The air in the Jade Chamber was usually one of refined stillness, but today, an unusual item disrupted the elegance. Ningguang frowned, holding a crude, dark wooden club in her impeccably gloved hands.
"What an utterly tasteless artifact," she sighed, her tone dripping with aristocratic disdain. "I suppose I should just set it aside and get back to my paperwork."
As she moved toward her desk, her hand brushed clumsily against a small pouch. The fabric gave way, scattering a pile of gold Mora coins across the polished wood.
"Ah—! Clumsy of me," she muttered, reaching out to gather them.
But as her fingers neared the gold, a strange sensation washed over her. Her skin began to take on a pale, unnatural green hue. She gripped the edge of the desk, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek as her heart began to hammer violently against her ribs.
"What... what is happening?" she gasped, her sophisticated composure fracturing. She stared at the scattered coins, a sudden, inexplicable magnetism pulling her gaze. "Why... why does that mora make my heart race so?"
Her skin had gone green somewhere between the first thought and the second. She didn't notice. Her ears had stretched to sharp points. She didn't notice that either. She was looking at the coin.
"So… so shiny…"
A simpler thought surfaced through the confusion. Clean. Quiet. Undeniable.
"Gold. Want the gold."
Her elegant Qixing dress violently tore at the seams as her body shifted, shrinking and thickening into a stouter form until only a crude bikini top and a tattered loincloth remained. Dropping to a low crouch on the floor, she snatched up a fallen coin, clutching it fiercely.
"Mine!"
She held the coin up to her face, a wide, simple grin spreading across her green features. "Hehehe... pretty shiny."
The Tianquan of Liyue was gone. In her place stood a stout, green goblin. She picked up the wooden club no longer a tasteless artifact, but a perfect tool. Resting it proudly on the plush carpet, she gave a satisfied nod.
"Boss got a good stick!" she announced to the empty room. "Now, go find more shinies!"