refroze | ❄ic inbox

Unfortunately, I'm not as invincible as the Traveler.

[ ... which reminds her to check on venti, that drunkass bard. so much to do, so little time. ]

As long as I can get ahold of you when I can.

In any case, Master Diluc is here as well, and so are Fischl and Venti.
I haven't kept track of the arrivals as of late since I've been asleep, so I've no idea who else from Mondstadt is here.

[a long sleep, huh? kaeya will have to look into what causes that in the background.]

Are you in need of manna? I can't imagine sleep is very good for your supply, unless you've arranged for someone to check in on you during that time.

[ah......................... diluc...................... he should say hi huh..............................]

No one knows, and I would prefer if you don't tell anyone else, Kaeya.

[ esp diluc, bec he doesn't need to know 😐 anyway, she's deflecting that question ... ]

You seem to be familiar already with how this world works, then.

[she never was one for inconveniencing others and things like that... and he understands not wanting to kick up a fuss. her secret is safe with him.]

I am at your command, Acting Grand Master.

[he says it jokingly, since it was a request as friends and not a command as members of the knights.]

I may have interrogated the researchers a bit too hard on the subject. And of course, the Traveler took it upon himself to greet me personally.

You know that that wasn't a

I'm not the Acting Grandmaster in this place anymore, Kaeya.

[ her title is kind of pointless here, anyway. ]

I see.
Then I expect you'll take care of yourself while we're here.
Though I suppose I won't have too much of a problem convincing you about synchrony.

I know, Jean. ;)

Oh, I've been taking care of myself all right, but I'll spare you the details.
In any case, you haven't answered my original questions. Are you in need of manna, my friend?

[ what a great friend you are, kaeya. too bad she can't give you a raise here. ]

If you can spare any.
I'm sorry for inconveniencing you when you've recently just arrived.

[if you think about it, she's kinda giving him a raise bc he'll be getting money from the government for this manna heh]

Not an inconvenience whatsoever, Jean. If it helps ease your mind, I benefit as well. But I'm simply happy to help.

Now, where would be the best place to meet up? Perhaps my own, since I wouldn't dare be so bold as to ask a lady to invite me into her quarters. Ah, but you've just woken up, I'm sure you're exhausted.

My place is fine.

[ she'll send him the address to one of the govt housing apartments. ]

I can't risk someone else seeing me in this state

That's more than fair. It looks to be close by according to this "GPS," so I will be there shortly.

[it's an easy enough stroll over, with some thoughts going through his head about his past iteration here and why he doesn't remember a thing and why he's back after so short a time...

but that's all put on the backburner when he knocks at her door. he's just wearing a simple open blouse and high waisted pants because of course he is. ~the cold never bothered him anyway~]

[ Jean opens the door, looking terribly exhausted and worse for wear. But in her defence, she's only woken up some time ago and hasn't really had the chance to fix herself other than a visit to the bathroom and a change of clothes. She offers him a grateful smile regardless, taking a step away from the door to let him in. ]

Just ignore the mess, but feel free to make yourself at home.

[ Papers litter the coffee table in her living room, and a few more stacks sit on the small dining table. Combination of her paperwork from back at home and the ones that's managed to pile up from the courthouse—she still hasn't sorted them out yet.

Everything else in the apartment is at least tidy. ]

Do you want some coffee? I think that's the only thing in here that hasn't gone bad.

[phew. oh boy. kaeya doesn't think he's seen jean so run down, and he's seen her after some long, long nights in the office. he steps in and places a gentle hand on her back to go ahead and get the synch going... she certainly looks like she could use the boost.

the paperwork... jean............. where's lisa to talk her down from overworking herself even in this strange world.]

I wouldn't mind a cup.

[he hopes that having a cup will mean she'll have one, too. just a little caffeine boost to put some life in her complexion.]

How long have you been asleep for, exactly?

[ Look, working keeps her distracted from the strange incidents in this world—and also from saying embarrassing things, like asking people for synchrony.

