Childe wasn't lying when he said that Signora's report about a blonde traveler who managed to become an Honorary Knight of Favonius had caught his interest. He was constantly looking for strong adversaries and new challenges, and this one seemed to be both. He was even more interested once he heard that the Traveler had stared down Signora after the latter stole the Gnosis. It took a special kind of bravery to glare at a Harbinger even after knowing their identity. He was pleasantly surprised when he got intel that the Traveler's next destination seemed to be Liyue Harbor. It was a stroke of good luck on his part that she walked straight into his current assignment.
It was a stroke of very bad luck on her part that she entered Liyue and the dead Geo Archon fell out of the sky. It was only natural that the first one under suspicion would be the outlander. Not that Childe could say anything; being part of the Fatui was as bad as being an outlander, if not worse. He had been watching the Rite of Decension from a distance under the guise of gathering intel about the Traveler and the Geo Gnosis. He was actually supposed to find a way to obtain the Geo Gnosis but then all hell broke loose when the Geo Archon was found dead. In the ensuing confusion, he spotted the blonde and her fairy companion sneaking away. He was about to turn away when he saw a Millelith soldier near their hiding place. He had a feeling that those two would need some help, unless they wanted to cause a bigger international incident. He was racing over to them when he heard the shout go up. He saw the Traveler skid down the steps. He also saw Millelith moving in to block her exit route. She pulled out her sword to defend herself just as he nocked his arrow.
"Hey girlie—hold still."
Taking advantage of her surprise, he fired off several shots in quick succession before vaulting up to land in front of her. Ditching the bow in favor of his Hydro blades, he slashed at the soldiers, quickly disarming them. A few seconds later, they were all on the ground around him and more soldiers were drawn to the sound of combat. He turned to look at the Traveler and her companion. "Come with me."
"Hey girlie—hold still."
Trying to evade the Millelith to avoid being accused of the Geo Archon's murder was not how Lumine imagined meeting anyone. Yet, there he was—the stranger swooping in to defend her from the soldiers that surrounded her. He made quick work of the soldiers and then motioned for Lumine to follow him, which she did. It was only when they were away from the impending threat that introductions were made.
Childe—the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger.
It took all of ten seconds for him to go from helpful stranger to dangerous enemy, even though his demeanor hadn't changed. In Lumine's mind, Harbinger was always going to be associated with Signora ripping out Venti's Gnosis and not caring whether she left him for dead. A closer inspection of the man before her brought more points of concern. The fact that he could create weapons out of Hydro made him a constant threat. He took out an entire unit of Millelith in seconds. He seemed barely older than she looked, which meant the Tsaritsa saw something impressive in him to bestow the title of Harbinger upon him. What if that smile was hiding a more sinister purpose? Had he been sent to deal with her after Signora's report?
Lumine was already on her guard around him. He had probably figured that out from the curt replies she was giving him. Still, he pressed on about how he was trying to help her and his points were making sense. They really couldn't continue to argue in the middle of the city while Millelith were probably looking for both of them.
For now, she decided to follow him to Northland Bank. For now.
During the dizzying adventure that Liyue had turned into, Lumine found herself thawing towards Childe. Apart from his identity as a Harbinger, he hadn't done anything to harm her. He was upfront and vocal about whatever he thought, even if it landed him in trouble. He usually kept his 'Fatui business' separate from his acquaintance with her. Admittedly, he had been helpful regarding the Sigil of Permission and seeking the adepti's help. He also introduced her to Zhongli and that man had been a huge help. To top it off, Childe was generously sponsoring most of the preparations for Rex Lapis' funeral, even though the Qixing were paying for the actual Rite of Parting. Preparations included running around gathering materials, hunting for long-lost items, and paying for Zhongli's purchases and Paimon's food. If you added the last two, that was a sizable amount by itself.
