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Petals from the Sakura tree are falling down as the cold wind adrifts the waves in the body of water at the Ritou shore. Guuji Yae walks to the stairs of Tenshukaku with a clear state of mind, wondering if her God can spend time with her in the meantime—actually, maybe for eternity?
Guards are patrolling the area with their pointed pole arms, giving them a formidable aura for the citizens of Inazuma City on Narukami Island. Though the God of Thunder doesn't actually need anybody to defend her because she's powerful enough to excommunicate or even obliterate someone in a heartbeat, it's still their job and service to the almighty shogun.
The long stairs of Tenshukaku won't even make Miko falter and get tired. She did wait for 500 years, did she not? So visiting the shogun with these grand stairs doesn't even matter to her at all.
Every step she takes brings her closer to her God's home and mind. Guuji Yae is a true tease when it comes to her God, creating the most beautiful but hilarious dynamic between them.
Most people fear Raiden Ei as much as they fear lightning, and how could they not? With only her gorgeous, vivid purple eyes, she can bring someone to their knees. Guuji Yae, in reality, respects her God's beauty despite her inability to express it, especially given her sense of dignity.
She finally made it outside Tenshukaku's enormous doors, only to discover her God standing against the rails, perhaps ruminating about something from the past. Yae approaches her with a bright smile on her face, as she always does. Raiden Ei glances at her, just wondering about what Yae is doing out here.
"I'm surprised you've come to see me here, Miko; I hope you're not tired of walking up the stairs." Raiden Ei has a highly loving nature for her lifelong friend since they chatted and departed the plane of euthymia together. Yae merely responded with a lovely grin and moved closer to her God.
Her God moved backwards until her body collided with the rails behind her, causing her to come to a halt. While Yae continues to get closer to her. Not that she's complaining; Raiden Ei appreciates her friend's company in any scenario.
"Would you like to spend time with me? Come on, a couple of drinks wouldn't hurt." Yae slides her hands and delicate fingers, beginning to stroke her God's gorgeous yet firm one. It must be because she's a fierce warrior and a blacksmith who defended her late sister and the nation of Inazuma from harm before. "Oh dear, a drink? You are asking me to join you for a drink? I thought you were just going to ask me for a walk." Raiden Ei really imbues an adorable nature that only Yae is permitted to see her acting this way. The lights that were closed in their surroundings went beaming and got opened like the sun to brighten up the place.
As a result, their gazes were drawn to one other's features. Yae hastily averted her sight, and her God, with a vivid scarlet flush on her cheeks, did the same.
Well, that's kind of awkward.
Yae cleared her voice and wanted to state another request to her God again. The lingering feelings inside she has for her are coming out again, and if that comes out, Yae would never stop herself from pursuing her God, only if she had the guts to do that.
"I just need your answer, Ei. Just say yes or no. If you agree, then you're coming with me as my date. If not, I should leave right away and never come back. Understand? So please decide wisely." Even though the statement she made was embarrassing, there's no turning back now. Guuji Yae has always wanted God's presence; she wanted to be near her and gain her favor at all times.
Her heart thunders inside her chest, as if she's being electrified by the tremendous fulmination in the sky every second. Yae is plainly waiting for Raiden Ei's response, which is making her impatient. "I'll come up with an answer if you move for a meter; I can't think and you're distracting me, Miko," Raiden Ei carefully pushed her over so she could not fall down. She wouldn't do that to a close friend, would she?
But Yae's knowing that her God admitted that she's distracting her is enough for her to remember it and put it in her diary.
The God of Thunder doesn't need to think twice about going out with her friend. Yet Guuji's eyes on her are making her insane, with no specific reason for why she's getting crazy over it.
"I would love to join you; thank you for asking me."
Yae's soul sprung to life when she heard those words from her God. The sweet and pleasant old days of the past immediately entered her mind, reminding her of the time when they went on innumerable dates that didn't really count as true dates because the two of them had been so blind to see their affections for each other up until now. Perhaps it has changed little now that Yae is aware of it.
