Chapter Text
The cool wind blew in his ears as he watched a flock of birds soar overhead. His legs dangled in the air as his gaze swept across the crystal-clear waters and the soft, fluffy wisps of clouds from where he was perched on the crow’s nest. His eyes followed the flock as they flew closer to the sun that hung high above them while he played a soft tune with the leaf held against his lips. A chuckle from below floated up to his little haven and he lowered his hands, now resting on his lap, the leaf he had been blowing on held down in his bandaged right hand.
Of course, the voice belonged to Captain Beidou, who was waving off Chief Mate Juza with a wave. Her long, dark brown hair fluttered behind her in the breeze as the Alcor picked up its pace. Her hand moved to shield her right eye from the glare of the afternoon sun as she turned around. Her eye caught his and she shook her head at him as she approached him.
“Oi! Kazuha! Get down here!” she called out.
“We’ll be at Ritou in no time. All hands on deck!”
Perked up by the news, he leaped off of his perch onto the wooden deck below. Beidou simply stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding Sea Drake who rushed past with a crate in his hands to give him room. His habit of leaping off the crow’s nest and other high places aboard the Alcor had at first caused his shipmates concern, but they grew accustomed to this quirk of his. The fact that he had the help of the winds to leap to and from high places with ease helped ease the Crux crew.
“Of course, Captain Beidou,” he replied as he landed next to her.
There was no denying the excitement he had, as a smile spread across his face, and his usual calm and serene voice was just a tad bit more lively and higher than usual. Her brow raised and a mischievous smirk crept onto her face.
“I wonder what has you so excited to return to the very place you once ran away from, hmm Kazuha?”
“Just anticipating seeing the familiar sights of home, captain,” he replied cooly, his face the epitome of calm.
“Oh, is that so?” She placed a finger on her chin, her smirk turning into a smug grin.
“Am I wrong in my assumption that it has nothing to do with a certain blonde, short-haired traveler and her… floating pixie… child… thing that follows her everywhere waiting for us
at the docks?”
“I doubt Paimon would appreciate you calling her that,” he said with a shake of his head and his arms crossed over his chest.
He could easily imagine the fit she’d throw over being called anything but Paimon. However, he said this not with disappointment, as a bemused smile was plastered on his face.
Beidou simply laughed her breathy, amused laugh, her head thrown back.
“You didn’t answer my question. But you don’t need to. Enjoy your time with Lumine. ”
She strode away with a chuckle, heading to the steering wheel, her cape billowing behind her in the breeze.
He walked to the mast to help secure the sails. As he held the ropes steady, his gaze moved to the horizon, where the tall, jagged cliffs of Inazuma and the eerie, mystifying glow of the Grand Narukami Shrine grew larger and ever clearer as they sailed closer. He found himself smiling as he eyed the docks, looking forward to seeing the gold-haired outlander with the scent of the stars once again.
The salty ocean air and the hustle and bustle of Ritou added to the busy excitement of the crew as they prepared to moor. They rushed about on the deck, calling and following orders. Eventually, the anchor was tossed into the sea with a loud splash and Kazuha finally stepped foot onto Ritou. The sun had dipped just below the horizon, painting the ocean behind them in orange, red, and purple hues. Fallen leaves fluttered and danced in the air as they drifted to the stone below. Shop owners of the stores around had started to close up and go home as the excitement of their day had started to die down while guards patrolled the streets. He cast his gaze around the streets with a small smile on his face. He hadn’t been here since the culmination of the Iridori Festival a few months back. Just like when he arrived back then, he breathed a sigh of relief at being able to step foot in his homeland without the looming threat of arrest.
“Kazuha!”
The shout was loud and clear in the quiet streets, the familiarity of the voice’s owner making his ears prick up in anticipation. The pounding thumps of the footsteps reverberated on the stone streets as a gold-haired girl thundered towards him, arms outstretched. Her companion was not far behind her, frowning as she zipped through the air trying to catch up to her. The girl launched herself at him and wrapped him in a hug, huffing as she tightened her embrace. Oh. He hadn’t expected such an excited welcome and after a moment, he wrapped his arms around her in return with a chuckle.
