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On Valentine's Day, Lumine woke up to the sight of a strange, ginger-haired man with an arrow pointed right at her chest.
Lumine blinked groggily at the peculiar sight that greeted her that morning.
"Hey girlie," he chuckled. His voice was smooth and light, "hold still."
Hold still? Who was he to order her around and call her girlie ?
Lumine blinked some more, her mind still processing the events taking place in her room. Her eyes darted back at the man standing by her bed. He had on an off-white, knee-length chiton with the top half pinned only to one shoulder, leaving the other half of his chiseled chest bare for her sight to see. He has deep, blue eyes and - Lumine squinted - are those wings on his back?
The first thing that Lumine thought of was that she needed to go back to sleep.
And so, she did just that.
"Stupid dream," she mumbled, shutting her eyelids over her golden eyes and pulling up her fleece blanket over herself. Lumine waited a few seconds for slumber to overtake her. That, or she hoped she would be jolted awake somehow and found herself back to her empty room once more. Maybe this was a multiverse experience of a dream that was triggered by hidden stress she didn’t know she was repressing from her new job and recent move to Snezhnaya.
Yeah, that must be it.
To her dismay, sleep didn’t warp her consciousness. Nor did she feel the crash of reality change between hallucinations and reality.
Instead, what she ended up with was her precious blanket, which provided further comfort and warmth against Snezhnaya’s brutal cold, being pulled away from her forcefully.
She sat up briskly, anger painted on her face clear as day. “Hey, what gives?!”
“Wakey wakey little starlight, the early riser catches true love on this wonderful day of romance and passion.” Her red-headed intruder was still standing proudly by her bed, her baby blue blanket hanging down his right hand. There was a lopsided smirk on his face and Lumine had the greatest urge to scrub that annoying expression off him.
“Okay, hang on, why are you still here?!” Lumine asked.
The man blinked. “Where else am I supposed to go?”
“You’re supposed to disappear the moment I don’t have my thoughts and focus on you like every other normal dream. And I don’t know who or what you are but even in dreams, I never gave someone like you an open invitation to barge into my room.”
The ginger creature tilted his head slightly at her, amusement evident on his face. “What makes you think this is a dream?”
For the love of…
“Have you seen yourself?” Lumine waved a hand in the man’s direction, “no self-respecting man would be wearing what you have on right now. Let alone in Snezhnaya’s weather. Clearly, you’re just someone my mind decided to pull out of nowhere and - “
Before she could finish her speech, she felt something soft hitting the crown of her head with a whump. It rolled down next to her on her bed.
“Did you just throw Paimon at me?”
“Did that feel like a dream?”
Lumine pulled the white cat plushie into her arms. “How dare you land your filthy hands on Paimon like that!"
The man raised an eyebrow at her. "You do know that Paimon is the name of a demon right?"
"It's a cute name," Lumine retorted. Great, now this whacko is criticizing her choice of name. Paimon was a name that she had picked lovingly after her cat whom she had left back in Liyue with Aether and Keqing, her sister-in-law.
Aether had chosen the name Paimon when they first got the cat. Back when Lumine was still living with him years ago, a pair of twin siblings trying to make it in the harsh, unforgiving world. Aether had said the name suited the then-kitten well. Paimon was (and still is) a ravenous and mischievous little monster. She would eat anything edible in sight. She also has a habit of scratching her claws everywhere in the house except her scratching post. Her meows were incessant and downright demanding when she was denied the attention she craved.
She was a little demon.
But Lumine didn’t know that Paimon was the name of a literal demon.
"Ars Goetia, I recommend you check that book out. Paimon’s not as cute as that stuffed toy you’re holding,” the ginger man chuckled. He dropped her blanket to the floor and folded his arms across his chest. “Anyway, back to my question. Did that hit feel like a dream to you?”
“What are you talking about?” Lumine groaned in frustration. She gently placed Paimon on her mattress and walked out of her bed towards her vanity table. “This is obviously a dream.”
She stopped in front of her oval mirror, staring at her reflection in it. Come to think of it, for a dream, the details that her brain projected was…extremely vivid. She could see every crease and wrinkle of the pink bunny-print pyjamas she was wearing. Her short, blonde-haired was slightly tousled and the eyebags below her golden eyes were slightly puffed, a consequence of the measly four hours of sleep she managed to salvage the night before. It was a look she wouldn't dare sport to anyone but the weird ginger creature of this dream she's in doesn't count.
Lumine pinched her right cheek. Lightly at first. And then she gradually pressed harder until she stretched her smooth, milky skin.
She let go, her eyes widening in bewilderment as she soothed the soft red patch on her face.
The pain was there, clear and tangible. Just like in reality.
SMACK
"Whoaaa there girlie, don't go and hurt yourself like that," the red-head man exclaimed.
Lumine rubbed her face once more, over the sore spot where she had given herself the hardest slap she could muster. Did that wake her up? Nope. Did that hurt like a bitch? Hell yes.
"This….is not a dream?"
"I've been trying to tell you that."
Lumine's heart raced. Cold sweat started to accumulate on her palms. An actual stranger just broke into her room.
Calm down Lumine, you're good so far.
She reminded herself that she kept a small, pocket knife in her drawers and that she had mastered several forms of martial arts.
She turned around slowly. Her eyes scanned her intruder once more. She examined him carefully - his peculiar outfit, those wings on his back that looked too real for comfort and his odd weapon choice of a bow and arrow. Who even uses those nowadays?
"I know, I'm good looking aren't I?" the man grinned.
And then there's that cockiness that could rival the kings.
"Who are you?" she frowned.
"About time you asked," he laughed. "My name is Tartaglia." He pointed a finger at himself. As he did so, Lumine noticed the wings on his back flutter, the way they would on the sides of birds, smooth and fluid. Unnaturally natural on a human that it made her flinch in her spot.
"I guess you can say I'm your cupid," Tartaglia smiled.
