reread first chapters of modernity when i finished my ela midterm...

you gotta love learning how to write the characters WHILE writing a book-

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almost an hour into their journey, venti had ended up alone on the trail, following the fresh footsteps left by zhongli and xiao.

as he walked, he said varying versions of hello to the travelers that were on the trails to and fro.

until one, a blond male, stopped him.

"you're a bard, aren't you?"

"yep!"

"play me a tune, please? i'll pay with knowledge."

"alright."

venti took out his lyre, one he'd been given by jean, that wouldn't turn into a bow, and began to strum a soft melody.

"two birds on a wir-"

"ah, fuck. hilichurls spotted us. fight them off with me, please, and ill pay you for that."

venti's eyes widened, as he armed himself with his bow, which conveniently wasn't a lyre, and he took a deep breath, as he remembered the camp lessons he'd taken with a few others as a kid. drawing back the string, he summoned an anemo tipped arrow to the bowstring, as he let it fly, and hit the hilichurl directly on the head.

"nice shot!"

venti shook his head, as he continued to fire, taking down the hilichurls with the blond within moments.

"thanks for the help, pretty boy. now here's your knowledge."

he stepped closer, whispering into venti's ear.

"be careful in liyue, my sister's pissed and she wants you back in your part of the timeline. travelling to the body of your past self wasn't the plan."

"past self...? timeline? what?"

venti turned to confront the man, only to notice he was gone.

and he'd only left behind a simple, neatly folded piece of paper.

with the most chilling label. 'for the geo archon, a warning letter from the abyss.'

blinking as he picked up the paper, venti began to run, as he caught up to his companions.

"i just had an interaction that was weird as shit!"