[SPOILERS FOR 1.1 AND CHILDE’S CHARACTER STORIES]
“Childe invites Lumine to the annual Snezhnayan holiday dedicated to the Tsaritsa. There, she meets his entire family, and all the conflict that comes with them.”
this one is longer than my other fics so i’m splitting it up again (sorry! i know it’s annoying to scroll through a suuuuuper long post)
as always, thanks for reading and supporting, it means the world <3
[Fic Masterlist]
“ice fishing” (pt. 1)
“Come with me to Snezhnaya,” Childe said as Lumine started eating the assortment of food he had cooked them for breakfast.
Lumine raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was a holiday for family?”
“Lyublyu is just a holiday where Snezhnayans gather together to celebrate the Tsaritsa,” he explained. “You have more of a chance of meeting her during this time than any other time of the year.”
Lumine chewed her food methodically. He isn’t wrong…I am on a quest to meet all the gods… “How long will we be there?”
“The celebration lasts a week,” he responded. “Or longer, if you keep stirring up trouble wherever you go.”
She glared at him. “Me? I fix all the trouble you stir up.”
“Right, right, sorry.” He stood up and walked over to her. “I just can’t help myself; you know I love to see you in action.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, and Lumine’s face flushed.
It had been a few months since the two had confessed their feelings for each other—after a particularly heated sparring match, if Lumine remembered correctly. She still wasn’t 100% used to his romantic gestures, her face still heating up no matter what—which Childe found amusing.
“So? Will you?” he asked, his voice resonating in her ear.
She shoved a piece of bread into his mouth. “Yes, I’ll go.”
“Great!” he said, voice muffled. He took the bread out. “We’ll be staying at my family’s home while we’re there; the little ones have been pestering me about when you’ll visit them.”
Lumine smiled fondly, thinking of the last time she saw Teucer, Tonia, and Anthon. Teucer had come back to Liyue with Tonia and Anthon (not as a stowaway this time), and the children had taken a great liking to Lumine, much to her surprise.
“I look forward to seeing them again,” she told him. “Who else will be there? Your parents?”
His eyes softened, almost sad. “Yes, they will be there.”
A sore subject. “Okay, well, when do we leave?”
“As soon as you’re packed.”
Ah, so quick. But that was Childe, always on the move.
Soon, Lumine packed quickly, as she never carried much with her anyways, and the pair was on their way to the cold country of Snezhnaya.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Walking up the pathway to Childe’s home, Lumine thought they were going the wrong way: the estate that stood on the end of the stone path was not a house. In fact, it looked closer to a castle than a home, and even had a large fountain situated in the front, along with an elaborately decorated courtyard. Beyond the home, she could see a large lake in the back.
As they entered the home, Childe called out, “Teucer? Tonia? Anthon? I’m home!”
Within seconds, there was a loud clattering of footsteps, and the three children appeared at the top of the grand staircase, and quickly scrambled down. They ambushed both Lumine and their brother in hugs and cheers.
“Lumine! I missed you so much!” Teucer yelled.
“I never thought you’d come!” Tonia cried.
“It’s not like she died,” Anthon told them.
“Lumine, can you tell us more stories about your adventures?” Teucer asked excitedly. Tonia and Anthon nodded as well.
“Of course,” she said, smiling as the three celebrated loudly.
“Causing quite the ruckus as always, isn’t that right, Ajax?” a voice called from above. They all looked towards the top of the staircase.
Standing there was another man who looked like Childe, with shorter hair, styled neater, and narrower eyes—like a fox—scheming, plotting. His lips were twisted in a sardonic grin. Next to him, a woman stood—also similar in appearance to the siblings—her lighter brown hair tightly pulled back in a bun; out of all the siblings, her eyes seemed the lightest, the iciest. Her expression was fixed in disapproval.
Lumine looked at Childe. His eyes had narrowed, mouth pulled in a taut line.
“Lumine, this is Alexei, my elder brother,” he nearly growled. “And Misha, my elder sister.”
Childe had even more siblings all this time? Though, these two didn’t seem nearly as…loving. She glanced nervously around the room; the tension was almost electric. Even the children seemed on edge. Not the best relationship with those two…
“Lumine? What a beautiful name,” Alexei said. His voice was silky—too smooth for comfort. His eyes harbored a deep, unsettling feeling behind them.
He sauntered down the steps, movements calculated, and Misha followed. The older sister’s hand never left the hilt of her blade that hung on her hip.
Upon reaching Lumine, Alexei held his hand out. Lumine hesitantly placed her hand into his.
He pulled her hand to his lips, gently kissing her hand. “A pleasure to meet you.” His eyes were on hers, unblinking. Out of the corner of her eye, Lumine saw Childe tense.
