𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ―𝐠. 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

02 || Land of Geo

Upon your introduction, Aether nodded his head and said, "Well, (y/n), where do you live?"

"And why were you being chased by hilichurls?" Paimon piped in.

"...I'm not sure," you managed to lie. "It seems I've lost my memories, so I was hoping that traveling could help me remember...and those monsters...I accidentally walked into their camp."

"Then, do you want to join my party?"

You widened your eyes, surprised that he had offered to take you in so quickly. You were a stranger the duo had met only a few minutes ago--was he so trusting of you already? Why?

"Yeah!" Paimon piped in, circling above you. "The more the merrier!"

"You just want someone else to hear your stories now that I don't respond," Aether sneered lightheartedly.

"Maybe, but why does that matter? You always look bored now when I tell my interesting stories of Teyvat!"

Listening to the continuous banter of the two, you eased your thoughts of any malicious purpose. There was no way the two main characters of Genshin would have any intention outside of helping you, someone who was assumably pitiful in their eyes. Further, since the world of Teyvat revolved around the traveler, it would be reasonable to assume that you could find some answers to going back to your world if you were with him. Maybe, just maybe, the gods could give you some insight into your strange appearance. 

"That would be great, actually," you smiled, solidifying your thoughts. "Thank you."

"No worries! Travelers like us really need to stick together," Paimon exclaimed. 

Aether agreed silently with a nod as he resumed finding medicine and bandaging your feet. He made sure to wrap extra layers to protect your bare feet from the ground, as you had to walk without any shoes. The star boy was adamant about resting in that ruin for the day, saying your feet needed to heal, but you stubbornly refused. Who knows how much a day could ruin the timeline you knew--the only thing you could possibly contribute?

"By the way, where are you heading?" you asked suddenly, realizing that you had no idea where you were at the moment or which quest was taking place. You could only assume that it was decently early in the timeline because of his sword--a weapon you quickly replaced upon getting better ones (you pampered Aether in-game very much). Or, did this game even follow the tracks you took?

Puffing out her chest, Paimon put up a finger in the air and announced, "We're going to Liyue! A bard told us that if we want to find answers about Aether's sister, we could ask the Archon of Liyue, Rex Lapis, who's going to descend very soon."

If you recalled correctly, the traveler entering Liyue for the first time was the first chapter of the Archon Quests. Wow, you were very much at the beginning of the storyline.

"You can see the Archon that easily?" you inquired, feigning ignorance. "Would they give you an audience?"

"Well, Aether here is a hero of Mondstadt! He just saved the city from a giant dragon calamity, so he's famous--" Paimon leaned in close to your ear-- "and it's all thanks to me!"

"I can hear you, you know," Aether sighed. 

"Oh wow, so I'm traveling with a well-known hero?" you awed, playing into Paimon's antics. You earned a chuckle from the blonde boy.

"And who am I traveling with?" he mused lightly. "Is there anything you remember about yourself?"

You took a pause to answer. As someone who wasn't from the world, the only thing you knew was the information given to you. Thorough backgrounds were rare for NPCs, and they were all for ones that Aether would most likely come across, so you would have to make something up based on what you know wouldn't be used. That was too meticulous. Should you come clean, or should you continue to lie?

"...All I really know is that I'm (y/n)," was the only thing you could muster.

"That's alright. Paimon thinks a name is a good thing! When we get to Liyue Harbor, maybe we can start putting up signs for you too...we already have signs for Aether's sister in Mondstadt. More posters will be easy-peasy to make." It was clear that the flying entity was trying to cheer you up, and for a second you forgot how annoying she was later in the game.

You smiled wistfully.

"Thank you."

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"Paimon is hungry..." On cue, the pixie's stomach grumbled loudly, prompting Aether to chuckle. He stopped walking and sat down on a broken wall of the ruins they were passing through while looking through his bag. Rummaging through, he managed to find a wrapped piece of salted meat. Paimon scrunched her nose with disgust.

"I don't want that!" she wailed, covering her mouth and slowly floating away. "We've eaten salted meat for three days straight! I want to eat something better."

Well, it doesn't seem like there's anything here to eat though," Aether sighed. True to his words, the area you were just now passing through seemed to be nothing but plain cliffs, barren of any sort of life other than some monsters you were avoiding.

Paimon groaned and wailed in the air, punching her fists into the sky. You wished that you could've given her the vast amount of skewers and matsutake meat rolls you would stash in-game, but you had realized an hour ago that nothing from the game or your world transferred into your current placement in Teyvat. You had nothing to help you if it weren't for meeting Aether. Hell, you weren't even sure if this would follow the paths you took outside of the quests--the items you farmed, the side quests you did in certain orders, etc.

But you were confident, confident in your knowledge of Genshin as someone who played avidly every day. So what if you were thrown into Teyvat with not even your shoes? Knowledge was most important to survive, right?

And, look at that. Your knowledge really was coming in handy. As you looked down the extensive cliff, you saw what looked to be the Stone Gate. There were a few vendors on the wooden platforms leading down to the path connecting Mondstadt and Liyue, and red banners fluttered in the wind.

You were truly in Liyue now--the Land of Geo. Seeing the vastness of the teal-colored water of the marshes and grey, bulking stone mountains ahead in person was beautiful. With a wide smile, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

"Hey, I see some merchants down there," Aether said, bringing you out of your admiration. "Maybe we can get you some shoes!"

Sheepishly, you looked down at the dirty bandages still tightly wrapped around your feet. Your first souvenir of Liyue was going to be a pair of shoes, comical as it was. But you would much rather you buy shoes now than continue to walk through Liyue, all the way to the Harbor where many people were, and embarrass yourself in front of...Wait, were you going to see Rex Lapis, Childe, Ningguang, and even Xiao? In person?

"Wow," you whispered. If you were to keep following Aether and Paimon on their journey, would you end up meeting all the characters that had yet to be leaked on Twitter?  Hold on, did this world even go past the realms of what you currently knew in the most recent updates? Would it...

Misinterpreting your blank stare out into the open, Paimon chirped, "Yeah, it's quite a sight! I can't wait to try all the food at the Harbor!"

You blinked out of your thoughts and chuckled. That's right, you shouldn't have to worry too much. Who knows, maybe you'll end up staying somewhere or finding a way back to your true home before you even got to that point.

"Same. I hope we have lots of fun," you replied as you recalled the joy of meeting Childe for the first time when the traveler had to run away from the Millelith. Would you also be saved by the ginger? Well, no matter. You would have enough fun just watching the events go on in real life rather than through a screen.

For now, you'll just admire the reality of Liyue some more.