Chapter Text
Tartaglia was impossible to glance over.
From the way he imposed his presence on every scene to the way he spoke like the protagonist, he made himself known. Lumine found it insufferable, first and foremost, but also the slightest bit suspicious. What prevented the suspicion from setting off the warnings in her head was the way she found herself drawn in by his attitude. She couldn't help but find herself compelled by the way he carried himself on stage, acting everything out convincingly. Never once failing to play his role.
Even down to the drowning of Liyue Harbour.
Though they were on opposite sides of the battlefield, Lumine continued to be intrigued by him. There was a fire in his eyes as he fought, a passion in his movements, a determination that could be seen even when his mask was on. Tartaglia would fight until the very end, and Lumine was attracted to this resolve like a moth to a flame. But she wouldn’t be burned by such a simple trick - she wasn’t attracted to the blinding light of spotlights in the same way that moths were, and by then she had learned that a spotlight followed Tartaglia (though it was one of his own making) everywhere he went. Wherever he was, he called attention to himself, and this plot of his was no different.
It was only once Lumine had foiled it and saved Liyue Harbour that she realised Tartaglia was but a side character in a world where people more powerful than him are protagonists, and archons direct these characters around like pawns. The plot was not of Tartaglia’s creation, but of Rex Lapis and the Tsaritsa, and he had merely helped move the plot along as he acted. Though this was disappointing to him, he continued to act like a protagonist, figuring he had enough power to do so.
The truth was that, relatively, he absolutely did, though Lumine didn’t want to give him so much credit.
Paimon and her stayed in Liyue for a few weeks after that, mostly waiting for a way to get to their next destination across the ocean, but also ensuring that the people of Liyue were recovering well from the “death” of Rex Lapis. That involved continuing with her commissions from the Adventurer’s Guild, taking part in the preparation of the region’s annual Lantern Rite, and helping various people with various things. All of these were things that she expected, seeing that she was seen as reliable by everyone in the region after saving it.
She did not expect one of those people to be Tartaglia.
Even more surprising was the fact that he was actually putting someone else first. Every day, he was lying to his little brother, Teucer, and the rest of his younger siblings to protect them from the harsh reality of their brother’s actual occupation for the Fatui. Through playing the role of a toy seller for them, he protected their dreams and their imagination, even if only for as long as they were naive enough to go along with his little play. For his little brother, and for the rest of his family, it seemed that he would do anything. Tartaglia would even lay down his life to protect Teucer’s innocence. For the first time since meeting him, Lumine was seeing him out of the spotlight, she was seeing him care for others, she was seeing him maybe being honest , something she wasn’t sure he was capable of. While helping him keep up his little lie, she saw more and more of Tartaglia’s caring side and couldn’t bring herself to deny the fact that she was intrigued by his character.
Especially when they now had something in common beyond their fighting abilities.
“So,” Tartaglia started after he’d sent his brother back home. “I hear you’ve been helping prepare this year’s Lantern Rite, huh?”
Paimon replied before Lumine could even open her mouth. “Yep, she has! We’ve been running around everywhere trying to get everything ready before tonight…”
“I’ve been the one doing all the running,” Lumine grumbled under her breath before turning to Tartaglia, interrupting Paimon’s protests. “Why do you ask?”
“I was just thinking I could repay your hard work by taking you to dinner around the harbour, any place you choose.” His expression morphed into a satisfied grin, as though Lumine had said yes to his request already. “What do you say, traveller?”
Once again, before she could respond, her companion spoke on her behalf. Enthusiastically. “Well, of course the traveller would say yes to-”
“No, thank you.”
Paimon was disappointed on behalf of Tartaglia, who remained as unaffected as he could. “What?! But- but traveller! He’s Mr. More-Money-Than-Sense! He could take us anywhere in Liyue Harbour and we wouldn’t have to pay for a single thing that we ate! So why?”
All that Paimon had said was true. Lumine didn’t have a good reason to say no. It wasn’t like she felt bad about using him for his money (he was probably using it as a way to make it impossible for her to say no) but she still didn’t want to say yes.
“We’re busy tonight, Paimon.” She decided that had to be a good enough excuse for both of them. “There’s probably something left on the list.”
“But we made sure that there wasn’t! Come on, please?” Paimon put her hands together and pouted at Lumine, who found herself having to choose between looking at Paimon’s desperate expression and Tartaglia’s smug grin. She chose the grin, so as to not give in to Paimon.
