THE JIANYU IN QUESTION MAKES A VISIBLE FACE ❄︎ of relief when the suggestion sounds over from the far side of camp, shoulders dropping and eyes rolling skyward. or maybe it'd be more accurate to call it a face of exasperated release. "about time. look, here's your chance now, kid——" the finger jabbed in his direction quickly swings over to the entrance to the "chasm" nearby, a gaping whorl in the earth that looked ready to leap up and swallow the sky. anywhere in the cosmos, he's never seen anything like it. "if you're really all that, get in there and show us your stuff."
yanqing knew this was less about giving him the opportunity to " show " anything, though, and more about jianyu being tired of his protests and eager to get him out of his hair and the rest of the real trainees back in order. if it wasn't such a bizarre situation for him, he'd be more sympathetic to the way the lieutenant must feel.
"i already said, i'm not a millelith trainee. . . "
but it's murmured hopelessly under his breath, and he's under few illusions that anyone would hear him, or care to start believing him now if they did.
"hey, yanqing-xiongdi——" a weight collides with him, an arm slung around his shoulders, and he looks back at the grinning face next to his own, speckled with near-invisible freckles. fuke, the boy with half mondstadt parentage. "can your flying swords take out all the bandits down there? i bet they can't, huh. those bandits are aggressive as hell."
tawny eyes blink. "what are y. . . of course my swords can handle some ordinary bandits. the problem is that i've been trying to tell you——"
but fuke is already laughing back to the others, not listening to a word. "what do you think? if yanqing can clear out just one of the bandit camps, then he can tell us his stories of the flying ship!"
a cheer goes up from the other gathered boys, filled with calls half-mocking, half-encouraging ; it's a sound he's too familiar with, and for a moment he could almost imagine this was the cloud knights. his smile turns into one of chagrin and some frustration: the luofu wasn't just some flying ship. but it's clear this was probably his only clear way out, and if there really was a vicious banditry problem, then he also didn't want to leave without even trying to help.
but he doesn't expect, when walking toward the chasm's entrance, for the woman standing there waiting for him to be someone he recognized. the surprise flickers plainly on his face. "you're. . . "
"this is. . . er," the officer standing guard looks briefly to her, "sorry, ma'am, i never got your name. anyway, yanqing, you're to escort her down through the chasm and make sure she finds her way back out safely. i don't know what everyone's joking about over there, but make sure to take this seriously."
her gaze is so unnerving, now that he's seeing her up close——two black crosses stare him down like chasms themselves gouged within her eyes. he decides to nod and figure the rest out later. "understood. my name is yanqing, a. . . new recruit to the force. it's my honor to accompany you."
