Chapter 4: Calm before the Storm [1/?]

"Heehee!" A voice giggled after giving Ether a warm, tight hug.

"How much times did I say to not do that now, Amber?" Sighed Ether as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Ehhhh?!? How come? We've known each other for about 2 years now, you know?" Amber pouted at Ether's remark.

"And that's why you should know y now I'm not the kind of person that likes someone like you to invade my personal space."

"… I'm feeling uneasy all of the sudden. Was that Kaeya you were talking to earlier? Did he give you any trouble?"

"He would've but he didn't this time around."

"That's good! Anyways, what are you here for, Ether? I don't see you often here at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters."

"Just reporting my findings, that's all."

"Findings about what? Can I be of help?"

"No thank you, now if you would excuse me, I'll be going to report it to Jean because I think that it would be useful information to the knights of Favonius."

"Jean is still working? After you guys are done with your conversation, let's invite her for coffee…. Let's go!"

After saying so, a helpless Ether was dragged into Jean's office by Amber.

There, they were greeted by the sight of Jean scolding Klee.

"Klee, how much times have I told you that no bombs allowed in Mondstadt?" Jean sighed as she shook her head in disappointment.

"Umm… lets think here… hmm… 79 times? No wait… 149 times… no 245 times?" Klee mumbled as she counted her fingers over and over and had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Klee? Jean? What's going on here? Did Klee explode something again?" Amber questioned them as she finally let's go of Ether, whom she dragged the whole way.

'Amber is way too energetic for me man,' Ether couldn't help but sigh at the thought, as he glanced over Amber's head, displaying a information panel that only he could see.

Amber

Title: "Gliding Champion"

STR: C+

DEF: C

AGI: B+

INT: B-

LUC: B

Skills:

Fiery Rain (Active) (EB)

Explosive Puppet (Active) (ES)

Gliding Champion (Passive)

Relationship: Friends

Favorability: 50

Soulmate: ??? (Unlock upon 75+ Favorability)

[System note: Quite a cute and energetic girl, huh? Wouldn't she make a good girlfriend?]

'That's a hard no for me, I like the positive energy and all but… she's not my type, she is way too carefree and bright for me to handle…' Ether sighed again once he saw the information panel. 'System, you're trying to screw me over, aren't you?'

[Host, please don't misunderstand! System is just doing the best for you!]

'Best my ass, deciding things for me, I make my own decisions and you're only here to help me along the way! Understand?' Ether retaliated with the system, who stayed silent afterwards. Taking that as a sign of the system saying yes, Ether decided to focus back on the matter at hand.

"Hee-hee Klee just caught some fishies today but Master Jean was not happy about it…" Klee looked down as she spoke, looking upset.

"Klee, how did you catch the fishies again?" Jean sighed as she ask Klee as she turned her body towards Amber and Ether.

"I blew them up…"

"And what did I say about blowing things up?"

"But Klee only blew up the fishies, I didn't blow anything else up…"

"And a part of the bridge, if you didn't know,"

"…"

Klee was speechless after hearing Jean's words, 'That must've nailed the spot, huh?'

Ether thought as he looked at Klee.

"Excuse me, please wait here until I bring Klee to the confinement room," Jean says as she holds Klee's hands and walked out.

"Seems like Jean is very responsible! I think that's why she was chosen to be the acting grandmaster!" Amber said after Jean and Klee left the room.

Nodding, Ether silently agreed with Amber as he kept staring at the door with his hands crossed, waiting for Jean to come back.

The door opened, but it wasn't Jean that had entered, but Lisa, a powerful mage known as Sumeru's most distinguished graduate in the last 200 years, with looks that attract both men and women alike. Underneath that pretty face of hers lay a scary side you'd never want to see, which Ether always couldn't help but wonder… 'Are all women scary like her…? I guess it's true that "there are no rose without thorns" and Lisa is the living definition of that.'

"Hi darlings! Are you here to be Lisa's little helper?" Lisa greeted Amber and Ether. Ether couldn't help but remember their first meeting…

When Ether first entered Mondstadt and met with Lisa, he had asked her for her age, which he learned the hard way that he shouldn't ask for a women's age.

"No, we're here because Ether here has something to report to Jean!" Amber happily replied while she greeted Lisa with a big hug like she did with Ether and had a huge smile across her face.

"And she dragged me here even though it doesn't concern her…" Ether helplessly answered as he looked away from Amber, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Oh yea! I remember now! Do you have any time right now, Lisa?" Amber asked when she suddenly remembered something.

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask, Amber?" Lisa replied after thinking for a moment.

"Yessss! Could you please continue the story from last time? Pleaseeeeee?" Amber begged as she put her hand together (like this 🙏)and bowed a little.

"Hmm, fine. It's not like I have anything better to do."

"Yesss!!!" Amber exclaimed as the door opened behind Lisa.

"Oh, hello Lisa. What brings you here today? I don't think I have any over due books now, do I?" Jean said as she walked into the room.

"I'm just here to check on my darlings, like always," Lisa replied as she sent two winks, one for Amber and another for Ether. "Now then, I will be going to the library and telling Amber her story now."

After receiving the wink as Lisa and Amber left the room, Ether couldn't help but get shivers down his spine, after all, who knows what this dreadful woman might be planning, and whatever it is, he sure hopes that he wasn't a part of it.

A/N: I'm have so much fun writing dialogues so here is another chapter for today lol. I feel like I'm doing good and having fun with this lol, and I am not at the point yet but I am considering to write a route path later on if I feel up to it, don't know since this is my first fan fiction and the first time I wrote something of the romance category, I think writing is not my forte but it's fun :D