[open]

[dedicatedwinds]

⌛ Who: Jean & you!
⌛ What: Jean arrives and acclimates to Nippon.
⌛ When: Late August & early September
⌛ Where: All over!
⌛ Warnings: None atm, will update if necessary.

a warm welcome;
[The first thing she notices is Klee, gleefully throwing a bomb into the sea. Then she sees it again, and again, the small girl delighted by Jean agreeing to go fish blasting with her but it seems like the world is stuttering, repeating the same moment over and over and over.

Then, there’s a door on the beach.

Might as well, she thinks, as the world repeats around her. Perhaps it’s like going into a domain, and there’s so many of them scattered around Mondstadt that it can’t be all that dangerous, right? That thought doesn’t quite prepare her for what’s on the other side of the door, unfortunately, but she at least doesn’t startle at the appearance of the people on the other side.

She sits through the orientation, listening to the explanation and only halfway believing it. It all seems so suspicious, but there’s nothing to be done about it. She’s here now, isn’t she? A world away from home…

Jean feels exhausted already.

It doesn’t help that this place is so incredibly unfamiliar - the clothing seems reminiscent of Inazuma, but the technology is unfamiliar. Which is what leads Jean to her current predicament.

Trains. A method of travel, she’s told, as she gets handed a rail pass. Seems like she’s not the only person who’s come through here who’s unfamiliar, but the unfamiliar method isn’t the problem. The problem is she doesn’t know where to go. She’s well and truly at a loss, like a dandelion floating on the breeze, and she’s not used to feeling this way. She’s spent so much of her life working and training and perfecting herself to be worthy of her title and now… None of that is here. Presumably, Mondstadt will be okay in her absence, but she still can’t help but worry.

Jean sighs, standing on the platform, lowering her hand while clutching the pass.]

There’s not that many places to go…

[And yet she’s still frozen with indecision.]

sights and sounds aka the uki tea prompt;
[Jean settles as best as she can settle over the first few days. She’s not one for being idle, though, so she can often be seen out and about the streets. She runs in the mornings, seeks out the library in the afternoon, and at night she explores the markets. She can’t decide where she should stay, traveling between the East and the West, but every day she tries to stick to a routine.

It helps. She plans to buy a planner as soon as she’s able to, but first she needs to find some sort of employment. It would be easier if she knew what she could do, as she’s not entirely sure this place needs knights, or if they would approve of a refugee becoming one. (She’s sure if Lisa or Kaeya could see her now, they would be telling her to take this opportunity to do literally anything else. Relax, they would say, but Jean’s never been very good at relaxing.)

Still. Not much else she can do as she tries to adjust to this new world. Maybe she can take that phantom advice for just an hour or two, because it’s not like anything terrible would happen. Tea would be a good idea - the thought mostly occurs to her because she’s passing a teahouse.

The warning labels on the samples get her to pause, though.]

...I see.

[...Maybe she should leave, but it seems rude to leave now. Besides, they’re offering their wares for free, and seem to want customer feedback, so isn’t trying it the least she could do…? These aren’t here people, but she can still help in a little way like this, right?

Gods, maybe she really does need to relax.

She’s not the only person in the teahouse, at least, and she turns to one of the other customers.]

Have you tried any of these teas yet?

[Maybe they could tell her what to expect!]

guilty pleasures;
[Eventually, Jean manages to make some money! She puts most of it aside just in case, but that still leaves her with some to spend. She’s not exactly sure how far it’ll go, but she knows what she wants to spend it on.

So, she heads to one of the bookstores. There’s some books that are familiar to her, surprisingly enough, but if she’s in a strange place she wants to find something new. Maybe it will help her get a better understanding of this place, or it will at least offer her something different. It helps that she doesn’t need to worry about anyone monitoring what she’s reading or buying, so she can look at the romance novels guilt-free. Nobody’s here to tease her for being a romantic!

She picks up a book on the shelf, bemused by it’s blunt title, and flips it open. She might enjoy something self-indulgent every once in a while, but she wants it to at least be well-written. Her eyes skim the passages, before the tips of her ears go bright red and she shoves the book back onto the shelves.

The downside to not being familiar with the writing industry of this place is not being able to pick out when a book is just trashy erotica.]

wildcard;
[Feel free to throw anything you want at me! Or, if you want to hash things out, feel free to hit me up at revelries or in the Discord!]

Comments

Uki Tea!

[brilliantdiamond]

[Aether's had a hell of a time in this world so far. It hasn't all been bad, but lately? It's been pretty weird. It hasn't been terribly long since his soul was damaged by the corruption in Childe's soul up in Takamagahara, and so far, the only thing that's been helping is uki. The downside of this is... well, it's uki. It makes you high. And finding the right concentration to make himself functional hasn't been easy. Which is what brought him to this tea house, hoping that maybe he can have a little more control over the amount--]

[But he's surprised to see an unexpected but very familiar face standing in the same tea house.]

Jean! When did you get here?

[For his part, he's actually dressed in the local fashion by now, though in a style that still somewhat suits his usual look, with the same scarf thrown on top.]