The white and pink floating pixie that was her constant companion had finally caught up to them as they pulled away, hyperventilating and her arms crossed.
“Geez, you’re awful, leaving Paimon behind! Paimon’s exhausted from catching up to you!” she exclaimed, chin raised to the air and her arms crossed over her chest, pouting.
The girl merely gave her a giggle for her troubles, shaking her head fondly as she did.
“You literally float, Paimon…,” she sighed, turning her head in the direction of her flying companion.
“W-well, it takes a lot of energy okay! Hmph! You’ve never ditched Paimon for our other friends before. Paimon’s… peeved! What’s so special about Kazuha anyway?” Her hands had curled into fists as her tiny feet stomped in the air, nearly screaming the question.
She paused mid-tantrum, her displeasure melting away into that of amused intrigue. The blonde-haired outlander, having noticed the sudden silence from the miniature chatterbox and the teasing smile that replaced her pout quickly pulled away from the embrace and stuck her hands stiff to her sides, toeing the ground.
Paimon’s amusement only grew and she bit back peels of laughter, coming out in barely concealed giggles. The Traveler clamped her lips together as a tinge of pink started to tint her cheeks. She cleared her throat hastily, her hands flying to her hips.
“Well, it’s not every day we meet up with friends for a social call. We’ve been so busy lately, we could use some downtime.”
Paimon rolled her eyes.
“Mhm… sure, Lumine. Anyway, Paimon’s still mad at you, making her chase after you!”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” she raised her hands placatingly.
“I’ll treat you to Uyuu Restaurant tonight, as planned. But you can order whatever you want. Will that make you feel better?”
Paimon’s mood shifted completely, and she flipped in the air exuberantly, clapping her hands as she righted herself, then zipping to Lumine’s shoulder with a big, bright smile.
Kazuha observed their entire interaction with a pleasant, serene smile. The relationship was a heartwarming sight and it brought to mind many similar conversations and memories he had made with the friend he’d lost the year before.
If only he could see Inazuma now. He had no doubts that the Inazuma today had brought his friend peace. He should make plans to visit his resting place while he was here. Would the vision shell still be there when he visits?
The sound of Lumine’s voice brought him back to the present as she raised a question to their trio.
“So… to Uyuu Restaurant?”
Paimon dashed off before any of them had gotten a word in, the promise of food giving her a second wind. Lumine sighed long and exasperatedly, shaking off a fond, albeit tired smile, and shifted her gaze to him. Side by side, they trekked through the deserted streets of Ritou, passing through the occasional guard, before stepping onto soft, yellow sand, following her who was already way ahead of them.
They strolled, though the mood between them was uncomfortably quiet, almost unsettling. On a normal day, he would welcome the quiet and listen to the lullaby of the world. But right now, the silence was not one of comfort but of discomfort and awkwardness. Lumine had eased up a little, though she hadn’t completely recovered her bearings. She wrung her hands together, fiddling and twiddling her thumbs as their footsteps crunched into the soft sand.
He didn’t quite know what to do with himself. For her to be so stilted and distant was unusual from what he knew her to be. Should he or should he not hazard a few words? Though she probably would brush off any attempt to get her to talk. She was a direct person, she’d say something if she was ready. Having decided against saying anything, he hesitantly held a hand out towards her, clearing his throat uncertainly.
She turned to him, head cocked to the side, brow furrowed.
“Hmm? Oh-,” the twiddling stopped as she dipped her head slightly, her gaze focused on his hand held out towards her.
Just as hesitantly as he had, her hand softly touches his own, finger curling around his. His lips curled up into a sweet smile as the tension around her dissolved and she returned with a twinkling smile of her own.
The wind blew again, bringing with it the cool saltiness of the dusk breeze, making their clothes flutter and rustle as they danced to the currents. Cranes flew overhead, landing on the sand a few meters away from them. Her split cape fluttered in the wind, the purple gems on their ends glinting off the orange light of the sun.
“You seem troubled,” he began after the new sense of comfort had settled between them both.
“Huh?”
He couldn’t help the frown that replaced his smile. It was odd. She seemed out of sorts. On a regular day, she’d have found one of many things to talk about with ease. But not today. She seemed quiet and withdrawn, which worried him.
