chusuuke

[chusuuke]

genshin boys snowball fight with you (part 2)

premise: you ask the genshin boys (separate) to partake in a snowball fight with you! features: kaeya, childe, diluc, scaramouche notes: part 3 coming soon! possible future characters: chongyun, xingqiu, venti, zhongli, ayato, kazuha, or heizou!

kaeya

– you’d both been sent on a mission in dragonspine and had been trekking through the snow for hours 

– nothing overly eventful or out of the ordinary had occurred; you’d encountered a couple of small enemies but nothing of note, so naturally, you’re on edge

– kaeya, on the other hand, seems to lack care in the world. he strolls behind you, humming a tune, while you look around warily for traps

– you finally stop with a huff and wheel on him. “shouldn’t you be a little more cautious?” 

– “i’ll protect you, so don’t worry,” he replies playfully. “just relax—” 

– suddenly, kaeya freezes and points behind you

– “huh? what’s wrong?”

– “frostarm lawachurl,” he whispers urgently

– immediately your sword is drawn, and you whip around to scan the frozen trees around you. you don’t sense any threats, so you turn back around, confused. “i don’t see any—”

– whack! a snowball hits you in the face

– you stiffen. cold snow slowly slides down your face as kaeya keels over and laughs hysterically 

– when he catches your eye, however, he stops mid-laugh

– usually, you’re pretty gentle, but kaeya sees murderous intent 

– “kaeya,” you seethe, stalking towards him

– he scrambles backward, terrified. “woah, woah, woah, put the sword away first!”

– “remember, you started it,” you sing, skillfully spinning your sword by the hilt while advancing upon him

– his attempts to hinder you with more snowballs, but those are easily deflected with your sword

– less of a snowball fight and more of you terrorizing kaeya

– you finally corner him, cackling evilly. his pleas for you to show mercy fall on deaf ears as you raise a fistful of snow to stuff in his face. “any last words?”

– he begins to speak, but his expression changes when he looks past you. “i know this is incredibly ironic, but there is definitely a frostarm lawachurl approaching, though i don’t think it’s noticed us yet”

– “like i’m gonna fall for that again.” you roll your eyes, not bothering to turn around, then shout as loudly as possible, “hey! over here, lawlachurl!”

– “RRRRROAAARR”

– “...”

– “yeah, it’s definitely noticed us”

– fortunately, you both manage to survive and will laugh about the memory later

– the next time you encounter snow, kaeya will propose that you have another snowball fight: a fair one, this time

childe

– having grown up alongside the snow, he’s had plenty of snowball fights in his youth, not to mention four other siblings to join him!

– it’s a fond childhood memory for him, and he’s excited to share this pleasant experience with you

– he’s quite a snowball fight veteran, except now he’s a little more unhinged

– he doesn’t care about making snowballs and just throws plain handfuls of snow at people

– when necessary for projectile aerodynamics, though, he will shape them into spheres 

– watching him pull off impressive maneuvers and chuck snow with concerning speed, you’re glad he’s on your team

– with both close and long-range combat experience, it’s no surprise he excels in the art of dumping snow on people 

– he doesn’t often get hit, but when he does, the aggressor becomes the target of ten times the amount of snow they landed on him

– just wait until he finds a shovel or bucket

– he will literally launch pounds of snow at people whilst laughing maniacally

– every time yet another opponent is buried alive beneath the cold white, he turns to you with a mirthful grin

– “look~ we’ve almost won!”

– you pause, appraising the destruction, and sigh

– then a snowball splatters against your chest 

– childe is immediately at attention

– “don’t worry, i’ll protect you!” he proclaims, leaping toward your attacker

– safe to say they are now resting under a snow mountain 

diluc

– he has bad memories attached to rain, but you tell him there can be good kinds of rain 

– “snow is just rain when the weather in the sky is below freezing,” you say, smiling gently

– you’re one of the few he’s confided in about his past, so when you say you want to make more good memories of rain with him by having a snowball fight, he’s grateful that you care for him

– at first, he’s tentative while throwing them at you; he knows that snow is one of the safer types of projectiles, but he’d forever blame himself if he somehow hurt you

– with your coaxing and contagious enthusiasm, however, he eases into it

– unfortunately, you had overlooked one thing

– you had said that snow was below freezing rain, but what you failed to understand was that it was below freezing rain

– thus, it is only natural that after being hit several times by that very snow, you, too, feel below freezing 

