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Chapter 44:
When you get back to your room that day, you're really fucking annoyed to see the silk and the card sitting on top. Letting out an irritated sigh, you drop your bag on your vanity chair and grab the card on top of the silk before flopping onto your bed with an obscene groan.
"That bad?"
You look up to see your favorite adeptus sitting in the window. He wasn't there two seconds ago, but Xiao seems to come and go like the wind. It's something you're growing accustom to.
"Did you catch something this time?" You ask, waving the card halfheartedly.
Xiao shook his head again, earning another, long, and loud exhale. He pushed himself up from his perch and made his way towards the bed. Wordlessly, you moved over, letting him sit next to you.
"Gonna read it?" He questioned.
"Gonna have to." You huffed, irritation growing.
Flipping the card over, you let your gaze travel the cursive writing. It's abhorrent how easily you accept this as "normal" within your routine now. As if it's a plot device meant to keep the story going.
'To my champion,
Though you are angry with me, I bare no ill will nor ill intentions towards you or the people who matter to you. I know you blame me for the pain your adeptus went through, but I must absolve myself from the equation as I made myself absolutely clear when I told both he and the Son of Angels that consequences awaited those who ignored my warning. I do not wish to argue with you. I wish for you to grow as a warrior and person from your time here. It is my intentions for you to become a protector of sorts, but I cannot, as of yet, locate the source of blight within the land. I only know that it exists and is something that has grown recently. You can speak to me as you reached out yesterday if you have other questions that do not surround the only variables that I still question myself.
It is my hope that you utilize this and continue to hone your skills.'
You let the arm holding the card up fall against the mattress. It's no secret that this ally of yours has been gearing you up for war. They've never really hid that part what with the showing of weapons, but you weren't sure from where or what. Were you supposed to just accept that you were being honed as a weapon? Is this how Xiao felt? Or were you supposed to feel proud?
"That bad?" Xiao reiterated.
You huffed out a bout of laughter. Xiao's speech has become a lot less formal since you'd met him a couple years back. He no longer felt the need to create a wall of pretty words and language between you. There was a type of ease that settled in your chest at the idea of the adeptus being comfortable enough that he doesn't need to build his walls up around you. There is a comfort to understanding that Xiao is, at the very least, starting to see you as a safe space.
"I assume that it is another weapon." You breathe out, leaning over Xiao to chuck the card back onto the dresser.
"You won't open it?" Your adeptus asks.
You let out an irritated wine, turning your back towards him in a childish display of resistance. You don't want another weapon. You don't want to fight some huge battle coming up out of nowhere. You want answers to your questions and this ally of yours seems more hell-bent on keeping the people you love unhappy then actually aiding you in this quest to save Teyvat or whatever.
"Acting like a child won't make it go away." Xiao stated, and you could feel him rolling his eyes in your very being.
"Not with that attitude it won't." You grumble.
The adeptus shifted, pushing himself off the bed and earning another groan from you. You turned over to watch what he was up to, using your arm to prop your head up. Xiao made his way towards the expensive silk, pulling it away to reveal the weapon you had been so sure you would receive.
"A Monstadtian bow. Interesting."
"Yipee. My next conquest." You stated flatly.
"It's a very nice weapon, if not ironic." Xiao mused. "The Elegy for the End."
"For the what now?" You sit up, feeling a little lost. "That's ominous as fuck." You add, shoulder brushing against the Yaksha as you reach towards the weapon he had uncovered.
Lifting the bow from the silk, you scrutinized it in the fading rays from the end of the day. The sun caught off the gold and blue of the weapon.
"Well. It's definitely not something built for a stealth mission." You state, pulling at the string.
"Well, actually-"
"It wasn't literal, Xiao." You breathe out. "The colors are gaudy."
"The colors are not going to change whether you can fire it or not." The adeptus stated.
You watched as his brow pinched before a gloved hand reached up towards his head, stopping half way. He scrutinized himself before his arm fell back to his side.
"Do you have any of your tea left?" You asked.
The adeptus sighed, making his way towards the exit. You followed diligently, the two of you heading towards his small room. It wasn't homey by any stretch. Xiao didn't really decorate the place. In all reality, his room could probably be used as a display, like when people sell their apartments and stuff and they need to post photos online.
Ignoring how uncomfortable it makes you to be in such a clean and unlived in room, you make your way towards the contents in the first drawer to the one dresser in the room.
"I'm quite capable of brewing my own tea." Xiao protested.
"I'm very aware." You reply, smile in place. "But sometimes, it's ok to let others take care of you."
The adeptus looks around his room, though for what, you have no clue. Instead of worrying about apparitions or whatever it is that Xiao is looking for, you set the tea boil on the tiny stove he keeps. You think it might be more for show than anything else, but that's not really your focus right now. The smell of jasmine slowly starts to seep into the room, your muscles seemingly relaxing on instinct. You resist the urge to start humming. You're not sure where your limitations start and end when it comes to singing, and you'd rather not relive that scene from a couple nights back. Never, if at all possible.
