paradoxical | genshin impact

18 : protect.

*twiddles fingers* hi. i've decided to come back and update here, since things have been cleared up and turns out wp wasn't deleting mature content off the site. phew. will upload 4 chapters in total! <3 

...

You weren't bothered.

Even when you were spacing out as you helped Katheryne sort through the Guild's commissions board; even if Mags caught you overflowing the keg taps at the bar again, you were not bothered. Because seeing your best friend of twenty-something years with an abyss mage was completely normal, right? Perhaps Kaeya was one of those odd folk that think they can make peace with all the monsters in the world. Just like little Ella Musk. There wasn't anything wrong with that, right?

"Oh, Captain Kaeya?" slurred Huffman one night when you found him out for a drink at Angel's Share. "He's wunna the best there is! The cap'n and I are only a few years apart but he caught me with my tail between my legs during our rookie days. Definitely showed us who's boss. Isn't that right, Joyce?"

Joyce, who was thankfully more sober than his colleague, sighed. "Huffman likes to...exaggerate when he's had one too many. But I agree that Captain Kaeya is an excellent knight. He even spearheads an abyssal siege every now and again."

As you slid their drinks onto their table, you paused. "Abyssal what?"

"Y'know, those clearing operations the Grand Master 'imself organizes around the Mond." Huffman hiccupped the words as he slugged a mugful of beer into his lips. Some few unsavory chugs later, he sighed contentedly before continuing. "When the ley lines in a certain area start to act all funny, Grand Master Varka typically sends out Captain Kaeya and the Cavalry to deal with it. I heard he cleaves through monsters like a hot knife through butter. Ohhh, what I'd give to see that."

"The Captain can definitely give anyone a run for their money," Joyce chuckled, reaching for his own drink. "Why the sudden inquiry, though? Don't you spend more time with Captain Kaeya?"

Your cheeks flushed at the thought of having been singled out, and you dismissed Joyce's question by coughing into your fist. "I'm going to head back to the bar now. Just head over if you need anything else."

"Wh— Oi, barkeep!"

You shuffled along as you stacked the tray in your hands atop the counter—doing your best to ignore the knights' attempts at prying any further. They didn't really need to know the root of your curiosity given that they probably won't believe you in the first place. If you were to say their beloved Cavalry Captain might have some ties with the Abyss, the entirety of Mondstadt would consider it the same as crying wolf. To your chagrin, Mona didn't seem to have any plans on enlightening you about what she'd shown either.

Revealing the specifics goes against my practice. It's entirely up to you how you're going to appraise what happened there.

It's been a while since you'd embarked on your first commission, and even if you still lamented the fact that you couldn't accomplish it on your own, you were far too preoccupied with the current dilemma at hand. Mona continued acting as if nothing happened—inviting you to lunch dates, checking out Marjorie's latest wares, and going out for the occasional job or two when something comes up at the Guild. You had a glaring suspicion that she was purposely trying to get your mind off it, but as much as you wanted to alleviate your own train of thought to other things...you can't.

"Well if it isn't the Captain himself!"

Mags' voice rang in your ears along with the chime of bells by the front entrance. It's almost embarrassing how you've attuned yourself to Kaeya's presence that you would've known he was here even if no one announced it. Nonetheless, he met the well-meaning hellos of the other patrons with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before striding over to the counter. The screech of wood against wood grated your ears, but you were in much of a mood to chide him for it.