A/N: This is quite random of me, but I recommend that you listen to Continued Story by Hitomi, especially at the forest part scene (ahaha lmao, spoiler). It will give you the "enchanting" vibe while reading it (I guess? Or it's just me? xD). Of course, it is not required, but at the very least, you can imagine Lumine—what tune she sang (?) in that part. Okay, I'll stop with the ramblings. Enjoy~
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[Zhonglumi moments ahead]
It was his fifth encounter with the dream realm.
He did not seem to find it unusual when he found himself waking up in the same place all over again, as it happened every time whenever he started to nod off in the safest confines of his abode. Even so, he could not shake the niggling thought that he had almost ignored throughout the situation.
If this was a dream, then why did he keep on dreaming the same place; with the same companion— no less? Every dream that he had didn't feel repetitive in terms of experience, except for the place and his nameless companion who accompanied him everytime he woke up. If he had to be honest, it no longer feels like a dream anymore. With the current events edging ever closer to reality, he became skeptical as the things that continued to pile up did not add up. He had no idea how a dream worked, and it still perplexed him to the point where he even considered tracking down any of his people to ask about " What dreams are for?"
And the petite woman. Even though he was utterly clueless about her whole persona, he knew she meant no harm. In fact, based on the entire time that they had been together— he gradually started to learn a little about her.
Seeing her personality in various forms in each meeting made him believe that there was a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Morax affirmed inwardly that she was a gentle soul within. She was awfully kind to him, not even questioning his whole existence nor prodding him for answers about where he came from ( even though if she did, it's not like he can even provide her some real good answers; not with the language barrier that hung over them).
Not even when he helped her pick flowers and she noticed the glowing marks on his arms. She only looked at it in wonder, but she didn't even bother to pry; let alone ask him about what it was. She also seemed understanding and quite a chatterbox ( he also noted that she bore good stories that he couldn't help but listen to). And she also smiles a lot.
"You seem curious about the flowers."
Morax's sensitive ears had perked up at the simple question.
"I am," he replied, almost eagerly.
"They are unique, aren't they?" she commented lightly, twirling the flora with a wistful expression painting her youthful face. After a few moments of silence, her eyes found him and smiled. "Do you want to hear another story?"
He didn't have to say anything, nor nod in affirmation as she started to regale him again with another one of her tales.
"Did you know? This flower was created out of a mother's love for her children." she said, "She cultivated this flower by special means to remind her children about their father's existence."
Morax listened attentively, and she continued.
"The children never met their father. They grew up fatherless. He died before they were born." She raised the flower up to her nose, "But even so, they didn't feel lonely at all. Because they still have their mother. Their warm and kind mother who sang them the most beautiful lullabies until they fell asleep, who played with them without minding the mud sullying the ends of her garments made from finest silks. She loved her children that much, and the children loved her back— dearly."
She went silent after that, softly sniffing the flower in her grasp. Somewhat a little bit confused by the sudden silence, he looked at the woman beside him and found himself staring at the view. With her eyes half-lidded, her curled bright lashes fluttered in slow motion— touching the apples of her cheeks everytime she blinked. He was quite mesmerized by the image that she made upon herself. While at the same time, he also felt lost and uneasy.
He saw a lot of beautiful maidens in his prime. From the goddesses above and beneath, he wasn't blind to those unearthly attributes that they possessed. He might offer his honest opinions from time to time about how resplendent they were. But even so, it was not like him to openly admire them. Not even at once have a surprising urge to admire it up close.
But why does the sight of this mysterious woman make him feel the urge to do so?
As if noticing his eyes on her, she looked up at him with a soft smile that didn't even reach her eyes and offered him the flower. Albeit confused, he still received it without a question.
So when she suddenly scooted closer to his side without preamble ( to the point where he could almost feel her warmth and smell her calming flowery scent), he felt himself stiffen in his position like a complete statue. If she noticed something amiss on his slight change of behavior, she chose not to dwell on it as her small hand hovered against his and pointed to the single different color that almost glowed in his palm.
