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[leonheartedly]

[Tyr can't do that but then again, he doesn't drink when he's working]

You dug the moat?

[noarchitact]

I sure did. It was a pet project of mine for a while. Impressive, no?

[leonheartedly]

It's a lot nicer than the last moat I saw.

[noarchitact]

Oh? I'm glad. I thought I might have to get jealous there for a moment. I'll have to show you the garden I made in the back. I'm pretty proud of that too. However~ today, all I want to do is drink, play one of these games, and potentially take one apart. I figure the flashing lights could be made useful in the mist.

[leonheartedly]

Trust me, there's nothing to be jealous of. But I would like to see your garden.

[he huffs out a noise, amused] That's an excellent plan. [he tilts his head] What makes you say that?

[noarchitact]

I'm glad we're on the same page. [ sets his mug down. he wants to refill it, but he doesn't want to go too hard too fast. ] Do you see any games you like? Or even recognize? Maybe we can play one of those? You could show me how.

Have you even been in the mist? There are creatures made of a culmination of fog and darkness that have an adverse reaction to light. That's why everybody's always going in with those sunflowers. But navigating it is... next to impossible. I wanted to see if I could create a path using lights. I know they wouldn't necessarily keep the monsters at bay, but they'd help in guiding people along a specific path. That, and perhaps if we can find a way to overload the circuitry, then the explosive burst of light would blind them temporarily! [ kaveh trying to invent the light grenade that's already been invented. ]

[leonheartedly]

I recognize some of the older ones that I played as a kid. [he gestures to the more pixelated games] You got a preference? Could always try a newer one, too.

[he doesn't interrupt and listens along, nodding as he takes another sip from his mug.

Then, casually:]

Ever heard of a flashbang?

[noarchitact]

[ shrugs. ] I'm fine with whatever. Maybe something that's not going to be too complicated, since my brain is going to a bit... floaty soon.

[ his face says no. ] What's a flashbang?

[leonheartedly]

Pac-man is pretty simple, it's just running around a maze. Or one of the fighting games - that's practically just mashing buttons anyway.

You practically just described it - it's a grenade that produces a bright flash of light and a loud noise. Good for stunning something.

[noarchitact]

I think Pac-man is the one we talked about dismantling... so perhaps another machine, unless you're suddenly feeling nostalgic. [ he's not sure he'll enjoy a fighter, but... ] Let me see one of the fighting games.

A loud noise too? [ doubly useful. ] I take it you've used them before?

[leonheartedly]

Heh, I wasn't a big gamer as a kid, so any of them work for me. [he points out some knock-off Street Fighter game that's nearby]

I use them regularly, yeah. Had to make a few on the last job, but they weren't as strong as the ones I bring with me.

[noarchitact]

[ going to pour himself another mug full and head on over. ] We don’t have anything like this back home, so I think they’re all quite fascinating. So this one is a… brawler?

Are they difficult to make? I bet they could come in handy fending off the nightmarish creatures in the mist… especially while I run a few tests.

Would you like to help?

[leonheartedly]

Right. Each of the different characters have different special moves and - I think there's more than just that, but that's the basics.

They're not too difficult, but they take a fair amount of gunpowder. [he glances over, eyebrows furrowed] What sort of tests?

[noarchitact]

[ time to suck. kaveh hits the start button, so each of them can select a fighter. ]

I want to see if I set lights into the ground if they'll stay. As I mentioned the creatures in the mist don't like light and once you're inside it becomes all too easy to get lost. I'm hoping to device a way to avoid some of that. Make traveling in such a dangerous area just a little bit... easier and less dangerous.

[leonheartedly]

[they can both suck. Tyr picks a bad-ass looking lady to play as]

You've got a whole bunch of projects going on, huh. [he finishes off what's left in his mug, thoughtful] I'm assuming you'd want something you can reuse?

[noarchitact]

[ kaveh is going to pick a buff dude. ]

I do. I want to keep busy here. And I like being my own boss. Back home things were... different. As an architect I'm a bit bound by the desires of my clients, and seldom do they give me the creative freedom I need to do something... [ he takes a deep breath. ] special.

And with everything that happens here... I don't want to let my thoughts get the best of me. [ the bad thoughts, that is. ] And for the path, yes. I know the weaponry can't exactly be made resuable.

[leonheartedly]

[he just picks a stage at random, doesn't matter where buff man and badass lady fight.

He glances at Kaveh, frowning, then back down to the buttons. He makes a soft noise of agreement]

You mentioned that once, not having the freedom you want. I know what you mean by things being different back home, too. [a huff] A lot of that sounds familiar, honestly.

A shame, but there's other things you could use. Flashbangs aren't the only thing that flash.

[noarchitact]

[ kaveh has 0 clue what he's doing so he is going to mash buttons. ]

...mm. [ except that as soon as the conversation gets a little heavy he stops. his thoughts start to wander, so he averts his eyes. ] I don't know what to do sometimes. I could simply... not care, and make something I'm unhappy with, so my client pays me, but I don't want to do that. I'm an architect, and anybody could design a building that's no more than four walls and a roof. It's just a shame that most people don't want to take a risk! I get it, but it's also both disappointing and disheartening...

Oh? Like what?

[leonheartedly]

[it's half-button mashing from Tyr, but he is paying more attention to Fantasia than the game]

Are there consequences if you were to do what you wanted? Because you should do what makes you happy, not - what makes you miserable.

[tap tap tap at the buttons]

There's something called a strobe light, that's what it's made to do - flash a light. Some flashlights come with a setting that'll do that, too.

[noarchitact]

... [ kaveh stops mashing the buttons and thinks for a moment, because, back home, his reputation mattered, but here... it's different. ] I can't do what makes me happy. [ he gives hims a weak smile, one that fades away almost instantly. ] I can't live in poverty. I mean, [ a self-depreciating laugh. ] that's basically where I'm at anyway. I live with my roommate, and I'm barely able to pay him for rent most of the time. And what makes it worse is I can't let anybody know. I have a reputation to uphold as the Akademiya's Light of Kshahrewar.

I'll have to look into that too. A... strobe light. There are a lot of fascinating things from your world. It sounds nothing like Teyvat.

[leonheartedly]

There's nothing saying you can't do both - what you need to make a living and the projects you want to do. Right? [wryly] Besides having money to do it. You can't talk to your roommate? Or anyone?

[a hum of agreement]

It'd be nice to get some of those things here to help you out - or at least the pieces to make them.

[noarchitact]

...yeah, and it's easier said than done. I do talk to my roommate, but I don't want to have to stay with him forever. [ he has friends, but there's only so much complaining he feels comfortable doing in front of them. they've heard it all before, and at least a dozen times over at this point. ]

Maybe we can do that with the stuff in one of these machines.

[leonheartedly]

I know. You could always try to start planning something here . . . I'm sure there's plenty of others who could offer better advice than me. That way when you go back, you've got some idea of what you can do.

It's possible. I know there's bulbs in these things but I think they're weaker, they wouldn't be able to handle a brighter flash . . . [he trails off, thoughtful]

[noarchitact]

...mm, but that's something for another time. I'm not interested in doing much thinking today. I'll ask Red about those flash bangs though, and a dim light for the path wouldn't be so bad as long as it helps illuminate things just a bit. [ he waves his hand, taking his mug and sipping at the wine again. ] ...as good as this is I really wish we had something harder.

[leonheartedly]

Mmm, when you feel like thinking again let me know if there's any way I can help. [he snorts, glancing down at his own mug],/small> I know what you mean. Doesn't exactly work fast enough, right.