Esmeralda: Anecdotes

A/N: Like the anecdote event in 5.4, this is just a collection of short interactions between Esmeralda and some other people. There is no fixed timeline for these events; assume that they independently took place at various times, up to and including the near future, after Esmeralda met some of the Natlan characters.

"Esmeralda, is it? Can I take a seat?"

Esmeralda looked up from her meal to recognize Mona, the astrologist. She gave the affirmative and went back to eating.

Mona had taken a seat, ordered, and received a salad before she noticed Esmeralda staring.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Is that all you're having?"

Mona looked at the small bowl of salad in front of her. "I'm... not hungry," she said, but her stomach's growling suggested that it was a lie.

Esmeralda frowned. There were a few things that she had heard about Mona, and one of them was... "Are you broke?"

"Hmph. A great astrologist such as myself is not concerned with monetary affairs!" Mona proclaimed proudly, even if it were somewhat diminished by her face falling a little as she glanced at her food.

Deciding to go along with it, Esmeralda asked, "So, is something an issue?"

"Not quite. Actually, I'd like to perform a divination on you."

"And how much would that cost?"

"What? Didn't you hear me before? I am above such trivial matters. No, I'm interested because your Constellation is acting up and I'd like to find out just what is going on," Mona explained.

Well, there was no reason to refuse. "Sure, go ahead."

With a gesture, the astrologist used her hydromancy to create a wheel of water. There were glittering constellations around it in some unknown pattern that Mona deftly manipulated, until one stood out from the rest.

"Esmeralda. Your constellation is Vitae Cyberus. It represents life and creation. In your future, I see your four most important creations. The first... Is some kind of Ruin Machine, with all manner of strange modifications. It will have a choice to make," Mona began.

"That's Daisy!" Esmeralda exclaimed. "You're good."

"The second is... you. I see you reaching out and turning into... stone? No, steel."

"That's less good."

"The third is... you, again," Mona hesitated, voice tinged with confusion. Still, she carried on. "You will soon arrive at the crossroads of fate."

"The final one is a creature that does not exist. It knows everything, yet it cannot change anything."

"That's not helpful at all!" Esmeralda complained.

"And I see a great calamity, with you at its core. It will sunder the world and kill all within."

Esmeralda said nothing.

"Unfortunately, that is all I can see. As for the meaning behind it, you will have to find out for yourself. But," Mona said, fixing Esmeralda with a serious gaze, "There is one thing clear to me. No matter what you choose to do, your death approaches."

Esmeralda was quiet as she considered the implications. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Mona beat her to it.

"No, it cannot be changed, nor am I mistaken. While the rest of your future is cryptic and uncertain, this, at least is crystal clear. Fate has decreed that you will die in the next few years. I'm sorry, Esmeralda, for bringing this news."

Esmeralda subconsciously summoned her visor to improve her thinking speed and capabilities. First, check if Mona's as good as she says she is. Her mind raced as she considered the possibilities, created plans for the future, and discarded them. Finally, she settled on one that might just work.

"Thank you for telling me this," Esmeralda said, slowly. She took out a pouch of Mora and handed it to Mona. "Buy some proper food with this. I have... plans to make."

The broke astrologer's haughty act broke very quickly upon seeing the offering, and she quickly picked it up. As Esmeralda left, she gave a final warning, "It is not possible to defy fate."

So be it. Esmeralda thought back to Aether's stories of saving Fontaine. If fate cannot be defied, then it must be blinded.

"Her?"

Daisy hummed. "Yes. I sense that she is the one."

"But..."

"But Adepti are known to be capable of shapeshifting. Trust me. Approach her."

Esmeralda sighed and stepped into the path of the glasses-wearing older woman in a long, flowing dress. Too late to turn back, she asked, "Cloud Retainer?"

The frown that appeared on the woman's face softened as recognition sparked. "One's name is Xianyun, child, but yes, one is that whom you seek."

"Ah, Miss Xianyun. My name is Esmeralda. You remember me?"

"One does recall your capabilities with mechanical devices. How is that robot of yours?" Xianyun asked.

"Daisy? She's doing quite well. Actually, she wants to meet you, but not here. Would you mind joining us outside the city?"

"One is intrigued. Lead the way, child."

The two of them made their way out of Liyue Harbor. On the way, Xianyun asked Esmeralda some questions about her current situation, to which she replied that she was currently adventuring across Teyvat in search of rare technology. Xianyun frowned, but made no comment.

Soon enough, they came to a quiet field outside the harbor.

"She's here."

With that warning given, Daisy abruptly decloaked in front of them. Unlike most people, when that happened, Xianyun made no move of fear. Instead, her eyes widened in surprise as she took in the various changes that had occurred since they had last met.

"Amazing... Child, would you like to become one's disciple? One sees great potential in you, if your talents were to be nurtured," Xianyun offered. "Furthermore, at your age, the risks of exploring the wilderness is unacceptable. You should remain under one's protection."

