Archive of Our Own

Amidst the chaotic storm of the Sumeru lands, Lumine barely had time to exterminate the very last few monsters that had been lurking around the outskirts of Sumeru City before the sharp abdominal pain struck her once again. 

As the hilichurls' remains disappeared into thin air under the rain, Lumine gripped her abdomen and quickly used her sword as a last support. 

She stabbed the tip of her sword against the wet mud and leaned against it. The grip on her sword tightened as the pain in her lower abdomen grew in an agonizing ache that did not seem to cease.

Slowly, she crouched down into a curling position under the rain. The female traveller took her time recollecting her strength and then began to drag her own feet back to the city. 

After meeting up with Katheryne and collecting her well-earned bag of mora for the day, Lumine quickly found refuge in the warmth of the Grand Bazaar where she took a secluded seat near the stage's stairs. 

She placed her sword to the side and admired the brand new pouch of Mora, slowly counting the coins she earned from the bounty.

She smiled. 

She had enough mora for a good meal at the tavern tonight.

However, when she moved to stand back on her feet to finally fill her stomach with Sumeru's special local foods, the abdominal pain had stricken her once again, forcing her to sit back down on the stairs with her upper body curling down over her lap in agony. 

The young woman closed her eyes and began to take slow deep breaths; her arms crossed over her stomach in a desperate attempt to ease the pain.

Out of all the times this could have happened, she had never thought she would have to deal with menstrual pain on such a busy and chaotic day. 

Sumeru had been experiencing heavy weather for the past few days, forcing villagers and city folks to seek refuge in warm places such as taverns, cafes, the Akademiya and the Grand Bazaar. 

People were gathered around the bazaar in crowds, groups of all kinds mingling with each other in search of protection from the current storm. 

Lumine surveyed the area with her squinted eyes, her spot in the shadows of the backstage gave her a panoramic view of the place. 

Scholars and students were mingling with forest watchers. 

The matra conversed with merchants and local villagers to restore order and maintain security. 

Meanwhile, the troupe of the theater crew, including Nilou, were already trying to come up with a performance to entertain the impatient crowd. 

Usually, Lumine never missed an opportunity to provide her aid and help whoever was in need. The crowded, narrowed space of the Grand Bazaar was an easy location for arguments and fights to occur since waiting also came with its frequent complaints. 

It didn't take long for Lumine to notice how things could easily escalate if certain groups of people did not find ways to pass the time during the heavy rainstorms.

Despite her worries and evident conclusions of the situation, Lumine could not bear to give it much more thought as more urgent matters caught her immediate attention. The escalating cramps invading her abdomen and lower back deprived her of any access to critical thinking. 

All she could do was close her eyes, lean her head against the stair rail bars and clench her stomach in hopes that it would pass very soon. 

The loud blanket of noises surrounding her soon became a distant background noise while she practiced the ways of meditating the pain away.

Only a few minutes passed before Nilou's quiet voice reached her ear. 

"Traveler, are you alright?" 

Lumine only blinked a few times before offering a forced faint smile to reassure her. "I'm okay, I'm okay. It's just..." 

Before she could finish, Nilou let out a soft chuckle and offered her one of her brightest smiles. Her gentle hand came to her shoulder in a comforting gesture. 

"I know. It is that time isn't it? I can recognize that pale complexion and frown anywhere. It's like looking in a mirror." 

Her soft voice felt like music to Lumine's sensitive ears, and she wished she could speak some more to quiet down the painful torment within her. 

"I wouldn’t have gone bounty hunting if I knew it would be this bad." Lumine sighed, gaining an empathetic look from the pretty dancer.

She briefly saw Nilou glance over her shoulder in thought, her body knelt before her in quiet confidence. 

"You know, before a performance, when I was on my period, I would sit for half an hour with my heating plushie and a warm drink. Would you like me to get them for you?"

The blonde haired traveler had spent countless days in her journey silently going through the motions of menstrual pain without ever taking a break. She had always come to terms with the fact that a busy mind did not care for meaningless pain. However, it seemed that today, no amount of missions or work would keep her mind away from the excruciating cramp that permeated her abdomen.

Without another word, she met Nilou's gaze with a hint of gratitude and nodded slowly. "Thank you." 

After Nilou had left, Lumine had closed her eyes again, slowly trying to regain control of her body in this small moment of vulnerability.

She had almost reached that level of tranquility before it was broken by a familiar, cold and mocking voice.

"For someone who loves to relinquish in the praise of others, you have found quite the hiding spot. Is the Almighty Traveler finally coming to terms with admitting their incompetence?" 

Lumine reluctantly fluttered her eyes open and tilted her head to the side without lifting her forehead from the cold railing bars. 

Her golden pearls of eyes searched for the source of the voice in the cold indigo sea of Wanderer's piercing gaze. 

He stood there, arms crossed, back leaned against the opposite side of the small staircase leading to the stage. His mocking smirk had only grown more defined since the last time she had seen him. 

"What?" He scoffed. "Spent only two hours outside and you have already succumbed to a simple cold? Are humans truly that fragile?" 

At his final deprecating words, Lumine did not even feign the effort to care about his presence here any longer. 

She was not in the right state to even entertain him with a response. Instead, she simply spoke, her words coming out a lot breathier and softer than she had intended them to be. 

"I'm not sick." She mumbled and closed her eyes, her fingers curling on her stomach as another wave of pain washed over her. 

It only took a minute before she could hear his mocking scoff, the sound of the wooden stair creaking under his weight as he sat down next to her.

"No? Then do tell me, what was the ultimate tool to finally bring the Traveler herself to an absolute mess? Was it a weapon? Poison? Or the inevitable realization that all mortal lives are insignificant, so saving them becomes pointless?" Wanderer schemed with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "Or perhaps you finally realized that being a hero is not so great after all." 

Lumine parted her lips and she was ready to tell Wanderer not to bother her when another cramp struck her to her side. She closed her eyes and sighed, her hand clutching her left side with her knees raising up slightly to curl down a little more.

If only she could have enough strength to drag herself to her dorm. She would crawl in her bed and no longer care about who was around.

He glanced at her, her lack of response and sudden display of pain only made his eyebrows raise up in question, his eyes surveying her body for any injury. 

The lack of bruises or wounds on any deadly spots only fed his curiosity further. 

The boy with a hat tilted his head to the side after he noticed the extra paleness on her cheeks, which usually had a hint of pink vitality. Her hair was damp, along with her clothes and he was certain that he could see mud staining most of her boots.

"Not sick, huh? You're just rolling around in the mud like a child?" He scowled, annoyed by the Traveler's lack of interaction. 

She would usually retort back to him, glare at him or disapprove of his foul language. However, she was doing none of those. She was quiet, painfully so. 

He hated it. And he hated even more the fact that it bothered him. 

Why should he care? Of course he didn't. There was no reason for him to care for the Traveler's unexplainable discomfort. It did not change the course of his life, nor would it haunt him if he ever walked away. 

With a last scoff sent her way, he shook his head and held the brim of his hat as he stood up. 

After one last reluctant glance towards Lumine, Wanderer turned to leave, only to almost bump into Nilou. 

He frowned, his body unflinching as he stared at her, almost daringly. 

She, on the other hand, only looked surprised before she offered him a smile.

