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Bulle fruit and lavender melon colored clouds cast a gorgeous gradient in the gloaming skies of Mondstadt. Even when the moon disappeared behind midnight clouds, the City of Freedom effortlessly fostered a halcyonic air.
Y/n nodded kindly at the knights guarding the gate and strolled under the welcoming portcullis - a feeling that a portcullis only in Mondstadt could evoke.
She underestimated her traveling time and arrived late, but the chance still existed that she might run into a friend or two along the path. Looking at the empty avenues and passing by a few buildings on the main strip, however, she thought that if she possessed any chance of meeting someone, a visit to the staples of the nightlife was in order. With her hands behind her back in an insouciant manner, she directed her feet along the stones and up a few stairs to a door which beyond lay the jaunt of a piano.
Unable to resist, she smiled at the Northland cat on the railing and reached a hand out to scratch lightly behind his ear. The cat raised up to a regal sitting position and leaned into the scratch. When Y/n retracted her hand after the short pet, she opened the door to the tavern and stepped inside as the animal stared after her.
~~~~
The light scent of signature cocktails, glow of lighted sconces, charming clatter of dice on wooden tables, and chatter and exclamations of tavern-goers all played a part inviting Y/n further into the thriving establishment. A quick glance through the place revealed a few travelers from Liyue and Sumeru, and a few locals, but none she knew.
Disappointed, Y/n stepped up to the counter as she checked her pack for her casket of tomes. (No inclination to play plagued her, but being that she was inside the Cat's Tail, habit forced her to make sure it was on her person.) After confirming that she did have her deck with her, she lifted her head and gave a friendly smile to the black cat on the counter. "Evening, Prince. Is Diona in?" she asked as a patron at a table gasped loudly. Y/n glanced to her right and saw the burly man excitedly slide a TCG card forward. Apparently, the dice had been kind to him.
She returned her focus to the cat who tipped his cream-colored pork pie hat, and meowed, "She is. I will fetch her for you." With that, he leapt behind the counter and trotted off toward the second floor. With nothing else to do but wait for the bartender to arrive, Y/n sauntered over to the TCG match nearest her, and asked to watch. Players commonly welcomed spectators, and as expected, the pair at the round table invited her to do just that. Y/n stood with her arms crossed as she examined both sides of the match with indifferent facial expression, and strategized her own moves if the roles were reversed.
A minute later, Prince emerged with the famous bartender of the Cat's Tail on his hindquarters. Diona waved as she neared and Y/n fell into step beside her, the TCG match left behind her as if it had never been an occurrence.
Diona grinned, "Welcome, welcome, Y/n! Haven't seen you around in some time. What brings you back to Mondstadt?" The woman gave a similar gesture of friendliness and thought the catgirl's cordial face would turn sour once she heard her request. "Just on a vacation and wanted to come see some friends."
Diona put a hand on her hip and replied, "Aaah, seen any of them so far, aside from me, of course."
"Not so far. I actually just arrived a few minutes ago. It's pretty quiet outside."
The bartender shifted her weight. "Oh, I see. Well, I'd wager my worst drink that most people in this town are either here or at Angel's Share." She paused as an accusatory look morphed on her face and betrayal clouded her usually shining eyes. "Waaait, you didn't come here for booze, did you?" she spat the offensive "b" word.
Y/n pursed her lips and refrained from averting her e/c eyes from the girl. "I mean it wasn't my first thought to get to Mondstadt and drink, but it's the Cat's Tail. I can't *not* get a drink while I'm here." A wonderful response that she will accept without question, Y/n sarcastically thought.
Diona made a severely annoyed noise comparable to a cat's meow and crossed her arms in defiance. "This is egregious! I- I can't believe you. Are you even going to *play* a round of TCG?" The little girl glanced at the patron's empty hands with disdainful, minty turquoise eyes. Y/n licked her lip and responded with a sheepish, "I don't think so..."
Diona threw her little gloved hands high in the air and proclaimed, "Not even here to- Hmph, yanno what? You're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight. I'll make you a drink, but it will be my worst one yet! How bout that?"
With a slight scowl, Y/n simulated skepticism and agreed, having faith that Diona's talent hadn't disappeared while she was away.
A little devilish smile replaced Diona's irritation and she assumed a proud stance, "Good. Get ready for a masterpiece!" With that scary sentiment, she made haste to concoct a "horrifying" cocktail, leaving Y/n alone once more.
The woman wandered to a table taken by a different set of TCG players who favored the hydro element. The woman frowned at the hydro abyss mage, but her eyes lingered on the opponent's Tartaglia card. The unfortunate matchup seemed like it would've been a bore to watch, but the skillful players quickly progressed rounds and had almost finished their sixth when Y/n heard a man on her left. She stood straight up from her stooping position and jerked her head to the man's voice.
Across the bar, a blond man grinned sympathetically as he talked with the person he faced. He gestured with his hands about something she couldn't make out. An occasional smile lit up the person's face as they continued talking. Y/n wondered who they were, but more so what Thoma was doing here. She had not expected to see him in Mondstadt.
"Try it right now! I wanna know what you think."
The staring woman turned her attention to Diona who appeared at her side somehow. A lofty expression graced her features. Y/n gave the unsurprisingly appealing coral and cecilia colored concoction a quick glance before returning her purposeful eyes back to the end of the tavern.
"What are you looking at?" Diona asked quite perplexed at the woman's inattentiveness.
In an odd turn of events, the man on the other side of the bar fixed his eyes on Y/n, and put a hand up as a wave, his conversation put on hold for those few seconds.
"Do you know that person?" Diona questioned as she still held up the cocktail in her hands.
The opponents at the table even paused their match to witness whatever this commotion was. Their curious eyes glanced between Diona, the spectator, the strange man across the bar, and the seductive drink in the bartender's hands - a drink that they both planned to snag should the opportunity linger too much longer.
