You had been nothing but a ball of stress for the past few weeks, mentally overloaded and physically tense. Life had been a bit crazy lately with no sign of a break in sight, and you were so damn done with it all now. Something had to be done about the tension that gripped at your soul and muscles.

Reaching for your phone from where you lay slumped over on your couch, you grabbed in and plopped it down on your chest, pushing a couple prompts on the screen before the speed-dial image for Belle popped up. You set your phone to speaker and returned to lounging, waiting for her answer. She had been gone for quite some time doing work in Failume Heights, and while it sucked to not have one of your closest friends nearby, you know she'd always be a phone call away. She always had good advice, and a good sense of humour to keep you from overthinking too much. Truly, you did now know what you would do without her.

Your phone rang her for only a couple seconds before she quickly picked up, wondering what you were up to right away. She was always quick to answer.

"Hey Belle! I'm not up to much, I hate to say." You chuckled dryly. "I've been under so much stress lately."

"Oh no! C'mon, that's no good. What's got you feeling so stressed?" She asked, sounding quite concerned over the phone.

"Just… life. Things are stressful, and I have a heap of responsibilities I would much rather just forget about." You groaned. "I was hoping you'd have some recommendations for destressing; if you have any at all, that is."

"Oh I definitely have some suggestions for you to try!" She exclaimed, quite happy that you came to her. "I've been so busy training here that I'm inclined to recommend some guided meditation to you. How does that sound?"

"Guided meditation, hey?"

"Yeah! It's nice to have someone there to keep you on track, just in case you get distracted. I've done some guided meditation myself while staying here, so I think you'd really benefit from it." She explained to you.

"Hmmm, okay. I think I'll take you up on that suggestion." You agreed. "Do you know any good instructors?"

"As a matter of fact, I know the perfect instructor for you! You know him too~" She hummed.

"I do? Who?"

You could practically hear her grinning behind the phone, near silent chuckles slipping out as she answered you. "You'll have to come find out~! Do you have enough free time for a trip to Failume Heights?"

"Do I have time? Hah, I work on commission just like you, proxy. I've got nothing but time. Work follows me." You laughed, pushing yourself up onto your elbows.

"Perfect! When is the soonest you think you can be here? Any time is a good time; I'll be here to receive you."

"Does tomorrow sound good?" You asked.

"Tomorrow?! Can you get here that quickly from the city?" Belle asked again just to be sure.

"I can do an overnight airship trip. The last one leaves around sunset, so I can be there for a visit by the morning." You told her.

"Damn, that's awesome! We haven't seen each other in so long so this will be an amazing visit. I'm so excited to see you again!" She exclaimed.

"Heh, I'm excited to see you again too." You chuckled. "I'm equally as excited to find some zen and peace when I visit too. I need a break from this damn city."

"I'm sure you'll find that and more. Failume Heights is a lively place." She hummed. "Think like Lumina Square, but lot's of elevation changes. You'll still feel right at home I think!"

"You sound like you have some plans." You chuckled. "Okay, I have to go buy myself an overnight airship ticket. I'll see you in the morning!"

"See ya!"

You hung up and tossed your phone back onto your side table so you could push yourself up into a proper sitting position and have a good twist and stretch. Once you felt less stiff, you let out a sigh and picked up your phone again, quickly ordering an overnight flight ticket to Failume Heights.

"I guess I should pack some things." You told yourself, slipping your phone into your pocket as you stood up.

With a new goal in mind, you went into your room and filled a bag with enough clothes for a couple days stay and any necessities. You haven't left the confines of your cozy apartment near Sixth Street for anything leisurely in months, so you were admittedly quite exited to be taking a trip for yourself. You wanted a relaxing trip away from home; one without any ethereals or hollows preferably. You loved your work and how adventurous it was, but just this once you wanted some peace. Whoever was guiding you, you hoped they were calm and kind. If you knew them, they had to be. Belle wouldn't set you up with someone incompatible.

"Alright, I think that's everything." You sighed as you zipped up your bag. "The airship leaves in a few hours… I think I have time for a snack before I go."

Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you made your way out of your apartment complex and detoured to Sixth Street for a quick bite to eat. General Chop was still open thankfully, all the seats unoccupied. A peaceful parting meal was definitely needed, and you excitedly sat to order your usual and have some casual conversation before you left. When your bowl was nearly empty, you called for a cab to swing by and pick you up at the corner by Enzo's shop. It arrived right on time as you paid for your meal, running off down the street to catch your ride to the airstrip. To say you were excited would be an understatement. You were beaming.

