"Kenshin" Sara greeted with a smile on her face. Today she will go on a date with Kenshin, and she had been waiting for it the 3 days she confirmed the plan.
"My dear General" Kenshin said with a theatrical bow, but he also had a smile on his face. "I await your guidance today".
Sara was the one who wanted to create the plan for the date, and she prepared something they could both enjoy.
"It's not like you need it anymore" Sara replied with a grin. She had been ecstatic when Kenshin learnt how to do the weird 'glasses' thing. She didn't care if Kenshin was blind or not, but knowing that her efforts to look good were now effective, she felt exultant.
Kenshin and the rest decided to take it slow and see where it leads.
Sara had no problem with it, Makoto, although a bit bashful and hesitant at first, quickly forgot about her nervousness once they started talking, and Ei was Ei.
She was having a few weekly fights with Kenshin, and she was having the time of her life.
Kenshin had to avoid making one-hit kills, he could detonate the Space of Euthymia and quickly exit, but these battles were for Ei to unwind and get tired.
Not to mention that he probably wouldn't survive either.
Kenshin treated it as letting the dog tire himself out so he wouldn't break things in the house.
Kenshin tried to mimic a sword to fight with Ei, but he instantly lost. No matter how fast he moved the 'sword', Ei obliterated him.
That made him realize that he could win only because he was almost a god in what souls were referred to, and he was overwhelming Ei with his ability. But Ei's battle sense and instinct were way, WAY better than his.
In fact, he would instantly die if Ei decided to simply cut him using the puppet and not let him enter the Plane of Euthymia, which under Kenshin and Ei's efforts had somewhat recovered.
All in all, his relationships were progressing, even if they hadn't done something a nun wouldn't approve of. A true nun, one of the chaste ones.
But the most important change was his eyes.
He was still blind, but he could see. Amazing.
A few months ago, Yae decided to teach him something dangerous, how to build a 'soul' plane, just like the Plane of Euthymia.
Ei had inserted her soul in a sword, and the inside of the sword was the Plane of Euthymia, basically a manifestation of her soul. But Kenshin didn't need that, his domain over souls was unparalleled in this world, and that allowed him to do what Ei did, create a plane, but he kept his soul on his body.
Just like Ei could 'abduct' people inside the Plane of Euthymia to make sashimi, Kenshin could do something similar, but instead of fighting, he 'projected' his soul over his eyes and made the Plane invisible.
This worked as a sort of glass that allowed him to see, and for Kenshin it was marvellous.
He could finally consume porn.
Of course, it had more practical applications, he could now defend himself.
If he could beat Ei inside HER soul, what wouldn't be able to beat inside his own one?
But he had never needed to fight, and he hoped he never would.
And as he could see inside the Plane of Euthymia, after training a lot, he could project his Plane upon the world over his eyes, letting him see.
"Of course" Kenshin said, and looked with an appraising look at Sara. Even if he could now see normally, his ability to see the souls was not diminished in the slightest, so he could sense Sara's anticipation, and with his normal sight he could see Sara's feet twitching nervously.
"Don't worry Sara, you look stunning" Kenshin said with a hand on his chin. Sara wasn't wearing his usual attire, she was wearing a white shirt that didn't cover her shoulders, a purple skirt and sunglasses to protect her eyes.
"Thank you" Sara nodded happily. "We will go to Liyue, so we need to go to Ritou".
"I didn't expect our date to be outside Inazuma" Kenshin muttered. He didn't care of where the date would take place, but he expected Sara to plan it on Inazuma.
"You are probably the person who knows about Inazuma the most, it's difficult to find a place you haven't seen "Sara took the arm Kenshin was offering her, intertwining their arms together, and left for Ritou.
"That's probably true" Kenshin had to admit that he knew everything about Inazuma, at least Narukami Island.
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"I only came here on business trips before" Sara came down from the ship, and looked around with expectation. "It's the first time I come to have fun".
"What a way to prepare for a date" said Kenshin with a smirk.
"It's not like I needed to plan a lot for it" replied Sara. "I know what you like, so the perfect plan for you is the one I need to plan for the least".
"Weeell..." Kenshin thought about the things he liked that Sara could plan for. His biggest hobby was to look for peculiar souls, there was something extremely interesting about trying to think about the kind of being they belonged to. After that, it probably was about visiting new places, and lastly, writing or reading. Pranks were lately losing their fun, and he didn't know if it was because he was growing up, but he was starting to have fun in other ways, ways that didn't involve making people angry.
Of course, one or two pranks were always welcome, but they weren't his main way to have fun.
"We will buy food, and go on a picnic" Sara revealed her plan, and Kenshin sensed her anxiousness.
