Of Hadal Depths

[hadopelagical]

An OC multimuse, written by L

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@primowishes - Genshin Impact MM

@reversewishes - Reverse: 1999 MM

[hadopelagical]

w/ @anomieheld {x}

Confident that they would find their way out despite her remark, Cecilia's steps didn't so much as falter along the long stretch of the cavern. Bereft of sunlight, the air chilled the bare skin along her arms, yet her eyes shone with excitement.

"Do you think so?" Her heartbeat quickened; the grip on her Kamera tightened. Although there was plenty to admire in the beauty of this natural underground formation, she hoped to see more, something that few would ever stumble across in their lives. To think that it could be so close to home--within her home nation even.

"It would be even luckier if there were something like glowing crystals, or some bioluminescent creatures, too." That would certainly give any image an otherwordly beauty, if she could manage to get a good picture of it.

Unconsciously her pace had sped up somewhat, although she didn't intend to try and rush them.

[hadopelagical]

❰❰ PANIC ❱❱ sender comforts the receiver as they have a panic attack or get overstimulated - Garth / Dia

From isolation within Dia's previous home, to the sparsely-walked paths along countryside, their travels had not brought them to something nearly so crowded as a city like this. Occasionally humans would brush against them, or bump shoulders against theirs, and while at first it was bearable, each time it happened now was like an electric shock shooting through their head. There were the sights, and the smells, and Dia felt their thoughts slipping into static.

They'd stopped in place entirely, tremors wracked through their body. Dia looked to the sky--sun too bright, too bright--and though they had no ability to breathe, their lips parted as if for desperate breath.

When the other offered help--what help could be offered...?--Dia shook their head. It wasn't in refusal, but in inability to comprehend his words or his actions.

Something was wrong. Something inside them had broken. They fumbled for their tablet, lifting it so that the screen would face him, as they always did to communicate...

...but no words would form.

Although they had the immense desire to explain, every time they tried to find the words, their consciousness would scatter. Something buzzed in their head, and they could not understand it. Their frustration at not being able to put the words upon the tablet added to their distress. The illogical urge to scream from their voiceless throat or to cover their head with their arms to block out the world hit them, and the trembling through their limbs worsened.

@diverse-hearts-ocs

[needleandstory]

The house loomed before them, glutted with darkness in spite of the glowing daylight. Cracked windows held whispers they could just barely make out, carried on the autumn wind. Whatever was in there--whatever things were in there; it felt like more than one--hadn't been happy in a long time.

Yet, the cold and the fear hardly touch Kuma. They're warm in their sweater and glad in their company. Finding another medium was a joy like no other; they'd never met another before, and they were reluctant to leave her. Besides, Mila was just some kid. She couldn't have been more than a year older than Haru. It was their duty as an older sibling to make sure she got out alright: they wouldn't be able to live with themself if they walked away now and something happened.

They were never going to be easily dissuaded, but then Mila turned those big, hopeful eyes on them and asked them to stay.

They answered instantly, "Course I will!" They grinned with a confidence they didn't have, hoping for it to reassure her. "You won't have to worry about a thing; you'll be totally safe with me. I've got a ton of experience." Not that they've ever handled a belligerent ghost in any way other than running away, but they survived and that's what counted. "Now uh," they look toward the house, "we're we goin' in there again?"

They had completely forgotten.

[hadopelagical]

"Great!"

Mila beamed at their response. Latent exhaustion dragged on her smile, yet it glowed nonetheless, a testament to her own excitement of encountering someone with abilities similar to her own. Reassurance was a bonus, but her safety was rarely something that she worried much over. She might flee, if need be, but she found it her duty to at least try and soothe the restless spirits that hadn't yet passed on.

"Mm-hm. I want to go in now, if we can." She rested her hand against the chainlink gate. A heavy chain kept it from being easily opened, but a short fence was far from enough to dissuade entrance.

Throwing a glance each way down the street, Mila cautiously leaned her weight against the gate. Deciding it wouldn't collapse on her, she shoved the toe of her shoe through one of the links as a foothold to boost herself up and swing her other leg over.

Hopefully they wouldn't have to leave in a rush, or else the top of the gate would be a little more dangerous than a nuisance.

For now though, she had her feet planted on the ground on the other side, and Mila shuffled back onto the overgrown lawn and waited for Kuma with expectant eyes.

