Just a silly tomato from Getlini no biggie

Vedrfolnir was an enigma to her; at times he was quiet, the next he would be chatting up a storm to her, talking about various things he's seen and heard in his long life. He wasn’t a bad conversation partner; he always seemed to be listening when she talked and responded in various ways, sometimes even giving her a glimpse into the future she worried about. Yet other times she could hear pain and longing in his voice when he talked to her a bit about his homeland.

Speaking of that, she had compiled a sort of makeshift clue board where she placed various notes about things she had learned about him. The biggest clue she had was his name - Vedrfolnir; it was neither modern nor a dialect of one of the languages spoken on Teyvat. At first she thought it was perhaps an old Mondstadtian name, then perhaps Snezhnayan, but none of the books she had perused while in the library had a name bearing any resemblance to it. 

Then there were things he had said about his homeland. “It was a lonesome place, dark and looming; sometimes when I stared up above, it felt like the walls would collapse in on me. But we were lucky to be born one of the few lucky ones who possessed wealth that could make us pretend it wasn't so desolate.”

That made her think of the lost civilisation of Enkanomiya. She had heard of it, how the whole country was underground, beneath Watatsumi Island. Perhaps with the ban being lifted, she could visit and explore. Shouldn't it be too hard to get a permit, right?

'What are you thinking about, little bird?’

“Little bird? What's with the nicknames, getting bored of saying my name?” She asked, having stopped chewing on her pen as she stared at the board.

‘Am I wrong though? You seem to be flying all around, further and further from your nest.’ He mused; she could practically see him lounging on her bed, feet up like a giggling schoolgirl.

“And here I thought you would appreciate being stuck to someone who loves moving around.”

‘Stuck implies that you can’t get rid of me. And you love to remind me that you will chuck me into the ocean for Osial to choke on whenever you find me bothersome.’

“Not my fault you reek of the abyss and love bothering me in moments where I can’t respond to you.”

‘Reek is a choice of a word you used. Truly nothing better came into your mind?’

“Right, I forgot that you were a pretty boy in the past.” She could practically hear him gleam at her words. Truly, he was an enigma. “Anyways, I was thinking of taking a trip to Inazuma and maybe visit Enkanomiya.”

‘Oh, the lost civilisation of the sun children, what do you hope to accomplish there?’

“Don't know, maybe there's something there that will help you?” She asked, face flushing as she got nervous.

‘Oh, how sweet, you’re thinking of how to help me. Of all people who could have found me, who knew I would get so lucky.’

“I can also not go anywhere and let you stay sealed!” Flushing even harder, she yelled at him. She did not sign up to get teased by him for trying to be kind.

‘Haha, relax, I meant no harm, truly. I’m just stating how lucky I am to have been found by someone so kind.’ Vedrfolnir laughed as she stomped around her room, randomly adjusting things, pretending to not be flustered. ‘But Enkanomiya, huh. Let me see what I can see in your future.’

(Y/N) continued to pace around the house, tidying up a few things, waiting for Vedrfolnir to come back.

‘I think that is a good decision; I do see some trouble happening there, but you should be fine if you listen to me when it happens.’ Vedrfolnir explained, startling her a little as she had gotten lost in her actions.

“Alright, then I’ll head to the Adventurers guild and look into it.”

‘Wonderful, let's get going then!’

“Wait now?” She gaped and stared down at the necklace as if he could see her expression.

‘No time like the present, as they say.’ He sounded too cheerful in her opinion.

Groaning, she padded back to her room and threw on some presentable clothes, making sure she looked socially acceptable, grabbed her bag, making sure she had all of her documents and left the house.  Even in the evening, Liyue was just as busy. While the day was loud and overwhelming, the evenings and nights of Liyue Harbour were calm and relaxed. The once loud streets calmed down even if the number of people stayed the same; the music became softer and warm lights illuminated the streets and bridges. Of all the cities and countries she had been in, Liyue Harbour was one of her favourites. The people were fair, upheld their ends of the deals, and you could always count on everything to be warm and at times a little chaotic. The people she met always treated her nicely and welcomed her into their lives whenever she stopped by for a moment. For such a lonesome person like her, such little interactions meant a lot to her.

Walking through the maze-like streets and bridges, she finally found her way to the other side of the town to the Adventurers Guild. There she saw a few adventurers coming and going, either getting new commissions or reporting back on their finished ones. She always respected and admired the group; they were usually a fair and helpful bunch, always up to give a helping hand or welcome her in while they crossed paths. Katherine, and even others, had offered her a position among them a few times. But she always declined them, stating that she preferred to work alone and untied to a single organisation. Mostly because some of her clients weren’t exactly well received by the general population. But she didn't care, so long as they paid and showed genuine interest in the historic relics and data she collected.

“Ad astra abyssosque, Adventurer, what can I do for you today?” Katherine greeted her with a little polite wave.

“Hello Katherine, I have an odd request for you. Do you know if any groups or individuals are planning on going to Enkanomiya in the near future?” 

“I can check, but I haven't heard of anyone mentioning anything.” (Y/N) let Katherine check the records.

“You’re in luck; there does seem to be a notice from Sumeru that a scholar is planning to make a group to go there,” Katherine informed her, passing the notice paper to her. “It’s not particularly soon; you would have to wait a few months for everything to be accepted and organised. Would that work for you?”

Mulling it over for a moment, she accepted and signed the needed documents on her end.

“As it draws closer, you’ll need to come back and fill out more paperwork. Also, you have a vision, right?”

“Yup, an electro vision to boot, pretty lucky huh?” She flashed it to Katherin, grinning a little. “Is one needed or something?”

“No, but it is in the notes that people should know how to fight or use elemental mastery to participate. I’ll note it down that you’re accomplished in various areas and can handle your own.”

A few more words later, she departed and made her way to the market; she could at least peruse the streets and maybe buy something that catches her eye.

‘I didn’t know you’re a vision holder.’ Vedrfolnir spoke a little after she left the guild booth.

“Oh yeah, I got it a while after I left home. Can’t say I know what I did to earn it. But it's there, and it has kept me safe.” (Y/N) picked it up from its place hanging off of her belt.

‘Interesting, I can’t say I ever saw it in my visions. Do you not use it regularly?’

“I mean I do when I need to,” she whispered as she walked down the path to the market. “How do you see me in the future? I mean, do you know what I look like?”

‘I see it from your point of view, sometimes snippets from another person's view. And no, I can’t say I know what you look like, so no need to worry your pretty little head about that.’

‘Such a charmer,’ she thought, rolling her eyes, starting to look through the vendor booths. 

There wasn't too much she wanted or needed; she kept regular maintenance with her belongings so nothing needed replacing, and most of the time she lived a pretty minimalistic lifestyle. Her house wasn't too bare; that is to say, if anything, it was more cluttered than other places she had lived in. Most of the time she stayed in hotels or guest houses and, of course, spent a lot of time living in the wild. There was even a time when she had made a home in a horse-drawn carriage. The only reason she stopped was that the horse had gotten old and she had decided to give it to a farmer she knew. All of that is to say, she had grown to like the permanence of staying in one place. But she couldn't deny that a big part of her longed to travel again, even if she had just recently gotten back from the Chasm. 

The market was full of vendors even so late, most probably getting ahead of the night market hustle and crowds. There were the classic food markets, where she couldn't resist getting a few items for later - she had gotten into the habit of describing new things to Vedrfolnir, and he particularly liked hearing about the cuisine. Then there were the merchants who sold decorations, items of all kinds and many jewels. One thing she had noticed was how Vedrfolnir's necklace stood out on her, and not in a good way either. Perhaps some accessories would catch her eye, and she could blend it into her outfit better. Maybe take a page out of some of the fashionable people she saw and knew in Liyue Harbour. 

One stall in particular held her attention as she browsed through the jewellery available. There were a few items that stood out: a golden bracelet with colourful gemstone beads in various shades of blue and a pair of gold earrings with similar coloured stones hanging from them. To her, they looked almost eye-like, which was funny and quite ironic to her.

“Oh, thinking of treating yourself to some jewellery, Miss (Y/N),” Director Hu’s voice chimed from behind her. While deep in thought, Hu Tao and two others had snuck up on her.

“Ah, Miss Hu, you startled me! But yes, I thought it was time I got something nice for myself,” (Y/N) explained, waving to her in a polite greeting.

She had met the intriguing director of Wangshen Funeral Parlour a few times during her stay in Liyue after having been pointed to seek out her consultant, Mr Zhongli. The pair were truly odd to the archaeologist; Miss Hu was always promoting her business in the most peculiar ways, and her assistant was no better with his seemingly infinite and oddly personal-sounding information regarding Liyue's broad history.

“Those truly are quite exquisite-looking earrings you’re holding. Are you thinking of matching them to the necklace you’re wearing?” A soft-spoken lady spoke to her; she wore heavy clothes with intricate embroidery designs. Her hair was let loose but covered by a headpiece that symbolised her importance to the arts of Liyue. It didn't take long for her to recognise her as the Opera performer YunJin.

“That was the plan, I just don't know what to get. I mean I’ve narrowed it down to these two, but now I’m stuck,” (Y/N) explained, showing the three women the options.

“Hmm, I would get the earrings; they keep the attention around your face and sit nicely with the necklace,” the third lady, who was dressed in pale teals and stunning silver ornaments,  spoke. “Oh sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Lan Yan, a friend of Hu Taos and Yun Jins. You’re Miss (Y/N) (L/N), right? I’ve heard about your achievements in preserving historical artefacts.”

‘What are you looking to buy, little birdie?’ Vedrfolnir chimed in her head, once again popping up in the most untimely of places.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” (Y/N) greeted them, “So you’re saying the gold earrings are better than the beaded bracelet, huh? To be honest, things like that fly over my head.”

‘Oh, planning to adorn yourself in pretty jewels. I'm disappointed you didn't ask for my opinion, and here I thought we were friends.’ Vedrfolnir teased her. 

Oh, how she wanted to react to it, roll her eyes maybe, but she steeled herself to ignore him.

“And they would be safer to wear than the bracelet, especially regarding your profession,” Yun Jin added, voicing her opinion on the matter.

(Y/N) thought about it, mulling the opinions over in her head, “Alright, you’ve convinced me, earrings it is.”

She handed the earrings to the smiling vendor and gave him the mora amount he requested. Getting a tiny bag of jewellery back, she turned to thank the three friends.

“Hehe, no problem (Y/N),” Hu Tao smiled kindly, waving it off, “ Say, do you want to join us? We’re just going out for a couple of drinks.”

“Oh!” (Y/N) looked between them and their inviting smiles, “Sure, yeah I can hang out for a bit.”

“Hah, you won't regret it! Come on, you can get to know everyone better over dinner! Xianling’s cooking up a feast tonight so you know the food will be good!” Hu Tao pulled the girl between them and linked her arm with hers, leading her to Wanmin restaurant.

