As you may have noticed, updates will be a bit slower for a while since I've been very busy lately! I will still update often, so no worries about me neglecting this story anytime soon, I got a lot of chapters planned out :D
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"Here you are! No need to cry, see? She's safe!"
The peppy and enthusiastic girl sent a bright smile to the teary eyed child, who looked up through his cloudy eyes from the voice. He held back a hiccup with a deep intake of breath, his small fists aggressively wiping away at his eyes as his vision focused on the image in front of him.
The girl's loose hair gently swayed in the breeze, strands moving in her face but she made no effort to push them away because she held a small creature within her two hands, and she didn't want to scare the little creature any further than it already was with sudden movement.
The boy then tugged at his sleeve so that it covered a majority of his hand, his hand flying up to wipe at the stray tears since his small fists weren't helping much. His eyes were visibly reddened, a little puffy at the bottom from the excessive amount of crying he had been doing partnered with the aggressive rubbing of his eyes from trying to stop those tears.
Once he had a better view, he once again looked up, his sight much clearer than before. What he saw made his hiccups nearly stop completely, though his small body still racked with barely noticeable bounces showing they weren't fully gone, just being suppressed.
His eyes went from cloudy to starry real quick as he looked at the kitten being held in the girl's outstretched hands, one very familiar to him.
"T-thank you! Thank you so much, Miss Knight!" The small boy exclaimed suddenly as he stumbled forward, reaching his much smaller hands to grab the kitten out of the Knight's larger ones. The kitten purred as the girl had softly run her nails atop its head, as if to say goodbye, before lowering it so that the boy could take it back.
"It's no problem! All in a days work." She replied, her jovial grin never fading as she wiped down her top from any cat hair with a few swipes of her hand.
The boy nearly suffocated the kitten as he clutched it to his chest, the kitten pawing at him playfully since it was really enjoying its time with the knight. He looked up in awe while he steadied his breaths, trying to calm down from his previous sobbing fit that lasted nearly a whole hour in his moments of distress.
"How can I ever repay you?" He asked, pursing his lips together as he wondered if he would have to beg his parents for Mora. If that were the case, they wouldn't be willing to take him out this week to the bakery to get any sweet he wanted, and that was his favorite part of the week.
The girl simply put her hands above her knees and crouched down so that she was eye level with the child, showing a close eyed smile as she pat his head with her gloved hand, the boy sinking slightly with every bit of pressure she added while she ruffled his hair around.
Internally, the girl cooed at the adorable child clutching onto the kitten, thinking it was an adorable sight paired with his kind personality of being so considerate as to offer her payment, even though it was her job to help the people of Mondstadt.
"No need! Just say the word if you ever need my help, and I'll be there!"
Before the boy could even think about thanking her once again, the loud shouting of someone's voice made both of their focus' dart towards where it had came from, curious to see who expressed the distressed shouting. They hadn't anticipated for the owner of the voice to be rapidly approaching them, the person's frantic eyes making contact with the two of theirs.
"AMBERRRRR!" (Y/N) dashed straight ahead, their bag desperately trying to remain close to them, but was frantically flying behind them because of the pace they were running at.
"Huh?" Amber tilted her head and blinked repeatedly trying to gather her thoughts, standing up with a small grunt from being in that bent position for so long.
The kitten in the child's hand was extremely startled by the yell and began to take its claws out, digging into the boy's arm resulting in him dropping it. The kitten landed on all four paws before dashing away again, the boy's eyes beginning to cloud with tears just as they did earlier.
"RUN! WE GOTTA RUN!" (Y/N) shouted as they gently gripped onto Amber's wrist without stopping, now having Amber in tow with them.
Amber stumbled over her feet and instinctively wrapped her fingers tightly around (Y/N)'s wrist as she tried to balance herself from falling. Her heels clicked against the ground sporadically as she regained her footing to the best of her ability while keeping up with (Y/N)'s fast pace.
