6.1

"I believe I've experienced something of note." Cyno spoke up, gaze distant. "Have any of you approached the Sumeru-Fontaine boarder before, or even, any national boarders?"

"Ah, I can hardly bring myself to going near the desert," Nilou shook her head, a light flush to her cheeks. "Let alone another nation."

Tighnari and Collei shared a look. "Gandharva Ville is by the Chasm, so we're at the Sumeru-Liyue boarder, though the Chasm is a bit of a diplomatic mess, it hardly counts, in our opinion, as a boarder. I believe the only time any of us loopers have been away from Sumeru would be when we awaken in another nation."

"I see." Cyno nodded. "Two loops ago, I had to chase a criminal involved in the canned knowledge incident to the boarder. The closer I got, the more… painful, it was."

"Painful?" Collei leaned forwards the smallest amount, barely an inch, eyes scanning Cyno.

"Not in a… well, it may have been a physical sense. It was a mounting pressure, weighing down my very being." Cyno placed a hand over his chest. "This pressure grew the closer I got to the boarder, and by the time I apprehended the criminal, it was unbearable."

"I've not heard of such a thing before." Tighnari said. "It sounds similar to extreme exposure to Leylines, but-"

"Effects caused by Leylines take time to recover from." Cyno sighed, lowering his hand. "The moment I'd apprehended the criminal, I left as soon as possible. The pressure that I'd been feeling all but dissipated once Fontaine was out of my sight. And I cannot recall-" Cyno took a breath, "I cannot recall what Fontaine looked like, not clearly."

Collei blinked slowly. "I... I don't know that much about the details of how other nations look, but Ive been to Snezhnaya, gosh I don't know how I didn't notice, but I hardly remember what it looked like, only certain rooms are clear." She rubbed her forehead, wincing. "Ow, headache..."
"Don't think about it." Tighnari sharply told her, mind racing. "This may be by design. If for some reason approaching certain nations causes pain, and the memories are blurred, attempting to recall memories may lead to similar results."
"Right." Collei nodded decisively.

"We could do with asking Dori?" Nilou proposed, "She has a big business, and the effect may be limited to loopers."
"Good idea." Cyno stood, moving to stand by the window. "I can ask her about it. We should also check in with Candace. I doubt Candace will know anything, but she can provide some insight into the situation."

Thinking hard, Tighnari spoke with a sheepish grin. "I'd like to go ask Candace, but you may want to let her know in advance."

On a small mountain hidden by the larger mountains of the area, with a view overlooking both Aaru Village and the Ashavan Realm, two loopers met. One standing in the desert, another in the forest.

"Hello." Candace waved at Tighnari, a serene smile on her lips. "Cyno speaks much of you."

"Does he?" Tighnari smiled, shaking his head. "He speaks more to you than most of us then, who knew he could be a gossip."

"He only spoke good," Candace chuckled, a hand to her mouth. "I doubt he's had many opportunities to tell you much of myself, so I'd still like to do introductions."

"That's fine." Tighnari nodded, straightening his back, one-foot forwards to lean closer into the desert, and a hand offered to shake. "Tighnari. Im a forest watcher."

"Candace." She in turn took a step closer to the forest and clasped his hand. Guardian of Aaru. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Tighnari's smile became more bemused. "This is quite the way to meet someone, it's definitely memorable."

"Quite." Candace glanced over her shoulder towards Aaru. "Our circumstances may make it so we may only speak, but id like to get to know all my fellow loopers equally."

"Letters?"

"Perhaps through Dori?"

6.2

"Everyone's inside," Nilou shut the door to the chieftains' house with a loud bang. "There shouldn't be any issues with the sandstorm now. Isak almost ran out though."

"That boy." Candace shook her head with a fond smile. "His love for his grandfather is pure."

"Why are you here?" Dehya gawked at Nilou, who blinked at her, long and slow."

"Oh, hello Dehya, Sir Alhaitham, Aether," Nilou's smile trembled the smallest bit as she smothered a laugh. "Cyno."

Cyno nodded at her, sharing a look of amusement with Candace.

"Nilou here has been banished to Aaru by the Akademiya." Candace chimed in to clear up the confusion for the three still gawking.

"Didn't get a choice this time." Nilou huffed, sitting in a chair. "I ended up Aware when they were already dragging me off here."

"They don't typically sentence anyone that's not a Scholar here though?" Alhaitham leaned on his hand.

"I tried a debate." Nilou twisted a strand of hair, cheeks puffing up. "The most that's done so far is get me arrested, I could've never dreamed this was a potential punishment. I never got to say goodbye either…"

"It's a situation we're working on." Candace pat her on the shoulder. "Her people can't exactly visit as like her; most have never ventured far."

"That's like, so unfair!" Paimon finally joined in, setting down an empty plate. "They can't do that!"

"Tell me about it." Nilou spoke in a dismayed tone and sank into her chair, loop ruined.

6.3

"This is stupid."Tighnari sat, legs crossed and head resting on his hands, most definitely not pouting. "The Sages don't even have jurisdiction here! So stupid."

Grumbling to himself, Tighnari stared out at the vast expanse of the Chasm.

"Shouldn't Liyue have influence over this decision? They can't exile me to the desert, so I'm thrown in here!?"

What a baffling variant.

Walking on the glittering barrier, Tighnari's sense of unease grew to untold proportions as the barrier shook.

"Oh, come on..."

Falling deep into the Chasm, Tighnari cursed both versions of the Traveler and the blasted Sages.

Why exile him here just as the Traveler decided they'd like to galivant around the underground!?

"HI!" Paimon waved rapidly as her and her companion walked up to the odd fluffy guy, alongside Dainsleif. "We're finding all sorts of people down here, aren't we?"

Whose fault is that. Tighnari internally cried out. He hadn't meant to get trapped in the underground, and then stumble upon some upside-down city.

Tighnari was a botanist, not some historian or architect.

Though, saying that, he's sure to people like Kaveh might be interested in this.

Kaveh would be acting downright deranged at the idea of getting away from Alhaitham.

Clearing out the muddy pathway for some silly transport to pass, Tighnari glowered at the Traveler.

Couldn't he have been exiled to Dragonspine?

The Sages must have been begging for him to get killed to send him here.

He didn't even do anything wrong this time!

...He thinks.

6.4

Nilou stared at the stars, her hands lightly moving back and forth through the ocean before her.

The stars were different from those back home. She never knew she could miss the stars so much that it caused an ache.

There was no one here, there was nothing anywhere. Nothing but the dark sea and the stars.

Her little island had enough room for her to sit, and that was all.

Nilou's dazed gaze was drawn to staring back across the endless ocean, hoping for a glimpse of something.

Once, she thought she'd seen a girl in the distance. Her memories of the encounter were hazy, like everything else was, but she could recall two details of the girl.

Snow White hair, and sparkling eyes that were a beautiful blue, like the sea, but in the day.

While Nilou's ocean was dark, the girls was bright, bathed in sunlight.

Nilou hoped she'd see her again; it was lonely here.

6.1 Expansion blocked, and a meeting.
6.2 Nilou loves Aaru village, but she's still miffed on how she ended up there.
6.3 What are they going to do — Lock me up? I dare them.
6.4 A deep slumber awaits.

So, anyone got a preference for Nilou and Cyno story quests or the Mondstadt Festival first?