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It’s been a long day. Amber is back far later than she usually is, darkness having already fallen upon Mondstadt – there were some persistent hilichurls who just wouldn’t quit, and she’s pretty sure her right arm will have a massive bruise on it tomorrow. She’ll have to visit Barbara, if she has time, or Jean if she can’t find her sister.
Still, exhaustion or not exhaustion, Amber doesn’t hesitate when she sees Lumine up on that roof. Her friend sits, shoulders slumped, eyes fixed on a twinkle in her palm. Amber can’t make it out from this distance, but she knows it’s the constellation that Lumine pulls up, the one that makes her sorrowful and sad and the other girl’s bad habits have long rubbed up off on her, so Amber scales the building.
Jean would not be happy if she saw this, Amber thinks, but it doesn’t matter, because she manages to find enough footholds to launch herself up over the side of the roof. Lumine stares at her, startled, constellation winking out. “Hey,” says Amber, plopping next to her, and after a moment of staring, Lumine gives a nod.
She’s not a talker – Paimon chatters enough for her, nosy and inquisitive and constantly speaking for her. It made Amber a little concerned, at first, wondering if she was just being run roughshod over and silenced, but she’s learned to read the quiet girl now. Lumine may not speak much, but her thoughts are ever present in her body language, across her face, and Amber doesn’t make her speak if she doesn’t want to.
“You miss him?” she asks, which is a silly question, but sometimes it’s good to be asked that. Lumine nods slowly, just a slight dip of her head.
When Grandpa had gone, people didn’t want to talk about it. Rumors flew, people whispered, and Ambre tried to pretend that she didn’t know what people were saying that suddenly stopped the moment she walked in a room.
That might not be the problem Lumine faces, but Amber thinks it might feel good to acknowledge him nonetheless. “You guys are twins, right?” she asks, even if she knows the question. “Is this the first time you’ve really… been apart?”
Lumine nods, another small dip, curling in on herself, and oh… Amber doesn’t even have to think about it when she offers her hand, and it’s barely an exhale before Lumine’s hand grabs her, squeezing tightly, and she’s shaking.
Forget holding hands – Amber hugs her, and Lumine presses her face in Amber’s shoulder, trembling and damp, hands coming up to curl in the back of her shirt, tugging at the fabric.
“If you ever want to talk about it,” Amber says, “I’m here. Or- even if you don’t want to. Okay?”
Lumine nods against her, and Amber falls slightly. She lets her hand rub against Lumine’s back, stroking gently as the other trembles, sniffling and wetting Amber’s shirt but not quite up to a sob, not there yet. “You-“ Lumine’s voice is hoarse, quiet. “It’s. A long story. And a… strange one.”
There’s been a lot of strange things, in Mondstadt. Mostly since Lumine came – Amber isn’t sure if it’s really that strange, if it’s really that different. But she’s not going to argue about that. She’s not going to try to blow that off, especially when Lumine is entrusting her with this, when Amber’s pretty sure she hasn’t told anybody else. (Well, except maybe Paimon? Who is probably sleeping right now.)
“I’m okay with strange,” Amber says, squeezing her a little bit. “I’ve heard a lot of weird things.” Lumine squeezes back, and then pulls away, wiping at her eyes. “I’ll listen if you want to tell me.”
Lumine is silent for a moment more, gazing her, and Amber meets her eyes square on. She’ll listen, and she’ll believe, and Lumine should know that. She’s sincere, truly and completely.
“Okay,” Lumine says, and she straightens up, and nods. “Okay. It starts… a long time ago.”
“You see… my brother and I, we’re not from this world…”