The restaurant was like a juyeun pepper, glowing, a crimson red and overly hot, ironic that it was one of the chef's favourite ingredients. People sat around the tables in the back garden, illuminated by the paper lanterns strung above and by the lamps on and around the tables. A steady but hefty flow of hot steam swam out of the windows and doors of the establishment. Sounds of people cheering, talking, eating and cooking danced around in tandem with the mixing smells of whatever food Xianling and her father were dishing up in the kitchen. No matter the time or day, anyone in Liyue Harbour could rely on this duo, maybe even trio if you counted Guoba, on providing a warm and homely atmosphere. It didn't matter who or what you were, your occupation or status; everyone was welcome as long as they enjoyed food. 

(Y/N) let herself be seated by Hu Tao at a table near the edge of the terrace that had a nice view of the now dark cliffs outside the city. The sun had set, taking away its warm rays and illumination, and now the moon was lighting the way, basking everything in hues of blue and white. The contrast between the red and golden lights of the city and the cool and dark tones of the surrounding water and cliffs was always striking to anyone who loved to capture the moment. It was found in every marketplace, street, and establishment, like Rex Lapis himself deemed that this was a worthy barrier that allowed the city to be blanketed by a thick layer of calm and peace.

“Welcome to Wanmin Restaurant, friends, it's good to see you all in good spirits!” Xianling greeted the table as she handed out the menus, “And you even brought out our reclusive archaeologist; now this must be a worthy moment to celebrate! Anything you want to order already?”

“Hey, now I’m not some social hermit; I just work a lot,” (Y/N) shook her head with a smile on her face. “I’ll have some Oolong tea, as for the meal… you decide. I seem to be on a streak of spontaneity, so let's continue that!”

“Now that's an answer I love to hear! What about everyone else?” 

“Let's follow in our new friend's footsteps; it's up to you, Xianling,” Lan Yan voiced the group's decision. 

Once the orders were taken down, Xianling ran off excitedly to prepare their surprise meals.

“So Miss (Y/N), where are you headed off to next?” Yun Jin asked, politely starting the conversation.

“Well, I signed up for an expedition to Enkanomiya, but that will take a while to get sorted. So who knows where in the meantime.”

“Oh my, first the Chasm now Enkanomiya, my my are you trying to get into my books there?” Hu Tao joked and leaned in closer to her.

“The day that that comes to be, you will be the first to know, I assure you,” (Y/N) joked, being used to her companions' odd sense of humour.

“Is there a reason why you wish to head there? I haven’t heard much about it, but I’ve heard it is quite dangerous.” Lan Yan inquired. 

By now, a waiter had brought the group their entrees and drinks, leaving them to snack and talk about their plans.

(Y/N) thought about it as she stared at the pot, watching as Yun Jin began the tea ceremony.  She couldn't exactly say it's because she hopes that a civilisation based in rituals could help her and Vedrfolnir. “Well, it's uncharted territory, of course. So where better to learn about the hidden truths of this world if not there? I myself only know so much about it; with the Vision Hunt Decree I wasn’t able to head to Inazuma, but I did learn about it and its past while in school and while travelling. Enkanomiya, The Chasm, Dragonspine and Sal Vyndagnyr- they’re all ancient civilisations who fell into ruin after not following an Archon or a local deity. I find them all fascinating, and I wish to learn more. So why not head down into the belly of the beast and uncover it with my own hands?”

‘Careful little one, say that around the wrong people and they might just think you’re trying to oppose the laws,’ Vedrfolnir chimed in her head. Unlike the usual light and teasing tone he used, the way he spoke now had an almost sombre warning feel to it.

Before she could wrap her mind around him, her companions continued their questions and commentary. 

“That is definitely a unique perspective and field to study. Not many people openly say what they're truly after.” Yun Jin continued, “I often find that many older songs contain stories of the old world. If I may, if you find some song lyrics or poems, could I ask that you tell me about them?”

“Of course! Though not many written media still exist in such places, the occasional scrolls or stone carvings are all that has remained intact after so much time and erosion.”

“Mmm, I hear Zhongli mutter about such things too; the weather and time destroy anything human-made with ease,” Hu Tao nodded in agreement, crossing her arms as if she was mimicking the stance she often found her consultant in.

“Agreed, while silver is a bit more durable, it still is a shame how many historic items I find my fellow artisans breaking their backs over.” Lan Yan chimed in, voicing her own experience in the matter.

“Say, this might be odd” (Y/N) paused, mulling over her thoughts as she bit her lip, “but do you know of any alchemists?”

“Alchemists?” Hu Tao wondered out loud. “Why does that ring a bell?”

“If you want an alchemist, you should head to Mondstadt!” Xianling startled the girls as they turned to look at the chef as she carried platters of food towards them.

“Mondstadt, huh?” (Y/N) mumbled as she thanked Xianling for her plate.

‘Oh, are you looking for someone to help me? How cute, but I must warn you that not many would help a sinner like me.’ 

‘A sinner, huh,’ (Y/N) thought as she filed away the term he used.

Tuning back into the conversation at hand, she began eating with everyone else. The conversation flowed smoothly from there on, more questions about her plans and if she was going to go to Mondstadt now, why she needed an Alchemist and so on. In turn, she answered as best as she could, though she knew deep down that if anyone who was well-versed in reading people could tell she was holding back information. After rounds of interrogation, the next target was found and the cycle repeated until the plates were empty, the streets quiet, and even the restaurant was almost empty. Once the flow of people died down and only a few tables remained, Xianling joined their conversation, offering refreshments of drinks on the house. 

Once the wind began nipping at their skin and the lanterns began dying out, it was then the friends deemed it was time to pay and retreat to their abodes. They walked together until one by one everyone split off and (Y/N) was left alone to her thoughts. And by alone and thoughts, she meant finally answering Vedrfolnir after all this time.

“I’m finally alone so you can speak if you want,” she gently coaxed the man.

‘Ah, such long hours without hearing you talk back to me and only hearing one-sided conversations. Did you enjoy your time with your friends?’

“I did, but I wouldn't call them friends. Acquaintances maybe? I don't often go out, but this was a pleasant outing. What about you? Did you enjoy hearing me talk about what was probably nonsense?”

‘I wouldn’t say it was nonsense; you did mention a few things I wish to know about, so indulge me, will you?’

“Alright, fire away,” she whispered as she traversed through the now truly empty streets, where only an occasional millelith guard was seen.

‘Did you get earrings to match my necklace?’

“I did, and before you stroke your ego, it's because I needed something that would make your necklace blend in with my appearance. I.. don't really dress up often. My job requires me to be in the ground digging away at years of dirt or in a library documenting and researching. The only time I doll up, so to say, is when I need to receive an award or the like. So if I’m going to go around wearing something as fancy as that, I need it to have something I can pair it with.”

‘I can’t say I don’t understand it, but my case was much different than yours. I was a high-ranking socialite, directly working under the King, so it was important that I looked the part. Long robes with embroidery, jewels and golden bands all over me. If anything, to most, looking like a spectacle was more important than the work I did.’

(Y/N) didn't know what to say. To her, Vedrfolnir sounded like he was repressing emotions; perhaps the King he mentioned or his job was tied to his current situation.

“For what it's worth, I believe such elegant looks suited you. I mean you definitely sound the part and who knows maybe looking pretty was just your way of protecting yourself.”

‘Now that is an interesting statement. I believe you have a term for that? ‘A wolf in sheep's clothing’. If so, then you truly are one of a kind by willingly trusting such a creature.’

“Call me a fool all you want, but remember that it’s because of this fool that you’re not lying under some dirt and rock.”

Vedrfolnir chuckled in her head. ’ Alright, for my next question, how about telling me what you found out about any alchemists?’

“Oh right, apparently while I was away, there was a student alchemist from Mondstadt here, Sucrose, I believe her name was. Xianling said she works as an apprentice to an Alchemist in the Knights of Favonius. Maybe we can find some information to help you there. What do you think, Vedrfolnir?”

‘That does sound like a good idea. I’m assuming our timeframe is before our trip to Enkanomiya?’

“That is the smartest idea. Plus there's an Adventurers Guild in Mondstadt too, so if anything we can just board the boat from Dorman port.”

‘Very well then. I see no issues with us not going there then. When do you wish to leave?’

“You are a very impatient man, aren't you…”

‘...I am stuck in a rock. I think that should cut me some slack, little one.’

“Yeah yeah.” (Y/N) finally made it to her home, and immediately began throwing off the outer layers of her clothes, walking to the bathroom to clean up. She had found out that Vedrfolnir could tell when she was relaxing, and often it made him softer and more pliable to question. When asking him about it, he simply stated that her tone of voice was soothing when she had her guard down. So as a sign of mutual trust, she sometimes took him with her during her long bath sessions, calling it their spa day. Plus it gave her someone to talk to when her exhausted and rapidly relaxing mind began talking nonsense. At first she found it weird, but then learned how in some cultures such activities were normal, particularly in places like Inazuma.

“My turn for questions. You called yourself a sinner? Why so?”

‘I suppose you are just that curious to ask such questions. I won't give you the full story just yet, but all I will say is that I had done some… questionable things in my past that gave me such a name.’

“Anyone could have figured that out,” she pointed out as she turned the shower on and let the steam of the hot water fill the air. “You really don't want to talk about it, huh?”

‘Where's the fun in knowing? If you really wish to know, then put all the clues together and tell me who you think I am.’

“Alright, but don’t be surprised once I beat you at this game.”

Reaching the gates, she immediately saw Zandik waiting for her, leaning against the stone pillars with his backpack sitting on the ground beside him. Hearing her walk closer, Zandik looked up and straightened off the wall, nodding to her as she waved. Looking him over, (Y/N) noted that he had foregone the akademiya uniform and instead chose to wear more comfortable and adventure-friendly clothes - green pants and jacket with a white shirt underneath and brown leather boots and arm guards. In her opinion, this look suited him more than the long, flowy uniform of the akademiya. With a few words shared, they set off on the well-worn path leading away from the city. This trip was planned to take only a few days so that Zandik would be back in time for his lessons. 

“It’s good that the storm isn't picking up yet. I heard they can get pretty bad in the rainforest.” Rose thought out loud as they progressed further from the city, kicking a stray rock up the road.

“They can, the weather in the city is no child's play, let alone in the wilderness. When the rain gets severe enough and causes streets to flood, everything shuts down due to safety concerns while on the bridges and walkways.” Zandik explained, watching her kick the rock further each time she reached it as they walked.

“Yeah, I wonder why they haven’t built guard rails in the city. It seems pretty careless and stupid of people who claim to be the most intellectual of all.”

“Truly boggles the mind, doesn't it?” he mused as his lips quirked up into a smirk at his companions' back-talking of his superiors.

“You know, for a lot that seems to hate the arts, they sure have made a habit of choosing the artistic value of the suspended walkways.” (Y/N) continued, not holding her smile back as she saw how Zandik practically glowed at having someone to complain and back-talk with. “Oh, maybe they don't think about the safety because they think only the truly astute and smart people will survive because they will know not to go out in bad weather.”

