Genshin Isekai With Homies [Ao3 Crosspost]

Chapter 7: Part XX - Down in the Forest

Last time on Genshin Isekai with Homies...

Felix, James, Gui, and Addy have been sent on a wild Klee chase right after one another.
Through many twists and turns, and a forest burnt, they find themselves in Wolvendom.

Perhaps with their feral companion, they'll finally get some rest?

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Addy and the crew, and Klee, follow Razor bit by bit into the unknown. The leaves shake in the night and Addy hugs Paimon closer. Practical outfit your mom, she thinks, sneezing as she pulls her scarf down over her exposed shoulders.

She wonders how Felix tolerates Bennett's adventure gear, flaunting his assets all 24/7, but he's probably too busy fanboying all over Razor to care. Talking about fitting in, she looks back at James, tossing nervous glances between her and an excitable Klee. The little one bombards him with an onslaught of Who What When Where Why questions about exorcists, his ancestors, right down to his preferences of dandelion wine. Addy will let him handle that on his own. As for Gui... The man's weirdly quiet throughout their walk. He should've yapped Addy's ears dry for their explosion earlier by now. Preoccupied with his semi-limping state, dazed, or plain tired of their shit, she's not sure.

"Are you not cold?" Addy asks.

"Cold?... We'll reach the camp fire soon."

They continue their walk in relative peace, that is, until Felix and Klee spy a yellow silhouette and yell and scramble toward it.

They arrive at the camp: a small dying campfire surrounded by a couple of fallen logs and a humble tent next to the road. It's too small for them all to fit under, but thankfully, Felix pulls out enough blankets to make some more tents (Gees, does he have a house in there?). Klee dances around the camp's sleeping heart as the others take their wooden seats. James props Gui down against the tent while Felix sits beside Addy, who plops their still unconscious fairy into a make-shift scarf bed nearby.

"Bennett, Bennett, can you light up the fire?" Klee pokes at the ash-filled logs.

"Sure!"

He opens his hands and does Chongyun's martial arts hand gestures. The embers spark, light up, then die.

Addy coughs into her hand and looks away while Klee pats his hanging back and Razor ignites the fire the old-school way, with flint and steel.

"It's ok! My fire gets tired some days too, don't you Mr. Dodoco?" Klee shakes her doll at him with a smile and Felix smiles back. He spies Addy grinning at him from the back and he scoffs. She twirls her head in an indignant reply and he agreeably nods. At least he was not downed by Bennett's luck for too long. Good for him.

The crackling fire crawls out of its bed of logs as the crew unloads their bags and unpacks their thoughts. Felix takes off his goggles onto Paimon's head and laughs with Addy as Paimon whines sleepily and rolls back to sleep. Gui finally puts away his spear and he drops repose next to James, fiddling with his belt.

"What next?" James asks. There is no map marker pointing to the next location, no Paimon to nudge them on their next quest, and no immediate urge to go on except for that vague instruction of riddle to go home.

Sure, they can fumble their way to the dark again for the teleport waypoint and return to Wangshu Inn, or hope to find Venti at Angel's Share, but then what'll they gonna do? Lock themselves in another domain for that big-brain riddle and maybe fight some more bosses? Nah.

She stands up.

"There's only one thing that we can do."

"Sleep?"