previous chapter: lumine reveals the secret of her elemental powers to her friends, and they are more forgiving than she expects. later that day, while taking pictures of campus architecture for kaveh, she notices the odd sight of huffman emerging from the forest. kaeya joins her right before the twin mages and vlad also make an appearance. sus.

Masked patrons crowded the tavern, and it was no question whether or not they belonged to the Snezhnayan delegation. Since they occupied nearly every table, it wasn't hard to find a secluded spot where we would both go unnoticed and still be able to eavesdrop on conversation. Although I felt some stares come this way while I sat alone and waited for Kaeya to return with our drinks, it was impossible to say for sure with their eyes hidden.

"One virgin Pinkity Drinity for you," said Kaeya when he approached. "And one Death After Noon for me."

I gave my thanks as he set them on the table, and we both took a moment to enjoy the first taste of our drinks. Kaeya especially seemed to savor each sip.

"What's yours made of?" I asked.

"A sparkling mix of dandelion wine and white wine. Want to try?"

I didn't particularly like either of those wines, but it could be worth a taste. If Kaeya enjoyed it so much, maybe the mixture miraculously turned out to be delicious. He slid the glass over when I reached out a hand, and after I took a tentative sip…immediate regret. Grimacing, I cleansed my mouth with a fruity splash of pink goodness.

"That was a cute face," Kaeya said with a chuckle. "It appears you share Diluc's unrefined tastebuds."

I shrugged off the comment. "To each their own. Now that we blend in with our drinks, let's focus on the reason for coming here in the first place. Have you heard anything yet?"

"No, but we have plenty of time to let the tavern's alcohol do its work. Our three o'clock is already loosening up. It won't be hard to tune in."

The table slightly to the right was rowdier than the rest. Even though I couldn't see their faces, their ears had turned bright pink and enough table-slapping laughter went around to showcase their drunkenness. No one seemed to mind the disturbance. No one suspected people were here to gather information.

"This brew hits the spot, but it's nothing compared to the firewater back home. It's been too long since I've had a drink," a grizzly man said.

One of his companions slapped him on the back. "What are you talking about? You were buzzed for half the voyage."

"You know what I mean—a proper drink. We could have done this sooner if it wasn't for that detour to the other side of the island…ah, well. We're here now!"

They all cheered to that, and I mulled over his words. Kaeya wore a relaxed expression, but I could tell he also considered this information. The Snezhnayan delegation was supposed to sail directly to the docks, so what reason did they have to veer behind the island? Directionally, if a person was to trek up the mountain from there…that's where Huffman and the others had come from.

Before I could signal the connection to Kaeya, the lull of Fatui conversation grew loud once more.

"I sure wish I had the smarts to go to that school. Phew, an immediate increase in rank and a guaranteed Delusion, what a deal! At this rate, I won't be honored with a Delusion for another decade."

"Our Fair Lady never fails to impress me," one woman said with a long sigh. "To think she graduated early from Celestia Academy all so she could pursue even more education in Snezhnaya. A true patriot!"

A snort erupted from me. Yeah, right. Graduating early was the furthest from the truth. Kaeya hid his snicker by taking another sip of his drink, and we shared an amused look.

The grizzly man cleared his throat and asked, "What do you think of those new recruits? I only got a glimpse."

"The three Snezhnayans are Fatui material through and through, but…"

"Did you see that Mondstadt fellow?" the woman from before blurted.

The entire table burst into laughter so boisterous, a few Fatui tucked a hand under their masks to wipe away tears.

"Forget about being green behind the ears, that guy looked green all over! You should have seen his face when he saw our delegation. Pale as snow, I tell you. There's no way he's got what it takes."

"What was La Signora thinking—giving one to a guy like him? I give it one week before he loses the Delusion…or it breaks him."

"If you ask me, I think it should have gone to Vlad. The mages already have their cicins, and he's got the tenacity."

"Watch it, bud. No one asked you, and no one questions La Signora." The grizzly man knocked each of their heads. "Whatever her judgment is, I trust it."

A round of grumbled complaints and apologies followed, but they were soon back to enjoying their rounds and diving into the topic of how winter here hardly compared to summer in Snezhnaya. I emptied my glass in the meantime, though it was hard to appreciate its flavor with the news swirling in my head.

Huffman had a Delusion.

That conversation gave us a lot to think about, but it was difficult for any serious thinking to be had with the hoots and shouts going around the tavern. The Snezhnayans really could hold their liquor, but no one was immune. At least the tavern was well-staffed for the night.

"I'd normally prefer to stay longer, but it seems there's nothing left in stock for us to pick up," Kaeya said, stepping out of his seat and offering me a hand. "Shall we go?"

Most of the surrounding conversation sounded incoherent to my ears, so staying here any longer wasn't worth the time. I accepted Kaeya's hand and followed as he expertly wove us through the crowd of stumbling patrons.

