Enough. Go watch your lanterns.
"Yeesh, seriously though. Paimon wonders if Xiao has a severe social anxiety issue." His floating companion protested as she huffingly flew about beside him, "It's not like we're making him do a speech in front of a whole bunch of people."
Aether himself sighed in resignation, arms raised as he placed them at the back of his head, admonishing at their wasted efforts for the evening, "Well, all things considered… If Verr Goldet ever ask about it, we can just say that we did our best."
The two had just seen the launch of the Mingxiao lanterns. With the sky now decorated with wish-filled lanterns, the main festivities of the festivals had finally begun to flow in its fullest extent. Packed shops, crowded stands, and lines of people began to form in all corners of Liyue Harbor. Aether had simply been pondering on the events of the day, when he hears a sudden shriek from his little friend.
"EEEK! Aether, Paimon's going to go over there real quick. DON'T FOLLOW PAIMON!"
"Wait, what? Where's there-,"
"NO MORE TIME." She fiercely whispered, floating away while frantically waving, "SEE YOU LATER!"
And just like that, she had disappeared into the crowd. Leaving a confused Aether all to himself, wondering just what in the world had gotten into her.
His answer however, presented itself rather instantaneously.
"Oh, enjoying the festivities aren't we, mister Traveler?"
Ah.
Looks like Paimon's got her own set of traumas to deal with.
"Sure am, Director Hu." Aether replied as the funeral parlor director bounded enthusiastically towards him, "You're all alone? I'm sure your consultant would've been more than happy to guide you round the shops."
"Hush! How many times have I told you not to call me that? We're friends you know…" She pouted for a split second, then giggled mischievously, "And that old man? I'm forcing him to pick up some of the work he'd been slacking off back in the parlor. So, he's spreading some special Lantern Rite coupons to curious customers as we speak!"
Ha, serves that archon right. You don't just fake your death and get away with it scot-free.
He then notices that Hu Tao had been peering around him, as if looking for something.
"What're you looking for?"
"That little companion of yours… I'm sure I saw her when I was walking towards you."
"Oooh… yeah, she went off on her own." Aether improvised, trying his best to sound credible, "You know how she's a sink hole for food. Just trying to get to every stall before any of them run out of products."
"True… I wanted to borrow her again, but I guess that can wait for next time." Hu Tao placed her hands behind her back, grinning once again, "Besides, I'm in a bit of a rush. So, as much as I want to continue this conversation, I'm going to have to skedaddle!"
"Oh, where to?" Aether asked, the tiniest bit of curiosity slipping through. Seeing as unlike all the other people around them, she looks to be walking away from the waves of people.
"The edge of the city. Got someone waiting there for me, we made a promise to watch the lanterns from there." Hu Tao pouted once again, "I wanted him to be in the city, but he's so stubborn that even I had to compromise."
Aether made the connection instantly, "By a certain someone, you mean that yaksha boy of yours, right?"
Scratching her head sheepishly, she simply laughed, "Ah, well the cat's out of the bag I guess, how'd you know?"
"Verr Goldet asked me and Paimon to convince that guy to come to the festival as well." Aether himself sighed once again, recalling their failed attempts at bringing the yaksha to the city, "If I didn't know any better, I would've just chalked it up to him simply being completely hard-headed about it. But, with your plan in mind, then I guess it all makes sense."
Hu Tao put her hands together and lightly bowed with a wink on her features, "Sorry… but I kind of forced him to a deal beforehand." She looked towards the edge of the city with a soft gaze, "He always says that he doesn't care. But, every time Liyue Harbor has a big event lined up like this, he would always watch by on the outskirts of the town… all alone."
Seeing the expression that she had on her face, Aether can't help but feel relieved that the yaksha would at least have a companion for the night.
Next time, just tell me you have a plan in advance, Xiao.
"Well then, I won't hold you here any longer." Aether said with a smile, "The guy's probably getting grumpier by the second."
"True that." Hu Tao said with grin, skipping her way past him, a wave in hand, "I'll tell him that you said hi." She then paused for a split second, lightly bowing to him once again, "Oh, and happy lantern rite, Aether!"
He nodded back at her, "Happy lantern rite, Hu Tao."
And just like that, he is back to being left to his own device.
Taking in the atmosphere once more, he set off in preparation to get his fair share of the festivities. Walking through the bustling crowd, he observed the groups of people that had decided to spend their time with their closest ones. Families, relatives, kids playing around with their friends. Couples walking about as they explored the stalls beside one another, and he even noticed the two employees of the Northland Bank, blushing and giggling amongst one another, hand in hand.
