previous chapter: lumine and kaeya overhear the fatui discussing signora's business and how huffman was given a delusion. after mulling things over, they find a boutique! cue the romcom montage of trying on clothes and being cute

Even though only temporary, choosing to wear a turtleneck instead of the usual dress shirt underneath my blazer left me excited to start the day. After looking in the mirror, it might be worth petitioning that everyone switched to sweaters—common sense for the winter. Except, that would promote the exact opposite of what I wanted for Kaeya. We'd be cute matching like this, but I'd be happier to see him comfortably exposed.

I could already imagine the look on Childe's face when he saw me, but I didn't expect Diluc to be waiting outside my door to showcase the same emotion. There he was, arms folded and leaning on the opposite wall. His neutral expression slipped into shock as he stood taller—followed by a mask of suspicion.

"Good morning, Lumine."

"Morning, Diluc. How do I look?"

His lips thinned to a line before he offered an arm, which I took. "Lovely as always."

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"Unfortunately, I think I already know the answer. This has to do with Kaeya, does it not? Dressed like that, the two of you make a matching pair. I can name another person besides myself who would rather that didn't happen."

I smiled brightly enough for the both of us and patted his arm as we walked down the hall. "As long as that other person feels the same, then the solution is simple. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you first thing in the morning?"

"Signora will be present on campus today. It might ease your mind if there was someone by your side to ensure she doesn't attempt anything that threatens your life." He sighed, and I caught a note of anxiety in his voice. "That is not entirely true. It is my own mind that I hope to ease."

I squeezed his arm a little tighter partly in thanks and also for assurance. I doubted she would blatantly go for my head in broad daylight, but it was soothing to have him here. The mere fact that Huffman had a Delusion made Diluc's worries very reasonable. I relayed those details as nonchalantly as possible. That didn't stop his shoulders from stiffening.

"At least it was Huffman and not Vlad," I added at the end. "The situation could have been worse."

Diluc merely grunted in response, and I accepted his silence—there was a lot to think about.

Like the students around us, we took the shortest path to the dining hall. Also like the students around us, we stopped upon reaching the main quad where a small crowd had gathered. There wasn't anything going on ground level, but I followed their upward gazes and found the object of their attention.

It was a hot air balloon nearly identical to the one I rode upon my first arrival at Celestia Academy. This one was emblazoned with a four-pointed symbol that I knew belonged to the Fatui Harbingers. So, Signora was finally making her appearance.

The aircraft was too far of a distance for me to pinpoint which of the moving figures aboard was her, so I cast my eyes back down and ventured with Diluc to the crowd of onlookers. At the very front stood Katheryne and Childe. The head secretary stood dutifully still, and Childe removed his scowl upon seeing me.

The scowl then promptly returned.

"What are you wearing?"

I smiled and tugged at the warm material. "It's a turtleneck. Have you never seen one before? It's called a turtleneck because the collar goes up to the neck and—"

"I know what a turtleneck is. Where's Kaeya? He put you up to this, didn't he?" Childe's jaw ticked, and he scanned around.

"Not at all. This was my idea. Shouldn't you be focused on the business literally looming ahead of us?"

"Don't remind me." He groaned and spared another look at the Fatui balloon before zeroing in on the turtleneck once more. "I didn't expect to face an even more unpleasant scenario today. It suits you well, though. This is a problem."

"Hello to you, too," Diluc said.

"Since when did you get here?" Childe blinked at Diluc before patting his shoulder with a half-hearted laugh. "I'm kidding, but hey, what do you think of this?"

"Whatever she wants."

They stared at each other, silent. Then those silent stares turned to me. I'd let Childe come to the easiest solution on his own, but in the meantime, there was information to pass on. Childe's frown dropped even further upon hearing the Huffman news, and he ran his fingers through his hair with an exasperated sigh.

"This day is certainly off to a start," he mumbled. "I'd deal with Huffman myself, but I've officially run out of time. Signora and I will be heading straight into the meeting once she lands."

"He'll cooperate with me. Kaeya will be there, too."

