one last perimeter check

[siriusly]

Who: Spacetrain Impact (Childe, Diluc, Kaeya, Manabu)
What: a scouting trip, testing some waters!
When: early June
Where: from the Waystation to the edges of Trench's border

Content Warnings: monstery shit, perhaps!!


The timing may not get any better: With the sun back, the weather warming (well, most everywhere except Shiver), and the season stirring a coldblooded thirst for adventure, there's no way Manabu can just sit on his hands any longer. He sends out some messages, packs up his gear and, with Magnet striking out ahead of him, takes the nearest lantern to the Waystation to wait up for the others.

From there? A little further... They'll leave that...nasty, giant mass of...whatever unbothered. It's beyond the border Manabu's interested in exploring, but they gotta make sure it's safe to even get that far.

Still, one step forward is more than none!

Comments

WAYSTATION

[siriusly]

[meetin' up and vibing at the Waystation!]

PERIMETER

[siriusly]

[if i take one more step mr frodo it'll be the furthest from home i've ever been]

[searingwing]

[His arrival is announced by a sense of someone watching. Forseti his jet black nightmare horse seems to appear out of the shadows with a hooded rider.

Once they get close Diluc pulls his hood back and exposes his bright red hair to those who might be waiting. He gets close enough and dismounts, putting a hand on his horse’s nose.] Let me get my gear then you can go eat.

[The horse tosses his head but there’s the air of something a little too pleased.]

[siriusly]

[Magnet perks up first and barks, prompting Manabu to finally peel his eyes away from the tree line.

he holds up a hand in hello, waiting for Diluc to gather things and mosey his way. Magnet will scamper over to investigate the horse in the meanwhile.]

You're first! [second, technically. but.] Did you bring horses for everybody?

[searingwing]

[Diluc nods and points back the way he came.] I did. They’re just inside the tree line. Forseti is the only nightmare but, horses from the town stable as just as good. Each is loaded with a small set of emergency supplies in case we get separated.

[He removes his pack and Forseti trots off in the other direction.] He’ll be back when I signal. …I’m glad we’re getting the chance to do this. I want to know what’s out here.

[siriusly]

Eh? Eh, really?? [Manabu double-blinks, looking out where the horse is off to, Magnet giving chase.

while rubbing the back of his head:] I was just kinda being funny... [animal-riding, huh...]

[searingwing]

For a venture like this, even using them as pack animals is a good idea. [Diluc says with a brief flicker of amusement in his eyes.] Don’t worry. You’re with a former and current Calvary Captain. We will help you adjust of you wish to ride.

[He lifts an arm and Dellingr appears, ruffling his leathery wings.] Other wise I’ll scout ahead from time to time while we proceed on foot.

[siriusly]

[quickly:] I-I can handle it! I've ridden before! Sort of... [not voluntarily and not for very long, either. BUT IT STILL COUNTS]

Can horses...travel by lantern, too? In case we get in a real pinch...?

[monoceroscaeli]

[When the Harbinger arrives, he is bright and chipper and ready. He has his own pack on his back, with cookware and a fishing rod attached to it.]

Ah, I hope you've all come prepared. I can already smell the scent of monsters, lying in wait for us. How thrilling! I can barely contain my excitement.

[Of course, battle is the only thing on his mind- part of why he wanted to come in the first place.]

[monoceroscaeli]

Now, don't forget about me.

[Childe walks up, clapping a hand on Diluc's shoulder.]

I'd like to know the riding secrets behind the Knights of Favonius Calvary as well.

[He flashes a grin at Diluc- surely, there's nothing suspicious about a Harbinger asking, right?]

[siriusly]

[the 'oh yay another person's here' good vibe is immediately dampened by Childe...being Childe.

Magnet doesn't mind, and he'll bound over to greet and get pets.]

We're not here to start mowing monsters down, you know...we need to survey the area first, get a sense of what we'll be facing!

[monoceroscaeli]

[Look, it's his favorite dog, happily pawing his legs and thus receiving all the pats he'll ever want from Childe. He tells Magnet how good of a boy he is, before looking back up to smile at Manabu.]

Don't worry, I know how important it is to get an idea of what your enemy is capable of first. But after that, I'll be more than happy to clear the area of any pesky monsters that try to linger around too long.

[If one squints hard enough, Manabu might even see a glimmer of light in the dead eyes of the Harbinger.]

Perhaps they'll lead us to an even bigger den of foes to slay. But I shouldn't get my hopes up too far, should I?

[searingwing]

[Diluc snorts as he regards his friend. Technically his best friend now that he thinks about it.]