“You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet. Is there something on your mind?”
Her cheeks puffed up in response and her free hand clenched on the hem of her dress once more. Her gaze shifted and focused on the water, washing over the sand before receding into the vast waters. He waited for her to respond patiently if she ever would decide to enlighten him. He wasn’t going to pry if she didn’t feel like talking and his eyes settled on Tenshukaku in the distance, appearing to grow taller the closer they got.
He could say the silence between them lasted for an eternity, though it didn’t take a long time at all. Maybe it was just the sense of unease that returned as the awkwardness between them both resurfaced that made it feel like so. The awkward and palpable silence was broken by a sigh as her gaze shifted to him. He met her gaze as they focused on him before it traveled further up, to where the single red streak stained his otherwise beige hair before her golden eyes focused on his similarly red ones again.
His brow raised in a silent question towards his companion. He had never seen the blonde outlander behave in this manner before. He saw her as a fierce fighter and a witty and confident girl. The one who walked next to him was instead hesitant and shy and it only concerned him more.
“I’m alright, Kazuha,” she declared surely, the same decisive edge to her golden eyes that he had grown so familiar with cracking through.
He chuckled lightheartedly with a soft shake of his head.
“Your breathing and the steps you take say otherwise. You may hide what you feel from ordinary people, but nature knows and sees all. And I am uniquely attuned to it, so you cannot hide from me either.”
He squeezed her hand warmly, his eyes locked on hers in gentle concern.
She snorted before a chuckle escaped her lips, the tension around her dissipating as her shoulders loosened and the hand that had clenched her dress had slacked a little.
“I promise, nothing’s troubling me at the moment. Just…”
He leaned forward as if it was going to help him catch the words that had remained unspoken. His focus remained solely on her, nodding for her to continue. She had his full attention.
“I… can’t say. I don’t know. I’ve many thoughts, but I don’t think any of them are bad. There’s just… a lot.”
She fell silent again as she tilted her head up to gaze at the cloudy, colorful sky.
“You know… your eyes are quite beautiful.”
She dipped her head as the words left her mouth and focused intently on a general crab that had popped out of the sand beside them, scuttling away. He couldn’t help the raise of his brow and the laughter that bubbled out of him at the sudden comment. It came from out of nowhere, but he felt pleased. A nice, warm, and comfortable feeling settled on his heart that made it feel like it was soaring among the clouds high above them. Sure, it was a small compliment, but it felt more satisfying because it had come from her.
“Really?” he probed.
There was no mistaking the genuine curiosity and the hopefulness in his question as his voice dropped to a whisper, soft and gentle as the wind’s caress. He noted the pink that dusted the tips of her ears as he gazed at her intently, hoping she’d look him in the eyes again.
“I’m not making fun of you, don’t worry. But I will admit I am rather curious. That came from out of the blue.”
She groaned beside him but answered his question nonetheless.
“I just find their color to be beautiful. Probably because they look so familiar. It’s close to what the sky in my hometown was like, and the beautiful shade of red the leaves of the trees took on during the fall. You feel like home.”
His heart swelled and leaped at her words. He couldn’t quite put a finger on why it made him feel the way he did, but he didn’t mind. It brought him such joy to have heard her say that he reminds her of home. The joy he felt in his heart didn’t match up with the sorrow he found in her eyes as her gaze flew up to the sky once more, which had started to darken and turn purple as the sun dipped below the purple roofs of Inazuma City.
She cleared her throat before turning to him, seemingly back to her normal self.
“Well, we better hurry. If we’re quick enough, we might be able to stop Paimon from ordering the whole menu once or twice over.”
They shared a laugh as they quickened their pace, towards good food in the presence of good company.
The door clicked shut as a bell above them jingled. The warm yellow light from the lanterns littered all over the restaurant welcomed them jovially as the candlelight inside seemed to flicker a little brighter. An old man behind the counter lifted his head as they stepped inside the cozy restaurant, setting down the glass he was wiping clean with a soft clink, waving them over.
“Ah, Lumine! Hello! I was wondering when you would show up.”
“Good evening, Mr. Okazaki. Has Paimon come in?”
The man laughed heartily, gesturing upstairs.