They may be Fatui. But still…
Nice.
Although, something that they were holding caught his attention, prompting him to run up to them, giving them a slight fright when he suddenly waved his hand beside them.
The woman was the first to recover from their shock, "A-Ah, you're that famous outlander, aren't you?"
"Sorry to startle you both, I didn't mean to interfere." Aether said with an apologetic smile, before pointing at the item that the two of them were holding, "But do you mind telling me where you got these?"
After going to the stall that the couple had pointed him towards, he promptly made his way towards Yujing Terrace. Dematerializing the items away in order to keep it a surprise for the person he's planning on rendezvousing with. But, when he reached the top steps of the Terrace, there was a bit of a commotion that he could see mounting at the entrance of the Pavilion.
He was about to go and see what all the fuss was about before someone else had called.
"Ah, Traveler. You're right on time."
Trailing the voice, he did a tiny jump to the air when he suddenly saw a pair of horns right in the vicinity of his vision.
"Oh, it's just you, Ganyu…"
"My apologies, I hadn't meant to scare you." The qilin giggled at his reaction, "I suppose you're here for your outing with Lady Keqing, aren't you?"
"Indeed, I'd promise to let her guide me around the festival, and we're supposed to meet at this side of the terrace around this time." Aether scratched his head as he gave the area a quick look around, "Doesn't seem like she's around though. I'm not late, am I?"
"On the contrary, you're a bit early." Ganyu had reassured him, but looked concerned afterwards, "Lady Keqing on the other hand, is in a bit of predicament at the moment."
"Really? Anything I can help with?"
Ganyu exhaled exasperatedly, gesturing towards the crowd of people at the pavilion's entrance, "Unless you have the power to magically disperse a crowd of determined men, then I highly doubt that there's anything you can really do."
"What?" Aether asked, disbelief running through his expression, pointing towards the crowd, "What's a bunch of guys doing lining up for her like that? Fighting over a date or something?"
"To be honest, you're not that far off the mark. Since you haven't been around here for long, I might as well explain…" Ganyu cleared her throat, inhaling a copious amount of air before continuing, "As you have surely noticed, Lady Keqing is one of the most prominent figures in Liyue's social grapevine. Not only is she wealthy, but she possesses qualities that many families, particularly nobles, look for, in terms expanding their familial connection."
"Now that you mentioned, I guess I see the point." Aether hummed, thinking about the lilac-haired girl, "She's generous, kind, and cares very much for her people. A quality leader as well."
Ganyu smiled at his description of her friend, "You're a kind person, Traveler, and I'm glad that you are able to recognize and focus on those qualities of her." She then casted a gloomy look towards the ground, "Unfortunately, most of those men can barely give those aspects even a brief moment of consideration."
"Ah… I see." Aether himself reluctantly acknowledged her point.
Liyue, in all of its rapidly changing geopolitical nature, still has a huge gripe on one aspect of its long history. That gripe being tradition. Though a lot of its people have moved past some borders of their old social hierarchy, it would ignorant to say that people have completely casted that old aspect of their society aside. Many businesses are still influenced by generational involvements. And though most have grown to flourish in their own field, there are those are still forever in the pursuit of gaining more and more political and economic power over one another, no matter what the required steps turns out to be.
"They're going after her title, aren't they?" Aether inquired somberly.
"Unfortunately, yes…" Ganyu nodded ever so slowly, "Every Lantern Rite, men from families of different nobilities presents her gifts of different kinds. All in pursuit of currying her interest towards those families."
"Every year? She has to deal with that crowd of men?" Aether balking at the size of the crowd that doesn't seem to be thinning as their conversation goes by.
"Well, it had never been that many people, but this year is just a lot worse. Due to the Qixing's renewed position in Liyue's governance, more and more people are becoming ever so persistent." Ganyu looked towards the sky in wonder, "It's also because they all directly go to Lady Keqing herself. Normally, matters such as this would be proposed towards her parents or guardian. Since she has never had a guardian, and her parents are… absent, it is in the minds of all these families that Lady Keqing herself would be the one to decide."
"So, instead of a date… It's just a battle of who gets to be her fiancée?"
