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Ayaka catches a glimpse of motion out of the corner of her eye, distracting her from her work. Glancing up, she sees that it’s just Lumine climbing over the walls of the estate and smiles.
So far, their friendship has been a wild ride. Shortly after becoming friends, Lumine became a wanted criminal and joined the rebellion. Ayaka thought that would be the end of it-since the heiress of the Kamisato Clan can’t be seen associating with a criminal-but the very next day, Lumine was sneaking over the walls of the Estate to see her, and their friendship has only blossomed.
She’s gotten to know the Traveler better over the past few weeks, as she drops by every couple days or so, and she can say one thing for sure: Lumine is strange. Of course, she says that with the deepest respect and admiration for her, but she must admit . . . she is strange.
For example, one day the two were walking around the base of Mt. Yougou at night, and Lumine stopped talking mid-sentence to climb a tree, grab an onikabuto beetle, and attempted to eat it. Or there was the time Ayaka found Lumine sleeping on a tanuki statue in Chinju Forest, and when she woke the Traveler up, she claimed that “she forgot she has a teapot”. And then there was the time she ran past Ayaka being chased by hilichurls while shoving cooked chicken in her mouth. And the time Lumine showed up claiming she got bit by a tanuki. And-
And there’s just . . . a lot. But no matter what Lumine does, Ayaka finds herself being drawn to her.
Lumine drops down from the wall, and the soft ‘thud’ pulls Ayaka from her thoughts. She stands up, straightens out her dress, and walks over, “Hello Lumine. It’s good to see you again.”
“Hey,” Lumine curtly nods with a small smile on her face. “Are you doing anything right now?”
“Sadly, yes. There’s an event coming up that is in the first stages of preparation, and I need to oversee its progress,” Ayaka says. Sometimes, work prevents her from spending time with Lumine, but such is life.
“Oh. Well,” Lumine smirks and rolls back and forth from her heels to her toes. “Wanna play hooky?”
“Play . . . hooky?” Ayaka repeats.
“Y’know, to play the wag.”
“. . .”
“To bag it.”
“. . .”
“To bunk off.”
“. . .”
“To skip work,” Lumine finally says, hands on her hips. “To try a little truancy.”
“Oh! I could never,” Ayaka insists. As the Shirasagi Himegimi, she can’t just skirt her responsibilities because she feels like it.
“But you deserve a day off every once in a while,” Lumine tries to convince her.
“But . . . but what if someone comes looking for me?”
“Hhm. Good point,” Lumine puts her hand on her chin as she ponders this query. “Wait! I’ve got it-what if we tell everyone you’re sick and put a dummy in your bed with the sheets pulled over it so if anyone checks in on you they’ll think you’re asleep. Oh! And I have this seashell from the Golden Apple Archipelago that sounds like someone snoring and that can play when someone opens the door!”
“That’s a . . . little convoluted,” Ayaka admits. “And I don’t like to lie but . . .” but she very much would like to spend time with Lumine. “I suppose I can just say I’m not feeling well and would not like to be disturbed.”
Lumine smiles, “Good! Meet me at the Waypoint outside!”
Before Ayaka can say anything else, Lumine scurries back up and over the wall with a gust of wind. She smiles to herself before she goes to tell her brother that she isn't feeling well. She’s not the best actor, but her brother accepts it with a knowing smile. Then, she decides to follow Lumine out her way: over the wall (the Traveler makes it look so easy).
Like Lumine said, she’s waiting by the Waypoint. The odd device has sat in the Kamisato front yard for centuries, and only recently has it started glowing blue. Lumine smiles when she sees her, “So, how’s it feel playing hooky for the first time?”
“Slightly . . . exhilarating,” Ayaka says.
“Only slightly?”
“Well, we are just standing in my front yard where any of the Estate’s employees can see us.”
“Oh. Right. Then, we better get a move on,” Lumine says. “I want to show you something I discovered about these waypoints.”
“Which is?” Ayaka curiously asks.
“First off, I need you to trust me.”
“I already do.”
“Now, close your eyes and take my hand,” Lumine says, holding her hand out.