"Oh, Hat Guy? I didn't think you would also be caught by the storm." She breathed out a gentle laugh, her arms carrying a warm steaming cup and a heavy plushie. 

"What does that mean?" He scowled, crossing his arms. 

Her eyes widened in a sudden panic that she had said something wrong and quickly tried to salvage the conversation, to his wicked amusement. 

"Nothing! I just assumed you wouldn't be bothered by it." She shrugged, her eyes darting to the figure behind him. "Is she feeling better?" 

Wanderer paused, quickly catching up to her question. "How would I know? She doesn't respond. Very annoying." 

Nilou, despite his cold and insulting tone, covered her mouth with her hand to muffle a laugh. "Well, I'm not surprised. When it's that time of the month, I wouldn't even answer the General Mahamatra's interrogation, even if he threatened me." 

At her words, her footsteps took her past Hat Guy, towards the agonizing figure on the steps of the stairs. 

Wanderer only had the time to think at her words for a minute before glancing over his shoulder with a frown. The sight of the young dancer slowly stirring Lumine awake caused his mind to circle back one single thing. 

What time of the month? 

Was it another one of those boring Sumeru events? Ones he wished would make his mechanical ears bleed out to deafness so he wouldn't have to hear any more festive music?

If it was the case, it still did not explain why the Traveler would be so... out of it. 

He stared.

Nilou had noticed his presence behind her, still standing. 

"Would you mind keeping an eye on her? I have a performance in a few minutes and I wouldn't be able to." Nilou said, as Lumine finished her cup of tea and went back to dozing off.

Wanderer had almost felt the indignation from the depth of his stomach up to the tip of his tongue. What was he? A babysitter? 

"And why would I do that? She's clearly not dying." He scoffed, his face remaining cold, concealing his own confusion and curiosity.

Nilou had glanced at him in surprise, trying to come up with an explanation that would suit him. 

"When menstruating, it is impossible to really do much. She needs plenty of rest and silence. I can't leave the Grand Bazaar and you-" 

"What?" He spat, eyes squinting at her. 

His gaze darted towards Lumine, his stance fidgeting for a second. He felt a growing concern for her beginning to cripple up into his empty chest and he was ready to destroy anything to numb it away.

"I didn't forget what happened at Simulanka. We all worked together and the Traveler and you-" Nilou paused before sighing. "You two seemed close."

This statement was both as ridiculous as it was infuriating. He did not wish to let such ideas linger in the fragile mind of that little human.

Wanderer had almost found enough words to defend his hatred towards anything relating to the Traveler when Nilou had already pushed the heavy plushie against his chest and hurried away. 

"I'm so sorry, I have to go, my team is calling for me. Keep an eye on her and make sure that this bunny always stays warm. If it doesn't stop the pain, change the water inside." 

Wanderer huffed, the heavy bunny plushie pushed against his chest while his arms retrieved it reluctantly before she disappeared. He watched her figure run into the crowd with a glare that could have killed an entire village. How dare she order him around? 

He scowled, his face contorting into a displeased and judgy expression. He looked down at the heavy bunny plushie. 

He ran his fingers through the fluffy fur, his fingers finding the zipper collar that gave access to a pouch where hot water was securely stored inside.

Today was not his day. 

He had already spent the majority of the grey and gloomy afternoon avoiding the storm, the sound of thunder only feeding on his insatiable anger that remained concealed in his core, triggering headaches and migraines. 

When he had reached the Grand Bazaar, he had hoped to find a place of reclusion both from the sickening storm and the noise of people. All that only to be swarmed into a sea of humans.

And now, he had been thrown straight into a responsibility he had never asked for. 

A bunny plushie. A mysteriously sick Traveler and a nauseating concern he could not diminish. 

What else could the universe bring upon him to further feed on his eternal annoyance?

Lumine could feel her head throbbing along with the faint persistent pain on her stomach. 

The heaviness encircling her scalp heightened the migraine she felt and she stirred, searching for a comforting position that would alleviate both pains.

As she rolled to her side, the softness of the familiar fabric slowly awakened her senses. 

She blinked, her sore limbs aching for relief.

She stretched and let her body extend on the familiar bed of her dorm. When her eyes adjusted to the flickering light of the room, she could hear the sound of rain hitting the walls and windows around her. 

A faint sigh escaped her lips. The lingering pain in her abdomen took over her and her hand quickly went to clutch her stomach to soothe it away. 

As she curled onto herself, Lumine felt a warm heaviness suddenly press against her belly and she startled, a voice erupting from the calming silence.

"You're gonna have to stop tossing and turning. It's getting really annoying." His voice complained, the weight on the edge of the bed becoming more evident.

Lumine blinked a few more times and rubbed her eyes before finally glancing up in search of the familiar figure. 

Wanderer sat at the edge of the bed, his back against the footboard of the bed while his body faced the opposite side, his face turned away, seemingly annoyed to be here. 

She forced her body to sit up, the heaviness on her stomach reminding her of the comforting bunny warming her up.

"Wh-Why are you here?" Lumine asked, surprised to not be alone.

"Not out of pity if that's what you're thinking. Let's say, the world cannot live without their beloved hero for a day so I was forced into making sure you don't succumb to your deadly sickness." He mumbled, one knee up on the bed, while his arms were crossed against his chest. 

His hat was slightly tilted forward which hid a better part of his face away from the flickering light of the room. 

Lumine frowned slightly, surprised and even more confused after his vague explanation. 

"What?”

“Isn't that what it is?" 

His eyes met hers once again and Lumine had to rub her sleepiness away to make sure she did not hallucinate the concern in his cold gaze.

“What is what?" She brought her knees to her chest, keeping the blanket on her while holding the bunny to her stomach.

“You're ill. Aren't you?” 

At his question, their eyes met. Lumine observed his face which expressed a certain emotion she had yet seen on him before. She hesitated, unsure on how to explain it to him.

“Not really.” She said, under her breath, finally looking away. 

The young traveler could feel Wanderer's unwavering stare lingering on her person, his posture on the bed feeding on the tension created by the silence. 

“The redhead girl said you needed rest and calm. Last time I checked, the Almighty Traveler is never inclined to rest and calm. So, what kind of illness is it?” 

The frustration in his tone cleared away all concerns she had seen in his eyes, his impatience evident in the face of deceitful lies.  

“It is not an illness.” Lumine pushed away the blanket from her lap and massaged her temples, her migraine intensifying. “I'm just on my period.” 

She could hear Wanderer letting out a heavy long sigh and the weight on the ends of the bed disappeared as he stood up. 

“If you're not gonna tell me what's wrong, I'm gonna let you fend for yourself, I'm not someone you can just order around-” 

Lumine grunted out of frustration and quickly went to grip his wrist as he headed to the door, her hand holding it firm and her eyes staring back in a piercing glare.

“It's menstruation, Hat Guy. Don't you know what that is?” 

She saw him freeze and she knew that it was mostly for her boldness to touch him so freely than the actual information she provided. He glared down at her hand that gripped his wrist and she rolled her eyes, letting him go. 

“Menstruation, you know, the thing little human women have to go through every month? The bleeding? The cramps? The back pain and emotional imbalance? Don't tell me in your long life, you have never heard of this!” 