"Why are you nervous?" he asked curiously.
"I tried reading a lot of books about dates, and they depicted them as incredibly special days. Using a wind glider to down a mountain, swimming, going to the beach...." Sara explained while wiping her hands in her skirt, trying to get rid of the sweat. "And my plan is very....normal".
"Don't be stupid Sara" Kenshin softly bonked her. "I like this more than using a wind glider, and it's your plan, there is no way I find it bad".
"I see" Sara happily said, taking the hand Kenshin was offering her.
"So do I".
They walked through the busy Liyue, intending on buying some food at the Wang Ming restaurant, whose food Sara had liked a lot the last time she came to Liyue.
They looked at the stalls, sometimes buying things, others just looking.
"I don't want to talk about this today, but what about that contract?" asked curiously Kenshin. They had some stupid way of deciding who he 'belonged' to.
"We talk with each other" replied Sara, not getting offended. "That Fatui girl didn't send us a single letter, but Shenhe sends a LOT. She is sending letters to Jean, Makoto, Yae and me daily. When I asked her about this, she replied saying that I didn't have to ask for permission, she didn't mind at all".
"I honestly don't like the fact that you need to ask for permission to have a date with me in Liyue, or Mondstadt, or anywhere else really" Kenshin commented with a frown. Things were going great, but there were always some cons to every situation.
"I understand what you mean. I also don't like feeling that I am not free to go with you wherever I like" Sara nodded, but she wore a small smile. "The contract we signed was supposed to help each other feel like we had a 'territory' to put it some way, where we had control".
"I am not liking it even more" muttered Kenshin, but Sara tightened her hold on his hand.
"That was at the start when we didn't know what was going to happen. After talking to each other for these 2 years, we understand how the other people think, and we are not that guarded anymore. I only asked Shenhe as a formality, just like we can go to Mondstadt, or Jean can come on a date with you to Inazuma and we won't complain" she explained, taking off her sunglasses in the shadow, letting Kenshin see her golden eyes.
"I like that a lot more" Kenshin nodded. "We are here, what do you want?"
"Hello!" a hyperactive child accompanied by a bear came forth. "Welcome to the Wang Ming restaurant, what can I serve you?".
"Hello there, why don't you ask the lady here" Kenshin pointed at Sara. "While I play with your friend?".
"Oh, it's you!" the girl, Xiangling, remembered the boy who helped her find her friend a few years ago. Seeing Guoba's excitement, she quickly nodded.
"Come, dear friend, let's talk to our other nearby friend while my prospective girlfriend buys some sumptuous food" Kenshin held Guoba in his arms, and left the blushing Sara with the excited Xiangling.
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"Hello, Boss of the Lands" Kenshin greeted Morax, who was drinking tea. "And despicable traitor" he directed a stinky look towards Guizhong, who laughed.
"I don't know why are you complaining" she said with a smirk, looking at the overwhelmed Sara, whom Xiangling was exaggeratedly gesturing to. "Things seem to be going good".
"Well, probably not as good as you" muttered Kenshin, looking at Guizhong without his 'normal' vision.
"Why do you say that?" asked calmly Morax. He was not calm at all.
"Why do you say that?" Kenshin repeated, looking at Guizhong. "I think it's obvious right, you shameless simp?"
"Hey!" replied Guizhong angrily. She understood later what that term meant.
"Well, I need to go. A pleasure to see you Marchosius" Kenshin said patting the bear's confused eyes. "Maybe the day I can help you recover isn't far away".
Morax's eyes opened at this. He believed that Kenshin would sooner or later be able to help Marchosius restore his former power, but he had another being in mind. A friend carved from pure rock, that even now was sealed and suffering the effects of Erosion.
Erosion was a natural process, akin to aging for long-lived beings like him, product of the mental erosion they suffered during their life.
Morax knew that being Eroded was a consequence of age, not an illness or a curse, but he had seen Kenshin do even more difficult miracles, the presence of Guizhong by his side being the proof.
Maybe one day, he would be able to have another talk with Azdaha.
"Kenshin" Sara arrived taking a big package with her. Kenshin had returned the fragment of her soul inside her Vision to her own body years ago, so now she didn't carry her Vision anymore. And that meat that she no longer had that convenient 'space vault' to save things. "And you 2".
Sara was still pissed about these 2 people who intruded into her already complex love life. She knew she should be thanking them, but the sourness was still there.
Morax and Guizhing simply nodded, Guizhong with a smile. She knew Sara for as long as Kenshin did, and practically saw her develop fondness for Kenshin, followed by liking, and while she missed the moment her 'like' turned into love, she could imagine it.
