Archive of Our Own

Stepping outside into the biting cold that his homeland was so famed for, Childe grimaced. 

Only when Mama hurriedly shooed Anthon back inside so he could grab another jacket did he realize the mistake he made. Mama on her own, when all his siblings and Papa were around, couldn’t brute-force things as often as she used to. 

When it came to wearing extra clothing, all too often, they would risk catching a cold so bad they would wind up with a headache than tolerate her fussing. And he was usually on the right side of the argument—a few minutes of being fussed over as though he was a child once more wasn’t bad.

But he was running late, and if he didn’t want to mess up his planning, he needed to run now .

Pulcinella’s appearance, however, had changed things. Mama had a new ally, his older siblings weren’t keen on contradicting a Harbinger, Tonia and Anthon sided with whoever was winning, and Papa usually took Teucer as an excuse to stay out of it. Which was for the best, considering his rare moments of anger were far worse than Mama’s usual domineering commands.

Resigning himself to his fate, he crossed his arms over his chest and met the glare that was boring holes into his head. Jason, his oldest brother, looked at him with thinly-veiled annoyance, as if this whole situation was his fault.

“Anthon, what’s taking so long?” the older man called, a frown pulling the corners of lips downward. “Can you not find it?”

Childe couldn’t fault him for being impatient. He didn’t know much about pregnant women, but he was certain that standing still in the frigid cold for more than a few minutes wasn’t good for their health.

But to get mad at him when it wasn’t his fault—at least it was very on-brand for him.

A tired sigh escaped his lips. Shoving his gloved hands into the pocket of his already warm coat, he bobbed his head at whatever it was Mama had said. 

She tugged at his scarf, pulling it off of him. Wrapping it around him tightly, she patted his shoulder affectionately, ignoring Orion’s delighted laughter at his now half-mummified face.

In the background, he could hear Pulcinella moving around, gently herding Tonia away from the door for the off-chance that she would run into check on Anthon.

Dull blue eyes met the bright green eyes of his older sister. Ana shook her head helplessly and wrapped her arms around their sister-in-law. Out of his older siblings, she was always the warmest to him—the fact that she’d had nightmares for months after finding him likely played a part.

She took the time to bring their sister-in-law inside, muttering some excuse about making something warm to drink. Ginger and black braids flapped in the aid as the two disappeared inside, closing the glass door behind them. 

Irina was a lovely woman, so much that there was no one in the family who could think to dislike her. She adored him more than his actual brother, despite knowing of his occupation, and had even promised him a day out with his soon-to-be-born niece. 

But she was stubborn to a fault and Jason was prone to worrying.

“Mama, I should really get going,” he told her, tapping his foot impatiently.

She was looking inside the house with bated breath, same as everyone else. Childe dug his feet underneath the snow and exhaled. If he waited any longer, Teucer and Ivan would wake up and come running.

They had said their goodbyes yesterday, but he wasn’t certain how much it had stuck for his nephew. Teucer understood, but he would probably be upset that they hadn’t woken him up, even though he had slept far past his bedtime. 

Not even knowing that Childe had tiptoed into his room to say goodbye and pressed a soft kiss on his forehead like the boy had sleepily made him promise the night before would help.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention. There were definitely two pairs of feet thumping against the wooden floor. 

Who they belonged to quickly became clear as Anthon nearly slammed into the glass door. Murmurs of concern erupted from most of the older crowd, though Orion, who wasn’t much older than him, seemed to think it was funny. 

He had always been the type to wave off Mama’s concern. Let them learn on their own —that had always been his philosophy. Such a thought made him rather popular with the younger crowd, though that popularity rested on how beneficial an alliance with him was at the current moment. 

Childe immediately attached himself to the door, his blue eyes zeroing in not on the jacket in Anthon’s hand, but rather the little boy he had brought along. Concern shown in his eyes. He was quite the opposite of Orion—Tonia even called him fussy sometimes.

Teucer rubbed his bleary eyes. The older of the two redheads threw an exasperated look at his concerned older brother and opened the door, without any care regarding the fact that the Harbinger was still at the door. His reflexes kept in, allowing him not to fall flat onto the wooden floor.

“Anthon!” Mama scolded him disapprovingly. “What if your brother got hurt? And what is Teucer wearing?”

A blanket, specifically the blanket Childe had lent his little brother because he was soft and the little boy had tearfully confessed that he would miss him.

“He’d be fine. And we’re only going to be out for a few minutes,” the boy said, side-stepping his pouting brother. He pulled his right arm off Teucer’s shoulder and patted his back. “Well, didn’t you have something to give him?”

Bright blue eyes widened. Teucer nodded his head, wordlessly handing over a doll that was in his hand. Childe took it, flipping it over in his hand. Behind him, Mama had taken the jacket from Anthon and was already draping the much heavier jacket on his shoulder.

Kneeling down, he ruffled Teucer’s bedhead. Mama squawked angrily behind him and foisted the jacket off to the waiting Pulcinella, whose height roughly matched that of the younger Harbinger at that moment. She couldn’t bend down very well anymore and Pulcinella loved to dote on him—and his family, of course. 

