Archive of Our Own

When for the third consecutive day Lumine wakes up and is immediately assaulted by a sharp headache, her eyes unable to stand the little light that slips through the window, and her whole body stolen of its strength, the truth she had been trying to ignore since some time ago becomes inescapable; for the first time in several millennia, she has fallen sick.

Sickness had last taken hold of her during her childhood days, once she had reached adulthood no illness had been able to affect her. To none of her kind in truth, a rather convenient evolutionary advantage that her species acquired, being a nomadic species that travelled through the cosmos and planets left no place for weak immune systems.

But currently that didn’t matter, for the cause of her current malaise was no virus or bug, instead it was her own body fighting against itself.

***

Her current predicament could have its beginning at an earlier date; but when she began to notice it was during her arrival at Fontaine, weeks where several times a day for seconds intense and unbearable, horrible migraines would plague her, their origin easy to pinpoint; just her body adapting to her new hydro resonance, but also absorbing and learning to use the ousia and pneuma energies that permeated the land of justice.

Fortunately that torment would end after mastering her new powers and for months her health would go back to normal.

And then came Natlan.

And then it was not only adapting to both pyro energy and the phlogiston, but also her new nightsoul state, and finally the heaviest of her new powers, being able to indwell the saurians.

Just like before the new energies left her with migraines and the occasional dizzy spell, but new pains afflictions came to haunt her when she started indwelling the saurins, for even after leaving one some instincts would remain, but that was the lesser of her symptoms. Soon sharp and horrible pains would appear, it felt as if her arms and legs were twisting, her insides moving around, her bones growing and changing, her body itself trying to change, to become more similar to that of the beasts she indwelled in.

For days her hands would shake and become almost unable to grip things as the pain of phantom claws coming out of her nails made using them almost impossible, days in which she barely ate and whatever she consumed was nothing more than almost liquids, the feeling of her teeth sharpening and more wanting to break out of her gums far too great to even attempt at biting anything.

But in the end nothing changed, and only the infernal pain stayed, weeks upon weeks of sleepless nights, where even just laying down on her bed was far too much to handle, weeks in where her senses heightened even more, and soon even the lowest of whispers became unbearable, her eyes far to sensitive, even the light from a candle causing them to hurt.

But her body remained the same, and no matter the pain and the feeling of things inside her twisting and becoming different, no claws, spikes or horns ever appeared, no fangs breaking her gums, no feathers or scales appearing on her skin.

And just in the same way as before soon her body grew used to her new abilities and then the pain stopped. But what was happening with her was becoming clearer.

And she knew it was just a matter of time before the cycle repeated.

***

When months ago she first arrived in Nod Krai, the second she felt all around the land that new energy she knew the cycle was not that far from beginning again. 

Kuuvahki was nothing like any of the other elements she had resonated with before, but she could use it in the same way, she could feel it day and night, her body slowly absorbing it in, and taking more and more, just a matter of time before the pain started once again.

And then, when after everything else was done and said, after her innumerable fights against the wild hunt, a Sinner itself, and then the Second Harbinger, Columbina returned a figment of what was always hers, and lifted some of the limitations the world imposed upon her, she tried to delude herself into believing the pain would stop.

She convinced herself that now that she held more power inside her, now that her initial weakness had almost disappeared that everything would be all right now with her body, that now with the elemental energies inside her coexisting in an almost perfect harmony, that nothing would start to fail with her body.

And so, when that first day she first woke up, and the first thing that left her lips was a hiss of pain, she ignored it, when she just stood up and for minutes the world around her started to spin non-stop, she simply waited until it passed, and continued with her routine.

And when she first got a breath of Nod Krai’s cold air, and her lungs refused to take it in? When that pressure inside her chest simply growed, more and more? When once again the world began to spin and blur around her?

She simply forced herself to move her legs and to begin with her commissions, all while ignoring Paimon’s concerned stare and instead distracted her with the promise of a full course dinner at Esperanza.

When during the day she was plagued with more pain, discomfort, and that unfamiliar and wrong feeling of weakness, she just kept on moving.