And they were millennia-old gods, they were not going to be pissed off due to Sara's words.
"Let's leave them here to their own old-people things" Kenshin said, making his vision return and standing up taking the soft bear with him. "We have our own plans".
Sara nodded, and they returned Guoba, who Xiangling quickly hugged. Then carrying a box of food, they left the Harbor.
"You 2!" Kenshin shouted to Morax and Guizhong, who looked at him. "Invite me to the wedding okay?!"
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"Here we are" Sara said, stopping under a tree.
Kenshin and Sara were on top of a mountain, and they could see the whole Luhua Pool. It was a beautiful scenery where they could see the crystal blue water, the rice fields, and the imposing giant statues. Coupled with the soft breeze and the warm temperature, it made the perfect day for a picnic.
"I hope you bought a lot of food, I'm exhausted" said Kenshin with a smile. Since he used that ball Albedo gave him to craft his new body, he had never once felt tired again, it was amazing.
"I bought what I liked last time, and some things that girl recommended. I didn't recognize a lot of things as she was talking too fast, but I bought a bit of everything" Sara explained while getting a blanket from her bag.
"Let me help you".
Between the 2, they extended the blanket, and the tree gave them the much-needed shadow to relax under.
"Well, we have a bit of time before eating" Kenshin said looking at his watch. "What do you want to do? There is not that much time".
"Hmm, maybe we can make some time before we eat" said Sara, sitting on the blanket with her back against the tree.
"Then, ask away" Kenshin said, sitting next to Sara. The tree was big enough to cover both of them, but he thought that sitting next to her was a good idea.
"Hmmmm" Sara also scouted closer to him, so their shoulders were now touching each other. "What is your opinion of the state things are right now?"
"I think you are talking about 'this' right?" Kenshin asked, and seeing Sara nod, he continued. "I had my doubts at first, but I think it's going well. I feel bad about Shenhe and Jean as I haven't had that much time to see them, but they understand it. I haven't found a problem on my side" he shrugged.
"Hmm, I think the same" nodded Sara. "I had my doubts, but I find that going on this kind of date with you makes me satisfied. I am also swamped with work the Resistance is struggling so they are making a last-ditch effort so I don't have the time to miss you, and when I can take some time off, you are always there for me".
"What about the other?" asked Kenshin, draping an arm over Sara's shoulder, which she didn't seem to mind.
"I think they are great people in their own way" Sara explained, leaning on Kenshin's shoulder. "Jean seems to be the carbon copy of 'The Radiant Knight', but I still don't understand Shenhe. The Shogun, well, former Shogun is someone that while I respect a lot, I have trouble comprehending. Makoto is a lot easier to talk with, and she treats me like I am her....I don't know how to explain it".
"I think that as the creator of Inazuma, she feels weirdly protective of its citizens" explained Kenshin while hugging Sara closer. "And Ei is a mess, emotionally speaking. She is getting better now that Makoto is here, but she has suffered a lot this last 500 years".
"Well, she looks better now after your duels" noted Sara.
"She likes to fight, that's not a secret. And I think she is remembering the times she could fight relaxedly with her friends, letting her forget the nightmare she has been in the last 500 years" clarified Kenshin with a frown. "It going slowly, but good. Since Makoto was back, she is a lot more expressive".
"Indeed. She always had this calm look on her face, and I never knew what she thought" Sara agreed with Kenshin's analysis.
"But that's a problem you can't help with" said Kenshin, not wanting to change the topic.
"I will trust you with it then. And as I was saying, Yae is still a bit hard to access. She usually gives me vague statements or ambiguous replies" explained Sara.
"I think that's a mix between her own personality and the habit she had developed these past centuries. But I wouldn't worry about that, she is quite direct when she sees something she doesn't like. If she was angry, you would know it" Kenshin could speak about it first-hand. He thinks he is the one whom Yae has been most angry with since she was born.
"How are things going on with her?" asked Sara, knowing that their situation was a bit peculiar.
"Unexpectedly well" Kenshin said with a pensive look. "We only interacted with each other as the 'prankster and the pranked', with interchanging roles. The moment we started treating each other as a 'normal' person, leaving aside the pranks, it was surprisingly refreshing. From my part, I felt like I was talking with her for the first time".
"Well, that's a relief for you I guess" Sara said while absent-mindedly looking at the giant statues. "What do you want to do in the future? I don't think you are going to stay in Inazuma all your life, you are too active for that".
"I think so" mumbled Kenshin, slowly caressing Sara's hair, making her lean into his hand. "As you know, I want to solve the hilichurl's curse".