#※ in chara ┋ this story has a brand new page; a chapter where we will take the stage

[somniiator]

@dendrofennec said: ❝It's said that there is a dark side to knowledge. Hmm... Have you ever had the chance to experience anything confirming it to be true?❞

FOR A MOMENT, Zulaikha stiffens, and at the same time her eyes widen. Memories that don't necessarily belong to HER rush to the forefront of her mind-- a search for knowledge most forbidden, despite knowing better, and the exact price to be paid for it. And to what end? All it brought in the end was pain and death beyond even the Mistress of Flowers' predictions-- not wisdom and power. A dark side to knowledge, indeed.

Quickly, though, the Sage recollects herself. Tension forced out of shoulders and a deep breath taken slowly, Zulaikha returns to the present time, then turns her attention back to Tighnari.

"Not personally, no." A shake of her head accompanies the answer. Trustworthy as the Forest Ranger may be, she is reluctant to to share her apparent history with ANYONE just yet. "But it's not the kind of thing you have to experience to know that it's true, right? There's always the possibility that knowledge, whatever form it may be, can be abused and used for the wrong reasons. Of course, right and wrong are often subjective-- but that's still a 'dark side' of knowledge anyway, isn't it? Not to mention all the kinds that the Akademiya even prohibits people from researching." A pause follows, while she raises a brow at the other. "Have you ever experienced something like that, Tighnari? Or is this just a matter of simple curiosity?"

[somniiator]

@al-hazen || sc

"...Are you close with Lesser Lord Kusanali, Al-Haytham?" She poses the question cautiously, with much hesitation-- she was only supposed to drop off some documents and then be on her way. But curiosity killed the cat, no? Besides, there's something that has been eating at her for weeks now. Even now, Zulaikha is uncertain about approaching the Dendro Archon for the truth. Putting it off and dancing around the subject at every opportunity clearly isn't doing her any favors either, though, and at the very least, it wouldn't hurt to try and open that door of opportunity.

Maybe approaching the Scribe to get that opportunity started isn't her most well-thought out idea, but the idea of directly approaching someone she otherwise hasn't had much to do with before now is a bit unnerving. Surely one of Sumeru's lauded heroes-- and the Grand Scribe-- is a decent starting point, no?

( Inwardly, she chastises herself. What self-respecting Sage becomes so nervous and pathetic like this? )

"I was hoping for... an audience with her, I guess," Zulaikha continues after shaking the thoughts from her head. "I had intended to ask the Grand Sage Azar, truthfully, only to find that, uh. Well, you know." A broad gesture, vaguely meant to refer to Sumeru's recent changes. "So that idea went out the window. But with everything settling down, if you work closely with her-- Well. Would such a thing be possible?"

[somniiator]

@perspectieven said: Wrong blog but. I want the K!!! For Wakana!! ( @rijdertjes )

Send me 'I want the K' and I'll generate a number // accepting 6: Gentle Peck

After spending so long without the mobility of her hands due to Eleazar, Zulaikha finds that her fine motor skills are like that of an infant after the affliction has been mysteriously cured. It almost feels ALIEN to try and move her fingers with any precision, and it's difficult to manage. Yet she is as careful as can be with the way she runs her fingers through Wakana's hair, smiling softly to herself as she relishes in the feeling. The small braids she weaves into the other's hair are messy as best with her uncoordinated hand movements, but she is quick to brush them out again before they can tangle and become a hassle, starting the process all over again.

Soft hums escape her all the while, a melody from a bygone era and a life that was not technically hers. Still, it is one of the few HAPPIER melodies of that time that she can recall, one that the past Mistress of Dreams would sing of affection and love. How could she not sing it now, in this life, lying with her own beloved?

She does stop, however, when she turns her gaze to Wakana's face, a smile gracing her own as she raises a hand, affectionately stroking the other's cheek. And, after a moment, Zulaikha cranes her head just enough to peck at her lips. It's then that she sits up, taking Wakana by the hands and gently pulling her up to do the same.

"Let's go and get some food, shall we? I'm starving~ And it's been a while since I've taken you out too, no?"

[somniiator]

@nightiingaled said: ∗ 12﹕ sender  invites  receiver  to  dance . - genshin!mel :3

𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑩𝑨𝑳 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺 .

Zulaikha enjoys a good party, certainly, but it's hard not to feel like she has to put on airs these days. There's a certain level of professionalism expected of an Akademiya Sage-- she can't cut loose like she could as a student spending her down time in Port Ormos. She restrains herself when she drinks now, rarely ever finishing a full glass, and she tends to feel stiff and out of place. So, not wanting to be a fish out of water in full view of everyone, she tends to stick to the sidelines, maybe with a familiar face or two to keep her company.

