In a room full of the scent of parchment and ink, a small man was writing on something. He pinched his fingers together, thinking about something before he wrote it down on his parchment once more.
Fu Shin sighed as he looked at all the paperwork on his desk, and he couldn't help but feel sick at the sight of this towering mass of parchment, the ink didn't make it any better for the man.
He passed his hand on the smooth, black wooden desk and leaned back into his chair. With a raise of his head, he glanced at all the artworks her bought over the years and a hint of satisfaction rose in his heart.
Then he saw the towers of parchments again and his mood plummeted sharply.
"Fucking paperwork," Fu Shin said, his voice traveled through the room but he didn't mind, it wasn't as if anyone would come in here now anyway.
Bam!
"Mr. Fu Shin! A letter has arrived for you," one of his subordinates came through his poor door with vigor and sadly slammed it on the wall, the room slightly shook due to the force and Fu Shin rubbed his eyes.
"What is it? It better warrant you being in such a rush to slam my precious door which I bought for a very...very large amount of Mora," Fu Shin said, his tone light but his eyes betrayed him.
The brown hair man who rushed into the room gulped as he realized his mistake but it was already too late. So he decided to just present what he came with and hope for the best, thinking like this he pulled out a letter he hid behind his back.
"Sir, here."
Fu Shin reached for it and asked nonchalantly, "Who is it from?"
"Someone called Ansgar."
Fu Shin dropped the feather he was twirling in his hand and grabbed the letter in a hurry. He tore through the seal and unfolded the letter, in a flash he finished reading the contents.
"Hahaha!" He burst out laughing at what he saw, "What a good brat, he really must expect me to take up his offer huh, very well. Shen was it?"
"Y-Yes sir!" Shen's purple eyes trembled as he looked at his superior.
"I forgive you for slamming my door if you can get my carriage ready in 15 minutes, not a second more."
"Yes sir, but if I may ask, where do we go to?"
"Hmm..." Fu Shin looked at the letter in his hand and placed it in his pocket, "We are going to Mondstadt, there's an opportunity there."
"Yes!"
Fu Shun stroked his chin as he gazed out of his window, then he grabbed the jacket of his chair and walked out of his door, closing it gently. It was his mom that had someone make that for him after all. He had lied about it being bought of course.
"It seems, that there will be a change coming to the business world in some time," Fu Shin said as he stepped outside and looked toward the sky, where a room-sized building sat in the sky.
He smiled as a cunning light was revealed in his eye, "I wonder how you will handle it, Ninguang."
He entered the carriage after that and he was on his way.
*****
"Boss, the letter should have arrived by now."
"Good, you did well. Have a sticker," Emmy went inside her bag to get something and then placed a sticker on Ansgar's clothes. It was the shape of a bunny pin, which she pinned on his clothes, it mildly glowed and then settled after a while.
The boy looked happy and thanked Emmy profusely.
"Lucky," Andre said as he bit his finger.
"Yeah, that guy gets all the good stuff huh," Harlin said, a bit depressed.
"I mean I hear he gets all the important missions from the boss right, I think Aries does as well," Sebastian said as he looked at the other two boys. Both of them had many 'stickers' on their person and both of them wore them with pride.
After all, these weren't mere stickers but extremely small artifacts. It has been a week since Emmy revealed the fact that she could allow them to access the power of elements without the need for visions.
****
A week ago.
"So, the boss can use the elements without a vision," Sebastian said which was on everyone's minds.
They all sat inside Emmy's living room and were discussing the date they would take the adventurer guild's entry test, but Sebastian had guided them to a topic they couldn't ignore.
"So it seems," Andre said, twirling the cat-shaped sticker in his hand. Even though it was called a sticker, it was more like a metal badge of metal, seeing how solid it was.
"My~ It appears that the duke is much more mysterious than one first thought, what other things has she hidden within that charming mind of hers I wonder~," Fischl played with her new dress, something she made herself.
