https://discord.gg/qpDTvSj3TC

https://pa treon.com/StickSwinger

***

As the group disbanded, Paimon dragged Lumine away. She put her small hands on her hips and said, "There is something you didn't tell them. The dragon and the crystal weren't the only things we saw...."

"I don't think he was a bad guy, I'd like to investigate him on my own first," Lumine replied with a hesitant gaze. The green-clothed boy who was playing on his lyre, sending pleasant waves of melody to the dragon didn't seem that dangerous to her. She didn't know why, but she felt like she shouldn't mention him.

"So you do remember him! That green guy we met before arriving in Mondstadt! It seemed like he could communicate with the dragon." Paimon saw someone run in the distance and muttered, "He looked just like that guy down there."

Lumine followed her gaze and indeed saw the person Paimon was pointing at, "Well... it looks like him...Or is it a girl? The exact same shade of green too, what a coincidence."

Paimon let out a chuckle, the sound of it undefined, "...See? See...? I told you!"

"...Wait...hold on just a minute...! That...That's the same guy!" she panicked and looked around, no longer able to see the man.

"..."

"..."

"The green guy had disappeared! Let's follow his elemental trace! We might be still able to get him."

***

Lumine and Paimon said their farewell and left off somewhere.

Amber said she was itching to try out her new glider so she was currently busy with that.

Kaeya left while saying he was going to take a nap. He overused his Vision and he needed rest. He also brought the puppy with him for now, although he wasn't sure what he will do with it.

Neither Jean nor Lisa seemed to be surprised, nor question where the wolf cub came from.

That only left Hu Tao, who also dipped, telling Yomite she was going to talk with the black-haired lady from the guild about the contract that was established.

She wanted to know more details about it.

Before she left, Yomite told her to ask the lady behind the counter for new daily missions, as the previous ones have expired and they couldn't collect any rewards from them.

After saying goodbye, Yomite found himself standing in front of Angel's Share pub once again.

This time, he had both money and the mood to drink as no one was bothering him, although there was still the worry about finding himself a place to stay at.

The last time Kaeya brought him here was by force, but this time, he was alone and planned to enjoy himself fully.

Just as he was about to enter, a girl in bright green clothes rushed from his side and touched the doorknob simultaneously as he did.

Seeing that her hand was on top of his, holding it gently because of her mistake, she quickly pulled back apologizing, her face flushed.

"I am sorry!"

"It's fine..." Yomite replied, feeling a bit weirded out by her behavior.

She was blushing from touching his hand? How can she get embarrassed about that?

Both of them entered the tavern, and Yomite sat down at the bar chair. The girl did the same and sat next to him, planning to order some ale for herself.

"What'll it be today?" Charles, the bartender, asked while wiping away at a glass as usual. He turned to Yomite, recalling his face, "If it isn't "Kaeya's" brother. I see that you are still alive...Lucky you."

Yomite smiled wryly, "Still alive?... Well yeah...Kaeya is a very interesting person. Anyway, I am here to drink and not to talk about him. I am kind of new when it comes to drinks around these parts, so can you give me a recommendation for today?"

"Sure thing, but make sure you have enough Mora, or else I will put it onto Kaeya's tab." He poured him the special of the day and placed the glass on the table in front of him.

"This drink is the strongest we have currently. It was transported from a faraway land called Snezhnaya. The drink is called Cyka Vodka. No Idea what it means, don't ask me...We tried to sell it to a few people already, but they said it was too strong."

"Vodka?"

Yomite squinted his eyes at the familiar brand.

He brought it before his lips, then gulped down the entire contents of the container. Immediately, feeling a hot change inside of his throat and stomach.

He wasn't really used to having a heavy drink for the leisure of it. It wasn't something he usually indulged in, but once in a while, it wasn't bad.

Back in his world, he indulged in things such as wine, beer, or sake. He never tried anything stronger, but seeing the familiar alcohol he heard so much about in his old world, he couldn't help but want to try it out, now that it was here before his eyes.

