childofthewindandstars-a

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"...Mama smells yummy!"

"...Oh."

ーー Right. She forgot about the Almond Tofu connoisseur Jr.

[childofthewindandstars-a]

The teal-haired girl promptly shook her head before pointing to the bird-shaped plushie sitting snugly on her lap.

"I'm not alone. Mr. Birdie is with me! See?"

To any other person, this was nothing but a stuffed animal who could not talk nor protect the child in case of danger, but Xinyue truly saw him as her 'friend' - often having full conversations with the plush as if he could talk back to her. A child's imagination is truly boundless after all.

"Mama...She is not with me right now. She's on one of her adventures. But that's okay! I'm already four, so I'm a big girl now! And my Papaーー"

Her expression saddened, head lowered.

"...I don't know where he is. That's why I'm here, to look for him." Unfortunately, since she has no idea what he looks like, it's not easy to find him.

The Yaksha turned to face the child who was speaking so boldly... It was rare for someone to be so upfront with him, let alone a child... but she was not just any child, and she was not intimidated by his appearance nor his aura... just who was she? The last time he lost an argument against someone was with the Traveler, and this young girl was challenging him as well. Without a word, he walked closer, stopping when he was right in front of her, his arms crossed. She seemed oddly familiar to him, it was as if.. they were related... as far as her looks were concerned. The purple mark on her forehead, the teal color of her hair, albeit the few blonde streaks here and there... Not to mention her energy... this couldn't be a mere coincidence, would it? There was one way to find out...

"You were on your own... and where are your parents?" A direct question... He disliked being subtle. He needed to get to the bottom of this.

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"Woaaaaaah..."

The little girl looked up at the Adeptus with big, round eyes. Did he appear out of thin air? Other children her age might be spooked, but she thought it was super cool. Not even her mommy - the most awesome person in this world could do that!

Right. The Almond Tofu.

After looking back and forth between this mysterious young man and the half-empty plate of food, she made quite the bold statement.

"Nu-uh! Your name's not on it, so it's free game! That's what mama told me! If you don't want your food to get eaten, you have to write your name on it!"

Truly one of the most important 'houserules' when living with a floating food vacuum who will devour anything in sight.

She found an unattended plate of almond tofu on one of the tables at the inn, so it is hers now.

[childofthewindandstars-a]

She found an unattended plate of almond tofu on one of the tables at the inn, so it is hers now.

[childofthewindandstars-a]

Xinyue shook her head in return. "Nu-uh! I'm a big girl already. I can eat and drink without making a mess." ー She says that while her face is literally still smothered in sticky, sweet syrup from the plate of almond tofu she had just earlier.

Now with her tummy full, she was starting to get a little sleepy, a big yawn slipping past her lips.

"Ye ye...Can you tell me another story about the big Earth Dragon?"

She holds up her sippy cup.

"Osmanthus grape juice tastes the same as I remember...But where are those who share the memory?"

ー Little bird feels so proud of herself for finally memorizing all of those difficult words."

[childofthewindandstars-a]

She holds up her sippy cup.

"Osmanthus grape juice tastes the same as I remember...But where are those who share the memory?"

ー Little bird feels so proud of herself for finally memorizing all of those difficult words."

[childofthewindandstars-a]

The teal-haired girl slowly raised her head at the stranger, tears still pooling in the corners of her eyes as she reached out for the extended hand, using it to get back up on her feet.

"My lantern..."

Her gaze was fixated on the object, clearly showing how important it was to her. "Can I have it back...? I need it...To make a wish."

The lantern rolls to a stop and a lady with long brown hair with pink and blonde highlights crouches down. She carefully picks up the lantern, holding it in her hand. She slowly stands and walks over to Xinyue and holds her hand out to her. “Are you alright?” She asks

[childofthewindandstars-a]

The small girl was walking along the busy streets of Liyue Harbor amidst full festival fevor. In both arms, she held a xiao lanterns which was almost half her own size - making it very difficult to walk properly with the large object blocking half of her view.

On top of that, it was also incredibly crowded, so it was only a matter of time until someone bumped into her, causing Xinyue to lose balance and topple over as her lantern went rolling ahead.

"Ouch..."

"Ah! My lantern...!"

[childofthewindandstars-a]

The small girl was walking along the busy streets of Liyue Harbor amidst full festival fevor. In both arms, she held a xiao lanterns which was almost half her own size - making it very difficult to walk properly with the large object blocking half of her view.

On top of that, it was also incredibly crowded, so it was only a matter of time until someone bumped into her, causing Xinyue to lose balance and topple over as her lantern went rolling ahead.

"Ouch..."

"Ah! My lantern...!"

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"What's a Lantern Rite...?"

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"What's a Lantern Rite...?"

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"It's..."

Suddenly she went quiet, scratching her head. Come to think of it, the little girl had no idea what even went into her favorite dish.

"Uhm...I-It's like a nice dream! Soft and sweet...Making you feel all happy after eating it."

"Almond... tofu? What's that?" Now it's him who is curious. Perhaps he hasn't tried foreign cuisines yet?

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"Tube noodles...? I've only ever had flat, long noodles...But I'll ask uncle Ae about this Ma...Maca...Tube noobles!"

She was a big foodie, so it would be fun to try something new.

"But I don't think it can beat Mama's almond tofu. It's the best!"

"It's like tube noodles." That's an odd way to describe it. "And it's good. You should try it!"

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"Maca...woni...? What's that? Is it good?"

"Mama makes the best macaroni in the whole wide world!"

[childofthewindandstars-a]

You look like the little sister of Lan Yan. I mean that's kind of true

"Lan...Yan...? Mama never talked about her..."

[childofthewindandstars-a]

"Maybe I should write a letter to Santa and ask him to bring my Papa to me."

...

"Wait. I can't write yet..."

[childofthewindandstars-a]

Hi Kid Have a Gun

;;ooc: Sorry, this kind of crosses the line for me. :/ Even if it's meant as a joke, giving a child a deadly weapon is not funny.