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Cyno crosses his arms. For the second time, Venti chuckles.
‘I said I was sorry, didn’t I?’
‘Hm.’
‘I even organised your cards by colour.’
‘... That’s not how they go.’
‘Oh. Whoops! Heh.’
The Traveller is still busy sorting their own deck. Cyno abides the atmosphere just outside The Cat’s Tail with an extra-heavy awareness of his own body. He is his like peers– except for the one in front of him.
Venti sneezes, rubs the skin under his irritated nose.
Just when Cyno is about to head inside–
‘How about a game?’
He glances back. Venti seems utterly delighted.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Noelle regards Beidou with a kindly humility.
‘I… wasn’t trying to show off,’ she says, rolling the sleeve back over her arm. She picks up the gauntlet she removed when she sat for the arm wrestling challenge.
Beidou shakes herself from her amazement. A grin replaces the surprise that already has Noelle beginning to blush.
‘My apologies. Sincerely.’
Beidou shakes her head. She shakes out the tingling from her hand. ‘Where did you get those muscles?’
‘Oh. I’m just a simple maid.’
‘There’s no “simple” about it,’ disagrees Beidou.
Noelle smiles. ‘... You think so?’
‘The melody is mathematically sound. However, music will not help me in my guarding of–’
‘Yeah! Isn’t it somethin’ else?’
The Shogun subsides. She knows enough to interpret the flushed cheeks on Xinyan’s face and the pitter-patter of the heart beneath her skin as… joy. That is what joy looks like.
Xinyan plays another flourish of chords on her guitar. The Shogun cannot help herself; her eyes narrow as she calculates the Golden Ratio from the music.
‘... By most standards, you would be called “talented”.’
‘Aw, shucks! Thanks!’
Then, Xinyan puts the Shogun’s hands on the guitar.
‘Now your turn.’
The little tool of the Shuumatsuban, the shinobi on the puppet strings, flutters her sleepy eyelashes at Wanderer.
‘What?’ he demands. ‘I have no interest in brats. Begone.’
She does exactly the opposite: before the pitter-patter of rain can grow too heavy, Sayu gathers next to him.
She sighs as she takes shelter under the brim of his hat.
‘Impetuous,’ curses Wanderer. Sayu does not answer.
He extends a hand out to feel the skyfall upon his reborn skin.
… A child caught in this weather would undoubtedly become sick.
‘Tch,’ he mutters, dismissing the old memories.
Sayu’s eyes close.
Klee’s been here before. The one standing before her might not be Master Jean, but the anger in her rigid stance is the same.
The one sitting next to her might not be Bennett or Razor – and actually, he’s a lot bigger – but he curls his nails into his palms just the same.
The lady with the black hair is lecturing them with big words that Klee doesn’t quite understand. She knows what anger sounds like. She doesn’t like it.
Klee sniffs. Loudly, Itto says, ‘Psst!’
They exchange a glance. The big man winks.
‘Three… two… one…’
Klee leaps.
‘RUN!’
‘You make these blends yourself?’
‘With the assistance of my little helpers.’
Keqing pauses to bring the cup close to her nose, wafting in the aroma of the Valberry and Mint tea. ‘Impressive.’
‘Tea is always better brewed fresh,’ Lisa demurs. She is warming her hands around the fine china. ‘It’s good of you to come, dear.’
‘I had business with the Acting Grandmaster.’ Keqing smiles. ‘I can spare five minutes to visit my pen pal.’
‘Oh? I thought we were “tea pals”.’
Mulling the idea with the notes of tea on her tongue, Keqing finally says:
‘Friends, either way.’
Diona will never have the natural grace put on display by this lady dancer. Nilou doesn’t have the sensitive ears sitting atop her head. There’s no weighty tail bouncing behind her at all times.
Watching Nilou perform puts Diona back in mind of how afraid she is to grow up.
So when Nilou comes over, she already has a hiss waiting in her mouth. ‘Aren’t you embarrassed?’ derides Diona, though she hates herself for it.
Nilou stops short. ‘What?’
‘Of that dance! That’s so embarrassing.’
But Nilou doesn’t get defensive. She smiles.
‘Well… why not join me and find out?’
In another life, the Madame Signora smirks in the face of the Yashiro Commissioner.
In another life, she withdraws her beautiful wiles to reveal the bramble patch of thorns beneath.
In another life, she says to Ayato first, ‘Your Archon does not have long left in this world. But you won’t shed a single tear?’
Ayato can do nothing but smile and unfurl his hands. ‘Regrettably, it is not my job to perform international relations.’
‘Hm. Not a bad answer.’
If she liked, she could kick him aside.
Rather, the Harbinger says: ‘I like a man who knows his place.’
‘In Liyue, it is not unexpected for a person to wear many genders. They serve a purpose.’
Kaveh is already leaning forward in their chair. Their nails spread across the whorled wood. ‘And?’
‘... No one would begrudge a man taking the form of a woman; a woman, that of a man; or a singular person who flows between like water. Historically, the Geo Archon Rex Lapis did much the same.’
Zhongli feels a kind of fond amusement when they see Kaveh’s eyes widen.
Any storyteller enjoys an enraptured audience.
‘Yes? Well, keep going, then! Don’t keep me waiting!’
‘Let’s see…’
Collei nocks her next arrow. Her grip is trembling.
Nahida frames the apple high on the tree with her fingers.
‘On your mark…’ murmurs Collei, ‘Get set… g-go!’
Her arrow flies. Nahida averts her attention to watch its trajectory… and, yes. This one will do.
She holds her hands a little too wide apart; as such, Collei pierces the apple before she can pull it to herself.
The apple thunks against the tree on its downward path. Collei peels open her eyes.
‘Wait,’ she breathes. ‘Wait. I actually– got it?’
Nahida claps for her.
‘Well done, Collei.’
‘... I finally did it!’