Menace Muses!

She snorted. "Well, I'm glad you didn't. I wasn't planning on carrying you all the way back just because you had to go and use that form." Sera waved aside, not really minding his arm around her. There was no need to strain himself like this when they could have plenty of fun with his vision and delusion forms. Plus, he'd be out of order for unnecessarily long after; it just wasn't worth it in her eyes.

The kiss that followed, made her blink though. What was that for now? Was he that excited about their match? "Is kissing your comrades a shneznayan thing or a tartaglia thing?", she teased with a small grin.

Thankfully it wasn't a Shneznayan thing, think the Harbinger would prefer to kill himself before even consider kissing any of the other Harbingers - Childe would much rather fight and test his strength against them instead. A slow shake of his head was the result of that so his focus shifted back to Sera and the mention of a Natlan creature.

"A Tatankasaurus? Never seen one myself but I've heard stories and the bits and pieces you've told me about the Saurians of Natlan. Looks like we might have a topic of conversation at the dinner table?"

𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔞 spotted the architect from across the room. Maybe it was his golden hair, maybe it was the aura of frustration that made her approach with a curious smile on her lips. What was it this time?

She opened her mouth already to ask what was up, but he was faster. Closing it again, she turned her attention to the stack of books that was still on the table behind him. Which one of these? Sera took the one laying on the top - The Folio of Foliage II - not exactly material about architecture. Was he designing gardens now, too? She would gladly give her hobby-gardener expertise if he wanted it; in case he was planning to plant something from Natlan. Hmm, maybe she should read up on Sumeru's flora, too.

"Here you go." She handed him the book. "Were you researching plants?", Sera asked, returning his smile when he finally looked at her. One after the other, she passed the other books to him too and watched him put them back into the shelf.

"You're welcome." Canting her head, she looked him up and down. The poor man looked stressed, but what was new? "Do you want to go get a coffee with me? Or go on a stroll? You look like you could need a break... and some sunlight." She wasn't trying to insult him, he just looked tired and pale... Whenever she was stressed out, she would always exhaust herself with sports, followed by a bath in the hot springs; perfect for regulating hormone levels and get rid of unnecessary cortisol. But Sumeru didn't have any hot springs, right? Not as far as she knew.

He spoke while placing the books back in the correct place, giving a nod of appreciation each time Kaveh was handed a book. Once everything was done, Kaveh took a step back from the shelves and dusted his hands together with a sigh of relief then turning completely to face the lady that helped make the job easier to complete.

"A stroll and some coffee does sound nice ~ Sorry, your name is? My name is Kaveh ~ Thanks for helping me out here-- Build myself a hot spring? HAH! I wish I could afford that luxury."

A mysterious force and a possibly lost army. That was quite the predicament, if true. Cyno had gotten lost from time to time, particularly in his early years venturing outside of Sumeru, but even with that experience, he couldn't really imagine what it had to feel like to be thrown in another world entirely, just like that.

Someone could, but alas, he'd been the one to meet this man.

"Well... At least it doesn't sound like the doing of the Abyss Order. Blinding light isn't something they are known for." He said, thinking aloud rather than expecting Jing Yuan to understand. "Knowing this is both a silver lining and a regrettable discovery."

Cyno paused, in deep thought for a minute, until he finally shook his head.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but do please lead the way, General. Would you prefer me to call you Cyno? Unless that is reserved only for friends then I can understand and respect that."

It was a good thing that he'd been turned towards the shelves behind the bar counter, with his back facing Jean as she spoke. Otherwise, she'd have seen the way his eyes rolled.

She had finally dropped the 'Sir', but only to replace it with 'Master Diluc'. Not an unusual way to be called, by any means. Most people addressed him that way, in fact. But Jean was not part of 'most people'.

His gut reaction was to think that she was just using the honorific as a disguise for 'Sir'. Her tone was still that of a subordinate speaking to her superior.

Oh, well... Baby steps, like always.

Diluc chose not to voice his grievance this time, though his shoulders betrayed him, dropping ever so slightly along with his silent sigh.

"You've never been good at eavesdropping, you know? I know you're listening." He said, turning back towards her, placing a bottle down on the counter. With his back straight and crossed arms, he made sure to school his features to a mask of complete disinterest.

"How could I possibly ignore the vigilante? Their reputation within the city at times is almost better than the Knights of Favonious-- originally I had hoped they would join the Knights but after multiple failed attempts to contact them I realized that wasn't the right move. Instead I wish to meet them in person if possible and go from there..."

Jean had regrets, if the vigilante wanted to become a Knight of Favonious surely they would have done so already? Tracking them down to meet them in person was her attempt to apologize and to work together to protect Mondstadt in their own ways just as they have been already. The Acting Grand Master simply wished to find out what rumors were true and, if any, were false so she could be prepared should someone try and tarnish the vigilantes positive reputation. "If I have to follow rumors to meet with them personally then so be it..."

Showing her around his palace she'd be able to see that while sparsely decorated, he had furniture where it was needed. There were simple, western style beds within the guest rooms, the kitchen was fully decked out, even had a kotatsu and a regular table with chairs. While there wasn't really anything for entertainment inside his place, he could show her how he moved from world to world if he decided to offer her such a thing.

"Nah, the only things that cross my territory only do so every hundred years, and they're a group of Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde Hollows. Nothin' and nobody else enters it so the palace doesn't need defendin'." After all, nobody wanted to offend the King of the Hollows, lest they wish to be left gutless and vanishing into particles as they died. He was King in both title and strength, but Halibel and Nelliel were the ones who spoke to their followers. They were the Queens, or well, Halibel was the Queen and Nelliel was her right hand. He did stuff too, of course, but he didn't like listening to the bitching of the other Arrancar.

