Breezy Trip
In Favonius Library, Markus drops a couple books on a table with a thud, before plopping down on a chair.

Markus: "Let's see... I did everything I needed to today, right? I went on my morning patrol, and during that patrol I found Bennett buried in a ditch and healed his scrapes, found Klee and prevented her from fish-blasting, and then foraged for some stuff I knew Albedo needed before finally heading off on my afternoon patrol..."

He lets out a tired sigh, before continuing,

Markus: "During my afternoon patrol, I went to forage for stuff I knew Diona needed, but before that I needed to help Razor chase off some hunters unfamiliar with the area that were trying to harm his wolf family, and then I found Bennett in another ditch and had to heal his cuts again, and Fischl was in there too and I healed her as well... I think? Wait, did I even end up gathering the stuff Diona needed? Did I even properly patrol the areas I was supposed to today...? Agh, my head hurts..."

He lets out another tired sigh, his head drooping down onto the table in front of him.

Markus: "Did I need to help Barb and the cathedral with anything today? I sure hope not, I still need to keep my promise to Lisa to help organize these books... And it's already... nightfall..."

His eyes begin to close, despite himself.

Markus: "N-no... I still have work to... d-do... Stay... a-awak-..."

--

Markus: "Ah!"

After dozing off for a bit, Markus sits up in surprise, triggering a startled gasp from someone beside him.

"A-apologies! I didn't wake you, I hope..."

Markus: He turns his head before responding, "Noelle? What are you doing here?"

He feels something begin to fall off his back, grabbing it before it hits the ground.

Markus: "A blanket? Did you..."

Noelle: "Y-yes... I wasn't sure if it was alright to wake you, but I at least didn't want you to catch a cold sleeping in a place like this, so..." She mutters shyly.

Markus: "Jeez... How long was I asleep? This is so embarrassing..."

Noelle: "I'm sorry... I should've woken you up after all..."

Markus: He shakes his head with a smile before Noelle can feel guilty. "No, it's okay. Thank you, Noelle."

Noelle: "Are you doing research on something? You seem very busy. Would you like me to make you some tea?"

Markus: "That's alright, it's late, you should be turning in for the day."

Noelle: "It's no trouble at all. I can..."

Markus: "Noelle." He says firmly. "I'm sure you've been working hard helping others all day already. Don't worry about me."

Noelle: "B-but...!"

Markus: "It's fine. The last thing I want is to give you more work to do."

Noelle pauses, before saying,

Noelle: "O-oh, Markus! Ever since we became friends, I've always wanted you to try my favorite tea. I'll go brew some for us to share together!"

Markus: "H-hey! All you did was twist your words around to get me to accept it; nothing actually changed!"

Noelle: "W-whatever do you mean?" She glances away slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Markus: "I didn't know you were the type to be so... sly."

Noelle: "Perhaps it's because of your influence, Markus." She responds, letting out a light giggle.

Markus: "So it's my fault, huh?" He chuckles as well, giving in. "Fine... you win."

Noelle steps away for a few minutes, returning with a kettle and two teacups. She notices Markus in the middle of examining the contents of a book as she pours some tea in one of the cups.

Noelle: "What kind of book is that?"

Markus: "Nonsense, that's what." He grumbles, practically slamming the book shut before placing it back on the table.

Noelle: "Oh...?" She raises a hand to her mouth, surprised by his sudden shift in tone.

Markus: "A-ah...! Sorry, I-I mean... Ahem." He coughs nervously, becoming a tad flustered. "Lisa told me a lot of people have started to bring their own 'pieces of literature' to add to the library, and she wanted me to help 'organize' them."

Noelle: "Organize them?" She inquires, after finishing pouring the tea and taking a seat next to Markus.

Markus: "As in, weed out the ones tha-..." He nervously coughs again. "E-erm, I mean, help determine which belong in the library, and which... don't."

Noelle: "I see..." She pauses. "Actually, I don't really, I apologize. But, is there any way I could help?"

Markus: "I feel like you're... too good-natured for a job like this..."

