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Whispering soft murmurs of yearning and need to the wind becomes a regular occurrence to Lumine by now, as she learned how Venti would reply to her in any given situation. She had experimented on this, of course. Mumbling her want to be beside him in the depths of the night, telling him about the sakura blossoms fluttering down the trees in the crack of dawn, the drunkard bard seemingly responded every time.
He doesn't seem bothered about the sudden messages... She wonders absent-mindedly, unconcerned of the treasure hoarder about to approach her and Paimon. Should I ask him about it...? It wasn't until her child-like, nagging companion pulled her to another direction did her thoughts halt to a stop. However, Lumine stands her ground, pulling out her blade from inside its case. The hoarder, who already had his weapon in his hands, advances towards her recklessly. Once he neared, a strike of purple lightning appears in her hand, crashing into his chest in a flash. The impact makes him stumble backward, and she takes this to her advantage. Quick as the lightning coursing through her current element, she runs behind him and places the sharp edge of her sword beneath his chin.
"Mr. Treasure Hoarder," Paimon starts, a cheeky grin on her face like she was the one who apprehended him. He gulps, staring into her wide eyes. "Mind if you spare us some mora? We really want to eat more of those skewers, hehe." The hoarder stuffs both his hands in his pockets, throwing his mora on the ground. Lumine sighs, letting him free of her deadly grip, and immediately, he dashes away from them.
"Hey, look..." Lumine picks up the brown insignia on the ground, grinning as she stashes it in her bag. "Now, he can't actually go back to his camp since we took this." Paimon nods confidently before asking how she can fit so many items in that bag of hers. She says nothing to her comment, only taking out a container of hashbrowns and handing them to her. Paimon gladly takes the bait, distractedly eating her food instead of asking more questions.
"... Speaking of Mondstadt," The lovelorn traveler's grin fades slowly, sick of not seeing her lover for another day. Being kept in the dark about her brother's escapades was a state she truly despised. Untold mysteries come at her relentlessly the moment she first saw Aether siding with the Abyss Herald. At least Venti had been there to soothe her whenever she went through depressive episodes. Archons, she missed the fondness of her hand in his.
Paimon, watching her sad gaze, pats the top of her head softly. "Y-You can still talk to that drunkard bard," She reasons, yet there was a nervous tinge in her voice. "And if he doesn't respond to you pronto, I'll tell Mr. Diluc to ban him from the tavern!" Lumine chuckles, looking up at the afternoon sky. If she believes hard enough, she could pretend she was standing under the oak tree in Windrise with Venti singing joyful songs up on the branch.
"My beloved starlight..."
She still isn't used to how accurate the wind carries his gentle voice. It feels like he had whispered those words directly into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Venti?"
"I'm flattered at how much you miss this pretty face of mine. Even the Izanuman wind brought your feelings to me."
Her face flusters rapidly, cursing at seemingly no one. "I'm going to the Kiminami restaurant first." Paimon shakes her tiny head, heading out to give the old couple some private space. "Better hurry if you don't want me to eat your food!" And with that, she heads to the city. Lumine pays her no mind, knowing full well she could eat her if an emergency ever came.
"Hey, hey. Stop cursing at my wind. It's very sensitive, you know."
She could almost see the playful pout on his lips with his tone. "Yeah," Her hand fiddles with the long strand of hair framing the sides of her face. "The wind's right, after all."
"My winds are intellectuals, it appears. Well, I have to go, dear traveler. A certain eye-patched man is staring at me as if I'm a lunatic."
Lumine draws a deep breath, smiling at how Venti always makes time to speak with her. Even if others may think he was a fool talking to the air surrounding him. "Wait." She swallows, apprehensive about the words she was about to utter. There's no response from the Anemo Archon, perhaps pausing to hear her out. "I'll return to my home in your arms someday soon, so wait for me, please."
It takes a few seconds for a reaction from her declaration. When it finally came, the winds around her revitalized. The air tickles and lifts the blonde strands of the hair on her features.
"For as long as the breeze accompanies you on your journey, I will wait."
Inside a tavern located in the city of Mondstadt, a bard flushes at the words she had told him. Does she... Does she even know what she's saying? He pinches the bridge of his nose out of embarrassment, downing the bottle of wine in his grasp. It's hard to see if his cheeks were red for the influence of alcohol in his veins or for the amount of affection and care he held for the only one on his mind. Numerous voices fill the ambiance around him, ones of willful prayers, gleeful praises, or downtrodden indignities. Even still, the sound of her voice echoes louder than anyone else.