Chapter 4: Diverging Convergence
"So you say you are a distant traveler from a hitherto unknown land? You'll forgive me for being a trace suspicious of such vague origins."
"Hey, Lumine just fought off a big ol' dragon to save Mondstadt, don't you think it's a little rude to be suspicious? Paimon would give you what for if she was any good at fighting!"
Graciously inclining his head and responding with words that reminded the traveler of liquid silk the dark-skinned male stated, "And for that she has my thanks as well as that of the entire kingdom...but you will not deny the oddness of her explanation irrespective of her admirable actions."
"Kaeya, don't you think you're being a little paranoid here? If Lumine really was a spy or criminal why would she go out of her way to fight Stormterror instead of simply gliding away, which she could have done? Unless you're suggesting that she staged that whole deal just to gain our trust."
Amber turned to Lumine as they marched through the halls of the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius at a brisk pace, offering an apologetic smile as she said, "Sorry about Kaeya, he means well but sometimes he takes his duty a little too seriously."
The traveler merely shook her head, smiling in assurance as she replied, "It's fine, believe it or not I've had frostier receptions before."
She turned to the eye-patch wearing man who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow, stating, "I just hope that my actions will eventually speak for themselves, prove that I'm no enemy of Mondstadt."
"Paimon thinks you're being a little too nice, Lumine…"
The pixie's words went uncommented on, Kaeya and Lumine staring the other down...and the man's lips quirked upwards ever so briefly, followed by a slight bow as he responded, "I thank you for your understanding and kindness, stranger. I too hope that you prove to be unquestionably trustworthy, you strike me as a lovely soul."
"Hark, the bells of union and raid ring aloud! A signal of bonds to be formed...or broken?"
"I think we'll get along just fine, Fischl. I wouldn't worry."
Kaeya snorted as Amber and Paimon just looked confused at the girl's words, amusedly staring at Fischl and Lumine as he remarked, "And you understand the Guild's more...eccentric investigator's manner of speech. You really are an interesting one, traveler."
The amber-eyed girl settled for a simple shrug, instead stretching out the final few kinks in her back from the fight against Stormterror and wondering what Alec was getting up to right now.
...Probably not getting dragged along to meet with the city's nominal protector, that was for sure. While Amber and to a lesser extent Kaeya had spoken quite highly of Jean Gunnhildr the traveler was fairly certain it was never a good thing to get introduced to the foremost leader of a land's protective arm less than an hour after stepping within its borders.
"Oh well, nothing to do about it now. At least Amber and Fischl seem willing to back me up. And while he's trying to play devil's advocate even Kaeya doesn't seem so bad."
She even kind of sympathized with his position. Mondstadt was apparently under quite the bit of threat and stress as of late, being cautious - perhaps even overly so - wasn't too bad of a mindset to have.
"We're here."
Leading the way into a well-appointed and homely office Lumine instantly felt herself approve of it. There was little in the way of decorations, mostly consisting of shelves of books, scattered tables of maps and documents while a well organized desk with a bevy of writing tools stood at the center of it all. Clearly the workspace of someone who took their duty seriously but wasn't above making it somewhat comfortable, with natural light cast by plentiful windows with unlit candles and a few finely woven rugs and cushions spaciously placed about.
"Oh my, aren't you just adorable~. A kitten with claws, as it were."
Lumine turned to face the mature sounding woman leaning on a nearby banister - albeit she didn't look a day over thirty - who was quite the beauty, giving her a playful look as she continued with, "hard to believe such a slight thing took on Stormterror and walked away unscathed...but the eyes don't lie."
The traveler briefly entertained the thought of telling the woman that she was almost certainly much older than her but quickly gave that up as a bad job...not everyone would so easily accept the fact that she was from a different world.
"While I don't disagree with your observation could you perhaps keep your irreverence to a more manageable amount until our current business is concluded?"
Amber nodded, adding, "I don't often agree with Kaeya but I'm with him on this one, Lisa."
Before the conversation could continue on its current course a stronger, more authoritative voice rang out, silencing the others with, "We can trade banter and jokes later. Windborne traveler, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Jean Gunnhildr, acting grand master of the Knights of Favonius."
The woman who approached was nothing short of a noble soul, at least in Lumine's opinion. Calm, composed and possessing an air of unassailable conviction as she locked eyes with her and Paimon, seemingly accepting them as they were with no signs of visible surprise.
