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It was when Mona got word from Fischl that Lumine was back from her lengthy trip to Sumeru. Having been unable to see Lumine in a while, Mona had been hoping to catch up with the blonde again.
The last time Lumine visited, she was suppressed with duty. Mona only met the busy traveler for a split few minutes before having to bid farewell.
“Tis’ to be said that there have been sightings of the traveler with a companion,” Fischl spoke from Mona’s kitchen. She was fixing herself a glass of berry juice.
“You mean Paimon? Aren’t they always together though?” Asked Mona, looking up from her daily newspaper.
“But this companion is adorned in the attire of what could be described as a lavish ocean blue with hints of gold.”
“Mmm,” Mona hummed in consideration of Fischl’s description. “I’m sure this person is friendly, especially as they’re accompanying Lumine.”
Oh, if only Mona knew how wrong her assumption would be.
The sun was barely out, Mona still could count faint stars enveloped within the sky. Despite how early it was, the city of Mondstadt was yet bustling and very much awake. Mona didn’t frequently go out for walks usually due to the drought of time. She was often buried in work, having to produce reports and articles with too short deadlines.
The breeze was a soft touch on her skin. Not harsh like the winds in Snezhnaya, or barren like the winds in Natlan. It was a perfect combination of both. Ever since arriving in Mondstadt, she found the currents to be relaxing. It was granted as the nation was looked over by the Anemo Archon.
Mona found herself walking by the busy plaza, its usual joyful atmosphere creeping up as the hours passed. Perhaps a visit to Starsnatch Cliff would be pleasant.
As she reveled in the sight of the shops lined up against the street, Mona noticed a familiar duo. One blond, of which was Lumine. And one floating pixie who called herself Paimon. Her eyes scanned the pair and then realized there was another person among them.
Ah, that must be the companion Fischl was talking about.
They were dressed in garments ranging from a diverse variety of blues, gold, and white. Along with a hat that reminded her of something she wasn’t able to recall where from. The person seemed to inhabit a masculine figure from where Mona stood, though they were quite short.
“Mona!“ Paimon called out upon notice of her presence. “We were just talking about you.”
The man dressed in blue from head to toe then turned.
Mona wished he didn’t.
A whiff of tousled indigo locks and navy irises, and Mona knew who it was. Just about from anywhere, she could effortlessly recognize the way his lips curled in a smirk.
He was none other than the Fatui Harbinger they’d met that one time.
The same Fatui Harbinger that had fooled Lumine, Paimon, and Fischl into thinking he was innocent. The exact one that had emitted power that was greater than hers. The man who had insulted her stars so nonchalantly. Who she had been researching about for weeks on end after their meeting.
He was the same Harbinger that had attempted to kill Lumine and Paimon. The very same Harbinger that was chatting away with said Lumine and Paimon.
To say Mona was bewildered by such a sight was an understatement.
“What in Celestia’s name is going on?” Mona nearly shouted, undoubtedly confused by the situation at hand.
“Is there a problem?” Asked Paimon, pitching her head left cluelessly.
Mona almost smacked her forehead at the obliviousness of the fairy. “Of course, there is a problem!"
Now Lumine stepped in, equally clueless. “What’s wrong?”
So it wasn’t just Paimon. And here Mona thought the Traveler at least had some awareness- archon’s above, she’d even deemed the blonde worthy enough to be her disciple when they met.
Mona just stared at the duo. The duo stared back at her expectantly.
Was she the only one with a functional brain here? Even a newborn could detect danger easier than the two.
“Him. He's the problem.” Mona pointed at the Harbinger to punctuate her point.
“Why that’s blunt.” Said Harbinger replied without missing a beat, not flinching at all at Mona’s straightforwardness. If anything, it made him sound confident, almost as if he believed himself capable of taking on this whole town. Which he probably was if he so desired to.
"I'm frankly hurt. I thought we got off pretty well last time." He said coyly, his smile brimming with innocence.
