#sumeru city is a loading nightmare though

[biohazard-inevitable]

Got my green seelie and am happy with life

[wrathful--artist]

Caged Bird and Chased Mouse

Part 3: The Beginning of the Never Ending Mouse Wheel

A/N: ahahahaha,,, im sorry? But at least im finally reaching the Sabzeru festival bit of this story, im sorry its been a while. The reader’s feeling about the arts is based on my own, because I’m an artist and anyone who demeans any form of art make me angry >:(. Let’s start ig (oh stars this is not gonna be good) Anyway’s send me asks if you want

Warnings: Swearing (fuck and shit)

You head hurts so bad, but at least you’re comfy (small victories).

You open your eyes to see… your bedroom? Oh, yeah, you’re in a pseudo dream so not really, you guess.

‘Wait if im in a dream why the hell do I have a headache?’ You ponder to yourself while siting up from your bed, your body missing the familiar coziness and warmth,

You look around in hopes to see the lil green girl, Nahida she said? You’re not a hundred percent sure, considering how… hazy everything felt in the moment, including the time passage. ‘How long have I been out?’ You wonder, knowing you’ll gain no answers without Nahida. You decide to wander around your room, seeing what you could do here. You walk towards the window, which shows the outside with the bird feeder you had been meaning to refill before being sucked into a nightmare that has been this experience thus far. Grabbing the ledge on the window, you try and open it out of pure curiosity, it takes a struggle you know it didn’t need before only to see..

Black. Everywhere.

You try the door to see if it’s the same situation (it was). Just a never ending darkness stretching on seemingly forever. Deciding that most of the items in your room was useless for really anything in the moment, you walk towards your desk that housed your device for playing Genshin. The wretched thing that condemned you to a nightmare, but you knew it really couldn’t do anything to worsen your situation (God you hoped not). Booting it up just showed your lock screen, so far so good, putting in the password bring you to…

Huh?

Genshin??

You sit there for a solid 5 minutes wondering ‘What the actual hell???’, because thats crazy, somehow more crazy then being stuck in the damn game itself. You snap out of your stupor and decide to click on the screen (which is no longer welcoming you by your email, but your ingame name. Your somewhat glad it wasn’t using your real name) waiting for the loading sequence, but it just skips to opening the giant door. You wait with just a white screen, no elemental symbols in sight. When it finishes you’re not greated by any playable character’s back, but by a spirit??

What?

It looked like you in a sense, it was transparent with a simple robe. You took a look at the icons that the normal attack, elemental skill, and burst was usually located, only to see a button that looked like it was punching (?), one that was touching, and the final one looked like it was… well you couldn’t really tell what it was supposed to be. But you decided against trying any of them out of fear of what might occur. Looking around you realized ‘you’ were right in the middle of Sumeru City, right next to the adventurer’s guild. Walking around was a bit odd, you were very used to hearing the character’s footsteps and clothes moving but this spirit had no noise at all.

You end up at the front of “The Grand Bazaar”, an area you had been meaning to visit before falling into a coma-state. Opening the door and walking down the small hallway led to somewhere that was bustling with festivities! It was so pretty with all the flowers and decorations, you wonder what the occasion is as you continue onwards. Looking at some of the food stalls you really regret not going there, it just looks so good (you bet it smelt delicious). Not paying attention you end up walking the spirit right though someone,

“Brr! Woah, did you just feel that?”

“No?”

“It was a really cold draft, how did you not feel that?”

“There’s no draft in here.”

You just stop to listen,

‘So this character is functionally a ghost? Huh’ You continue through the Grand Bazaar to another entrance, hearing a… familiar voice, one you haven’t heard in forever. Walking through the doors you see,

Lumine and Paimon.

They were talking with a strange looking man with 5 containers in front of him. But all you could think was how were they here. You remembered you left your team in Inazuma before getting sucked in because you set commissions there (you were grinding achievements), in all honesty you wonder where your team is at the moment… you hope they’re okay and don’t hate you. You walk up to the two, deciding to follow them for now, to follow a story you never got to see before getting sucked into this.

“—speaking of tradition, do you want some Yalda Candies? They're a festival staple, and I happen to have some boxes readied here. Take a look and pick whichever one you want.” The odd looking man with a mustache and flower hat offers Lumine and Paimon the mentioned candies

“Whichever one... Don't these boxes all look the same?” Paimon asks with her not at all annoying voice (you’re being totally honest!)

You muse while peering down at the containers with your character, “Yeah, they sorta do. But they do have some different colors!” You speak to yourself in the dream-room, simply speaking aloud.

“?!” Lumine suddenly started to look around them, seemingly startled

‘Wonder what Lumine’s spooked about?? Nothing seems out of place or weird…’

“Haha, this is the fun part. Each box contains a random flavor — it's up to the luck of the draw. Flavors include Lavender Melon, Harra Fruit, Sunsettia...” The flower man continues to talk, seemingly unaware of Lumine’s confusion.

Paimon, the flower man, and a regal looking lady kept talking to each other, but at this point I was focused on Lumine. ‘Maybe she can hear me with this character?’ You move the character to be closer to Lumine, “if you can hear me Lumine, uhm… Pick the 2nd container!”

Lumine immediately pointed to the 2nd container “I pick this one.”. Her sudden interruption made the three others pause.

