LANTERN SKIES ( xiao ) ✓

𐐒𐐚 02 : featuring familiarities ˎˊ˗

•| ⊱ CHAPTER TWO ⊰ |•

❛❛ new beginnings ❜❜

The sunrays seep in from the clear glass windows of the room which is unluckily, the direction you faced in before you doze off into a deep sleep last night. You scrunched your forehead at the sudden intrusion of the light through the windows. A yawn slips out of your lips as you stretched every part of your body to get yourself going for a new day of trying to live lightly in an unfamiliar place.

You were told that the commissions will start tomorrow to allow you to breathe in the environment for a while and not pressure you into fitting in with a society you're a stranger to. So this is supposed to be a day allotted for you knowing more about them as well as taking a rest too. Thinking about the time currently, you remembered that you would meet with Xiangling at 9.

You did your usual morning routine and went out of the room to get something to eat. Looking at the denizens' clothes comparing them to yours, you surely stood out from the lot and that alone made you nervous. You tried to minimize the feeling by reassuring that you're just out here to order food and that is all.

You sat down on one of the chairs in front of the stall beneath the Inn and shuffled through your pockets to see how much your budget would be. However you got irritated from not being able to get ahold of any Mora in your pockets, you laid out every content of your pockets on the table with hope slowly disappearing in your eyes.

All you saw were scraps of paper here and there without any worth at all. You deadpanned at the table as the wind blew away the scraps to your face.

"Good morning what would you like to order?" The waitresss asked with a delightful tone and handing you their menu. Your consciousness sent back down to Teyvat and the harsh reality slapped you in your face. You don't have any Mora.

"Oh! [F/N]!" You heard a familiar feminine voice in the distance as your eyes lit up in an instant. It was no other than Xiangling from the toothy grin and the clothing. She waved her hand in front of you with such energy and you waved back to her as well. A smile then creeps up to your lips, affected by her contagious aura.

"What are you doing here?" She asked and you watch her sit infront of you.

"I was about to order some breakfast but unfortunately I don't have any Mora.."

"Oh don't worry, let's just go to the Harbor and cook in our restaurant there! So that way not only you get to eat free food but learn how to cook Liyue's specialties as well! So whaddya think?" She asked and you couldn't feel more blessed or lucky than ever.

After a long walk of familiarizing yourself in the place, you finally reached your destination, the Liyue Harbor. It was certainly new for your sight to see buildings built from a different tradition and unique architectural designs. You gawked on the tall houses and statues admiring the beauty of the Liyue Harbor truly.

"Your place is so beautiful."

"Well we have our Archon Rex Lapis to guide us and flourish the tradition of Liyue including the cuisine, architecture, tradition and so many more! This place is rich in culture, you could say that." She says as she beams a bright smile that could rival the sun's blinding light.

"Oh here we are! The Wanmin Restaurant! It's a bit small but it is for sure convenient enough for chefs like us! So, [F/N]. What would you like to learn to cook and eat?" She introduced and the pleasant smell of the appetizing food served in front of you made you drool.

"Jade Parcel, Jewelry Soup and Almond Tofu are our three best-sellers." She showed you their menu and in all honesty, they were all appetizing enough from the pleasant smell of the dishes. But there was one particular dessert that stood out to you. You pointed to the 'almond tofu' earning a gasp from the indigo haired.

"Why? What's with the expression?" You asked curiously as you watched her prepare the ingredients for the dish.

"You've got nice taste since alot of people actually like this specialty of ours too. Well not all of them are people but it doesn't matt-"

"Not all are people?" You got curious even more and wondered what Liyue is really like. Maybe there are monsters in disguise who like this specialty? And they help build the fascinating buildings here in this Harbor in exchange for these mouthwatering specialties? You got a little carried away until Xiangling cuts off your string of thoughts.

"Have you heard of the adepti?"

"Not at all. Adepti?" You asked with an eager look on your face as the two of you made preparations for the Almond Tofu dish.

"Adepti are beings who sworn to protect Liyue under the comtract of Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon. Their appearances often take on the form of beasts or any magical beings with Godly powers who passed the trials of Heaven and Earth. There is a place where the Adepti reside in that no one dares to set foot in unless you're desperate or have enough courage for yourself. It is said to be a sacred place and not just any mortals should go in there or else, you would be punished for your immoral actions."

The information alone was a lot to take in. Magical beings? Aircons? What the hell is that?

"And what's the . . . Aircon?"

A burst of laughter escapes Xiangling. She held on to her stomach, giggling like a baby would from your words. "[F/N], it's archon, or archons in plural form." She answered as she tried to suppress her chuckling. "Oh, hold on, hold on."

A few minutes passed and she was finally able to regain her composure. "Going back to the topic, it's an another terminology for God. It is someone who has tremendous amount of power and control in one of the seven elements of Teyvat, and like I said, Rex Lapis is our Geo Archon. Meaning he can manipulate the element Geo at his will. They say that the more people the Archon has control of, the powerful the Archon is."

You nod, unable to notice your jaw falling agape from how much culture, tradition and history the place had gone through. "Wow. Liyue really is an amazing place huh?"

"I'm glad to hear that." Xiangling said, as the both of you continued to cook the specialty.

A half an hour passed, both of you finally finished cooking and you were only impatient the whole time as you could not wait to eat it. After all, you poured your blood, sweat and tears into the dish and wished that your efforts were not in vain. You grabbed ahold of the little spoon and picked a piece of the jelly coated with Almond on top of it. The specialty you picked was a dessert but it was not that bad for a morning with a tough day ahead of you.

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