A/N: Had an urge to write another chapter earlier than expected after the last one so enjoy :)
Book One: Chapter Fifteen
[Miko's Antics]
"Mmm…" Eyes fluttering away, Relon slowly comes to sitting up with a groggy yawn. "Ahh… what time is it?"
"Mmm, quiet down will you?" A voice calls for his eye to furrow in confusion.
Eyeing around the room, he finds nothing.
"Down here, child." Doing as instructed, he looks down to blink at the small pink fox stretching ato his lap. "Ah~, I haven't had such blissful sleep in forever."
"Am I missing something here?"
"Hm?" The fox sits looking at him with a quizzical look. "Aside from your memories, I would say no child."
"Child? I'm 18. Wait, that's not the point. That voice… Miko?"
"Yes?" Her ears perk.
"What…"
"I am a familiar so it is normal for me to take this form." She explains curling back to rest with her small head draped against Relon's thigh. "Now that you're awake, you can do what I love best."
"Which is…?"
"Come now, I'm sure you can guess."
Blinking, his eyes momentarily catch her tail wagging patiently. Lifting a hand, he brushes against her back.
"Ohhh, yes~. I've missed this."
"Um, happy to help. But why not have Qiqi or the others do this? Speaking of which, where are they?"
"One; they're inexperienced. Petting luxurious fur such as mine takes refined skill. And two; they're out tending to business around the islands. For now, you need only worry about us."
"Uh-huh…"
"Ooh, up. Up. Ahh~. I'm in heaven."
"Who's acting like a child now?" Relon chuckles, retaking his surroundings. "We walked back to the city last night, right?"
"Yes. We're back at the palace that you ran away from." Her words causing the boy to flinch.
"Huh. Guess I was tired after all."
"Indeed. Razor had to carry you back once everyone had calmed themselves. Ah, you all seemed like a bunch of children again. Truly a sight I missed. But not as much as- ooh, behind the ears! Oh… yes~!"
How long does she plan to make me do this?
After an hour or so, Miko's petting session came to an end much to Relon and his hand's relief. Seated across from one another, they speak.
"Miko." Relon speaks up to the woman having reverted to her human form.
"Yes?"
"Ganyu and the Cryo Army." He begins for the priestess' ears to perk. "What happened to them?"
"Why do you ask?" She wonders in clear amusement.
"Miko, you know why." He furrows his brows to pout.
"I may. I may not. That is why I wish to hear it from you, Relon Lucinance." Her tone suddenly more serious.
"I want to ensure their safety because I care." His answer resolute as is the look of determination he wears.
"Hmm, I see.." She hums in thought. "Very well." She adds standing to her feet. "Come along."
"Where are we going?"
"To the Cryo Army obviously." Hearing her words, a smile quickly forms on Relon's first.
"Miko…!"
"No need for thanks. You have more than a few petting sessions to make up for before we can be considered even. But before we depart, you need a bath." She adds pinching her nose.
"You weren't complaining an hour ago." He deadpans.
"Did you say something, Child?" She smiles ominous.
"Er,where exactly is the shower?"
Departing, she wags a finger his way for him to follow.
"Um, Miko?" He calls as they walk down the staircase.
"Yes?"
"I see your ears but where exactly is your tail? Is it under your robe?"
"My, Relon, I did not take you for one to ask such a personal question. Naughty boy~."
"W-Whoa, I didn't- You're messing with me again."
"Awe, he's learning." She chuckles for the two to stop before two sliding doors. "Here we are."
"The showers are this far down?" Relon questions having walked down a dimly lit hallway with lanterns illuminating their way.
"Showers? Oh no, dear child, there are no showers here." She looks over her shoulders at the boy sporting a mischievous look, one in which Relon takes a step back with unease. "There is only the illustrious bath worthy of our beloved Raiden Shogun!" She says in excitement pushing the doors apart.
"Oh… my… God…!"
A large rectangular bath at the center of the room surrounded by four columns. Smaller circular baths stand high and low at varying elevations. All with purple lights embedded within the water causing purplish lines to dance across the black ceiling.
"An underground hot spring?!"
"Shortly after your disappearance, the ley lines became disrupted and Keqing being the wonderful worker that she is, took advantage and made some renovations. Before stood a simple bath for one Raiden Ei and now this glorious work of architecture. Though I personally would make a few rearrangements but considering I reside atop Mount Yougou, I was outvoted."