All said and done, Childe was shaping up to be a pretty decent person, if a Harbinger could be one. Lumine had gotten to know him a bit more during her time in Liyue and, if she was being truthful, she liked what she saw. He was forthright, not choosing to beat around the bush or play politics. He was well-mannered and confident but not in the way that was arrogant. He genuinely respected her for her work in Mondstadt and in Liyue.
He was also a very good fighter. Lumine had later analyzed their initial encounter and realized a few things. Childe was a lot more skilled than he let on. Sure, he had taken down several Millelith in a few seconds, but each strike had been careful and clean. No unnecessary injuries, no surrounding damage. Something like that only came from grueling practice. His speed was something else to marvel at. He was also skilled with a range of weapons. Lumine remembered him firing arrows before manifesting his Hydro blades. Oh, his Hydro blades. Razor sharp edges, created and dispelled in seconds and maintained with no lapse in concentration. What's more—he dual-wielded them with a reverse grip. The warrior in Lumine, despite having traveled worlds, was in awe.
It was easy to talk to him, if she could shove away the part of her that was screaming about nothing good coming from Fatui Harbingers. Even so, she was slowly opening up to him. Minor exchanges in the middle of running errands, a few words while waiting at the Northland Bank, some idle conversation while Paimon stuffed herself full of Grilled Tiger Fish. Childe slipped in some of his own anecdotes and experiences when she shared her adventures. She was stifling giggles when he told her of his initial days as a Harbinger when people constantly considered him "too young". He laughed outright when she told him how she fished Paimon out from a lake. Granted, the little fairy had been cross after that, but his laughter was a beautiful thing—rich, deep, and heartfelt. This wasn't the polite chuckle that he gave Zhongli or the sheepish "oh no no" that he had been laying on her during their first meeting.
Who would've thought she could be friends with a Harbinger?
Sometimes, Childe wished being a Harbinger did not involve all this cloak-and-dagger nonsense. He very much preferred to take things head-on, thank you. He could tell that the Traveler had trust issues with him, courtesy of Signora. He could tell Zhongli had trust issues with him, courtesy of too much interest in the Exuvia. He could tell half of Liyue had trust issues with him, courtesy of being a Fatui Harbinger. He could live with them being wary or even terrified of him, but distrustful? He understood the need for secrecy. He just didn't understand the need for deceit. In his opinion, if you were dealing with a God of Contracts, it made no sense to create a web of lies. Picking a fight still sounded like a more reasonable option, but what fight could you pick with a dead Archon?
As things stood, the Traveler and Zhongli seemed like his best bet at locating the Exuvia and therefore, the Gnosis. Now that the Traveler had cleared her name as the potential murderer of Rex Lapis, she was a fairly popular figure in Liyue. Most people saw her running errands while preparing for the Rite of Parting, and the rest knew her because of her association to two of the biggest spenders in Liyue—Zhongli and Paimon. Childe would know; he was footing the bill for both of them. He was glad that being a Harbinger paid well, otherwise those two would have made a huge hole in his wallet.
The latest in a series of complex purchases was a set of handmade kites. Zhongli really paid no attention to the price or where the payment was coming from. In this case, it was sheer luck that Childe "just happened to be passing by". (It wasn't like he could admit that he was out hunting for information on the Exuvia's location.) From the way Zhongli already had his future spending planned out, Childe felt it best to give the money to the Traveler for safekeeping. She was the only sensible spender in that lot. As the three of them went to find what they needed, Childe stared intently after them. He had a feeling that he missed something crucial but didn't know what it was. No matter, he would just have to find out later.
He had some time to kill before the group returned and he had no new leads on the Exuvia and Gnosis fronts. He decided to have a bite at Third-Round Knockout while he waited. In any case, the storyteller there would be a distraction from the intelligence gathering and he sorely needed one. He settled in at a table close to the corner and tried to focus on the tale of how the Guili Plains came to be. The storyteller was speaking about an ancient God of Dust who perished in the Archon War. She had worked with Rex Lapis and the adepti to establish what would later become Liyue. It seemed like her partnership with Rex Lapis had been one where she provided intelligence and empathy and he provided strength and protection. Childe was of the opinion that the strong mostly associated with the strong. What then, did the God of Dust have to offer that Rex Lapis himself found her worthy of working with? Maybe not brute strength, but there had to be something there.
