"Speaking of which... I suddenly got curious about sothing."
Miko said it just like that — as though a thought had suddenly surfaced from nowhere.
But the expression on her face carried a visible hesitation, which left Acheron, sitting across from her, genuinely puzzled.
"What kind of sothing?"
Watching Miko, Acheron found herself curious about what could have produced that peculiar look.
"It's about Kiana."
Miko glanced at her briefly, then said it plainly.
Because it was Acheron, she could afford to be direct. With anyone else, she absolutely would not have said it so bluntly.
Kiana?
Acheron hadn't expected Miko's thoughts to be on Kiana right now. She asked, "What about her?"
She could roughly guess that Miko was probably thinking about Kiana's identity — but she asked anyway. Better to hear what Miko actually said before drawing conclusions. It might turn out to be sothing else entirely.
"It's just..." Miko still seed to be wrestling with herself. She looked at Acheron for a long mont before finally getting it out: "Do you think she'd be the sa as you — completely unbothered by Kaito being out there with other won?"
She kept her eyes on Acheron after that, as though she was genuinely looking forward to the answer.
She's asking about...
Acheron had not anticipated this at all. She'd guessed wrong.
"Well... I'd imagine she wouldn't mind, but I can't say for certain."
She thought it over briefly before offering that hedged reply.
She had no choice. She'd been presenting herself as soone who didn't know Kiana particularly well, so she could only give an uncertain answer now. If she suddenly had confident, detailed opinions on Kiana's inner feelings while claiming ignorance about everything else, that would be inconsistent — and suspicious.
She could explain it away if pressed, but it was better to stay vague for now. Miko had probably expected exactly this kind of answer anyway.
"I just keep feeling like she might do sothing to ."
Miko murmured it — whether to herself or to Acheron was hard to tell.
Don't worry...
I'm not going to do anything to you...
Acheron held the thought quietly to herself before speaking aloud: "Why would you think that? I don't think you really understand Kiana at all."
Regardless of anything else, she'd hear what Miko had to say first.
"You're right, I don't understand her — and that's exactly why I'm a little worried." Miko gave a small nod, conceding the point, but turned it around into the very reason for her concern.
After a beat, she felt her explanation hadn't been complete enough, so she added: "There's also the fact that she looks so much like that... that Sustainer. I can't shake the feeling that she's dangerous sohow."
When exactly did I co across as dangerous?
Just because I look like the Sustainer?
Acheron couldn't help turning that over in her mind. She even genuinely tried to recall whether Kiana had done anything threatening the tis she'd appeared — and ca up with nothing.
Could it just be because Kiana shows up so rarely?
No matter how she thought about it, that was the only explanation she could land on. Because she truly could not understand why Miko would arrive at that conclusion otherwise.
"Is the Sustainer really that dangerous?"
She'd already ford an idea of what to say next — sothing that would bring Kiana over — but Acheron wasn't in any rush. She let the question co first.
"Sowhat, yes," Miko said, nodding as mories of vanished nations drifted through her mind.
"Then why don't the two of you et? I think once you do, you'll stop feeling like she's dangerous."
Seeing how Miko felt about it, Acheron went ahead and voiced what she'd already been thinking.
et with Kiana...
Hmm...
Well — why not!
After a mont's thought, Miko decided to go along with Acheron's suggestion.
Because, if she was being honest, she still felt there was a real possibility that Kiana truly was the Sustainer — which ant she did need to see her in person.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then, i." Mind made up, Miko gave a firm nod.
"Then I'll go get her now."
With that, Acheron rose from her seat and walked toward the door.
"Wait — i." Just as Acheron reached the doorway, Miko called out after her.
"What is it?"
Acheron turned back, visibly puzzled.
"Just — don't tell her I said she seed dangerous, alright?" Miko said it slowly, holding Acheron's gaze.
Whatever happened, it was better if Kiana didn't hear the way she'd just described her. That would only make things awkward.
"Mm."
Acheron gave a single nod and walked out.
She just... left like that...
You'd better not actually say it, i...
Miko stepped outside and looked around — i was already gone, not a trace of her in sight.
She couldn't help feeling uneasy. That single "mm" had been far too noncommittal for comfort.
But now that i had already gone to fetch Kiana, all Miko could do was wait.
—
The inn.
How should I act when the ti cos?
Kiana had stepped out of her room and was making her way toward the inn's exit, turning the question over in her mind.
Acheron hadn't co to get her yet — but there was no reason she couldn't head over early on her own.
After all, they were the sa person. And with no one else around right now, there was no need to wait for the formality of being "summoned." That kind of thing only mattered when there were other people watching.
When there was an audience, playing different roles and keeping up the act was necessary. Right now, temporarily, it wasn't.
"Oh — Kiana!"
Paimon's voice floated over from nearby.
"You're all by yourself?"
Kiana looked up at Paimon for a mont, then asked in her usual unhurried tone.
She'd decided to play dumb — to act as though she knew nothing — so that was the line she went with.
"Lumine and Kaito went to Liyue and left behind," Paimon answered, sounding genuinely put-upon.
She really did want to go to Liyue — but on her own, it would take forever. And knowing her luck, she'd probably arrive just as Lumine and Kaito were already on their way back, which would make the whole thing even more of a ss.
"I see. They'll probably be back soon enough then."
Kiana had a feeling Paimon had co looking for her because she wanted a ride to Liyue — so she kept her response deliberately vague and non-committal.
"Oh, so Kiana doesn't know when they're coming back either, huh. So... could you take to Liyue? Hehe."
Exactly as Kiana had expected, Paimon ca right out and asked.
It wasn't much to ask, really — but if Paimon showed up in Liyue, it would make things considerably more complicated for Kaito and Lumine.
____
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