#ebg 2024/01 plot asks: meirin

[risustravelogue]

“hello, good sir. pardon the interruption to your leisurely rest, but have you seen this woman?”

a clink of mora passing between hands, and the vagrants studied the photo of a short dark-blue haired woman closely.

one of them answered with a rough voice, “a foreigner? lots of them been roamin’ around since the sakoku decree being lifted. can’t really remember well…”

another gold coin joined the other. the ronins talked amongst each others in inazuman as meirin tapped her foot almost impatiently.

“i guess she looks pretty distinct… might have seen her around, maybe in the capital.”

“are you absolutely sure?”

“chances are, she’ll be there. you said she was doing some commission work and stuff? if they could afford someone from overseas, they must have some good money. people with good money generally live in the main city.”

all general information, yet again. what do these people think we are, dumb?

the woman sighed and grabbed her husband’s hand before he could hand over yet another mora to the fifth group of vagabonds they’ve encountered that day, “alright. thank you for your cooperation, good sirs. we’ll be going n—”

“now, now,” the ronin who had been observing the scene from behind chuckled, hand inching towards their sheathed blade, “you both seem loaded, so why not throw a few more mora our way, eh?”

meirin frowned and glanced up at her lover before whispering, “is the welfare in inazuma that bad? why do they all say the same thing? what are these guys, npcs?”

“an interesting theory. are you suggesting that we’re in a game of sorts?”

“wouldn’t that be fun? in which case, i command you to bonk these npcs!”

“haha, as my dearest wishes.”

ミ𒆙𒆙𒆙

“— really! we really don’t know anything else!” the nobushi pleaded, visibly trying to struggle against the petrification to no avail.

the teashop owner sighed and pondered over the small teapot, before reaching into her bag with a soft smile, “i think you need more tea to remember, good sir… ah, yes, why not add the amount of jueyun chili in this one? and ground sand grease pupas for an added flavor! that should jog your memory!”

“wait, wait, please! i swear i don’t know anything! never seen that girl in my life!!” the man cried out, glancing back towards his friends who were laying out cold on the ground after a cup of… whatever devil’s drink that woman had forced down their throat.

were they dead? he had no idea.

and why the hell was the woman’s husband making himself home on their camp while having tea?!

clearly this couple wasn’t normal.

“look! i-i may not have information about the girl, b-but i’ve seen a weird-looking guy walking around these parts!”

“… a weird-looking guy?” meirin tilted her head.

the kettle sang on top of the portable stove. the man watched with quivering eyes as she poured the hot water into the teapot containing the 'concoction’. even from the smell, his eyes had started to water.

“y-yeah!! he’s got a mustache and wears this purple cape!! he looks like he’s up to no good if you ask me!!”

“huh… anything else?”

“uh. um……. n-no?”

“….”

“….”

“welp! special tea delivery! open wide~”

[ 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚡𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 ]

shoes crunched against inazuma’s soil as the pair trekked down the path towards konda village. perhaps once they’ve reached the settlement, they would be able to find some clues, or at least people who had seen kurisu. though their pace was deliberately slowed from all the venturing and questioning almost everyone they came across, it was always better to be meticulous and slow than careless and fast in these situations.

….. and on that note….

“xiànɡ gong, i love you dearly, but let’s try to be just as ultra-careful and not spend our money that willy-nilly, alright?”

“ah… yes, of course. my apologies, tiánxīn.”

@i23kazu - another ebg submission from yours truly!

I'm not sure how you'd count these, but there are 2 doodles on screencaps, 2 drawings, and 1 edit of a drawing (idt that counts as a whole piece?). Feel free to see for yourself!

230 words.

03. trying something

That morning…

“We’re here.”

“You! Boss-man! I challenge you to an Onikabuto fight!” exclaimed the young girl.

Itto cackled. “Bring it on!”

Kurisu smiled. “Haha… Have fun, you two.” 

She walked inside the tent. There, she found something glinting near one of the tent’s wooden pegs.

“What’s this?”

“Huh? A Vision? Whose is this?”

Kurisu walked out of the tent and approached Shinobu, who was walking down towards the tent.

“Kuki. I found a Vision near one of the pegs. Do you have any idea whose it is?”

Kuki’s eyes looked at the Vision, then to Kurisu’s face, then back to the Vision in her hand.

“A Sumeru Vision… hmm. Why don’t you try using it?”