Noelle: "What does that mean?" She tilts her head in confusion. "Are you only saying that because you're worried about me overworking myself?"

Markus: "Actually, I'm not this time, but... It's true, you shouldn't overwork yourself, especially because of something like this..."

He lifts a hand to grab another book, but Noelle stops him, gently placing his hand back down with her own.

Noelle: "In that case, neither should you, Markus."

Markus: "H-huh?"

Noelle: "Even after taking a nap, your eyes still look so tired. You must've been busy all day, yes?"

Markus: "I-I... I guess. But I still need to help Lisa with..."

Noelle: "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you helped her with this tomorrow, or a different day. Instead, why don't you take a much needed break? Would you like to have a chat over some tea? I've always wanted to since we became friends."

Markus nods, giving her a small smile.

Markus: "Sure... sounds good. Thank you, Noelle."

--

A few days later, around noon, Markus enters the Favonius Library. As he's about to start working on organizing the books again, he hears a faint noise coming from a corner of the library.

Markus: "Who is that? Lisa? Or maybe Ella again? It's still pretty early in the day, though..."

He drops the books he's holding on a nearby table and checks out of curiosity, and sees who it is. It's a familiar young girl huddled in the corner, facing the wall, her attention deeply focused on something in her hands.

Markus: "Oh, it's you, Minnie."

Minnie: "Eep!"

She jumps up in surprise at the sight of Markus, quickly turning to face him, hiding the "something" behind her back.

Minnie: "M-Markus?! No way, why did you of all people have to find me here?!"

Markus: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Minnie: "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working right now?!"

Markus: "I came here to help Lisa with some... book organization." He squints at her suspiciously. "Why were you huddled in this corner like a weirdo? What are you hiding?"

Minnie: "N-nothing!"

Markus pauses, before glancing behind him.

Markus: "Oh, hello, Patton. What brings you here?"

Minnie: "H-huh? My brother's here, too?! Why!?"

Markus: "Yoink." While Minnie is distracted, Markus snatches away what she was previously holding.

Minnie: "A-aw, c'mon! I can't believe I just fell for that!" She whines. "I'm so stupid!"

Markus: "A book? It looks... odd."

He opens it up, and begins reading...

***

One bright and warm sunny afternoon, up in an enclosed area atop a snowy mountain, a lone, mysterious gentleman works alone.

Suddenly, a random enemy soldier jumps out of a random pile of snow, pointing a gun at the gentleman.

Soldier: "Mwahaha! Alberto! I'm sick of your cool, calm and collected handsome self getting all the attention from the ladies! This is the end for you once and for all!"

Alberto is caught unprepared and is frozen in place. Just as the soldier is about to fire...

"Alberto!"

A young woman dashes to Alberto's aide, pushing him away just in time.

Soldier: "Argh! You haven't seen the last of me!" He growls, giving up and running away.

Alberto: "Marica!" He notices her arm was grazed by the bullet, and is bleeding a bit. "You... got hurt because of me!"

Marica: "I-it's no big deal at all... baka..." She grumbles.

Alberto: "You've always been here to look out for me, Marica. And you even accepted me, even after finding out I'm actually an almost extinct race of alien from space."

He leans in closer, staring into her eyes, with his own (super beautiful) ones, which shine like stars.

Alberto: "You're not like the other girls. I... love you, Marica!"

Marica: "W-what?! Where is this coming from... you b-baka!"

Alberto gently takes her hands into his own, making her even more flustered.

Alberto: "Do you feel the same for me too, Marica?"

Marica: "Are you kidding?! Of course I don't..."

She trails off, noticing him frown.

Marica: "I-I mean... I love you too... I guess..."

Alberto leans in for a kiss, and despite Marica being an extreme tsundere, she doesn't back away, and...

***

Markus: "... What is this?" He utters, dumbfounded.

Minnie: "E-enough, Markus! Quit reading it and give it back already!"

Markus: "Where did you even find this?! And why do these names seem awfully familiar...?"

Minnie: "I don't know what you're talking about! I definitely didn't base them off actual people when I wrot-..."

Minnie stops herself, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes widening and her face turning pale.