[dedicatedwinds]

[Ah? That’s a familiar voice - she looks down, surprised to see Aether there. He looks… Acclimated, in a way that Jean isn’t.

Still, it’s a relief to see him and a welcome distraction from the teas. They’s suspicious. Anything with warnings like that can’t be good, but she’s the fool considering it.]

I’ve only been here for a few days.

[…Is it too improper to call him by his name? Though it seems silly to call him Honorary Knight when there’s no Ordo here… Hopefully he’ll forgive her for the transgression.]

Have you been here long, Aether?

[Which is a possibility that’s a little concerning.]

[brilliantdiamond]

Not too much longer than you; I arrived at the start of the month. But there's a handful of others here from Teyvat, and some of them have been here longer. Time seems to be a little inconsistent here.

[Which makes him curious to know what the last thing she remembers is, though he won't ask right away. No doubt he'll be able to figure it out by talking to her.]

Have you been settling in all right? I know this place is pretty different from Mondstadt.

[dedicatedwinds]

So it seems - I imagine you went through a loop as well?

[She hopes Klee is okay… She sees no reason the girl wouldn’t be, but it’s hard not to worry. If time is strange and out of sorts, that would hopefully mean Jean isn’t missing for long… Nobody will even know she’s disappeared.

It’s going to be a while before she stops worrying about everyone and everything she’s left behind.]

I’m fine, and I’m sure things will get easier and more familiar as time passes.

[There’s a pause, as she looks over the tea samples as if they’ll have any answers for her.]

And I’m sure it goes without saying, but if you need any help in this place, you can call on me.

[She is, after all, the ever reliable Dandelion Knight.]

[brilliantdiamond]

[He nods. No doubt the loops were different for everyone, though it did beg the question how those stuck in earlier loops were still fine and present in later ones.]

Of course. I always know I can count on you, Jean. But the same goes for you, too. I know I haven't been here that much longer, but hopefully there are things I can still help you with.

Er, like this tea. You... probably didn't come in here knowing what it is, did you?

[As much as Jean could probably afford to chill out, he's not going to let her drink it without knowing what it might do.]

[dedicatedwinds]

If I need anything, I’ll come to you. You’ve always been nothing but capable, after all.

[Out of everyone she knows, Aether has always gone above and beyond when it comes to helping, even when he had no reason to. She knows she could ask him for nearly anything, but she doesn’t want to take advantage of his kindness.]

Ah… Yes. I’m unfamiliar, and the warnings are a bit… Concerning.

[Like, probably good if they’re necessary, but also why are they necessary.]

[brilliantdiamond]

[Talking to Jean made him feel like a responsible adult. Which means it's time to ruin that image, apparently.]

It's tea made from a plant called uki weed. It's a recreational drug used in the Western half of this country. Some blends are just meant to calm you down, but... some basically make you drunk. It looks like these are all different strains of it, so they probably do different things.

[dedicatedwinds]

[...

...

...]

...I see.

[That is absolutely not what she was expecting, but it does explain a lot.]

Have you tried it before?

[She's not a cop, but.]

A Warm Welcome

[icepatch]

And yet, that doesn't mean there are no places to go, Acting Grand Master.

[Kaeya couldn't help but sneak up a little behind his superior and answer that rhetorical question from over her shoulder. Suffice to say, though, he was surprised and delighted to see her here. A lot had happened since he arrived, but seeing another familiar face was always a welcome event.

Although, he did wonder how long she had been here so far given the odd time loop from earlier and if she had been doing alright thus far. She didn't seem any worse for wear, aside from confused about where to go at the train station. He knew how she felt, trains had been new to him too. Still were, but he was always the adaptable sort.]

Would you like me to join you?

[dedicatedwinds]

[She starts, not expecting to hear such a familiar voice so close. It’s far from the first time she’s been surprised by the Cavalry Captain, but this is an entirely new situation.

…

But it is nice to hear his voice, after how disorienting everything here has been. She turns to face him, looking up.]

Kaeya.

[Her shoulders relax, only just.]

I would be grateful for your company. […] Do you know this place well?

[He’s got a knack for finding information, after all. If anyone knows this country and its rail line inside and out, it would be Kaeya, no matter how long he’s been here.]

[icepatch]

Jean.

[He gave her a slight bow along with a chuckle. He hadn't really meant to startle her, but he couldn't help but feel amused all the same at the sight. He nodded at her inquiry.]

Not 100% but it's close enough. I was waylaid a few weeks back, so I'm still learning. But since you have a ticket already, why not take a ride? Kyoto is where I'm staying.

[dedicatedwinds]

[A few weeks… Not very long, but also incredibly long considering she’d just seen him. Time being all out of sorts is a lot to take in.]

I suppose you have a point. There’s no harm in getting the lay of the land.

[She straightens up, steeling herself like she’s about to go into battle even though she’s just… Riding a train with a friend.]

Kyoto seems like a good place to start.

guilty pleasures;

[notgrande]

[ Venti doesn't go to bookstores here often. But he's here because he sometimes likes to stop in random shops and get to know the people who own and or work at the place. It never hurts him to have more contacts for places around here that may let him play. He stays after the conversation because he takes note of a certain blonde he's not seen since he arrived here.

