Chapter Text
“So, what’s it going to be?” Lisa sat on the corner of Jean’s desk, a spot Jean has learned not to store anything she’d want falling off.
“I don’t know if I’ll have time, Lisa. I mean, just look. I have to get these in by tomorrow,” Jean lifted a stack of papers that had the thickness of a novel, “and I have to sign the payroll. But I can only sign it after I make sure it’s accurate, which also takes a few hours. And since today is Friday, I must deliver the weekly Favonius meeting with all the Captains. I finished everything else, but these tasks alone will take... well, long enough that I won’t be able to attend lunch. I’m truly sorry.” Jean looked up at Lisa, finding a strange glint of humor in the librarian's eyes.
“I have a better idea,” Lisa began. “I’ll help you, since I can read, after all. With the two of us working on these, you’ll be done in no time. Since I said that out loud, I would feel bad not helping, so I won’t say ‘only on the condition that you come to lunch’, but pretend I did say it so you feel obligated to accept.” Jean couldn’t help but smile, but it quickly faded when she pictured herself leaving her office.
“I don’t want to be away from the Headquarters in case something happens. You never know.”
“Like what? What could possibly go so horrendously wrong that the Knights won’t be able to reach you, like, 100 meters away at a restaurant if they really need you?”
“Well, I don’t know but-”
“Is someone going to need you to pick out their socks for them? Maybe you’ll have to attend a school play in the place of a mother who had a doctor’s appointment, then give her a summary of the play so she can convince her son she was there.”
“That’s not quite what I mean.” Jean said with a small smile. "The Knights can handle regular civilian affairs on their own. If a threat were to appear, I would need to be ready to fend it off. It's my-"
"Duty to Mondstadt, I know," Lisa sighed. "And Mondstadt loves you for it, but that doesn't mean stopping for lunch in between signing papers is leaving us vulnerable for an attack."
"I want to, Lisa. Really. But I'll never be able to forgive myself if something happens."
Lisa smiled at Jean, rose from her desk, and left the room. Jean hoped she hadn’t offended Lisa. Nearly five seconds after Lisa had shut the door, she burst back in, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Archons, Jean! You must hurry! How can you just sit at your desk when the threat is just outside Mondstadt?!” Jean recognized when Lisa was joking, so she sank back in her chair to wait for the punchline.
“What's the threat?”
“The slimes!” Lisa raised the back of her hand to her forehead. “There’s two hydro slimes about ten miles away from the city, just… sitting there! On the grass! I can’t believe the Acting Grand Master isn’t front and center at a time like this!”
“You really want me to go out to lunch that badly?” Jean fought back a smile. She didn’t want Lisa to know her little charade was working on her.
“No, I want you to have lunch with me that badly.” Jean abruptly looked down at her papers to avoid looking into Lisa’s eyes.
“Okay. I don’t want to accept your help with my work, but something tells me I won’t be able to talk you out of it.”
“Precisely.”
She couldn’t deny that Lisa was fully capable of assisting her. There had been more than a few nights where Lisa pulled all-nighters with Jean sorting through paperwork with her, kept awake by tea with ‘a little something’, as Lisa put it. Jean knew better than to question Lisa’s potions, and it didn’t have any side effects, so Jean quickly grew incredibly attached to Lisa’s tea. I suppose that is a side effect, Jean thought to herself. Lisa snapped her gloved fingers in front of Jean’s face.
“Hello?”
Jean looked up at Lisa, then back down at the packet. “My hand is getting a little cramped.” Jean set down the quill, removed her gloves, and cracked her knuckles. She glanced at Lisa before putting her gloves back on, and noticed Lisa was staring at her bare hands with an unreadable expression, one Jean didn’t recall seeing before. “I’ll see you at the Cat’s Tail in a half hour. But don’t gloat about it. Don’t show any signs of triumph.” Jean said. Lisa raised a finger to her lips, signaling that she wouldn’t speak of it.
On her way out, Lisa glanced back at Jean and said, “Be careful when you stand up. Your chair is probably stuck to your... behind. I can call a surgeon to remove it if that’s the case.” She closed the door before Jean could respond.
Jean shook her head and began to sort out what she had to personally oversee and what Lisa could do for her. After a few minutes passed, there was a knock at the door, and it swung open before Jean could say anything.
“Hello, fancy meeting you here,” Kaeya greeted her.
