Every nation has that one person who excels over the others. Whether it be in economics, combat, literature... or archery.
Inazuman Bayler Velice has sailed over the crashing waves to attend Mondstadt's first archery competition to claim a victory...
It was starting to get late by the time Amber finally caught up with Takeda. As expected, he was at the Good Hunter waiting earnestly for her. He sat patiently in his chair, legs swinging back and forth, unaware that she had been watching him from ads before approaching him.
He had greeted her with a gentle smile and pulled out a chair for her without being promoted. Amber had immediately sat down after thanking him, and so the conversation began.
Sara came over soon after with a tiny notepad in hand. "What can I get you, Takeda? Amber, I already have your usual order down!"
Takeda didn't hesitate to answer. "Sweet Madame, please. I've heard excellent things about yours."
"Sweet Madame..." Sara said as she scribbled down her notes. "Got it! The food will be ready soon!"
Amber turned to Takeda in her seat, crossing her legs and holding her hands in her lap. "Thanks for actually showing up... I... haven't had the best luck with that recently. You're still okay with me rambling on and on, right?!"
Takeda gave her an easy-going smile and nodded. "Let this be your night to relax, alright? This is just some girl-talk."
"Girl-talk..." Amber murmured under her breath. She put on a brave face and nodded. "Okay! Well... Bayler and I had a little bit of a moment in Wolvendom while we were training the other day, and I think I said something that scared him off..."
"Scared him off?" Takeda leaned forward a little bit in his seat, resting his head in his hands. "I've never known Bayler to be that type."
Amber's face turned somber. "I didn't think so either, which is why I invited him to the Cat's Tail last night so we could talk about things. But he never showed up! Kaeya said he was with someone else at the Angel's Share last night, but he wasn't sure who."
Hot, steaming plates were suddenly placed in front of them. A warm sticky honey roast with a side of coffee made her mouth water. She was more focused on the coffee in particular. If only it were Master Jean's she thought.
Taking a sip, she pulled her lips away from the mug to continue. "I'm just not sure why he'd agree to something and then back out like that! I even gave him a chance to speak today and he chose silence."
Takeda was already eating. "You're right, it is unlike him. Whoever he was with last night must've been someone important to him. Maybe he just forgot?"
Amber sighed, nearly dropping her fork. "I really like him, you know? I thought he was the one, but he seems scared to admit that he has feelings I can clearly see! Am I being too pushy? Am I not enough for him? I know he has things he has to sort through... I've witnessed his episodes, but I'm not scared!"
The air around Takeda changed. He silently munched on his meal and refused to make eye contact with her. Was she overthinking things?
"Bayler's a confusing guy. He's never really been interested in romance. His heart has been hardened by war, and he once said that he rather marry his bow," Takeda mumbled around his fork.
Amber dropped her gaze down to her food. What once appeared tantalizing now seemed dull and tasteless. She took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "Why doesn't he love me back like I love him? Do I have nobody in this world?"
Takeda suddenly dropped his fork and reached over the table to gently lift up her chin. "Nonsense," he whispered. "You have more people than you can ever know. Don't let Bayler get you down."
Her eyes widened like saucers. His touch sent a fire through her body, completely silencing her. Amber swallowed hard and hesitantly pulled her head away from his touch.
"How about we lighten the conversation a little bit, hm? The next round is tomorrow, and we are facing each other."
Amber gasped, quickly smothering it with her hands. "What do you mean?! Did you... win your round?"
He nodded slowly, eyes wandering over her. His hand gently nudged her plate closer to her. "As did Fischl. Are you ready?"
She stared down at her food and slowly picked up the fork, using it to grab a bite of food. "Not really, no... After today, I don't know if I can focus on anything but Bayler."
Takeda tensed his muscles, but he kept his innocent tone. "I'll be there to cheer you on, alright? Even if he isn't, that's not what is important."
Amber tried to put on an innocent smile for him. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thank you, Takeda."
He smiled back at her, relaxing. "It's no problem, Amber. I'm happy to be here for you and," he looked down at her food. "Don't stress about having to finish your food. I'll cover you."
Her smile turned genuine, and she took another bite of her food. "I won't waste it! Once again, I really appreciate everything you've done for me today. But can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"What will you do if you win tomorrow?" she asked sheepishly, as if she was too embarrassed by her own question.
Takeda's expression turned thoughtful. Amber finished off her sticky honey roast while she waited for an answer. If she even got one. He seemed a bit on edge since they started talking about Bayler, but maybe it was all in her mind. After all, she herself was just the same.
Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "I want to build myself a life here in Mondstadt. Back in Inazuma, it's just a bunch of war heroes living in the same place. I want to move on with my life, and this is the only way how."
Amber agreed with him. His answer was less selfish, and of course, he deserved it a lot more than she did. Soon after, she natured more conversation, thanked him for the food, and went home thinking long and hard about whether she could continue or not.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
