i am feeling so many things over the upcoming 2.8 patch & holy jkahfakhf smokes am i excited for the new diluc content! NEW CHARACTER OUTFIT LET'S GOOOO

The door opened to reveal a perplexed Amber on the other side. "Lumine? What's going on?"

Surprisingly, she didn't look very sleepy at all. Though she wore pajamas, Amber seemed more alert than anything, and I'm sure my sudden appearance contributed to that.

Before I could get a word in, she opened the door wider and shooed me in with her hands. I automatically followed and felt safer the moment I was in Amber's room. The interior was the same as mine, but the atmosphere was different.

"We didn't make plans for a sleepover." She shut the door and faced me with her hands on her hips. "Does this have anything to do with why you were sulking at dinner today?"

I gripped my blanket tighter and tried to keep my voice controlled.

"I wasn't sulking."

She gave me a doubtful look. "Right, and I have a Cryo Vision. Before I coax anything out of you, let's get to bed. I'm sure the both of us would rather be comfy with some pillows." Amber waved me over as she padded to her bed, stretching her arms along the way. "I'm too sore from dance club to stay standing throughout the night."

"How's dance going?" I asked tentatively and climbed into her bed.

She made room for me and tossed over a pillow. I caught it before getting smacked in the face just in time to see her Barron Bunny doll flying straight for my head. Luckily, this version was softer than her Elemental Skill, but the impact was still jarring. I held them both, the pillow and Barron Bunny, and squinted at her.

"Dance is fun but tough," she said. "I was up later than usual tonight practicing the turns I struggle with. I'm trying to get the last part of this variation down before our next meeting so Eula can teach me—hang on. That's not what's important now. Is everything okay?" Amber sat across from me with a blanket stretched over her lap. Her face formed a deep, worried frown before relaxing with a sigh. "Barron Bunny is good to cuddle with whenever I'm not feeling myself, so it might help you, too."

I definitely was not okay, but there was only so much I could tell Amber. She wouldn't understand my fear that stemmed from the Abyss Order's threats.

Enjou's appearance was because of the crack in my mental shield, and as much as I wanted to stop by Diluc's door, it wasn't hard to believe he'd burn down Kaeya's room the moment I revealed what happened. As for Childe, I wasn't sure if he'd be as murderous as Diluc or delighted over the fact he got to keep more of me to himself. And though I knew better not to be, a part of me was embarrassed to open up to Thoma. I could already hear his reassurances and affirmations, but those wouldn't change anything.

Nothing could have prepared me to face two disasters in one day, and while one disaster was staggeringly more concerning than the other, I couldn't help but feel equally troubled by them. The Abyss Order succeeding in their plans could lead to devastating destruction. And yet, Kaeya's rejection ended a part of my world.

"I'm not okay." I hugged Barron Bunny, resting my chin in between the bunny ears. "You know how I'm involved with Thoma, Diluc, and Childe?"

Amber's eyes sharpened as she nodded.

"And I'm pretty sure you know there's…potential with Kaeya."

She nodded again, focused.

I could already sense the tears ready to make an appearance, so I made sure to glance at the ceiling a bit. This would be a battle between me and gravity. "Well, I thought a lot about how I approached each of them. Once I realized that I didn't really do any of the approaching, I was determined to confess to Childe and Kaeya on my own. No more waiting," I winced. "It turns out Childe had confessed to me already, and I just didn't realize it."

Amber rubbed her temple. "Don't I know it."

I responded with a half-hearted chuckle. It was no surprise to either of us that I'd been a little more than oblivious to the signs. "Lucky for me, Childe is…Childe. You've seen how he's been ever since. As for Kaeya…" my throat dried up. "I told him how I felt today."

She gasped with stars in her eyes. "You did?"

I pressed my lips together and nodded once, determined to swallow the lump in my throat before continuing. "There was a good opportunity today. We were alone in the mailroom, and he was being his usual flirty self. I thought…I thought it would go well. I thought it would go great, actually. Considering how he's been making moves for so long, I just assumed that…"

The tears welled up for the second time tonight. As my vision clouded, the mattress dipped when Amber scooted closer. A blurry version of her face came into view, and the excitement in her eyes was replaced with concern.

"What did he say?" she whispered. "I mean, this is Kaeya we're talking about. There's no way that he…you can't mean…"

"I guess I was wrong." My voice broke as I uselessly shrugged my shoulders. "Kaeya said the flirting was like a game to him. He told me to move on and that my feelings—his feelings didn't matter."