“Are you proposing a theory on a natural selection of the smartest, based on the fact that the city has no guardrails?” he joked beside her, but something in his tone told her he was willing to hear her go on.

“Well, I was more so suggesting they were blissfully ignorant of the dangers such a lack of safety would bring. Like ‘Oh no, a person slipped and fell off the bridge and died? Oh, what's this? They weren't a part of the Akademiya? How tragic indeed. Oh well, nothing we can do.” (Y/N) acted out her murder plot.

The scene forced a chuckle out of Zandik as he watched her act out a sage.

“This makes me think you truly dislike the Akademiya.”

Staring up ahead she thought how to answer it, brows furrowing and lips pursing in concentration. “I don't dislike the premise, more so the execution. Within the few days I’ve been here, I’ve seen how pretentious and restrictive the institution is. Truly, I don't get how I managed to break so many rules on my first day in the city.”

Zandik hummed in response, choosing not to comment on his share of rule-breaking.

They continued walking along the path for many hours, taking breaks in between to rest their legs and replenish their strength. As the day went on, the clouds darkened, and the wind picked up. And soon thunder could be heard far in the distance. By now, they were too far from both Sumeru city and from Vimara village and had to make camp in the wilderness. For that, they needed to find some stable shelter. The surrounding landscape was open fields with few trees scattered around, none of which looked like they could provide ample shelter. Occasionally, they had stumbled upon a lamp post or navigation marker, and even rarer, a broken house or tent. Both hoped to run into one of them sooner rather than later.

Luck seemed to be on their side as (Y/N) spotted what looked like an old wooden tent used by Forest rangers and Eremites alike, in the near distance. Picking up their pace, they steered off the dirt path and headed to the structure, hoping it was empty.  When they got closer, (Y/N) equipped her trusty polearm and signalled for him to stay back as she went to check it out. Tentatively, she walked around the abandoned campsite, peering into the few tents scattered around and finally looked in the bigger structure. It was spacious, but worn down with dust and cobwebs in every corner. Dumping her bag down by the entrance, she signalled back to Zandik that it was safe to come in, away from the light sprinkling of rain. 

“Help me patch up the roof and walls, will you?” (Y/N) asked as she headed to take apart the smaller structures. “While we’re at it, we should grab any kindling wood we can and bring in the cooking pot from outside.” 

Not arguing with her judgment, Zandik followed suit and quickly took apart the canvas and leaf tents and tied them to theirs.

“We can use our tents as padding and waterproofing of the inside,” Zandik said as the thunder boomed closer and the rain picked up in intensity.

Rushing around, they quickly finished their work and retreated inside. By now, the storm was in full swing inside, battering the walls and roof of the shelter. They closed the front flaps as best they could and unfolded their tarps to lay them on the floor.

“You can check 10 times the weather here, and still it will change at a moment's notice,” Zandik huffed, then muttered words in Sumerian, curse words if she had to guess, as he grabbed some rope from his backpack and tied the two ends across the tent to hang up his wet jacket. 

“Hah, yeah, it was like that in Inazuma too, especially on the Kannazuka or Yashiori islands, at some points I explored in raincoats just to not be caught off guard,” (Y/N) laughed softly as she wrung out her coat and hung it next to his.

She lit the oil lamps and hooked them into their designated spots in the tent, providing ample light between the two of them. This tent-like structure was just tall enough that they could stand freely, and big enough that they weren't cramped together. If (Y/N) had to guess, then up to 6 people could fit in if they tried.

“So you have been all the way to Inazuma, you seem quite travelled. I haven’t heard much of what happens there.” Zandik spoke as he sat down and stared at the entrance, scowl twitching at his lips as he glared at it.

“We don’t have to fill the silence if you don't want to, but I don't mind talking if you wish to,” she smiled softly, letting him know that he didn't have to force himself to make small talk.

“How was Inazuma, huh?” (Y/N) grimaced as a wonky smile graced her lips, “intense? I mean, it was a never-ending storm in both ways. But I think you would like some part of it. There was this mechanical array and other types of ruin machines, a snake, jellyfish, a crab, the array was a cube that acted more like a rocket now that I think about it...”

She pulled out her notebook, flipped through it and passed it to Zandik, who took it carefully and began studying the contents of the pages. “Interesting, and you can defeat all of them?”

“Mhmh,” she nodded, watching him flick through each of the pages, “Some of them are a little more challenging than others, like the Perpetual Mechanical array or the Ruin serpent in the Chasm, but I’ve dealt with them with my friend.”

They continued to converse for hours, and over time, she moved closer and closer until they sat next to each other with both of their notebooks in front of them as they swapped information of all kinds - with her making sure not to slip up about certain truths she had learned. The rain continued to pummel against the tent in heavy thuds as wind howled relentlessly, threatening to slip through any cracks and freeze them both in place. But they both paid little attention to it as (Y/N) had begun to prepare their dinner over the small campfire they had agreed to make, just enough to heat the pan but not enough to cause too much smoke.

“Tomorrow we should make it to Vimara village, and then from there we can make it to the Ruin Golem,” Zandik explained as he noted down their location on his map, while (Y/N) stirred the food. It seemed that his hired help was a capable cook even outdoors, as the meal smelled delicious and stirred his stomach to rumble quietly.

“You don't have class next week?”

“No, there's a holiday taking place, despite what the Sages try to claim or do to stop it.”

“Oh, what kind of holiday?”

“The Sabzerus festival. It’s a yearly event that celebrates the Goddess of Flowers. We should make it back in time for it. The sages are trying to ban it, but most people ignore them to celebrate one of their gods.”

She hummed in acknowledgement and plated his food, giving it to him and then sitting down in front of him to eat her meal too. To (Y/N), Zandik seemed like he wasn’t used to spending time with another person pleasantly and casually. She watched as he kept fidgeting with his belongings or with his hands, as his eyes shifted to look at random spots whenever he caught himself looking at her too much. He was awkward and sure of himself and his beliefs, and at times arrogant and bitter when he bit at a subject, especially when she had managed to run into him after he got chewed out by a teacher. But he seemed to be genuine about his interests and didn't seem to mind her questions and talking, so he was okay in her book.

If anyone grew the courage to ask Zandik what he thought of his newfound companion, he would reply with, “Less of a nuisance than the rest, her survival skills and strength are a bonus. She can continue to seek me out so long as she keeps being useful.” Maybe not in those words exactly, but that's what one could get from him. To him, she seemed like an overly friendly, seasoned traveller who could be intimidating if seen at the wrong times. Zandik was used to people leaving abruptly in his life once they got tired of him or were scared away, so he wasn’t placing too many hopes into her becoming a regular in his life. But for now, he would make use of her skills to get what he needed.

After agreeing that (Y/N) would take the first watch, Zandik went to sleep, throwing her a small ‘goodnight’. Sitting near the tent's entrance, she listened in on what was happening outside. Nights were always the harder shifts, even in regular weather conditions, bandits and lowlifes of all kinds seemed to slink around, nighttime creatures were out and prowling the land. But during a freak storm? It was a surprise that no one had found the campsite yet. People and animals were more desperate to seek shelter, and while (Y/N) would allow them to seek shelter, she couldn’t always tell if the person would have good or bad intentions. And with a resting partner inside, one who she doubted could fight that well, she wasn’t going to risk it.

Turning to check if Zandik was deep asleep, (Y/N) stepped outside and sat under the small ledge of the tent's top, away from the rain. Thanks to the lamps and fire, both of which had been extinguished, the inside was nice and warm, if a little stuffy. But outside, the rain continued to pour, creating massive puddles and streams of water that thrashed around them. The wind had also done notable damage, as she already saw broken trees lying around; luckily, the surrounding trees and hillsides seemed to prevent the wind from blowing their camp away. A dreadful shiver struck through her body as the chill began creeping in. Bringing her hands to her lips, she turned to look back at where Zandik was lying inside behind the closed entrance, and then blew into her hands as a fiery blue wisp escaped her mouth and went into her hands, spreading warmth through her body. While her body heat could be regulated to stay warm, she didn't want her surroundings to be affected by it. Even if that meant having to sit on a tarp on top of a soaking wet wooden floor instead of a nice, rapidly drying one.

(Y/N) sighed, leaning against her hand as she stared ahead. With the Traveller and Paimon, she could easily use her equally alien abilities freely. However, when she was with someone else, she had to be mindful of how and what she did to keep up the appearance of a regular person from Teyvat. Though many times she had an inkling of a feeling that certain others knew of her outlander status. What separated her and her blonde friend was that she had manufactured an almost air-tight backstory and chose to blend in and dress like the locals. But none of that mattered if she didn't keep her story straight while being in the past. Huffing, she slumped forward, glaring at the ground in front of her. 

The next four or five hours passed relatively uneventfully. The rain let off, and the wind calmed, which hopefully meant that by the morning, it would be nice and sunny or even just slightly cloudy, and not raining oceans on her. If that came to be, they would either have to stay inside longer, stalling their process, or (Y/N) would have to let loose some of her spells and cast away the rain that came at them. Or realistically, they would use the umbrellas and raincoats they packed, or at least those she packed.

Standing up, (Y/N) stretched with a big yawn, as her body popped and cracked. Taking one last glance around, making sure nothing or no one was around, she retreated inside and went to wake Zandik up. 

“Zandik, hey, wake up, it’s your turn.” There was no response from him. So (Y/N) began to poke him until he sleepily swatted at her and grumbled. “Come on, sleeping beauty, don’t make me dump water on you.”

That finally seemed to wake him up, as he sluggishly sat up, wrapped himself in his blanket and walked to sit outside, mumbling something about dissecting her and putting her fingers into a jar. To which she just replied with a ’Get in line', as she kicked off her shoes and flopped down onto the sleeping bag, shimmy-ed into her blanket and fell asleep in a matter of moments.

While she was silently snoring and no doubt drooling into the pillow, Zandik stared at her from his blanket cocoon. A mix of disturbing and sleep-ridden thoughts mixed around his mind as he zoned out. Thoughts that ranged from how bothersome this was, to how maybe he should pick her apart and stuff her into various jars- all because she had woken him up for his shift, mind you- and then to actual normal, normal for Zandik that was, thoughts. He turned to face the outside and zone out further. While the regular, somewhat well-rested Zandik was tolerable and one could form pleasant conversations with, the one in this case being (Y/N), as she somehow managed to trigger associations to his interests. Just woken up, Zandik was, for lack of a better term, a complete asshole that the blissfully sleeping (Y/N) was lucky to be spared from.

“Well, well, look who we have here.” A gruff voice startled Zandik awake as he came face to face with a group of Eremites. “Some idiot is using our campsite.”

The group of men chuckled darkly as they reached for their weapons. ”What do you say, we teach him a lesson?”

“(Y/N)!” Zandik yelled out to her instinctively, as he shuffled back, hitting the wooden beam behind him.

