modernity - xiaoven

6.

i had to rewrite this chapter bc i forgot about the plot.

"are you an alcoholic?"

"why so blunt? and maybeeeeeeee" 

are removed bits. wtf.  

lmao i love past mikey. i think i just finished chapter ten, so take this.

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after around two hours of venti dragging xiao around the mall, since he hadn't been there in years. and because it is the largest mall in teyvat, they ended up getting tired halfway through walking the mall.

"there's a food court! we should get something!"

"fine."

"i'll pay! i wonder if they have as good of food as there is at good hunter, or at the tavern."

"tavern?"

"diluc's tavern. i tend to spend a lot of time there."

xiao simply scoffed, and glanced at his... friend? acquaintance? he didn't know what they were. in venti's eyes, they were friends, though xiao was still unsure of that fact.

"now hurry~! i wanna sit down!"

"alright, alright."

venti had started to run over to the counter, xiao following behind. luckily, for the two of them, the court had no line, and it was open.

"whatcha gonna get?"

"nothing. i ate before coming here."

"you're eating. no buts."

"why?"

"we were walking around for hours! and i know you were waiting like thirty minutes for me, and i don't know how far you walked to get her originally!"

xiao simply shook his head and turned to the counter. "fine."

"i hope they have-

"it's a mall food court, they all have the same things."

venti gave the other a playful glare, before walking over to order.

"get me a pretzel. those are the only things there i can tolerate."

"okay!"

----

moments later, xiao and venti were sitting at one of the many tables at the food court, venti with chicken strips, while xiao got his pretzel.

"how do you stand those?"

"i've had worse food."

"like what?"

"my old friend ei's cooking."

"that doesn't narrow shit down."

"she'd burn everything she'd make. it was painful."

"oh."

venti chuckled. "her practically girlfriend made us eat it still though, because she was still learning."

"practically girlfriend?"

"they act like they're dating, but they deny being in a relationship. they're from inazuma, though, so i don't see them often."

"ah."