Work Text:
Yanfei had only been to Inazuma once. A student trip several years before the decree closed the country, and she’d left it with three things.
The first was the memories of sneaking out to explore the island, so vivid that they replayed in her head like a melody for years to come. From the waterfalls, to the pastel shrine. Searching for sago pearls and catching eels. Of held hands and flushed cheeks. Camping under the stars and running away from responsibilities.
The second was a strange fish communicator and a long distance friend she would talk to with it every night. A girl she told everything to, every detail about her schooling, her cases. Her hopes and dreams and mindless chit chat. A princess type whose voice would ring in her mind long after they’d disconnected. An innocent girl who’d grown into the leader of an army. Who was filled with worry and overthinking. Who sent her manuscripts worth of letters, overflowing with her thoughts when Yanfei was away on the mountains.
And lastly, a lingering regret she hadn’t kissed her there in the purple hued grasses. That she didn’t close the gap when they danced.
But, all these years later, as she arrived on the shores of Watatsumi Island for the second time, she promised herself not to make the same mistake twice, and that this time, when the mountain met the sea, she would crumble into it instead of holding strong against it.
Kokomi had never been to Liyue. But she knew all about it.
About mountains and valleys, glaze lilies and silk flowers. Descriptions of the valleys around Mt. Tianheng and the towering pillars of Jueyun Karst soaked in her mind.
She knew about lantern rite, about how the fireworks bloomed, what foods were prepared. She knew most of the laws, the details about how the day to day functions of the harbour worked.
And most importantly, she knew all about a half adepti who was born and raised there. A bright young girl who had snuck into the shrine and stole her away, much to the dismay of her attendants. Who she’d waved goodbye on the shores years ago, tears streaming down her face as she did, unable to contain her emotions.
Kokomi walked up the front staircase of the shrine in the evening after a particularly hard day of peace talks. Her energy had been drained as of late, and the respite of novels was not nearly enough to cover the sudden absence of nightly calls with Yanfei.
It wasn’t the first time they’d taken a break from contacting daily. During war times Kokomi had barely had a free moment to message anything besides quick updates of her existence. And Yanfei often had cases that took her too far from the shore for her communication device to get reception.
But it still left a void, even if she accepted it.
She had many long distance friends. Penpals in numerous places whom she discussed various topics with. Shrine maidens she talked to about books, sisters of the church of Barbatos who sent her sheet music and Fontaine scientists who helped her with communications development. But none of those people were her girlfriend.
None of those people were filled with every detail of her existence in the way Yanfei was.
The sudden scent of silk flowers fills her nose as she walks the hallway to her room.
Fresher and sweeter smelling than the dried ones she’d received in the past, her thoughts slammed quickly to the present, to the possibilities, and she all but ran the last few measures to open the sliding door.
The room was empty, her heart crashing to the floor, but a fresh bouquet still sat on her bed.
She collapsed beside it, “Silly of me to dream,” as she pulled the letter from the silk flowers, pondering how she’d been able to send such well kept flowers to her. The courier cost must have been high.
Blue eyes scanned paper, blowing wide as she absorbed the words. Previous energy refilled as she made a mad dash out the door, ignoring cries from her attendants as she hurried out the building.
Kokomi ,
Hey, they wouldn't let me into the shrine, so I couldn’t make a surprise appearance like I planned. Turns out they’re pretty strict about who can sit in the bedroom of the Divine Priestess.
I’ll be waiting where we parted.
-Yanfei