Attendance!
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My eyes flutter open as soft winds ruffle my hair. The bright evening sun makes my eyes blink rapidly against the discomfort, eventually forcing me to turn to the side.
I am soon met with my mom playing with Laika by the water.... wait, if my head isn't on my mom's lap then—
I look up and am welcomed by two eyes and two mountains both staring at me. I, of course, focus on the m- eyes, yes, eyes.
The eyes squint in joy, the gem-like sapphires twinkling with amusement. A soft hand brushes through my hair and I close my eyes in comfort. I slightly move my head to get more comfortable, unwilling to move, so I just stay there with my eyes closed.
A finger then pokes my nose, making me frown, but still I refuse to move from the most comfortable spot I have slept in for a damn long time.
Soon the sun has set, yet the sky is still dyed a soft red. I finally open my eyes again only to find Cifera staring off into the distance, her soft, gentle hands currently cupping my face.
Her tail flicks calmly from side to side, barely giving me a second to glimpse it before it moves away again.
I finally sit up. The wind has quieted down, the waves softly crash against the shore, the moon has started to rise, and the stars are beginning to show.
I feel greatly refreshed. Looking around, I find mom asleep by the campfire.... right, the tent is in my inventory spell, damn.
I quickly and quietly set up the tent and mattress before laying Arye on the mattress along with Laika, who had curled up around her neck.
Walking slowly so my footsteps stay quiet, I make my way over to Cifera, who is now sitting right by the fire.
Her head turns as her ears twitch at my approach, a soft hum carried by the quiet warm breeze. The night is not cold; honestly, I could oddly enough describe it as lukewarm.
Under the bright moonlight, my hand glows and I feel surprisingly energetic.
I sit down right beside her. A slow silence follows; it is a comfortable one. She lays her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her smaller frame.
Then it seems that the sky listens to our hearts as many comets streak by.
I hear footsteps behind me but don't sense anyone.... nor do I feel like turning my head. I just sit there, staring into the flickering flames.
Someone sits down right beside me, to my left, opposite of Cifera. Her hands wrap around me and she rests her head on my other shoulder. A scent hits me; it is of flowers, specifically white lilies and Dendrobium.... how do I know that smell?
I have not been to Inazuma yet.... but it feels like it is a scent I have smelled several times before.
Soon the one on my left disappears, leaving only a white lily where she was.
Then an odd feeling creeps over me, as if four pairs of eyes stare at me.... I can't tell the direction, but soon they fade away.
Slightly disoriented by the second presence, I speak.
"Cifera, want to go for a walk?"
"Mhm."
I see her nod as her head lifts and she stands up, stretching and arching her back beautifully, accenting her curves.
I stand up as well, stretching as I do so, and although not graceful, I am quick to finish and the two of us head off.
With our abilities, even the rocky terrain wasn't much of a problem.
"Hey, Sane, let's climb up this mountain! I wanna see the view from up there!"
"Ah- Alright, let me just visit camp again real quick so I can leave a note in case mom wakes up."
Soon enough I return to the foot of the mountain where Cifera is waiting for me. Considering my current durability and recovery, I decide f*** it and just start climbing without thinking about safety and the other boring stuff.
The climb takes roughly two hours as we slowly see more of Teyvat's landscape while climbing up. Cifera had ended up tired halfway through and had started to just sit on my shoulders.... oh yeah, in human form....
How have we not fallen yet?
Reaching the top, I quickly realize it is not actually the top, but here at least there seems to be a path that leads further upward. The mountain is quite silent, yet lit by moonlight and an odd orange glow from rock formations that honestly look weird.
The wind up here is slightly faster but not greatly so, which is surprising. Also, the air hasn't thinned despite the considerable height.
Getting to the top, I find a lake of water with an island in the middle and.... two beautiful but naked women bathing....
Bruh.
I quickly turn around and am about to bolt, but Cifera holds me in place while also attempting to turn me around. Refusing to turn around, I just sit down and look away into the distance.
The image has certainly burned itself into my mind and, without question, I soon find a cold blue spear tip right beside my neck.
"Did you see anything?" a cold, distant but angry voice asks.
"Yes... I saw, and it is also why I turned around.... I wasn't aware there was anyone up here. My apologies for seeing you naked; such was not my goal."
My voice, calm despite the danger, seems to be satisfactory as the weapon is slowly pulled away.
Hmph.
"You shouldn't be so rude to my master, he hasn't done anything wrong," Cifera speaks up, making the slowly fading footsteps cease.
I then hear dirt shift and a question form.
"You trespassed on my master's lands.... that is more than a worthy enough sin. You are simply lucky that you have high moral lines. Otherwise, your head and your master's would have already rolled."
The footsteps then continue fading away as I sit and watch the moonlit Teyvat.
A teasing voice then confronts me.
"Oh~ did you like what you saw, master~?"
"Yes."
"Oh~ then maybe I should replicate this myself?"
"Please do.... this time I won't turn around."
"EIP!"
Soon I am hugged from behind and my cheeks are getting pulled by two soft hands.
"No fair! You can't say such things to a lady!"
"Maybe.... but you did call me master~," I chuckle. This cat's antics are just too amusing.
Soon a third voice appears.
"One has never met a man so shameless in hundreds of years."
"I apologize for earlier."
"One doth not blame thee, accidents happen, yet you should have not climbed the mountain at night. What made you make such a choice?"
"Ah, well it is simple. I was bored and felt energetic, plus watching the sunrise from so high up seemed like a great idea. Also, the stars feel brighter and closer here, even through the false veil."
"You know much. Not many know such details, and I accept your apology. You were very reasonable in your reaction upon noticing us bathing. Does thou want some tea to pass the time?"
"Sounds lovely."
Soon I find myself seated at a table in the middle of the lake, Cifera sitting in my lap while across from me, barely covered, sat Shenhe and Xianyun, otherwise known as Cloud Retainer.
An adeptus and her disciple; it seems that despite my meta knowledge I forgot that this was Cloud Retainer's abode, so it was in fact not that great a surprise to find her and her disciple here.
The tea was soft and herbal, smooth and warm, soothing the soul and body. Then I am also greeted by the scenery and the gorgeous women with me and this truly becomes one of the only places I want to be.
Cifera seems to have tired out and is asleep in her cat form on my lap. Her transformation had surprised Cloud Retainer, as it wasn't something she saw every day.
A few hours pass as we chat. They find out I am a traveler from another world, while they explain a few more intricacies of etiquette and culture in Liyue as a just-in-case so I don't appear ignorant or rude.
Soon the sun is on the horizon and we sit and watch as the mountain is bathed in warm yellow.... at this point I finally notice that the two women across from me haven't actually been wearing any clothes.... it seems they used some illusion to trick me.
I don't comment on it and just keep looking over the horizon as more rays of light peek over it.
At this point Cifera is awake and I am slightly tired, so I say goodbye and leave down the mountain back toward the camp.
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A/N - Hoped you liked the ch, sorry for the long pause... will likely happen again.
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