Mona could just scoff. “Pretty well? You had insulted the stars the last time we met!”
“Now, Mona-” Lumine began speaking but was cut off almost instantly.
“Tsk, I didn’t insult your stars. I simply told you the truth. You needed to hear it one day.” The man spoke arrogantly. Mona so wanted to rip his face clean off his head.
“Why you scoundrel!” Mona stressed, each syllable digging into the air. “Lumine. Why is this scoundrel with you anyway? He’s tried to kill you for archon’s sake!”
“Mona… I’ve been trying to tell you.” Lumine began, a tired sigh leaving her mouth. “He’s on our side. He’s one of the good guys now.”
One would be advised to keep their distance when seeing how utterly perplexed Mona was.
“A fatui harbinger? Good?” Mona spoke with only disbelief. “I simply cannot believe that.”
“Actually, I’ve left the fatui and their shenanigans. So remove that label from me. I don’t want to be associated with them anymore.” The now ex-harbinger corrected her, fixing the position of his hat.
“So the rumors were true, about the sixth running off.” Mona mused, unknowingly out loud. She did that often.
“For personal reasons, not to be disclosed openly.” Indigo hair then added unnecessarily. As if she cared anyway.
“Whatever.” Mona huffed. “That doesn’t prove you’re harmless. You could still have ill intentions, whether you’ve left the fatui or not.”
"You're not able to believe I'm harmless, but you're able to believe in the stars." He countered, his expression remaining stoic but somehow managing to look smug despite it. "Funny, aren't you?"
Mona wondered where he plucked the audacity from.
"You don't have the right to say that." She grounded out. "You haven't even elaborated on what you claimed about the stars being a lie."
"It's a fact that doesn't need elaboration." The ex-harbinger dismissed her pestering, enjoying the way he made her fists curl into a ball. How he caused anger to rise to her head, boiling a fuss of frustration and indignation, pushing her to want to tear him apart.
Before Mona could actually tear him to tiny little shreds, Lumine spoke up, severing the tie of tension between the two.
"Both of you, that's enough," Lumine said, having gone tired of the duo's argument. "The reason why we returned to Mondstadt was to investigate an ancient ruin. Apparently, there have been reports of suspicious abyssal activity within the area."
"Ancient ruins with activity regarding the Abyss?" Mona repeated in reflection, suddenly captivated by an aura of seriousness. The way her mood changed so quickly was startling. "And where might this ruin be located?"
"According to Katheryne, it's somewhere around the coast of Dragonspine. I have the exact spot marked down." Lumine clarified, pulling back a strand of her blonde hair from her face. "Mona, would you care to join us? Katheryne warned us of pyro-wielding monsters. Your hydro will come in useful."
Mona paused to consider her schedule before responding. "Sure, I've already submitted my draft for the SteamBird. I should be free tomorrow."
The big-hatted man groaned unappreciatively. "Wonderful, I'm sure she'll just drag us down."
Lumine ignored the crude remark and clapped her hands. "Alright then. Tomorrow morning we'll meet at the site in the afternoon if everything goes according to plan."
To Mona, it felt as if Dragonspine grew colder every time she stepped foot even near its icy territories. The fervent winds flushed the pink of her porcelain skin, numbing her fingers till all she could feel was nothingness.
The walk had taken up roughly one and a half hours of their time. While they commenced their journey, they came across Fischl who volunteered to extend her royal assistance.
They hadn't even been that close to the region, yet Mona could feel its freezing temperatures. Her teeth chattered at its intensity. Despite it all, Lumine had managed to get them to where Katheryne had mentioned.
Today seemed to be on the worse end regarding the weather in Dragonspine. There was nothing but fog and snow ahead of them, blocking their view of the surroundings. Though if you’d squinted, you could see the outline of the mountain in the distance.
"How far do we have left?" Paimon whined. The pixie made a show of shivering mid-air.