"That single color," she began softly, as if in amazement, "Unusual yet beautiful, isn't it?" She slowly flipped the flower petal to the side, the color slightly changing with the help of light and angle— giving it a darker shade from its original color. "It has a lot of wonders. When you move it in different angles, it changes into different kinds of shade. But iridescence aside, those starlight looking glitters what interests me the most while looking at it."
He wanted to agree with her, but he was too enamored by the look of gentleness of her face up close. And by the second time around, as if she noticed his eyes on her again, she gazed up at him and tilted her head.
"It was said that, aside from her children, this single petal was the only thing that woman admired. Do you want to know why?"
He knew it was pointless to inquire, but he did so anyway. "Why?"
"Because it was the color of her beloved's eyes. It was the only thing she couldn't forget about him. Nothing more." she said with a fond smile, "According to the tales, she loved him greatly and he loved her back as well. They wouldn't have sired the children if they didn't, would they?"
To him, love was a strange concept. He could not say anything about it without calling its existence and significance into question.
But he could only speculate on how it feels to a human. Based on her reaction alone, the way she spoke her tale about a mother's love for her children and her deceased lover..
Then it must be a great thing, he could only muse.
He was too occupied with thinking about mortal feelings such as love and whatnot that he didn't notice the look she was giving him. When he heard a soft chuckle beside him, it was almost an instinct to look over as he regarded her.
Grinning with her head resting on her folded arms on her knees, her golden eyes full of mirth seemed to burrow itself to his gaze. His eyes met hers accordingly, hers full of mirth and wonderment— and fascination? He was not sure. But he was quite inwardly reveling at the beautiful sight— which was the brightness of her eyes alone.
"Now that I have mentioned it, your eyes... They look so bright to look at," she remarked, almost in awe. "They appear to glow, like sun rays, but the color absolutely reminds me of the yellow sunset back home, which I must say was very pretty."
He stared back at her with obvious surprise on his typical stoic countenance. He didn't expect to be told bluntly just like that. Surprising, yes, but it was not unpleasant. Not at all. With his eyes widening in a fraction, thin lips slightly parted in an unbidden-like fashion. Morax was left tongue-tied for some reason, for the first time.
"Hearing that story makes me wonder what is so special about it, but now I seem to understand it by looking at your eyes alone. If I were her, if there was any chance I could create something like a memento from that person, I would have done the same too."
His ears were not playing tricks on him. He heard her right, and he was not imagining it. Everything around him had dimmed to the point where he could not see anything anymore— except for one certain thing. Only those beseeching eyes was the only thing he could look at, that seemed to carve on his very soul.
"You have the same kind of eyes. They glowed and were interesting to look at," she smiled, not taking her gaze away from him. "I used to think my brother had the brightest eyes of all, but not even his can compete with yours. Interesting, isn't it?"
As the moment he fluttered his eyes open, her familiar voice was the first thing that he picked up. Blinking slowly in a few beats, his bleary vision started to adjust gradually until her very face appeared— hovering above his with a cheeky smile. The comical sight confused him but he stared back anyways, unmoving. "You're finally awake." she said almost cheerfully, as if the sight of him being awake made her happy somehow.
He grunted as he drew himself to a sitting position, his gaze fixed on the woman beside him. He was at a loss for words with her this time. Not with the bold comment that she tossed at him regarding his eyes. He could still vividly remember how stupefied he was, that he couldn't even utter a single word after her unexpected declaration. The Lord of Geo was rendered speechless— by a casual remark, no less.
"Waiting for you to wake up took a little bit longer this time. I guess you are tired?"
"..."
Seemingly used by his silence, she stood up from her position and stretched her slender arm to offer her hand.