“Oh, calling for your little girlfriend? Man, what a-” 

Before the man could finish his sentence, a boot was launched into his face, knocking him back into the muddy ground below, as he landed with a heavy and wet thud. The men and Zandik turned to look at a furious (Y/N) stumbling out of the tent, polearm in hand, glaring at the men in front of them. While Zandik had been unpleasant to talk to when just woken up, she was murderous and out for blood.

The men broke out of their trance and launched at her and Zandik, weapons brandished. Swiftly, she grabbed Zandik by the back of his collar and tossed him back into the tent unceremoniously, out of harm's way. He could only stare wide-eyed, breathing heavily, as (Y/N) one by one took down the group. Even with their enchanted weapons, she made quick work of them, almost dancing around them, as they fell to their knees, defeated. The first man rose back up, nose bloodied as he charged at her and swung his scimitar at her, aiming for her head. She swiftly blocked it with her weapon and used his momentum to tumble him back to the ground, knocking him out with a heavy blow to the back of his head. He slumped down, headfirst, onto the mud below. 

Pulling back out of her stance, she stared at the eremites, checking that they were all knocked out, before looking down at her feet, covered in mud and grimacing. 

“Man, what a way to wake up,” (Y/N) spoke as she walked to the tent, “Hey, you okay? They didn’t hurt you, right?”

Zandik shook his head as he stared at her, eyes wide and mouth parted.

“Good, good, pass me the rope and my other boot, will you?” That seemed to snap him back to reality as he quickly passed her the things and accompanied her outside to help her tie up the eremites. “We’ll tell the guards at Vimara village once we get there. They can handle them after.”

Looking around, (Y/N) spotted a deep enough puddle and walked to clean her feet and to put on her socks and shoes. Zandik watched as she wobbled around on foot, trying and failing to do what she intended. Sighing, he walked over and grabbed hold of her shoulders, stabilising her.

“You’re an idiot, you know that, right. How can you take down a group of men twice your size, first thing after waking up, but failing to keep balance?”

“Well, I like to think my sometimes clumsy nature has a certain charm,” (Y/N) retorted, snorting at his fake annoyance. 

“You know. I’m starting to think that one of us attracts danger. Should I start anticipating having to fight random monsters and bad guys to save you?” Finally, having put on both her boots, she looked back up at him. His piercing red eyes stared into hers as he stayed quiet. 

“Idiot,” that’s all he said as he flicked her forehead and walked away, as her head tilted back in reaction to the stinging sensation.

“What, hey! I’m not the one who fell asleep on their shift. If anything, you're the idiot!” (Y/N) yelled back at him as she ran and slammed into him, causing him to stumble forward, barely catching himself.

“You!” Zandik yelled as he grabbed her fists that were raised, struggling to keep them away from him. (Y/N) just smiled and laughed as he tried to put up a fight against her. 

“Just admit you were scared and happy I was there to save you, seriously, falling asleep on your watch, that's just asking for something to happen,” (Y/N) continued laughing even when his hand grasped her head and pressed down on it and tried to put her in a headlock. She let him put out his frustrations, being able to tell he meant no harm, despite his actions and language.

“Man, you both remind me of my old lady and me back in the day. She used to put me in headlocks like that too when I behaved like a dumbass,” They both stopped their fighting and looked at one of the tied up eremites.

“Sounds like she should have choked you harder and finished the job,” (Y/N) spoke after a while of just staring at him, to which the man just laughed loudly.

“Man, you are a hoot, lady, you’re a lucky man to have someone like that.” He continued to laugh.

“Want me to knock him out again?” (Y/N) asked, turning to Zandik.

“Make it permanent.”

“Wow, hey now, young Lady, no need to resort to even more violence. Hey, hey, tell your girl not to kill me,” the man begged, trying to scramble back as (Y/N) walked to him, picking up her polearm that was resting by the tent.

“Sorry to disappoint you, we’re not together, so I doubt she will listen to me,” Zandik spoke, feigning pity.

“Wha-! You just told her to silence me permanently, hey, hey!” 

(Y/N) sighed, dropping the murderous aura, “Relax, I am in no urge to break any more rules by killing you. This was just a dispute over territory. You said that this was your camp?"

The man nodded vigorously. To both (Y/N) and Zandik, he looked like a sad puppy about to cry and whine.

“Then, we can let this be bygones and have it settled without any more bloodshed, right?” (Y/N) asked, swinging her polearm to rest on her shoulder. 

The man nodded again.

“Then again, if you even try to attack us, I won't hesitate to make this your permanent residence,” (Y/N) spoke, voice dripping cold, as she stared down at him, eyes glowing with power and intent.

“Yes, ma’am, whatever you say, ma’am. We, the Kheperer, are at your mercy.” The man slumped forward into a bow.

(Y/N) cringed and turned to look at Zandik, who looked just as perplexed as he stared down at the man,

“Uh, sure. You can atone for your deeds by turning yourselves in and training to do better.” (Y/N) spoke awkwardly, shifting from one foot to another and then pushed on Zandik's back, walking him back to the tent. “I’ll untie you once we leave, alright?”

She quickly pushed Zandik into the tent. 

“Man, if I knew beating someone up was all it took to make someone change how they act…” She chuckled slowly and stared at the floorboards.

“We should still turn them into the guards,” Zandik reminded her.

“Right, right… How long until Vimara village?”

“A few hours.”

“We can handle them for a few hours, right?”

Zandik just stared at her and pointed to her polearm with his nose.

“Right, I’m the security…”

“You’re saying ‘right’ a lot.”

Just like the others in her group, (Y/N) found herself in the same situation, bent over a pile of rubble with a trowel and brushes in her hands as a sifter and cleaning rag lay next to her. There were a few finds within the group, mostly broken weapon parts and tattered items belonging to the many hillichurl camps that once seemed to reside near the area. The biggest find was an old water jug excavated a few days prior in another area. Hours turned into days within the dark and desolate caverns. So, just like the others, she continued to dig, brush and chat alongside the group to keep up the morale. Digging deeper, (Y/N) noticed a small, faint glimmer as some dirt shifted from her digging. Getting excited, she carefully began brushing off the dirt and picking at the ground to show more of the artefact. Excruciatingly patient moments later, the relic was unearthed – a beautiful golden necklace depicting a serpent with blue gemstone eyes. Even with the years' worth of dirt and grime, the necklace still looked in good condition; a good bath and treatment would freshen it up in no time.

Hearing her team call for everyone to pack up for the day, (Y/N) quickly wrapped the relic in cloth and placed it in a box with other things she had found. Once everyone rejoined, they made the journey back to one of the base camps. The trek was harder uphill than the initial descent; crumbling pathways and barely-upkept bridges provided little to no stability. One of the scouts came back a few hours into the walk with bad news – the main pathway was blocked by some abyss mages. While the adventurers were skilled at fighting, they weren't on the level to beat multiple abyss mages. (Y/N) listened intently as the adventurers began plotting and pointing at the map.

"Route B is longer but has less chance of running into any enemies, while route C is shorter but has a harder climb than these."

‘Route C will be destroyed by a nearby lawachurl. Take route B.' A saccharine masculine voice echoed in (Y/N)'s head.

"Route B?" (Y/N) whispered as she looked around for who said that.

"Oh, why B?" one of the adventurers asked.

"Oh, um," seeing no one interrupt her, she continued, "none of us are that athletic, so we would take longer and get injured, possibly?"

(Y/N) trailed off as everyone looked at her.

"Sounds reasonable. Is everyone alright with the longer route?" Seeing everyone nod and agree, the adventurers led them to the chosen route.

'Thank you, whatever or whoever you were.'

Throughout the ascent, (Y/N) felt a buzzing in her head, no louder than a distant bee, like something beginning to take root in her head. By the time the group made it to the camp, the humming in her head had begun to cause her a headache. Slumping down onto the ground, she fell against her bag as the exhaustion started throbbing in her muscles. She was right; judging from how exhausted she was and how worn everyone else looked, none of them were that athletic.

"Just a few more days and then I can take a nice soak in the tub," (Y/N) muttered as she lazily opened her bag to search for food and water.

'You should investigate why we can hear each other.' The same voice echoed in her head.

"Right, I should listen to the nice voice in my head and seek a healer or a psychologist." Continuing to mutter to herself, she began to eat her food, just a pack of rations given by the Adventurers Guild.

'Maybe we can help each other.'

"Rest first, psychotic break analysis later."

One would think that hearing a mysterious voice would warrant a bigger reaction, but (Y/N) had studied carefully about the dangers the Chasm could bring: abyssal tainting; death in various ways; treasure hoarders; and, of course, hallucinations.

Several days later, the group had finally resurfaced and was ready to journey back to Liyue Harbour. By now, (Y/N) could not tell if the buzzing in her brain was from the deadly everything in the Chasm, from the exhaustion or from the overstimulation of being trapped in the same few dirty clothes for days on end. The voice occasionally returned to talk to her, not often but just enough to remind her that she should find out what is causing her to hear such things. Oddly enough, the voice only appeared to warn her of dangers around the corner.

Several more days later, everyone had finally made it to the harbour and split their own ways, with (Y/N) making a mad dash to the Wanmin restaurant and slamming down a pouch of money and telling Xianling to deliver something comforting and flavourful to her in a few hours. Once home, (Y/N) left a flurry of clothes, bags and equipment being thrown across the house in a trail leading to the bathroom.

"Now this is what I'm talking about; I have good food on the way, and I'm finally washing away the weeks' worth of filth off of me, and then I'll rest and rest and rest some more." Lounging in the hot, bubbly water, (Y/N) talked to herself as she lathered on a heap of shampoo in her hair. "Hey mysterious voice, you should have a rest day like this, in whatever afterlife you are in… If you're even dead, that is."

Pausing, she waited for the answer, but none came. Thinking that maybe she was finally beginning to lose the hallucinations, she shrugged and continued washing and humming to herself. By the time she was done, she had just enough time to get dressed in the comfiest pyjamas and fluffiest slippers and wrap her hair in a towel before Xianling came knocking at her door with her food. Slinking into the living room, (Y/N) plopped the food down onto the table and went to look through her records to set the atmosphere. Deciding on a track called 'Rhythm from the Conch', (Y/N) sat down and began happily tearing into the food. To her pleasant surprise, Xianling had made some of her favourites—dragon beard noodles with some honey char siu. Running to grab a drink from the fridge, (Y/N) returned and happily dug into the food.

Sighing happily, (Y/N) fell back onto the couch. The food was gone, the record player had played multiple songs by now, and the sun had started to shine honey-coloured cooling rays through the lace curtains in the living room. While lounging around, enjoying the comfort of being able to put her feet up and relax on what seemed like the softest couch ever, her head lolled to the side, and she noticed her adventurer pack and quickly remembered the treasures she had found. Clearing off her table, the researcher grabbed the needed tools to clean and preserve the found relics.