Lumine has had her fair share of inexplicable occurrences in life. She had survived a cliff-fall accident with minimal injury. The fall wasn't too deep but her car had flipped and the chances of her dying or sustaining grave injuries were higher than if she hadn't. And yet she was there, stuck in her seat, blood trickling down her forehead from a shallow graze.
Yeah, she was lucky.
She had been the target of an assassin who was hired by the head of the company that opposed the corporation she had been consulting and representing then. She had sat next to a pregnant woman in a flight once only to have the woman go into premature labor unexpectedly. She had no choice but to assist the cabin crew in the baby's deliverance. Up in the air above the open sea between Mondstadt and Inazuma. The baby and mom were miraculously healthy.
But there was so much blood.
Lumine had vowed off any sexual encounters for a while after that.
Those were among the few out of the ordinary incidents that had happened in her life. There were many more, so much so that Aether had told her:
"You know Lu, I'm supposed to be the actor here but your life is a literal movie."
No argument there. Fate somehow took a keen liking to spice up her life a little more than average.
But as bizarre as her life had been, she never once expected to have a man with wings to show up in her room and proclaim that he was her 'cupid'.
Lumine placed the coffee mug in her hands down on the table in front of her and sighed. She lifted her gaze and her golden eyes met a pair of dark ocean eyes, staring back at her in mild amusement.
"So let me get this straight, you're supposed to be an angel of love whose mission is to shoot an arrow at my heart the moment I meet my soulmate?" Lumine asked in a low volume.
"Uh-huh," Tartaglia nodded cheerily.
"And no one else can see you except me."
"That's right."
"What if I don't find anyone I'm attracted to at all?"
"Then I will be here by your side until the clock struck midnight in which 'poof'" the ginger-haired man made a shooting motion with his hand, "I will disappear as the new day starts. Disappearing by midnight just like Cinderella's magic."
"So the only way I can get rid of you faster is by finding someone I'm romantically attracted to during the day," Lumine threw him a dead-panned expression.
"Yep. And you can't fake it because I'll know. But not to worry, you will find your true love today or else I wouldn’t be here at all."
Lumine closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. This is all too ludicrous, too fantastical and so farfetched beyond her wildest imagination.
And yet, she was forced to believe everything that currently took place right in front of her eyes. How could she not? As she walked the short distance between her apartment and the small local coffee shop she frequents near her house, people who passed by her didn't bat an eye as she was trailed by a coatless man with wings. Even when she ordered her coffee and when she walked over to take a seat in the most secluded corner of the small establishment, no one realized that there was someone - or something - hovering by her.
Is this how having a guardian angel feels like? An annoying and over-confident guardian angel.
“I guess you’re in for a boring twenty-four hours,” Lumine finally looked back up at Tartaglia. “Because all I have in my schedule today are endless meetings and work until late in the evening.”
“Not sparing even an hour for a date on this special day?” Tartaglia raised an eyebrow at her.
Lumine scoffed. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re assigned to someone who is married to her job.”
Lumine had always been that way, never wanted to depend on anyone but herself. Starting from the beginning of her life. She and Aether were a couple of days old when they were found at the staircase landing of an orphanage in Springvale. They went from foster to foster as they grew up, their only semblance of permanence was each other. They’re smart and strong-headed. Lumine more so than Aether. Her twin brother, instead, was more socially amicable and outgoing. They had each other's backs for many years, from when they were struggling to save enough money for rent and food until they reached the point they are in life now. Aether, ever the creative, has managed to break into the luxurious entertainment industry as an established actor and occasional singer. It all started thanks to his video streaming account that his talent was recognized. He would often post song covers along with several of his compositions and they both would rake many viewers.
She was proud of him.
As for Lumine, her sharp rationality, logic and way with words were her assets. She got into law school, graduated with scholarships at hand and worked her way up until she reached her current position - the Deputy Legal Director of Teyvat’s largest multidisciplinary company, Fatui Inc. She had just moved to Snezhnaya around a month ago for her job.
Dating was the furthest thing in her mind right now.
“Besides,” Lumine continued, “I was always skeptical towards Valentine’s Day. Why dedicate a day where you must show someone you care about your love? If you truly love someone, shower them with love every day. It shouldn't be that hard right?"
There was mirth behind Tartaglia's smile topped with something which Lumine couldn't discern. His eyes twinkled and crinkles were forming under his eyes. Whatever it was, it was evident that he was enjoying himself.
"It's a shame that you feel that way towards Valentine's Day but I can't say I disagree with your point. You should definitely show the people you care about how much they mean to you at all times."
"Right?" Lumine cocked her head slightly. "And if they were put off by your sincere feelings, well, chances are they're not worth your heart."
Tartaglia chuckled. "You're very pragmatic."
"I have no room for romanticism in my life," Lumine shrugged.
"But romance and beauty add more meaning to life."
Lumine rolled her eyes. She heard that movie line before. "Yes, but reality is harsh. Often, no matter how hard you try there's no happy ending to be had. You just have to make the best of what you have right now."
"There's nothing wrong with having hope."
"But there's a lot to lose in losing sight of reality by holding too tightly on hope," Lumine argued back. "Sorry Tartaglia, I think you can call it quits now. Your arrow won't strike anyone's heart today."
"Hmm, that's okay," he leaned forward a little closer towards her. He was so close that Lumine could see herself reflected in his deep blue eyes. She resisted the urge to flinch, mostly out of fear of attracting unwanted attention to herself. "I'm having fun just by being around you."
Lumine arched an eyebrow at him. "Do you normally flirt with your assignments?"
Tartaglia flashed her a light chuckle. "Only the interesting ones. And those are one in a million."
"All right Scara, so all of the terms on the contract are settled. We just have to make the deal with Kujo Sara in Inazuma regarding our shares in Tatarasuna mine and steel production and we're good to go," Lumine nodded, handing a pile of paper to the dark-haired man sitting across from her in her office.
"And if things unexpectedly go down south?"
"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to negotiate an attractive deal."
The scowl on Scaramouche's face deepened and Lumine couldn't help but chuckle.
