synopsis: wangsheng funeral parlor's new worker is incredibly scared of ghosts, so it's up to her boss to help her face her fears
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The funeral parlors newest worker had always been rather...jumpy. Her fellow employees still don't know to this day why she even applied for a job here in the first place, but here she was! Her hands were shaky as she flipped through the paperwork from the most recent orders of coffins they had received, which only made filing them even more difficult.
"I'll see you tomorrow, miss (L/N)" Zhongli said politely as he left through the entrance of the parlor, sending her a slight wave as he slipped away. It was night time now- only the gentle light from the candle lighting up the room- which only made her even more scared.
"Great...now I'm alone!" She cried as she placed her face in her hands, jumping up and down ever so slightly to show her frustration. Why she had been put on a closing shift was beyond her. As she was filling the last of the paperwork, she failed to notice the footsteps that were approaching her.
"Boo!" A loud voice yelled, and (Y/N) let out a scream- tripping up and falling to the floor due to her shock. A laugh quickly followed, and she looked up to see who had pranked her.
"Boss! Why would you do that!?" The h/c haired girl yelped as she rubbed her hands, which she had unfortunately hurt due to her fall. Her boss let out another laugh as she helped the scared girl up, who was now scowling.
"Sorry, you looked miserable so I wanted to prank you! I can see that you didn't like the joke though" Hu tao giggled, her ring clad hand covering her mouth as she tried to conceal the laughs. (Y/N) grumbled to herself as she brushed her clothes off- and she turned to her boss with a glare.
"Anyways, I need your help with something. Follow me!" The funeral director announced as she grabbed (Y/N) by the waist, and pulled her out the door.
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"NOWAYNOWAYNOWAYNOWAY!" (Y/N) sobbed as she tried to dart away, but her boss had a firm hold on her. Hu Tao's idea of needing help with something was taking her most scared employee to do a scout of Wuwang Hill- the most haunted place in Liyue according to many locals.
"Relax! We're not going to be here for long!" The girl snickered as she held her employees hand tightly, giving it a light squeeze to reassure her. The two started up the hill, and as they got deeper and deeper in- it became foggy. At one point, (Y/N) tripped on a stray, twisted tree root- but lucky for her, Hu Tao kept her upright.
"What is it you even need help with?" The h/c haired girl cried, and her boss rolled her scarlet eyes.
"Apparently there's been sightings of a ghost, so we were sent here to help them move on!" Hu Tao grinned, and (Y/N) felt her soul leave her body.
"I'm quitting tomorrow-"
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After what felt like hours, the two had finally come across said ghost. And when they arrived at the scene- they realized it wasn't a horrible spirit, or a demon out to get them. It was a little girl who was lost in the area, and wanted to move on.
Hu Tao had taught her how to calm and comfort the spirits, and as (Y/N) followed the instructions- her fear seemed to melt away bit by bit. In the end, the ghost girl even gifted them both a silk flower.
"See! I knew you could get over your fear!" The brown haired girl beamed as she squeezed (Y/N)'s hand once more, helping her down from a ledge on the mountain. The employee couldn't help but smile at this. It was sweet that her boss had went out of her way to help her with her fears, and she was sure her work would benefit from this.
"Thank you, Hu Tao" (Y/N) smiled as she reached towards the girl, wrapping her arms around her briefly. It was only meant to be a short hug, but her boss found herself enjoying it- and their embrace only deepened.
