Just as Mo Li was happily flipping through Kiana's up-close selfie shots, Hu Tao came bouncing over with her usual energy.
"Boss, aren't you going to change?"
Mo Li waved a hand. "You girls take the group photo. I'll just stay out of the frame this time."
"What about you, though? Shouldn't the mighty Hall Master get dressed up too?"
Hu Tao shook her head. "Eh~ I don't even have a role in Honkai Impact 3rd, so I'll sit this one out~"
"What's the big deal? It's just a commemorative studio photo."
But Hu Tao kept shaking her head, then leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Besides… Miko-sis and Ayaka-sis don't have any costumes yet."
Mo Li blinked in realization, raising an eyebrow as he studied her.
"Well, look at that—you actually noticed? Since when did our Hall Master become so considerate?"
Hu Tao crossed her arms proudly. "I'm not as dumb as Kiana~"
And there it was—Kiana catching a stray shot out of nowhere again.
"Boss, do you plan to add Miko and Ayaka as playable characters later?"
"Of course," Mo Li replied without hesitation. "But their characters won't be ready for a while yet."
"Probably… around version 2.0."
After all, version 1.6 would roll into 2.0 soon enough—it wasn't far off.
"Still, I've kind of been neglecting them…" he admitted with a faint pang of guilt.
If Hu Tao hadn't reminded him, everyone else would be wearing their in-game outfits for the photo—except Miko and Ayaka. That would've been awkward.
Maybe because he always got updates from Bronya, Rita, and the others, he hadn't realized how quiet Miko and Ayaka's side of the team had been lately.
And since they didn't even have voice lines recorded yet, their presence had faded into the background…
Thinking that, Mo Li glanced toward the two girls.
They were sitting quietly off to the side, lost in thought.
He rubbed his chin, imagining how they must feel.
If everyone else got custom-made costumes except them… it had to sting a little.
"Maybe I should finish their models and outfits early…"
As he pondered, Bronya and Durandal stepped out of the dressing room already in costume.
Bronya wore her [Silverwing: N-EX], while Durandal shone brilliantly in her [Bright Knight: Excelsis] armor—worth tens of thousands by itself.
Then came Aponia with Griseo, followed by Kiana, Himeko, and the rest.
Himeko had swapped her [Kiss of the Rose] for her battle armor [Vermilion Knight: Eclipse].
Even Elysia had roused Eden and helped her change into her Elysian Realm attire.
Klee, unsurprisingly, hadn't appeared—probably still asleep.
Mo Li's gaze drifted back to Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayaka.
Miko's expression was unreadable as always, but in Ayaka's eyes… he caught a fleeting trace of envy.
"Alright, I'll show them their concept art later," he thought to himself. "Otherwise, they'll think I'm playing favorites."
…Though, come to think of it, that sentence could sound a little wrong out of context.
Still, it wasn't fair that every girl except them had a signature outfit.
He also noticed Ganyu wasn't changing either—and none of the others pressured her.
It seemed they'd silently agreed that the Genshin girls would skip this particular group photo.
"Boss, you're slower than any of us!"
Following the voice, Mo Li turned to see Kiana—now dressed as [Void Drifter], her long white hair cascading down her back—pouting her cheeks and marching over.
"Go change already!"
She grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet, practically shoving him toward the dressing area.
"Come on now, it's your group photo, not mine. I don't need to—"
Before he could finish, Elysia chimed in with a giggle, "Oh no~ you have to, Boss! This is our Honkai Family Reunion photo~"
Mo Li: "…"
Why did that sound… a bit dangerous somehow?
"Hmph? You all really want to take a picture with me—the so-called 'Otto the Scoundrel'?"
"What's with the nonsense? Just get changed already!" Kiana huffed, still pushing him.
"No one minds me joining?" he double-checked.
Rita smiled. "Setting aside your identity, you're still part of Honkai Impact 3rd, aren't you~?"
"Exactly. Since Otto himself is here, we can't not include him."