"Don't give me that look, I wasn't the one who chose to have you leave for Inazuma today. I'm only here to help you all with the legalities."
"Yeah, but on Valentine's Day?" he grumbled.
"I'm sure Mona will understand," Lumine told him. Scaramouche threw her a deadpanned look.
"Listen, I have a lunch date with her today during my break. I'll make her understand," Lumine added.
"Just make sure that she won't be too upset when I come back."
"She won't," Lumine assured him. They conversed some more in matters regarding work before they bid each other goodbye. Lumine stretched up her hands and leaned into her chair as soon as she was alone once more in her office.
"He's too short and grumpy, hard pass."
Well, not completely alone.
Lumine shot a look at Tartaglia who had been sitting in the empty chair next to where Scaramouche had sat. "He's also unavailable. Scaramouche's married to one of my best friends."
"Condolences to your friend."
"Well…" Lumine began, "they both have strong personalities. Bickering is their love language. I honestly wondered for the longest time why they decided to stick with each other but I guess it's one of those things where you'll only know if you're in their spot."
"Everyone has different things that ignite their fire," Tartaglia replied.
"I guess," Lumine shrugged.
"What's yours?" the ginger-man suddenly asked, straightening up in his chair and throwing her an eager look. Lumine stared at Tartaglia. If she ignored his smug demeanor (and the fact that he's a being that is not human) Tartaglia is actually...quite a looker. If he were a normal human being that is. He's tall, lean and built. His face kept its sharpness in all the right places and his smile - as devilish as it seem - was dashing, a smile that is boyish and manly.
And then there were those blue eyes that seemed to keep the secrets equivalent of the whole world yet at the same time an open portal to his thoughts.
Tartaglia would be quite a head-turner if he were a real person, that’s for sure.
But he’s not.
Oh well, it’s fortunate for Lumine. She didn’t need to have that kind of distraction in her life right now.
She flashed him a coy smile. “That’s for me to know only,” she replied to his earlier question.
“Aw come on, help a little cupid out here,” Tartaglia pouted, “whatever it is that you’re hiding, it will disappear with me by midnight.”
She propped herself up on her table and leaned closer towards Tartaglia, their faces merely inches away from one another. “Why don’t you try and figure it out, oh angel of love?” she said haughtily.
A spark emerged on Tartaglia’s eyes, a mirror of the small ember that was reflected on Lumine’s golden eyes. “You have guts to challenge a cupid, girlie.”
Lumine leaned back, a smirk playing across her face. “I have nothing to lose after all.”
Lunch time
“I can’t believe Scara has to go out of town today out of all day,” Mona whined.
Lumine, who sat next to her at their favorite cafe, patted her friend's back patiently. "It can't be helped," she said, "duty calls."
"It's Valentine's day though," she cried, "it's not a day to be alone with all the lovey-dovey couples everywhere."
True to Mona's words, the tables all around them were filled mainly with couples - flower bouquets, chocolates, some even popped a bottle of wine even though it's in the middle of a workday. Was there some sort of strange pheromones released on the 14th of February that made everyone so….passionate?
"I'm alone," Lumine pointed out, "and I'm surviving."
Mona scrunched her nose at Lumine. "Not everyone has a heart of steel like you."
"Burn," Lumine heard Tartaglia's chuckle from next to her. Her eyebrows twitched slightly and Lumine resisted the urge to stab her fork at him.
"Heart of steel has its advantages, especially on days like today," Lumine remarked, ignoring the ginger’s presence and keeping her attention on Mona.
"Speaking of hearts," Mona jumped in her seat and pulled out her phone from her bag and offered it to Lumine, "you sure you don't want to give these guys a try?"
Lumine sighed. She took her friend’s phone and fixed her eyes on the screen. A man with navy hair, dark skin and...an eyepatch?
"Okay, what's with the pirate get-up?" Lumine frowned.
"A motorbike accident from a long time ago, left a scar on his face but to be honest it makes him even more attractive," Mona quipped. "His name is Kaeya, he works with Jean back in Mondstadt. He's a Sagittarius so it should complement your Scorpio personality well."
Lumine sighed. If there's one thing that Lumine had in common with Mona's generally unapproachable husband is their shared distaste towards Mona's unshakable faith in astrology. Scaramouche thinks the stars are all a lie. Lumine just doesn't like determining personalities and compatibilities based on zodiac signs. Why limit yourself to something unbased?
Tartaglia leaned down to get a better look at the phone in her hand. With his face right next to hers, Lumine could feel his breath on her and the fresh, oceanic scent of his ginger hair. Do angels emit scents?
"He looks like he carries a ton of secrets with him and some of those are not what you would want to sign up for, pass," she heard the self-proclaimed cupid say.
She chuckled. That's what she thought too.
"What's so funny?" Mona asked.
"He seems too secretive for my liking," Lumine replied.
"How would you know?" Mona scowled.
"Just a feeling," Lumine shrugged.
"Okay fine, scroll to the next picture," the brunette told her.
Lumine swiped her thumb across the screen. A blonde man with emerald eyes and a half ponytail showed up.
"Remember Albedo? I used to work with him. He's still single until now."
"Oh, the one who likes to paint?"
Mona nodded. "He has a lot of insightful opinions on everything. Might be a good match for you."
Lumine stared back at the picture of Albedo. She met him once, back when she was in Mondstadt. He was quite pleasant to look at and was constantly surrounded with a pensive aura. But…
"Artists are very philosophical and abstract. You sure you want to live with that for the rest of your life?" Tartaglia commented.
Lumine sighed at the man’s words. Admittedly, everything he said was true.
"Sorry Mon, I think his approach to life might be too different from mine, I might be too logical for him."
Mona clicked her tongue. "Have you ever dated anyone else after Xiao from Liyue?"
"No. I was too busy preparing for the job I have now."
"Do you regret anything?"
Lumine smiled confidently, the answer to Mona's question slipped easily past her lips. "Not at all, I worked hard to get to where I am and Snezhnaya has been one of my dream destinations. I'm living the life I've always wished for as of now."