Papa, on the rare days when he was willing to joke with his third son, always said that it was the reason why they got along so well.

“Is this for me?” he asked playfully, his voice warm. 

His younger brother shook his head violently. With a muffled voice, he corrected, “No, it’s for Lumi and Paimon!”

Laughter rippled through the crowd. There were some who didn’t bother to quieten themselves and there were some who had slapped the palm of their hand over their mouth to stifle it the best they could. A soft shade of peach dusted his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head.

Even nearly a year later, Teucer adored the two of them. To give up his precious Mr. Cyclops doll, when he wouldn’t even share it with Ivan—on the day Lumine finally visited his family, Childe hoped he was around to see it.

Solemnly, he assured his little brother, “I’ll make sure it’s the first thing they see. Promise.”

When he saw the way his little brother smiled sleepily at him, holding his pinky finger out to seal the deal, he felt that it was worth being laughed at sometimes.

His journey across the sea was rather unremarkable. There was little to talk about when all there happened to be was clear blue water as far as the eye could see.

Childe had entertained the thought of traveling by foot, just as Lumine did. The fastest route would take him through Fontaine with the possibility of touching Sumeru to grab a quick souvenir from there as well.

Mama hadn’t let him entertain the thought for long.

“Ajax, you will not spend weeks traveling down to Liyue through the wilderness when you have the option to take a boat instead,” she said sternly, the sauce-covered wooden spoon in her hand flailing as she gestured angrily. “What if Teucer tries to do the same? At least it was a boat last time.”

As Teucer was definitely capable of trying to pull something like that off, Childe had agreed reluctantly. He had little doubt his brother would attempt something like that again if the Harbinger was assigned elsewhere once more, but he only hoped it would be while the traveler was in Fontaine to keep an eye on him.

Then, as the days went by, he began to waver in his thoughts. Vacation time had been applied for months in advance, as always, but it was only a month or two ago that he had confessed his plan to the rest of his family—namely Teucer, because he was certain everyone else had heard him confessing to Mama.

By that point, his unreasonably guilty conscience meant that he spent an unholy amount of time ironing out the details of his departure—down to the exact minute and the exact route—so that he could spend as much time as he could before his birthday with them.

It meant, of course, that if Lumine had plans unrelated to him for his birthday, all that effort would go to waste but he was confident that she would leave her calendar open that day. 

After all, how many times had she skipped town to spend time with her friends in Mondstadt for their birthdays?

Stretching his arms, he rested his hands on the railing of the bridge that connected his first destination to his second. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor’s ferrylady, for once, was not standing at her usual spot. It was, after all, time for lunch.

The sun hung lower in the orange sky than it had when he arrived in Liyue Harbor, slowly beginning its descent in preparation for the night. Men and women dressed stylishly entered Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavillion in droves, often clustered together in large groups.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door to the funeral parlor cracked open. The ferrylady, whose name he was certain only Zhongli knew, returned to her post, quietly closing the door behind her. 

Childe waved to her, watching in half-amusement as she betrayed little emotion at his reappearance. Weaving through the crowd, he walked up to the woman. He had only opened his mouth when the brunette beat him to it.

“Mr. Zhongli is currently not at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor,” she informed him, as though she had practiced the line many times. “We are unaware of where he might be.”

He blinked. The corners of his lips tugged into a half-smile. 

“Does this happen often?” he asked, shoving his hands into his pocket.

The woman nodded. “Yes…though I imagine you know the party responsible. It’s…been happening for a while.”

His smile turned more genuine as he thought about Lumine and Paimon repeatedly badgering the poor ferrylady for Zhongli’s whereabouts. Chuckling, he shook his head and returned to the conversation at hand.

“I see. Well, I guess I’ll take my leave,” he said, craning his neck towards the business Pantalone wanted him to check. “Maybe check out that teahouse. If he comes by, just let him know I wanted to see him.”

Turning around to face the direction of his new destination, Childe held up a hand to wave goodbye. At the ferrylady’s affirmative, he nodded and began walking toward Yanshang Teahouse.

Vaguely, he remembered the place. He had dealt with the former owner after all. As for why Pantalone was interested in the place, it had to do with the rumored new owner of the teahouse—a woman by the name of Yelan, who the agents stationed in Liyue had caught a glimpse of when the traveler was helping her with something.

She was, allegedly, the very same woman who had stolen Pantalone’s gift for the Tsaritsa and left him grumbling for days on end. Only when the older man had found a jade bracelet that he recognized had his mood turned around.

Childe’s actual goal was to confirm that the woman had the other bracelet, and for that end, Pantalone had given him a drawing of the bracelet to compare to. For today, though, he only planned to ask around about her, preferably with someone well-respected like Zhongli who wouldn’t ask too many questions.

It was unlikely Lumine would aid him in this particular endeavor, particularly if she was friends with that Yelan woman. 

Crossing over the bridge, he made his way to the entrance of the teahouse. The two guards standing watch said nothing to him—though whether it was because of the new management or because they didn’t recognize him, he didn’t know.

