JANUARY MINGLE

[stellafortunamods]

January Mingle: A Ballad in Goblets
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
You open your eyes to an unfamiliar sight. A cool breeze flits through rustic buildings and sunny streets, carrying the smell of flowers and wine. The very air itself seems charged with mana, the warm pulse of the land palpable beneath your feet. This is a new world, a world where the elements compose all of reality. Before you is a bubbling fountain, and a key is entwined between your fingers. And that weight on your hip? A sparkling bauble that you've never seen before, yet it feels natural, as if it had always been there.

Asking around nets you the name of this world - Teyvat - and the name of this city - Mondstadt, blessed by the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Your new home is accessible with the key placed in your hands, though this also brings to mind another question. How will you get money? Food isn't free, after all.

Luckily for you, there's plenty of jobs available for the enterprising Traveler. Be it taking requests from the Adventurers' Guild, or working part-time at one of Mondstadt's many food establishments, Mora is to be had when hard work is involved. The cuisine of Mondstadt is best paired with its wine, served at bars or enjoyed in private with a few friends.

And about that shining gem. locals will tell you that it is a Vision, a sign of favour from Teyvat's elemental gods. With the Vision on hand, you find yourself capable of commanding one of the seven elements. What will you do with this newfound blessing? Use it for good... or for evil?

Mondstadt's liveliness doesn't diminish when night falls. Bards sing through the wee hours of the night, and the lights of the city help keep most evildoers at bay. All seems peaceful, a pastoral idyll of a life that seems more at home in a storybook. Yet for those Travelers who venture out beyond the city's walls and into the ruins dotting the landscape, they may discover hints of a bloodier past now forgotten.

Glancing at any of the calendars in the city will tell you the current date. August 10th was the day you arrived. As soon as the last minute of August 16th slips away, the world around you changes. A blink, and time itself rewinds by seven days. Looking outside, the mown lawns have regrown, the windmill needs fixing again, and the well is once again full. Just what is happening here? It seems only you, Traveler, remembers the week that never was.

State of the World

For the first two weeks of the game, IC time will be looping from August 10th to August 16th. It's currently late summer in Mondstadt, and the trees are just beginning to turn out their autumn colours. The weather is cool and pleasant, with light showers on Tuesday (11th) and Friday (14th). It's also a good time to go out gathering berries and nature's bounty from Mondstadt's forests and valleys.

These two weeks will let us trial out our commissions and regains system and craft improvements for February onwards. There will be no activity requirements for January, so all threads started during this time period can be used for regains!

For all questions regarding January's mingle and events, please head over to our OOC post.

Comments

[pragmatism]

I see.

[ No judgement there. Zhongli, too, preferred the wilds. ]

There is a room for you in town, if you get tired. [ He offers tentatively... unless Lutha is going to sleep at Windrise? It's not a bad idea, except for the occasional Dendro slime. ]

[hangfire]

[He lets out a sharp breath of a laugh, more bitter than humored.]

Hardly.

Marks get people thrown out. I'm not stupid enough to test that. [A beat, and he exhales again, slower, his hand rising to run through his hair, the sleeve of his tunic dropping enough at the motion to mirror the scars on his face with ones that spiral around the skin of his exposed arm.] I can fend for myself. It's fine. And it's nobody's business but my own.

[pragmatism]

[ They're not so different. The black seal covers all of Zhongli's body sans his neck and face... and the reason people don't see it is because he wears a full-body suit. ]

Mondstadt is a land of freedom. Its people carry less prejudice, for they know that each person is free to pursue their heart's desires.

[ Lutha probably won't listen, but it might be worth mentioning. ]

[hangfire]

[...]

No land is that simple.

[His expression tightens a little as he looks over his shoulder at the other man, dark eyes sharp but tired at the edges.]

Freedom doesn't change that people will always have to fight for their needs. There's always going to be some party on the bottom that has to scrape by and live off what others don't take. Freedom might make life more open. But it doesn't make things fair.

[pragmatism]

[ If anything, Lutha's words only reinforce Zhongli's perception of him. He has a difficult past, and it's not something Zhongli would make light of, even if Mondstadt is starkly different from Lutha's original world. ]

Mondstadt's winds will watch over you, even if you tread a path different from most.

