「スネージナヤでまた会う日まで」
【直到在至冬再次相遇那天】
The chilly air of Liyue Harbor catches Lumine by surprise; she expects the weather to be warm and cozy, as the brightness of the sun causes her to squint and shield her eyes from its rays. Instead, the breezes carry a whiff of the salty ocean as she approaches the port, and she instinctively brings her arms closer to her body— ah, this won't do; if the ocean breeze was enough to make her shiver, then how would she ever survive in Snezhnaya?
Her golden orbs survey the landscape in search for a certain ginger-haired Harbinger; the crowds don't make her job any easier, but the last thing Childe does is blend into the background. No, no, Mr. Tartaglia brings the spotlight with him; he clearly favors being front and center — isn't the havoc he caused to Liyue enough proof?
Ah, there he is. Standing at the edge of the port was none other than the eleventh Harbinger, and Lumine regards his figure from afar; with his athletic build and golden proportions, Tartaglia could be a model if he weren't working as a bloodthirsty killer for the Tsaritsa. His height contrasted greatly with her own petite figure (of course, she isn't short; she's just a delicate flower, you know? Sit still, look pretty in her day-to-day life, take names, kick ass when the situation called for it). Admittedly, his handsome features and long legs could've made Lumine swoon, but the fact that he was associated with the Fatui and that he literally could've killed her in battle was somewhat of a turnoff.
Any attempt of a sneak attack or a surprise was proven to be futile when Tartaglia turns around as soon as she approached him. Damn you and your battle instincts, Lumine curses under her breath as she walks up to him.
"Ah, Lumine," Tartaglia says, his usual playful tone lingering in his voice. "What, did you miss me?"
"If you're going to be so full of yourself, then I'm going to go back," Lumine retorts, well aware that her cheeks were flushing red.
Tartaglia, however, only laughs good-naturedly. "Kidding, kidding," he says. "I'm glad you came to send me off. The ship for Snezhnaya leaves today in less than an hour, and I have to say, I can't wait to be home."
"I'm sure the entirety of Liyue would be more than happy to know of your departure."
"Come on, Lumine, must you be so cold?" Tartaglia jokes. "I know I'm leaving soon, so you don't have to prepare me for the weather of my home, you know?"
She looks away into the distance, at the vast sea that seemed to extend for eternity. Within a matter of days, she too would be embarking on a journey to a new place — Inazuma, an island nation that was to be her next destination. She's heard a few things here and there about the place, but much of it is still a mystery to her, and she shivers in anticipation.
That, however, would mean that she would not be seeing Tartaglia for a while, as Snezhnaya would come after Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan… So many places to travel to, yet Tartaglia would not be at any of them. Over the last few weeks, she had grown accustomed to his joking tone and their playful banter, and if she had to admit it, she was going to miss him a little. Just a little bit, you know?
"Are you excited?" Lumine asks, staring off at the horizon.
"Definitely," Tartaglia laughs. "I can't wait to see my siblings again. I have to make sure Teucer got back safely, you know — I'm still a little worried about him. Tonia and Anthon are going to pester me for stories about my travels, and although I'll have to make up a story, my experiences and feelings will not be feigned."
"Is that so…"
"Ah, but do not worry," he smirks, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I'll be sure to include you in my stories, Lumine. After all, you might be the most important discovery of my journey, and I'd love to tell my family more about you before they meet you."
Lumine looks away, her cheeks growing hot at his words. Seriously, does he have any idea about the implications of his words? Were Snezhnayan men all so flirtatious, or was this a Tartaglia special? She can't see through him, and frustrating as it was, it might be a little charming at times.
"How are you going to introduce me?" Lumine asks, hands on hips as she recalls their first encounter as well as their fight at the Golden House. "A traveler you met while you tried to destroy all of Liyue for Rex Lapis's Gnosis?"
"Oh, there are many possible cover stories," Tartaglia says. "Maybe someone I had to do business with as a toy manufacturer? Or someone I met and bonded over dinner with? Or perhaps… My girlfriend?"
Tartaglia laughs at Lumine's reddened cheeks, and the latter is rendered speechless. What does this man think he's saying? Certainly, he isn't dense enough that his words meant nothing; no, he knows exactly what he's doing. Damn you, Childe.
"Funny joke," Lumine pouts and folds her arms over her chest as she speaks. "It's not good to lie to children."
Tartaglia simply laughs it off. "Don't worry about that," he says. "Where are you headed off to next, Traveler?"
"Inazuma," she replies, sighing. "It's an isolated island-nation, so getting in would be somewhat of a struggle. Captain Beidou will be helping us get there, but who knows what will be waiting ahead for me?"
"Must be tough."
"Anything for Aether, though," Lumine's tone becomes subdued as she recalls her last encounter with her brother, the unexpected realization that he was working for the Abyss Order. It hurt, god it hurt when she saw him — did he feel the same way? Did he want to be reunited with her as much as she wanted to be with him? Or did he forget about her in these fleeting years, realizing that he no longer needed her by his side?
"I understand." To her surprise, Tartaglia's voice drops low with a sort of sympathy and emotion she almost didn't expect from him. "If one of my siblings went missing, I'd do the same; I'd betray the whole world just to find them, even the Archons. I really hope you find your brother soon."