And then that second morning, when the migraine refused to go, when the world around her was full of static and numbness, when at breakfast she was just able to nibble at not even half of a loaf of bread before her stomach started to protest against it?

She took a deep breath, ignored the way her lungs complained and sent spikes of pain as they expanded, and got up and started her day.

It was so easy, so easy to pretend, to ignore the pain, when her hold on her sword faltered she delivered a kick. When the static around her grew more and made the world around her louder, she simply closed her eyes and acted as if she was deep in thoughts.

When by noon the noise, bustle and smells of Nasha Town became too much, she simply changed her course into the wilderness and solitude of the wing of Keres, and once she made quick work of the few monsters that remained nothing would be there to interrupt her day. 

“Are you sure you are really okay?” 

Floating silently at her side, Paimon finally broke the silence that Lumine hadn't even realized the pixie had kept ever since leaving Nasha town.

“You really don’t look that good.” 

Her tone and eyes are full of worry, and there's a big part of Lumine that feels guilty, for she knows that she will minimize whatever is wrong with her. “Just a little bit under the weather. I didn’t really sleep that well last night. The patrons at the tavern were particularly loud”

Not a complete lie, last night some celebration was held at the Flagship and it ran for hours.

“Oh, well, if you say so. Still Paimon thinks today you should take it easy.” Her companion’s tone is firm, and not really a suggestion.

“Yeah, I think I will.”

For the rest of the day they simply explore and observe the shore, the more it passes the easier it is to pretend, soon Paimon completely eats Lumine’s act and soon her worry passes.

But as the day passes what refuses to go is the weight inside Lumine’s lungs, the heaviness which sometimes forbids her from breathing, the agonizing migraine that makes it feel as if her head was splitting in two. The breeze of the sea is cold against her body and yet Lumine feels nothing of it, and instead around her she feels nothing more than an unbearable heat.

In the distance sea birds shriek aloud, and the sound feels like an explosion by her side.

As the sun starts waning so does her strength, her legs and arms tremble and the cause is not the dropping temperatures.

“We should go back to town.” Paimon says. “It's getting colder and soon night will fall.”

Not a bad idea, Lumines barely has the strength to nod. The weakness and heat around her have just incremented in the past hours. Still she still insists to ignore the wrongness of it all.

After all her strength, while still far from her original one, has returned to a good extent, there was no reason for it to fail, her elemental energy was high, it was good, that should take care of whatever was wrong with her body.

“Lumine?”

It's too much. The world itself.

The sounds, the breeze, the landscape around her, it all spins uncontrollably, it unfocuses and blurs.

Behind her the waves hit against the shore, the birds flying all around, her own heartbeat, a massive cacophony that brings unbearable pain. 

The world spins, and spins. Her strength leaves her. Just like a puppet with its strings cut, she collapses against the ground.

“Lumine!” 

First sitting, then laying down, there’s no strength left in her body.

Paimon is screaming, maybe already crying, her fear is palpable.

It’s too much, the world around her, the heat suddenly becomes a cold that bites her to the bone, her lungs refuse to expand, she can do nothing more than to stay there on the ground, trembling, unable to breath, the pain far too much.

It all becomes so clear, the wrongness in her, it’s not really about what was inside her, it was never about the elemental energy that she required, it was her body itself, it’s far too little, too weak compared to the energy and power she now possesses.

The wet sand clings to her body, the cold is now unbearable, her head still feels like it’s about to explode, no noise even leaves her mouth, she’s far too weak for even that.

Paimon is doing something, digging in desperation through their bag, determination and fear both firmly pleased inside her eyes.

The world has stopped spinning, the static is louder, her head splitting in two.

It's dark.

***

When she wakes up on that third day, the undeniable truth forcing itself on her, she can no longer deny it, she’s sick.

The light is too much, her eyes hurt, her head hurts, her hands tremble, and she’s so cold.

She's sick.

Ridiculous. Impossible even.

Or at least should be.

If she had the strength and if her lungs weren’t once again fighting to take in air she would probably let out a rather condescending laugh.

