a/n --> clarification. feminine reader, in my writings at least, is a gender neutral reader that wears traditionally girly clothing.
y/n = your name
l/n = last name
f/c = favorite color
••••

The restaurant was surprisingly fancy for a fast food chain. Diorite countertops with beautiful yet rustic brick walls, the inside was exceedingly cozy. Lit with fairy lights and a fake fireplace, one would mistake this for a French cafe, instead of a burger chain.

You took a seat on the cushion of the bowback chair, leaning into the light wood nervously. You had an interview at 3:45pm, and you were terrified. Genshins on Impact Street was known to be extremely picky about who they hired, and they were your second to last option.

Pulling at a hangnail on your finger, you heard quiet chatter before the chairs across from you moved. Looking up, you saw an elegant woman with long, purple hair and electrifying eyes. Next to her, a younger, much more terrifying woman gazed at you.

You knew who these two were.

Raiden Ei was the owner of the restaurant, strict and ruling with an iron fist to keep the restaurant resting perfectly in an eternal state of comfort. The terrifying one? She is only known to the public as "The Knave". Wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of a billionaire, she ended up being bailed out by an unknown source and all but disappeared from the publics mind.

God, why couldn't you have interviewed with normal people?!

A third person cleared their voice. "Heyy, Ei! Sorry I'm late, boss wanted me to run her a—" A brunette with a red eye patch waved as she hurried through the glass sliding doors, before noticing you. "Oh! Fresh meat?"

The brunette grabbed the chair on the left side of you, spun it around, and sat down, arms crossed on the back of the chair.

"I'm Beidou." She held out her hand.

"Y/n." You shook it.

"Enough of the pleasantries." The Knave cut in. "We're here for business, correct?"

"We are," Ei replied. "We have recently... lost a member of our staff. As such, we are looking for a replacement in this eternal paradise."

"Oh... I'm sorry." You respond awkwardly.

"Oh, Dottore?" The Knave smiled creepily. "He's not dead, just imprisoned. I felt merciful."

You shuddered a little.

"To continue, you applied here, L/n. What makes you believe you'd be a good fit for our staff?"

You fiddled with the edge of you (f/c) skirt. "I— I'm studious, and hard working! I work especially well under pressure."

"That's what everyone says," Beidou shrugged. "Anything more specific?"

"Oh, well, I'm a fast problem solver..?"

"Are you?" The Knave's cutthroat eyes stared into you.

Ei had been writing down your response, and then continued to the next question, not allowing you to reply to The Knave. "What inspired you to apply here?"

"I like— I like the environment, and, uhm, I've heard it's a good establishment to—"

Beidou cuts you off. "Kid, you're here for the money, aren't you?"

"That is a part of it, yes." You look down, rather ashamed, but you knew you couldn't just say that in an interview.

"We, at Genshin's, pride ourselves in providing a livable wage to all our employees." Ei added on. "Do not feel disgraceful for wanting a comfortable wage."

"Oh, I'm sorry Ma'am." You awkwardly chuckle. "I figured it was taboo to say."

The atmosphere felt rather thick around you. Worried, you begin to unknowingly pick at your nails,the clear polish chipping quickly.

This time, Beidou asks a question, very monotonous, evident by the fact that she clearly doesn't want to do this. "What are your hobbies, and how can you apply the skills you've learned from them into work?"

However, as you begin to answer, something catches your attention.

A waiter, standing a couple tables away, with blonde hair and a top hat adorned with a cat pin dramatically motions for you to stop speaking. You do, and he winks at you, then pretends to hold a console controller in his hands. Beidou looks at you a little quizzically, so you begin speaking.

"I— I love to play video games! Especially ones that require a lot of work to make progress. The patience and ability to, uhm, to stay focused greatly benefit me on the job." You sputter out quickly.

The blonde boy sighs in relief, and blows you a kiss before continuing to work.

"That was... a well thought out answer." Ei seems a little surprised too, given your nervousness.

The Knave is silent, but you were pretty sure she'd also seen the blonde, and you hoped he wouldn't be fired for helping you.

More questions are asked of you, and you try your best to answer every single one. The blonde boy comes back, and you're finally able to read his name tag; Lyney.

Mentally, you thank him for helping you, and when he catches your eye, he smiles at you again.

At the end of those thirty agonizing minutes, your interview was over. Ei, Beidou, and The Knave went back to discuss their thoughts, and Lyney came over to you.

"Hello!" He smiled.

"Thank you for helping me," You let out a breath. "I don't know what I would've done without it."

"I know they're both intimidating." He referred to Ei and The Knave. "And I wouldn't mind having such a cute face to look at everyday."

"Uhm, you think I'm cute..?" The comment caught you very off guard.

"Mhm."

"Thank you." You gave him a small smile.

"So, you better get hired for me," He slid you a small paper with a phone number on it. "And if not, I'll be waiting for a text."

Lyney smiled coyly, and gave a small wave. As he left, you put the slip of paper in your purse, and stared at the table.

He was flirting, wasn't he? Or was he being excessively friendly? He seemed like the type to flirt around, so you decided not to dwell too much on it. Maybe send him a text, but it definitely won't go farther than that. Definitely.

The trio of women interviewing you came back, and sat down. Ei was the first to speak.

"We have come to a conclusion on the decision of allowing you to work here." She began. "It was, shockingly, rather easy."

The Knave took over, her voice lowered. "Our decision is to hire you...

... in the division of espionage."