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Wanderer blinks up at the sky. It’s way too bright and his hat isn’t on to grant him his usual shade. The sound of waves crashing and the tide washing up sea critters around him doesn't help the fact that his patience is becoming thinner and thinner the longer he’s here.
There’s sand in his toes, on his arms, legs, and chest. “Are you done? This is getting ridiculous.” The sound of a bright tinkling bell escapes the lips of the little archon seated near his feet. She’s covered in sand too, but she’s not the one trapped in it. Her hair whips across her face as he sends a small gust of anemo her way.
Unfortunately for him, her smile brightens even more with small giggles escaping as her eyes crinkle into moon crescents. He doesn’t notice but the corner of his lips begin to curve up.
Her hands are moving the sand near his feet, shaping it to her heart’s desire.
“Just one moment! I’m still working on the tail!” Nahida assures. She stands and runs towards the shore, gathering a pile of wet sand in her hands. She drops it with a splat on his feet before running back for more. Wanderer is suddenly reminded why kids use hand shovels and buckets at the beach.
He’s been laying on the sand for a while now, letting Nahida turn him into whatever those mythical sea creatures the traveler has been telling her about. The large seashells on his chest are…questionable but he’s not about to get himself roped into a lecture for insulting Nahida’s artistic choices.
As he closes his eyes, he wonders how the hell he got into this situation in the first place.
______
“Nahida.”
The girl jolts in surprise. She looks up from her desk full of paperwork to an upset figure standing in the doorway.
“Oh! Wanderer, what brings you here?”
He crosses his arms before asking her, “Do you know what time it is?”
Nahida looks out the window. The once bright light in the sky has darkened into a deep indigo. Speckles of light glitter on the canvas as constellations paint the sky. The lanterns are lit on the streets now and the bustling city has grown quiet as citizens return to rest.
“Ah, I didn’t realize how fast time passed.” Her hands are brought to her face, one resting on her chin and the other on her arm in a thinking position. “Hmmm, I still have a few documents to finish up. There will also be more relief supplies arriving from Snezhnayan delegates in the morning. I should prepare for their allocation and distribution as well as send another thank you letter to the Tsaritsa.”
Wanderer sighs as he steps closer to her desk. “You’ve been awake this entire week with no rest. Your work can wait until tomorrow. Not to mention that you should be taking it easy and recovering from your injuries. You were connected to irminsul for far longer than we expected.”
His brows furrow at the memory from not too long ago.
When she said she was going in to manually record and process the information of Teyvat, his mind had paused for a moment. Was that possible to do for a certain period of time? How long would she need? What kind of effects would that have on her?
Her power had grown tremendously since their battle over the electro gnosis years ago and she’s gained more experience with connecting and navigating irminsul. He does not doubt her capabilities as the dendro archon but the consequences of manual processing irminsul’s information are unknown. Would she have to use her own life force and energy to sustain the connection? And what would happen if she exhausts that?
His shoulders tense and his hands curl inwards at the thought of her nearly sacrificing herself to save the stupid old dragon. Apep could kiss his ass for all he cared. That arrogant stubborn lizard be damned. He refused to let her push herself that far ever again.
“I’m not sure how long I will be connected. The current stability of the world is in shambles and will continue to fall apart if I do not process it myself. I cannot guarantee that I will be left unharmed, but I will do my best.” Her hand was pressed against her chest in earnest as she explained her plan to the entire crew.
He knew he couldn’t argue when her mind was already set and her eyes sparkled with the glow of determination.
“I will investigate the situation from within and send you my findings. If our theory is correct and irminsul is being attacked from an outer source, then we can adjust accordingly. Let us all do our part. We must eradicate this new threat as soon as possible.”
Wanderer bit back his objections. So be it then. The faster they uncovered what was harming irminsul, the sooner they could put an end to it.
The feeling of dread had never hit him so hard when she fell. Her small body colliding with the floor resounded with a thud, echoing in the high walls of the sanctuary. There was no questioning her exhaustion. While she hadn’t used her life energy to the point of becoming nothing more than a branch, she was still in a dangerously weakened state.
The persistent thrum of fear and restlessness hadn’t stopped until he saw her smiling and chatting with the Traveler. The dull yellow in her leaf ornaments had returned to their bright green hue. Though she was speaking a bit softer and slower than usual, he deemed her recovered enough to lead the next meeting and strategize their next move.
Perhaps that lizard was worth saving after all.
______
While he wasn’t able to help her from exhausting herself then, he can certainly help her rest now. He had allowed her to get away with staying up as the state of Sumeru was dire and needed all the immediate help, but things were slowing down now. With the cleansing of irminsul completed, she could take her workload easier. Though they both didn’t need to sleep and eat as often as humans required, she still needed and deserved a longer rest.
“Apep healed the worst of my injuries! I’m feeling just fine to keep working on these tasks!” Her beaming smile would have been convincing to most, but he could see the brave face she was putting on to mask her growing fatigue.
“Don’t worry, I’ve been taking breaks every few hours to stretch and pace myself.” Nahida assured.
His left eyebrow quirked up at that. “You know that a longer period of rest, especially sleep, will help you recover faster. I remember a certain someone insisting that I lay in bed for weeks straight despite my disdain for immobility.”
Before she could respond to his taunt, a loud yawn escapes her. Small tears gather at the corners of her eyes from the yawn. Her eyelids are feeling heavier than she realized.
“And that proves my point,” Wanderer says softly, watching her with the quiet fondness he'd never admit aloud.