She closes her eyes.

***

Someone wakes her up, they call her name and their hands shake her with gentleness, a weak and barely audible whimper is the only thing she manages to produce, fortunately it seems to be enough to whoever is out there, the hands leave her shoulders.

There’s low noise, probably calling out to her, she slowly takes a deep breath, as her lungs expand the sharp pain assaults her, still she needs the air.

She makes no attempt to sit up, but finally and slowly she dares to open her eyes, and the only thing she sees is Paimon, the little Pixie all over her face, Lumine says nothing, can’t, and if Paimon says something she doesn’t hear her.

Lumine closes her eyes, her headache still present, she squeezes her eyes in pain, after some seconds she dares to open them again, Paimon has taken some distance, still close to her but not millimeters away from her like before.

From the corner of her vision she sees the door closing, whoever was also in the room with them just leaving. 

Now that she can hold her eyes open for more than mere seconds she finally starts to take in her surroundings. Quickly she realizes where she is, inside one of the Teapot realms.

More specifically her personal realm, one where until recently only Paimon and her had access. Well, at least until now.

The door of her room opens again and in comes the third inhabitant of the place.

Former Second of the Fatui Harbingers, Il Dottore.

***

She remembers well the night where she found him again, mere weeks after their clash. Since the beginning she had her suspicions, but she had no way of proving them as truth or mere paranoia.

Unknowingly to her, their encounter had been possible thanks to the newly reinstated Moon Goddess, for amongst the limitations she lifted, one amongst them was the one that had cut communication between Lumine and the stars.

And while a conversation was still not possible between them, sometimes Lumine could hear them whisper, when before only static could be found.

And so when one night she stated her suspicions aloud, and the stars answered with giggles and laughter she received her answer. And so her search began.

And just mere days later, in an inconspicuous small island west of Kipumaki Cliff, she found it. A well hidden entrance to a subterranean construction.

She remembers all the details, how the temperature changed to a comfortable warmth once she entered, she remembers Paimon’s fear as they walked down the long corridors, their previous experience back in the abandoned bunker in Wavechaser Plain fresh on the Pixie’s mind.

She remembers the mess all around the place, the rooms full of scattered papers and books, tables and chairs flipped over, the place barely standing, some rooms no longer having energy, the lights off and the darkness hiding who knows what is in there.

And finally in the center of all of it she found him.

The door opened, and she found no resistance when she entered, his eyes were already on her, obviously waiting.

He looked different, his long hair from where he transformed into the False Moon God remained, but the clothes he wore were more similar to the ones he had when she met him back in Sumeru. Thrown carelessly over a chair was his feathered shoulder cape, the metal bird head ornament gave the illusion that it was also looking directly at her.

He wore no coat, and no cravat, a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up revealed that while his right arm appeared to be of flesh and bone, the left one was of a color blue and with patterns that reminded her of circuits.

He didn’t have a mask on, but one similar to the one he wore in Sumeru but with blue patterns lay over one of the tables.

Red eyes the color of fresh blood observed her.

Hiding behind her, with her hands holding tight to her back, and peeking over her shoulder Paimon trembled. Was it in fear or anger?

Lumine’s left hand moved to her back to offer comfort to her companion, and finally she addressed her previous enemy.

“Let’s make a deal.”

She said, and weak, powerless, nationless, and branded a traitor the Doctor was left with no other option.

But maybe she was giving him exactly what he wanted all along.

Whatever.

***

Lumine just watches in silence as the Doctor enters her room, he holds a wood tray in his hands, it has a bowl of something and a glass, she can’t see what the liquid is, but it has some herbal smell.

Briefly she closes her eyes and then makes an attempt to sit up, she finds herself unable to, her arms are still too weak and just trying to lift her torso leaves them trembling. 

Before she collapses back again on the mattress strong hands are already taking hold of her and lifting her so she can sit, Paimon moves quickly behind her and starts fixing the pillows against the headrest, her back resting comfortably on the gift mound.

Lumine puts one of her hands over Dottore’s shoulder and uses him as support to finally sit comfortably.