“Why, yes she did. When she came in, I assumed you wouldn’t be too far behind. On slow days like today, I appreciate customers like you coming in to help business.”
She chuckled with a strained smile.
“I’m glad we can help you with that. It does seem more spacious today,” she glanced around the room.
A few tables seated a few customers, and there was a lot of room for more to come in. The restaurant was more on the quiet side of the spectrum tonight, the kitchen behind them was relaxed and peaceful, without the energetic speediness of preparing dishes for a full house.
“May I know how much we have on our bill, Mr. Okazaki?”
With a nod, he hands her the bill. Her eyes darted to the bottom of the paper, squinting at the writing before releasing a long sigh as she handed it back to the old man who chuckled warmly.
“Archons have mercy on me…,” she groaned.
His brow raised as she rubbed at her temples.
“What’s the matter?”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned to him, shoulders slumping.
“I may have to do a bounty right after our meal tonight. I’m about to blow most of the Mora I have on me…”
He gave her a pat on the shoulder with a smile. She returned it with one of her own with a huff.
“I wanted to treat you out tonight, but Paimon is… unfortunately Paimon.”
“It’s alright, I can pay for my food. We can also split the bill so neither of us will have to burn through our pockets,” he suggested.
She shook her head firmly, though her smile became more genuine as his hand lifted from her shoulder.
“No no, it’s alright. I invited you out, so it’s only right that I treat you to dinner, too. Order what you want, and I’ll pay for it, no trouble. I’m going to be taking up some commissions and bounties either way.”
He eyed her hand which wrapped around her shoulder with a soft squeeze. Warmth spread in his heart as he grinned at her. Her golden eyes glinted with confidence which reassured him. There’s the Traveler that he knew. The confident and decisive Traveler fabled through Teyvat. If she said it was fine, then it would have to do. If she really couldn’t afford it, she would have said otherwise so he nodded his agreement.
“If you wish,” he started.
Her head cocked to the side as she waited for him to continue.
“... but I am coming with you to assist in your bounty.”
She blinked slowly and fixed him with a perplexed stare. As she opened her mouth to refuse, he swiftly raised his bandaged hand to her lips.”
“Ssh, I’m coming with you whether you want me to or not. Captain Beidou gave me a week off to enjoy the city. I would be quite unproductive with nothing to do here and seeing as I came all this way to accept your invitation, it’s only right I spend all my time off with you, wouldn’t you say?”
With a roll of her eyes, she giggled as she playfully swatted his hand off.
“Alright, alright, fine. I wouldn’t want you to be bored for a whole week,” she laughed, bringing their discussion to an end.
A cough from behind them startled them both as they stepped away from each other and turned in the direction of the interruption. Ah. They had an utterly enraptured one-man audience watching them with an amused grin on his face.
She wrung her hands together once more. So she does this whenever she’s uncomfortable. Perhaps giving her an out would do her good.
“How about you go and check on Paimon upstairs while I order for us?”
With a grateful smile his way, she scurried upstairs, giving Mr. Okazaki a nod before he could ask what to get for her. Now left alone with the amused man to face the music, he turned to him calmly, walking up to the counter.
“I’ll have a serving of Dry-Braised Salted Fish, please, and…”
He paused. What would Lumine like? Surely she’d been here many times before. And he hasn’t known her to be particularly picky about anything. Mr. Okazaki gave him a patient smile, polishing another glass as he hummed a tune.
“... Sakura Tempura,” he finished.
With a nod, he disappeared to the kitchen, his voice floating to the counter as he relayed their order to the kitchen. With his job finished, he stepped away to leave the staff to theirs, climbing up the stairs to rejoin his friends.
Two large paintings of familiar seafood on the walls greeted him as he stepped upstairs. At the end of the hall, he could make out the familiar and jovial voices of Lumine and Paimon. He followed the sound, passing through purple banners and wall lamps that hung on either side of the doorframe.
He stepped through it and into the dining room to the sight of Paimon devouring a bowl of ramen. On the table were stacks of empty bowls and plates put to the side. Did she… eat them all? Lumine watched her with exasperated fondness as she gulped down her Tri-Colored Dango, releasing a small burp.
