𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 ✦ 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲

[Edited Again]

"You're not coming?" Aether asked.

Y/n shook her head, "Nye, I have something else I need to do."

"Something you need to do?" Paimon questioned, "What could you possibly have to do that's so important that you'd ditch us."

She looked away, "I'm not ditching you. I'm taking care of something that's been bothering me for a while, that's all."

Aether gave the girl a look of concern.

She had been acting odd lately...

Y/n refused to look at him and there was always this pained look on her face.

In fact, ever since Osiris brought her back from who knows where, she looked like she was on the verge of crying.

On y/n's side, she was internally stabbing herself with a branch. She hated lying. She hated being lied to.

It hurt so much, keeping things away from the people she cared about. Why do it to someone else when she hated it when it was done to her?

"If you encounter any hilichurls, let them know that you're a friend of mine." y/n told Aether, "Though I doubt they'll care if an Abyss Mage is with them..."

Aether and Paimon were puzzled but didn't get the chance to say anything else before y/n took off with, "BYE-BYE, SEE YA LATER, STAY SAFE AND TELL DANNY TO GO EAT A ROCK-!"

"Heyyy! Y/n! Where are you going!?" Paimon called after the girl but was ignored as y/n disappeared over the hill.

"Do you think y/n's okay?" Paimon asked Aether as they stared at the spot the frantic girl had disappeared.

"I'm not sure." Aether murmured then looked at Paimon, "Should we go after her?"

"No... Paimon doesn't think y/n would be very happy if we followed her." Paimon said with a shake of her head.

•••

"Olah, Bleu!"

The Mitachurl perked up surprised to hear y/n's voice and looked at the girl.

"Ah! Y/n! Bleu did not expect to see you return so soon!" Bleu exclaimed.

Y/n grinned, "I just wanted go see how Lumine was doing! I brought food!"

Bleu hummed, "Bleu does not understand. Is food some sort of offering to the Princess?"

"You could say that." y/n said with a smile, "She had a dull look in her eye like that fish faced ginger! So, I brought food as a way to bring some light into her life!"

"Hm, you are very kind, Bellator Minima. Bleu respects you." Bleu told the girl, "Bleu believes you can find her on your own, correct?"

Y/n nodded, "She has a fairly similar scent to Aether so I can find her!"

Bleu watched y/n march off into the darkness, occasionally bumping into walls and tripping over things as she adjusted to the odd darkness of the Abyss.

"Strange girl..." Bleu murmured as she watched y/n go, "Very strange."

"Lumineeeeee!" y/n called, grinning when she found the blond minding her own business.

Lumine blinked, "Oh, you're back."

Y/n internally sobbed, feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the gut, "Ouch... I brought you food! I wanna get to know you!"

"Get to know me?" Lumine asked, raising a brow then frowned, "Why?"

"Why not?" y/n questioned, "If I'm gonna keep my mouth shut about you, I want something in return! Since I'm finding friendship to be something I like, I wanna be friends with you!"

"That's a rather odd reason to want to be my friend." Lumine commented.

Y/n pursed her lips, "I mean, I could go back to Aether and the creepy dude named Deensled or whatever and tell them about you-"

"Do that and you're as good as dead."

"I do not fear death." y/n replied simply then grinned, "Plus, you don't mean it."

The two females had a stare down for who knows how before Lumine sighed.

"Fine."

•••

Y/n happily bit into an apple, a pleased look on her face as her and Lumine sat on a hill together, overlooking Liyue Harbor.

The h/c haired girl turned her head to look at Lumine who hadn't even touched the food, "Are you not going to eat?"

"No." Lumine replied, "I don't need to."

Y/n tilted her head, "So you don't eat because it makes you happy either?"

"No."

"You don't stress eat?"

"No."

"You don't have eating contests?"

"No."

"Man, you're boring..." y/n sighed then looked at the Abyss Herald Lumine had brought along, "Hey, you, McLanky Legs."

"Hm?" the tall creature looked down at y/n, "What do you want, small one?"

"Small-" y/n inhaled sharply.

Lumine covered her mouth, nearly laughing when y/n launched herself at the Abyss Herald, tackling it.

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME SMALL! I AM FIVE FOOT THREE! I GREW AN ENTIRE INCH IN A MONTH! IN A YEAR, BE AN ENTIRE FOOT TALLER!" y/n snapped as she pummeled the creature, banging her fists against it.

"I don't think that's how height works." Lumine said, lips quirking up into a smile.

"Eh? It doesn't?" y/n inquired then kicked the Abyss Herald, "You're not allowed to get up yet you lump of metal!"

The Abyss Herald simply allowed the angry girl to jump on it and punch it until her fists quite literally began to bleed.

It was a while but y/n eventually got tired, laying flat on her back on the grass.

Lumine crouched next to her, "Done?"

"Hah... hah... yeah, I'm done..." y/n replied then smiled at Lumine, "Hey, I made you laugh."

The blonde blinked, "No you didn't."

Y/n grinned, "I did. You're just in denial."

Y/n sat up, stretching, "Hey, can I ask you something, Lumine?"

"Sure, I guess." Lumine hummed as y/n looked up at the darkening sky.

"Do you ever get this pain in your chest?" y/n inquired, "Like... it feels like your heart is aching. And when you look at someone you care about but can't really... talk to... it hurts a lot more? Like... when you miss someone."

Lumine thought for a moment, "I believe that's heartache. Do you not know what heartache is?"

"Mm, not really." y/n murmured, "Now I do. Just like I know what guilt is and how it literally tears me apart-"

Lumine's eyes softened as a quiet squealing noise left y/n as she stared at the ground with watery e/c eyes.

Y/n blinked when there was a sudden weight on her head and her eyes sparkled when she realized Lumine was rubbing her head, ruffling her hair.

Of course, a purring noise left y/n.

"You won't have to keep secrets or hide things anymore. Just wait a little longer." Lumine assured the girl.

They stared at each other for a moment longer before y/n spoke, "Sounds great but as an apology for my pain and suffering, can you let me fight the Abyss Herald?"

(I just fought the Abyss Herald-)

(I wish I had that type of height...)