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The Traveller leaned against the balcony, golden eyes drifting afar. With a soft upward curl on her lips and cheeks painted the colour of sunset on the sea, she hummed a gentle melody. Lovers' Oath. Paimon snickered.
" Aw~ We have barely crossed the border of Sumeru, and somebody is already back to being a lovebird~"
At that, Lumine laughed bashfully. " I'm just, so excited, that's all. We've had so much fun here, the Aranaras, our friends at the Grand Bazaar, meeting with Nahida..." She raised her left hand to tug behind a strand of loose hair, her knuckles touching the brim of the Geo Crystalfly that had replaced the old white feathers, and her smile seemed to broaden by a tiny bit. " I can already see his face as we tell him all of this."
Paimon sighed, but her gaze was adoring. " He never really listens to the stories, you know. His eyes are glued on your face the entire time." She brought a hand to her mouth, mimicking the Inazuman ' hiding your face behind the fan when you gossip' motion. " That's his favourite part."
" Paimon!" Lumine gasped, her ears are deep red. Paimon stuck her tongue out innocently, and floated alongside her companion, looking out for the silhouettes of the Liyue peaks afar. If she looked careful enough - Paimon was sure - she could catch glimpse of a pair of amber flare.
Now, getting back to Liyue through the tunnel at the Chasm was a much simpler option, but Lumine insisted.
“ Oh Paimon, we’ve been gone for so long, don’t you want to enjoy Liyue’s breathtaking sceneries again from the bridges of the Huaguang Stone Forest?” That’s what she said.
Paimon wasn’t buying it. Huaguang Stone Forest - the no.1 spot for anyone who would want a smooth glide to the road that led directly to the one and only Wangshu Inn? She didn’t even know why Lumine was even trying. The entirety of Liyue Harbour already knew the extent of the Traveller’s devotion to her lover and vice versa. But as the lovely companion Paimon was, she did not utter a single complaint, not when Lumine gleefully plucked three Qingxin flowers from the highest peak and gathered them into a bouquet, not when she glided straight forward to the earthly roads without a trace of hesitation. Honestly, what was there to complain anyway, when Lumine’s smile was as dazzling as the stars all that time?
By the time they were greeted by Verr Goldet’s usual cheery tone, the sun was already on its way to ending a day’s work. The inn was as the companions had remembered: a fair number of guests, the main hall filled with the inviting scent of Smiley Yangxiao’s freshly made dishes, and the unchanging, undeterred feel of frozen time. After a long and exhausting journey, there was nothing better than to come back for a good night’s rest here. But that was for Paimon. For Lumine, the best part was yet to come by, still awaiting her on the wind-blessed top floor.
“ You go settle down first, I’m getting something from the kitchen.” Lumine tucks the Serenitea pot into Paimon’s hands, very swiftly turning on her heels. “ Don’t wait up on me, okay?”
Paimon and miss Verr exchanged a mischievous glance, and with a laugh, Paimon waved goodbye. When the Traveller’s figure had disappeared down the staircase of the kitchen, the boss of Wangshu Inn sighed. “ Oh, young love.”
“ Paimon knows right!”
Down in the kitchen, Lumine was left on her own.
At this point, the staff of Wangshu Inn knew better to leave the Traveller to attend to her own business, for at any given time, an unexpected guest might pop up beside her. And Archons, if the ice-cold stare that person carry did not mean “ Flee”, then this land must be an upside-down Teyvat.
Anyhow, the Traveller was engulfed in her own world: captured in the essence of this tofu dressing. Being in the land of seasoning for a few months had pushed Lumine’s mastery of the art to a new level. But to make it so that even her picky Adeptus has to be in awe, this proved to be a true challenge for the fearsome warrior. After adding some ground almond and some sugar for extra taste, Lumine lifted a spoonful of the substance to her lips. She furrowed her brows, praying for the best to come out of this arduous process of precision to the n. She licked her lips. An upward curl followed suit. “ This is it, the dish that is finally going to conquer Xiao’s heart.”
“ Oh, you’re finally satisfied then?” Somebody suddenly spoke up. Though Lumine jolted, she had no need to turn around to check. Instead, she laughed.
“ Hello, Xiao. Did you miss me so much you couldn’t wait any longer?”
Adeptus Xiao unfolded his arms and made his way to the Traveller, clicking his tongue in feigned annoyance. “ As always, you have no respect for the Adepti.”
Lumine focused still on the final step for finishing this Almond Tofu, pink and joy not even bothering to hide on her cheeks and the corners of her mouth. “ But Adeptus Xiao, does that mean I have spoken something untrue?”
“ That-“ Xiao’s face flushed, though his steps did not come to a halt. He observed the girl’s back, and saw on them new scars, a new tan – marks of a formidable journey she would tell him all about. Who had she met? What had she helped the people solve? Had she longed for him as he had for her, all those nights the moon was in full shine, glorious on the peaks of mount Hulao – the same blessing as the first time he held her in his arms?
Soon, he was right behind the Traveller. He took her golden strands in his right hand. Caressed them, and raised them to his lips. Hid his face in the crane of her neck, his voice concealing something of a child’s happy cry. “ …Lumine”
“ Hm?”
“ Welcome back.”
Lumine set down the plate of perfected Almond Tofu. She turned, gently, and placed a kiss on top of her lover’s hair. He felt her fingers grazing his calloused knuckles, which had long found their home on her waist, and he felt the weight of her body, the warmth of her skin, leaking into his own. Xiao inhaled the Traveller’s Wind Aster scent.
“ The moon is in full shine on the peak of mount Hulao tonight.” The Traveller smiled into the Yaksha’s hair. “ A perfect time to come home.”
For certain Travellers, they travel in search of a place to call home.
Lumine bears no such idea.
When she is in Xiao's embrace, when he calls out her name, she knows.
' This is home.'