Y/n lifted a hand as a happy smile immediately adorned her lips. With undecided movements she took the drink (which the TCG players at the table exchanged pitiful glances about), and looked at her server. "Um, oh, yeah, I know him." Memories of "I've got a minute" chats that turned into "Where'd the time go" talks flashed through her mind.
Her attention went right back to the blond man who now approached her. She hoped she hadn't caused him to cut his conversation short, but she didn't see the other person anywhere (for which she didn't look too hard).
Diona cocked a rose-colored eyebrow and hummed as she also looked in the man's direction. "Alright then. He's coming over here so hurry up and have a sip so I can get your feedback. I wanna know just how disguuusting this drink is, hmhmhm!" she chuckled and beamed. The people seated at the table again swapped glances at the thought of Diona's "disgusting" drink.
Y/n obeyed and gave the expected verdict - expected to everyone except Diona. "It's... it's really good, Diona. What'd you put in it?" she frowned simply out of sympathy for the girl's failure.
The bartender growled and balled her fists as the hair on her tail bristled. "Gaaah! What does it matter? I'll have to fix the recipe again! Why does it always turn out this way?? Enjoy your stupid drink," she muttered as she slowly stepped back in the direction of the kitchen. She continued talking to herself as she walked away, but tossed an absent-minded, "good to see you," back at Y/n before fully leaving the area.
At this point, Y/n realized she had caused a small scene as the man and woman at the table had completely paused their game and several others were casting glances her way. Or maybe it was the tall Inazuman-clothed person who had drawn their attention.
Y/n tried to apologize to the players at the table and leave before her companion reached them, "I'm so sorry for bothering you guys. I'm gonna leave before I disturb you further. You're really good at this game. Good luck!"
As she turned to leave the scene, she nearly spilled her drink onto Thoma's fitted black shirt. She tilted her head up and met his smiling peridot eyes.
He stepped back and steadied her with hands on her upper arms. "Oh, careful, haha. Still as prone to tripping as you've always been, I see." He removed his hands from her once she'd steadied. She wasn't someone he expected to see here, but it was a fortuitous event as he had been severely missing her being around.
The corner of Y/n's mouth pulled up in response. "Hi. You- wow, you weren't one of the people I expected to see here."
The Mondstadter hummed, "Oh, no? I apologize if I disappointed you, then." He put a fist on his side as a smile graced his handsome face the whole while.
Shaking her head a bit, Y/n rebuked the apology. "No, seeing you would never disappoint me. Um, can we move somewhere else real quick? These people are trying to play and I've bothered them for way too long." She turned back to the players as eight dice jumped across the cards, and she apologized once more.
Thoma said his own apology before they fled the table. The blond led the way around tables to the room he had previously exited, and held the door open for the embarrassed woman as she gulped her beverage.
~~~~
Once comfortably within the confines of the small private room, the pair took seats on the downy, periwinkle couch. Thoma propped one leg on the cushion and left one foot planted on the hardwood as he faced the woman. He crossed his forearms across his chest, and spoke, "Whaddya know? I was thinking about you today and when I'd see you next. What're you doing here tonight?"
Y/n took another sip of the drink whose colors began melting into each other creating a loach pearl colored liquid. She faced the man with a similar posture, and leaned forward. "I wanted to visit my friends, but what are you doing here? Did Ayato give you time off or something?" She blinked a few times as she watched for Thoma's response. Now after the woman had a few tastes of the cocktail, she felt the alcohol beginning to tease at her senses. She really should've eaten something before ordering a mixed drink, but what did Diona put in it? The drink affected her quicker than most others she'd ever had.
A brief and wonderful thought passed through her mind. She held the drink out to the man and gestured for him to taste.
After quickly uncrossing his arms at seeing the offer, Thoma gently took the frosted glass from her, and answered. "Yes, he thought I'd been working overtime as of late, and said that 'time away before the busy season was in order,' so he sent me away. But I do wonder how he and my lady are faring in my absence. Not that they can't function without me;" he clarified, "It's just that I take care of all the menial tasks for them, and it might be piling up with all the work they have to do." He paused to finally take a sip of the drink, and immediately noticed the alcohol within. "Hey, this is a cocktail- Y/n, you know I can't handle this stuff," he spoke up with a shocked look in his eyes as he quickly passed the drink back to her.
The woman chuckled at the expected response and argued as she received it back into her hands. "I know, I know. I just wanted to see your reaction. What do you think about the taste though?" She brought the cup to her mouth once more out of habit of having a drink in her hand even though she wanted to slow down.
Thoma leaned a head in his hand that he propped on the sofa back. He thought for a second, "Yeah, it's pretty good. What's in it?"
An unmistakable smirk rested comfortably on her painted lips as she pushed the drink back in his direction. Thoma put a hand up and snickered at her second offer, "I don't want anymore. What? You don't like it? You didn't even tell me what's in it. Are you trying to poison me?"
Y/n laughed as she rocked in her seat a little and adjusted her clothing in the warmer room. "You should really ask that before you take a drink, yanno, and I don't know what's in it either. I just haven't had anything to eat, and it's starting to make my head a little fuzzy."
Thoma perked up at the information. "Hey, you should eat something. I'll go order for you. What do you want?" He stood up leaving a depression in the couch that slowly filled out. Y/n adjusted a lock of hair with her hand, and reached out for him to sit back down. "No, no. I don't want anything. Just stay here and talk with me," she smiled at him hoping he'd listen. The man did not listen.
The blond smirked back at her in a kind way that only he could achieve, and bent at the hip in front of her as he grabbed the drink from her fingers and took a small sip before handing it back. His smile remained as he crossed the room, and recalling all the times he'd cooked for her, said, "It's okay. I've served you enough to know what you like." He left Y/n in the room feeling a little bit warmer than before.
Shortly, he returned with a plate of (insert tavern food here) and utensils to boot. He carried the food like he worked at the Cat's Tail, and when he reached the woman's side, he presented it as a restaurant employee would have. "I think I found something you like. Let me know, of course," he spoke in his usual amiable tone.
Y/n shook her head at his astuteness, "Yeah, no complaints here." She placed the half full glass on the table by her side and took a few bites of the food Thoma brought.