I used the edge of my blanket to wipe at my tears, careful not to let any soak into Barron Bunny. Amber remained silent, but I felt the mattress shift again. Looking up, I saw that she was halfway out of the bed with her expression shadowed.

"Where are you going?"

She turned her head to the side to look at me with angry eyes. "I just want to talk to him."

"No," I shook my head and grabbed her arm. "Kaeya's been under a lot of…stress, and I think that's affected him. We were interrupted before I got a chance to talk sense into him, so I want to try again."

"He's an idiot," she seethed. "Was that all he said? Anything redeemable?"

I took a breath and familiarized myself with the returning ache in my heart. "There was more, but none of it was any better."

Amber fully sat back down on the bed with a scowl on her face. From her perspective, Kaeya probably came off as a terrible person. While I couldn't say his response wasn't terrible, I knew there was more to it. Though, I didn't dare break Kaeya's trust and tell Amber his full backstory. Knowing his reasonings lessened some of my pain, but it only deepened the sorrow over our relationship.

She sighed begrudgingly and reached out to me with open arms. "Bring it in."

Letting go of Barron Bunny, I leaned over and hugged Amber with a sniffle. She patted my back reassuringly, though her words were anything but.

"Let me know if you get any snot on my shirt so I know when to do laundry. Also, if you really, really want to try again with Kaeya, I can't say I support that decision."

I pulled back slightly. "Amber—"

"But," she sighed. "I do support you. We all have our reasons for doing what we do, and there's no way of knowing if we've done the right thing until we do it. But as far as I'm concerned, Kaeya doesn't deserve you. You're a better person than I am if you're willing to forgive him after all of that."

I let myself linger in the hug for a moment longer before resting back against the headboard. "I know he's acting like an idiot. He could have been nicer, and the fact that he wasn't is so unlike him. It's just so…wrong. I want things to be right again."

"Whatever happens, you know you have me to talk to." Amber passed Barron Bunny back to me. "That includes talking trash about Kaeya."

I snorted. "I won't be talking trash about Kaeya. Not for now, at least."

"Do you have an idea of what you'll do next?"

Falling into the pillows, I stared at the ceiling with a sigh. "I'll be helping him out with…student council work again. Diluc, Thoma, and Childe will be there, too. If I get there early or stay late, there might be a chance to talk with him in private."

"Oh my, if those other three find out what Kaeya said to you…" Amber trailed off, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her head.

"Don't tell them. If there was discord between the group now of all times—" I bit my lip to keep from saying more. "It would be a hassle."

Amber shuffled over to lie down properly. She turned on her side to face me. "Alright, alright. You can handle Kaeya on your own."

"I can."

I hoped.

Her lips twitched into a frown. "I'll try not to hate him."

"I didn't think you had it in you to hate anyone."

"He's close to being the first."

I chuckled at that and held Barron Bunny a little tighter. While Amber claimed the doll would help me feel better, she did all the comforting. I hadn't expected her to turn on Kaeya so quickly, but the most she knew about him was what I told her. Even so, it was refreshing to hear her take on the situation.

We all had our reasons.

"Is there anything else?" Amber broke the silence.

I knew she was asking if other matters bothered me. If only Amber could frame a mentality that would keep me safe from being snatched up by monsters.

"No. I just don't want to be alone right now. Mind if I stay for the rest of the night?"

Amber snuggled in the blankets. "The real question is if you mind sleep-talking."

"You talk in your sleep?"

"So I've been told," she grinned sheepishly. "You'll have to report back to me in the morning on that."

I motioned a tiny salute and sunk deep under the covers. "Will do."

"Goodnight, Lumine."

The worries of Enjou or some other Abyssal creature reappearing in my dreams were chased away with Barron Bunny tucked under my arm. To my surprise and delight, I felt sleepy enough to drift off.

"Goodnight, Amber."

There was a note on the floor of my room.

After a solid sleep in Amber's room, I had woken up feeling well-rested and ready to start fresh with a new day. I had tried waking her three times for a temporary goodbye, but the best response I got out of her was some mumbled gliding techniques. We would see each other again for breakfast, anyway.

The hallways were empty when I walked down back to my room, but someone had clearly stopped by at some point to leave the note. With my blanket bundled in one arm, I bent down to pick up the note and quickly unfolded it.