The whole trip was quite peaceful with little to no traffic jams on the way to the air strip. Once there, the sun had almost completely set by then. Not many people took such late flights, so when you boarded the airship you found it to be quite spacious with plenty of seating available; enough to allow you to sit alone without anyone nearby. That gave you an opportunity to have one of the best nights sleep ever under the stars and dimly lit room, a small blanket offered to you by staff just before you dozed off.

By the time you woke again, the sun was just barely poking out from between the mountains on the horizon, waking you with it's golden glow. The airship had began it's descent; perfect timing with how you slept. You had a good stretch in your seat before you folded the blanket up and placed it on the seat next to you, standing up to stretch a little more. When you tried to reach down to grab your bag from the floor, you lost your balance and had to grip onto the row of chairs to stabilize yourself due to the airship descending. You were quick to sit back down after that, waiting until the given signal to stand and exit. Luckily, your ticket included a paid cab ride to Failume Heights; a driver already waiting for you outside to take you the rest of the way. On that short trip over to the cable car station, you sent Belle a text that you were almost there and that you would meet her at the entrance to Suibian Temple.

"Here we are." The cab driver spoke up, breaking your mutually shared silence.

"Ah, thank you!" You nodded, exiting the vehicle. "Safe travels!" You said as you left a tip, turning to take the cable car down into the city.

"Kind as ever, you never change~" A familiar voice rang out. You nearly ran into the owner of that voice, quickly realizing it was Belle that stood before you.

"Uwah! Belle- what are you doing up here?!" You said with a startled tone, stumbling back a bit.

"Heh, gotcha!" She hummed.

"I texted you like five minutes ago. It's also super early in the morning!" You laughed, calming yourself.

"My time here has admittedly turned me into a bit of an early riser at times," She told you.

"Damn. You've been trained well." You teased, nudging her with your elbow and sharing a laugh. "Do you think that instructor of yours is available at such an early hour as well?"

"He absolutely is!" Belle chimed. "However, he is a bit busy at the moment. He'll swing by in a bit to introduce himself! I'm honestly surprised you haven't guessed by now~""

"I'm tired and stressed Belle, don't ask me to use my brain." You groaned. "Do you have a plan while we wait?"

"Luckily for you I do have one! That's why I'm here after all~" She hummed. "Let's go down to the Temple and drop off your things first. I was thinking of taking you for some morning tea if you weren't too tired after your trip; something to help start your day in a relaxing way now that you're here."

"I would love that." You replied with a smile. "I slept on the way here, so I'm not too tired."

"Perfect! Then let's go already, c'mon!" Belle said with excitement, grabbing your hand and dragging you along into the next available cable car.

Belle's joy and excitement was infectious, bringing a smile to your face as she babbled on about all the intense adventures she'd been on since she left for training. Proxy life was never dull, and you happily listened to her stories as she walked you through the streets of Failume Heights and straight into Suibian Temple. It was still quiet from how early in the morning it was; only a few people were awake and doing some morning exercises or cleaning. Belle led you to a spare room and set you up to stay, saving you from spending any dennies on a hotel room. You hadn't even asked if she could do that for you.

"Thanks, Belle. I forgot to even ask if you knew a good place to stick me while I'm here." You said. "Thanks for keeping my wallet in mind."

She laughed at your comment as you unpacked your things. "It's the least I can do! You came here to relax, so I'm gonna make sure you relax properly."

"Heh, thanks." You sighed, "So, are you ready for that morning tea? You admittedly got me excited for that." and turned to Belle with your hands on your hips.

"Of course~! Coming right up! I made us a little reservation before I came to get you, so Sweety should be expecting us soon." She told you, stepping outside with a hand extended for you to join her.

Happy that someone had a plan for you this time, you followed and gently linked your fingers with hers, letting her tug you out of the temple and out into the main square. She slowed down this time and let you look around as you followed by her side, answering any of your curious questions about the city as you went. There was so much to take in, all of it incredible and beautiful. Even the looming edge of Lemnian Hollow looked gorgeous when you looked out across the sea from the guard rail. Belle had to give you a couple of gentle tugs at your sleeve to get your attention again and remind you that your tummy was growling for a morning snack, and not just for fun either. Eventually she got you under the roof of Yum Cha Sin's outdoor patio, the smell of fresh food being prepared drifting through the air.

"Belle! You're finally here~!" Sweety sand out as she approached. "Ah! And you've finally brought your friend back to visit!"

"Hey Sweety!" Belle greeted. "It's about time they came back, hey? I hope you have your best tea leaves available to serve. This is the start of a relaxing vacation after all!"

