𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗚𝗢 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 ✦ 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁

𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱

Y/n. Such a paranoid woman.

The h/c haired train wreck would panic if she felt as if something was out of place while she was alone. She was almost always on edge and ready for the worst.

The worst being her past coming back to bite her in the butt cheeks and drag her on back to the place she'd worked incredibly hard to escape from.

But sometimes... she had to admit...

She would much rather have her vision taken away than deal with all these sonic wannabe bastards rolling around Liyue.

"GO AWAY, I HAVE NOTHING VALUABLE DAMMIT!" y/n screeched, clinging to a tree branch that was leaning precariously over the side of a cliff while a group of geovishap hatchlings whacked the tree in an attempt to knock her down so that they may attack her relentlessly once more.

Her shrieking only increased in value when one of the hatchlings bashed the side of the tree, causing it to lean more with an ominous creaking noise.

The others noticed and began doing the same, causing the tree to lean more and more and more until y/n's legs were dangling over the side of the cliff.

"HSHSJEJ, STOP, WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU, HUH?" y/n demanded, tears in her eyes, "GO AWAY YOU-AAAAAAAA!"

One hatchling jumped on the branch, putting extra weight on it and bending the tree before the plant sent both y/n and the last geovishap hatchling flying.

She hugged the bag close to her chest, screaming at the top of her lungs as she spiraled through the air towards who knows where. She was absolutely certain that this was the end of the line for her.

'Well... this is it for me...' y/n thought miserably, 'It was a pretty crappy life. Let's hope I can get a partner in the next one-!'

Y/n yelped when she made impact with what she thought was the ground but found that it was actually the water due to the glistening wall of H2O that flew up in the air around her upon impact.

Unfortunately, someone else was in the water.

And she landed right on them.

"WAHH! AETHER! ARE YOU OKAY?" a high pitched voice called as y/n sputtered, sitting up in the water and gasping

"I'm alive!" she exclaimed then checked the bag, "And the delivery is intact! Yes!"

"Hey! Hey you!"

Y/n looked towards the stone bridge to her right and spotted a small fairy thing... what was it anyways?

"You're sitting on Paimon's travel partner!" the fairy thing, who's name y/n now knew was Paimon, shouted.

"I am?" y/n inquired with a curious look, looking down then gasped when she saw bubbles floating up from water where she spotted blond hair, "OH CRAP, I AM!"

She scrambled out the water as the blond dude sat up, coughing and sputtering as he wiped water from his face.

Y/n was too busy apologizing frantically to the guy to notice how drop dead gorgeous the person before her was.

"I'm sorry! So sorry! I didn't mean to land on you, it was those stupid geovishap hatchlings!" y/n cried, bowing at a ninety degree angle over and over, "I'm oh so terribly sorry! I'll do anything! Anything you want! Just don't turn me in-!"

'Ah, wait, I'm not in Inazuma anymore-'

"Turn you in?" the pixie questioned as she floated over with narrowed eyes, "To who? Are you a criminal of some kind?"

Y/n shook her head, eyes round, "Oh, no, not at all! Who might you two be? You don't seem like you're from around here. Travelers from another Nation?"

"Yes! Paimon is Paimon! And this is Aether! Mondstadt's Savior and Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius!" Paimon exclaimed, gesturing to the blond who had gotten to his feet.

"Paimon... you didn't have to add all that..." he murmured then offered a smile that made y/n's heart flutter, "You are?"

Y/n's cheeks heated up, "Y/n! It's very nice to meet you, Aether! Paimon! Again, I'm sorry about falling on you... is there anything I can do to help you two?"

"Well, we're on our way to Liyue Harbor." Aether hummed, "Do you think you can help us find our way there?"

"Definitely!" y/n exclaimed, e/c eyes bright, "In fact... I know a short cut!"

"Great! Lead the way!" Paimon chimed happily, "Paimon can't wait to settle down and try some delicious Liyue cuisine!"

"Oh? You like food?" y/n inquired then smiled, "I know a wonderful restaurant with amazing food! I think you'd like it!"

"Ooo? Really?" Paimon gasped then shook Aether by his shoulder, "Paimon likes y/n already!"

Y/n smiled, "There isn't much to like about me. Anywho, tell me a bit about yourselves! What brings you to Liyue?"

_______

"Y/n, let go."

The h/c haired girl's eyes were wide, filled with tears as she refused to let go of her friend's slightly singed sleeve.

"No! You promised that we'd leave together!" y/n protested, "Don't try to be a hero! Who knows what they'll do to you!"

"Y/n, I'll be fine, just go."

"But-" y/n began, choking out a sob as her friend turned to her, holding her hands in his and staring at her with pleading eyes.

"Please, you have to." he insisted in a quiet tone.

"I can't..." y/n cried and her friend sighed.

"Don't worry. I'll do it for you." he said with a little grin which lacked its usual mischief, "See you later, y/n."

"Hey! Don't you dare!" y/n protested, "You idiot, come with me, don't stay behind!"

He simply ruffled her hair before lighting the fireworks that he'd attached to the side of the boat, his brows furrowed.

Y/n made one last desperate attempt to grab him and drag him into the boat with her but he moved aside easily.

"Try some qingce stir fry for me!" he called after the girl, "I've heard it's really good!"

Y/n could only stare at her friend who adorned a sad smile as both him and the land she once called home disappeared far off into the distance.

Her friends... family. All left behind.