Ayaka can’t fight the familiar blush that comes to her face-one that surfaces every time her and Lumine’s hands brush against each other and accidentally touch. And now she wants to hold hands, for real. Ayaka nervously swallows, but she trusts Lumine, so she closes her eyes and takes her hand.
“Alright, now hold on!” Lumine declares as Ayaka hears her . . . kick the Waypoint? But suddenly, she feels herself separate from her body for only the briefest moment before her feet are back on the ground. She’s gripping onto Lumine’s hand, but she can feel a light, playful breeze across her skin. Lumine says, “Okay. Open your eyes.”
Ayaka opens her eyes and gasps. Before her is a Statue of the Seven and a massive tree but . . . it’s not the Raiden Shogun sitting atop. Instead, it appears to be Barbatos, god of freedom. She turns around and gasps as she sees a large wind-swept plain leading to rolling hills, lacking the undercurrent of electro ever present in Inazuma.
“Wha . . . how?” Ayaka can barely form words as she takes it all in. Here, the wind is soft and warm-not charged with static energy. Windwheel asters slowly turn as the breeze plays among the grass. It’s utterly peaceful.
“Well, I was in Liyue helping my friend Xiangling collect ingredients-” Lumine begins.
(Lumine has a lot of friends-all across Teyvat. Ayaka only has two-her and Thoma. She gets a knot in her stomach whenever Lumine talks about her friends, and she swears it’s not jealousy.)
“-And then we ended up running away from this horde of slimes,” Lumine says just as Ayaka realizes she zoned out. “I grabbed Xiangling and tried to run to the nearest house-which was near a Waypoint. But, one of the slimes caught up and knocked into Xiangling, who fell onto me, and I kicked the Waypoint as I fell, and next thing I knew we were both in Inazuma.”
“Pardon me,” Ayaka says. Usually she doesn’t like to interrupt, but she needs to in this case. “But, you can use the waypoints?”
“Yes,” Lumine says, without further explanation. “And if I kick them, I can bring people with me. I then immediately went to you because I know that you often wonder about food and clothing from other regions, and I thought you’d like to see if for yourself.”
“Oh my, that’s very thoughtful of you, Lumine,” Ayaka admits. “But . . . haven’t I now violated the Sakoku Decree?”
“I can take you back at any time, no one will notice,” Lumine swears.
“And what about your friend, Xiangling?”
“. . . I might have left her in Inazuma,” Lumine admits. “She wanted to collect local specialties, so I left Paimon with her.”
“Will they be alright?” Ayaka asks. “What about the Doushin and the Vision Hunt Decree?”
“They have Gouba with them. They’ll be fine,” Lumine insists. “But . . . I probably should have asked you if you were okay with leaving Inazuma, I wanted this to be a surprise. If you want to go back, we can go.”
Ayaka knows that if she really wanted to return to Inazuma, Lumine would take her home. This is dangerous-as if she was found out then not only would she be in trouble for violating the Sakoku Decree, but she would also sully the name of the Kamisato Clan. But . . . she wants this. She wants to see Mondstadt and she wants to see it with Lumine. It may be selfish of her, but she knows that she can trust Lumine. If the Traveler says she won’t get in trouble, she won’t get in trouble.
“No, it’s okay,” Ayaka says, a small smile gracing her face. “Where shall we go first?”
Lumine’s smile widens and takes her hand, “The city, of course.”
Ayaka blushes at the contact again, but hopefully Lumine doesn’t notice-especially because she’s too busy dragging her across the fields to the nearest dirt pathway. As soon as they pass by a Temple, Ayaka can see the city of Mondstadt on the horizon. Idyllic windmills churn above the city, but at the highest peak is a church and statue of Barbatos. Ayaka almost freezes when she sees it, mistaking it for the extended wings of the Raiden Shogun inscribed with Visions.
She stops at the food of the bridge leading into Mondstadt, eyes locked on the city. Lumine pauses with her and looks back and forth between her and the city gates. Finally, Lumine says, “Ah, good catch Ayaka. Don’t want to scare the pigeons.”
Ayaka blinks and the Raiden Shogun disappears, “I’m sorry?”
“Timmie gets pissed if you scare off the pigeons,” Lumine says, her voice taking a grave tone. “And you don’t want to piss off Timmie. We can just swim across the lake.”