Markus: "Eh?"

Minnie: "A-ah! Markus, I beg you, please don't tell anyone about this! Especially not my parents or my brother!"

Markus: "I know you like to draw and write Minnie, but what kind of stuff have you been reading to come up with... whatever this is? Surely not anything appropriate for a 12-year old..."

Minnie: "I'm 13!" She pouts.

Markus: "Whatever! Quit reading weird things in the library!"

Minnie: "Mind your own business! You're not my brother, Markus!"

"Hey now. No more quarreling, you two."

Lisa suddenly appears from behind them, gently taking the book from Markus and looking through it herself.

Markus: "Oh, Lisa. You startled m-..."

Lisa: "Pfft!"

She suddenly stifles a laugh with her hand, losing her composure for a brief second before calming herself again.

Lisa: "Apologies. That was immature of me. But this story is quite... the interesting one. And these names are..."

She pauses, Markus tilting his head and raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Lisa: "... Never mind."

Minnie: "P-please give me my book back..." She begs, blushing in embarrassment.

Lisa: "Of course, Minnie. Here you go."

She gently returns it, Minnie cradling it in her arms defensively.

Lisa: "Do you plan on... 'donating' that book to our library when you're done writing it?"

Minnie: "N-no way, of course not! It's... just for me to read..."

Markus: "Good. The less weird books for me to sift through, the better." He shrugs. "Seriously, your book was full of such cringey terms, like the kind you'd find in an Inazuman light novel..."

Minnie: "Forget about what you saw! And how do you even know abou-..."

Markus: He cuts her off with an awkward cough. "D-don't worry about it. Anyway, your writing sucks. You should stick to just drawing instead."

Minnie: "Don't tell me what to do! Hmph!" She crosses her arms in a huff. "I'll write whatever I want!"

Lisa: "Oh, that's right, I almost forgot. Your family was looking for you. You should probably return home soon."

Minnie: "R-really?! Aw man... I wanted to wri-... er, read some more..."

Markus: "Too bad for you. See ya, Minnie."

Minnie steps out of the library, sticking her tongue out at Markus before she leaves.

Markus: "She's so immature."

Lisa: "You're not much better." She scolds him. "As her elder, you shouldn't pick on her like that."

Markus: "Murgh..." He stubbornly grumbles.

Lisa: "Why not treat Minnie the same way you do Noelle? You're a lot more gentle and caring with her."

Markus: "I-I am? And why are you bringing her up all of a sudden...?"

Lisa: "Fufu, could it be that you treat Noelle differently because... she's special to you~?" She teases.

Markus: "W-w-what's that supposed to mean?!" He stammers, blushing.

Lisa: "Speaking of Noelle, she told me you were too tired to help with the book organizing the other day. Is that why you're here today?"

Markus: "Yeah, that's right. I'm sorry I couldn't help much before, Lisa..."

Lisa: "It's alright, sweetie. You were exhausted from work, right? Don't overexert yourself for my sake."

She pats him on the head, Markus pouting in embarrassment at the gesture.

Lisa: "She's actually here in the library as well, studying. Have you not already seen her?"

Markus: "She is? No, I haven-..."

All of a sudden, they hear a loud crashing sound coming from another corner of the library. Markus's and even Lisa's eyes widen in concern.

Lisa: "O-oh my, what was...?!"

Before Lisa finishes speaking, Markus rushes over to check what the source of the noise was.

Markus: "Noelle!"

As Lisa approaches the corner, she sees Markus leaning down to help Noelle up, a couple of books fallen and scattered beside them.

Markus: "A-are you alright!? What happened?!" He exclaims in worry.

Noelle places a hand on her forehead, breathing heavily. She stands on shaky legs, Markus holding onto her shoulders to support her.

Noelle: "G-goodness, how embarrassing. I'm sorry, Markus..." She turns her head weakly towards Lisa. "And I apologize to you as well, Miss Lisa. I've made quite the mess..."

Lisa: "Don't even worry about it." She crosses her arms, remaining composed. "You look completely exhausted. You should be resting instead of spending your time here. You're on break from your maid duties, right?"