As she listed away all symptoms and vague information on the subject, she saw Wanderer's glare shift from indignation to confusion and curiosity. Then, his usual annoyed glare resurfaced.

“You really think I would care what humans go through?” He scoffed, his voice cutting through the air with his sharp tongue and he spun around, his loose sleeve floating in the air as he stormed out of the dorm. 

The door shut in a loud noise a second before thunder erupted from the sky. 

Wanderer looked up, the pouring rain blurring the landscape before him, light flashes blinding him as he sighed away the frustration in chest. 

How annoying. 

He stepped forward, the rain enveloping him in a cold embrace. 

The thunder growling in the distance followed the rhythm of his feet taking away from the city to the fields of Sumeru, his mind traveling back to a distant time when he once cared about humans.

Tatarasuna, Inazuma, 

Four Hundred Years Ago.

Kabukimono looked over the horizon where the heavy storm had always been persistent around Tatarasuna. 

Sitting beneath a tree, he glanced over at his close companion, Niwa Hisahide, who had insisted on stopping on their journey to collect mint plants and sweet flowers. 

Kabukimono wasn't entirely informed of their sudden trip through Tatarasuna, but Niwa had assured him that they would safely get to the nearby village on time before the big storm.

The young puppet boy watched Niwa gather the plants in a basket under the grey sky and silently prayed that they would reach their destination as promised.

After a while, Niwa walked back to him with a huge smile and Kubukimono found no reason not to feel reassured. He offered a faint smile in return. 

“Why are we collecting herbs?” He finally asked, staring down at the basket in insatiable curiosity. 

“I will teach you the art of making tea.” Niwa replied, “Once we get to the village across the mountain, I will introduce you to my family.” 

Without any more questions, Kabukimono carried the basket and they went on their journey to the village.

When they finally reached the village, the elderly welcomed them with concerned smiles and sweet words, encouraging them to take shelter before the storm would arrive. Niwa had thanked their generosity as they provided them with bags of rice and vegetables, wishing him and his wife good health and fortune. 

Kabukimono remained secluded from the conversation, mostly following Niwa through the village while watching the human villagers put away their chairs and clothes from the upcoming rain. 

A small wooden house soon stood before them and the young puppet watched Niwa Hisahide climb the few steps of the stairs into the house. Without a hint of hesitation, Kabukimono followed, carrying the basket of plants with him. 

“Miya? It's me.” Niwa's voice traveled through the somber dark house in a small voice. 

There was no response and as Kabukimono closed the door behind them, he could hear the faint sound of a woman calling out to him. He watched Niwa follow the call with no hesitation, entering a part of the house separated by a curtain.

The young puppet boy hesitated, holding the basket against his chest and decided to wait by the door; The quiet exchange between the woman and Niwa was discernible enough for him to hear. 

“Miya, my love, are you alright?” He heard Niwa whisper, the shadow of his figure kneeling down to a laid woman on a floor mattress.

“Niwa…” The quiet high pitched voice called out, a small laugh escaping her tired form. “You didn't have to travel all the way here. I wrote to you in my letter, I told you that I'll be okay.”

Kabukimono frowned. Was she the woman Niwa had told him about? His wife? He had heard about the emotions other people felt to their loved ones, and that love had different meanings for different people. The strongest of love was the romantic affection for someone, he had been told. 

Kabukimono concluded that all the efforts of the journey and the struggles of getting here were done simply out of this pure human emotion. Love.

He slowly began to understand that even the prospect of a storm, the fatigue and the efforts were nothing in comparison to the emotions one felt when seeing someone they loved. Someone they cherished. 

“Kabukimono?” 

The young boy blinked and looked up in surprise. Niwa had rejoined him with a warm smile, the paleness he had seen on his friend's face throughout the journey had disappeared to a colorful glow: relief, love and a slight concern. 

“Is she okay?” The boy asked, gripping the basket of plants in his hands. 

“She's alright. I am glad we got here before the storm.” Niwa nodded and reached for the plants, his hand ruffling through the boy's hair in an affectionate gesture.

Kabukimono had grown used to such displays of affection and only smiled in response, reaching up to fix his hair. 

“Come on, I'm gonna teach you how to make tea.” 

Wanderer sat down on a rock, the rain drenching his clothes. The greenery and colorful field of flowers and plants before him was in opposition to the dark and grey sky above him. 

He let out a soft sigh as he stared down at the basket of sweet flowers and mints he had been picking up for a while now, his mind drifting away to past, distant memories.

Kabukimono stared at the boiling water in the heating pot for a while, his eyes captivated by the countless bubbles forming and popping gently on the surface. He sat on a wooden stool while holding a handful of sweet flowers between his palm, patiently waiting for his friend to join him once again. 

Niwa walked back into the kitchen, carrying between his fingers enough mints to drop into the water. He sat down on the other stool across from the young boy, his hand holding a wooden spoon to stir the pot. 

“Making tea is all about the preparation, son. Wait for a bit too long and it can easily become too bitter for anyone to truly enjoy it.” 

Kabukimono nodded, watching his friend stir the pot slowly before waiting for it to truly absorb the mint flavor in its water. With wide curious eyes, the young puppet glanced at Niwa with intense confusion.

“Is she sick?” 

Niwa seemed surprised by the question before a soft chuckle escaped him in a faint smile. 

“You can say that. She is… experiencing some discomfort. But it is nothing abnormal.” Niwa replied, extending his hand towards him. 

His answer seemed to have only caused further confusion for the young puppet who willingly gave him the sweet flowers. 

“I don't understand.” He shook his head, crossing his arms on his chest while glancing back down at the pot.

Niwa chuckled and began plucking the petals for the tea. “To make it simple. Humans are reproductive species and women are the ones carrying children, right?” 

Kabukimono nodded and grabbed a sweet flower, and began imitating Niwa's actions, plucking the petals into a bowl. 

“Well, in order to carry children, women have a time each month when their bodies have to release a certain amount of blood. It can be extremely painful. Similar to childbirth, you understand?” 

The young puppet boy paused from his cooking to glance up at Niwa, his eyes wide with curiosity and confusion. 

“Blood? She's bleeding?” 

Niwa nodded and grabbed the bowl before letting the sweet flowers’ petals fall gently onto the pot. 

“Yes. But don't worry, it's a recurrent phenomenon and it is meant to keep the body healthy in the long term.” He smiled. “It only lasts a few days each month. Miya wrote to me a few days ago and told me she wasn't feeling good. I needed to make sure she was being taken care of.”

“Humans are… fragile creatures.” Kabukimono mumbled to himself, taking another sweet flower and staring at it in thought. 

Just like a flower. Petal by petal, they could wither and disappear, only leaving behind ashes.

“Fragile?” Niwa laughed and took the flower from his hand. “Do you think it is weak to be able to survive such pain? I believe that this makes us, especially women, quite strong. Wouldn't you agree?” 

The young puppet boy did not answer, in fact, he couldn't. It was true that from a certain perspective it also showed that humans were strong in their determination, bravery and companionship. 

Still, Kabukimono could never be able to fully comprehend such emotions or experience them. He did not have a heart. 

As if Niwa could read through his mind, the young boy felt a gentle hand lift his chin to meet his gaze. 

“Hey, remember what I told you?” 

Kabukimono hesitated before the tension on his shoulders dissipated into a calm posture. “I am a human, I am just missing a heart.” 

