"Ah, thank you Xingqiu," Aether said contently. "That was amazing."
"It was no issue, Traveller," Xingiu said. The two of them had just finished eating at Xinyue Kiosk for breakfast. Although there was typically an extremely long wait list, due to Xingqiu being so closely affiliated with the Feiyun Commerce Guild, they were let in immediately. "If you ever require something, just ask. I am forever in your debt."
"Ah, don't worry about it," Aether said. "You and I should probably get going. Lots of things to do."
"Yeah, that's right," Xingqiu said, nodding. "Happy early Moonchase Festival, Traveller." With these words, Xingqiu departed from Xinyue Kiosk.
Moonchase…? Aether thought blankly. What that?
Whatever. He'd ask Keqing once he went to her office. As of right now, he had some commissions to complete from the Adventurer's Guild.
His four commissions were fairly simple. Sabotage the hilichurls' slime balloon, simple enough. Take out a hilichurl camp, done in two minutes. Complete a time trial, that was easy. Finally, defeat a squad of Fatui. Yeesh, Childe wouldn't be too happy with him. Oh well, minor inconveniences. If Childe had issues with him, they could always settle it with a nice little beatdown at the Golden House.
Closest commission was the slime balloon. He looked up to the sky, and activated his wings. Using the power of Anemo to launch himself skyward, he shot into the air, and with a sonic boom, shot off to the slime balloon. Within a couple of seconds he'd reached it, and he landed on top of it. It started floating forward, and Aether chose to sit down for a couple of seconds before he destroyed it.
Oi, Aether. Lumine spoke.
What? Aether responded.
The hell did you do? I could hear that from here. Interrupted my convo with Venti.
Just flew, don't worry about it. What were you talking to him about?
You hypocrite.
Lumine! What were you talking to him about?! Aether asked crossly. I have a feeling I know what it is.
What, then? Lumine taunted.
Wine. Alcohol. The best way to get it and the best ones in the city. Aether grumbled.
Guilty as charged, Lumine said sheepishly.
Ugh. Don't get wasted on your first week in Mondstadt, please and thank you. Aether said.
Mmmmmm… Maybe. I gotta get back to… stuff. See you. Lumine said.
Don't get wasted! Aether yelled as a last resort. Gaining no reply, he knew that she probably would.
Whatever. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he noticed a bunch of hilichurls gathered below him, growling at him and trying to shoot at him. Aether looked at them blankly before realising that he was supposed to be doing a commission. Chuckling to himself, he drew his sword and stabbed it straight into the Anemo Slime carrying the balloon, and it exploded, sending materials and food everywhere, along with a lot of screaming hilichurls. He gathered a few of the items that didn't look like they were too bad, before flying off to the time trial. As he stepped onto the pressure plate, he ran across the countryside, killing a couple of slimes across the way. Two commissions down, two more to go.
Checking his map, he decided to take out the hilichurl camp first, as that was on the way towards the Fatui camp.
As he came across the camp, it seemed to be pretty empty, aside from two mitachurls and four hilichurls. Three swings of his sword and a meteor later, the bodies of hilichurls and mitachurls lay around his feet. He continued on to the Fatui camp, where he saw five Fatui Skirmishers and an Agent. That itself wasn't an issue, although the main issue was the person talking to them.
Childe.
"The hell are you doing here?" Aether asked.
Childe turned, surprised. "Comrade! What are you doing here?"
Aether pointed to the Fatui Skirmishers and Agent behind Childe. "Apparently they've been causing a bit of trouble for the people, and I've been told to eliminate them."
"Ah." Childe said. "That'd make sense. These are Signora's people," he said, eyeing the Skirmishers with distaste. "Not mine. Well, the Agent is mine. He came along to try and persuade them. If the Skirmishers were, I'd have commanded them to stop by now. But it's all part of the other Harbingers' stupid planning and scheming. I've tried telling them to stop, but they won't listen."
"With all due respect, Master Childe, Lady Signora told us you would say so. We'll only listen to her unless we're transferred."
"They're impossible," Childe concluded. "If you wanna take them out, go right ahead. Kliment and I won't stop you. I have something to talk to you about anyhow." Childe stepped aside, and Aether summoned his sword. The Fatui Skirmishers readied their weapons, and Aether charged in. He drew two knives and threw them with deadly accuracy. They sank into the Geochanter bracer's chest, and the Fatuus fell, dead. The Cryogunner and Hydrogunner legionnaires shot at Aether with twin beams of Cryo and Hydro, which Aether destroyed with a wall of fire. Aether swung downward, and his sword morphed in his hands, turning into a golden claymore. He cleaved the Skirmisher in half, then swung sideways, sending the Hydrogunner crashing into the ground.
He turned to the remaining two Skirmishers, who quickly lay their weapons down in surrender.
"Please! We'll never steal from passerby again!" The Pyroslinger Bracer said, on both knees.
"Yeah, what he said!" The Electrohammer Vanguard said hurriedly.
"Alright, well," Aether said. "I'm still gonna have to take your weapons. Go back to Snezhnaya and tell the Tsaritsa that I'll be there sometime in the future. Tell Signora that the next time I see her, I'll kill her."
"Yes, sir!" The two Skirmishers said. They lay down their weapons, then ran off to the Harbor to get a boat.
"Nice work," Childe said. "You fight pretty fluidly."
"All part of practice," Aether said, not even winded.
"You didn't actually mean you'd uh… kill Signora, right?" Kliment asked.
"Oh, I meant it," Aether said grimly. "Warn her all you like. The next time she's unfortunate enough to cross my path, I will kill her. I don't care where. Even if it's at the foot of the Tsaritsa's throne. I. Will. Kill. Her."
"I see…" Kliment said.