The difference in atmosphere was like night and day when the door shut behind us. My ears rang slightly after being so used to the loudness, but with the tavern's energy now muted, peace quickly followed.

Still, my mind reeled.

"No way did Signora actually give Huffman a Delusion," I gasped. "That makes no sense."

Kaeya kept silent until we'd walked several buildings away from the tavern, and I bit my tongue after realizing I should whisper better.

"It makes very little sense to us, yes. At least now we know why Vlad was so upset," he quietly said. "To have favored Huffman instead of a fellow Snezhnayan…that must have been quite the blow."

"This is especially strange because Huffman doesn't even want a Delusion—that's what he told me before. After realizing his mistakes, he was going to cut ties with Signora completely the next time he saw her."

"Is there a chance that he changed his mind? Huffman isn't exactly known to have the strongest spine."

"I believe him," I said. "When Huffman returned to campus today, I heard him mumbling something about being in a dream. He'd never imagine that Signora would gift Delusion after he turned her down."

Obviously, I worried about what Signora's reasoning was for this. It was hard to believe she had a change of heart and decided on Huffman as a charity case. More than that, I worried about the simple fact that Huffman had a Delusion. He wielded a sword decently enough, but a device specially engineered to harness elemental energy was no mere sword. The chances that it backfired on him…

"Delusions are considered weapons," Kaeya said. "All student weapons must be registered with the Academy after careful review. For this reason, not even Childe has received his new Delusion yet. The fact that Huffman has already been given one goes against the rules. I'm sure Signora is aware of this, so why?"

Why, indeed. Our intel session left us with more questions than answers, and visiting the inn for an even bigger scoop from Signora herself was out of the question. Her loyal followers would be a similar dead end, but not all of them were loyal. One of them was not a follower at all, but a curiosity.

"The best route of action would be to talk to Huffman directly," I decided.

"Do you really think he's harmless?"

"As he is, yes. With a Delusion…let's just say he's bound to cause more harm to himself than to others." I cringed at the possible disasters. "We should work on separating it from him just in case."

"You do the talking, I'll handle the Delusion."

"That might be dangerous for you, though."

"Better me than you," Kaeya said sincerely and, before I could protest, changed the topic. "As far as dates go, this isn't what I had in mind."

Though I still wanted to talk about Huffman, Signora, and what the possible ploy there was, I also had to properly think about everything first. Plus, any speculation would be more valuable after actually speaking with Huffman. For now, our night of spying had come to an end. On the other hand, our date…

"What did you have in mind, then?" I asked as we walked.

Kaeya didn't say anything at first, and a smile caught the corners of his mouth.

"A romantic, candle-lit dinner doesn't sound too bad."

My brows rose at the suggestion. "Fancy, but I don't think we have a good enough excuse for something so extravagant."

"No excuse necessary. Going on a date with you is reason enough."

I blushed at the sentiment and considered it. We were limited to what was available in town, so I kept my eyes open for anything interesting while Kaeya continued to brainstorm.

"We could enjoy a romantic boat ride around the island instead, but the weather's too cold for that. If only there was a theater nearby, we could see a romantic show together."

Both were good options, and I noticed the emphasis on romance. Though I found Kaeya's usual smirk frustratingly charming most times, I preferred his current smile much more. He barely focused on the path in front of us, too busy daydreaming of the perfect outing. Walking with him on this wintry night was fine by me. As I appreciated his handsome features, a particular storefront caught my eye.

Mannequins dressed in trendy clothes were on full display. It was a boutique.

We had just passed it, so I grabbed Kaeya's hand and pulled him forward. Visibly surprised, he stumbled a bit before following.

"We're going here," I said.

"Romantic…shopping?" His confusion cleared with endearing laughter. "Anything's possible with you."

Seeing those clothes reminded me of a mission with Kaeya himself as the goal. The reign of turtlenecks over his wardrobe would soon come to an end. With this in mind, I eagerly entered the boutique and welcomed the soft floral scent in the air.

There was no one else in the store except for the shopkeeper. She'd been idly tidying sections of clothing, but her head picked up upon our arrival.

"Oh, customers! Hello, welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?"

I scanned the entire store. There was a satisfying variation of clothes and styles suited for men, women, and even children. I was after one item, and one item only.

"Do you have any turtlenecks?"

Without hesitation, she brought us to their winter collection which had turtlenecks ranging across the color spectrum.

"Feel free to use our fitting room if you'd like," she said with a beaming smile. "I'll be over by the register if you need any help."

And with that, she bumbled off and left behind a very curious Kaeya. I got to work and began sifting through the colors that followed academy uniform standards.

"I have my guesses, but I'd like to hear your explanation first," Kaeya said.