"Hmmm...if you say so," Mona sighed defeatedly. Lumine handed the brunette her phone back, feeling relieved that her friend had decided to let her off the hook. Why is it such a huge deal to still be single in your thirties when you're a woman?
Mona excused herself to the washroom briefly and Lumine was left alone at their table for a few moments.
"Who's Xiao?" Tartaglia asked.
Ah, just like clockwork.
"An ex-boyfriend of mine. We dated for a year but we decided to end it because neither of us wanted to give up our careers for love," Lumine replied, keeping her attention on her phone and pretending to be immersed in scrolling through her social media.
"So was he your first love?"
Lumine paused for a second. "To be honest, I'm not sure," she answered. "He was the longest relationship I've ever been in but if I was to say that I love him...I don't know. I care a great deal about him but it lacked a certain something.”
"And that is…?"
"The fire," Lumine answered.
Tartaglia laughed. "You're an ice queen. No wonder Snezhnaya is your dream city."
Lumine chuckled. She finally spared a glance to her side, right where Tartaglia was standing by her. "And isn't that your job to melt the ice? You make a terrible cupid by the way. You're supposed to help me find love and yet you're warding me off from all the potential candidates in front of me."
"Now now, I don't just make any two people fall in love, that's not how this business works," Tartaglia replied, folding his arms across his chest. From her proximity, Lumine could see his well-sculpted arm muscles. She darted her eyes up to the man's face, trying to distract herself from imagining Tartaglia out of his ridiculous outfit and instead in fitted pants and a button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up.
Yeah, he'll be very attractive in them. But he doesn't need to know that.
"When do you get to shoot your little arrowhead then?" Lumine asked.
"My arrows only search for true love. And little star, your soulmate is a needle in a haystack."
"You like making things difficult for yourself don't you?"
Tartaglia flashed her a grin. "I only want the best for my girlie."
For the rest of the day, Lumine had spent her time working with Tartaglia's incessant comments and chatters in the background. Although she found them annoying at the beginning, as the hours passed by, Lumine began to find some sort of respite in Tartaglia’s jokes. A lot of them were witty and no-holds-barred remarks which were exactly her kind of entertainment. After every meeting - and even during them - Tartaglia would make offhand comments about her business client’s appearances or demeanor, shallow things that kept her spirit up during a long busy day. And during moments when she looked a little worse for wear, he would throw her several cheesy lines that would squeeze a smile out of her.
Cheer up, buttercup. Storms don’t last forever.
You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.
If “Plan A” didn’t work. The alphabet has 25 more letters! Stay cool.
Chin up princess, or the crown slips.
Lumine won’t admit it out loud but Tartaglia’s unabashed personality was…endearing. He says what’s on his mind and Lumine appreciated that. In her field where words took center stage as hidden knives to subdue her opponents, Lumine found an oasis of fresh air in people who were straightforward with their opinions and intentions.
In addition, having Tartaglia yapping in the background made her day a little less lonely. It was like being accompanied by a puppy. Except, unlike a puppy, this ‘pet’ of hers can talk back to her and give her insights whenever she asked.
-
“So what do you think of Dain?”
Tartaglia hummed in reply to Lumine’s question as he stood next to her in her floor’s coffee corner. She had just concluded her billionth meeting of the day with Dainsleif, the legal representative for a partner company of Fatui in Khaenri’ah. He had neatly combed blonde hair with bangs that reached his blue eyes. He was quite handsome as well. Throughout the meeting, Lumine noticed that he was looking at her with an intensity that was out from the element of business purposes. He even left her his card with his personal phone scribbled on it.
“Dain huh. He’s smart, acceptable in appearance, good attitude..”
“But…” they both said in unison. Lumine and Tartaglia stared at each other for a few seconds before both of them broke into laughter and quiet snickers.
“Ladies first,” said Tartaglia.
“I think he’s hiding some deep, deep emotional scars,” Lumine replied.
“Huge baggage, no doubt. You do not want to be a part of that,” Tartaglia nodded.
Lumine sighed dramatically as she poured some coffee into her mug. “I’m meant to be single for the rest of my life.”
“You know what they say, the flower that blooms the latest are often the most beautiful of them all.”
“Oh, I’m not sad about that at all though. If no one can keep up with me, then I’d rather be alone than settle for less.”
“The rarest diamond is the most difficult one to obtain.”
Lumine couldn’t help but smile at Tartaglia’s words.
-
The sun had set around two hours ago. Lumine’s office building had grown quiet with many of her colleagues and staff clocking out of work just around sunset. It wasn’t until Lumine was the last one left on her office floor that she finally was able to shut down her desktop computer.
She stretched in her chair. “Ugh, finally.”
Tartaglia, who had been lounging on the couch of her office, straightened up immediately. "No more meetings?"
"That's the last of it."
"Do you have to work late like this every day?"
"Only until next month since I just started my job. Afterwards, I reckon my hours will be a bit more stable."
Before Tartaglia could reply, there was a chime from Lumine's phone. She picked the device up and her face softened as she saw the name on the caller ID. She swiped up on the receive button and waited for her screen to shift into a video display of her caller.
The screen flickered and Lumine was greeted with the cherubic face of a small, blond-haired boy with a pair of dark fuschia eyes. His expression turned into a delighted toothy grin once he saw her through the screen.
"Auntie Looomiee," he squealed.
"Hey hey, there's my favorite superhero," she grinned at the screen, feeling all the exhaustion within her dissipating at the sight of her three years old nephew. "How are you Huizhong?”
“I’m finee!” he yelled back excitedly at her.
“Hui, show auntie Lumine what you’ve got for her,” Lumine could hear Aether’s voice from the background.
“Auntie, I got a surprise for you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Here!” She saw the boy pull up a piece of paper and shoved it up close to his phone camera. In the center of the paper was a roughly scribbled blue heart.
“Will you be my Vel…my Vale..Va…what is it dad?”
