Follow my charge.

[generalforesight]

A ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ʀᴘ ʙʟᴏɢ ғᴏʀ ɢɴᴏsᴛɪᴄ ʜʏᴍɴs, ᴘᴇɴɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴄɪʀɪ.

mun ｡ muse ｡ headcanons ｡ application ｡

[generalforesight]

𝑊𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛

𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 𝗷𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝘂𝗮𝗻/𝗸𝗮𝘇𝘂𝗵𝗮 | 𝗸𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁

[naturesmessages]

Curious language but they could investigate that later. Preferably in a less time-sensitive environment. Kazuha bowed in farewell to the caretaker and followed Jing Yuan to the docks. Or where Kazuha believed them to be, the wind flowed all around, guiding them forth. 

He perked up as Jing Yuan spoke. “I suppose so, the effects of War are different for everyone.” That and there remained rarities every which way. Few opportunists would give up such chances as they did today. A strange dichotomy from the majority, but… Hm? It seems I’m in quite personable company. They smiled, but furrowed their eyebrows a little. Exotic? Well, he supposed so?

“I see, unfortunate that your trip was interrupted,” he hummed, thinking about how to explain this exactly, “I’m not here for anything important per se, simply a wanderer broadening their horizons. Natlan is a bit of an unknown to me right now, so I thought to rectify that.”

The further depths of his answer, he held close to his heart. It required too much explanation. Jing Yuan had no need to learn of Kazuha’s gift with nature nor their desire to learn from the closeness of nature within the many tribes. The differences in their interactions of the surrounding flora and fauna… And the close-knit community built from separate tribes. It was all so very intriguing. 

He raised an eyebrow but nodded. A diplomat, perhaps? “I see, I will follow your lead should it come to that, then.”

There must be a greater rigidity where the other was from. Would that be better or worse? There was a rigidity in Inazuma, there still is and that led them astray. But was that representative of all such structures? “The Luofu,” he began, attempting to use the same pronunciation as Jing Yuan, “would you consider it to be a more… rigid land?”

[generalforesight]

“Rigid?” As if he had not heard the question correctly, Jing Yuan’s head turned to assess the boy matching his footfalls. He’d heard, of course, but takes the precious seconds to try and parse where such a question might come from.

Kazuha’s statements offered enough information already. The unfamiliar inflection with which he spoke of Jing Yuan’s home could only suggest that he’d never heard of it. Anywhere other than Teyvat, this would have been alarming. Instead, he offered a patient smile, filing away the notion that this man had seen war at such a seemingly young age.

At least if this journey ended in a fight, he wouldn’t need to worry so much about him. “Perhaps I’m not the person most qualified to answer on behalf of the entire ship.” Whether he believed this or not, a small grin overtook his features. “Most civilizations are built with a certain structure in mind…it would be more beneficial to understand your background, so that we might know what sets your standards. The Luofu has been fortunate enough to find peace for some time now, but there are always hurdles to overcome.” This at least, he says with absolute certainty.

In a roundabout way, he flipped the eye of the conversation towards the shorter man. “If you were given the choice, what would you prefer? As one free to wander where you like, surely the idea of inflexible rules must be exhausting?” Nonetheless, Natlan could surely use a bit more structure. The road ahead wound naturally – beautiful in it’s own way – but had civilization been more closely monitored…

Poachers would not be such an issue. Did Teyvat have a place akin to the Shackling Prison, to harbor all dangerous and petty criminals? Things that he’d have to ascertain before they found their targets.

[generalforesight]

𓂃˚ 𝜏𝘩𝜀 𝘩𝜀𝛼𝑟𝜏𝑙𝜄𝜋𝜀𝑠 𝜎𝜋 𝜎𝜇𝑟 𝘩𝛼𝜋𝜕𝑠

𝗃𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗎𝖺𝗇 ｡ 𝖽𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗇𝗀 ｡ 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖻𝗈𝖺𝗋𝖽

[renascinem]

The voice that belongs to his friend, and at the same time does not, prompts a pause from Dan He— Feng, and he takes a longer moment to find his footing anew in the situation that unfolds before and around him. The chatter in the background becomes much more muffled and indistinct - the voices now only vaguely resembling the tones he’s familiar with as his focus shifts entirely to the young lieutenant.

… Young, yes, but was he supposed to be this young? He blinks— the man serving as Jingliu’s right hand was never one who had to look upwards to face him, and yet, there they were— how is he only noticing it now, too? Did he look up at Jing Yuan’s face when the other man first spoke to him a minute ago, or did he simply not pay enough attention? … Could something have changed… just now?

He opens his mouth, intending to ask Jing Yuan about these circumstances - but what comes out is something else entirely.

“Hm, you may rest, I am not offended. You do have a point, besides - for some, this will inevitably be the last feast.”

His eyes study the young man before him with more attention. Fresh off the final training, indeed, and still learning the ways of the courts, but his instincts are sharp. That, on the other hand, is nothing out of the ordinary - how he always has been, how both he and he have always known him to be; and perhaps it is this shred of normalcy that lures him into a sense of security, enough for the next words to come out without any attempt from him to stop them.

“You will lead the soldiers, and some of them, you shall lead to your deaths. I will aim to protect and heal them, but I shall not reach some of them in time. Have you learned yet to accept this harsh truth? When the time comes when none of your decisions can save everyone, will you be able to move forward?”

… He wonders if he has ever posed this question to him. Before, or later.

[generalforesight]

Not for the first time, there are small things that Jing Yuan cannot help but notice. He calls them small because these details are irrelevant to the conversation right in front of him. This kind of awareness has always served him well, even if it often distracts in the moment. Dan Feng’s eyelashes are uncommonly long, adding emphasis to each emotion that holds the brief light in his eyes.

That’s not uncommon. Dan Feng was always this way. Except now, Jing Yuan is helpless but to compare him to his reincarnation. In his memories, the two had always seemed so alike, time and grief muddling key differences even with the keenest eyes.

…Their expressions seem to be a perfect mirror. Dan Heng has worn the same severe set to his lips and eyes narrowed with focus nearly every time he’s been in Jing Yuan’s presence. There are other looks the man might wield, but those are for…the Express Crew, not ghosts that once haunted his past. “Ah,” He manages, one hand coming to rub at the back of his head in what would look like a display of sheepishness. In reality, he reels with the proof that the two are more identical than he’d been allowing himself to realize. “This will not be my first war.” Whether I accept or deny it will not stop reality. Instead of saying so, Jing Yuan tempers a polite nod of the head. “I’ve been told I’m practical, you know.”

As he finishes, he realizes that their background has fallen too still, glancing around to find the tables and chairs empty. As vacant as the streets below them. “Oh…how strange.” Abruptly, his voice has gone shades darker, and he looks up—no, down to find Dan Feng’s eyes. “Where did the others go?” He nearly doesn’t want to know.

After all, those three fables had no business being here. Was that why Dan Feng remained? Some catch in his memories? Emboldened by confusion, Jing Yuan takes a step, places his hand to Dan Feng’s shoulder. Solid, he withdraws. “Dan Feng,” He begins, losing a fraction of his previous formality. “Have you ever awoken in a dream?”

[generalforesight]

𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 | 𝗃𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗎𝖺𝗇/𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗅𝗅 | 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝖻𝗈𝗀 𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗎𝗆

[crackshct]

"Other than feelin' like I just woke up after a week-long bender." Had Boothill still had bones and joints in his body, every single one of them would have cracked as he reached half-blindly for the General's hand and allowed him to drag him out of the drift. The soft creaks of grating metal were his steel body's own way of complaining about the whole ordeal they'd just come from, but that in itself was rare. He was built for the quick in-and-out guerrilla tactics he'd mastered on the plains of Aeragan-Epharshel, not the frontline marathon, and rarely let himself be caught in situations so unprepared as they were just a moment ago. It'd been a long while since he'd last felt like he'd been better off for a scrap heat.

Wearily, he opened his eye. The Xianzhou General hardly looked any better off, but after that last blow, Boothill was more surprised to find him back on his feet. With his mind still reeling, he patted himself down. Revolver. Belt. His ammunition was low, but he still had a round left. Hat. Hat?