Morax blinked slightly at the gesture, as he stared at it for a couple of seconds until she wiggled her palm in front of him, encouraging— as if she was asking him to take her hand without questioning it.
After a few moments of deliberation over whether or not to accept it, he finally relented as his huge palm found hers. She drew him to his feet by tugging on his hand, and he complied without saying anything. If he was surprised at the show of power she exerted by her small body alone, he didn't show it as he only followed the woman's trail— wondering where she was going to take him this time.
He couldn't help but flit his eyes at their connected hands. His hand was a stark contrast to hers; who seemed to dwarf her own with intricate gold linings on the back of his palm, whereas hers paled in comparison with a hand as white as snow.
Before he could jump to many questions and admire studiously the sight of his hand being held by a mortal ( for the first time)— she stopped moving and he followed, halting beside her with enough respectable space between them.
Somewhat curious, his amber orbs scanned the area with imploring eyes. He noticed they stopped at a mouth of some forest, filled with green shrubs and huge tall trees beyond that almost seemed to overshadow them both.
Frowning, Morax was a little bit skeptical. The place didn't look safe to him. While he was confident about his battle prowess whether armed or unarmed; just looking at the harmless woman in front of him made him hesitate.
What if something went wrong and he was too late to protect her? He couldn't summon his element, let alone even summon his weapon at this instance.
"Do you trust me?" she suddenly asked, softly.
The question made him halt from his musings. She was looking at him intently and he did the same. He does not trust anyone, let alone humans. He was always of the opinion that it was far better to trust no one but oneself. But looking at her like this, with such anticipation lighting up her golden eyes was a challenge to his personal beliefs.
How could he outright reject or give her a negative response when she was being nice enough to ask him if he trusted her?
To both of them, the period of silence felt like an eternity. But, before he could reconsider what he was about to do; in response to her question, he gently squeezed her hand.
He had no idea why, but the simple gesture suddenly felt right to him.
Offering him a warm smile, she adjusted her grip on his hand and squeezed back. She was quick to understand the meaning of his gesture, and that made him thankful enough. And now, she began to move once again with him in tow, hand in hand, walking towards the unknown.
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Morax felt foolish for being so wary earlier with her intentions.
She took him to a majestic place where he could only witness the beautiful scenery with bated breath and smell the pleasant scent of petrichor and earth. As they ventured hand in hand, they came to a halt in front of a clear pool filled with floating Qingxin-like flowers, with a lively gushing small waterfall not far from where they stood.
For him, it was a perfect haven for those who like nature and peace—who likes to connect with it and to bask in its comfort. It was a kind of place that he wouldn't mind visiting everyday in his spare time to indulge in silence.
"This is my second favorite spot," she turned her head and smiled, "I am glad you trusted me enough to let me bring you in here. It makes me happy."
When she suddenly let go of his hand, he simply watched her trot with small upbeat steps on the smooth rocks all the way to the pool. She looked so carefree this way, he noted inwardly. Her white flowing dress skirt billowed behind her like a curtain, with the motion itself almost flashing him a good amount of flesh that would entice any kind of man in his position. With a grace that was so perfect that he couldn't help but admire at a distance, she began to hum a familiar tune and did a graceful twirl with her arms outstretched.
This woman blended well with nature, as if her very being was solely made to be meld with it.
The more he stared at her like this, the more he got fascinated by her unending charisma.
He almost felt like he was looking through a goddess. A goddess from another world who was far beyond his grasp.
"Is it me, or does Rex Lapis seem unnaturally chipper nowadays?"
Guizhong automatically turned her head towards the stoic god who was sitting alone at their table— with a scroll, ink and a brush in hand. Her eyes followed the gracefulness of his wrist as he moved his brush. He did it with such finesse that she couldn't help but admire the movement at a far.
"He is," she agreed.
"Did something happen between the two of you?" Cloud Retainer asked nonchalantly.
Slightly flustered, Guizhong shook her head as she waved her hand. "N-no, not at all. What makes you think so?"