"In essence, that's what they think, yes…" Ganyu affirmed, leaning on the stone railing as she casted a look of bewilderment, "Whoever can present a gift that Lady Keqing would accept, will have an uninterrupted session with her, during the entirety of the festivities."
"Can't she just flat out reject having those advances in the first place?"
"Unfortunately, due to the power these families hold within the Liyue's economy and politics, she can't just outright deny them the chance to try, as it might warrant some unwanted hostility from the family's operations." She then raised a hand to stop him from interjecting, "It does go without saying, that she had rejected all those gifts unconditionally. She may not be able to stop the advances from happening, but in her words, she'd rather give up her title than accept any of those gifts in the first place."
Of course, Aether had no doubt that it was the course of action she would take. Her resourcefulness can show her the way out, even when the conditions are extremely dire.
If only there was something that he could do to help her get out of the mess faster.
Wait a minute…
A gift you say?
"Wait, Ganyu." He grabbed her shoulder with a fierce intensity, shocking Ganyu out of her small trance, "You said that if she were to accept the gift, then none of them are allowed to interrupt her for the rest of the night, correct?"
"Y-Yes… that it was what they established."
Aether grinned victoriously, knowing exactly what he needs to do.
"Leave it to me."
Keqing's night, has definitely turned for the worse.
Out of all the risk that she had discussed with the Qixing regarding their new position in governing Liyue, this was one drawback that she had fatally failed to put into consideration.
"Lady Yuheng, please consider this magnificent sword! It is a family heirloom that has been passed down through generations of my family, coming from the times of the Archon War!"
No thanks, my current sword is more than enough.
"Lady Keqing, this is a one-of-a-kind Jade teacup set that many gods of the past have personally used!"
Isn't that from one of Ningguang's prized tea set collection that went missing when the Jade Chamber crashed?
"Lady Yuheng, I offer you an antique set of gold plaustrite chopsticks, worth for millions of Mora in Liyue's current antiquity market lines!"
Chopsticks? You might as well have said "Marry me!" instead.
She took a deep breath, standing firmly in front of the wave of men before her. A pause in their shouting as they await her response.
"I will have to respectfully decline."
And just like that, the shouting of offers commenced once again, as a wave of headache began to punch its way through her head.
Her thoughts slowly drown out all the noises that were berating her ear drums.
It's bad enough that there are more of them this year…
She cast a forlorn gaze towards the sky that she can barely see above the sea of men in front of her.
But, I'm now well past my rendezvous time with him.
She had been looking forward to walking through the festival with him. Even going as far as delegating some of her more benign tasks to her underlings and assistant, just so that she could allocate more time towards their walkaround later on.
Yet, here she is. Stuck trying to appease the stubborn minds of men who just can't seem to take a hint.
Yes, she is single. Yes, she's well aware that she possesses all the qualities that most noble families would be looking for, in their descendant's partner.
But, the fact that none of them had ever bothered to ask what her view on the matter is, frankly, enough of a reason for her to not consider any of their requests in the first place. Not that it would really matter in the long run, seeing as she has no plans of delving into that side of life just yet. Much less with people who know about nothing about other than what their parents put on the plate for them.
She was so deep in her thoughts, that she hadn't noticed that some of the men had slowly began shouting for a different kind of reason, as a single figure made his way through the crowd, and right into the front of it.
It was only when the young man spoke, did Keqing finally snapped out of her trance.
"Lady Keqing. May I propose to you a gift, that you most definitely cannot refuse?"
Her eyes snapped open in an instant.
That voice…
Looking forward, her eyes then met his own, and pretty much confirms what she had thought to have heard.
"A-Ae…- I mean… Traveler?"
The blonde merely gave her a smile, "Is that a yes, that I'm hearing?"
Keqing wasn't entirely sure what he had planned to do, but managed to stammer out, "Y-Yes… of course."
"Great!" Aether pushed his way past the final line of men, who were about to protest again before her snappily turned towards them, "Before that, I have two questions that I require answers to."
Everyone began to murmur silently towards one another. Some questioning the audacity of this outlander who no one knew his status of, while some slowly recognize who the blonde standing in front them is.
"Question one." Aether said loudly, making sure that everyone is able to listen to him, "If Lady Keqing were to accept one of our gifts, then that means that she will be left uninterrupted for the rest of the festivities, correct?"
More murmurs floated out of the crowd.
"Well…"
"Naturally…"
"That is the nature of the advances."
"Best gift wins."
