Fleeting Colors in Flight: Aftermath - The light of joy
My little touch for the end of the wholesome event
Jade Chamber, a few minutes after the fireworks had ended.
"If only I had a little free time... I'd love to take you around and show you everything we did to make the city look special during the festival."
Before the blonde Traveler could reply, the Yuheng had already gone back to her office to do her usual duty just like ordinary days. Leaving him and his fairy companion staring at each other in confusion.
"Here we go again" Paimon sighed, after all of the effort trying to convince her to take a break during this festival, but it seemed like it was going to be in vain at the end. "It's all up to you now Traveler. My job is done here, Paimon is going to Xiangling's restaurant, she called me yesterday" with that, the little fairy disappeared into thin air…again.
"Ugh why do I always be the one who has to do all, eh?" Aether walked to where Ningguang was.
After the talk, Ningguang gave him a nod as a signal of agreement. Having confidence, he quickly went to Keqing and stopped her before she could enter her office.
"Do you have something to talk about?" Keqing asked, she was curious to see him in such a hurry.
"You haven't taken a rest yet."
"Haven't we watched the fireworks already?" Keqing then noticed Aether was acting different from usual.
"That's not the point of taking a break you know" Aether said.
"Are you going to tell me another story to convince me?" She chuckled.
Keqing had heard enough stories to know all the tricks Aether was about to use. She believed that her stubbornness would be enough to make him give up.
"I know Paimon's story won't convince you enough so this time I will be your storyteller" Aether turned to Keqing as he took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
Keying was surprised to see his face was completely straight forward, his tone was also sharper than ever. At this moment she knew he wasn't joking anymore.
"You still have some on your sleeve then." Keqing looked at Aether while moving closer to him "I'm listening"
"You know Jean the Acting Grandmaster in Monstadts right? Here's the story…"
Aether began to tell about the time when Jean fell ill and unconscious from overwork for a few days and unable to do anything. As a result, everything in the city turned completely upside down and there was no one could to take her place as they weren't as good as the Acting Grandmaster.
"No wonder the communication between Liyue and Monstadt took longer than usual for a few weeks." Keqing said while thinking about Aether's story. "Go on"
"Yes, it was a very tiring and troublesome job since she is the one who had done almost everything" Aether nodded as he continued
"You've worked hard then…I'm impressive" Keqing giggled
"I can say the same to you" Aether replied "Since then, Jean has changed."
"Really? So, what exactly did she change?" Keqing was getting more curious, urging him to continue.
He told her about the time when he went to the Golden Apple Archipelago, a dazzling cluster of islands during the summertime. It was also the place where Jean spent her time with her sister Barbara, Klee, and a few others for a vacation. She now understood the importance and value of taking a rest besides just working only. During her vacation, everything in the city was still running smoothly without any trouble thanks to her friend and her people.
"Hmmm you hung out with a lot of girls there I see," Keqing darted her eyes at Aether with a half-teasing, half-threatening voice. "What exactly are you planning on that island huh?"
"Someone is jealous here," Aether grinned "I just having fun with the gang while doing some treasure hunting in there. It was quite a trip there, a lot of things to discover while having some relaxing moment"
"That's sound like…fun. Can I go to that island next time?"
"Of course, anytime if you want to" Aether said. "That's why you shouldn't push yourself too much. It will backfire on you one day" He slowly put his hand on his chest, showing his concern to Keqing "You don't want your people, your friends here worry to see you get sick due to overworking, right?"
"But if I don't do then who will…" Keqing pouted.
"I'm sure plenty of people here are willing to help you," Aether showed Keqing to see there were Ningguang, Ganyu, Huixin, and the others were waving at her "They are also going for the stroll as well and they want you to do the same."
"Don't worry we've got your back," Ningguang said "Besides, you deserve to have some rest during these days after for what you have done..."
"I…but…" Keqing surprised, she wondered herself how did Aether managed to tell Ningguang and other people agree to help her. Before she could ask Aether, he had already told her.
"Me and Ningguang have made a deal about the Jade Chamber in exchange for something." Aether smirked with confidence. In fact, it was just his excuse since Ningguang also had the same thought as him, she didn't want to see Keqing working like a machine…
"You are getting sharper as ever" Keqing chuckled "Confronting Ningguang like that."
