"Really? Are you sure there are no more rooms?"
"I'm sorry miss, but yes." The receptionist nods in an apologetic confirmation.
"Ughh looks like we'll be stuck with the hat guy in the same room! Why must Tubby do renovation exactly when Nahida tasked us with completing a mission with him?"
"Wait, no it'll be just you stuck with him, because Paimon will be far far away in her pocket dimension, hehe!" Paimon lightens up considerably.
"But Paimon still feels a teensy bit sorry for you, because you're Paimon's friend!"
"Or more like your means of getting food." A teasing smirk tugs on Lumine's lips as she folds her arms.
"Hey! No that's not true- I mean- It is great that you give Paimon food...but Paimon also cares for you as a friend!"
"Uh huh." Lumine lifts an eyebrow.
"W-well anyways, good luck telling this to the Wanderer, and solving this issue!" Paimon huffs, looking back at where the Wanderer is standing, at the other side of the lobby.
Lumine sighs as she glances back at the Wanderer watching them cautiously, with a hint of annoyance, his arms crossed.
Lumine walks over to him, Paimon hovering by her side, as he uncrosses his arms, ready to follow them.
"I'm sorry but there's only 1 room left so how do you want to-" Lumine begins, a tight apologetic smile plastered on her face, hoping fervently that he doesn't react too negatively. She is too worn out to deal with any drama.
"I don't need to sleep." The wanderer scoffs as he cuts off Lumine's words.
"Oh." Lumine and Paimon's eyes widen in surprise.
"I am, after all, not a human, but a puppet, or have you forgotten?"
"No...I just- well this is better for me anyway." Lumine relaxes slightly from the tight bundle of nerves she was before.
Silence descends upon them as they walk towards their room, as it always does when she's with the Wanderer.
Paimon had attempted to make light conversation once before, and the Wanderer cut her off, saying that, "It's rather pathetic to force a conversation just to occupy silence." and she hasn't tried since.
As they walk into the room, Lumine asks once again.
"Are you sure you don't need to rest?"
"I'll just be sitting on the porch." He scoffs again, looking at her with slight disdain.
She frowns slightly as she catches sight of the stormy sky. Dark purplish thunderclouds covered every inch of the dark blue night sky dotted with twinkling stars, and covered the moon and its ethereal glow, drowning the world in darkness, save for the few lights here and there. She catches whiffs of the crisp fresh smell of rain in the air.
"I'd rather sit out and stare at the rain then sleep next to you." The wanderer crosses his arms again.
"Okay then." Lumine shrugs, indifferent to his insult.
It is much better for her this way anyway. She was just trying to be nice and consider the feelings of him, especially since they're partnering up for a mission.
Paimon disappears into her pocket dimension with a goodnight, as she tucks the blanket up to her chin.
Scaramouche, no, the Wanderer as he is called now, sits out on the porch and stares at the thick clouds, the storm coming anytime soon.
The wind whips him, sending his clothes into a fluttering frenzy, as it becomes more and more restless for the storm to come. The air crackles with tension and humidity.
The storm can't be too far off now.
Lightning arcs down the sky in a brilliant show of blinding lights, as the first few drops of rain fall down in a light pitter-patter, tiny raindrops being blown by the rain to him, attacking him with little pin pricks and tingles.
Booming thunder resounds in the pitch black night, nothing seen but everything heard, a symphony of sounds, of the moaning of the wind, the loud pitter-patters of rain, the ear-splitting thunders, occasionally punctuated with a sudden flash of light, of visibility, and then reducing to stifling darkness once more.
A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time chokes his throat and covers his whole body. That mix of fear, bitterness, emptiness, anger, sadness. But mostly fear.The dark purplish clouds, the thunder, the lightning, the wind, the rain, they are all so like that day- that-
The puppet sat at the temple, waiting patiently.
His mother would come back and bring him back to the Tenshakaku.
Maybe this is all a test, and once she comes back, she would praise him on his patience.
His mother had never really seemed to care about him, but she would. She would. When he's behaved well long enough and proved that he's worthy of her care.
Maybe she's gone to get him gifts to reward him.
He could hardly wait for her to come back.
But he must wait. Wait.
For he is a good puppet.
Soon, it began to rain, lightning flashing down.
He sat out, the rain pelting him, and he didn't mind.
He is after all a puppet.
