Beneath the orange glow of dangling geometric lanterns, dice clattered on floor tiles. This prompted mirthful commentary and the drawing of cards from between cell bars. On the free end of the barrier, Hu Tao rested her arm on her lap. She smiled as she balanced her chin on her knuckles,
"Is the second Jade Chamber really necessary?"
"Yes. Dice are the currency of this game," Hongxing replied flatly.
"If you say so." She flipped a card onto the floor from her hand. Whatever it did it stifled an exasperated sigh, although Lumine wasn't too keen on determining why. Gratefully, Hu Tao seemed to notice her approach.
"Traveler!" Her smile grew as she hastily folded her remaining cards into a pile. "I didn't expect you to be the interrogator."
"Who said I was the interrogator?" Her heels clicked with authority as she entered the room. A single chair waited for her, the light beams melding dramatically at the seat's center. She lifted a clipboard to make room to sit; between the heavy atmosphere and her resting bitch face, she probably looked like an intimidating officer even if she didn't mean to.
"Well, you are the only one here," Hu Tao unfolded a chair for herself, "and you certainly look the part!" She sat, like she was balancing the room on her shoulders. While her levity brought some semblance of relief, Hongxing's obvious nerves did not.
"I may be here to ask questions," Lumine opted to pull out her own notebook instead, "but I'm not working for the Qixing. I'm here to get the answers for myself, and you should know that I see quests through to their end." Hongxing fidgeted beneath her glare.
"I understand, Traveler. I'm here to offer what I know. Well, partially anyway." He swallowed.
Lumine waited for further explanation. According to Kaeya, the layperson always filled an awkward silence.
"I want you to uncover the truth of all this, and of course I want to clear my own name as well. But I owe it to Xingqiu too. I knew what was going on, yet I-I stood by." He perked up, "Do you know where he is? Is he-"
"He's fine, and that's all you need to know." She thought back to Xingqiu's clear exhaustion and the way he carried a resting look of fear in his eyes, wearing Venti's blood stained shirt. She didn't care about Hongxing's intentions, good or bad. Feiyun would be the last to hear from her. If at all.
"A-alright I just…" He glanced openly between her and Hu Tao, and he seemed to think better of something. "I just know he hasn't had an easy time."
"Well, now's your chance to make things right then." Lumine confidently lifted her chin, "I'll start easy. What's his favorite color?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh! I know this one, it's books!" Hu Tao grinned; the expression reminded her of Venti.
"What does this have to do with anything?" He didn't appear any more nervous than before, at least from what she could tell. If he was a disguised Fatui pawn then he was good at his job.
"I'm asking the questions, or have you forgotten?" Exasperated, Hongxing replied,
"I don't know! We rarely speak, and even then it doesn't naturally arise in conversation."
"Guess." He sighed and thought for a long moment. Since the detention facility was underground and vacant save the three of them, white noise echoed and amplified. She swore she heard the rhythmic ticking of a clock. Each agonizing second seemed to click down the hall, imaginary or not. Just as she was about to interject-
"I'm not entirely sure about this, because it was a while ago. But, I did witness an argument between the Young Master and his father. It had something to do with a dress code violation? He was scolded for wearing a light blue tassel around his vision, and I remember thinking it was strange. That he would be so adamant about such a minute difference...Though, I don't know if that necessarily makes it his favorite." Lumine pretended to write something down, because in truth she didn't know either.
"You're either who you say you are, or you're a very convincing liar." She allowed a smile to slip by her mask, "Now for something a bit harder. You received blackmail. In the form of…literal mail actually." She revealed a copy of Zhongli's confiscated document. "There's no signature at the bottom of this page, so who do you think wrote it?" Hongxing investigated it through the slats in his cell,
"At the time I assumed the Guild Manager dictated it. Although now that I get a better look at it, the penmanship is different. His scribes have this particular way of writing, you see."
"I can imagine." Xingqiu frequently complained to her about his strict calligraphy lessons.
"It could have been his brother," Hu Tao offered. She smiled and gave a tiny wave, a reminder that she was still there. Still drowsy, Lumine tactlessly replied.
"Why?"
"Well, after the Wolflord attack I was stuck with the relief efforts. While I was volunteering I saw a guy who looked an awful lot like Xingqiu, and I thought it was odd so I tailed him for a bit. He picked up a strange package at the harbor."
"And you're sure it wasn't his father?" Now she actually wrote something down. No one had been in the city to witness the battle's aftermath. In their sporadic haste, had they missed the Fatui's next move?
"Pretty sure. He looked too young for it. Oh, and I picked up some strange vibes from him. Not quite like he was possessed, but like…troubled? I guess?"
"Did you see what was in the package?" Hu Tao shrugged,
"I'm pretty sure they were herbs. He talked with a merchant for a few minutes, and he got this little brown paper bag. I've seen Zhongli carrying tea in a similar package."
"Interesting," she turned to Hongxing, "do you know-"
"He doesn't like tea. He's a coffee person." Lumine pursed her lips,
"Okay…I was actually going to ask what you knew about the Guild Master's plan. Did he express any interest in leaving Liyue? Maybe in going to Mondstadt?"
