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Lisa had been certain the plan would work right away. That few to no resident of Mondstadt would pass on the “opportunity of a lifetime” as she and Rosaria had phrased it, too. Well, to some extent it wasn’t even a lie—after all, how many citizens would ever be able to brag that they were chosen among many to be the Acting Grand Master for a day?
What she, Rosaria and Eula had apparently forgotten to take into account, was that people might be more than well-aware of how hard Jean worked… and how much harder she had been doing so in preparations for the Weinlesefest.
Granted, it wasn’t as if the overall populace wasn’t aware of how much effort their leader put into her job so that peace and order would be maintained. Almost every issue big or small was handled by Jean in some portion or the other; many would shamelessly admit that they would probably be lost without the Grand Master’s assistance, or if one day she simply fell ill and had no one to replace her.
It was exactly the matter of who could replace her that had led Lisa, Eula and Rosaria to think about a small, informal contest… since all they wanted was for Jean to be free for one archon-forsaken day.
Eula had been convinced that the toughest part would be to keep the woman from learning about their plan, but the librarian simply giggled at it and found a solution without too much thought. All they needed was for it to be hush hush, to not draw the attention of the Knights of Favonius and for them to address it as a “surprise to their amazing, fearless Acting Grand Master”. As predicted, that part had worked out well—Mondstadters were free beings who enjoyed things like that, and were often more than happy to prepare little surprises for each other.
The one real issue, however, was that a grand total of zero citizens had participated… or showed up on the assigned rendezvous location by the southern gate in the designated time.
Lisa was the only one there, pacing from side to side while wondering where she had gone wrong. What she would do, if her plan failed so badly that she wouldn’t be able to give her wife one much needed day of respite. The year before she had been forced to sneak Jean out in the (presumed) end of her shift so they could get the last snack from a stall that had been kind enough to serve them—and suffice it to say, they had to share some hardened bread with watered grape juice in a pretty empty place. The last thing she wanted was to repeat that experience, for Jean to be kept away from the fruits of her labor one more time.
The last thing she wanted was for the woman to not be able to follow her own damned advice, and to get some rest at a date that was so important for the City of Freedom.
Yet only the sounds of the lake nearby accompanied her, breeze rushing over water and rippling its surface underneath scant, autumn sunlight. The day was almost gone as it was, the sun coloring sky and buildings with hues of orange and golden. A sight that would have calmed her in the past, reminded her to stop and take a break or get some tea, but filled her with anxious energy in that moment of time.
She needed not the peaceful silence from the harbor, but one too many people clamoring for her favor, for her to choose them as fit to rule over the land for one single day!
Minutes passed and no one answered the letters that Rosaria had been kind enough to place underneath their doors in the dead of the night, during the last week or so. Perhaps it had been foolish of her to agree to Eula’s suggestion, that many citizens dreamed of being powerful and wouldn’t let an opportunity like that go to waste. As rudimental as it had soundeed, perhaps the one who had come with the better solution was Rosaria, who said they should simply abduct Jean the night before, make her comply with Lisa’s wishes and take a single day off or else she’d never see her office again.
Or maybe all of those options were… bad, and the librarian should have accepted that the only way to enjoy some time in the festival was for her to be involved with organization. No matter how much more work that would have been placed in her platter.
Well, she would certainly have another year to think about her approach next time and how not to involve Eula and Rosaria in the execution—
The sound of steps that weren’t her own broke her reverie, a small, dying flame of hope resurging within her chest. For the first time ever since the assigned hour passed, Lisa lifted her eyes from the ground, searching for the source of them. Nevermind that they seemed to come from the harbor instead of from inside the City—what were the odds that some fishermen, or a few of the Knights who worked on that side of town, would be interested in her little stunt?
But then what were the odds that someone even more qualified for the job would stroll into the Southern Gate right then and there, like Lumine did?
The Traveler hadn’t been to Mondstadt in a while, true. There was even a chance that they had no idea what the Weinlesefest was about, or that it existed as well. Plus, they were part of the Knights of Favonius and a trustworthy member of society—there wasn’t anyone in the City of Freedom that didn’t know about their feats, a few of which had been turned into songs that were the latest hits in all taverns, even.
