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Lumine wishes the people she met across Teyvat would just be more honest with themselves. She's straightforward with all of her intentions, sometimes to a fault. It doesn't help that her honesty is always doubled down by her ever present travel companion. There's never any type of tact or subterfuge with Paimon around.
But Paimon has found what moments to make herself scarce, and Fontaine has been the one nation where Lumine's open, polyamorous relationships have collided spectacularly. She blames Ajax as the catalyst, if she were to lay the blame at anyone's feet.
It's her grand going away party; a party she knows Furina instigated. Though, Lumine is sure Navia had a hand in it as well. The beautiful macrons sitting on the dessert buffet table gives her away completely.
During the party, Lumine almost lets her guard down; after all, she's surrounded by friends and partners that she trusts. She's even gotten a chance to do a little matchmaking. A strange habit of hers when she's ready to leave a nation, but Lumine tries to make sure her current partners aren't lonely when she's gone.
So far, it works out well. Chiori already has a connection with Chevreuse, so all she needs is a little nudge from Lumine. Navia takes a little more set up, but Lumine knows her heart truly lies with Clorinde.
Her last girlfriend worries Lumine the most; Furina has few people from her past life she's allowed to reconnect with her as a mortal. But Lumine should have known, the way to anyone's heart is through their stomach. Escoffier—Furina's old 'Patissiere Supreme'—appears during a festival, and the moment Lumine sees Furina's eyes light up for a delicate tart, she knows Escoffier is the answer she's been looking for.
Everything seemingly fell into place, so Lumine thought. That's when a party crasher joins the fray, and Lumine can see all her carefully thought out plans dissipating in a puff of smoke. Ajax saunters in uninvited, and Lumina can most of the party goers freeze as he approaches her.
Paimon makes herself scarce, and Lumine curses under her breath. “Hey, girlie. Didn't know you were leaving so soon,” Ajax says as he steals a kiss.
Lumine tries not to sigh; it's not that she's unhappy to see Ajax here, but he does love to make himself inconvenient at the best of times. “I didn't even know you were still in Fontaine,” Lumine says pointedly with a raised eyebrow.
Ajax laughs as he leans down to whisper in her ear, as if sharing a secret. “You know, if looks could kill, the Spina chick and the phony archon would have killed me a few times over,” he says, and Lumine can hear the grin in his voice.
Lumine gives his foot the most unsubtle stomp, but she should have remembered Ajax doesn't mind a bit of pain. “Don't call them that,” she hisses as she notices her other partners coming her way. “You always make everything messy.”
“You have a collection in every nation and call me messy? That's rich, babe,” Ajax points out as he pulls away from Lumine.
“Ahem,” Furina clears her throat, attempting to give an air of authority more akin to her playing archon days. “Lumine, we clearly didn't have enough security for this party. I'm sure we can call Maison Gardiennage to remove the...riffraff.”
“If he gets rowdier, Clorinde can dispatch him quickly,” Navia pipes up, offering her girlfriend as a solution.
“Okay, let's not go that far,” Lumine interrupts. “Plus, that's exactly what he wants.”
She can see Ajax almost pouting in the corner of her eye. “Damn, so close to fighting that champion. You're a cockblock,” he grumbles.
Lumine turns to look at him with an unimpressed look. “I would never. You're free to head to Liyue if you want that,” she tells him, before turning back to her other partners. “Look, I know you guys probably think less of me for one of my other partners being...part of the Fatui.”
“No, no, that's not it at all, Lumine,” Navia denies. “I think we'd be a bit hypocritical with how a few of us are quite close with members of the House of the Hearth.”
Furina seems flustered for a moment before nodding. “Yes, Navia's quite right! We just thought perhaps this Harbinger isn't good enough for you.”
“Who said anything about being good?” Ajax asks with a shrug. “That's not how we work. We fight, and we-”
“And that sentence is ending right there,” Lumine stops him, her hands smacked over his mouth. “We just have a very different dynamic than I have with you guys.”
“I see no issue,” Chiori says, comfortably sitting nearby with a cup of tea and cake. “Lumine is a talented fighter. It makes sense she has an outlet for that. I would only judge your choice by his uniform. It's beyond bland.”
Ajax gently tugs at his clothing. “It's practical.”
Chiori scoffs. “It could be both. Or at least be so incredibly talented that even stilettos aren't a problem. Like Arlecchino. Clearly not all Harbingers are created equal.”
Feeling a storm brewing if she allows this to continue, Lumine intervenes. “Chiori, I'll let you use me as a model next time I'm in Fontaine if you drop this right now,” she bribes.
“Done. I have no vested interest in helping the hopeless,” Chiori agrees before sipping her tea.
Lumine sighs. “So can we all get along for now? For me?” she asks, trying to look as sweet as possible. “And just judge me in private, so I can pretend I still have some standing in Fontaine.”
Chiori's already agreed to drop it. Furina and Navia share a look before nodding in agreement. Lumine stares Ajax down until he agrees. All in all, not her most chaotic departure from a nation.