#and then lisa and kaeya speedrun the archon quest like five years early

[dandelion-wings]

kicking wild AUs around with @theabysscomeshome and this is another in the Not Actually Going To Write It category, but this scene really stuck with me, so a brief snippet:

"Grand Sage," Lisa says as sweetly as she can manage, smiling at him. She very carefully doesn't look up and dare draw his attention, or that of the matra with him, to the branches overhead where Kaeya lurks. "How nice to see you. I was just taking my underclassmen to study in the House of Daena." She rests one hand over her catalyst at her belt, casually, as if she's not perfectly positioned to unhook the tome from its strap, and puts the other down on Collei's shoulder. Cyno has better self-restraint; he's rigid at her side, but most of his attention is on her, waiting for instruction. Collei has ducked a little behind her in what she suspects anyone else would take as childish fear. Lisa knows what she's really restraining. His lip curls. "This is exactly why I'm here. You and your instructor have coddled those *subjects* far too much. I'm reassigning them to another research team immediately, before you irreparably taint their research value."

Fury floods crackling through Lisa's veins, and a thousand and one retorts rise to her lips. None of them will make an impression on him, though. She knows what this is really about. Why he's really here.

*Zendik.* Kaeya was right. The strings he's been pulling lead all the way up.

"I haven't received any reassignment paperwork," she says, sweetly, teeth still gritted in a smile. She doesn't dare start to unbuckle her catalyst yet. There's four matra flanking the Grand Sage, and she has no intention of giving them an excuse. Not before Kaeya gets here.

"It will be forthcoming," the Grand Sage says, drawing himself up.

The matra are watching her tensely, and Cyno even more so; they, too, seem to be disregarding Collei as the frightened child she so often seems. So often is, Lisa corrects herself, but that doesn't make her any less dangerous. She's not sure whether to be more insulted on her behalf or on Cyno's that they're tenser about him, as if his desert skin and desert god make him an inherent threat to good order despite all his careful self-discipline, and as if *she* isn't the Witch of the Purple Rose.

"I see. In the meantime, why don't my underclassmen and I-"

"The *subjects*," the Grand Sage says, a muscle in his jaw jumping.

Which was exactly the wrong point to quibble on. Collei gives a choked, furious sob and tears away from Lisa, trying to dart past the matra towards the far edge of the plaza and the ramp down to freedom. The matra, focused on Cyno and Lisa, don't move fast enough; the Grand Sage, unfortunately, has even less ability at threat assessment, and snatches at Collei as she brushes past. He catches a hank of her hair, so recently freed from the bandages, and she screams.

The hair on the back of Lisa's neck goes up. She can feel the power pulsating from Collei's small frame, bare inches from going out of control--from being *unleashed*. Because it will be, if Collei thinks that's the only way out. The matra all quail, crying out in confusion more than in terror, uncertain as to why they're afraid and all the more frightened for it. Lisa steps in front of Cyno, yanks on the strap around her catalyst, and pulls it free, as if it would be any help against the Black Fire.

Kaeya hits the ground directly beside Azar, rolls, and comes up with his catalyst already glowing in his hand. He tosses it up to hover beside him as he reaches out to grab Collei's arm, and he digs his other elbow into the Grand Sage's gut to make him let go as he yanks Collei away. The man grunts and stumbles back, winded by the blow, and catches up against the railing of the platform-

And flails for just a second, eyes wide with terror, before he pitches over to plummet to the ground below. Lisa flinches at the distant, unpleasant *'splat'*.

Pulling Collei in close against him, Kaeya glances over the edge, looks up at Lisa, and shrugs. "Whoops."

"The Grand Sage!" one of the matra cries, comprehension returning and horror infusing his tone as the ominous weight of Collei's nearly-unbound power lifts away. "He's murdered the Grand Sage!"

"We'd been talking about storming the Sanctuary of Surasthana anyway," Kaeya says, throwing Lisa a wry smile before he turns to meet their leveled spears. "We may just have to do it a little ahead of schedule."

"I'm beginning to agree with you about getting answers from the Archon herself," Lisa tells him, ozone filling the air as her own catalyst starts to glow purple-bright along its bindings. "Especially since we can't ask them of Azar any longer. Though if Cyno and Collei could-"

"I don't think we have the time for that. It's fine. Collei, do you still have those daggers I gave you?"

Collei makes a small, determined noise and pulls two wickedly sharp blades out from somewhere in her clothing. Lisa sighs, sets aside the matter of arming small children to discuss with Kaeya *later*, and prepares to pair with him in a Superconduct that will make those blades more effective. There is value, she supposes, in teaching Collei alternative ways to defend herself.

"I don't have a dagger," Cyno mutters behind her, sounding put out. "Why didn't I get a dagger?"

"Later," Lisa tells him, firmly, and lets her Lantern Rose bloom.