Chapter Text
The tallest mountains in Liyue rarely receive visitors.
Nature sits still, undisturbed, feral. Few dare venture into the wilderness, and those who do know not to overstay their welcome.
This is why the adepti have come to care for them so much. A tranquil refuge away from mortals, offering a view over all of Liyue to notice danger before it can become an actual threat.
On clear nights, when moonlight touches the sea of clouds just right, one can see a silhouette standing straight above the mist, keeping watch over the world below. Those who remember his name speak it in hushed tones, not a prayer, but a warning - Adeptus Xiao, Conqueror of Demons.
The yaksha likes the silent nights of patrol in the mountains. Tonight, he is standing atop Qingyun Peak, feeling the bumps of the carved stone under his feet. Alone with his thoughts, he can focus on his mission undisturbed. Mortals and creatures alike dare not venture into the area when it's dark. Not when it's so ferociously guarded.
Which is why he's surprised to catch sight of the small campfire on the cliff below him. A person sits beside it, their blond hair reflecting specks of gold in Xiao's narrowed eyes.
What being would be foolish enough to spend the night here?
His question is soon answered as he jumps down silently and lands next to the person, who nearly screams in surprise.
"Xiao! I almost had a heart attack!" The Traveler whisper-shouts at him, her eyes wide with shock.
(of course it's her, Xiao thinks. Her pale blond hair is unlike any he'd ever seen before.)
"It's you," he simply says in response. "What are you doing here, Traveler?"
"Not Traveler," she tuts. "Lumine. Traveler makes it feel like we're strangers." She smiles and invites him to sit beside her.
Xiao is not one to abandon his missions, but the other adepti and Rex Lapis himself had chastised him for not taking enough breaks before. He usually spent a night at Wangshu Inn to recuperate, but only when he was about to collapse, which proved to not be the best idea.
But still, allowing himself to relax and especially next to a mortal isn't something that Xiao is used to doing.
His hesitation must show on his face because Lumine adds with a laugh: "I don't bite, you know."
Scoffing at the idea that he could ever be scared of her, he stands on the opposite side of the fire and looks away. Still, he doesn't leave.
From the corner of his eye, he can see Lumine's head tilting to the side in curiosity.
"You still haven't said why you're here," he says, looking in the distance.
"Oh, right."
She tosses a small branch into the fire and watches it being slowly consumed by the flames. They listen to the crackling of wood before she speaks again.
"I was bringing offerings to the adepti," she finally says. He turns his head slightly to look at her. "I wanted to thank them for helping me and Paimon. But I overestimated how long it would take to get to them even with the waypoints, and I got a little lost, so I set camp somewhere I thought no one would come looking for me."
She looks over the fire and right into his eyes. "Seems I was wrong."
"I was merely doing my duty," he huffs. "Investigating suspicious activity is an important part of preventing harm."
Lumine laughs then smiles at him, and he doesn't have the heart to tell her off anymore.
Suddenly, she perks up.
"Oh, by the way - I was thinking about the Liyue customs to honor the gods that Zhongli taught me, and I just realized that I've seen all the adepti being prayed to except for you." She pauses. "Do you not like people praying to you? Is that why?"
Xiao stiffens. Out of all the questions she could've asked, he did not anticipate this one.
The matter of offerings is not something he has thought about since the fall of the yaksha. After all had succumbed, one way or another, the people of Liyue stopped praying to them for safety and good luck. Xiao had barely had time to notice it at the time, and when he realized, it had been years since the last offering had been made.
He doesn't mind. He doesn't need nor deserves to be celebrated.
And if he can lie to himself just a bit, he can say he doesn't miss it.
"It's... I simply stopped receiving anything from mortals a long time ago," he sighs, choosing his words carefully. Lumine doesn't need to know everything. "I do not feel the need for their admiration or their gifts. It is pointless to thank me for fulfilling my duties, just as you do not thank a sword after each monster is slain."
Lumine's gaze lingers on his furrowed brows and Xiao braces himself for further questions, but they never come. Lumine only hums, pensive.
"I do thank my sword, though."
The yaksha raises an eyebrow in surprise.
"When I clean it after a fight," she continues, "and when I sharpen it when the edges are dull. I like to think that that's my thank-you to my sword."
She chuckles nervously, suddenly aware of Xiao's intense gaze on her. "But maybe that's just me. It's just a silly thought, I know."
Xiao stays silent for a moment. He then walks over to her and for the first time since they started the conversation (and since the beginning of the night, really), he sits down. He pretends he doesn't hear Lumine's excited little gasp, akin to what one might make when a stray cat finally lets itself be pet after weeks of feeding it.
Neither of them speaks. Lumine doesn't move a muscle, too afraid that reminding him of her presence would suddenly make him remember he doesn't like humans all that much.
He sighs.
"It is not silly," he almost whispers, his voice strangely gentle. "I'd say this is a testament to the goodness of your heart, if anything."
His words make Lumine's eyes glow with pride. It almost makes him smile.
"Ah! Before I forget again!"
The traveler reaches into her backpack and pulls out a neatly wrapped package, tied with a silk ribbon. The box's sweet scent is unmistakable and it immediately piques Xiao's interest.
"I said I was bringing offerings to the adepti, yes? Well, I brought something for all of them." She smiles, gently placing the box in his hands. "And I know now that you don't think you need any, but I wanted you to have something when I was picking something for everyone, so - I made you this."
Xiao carefully unties the ribbon and pulls away the wrapping cloth before lifting the top, all under Lumine's anxious gaze. Inside is a decent serving of Almond Tofu accompanied by a small wooden spoon, one of which he knows belongs to Wangshu Inn's cutlery sets. He wonders if Verr Goldet knows about this - but then again, she is fond of Lumine herself, so she may have been the one to give it to her.
The tofu squares look a little bit diamond-shaped instead, and some of the almond toppings have fallen off, but just the fact that she made it especially for him makes up for all of it. He finally decides to take a bite, as Lumine has been growing more and more restless the longer he had been staring at the tofu silently.
It's a little sweeter than usual - but he doesn't mind. The texture is almost perfect as well. "Did you do this on your own?"
Lumine gives him a nervous laugh. "Ah, you can tell, huh..." she sighs. "Yes, Master Yanxiao wasn't there and I was running out of spare time so I couldn't wait for him."
Xiao nods. "Well, I'm certain he'd be impressed. Almond Tofu is notoriously hard to master, and this is excellent for someone who only just started."
Lumine straightens up and blushes at the praise. "Wh- Thank you!"
She then excitedly starts telling him about how she prepared the dish, while Xiao continues eating the tofu, appreciating the smooth texture and the sweet taste. His gaze softens.
Maybe not all mortals are that bad to spend time with.