Yes… was there anyone who could be better for the job? Perhaps the Anemo Archon had blessed Lisa, and answered her prayers that time around.
They passed through the gate with a strong, chilly breeze, their expression serene while listening to something or the other that Paimon had to say. Green adorned their garments, a touch of the Dendro Archon that reflected where their adventures and search had led them for the last month or so.
And once their eyes met Lisa, well, the librarian had a tough time deciding who was smiling the widest.
“Ah, cuties! It is very nice to see that you’re back.” Lisa decided to play it cool, that it would be better not to give too many hints of the idea that was slowly taking root in her mind.
Lumine could be perceptive after all, more than some people gave her credit for, and the last thing the librarian wanted was for her to notice something was… odd … and run away from the city or something.
“Hello there, Lisa,” the Traveler said with a small smile and a nod. “How are things going in Mondstadt?”
“We heard sooooo much about you in the Akademiya!” Paimon piped in with an innocent beam. Lisa felt almost bad while thinking about executing what she was planning to. Almost. “Seems like you have a fanbase with the scholars or something.”
“Ah, so you have set foot in Sumeru? Amber mentioned something or the other about it a few days ago and I meant to write you a letter to ask more about it, but it slipped my mind.” That part was true at the very least—hearing about that portion of Teyvat brought back a few memories, reminded her of a part of her past that hadn’t been very bright as well. Even so, it was nice to know that the Honorary Knight was making progress with her trip. “And what brings you back to the land of the Anemo Archon?”
“Hm, I can’t really put my finger into it. Guess Paimon and I were homesick a bit, really.”
“All that exploring is good and fun, but sometimes we miss the smell and taste of Sara’s Sticky Honey Roast.” Paimon’s eyes shone with the mere thought of the dish, of the promise that Lumine had made of them sharing the biggest portion they could get their hands on. “And you? What are you up to in this part of the city?”
“Yeah, shouldn’t you be managing the library or… Wait, don’t tell me someone forgot to return a few books in due time again.” The Traveler’s face fell. She even grabbed her backpack and started looking all over it, probably searching for a stray volume if there was any.
She couldn’t recall leaving Mondstadt with one of the Knights of Favonius’ library books, but one could never be too careful when the issue was treating those correctly and returning them once the time was up. Unless they had no fear for their lives and didn’t care to provoke Lisa, that was.
“Oh, not quite—but I should check the library list today and make sure that isn’t the case, so thank you for reminding me of that.” She smiled, threateningly sweet, and clasped her hands in front of her body, waiting.
The librarian took a deep breath, left aside any reservation towards carrying on with her plan. It was then or never, and she was pretty sure that there would be no one else to fall into if she didn’t grasp the chance that had been offered to her. Rain and thunder never waited to fall when given the opportunity to do so.
Just like that, she would have to seize it, apologize later on if that was necessary, and hope that her friendship with the Traveler wouldn’t be stained because of that.
“Congratulations, cutie!” Lisa beamed, pushed through remorse once and for all. The surprise on Lumine’s face and the excitement on Paimon’s turned everything a lot easier on her, at least for the time being. “You are the one-hundredth person so pass through these gates today, which means that you have won a fabulous prize!”
“Huh?” Lumine tilted her head, glanced around her as if looking for any clue about what was going on.
Yet there were no posters, no commemorative signs or booths, or any type of indication that a contest of sorts was taking place. Interestingly enough there were… red balloons here and there, on the roofs of some houses and on top of lamp posts. Beautiful, fresh garlands were seen on doors and a few windows, things that the Traveler couldn’t recall being there before if memory served.
Not that it mattered right then and there, it seemed: Lisa was quick to call her attention back with a few fast claps.
“You have been awarded with the unique honor of serving—er, I mean— becoming the Acting Grand Master for one day in Jean’s stead!” The librarian caught herself just in time. As much as she despised lying about the matter, there was no way that someone, anyone, would accept that position if they had any idea of the responsibilities that it came with. “Isn’t that incredible? You are indeed a lucky one!”
Lumine was speechless and even Paimon didn’t know what to say, how to react to that news. Around them the wind rushed, played with their hair and clothes as a few clouds gathered in the distance; a fair warning of what laid ahead of them, perhaps.