Look at the Traveler, for example. She may not have brute strength but she was a powerful warrior. She had to be, to take down Stormterror. It was obvious to anyone who looked closely enough that her eyes had steel behind that honey-gold kindness. Even during their first meeting, she had been getting ready to fight her way through the Millelith. She managed to convince the adepti that she was not responsible for Rex Lapis' death and that took some serious backbone. He knew for a fact that the adepti were not welcoming of humans and convincing them was no easy task. She was also, somehow, not scared of the Fatui Harbingers. Wary of them, but not intimidated. He respected that in a fellow warrior.
Childe was curious about the Traveler, more than just her adventures. Who was she? Where was she from? How could she manipulate the elements without a Vision? Where was she until her sudden appearance in Mondstadt? He knew how she met Paimon, at least. That was a fun story and he had burst out laughing. The Traveler had smiled when she was narrating it and it had been cute watching her appease Paimon later. He wanted that comfortable, easy equation with her. Despite what people thought, Childe didn't really have friends. Most people ran screaming at his name. He loved his family to death, but he knew that they were unsure of what to do about his thirst for combat. The Traveler was one of the very few people who weren't afraid of him, and probably the only one who wasn't trying to use him.
He really did wish, though, that she would loosen up a little. Signora left a very bad impression on her and he was the one paying the price for it. He had no intent of harming the Traveler and he honestly felt bad about using her to find the Exuvia. She was a good person and he wanted to know how strong she was for himself. Maybe they could have a friendly spar? Nah, she would most likely turn him down. He would have to make peace with the snippets that he was getting now, small pieces of information about the Traveler's life. Speaking of which, he saw her coming down the street. Childe paid for his meal and left the establishment.
He wasn't surprised to know that they had funds left over; the Traveler was the one in charge. He offered to let them keep the remainder as a reward. Paimon grumbled about how he was trying to buy them off with loose change. He was about to tease Paimon when he had an idea.
"You give me the information I need, and maybe I'll leave the Northland Bank's vaults open and unattended for half an hour—"
The "No!" from the Traveler came before Paimon could even get her words out. To be honest, it hurt a little. She wasn't off the mark, but to think that she thought that little of him? Childe knew he wasn't a good guy by any definition but it wasn't like he was trying to cause a problem here. It was just the assignment that the Tsaritsa gave him. He cursed Signora yet again for the image of the Fatui that she left with the Traveler.
Fortunately or unfortunately, at that exact moment, Zhongli decided to show up and the conversation was put aside.
Lumine wasn't sure who she wanted to smack more—Baizhu or Zhongli. Right now, both of those men were infuriating. What sort of Archon-forsaken incense cost three million mora? That was worth a few months of well-paying commissions, and here were two people discussing it as if it were the weather. Lumine definitely did not have that sort of money on her. She knew for a fact that Zhongli didn't have a single mora on him. How that man got by was a mystery. There was only one person she knew who would have three million mora to fork over. Although she was sure that even he would have raised an eyebrow at this. Three million for incense, really.
The Eleventh Harbinger it was.
Lumine left Paimon at the pharmacy while she went to Northland Bank to fetch Childe. For a Harbinger, he stayed at the bank a lot. She wasn't entirely sure what he did there. He had mentioned that he was an occasional debt collector. Surely there wasn't so much debt that it warranted a Harbinger on full-time debt collection duty? Who knows, he probably had other "bank stuff" to do. In any case, whatever he did clearly paid him enough to be able to finance Zhongli and Paimon. Paimon had come up with a nickname for him—"Mr. More-Money-Than-Sense". While Lumine found it funny, she couldn't say how accurate it was.