"We're just about there," Lumine assured, examining her map. "But the ruins seem to be hidden from view, so it's hard to figure out where it is. Especially in this fog."
"Perhaps there's a puzzle we need to solve in order to unlock it." The former balladeer offered.
"He's right." A familiar voice spoke. The group turned to see feathery blonde hair that swept across the shoulders and cerulean blue eyes.
“Albedo!” Paimon exclaimed in greeting, “What are you doing in this harsh weather?”
“Ah, tis’ thy genius alchemist, be it thanks to coincidence that we meet once more.” Said Fischl merrily.
“Greeting to Traveler, Paimon and all,” Albedo returned with a smile. “It seems I’ve grown somewhat of an immunity to Dragonspine’s harsh conditions, so this weather isn’t anything too displeasing for me.”
Now that he’d mentioned it, Mona realized how often she saw Albedo in Dragonspine.
“It’s no surprise with how long you spend in Dragonspine. You should maintain your well-being more often, Albedo.” Mona sighed, fearing for her friend’s health. Though he was a homunculus, he wasn’t invincible.
“And who is this ‘Albedo?’” The ex-harbinger then spoke up after being silent for a brief amount of time. Mona dreaded whenever he began talking.
“Albedo,” Lumine introduced on Albedo's behalf. "The chief alchemist of the Knights of Favonious."
“A remarkable individual of many notable achievements. Unlike someone else.” Mona added onto Lumine, staring pointed eyes at the Wanderer.
Scaramouche was about to say something but Albedo beat him to it. “Oh, you give me too much credit Mona.” Albedo warmly smiled, the ends of his eyes wrinkled. “You are the renowned world’s greatest astrologist, Ms. Mona Megistus after all. Don’t sell yourself short.”
Mona blushed at his words. She suddenly found her self-acclaimed title embarrassing.
Her eyes then caught sight of the former Sixth’s face twist to something of a scowl at Albedo and her exchange. Did he not like Albedo? Of course, only someone like him would dislike a healthy friendship.
“Cute. Now how long are you both planning to waste time? The day’s not getting any longer.” He said, eyes relentlessly piercing their course through Albedo.
“We should begin figuring out where the puzzle for the entrance is.” Lumine agreed, less with the crude remarks.
"One agrees with the Traveler," Fischl added to Lumine's reminder. "For there is much to scavenge within the depths of this unruly land. Ye shan't waste precious daylight with such trifle talk."
"She means to not waste the time that can be used for investigations," Oz explained, making quick work of her words.
“I’ve read about these ruins before, so I may have an idea of how to unlock it.” Albedo noted, “Just give me a few minutes to break its seal."
Scaramouche didn’t like it one bit. Something about how Mona giggled at Albedo’s every word pissed him off. Albedo was not even that great - he was so incredibly sappy, Scaramouche could only find himself cringing.
Mona was at fault too. There was no need for her to try so hard to be endearing. There was no need to force yourself to be something you’re not.
“Albedo, you’re too kind.” Mona’s annoying voice rang in his ear. Scaramouche was debating whether or not to choke her by the throat. Perhaps then his ears would get justice from the crime that was her voice.
“It’s nothing at all,” Albedo responded, his voice coaxed with sweetness.
The group was currently within the abandoned ruins. The walls and ground were made out of stone, squared, and covered in moss. There were strong dark vines that hung down like wet hair and torch stands in every corner that provided dim lighting.
“Are you done yet?” Scaramouche said again, disrupting their conversation which was defiled by the most pathetic of compliments. “I thought this Albedo guy was going to help us, not slow us down.”
“Honestly, do you have to be irritating with every word you say?” Mona reprimanded. She put a hand to her hip, shifting her weight entirely to one leg.
Scaramouche rolled his eyes at the girl's insult. “At least I don’t talk nonsense about the stars and how they determine our fate.”
He struggled to hold back the shit-eating grin tugging at his lips when he saw the offended look plastered across Mona’s face. She was too easy.