A slow few hours later, she was ready to tackle her best find, having warmed up on the less tricky pieces. Noticing the headache had returned, she stood up to stretch and open the window. The buzzing feeling in her head returned when she messed with the artefacts, further proving her suspicion of the two being linked. It was possible that some of the toxic fumes had seeped into the relics or the dirt residue covering them.

"Well, aren't you a beauty? Whoever lost you must have been devastated; I know I would've been." Running her fingers over the golden scales of the snake, (Y/N) spoke as she watched the light refract over the clearer parts of the surface. The necklace was shaped in the form of a long, thin snake; it was fairly light and flexible, likely meant to be shaped to fit the wearer's neck.

'I would be if I knew what you had found, archaeologist.'

"Oh great, I'm definitely breathing in poison. Glad to have you back, mysterious voice. Where were you?" Wetting a cloth, (Y/N) started to clean the surface thoroughly.

'My best guess is that whatever you're holding was away from you, so we couldn't hear each other. Now what is it you're holding?'

"Oh, it's a serpent-shaped necklace, made of gold and has a blue gemstone, agate maybe, can't tell." Looking closer at the gem, she spoke.

'Ah, that piece, I remember it. You are right; I was quite sad when I lost it, and it's labradorite, not an agate.'

"Sooo, what are you? Vengeful spirit or hallucination, because in both cases I don't want to end up in Lady Hu's services just yet."

'I am a spirit of sorts. Possibly even vengeful to some. But I think we could work something out to mutually benefit us both.'

"Alright, calling Chongyun or Shenhe it is, maybe even Dr Baizhu!"

'Now, now, didn't I help get you home safely? The least you could do is hear me out.' The voice tutted in disappointment.

"Fine, but I won't hesitate to slap a banishing talisman on you if you try anything funny."

'Fantastic, all you have to do is help release me.'

If the spirit had a body, (Y/N) imagined it draping its arms around her and pressing up against her back. "Right, and start the end times possibly? How do I know you aren't an evil spirit waiting to take over the mortal realm?" (Y/N) rolled her eyes as she continued to carefully restore the necklace, despite what the spirit possessing it was saying.

'How very astute of you, but I do see this happening in the future; it is only a matter of which road you take to get there.'

"Alright, so I'm guessing you can see into the future then? Tell me this: how about you prove that you aren't going to kill anyone if I set you free, and then maybe we can discuss this so-called future where I let you roam the planet."

'Making a deal with the likes of me? How curious. You sure are brave; not many can say they have been in your place and lived.'

"You aren't helping your case there, buddy. Hey, you don't feel through the necklace, right?"

'Sadly, I'm limited to just hearing your voice through it. Why do you ask?'

"Oh, no reason, I just didn't want to pour chemicals over it and hear you scream in agony in my head." Placing the necklace into a glass container full of liquid, she let the chemical process happen while she began cleaning up the table. "How close do I have to be to hear you, by the way?"

'I would say up to an arm's length? The further you go, the less connection we have.'

"Oh, so if I get tired of you, I can just leave you somewhere and be free."

'How hurtful, and they called me cruel.'

"Speaking of hurtful, when will the headache leave?" Lying down on the couch, (Y/N) stared at the container.

'Headache? Oh, that is probably caused by the residual abyssal energy lingering on it.'

"I'm sorry, the what?" (Y/N) sprang up, shouting at the necklace. Running away from the couch, she began frantically trying to remember what to do when dealing with abyssal contamination.

"You couldn't have warned me? ‘Oh, I might be a little evil', clearly!" She shouted – none of which was heard by her mysterious spirit. Running back to the table, she slammed her hands on it and shouted at the necklace as if it were going to come alive and help her. "Hey, you asshole with the nice voice, tell me you have a way to fix this, or so help me, I will chuck you so far into the ocean Osial will probably choke on you!"

'So vulgar. Is this how you treat all of your friends? Agree to help me, and I will tell you how to fix your little problem,' he continued, ignoring the archaeologist's colourful insults and comebacks.

"I don't know what you want from me, but sure. Better yet, let's hurry this up so I can smack you to the moon for putting me in this situation!"

'Need I remind you that you picked up the necklace and took it home?' the voice taunted; a smirk was practically audible in his tone. The moon wasn't far enough in her opinion. 'This is an old method, so listen closely.'

***

"So you're sure this charm will work?" She asked, twisting her wrist to look at the bracelet she had crafted. Even though both of their alchemical knowledge was limited, with the right instructions, they were able to weave together a sigil into a bracelet to ward off the abyssal side effects.

'I would believe so. So long as you keep it on you, you should be fine,' the voice reassured. 'Now that you have calmed down, I think we should try to reintroduce ourselves. You may call me Vedrfolnir. Now it's your turn, little researcher.'

"Vedrfolnir, huh?" (Y/N) thought, trying to figure out what nation the name could belong to. "Alright, you may call me (Y/N), and I'm not a little researcher; I'll have you know I have published a paper or two in my life."

'My mistake then. Now, with that out of the way, would you mind listening to my proposal?' Vedrfolnir asked.

"Not like I have much of a choice, so go ahead." Agreeing to his proposition, she let him continue while starting to tidy up the mess their 'little crafting session' had made.

'You see, I'm in quite a bind, to say the least. A long time ago, I was horribly sealed in a chunk of crystal by an evil group just because they didn't like what I saw in their futures. I was so alone in that crystal for so long until you just so happened to stumble upon something that belonged to me. If I don't call that fate, then I don't know what else to call it. So, how about we strike a deal? I give you prophecies of your future, and you help me escape my punishment.' His tone was overly fake, cheerful yet sombre as he spun his tale

Pausing from her chores, she thought about it. It didn't take a genius to hear the absolute lie in his speech. "I mean, you saw me back there; I'm not that good at alchemy or anything magical."

'But you can do something I can't, talk to people and observe.'

"So, I would need to find an alchemist for you?"

'Or learn from them, but yes. See? Simple, not that difficult.'

"And these prophecies you say you can give to me – how do I know they're real?"

'I led you out of the Chasm, didn't I?'

"True…" Finishing the last of the cleaning, she walked to her room and fell onto her bed. "Say, how can you see into the future?"

'A curious little one, aren't you? Very well, alas, it's not a fantasy story from a children's book where I was blessed with it as a gift from the gods. I was simply born with it. Ever since I was young, I have always been riddled with these visions of the future. At first, just mere moments later. Then, over time, I trained it to see further and further into the future.'

(Y/N) picked up on the way he said the word 'Gods' as if the word were a poison he was forced to drink. "You say it's not like a fairy tale, yet there you go saying, 'Oh, I was simply born with it.' What's next? You'll say woodland animals came scurrying to you when you called?"

Vedrfolnir laughed in her mind, the volume of it surprising her as she stared at the window on her side. He had a nice laugh, just as airy and elegant as his voice. If (Y/N) had to guess, she would say he was most likely a noble or at least someone who lived in a prestigious society, if his tone of voice and manner of speaking were anything to go by.

'Ahh, forgive me, I haven't heard such a funny thing in a while. Alas, I was never able to test that out, as the land I am from didn't have many animals that called it home.'

'Maybe he's from the desert then?' (Y/N) thought as her mind drifted to images of how Vedrfolnir and his home could have looked.

"Tell me about it another time, will you? Your home, that is." Failing to stifle a yawn, (Y/N) burrowed under the warm and thick duvet. By now, the moon was high in the sky, having risen hours earlier. The world outside was quiet, with not a soul in sight. The vendors had long since packed their wares; even the millelith had quieted down, choosing to remain at their posts.

"Goodnight, Vedrfolnir."

(Y/N) found herself thinking, 'Where would she even go?' Back to the hotel, or perhaps she would wander aimlessly searching for answers and a place to stay. Looking up, (Y/N) realised she had made it to the hotel. A different receptionist greeted her. Barely above a whisper, as if she had to remind herself to speak, (Y/N) asked for a room.

A member of the staff took her to it. The room was small, with a simple bed, desk, table and closet. But (Y/N) didn't find herself taking in what the room provided, as she usually would have done, and instead fell onto the bed, slinging her bag off her back. (Y/N) was a woman of habit; no matter where she found herself resting, she tried to follow a routine each morning and night. Now she had decided to forgo any of the steps, not even bothering to take her shoes or glasses off, and instead fell into a deep sleep.

Images of rivers, clocks and laughing faces plagued her dreams. She saw her friends just out of reach, no matter how much she tried to run to them. Calling out was like trying to scream in space; not a single sound would come out.

(Y/N) jolted awake, eyes snapping open, hand reaching out to grasp something that wasn't there. In front of her, instead of seeing another bed with her friends in it, was an empty room. Her hand fell back as she looked around, realising yesterday wasn't a messed-up dream. Sighing, she got up, deciding to spend her time usefully and figure out what to do with her situation.

With a look in the mirror as she was about to leave the room, (Y/N) realised that maybe she should take care of her appearance before venturing out into the public eye. In the bathroom, (Y/N) spent quite some time refreshing herself and getting the dirt from the days spent outdoors. Dressed in only a towel, (Y/N) grimaced as she looked at the dirty clothes of her usual attire and decided to change into her spare ones – a simple black top and loose linen trousers. Sadly, most of her clothes hadn't made it with her into the distant past. As she was rummaging through her bag, she found the piece of the ruin drake she had taken down. Remembering how she promised to give it back, (Y/N) decided that her first order of business would be finding Zandik after some breakfast.

The early morning rays of sunlight illuminated the streets of Sumeru City in a bright yellow glow. The streets were full of people rushing to work or to the akademiya, parents taking their children to preschools and kindergartens and store owners setting up their carts to sell the freshest produce. Walking around, (Y/N) noticed how different this much younger city looked. Many of the houses and establishments she saw in her time weren't where they were supposed to be, the docks were much smaller, and even differences in how people dressed were more noticeable.

'I wonder if I could take things back from the past to the future,' (Y/N) thought as she wandered around the city searching for a place to eat the pastry she had bought. 'Probably not; it might disrupt something or even age rapidly. It would be cool to test it out.'

Sitting down on a bench that looked outward to the forest, (Y/N) began eating as she continued thinking about the possibilities and ways she could go back to her time.

'Maybe I can get the help of Venti and Zhongli. But then I would have to prove how I know them and their identities, not to mention tracking them down. And something tells me that seeking out Zhongli would be like asking to get speared.' (Y/N) shuddered at the mental image of one of the Adepti or even Zhongli ending her. 'But first things first, I need to find Zandik. Oh, maybe I can look through the House of Daena and find a book about time travel.'

Stepping through one of the side entrances of the Akademiya, (Y/N) was immediately met with the smell of paper and ink. Inside the grand library, she saw many scholars sitting around the desks and walking to and from classes. Oddly enough, even with so many people there, it was noticeably quiet, with only low whispers heard as she passed by groups on her journey to find the mysterious scholar. Remembering how the scholars she had travelled with talked about Zandik, (Y/N) avoided asking people if they had seen him.