"Of course! Have a seat outside and I'll be serving you personally this morning. Since we're having a day to destress, I'll be sure to give you my best hospitality." Sweety said with a wink before disappearing back inside.

"Wow, she never disappoints with her service. Is she always this good? Every time?" You asked as you sat down with Belle.

"Yup! That's just how things are here." Belle hummed. "I hope you're hungry, because I requested some extra snacks to compliment our tea this morning."

"You've read my mind perfectly. I'm famished." You laughed.

The morning was quite calm, yet full of life. When Sweety returned with your snacks and tea, the delicious aroma filled your nostrils and cleared your head of any initial stressful thoughts, your current worries melting away. The osmanthus cakes were delicious, bringing smiles to both yours and Belle's faces as you indulged in the morning's delights. You lingered there even after you finished your tea, chatting away with Sweety as the sun rose higher into the sky. Only after Belle's phone pinged a message did your attention get pulled from the conversation, seeing her screen light up on the table between you.

"Ooo, hey! That's your instructor letting me know he's done his morning duties. He'll be here soon!" She hummed, messaging him back.

"Are you gonna tell me who he is yet, or just keep me in suspense this whole time?" You asked playfully.

"He'll be here very soon. You can wait, can't ya~?"

"Ugh, fine. I'll play your little waiting game." You sighed. "You owe me another osmanthus cake though."

"I think we can work something out for that, right Sweety?" Belle asked.

"I think we can indeed~" She agreed, already having brought you and Belle some freshly made ones. "There are on the house; as a welcome back gift."

"Oh you are the best."

You shared a few more laughs with each other as you snacked on your fresh treat, nearly forgetting that you had come here for a purpose. That purpose came stomping your way after a few minutes, grabbing the attention of Belle right away. She lit up and waved at the figure approaching from behind, earning a curious glance from you.

"What are you-" You paused as you turned around. "Oh my god, Banyue?!"

"The same Banyue you met back when you first visited; and the same one I saw you looking waaay too long at when we went fishing at Port Elpis~" She told you, quietly leaning in to whisper the last bit at you.

"Belle!" You scolded.

"It is good to see you again Belle, [y/n]." Banyue greeted, sounding just as formal as always.

"It's been a bit since we last saw each other. I'm surprised you remember me." You said.

"I don't think I could forget the face of Belle's good friend who almost got tugged into the sea when fishing at the port." Banyue recalled. "Were you able to replace your fishing rod since then?"

You started to blush instantly, cheeks hot with embarrassment. "You remember me too well. Oh dear."

"Hah! That was pretty funny, c'mon~. If he wasn't there to catch you and pull you back you would've been going for a swim that day." Belle teased.

"Guuuuys, you're supposed to be helping me destress, not the opposite." You groaned as you turned back around to stare into the crumbs on your plate.

"Sorry, sorry~" Belle apologized. "It was a good memory! I get you though, no more teasing~"

"Thank you."

"So sorry for the reminder. I know I was called to help you, not give you hell." Banyue told you, a hint of a chuckle in his tone.

"Yeah, you fiends." You huffed. "So… you teach more than just martial arts at your school then? You do meditation classes too?"

"Indeed. Calming the soul is also an important part of the martial arts." He pointed out.

"True, true. You make a very good point." You mumbled. "It'll be one on one right? I don't think… I can handle a room full of people right now."

Banyue noticed how you tensed up at the mere thought of being in the presence of others, moving to reassure you with a nod. "Yes, it will just be us. I shuffled around the schedule a bit to give you the most peaceful environment. Not even cleaners will be where we will go."

"Thanks. That means a lot." You sighed, your shoulders visibly relaxing.

"Now, I know you've just arrived, but I would recommend a morning meditation. It's still quiet, and the cool air would air your relaxation much better than the city air." He suggested.

"I would recommend it too!" Belle nodded. "We've arguably had the perfect snack for a good long meditation too. You should take advantage of this moment together~"

"Heh, alright, I gotcha. Whatever you say, Shifu." You said playfully to Belle, swearing you saw sparkles in her eyes before you looked back at Banyue. "Is your school far?"

"Not far at all." He answered. "I can lead the way, and we'll be there quite quickly. Did you need to bring anything from here before we go?"

"Nope. I shouldn't need anything, and I've got my phone on me already." You said with a thumbs up.

"Let us depart then. It's quite a beautiful walk to the school." He said, waiting for you to follow.

"Go on~" Belle teased.

"Oh shush. I already came all the way here didn't I?" You scoffed, sticking your tongue out at her before giving a small but respectful bow to Sweety. "Your hospitality has been amazing. I'll be sure to come again on any future visits!"

