granted, khaenri'ah isn't the first nation that's technologically advanced in comparison to the rest of its neighboring countries. but it's curious and a little baffling why they continue to thrive underground when they have the capability to emerge and flourish further aboveground.
she understands that there must be a reason, but considering what they have on hand ...
her gaze flickers around, taking in the sights of the supposed workshop. the smell of iron and fire permeates her nose, the heat a little stifling, so much so that she can almost taste it. still, she doesn't see what's being worked on, and she doubts dainsleif will tell her about it either.
the scent of iron eventually fades as they continue their trek, replaced instead by the dry smell of, well, nothing. and it's not long before they emerge out into the desert, sands extending far beyond what her eyes could see. but that's not what catches her attention, her footsteps slowing as her gaze quickly shifts to the sky above them.
stars dot the night sky, strewn like crystals on velvet fabric, twinkling even in the midst of the pale full moon. ]
It's been a while ...
[ an eternity, it feels like, since she's laid her eyes on the sky again. ]
[ it is a mysterious little thing, the way pressure leaves him at her reaction. halfway through, dainsleif had wondered if this would even be anything impressed. she's a traveler, after all, surely she has seen worlds and stars with skies much more fascinating. surely a dark night with twinkling stars isn't anything new, let alone impressive.
but she doesn't seem to hate it, and it soothes the weight in his chest.
khaenri'ah does not take the sky for granted like the other nations do, he thought of saying, but the words die on his lips. after all she has said of him, it does not feel well-suited to speak of his nation in such a moment. so he thinks, and muses, and wonders, and finds himself unable of knowing how to make conversation, or what to even say. he finds, still, that he should not be struggling so much to speak. it's a mysterious thing. ]
... The night sky is the one thing I miss seeing everyday. [ he decides, then, on speaking of his feelings. thoughts he has never once told anyone else. ] The cold breeze, the quiet of the desert. I find it soothing. Do you?
dw about it! i've been sick too, so it's not just you
[ if he had said those words and ruined the moment, she might've just bodily dragged him back underground and instructed the guards to keep the gates shut forever.
but as it stands, it seems he knows how to read the room ... even if his discomfort is palpable enough to momentarily distract her. the gap in his outward facade as the knight captain and his personality is quite fascinating, as she's finding it since earlier, and a part of her wonders if he's just inept in terms of handling most people despite his rank.
or at least, people like her. ]
I do ...
[ it reminds her of the many worlds they've been to, all different but having small pockets of land that are the same as the last. a place where they can find familiarity in. she wonders why he had suddenly brought her out here. ]
[ she relates to the sentiment, and that, too, dainsleif finds soothing. the corners of his eyes soften into a smile that does not reach his lips, and it is all the confirmation he needs that this was not a mistake, nor should he regret coming out of his comfort zone.
(it is not, however, something that will happen again, if he has anything to say about it. not being sure of his own actions or finding logic in it isn't exactly what he'd call fun, let alone comforting.)
his gaze, at last, leaves the starry sky, and turns back to her. ]
... The ocean is north from here. It's not the shortest trip, so I cannot take you there tonight.
[ next time almost slips out of his tongue. there should be no next time. he's knight captain of the royal guard, not an escort. surely she would be assigned better company, he would return to his duties, they wouldn't talk nearly as much, if at all. as things ought to be.
the cold breeze of the desert night is kind on his skin. the moonlight brings out the blue of his eyes. it is a peaceful night, despite all. these are not things that could be easily achieved in khaenri'ah at all. ]
Tell me about the worlds you have visited.
[ he does not, however, say now, nor does he say tomorrow. it rings, almost, as a promise. she may do it whenever she desires, tonight, come morning, five days from now, three moons in the future. no matter when, he would lend her tales his ears. ]
everyone's just getting sick nowadays. feel better soon!
[ how can she tell him of the worlds she's been to if there's no next time? silly man and his silly sentiments.
there's a momentary thought, an impulse that runs through her for one long second as she shifts her gaze from the sky to the north. who's to stop her if she were to drag him to the direction of the sea, a willful attempt to impose herself on him as a princess would to her knight. he's sure to grumble about it, perhaps even give her a heavy sigh that speaks volumes than an actual lecture, but she's certain he wouldn't leave her be.
he's too righteous and chivalrous to abandon his job of escorting her—even if she's being willfully belligerent.
but she decides against it, unwilling to ruin the evening. instead, she starts walking towards a strange device that looks completely out of place, taking a seat right at its base, stretching her legs in front of her. she can tell it's a teleportation mechanism of some sort, but it doesn't look very khaenri'ahn in nature or structure. she'll have to investigate what it is someday. ]
There's a world out there that's covered by water. Just one great big ocean with no end to its horizon, a bright blue ball floating in the nothingness of space.