"I would like to personally extend my thanks to you for aiding Mondstadt in its time of need, especially given the fact that your goal potentially lies outside of its walls."
She nodded towards an unfurled slip of paper on her desk.
"Katheryne sent word as soon as the skies cleared of your quest to find your brother. I apologize, but as matters stand Mondstadt and the Adventurer's Guild simply don't have the time to do anything other than spread word of your request, not take an active part in aiding you."
She inclined her head slightly.
"It's a poor way of showing our gratitude but for the time being would you be amenable to staying within the city until we can properly extend our thanks for your actions?"
Lumine blinked, caught off guard by the blunt and gracious words as Paimon whispered, 'Wow, Paimon's never been treated this importantly before…"
Giving Jean's words a moment of consideration the blonde eventually shrugged, offering a half-smile as she responded, "So until the dragon has been neutralized or driven away Mondstadt won't be able to help me in my search, right?"
Lisa dipped her pointed hat a fraction.
"That is the shameful reality of the situation. Inbetween the violent storms and the more esoteric aspects of Stormterror's awakening the leylines and elemental currents of Mondstadt are a mess. No extrasensory methods of searching or message sending will make it far past these walls. Honestly, all of this chaos is going to give me wrinkles!"
Nodding in affirmation to herself Lumine stated, "Well, if I help you take care of the dragon problem you'll be able to help me search for my brother faster, right?"
The room blinked and gave her strange looks, Amber asking, "You...you would do that? Go up and fight that dragon again?"
"Sure. We've already proven able to drive it away, with a more concrete plan and backup we could likely do a lot more. And my ultimate goal is to find my brother, helping you ultimately helps myself."
Paimon abruptly giggled, stating, "Aww, Lumine is trying to be all cool and collected about it! Paimon knows she just wants to help out of the goodness of her heart."
Shrugging helplessly the traveler sheepishly stated, "Well, yes, but I figured you would have an easier time accepting my help if it was based on a logical reason. I assume most wouldn't try to tackle a dragon out of the goodness of their hearts."
Kaeya abruptly chuckled, remarking, "Not the sane ones, at any rate. And I find myself appreciative of your devotion to concise and logical conclusions, traveler. Some of us could stand to think with our heads more than their hearts…"
Amber protested, shouting, "Hey, I think things through plenty of the time! Stop giving me that look!"
Jean lightly clapped her hands, getting the attention of the room as she announced, "That's enough, everyone. Traveler, words cannot describe how grateful I am for your help and I promise Mondstadt does not forget those that aid it. As a matter of fact…"
Her lips quirked briefly.
"How does the title of honorary Knight of Favonious strike you? It's sudden, true, but I daresay you've earned such a distinction."
Turning her attention to the thus far quiet Fischl Jean added, "And while I understand that you're a part of the Adventurer's Guild such an acknowledgement would also be tended to you should you desire it, Investigator Fischl."
Flipping her hair with a beatific smile the eye-patch wearing girl replied, "Medals and conferred titles are appreciated and acknowledged by this most august mind, but alas! They are unnecessary, this prinzessin of the Veirurteilung already contracted with our most esteemed traveler and will only engender reward and gratification from the completion of her quest, no other."
Lumine smiled, replying, "Thanks, Fischl. But are you sure you don't want a reward of some kind? You did fight off a dragon, you know."
The rest of the room's occupants exchanged befuddled glances at how quickly Lumine replied to the eccentric girl's words before Oz added, [Your offer is appreciated, traveler...but once mein fräulein's mind is made up precious little may hope to change it.]
"Well, that just means more reward for Paimon then~!"
Deciding to let the matter drop Fischl enigmatically added, "Forbye, mine hidden eye hath seen great chaos and renewal propagate outwards in thy steps, outworlder...the prinzessin and her noble entourage would be most remiss to let such confluence slip from their fingers."
Lumine pretended to be just as confused as the rest of the room, deciding not to comment on the fact that Fischl apparently saw something odd about her...perhaps something to do with her Vision? She was still unsure on the capabilities of the divine gifts and her newfound companion was definitely a holder.
"Your strength of character is an inspiration to us all, investigator. And please, should you find yourself in need of work or other aid do not hesitate to reach out to the knights, we shall remember your exemplary selflessness today."
Fischl merely planted her hands on her hips and smiled brilliantly, Oz perching on her shoulder and also inclining his feathered head.