"Never underestimate the traveler who has gone through many things." Aether winked "I might not know much at first, but I'm a quick learner."
Feeling defeated, knowing she couldn't argue with Aether anymore as she was being convinced not only by him alone but by many people. For a dense woman like Keqing, it was awkward when she had no choice but to accept his offer. She left a sigh and looked at him:
"Alright you won…So where do you want to go first?"
"Plenty of places, trust me and you won't regret it" Aether said.
"But we don't have time for that…the festival doesn't last that long."
"Depending on how you enjoy it...this time it will be the longest festival you've ever seen!" Aether chuckled while looking at Keqing new outfit "Beside I don't want your gorgeous looks today gone wasted like that."
Keqing's face quickly turned deep red, one that could match a tomato, after she heard such a compliment from him. Although she had heard these lines from him so many times but she probably still hadn't gotten used to heard such thing from him yet…
"Let…let's just…go, shall we?" Keqing blurted between words
The two teleported to Chihu Rock as their starting point then moved into the city, joining the stream of people who were having the joy of the night lantern festival.
And their first stop was some traditional game from Liyue itself.
"Let's play." Aether pointed to a few games' booths nearby.
"Uhhh…" Keqing hesitated. Not because she didn't know how to play it but she hadn't played in front of many people except with her friends before. If it was about working, sure she could handle it but this…Especially as the person was going to play with her was Aether.
Seeing Keqing was still standing there, he knew she wasn't very confident in these activities like this. He then found a simple solution as he chuckled while whispering to her:
- I heard they have Rex lapis's doll as the Grand Prize…we better hurry or we will miss it…
And of course, it worked very well…
Feeling more motivated from what Aether said, Keqing's nervousness quickly changed into excitement as she suddenly grabbed Aether's hand then dragged him mercilessly into the game area…
"Why didn't you say earlier! We have to get it now!" Keqing urged.
Just about when they got there, Keqing showed Aether how skilled she was in any kind of games even though she didn't play much and often showed off to others. Aether was quite surprised to see her playing happily and innocently like a child, she almost became a completely different person.
Keqing focused so much on the game that she didn't know people around were watching her and Aether as well.
It was rare for most people to see them go out and have fun like that, especially Keqing who everyone knew her as a strict woman. They started to guess that the blonde Traveler was the reason she was acting like that. Since they didn't want to ruin their precious moment like this, they only watched them playing for a short while then returned to the festive atmosphere.
It didn't take these Rex Lapis dolls in each game's booth fallen into Keqing's hand, they were so many that a normal bag couldn't able to contain all of them but luckily with Aether's dimensional inventory, she could put all of them into it.
And there was one more game but it required two people to play.
"Let's play together shall we…This is the last one now" Keqing pointed at the Rex Lapis plushie on the rack as the reward of course.
"Glad to help you"
With their smooth and nature gameplay and coordination together, they had managed to win the first prize without requiring too much trouble as everyone watched them in admiration.
"That was so much fun!" Keqing was holding a small Rex Lapis plushies as her proof of victory. "Thank you for helping me get these plushies."
"How could you able to have such skill like that?" Aether looked at her holding those plushies like a little girl, making him giggle.
"You think I only know about working and fighting?" Keqing chuckled "There's more about me you know…"
"Such a waste if you don't put it into these games like these huh?"
"I haven't gone out and play since I was a kid…" She sighed "Now there are too many things to do as I can't enjoy these anymore..."
When Keqing was a kid, she used to have a lot of time to go out and have fun during the festival. But as she grew up, she started to spend more time studying, researching and less time for those activities. As a result, after she earned the Yuheng position, she didn't have time to go enjoy the festival anymore, not even the fireworks.
"You should spend more time on these events," Aether said. "Although the Lantern Festival happens each year, not all the Lantern festivals are the same. Each of them has their own unique thing, it would be a waste of our life if we don't enjoy it."
"But work can't get done by themselves you know that!" She still felt a bit uneasy when she left her unfinished work to go out like this.
"Liyue is the city for the people, by the people. Therefore, a single person regardless of how good you are, can't do it alone… It's everyone's work" Aether looked at Keqing as he smiled "You might be a Qixing but that doesn't mean you cannot be all owed to enjoy the ordinary thing. If other people can rest, you can as well. As a quote from Liyue "Everything has balance."