The two of them began to descend Tenshukaku's steps. The God of Thunder is astounded, like a child, at how the fireworks exploded and illuminated the sky. Yae is merely staring at her with awe and reverence, pleased that she can finally see her God's smile after hundreds of years.
"You're happy; it's nice to see," Yae said, resisting the impulse to take her God's hand in hers. Perhaps Raiden Ei would just see it as a friendship and nothing more. "I know, Miko, but I'm still slightly adjusting to this world; can you see my changes? I'm now evolving like you," she said as she walked down the steps, her attention fixed on the sky. Yae is well aware of how much her God enjoys staring at things she finds intriguing.
Maybe because that's why she's looking at me too.
They continued to walk until they got inside the Uyuu Restaurant. Yae made sure that they would have their own table the moment they stepped inside the place.
Guuji Yae expected there to be more people inside, but there weren't. But it's vastly preferable to dealing with folks in the background. Yae wouldn't want the others to talk to her God on their date, especially because it would be wasting their time in her viewpoint.
"Two glasses of vodka, please, and one glass of dango milk," said the serving bartender in front of them. He's almost fainted out because he's so astonished to encounter the Goddess of Electro. Yae didn't want to watch her god puke from the alcohol, so she added some silly dango milk for her sake. "Vodka is the fastest drink to get someone drunk, right?" Raiden Ei suddenly questioned her friend, who has more expertise than her, about an alcoholic drink. "Great, how did you know that?" Yae flushed, then began to cover her cheeks with her hair strands.
Just because her God didn't get to leave the plane of Euthymia for years doesn't mean that she's not aware of something like this now. "I heard it from somewhere, when me and the traveler named Lumine plus her flying friend Paimon went out for a walk." Her God smiled so lovingly, but what she said upsets Yae so much to the point that she thinks that is very overreacting of her.
"How dare you mention others in our date! It's illegal, you know!"
"What do you mean that it's illegal? I have every right to at least tell them to you."
Yae rolled her eyes and proceeded to hold her God's hand. Raiden Ei was surprised at first but didn't even remove it. "Then I have every right to let you know that I'm making the rules in our date and consider this as your warning for being rude and breaking my laws." Yae interlocks their fingers together and cannot stop herself from looking at those gorgeous lavender eyes despite being disappointed at her God's statements from earlier. "I understand, Miko. Don't be too scary."
The two glasses of Vodka and one glass of Dango milk were placed on the table by the serving bartender of the place. Yae reached for the other vodka as they both raised their glasses to each other. "Cheers, Ei. Just enjoy this moment with me." Yae drank her glasses first, then had funny looks on her face afterwards. Her goddess also drank her cup, and she almost passed out as well.
Despite her old age, she has little familiarity with alcoholic beverages. Yae recalls how her God's face brightened when the late Guuji of the temple, Saiguu, presented her with a tri-colored dango. The kagemusha is known for being quiet and reserved, yet not everyone understands that the kagemusha has a pleasant nature on the inside.
The Goddess of Electro looks at her again; it's completely obvious that she's drunk already. Yae only smiled and held God's face. "Is Narukami Ogosho drunk already? She just tried one now." She laughed as she captured Raiden Ei's eyes shining like a piece of amethyst and staring right into her soul.
How adorable of Ei to look like this!
"I see, you can't talk. You should drink your dango milk instead to keep your consciousness alive." With all the speed of her hand, Yae took the glass of dango and reached it to her since it's quite obvious that she doesn't have the capacity to do it at the moment. Raiden Ei might drop it until the glass breaks on the floor. Yae wouldn't want to trouble the owners for the sake of her dumb God, right? She also wouldn't want to volunteer to clean it.
Her God's hand is shaking, so she had no choice but to help her drink it. Yae puts the glass closer to her mouth. "Drink it, my dear. This can help you to regain your consciousness." Then both of their amethyst eyes went into contact. Her god only blinked for about three times before she could drink the milk. The God of Electro closes her eyes like she's about to fall asleep because of the alcohol in her system. "Hmmm, tasty," her God cutely muttered with her adorable voice that caught Yae's heart in complete silence.
