KARAOKE,  â  potentially inspired by a certain rockstar, the yun-han opera troupe has taken to hosting an extra-special event: karaoke! whether grabbing a friend to volunteer, running it solo, or dragged onstage against your will, go and sing your heart out!
There is no greater joy in this world than to sing. Itâs a simple belief, but one that has been held close to her heart throughout even the worst moments of her admittedly very confusing life; so itâs no question that much like a moth to a flame, was Columbina drawn to the promise of a chance at song.
She hadnât realized thereâd be quite so much of a crowd, though. In hindsight it makes sense, of course, but still⊠seeing so many pairs of friends, gathered in one place to share their love of song and each other with all those who came to listen⊠Itâs hard not to feel a tad lonely seeing her name on the signup sheet without one at its side.
The moon goddess has always sung for herself, and herself alone. Others have come to listen (or tell her to stop, in the cases one certain individual) but it has never been for them, nor has it ever been with them. Maybe itâs time that, too, changes â as so much in her life as of late already has.
âAre you interested in singing tonight as well?â Columbina approaches the seemingly solo stranger with a smile, gesturing back towards the signup board and the empty space beside where her own name was written. âIf you havenât signed up on your own already, what say you to a duet? It could be fun, I think. You can pick the song.â
LANTERN RITE 2026 (accepting!)
Countless denizens of the Universe have waxed poetic on the ethereal beauty of the Halovian speciesâthe otherworldly, divine features paired with their glowing halos and dove-white wings, their voices that carried Harmony with every quavering note, their mysterious smiles and their inscrutable intentions. A Halovian herself, Robin had never truly felt the depth of awe that others did when setting their sights upon creatures like her. That was, until now.
Robin was familiar with the feeling of being struck by the beauty of a woman, but she was not expecting it to happen in line for karaoke. The lady who had approached her could have been mistaken for a Halovian. She bore the same inscrutable features, the same white feathers, the same cryptic smile, but there was also something incredibly Different about her which Robin could not parse. That was, perhaps, the most beautiful thing about her. Robin tried not to stare. It was rude. But her eyes remained fixed upon her dollike visage, so much like porcelain that she feared it might shatter soon.
"...It could be fun," Robin echoed, a curl pulling at her lips, "I had been thinking of asking someone to sing with me, so I'm grateful to you for approaching me. The only problem now is choosing a song."
The people before her all sang local pieces, either native to Liyue or native to Teyvat. Robin's pop-style of music might seem jarring. In fact, she wondered if the band that had been set up on stage could even play that sort of genre. Perhaps she ought to provide her own instrumental using her phone.Â
"I'm actually a traveler from far beyond Liyue. I don't know any local songs, admittedly," Unless one counted the string of bell tolls that had sounded from that tower, so long ago by now, but that was a melody she felt was only known to those who had heard itâand the benevolent lady who had penned it, "but if you'd like to learn a duet from my homeland, I could teach it to you."
She pulled out her phone. There was no signal here, but most of her music was downloaded. It would pose no problem. She scrolled through a long list of songs, humming when she finally settled on one.
"It's called 'Ah, Moon and Star.' The melody is simple, but nice. Once you have it down, I can harmonize with you."
