.

.

.

Thoma raced quickly back to your cave. While running within the city, however, something caught his eye.

.

Thoma

"Heizou!"

Heizou

"Thoma? What's up?"

Thoma

"You've got tabs on everyone in Inazuma, right?"

Heizou

"... Not necessarily, but for the most part, yes. Why?"

Thoma

"Can you tell me everything you know about Y/N?"

Heizou

"Shut up! Don't say that so loudly!"

Thoma

"Why not?"

Heizou

"Are you being serious right now?!"

Thoma

"Yes?..."

"It's just a name..."

Heizou

"It's the name of a wanted criminal, that is!"

Thoma

"So? I can say Itto, and nobody will care."

Heizou

"Well- That's because Itto steals little kids' candies. Y/N steals ancient artifacts, is a murderer, and does so much worse than Itto!"

Thoma looked around anxiously.

Heizou

"... What's that look for?"

Thoma

"Heizou, can I trust you with this?"

I told myself not to tell anyone, though...

Heizou

"You have a big, fat, throbbing crush on Y/N, don't you?"

Thoma

"What?!"

Heizou

"Ha! I'm just messing with you."

"I already know that you've interacted with them."

Thoma

"How?!"

Heizou

"Uh- I'm a detective, duh!"

"It's also written all over your face."

Thoma

"I'm being that obvious?..."

Heizou

"Mhm."

Thoma

"Awh... Are you going to tell everyone now? Post it on a billboard?"

Heizou

"No. What surprises me is that you interacted with them yet came back alive? Mentally well? And healthy?!"

Thoma

"They're not as bad as everyone says."

Heizou

"And that's where you're wrong."

Thoma

"Mmh..."

I don't have time for this.

"I just wanted you to tell me any details. Anything you know about them, because I'm seriously uneducated."

Heizou

"They're a terrible person."

Thoma

"... And?..."

Heizou

"That's it."

Thoma

"... Seriously?"

"That's it?"

Heizou

"Yup."

Thoma

"..."

Heizou

"I'm messing with you again."

"Y/N is immortal."

Thoma

"... Huh?!"

Heizou

"They're almost as old as the Electro Archon."

Thoma

"Oh my-"

"I fucked with an elder?..."

Heizou

"You did what?!"

Thoma

"I mean- No! No, they aren't an elder! That's gross! That's weird! How did you hear me?!"

Heizou

"I don't fucking care; you did what?!"

Thoma

"I... Uh... Uhm!"

Thoma was seriously at a loss for words.

Heizou

"You had-"

Heizou chuckled and walked around in circles, fretting over the act that Thoma had done.

Heizou

"Huh! You actually fucked with a criminal!"

"And to think that you could get any sluttier!"

Thoma

"Oh, come on! Don't tease me like that!"

Heizou laughed at him, seeing him visibly flushed.

Heizou

"That's insane! I knew you interacted with them just by looking at the face you wore, but I never would've thought you actually fucked with them! Jeez!"

Thoma

"Shh! Why are you saying this so loud?!"

Heizou

"Because I'm freaking out over it!"

Thoma

"Stop! You're going to make others freak out!"

Heizou

*Sigh* "My goodness, Thoma..."

Thoma

"Can you just continue?"

Heizou

"Phew. Fine."

"Since you seem to be so unafraid of them, near the beginning of the Archon War, they split apart a whole island and broke down a few in Inazuma. That's why our region is quite smaller than that of Sumeru, Liyue, and such."

Thoma

"Archon war?... So they're an Archon?"

Heizou

"No. Just some loser God that got pushed away and shamed for the destruction of Inazuma."

Thoma

"Harsh..."

Heizou

"Well, that's how the truth has to be sometimes."

Thoma

"... When I talked to them, they told me that someone left them."

"Do you know who?"

Heizou

"What are you talking about?..."

Thoma

*Sigh* "I guess you don't know."

"Thank you anyway, Heizou."

Heizou

"Anytime."

Thoma

"... Are you going to tell anyone about this?..." 

Heizou

"No. You can trust me; come on."