"Ley Lines?"
"An elemental topic. We can discuss all that much later. For now, you wash up. The changing room is over there. I shall return with your attire."
Watching the familiar depart, he turns back to the bath.
"Keqing seriously needs a break. I'll have to remember to give her time off once everything has settled. Honestly, everyone could use a break after everything that's been happening as of recent at least." With that thought, he departs into the male's changing room.
Dipping a toe into the warm water, Relon doesn't hesitate in discarding his towel before dropping into the water causing an audible splash to sound.
"Ahhhhh~. This feels great." He sighs aloud, the warmth of the water pure bliss to his body. "With how big it is, we could probably fit a few dozen people."
I must say, Keqing has outdone herself.
"Whoa! Jeez, don't startle me like that."
My apologies. I believed that by now you would be used to the inkling sensation upon my resurfacing.
"Still getting used to it. The sensation is only ever faint after all."
Hmm. Interesting.
"Huh? What is it?"
There is something I must tend to. Enjoy yourself.
"Ei? Hey! Ei! And… she's gone. What was that about? What did she have to tend to?"
"Oh? Did I miss a couple's quarrel?"
Looking over his shoulder to an approaching Miko, his eyes droop at the joke before widening at his situation.
"H-Hey, don't get so close!"
Seeming to obey with a look of mild surprise, it quickly shifts to a smug smirk.
"Oh, is someone embarrassed about being seen nude?"
"Obviously! I'm kinda in the middle of something!" He averts his gaze forward sinking more into the warm depths.
"And what exactly would that be? The bath or talking to my friend that whisked you away for a year?"
"Obviously, the- huh?" Embarrassment as fleeting as a summer rain, the mention of Ei causes his demeanor to shift into mild surprise.
Turning around to question the maiden, his eyes widen at the sight of her legs. Dumbly trailing up to her thighs and further up to Miko's casual smirk, he turns away sinking into the water once more.
"Liked what you saw?"
"Y-You… Damn it, what the hell Miko?" He sighs, unable to hide the blush on his face.
"Ahaha, that reaction is one for the books. I'll have to write that one down later." She gives a hardy laugh, the sound of something flopping against the floor gaining Relon's attention.
Looking at her sandals, his gaze shifts to Miko taking a seat at the edge before dipping her legs into the purple water.
"Ahh~. Now this is a close second behind those magical fingers of yours I must say." Noting of his averted gaze, a mischievous grin creeps onto Miko's face.
Why, why, why, why, why?! Why do these women keep messing with me? First Hu Tao, now Miko. I wouldn't put it past Lisa to also be like-
"Ahaha, h-h-h-hey that tickles!"
Swimming away careful to remain under shoulder-level, he turns back for his eyes to open wide.
"Whoa…"
Looking at Miko gently swaying her dangled legs to the soft rhythm of the water, his eyes lock onto five white tails with pink tips protruding from her behind.
"Enchanting, aren't they?" She speaks, gaining his attention. "Unlike my ears, my tails have never been capable of manifesting when I take my human form. Let's just keep a long and dull story short and say I was weary of it for a time but two people convinced me it was fine. Care to guess who those two special people were?" She asks with a tilt of her head.
"Ei and I…"
"Mhm. I've seen many familiar and their hosts over the course of my life. When I became bound with Ei, well, a lot was going on. Amongst numerous grand ordeals, I, but a little fox at the time, was worrying the most over my appearance. On the outside I kept up a charade but on the inside, I too was but an innocent soul scared of the word, opinion."
"But Ei noticed your worries, didn't she?"
"After a few hundred years, she did." A soft smile comes as do the words. "Eat some fried tofu. Then as it digests, let your mind too digest the insignificance of such a notion." Miko ends, clearly having quoted Ei. "Haha, it meant a great deal just how plain and bland she spoke compared to her usual speech. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed she read it in a book at some point but with how busy she was with her duties in Inazuma, I knew that wasn't the case. Still, I was touched. She was after all my first and only friend so her words stood above practically everything."
About to speak up, a tug at the back of his head gains his attention for only a split moment before he comments.
"What happened then to make you think that way again?" Relon asks, innocence in his voice as he swims taking his spot next to the woman.