"Where'd it go..."

Whirling around, he plunged his hands back into the snow to dig around until he felt something. Not his hat, as it turned out. He fished out a blue crystal about the size of his palm and held it up for Jing Yuan to see.

"Don't this look kinda like what those creatures were made of?" He looked around. They were still out in the middle of the snow plains, but it wasn't the plains they'd just been on a second ago. There were no signs of monsters anywhere, for one, and the dead, ice-capped mountains that had surrounded their battlefield were now coated in lush, evergreen forests.

"That last muddlefudger probably had some kind of... dimensional warpin' ability. The place still looks like Jarilo-IV, but like we got thrown all the way onto the other side of the planet."

All of a sudden the hand holding the crystal went limp with a dying sputter of sparks, dropping it into the snow.

"This dadgum body," Boothill muttered tempestuously, grabbing his wrist with his other hand. "Falls apart whenever it forkin' wants. Would be nice comin' across a screwdriver on our way back, but I'll settle on just gettin' to Belobog in one piece."

[generalforesight]

“Dimension warping is not as far-fetched as it seems given the damage this planet has endured.” There wasn’t any reason to disagree with the ranger’s initial assessment. As well traveled as he must be, his opinion held more weight than most. “Few records survived the first fall of Jarilo-VI, and its people have been confined to the areas surrounding the city for generations.” The terrain that rose around them was foreign, was something pulled from luxury destinations and storybook idealism. From this far, Jing Yuan could see the fluttering of leaves as invisible animals rushed through the branches. The presence of life should be something to soothe uncertainty…but here it only stoke the fire of unease.

If they had transported leagues across the planet, a few bruises would be the least of their worries. Fishing his phone from his pockets, Jing Yuan’s calm expression settled in place. “No signal either.” The familiar screen settings are unchanged, but the few messages he attempts to send yield an immediate error. He turned his phone screen toward Boothill before putting it away.

It would be too easy to assume that someone would notice them missing. Bending toward the crystal, Jing Yuan’s back already ached from previous impact. Despite this, he kept his movements slow, brushing the glowing crystal with the pads of his fingertips. The aura it gave washed over his skin like water running toward a shore. “It's warm.” It shouldn’t be. “Almost as if it contains a heart that beats.”

Unfortunately, it' was otherwise silent, thrumming against his palm in a way that conjured more questions than it answered. Brows pinching together in thought, he let his mind wander to their previous field of battle. “Unrecognizable…” He muttered, casting a sideways glance toward his temporary friend before his boots mold into the place where they initially fell. It made it more difficult to trace their previous movements, feet pacing to where Jing Yuan might have stood after he’d arced away from an enemy’s sword. Two paces left, a stagger, a change of direction to accommodate an ally’s open back— If there were not now small trees in the way of his mental walkthrough he’d be following along to chart a specific position.

Pivoting to the left, the position of the sun helped too, seemingly in the same place where they’d left it before the fall. “Belobog should be this way, if we are to follow our footsteps.” Boothill’s arm still unresponsive, but it was better than needing to be carried. How did the Ranger get around without carrying his own set of tools? Was he so confident in his abilities that he assumed he wouldn’t need a regular man’s supplemental healing supplies? The general let his eyes close to hide interest, “With any luck, we’ll find what we need to repair you and find someone who knows about this.” If not that… then a nice, warm bed. Truthfully, he’d trade either for temporary rest, laying his palm over his eyes as if it would chase fatigue rather than invite it closer. The battle had not been a brief one. “If my calculations are correct, then you’ll be good as new by nightfall.”

[generalforesight]

𝑊𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛

𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 𝗷𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝘂𝗮𝗻/𝗸𝗮𝘇𝘂𝗵𝗮 | 𝗸𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁

[naturesmessages]

From the way the other (what had he said his name was…? Oh, right, Jing Yuan) spoke, Kazuha could only assume he was used to these kinds of situations. Perhaps not this specifically, from his appearance and way of speaking, but something similarish. Curious. Still, this situation didn’t allow for such curiosities. He stared at the scene before him. 

A home destroyed by greed, lives perhaps taken. A horrid thought yet they couldn’t help but think it, not when the theft held no sign of research. Perhaps the thieves thought it unnecessary, perhaps they only saw them as a means to gain Mora. 

Something he and Jing Yuan would have to correct. Instantly.

Kazuha closed his eyes for a second, listening and watching the traces of nature guide him through this. The wind travelled with ease here and who would they be to disregard the kindness in the breeze? They spared the other a short glance when he began to speak. His gaze turned to the elderly woman, a pleasant smile on their face. The thieves lacked a certain grace when escaping, that much should prove fruitful for this endeavour.

He would speak but Jing Yuan seemed to have the greater expanse of experience in this, best to let him do his thing while Kazuha did theirs. Though, they still kept an ear out for their conversation. The docks… That roughly lines up with their traces. 

A backpack had been given to him too, but only after Jing Yuan was handed one. There had been some concern about Kazuha’s ability to handle such a thing. Did he really look that weak…? The caretaker’s gaze fell onto Kazuha. Hm? Her gaze flickered between the two of them, perhaps there was something to—oh. 

Kazuha blinked, looking to the other. Well, he supposed while Jing Yuan’s clothes weren’t Inazuman, they were somewhat similar to his…? Oh, had he forgotten to introduce himself? Ah, what poor manners. They bowed lightly, “Kaedehara Kazuha,” and shook Jing Yuan’s hand as they rose from their bow.

[generalforesight]

While it wasn’t exactly how Jing Yuan thought he’d be sightseeing around Teyvat…he couldn’t say he was opposed. Having a focus, a target or goal was often more rewarding no matter how harrowing the trial proved to be. “Kaedehara Kazuha,” He repeated the boy’s name, charmed at the display of politeness. “How fortunate to have an ally – and one that is familiar with this planet.”

With their assignments given, they have no reason to linger. The trail to the seaside was as beautiful as the rest of the area, teeming with wildlife and exotically colored plant life. “It seems this area is no stranger to this sort of crime,” He said, offering a line of conversation that might flow into more personal waters. If they were to travel together, they needed to know more than each other’s names. “But you aren’t from the area, I take it? What’s brought you here?”

Feeling generous, Jing Yuan took the lead unasked. “It’s not often that I am able to leave my home on the Xianzhou Luofu – although I have always wanted to travel to see exotic landscapes. My guide directed me here,” They’d done well too. In the evening sun, the scenery was just warm enough that when he closed his eyes, he could imagine laying in the tall grass and drifting to sleep to the scent of the stream that flowed from the cliffside to their north. “It’s beautiful, but such things always come with drawbacks. Should we find our thieves…feel free to leave them to me. I am no stranger to negotiation.”

If there was anything to be negotiated at all. Thieves were always sent to the Shackling Prison. Easy and without bias. Here…Teyvat was looking to be lawless in a shocking way, but he’d reserve judgement as long as he was able.  

[aarnivalkie]

Through the Veil

Flins & Jing Yuan - Preservation | Golden Theater

[aarnivalkie]

A chorus of shrieks erupted in the wake of shattered glass. The beautiful centerpiece handcrafted for the Golden Theater’s grand re-opening had come crashing down from the ceiling in the foyer, narrowly missing the early access VIPs mingling together over intermission drinks and sending the entire theater - from its actors to its staff - scattering like ants exposed under the top of an ant bed. Security tried to wrangle the theater back into some semblance of order, but soon rumors took the crowd like a wildfire and rendered them nearly useless for all but narrowly avoiding a stampede.

It was the work of an Underworld terrorist. No, a foreigner’s teenager had snuck in to cause mayhem. Others said it was a botched hit on one of the elite who’d come to see the show. Stories swirled the guests into a panic, and they in turn created wild and unbelievable new rumors. One thing they all seemed to agree on though: a humanoid shadow had been seen darting across the rafters, and if there were any nugget of truth to the rumors, it was this.

