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"You're nearly impossible to find these days. Paimons been asking about you."
Peirro glanced up from his drink, his gaze piercing into Lumine who stands at the edge of the table. She had her arms cross, those distinct golden locks a little messy from what assumed to be a recent trip outside, if the snow currently melting on her was any tell. He taps the edge of his glass absentmindedly.
"Traveler," he nodded in greeting. "I apologize if you've been on a chase for me. My whereabouts arent exactly told to anyone other than the troops I command." He waved stiffly to a seat next to him. "Im simply enjoying the one day I have free. What brings you to me?"
Lumine plops down beside him. If she held any fear of him she certianly never showed it. She waved over a waiter and had herself a drink brought over, sipping at it with a tired sigh. He says nothing, content to simply examine. An easy silence with another was rare these days.
"Like I said, Paimons been asking for you." Lumine glanced at him. Her lips turned in a small smile that he didn't know what to make of.
Paimon. The little ray of sunshine that fit well with this traveler… he suppose its been a while since he last saw her in the armory. But why would she be asking for him if shes completely content with Lumine here?
"She wanted me to find you and ask if you're able to spend time with her. Apparently she really wants to dig up her memeories… or at least thats what she told me." Lumine tsked. Shaking her head.
Pierros brows furrow in quiet concern. "You mean shes hiding something from you?"
Lumine glanced at the stairs, presumably thinking of her temporary room with paimons upstairs. Now that hes thinking of it, Paimon must be up there if she isn't here with Lumine. "Shes… a child, Pierro. Surely you know a child can only handle so much? I didn't realize how much shes really been through until she started talking about our adventures last night, she was listing them. Fighting gods, traveling, no stable home that never changes." Lumine sinks a little in her seat. "Watching me struggle…? I think… she may be hoping for stability in you."
Pierro says nothing. His expression steady.
Lumine shifted, her expression turning uncertain. "I know thats a lot to put on you. But, Paimon means so much to me and I cant stand to see her struggle-"
"Have her meet me here. I," Pierro takes a deep breath, his eyes roaming the establishment, not used to this type of conversation. "I cannot promise she will feel any different afterwards. I am not exactly 'fatherly', Traveler."
Lumine lights up, sitting straighter and smiling wider than hes ever seen. Its charming.
"Thank you Pierro sir! I'll go fetch her!"
He watched as she practically stumbled over feet, racing up the stairs. It left him alone once more and hes surpsised that the absence of Lumine presence felt so stark. So much so that he turned his gaze to look where she sat seconds ago, imagining how she sat. The shape of her lips. Her hair messy and begging to be fixed.
How odd. Hes much too old to be entertaining such a thought.
Pierro put the thought out of his mind and switched his drink for a non alcoholic one. They were lucky they didn't catch him four or more drinks in, otherwise he would've made a drunken walk back to his bed early.
๋࣭ ⭑⚝
"Pierro!"
Piamon came shooting down the stairs in a trail of glitter, nearly knocking down a worker passing by. Lumine apologize on her behalf, following a few steps behind the child.
"Evening Paimon- mmph!"
Pierro grunts as the tiny thing collided into him, wrapping her arms around his neck since the rest of him was under more layers than recommend for a hug. He froze. What an odd reaction from the child… he met Lumines gaze and she only gave a shy shrug, motioning to Paimon.
Pierro sighs, patting the little girls back half heartedly before he pulls back, eyeing her. "Yes. Well, I wasn't expecting such an intense greeting. I've been told you are feeling unwell?"
"Paimon 'feeling unwell'?" She repeats, hands going to her hip as she whirls onto Lumine, glaring. "What did you tell him!?"
"Exactly what you told me!" She exclaimed, already walking ahead. "C'mon! No time to waste!"
So, Paimon didn't want him to know she was struggling. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as the pair made their way to the door. For a tiny creation of celestia, she wasn't like the gods. Her child like nature made her endearing despite her origins… it was almost enough to make him feel bad for ignoring her when he first got her. Even if it wasn't intentional.
The Snezhnayan chill greets them as they make their way out together. Paimon floats closer to Pierro, which looks odd from his perspective. Everytime he looks down, he could see the top of Piamons head and her fidgeting fingers. Lumine walked ahead of them, seemingly giving them space but having no intention of leaving the girl with him alone for now. He doesn't blame her. After he stole her once its only natural to be wary of him.
"So, Paimon was surpised to hear you agreed to meet her. She hopes its not interrupting you of any super duper important buisness!"
"On the contrary. I was having myself a drink when your travel companion sought me out." Pierro corrected, his steps heavy and sure. "She tells me you have been through much."
Paimon chuckles shyly, scratching her head. "Well. Yeah! Paimon and Lumine have been to so many nations and places. It makes Paimons head spin thinking about it all! Sometimes…. well, Sometimes…" She sniffled, which caught Pierros attention immediately.
Lumine had wandered into a bookstore they had mindlessly walked over too the second she heard Paimon sniffle, which stumped Pierro at first. Then he realized she was giving them a moment together, and she could likely see them through the window. Paimon and Pierro stay infront of the store front window, watching themselves in the reflection. However he noticed Paimons eyes werent on herself.
He follows her gaze in the reflection and realized she was watching a couple children play in the snow. Two adults who linger nearby and three kids of various ages.They ball up snow into their gloved hands and lean back…
Then launched their attack. The older boy shouts as hes knocked down with a perfect headshot. They'd make a great fatui officer.
