Cards of Fate and Forgotten Felines

The twilight over Mondstadt had deepened into a velvet shroud, its indigo depths pierced by the flicker of stars and the soft glow of lanterns swaying along the cobblestone streets. Inside Galehaven Comics, the air thrummed with a cozy vitality—aged paper mingling with the faint floral steam of dandelion tea cooling on Harlan Flint's stove, a subtle sweetness threading through the vibrant chaos of the shop. The hardwood floor gleamed faintly underfoot, scuffed by the day's traffic, while the walls loomed with teetering stacks of comics, their colorful spines whispering of worlds unclaimed. Posters—Yu-Gi-Oh's Blue-Eyes glaring from one corner, Digimon's Agumon curling at the edges—fluttered in the draft, their edges frayed by time and wonder. Harlan leaned against the counter, his dark jacket slung over his chair, a half-empty teacup cradled in his hands as he watched his customers weave their tales into the shop's heartbeat.

Bennett stood before him, his green goggles slipping as he clutched his Random Skill Card, its silver edges glinting in the lantern light, its blank surface a void of possibility. "Luck—seriously?!" he groaned, his voice a frustrated rasp as he slumped, his leather vest creaking with his dismay, his green eyes dimming with the weight of his curse. Harlan's grin softened, his hazel eyes glinting with sympathy as he leaned forward, his tone a gentle nudge. "Yeah, luck's the game—but hold onto it. Your streak flips when you're out cold, right? Use it then," he said, his voice warm with a shopkeeper's wisdom, his mind tracing Bennett's legend—thunderstorms spared him, caves opened when he fell, a paradox of misfortune and grace.

Bennett's face lit up, his goggles jolting upright as he straightened, his voice a burst of revelation. "Wait—you're right! Knocked out, no bad luck—boom, perfect shot!" he cried, his green eyes sparkling with hope as he gripped the card, its silver sheen a lifeline against his fate. He'd survived a storm unconscious, unscathed by lightning, a quirk Harlan's words ignited into a plan. "Gotta test it—adventure tomorrow, knock myself out somehow," he thought, his adventurer's heart racing as he pictured the wilds—Whispering Woods, a cliff's edge, a skill to claim. He flashed Harlan a grin, his tone bright with gratitude. "Boss—thanks! I'd be lost without that," he said, his boots scuffing the floor as he turned, his figure darting out into Mondstadt's dusk, a boy chasing chance.

Harlan chuckled, his grin widening as he sipped his tea, the system ticking—[25/30 customers]—another thread in his shop's chaos. "Kid's got grit—hope he doesn't brain himself too hard," he mused, his hazel eyes glinting with amusement as the door creaked shut, the shop settling into a hush. Wendy stirred from his sofa, his green cape pooling around him like a wind-tossed leaf, Yu-Gi-Oh! snapping shut in his lap as he stretched, his voice a breezy lilt. "Finally done—boss, where's my prize?" he asked, his green eyes twinkling with a bard's mischief, his lyre resting beside him, its strings silent but expectant.

Harlan raised a brow, his grin faltering into a wry twist as he muttered, "Took you long enough—Barbatos, master of dawdling," his tone a playful jab at Wendy's fishing finesse, his tea cooling as he glanced at the system. The screen flared—[Customer Wendy completed Yu-Gi-Oh!—Reward: Duel Disk Set & Card Pack]. [Duel Disk: Summons monster holograms from cards. Card Pack: 40 random cards.] Harlan's brows shot up, his grin returning as he leaned back. "Same as Eula's haul—duel gear," he thought, his hazel eyes flickering with intrigue, his mind tracing the comic's quirks—cards over dragons, a pattern he'd unravel later.

A beam of light sliced through the ceiling, its radiance bathing Wendy's left arm in a shimmering glow that drew Klee's glance from Little Master and Barbara's peek from beside her, the shop's air crackling with anticipation. The light faded, a white-and-blue duel disk materializing on Wendy's arm—sleek, futuristic, its card slots gleaming with promise—while a pack of 40 cards nestled in his hand, their backs a swirl of stars. "Duel disk?!" Wendy gasped, his voice a burst of glee as he hefted it, his green eyes wide with a child's wonder, his cape fluttering with his excitement.

Harlan nodded, his grin widening as he leaned forward, his tone a casual guide. "Yup—load a card, summon a monster, just like the manga. No attack power, but real as it gets," he said, his hazel eyes glinting with mischief as he pictured the chaos—holograms in Mondstadt, a bard's new toy. Wendy's grin split wide, his fingers brushing the disk as he drew a card, his voice a triumphant chirp. "Dark Magician—game's ace!" he cried, his memory flashing to Muto Yugi's stern spellcaster, a symbol of dueling might.