"Thanks…" His compassion and understanding surprises Lumine as she slowly stares at him. As the Eleventh of the Harbingers, Childe is a lethal weapon of war, unpredictable and powerful. But this man standing in front of her seems to be different — he's considerate, he's caring, and moreover, he loves his family and cherishes them more than anything else. She thought she had an understanding of his character, but now, she isn't so sure — the label of "ruthless killer" that she slapped onto her mental image of Tartaglia now became disintegrated, replaced with "adrenaline junkie" instead.
"Introduce me to your brother when you find him again," Tartaglia smiles. "I'd love to meet him."
"I almost forgot — Teucer said you wrote about me in your letters," she says, reminded of her conversation with the little boy. "He said you might even want to take a break from work and join me in my travels."
At this, Tartaglia seems a little flustered — wait, is he blushing? For the first time, he averts his gaze and is unable to meet her eyes, and Lumine's heart flutters at this sudden sign of weakness from the mighty Tartaglia.
"He doesn't know what he's saying," Tartaglia attempts to wave it off and change the subject. "Teucer's still a child, you know."
"But children don't lie."
Tartaglia stays silent, visibly conflicted. "Well, yes," he admits after a long pause. "You seem to be… not of this world. You fascinate me, and I'm interested in your travels, but even more so you."
Don't fall for his words, Lumine tells herself. He doesn't mean them in the way you think he does. So instead she laughs in response to his words and ignores the heat rushing to her face. "Then Paimon better make room for another companion," she says.
"Speaking of which, where is your little floating partner today?" Tartaglia looks around as he speaks. "It's rare that she's absent."
"I left her at Wanmin Restaurant; Xiangling offered to make a feast, and you know Paimon can't resist that." Lumine smiles to herself and shakes her head as she recalls Paimon's excited screams and pleading eyes as Xiangling made her offer.
"I see," Tartaglia says. "Both of you are welcome to visit my home in Snezhnaya; I'll be the best host you'll ever meet."
"I'll remember that."
"Why don't we have a duel before I leave?" Tartaglia smiles proudly. "I won't be able to fight with someone as intriguing as you for a while; I'll certainly miss it."
"Here? Now?" Lumine raises an eyebrow at the madman in front of her. "I think I'll pass."
"Truly a shame; ah, you've broken my heart by refusing my offer."
"Who said I refused?" Lumine smirks; she'll give him exactly what he wants. "I'll get stronger during my journey, and so will you during our time apart. And when we finally reunite in Snezhnaya, I will floor you without a doubt. In the meantime, please wait for your future defeat, Mr. Tartaglia."
He's visibly surprised, and after that initial shock, Tartaglia displays a mixture of emotions Lumine couldn't really decipher. He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out; perhaps she's floored him already.
"Really, you fascinate me more and more as time goes by," Tartaglia murmurs. "How do you do this, Lumine?"
"I have no idea, but thank you for the high praise."
"At this rate, I'm going to fall in love with you— no, I've already fallen in love with you."
Lumine freezes in her tracks at his words. "That's not a funny joke," she says, looking away. He's always like this, always playing around and never serious, and she's fuming at the thought of him making a joke about this sort of topic.
"Who said I was joking?"
His tone is gentle, unwavering, with a hint of repressed amusement. She stares at him in shock, searching within the depths of his eyes for some sort of indication of the truth. He stares back at her, looking at her so fervently that the heat rushes back to her face. She never realized how blue his eyes are, almost reminiscent of the starconches she often saw on the beaches of Yaoguang Shoal. What exactly went through that mind of his? — was he simply teasing her, or perhaps… was he telling the truth?
"I—"
In the distance, a horn blows loudly, signalizing the upcoming departure of the ship for Snezhnaya. Tartaglia breaks their eye contact and looks off into the distance, and Lumine sees a wistful smile on his face as he looks back at her. He reaches forward for her hand, and as his fingertips touch hers, he pulls them up to his lips and presents her with a light kiss, like the touch of a butterfly landing daintily on her fingers. When he looks up at her again, he's got this proud, mischievous smile on his face as he stares at Lumine's flustered face.
"I have to go," he says. "Until we meet again, in Snezhnaya."
Lumine opens her mouth to respond, but shock and embarrassment represses all the thoughts she wished to word. He was an idiot, god, an ABSOLUTE IDIOT, but she made no effort to escape from his grasp.
Tartaglia grips her fingers a little tighter, and he crouches down, his mouth centimeters away from her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, and their proximity and his presence… oh, it sent shivers down her spine. When he speaks again, his voice drops to an absolutely charming whisper:
"Next time, call me 'Ajax.'"
He pulls away before Lumine has any opportunity to respond, and with a final smile and wave, he walked off towards the ships. As she stares at his retreating figure, Lumine's mind reeled in an attempt to process what had just happened. A million questions formed within her head, but she pushed them away as she headed back into the city. What was that? Was he always so charismatic, or did she just fall in love? How did he really feel about her? Moreover, how did she feel about him?
She'd just have to find out when they meet again, in Snezhnaya.