"You seem to understand people well," Keqing said while holding his hand tightly "No wonder you always attract everyone around"
"You've flattered me there." Aether scratched his head while giggling, "But still if there's anything really important that you need to do. Don't hesitate to call us."
"Of course, I will" Keqing nodded then asked "Where should we go next then?"
"How about a visit to my tea pot this time…" Aether took out his Serenity pot "But you need to close your eyes first"
"How many surprises do you have left?" Keqing did what he said and held his hand.
"You will know soon enough."
At the moment when Keqing arrived, surprising the first impression she had as she saw all the buildings and landscape around were not only well planned but also almost resembled every part of Liyue, from the Harbor to Qingce village. Although it looks smaller than the actual one, its outstanding features couldn't be mistaken.
"How…" Keqing couldn't stop gazing at the scenery around her with her eyes wide open. There were so many question Keqing wanted to have answers from Aether as he began to say.
"I've observed every aspect of the city as well as the villages in Liyue. Since then, I started to build a few weeks before the festival started and I tried to build it as close to the original as possible." Aether said while guiding her to the place he wanted to show her. "I've never thought being a Yuheng was so hard"
"Have you been watching me all of the time?" Keqing chuckled "Able to do an almost impossible thing in such a short time like this?"
"Hey, sound a bit creepy there." Aether said, smiling "But now I can understand how tough your duty is. To be honest I want to know more about you and your dream as well."
That answer left Keqing speechless, she thought she was the one who should learn more about him. 'He wants to know about me? Does that mean he…likes…' Her thoughts started to go haywire while she could feel her face was heating up. Her heart beat was getting faster and faster, it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest anytime.
"And here comes the finale, the firework show!" Aether showed Keqing a Firework launcher. It surprised Keqing, and then she questions, how was he able to get it? "I actually asked Pinyin to make one for me" he said.
Before Keqing was going to say something back to Aether, he already continued.
"When we were still in Qingce village, I realized you really wanted to launch fireworks on your own but you didn't want to let anyone know, you told us to go back to the village first right?"
Being discovered, Keqing became even more confused than ever as her face was still remaining red as earlier "So you have found out…yes, I really want to try it by my own"
"Sorry if I go too much about your privacy" Aether scratched his head lightly, he didn't know if this was a good idea or not "I just want you to have fun during this time"
Seeing that Aether was feeling a bit guilty and confused like herself, Keqing tried to reassure him while giving him a hug. "If it, was you, I wouldn't bother about It. In fact, I'm happy to see you prepare this much only for me…I have no words to express my gratitude"
"Don't worry only two of us around here" Aether then pointed to the firework material "But those fireworks are not going to make themselves"
"Hey wait for me" Keqing giggled then joined Aether into making the fireworks.
With the design obtained from Pinyin, they had managed to make a few small fireworks after a while. Their faces and clothes were stained with dirt but they didn't bother about it since they had a lot of fun together while doing it.
"You have something on your face!" Keqing smeared at Aether's face.
"So do you!" Aether did the same to her as both of them were chasing all over the field. Thus making them into a complete mess.
"Let's go to the rooftop" Aether pointed to the tallest building which has the best view spot for the fireworks. "Here's our finale" he gazed up along with Keqing as the fireworks started.
It was a completely different experience from the firework in the city, the excitement with each firework she made launched in to the sky then lighted up with various color and shape…It made Keqing feel like was about to cry in joy anytime…
"It might not be as fancy and big as what you have organized in Liyue but I hope you will like it" Aether looked at Keqing who was gazing at the sky in silence, immersing herself in her own thoughts.
"This…this is so awesome…I-I don't know how to describe it" Keqing mumbled to herself "I-I haven't been felt like this happy before…It feels like I've found what was lost a long time ago."
"You said you wish time could slow down, right?" Aether looked up into the sky to where Keqing was looking at with various type of Xiao lanterns with the fireworks were illuminating in the night "Many people who spends their entire youth devoted to work only…And at the end of their life they always regret one thing: they wish they could be young again to have more time with their family and friend, enjoying the joys of life rather than just only work…"
Keqing was surprised about his way of doing the job, besides that of a hard-working person, but he knows how and when to have fun as well. A balance between work and fun is an almost impossible thing for a normal person. Most people drown too much on one thing and forget the other…Compared to immortal life like Aether to a mortal like herself, their time was too short to figure it out and the moment they realize, it was too late for them.