The smile Niwa offered him after his words could replace the rays of the sun in the sky. He nodded and let go of the young boy, messing with his hair once again. 

“I could see you were worried about Miya. Only a human would feel this kind of emotion.” 

Kabukimono chuckled and fixed his hair, a faint blush decorating his cheeks when a sense of pride took over him after Niwa's acceptance. 

He was a human. 

“Here, let's taste the tea. Miya likes it when it is extremely sweet.” Niwa smiled and poured two cups of hot tea. 

The boy cupped the drink in his hand and took a single sip only for the sweetness to attack his tongue in a displeasing taste. 

In contrast, Niwa's approving smile of the taste was evident that it only affected him. He slowly put the cup down as Niwa poured another cup for Miya and he stood up. 

“I'm going to give her the tea, can you go take the box of rolled paper on the upper shelves? These are used for the bleeding.” 

Without hesitation, Kabukimono grabbed his stool and moved it towards the shelves before he stood on it to reach for the basket filled with tightly rolled paper rolls. He handed them over to Niwa, who thanked him with a smile and a nod. 

Alone in the kitchen, the young puppet boy sat down next to the empty pot and grabbed a few mint plants and some water pouches. He wanted to enjoy the tea like humans did, without the nauseating sweetness. A bitterness he knew he would enjoy.

He wanted to feel the comfort of a warm beverage too. 

Lumine laid into a fetal position once again after tossing and turning for a good part of the afternoon. Thunders and lightning erupted occasionally in the sky while the pouring rain did not cease its constant presence over Sumeru City. 

She slipped in and out of consciousness, desperately trying to numb the lingering pain in her stomach away by sleeping through it. But falling asleep became a lot more challenging than she had anticipated. 

In her agony, she had not paid attention to the front door of her dorm opening and closing behind her, nor had she paid any mind to the mumbling voice approaching the bed. 

It was only when a cold and firm hand grabbed her that she startled and looked over her shoulder in surprise, her hand forming into a fist, ready to fight the intruder. 

Her fist, however, was quickly averted before she could punch the newcomer, her eyes falling onto the familial gaze of the puppet boy. 

He had come back. 

Why? 

Before she could formulate her confusion into a question she noticed his eyes traveling down to her stomach, his frown deepening. “Where’s the bunny?” 

She blinked, unsure of what sort of metaphor he was implying. “The… Bunny?” 

Her question only deepened his own frustration as he pulled on her blanket and searched for something. Soon, a heavy bunny plushie was pulled out of the mountain of sheets, its fur cold and unwelcoming. “Did you not use it?” 

Lumine began to remember that he had indeed placed that bunny on her stomach a few hours ago, but as time went by and as she slept, she had completely forgotten about it. 

She did not wish to admit to her own forgetfulness so instead, she shrugged faintly, mumbling under her breath. “It’s not warm anymore.” 

She heard him sigh and stand up. With a frown, she followed his movements and watched him grab a pot and fill it with water from a large pouch he had brought with him. 

Lumine did not move. Instead, she slowly allowed her body to lean back down against the mattress, her back facing the window for her to observe him instead. 

She watched him sit down and patiently pluck the petals of a sweet flower and drop them into the water pot. A silence settled in where Lumine watched with evident surprise the gentleness in which his fingers held the flower and pulled on its petals delicately, as if mirroring a movement he had seen someone else do once. 

Observing him brought her a feeling of relaxation she had not felt in a long time. Perhaps it was in the way his movements were not following a specific rhythm, or the slowness and gentleness in which each gesture was thoroughly planned and executed without hurry… Or perhaps it was because Wanderer never truly seemed to be patient for anything, which made this rare sight relaxing. 

Of course, it was also rare to be able to watch him so closely and shamelessly. Something was different in this moment, he was different. 

Before she could ponder further into which specific detail about him made him so different, her eyelids gradually dropped into a dazed tranquilness, slipping her away into a calming sleep.

Wanderer placed the cup of hot tea on the nightstand table next to her bed and filled the remaining hot water into the pouch stored in the bunny plushie. Once he was certain that it wasn’t going to spill out, he zipped it close and went to sit down on the edge of her bed. 

His eyes traveled around her sleeping figure, and the faint smile on her face. He tilted his head to the side and searched for any sign of discomfort or pain but he could only see a peaceful expression on her delicate features. 

She was still pale, he could see that, but she no longer seemed in pain. 

Still, Wanderer did not change his mind and slowly pulled on her blanket to safely place the warm plushie against her abdomen, then he covered her once again. 

Lightning illuminated the room for a split second and Wanderer took the time to watch her sleep. The silence in the room felt so clear he could almost hear her heartbeat. 

The puppet boy did not know how long he had watched her sleep, but by the time her eyes fluttered open, the heavy storm had ceased to give ways to a tranquil rain. 

As she stirred and moved to sit up, Wanderer turned and reached for the cup of tea that was no longer steaming but was slightly warm. He sighed, but still handed it over to her in a calm resolve. 

“Thank you.” She simply said as she cupped the drink in her hand and took a few sips. 

Wanderer looked at the window as she drank and began to wonder how long it would take for the sickness to dissipate. According to his past memories, a few days were required. 

Days. 

Humans were weak for such a long time. Weak or strong? Niwa had defended and yet, Wanderer still wasn’t sure which answer was the correct one. It all depended on his mood, it seemed. 

“You didn’t have to come back, you know? I told you I wasn’t sick.” Lumine finally spoke, her golden eyes glancing at the boy’s profile. 

Wanderer did not hold back the eyeroll he displayed, a scoff escaping his lips. It seemed that humans were either fragile, strong or stubborn in their own pain. 

“From what I understand, bleeding is equal to injuries for humans, is it not?” His eyes turned, meeting her gaze in a defiant glare. “Or are you going to insist on your well-being by fighting through the pain? I didn’t think heroism came with absurd stubbornness.” 

He saw her grunt in indignation at his words, her hands putting away the cup on the table. “For your information, I can easily defeat any monsters in this condition and even travel to Fontaine through the desert if I have to.”

He raised his eyebrows, his previous frustration was replaced by a familiar hint of misplaced amusement from her argument. He chuckled, a mocking smile forming on the corner of his lips, then he crossed his arms. 

“Talking back, I see. It looks like my tea was the remedy to your silence. Good, it was getting boring.” 

She rolled her eyes and laid back down on the bed, a frown and a pout forming at the tip of her lips. She turned her back to him and she faced the window, the blanket pulled over her shoulders. 

“Your tea was too bitter. And it was cold.” She retorted, her cheeks regaining color as they reddened in frustration. 

He laughed, leaning back against the end of the bed, his eyes watching her pout like a child. “Isn’t that the best kind of taste?” 

A muffled mumble was her response and he smirked, a wave of relief washing over him at the sight of the traveler regaining her energy.

With another sigh, Lumine watched the rain fall against the window. Sumeru City was wrapped in a blanket of water and fog. 

She felt his gaze on her back.

“What made you come back?” She asked.

 She heard a grunt and frowned, glancing over her shoulder. 

“What made you come back?” She repeated herself, seeing him shake his head slightly. 

She wasn't sure if it was out of annoyance or frustration. 

“Nothing. I was bored and the thunder gave me a headache.”

