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It is not the first time that the Traveler knocks on Mona’s door on behalf of Goth to claim her rent. The hydromancer usually hides in her empty pantry until the hammering fades away, but this time she is too absorbed in her correspondence to move from her desk. The distance separating Mondstadt from Sumeru hasn’t done anything to her endearment for Layla, if not giving the post services more work.
Their regular exchange in the reader’s mail column of The Steambird had to end after some...complaints. The newspaper had received a few missives from angry readers and had to ask Mona and her pen pal to talk the “language of the stars” in private. Apparently, “the moon is full tonight” was not a subtle way to compliment your long-distance partner’s round buttocks. Whatever . Nevertheless, Mona and Layla had been exchanging their views on the stars and other celestial bodies by letter since then.
The sight of Layla’s cursive handwriting has made Mona drop the rest of her mail, and she doesn’t pick it up until the following morning. The first envelope she opens is stamped with the emblem of the Sumeru Akademiya, so she naturally expects her favorite Rtawahist student to have run out of stationery and used some of the Akademiya.
“Starchons be blessed,” the hydromancer swears. The made-up word, a perfect mix of stars and archons, is a new favorite of hers that she has last used entangled in sheets and twirling blue hair.
The signature at the bottom of the letter is not Layla’s, but the new sage of the Rtawahist Darshan’s, and Mona cannot believe what she just read, especially the part mentioning an amount of mora she desperately needs. She goes through the missive again.
“ We would be honored to welcome you as the new hydromancy teacher of the Rtawahist Darshan […] You will be provided an accommodation and a laboratory on-campus. Additionally, all moving expenses will be covered ”
It just seems too good to be true, yet she doesn’t think twice before starting to pack. Rent is due, anyway.
*
The first day of the semester is always overwhelming, and, frankly, Layla doesn’t need all that effervescence to add to her usual exhaustion. She fell asleep at an unarchonly hour the previous night and is dangerously close to nodding off on her way to the Akademiya’s main building. Luckily for her, there are still some spots available for the classes she’s most interested in. She has now been studying long enough to be allowed to take more advanced courses and she’s pleased to see there’s a Hydromancy class she can take. She signs up, excited to have a new subject to discuss with her girlfriend . Layla still cannot believe this is how she refers to her favorite columnist. It feels like a fever dream, except she is certain she is fully awake for once.
As one might expect, studying the stars is mainly a nocturnal activity; therefore, Layla’s days start rather late. Hydromancy is one of the few classes that take place during the day, or at least before the sun sets. Layla leaves her room earlier than usual, happy to be able to enjoy the last rays of sunlight on her way to class. She arrives early, sits with the few students already there, and decides she has enough time to rest her eyes for a bit before the class starts. She realizes she has actually fallen asleep when someone elbows her. Embarrassed, she thanks the student who has just awakened her as the teacher walks in. Layla wonders if she’s fully awake when she sees who’s standing next to the teacher's desk.
“I am Mona Megistus and I will be your lecturer for this semester. We will review the fundamentals principles of astrology and hydromancy...”, Mona introduces herself to the class while Layla’s jaw drops.
Staying focused during the whole class is pure torture to Layla. Luckily, Mona is a good teacher and the topics covered are of great interest. She waits until Mona dismisses the class, and every student leaves the room before going to her desk.
“I thought I was still dreaming when I saw your face,” Layla exclaims, hugging her girlfriend.
Mona returns her embrace briefly before going back to her desk.
“I’m sorry, it’s all a bit..sudden. I meant to tell you about all this, I promise”, she apologizes.
“How did you become a teacher? Archons, I need to know everything,” Layla squeezes her now-teacher's arm. To her surprise, Mona pulls away weirdly.
“Actually, can we talk later? I have another lecture soon.”
“Sure.”
Layla waits anxiously all evening for Mona to rejoin her. When she knocks at her apartment door, Layla almost jumps to open it. She expects Mona to come inside and sit on the sofa, where they usually make out, but she stays in the entrance.
“Is everything okay?” Layla eventually asks.
Mona seems to hesitate for a moment, then finally blurts out. “We can’t keep seeing each other.”
Layla literally freezes, faster than the Curtain of Slumber, at Mona’s words. She cannot possibly be breaking up with her. Not like this, not without any warning, not when they’re together in the same place after all this time. It doesn’t make any sense.
“What are you talking about? Did something happen?”
Layla is genuinely distraught, and Mona is now a bit embarrassed.
“It’s just that I’ve been giving a lot of thought to our situation lately, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s for the best.”
“What on Teyvat are you talking about Mona? Have I done something to upset you?”
“Please don’t blame yourself, it’s not your fault. It doesn’t have anything to do with you as a person, rather I’ve realized I don’t see a future for us as a couple given our...situation. I’m your teacher, Layla, you’re my student, it’s too complicated,” the astrologist explains.
Layla can’t help but burst into tears.