Yae set the glass on the table as soon as she completed assisting her God in drinking it. Raiden Ei opened her eyes again to see her lifelong friend staring at her as if she were the only thing in the universe. She dropped her head on Yae's shoulders unknowingly and due to her current state of mind. "I'm so sorry, I can't handle this drunkenness; you wanted to spend time with me, but all I'm doing is troubling you." Her God grasped her garment and held on to it like a helpless kid. Raiden Ei hiccupped, causing Yae to chuckle foolishly.
When her God drew her even closer, the Guuji's heart melted. The unusual thumping emanating from inside her chest is completely distracting her. "I had no idea you were this stubbornly cute. It's okay, Ei. I'm here to accompany you, and I won't leave you behind." Yae plainly brushed off the bangs of her god away from her forehead and began to caress it so softly.
They stayed like that for minutes until they needed to go for a walk, despite the fact that the other one was completely drunk. Thankfully, Yae has a high alcohol tolerance, which makes it easy for her to do whatever she wants after drinking. Her God almost stumbled to the floor, so Yae grabbed her waist to accompany her walking. But their strolling around immediately came to an end when they saw a large Sakura tree.
Yae accompanied her God there and sat on the ground while the tree's petals were still falling. Her God abruptly rested her head once again on Yae's shoulders. Raiden Ei's head is spinning, as if she's experiencing motion sickness. But it fades as she feels her long-time friend's touch against her.
"I talked to my sister again inside the plane of euthymia, and my heart dropped when I realized she needed to leave again, which is understandable because she wanted to be at peace, but I still—" Her God stopped speaking, merely resisting herself from crying and ruining the day they were supposed to be happy. Yae just touched her on the back and murmured that she should finish what she was saying so it wouldn't pain her on the inside. "I just missed her, Miko," Her God said, "but I needed to move on from her death and continue moving forward to the future; you're right, eternity is quite beautiful, but everything is bound to change." Raiden Ei despised herself for being so theatrical and weak. She's also wondering if Yae is already tired of her never-ending flashbacks.
"Oh, dear. Don't worry, it's okay. Your feelings are valid," Yae said, taking her God's hand and bringing it closer to her lips so she could kiss it. Her god's cheeks became crimson as she kissed it. Raiden Ei is aware of her surroundings, despite the fact that her system is fighting an alcoholic battle, whether she is in her proper or unconscious mind. "Did you ever miss me?" her god said unexpectedly. Yae isn't sure whether she understands what she's saying.
That startled Yae Miko, and her world completely fell silent. The noises from everywhere stopped meddling in her ears. Even the sound of the busy water from the fall ceased. Her God is the only thing she can hear at this very moment. "Did I ever miss you? What kind of question is that, Ei?" Yae lets out a sarcastic laugh that confused the Goddess of Electro. Raiden Ei doesn't even know why she's asking this, as if there's someone who's controlling her body. "N-No worries, you don't need to answer it if you don't want to," her God replied with a disappointed voice; she knows that she's still dizzy.
Raiden Ei sighed and fell silent, her mind racing to the point where she wanted to smash it against the ground. "I love how the petals are falling from the Sakura tree, and I can't help but compare the color of your hair to it. Whenever I see one, I'm not sure why, but I've always thought about you." Her God picks up the petals from the ground and places them closer to her longtime friend's hair to see if they are truly alike. Yae doesn't have anything to say, and if she does, she could stammer. "I like your hair, to be honest. Saiguu once told me that the two of our hairs complement each other, which confused me at the time and still does. Could you please explain what that means?" Her God requested, as if the context could transform her life.
For the second time, Yae Miko began to intertwine their fingers. Her God is utterly distracting and constantly draws her attention. "I think it's because purple and pink are meant to be together, but I also believe there is a much deeper meaning behind it." Yae kissed her God's hand again, not taunting her, but driven by love. "Mortals expressed their love with a kiss, am I right?" The God of Electro had her stop kissing her hand and went utterly silent. "I'm so sorry, Miko, if it's not right for me to speak with you right now; I'm still drunk, and some of the words I said are quite different."
The deeper meaning behind it is within us; I will tell you if I'm ready.