"Well if we're all in agreement, we should start working on a solution to the next set of matters that need solving. Namely, how we are to neutralize Stormterror."
Lisa's words brought the group back to a more serious state of mind, Amber asking, "Have we figured out why it's attacking Mondstadt all of a sudden?"
Jean shook her head, sighing.
"For the moment we're unfortunately at a loss as to why one of the Four Winds has suddenly gone rogue. More fortunately, our scouts and Lisa's own hard work have pinpointed where Stormterror is drawing the majority of its strength from. The temples dedicated to the Four Winds have been exhibiting powerful and chaotic fluctuations of Anemo energy even since Stormterror awoke and began attacking us."
The mage nodded, letting loose a wistful breath as she remarked, "Were they not in such states of abandonment and disrepair, we might have been able to receive early warning of this trouble and take action earlier."
"But that's not what current circumstances are. Wishful thinking won't achieve anything, only action."
Kaeya's words were blunt and to the point, the man turning to Jean as he asked, "Permission to depart and investigate the abandoned temples at once, acting Grand Master?"
"Granted. Amber, Lisa? Go along with Kaeya and begin your own searches. For now we'll focus on only three of the temples, if that's not enough to quell Stormterror's powers then we can consider moving on the fourth."
Lumine and Fischl shared a glance, both nodding as the traveler remarked, "Guess we'll be going alongside you all, then. After all, this is for the good of Mondstadt, right?"
The group turned to face them with questioning looks, Jean interjecting with, "Far be it from me to tell you what you may or may not do...but do neither of you wish to rest first?"
"Slumber is for those of a lesser caliber than the prinzessin of Veirurteilung, whom can conduct and withstand a siege of fell nature for countless cycles of night and day."
[We are of sufficient awareness and composure to depart immediately, if Lumine feels the same.]
The traveler shrugged, turning to the room at large before grinning, "Well, there you have it. Where should we start?"
"And the sun is just now going down...the timing of this should be perfect, I'll have an opportunity to meet up with Alec before we head out to the temples."
The rest of the Knights of Favonius had taken a slight detour in order to gather supplies and provisions but would meet up with them at the front gates of the city, Fischl, Oz and Paimon accompanying the traveler as they approached the main entrance.
"So where does your speech originate from? Everyone seems to be thrown off by it and I can't help but wonder…"
"Yeah, Paimon has seen and heard a lot of accents but not one like yours, Fischl!"
Proudly crossing her arms the eyepatch-wearing girl replied, "My most glorious self hails from a world most distant, known throughout the void as Immernachtreich and I am of royal blood within that world's hierarchy, the prinzessin de Veirurteilung. Tis only natural this most noble tongue would be unknown among most of the masses."
Lumine blinked, Paimon unleashing a noise of surprise as the slimmer blonde eagerly asked, "Wait, you're from another world too?!"
She grabbed Fischl's hand, bringing the girl to a halt as amber eyes bored into light green with an excited light.
"Are...are you also a Star-Crosser? My brother and I always knew there were more of our people journeying across the vastness of the stars but the odds of actually meeting with any of them are astronomically slim!"
"E-eh? What? W-wait…"
So caught up in her enthusiasm Lumine failed to notice that Fischl had lost much of her extravagant manner of speaking, appearing unsettled by her inquiry as Oz murmured, [Perhaps that is why your sacred eye burns when you gaze upon her, mein fräulein?]
Something about the raven's words caused the traveler to blink, gazing more closely at the wary duo-
-and felt a great deal of the wind leave her proverbial sails, muttering, "Oh. Right...you're a Vision holder."
She sighed, meeting Fischl's guarded gaze before dully commenting, "You're not from another world at all, aren't you? That's just part of the character."
"N-nonsense! T-this prinzessin is certainly no mere mortal of Teyvat-"
"Uh huh. Can you list every bit of geography from this Immernachtreich? The culture its non-royal people had? What food it had? The flora and fauna? The constellations and various languages no doubt spread out across it?"
"W-well…"
"How about the smell? What hours did people use for work and leisure, what were the systems of government aside from monarchy? Did they have three big meals a day? Four? Two? Was it breakfast, lunch and dinner or did they have different names for them?"
Giving the overwhelmed girl and an antsy-looking Oz a disappointed gaze Lumine let her hand limply drop, muttering, "You don't have to pretend for my sake. It's fine."