He settled on the floor next to Lumine with a startled chuckle.
“I must admit I am surprised at all the dishes in here. Paimon, did you eat them all? Or perhaps shared with Lumine?”
She shook her head vigorously and patted her stomach with a satisfied sigh.
“Nope. She ate every dish here. This is what happens when I leave her unattended for even just a little while,” Lumine explained.
He believed it, alright. Paimon giggled unapologetically.
“Well, you took too long! Paimon got bored of waiting so she just ate and ate to keep herself occupied,” she said, her little hands on her hips.
She flew towards Lumine, landing on top of her hair with a soft and tiny yawn.
“Thank you, Lumine…,” she said with a yawn.
“Tired already, are you?” she asked her small friend, who had splayed herself out on her golden hair.
She responded with a drowsy, incomprehensible mumble, getting comfortable, and letting out another satisfied sigh. In no time at all, the small room was filled with her soft and peaceful snoring.
“It seems she’s down for the count,” he chuckled.
She joined in his laughter, gazing up at her sleeping friend fondly.
“You won’t believe just how much I spend on her food expenditures alone…,” she grumbled.
Her play at frustration was betrayed by a warm smile and her pinky lightly stroking Paimon’s white hair. The little one giggled sleepily as one arm dangled just above Lumine’s forehead.
“I don’t think I need to, looking at all the dishes on the table.”
They laughed together again, Lumine shaking her her haid.
“So. What have you ordered for us?”
He recounted their order to her and her golden eyes shimmered like Mora and sparkled like gleaming stars at the mention of the Sakura Tempura. Her eyes… they reminded him of the sun’s light reflecting on the water of the blue sea. A young woman in a maroon dress entered the room with their food, placing their dishes in front of them with a beaming smile, and promptly excused herself from the scene and left them to enjoy their meals.
“Oooh, these look delicious!” she clapped her hands as the warm steam wafted up their noses.
She wasted no time at all and bit into the deep-fried shrimp, the sound of the crunch filling the room. He couldn’t help the smile that crept on his face. It’s good that his choice was well-received. He turned his attention to his own dish, eager to dig in.
The steam was filled with the familiar aroma of the salty ocean air. He took the slice of lemon on the side and squeezed its juices out evenly on the fish.
As he brought a spoonful of rice and fish up to his mouth, he sighed in bliss. The familiar taste of ocean wind, along with the slight sourness from the lemon juice, the tender texture of the fish, and the soft rice… he was simply in culinary heaven. This dish was one he had eaten more than a hundred times during his time out at sea, the added spices and flavor compared to the plain fish they have on the Crux often have made this all the more special for him.
He chewed slowly, wanting to savor it and make it last as long as possible- maybe even an eternity.
As he continued to dine, he started to get the unmistakable feeling of being watched. However, it didn’t fill him with unease. In his peripheral vision, he caught Lumine’s eye. He turned to look at her but she hurriedly looked the other way, returning her attention to her almost finished meal. With a shrug, he turned his attention back to his own. They ate in companionable silence until both their plates were cleared.
“Ah… that was good. I don’t blame Paimon at all. This place makes their food so good, it’s hard to resist,” she sighed, satisfied.
“Then this trip was well worth it.”
She gave him a nod before returning her attention to the peacefully dozing Paimon, nudging her awake.
“Paimon,” she whispered.
A sleepy grumble came from the little one on her head.
“Paimon, wake up. It’s time to go.”
With another yawn, Paimon rubbed at her eyes, clumsily floating back into the air, stretching her arms up and out with yet another yawn. With the third in their small group now semi-awake, the both of them stood up and began making their way downstairs.
“You’ve cost me so much Mora Paimon…,” she whined as their footsteps thumped against the wooden stairs.
She merely laughed as she flipped in the air beside her, now more energetic and alert.
“But the food was soooo good! We should come here more often!”
She sighed but gave her friend a fond smile.
“Eventually. But for now, we’ll have to tighten the purse strings for a while. This meal is gonna cost us most of the Mora we have. I’m gonna have to complete a bounty as soon as possible so we still have a reasonable amount of funds.”
He glanced out the window across from them as they reached the ground floor, noting the deserted city streets and the bright street lamps that illuminated the darkness.
