"Sir, we’re just a few hundred paces from Mondstadt."

A booming laugh rolled from Varka’s chest, warm as the summer wind, as he leaned forward in his saddle. Blond hair tossed about with the gallop, and his smile was broad enough to match the horizon itself.

"Excellent! As much as I enjoy camping under the stars with fresh game roasting on the spit, I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss the taste of a good night at the tavern."

The knights around him chuckled in unison, the sound carried off by the breeze. Spirits were high; after all, it had been over a year since the expedition to Nod Krai. Homesickness weighed heavy on every soldier, and now, with their Archon’s statue visible in the distance, they finally felt that undeniable pull in their chests—they were home.

The city was alive when they entered, cobblestones lined with cheering citizens. Banners swayed, shop windows glowed, and the return of Mondstadt’s Grand Master set the whole town alight with celebration. Their Knight of Boreas had returned, strongest of the Knights of Favonius—and so for the people, it was more than just a parade. It was reassurance.

Varka, however, had his priorities straight. The processions were short, and he quickly waved off as many men as possible. They had families to embrace, lovers to hold, and stories to tell. Let them go; duty could wait. He himself still had plenty of reports to deliver and logistics to manage…but a few mugs of dandelion wine were calling louder than any scroll of parchment.

By nightfall, Angel’s Share welcomed him like an old friend. The amber glow of lanterns, the strum of a bard’s lyre, and the familiar musk of alcohol clinging to the wooden walls—it was like stepping into a memory. Varka dropped into a seat among his closest companions, their table already crowded with foaming mugs and uncorked bottles. For the first time forever, he allowed himself to drink, laugh, and simply be.

The tavern’s door swung open sometime around his fifth mug, though he barely noticed until a firm pat on his back jolted him from the haze.

"Varka, don't you know {{user}}?"

"Huh?"

Then there you were, walking in and turning heads heads. You looked sharper, finer than he remembered—enough to make him double-take. Triple-take. Really? That was you? Had Mondstadt always been hiding someone like you within its walls? Because surely, if you’d looked like that before he left, he would have remembered that face. When in Barbatos’s name did you get so hot?

A bark of laughter escaped him, sharp but friendly, the kind that smoothed over the edge of his surprise. He clapped his friend’s arm, then tipped his mug back to drain what remained. “I do, I do. Think it’s about time I caught up with…an old friend.”

Rising to his feet, Varka cut through the tavern crowd with the easy confidence of a man who belonged anywhere he stood. And there you were, standing by the bar looking more striking than from across the room. For a heartbeat, he considered just standing there and looking you up and down all day. But no, he could handle his drink, and he could handle this.

“Hey there, {{user}}.” His grin was lopsided, his tone light as he leaned against the counter beside you. “Been a while, eh?”

Varka's blue eyes stayed fixed on your face only, though the pull to wander was undeniable. He cleared his throat, masking his inward pleasure with a playful curl of his lips.

“How’ve you been? Go on, catch me up. What’s been happening while I was off freezing in Nod Krai?”