdiction of Sumeru’s Archon,” he inquires as they now stand before the entrance to the ruin. His sharp eyes examine carefully the large statues at the entrance, before turning to look to his companion. Kaveh, he recalls the name. “Or were Archons not the rulers of these lands from the beginning?”

sing of the scarlet sands.

( VAPORIZE, king deshret's ruins )

[renascinem]

Dan Heng’s trusty spear pierces through the metal armor of the hostile automaton; he withdraws the blade and takes a step back, watching the weak explosion that results from the damage he had dealt, before he relaxes his posture, turning back to March.

“You don’t recall it because he didn’t really know either, so he didn’t say it,” he responds in the same I’m-not-annoyed-I-just-have-no-feelings-about-this-particular-situation neutral tone that he uses most of the time. “But we’re looking for anything that can tell us about the history of this place and its development before the Eternal Freeze. Old technology, items we’ve never seen before in Belobog, books and records, the like.”

Truthfully, if someone were to ask him what got him actually interested enough in this little mission, the main response they would get would just be a shrug. Of course, any potential to add new information to the data bank is one he will be interested in, especially when there is a chance to not only update existing notes, but input brand new ones.

Not that he couldn’t have simply left that to someone else and asked them to send the data to him later. After everything the Nameless have done for Jarilo-VI, he knows such a request would have been accepted. But, well… Between information acquired personally is most reliable and they don’t have the manpower to deal with the hostile automatons, in the end he decided that he really was best off dealing with this personally.

What he is, admittedly, just as curious about – even if he doesn’t say it out loud – is what got March volunteering to accompany him. Concern for his safety? Surely she knows he could handle it himself…

Well, anyway. “Besides, if we can reduce the number of automatons in the area, it may make future expeditions easier. So I guess we’re killing two birds with one stone for them.”

Speaking of which, all robots around them are now dealt with, allowing Dan Heng to take a calmer, more attentive look around. Nothing of note catches his eye – but they haven’t really made much progress yet.

“Let’s go deeper in.”

　　` ❅ ◞　the belobogian's guide to relic hunting.

　 　❛　bloom : relic hunting　╱　march 7th & dan heng

[renascinem]

Caelus’ first inquiry is met with a small head tilt and an ever so slight raising of eyebrows on Dan Heng’s part as he looks at his friend.

“You know they’re closely related to and classified together with heliobi, right?” Maybe someone needs to visit the data bank a little more often, huh. But Dan Heng doesn’t say that out loud – it’s not like he really judges the other in such a fashion. The Trailblazer and March were genuinely busy recently, he knows that. Besides, he’s not their dad, he’s not going to tell them what to do.

“They’re definitely less harmful than the heliobi you would have seen on the Luofu. But qualities such as mischievous nature, creating illusions, and possessing people all apply. They’re particularly attracted to strong emotions.”

So, you know, don’t be too scared as a result of what I just said or whatever.

Anyway. “Sticking together is probably best,” he says with a nod, before his eyes are attracted elsewhere – specifically, to a group of cargo boxes at the other end of the hallway.

Hm.

Something tells him those aren’t supposed to be floating.

“You’ve dealt with different kinds of spirits before, right?” He asks, turning back to Caelus. “Didn’t you get a device or a mode in your camera for detecting them? We could use that. Wubbaboos tend to just give up and calm down or leave once caught.”

There's a Wubbaboo in This Closet || Dan Heng & Caelus

[renascinem]

He gently pats your hand.

[renascinem]

part 2 i guess hehe. i almost got 400 notes within 24 hours on the first one?!?!?!? tysm everyone :-)