I spoke with pure confidence, but Childe still looked disturbed by it all. There was a strong chance—given by how his eye twitched when I said Kaeya's name—that the turtleneck still distracted him. He didn't get a chance to make another comment, though. The hot air balloon came close to landing.

When I briefly switched my focus to who else gathered here, my eyes immediately recognized a head of hair identical to my blonde. Aether stood amongst the students, stiller than most, with his attention coldly placed on the arrival. He wouldn't do anything rash, would he? Though I wanted to wiggle past everyone to speak to him, I held back.

Signora wasn't the only one on the inside. After making a sound landing, a group of Fatui dressed for battle and carrying weapons filed out. The star of the show was last—making a slow, dramatic entrance wearing long gloves and a striking dress unsuited for winter. One of the soldiers drew behind her and placed an elegant red cape lined with black fur on her exposed shoulders before ducking away.

"Welcome to Celestia Academy," said Katheryne in a formal tone as if this was Signora's first time here. "I'm afraid your entourage is unable to proceed any further from this point. I will guide both you and Mr. Tartaglia to Headmaster Dainsleif's office for the meeting."

Signora's face pinched at that, but she didn't respond right away. She took in her surroundings, observing the main quad and the small crowd with a look of disdain. When her icy eyes landed on me, I expected hatred but was surprised when she merely skimmed past me like the others.

"Very well," she said at last, stepping forward with her head held high.

Katheryne spared a polite smile before turning away. Childe and Signora followed while walking at a triple arm's length from each other. Once they'd gone far enough, the crowd dispersed and broke out into whispers. Some spoke of how surreal it was to see her again while others couldn't wait until she left. Neither of them was Aether. He'd disappeared completely.

"Hungry?" Diluc asked as I searched for my brother.

We continued our original route to the dining hall, but it was difficult to think about anything other than Aether's reaction to what Signora had done to me. Only when I spotted him much later—making his rounds to the tables and maintaining a good relationship with everyone—was I able to relax.

"That's really fishy," Amber said after I told my friends about Huffman and Signora. "Fishier than Xiangling's breakfast."

"Fisherman's toast is a completely acceptable morning meal. There isn't even fish in it, so don't judge me." Xiangling pouted and licked some sauce from her finger. "I'm glad I wasn't there when Signora arrived. I would have lost my appetite for sure."

"Do you think she still hates you?" Bennett asked.

"She pretended like I didn't exist, but the chance is high—too high," I said. "Thanks to Diluc, I realized it would be best if I stuck around a lot of people today. There's strength in numbers."

"If that's the case, then why not join me in being a taster for the cooking club?" Thoma suggested. "Everyone's testing different samples for their Welkin Festival dish, so they could use a fresh set of tastebuds."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are there any scarabs involved?"

"Not that I know of," he said with a laugh.

It wasn't an outright 'no,' but it was enough for me to hesitantly accept. After hearing so much about the cooking club from Xiangling and Bennett, it was about time I stopped by. That was a plan for the future, though. There was a plan for the present I had to set in motion before classes began—dealing with Huffman.

This was my first time visiting the Visionless table since Ellin and I made up, and seeing her smile widen at my approach filled me with joy. The others had little to no reaction—Vlad being completely absent—except for Huffman. He, unlike yesterday, looked like a nervous mess.

"There's something I have to tell you," he blurted before I even sat down.

"Is there?" I pretended to be surprised. Better to listen than to interrogate.

He nodded and chewed at his lip. "Signora…I met with her yesterday."

Ellin's smile immediately dropped and was replaced with jaw-slacked shock. Even Timaeus set his book down and tuned into the conversation. I didn't say anything—waiting for Huffman to come clean.

"She sent a letter to me and…everyone else on her side. It stated when she would be arriving and how we were to meet her. I didn't want to show up at all, but I worried she might come after me for quitting the coward's way. So, I mustered all the courage I had and told her I wanted no part of her plans anymore."

Ellin and Timaeus exchanged wide-eyed looks. I could also act surprised to hear this, but being overly deceptive wasn't necessary at this point. Huffman winced and mumbled a quiet apology to his friends.