While the guests had been half-herded outside, a figure in mask and cloak dashed through the desolate backstage hallways in a panic of their own. Each time they peeked over their shoulder, a blue flame seemed to be in dogged pursuit, always there some feet behind. At the far end of the corridor was a heavy steel door with KEEP OUT plastered to it. By the look of the rust on its hinges, it hadn’t been used in some time, but the runaway made quick work of its padlock and emerged into the theater’s snowbanked back alley.

And there, they disappeared.

A leonine outsider stood by the chainlink fence blocking off one end of the alley where, on the other side, a nervous young man clutched the chains as if he were a prisoner pleading his freedom.

”Pl-please, I won’t ask you for anything else.” He’d been in the middle of what sounded like some sort of negotiation, terror in his eyes as he begged his austere audience. Suddenly those wide eyes flashed over the man’s shoulder and fixed on a second - the newly arrived blue flame, now the shape of a man himself.

”You!” The nervous one shouted abruptly. “I know who you’re looking for! They’ve been wreaking havoc among us poor folk for weeks. Open this b-blasted gate and you’ll see! I promise!”

Flins looked placidly from one man to the other, then ventured closer to the fence. His eyes lingered on the uniformed one on his side.

”I beg you forgive my interruption, but since your companion insists I join your conversation, might I further trouble you with a question or two?” Crossing his arms, he eyed the man with the shaggy white hair, from golden eyes too gentle to be a mere troublemaker, to his disciplined bearing. If this was the runaway, then he had an inhuman ability to conceal signs of exertion.

”Were either of you inside the theater a few moments ago?”

“No,” the nervous man answered swiftly. “B-but I saw them! I saw them come back here!”

Flins’ gaze didn’t waver from the other man’s face as he implored him with his best look of innocent curiosity, which belied his knowledge of the truth.

@generalforesight

[generalforesight]

A few inconsistencies here and there…by which Jing Yuan meant that none of the offered puzzle pieces fit together nicely. Like putting a square object in a star-shaped hole, but who was he to complain about Belobog’s inner workings?

I was, Jing Yuan rumbled in answer to the new face while the ragged man denied in the same beat. Clearing his throat, he elaborated, “Those inside were preoccupied with the spectacle. I took it upon myself to scout the perimeter.”

Mid-sentence, the man behind bars began to groan. A sickly sound warped by terror and impatience. “Didn’t you hear me! They came back here! Right past me! Please, you have to open the gate, they are here! It isn’t safe!” Dull, lifeless eyes gaze through Jing Yuan and directly into the new arrival.

Or perhaps he was simply captivated by the odd blue glow.

Shifting his stance, he angled himself to allow the third into their conversation, the tilt of his head acting as a more physical frown. “Yes, you’ve said already.” He had. Four times, dissolving into these panicked sounds each time Jing Yuan tried a different line of questioning. “Can you give me a description of the accused. How did they get through the gate?”

The versed only repeated, Jing Yuan catching the very pale, very unnatural sunshine of the lamp-wielder’s eyes and gesturing subtly to the snow beneath their feet. Untouched except where the two of them stood, telling the tale of the gate that had never been opened. In fact, there were no tracks on the other side either, as if the stranger beyond had stood there for days. Beyond that, the back alley was dim. Not dark, but the kind of lifeless and still that made the heart drum faster in self-defense. Instinct screamed that there was danger, even if the general hadn’t quite parsed through the mystery of it.

As if he’d run out of patience, the man finally wrenched from the bars as if something dragged him, imploring the two to open the gate before it’s too late! Alert and unsettled by the way the alley seemed to devour him, Jing Yuan stepped away - his boots left footprints, even if the other man’s hadn’t – from the fence altogether. “If that was some sort of trial, I’m afraid I didn’t grasp the meaning in time.” An apologetic smile curved his expression, arms crossing over his chest. “Call me Jing Yuan. Judging by your appearance, you must have been close to the scene. As…unexpected as the timing was, I didn’t see much. Although I’d like to catch the culprit, if there is one.”

Anyone disrupting the Solwarm Festival was a severe kind of insult. Not to mention the publicity that the planet did not need attached to their outreach. He felt obliged to assist.  

[generalforesight]

𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂

commission board destruction. jing yuan/jiaoqiu

[spicehill]

a visit is requested... the stack of paper felt far too dense to say that alone, jiaoqiu considers. as he considers asking for more information about dr. zaine's conclusions about his condition, or anything else of note she had discovered... he sighs softly at the thought returning of just how many tests she'd run and questions she'd asked, but a rose-colored ear twitches when he hears the offer. "hm? oh... that's quite generous of you, general jing yuan. but I don't know if that is truly..." jiaoqiu's voice trails off momentarily as he considers the alternative: informing feixiao that he needed to visit the space station, and being asked about why he needed to go to the space station. then, revealing that the report from the scientist had arrived: after that, he wagered there would be a request to review it for herself, so she too could see the result of every single test and medical question under the stars dr. zaine had reported on.

jiaoqiu shakes his head: tone of his voice shifts to something more cheerful. "... actually, no. thank you, this is a generous offer: and as it's your ship in the first place, I doubt I could realistically refuse... and I couldn't hope to steer your ship for myself. but perhaps along the way, you could also tell me more about what is in the doctor's report... I would imagine with a document this dense, the request to visit her again isn't the only thing important that was reported on." jiaoqiu had a feeling what could be in there: it was strange, perhaps, to press the general before him to reread and share the contents out loud. if he had a layperson's understanding of medicine, that could make more than half of the contents of the report little more than jargony gibberish: still, if there was any serious lead identified while documenting all of his medical history, then... "let's go. where is your ship docked from here?" he considers for a moment that even with a direction provided, he wouldn't know where to go from here.

[generalforesight]

That it takes Jiaoqiu time to arrive at the inevitable is just fine. In this, Jing Yuan merely waits patiently while the other arrives where he wants him to.

After all, it would be rude to refuse such a gesture. At least…ruder than accepting right away, thus taking advantage of whatever sentimental string pushes the Arbiter General to offer in the first place. “It’s no trouble,” Assurance and a smile that goes unseen, but Jing Yuan taps his shoulder as he passes, giving direction. “The ship is not far.”

Acting as a guide is easy enough, making measured steps while he chats with Jiaoqiu about the Space Station’s advanced technology. The travel attendants balk quietly at their sudden appearance, whispering behind their hands or pocketbooks while Jing Yuan checks regular maintenance logs. “It’s been sometime since I’ve flown myself.” This particular assignment had been handed to a commission leader, but none could question Jing Yuan’s sudden interest. “Rest assured that you are in good hands, and the Space Station already expects a visit from the Xianzhou Luofu.”

Only after they’ve begun the launch does Jing Yuan acknowledge the thick stack of papers tucked in the pocket between seats. “As for the report itself, it is an extensive look at your personal health history.” Once their course is clear and set, Jing Yuan is able to lean back and close his eyes. “I am no physician. If there are things you intend to keep private, I understand.”

Then, more deliberately."I have never heard of a person's sense of taste going numb. This happened...before the incident with Hoolay?" All considering, this detail is tame. A branch to inform that Jing Yuan may have memorized too much. Accidentally, of course.

[swordflown]

･ * ⸝⸝　——　𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘 .

#GHSnowswept2025 : part 2

[swordflown]

EVEN IN THE FACE OF SUCH TENSION ,　❄︎　the general always managed to stay calm. as easy as though it were a lazy summer day. . . like everything about him, yanqing admires it, but he sometimes can't help but wonder where it comes from, or if it's really how he feels. part of what it meant to be a general was to be a face for others to look to, and the strength behind not just the arm, but the whole heart of an army ; of course he couldn't afford to seem troubled by anything.

by comparison, he was like a newborn deer, skittering and scattering all over the place, wearing his worries plain on his sleeve. he's fortunate the general doesn't laugh at him for it. would he be able to command poise like him one day, setting everyone else at ease in the confidence of his certainty? it seemed so impossible.

