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Tartaglia, the eleventh of the Fatui Harbinger, had woken up a little later than he normally would. He had arrived in Liyue a little after midnight and immediately fell asleep on his bed. He could sleep a little longer but why would he? He still had things to unpack and people to beat up.
After a light morning exercise, he returned to his humble apartment and to his large unopened luggage sitting innocently on the floor. Tartaglia sighed, it was his birthday today, why does he have to do something as boring as unpacking his luggage? If only there was a giant monster to fight, now that would be a great birthday gift! Perhaps he could convince Zhongli to spar with him. Even if the man had given up his Gnosis, he was still the victor of the Archon War.
He opened his luggage and the first thing he saw was the dried goods he had packed in. He remembered his siblings had been overjoyed at his return to Snezhnaya and had demanded stories of his stay in Liyue. Tartaglia had been happy to oblige as he told them stories of his job as a toymaker, of how he convinced people to buy the toys he made. His younger siblings listened in rapt attention while his father remained expressionless. When it came to stories of the Traveller however, his siblings were excited, asking him questions of them.
How did he meet her? What does she look like? Is he going to see her again when he goes back to Liyue? Is he going to marry her? Can they attend his wedding?
Tartaglia was happy to answer each and every single one of them, even if some of the questions seemed a little strange.
He told them that he met Lumine on a beautiful sunny day when she was accosted by several men with ill intentions. Being unable to stand it any longer, he swooped in to save her and lead her to safety. She was beautiful, ethereal, and the sight of her made his heart skip a beat. Lumine was also strong, powerful, evident from their weekly spars before he had to return back to Snezhnaya. Tartaglia fully intended to spar with her again when he returned to Liyue, however, Lumine also had her own journey to follow so perhaps he would not see her again for some time. Also, what are these questions about marriage and weddings? Why are they asking about this?
By the time he had to leave Snezhnaya, his family had dumped several packages of dried goods and ordered him to give them to Lumine as a gift. Tartaglia had no reason to decline and Lumine would appreciate the extra surplus of supplies, anything that would save her mora to feed her glutton of a travelling companion.
So as Tartaglia stared at the dried goods in his luggage, the image of Lumine came unbidden to the forefront of his mind. The last he heard of her was a report from a Fatui spy when he was still in Snezhnaya that the Traveller had been spotted in Inazuma. Was she still searching for her brother? Was she still fighting gods? What had she felt when an Archon struck down La Signora?
His hands itched to fight her but at the same time, he desired to see her again. She was one of the few people who truly understood him, who truly saw what he was. Now that Inazuma was opened to the world again, would Lumine return back to Liyue? If so, perhaps he could invite her out, to eat, to receive the gifts. Perhaps he could invite her out on a date for his birthday. A nice simple date with no fighting, just two people enjoying each other’s company.
Tartaglia stepped away from his opened luggage and entered his study. He sat down and pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began to pen out his invitation.
Hey, comrade! Where have you been adventuring recently? If you're available, how about we meet up sometime?
I made a trip back home and told my family about you.
He remembered how excitable his siblings had been when he told them about the Traveller. He remembered the strange face his father had made as he told his siblings the many stories of Lumine. He remembered the way his heart beat weirdly when his siblings asked if he was going to marry Lumine.
Before I left, they made it a point to stuff a lot of homemade food into my bag and specifically asked me to bring it to you.
They told him it was a gift for his future wife. He remembered laughing about it but at the same time, he wondered if there was a small part of him that wished it would come true.
Of course, I still know my manners, so I've also prepared my own share of local specialties for you. Don't worry, it's alright if you're not used to the flavour. I'd be glad if you will try a taste.
He made a batch of his signature dish, the same dish his siblings had begged him to make every week before he left for Liyue, and stored it in an air-tight container to send to Lumine. He remembered when he treated Lumine to lunch and cooked it on the spot. She had been cautious due to the appearance but had soon asked for seconds when she finished eating it. He remembered he had to cook two portions because Paimon and Lumine refused to share.
Anyway, let's set all those quarrels and fights aside today and focus on things that make us happy - family, food, weather, or even previous combat experiences... Rest assured, together, we'll never run out of topics.
There would be time to fight, time for battles that would feed his bloodlust, but today is not that day. Today was his day. He would never tire of fighting but for today, he wanted to spend the day with his loved ones. Today, he just wants her company.