"This is my confession of guilt to you all."

"She actually let you leave?" Ellin asked. "How did you not die?"

"I asked myself the same thing. It gets crazier. Not only did she let me go unharmed, but she left me with a parting gift. It's a real gift and not some twisted metaphor for one." Huffman sputtered a laugh as though he still couldn't believe it. "I thought it was all a dream, but the gift was still there when I woke up today. She called it a—"

"Delusion."

"That's right." Huffman blinked at me. "How did you know?"

"Childe explained Delusions to me once before, and he mentioned how dangerous they can be. It's not a good idea for you to have one. Signora knows this, so I wouldn't call it a gift."

"It really is a twisted metaphor," he groaned.

"Do you have it with you now?" I asked.

"I was afraid I might lose it, so I left it in my room. Now I'm afraid that I'll lose my life because of it."

I refrained from mentioning that the Fatui in the tavern thought the same thing of Huffman. He'd been stressed before, but this information visibly weighed on Huffman's mind. I knew for certain he had no intentions to succumb to Signora's whims or use the Delusion. So far, so good.

"Thanks for telling me. Since you did the right thing, let me do the right thing for you and take the Delusion off your hands. There isn't much time left before breakfast ends. Are you free after classes?"

He had a club right after, but I also had greenhouse duty. We both agreed for him to hand over the Delusion after our respective activities. Besides Ellin and Timaeus badgering Huffman with questions and accusations immediately after, the ordeal went over quite smoothly. I stayed at the Visionless table until our time was up, doing my best to defend Huffman as someone who knew firsthand just how intimidating Signora could be.

If it wasn't for Diluc who reappeared to walk me to my first class, Huffman surely would have stuck next to me with a continuation of thanks.

"It feels like we have a bodyguard," Amber said with a giggle. "Free of charge!"

"It's free for Lumine."

She did a double-take and stumbled. "Wait, are you actually going to charge me?"

"That was a joke."

Diluc wore a faint smile—one that only I noticed. Amber's pout made it clear she didn't appreciate his sense of humor, but she didn't hold the grudge for long. Our bodyguard had a class of his own to attend, and I hoped he made it on time. After Beginner's Gliding, it was Kaeya who met me instead of Diluc.

He took my hand and placed a quick kiss on my knuckles before saying, "Time for my shift."

"Am I a chore to you?" I tugged away, but he held firm.

"Bad joke."

"You really are brothers."

"I almost want to ask what you mean, but I'd rather talk about how right it looks for you to be in the same clothes as me."

I readjusted the collar so it no longer climbed to the very top of my neck. "It's no different from when we both wore the standard uniform."

"Oh, but it is."

"Not for long. Childe hates it—the matching. You'll be back to unbuttoned button-downs in no time."

"Thank you," he said with a soft smile before lifting my hand in the air.

Just like last night, I spun around quickly. It felt a bit silly in our academy clothes while outside in daylight, but I loved it all the same.

Kaeya sighed when we resumed walking. "I wish you'd let me buy you that dress."

"You already got me the blue one and all of those sweaters."

"That may be so, but it was your dress."

I missed it already, but I didn't need to look at the price tag to know it would have been an unnecessary purchase. He'd been close to convincing me then, but what made our moment hadn't been the fancy clothes. Be it an elaborate gown or turtlenecks paired with skirts, Kaeya was the special factor.

Kaeya hung on to my every word when I explained the plan with Huffman and had no issue with the time set for the Delusion retrieval. I thought anticipating our later meeting would make time pass unbearably slowly, but it was quite the opposite with Kaeya here. He stayed in my company and even lingered after our walk to my next class.

"I'll take it from here," Childe announced and moved between us. He scowled at Kaeya…or was it at the turtleneck Kaeya wore? "Shouldn't you run along before you're tardy for something?"

I didn't expect to see Childe so soon. He'd been gone all day yesterday, but only a couple of hours had passed since he left with Katheryne and Signora.

"How kind of you to worry about me," Kaeya said.