[ no land, no trees, nothing for even a bird to perch and rest. she had thought it was pretty back then, the way the edge of the world seems to stretch forever. ]
At night, the sea would sparkle, reflecting the stars of the sky it mirrors.
god. yeah. it took me out for a couple days but i'm better now thankfully!!
[ if she had dragged him along to the beach, he would not have been surprised. if she had imposed on him as a princess, he would say that he does not see her as such, perhaps not yet, and he follows his king first and foremost. there would have been scolding, there would have been an exasperated sigh, and the evening would have been, at the end, ruined.
she does not, and a part of dainsleif is thankful for it.
instead, she finds herself comfortable, and he tallies after her. she seats herself and he remains standing, the natural noises of the desert few and far between. they would have all been replaced with her voice and her tales, stories of worlds that may or not exist. for dainsleif, who the outside is covered by endless sand, and the nation he has sworn an oath to protect ever so far from natural blues, the idea of a vast nothingness of endless water is— peculiar.
for a moment, he thinks. were he a free man to do as he wishes, not bound to his job, would he have asked her to take him along in her travels?
the idea is not one deserving of thought, and dainsleif discards it. ]
Is that why you wish to see the ocean? A nostalgic feeling, or have you come to appreciate the way it reflects the night sky?
aaaa that's good to hear!! make sure to get lots of rest while recovering, liquids, etc
her gaze flickers sideways to meet his, finding herself reflected in blue as deep as the ocean. a moment later, she's looking away, turning her head towards the direction of the sea where the stars point north. unfamiliar ones, strange bright lights she's never mapped before, and yet instinctively it points her to one direction and only one direction. ]
They say the sky and the sea are paths to different worlds. And that the sky is just another world's ocean and the ocean, if you sink deep enough to its bottom, may lead you to another world through its sky.
[ stories, she's full of them. tales from kings and peasants, farmers and fishers they've met throughout their travels. some are fairy tales, meant for a child unable to sleep; others are truths, passed on from generation to generation until they become fairy tales themselves.
if she perhaps sank deep enough into teyvat's ocean, she might just escape this world through another world's sky. but she can't, not yet. not when aether continues to slumber, unable to resume his journey with her. ]
But then, you wouldn't let me drown myself in the ocean, would you?
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granted, khaenri'ah isn't the first nation that's technologically advanced in comparison to the rest of its neighboring countries. but it's curious and a little baffling why they continue to thrive underground when they have the capability to emerge and flourish further aboveground.
she understands that there must be a reason, but considering what they have on hand ...
her gaze flickers around, taking in the sights of the supposed workshop. the smell of iron and fire permeates her nose, the heat a little stifling, so much so that she can almost taste it. still, she doesn't see what's being worked on, and she doubts dainsleif will tell her about it either.
the scent of iron eventually fades as they continue their trek, replaced instead by the dry smell of, well, nothing. and it's not long before they emerge out into the desert, sands extending far beyond what her eyes could see. but that's not what catches her attention, her footsteps slowing as her gaze quickly shifts to the sky above them.
stars dot the night sky, strewn like crystals on velvet fabric, twinkling even in the midst of the pale full moon. ]
It's been a while ...
[ an eternity, it feels like, since she's laid her eyes on the sky again. ]
ive been so busy n tired im so sorry......
but she doesn't seem to hate it, and it soothes the weight in his chest.
khaenri'ah does not take the sky for granted like the other nations do, he thought of saying, but the words die on his lips. after all she has said of him, it does not feel well-suited to speak of his nation in such a moment. so he thinks, and muses, and wonders, and finds himself unable of knowing how to make conversation, or what to even say. he finds, still, that he should not be struggling so much to speak. it's a mysterious thing. ]
... The night sky is the one thing I miss seeing everyday. [ he decides, then, on speaking of his feelings. thoughts he has never once told anyone else. ] The cold breeze, the quiet of the desert. I find it soothing. Do you?
dw about it! i've been sick too, so it's not just you
but as it stands, it seems he knows how to read the room ... even if his discomfort is palpable enough to momentarily distract her. the gap in his outward facade as the knight captain and his personality is quite fascinating, as she's finding it since earlier, and a part of her wonders if he's just inept in terms of handling most people despite his rank.
or at least, people like her. ]
I do ...