"H-huh?! What're we running from?! Is there something dangerous going on?!" Amber questioned frantically as a concerned expression came to her face, her eyebrows furrowing and eyes scanning all around her for any signs of a commotion. The only present commotion was (Y/N) themself, those they ran past looking in their direction briefly in curiosity before going on with their day.
"NO! IT'LL BE TOO LATE IF WE DON'T LEAVE NOW!" (Y/N) denied with a rapid shake of their head, never turning to look back at Amber as they darted for the front gates of Mondstadt.
Amber's concerns only grew at that, her grip tightening in a comforting way as she tried to calm (Y/N) down and get a better grasp of the situation.
"What're you talking about?! (Y/N) is everything okay--" She asked, stumbling briefly over a pebble on the road making her gasp lightly before she regained her footing and continued to keep up with (Y/N).
"--NO! WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THE THING I WANT TO SHOW YOU IF WE DON'T HURRY!" (Y/N) worriedly stated as they slowed down their pace so the two could walk down the upcoming stairs without tripping.
Amber took a moment to process what they had said for a moment before shaking her head, the bunny-eared headband that rested atop it shaking along with the movement.
"...Wait!" Amber exclaimed loudly while angling herself backwards, making her heels skid against the ground so the two of them could come to a sudden halt. She wasn't gentle with firmly grasping (Y/N)'s wrist, tugging (Y/N) in her direction, making them stop running and stumble a bit from the sudden force pulling them back.
Amber let go of their wrist and wiped a bead of sweat that was forming at her eyebrow, her lips parting slightly as she silently regained her breath from just how fast they were running. She was supposed to be the best Outrider in Mondstadt, but she was sure if (Y/N) wanted to take on that role, they had the speed and stamina to do so and Amber would be left jobless.
(Y/N) turned to look at Amber, a puzzled expression morphing their features as they were very antsy with everything they did, from fiddling with the bag they had with them to making sure their attire was in order.
"Now, what're you going on about. Explain it to me slowly." Amber asked as she placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at (Y/N), who sent a look of shock immediately.
"Huh? You seriously don't remember?! But we promised~" (Y/N) whined as they threw their hands out in front of them in exasperation, wanting to get moving along before it was too late.
Amber blinked a few times as she internally panicked, thinking back as she contemplated if she had promised to do something today with (Y/N).
Amber found herself stumbling over her words in her moment of guilt, her hands sliding off from her hips and finding themselves entangled with one another.
"...Eh? I-I mean, of course I remember! Could you just... remind me?" She said as she moved one of her hands upwards and scratched at her cheek lightly, hoping (Y/N) wouldn't be too angry with her if they caught on that she completely forgot about whatever they were implying.
(Y/N) didn't look bothered in the slightest, instead agreeing to remind her with a rapid nod of their head. As they did so, they sent a bright toothy smile, their cheeks upturning and eyes crinkling from it being so wide making Amber's cheeks feel a bit warm and her heart seemingly skipping a beat at what they said next.
"Our date silly! You said you wanted me to take you out on a date, and that's where we're going!" (Y/N) said as they stepped from one foot to another excitedly, hoping their preparations didn't take too long to the point they would miss what they had planned for the two to do.
Amber reeled back and tried to recall their last encounter, mumbling to herself the events step by step to the point they reached their farewells, where she recalled them having said something about seeing one another again, although she couldn't recall the exact words.
"Listen, I really am happy you wanted to hang out with me, but I'm really busy! As a citizen of Mondstadt, it's in my duty to help watch over the city and assist anyone who's in trouble!" Amber exclaimed as her hands rapidly flew around in the air, words hurriedly spilling out of her mouth as she explained that she would have loved to hang out with (Y/N) today, but she was working and she couldn't.
(Y/N) cut her off from saying anything further with a wave of their hand, nonchalantly tossing Amber's worries aside.