"of course. i understand."

he couldn't let his unease control him and make him act. instead, he had to think about how to act, using that unease he felt as just one point of information like everything else he could take in. just like in swordplay, if all he did was react to his opponent, he would never truly be their match.

so think, yanqing. in this situation, what would be the most effective thing to do?

take. . . a stroll? eyes lift again where they'd fallen, focused without his knowing, on the snow-packed stones again ; the smile on the divine foresight's face conceals something behind it, maybe a strategy of some kind, even if he can't anticipate exactly what just yet. "wherever the general goes, i'll follow," he replies with energy, falling into step beside his mentor as the wind picks up to an inhospitable shriek. ice and snow buffet against his face and his wraps his scarf around tighter——even the thickest clothing he'd brought felt like silk paper in the face of this cold, but he weathers it well through strands of blond whipping around his eyes and the color of cheeks starting to pinken.

but no matter how the general jokes, it's not at all the kind of weather for an easy walk and conversation, but this crisis aside——or maybe because of it——he was still curious about the festival he'd completely missed. "more than two weeks have passed since you left the luofu. what do you think of belobog? yanqing remembers you spoke of positive memories. . . and the solwarm festival sounded like an impressive occasion. it's disappointing to have missed it."

[generalforesight]

In the far corners of his mind, a memory stirs. Something quiet that is called forth by his retainer’s questioning. Low tuned laughter that lightens features impossibly aged by hardship, and the days of effortless companionship in the face of certain destruction. Bittersweet, he thinks, but Yanqing is not wrong to remember the positive notes. “The people of Belobog have always been inspiring,” Humor curves his lips, eyeing Yanqing from his peripherals. “I was not much older than you are now when the people of Jarilo-VI first appeared on the Luofu."

“The Solwarm Festival has undoubtedly done what it was meant to do. Share the culture of this planet to those with outside interests. A step into the light after centuries of darkness is no small feat.” It’s the official answer. The one that he’s obliged to give Yanqing simply because the other must know. After a moment, he relents, casting his gaze around the area – no prying eyes spotting – before he directs them down a much narrower path between buildings. Without the wind on all sides, it’s a fraction warmer. “I had once imagined what kind of place Belobog must be to create such vibrant, resilient people.” A short-life people nonetheless, but Jing Yuan’s opinion is more understanding now than it had once been. “The people cherish what they have. You might have liked the fighting ring…although it is less formal. The frozen wastes around the city coupled with leftover fragmentum anomalies offer quite a bit to explore.”

Entirely intentionally, he doesn’t get around to a direct answer. Whatever Belobog represents to him – loss and learning. bittersweet and fondness. defeat and triumph – it feels roughly seven hundred years out of place—

Right about now he feels the years. “I’m certain that they’ll be back on their feet once this Freeze has been settled. You could come and see for yourself.” The path they walk seems to lead nowhere. A dead end that makes little sense, the way forward gated off to a steep drop into long abandoned homes.

[generalforesight]

𝑾ι𝒍𝒅 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝒐 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒅

𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇. 𝗃𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗎𝖺𝗇/𝗍𝗈𝗉𝖺𝗓. 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝖻𝗈𝗀 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌

[stonepaz]

The tension in Topaz's shoulders had yet to settle. Though she believed the general when he said he was in no danger, the truth of the matter was that her own fate was still up in the air. She was the intruder here, after all. She was the danger.

So she stayed frozen in place, all composure maintained and fortified. Her heels bore holes into the snow.

"You can say that..." Topaz said, still slow, still low. Her eyes flitted warily towards the bear, then up to meet Jing Yuan's gaze, "Though, right now, you certainly have me beat in that department."

Come to think of it: how did this bear come to be so affectionate with the Sleeping General? Wild animals were usually slow to warm to humans, and only held space for their caretakers or other such providers. She pondered on this for a moment, then quickly recalled what Jing Yuan had mentioned: the bear was searching for something.

She glanced up again, inspecting his long mane of white hair. So similar a color to the bear's own coat. Could it be...? Ah...

"That aside, though, you mentioned something about how this bear was searching through the corridors, right?" She glanced around. The area of the fragmentum was laced with all sorts of machinery, fruits borne of the Architect's hard work. It was meant to stave away Destruction. But it seemed the Stellaron's influence wasn't the only thing it was stopping. She could only imagine the confusion a bear would have when their surroundings would suddenly shift and they would lose sight of their kin. They couldn't understand the machinations of humans—they only knew their own day-to-day, their own fight for survival, isolated from the rest of civil society. In some ways, it mirrored the frozen planet's own isolation.

Topaz's posture softened, if only slightly. A finger went to tap on her chin.

"These corridors were built in such a way that they could be easily closed off in case of an attack, which is why they shift about." Belobog's ingenuity was astounding, though she kept that amazement to herself, "Now, if I recall correctly, there should be mechanisms around here that we can use to move things around. If this bear is looking for something—or someone, rather—then maybe we can help guide her back to where she's supposed to be. After that, you can return to the Administrative District with me."

Her goal had always been to bring Jing Yuan back, after all. Though she was sure the bear wasn't going to like it.

[generalforesight]

Faced with uncertainty, it would be too easy to fall back and miss the moment of action. Jing Yuan had to consider it, humming his assent to Topaz’s musings. It was no secret that the bear had somehow accepted him as a person of comfort. While they walked, the creature walked a clear perimeter with a nose in the air for danger.

Or perhaps with intent to find the pointed other in the empty space beside her.

“The mechanisms present several opportunities,” Like this, the ground underneath them could shift for miles and miles – as if the architect had wanted to challenge the uninitiated in a maze of narrow streets. “…Although several pathways look to have been blocked for decades.” Maybe centuries, if he were being generous. Entire pieces of this city were completely inaccessible. Able to be viewed but not traversed.

Not to be carried away with other interests, he turned his attention again to Topaz. “With luck, the companions she seeks cannot be too far. Unless they’ve figured out how to work these devices.” As he said it, he turned the dial they’d approached at its center. Underfoot, a small earthquake and the telltale grind of old gears start their rotation. Predictably, the animal snarled at the unfamiliar. Unsettled, but still with the stance to protect human companions. Jing Yuan couldn’t keep the smile hidden, charmed as always by the honesty.

The immediate stop was a dead end. “Ah,” He mutters, fingers finding the switch to move once more. “Speaking of our return- having one of the Stonehearts coming to my aid is quite unexpected.” The smile that graces his lips is true, if a touch too small. “I can imagine this endeavor takes you from very important work.” They hit another dead end – which leaves only the final route, facing further away from the safety of the Administrative district.

Why? Why come to me at all? He lets this question hang in the air for brief seconds, ducking under a low-hanging building that had crumbled enough to form a bridge on the tall building adjacent. The IPC was not known for its generosity, after all. The Stonehearts were the epitome of this rule. What does Topaz want?

[generalforesight]

𓂃˚ 𝜏𝘩𝜀 𝘩𝜀𝛼𝑟𝜏𝑙𝜄𝜋𝜀𝑠 𝜎𝜋 𝜎𝜇𝑟 𝘩𝛼𝜋𝜕𝑠

𝗃𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗎𝖺𝗇 ｡ 𝖽𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗇𝗀 ｡ 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖻𝗈𝖺𝗋𝖽

[renascinem]

The first thing that appears before his eyes once his vision becomes less blurry is the terrace - familiar, and yet foreign at the same time. His fingertips run across the gilded edge, one he has seen on many past occasions, while also seeing it for the very first time. For a brief moment, he pauses, wondering about the absurdity of the thought; but then shrugs silently and moves on, for there are many other matters absurd in life, so why stop on this one in particular.

Dan Heng Feng sighs, stirring at an odd sensation in his throat. Perhaps I'm not used to the wine they serve here, his mind suggests, and just like that, the thought that attempted to disturb his peace dissipates like smoke in the wind. I'll bring my own next time, and show them how the Vidyadhara hold their celebrations. Still, a voice in his head argues - his own, and yet not - he should refrain from having such unpleasant thoughts too often, lest they damage the already delicate relationship between the Xianzhou natives and his people even further.

He knows full well that he would be expected to join the conversations going on nearby, but makes little effort to do so, even as some voices among the crowd begin to take more and more familiar tones. Has he heard them somewhere before, or are their owners simply particularly chatty? Who's to say. He doesn't bother, not because he doesn't care, but rather...