"Does it help any?" You ask, pouring the tea into a mug from the same drawer as the tea was pulled from.
"It doesn't add to the pain." The Yaksha states with a halfhearted shrug.
"Well, at least there's that." You breathe.
0_0_0_0
Using a bow is harder than you'd like to ever admit. Aiming is a whole new game. When you had used Ganyu in game, it was only a matter of positioning the joystick properly and the Amos Bow would get the work done. Here, there are no crosshairs to rely on. There is just hand eye coordination and you're not really certain that you'll ever get the hang of it.
"I'm about thirty seconds from chucking my damn polearm at the target." You grumble, arms relaxing the bow in your possession.
"Now that would really help your bow prowess." Kuni mused.
"Only working on it will help you grow as a bowman." Xiao said, his calm only seeming to irritate you further.
"It's literally impossible. And my fucking arms are tired." You huff.
"Maybe you can whine the hillichurls to death." Kuni had a really annoying smirk on his face.
"Might just start with you." You growl.
"Do indulge me, please."
Kuni's grin was positively infuriating leading to a vicious growl crawling out of your throat. Your bow vanish and in its place, your polearm materialized, comfortable in your fingers. Violet eyes sparked with amusement, catalyst floating beside him.
"That's enough." Xiao stated, rubbing at his temples. "The two of you are like children."
"It's not my fault someone let the gremlin out of his cage." You spit out, sneer evident.
"Any place, any time." Kuni helpfully supplied, fueling your irritation.
"The two of you are insufferable." The adeptus grumbled.
"Oh boy."
You turned towards the new voice, your best friend looking a little exasperated as he made his way towards the Yaksha.
"Tapping out?" He mused, setting a hand on Xiao's shoulder.
"I'll check in later. I have business to attend to."
And with that, your Yaksha was gone in the blink of the eye. You pout at the ground, knowing full well that Aether was disappointed in you. You and Kuni had been getting better, but there were still moments like these. And honestly, it wouldn't be you and Kuni if there weren't moments like these.
"You guys need to stop going at it like cats and dogs." The blonde murmured.
"Kuni should stop being an asshole then." You grumble.
"True. But you also need to stop letting him get under your skin like that." Your best friend sighed.
"Hard not too when he constantly antagonizes me."
Kuni is frowning a couple paces back. He actually looks remorseful, but when your eyes meet, his gaze sharpens. He's hiding his emotions behind ire. Something that you're very familiar with. You let out a long sigh.
"Well, someone just docked in the harbor, but if you're in no mood to see him, then I'll let him know." Aether stated, sighing dramatically.
"Is it the Crux?!" You asked excitedly, practically bouncing.
"Indeed it is." Aether mused.
"Oh my god! I haven't seen Kazuha in ages!" You exclaimed.
Aether had a gentle smile on his face, which only spurred on your excitement.
"I know. Which is why I came to get you. The Crux is only docking to grab some supplies. So we're meeting up with Beidou and Kazuha for dinner."
"Paimon can't wait!" The pixie threw her hands in the air.
~
"Kazuha!" You exclaimed, spotting the streak of red in platinum hair.
He was easily parsed from the Litue crowd what with his Inazuman attire and bright eyes.
"Outlander," he greeted. "How nice to see you."
You stopped in front of him, smile in place. Kazuha had been a saving grace in the face of your lack of sword skills. He'd also been an ear when you were just struggling with everything new around you.
"Katsur—"
You blink and send a raised eyebrow towards the ex-Fatui member. except, he looks quite ill if you're being honest. He's always been pale, but with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape, he looks anything but comfortable. Aether had gone ahead with Beidou and Kazuha is offering Kuni a smile.
"Are you alright?" He asks, words gentle.
Kuni seems to find himself again, turning his gaze away from the samurai and tugging his hat down. His knuckles are white with a strain you couldn't possibly understand. Stepping into his space a little, and putting a wall up between him and Kazuha, you wave your hands frantically in front of you, smile in place.
"Don't worry about Kuni. He gets stressed in front of new people." You throw out with a small chuckle.
"I think I'm beginning to start a bit of a complex." The samurai mused, leaning back slightly. "It's nice to meet you Kuni. I think I'll head into the restaurant first and give you a second. Sorry for startling you." Kazuha offered a small tilt of his head as way of apology before he let himself into the restaurant.
Glancing behind you, you see that the ex-Fatui member still hasn't moved. You can't see his expression under his hat, but the way he's clenching it is telling enough.
"You ok?" You ask, trying to be gentle.
You and Kuni don't do gentle. It almost feels weird.
"Fine."
He looks up at you, violet gaze void. It's a scary look. There's no malicious intent. No smirk. No amusement that makes you so damn resentful. It's just empty. It makes you sad. You fight every part of you that wants to reach out and stop him as he passes by you and goes into the restaurant.
"No you're not..." You respond, words taken away by the wind.