Aether smiled, clenching his fist, "Excellent, I'll take that as a unanimous affirmation." He then turned towards Keqing, who still had a look of confusion on her expression, "Next question is for you, Lady Yuheng. Would it be alright if I only showed you what my gift is, instead of telling you what it is?"
Before she could answer herself, a man in the crowd has protested.
"Well, that's just a waste of time! How is she supposed to know the value of it?"
"For all we know, it could be some random junk you picked up by the side of the road!"
A lot of the other men echoed their sentiment by laughing along the remarks thrown at him.
Aether, however, kept his smile, "On the contrary. I believe that this gift will hold quite a value in the eyes of Lady Keqing herself."
Another man was about to protest.
"Wha-,"
"Enough." They were stopped by Keqing, who had now steeled herself, focusing fully on the matter in hand, "The question was for myself. Anyone who dares attempt to speak on my behalf will promptly be removed from the premises."
It was enough to silence the whole crowd.
Satisfied with their obedience, Keqing gestured towards Aether, "Now then, Traveler. Present what you have as you see fit."
Aether grins with giddiness, "As you wish, Lady Yuheng."
Placing a hand behind his back, he cupped his other hand in front of his chest. Slowly, a glow began to form around his foremost hand, swirling as if slowly materializing an object. None of the men behind him were able to get a good look at the item that is slowly forming on his hand, even though some tried their hardest to look past the hue of gold that is enveloping the object in hand.
But Keqing…
She saw enough of what she needed to see.
As fast as lightning, purple sparks forming around her as she launched forward, she quickly clasped his hand, whispering in a volume that was loud enough for him, and only him, to hear, while completely being out of earshot for any of the other men around him.
"Hide it. Quickly."
He immediately complied.
As fast as the item had materialized in his hands, it dematerialized back into thin air. Leaving nothing but speculation for the men around them to grasp at.
"What?"
"Did anyone see what it was?"
"Where did it go?"
Questions now began to fly around the crowd.
It was only until Keqing cleared her throat, and smiled towards the blonde.
"I wholeheartedly accept your gift, Traveler."
"I'm so sorry, Aether."
Moments after he presented his gift, they had initially struggled to escape the crowd. With many of the men pushing towards Aether to ask just what sort of gift did he presented to the Yuheng. Many assuming that it was a treasure with an unimaginable worth, while some absurdly arriving to the conclusion that the gold glow he had been showing possessed somewhat of a hypnotic property that made her accept his gift without a second thought.
Thankfully, Ganyu had managed to arrive on time with the required amount of millelith. They quickly dismissed the crowd, while the two of them hurriedly make their way to a quiet part of town.
Tired from the prior events, Keqing took it upon herself to rest on a nearby bench. An apologetic gaze in her eyes.
"Had I managed to get out of the Pavilion just a second faster, there would have been no need for you to deal with all those uncomfortable advances."
Aether gawked at her apology, more towards the lack of need for it, "Keqing, if you think that it was uncomfortable for me, then imagine how Ganyu and I thought it must've felt for you…"
She merely waved it off, conviction at the stroke of her gestures, "Trust me, compared to the ruckus and suffocation that I've had to deal with during open court sessions to pass bills and such, this is nothing." A scoff coming out of her mouth, "At least in these situations, I only have to concern myself with my own interest, there's not a thing that they can offer that would sway me from premeditated answer."
"Still…" Aether tried to reason, worrying about the implications of what might be lying ahead of her, "If this keeps going, I can only imagine that it would cause more problems in the future. And honestly, I can't sit well with how those people have zero regards towards your feelings over this matter."
"True, and thank you. But at the same time, it is one of the risks that comes with my status." Fidgeting with her hands, a somber tone began to lace her words, "Those people, they froth at the idea of power. My status as Yuheng, with none of them having any idea, nor the reason to care about the responsibilities that the position bears, only view such statuses as an identification of power."
Thoughts of the nobles who Aether himself had dealt with, began to flash through his mind. Though not all of them can be said to have had the same exact mold of personality, he can safely say that ninety percent of them perceive their status to be an indicator of their stance within the social hierarchy of their particular circle.
"Eventually, it comes to a point where my status is all they care about." Keqing spoke melancholically, her eyes in a dim shade of her usually brilliant amethyst, "Though for a small portion of the men, I can hardly blame them. Their persistence can be sort of admirable, in a way where their fierce loyalty towards their forebearers causes them to simply dig in, and suck it up. Even when they knew that the odds were stacked against them, they kept rolling the dice."
