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CRASH!
The amiable atmosphere shattered along with the harsh sound. Shards of glass that were once part of a drinking glass splayed on the tavern floor. An amber liquid that smelled faintly like alcohol glistened on the fragments, reminiscent of the cor lapis found in Liyue.
Usually, everyone would brush it off, clean up the mess, and continue their aimless chatting. But what made it so different was that the splintered glass lay dangerously close to the traveler’s feet. Very close, indeed, with how the golden fluid trickled toward the Honorary Knight’s boots.
“Alright, who broke it?”
Silence filled the tavern as its occupants immediately stop in their tracks, making a small circle around the cause of this mess.
The traveler stood in the center, gesturing to the broken drinking glass that had crashed unceremoniously on the floor.
“I’m not mad, I just want to know.”
Barbara twiddled her thumbs, glancing around nervously. She took a deep breath before speaking.
“I-I did. I broke i—”
The traveler cut her off, a single finger raised to shush her.
“No, no you didn’t. Venti?”
The bard in question immediately raised his hands in a placating gesture.
“Hey, don’t look at me! Look at Amber!”
Amber snapped her head toward Venti in offense.
“What?! I didn’t break it!”
Venti quirked his brow and faced the outrider before replying.
“Huh, that’s weird. How did you know that it was broken?”
Amber motioned wildly toward the shattered glass.
“‘Cause it’s sitting right in front of us, and IT'S BROKEN.”
The bard’s eyes narrowed in doubt.
“Suspicious.”
Amber flushed in anger and irritation.
“No, it’s not—”
Kaeya interrupted the argument to add his two cents.
“If it matters, probably not, but Diluc was the last one with the glass.”
Diluc’s eyes flashed at the accusation made by a certain Cavalry captain.
“Liar, I don’t even drink that crap!”
Now it was Kaeya’s turn to signal toward the alcohol covered shards and counter the red-haired man’s words.
“Oh really? Then what were you doing by the countertop earlier?”
Diluc pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and exasperation, and then hissed back a response.
“I’m literally the owner of this tavern, everyone knows that Kaeya.”
Barbara, sensing the growing animosity, tried to break off the conversation.
“Okay, let’s not fight; I broke it, let me pay for it—”
The outlander interrupted Barbara’s words once more.
“No.”
Their golden eyes surveyed the room, locking eyes with every single person there.
“Who. Broke. It.”
The fragile silence is barely held in place with Venti’s careful steps toward the traveler, head tilting toward them, and hand covering his mouth as he whispered.
“Traveler. Lisa’s been awfully quiet—”
The usually indifferent librarian snapped, reaction eerily similar to when someone forgot to return their library book.
“Really?!”
And just like that, the delicate peace broke and the result was akin to a breaking dam.
“Uh, yeah, really—”
“Oh my ARCHONS—”
“C’mon, it’s just a glass—”
“Just a glass?! You filthy—”
“Hey, what does that—”
“Guys, stop—”
“I can’t believe you all—”
“Wait, weren’t you closest—”
“I have no idea what you’re—”
Away from the pandemonium stood the traveler, who was examining the chaos with barely concealed glee. While they stood there, Paimon popped back into existence in a shower of constellations.
“Hey, what are they arguing about?”
“Someone knocked over a glass and they’re arguing over who did it.”
Paimon glanced at the growing discord, complete with furious gestures and swears.
“Huh…do you know who broke it?”
“Oh, I did.”
Paimon stared at the blank face of the traveler with horror.
“EH?!”
Even with Paimon’s screech, no one even looked their way, as deep as they were in their arguments.
The traveler locked eyes with Paimon, golden eyes staring deep into the sprite’s soul.
“I broke it.”
Utterly confused, Paimon began to sputter incomprehensibly.
“Whu—I—wha—why?”
Maintaining eye contact, the traveler deadpanned their explanation.
“It hurt my hand, so I punched it.”
“S-so then how did—”
“Well, it was more like I knocked it over with a bit of Anemo, but close enough.”
The traveler broke their mutual gaze and turned back to the raging pandemonium in front of them.
“I predict ten minutes from now, they’ll be at each other’s throats with warpaint on their faces and a pig’s head on a stick.”
The sprite, lost for words, stared open-mouthed at the unfurling chaos.
Amber and Venti were rapidly gesturing to the pile of glass and alcohol, alternating between blaming the other for the mess or defending themselves.
Jean was busy trying to hold Kaeya and Diluc back from lunging at each other. After much pleading, Lisa joined Jean’s attempts at separating the two.
Barbara was off in a corner, hands clasped and head bowed, most likely praying to Barbatos to end this chaos. A shame that the Anemo Archon was actually partaking in the discord she wished to stop.
In other words, the tavern was reduced to pure chaos.
A light chuckle was heard.
“Good.”
The smallest of smiles bloomed on the traveler’s face.
“It was getting a little chummy around here.”