xiaolumi oneshots ♡

leaving

"Xiao!" Goldet called up the stairs.

Within an instant, Xiao appeared in front of her with a whirl of wind surrounding him.

"Are you not going to say good-bye to the Traveler? She's leaving Liyue today," she told him, frowning as she swept a bit of dust off his shoulder.

Goldet saw shock flicker across his gaze, but he resumed a neutral expression just a moment later. He nodded and said, "Give her my best."

She rolled her eyes. "Your best," she snorted, glaring at Xiao. "You are absolutely ridiculous."

"Foolish mortal . . . ." Xiao turned away grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Foolish yaksha," Goldet retorted. "You know Lumine cares greatly for you. It would mean the world to her if you came with us today."

Xiao was silent, and he gazed out over the Wangshu Inn balcony. He knew she was right. He knew he should bid farewell to Lumine, thank her for everything she'd done for him. He frowned.

A voice suddenly called from outside.

"Goldet, darling! Ready to go?" Huai'an walked briskly into the inn from the balcony. "We've got to leave now if we don't want to miss her."

Goldet nodded and sighed. "Xiao, come on. Wave her off with us."

Huai'an wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders and nodded. "You'll regret it if you don't, son."

"I'm not your son," Xiao grumbled, running his fingers across the beads on his necklace.

"You are impossibly stubborn," Goldet said. "She's sailing out of Guyun Stone Forest, if you feel like stopping by."

Xiao sighed and shrugged. "Be careful."

"Ah, he does care for us at least!" Huai'an cried to Goldet, who laughed, turned away and walked out of the inn. Xiao heard their footsteps and voices receed as they ventured down the elevator.

He gazed out over Dihua Marsh and felt his stomach knot. He sighed. "Oh, Archons . . . ."

◇

PAIMON FLOATED AHEAD of Lumine, headed for the Alcor. The tropical winds blowing from the south scattered violetgrass petals everywhere, and the sand was covered in purple flowers as a result.

The two adventurers rounded a large rock and they saw the ship. With its two giant masts, the magnificent cannons on either side of the vessel, and a dragon hanging from the bowsprit, the Alcor seemed right out of a story book. Kazuha whistled loudly and waved Lumine and Paimon over to the gangplank.

"Hey!" Beidou appeared from the deck and walked down to the shore.

Paimon waved, and Lumine gave a short "hi" back.

"Here, let me take some of those," Kazuha offered, lifting some of Lumine's bags into his arms.

"Thank you," she replied, shooting him a smile.

"Paimon has a question," the floating child proclaimed. "Why is the Alcor docked so close to land? Isn't the water too shallow?"

"Not in Guyun, my friend," Beidou replied, propping her leg up on a crate.

"Lumine!"

The Traveler spun around and saw Huai'an, Goldet, Yanxiao, and Jiangxue from Wangshu Inn walking down the sandy shores towards her.