“Is that the only insult you’re able to come up with?” Mona charged back. “You're well aware that the stars are a soft spot for me, so all you do is prick at it.”
“Perhaps.” Scaramouche shrugged. His eyes lay on her boredly. Scrutinizing the way her eyebrows slanted downwards, and the way her irises which he could only compare to sea foam stared back at him, swearing his death.
Midnight hair fell to her back, some rebellious strands hugging against the curve of her shoulder. Scaramouche had the sudden urge to mark the milky slenderness of it with his teeth– similar to ruining a perfect slate of snow after the first snowfall with footprints. The thought left as quickly as it came. Intrusive, meaningless thoughts, he overlooked it as.
Though he wouldn’t lie, the mage was an attractive woman.
“If you weren’t allied with the Traveler, I’ll have you know that you would be dead by now. And my hands would be the ones to blame.” Mona glowered, her pale eyes darkening.
“Hah, you’d be dead before even laying a finger on me.” Scaramouche mocked. As he spoke, he couldn’t help but notice how those lips of hers twitched in anger, like that of a rabid wolf preparing to tear into its prey. It sent an odd shudder down his spine. Not because he was afraid of her; he had faced far too many foes in his lifetime to be afraid of a pesky astrologist. No, what unnerved him was the fact that the image of her angered face was becoming more and more prominent in his head.
“Paimon thinks you two should stop arguing already.” Paimon chided, placing a hand on Mona’s shoulder.
"It's all his fault," Mona huffed, "The conceited bastard butts in and just won't keep his mouth shut."
"My fault? I'm not the one who takes everything so personally." Scaramouche refuted, his hands put up to a shrug.
"The Prinzessin commands of thy to uphold a serene atmosphere! To remain calm in the face of such things. And the last thing that ye must do is argue amongst yourselves." Fischl talked with her usual dramatic monologues.
"What the Prinzessin means," Oz began, "is to cease fighting and work together."
"You tell us to stop wasting time when your paragraphs of speech do so by themselves." Scaramouche countered, and Fischl looked back at him with such dismay, it was an understatement to call her offended.
"Thou shall not speak to the Prinzessin der Verurteilung in such a disgraceful manner! This holy name of mine is tied to a reverenced royal bloodline, and I will not allow your mere vassal to tarnish its purest name." A vein was visibly popping out on Fischl's forehead.
Scaramouche lazily shrugged. “Who are you trying to fool with your royalty shit? It's very obviously all just a facade. A hoax, if you may."
Fischl shook her head violently. "How dare you, vile vixen!" She muttered angrily under her breath.
Lumine quietly patted Fischl's shoulder in the hope of easing her fury. The blonde had been quiet the whole time as she awkwardly watched everything unfold before her. There were some times when she felt the need to speak up, but someone else eventually beat her to it. (Usually either Scaramouche or Mona)
"Don't speak to her like that!" Mona spat, defending her friend's honor. Mona was loyal, after all.
Scaramouche's cocky grin grew wider as Mona joined in. "At least I don't play into a roleplay for another's personal childish satisfactions."
Mona was a hair's breadth away from clawing her nails all over Scaramouche's pretty little face before Albedo spoke.
"Everyone," the blonde-haired man called, "please calm yourselves. I've just finished figuring out the puzzle. Please follow me as I lead you to the ruins."
It was an ancient work of architecture, the ruins. Seemingly around the period of the Archon Wars, Scaramouche deduced. All the stone and brick structures that guarded it was in disrepair- debris littered its surroundings. On top of broken bricks were grasses grown wild and unkempt. Some weeds poked their heads out of the ground while others were bent over and ready to devour anything that dared trespass.
“I think we should split up and work in pairs to get through the ruins quicker,” Lumine suggested, taking in the sights of the structure. “That way, we wouldn't have to be here till nightfall.”