Thoma

"That sounds quite hesitant..."

"If anyone asks, I was just collecting information for my general knowledge. No interactions happened; none of that."

Heizou

"Alright then."

.

.

.

-BACK AT THE CAVE, AT NOON-

Thoma

"Y/N?..."

He noticed a large streak of blood across the grass leading to the entrance to your cave.

He rushed inside and saw you sprawled on the ground, a dagger pierced right through your chest. Not only that, but a dead body right next to you.

Thoma

"What happened?!"

.

.

.

You

"What?..."

"Time to go?"

Thoma

"Huh?!" 

You

"I was only taking a nap."

You said, getting up and wiping off tiny pebbles that rested on your body.

Thoma

"Your... Your chest!"

You

"I'll be fine."

You said, putting a hand on the handle of the dagger.

Thoma

"Stop! Y/N, don't move!"

You

"Why?"

Thoma

"Don't!-"

You gripped the dagger tight and drew it right out of your chest, throwing it to the side.

You looked at him confusingly.

You

"I am fine. See?"

You looked down at your body, which was dripping blood. Out of all seriousness — you truly were fine.

Thoma

"Wh... But how?"

You

"I'm immortal. I can't die."

Thoma

Right...

You

"The man beside me is just another addition to the corpse pile of scavengers."

"I just wanted to take a nap. I told myself I'd drag him over to the pile when I woke up."

"Do you want to help me?"

Thoma

"... I uhm..."

"What happened?..."

You

"I murdered the man who tried to kill me; what else? Was it not clear?"

"After he was dead, I felt sleepy. So I took a nap. And I'm perfectly fine."

"... What? Are you afraid?"

Thoma

"I am just... Concerned."

"Doesn't it hurt? Can you breathe okay? Do you need help cleaning up?"

"Because cleaning's my specialty!"

You

"Why do you care so much?"

Thoma

"Well... I think that all lives should be valued. Even if they've caused extreme destruction."

You

"... Are you a momma's boy?"

Thoma

"My mother is dead."

You

"Same."

.

Thoma

"Come here and lay back down on the ground."

You

"Are you ordering me around?"

Thoma

"... Please."

You

"Alright then."

Thoma

"I know it can't kill you, but surely it hurts, right?"

He asked as he knelt beside you while you lay back down.

You

"It stings a little."

Thoma

"... Does this happen often?"

You

"Mhm. Though, it hurts a lot less than it used too."

Thoma

Sheesh...

"Have your wounds ever gotten infected?"

You

"Huh?"

Thoma

"Your wounds. Have they ever gotten infected?"

You

"I don't understand."

Thoma

"... Seriously?"

"Okay- Do you feel feverish at all?"

You

"Are you a doctor?"

Thoma

"No, I just know a lot about taking care of wounds."

"Do you feel feverish?"

He repeated himself.

You

"I always feel feverish."

Thoma

"Huh."

So they know how to fuck, but they don't know what an infection is...?

"You're an interesting one, Y/N."

You

"... Thank you?"

Thoma

"Even if you had an infection, you wouldn't die from it because of the obvious, of course. But even so, infections can cause exaggerated pain."

"Surely you have soap, right? Let's use some of that with water. Hydrogen peroxide and stuff like that can damage the tissue and delay healing."

"And then, I can apply an antiseptic ointment so-"

You

"This is stupid. Just leave the wound be, and let's go look for the gem."

You cut him off.

Thoma

"Absolutely not. We are going to clean you up whether you like it or not."

You

"It's not doing anything life-threatening to me!"

You raised your voice and sat up, feeling the blood stream down your body and through your clothes.

You also felt a drip of blood run down from your nose and touched it confusingly.

Thoma

"Shush. Your nose is bleeding. Just calm down; everything will be okay, Y/N.

You

"My nose does that really often. I don't know why."

"Do I really just lay here and let you do your thing?"

Thoma

*Sigh* Nosebleeds are even a normal day-to-day occurence for them.

"Yes. Just let me clean you up; no more questions or interruptions. Okay?"

You

"Hm... Okay..."