"Hang on," Hu Tao scribbled on her hand with a dark marker. "I also saw this on the side of the bag. It looked like a shipping label, but I couldn't really read any of the words. Do you know what this symbol means?"
As she held up her palm, Lumine's blood ran cold. She drew a five petaled flower with a circular pistil, the symbol for the Kamisato Clan.
"I have to go." She shoved her notebook into her dress pocket.
"Wait, what? What does it mean?"
"Thank you for the information!" She began running but she wasn't sure where to. At the moment she rounded the hall's empty corner, she shut her eyes and imagined Inazuma's eerie electric terrain.
"Adeptus Xiao?" Diluc furrowed his eyebrows. His face molded into its characteristic frown, and as he gazed across the water nothing changed. The mountains loomed empty in the distance.
"Are we sure this is the best idea? We could just send another falcon."
"I'm sure. We need to act now." Jean only sighed; she made her reservations clear before. Now was not the time for painstaking diplomacy.
"Adeptus Xiao!" He cupped his hands and shouted, and still no response.
"Adeptus Xiao, we're um…Venti's friends?" Jean cringed at the subsequent silence. The domain lingered in the distance, and they stared at it like it could conjure answers from nothing. When again nothing changed, Diluc rolled his eyes,
"We know the truth about Rex Lapis!" Suddenly, a viridescent polearm was held against his Adam's apple.
"Speak now, while I have the patience for mercy. I should silence you for your insolence, Outlander."
"Well, I'd say it's equally as rude to ignore-"
"To threaten Lord Morax while disregarding his name, in the presence of his disciple, is more than rude."
"And I suppose that gives you the right to hold another at spear point?" Diluc hastily grabbed the weapon's shaft.
"We're friends of Barbatos! Just-" Jean stepped between them yet the polearm remained, "let's be civil about this. We're on the same side." The Adeptus didn't flinch. Instead his eyes flitted to Jean's, his posture solidifying.
"If you've only heard one song, is it your favorite song?"
"If you ask him I'm sure he can-what?"
"You heard me."
"I don't understand." To anyone else her posture fell imperceptibly, but to Diluc her nerves were unmistakable. "With all due respect, Mister Yaksha Adeptus Xiao, I'm the Acting Grandmaster of Mondstadt. The people of this land have no reason to defy Barbatos, and I would never act against their wishes. Especially having had the privilege to meet him. Your suspicion is unwarranted."
"No," Diluc's voice cut louder and to the point; he recited the phrase like an incantation as he regained Xiao's attention. Despite the blade's proximity, the Adeptus never drew blood.
"You have to have heard them all, and that's impossible because new ones are always being written. This world is full of lost ballads just waiting to be rediscovered. Past, present, and future. You can't tie them down, but you can hear them all the same."
He wordlessly dismissed his weapon. How Venti got along with someone so brash, he would never know.
"You must be Diluc," he sighed, "and Master Jean. I…have heard much about you."
"Well, I suppose that makes sense." Diluc wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. Drunk Venti spoke his mind, so without context he doubted his reputation was good.
"So," Xiao folded his arms, "why did you summon me?" Jean seemed to relax. Now she was back in her diplomatic element. As she spoke, her voice carried like Varka's.
"Venti had committed himself to witness the interrogation of an Abyss Lector, but there was some sort of emergency and we haven't heard from him." Xiao raised an eyebrow. Clearly, he was not in his element.
"And why do you need him?"
Diluc clarified, "We don't need him per se. We needed some way to hear of the situation in Liyue, since he left with Lord Morax."
"Just Morax."
"Uh…Morax. Right."
"Barbatos is fine. If you won't be needing him, then I shall see myself out."
"With all due respect, that doesn't seem to be-" "That wind sprite on your shoulder wouldn't have anything to do with this, would it?" Despite the commotion, the creature seemed to stay sleeping there. It was unusual for a sprite to stay stationary for long, let alone glued to someone's side.
"Uh-" Xiao hastily grabbed the wind sprite in his offhand, holding it to his chest.
"It's fine. Let's just…get back to the case at hand." Diluc shook his head.
This conciliatory, shallow line of questioning was getting them nowhere. "The Abyss Lector is finally lucid enough to cross examine, and Venti has the most understanding. His assistance is useful, not necessary. Regardless, if the ley lines are failing on an international level then we need a way to reliably speak with those involved. This is why we requested you."
"We also worry for his and the others' safety." Xiao unexpectedly conceded, as he glanced between them and the wind wisp in his hand. He unfurled his fingers with caution, careful not to disturb it any further. It slept deeply, curled against his gloved thumb. When he finally spoke, Xiao's voice dropped to a near whisper.
"This is Barbatos. He overexerted himself; he fell during combat at the Chasm. Another ley line was tampered with."
"Shit."
"How long-"
"I can't say. The important thing is he's alive." They stood there for a moment, basking in their own concern. Like staring at him would change anything.
"That stupid bard," Diluc sighed. "He just doesn't know when to quit."
"So what now?"
Xiao's expression was unreadable as he finally broke out of his reverie.
"I'll return with reinforcements. If you need me again, call." He vanished into stagnant air.