[ it reminds her of the many worlds they've been to, all different but having small pockets of land that are the same as the last. a place where they can find familiarity in. she wonders why he had suddenly brought her out here. ]
The only thing missing is the ocean.
you said that and then i got such a nasty cold 🤝
(it is not, however, something that will happen again, if he has anything to say about it. not being sure of his own actions or finding logic in it isn't exactly what he'd call fun, let alone comforting.)
his gaze, at last, leaves the starry sky, and turns back to her. ]
... The ocean is north from here. It's not the shortest trip, so I cannot take you there tonight.
[ next time almost slips out of his tongue. there should be no next time. he's knight captain of the royal guard, not an escort. surely she would be assigned better company, he would return to his duties, they wouldn't talk nearly as much, if at all. as things ought to be.
the cold breeze of the desert night is kind on his skin. the moonlight brings out the blue of his eyes. it is a peaceful night, despite all. these are not things that could be easily achieved in khaenri'ah at all. ]
Tell me about the worlds you have visited.
[ he does not, however, say now, nor does he say tomorrow. it rings, almost, as a promise. she may do it whenever she desires, tonight, come morning, five days from now, three moons in the future. no matter when, he would lend her tales his ears. ]
everyone's just getting sick nowadays. feel better soon!
there's a momentary thought, an impulse that runs through her for one long second as she shifts her gaze from the sky to the north. who's to stop her if she were to drag him to the direction of the sea, a willful attempt to impose herself on him as a princess would to her knight. he's sure to grumble about it, perhaps even give her a heavy sigh that speaks volumes than an actual lecture, but she's certain he wouldn't leave her be.
he's too righteous and chivalrous to abandon his job of escorting her—even if she's being willfully belligerent.
but she decides against it, unwilling to ruin the evening. instead, she starts walking towards a strange device that looks completely out of place, taking a seat right at its base, stretching her legs in front of her. she can tell it's a teleportation mechanism of some sort, but it doesn't look very khaenri'ahn in nature or structure. she'll have to investigate what it is someday. ]
There's a world out there that's covered by water. Just one great big ocean with no end to its horizon, a bright blue ball floating in the nothingness of space.
[ no land, no trees, nothing for even a bird to perch and rest. she had thought it was pretty back then, the way the edge of the world seems to stretch forever. ]
At night, the sea would sparkle, reflecting the stars of the sky it mirrors.
god. yeah. it took me out for a couple days but i'm better now thankfully!!
she does not, and a part of dainsleif is thankful for it.
instead, she finds herself comfortable, and he tallies after her. she seats herself and he remains standing, the natural noises of the desert few and far between. they would have all been replaced with her voice and her tales, stories of worlds that may or not exist. for dainsleif, who the outside is covered by endless sand, and the nation he has sworn an oath to protect ever so far from natural blues, the idea of a vast nothingness of endless water is— peculiar.
for a moment, he thinks. were he a free man to do as he wishes, not bound to his job, would he have asked her to take him along in her travels?
the idea is not one deserving of thought, and dainsleif discards it. ]
Is that why you wish to see the ocean? A nostalgic feeling, or have you come to appreciate the way it reflects the night sky?
aaaa that's good to hear!! make sure to get lots of rest while recovering, liquids, etc
her gaze flickers sideways to meet his, finding herself reflected in blue as deep as the ocean. a moment later, she's looking away, turning her head towards the direction of the sea where the stars point north. unfamiliar ones, strange bright lights she's never mapped before, and yet instinctively it points her to one direction and only one direction. ]
They say the sky and the sea are paths to different worlds. And that the sky is just another world's ocean and the ocean, if you sink deep enough to its bottom, may lead you to another world through its sky.
[ stories, she's full of them. tales from kings and peasants, farmers and fishers they've met throughout their travels. some are fairy tales, meant for a child unable to sleep; others are truths, passed on from generation to generation until they become fairy tales themselves.
if she perhaps sank deep enough into teyvat's ocean, she might just escape this world through another world's sky. but she can't, not yet. not when aether continues to slumber, unable to resume his journey with her. ]
But then, you wouldn't let me drown myself in the ocean, would you?
[ no, she knows he wouldn't. ]