Lumine has faced off against dragons, Fatui and gods, but for some reason she’s afraid of this child. Ayaka hides a laugh behind her hand as she says, “We’ll just have to be careful.”
“Alright . . . but if Timmie forces me to feed more birds tomorrow, I’m dragging you back to Mondstadt to help me,” Lumine says.
“I’ll gladly do so,” Ayaka says.
They carefully cross the bridge-Lumine glaring at Timmie, who appears to just be a child-and the pigeons don’t fly away. The guards at the gate greet Lumine as the ‘Honorary Knight’ as they pass through into the bustling city.
At midday, Mondstadt is busy. People walk along the main thoroughfare, talking to shop owners and browsing wares. Everyone seems to know Lumine, greeting her cheerfully and adding a wave for Ayaka too.
“Right here is Good Hunter,” Lumine explains. “If you want some authentic Mondstadt food, we can get it from here. The sticky honey roast is amazing.”
Here, she can try any new food she wants. But, as her stomach growls, she finds herself craving one thing, “Do they also sell pizza here?”
“Of course. We can even get different toppings. But,” Lumine pauses. “They don’t make the best pizza in Mondstadt.”
“Who does?” Ayaka adds.
“Hello there, Honorary Knight,” a young woman with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail walks over. Her back is as straight as a board and she walks with purpose, and her uniform looks official so she must be a member of the Knights of Favonius. “It’s good to see you back in Mondstadt, but I thought you were busy in Inazuma.”
“I’ve been bouncing around,” Lumine shrugs. “Did you get a break from paperwork?”
“No, I’ve got a stack waiting for me at my office, but Lisa convinced me to take a break,” the woman says. “Who’s your friend?”
“Ayaka,” Lumine finally does introductions and turns to her. “And this is Jean.”
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Ayaka says with a small bow.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too. Any friend of the Honorary Knight is a friend of mine,” Jean says with a polite smile.
“Are you a member of the Knights of Favonius?” Ayaka asks.
“Yes, I’m currently the Acting Grandmaster,” Jean reveals. “And, if you don’t mind me asking . . . your name is Inazuman, correct?”
“That’s because she’s from Inazuma,” Lumine says.
Jean stares at Lumine, “Did you smuggle her out of Inazuma?”
“No. I kicked a Waypoint and we teleported here,” Lumine plainly states. “But don’t worry. I’m already a wanted criminal over there so I’m not going to get in more trouble.”
Jean closes her eyes and says, “Should I ask why?”
“It’s probably only going to stress you more so no,” Lumine says.
“Okay,” Jean opens her eyes and lets out a breath she was holding. “Well, is there anything I can do for the two of you?”
“Actually-”
“Jeanie,” a brunette woman wearing purple robes walks over with a lazy smile on her face. She steps close to Jean’s side, so this must be Lisa. Lisa glances at Lumine and says, “Oh, hey there sweetie.”
“Hey Lisa,” Lumine says.
Wait . . . did Lisa just call Lumine ‘sweetie’? That’s . . . that’s usually used as a pet name. And Lumine seems okay with it. Does she know how intimate pet names are supposed to be? Ayaka . . . doesn’t like that, and thinks about it as Lumine does more introductions.
“Well, welcome to Mondstadt,” Lisa says. “And I’m sorry to interrupt but I’m going to have to borrow Jeanie from you.”
“Actually,” Lumine continues. “Jean, can you make us a pizza?”
“May I ask why?” Jean asks.
“I introduced pizza to Inazuma but Ayaka wants some and you make the best pizza in Mondstadt,” Lumine says.
Jean blinks and Lisa leans into her side, “I think that’s a wonderful idea. You two can come to our place and Jeanie can cook.”
“Wait-we were just getting lunch and it takes time to make food and host guests-” Jean tries to argue, but Lisa has grabbed her hand and starts to drag her away. Lumine follows like this is normal, “I don’t even know if I have the ingredients!”
“I do,” Lumine says.
“Perfect!” Lisa says, patting Jean’s arm. “Now you have no excuse!”
Jean sighs, “You’re just trying to get me to not work.”
“Because you’re just going to overwork yourself,” Lisa insists.