“It’s too late in the day for that. Why don’t we check the Kamisato Estate’s bulletin board tomorrow morning when we have daylight on our side?”
“Yup! It’s much too late now and Paimon’s tired!”
The pixie let out another yawn to prove her point. Outnumbered, Lumine gave her a complacent nod.
“Fair enough. Back to Ritou, then. Let me go and settle our bill.”
Striding ahead of the group, she approached the old man who rose from the stool he’d been sitting on, greeting them with a bright and warm smile.
“All finished, I see! That’s 23,000 Mora.”
His eyes must have bulged out of his head. Did he hear that right? There must have been a mistake here, surely. He looked askance at Lumine who reached into her pocket and handed the man a jingling pouch of Mora with a dejected sigh. He gave her a grateful nod as she turned to walk toward the door.
“Thank you for your patronage.”
“Take care now, Mr. Okazaki,” she replied, stopping short of the door and turning to give him another warm albeit wan smile.
“Bye, Mr. Okazaki! Thanks so much for the yummy food!”
He chuckled as she floated past, to follow Lumine to the door. He followed the lead of his two companions. As Lumine reached for the door, he placed a hand on it before she could, smiling at her gently.
“If you’ll allow me, ladies first,” he jokingly bowed as he held the door open for the two ladies, met with a delicate giggle from the Traveler as she swooped down into an exaggerated curtsy.
“My, what a gentleman.”
He shook his head fondly as they stepped out onto the quiet, lit streets of Inazuma City. He followed after them, closing the door behind them with a soft click.
The stars have now long come out, scattered across Teyvat’s sky like glittering gems blown about by the cool breeze that blew around them. Paimon shivered in the cold, now sat on Lumine’s shoulder while he breathed in the night air. Few people loitered on the streets, having closed up their shops and beginning their journeys home.
“We better get back to Ritou before it gets any later,” Lumine suggested.
His eyes focused on hers, glinting like twin suns against the nighttime sky. He couldn’t help but be entranced by their warm gold hue as if glowing in the dark.
“Kazuha?”
“Right. Let’s get you back to your place of residence, hmm?”
The two of them nodded, but neither of them left their spots. He raised a questioning eyebrow at their inaction and gestured in the direction of the city outskirts.
“Kazuha, where are you staying the night?” asked Paimon.
“Oh, I suppose I’ll have to apply for a residence permit along with you since my own family’s estate and property no longer belong to me.”
Once again, the two nodded and set off for Ritou again, chatting amicably along the way. Once they reached the sandy path back to their destination, he held his hand out to Lumine again in a silent offer, which, unlike earlier, she took with little hesitation. Paimon’s dark blue eyes darted between them in a smug smirk as she kicked her feet about from her perch on Lumine’s shoulder.
By the time they returned to Ritou, the streets had been completely deserted, save for the guards that patrolled the area. They stopped just outside of the Outlander Affairs Agency.
“Good evening, Yurika!”
Paimon waved at her exuberantly as the woman’s attention landed on the three of them.
“Good evening to you both. I see you’ve brought a friend with you. Good evening, Sir. What can I do for you?” she asked, turning to him.
“I’m here to apply for a residence permit.”
The woman gave him a curt nod.
“Do you have the required materials? Identification papers? Oh and of course, the handling fee,” she listed off the list of requirements on her fingers.
Wait, do you even have these on you, Kazuha? You’ve never had to apply for a permit before,” asked Paimon.
With a small, reassuring smile her way, he dug into his pockets and handed a stack of neatly filed papers to the dark-haired woman.
“May I ask how much I need to pay for the handling fee?”
“Just 500 Mora.”
“Only 500? I had thought it would be more expensive. I did hear of a fuss regarding even paying off the handling fee before,” he probed, curious.
“This is the official fee. If you don’t believe me, please check the latest regulations issued by the Kanjou Commission.”
“That won’t be necessary Miss Yurika,” he said gently as he dug into his pockets once more, handing her a small pouch of Mora.
“Please give me a moment to ensure everything is in order.”
As the woman disappeared inside the building, he shook his head with a sense of bewilderment.