Emmy told her to make some clothes, something about a business deal and how she was going to make money. She didn't get it, she didn't think her clothes could make money, and she didn't believe herself to be on that level, but she still did it since her friend asked her to.
She touched the black-purple bag which she also made, that had all the clothes within.
"So, only the boss can use all the elements right?"
"Yeah."
They all fell silent as they took in Harlin and Noelle's words. It was still unbelievable to all of them that their boss could manipulate every element, without a vision at that.
Hell even they could now use the elements without a vision.
"T-The boss is amazing right," Noelle said, a strained smile on her face.
It was a feeling they all shared as they looked at the youngest's face, it wasn't jealousy nor was it hate at their boss's and friend's talent. But rather a look of frustration, a feeling that slowly came upon them that, no matter what they do
They may never catch up to their boss. That they may be left behind one day. Maybe even discarded.
After all, if a person was as amazing as Emmy, she would just acquire many followers and in turn, she would require much more capable followers right?
"Isn't it fine?"
They all looked up at the person who spoke, Andre.
"Isn't it fine that we may never catch up to the boss? The leader is supposed to be the strongest after all."
"But!"
"There is unfortunately no but. The boss is strong and talented, but so are we, otherwise, we may never have been able to keep up with her thus far. I mean, haven't you noticed it as well?"
They all looked at him quietly, urging him to continue.
"Haven't you noticed that when other people walk you start to have strange unconscious thoughts? 'Why didn't he dodge that person', 'Why did she move so far after bumping into that person', 'why are they so slow'?"
They nodded at him.
"But that doesn't explain anything-"
"What doesn't it explain exactly Sebastian, that we are strong as well or that even if our boss is strong as she should be, we as the group are not weak like we think we are? You guys, we are strong, stronger than all the kids our age and most adults. I mean, I'm pretty sure I can kill a grown man in a single punch as I am now.
"Note that this change occurred over 2-3 months, meaning that in such a short amount of time, we were able to go from weak children who some group of thugs could kidnap without any issue to a group of powerhouses who could take on a group of trained soldiers.
"If this isn't a talent I don't know what is."
"I get it but what is the point."
"My point is that as a group we all have a part to play, you guys just haven't found yours yet. Ansgar has long discovered his and Sebastian know his own too, as for Aries? He is our future lawyer or strategist. I am the one who holds the group together when the boss isn't here and you all start doing shit like doubting yourselves. In other words, I am the vice-captain.
"Case in point, all of us have a role to play and all of us are strong. Never underestimate yourselves. You're destroying the boss's reputation that way. People notice if the subordinates are in disarray and what does that say about their leader, the one who is supposed to hold them together?"
All of them fell silent as they took in Andre's words.
Emmy silently looked at them from the corner up the stairs and smiled.
Fischl looked at her dress and wondered, what was her role? She wasn't as strong as the others, nor as durable and she didn't think she was as smart as Aries. She looked at the clothes of all the others and at her own.
Was this her role?
To make clothes? But why that? She wondered for a long time until she remembered something she learned from another seamstress, about why clothes were important for a group.
"People see clothes and a bunch of thoughts come to mind, whether you are rich or poor, mild or wild, a kind or bad person. All of this a person can see from the clothes you were, to the world clothes represent an identity. So when you make clothes for a person, make sure to properly in grain that 'identity' into every stitch and every pattern."
'I see,' Fischl smiled.
Emmy had given her the job of forging the group's identity.
She wouldn't fail. It was such an important job.
****
Fischl giggled when she remembered that moment, she had already begun to make several designs that fit their group's identity.
"We have arrived," Emmy said.
"So it's today huh."
"Yep, the adventurers guild test for entry. Let's go," Emmy stepped inside, and the rest of them followed her in.
*****
YiHuiliang
I forgot what I was gonna put here...
Oh yeah, I started drawing. I finally got ahold of a drawing software after using analog for all these years, so I can draw my characters like I always wanted to. Commissions are not something I can get but I am capable of drawing, so...
