Liyue Harbor's night unfurled—a velvet shroud pierced by lantern glow and the distant crash of waves—and Liam's Internet cafe pulsed at its heart, its newly minted night service a beacon that stretched its life beyond the nine p.m. close, a haven now whole under the stars.
He hadn't planned it—Tier Harribel's sleepless vigor had nudged the shift, her hollow queen's stamina a gift she'd offered, "More work suits me,"—and Liam relented, "Fine, you're on," her teal gaze steady, though he vowed to spare her endless nights with a second soul soon.
Emotional points hoarded—he'd need a draw to match her, a four-star force like Harribel, her combat grace a rare prize—and he balked, "Too steep—another pull could skew to junk," his thrift a shield, male hires a line he'd not cross, his Teyvat quest a solo forge.
Eleven p.m. loomed—the cafe's din a distant hum—and Liam wandered, drawn to the wharf, its wooden planks cool underfoot, the streets behind him dimming as shops shuttered, their lanterns winking out, leaving the pier a quiet realm of sea and shadow.
Waves whispered—the breeze a salty sigh across the docks, workers long gone—and Liam leaned on a rail, his impetuous spirit stilled, half a month in Teyvat a blur of smooth sails, his cafe a dream that bloomed without the grind he'd braced for back home.
Time stretched—months 'til the Invitation Ceremony, when Kong or Lumine might stir, Paimon's chatter a maybe—and he mused, "Version 3.2's riddles linger; Teyvat's small, but its depths drown," his old game's lore a map half-drawn, this world a puzzle he'd piece alone.
A figure emerged—silhouetted against the moonlit tide, horns glinting like qilin grace—and Liam blinked, "Ganyu?" her presence a soft surprise, the wharf her refuge from Liyue's endless scroll, her bow idle as she gazed at the sea's restless dance.
She turned—his approach a ripple in her calm, her lavender eyes catching his—and Liam smiled, "First meeting, Ganyu—hope I'm not intruding," his voice a warm thread, her wave flustered, "No bother—just airing out; call me Ganyu, please," her tone a shy breeze.
Morax's dream had named him—her emperor's vision threading Liam into her lore, though work's chains kept her from his cafe—and she studied him, "Plain yet deep, like Granny Ping," her qilin instinct probing a man who veiled his edge in mortal ease.
Rails creaked—they leaned together, the sea a murmur below—and Liam teased, "Half a month open, and no Ganyu? Ningguang and Keqing are regulars now," his grin a spark, her gasp a jolt, "Them too?!" her disbelief a crack in her work-worn shell.
He nodded—"They're all-nighters tonight; work's handled, then play," his shrug a lesson—and Ganyu gaped, "No work left undone?" her shock a tremor, Liam wagging a finger, "They delegate—frees their hours; you should try it, Ganyu."
She balked—"I must finish it all; play's secondary," her duty a mantra—and Liam countered, "Wrong—overwork breaks you; balance heals," his tone a gentle prod, "Thousands of years as Qixing's scribe—don't you deserve a breath, a break?"
He pressed—"Trust your aides; build their strength," his logic a tide, "If fate pulls you away, Liyue falters without that trust—chaos in your absence," his words a mirror, Ganyu's blink a dawn, her code wavering under his calm, insistent gaze.
Hesitation flickered—her lavender eyes softened, "It's… reasonable, but so unlike me," her murmur a confession—and Liam seized it, "Start now—come to my cafe; it's big, plenty to see," his invite a lure, her nod slow, "A little fun… maybe."
The wharf sighed—waves lapped, a rhythm to her shift—and they trekked back, the cafe's glow a beacon through Liyue's quiet streets, its 300 rigs a constellation alive with Counter-Strike's crackle, a night service thrumming with Teyvat's restless bold.
Inside, chaos reigned—Hu Tao spawned mid, "Ningguang, one-v-one—now!" her AK barking as a flash whitened her screen, "Not again!"—and Ningguang sniped, "Too slow, hall-master," her Desert Eagle a whip, their duel a storm in Dust2's sands.
Tartaglia roared—"Three-on-one? I'm king!" his M4 blazing through B-tunnels, a cop crumpling—and Zhongli flanked, "Focus, Childe," his AK47 a scythe, two headshots felling foes, "Zhongli (AK47 headshot) Police No. 2," a geo god's calm carving victory.
Ganyu gawked—rigs blazed, melon-eaters shouting, "Headshot! Plant it!"—and she whispered, "This is… fun?" her qilin heart stirring, Liam grinning, "See? Chaos with purpose—pick a seat," her bow-hand twitching, a new thrill tugging at her soul.
Action surged—Chongyun held A, "Steady—cover me!" his M4 steady as Kaeya's bandit rushed, "Ice boy's too stiff!"—their clash a flurry, Chongyun's burst downing him, "Precision over flair," his yang quelled but fierce, Dust2 a forge for his icy resolve.
The cafe pulsed—lanterns cast a warm haze, rigs a sea of light, the air thick with snack wrappers and soda fizz—and Ganyu sat, "Just a round," her screen flaring, a Glock in hand, her first shot wild, "Oh—missed!" her laugh a rare bloom in the din.
A subplot twisted—Ganyu's work-weary shell cracked, Liam's words a seed; Tartaglia's Fatui quest faded, Pantalone's mora a ghost—and Zhongli mused, "She'll linger; he'll pay," his geo gaze on their drift, a night shifting Liyue's tides in this glowing den.
Hu Tao spotted her—"Ganyu?! Snipe with me!" her cackle a lure, pulling her in—and Ganyu fumbled, "I—I'll try," her AWP trembling, a bandit falling, "Ganyu (AWP kill) Bandit No. 3," her gasp a spark, Hu Tao crowing, "New blood's got bite!"
Emotion flared—Ganyu's duty clashed with joy, a qilin's burden eased; Hu Tao's fire found a friend, her rivalry paused; Liam's calm hid pride, his cafe a balm for Teyvat's worn—and the night stretched, their souls bared in Dust2's digital dust.
Liam watched—Ganyu's shot steadied, her laugh grew—and he mused, "She's hooked; one more for the fold," his den a crucible, Tier Harribel's nod a silent hymn, "Mortals shift like hollows—slow, then swift," her teal eyes tracing a saga reborn in his hands.
Ganyu reloaded—"One more… just one," her resolve a whisper, the cafe's pull a tide she'd ride—and Hu Tao grinned, "All night, Ganyu—Ningguang's next!" their bond a spark, Liyue's wharf a memory fading under this new, vibrant dawn.
***
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