He slotted the card with a flourish, the disk flaring with a whoosh—a beam of light erupting in the shop, coalescing into a tall, stern figure in a purple robe, its staff gleaming with arcane power. The Dark Magician loomed, its presence a silent thunder that rippled through the air, the shelves trembling as its hologram solidified. "Whoa—boss, you're a genius!" Wendy crowed, his voice a peal of awe as he circled it, his green eyes glinting with bardic delight, his cape a swirl of wind against the magic's glow.

Klee's hat tilted, her wide eyes blinking as she leapt from the sofa, Little Master forgotten in her lap, her voice a chirp of wonder. "What's that? Shiny man!" she gasped, her tiny hands clapping as she darted closer, her red coat a blur of motion. Barbara stepped forward, her curls swaying as she smiled, her tone a gentle coax. "It's a card game, Klee—fun stuff! Want to try tomorrow?" she asked, her blue eyes glinting with hope, her healer's heart easing at the shift—cards over bombs, a victory she'd savor.

Klee's face lit up, her hat bobbing as she nodded furiously, her voice a cannon blast of glee. "Fun—Klee wants it! Tomorrow, big sis!" she cried, her Pyro Vision flickering with her zeal, her tiny frame buzzing with anticipation. Harlan chuckled, his grin softening as he leaned back, his tea cooling on the counter. "Eula got one too—match her tomorrow, Wendy," he said, his tone a nudge to chaos, his hazel eyes tracking the bard's grin, the shop a crucible for dueling dreams.

Wendy's eyes sparkled, his cape fluttering as he retracted the card, the Dark Magician vanishing in a shimmer of light. "Eula? Oh, it's on—duel time!" he chirped, his voice a breezy vow as he pictured the knight's icy glare, a clash of cards in Mondstadt's streets. The door creaked open, a gust of evening air sweeping in with a trio of new faces—dusty cloaks, curious eyes, their voices a murmur of excitement. "Boss—got those magic comics?" one asked, his tone a mix of awe and hope, his hand clutching a pouch of Mora, his companions nodding with eager grins.

Harlan straightened, his grin widening as he gestured at the shelves, his voice a warm lure. "Right here—100,000 Mora, one read a day. Pick your poison," he said, his hazel eyes glinting with a shopkeeper's pride, the system pinging—[26/30 customers]—as the trio fished out coins, their clinks a chorus against the counter. They darted for the shelves, their hands snagging One Piece and Sakura, their voices rising in a cacophony of awe—"This glows!" "Look—a dragon!"—their excitement a spark that lit the shop's dusk.

Barbara smiled, her curls swaying as she turned to Harlan, her tone bright with congratulations. "Business is booming, boss—nice work!" she said, her blue eyes glinting with warmth, Nyaromon purring in her arms. Harlan's grin widened, his gaze flicking to Wendy as he nodded. "Bard's doing—spreading the word," he said, his tone a playful jab as Wendy preened, his green cape fluttering with his pride. "Ehe—happy to help!" he chirped, his voice a breezy boast as he slung the duel disk over his shoulder, his bardic charm a beacon for Galehaven's rise.

He turned for the door, his voice a cheerful farewell. "See ya, boss—back tomorrow!" he called, his green eyes glinting with plans—duels, comics, a night of song. Harlan raised a hand, his grin sharp as he called back, "Keep the hype up, temp—or you're out!" his tone a mock threat that drew Wendy's laugh, his figure vanishing into the alley's gloom. The bard hummed as he strolled, his duel disk a weight on his arm, his mind drifting to Good Hunter—Sarah's glowing rice, a taste he'd chase. "Food, then tavern—perfect night," he thought, his steps light on the cobblestones, the city's lanterns a constellation around him.

He paused, his cape stilling as a frown creased his brow, his voice a soft mutter. "Wait—something's off…" His green eyes widened, a jolt of panic flashing through him as he clapped a hand to his forehead, his voice a yelp of dismay. "Oh no—the Maine Coon! Still at Diluc's tavern!" he gasped, his bardic calm shattering as he pictured the cat—fluffy, abandoned, purring in the Angel's Share, a furry grudge he'd face tomorrow. Mondstadt's night hummed on, Galehaven's chaos a spark igniting its whimsy.

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