Noelle was feeling depressed,
As she stood in place, looking towards the others...
...
She really wanted to help them with the last music event preparations,
But Miss Barbara and Master Jean, Miss Yun Jin and even Miss Xinyan...
...
They reassured her that they didn't need any help and that she should enjoy the festival...
*Even though they were already slightly behind schedule and she was really itching to help...
...
"If you help us now, Noelle, there's a big chance you wouldn't be able to stop.",
Was what Master Jean told her after a while, looking and sounding quite worried...
...
But, wouldn't the preparations go faster if she helped...?
*She helped during the recent battle, so why couldn't she now...?
...
...
She was just going to help with the remaining preparations and then...
-So this is the place they decided to rent for this "Music Event". To think that the director would stoop so low.
-We must stop this foolishness this instant! We mustn't let the Yun-Han Opera Troupe's name be smeared any longer!
-That vile "rock 'n' roll musician" that goes by the name of Xinyan, I always knew she was up to no good! Because of her...!
Was suddenly heard from nearby, as a few old looking people were slowly walking towards the area,
Yet Noelle was no longer listening to anything they said, as she already knew how she could be of help to everyone:
She was going to act as a guard and stop those enraged people from interrupting the upcoming event!
-Those wings are so soft! They are even softer than...! -Yaoyao couldn't help but say as she was grooming part of the pure white wings, before she suddenly gasped mid sentence, as her expression turned a little ashamed. -O-oh, I apologize! Of course an Archon's wings would be the softest and prettiest there is! There is no way that...!
-Calm down, Yaoyao! Klee is sure Venti doesn't mind, since he is very nice! -The small pyromaniac interrupted her, as she was grooming another part of the wings.
-I really don't mind. But calling me nice...-Venti was the next to reassure her, as his expression soon fell a little, his wings slightly lowering in turn. -...I might be now, but if you take into account some events in the past and even quite recently when I was corrupted...
-Venti is very nice. Qiqi knows it well. -The small zombie reassured, as she soon carefully touched some of the feathers. -...Venti's wings are really very soft. I almost forgot about how soft they are. -She added in some warmth, before proceeding to continue cleaning them. -...Venti's wings are as soft as Venti himself, Qiqi likes that a lot...
-Klee agrees! Venti is as soft and pretty as his wings! -The small Pyromaniac added almost right away, sounding very enthusiastic. -Even when Venti says he is somehow bad because of some stuff in the past, Klee still knows that...!
She soon went on to tell a full tale about how nice the Archon actually was and how he was forced to be bad, to protect Mondstadt and its people, which was very sad and...
*This whole "Epic Tale" was taking quite a while, especially when Qiqi and Yaoyao also joined into the discussion,
With Venti deciding to try really hard to ignore it, as he was already gradually feeling more and more embarrassed...
...
It was their freedom to have this discussion, as embarrassing as it was, so who was he to stop them...?
*So he decided to ponder on other things instead, such as where Dr. Baizhu(and Changsheng) had gone off to...
...
Apparently some elderly people were caught in an accident and required medical attention,
And this is all he knew, since instead of telling him what actually happened, the Winds suddenly started snickering...!
*Seriously, what was just so damn hilarious about his question...? Wasn't this a serious matter if someone was caught in...?!
"Usually it is, but not this time...Hihihihi~", the Winds interrupted him, still snickering, "...Those "elderly people" deserved it and the one who "cleaned them up", she...Hihihi~...Kicking them all out like that, so they wouldn't interrupt...Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
They suddenly started to laugh, quite loudly at that,
And now the Archon was really confused about what was so funny...
*Seriously, were they "drunk on the festive atmosphere in the air" again or...?
...
Oh, this familiar presence,
And just when he thought that the blockhead wasn't coming...
-Oh, hello there, Morax. You really took your time, didn't you...? -He soon said in fake happiness and some hidden annoyance, just as Zhongli teleported in, accompanied by two unknown people, a pouting male and a nonchalant looking female, with that familiar "definitely not human" aqua/ocean blue hair and eye coloring. -You didn't try to run away from the incoming punishment, right...?
He slightly coldly asked, to which the male companion's expression turned amused,
With the trio children also stopping what they were doing and soon turning to look towards the arrivals...
-I apologize for arriving so late, Barbatos. The contract with Osial and Beisht took more time than anticipated. Someone didn't want to let go of his five heads...-Zhongli soon explained, upon motioning to his companions, with Osial now starting to pout again. -I do remember our agreement, Barbatos. Hence I am here now, to fulfill our verbal contract.
He made sure to add soon enough, already prepared for what was to come,
As he knew full well that wherever his friend had planned, it has to be done,
And wherever it was, surely his friend's "creative punishment" wouldn't go too out of hand...
*Surely, this "punishment" would be a way better alternative to Xiao being told what he did and then...