In her new position her first breaths still cause some pain when her lungs expand, but soon now that she is no longer curled in herself the pain gradually leaves.

Seeing as she will no longer collapse he removes his hold on her and turns to pick at the tray he brought, at the same time Paimon goes to lay over Lumine’s lap.

Lumine lets her hand pet Paimon’s head mindlessly, the little girl soaking in the affection, there’s a slight tremble in the pixie’s shoulders and when she looks up at Lumine, the Traveler can see the clear tear paths on Paimon’s face.

“Paimon.” Lumine says softly, and that’s enough for the tears to start falling down Paimon's eyes once again.

“Paimon, Paimon was really worried!” Her little hands clench in trembling fists. “You, you said you were all right. You promised Paimon you were alright. And then you just collapsed, and, and no matter what Paimon did you just weren’t getting up!”

The tears are free flowing, sobs and whines filling the room, all the noise doesn’t really help with her splitting headache, but that is nothing in the face of her child’s distress.

“I’m sorry.” It’s the only thing that she can say, but it seems like the genuine regret in her voice is enough to calm the girl down, and soon the tears stop.

“Please,” Paimon says as she looks Lumine directly into her eyes, "Promise you won't ever do something like that again! If you feel bad please promise to tell Paimon, no matter how minor it is?”

Lumine’s hand moves from Paimon’s hair to wipe away her tears.

“I promise.” 

For some seconds Paimon can only stare at Lumine, but then she just nods. “Paimon will take your word. It was really scary and Paimon doesn’t want that to happen again”

The more she talks the little girl soon leaves behind her worry and her normal self resurfaces again.

“But the worst part was that Paimon had to get him because Paimon couldn’t do it by herself!”

Her short arm points towards Dottore’s direction, pudgy hand closed in a fist except for one finger pointed in an accusatory manner towards the man.

As it was common Dottore simply paid no mind to the child’s antics and instead simply moved to sit down on a chair that had been positioned at her bedside.

Not one to enjoy being ignored, Lumine could see how Paimon was ready to start something bigger to get the man’s attention, usually she wouldn’t mind their antics, but right now she wasn’t in the mood nor form to see the usually really loud spectacle.

“Thank you so much Paimon, that must have been really hard to do.” Praise being thrown at her Paimon quickly once again diverges her attention to Lumine. “How long was I out?”

Hopefully the change of topic will completely diverge Paimon’s attention from Dottore’s more recent slight against her.

“Three whole days. And not once did you wake up. Paimon was afraid that you would sleep for a long time like before you rescued her.”

Oh, it, when it was put that way, she really did mess it up big this time, didn’t she?

“I’m really so sorry for scaring you like that Paimon. I can’t promise that I won’t get sick again, but I can promise you that I won't go to sleep for a long time ever again.”

It’s a heavy admission, being able to fall sick, and to know that she will inevitably repeat it, but, maybe next time if she doesn’t ignore the signals the consequences won’t be as dire.

She can feel his heavy stare over her, but for the moment Paimon is still her priority.

“And next time the moment I start to feel even a little bit off I will tell you and stop to rest, okay? I promise, no matter how minor it is.”

With her exhaustion slowly leaving her, and some of the pain gone Lumine is able to take in more things than before, one of those being the clear exhaustion on the Pixie’s face, slight dark eyebags, and droopy eyes.

Before Paimon can even say anything back, Lumine picks her up from her lap and swaddles her in her arms, putting Paimon’s head to rest against her right shoulder, (looking contrary to where Dottore is), and then she slightly presses the girl against her in a firm hug, her right hand petting the girls hair in slow motions. It doesn’t take long before the little one succumbs to her exhaustion and falls deeply asleep. 

Then she turns to her left and finally addresses the man. He has that look in his eyes, the one when he is coming to some conclusion for the first time, and so he has to profoundly dissect it.

“She barely slept for the past three days, you know.”

“I see.” It’s the only thing she can say back. Her hand keeps offering comfort to the girl even if she’s asleep.