“I’m sorry, really,” Mona says softly before walking out.
*
“That’s all she said?”
Nilou is sitting across from Layla in their favorite tea house on Treasures Street.
“I don’t understand why she didn’t say anything before that. We were exchanging letters every week and had already planned a trip to Fontaine for the semester break!” Layla adds.
“The more you say, it seems so rushed,” Nilou nods. “What are you going to do?”
“It’s not like I could go to her apartment and stand in front of her door until she gives me a proper explanation.”
“Why not?”
“It won’t work like that.”
“Listen, I’m not an expert at giving relationship advice, but if that would help you sleep at night, literally, do it.”
*
The nights in Sumeru are not always warm, or maybe Layla’s Cryo vision has taken possession of her body because she lingers frozen in front of Mona’s door for what seems to be hours. In fact, the cold numbs her so much that she doesn’t notice her eyes closing, and suddenly she gathers the courage to knock on the door.
“Layla? Stars be fated, what are you doing out there at this unarchonly hour?” Mona opens, clearly not expecting any visitors judging by her night dress and her hair undone.
Layla doesn’t answer immediately, but she doesn’t look as hurt as she did earlier when Mona, well, broke her heart. The astrologist softens.
“It’s cold outside and quite late. You should rest, Lay’.”
She doesn’t see it coming when Layla steps inside, grabs her neck, and kisses her like her life depends on it. Mona cannot tell if the chill going through her spine comes from Layla’s icy hands on her bare skin, or from finally kissing after all this time apart, but anyway, she surrenders in the blink of an eye.
She doesn’t care anymore about the fact that they shouldn’t be together anymore, not when Layla’s whole body is pressed against hers. She slams the door with one hand, the other already on Layla’s thigh.
At this very moment, Mona wishes she could put the blame on her Hydro vision, but the only reason she’s liquefying is Layla’s golden eyes staring right at her while her hands are under her nightdress. Her touch is bitter from the cold, yet Mona doesn’t complain when she lingers around, teasing her for a while until she eventually gets what she wants. This is absolutely not how she imagined breaking up with someone, and here she is, shaking around Layla’s fingers who are hitting the exact spot that will bring Mona to her knees.
None of them feel the cold anymore, their faces flushed from making up for the time lost. They’re making out on the cushioned floor, laying on the clothes that they removed hastily, but they don’t see further than their entangled bodies. Mona has forgotten about reminding Layla that she should not even be there, her mouth too busy worshipping every inch of her body to form a whole sentence. It’s not the first time they find themselves having sex, but based on Layla’s whimpered screams, Mona can tell this time she’s doing something particularly right. She doesn’t mind the quivers in Layla’s thighs, nor her nails digging her back, as she goes down on her.
They don’t utter a word, not even after Layla’s last scream, not when they put back their clothes on, not when Layla leaves in the middle of the night and Mona is alone again.
*
Mona’s night hadn’t exactly been restful, but at least she was too exhausted to be kept awake by her thoughts. The whole scene is replaying in her head over and over, and, despite how much she enjoyed it, she knows she must talk to Layla to clarify the situation. She is teaching a class that Layla is supposed to attend later, so surely, they’ll be able to talk without any risk that the situation escalates this time.
At the end of the class, she calls Layla at her desk, vaguely mentioning an assignment.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was supposed to submit anything this week,” Layla says.
“You were not, don’t worry. I just meant to address what happened last night,” Mona hesitates, “it can’t happen again.”
Layla seems puzzled. “Attending an astronomy class and going back to my dorm to sleep?”
Damn , thinks Mona, so we’re not talking about it.
“Alright, then you’re free to go.”
Mona is frustrated to see Layla simply walk away, but can she be mad if she ignores her when she’s the one who allegedly broke up with her?
*
The truth is that Layla is hurt , in a soul-crushed, heartbroken, devastated way. Once she stops her endless wallowing, she starts focusing on her classes to forget the pain. She studies longer than usual at night, sleeps through the morning, and goes to the Akademiya the rest of the day. It works for a while, and her grades even improve, but you cannot fake being mentally okay when you avoid dealing with your emotions. One day, as she’s running errands to refill her paper supply, she runs into Nilou. It doesn’t take her long to see right through Layla.
“Oh, Archons, you’re trying to study your way through the heartbreak, aren’t you sweetie?”
Ouch . Layla doesn’t even try to lie.
“I have a lot to learn, it’s for the best,” she justifies herself.
“Of course, you do,” Nilou chuckles, “but you shouldn’t always stay alone.”
“I don’t have a lot of friends at the Akademiya,” Layla admits.
Nilou smiles. “You need more girls nights.”
It would be a lie to say that Layla gets over Mona by spending more time with Nilou, but it actually is nice to have a friend around. She keeps studying at night, but a few days every week Nilou is baking in her apartment while she does so, and their laughs soothe Layla’s broken heart. Without her even noticing it, she falls asleep in the middle of her study sessions less and less, and her sleepwalking alter ego gets some peace of mind.