[ But that's all he'll say on this topic. ]

I shall not disturb you, if you wish for quiet.

now that I've spent the last 6 hours wandering around genshin: hello

[hangfire]

[He breathes out a tiredly derisive sound at the mention of the winds protection, but doesn't let his words extend beyond that. This guy is starting to sound like a priest.

He'll give the man a half-hearted shrug, not bothering to look his way as he responds.]

Not like there's much else to do out here.

Not unless you're one of the religious types or something. [...] That... is what that statue's for, isn't it? Looks way too identical to that one in town to be coincidence.

[pragmatism]

[ The question gets Zhongli to stay a little longer. He recognizes when he should stop trying to convince someone of something they aren't too keen on. Talking about history, though? That he can do. ]

They are a statue of the same individual, yes. Though, this one is not made by the same craftsman. It has been here for almost a millennium.

[ The very spot where Vennessa ascended to Celestia. A glory that few humans ever receive. She was Venti's friend, too. ]

[hangfire]

And the elements still haven't toppled it despite that much time, huh.

[So people were taking care of it. Why, though?

His eyes flick to the silhouette of Mondstadt in the distance, then to Zhongli.]

I get having a place to beg to a god and hope they'll listen. But the city is right there. Your people have that huge cathedral. Hell, you can even see the larger statue just fine from here.

Even with this giant -- [His knuckles wrap against the bark behind him.] -- it's not like this place has some sort of unusual mana pool. Not that I can feel. So why single this spot out?

[pragmatism]

The endurance of such sculptures suggest that they transcend the quality of craftsmanship achievable by mortal hands.

[ It's a hint, though delivered in the same oblique way as Zhongli usually does. ]

The great tree marks the place where one of Mondstadt's past heroes ascended to Celestia.

[ Windrise is also situated above a great font of Anemo energy, though Lutha remains unaware of it. Only someone closely attuned to the elements of Teyvat would be able to sense such a thing. ]

[hangfire]

Celestia... what, like your layman's paradise?

[He sure is unaware!! This is what happens when your inner talent for magic just vanishes overnight... rip.

But beyond that, to walk a land so freely filled with mana felt more like swimming in an ocean, when he himself was so used to walking through dry ground. Hitting the equivalent of an enormous puddle as you walked was something even the most non-attuned could feel when it came to a site with a deep pool to pull from the elements. This? At least for now, it's just too ridiculously saturated.

He scoffs a little, more in tired disbelief than anything else, but the bite that should follow doesn't enter his tone.]

So a god made this statue for themselves, then? Or for another god? Sounds kind of backwards to me either way.

[pragmatism]

Celestia is the realm of the gods.

[ Celestia offered humanity the chance to ascend and take a seat at their table. Yet, the number of humans who have succeeded in such a thing remain few over the centuries. ]

The statue is likely placed here to commemorate the friendship between the hero and Mondstadt's Archon.

[ It was Vennessa who called upon the winds of freedom to descend upon Mondstadt once more, and break the shackles of opporessive rule; just like how Barbatos had done a millennium before. ]

[hangfire]

And your gods bother to allow mortals there? [Pff. That's rich.

...

Still, he takes a moment, letting the weight of his head rest against the bark behind him. To have something this notable marked on the world, to have the image of a god where your feet once stood, to be talked about despite so much time going by...

...]

Must have been something worthwhile, to have all this left behind in their absence.

[pragmatism]

The intentions of the gods remain ever so mysterious and elusive.

[ He says this even when he's an Archon, because Archons serve on Teyvat's land itself. Celestia has always held itself above all else, looking down from their seat in the sky. ]

The history of Mondstadt is quite colourful. If you are curious about the importance of the hero Vennessa, a native of Mondstadt would be more fitting to tell it than I.

[ He's from Liyue, after all. The true value of freedom would be better understood by those who live under its principles. ]

[hangfire]

[...Well, definitely filing that fact about "Vennessa" away for later, but more importantly:]

...You know an awful lot for not being a native yourself. Where are you from, then?

["The gods are elusive" is like saying water is wet so he doesn't see a need to confirm that. Gods are shifty.]

[pragmatism]

I am from neighbouring Liyue. I came here to visit an old friend.

[ This is true. Venti is a convenient excuse. ]

[hangfire]

Mm. Are the two countries in decent relations right now? It seems peaceful enough.

[Which begs the question: why the hell did any of them have that dream? Who in the world needed help from outsiders in a land like this?]

[pragmatism]

Mondstadt and Liyue have always been steadfast allies.