"Heh, thank you~" Sweety hummed, truly appreciating your compliments.

"Alright, lead the way, Banyue Shifu."

You saw his tail flick with joy, even if he held his composure well enough everywhere else. They all really loved newcomers for this reason, and you totally understood it. Keeping your chuckled quiet, you followed Banyue back to his personal temple for that meditation lesson. He was right; it was gorgeous the whole walk there, and you filled him in on what's been stressing you out so much lately so he could better help you. He listened attentively and noted all your concerns, keeping up some casual conversation with you to try and direct your thoughts away from the negative spiral they wanted to go down. He was incredibly good at keeping you grounded, even when you didn't realize your mind was losing it's footing. It had been so long since you last saw him that you forgot how much you enjoyed his company.

Lost in thought, you had hardly noticed your arrival at the smaller temple that Banyue taught at. You only noticed when you tripped on the front step, nearly falling forwards into the stone path. Luckily, Banyue was swift and caught you by your waist to prevent you from stumbling and breaking your nose.

"T-thanks." You stammered.

"Perhaps you should consider some balance training too. You've got quite a habit of falling around me." He joked as he balanced you upright again.

You were busy remembering how gentle his hand was despite his stature, nearly forgetting to reply to him as you stumbled over your words. "Oh ha ha. You were the one distracting me, Shifu."

He hummed thoughtfully as you shot him a pouty look, and you just knew that if the structure of his face plates would allow it, he would be smirking at you.

"In this case, I think a distraction is good. That means you're relaxing." He pointed out. "Though if I'm the distraction, do you think you can focus through a meditation class?"

"You— you're teasing me again, aren't you?" You scoffed as your cheeks shifted to a bright pink colour. "Of course I can focus."

He hummed. "We shall see, my easily flustered disciple."

Banyue led you into the temple using more playful banter to get you to follow along with him. He found it to be quite cute how you reacted to his teasing, quickly realizing that he too missed your company quite a bit; that or he really liked to calmly mess with you. Your banter with him was arguably adorable, and he almost didn't want to start the class of calm and silence with you. Alas, that's what you requested, and came all the way here for.

When he brought you into the grand hall where most of his classes took place, you finally stopped bickering with him to take in how beautiful the place was. It was entirely naturally lit, and you stopped to admire it from the center of the room, losing track of Banyue as he continued on. By the time you noticed he wasn't next to you anymore, he had positioned himself by another door, gesturing for you to follow inside.

"So you can be formal with me." You huffed as you approached him.

"Yes, I can. It's just less fun is all."

You rolled your eyes at him before you entered the east facing room, dimly lit by the many sheer curtains draped over the single window. At the center of the room was a small table with an incense diffuser, a disk player sitting in the corner of the room with some half-descent speakers hooked up to it. It was much cozier than the grand hall, filling up quite nicely when Banyue slid the screen door shut.

"Now this is cozy." You commented.

"I prepared this room in advance, right before I came to get you. The only think I haven't done is light any incense or pick any music. Those I wanted to leave for you to choose." He informed you.

"Heh, you really are quite soft." You chuckled.

"Many of my students would disagree with you."

"They just don't get to see this side of you at all. They'll change their mind eventually I'm sure." You said. "So, if I said I wanted you to pick the music while I pick the incense, would you be okay with that?"

"Of course. I'm here to tailor the environment to your liking. If you trust my music choice, I shall give it." He nodded.

While you picked through the incense powders available, Banyue put a soothing instrumental track on, turning the volume down a little as the delightful melody filled the room. Soon you had picked out the incense you liked the best and filled the diffuser, lighting the end and covering the small brass pot with it's vented lid.

"You picked good." You told him.

"As did you. Now, are you ready to practice meditation?" Banyue asked, sitting down on one side of the small table.

"Yeah. I'm ready to let go of the stress that's been weighing down on me for months." You sighed, sitting down across from him.

From that point on, your interactions slipped into lesson mode, starting with deep breaths in, then out. Banyue instructed you on where to hold your hands as you emptied your mind, drifting away with the calm melody that played in the background. At first, things were going well. Your mind was completely empty, drawing a peaceful blank as you channeled your calm energy through your hands and into your body. One irritating thought somehow slipped through that peaceful zen though, quietly nagging in the back of your mind. When you eventually lost your focus, your hands began to shake slightly; something Banyue noticed right away.

"Is everything alright?" He asked as quietly as he could.

"Mmm… sort of. I just remembered something… Stupid." You answered with a sigh.

"You're shaking."