“She’s right, traveller,” Tartaglia chimed in, his tone laced with the same confidence he wore on his grin. He was going to get what he wanted - it was in the script. “You…both, deserve a little break.”
Lumine raised her eyebrow. He’d just barely saved himself from misspeaking, but she’d caught the implication in his pause. Had he not made that misstep, Lumine may not have found herself so intrigued by the possibility of him not intending to invite Paimon along. For the first time, she found herself drawn to his spotlight. She vowed not to get too close, so as to not burn herself on his fire, but she was still drawing the line in the sand - what exactly was too close to a Fatui Harbinger?
She supposed she’d just have to find out.
“Fine, we’ll meet you by Northland Bank tonight,” she replied, and Paimon was once again showing Tartaglia’s emotions for him - she could hardly hold back a squeal. “But we can’t miss the releasing of the lanterns.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, smiling at her with a warmth that felt almost alien on his face. “I’ll see you there, traveller and Paimon.”
“Of course! Bye!” Paimon waved him off as he went to do archons-know-what in archons-know-where. “See? This was totally the right-”
“Uh-huh. Come on, Paimon. We still have to help Xiangling with-”
“Okay, okay! Slow down!” Paimon yelled as though they couldn’t float faster than Lumine’s speed walking pace. “We have enough time-”
After some time, Paimon descended into almost meaningless rambles while Lumine was left deep in thought. Even as she helped Xiangling, her mind wandered back to her dinner plans with Tartaglia, as if they were a ticking clock she was trying to drown out. She would sometimes do this successfully, focusing fully on collecting the finest ingredients for her friend, but then the clock would start again, asking her where she’d tell Tartaglia to take her out to eat. He said anywhere, right? He certainly had a big enough wallet for anywhere and everywhere in Liyue, and some extra food at Good Hunter on top of that. With this simple invitation of his, Tartaglia had successfully made himself the protagonist of the stage in Lumine’s thoughts for the day. And just for the day , she promised herself. The Harbinger already got enough attention in life; his ego would grow too much if he found that he could chase spotlights in people’s heads, too.
The ticking clock that was the reminder of her commitment became more persistent as the sun set over the ocean. When glancing at it as she headed to where she’d agreed to meet Tartaglia, she found herself thinking of the narwhal he summoned as part of his attacks, his summoning of Osial, and (briefly) the darkness in his eyes being akin to that of the deep ocean. No light reaches that deep, just as there is hardly any light in his eyes. Only after thoughts of Tartaglia washed over her did she think of the next stop of her journey, Inazuma, and only then was she reminded of the reason she was on this journey. For the sake of her sanity, she decided to ignore the implications of what her mind found itself prioritising, and the prominence of her thoughts’ newfound main character.
Said main character was already in front of the bank, just as the sun buried itself in the ocean’s waves. When Tartaglia saw her, his face lit up for a moment, if only with surprise at seeing her there. Perhaps he thought Lumine would stand him up, but only briefly - he had enough confidence, Lumine thought, to fully trust that she would show up as agreed.
“Glad to see you finished your requests in time,” he greeted them both, a hint of teasing in his words.
“We actually did have one,” Lumine retorted weakly. “Xiangling needed-”
“Aw, c’mon! Enough small talk, more delicious food!” Paimon got between the two and gave each of them a pout. “Let’s choose a restaurant already!”
Tartaglia chuckled. “Alright, alright! For your companion’s sake, what restaurant did you choose?”
Lumine knew Paimon was expecting some restaurant they could never afford, something expensive and fancy, like the kind of food one would have at Wangshu Inn, but after collecting so many materials for a specific dish, Lumine knew exactly what she wanted.
“Let’s go to Wanmin Restaurant.”
Paimon’s jaw was practically on the floor as she gasped. “What?! But we eat there all the time! Xiangling gives us a discount! We can already afford that!”
“Well, yes, but we’re still going there with Tartaglia’s wallet. We can buy as much as we want, right?” She shot him a glance, catching his nervous expression if only for a moment. “I’m sure Xiangling would appreciate a generous donation, too. Plus, I’m really craving that dish she was planning to make for tonight.”
“Wanmin Restaurant it is, then.” Tartaglia gestured for her and Paimon to walk ahead of him in a manner that was clearly supposed to be charming. “Lead the way, traveller.”