So he makes his approach. He makes no attempts to hide his approach, though he doesn't announce himself or say much of anything as he makes his way there. When he gets closer, he leans in to look at the books. ]

I never really thought you were the sort, Jean.

[ He's -- well, teasing, of course. ]

[dedicatedwinds]

[Well. This might possibly be one of the worst things that could have happened here. Not only was she caught with erotica in her hands, she was caught by-]

L-Lord Barbatos.

[Stiffly, awkwardly, like she's not quite sure how she should be addressing him. There's no denying who the bard is, but it's still strange to be talking to her god.

Her etiquette classes didn't really teach her about this.]

I was just, um, seeing what sort of novels this place had to offer! I'm not. Interested. In this.

[hlep]

[notgrande]

[ He's happy to see her, truly. Even though he's going to lean into teasing her a little - he doesn't bother doing that if he doesn't like someone after all. He lets out a small giggle then answers. ]

Venti is fine, Acting Grand Master.

[ He leans in peeking at the array of books. ]

Are you sure? There's a lot of interesting reads here. I'm sure you'd find something you enjoy.

[ He's .5 seconds away from asking her what she's into. ]

[dedicatedwinds]

[Some day, Jean will ask herself why her god is a fucking troll. Unfortunately, she's not quite there yet.]

Yes, of course.

[...Does she tell him to just call her Jean? Using her title is a bit... It's just a bit strange, isn't it? But she can't exactly tell him what to do...

She's having a bit of a religious crisis.]

I'm sure there are several wonderful books here, but, um, I'm not sure this section is right for me.

[She can never admit to anyone she likes flowery romance novels. She can't.]

[notgrande]

[ Just enjoy your chaotic god, Jean. It's fine. He shrugs, moving to reach for a book that is obviously quite graphic and pulls it off the shelf.

And, as if he's intentionally going to give Jean another religious crisis to find out her god is reading pornography while she's standing next to him, he opens the book and his eyes start shifting over the pages. ]

Are you sure? There's some pretty neat content here! It's nothing I'm bothered by.

[ Obviously. ]

[dedicatedwinds]

[Why? What has she done to deserve this? Was she not pious enough? Was she too pious? She knows Barbatos is the God of Freedom, but does Freedom have to mean looking at porn in public?]

I'm sure there are very few things that could bother a bard like you...

[She is absolutely not going to think about if her god has sex or not. Nope. Forbidden.]

B-but I think I might prefer something else.

[notgrande]

[ sorry jean, venti fucks. ]

You're right about that.

[ He seems entertained enough to linger around. He shoves the book back on the shelf and smiles towards her. ]

I'm happy to see you, Jean! If you prefer this, I wouldn't judge.

[dedicatedwinds]

[noooooo]

I appreciate that, Venti.

[See, she didn't call him Barbatos. She's not a cop.]

But I really think something less...

[She pauses, struggling to come up with a word that isn't "horny".]

Crass might be better for now.

a warm welcome;

[judgementor]

[He'd become familiar with the trains here in the first week, not being entirely unaccustomed to them to begin with. It was just a matter of getting used to how this transport system worked, and he had found it blessedly simple. Hardly a day goes by when he isn't hopping on and off to get somewhere, finding his way around this new world with all the eagerness of an adventurer.

But some, he has noticed, are not quite so lucky to have the experience of such things behind them already. He spots the young woman on the platform clutching her ticket and approaches her with a warm and friendly smile, his hands clasped neatly behind his back.]

Might I be of some assistance, miss?

[He can never quite resist a young lady in distress.]

You look a little lost.

[dedicatedwinds]

[She glances over at the man, taking quick stock of him. Good posture, fine clothing, a regal bearing...

He seems like a noble gentleman, though she knows first impressions aren't everything.]

A little, yes. We don't have transportation like this where I'm from.

[It's a far cry from a carriage or slime balloon.

Or a dragon.]

Well, and I don't know where I should go first.

[She's going to explore as much of this place as possible before she plans the proper course of action.]

[judgementor]

Hm.

[He looks up and down the platform, spotting a train coming in on the opposite side to where they're standing.]

That would depend entirely on what you're looking for.

[And then he shoots her a charming, slightly sharp-toothed smile that shows off two faintly elongated canines.]

Food and drink? Dancing? Somewhere to relax? Somewhere quiet? I've been able to look around a little since I arrived.

[dedicatedwinds]

[What she's looking for? She considers for a moment, looking at him, gaze drawn to his - fangs? momentarily.]

Not dancing, no.

[That suggestion seems to startle her for a moment, before she shakes her head with a soft laugh.]

I'm not much for that. I think... Somewhere you can feel the wind would be nice.

[It's not the winds of her home, carrying hopes and dreams and spirits, but... It would still be a comfort.]

[judgementor]

[A simple request. One that Red Wine can have the utmost respect for. He turns his gaze away from her and furrows his brow slightly in thought, pursing his lips for a moment.]

Somewhere you can feel the wind...

[He puzzles over it for a moment, then his expression clears and he smiles again.]

I think I know just the place. Not too far from here, if you'd not mind an escort.