“Very funny,” Jean sighed.
“Well, I suppose it makes sense since you’re never seen anywhere else.”
“I… have lunch plans today?” Kaeya raised an eyebrow. “Outside.” Kaeya’s mouth dropped open.
“Oh, you don’t say! Master Jean is stepping away from her desk for- what? Ten minutes? Miracles really do happen. I suppose I should start attending services at the Cathedral after all. That little blonde girl always glares at me when she sees me, possibly because she notes my absence, or maybe she just isn’t a fan of my hair."
“Who, Barbara? She’s definitely not glaring at you, Kaeya. Barbara doesn’t glare at anyone.”
“Well, it’s easy for you to say when you’re not on the receiving end of it. Of course she’d be all smiles with the Acting Grand Master. Who isn’t?” Jean frowned, and Kaeya sensed he said something he shouldn't have.
“Anyway, what did you need?” Jean asked.
“Well, here are the reports from the last five scouting missions you sent us on. Nothing amiss, unless a pair of slimes somewhere far out poses a threat.” He slapped the papers onto Jean’s desk. So the slimes were actually there… It was moments like these that Jean partially feared how vast Lisa’s knowledge and abilities extended.
“Thank you, Captain Kaeya.”
“No problem. Now go! You don’t want to be late to lunch now, do you? I doubt Lisa would be pleased to sit alone at a table for too long.”
“I never said anything about Lisa.”
Kaeya smiled at Jean.
“You didn’t have to.” He left her office, silently shutting the door behind him. Jean glanced at the clock on her wall and saw she only had four minutes to get to the Cat’s Tail. She formed three stacks of papers: one pile for what was already finished, one rather thin pile for Lisa, and one thick pile for Jean to work on upon their return.
Jean didn’t bother locking her office when she left, and on her walk to the Cat’s Tail, she was greeted by almost every citizen she saw. She politely smiled and waved to each one, and held back a sigh when she heard a mother aggressively whispering at her child to run up and hug Jean. When the child arrived, Jean bent down and shook his hand before he could wrap his arms around Jean’s leg. His eyes shone as he shook her hand back.
It wasn’t long before she saw a large purple hat with a small lamp attached to the tip. Lisa had her back to Jean, and as she got closer she saw Lisa was studying the menu, as though she hadn’t come here countless times with Kaeya and the others. Jean touched Lisa’s shoulder in greeting before taking a seat across from her. Lisa lowered the menu and laced her fingers on top of it, watching Jean as she sat down.
“It sure has been a while since I ate here,” Jean commented.
“Well, I suggest getting one of the new items. Margaret has several new dishes I think you’d like.” Jean studied the menu for a few minutes, and eventually a waitress came to take their orders. As per Lisa’s suggestion, Jean ordered something new.
While waiting for their food, Jean tapped her fingers on the table.
“So what’s new with-” Jean began, but Lisa had spoken at the same time as her, like something out of a comedy show. “Please, you first,” Jean insisted.
“I just said I like your bow. A forest green instead of the usual black.”
“Oh, thank you." Instinctively, Jean reached for her bow. "I saw it in the corner of my dresser and decided it’d be an exciting little thing for me to do.” Lisa gave a thin-lipped smile, as though she were holding back a laugh.
“Yes, very exciting indeed,” Lisa replied, her smile growing wider.
“Anyway, I was just asking if there was anything new with you," Jean muttered. Not even one minute into the lunch and Lisa was already teasing her.
“Hmm, indeed there are a few things. There’s a peculiar girl that comes in, and ever since she asked me for a recommendation a few months ago, she’s reread the same series over and over. I think she’s making it her mission to memorize the whole thing! I hear her softly quoting the book to herself all the time. Sometimes she brings a friend, a boy who always looks like he got mauled by a wild animal with all those cuts and bandages, and they read in silence in the corner. But isn’t that just the funniest thing? Memorizing a book is difficult, let alone a series. But, I suppose that’s just what books do. If one captures you, there’s no escape.”
Jean smiled. “I think the kids around here have greatly benefitted from your books. I bet you changed that girl’s life with that recommendation. Maybe she saw something in that protagonist that gave her new perspectives on life.”
“You’re probably right. The Prinzessin der Verurteilung is an all-powerful ruler from another land who’s loved by her people and brings woe to anyone who dares threaten them,” Lisa said in a dramatic voice. Jean had only heard her use that tone when narrating children's books to Mondstadt's toddlers each month.
