(no subject)

[sharethememory]

[ What's a Hoyo franchise without one nostalgic-loving 4D chess playing general with a closet full of dead(?) friends? ]

Comments

[eepy]

[ the helm master had initially reported it as an anomaly, a strange world that's suddenly appeared on their radar like no other. and after centuries of being at war, cases like these would've raised an alarm in the arbiter-general, relaying their findings to the rest of the hexafleet. but other than the fact that it's a bubble world that doesn't seem to be at all aware of the xianzhou or anything beyond its skies, jing yuan stays his hand.

for now, that is.

instructions are given, and he allows yukong to take charge, to send someone to the planet if need be. business as usual, he tells her, for exploring the galaxy and discovering worlds is nothing new for those who walk the path of lan. and if they were to find an aberration in this world, then it's also business as usual in reporting to the rest of the hexafleet.

as for jing yuan, his work awaits, a growing mountain on his desk. it's only after the scrolls have been cleared that he finally slips away from the seat and goes about his day, eventually settling at his usual table in the exalting sanctum where the crowd gathers around those who play starchess.

the man who takes a seat across from him is an outworlder from the looks of it, surprisingly well-mannered than the usual xianzhou native. jing yuan inclines his head in greeting, allowing the bird to nest in his hair. ]

Not at all, so long as you're familiar with the game.

[ he gestures at the board before them. ] There are very few Outworlders who know how to play, you see.

[sharethememory]

[ Zhongli glances down to the board again, brows furrowed as he looks over the pieces once more. It certainly looked like what he was familiar with— the pieces, the layout, and the movements that he had observed from the other tables. The light buzzing of light and energy were different but surely not difficult to adapt to even for an old soul like himself. ]

I cannot claim complete proficiency, but if you would humor and correct any— shall we call them house rules— that differ from my world to yours, I would greatly appreciate it.

[ And so Zhongli gathers what he believes to be his pieces, eyes widening in surprise as merely touching one of the pieces brings it back to his side of the board. ]

How fascinating.

[ Finally content with his initial set-up, he raises his head to look back up at Jing Yuan, bowing his head once in respect to the match that was about to be played. There's perhaps just a hint of teasing lilt to his otherwise formal countenance: ]

Being an Outworlder is a new experience for me. I hope that I do not disappoint.