– as the snowball fight was an impromptu idea, you also hadn’t prepared any gloves to keep your hands warm, so your fingers feel like popsicles

– diluc notices you shivering before you do

– his brow furrows ever so slightly. “let’s pause momentarily,” he suggests, dropping his snowball and beckoning you over. “if you’d please come here”

– puzzled, you slowly approach until you’re standing in front of him

– he slides off his jacket and delicately drapes it over your shoulders

– “you won’t be cold?” you worry

– “i won’t.” crimson glows at his waist as he partially activates his vision, and a burst of warmth ripples outward to thaw your frozen self

– “wow…i’m so lucky to have a portable heater with me” you giggle, palms out toward him as if you were warming them by a fireplace

– he offers you a small but soft smile that somehow warms you more effectively than his pyro abilities

– after sufficiently returning to room temperature, you and diluc continue the snowball fight

– he finds it endearing to watch you tromp around in the snow wearing his coat with a silly grin never leaving his face

– there really can be good kinds of rain, he thinks

scaramouche

– he is a monster 

– it doesn’t matter if he likes you or dislikes you; he has the most underhanded methods

– during a team fight, he approaches you and requests to use a couple of the snowballs from the pile you’d been manufacturing

– you’d been hoping to stockpile artillery to support your team, but giving away a few to teammates as you made them couldn’t hurt, right? ...right?

– haha no. it hurt. 

– a lot. 

– because it turns out he’s actually not on your team and he literally THREW THEM AT YOUR FACE AT POINT BANK RANGE, LIKE, SCARA WHAT ARE YOU THINKING 

– provoked and ready to jump him in retaliation, you hastily brush the snow off your face

– scara’s stifling his laughter, but as soon as he sees the tears in your eyes, he stops abruptly 

– you hastily make an excuse, embarrassed: sure, it stings, but you swear it doesn’t hurt enough to cry. you just got some snow in your eyes, is all

– nevertheless, he brusquely says he’ll switch to your team: after all, someone needs to make up for you being weak

– if you pay close attention, you’ll notice that his snowballs tend to attack those who were targeting you

– the underhanded tactics he utilized on you will be employed against the other team

– he rarely gets hit by snowballs, mostly because people are afraid of the wrath they will undergo if they hit him

– if scara gets hit, he’ll pause, sigh, then whip around and swiftly strike the poor soul who made the mistake of going for him

– smile and tell him you’re impressed and think he’s cool. he’ll scoff in response, but when you’re not looking, he’ll confusedly smack his chest to check if his heart is dysfunctional––if not, why did it skip a beat?

[part one] [part three - coming soon]

[chusuuke]

genshin boys snowball fight with you (part 2)

premise: you ask the genshin boys (separate) to partake in a snowball fight with you! features: kaeya, childe, diluc, scaramouche notes: part 3 coming soon! possible future characters: chongyun, xingqiu, venti, zhongli, ayato, kazuha, or heizou!

kaeya

– you’d both been sent on a mission in dragonspine and had been trekking through the snow for hours 

– nothing overly eventful or out of the ordinary had occurred; you’d encountered a couple of small enemies but nothing of note, so naturally, you’re on edge

– kaeya, on the other hand, seems to lack care in the world. he strolls behind you, humming a tune, while you look around warily for traps

– you finally stop with a huff and wheel on him. “shouldn’t you be a little more cautious?” 

– “i’ll protect you, so don’t worry,” he replies playfully. “just relax—” 

– suddenly, kaeya freezes and points behind you

– “huh? what’s wrong?”

– “frostarm lawachurl,” he whispers urgently

– immediately your sword is drawn, and you whip around to scan the frozen trees around you. you don’t sense any threats, so you turn back around, confused. “i don’t see any—”

– whack! a snowball hits you in the face

– you stiffen. cold snow slowly slides down your face as kaeya keels over and laughs hysterically 

– when he catches your eye, however, he stops mid-laugh

– usually, you’re pretty gentle, but kaeya sees murderous intent 

– “kaeya,” you seethe, stalking towards him

– he scrambles backward, terrified. “woah, woah, woah, put the sword away first!”

– “remember, you started it,” you sing, skillfully spinning your sword by the hilt while advancing upon him

– his attempts to hinder you with more snowballs, but those are easily deflected with your sword

– less of a snowball fight and more of you terrorizing kaeya

– you finally corner him, cackling evilly. his pleas for you to show mercy fall on deaf ears as you raise a fistful of snow to stuff in his face. “any last words?”