“Have any recommendations for me?” Jean asked.
“Oh, plenty, starting with the one I’ve been saving for you for months: 'How to Relax: A Guide for Overworked Individuals Who Have Given Up on Living Normal Lives'”.
Before Jean could come up with a weak response, the waitress showed up with their meals. As they ate, they took turns sharing stories from their workplaces. It was so odd to Jean that their work lives were so different despite working across the hall from each other.
Eventually, they finished eating, and as Jean was dabbing her mouth with a napkin, she saw a figure in the distance of a woman she recognized instantly. She could feel herself growing pale, the blood plunging from her face, a tingling sensation in her fingers crawling up her limbs. Her mouth went completely dry, and her eyes stung from lack of blinking. She watched the woman walk confidently across the street into the hotel. Lisa was deeply engrossed in the story she was currently telling and didn’t seem to notice Jean’s change in demeanor. Jean clasped her fingers together under the table, but the violent rocking of her foot made the gesture less effective in calming her nerves.
“Are you okay?” Lisa suddenly asked. Jean met her gaze.
“Yes, sorry. I just zoned out for a second. Please continue.” Lisa squinted her eyes at her. “Really, I’m fine!”
“Well, as I was saying...”
After Lisa snatched the bill out of Jean’s hand and paid it before Jean could protest, they made their way back to the Favonius headquarters. They passed the hotel on the way there, and Jean resisted the urge to look into the windows in fear that she would be standing in one of them, looking down at her. Jean said a brisk goodbye to Lisa so she could prepare for the Favonius meeting, and Lisa announced she’d be in attendance. Despite not being a captain, Lisa couldn’t miss out on important details covering upcoming budget plans and staff changes, since she was the one that organized the files for everything. Jean actually felt her heart rate decrease a little at the thought of Lisa, Kaeya, Amber, and the other captains in the same room with her.
----
“That concludes the weekly update. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.” Everyone but Lisa rose from the Favonius office table and slowly shuffled out the room. Kaeya and Amber exited side by side, clearly immersed in whatever they were discussing. Jean felt herself frown, knowing Lisa had stayed behind to taunt her about something. Once the door swung shut, Lisa, who had not taken her eyes off Jean during the entire meeting, sighed deeply. Jean had felt on edge the whole time, sensing Lisa’s unrelenting eyes watching her every move, so she couldn’t wait to ask Lisa just what she was thinking.
“Why?” Jean began.
“Why what?” Lisa responded, with a hint of that amusement that Jean knew all too well.
“Why were you staring at me during that entire meeting? Every time I looked up, even when I was sitting because someone else was presenting, you were staring at me.”
“Oh, you noticed? Something’s definitely wrong then. You never notice when I look at you. So tell me, darling, what’s plaguing your mind?”
“What’s plaguing me? Nothing, other than your eyes, I suppose. Please don’t do that again.”
“I was watching you because I noticed every single sign of stress you displayed. The way you wrenched your hands as you spoke. The way your shoe shifted slightly when asked a question because you curled your toes in anxiousness. The way you couldn’t hold anyone’s gaze, and hid that by keeping your eyes glued to the map on the wall when speaking. And the most obvious tell of all… you stuttered. A lot. You made it seem like you were just trying to collect your thoughts on the spot, but I know very well that you always write out every single talking point before your meetings, so there’s no way you’d go off track. Only someone… well, anyone other than me would miss all those signs. Did I upset you during our lunch?”
Jean stood with her mouth agape, feeling like she'd just been skinned alive. Lisa often had that effect on her.
She had no more defense left- Lisa had cornered her, and knowing Lisa, there would be no way out of this that didn’t involve Jean admitting defeat and letting Lisa in. Jean sat with a sigh and buried her face in her hands, something she’d never do in front of any other audience. She felt her spine creaking in protest, unaccustomed to poor posture. Even Lisa was left briefly speechless at Jean’s sudden show of weakness, so she rose from the table and sat on the sofa beside Jean. Lisa was still learning how to react in terms of whether or not to hug Jean or simply state encouraging sentences, because Jean hardly revealed when she was anxious. Whatever was happening must be pretty horrible, Lisa thought.
