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Readjusting to life with the Frostmoon Scions had been simultaneously easier and more difficult than Columbina ever could have imagined.
Every day, there was a new detail that stood out in stark contrast to the Frostmoon Scions of the past. Something that made Columbina realise just how different things were today.
Sometimes, it was the children approaching her, grabbing her by the hands because they wanted to play a game, or just to show her something ‘cool’.
Other times, it would be an elder patiently answering her questions, as if she was just any other curious child of the moon – as if it was easy to accept that there were things that she simply did not know.
And then, every now and then, there were times like today.
Columbina had decided to go for a walk. This was how she spent much of her time when the Kuuhenki were satisfied, Lauma was busy or Lumine was nowhere to be found. She enjoyed the time in nature, even if the birds arguing with one another overhead could sometimes veer too far towards being annoying rather than entertaining.
She reached the shoreline and allowed her feet to touch the ground. She took a moment to enjoy the feeling of the sand between her toes, the waves lapping at her ankle, the– -
“C- Columbina…!”
The voice came from behind her. Male. Familiar. Columbina didn’t turn to ‘look’ with her eyes, instead reaching out with Kuuvahki to find out what was wrong.
There were two people behind her, pressed close together. A man and a woman. The woman’s face was hidden by her hands.
“Hello.” Columbina said, finally turning to face them. She understood that humans found social interactions easier when one’s face was angled towards them.
“Wh- Wh- What are you doing here?” The man asked, a strange tone to his voice.
“Walking.” Columbina replied simply, before she remembered that humans often preferred to be given the opportunity to speak about themselves. “What are you doing here?”
“A- Ah, we’re- just, uh…” The man’s voice was surprisingly high-pitched, and he trailed off. Columbina tilted her head to the side.
“Patrolling the beach!” The woman finally spoke. Columbina immediately recognised her voice as one of the Frostmoon Scions.
“Oh. Okay.”
The couple remained silent, so Columbina turned back to face the ocean. It was a pleasant sensation, being able to feel the ebb and flow of the tide… but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had somehow intruded upon something.
The Frostmoon Scions of today didn’t avoid or ignore her. For the most part, they treated her as… perhaps not an equal, but certainly as family. But… These two didn’t seem happy to see her.
Perhaps there were some things about humanity she would never understand.
Columbina rose an inch or so from the ground, and began to make her way further inland.
Just as she left, she overheard the man speak to the woman, “Thank you for helping me out…”
Then, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cheek.
Generosity was a virtue, or, at least, that was what Lauma believed.
The world shouldn’t be one of transactions. People should not give with the expectation of being given in return. People should give simply of their own will; simply as an act of kindness, to help another person journeying through life.
It wasn’t a sentiment that was too familiar to Columbina, but it was one that she was curious about, and it was that curiosity that had brought her to Nasha Town.
Here, the Frostmoon Scions handed out food parcels. The best food that they had, they passed away to complete strangers. Gifts given freely, with no expectations, no strings… just to make life that little bit easier for someone else.
Lauma always seemed content as she tended to others, although sometimes Columbina couldn’t help but wonder if there was a hidden part of her that disagreed with this way of being. Certainly, Columbina had witnessed her give herself to others over and over again. She had witnessed her give herself to Columbina over and over again, for that matter.
But every time that Columbina raised the issue, Lauma just reassured her that no repayment was necessary.
That seeing Columbina smile amongst friends was all that she wanted.
Those words brought a strange feeling to Columbina’s chest that she couldn’t quite understand, and that was exactly why she had volunteered to accompany her to Nasha Town today. If she could understand the act of giving without expectation, perhaps she could understand that feeling… and perhaps she could understand Lauma.
Still, despite her growing comfort with the Frostmoon Scions, social situations were not Columbina’s strong suit. There were many people in Nasha Town, and every one of them could see her for who she ‘really’ was. She could feel their gazes upon her.
In the end, it was too much. Without a word of explanation, Columbina quietly slipped away into one of the many back-alleys. There, she sank to the ground, and finally allowed herself to simply breathe.
In… and out.
It was natural for people to stare. All they had seen of her was a statue. Of course they would be curious.
