#◟〈 ♠ 〉 creation myth ━━ 🇪​🇽​🇨​🇭​🇦​🇳​🇬​🇪​﹒

[avcnturine]

MONTHS BEFORE, WHEN HE'D MET LADY SUMMER——and set a wager with her militant sister——it should have occurred to him then. either these were a poor imitation of gods or godly beings, more similar to whatever they had for emanators here, capable of long lives or powers beyond what any normal person was capable of, or something else was going on in teyvat that was different from any other world or star cluster that they'd seen.

gods that were just like you or me? that might resemble the woman who accompanied him now through the snow, or any of the clueless villagers he'd stopped by along the way? call him a skeptic, but it's hard to see what was worth praying to in that. one lined up beside the other like a row of dominoes, each with no more power than the last to dictate what became of them. gods should be above that, shouldn't they? the trump card, weighted die, the deciding factor that settled the score.

the fate that'd given him his eyes, and the will that'd elevated him in spite of them, were the realm where gods ought to live. how funny. did that make teyvat a godless place? he wonders.

none of this surfaces into the mild smile and the affable gaze, even when the other pair of bootsteps stop crunching alongside him in the deep snow, its sudden absence more accusatory than any spoken tone or expectant look. he turns around, posture open and unsuspecting, as though more caught off guard by the wariness of her question than the idea of the answer. "beyond this world," he answers as easily as he might say ' just on the other side of this mountain '.

and gestures, palms out. "do you believe me?"

♠　creation myth

comm. SWIRL⠀∶⠀heart of the dragonspine.

[avcnturine]

ENIGMATIC SMILE RESTS ON SNOWBITTEN FEATURES, neither confirming nor denying. the woman's answer was a tactful one, levelheaded and careful, covering all bases. whether it was really what she thought or just a harmless summary fit for an outworld stranger to deflect further inquiry didn't matter ; either way, it gave enough of an insight into the person he'd decided to take this short walk beside, and to whom exactly he might be shelling potential secrets.

and speaking of which, whether this was even truly a secret. . . he gauges her next reaction evenly, then responds with a placid surprise of his own ; the sparkling curiosity in his eyes is an innocuous kind. "oh? even here, the gods have enemies?" a light, musical chuckle. "traveling so far, it'd seemed like everyone was pretty respectful of the rule of the seven." the interested pause after invites her to fill the space with further explanation as the incline under their feet abruptly starts to grow steeper. even his reinforced boots begin sinking into the drift up to the ankles on some steps, and he has to stretch out a hand to steady himself now and then against rocks half-buried under the ice.

ahead, it seemed they were heading up the rugged slope of one of the mountainsides now, and through the sheer veil of white-dusted wind, he can make out a dark tangle of sticks off to the side of the path not far ahead. was that one of the torches left behind these parts? it didn't look like it would hold a flame any better in these conditions than a candle would. but maybe he'd be surprised.

♠　creation myth

comm. SWIRL⠀∶⠀heart of the dragonspine.

[avcnturine]

IT'S OFTEN SAID THAT BUSINESSMEN aren't known for their honesty. aventurine discards the sentiment——all things considered, he'd much prefer to play within the rules. sure, duplicity could be one part of the toolbox, but it was a far cry from the indiscreet brand of shamelessness that made business synonymous with swindling in the eyes of those not savvy enough to sit at the table. to miss chiori's candid question, he gives an equally candid answer: a sound of affirmation, and another glance at the flickering image hovering above his wrist, threatening to wash out entirely in the sheet of snow that blows over the bank in frigid crystals.

he shuts off the display, returning his attention to the road. though there isn't much in the way of a visible path, it looks like she knows where she's going. "right on the money. that door. . . mm, how should i put it? how much stock do you put in the gods, miss chiori?"

devouts, heretics, ambivalence, and atheists ; every planet had their own mix and match of the bunch. teyvat's current rule stood under the seven, an enigmatic roundtable that governed the laws of the place in accordance with a high-up throne called the heavenly principles. it seemed like there was more to it, with some of these seven walking fresh-faced among their own people. rather than the aeons from beyond the stars, eldritch and incomprehensible, much less visible, by the average man, the archons of teyvat sounded like a more humanitarian bunch.

and, at least, if that strange little domain on the summer island were to be believed. . . "supposedly ' starsilver ' might just have the power to subdue one."

♠　creation myth

comm. SWIRL⠀∶⠀heart of the dragonspine.