The weight of judging women was thankfully short as the sounds of large rustling wings spread out on the terrace and I smiled seeing the crane that was taller than even myself flying over with Ganyu, Shenhe, and even the hooded figure of Morax silently flying our way with his arms held akimbo over his chest to hide his features.
"Oh, there's Lady Cloud Retainer!" Yanfei cried out and I pulled back to the less judging gaze of Lumine and Eula... Who most certainly didn't have any breast envy with how they actually were pretty busty.
Guizhong cheerfully waved at the three new people that landed or stopped a bit from us as they closed in on her. And I meanwhile had to hold Paimon in my arms as she mumbled about wanting to see what was beneath Zhongli's hood.
For a moment there was a tense silence as Guizhong and Morax looked at one another. Guizhong being proudly 'fun sized' had to look up to Morax due to his height and likewise Zhongli had to look down towards his old friend finally the silence was broken when Guizhgong spoke. "So did you ever complete my puzzle music box?" She asked softly and Morax went completely still at the question.
But Morax just shook his head with a soft sigh before he spoke with his voice coming in his deep timber that fit his status as a dragon in his Adeptus form. "No... I tried but I think a part of me was scared of completing it and then losing the challenge that kept your memory clear in my heart for so many years." He explained with a wry smile that was clear with how I could see the bottom of his face from under his hood.
Guizhong then put a hand to her waist and pointed at Morax's chest before she began speaking with a bit of a lecturing tone in her voice, but I paid less attention as Shenhe and Ganyu came over to speak with us while Cloud Retainer walked over to talk to her old friend who was partially brought back to life.
"Ganyu its good to see you again." I greeted while smiling awkwardly to Shenhe as the last time we met she almost attempted to confiscate my Rainslasher greatsword but if anything it looked like she completely forgot all about it as she evenly spoke in greetings.
"Uhm Paimon was curious?" Paimon spoke up and then as she continued I couldn't help but snicker at her words. "So Paimon knows Ganyu is an Adepti and her horns is part of her bloodline... But Shenhe, is your headpiece part of a horn or something?" Paimon questioned.
For a moment Shenhe actually touched the curved headpiece on the left side of her head and then she shook her with her voice coming out evenly. "No. I may be versed in the Adepti arts but I am completely human."
And at that, I couldn't help but snort at Paimon kinda slumping in the air at Shenhe's denial. "So how have things been recovering?" I asked.
Ganyu and Yanfei shared a look with Ganyu responding with a small smile. "On the grand scale of things we did phenomenally with how the Fatui basically made it a battle of three fronts with the abyssal beings attacking the towns folk with the Fatui agents, and likewise with Azhdaha and Osial keeping the Adepti and Vision Weilders busy many more townspeople would have died if it wasn't for Eula helping fight the abyss and fatui directly," Ganyu explained but there was no hiding the sadness and grief that was in her eyes for the people that were inevitably lost in the battle.
What the Genshin games even in canon don't mention is the sheer number of people who probably were affected by the battle with Osial in the base game and to say nothing of all the Fatui, Lumine and the others would have killed during the event of the battle. But I had zero clue why in the world Lumine in the game would ever become friends with Childe even during his event quest. And here in this world with the abyss monsters and fatui attacking the civilians directly, I had no doubt the losses were in the triple digits.
At the bare minimum.
Before my thoughts could go around in circles I blinked as Shenhe stood in front of me directly and looked straight into my eyes with her reflective lavender eyes. "Uhhh Shenhe, can I help you?" I asked blankly and Shenhe straightforwardly nodded.
"Yes, I need your help getting to the offshore island where Osial's partner supposedly lives... With her partner's death, our sensors have already picked up her preparing something so I have elected to nip her possible actions in the bud." Shenhe explained flatly and I couldn't help a nervous giggle at how frankly Shenhe admitted to wanting to tear out the roots of future issues...
'Dear gods of Teyvat, her cultivator essence was coming through...' I thought while holding in the very real thought of blurting how Shenhe could get revenge on the Fatui by exterminating their nine generations or something. She literally had magical ropes BDSM tied around parts of her body that helped her mind hold back her psychotic murderous impulses so giving her the idea of some kind of 'true' retribution may work far more than I could anticipate.
"Wait isn't that... You know kinda bad when they haven't done anything yet?" Paimon asked and Shenhe only cocked her head to the side while Ganyu covered her face at how blunt her fellow disciple and adopted sibling was.
Shenhe actually doubled down as she bluntly nodded. "Yes it's slightly uncouth to deal with someone before they commit an actual crime, but her status and connection to Osial the god who has been finally killed cannot be understated and the defenders of Liyue rather not have divine fury inflicted onto the civilians once more," Shenhe explained softly and I just exhaled before shaking my head.
"Nope," I said flatly. I wasn't going to go kill someone who was probably grieving for their lost husband/partner or whatever relationship Osial and Beisht had honestly.
Ganyu if anything looked relieved at my refusal but Shenhe surprised me as she stepped forward and before I could react her hands smooshed my face together with her breasts and I realized something... I was six feet tall flat. And Shenhe with her high heels was like three or four fucking inches taller than me so with her obscene 'cultivator' strength she shamelessly pulled me over to the god's little discussion area and I heard her monotone voice speak up and I could hear and feel Cloud Retainer covering her bird forms head with her wings as Shenhe's words as well as the judging stares of all the girls.
"Master, I have acquired the assistance of Jake Barris with the method you mentioned... When I squished his cheeks he only looked confused so I moved on to the next step of smothering him into my breasts with excitement..." She explained and then continued as I began to struggle out of her grip, but it was for naught with her strength that could effortlessly throw the peaks of mountain tops.
"When he takes me to Beisht, I will ride in front of him so he can hold my hips where the vents in my outfit are so he cannot fall off his flying summon," Shenhe spoke to her master proudly and I fucking realized Cloud Retainer was trolling me because of how Paimon made her mad last time by calling her Ningguangs flying mount or something!