And though Paimon was whining the whole way, the trio made their way to the traveller’s desired restaurant. They greeted Xiangling upon arriving and, as expected, she offered them the usual discount, but Lumine turned it down for the first time. Once Tartaglia took a seat next to them and said that he would pay, Xiangling seemed to understand.
“So why are you still in Liyue?” Lumine asked Tartaglia, figuring she should try to make some casual conversation. “I thought you would’ve been off on your next…Harbinger quest, or something by not.”
“I figured I’d stay for the Lantern Rite, since I had some business to take care of here before I went back.” Tartaglia answered. “I’ve always missed them, and Zhongli talks about how beautiful they are.”
Lumine hummed, satisfied with his answer. Paimon was able to carry the conversation while waiting for their food but, once it arrived, she was only eating and humming in satisfaction as she chewed her food, barely stopping to breathe. The traveller and the Harbinger were left in a tense silence for only a moment - Tartaglia would not let this opportunity go to waste, it seemed.
“And where are you headed next? Still looking for your sibling?”
“Of course,” Lumine replied. “But I’m not telling you where I’m going next.”
“Ah.” Tartaglia shook his head slightly as if disapproving of her lack of trust in him (but had he not betrayed her only days ago?) “Well, it’s fairly easy to guess.”
“Really? Go ahead.”
That fire in his eyes was back again - upon sensing a challenge, Tartaglia sought to make himself the winner. The protagonist. “Sumeru borders Liyue. While the Chasm blocks most of your way, there’s no reason why you couldn’t take an alternate route, so it’s safe to say you’re not going to Sumeru, since you’re still here.”
“Good start,” Lumine replied. Paimon was already asking for seconds and not paying attention to her travelling partner. “Go on.”
“Same applies to Fontaine and Natlan, since Fontaine borders Liyue and Natlan borders Sumeru.” His smirk was growing by the second as he deduced that he was correct based on her expression of reluctant acceptance.
“Go on.”
“And Snezhnaya is likely not next, seeing your strong dislike of the Fatui, and the fact that it’s not near Liyue. So you must be heading to Inazuma…hence why you’re still here and not already gone.” Once finished, he looked at her expectantly, locking their eyes together.
It was as though the moon was creating a spotlight right on him, and Lumine found herself to be as naive as the moth that flies to the flame.
But then she came back to reality and tensed up a bit, not really caring about him knowing where she was headed. It was more about him reading her movements like an open book. “You’re correct. I’m…waiting for a way to get there.”
“Well, you know I have-”
“No. A legal way to get there.”
Tartaglia chuckled knowingly - yes, she’d probably end up going there illegally, but not Fatui illegally. “Good luck with that, traveller.”
They continued with their small conversation, Paimon having fallen asleep on the counter (and on a pillow which Xiangling provided) and Lumine hopelessly trying to guess where Tartaglia was headed next on his Fatui business (without ever calling it Fatui business.)
“It’s safe to say your ‘co-workers’ will be following me to Inazuma. You guys seem to follow me everywhere I go.”
“Oh yeah. That’s…likely,” he replied, careful not to let too much slip. “But I’ll be honest, I don’t know what they’ll be up to there.”
“As if you can be honest.”
“With you, I can.”
Lumine’s eyes widened.
Yes, there was something unspoken between them ever since she helped him out with Teucer. No, she didn’t expect him to even slightly acknowledge it. Whatever it was that she felt when she let herself talk to him normally was actively being ignored by her, as letting it exist in her mind for too long - in the same way Tartaglia had that day - would eventually allow her to indulge in it, which could not happen. Indulgence would bring her too close to a Harbinger.
“Sometimes,” she replied once she’d recovered. “I’m never sure.”
“You can be now,” he assured her, though his word would never be enough. “And if there's some way I can-”
“The lanterns!”
Paimon was suddenly awake and was making it known.
Like the good companion she was, she remembered their promise not to miss the lanterns being released. Barely giving Tartaglia a chance to pay Xiangling (plus a generous tip), Paimon dragged Lumine by the hand to the docks, where they'd have a better view. Lumine considered herself lucky to have avoided whatever Tartaglia was going to say next - she had been saved by her companion.
The lanterns were released shortly after the trio were in position, and Lumine’s eyes were locked on the sight immediately.