"Well, if you do, comrade, be sure to let me know! It'd be fun to be the Tenth Harbinger for a change." Childe chuckled. "Anyhow, Kliment, can you leave us? I need to ask him something private. I'll meet you back at the Harbor."
"Yes, Master Childe." Kliment said, bowing. He then left, turning away.
"So, what is that you need to ask me?" Aether asked.
"Hmmm…" Childe thought out loud. "Promise you won't make fun of me? Or like, do severe bodily harm to me?"
Aether chuckled lightly. The Eleventh Harbinger, one of the most feared fighters in the land, acting like a small child. "Sure, go ahead."
"Okay, um… What does your sister like?" Childe asked.
"Hngh-" Aether tried to contain his laughter. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"Well, I don't know if she'd like it. You're her brother, right? It'd be less embarrassing to ask you, and it'd be more of a pleasant surprise! And- hey! You said you wouldn't laugh!" Childe complained.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Aether laughed, trying to stop. "It's just- I can't-" Aether laughed, wiping tears out of his eyes. "The Eleventh Harbinger, one of the most feared people in all of Teyvat, coming to the Traveller! For dating advice! Hahahaha!"
"Hey, it's technically the most efficient, and it would be more pleasant for her!" Childe said.
"Alright, alright, I'll help you," Aether chuckled, calming down. "First, tell me what you like. What your pleasures are. Then I can see if anything from your list lines up with hers."
"I like fighting and practicing with a bow for one thing, but for simpler, non-combat related things, I'd probably say something like fishing and ice fishing, skating, oh and snowball fights."
"Well, I don't think you should have a problem getting along with her," Aether said. "Everything you said she loves doing. And I noticed you said you're trying to train with a bow?"
"That's right."
"Well, I myself suck with a bow, but my sister is quite the opposite. Unless you want to learn the definition of hell, don't mention to her that you're trying to learn how to use a bow."
"Alright. I'll still probably ask her though. And you, can you teach me how to fight better than I already do? Whenever we fight, I feel like I already know everything, yet you still thrash me. Can you teach me?"
"Sure. Once we visit our home, I surely can. We'll discuss the… fee later."
"Alright! I look forward to it, comrade. In the meantime, keep yourself alive, yeah?" With one last wave, Childe walked away towards the Harbor.
Aether, with his four commissions complete, flew back to the Harbor. He flew over Childe, who looked up at him in wonder. Aether smiled and waved, before zooming back to the Harbor at subsonic speeds. He landed in the middle of the street, causing a stir from the people around him, but he didn't mind. He went to the Adventurer's Guild to claim his rewards, and decided to get some lunch. Deciding to eat at Wangshu Inn, he stopped there and ordered a Black-Back Perch Stew for himself. Chef Mao gladly prepared it for him, although he expressed regret that Xiangling wasn't there. She was off gathering herbs, although Chef Mao said that he would let Xiangling know Aether had dropped by. Aether said his thanks, then went off to find Keqing.
Aether walked up to the Qixing's office and knocked on Keqing's door. A "come in" greeted him, and he opened the door.
"Aether!" Keqing said gratefully. She pulled him into a hug, and held Aether for a minute straight. When she finally released him, she pulled him into a quick kiss and then sat him down on a chair.
"Hey, you're pretty affectionate today," Aether smiled. "Any reason?"
"Moonchase, dummy!" Keqing said.
"Right…" Aether said.
"You don't know what that is, do you?" Keqing asked.
"No, not really," Aether admitted.
"It's a festival that's supposed to celebrate cooking and family, and it's the time when the moon is at its fullest, signifying good harvest for the year." Keqing explained.
"Sounds interesting," Aether said. "I'll be sure to attend with you," he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.
Keqing giggled, excited. "Alright! First, let's get through all these taxes and whatnot," Keqing said. "How's your day so far?"
"Pretty eventful," Aether said. "Killed Garey-"
"You left quite a mess for us to clean up, young man," Keqing said, poking him in the chest. "You better make that up to me."
"I'll make you some Golden Shrimp Balls when we get home~" Aether offered.
Keqing melted at the thought of that. Aether cooking her Golden Shrimp Balls… delicious. "Alright, I suppose I accept," Keqing said. "What else?"
"Did my four commissions for the Adventurer's Guild. Oh, and you would not believe who I saw and what he asked me for."
Keqing hadn't intended to ask, but her curiosity won out. "Who didja meet?"
Aether explained the story of how Childe met him at the Fatui camp, and how he asked Aether for dating advice, for Lumine.
"You're joking!" Keqing laughed. "No way!"
"Yes way," Aether laughed. "Ohh, it was too funny."
"Ahahahaha! Never took the Eleventh Harbinger for someone like that!" Keqing laughed.
"Right?" Aether chuckled. "Let's get these taxes done."
The pair worked diligently through the day, and by the end of the day, the entire stack of paper was cleared off of the table.
"Great job," Keqing said, leaning into Aether. "Sleepy…"
"Let's get home now," Aether said, gently picking up Keqing. "Golden Shrimp Balls when we get there," he whispered.
Keqing looked up, alert, at the mention of Golden Shrimp Balls. Keqing purred, and curled up into Aether's arms. Aether closed his eyes, and teleported to the house. Aether cooked some Golden Shrimp Balls for the two of them, and they shared a nice dinner at her home. Within the next three minutes after finishing her food, Keqing curled up in the bed, and Aether joined her soon after. Keqing pulled Aether closer and kissed him passionately.
"Good night, love," she whispered. "Sweet dreams."
"G'night Keq," Aether whispered.
With sleep now gripping the two of them, both Aether and Keqing sank into a deep sleep, waiting for the next day.
Sorry for the delay y'all. But it's here now. Moonchasee chapter soon to follow.
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