𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

30 - when earth mistakes you for raiden's long-lost sibling

—September 29th, 2020, 23:45—

Freyr, ever the laid-back presence, wandered over, his casual air unhindered. "Y/n, what's the current obsession?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Just this new game that popped into existence yesterday," Y/n replied, her focus unwavering from the screen.

"Cool. What's it called?" Freyr leaned in, an eyebrow raised.

"Genshin Impact," she blurted, fingers darting across the controller. "Picture this: an anime wonderland, endless landscapes, and adventures in a mystical place called Teyvat. The cherry on top? It's free."

She then leaned closer to Freyr with a mischievous grin, and whispered conspiratorially, "Well, 'free'... unless you tumble down the rabbit hole of gacha addiction and forget what grass feels like under your feet."

Freyr leaned even closer to scrutinize the screen. For a fleeting moment, his ever-laid-back face contorted into an expression of shock, but he was quick to regain his usual composure. "Who's the character you're rocking there?" he asked.

"That's Venti!" Y/n chirped, "He's part of the limited banner right now. Makes a real mess with his black hole ultimate."

"And the other one?" Freyr gestured to a different character.

"Diluc. One of the best DPS-" Y/n began, but paused, seeing Freyr's unusual expression. "What's up with the face, Dad?"

The corner of his lips twitched upward in a grin. "Nothing much. Anyway..." he suddenly called out, "Hey, XENNN!"

Xenon, his attention still on his phone, asked, "What are you playing?"

"Genshin! Wanna try?" Y/n asked, a glint of excitement in her eyes.

Xenon shot her a sideways glance, his expression warping into a scowl. "Fuck no. I think I just developed an instant migraine!" he griped theatrically, "Adieu, gaming nerds." With that, he made a show of clutching his head, turning on his heel, and storming off towards the sanctuary of his room.

Y/n laughed at Xenon's theatrics, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on! Your drama queen antics could rival the best soap operas, Xen!" she called after him, grinning at his retreating figure. "Enjoy your 'migraine'!"

Freyr, however, nonchalantly shrugged. "I'm game. Let's set up an account."

Y/n stared at him, taken aback. Usually, Freyr was too ensconced in his self-proclaimed 'laziness' to even entertain the idea of beginning a new game. But now, it was as if a switch had been flipped.

***********
—present time—

Dear Y/n,

I would like to congratulate you for your victory at the tournament. As per the rules, your reward is an opportunity to be trained by me. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the champion is not just someone I know, but also an immortal with a similar experience in battle as myself.

So, with this in mind, I'd like to suggest a change. How about we meet at Araumi tomorrow? Instead of training, we could have a picnic with my sister Makoto and a few other friends. I'm sure it will be a delightful day out.

Barbatos is also invited, of course. I rarely spend time with other Archons outside of formal meetings, so this could be a nice change.

Ei

***********

Ei,

Well, color me impressed. I never imagined getting an invite for a picnic instead of a sword duel from you. Who are you and what have you done with the real shogun?