"Psh, don't worry about that~ I already talked with Jean this morning and she said you can have the day off." (Y/N) exclaimed with a proud expression, having taken a while to convince Jean, but in the end they did without much trouble since Jean was strict but pretty lenient to those she felt were responsible and deserved a day off.
"...Did she really?" Amber questioned, calming down as she tilted her head to the side. The idea of hanging out with (Y/N) today did sound really fun, and she wondered just what they had in store for her.
(Y/N) simply hummed and chuckled lightly before gently grabbing onto Amber's hand again and tugging her along. Amber's face brightening with excitement and anticipation as she followed along at a much slower pace than earlier, knowing (Y/N) wouldn't lie about Jean allowing Amber the rest of the day off since they understood their positions.
"Well then, Starsnatch Cliff, here we come!"
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"Ah~ It's really such a wonderful day out today, the wind is so relaxing!"
Amber stretched out her arms into the air, a bright smile on her face as strands of her hair softly fluttered in the breeze. She let the gentle winds graze her arms and legs, absorbing the feeling of being able to relax since she had been running around all day helping out the citizens of Mondstadt.
She stood on the tips of her toes as she stretched even further, her shoes neatly placed to the side as she removed the restraints to better embrace the atmosphere. In the end, her socks would still become dirtied, but it wasn't like she minded much since she could just wash them later. At least it hadn't rained in a bit so it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling of stepping on wet grass in socks, but rather a freeing one at the cool sensation.
The only thing that would make this experience even more perfect was if she could glide off the cliff and feel the breeze to its fullest extent, but with her company she felt it would be rather rude to do so.
(Y/N) crouched on the ground as they laid out the large blanket they had borrowed from Aether, smoothing it out so that it lay flat against the ground. The bag that was placed to the side now sat on top of the blanket, and when (Y/N) pulled the drawstring open, they were relieved to see everything was still intact.
They only hoped Amber would enjoy everything they had prepared, because they were running around all morning to get everything ready for the picnic they planned to have with her. It was later than they expected it to be, this being a dinner picnic rather than a lunch one, but the food was still warm and fresh. The lines in the shops were just way longer than what they had expected them to be.
They re-closed the bag and sat it in the middle of the blanket before plopping themself down to take a seat, making sure they found a comfortable position as they pushed over some of the Cecilia flowers the two had picked on their way up.
(Y/N) looked over at Amber who had a hand above her eyes to get a better survey of the surrounding area, Amber looking in awe at everything they had passed since they arrived in its vicinity.
(Y/N) smiled seeing her enthusiasm, and decided there was plenty of time for gawking later, and they should probably make conversation and begin eating the food that (Y/N) had spent their little amount of savings on before it got any colder.
"So... you're like the best gliding person in Mondstadt or something, right?" (Y/N) asked as they looked up at Amber, who had finished stretching and was grabbing her shoes to move them closer to where (Y/N) had set up the blanket.
She nodded her head as she walked over with her boots in one hand, her other hand moving to push some strands of hair out of her face.
"Yes! My official title is Outrider, and I'm the gliding champion of Mondstadt. I can proudly say no one can beat me in a gliding competition!" Amber exclaimed as she crouched down and placed her boots on the ground just beside the blanket, standing up soon after and wiping at her shorts to flick a bug off.
(Y/N) pat the spot beside them and motioned Amber over when she stood up from crouching, Amber having no complaints and immediately stepping onto the blanket to sit with them. She sat in a crisscross position besides (Y/N) as the two faced towards the sea near the peak of the cliff, the distant sound of birds cooing along with the waves crashing against the side of the cliff creating a relaxing symphony.
"Eh? Really? I know Mondstadt's all about gliding, so it's amazing I'm sitting next to the best glider right now!" (Y/N) exclaimed with a shine of admiration in their eyes, looking at their companion like they were a godly being.
