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[justscribing]

USERNAME: Alhaitham ALHAITHAM GENSHIN IMPACT TEXT • AUDIO • VIDEO • ACTION • OVERFLOW

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[justscribing]

[Alhaitham reaches to scratch behind Banzai's ears.] Who's "we"? Are you sharing custody with Robby?

[fanstheflames]

Nope, I mean me and Banzai! We're a team! He's a pretty fast learner, so taking care of him isn't hard.

But Altria also plays with him too, to help wear him out and also get him socialized.

[justscribing]

A fast learner, huh. Are you teaching him tricks?

[fanstheflames]

Yep! Ask him to shake!

[ She's very proud. ]

[justscribing]

[Well, then. Alhaitham retracts his hand and holds it out, palm up.] Banzai. Shake.

[Encouraging him to do this when he has no treats is terrible.]

[fanstheflames]

[ It's fine, Tsuruno is heading over there with a bag of hand-stripped chicken, so Banzai dutifully lifts an actual paw out of the mop that is him, and plunks it down on Alhaitham's palm. ]

[justscribing]

Good boy. [Alhaitham releases the paw and then offers the next hand, palm up.] Other hand.

[fanstheflames]

[ And again the lil paw whap, tongue lolling. ]

Here--

[ And Tsuruno offers Alhaitham a strip of chicken. ]

It sticks better when he gets a reward for it.

[justscribing]

[Alhaitham takes the chicken and holds it close to Banzai's nose.] You're conditioning him to repeat behavior by associating it with something positive. Dogs react well to praise, but probably much better to food.

[fanstheflames]

That's what I've noticed, anyway.

[ And sure enough, he's leaning forward to latch onto the chicken. ]

So, what do you think? Does he get approval?

[justscribing]

[Alhaitham waits for him to get a good grip on the chicken before releasing it.] Is my approval of him important to you?

[fanstheflames]

Yeah. Because you're important to me.

[ Tsuruno is as blunt as ever and no one ought to be surprised. ]

[justscribing]

And what would you do if I didn't approve?

[fanstheflames]

Visit you every day to drive home all of his good points until you gave in!!

[justscribing]

Do you think I'm that easily won over? I could refute every single point about Banzai you make.

[fanstheflames]

[ She just scrunches her nose up at him. ]

I didn't say it'd be easy.

[justscribing]

[Alhaitham, who has returned to petting Banzai during this:] Make your argument, then. Why does Banzai deserve my approval? Try and avoid subjective reasons such as "he's cute".

[fanstheflames]

... Were you really that bored before?

[ Sir. ]

[justscribing]

No, I was enjoying a thorough account of Inazuma's history post-cataclysm. [The slow sink of his expression into a confused pout.]

[fanstheflames]

The what? There was a cataclysm?

[ She's immediately distracted. ]

[justscribing]

[Alhaitham nods.] It occurred five-hundred years ago and caused widespread damage over Teyvat, although not so much that societies didn't recover. I suppose the simplest way to explain it is that many monsters spread across the continent and attacked indiscriminately.

[It's an extremely simple explanation. Distilled to, what he thinks, is the only part relevant to Tsuruno.]

[fanstheflames]

[ She nods, a little wide-eyed. ]

Did they ever figure out the reason? I know you said indiscriminate attacking, but the monsters must've come from somewhere...

[justscribing]

Vahumana scholars have different theories, but I haven't looked that deeply into it. It's not a point of history I've had much interest in.

[fanstheflames]

You're more interested in the aftermath?

[ This too is learning ]

[justscribing]

That just happened to be the starting period for this book I was given. Truthfully, I haven't looked much into Inazuman history beyond what was relevant while studying its language. But I have time and resources in hand now, so I might as well round out my knowledge.