“Your Prinzessin consents to this productive proposal conducted by the Traveler.” Fischl nodded her head as regally as possible. Scaramouche rolled his eyes at her exaggerated way of speaking.
All is well until Mona asks Albedo if he would pair with her, and a tick reached Scaramouche’s jaw. For whatever reason, he was very displeased with the thought of the mage and alchemist working together.
“That won’t work.” Scaramouche voiced abruptly, trying to keep his tone neutral. Mona raised a brow at his unexpected input.
“Is there something bothering you?” Albedo smoothly questioned, his voice light like an ice skater's toes on the rink. Yes, Scaramouche thought, something was bothering him. Because Albedo and Mona seemed to be close. Because Scaramouche felt uneasy about the two of them being alone in a secluded space for a reason he didn't know himself. It seemed the alchemist's deductive skills were no less than his name.
But Scaramouche held back from saying anything further, disguising himself as apathetic- which he was in most situations.
“I have no reason to be bothered other than having to deal with all your useless antics.” Said Scaramouche, shrugging as if he didn’t say anything disrespectful. “Though, if you and Mona were to pair up, your team’s elemental energy doesn't complement one another. If you were to encounter any enemies, it would be hard to eliminate them with the lack of elemental synergy.” Scaramouche reasoned, coming up with it on the spot.
“Hm, your intuition is notable.” Albedo hummed, a hand pressed against his chin in thought.
“Say, Albedo and Fischl pair up while I’m on my own with Paimon,” Lumine proposed, her eyes then laying on the remaining two. “That leaves Mona and Scaramouche…”
Mona erupted into laughter at the simple idea. “We would never make a compatible team-”
“I’m fine with it.” The former Sixth then confirmed in the most relaxed tone, one would never be able to connect it to him of all people.
Mona’s eyes immediately widened as she only could stare at the man, unbelieving of his proclamation. Nothing could've explained her shock at that moment.
“...What?!”
Fate was truly arbitrary, Scaramouche supposed, as Mona trudged behind his footsteps. She was ignoring him as she examined the icky walls plastered with mold. “These ruins seem to be quite old,” she thought aloud.
“Yes, you’re quite the observant one. Now hurry it up, will you?” Scaramouche nipped in a groan, pausing at his tracks for what seemed like the seventh time today. “A baby is able to crawl faster than you walk.”
“Shut it, rascal.” She grounded out, angrily catching up to him. “I'm studying our surroundings for any signs of suspicious activity. It's the whole point of why we're even here in the first place."
“At the pace you’re examining, my precious time is just being wasted,” Scaramouche retorted, looking back at her with a smirk.
If that was the case, why volunteer in working with her in the first place? Mona looked about ready to slap him, but before she could, she stopped herself and closed her mouth. There was no use in arguing with someone as defiant as him. Right, she was Mona Megistus, she told herself. The greatest astrologist to exist. She needn't indulge in disputes with such lowly pests.
The silence that hung between them afterward was almost deafening. Scaramouche, meanwhile, didn’t even bother to look back at her as he walked on down the hollow room. She kept close behind.
It didn’t take long before they reached the center of the deteriorating building. Upon inspection, it appeared to be a large room, with a high ceiling and a few pillars supporting the roof. The floor was covered in rubble, and the walls were cracked and crumbling. The only source of light came from the small windows set into the wall, allowing a sliver of sunlight to filter through.
"This looks like the center of the ruins," Mona commented,
"There's nothing here." Scaramouche dismissed, getting ready to turn on his heel. "If anything, it was abandoned or damaged ages ago."
"No," Mona disagreed, her eyes singling out something odd from the rubble. "There's something that's over there, under all the stone slabs.”
She began inching closer to get a better look, but suddenly Scaramouche's hand was on her wrist pulling her away. The force of his abrupt yank caused her to lose her stance and trip, though she was then conveniently caught by the man.
The man's expression changed into an unpleasant one as he glared down at Mona. "Are you stupid?" He muttered in a low voice. “There are traps embedded all over the room. One wrong move and you'll wound up dead. I'll bet whatever you were trying to inspect was also a trap.”
