My Little Stowaway | Beidou x Reader(platonic)

Part 1: Freedom or Demise

      You honestly weren't sure how much longer you could keep this up. Your legs ached underneath you, and your lungs burned as you darted through the streets of Liyue Harbor. For archons sake how did you get into this mess? Right, you'd committed an act of thievery mere hours ago. But should you really be punished for trying to get basic needs? Besides, it was just a bit of mora. Not like that rich merchant would miss a few hundred of his precious coin. You shook your head clear as you heard the shouts of the Millelith, the esteemed guard of Liyue, edging closer towards you. "No time to think", you muttered to yourself as you just barely dodged a box of carrots in your path. You'd been playing a game of cat and mouse with the guard for around 2 hours now. Running as fast as your legs could carry you, hiding for a few fleeting minutes before being found again, just barely dodging them as they blocked your path, repeat process. The only reason you hadn't gotten caught yet was because of your knowledge of the city's paths. After all, you'd lived there all your life. At least that was long enough to know the shortcuts and back alleys. Archons, was there really anywhere you could take shelter from these people? This was the question you'd been asking yourself ever since you'd started the chase. But you were running out of time. And energy. It had been about a day since you'd last eaten anything and it was starting to get to you. The Millelith were becoming all the more wary of your tricks too. You stumbled a little as you made your next turn, causing one of the men behind you to grab your sleeve. "You are under arrest, by order of the Tianquan!" He barked into your ear as you panted loudly, your entire body shaking from exhaustion. But you weren't going to let this be your demise. Not after how hard you'd worked to survive these past years with almost nothing. Quick thinking and a swift kick to his nuts was all you needed to escape. The guard released you with a scream of pain and you again started running, despite your body screaming at you to stop from every angle. That was close. Too close. The guards knew they had you now and next time you wouldn't be so lucky. As you looked forward again your eyes became fixed on the area in front of you. The docks. A large ship was anchored at the port, its glamour making you realize that it was a vessel of some importance. It would be risky, who knows whether the people on board were friendly. Another shout from the Millelith behind you made you snap back to reality. It was either take your chances as a stowaway, or face the Liyue Qixing. The last thought made you shudder, and you began to sprint your way towards the docks. A few back alleys and hiding spots later, you found yourself crouching behind a small crate near your destination. Other than a few crew members drinking near the boarding plank, the surrounding area was empty. To your relief, the crew members began to drunkenly stumble their way on board. After a few more minutes of waiting in silence, you decided it was now or never. And with that, you made your way to what would either be your freedom, or your demise.

(To be continued)