Cloud Retainer flapped her wings once as if she was shrugging, "Nothing."
"That is not even reassuring, Zhenjun-sama."
The adeptus chuckled, marching all the way to their usual spot wherein the goddess followed behind her. When Morax saw them approaching, he paused in his writing and inclined his head in greeting, "Zhenjun, Guizhong."
"Good afternoon, Rex." Guizhong smiled as she took a seat across from him.
"Aren't you busy today? What is that?" The divine crane asked curiously, peering over the scroll he was working on.
Morax shook his head when he flicked his wrist in the air, making his brush disappear along with the ink. "My apologies. I came early and had to entertain myself until you arrive."
"Music notes?" Cloud Retainer tilted her head to the side incredulously as she saw the complicated musical notes on the scroll, "I thought this is more of Guizhong's thing. I didn't expect you have it too."
He paused for a moment, as if he recalled something important. "Guizhong said I have a knack for musical instruments as well as making a simple composition," he said casually, "and she even taught me before a couple of times how to discern a note from a simple tune. Wouldn't it be a waste if I did not put it to use?"
"Hmm. Interesting," The adeptus said, casting a sidelong glance at the slightly flustered goddess, who was only looking away out of embarrassment, "I would like to hear you play sometime. Even Guizhong would not mind, right, Guizhong?"
"For that.. I guess I would love to," she laughed wryly.
Morax scanned the scroll in his hand for a moment before snapping it shut with a simple command of his hand, "If I manage to finish it soon. I will."
Cloud Retainer lightly chuckled as she made her way back to her respective seat, "You look motivated at least. You look less uptight when you are like this and I think it is reassuring."
The Lord of Geo could only grunt as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking a little bit pensive, but he didn't say anything to refute her words.
"But before we divulge to some other matters. There is something I want to tell you."
"What is it?"
"My cranes informed me of Celestia activity within the region."
The moment she mentioned Celestia, the half-Qilin ruler's demeanor changed instantly. He looked tense and his eyes were glaring daggers on the marble table in front of him.
"Did they cause any trouble?" Morax asked carefully, seriously; eyes almost flashing darker— threatening. As if any wrong answer would make him combust in anger. But even still, she could see that he was trying to keep his temper in check.
"Rest assured, Rex. Based on the brief account of my underlings, the gods were only meandering. Those higher deities, at the very least, seem interested enough to traverse the lands of Teyvat."
"Tell me if they do something despicable, I will deal with them myself."
"I understand," she nodded.
Silence reigned.
"Zhenjun-sama, how is Ganyu?"
"Still amicable as usual, but I would not say she is completely fine. Her mortal father just passed away, after all."
"I am still saddened by what happened to her father. Poor little thing.." Guizhong sighed sadly, "I guess I will have to pay her a visit every now and then. I hope inviting her somewhere will help to ease her sorrows. I missed her company."
She bowed her head in gratitude, "This one appreciates your concern for that child. I believe it will be of great help to her. I am leaving her in your hands, Guizhong."
Smiling, the goddess only shook her head. "You do not have to mention it. It appears that you have a lot on your plate, so I would like to help you reduce it."
"I have to admit that she worries me a lot," she sighed, her wings flapping in a stretch. "She may be one of the adepti, but half of her is human. The way she perceives things is way different compared to us. She likes to hide her true feelings as well, too secretive. Somehow, I miss her younger self where she would just cry her heart out whenever she felt sad. I do not want that child to suffer from her own sorrows."
"Do not worry, Ganyu will be fine; she is a strong girl. All she needs right now is time for herself to heal, and to support her in whatever way she needs whenever she is down."
"...But I wish she would open up to me more often," she almost grumbled.
Guizhong chuckled, "You sound like a troubled parent, Zhenjun-sama."
"That halfling…" Morax was no longer brooding, and was in fact listening to them for the whole entire time. "She likes Qingxin, doesn't she?"