[anomieheld]

Elyon , for better or worse, was a peaceful individual, she avoided violence and in most cases found ways to avoid it. Her skills helped a lot be it by temporarily blinding her opponenets or freezing them then running away. Usually any battle like situations hardly ever landed with an opponent getting in close range. This lack of experience in proper battle certainly was a reason behind her anxiety. But Elyon also knew she was quite shaken by their sudden change in behavior. She had thought these agents could be trusted, but she figured wrong and almost paid the price.

This thought, the knowledge she wasn't good with reading people, it did hurt. She remembered how isolated her life had been so far and knew it was a situation that couldn't just be helped. It didn't make it any less frightening.

And worse, she got someone dragged in this sticky situation, albeit unvoluntarily. in her eyes, if one could afford to stroll outside alone then they had to have the ability to handle themselves. Risking others health or life because of one's own oversight was something Elyon frowned upon. And to think she very much did that.

Elyon started to walk back to the city, back to safety adjusting her pacing to Dia's while pondering over the other's written inquiry. It was funny how both of them were technically close to non-verbal or strictly non speaking but still found ways to communicate. A nice sde thought that got her to chuckle. Her voice rose softly as she proceeded to give an explaination while turning to face the other. " You got_ dragged in...fight by my...idiocy." Although instead of 'idiocy' her hands moved to form the word ' incompetence'. Thankfully Dia didn't get injured because of this fight and thus herself. " Appologies... due." It was the least she could od, Appologie to them.

@hadopelagical

[hadopelagical]

Even after Elyon's explanation, the reason for apology became no clearer to them.

"I chose to fight them," came the words. It had been a simple choice for them.

They did, however, leave it there, with no further attempts at insisting that she need not apologize for their involvement. As always, they were hyper-aware of the difference between them, as human and machine. Dia hadn't seen much of the world yet, nor did they know enough of human behavior to perfectly act as one. Perhaps when being rescued, apologizing was merely polite, and they were the rude one for refusing to take it.

So instead, Dia decided to take a metaphorical step back, starting their meeting once again in a more proper light.

"My name is Dia. It is nice to meet you!" A friendly smile upon their mouth, introductions came better later than never. Nevermind how they had come into each other's acquaintance. Dia was unsure how to proceed without the polite introductions first.

@anomieheld

[anomieheld]

Elyon was still shaking in fear, ocean hues moving from Dia to the agent lying down , knocked out. She turned on her heels to check if the other one was moving but they remained frozen solid as well.Fidgetting nerviously with her own fingers as her shoulders trembled, violence wasn't a common scenery to Elyon and even less so sudden or directed against her. Or maybe was it the fact that she had quite a close call, if the other hadn't intervened Elyon might have died.

It would be best to report the incident to the local authority, but it was the Fatui she was dealing with, for all she knew ELyon could have been the one accidentally offending them. Or maybe it was just these two in particular that had a problem with her. Regardless, she wasn't sure reporting was the right solution, heading back to town was safer for now regardless.

" Thank you_ and sorry..." Elyon mumbled as she followed Dia's silent indication and led the way back to the city, not without a last concerned glance at the agents. She wished there had been a better way to solve it all than violence, she didn't even knew why they had gotten hostile.

@primowishes

[hadopelagical]

Throughout their brief interaction thus far, Dia paid close attention to the girl's behavior. They recognized the fear, how shaken up the situation had made her, and they understood it as a more proper reaction to violence that they should exhibit in the future. For an android, damage wasn't a high concern, as they could repair anything that they sustained given enough time and material. Past that, their ability to feel pain was low, but they understood that for a human, the case was quite the opposite.

They came to the conclusion that, in the future, they should behave similarly in violent scenarios. Dia themself didn't seek out such situations, but if they saw somebody in danger it was natural to step in as they did this time.

They were fascinated by the elemental power that she had wielded. Dia knew of Visions, but they hadn't yet seen one used in their travels. When they were reached the city and were thus safer, Dia might ask her more about it.

However, their brows furrowed, puzzled at the apology the girl gave them. Was there something to be sorry about?

"Why apologize?" Dia, with no ability to speak, had to rely on their tablet to convey the message written on its surface for them. "It was those people who did something wrong."