[ Even if their cultures are vastly different, the Archons who rule them are good friends. There would never be any reason for the seven nations to go to war against one another, not since the end of the Archon Wars.

The Outlanders were definitely called here for another reason. ]

[hangfire]

Then a group of absolute strangers wasn't brought here for anything like an oncoming war or political strife. [His arms cross against his chest, humming in the back of his throat as he mulls it over in his head.]

If your people are peaceful, and your allies are peaceful, and what few struggles you have are taken care of through hard work... then what's left? Your land has plenty of blessing. You have a steady military, a thriving economy. Your gods are being worshipped. No one is wanting for anything.

[And here he looks at Zhongli, something genuinely jealous and longing in the confusion that flashes over his eyes.]

What does a place like this need from people like us, when it's seemingly close to perfect the way it is?

[pragmatism]

[ It's a good question. A very good question. What use does Teyvat have for outlanders, when Celestia's decrees keep it peaceful and prosperous? What use does Teyvat have for dissent, when it commands seven gods to keep the peace and enact the will of the stars?

Many live and die without ever wondering about the truth of the glittering sky above them. For most of humanity, having their basic needs met would be enough. Peacetime would let them pursue their interests in science and the arts. All that Teyvat could provide would satisfy their desires. There is no flaw in Celestia's paradise, their Ark for humanity which they guide with an iron fist. ]

The most important answers are always the most difficult to reach.

[ Zhongli won't tell him directly. ]

Do you believe that a world can truly be perfect?

[hangfire]

[A weird answer... but he isn't expecting anything from a total stranger who, as far as he knows, is just another foreigner. But the question that follows is a good one, one that requires a little more thought that softens his expression as he turns his eyes back to the grass.

...]

No.

A perfect world would require perfect things existing in it. No more making mistakes, no more learning from gaps in your knowledge, no more need to adapt. You'd be in harmony, sure, but...

What's the purpose of something like that if you can't live? People don't just... exist for the sake of it. They do it because they want something better than what they had the day before.

[pragmatism]

[ Zhongli folds his arms, as if to say there you go. ]

A perfect world would not have need for outside influence. Your presence here suggests the existence of imperfection.

[ Not that it's a bad thing. Like Lutha said, a perfect world would be eternal and unchanging. Such a thing may even be beyond the grasp of Celestia itself... ]

As for what that imperfection is... I suppose your mysterious summoner intends you to find out by yourself.

[hangfire]

How fucking gracious of them.

[A dry response, almost sarcastic. He's annoyed, yes. But something in the back of his head claws incessantly, reminded of looking at all the texts in hand of things the public never knew about the Deities at home, of feeling dread that weighed like lead to the heart.

...]

If it takes an outsider, then either someone here doesn't want to do something important for themselves, or they can't. Keeping the peace, status quo, physical ability - something is holding them back and making them ask us. And I can't imagine summoning of any sort is just some... some random skill that anyone on the streets can do.

[Another glance is given back at Zhongli, lips thinning in mild suspicion.]

Then again, you all seem to be pretty accepting of all these strangers just appearing out of thin air. This doesn't happen all the time, does it?

[pragmatism]

[ Zhongli is calm not only because of his personality, but also because of the breadth of his worldview. The detritus of Teyvat's past have continued to accumulate year after year, and there will come a point where the last straw breaks the camel's back. ]

It does not. But panic will do no good for all of the parties involved. Working together to collect information and act rationally would have a far higher chance of resolving anything serious.

[ Like not pulling a gun out on the first person you meet. ]

[hangfire]

[rip the AU where lutha actually had bullets and then got Geo Smashed on his first day by god himself]

Not everyone can put rational choices first in a situation like this. Hell... some of these are just kids. They'll be capable enough to do what they have to, sure, but they need some damn time.

[Spirits know he definitely does. To be under a blue sky instead of one of mottled purple and grey, to see greenery and water instead of dead earth that had long lost the call of a caring god...

Either he'd adapt, or he'd wake up from this dream he was having. As far as he's concerned, those are his only options.

...

His voice stays low and even.]

You're level-headed enough. Do you have a name?

[pragmatism]

[ There's no need for him to confirm or deny what Lutha says. The truth is self-evident, and all Zhongli needs is time. He has plenty of it, too. ]

I am Zhongli. And you?

[ - said calmly, as if they had been having a casual conversation instead of debating philosophy and the nature of gods. ]