Aether couldn't tear his gaze away, invisible chains wrapping tightly around him, holding him firmly in place and leaving little room for movement. Paimon, too, stared in awe and fascination, as did half of Liyue Harbor.
Discretion, it seemed, was all but thrown to the wind. While none would recognize Raiden as the revered ruler of Inazuma, she would certainly not escape unnoticed.
"Liyue Harbor…" she whispered, violet eyes roaming across the vast city of commerce. "Much has changed, and still, much remains the same."
Raiden had forgone her usual attire, the armor and garment emblazoned with the Electro Mitsudomoe replaced by an elegant flowery kimono. Her hair, once braided, now flowed freely down her back and past her knees, stopping only inches short of the pavement.
"I sense Morax' presence, though it is diluted… tempered… less overbearing."
Shaking his head, Aether rid himself of the spell that had overtaken him. He caught up to her quickly, watching as she looked around the bustling harbor with almost child-like curiosity.
For a while, they wandered aimlessly, Aether being content to let Raiden soak in the sights. He wondered how long it'd been since she last set foot outside of Inazuma – since she last indulged in anything other than her quest for eternity.
"He's around somewhere, I'm sure. Probably out doing business for the funeral parlor, or-"
"Yeah, right! Paimon thinks it's much more likely that the old man is busy wasting other people's hard-earned mora!"
At Raiden's raised eyebrow, confusion clear on her face, Aether elaborated, explaining about the Lord of Geo's recent retirement and ironic case of financial despair.
"I see. I always believed the rumors of his demise to be exaggerated, but to think that the eldest would step down of his own accord… how curious."
"Enough about Zhongli already!" whined Paimon. "Paimon wants breakfast. Traveler, can we head over to Wanmin Restaurant? Pretty please, with a cherry on top?"
His companion adopted a pleading expression, and unable to resist her puppy dog eyes, Aether gave in to her request.
He'd missed Xiangling, anyway.
Raiden had no memory of Wanmin Restaurant, for when she'd last visited Liyue Harbor, such an establishment did not exist.
When a short, bubbly girl clad in bright colors greeted them excitedly, she didn't know what to expect. The girl wore her emotions on her sleeve, without a care in the world, so dissimilar from the way Raiden held herself.
"Welcome to Wanmin Restaurant! I'd be happy to take your ord-"
The girl's eyes met her own, widening comically, before she turned on her heel and rushed back inside the restaurant.
"Dad!" Raiden heard her yell. "Get over here, we've got a bigshot customer waiting outside! Real lady-like, this one!"
The Traveler snickered softly behind her, any trepidation she felt instantly evaporating, and when the girl reappeared with an older, dark-haired man at her side, he stepped forward, saluting them with a small wave of his hand.
"T-Traveler?!" they both exclaimed, the girl going so far as to leap over the counter, enveloping him in an affectionate embrace.
"Xiangling…" said the Traveler, his voice muffled. "I can't breathe!"
"Let go of the poor boy, dear." said the man, who must be Xiangling's father, with an amused expression on his face.
"And you…" he continued, facing Raiden. "Very lady-like, indeed. I assume you're in the Traveler's company? What's your name?"
"Ei." she responded warily, unused to this sort of casual attention.
"A quiet one, then? Well, what're you still doing out on the street? Come on in! Xiangling and I'll whip up breakfast for you in a flash!"
Before she knew it, they were all ushered inside, seated by a small, round table, with an assortment of familiar and exotic delicacies laid out in front of them.
"Oh boy!" said Paimon, her mouth visibly watering. "You're the best, Xiangling, and you too, Chef Mao!"
"Think nothing of it!" they replied in chorus. "Anything for the two of you!"
While the Traveler was assailed with questions, Raiden nibbled on a rice cake, listening to the heavily modified retelling of his latest adventures. She noticed he seemed to downplay his part substantially, and Raiden herself was introduced as a friend he'd made along the way.
Engrossed in the Traveler's tale, she lost track of the amount of rice cakes she ate, her hand moving of its own accord. Only when her fingers brushed against another, much smaller hand, did she look down, finding Paimon clutching the other end of the last remaining rice cake.
The two shared a glance, both unwilling to let go, and suddenly, Raiden heard a soft clicking sound, followed by a bright flash of light and a puff of smoke.
"Hey!" shouted Paimon, her food momentarily forgotten. "No taking pictures when Paimon's not looking!"
Pictures, wondered Raiden, who like Xiangling peered over the Traveler's shoulder. In his hands he held a contraption of some sort, and she stared in amazement as it produced a tiny paper photograph.
Depicted on it she saw herself, hardly recognizable to her own eyes, engaged in a silly tug of war with Paimon.
"That's so cute!" cooed Xiangling, and something suspiciously akin to heat rushed into Raiden's cheeks.
"Yes." said the Traveler, his hold on the photograph tightening almost imperceptibly.
"It definitely is."