Work Text:
Lumine was a woman of few words. Very, very few indeed. A silent hero, traveling across the lands of Teyvat, solving people’s problems and clearing commissions while barely uttering a whisper. No matter where she went, people knew about her and her past exploits. Every storekeeper couldn’t help but ask about her identity. Many adventurers came to her in search of advice. No restaurant existed where she could sit and dine in peace without some starstruck glances. Countless times her stories were cited to her, all tales slightly more inaccurate than the ones before. Was it Mondstadt’s bards embellishing the tales of the golden traveler and the dragon? Or the storytellers of Liyue, misremembering the amount of heads the Overlord of the Vortex truly had. The authors of Inazuma, not knowing of the uncounted wishes of those whose ambitions were ripped from them and how they came to her assistance in the Plane of Euthymia. Or maybe it was the word-of-mouth of mercs and scholars, only able to make guesses on what could truly have happened as the Akasha system went down. No matter where, no matter when, the stories of the golden-haired hero and her silver companion always seemed to catch up to her.
And perhaps, overtook her.
Always, ‘her’ stories seemed to reach nations far before she did.
‘So you’re that renowned traveler!’
‘It’s an honor to finally meet you!’
‘Huh?! That’s you?!'
‘You’re a little different from what I expected.’
...
Maybe she should feel thankful. There are so many dying to even have a shred of the fame she possessed. Surely the likes of Fischl would love it if her name as the Prinzessin der Verurteilung spread across the lands like a dark veil of midnight, consuming the nations and making them all a part of her Immernachtreich. Or Bennett and his adventure team, with their adventurous legends becoming the new generation of tales for the starry-eyed adventuring newblood. Xinyan would definitely like to spread the soul of rock n’ roll beyond its current borders.
If Lumine had the ability to, then she would have given out parts of her fame to her friends ages ago. She had it in spades. She had plenty of bottles lined-up on her shelves. Each and every one of them to be popped open and shared. Even if all her friends and enemies came knocking for a share of it, she’d have enough.
But she knew of the impossibility of such a thing.
There were always eyes on her.
But that was fine.
She was used to it! ...truly.
If innocent people needed a helping hand, then she would offer hers. A nation in peril? Barely a sweat. Monsters threatening the city? All eradicated by the end of the hour. Mushrooms that needed to be bounced on? A cinch.
Because that’s what a hero did. That’s what the golden-haired traveler was known for. So complying was the only option...right? It was like a stage. Like the Zubayr Theater’s except the size of Teyvat in its entirety. She had her direction; to be herself. She knew all the things she had to do, how to do it, and when to do it. It was standard routine. It has been like that for four nations and beyond already, so why would it change? Surely in Fontaine too, people will ask for the hero.
It dawned on her, in the midst of her performance.
Who was truly in control here?
Was it her? Or was it ‘her’? Did Lumine want to do this, or was it ‘Lumine’ that wanted it? Was any of this free will, or had she already been dancing to someone’s tune? And was that someone her, or ‘her’?
She didn’t know.
Perhaps it was better that she didn’t arrive at a proper answer.
And so her words dried up. In her confusion, she couldn’t conclude whether her words were truly hers, or the ones of her simulacrum. Were her words the real deal, or mere forgery? Was she honestly sharing her thoughts, or merely deceiving all of the people she came across to adhere to the tales others made of her? The questions brought her far too many headaches. The decision to talk less came easy. It was the simplest solution. Her thoughts would be hers, and hers alone this way. It was a foolish resistance, to preserve the slightest bit of autonomy she had from her ‘other self’. She was already pretty silent to begin with, so surely no one would notice. She spoke only when strictly necessary. Her every word was under scrutiny after all. Nothing, no words, would alleviate the expectation . It could only make it worse. A cool silent hero isn’t allowed to talk.
She had to play the part perfectly.
It was surprisingly simple, at the end of the day. Lumine learned one could get pretty far with just gestures and facial expressions. The weight on her lips were hardly noticeable at the best of days.
Perhaps having a white floater for an external mouthpiece had something to do with it.
Yeah. That was it.