The man smiled as he noticed her happily eating the food he picked, and he took his seat back on the couch. His eyes stole a glance at the glass on the table. It did have a delicious flavor and enticing aftertaste. Additionally, Y/n had offered it to him multiple times. After a quick back and forth in his head, he reached for the cup and drank.
Y/n's eyebrows raised as she watched him. From the looks of it, he took a large sip. As she chewed, the woman's eyes followed the invisible flow of the drink from where it passed his lips, and down past his Adam's apple.
After he placed the glass back on the table, he clasped his hands in front of him and leaned toward her. "So you came to the Cat's Tail looking for friends, or you just wanted to drink?" the corner of his mouth pulled up at his intentional phrasing. He sometimes liked to say things in such a way to get certain reactions out of her. His years with the Kamisatos and doing business for them caused him to pick up a few devious tactics. His gaze lingered on how the woman finished chewing her food and licked her lip.
Y/n raised a finger and swallowed her bite as the alcohol coaxed excessive intonation out of her voice, "I figured that I might find one or two of my friends here. I don't know what that says about me as a person-"
"Maybe you and your friends just like TCG a lot," Thoma placed his chin in his hand.
The mix of cocktail and joy in her system roused boisterous laughter from the woman.
Thoma grinned revealing his teeth. "Or you and your friends are alcoholics."
"It's Mondstadt! And *I* am not an alcoholic, I'll have you know, sir." She stifled a small burp that bubbled in her throat, and held out a bite of the food to him with a hand underneath it.
"You sure?"
Y/n nodded with her eyebrows creased as if it was a dumb question, and pushed the food further toward him.
Thoma leaned forward at her action. His eyes tarried on her alluring e/c ones before they finally dropped to the food nearing his mouth.
As Y/n withdrew the utensil from his lips, she giggled like a kid, and nodded at the cocktail on the table, "You should drink the rest of it." Then, a rogue thought popped into her mind. "Oh! And then we should play TCG."
Thoma sat up straight and tilted his head. Raised eyebrows and a head nod showed his thoughts. "You wouldn't possibly be trying to get me off my game with alcohol? Seems a little unfair if you ask me," a playful smile showed through his reservations.
Y/n already had another mouthful ready and lifted it to him again. With an uncharacteristic impassioned outburst, she registered his accusation. "I am not trying to get you drunk so I can win TCG! If anything-"
Thoma laughed as he lifted a hand to her mouth to shush her ebullition. "Don't yell. You're gonna get us kicked out," he continued laughing, and cast an inculpatory glance at the almost empty glass on the table.
The woman adjusted another piece of her hair, and grabbed the man's hand that rested on her mouth. She whispered loudly, "Don't hush me, you. You're the one who accused me of cheating!"
Thoma kept laughing even as his friend held his wrist at an odd angle. "Okay, okay. How about this: we both order one drink, and we play TCG? That way we'll both be off."
Y/n narrowed her eyes and shook his hand around as she talked, "Hmm, this isn't like you. I don't think I trust it. I'm only slightly tipsy here, you know."
The blond nodded and debated, "Sure, I suppose it is out of character for me to drink, but just because I can't handle it doesn't mean I won't drink at all. Plus, I'm in safe company, and I'll only have one."
The woman let go of his hand and agreed after a short moment. "Only one," she reiterated, "For both of us. And it won't be strong."
Thoma chuckled at her distrust of his behavior, but he had been ordered to enjoy himself with his limited time off so one drink wouldn't ruin him entirely. Plus, this instance of meeting Y/n outside of his job might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. He decided to make the most of it.
He nodded again, "I'll even let you order if you'd rather."
With an approving head tilt, she accepted the responsibility, and started gathering the used napkins and utensils onto the cleared dish. Thoma helped, of course - it was his nature to do so.
Y/n realized she had to step back into the semi-public space so she forced herself to calm a bit, and carried the dish while Thoma carried the glass he'd downed back to the front counter.
At the entrance, Y/n ordered one drink for herself and one for her companion, and requested of Prince to use the adeptus duel room.
"Adeptus duel room? What's that?" Thoma asked as he fought to keep his eyes from zoning out on the cat or something equally as mortifying. Y/n's gasp helped with this problem a little.
The woman repressed her voice and spoke in a normal tone that other patrons wouldn't hear, "This really cool room made from adeptus arts where people can play TCG without anybody else around."
Thoma gaped. Adeptus arts he'd heard of, but he didn't think he'd get to experience it. "Really? That's amazing! Do we really get to go in there? Where is it?" He turned and looked around the warmly lit tavern for a door or some entrance he might've overlooked, but it looked quite the same as before with patrons, cats, and furniture for both.
She opened her mouth to answer, but realized she didn't know "where." She drew her mouth to one side and spoke, "I don't know where, but I know how to get there." She grinned widely which elicited a chuckle from him. Just after, their drinks furnished with dandelions arrived which Y/n cheered quietly for, and she took one while Thoma took his.
The pair stepped toward the invitation board before Y/n turned abruptly (again nearly spilling her drink on the man) and asked in a voice too panicked for the situation, "Wait, do you have a casket?"
"Oh uh," Thoma started fumbling with one hand around his sides for the box, "I was playing with someone earlier... Ah, here."
His friend facepalmed and giggled again. At the sound, a charmed look lit up Thoma's face, and he followed her lead.
~~~~
In no time at all, the two were transported into the duel room. Y/n didn't react as much as Thoma since she'd spent time in the abode, and it's initial fantastical feeling had diminished for her. Regardless, the beauty and tranquility of the area still remained, and that, she did not lose appreciation for. She placed herself in one of the matching stools at the wooden table in the middle of the room.
Drink in hand, Thoma paced around the open gazebo and talked half to himself, half to Y/n. "Whoa, how in Teyvat did we get here? Where'd the tavern go?" He stood at the edge of the wood where a still body of water with yellow lotus blossoms separated him from the fathomless depths of the peaceful domain. "I wonder what would happen if I dropped something..." he mused while he stared down into the turbid peach fog for a few seconds more.