“She must have been rather difficult to deal with.” While the hostility that Paimon felt towards the man had not decreased, a rather big change had occurred the past few months of their interactions, hate became simply irritation. And when she finally saw that Dottore meant no current harm towards Lumine (and maybe he never really did,) she was finally able to stay in the same room as him without an attempt at some fight.

Not that it means things were all sunshine and rainbows but they really were better than before.

“She wasn’t that troublesome, I assure you I have dealt with far more irritating and uncooperative subjects in the past. And once she realized you were getting better she stopped fighting everything I did.”

Disinterest, that’s what many others would call the intentions behind Dottore´s tone, including her some months ago, but now she sees it for what it is, it is simply the way he conducts himself when it comes to situations that are within the parameters of what he deems a part of his daily life.

It is not boredom, nor apathy towards life or other, it’s simply a sureness and firmness in what he does. It's a part of his routine that he has grown comfortable with, that he knows he can manage with no problems.

“Still,” Lumine insists, “even if you say that I know firsthand how intense Paimon can become.” Especially when it comes to her important matters, such as Lumine’s health.

He stays there sitting, and does a minor shrug, arrogance many would call it, Lumine knows better, it’s not about being praised by someone else who he doesn’t consider is at his level, because she knows that’s not the case, and in his own words on the contrary, she was the only one equal to him, the only one who could stand at his side. No it is not arrogance, nor something borne out of it, it was implied that he refused to be praised by something that in his opinion should be expected from him.

After all he accepted her offer, he accepted her deal, and in that it was included that they would help each other in any way or form, and that’s just what he did.

The fact that looking after Paimon’s comfort outside of life threatening situations, went beyond what she expected from him, went unacknowledged. 

“Here”, he says while he brings a spoonful of whatever is in the bowl towards her, “From what she told me the last real meal you had was more than four days ago.”

With her hands busy she can take no hold of the food, so she simply allows herself to be spoonfed.

“It’s good.” She says after the first taste. It’s a simple chicken broth, not a lot of spice, but still more than decent in flavor.

His chest puffs up a little at her praise. It goes unacknowledged. Just like many other little things. Like that time so many months ago when she took notice that he tended to eat more when the meal was a Sumerian one and she just started to make more of them.

Like that time he had claimed he was busy with some projects but still spent two whole days cleaning and organizing the rest of the mansion rooms because the clutter was growing too much for Lumine but commissions were keeping her away from doing it herself.

Just like the fact that there is no need to spoonfeed her, Lumine could just lay Paimon down and feed herself.

But, she would rather hold the girl for a little bit longer and offer her comfort, and he knows it.

She takes bite after bite, and neither of them say more. There’s no need for it, at least for this kind of matters.

***

She finishes the last spoonful and then the only sound to be made is the clatter when he puts the bowl down over the tray.

“All right, spit it out” she says, because she can see the tension over his shoulders, can see the thought running wild around his head.

There is some broth spilling from one of her lips corners, he picks up a napkin and brings it to her face, and if Lumine bends a little bit to help him to clean her? Just another little thing that they will not comment on.

“Had it been anyone else”, he finally says, “I would simply put it down as a case of someone simply,” he takes the napkin away from her now clean face and crumples it in a fist, “lacking a normal amount of foresight.” He throws the napkin into a trash can. “For someone to ignore what their body was so obviously telling them, well, it would be simply idiocy.”

“But that is an adjective I am hesitant to use to describe you. Had it been anyone else, to end up where you currently are, would have been nothing more than the consequences of pure foolishness.”

He stands up, and starts to slowly pace around the room in silent steps. His hands clasped behind his back.

“But, we both know very well that’s not something you are.”

Yeah, naive, yes, he had used that many times when it came to her way of interacting with the world and its ways, gullible had once been used on one rather heated argument, unjaded, far too open, and many other synonyms had come out of his mouth on several occasions. 

And well the rather hurtful time he had called her an alien.

But foolish, never. Her endeavors, yes, her own person. No.

“Many times I have found myself in this same exact scenario, someone who, even if the signs were clear they still were preposterous enough to believe that they would be able to overcome their imminent sickness.”