Lumine steps back to walk next to Ayaka and talks quietly enough that Jean and Lisa can’t hear her over their arguing, “We’ll have to deal with their old married couple bickering, but Jean really does make the best pizza in Mondstadt. It’s her specialty.”
“Are they married?” Ayaka asks in a whisper.
“Not yet,” Lumine says. “There’s a betting pool going on about who will propose and when. Kaeya runs it. I can get you in on it if you want.”
Ayaka has no interest in betting, but she now can breathe easy knowing that Lisa isn’t interested in Lumine. She doesn’t know why she feels relief, but she does.
At their apartment, Jean begins to make pizza while Lisa entertains Ayaka and Lumine. Ayaka and Lisa swap stories about Inazuma and Sumeru until the pizza is ready, when the conversation switches to the affairs of Mondstadt. Lumine is right-Jean does make the best pizza.
Jean and Lisa bid them goodbye, and Lumine takes Ayaka around the rest of Mondstadt. It really is a close-knit city, packed together and filled with friendly people. Her personal highlight is the Church of Barbatos-as she’s never seen architecture like that and stained-glass art.
“So,” Lumine says as they look over the city from the plaza in front of the Church. “I wanna take you somewhere else.”
“Where do you want to go?” Ayaka asks. When Lumine smirks, she says, “Is it another surprise?”
Lumine nods.
“Well,” Ayaka decides to take initiative and reaches out to take Lumine’s hand, “Let’s go.”
Once again, they go to the nearest Waypoint and Lumine has Ayaka close her eyes before she kicks it. She feels weightless once again, and when her feet touch the ground, she knows that she’s no longer in Mondstadt.
The air isn’t electrified or light-rather it feels . . . heavy in a way. Ayaka opens her eyes and gasps as she sees the peaks of mountains and turns to see a lake with a series of small pools in front of ruins on the opposite shore. She’s in Liyue.
Ayaka takes a step forward and Lumine grabs her arm. She glances over the ledge, and realizes they’re hundreds of feet above the ground. It’s nothing compared to the Grand Narukami Shrine, but the fall would hurt, nonetheless.
“Be careful,” Lumine warns, keeping the hand on her arm. “You’ve got a glider, right?”
“I do,” Ayaka nods.
“Then follow me,” Lumine says before she jumps off the small cliff and unfurls her glider. Ayaka follows her down to a crumbling stone bridge, connecting the ruin to the pools.
“Where in Liyue are we?” Ayaka asks.
“This is Luhua Pools,” Lumine says. “I thought it would be fun to go swimming.”
“Swimming?” Ayaka repeats.
Lumine nods before jumping into the water. The water from the splash gets on Ayaka, and as Lumine surfaces she says, “Join me.”
Ayaka frowns, it’s not proper for a lady like her to go swimming, especially in her clothes. Dancing in a stream is one thing, swimming in a lake is another, “I’m . . . not sure . . .”
“Don’t worry,” Lumine says with a soft smile as she wades in the water. “There’s no one else here. Just me.”
She’s right. Ayaka takes a deep breath and removes the armor plating on her dress, jacket and hair piece. She steps back, before running forward and jumping into the water. The water’s not too cold, but that might just be because of the temperature tolerance her vision gives her.
When she surfaces with a grasp, her bangs are in her face, but Lumine’s cheering, “Woo-hoo! How’d that feel?”
“Good,” Ayaka says. “So now what do we-” and Lumine splashes her in the face. Ayaka ungracefully sputters as Lumine giggles. It’s childish, but she retaliates instantly and flings water in Lumine’s face. The two end up splashing each other until they’re both out of breath.
“That’s what we do,” Lumine heaves as she grins.
“That was,” Ayaka shares her smile. “Fun.”
“Wanna race to the other side and back?” Lumine asks. “Loser has to cook dinner?”
“Sure, let’s go!” Ayaka takes off, leaving Lumine in the dust. The head start is enough to ensure her victory, but . . . she may have started to create ice over the water to run on when Lumine caught up to her. So, Lumine is stuck making dinner (which is probably for the best . . .).
They get out of the water, collect Ayaka’s things, and dry off as they walk to the nearest cooking pot. Lumine reaches for her hand to hold, and swings their joined arms as they walk.