It was very easy to forget that Childe belonged to the Fatui. He was one of the few people she could call friends, even though she met a lot of people on her travels. He reminded her of Kaeya, with his gray moral compass and neverending charm. He was a smooth talker, and could charm his way out of almost anything. It was quite at odds with the fact that he preferred to sort things out with his fists. She had discovered his violent streak when she let him accompany her on a day of commissions. It took him seconds to clear out an entire camp of Treasure Hoarders, and he positively glowed with excitement. The Harbinger was most himself when he had a weapon in his hand and an opponent to fight. She had discovered that he used a bow because it was the weapon he was worst with. That meant that he was even better with swords, claymores, polearms, and catalysts, and he was already fairly good with a bow. For someone at his age to master so many weapons was unheard of. Lumine smiled to herself. One of these days, she might take him up on that friendly spar. She wanted to see for herself if he was as skilled as he claimed to be.
She also found herself wanting to spend more time with the Harbinger. He was intelligent and interesting to talk to. He was mischievous one moment and reassuring the next, which would have made no sense if it were anyone else. Childe somehow managed to make it work. He had told her about his siblings back in Snezhnaya and they sounded like a fun bunch. It was evident in his affectionate tone just how much he loved them. That was another thing about him—his honesty—that was completely unlike other Fatui. He was so transparent with her, or he was doing a good job pretending he was, that Lumine found it difficult to keep him at arm's length. He did not have any of the harsh jadedness that came with age. However, there was something in his eyes that spoke of experience beyond their years. She wondered what it was that had made him grow up before his time.
Ultimately, he was still a Harbinger and a weapon of the Tsaritsa. Underneath the friendly man she had come to know hid a lethal killer, and one who could turn on her any second. He may pretend friendship with her, but it would last only until his path was at odds with hers. Tartaglia was no ally of hers, even if she wanted him to be. Getting attached to their friendship would only hurt her in the long run.
Then there was the whole matter of the Fatui gathering the Gnoses and acting as misguided vigilantes. How they thought that invading the autonomy of other nations was a way to help them was beyond Lumine. Even though Childe was an exception in the case that Lumine didn't feel instant hatred at the sight of him, he was still a member of the Fatui. She knew that his ultimate goal was obtaining the Geo Gnosis. He would do anything to get it and his actions backed it up. How dare he think that she could be bought off with a few mora! (Okay, maybe more than a few, but still!)
It was not unlike him, now that she thought about it. He was trying to be upfront about what he wanted, considering that both of them knew what his objective was. Lumine wasn't an idiot; she saw the momentary hurt flash across his face before he covered it up with that easygoing demeanor. He could have chosen much more violent means to get the information he needed. Instead, he decided to simply ask her. Now Lumine felt bad about shutting him down so coldly.
There was no more time for idle musings as she reached the Northland Bank. Time to explain to the Eleventh Harbinger why they needed three million mora.
"Cocogoat!"
Childe couldn't control his laughter and he had been trying for a while now. This was plain hilarious. He could just imagine the renowned Traveler and the dignified consultant climbing Mt. Tianheng to hunt for the mythical cocogoat. All that effort to realize that they simply needed to get coconut milk.
"Ahahahaha...ow...my sides hurt."
Every time he looked at the Traveler's expression, he burst out into more laughter. He had tears in his eyes from how hard he was laughing. He couldn't bring himself to care about Paimon getting annoyed. After another minute or so of howling with laughter, he composed himself and got to the situation at hand. Just what kind of incense was this to cost three million mora? It was ridiculous how the pharmacist decided to offer him a "discount", if it could even be called one. Although, his comment about the Fatui looking for business opportunities everywhere stung a little. Childe had offered to set up a supply of coconut milk out of goodwill. Granted, he had used the Fatui as a medium, but he didn't do it just for the money or to use the pharmacist or his zombie assistant. Distrust came as part of being in the Fatui.