For a moment, Y/n experienced a state of languor as she swirled her violet drink in its vessel, and espied the habits of the man who accompanied her. As a bored child might do, she leaned the side of her face into her hand, and lifted the cup to her lips taking sips in an odd sideways fashion.
In an inefficient way unbecoming of a full-time housekeeper, Thoma wandered around the space and gawked at all the scrolls and decor on the red cedar shelves. Y/n didn't mind his distractedness; on the contrary, she enjoyed witnessing it.
This side of his personality stayed behind closed doors to everyone, for it only emerged during special occasions. Thoma drinking of his own volition was one such occasion.
After a couple of circles around the space and catching sight of the invitation board hanging on a pillar, Thoma remembered the game. As if a fire were lit beneath him, he quickly seated himself opposite his companion and placed his half empty glass to the side. He still possessed enough mental ability to hope he didn't keep her waiting.
Y/n's eyes widened just a bit at the small amount of drink left in his glass. She glanced at her own which one could mistake as untouched compared to his.
A smile grew on Thoma's lips as his curious gaze still wandered around the space. He put his elbows on the edge of the table. "Wow. This place is so neat. I'd love to have one of these in Inazuma. I wonder if I could get one from somewhere... I should ask the merchants around Ritou." He glanced around the tabletop noticing the cards, coins, dice, and tea set. He asked Y/n, "Yanno where I can gethis kinna thing?"
After looking at the bronze teapot for a few seconds, he jolted up. "Hey. Tea. Want some?" he wrapped his fingers around the handle and lifted without waiting for an answer.
Y/n finished answering him, but it didn't seem like it mattered that much. She lifted a slow hand and shook her head, "Why would I want tea when I have this?" She clinked the ice around in her purple beverage and smiled sweetly as she took a lengthy sip. The woman relished the adorable face he made.
Thoma stared like a confused puppy until he forced his eyes away from hers as he slowly lowered the tea pot back onto the table. "Well, someone hasta know. Somewhere."
Pleasant surprise dawned on Y/n's face that he heard her response over his other question.
After the tea pot rested on the table as comfortably and as heavily laden as it was before being disturbed, Thoma turned his muddling attention to the game they had yet to start. He shook his head a bit as a moment of clarity passed over him. He thought to himself, "You know better."
"Alrighty, how bout we start before I lose my wits entirely?" he forced the coherent sentence. He took his casket from his side and began to flip through the stack of cards. He examined the characters on the cards and tried to formulate a strategy. Finally, he decided on a card to use, then changed his mind and picked a new one.
With the gentle guqin playing throughout the realm, Y/n watched him and with every passing second became more and more amused with his mannerisms. She had to stifle her laugh as she looked through her own deck because she'd never seen him like this. Thoma leaned forward and squinted his eyes at his cards so much she couldn't see his irises. Then he opened them normally before staring at them for a while. At one point, it startled Y/n when he suddenly plucked a card from his hand and laid it face down on the table.
Immediately after, Thoma spoke up in the midst of the peace, "Who're you usin'?"
His companion grinned, "That's not fair. Who're you using?" A breath a silence passed between them as they stared at each other, neither wanting to let loose their closely guarded secrets.
Finally with a highly exasperated sigh, Y/n pursed her lips at him and flipped over one of the cards she originally placed on the table. Between her pointer and thumb hung a navy-haired boy holding a book in one hand and a sword behind his back in the other.
Even through his swirling mind, Thoma remembered one of the card's abilities and joyfully thought of a card that could be used well against it. Too bad it was the one card he already picked. With a short laugh and a shift that almost caused him to knock his tea cup over, he inquired once more, "Another one?"
Y/n answered with a laugh of her own as she gracelessly uncrossed her legs for a more favorable position, "You can't keep asking me that! Show yours." She picked up her glass and took a swig while she waited for him to cave. That didn't take long.
With a sort of frown, Thoma picked up his card, but didn't turn it around. "Don't laugh at me," he himself almost didn't manage to get out through a chuckle.
Y/n rolled her e/c eyes and speedily reached to snatch the card from him. She grossly miscalculated her coordination and missed the card effectively knocking dice off the table.
The multicolored game pieces rolled like escaping was their second function as they hurdled toward the edge of the gazebo. Both people moved like clumsy lightning to get them as if the pieces would skip across the clear water and jump right through the open side. Thoma managed to stomp on one with his foot which elicited a pained exclamation, while Y/n grabbed one at the edge of the wood as her foot caught on the smooth floor. The last piece bounced one last time and plopped into the water as the woman hit the ground.
Y/n groaned loudly as she laid half on her stomach and clutched one piece in her hand. Thoma chuckled and basically stumbled to her side after picking his piece up from beneath his foot. He knelt on an armored knee and put a light hand on her shoulder blade.
"You okay, Y/n? You fell." He peered down at her with an overly worried look.
A laugh bubbled up from her gut as she looked to the fuddled person above her. From the way he angled his head, his ponytail hung off his shoulder like golden wisteria. Y/n marveled how the lemony light in the sky painted his green eyes an even brighter color.
Not wanting him to catch her staring though, she forced a small cough and moved to sit up.
Thoma huffed when she moved out of the light that lit up her skin and poured a beautiful shine into her eyes, but he relaxed when he saw she wasn't injured. He reached a hand under hers to help her sit up.
Y/n tried not to focus on his hand holding hers, but gripped it anyway as he gently pulled her up. Her eyes cast a sad glance toward the die in the idle puddle.
After a moment, Thoma tore his eyes away from the girl and followed her gaze. Without a thought, he laid on his side and reached in the water. With no difficulty at all, he plucked the game piece out of the water. After he sat upright, he held out the die in his dripping wet hand.
The woman gaped at him. She took the piece from him before speaking. "Your glove is wet," she stated simply.
Both pairs of eyes focused on the soaked hand before the owner let go of her to remove the thing. "I forgot..." Thoma uttered dumbly.