Pushing the door open with a sigh, Childe went inside, hoping that this endeavor would bear more fruit than his failed attempt to find Zhongli.

The small plaza at the start of Chihu Rock where he now stood, only a few minutes’ walk from the teahouse, bustled with tourists and residents alike. 

Having presumably hit up the famous food street beforehand, most of the adults held onto some kind of finger-food. Children no older than Teucer ran across the place without a care as they coordinated the details of some game.

One day, he thought, he would bring his family to Liyue so they could also experience everything the city had to offer. After this trip, of course.

Childe sighed, recalling his time at the teahouse.

His objective for the day was no closer to being accomplished, given that very few people recognized the woman he had described. There was, however, a woman who seemed to recognize him, with dark brown hair and a calculating green gaze. 

She had worn a bracelet, but, as he had realized belatedly, there was no way for him to check the drawing without raising suspicion. In which case, he would need to come back, find a way to convince her to show him the bracelet, and then go outside and cross-reference the drawing.

If he pretended it was for personal reasons, maybe Lumine would help?

Crossing his arms, he sighed again. 

The only reason Pantalone had given him the job was because he was the only one heading to Liyue for now and the banker apparently had work to do. Signora would’ve been a much better fit for it, but she was dead. And the other chronic traveler with no screws loose was still missing after his unceremonious abandonment of the Tsaritsa’s cause.

Dull blue eyes swept across the plaza, darting from person to person once he’d confirmed they weren’t the woman he wanted. It wasn’t unlikely she would be here, given it was almost his birthday. 

And if she was, then he could skip bothering the apparently busy consultant, who sat at the closest table of Third-Round Knockout, unfazed by the loud noises of the crowd.

Zhongli was on his own. His bowl of noodles that he ordered a while back were left untouched. Amber eyes would occasionally gaze at the darkening sky in the direction of the bridge that led travelers out of the city. There were only two people that Childe associated with the sky, who also happened to know the well-read consultant, and he was curious to know which one it was.

Liyue’s rumor mill never failed to churn but he imagined he would have more to laugh about with Lumine if it was about Zhongli’s odd closeness to the Guardian Yaksha.

That same amber gaze swept through the plaza for whatever reason and landed on him, narrowing slightly.

Waving half-heartedly at his friend, Childe took it as his cue to go up to him. He weaved through the crowd, ignoring the perfectly accessible flight of stairs in favor of climbing onto the ledge, and joined the consultant at his table. 

An exasperated sigh escaped the other man.

“Those stairs are meant to be used, not ignored,” he chided, allowing himself one last glance behind him before he returned his attention to Childe. “Similarly, when one runs into a friend while out and about, the correct choice is to go up to them immediately, unless they’re busy.”

Chuckling warmly, the redhead rested his elbow onto the table and smiled at him. There was something to be said about the comfort that Zhongli’s chiding brought along with it. It reminded him of his mother a little.

“My bad, my bad. I was curious, you know?” he said. “Who would stand Mister Zhongli of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor up? I hear all the ladies are dying to meet you.”

Creases formed on the dark-haired man’s forehead as distressed amber eyes narrowed at him. Zhongli picked up his cup of tea and calmly sipped the beverage in silence, leaving Childe to stare at him with a baffled expression.

Lowering his voice, he leaned in closer and whispered, “Wait, really? I thought you were waiting for your kid.”

“ For the last time , Xiao is not my child. I am merely mortal and he has lived hundred times my lifespan,” the other man returned, and in a softer voice, he said, “And he usually doesn’t visit me.”

His voice remained level and calm. There was no exasperation hidden in his words, though Childe could make out the faintest hint of a rebuke and a pinch of resignation. 

Dull blue eyes scrutinized the man before them for a moment. Shrugging, he dropped the topic, recalling word that the traveler and the Guardian Yaksha had both been seen in the Chasm.

Lumine would know the story, he figured, and resolved to ask her later.

“Well, it seems like your lady friend won’t be showing up for a while.” With exaggerated movements, he sighed. “Guess I’ll have to—”

Zhongli cut him off before he could finish. “What is it that you need?”

The smile Childe’s face froze for a moment before he dropped it entirely. Without beating around the bush, he asked, “Do you know where Lumine is?”

A frown tugged at his friend’s lips. Setting his cup down next to his now cold noodles, he sighed. 

“Your birthday is tomorrow, after all,” Zhongli did not wait for a response before he continued, “She, and a few of her friends including Xinyan, went on a summer trip. You won’t be able to find her so easily, nor will she be returning any time soon.”

Blinking, the redhead leaned back a little, only remembering the lack of a back rest when he began to lose his balance. Returning to his original position, he looked at the ever unfazed consultant and smiled wryly.

“You could’ve warned me,” he commented.

“I could not,” the dark-haired man responded gracefully.

Xinyan sounded like a familiar name to him. If she was one of Lumine’s friends, then—

A lantern flickered to life in his head. His hand, entangled in his orange hair, ceased its scratching as he recalled the last time he had seen his friend. The young Liyue-born woman who had joined them had been a delight to be around, even if their camaraderie had been built upon Paimon’s white lie.

