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If Eula could’ve seen herself, she would’ve been embarrassed. Sworn vengeance so many times that maybe Jean would’ve had her take paid leave since her mind was so clearly addled.
But unfortunately for the woman in question, she was deep into drinking and showed no signs of getting sober anytime soon.
“Hey!” She glared at the Honorary Knight Lumine, taking offence to some action of hers that she couldn’t quite ascertain. “When you’re talking to a noblewoman, you’re supposed to look at her face! Not her ch-cheee…”
Eula slurred the words in her brain, trying to put enough thoughts together to remember what she wanted to say. What did Kaeya and Lisa call them?
“Boobs! You’re not allowed to- to look at them.”
Lumine groaned internally. She’d intended to take up a rather grumpy looking Eula’s offer for drinks on the grounds that the woman looked lonely (not that she’d ever admit that) and now had to deal with a bossy drunk.
Eula had confidently stated that she was capable of holding her liquor at the time, but it seemed that she had drinken to excess in an attempt to seemingly one up Lumine’s enjoyment.
Her own inability to be honest with her feelings is going to be her downfall. The traveller noted to herself in silence.
Eula raised her cup and looked incredulous. “Hey! There’s supposed to be liquids in here! What kinda service is this place!” She pointed an accusatory finger towards Diluc, who only offered a blank stare in return.
“A place where people come to drown their sorrows sometimes like you do. Though in your case,” he grimaced towards Eula; “seems like you’ve drowned your sorrows so deep, the Abyss is sending me the tab.”
The winery tycoon snatched the empty cup from her possession with ease. “And I’m afraid you can’t afford it. You’ve had enough for tonight.”
Eula attempted to glare in response, but only succeeded in pouring. “Ohhhh, I get it! It’s the revenge of the Ragnvindr clan! Won’t let me have booze, won’t let me have revenge, won’t let me-“ she hiccuped, ruining whatever dignity she had left at that point.
“Come on Eula,” Lumine said, attempting to pry the Spindrift Knight away from the bar. “You won’t be claiming revenge on anything if you pass out on the floor.”
“No! I’m gonna-“
Unfortunately, Eula’s attempted defiance only ended with her tripping, and falling onto the floor with a rather undignified yelp of pain.
Diluc sighed. “Lumine, can you bring her home? Don’t worry about the tab, she can pay it back when she remembers what money is again.”
With some effort, the lady in question hoisted the blue haired knight’s arm over her shoulder, and nodded. “I don’t think anyone else here will.” gesturing to the other patrons looking on the scene with a mix of disgust and amusement.
As she left the establishment of Angel’s Share behind with a groaning Eula on her back, Lumine heard the woman swearing revenge on all wood in the world, and some choice words from Diluc.
“All right clowns, circus is out of town! Behave yourselves or else.”
Lumine staggered out onto the streets of Mondstat with an awkward realisation; she had no idea where Eula lived. Cursing under her breath, she jostled her less than sober companion, still shaking off the pain of her ill fated battle with gravity.
“So uh, where do I need to drop you off?”
Eula offered little feedback, save for more indiscernible murmurs.
With a heavy sigh, Lumine settled on a plan B; drop her off at the Knights of Favonius HQ. Maybe Jean or someone would be able to take care of her at least.
At first, the trek was quiet. There were no responses from the Spindrift Knight, beyond murmurs that seemed more like babbling in her sleep. But before long, there actually was a sound that Lumine could make out.
She almost had to do a double take when she realised the woman on her back was sobbing.
While the streets of the city was hardly the place for what felt like an important emotional conversation, Lumine also knew that having an emotional breakdown in front of others wasn’t much better. So, she searched for a secluded alleyway to stash her companion before taking a rest and asked the most obvious question.
“What’s wrong?”
No response, save the light sniffing and sobbing. That wasn’t the right move then.
What was it Aether said? Wait until someone finishes crying before you try talking? Had to be worth a shot at least.
And sure enough, after a while, Eula’s tears gave way to words.
“m’ sick of it…”
“Pardon?”
“You.” Eula glowered at her. “You and your stupid perfect reputation, stopped the Stormterror crisis, buddies with Diluc and Jean, everyone loves you despite being a nobody that didn’t even come from Mondstat and, and…”
She looked as though she wanted to do more, but didn’t have the strength to do so as she collapsed onto her side.
“How… how come you have everything and I have nothing?” Eula managed to force out as her gaze softened from one of hatred to one of despair. “When you do it, it’s the perfect Knight saved Mondstat , but I work my ass off for years and I’m still some bitch from a slave owner family?!”
Despite her clearly lacking strength, she tried stumbling over to Lumine, uncoordinated though her movements were.
It wasn’t long before her legs gave out again and her frame collapsed on top of Lumine’s, all but pinning the woman to the ground.
“And then there’s your stupid pretty face that I wanna kiss because you’re hot!”
And with that proclamation, Eula sloppily tried to press her lips to the travelers own pair. Tried being the keyword; her attempt was easily foiled once Lumine covered her mouth with her hand and pushed her off after some effort.
For a moment, she didn’t move. Then, Eula simply guffawed.
“Ugh, figures. Mondstat hates me, find someone who’s just like me is hot, but they somehow get everything I want and then I can’t even do the confession bit right.” She struggled to curl herself into a ball and quietened down.
As Lumine struggled back up, she took a moment to catch her breath. Then her attention fell to the now considerably more sober looking, but no less despondent Eula.
Because there was something important she’d said.
“What’s that about me being someone “just like me” or however you put it?”
Eula snorted. “Why do you wanna know? Figured that you’d want to run away from the girl that just tried to steal a kiss from you. Or report me to the knights or something. Wouldn’t be too hard to end my career.”
“Because…” Lumine paused to give consideration to her words. “I’m hardly anything like most people. I can manipulate elements without a vision. I’ve been at the heart of no less than two international incidents,” she slowly shuffled closer to the prone knight, “I’m quite unlike most people. What do we have in common?”
“Well…” Eula struggled to find her words. “I guess it’s just because we’re both outsiders. That’s kinda it. You’re an outsider by birth but you’re already practically a citizen here. Meanwhile, I feel like if the city put it to popular vote, I’d probably be exiled or worse.”
“I… I wanted to know what you were doing that I wasn’t,” Eula continued. “If some random stranger could earn the love of everyone, then… maybe I could get that as well. Might be nice to not have to find excuses to stay out of the city.”
There was a tense silence for a moment.
“Look, can we just… forget tonight happened?” The Spindrift Knight insisted. “I’m drunk as hell, and I wanna get ready to fight my hangover tomorrow. I can walk home myself-“
But her words were cut short when Lumine placed a hand on her shoulder and rolled her over for a chaste, but firm kiss on her lips.
“Irrelevant of Mondstat’s opinion, you already have one person who loves you,” She said as she broke their connection. “And I’m sure that the other knights share more platonic feelings, but ones that are just as strong.”
Lumine extended out her hand and helped Eula. “So would the fine lady like an escort home?”
“Hmph. The nerve to insist that I am incapable of walking home myself.” Eula pouted. “Mark my words, vengeance will be mine!“
This triggered a chuckle from her escort. “So would a suitable punishment be a date sometime next week then?”
“It’s the perfect punishment for someone as insolent as you.”
Lumine smiled. “Then I’ll make sure that your revenge tastes ever so sweet.”