Noelle: "I-I can't rest! This is valuable study time!"

Markus: "What are you studying?"

Noelle: "I need... to prepare for the next Knight exam..."

Markus: "Um, what? I thought the exam wasn't for another half a year or so?"

Noelle: "Yes! The sooner I prepare for it, the better!"

Lisa: "Oh dear..." She shakes her head. "What am I going to do with you, Noelle...?"

Markus helps Noelle plop down on a chair, her letting out a heavy exhale afterward. She takes out a book, one she had been clutching this whole time even before she fell earlier, and opens it. Before she can read even a single page, Lisa snatches it away, holding it above her head.

Noelle: "M-Miss Lisa!" She weakly lifts up her arms to try and claim the book back, obviously unsuccessful as she's still sitting in the chair.

Markus: "What are you doing, Lisa?" He utters in disbelief. "Isn't that kind of... mean?"

Lisa: "I was hoping you'd have learned from that time I had you look after Markus when he was ill, but..." She eyes Noelle with a stern glare. "It seems nothing has changed."

Noelle: "H-huh?"

Lisa: She lets out a disappointed sigh. "I suppose I'll have to put 'that' into motion sooner than expected..."

Markus: "'That'?"

Lisa: "Noelle, you haven't used up any of your vacation time this year, have you?"

Noelle: "No, of course I haven't..."

Lisa: "I'll have a talk with Jean. For the next few days, you'll be taking time off, from both your duties as a maid and any other tasks given to you at the Knights of Favonius's headquarters."

Noelle: "W-what?!" She exclaims in a panic. "I couldn't possibly do that! There's so much cleaning that needs to be done every day, not to mention there will be an important guest visiting in..."

Lisa: "We have other maids, Noelle. It would be pretty shameful if the Knights couldn't survive with just you missing."

Noelle frowns, her head drooping down silently.

Lisa: "Don't make that face. We rely on you a lot Noelle, but the last thing I want is to have you collapsing from exhaustion again."

Markus: "Uh, Lisa? It's not that I don't get it, but you know Noelle's just going to find more work to do if left unsupervised, even if you tell her to take time off, right?"

Lisa: "That's a fantastic point, Markus!" She makes a playful smirk. "In that case, why don't I have you take time off along with her~?"

Markus: "E-eh?! Why!? Why are you involving me in this now?!"

Lisa: "You haven't used any of your vacation time this year either, have you?"

Markus: "O-of course I have!" He pauses. "... Uh, I think?"

Lisa: "I sincerely doubt it. Even when you look after Klee when she wants to play, it's almost always while you're out patrolling."

Markus: "U-um, but I did get sick that one time..."

Lisa: "Sick days don't count, sweetie."

Markus: "U-ugh..." He slumps in defeat. "Okay, fine, I haven't used any either! Happy now?"

Lisa: "Yes. It's settled then!"

Markus: "... This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

Lisa: "Whatever do you mean~?"

Markus: "How much of this have you already planned out?"

Lisa: "I've already decided where you'll both be taking your vacation."

Markus: "Where? Cape Oath? Dornman Port? Dragonspine? Stormterror's Lair?"

Lisa: "I really hope no visitors have ever asked you for advice on tourist hotspots, because at least half of those options were... very questionable."

Noelle quietly giggles to herself, before Markus asks,

Markus: "Okay... Where are we going, then?"

Lisa: "Liyue Harbor."

Noelle: "B-but that's in Liyue!" She exclaims, before Markus has the chance to say anything.

Lisa: "Of course it is. It's literally in the name."

Noelle: "B-but...!"

Lisa: "You won't be able to lend a hand to anyone in Mond if you're not in Mond." She cuts her off sternly. "That's the point, Noelle."

Markus: "Isn't sending her... er, us to Liyue going a bit overboard? Especially since I'll be there to..."

Lisa doesn't say anything, simply squinting her eyes at him knowingly, her arms still crossed.

Markus: "Fine, fine, I get it. I've only been with Amber on escort missions there a few times, and only really as far as Stone Gate. I'm not familiar at all with Liyue Harbor..."

