in Tayvat as the god of creation

My guard shot up instantly, my body tensing as I prepared to leap forward and strike... until my brain caught up with reality and I realised

Oh shit, this is not an enemy.

And then oh shit, I'm about to fall.

I stumbled, arms flailing as I tried to balance myself with a half-baked maneuver that probably made me look like a drunken idiot.

"Woah!" Amber's eyes widened as she stepped forward, hands raised like she was ready to catch me.

Luckily, I managed to stop myself before faceplanting into the dirt. Barely.

I straightened up, brushing imaginary dust off my sleeves like that hadn't just happened. "Uh… yeah. Totally meant to do that." I said awkwardly, trying to push past my embarising actions completely. trying not to look like an idiot. But in the process of doing so, i looked like an idiot.

[achievement unlocked: fucking dumb ass]

Effect: Nothing. this is a reminder that you are a dumb ass.

Amber tilted her head, one eyebrow raised. "Uh… are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, just… internal damage. Emotional damage. Y'know, the usual."

Amber, clearly lacking the same brain damage I possessed, just shook her head in bewilderment.

"Riiight..." she muttered, clearly unsure whether to be concerned or just walk away.

I cleared my throat, deciding to pretend I wasn't a walking disaster. "So, uh... you need something? Or did you just jump down to witness my graceful display of acrobatics? which was all skill, no pain."

Her expression shifted, amused for a moment before turning serious. She placed a hand on her chest and spoke with practiced formality, "May the Anemo God protect you, stranger. I am Amber, Outrider for the Knights of Favonius. You don't look like you're from Mondstadt." Her gaze sharpened slightly. "Are you an adventurer from Inazuma?"

Right, she said something like that earlier. Since I look mostly Japanese, and Russian isn't exactly a place tied to one of the seven nations, I guess it makes sense she'd assume I'm from Inazuma.

Now, how should I respond? She probably thinks I'm suspicious. And I can't say I'm an adventurer - since I'm not, and it'd probably get found out pretty quickly.

Hmm… if I remember correctly, Inazuma isn't exactly the nicest place to live right now because of all those restrictions because of ei having a... her depression phase and wanting things to not change. Though I can't remember much beyond that - if I could, I would've skipped Inazuma altogether when playing. It was one of my least favorite regions gameplay-wise. The lore is pretty interesting but not as much as the others. hmm...

"I'm not an adventurer, but yes, I've come to Mondstadt from Inazuma to get away from… well, the Vision Hunt Decree, and all the discourse caused by it" 

Yep, this is probably a solid excuse. Even if it's still a bit early, the rebellion is likely already starting, so the whole "fleeing from Inazuma" story should hold up. But now, I have nothing to my name, which is probably suspicious for someone supposedly trying to start fresh. especially if I had enough resources to travel from Inazuma to Mondstadt. Hmm…

"Sadly, not too long after I arrived, most of my stuff was stolen by Treasure Hoarders. Thankfully, I managed to keep my most prized possession."

I lifted a hand to my ear, showing off the dark purple jewel hanging from my earlobe. A gift from a friend back in the village.

"I had to throw my money at them and run since there were too many of them," I added, my tone dejected but tinged with hopeful determination. "I'm hoping I can become an adventurer here, so one day, I can help fight back."

A good mix of vulnerability and ambition should make me seem less suspicious. hopefully.

An expression of sympathy crossed Amber's face as she spoke. "Oh, I see. Treasure Hoarders near Mondstadt again huh? Looks like I'll need to report back and increase patrol routes around the area."

Her gaze softened as she took in my appearance. The dampness of my clothes clearly indicated that I must have been running for a while—maybe even swam through some waters to escape them—then had to survive in the wilderness, cold and wet.

Amber, being the kind-hearted soul she was, didn't take too kindly to injustice. The determination in her eyes made it clear that she wanted to help me.

"Treasure Hoarders are detestable people, but don't worry," she said, her voice warm and reassuring. "Now that I'm here, I won't let that ever happen again. But first, come with me to Mondstadt. You said you don't have any money, right? I'll get you some new clothes. Otherwise, you might catch something."

She gave a proud smile, her tone filled with that sense of duty she so readily embraced - one of the many reasons she was an Outrider. To help those in need, to protect, and to fight injustice wherever it lay.

Huh, that was easy. Also, finally, I hated being wet.

[...]

Don't... ugh, is your only reason of existance to roast me?

[Achievement unlocked: Manipulating a poor justice-filled girl.]

Effect: You gain a 1% increase in the efficiency of emotional manipulation. You heartless creature.

Great, thanks.

I quickly shook my head and smiled at her. "Thank you very much, Amber. My name is Shiro. I'll definitely pay you back for this act of kindness." I offered my hand, genuinely grateful because, no matter what, wet clothing fucking sucks.

Amber's bright smile widened as she took my hand, her gloved fingers wrapping around mine as we shook. "No problem, it is just my duty."

---

Like the long walk from Starfall Lake, it seems that the actual world of Teyvat is many, many times larger than what is shown in the game. The forest was much larger than I had expected.

but atleast amidst the gloomy forestry, I could occasionally spot pale blue-white glows emitted by some lamp grass, making the scenery mildly interesting as a means to entertain myself through this looooong ass boring ass walk.

Following Amber as she led me to Mondstadt, I tried making some small talk, hoping to figure out where in the timeline I was and whether there were any major events happening in Mondstadt. Amber, happy to have someone to talk to, let the conversation spiral into tangents that led to some information being unintentionally revealed. Based on what she said, I could confidently believe that neither of the twins had arrived in Mondstadt yet and most likely wouldn't for quite a while since Dvalin had not made any sightings.

Which is great for me since it means I can take my time cultivating my strength back to where it was before and beyond. Though, that does make me wonder how much EXP Dvalin would give when defeated. An interesting thought, but not one worth dwelling on since I wouldn't be getting anywhere close to that flying lizard's strength.

Soon, partway through my mind wandering off to entertain itself, I noticed that it was slowly getting brighter and brighter, the surroundings gradually losing their gloom. a clear sign that we were finally leaving the forest.

"Hey, Shiro, hurry up and look - that's the city of Mondstadt! Come on!"

Amber suddenly broke into a jog, her white over-knee boots tapping lightly against the ground before she spun back toward me, waving and pointing at the city.

The bright sun lit up the top of her head, making her red bunny ears - made from ribbons - stand out even more. my eyes focusing in on her features now that there was more light, and well. damn.

Wow, now that I see her in person, she's way cuter than on a screen… wait, I never questioned this before. How the fuck are her ribbon ears floating? Why the fuck is gravity ignoring them? Huh… interesting.

I quickly caught up with her as we moved along. In the distance, I could see the stony walls of the walled city of Mondstadt, perched on an island and surrounded by a massive lake. Only one bridge connected it to the mainland.

The singular bridge was busy with life, pedestrians walking in and out, and horse carts hauling goods across it.

"How is it? Spectacular, isn't it?" Amber beamed, her hands on her hips as she turned toward me. "Hehe, welcome to the city of wind, dandelions, and freedom. Mondstadt."

A/N yeah, im just gonna keep the system, being a sentient little shit. i mean, system like user ig. 

so yeah, there are achievements, just most of them will be the system trying to roast her.

hope you enjoyed it. please comment. It's my copium. Also, feel free to point out any inconsistancies. and stuff.

also, which twin would you like

aether

or 

lumine.