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It was a brisk spring day in the city of Mondstadt, the streets were littered with citizens as they stood and observed the numerous vendors; examining their stock. Amongst them strode the short, yet regal form of Liysara as she walked past the shops and smiths to the familiar plaza towards the center of town. Kaeya had mentioned there was something he wanted to show her and that she was to meet him at that fountain around noon. He had seemed rather enthusiastic about it which really got Liysara’s interest, so much so that she could barely keep occupied till then. As she continued her walk, the goddess took note of the boxes of Windblume decorations and smiled, she was looking forward to the celebration and getting to see what it was all about. Soon the trickle of water reached her ears and Liysara smiled, knowing she was approaching her destination. When she turned the corner, she looked over the fountain; noting the distinct lack of Kaeya.
Though, Liysara stopped dead upon seeing an ice blue peacock sitting on the fountain’s edge.
“Kaeya?”
The bird glanced over to her and then back to the clear fountain water, gazing at its own reflection almost forlornly.
“No!! Kaeya!” The halo goddess shrieked as she ran over to the creature and scooped it up.
“My baby what have they done to you!?” She continued as she looked the bird over.
Liysara positioned it to be facing her again and as she panickily looked for recognition in its eyes the fowl simply tilted its head to one side.
“Celestia did this didn’t they!?” She hissed, her voice starting to waver. The goddess cast a furious gaze up to the floating speck in the sky.
“You were going to show me something important and they silenced you!”
‘Kaeya’ responded with a despondent squawk, ruffling ‘his’ feathers.
“Shhhh its okay. We’ll get you help! I’ll take you to Albedo and he will fix this.” Liysara pulled the peacock into a gentle hug.
By this time, Liysara’s panic had drawn the attention of Jean and Lisa; whom were out together on a leisurely stroll. The couple stopped right at the edge of the plaza and staired quizzically at the goddess as she gently pet the head of an ice blue peacock.
“I swear to you my dear. Celestia will pay for what it has done to you!”
Lisa stifled a laugh, covering her mouth and snorting. Jean sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead while gently smiling herself.
“Should we tell her?” The Acting Grand Master asked her lover.
“No. No.” Lisa chuckled, doing her best to muffle the sound. “Let it go on for at least a few more minutes.”
Jean merely shook her head in response and tried hard to snuff the growing smile on her face as she watched Liysara’s panicked form. Now, the halo goddess was sitting on the side of the fountain holding the peacock and apologizing to it for her inability to ‘protect’ it.
“Baby, I am so sorry. I should have acted sooner. Were I not a few minutes late I might have been able to spare you from this fate.” She sniffled.
‘Kaeya’ merely looked up at her and cocked his head to the side, glancing at her through periwinkle eyes.
“You’re right. Sitting here and mourning isn’t going to fix this sooner. Let’s go find Jean and let her know what’s happened. Then, we can find Albedo.” She replied, wiping the beginnings of tears from her eyes.
Liysara got up from her spot, repositioning her hold on ‘Kaeya’, and turned to leave. She took a couple steps from the fountain and looked up from the bird, spying the Acting Grand Master standing at the edge of the plaza. She failed to notice Lisa nearly double over as she fought a fit of laughter.
“Master Jean! We have a situation!” The teary-eyed goddess stated as she approached the Dandelion Knight.
Lisa immediately turned around and leaned against a lamppost chuckling. She held one hand over her mouth and another around her stomach. Jean subtly nudged her with an elbow to try and get her to reign it in, a motion that went completely unnoticed by Liysara.
“What…what is the problem Liysara?” Jean asked, regaining her composure.
“I fear Kaeya has been silenced by Celestia. He said he wanted to show me something and look at him now!”
The goddess held the confused peacock out for Jean to see and Lisa let out a sudden muffled snort.
“Ah, I see. Um…well. I’ll see what I can do about it.”
“Thank you so much Master Jean. You are truly so kind.” Liysara replied, starting to tear up again and pulling the bird back into a hug.
“Liysara? What is going on here?” A familiar, smooth voice called.