"The plan is simple. I already got Diluc to agree that your punishment sentence is long overdue, but Childe also needs to be convinced. If I buy something from here and wear turtlenecks just like you, he'll have no choice but to cave."

Kaeya caught on fast. "His jealousy wouldn't allow it."

"Of course, I can wear whatever I want and turtlenecks can be cute." I shrugged. "It's just too much to be wearing them every single day. Don't worry, Kaeya. I'll get that thing off of you."

"If you wanted me shirtless, all you had to do was ask."

I nearly dropped the grey turtleneck in my hands. "That's not what I meant."

He only laughed and joined me in selecting sweaters. I already had a couple, but he added a pink one into the mix. That wouldn't work. Pink hardly matched the usual academy colors—grey and white—or the accent blue and gold.

"I know," Kaeya said before I objected. "But it can't hurt to try."

He had a point, and I could always wear it outside of class. As soon as I agreed to pink, he added even more colors to the mix. Red, green, and even black. I had just said that wearing so many turtlenecks was unnecessary, yet now I was given the most I'd ever seen in my life.

"You'd look good in anything," Kaeya explained, carefully placing the pile in the fitting room and gesturing for me to step in. He waited on the outside, resting on a cushioned bench. "Also in nothing."

I promptly shut the door so he couldn't see just how flustered that comment made me, though he probably already knew.

One after the other, I tried on each turtleneck and soon discovered that this was an exercise and a half. Each sweater was very warm, which made me too hot in the process of getting in and out of them. If it wasn't for my training, I'd be a sweaty mess each time I stepped out of the fitting room to check the mirror that hung on the wall.

"It'd be more efficient to have the mirror in the actual fitting room," I murmured and admired the pink one on me.

"Oh, I disagree. Then I'd be robbed of seeing you in my favorite color."

"Your favorite color is pink?" This was news to me.

"Only when it's on you. I especially love seeing it on your face," Kaeya said. "You wear pink more than you know."

Now that my cheeks perfectly matched the shirt, the time for turtleneck try-ons had come to an end. Relieved to change into my comfortable clothes, I bundled the turtlenecks in my arms and stepped out of the fitting room for the last time—or so I thought. Kaeya was quick to replace them with a single dress.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's a dress."

"I can see that, but we're not here for—"

"A shopping date?"

No arguments there. That was reason enough. I eyed the dress—deep blue with tiny white polka dots scattered sparingly throughout—and plucked it from his hands.

It was much more enjoyable than the turtlenecks to wear, wrapping around my body with a secure string to tie in a knot. The length reached just below my knees, and I couldn't help but twirl. Because it was Kaeya who picked something so lovely, I twirled again once out of the fitting room.

"Pretty, right?" I smiled into the mirror.

His gaze was glued to me. "Very."

When I spun for the third time, I stopped to look at Kaeya directly and smirked. "Good. Now, it's your turn. You didn't really think I'd be the only one to put on a fashion show, did you?"

He chuckled and rose from the bench. "Of course, not. What would you like me to wear?"

The real question was—what wouldn't I like him to wear? With the entire boutique at my disposal, it took a bit of time excitedly roaming the racks and tables before I finally decided on a few sets. First, I gave him a white top and black pants.

He rose an eyebrow at my selection. "I won't regret this, will I?"

"Just try them." I rolled my eyes with a grin. "They're perfect for you."

I fully believed in my styling choices and was proven to be a genius when Kaeya later stepped out of the fitting room. The pants were slightly loose—save for the cuffs that snugly hugged his ankles. As for the shirt, the linen rolled to his elbows did nothing to hide his chest. It was supposed to provide some coverage with the frontal lace-up design, but he had barely touched the strings.

"You're supposed to tie it," I said with a new blush.

He cocked his head. "Was I? It's too late for that now. Or…you could help me."

Well, if he wasn't going to…I tentatively stood from the bench and stepped up to get the job done. This close, I could see the steady rise and fall of his chest as I looped the crisscrossing strings upward—not all the way but just enough.

"There," I mumbled once done. Looking at him with the outfit more refined, I admired how the shirt billowed while also highlighting Kaeya's form. Actually, now that I took his eyepatch into account… "You kind of look like a pirate."

I laughed at the realization, and Kaeya stood stock still.

"You planned this."

"I didn't think…" I could barely speak as my stomach spasmed. "It's a good look, though."

"You think this is funny."

I diverted to a different truth. "You're very charming."

Kaeya sighed and dropped the shock of betrayal from his face. Somehow, he still trusted me and picked up the second outfit I had planned out. The black t-shirt was pretty simple, but the denim pants would be new on him.

It took longer than I thought for Kaeya to reemerge. Did the laces from the first shirt give him trouble? No, he'd changed out of it just fine. When he stepped out of the fitting room, the sight was enough to melt all of the snow outside.