Seeing that no one objected, Mo Li stopped resisting.
"Alright, alright, I'm going."
"Faster, boss~"
Just as he was heading off, Rita's teasing voice drifted behind him.
"Need Rita's assistance, Your Grace~?"
"Hehe~ Elysia can help too~"
Mo Li smirked. "Sure, then I'll trouble you two lovely ladies."
"Tch, in your dreams!" Kiana immediately blocked their way, stopping both Elysia and Rita from following him.
As Mo Li's silhouette disappeared into his room, his muffled voice echoed faintly from down the hall:
"Kiana ruins my fun again… next time I'm making you suffer for it~"
"Ha! I'm not scared!" Kiana shouted back.
…
A few minutes later, Mo Li emerged in Otto's iconic attire.
That handsome face, paired with flowing golden hair, fit him perfectly.
Just standing there radiated a refined, commanding aura—elegant yet masculine, beautiful without being effeminate.
A true ideal gentleman.
Every time the girls saw him like that, their eyes lit up all over again.
Even Kiana and the "pink menace" herself couldn't hide their admiration.
They had to admit—if Otto weren't such a bastard, he'd be the perfect man.
"What a shame… If Boss Mo Li ever crossdressed, he'd be an adorable beauty too~"
Elysia circled him with a mischievous smile.
Mo Li could only sigh inwardly—typical of the "pink head of perverts."
"If you really want to see that, you'll just have to wait for Ningguang's workshop to finish, won't you~"
He still remembered their little "agreement," after all.
Her "reward" for being spoiled.
"Oh my~ so you were thinking about that promise~"
"Even I'd get embarrassed, you know~"
The others pricked up their ears immediately.
"Wait, what promise?"
"Boss… is going to crossdress?"
Kiana gasped dramatically. "WHAT!? The boss is gonna wear women's clothes?!"
Mo Li didn't even deny it. He smiled calmly. "I said I'd like to try on the [Shadow Knight: Moonblade] outfit sometime."
At that, Kiana's enthusiasm instantly deflated—while Fu Hua just looked mildly offended.
She glanced down at herself, sighed, then gave Mo Li a look full of quiet reproach.
"But what I really want to know," Durandal spoke up with interest, "is what exactly this promise between you two was?"
No way was Mo Li about to say it out loud.
Elysia, on the other hand, put on a mock-shy act—hands fidgeting, cheeks pink.
"Oh, that promise… that's a secret~"
Mo Li: "…"
If you're not gonna say it, don't act embarrassed, woman!
Now everyone was even more curious—great, just what he needed.
A very bad woman, indeed.
He thought for a moment, then decided to throw her under the bus.
"It's nothing serious… Elysia just said she wanted to cuddle with me when I'm dressed like a girl."
Everyone froze.
Elysia widened her eyes in feigned shock. "Aah~ Boss, how could you expose something so embarrassing~?"
Then she turned to Eden, pouting dramatically. "Eden, you're not mad, are you~?"
Eden just shook her head with an amused smile.
The rest of the girls quickly caught up—and their eyes all turned toward Mo Li.
Bronya squinted. "Boss… you must've tricked Elysia somehow, didn't you?"
"Yeah, that's gotta be it!" Kiana jumped in immediately. "There's no way Elysia would agree to something like that on her own! You totally scammed her, you Otto dog!"
Mo Li: "…"
Of all people, you calling her naïve?
Sure, Elysia was pure-hearted—but her ability to flirt was on another level entirely.
That innocent smile hid the mind of a seasoned trickster.
Her charm lay in how she could be playful and provocative without crossing the line—winning people over without them realizing it.
If Kiana ever tried to "battle" her, Elysia would probably coax Mei into joining her side and pull something right out of a fanfic scenario…
(And honestly, between Kiana and Mei, who'd be the "husband" was still up for debate.)
Back when Elysia first joined the studio, Kiana had been wary of her.