Lumine chuckled at her nephew’s struggle to pronounce the word.
“Va-len-tine,” Aether replied slowly to the boy, enunciating each beat and syllable for the boy to hear.
“Va-len-tine,” the boy repeated, looking at Lumine.
“Hui, of course I will. You’re my favorite boy in the whole world after all.”
“Yayy!” the boy jumped up excitedly. Lumine chatted with the small child for the next few moments, nodding enthusiastically at his energetic gibberish and stories.
“Okay Hui, I want to talk with your aunt now,” Aether said from the other.
“All right. Byeee Auntie Loomie, come to Liyue soon,” Huizhong waved at her.
“I’ll try my best.”
Huizhong disappeared from the screen and was replaced with Lumine’s twin brother, a mirror replica of her face save for his sharper jawlines and his braided long hair.
“So was that your idea?” Lumine raised an eyebrow at him.
“I have to give my perpetually single sister a Valentine at least,” Aether grinned at her.
“Hmm, thanks for your thoughts,” Lumine replied. “Where’s Keqing?”
“Working. You know how she is. Just like you.”
“At least she found her happily ever after.”
“Only because I’m a stubborn one and refused to accept a no.”
“And you’ve managed to break down the impenetrable wall of the mighty Yuheng,” Lumine remarked.
“Now I need to accomplish the impossible and find someone that could melt the ice mountain that is the great Lumine Viatrix.”
“There's a better chance of Rex Lapis walking among us than that to happen."
"Miracles can happen," Aether shrugged.
They both talked for a few more minutes, Aether telling Lumine of his latest movie that will premiere next month. Lumine talked to him of her month in Snezhnaya, venting all her ups and downs to her brother. It had been almost four years since Aether got married and lived separately from her. Occasionally, she still struggled not to have her brother by her side at all times. Keqing didn't mind if Lumine wanted to seek Aether anytime she needed him but Lumine knew better. Aether has his own family now, she needs to back away and give him space because she's not the singular most important person in his life anymore.
Moments like these, when she got to talk with him undisturbed, were moments she cherished a lot. Even momentarily, she could pretend that they were younger again, free from the burdens of adulthood.
Half an hour later, they ended their call, with Lumine promising her beloved nephew that she would visit him next month for Aether's movie premiere.
"You're very close with your brother," Tartaglia commented. The angel-like man was sitting across her desk, leaning his face lazily against a propped up arm.
"We are," Lumine smiled. "He's the only family member I have."
"Oh," Tartaglia's smile faded, his expression turned solemn. "I'm sorry."
Lumine shook her head. "It's fine. We were orphaned from birth and lived from foster to foster. I never knew any other family except him."
"Ah," Tartaglia muttered. "That explains a lot of things."
"Yeah," Lumine flashed a rueful smile at him, "very typical of someone without the touch of loving parents to grow up emotionally stunted."
"Not really," Tartaglia shrugged, "you're just afraid because once your heart finds a semblance of home, you know you want to stay there. And yet there's the possibility the other person might not want to stay."
"Can't argue with you there."
"But those who are most afraid also love the fiercest."
"I wouldn't know," Lumine scoffed, "I've never fallen in love before."
Tartaglia tilted his head slightly. "What are your plans for the rest of the night?"
"Considering it's 8 p.m on a Tuesday? I'm heading home now and kicking back by binging on a Liyuean drama."
"Unacceptable," Tartaglia replied sternly. "You are going to have a date."
Lumine deadpanned. "With who?"
Tartaglia's lips stretched into a dashing grin. "With yours truly." He offered a hand towards her. "I'm going to show you the best of romance."
Lumine stared at the hand being offered to her. She blinked for several seconds before throwing the ginger-head a dumbfounded look.
"Don't you guys have policies against this? Doesn't this go under workplace fraternization?"
"Not really," Tartaglia replied nonchalantly.
Lumine furrowed his brows at him, "Are you trying to cast a spell on me or something? Make me fall in love with whoever I set my eyes on next?"
"Girlie you have one overactive imagination. I have no other capabilities beyond shooting an arrow at your heart the moment you lay your eyes on your soulmate."
Lumine threw him a glare that brimmed with doubt.
Noticing that, Tartaglia continued. "Look, I just want to show you a good time and let you know what Valentine's spirit is all about. You deserve that much after a long day of work. Besides, I will disappear by midnight so you have a couple of hours to live out your romantic fantasies without consequences."
The blonde's golden eyes met Tartaglia’s blue ones. He looked at her earnestly, expectantly. There was something else behind his gaze. Something that made Lumine’s heart flutter with warmth.
“No funny business?”
“I promise on my life. You lead, I follow. That’s how the rest of the night will be.”
She really shouldn’t. There’s no telling of what would happen after this. Mingling with supernatural beings were never on her to-do list.
And yet, there was something in Tartaglia’s voice, his face, his entire gesture that dominated Lumine’s rationality, crumbling every ounce of reasoning capabilities she had. For once in her life, thinking with her heart rather than her mind was a more attractive option.
Does she dare?
“Can I even touch you?”
Tartaglia offered his outstretched hand closer to Lumine. “You’ll never know until you try.”
Gingerly, Lumine lifted her right hand and placed it in the man's calloused, larger one. The moment their skin met, Lumine felt a jolt of electricity coursing to her. A sensation she never felt before.
She gasped. Tartaglia wrapped his fingers around hers. He smiled. Their eyes met and Lumine felt something click, suspended between their gazes. Like a light switch or two lost puzzle pieces that found one another. Or perhaps, glittering rays of sunshine that chased off overcast clouds. If she were to be cheesy about it.
"Well then Tartaglia," she finally said, "I'll lead the way. But you have to show me where to go first."
Tartaglia's lips pursed into a heart-wrenching smile. "Gladly."
Lumine arrived at her apartment with two boxes of take-outs in one hand and a bouquet of red roses in the other hand. Those, she had purchased under Tartaglia's request.
And until now, she still wondered how any of these were romantic when she had bought all of these items by herself.
