Nahida, the Lesser Lord Kusanali, sat perched atop a modestly blooming Sumeru tree, legs swaying idly as she scanned the thoughts of the city's inhabitants. It was a pastime she indulged in when she had nothing pressing to do—one that often teetered the fine line between curiosity and invasion of privacy. Not that anyone would call her out on it. She was, after all, the Archon. Yet, even Nahida occasionally wondered if this behavior was... a tad questionable.
Her big, emerald eyes flickered as she tuned into another mind—a merchant struggling with calculations. "No, if I sell the silk at eight mora, I'll still make a profit… unless the customer haggles too much. Maybe I should just sell cabbages…"
She frowned slightly, already growing bored. Business thoughts were practical, but dull. Her gaze drifted toward the main square.
"Let's see…"she muttered, focusing her powers elsewhere. Most people had ordinary thoughts about errands, mild concerns, or even trivial musings about the weather. But occasionally,just occasionally, Nahida found a mind with something deliciously unusual. It was these treasures she cherished in her solitary explorations.
Her attention was soon drawn to the unmistakable sound of bickering voices. Al Haitham and Kaveh. Again.
"Oh, this will be fun,"Nahida said to herself, leaning in, as though the proximity made a difference to her ethereal ability.
Al Haitham and Kaveh were mid-argument in their shared home when Nahida peeked into their thoughts. As expected, the words exchanged were sharp and full of mutual irritation.
"You left all your blueprints scattered across the floor again!"Kaveh exclaimed, voice teetering on exasperation. "Do you have any respect for a shared living space?"
Al Haitham raised a brow, utterly unbothered. "I would respect it more if you didn't treat every flat surface like your personal storage shelf."
While the two continued their verbal sparring match, Nahida sifted through their thoughts. What she found had her eyebrows rising so high they practically floated off her face.
Al Haitham's thoughts:"Why does he have to pout like that? It's distracting... If he could just stop being so ridiculously dramatic for one minute, maybe I'd—no, stop it, focus. He's insufferable."
Kaveh's thoughts:"Of course, he'd look smug doing *that*. Does he *have* to lean against the wall like that? He's so irritatingly calm. I swear, one day—one day—I'll…"
Nahida froze, her mouth forming a perfect 'O.'
"Oh my,"she whispered, stifling a giggle. "This isunexpected."
She tilted her head, her expression equal parts amused and thoughtful. It was almost poetic how deeply their feelings for each other were buried beneath layers of snark and ego. Watching them bicker now felt like observing a tragicomedy. If only they'd realize how much they actuallylikedeach other.
"I should probably stay out of this,"Nahida mused aloud. "But... oh, it's so tempting to give them a little push."For now, she decided to leave them be, already imagining the chaos they'd cause if they ever figured it out for themselves.
Meanwhile, three familiar figures crept along the nearby rooftops, trailing Nahida from the shadows. Cyno, Tighnari, and Kaveh (who had begrudgingly joined the task force after being persuaded by Tighnari) had made it their unofficial mission to keep tabs on the Lesser Lord.
"She's up to something,"Cyno whispered, crouching low and peering over the edge of the rooftop. His intense expression made it clear that this wasn't just a game for him—it was aserious duty.
"She's probably just bored,"Tighnari replied, less concerned and more amused by Cyno's theatrics. "You know how she gets when she has too much free time. Last week, she tried to convince a flock of birds to perform synchronized flying."
"Thatwas oddly charming,"Cyno defended, narrowing his eyes."But this—this feels different."
"Why am I even here?"Kaveh groaned, folding his arms. "Isn't babysitting the Archon more your job?"
Tighnari gave him a pointed look. "Considering the number of predicaments you've gotten yourself into recently, you owe us. Besides, wouldn't you rather keep an eye on her than clean up another one of her mishaps later?"
Kaveh grumbled under his breath but stayed put. He couldn't exactly argue with that logic. Still, all three of them froze when Nahida suddenly jolted in her spot, her entire demeanor changing in an instant.
"What's she doing?"Cyno asked, his voice hushed.
"She looks... startled,"Tighnari observed. "Almost like she's just seen something she wasn't supposed to."
Nahida had, in fact, just seen somethingshe very much wasn't supposed to.
Her latest foray into the minds of Sumeru's citizens had led her to Nilou, who was deep in conversation with Aether near the fountain. The sight of them together was already endearing—Nilou's radiant smile and Aether's relaxed expression practically screamed mutual admiration. Nahida couldn't help but peek a little closer.
That's when she found Nilou's inner thoughts.
PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP
Nahida's jaw dropped.
GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT GET PREGNANT.
The Lesser Lord immediately severed her connection, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment. "Oh no, oh no, oh no,"she murmured, frantically waving her hands as if that could somehow erase what she'd just seen. "I didn't need to know that! Ireallydidn't need to know that!"
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she clutched her head, trying—and failing—not to think about the vivid imagery that had accompanied Nilou's thoughts. Even more mortifying was the fact that she hadn't been able to suppress her audible gasp, which had undoubtedly drawn attention.
Behind her, Cyno, Tighnari, and Kaveh exchanged confused glances.
"What just happened?"Kaveh asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't know,"Cyno replied, his tone unusually uncertain."But something... startled her."
Tighnari tilted his head. "Do you think it's dangerous?"
Before they could speculate further, Nahida turned around sharply, her face still red but her expression resolute. "We're leaving!"she declared, her voice slightly higher-pitched than usual.
"Leaving?"Cyno repeated. "Why? Did something happen?"
"Nothing happened!"Nahida insisted, her tone far too defensive to be convincing. "I just... remembered I have something important to do back at the Sanctuary!"
The trio didn't look convinced, but they followed her anyway as she hurriedly floated back toward the safety of her domain.
As the day wore on, Nahida found herself reflecting on her adventures—and misadventures. Al Haitham and Kaveh's hidden feelings were still swirling in her mind, though they felt almost quaint compared tothe other thing.
She groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I need to be more careful with this power,"she muttered to herself. "There are some things that just... shouldn't be known."
Still, she couldn't help but giggle a little. Despite the occasional mortification, her foray into people's thoughts had given her a unique perspective on the lives around her. People were strange, complicated, and endlessly fascinating.
As for Nilou and Aether? Nahida decided they could figure things out on their own.
...Maybe with a tiny nudge. Butonlya tiny one.