𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 | Genshin Impact

ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏꜱ

FIFTY SEVEN

SCARLET EYES FILLED with delicate plum blossoms. Hu Tao's irises were one of a kind. With short, thick lashes; and the faintest red pigment drawn at the corners. Now looking at it from up close, (Y/n) made sure to take in all the little things about her friend's appearance.

"You were in Mondstadt, right?" The brunette asked, "You must've seen a lot."

Hu Tao kept her attention anchored towards the pages in hand she flipped through.

Tracing circles against the tabletop, (Y/n) spoke. "I'd seen a lot, lived a lot," She began, "I had a whole life there. And it definitely wasn't easy at times..."

The sound of Hu Tao shuffling through papers filled the room. "Well, if you ask me, I'm sure it wasn't hard for you to fit in. Right?" She glanced up briefly, "I mean, pretty sure it comes naturally to you from what I've seen."

Did it? (Y/n) wanted to ask. But instead, her eyes caught sight of something else.

The doors to Hu Tao's workroom were left open slightly ajar. Had it not, (Y/n) wouldn't have captured the brief image of Zhongli passing by.

It was the sound of his footsteps that beckoned her to turn his way quickly, then his shadow. And once his shadow completely filled the empty hall, his figure soon followed. (Y/n) hadn't captured the look on his face, but surely he was concentrated to his duties.

Seeing him again reminded her of yesterday. Of the "talk" they had about the Anemo Archon. She just couldn't shake it off.

"Hu Tao," (Y/n)'s eyes flickered from the doorway back towards the girl, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

The brunette kept her attention down. "Ask away," She said with a smile.

Taking in a a deep breath, (Y/n) spoke.

"It's about Zhongli."

For a second, Hu Tao's eyes froze above a few words. "What about him?" She asked as she resumed skimming the page.

(Y/n) leaned back in the chair she sat. "I was wondering if by chance you could tell me more about him. Like how he knows so much about things people like you and I wouldn't know, for example."

After she asked this of her, (Y/n)'s gaze followed Hu Tao as she gently dropped the stack of pages in hand.

Her scarlet eyes darted across the first sheet of the stack as if thinking about what to say. Then, she glanced up when she seemingly made up her mind.

"Zhongli may have quite the youthful glow, but his personality should speak for itself," She began. "He's a bit dusty, if you hadn't noticed. And his head is like a grove of knowledge..."

Hu Tao pressed a finger towards her bottom lip in ponder. "Hmm... now that I think about it, couldn't be that he's a..." She paused briefly, the ends of her mouth suddenly curving upward in amusement.

"Hehe," A giggle escaped her throat, "Forget it, whatever."

But (Y/n) didn't want to let it slip by.

"What?" She asked her, "What were you going to say?"

But before Hu Tao could say a word, a gloved hand snaked it's way across the jarred door.