“It is a surreal feeling to be treated like an outlander in my homeland,” he mused.
“Paimon didn’t expect you to have documents already on you!”
He shrugged his shoulders casually, unbothered.
“I thought it would be best if I had them on me just in case I needed to stay here for a while. I never needed them until now.”
“Do you regret leaving?” Lumine asked quietly.
“Yeah, you’re from one of the Yashiro clans, right? If Paimon were in some noble family, Paimon wouldn’t give it up so easily!” she added enthusiastically, a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.
“No. I much prefer to wander the land and seas than stay in one place for long. And with a blanket of sky and a bed of earth, nature has become my home. I wouldn’t trade the life I now have for anything else.”
And he wasn’t lying when he said that. He meant it with complete honesty. He had grown to love and appreciate his wandering. There was a fulfilling freedom to be had in living closely with the natural world.
“I guess Paimon can understand why! We’ve been to so many cool places and met lots of different and interesting people, haven’t we Lumine?”
She nodded at her companion’s question, though her gaze was far away, looking past him to the ocean beyond the docks, staring at nothing in particular.
“Right. Home is… wherever we are together,” she muttered.
Her features were downturned as she continued to gaze longingly at the sea as she fell silent. Paimon’s expression similarly saddened as she patted her little hands on the shoulder she sat on. Lumine shook her head as she lovingly rubbed her pinky through Paimon’s hair.
“Don’t worry, okay? You’ll be together again soon. Until then, you’ve got Paimon.”
“...your brother?” he asked tentatively.
Shortly after their first meeting, she made it known that the whole reason for her journey was to search for her twin brother. She had never let up with her search and she had told him that as long as she lived, she would not be giving up on it and him.
The two nodded somberly.
“I am sure fortune will favor you. For the time being, enjoy and take in the world around you. There are many sights to see, places to visit, and people to meet.”
She lightened up after their reassurances, some light returning to her expression just as Miss Yuriko returned, keys in one hand and his documents in the other.
He received the key after gently tucking the stack of papers into his pocket again.
“Your room is on the ground floor at the end of the hall on the left,” she informed him.
“That’s right next to ours,” Paimon exclaimed excitedly.
“Then I shall continue to accompany you,” he gestured to the door, allowing them to go first, and then following them inside.
They walked through the similarly deserted halls, their steps quiet and mindful so as not to disturb the respite of the other residents. Lanterns on the floor illuminated the paintings and works of calligraphy hung on the wall as they traversed the long, narrow corridor. They stopped in front of a door at the very end.
“This is our room. That must be yours over there,” Lumine pointed to the one at the very end, then the door directly beside it.
“Then you shall go and rest. I will see you both in the morning. Goodnight, Lumine,” he whispered gently, along with a soft smile.
“Hey! What about Paimon?!”
With an apologetic chuckle, he turned his attention to her with an added “Good night to you as well, Paimon.”
She clapped her hands together, satisfied. With a final wave, the girls disappeared into their room, clicking the door softly shut.
He followed suit to his room, sliding the key in place and turning it gently, stepping inside as the door swung open. The sight that greeted him was one of hospitable comfort. A bed, neatly made to the left of a window and a chair and table with a lamp on top of it.
Not feeling the urgent need for rest, he gingerly took a seat on the chair in front of the desk. Crickets chirped outside his temporary haven, and he took comfort in the soft rustle of leaves outside, swaying in the calm breeze.
In companionable silence with the wind, he retrieved a slip of paper from one of his pockets and a pen, jotting down three lines as he laid it down on the table.
Twinkling little lights
Littered across the night sky
Guides the sailor home.
As he read over what he’d written, his brow raised. The river of inspiration flowed naturally and he went with its guiding currents and wrote without a care. He hadn’t written something like this before, but he found himself pleased with the results of his work.
His eyes traced over the haiku, and an idea bloomed in his mind. Silently, he stepped out of his room, careful not to make a sound. A satisfied grin spread on his face as he noted the dark, deserted corridor, silently approaching the door at the end of the hall.
With a last glance around, he carefully slipped the paper under the door. His clothes rustled as he quietly scurried through the small gap in the door frame and clicked it shut, leaving not a single trace behind him.