@anomieheld

[hadopelagical]

❛  is there anything else i can do for you?  ❜ - Ella to Cecillia

"Not at all! Thanks, Sister," Cecilia beamed, carefully storing away the ointments in her bag. While some people in Springvale made their own medicines, including her own mother, those of the Church were more specialized, with greater pooled resources of the like. She come to the city frequently to pick up some for the older folks back home... and aside from the small bit of coin that she received in exchange, she had her own reasons for wanting to come anyway.

One of those reasons in particular kept drawing her eye. Her gaze flickered to the walls of the Cathedral, her mind making a mental pathway up, until she quickly forced herself to look at Ella again, so as not to be suspicious.

In a way that would only look that much more suspicious, of course...

Cecilia resisted the urge to pat her Kamera to ensure it was still strapped securely to her side.

"Uh, right, Anemo Archon guide you, Sister, thanks again!" she chimed, doing her best to sound natural, and not at all like she was in a hurry to be somehow rid of Ella.

@diverse-hearts-ocs

[hadopelagical]

❛  are you sure you can do this on your own?  ❜ kuma @ mila

To Mila, it wasn't so much a matter of could she, but that she would do so alone. Others either couldn't sense ghosts or found them too terrifying to approach, and so she didn't consider having somebody else there to check on her as an option. It had excited her to meet somebody with similar abilities, but Mila automatically fell into the assumption that, like everyone else, Kuma would rather not join her.

...and it was technically a bit of breaking and entering, but no one lived in this place anymore, regardless.

The question, however, gave Mila pause. She rubbed her wrist, hope sparking behind her wide eyes as she looked back up to them.

"Would you come, too?" she asked. She didn't need the help, it would be fine on her own, but...

...now that she saw the option presented before her, she'd love the company.

@needleandstory

[hadopelagical]

//Added a link to Juniper's bio on the muse list. It still has a lot of missing information but I'll get to it

[hadopelagical]

❛  you're completely out of your element here, aren't you?  ❜ - Ashley to Mila

Was it so obvious? Mila leaned back, resting on the bench as she tried to recover her energy. Liyue--or no, rather the area around the Wangshu Inn specifically--seemed to attract a great many monsters. She'd heard, too of spirits that lingered around the place, and though she wondered if the two were connected, she was more concerned with ghosts than with the monsters.

Unfortunately, monsters still concerned themselves with her, whether she wanted them to or not.

"A little bit. Sorry, I just get tired really easily. Thank you for helping me back here." Ivan had driven off the monsters, but the drain of energy had been far too much for her. Surely something else would've come along and picked her off if Ashley hadn't found her and helped her back.

After closing her eyes for a moment, she opened them again to meet Ashley's gaze. "Can you tell me about any ghost stories around this place? I'd like to meet them, if I can."

Her welfare was secondary, of course, to meeting ghosts where possible, and helping them move on.

@diverse-hearts-ocs

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬.

( this is basically just a very self indulgent list of various fluff, angst, and suggestive themed dialogue sentence starters. )