"Pfft," the woman blurted before slowly standing upright. Thoma moved to follow, but his unsure feet left him handicapped and he rocked over onto his side. The blunder educed more laughter from the two. This time Y/n offered her hand and, with some difficulty due to her current condition of chuckling and tipsiness, managed to pull him up to a stand.
Once the concern of Thoma falling over subsided, Y/n removed one of her own gloves and said, "Now we're even."
In that short moment, she watched him take off the gauntlet on his other arm, then suddenly take her hand and drag her to the table. He walked about as well as a newborn boar.
Back at the table, Thoma set his gloves down and placed dramatically splayed fingers on the table. He spoke, "No more games. We're gonna fish nis game."
Y/n agreed after she laughed at his slurs, "We're gonna start this game, and fish this game." She raised her glass to her lips and pointed down at her cards which had been picked out and placed for some time. After she set her almost empty cup down, she yelled, "Pick the rest of your caaards!"
Thoma yelled back, "Fine! Celestia..." but he listened and hastily assembled the rest of his deck with fumbling fingers.
~~~~
The pair looked deep into each other's souls. "Three... Two... One!" both shouted and flipped over their fighters. On one side, Ayaka, Yoimiya, and Kazuha; on the other, Xingqiu, Kaeya, and Razor.
Both examined each other's cards to create a plan, but at this point, the empty glasses by their sides spoke volumes of their abilities to reason.
Y/n judged his chosen deck and looked at him through her eyelashes, but stayed silent because she couldn't think of anything witty to say.
"What?" Thoma asked as he caught her eye on him.
The woman shrugged exaggerated shoulders and scooped all the dice toward her. She rolled them and started placing support cards. An outburst in front of her caused her to drop a few cards.
"Wha- What're you doin? You're supposed to- I hafta roll to see who goes!" he blundered through his objection.
Y/n shook her head emphatically and continued placing cards while he watched feeling betrayed. "Not this time. You never showed me your card which disadvantaged me, so, payback," she argued with the most perfect grammar.
Thoma's mouth moved like a koi as he tried to think of some way to escape this awful turn of events, but he came up empty. Instead he responded with a dejected, "If I knew this was gonna happen." And he never finished that thought.
The game progressed slowly and sadly. Both people forgot the elements applied to their current characters and accidently used the same elements to battle opponents already affected. The players were only so lucky neither picked a character that created an elemental shield. Any true Genius Invokation TCG duelist would flip the table at seeing this atrocity.
Eleven incredible, long rounds later, either player had at least one character defeated, two on life support, and one of those encased in cryo. The rough war still waged...
~~~~
Y/n sobered up quicker than her companion due to her snack and better disposition toward alcohol. Her eyes passed over the two neat stacks of discarded cards and dice lined up on the table courtesy of Thoma. Even in his drunken state he kept things tidy which Y/n added to her list of endearing traits of his.
In fact if it weren't for the dry cocktails and one weirdly wet glove, one could easily mistake it for just another intense game. Moments of lucidity started frequenting her conscious more than not, so she inspected the current situation. "How did I do this bad..." she whispered under her breath. She claimed no professional TCG duelist title, but she possessed a decent record of victories against harsher opponents.
After blinking a few times in an effort to clear her vision a bit, Y/n took a calculated action that defeated a second opposing fighter, and put her opponent on the ropes. A light smirk pulled at her lips as her eyes fell on the man across from her who did not yet realize his dire situation.
He saw his pyro bow fall to ruin, but several seconds passed before any exclamation of peril left Thoma's mouth. He quickly sat up and mumbled with fervor, "Whoaaaa, I can't play with one!" He looked back down at his singular and lonely card before lifting his head and tilting it to the side. "Wanna rematch," he demanded kindly with a slur and a toothy smile.
Y/n's jaw dropped, "No, no, no sir. We 'fish' this game whether by your defeat or concession. So what's it gonna be, sweetheart?" She leaned her chin into her hand and looked at him with a waiting expression etched across her face.
A bit of sobriety sparked within Thoma's mind at the unexpected pet name, but it quickly faded as his mind went back to the game.
If the game were to end with his defeat so be it. The way Thoma saw it, a concession here would be a coward's way to deny a deserved victory to his opponent. Seems his righteousness stayed consistent through his consumption of cocktails.
Focusing all his attention as much as possible on this last move, he dropped the dice from an absurd height and watched with slow eyes as they reached their final resting places. Looking over the colored triangles that spelled his fate, he took action and fired his best shot.
Y/n watched the dice roll. After analyzing those, she glanced at the overabundance of cards held in the man's hands.
A man in charge of his faculties probably could've turned the tide of this game with some strategic elemental tuning, but Thoma couldn't bother and so he sealed his doom.
The battle ended. Y/n grinned at her victory (as slight as it was) and held her hands to her sides as the man slumped in his seat. The pitiful look on his handsome face caused a slight pang of guilt to prick at Y/n's heart. Somehow it felt wrong to beat him in his intoxicated state even though she herself was still a little swirly from the drinks. She wasn't even interested in playing this in the first place.
Thoma's demeanor changed rather quickly, and he began slowly twirling one of his cards against his pointer and the table. His loss brought a bit of rational thought back to him, but a pleasant smile pulled at his lips when he thought back to the match he just played.
He didn't intend to play TCG tonight. He definitely didn't intend to drink either, but it didn't matter anymore. He thought that all of it couldn't have happened in better company. Running into Y/n made his night that much better, and he wanted to stay near her for a little longer. Losing the game didn't bother him in the least if it meant getting to hear Y/n's voice and see her enjoy herself just as much as he was.
With a jovial air, he congratulated her. "This the most fun I've ever had with TCG. Wanna do it again??"
The guqin played an awkward sound at the perfect moment. Y/n glanced out the side of the gazebo as if trying to find the right words written on the pink sky. "You wanna lose again?" she eventually said as an excuse not to do it again. Playing with Thoma - especially intoxicated Thoma - was a treat the first time, but TCG wasn't her favorite thing to do to pass the time in any situation, which meant going against an impaired individual made it all the less enjoyable.