"Okay, now I want you to wash up and get dressed a little. Or you can change into something more comfortable. Whichever one you prefer. I'll handle things over here while you get ready."
Lumine threw him a cynical gaze.
"Don't worry, I'm no pervert if that's what you're worried about."
"And theft?"
“What good are mortal objects to me?” Tartaglia pointed out.
Lumine frowned sharply at him. “If anything is broken or lost, I’m contacting a shaman to call you back into the world and I will ask them to do unspeakable things to you.”
“Ooh I’m trembling in fear already,” Tartaglia retorted, rolling his eyes all the while. His gaze landed on Lumine once more. “Go. We only have a few hours left before I disappear.”
Lumine threw him one last look before she walked into her room and shut the door behind her. She took a brief shower and once she was done, she hovered by her closet for a few minutes, contemplating on her outfit for the night.
It was quite late and Lumine honestly wanted to curl up in her pajamas. But, Tartaglia did say that this was a date and another part of Lumine also wanted to play along and see what he had in mind for the night.
She finally resorted to a simple knee-length, figure-hugging black dress. Nothing too complicated but presentable enough for a casual date. She brushed on muted, powder blush on her face and painted her lips a natural peach shade. Natural were her colors, she always feel a little out of her element with bold shades.
Lumine took a deep breath before opening her bedroom door and walking towards her dining room.
She stopped in her tracks. A gasp escaped her lips as she laid her eyes on her dining room.
Tartaglia had magically the space into something that she had only seen in movies. He had put a white table cloth over her small, circular dining table. The lights had been turned off. Instead, the whole room was lit by countless candles she didn’t even know she had kept. The take-out that she had bought had been plated nicely on the table, lit with three little candles that gave it an intimate glow. As for the roses that she had bought? Well, they were no more. Instead, their petals had been scattered across the room. They adorned the white tablecloth like red stars upon a white sky. They were lined up on the floor, forming a path from where she stood to her table which Tartaglia had shifted closer to her windows had so they would dine to the view of Snezhnaya’s nightlights.
“You’ve cleaned up nicely,” Tartaglia commented, smiling as he approached her.
“And you’ve….redecorated,” Lumine muttered.
Tartaglia offered a hand to Lumine. “Do you like it?”
Lumine scanned the room once more, mesmerised by the intimacy that it exudes.
“I didn’t even know I had this many candles.”
“Oh, I may have pulled a few tricks with that.”
“You didn’t steal them while I was out getting the food and flowers did you?!”
“That’s for me to know only.”
“Oh dear Archons,” Lumine sighed. Before she could come up with any other remarks, Tartaglia had grabbed her by the hand and led her to the dining table.
“No need to dwindle over the past now,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs by the table for her “let’s just focus on the present. Our date.”
Lumine slid down her chair and Tartaglia had settled down in the one next to hers. She looked down at the table set up that was laid out in front of her. She had only bought borscht and some beef stroganoff from a nearby fast-food chain yet the way Tartaglia had plated the food made them seem as if they were cooked fresh from a Michelin star kitchen. He had also brought out the bottle of wine and wine glasses she had kept in store in her cabinets.
Lumine turned her attention to Tartaglia, taking in his handsome features, the chiton he was wearing that showed off the muscular body underneath.
And that’s when she noticed that something was amiss.
“Hang on, where are your wings?”
Tartaglia grinned at her. “I hid them. I thought it’s better for your immersion that those pesky things are not present. Plus, your chair is not made for creatures with wings.”
“You can make them disappear?!”
The red-head laughed. “My star, when you’re not human, there are so many things that you can do.”
“Hmm. Perhaps, but there’s still one thing that you can’t do no matter how hard you try."
"What is it?"
"Being human," Lumine replied, the corners of her lips tilted up into a faint smile, "to know that your life is timed and the desperation that can drown you from trying to achieve all of your aspiration within that limited frame."
"Hmm, perhaps. But you're not completely correct on that though."
"Huh?" Lumine blinked in confusion.
Tartaglia placed a hand over hers on the table. "You gave me a taste of that human desperation. Right now, I'm struggling against time just to be with you for as long as possible."
Lumine felt heat creep up her face at Tartaglia's words. "I hope you know I hate empty flattery."
"It's not. I'm pretty straightforward when it comes to my opinions." His blue eyes never wavered from looking straight at her as he spoke. "If I don't like something, you'll know. Same as when I really like something. One thing I hate most in the world is fake affection."
There was no falter in his voice and Lumine could feel his sincerity flowing to her.
"Why me?" Lumine couldn't help but ask. "You must have had many more people in the past that you've been assigned to. Or is it that you're the type who gets into the role of his job too deeply?"
Tartaglia scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile played on his face. "To be honest, I don't remember anything of my previous assignments. Or if I even had any."
"What?!" Lumine exclaimed. She was about to pull her hand away from his grasp but Tartaglia curled his fingers around hers, keeping it in place.
"I think there's a reason for that. Love is a very individualistic experience. If I remember every single person I've watched over, my judgement will be clouded by what I thought I knew. This is a job that needs a fresh pair of eyes each time."
Lumine's golden eyes met a pair of blue ones, veiled with the soft, luminous glow of candlelights that softened his expression. And shattered her guard. Each stroke of his thumb across the back of her palm was an unsaid plea for her trust.
She found her heartbeat thumping to every movement of his skin on hers, a metronome that dictates the beat of her heart. And every beat was a resounding approval to the wordless request.
"But even if I don't have any recollection of my previous jobs," he continued, "I know that what is happening right now between us...it doesn't happen frequently. Or at all."
And that was a reassurance she didn't know she was seeking.
Lumine turned her palms around and intertwined her fingers with Tartaglia's. "So tonight, I can go whichever way I want?"
Tartaglia nodded. "I've set up the start road, you just have to build the rest of the path. And you can be as vulnerable as you want with me because I will take all your secrets and disappear with them from this world by midnight."
