The twilight had settled over Mondstadt like a velvet cloak, its indigo depths pierced by the last embers of a sinking sun, casting long shadows across the city's wind-swept rooftops. The air thrummed with the scent of dandelions carried on the evening breeze, mingling with the faint tang of cider wafting from the Angel's Share, where lanterns flickered to life along cobblestone streets. The windmills creaked in a gentle rhythm, their blades slicing through the dusk, while the Statue of Barbatos loomed high above, its stone wings outstretched as if cradling the fading day. Near the city's bustling heart, the Deer Hunter restaurant stood as a beacon of warmth, its wooden facade aglow with the promise of hearth and feast, its sign swaying faintly under the weight of the night.
A sturdy cart rumbled to a halt at the restaurant's doorstep, its wheels groaning under the burden of crates brimming with ingredients—golden eggs glistening like tiny suns, rice sacks plump with promise, and bundles of herbs tied with twine, their earthy scent a tease of the dish to come. Lumine stood beside it, her blonde hair tousled by the wind, her golden eyes glinting with determination as she hefted a crate, her white dress streaked with dust from the day's labor. Paimon fluttered at her side, her tiny form a blur of starry cape and silver hair, her hands clutching a sack as she chirped—"Heavy—but worth it for glowing food!" Sarah, the Deer Hunter's spirited cook, wiped sweat from her brow, her apron smudged with flour as she grinned—"Thanks, you two—golden egg fried rice, on me!"
"Yay—finally!" Paimon squealed, her voice a cannon blast of glee as she dropped the sack, her starry cape fluttering with anticipation. Lumine's lips quirked, her golden eyes softening as she set her crate down—"Been waiting since noon—let's see it shine." The trio's efforts had emptied the cart in a flurry of teamwork—Lumine's steady strength, Paimon's frantic flitting, Sarah's practiced haste—until the restaurant's storeroom brimmed with bounty, a prelude to the night's marvel. "Head inside—I'll whip it up," Sarah said, her tone warm with gratitude as she vanished into the kitchen, her apron a banner of resolve.
The Deer Hunter's interior glowed with a rustic charm, its wooden tables scarred by years of revelry, its walls adorned with hunting trophies—antlers curling like ancient runes, a boar's head glaring from above the hearth where a fire crackled, casting dancing shadows across the room. The evening crowd was sparse—two merchants nursing cider in a corner, a bard tuning his lyre near the window—leaving the space quiet save for the clatter of Sarah's pots. Lumine and Paimon claimed a table near the hearth, its warmth a balm against the dusk's chill, the scent of burning pine mingling with the faint promise of rice to come. Paimon plopped onto a chair, her tiny hands fishing a handheld console from her pouch—Super Mario, a gift from Harlan's shelves—its screen flaring as she grumbled—"Round two—gonna beat it this time!"
Lumine leaned back, her sword propped beside her, her golden eyes glinting with amusement as Paimon mashed buttons, her tiny brow furrowed with focus. The game's first level had been a slog—Paimon's Mario tumbling into pits, skewered by Goombas, her squeaks of frustration a symphony of defeat—but the second proved a nightmare. "Stupid wall-bouncing jerks!" Paimon huffed, her starry cape drooping as Mario perished again, a Koopa's turnaround her doom. The cliffs were worse—steps rising, steps falling, a rhythm she couldn't grasp—her hesitation a fatal flaw as she plummeted—beep—her score a taunt on the screen. "Why's it so hard?!" she wailed, her silver hair bouncing with despair.
Lumine chuckled, her blonde hair catching the firelight as she leaned forward, her voice a teasing lilt—"Too slow, Paimon—if I played, I'd be done already." She'd watched all afternoon, memorizing each trap—Goomba paths, Piranha timings, cliff jumps—a cloud player's confidence swelling in her chest. "Pfft—prove it!" Paimon snapped, her hands thrusting the console forward, her tone a dare as she crossed her arms—"Talk's cheap!" Lumine's grin widened, her golden eyes glinting with bravado as she took the device—"Watch and learn—cleared in ten minutes."
Reality struck fast—thud—Mario crashed into a Goomba, its bounce defying her dodge, her fingers fumbling as she gasped—"It turns?!" The cliffs loomed—jump—too short, a plummet—beep—her confidence cracking as Piranhas snapped, Koopas spun, her deaths a montage of hubris. "Targeting me—unfair!" she muttered, her golden eyes narrowing with doubt, her traveler's grit tested by pixels. Paimon cackled, her starry cape fluttering as she crowed—"Worse than me—cloud queen!" Lumine's jaw tightened, her pride stung but her retort swallowed as she mashed on, her defeats a humbling mirror to Paimon's glee.
"Hey—you two here too?" a voice chimed, light as the breeze, cutting through their bickering. Lumine and Paimon turned—Wendy stood there, his green cape fluttering, his Anemo Vision glinting at his hip, a Maine Coonmon trailing him, its fluffy tail swishing with a sulky air. "Bard—finally remembered your cat?" Paimon teased, her silver hair bouncing as she smirked, her memory sharp—Wendy's panic at Galehaven, his Digimon forgotten in a comic haze. Wendy scratched his head, his grin sheepish—"Didn't mean to—got lost in Yu-Gi-Oh!'s duels. Tavern reunion was… tense."
The Maine Coonmon huffed, its amber eyes narrowing as it sat, its fur a storm of black and gray ruffled by neglect. "Took bribes—golden egg fried rice—to calm it," Wendy admitted, his tone a bard's lament as he ruffled its ears, its purr a reluctant truce. Lumine laughed, her golden eyes softening—"Perfect timing—Sarah's cooking now." Wendy's grin widened—"Lucky me—right on the dot!" The hearth's glow bathed them, their chatter a warm thread in the restaurant's hush, the promise of glowing rice a shared spark.
Sarah emerged, her apron dusted with rice flour, her hands cradling a covered dish as she approached—"Ready—golden egg fried rice!" Paimon clapped, her starry cape fluttering—"Finally—glowing time!" Lumine and Wendy leaned in, their eyes glinting with curiosity—Lumine's a traveler's wonder, Wendy's a bard's awe—as Sarah grinned—"Here we go!" She lifted the lid—whoosh—a golden light erupted, its radiance flooding the room, spilling through the windows to paint the night sky, a beacon that rivaled Mondstadt's lanterns. The rice gleamed—each grain a tiny sun, its steam curling with a buttery scent, its glow a marvel born from Little Master's art.
The restaurant jolted—merchants dropped their mugs, the bard's lyre twanged off-key—while outside, passersby froze, their voices a chorus of shock—"What's that?!" "Deer Hunter's glowing!" "A dish—shining?!" Footsteps pounded as a crowd gathered, their faces pressed to the windows, their gasps a tide of wonder—"Barbatos—truth!" "Gotta see it!" Inside, Lumine's jaw dropped, her golden eyes wide—"Dazzling—unreal!" Wendy whistled, his green cape swaying—"First for this bard—magic on a plate!" Paimon squealed—"Sarah's a genius!"
Sarah waved a hand, her grin shy as she blushed—"Just followed the recipe—still rough. Harlan's the real star—gave me this." Her mind traced Galehaven's shelves, Harlan's grin, a formula no Teyvat chef could dream—a hidden master, she thought, her reverence a quiet flame. The crowd surged—bang—the door swinging as knights arrived, Lisa among them, her purple hat tilting as she purred—"Oh my—Harlan's tricks again?" The night erupted, Mondstadt's heart ablaze with rice and wonder, Galehaven's echo a spark in its soul.
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