Paimon wasn’t so bothered about the tales of her and Lumine traveling further than the duo had. While reducing the fairy-like creature to a simpleton would elicit many reactions from the floater in question, it was a little like that. Paimon…was unworried. The stories didn’t delve too deeply into the character of the traveler’s companion. And when they did, the facts were always there. A great food lover, talks a lot, a strong personality. Any unrealisms above that were the metaphoric cherries on the figurative cake. A cake her companion would consume with no questions asked. If she was brave, strong, fast, or stalwart in her guiding duties, Paimon accepted it all with a little pirouette in the air and a large smile. Lumine admired her companion for this. Maybe she had to take a page out of her book, Lumine thought, but she found herself unable. The stories were too warped. It wasn’t so easy to accept the existence of another ‘you’ far, far ahead, out of sight, and yet constantly shaping you.
On the worst of days, Lumine even wondered whether it truly was her that did all those things she was known for.
Of course, she knew she did, she was there after all...
But it got to her.
In her mind’s movie of memories Lumine was being overwritten, and all she could do was to keep watching as the film continued to distort.
She remembered the first time those thoughts entered her mind.
It was delivered to her in the form of a nightmare, causing her to wake up, gasping for air, in her bedroom in the Serenitea Pot. She sat up, the movements awaking Paimon, who groggily expressed her concern. Nightmares were normal. Lumine had seen too many things. So many things could very easily turn into terrifying night-time demons. So many gruesome monsters that she faced, all capable of ending her life like it was breathing air. If rifthounds and ruin machines needed air. Probably not. The dreams felt too real at times. Real glimpses into something. Different realities, perhaps? Premonitions of the future, acting as warning signals? A way events could have transpired—a series of what-if scenarios as if she wasn’t satisfied with the reality she found herself in. Whatever the answer, she was willing to accept anything. That’s how real it felt. So real, there was no room for doubt. Being torn apart by consecrated beasts, executed by the Shogun as the enemy of eternity, falling endlessly down into the Abyss, never finding her brother...
Lumine had seen—experienced it all. She was used to the sights, the sensations. Her fates in those realities—she had seen herself fail countless times. It wasn’t anything too worrying. She was able to take solace in her own reality, where things were going okay.
But now these new nightmares came, and she wasn’t quite used to those. Was her head dead-set on making her experience nightly torment, even forming new types of dreams in order to achieve its goal? To disprove everything she was convinced of, and distort what was ‘reality’ to her? How self-destructive. Ah, but it made sense. It was her head after all. The same head that somehow got involved in far too many dangerous quests or actual literal civil war.
Maybe it was her just desserts for sticking her nose in business that wasn’t hers.
So, Lumine accepted the retribution.
Paimon asked her if she was okay that night, once her verbal facilities got back up and running again.
Lumine assured her companion that it was just a dream and that she was okay.
Like always.
Paimon would soon fall back asleep again, shifting herself a little closer to the blonde traveler.
She learned to control herself more when it happened, in order to not rouse Paimon. She would still break into a cold sweat, and her head hurt upon waking, but she didn’t make a sound, nor did she move an inch. Only her eyes would shoot open, granting the traveler a view of the ceiling, and she would keep staring at it until sunrise came.
So her ceiling came to be associated with the weirdest of thoughts. Was any of this for real, or not? How much of her past was truly hers? Or was she just the dream of another Lumine like the one in the process of stealing all that was her? What her did others want to see, meet, and befriend? And who were her friends truly friends with? Her ceiling and its patterns were like a canvas, her thoughts her paint. Desperately she wanted to let it dance on her ceiling, but she didn’t have a brush to create anything pretty. It was colorful turmoil, of chaotic thoughts thrown together, clashing, leaving the artist nothing but confused. There was nothing to control her thoughts, to guide them along to a satisfactory conclusion that would allow her to cope with her manifold existence.
Lumine closed her eyes.
Her body felt an impact, like she had bumped into something. And another impact of her hitting the ground, after she lost her balance and fell backwards. And finally, another, the third—of her arms on that very same ground, catching and breaking her fall. Her hands felt the sand between the tiles and petals and leaves green and pink. She had opened her eyes, taking in the backdrop, seeing the familiar, mystifying, and towering sight of Mt. Yougou, the radiant blue light of the Sacred Sakura shining eternal yet slightly obscured by a large Sakura tree a few meters removed from the traveler. She saw the blue sky, the sakura-petal speckled rooftop of Kiminami Restaurant, fluffy white clouds, and even more pink leaves fluttering down to the ground. Then her view was obscured, and the voices of those around her finally registered.
There were four.
One was Paimon’s, shouting her name.
Another was Ryuuji’s, of the Bantan Sango Detective Agency, uttering a late word of caution.