It would probably put her back to therapy to know that Mona hasn’t moved on. Indeed, the astrologist cannot get her ex-girlfriend out of her mind, and it’s starting to feel like torture for her. Every time she closes her eyes, all she sees is golden eyes and dark blue hair. She knows she’s the one who ended things, and yet, instead of rating papers, she stands in front of her door, but cannot bring herself to knock. What would she say? I’m sorry for being an idiot, I love you and just didn’t want to get you into trouble since I was your teacher? That’s not how you get the girl. And now, she hears laughter from inside the room, but she doesn’t recognize the voice of the person Layla is talking to.
She has no right to be jealous, but the hurt in Layla’s eyes had seemed so genuine, so why would she replace her so quickly? Still, Mona cannot wrap her mind around how Layla acted when they last talked. Something just doesn’t sit right. Layla avoiding conflict is not totally out of character, but she remembers clearly the confusion on her face at the mention of the previous night. It’s almost like she had no idea, which seems so crazy considering how forward she had acted. Mona can feel the red rushing to her cheeks every time she remembers how Layla has grabbed and kissed her, which happens quite a lot. How can one person act so passionately, and pretend nothing happened the next day?
And then, it hits Mona. What if Layla truly has no idea what happened that night between them because she wasn’t exactly herself back then? Mona feels so stupid for forgetting how a second version of Layla appears when she’s overwhelmed and exhausted. She has witnessed it before, but never in intimate moments, and to be honest, Mona cannot think straight when it involves Layla kissing or touching her. Fuck, she misses her.
*
Mona slightly reconsiders her “Fuck, I need to get her back” moment when she almost falls off the second floor of the dormitory where Layla lives. What on Teyvat went through her mind when she told herself it would be more discreet and romantic if she climbed to her balcony? She’s not going to serenade her like a stupid bard . Anyway, here is the great Mona Megistus, knocking on her beloved’s window, hoping she’s at home and preferably alone.
Stars must be aligned because when Layla opens, Mona doesn’t see anyone behind her.
“Are you insane?” Layla says.
“It’s been a long semester, I was too afraid to tell you what I want,” Mona starts, panting from her climbing session.
“Starchons, come inside,” Layla interrupts.
Mona somehow crawls inside, not without ruffling a few feathers, and ends up a few centimeters from where Layla is standing. The latter takes a couple steps back, unsure what to do now that the woman haunting her dreams is standing in front of her, in her archondamn room and not the lecture hall. Her usual timidity kicks in, and she’s unable to utter a word, which is a good thing because Mona has plenty to say.
“I was so ridiculously afraid of the Akademiya, of what could happen if we were dating while you were my student. Like could I grade my girlfriend’s papers? Could I hold your hand on campus? I know I should’ve talked to you about this instead of taking a decision on my own, I know it wasn’t fair to you. I am genuinely sorry it took me almost a semester to realize I would rather stop teaching than lose you. Archons, I was so thrilled to have a job that would pay the rent while being close to you and I just ruined everything. I already talked to the Rtawahist sage, and we agreed that I would be a good fit for one of the ongoing research projects of the Darshan, which means I would have no interaction with students anymore. I don’t care about teaching anyway, I just want to be with you again. I want you for worse or for better, and if you still want me, I would wait forever and ever, and”
“I think I got the idea,” Layla softly cut short Mona’s monologue.
Mona is the one who seems tormented now. “I’m sorry for ruining your night. I’ll leave now,” she says, resigned to climbing down the wall.
“I don’t want you to go,” Layla stops Mona, grabbing her arm. “I meant you don’t need to go to such lengths to be with me. You could’ve knocked on my door and talk to me, instead of lurking every other night.”
“Oh. You saw me?” Mona asks, embarrassed.
“Nilou did a few times, actually. I must admit it was hard to wait for you to come forward,” Layla says without any hint of resentment.
“So you were waiting for me?”
Layla nods, a slight smile on her face.
Mona crosses the distance left between them to grab Layla’s face and kiss her.
“I don’t deserve you, Layla.”
“I missed you too.”
Mona doesn’t go through the window, nor the door that night.
*
Layla is beyond excited when the semester finally ends. She waits patiently for her favorite astrologist to conclude her last class as a teacher of the Akademiya so they can hit the road to Mondstadt together. The winter break has never looked so exciting.
She has finished all her assignments in time, for once, her room is sparkly clean, and her luggage has been ready for two weeks: she is ready to go. Opposites must attract, because when Mona picks her up, she’s struggling to carry her suitcases that barely close.
“Do you need help with your luggage?” Layla offers, trying not to laugh.
“No, let’s go before my suitcases’ straps break. I’ll learn how to pack another day.”
“I could teach you.”
“Maybe I’d like it better if I was the student,” Mona giggles.