There was a certain comfort that Tartaglia's words brought to Lumine. But there was also sadness. Like writing a heartfelt letter that bore her entire soul only to set it out in the ocean, tightly sealed in a bottle. She knew that all of her secrets would be safely kept in the vastness of the ocean but there would be a part of her who wished that the ocean could talk back to her and tell her that it would hold her secrets dear to its heart just like she does.
"I think hand-holding is a very intimate act. It feels safe. As if your soul is being shrouded in a big, invisible hug," Lumine muttered.
"I agree," Tartaglia nodded, giving her hand a light squeeze.
"You were right," Lumine continued. "I was afraid of being truly open with someone else all this time.”
“I’m listening,” Tartaglia flashed her a reassuring smile.
And so, Lumine finally opened her heart out. She told Tartaglia of her past, of the struggle and hardships she had to overcome growing up. She told him of how she always hoped and sought for family only to have that hope shattered over and over again to the point where she saw hope as a taboo she should avoid. She told him of how disoriented she felt to be parted away from Aether when he got married and how deep down she felt angry and broken that he chose to leave her, the little girl that never grew up deep inside her crying over the loss of a little semblance of childhood memory that still stuck by her. This was something she never told anyone, something she never admitted out loud even to herself because of how irrational the thought made her seem.
“I’m actually a romantic if I have to be honest,” Lumine chuckled between bites of her stroganoff, “but so far no one has ever made me bold enough to overcome my pride and ego and show them that side of me. In entirety. I’m competitive, I care too much and I hurt easily as well, even if I don’t show it.”
“You’re the fire itself,” Tartaglia commented, “but you just need the right person to ignite that flame.”
"I'm just missing my fuel," Lumine laughed.
They talked and talked, there was not a second that night where silence prevailed. Tartaglia listened with patience, gave his insights with grace and conscience and did not let her linger too long on a thought, immediately lightening the mood by cracking up a few jokes.
He was the right combination of serious and playful. Lumine couldn't remember the last time she felt so comfortable and at home talking to someone she had just met that day.
And throughout the night, apart from the time they would dine, Lumine kept her fingers locked around Tartaglia's. To have the right hand to hold made her feel a little more grounded.
It made her realize that there was more to her life than merely getting by each day. Giving space to her heart's pleas might not be so bad after all.
-
fifteen minutes before midnight
"I'm sorry," Tartaglia said. They were out by her small balcony, hand in hand, overlooking the peaceful silence that fell upon Snezhnaya's frosty night. "I may not have been entirely honest with you today."
Lumine glanced at the man standing next to her. There was no hint of surprise on her face, only a knowing smile.
“I wasn’t supposed to only fire my arrow at you when you meet your soulmate,” Tartaglia continued. “I was supposed to make you fall in love with someone, anyone. today, no matter who…. I think.”
Lumine laughed. “I realized that. Eros, Cupid. I studied them during mythology classes back in university. They were supposed to be agents that help…procreation happen.”
“Yes. By that law, I’m supposed to shoot my arrow at anyone you’re attracted to. I could have fired the moment you met Dainsleif during the day, I know he caught your eyes a little.”
“But…?”
“But…I didn’t. I’ve had this urge to let my arrow go and strike your heart the moment I laid my eyes on you. Even when you’re alone. Especially when you’re alone. I want to make you fall in love at all times,” His blue eyes looked down at hers. Questioning. Searching. “Why do you think that is?”
“Well, if what you said is true and taking in all the things that have happened today,” Lumine stepped closer towards Tartaglia, a coy smile on her face, “I think my Valentine and soulmate is the cupid himself.”
“I was afraid of that,” Tartaglia replied. His lips were pursed tightly together and something akin to remorse flashed across his face. He lifted a hand and placed it gently under her chin. “A beautiful woman like you deserves more than one day to experience true love.”
Lumine leaned into his touch, savoring the caress of his fingers against her cheek. “One day is better than never.”
“Promise you’ll open up your heart to someone after this?”
“It’s going to be hard when I’ve had a taste of the best,” Lumine replied.
Tartaglia inched his face down closer to Lumine. All of a sudden, her peripheral visions were filled with white, the sound of gentle wind gust and the flaps of wings filled her ears. She felt a pair of soft, warm lips against hers. Furtive and careful at first until she leaned up and pressed her lips against them. She closed her eyes, drowning in the heat that kindled within her.
It was then that she heard a loud chime from within her apartment, the strike of the clock, something that at times can be more painful than the strike of a thousand arrows.
Midnight.
Lumine paid no heed to it all, keeping her eyes closed and feeling the remainder of warmth that enveloped her. She slowly opened her eyes the moment she couldn’t sense anything but the cold, night air against her lips, left alone to wonder whether everything that had transpired was merely a fragment of her dreams.
A long, long time ago, Snezhnaya was known to be ruled by the Archon of Love.
That’s what was written in fairy tales of the modern-day.
But fairy tales and fables were often inspired by reality.
And sometimes, reality can be stranger than fiction.
What many don’t know is that the Archon of Love still presides the region, watching from the background as her nation thrived under the advancement of humanity.
Gone were the days when she was the omnipotent Ice Queen. She had let that go, had let humans take control of their fates and now she merely oversaw the one thing she holds dear in her heart.
Love.
Snezhnaya doesn’t believe in soulmates. They believe in the love that they can find at that moment. The easiest. The closest. The first person that could provide a semblance of warmth against the cold, harsh weather. Two soulmates crossing paths are even more of a rarity in the modern age with globalization and the ease with which people move from one place to another. Many love is the result of settling.
It wasn’t a terrible thing to be had. Love is love after all.
However, in the rare instances that two halves of one were chanced to meet, the Archon of Love couldn’t bear to let the opportunity for a perfect pair to unite go. So little in number were the lucky few who get to spend the rest of their lives with the person they share a single red string of fate. And if you were to ask how they knew they were meant to be for each other, they would answer with one of these:
A dream. A strange hallucination. A sense of deja vu that they have known the other person somewhere before. An inexplicable event that fell upon them before they met their other half.