"The generosity of my concern doesn't end there. You can stop with the turtleneck."

"On the contrary, I've discovered it to be quite fashionable in every shade. Lumine enlightened me on just how many colors suit my taste. I suppose it's true what they say about finding pleasure in punishment."

"I expect to see you sweater-free tomorrow."

Kaeya continued with a smirk. "And I mean all the colors. Everything in the rainbow, black, white…nude."

"Beige," I corrected before a fight broke out—indicated by Childe's clenched fist. He barely reacted when I pried his fingers to relax. "Did the meeting go okay?"

Childe's inhale was audible, and he slowly broke his glare away from Kaeya. "It did. Everything was approved."

"Your Delusion?" I prompted.

"Already got it. Signora left not too long ago. I personally watched the ship depart."

That news was beyond amazing, so why didn't he look happy?

"The day isn't over yet," he explained. "There's still a chance for the tides to turn for the worse, and Huffman needs to be dealt with."

"Already sorted! Do you want to join our very civil meetup when he hands it over?" Emphasis on civil. "No intimidation tactics required—isn't that nice?"

"It'd be nice to get class started. Signora left me with some pent-up steam I need to blow off, and Mr. Eyepatch isn't making it any better."

Kaeya chuckled and backed off. "Alright, alright. Until next time."

I wasn't sure if sparring was on Instructor Xiao's agenda, but Childe would surely find some loophole. That meant I was in for an intense session. Going all-out with Childe always left me aching in body while also aching for more. His fighting spirit truly was one-of-a-kind.

I hit his shoulder lightly in an attempt to distract him from Signora's influence. "Don't hold back on me."

He didn't. I could barely catch my breath the entire time, but it was worth seeing his irritation being replaced with glee.

When class wrapped up, Childe was quick to retrieve ice for my muscles. He even joined Thoma and I on our way to Vision Studies. Thoma took me to history as usual, and though I'd gotten used to walking to horticulture alone, Childe showed up yet again.

"Where are you at this time usually?" I asked.

"Uselessly being on time for class. Walking with you is much better. I should do so more often."

"Not if it means being late."

"You can count on seeing me again right after this. What if I joined you in the greenhouse? I never asked before since Sucrose seems afraid of me for some reason, but our current situation presents a good excuse."

"That's because she is afraid of you—a little. I thought you said Signora sailed off already?"

"Can't hurt to be careful," he reminded.

"Since when were you careful?"

"Since you."

He left me with a parting kiss that I continued to think about as Professor Baizhu lectured about plants native to Watatsumi Island and how they grow in poor-quality soil. Though I sincerely hoped Childe did make it to his class on time, I enjoyed seeing him so often in one day that I wouldn't mind it as a recurring thing.

In between checking the greenhouse temperature and adding fertilizers to plant starters, I wondered who would be the next to show up. When Sucrose took note of my distraction, I told her everything and we made guesses. She firmly believed in Thoma probably because she knew him the best out of the four. I guessed Diluc and bit back a smile after spotting a brilliant flash of red outside the greenhouse.

"You have an advantage," Sucrose said with a sigh.

Though a bit of a sore loser, she got over it quickly as we wrapped up for the day. I was the first to leave—too excited to leave Diluc waiting—and almost succeeded in surprising him from behind.

"Were you going to attack me?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"With a hug."

He gave a blank stare before turning on his heel without going anywhere. I waited a few seconds, but he only stood still.

"What are you doing?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm defenseless."

I spied a hint of pink coloring the tip of his ears and took my cue. His hands overlapped mine after my arms wrapped his torso, and though I preferred his arms around me when hugging normally, I loved this as well. My eyes closed to savor the moment, but it didn't last long.

A bird screeched overhead.

It was unlike the light chirps usually heard around campus, so I reluctantly pulled away to glance around at the sky. Diluc also went on alert—more so than I expected. His eyes sharply followed the bird only visible as a small dot before it flew lower. It got so close, I backed away from the sharp talons of what had to be a falcon.