– he begins to speak, but his expression changes when he looks past you. “i know this is incredibly ironic, but there is definitely a frostarm lawachurl approaching, though i don’t think it’s noticed us yet”

– “like i’m gonna fall for that again.” you roll your eyes, not bothering to turn around, then shout as loudly as possible, “hey! over here, lawlachurl!”

– “RRRRROAAARR”

– “...”

– “yeah, it’s definitely noticed us”

– fortunately, you both manage to survive and will laugh about the memory later

– the next time you encounter snow, kaeya will propose that you have another snowball fight: a fair one, this time

childe

– having grown up alongside the snow, he’s had plenty of snowball fights in his youth, not to mention four other siblings to join him!

– it’s a fond childhood memory for him, and he’s excited to share this pleasant experience with you

– he’s quite a snowball fight veteran, except now he’s a little more unhinged

– he doesn’t care about making snowballs and just throws plain handfuls of snow at people

– when necessary for projectile aerodynamics, though, he will shape them into spheres 

– watching him pull off impressive maneuvers and chuck snow with concerning speed, you’re glad he’s on your team

– with both close and long-range combat experience, it’s no surprise he excels in the art of dumping snow on people 

– he doesn’t often get hit, but when he does, the aggressor becomes the target of ten times the amount of snow they landed on him

– just wait until he finds a shovel or bucket

– he will literally launch pounds of snow at people whilst laughing maniacally

– every time yet another opponent is buried alive beneath the cold white, he turns to you with a mirthful grin

– “look~ we’ve almost won!”

– you pause, appraising the destruction, and sigh

– then a snowball splatters against your chest 

– childe is immediately at attention

– “don’t worry, i’ll protect you!” he proclaims, leaping toward your attacker

– safe to say they are now resting under a snow mountain 

diluc

– he has bad memories attached to rain, but you tell him there can be good kinds of rain 

– “snow is just rain when the weather in the sky is below freezing,” you say, smiling gently

– you’re one of the few he’s confided in about his past, so when you say you want to make more good memories of rain with him by having a snowball fight, he’s grateful that you care for him

– at first, he’s tentative while throwing them at you; he knows that snow is one of the safer types of projectiles, but he’d forever blame himself if he somehow hurt you

– with your coaxing and contagious enthusiasm, however, he eases into it

– unfortunately, you had overlooked one thing

– you had said that snow was below freezing rain, but what you failed to understand was that it was below freezing rain

– thus, it is only natural that after being hit several times by that very snow, you, too, feel below freezing 

– as the snowball fight was an impromptu idea, you also hadn’t prepared any gloves to keep your hands warm, so your fingers feel like popsicles

– diluc notices you shivering before you do

– his brow furrows ever so slightly. “let’s pause momentarily,” he suggests, dropping his snowball and beckoning you over. “if you’d please come here”

– puzzled, you slowly approach until you’re standing in front of him

– he slides off his jacket and delicately drapes it over your shoulders

– “you won’t be cold?” you worry

– “i won’t.” crimson glows at his waist as he partially activates his vision, and a burst of warmth ripples outward to thaw your frozen self

– “wow…i’m so lucky to have a portable heater with me” you giggle, palms out toward him as if you were warming them by a fireplace

– he offers you a small but soft smile that somehow warms you more effectively than his pyro abilities

– after sufficiently returning to room temperature, you and diluc continue the snowball fight

– he finds it endearing to watch you tromp around in the snow wearing his coat with a silly grin never leaving his face

– there really can be good kinds of rain, he thinks

scaramouche

– he is a monster 

– it doesn’t matter if he likes you or dislikes you; he has the most underhanded methods

– during a team fight, he approaches you and requests to use a couple of the snowballs from the pile you’d been manufacturing

– you’d been hoping to stockpile artillery to support your team, but giving away a few to teammates as you made them couldn’t hurt, right? ...right?

– haha no. it hurt. 

– a lot. 

