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"I brought flowers.", Kujou Sara says stiffly, thrusting a bouquet of flowers into Kokomi's hands the moment the Watatsumi Priestess steps off the waverider at the Narukami docks. Kokomi blinks as she studies the flowers, glaze lilies from Liyue (’Those must have been expensive’, Kokomi thinks) and some Dendrobiums - mixed in with Windwheel Asters from Mondstat. Kokomi had been hanging around Sara more often now, after the war and the fiasco that took place during one of their peace talks, they hung out more, the two going between Watatsumi and Narukami, alternating the place to meet. And today was Sara’s turn to host.
Kokomi began to catch feelings, it was funny. She, falling for the enemy. Ex-enemy but still. She really liked Sara, she was blunt, charming and was not afraid to say exactly what she meant. A little oblivious at times but she was still cute. So being given flowers by her somewhat-crush (’Its not a crush, she’s a good friend’, She tells herself)… Kokomi flushed red, was Sara going to tell her something…?
“I apologise if this was not the right course of action, Guuji Yae has told me that when meeting the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi, it is customary to provide these flowers for you. My apologies for not abiding by your customs.”, Sara states as if that was completely normal, oblivious to the fact the Guuji had likely lied to her about this or said it in jest, patting a stunned Kokomi on the shoulder as Sara walked off, headed back to the Kujou headquarters and expecting her to follow after.
She blinks. She definitely should tell Sara that was not how the Watatsumi customs work, but Sara had seemed quite pleased with herself for doing this and she didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise. Not this time at least. If she does this again, she would definitely tell Sara to stop… But the bouquet was beautiful, and Kokomi wondered how she acquired the glaze lilies, they were rare enough in Liyue and they only bloomed in the night - probably really expensive too…
The rest of the day was spent blissfully, both of them had temporary respite from their duties when they met up - and it started as a joke, Sara wanting Kokomi to take care of herself better. And then Kokomi proposed they met up once a week and took a break together. It was nice, and Sara didn’t have that many friends to hang out with, so having company together with her was nice. What was the use of taking breaks without anyone to spend them with, after all.
“Tea, Koko?”, Sara offers, what Kokomi had found out about the other woman after getting to know her better was that Sara had a flair for tea-brewing and enjoyed her tea. So, at the time Kokomi did the most sensible course of action of course, buying a nice tea set from Liyue as a gift to Sara for their new-found friendship. Sara’s amazed face at the gift, proclaiming that it was the 3rd gift she had been given in life made it worth it - along with that brought questions on how the Kujou clan raised Sara. (”My first gift was my Vision, when I was falling. My second was the gift was my Tengu mask and this is my third.” Sara had explained solemnly, cradling the new tea set close to her.)
Kokomi nods, Sara made amazing tea - “I learnt it when I was a child, Takayuki instilled in me the importance of tea brewing, stating that I will eventually serve the Shogun tea in ceremony and I cannot embarrass the family name.” - Kokomi was so glad that this man, this… so called father was behind bars now, sparing Sara of his words.
It's not fair, Kokomi thinks - Sara is far too kind, to have had to endure that. She followed Sara before, to visit Takayuki in his cell. His words were like acid, berating Sara for being a good general - like how he forced her to grow up as, a general not a child - for revealing the Fatui plot. Sara had done and said nothing.
Kokomi learnt new things that day. Along with a new burning desire to strangle a one Kujou Takayuki.
Finally, Kokomi was due to head home - after all she did still have a island to run, she could run to Sara when she needed a break but she could not run forever. She hugs Sara goodbye, curling comfortably against her as Sara holds her gently. Its almost unfair how soft and warm Sara is, she seems to stiff and prickly but she gives great hugs - though it took a while before Sara was receptive towards hugs.
“Bye Sara!”, Kokomi giggled as she leapt towards Sara for a hug, the poor girl stiffening up - standing there awkwardly as she didn’t know what to do with her hands. It felt more or less like Kokomi was hugging a wall. Which was… not the best hug she’d have had but it was Sara, who probably hadn’t had a hug in years knowing her father, so Kokomi would look over that.
“You’re supposed to wrap your arms around me, silly.”
“I’m not… I- I’m not familiar with this.”
“I’ll help you practice then.”