Where had that come from, exactly? There was no way Jean had approved of that, given how seriously she took her position and how dedicated she was. Besides, were that an actual contest sanctioned by the Knights of Favonius, then wouldn’t there be more personnel aside from the guards on the Southern Gate, who were gawking at them with smirks on their faces?
And if the Acting Grand Master herself had organized that… thing… then shouldn’t she be there so as to properly accept and congratulate her “successor” for a day?
“Huuuuuh???” The Traveler didn’t know what else to say, where to start asking either of the questions that had popped in her mind. “Grand… Master for a day?”
“Us? Jean is giving us her position like that?!” Paimon chimed in, floating around nervously.
“Now now, it is a temporary arrangement as I mentioned before.” Lisa beamed, hoping they wouldn’t ask that many questions and just follow along. If they wouldn’t, well… “You are the Honorary Knight as well, so we couldn’t have asked for a better candidate to begin with! You shall start tomorrow morning, by the way. So please present yourself in the Knights of Favonius Headquarters at 5 A.M. on the dot! Have a good day in Mondstadt and I shall see you there!”
Before anything else could be said the librarian turned around and left, running as fast as she could—which proved to be quite the exertion, given how long it had been since she went around the city trying to chase evil-doers who didn’t return books on time. Even so, maybe because of their shocked states or how fast she had informed them of the task, Lumine and Paimon didn’t pursue her at all.
The one thing she could hope for was that the two would take that arrangement seriously—and that they would show up at the HQ like asked.
But then if not, hm… Rosaria had been itching to do some exercise, to tag along and bring people to, ahem, justice , for the last few nights or so. She surely wouldn’t mind following the Traveler and asking her to go to Jean’s office nicely, would she?
///
After a while of being the Acting Grand Master, Jean had developed a routine that was supposed to make sure she would be able to do everything on time.
Although reality had proven here more than once that theory and practice didn’t always go together, she stuck with it anyways.
Hence before the sun was even up she could be seen meandering through the streets of Mondstadt, enjoying the few seconds of peace she could get before work began, her day turning into a rivulet of paperwork and meetings from sunrise to sundown.
That day was no different at all, yet for some reason the woman arrived at the HQ feeling that there was something wrong in the chilly breeze, her one companion during early mornings. It was almost as if trouble, or some certain change, was brewing in the distance, whispers of it reaching her as a forewarning.
Stopping in front of the grand, decorated doors of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Jean closed her eyes and offered a prayer to the Anemo Archon before stepping into it, asking for His guidance and protection against whatever it was.
Being Acting Grand Master meant that Jean had spent more time behind a desk and less doing field work as of recent, true. The shift hadn’t dulled her senses as of then, however, each and every step taken towards her office tinged with warning. For what, she didn’t know and couldn’t fathom, though a few possibilities came to mind.
At best, Klee had figured out a new bomb formula strong enough to blow up half of the building without making it fall. At worst, there were spies infiltrated, plotting against the citizens under her very nose, and only then was she figuring it out.
Hesitant hands closed around the gilded doorknob to her room, albeit her mind told her to stop being paranoid without any proof that she had reasons to act so. It was still the same office she had spent the biggest part of the last year or more, and that day would be another one in which she would be buried under papers and issues from the citizens of Mondstadt.
It would be just another day in which she would sit at her table, get her pen, and…
Ask Lumine why she was already occupying Jean’s desk, intently reading through the report that the woman had been too tired to parse through the night before.
The sound of the door opening hadn’t been enough to distract either the Honorary Knight or Paimon, who floated around her head and tried to make heads or tails of the document if her expression was any indication. It seemed that they had been at it for a few minutes already, if the pages laid to Lumine’s left actually meant that she had made some progress in the report.
Jean couldn’t start processing the scene in front of her, however, because of how many wrong , unusual elements there were to it. How many questions it raised in her mind, questions that went unvoiced for seconds that stretched between them.
Questions that multiplied themselves the moment she heard a very familiar chuckle to her left, and finally turned around in order to further inspect the room.
As if the sight of Lumine so early in the morning, seated at her desk and doing her job, weren’t enough to surprise her, seeing none other than Lisa lazing in a chair while reading a book surely did the trick.
Lisa, her sweet, amazing girlfriend Lisa, who was never up and outside of her home before 9 A.M. if not later.
