"It's really coming down..."
Kazuha stared through the large port hole shaped window, now wet with the rain that had collected on the outer rim, which dripped and streaked across view. This caused his sight into the bustling port to be a bit obscured. He was able to ascertain how busy it was because he could see many blurry figures walking past in every direction, their steps hurried due to the weather.
Normally, such weather would make business boom at The Alcor, but with the rain coming down this hard, hardly anyone thought it would be a good idea to step aboard a converted pirate ship to grab a drink or bite despite how well anchored it was to port. Plus, they were just about to cl-
Ring-a-ling-ring.
The bells tied to the door sounded, and Kazuha immediately paused midway drying a glass when a customer walked in, a rather fancy looking customer. Her back was turned as she closed and shook her parasol, clearly not made for this type of weather. "Oh wow... I did not expect it to rain so suddenly! Those clouds came out of nowhere!"
As the woman turned where Kazuha could clearly see her face, his grip on the glass mug loosed, causing him to nearly drop it to the ground (luckily, he noticed before it was too late).
"Hello!" she waved with a smile. "I hope you don't mind if I stay for a bit... at least until the rain passes. I-I'll be a paying customer, so don't you worry about that!"
Kazuha remained silent, still staring.
"Um.. excuse me?" the woman began to feel a bit self-conscious, putting both her hands behind her back and fidgeting, looking off to the side. "Is there something the matter?"
"You're from Inazuma." he finally said.
"Huh? How did you-"
"Your face betrays your Fontaine look." he said, slightly smiling. "I was rude for staring earlier, sorry. I just... did not expect to see another Inazuman all the way here."
"Oh, haha. I see." the woman laughed. "Neither did I to tell you the truth. It's very hard to leave, almost more difficult than trying to come over. You either have to be of high standing or-"
"...run away."
The woman put her fingers to her lips in a bit of surprise. Kazuha's tone was solemn, and he stared at the counter as he said it. 'It must have been painful...' she wanted to say, but decided on changing the subject. "Anyway, um, I'd like to order something to drink, perhaps..."
She paused, noticing the ship looked more like a bar than a restaurant. Kazuha slightly chuckled, "We don't serve liquor until the evening, and even then it's only on weekends."
"Oh, haha, I see." the woman twirled back around with a relieved smiled. "Then, how about some tea?"
"Sure." Kazuha smiled warmly and dug through a box containing all sorts of blends. "But... I'm afraid you can't stay long, we'll be closing in 5 minutes. Ugh.." he put his hand to his forehead, feeling stupid. "That's not enough time to make this, huh?"
"I don't see why not. The fancy lady can stay as long as she wants."
Kazuha quickly turned to see his boss, Captain Beidou, standing in the corner.
"I couldn't help but overhear," she said, walking up to the counter. "It's not everyday Kazuha sees one of his kinsman. So you can stay as long as you like. Who knows? If you're lucky, he might even recite some poetry to you."
For some reason, that caused both Kazuha and the customer to look shyly away, in opposite directions. Beidou chuckled, "So, what's your name? I'm Beidou, and as I mentioned earlier, he's Kazuha."
"Kamisato Ayaka." she replied, a hand to her chest.
"Kamisato..." Kazuha said lightly under his breath. That name... though he's seldom crossed paths with that clan, that name was highly esteemed. Everyone in Inazuma has heard it, and most only had good things to say about them.
"Something wrong, Kazuha?" Beidou asked.
Kazuha shook his head. "Not at all," he turned his attention toward Ayaka. "It would be my pleasure to wait on you, Miss Kamisato."
"Alright... and that's my cue to leave..." Beidou stretched, quickly flipping the open sign to closed on her way out. "There, now no one can bother you. Just be sure to lock everything up when you two are done."
The door closed with a slight squeak and only a quick jingle. It was just the two of them again.
"So... um... about that tea?" Ayaka reminded.
"Ah, yes. Do you have a preference?" he asked.
"Hmmm... I've heard the jasmine tea here is really nice, I'll try that."
Kazuha nodded, fetching the tea bag out of the box and getting the kettle started.
Ayaka took a seat near one of the windows. Aside from the pelting rain and boiling water, there wasn't any other sound in the room. But it wasn't an awkward sort of quiet. It was an oddly peaceful kind.
"Miss Kamisato?"
"Huh? Oh, thank you." Ayaka took the cup of tea from Kazuha's hands, setting it down in front of her. Where went all that time, she wondered?
"If you need anything else, just ask." he gave a slight bow and walked back to the counter.
"Kazuha...?"
He stopped in his tracks. Ayaka bit her lip; that felt incredibly weird to say. She wasn't used to speaking without any formality. "I'm sorry, I don't know your family's name."
"Kaedehara." he replied.
She mouthed the name, barely letting air escape to produce a whisper, to get a feel for saying it and nodded. "Kaedehara, would you mind... joining me... for a bit? It isn't often that I... get to talk to anyone outside the estate."
Kazuha didn't say a word in response, instead just quietly pulling up a chair to sit across from her.
"You're probably wondering why I'm traveling with all that's going on..." she began. "As you know, unless you run away, the only way out of Inazuma is strictly business. Though even traders have to jump through a lot of hoops. It was a lot easier for me to create an excuse, but still...
"Today is the last day of my adventure. I'll be returning to Inazuma first thing in the morning, returning to my old life...
"Sometimes, I feel just like a bird... in a cage. Shown off for its beauty, and only allowed to stretch its wings to maintain a healthy image. And now that I've made my rounds and got a little exercise, it's time to return back to that cage."