This time, though, her usual company left early after drinking himself into a stupor much too quickly and being taken home by the Sage's only other friend. Unfortunate, but at least it was amusing to watch Faruzan try to help Kaveh back to his home. She certainly isn't going to let the man live it down when he's sober again ( privately, of course ).

She is pulled from the slowly-forming plans to tease her friend, however, when a voice calls to her. Admittedly it makes her jump a little, but she composes herself quickly to turn her attention to-- well, she actually isn't sure what this woman's name is. All she knows is that she's seen her around from time to time this evening, and that she's offering a dance. And who is Zulaikha to deny such a thing? Dance, at least, is one thing that comes natural to her-- not even the strong wine of Mondstadt can impair her enough to keep her from it.

"It would simply be rude of me to decline such an invitation, no?" Or maybe the Dandelion Wine brought by Mondstadt's visitors really is finally hitting her and allowing her to shed her recent inhibitions. Perhaps she's still driven by her need to reintroduce the art of music and dance to the sorely-lacking atmosphere of Sumeru. It's not like the reason matters, though. Zulaikha just wants to share a dance with this woman. So she extends a hand, grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Shall I lead, or would you prefer to take it?"

[somniiator]

The original intent had been to simply get to Port Ormos, as part of a small getaway from endless work and a chance to simply relax for a change. But the moment she hears a desperate cry while passing through, Zulaikha is hard-pressed to continue on without at least investigating. If someone were in danger and got hurt while she simply proceeded onward, she might just bury herself in the desert sands out of shame. So she turns on her heel almost IMMEDIATELY, bolting in the direction the voice had come from. Catalyst in hand, she braces herself for anything-- gods only know what one could encounter out in the wild, after all.

She stops in her tracks, however, when she finds a young woman on her hands and knees. It doesn't seem as if she's hurt, thankfully-- but what on earth is she mumbling about? Something about graduation? So she must be a student then... But what is she doing out here, then? Some kind of research?

"Uh-- Hey, are you okay?" Finally speaking up, Zulaikha damn near jumps out of her skin at the other's yelp. Her own apology quickly follows suit-- she probably should have made her presence known before suddenly speaking to someone clearly unaware and distracted, anyway. But at least Layla doesn't SEEM hurt or anything, which offers Zulaikha some sense of relief.

"You didn't disturb, no worries. I just came when I heard the commotion to make sure someone wasn't hurt." Shaking her head, she then raises a brow curiously. "If I may ask, though, what are you doing out here?"

|| Open Starter- Daylight Layla ||

Other open starters: (x)

Were one to happen to be traversing around Andravi Valley, they would encounter a distressed cry in the distance. Closer examination leads to a panicky Rtawahist student currently combing through the tall grass on her hands and knees.

"No no no no why now of all things...where could it be?? I was sure I dropped it somewhere here...please no, how am I supposed to finish my assignments now?"

A whimper escapes.

"I'm going to fall behind and then I'm never going to catch up! I'll have to postpone my graduation!" Maybe she could drop out to save herself the embarrassment, no what is she saying, dropping out would be even worse!

"No no no no I will never be able to forgive myself if that happens! I- eep!"

It was at this point that Layla realises she wasn't entirely alone. Someone else had unwittingly stumbled in and witnessed her self-pitying mumbling. Colour stains her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Sorry! I didn't mean- I didn't mean to disturb!"

[somniiator]

@nightiingaled said: " wasn’t my fault this time! " - from benny ? :3

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝚄𝚂 [𝙴𝙿𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙳𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴] 𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂.

This time? The phrase stands out to Zulaikha-- she has never blamed him before. How could she, when this is the first time she's met him? It must have something to do with those warnings, then. If you're seeking a guide, don't follow Bennett, some had told her. He has a terrible case of bad luck! You never know what you might walk into!

But she is no stranger to unkind whispers behind one's back, and thus is never one to pay them any mind. Besides, so few other adventurers seemed willing to give her the time of day. This kid was the first, and seemed so eager, too. How could she say no?

"We can worry about nonexistent faults later," she declares as she steps toward the ruin hunter waking up several feet away from them. Once at Bennett's side, she places a hand on his shoulder, and offers a grin instead. "Let's just focus on taking this thing down, yeah? And then we can keep moving, no big deal." A squeeze to his shoulder for reassurance, then she sets her sight on the machine in the air, catalyst in hand.

"It's hard to get close to that thing while it's still in the air. I'm pretty sure I can knock it down to the ground, though, if I can get to its core. So we'll have to prompt it to attack us hard so it'll expose it." And to keep damages to a minimum, she generates a shield of Geo energy around herself, and one around Bennett, just in case. Her grin returns again as she glances back at him.

"So, are you game, kid?"