“Needless to say my opinion of them isn’t a really stellar one.”

He still mindlessly paces around, with that little gait so reminiscent of a crow.

“But in your case. I am giving you the benefit of doubt. Please do think your words carefully for this is not something I tend to do, and my opinion on you can and will change according to what your defense will be.”

He returns to sit on the chair, his heavy gaze lands on her once again.

“Because, if my memory serves me well. And it does. Then, I vividly recall the fact, that in your own words, you once revealed to me that once someone of your species left their infancy behind, then it was simply impossible for any kind of sickness to befall upon them.”

“So with that in mind, tell me then, why is it clearly seen that you have fallen to some sickness, and what is your motive to ignore its roots.”

***

Yes, she remembers well, exactly three weeks into the beginning of their deal, as a consequence of both wielding the power of the Tri-lunar authority, and then having that power used against him, the health of the previous Herald took quite the hit.

He was able to keep his composure at the beginning, but soon all his strength left him and he had no other option than to simply rest and wait it out, and depend on her.

And, it’s not that Lumine was completely ignorant as to how sickness would ravage through other living beings, but she just had never found herself as the caretaker of one.

And while the revelation that she really didn't know how to help him in his current state came at a rather inconvenient point, the revelation that her kind really didn't do the whole, sickness business, (as she had so eloquently put it,) instantly awoke his curiosity and more of his fascination when it came to her unique biology.

And with that, even though he barely had it in him, with a patience Lumine believed him unable to possess he explained in an easy way to understand all that she had to know when it came to sickness in humans and all the care they needed.

Knowledge that she had to put to use in the upcoming days when his state just became worse and worse.

She remembers, remembers the nights she laid sitting on the floor as he did nothing more than sleep, she remembers just observing, taking note of the fall and rise of his chest.

Remembers caressing her face in an attempt at comfort when for hours he wouldn’t wake up and would just dwell deep in his pain and discomfort.

So yes, she remembers well, he does too.

It’s just one of the many little things that have gone unsaid.

***

“To what I have come to understand it’s not exactly a sickness in the traditional sense.”

And so she talks, she explains how and when it all began, she talks about the migraines,and the occasions she felt as if her head was splitting in two. Talks about the feeling of phlogiston first accessing her body and its consequences. She explains the left over instincts of the primordial dragons descenders that she had to fight after indwelling in them. The need to growl, to fight with nothing more than bite and claw.

She describes the pain of her bones changing, of claws and fangs growing and the skin they broke while doing it, she talks about her senses reaching even bigger limits.

“It’s, let's say that there are two parts that I am made of, the physical part, and the spiritual one.”

“As they obviously imply one is of the flesh and bone, and the other is the intangible, the latter is the part that allows me to take hold,and consume  all the elements and other types of energies.”

“In the beginning I believed that as my power grew both parts were doing so in equal measures.”

That would have been the natural thing, just like as the strength grows so does the muscle.

“But that’s not what happened, and instead the physical part for some reason remains stagnant, unable to adapt and change, and now, well, this happened."

With her explanation concluded she diverts her gaze from him, and instead once again puts her attention over her sleeping child. Luckily it seems like Paimon will remain in deep slumber for a while longer. This isn’t really a conversation that Lumine wants her to hear.

“I see.” He says, she throws a quick look at his direction, but as deep in thought as he is he doesn't take notice of her.

“So in conclusion you currently possess more energy than what your body can handle, and so it has presented itself with the same symptoms and any other sickness would in another living being.”

He’s not completely wrong but. “It’s not exactly that I can’t handle it, it’s more about still lacking the parts that would oversee it. After all, even with all the restrictions that have been removed, I’m still unable to call forth my sword, or make my wings appear.”

Curiosity immediately fills his eyes, “Wings?”

“Yes, I used to have them, used a lot of energy as you can imagine.” 

He stands up again and begins to pace back and forth over the room. It's funny to a certain degree how his body reveals the state of his mind, stars know how many theories and ideas are currently being constructed inside that bright mind.