“What do you want to eat?” Lumine asks.
“Well, why not a dish from Liyue?” Ayaka suggests. “We’re here, after all.”
“Okay,” Lumine nods. “How about Jade Parcels?”
“If you’re making them, I’m sure it’ll be delicious,” Ayaka insists.
They soon find a cookpot (which is on top of the ruins, but Ayaka’s just glad that it’s lit) and Lumine gets to work preparing the dish as the sun sets. The fire’s warm and dries them off fully, chasing away any lingering chill from the water. Ayaka is mesmerized by Lumine, shadows from the fire dancing across her serious features, wholly focused on making dinner. She’s beautiful, Ayaka realizes.
“Ta-da!” Lumine presents two plates of jade parcels as Ayaka realizes that she was staring. “Jade parcels! Full of krakatoa or whatever Xiangling usually says . . . I’ll be honest, I can’t speak chef.”
Ayaka giggles as she accepts the plate. Lumine sits next to her on the make-shift bench, their elbows almost touching. She says, “Are you sure? Because you are quite the chef yourself.”
“I’m not as good as Xiangling,” Lumine insists. “But go on and try.”
Lumine picks up a parcel with her hand, and because they’re lacking the proper utensils Ayaka does the same. She takes a bite and is greeted with a variety of flavors. The sweetness of the ham and the spiciness of the jueyun chilis mix perfectly.
“So, how is it?” Lumine asks as she stuffs another parcel into her mouth.
“It’s perfect,” Ayaka says. “Even better than Jean’s pizza.”
“You’re just saying that,” Lumine says with a wave of her hand.
“I mean it,” Ayaka insists.
The two finish their dinners, but don’t bother to move as the sun dips behind the mountains. Ayaka really should go home, people would be looking for her, but she can’t find herself to care at the moment. All that matters is that she’s spending this time with Lumine.
“So,” Lumine turns to her with a massive smile on her face. “Was that a good date?”
“D-date?” Ayaka repeats. Was . . . was this all a date?”
“Oh shit,” Lumine gasps, and Ayaka catches her face falling right before she buries it in her hands. “Oh fuck. Paimon was right. I should’ve asked you to make sure that you realized that we’ve basically been going on dates-”
Wait, really? Has . . . has every time she and Lumine spent time together be seen as a date? Well, now that she thinks about it . . .
“I’m sorry,” Lumine mumbles. “I really should have just . . . asked you. And if you don’t want to-”
“No!” Ayaka’s heart answers before her brain can catch up. She loves spending time with Lumine and wants to be with her. “I would . . . very much like it if this were a date. I’ve had so much fun and, and I’m just glad to be able to be around you, Lumine.”
Lumine stares at her with mouth slightly ajar and eyes wide, but what she asks next still surprises her, “Can I kiss you?”
Ayaka’s cheeks burn at the thought. She can’t speak but manages to nod her head. Lumine leans over, cupping her cheek with her hand. She flinches involuntarily, not used to the touch, but when Lumine draws away she quickly lays her hand over hers, leans into it and nods. Lumine nods back and continues, closing her eyes before kissing Ayaka.
It’s gentle at first, Ayaka kisses back and hoping that she’s doing it right. She really hopes she is, since it does feel really good. When Lumine leans back, it takes her a moment to catch up and open her eyes.
“Was that . . . good?” Lumine nervously asks.
“Yes,” Ayaka says. “. . . Can we do that again?”
Lumine smiles and crashes back into her, putting her hands around Ayaka’s waist and pulling her close. This kiss is messier, Lumine’s smiling into it and Ayaka can’t help but smile too. And then Lumine kisses her again, and again, and again, and again. She loses track of time, too focused on Lumine’s lips, her touch, and the occasional gasps for air. Eventually, it turns dark, the sun has gone far down the horizon and the fire is now a pile of embers.
“I think . . .” Lumine begins, her forehead resting against Ayaka’s and their lips a few inches apart. “I think I need to get you home before someone thinks I kidnapped you.”
“Just a bit longer?” Ayaka asks. She likes this blissful bubble she’s created with Lumine, thousands of miles away from home. Back in Inazuma, she’ll have to keep her relationship with Lumine a secret, because it’s hardly proper for her to be dating a criminal. So, she wants a few more moments without having to worry. To be just them, in this new definition, without having to worry about the outside world.