“Good morning there, my love.” The librarian said in a loud enough tone that even Lumine was startled, placing the documents down once she finally realized that the true Acting Grand Master had arrived. “I hope you’ve had a good night of sleep?”
“Uh…. y-yes?” Jean was unsure about so much at that moment, she could barely recall if she had slept or not. “I hm, what are you doing here so early? And H-honorary Knight? Why is she… apologies, why are you going through these documents or…”
Lumine opened her mouth to answer, but Lisa shook her head, stepped in front of Jean in order to block her view. A second later and one of the librarian’s hands were intertwined with Jean’s, the mischievous smile on her face already letting the Acting Grand Master know that she had been up to absolutely no good.
And that whatever she had done, well, was probably what had caused her to feel uneasy while walking to work that morning, too.
“All in due time, sweetheart, all in due time. Now, why don’t we leave Lumine to do your work—I mean, enjoy her day as Acting Grand Master—and you follow me for a spell?”
“But—”
“Nuh uh, you won’t get your answers if you keep protesting.”
Lisa was uncharacteristically strong when she wanted to be, which was exactly the case right then and there. Before Jean could make eye contact with Lumine, the librarian ushered her into the hallway by the hand, closing the door to her office behind them. Jean tried to return but was pulled onwards by her giggling girlfriend, a sight that would brighten her day in any other moment in time.
A sight that filled her with dread and more questions, especially since Lisa didn’t guide her to the library, the second floor of the HQ or into a conference room as she had been anticipating…
But outdoors, towards a Mondstadt that would soon be bathed by the morning sunlight as another day would fully begin.
“Now, don’t make me regret getting up that early. Just follow me around, okay?” Lisa asked with a wink. “Our dear cuties will take care of everything in your absence. And before you even try to deny it, I will not take no for an answer.”
Had that been an optical illusion, or had lightning really flashed behind Lisa’s eyes for a brief, intimidating second? Jean didn’t know, yet was wise enough not to ask. Instead she saw herself trudging along, helpless, wondering what exactly that meant.
How her day would be like, and how it would deviate from the routine she had created and perfected for more than an entire year.
////
Not even two days ago, Jean had visited Springvale in order to make sure that preparations for the Weinlesefest were complete, that everything was set for the event to begin.
It had been but another activity on her to-do list, albeit one that had taken more of her attention given the importance that the festival had for the citizens of Mondstadt, for her as the Acting Grand Master as well. Yet she had performed it, given a small speech for the workers who had been there, then made her way back towards the City of Freedom so she could go on with her day, tackle everything else that had still been waiting for her back at the office.
Somehow the place had seemed duller then than it did on that specific morning. And Jean was convinced that it had to do with the woman who pulled her by the hand…
And to the fact that for the first time in what seemed like forever, she was going there not with work in mind, but for relaxation.
Sure, she had dug her heels during the first few meters that Lisa had dragged her outside of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters; asked her girlfriend for an explanation about what in the name of the Archons was going on again and again. Kept turning back to glance at the fading building every two seconds, her heart beating faster at the thought that someone else had “won” the glory of taking over her duties for a full day.
Kept worrying about it all, and if she would be able to let go and have fun after being deprived of doing it for such a long time.
“I still cannot believe that you…” Jean began once more, then stopped to wave at a citizen who saluted her with a deep bow. “... placed Lumine in my position like that. And that I uh… I am here, instead.”
“And remember, if you talk about work, let anyone else lead you into performing something related to your usual tasks or help a knight in duty, Lumine will have to cover for you until the end of the Festival.” Lisa was quick to remind the woman—an unspoken agreement, one that the Honorary Knight hadn’t been told about of course, but a small measure that would surely let Jean stay away from work for one singular day.
She would never wish that on Lumine to begin with, or so Lisa would hope.
“Archons, no. I will behave myself, I promise. Not that… I have any other choice, to begin with.” The latter sentence was whispered in a small voice while Jean winced, tried her best not too think too much about how… awkward that entire situation was.
How her eyes were stinging at the intense sunlight, unused as they were to being outside in the middle of the morning.