"Skip half a millennia later and a few interesting individuals among many on a ship having sailed from Mondstadt land upon our very shores."
"Mondstadt... So then Hu Tao and Razor were with us?"
"Your memories certainly chose interesting points for you to recall. Yes, the four of you had seeked refuge in Inazuma. This place, for some reason, you chose to deem your new home. Ahh, how fascinating that whole experience was. Qiq herself was quite adorable. Innocent as can be. Hu Tao was quite the trouble maker. It took all you had to keep her in line. Razor, dear us, Razor. The food venues, stalls, just about everything fascinated the wolf child. And then there was you." She pauses, her smile returning.
"Me?" She nods looking up to the refracted watery lines.
"You asked why I call you a child given your age, correct?" He gives a slow nod in response. "When I first encountered you at one of the book shops, you happened to be reading a novel I had published recently. The expressions you were making flipping through page after page were like that of a child. Ahh, your facial expressions were, and still are, full of such genuineness, such truth like that of a young boy or girl that the title just stuck. But then…"
"But then what?"
"But then you pouted like a baby." She stifles her laughter. "The novel you were reading was one I had written around the time I was troubled by the opinion of other familiars and mortals alike. Ahh, good times…" Solemnity evident in her tone and cascading eyes.
Miko…
"I'll admit, it wasn't my proudest novel but I had nothing better to do. Then I waltz by and find a young boy with scruffy hair and red eyes entranced in it so much so that I had to take a seat and spectate from afar his reactions. It was easy to discern what page and which part he was on judging solely off of his facial expressions. It was amusing until he reached a certain part. The section spoke of fears and doubts and whatnot. That kind of rubbish. It was meant to mirror my insecurities in hindsight…"
Feeling a sudden tuff of hair rest against her leg, she's snapped from her monologue by the sight of Relon leaning against her. His face obstructed by the angle.
"So what happened next, Miko?" He lifts his head sporting a smile laced with curiosity.
Taken aback for a moment, her own smile returns as she rustles his hair.
"H-Hey!"
"A certain someone went straight to the dealer to complain and questioned where he could find the author."
"No way, I wouldn't do that."
"Yes, child, you did. I was honestly at a loss for words. You traversed all the way from Inazuma City to the Grand Narukami Shrine. Arriving shortly behind, you stated you would wait when you learned I wouldn't be back."
"That's… embarrassing." He sighs, running a hand down his face.
"No, it was a rare case where I was able to witness a kind-hearted mortal. When you finally saw me, the first thing you asked was if I was okay." She chuckles. "I knew I was in for it but for some odd reason, I accepted it. All of the worries and concerns you would speak about going into the early morning. By the time we were both done conversing, the sun had begun to rise. Ah, what a time that night was. Yet, it would be the first of many moments I would cherish with you and the others."
"... Thanks, Miko." He says leaning off of her.
"For what? It is I who should be thanking you. Knowing Ei, she isn't willing to give back your memories for one reason or another so simply took it upon myself to shed some light on your mysterious backstory."
Watching her stand to move for her sandals, his head raises up for a moment in curiosity before a smile graces his features.
"Thank you, Miko."
"I told you, it's I-"
"That's not just me saying it." He interrupts making the woman pause, turn back to the boy resting his head on his arms, and reveal her stunned expression. "That one is from both of us." Raising up to look at him, a moment of silence comes before a breath escapes the woman.
"Hmpf, she's always talking about how I'm the shrewd one. Ei, I swear. We'll be seeing each other soon enough so I don't know where you believe you can get off and make a move like that. Don't think I'll write that down either. Relon, hurry up. I'll be waiting." She waves departing.
"I think you made her slightly mad." Relon sweatdrops.
Teehee, on the contrary, Miko is quite happy right now.
"Huh. You don't say…"
Come now, you best finish up. It isn't wise to keep a lady waiting. You've missed a spot behind your ears by the way.
"H-Hey, where are you looking?! I can wash my own body, thank you!"
Resting against the door listening to the one-sided banter, Miko can only smile before pushing off departing back to the higher floors.
"How I've missed the two of you."
A/N: Time to get back to our favorite goat girl, vengeance seeker, samurai girl, nun, one-eyed bridge builder, and Shenhe's nephew. Yes, that is how I address them XD.