𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ―𝐠. 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

6 || Names

Aether was determined to help you rest. As someone who could understand your longing to go home, he was willing to let you journey with him. Of course, this was an impulsive decision on his part--he could have simply sent you to the nearest village to help find your family instead--but as he spent time and got to learn more about you, the sense of joy that he had someone who was so easy to talk to and create memories with was like no other. It reminded him of his times with his sister, and he missed his sister dearly.

Consequently, he wanted to do his best to help both of you get answers from the Archons on returning home. While you were showering, he took your advice and asked Verr Goldet how to meet the Yaksha once more. She had mentioned cooking his favorite dish, Almond Tofu, but the chef was already asleep as it was late at night. So, Aether woke up early in the morning and tip-toed around the room, keeping quiet to let you sleep in, before he left the room to meet Smiley Yanxiao, the chef who could teach him to make almond tofu.

The chef was quite surprised to see someone so early in the morning and jumped at the sight of Paimon, mistaking her for a ghost (which offended her deeply). Apparently, another traveler had told him that the inn was haunted and with his fears getting the best of him, he was unable to make high-quality almond tofu. 

So now, in hopes of helping you on your journey, Aether became a ghost hunter.

Paimon did not approve. 

Especially when ghost hunting consisted of defeating a possessed Ruin Hunter.

Worn out but luckily uninjured after battling the said Ruin Hunter, Aether met the chef again, and--once explaining that the ghost promised to stop haunting the inn--was able to receive a fantastic dish of almond tofu.

"Finally!" Paimon exhaled, holding her head. "It's been a long day...but it's only the afternoon?! Sigh, I wonder if (y/n)'s woken up yet?"

"I don't think so. We left a note for them, and if they read it, they should've been looking for us by now," Aether noted.

"Right. Then let's hurry and find that Adeptus before they wake up! And then we can eat breakfast together."

Nodding, Aether made his way onto the balcony, shielding his eyes for a second with his hands from the bright sunlight. But in that brief moment, the Yaksha had somehow appeared on the deck. He stood in solitude with only the wind to whisper soft words into his ears.

"...You two again," Xiao grunted, crossing his arms. But before he could disappear, Paimon nudged the plate of almond tofu into his hands. He stared at it for a minute before taking it, and both Paimon and Aether exhaled in relief.

"We've come with news," the blonde announced once Xiao sat down at a table to eat. "Truthfully, I've come for the Rite of Descension, but Rex Lapis fell from the sky, dead. And now the Millelith believe me to be the prime suspect."

Xiao's hands came to a halt as he placed down his spoon, his eyes widening with every second Aether explained the situation.

"Rex Lapis...How could this be? I...can't imagine it...Just a few days ago I received a letter from him," the Adeptus muttered, reaching hesitantly for a pocket where a piece of paper rested. His expression quickly became stoic as he looked to the side, in the direction of the harbor.

"The ruling Qixing...Just what role have they played in this? ...I will seek the other Adepti. It is time they too made their decisions."

"Will the Adepti take over his role in Liyue?" Aether asked cautiously.

"No, the Adepti are entrusted by Rex Lapis with duties that we cannot ignore. Our god is the God of Contracts after all," Xiao responded, again looking down at his pocket. He pulled out the letter and read its contents, wondering how the sender of the letter could have died in such a short time. The paper crumpled slightly in his hands as he turned his attention back to Aether, asking, "There was another person with you last night. Are they also a suspect?"