The distrust was somewhat well-founded, Childe thought, as he stepped out of the pharmacy and promptly asked Ekaterina whether she heard anything relevant. He wasn't happy about spying on the Traveler and Zhongli, but work was work. When he heard that the Qixing had sealed off the Golden House, it wasn't difficult to put two and two together. He was certain that the Exuvia was hidden in the Golden House. He wasn't keen on raiding a place so significant for Liyue but he couldn't see any way around it. He could only hope the Qixing forgave him. If they didn't, he hoped his diplomatic immunity covered that.
While Childe missed his homeland and his family, he wasn't keen on leaving Liyue Harbor just yet. He liked the city and the air of constant motion it had. Childe himself wasn't one to be found sitting down, but he needed the occasional break to relax and think. That was where the rest of Liyue came in. The mountains scattered throughout the land and the vast plains lent it serenity. Childe would often go to one of the hills around the Harbor to clear his head. Of course, taking to one of the plains and massacring mitachurls also worked wonders.
Another reason for wanting to stay in Liyue just a little longer was the Traveler. He liked being around her. She hid a sharp wit behind that quiet demeanor. Ever since she allowed him to tag along on one of her commissions, he saw a different side to her. He loved watching her fight. She was so free and so unrestrained when she traded blows with Treasure Hoarders or brought down entire rocks on a band of hillichurls. He enjoyed fighting alongside her. Now if only he could get that friendly spar...
Childe shook his head to bring himself out of his reverie. He needed to prepare if he was planning to get to the Exuvia. Thoughts of the Traveler could come later.
Lumine couldn't believe this was happening. Although, in her current situation, she had no time to spare for these thoughts. She jumped back to avoid being stabbed with a blade that seemed to be made of pure Electro. Her opponent was dangerous and currently did not seem to be holding back. She had already had an entire Hydro whale dropped on her and she was soaked. Getting hit with Electro would only cause her further damage. She called on her Geo powers to create a temporary rock shield. Childe shattered it and smacked her with the side of his Electro blade, essentially swatting her away.
When she had raced to the Golden House to protect the Gnosis, Childe was already there. His expression told her that he understood that they were on opposite sides. He needed the Gnosis and anyone who felt otherwise was a problem. He wasted no time on empty words and megalomaniac speeches; he fought and that was it. It was also how Lumine was in her current predicament. The cheerful redhead that she had come to know was nowhere to be seen. In his place was the stone-faced Eleventh Harbinger, loyal to the Tsaritsa and focused on obtaining the Gnosis. All the friendship that Lumine thought they had built crumbled away in moments. The man before her was ruthless. She was in his way and he was getting her out of it.
"Not bad. Your swordsmanship is quite impressive."
Childe fused his blades into a double ended lance and spun it around. In a flash, he was in front of her and Lumine brought up a Wind Blade on sheer instinct. He had almost overpowered her when she brought up Geo spikes under his feet, knocking both of them back. When the dust cleared, she saw his lance embedded in the ground. She whirled back to see him next to the Exuvia, preparing to take the Geo Gnosis.
His hand came out empty.
A dark laugh escaped him and, for the first time, he seemed almost mad. Until then, Lumine hadn't felt scared of him. But when he accused her of taking the Gnosis, the bloodlust radiating off him made her take a step back. Water surrounded him, as if being pulled to him, while he slowly rose into the air. There was a flash of light and what could only be called a monster stood where he had. He summoned his lance to him and slammed it into the ground. The floor of the Golden House gave way and Lumine fell through to the lower level.
As she got to her feet, she saw a light descend to where she stood. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and gripped her blade harder. She was no longer facing Childe, who had fought her for the pleasure of it. He had pushed her to her limits but he had never struck to kill. Now, she stood before Tartaglia and it didn't seem like he had any such qualms.
A.N. Happy birthday Childe!
I'm finally on a brand new ship and Childe is one of my favourite characters. This story follows canon, with my own interpretation and thoughts tossed in. I hope you like it, and reviews are welcome.