𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 | Genshin Impact

ᴏᴅᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅ

FIFTY FIVE

THE THING ABOUT goodbyes is, it always means you're leaving something behind. Both the good and the bad. The last look you cast off before moving onward braces you for the rest of the path forward. For most, it's a refreshing breath of relief, the turning point for new beginning. But it can also feel as if the delicate binds you've formed are slowly being pulled apart at the seams.

For (Y/n), it was the latter.

Any moment she was given space, she'd catch herself thinking of her friends' faces. She'd never had so many people around her. It was different from Fontaine. The same could be said for Liyue, for she made more friends than she could ever back home. And though to the harbor she was returning, leaving Mondstadt was equally as painful as when she was forced away the first time.

"You seem to have an awful lot on your mind," A voice spoke softly, "I only hope it doesn't cloud your judgement."

(Y/n)'s gaze flickered upward from the table she sat at.

Below the heavy, majestic branches of the Wangshu Inn, she entertained a tile game against a man whom she's never met before. The two were furthest from the public's eye, with a dark shadow cast over her opponent. The man kept his gaze over the game pieces. He whose eyes were a beautiful blend of blue and violet.

In response, she didn't say a thing.

Taking her silence as an answer, he continued to plot his next move carefully. As he calculated his choices, (Y/n) took the opportunity and glossed over his slender figure.

Underneath the shade, shadows obscured the sunlight. Albeit this, a few rays managed to caress one side of his face. His porcelain skin glimmered like snow in broad daylight, like droplets of rain reflecting a somber glow. On his eyelids, red stained the corners. A few strands of his indigo-colored hair were swept along with the wind before falling back into place.

(Y/n) guessed he hadn't noticed her staring. She watched as his eyes flickered across the board in a decisive manner.

"Your turn." Her focus had immediately darted towards his lips as he said those words.

(Y/n) glanced back down at the board.

There wasn't much to say between two strangers. Earlier, when he asked her for a bit of her time, she didn't hesitate to oblige. The reasoning being her nerves were getting the best of her, so she opted to kill time and try to settle her feelings before mustering up the courage to face the harbor.

But not wanting to bask in silence any longer, (Y/n) decided to speak up. "Tell me, what brings you to the region?" She curiously asked. Her hand now hovered over the pieces.

The man's eyes flickered towards her face. And as soon as she had moved her piece, she met his gaze.

There was something unpredictable about him. It was in that look on his face who was all but readable regardless of what the two had spoken of. It was unchangeable, almost as if natural reactions were a thing he had conquered long ago.

Relaxing a bit, he proceeded to speak. "I'm a vagrant," He said simply, "Wandering comes naturally with the territory." The explanation was enough for both of them.

Without breaking eye contact, his hand slowly reached over to push a tile piece.

To anyone watching, it would've seemed as if he couldn't have been bothered enough to care which he chose. But the glint in his eye told (Y/n) otherwise.