Cloud Retainer was quite perplexed by the question, but she nodded nonetheless. "She does…like it. What about it?"
"How about you give her something she enjoys? It might not be enough, but it might help brighten her sullen mood."
She and Guizhong fell silent, both staring at each other in utter bewilderment.
Did he just express sympathy for Ganyu?
Guizhong was the first to snap out of her reverie, but she couldn't help the blooming smile on her face. "I think that is a nice idea, Rex."
He only grunted.
The goddess asked, her demure smile turning into a full-fledged grin. "What do you think, Zhenjun-sama?"
She had to admit, she was taken aback at their ruler's sudden suggestion. It was literally out of his page, that she couldn't help but gawk at him as if he had sprouted three heads.
But despite the strangeness, she couldn't help but smile as well.
That may not seem significant to others, but for them who knew about his serious case of emotional deficit—
That was definitely worth seeing.
Morax was improving. He was trying to understand.
"...I think I will do that," The crane said as she turned to face him, "But could you tell me where I can find fresh ones?"
This time, a gentle lulling sound reminiscent of a strumming lyre awakens him from his slumber. The lyrical tune was unfamiliar to him, but he silently appreciated the comfort it provided.
As he took solace in it, his thoughts took him back to a time when he was still a lesser creature. He was once a small creature born from mortals' heartfelt wishes. A divine entity with an unusual penchant for walking in the clouds and flying heartily in the sky along with the winds— a half-dragon, a half-Qilin.
The moment he opened his unearthly eyes to the world, he knew he was meant to be a defender. His role was to act as a shield for his people, to protect the weak and the barren lands, to crush and purge the evil with spears forged from blazing steely rocks.
Though he had to admit that his role as a ruler was far more taxing than he had anticipated. However, seeing the fruits of his labor made his people feel so content living within his dominion, to the point of seeing their heartfelt smiles on their faces with no worries— was already rewarding itself to Morax.
It simply meant that all of his hardships and efforts had not been in vain. That was sufficient for a hardworking god like him.
After all, his top priority was to provide his people with well-served comfort and absolute protection within the boundaries of his dominion.
His neck ached from being in the same position for who-knows-how-long during the entire time he was barely conscious. So, with a slight tilt of his head to the side to ease the stiffness, he noticed his female companion expertly fiddling with a foreign contraption in her hands.
It looks like a lyre, he mused inwardly as he watched her pluck the strings with absolute finesse and grace, with eyes perfectly closed as she followed the tune.
In each strum, his gaze was drawn to the movements of her delicate fingers. Her fingers moved as quickly as a river current, and every strum she made with the strings was delicate— as if the instrument in her hands were a delicate thing that needed to be handled with care.
He almost thought she was interesting to look at when she was too engrossed in her own world. Her being preoccupied on some occasions was an unusual habit of hers, but despite the oddity, he was inclined to believe that it did not bother him in the least. Not at all.
Because in that way, he would not be caught staring at her profile like she was some strange abstract painting that needed to be unraveled both inside and out. At the very least, it was safe to admire her in an unbidden manner while she was stuck, immersed in her own world.
When the sad melody had finally come to an end, Morax raised his gaze to look up at her, but much to his surprise, she was already looking at him with a soft look.
"I hope I didn't wake you up," she said.
Shaking his head in response, he pushed himself into a sitting position and rested his back on the bark of the tree next to her. He cast a curious glance at the instrument on her lap, which didn't go unnoticed by the woman beside him. His fascination with the instrument was so obvious to the woman that she couldn't help the soft chuckle from leaving her lips.
"This is a harp," she said casually, her hands caressing the smooth body of the contraption as if it were a lover's touch. "This is much smaller than the other harps, but I prefer it," she murmured as she lifted it with ease, "because it is portable and light to use, you see."