She momentarily starts when she feels his hand on her back, faint, prickling warmth spreading across her body. It's not much, she thinks, but it's enough to make her feel refreshed and energized for a few minutes as she busies herself to prepare coffee. ]

A month, I'd say. [ Based on the dates on her device in comparison to the last paperwork she's taken home from the courthouse. ] Not less than that, definitely.

[ Jean's more surprised she's still functioning properly albeit weak and tired even after she's woken up, though sleeping might have kept her manna consumption low. ]

I'm certain you've left before I fell asleep, though. So I didn't have a lot of time trying to look for you.

[a month with no one to look after her body? this place is surely interesting indeed, to be able to sustain her. she looks rough, sure, but he would have expected her to be dead after a month of sleeping. he's grateful that she isn't, and he wonders what in the world could have happened to put her practically in a coma.

he watches her make the coffee idly as a million thoughts and theories form, a list of things he needs to investigate. none of it detectable through their sync other than a hint of concern for her general wellbeing and fond exasperation that jean will always be jean regarding her need to always do paperwork.]

You needn't worry about me - no use in adding more to your plate. I've always proven myself capable, haven't I?

[a cheery smile! trust (?) him!]

Though it is quite curious that I left so suddenly and arrived again only a month later. Is this a common occurance?

[ She does trust him. Kaeya might seem suspicious to most people who meet him for the first time, but Jean's more than aware of his capability, so she's not too worried about him.

A few minutes of bustling around the kitchen, before the coffee maker finally starts percolating and Jean turns back to him once more. ]

It seems like it, [ she admits with a slight nod. ] When I first arrived in Noctium, Sister Rosaria, who was here then, mentioned that you were around. But in truth, you were sent back to Mondstadt only to return a month later, also without memories of being here previously.

[ Jean found it strange, she's not going to lie. But the incidents suddenly start happening one after the other that she couldn't find any time to investigate what had happened. ]

And then it happened all over again, now.

[nani is happening. wow, so he left twice, neither one of them with his memories retained. what the hell. did kaeya perhaps dig into some information he wasn't supposed to know, so the gods sent him back to pull a kaeya from a different timeline? or perhaps the reason is more innocuous than that. in that case, he's got to be careful. while there's things to be done in mondstadt, he needs to watch over the people here as well.]

Well, hopefully I'm here to stay this time. As much as I'd like to get back to Mondstadt, I get the feeling time moves differently here. I never noticed your absence- or Diluc's, Venti's, or the Traveler's. He mentioned something about various timelines, but there are only two that we know of thus far: one with him as the Honorary Knight and one with his sister.

I'll help with any investigation that you need. Just say the word.

[ Jean gives him a slight nod at that. ]

You mentioned the same thing when we spoke last time. How you saw me just earlier that day back in Mondstadt when I've been here for a month now.

[ She has a few speculations on that one piece of information, timelines included. But she's yet to figure out how or why their hosts have decided to do such to them, and working for their government has yet to reveal anything to her.

Then again, she just had to fall into a coma right after she's started working. So perhaps she needs more time to do her investigation. ]

In any case, it's best if we prepare ourselves for now for any strange incidents that might happen this month. [ She sighs, not wanting another repeat of the curse taking advantage of her last time. ] This world is rather unpredictable compared to Teyvat.

Well, I'm nothing if not consistent across timelines, I suppose.

[he trusts jean and the traveler when they say he should be careful in this world, he truly does. and learning that someone can just fall into a month-long sleep is certainly something to be wary of... but god the vagueness of their voiced worries has him a little antsy. he's only been here a week, or so, though, so only time can tell.

or a little more research.]

Albedo's here, too, by the way. I ran into him in the crater before getting transported to the station. Not sure what he's been up to since then, but I've asked him to look into any ill-effects regarding these gems, whether physiological or mental. So we can touch base with him about that at some point. I'm sure he's having quite a time with all these technological advancements we don't have.