-I am glad to hear that, Morax~ -Venti suddenly interrupted him, looking and sounding way too cheerful, as everyone was now glancing between them. -Now then, I would like you to turn into you Exuvia form, if you don't mind~
Wanwen Bookhouse, Liyue Harbor's book shop,
The place where he, Xingqiu and Miss Emilia were currently at,
And yet, Chongyun wasn't even sure why he was here to begin with...
...
After the battle against the two corrupted gods,
As well as Yánwáng Dìjūn's sudden collapse and rescue by the Anemo Archon...
...
Xingqiu asked to keep him company and so he followed his friend and Miss Emilia here,
Just to find himself mostly sitting around and listening to the two's discussion about a certain book...
*One which was currently being carefully looked over by the two bright children, Gao Fei and Mu Chen,
Who were quite impressively able to discuss a lot of hard and mature topics between themselves...
...
Apart from the two bright boys, the two Archeologists, Hanxue and Yinxuan, were sitting a few feet away,
Animatedly discussing what happened during the crisis and about the assumed relationship between the two Archons...
*Interestingly enough, the shop owner, Miss Jifang, didn't tell them to quiet down,
Which led Chongyun to believe that she was interested in the discussion, as well...
...
...
He was truly the odd one out here, just sitting around and not really doing anything, except for listening in...
*How was he supposed to overcome his congenital positivity affliction this way...?
...
-...But I am truly glad that Hu Tao is not here...-He couldn't help but gratefully mumble, remembering the last time she treated him to food with a shudder. -...The way she was usually "teasing" me...
"I-I am sorry for pranking you with a chili pepper-flavored popsicle! I am really sorry!
I am sorry! I am really sorry! I won't do it again! Please, don't let your aunt kill me!"
...
...
Huh, why did he suddenly remember that...?
"Hu Tao, now that you know full well what you did wrong, isn't there something you need to tell Chongyun...?
...I hope that you do it with utmost sincerity, or else something unfortunate might…~"
...
...
Right, Auntie Shenhe made sure she wouldn't bother him again,
And as embarrassing as it was at the time, he was immensely grateful to her...
*Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend more time with "Auntie Shenhe", after all,
She was truly as nice as she was powerful and...
-Choo choo! We are coming through!~
-We are coming through!~
-Choo choo choo!
Was suddenly heard from somewhere down, as he turned to look at what it was and...
...
Couldn't help but pause in rising shock, his eyes widening to the size of saucers...
...
...
-Just what in the Archons' names...?! -He couldn't help but say aloud, soon having two of said Archons look towards him, one in clear amusement and the other in weariness.
Or that's just how he interpreted it from Yánwáng Dìjūn's current expression,
Which was a little hard to do, since the Archon was now in his Exuvia form...
...
With both the Anemo Archon and some children happily riding on his back...
*He could clearly see the Mondstadt child there, as well as Qiqi and Yaoyao,
And also, was that Hongdou with them, as well...? She looked quite happy...
...
Her mother, Miss Chenxiang, should be near, then,
Grateful that her chronically ill daughter was having so much fun...
*And it really looked like fun, even if it was understandably shocking...
...
Turning to look towards them, he could clearly see Gao Fei's and Mu Chen's reactions,
Both of them no longer reading the book and instead watching the "scene" down below with lit eyes...
...
As adultlike as the two boys were sometimes, they clearly wanted to join in the fun...
...
...
Looking around some more, it appears that Hanxue, Yinxuan and Miss Jifang are as shocked as he just was,
And as for Xingqiu and Miss Emilia...
...
It looks like they were just ignoring what was happening...?
*Surely, at least for his friend, this "scene" was interesting enough...?!
...
-Calm down, Chongyun. I already saw what is happening down below and remembered all I need in order to write a fascinating scene. -Xingqiu soon reassured, as he glanced towards his friend for a second, before turning back around and taking out a book out of his Vision's "Hammerspace". -...In the event of any changes, I will rely on you to tell me about it.
He soon added, before proceeding to intently read from the opened book,
As he was now clearly ignoring everything and everyone around him...
*Same as Emilia seemed to be, yet her reaction was actually quite different...
...
After their, nearly finished in fact, discussion was interrupted by the unexpected occurrence,
Seeing what was happening down below and how everyone seemed to be having so much fun...
...
Emilia could not help but feel guilt-stricken about what happened just a while ago,
The crisis which everyone managed to overcome by working together...
*One she could have helped in, if only she had her own Vision,
And yet, all she could do was stay back, as others risked their lives...
...
The festive atmosphere they had now,
She did nothing to help achieve it...
...
...
Her "twin", Albedo, already had a Vision,
A Geo one, which helped him in his experiments...
...
And yet, even if she was a Homunculus just like him,
She still did not have one...
...
...
Was there perhaps still something that she was missing...?
And if so, what was it exactly…?
…
…
When would she be able to catch up to her twin…?