"H-hey, Lumine?"
Ignoring Fischl's hurt look and Paimon's worried comment the traveler made to walk away-
-and grimaced, feeling like kicking herself square in the head.
"What the heck am I doing?"
Why was she getting mad at Fischl, when all the kind and quirky girl had done thus far was promise to aid her despite having almost no discernible reason to do so? Why was she taking out her buried angers and frustrations on a young lady who didn't deserve them?
It wasn't Fischl's fault that her persona of being royalty from another realm - that she used for either fun or as a defense mechanism - had the rotten and astronomically small luck to run into an actual traveler from a distant star...it was Lumine's fault.
And she had to make things right, obviously.
Spinning on her heel and striding towards the still motionless Fischl the investigator flinched as if she expected a slap or more biting words-
-and instead released a surprised 'eh' of surprise as Lumine engulfed her in a hug, pressing their bodies tight as she mumbled, "Sorry, you didn't deserve that. Especially not when you've only been promising to help me this whole time."
Fischl shyly responded, "T-there really isn't a need for any of that, Lumine, I know I can-"
"No, you're fine just the way you are, I was the one way out of line."
The traveler pulled back, affixing the blushing girl with a smile as she tenderly asked, "If you're alright with it...still friends?"
To the amber-eyed girl's relief the other young woman's expression lit up, tone eager as she responded, "O-of course, I would be happy to be your friend!"
Fischl grabbed Lumine's hands in her own, stating with all the enthusiasm of a puppy, "Our union will be one of great import and relevance to the stars!"
The traveler adopted a teasing smirk.
"And I promise not to tell anyone about your little slip in character. It can be our little secret, if you want~."
The Vision-holder blinked at the sudden comment-
-and yelped in dismay, stammering, "T-that will not be necessary, just don't go blabbing about...oh no, I'm doing it again!"
Paimon grinned, remarking, "Paimon thinks you should talk normally more often, Fischl! It makes you a lot easier to understand!"
"C-cease this line of inquiry at once before royal censure is enacted!"
Striding off in a hurry Lumine felt her lips quirk upwards in an unstoppable smile at Fischl's actions, glad that her mistake hadn't cost her a close ally and friend, hurrying along in her wake.
[isn't this a most pleasing turn of events, mein Fräulein? You have made another friend in the span of less than a day!]
"Direct thine inquiries and japes towards those of lesser importance, Oz!"
[Erm...that was a compliment…]
Chuckling at how easily flustered Fischl could evidently get Lumine found her gaze wandering downwards towards the girls swaying hips as she stalked through Mondstadt's streets, admiring the way her clothing both exposed but also concealed her body...and a nicely developed body at that, the traveler remembering how warm and soft it had been as she had embraced the other woman-
"Whoah, easy does it there, girl...you're not your brother, who went after every pretty boy and girl who entered his line of sight."
The traveler frowned, inwardly musing, "Then again, I'm probably not one to talk. Aether always liked the normal boys and girls. Me, on the other hand?"
She gazed after Fischl, still grandiosely proclaiming how not embarrassed she was and drawing more than a few perplexed stares.
"I was always into the eccentric ones. Probably why I had fewer partners than he did, hindsight being what it is."
Shaking her head free of such meandering thoughts she instead drew level with Fischl, deciding to extend an olive branch as she asked, "Jean and the rest were talking about the Four Winds of Mondstadt...what are those, exactly?"
No doubt just as happy as the traveler to be back on speaking terms the investigator replied, "The Four Winds hence existed as wondrous guardians and creatures of magnificent power and influence, worshiped by the common citizen as deities second only to the purveyor of winds himself, Barbatos. The Wolf of the North, Andrius. Dragon of the East, Dvalin. Falcon of the West, Vennessa. And lastly the Lion of the South, a position inherited by the grand master of Mondstadt and held through rite of conquest and wit."
Lumine hummed in contemplation, Paimon adding, "Since miss Jean is the currently acting Grand Master that makes her the current Lion of the South! Wow, we met someone pretty important, didn't we?"
"It seems so. Although I have trouble imagining her facing off against Dvalin and winning…"
[Perhaps so, but the Dragon of the East would find it rather difficult to conduct diplomacy with other nations, would you not agree? At least, the kind that does not end in tooth and claw.]