Kokomi loved hugging Sara anyways, she got so flustered and it was quite fun to see the almighty general of the Shogun get so shy and bashful from a simple hug. It was cute. It also gave Kokomi a little pang in her heart knowing that Sara probably grew up not receiving physical affection.
Sara approached her again after that, just as she boarded the waverider, almost nervously as she held out a letter - one with the Kujou seal on it along with Sara’s personal seal and signature. She passed it to Kokomi carefully, almost as if she was handing her a bomb. “Please, only open it when you are back at Watatsumi.”
Sara had seemed so nervous and worried and Kokomi didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise, carefully holding the bouquet and the letter together as she waved to Sara, the waverider starting already and Kokomi needing to focus on where she was heading.
Kokomi’s fingers traced the pristine paper, the letter itself had no creases on it, a show of how well Sara kept her things along with how perfect she liked them - in her office, not a single thing was out of place and every document was split into 5 categories (”My lucky number is 5 after all”, Sara would repeatedly say, doing things in fives.) She itched to open the stupid envelope, but it felt like betraying Sara’s trust in a weird way, Sara wouldn’t know. But Kokomi’s consciousness would.
So, Kokomi finally got back, comfortably settled into her chair at her little secret hideout. She carefully opened the letter, pulling off the wax seal as a simple slip of paper slides out, the penmanship was blocky, seemingly printed on - Sara’s writing was like that, it seemed like it was copied straight from a text.
“Dear Kokomi,
I pray that this letter finds you in good health back in Watatsumi
I hope the journey to Watatsumi went without hitch. If it is to your fancy, perhaps we could go on a date the next time we meet?
Yours Sincerely,
General of the Shogunate
Kujou Sara”
Kokomi stares at the writing, the writing itself was shaky, as if the writer had rushed through it, which Sara probably did. But it warmed Kokomi’s heart and she knew her response already. It would be a resounding yes. Now the question remained if she would return a letter or respond the next time they saw each other face to face. Truly a dilemma. Kokomi chose the latter, folding the letter back up neatly and putting it into a drawer.
Sara stood tall over the rocky terrain, her troops filed behind her neatly - they were scouting a new horde of Fatui enemies, according to the Shogun’s recent missive that arrived to her. There were a large number of Fatui gathering on Yaoshiori island, so the Shogunate army was sent to eliminate them - before they started making trouble or moving over to Narukami Island to harass the townsfolk there.
“Ma’am! We suspect there are at least 20 of them there, 5 Pyroslinger bracers and multiple hydrogunner legionnaires. We suspect multiple vanguards as well.”
Sara looked over, the terrain was to their advantage because they still had the upper hand - standing atop the mountain - but the Fatui had the unfortunate advantage in sheer numbers and firepower. The likelihood of the assault successfully occurring without any casualties were low. And Sara squinted. Hypothetically they could call for backup - but they may also lose the element of surprise. Sara made her decision.
“Storm the front!”, Sara called, rallying her troops as the archers amongst them prepared to fire - at least 10 of them, firing a volley of deadly arrows down at their enemies. It hit 2 of them - killing them instantly as they hit their critical points, an instant death. The Fatui now knew their position and it was a downhill battle now - especially since they had the Pyroslingers who had decent range.
Sara took to flight, soaring into the air with her wings - shooting them from above as the Fatui held off attacks from her men, who had charged down the hill towards them as well as her archers. Unfortunately for Sara, she stayed still in the air a little too long… a little too still, she didn’t move as much… just long enough for a Pyroslinger to take aim…
And Sara wobbled, just a little, as pain erupted throughout her left wing… and then she started falling. In pain and how earth-bound since there was no way she was taking flight again in her state, she drew her sword, more useful using that than her bow anyways - where she could be on field with her men and give orders out easier.
“Watch out!”, Sara lunged, as a Cryogunner Legionnaire shot at one of her men - she lunged, her vision would protect her anyways… And then a hydogunner shot, Sara froze, quite literally as she could do little as a Pyroslinger took aim…
Kokomi stared at the wood, smooth and well sanded wood, the Tengu mask placed carefully over the casket as it was lowered into the ground.
“I never got to give you my response huh Sara…”, Kokomi mumbled softly under her breath - placing a bouquet of Dendrobiums over the area the accomplished general was buried. “I brought flowers…”