Hours passed as she wandered around the library. While she didn't find who she was looking for, she did find some books about time and ley lines, though they didn't provide much help with her situation. Slumped into the desk she was sitting at, (Y/N) mulled over various topics and scenarios.

"I did not know that desks doubled as beds." Zandik's judgmental voice startled the resting woman, making her eyes spring awake as she focused on him.

(Y/N) lazily peeled herself off the desk and leaned against the back of her chair, patting the space next to her, urging him to sit. Putting his leather messenger bag down on the table, the scholar sat down, adjusting his green and white uniform.

"I was looking all over for you today because I remembered I needed to give you the item we got." (Y/N) leaned over and picked up her own bag that was sitting haphazardly on the floor next to her. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, (Y/N) pulled out the piece of the Ruin Drake and handed it to Zandik, who quickly put it into his bag.

"Right, thank you for that." Zandik hesitated for a moment, lightly fiddling with the bag's handle, before continuing. "I plan to go on an expedition to Ardravi Valley in a week, and I could use someone who knows what they're doing to accompany me."

(Y/N) looked at his face, trying to determine what he was alluding to. "Now, when you say expedition, do you mean solo or a group of scholars?"

"Would that change anything?"

"Only on the safety base."

"Then would you consider joining me?" Zandik asked, hands gripping his bag tighter, a nervous habit it seemed.

(Y/N) looked at him for a moment, not responding. 'It wouldn't hurt to stay here a little longer, right? It would be nice to explore some places with him and see how the past is… But who's to say that whatever threw me back in time will still be there?

There's no guarantee it will be there even now, or if I can return.'

"Let me think about it, alright? I'm not saying no, because I do like that idea, but…" (Y/N) glanced at the side, thinking how to phrase her thoughts. "Maybe in return you could help me study ley lines?"

(Y/N) looked at him nervously, her lips forming a crooked, soft smile as if it were saying 'please'.

"Leylines? What got you interested in that?" Zandik asked, studying how she was acting.

"Let's just say they… did something, and I don't know if it is a usual thing that just happens or if something specific needs to happen for it to work like that. Then again, I don't really know if it was leylines…" (Y/N) trailed off.

He looked at her with furrowed brows, staring at her bashful expression. (Y/N) fidgeted with her pants as she stared back at him. "So you wish to learn about leylines to replicate an occurrence you saw, while not even knowing if it was the work of a leyline."

"Yup, that's right," she replied, nodding as if it was as simple as finding out how a flower grows.

"All right, I'll see what I can do," Zandik agreed.

"Thank you so much! I'll be the best bodyguard one can dream of!" (Y/N) excitedly said as she grabbed his hands and shook them, not noticing how he visibly tensed up when she grabbed him.

"Since we're going to go on an adventure together," (Y/N) continued, ignoring how he said 'it's not an adventure', "do you want to spend some time together when you're not busy? I don't really know my way around here, and it would be nice to be friends with you. I'll treat you to some food if that helps."

Zandik swallowed hard; (Y/N), in her excitement, had leaned in closer to him, still grasping his hands in hers, and he could only watch as her eyes shone with a newfound passion in them. He nodded, not trusting his voice in the moment. As she, in turn, only got happier with his acceptance.

"Wonderful, are you free now?"

"Yes."

"Great, let's go to a cafe or restaurant, and we can get to know each other more, and as I said, it's on me."

The cafe they had found was quieter than the others they had looked at, but still pretty loud, as most cafes tended to be. The interior was tiled with teal-patterned tiles, with potted plants hanging off the wooden beams above. Red sofas and chairs sat around wooden tables, vases holding Sumeru Roses and Padisarahs. The odd pair had found a table by an open window that overlooked the river below. Trusting Zandik to order something delicious for her, (Y/N) sat back as she watched the restaurant.

When he returned, he took his seat across from her. He took his time taking in her appearance as she scanned the room. Unlike the previous day's outfit, which had been extravagant and full of personality, today's outfit was simple and plain. Perhaps even better suited for the weather in this country.

"If you plan to stay here, you should find an outfit that is better suited; the days are hot, but the nights get colder, especially out of the city," Zandik spoke, making (Y/N) turn to look at him.

"Yeah, I have been thinking that too. Perhaps I'll find something before the expedition," (Y/N) spoke as a waiter brought them their drinks. (Y/N) eyed the orange drink as the waiter set it down for her.

"It's Paloudeh Talebi; it's sweet and refreshing," Zandik explained as he drank from his own glass.

"Hey, what better way to try new things than trusting locals?" (Y/N) smiled as she took a sip of the drink. Zandik watched as her face lit up as she drank more of the juice. "It's really good, thank you. I now have full faith in you and what you ordered."

The scholar sighed as he looked out the window. This whole scenario was unfamiliar to him. First, someone seeking him out with good intentions in mind, then wanting to spend time with him and finally trusting him enough to order food for them. Most people steered away from him and would never even think of letting him go near their food lest he slip some sort of poison in there. As if he needed unwilling test subjects that would get him expelled. His companion was just as strange as the situation – an outlander who was interested in the ancient history of this world and didn't shy away from a fight. He would have to watch her more intently to see what her true intention was.

While they were having their separate moments, a few scholars came to sit near their table, and Zandik recognised them to be some of the groupmates he had been on the expedition with. They eyed the two as they sat down, conversation hushing. Scoffing, he turned back to face (Y/N) as she was now pulling out a journal of sorts.

"I hope you don't mind, but I like journaling to pass the time in cafes," (Y/N) spoke softly.

"In that case, I will do the same. The food might take a while, so it's wise to stay productive when you can," Zandik responded as he pulled out his own notebook.

Yesterday's weariness and the rapid descent of the sun prevented her from fully taking in the campsite's scenic beauty. The trees around them provided ample shade as they rustled in the morning gales. A gentle river accompanied them from their left. If her company had been better and they hadn't been on their way back to the city, (Y/N) would have loved to take a swim in there, maybe even catch some fish for breakfast.

'Speaking of companions, ' (Y/N) thought as she turned to scan the students, 'don't see Zandik out. Maybe he's still sleeping.'

Walking over to his tent, making sure to avoid the rocks so as not to hurt herself. Knocking on his tent, she asked if he was awake yet.

The tent opened, and he looked in confusion at (Y/N), not having expected anyone to check in on him.

"You don't need to check up on me," Zandik grumbled as he stepped out already fully dressed, as he glanced at the water still dripping down her arms and legs, "let alone when you yourself aren't ready. You aren't even wearing shoes."

During their night meeting, (Y/N) wasn't able to get a good look at him, but now, in the morning sun, she could tell he was quite handsome. Zandik stood a good head taller than her, with a wavy mop of teal hair framing his face. He did seem quite scrawny beneath the akedemiya uniform, not like the baggy clothes revealed much, but not an uncommon sight amongst the bookish scholars. But his most striking feature was his eyes; they were piercing red as if molten blood pooled in them instead of irises. He had a hooked nose with faint scarring scattered around the left side of his face, hidden by hair, likely very old wounds by the looks of how they've healed. His complexion was that of the many other people of Sumeru, tan but not overly dark; if anything, he looked as if he tried to avoid the sun, as if he owed it money. All that was to say that, yes, he was pleasant to look at, that was, if you ignored how he glared at anyone and everything – including (Y/N) herself.

"Well, good morning to you too, thank you for asking, I slept just fine," (Y/N) retorted, not even phased by his attitude. "I wanted to clean myself up before I dressed in Zandik-approved attire. Plus, who's to say I don't like just walking around barefoot? Or is that yet another cardinal sin for scholars?"

"Hardly. Did you need something?" Zandik asked, noting the other students' intense stares.

She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "I wanted to know if you want to join me for breakfast."

Zandik stared at her. He had already established that she didn't know about his reputation. Still, surely she must have been aware of his classmates staring holes into her. "Why do I have a feeling you would make me regardless of my answer?"

(Y/N) paused, not expecting that response, "No, I would give you your space. We're both strangers, so you don't owe me anything. It's not like I'll blatantly disregard your wishes just because I wanted something."

The look she gave him was stern, but it was different from the usual ones he'd seen, as there was no animosity in it, even though he had offended her in some way. 

Zandik sighed after a while of just staring down at her, "Fine, I will... consider it."

"Wonderful! I'll pack up my tent, and then we can eat!" (Y/N) ran off back to her tent in a few steps and disappeared beneath the cloth entrance.

The scholar watched her tent for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, before crouching back down to finish packing his bag so he could dismantle the tent.

After a few minutes, (Y/N) emerged to put on her dianne blue leather boots and a cropped, faded jade jacket. Once she finished packing up her stuff, she followed everyone else's example, took down her tent, and went to settle down by the fire to eat breakfast. (Y/N) took out two small wooden boxes – one held various vegetables and fruits. The other had two potatoes and some sausages. Along with them, she took out a water bottle and a polished stick she would use to tie the skewers to and to stab into the potatoes. The professor had encouraged everyone to go as far as they could before settling for the night. They went so far that they reached their docked boats. Once they set back off, it would only be a few hours before they reached the city.

While eating and watching the sky, (Y/N) noticed someone sitting down next to her in her peripheral vision. Turning to look, she saw Zandik sitting down next to her, acting unbothered and taking out his own lunch. Together, they ate in silence, listening to the crackling fire, the other students chattering, and the sounds of nature around them. They both knew that there was no need for the exchange of words at this moment.

Once everyone had eaten, the trek back began. Thankfully, the boats were big enough to hold an extra person, so there was no need to go back and forth. The river was calm that day with no Rishboland tigers in sight, so those who weren't paddling could enjoy the pleasant breeze on the water. By then, the sun had ascended high into the sky, warming everyone with a nice heat. A few cirrus and cumulus clouds dotted the sky, with one even looking like a crab playing with a ball. The sumeru tree loomed in front of them, tall and grand in its scale even from this distance.

After tying the boats to the dock, everyone continued following the path to the city. (Y/N) had chosen to stay near Zandik, close enough that if he wanted to talk, they could, but far enough that she wasn't pushing him to do so. About 30 minutes into their walk 3 of the students had beckoned her over to them. Stopping to let them catch up to her, (Y/N) watched as the middle girl urged her to lean down as they walked.

"Hey, I know you're new, so I'll warn you to stay away from him," the girl whispered, glancing over at Zandik as he walked in front of them. "He's weird, and he does these experiments that the teachers have forbidden him to do."

"Yeah, and he's super mean and never smiles. I heard one time he laughed when a baby fell over. I mean, who does that?" the girl on her left chimed in.

"Just trust us about him, okay. I don't know why he's stuck to you, but you should really watch out for whatever he's planning on doing to you." The last girl added to what her friends were saying.

"I heard how he doesn't have any roommates because the last one ran out, calling him a madman for the things he did in his room. So whatever you do, don't follow him back there." The first girl whispered loudly as she clasped a hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder.

(Y/N) stared ahead as they whispered rumours into her ears. While travelling across four nations, she had met countless people, both good and bad. And amongst them, she had seen many people who were misunderstood just for being different in one way or another. But (Y/N)was no fool, as she also had met numerous people who were truly evil and who had done countless bad deeds. 