“You could have gone to the House Of Daena. Or the rock caves of the rainforest. It's not like you're bound to gravity like us mortal humans.” She shrugged, switching her position to lay on her back. 

“Flying under the rain is a chore.” He glared at her.

“So is playing nurse to a menstruating girl. I assure you there are better ways to spend your time.” 

“I do not wish to find better.” He leaned in slightly, his eyes pouring into her golden irises in pure emotional conflict. 

He blinked and turned away in a frustrated sigh. “I do not wish anything for myself, no pain, no joy, happiness, no love and certainly not any feeling of belonging to anything or anyone. I'm not you.”

As if she had been fishing for such an answer, Lumine did not argue for more. Instead, she watched him, his profile turned away. 

“I am simply making sure that everyone's beloved traveler is back on her feet. Once she is, I'm going back to minding my own business. Nothing more.”

“Why?” 

“Isn't that the order of things? The hero should never be defeated, should she?” He glanced at her, his eyes sharing an indescribable feeling. “Especially from something as trivial as menstrual pain.” 

The young woman couldn't hold back the laugh that erupted from her throat. “You went from believing I was on the verge of death to referring to my current state as trivial.”

“You're the one who suggested we travel to Fontaine through the Sumeru desert. I hope you got your bag ready.” He mocked her, a hint of a smile on his face.

“I bet I could get there faster than you, even if you were flying.” 

“Your ambition will be your downfall, traveler. Such frivolous confidence of humans have always been their last ones. Since you know… they died from it.” He said, his body finding a spot on the bed next to her as he finally laid down.

She could hear his voice filled with a twisted satisfaction, as if the life of humans have long been a matter of wasted potential.

“And yet I am still alive.” Lumine said, her voice softer than before, while looking to the side where he laid, staring at his profile. 

“For now.” He said, his tone distant, staring up at the ceiling.

She watched him, her abdominal pain completely forgotten in the prospect of understanding the complex soul beside her. 

“Does a human life hold less value to you because it has an end? Or is it you who refuses to put any care into one by fear of an inevitable grief?” 

Her question was left without any words of response, and yet, she had found her answers in the flicker of his eyes. The way they had shifted from the ceiling to her golden eyes. 

The emotions in them were as clear to her as the sound of rain hitting the window behind her. 

The grief, the regret, the guilt, the concern and the pain were all concealed in those round rivers she was drowned in.

It has once been clear to her that the harder it was to break a safe, the more valuable and fragile was the treasure kept within. Behind the coldness veil of his glare hid a gentle soul burdened by human emotions he had never managed to understand and control. She knew it and understood it. 

He did care. 

He cared more than he had ever let on. And that was what truly made him angry- what made him rage- to the point of pushing away anyone who dared to peek through the safe he had meticulously built over the centuries. 

Fear. That was what it all came to. 

A fear of caring and losing that which he had cared for. 

His mother. 

Niwa. 

The young orphan. 

And her. 

Lumine knew. She had known all along but had never said anything. She had wanted him to open up to her; to open that safe to her. 

She parted her lips. 

They were both laying on her bed, their eyes drowning in each other in a silent conversation only they could understand. And she understood him more than, she assumed, he even understood himself.

“Scara- Hat Guy.” She spoke under her breath, her voice trembling with a sudden conviction. “I am not dying.” 

She saw the twinkle in his eyes, the hint of grief passing through in a desperate attempt to hold onto whatever had slipped away from him years ago. 

“You will.” He said in a foreign tone, a strange quiver in his voice that was barely audible in the shake of his breath.

“Not right now. I am not.” She shook her head, her gaze unwavering. 

“You will.” He insisted, his eyes searching into hers for any deceitful lies, for any hint of hesitation that would contradict her statement, her reassurance. 

He did not want to be reassured. He wanted the truth. 

Lumine pressed her lips together and leaned in. She closed her eyes and her lips reached out, until she found the softness of his mouth. 

She kept her eyes closed and her beating heart found a slow rhythm for her to follow. 

The kiss was much more to her than a simple display of affection. She wanted to break through his safe, to reach for him in the depth of his soul, to finally encounter the frightened boy too afraid to let anyone truly see him, by fear of abandonment. 

She wanted him to trust her; to trust in the present; in the now. She wanted to ground him, a boy so used to flying away and defying gravity, that kiss was meant to pull him down his high expectations and hopes for tragedy. 

She wanted him to see her hope for him. 

She kissed him, her mouth slowly discovering the warmth of his lips which he gently parted to welcome her.

The young puppet boy had closed his eyes, his entire soul awakened for the first time in centuries. 

His body jolted slightly, aching for that pull out of the darkness of his safe. 

A flickering light in the distance, he could see it, reaching out to him, calling for him; and for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to follow that light. 

He wanted to follow that floating light that reached out for his poor broken soul that sat in a corner of a darkness so grand it had no beginning nor end. 

The light warmed up to him. It tickled his cheek and floated around him before shining the way out for him. 

A way out into the world of human love.

Niwa was in that world. So was he at the time. Kabukimono, learning the ways of human connection. He had been one of them once upon a time. 

But the pain had been too grand. He did not dare to step back into that world. It was too painful. 

Agonizing. 

Suffocating. 

He couldn't. 

He couldn’t breathe. 

His lips parted a few inches away from her. He gasped, air filling his lungs in a sharp intake. He shook his head, his voice wavering.

“I can't-” He sat up on the bed.

On cue, as if Lumine knew exactly what he felt and what he was thinking, she placed a warm hand on his cheek, sitting up beside him and nodding slowly, their faces close.

“Yes, you can. You are doing it.” She breathed out, leaning towards his parted lips, their mouth brushing with one another as they spoke quietly.

“I can't do it-” He shook his head once again, the door of his safe closing in on the light. 

He felt Lumine reach out to him, in a desperate conviction to keep the door open, to save him from himself. 

“You can, I believe in you. You have always been capable of facing those human emotions. You have always been…” She fluttered her eyes open and met his eyes, fearful and torn. “You have always been a human.” 

The indigo eyes of the puppet boy- the boy without a human heart but filled with human emotions- were suddenly welled up in tears. 

His lips were pressed together in a trembling line as he looked back at her, his light, his way out. Would the pain be worth it? Would he be able to survive such a loss when it will inevitably come?

“The fear of losing someone is part of caring for that person.” She whispered to him, her fingers brushing the perfect skin of the puppet boy. “Love is not always a happy feeling. It can make someone happy, yes, excited even, and dreamy. But it can also cause pain, anger, despair and grief. But that is part of the human experience and you…” 

Wanderer took a deep breath, his eyes closed. His face leaned into her touch, his head leaning to the side where she held his cheek. 

Her forehead found his.

“You are the embodiment of them all. You have experienced them all. You are the representation of countless human lives throughout centuries. You are human. You already are. There's nothing to hide away from.”

Their forehead parted ways and she glanced up into his eyes, the tears slowly rolling down his face. 

She smiled faintly and with the gentle brush of her fingertips, she wiped them away. 

“Lumine.”

She glanced back at him. They stared at each other, and she saw the true colors of his diamond eyes, a bright purple, filled with vitality and light.

“Yes?” She whispered back, their faces inches away from each other. 

“Are you still in pain?” He asked and to her surprise, she did not feel any pain. 

