"Hey, doesn't the city feel livelier than usual?" you asked Aether as the two of you walked through the mercantile streets of Liyue Harbor one afternoon. "Everything looks a bit more decorated too. I swear all those lanterns weren't there yesterday," you pointed upwards to said hanging lanterns.
"Don't you remember? Zhongli said the Lantern Rite festival is coming up. All these people are probably here to visit," he replied, having his own look around the decorated buildings.
"Oh yeah!" you remembered as the two of you began up the stairs to Yujing Terrace, "I wonder what people do for the festival. Ooh! Do you think there'll be party games and prize stalls around?" you asked eagerly.
Aether chuckled and lightly shook his head as you reached the top of the staircase. The Millelith guard who always stood at attention there nodded to the both of you as you passed. Aether nodded in return before turning back to you, "I'm not sure if Lantern Rite is quite like festivals from other worlds."
As the two of you turned, you noticed the old adeptus of Madame Ping smiling at you, "Ah, children, come, come! Haha, you've arrived at just the right moment. I've been looking for you."
"Hey Madame Ping! Need help with something?" you asked her.
"Oh, no, no," she shook her head, "You've done so much for Liyue Harbor already. I could hardly ask you for more. In fact, my old friends and I have been putting our heads together to think of a gift we might give you two in return."
"A gift? For us?" you questioned.
"You're too kind," Aether said.
Madame Ping chuckled, "Oh children. You are so very modest— uncommonly so, even. But you mustn't decline this gift, I simply won't allow it. After all, with Lantern Rite on its way, gift giving is quite the common tradition."
"Does that mean we'll get even more gifts?!" your eyes lit up.
Aether folded his arms, "Cmon (Y/N), get your priorities straight."
"When you traversed my old teapot in search of the cleansing bell, I heard (Y/N) mention that you often camp out in the wilds. That simply won't do— especially since, I imagine, you still have a very long journey ahead. Fortunately, I have not grown so old as to see my sub-space creation abilities atrophy," Madame Ping told you.
"By sub-space creation, do you mean spaces like your teapot?" you glanced over to the table the pot sat upon.
"Yes," she nodded, "I will not go into too much detail, but sub-space creation is the ability to create a small, autonomous pocket world. My old teapot is simply a little trinket created with this ability."
"So, in the eyes of an adeptus, creating a magic teapot is just child's play, huh?" you said.
"Indeed, the teapot is nothing to boast of. The gift I have prepared for you only requires a few final materials to add the finishing touch," she replied.
"We can help look for them if you need," Aether offered.
"We did have a lot of practice with Zhongli..." you added.
"It's quite alright children, I have already found a fleet-footed youngster to prepare what I need. What's more, I doubt you would know how to find the materials I am searching for. Some of them are very rare indeed these days..." she turned behind herself to the glaze lilies, "Goodness knows if that child will succeed in finding them."
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A Star's Fate | aether x reader
Fanfiction"...the stars do not simply tell fates, they also have one of their own." Basically we replace paimon and it's just the main story + some of the events. Taking it upon myself to write an aether fanfic cuz there is BARELY anything of him. Gender neu...
