!!! ??? !!!

[idolpro]

Who: Nemesis, Hurricane, you!
Where: ?Somewhere?
When: Day 496

[ The sound of an engine roars through the city, unfamiliar to any of you. What is that—? That thing, flying in the sky—Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or—

Is it a giant mech adorned with naginatas and a shield, flying through Tokyo-F at great speed? Is it Hurricane and Nemesis, coming to say their goodbyes? Or is it the sound of their departure. . . ? ]

Comments

[crossmyheartandhope]

[The cockpit opens, slowly...

[To reveal two familiar faces inside]

...dude. We've gotta talk.

[leaveofabsence]

Apparently so.

[ Looking up and up - this is much taller than even Hurricane's monster shark monster truck ]

Do I also need to climb up?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Naw... I'll come down.

[Hopping out and climbing down]

Can we go inside real quick?

[leaveofabsence]

[ Can you just park a mecha like that? Well, Hurricane seems to think so-- so with a nod he holds out a hand for when Hurricane makes it to the bottom of the mech. ]

Of course.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Reaches out to take his hand and gives it a squeeze -- then tugs him inside, to the elevator and straight to the HSS dorm]

[leaveofabsence]

[ And when they are in the entryway of HSS ]

Is everything alright?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Shuts the door behind them]

Yes and no?

We found the angel.

Kinda.

[leaveofabsence]

The angel--- the friend that you spoke to myself and D.Va about.

Are they safe now?

[crossmyheartandhope]

He ain't.

He's stuck in the nothing between heaven and hell. We heard him screaming.

[leaveofabsence]

Are you going then? To save him?

[crossmyheartandhope]

We're gonna try.

[leaveofabsence]

And if you are successful, what do you plan to do then? I doubt you could hide someone so important here in the production.

[crossmyheartandhope]

That's one more thing.

Word is, everybody here's got this -- string or something. A string of light, tying us to the city.

When it fades out, our time here's up.

Me and Nem's are about gone.

[leaveofabsence]

I see. So you do not plan to return?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Promised Izanagi I'd try to stop back in.

But -- mostly gone. Yeah.

1/2

[leaveofabsence]

. . .

[leaveofabsence]

Would you wait here for a moment. There is something I wish to give you and Nemesis.

[crossmyheartandhope]

-- me and Nem?

What is it?

[leaveofabsence]

My powers here are limited - as are everyone else's. But that does not mean they are ineffective everywhere.

If you plan to wander the path between realms, maybe there is a place where my divinity might be able to assist you.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Whoa, what? For real?

[leaveofabsence]

I cannot guarantee that there will ever come a time where it will work outside of my home world of Teyvat. But it would ease some of my worries if you would take them with you.

[crossmyheartandhope]

I mean, I ain't gonna turn it down.

Anything to remember you by's worth holding on to.

[leaveofabsence]

Then please take them as tokens of our friendships.

And if fate is kind, perhaps they can be something more.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...thanks, dude.

I'll hold onto it for sure.

[leaveofabsence]

[ Excellent.

Zhongli comes back with two amber pendants etched with the geo symbol ]

Then these are for you.

May your journeys be safe and your stories told for many years to come.