He walks her to her room as she finally gives in to her exhaustion, helping undo her side ponytail, brushing her hair, and letting it fall onto her back as she crawls into her bed. He adjusts her sheets and tucks her in, hearing a quiet “Thank you,” when he steps back.
He feels his shoulders relax at the sight of her snug in bed. Her head is sticking out as the blanket covers her whole. Nahida glances up at him and with a sleepy hushed tone she calls out his name, “Wanderer?”
He replies with a quiet hum of his own.
“When this is all over, will you go to the beach with me?” She asks. Her eyes are closed, and she’s beginning to doze off. He wonders how she even thought about the beach at this moment but with everything that happened with irminsul and Dottore, he figured she deserved a day where she didn't have to worry about anything else.
“Sure. I’ll even play in the sand with you for as long as you want.”
Nahida quietly hums in delight. “Promise me?”
Wanderer lays his hand on her head, gently giving her a pat. “I promise. Now get some rest for tomorrow.”
He doesn’t comment on the way she leans her head into his hand before he pulls away. He feels his heart fill with warmth and he can’t help the smile that finds a way on his face. As he retreats to his own bed, he finds himself thinking that a day at the beach doesn’t sound too bad for a well deserved vacation.
______
“Anddd I’m done!” Nahida exclaims with her hands raised above her head in excitement.
Wanderer opens his eyes to the sight of a large fish tail with swirls and flowers carved on the surface.
“I don’t think fish tails are supposed to have these patterns on them.” He says questionably.
Nahida beams as she explains, “You have a special tail! The Traveler said each tail is different and unique to the merfolk. The swirls are for your anemo vision and the flowers represent your time spent in Sumeru and the akademiya.”
“Wowwwwww” he drags on for a few seconds. “Always tying it back to school and studying huh.” A flash and the sound of a shutter catches him off guard.
“I can’t wait to show Traveler and Paimon your tail! I’ll include this photo with my next letter!” she says as she flips through her kamera roll.
Wanderer groans, already hearing Paimon's loud laughter and the Traveler’s snicker when they see it.
“Can I get out now? I’d like to keep whatever dignity I have left.”
Nahida suppresses her own laugh at him. “Fine, fine. But I think you look great!”
Wanderer pulls himself up, the sand breaking into chunks as he lifts his legs out. He feels a bit stiff as he stands. He’s been laying down longer than he thought. He stretches his legs and shakes off the remaining sand stuck on him, getting used to his newfound freedom.
She sets her kamera on the blanket laid on the sand. Nahida’s lips quirk into a playful grin. She shouts, “Race you to the water!” before she takes off without a proper count down.
His head turns sharply. “Cheater!” he shouts back. He feels his competitiveness take over as he chases after her. Was he making himself look like a fool chasing after a kid two apples shorter than him?
Absolutely.
But he was doing this because he refused to lose to a cheater. The fact that he was laughing had nothing to do with it.
Her short legs don’t get her very far. Before she can protest, he catches up and lifts her effortlessly, carrying her the rest of the way until his feet touch the water first.
“Hey! This isn’t fair!” she shouts trying to sound upset but her giggles give her away. He places her down beside him where the water is halfway below her knees.
Wanderer sticks out his tongue as he reasons, “You started it.”
Nahida kicks her feet up, splashing water onto his chest in defiance. “Take that you overgrown cat!”
“I wouldn’t be talking if I were you, RADISH.”
They quickly end up in a splashing battle, both getting drenched. She’s kicking her feet as quick as she can, sending large splatters his way while Wanderer uses his arms to push splashes that fall on her face. The sun is high against the sky and the sound of their laughter and namecalling fill the empty beach.
The waves start getting stronger, both unaware as they distract each other. One moment, Nahida is laughing beside him. The next, he sees her face first in the water.
Wanderer’s heart drops before he even has time to think. His body moves faster than his mind, reaching for her and pulling her back into his arms. He carries her to a shallow area closer to the sand. He kneels in front of her, his grip lingering as she coughs for a few seconds.
“Nahida. Are you okay?” he asks, voice laced with concern and coming out sharper than he intended. She blinks at him in silence. Once, twice, thrice, before releasing a loud laugh.
…It’s his turn to blink at her.
“Well that was a surprise! I didn’t know the wave could sweep me off my feet like that!” Wanderer shakes his head as a small chuckle escapes him too. “That scared the crap out of me. We need to keep an eye on the waves next time,” he gently concludes.
Nahida takes a hold of his right hand. “There! I won’t fall next time if I’m holding on to you,” She cheers as she leads him back into the water. Her eyes shine with that gleam again. The one she has when her mind is set. Wanderer supposes he may be losing another battle against her, this time in the water.
______
“Traveler! Guess what letter Paimon found in the mail!” The flying fairy zoomed past and swirled excitedly around their head. They had already departed for their next nation, Snezhnaya, and were currently staying at an inn. The cold winds and weather was on a whole other level and the pair spent the afternoon finding the proper warm clothing to withstand the harsh winter snow.
“Judging from the green seal, I’m guessing someone from Sumeru sent it,” Traveler said with a laugh as Paimon quickly opened the letter. Paimon let out a loud gasp. “It’s from Nahida!”
The two read through the neatly written letter, smiling as they learn of Nahida and Wanderer’s vacation. As they reach the end of it, a cackle erupts from the Traveler and Paimon bursts into laughter.
Safe to say, the next time Wanderer entered the Traveler’s serenitea pot, he found himself staring at a framed picture of himself frowning with a fish tail and Nahida beaming in the corner.