He then turned his eyes to meet Keqing beautiful amethyst eyes, "For me, beside working if you know how to have fun during the festival like these…They will last forever in our memories. Working is not bad but knowing where you need to rest and having fun in life is also very important. Besides this is the festival you have put a lot of effort into... you should spend time enjoying it looking back at what you have done so you can improve yourself as well."
"And finally…" Aether took a deep breath and continued, his face was still bright but a hint of sadness could be seen in eyes "Although my main goal right now is looking for my sister. But that doesn't mean I have to push myself too hard, I still enjoy the fun around Liyue and other nations too. It helps me feel refreshed after all the stressful journeys so that I can continue in the right direction"
Despite no progress at all, he still enjoys the festival, it has been two years since the last festival…yet he was still remaining cheerful to the other…what a resilience person he is. Keqing thought as she remembered about the time at the Rite of Parting…how much sorrow you are trying to hide Aether…
Aether had gone through everything from helping everyone in Teyvat to defeat a powerful god just for a simple thing: finding his lost sibling. Much to Keqing surprised when she asked about the prize, he wanted…This was the second lantern festival he had attended and although there hadn't any news about her but that didn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to have fun during these days.
"Don't worry, we will find her…You have us" Keqing gave him a gentle hug while blushing "…and me as well. You said you will stay by my side to me when I asked you…and of course I will do the same to you too no matter what".
"You are reliable as ever Keqing," Aether said "I'm glad to have you side by side."
"Can we stay like this for a while…Let us enjoy the rest of the festival like this…It's feeling so peaceful right now." Keqing said sleepily, she was getting tired but she didn't want to waste a moment like this. She wished this day would never end. This was probably her best festival she had ever had since she was a kid…"You're a good storyteller there, maybe you can tell me more next time?"
"Anytime, next time I will tell you about a former god who had worked non-stop for thousands of years, helping his people to build a country yet he never thought about taking a rest till one day" Aether nodded as he sat leaned close to her, watching the rest of the fireworks show in silents.
The firework end was also the moment Aether turned to see that Keqing had fallen asleep on his shoulder for a while with a happy smile on her face.
Aether picked her up and hold her in a princess carry while Keqing was unconsciously wrapping both her arm around his neck and digging her face close to him as she didn't want to let him go all the way to her home, which she even asked him to stay with her after that…
The next morning.
The Lantern Festival is not only about enjoying spectacular and beautiful fireworks displays, but also a day to reunite with family and friends as well as visit other relatives. From ordinary people to people working as civil servants, everyone tries to have time for themselves for holidays like these.
After making sure all of the tasks were done for today mainly thanks to Aether's help. He was familiar with jobs like these since last year's Lantern Festival so they weren't a big problem to him (*cough* doing 23 errand tasks with unknown NPC *cough*). Keqing decided to have a visit her friends and their family.
But there was one place that Keqing urged Aether to go there first…
"Come on, we're going to be late" Keqing said while dragging Aether along. Followed up were other people like Paimon, Zhongli, Ningguang, Beido…joined them as well for the stroll around the city.
"Where are we heading? You seem to be in such a hurry" Aether asked Keqing, confused.
Keqing giggled while holding Aether's hand. A slight blush could be seen on her face "Well, I'm…I'm…I'm taking you to visit my family today…"
"…as boyfriend" she whispered.
"Uhhhh…." Aether was surprised to his face that quickly flushed while sweating. He was happy about what Keqing said to him but he hadn't prepared for that visit yet. He really wanted to scream right now.
"This is going to be interesting" Paimon smugged, looking at both of them while Ningguang, Ganyu, Zhongli and a few others were grinning quietly.
"Our plan worked as intended" Those three whispered in satisfaction "Let's support them more shall we?" Zhongli said as all of them nodded.
That was unexpected, none of them saw that coming but it went well after all.
End
Outside thought: Tbh I really want they let Keqing stroll around the city with us like Ayaka's quest but they didn't do it, *sigh*. Of course, Keqing still watched fireworks with us but for like less than 30 mins (in-game time) but then she went back to work so what the point of asking her to take a break... It should have been a little bit better.
I hope everyone likes it ^_^, see you at the next event.