He pointed to the tight shirt. "You got the wrong size."

Maybe it was the wrong size. Maybe it was the right size to perfectly outline every muscle and every movement he made. A happy mistake. Which archon was responsible for blessing me on this night?

"Lumine?" he called with a smile in his voice. I couldn't see the smile for myself, for my eyes were stuck on his torso. "Are you done?"

Five more seconds—okay ten more. I glanced away with embarrassment and held up the final outfit.

It took Kaeya the most time to change into this one, probably because it was a three-piece suit. That was great for me since I clearly needed a moment to recover. Would it be too obvious if I suggested that he size down more often?

"These buttons are ridiculous," his voice rang from inside. "I'm doing this for you."

The first set was something fun, the second was something casual, and now Kaeya graced me with a formal outfit that could easily steal looks, breaths, and hearts. The navy shade was perfect on him. He wore every part of it handsomely except for the suit jacket—folded and draped over his forearm—and there were no complaints from me. With the jacket off, I could see the lean curve of his back sculpted by the vest.

"This would be perfect for that candle-lit dinner," Kaeya said.

"The romantic one."

"Naturally." He took a step back and gave me a pointed look. "You're still wearing that dress."

Was I? I blinked and looked down. The blue wrap dress, was in fact, still on me. It'd be best to take off soon if I didn't plan on buying, but when I stood to do just that, Kaeya had one more thing to say.

"I can find a better one."

He left in search of another dress, and though I was tempted to join, I waited in suspense for the surprise. The suspense grew stronger when Kaeya called for the shopkeeper's help. Right as my patience was overridden by curiosity, the shopkeeper greeted me proudly while holding a shimmery dress in her hands. Kaeya trailed behind her with a light smile.

She circled me once and nodded to him. "Oh, I see what you mean! You're absolutely right."

"What? What did he say?"

Instead of responding, she placed the dress in my hands—it felt just as expensive as it looked—and ushered me into the fitting room. Now alone, I held the dress out in front of me and got a good look before trying it on.

The fabric itself was exquisite, incredibly soft and silky. The grey base was accentuated by crystals so tiny, I initially thought they were glitter. Since the entire dress sparkled with luxury, the grey was transformed into an astonishing silver. Unlike the blue dress, this one was floor-length and meant to be worn off the shoulders.

I couldn't possibly wear something so gorgeous, but Kaeya waited for me.

Carefully, I removed the wrap dress and slipped on what could otherwise be described as a dream. It fit as though it was made for me. The bodice felt comfortably snug, and the remaining fabric cascaded to the floor like a waterfall made of stars. When I stepped forward, a surprising slit on the left rode up to my upper thigh.

A pair of heels would be the perfect touch. I had to pinch and lift the skirt to avoid tripping. Then, I spied one other issue—there was a slight sag of fabric at my back, but it was near impossible to lace up the delicate ribbons on my own.

Opening the door just a crack, I said, "I need some help with the ribbons."

Was the shopkeeper still there? I sure hoped so.

Thankfully, there was a small knock, so I opened the door wider and turned around to make it easier for her. What I didn't expect was to hear a soft, masculine gasp. I whirled back around to see Kaeya, jaw slack and utterly stunned. We stared at each other equally speechless but for different reasons.

"She went back to the register," he explained and cleared his throat. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

I wordlessly nodded and gave him access to my back. For once, Kaeya didn't have anything to say about the blush that undoubtedly skimmed my ears as well as my face. I held my breath when his hand grazed my skin. His fingers nimbly grasped the ribbons and deftly laced them upwards.

"All done," he whispered.

When Kaeya stepped away, I instantly missed the proximity.

He waited for me, standing tall instead of sitting on the bench, when I gathered my wits and left the fitting room. The purpose of trying this dress on was to see how it looked on me, but the mirror was momentarily forgotten. I was too distracted by the pure bedazzlement in his eye.

Kaeya only breathed one word. "Beautiful."

At last, I remembered where we were and looked in the mirror.

Beautiful wasn't enough to truly describe the magnificence of this dress. I looked ready to attend a gala amongst archons and find my rightful place in the night sky glimmering in a sea of stars.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured.

When I faced him again, I saw it wasn't just the dress that held Kaeya's attention. He looked at me, and I at him. The suit jacket was now worn as intended, completing the three-piece look and transforming him into a dashing vision of a man.

"You too," I blurted. "I mean, handsome. Handsome and beautiful."

He cracked a breathtaking smile at that and said, "If that's the case, then I suppose I have no choice but to make the purchase. This is quite the successful shopping date."

Then, Kaeya took my hand and brought it above my head, guiding me into the twirl I'd forgotten to do after being hypnotized. He leaned down and dipped me low—his lips dropping past mine to deliver a whisper that tickled my ear.

"And romantic."