If you wanted to find all kind of trinkets or hidden jewels, Port Ormos was your place. When Lumine found her Mora pouch heavier than usual, and her time not tightly scheduled by any particular errands, she enjoyed walking down the busy streets of the port city; the scent of spices that tickled her nose, the vibrant colours and notes that followed her anywhere she'd go. She enjoyed that familair chaos, that life that seemed to burst from every corner.
She was only casually browsing one of the many stools when her eyes caught a silver necklace. At the end of it there was a pendant, the same one she was holding now between her hands, her callous thumb running over the pattern that had made her mind wander to crashing waves, to waters that were unstoppable and yet elegant in their destruction. It was beautifully crafted, even with the worn out signs of time and use on its metal surface.
She was holding it on her palm, stretched out for Childe to take it.
"Just in case so you won't forget how my face looks like." her tone was soft despite the playful smile lingering on her lips. If he were to look carefully, he'd notice the pendant was thicker than others, and able to open in half. Inside, Lumine had carefully placed a picture of her taken with a Kamera. She looked almost shy in that portrait, unable to look too natural after she had convinced Charlotte to take that photo for her without asking too many questions (which meant she had promised a next interview regarding all Natlan scoops next time Lumine would be free).
She suddenly felt silly looking down at that second hand necklace, for wanting Childe to take a part of her wherever he went, when they'd be apart for long enough she was afraid she might forget his scent, or how his laugh came warm waves from his chest when he truly looked... Content around her.
Ugh... She was being too cheesy, wasn't she?
Of all the places he'd been so far, Sumeru was perhaps the one the most opposite to his homeland; hot, dry and hot. Very hot.
At first, it had it's charm. It was nice to feel the sun on his skin, to see new clusters of freckles deepen on his cheeks, to smell and taste new foods. But eventually, his pale complexion turned pink and he had to buy an ointment to stop it from burning rather than waste all his healing food and he got bored of feeling so thirsty. It was starting to get to the point of irritation. The only thing stopping that, was the traveller and her company.
Adventures are best shared, he'd learnt. Sure, he wished he could go off on his own travels but having those experiences with someone- someone you cared deeply for- makes them all the sweeter.
There are markets and stall places in every town or port he'd been too and despite his appreciation of the finer things, there was nothing better than a merchant selling their homemade wears.
It was cooler by the port, albeit slightly, but at least it meant he could wear most of his usual wardrobe without worrying about passing out from heat exhaustion- the gloves being the only exception and tucked into his pocket. This meant his rings were now touching his bare skin and it was such a strange sensation, he couldn't stop fiddling with the one on his index. Childe had become distracted by some intricate designs of various jewellery. He always wondered if he should bring some home for his family but the only ones who ever wore any were his older sister and one of his older brothers.
His attention was pulled away when he was offered the pretty pendent from his company. He looked between it and her before taking it from her hands. There was a warmth in his cheeks he was sure he could blame on the sun but that didn't mean he could completely understand himself why the offer made his heart skip.
Childe smiled in thanks as he ran his fingers over the man made markings. It was beautiful, small but intricate and it's complexity made it seem bigger than it actually was. His thumb found the latch and with a gentle press it popped open. When his eyes laid on the picture and matched it to her words, his heart swelled and his smile grew.
He chuckled at the ridiculous notion but for some reason there was something oddly captivating in the photo of the blond. She seemed... Vulnerable. In a way he felt he'd never seen her before. It felt intimate, all of it.
Blue eyes looked up to golden, to the person he cared for in a way he'd never cared for anyone else. The intensity and magnitude of it was as terrifying as it was thrilling. He cupped her cheek to underline his honesty. "Like I'd ever be able to forget a face like yours, Mila."
That didn't mean he wasn't going to accept the gift, however. Childe closed the pendent and unfastened the clasp to wrap around his neck. The chain was the perfect length to slip under his shirt and land just over his heart- how stupidly cheesy.
But he could always do something dumb to make it cheesier. Childe removed the ring on his pinky. He grabbed her hand before she had to chance to deny him, placed it in the centre of her palm, and wrapped her fingers around it.
"I know you don't like wearing things that don't remind you of home, so consider this a loan. You don't have to wear it but keep it on you and if you think you're about to forget my handsome face you can look at this and think of me."
There was something that hurt his heart at the idea that they'd be saying good bye for long enough for that to even be a possibility. But with each farewell was the joy of looking forward to her company again. He still hadn't let go of her hands as he thought about how long that would mean this time round.