Paimon sniffles again. Shaking her head. "Sorry. Paimon doesn't mean to cry but she… shes never felt this familiar feeling before when it comes to you Pierro sir. It felt, old. Natural. Which makes no sense because you told Piamon you ignored her so why does she still care?" She rubs her eye. "Its been on her mind since the armory situation."
Watching her cry felt wrong. Her tiny cheeks were rosy from the cold, her small breaths fogging the air in choked puffs. Pierro wasn't experienced in this front. Hes dealt with the sadness that eventually blooms from chaos and calamity but when faced with a child who is ultimately, a little soul with no rhyme or reason without someone by her side, he feels a need to try something.
"I seem to remember a past conversation with the Knave, Arlechinno, when she began her work involving children. You know of Freminet yes? And the other two siblings?"
Paimon peeked up at Pierro from behind her hand. Her eyes red rimmed and her voice wobbly. "Oh! Lyney and Lynette! Piamon met them in Fontaine."
Pierro hums. "Well, they came from essentially unstable enviorments. Nothing was certian for them. Their next meal could take days or hours, they fought off threats themselves, and they were not certian if they'd wake up the next day unharmed. Or so the Knave tells me." He shifted to face the street. It was lively out here. Fae wander with arms intertwined with another, the faint conversation of souls living filling the space. The children playing in the snow squeal. "She also told me that they broke into tears when they found themselves feeling truly protected for the first time in years."
Paimon wrings her hands. "They did?"
He nods. "You, Paimon, have seen things that a child shouldn't have too. And while you are strong, like Lyney and his siblings, safety could mean many things. They were recruited into the fatui yet felt protected within its harsh confines. And you? You found a piece of yourself. For someone whos memeories were taken, and therefore forced to wander the world aimlessly, seeing me must feel like a life line. Reassurance of your place in this world. Am I wrong?"
Paimon paused to consider his words, floating close enough to brush shoulders. Ultimately, much to his relief, she nodded. "Paimon felt less like a mystery when she found out her origins." She laid a hand over her chest. "You… you never took care of me but you feel important to Paimon. And she loves the traveler but, I just… oh," she wipes her eyes.
Pierro sighs. He can't expect her to vocalize her struggles clearly this young, but he knows well enough shes struggling. He reached a hand from his coat to brush a tear off her cheek and pat her back. "Put it aside for now. The world can wait to be figured out. For now, be a child, thats all required of you."
He noticed the kids once more, nudging her. "Why don't you start by asking them to play? I need to find where the Traveler wandered off too."
Paimon gasped. Spinning in a circle of her own stars, searching for Lumine. "Where is she!? Paimon never saw her leave!"
"Right here!"
Pierro turned to see Lumine stepping out the book store with an armful of books, grinning proudly. That smile again… Charming.
"Look Paimon! I found the rest of that detective series you liked!" Lumine beams, stopping by Pierro and fumbling with the books. She yelped when they went tumbling, her her boot slipping on ice.
Pierro caught them easily, taking half the stack for himself with a huff. "I was just telling Paimon here she should play with the children. We can wait nearby for a while."
Paimon giggles excitedly. "Yup! Paimon wants to throw some snow balls! And then, she can get all cozy later and read all these books. Thank you Traveler!"
Lumine blinks, watching the tiny girl zoom off to ask the children if she could join them. Whatever she was thinking, Pierro was sure those gears were working. "I see she's back in high spirits again? Seems she really did just need time with you."
Pierro huffed quietly, setting the books on a nearby bench where he gently guides Lumine to sit by the small of her back. No sense in letting her slip again, he still needs her to watch over Paimon after all. "She is a resilient child. No doubt on that. For all shes endured, being such a bright soul is an achievement even I can admire."
Lumine quirked an eyebrow up at him. "You sound almost fond, Jester."
Pierro paused. Was she teasing him? He looked down at the traveler, once again finding himself drinking the details he often found himself lingering on. Her eyes sparkle with mischief. He cleared his throat.
"As I've said before, she is worthy of protection. Even if it means from her own mind."
"Aww, sweet." Lumine said it with all the honesty in the world.
No wonder his co workers took a liking to her. Or perhaps they were all used to reading between the lines.
Against his better judgment, he found himself sitting beside her, the books she bought set to the side. He noticed her shiver, goosebumps appearing on her flawless skin. Without thinking much of it, he opened his coat by lifting his arm and offering her a spot within it closer to himself.
"You should know better than to be so exposed in this weather." He scolds softly.
She hesitated for only a second before shyly scooting to close the gap and settle beside him. He lowered his arm, resting it slowly on her shoulder, unsure if it was okay to be so familiar with her. Luckily Lumine doesn't voice any complaints. Her amber eyes were fixed on Paimon across the street now laughing along with the others children, filled with worry but love as well. Something in his chest feels oddly warm.
"I hope shes okay. It worries me when shes unhappy," Lumine mumbled.
"As long as she has you, I feel as though she will be okay." Pierro replied quietly. He was coming to enjoy the easy feeling between them.
"And you too, remember? You may not have cared for her back then, but I think you've changed your mind." Lumine laughed softly, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.
He swallowed. Shes… Lovely. The wind tugs at her hair, though also chills her. He tightens his grip.
"We'll see about my schedule allowing more time for the girl. I cannot promise much." He was a busy man. But if he felt this at ease with them everytime they meet, then it could be worth the trouble of making time for them.
He sighs, turning his eyes to Paimon. By the looks of it, watching the traveler fight all these years seemed to be paying off as she dodged and darted away from rouge snow balls expertly. Her giggles ring through the street with other children who were out of breath. The biggest smiles on their rosy faces.
This was a world he sought to protect alongside the Tsaritsa and her grand ambitions.
It was worth every second.