Luckily for Jean, people were quick to understand she wasn’t there on business. Maybe it was the way she walked, her posture a lot more at ease than in every other occasion that she was on duty. Maybe it was how brightly she smiled, or how slowly she walked in comparison to the brisky pace she usually kept.
Or maybe it was all because a certain someone who walked right beside her glared at the few people who were bold enough to approach the couple and start asking something or the other of Jean. And as much as they knew that the Acting Grand Master was hard working, they also understood that her lover, the librarian, was extremely scary when provoked.
What neither of them had expected, however, was for so many people to salute them with smiles, to ask for them to come closer. Lisa had hesitated and put on her scary façade so as to dissuade any citizens who hadn’t gotten her message yet, but neither group changed their mind, said that it was probably nothing and dismissed them.
No, they actually shook their heads at Lisa’s antics and kept going until the duo did what was being asked.
The first cluster of people to do so were the knights in charge of security for the Weinlesefest—Eula’s company for the time being, though both she and the Outrider had been tasked with keeping things peaceful. They beamed once Jean got closer to them, in front of a stall selling small trinkets in celebration of the Anemo archon, but it was the Lawrence woman who smiled the warmest, the kindest in a sense.
“I take it that you are not here to supervise our work?” Eula’s eyes strayed towards Lisa for a brief second, the two of them sharing a look that was completely unreadable for Jean.
Hm, had the Reconnaissance captain been involved with some antic or the other?
“Indeed I am not, at least not today,” the Acting Grand Master answered anyway, deciding that she was probably reading too much into the situation. Being away from her office was really making her a bit too paranoid or so it seemed. “I… I am here to enjoy the festival, just as I beg you to do the moment your shift is over, please.”
“Ah, so you have surrendered to the siren’s call and taken a day off, I see.” Again, a knowing kind of smile adorned her lips. “Well in that case, I hope you know that I will have my vengeance if I hear that you decided to go back to work in the middle of the day, or that you haven’t enjoyed the festival to its full potential.”
“I have been warned.” Jean chuckled, glad to see the other woman again. It was always nice to talk to her, even if sometimes she had an ironic, roundabout way to show affection and care. “And the same is true for you, Eula.”
“Understood, In addition to this…”
The Captain turned towards the rest of her team, signaled at them and stood with hands on her hips as if waiting for something. It took a few seconds for one of her people to locate the object, then pass it to Eula’s hand with an apologetic look on their face.
It was a rectangular box, wrapped in light green paper and adorned with a white lace. The simple wrapping reflected sunlight as Eula gave it to Jean with a warm smile, one that touched her eyes and made them seem a lot less scary than they usually were.
“This is a little something that we have bought, on behalf of the Reconnaissance team. Treat it as a small show of our gratitude towards your efforts… though rest assured that I will have to exact my revenge on you if I notice that you are not using it, the next time I am forced to stop by your office.”
Curious, baffled to the point that she had no words to even thank them, Jean slowly unwrapped the gift and gasped at the sight of it. The box contained a gilded pen, its sharp tip a contrast to the old one she had been writing with for the last few years. The body was adorned with Anemo symbols, small emeralds in the middle of swirls. Everything about it was incredible, even how weightless it was after Jean gingerly took it out of the box.
Unsure about what else to do, the Acting Grand Master thanked Eula and her company profusely, trying to hide the tears that rose to her eyes. It took a few minutes for her to be done mumbling “thank you” towards the knights, for Eula to be able to excuse herself and wish Jean and Lisa a grand Weinlesefest.
Little did she know, that there were other people who also wanted to express their gratitude towards the knight… and that they had chosen the time of the festival to do so.
By the end of the morning, once Lisa ushered her into a table so they could have lunch and rest up for a bit, Jean was having trouble carrying so many gifts around without dropping any. People had offered her everything from home made meals, to kitchen utensils, notebooks, necklaces with beautiful adornments…
And her favorite aside from Eula’s pen, a bookmark with skillful drawings of lyres, the Anemo symbol and the Archon itself, given to her by none other than her little sister.
“Even the church wanted to thank you for your efforts,” Lisa commented while inspecting the pile of things that were placed on Jean’s side of the table. “Not that you don’t deserve it—if nothing, they should give you things like that every single week.”