You will know your soulmate before you get to meet them. And only the love Archon will decide how she would bestow you that knowledge.
That was the precious blessing of the love Archon.
That was her Vision of Love.
As Lumine walked out of the lift into her office floor the next day, she passed by a grumpy looking Scaramouche, muttering under his breath about an overgrown red bastard. Or something along that line.
She knitted her eyebrow in confusion. Scaramouche was normally angry, but that level of vexation typically shows up towards the end of the day. What got him so worked up so early in the morning?
“Oh, Lumine!”
Lumine turned at the voice that called her out. Rosalyne of Marketing strutted towards her, a confident smile graced her beautiful, feminine features.
“Morning Rosalyne,” Lumine greeted her.
“I just want to let you know that someone is waiting for you in your office. He worked with Fatui for a couple of years before he resigned around a year ago. He created his own video game company with his acquaintances afterwards and it's getting quite traction recently. He just returned to Snezhnaya two weeks ago after the relocation of his company's HQ was done here." The long-haired blonde woman handed a pile of papers to Lumine. Printed in bold letters on the title page was the word "Abyss" and a small spiral-like logo underneath it. Lumine blinked at the name. Being someone who was a complete stranger to the gaming world, that name didn’t ring a bell to her. "He proposed a marketing partnership between Abyss and Fatui. I already approved it from my side but I want you to go over the legalities of the plan.”
“Oh okay, sure,” Lumine nodded. “What’s his name?”
“Ajax.”
Ajax, huh. Never heard that name before.
“All right, I’ll take a look at these documents. Thanks for the heads up Rosalyne.”
“No problem.”
The two women bid their goodbyes and Lumine headed to her office. Sure enough, from the distance through her windows, she could see the silhouette of a man sitting in one of the chairs of the room.
Lumine entered her office and quickly took off the coat and scarf she had on.
“Hi. Sorry that I’m a little late, I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” she spoke as she hung her winter-wear on the hanger by her door.
“Oh, not a problem,” replied an oddly familiar smooth voice, “I should have e-mailed an appointment with you but I thought since I’m here already, I might as well get a head-start on discussing the proposal.”
Lumine smiled. “I understand. Efficiency is key after all.” She finally turned around, shifting her attention to her mysterious guest. “How about we sit over there and look over the documents to..gether..”
Golden eyes met deep blue eyes for the first time. They both gasped in unison.
Lumine froze in her spot. For once, her quick-thinking mind was unable to be one step ahead of the situation because right in front of her was an exact replica of Tartaglia. Same height. Same build. The exact carbon copy of thick, red-hair, and ocean eyes. The only difference was the lack of wings on his back and that he was dressed in a casual suit.
He looked unforgivably handsome. Exactly as she had imagined.
Tartaglia - no - Ajax was looking at her with equal surprise. Did he recognize her by any chance? Was he the one who appeared as her ‘cupid’ the day before? Is that even possible? What is going on?
The man in front of her was the one who broke the ice first. His shocked expression slowly transformed into a cocky, lopsided smile.
“My my, you looked so surprised to see me. Am I that handsome that I took your breath away, Miss Viatrix?”
Lumine’s expression immediately turned into a scowl. That confidence was so unmistakably Tartaglia.
“I don’t think cockiness will get you anywhere with the contract,” Lumine retorted.
“Ah, but you see, you’re just a formality. I technically have all the approval I need from the top. I’ve worked in Fatui longer than you after all.”
Lumine folded her arms across her chest. “You did, but you’re not part of the Fatui anymore. I am. So I have the higher ground in this situation.”
The smile on Ajax’s face only grew wider. “Are you normally this blunt with your business partners?”
“Only to those who needed a reminder of where they stand.”
“Aren’t you afraid of giving others a bad impression of yourself?”
“Well, if they can’t handle me at my worst, then they sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
Ajax let out a loud guffaw at her retort. “You’re right, they don’t.” He rubbed the back of his neck briefly, an odd, slightly sheepish act on his part. Ajax brought his eyes back up and met Lumine’s gaze once more. “So how about you give me your worst over a cup of coffee later today and see how much I could handle?”
Lumine blinked at him, taken off-guard by the unexpected request. “Are you…asking me out?”
“I am,” he nodded. “Look, I’ll be straightforward with you. You’re attractive. Very. You have guts and…there’s another reason why I’m asking you out. Something I can’t really explain. But all I know is that I will regret it if I don’t take the opportunity to get to know you better.”
“Calling me blunt when you’re the definition of the word itself?”
“I never said I wasn’t,” Ajax grinned. “I’m very honest. I know what I like and I’ll try my best to get it. That’s how I’ve always lived and how I reached the position I hold now.”
Lumine braved herself to step closer to Ajax. She could smell his cologne from their proximity. Ocean mixed with musk. Unique, yet familiar, and oh-so alluring.
“I respect that,” she finally said.
“So is that a yes?” Ajax asked with a hopeful expression.
Lumine threw him a coy smile. “Don’t make me regret this, Ajax.”
“You won’t. Get ready for the best time of your life.”
“You’re setting my expectations really high.”
“I never say things I don’t mean,” he chuckled back at her. Ajax stretched out a hand at her. “How about we start over again? Hi, I’m Ajax.”
Lumine stared at the hand being offered to her. She then looked up and met his expectant gaze.
She suddenly had the strongest urge to jump in her spot. To yell outside her window. To run free like the wind all over the place.
She offered her own hand and the moment Ajax curled his fingers around hers, Lumine felt the all-familiar electricity current flowing through her. Her heart thumped loudly. Giddy. And there was a fire, deep inside her that had been left dormant, suddenly flickered and burned.
It was an ember that gave her courage to hope once more.
“I’m Lumine,” she said. “So do you normally ask out people you just met Ajax?”
“Not at all,” he shook his head. “This is a very very special case?”
“How so?” Lumine cocked her head in his direction.
“Let’s just say….I’ve got a feeling that we are meant to be.”