Fischl nodded decisively, adding, "A most pertinent observation, dear Oz. The words of those with the most melodious and persuasive of demeanors shall always trump those who make their wishes and desires known through the point of a sword!"
Lumine found herself tuning out the conversation, thinking back to something she'd heard Alec say...hadn't he called Stormterror Dvalin back when they first met Amber?
"Fischl, Oz? Is Dvalin the same as Stormterror? And if so, why is he attacking the city he was supposed to protect?"
Some of Fischl's imperial grace faded, the girl explaining, "Tis a tale of woe and tragedy, the same name and title both souls do indeed bear."
[Many generations ago Dvalin and the other Winds were worshipped and paid tribute to by the citizens of Mondstadt. But as the Falcon of the West and Wolf of the North passed into the annals of time, their followers too did dwindle. The same has happened to Dvalin, although such a response does seem...excessive.]
"No one likes to be forgotten, I suppose…"
Paimon summed things up more morosely, stating, "That's so sad, though! Going from a savior and icon to someone people call Stormterror!"
[Hence, milady labeled this sad state of affairs a tragedy.]
Frowning in response to the tale Lumine couldn't help but wonder if that was the whole story...and how had Alec been aware of Dvalin when it seemed like a great deal of Mondstadt didn't?
"Well, at least I'll get to ask him that directly once we meet up by the gate. Hopefully he's there…"
To the traveler's relief she spied a familiar figure sitting alongside a smaller silhouette in a booth, the two of them going over a map that seemed to be the blueprints of a large building although at this distance that was about all she could make out.
He also seemed to be familiar with the smaller male that was garbed in a fancy bard's attire of white and green, lyre strapped to his person as they conversed animatedly...although maybe it made more sense to call it arguing.
Albeit that came to an end before she could start eavesdropping, Alec sporting their approach and smirking widely, as if he knew some kind of secret or funny circumstance that they wouldn't.
"Well if it isn't the warrior goddess herself! Lumine, you've been busy since we parted earlier today."
"Goddess?"
The man grinned widely, pointing to a different bard on the opposite corner of the road, singing, "A lone and brilliant soul, flying across the sky, wings aloft and sword in hand, doing away with the dragon as it flies away across the land!" to an appreciative crowd.
"A maiden from the heavens, garbed in white and alight with the Anemo god's blessing as she fought off the cursed dragon, sword in hand."
Alec's teasing words caused the traveler to sheepishly scuff the ground with her boot, something about the way he said it making her feel equal parts shy and embarrassed.
"There's a few details missing or embellished. I didn't use my sword while Fischl and Amber helped me out. Should I go and accuse him of already rewriting history?"
"Nah, ask him for a cut of the profits instead, since you're the source of his success...man's raking in the mora."
"Ooh, Paimon likes that idea more!"
Shaking her head in amusement Lumine gestured to the eyepatched girl at her side with accompanying raven, stating, "This is Fischl and Oz, they helped me during Dvalin's attack and aided me in driving him away. Not to mention she's also promised to help me search for Aether, she's an investigator for the Adventurer's Guild."
Proudly puffing her chest out the guild investigator announced, "Salutations, acquaintances to my most esteemed and affable of contractors. I am the prinzessin de Veirurteilung and this is my most loyal retainer, Oz. Speak, we would hear your names in turn!"
Tilting his head to the side Alec gave Lumine a raised eyebrow that she returned with a shrug.
"And here I thought Paimon's novelty in the group was as the eccentric one. Guess she's out of a job."
"No worries, she's such a glutton that I bet she'd make a perfect emergency snack if we get hungry."
"H-hey, Paimon has more value than as a nutritious meal!"
Chuckling to himself Alec nonetheless turned towards Fischl and her familiar, extending a hand while replying, "Alec Daman, a pleasure to meet you, Fischl. I haven't run into many prinzessins during my journey, I'm sure you'll have all sorts of interesting tales to impart."
[The honor is ours, friend of Lumine.]
Fischl didn't verbally reply but looked delighted at how easily Alec accepted her persona-
"Hah hah, you're all quite the riot, aren't you~?"
-and all eyes turned towards the extravagantly dressed young man, Lumine's eyes narrowing as she couldn't help but notice that his voice sounded a lot like the one that had spoken to her when she had been locked in battle with Dvalin.
...Actually, it was identical.
"Oh, right. This is Venti, he's a bard."