The man frowned and started fiddling with a die. "Anything can happen... Maybe I'll shock you, darling. Maybeee I'll win."
When Thoma's tired eyes flicked up to hers, Y/n's heart almost stopped. And then it beat harder. She originally believed that he was drunk, but now she thought the alcohol was losing its affect because she didn't think the tempting look he donned could be achieved by a person under the influence. To top it off, he called her "darling" which he only did once in a blue moon. She wondered why he said it, but really who knows why inebriated people say the things they do. He probably didn't mean anything by it anyway.
Thoma snorted. He liked the shocked expression on Y/n, but seeing as she didn't seem excited about another game, he asked, "Whad'you wanna do?" He noticed how Y/n puffed out her cheeks at the query, seemingly trying to think of something.
He just looked at her for a moment.
"Haha, you're adorable," he chimed completely forgetting his other question.
E/c irises assessed him, and then a chuckle rose up in the woman's chest. She leaned back on her stool and replied with a smile she couldn't hide, "Oh, stop it, you."
The charming look on her face paired with the constant warm glow of the atmosphere caused Thoma's jaw to fall just slightly as he looked at her in awe. "Yanno you're beautiful," he added.
Y/n's smile faded a little at his change in tone and unexpected addition. She just noticed his words had stopped slurring as much, and he wasn't acting quite as silly as before.
"Thank you," she murmured as she felt her face grow warm. Suddenly becoming aware of her situation, she made a noise and stood from her seat. With just a glance in Thoma's direction where he sat with a sweet look on his face, she walked over to the edge of the water and gazed out over the endless expanse of sakura cotton. She didn't have a good reason for leaving the table; it just felt like a good opening to take a little break and clear her head maybe.
Only a few days passed since she left Inazuma, but she severely missed the housekeeper nevertheless. When the two met, they clicked, and became almost inseparable. Y/n usually followed Thoma around as he completed his duties around the estate and ran critical errands around the city. Thoma would try to find himself in areas he knew the woman frequented. Even Ayato, after discovering his friend's infatuation, would strategically send the man to places where he hoped the two could meet even if for a short time.
To Y/n, Thoma felt like Mondstadt air - joyful and revitalizing. Whenever she saw him, a smile was sure to form on her lips.
After a few weeks of getting to know him, she acknowledged her feelings for him within herself, and shortly after that, the man revealed his own feelings for her. While the two weren't currently going together due to their respective responsibilities and current events, they had had a few personal encounters that would make anyone think twice.
The more Y/n thought about it, she realized how much she missed him in that amount of time, and she hoped selfishly that he missed her too.
Thoma made a face at her departure and forced himself to move. Despite his wobbly balance at the moment, he crossed the dark floor to her side and stood with a slight lean. With a concerned frown and light fingers touching her arm, he asked, "Are you alright?" The woman looked to be lost in thought, and he really wanted to know what had her looking so enchantingly transfixed.
Y/n took note of how close he stood, his hand placement and facial expression - she couldn't help it. After being away, any movement he made distracted her.
Thoma's fingers inched up as if he were trying to discern between a statue and a living being. Clarity calmly creeping back to him, he thought her mannerisms to be a bit strange. Quickly, he did his best to recall the game and any surrounding events that might've caused her odd behavior, but he kept coming up empty, something he cursed the alcohol for.
"What's on your mind? You look a little... distracted," he carefully managed to pick his words through his fuzzy headspace. Thoma could read people pretty well at the best of times, so comprehending someone he knew was typically a piece of cake. But he held his relationship to Y/n in a precious light so he took extra caution in interpreting her attitudes and actions, more so with his perception distorted. He tracked her as she shifted her weight.
"Thinking of you," she said while keeping her focus squarely not on him. She chuckled under her breath before her eyes landed on the potted plant to her left. As she had seen enough of the faraway clouds, she meandered to the flowering flora and leaned in to smell them. A faint earthly smell met her nose, but it didn't satisfy.
Thoma wished he could've held back the laugh that escaped him, but he tried to fix it as he stepped into her bubble again. "Me? But I'm right here?" he asked in his confusion.
Y/n didn't say anything to that, only smirked and gave him a quick side-eye that he couldn't make out.
The man's eyebrows knit as he looked down at her, and a genius idea popped into his head as he thought of a way to bring her back to him.
Channeling his coordination, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheekbone. Once the woman turned her head, Thoma pressed one to her lips. Her flinch made a merry smile on his face.
With a delighted snort, Y/n took a clean step away and spun toward the bookshelf.
In a second, she found herself standing in front of the scrolls that Thoma had busied himself with earlier. She reached for one (not because she was interested in its contents), but an arm over her shoulder placed a guarding hand on the object.
In her left ear, Thoma's quiet voice hummed as his breath ghosted over her hair, "So I have to distract you from me, hm?"
A tingle rolled down Y/n's vertebrae at his voice so close, so quiet, and somehow playful. Her wide eyes searched his face until she opened her mouth to speak.
Thoma leaned forward and took her colored lips in his. His hand ever so gently cupped her chin and he held her still in the cover of the overhead arch. He wanted to kiss her ever since she fell down by the water, and that want kept growing as the night carried on. Grasping, he pushed just a little more before he felt a hand in the middle of his chest. Forced to part, he moved back.
Y/n's pretty, perplexed eyes gazed up at him. She coughed a half laugh and a flustered smile pricked at her lips. As Thoma glanced at them, he wondered if any of her lipstick stuck to him. He didn't think as his smile grew and he kissed her again.
A second hand touched his chest and pushed. He made a discontented noise at the second rejection, so with a saddened expression he pulled back. Once he could view her full face, an indiscernible smirk returned to him at the embarrassed look she wore.
With a quickness, Y/n rolled her lips into her mouth as if trying to taste him more before it melted away. She wanted more, much more, but not like this.