"... I have enough meetings on a daily basis to last me the rest of this lifetime," he responds to Jing Yuan's inquiry, wincing faintly as he does - his own voice is deeper than he remembered it being. Maybe he really is a little overwhelmed, and the noise has muffled his sense of hearing somewhat. It is only then that he finally turns away from the familiar-yet-not sight to look at the other, crossing his arms as he does and surveying his figure from head to toe. Young, full of promise - that's what he'd heard about the man, at any rate.

He huffs quietly. The next words come out of him before they even have a chance to formulate properly in his mind.

"You seem quite relaxed in this setting. I do hope that when the time comes for the actual useful talking, you'll show the potential I've been told about. If I am to convince those nose-scrunching Preceptors, I'll have to show and tell them something of value."

Right. He has always been known as someone rather cold and reserved, hasn't he? Then and again, truth does match the story that follows it long after the fact.

"... It won't be long before the enemy is upon the Luofu," is what his mind suggests next, and yet again, his voice follows suit with little input from him. "Is this truly the best time to indulge in pleasantries?"

[generalforesight]

Relaxed?

Oddly, this is what strikes him in the moment. Something that might not have registered with his much younger self. It’s been too long to truly tell, even if this very setting is one that he sees in the more pleasant nightmares. More unsettling, this is much more tangible than a dream, where the scent of the restaurant below is warm and slightly sweet. His mouth waters and—

Does he look up at Dan Feng? There isn’t too much of a difference between them, but Jing Yuan might be shorter, and this is not a usual feature in even dreams. “Well,” He hears himself taunt, lips formed around a mild expression that he knows to be particularly infuriating to people when they are looking to him for something specific. “Perhaps it depends on what the Imbibitor Lunae deems valuable in a man. Or an ally, for that matter.”

At this, Jing Yuan pulls himself back. Reorients. The scene does not shift. In fact, it seems to become clearer. The chime of his own voice is too young, too wrong to use such familiarity. A beat passes, and Dan Feng doesn’t seem poised to retreat. Both good and bad signs, but he’s amused despite himself.

Whatever odd past he’s found himself in has yet to reveal its purpose, so he falls back behind the safety net that’s offered by the small tug in his head. A thread on offer to him. One that whispers the right answers as soon as he turns toward it. His hands rest politely behind his back – shoulders squared. He finds a place on the railing where his elder’s graceful hands rest rather than meeting his eye. “It may be the only time for pleasantries,” An honest answer, knowing that they go to fight the sins of their people with or without the help of the Vidyadhara. Without them… he hums the beginning old, old tune. “And…the Imbibitor Lunae deserves much more, besides.” He ducks his head as if embarrassment is truly what he should feel. “If Jing Yuan’s presence is a bother…” He trails off with a simple gesture. I can go… finally, his gaze lifts to gauge the severity of his faux pas.

[peerlessgem]

hello, hello, hello everyone, have a nice day, goodbye

Operation: Fragmentum, Board C, Flins + Jing Yuan + Herta

[peerlessgem]

Herta smiles as the three of them return to the ruined present, as if the light of Flins’s lamp has cut through the illusion itself. “Well done,” she offers to the mysterious man, a rare, well-earned compliment from the genius herself. “Give me a second, I’m taking a look around.”

Trusting that an Emanator of the Hunt (and whatever Flins is) are more than enough to handle a couple of Fragmentum monsters, Herta wastes no time in busting through the bakery door with a well-placed strike of her hammer. From Amphoreus’s kernel to Rubert II’s scepter system core, it’s a common truth of the universe that graves carry a deeper meaning. If a new life is to be born, its seed must be dead---Herta has quite the hunch that there must be something here.

The home of a woman lost to the Fragmentum is not quite as momentous as the Second Mechanical Emperor's legacy, of course, but sure enough, half a dozen crates of emergency supplies rests in the dusty space, untouched---or perhaps too touched---by time. "Destruction and Remembrance, always in cahoots, huh?" Herta remarks appraisingly, shoving the sliver of memoria into her pocket. "Well, I'll accept this as my reward."

Then, okay, fine, whatever, she supposes she really should, the puppet stacks the crates in a massive tower and shoves them out of the doorway. "Menial labor like this is beneath me, you know!" she calls to the other two gentlemen. "Can't we call somebody to pick this up?"

[generalforesight]

It’s beyond what he’d expected. Impressive in its own way, how the loop in which they’ve found themselves sets specific parameters. A marketplace, the shops lining the street beyond anything that present day Jarilo-VI can boast. The woman, with steps so rehearsed that he has to wonder if they are simply following the pleasant path she might’ve taken as a stroll or-

A nightmare, where this terror-stricken fragment runs the same thirty-minute span in an endless cycle. Every fifth step, her ankle seems to twist. There and gone, just like the beginnings of blood dripping from satin. What killed her?

In a few more cycles, he might be able to parse more details, were it not for his companions playing to their strengths. Well done! As Flins seems eager to take the lead from Herta, he stifles a vicious yawn with the back of his hand. Even with his eyes half closed it’s difficult to miss the way the blue lamplight casts new shadows in the woman’s figure. New depth, and the specter is drawn in as any moth might be. Suddenly, it’s clear that the woman had an unlikely blow to the head…even if the lines of blood are slow, like frost had found her first.

“It’s enough that you two have found them,” His tone is warm, picking over the crates for supplies that they need in the present. “I will send word to those who occupy the base camp and those out on assignment.” Some are beyond his reach, naturally, but Caelus and Dan Heng…he sends the location of their hard-earned winnings along with a quick photo. Herta’s puppet and the edge of Flins’ stare make it in the frame.

Winning moment aside, they still have too much time on their hands to return to camp. “Well then, we’ve ventured far enough from the camp…let’s take the path south.” The buildings are farther apart there. A once wealthy residential district… “With luck, we may circle around to other camp members.”

Or they would find no one, which would inform that the other areas had been overrun by enemies. It would dictate their next course regardless.

In the meantime…he tilts his head to watch Flins as he walks. “You have a remarkable tone for handling the dead.” An observation. Not like Herta, certainly, whose staccato phrases are calculations. Even Jing Yuan, who strives to treat all as equals on an even playing field…he hadn’t missed how the tension the figment held evaporated under his attention.

Was it a trick of the light? His lips curve a little farther, a quirk of his brow asking any number of questions he’d like answered.

[aarnivalkie]

"Many years of experience, one could say," Flins answers lightly, as if discussing something as mundane as a green thumb. The swaying lamplight leaps over the skeletons of abandoned buildings as they venture south, entrusting the supplies Madam Herta had unearthed to some faceless soldiers who'd come at the General's call.

"These specters bear striking similarities to those that haunt my homeland. Just as a powerful storm has the capacity to throw ships well off their course, a violent death likewise sends souls wandering lost through an endless night. This fragmentum appears to anchor them in their obsessions, but prevents them from ever finding rest."

Throwing a glance over his shoulder at his newfound companions, Flins offers a smile that, wreathed in the shadows cast by blue lamplight, overlays his explanation with jest.

"-- Although you two sound more familiar with this phenomenon than I. Forgive me for prattling on about what you must already know."

They cut down smaller monsters with ease as they weave through alleyways abandoned but in far better shape than the part of the city they'd just left. There's wealth here, and luxury, although evacuation orders has forced even the most tightfisted of the Belobogians to relinquish their wealth to blind faith. Turning a corner, however, the scene changes into one of much more dire destruction.

The open plaza surges with iceborne monsters, the statue rising from the center of a beautiful fountain cracked in half, its head lost somewhere in the ruins. Across the way, a pink-haired young woman with a peculiar flower-like blade, and a snowy-headed swordsman guard one exit. Flins summons his polearm back into his hand.

"It would appear that we've arrived not a moment too soon."

[generalforesight]

“Not at all,” He assures between battles, though even an assisted awareness of a multifaceted enemy doesn’t save them from the inevitable. The fragmentum creatures here are undeniably hostile…even Flins abandons the gentle swish of lamplight for the sharp end of his polearm. “Your own perspectives are unique, and invaluable because of it.”

Nevermind that in the wars waged in the past, the opportunity to assist a foe in distress are few and far in between. He asks himself - even with the oath the cloudknights vow to uphold - how many would have met suspicion with peace?