– because it turns out he’s actually not on your team and he literally THREW THEM AT YOUR FACE AT POINT BANK RANGE, LIKE, SCARA WHAT ARE YOU THINKING 

– provoked and ready to jump him in retaliation, you hastily brush the snow off your face

– scara’s stifling his laughter, but as soon as he sees the tears in your eyes, he stops abruptly 

– you hastily make an excuse, embarrassed: sure, it stings, but you swear it doesn’t hurt enough to cry. you just got some snow in your eyes, is all

– nevertheless, he brusquely says he’ll switch to your team: after all, someone needs to make up for you being weak

– if you pay close attention, you’ll notice that his snowballs tend to attack those who were targeting you

– the underhanded tactics he utilized on you will be employed against the other team

– he rarely gets hit by snowballs, mostly because people are afraid of the wrath they will undergo if they hit him

– if scara gets hit, he’ll pause, sigh, then whip around and swiftly strike the poor soul who made the mistake of going for him

– smile and tell him you’re impressed and think he’s cool. he’ll scoff in response, but when you’re not looking, he’ll confusedly smack his chest to check if his heart is dysfunctional––if not, why did it skip a beat?

[part one] [part three - coming soon]

[chusuuke]

genshin boys snowball fight with you

premise: you ask the genshin boys (separate) to partake in a snowball fight with you! features: itto, razor, thoma, gorou, bennett, albedo notes: part 2 coming soon. possible future characters: chongyun, xingqiu, venti, zhongli, ayato, kazuha, kaeya, diluc, scaramouche, childe, or heizou!

itto

– he loves snowball fights; he’s so excited

– you can expect the whole arataki gang to take part in extreme snowball warfare

– in the snow, itto becomes the experienced and strategic general, leading his troops to victory

– you’re under his command, of course (he just wouldn’t bear to see you on the enemy side)

– you and genta are crouched down behind a blockade of snow, but itto stands tall and seriously, looking down

– you chuckle as he addresses you and an invisible audience of several thousand nonexistent soldiers

– he sounds like a wizened warrior when he delivers an encouraging speech about making a last stand 

– then a snowball hits him in the shoulder

– he falls dramatically to his knees, clutching his shoulder and grimacing

– “c–captain!” akira wails, both of you shuffling over to him

– itto grits his teeth and smiles through the ‘pain’. “it’s just a scratch. the battle must go on.”

– he promptly jumps up and charges across the battlefield to the other team’s snow fort, dodging and swatting projectiles out of the air

– he bends down to scoop up handfuls of snow and hurls them at akira, mamoru, and shinobu in the other base, never breaking his stride

– you and genta follow him, laughing and hollering at the others cowering behind their snow barrier 

– oh how the turn tables

– suddenly you hear itto shouting to you, “look out, soldier!”

– before you can process it, itto’s outstretched, diving sideways in front of you and bellowing, “sacrificeeeee,” as a snowball hits him square in the chest

– he lands on the snow and immediately starts writhing

– “AAAAH IT’S SO COLD!”

– “itto!” you scold him, “this is why you can’t be half–nude in the snow!”

– “[n–name]! i mean––Soldier, help meeee~” 

– you help itto stand up and the fight continues

– later, everyone is unsurprised when itto comes down with a cold

razor 

– he hasn’t been in a snowball fight before, so you’ll have to explain it to him 

– at first, he just bats snowballs out of the air with his hands

– will confusedly throw handfuls of snow until you laugh and tell him no, razor, you’re supposed to make it into a ball!

– does his best to make snowballs but they end up varying in size and shape like a misshapen collection of white rocks 

– when he does make a successful snowball, he’ll turn towards you in excitement: his eyes will sparkle and he��ll have the tiniest smile curving his lips

– if you praise his nicely shaped snowball, he’ll blush and smile wider

– by then it will have fallen apart and melted a bit so he’ll wilt with disappointment 

– but then you can just make one for him and he’ll treasure it until it also melts

– he’ll keep adding snow and packing it together to make it last longer

– when he makes more snowballs himself, he doesn’t want to throw them at you, so he just gives them to you

– when hit with a snowball, he’ll look down uncertainly at the snow on his clothes 

– but if he gets snow in his hair he’ll shake his head in a dog–like fashion

thoma

– he’s seen some rare snowball fights between ayaka and ayato in their youth, but even when they asked him to join he felt pretty hesitant; after all, they are the young master and missus of the kamisato household

– so when you ask him to join you in a snowball fight, he's a bit nervous but happy to oblige

– he’s tentative to throw them at first because he doesn’t want to hit you

– but he acquiesces when you insist, telling him you feel guilty pelting him with snow when he isn’t trying to do the same

– he’s careful not to throw them too hard, though

– and if there’s any semblance that you’ve hurt yourself, he’ll rush over to you and check if you’re okay

– at one point, your attempt at dodging leads you to fall backward into the snow

– thoma immediately drops his next snowball and hurries to your side

– “i’m so sorry! are you okay?” he asks worriedly. “let me help you up.”