Kurisu frowned.

“Odd idea, but how do I do that?”

Shinobu tapped her cheek. “Hmm. Try connecting with it, then focus on something you can’t do without a Vision. Since it’s a Hydro Vision, maybe try conjuring a ball of water floating above me?”

Kurisu nodded. She closed her eyes and imagined a big ball of water above Shinobu’s head.

“Amazing.”

She opened her eyes to find Shinobu poking the ball of water with her index finger.

And it popped, showering her green hair with glistening droplets.

“Ah! Cold!” she yelped.

“...”

“Wow, it is yours!”

“But…”

“... Kurisu?”

“But... But I—I’ve never—!!”

A horrified shriek echoed through the air.

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?????”

[risustravelogue]

the air in the country of eternal lighting felt like it was charged with electricity. the port city of ritou bustled with merchants and tourists alike, busily walking about just like the countless maple leaves drifting about in the air.

amidst the crowd, two people stood against the stone wall of a certain establishment, waiting.

“apologies. i’m the one who asked for your help, and yet—”

“hey, it’s fine. it’s understandable, since that gauntlet of yours has been going without maintenance for more than two months. i wouldn’t let anyone else other than my husband evaluate the tea leaves we stock in the teahouse, either. sometimes it’s not just about the end result, but also the sentiment,” meirin said with a sympathetic tone towards the duke, her eyes momentarily flitting to her own beloved who was negotiating about traveling options with the nearby international trade association president.

hmph. i’ve got nothing against the man, but i wish he had used his actual fontainian name. i nearly flipped out when we asked around about ‘kurisu’ and people said they knew of someone named just that.

… but i suppose i’ll forgive him since he has a cute cat.

“in any case, once you’ve gotten them fixed, given no further updates from us, you’ll go straight to inazuma city to catch up with us, just as planned, yes?”

“yes. let me know if you find anything on your way. meanwhile, i’ll look around ritou to see if there’s any information. if she had taken a boat from here, there should be a record of it. it might give us a new lead.”

“good idea. there are many people who comes and goes through the port, so you should be able to ask around...,” meirin watched the anxious tapping of the man’s foot and the way his finger dug onto the scars on his arms, barely concealed by the black boxing tapes, “… hey. listen. she’ll be fine. try not to worry too much.”

“how can you be so sure?”

“call it a woman’s intuition,” she shrugged, smiling, “you’d be surprised at how accurate it is sometimes. plus, there's no point poisoning your mind with negative what-ifs when we don't know anything at the moment. heck, who knows? maybe she’s happily playing those onikabuto fights with a friend right now, like those children we saw back in the docks...”

wriothesley sighed and allowed a soft chuckle, the taut muscles loosening, “quite a steadfast one, aren’t you?”

“it's the characteristics of those who wields the geo element,” she nodded proudly, patting the vision hanging from her belt, “…. we’ll find her. and in the meantime — you know what they say about those with hydro visions.”

“even the gentlest waters could drown anyone who thought paltry of it.”

@i23kazu - one more ebg entry! :3

323 words.

02. something missing

The morning was cheerful with the sounds of chirping birds in the air.

Breakfast was very good. Which was a given, considering it was Shinobu’s cooking.

And yet, Kurisu’s gaze always turned downwards.

Itto, sensing her melancholy, decided to cheer her up.

“Are you sad because you can’t go home yet, Risu?” he asked. Kurisu nodded.

“I miss home. I miss my parents and my friends… It feels like forever since I’ve seen them,” she said.

“Still worried about getting expelled?” Shinobu asked. Kurisu nodded again.

“Yeah… especially since this is already my second chance at the Akademiya,” she fidgeted. “I used to study medicine in the Amurta Darshan, but I transferred to Kshahrewar because I couldn’t… I couldn’t continue studying it for some reason. I still don’t know what caused it.”

A pause of hesitation broke her voice.

“I… I ran away like a coward.”

Shinobu looked at her in sympathy.

“Hey… running away is a valid tactic, you know,” the green-haired woman smiled. “Sometimes you just need to know when to stop fighting.”

Kurisu offered Shinobu a small smile. “Thanks, Kuki. I needed that, I think.”

All of a sudden, Itto stood up from his chair.

“Aaaah! I’ve had enough of these sad talks!” he exclaimed. Turning to Kurisu, he offered his hand to her. “Let’s go sightseeing instead! It’ll certainly cheer you up!”