In… and out.
The Frostmoon Scions had come to recognise her as Columbina Hyposelenia. Perhaps the people of Nasha Town could, too.
In… an out.
Some of Nasha Town already did, in fact. Jahoda and Nefer… Ineffa and Aino… these people were her friends, weren’t they? So it was only a matter of time until– -
“See! Told you!”
An unfortunate side-effect of being introspectful and blind was that Columbina did not always recognise the presence of others until they spoke.
The voice came from a teenager. With him were two others, and together, the trio blocked Columbina’s path back to Lauma.
“...I don’t know. Isn’t that just a cosplay?” It was a girl to his right.
“She was with the Frostmoon Scions! Wouldn’t a cosplay of their god be blasphemy?” The boy in the center.
“She doesn’t look very god-like.” A boy to his left, who took a few steps closer, squinting at Columbina skeptically.
“...Please don’t come any closer…” Columbina spoke, her own voice meek.
“What kind of god says please?” The boy to the left asked, and took another step forward.
He was too close. They all were. Columbina didn’t want to cause them fear, but she didn’t know what to do. She just wanted to get away from it all, to return to Silvermoon Hall, where everything was quiet and calm and under her control, and– -
“A polite one.”
It was a new voice, and all at once Columbina found that a weight had been taken from her shoulders.
The teens whirled around to see who had appeared, and at once seemed to catch the anxiety that had left Columbina.
“Lady Moonchanter!” It was the girl. “We’re sorry for any disrespect! We were just curious!”
“Curiosity is a boon, but there are kind ways to display it. Cornering a stranger and treating her as a spectacle is unlikely to have an outcome that you will enjoy.”
“Sorry, Lady Moonchanter…” The boy in the middle spoke sheepishly.
“I am not the one who deserves an apology.”
The teenagers glanced at each other nervously, before they turned once more to face Columbina. After a few unintelligible whispers between them, the boy to the left finally spoke up:
“Uh… Sorry… Lady Kuutar…”
“Columbina.” Lauma and Columbina corrected in unison.
A beat of confused silence passed.
“My name… is Columbina Hyposelenia.” Columbina said, a touch more confidence to her voice.
“Sorry, Columbina Hyposelenia!” The girl recovered first, “We won’t bother you again.”
She then reached out to grab her friends by their wrists and pulled them around Lauma and out of the alleyway. As they left, the faint sound of her chastising her friends reached Columbina’s ears.
Lauma allowed them to leave, and took several steps into the alleyway, closer to Columbina. Her gaze swept over Columbina’s body, as if she was making sure that there was nothing out of order. There was something strangely comforting about it, to Columbina.
Lauma stopped in front of Columbina, and crouched down to her level.
“Are you alright?”
It was strange, Columbina thought. When Lauma asked that question, it felt as if she truly cared about the answer.
“...Nasha Town is very lively. Perhaps… too lively for me today.”
Lauma gave a slight smile and nodded. She moved so that she was sitting beside Columbina – close enough that Columbina could reach out and touch her, but not so close that she was immediately invading Columbina’s personal space.
“No one should blame us for taking a break.” Lauma said, her voice leaving no room for disagreement. “...You have been very brave today, Columbina.”
Columbina bowed her head slightly. Most wouldn’t view an ill-fated trip into a town as very brave, but… it was true that it went against Columbina’s instincts. Hiding away… sometimes it felt easier. Engaging with others, truly spending time amongst humans, it could be so tiring. Sometimes, all she wanted to do was rest.
Columbina hummed her familiar tune and laid her head on Lauma’s shoulder.
The truth was, though, that Columbina did not want to hide herself away. She never had. The Frostmoon Scions… the inhabitants of Nasha Town… perhaps even the people of Teyvat as a whole – she wanted to know them, and she wanted to be known in return.
Perhaps that wasn’t truly the lesson that Lauma was trying to teach her. Perhaps it was just another kind of transaction, but…
Columbina still had so much left to learn.
All of a sudden, a memory struck Columbina. She stopped humming and raised her head, before she brought her lips to press against Lauma’s cheek.
“Thank you… for helping me.”