Aether moved forward, still unhappy with her reasoning, "Even so, it still doesn't make it okay for them to be doing any of this." He gestured towards her, "You're not some game that needs to be won. You are human, one that has feelings, just like the rest of them do! You're not some prize that's just there to end up becoming someone's possession."
"Unfortunately, in this sort of hierarchy, that's all there is to it." Keqing replied, calm in a manner of acceptance, "It is this old-fashioned, systemic way of thinking that causes such glorifications to be the norm. As much as I try to fight against it, these beliefs have been rooted throughout generations of Liyuean history. Those who has the most power, write to tell the tale. And such power can only be gained by making it sure that it all runs in the family."
"That doesn't seem right…" Was all Aether can really say.
"Don't worry, with all there is to come, we're trying to set Liyue into a new path." Keqing finally looked up, bearing her eyes on his own, "Though yes, as long as I bear the title of Yuheng, there will always be people who are gunning to take it for themselves. Which is to be expected, seeing as I used to be one of those people who coveted it for my own purpose."
"But not all of them would share your vision for a new Liyue." Aether argued.
"Again, in this side of life, those are the risks." She said with a smile, "There are people who have seen their life's work be torn to shred in just the blink of an eye. And that can happen to practically anyone, at any given time."
As an outlander who has lived long, Aether has rarely seen the full evolution of how things came to be. He would always either see something start, flourish, or end. Never seeing all three stages for one particular thing. Yet, it dawns on him that such progress exists in a world where people spend their whole lives, living in. It never ceases to amaze him when there are people who have lifelong dreams, where their dreams prosper not only for the betterment of their selves, but also the betterment of others.
Such as the case with the young woman in front of him.
But it also pains him in a way, where he knows that he wouldn't ever know if such dreams were ever to come to fruition, due to the fact that he would probably have been long gone when those individuals finally began moving towards that dream of theirs.
So, in the end, all he can do is to simply have… faith.
Faith that the gods would ever be so kind to give them the stars.
He shook his head ever so slightly, chuckling in the process, "You never cease to surprise me, huh, Miss Yuheng?"
"Someone's got to keep you on your toes, oh saviour of Liyue." She teased back. Stretching her arms and legs, she jumped up to her feet, looking significantly reenergized, "Archons, did I need that bit of rest…" Without missing a beat, she poked his chest and sprawled out her hand, "Now, give."
"Excuse me?"
"You know what…"
"Oh… that." He chuckled, once again materializing his so called "gift" in his hand.
Placing it onto her awaiting hands, her eyes visibly sparkled as the heat of the package envelops her palm, and the fresh smell tickles her nostrils.
"Warm Golden Shrimp Balls…" she said with satisfaction, her features visibly relaxing, "This makes all that ruckus worth going through." Looking at him inquisitively, she nudged his shoulder, "Did you plan on utilizing this as an escape route for me?"
"Alas, even I'm not godly enough to predict the situation that I was going to find yourself in." He jokingly admitted, pointing towards the area by the wharf, "I just happened to see some people holding it, and I knew you loved these, so I just thought that it would be some good food to munch on while you guide me through the festival."
"Well then," Keqing dug in to one of the shrimps, walking towards the stairs that leads back to the crowded areas of the festival, "Let's not waste any more time. I can assure you, that it's an event that you won't ever forget!"
Aether smiled as he fell in line with her.
"Lead on!"
The night then grew ever so brighter for the pair. Keqing definitely did not hold back with the number of things that she had wanted to show to him. Of course, a good portion of it had been the abundance of snacks and meals that he had passed through as he made his way to the Terrace. Vendors and stall owners alike lit up when they saw that both the Yuheng and hero of Liyue had decided to stop by to look at their products. Not only did that meant that two highly established individuals had taken interest in whatever product they have made, but it also gave them a massive boost in sale as many curious and astounded passerby took their presence as an assurance in product quality, urging to them to give it a try themselves.
What surprised him the most, is just how enthusiastic she was when it comes to giving a showcase of some of the games that had been promoted by the event. In a particular Theater Mechanicus game, when he thought that he had figured out most of the inner workings of the game, she managed to show him some new tactics that managed to give him an easier time in beating the stages.
"Efficient as ever, as expected from our Yuheng!" said Ruijin, the game's supervisor.
As they made their rounds around the corners of the festival, they came across a few familiar faces.