❛ i could keep you safe. they’re all afraid of me. ❜

❛ i’m trying to fix your hair, so hold still. ❜

❛ your heart is beating so fast right now. ❜

❛ promise me you’ll still be here when i wake up. ❜

❛ you’re not as bad as everyone says you are. ❜

❛ i thought you’d like some company. ❜ 

❛ clean yourself up. you're getting blood all over the place. ❜

❛ here, give this a try and tell me what you think. ❜

❛ you can kiss me, you know. ❜

❛ come back to bed. ❜

❛ you look good like this. ❜

❛ working together again, it’s just like old times. ❜

❛ how is it you always know what i need, huh? ❜

❛ you’re lucky you got away with only a scratch. ❜ 

❛ i can’t imagine losing someone like that. i’m sorry. ❜

❛ you know you can always talk to me. ❜

❛ the only one who gets to kill you, is me. ❜

❛ so, what do i owe this pleasure? ❜

❛ ah, so you aren’t heartless after all. ❜

❛ may i have this dance? ❜ 

❛ it’s okay, you can touch me. i won't break. ❜

❛ enemies make the best lovers, you know. ❜

❛ hold still. this might sting a little. ❜

❛ we can't keep doing this. ❜ 

❛ you look like you've got something to say. ❜

❛ just relax and let me take care of you. ❜

❛ thought you’d be lighter without all that blood. ❜

❛ i had it under control. you didn’t need to do that. ❜

❛ everything looks so beautiful from up here. ❜

❛ you treat all your ladies like this? ❜

❛ well? how do i look? ❜

❛ can’t sleep? ❜

❛ do you mind if i smoke? ❜

❛ i’m scared of ending up alone. ❜

❛ i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile. ❜

❛ how long has it been since you've slept? ❜

❛ you are losing my interest, and that’s very dangerous. ❜

❛ i’d suffer hell if you’d tell me what you’d do to me tonight. ❜

❛ you look really pretty right now. ❜

❛ i’ve never cared for anyone the way i care for you. ❜

❛ i’m not wearing any underwear. thought you’d like to know. ❜

❛ just a few more stitches and you’ll be as good as new. ❜

❛ i’d say we make a pretty good team. ❜

❛ i want you to forget this ever happened. ❜

❛ i'm here for business — not pleasure. ❜

❛ if i didn't know any better, i'd say you were jealous. ❜

❛ you'd look better down on your knees. ❜

❛ fine, keep acting like you hate me. ❜

❛ kiss me again. ❜

❛ are you asking me out on a date? ❜

❛ just sit there and look pretty and let me handle this. ❜

❛ you okay? caught you staring off into space again. ❜

❛ well, i do feel better now that you're here. ❜

❛ i'm not drunk enough for this. ❜ 

❛ why is it whenever we see each other, you’re covered in blood? ❜

❛ i was wrong about you. ❜ 

❛ the first time i met you, i had no idea you'd mean this much. ❜

❛ you gonna be a good girl / boy for me? ❜

❛ i’m not afraid of you. ❜

❛ books mean more to me than people anyway. ❜

❛ i just wanted to say thank you for protecting me. ❜

❛ how about a kiss goodnight? ❜

❛ i don’t have time for distractions right now. ❜

❛ you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. ❜ 

❛ if i have to think about one more thing today, my head will explode. ❜

[hadopelagical]

❛  do you believe in ghosts?  ❜ - Eiji to Mila

Mila didn't mean to laugh at him, but the question pulled a giggle out of her before she could stop it. Too late to suppress it, Mila covered her mouth with a hand, and even that couldn't hide the sparkle of amusement in her eyes.

Everything, from her Vision to her brother's spirit bound to her through something that Mila hadn't yet realized, were only possible because of the existence of ghosts.

"I think it would be weirder if I didn't," she said, playful. And she returned, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

It didn't occur to her once, as someone to whom spirits were drawn since she could remember, that any person might not believe in them.

@diverse-hearts-ocs

[starlitwishes]

"Huh? You want to give me this?"

The drawing they made... didn't they want it for themselves? Wrenn took it into his hands, looking it over for a moment. He did want to accept the gift, but... where would he put it? Paper was so fragile, so if he kept it on his person, it would likely get destroyed.

"Hmm... I do want it, but you should keep it for now," he said, finally, after handing it back to Dia. "I want to get something where I can put it so it can be safe. Like one of those art collecting books, where you put finished pieces inside so they're safe."

"That way, you can draw me something any time you like, and put it inside of the book--and it will stay safe and last a very long time. How does that sound?"

[hadopelagical]

They nodded in the affirmative. Naturally they would want him to have something that they made, especially as he encouraged their clumsy attempts. It was less precise than an image that they could make on the tablet, but it was also something more valuable despite the lack of skill behind it--at least to them, anyway.

It fascinated them that it could be so difficult just to draw what they saw. Dia was no human, after all, yet they still had to build skills all the same.

A little disappointed when he handed it back, they quickly brightened at the solution he suggested. They nodded vigorously, and adjusted their grip on the paper to be extra careful. They couldn't ruin it before it could be placed in a safe place inside a book!

@starlitwishes

[hadopelagical]

//Asking Mila if she believes in ghosts is genuinely the funniest thing

[hadopelagical]

❰❰ HURT ❱❱ sender is hurt protecting receiver - Wrenn protecting Dia ;o;

The moment danger had passed, Dia rushed to Wrenn's side. Everything that fueled them raced, the anxiety-wired energy flooding their system in a way that adrenaline would in a human; they hovered over him, immediately checking for the injuries.

