Chapter Text
Lumine’s had an exhausting week.
She didn’t know whether to blame that on her soul or the training. Between the pieces of her ripped away, Skirk’s story, and the training, she’s wiped. And honestly, she’d been trying not to think, this week.
Either way. She’d been trying to go about her usual commissions and duties just the same as usual.
That includes her going to spar with Childe whenever he was in town.
Honestly, it’s been a while, though. What with everything that happened to him in Fontaine, he wasn’t fully up to it, and even when he had been, she’d been going easy on him.
He knew it, too.
She was expecting more of the same when she showed up to their usual spot, just south of the Golden House. (Unfortunately, reliving their original fight would be a danger to the building and the mora within. After the first time, they’d gotten a serious talking to about it from Ningguang.)
But instead, he was bouncing lightly on his feet. Hydro slid down the length of his cape-scarf thing, and radiated from his spear. He must be finally feeling better.
“Hey, comrade!” Childe grinned.
“You’re still not dead? Hm, guess I’ll need to fix that.” Lumine joked, drawing her sword.
“Now, now, I’ll be the one defeating you today. I’m up for it, I swear.” Childe said.
That was all well and good, but Lumine wasn’t sure she was up for it. She said nothing of the sort, though.
She just spun her sword, prepared for battle.
———-
Swing blade. Duck. Twirl. Right slash. Spin. Down slash. Hydro blast. Dendro follow-up.
Swing. Duck. Slash. Spin. Flurry of blows.
Swing. Slash. Spin.
Swing. Slash. Spin.
Swing. Slash. Spin.
Swing. Slash. Spin.
“Stop.” Childe’s voice rang out loud and clear. Lumine paused. He was standing several feet away, staring at her. “What are you fighting? I’m over here.”
Darn. She’s unfocused and lost herself in the movements again.
“Well, you know, had to practice and make sure my strikes wouldn’t actually take you out, they’re too powerful.” Lumine covered.
His eyes narrowed the slightest millimeter, then brightened again. “I’d like to see you prove it!” He launched at her again, forcing her onto the defensive, ducking then rolling away from him. She barely dodged a swipe from a bubbling blade. Wha- he wasn’t even using his delusion. Was he taking it easy on her? He better not be, she could handle it.
She swung back viciously, but paused after. Maybe that wasn’t fair. Maybe he wasn’t yet 100% himself. That would also explain in. After all, he’d been affected by his delusion and the abyss in fontaine. Actually, now that she thought about it, did the abyss affect everyone who spent too long in it? Was she affected?
What if she was affected and didn’t even know it? She hadn’t known it when a piece of her soul had been ripped away, after all, not until Skirk had told her about it. Yes, she’d felt off, but that could have been anything. Fatigue. Past bruises. Emotional turmoil. Bad shrimp. A migraine. Her time of the month’s impeding arrival. Exhaustion. A knife in her back.
A knife in her back, like the abyssal shard that had stabbed her, and later Skirk-
Something solid struck her in the back of the neck, and she crumpled to her knees. She yelped, and tried to push herself up. How had he got behind her so fast?
“Stop.” Childe said. He’d put his swords away. Had he just smacked her?
“How do you keep moving so quickly?” Lumine asked, panting with exertion, ignoring him. Why did he want to stop?
“I walked over to you like a normal person. Slowly. You zoned out. Again. And something’s wrong with you. You can’t even get up after a tiny hit.” Childe pointed out.
She was still on the ground. She grumbled, trying to push herself up again.
Her hand slipped on the dew-damp grass, and she crashed back to the ground. This time, she didn’t try and get up.
“I’m not sure I can.” She admitted, quietly.
Childe sighed, and sat next to her. “You’ve seen Master, haven’t you? She took you to the abyss, didn’t she?”
Lumine jolted. “How did you know?”
“You’re losing yourself in battle. I did that too, fresh out of the abyss. Not to mention your sword motions are more advanced. You’re more sure in combat. That’s not the thing that happens overnight, and yet, last I saw you, you were the same as usual. You’re too weak to move, don’t deny it. And there’s this faint aura to you, and it reminds me of the abyss. I don’t understand, though. Why did Master appear to you and not me?”
“It wasn’t like she wanted to. She helped me out in exchange for my help in return.”
“And what could the mightly traveler possibly need from her? Is it why you’re so tired?”
“No, I got better from that, I think.” Lumine said.
“Got better from what?” Childe said, perceptively.
“...You’re too damn perceptive for your own good.” Lumine conceded.
“Little siblings always try to hide when they’re not feeling good. Now spill.” Childe crossed his arms to get the point across.
“Find. Someone stole a chunk of my soul. She helped me get it back, and gave me a couple pointers on my bladework. Happy now?”
“No. one, I still need answers, and two, you still can’t move.”
He stood, swiftly, took two steps towards her, then picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder like she was a rag doll.
She yelped loudly. “What are you doing? Put me down!”
“You need medical attention. At the very least rest. And you need to be healthy in order to answer my questions about master.” Childe explained.
Lumine could’ve fought back. Probably. But she was so tired, and hurting, and right now, she could just absolutely stay put and be totally content.
She really shouldn’t have….. but she ending up dozing most of the way back to Liyue Harbor.