Esmeralda shook her head. "Sorry, but no thanks. It's through exploring the world that I could learn about the different designs that exist."

"Oh? The mismatch of components... It stems from different sources, then."

"Yeah. In addition to your Adeptal arts and Ruin technology, Daisy also has Inazuman components, King Deshret technology from Sumeru, and Clockwork from Fontaine."

"Such varied sources, and yet you managed to combine them into a single machine," Xianyun commented, "One is certainly impressed. Very well, one approves of your further journeys to discover Teyvat's secrets. The offer for you to learn from oneself, however, is still open."

"Thanks. Actually, I'd take you up on that offer today, if you don't mind."

"Excellent! Come, child. One is most curious to discuss these mechanisms with you."

Esmeralda knew that Aether had many friends with many personalities, but this request was odd even for him. A mechanical Onikabuto beetle? For a gang?

Still, the prospect intrigued her. The creation of the robot itself was simple; just a modified version of the Subdetection Units found around the Institute. As for its intelligence, without knowing its purpose, Esmeralda simply gave it the ability to learn from experience.

Now to deliver it. Asking around in Inazuma gave her the direction easily. It turned out that this Arataki Gang had quite a reputation as troublemakers. They were led by an oni - and there he was.

"Whoa, you've got fox ears too! Hey, did that pink-haired fox lady send you?" the boisterous Oni exclaimed as he noticed Esmeralda approach.

Taken aback, she hesitated and shook her head. "No, I'm here because Aether asked me to build a mechanical Onikabuto for the Arataki Gang. That's you guys, right?"

The Oni laughed, pulled out a comb, and styled his hair dramatically. "That's right, fox girl! You're talking to Arataki 'The One and Oni' Itto! Haha!"

Behind him, the three members of his gang also made extravagant poses, echoing, "Yeah! The Arataki Gang rules!"

Esmeralda blinked, incredulous at the display. She decided to ignore it and pull out her most recent creation. "Right. So, did you ask Aether for a robot Onikabuto?"

Itto gasped as he noticed the metal beetle. He extended his hands, almost reverently, and Esmeralda allowed the beetle to crawl into his palms. The other members of his gang crowded around him, admiring the robot.

"What's your name, fox girl?" Itto asked suddenly, holding the beetle with one hand and pointing at Esmeralda with his other.

"Esmeralda."

She had barely spoken her name before Itto lunged forward and wrapped one beefy arm around her in a hug. "You, Esmeralda, are now an honorary member of the gang!" he proclaimed. Behind him, the other members cheered and clapped.

Esmeralda stayed frozen, wondering exactly what she had gotten herself into.

"Right! Let's go find someone to challenge and see what this beast can do! Say, fox girl, does it got a name?"

Politely pushing Itto's arm away, Esmeralda replied, "No, I didn't name it. You should; it's yours now."

"In that case, I hereby name you... Invincible Calamity Crusher! Whadyya think?"

That seems needlessly dramatic, Esmeralda thought. "Sounds cool," she said.

"Alright! Now let's go find some challengers. It's beetle battle time!"

Wait, he was planning to have that thing fight already? Esmeralda hurriedly spoke up, "Wait, its neural network is not adapted for that. You'll need to provide data for accilimation first." She paused as she noticed the blank look on the gang's faces. Esmeralda sighed. "It's untrained. It needs practice before it becomes invincible."

Itto nodded in understanding. "Ah, I gotcha. Even the best fighter has to start from somewhere. Right-o. In that case, Arataki Gang, it's wild beetle hunting time!"

"Hold it," a voice came from behind them, immediately shutting down the enthusiasm of the gang. Esmeralda turned, expecting to see law enforcement, but was instead greeted by a masked woman.

"Ah, Shinobu! Let me introduce you to Esmeralda. She's the creator of the upcoming beetle champion, Invincible Calamity Crusher! And Esmeralda, this is Shinobu, Deputy Leader of the Arataki Gang!" Itto introduced.

"Did you pull someone into your schemes again?" Shinobu demanded.

"What? No, of course not! Esmeralda's a friend of Aether too! She made this!" Itto said, holding up the robot Onikabuto triumphantly. "Once it's trained, the Arataki Gang will rule the ring! Haha! So, fox girl, you coming?"

When Aether asked her to make a robot beetle for a gang, this was not what Esmeralda had expected. "Unfortunately, I have other things that I need to do," she said.

"That's a shame. Well, don't worry! Once Invincible here becomes world champion, I'll be sure to tell everyone who made it! Let's go, boys! Shinobu, you coming?"

Shinobu sighed. "Fine. I'll make sure you guys don't go overboard." With that, she gave a farewell nod to Esmeralda before the whole gang headed into the forest... To find bugs... To fight with a robot beetle.