"So, through that open curve there, is the bathroom. There's an in ground large body of hot water that has somethin' that keeps it clean. If ya get dirty or bloody, ya get in and the stuff just vanishes. There's also a big standin' shower." How they got water in the desert nobody knew. It was something from Aizen's reign that the remaining Arrancar decided to simply keep. They liked taking baths and showers. He'd lead her to the open door and head out, the stairs were carved from the same stuff the palace was made of. There were claw marks on the walls, showing that he made the place himself.

"You like watching the moon? If offered, would you want to travel to somewhere that did have stars and a moon that you could watch in relative peace and quiet? You've shown me your home, it makes sense for me to show you mine... be it my 'pocket dimension' or my birthplace... a false sky in the dimension but a real one from my homeland, I don't mind offering both to you..."

Even as Kaveh spoke, Cyno did not immediately give him his full attention. He looked around, still vigilant, suspicious of his surroundings. They were all the way back to the desert... Who exactly was responsible for all this?

He wished his memories could come back on command, but clearly someone had messed up with his head. And with any luck, Kaveh's, as well.

"... It's all right. I've worked with Alhaitham before. Your 'barking' is quite gentle, if I must compare." He said absently, looking up at the sun, the distant shapes of ruins and rocky cliffs on the horizon.

He wanted to look into these ruins, but he did not trust heading back in with just the two of them, moreover, in their condition. Nobody knew they were here; it would spell disaster if they got caught again inside.

Shaking his head, he made a decision and finally turned to look at the architect. "We're fine for now, but that won't last long if we stay here. We have no supplies to withstand the desert. We need to find shelter and water, lest we get faint."

The General Mahamatra took a deep sigh, feeling his shoulders relax just a little. His adrenaline, at last, was relenting a little.

"And if that happens... We'll be dessert in the desert."

Enough for that horrible joke, anyway. Delivered with his tone flat, his stare serious and apathetic.

"You know what-- I'll give you that one, Cyno. Lets get out of here before we're forced to snack on those insects or vultures for survival."

The thought wasn't appetizing at all, Kaveh wished to return to Sumeru City as soon as possible, to inform the others of what happened and perhaps try and research what he remembered of the architecture within their 'prison' or survival game - it might not lead to the culprit themselves but it looked too modern to be natural with the nearby ruins so Kaveh hoped he could at least find the buyer of materials he recognized to help with any investigation going forward.

"Don't know about you but I am already exhausted.. all I can think of to help is find a higher elevation to survey the area and try to find a familiar landmark to see just how deep we are in the desert... sorry if I'm not much help from this point.. my mind seems to be hyper focusing on the interior we escaped from-- it feels familiar, like its on the tip of my tongue but can't be certain of my sources yet."

⠀⠀──── ✶ it's his first instinct to snap & bristle like this, even more so at a perceived threat . but the more that Sunday explains himself, explains that the power was more or less involuntarily, the tension in the air begins to ease little by little . he didn't realize exactly how much pain he was in until that tuning had come over him, relieving the ache in his back, the dull pain in his joints, & other ailments he didn't bother to look into . It had been a nice relief .. but it was a matter of principle now, & Anaxagoras was anything if not stubborn .

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * ❛ i see . ❜ he looks over Sunday's face, seeing the genuine emotion across it, how each word is spoken with a level of tooth - rotting sincerity ; & the volatile scholar feels his defenses ease to the ground .

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * ❛ very well . at least attempt to keep it in control, then . i don't like the idea of my body not being mine to control . pain & all . ❜ the blade - sharp stare of his remaining eye is softer, bit only by a nearly imperceptable degree . ❛ surely i don't need to waste either my time or yours explaining the ' why ' . ❜

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * a light relief from pain & stress .. a siren song, one that Anaxa finds it more difficult to reject . but he was notoriously difficult, even to himself at times .

Sunday calmly explained, after all he had done in Penacony, the one thing he didn't want to do was to take away any or all control of someone's own body be it consciously or unconsciously. So the Halovian felt he had much to learn about the control of his own powers - at least the automatic tuning that he had hoped would help others!

"All I request is to have patience with me until I can break this habit of passive tuning that is projected around me in a short radius somewhat unconsciously... it's a little embarrassing that I hadn't considered that someone wouldn't want to have their pain tuned away even temporarily, so this has been a 'wake up' call for me... I should and will thank you."

he's  so  formal,  hallen  noticed.  not  that  she  minded  in  the  least  bit.  it  was  actually  endearing  to  see  how  he  was  handling  this,  and  she  nods  as  she  listens.  when  he  asks  her  if  she  would  think  that,  she  shakes  her  head.  "i  wouldn't  have  known.  knowing  your  last  place,  i  thought  you  might  be  a  bit  desired  by  local  suitors  and  bachelorettes.  i'm  sure  the  head  of  the  oak  family  was  a  prestigious  thing  to  have.  you  probably  had  no  shortage  of  marriage  proposals,  right?"

"If I received any marriage proposals they may have been filtered out by Gopher Wood while he was still active in Penacony... my sister, Robin, probably got a few on her travels but the few I may have received? Could have been played off as humor and the subject of conversation was likely quickly changed to avoid awkwardness... So my question to you, Hallen, do you wish to start a relationship with me? I am no longer the head of the Oak family but for as long as they accept me, I am simply a temporary Nameless, unless the Astral Express crew fully accept me as one of their own."

G ingerly, as if he had been handling one of his organs, had his sheathed armament been positioned atop the wooden veneer of his office, soon joining it by seating at its rear, legs intersected, back straightened." Hyourinmaru." he calls in a hushed murmur.

" I ask you to reveal yourself. ------ There are things we must discuss ... face-to-face. "

"What is it that you wish to discuss, master?"