It’s simpler to accept action, starfall reverie a comforting weight as he wields it against new enemies. The Fragmentum reinforcements spawn in irregular waves, but thick enough to obscure their allies from view. The two ahead appear amenable enough to work together, safer. “Let us attack from both sides- divide them, and meet in the middle.” It’ll shorten the battle by half, especially if there are none in hiding. Better, because they’ll have enough energy to walk back to their campsites. “A suggestion, of course.” Despite this, he moves to split the enemy on his own. Herta and Flins are not his soldiers. He can command, he simply anticipates alternate action.

[peerlessgem]

hello, hello, hello everyone, have a nice day, goodbye

Operation: Fragmentum, Board C, Flins + Jing Yuan + Herta

[peerlessgem]

Herta smiles as the three of them return to the ruined present, as if the light of Flins’s lamp has cut through the illusion itself. “Well done,” she offers to the mysterious man, a rare, well-earned compliment from the genius herself. “Give me a second, I’m taking a look around.”

Trusting that an Emanator of the Hunt (and whatever Flins is) are more than enough to handle a couple of Fragmentum monsters, Herta wastes no time in busting through the bakery door with a well-placed strike of her hammer. From Amphoreus’s kernel to Rubert II’s scepter system core, it’s a common truth of the universe that graves carry a deeper meaning. If a new life is to be born, its seed must be dead---Herta has quite the hunch that there must be something here.

The home of a woman lost to the Fragmentum is not quite as momentous as the Second Mechanical Emperor's legacy, of course, but sure enough, half a dozen crates of emergency supplies rests in the dusty space, untouched---or perhaps too touched---by time. "Destruction and Remembrance, always in cahoots, huh?" Herta remarks appraisingly, shoving the sliver of memoria into her pocket. "Well, I'll accept this as my reward."

Then, okay, fine, whatever, she supposes she really should, the puppet stacks the crates in a massive tower and shoves them out of the doorway. "Menial labor like this is beneath me, you know!" she calls to the other two gentlemen. "Can't we call somebody to pick this up?"

[generalforesight]

It’s beyond what he’d expected. Impressive in its own way, how the loop in which they’ve found themselves sets specific parameters. A marketplace, the shops lining the street beyond anything that present day Jarilo-VI can boast. The woman, with steps so rehearsed that he has to wonder if they are simply following the pleasant path she might’ve taken as a stroll or-

A nightmare, where this terror-stricken fragment runs the same thirty-minute span in an endless cycle. Every fifth step, her ankle seems to twist. There and gone, just like the beginnings of blood dripping from satin. What killed her?

In a few more cycles, he might be able to parse more details, were it not for his companions playing to their strengths. Well done! As Flins seems eager to take the lead from Herta, he stifles a vicious yawn with the back of his hand. Even with his eyes half closed it’s difficult to miss the way the blue lamplight casts new shadows in the woman’s figure. New depth, and the specter is drawn in as any moth might be. Suddenly, it’s clear that the woman had an unlikely blow to the head…even if the lines of blood are slow, like frost had found her first.

“It’s enough that you two have found them,” His tone is warm, picking over the crates for supplies that they need in the present. “I will send word to those who occupy the base camp and those out on assignment.” Some are beyond his reach, naturally, but Caelus and Dan Heng…he sends the location of their hard-earned winnings along with a quick photo. Herta’s puppet and the edge of Flins’ stare make it in the frame.

Winning moment aside, they still have too much time on their hands to return to camp. “Well then, we’ve ventured far enough from the camp…let’s take the path south.” The buildings are farther apart there. A once wealthy residential district… “With luck, we may circle around to other camp members.”

Or they would find no one, which would inform that the other areas had been overrun by enemies. It would dictate their next course regardless.

In the meantime…he tilts his head to watch Flins as he walks. “You have a remarkable tone for handling the dead.” An observation. Not like Herta, certainly, whose staccato phrases are calculations. Even Jing Yuan, who strives to treat all as equals on an even playing field…he hadn’t missed how the tension the figment held evaporated under his attention.

Was it a trick of the light? His lips curve a little farther, a quirk of his brow asking any number of questions he’d like answered.

[swordflown]

･ * ⸝⸝　——　𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘 .

#GHSnowswept2025 : part 2

[swordflown]

HE'D COME TOO LATE TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION.　❄︎　eyes follow the lieutenant colonel as they leave, too densely garbed in armor to read their expression. and then they two of them are alone, the howl of the brumal wind the only shield to their traveling voices. ". . . yanqing spoke out of turn," he utters as gaze drops apologetically to the ground ; caught up in the urgency of the situation and wanting to know how he could assist, he hadn't thought to wait until the general was finished with what he was already doing. the back of his neck warms with embarrassment to think of how he might've made that situation uncomfortable for the soldier, and in his first handful of hours on jarilo-vi too.

later, he'd have to find the lieutenant colonel again and apologize.

for now, his attention returns to jing yuan, who doesn't scold him this time. ' this eternal freeze '. . . so it was already like the disaster that'd isolated jarilo-vi a long time ago. thin brows knit to imagine such a once-in-a-lifetime calamity happening twice in such quick succession when this place had only recently started to recover and establish connections with the rest of the skies.

to jing yuan's dictations, he nods firmly. protecting the people of this planet and all those who'd come for the festival came second nature——not to mention, with the general here, who knew what other important figures might also be attending. he had to make sure to stay diligent and thorough ; this might have become just as important an assignment as being named luofu's standing representative for the wardance.

but the last thing the general says catches him by surprise. "await orders. . . ?" he'd thought he was getting ready to say that they should prepare for hard work against an enemy that shouldn't be underestimated. but if the general orders, then there has to be a reason. "yanqing understands."

. . .

but he still can't help himself. fawn browns lift to meet his mentor's gaze. "but, isn't there anything we can do? if the fragmentum is like the hordes of the abundance, then waiting only means we'll end up facing overwhelming numbers. on the way here, the soldiers were talking about the last time this happened. . . they said the waves of monsters were never-ending. it just made me think of. . . "

[generalforesight]

There’s something charming about the way Yanqing seems to startle, perhaps distressed by the idea of inactivity. Jing Yuan’s smile curls, slow and catlike in place of the internal frown beating in his chest.

Once, a well-known diviner had commented that even his aura was capable of deception. He’d chosen to take it as a compliment.

Yanqing’s instincts are correct, and this alone is enough to lighten the mood. For all that your fingers seem to twitch toward the blade, you first consider the possibilities of what awaits. It’s unsurprising that General and Lieutenant would stray toward similar outcomes, and Jing Yuan himself has spent too much time analyzing the planet’s defense system. Fragile, like thin ice.

Even if the Silvermane Guard have proper protocols, the planet is not possessed of manpower. His own fleet of Cloud Knights were too far away to assist, and if the Stellaron had anything to do with the second freeze… they would be entirely isolated from outside resources soon. “I know.” He agrees at last, letting a few breaths pass in silence as the frozen wind escalates – a metal sign groans as it’s ripped from a storefront. Go inside, the environment seems to urge, there’s nothing you can do. “We cannot that unease – whether of the known or unknown – guide our actions. Remember that a stone rarely shatters on the first strike.” It’s delivered gently, for all that he suspects Yanqing will wear it as a reprimand.

“The enemy we see is but a fraction of what may lay in wait, and there are no Cloud Knight brigades here…we have only the forces that you see. A handful of Silvermane guards. For Jarilo-Vi, it was impressive…but for anywhere else in the galaxy, it was a mere handful. A single squadron. “What we do now…how about a stroll? The weather is quite nice,” A shiver skitters up his spine, his smile widens. “I can’t say that I am familiar enough with this area, and there are few rules about where we choose to take shelter.”

…and if they happened to stray onto an abandoned patrol route? It would be purely accidental, of course.

[peerlessgem]

hello, hello, hello everyone, have a nice day, goodbye

Operation: Fragmentum, Board C, Flins + Jing Yuan + Herta

[peerlessgem]

Swift execution over slow decline---what a quintessentially Hunt turn of phrase. What's not quite in the spirit of Lan, however, is how Jing Yuan is absolutely dragging his feet coming out here!