There was Sango’s, asking about the uproar as she must not have been paying attention. Was she inside?
And finally, the last one, was Yoimiya’s.
“Ah, I wasn’t looking and swung this box straight into your face. Sorry sorry!”
Obstructing Lumine’s view, she held out her hand, expressing her apologies and asking if she could stand. Lumine nodded, took her hand, and rose to her feet again. She noticed a large box on the ground beside Yoimiya, the one she was probably struck with.
Paimon and Ryuuji moved closer, asking Lumine if she was okay. Lumine made a mhm sound while nodding. Hoping it would alleviate the concerns of her friends.
It didn’t really take long for a conversation to blossom.
“So whatcha guys here in Inazuma for?”
“We had some commissions here to complete!” Paimon enthusiastically answered.
“Ooh, what kind?”
“Mostly clearing out some monsters—not any on Narukami Island though, don’t worry!”
“Narukami Island has been sort of peaceful lately. We haven’t received many cases besides missing cats incidents,” Ryuuji added, “much to the chagrin of Sango.”
“I heard that!” the detective lady said from the door, as she entered the building again, seeing the traveler was all fine.
“But what were you two doing before our little run-in?” Paimon asked.
“Ah, we found some old equipment in a dusty corner of our storage room, it would be a shame to throw them out so...”
“I’m gonna use them for handicrafts for the kids!” Yoimiya’s exuberance was infectious, “I was just about to bring ‘em over to my place.”
Lumine turned her eyes toward the box, seeing old magnifying glasses, brushes, old packs of gloves... She wondered what Yoimiya could do with that.
“What are you planning on making, Yoimiya?”
“Good question, Paimon! I don’t know yet. I’ll see, I’m sure I’ll come up with something.”
Lumine fully believed that she would. When it came to these things, Yoimiya was hard not to believe. She had that kind of warm, sunny, smiley, disposition. If an example had to be made, Lumine would probably say she was like the sun. But that didn’t make much sense, did it? Fireworks were a night-time thing. Fireworks in the daytime weren’t so radiant. The bright of the blue and the sun overwhelmed it, stifled it, dampened the radiance. The night sky was a much better backdrop for the fireworks, and if Lumine was allowed to be subjective, for Yoimiya as well. It wouldn’t do for her golden flames to be suppressed. So, she was the sun of the night. Like the moon, perhaps? No. The moon would be too solemn a comparison, and Nahida had already laid her claim on that title. In the (not-so) cold of a midsummer’s night, Yoimiya and her fireworks would illuminate all of Inazuma. That’s what Lumine thought at the very least.
But it wasn’t necessarily her radiance that struck the traveler. It was her talking. Maybe her talking added to her personality. Mhm, definitely. Lumine found it admirable. It was a sense of admiration that was hard to put into words. The firework girl was her complete opposite. She thought talking could fix all problems, and then there was the golden traveler who chose to keep silent in the face of her personal dilemmas. What would be the opposite of fireworks? A mist flower?
Lumine had to be careful not to get burned.
Orange eyes locked gazes with hers that very same instant, and Lumine felt like her entire being was exposed, like someone brought close to a frolicking, flickering flame.
Yoimiya tilted her head, catching the gaze of the traveler who had been staring at something a little past her. What was it that caught the traveler’s eyes, causing her to not participate in the conversation at all? It was a simple, childlike curiosity.
But what she saw in those eyes was far from simple.
Dark clouds, swirling behind the golden eyes of the traveler. It was concerning...alarming.
Everything within Yoimiya told her to do something.
“Paimon! Do you and the esteemed traveler have anything planned later today?” Yoimiya asked suddenly, interrupting the conversation between the guide and Ryuuji.
“Uh, we have to drop by the Adventurer’s Guild to collect our commission rewards, but after that there’s nothing, right?”
“...no,” Lumine only barely managed to hide the nervousness she felt when she locked eyes with Yoimiya.
“If that’s all then, let’s get it done right away!”