Kurisu nodded. Once she stood up, Itto snatched her right hand and whisked her away. Shinobu followed them from a distance, leaving an amused Granny Oni behind.

It must’ve been a sight—a big, boisterous red oni walking side by side with a dark blue-haired girl in the beautiful Inazuman wilderness, rambling all the while, his hand never letting go of hers. The girl felt warmth she had never felt before…

… until her left hand subconsciously moved to her hip, reaching for something that wasn’t there.

She couldn’t help but feel like there’s something important she’s missing.

[risustravelogue]

the sea wind was cold and rigid, breezing past the couple; a hard bite on their skin that further added to the somber mood.

“how’s wriothesley?”

“i’m afraid even the most exquisite teas could not lighten the heart of a man most distraught, my dear wife.”

“….”

the rough waves carrying the scent of salt and the slightest fragrance of cherryblossom petals rocked the boat harshly. the vehicle wobbled like an erratic pendulum in the face of a storm.

“although i must say ー a few months in inazuma with no news... this predicament hits a tad too close to home, i’m afraid.”

“ahaha... b-but you found me in the end! so i’m sure we’ll find her too!” meirin leaned her head to her husband’s shoulder, sighing, “i mean, for all we know, she might be doing great and was just too busy. although that’s very unlike her…”

“it would be more believable to say that the vision hunt decree was being re-established,” the man by her side commented.

silence fell. thunder rumbled in the distance, the dark clouds approaching. water splashing onto the deck, rebounded by a golden sheen of a shield.

“our arrival in inazuma is in twenty four hours. let us get some much-needed rest before stepping foot in the electro archon’s domain.”

@i23kazu - hehe another entry :)

2 drawings + 255 words.

It was a clear night. The moon’s reflection rippled as the waters moved.

Kurisu stared at the white glowing orb in the sky from the shore.

She pulled her borrowed obi tighter and sighed.

I need to return as soon as possible.

She slowly walked back into the house, thinking about how to approach the subject along the way. She slid the door to the dining area open, where Itto, Shinobu, and Granny Oni were drinking tea.

Inhale. Exhale.

“Itto, Kuki, Granny… I want to talk about something,” she said.

“Yes? What is it, child?” Granny Oni smiled.

“I… First of all, I want to thank you for your hospitality and care for me these past few days,” she started. “But I don’t want to burden you further, and I really must go back to Sumeru soon. I’ll get expelled from the Akademiya if I go absent for too long.”

Kurisu fidgeted.

“Kuki, Itto… Can you please take me to the harbor tomorrow morning?”

The room went silent.

Itto opened his mouth to say something, only for Shinobu to speak first.

“I understand,” Shinobu said. “But the harbor is in Ritou, which takes two days of walking to reach. To say it’s very far away would be an understatement,” she explained.

“Yeah, what she said!” Itto chimed. “You’re just starting to recover. It’s better for you to stay here for a few more days.”

… A few more days…

…

“... I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Kurisu smiled. “Thank you so much for letting me stay.”

[risustravelogue]

today as well, the sun was hiding in liyue’s harbor, and the teahouse was mostly empty save for a few passerby who had to take shelter from the sudden downpour. the ticking of the clock was slowly but surely lulling a certain establishment's owner to sleep — that is, until the sound of the store's front door sliding open entered her ears.

meirin yawned, “welcome to— uh. wriothesley?” she raised her eyebrows at the unexpected visitor and stood up from her seat, her eyes looking around, “huh. rare of you to come by yourself. where’s risu? oooh, are you here to buy her a present—”

“help me find her.”

“huh?”

the woman’s sleepiness melted away into worry. it was then she noticed the distress lining the duke’s face, his expression matching the gloomy weather outside.

“…. let’s talk more inside,” her expression turning serious, she ushered the fontainian into one of the private room, before momentarily patting her geo vision, sending a soft pulse of energy to alert her husband, “i’ll need more details.”

@i23kazu - here you go. my first entry. or entries, I guess. I really hope these count... haha

1/2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1/2 = 5 drawings & 411 words

00. home(?)

She woke up to a BANG.

“Ugh…” she groaned, annoyed at whatever—whoever—made that loud noise. She reached for her glasses and found them on the bedside table. She put them on and…

“... Where am I?”