All she felt was relief, for the boy before was finally becoming himself. 

“No. Not anymore.” 

She grinned and she closed her eyes. 

His hands had reached up to hold her face firmly in a tender hold and she allowed him to. 

His breath on her face was the first thing she felt before the familiar softness of his mouth embraced her lips in a passionate kiss. 

She kissed him back, her hands reaching up to finally run their fingers in the fluffiness of his hair, so welcoming. 

They kissed. 

Their lips parted to meet again into a more passionate dance. Lumine lost herself into his song, leaning back on the bed while finally bringing the puppet boy down with her. 

A week later.

A crowd of excited students and scholars gathered in front of the Akademiya, catching the attention of worried matra guards and a few curious passersby. 

A faint cheer and a few applause erupted loud enough for the puppet boy launching high on the large tree branch to hear. He usually did not care much for public commotions and had not cared for a while, until he heard a specific name that instantly picked his interest. 

“You go, Traveler!” One voice cheered followed by a couple more claps. 

Wanderer blinked awake from his brief nap and glanced down where laid the round platform outside of the Akademiya a few feet beneath his viewpoint. 

Students and scholars were gathered in a circle as the familiar figure of the Traveler stood in the middle, holding a bouquet of flowers and waving away all compliments and cheers sent her way. 

It seemed the people of Sumeru felt it necessary to celebrate the young woman for one of her heroic deeds and that, during broad daylight on a lazy afternoon. 

A part of him wanted to let it go and ask for details from her later but the commotion continued as the General Mahamatra approached the crowd and instead of commanding the silence, embraced the traveler in a friendly hug. 

Annoyed, Wanderer rolled his eyes and finally floated down to the source of disruption. 

His feet had barely landed on the tiles that he was already greeted by the clingy leader of the Temple Of Silence. As if he had been waiting at the ready to drag him along.

“Hat Guy, there you are! I was wondering when you'll show up.” 

“Funny, I was wondering when I'll get rid of you.” 

The guy named Sethos only chuckled and waved away his threat with a charming smile. “Oh, don't be like that. Everyone is celebrating, you should join us!” 

Wanderer's curiosity became stronger than his current annoyance and he glanced back at the crowd that were cheering Lumine on. 

“What even is all this about?” He sighed, crossing his arms. 

Sethos's eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of finally being engaged in a conversation with the mysterious Hat Guy. 

“Oh you don't know? The Traveler here has been helping the matra save a missing scholar for the past few days. We all believed that he was dead, but she had managed to find him, even minutes before the General Mahamatra could intervene.” 

Wanderer raised his eyebrows and glanced at Lumine who held the bouquet of flowers and leaned next to Cyno, smiling at the scholar who took a picture of them to commemorate.

“You got to understand, that scholar was one of the scholars of the Vahumana Darshan. Your Darshan.” Sethos smirked and crossed his arms. “Pretty impressive, isn't she?”

“Why should I care what happens to the Vahumana Darshan?” Wanderer scoffed but his eyes did not look away from Lumine. 

Sethos hesitated at the question and followed his gaze. “Well, you're… a scholar, you should worry about not having a place to study, no?” 

Hat Guy glanced back at him, his gaze displaying clear disinterest to such trivial issues. Sethos squinted his eyes but then smiled. 

“Oh I see, so… you don't care about the Vahumana scholar. Nor do you care about the General Mahamatra, I assume. All it leaves on the table is the Traveler.”

“Aren't you supposed to be working on your Temple of Silence or something?” Wanderer retorted back, his defensive tone resurfacing. 

Sethos only laughed in return, tapping on Hat Guy's shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. “Relax, I'm sure Lumine would be thrilled to have someone like you care for her. After all, it is not easy to get anything from you.”

Wanderer slapped his hand away in a scowl.

Sethos laughed, stepping away to join Cyno, raising his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I'm done. Tell the Traveler she's awesome for me.”

Wanderer glared at his figure disappearing in the crowd, his mind drifting back to what he had said just a moment ago. 

Lumine would be thrilled to have someone like you care for her.

Would she?

Somehow, a part of him still doubted that. 

“Kabukimono?” 

Wanderer glanced over at the railing of the Akademiya, the faint voice of a woman calling out to him.

A gentle voice, carried in by the winds of the past.

“Kabukimono? Come on, why don't you join us? The tea is almost ready.” 

The young boy looked down from his high viewpoint of the tree he had carefully climbed a few minutes ago. A few feet away, laughter and conversation erupted from his familiar companions, all gathering around a table. 

He nodded as Miya looked up at him from beneath the tree branch, her hands on her hips. “Come on, I'll treat you to a nice cup of tea.”

Kabukimono smiled faintly and carefully climbed down the tree to join her. 

He let her wrap an arm around his shoulders while she led him to where Niwa and the rest of the Clan sat at a nice table where pastries of all kinds decorated its surface.

Niwa stood at the end of it, a cup in hand. He was listening to Mikoshi Nagamasa retell him the event of a past failed attempt at crafting the perfect blade. Katsuragi, his assistant, was the one who noticed Kabukimono approach them first.

“There he is! We were going to start eating without you, kid.” He cheered as he waved at him to come forward. 

The young boy only smiled in response and joined the table, approaching the empty chair beside Niwa, as always. 

A few seconds after he had taken a seat, Niwa had already given him the first cup of warm tea and he nodded in appreciation. “Thank you.” 

The conversation continued as Nagamasa went on to recount the trials and tribulations he went through to create the perfect blade. 

As he approached the climax of his dramatic storytelling, Miya reached for the tea pot to pour herself a cup. 

Kabukimono watched Nagamasa raise his arms in animated conversation. The puppet cupped the warm drink in his hands firmly as he took another sip, the bitter taste filling him with comfort and satisfaction. 

He had lost count of how many cups he had drank at this point and as he reached for another serving, Miya suddenly coughed out the tea in surprise, alerting her husband Niwa, who instantly reached for her shoulder in worry. 

“Are you okay, my love?” He asked softly and Kabukimono looked up in concern and utter surprise. 

Miya nodded, her hand finding her husband in reassurance. “I am alright it is just… that tea is so bitter.” 

Niwa had blinked in confusion for a minute before he chuckled and glanced at Kabukimono who looked at them with innocent confusion. “Oh, I… that's my fault. I… I did not put sweet flowers in the mix. Our little friend here prefers… the bitterness of it.”

The young boy felt his hair being ruffled once again and he puffed out a sigh before reaching for the teapot. 

Miya watched him in surprise as he poured himself another cup and easily took a few sips without a hint of a grimace. 

“Truly? Do you not like sweet pastries and drinks, Kabukimono?” 

All eyes turned to the young puppet boy who had already finished his umpteenth cup of tea. He shrugged and nodded. 

“The aftertaste is nice.” He nodded slowly, blinking at them unsure. 

A moment of silence passed, where only Niwa's proud chuckle was heard. Then Katsuragi grinned, wrapping an arm around the puppet in a friendly side hug.

“I told you keeping this kid was a great idea! He's afraid of nothing, a true warrior. The spirit and the courage of a true blacksmith is in his blood!” He cheered, shaking the boy proudly. 

Kabukimono winced but did not pull away, his chest feeling lighter by the sudden waves of compliments. 