My stomach sank.

It was from Kaeya.

Lumine,

Given that you are available, please meet with me along with our usual group in the student council room after dinner. We can discuss the new intel in addition to our next steps during that time.

Kaeya

No side remark. No clever sign-off. Straight to the point.

I folded the note into a tight square and dropped it in my trash bin. Reading it again wasn't necessary since the details were short and held nothing of value to me. Keeping any reminder of Kaeya out of mind would be best for now—including his handkerchiefs.

Ignoring the way my heart lurched at the silky fabric on my fingertips, I tossed them into the top drawer of my wardrobe and reset my focus onto the abandoned schoolbag sitting sadly on the floor. My heart may be in turmoil, but my brain had a job to do.

"If only I had a Vision, Professor Minci wouldn't assign these extra worksheets," I grumbled at the library table. "I'm sure my Visionless power requires the same energy costs and cooldowns, too."

Thoma nodded. "I'm sure it does, but you know you can't tell the professor that."

"Instead, I have to do math."

"It's not so bad."

"Easy for you to say. You simply have to prove your understanding of these concepts by using your Vision while I have to calculate it with a silly little pen."

In addition to completing assignments on my own, I'd joined Thoma in the library three hours ago for our study time. For the most part, Thoma and I worked on separate assignments for our different classes. History and Horticulture were the easier ones, and I'd saved the worst for last. Vision Studies.

"Watching you activate your Vision in class is a lot more entertaining than this," I sighed.

"I'm pretty sure our classes are meant to be challenging, not entertaining."

"Hm," I tapped the pen on my lips. "And I'm pretty sure it's you that I enjoy watching, not the Vision part. Just you."

Right on cue, a cute blush bloomed on Thoma's face. "If you find my looks so enjoyable, I may be too distracting for your studies. Moving to another table might be—"

"Nonsense," I lightly swatted his arm with a grin. "Stay, stay. I need your opinion on this word problem."

"I don't think an opinion has any weight in an objective situation." He sighed and peered at my assignment. "But since you're looking for help and not changing the subject like you always do—"

"Not always."

"The key to solving this one is the cooldown of the Elemental Burst, not the energy collection. You see how the recharge amount is in the two-hundreds?" He pointed to the paragraph. "The rest of the equation will need to focus on the other party members' Vision utilizations until the cooldown period is over."

I reread the text with that in mind, and it suddenly made sense. "You're a genius."

Before the epiphany escaped me, I formed the framework of an equation and began to fill in the gaps according to the specifics of the problem. While I preferred to see our Vision Studies topic in action, this was the only way to prove my understanding as a Visionless student.

"You're in a better mood today," Thoma said. "I guess all that extra Sakura Mochi did the trick."

My writing halted. He must be talking about the sulking Amber had mentioned. Everyone really had noticed, then. I slowly continued to write the rest of my answer as I responded.

"Thanks for that. I had a bit of an off day."

"Of course. Off days happen to everyone."

More time passed as we cut through our material, and I snuck a peek at Thoma's readings more than once. I was mostly bored with my work, but his Worldy Beings class looked especially interesting. I might ask to borrow his textbook sometime later so I could properly immerse myself when possible. Reading up on monster attack patterns would do me more good than forming hypothetical team compositions.

"Looks like it's about time for dinner." Thoma glanced at the wall clock. "I would suggest that we wrap up now and continue later, but you've got chess with Diluc, right?"

"Yup, and I'm going to win this time. I might have to take a pass on dinner, though. These equations won't solve themselves."

There was still the other side of my worksheet to do, and those problems had multiple parts. Letting myself get distracted so often had its consequences. I hung my head with regret. There was too much to get through, and not enough time.

Thoma had begun placing his books into his bag, but he stopped with a frown. "Are you sure?"

"If I get hungry, you'll probably see me stop by the dining hall for a bit. I just can't let myself get carried away with time any more than I already have."

He still looked unsure but continued to pack up. "Okay, just don't push yourself too hard. Can't study if you're passed out from hunger."

"Noted."

"I'll see you at our special meeting later. Seems like more important information has come up. Knowing Kaeya, I'm sure he's already got some type of theory or plan sorted out."

"That sure sounds like him," I said tightly.

Thoma had his bag on his shoulder ready to go, but he continued to linger. "I think Sakura Mochi is still on the menu. Do you want me to save you a piece?"