They helped a lost Qiqi who had forgotten where she was supposed to meet back up with Baizhu. Keqing even treating Qiqi to some snacks that she had been wanting to get, but couldn't muster up the oomph to ask Baizhu, eventually reuniting her with him at the pond where Baizhu thank the two profusely.
Passing by Xinyan's concert, they briefly talked with Beidou, who just happened to be accompanying some of her crew members who had wanted to catch a performance by the harbor. With Aether taking that little bit of an opportunity to sneakily ask if Beidou had any chance of sailing out anytime soon.
Aether then could barely hold his laughter when they came across a tired yet uncompromising Zhongli, who barely had the thinnest of smiles as he was still on a mission to promote the funeral parlor's business, even though it was clear that many people hadn't really wanted to entertain such a service in a such a festive time. But Keqing simply giggles as a grateful Zhongli thank Aether for taking a coupon, even though he clearly had no use for it, and merely did it out of pity.
The two then decided to check out an incredibly busy Wanmin restaurant, passing by Xingqiu on the way, as he hurriedly made his way towards a book stall he had been searching for most part of the night. They found a chaotic, yet smiling Chef Mao, with Xiangling and Gouba racing around the kitchen beside each other, the two barely able to give their new guests a wave before they had to go back to their duties. A concerned Chongyun watching by the stools out front as he grimaced every time Xiangling barely manages to not trip over herself as she rushed around to complete her activities.
Eventually, they found their selves back into the center plaza, where kids have been crafting their Xiao lanterns, hoping to get a wish out before most of the other lanterns fly away into the darkness of the night. They hadn't expected to see the Tianquan herself being amongst those kids. Patiently helping any one of them who had difficulties with making their own lanterns. Ningguang hadn't even noticed their presence, before Keqing spoke out as they approached her.
"Surveying the people as usual huh, Ningguang?"
Ningguang kept her attention on assisting the child next to her, even though said child was distracted by the arrival of two other prominent figures by their side, "Children provides much more honest feedback than adults do. Especially with matters that correlates with joy and festivities such as these."
Keqing simply nodded with a smile, knowing that even with her tough exterior, Ningguang will always have a soft spot for children. Aether on the other hand, knelt down to meet the kid at eye level, pointing towards his lantern, "Hey there kid, got a wish ready to launch with that lantern?"
"Y-Yeah, mister Traveler!" the kid pepped out with excitement, "I'm going to-,"
"Hold on a second." Aether raised a finger to his lips, winking afterwards, "Remember, you can't say it out loud, or your wish won't come true."
The kid clasped his mouth in surprise, "O-Oh, that's right, my pops told me the same thing."
"The Traveler is correct, young one." Ningguang chimed in, tightening bits of the lantern, before giving it to the boy, "Here you go, it should be all set to go."
Grabbing it gently, the boy grinned from ear to ear, "Wow… thank you so much, Lady Tinquan."
Ningguang nodded in kind, ushering the boy towards Aether, "Now, go set it off with the Traveler and Lady Keqing there."
"Right!" Excited out of his socks, the kid quickly dragged Aether towards the edge of the harbor, with Keqing gazing softly at the sight of the two running off, all while Ningguang watched the look that the younger woman had in her eyes.
"Looks like there are some things that can drag you out of the office for such festivities after all, Lady Keqing."
"W-Well-," Keqing stammered, trying not to stumble over her words, "Such things exist after all…"
Ningguang chuckled, "And by some things, I really meant someone." She then nodded towards Aether, "Face it, you wouldn't be out here if he wasn't around to be there with you."
Though Keqing had her face turned away from Ningguang, the older woman can very much see the heat of her face through the redness of her ears.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"
Keqing had said before stomping away towards Aether and the boy, leaving a guffawing Ningguang behind to deal with more kids.
Walking up to his side, she watched as Aether waited for the boy to internally say his wish. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, before raising his lantern above the railing, launching his lantern to the sky with the help of Aether's anemo power.
"Here's to hoping that your wish will come true, kid." The blonde tussles the kid's hair, with the boy looking at him with glee, admiration evident in his excited stare.
"Thanks a bunch, mister Traveler!" the boy exclaimed, pointing towards himself afterwards, "My name is Bao, if you're still here next year, let's do this again!"
Though Bao had missed it, not that Keqing can blame him, Aether visibly froze for a split second. His face unreadable as a tiny bit of color fades from his glimmering skin, before he seemingly got himself together, and smiled at the hopeful kid.
