➜ " 𝐌 𝐄 𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐍 𝐈 𝐒 𝐌 " 𝐑. 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫

ᴠᴇʟ ɴᴏɴ

He remained his seemingly usual demeanour when it came to their interactions. But he found a way to brush off her confrontations for an explanation on his behaviour each time it was brought up. To say it wasn't frustrating wasn't a lie.

Maybe it wouldn't have mattered as much if he was just following her in silence. Instead, He nitpicked and prodded at every action she took.

Accidentally poking her thumb with a needle while sewing?

Confiscated.

Jumping down from a rock that was barely her forearm's length of height?

Nagged at for almost an hour and forbidden to go onto any surface that wasn't ground level for the rest of the day.

A simple, halfhearted comment about being a little low on energy than usual?

He practically held her on an invisible leash out soaking in the sun like laundry getting dried until the moon was up. The whole fiasco was becoming slightly over mild annoyance now.

A hand casually placed itself on her shoulder in confirmation. "Y/n?"  "Haypasia." The green haired woman smiled in greeting. "I knew it was you. What brings you to the Akademiya today?" Y/n turned to face her properly, a behaviour Nahida taught her recently. That humans find it more respectful when the person they're conversing with turns to face them as a signal of engagement. Meanwhile, her companion seated beside dipped his hat further down onto his face, the shade covering more than it normally would.

"I was journalling and planned on reading for a little. I heard it's midterms for Rtawahists right now, the libraries are brimming with blue hat house crests." Haypasia exhaled in languish while adjusting her glasses. "Don't even mention it. I've had four written exams before coming here with seven assignments due by tomorrow night. It's fortunate that Sumeru happens to be the main source of coffee over Teyvat, or else students would be dropping onto the ground in the middle of the Akademiya." She shook her head.

"That being said, me and my study group is taking a short break by the new coffee shop that opened up nearby the Akademiya for students. Would you care to join us?" Ashy brown eyes momentarily glimpsed at the mechanism's partner. "No offence, but I've never seen you around without hat guy or the traveler. I'll introduce you to everyone." At the offer, Y/n hummed in thought. Normally, she would decline an offer to idly chat around with random people she didn't know about. But after a few suffocating days with someone biting at her ankles every step, the idea being around others didn't seem too abysmal.

"I would be honoured to join. Would the others be alright with it?" W/n snapped his head towards the two females at Y/n's response, his glare raining daggers that announced his many unspoken words. Haypasia sweatdropped and shook her head. "Of course. They're all nice people. Well.. It's kind of hard to tell when everyone around the table looks like they're about to pass out then and there."

"In that case, lead the way whenever you're ready.

✰

"..."

"I know my beauty's been praised for centuries. Stop ogling."

"I do not posses the same aesthetic standards as humans. Also..." Crossing her arms, the h/c haired mechanism huffed in disapproval. "I could've came alone." She muttered like a kid whose parent insisted on tagging along on their hangout with friends. He ignored her comment and took another sip from his cup.
Haypasia had lead the both to a new cafe nearby the main building of the treetop Akademiya, which W/n had never visited himself due to the huge crowds of students in green and white uniforms that always gaggled around. Thankfully, the only group that was present at this moment of time was a table of tired Rtawahists that was religiously sipping at coffee as though it was salvation.