circuitice | a thing for gil

[ She's much too curious to stay huffy for long. Kaeya has more secrets than there are cards in a deck, and anything he really thinks is especially interesting is sure to be promising. ]

All right. Where to, then?

Would you believe that my rounds take us to Starsnatch Cliff today?

[ he says lightly as he pushes himself away from the table, and inclines his head towards the front gates ]

That's quite the trip.

[ She nods, taking the first few strides toward the city gates. ]

Let me guess, you're out there gathering a bouquet of Cecilia for some new lady-love and you need a hand choosing the best ones?

[ This was definitely not the case, but it was no secret that Kaeya was very popular with the ladies--and some of the lads, too--in Mondstadt. If she was going to forgo her breakfast until later, then she was at least going to tease him. Besides, if a rumor did break out that he was seeing someone, it would distract most of the town busybodies from thinking too hard about what they might actually be doing out there. ]

[ he sees what she is doing there, and just laughs lightly as they head towards the gate. It's not a confirmation, but it could be read as one... for those that didn't know him all that well. ]

What an interesting guess!

[ as they walk past the gates, and get further away from prying ears-- ]

The cecilias are quite lovely this time of year...

[ and once he is sure the knights can no longer hear-- ]

But I received a tip today on a certain order that felt too compelling to not investigate.

[ A certain order. That could only mean one thing. ]

You don't say. They must have thought if they stayed far enough away no one would catch wind of them.

[ Too bad for them this was the city of winds. ]

So what's the plan? Are we spying?

They always think that, don't they.

But for now, my plan is simple. Observe, and then intervene, if necessary. It wouldn't make sense to act too soon, and then to miss the true prize, would it?

[ As much as she was loathe to not do something immediately about them, the Abyss Order wasn't to be underestimated. If they went in unprepared, it could be disastrous. ]

All right. It's not the first time I've had to keep my head down to get some intel.

[ Although she did find it notoriously difficult to not get seen in the process. Probably had something to do with sticking out from the general populace like a sore thumb. ]

I'll follow your lead, then.

Thank you.

[ he says simply enough, knowing that there was probably an urge to do something more significant. But he had his suspicions that he wanted to confirm.

And while it was a Knight's perogative to act quickly, it wasn't Kaeya's. Not when there were so many unaccounted for players.

And so, as they near Starsnatch cliff, he actually deviates, towards the Thousand Winds Temple. Normally, the temple interior was closed off-- but today, it was open.

How... interesting. ]

Hm, exactly as I was told. It's almost too neat, don't you think?

[ Even Paimon would have known something was up, which was saying something. ]

It feels like a trap. The question is, do we take the bait?

[ She hasn't come up against the Abyss force that she can't handle yet, so she knows what she would do, but this is technically Kaeya's call to make. ]

How very observant.

[ a trap for him? hm. he wouldn't have expected that. They must be getting more targeted lately. Interesting. ]

The bait is quite tempting.

[ he glances around, trying to discern if they're being watched, or if the springing of the trap happens the minute they pass the gates. ]

Hmm. We are being invited further in.

[ It's a little unusual to see Kaeya look so torn between two prospects. Actually, she's not sure she's ever seen him like that--he's just as cool and confident as the title Cavalry Captain would entail. It was... a little endearing, in a way, to see even Kaeya could have a moment of uncertainty now and again. ]

If they're making such a show to get us to go inside, there must be something powerful waiting for us. A herald, or a lector maybe. They might have some good intelligence we can use.

I'm counting on it, actually.

[ her smile reminds him that he should smile. naturally infectious as it were. And he settles on the calculation that the opportunity outweighed the risk-- after all, there was a reason that he invited her with him. ]

Well, shall we go in, then?

Ready when you are~

[ She's already strolling on in, summoning her sword to her hand in anticipation of the fight to come. ]

Oh, are you going to protect me~?

[ he teases as he follows behind, but not without failing to take note of the mechanisms at the front of the gate.

but he's satisfied immediately that the real trap is further in, if it exists, and there is a narrow pathway down for the both of them. ]

[ She should probably be paying more attention to where they're going and what might lie ahead than their witty banter, but admittedly one is more entertaining than the other. ]

And if you get injured I'll carry you back in my arms!

[ There's a turn up ahead, and a faint light, its source glowing from beyond the corner. ]

My hero. I'm so glad that that's one thing I won't have to worry about.

[ as they approach the bend, it's quiet. too quiet. he has a hard time believing that there wouldn't even be hilichurls guarding the area.

It's all the more suspicious. but as the source of the light grows closer, it feels like the cavern grows darker. It honestly wouldn't be a bad idea to have some adjuvant on hand, would it?

there's also... a hum? He can't quite place it. ]

[ She hears it too--but she's also not quite sure what it is. A low grinding in the distance? Or maybe some living creature? Hilichurls don't really hum like that, though.

As she's thinking about it, the octave of the tone suddenly rises and the tile underneath her left foot suddenly lights up--an eerie, ghostly blue--flaring out in a circle that extends well in front and behind them. ]

[ -- ah. ]

Well, how unexpected!

[ it's almost exciting-- but also, he would have preferred no surprises, just this once. still, this trap was a little beyond the abyssal diaspora that he thought he was chasing? ]

I suppose you should always--

[ and the light surrounds them, cutting him off, annoyingly. what good is it if he can't even make a witty comment about his bad fortune? but also it feels like his head is filled with light-- and then emptied into the darkness.

he curses, instinctively, in a language unfamiliar, once he's able to get his bearings. ]

[ There's a feeling like falling, and for a moment she's reliving her fight in the Golden House, crashing through the floor. But there's no Harbinger here, and the sensation passes quickly enough. The light fades away, but as it does--so too does the entrance behind them. The path they'd walked moments before is replaced by wall, which, when she touches it, feels firm and real. ]

... Looks like the only way we can go now is forward.

[ She wasn't panicking by any means, but this was definitely not an ideal turn of events. ]

It looks that way.

What a welcome.

[ for a moment, the smiling facade gives way to a more thoughtful one, as he ponders the path before them. ]

I wonder who was their actual target...

[ he says mysteriously ]

[ Who, indeed. There's a heavy, guilty feeling in her gut. ]

... It was probably me.

[ Lumine had never told anyone from Mond about what had transpired when she and Dainslief had gone down and found the tainted Statue of the Seven. Now she regrets it, immensely. Considering the danger she's put them in, she owes it to him to be honest now. ]

I didn't tell you, but--I found my brother. He's been working with the Abyss.

[ he blinks as he turns to gaze at her, and then the smile is back in place, though he really is just attempting to be reassuring. ]

Well-- what a rude welcome from your brother, then. There are much better ways to admit that you'd like to see your sibling.

[ She frowns. ]

That's the thing, though. He abandoned me because he said that we had plenty of time to meet again. ... I've met a number of his servants, though. They haven't hesitated to try to eliminate me. This must be one of their traps.

He sounds confident in your ability to outsmart them.

Perhaps I have even less to worry about, now.

[ and he takes a step towards their only exit ]

Shall we?

[ Trust Kaeya to be able to find humor in the situation. Then again, freaking out about it won't help either. ]

I think we shall.

[ They don't really have much of any other choice. ]

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