"Sure. If I'm around, then it's a promise."
"Oh, sweet!" Bao gave the air a bit of a punch, before skipping away as he waved energetically to the pair, "I'll look for you next year then! Happy lantern rite mister Traveler, happy lantern rite Lady Keqing!"
As the kid ran back to his friends, the two gave him a wave, a smile on their faces. But Keqing knew the behind that smile, was once again, his lonely and troubled heart.
"Will you, be here… next year?" Keqing asked, careful not to send the wrong intention behind her question.
"At this point… I honestly don't know." Aether answered, doubt and uncertainty both marring his expression and tone. He shifted towards the railings, leaning on them as he looked up towards sea of lanterns in the sky, "Logically, I hope not. Because that would mean that I hadn't made any real progress from where I am now, to a year later."
"Right…" Keqing muttered softly.
"But… as far as things have been going, it's getting harder and harder to imagine otherwise. I can only spend so many nights being out in the middle of nowhere. The night sky is always so beautiful, but it would soon take its toll." He continued, still keeping his eyes glued up above, "It might not exactly be "home", but I've learned so much from the good couple of months that I've been here. Even if I've made progress elsewhere, nothing's to say that I won't be coming back here, every now and then."
Turning to look at her, Keqing found his face with a twinkle in his eyes and lips.
"Be it cause of Liyue itself, or the people that I've met. I'm sure I'll find my way back here."
Keqing can only hope to echo his sentiment, smiling as she walked up next to him.
"Then… I give you, my word." She grabbed the rails, and took her turn to look up to the lanterns, "One day… however long it may be, I'll make sure that you and your sister would be able to look at the same sky full of lanterns."
A hopeful gaze in her eyes as she once again looks into his amber orbs.
"Together. Reunited, once and for all."
Aether nodded in return.
"I'll hold you to it then."
They shared a chuckle. Silently looking back up towards the lanterns, admiring the serene way it floats as it made its way into the ever night sky.
It was then, did curiosity got the better of Aether.
"By the way, have you launched a lantern of your own?"
"I haven't gotten the chance to." Keqing sighed, thoughts being thrown back towards the events in front of the Pavilion, "If I hadn't been delayed earlier, then I would've had ample time to get myself one."
"Let's get that sorted then."
"Wha-,"
Another golden glow envelops his hand. This time, slightly larger as it reveals another Xiao lantern that he had readily prepared in such a scenario.
"I kind of went overboard earlier and made just a tad bit too much."
Keqing chuckled and gently grabbed the lantern off of his hands, "Wouldn't two lanterns had been sufficient enough for you and Paimon."
Aether shrugged, a teasing flair appearing on his eyes and lips, "I might not have been omniscient enough to predict your earlier situation. But, knowing people of your schedule, I just gotta be prepared."
"Alright alright… fair enough." She relented, definitely not missing the fact that he was taking a dig out of her packed schedule, "You win this time, mister Traveler."
Chuckling at her admission, he then watched as Keqing raised the lantern to her eye level. Closing her eyes as she wished to the gods above, hoping that her prayers are heard through the sea of other floating wishes.
Let Liyue prosper as its people envision it.
And…
Let this man find his worthwhile home.
With that, she nudged his shoulder, "Give it a bit of a boost?"
"Of course."
Raising it above her head, Aether gave a smooth breeze of anemo from underneath it. Sending the bright lantern skywards, keeping track of its path before it merges into the rest of its kind, adding another star of hope between the sea of many.
The night had gone into the ends of the festivities. With many of the stalls beginning to pack up, patrons and shop owners alike waving at Yuheng and Traveler as they made their way into the stairs of Yujing Terrace.
"This far is quite enough." Keqing said as they stopped at the bottom step, "I still have a few things to check up on."
He hadn't spoken a single word, but she could tell that he still had a slight inkling over the events of the day.
"Don't worry." She assured him, pointing towards the milleliths around, "I'm sure Ganyu would have stationed a few milleliths around the terrace to make sure that no one is able to make another ruckus like that."
Satisfied with her reasoning, Aether took a small step back.
"Besides, don't you have someone else to find?"
And just like that, Aether's head snapped up. Eyes almost bulging out of its sockets, while his next words were spoken with a stammered fear of anticipation.
"I… I really need to start giving the food pit hole her own bag of Mora instead of giving her an access to my own."
Keqing laughed at his panicked expression, "Well then, better make sure that you're not broke by tomorrow."