Ayaka's gaze was staring out the port hole, but her mind was clearly somewhere further. Kazuha didn't say a word, but intently listened as she continued to speak.
"It may come off as a bit selfish, crazy even, for me to say this, but..." she turned her gaze back to him. "I think I kind of envy you, Kaedehara. You're the bird that managed to escape its cage. None of your captors could get you. You just kept on flying."
"But once a bird escapes its cage, it can never go back to it. Not because the bird doesn't want to go back, but because its captor no longer wants it." Kazuha replied. "At least that's how Inazuma seems to work. To fly away is treason. You're very fortunate, Miss Kamisato."
"Mm..." Ayaka takes a sip of her tea, which has long since cooled down, but retained just a touch of warmth. "Perhaps I am."
The silence that fell after was not the oddly peaceful one from earlier, but hallow, void. Not even the rain could fill the empty air as their last musings lingered.
"If it isn't rude of me to ask..." Ayaka began, setting her now empty cup down. "How did you end up all the way over here?"
Kazuha's hand clutched the masterless Vision he had hidden under the fabric of his work uniform. "I watched my friend lose the duel."
Thunder crackled in the sky as Kazuha's words hung in the air. Ayaka understood now. "I'm... so sorry...I probably shouldn't have asked..."
"It's fine, Miss Kamisato. You caused no harm." he assured her. "In fact, sometimes I like to talk about it. Helps me to keep his memory alive. Tell someone else about him, so they remember him too, even if they'll never cross paths."
Ayaka almost teared up at that. What a warm sentiment. "Then I'm honored to help preserve your friend's memory. Tell me more."
The evening continued with Kazuha recounting several moments with his late friend, and Ayaka listened intently. Though the loss must have been painful, there was no strain to Kazuha's voice. In fact, there was a warmth to it, a fondness. He was more than happy to talk about it. And it truly felt like Ayaka was getting to know someone she would never meet, in this life anyway, which made the retelling of his end that much more heartbreaking to hear.
"But, let us not end on a sad note," Kazuha said. "If it's not an instrusive question, what brings you all the way out here?"
"My mother..." Ayaka replied. "She was... a lot like me. I found her journal one day. She talked so much about a friend I had never met... Tsubaki. I wanted to meet her. But when I looked for her, it turns out Tsubaki and my mother were the same person, or rather... Tsubaki was someone my mother wished she could be. Just an ordinary woman. Someone who wasn't bound to esteemed responsibility, someone who was well traveled."
Ayaka paused, feeling a lump in her throat. "The real reason behind my travels is so I could live out her dream for her."
"Ah... then it all makes sense." Kazuha said. "It seems I've also been honored to preserve a memory most dear to you as well. Tell me more."
By this time, it was already dark outside, but their conversation continued, this time with Ayaka sharing the similarities she had with her late mother, the burden of responsibility, and how her older brother almost caught on to Ayaka's plan. "I think in truth he knows..." Ayaka said. "This adventure wouldn't have been possible without his help. He came up with my excuse to leave for so long."
"Then you should thank him as soon as you return," Kazuha told her. "It seems the rain has finally let up.
"Has it?" Ayaka quickly looked out the window and felt a surge of disappointment wash over her. "So it has."
'I wanted to talk some more...' she thought.
"It's getting late. You should probably head to an inn, get some proper rest."
"I should..." Ayaka rose from her chair, grabbing her hat and parasol. "My ship leaves at dawn."
"I'll be sure to see you off."
"Mm..." Ayaka's cheeks turned a light pink. Thankfully, it was too dark out to be noticed. "I'd like that. Goodnight, Kaedehara."
"Goodnight, Miss Kamisato."
The air was frosty, still lingering with the scent of rain of the day prior. Ayaka knew she was getting close to the docks of Liyue Harbour when the smell of salt wafted through the air. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a gentle orange hue that reflected off the rain droplets that still hadn't dried up yet.
"Miss Kamisato!"
A familiar voice called for her, and she turned her head to see the man she had met the day before at The Alcor, sitting on some cargo.
"Kaedehara, good morning!" she smiled. "Did you wait long?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. Do you have everything?"
"Yes. I made sure to pack last night." she tapped the one suitcase she had gripped in hand. "It looks like my ship is just about ready to board."
"I see." he nodded. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Kamisato. I hope our paths will cross again someday."
Ayaka's cheeks warmed up at those words, and she found herself fidgeting, looking off to the side. "Oh.. before I forget..."
She placed a small, lacey bag tied with a ribbon-filled with sakura crackers-into Kazuha's hand. "A taste from home."
"Thank you," Kazuha smiled warmly. "I will be sure to savor it."
Time was up, if Ayaka didn't hurry, she would miss her boat. Bidding farewell, she picked up her luggage and barely made it on.
As Ayaka made her way onto the deck, she noticed an envelope in her hand. Strange, she thought, she doesn't remember carrying an envelope.
"Who knows? If you're lucky, he might even recite some poetry to you."
"Ah...!" Ayaka's face turned bright red as she pulled the letter out, realizing Kazuha must have slipped this in her hand before she left.
In the distance, she could still see Kazuha standing there, watching the ship sail away. They had both entrusted precious memories to each other, but perhaps a little something more, too, which Kazuha hoped he was able to convey.
As she clutched the piece of paper, etched with flowery words to her chest, she could hardly notice the increasing distance between them as the ship sailed further out to sea and closer to Inazuma.