Video | un: traveler

[brilliantdiamond]

[Although the video quality on magi-comms isn't great, there's enough detail to show a young man with blonde hair and cat ears, looking a bit tired as he speaks into the device.]

Has anyone ever had a reoccurring dream? Or a dream that feels so real, you can't tell if it was just a dream or a memory?

Or maybe I should be asking... how do you make them stop?



[Note: Aether is experiencing a gradual canon update! Comments will include spoilers for the Genshin Impact 3.0 Archon quest!]

Comments

[brilliantdiamond]

--Albedo's... oh, were you-- huh?

[The moment she touches his hand, she blinks -- and suddenly the room has gone dark. It's night outside, as though many hours have passed in an instant, and the lights just weren't previously turned on. Their words, both delayed, end up awkwardly overlapping each other.]

[But Aether isn't aware that anything happened at all, and just looks confused.]

What just happened?

[mistsplitter]

[ Ayaka is startled in the meantime. It takes her a moment to let go of Aether's hand before stepping away.

Something is clearly bothering her, but her concern for Aether overlaps her worry for herself. He is more important. ]

Um... you just froze all of a sudden. You're back now.

[brilliantdiamond]

I froze? Wait, then-- hold on.

[He stands and moves across the room to turn on the lights, taking a glance at the nearby clock -- at least 4 hours have passed since Ayaka came to visit.]

What you just saw must have been a time surge. That's how others have described them to me before. But... did you get stuck in it, too? I didn't even know that could happen.

[mistsplitter]

You know more than I do. I feel fine, though, I think.

Do you?

[ That's the more important thing right now!! Especially after what he's shared with her today.

She notices that it seems to have gotten late. Looking around, she wonders if there is anything else out of the ordinary with their surroundings. ]

[brilliantdiamond]

I... feel great, actually. Still a little tired, but... less so than before?

[It's a shame Aether doesn't physically age, or it might be more obvious that time is catching up on his body as well. As such, while he's progressed to a point where he's still tired from a long day of traveling, he's no longer sleep deprived. And it does show, subtly, on his face. The dark circles under his eyes are gone, and his complexion is warmer.]

But I remember now-- the festival you're talking about! Yae Miko commissioned me to serve as a guide for some of the international guests that were invited -- many of whom ended up being friends of mine.

[Notably, he's speaking in past tense -- because he's jumped pretty far ahead.]

[mistsplitter]

Huh?

[ That's odd, but not impossible, she thinks. . . ]

You were part of the festival? [ That's something she didn't see happening, but it makes her smile nonetheless. She claps her hands together in delight. ] Then, we'll get to spend time with each other again!

[ In Inazuma, not here. How exciting! ]

Oh, but please don't tell me the rest. I should like to experience it myself.

[brilliantdiamond]

Don't worry, I won't mention a thing.

[He understands the feeling, after all. But this does seem to confirm something--]

But if I was hit by a time surge like that so easily, then it's possible it might happen again. So if I seem to freeze like that-- unless I'm like for a few hours, you can just leave me be. And... keep a distance, I guess?

[He didn't know he could trap people in time surges with him?? Surely this is something the NRL could have warned him about, he experiences them often enough!!]

[mistsplitter]

But... what will happen to you?

[ She can't just leave him be! Especially right now when he's experiencing all sorts of things. Of course, she'll follow if it is the right course of action, but not without worry. ]

Before I touched you, what exactly was happening to you?

[brilliantdiamond]

I guess it's like being frozen in time? The scientists at the NRL have explained it as "time catching up with you". Time won't be passing for me here, but I experience time passing back in Teyvat.

[Something something pseudo science bullshit explanation for games mechanics, basically.]

So I'm not in any danger when it happens. I didn't even realize anything was happening until it ended.

[mistsplitter]

I see.

[ If he's not in danger, then it should be fine. She accepts this. ]

I will admit, however, it will be difficult not to do anything if I see you in such a state. I will do my best to wait.

[ ... unless ten minutes pass then you know he's going to get handheld!!! ]