Hacks, the load of them, Herta thinks as she determinedly steps away from the General, trudging through the snow towards the voice. While the Aeon charges across the cosmos, intent on THEIR prey, THEIR vaunted Emanators are far too content to simply sit on their heels, relying on that little calculator from the Erudition to guide their hand. Say what you want about the Society, but at least the Geniuses all have at least as many screws loose as Droidhead THEMselves.

It's not worth the energy to argue. Herta turns the puppet to auto-answering mode, choosing instead to focus on the source of the plea for help. "I don't think it really matters," the artificial intelligence replies, seemingly to empty air, "but more importantly—Ruan Mei once said that even life that has been torn away still holds academic value. So, to examine things more carefully: when studying the Destruction of life, the key question is how to seek out Destruction---"

Oi, what kind of bullshit is this? Herta cuts it off, annoyed. "Ahem. What I meant to say is... good work... Flins!" she nods with approval at the gentleman with the lamp, remembering his name at the last second. "Stop looking at me and keep egging on that young man. Maybe he'll catch up in a century."

But she's certain now. Aside from the three of them (and disregarding Flins's strange intra-cognition readings) there's no organic life within a block's radius. Fascinating.

"Why do you expect me to help?" Herta questions, over the howl of the wind.

For a moment, only the wind whistles back. That's fine; Herta's more than used to asking without receiving answers. And then, faintly, a non-sequitur, "Please---please help me! I know you're there!"

Well. "So they can't really hear us," Herta murmurs, walking even faster now. "Not merely in a different space, but...." carried over from a different time, perhaps?

[generalforesight]

The depths of the corruption done by the Fragmentum seem limitless. What lies before them—

Help! Help me…

It’s nothing like astral projections or video playbacks. What stands in front of them…it’s real. Real enough, silvery whisps of blond hair caught in the wind. The woman is wringing her hands together, a slight shimmer to the satin that lines her jacket – handpicked for warmer climates.

When Herta fails to continue, Jing Yuan fills the space for them. “…Carried to us from a different time, it seems.” When she raises her hands to wave to them again, she wears a bracelet of metals that had vanished in wars waged some five hundred years ago. “Well…” A prompt, tone lighthearted despite the professional courtesy. “Certainly, this lost soul required aid from someone…unless either of you possess the ability to travel through time. Many have tried of course, though the damage to the current timeline would need to be considered.”

Contrary to what other’s might write of him, Jing Yuan does not always like to hear himself speak at length. Now, he does so because the fragmented soul seems to quiet under the attention, as if it can tell that others are perceiving it. The second his sentence drifts away, the now-familiar whine climbs higher. Painful, a pressure that builds behind the eyes until the image flickers from where she stands.

With a hand pressed to his temple, Jing Yuan’s eyes lift to scan the twist of a marketplace ahead. His ears still ring, even if it isn’t enough to distract from the bigger picture. At once, the snow is more dense, the buildings ahead had been destroyed. Sturdy roofs caved in under the weight of too much snow for far too long. Now, some still stand, that same woman sits at a steel table outside of what once must have been a bakery. H-elp m. eee.

As she turns to face them, once emerald eyes are sunken, pale skin grey with the beginnings of clear rotting. He taps one finger against his lips, aching from another drop in temperature. In response, he rolls his shoulders, strides forward. Why not, if his companions have shown that they are determined to do so regardless? “I suppose there have been worse guides. None come to mind at present. Hm, but we will have plenty of time to consider it. She seems…harmless, for all that she’s left a mark strong enough to hold her here.”

Nevermind that they’re being made to leave the base camp far behind. Their supplies are few, but serviceable. For now. What could go wrong? Flins, who seems content to follow until whim leads him away and Herta… Hah, the genius society is not exactly possessed of people that adhere to physical limitations. One or two had even famously perished in pursuit of their personal goals, for a simple failure to eat or sleep...but who is he to doubt the necessity of their actions?

[peerlessgem]

hello, hello, hello everyone, have a nice day, goodbye

Operation: Fragmentum, Board C, Flins + Jing Yuan + Herta

[peerlessgem]

Fine, Herta supposes she can stop every once in a while to lob a diamond at some poor Fragmentum creature. She smiles, unperturbed. "Oh, it's entirely possible we're walking into a trap," she replies cheerfully, stepping onward into the deserted city, "Personally, I don't mind."

There's no such thing as getting lost when you're looking for something interesting. Following the corrosion, the mirages, is precisely what Herta is here to do, after all. And the others can call her a fake Genius all they want---she's found it fun, lately, to venture into the unknown with other sentient beings! Truly a marvel, what less sophisticated minds notice about the world around them.

Take this one. She turns to Flins with the full glimmering force of her stare, as if evaluating an interesting curio. There's something, hmm, inorganic about him... or perhaps, too organic? No time now. Chuck him in the weird organism pile, along with Welt and Kafka and the rest, to study in a few Amber Eras or so. "Quite perceptive of you," she remarks. "But unlike the recent incident with the Xianzhou, I doubt there's a whole conscious Lord Ravager behind all this. If I were Celenova, I certainly wouldn't waste my time waiting for an ice cube to thaw."

But she agrees, obviously, that there's a central driving force here. "Whatever it is, we can handle it," that, she's certain of. Just take a look at the other guy, Jing Yuan---oh, right, he's the one with the massive Golden Avatar! Well, if the Alliance hopes to eradicate the Abundance, he better at least be in shape to hold out against a major planetary crisis or two.

Or an minor imminent one, Herta thinks to herself, as the desperate sound of screams ring out through the air, originating from a nebulous distance away in the mist. Curious, she immediately turns to follow.

[generalforesight]

General? A quiet huff accompanies the mild set to his smile. Now where did that title come from? Between Flins’ grand analogy and Herta’s willingness to step into the mind of a Lord Ravager on a whim, tragedy strikes before he decides which to address first.

They are pawns. Being nudged in a direction that seems senseless, dangerous. Jing Yuan takes long strides to overtake Madam Herta as she leads them into a dense fog. Layers of mist that freeze the lungs, the mottled grey of the sidewalk bleeds white and falls away entirely. “Stay close.” The anguished cries grow louder, as if amplified by the howling wind. For seconds, his fringe obscures both eyes.

The trouble with pawns is that they are notoriously weak when isolated.

It occurs to him that he might merely have grown…unaccustomed to temperamental weathers. That the Xianzhou Luofu’s artificial seasons make the shimmering fog seem more. It lifts in increments, still visible with every warm breath. He hums a thoughtful note, the only indication of sound being the rumble in his chest. “Almost as if we are being given a reward for moving in the right direction.” He says, a glance back confirming that their steps have already been concealed by a storm that appears to end abruptly, a rain of hail kept at bay by an invisible wall.

Not one to be lead on a leash, Jing Yuan ushers his companions to the side, pressed against a rotted building. In the opposite direction of the new voice that calls to them. “He-y! I need help over here!” Their voice rasps around the edges, likely hoarse from all the screaming they did to get them here. Then, more eerie: “I hear you! Please! I-I don’t want to die alone!”

Morbid, Jing Yuan’s features twitch towards amusement. So you’d like someone to die with you? He waves the comment away, using his frame to obscure his companions as much as possible. “Destruction can take on any form,” Herta’s question is long dead, but he’ll answer it anyway. “Perhaps Madam Herta might not find beauty in a slow thawing illness, but it is destruction all the same.” He wouldn’t have thought the woman to be prone to impatience, yet it’s evident enough to file away. “Some would vow that a slow and debilitating decline is more torturous than a swift execution.” Jing Yuan is some.

…and if he were Celenova - or any Lord Ravager for that matter - some twisted version of himself would take great pleasure in holding his pawns close enough to the fire to sweat. To peel layer after layer in the interest of finding what hid underneath.

This, he leaves unsaid. “In this case, it would be wise to approach anything we encounter here as an unknown variable. Our restless wanderer included, of course.”

