𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗚𝗢 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 ✦ 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 [OLD]

𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗔 𝗚𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧!!!

There had been very few occasions where y/n had visited the Wangshu Inn.

Very very few.

This was... what... her third time visiting?

"The stairs have yet to be repaired so we'll need to take the elevator." y/n told Aether and Paimon as they neared the Inn.

"Wow, now that Paimon thinks about it, you seem to know an awful lot about Liyue and the Adepti." Paimon chirped, "And you've only lived here for a couple of months. Very impressive."

Y/n laughed, "Well, knowing a lot about Liyue is kind of my job... I have to know it like the back of my hand since I'm a messenger."

"A messenger?" Paimon echoed.

"A messenger." y/n confirmed, "And a bit of an errand girl. A little bit of both."

"And you work at the Funeral Parlor?" Aether asked and y/n nodded smiling, "Wow... you work two jobs... that's..."

"It's not all that bad-" y/n cut in, "It's only whenever they need me. Plus, I have dangerously attractive co-workers. Potential partners!"

"You're really desperate to get married, huh?" Aether commented as they exited the elevator together.

"I'm not desperate! I just wanna get married before I die, that's all! That way I don't die alone!" y/n protested, "I mean, what human being would want to die alone?"

"Hm... good point." Paimon decided.

"Ah, here we are. If you wanna know something the adeptus who hangs around here, I think we should ask the boss." y/n suggested then smiled, "Will you two be okay handling things by yourself from here?"

"Yeah, we should be alright. Thanks again, y/n-" Paimon began to say.

"We'll probably still need your help." Aether said quickly and pretended not to notice the confused look Paimon gave him.

"Oh. Alright I suppose." y/n hummed, "I don't really have anything else to do... I'm no expert but I'd say the adeptus we're looking for may be on the balcony."

"Well what are we waiting for! Let's go!" Paimon exclaimed, floating ahead.

Y/n and Aether followed a bit slower, y/n appearing to be spacing out a little.

The blond watched y/n for a moment. There was a nostalgic look on her face and sadness in her eyes. Maybe she was thinking of someone she lost?

Of course Aether would recognize that look, he himself made it rather frequently when he thought of his sister.

When the trio got to the balcony, it seemed as if nobody was there.

"Huh, there'd nobody here." Paimon stated. The little pixie creature joined Aether and y/n where the two were taking in the view that the balcony provided.

"Heh, I can see so much from up here." y/n said, chuckling a little, "I feel like a bird."

Y/n probably wouldn't have noticed another presence aside from her own plus Paimon and Aether had it not been for the slightest change in the wind.

She glanced to her left and as soon as her brain confirmed that it was definitely a living, breathing being, she screamed.

Aether and Paimon covered their ears, surprised by y/n's very unexpected scream. So loud...

She actually lost conciousness for a split second, wobbling and nearly falling off the balcony only for this newcomer to grab her by the arm and pull her back to safety.

Y/n was in a panicked daze, incoherently rambling about how she was going to die and how she was going to be eaten alive.

"A Sigil of Permission? You came prepared." this strange new person hummed, "Though this only prevents me from hurting you myself it doesn't stop you from getting hurt in other ways."

Y/n shook her head, snapping out of her frightened daze with a, "Huh???"

She got a good look at this new person and her brain stopped functioning for a moment.

He seemed oddly familiar...

'This guys seems really strong...!' y/n thought, her eyes sparkling, 'He kinda reminds me of Ganyu too! Just a little. Maybe he's as strong as she is! And maybe I could marry him!'

Y/n hesitated, 'But what about Ganyu? And Hu Tao? And Ningguang and Keqing and-'

She internally gasped, 'That Calvary Captain and the Scary Wine Dude and Zhongli and the Alchemist with the pretty eyes...!?'

While y/n was internally screaming, the world around her continued moving.

"Why do you insist on getting involved in the world of demons and adepti? You're breaking the rules too often." this strange adeptus continued, "Mortal souls are not as robust as those of adepti, nor can your blood carry this level of adeptal energy. It's for your own good. Leave. Now."

And with that, he disappeared.

"Hey, where'd he go?" y/n gasped.

"He's a ghost. He disappeared." Aether said simply and smirked when y/n let out a high-pitched, frightened shriek.

"Aether! Stop scaring her!" Paimon snapped as y/n's unintelligible screeching started up again, "Hmph, all that adeptus does is think about himself! Paimon wants to give him an ugly nickname... but if you tick off an adeptus, the only thing you'll probably ever find in treasure chests is cabbages! Bleurgh!"

"Y/n, I was joking-" Aether tried to tell her.

"Don't joke about that stuff!" y/n snapped, hugging herself with a nervous expression, "Let's just go talk to the Boss of the Inn. It's likely that she'll know something about this adeptus."

Y/n headed back down to the lobby, Aether and Paimon following like ducks. They remained behind her as she greeted the Boss Lady of the Inn.

"Good Afternoon, could you tell me about that adeptus?" y/n inquired.

Of course Paimon and Aether didn't see but Verr Goldet gave y/n a puzzled look.

Y/n gave the woman a look that said, "Just go with it." and the boss seemed to understand.

"Oh? You've already met Xiao?" Verr Goldet hummed then smiled, "Not bad. It's not often that he's in a good enough mood to agree to see people."

"Huh? That's his good mood?" Paimon asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Oh yes, the adepti are very hard to come by. Many people go their whole lives praying to them, never once actually getting to see one." Verr Goldet chuckled.

Y/n gestured for Paimon and Aether to step forward and they did so, listening attentively to what the boss had to say.

"When the Geo Archon built Liyue, he borrowed power from the adepti. But most of them only know how to protect Liyue by fighting." the boss lady continued, "So for many millennia, it has instead been humans who have led Liyue, whilst the adepti have lived hidden away on the outskirts."

"You sure do seem to know a lot about this stuff, boss lady!" Paimon chirped.

"It's not boss lady, it's just boss..." the woman sighed, "Anyways, since you have the favor of the adepti, things should be a lot easier. If you keep Xiao in a good mood, things should be okay.

"Good mood?" Paimon echoed, "Can't really imagine what a good mood looks like for that Vigilant Yaksha."

"Well this will be interesting, won't it?" the woman laughed, 'Come to think of it, I've never seen him smile either...'