Morax listened to her drone as she explained what it was made of, even showing him the various parts of the instrument as well as its function. She even plucked each string to produce a variety of melodies while meticulously explaining the basic chords to him.
Everything was explained to him so thoroughly that his brief thirst for knowledge was instantly quenched by her nonstop chanting.
To say he was not impressed by the way she carried herself would be an understatement. She knew a lot of things, and her knowledge was far broader than he had anticipated. She also said a lot of things that he had never heard before— whereas the desire to question her about all of them was strong; but the language barrier between them made it even more disappointing. He could not ask her to explain each one individually, without playing their own guessing game, which it almost irritated him to no end.
Somewhat resigned with an inward sigh, he turned his attention back to her. He knew it was pointless, but he could always try to communicate with her gradually. "Can you play again?"
Seemingly surprised that he even bothered to talk to her, she blinked at him in question. "...huh?"
"Can you play again?" he repeated once again, pointing to the instrument in her lap.
"The harp?" she questioned, almost unsure.
Nodding, "Yes. Can you play the harp once again?"
She looked at him for a moment, "You want me to teach you about how to play the harp?"
Morax resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose at how hopeless the situation appeared to him. It was not like she could always figure out what he was attempting to say. But he couldn't help but try to fix that certain problem. That vexing language barrier that loomed over them.
He almost shook his head inwardly. It was not too late for them to start working on it, he reasoned to himself. If anything, Morax has a lot of patience to give— just to try and see if it works.
" Me," He pointed to himself in which she followed with an intrigued gaze, "I wanted to hear you—" he pointed at her briefly and then to the harp on her lap, "—play the harp again."
After that first attempt of trying, they stared at each other for a couple of seconds until she finally answered.
"Sorry, I still do not get it. Could you please repeat it?"
He pursed his lips momentarily but he nodded in compliance, almost reluctantly, "Very well.." he then cleared his throat, "I wanted to—" he pointed to himself and cupped his ear, "listen to you—" and pointed at her along with the harp with additional strumming gestures he made with his hands, "play the harp."
"...you...want to listen? Ah, you want to play the harp?" she offered almost skeptically.
He shook his head as he replied almost instantly in retort. " No, I want you—"
He paused when she looked at him owlishly this time. Seeing those innocent bright eyes, beseeching, staring—discomfited him beyond belief that he couldn't speak for a moment ( much to his chagrin). "...to play the harp."
It was even more difficult to try without making a fool of himself. He felt chagrined that his discomfort must be visible on his face because he suddenly heard his companion, doubling over as she burst into fitfuls of laughter.
Speechless and somewhat confused, Morax could only look at her as she laughed.
"I-I am sorry— I just couldn't help it. You looked so serious, but I know you are trying." her chuckles finally died as she offered him a reassuring smile. "Although I am not so sure if my idea is right or wrong, I think I understand somehow. However, you are free to correct me if you find it wrong."
She adjusted her hold on the harp and did an experimental strum with her fingers. "Perhaps, you would like to hear me play a song again?"
Finally.
He almost wanted to sigh in relief.
"Yes."
She hummed and began to pluck the strings with ease. This time, she played a much familiar tune that he often heard from her habitual hums. And he couldn't help but follow the rhythm of the lively tune in his mind, inwardly humming along with it; picturing the way how her beautiful voice sang it with pleasure— without a care in the world.
He was kind of bothered.
Morax may not be so vocal, but the notion of being still clueless about his mysterious companion for months made him so jittery and dissatisfied.
He knew a few things about her based on his keen observations. With her inadvertent slips here and there, it was inevitable that his curious-like interest in her would develop over time.
This woman came from a different world, and he couldn't deny that he found her intriguing as well. And she never seems to run out of different stories to tell on a daily basis. As a result, he couldn't help but share her stories with Guizhong, and occasionally with Cloud Retainer as well. Despite their ignorance and skepticism about the origins and credibility of his intriguing tales, he knew that both of his acquaintances enjoyed the story as much as he did listening to it from his mysterious golden-eyed companion.