“For that, Niwa is gonna have to finally teach him how to craft a blade.” Nagamasa pointed out, his firm gaze turning to the man in question. 

Niwa did not falter or cowered away from the gentle accusation, instead, he glanced at the puppet boy with a warm and affectionate smile. 

“Don't worry, I will teach him. When I'll know he'll be ready.” 

“I'm pretty sure being able to withstand such bitter things is a true display of a strong character.” Miya pointed out, placing a hand on her husband's forearm before glancing at Kabukimono. “You will do great things, son.” 

Kabukimono could feel his soul float around in pride and joy at the welcoming smiles of the humans surrounding him. They looked at him, talked to him, and welcomed him as one of their own.

He belonged with them.

A few days later

“You only seem to care about the world when it involves your precious little person, huh?” 

Wanderer looked over his shoulder to see Lumine approach him. He raised his eyebrows and turned back to stare at the distant trees. 

The Avidya Forest was a marvelous place where wonders lurked beyond the trees and mountains. One could easily imagine what treasures such a forest held. And yet, such human greed still did not seem to spike an interest into his mind, no matter how hard Lumine had tried. 

“And what finally made you come to that obvious conclusion?” 

“You didn't even congratulate me on saving your precious future Vahumana scholar?” 

Wanderer scoffed, his disinterest as clear as the blue sky above them. “If I cared about such trivial matters, I would have already been reduced to a poor helpless scholar crying between the walls of the Akademiya. I am not that pathetic.”

“Oh, of course, what you are is above all else, right?” Lumine crossed her arms, her eyes rolling back in amused exasperation. 

“That is a given when I can literally fly above anything.” 

Lumine squinted her eyes at him and shook her head, encouraging the mocking and satisfied grin on his face. 

“What happened to the boy who worried about me when I was on my period? He was so sweet.”

“He realized that all things in this world are vain. Even the pain of others and his own. Now he can freely admit that worrying then, does not mean I have to worry now, when you look perfectly healthy.” He shrugged, glancing over at the forest before them. 

Lumine sighed and uncrossed her arms to secure the backpack's straps on her shoulders. “I already told Tighnari I'll be fine. I don't see why you insist on joining me.” 

“The forest rangers are the last people I trust.” Wanderer mumbled. 

“Oh, because you trust anyone?” She chuckled, already taking a few steps into the forest. 

“No. But if I had to, it would definitely not be them.” Wanderer pushed on his feet and floated in the air to catch up to her. 

Lumine rolled her eyes and marched through the forest trees and mud, a compass securely wrapped around her wrist. 

“I am only going to visit an abandoned ruin. Alhaitham told me there were a few scriptures there that could help me find a treasure I've been looking for.” She said, glancing at him. 

He was floating beside her, laying on an invisible bed as he followed her around like a pestering fly… or mosquito, itching for the next bite.

“Next time, you should tell that Scribe to mind his own business. It is no use to search for a treasure that will probably lead to nothing but deadly traps.” 

“Since when have you been so scared of anything?” She laughed mockingly, glancing beside her, only to see nothing but trees. 

She frowned and spun around. He was nowhere to be seen. But he was there a second ago?

“Hat Guy?”

She turned around again. 

Then she looked up. 

“I'm not scared of the traps.” He scowled, flying back down from the top of the trees. “Here.” 

She frowned and grabbed the basket of fruits he had pushed towards her. “What the-” 

“You're going to venture into the forest without any food? Have you learned nothing from that dumb researcher?” 

“Are you seriously going to nag me all the way to the ruins?” 

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the basket of fruit back. “Fine. No fruits for you-”

“Wait!” She reached out for the basket again. 

He snorted and flew higher. 

“Come on! Give them to me!” 

“What? I thought you didn't want them?” He chuckled and threw an apple in the air before catching it. 

“You didn't give me the chance to accept them.” She crossed her arms, frowning, watching him juggle with the fruits teasingly.

“Oh please, it was clear in your eyes that you wanted nothing to do with them.” 

Lumine groaned and spun around, making the firm decision to ignore him. 

She heard him fly above, biting onto a fruit before throwing it away. She rolled her eyes and went on her walk, checking her compass once in a while. 

It was only after another few minutes of search that Lumine decided to pause to check her map. She read the marking thoroughly, when a voice from above her shoulder startled her.

“It's south.”  

She had forgotten about him. 

She turned her face to glare at him in the hopes to intimidate him, but she had not expected the proximity it had caused. 

She felt his breath on her face as their eyes suddenly met. 

They stared at each other and her death glare turned into a look of surprise. She quickly looked down at the map, her cheeks turning red. 

“What? Didn't you want to scare me with your eyes?” He mocked her, tilting his head as he floated closer, his breath hitting her cheek. 

The young woman turned her head away, raising the map against her face to hide away from him. “Go away! Don't you have better things to do?” 

She could hear his mocking laugh as he leaned back and flew on, leading the way this time. 

“I do, but you're too busy searching for a boring treasure.”

Lumine puffed out a sigh, watching his figure dart from one point high up in the forest to a lower point the next. He flew around freely without a care in the world.

Wanderer silently scowled, his back leaned against one of the walls of the ruin, his eyes fixed on the Traveler. 

She was engrossed in the various valuable trinkets, jewels and gems stored in the golden chest she had finally found from a mechanism of the ruin.

It had only taken her a few minutes to decode the puzzle that opened the ruin's closed walls to her and gave her access to the treasure chest she had been wishing for.

Wanderer would have been impressed if he hadn't bored himself out of his mind trying to figure out his own way of getting her attention. 

Ever since their alone time together in her dorm, he hadn't been able to think of anything else but her. 

He had wanted to approach her on many occasions after that but someone as sociable as Lumine was never truly alone. Whether it was one of her friends living in Sumeru City, the Avidya Forest or a visiting friend from Inazuma. There always was someone gaining her immediate attention. 

Obtaining a moment alone with her was even more difficult than finding a precious treasure in the middle of countless ruins. 

“Would you look at that? This gem has the color of your eyes.” She teased, taking a violet stone from the chest where she had knelt down.

She had been decorating her hair, wrists and neck with several jewels, finding enjoyment and fun in the simple act of trying out new accessories.

Wanderer glanced at the gem in her palm and looked away unamused. He had followed her inside the ruin, uninterested in the treasures and valuable items surrounding them. 

He sighed and pushed his body out of the wall. He approached the chest and closed it shut with his foot, his glaring eyes daggering her. 

“How about we just go? Are you seriously going to spend all your time behind these stupid walls?” 

He saw her roll her eyes as she fixed the twinkling bracelets around her wrists. She pouted playfully, her good mood seemingly unaffected. 

“Why so upset? Want me to share the wealth with you?” She snorted and he scoffed. 

“I don't care about this stupid treasure.” He crossed his arms and glanced away, a definite scowl plastered on his face. 

She sighed and looked up at him. 

A silence settled in the ruin before she finally moved to her feet and approached him slowly. 

Wanderer did not give in to his growing curiosity and kept his eyes turned away from her. It was only when he felt the weight of his hat on his head disappear that he frowned, reaching out to grab it back. 

Lumine laughed and put the hat behind her back, her other hand placing something else on his head. 

“What are-” He hissed and touched the object she had placed on his head. 

Spiky and cold. 