My heart lifted.

"I would love that."

Three more problems down, and I was ready to tear the paper apart. The only thing stopping me was preserving the library's peace. There was just one problem left to go as I sensed the beginnings of hunger stir in my stomach. By now, the kitchen was close to serving last call, and the odds of me getting there in time were slim. I hoped Thoma was able to grab that Sakura Mochi.

"You're here early," a deep voice broke me from my thoughts, and I turned in my seat to see Diluc approach. "Don't tell me you skipped dinner."

My face lit up with a smile, and my eyes immediately caught a new change in his appearance. "You're wearing your hair up."

He blinked. "I always wear my hair up."

"Higher," I clarified. "Your ponytail is higher."

"Ah," Diluc reached up to touch the bundle of fluffy hair as though he'd forgotten it was there. "It is higher, isn't it? I do recall a certain someone favoring this style." He smiled at me. "Would you say the sentiment still stands?"

My eyebrows shot up at the memory. I had said something about liking his hairstyle back when we were at the town's tavern, but I didn't think Diluc would have remembered something so trivial.

"It does," I nodded. "It suits you very much."

"I can think of something else that suits me more." Diluc set his bag down and walked to the chess cabinet.

"Which is?"

"You."

I blushed. "Stop trying to butter me up so I'm too flustered to think straight. It's not going to work. I'm winning this match."

Final Vision Studies problem be damned. Indulging in a bit of chess was mentally stimulating all while being enjoyable.

"Game," he corrected. "I'm afraid we'll only have the pleasure of playing one game tonight. If we want to make it in time for the arranged meeting, that is. I would suggest we play blitz, but my day has been rather tiring as it is. How about we take this one slow?"

I cleared the table to make room for the chessboard. "That's fine with me. Was there anything out of the ordinary you had to deal with?"

He grabbed my white pieces and lined them on my side of the board while I did the same with his. Though it would be more efficient to take care of our own pieces, at some point, we had fallen into this habit. I liked leaning toward him and the closeness of when our arms crossed. It was more intimate.

"Not particularly," he hummed. "I received an expedited letter this morning regarding a patron who was supposedly a student. He didn't make a ruckus or anything, but my employees were concerned over the amount he drank last night."

"Who was it?"

Diluc shrugged with a small frown. "The letter only stated that he was in uniform. When I arrived at the tavern this afternoon the staff present weren't the ones clocked in at closing. Because he paid his tab in full, there's not much to worry about. Although, I am worried over one thing."

He reached for his bag and pulled out a container of food. My mouth instantly watered.

"I passed by Thoma earlier. He mentioned you might be hungry," Diluc lifted the lid, and I could smell the contents before seeing it. "I made it to the dining hall just in time—such a noisy place—and grabbed some Almond Tofu. Your favorite?"

"You just might be." I reached out my hands to accept the box. "Thank you, Diluc. I can eat and play to save time. No need to wait for me to finish."

He rested in his seat with a small smile. "I'm sure the distraction will work in my favor."

"Like you need the favor." I rolled my eyes in jest.

He chuckled at that, and I couldn't tell if I loved the Almond Tofu or the sound of his laugh more.

Diluc gestured to my side of the board before folding his hands together. "Shall we?"

Taking the time to make my moves and scoop up tofu, Diluc and I began our first and only game of the night. With each bite, I felt rejuvenated from the hours of mental strain and frustration. This game felt more casual than the others, and I tried not to think about what would happen right after—facing Kaeya for the first time since his rejection.

I reached over to grab my bishop, but then Diluc cleared his throat.

"What is it?" I eyed him.

He glanced to the board and said in a nonchalant tone, "Are you sure about moving that piece?"

I frowned, glancing back down to the board. If I moved my bishop, there wasn't any possible way Diluc could get the upper hand. Could he? Potential scenarios sprung up in my mind as I tried to figure out some sort of strategy he might pull, but then a new question hit me.

"Why are you helping me?"

"It may make things more interesting."

"Nope," I shook my head. "Not happening. If I'm going to win, it's going to be fair and square. No second chances."

"If you insist."

I moved to grab my bishop again but hesitated. It bothered me how there was a strategy that I couldn't seem to place, even with Diluc's suggestion. Though, if I chose to not move my bishop, that would mean I took his hint. This could all be a mind game he orchestrated, but there was an easy solution to the issue.