“Good for her,” he said finally, recognition lighting up his eyes. “Maybe she’ll find some inspiration along the way. So, how do I find Lumine then?”

Amber eyes observed him, though they failed to betray their owner’s curiosity. Still, Childe had known the man for some time. It was obvious there was something he wanted to ask.

Cupping his chin thoughtfully, the funeral parlor consultant explained, “The Adepti collectively agreed to gift an Adeptal abode to the traveler. As long as you have access to it, you can meet her regardless of where she is.”

“Great,” the redhead said, leaning closer. “How do I get—”

“You need a special item to be able to access the teapot, which you clearly lack,” his friend continued, cutting him off once again. “As for why, I imagine it’s not for a lack of trying. Merely a case of bad timing.”

Deflating slightly, Childe rested his head on the table. “So, I won’t be able to see her.”

The man in front of him merely sipped his tea. 

Often, the Harbinger wondered how the other man was able to savor his tea for so long. He recalled that Zhongli had only gotten a refill once in the time that he had been observing him. Surely, the cup would’ve emptied out at that point?

Sighing pitifully on purpose, he continued, “I guess I won’t be able to give her my family’s gifts.”

Looking up, he found his friend to be smiling amusedly at his disappointment. Zhongli set the cup down. Peeking at the top of the cup, Childe found it to be finally empty.

Clearing his throat, the other man said, “I have your invitation. Unfortunately, I left it at my house. Now, sit up straight.”

The Harbinger sat up straight, doing as he was told immediately—perhaps as a result of spending some time back at home. As always, he was unable to resist the urge to compliment his blonde friend. Resting his chin in the palm of his hands, he smiled broadly.

“Ah, as expected of the traveler. She knows me well.”

Narrowing his amber eyes, Zhongli let out a quiet scoff. “I believe it has more to do with your predictability than anything. She was talking about how she was expecting a fight.”

The smile on Childe’s face dimmed a little. If his friend was busy with her other friends, she likely wouldn’t have the time for even a spar. It sprang back to life, remembering that she would, however, carve some time out of her schedule to spend the day with him.

“I knew I could come to you for help!” he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. “Now, for the invitation—”

Long white hair, dyed black at the ends, caught his attention. Glancing to the side, he found Zhongli’s date for the night smiling sharply at him. She was dressed in a different outfit than usual, with a different color scheme to boot.

Childe, never one to let a provocation slide, returned the same smile—after all, he had done nothing wrong yet. She could look for evidence against him all she liked, but this was mostly a personal trip. Even Pantalone’s business leaned more towards the personal side than the business one.

He dropped it only when he saw the besotted expression on his friend’s face.

“Lady Ningguang,” he greeted the woman, preparing to stand. “Please, take my seat.”

She took the offered seat, though suspicion gleamed in her red eyes. Resting her cheek on the palm of her hand, she greeted him in return, “The eleventh Harbinger, Tartaglia. I wasn’t expecting to find you.”

Inclining his neck in acknowledgement, he moved closer to where Zhongli sat. Childe rested both his forearms on the table and said, “I’ll drop by tomorrow in the morning with my family’s gift. You should be free then, right?”

“Hmm?” Zhongli glanced at him, breaking out of his daze. “Oh yes, I’ll make sure to pass on the invitation then.”

Ningguang raised an eyebrow, though she did not seem particularly confused about the context of their conversation. It wouldn’t surprise him if she happened to be one of the first to get an invitation. No one in Teyvat had missed the close relationship the Tianquan and the infamous Traveler shared.

Patting his friend on the shoulder, Childe offered the other man some advice in a low voice. “I hope your Adepti friend knows about this. Oh, and congratulations.”

He pulled himself off the table and offered the exasperated couple a smile. Waving as he jumped off the ledge, Childe cracked a smile at Zhongli’s distant voice chiding him once more.

Back at the hotel room he had used while living in Liyue, Childe plopped down on the familiar bed. It was a simple room, by Harbinger standards at least—Signora’s rooms had always been so fancy while she lived.

Before the Fatui first established their hold in Liyue, Pantalone had been asked by the Tsaritsa to find a suitable accomodation for the brave soldiers who would be living so far from home. Never one to disappoint, and perhaps hoping to outdo himself in regards to the housing in Mondstadt, he bought out a failing hotel in the business district and ordered it to be furnished for a Snezhnayan’s comfort.

Childe’s room was only one of the many that resulted from such a decision.

A nightstand, a standing wardrobe, and a chester drawer were the only pieces of furniture in the bedroom, aside from the obvious bed, though any reachable surface had once been littered with photos of his family. The living room was more furnished, but it had been so from the start.

His kitchen tended to be on the messier side since he cooked often. Pots and pans he personally picked out lined the inside of some of the cabinets—even now, he noticed—and the fancy plates he had stocked in one of them on the off-chance one of his friends came over still remained.

It felt like a homecoming of sorts—different from how it felt when he visited home, but similar all the same.

Childe was reminded of the conversation he had once had with Lumine. About whether he felt he could call Liyue his second home any time soon. Maybe not right now, but he felt it wouldn’t be long.