Lisa: "Then that can be part of the fun, while you're on your date with Noelle!"

Markus: "D-date!?" He stammers, his face flushing red. "You're seriously trying to turn this into a date again?!"

Lisa: "Oh my, did I say 'date'? Fufu, you must've misheard~!" She responds with a teasing chuckle.

Noelle: "U-um, I understand talking my way out of going is out of the question, but may I at least take along my uniform and armor this time?" She asks, hoping to change the subject, her face as red as Markus's.

Lisa: "Since you'll be traveling so far away, I'll allow you to pack them. However, I'd rather you wear more casual clothes during your outing."

Noelle: "Understood. Just in case, I'll also bring five of my finest claymores."

Lisa: "One is more than enough."

Markus: "Yeah, sorry Noelle, but five is definitely overdoing it, don't you think?" He pauses. "Well, surely an extra or two couldn't hu-..."

Lisa: "One is enough." She repeats, cutting him off.

Markus: "Yes, one is enough..."

--

Noelle: "Mmnh..."

She groggily wakes up, noticing Markus sitting across from her after opening her eyes.

Markus: "O-oh, you're awake. You sleep well?" He asks with a nervous smile.

Noelle: "Ah!" She sits up, her eyes widening. "O-oh dear! I can't believe I just fell asleep like that... Apologies!"

Markus: "Uh... Don't worry about it. You must've been tired, and we're still..."

Noelle: "That's right, the Liyue trip! I-I still need to prepare for it...!"

Markus: "You... already have, Noelle. We're already riding in the carriage that's taking us there."

Noelle: "Eh?" She blinks, finally taking the type to take in her surroundings. "Ah, yes. So we are..."

Markus: "You really were that tired, huh? A-Also..." He hesitantly points to his lip. "I feel like you should know... T-there's some... drool on your..."

Noelle: "Eeek!" She quickly wipes her face, blushing before looking away in embarrassment. "H-how shameful! Sorry you had to see such a thing!"

Markus: "That's okay. I actually thought it was..."

Noelle: "Hm?"

Markus: He pauses, starting to blush himself. "N-nothing, never mind..."

They both look out the window in awkward silence, until Markus decides to break it.

Markus: "... So, you're... wearing your uniform."

Noelle: "Oh, yes. Despite what Miss Lisa said, I thought it best to be fully suited up in case an incident occurs on the way there."

Markus: "Makes sense. But then, you'll have to change when we get there."

Noelle: "That's right. It's the same for you however, is it not?" She grins, pointing to him and his own uniform.

Markus: "Oh, yeah. Even though Lisa said it'd be better not to, I thou-..."

Before he can finish, Noelle breaks out into giggles.

Markus: "W-we thought of the same exact thing, huh?"

Markus erupts into laughter along with her, it lasting a while.

"Oh my, seems like you two are already having a merry old time together." They suddenly hear from the front of the carriage. "We haven't even arrived in Liyue yet."

Markus: "Right, I almost forgot, the one manning our carriage is..."

Kaeya: "Hiya, it's me, Kaeya."

Markus: "No offense Kaeya, but that's a lame catchphrase. You should stop doing it." He sighs. "Also, once again no offense, but why did Lisa have you of all people bring us there?"

Kaeya: "What, are you too embarrassed to let me see you on your date with Noelle?"

Markus: "Of course I'm not embarrassed, because I'm not on a date with Noelle!" He grumbles, Kaeya chuckling in response.

Kaeya: "If you say so. Date or not, even I never thought I'd see you take any time off for any reason. I don't believe I've ever seen you spend your time doing anything but work."

Markus: "You're exaggerating, I don't work that much..."

Kaeya: "I was actually talking to Noelle, not you. Although you could learn to relax some yourself."

Markus: "No offense, a third time, but I'm not sure you're the best person to take advice from on matters like this. You probably only volunteered to bring us to Liyue so you could get a break from work, didn't you?"

Kaeya: "Guilty as charged." He admits. "I don't get many chances to visit Liyue Harbor, so I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. But don't worry, I have no intention of interrupting your da-..."