I held out my hands, one fist above and one open palm below.

"Rock-paper-scissors."

Diluc rose his eyebrows. "I thought we were playing chess."

"If you win, the bishop stays. If I win, I move my bishop."

At that proposition, Diluc leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, examining both me and the board for a moment. "If I understand this correctly, you'll have a chance at winning in either scenario. Winning in chess and losing in rock-paper-scissors, or winning in rock-paper-scissors and losing in chess."

He saw right through me.

"Same with you," I countered. "We'll both get to be winners."

Diluc chuckled again and readied his own hands. A bout of glee sparked in me as he accepted the offer, and we threw our hands in unison.

We both chose scissors.

Again.

We both chose rock.

Again.

We both chose paper.

I laughed, and he smiled. Surely, we wouldn't throw the same hand four times in a row. It was cute that we thought the same way, but the game had to end at some point.

"Rock-paper-scissors," I said aloud before going with rock.

Diluc's hand flattened. Paper.

He wrapped his open hand around mine. "I win."

Somehow, I didn't feel like someone who had just lost. A game of rock-paper-scissors wasn't much to get worked up over, win or lose, but it wasn't because of that. With Diluc's hand over mine, my heart fluttered. It amazed me how easy it was for this simple moment to feel like so much more when I was with him.

Our thoughts must have lined up yet again since he took this as an opportunity to lightly squeeze my hand. Not letting go, he slightly lifted our clasped hands and leaned to place a kiss on his own fingers wrapped around mine.

"Was this your plan all along?" he asked wryly.

I sputtered, blushing. "You're the one who—yes. Yeah, this was my plan all along. Major success."

Diluc let go then, laughing softly.

"Since you won, I'll just have to pick a different piece." I scanned the board, though it was hard to think of anything with my heart still hammering and the lingering warmth from his touch. "Interesting game or not, you're not normally one to offer second chances."

He toyed with one of my fallen pawns. "You've improved massively with me as your opponent, so I figured you could achieve even more if I also gave a pointer now and then. Nothing too gracious, of course. Perhaps this can be framed more as a new opportunity rather than a second chance."

"A new opportunity," I murmured, mulling over his words. "If that's the case, then I'm happy to learn."

"Learning at this time of the night?" a new voice interrupted, and a fresh smile appeared on my face as I turned to greet him. "That's a bit much, even for the prestigious Celestia Academy."

My smile was balanced by the return of Diluc's frown as Childe strode up to our table. He had no schoolbag with him, so there's a low chance he came here to study—not that I'd ever seen Childe study.

"What are you doing here?" Diluc grumbled.

"What are you doing here?" I asked at the same time in a more curious tone.

Childe let out a whistle before pulling out my chair—me along with it. "Well, aren't you two matchy-matchy? Chess time is over. We've got a meeting to attend to, remember?"

Our rock-paper-scissors break must have taken up more time than I thought.

Diluc's jaw ticked. "We don't need an escort."

"Lumi, you weren't at dinner." Childe ignored him. "Thoma said you had to stay back to finish up extra work. Were you able to get everything done, or were you rudely interrupted by this guy's games?"

"You're one to talk about rude interruptions." Diluc stood with a sigh. "If you're here for the meeting, let's get going. Why don't you make yourself useful and help tidy up the pieces?"

"Asking me for assistance?" Childe grinned. "What happened to your pride?"

I interjected. "Hey, Childe. Can you help put this away?"

"Why, of course. Anything for you, girlie."

He immediately gathered the fallen pieces, and I couldn't help but laugh. Diluc remained silent, but he didn't seem at all bothered. Six hands cleaned everything up in no time, and Childe was already tugging my bag over his shoulder once I returned the chess set to the cabinet. With his other arm, he held out a closed fist.

"Hold this."

"What is it?" I brought my hand underneath his.

His fist opened to drop…nothing. Instead of handing me an item, Childe's palm met with mine, and he interlocked our fingers before I registered what was going on. I gasped at the innocent trickery and failed to suppress a smile.

"Let's go," Diluc said with a sigh.

He walked by us, and I initially thought he planned on passing ahead. Instead, Diluc stopped next to me, silently holding out an arm. My smile only widened as I tucked my free hand in the crook of his elbow. Childe's hold tightened on mine.

"This is easier said than done," he murmured in my ear.

Diluc was the one to respond. "I couldn't agree more."