Lumine always hung around in the vicinity of Mondstadt and Liyue, after all. And Zhongli seemed like he was following all the rest of the common steps in a mortal’s lifespan.

“If I got a house here…” he mused. “Teucer would  be happy at least.”

Letting his gaze sweep across the room, he took stock of his belongings that rested against the off-white wall. 

Initially, he had intended to bring only a large suitcase and a smaller bag to carry essentials. But as his family slowly added to the collection of food items and Snezhnayan goods they intended to give Lumine and Paimon, and Zhongli as well, he was forced to add two duffle bags. 

The first, to supplement his original luggage, and the second to compensate for having to swap out the smaller bag.

His gloved fingers tangled themselves in his orange hair as he struggled to remember where he’d put Zhongli’s gifts. At the end, the night before he left, some of the more recently bought things had been shoved in any open space Mama could find. 

Among those things was a lovely blanket Tonia, Mama, and his older sister Ana had picked out for the consultant, having heard that he had an appreciation for culture and history. It was the first thing they’d ask about in their letters.

Leaning over the edge of the bed, he reached out his arm to try and grab one of the bags’ strap. Barely five centimeters remained between the tip of his longest finger and his target, but it didn’t seem like he could grab it without falling off the bed.

With a sigh, he climbed off the bed from the edge closest to the bag. Settling down in front of them, he began to rummage through his things. 

Childe pulled out a container of food labeled Lumine , a tiny coat for Paimon that Mama had insisted upon given how often the duo ventured into Dragonspine, another scarf that his sister-in-law had knitted him—despite his and his brother’s joint protests—and, among other things, an envelope tucked into a side pocket that was filled with his nephew’s drawings.

He had brought the drawings along since he didn’t have time to decorate his office in the capital. A more sturdy container was necessary for now if he wanted to keep them around until his nephew was old enough to get married, at the very least. 

Soon after his vacation would end, he would need to go off and search for Scaramouche again. Dottore seemed to have some sort of lead on him, as he was the one to insist that Childe visit Sumeru. Until he found the shorter man, he wouldn’t have any place to keep them.

Idly, he wondered if Lumine would let him keep them with her. It wasn’t as if she didn’t feature in them. The current youngest member of their family was insistent on having his Uncle Teucer draw Auntie Lumi in.

Making a mental note to himself, he promised to ask Lumine how she felt about being called Aunt when he asked her. Childe personally felt it suited her, but if she wanted to be just Lumi for his nephew as well, he needed to know before Aunt Lumi became a permanent habit.

“Ah, it’s not in here,” he muttered, peering into the now empty bag. “In the next one then?”

Childe scooted over a bit to the right, settling down in front of the other duffle bag. He hummed to himself as he unzipped it. 

A haphazard pile of letters rested at the very top. Some had Tonia’s practiced signature, others had Anton’s hurried scrawl, but the most frequent was Teucer’s carefully-written letters. He was, after all, the only one to have met the blonde traveler and talking marshmallow sidekick.

Mama’s letter for Lumine, which she had personally ordered him not to read, and his own invitation for her to hang out with him was probably in the suitcase then, he figured.

Gathering them up in his arms, he set them down beside him. Childe began to sort the letters into neat stacks and placed on top of the bed, reminding himself to bring some of them along when he went to her place. 

There were no dates on the letters, so he would let Lumine sift through them at her own time.

Stretching his arms, he let out a tired sigh as he surveyed the mess he’d made. Not a moment later, his stomach grumbled.

Resting his hand on his stomach, he recalled that, aside from a few snacks he had alongside his tea at the Yanshang Teahouse, he hadn’t eaten all. Childe stood up and made his way to the kitchen that came along with his suite.

He had asked one of his subordinates to stock his fridge the day before he was set to arrive so that he could cook for himself without the need to go shopping.

As he looked through the cabinets in search of the pots and pans he had bought while he still lived here, an idea occurred to him. Mama had mostly packed dry food items, simply because she hadn’t wanted any spills to occur while he was traveling.

There were a few things that he loved to eat that Lumine wouldn’t be able to try out unless he made them for her. The journey from Snezhnaya to Liyue was long, and the food his mother would’ve lovingly packed risked spilling or growing rotten. 

Peeking his head out of the kitchen doorway, he looked at the suitcase he had brought along.

Though his stomach continued to grumble—in the end, he was only able to make something to eat once he had gathered all the ingredients for the dishes he wanted her to try.

The next morning came and brought along with it the gentle rays of sunshine that filtered in through the curtains. Rubbing his eyes blearily, he sat up straight in his bed for a moment and stared blankly at the wall.

It was only when his gaze fell upon the mess he had left last night that he recalled he was back in Liyue. Stumbling out of bed in a hurry, he pulled an outfit out of his open suitcase. Every time he would stumble across another gift for either Zhongli or Lumine, he would hurriedly put them in the duffle bag where they belonged.

As soon as he dressed himself, he grabbed the correct duffle bag for the consultant. Childe hurried downstairs, making a note to have breakfast after he returned from his friend’s house.