Flower man cleared his throa, “uhm, A-atten-tion! That's unfortunately Harra Fruit. The Sunsettia candy was in the 4th one”

“Aw man! I thought you only won battles because you had good luck but i guess not” Paimon interjected

“That still sounds good! I’d assume Harra fruit tastes like dragonfruit so that seems like it’d be a good treat!” You say out-loud, then turn your voice to Lumine, “Thanks Lumine, ignore Paimon ahaha. I’m sorry I left you in Inazuma…”

Lumine seems to blush then nod to the direction of where my character was.

You follow the three throughout the day, and we finally arrive to watch the dancer Nilou’s performance. You were pretty excited, never have really seen a dance performance. While you couldn’t see it with your own two eyes in person, at least you could get as close as you could. But it seemed like there was someone yelling at Nilou.

The regal lady (that you learned her name was Dunyarzad) chimed in “I think I just saw the Akademiya's Grand Sage... Why is he here in person?”

The two Akademiya officials kept yelling at Nilou, while Dunyarzad looked like she wanted to step in and stop it. “Lumine, please stop Dunyarzad I don’t thing things will go well if she tried to intervene.” You whisper into Lumine’s ear, having become a bit worried for Dunyarzad since you discovered what she was dealing with.

Lumine listens and convinces Dunyarzad not to confront the Akademiya people. You get closer as a group to hear a bit better, and as you listen to what the Akademiya officials are toting about, it makes your blood boil.

You valued the arts before all this, buying several commissioned pieces, listening to music at any given point, and seen a musical or two. Hearing the Sages (?) demean those arts makes you want to punch them. “Not everything is about knowledge you old idiots! Art is human nature just let her dance, and besides the arts can be used to understand the past, and find more knowledge you fuckers. Be lucky I can’t physically punch you.”

You rant to yourself (maybe a lil to Lumine too, considering she can hear you) angry at what they’re saying. You move your character over to the Sage’s and spam the punch button (it satisfied you to know it was in-fact a punch button and watching the character’s transparent fists phased through the Sages made you deeply happy). While you’re enjoying your non-consequential vengeance, they leave (muttering how cold the Bazaar is) and Paimon and Dunyarzad starts to comfort Nilou while Lumine and you stay back.

Lumine and Paimon return to where they’re staying, you follow. They lay down for sleep and suddenly-

BEEP

The loudest noise you’ve ever heard in your life rings throughout the dream-room, your head feels like it’s about to explode. “FUCK!” Your hands try and block the noise from your ear but it’s too late and you faint from the pain.

You head hurts so bad.

You open your eyes to see… your bedroom? Oh, yeah, you’re in a pseudo dream so not really, you guess.

‘Wait if im in a dream why the hell do I have a headac- wait this feels familar?’ You ponder to yourself while siting up from you bed.

You stand up from your bed and walk (back?) to the desk with your device, opening to the Genshin door again. You click and wonder what the hell that noise was before you fainted (?) was. When it finishes loading, you see the spirit character you remember, with the three buttons, punch, touch, and mystery. You make the character run around, hoping you’ll find Lumine and Paimon. You got lost so many times unfamiliar with the layout of the city, eventually you end up back at the candy stand you first saw Lumine and Paimon. The flower man (you really need to find out his name..) was still there with the candy containers. ‘Wait, shouldn’t he not be here since the Festival was cancelled?’ You wonder to yourself, not realizing that Lumine and Paimon started to walk up.

“Farris, the Knight of Flowers, is another Sabzeruz Festival icon, and one immensely popular with children.” After hearing the newly familiar voice Dunyarzad, you turn the character’s camera behind you to reveal the 3 approaching.

“Haha, it's all thanks to Miss Dunyarzad's sponsorship that the children can meet the Knight of Flowers.” Farris (that doesn’t seem right…) replies, “Oh, do you want some Yalda Candies? I happen to have some boxes readied here. Take a look and pick whichever one you want.”

Your eyes widen, ‘Wait, i remember this! The fourth one has the sunsettia candy, but why is this happening again?’

“Uhh, what's to pick? Don't these boxes all look the same?” Paimon says the same thing she said the first time

You move your character behind Lumine, and your finger hovers over the touch button. You click on it, your character’s hand laches onto her shoulder. “Pick the 4th one Lumine.”

“Ah, excellently chosen! Number four is indeed Sunsettia.” Farris congratulates Lumine on picking the right one.

You follow Lumine and Paimon throughout the day (again?) until you reach the Bazaar again, Nilou’s performance supposed to be underway. But the Sage’s are there and yelling at Nilou, Dunyarzad wants to stop them but Lumine stops her. The Sage’s demean the arts, you ghost punch the sages, and Dunyarzad comforts Nilou.

Lumine and Paimon return to the hotel, they get ready for sleep.

BEEP

“SHIT NOT AGAIN” You scream, again, it still fucking hurt but you don’t faint this time. Your device crashed and everything around you became blurry and glitched and you felt sick. You closed your eyes for just a second, and when you opened them again, you were in bed.

‘Am I in a timeloop?’ You walk to the desk with your device, again. With the idea of a timeloop troubling you.

Genshin boots up.

Loads in as the spirit character.

Punch, touch, mystery.

Flower Knight and candy containers.

“Container 4.”

Sage’s yelling.

“Punch the Sages, Lumine”

Dunyarzad comforts Nilou.

Return to Hotel.

BEEP.

Headspliting noise.

Reset.

______________________________________

Im so sorry this took so long, IM NOT A WRITER. Also do you guys want me to put this on Ao3 I have an account but i’ve never posted a fanfic on it.

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