And right now, as he stood in silence watching her make flower wreaths, he couldn't help but be unnerved by the simple fact that bothered him day and night.
After months of being good acquaintances, he still doesn't know what to call her.
" Morax," he suddenly said, his deep yet soft voice made her raise her head, and he continued as if to elaborate. "My people referred to me as Morax."
The moment he uttered his name, time seemed to stand still around them. She was kind of surprised and... slightly alarmed? It was clear from the slight shift in her eyes and the small parting of her plump lips. She was staring at him differently, almost guarded. However, her complete astonishment still overshadowed the other expressions that flitted across her face unconsciously.
After a long awkward silence with them only staring back at each other's eyes, her lips slightly quirked upwards into a friendly smile. Morax felt his tense muscles relaxed at the sight, and his once-brewing anxiety faded as he saw the unmistakable sparkle in her golden orbs. Was she amused?
"Morax, huh?" His naked arms full of ancient marks tingled with sharp goosebumps, but he stayed motionless and stoic as ever as she spoke almost in detached wonderment. "Interesting." she murmured.
They lapsed for a moment, and he waited until she finally spoke again.
"Are you, by chance, telling me your name?"
"Yes."
Half-lidded golden orbs returned her gaze to the forgotten flower wreath on her lap, as she continued her work with careful touches. "I see."
Feeling uncharacteristically bold all of a sudden, he couldn't help but ask. "What about yours?"
Her hands paused for a moment, "Are you asking me what's mine?"
"I am," he replied instantly, earning a single hum from her.
She chuckled wryly, "Who knows?"
Morax narrowed his eyes at that, but he didn't say anything to rebuke her.
"What if I tell you that I do not have one?" she supplied, "Does it still matter?"
Of course, it matters. He could almost hear Guizhong's rebuttal in his head. Names are important to shape oneself after all. That is what Guizhong told him once, when he made it clear that he was apathetically detached from the plethora of names he had earned from the people who worshiped him to no end.
"Names are important, Rex. You would not be complete if you did not have one."
"Does it bother you?" This time, she inquired softly; her tone almost mellow— comforting.
All of a sudden, he could not find the words to respond to her simple question. The silence hung heavy over them, with only the sound of nature to accompany them.
"How about you name me?"
Inwardly surprised, Morax eyed her in slight disbelief. His amber eyes immediately searched for hers in confirmation. She was still smiling; her eyes were gentle, soft and understanding. It was as if she could read his mind, sensing the unsettling whispers that nagged at him all the time.
Know her more. Know her more.
"Would you like that?" he finally uttered, his tone low, as if he was only talking to himself but she heard him nonetheless.
"Name me."
Morax assessed her carefully. From looking at her golden locks, to the exotic flower pinned to her head, and to the beautiful depths of her equally bright eyes. He thought of anything he could think of her; from her mannerisms, the way she talked, the way she laughed and so on. And her smile...
Her smiles were also filled with warmth and overflowing kindness. So very her. A very definition of radiance.
For him, he unconsciously thought that she was a luster of gems.
"Ying," The single name softly passed his lips with no reservation. " Ying." he repeated it once again more loudly, as the word simply rolled in his tongue swiftly and surely.
"That is a lovely name, I like it." she said, smiling. "You could start calling me Ying then."
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After bestowing that name on her, the annoying whispers have reduced since then.
Fun fact:
If I had to pick a theme song for this fic, I would go with Continued Story by Hitomi. After all, this fanfiction would not exist without that song. That music was a big part of why I decided to write this story in the first place.
Just in case you were curious about what Lumine was playing on her harp, it was Affection Touching Across Time (Inuyasha OST). You can imagine her playing while listening to this: (https/youtu.be/ClzSlz5ZjTU)
Reviews will be much appreciated. Tell me what you think about it~