He had been to Zhongli’s house a few times—once for a joint celebration of the man’s birthday, Lumine’s belated birthday, and the incoming New Year, then once for Lantern Rite, and another for his birthday.

It was mostly because of Lantern Rite that he remembered the way to his home so easily. Even now, he could recall weaving through the crowded streets as the Mingxiao lanterns slowly lit up the sky, and Lumine by his side, dejected that she hadn’t thought to offer the Guardian Yaksha an alternative to coming into the city.

The lanterns were specks of glitter shining far into the horizon by the time they arrived. Zhongli wasted little time scolding them for being late. But the only excuse they could muster was that everyone seemed to be in a particular excitable mood, so much that they couldn’t help but draw every passerby into their orbit.

Whether for a small snack or some conversation, he had enjoyed every single encounter. Not only because Lumine was by his side, but because he could mingle without the burden of his title disrupting parts of his life it should’ve had no bearing on—even if he had brought such a situation upon himself.

As he walked down the familiar streets, Childe was confident he could pinpoint the exact location where each and every person who stopped them had stood. So immersed he was that the time passed by far too quickly as he reminisced about the more happier times of his career as a Harbinger.

It was not long before he stood at the consultant’s doorstep. In Yujing Terrace, of all places. The mystery of how exactly a man like him managed to afford such a place would’ve slowly chipped away at his sanity if Signora hadn’t kindly offered up such information.

When he knocked on the door, a clear-eyed Zhongli greeted him. Wordlessly, the man handed him the invitation in question, an item that looked a bit similar to a Sigil of Permission, and began to talk.

“It isn’t difficult to enter the abode,” the dark-haired man said, eyeing the bag the Harbinger had unceremoniously dumped on his front porch. “You merely need to have the firm intention of visiting it.”

Childe flipped over the invitation in his other hand. Dark blue eyes observed the marking on the wooden item, a teapot, as well as the brilliant cobalt blue cord tied to it.

“That’s it?” the Harbinger asked, looking up at the consultant. “It’s that simple?”

Rolling his amber eyes, Zhongli pulled the bag inside and opened it. “Well, yes. The bulk of the work has already been done by Tubby—she is the Adeptus that lives in Lumine’s spirit.”

“Huh,” the younger man blinked, tucking the invitation under his arm. “Oh, right.”

Childe mimicked his crouching position, waddling closer to his friend until he was fully in the doorway. Closing the door behind him, he began to point out who had gifted him. 

“I’’ve made some food for Lumine too,” he told him. “Let me know if you want some.”

Amber eyes blinked in surprise, watching him closely. Cupping his chin, the consultant questioned, “Is it Liyue cuisine or Snezhnayan—”

“A bit of both. I can make something else too,” the redhead responded immediately, recalling how often the man went out to eat. “Because Xiangling’s food is not a substitute for a home-cooked meal, if you’ll recall me saying multiple times.”

With an exasperated sigh, the other man gestured in the direction of his kitchen. “I’ve cut down on eating out considerably, between Lumine and Ningguang. I’ve even started cooking small dishes more regularly. I’d appreciate it if you also wouldn’t get my case about it anymore, Childe.”

Most of the gifts had been taken out and set aside. He was certain the former Geo Archon would remember which gift was from who, but there was a note stuck to one of the containers where he had helpfully written that information out.

Childe settled into a more comfortable seating position.

He took his friend’s gesturing as his cue to observe his house for any new changes. There was a paper fan with Rex Lapis drawn on it hanging on the wall that stood out immediately. Suppressing an amused smile, he continued to look at his surroundings.

An open book with what looked to be Inazuman characters written on its cover laid face down on one of the tables. It reminded him of the light novels Yae Publishing specialized in selling. He was about to comment on it, when he finally processed the older man’s words upon hearing his name.

Childe snorted, returning his gaze to the man next to him. “I was the first person to get on your case about it.”

Zhongli stared at him flatly. 

“Alright, fine. Just let me know what you want,” he relented. 

“Hmm, a bit of everything works.” The dark-haired man stood up. “Ah, say thank you for your family to me, by the way. The gifts are lovely.”

“Of course, I’ll have to send a letter soon.”

Remembering that he had somewhere to be, the younger man also joined him in standing. The Harbinger politely declined his friend’s offer for some tea, citing his impending visit to Lumine’s new home. 

Pulling the door open, he slipped outside. Zhongli joined him after a moment.

It was then he recalled Pantalone’s request for him. 

Clearing his throat after a moment of silence, he said, “By the way, I’ll be in Liyue for a while. So, if you want to pick something out for them, let me know…No ulterior motives, of course.”

The flat stare had returned, but he did not budge on his half-hearted insistence. Pulling himself away from the doorframe, he said his goodbyes, preparing to return to the hotel to pick up hos gifts for Lumine.

Lumine’s abode reminded him a little of Mondstadt. 

It wasn’t just the mansion that sat atop a hill or the fact that the hill was surrounded by water. The decorations, down to the street lights and the giant harp that sat in the middle of a hedged-in section of the hilltop, seemed to have been stolen right from the City of Freedom.