"Am I? Damn…"

Banyue reached out and held your hands in his; your hands resting open in his while he pressed his thumbs into the center of your palms. They were warm, and you were surprised to discover how warm his metallic thumbs really were against your skin. The pressure alone stopped your hands from shaking, but a new noticeable ailment had arisen for Banyue to notice just as quickly.

"Your heart rate… It is unusually fast for you." He commented.

"Tsk, can you seriously feel my heart beat through my palms?" You complained.

"I can, yes. Your cheeks are quite red too. Are you sure you're alright?" He asked once more.

You groaned, debating on your choice of words for the moment. This was truly such a silly situation to be stuck in, yet here you were. Your thoughts had gone from being worried about personal stresses to a much more silly, but far less stressful concern.

"Geez, well, it's kinda hard for someone to control their heart rate when their crush is holding their hands." You told him after clearing your throat.

Banyue sat there completely frozen for a moment, slowly processing what you had just said. After a couple moments of dissecting your wording, he lifted his thumbs, suddenly looking quite nervous as he slowly dropped his hands to let yours go.

"S-sorry, did you just imply that you… have a crush on me?" He asked you tentatively with a soft stemmer to his tone.

"Imply, confess… same thing in this situation, I think." You confirmed with a nervous chuckle. "I have for a while honestly…"

"I… forgive me for asking this but… why are you not afraid of me, or angered by me? I was built and designed for war…"

"Mmm, I'm just like that." You shrugged. "Personally I don't understand how people think they can't fall in love with a construct. That to me is the real weird thing."

"Love…" Banyue repeated quietly.

"A-ah, sorry, I didn't mean to use that word. I shouldn't throw that term around…" You apologized.

"It's alright… So long as you meant what you said, that is."

You watched him closely with wide eyes before you swallowed and slowly nodded. With your confirmation, you could swear you heard some cooling fans kicking in to run a little faster and keep him cool.

"For how log have you felt this way?"

"Truthfully… a couple weeks after we were first introduced. I really knew it by the time we had that trip to Port Elpis though." You admitted. "I just ignored it, and I wasn't sure about how to talk about it until now.

"… Well, there's a reason I was excited to be the one to support you when Belle asked." He told you. "As soon as I heard you needed help, I… wanted to be the one to provide it."

"Selfishness and love…" You mumbled to yourself. "Yeah, you couldn't be just a war construct if you tried. Your intentions are too warm. Forgive me, I can't help this."

You pushed yourself up onto your knees and leaned forwards to place a brief but sweet kiss on his face plate where his mouth was. In that short moment when you pulled back, you saw the usually yellow lights on his body change to a pink colour, his tail flicking behind him in a happy manner.

"S-sorry, That felt like the only way to get you to believe me when I said I had feelings for you. Being a construct doesn't change anything."

"No that's— it's quite alright, actually…" Banyue paused, still glowing pink. "Your hands are no longer shaking."

"H-huh?"

"Your hands." He repeated, lifting his much larger ones back up to hold yours again. "Your heart beat too. Heavy, but steady. If… if you wished to have a more effective, more consistent stress relief method… You could come back more often, maybe even, I-I mean, you could…" He sighed deeply, something you didn't even know he had the capability to do. "Damn."

"Did you just cuss?" You snorted, the awkward tension melting away entirely for you. "I've never heard you say 'damn' before."

"There are… many words I've gotten used to using that I haven't before. Love is one I would like to start using more frequently too." He told you, his voice so soft you almost didn't hear him.

Your eyes sparkled as you looked up at him, surprised to hear his positive response. "So if I requested to stay a while longer…"

"I don't think Belle would mind." He nodded.

"She's gonna tease me as payment." You groaned. "But… if I can escape back here for a moment, I think I'll be fine. I know the way now."

"Heh, I can try and ask her to be gentle with the teasing." He suggested. "You really do make it seem so effortless to feel this way. I want to… explore this with you; this feeling that warms my core, and for some reason won't let me alter the glow of my systems to anything but reds or pinks… Mmm…"

His frustration with not being able to hide how flustered he was made you laugh, shaking your head a bit before you pushed on his palms to lean up and kiss his cheek this time, finding it to be much warmer to the touch this time around. Banyue even allowed one of his hands to drift over to your waist, holding you in place so you didn't fall on the still smoking incense.

"The calm you've brought me is worth any price I pay." You hummed, balancing so very close to him you could feel the static. "You are my peace and zen, I just hadn't realized it yet."

"Neither of us realized it. You have to visit more often." He huffed.

"That, I can do. Belle might tease me, but it's worth it if it means I can spend the rest of my time with you."

"Are you sure you won't mind my teasing?" He asked.