Fugitive of Inazuma (Genshin Impact)

❀ XII ❀

Xiao was outside the temple. He stood before the Sacred Sakura tree. Yae had asked him, Ayaka, and Thoma to step out so she could concentrate. He wanted to be alone and this is where he found himself. Although his gaze was locked on the beautiful tree, his mind was occupied by memories of Izanami. There was one in particular he couldn't stop from replaying on a seemingly endless loop.

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"Fish..." Izanami muttered, placing a hand over her grumbling stomach. Her gold-slit eyes watched a few bass joyfully swim around in the water below. She and Xiao were relaxing in Dihua Marsh on top of a boulder not too far from shore. She slumped over with a groan as her stomach wailed again, demanding to be fed. "Ugh..."

"I told you to eat before we left," Xiao sighed. "You don't listen sometimes..."

"For the record, I wasn't hungry before we left. These fish are to blame!" Her eyes gleamed with hunger. "I mean, look how delicious they are! They're just swimming by with no care in the world, taunting me!"

"I do not understand how you are able to eat fish," he huffed.

"I don't understand how you eat nothing but almond tofu," she remarked sassily.

"I have tried various dishes at your behest, but none of them were to my liking."

"So picky..."

He chose to ignore her last sentence. Instead, he gazed up at the sky. He enjoyed the gentle breeze that blew across the land. It ruffled his hair and gently grazed his skin, cooling him down. The peace was relaxing and he didn't know when he closed his eyes. All he knows is they reopened at the sound of splashing.

Looking down, Xiao found Izanami in the lake. It wasn't deep at all. It was a shallow part of the lake. He saw her sprawled out on her back with her head under the water. The water was so clear he could see the look of disappointment on her face. The moment she pushed herself into a sitting position and her head broke through the water's surface, he asked, "Did you try to catch the fish?"

"So what if I did?" She questioned.

"You're an idiot," he retorted. "Without a fishing rod, it is impossible to catch fish. Did you really think you could catch one with your bare hands?"

"It was worth a try."

Xiao remained on the boulder as he offered her a hand. When she took it, he was ready to hoist her out of the water. However, he was taken aback when she tugged on his hand and pulled him into the lake. He choked out a gasp as he fell into the water. With a glower, he emerged from the water and eyed her. "You..."

Izanami laughed, releasing his hand."That's what you get for calling me an idiot."

"Now we're both soaked to the bone," he groaned. "You are a nuisance sometimes."

"So are you," she remarked. She poked the lilac diamond marking located on his forehead with a smile. "You really are a stick-in-the-mud. Loosen up and have some fun. Is there some contract you and the other adepti have that prevents you from having fun that I don't know about?"