In a room full of the scent of parchment and ink, a small man was writing on something. He pinched his fingers together, thinking about something before he wrote it down on his parchment once more.
Fu Shin sighed as he looked at all the paperwork on his desk, and he couldn't help but feel sick at the sight of this towering mass of parchment, the ink didn't make it any better for the man.
He passed his hand on the smooth, black wooden desk and leaned back into his chair. With a raise of his head, he glanced at all the artworks her bought over the years and a hint of satisfaction rose in his heart.
Then he saw the towers of parchments again and his mood plummeted sharply.
"Fucking paperwork," Fu Shin said, his voice traveled through the room but he didn't mind, it wasn't as if anyone would come in here now anyway.
Bam!
"Mr. Fu Shin! A letter has arrived for you," one of his subordinates came through his poor door with vigor and sadly slammed it on the wall, the room slightly shook due to the force and Fu Shin rubbed his eyes.
"What is it? It better warrant you being in such a rush to slam my precious door which I bought for a very...very large amount of Mora," Fu Shin said, his tone light but his eyes betrayed him.
The brown hair man who rushed into the room gulped as he realized his mistake but it was already too late. So he decided to just present what he came with and hope for the best, thinking like this he pulled out a letter he hid behind his back.
"Sir, here."
Fu Shin reached for it and asked nonchalantly, "Who is it from?"
"Someone called Ansgar."
Fu Shin dropped the feather he was twirling in his hand and grabbed the letter in a hurry. He tore through the seal and unfolded the letter, in a flash he finished reading the contents.
"Hahaha!" He burst out laughing at what he saw, "What a good brat, he really must expect me to take up his offer huh, very well. Shen was it?"
"Y-Yes sir!" Shen's purple eyes trembled as he looked at his superior.
"I forgive you for slamming my door if you can get my carriage ready in 15 minutes, not a second more."
"Yes sir, but if I may ask, where do we go to?"
"Hmm..." Fu Shin looked at the letter in his hand and placed it in his pocket, "We are going to Mondstadt, there's an opportunity there."
"Yes!"
Fu Shun stroked his chin as he gazed out of his window, then he grabbed the jacket of his chair and walked out of his door, closing it gently. It was his mom that had someone make that for him after all. He had lied about it being bought of course.
"It seems, that there will be a change coming to the business world in some time," Fu Shin said as he stepped outside and looked toward the sky, where a room-sized building sat in the sky.
He smiled as a cunning light was revealed in his eye, "I wonder how you will handle it, Ninguang."
He entered the carriage after that and he was on his way.
*****
"Boss, the letter should have arrived by now."
"Good, you did well. Have a sticker," Emmy went inside her bag to get something and then placed a sticker on Ansgar's clothes. It was the shape of a bunny pin, which she pinned on his clothes, it mildly glowed and then settled after a while.
The boy looked happy and thanked Emmy profusely.
"Lucky," Andre said as he bit his finger.
"Yeah, that guy gets all the good stuff huh," Harlin said, a bit depressed.
"I mean I hear he gets all the important missions from the boss right, I think Aries does as well," Sebastian said as he looked at the other two boys. Both of them had many 'stickers' on their person and both of them wore them with pride.
After all, these weren't mere stickers but extremely small artifacts. It has been a week since Emmy revealed the fact that she could allow them to access the power of elements without the need for visions.
****
A week ago.
"So, the boss can use the elements without a vision," Sebastian said which was on everyone's minds.
They all sat inside Emmy's living room and were discussing the date they would take the adventurer guild's entry test, but Sebastian had guided them to a topic they couldn't ignore.
"So it seems," Andre said, twirling the cat-shaped sticker in his hand. Even though it was called a sticker, it was more like a metal badge of metal, seeing how solid it was.
"My~ It appears that the duke is much more mysterious than one first thought, what other things has she hidden within that charming mind of hers I wonder~," Fischl played with her new dress, something she made herself.