“Of course,” Lumine nods, sitting back but leaving a hand over Ayaka’s. She grins, “So, was it a good date?”
“Very good,” Ayaka giggles. “My favorite one yet.”
“Technically, this is the only one we’ve been on,” Lumine points out.
“And it’ll be hard to beat,” Ayaka says.
“Ah shit. I’ve just made it harder for myself, haven’t I?” Lumine says. “Well . . . how about next time I take you to the top of Dragonspine and we can glide down and race to the bottom?”
“That might . . .” Ayaka hesitates, trying to discern if Lumine is teasing or not. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell, “How about we stick to Inazuma next time? I can plan our next . . . date.”
Lumine smiles, “Sounds fair. I look forward to it.”
The pair finally leave Liyue when the fire dies, and Lumine uses the Waypoints one last time to take her back to Inazuma. They teleport right in front of the Kamisato Estate, holding hands.
“Well, I guess this is good night,” Lumine says. “I’ll see you next time.”
“Don’t get into too much trouble,” Ayaka says. “And stay safe.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lumine insists. “I’m already a wanted criminal, what else could happen?”
“Please don’t say things like that,” Ayaka sighs and closes her eyes. She can’t help but worry when she doesn’t hear from Lumine, but she’s pulled out of her thoughts when she feels Lumine’s lips on her cheeks. “Where are you going to go now? To Watatsumi Island to join the rebellion?”
“Well, I probably should go find Xiangling first-” Lumine says, cutting off mid-sentence as she looks over Ayaka’s shoulder. “Oh, there she is.”
Ayaka turns around just as a girl about her age runs up with Paimon and a . . . bear things following her. She must be Xiangling and the . . . bear thing must be the ‘Gouba’ Lumine mentioned earlier. Xiangling’s arms are full of onikabutos, sea ganoderma, and naku weeds (didn’t Lumine say she was a chef? Ayaka can’t imagine that any of those things are very edible . . .).
“Oh good! You’re here!” Xiangling says, struggling to hold everything while running. “Hey, uh, can you take me back to Liyue? I may have . . . pissed off some locals.”
“Which locals? The ones that’ll take your vision or the ones that want to kill you?” Lumine asks.
In the distance, Ayaka faintly hears, “This will end you!”
“We may have . . . tried to get some handguards from the Nobushi,” Paimon nervously says.
“I thought you could turn them into spoons!” Xiangling claims.
“They have holes in them,” Lumine points out.
“That was what Paimon was saying!” Paimon shouts. “Anyways, we really should get going.”
“Alright,” Lumine sighs, but not before turning to Ayaka and kissing her again. “Good night. I’ll see you next time.”
“Good night,” Ayaka replies softly, a bit embarrassed that Lumine kissed her in front of her friends.
“Wait,” Paimon gasps. “Did you finally do it? Did you finally ask Ayaka out instead of being a coward?”
It’s Lumine’s turn to blush as she grabs Gouba and Paimon, and places a hand on Xiangling shoulder, “Paimon, shut up. Bye Ayaka!”
Lumine kicks the Waypoint and she’s gone. Ayaka stares at the strange device for a moment more, before glancing up at the stars and heading inside of the Estate. She can barely believe that she’s now dating the Traveler . . .
“So,” Ayaka jumps out of her skin as she notices that Ayato is waiting for her outside, “How was your date?”
Ayaka tries to fish for words, mouth opening and closing as her cheeks grow red, for the embarrassment of being caught out so late and that her brother can see right through her. However, when words return to her, she only asks, “How long were you waiting there?”
“Much longer than you’d think,” Ayato sighs. He walks over to her and slings an arm around her shoulder, “Now, tell me about your date.”
“Why do you think it was a date?” Ayaka counters, stepping out from her brother’s embrace to stare at him with arms crossed.
“With the way you look at the Traveler? Of course, it was a date,” Ayato insists. “Stop stalling and tell me everything.”
Ayaka sighs as she gives up, “Well, she took me to Mondstadt and Liyue.”
“What. How?”
“She kicked the Waypoint.”
“. . . How!?”