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A familiar voice carried through the crowd; not loud enough to draw attention, but loud enough that Diona perked up, looking away from her latest concoction.
(Philanemo mushrooms; finely chopped, boiled, juiced, and then boiled again, leaving behind a thick, bitter, earthy paste that eerily resembled chocolate. Mint syrup. Jueyun Chili Oil. Juiced Lavender Melon, which Marjorie had told her to use sparingly, all mixed into milk, with two shots of Cecelia vodka and a shot of Dandelion Moonshine).
“Traveler! Paimon! Over here!” Diona waved, beckoning them over. The Traveler’s face lit up when they made eye contact, and the duo weaved through the gathered Genius Invokation
TCG enthusiasts, slipping into an empty barstool seconds after someone stood. “Are you here to participate in the tournament?”
Paimon nodded excitedly. “Yep! We REALLY want the ultra-rare Stormterror card, and the holographic Starsnatch Cliff card back set!” They did a little flip in the air, and Diona bit back a giggle. She couldn’t forget where she was. Maintaining her composure in the presence of the enemy was crucial to her success, after all. Popping open her shaker, she poured it artfully into a frosted tankard full of ice.
“Well, you know,” She said, leaning in subtly as she spooned whipped cream over what she hoped was a positively foul drink, “The Stormterror card is the second place prize, and the card backs are the third place prize.”
“Oh?” The Traveler spoke this time, leaning in with interest.
Diona spoke under her breath. “The first-place winner will have the chance to have a custom card made. One-of-a-kind, and of anything and everything they want.” She drizzled Smoked Fowl Syrup over the whipped cream, and topped it off with a dramatic sprinkle of unrefined sugar crystals. “One moment, Traveler. Timaeus, here’s your drink! And two straws, as promised.” She strode briskly towards the other end of the bar, setting the drink down with a satisfying clunk. Ying’er sat next to him, an arm draped over his shoulder, and she smiled at him as Diona returned to where her friends sat.
“Anyways, as I was saying-” She picked up a glass and a fluffy-looking rag, beginning to polish it. “Traveler, if you win, you should have a card made for you!”
The Traveler blinked. “Me?”
“Yeah!” Paimon chimed in. “Diona has her likeness on a card, and I have TWO, but you don’t have any! I wonder why that is…?” They frowned, scratching their head.
The Traveler hummed quietly for a moment.
“Maybe it’s because nobody knows who you are,” Diona suggested, and they both turned to her with surprise.
“What do you mean, nobody knows who the Amazing Paimon and The Incredible Traveler are!?” They crossed their arms, glowering at Diona with a pout, and the Traveler facepalmed.
“I mean, people all over Teyvat know who you are! But… You’re The Traveler. That’s kind of vague, you know?” Diona picked up a new glass. “It’s like if Grandmaster Varka was just Grandmaster, or if Barbatos was just referred to as ‘Archon.’ It’s a title, but it isn’t your name. Though, now that I think of it…” She looked back up at them. “I know Paimon’s name, but I don’t know your name.”
“Yeah, now that you mention it…” Paimon turned to them, eyes wide. “I don’t even know your name, and I’m your trusted and beloved traveling companion!”
The Traveler was quiet for a moment, and a bolt of guilt shot through Diona. “Of course, if you wish to keep your name a secret-”
“It’s Aether. It’s Lumine.”
Paimon gasped. ‘Wooow… that’s a cool name! How come you never told anyone?”
The Traveler looked down. “Well… It was always just my sibling and I, before we came to Teyvat. We traveled great distances together, and saw many beautiful and terrible things, but it was always both of us. Aether and Lumine. Lumine and Aether. We were inseparable. I know I am my own person, but… It also feels like we’re the same person, and without them, I’m missing a vital part of who I am.”
Diona set down the glass. “Traveler…” She frowned. “I shouldn’t have pushed the subject.”
The Traveler shook their head. “No, it’s fine. And if you wish, you don’t have to keep calling me Traveler.” They smiled. “You have more important things to worry about than my name. You are in the heart of the wine industry, after all.”
“Shhh!” She wagged a finger at them. “Oh! We’ve been talking this whole time, and I haven’t offered you a drink!” She reached beneath the bar, rummaging through ingredients. “Hmm… Perhaps a non-alcoholic bloody mary with a shot of Sunsettia juice! It’s my own recipe! A genuine recipe,” she added proudly.
“Ooooh, yes please!” Paimon squealed.
The Traveler smiled, and nodded.