Lumine’s hand was suddenly grabbed. The warm hand of the Queen of the Summer Festival took it, dragging it and Lumine through the streets of Hanamizaka. Ryuuji shouted about the items behind them, but his voice faded out. They weaved through the small crowds, Paimon floating higher than usual, in order to keep an eye on them as she tried to keep up. The duo weaved through the light novel reading crowd in front of Yae Publishing House, running up the stairs, not without getting warned by a nearby Doushin, all like a gold-flaming whirlwind dancing on the streets. They continued their ascent, toward the shrine Shota often prayed at. However Lumine saw that he wasn’t praying this time, instead he was playing. A game of Genius Invokation TCG, with a man easily recognized as Itto. She couldn’t really say hello, as she was being dragged away just as fast as she was originally dragged toward them, but she did quickly notice that Shota was two characters down compared to Itto’s one. That was the only gaze she could afford, however, as she shifted her focus again on Yoimiya’s back, the loose sleeve of her usual outfit fluttering in the wind. She could hear Paimon asking them to slow down, but Yoimiya didn’t pay it any mind, or perhaps she saw it as a challenge, as she sped up. The remaining stairs were nothing, as they managed to make it to the heart of Inazuma City, stopping right in front of Shimura’s and the Adventurer’s Guild. Lumine wasn’t given an opportunity to catch her breath before Yoimiya started talking to the Katheryne at the Guild’s counter.
“Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“We’re here to claim the commission rewards of Lumine!”
“Let me check, mhm, I can confirm all commissions have been completed. Thank you for completing today’s commissions. Here is your reward,” Katheryne pulled out a small bag from beneath the counter, which she handed over to Yoimiya, who pushed it into one of Lumine’s hands.
Confirming that the traveler had a solid grasp on the bag, Yoimiya grabbed her loose hand, and dragged her off again, down from whence they came. Paimon had barely managed to catch up before she expressed her annoyance of having to float down again. Again, all Lumine could do was watch Yoimiya, as she burnt a path for the two of them through the crowds, making as much noise as possible to alert the people of her incoming presence. They ran past the game of Shota and Itto, now with Itto clutching his head in frustration, and a celebrating Shota. How did Shota turn the game around so quickly? Lumine wouldn’t get the answer now, though, as they rushed down the stairs back to the Publishing House, finally returning to the place where they began.
“Yoimiya! You left your stuff here!” Ryuuji exclaimed.
“Thanks for looking after it!” she unhanded the traveler, kneeling down to pick up the box again. She then turned towards the traveler, and the exhausted Paimon holding onto Lumine’s head instead of floating, before speaking.
“I’m inviting you two over tonight!”
Warm.
That best described the Naganohara family. It wasn’t surprising, Lumine had already interacted with Yoimiya’s father before, and that was the exact impression she got. But experiencing three Naganoharas? That was like an open hearth on a winter’s night. It was a warmth that you sought after, but never knew you needed before experiencing it. It had been quite some time since she last experienced a dinner table that lively. Perhaps it was due to the near shouting everyone had to do in order to involve Ryuunosuke, who would otherwise misunderstand everything. It was home-y, in a way. A heat for the heart, to untense the soul. Lumine almost completely relaxed in their presence, lowering her guard.
Almost.
Paimon, however, let loose completely. A lavishly filled dinner table was all it took for her to disregard her limits. Talkative like usual, she led the conversation between bites of food. Yoimiya’s parents’ inquiries about Teyvat and the journey were all answered by Teyvat’s best travel guide with only minor input from the traveler required. Lumine focused more on eating, setting aside some of her food to become Paimon’s extra servings, and making sure the floater didn’t have unflattering smudges on her face as the conversation went on.
The traveler made a mental note to ask for the seasoning profile of the fowl later.
Despite her focus, it wasn’t complete. Of course it couldn’t be. She had to follow the conversation’s flow, to at least make sure her responses and general expressions were suited for the situation and where the conversation led to. A smile here, agree excitedly there, deflect something with a fun joke—it wasn’t anything that was unusual. If there was anything that was unusual, it’d be Yoimiya. She was participating in the conversation, that wasn’t strange. It was the lingering gazes Lumine felt from that side of the dinner table. Lumine had no idea why Yoimiya stared so much, was her hair off a bit? A loose strand?
...Or was there something bigger going on? Lumine didn’t know what it could be. The awkward moment earlier today when they looked into each other’s eyes couldn’t have been it. Yoimiya wasn’t one to really pay mind to ‘awkward’ moments like that.
So the dinner gathering progressed, the strange cloud hanging over the golden traveler and the owner of Naganohara fireworks, going unnoticed.
Until it reached its conclusion.
Night had long fallen, and everyone prepared to turn-in for the night. Baths were taken, and comfier clothes were worn. Lumine chose to wear a high-quality silken nightgown from Liyue, picked out by Keqing.