“There. Now you look like a pouty prince who had been told no for the first time in his spoiled life.” She crossed her arms, her smile amused. 

Wanderer wanted to throw the crown across the ruin but he was more focused on the fact that his hat was in her possession. He extended his hand, his eyes devoid of any amusement. 

“The hat.” He commanded, waiting for her to give it back to him. 

Lumine raised her eyebrows and leaned in only for a bit, making his body slightly tense. “Nope!”

She laughed and turned around, raising her hands up to put it on. His eyes widened at the sight of her wearing his hat. 

“You have a death wish.” He took a step closer and she smiled, leaning back amused.

“And who will kill me? You?”

“Don't underestimate me.” He replied daringly, his eyes darkening at the sight of a challenge. 

The tension between them grew, a mix of frustration and concealed amusement. He reached out for the hat and she leaned back, her long experience with battle making her an adept of reflexes. 

He sighed, glaring at her movement, her feet slowly leaning to the right side, planning another dodge. 

“You really think you can escape from me?” 

“Shouldn't I be caught in order to escape?”  

At her words, she turned left, storming out of the the ruins into the forest in a gleeful laughter, the sound of footsteps following her shortly. She continued running, holding onto the hat on her head firmly. 

Only a few seconds after that, she no longer heard the faint sounds of steps behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to unsurprisingly see that no one was there. 

She sighed, her smile growing as she looked around the forest around her, countless trees could be counted over the horizon.

She paused and caught her breath, slowly regaining enough focus to listen in on the sounds around her. 

Birds were chirping and singing in the distant branches, water flowing through endless streams to reach a river, the leaves and branches of the trees dancing in the wind. 

Nowhere. 

There was no sound of a flying puppet boy, eager to get his revenge.

Her shoulders lowered and she pursed her lips in disappointment. 

“Who's the boring one now?” She called out in the air, turning back around to join the ruin once again. 

As she approached the ruin's entrance, a pair of firm hands gripped her waist and lifted her off the ground in effortless speed. 

Before she knew it, she was flown high above the trees into the sky, her eyes blinded by the strong wind and the violent dance of her hair. 

“Remind me how catching you is actually a challenge?” His voice rang in her ears through the wind in a melodious laugh. 

She looked up, her arms instantly securing themselves around his neck out of pure survival instinct, her eyes still eyeing down the void beneath her feet. “You-”

“What? Don't tell me you're scared of heights.” 

She looked up at him, the sharpness of her glare piercing through his skull. He was still wearing the crown she had put on him, to her own astonishment. 

“I don't think any human being has ever been this high before. Is it truly that surprising?” 

“No but…” He chuckled, a hint of mockery in his tone as he secured his arm around her waist, her chest pushed against his body in a firm grip. “I assumed that by now the world clearly doesn't see you as a mere human. You're the Almighty Traveler, are you not?” 

“That title doesn't make me invincible.” 

“Humble.” He nodded with a smirk. “How heroic of you.”

She rolled her eyes, her chin raising up to face him and his constant teasing, head on. 

“What? Jealous?”

“Of you? No.” He shook his head, no hint of hesitation behind that statement. “But perhaps I wished your attention was turned to something else for once.” 

“Ah.” It was her turn to smile as she nodded. “You want me to care for you? Is this a way for you to imply that I should also play nurse? Since you know, you've been such a hero, making me such a bitter tea.” 

A look of disgust formed on his beautiful features.

“Don't ever call me a hero again. I'd rather tear out my own mechanical limbs than ever hearing that word directed to me.” He said in a threatening tone and she shrugged, glancing down beneath them again. 

“Fine, I won't. But you're gonna have to put me down for that.”

When Lumine's feet finally reached the ground she had expected Wanderer to join her down as well but his hands had already slipped away from her waist, his figure turning around as if to disappear away. 

She frowned and reached out for his sleeve at the last second before he flew away. “Wai-Where are you going?” 

A flicker of surprise passed his eyes and he hesitated for a split second before shrugging. “Back in the city.” 

“Why? You came all the way here with me just to go away?” 

“You came all the way here for a treasure. Whether I was here or not did not matter in your plans.” 

She looked away from the ruin to glance back at the flying boy. “It did not at first but it doesn't mean it shouldn't now.”

Lumine saw him tilt his head to the side in a barely concealed confusion and she sighed, pressing her lips together.

“I didn't come here to discover some worthless treasure, Lumine.” 

She heard him sigh and she blinked up at him, her heart skipping a beat. 

“Then why did you come with me?” She asked, letting go of his sleeve.

His eyes darted away and he floated down to land on his feet, arms crossing against his chest. 

“What do you think?” He took a step closer, his eyes squinting at her.

Lumine pondered on the question for a few minutes and glanced back at him. His growing proximity forces her to take a step back out of bewilderment. 

“Because you were bored?” She raised her eyebrows and frowned. 

He scoffed, unamused and took a step closer, more determined. “Bored? When I'm bored, I call out the Akademiya scholars on their stupidity. Why do you think I'm here, Lumine?”

“Why is that a question for me? I'm the one who should ask you that.” She crossed her arms, standing her ground as he moved closer.

“Don't pretend you don't know the answer.” He gritted his teeth. 

She frowned and glared at him. “I am not pretending anything. I don't read minds, you're gonna have to use your words.” 

“You're so annoying.” He grunted, his frustration growing. 

“Then go!” She waved him away with her hand and he grabbed her wrist to stop her. 

“You don't want me to go, do you?” He scoffed, his eyes searching for answers in hers. 

“And you don't want to be here, do you?” She looked back at him, her gaze unwavering.

“Why wouldn't I want to be here with you? You're the only one who makes me feel-” He paused, his eyes darting away and jaw clenching.

She felt her heart skip a beat and she took a faint step closer. His grip on her wrist softened and her hand found the softness of his cheek in a gentle caress.

Flashbacks of their secret moment in her dorm flushing back into their minds in a synchronized connection. 

She saw him hesitate once again and decided to press on. 

“Feel what?” She whispered, her gaze searching for the answer in the indigo torment of his eyes. 

The water flowing through the rivers of the rainforest passed through time as the familiar feeling in the puppet boy's chest flickered back to life. He felt light, much more than he had ever felt when flying through the wind. He felt light under her touch, in her lingering gaze and in the tenderness of her voice. 

Human. That was what he felt. 

She was the only one who made him feel human. 

But saying it did not prove its own statement, he wanted to feel it again- to experience it again- just like he had that day in the dorm. To feel her close, and experience that lighthearted sensation of having his affection for someone reciprocated. 

In the blink of an eye, like lightning after a thundering growl, his lips captured her mouth in a dizzying and passionate kiss, his hands finding the comforting curve of her waist as he brought her body to him, his lips chasing after that feeling like a human after their greed. 

He kissed her and kissed her until he could feel her body responding, her smooth lips challenging his own in a power of dominance. 

Remember, Kabukimono. When you'll love someone. It would feel like the universe's chaotic rules have all been rightfully put into place. Trust me. These sorts of feelings do not take over a man's heart lightly. 

And yet he didn't have a heart. But he knew for certain that he loved her. 

Just as Niwa had described.

Love was painful… but it was also liberating. 

And Wanderer was free. 

He was a puppet free from the strings of grief and fear.

He was free to love, without a heart.

The End.