Another BANG, and she yelped in surprise. She tried to stand up, only for her legs to give away. She fell onto the tatami floor with a thud.

“The heck…” she cursed. Loud footsteps came from outside the room, and it got closer with every step until—

The sliding door suddenly opened, revealing a big man with a long, bushy mane of silver hair and…

… two red horns?

“Are you okay?” he asked. She balked when he knelt down to help her up.

“Stay back!” she shouted, fists balled in a defensive stance. “Who are you?”

One of the horned man’s eyebrows rose.

“Whoa! Huh? You don’t know me? Hmm… You must not be from around here, then!” he said, somewhat enthusiastically. He stood up and flexed his muscles—much to her confusion.

“For I am Arataki ‘The One And Oni’ Itto!”

he declared proudly.

“...”

“...”

Itto sighed.

“You really have never heard of me, huh. Then you must not be from Inazuma at all.”

She frowned. “No, I am from Sumeru.”

“Really?” Now it was his turn to frown. “You look more like someone from Liyue.”

She shook her head. “All of my grandparents did come from Liyue.”

“I see,” Itto pondered. “What’s your name, miss? And how old are you?”

Her frown deepened as she studied the strange oni’s smiling face.

He seems earnest, at least.

“I’m Kurisu,” she said. “And pray tell, why do you want to know how old I am?”

Itto flashed a toothy grin.

“I want to know if I should call you onee-san or imouto-chan,” he chuckled. She recognized the terms—the first one is Inazuman for ‘older sister,’ and the second means ‘younger sister.’

“Fine,” she sighed. A small smile bloomed on her lips. This oni is adorable.

“I’m ✕⭘. How old are you, Itto?”

“Oh! I win!” he exclaimed, and knelt down to ruffle her hair. “I’m ✕☐! I’ll call you imouto-chan, then!”

She pushed the oni’s hand away, a giggle escaping her lips. “You know, it’s rude to ruffle a stranger’s hair.”

A slight pink tinted his cheeks. “You’re so cute, though,” he said.

She winced.

“... I’ve never heard anyone but my mom say it,” she mumbled. Her face went red and her chest grew warm.

“... Thanks, Itto.”

[risustravelogue]

“yashiori island?? are you certain?”

“yes, yes, i’m positively sure! she was asking around if she’s able to get a boat to yashiori island. we told her she can go through ritou, although there are not many boats going there. but there’s also a waverider point nearby in amakane island towards kannazuka. the girl chose the waverider path, since it saves time and money... dear me, young ones these days are quite reckless—”

meirin fell into a contemplative silence as she stared at the local inazuma map.

yashiori island? did she need some materials from the maguu kenki, jakotsu mine, or orobashi’s remains? or did she have a need to investigate something in musoujin gorge or fort mumei? or perhaps she simply needed to meet with someone in fort fujitou?

“so, i suppose we shall be changing our course to go to yashiori island?”

her husband’s voice interrupted her train of thoughts and conjectures, and she looked up only to realize that he had guided her away from the village chief, back towards the main street.

“yeah. let’s send a letter to wriothesley to inform him about the change of plans, and then we’ll go there asap. i’d rather not go back to ritou and wait for a few days just to catch a small boat to yashiori island, though.”

“i agree with you, but i regret to say that i can’t operate waveriders.”

“oh. me neither.”

“…”

“…”

“hm. well. i suppose i haven’t flown in a while.”

tw. murder

"Master Scapino."

"Report."

"We've confirmed that the target has received her Vision back."

"And?"

"It doesn't seem to have any effect on her memories. She's still holed up in that house with the simpleton oni and his sidekick. In fact, she seems even more distressed than before."

"Tsk. Then we took that risk for nothing."

"... There is something else, Master."

"What?"

"Our base in the City was raided by the Shuumatsuban last night, and one of them has joined forces with the target. And..."

The agent shifted on his feet.

"Spit it out or I'll kill you."

"... They know of our location."

"..."

"... Master?"

"......"

"Mas-"

BANG!!!

The agent's body fell with a thud at the base of the now-bloodied rock pillar. In the shadow of the warding stone's violet glow, deep crimson seeped into the ground as proof of the man's cruelty.

"Hmph. Incompetent fools. ... No matter. I have my Delusion and my mechanical hounds. I will take them on myself if needed."

Purple cape fluttered as the man trudged back into his laboratory.

"... Mon frère, la vengeance est à nous."