“N-no, that would be too much.” Jean blushed at the thought; it had been tough to find words to express her gratitude to all of them, the last gift shocking her the most. “It was… good to get this from her, however.”
Lisa knew enough to understand where that sentence came from, what had elicited it. A part of her wished she could help, bring the sisters close as they could be. And thus, a part of her was more than happy that Barbara had reached out, had been the one to represent the church and offer Jean not just a gift and some kind words…
But also a long hug and a kind smile that were even more precious than everything else put together.
“You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.” The librarian beamed at her girlfriend, covering a hand with hers. The wind ruffled their hair, the white tablecloth wrapping around their legs. All around them people were celebrating, by themselves, doubles or small groups—it was indeed a great time for reconnections, for being with loved ones. And wasn’t she the luckiest to have her knight by her side for that year… “Now, would you like to start thinking about lunch?”
////
“What do you mean late ?” Lumine felt how the vein in her forehead throbbed. A more than apologetic knight bowed, repeating himself as he did.
“Captain hasn’t arrived to his post, as of now he is late for all celebrations and all responsibilities assigned to the Calvary Captain will be late if he doesn’t appear today,” the man said, with steady voice despite the fear that bit her ankles at the sight of a more than displeased and stressed Lumine.
The traveler was well-known across all nations, she was the one to calm Dvalin and the ungovernable gusts of the old wind that had turned mad in pain and solitude. She was the one to face old gods from the archon war, her blade true to seal them back to their deep slumber.
Lumine was a skilled fighter capable of bringing deities to their knees and she was there, angry and worried mulling over and over festivities and preparations she had had no time to get ready for.
“Thank you, please do keep up your good work and enjoy the festival as much as possible,” Lumine answered, putting up once more her relaxed facade. The knight bowed maybe for the fifth time since he had arrived and bolted out of the room, more than happy to be out in the streets where his responsibilities didn’t include facing forces of nature. She watched him go and sighed.
What was she even doing there?
Oh, if she could, she would get back to Lisa somehow for this festival.
If she only could…
////
“Jean, my love, you are not the Grand Master today,” Lisa said, using their linked hands like leverage to keep her from leaving her side.
Jean blinked and then looked at her and the disaster that was in front of them.
Lisa was right.
“This is not your responsibility,” Lisa said, calmly, with an even tone, as if she was explaining something that was almost impossible to grasp. Jean looked at the explosions that were finally dying out and at the Mondstadt citizens that scratched their heads, as if this was an everyday occurrence.
Well, it was.
“You are right…” Jean took a step back and for the first time in what felt several lifetimes she just watched pandemonium unfold in front of her. This had Klee’s signature all over it, bombs exploding at random points in the city, destroying city property but not harming a single citizen?
Klee was the one behind it for sure.
Lisa pulled her away from the commotion, to a beverage stand that hadn’t been affected and where people gathered to both watch the drama and to purchase a drink. Lisa got them some sparkling fruit flavoured water while Jean kept inactive for once in her life.
Mona was running around the scene, putting out small fires with her vision, a usage so mundane Jean was sure it insulted the very art Mona was a master of. The knights worked as an efficient and organized units, salvaging what they could and putting together new stands with what was left of the old ones as if they had trained many times.
It might have been so as well.
The knights that spotted her stopped to greatly with a deep bow and a beaming smile, before continuing their mad run around carrying buckets filled with water.
“Darling, here you go,” Lisa put the cold glass in her hands and looped an arm around hers, so they could still drink and see the show without the need to let go of each other. Jean took a sip and mindlessly caressed the arm Lisa had looped around hers with her thumb.
Lisa hid a smile behind her own glass.
“You know?” Jean said, in between sips as the market place came back to normal and all traces of the explosions had been covered and acounted for.
“Mmhh?” Lisa was also now entrapted by the last of the flames being put away by Mona, whose hat had seen better days before surviving an explosion.
“There is some beauty in this… I think I understand why Klee likes to explode things around,” Jean said, half joking. There were many colors in the fire and when she wasn’t the one putting them out or dealing with the consequences, it felt good to be a free citizen, answering only to the wind archon for once.
“Oh, don’t let her listen to you say that,” Lisa laughed, taking her empty cup and putting it back on the stand behind them with a quick thank you. “She would never stop planting bombs near your office to make you happy, as counterintuitive as that sounds.” Lisa tugged her from their joined arms and they started a slow stroll through the market, bustling once more after the small incident.