Alec's lackluster introduction caused the other male to protest with, "Hey, three time winner of Mondstadt's best bard competition, I might add!"
"Placard or it didn't happen, Venti."
"...I lost them?"
Cocking an eye at how friendly the pair seemed Lumine decided to move things along regardless, asking, "So did you find out whatever it was you ran off to discover?"
"As a matter of fact I did. Even ran into Venti here while doing so. You could say we go way back, even."
"Heh heh, way way back, you could say~!"
Rolling his eyes Lumine nonetheless filed away that statement for later perusal, Alec asking, "What about you, Lumine? Fischl here is helping but any other leads on finding your brother?"
"Yup! Get this, she already has the Knights of Favonius promising to help after she helped drive away Stormterror! Paimon thinks Lumine is going to find her brother in no time at all!"
Arching an eyebrow at the explanation the male gave a low whistle, remarking, "That's not a bad pace to set at all. I don't think less than a single day is a timeframe most would allot for winning a whole city's gratitude."
"I try."
Smirking at the traveler's guileless reply he instead asked, "So what's your current plan? Anything you can tell us?"
"Hark, ill tidings and emanations drift across the pure breeze from the resting sites of divine winds four. We march to purify and ascertain the plague that infests them from within."
Much like Lumine Alec didn't seem to have any difficulty parsing Fischl's speech, frowning as he clarified, "Wait, just you two are investigating the Four Winds and their old temples?"
"No, we're just waiting for a few other knights to show up, they should be along soon enough. What about you two, what's up with the map?"
Venti seemed all too eager to respond to her inquiry, taking a deep breath-
-and Alec gently guided Lumine towards an empty booth in a relatively private location, stating, "Not in the open, Venti. We'll be back in a moment."
"Oh hoh hoh~? Going to steal a private moment together? Paimon thinks you're both moving rather fast~!"
The pair rolled their eyes at the sprite's comment, waiting a few seconds until they were out of earshot before resuming the conversation, Lumine cocking her hip and arching an eyebrow in amusement as she observed, "Can't help but notice that your friend has the exact same voice that spoke to me when I was fighting off Dvalin. And if the secrecy is any indication the two of you are planning something under the table, aren't you?"
The male snorted, wryly commenting, "Is it you or Fischl who's the investigator here? But you're right, Venti and I have our own little plot on how to help quell Dvalin, one that isn't technically legal but you know how that goes…"
Lumine tilted her head in an action Alec privately decided was unfair to any with the slightest shred of emotion, so adorable was the gesture.
"Illegal how?"
"We're stealing a cultural artifact for a bit. It'll be returned but not right away. So technically we're only borrowing it."
The traveler met her friend's neutral gaze for a moment...and chuckled, teasing, "Who are you trying to fool? That's totally stealing."
He smiled back, musing, "So it is. As for Venti's identity? Well, feel free to ask him about it when we get back, I'm sure he'll be happy to impart all the details in exacting detail."
"Oh, a mystery? You sure like to keep me in suspense."
Smirking at her words the traveler quietly mused, "Funny. We separated only to meet again pursuing the same goal, just on different paths that will intersect yet again in the future."
"Almost like the stars themselves wrote it so, huh?"
She laughed at his wry response, Alec also chuckling at her mirth as he clasped her arm before giving it a friendly squeeze, the blonde reciprocating the gesture.
"I'd tell you to stay safe but considering you already fought a dragon and came out unscathed I think you'll be fine."
"It's appreciated anyway. And we'll have to sit down and swap more tales first chance we get, it sounds like there's a lot of interesting stories that occurred in your past."
Alec's mouth twisted into a wry parody of amusement.
"That's putting it lightly. C'mon, your expedition is fast approaching."
True to his words Kaeya, Amber and Lisa were approaching the front gates, the duo heading back without further comment as Lumine found herself lost in thought.
"Hmm...he joked about the stars plotting out our meetings but I think Aether would have been suckered into that and believed it easily. He was always one to believe in fates and star-crossed lovers wholeheartedly."
She smirked, recalling a particularly fond set of memories.
"Not that it helped him any in actually landing that fated 'someone'. Eighty-five partners dated and then dumped, a much sadder record than my own twelve...quality over quantity, as they say."
She tactfully ignored the fact that quality hadn't paid out any better than quantity, instead reveling in her 'superiority' over her loveless brother.
Sibling rivalry at its finest.
