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They are both new to this place. When lightning strikes like a bolt of anger from the heavens, Furina nearly jumps out of her skin.
‘The sea level isn’t rising, is it? Is it!?’ Furina gasps, running toward the shore of Seirai Island. Nahida leaps and hops in order to keep up with her.
Once she’s interrogated the ocean and found it level, Furina places a hand to her chest and sighs in ragged relief. She does, however, coil up like a spring when Nahida touches her hand.
‘What!’
‘It’s okay to be scared,’ Nahida says.
Furina, teary-eyed, slumps over.
Thoma is once more vainly discouraging Xiangling from her eclectic selection of ingredients.
‘Taroumaru is allergic to Sea Ganoderma!’ he exclaims, but Xiangling hardly bats an eye as she breaks the creatures under her food mallet. She does, however, nod her head, which has his tired heart fluttering in hope when–
‘Then this bowl can be just for us!’ she decides, tossing the shards into her pot. She gives it a hearty stir; the inviting aroma of Seagrass is quickly being overtaken by the odd, unappealing venom that is Sea Ganoderma breaking down in hot water.
Maybe it’ll be good…?
Shenhe sits crouched over the abundant farmland eked out across Qingce Village. It was Yaoyao who first introduced her to this stretch of mortal land – but that is not who stands next to her today.
Tartaglia, joining her, stretches his fingers out into the burs bordering the rice paddy.
‘The tumbleweed originated in Snezhnaya,’ he’s explaining, the thorns of the plant scratching at his thick gloves. ‘In the warmer parts. It must’ve come across the sea to Liyue on a boat. They’re a real fire hazard… but what can you do?’
Shenhe touches the tumbleweed, too; her bare fingers bleed.
It’s been ages since her last visit to Inazuma. Whilst she was growing her brand, riding the aquabus of Fontainian style…
… It appears her homeland has, as ever, remained horribly stagnant.
Yet Chiori is not without her faith. Ogura Mio’s eyes light up upon seeing her, and she rushes over to make her reacquaintance.
Soon enough, she’s explaining her relationship with the Traveller, who has brought her so many ideas on how to enliven Inazuman textiles.
‘I’m just glad someone here is trying,’ Chiori confesses. ‘Your designs are a breath of fresh air.’
‘T-thank you,’ Mio stammers, eyes sparkling.
Jeht lifts her desert-blinder just to make sure she’s seeing right.
She… must be. The forest dweller who’s hired her to cross the sands is accompanied by a small, onion-shaped creature.
‘Oh! You can see her,’ Rana says, as though that explains anything. ‘This is my friend, Arana.’ When Jeht doesn’t say anything, she asks tentatively, ‘Do I need to pay for another passenger? I gave you all I had…’
She’s got a Dendro Vision on her hip, not unlike the Hydro Vision Jeht keeps clasped to her daggers. And it does explain everything, doesn’t it?
‘No. Let’s move.’
‘Okay–!’
‘And the black-and-white bird lived happily ever after,’ finishes Keqing.
Freminet smiles indulgently. He knows that’s not how the story ends, but the children verging on sleep aren’t going to object. They step out of the room as quietly as they can, shutting the door with precision and care.
‘Thank you,’ he tells her, endlessly grateful. There’s no need for the Traveller’s companion to help the House of the Hearth. Still…
Keqing studies him a moment and then passes him the book. ‘They deserve good endings as well as bad,’ she says.
‘Ah…’
But bad ends can be comforting, too.
‘Writing lyrics takes a whole ‘nother skillset,’ Xinyan insists, and Xingqiu is not about to argue.
He holds up his hands in clear surrender, though he’s not sure what got her white-hot in the first place. She slides back down into her seat, attending the spicy Qingce Stir Fry Chef Mao has just whipped up for her.
‘You would still like to collab, however?’ he broaches, somewhat surprised by her enthusiastic nod.
‘Heck yeah! You and me are gonna make music even better than the Blaze Lilies!’
‘Weren’t you… part of the Blaze Lilies?’
‘Onward and upward!’ she declares mightily.
Mika’s always been a serious character, but him and Noelle, taking notes from Klee…
Bennett doesn’t see how that’s supposed to work. But he’ll give anything a shot!
He joins them after Mika charitably gives him a piece of paper and a spare writing utensil. Klee’s hopping all over the empty library, jumping on tables and leaping over chairs.
‘So then, it makes a big badoom! and a ker-splash! and then everything starts to steam! And that’s how Klee does fish-blasting!’
‘Interesting use of a Vaporise reaction,’ Mika nods.
‘Thank you, Lady Klee!’ says Noelle.
Bennett just scratches his head.
‘I admire your devotion to the principles of justice,’ Neuvillette permits. ‘Regardless, one cannot make clear judgements without a clear memory for the relevant letter of the law.’
Yanfei does not quite cut him off, but she points at him as though she means to throw a weighty objection. ‘And that concept makes sense in Fontaine, where laws are consistent and built upon through centuries of tradition, Monsieur Neuvillette – but in Liyue, the Tianquan changes our policies based on her whims alone!’
‘Then you must simply keep up,’ he says.
So startled is she by his simplicity that she laughs.
Venti has a soft spot for performers. It’s part and parcel of his role as the Anemo Archon.
The Shogun’s been performing the act of not being a whole person for… gods. A millennium in subjective time? Probably more than that, if you consider her memories as Raiden Ei.
She clearly does not understand why he’s invited her to the Angel’s Share. Despite her numerous objections that she need not eat, he toasts their mugs together and encourages her to try.
‘It… is sweet,’ she determines, staring down at the drink. ‘This body enjoys sweet things.’
‘Glad you like it, ehe!’