"Yes, mortals expressed their love through kisses and many other things," Yae answered, keeping her real sentiments hidden. She is terrified of being rejected by a long-time friend. Yae didn't want to lose her in that way, so she decided to keep things quiet and not anticipate anything else. "Do you think I'm capable of loving someone?" Her God asked once more, but this time was different.
You have the power to love me.
"Also, have you ever kissed somebody else?" Call her delusional, but her God's queries are getting out of hand. Why would she ask such questions if she isn't interested in Yae Miko? On the other hand, she may just be inquisitive. "The answer is no, I haven't kissed anyone yet, and as for your first question, I do believe you aren't capable of loving someone," Yae swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping that her friend would just see it as a joke.
"Hmmm, you're kind of harsh. But I think it's true; I'm aware that I'm hard to love."
"That isn't true! I—" Yae cleared her throat and halted whatever she was saying. Her God suddenly moved so near to her face that their lips were only an inch apart. "If you say so, Miko," Raiden Ei inadvertently drew her closer till their lips collided.
Yae's heart missed a beat, and her world froze before her eyes. Teyvat's most beautiful girl is kissing her, and she can't believe it. They were only conversing about previous issues when they realized they were brushing their lips towards one other. But the prospect of her friend being intoxicated is enough to make her despairing in such a short period of time. "You're just drunk, Ei; why are you kissing me?" Yae doesn't want to take advantage of her friend's vulnerable position and promptly spoke up to stop it.
Her God's eyes softened and stopped when she heard her. As much as Yae wanted to kiss her, she doesn't want to do it this way. "I think you're just blinded by the fact that you're drunk at the moment, because this can't be real." Yae averted her gaze, and what surprised her even more was that her God proceeded to hug her. "Love is an action or a word expressed by mortals. The traveler once told me this, and I completely understand it. When I heard it, I unexpectedly thought of you. I don't even know why, but when we're together, I feel so safe." Her God then buried her head on Yae's back while she was still completely hugging her from the side. "Miko, I feel like my body is heating up, and I'm feeling weird things in my stomach whenever you touch me." Raiden Ei's face began to get red, but Yae couldn't see it all since she didn't want to look at her God.
"Ei, are you really aware of what you're saying? Because I wouldn't lie if I told you that I've been in love with you for years, that I've done everything to get your attention in the past, and that you're so beautiful yet stupidly—" Yae paused and sighed before continuing what she was trying to say. She nearly declared her resentments against her from the previous 500 years were dissipated. "Please just tell me that you're in love with me directly, and I'll stop doubting everything." Yae takes her God's hand again and kisses it again with all her unstated emotions for her.
Raiden Ei's heart felt blank and feeble right now. "I love you, Miko. I can't even explain how much; however, this feeling I have for you isn't new; also, I know I have so many things to make up with you in order to regain your trust." Her voice is real and mature. The new Ei appeared to be open and honest, not hesitant to express her emotions. "I just hope you're not saying this because you're drunk." Yae didn't even wait for her God to speak again before kissing her gentle lips.
"I'm just drunk, but I'm very aware."
Yae pushed her God to the ground when they were kissing, which is why she's currently on top of her. Her God can't help but giggle warmly at the kisses they're exchanging. "Miko! Stop kissing my cheeks so much!" But Yae merely disregarded her; who is she to stop her from sharing the affection she has always longed to give?
Yae suddenly felt her tears coming down from her dark purple eyes, which her God immediately noticed. Raiden Ei seemed so dizzy when she realized the last alcoholic effect had affected her whole body with such an electric shock. "Ei, are you tired already?" Yae lets out a sigh; they are just taking their sweet time, and her God passed out right away. "I don't know why, but I suddenly became dizzy again."
But it doesn't even matter to her; what matters is that she should carry her God to Tenshukaku so that she can sleep peacefully.
"I just hope that Ei won't forget what she said to me tonight." Yae began to carry her pathetic God that is in love with her by using her hidden strength.
"Pfft! Only she can make me do this, and it's more of a responsibility as her lover," the Guuji said, shaking her head and staring at her beloved's beautiful face. Her rationale evaporated as she realized she was once again enthralled.
"I heard you."