"Yes, today's special is indeed the limited edition Cyka Vodka, but so far, no one was able to handle more than two shots." Charles turned to the girl sitting next to him and continued, "So, you are here again, Venti the bard...If I am correct, Master Diluc doesn't allow you to drink as you are still too wet behind your ears. So keep those hands away from my alcohol."

The woman giggled and begged with a soothing voice, "I drank lots of drinks yet too many to remember, so pretty please let me have some mister Bartender!"

Charles rolled his eyes and replied, "Keep those rhymes away from me, please...I listen enough to bards every day, and at this point, it's hurting my head. Like...for real."

Yomite's interest was piqued, "A bard? You are a bard?"

Venti turned and faced Yomite, "I am a bard, big shot, oh yes! Hurray to the Seven gods that bless!"

Yomite snorted at her reply, and Charles sighed, "This bard comes here almost every single day lately, expecting payment in apples or alcohol..."

"Hoh, a bard how great. I always wanted to listen to one, and it's even a cute girl at that. Sing me something." Yomite anchored his elbow on the table and tucked his fist under his chin, turning his head to look at "her".

He then grabbed the Vodka bottle from the counter and poured himself a few more shots. Charles didn't stop him, as he finally found someone he could use to get rid of the bottle. It would be a shame to just throw it away as it was pretty expensive.

After four more shots, Yomite could already feel the alcohol now dominating his system, his sight blurred a bit and his temples pounded.

He then reached out his hand to his bag, giving Venti three hundred Mora, expecting to hear her beautiful voice, adequate for his payment. He didn't know how much he was supposed to give to a bard, so he didn't give out too much or too little.

He felt like listening to something refreshing during his relaxing drinking session. Sometimes it was just better to drink your worries and problems away.

In his old world, he always had headphones tucked into his ears.

While working, while reading novels, while eating. Pretty much whenever he had the opportunity to.

The lack of technology and music was starting to bother Yomite and it wasn't even two days since he arrived here.

He would have to do something about this in the future, but he already had a few things on his mind and planned on getting rich by selling his ideas.

As such, he wanted to hear the unknown melody and songs of this world.

He was even more interested when he noticed that the girl had a lyre, which was an instrument you could almost never even see in the popular genres.

"Heh...I'm honored, I'm flattered, this meeting really mattered...But as for the rest, I came to the conclusion, to wake you up from your delusion...I spied my little bundle of joy, but to correct you, I am just a little boy! Te-he!" Venti sang with his calm and soft voice, strumming the lyre and sending Yomite a cute wink afterward.

Upon hearing that, Yomite widened his eyes, "You? A boy? No, you are fucking not! Stop spouting jokes! You are clearly a girl!" He chuckled, closing his eyes and taking yet another sip of the beverage he bought. It was truly delicious.

He may have been a bit drunk, but even then he didn't believe Venti's words one bit.

Venti seemed conflicted as he murmured, "No, really, I am a—"

"—I Said... No... You're... Fucking... Not..." He spelled it out for him, almost crushing the glass in his hands.

"—Ok-Okay..." Venti recovered from Yomite's sudden outrage and continued singing, "*Cough* *Cough*...Who are you that I should have to lie? When the night comes falling from the sky..."

"..."

"Hear the voice of the male Bard! Who present, past, and future sees, whose ears have heard, the Sevens Word, for I am Venti the Bard, Traveler, Musician and a Rhyming star. Also the three-times best bard of the city of Mondstadt, but that's beside the point." He gloated about his accomplishment towards the end of his introduction.

"I get it, I wanted you to sing me a song... not to spout these cringe-worthy rhymes in a form of a poem...They are killing me...please stop..." Yomite let out a cross between a snarl and a groan as he pounded his head onto the table.

Charles nodded in agreement. He never really understood the beauty of poems or rhymes so he was glad when Venti finally stopped.