I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out. Technically, it be less Favonius and more Ragnvindr riding secrets.

[He glances the way Forseti went and says,] Kaeya has his own secrets and mine are refined by traveling Teyvat.

[searingwing]

Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. [Diluc says as he lifts a hand and a small flame appears on the tip of his finger.] We can use our flames and omens to scout if we need to do that.

But I would suggest if we need a fast escape we use Dellingr and Rime. One is fussier than the other but show Rime affection and treat them like a prince and they will take you anywhere.

[siriusly]

Dellingurr...Rhyme... [he's musing and muttering to himself to put the names to memory when a wild Childe appears--!

quietly to himself, while they're chatting about riding styles:] If they work like the Deerington animals, then it's...probably fine...

[siriusly]

[exasperated:] Reel it way in, okay? At least until we get a full party together for the real trek! Anything we leave behind might leak out to people who weren't asking for it, you know?

[it's a notion that hadn't fully formed in his mind until chatting with Ryunosuke about it, but...they don't really know where the zealots hide, nor what other kind of people out there might want to hurt them upon discovery.]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Childe laughs- he can imagine what traveling Teyvat included, but that's all water under the bridge at this point. At least, between the two of them.]

Honestly, it's been a while since I've ridden a horse. Perhaps the last time was when I went to Dragonspine for a work opportunity, but since then...well, you know where I was.

[Since Diluc has been with him almost since he left Teyvat anyway.]

So, needless to say, I'm a little rusty. I wouldn't mind a few pointers to help me get back into the swing of things.

[monoceroscaeli]

[It's true that he wouldn't want to get non-combatants involved with his fighting or any plans he has. But...]

Are you really going to keep me from the battle?

[Look at these eyes. They're the infamous puppy eyes that even the Traveler can't refuse. But do they work on everyone???]

How cruel, Manabu...slaying powerful foes is the most exciting part of adventuring. Finding treasure comes right after that.

[siriusly]

[>:T]

I told you from the start this is the scouting phase! And you said you understood. Anything we encounter we'll face, but we're not out here for any treasure but a decent path forward.

[monoceroscaeli]

[From the man who would always speak of crushing gods, fighting strong monsters and wanting the populace to fear him, he pouts. He pouts like a big baby who's been deprived of his candy, but acquiesces to Manabu's order.]

Alright, if I must. But if we're attacked I won't hold back.

[So he'll just sit back and hope and pray to the Tsaritsa that something tries to get the jump on them.]

Anyway, I do remember our conversation about this- you wanted to see what was beyond Trench, but did you have a plan for what you found once it's been explored?

[siriusly]

[Manabu lets out a sigh, refusing to feel bad in the light of that expression. just take the win, Yuuki...]

Mn, it depends on what we find. More than anything...a new waypoint. That's why I want to reach out to other experienced explorers, old and new: We need someone who hasn't already established a lantern.

[since this idiot accidentally staked an outhouse in Willful Machine back in November...]

[monoceroscaeli]

Ahhhh, interesting...

[He holds up a thumb to his chin. There's so many possibilities for that, and all the ones he's thinking of Manabu would not appreciate.]

Do you perhaps think that there are more answers to be found if we push into the wilderness? I, for one, would like to know more secrets behind beasthood.

[For a multitude of reasons, but he won't share now.]

But, [he says, as he regards his friend with a mischievous eye,] even if not, adventuring in and of itself is always entertaining in some way.

[AKA please invite him again :D]

[siriusly]

My guess is more questions first before any answers... But an answer to why Trench is so isolated would be good, right? It's not like Deerington anymore, so...the answer to why it's like this has to be different.

[it better be.]

[monoceroscaeli]

[Manabu brings up a good point. Deerington, you couldn't go too far out from town before returning, if his memory served him. But here? Has anyone even tried to leave?

It earns a smile from Childe, because he likes this line of thought and he's willing to follow along with it.]

I'd never stopped to consider it. This is the Waking World- who's to say that this is the final bastion of civilization? Perhaps the reason why it's so isolated is simply because no one had the motivation to go out and find what's out there. I'll admit, the risks outweigh the benefits, but even the scholars who reside in Gaze should have at least been a little curious, don't you think?

[Isn't that kind of suspicious? Did anyone think to ask them??]

[siriusly]

Vira-Lorr had a good theory about that. [he folds his arms, looking over to where Diluc's got the horses prepped. just need sight of this Kaeya guy and off they go... and the sooner the better: he wants to see the state of things before and after the sun falls.]

It's possible knowledge about the outside was destroyed or hidden to keep people tied here even tighter. Keep them scared.