"I'll take your words into consideration, but I think I'm good with making my own judgment with who I surround myself with." Not letting them answer, (Y/N) walked quickly back to Zandik's side, closer than she had been before. To which he just curled an eyebrow, not bothering to ask what they had said, as he already had an idea of what they had discussed.

Hours later, the group had finally reached the stone gates of the city. Most of the students dispersed soon after, and even the professor had left after a while. Leaving (Y/N) alone with Zandik as they climbed the walkways closer to each of their destinations. (Y/N) stopped as they reached the Bozorg hotel.

"Well, this is where I'm staying. I'll guess I'll be seeing you around?" (Y/N) asked, sounding a bit too hopeful than she had meant, hands nervously clutching her bags' straps.

"...Sure. If you need me, I'm in the House of Daena most of the time." Zandik responded after a moment's thought.

With that, they both parted. (Y/N) didn't know about Zandik, but she needed a good hot soak in the tub after all that walking and swimming.

The hotel was fairly big; it had to be, to be called the 'grand' hotel. Sumeru's typical floral motifs were evident in both the building's decor and structure. Wooden lace trims with flowers and vines danced at the edges of the walls and the ceiling. Lamps in the shapes of Nilotpala Lotus and Mourning flowers were placed in strategic points of the reception room. Similarly, the hotel itself had a wonderful floral fragrance. 

"Hello, how may I help you today!" The receptionist warmly greeted.

"Hi, I'm staying in room 215 under the name of Traveller and (Y/N). I left my key here two days ago, before I departed, so that I wouldn't lose it," (Y/N) explained.

"One moment while I check the records," the lady spoke as she flicked through the guest log book, "I'm sorry, but I don't see either of the names you gave. Are you sure you didn't mix up the hotels?"

"That's odd, maybe she already left. It's alright, I'll ask Katheryne if she knows anything. Thank you, Ma'am!" (Y/N) pushed herself off the ledge of the counter she had been leaning on and walked back out and made her way to the Adventurers' guild.

"Ad astra abyssosque! How may I help you, Adventurer?" an unfamiliar voice and face greeted (Y/N). Instead of Katheryne's even tone, the voice was overly cheery and energetic. Instead of the familiar black haircut in a bob framing a fair-featured face, there was a woman with deep brown hair neatly braided in two braids that rested on her shoulders.

"You're not Katheryne... I wasn't aware she could take vacations. Or is this how we keep running into her... Because you all rotate on shifts or something..." (Y/N) trailed off, staring into the poor woman's eyes. "In any case, can you tell me if the Traveller and Paimon went on any commissions?"

"One moment, please, dear Adventurer." The woman spoke before looking through her records.  

(Y/N) drummed her fingers on the wooden counter as she looked around to pass the time, even if it was just a moment. Sumeru City was just as lively as the day she left. Kids ran around chasing each other with sticks and bugs. Merchants were selling wares to whoever stopped to look and listen. The elderly were taking strolls with their dogs, and Akademiya students were looking stressed in every corner of the city.

"I'm sorry, I don't see who you're looking for. Are they maybe registered under a different name?" The woman's voice snapped her attention back to the situation at hand.

"They shouldn't be... That's odd... Well, thank you." (Y/N) walked away, thoughts swarming in her head, not even bothering to hear the end of what the woman had said.

'Maybe they're playing a mean prank on me for going out on my own.'

'No, Lumine doesn't like to mess around like that.'

'Maybe I'm under some curse from the ruin that makes me say random names instead of what I mean?'

'No, that's ridiculous.'

'Who do I know from Sumeru who might know where those two are... Tighnari! Oh, but he's all the way back in Gandharva ville... I suppose if I don't find any leads here, I'll have no choice but to go back.'

'I hope they're okay, wherever they are.'

(Y/N) spiralled in her thoughts as her body took her to Puspa cafe. Maybe she could find her friends there, or maybe a warm, filling meal would give her more ideas on what to do. The cafe was incredibly hot, even with the windows cracked open; the heat from the bustling kitchen and the hot meals radiated steadily with no pause. It was fairly decently packed, but not overly crowded. Grabbing a menu, she walked to a back corner of the dining hall, choosing to sit at a table with a window. Flicking through the menu, she chose to try Panipuri and some Tulumba for dessert. After ordering (Y/N) went back to thinking about her missing companions. By the time the food came back and (Y/N) had eaten the delicious food, she was still no closer to having figured out where her friends were. But a likely theory had presented itself to her. Her friends had slipped into another world-breaking adventure yet again. In addition to that, they had gotten themselves 'forgotten' by the world, possibly by the hands of the ever-suspicious akashas, or possibly by Dainsleif.

"Ugh, it's already May 15th, and the deadline is in a week, and we're still nowhere near the finishing line! We're so dead if we don't finish this!" A young scholar's shrill yell broke the adventurer out of her focus.

'Ah, the common dilemma of meeting deadlines, ever so deadly. Truly one of the worst things in any field. Wait... May 15th? I could've sworn we got here in September...' (Y/N) thought as she sipped her drink through a straw. 'Maybe, when I fell into the ruin, I somehow managed to slip back in time... Man, if I'm 4 months in the past, that means they're still in Inazuma. Should I try to find a way back to the ruins, or do I just sit and wait? What would even happen if I met another me? Would we snap into one person? That's ridiculous, I have no proof that I've travelled back in time!'

Shaking her head free of thoughts, (Y/N) sipped the last bit of her drink and stood up to pay and leave. Stepping out of the cafe, (Y/N) began walking around, idly rubbing at the soreness in her shoulders from the heavy bag clinging to her in the gruelling heat.

'Maybe I can look for some newspapers to check the date.' Walking to where she remembered seeing a newsstand, (Y/N) thought.

Reaching her destination, she took one of the newspapers from the stand and checked the date.

 While exploring the jade arches, she heard locals talk about the Rite of Descension. So she headed back to the port town only to run into her friend, the Traveller and Paimon. Together they had quite the escapade, witnessing the lord of geos' death, being wanted criminals, a name that would undoubtedly be used again on her and her friend, meeting the Adepti, even managing to draw some of them, and then going toe to toe with a harbinger. Truly a more than intense few weeks, and she hadn't even mentioned the citizens themselves, who were sticklers for their own forms of contracts. During her travels, (Y/N) got let down by her inability to venture down into the Chasm, but made up for it by finding a ruin guard facility with the aforementioned harbinger. (Y/N) noted that he was turning out not to be such a bad guy after all.

Months passed, and the Traveller was off to the land of eternity. Having heard of the wondrous ruins of Enkanomiya and Tsurumi Island. (Y/N) joined them- a decision she would have regretted if she had a vision, but luckily for her, she was not yet blessed by the heavens above. Still, with the Sakoku decree, she found her travel and research limited. The furnace in Tatarasuna caught her eye, but the Fatui agents and deadly electrified air made her wander further. Eventually, she got dragged all the way to Watatsumi Island, where they restrained her from jumping into Enkanomiya the moment she finished exploring the island. Inazuma was a crazy land with crazier things that had it out for her because she could keep to the two cities - but she did meet a funny fellow book nerd, okay, he did turn into an abyss lector, but he was still funny. (Y/N) hopes to run into him again.

Being able to descend into the Chasm after all this time was a dream, swiftly followed by a nightmare of giant talking mushrooms, ghost children, cool upside-down ruins, and depressed Fatui soldiers whom she pitied.  

Perhaps the land of wisdom would be better, alluring forests with giant ruin guards, vast deserts with more ruins than she could dream about. Yes, this would be a nice change of pace. But who would have guessed that the akademiya hated everything she did? Exploring ruin technology, a hobby she had acquired after having found out they're linked to Khaenri'ah and having an admittedly one-sided talk with the Traveller's friend Dainslief. Traversing the desert was frowned upon, especially when she mentioned she would hire Eremites to show her the ropes. (Y/N) had, at one point, invented new derogatory words to call the Sages after hearing how they talked about them—investigating the stars and their possible fakeness after one too many late-night talks with her friend Mona? Got called a heretic and threatened with expulsion. To which (Y/N) reminded them, 'I do not go here'. And then, when she went to draw the stunning city, she was told to do it elsewhere because it's 'frowned upon'. 

Needless to say, the sages could stuff their akashas into their-

Wise words come from the researcher-turned-Akademiya-hater (Y/N). So she did the smart thing and planned a solo trip without her companions.

"Relax, you two, you're acting as if I have never gone to research lost ruins on my own before," (Y/N) chided Paimon as she packed her belongings into the well-worn travel bag.

"Yeah, but that was before you almost crashed a boat into a kairagi-infested beach, and before you almost got hit by lightning-"

"The traveller was the one to get hit, and what's a little lightning going to do to me?"

"- but then you got thrown into the air by that electro bird, and I won't even mention what happened in the archipelago!"

"That was not entirely my fault! Tell her, Traveller!"

The blond Traveller threw the two squabbling housemates a less-than-pleased look from her place curled up under a thin blanket the hotel provided, having spent day after day travelling through the Chasm to get to Sumeru and then having to rescue a reckless scholar immediately thereafter. Needless to say, Lumine more than needed the extra minutes of rest her companions weren't giving her.

"Sorry, Traveller…" Both Paimon and (Y/N) apologised and turned their bickering quieter.

"Are you sure you want to go on your own? We can try to finish our business here quickly…" Paimon asked, voice trailing off as she watched the white-haired woman pack in an organised fashion, having done so countless times before.

"Yes, don't worry, I will be back in a few days. I spoke to Tighnari, and he told me what routes to take and what to look out for. It's just a couple of days, you'll be fine without me." With that, (Y/N) closed her bag and turned to pull Lumine out of her bed. "As an apology for waking you up, breakfast is on me."

***

Sumeru, with its lush greenery, clear skies, an actual sky, not a hallucination of a mushroom, and people free from the tyranny of a god stuck in an unattainable idea of eternity, was a welcome difference. Between the electrifying air that threatened to strike anything it deemed a threat, the dead ground of the Chasm, and any lack of non-deadly life between most of the places they had been last, except Mrs Alice's storybook world, of course. Everything in the nation of wisdom seemed to be bursting at the seams with nature and life. Bugs crawled on the plants that grew in every crevice and space of the city, birds flew around, perching on the houses that blended into the trees that held the city together, and even the people seemed more in tune with what's around them. 

If (Y/N) was being honest, she needed a break from the crazy adventures her companions kept falling into. She knew that if she didn't leave now, it would be weeks, if not months, of being stuck in yet another once-in-a-lifetime event. So perhaps she was a little selfish for wanting to take a break, but who could blame her or do anything differently in her position? Plus, it's not like the world would end if she went away for a few days.

***

Who knew you should look at the road ahead and not at the architecture when crossing a broken wooden bridge, which only had an idea of how many planks a bridge should have? Apparently, (Y/N) didn't.