“Come in,” Yoimiya invited, standing to the side of her bedroom’s door.
Colorful.
That was the best way to put it.
No matter where Lumine looked, there was something to catch her eye. A fun looking gizmo in that corner, an interesting wall decoration hanging from the wall, a set of books in the corner, and a table with some handicrafts in progress(?) It faintly reminded her of a sort of firework show, where you could look anywhere and be dazzled. It only lacked the explosions. Still, it was fun to simply look around and take in every single knick-knack that was present in the room. Without a doubt, this was Yoimiya’s room.
“Make yourself at home! Though I guess Paimon is already doing that.”
True. Paimon was barely able to stay afloat.
“Wuzzat mean? I’m on my best behav…ior,” Lumine chuckled, before positioning her hands to be ready to catch her companion, if it was needed.
“I guess we shouldn’t waste too much time!” Yoimiya laughed, grabbing a spare futon for guests from the hallway closet. “Paimon doesn’t need a futon for herself does she?”
“We can share one,” Lumine said curtly.
“Mhm!”
In a flash, the futons were laid out on the tatami floor of Yoimiya’s room. It didn’t take long after for Yoimiya to quickly tuck in Lumine and Paimon before killing the lights of her room. A silence (not counting Paimon’s light snoring) pervaded the room thereafter, and Lumine was greeted with the sight of the ceiling.
Was that it?
No, that couldn’t just be it right?
Time passed. Seconds turned into minutes. The day’s final moments slowly trickled away, as Lumine was lost in her confusion. Her gut feeling had managed to convince her something would happen here at the Naganohara’s. And sure, things did happen, but none of it was major. Was she really just meant to sleep now? With absolutely nothing happening? Well, it’s not like Lumine would sleep. Why did Yoimiya even invite her and Paimon to this sleepover anyway? Was it truly nothing more than a whim, like a flame’s flickering in the night? It wouldn’t surprise Lumine if that was the case. Perhaps this was all simply in the name of spending time with friends, especially friends you haven’t seen in a while.
Friends, huh...?
“You’re sure thinking a lot. I can see it in your face,” a voice spoke up, like a whisper. Yoimiya’s voice.
Lumine turned, seeing Yoimiya simply watching her, her flame-like eyes almost glowing in the night’s lack of light.
...
The overwhelming sensation of wanting to disappear washed over Lumine, as she desperately wanted to hide her face, growing red, in embarrassment.
Yoimiya chuckled a bit.
“Hey hey, no worries!” Yoimiya tried lightening the mood. “But you’ve been frownin’ for a while.”
“I...see.”
The words hung loosely in the air, without direction. Drifting around in the bedroom. It was obvious where Yoimiya wanted to go with it, it wasn’t that difficult to read.
The question then, was whether or not Lumine would allow the words access.
Allow Yoimiya...
...access.
“Would you like to talk about it?” There it was. “Think of it as late-night girls’ talk!”
“Yoimiya, I...”
“Hehe, that’s the first time you’ve said my name today. Although maybe it’s already tomorrow?” she chuckled again. “But I know. I can’t force you to talk, so I’m not going to. But you know how I feel about these things.”
That, Lumine was well aware of. Yoimiya’s words were gentle, but the insistence could still be felt, seen. Her eyes were alight.
“I also can’t really guarantee that I can do anything to help either. But I can lend you my ear. I’m sure about that at least!”
...No. Somehow Lumine felt like that wasn’t true. She remembered the time with the boat and the two friends back when the Sakoku Decree was still in-place. At that moment, talking solved everything. Yoimiya helped those then, and surely...
Surely, she and her ‘girls’ talk’ could help…
If there was anyone in the world Lumine would choose to talk to, it’d be Yoimiya.
“I... Who am I to you?” Lumine asked hesitantly, unsure about her words.
Her eyes looked confused for a split second.
“You? The golden-haired traveler, hero of Inazuma...”
“...yeah—”
“...but that’s what all of us think. If you’re asking purely for my own thoughts...you’re not Inazuma’s hero.”
“I’m...not?”
“Nope, to me, you’re my personal hero above anything else!” Lumine could tell she was being honest. Yoimiya’s large smile gave it away. “So talk to me. It’s a blast when you do! You didn’t talk all too much today, a lot less than you used to.”
So there was someone who’d immediately notice.