Guilt crashed over them hard. If they didn't focus so hard on the fact that Wrenn had gotten hurt, then Dia would've frozen over entirely, paralyzed by the knowledge that it was their fault that he'd been harmed at all.

They'd begun to understand that they trusted too easily--he had told them, too, that it was better not to fully believe others at their word. Yet the habit died hard, and the desire to help others hard-coded into them had them following somebody into a trap. They had little special on them but Mora and their tablet, and the latter especially was valuable in its construction. Wrenn intervened as things turned hostile, and because it was only a theft, the attackers had given up more quickly than they otherwise would.

Now, it was agony, knowing that their naivete had brought pain to someone they cared about, a certainty that it was an inherent feature of them to do just that to anyone they called family. They couldn't cry, but something like pressure had built up behind their eyes anyway, and they hugged him, briefly, in apology for what they'd caused, pulling back quickly lest they harm him further.

@starlitwishes

[hadopelagical]

❛ are you okay? are you hurt? ❜ - Garth to Dia

The ringing in their ears drowned out his questions. They stared, almost like a deer in headlights with widened eyes and their body completely still as their mind worked at trying to remember the sequence of events.

Someone had asked Dia for help, and they saw no reason not to. After following them a short while, someone had struck them in the back of the head, hard, and everything after that was a blur. The hit must've knocked something loose--both memories and hearing struggled.

The end of their shirt was torn from a knife; they remembered that occurring, and a deep ache alerted them to the damage to their body. Blood was on their knuckles from brawling, but not theirs. Dia had no blood.

Everything was still jumbled for them, but they felt that he had been helping them, as evidenced by his concerned questions directed toward them now.

A nod, then a shake of their head, answering each of the questions. It took too long for them to locate their tablet on their person, mental processes still sluggish, and they lifted it so that he could read the words as they appeared on the screen.

"I'm not hurt, only some damage. I can fix it, thank you for your help."

@diverse-hearts-ocs

[starlitwishes]

Wrenn thought that the rest of the evening would be taken up by cooking together--but apparently, Dia had other things on their mind. They waved him down, and he blinked as he turned to face them, reading what they had written down.

"... Heh, you feel bad for doubting me," Wrenn repeated--no, maybe clarified?--the meaning of the words he read, and he hesitantly patted them on the head. "There's nothing wrong with doubting someone, you know. It's not good to believe people one-hundred percent at their word. You'll get hurt that way."

Though he paused, and a frown overcame his soft smile. Nahida would probably scold him for teaching that lesson to Dia, no matter how much he believed in it himself. Hmm...

"... But there is a catch to it, I guess. You should be careful who you put your trust in. Those who love you, well--if you believe in their intentions, I don't think that's a bad thing. I guess."

He retracted his hand, feeling awkward about what he was saying. It probably sounded confusing, but... he didn't know how else to put it.

"... Sorry. I'm not really great at this. That's something you should probably ask Nahida about later. She'll be able to teach you about those sorts of things better than I ever could."

[hadopelagical]

They hesitated at his clarification, a hand over their chest. Since they were only a robot, the feelings were just a mimicry of a human's, at least as they understood it. Regardless, if that was what he said about it, then it must be an estimation of exactly that, as much as Dia could "feel", and so they lowered their head with a nod affirming just that.

Yet his explanation brought confusion rather than clarity. They frowned. While they generally understood what he was talking about--that, at the very least, they shouldn't simply believe everyone, but it was ok to trust some of them--it was difficult to know just who they should include. If it were people who loved them, then their father and their brother were among those who should be counted.

However, when they thought of those two, it made their chest feel tight, an uncomfortable pressure behind their optical devices. They missed their father, though their memory of him had been muddied since his disappearance and death, and their brother's rejection hurt. They wanted to trust their intentions, even so.

"Ok. I'll ask her more about it tomorrow," appeared on the tablet, and then, "I believe your intentions, so I'll believe your promise too, and I won't worry anymore."

The latter statement was something they felt shy about, though they still honestly presented it. If they were to believe the intentions of those who loved them, then it was--hopefully not presumptuously--stating that they believed that Wrenn loved them. And, if love was the perspective that they had once had toward their father and brother, then they did with him as well.

@starlitwishes