But now? They were basically besties. Elysia's friendship level had maxed out.
"Hah~ if I could really charm Elysia that easily, your Mei would've fallen for me long ago~"
At the mention of her Mei, Kiana's hackles rose instantly.
"No way! I don't believe that!"
"Oh?" Mo Li chuckled, resting his chin in his hand, eyes glinting mischievously.
"But your Mei's already blushing because of what I just said."
Kiana turned—and sure enough, Mei's face was flushed, her head bowed, unable to meet anyone's gaze.
"Mei…!" Kiana yelped, immediately hugging her. "Sis already agreed to bless our wedding! Don't let Otto deceive you!"
At that ridiculous outburst, Himeko and Yae Miko burst into laughter.
Durandal could only rub her temple. This girl was hopeless.
Hearing the laughter, Mei blushed even deeper.
Clad in her majestic [Herrscher of Thunder] attire, she somehow looked more like a bashful bride than a battle queen.
"Kiana… don't say weird things…"
Only then did Kiana realize what she'd just shouted in front of everyone.
It wasn't even the first time—every time Mo Li teased her about "stealing" Mei, she'd panic and start blurting nonsense.
Durandal sighed. "Kiana… when did I ever say such a thing?"
"Ehehe…" Kiana averted her eyes, scratching her cheek and pretending to study her shoes.
Himeko chuckled behind her hand. "If you ask me, Kiana's just greedy for Mei's cooking."
"How about this—why don't you two just get married together?"
"Tch~ as if! I'm not marrying him!"
"Marrying who?"
"I mean—uh—no one! I'm not getting married, hmph~!"
…
"Alright, enough teasing. Let's get this photo taken," Mo Li said, finally reining himself in.
He still had more to do afterward.
While joking around with Kiana, he'd been subtly observing Yae Miko and Ayaka again.
They'd been quietly smiling the whole time, but never joining in.
Miko didn't mind—she was naturally composed. But Ayaka… still hadn't fully relaxed around him.
Even though she got along fine with the others, whenever he was present, she grew a little tense.
Aponia, too, just sat quietly with Griseo, content to watch from the sidelines.
…
At Mo Li's cue, the girls began excitedly planning the photo layout.
As expected, they shoved him right into the center spot.
Kiana insisted on standing between Mei and Himeko, clearly imagining some "left embrace, right cuddle" fantasy.
Elysia demanded her own version—left arm around Eden, right arm around Mei.
In the end, they decided on a slightly high-angled shot to avoid height blocking anyone in the back.
The girls struck elegant, confident poses—each radiating that unmistakable Valkyrie strength.
Only Mo Li stood out—rather, sat out.
Resting his chin on one hand, a glass of wine in the other, he looked away from the camera—perfectly embodying Otto's aura.
The man who bowed to no god.
Click!
The shutter snapped. A flawless moment captured.
"Perfect! Everyone nailed the vibe~"
"Hehe~ mostly thanks to me, you know~ Boss, gonna praise me or what?"
"Of course—well done, Elysia."
"Lemme see! Lemme see!" Hu Tao leaned over Mo Li's shoulder, reaching for the camera.
He handed it over without hesitation.
The next second, everyone crowded in to peek.
"I'll get these printed out later," Mo Li said with a smile. "We'll hang them up somewhere nice."
After everyone finished admiring the shot, Bronya took the camera to process the print.
Soon, the photo was shared to everyone's phones.
"So nice…" Eden murmured with a gentle smile.
Every day in the studio was filled with laughter.
Rita, Himeko, and Yae Miko teasing Mo Li… Mo Li teasing Kiana in return… and sweet little Klee—always bringing sunshine wherever she went.
She'd traveled to many places, but nowhere felt as vibrant or as warm as life here in the studio.
As that thought crossed her mind, she turned toward Mo Li.
"Boss Mo Li, can I share this photo online?"
Mo Li thought for a moment before smiling.
"I don't mind. Just ask the others if they're okay with it too~"
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