"If I am, then don't be surprised if you find a dead fairy, somewhere in the streets of Liyue by dawn." Aether got out of his slump, turning away to start jogging towards the section of the festival that's still rather crowded, "Thank you for guiding me around! Be careful on our way back, and don't let anyone outshine my gift."
Waving at his retreating figure, she jokingly groaned, "Will try not to!"
He then suddenly hit the brakes on his steps, Keqing's head tilted as he momentarily turns towards her.
"Happy Lantern Rite, Keqing."
Grinning back at him, she nodded in kind.
"Happy Lantern Rite, Aether." Shooing him away once again, "Now go, you're losing a Mora every second now."
She watched as he laughed at her response, keeping a steady pace once again before he turns the corner of the plaza, and out of her sight.
A single thought ran through her mind.
Is there nothing else I can do for him?
As she made her way up the stairs, her mind only thought of that question over and over. Though yes, Aether himself had really only wanted those posters to be put up around the Harbor, but she still wants Liyue to give him a proper gift in return.
The guy fought an ocean deity and waves of Fatuis, for Archons sakes. There must be something else we can offer to him.
Something that can really be useful for his time at Teyvat.
It was evident that she had let her mind take over her expression. No sooner had she walked away from the top of the stairs, a soft, old voice called out to her.
"A Mora for your thoughts, Lady Yuheng?"
Looking up from the ground that she had burning a hole through, she saw the granny by the table of teapots, ushering her to come over.
"A-Ah, Madame Ping…"
"You look like you have plenty of things in your mind for someone in the midst of such a joyous evening." The old adeptus said as Keqing came to a still in front of her, "Anything I can do to help?"
"It was that obvious, huh?" Keqing asked, a kind smile from the granny was enough of a response to her question, "I was just thinking about someone… Specifically, about what I can do for this person."
"A friend? Or perhaps…" Madame Ping gave a small thoughtful scratch of her chin, "Our dear Traveler?"
"H-How did you know?"
The old lady chuckled with mirth, "Aha, well… news does go around with exceptional haste in this harbor." She looked at the people around them, "I overheard plenty of kids talking about it. Some of the adults and vendors who passed by had also shared a few words on the subject. The Yuheng and the hero of Liyue walking side by side, like a happy couple might I say."
Hearing such a statement, Keqing's cheeks immediately flared red, "Wh-What!? Who said that!? He… uh… he's just a friend! A good friend!"
"Of course, of course…" Madame Ping heartily laughed, amused at her expression, "I'm sure it's just a rumor after all."
Letting the flustered young woman calm herself for a minute, Madame Ping then continued their main topic of conversation.
"So, what is this about wanting to do more for our dear Traveler?"
"R-Right…" Keqing cleared her throat, getting rid of all the heat in her face, "I've just been wondering… We Qixings pride ourselves with having such a reach, and although the Traveler himself has made clear over what he wanted from us, I feel like there's just something more that we can do for him."
"True. We adeptus had also been considering a gift for the man who has helped us take care of our prized nation." She joins Keqing on her train of thought, "Have you managed to procure any sort of idea of what a meaningful gift would be?"
Thoughtful silence descended upon them. Keqing pondered on what he knows about the blonde in question.
"This can be quite difficult. Seeing as he's so easily accommodating to people." She sighed, silently cursing that guy's kindness, "Even if we provide him with a subpar gift, there's no telling if he would ever have thought of it that way."
"Maybe… something that he is longing for?" Madame Ping chimed, trying to provide her own breakthrough, "Something he might searching for?"
"If I can give that to him, then I would've. But he wouldn't still be here if that was ever a viable option."
"Ah, of course…" The old adeptus had almost forgotten of the Traveler's purpose of being in their world, "If only it were that simple."
"Something he needs…"
Keqing traced her memories to their last conversation.
I can only spend so many nights being out in the middle of nowhere.
"Maybe…"
Madame Ping looked at her with anticipation, sensing a valuable insight.
"Maybe… something to make him feel more at home…"
And just like that, the adeptus knew exactly what to do.
But she was going to need some help.
"A home, you say… Lady Keqing?"
"Yes…" Keqing replied, confident with her thought process, "He's been travelling a lot, and maybe we can give him something that can, at the very least, give him a sense of belonging to this world."
Madame Ping smiled at the thought, solidifying her plan.
"Well then, leave that to us adeptus…"