Markus: "Stop."

Noelle: She giggles again. "You really are close with everyone, aren't you, Markus? Even Captain Kaeya."

Markus: "H-huh? What do you mean?" He blinks. "Kaeya is the chatty type, so he's pretty easy to talk to. I'd imagine I'm as close to him as any other Knight..."

Kaeya: "Hey, don't say that! We've known each other for years, haven't we? Ever since you were just a runt, at least."

Markus: "Hmph." He pouts, before turning his attention back to Noelle. "He was also my dad's 'drinking buddy' for a long time before the expedition. I got so used to waking up to him dragging my dad home from nights of drinking, it became hard to see Kaeya as a stranger."

Kaeya: "Seamus always was the light drunk!" He laughs again. "I suppose the Grand Master will have to take over my job of looking after him now..."

Noelle: "It isn't just Captain Kaeya, either. I remember you mentioning to me that you've known Klee for a couple years, too. And you've been close with others, like Miss Amber and Sister Barbara for a long time as well, right?"

Markus: "Well, I've known Amber before she even became an Outrider, and Barb's my sister, so that's a given..." He shakes his head. "B-but... me having a couple people I'm close with isn't anything special. I mean, Mond is all about helping out your neighbors, having fun during its many festivals, and in adults like Kaeya's case, drinking with friends. So everyone's bound to have tons of connections where we're from. Including you, right?"

Noelle: "..."

Markus: "Uh, Noelle?"

Kaeya: "Noelle, you're the type that spends a lot of your time helping others. A lot of folks talk about how reliable you are, to the point that they request for your help more than us Knights." He states, suddenly cutting in again. "However..."

He stops, taking a deep breath.

Kaeya: "... Never mind. Perhaps it isn't my place to say."

Markus: "Huh...?"

Kaeya: "Markus, I hope you'll do a good job looking after our beloved young maid. Be sure she actually tries to relax during her vacation this time, okay?"

Markus: "Yeah, sure. Got it..."

--

After arriving at Liyue Harbor at last, Markus and Noelle immediately stop at Baiju Guesthouse to drop off their things, before Kaeya heads back to Mond (totally not stopping to sightsee on the way home).

Despite arriving in uniform, the two are at least not stubborn enough to spend the whole day in such attire, and decide to change into the much less formal clothes they brought along before heading out.

Markus steps out first, waiting outside for Noelle to change.

Noelle: "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long." She says to him as they exit the building.

Markus: "No, it's fine..." He blushes a bit, from seeing her in her casual outfit again.

Noelle: "Wearing these clothes, in this foreign place... It feels so strange."

Markus: "Yeah, it definitely feels different from last time..."

Noelle: "It almost seems like... we're on vacation."

Markus: "Um, we are on vacation..."

Noelle: "Oh, of course! I suppose we are, aren't we?"

They both chuckle before Noelle continues,

Noelle: "But goodness Markus, this is such a nice, cozy place! I can't believe we'll get to stay here during our trip. I hope it didn't cost Miss Lisa too much money..."

Markus: "Well, a couple of the Knights also pitched in for this. And we'll only be staying for a few days, so I doubt it's all that pricey..."

Noelle: "Are you sure? Before we left, I had a talk with the kind old man who runs the guesthouse, and he said that the legendary White Horse Adeptus herself has stayed here in the past!"

Markus: "I-is that so?" He responds nervously.

Noelle: "Indeed, it is so!" She nods with a bright grin.

Markus: "What the heck's an 'Adeptus'...?" He mutters quietly to himself.

Noelle: "Fascinating..." She murmurs softly, while taking out a notebook and quickly jotting down something in it.

Markus: "What are you doing, Noelle?"

Noelle: "I thought it would be a good idea to make a note of any interesting sights or experiences during this trip."

Markus: "I see, what a fun idea! And Lisa and Kaeya didn't think you knew how to relax! You're clearly fully prepared to enjoy yourself." He smirks, crossing his arms. "Heh, they were worried for nothing..."

Noelle: "Hm? A-ah, yes..."