– he leans forward and stretches out a hand 

– you startle him by pulling him down onto the snow beside you

– “let’s make snow angels,” you beam

– thoma just likes spending time with you, so as long as you have fun, he’s happy

– as he relaxes, he ends up having more fun than he thought

gorou

– he’s had a couple of snowball fights in his life, but never one as fun as that with you 

– he’s startlingly light on the snow which prevents him from sinking down as he steps

– it’s probably a dog thing

– as opposed to you, who’s knee–deep in the snow... for once, gorou looks tall (he looks offended when you tell him this)

– his weightlessness comes to his advantage. he agilely maneuvers around the snow, dodging the snowballs you throw at him

– he’ll dig holes in the snow to hide in and pitch snowballs long–distance at you

– it doesn't help that his weapon is a bow; expect him to throw with deadly accuracy

– he might even establish a whole tunnel system that runs beneath the snow: also probably a dog thing

– good luck finding him 

– (but if you’re on the same team, he‘ll lead you through the tunnels)

– when he gets hit, he’ll continue on as if nothing happens: a soldier always perseveres 

– unless, of course, the snow tickles his ears or he’s been hit too many times. in that case, he’ll squeeze his eyes shut and shake similarly to a wet dog 

– take this opportunity to touch his ears by brushing the snow off them!! of course, if you ask nicely normally he'd let you and only you touch them

– if he gets hot, he’ll eat the snow to cool down like the habit of sled dogs

– overall, he's like a doggo in the snow. a deadly doggo

bennett

– his vision may be pyro, but he loves snowball fights

– he's badgered kaeya in the past to make it snow for him, and you and the cryo user have had to explain that's not how it works

– so as soon as you two find snow, bennett immediately wants to have a snowball fight

– he might get so excited he accidentally starts melting the snow around him

– the best way to describe him is a wild snowball machine gun: he makes a huge pile of snowballs in 30 seconds then chucks them all in true machine gun fashion

– he will also throw other people’s snowballs if he sees them around, so if you have your own pile, you better watch out!

– or just make snowballs for him to throw––he’ll like that

– when he gets hit by a snowball he just laughs with glee and puts in more effort

– he will try to make the biggest snowball ever and gives it to you to play catch:

“[name]~ throw it here!” 

you eye the basketball–sized snowball which is already crumbling in your hands. “uh, bennett, i don’t think that’s gonna work.” 

“just try.” He gestures excitedly. 

“...if you say so.”

– it is safe to say that bennett is now completely covered in one basketball’s worth of snow 

albedo

– he works in the snowy mountains of dragonspine, yet he’s never had a snowball fight

– however, when klee visits him there and you’re also present, you sometimes have snowball fights with her

– so one day klee asks albedo to join you two in one of your snowball fights

– he ends up squatting down and working the whole time making one perfect snowball: perfectly shaped, compacted, weighted, and aerodynamic (albedo...snowballs aren’t meant to be perfect, you tell him)

– mumbles equations to himself with pinpoint focus on the snow in his hands, ignoring the snowballs whizzing past him as you and klee battle for your lives

– when you hit him, it’s an accident; you were aiming for klee, but your pitching trajectory was a bit too far down

– your snowball smacks him directly in the back of his head, and you and klee both gasp

– apologies flood from your mouth, and you brace yourself for his annoyance as his head slowly swivels around, still squatting 

– he merely offers you a small fond smile and holds up his snowball to show you his progress

– overall, he’s thankful that you are nice to klee, and he’s glad you both had fun

– he may even bring a sample of snow back to his lab because your snowball fight has given him an idea

[part two]

[chusuuke]

consulting kaeya

premise: if you consult kaeya before stealing the Holy Lyre der Himmel (traveler!reader) word count: 928 notes: first post! i got this idea from kaeya's quote in his character story 2 that you get at friendship lv. 3. it just seemed to fit perfectly into this scene

“You want to steal the Holy Lyre?” you repeat, appalled. 

The teal-eyed bard before you immediately raises his index finger to his lips. 

“Keep it down!” He glances nervously at the other individuals in the cathedral to ensure they had not overheard. 

“Are you out of your mind?” you hiss. “Venti, we’re going to get arrested.”

“Not if we don’t get caught,” he assures, winking.

“We’re definitely going to get caught. Just look at Paimon. Do you think she can be sneaky?”