“I guess that would be problematic, yes…” She was still pleasantly surprised as to how people had just dealt with the situation, nobody had been hurt and Mondstadt citizens were more than ready to patch things up and kept at their stands while foreirgners marveled at it.
A sample of how resilient they were.
And how used they also were to some of the most excentric shenanigans.
They took a corner and Jean noticed something, stopping them both with a soft “Albedo?”
“Oh, hi, it is unusual to see you in the city,” Albedo looked at both of them from the place he was kneeling, a glass tube in one hand and some dirt in the other.
“What are you doing?” Jean asked, completely dumbfounded. Lisa giggled by her side, as if she already knew the answer.
She really needed to leave her office more often, it seemed like in her intent to protect the city she had been missing out on it.
“Trying to gather some samples to analyze the exact composition Klee uses for her explosives, she is getting better and the process intrigues me—”
“Please, stop right there.”
Lisa’s laugh just heartened.
////
Was it her fourth cup of coffee? Maybe, if Paimon were there she would have remembered for sure. But Paimon was by the Good Hunter enjoying herself after a long trip between nations.
Lumine sipped from her coffee and felt an acute sting of jealousy.
She wished she could be too, with Amber, enjoying a day with her friend and her lover.
Yet there she was, looking at Klee over the brim of her cup and trying very hard to look composed and not at the verge of tears.
"Klee just wanted to help…" the little figure before her hid her hands behind her back and rocked in her feet. Lumine knew that, sweet naive Klee would never make things harder for them on purpose.
But, archons, she was so good at making them difficult by accident.
“How many stands were blown away by this?” Lumine asked, looking at the stack of papers somebody had handed her and that looked like a lot of numbers and words she didn’t want to comprehend.
“Just a few…” Klee looked completely helpless and Lumine smiled at her.
Just a few could have been half of them alongside all of their goods and maybe a couple of good Mondstadt citizens rightfully concerned and upset about the whole ordeal.
“Klee just… enjoy the festival, okay?” Lumine looked at the papers again and she was sure a vein just popped off in her neck.
How was the city even financially stable with expenses like this?
////
Lunch wasn’t something that Jean could always afford to get.
Recently, with the festival in full swing on top of her usual tasks, the woman had usually gone from morning to evening without anything but several cups of coffee to drink. Sure, there were several times in which people, namely Lisa, would stop by her office with a bowl of hot soup, a slice of pie or whatever she could afford to get from the nearest restaurant, but even so.
Given how fast-paced her days went, Jean couldn’t recall the last time she had been able to sit down with friends, family and loved ones to share a meal with.
It was a simple pleasure to many, yet it brought the biggest smile to her face right then and there once she and Lisa decided on a stall, on a place to order from. Her feet moved restlessly underneath the table, sheer excitement over something so small making her unable to sit still.
Lisa knew better than to make a comment on it, even if she wanted nothing but to tease her knight, to see her blush and look away for a bit. Yet there was something too wholesome about watching her glance around the venue, eyes sweeping over stalls, their different products, the decorations set around Springvale…
The fruits of her labor in some way or the other, that she was able to enjoy for the first time in too many years.
“You’ve done great,” Lisa commented with a beam. They had just ordered—a simple, light meal to keep them going so they could explore the rest of the venue during the day… and eat a few more things later one. “Last year’s Weinlesefest wasn’t that lively. Or perhaps, I’m feeling like that because you’re here now.”
That was enough to make the Acting Grand Master blush, mumble something or the other about her being too silly. Even so, Jean herself had to admit that it was… nice. Once fear of what Mondstadt would be like with Lumine in the office, what her day would be like without her being in the office, it was surprisingly easy to relax.
To enjoy the breeze caressing her cheeks, the amazing scent of different meals reaching their nostrils. The sounds of carefree conversation distracting them, instead of the silence of her office that was only occasionally shattered by a harried knight or a troubled citizen’s cry for help.
Yes, some people still waltzed around their table and tried to tell her their worries, only to still be shot down by Lisa’s menacing stare. They would then shift to praising the weather, the good work the Knights and the Church had done while putting together the festival.