Amber gave a sheepish look as she carefully slid her gloves off so that she could place them aside, distracting herself from the praise she actually really enjoyed hearing come from (Y/N)'s lips.
"O-Oh, yes! If you want, I can teach you to glide, I'd be happy to give lessons and help you get your license!" Amber offered with an excited glint in her eye, thinking it would be fun to go gliding on this very cliff, though if (Y/N) were a beginner it probably wouldn't be the best place to start.
(Y/N), who had been looking off into the sea at a distant island, immediately had their attention directed at Amber.
"...You need a license to glide?" They asked while swallowing thickly, a hand moving upwards so that one of their fingers lightly grazed their cheek as their lips pursed slightly knowing they definitely didn't have a license or whatever Amber was referring to.
Amber nodded her head, mentally scolding herself for not bringing the guide along with her before explaining the basics of its necessity.
"Mhm! To ensure everyone's safety, gliders need to follow some regulations and be able to properly glide before being permitted to do so freely." Amber stated as she recalled what the contents of the book held, having guided many people so far in order to gain that license, so it was practically engraved in her memory.
"...shit." (Y/N) mumbled to themself, realizing they've added more things to the 'illegal things (Y/N) has done since entering Mondstadt' list.
Amber, hearing them mumble but not clearly making out what they said, tilted her head in curiosity.
"Did you say something?" She asked, looking at (Y/N) who seemed to be distressed.
(Y/N) simply dismissed her concerns with a wave of their hand before reaching over and pulling the bag they had brought along with them towards themself.
"Oh! I was just thinking that the food is going to get cold! Haha..." (Y/N) mentioned as they pulled at the strings of the bag roughly, letting out a sarcastic sounding chuckle at the end as they tried to distract Amber from realizing they have been gliding for years without a license.
"You brought food?" Amber asked curiously while one of her eyebrows raised in interest, leaning closer to (Y/N) to get a better look at what they were fiddling with.
"Well, this can't be a picnic date without food, yeah?" (Y/N) questioned like it was the most obvious thing in the world to them, Amber now connecting the scenery and blanket to a picnic at their mentioning of it.
She thought they would just sit there and enjoy the weather, atmosphere, and views, but she wouldn't deny the food since she was a bit hungry from skipping out on lunch today.
"That makes sense, and quit it with calling this a date!" Amber scolded as she pointed a finger at them and narrowed her eyes, her cheeks feeling a bit heavier as they formed a pouting expression.
It wasn't like she minded calling this a date, in fact she liked the idea of it, she just didn't know if (Y/N) intended for it to sound like a date date, in which case they did though Amber wasn't able to just read their mind.
"Isn't that what it is??" (Y/N) asked as a puzzled expression came to their face, totally forgetting about their teasing from their last encounter that Amber just couldn't forget about since it had been stuck on her mind a bit.
"Nevermind! Let's see what you brought." Amber said as she shook her head and stared down at the open bag where the smell of familiar food began to waft out of. The breeze of the wind sent the smell in the opposite direction of Amber, so she couldn't tell what exactly was in there, although she mentally tried to decipher what it could be.
"Hm! Here we have~" (Y/N) hummed and drawled out as they shoved both of their hands into the bag, gripping onto the first dish on both sides so they wouldn't drop it when pulling it out.
"Ta-da!" (Y/N) exclaimed as they shot their hands out of the bag with the plate of whatever food that was at the top. They held it in Amber's direction so she could see, and Amber could not only see the dish but now smell the tantalizing scent the dessert gave off.
"Woah... you made Moon Pie? I actually really like Moon Pie, what a coincidence!" Amber said as she took the plate from (Y/N)'s hands so that she could place it down for them since the bag looked as if it still had more food inside.
(Y/N) nodded their head in confirmation as they proudly smiled.
"Mhm! Eula told me it was one of your favorite dishes' in Mondstadt... and I didn't make it, I bought it." (Y/N) admitted, kind of wanting to take credit, but knowing that would lead to a road of disaster if Amber insisted for them to teach her.