[somniiator]

@aalberich said: “  what did you want to tell me? ”

more misc memes

"It's more like something to ask, really." Shifting the bag slung over her shoulder, Zulaikha pushes herself off the wall she had been leaning against to stand up straight once more. "I don't know my way around here in Mondstadt-- honestly, it's the first time I have ever left Sumeru at all. But I was drawn here by the stories of Old Monstadt, back in the days where Decarabian ruled." A pat to her bag for emphasis-- within, there is but a single book she's been able to get her hands on that mentions Old Mondstadt, and it's only a few short blurbs. Hardly enough to sate her ever-growing curiosity about the gods of old.

"I prefer to do my research on site, though. Unfortunately, any adventurers from the Guild I've spoken to have been less than willing to guide the way. Something about not knowing what may be inside, now that the storm barrier is gone?" She isn't sure what that's all about, but nonetheless finds herself frustrated by the roadblock in her plans so far.

"So I decided to seek out the Knights of Favonius instead." Which, in hindsight, feels a little bit silly. Is this too trivial a matter to seek out the Knights for? Then again, local adventurers have been no help, so she really doesn't see any other option for herself, lest she go alone and end up lost in a foreign land.

Maybe coming to Mondstadt was a mistake.

Never one to let herself back down, though, Zulaikha continues. "If there is anyone who knows the land and is willing to guide another there, I'd be more than willing to pay any price for the expedition-- whether it's someone within the Knights or not. So, do you happen to know anyone who might fit the bill? Or must I go on another wild goose hunt for someone who does?"

[somniiator]

@rijdertjes ( wakana ) || sc

"Hm... Nope, this just won't do." Rather dramatically ( because it's much more fun that way, if you ask her ), Zulaikha pushes herself away from her desk, deciding that she isn't in her best mindset to get work of any decent quality done. So her attention then turns toward Wakana, turning in her chair to rest her arms atop its back and rest her chin there, all while curiously observing the other woman.

"Say, habibti... Are you hungry, by any chance?" Head tilts to the side curiously, ears even giving a small twitch. Her bangs start to fall over her good eye, however, so she's quick to straighten up again and blow the strands out of her face, lest her already poor vision become compromised. "I would offer to cook, but, uh-- I'm not very good at it, frankly. But I think food would help me concentrate and get better work done, so... Wanna go out and grab a bite? We can stop anywhere you want, too~"

[somniiator]

CURIOSITY WEAVES ITS WAY INTO HER EXPRESSION. It seems as if Tighnari is troubled by the matter-- or at least, deeply contemplative of it. Perhaps some trouble in Gandharva Ville? Or maybe it has something to do with the grand changes to the Akademiya, and Sumeru as a whole. After all, change has a way of bringing about bits of turmoil, even in the best of of times. Either way, there's a sense of concern that begins to etch itself into the knitting of her brows.

"Different people will have different answers," Zulaikha speaks up again after a few moments pass. "Some people's don't see knowledge as a burden to begin with-- though whether they still handle it with caution or not may be another story entirely. But... I can at least speak from experience on this: knowledge and the responsibility with it can certainly feel like a burden. At least, I've begun to feel like it is lately. After all, when you become a sort of leader-- whether it's as a Sage or as a Forest Watcher-- there's so much more you have to know. And on top of that, you have to consider the consequences of that knowledge spreading, or what would happen if you kept it to yourself. It's easier to write those things off and feel unburdened when you're just a student or a researcher pursuing your own interests."

There's another pause, now. His last question brings back another flashing memory-- a plea made to a stubborn king seeking unnatural truths, and the gut-wrenching knowledge of how to get him there, eventually shared between the pair. Another memory, going even further back to a simpler time: a Seelie in her prime, denying a mortal man similar answers, and the price paid for the silence.

"...Refusing to share knowledge doesn't stop the pain, either. Sometimes that just makes the pain worse, actually. I know that much from experience, too. But... why so curious about this kind of thing? I mean, you don't have to answer, obviously-- but you seem more than a little worried about the whole thing."