“Okay, I’ll tell you. But you can’t ask questions.” Lisa only nodded. Jean lifted her face from her hands and finally met Lisa’s eyes, as though searching for the answer to an unspoken question. Her eyes flitted away as she began to speak. “My mother is back. I saw her go into the hotel today. The only reason she’d come back is either to see me or Barbara, and I don’t know which is worse. The Favonius Festival is only a few days away, and I know Barbara still gets stage fright despite all her experience, so I can’t imagine what kind of reaction she’d have to seeing my mother in the crowd.”
Lisa flicked her eyes to the side, trying to find something to say that wasn’t a question. She came up empty, so she continued to sit silently beside Jean, hopefully prompting Jean to continue. Turns out, Lisa picked correctly.
“Barbara has no idea who she really is, and I will do anything to stop her from finding out. My mother can’t go anywhere near Barbara. But that’s much easier to do when my mother isn’t in town. Now that her claws are within Barbara’s reach, how am I supposed to stop her? I can’t follow Barbara around the entire time, and I also can’t watch my mother the entire time. I can’t sit back while my mother does who knows what to Barbara. Kidnaps her? Steals from her? Sets up a rod on the floor just low enough so it doesn’t catch the eye but high enough to twist her ankle when she trips on it?”
Jean’s voice began rising in both octave and volume as she asked more questions, and Lisa could barely make out a vein in Jean’s neck bouncing up and down. Jean was in a state of hysteria, but was somehow concealing it a little too well. Although these kinds of thoughts weren’t appropriate in the current context, Lisa couldn’t help but feel impressed with yet another of Jean’s skills.
“Not to barge in here, but some of those things seem… extreme. Where did you even come up with them? Also, I know she’s the idol of Mondstadt and all that, but you seem… especially concerned for Barbara’s safety. Maybe your mother is here for you. And if you want to know what your mother’s doing here, why not just ask her? I’m not saying it’s easy or it won’t be unpleasant, but it’s the best way to handle this. And I know you love to handle everything yourself, but I could ask her for you. She doesn’t even know who I am.”
Jean scoffed. “Yes she does. If you’ve ever been seen with me in public, she has immediately done research to find out everything she can about you.”
“She didn’t find out much, I bet.”
Jean turned to glare at Lisa. “Don’t underestimate her.”
Lisa grimaced and looked out the window beside her. Jean could tell Lisa was trying to think of a plan on how to solve Jean’s problems for her, which made her feel mostly guilty, with a hint of something else that Jean didn’t want to think about right now.
Jean, who was holding her elbows the whole time, reached out a hand to hold Lisa’s. She didn’t do it often, but felt the gesture was situationally appropriate and knew Lisa would gladly reciprocate. Perhaps a small amount of physical contact was exactly what Jean needed to ease her racing mind. Lisa, who was still looking out the window opposite from where Jean sat, reached for her necklace at that exact moment, so Jean completely missed Lisa’s hand. Before she could touch Lisa’s leg, Jean stopped herself and tucked her hand under her elbow again before Lisa could notice Jean’s hand near her.
Turning to face Jean again, Lisa’s eyes shone a little brighter than they did before. Or maybe it was the sunlight making it seem that way. “You keep signing papers and having meetings. You know, Grand Master things. Today, I’ll take Amber and head to the tavern. Should Diluc comply, and he will since it’s for you- not the Knights- I’ll have him ask your mom casual questions about herself. She’s going to go to his tavern eventually, I mean, everyone does, right? There’s nothing weird about an informal conversation between a patron and a bartender. Diluc will fish for whatever information he can get, then report back to us. I think if I bring Amber, he’ll have a harder time saying no to those puppy eyes, and Amber will love being involved in anything that helps you personally. You should come too, but you’ll have to be hidden somewhere.”
It wasn’t a bad idea to Jean. She knew her mother had a thing for slightly younger men, especially quiet ones like Diluc. And Diluc was great at acting mysterious and detached, so whenever he did show attention to someone, they felt like they were the only one in the room. Jean had experienced that businessman charm firsthand countless times.
“Okay. Not that I don’t trust you all to handle it, but… I want to be present when she speaks with Diluc. We’ll have to figure out how to ‘conceal’ me. ”
Lisa smiled, and Jean knew whatever she was thinking wasn’t going to be good. “Did you know I used to play dress-up as a child? Some habits die hard.” Jean’s eyes widened, and Lisa’s laughter could be heard by the Knights patrolling the halls outside.