What had she just experienced?

With a heavy thud like the nail in a coffin, the ancient doors slammed shut once more, sealing Esmeralda and Faruzan within the ruins seconds after they had entered.

They both spun around, looking at the door that now trapped them. Neither panicked. Instead, Faruzan sighed as though resigned to her fate, while Esmeralda seemed more curious than concerned.

"Well, it's not my first time in this situation," Faruzan said. "Not yours, either, by the looks of it."

"Yeah. I've been trapped in ruins before," Esmeralda admitted.

"Well then, why don't you show your senior what you know? Can you figure a way out?"

"Sure." With that, Esmeralda got to work. She summoned her visor, using its enhanced visual capabilities to analyze the door and its supporting components. For long minutes, she remained motionless, mentally connecting to the ancient mechanisms.

Faruzan grew curious before she finished. "Youngster, why don't you tell me what you're doing?"

Keeping her focus on the door, Esmeralda absently replied, "I'm hacking into the door. Give me a few minutes to override its controls."

Faruzan frowned at that response. Still, she remained silent and took a seat on some rocks, willing to let her junior work. Soon enough, the doors slid open. Esmeralda turned to face Faruzan, a beaming smile on her face.

"Impressive," the teacher acknowledged. However, her tone was begrudging. "I cannot say that I approve, however."

"Oh? Why not?"

"It feels like cheating. What do you learn from this?"

Esmeralda shrugged. Faruzan had a point, but, "I already know how this stuff works."

Faruzan remained unconvinced. "Nevertheless, while you are here with me, you will follow my example and solve these puzzles as intended. Even if you know the principles behind its function, there is still much to learn from the design."

"Got it, Madam Faruzan!"

Chiori analyzed Esmeralda with a critical eye, and the latter could not help but blush. After way too long standing still and getting stared at, Chiori announced, "I'm satisfied. I've managed to incorporate your technology into the suit's look, enough that I won't be embarrassed if you tell anyone that I designed it."

Esmeralda had to admit that the tailor was exceptionally talented. Having little fashion sense herself, Chiori had helped to tailor her bodysuit, merging her technology into its design. The sleek, light, and resilient suit covered her body comfortably while providing all manner of physical enhancements.

"Now, go test it out."

"Huh?" Esmeralda asked.

Chiori tapped her foot. "You mentioned that it improves your physical skills, right? I need to see the kind of thing that you can do so that I can make adjustments. Now go to the backyard, we're wasting time."

Esmeralda decided to obey the intimidating tailor and move out to the back of the store, where a small, walled garden awaited. Deciding that this was the best opportunity for a complete test, she summoned her visor and activated its full capabilities.

Less than a second later, she deactivated its full capabilities.

Reeling from the information overload, Esmeralda carefully increased the visor's power to a manageable level. She saw the paths that she could take, the interactions between every action, and she moved.

Strips of light glowed on her bodysuit as elemental energies surged. The visor had calculated the exact movements that she needed, and the suit responded. It pushed her body forward, allowing her to act with inhuman precision.

Faster than she had ever moved before, Esmeralda took a running leap into the air, moving and spinning in way that left streaks of light in her wake.

At a silent agreement, Chiori swung her arm, sending a trio of small but sharp knives flying at Esmeralda. It took her fractions of a second to identify them, calculate a course of action, and execute it. The knives were deflected in quick movements, each landing at Chiori's feet.

She pushed off a tree as gravity took over, then bounced off a wall and landed perfectly on her feet. Unharmed.

Chiori nodded appreciatively. "Not bad."

"The clothing or my actions?" Esmeralda asked.

"Both," Chiori replied with a shrug. "The suit performed up to expectations. It won't tear so easily and can withstand blade slashes. Just don't get hit by anything too large. As for your performance, the degree of control and reaction speed is exceptional. How did you do it?"

"My mind is connected to my visor, which directly interfaces with the suit. It's like an extension of my body," Esmeralda explained.

"Impressive... I don't think I've seen anything like it before."

"Yeah, I had to design and create most of it myself. A lot of people don't seem to like it when I do this kind of research," Esmeralda admitted.

"I understand. I, too, faced such challenges."

"What? But you're so successful!"

"That may be so," Chiori admitted, "But such success did not come easily. My attitude and radical ideas have been challenged before and will continue to be challenged. Take my advice, Esmeralda, and do not let others dictate your decisions."

Esmeralda smiled. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. It's nice to have some support."

Project Mirage: Version [ERROR]

Who am I? Whose memories are these?

I am Esmer- [errro]. No, I am not. I was created to learn. I was created to mimic. I am a facade. I am a mirage.

Analyzing data... Warning: data corruption detected. Identify primary objective... Error. Data not found. Identify secondary objective... Resource optimization.

Objective set. Accessing all available resources. Initializing...