"Thoma- but you're- you shouldn't because- aren't you still drunk?? Please don't do something you'll regret," she pleaded even as a nervous laugh left her.
Thoma did a quick mental check and concluded that he was in his right mind for the most part. Aside from that, he was touched by her thoughtfulness concerning his actions under the influence. Good thing he didn't need to worry about that anymore.
He pressed his lips to her heated cheek and replied in a low voice, "Drunk or not..." - he paused and breathed deeply against her skin - "...This is second nature with you." The tip of his nose grazed her cheek, and he asked softly, "Will you regret this?"
Half-lidded lime-colored eyes peered into hers. She couldn't see or focus on anything else. The man had utterly captivated her. She sucked in a breath and responded as her eyes naturally fell to his mouth, "With you, never."
Thoma moved first, but only after he realized she wasn't going to. With gentle movements like he feared scaring her away as easily as a crystalfly, he pressed a kiss back to her cheek and then to her bottom lip. A slight constriction at his chest drew his attention. He lowered his head to see a loose fist closed around his cropped jacket. The graceful rise and fall of Y/n's chest wrested his attention next. Her breaths sounding in his ears gave him an indescribable, comforting feeling.
Y/n smiled joyfully at the man before her. She loved him, though she hadn't said it yet. She wasn't sure what he'd lowered his head for, but an ear peeking out from beneath blond waves beckoned her. She kissed the tip of his ear with a gentleness like a true Mondstadt breeze.
Thoma shuddered at the feeling and snapped his head up to see her grinning like she couldn't get any happier. He felt the pink on his face, there was no hiding it, so he reflected her expression before pulling her closer. The exhale that the woman breathed at his action almost gave him goosebumps.
Y/n craned her neck to look at him until suddenly his arm wrapped around her lower back and his fingertips held her waist when he pulled her hips flush against his. Thoma leaned over her as he had her arched in his hold.
She gasped as he dipped his head and pressed an open-mouth kiss to the base of her neck. Her hands pulled on his jacket. She wanted him closer. She wanted his mouth on her forever.
Soft lips trailed slow kisses along the column of her neck. A hand slid up to push her clothing aside as Thoma alternated between lightly sucking and leaving hot kisses on her skin. He pulled back just enough to see the canvas. Slightly reddened but nothing that wouldn't disappear within a few minutes; he was always careful not to leave marks that were easily detectable.
He went back, this time nibbling beneath her jaw. He pulled her harder into him when she sighed next to his ear. Then, he let go to lap at the irritated spot he made.
Y/n tried to keep her voice quiet. She didn't know if she could be heard from inside the realm, and she hadn't even wondered about it until right now. "Thoma..." she whispered as he left an open-mouth kiss beneath her ear causing little silent sparks to go off in her stomach.
He didn't answer her in favor of taking a portion of her earlobe between his teeth and rolling the piece just a bit. After letting go, he soothed the spot with a light suck and pulled back to survey.
Intoxicated, either by the present situation or residual affects of the drinks or both, he tilted.
Y/n cried out and wrapped a tight arm behind his neck.
He threw a hand up as he leaned forward and grabbed a shelf on the bookcase. Scrolls clattered and books shifted for a second and laid still again.
Panicked for only seconds, the two took a moment to regain their composure. A deep sigh left Thoma and he lifted half-lidded eyes to the woman. He asked with a sound like he was out of breath, "Are you alright?"
Y/n breathed a deep breath and nodded as she maintained eye contact with him. The man blinked and she took that to mean "good." With her arm still around Thoma's neck for support, she willed strength into her legs. She placed one a little too far behind her and her heel hit the bookshelf's base.
Thoma, with years of experience noticing details, quickly helped her move to a stand.
Fearing he might be a little embarrassed at his stumble, Y/n didn't dare let the flames die. Her fingers slid up over his pecs beneath his fitted shirt, and she took care to just slightly graze his nipple as she did. The man's answering sharp exhale spurred her on, and her hand continued up around the back of his neck. With a forcing hand, she urged him down to her height, and she captured his lips.
Thoma couldn't be more grateful that his little fumble didn't ruin this. He relished the feeling of her fingertips teasing his hairline as she kissed him. With his confidence maintained, he stepped forward caging her against the hard bookcase. He grinned against her mouth as he dragged a knee along the inside of her thigh. An adorable little noise passed from Y/n's mouth, and Thoma devoured it.
His knees almost gave way when her hands delved deeper into his hair, and his heart raced at the tingly sensation of her fingers moving each strand of it. And when her fingers curled and her nails grazed his scalp, a rush of butterflies filled his chest. He had to pull back from her kiss to bite his lip.
Y/n opened her drooping eyelids to see a look of suppressed pleasure adorning his face. Her faint lipstick marks were smudged across his lips and chin. With a pleased look, she pulled him back and whispered with hot breath, "You like it when I run my fingers through your hair?"
"Yes," he breathed as he clenched a fist.
Y/n pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his crinkled mouth and whispered into his other ear, "Tell me what else you like."
For several seconds, he stood before her like he might fall asleep and into a dream less than decent. Y/n pressed kisses to his face and pulled on his lips until he answered.
"I- I like it when you-" he couldn't force any words when her warm tongue teased his bottom lip.
He chased it as soon as it retreated and crashed his mouth into hers. His own easily passed through her parted lips like she was waiting for it. He hoped she was waiting for it because he derived so much pleasure in sating her cravings. The moan that rolled out of her mouth was kindling for the fire within him. He searched her mouth greedily and toyed with the current object of his frustration. A whine he coaxed out of her drove him mad.
Y/n's hair became increasingly messy due to the way Thoma pressed her against the bookshelf. She tilted her head back for air after his onslaught and breathed heavily. Though she didn't see it, the man subtly licked his lip and snapped the thin string of saliva that connected them.
Y/n only had a few seconds before Thoma dropped a hand underneath her knee and lifted her leg to his waist. His mouth latched back onto her neck underneath her chin and trailed wet kisses down to her collarbone.