[ That's true. His consistency is at least something she can rely on and find comfort in.

Concern crosses her expression, though, when she hears that even Albedo is brought here. It's worrying to know that they're being taken from Mondstadt one after another, possibly leaving the city defenseless from attacks. She'll simply have to trust Lisa and the others to hold down the fort until they've returned. ]

I wouldn't be surprised, knowing him. [ She also wouldn't be surprised if he's managed to lock himself up in his quarters, researching. ] I'll check up on him as well as the others. Hopefully, he won't forget to take care of himself.

[ ahaha, stop being a hypocrite, Jean. In any case, coffee anyone? ]

How about you, though? How are you finding this place so far?

Hopefully between the both of us, he'll better about that. [he can't ignore TWO of his colleagues, can he? surely not!

he takes a cup and sips. it's a tad more bitter than he likes, but she'd mentioned few things were left unspoiled during her sleep, and so he takes it as it is. this is ultimately more for jean's benefit than his own.]

Just fine, actually. Other than the crater taking our memories temporarily, but with Albedo and the Honorary Knight, it didn't end up being an issue in the end. Nothing scary so far, though I don't doubt that they're on the horizon.

[he tilts his head toward the living room.]

Shall we move to somewhere more comfortable?

[ Jean prefers her coffee stronger anyway, even if it no longer has any effect on her. Which reminds her to ask Albedo about that as well, now that Lisa isn't around to help her with paperwork.

She leads him back to the living room, shuffling the papers aside and make it look a little less chaotic. She still can't believe her own work back at home was brought in with her, as if this world knows she somehow needs it. ]

The crater took your memories? [ She sounds surprised by that as she takes a seat, pausing from taking a sip of her coffee. ] So I assume that it got resolved by syncing with Albedo and the Traveler?

[ Because, well, something similar happened to her, too. Except with Rosaria and with Nagiko. ]

[he sits on the next cushion over, a friendly but intimate enough distance for two friends and close colleagues. he's careful to not spill the coffee, a hand braced against the cup as he sits.

a note to himself: even just sitting with jean, he can already feel the manna between them, a vast difference from merely sitting and chatting with total strangers. so the familiarity between two people can affect manna generation, too... interesting.]

That's exactly correct.

[and now for the elephant in the room.] How is Diluc? I can only assume he hasn't handled any of this particularly well.

[ She's certainly feeling much better with him around, though not enough to replenish the manna she's lost for the entire month. That, she thinks, will take some time—or more synchrony. ]

He's surprisingly doing much better than myself.

[ Yes, Jean's surprised too. But that's most likely because he's much more rational and level-headed than she is, no doubt prioritizing his survival and well-being first to be on his guard at all times. ]

The last time I saw him was in a dream, though. [ Okay, wait. That sounded weird. She clears her throat. ] —I mean, a shared dream we had. So I'm not entirely sure how he's faring lately.

Is that right? ['i'm glad to hear it' goes unsaid, lost in his coffee cup as he takes a long, deliberate, thoughtful sip. well, that's one less guy he has to check in on to make sure he isn't dead in a ditch somewhere because he was too shy or something to touch someone's hand.

he raises his eyebrow at 'i saw him in a dream.' it did, indeed, sound a little weird. shared dream sounds better, but he isn't really... sure he understands what that means.]

A shared dream? As in- you both had a similar dream or you truly shared a dream in which you were both, somehow, aware of each other?

[ She should've explained that in better terms, ah.

But Jean can tell he's a little relieved at the thought that Diluc's been doing well in a place like Noctium. Like it or not, the brothers can still be quite open when it comes to their feelings towards each other, no matter how distant they've become. That's good, at least. ]

I think it was my dream of Mondstadt years ago, and he was brought in against his will since he wasn't exactly happy with some of the details in the dream.

[ She's still not entirely sure how they both did it, and it's not like it happened again either. ]

I suppose you could chalk that up as one of the stranger incidents that have happened here.

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