@aarnivalkie

[peerlessgem]

hello, hello, hello everyone, have a nice day, goodbye

Operation: Fragmentum, Board C, Flins + Jing Yuan + Herta

[peerlessgem]

Well, isn't this a pickle? Everybody hunkered down, the festivities cancelled, the lively city enchained once more by the threat of the Eternal Freeze. Unsurprising, that the local authorities would make use of the best and brightest of the cosmos gathered here to deal with the crisis, but...

Herta wonders if they're aware that such help doesn't truly come for free.

If Herta were a normal tourist here for the Solwarm Festival, she would probably have just gone home. The puppet would already be sipping tea from her seat aboard a spaceship, watching the once-again frozen planet disappear into the inky expanse of stars. Then again, if Herta were a regular old goody-two-shoes eager to help, she might set this puppet on autopilot and let it go ham at the monsters. What's another broken puppet, anyway?

But Herta is a genius---as always, she's here to learn something. She hardly had the chance to let her own Stellaron corrupt anything before it turned into a living, walking person! An opportunity to study live samples of a couple Amber Eras' worth of the phenomenon is not something she's wiling to pass up.

She spins her hammer happily about her wrist, glancing at her two companions. The dark-haired one is definitely a stranger, but she feels like she probably knows the Xianzhou man from somewhere? Ah, she'll figure it out. "Let's get to the bottom of this, shall we?" she asks, chucking her weapon casually at an approaching icicle soldier. "You may call me Madam Herta."

@aarnivalkie @generalforesight !

[generalforesight]

Three camps to stave off the unknown.

The Solwarm Festival has become both burden and blessing, to those who now face a threat that has erased too many civilizations too count…but a blessing as his gaze tracks the powerful few that shuffle to their assigned posts. If Belobog hadn’t secured the support, hadn’t opened itself to the waiting universe, history very well might have repeated itself. Perhaps it is inevitable, a grim thought but worth considering, nonetheless.

Yanqing has flown to another nest, what must be the frontlines for an excellent swordsman. Patience, Jing Yuan had advised, the Fragmentum is an unpredictable enemy. Do not be so focused on the fight that you leave yourself unguarded. The last was left unsaid, implied in a parting gesture. He continued to prove himself - to improve, and Jing Yuan would not shatter his confidence with doubt.

With so little time to spare, their camp wastes no time dividing work, picking routes.

Madam Herta introduces herself and he hums in affirmative to the order. Nevermind that the Genius Society member is notorious for her work with Stellarons and even moreso for her penchant for keeping to her own devices. That she is present here and now is something he can mull over quietly, giving a practiced smile as he holds a hand up in greeting. “Call me Jing Yuan,” He says, gesturing to the pale gentleman that he keeps close to his side. “My companion is Flins.”

Again, he casts a sideways glance at the other, searching for signs of coercion. When he’d insisted the other join him in the hunt – it was to the assumption that he had fewer connections than those who had names and titles known through many star systems.

They head northward, the road ahead unrecognizable from the safety of the administrative district they leave behind. “It may be best to establish a perimeter, a last line to hold should the Fragmentum summon overwhelming force.” In this, he is simply a foot soldier, but it is difficult to disregard the experience that he has waging war with similar foes. “Gaining ground will mean little if we are not poised to strike at the heart of the storm.”

Nevermind that they are uncoordinated. Their first battle proves it, clearing the area of foes even if they slip around the ice and one another. “There is something that calls attention,” Jing Yuan tells them, once all is said and done. His gaze drifts slowly from Flins to Herta – all the while something shimmers in the corner of his vision, inviting. “Do either of you feel the same?” Curiously, they find little more than hands frozen over and aching from digging through harsh conditions. “If we are facing the resurgence of this world’s demise, then it’s possible that the unknown force leads us in the wrong direction.” It was only the first expedition. One of many – and if Jing Yuan is worried about anything – it’s the numbing cold, the way it seems to press into him as if it could be wielded as a weapon.

@aarnivalkie @peerlessgem

[swordflown]

･ * ⸝⸝　——　𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘 .

#GHSnowswept2025 : part 2

[swordflown]

AS MUCH AS HE'D BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO　❄︎　paying a visit to belobog after the stories about it and its people's fighting spirit from their honored guests of the astral express, it'd been his honor to look after the business with the artisanship commission in the general's absence. even though the proceedings had already been mostly completed and they only needed to wait a few more days for the paperwork to finalize, he'd swelled with pride to be asked to stay to make sure that everything went through without any problems before following the general to partake in the recently-reopened planet's festival celebration. to be trusted to handle things himself while the general took some well-deserved rest. . . he'd had to make sure that there wasn't even the slightest cause for concern when he returned.

luckily, everything had gone smoothly. there'd only been one conversation with the cycrane carrier involved, but all it'd taken was an introduction of who he was and the business he was on for the man to hurriedly scramble with corrections and a thousand promises to be more mindful the next time. yanqing made a note to report this small issue to the general later and completed every other task without delay.

one minute's cultivation yields one minute's harvest——like the swallow that had worked hard all spring, that could now afford to relax and play come summer.

or so he'd expected, not realizing he would be walking into a winter scene, bleak in monochrome and jarringly void of life. eyes wide and on alert, he surveys the wide and grey streets speechlessly as boots crunch through mounds of snow and ice harder than stone, unsure how to react. though arriving to a frontline of calamity and chaos isn't alien to him by itself, wasn't this supposed to be a festival? what'd happened?

so the thickly-clad soldiers escorting him explain, there hadn't been a way to contact anyone outside once the eternal freeze phenomenon had sunk in abruptly overnight. they couldn't have even notified him in time to turn his starship back around, nevermind that the idea of leaving the general stranded in a situation like this was unthinkable to begin with.

so then, this was crisis. even if it wasn't on his home, he knew how one ought to respond.

"general!"

the familiar head of grey is more welcome than the landscape of similar drab around them, and the excitement with which yanqing had intended to greet him once he arrived is replaced with a brisk and schooled discipline, only continuing once he'd come to a stop a pace away and had been acknowledged with a look. those all around them came from every corner of the skies, some of which he might recognize if he looked more closely, many others he's sure he wouldn't. "yanqing has arrived ; all the duties on the luofu have been completed." he's glad to see he's safe, he wants to say, but it wouldn't be appropriate. of course nothing ill would befall general jing yuan. "please leave anything that needs to be done here to me as well!"　/　@generalforesight

[generalforesight]

“You’re right on time, Yanqing.” As always, he doesn’t say, but allows fondness curl into a tone that had been only calculating moments before. To his left, one of the guards shifts, breath stalling in a way that informs Jing Yuan that the Belobogian is unfamiliar with the blonde’s name and face.

In truth, Yanqing is early – the tasks laid before him were not small by any means, rallying individuals from different commissions was a task in and of itself… but one always needed to adjust for the odds that Yanqing’s natural tenacity would force others into completing tasks faster than they might otherwise.

It’s the same look that he wears now, and Jing Yuan finds a small smile to accompany acknowledgement. “You’ll excuse us, Lieutenant Colonel.” Said guard gives a stiff nod, wavering a second too long to consider formalities. When Jing Yuan waves him away politely, he eases a quick ‘Goodbye then’, and retreats.

Suddenly, they are alone on the abandoned street, guards stationed around the perimeter of the district while the citizens huddle indoors. Anything to get away from the chill…and the reminder that this planet finds that all their hard-won progress has been erased by a persistent flurry of snowstorms. “The catalyst for this Eternal Freeze has yet to reveal itself, though the Silvermane Guard have acted admirably in defense.”

Even without outside assistance, it’s evident that the Silvermane Guards are no strangers to unexplained disasters. “The priority is the safety of this word’s citizens and its visitors. All of its visitors.” To accentuate his warning, he watches as a frigid wind catches the blonde hair framing Yanqing’s face, already reddening his cheeks. Taking another step forward, he kneels, steady hands removing his borrowed scarf and winding it around Yanqing’s neck instead. “The Fragmentum brought on by the Stellaron can be unpredictable. Tracing the patrol routes may prove to be an exhausting effort.”

Of course they couldn’t do nothing and risk the storm obstructing the paths available, either. “For now, we await orders.”