Mona gritted her teeth slightly at being treated like a child. “Why do you care if I end up dead? Wouldn’t you rather if I did?”
Scaramouche was silent as he pondered her questions. He didn’t know why he cared, really. Back when he was the Sixth of the Harbingers, he would've likely let her step in the traps for the sake of his entertainment. But now, the thought of it was undesirable to him.
And so, he came up with something half-assed. "I'd be the prime suspect if you died right now. I'd rather not go through all the hassle that would entail."
“As if you don’t deserve imprisonment already," Mona murmured, her eyes staring at the way his bangs were parted. The scraps of light that streamed from the window panes saturated the color of his navy locks to a violet. His eyes were also fairly pretty little things; with specks of a medley of deep navy blues, and a dominant hue of purple.
Gradually, she realized he was still holding onto her wrist. He realized it too and quickly released his grip, looking away almost bashfully.
“Don’t tell me you’re shy about touching the opposite gender?” She teasingly joked, attempting to ease the awkwardness.
Scaramouche huffed in annoyance. "I don’t care about such things,” he stated coldly, feigning carelessness on the subject. But his ears remained a bright red.
Before Mona could tease him further, footsteps sounded in the hallway from outside of the room. Immediately, Scaramouche took his stance and whisked out his catalyst. However, Mona grabbed him by his dramatically long sleeves and dragged them to a tiny room the size of a closet connected to the central room.
Scaramouche opened his mouth to speak, but Mona shushed him with her finger. “Wait.” She instructed, “don't make any haste moves just yet."
Scaramouche was quiet as his eyes darted around. Anywhere but her face. She was closer to him than he would have liked. He could feel how her breath had fanned across his fair skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Scaramouche interjected. "Just stand around here until they pass?"
"That's the plan unless anything happens."
"You're boring, Megistus." Scaramouche faked a yawn. "Just a couple of hillichurls is all they are."
"Be quiet, will you?" Mona scowled at him. He grinned.
"What? Feel threatened that I'm exposing how much of a coward the, oh-so, greatest astrologist of the century is?" Scaramoche taunted with a muted chuckle.
"Don't push it, scumbag," Mona warned, her scowl deepening.
With the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife, he simply smirked. And it was the most infuriating smirk Mona had ever been witness to.
“Scumbag,” the man spoke in repetition to her insult. “Is that the only nickname you could come up with?”
“There’s plenty,” Mona affirmed. "Would you rather I called you a pitiful menace, a nuisance, a brute good-for-nothing narcissist?”
He stared at her, amused by the nicknames spilling from her lips like a gushing waterfall.
“Or I believe you would prefer mullet-head, pompous foul, delusional--"
Mona would have continued a whole laundry list of nicknames, that had been patiently waiting in the hot stew of her sanity, but Scaramouche had other ideas.
“Say, Mona, you’re an astrologist,” Scaramouche said, though it sounded more like a question.
“Isn’t that much obvious?”
“Well,” Scaramouche leaned in closer, his nose mere inches away from her. “Do your stars tell you what I’m about to do?”
Mona blinked once. Then twice. The proximity between them was making her nervous. He was so close. She felt her own heart thump frantically, spewing pumps of heat throughout her body.
She was just about to respond, but suddenly his lips were on hers, and she felt her words being swallowed up to nothing.
From the countless romance books Mona found herself reading, kisses were told to have a sweet taste. Whether it be of sunsettias or sweet flowers. But Scaramouche tasted of sandalwood and tea. It was a bit bitter, yet it soothed her nostrils. It had been like she was inhaling his scent for the rest of eternity; the moment he pressed their lips together, the world faded away.
“Kiss me back, damn it.” He said between his pecks, scolding Mona’s still lips which had been paralyzed from the shock. His body was pressed against hers, pushing her flat to the wall. Languidly, as if he were experienced, his tongue delved into her mouth with the desire of exploring every crevice it had to offer.