The halo goddess snapped her eyes down to the peacock, which was staring up at her.
“We are getting you help Kaeya. You will be back to normal in no time.” She sorrowfully sniffled.
“Why do I need help? I’m perfectly normal.”
“But Kaeya, you’re a bird!” Liysara admitted to the fowl.
No sooner had the words left her mouth Liysara felt a light pressure push up against her back, accompanied by a familiar warmth. She looked up and into the single icy blue eye of the Calvary Captain. He was wearing an entertained smirk and a cocked-up eyebrow.
“I see you found Cerulean.” He nodded down at the peacock. “He is what I wanted to show you.”
Liysara froze, shifting her gaze from the Frostwind Knight down to the peacock and back.
“Uhh..I…I..” She stammered, looking back at the bird who was staring right at her.
No longer able to contain herself Lisa burst out laughing, doubling over and bracing herself on the lamppost. Jean had turned her head to the side to hide her own chuckling.
Liysara, now acutely aware of the laughter, realized how crazy her whole moment of panic must have appeared to the citizens of Mondstadt. Her face and ears went red with embarrassment, and she struggled to say something capable of saving the situation.
“I…I knew it was an ordinary bird all along.” She shot out, bluffing a glare at Kaeya.
Obviously, Cerulean took offense to being called an ‘ordinary bird’ after Liysara had treated him with such importance and angerly ruffled his wings, pecking her on her nose and flying out of her hold.
“Ack!” The goddess shouted in shock, stumbling back into the Calvary Captain’s chest.
Kaeya grabbed a hold of her, leaning her back into his embrace. “If it matters any, I thought it endearing how worried you were for my safety~.”
Liysara blushed madly, now embarrassed and flustered. She tried to bluff another glaring glance at him, and only succeeded in turning as red as a windwheel aster. The act earned a chuckle from the knight.
Now desperate to escape the embarrassment, Liysara looked to her right and left rapidly and grabbed Kaeya’s sleeve to pull him with her.
“Can we go home please?” She mumbled.
“Hehe, sure.” He answered, wrapping an arm around her waist. He nodded a goodbye to Jean and Lisa as he guided her away. Jean nodded back with a smile while Lisa waved, finally recomposing herself after her laughing fit.
Cerulean took off from where he had landed on the ground and perched himself on Kaeya’s shoulder, staring at Liysara. The goddess glared up at the bird earning a snicker from Kaeya.
“Don’t encourage him.” She shot at the Calvary Captain, her ears tips still blazing red.
“Hah, encourage what? Him acting like a bird? That’s kind of what he is Liysara.” Kaeya chuckled, intentionally dodging the true meaning of his lover’s words.
“Kaeya, you know what I mean. I think Cerulean is starting to pick up some of your bad habits.” She stated, giving him a half-heartedly stern gaze.
“Oh? And said habits being?” He asked, bearing that signature smirk of his.
Liysara tried her hardest to snuff the growing smile, not wanting to give up her stance no matter how fake it was.
“You’re sass.” She snorted, tilting her head away to hide her emotions.
“Ah, but you love my sass.” Kaeya’s smirk grew with this response, bringing his face down next to Liysara’s and lightly rubbing his cheek against hers.
At this the halo goddess’ bolstered façade crumbled and she giggled at her lover’s touch.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute.” She sighed happily. “And yes, I do love your sass.”
Kaeya’s smirk dissolved into a genuinely sweet smile as he gazed at her.
“How about I make this ordeal up to you with a lunch meal at Good Hunter?”
“Mmmm, with some Fishermen’s Toast?”
“If that is what your heart desires.” He stated softly.
“Then that sounds fine to me.”
An indignant squawk sounded from Kaeya’s shoulder, Cerulean was starting to feel left out.
“We’ll get you something too, don’t worry.” Liysara laughed, nodding at the bird who seemingly calmed at her words.
With that the three of them walked down the streets of Mondstadt, Kaeya and Liysara chatting it up the whole time with some various chirps of input from Cerulean.