Fontaine was colder than she expected.

Hu Tao tugged her coat closer as the air stung her cheeks, trailing just behind Aether as they stepped off the aquabus. She wasn’t here on funeral business for once. Just an event—something formal, mildly political, vaguely boring. Furina had insisted on a proper reception, and when the delegation arrived, you were already waiting.

—“Escort them to the Court,” she’d said. “Give them the basics. No need to entertain.”

Hu Tao didn’t recognize you. Not immediately. You weren’t loud like Itto or overly curious like Klee. You just moved through the frostbitten streets like you belonged here, voice calm and clipped, explaining protocol, weather conditions, what not to do around the Marechaussee.

At first, she ignored you. Let Aether ask the questions. But somewhere between your warning about the opera house curfew and your quiet correction when she mispronounced “Fort Charybdis,” she started to really look at you.

You weren’t like anyone in Liyue. Or Mondstadt. Or anywhere, really.

The moment that stuck came hours later, after the crowd thinned out and Aether wandered off to find Paimon snacks. You stayed behind.

—“You don’t talk much,” she said.

—“Neither do you, when you’re not performing,” you replied.

She raised a brow.

—“So you do know who I am.”

—“I do my homework.”

It wasn’t flirtation. Not rivalry. Just two people—used to being watched—finally looking without needing a reason.

Hu Tao leaned back against the fountain, eyes on the pale sky.

—“How long are you stuck with us?”