A feeling akin to warmth blossomed in her chest, spreading over her entire body and setting it ablaze. Her legs felt weak beneath her, yet she wanted more, longed for more. She was greedy, Mona would admit that much. She was greedy, and she didn’t know how to stop needing. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to let go.
And just as she got used to how his lips moved, how they felt on hers, he pulled away. He stared down at her, taking his time to admire the color of her cheeks, the pink-tinted lips that were left slightly swollen, and the way that his gaze lingered and lingered, burning her skin every time.
Mona had never been at a loss for words till that moment, not even when he had declared so confidently that the stars and sky were fake; not even then did her speech falter. But he had taken all her words away the moment he kissed her. She’d forgotten how to speak, like speaking was a distant memory.
His expression remained unreadable as he just looked at her. Silence dropped by degrees in the room, the only sound of her heavy pants and water dripping down broken pipes.
“The hillichurls have probably passed by now.” Scaramouche finally said, her waist being relieved of his palms. “We’ve been here long enough, let's go.”
Mona watched him, her expression was incredulous. “So you’re just going to pretend nothing happened?”
"I was trying to save you the awkward conversation, actually." Scaramouche shrugged indifferently, brushing past her to the door. "But this won't be the last you'll see of me. I promise you that much."
He turned back to glance at Mona, signaling for her to catch up with him.
That ex-Harbinger was truly the worst companion Lumine could've chosen. But he certainly was interesting.
"And then he picked a fight with Fischl- the one that speaks in riddles," Lumine explained, blowing at her tea to cool it. Nahida had generously brewed it for the two of them as they conversed about the events that day.
"The Balladeer really is a piece of work, isn't he?" Nahida chuckled as she sipped tea, the steam rising gently into the cool air. "Did his attitude take a toll on you today?"
"It didn't affect me much, but he definitely irked the others. Especially Mona." Lumine replied, humming to herself.
"Mona is the astrologist Paimon told you about earlier,” Paimon added, re-joining the duo after grabbing sweets for them to share. "She speaks with her chin up like this." Paimon tipped up her chin in a mock demonstration. Lumine rolled her eyes at Paimon's interpretation of the mage.
Nahida giggled, "She seems interesting. Not many would talk back to an ex-harbinger as harshly."
"She really is. The first time we met, she declared me her disciple. Then she made me escort her all the way from Liyue to Mondstadt by foot." Lumine said, recalling their first encounter.
“This astrologist seems to be a strong-willed and pride-fueled woman.” Nahida mused, “while the Balladeer remains childish and cocky. What a unique dynamic.”
Lumine nodded at Nahida’s comparison. "She had really humbled the Balladeer today. Though, they wouldn't stop arguing for a single second. Even Fischl had enough of it."
“Right, Paimon was so frustrated.” The fairy stomped her legs mid-air as she usually did. “Even after all that, the two of them paired up to investigate together! Talk about a disaster waiting to happen!”
“Is that so?” Nahida asked, intrigued as she placed down her tea cup. “What happened after that?”
“Well, I’d assume they argued the whole time.” Lumine had a finger to her chin. “Afterwards when everyone regrouped, they were the last to return.”
“Did they say why?” Nahida questioned. The Dendro Archon appeared to be very engaged all of a sudden.
“Well, no. My best guess is that they got caught up in their squabbles.” Lumine tilted her head. “Although, the atmosphere between them seemed to change after they returned."
Paimon chewed onto a slice of cake. With a full mouth, she spoke. “Now that you mention it, Paimon noticed how when they came back from their investigations, their quarrels were put to a stop.”
Nahida raised a brow at this. “How peculiar. One would think something occurred that threatened the hostile attitude they had toward the other.”
The three of them looked at one another for a silent moment before bursting into another fit of laughter that night.
“Impossible.” Nahida laughed.
Little did they know…