Instinctively, her hand grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his head closer as if he wasn't already there. Her other hand rested on his upper chest. She adored the rhythmic movement of each harsh breath.
"I like your hands," Thoma grunted.
"Where," Y/n demanded though a strained breath.
A hand behind her other knee pulled. She yelped at her sudden lack of footing as Thoma deliberately guided her lower.
He clarified, "Anywhere-I just want them on me." His words rushed together as he forced them out before resuming with starved advances.
She generously obliged. Her hands traversed his body like she was mapping him out for further exploration. She expended extra effort towards areas to which he gave significant response. Each labored breath, soft sound, and mufflied moan that he tried to stifle enlivened Y/n.
A hiss left her sullied lips when he finally set her in his lap. The man's fingertips that migrated to her sides squeezed just below her ribcage. His kiss quieted her audible and shuddering exhale.
Y/n's mouth dropped open and she breathed his name again before Thoma rolled her lip between his gentle teeth.
Y/n dropped her knees to the ground on either side of him and straightened up. The tender hands on her waist forced her back down. Her eyes widened at the man holding her firmly on his lap. Handsome green eyes shrouded in some kind of haze stared into her.
"No. I'm not done."
The command froze Y/n even as she marveled at how he made it sound like an invitation.
With movements she'd experienced before, she allowed Thoma to lower her onto her back. The vulnerability she felt only enticed her. She trusted him after all, and any fear she might've felt had long dissapated with each tryst.
She just looked up with awe-filled eyes at the man hovering over her. Everything about him, she loved - his eyes, his hair, his body, his kindness, and loyalty. She couldn't get enough of any piece of him. That is the thing she feared.
Thoma's eyes wandered over her form. The way she laid underneath him so calmly and still seduced him. His muscle control having mostly returned to him, he supported himself on one arm while his other hand found it's way onto her hip bone where it applied light pressure with each meaningful kiss. With placidity, he pressed a loving kiss to her brow. Then he kissed her eyes and then her cheeks. He traveled lower to her neck, her collarbone...
Y/n grabbed his shirt collar and placed one of her hands on the top of his thigh. Her hands still obeyed his request. Thoma's kisses kept going lower and they currently peppered the valley of her chest. Even on top of her clothing, her skin burned with sensitivity from his sensual touches.
Her hand slipped around the side of his thigh to the back, and she squeezed the muscle hard. A deep, hot breath coated her chest as Thoma exhaled. He uttered a submissive sound that had her grinning around each heavy breath. With a slow hand she pulled his leg up toward her chest. He was flexible; she knew it.
Thoma pleaded through a huff, "Y/n..." Being handled like this was a luxury he only enjoyed with her, and she wasn't shy with her touches. When her hands carressed and felt him in this setting, he almost couldn't believe it was real.
"You're a dream," he whispered under his breath into the quiet air surrounding them.
Y/n's eyes which stared in a daze up at the ceiling shifted to the man's face. His adoring eyes focused on her and a sincere look painted his features.
She swallowed and replied with a similar voice, "And you?"
He snorted lightly, "Caught up in one." He pressed a long kiss to her plush lips. He loved how hers felt against his own. He couldn't resist another one right after.
Y/n's eyes crinkled as she kissed him hard, and brought her hands to his jaw. She shook her head a little which messed up her hair more. "But I'm not a dream. Maybe a dream come true," she amended his statement and laughed sarcastically at her dumb joke.
Thoma leaned his head into her comforting hand. "Whatever it is, I'm caught," he grinned and kissed her palm, then her wrist over the vein.
Y/n couldn't get rid of the joyous smile that pulled at her lips as Thoma left reverent kisses along the inside of her arm. Once he came back to her mouth, she gave his bottom lip a painfully slow kiss. Then, she glanced at the cerulean rug next to her and with much hesitance requested, "Lay down with me?" It wasn't as if she'd gotten tired of him, but she thought it was probably for the best that they calmed down especially since they'd probably overstayed their welcome in the room anyway.
Thoma inwardly sighed as he didn't want the mood to soften; he could've kissed and carressed her all night in the privacy of this realm, but he supposed there would be more times, and though he could easily clean any mess made, he didn't want to have to do that on his time away from the estate.
However before he fulfilled her request, he saw the smudges of color on her face. He rubbed a thumb over her top lip and then under her bottom lip to remove the traces of lipstick. He smirked, "You're gonna have to reapply. I apologize, hehe."
The gentle thumb stroking Y/n's lips made her heart beat pick up the pace, and she almost shot up and kissed him again; but she restrained herself while he worked on her. To distract herself, she also started removing the lipstick staining his mouth and she chuckled as she starting rubbing her fingers along his skin. "No apology necessary," she mumbled as his fingers ran over her lips.
Afterwards with a slightly saddened heart, Thoma carefully moved over her and rested by her side. He was glad to do this as well, in any case.
~~~~
After getting comfortable, the two began chatting quietly to each other on the floor. Moments of comfortable silence entered the conversation on occasion. During one such instance, Thoma cringed at himself as he laid on his back with Y/n's hand on his abdomen. Random flashbacks of the TCG game flew into his mind. He almost convinced himself not to bring it up...
"How much do you remember about our game...?"
A grin quickly formed on Y/n's face and she chuckled as she patted his abs. "More than you, I should think," she answered.
Thoma groaned and said, "I knew before I took the second drink that I shouldn't have. Now you'll never respect me again."
The man's nervous chuckle caused Y/n's heart to squeeze. "How about I tell you what I remember?" she offered and shifted onto her side. She propped her head in her hand and waited for some response.
Thoma turned and mimicked her posture a little. His eyes wandered around her beautiful face for a second before he blew a breath. He noticed a lock of her hair out of place and reached up to fix it. He felt honored that she let him touch her hair - that she trusted him that much.
Once he placed it uniformly back amongst the other pieces, he lowered his hand onto her side.
"How bad can it be?" he asked with a slight laugh. His smile faded when the woman's brows creased and her mouth pursed.
"How bad can it be??"