Most of all, they would commend on Jean’s unwavering devotion to Mondstadt and its citizens, then bow politely before moving away with a promise not to bother her on that rare day of rest.
“Now, is it so bad to be away from your duties for a while?” Lisa had read the expression on her face, the relieved beam. How her eyes danced around each and every portion of the venue just like the breeze which ran through them, clouds being moved by the wind.
“I… No, it’s not,” the Acting Grand Master admitted, sheepish. “This is truly a gift, Lisa. Even if part of my mind is still worrying about things that will have to be done once today is over—”
“No, none of that.” The librarian placed a finger on her girlfriend’s lips, effectively making her blush again. “Let us enjoy today and all it has to offer, then deal with tomorrow’s duties when tomorrow arrives.”
Jean sighed, on the verge of being convinced that she was right. It was good, to taste the fact that there was more to life than endless hours of work and no fun, almost no time to spend with the woman that she loved.
With that in mind she took Lisa’s hand on hers, gently kissed the back of it and then intertwined their fingers, sharing that rare moment of affection with a kind smile and a soft touch.
“Let us enjoy today indeed, my love. And… as much as it still pains me to burden Lumine with this, thank you for offering me the chance to be away from the office for a while.”
Their meal didn’t take too long to arrive afterwards. It was nothing fancy, just their usual helpings of vegetable soup and moon pie, but somehow it tasted like the best dishes they had ever had.
////
“Oii, wake up!” Paimon floated over her head looking at her sleeping friend unsure of what to do. They had delicious sticky honey roasted meat for her, yes, but also, she looked worse than the time she had to fight a god. She completed a couple of circles more over her slumbering figure before Lisa put a gentle finger over her shoulder.
“Let her sleep, Paimon.” Lisa looked at Lumine, snoring over important paperwork and she was reminded of her own lover, out enjoying the festival and the city she loved and that loved her in return.
“But we came all the way here with food for her!” Paimon looked at Amber behind them, smiling apologetically with the steaming meal in her hands.
“She needs to rest, she just had a taste of what it’s to be the leader of a city that prizes itself in freedom.” Lisa looked at Amber and raised both eyebrows, “I’ll let her in your care, dear. I have my own Grand Master to attend.”
////
Jean sighed when she unceremoniously threw herself on the couch, in the shelter of her cozy home that somebody —a Knight most likely— had had the time to clean. She was exhausted, maybe more so than a normal day, but instead of worries her mind was filled with the wonders she had seen through the city and the joy of the people enjoying a well earned free time in the festival.
Lisa followed, a hand in her shoulder as she sat by her side and played with her hair mindlessly.
“So, have I convinced you to spend more time out of your office and out with me?” She asked, barely louder than a whisper. Jean looked at her and nodded, she knew that even in her tired state she would blush if Lisa’s fingertirps played with her ear as she liked to.
Lisa’s hands left her hair and massaged behind her ears, making her sigh and blush at the same time.
“Lisa, you know the answer to that already…” Jean sighed, melting slowly under her touch and at the feeling of completeness her mind and body were embarged by.
“I know, sweetheart, but we still have today, right?” Lisa snuggled closer, kissing her cheek, enjoying the presence of Jean, her girlfriend, the woman she loved and that for once was tired for a day out with her and not because the crushing weight of a city rested in her shoulders and her shoulders only.
“Of course, my love,” Jean mumbled, turning to face her, her eyes and her features at peace and ease.
Oh, how much Lisa loved to see her like that.
How much she had missed just a day with her, a moment in time where the world were kind to them and their days gentle.
Lisa kissed her while cradling her face, before nuzzling her nose. Jean smiled and grabbed her waist. She kissed her once more and felt how Jean relaxed in her arms, Lisa caressed her cheeks with her thumbs and looked at her girlfriend. Jean had fallen asleep, her hands in her waist still, a peaceful smile in her lips.
She smiled too, before kissing her temple and guiding her gently to rest in her lap.
That day Jean had had a taste of what being in the beautiful city she had worked so hard to nourish, of what Mondstadt was blossomed to under her guidance. Lisa kept caressing her cheek and ears while looking at her.
Maybe one day, when the world was less of a chaotic place, this could be their routines everyday.