Emmy told her to make some clothes, something about a business deal and how she was going to make money. She didn't get it, she didn't think her clothes could make money, and she didn't believe herself to be on that level, but she still did it since her friend asked her to.
She touched the black-purple bag which she also made, that had all the clothes within.
"So, only the boss can use all the elements right?"
"Yeah."
They all fell silent as they took in Harlin and Noelle's words. It was still unbelievable to all of them that their boss could manipulate every element, without a vision at that.
Hell even they could now use the elements without a vision.
"T-The boss is amazing right," Noelle said, a strained smile on her face.
It was a feeling they all shared as they looked at the youngest's face, it wasn't jealousy nor was it hate at their boss's and friend's talent. But rather a look of frustration, a feeling that slowly came upon them that, no matter what they do
They may never catch up to their boss. That they may be left behind one day. Maybe even discarded.
After all, if a person was as amazing as Emmy, she would just acquire many followers and in turn, she would require much more capable followers right?
"Isn't it fine?"
They all looked up at the person who spoke, Andre.
"Isn't it fine that we may never catch up to the boss? The leader is supposed to be the strongest after all."
"But!"
"There is unfortunately no but. The boss is strong and talented, but so are we, otherwise, we may never have been able to keep up with her thus far. I mean, haven't you noticed it as well?"
They all looked at him quietly, urging him to continue.
"Haven't you noticed that when other people walk you start to have strange unconscious thoughts? 'Why didn't he dodge that person', 'Why did she move so far after bumping into that person', 'why are they so slow'?"
They nodded at him.
"But that doesn't explain anything-"
"What doesn't it explain exactly Sebastian, that we are strong as well or that even if our boss is strong as she should be, we as the group are not weak like we think we are? You guys, we are strong, stronger than all the kids our age and most adults. I mean, I'm pretty sure I can kill a grown man in a single punch as I am now.
"Note that this change occurred over 2-3 months, meaning that in such a short amount of time, we were able to go from weak children who some group of thugs could kidnap without any issue to a group of powerhouses who could take on a group of trained soldiers.
"If this isn't a talent I don't know what is."
"I get it but what is the point."
"My point is that as a group we all have a part to play, you guys just haven't found yours yet. Ansgar has long discovered his and Sebastian know his own too, as for Aries? He is our future lawyer or strategist. I am the one who holds the group together when the boss isn't here and you all start doing shit like doubting yourselves. In other words, I am the vice-captain.
"Case in point, all of us have a role to play and all of us are strong. Never underestimate yourselves. You're destroying the boss's reputation that way. People notice if the subordinates are in disarray and what does that say about their leader, the one who is supposed to hold them together?"
All of them fell silent as they took in Andre's words.
Emmy silently looked at them from the corner up the stairs and smiled.
Fischl looked at her dress and wondered, what was her role? She wasn't as strong as the others, nor as durable and she didn't think she was as smart as Aries. She looked at the clothes of all the others and at her own.
Was this her role?
To make clothes? But why that? She wondered for a long time until she remembered something she learned from another seamstress, about why clothes were important for a group.
"People see clothes and a bunch of thoughts come to mind, whether you are rich or poor, mild or wild, a kind or bad person. All of this a person can see from the clothes you were, to the world clothes represent an identity. So when you make clothes for a person, make sure to properly in grain that 'identity' into every stitch and every pattern."
'I see,' Fischl smiled.
Emmy had given her the job of forging the group's identity.
She wouldn't fail. It was such an important job.
****
Fischl giggled when she remembered that moment, she had already begun to make several designs that fit their group's identity.
"We have arrived," Emmy said.
"So it's today huh."
"Yep, the adventurers guild test for entry. Let's go," Emmy stepped inside, and the rest of them followed her in.
*****
YiHuiliang
I forgot what I was gonna put here...
Oh yeah, I started drawing. I finally got ahold of a drawing software after using analog for all these years, so I can draw my characters like I always wanted to. Commissions are not something I can get but I am capable of drawing, so...