Dull blue eyes swept across the small village Lumine had built once more, landing on the odd white thing sitting in front of the house. Childe figured that would be Tubby, the Adeptus Zhongli had mentioned.

Setting his things down on the porch, he proceeded to circle around the being, waiting for her to pop out from her literal teapot. At that moment, a giant blue bird popped out from under the lid. She tilted her large head and yawned. 

“Thoma?” she muttered sleepily. “Hm, no…you’re not Thoma…”

Though her eyes remained closed, he couldn’t help but feel he was being stared at. Rubbing the back of his neck, he corrected her with a laugh, “I have to wonder how much this Thoma fellow looks like me now. Or maybe it’s the sleep taking? I’m Childe by the way.”

Tubby repeated his name a few times, seemingly getting closer to recognizing his name with each attempt. When her teapot lid flew up, Childe took it as her finally placing his name. She straightened up, any traces of sleep evaporating from her voice as she greeted him.

“Ah, yes, Childe!” she exclaimed. “Lumine said you would be coming today. Oh, you can just walk right in.”

A warm smile tugged at his lips at the mention of his blonde friend. It seemed like Tubby got along well with Lumine. Not that he had doubted for a moment that someone like her, who had friends everywhere she went, could ever not get along with someone.

Other than Signora, of course. And possibly Scaramouche. Dottore as well.

“I see you’ve brought gifts for her!” Her cute giggle brought him out of his thoughts. “How sweet. Her room is closest to the door. Please don’t mind the mess! We’re in the middle of renovating the place.”

It occurred to him that Lumine had once mentioned that Xiao was some sort of bird. Or had it been Zhongli? On the topic of the last Yaksha, they were basically interchangeable fountains of information who needed to be carefully directed to a different topic.

Especially if they were in each other’s presence. Childe was as invested in the youth’s health and comfort as his friends were, for the sole reason that his friends were deeply invested in the topic. 

But as the only member of their trio who had yet to meet the Vigilant Yaksha—which, he thought, he needed to rectify, considering the Tianquan had already met him—there was little way for him to contribute in a way that wasn’t simply him regurgitating their previous points in a neat little summary.

Well, he was digressing. The point was that the Conqueror of Demons was apparently a cute little birdie. He wondered if Xiao looked anything like Tubby. Was he human-sized? Or could he fit the transformed Adeptus in the palm of his hand?

“I’m glad you told me. I would’ve spent the entire day looking for her room,” he joked, returning his attention to the human-sized bird in a teapot before him. “I’ll go and put the ones I have in now.”

Tubby beamed in response. He wondered if she ate food like other adepti did. There wasn’t anything else that he could gift her from even the gifts he’d brought along since most were tailored towards Lumine and Paimon. 

The floating glutton would grumble, but even she wouldn’t deny someone a bit of her food. 

Well, he needed to buy the two a separate housewarming present anyway. He would simply include a gift for Tubby as well—maybe Zhongli would know about her interests.

Childe picked up the stuffed bag he brought along, then looked up at the door. Straightening up, he placed his hand on the door and moved to push it open.

“Here, let me!” Tubby helpfully flung the door open for him. “Oh, and watch your step. I think some of the decorations haven’t been hung yet.”

“I will!”

Childe stepped foot inside, craning his neck forward to check on the situation. The little Adeptus proved to be right. Lamps haphazardly laid on the floor between two couches resting at a slant. They were joined by what looked to be the Knights of Favonius’ coat of arms, various small plants, and multiple upside down tables.

Up ahead, where the dining room appeared to be, seemed to have mostly been spared of the chaos, except for the rows of picture frames that had been carefully set up on the dinner table. If his eyes did not deceive him, he thought he caught a glimpse of Zhongli and Xiao in both separate frames and in one single one.

The specific frame used in each seemed to match the one belonging to the lone picture that hung on the wall. 

Paimon and Lumine both sat on the staircase to a large pavilion—well, Lumine sat, and Paimon hovered in the air. The red railings combined with black and purple colors of the structure called to mind the large mansions he’d seen in Inazuma.

Neither of them appeared to be looking at the camera. Lumine’s eyes were closed in the photograph, the palm of her hand pressed against her mouth as though she was stifling a laugh. Paimon seemed to be in the middle of scolding her. One hand rested on her hip, while the other was used to wag her finger at Lumine.

It was a blurry mess, but he imagined it meant a lot to them if it was the only photo hanging on the wall.

Reaching out his hand towards the photograph, he traced the bottom of the frame and sighed. 

“This is what I get for having to chase Scaramouche,” he groaned, running his fingers through his orange hair. “I can’t believe Zhongli got a photo and an invitation before me.”

He wondered if she would be willing to take a few photos with him now—at least three, one for the house, one for his family, and one for him. It wouldn’t hurt to ask at least.

Stepping over the rest of the mess, he knocked on her door twice out of respect. When there was no answer—as expected, because Tubby hadn’t mentioned that she was home—Childe let himself into her room.

Two beds were pushed together near the center of the room to make one single, large bed. Two sofas and a coffee table sat in the corner near the window, and across from them was a chester with a large, colorful rock and a few frames that sat atop of it. Their closet, light brown in color, sat to the far right, just behind the open door.