Maybe one doesn't need to experience it to believe it to be true, but to strengthen one's belief about it would require it. Unless he had seen or heard things by himself, Tighnari found himself hard to believe in things. He had heard stories, ones that suggested that the more knowledge one has, the more one suffers. He reflected the thought on himself, thus the question, but he couldn't find any knowledge that would 'hurt' him. Could the pain be something non-physical? To know more was Tighnari's goal, but did it mean that he was unknowingly also willing to take the pain that the constant knowledge would, if not right now, then maybe in the future cause him? ❝Knowledge forces responsibility on people, but it is upto the individual to choose how they share the knowledge... Well, if they choose to share it...❞ Tighnari kept rambling about the topic even further inside his head. Maybe he went too deep with it, but he was seriously curious about it, enough to stuck his head into the sand about the topic. Research was something that worked as a perfect way to prevent bad things from happening. Research could also give answers to questions but it could also bring more questions on the table, and those were the times when most researchers felt like they had done work for nothing. They dropped their research or made it someone else's problems. Tighnari had taken research projects from others very rarely since he had those of this own keeping him busy. This topic however was something that wasn't easily solved, if at all. People could only prevent the worst of it by spreading a message that very few had experienced themselves. A tiny thing that could've evolved into a serious threat in the process of development. Knowledge could also be used as a weapon which was a topic that had reached the ears of the Forest Ranger through some Akademiya student who had went to Port Ormos with their friends. Again, those were just words, possibly just rumors being spread by a few students with wild imaginations. But since they had reached Gandharva Ville recently, it would've been close to impossible that Tighnari wouldn't have heard it. Find the student who visited Port Ormos and question their sayings, hearings, and listenings. Maybe it was a thing he shouldn't have been worried about, but he had heard stories, ones that suggested that a knowledge and the lacking responsibility that followed. ❝... What I'm curious about is… Does one ever feel burdened, not only by the knowledge, but the responsibility as well? And does this mean that a person who refuses to share the knowledge, that they would not feel pain? Hmm…❞

[somniiator]

She can't quite help the sigh that escapes her when asked for her name. While true she never did actually state her name, is it so wrong to hope that becoming a Sage would do her favors in making her name a little more well-known?

Well, at the very least, being UNKNOWN is still preferable to being met with contempt or outright ignored. Earning the acknowledgement and respect of others can come later-- there are far more important matters at hand.

"Zulaikha. My name is Zulaikha," she finally answers, trying to stand a little straighter. Such effort ultimately fails, though, for the idea of trying to explain WHY she wants to see the Dendro Archon suddenly becomes daunting. Enough for pointed ears to droop and Zulaikha's posture to wither. Her weight shifts from foot to foot as she contemplates just how open she can be with the visions shown to her through the Aranara's influence. Al-Haytham is, after all, still a stranger. One of vague familiarity ( why? as far as she can recall, this is her first time meeting the Scribe face to face ) and with ties to her target audience, but a stranger nonetheless.

"...I had a dream after encountering what I think was an Aranara in the rainforest." Deciding to go with the truth of the matter anyway-- or at least part of it-- Zulaikha settles flat on her feet again and fixes her posture once more. "But it wasn't the kind of thing my kind of imagination would conjure up. It was way too vivid and surreal, even if it seemed to fit my field of research." Ah, but that might be an unnecessary detail... But really, how is she meant to make it make sense? It all seems far-fetched even to her, and it's hard not to worry that she's making something out of NOTHING. It certainly wouldn't be the first time she's overreacted.

Still, even after all these weeks, it's been bothering her. No amount of trying to rationalize the things she saw has helped her. And if anyone would know the truth, surely it'd be one of the subjects of those visions, no? Even if the idea makes Zulaikha incredibly nervous.

"So--" It takes shaking her head to focus herself again, "Those Aranara creatures have connection with Lesser Lord Kusanali, no? If that's true, she should be able to help confirm if it was dream the Aranara simply implanted in my head, or something actually worth fretting over. So that's why I'm asking-- is it possible to speak with her or no?"

Ever since the fall of the Akasha System and his stepping down as Acting Grand Sage, his workload had only increased. As they couldn't simply record information with an Akasha Terminal, the demand for the Scribe to record and archive as much information as inhumanly possible had taken him across each of the Six Darshans, amassing enough work to bury the layman in decades that took him a week to compile and sort through. It wasn't so much that it affected him adversely, and he had some limited technologies to make the work go by more quickly, but at the very least it meant more time to himself in his office where next to no one would disturb him short of the Archon herself who never hesitated to call on her Familiar.

Just as he was going over revisions for meeting minutes of the last administrative meeting he'd sat in for, he was surprised to see a woman fill the threshold of his office. Though he normally would've ignored any intruders until finished with a task, something about her seemed... strangely familiar. Which was odd given how he was sure they'd never met before. Though she seemed Vahumana by the looks of it, it was her question that concerned him more.

"I am. I did orchestrate her liberation and worked alongside her when I was Acting Grand Sage, but can I ask what this is about, er... What did you say you name was?" he inquired with a mildly skeptical lilt, though he doubted it was true suspicion that compelled him to ask.

Though it felt foolish to feel so absurdly protective, much of Al-Haytham simply couldn't help it. Nahida had proven herself beyond capable even without his help, after centuries of failing her, that instinct was something he doubted would ever go away. So long as he didn't overstep any boundaries and act without her permission, he supposed it was alright.