“So, tell me your stories, and I’ll pay you back with some of mine, although they’ll all be from around here in Inazuma,” Yoimiya said a little sheepishly.
“Those stories aren’t my stories.”
The conversation paused, briefly. The statement loomed over the two, like a monster and its prey.
“What...do you mean?” Yoimiya asked carefully.
“Those different ‘me’s, they’re not me. The ‘me’ in those stories are all strong and brave, a peerless warrior, an invincible hero. Someone who helps everyone who needs it. But that’s not me. I don’t know. I just don’t know,” Lumine clutched her head, in pain. “Am I me? How much of me am I? Are my memories, words, thoughts, and everything mine still, or is it all ‘hers’? Do I exist at all? Am I allowed to ‘be’? Or is it all gone, replaced by that infallible Lumine?” Lumine inhaled sharply, she could feel tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. They had yet to flow, as she desperately tried her best to contain her emotions now that her words hastily sprang forth. “I just don’t know. It’s funny isn’t it?” Lumine could only laugh hopelessly. “I don’t even know if everyone is friends with me or that ‘me’. Or maybe it started with me, and it’s now that ‘me’. It feels like everything is...just a lie—”
Yoimiya reached forward, cupping Lumine’s cheeks, flicking away a tear that flowed down with her thumb. They both stayed silent for an instant. Both their thoughts raced, as they considered everything that just happened. What to say? What not to say? What to think? It came to Yoimiya’s mind that this was the first time she had seen Lumine cry. The traveler didn’t show much weakness around anyone in general. Or maybe Yoimiya simply had never been in many scenarios where those emotions would arise. The Pyro-vision holder didn’t really like it when anyone cried out of sadness. And now in particular, Yoimiya didn’t like seeing Lumine cry.
That face was more suited for smiles.
So she pressed the traveler’s forehead against her chest, gently holding Lumine’s head, to try and provide some comfort.
“Yoimi—”
“Shh. Just let it all out now. If you feel like crying, then cry your heart out. Let all that sadness flow out, so you can smile again soon.”
Lumine didn’t bother putting up a resistance, feeling too exhausted to bother nor care. There was no point in feebly holding onto anything anymore. She already spilled her heart out, so what’s a few tears?
Silently, the sound of snores and sobs could be heard. It was a serene moment between the two girls, with no-one to interrupt. The world could try, but Yoimiya wouldn’t let it. Only the moonlight, peeking through the gaps in the curtains, was allowed to bear witness. Any intruders would be sent away, up until Lumine was ready again.
“You know, I don’t really care for those stories. Never have,” Yoimiya whispered. “Only yours. And you know? You, here, are the one that I find important. The one I can call a beloved friend. You and our bond aren’t lies, Lumine. Do you still have that note I gave you? For your fireworks?” Yoimiya felt Lumine’s head shift in a nod. “In this world, there’s no other Lumine who has that note. Those fireworks and the note belong to you. I gave them to you, and you alone. There’s probably no story that mentions it, huh? The only story that has it...” Yoimiya closed her eyes, “...is ours.”
Lumine’s sobs stopped as her eyes widened for a split second, before she shut them in understanding.
“You’re you, Lumine. You’re the one that’s here. Nobody else. I’m sure all of your friends will say the same thing. They became friends with you, and not some person from a story. Like...the friends you made at the start of your journey that you’ve mentioned. And if someone does act mean about it, then tell me and I’ll come running, okay?” Yoimiya tried speaking bravely, like a hero, as she started drawing circles in Lumine’s hair. “And when you meet someone new, just puff out your chest and clearly say you’re your own person, and not some fiction,” Yoimiya paused her movements, as if in thought. Lumine couldn’t really look up and check. “I...we love you, Lumine.”
“...thank you.”
Lumine didn’t doubt her.
There weren’t many thoughts going through the traveler’s head. It was like the shroud over her thoughts had been aired out. Or maybe it was shot away like a firework rocket? It all felt kind of obvious now. She just needed someone to say so. Of course all the Lumines from the stories weren’t her. They were barely even fractions of her. She was the real thing, in its entirety.
Besides,
they all came from her anyway.
But that’s not where her mind lingered.
Lumine entered the realm of slumber, unknowing of the pleasant dreams that awaited her for once. Yoimiya joined her not long after, once she managed to calm down the inner fireworks.
The only thing Lumine thought, before exhaustion took her:
Yoimiya sure can talk, huh?