There was something about Teyvat, a land which was so naturally breathtaking, being lit up by a human creation of almost equal beauty. It was as though humanity was releasing stars back into the sky, creating new constellations as they asserted themselves as an important force in the world. Lumine was reminded of Aether and how much he loved stars. She wondered if he'd ever seen the Lantern Rite. She wondered if he'd thought of her then too.
But she had to admit that wasn't her first thought.
Even throughout this spectacle, she'd caught Tartaglia looking down at her. Marvelling at her reactions and smiling at her gasps of surprise. She ignored him for the most part, but kept it in mind for later.
She knew she would need it.
“What now?” Paimon asked once the lanterns had all made their way towards the ocean. “Paimon is getting hungry again…”
“But we already-”
“That sounds perfect, Paimon!” Tartaglia cut Lumine off too quickly, almost nervously, faltering for the second time that day. “I can drop you off at Wanmin Restaurant with some Mora, and-”
“Wait! What about you guys?”
Lumin turned to him. “Yeah, Tartaglia. What about us?”
He chuckled awkwardly. “Well I was, um…thinking you and I could take a walk to Wangshu Inn? They say the view of the lanterns is beautiful from there.”
“But what about Paimon? Paimon never leaves the traveller’s side!” Paimon pouted at Lumine as if looking for support.
But Lumine was far too attracted to Tartaglia’s offer.
“He is giving you free food in exchange- and don't worry! I'll be fine,” Lumine added when she saw Paimon was about to interrupt. “We both know I can kick his ass.”
Paimon thought about this for a bit. “Well, alright. But you better pick up Paimon early in the morning! And give her plenty of Mora!”
Once both of those things were promised and done, the traveller and the Harbinger set off on their walk. After quite a bit of meaningless conversation, they finally got to the interesting and uncomfortable topics as they left the harbour.
“Why did you agree to this walk?” Tartaglia asked, still riding the high of her agreeing as seen in his grin.
“Why did you ask me to go on it?” Lumine retaliated.
He didn’t even flinch. “I thought it'd be a nice way to end the night, and I figured I'd offer you a room instead of a sleeping bag for a night.”
“Then that's why I said yes.”
“The niceness or the room?”
“Both.”
Neither of them were telling the truth.
“And as I was saying at the restaurant…” Tartaglia started, causing Lumine to flinch. She thought she'd been saved from this conversation. “If there's anything I can say to convince you I'm telling the truth-”
“There isn't,” she replied quickly. “It's not going to be easy to trust your words after the Golden House incident.”
He thought about this for a moment as they approached the inn. Tartaglia played a lot of roles in Teyvat, depending on what the Tsaritsa preferred, but the role he'd play for Lumine was a mystery to them both. It would continue to be so for quite some time.
“What about my actions?” he suggested. “Surely those are worth more than my word.”
“You'd be right,” she conceded. “It was actions that proved your intentions in the Golden House.”
“So what about this:” there was an expression on his face Lumine had only seen briefly before - one of nervousness. He may have seemed to have surplus confidence, but that was just an act to attract the spotlight and prove himself on the stage. Right now, there was none of that, like there hadn't been with Teucer, and Tartaglia was nervous . “I already have a room booked at the Inn. It's for myself. How about, instead of me booking another one, we…share mine? If that goes well, you can trust me.”
Lumine flinched.
For a moment, she let herself indulge. There was nothing in his offer that wasn't attractive. Even certain…hypothetical scenarios would be very favourable. Despite finding the organisation he worked for abhorrent, she could not bring herself to say no on those grounds. There were too many reasons to say yes - yes to many things he could do.
What was wrong with having a little fun, after all?
“Don’t try anything while I'm sleeping. You know I can kick your ass, Tartaglia,” Lumine replied, that being as clear a yes as he was going to get.
He smiled with excitement for a second before covering it up with a confident smirk. “Of course. Oh, and once we're up there- call me Childe. Actually, you can always call me Childe.”
Though her instinct was to say no to his request, she once again found herself attracted to it. She would not be able to say no to him that night.
“Fine…Childe.”
His face lit up as he led her up to the Inn, a tension forming between them. Any desire Lumine had to see the lanterns from the Inn was overtaken by an anticipation of the unknown and a want to find out what was coming - she could not predict how Childe would act with no stage or spotlight in sight. They did not spend much time watching the lanterns from the balcony.
Whatever it was that they would end up doing in his room, Lumine was certain that it would classify as getting too close to a Harbinger.
But, once again, what's wrong with a little fun?