One of them featured Zhongli this time as well. The tree in the background seemed to resemble the large, partially-crystallized tree found in Nantianmen. Another featured a teal-colored dragon and a bard that he had occasionally seen hanging around the former Geo Archon. The final one was of two violet-haired women who could pass as twins, eating tricolor dango alongside Lumine and Paimon.

Neither the bard nor Lumine had confirmed it, but Childe was certain the boy was actually the Anemo Archon. And the woman…she looked like Electro Archon. Considering Scaramouche, it wasn’t unlikely she had another child running around.

Placing the gifts on her bed, he made a move to leave the room. He had only turned around when the open door smacked against the wall behind it with such force that it began to close.

A white sleeve-wearing arm appeared to stop it.

“You didn’t have to smack open the door like that!” came Paimon’s high-pitched voice from behind the door. “He’s not going to run away!”

Now that he was faced with the opportunity to see her again, a strange, happy feeling had seized his chest. His blood thrummed with excitement, but the thought of an excellent battle was, for now, nowhere in sight.

It was the nearly same feeling he felt when he was coming home to his younger siblings. When he would catch a glimpse of the three by the window and they would run outside, gleefully tackling him into the ground. The anticipation of spending time with them, after having been away for so long.

But since it was Lumine, it was different.

Childe rested his hand on Lumine’s and pulled back the door. With a teasing smile, he said, “Oh? What’s this about running?”

Golden eyes widened at the sight of him. She attempted to pry out her hands from underneath his own, all the while her pink lips remained parted. So he let go of his grip on her, though he couldn’t pull his eyes off her either.

Paimon was decidedly uninterested in the reunion. She flew past them both, over towards the bed, and curiously inspected the offering he’d brought them both. The blonde traveler’s lips moved without a sound, probably in an attempt to rebuke her friend.

Concern shone in his blue eyes as he watched her closely. When was the last time he had seen her so out of her depth? His eyebrows knitted together as, after combing through his past memories, his mind helpfully replied, Never .

“Give her a moment, okay? It’s been a long couple of months waiting for you,” the floating marshmallow said, already having begun her search through the duffel bag he had brought. “Wait a minute, is this a Mr. Cyclops doll?”

Craning his neck to check on her, he informed her, “Teucer’s gift to you both. There should be a bunch of letters in there too. Most of them are from him—I think he’s been writing them ever since he went home.”

Paimon’s words belatedly pierced through the fog that had gathered over his brain while he had thought over all the possible reasons the Traveler wore such a strange expression. 

Little encouragement was required for his lips to tug into a happy smile. He couldn’t help but watch Lumine, his dull blue gaze softening. She offered him a tentative smile—which he made sure to savor.

How often did he get to see the great Honorary Knight of Mondstadt, savior of Liyue, and the woman who had gone up against the Raiden Shogun (and lived ) with such an expression?

“Oh, hey! Lumi, Lumi, Lumi !” The floating marshmallow snapped her fingers, not bothering to respond to his words. “We could go outside and take a couple photos with Mr. Cyclops and Childe. It’d cover Teucer too, and we’d only have Dainsleif left.”

Blinking, Lumine nodded. “Yeah, that works. Does that work?” 

She looked at him as if she expected him to say no . Had someone already objected to a photo? Shaking his head, Childe ruffled her hair, savoring her indignant squeak.

“I hope you’re not thinking you can get out of a photo with my family, you know,” he said, grinning at her as he pulled his hand back. “Teucer would be awfully upset if you skipped him.”

She scowled at him. “Of course not! We’ll get to Teucer too.”

“He’ll probably be all grown up by then,” Paimon supplied helpfully, flying closer to them. “Probably old enough to know you’re not an actual toyseller.”

He and Lumine both turned to look at her with flat stares.

She ignored them, grabbing onto both of their sleeves and tugging them out the door. For such a tiny thing, she certainly had a lot of strength. Was it a requirement of being Lumine’s travel companion? 

Squinting at the floating marshmallow, he shook his head. Probably, but not for Paimon, who usually sat on the sidelines and only involved herself if Lumine was hurt. And even then, it was usually the traveler who had to pull herself out of danger on her own.

Paimon had probably just had lunch.

“Hey, what’s that for? Ugh, forget it,” she said. “Come on, let’s go. We have no time to waste.”

The white-haired fairy let out an aggravated sigh, letting go of their sleeves. She crossed her tiny little arms over her chest, fixing them with disapproving looks.

“Paimon’s already waited this long, and Paimon’s not interested in waiting any longer, okay?”

“Calm down, Paimon. We can wait a little.”

Item Acquired: Housewarming Gift, Part 1

A photo taken with Childe and Mr. Cyclops. A total of three photos were taken for now. As a celebration for their reunion, Lumine picked out the goofiest-looking photo and implored Paimon to put the photo on one of the walls.

Childe took the best-looking one to send to his family and pocketed the other one for himself. Paimon’s attempt at asking what he intended to do with the other photo left her gagging at the sugary-sweet response he offered, though Lumine seemed to like it.