Amber's face seemed to glow even brighter at the sound of their mutual companion's name, internally glad the two had run into each other because she knew Eula needed friends and (Y/N) was the perfect person to fill that role.
"Oh! That's really sweet of you to buy this then! And maybe we can make some together next time, I know a really simple recipe that tastes amazing." Amber replied while placing it down, securing the top that kept it warm since it was falling off a bit from (Y/N) taking it out so suddenly.
(Y/N) seemed to lose some of their color as their face drained of blood, vehemently denying ever stepping foot in a kitchen with Amber in it because of how they would no doubt embarrass themself.
"No no no, I don't doubt your cooking is amazing... but keep me away from the kitchen!" (Y/N) exclaimed, not really wanting to go into detail and hoping Amber wouldn't pry much.
But Amber was too sweet of a girl to let that slide, thinking it would only make the idea even better if she could teach (Y/N) a few things while she was at it.
"Oh come on, I'll be there so nothing will go wrong!" Amber exclaimed as she tried to sway (Y/N) to agree, already planning out future 'dates' with them. First, they would definitely have to go gliding. Baking was a definite must after that, while Amber also hoped they could even go scouting with one another while she was on duty if Jean allowed it.
"...Everything will go wrong." (Y/N) mumbled as they looked up into the sky and shook their head in pain, remembering the last time they were in the kitchen and all of their egg children were mercilessly slaughtered.
Before Amber could say anything, (Y/N) perked up and immediately turned their focus to the bag once again.
"Oh! That's not all!" They said as they shoved their hands inside and pulled out the last thing they had bought.
The tender meat was bathed in honey sauce, the plate decorated with vegetables on the side and herbs for added seasoning and flavor. It was a glorious sight, one of the many dishes Mondstadt was famous for, and one of Paimon's personal favorites.
"Sticky honey roast?!"
"Sticky honey roast!"
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And so the two spent the rest of the evening eating and chatting, telling one another stories and joking about those they knew, along with slandering their mutual companion Kaeya. Time seemed to fly and it already had come to the part (Y/N) had looked forward to doing the most, and yet it made them feel a bit saddened since it would symbolize the end of the two's date.
The main attraction (Y/N) had brought Amber along for was something that was exclusive for this exact spot they had chosen. Sure, there were many other spots that could give a similar experience, but (Y/N) had found that this spot was by far the best.
Amber was speechless when her eyes pried themself off from (Y/N) and towards the sea, the moon glittering and making it seem like there were thousand of diamonds on the ocean's surface. The stars were no different, thousands of bright jewels shining in the sky like freckles to a person's face, an attractive sight she had never thought to take time to appreciate until now.
The dozens of colors that painted the sky as the sun set beyond the horizon was a picture Amber would keep engraved into her memories, the mix of oranges, pinks, and even purples a sight she had never seen look so alluring before.
From that day forward, when Amber looks up at the stars, the first person that would come to mind would be (Y/N) for allowing her to experience such a beautiful phenomenon of all these views colliding to form a perfect picture.
Her lips curled into a serene smile, feeling absolutely at ease with (Y/N) by her side despite how late it was getting along with the dangers the night ensured.
"Hey, is it alright if we stayed a little longer?"
"Hm? But the sun has already set, its getting late, don't ya think?"
Amber had looked over at (Y/N), that serene smile pulling at her lips remaining as her eyes seemed to soften even further. The additional sight before her would also be engraved into one of her fondest memories, that sight being of (Y/N) who only stared up at the shining stars and towards the distant land of Celestia.
"Yeah... just a few more minutes, the view looks really pretty from here."
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As promised, Amber makes her return! <3
Andddd! Here's a little teaser I thought I would include since I wrote some dialogue for future chapters... heheh interpret it how you like! ;)
"No journey will ever be as memorable as the one I had with all of you... Thank you, Aether."