Diluc didn't flinch and held out an arm for the bird to perch on. My jaw dropped when it actually did. Speechless, I watched as he gently stroked its head before undoing a string tied to its leg.

"A messenger bird?" I found my voice.

"I have one stationed at each of my properties. If there's ever a time when my employees need to relay an urgent message, this is how we communicate. This falcon belongs to the town's tavern." Once the message was freed, he opened the small sheet of paper and frowned at the contents. "There's been a fire."

"A fire?" I echoed lamely. "That's…not good. Is anyone hurt?"

"None reported in the message, but you're right. This isn't good. I need to check the scene for myself to appraise the damage and figure out what exactly happened."

The falcon chirped once, and Diluc launched it off his arm. It flapped away with a squawk heading back to the tavern. I expected Diluc to run off as well, but there was conflict written on his face.

"I'll be fine," I assured. "Childe said Signora left hours ago. Go."

He nodded sadly and took four steps away before rushing right back to me and cupping my face in his hands. There was a question in his eyes—one that I answered by standing on my toes and pulling his face down to mine. Our kiss was short, fierce, and then he was off.

I took a moment to think through what just happened, but time wasn't infinite. While Diluc dealt with his business up in literal flames, I had to be there for the Huffman meeting. Kaeya and Childe would undoubtedly worry if I showed up late.

The location we chose was ironically the same spot where Signora cornered me all those months ago. When the gazebo came into view, so did three figures standing at the center. Huffman stuck his arm up and waved wildly at me, prompting me to jog the rest of the way over.

"Good, you're here! I thought…" Huffman's eyes flicked to where both Kaeya and Childe had their arms crossed.

"You're alone," Childe stated with furrowed brows.

"Diluc had to leave. There was a tavern fire."

It was Kaeya's turn to frown, and they exchanged a wordless glance.

"Do you still want the Delusion?" Huffman asked hesitantly.

Childe outstretched an open hand and waited as Huffman dug around in his bag. When Huffman finally found it—a black metal device smaller than a Vision and lacking an elemental symbol—Childe jerked back at the sight.

"That's no Delusion."

"But Signora said…sorry," Huffman sputtered. "I don't know what this thing is. Can you please just take it from me?"

Kaeya stepped in and carefully plucked the device from Huffman's shaking hand. He lifted it eye-level, analyzing closely.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Childe warned. "Signora can claim it to be a Delusion all she wants, but I can see the truth. It's a poorly made prototype—defective. Even if Huffman left it to collect dust, there's a high chance it would activate on its own."

Huffman's eyes widened. "Would I get hurt?"

"You'd likely be killed."

Kaeya held the device as far as he could from his body. "Childe, friend, I think it's your turn to hold the Not Delusion."

"Hang on to it," Childe said. "We can't just get rid of it without disabling the malfunctioning power inside. Even outright destroying it is too much of a risk. Only people in the Delusion factories would know how to disarm it, but we have to find someone on this island who can—and soon."

"Professor Kreideprinz is good with experimenting," I said. "Alchemy is different from this, but he's worth giving a try."

Kaeya had another idea. "Professor Morax, too. That man has the most diverse arsenal of knowledge out of anyone I've ever met."

"Who should we see first?" I asked, looking between the two when they only looked at each other.

"You're not going with us," Kaeya said definitively.

"What? Why not? I've been a part of this so far. I need to—"

"Stay safe. You need to stay safe, and this device is anything but. The longer you remain in its vicinity, the greater the chance you could get hurt if it self-destructs." Childe sighed. "I'm sorry, girlie. Sit this one out, for me?"

I wanted to protest. This wasn't fair, not just for me, but for them. Me being safe meant nothing if their lives were in danger as well. I hated this so much, yet there was no use in arguing two against one. There was no use in arguing when we were up against an unknown timer. If they were too worried about me to properly concentrate, losing focus might lead to something catastrophic. Fighting against their annoying decision would cause only harm and no good.

Gritting my teeth, I gave them the angriest of glares and said, "You're the ones who'd better stay safe. Come back to me unharmed, and I might think about forgiving you."