You both turn to look at your small fey friend floating beside you.

“That’s true,” Venti says.

“Hey!” she whines.

“How are we even going to sneak in? There are guards stationed at the only entrance.”

The three of you eye the two men standing on either side of the slightly ajar door beneath the chancel. 

Venti sighs. “I was just about to explain. Those guards are off-duty at nightfall. If we wait until after sunset, you can sneak in. Then, all you have to do to steal the lyre is avoid the people inside.”

“‘We’.”

“Huh?”

“You said ‘you’,” you correct, “but you meant ‘we’. We would have to sneak in and avoid the people inside.”

“Oh no,” he replies, waving his hands in front of him, “just you and maybe Paimon. I’m not going in.” 

“What?” Your jaw drops. You suddenly grab him by his collar and give him several shakes for good measure. “This is your plan and you’re trying to get me to steal the lyre?”

“Hey, it’s a one-person job. Two people will just make it more difficult. Plus, as the Knights of Favonius’ new superstar, you’re more likely to get away with it than I am.” He has a point, but you do not admit that aloud.

“Can’t we just get those signed documents from the Grand Master, Seneschal, and Community Representative?” inquires Paimon.

“I’m afraid we don’t have time for that.”

Stealing the Holy Lyre der Himmel might be the worst idea you have ever heard during your time in Teyvat, but as you stare at the bard, it seems like your only option. You and Paimon share a look. Paimon shrugs. 

“Fine,” you sigh. “I’ll meet you back here at nightfall.” 

❅

“You’re sure he’s serious about stealing the Holy Lyre?” asks Paimon, gliding beside you as you begin your return journey to the cathedral.

“He literally revealed to us that he’s Barbatos, Paimon,” you reply. “Considering his relationship with Dvalin, if he says it’s the only way, it is the only way.”

You had left the cathedral and burned the remaining hours of daylight visiting the stores around Mondstadt, the city you had arrived at not so long ago. Before you knew it, the comforting concatenation of sunset hues had rolled its way across the sky and painted a striking blue-orange ombre. 

Noticing this, Paimon nudges you. “It’s nearly nighttime. We should start making our way back to the cathedral if we’re gonna help Venti.”

“Right.” You still have yet to fully commit to stealing the Lyre, and the time for your final decision was approaching quickly. You begin to speak before glimpsing behind her a figure clad in blue coming your way. “I have to do something first. Can you start ahead?” 

Paimon fidgets and looks at you, unsure. 

“I’ll catch up, okay?”

“Alright. Don’t be late, though,” she acquiesces.

As she glides away, you approach the figure. 

“Hey, Kaeya,” you call out to him.

“Well if it isn’t our dear Traveler,” the man waves, striding up to you. “I was actually on my way to Angel’s Share. Care to join?”

“I appreciate your offer, but actually, I wanted to ask you something.”

Kaeya pauses, regarding you with new interest. “No problem. Ask away.”

“If you had the chance to help a lot of people—and even save lives—but the means to do so wasn’t exactly lawful, would you still do it?”

The Cavalry Captain considers. 

“Interesting question,” he muses as he brings a gloved hand up to his chin and levels a contemplative gaze at the ground, his smile dissolving into a more serious expression. “Justice is not an absolute principle but is the result of striking that fine balance between strength and strategy. As for the details of how it's done, don't worry yourself too much about that,” he responds. 

You are silent. Some moments pass as you appraise him, and you are surprised to sense his sincerity. 

Upon observing your quiet awe, Kaeya spreads out his hands and smiles. “Or at least, that’s what I once said to Grand Master Varka.”

You nod slowly. “That makes sense. So long as the end result is good, whether the method is legal or illegal makes no difference.”

“I mean...”

Suddenly, Paimon swoops in front of you, frazzled and panting slightly. “Hey, are you coming or not? The sun’s already gone down. We’re late!”

You finally register the change in lighting, the now indigo-shaded surroundings lit by the warm glow of streetlamps. Startled by the unexpected darkness of the sky, you snap out of your thoughtful reverie.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go now,” you apologize to Kaeya hurriedly.

He nods. “No worries. Let’s catch up later, yeah?”

You voice a word of hasty agreement as Paimon directs you in the direction of the cathedral. You begin to jog away but stop. “Thanks, Kaeya!” You call, tossing him a backward glance and giving a salute. “Off to commit high treason!”

Kaeya cracks a fond smile, watching you run off. Then realization abruptly hits. “Wait what?”