Unreachable Hand || [ xiao ]

2.3 till the day we meet again

Unknow Artist

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waking up with a slight wind hitting, the sun shines no longer visible but only the dark sky. "ah I must have fallen asleep" from a hill a girl voices out softly. She sits upon the grass field as her hair sways. A few more days till this year's lantern rite. She looks down at the night city of liyue seeing more decorations than usual. 

"I haven't been to Liyue for almost three years, though I only came back to meet this person called Beidou" she murmurs. 

ah what a boring night, I wish something interesting would happen. 

The girl thought to herself as she glided down from the hill then plunged to the liyue harbor where there are fewer people. She then buys a stick of fish and begins munching on them as she walks around the night liyue. 

Passing aether and paimon on the way, "well they do seem busy again this year" as she walked past them, she whispered. 

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2.3 till the day we meet again

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"Okay okay, aether next commission!!! we have to hurry!" said paimon as she lead aether in a certain direction. Both of them run and run going through people's crowd and eventually slow down upon seeing where their commission has been assigned. 

"-o seem busy again this year" 

aether widen his eye and look back, seeing a person with a hood on, electro vision swinging by her waist. no, no thats not her. but I was so sure I heard someone like y/n just now. aether thought to himself as he still follows the person with his eye. "I guess I'm thinking too much. y/n would bump into people causing fire already" he laugh off and walk over to paimon. 

"ah hello, traveler!! as we have discussed today, I want you to set up these clothes over there. just simple as that. come back to me when you're done, as promised, I'll get your payment ready" said the man, as he handed over a pile of cloth. "y-yes we got it" aether grab it all and quickly run over to where the man had told him to, setting up where again the man wanted him too. 

Quickly getting his rewards he then runs to the next commission with Paimon also in a rush. This year's lantern rite is far busier than last year. He has no time to rest or walk around enjoying the view at all. Of course, he could choose an option to not accept the commission but these people are in dire need of help. 

While aether is busy running around the city, the girl is also busy finding Beidou. But she felt too odd being the only one wearing a hoodie, not only that it attracted too much attention. She quickly takes it off. putting them away. By the port, where the smell of salt is strong, she meets her. Standing there with a sunshine smile. 

"oh hey! Are you the one who was looking for me?" upon noticing her, beidou greeted her. "I heard you want to head off to Inazuma" beidou says as the girl nodded. "are you in a rush? if not I have planned to ship something after the lantern rite. It's a liyue festival held in a few days. Why don't you stick around?" She suggested. 

The girl look around and thought about it for a few seconds before nodding. "well then that's it! i'll meet you in few days~!!" Like that beidou runs off somewhere, as expected she is also busy. But the girl somehow felt bad for almost asking her to send her off to Inazuma on the day of the liyue festival, she have completely forgotten about the lantern rite. 

"well now that I have time for myself, what should I do?" She murmurs, looking back at the city. Spotting a certain traveler with a companion running around. She laughs out a bit seeing them. "Ah, so nostalgic," she whispers. but her smile quickly fades away, looking back at the peaceful ocean. Hearing the light wave clashing with the wooden pillar, the smell of light salt from the ocean, and the people behind her, walking, laughing, and working. All were determined to prepare for the festival. 

The time for humans to discard their glowing trash into the sea has returned. How childish...

Once someone had said that to her, but back in the day she truly enjoyed the festival, a smile grew on the lantern as she set them off with her friends. The beautiful countless lanterns floating up to the sky are some memories of the girl that she no longer remembers. As the male has mentioned now she also takes those lanterns as a piece of nothing but glowing trash. 

She shakes off the thought and looks down at the water below her, seeing her reflection. Although the look of her now is simply disguised she can see the old herself smiling at it. "um... excuse me" from the side she heard a call. the girl quickly snapped out of it and looked over to her side, the girl knew this person. Xiangling. 

The girl froze up on the spot, eyes widening. "uhh?? are you okay?" Xiangling continues. "y-yes? Can I help you?"

"no-no, it's just, I saw you been standing here for quite some time now, you look like you needed help... i- I mean well" She fidged her finger, looking away shyly. "...help...?" the girl looks down at the ocean again, "no, I'm sorry if I trouble you. I'm completely fine. please excuse me" with no more words spoken she walks away. In a worried eye, Xiangling looks at the back of the girl as she gets further and further away. 

As if she ran away, the girl carried her leg into the liyue harbor, passing the blacksmith then the Wangmin restaurant. With nowhere to go, she just walks where ever the leg takes her to. The girl walked down the slope, gazing at the ocean again, "perhaps it was a bad decision coming here after all" She bit her lips recalling Xiangling's face just now. 

"aether... paimon and Xiangling...I'm glad... I'm glad they seem to be doing well" She whispers to herself, clenching down on a piece of her clothing. a few seconds, rather a few minutes passed. She looks up again, staring down at the electro vision on her waist. Grabbing and intensely throwing it away in the ocean. She takes off her disguise and keeps them in the bag, getting her pyro vision out.

But that being done, the girl is afraid to walk around the harbor where lots of people know her. 

just what if, what if we happen to meet again, how should I greet you. How should I face you... 

A certain Adeptus came into her mind. The only dearest person she wishes she could spend the rest of her life with. What nonsense is she thinking about, she again thought. Insecurity gets the best out of her, she then again puts on her disguise. 

"I should spend the next few days away from people" y/n murmured.

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A/n
First time including y/n' pov that is not from a flashblack, finally ahhhhh. Ahem anyway hello i came back from the break and also happy halloween!

-yuki