Floating in the cold water of the river below, she stared up at the ceiling and the bridge as it mocked her. Having struggled to swim up with her bag, she let herself catch a breath on the somewhat refreshingly cool water. Even though she despised the feeling of wet fabric clinging to her. Beside her, her hat floated easily, as if mocking her and saying, 'Hah, I can just float and not hold onto my only supplies'. Luckily for the beret, she liked it too much to let it drift away.

Clutching her backpack and hat, the woman let a despairing sigh echo through the cave as she grumbled and began swimming to shore. 

"Ugh, now I'll have to cut my journey short and take a break because I am in no way going to keep doing this soaking wet," (Y/N) huffed out as she threw herself down onto the sandy shore, making sure not to fall on the rocks that scattered it. The shore was a small sliver of sand and decaying grass with a fallen adhigama tree occupying most of the dusty space. Sharp, jagged stones made up the cliff, so scaling it would prove difficult, but not impossible after some rest. The rest of the cave was dark and dingy, as barely any light drifted in through some unseen crack far above her.

An unknown amount of time later, after settling on the tree, distant voices caught her attention as torchlight approached the ledge of the cliff.

"I wouldn't recommend crossing that bridge!" (Y/N) called out to whoever was above as faces peered down at her. 

"Clearly, anyone who had functioning eyes would know that," a gruff old voice responded- an irritatingly familiar tone that many old scholars and sages seemed to share. "Can you swim to this side so we can help you up, or would you prefer to be stuck down there?"

With little trouble, (Y/N) swam and climbed her way up and back to safety.

"Were you down there long? Any injuries?" The man, whom (Y/N) recognised by his uniform as an Akademiya Professor, asked, doing a once-over of her.

"Only an hour or so, and none that I can tell, I landed safely in the water and was able to swim to shore. Thank you for pulling me up," she responded, dusting off her clothes, not liking how, after finally starting to dry, they were back to being sopping wet. At least this time, she had thought to put her coat and hat into her bag, making movement easier. A researcher/adventurer was always supposed to be resourceful, after all.

"There doesn't seem to be another way across. Alright, we'll return for now and have the Adventurers guild have someone build a more stable bridge for us," the professor spoke to whom (Y/N) assumed was a group of his students.

It was a fair-sized class of 10 scholars, from their white uniforms, she could tell they were from the Kshahrewar school- if her memory of what she heard the Traveller and others say was correct. While her companions had no qualms with using the akasha, (Y/N) had blatantly avoided using it. To quote herself, "that is a doomsday device that will no doubt be taken advantage of and used to harm people's minds". Yet another thing that would probably give the sages more reason to hate her more - if they ever heard her say it aloud.

"May I accompany you back, as it is safer in a group, and I happen to know my way around trouble and fights if there happens to be any," (Y/N) offered the retreating scholars.

With a nod, she joined the group and set off back to the city. A few of the scholars started talking to her, asking about where she's from, as she doesn't seem to be from Sumeru; what she's doing here, and so on.

"I'm currently travelling across Teyvat with two friends, you'll probably see her, and if not, you'll know her sooner or later. Blond in foreign clothes and with a white-haired little guide with her." (Y/N) responded earnestly. "As for why I'm here, I needed a break and thought exploring some ancient history might be cool."

"So a trip to the Mawtiyama forest was only logical," one of the students sarcastically quipped.

"No, this was my compromise idea, because apparently all my ideas were far too dangerous according to my friends," (Y/N) shrugged, feigning to have no idea why they would think of such an idea.

"Oh, and what were the original ideas?" another student asked, not believing what this seemingly inept so-called adventurer, who looked more like an aristocrat from Mondstadt, would say.

"Oh, I wanted to see the huge ruin guard in the valley or even some of the pyramids and temples in the desert, but that's too far and too dangerous, as if I didn't live in ruins for years before I met those two," (Y/N) rambled on, oblivious to the looks the group of scholars was giving her.

"And your friends were right, you have no need to venture in places like that," the professor warned.

"Well, all of you are here too."

"That is different; we are exploring the architectural integrity of the temple to learn about its foundation and how the ancients constructed it."

"Great, there are two of them now," one of the students whispered in disgust.

(Y/N) paused and looked around at the scholars who now seemed to be avoiding her ever so slightly. While she was doing that, she caught the gaze of one of them who seemed to have made it a point to glare a hole into her with his strikingly red eyes.

"In any case, I guess that's why I would never join the Akademiya, no offence," (Y/N) quickly added. It wasn't as if she hated schools and education systems; she just hated how pretentious some letters in front of or behind a name seemed to make some of the people she had met in her brief stay in the city.

Hours later, after making it out of the towering lily pad-shaped trees of the forest and well on their way to the city, they had decided to set up camp for the night while it was still light. While setting up her own tent, (Y/N) noticed that the group wasn't that inept at making the campsite, as crudely guarded as it was. During her glance around, she noticed the peculiar teal-haired man setting up his tent alone and farther away.

'I'll have to keep an eye on him more throughout the night, just in case something sneaks up,'(Y/N) thought. She was used to staying up late on shifts or staying up all night to let her friends sleep soundly. It did, after all, give her plenty of time to analyse the day's findings and stargaze. 

Having unpacked and hung out her hat and coat to dry in the cooling breeze, she sat back against a tree by her tent and began preparing her dinner. 

That was until the ground began shaking as a flock of dusk birds flew overhead in a frenzy. Standing up, (Y/N) took a stance at the entrance of the camp, waiting to see what was charging their way. A sumpter beast, maybe, or a mitachurl? Both were easy enough. A mechanical roar ripped through as a ruin drake earthguard emerged through the heavy bush. Behind her, she heard the students panicking, frantically trying to run away as the professor yelled something to them.

'Stay calm, aim for the core'

(Y/N) picked up her compacted polearm, and with a click, it unfurled in all its glory, the familiar weight steady in her grasp. (Y/N) adjusted her glasses as she stared down the reptilian automaton, her glasses catching the light of the fading evening sun.

'Kick? No. Above and stab.'

With a crouch, she sprinted full speed at the drake just as it started charging at her, blades of grass breaking and flowing behind her. It swung its tail and knocked into her. It hurt, by the gods, it hurt; the heavy, jagged tail dug into her chest and stomach as she grabbed onto it. She used its own momentum to launch herself into the air and onto its back. The metal scraped at her tights and thighs as she wrapped around its neck to hold on. With a swing, she stabbed her weapon through its mechanical eye. With a jolt and a thrash, it slowly died, slumping to the ground in a smoking heap.

Leaning against her polearm, she got off its back and staggered back, clutching her stomach with a sour expression etched onto her face.

"Sit, do you need medical attention?" The professor's stern voice cut through the silence as he guided her to sit down by the campfire.

"No, it's fine. I'll seek a healer when we return to the city, if I have to. I've survived worse," (Y/N) grumbled, rubbing her no doubt bruised torso.

"How did you defeat it so easily?" A swarm of scholars chattered around her in awe.

"You just have to break its core. It's simple after that."

After a few more rounds of questions, everyone returned to what they were doing for a bit before going off to sleep. Deciding to stay up for a few more hours to make sure the coast is clear, (Y/N) wrapped herself in her coat, sat with her back against the tree and stared at the sky above. Counting stars and noting constellations only got her so far, so after a while, she started gathering the small flowers around her and made a tiny flower wreath. And as if on cue, the strange teal-haired scholar emerged from his tent, being careful not to be heard.

(Y/N)'s (e/c) eyes followed his figure as he skulked closer to the collapsed ruin drake. As quietly as a moth, she got up and walked over to watch him closer. Years of sneaking around dangerous areas trained her to stay as silent as she could, blending into the shadows until you could only catch the piercing gaze of her eyes until it was too late. To anyone watching her during the day, she seemed non-threatening, a cheerful researcher who's talkative to a fault. But to anyone who crossed her path at night, she was a shadow made of thorns—a predator, especially if you got in her way.

"If you turn it back on, I can't say I can guarantee your safety this time," (Y/N) whispered, startling the scholar as he whipped his head to face her.

It was clear to her by his arched brows and parted lips that he had been caught off guard by her presence, even if for a moment, before he scowled at her and turned to face the mechanism yet again.

"Unlike the others, I'm not a complete dolt and know how to deal with them," he grumbled, voice carrying a tone of arrogance that seemed to be a default state.

"Fine, but I'm staying here just in case," (Y/N) said, not letting him respond. She sat down next to him, hand to her head as her polearm sat in her lap, at the ready.

Minutes passed as she watched him tinker and disassemble the drake. He did seem to know what he was doing, which was odd considering the akademiyas' disdain for these machines.

"I thought you scholars hated even mentioning ruin machines, yet here you are, more than knowledgeable about them."

"Don't confuse me with them, they're too shallow-minded to even begin comprehending the complex nature of these mechanisms," he continued to grumble, huffing as if she had compared him to a worm.

"Tell me about it, you know, for an academy, you would think people would accept different opinions, but no. You can't go into the ruins, it's forbidden; you can't explore the stars and how they connect to the people, that's blasphemous; don't touch the ruin machines, even though they're just old machines, you'll get cursed. A bunch of old dust bags, I bet they're so against everything because they've gone senile." (Y/N) joined him in his grumbling, "What's your name by the way, so I know who to find when the old geezers annoy me again."

The man paused, glancing at the strange woman next to him. He had never met such a blabbermouth that actually had similar, at least on the surface, ideas as him. And it was clear she was new to Sumeru city, as she had yet to hear everyone whisper about him, or else she would not be talking so casually to him. Yet there she was, acting with no regard to the possible dangers of being in his space, especially as he could easily start the mechanical beast again.

"You may call me Zandik," he introduced himself and watched as she lit up, sending him a small smile as she stuck out her hand for him to shake. Tentatively, he shook it, noting how warm she was even in the cold night. (Y/N) noted how rough his hand was, a clear sign that he spent hours tinkering with things she doubted he would let her know. 

Tinkering sounds filled the silence between them as the minutes turned into hours. Crickets and owl songs floated through the air; distantly, (Y/N) heard frogs humming and fungi roaming around. Nothing seemed to be trying to disturb them, so that was good. At some point, she had absent-mindedly begun helping him dismantle the drake further, using her own knowledge of its weak spots and strengths with her weapon. 

"I would like to bring this back with me, but I have a feeling the professor will find out I took it with me," Zandik muttered, struggling to pick up the heavy piece.

"We can put it in my bag, and I can sneak it to you once we're in the city," bringing her bag over as she spoke, making room for it and easily placed it inside. "There, safe for transport."

"Despite your physical appearance, you are quite strong," he noted, tired eyes scanning over her physique.

"Years of not sitting in a stuffy classroom but never saying no to a tasty meal will do that," (Y/N) said as she stood up and offered him a hand. "Now, let's go to sleep so we don't look like the undead in the morning."

Letting her pull him up, he listened to her advice and headed off to his tent.

"Wait, the undead?"