“You also mentioned a sword, I assume I am right in my belief that it wasn't a simple weapon of mundane metal.”

Has he already come with a solution amongst the many things that he has thought over in the past seconds?

“No, it’s a physical manifestation of the intangible power inside me, not a part of my body like a limb or my wings, but still an extension of it.”

An extension that allowed her to release the full potential of her strength, a weapon that allowed her to destroy mountains and colossal beings with just one cut.

“So all of this was caused because your body simply isn't back to its original state, this being by none of the world’s impositions lifted from you, belonging to the ones that limited your physical part.”

If he says something after that, she’s unable to hear it, her headache decides to return at that moment, and once again the world around mutes and blurs.

When she comes back to herself she is laying back once again, Paimon no longer in her arms, and now instead the little Pixie, still in deep slumber, rests comfortably on a couch at the entrance of the room.

“It appears that you are starting to develop a fever.”

His hand rests on her forehead, checking her temperature, did he take off his gloves or did he not have them to begin with?

“I’m gonna have to take your word for it seeing as I currently feel nothing.” There’s no biting chill, nor none of the scorching heat that tormented her before.

There's actually nothing around her. The world barely registers for her.

The touch on her forehead leaves.

“It seems, that just like a human body causing a fever to kill a virus, in order to burn off all the leftover energy you possess your body looks to simulate a scenario where you would have to make use of all of it.”

Battling armies, clashing against gods, travelling for years and years with no end through the stars, that was the kind of thing that before her imprisonment in Teyvat she would be doing.

There were some comparables in this land, but it wasn't exactly like she could just go around battling to her heart’s content. 

“And so the only comparable thing it could find was  to battle against itself?” So inconvenient, annoying and bothersome.

He was saying something more, but the comfort that more sleep promised was strongly calling to her.

With heavy eyelids keeping her eyes open became more of a chore as the seconds passed, to go back to sleep sounded better by the moment.

The pillows were just right, and the bed sheets felt soft over and under her. There was a strand of her hair stuck on the corner of her lips, it was a little bit uncomfortable but she no longer had the energy to move it away.

Not like she needed to anyway, one of his fingers moved over her face delicately to move the offending strand away, and if he aside from that also used the opportunity to caress her face with an almost never seen gentleness?

Well, she simply closed her eyes, finally allowing them the rest they demanded for her.

The last thing she saw was Dottore once again sitting at the chair by the bedside, and taking out a book from somewhere. He didn’t have to, he could move to the desk that sat at the other side of her room, or he simply could go back to the comfort of his room.

There was also his studio, or he could go downstairs to the library.

He didn’t have to stay, not at her side, not on that chair that would quickly become uncomfortable.

Whatever.

She was tired.

She went back to sleep.

***

When Paimon opens her eyes the deep colors of dusk filter gently through the barely open curtains.

To her disappointment she no longer rests alongside Lumine and instead was moved to the couch.

Thinking back to Lumine her worry for a moment comes back and she quickly floats up to hover over her companion.

Luckily it seems that Lumine sleeps peacefully.

This time no whimpers or sounds of discomfort leave her lips, her breath is calm and no longer seems to struggle when she does it.

A blue something from the corner of her vision catches her attention, and when she turns she has to drown the growl of annoyance that wants to leave her throat.

Still sitting on the chair by Lumine’s bedside Dottore remains, but now his upper body rests over the bed, his head hidden between his crossed arms, hair spilling all over him. There’s an open book that has been carelessly dropped on the floor.

Annoyance quickly flicks through Paimon and the thought of waking him up appears.

But.

He sleeps deeply, his body going up and down with his breaths. He looks almost peaceful.

And, Paimon knows he must be tired to a certain extent, after all the past days that Lumine had been sick he had never once left her side for more than mere minutes.

Paimon will let him rest.

The back pain he will no doubt have thanks to the uncomfortable position he holds will be more than payback enough for having to deal with his presence. 

With no more fanfare Paimon leaves the room in silence.

And leaves the two of them to rest in the comfort and presence of each other.