Maybe once she's seen his devotion and faith, she would believe that he's a good son.
He stares up at the sky and wonders if the lightning is a message.
His mother is the Electro Archon.
A day passes. It still rains.
And he still waits.
For he knew his mother would come back.
A day is nothing in the lives of immortals anyway.
Another day passed, and another, until one day, the storm stopped.
The sun has come out of the purplish clouds once more, shining so brightly upon the lands.
The puppet is confused.
Why hasn't she come back?
Why?
He's suddenly overcome with this suffocating feeling.
He doesn't know what it is, except that he doesn't like it. At all.
Has...has his mother abandoned him?
But she never would, would she?
As he stares straight into the blinding sun, the puppet isn't so sure anymore.
Is it because he's a failure?
He's heard how she talks of him as one, and of improving him.
Has she- has she built another puppet to replace him and now she doesn't need him anymore?
Tears spill down the puppet's face.
The puppet tries to stop but he can't.
Bitterness wells up inside of the puppet.
Those tears were the reason why his mother abandoned him.
She always said he was too fragile, too weak.
The puppet cried when he was first created.
Fragile. Weak.
So she abandoned him.
"But I was your son!"
"I was meant to carry the gnosis!"
The puppet wants to scream out.
If he becomes stronger, if he's no longer weak...would his mother welcome him back?
As a puppet, he lacks a heart.
Maybe that's what he needs to become stronger.
He rises to his feet, a new purpose instilled in him.
I shall return with a heart, and much stronger and better than ever.
You'll see, mom, and you'll accept me into your arms once again.
"Wanderer? Are you okay?" Lumine asks, concerned, in that pretty voice of hers.
"I-" His cheeks feel wet.
He raises his hands to his face and wipes off the tear tracks.
Tears.
It had been so long since he's cried.
Maybe understanding what truly happened and all of the Irminsul events made him softer.
The thunder chooses that moment to roar loudly.
He flinches, body tensing.
Lumine looks at him with a determined gaze of someone who's made up their mind.
"You're coming with me to sleep. You're not staying out there in the rain anymore."
Her hand on his wrist pulls him inside, not allowing him to resist.
And he doesn't try to.
Not just because it won't work, but also because maybe it's better to rest inside.
As they lie on opposite sides of the bed, Lumine asks tentatively, "Hey...are you okay now?"
"Yeah..."
"Why were you so scared of the storm by the way?"
"Just...some terrible memories..." He answers vaguely.
Lumine nods, and doesn't press further.
As the thunder rumbles again, he finds himself shaking slightly.
Lumine sighs and pulls him closer with one hand on his waist, pulling him into a hug, his face suddenly inches away from her golden hair that smelled of the sweet delicate fragrance of flowers.
He stiffens at the sudden intimacy.
Lumine lifts her head up, her large molten gold eyes blinking as she said, "I thought this might help you feel better."
"Yeah- I- thanks..." The wanderer relaxes a bit.
He has to admit, it is pretty reassuring to be hugged, and it helps to calm him.
He hesitates a bit before hugging back, a bit too clingy, as though he is afraid Lumine will slip through his grasp too, like everyone else has.
If Lumine notices it, she makes no comment.
She's warm, he realises.
Warm like the sun, fitting for her whose hair and eyes share the same dazzling gold as the sun itself. Her smile, if genuine, is heavenly, and she shines so brightly, attracting many others to her light like a moth to a flame. She can befriend anyone, even the Harbinger Tartaglia.
And then he's cold.
Ice cold.
Maybe it's because he's a puppet, he doesn't know.
But it feels good to have his ice-cold hands touch something warm.
If Lumine feels uncomfortable from his coldness, she makes no comment on it either.
They're just hugging each other in comfortable silence, her providing comfort and support to him
A wanderer and a traveller.
Cold and warm.
Bitter and dark, and bright and friendly.
Contrasting sides.
He has to admit, he doesn't want to let the sun slip through his fingers. It feels good to embrace the living sun. But she'll leave him in the morning anyway. So he enjoys what little time they spend together.
Not only does she make him feel warm outside, but also deep inside his chest.
His chest is warm from something, he's not sure. But it feels good.
The next morning, they wake up to Paimon shrieking from finding them cuddling in the bed.
The wanderer immediately lets go of the traveller, turning away to hide the growing blush on his face.