They had the sense to refrain from making any sugarcoated promises. Time was of the essence, and they were gone faster than I could mentally prepare for. It was just Huffman and I standing under the stupid gazebo.

"Um, thanks," Huffman said awkwardly.

I did my best to hold the bite from my words. "Next time, don't accept gifts from people proven to be evil."

Then, it was my turn to stalk off. In a matter of minutes, the good mood that fueled my whole day evaporated into nothing but fear and rage. What could Signora even gain from this? Did she hope to receive a somber message detailing Huffman's untimely death?

I'd been on my own plenty in the past, but never had it felt this lonely. There was only one place I could go to make an attempt to calm down, and it helped that people expected to see me. Though I doubted any amount of delicious food could distract me enough, my friends were there. Thoma was there.

Just thinking about them moved me to walk faster to the cooking club. The lecture building had a culinary arts hall which I quickly found based on smell alone. Sizzling food and laughter grew loud as I neared, but I paused outside the room to take a quick breath and fake a smile.

There were more members than I thought. It looked like a full class was going on with every cooking station occupied and ingredients strewn about. I spotted Xiangling first—her face peered deep into a simmering pot.

"Did someone ask for a taster?" I asked loudly to grab her attention.

"Lumine, you made it!" She split into a grin. "Just in time, too. Have a sip of this."

Sampling her stew, though delicious, felt surreal. The cozy environment was in stark contrast to the deep pit of unease that no amount of hearty meat or seasoned vegetables could overcome. Still, I tried.

My heart lifted when Thoma walked up with a forkful of pasta.

"I was wondering when you were going to stop by," he said. "Do you want to try? It's the carbonara they made over there."

The pasta was also delicious. There probably wasn't a dish in this room less than mouth-watering—except for what Bennett had to offer. I didn't see him around, though.

"Where's Bennett?" I asked.

"He's normally late because of one thing or another, but even this is longer than it usually takes him," Thoma said. "He'd hate to miss the club knowing you're here, so I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."

Instead of adding another worry to my plate, I accepted that response and made rounds to the different cooking stations. Flavors from all over Teyvat blessed my tastebuds, and I'd eaten enough to make dinner unnecessary.

"Feeling better?" Thoma quietly asked after we split a serving of crystal shrimp.

I hurried to finish chewing, but my face still showed surprise. "How did you know?"

"Your smile didn't reach your eyes."

Our hands met, and I reveled in his comforting warmth.

"Has anyone seen Bennett?" Xiangling's voice rang out.

Right on cue, someone entered through the doorway—multiple someones. Of the two newcomers, neither of them was Bennett nor looked here to enjoy the vibrant culinary scene. Cici and Cicin shuffled in with snickers obnoxious enough to grab everyone's attention.

Visibly annoyed, Xiangling pointed a butcher knife at them. "Can we help you?"

"Is this not the lost and found?" Cici questioned innocently. "I smelled something foul and assumed this was where all the stinky, forgotten clothes were stashed. Cicin, what are we supposed to do with this drabby thing now?"

From her fingers, a pair of broken goggles dangled.

Cicin slapped the goggles out of Cici's hand, and it landed would a loud crack on the floor. "Its owner shouldn't be so careless next time. Oh well, not our problem anymore. We did our job of being helpful peers."

They fell into a fit of giggles and left as fast as they'd come. My unease was back, and I stepped to the front of the room to examine the goggles. The green lenses had spiderweb cracks with some shards scattered on the floor.

Someone I knew had a pair of goggles exactly like these. He wore them to keep dust out of his eyes when gliding. He proudly boasted how it was the one item he'd never lost before. It was a treasured gift from one of his dads.

I clenched them in my hand and stared at the empty spot where the Twin Mages once were. These goggles were wrongfully separated from their owner.

"We have to find Bennett."

i think this is the first chapter with individual fluff scenes for each ship, so hip hip hooray for that!

i hope everyone's kazuha, alhaitham, and weapon summons have been going well! the 3.8 livestream this friday will be SUPER👀 exciting i cannot wait