“Dear sister, acquaint yourself with this companion of Ajax’s,” Alexei said, turning to Misha.
Misha’s icy eyes flickered to Lumine. “Welcome to our home,” she said, almost forcibly. Her voice was deeper than Lumine expected, but was exceptionally refined and crystal clear—like royalty. The sister bowed. Lumine awkwardly bowed back.
Misha turned on her heel. “Come, Tonia. We must resume our reading lesson for today.”
Tonia frowned. “Can’t I stay with big brother and Lumine a little bit more?”
Alexei’s eye twitched at “big brother.” Upset it’s not him? Lumine wondered.
Misha held out her hand. “They’ve distracted us long enough. You will see them at dinner.”
Tonia solemnly waved goodbye, before taking her sister’s hand, and being led back upstairs. Teucer grabbed a hold of Childe’s pants, and Anthon scooted closer to Lumine, as if they were both in search of protection.
Alexei took note, forcing another unsettling smile. “Well, I shall leave you two to unpack. I hope to learn more about you later, Lumine.” He marched back up the stairs, and disappeared.
Teucer hugged Childe’s leg tightly. “Can we go outside and play?”
Anthon eyed the stairs. “Why does big sister always take Tonia away?”
“She’s just very protective of Tonia,” Childe said, voice lined with pity. “And Teucer, we’ll play later, okay? Lumine and I are very tired from travelling.”
Anthon started heading up the stairs. “C’mon, Teucer. Let’s join Tonia.”
“But I don’t want to learn!”
“Tonia’s probably really sad, all alone.”
Teucer frowned, and nodded, then joined Anthon. The two disappeared upstairs as well.
Childe let out a heavy sigh next to Lumine.
“So, Alexei and Misha…,” she began.
“Aren’t the greatest siblings in the world, if you couldn’t tell,” he said, full of resentment.
“And Ajax?”
He bit the side of his cheek. “My birth name. Only my family calls me that.”
Lumine noted how tense Childe’s body was: fists clenched, ready to grip a weapon, any weapon.
“Let’s duel,” she said.
“You’re not tired?”
“Are you? I thought you were always ready for a duel?”
He scoffed playfully. “I am.”
Lumine was relieved to see him lighten up. What a stressful family.
… … … … … … … … … … . .
After an hour long match, Lumine and Childe were both sitting on the snow covered ground, panting, muscles aching. The house loomed behind them.
“You really weren’t holding back,” Childe said between breaths. “Very close to using my Foul Legacy.”
“Hah.” Lumine let out a long breath. “Even if you did, I still would have beaten you, easy.”
“You know, the more matches we do, the closer I am to defeating you,” he teased.
“Yeah, right. Bring it on, pretty boy.”
“Hm? So you think I’m pretty?”
She started charging up a Palm Vortex. “Hm? What was that?”
Water formed into daggers in Childe’s hands. “Is this Round Two?”
Lumine stood, her sword materializing in her hands. Before she could speak, there was laughter from above. She looked up.
Alexei was watching them from the balcony, a curious glint in his eyes. “Fighting already? That relationship really didn’t last long.”
The water dissipated from Childe’s hands as he glared at his brother.
Lumine’s sword disappeared as well. “It was just a practice match, Alexei.” She said his name with more venom than anticipated. She couldn’t help it. The man was unsettling, and he upset not only Childe, but Teucer, Tonia, and Anthon as well.
He raised a brow at his name. “Interesting.” He shook it off with another laugh. “Well, brother, you’d better come inside and start cooking if we’re to eat by dinnertime. The children all requested your food for tonight.”
Childe nodded curtly at Alexei, then turned to Lumine. “I’ll be back soon.” He went to her, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek. “Don’t go anywhere with Alexei,” he whispered. Then, he went back to the house.
Lumine looked up at the oldest brother, who was looking down at her with amusement.
“Oh, Lumine,” he said. “Would you be a dear and grab our father down at the lake? He likes to spend his time out there.”
As long as it isn’t with you, she thought. “On it,” she told him. As she walked towards the lake, she felt Alexei’s eyes on her the entire time. Creep.
Approaching the lake, she spotted a figure sitting in the middle of the frozen lake. Is that Childe’s father?
He looked around 50, wrinkles lining his eyes like he had spent most of his life smiling. However, there were now dark bags under his eyes; he hadn’t slept well for a while. His blue eyes seemed dull, and his ginger-brown hair—gray strands scattered about—was slicked out of his face. Kind. But tired.
When she reached him, he didn’t pay attention to her. He kept his eyes on his fishing rod that descended into a hole in the ice in front of him. They stood in silence for a minute, Lumine not even certain that he knew she existed.
“Hello,” she said quietly, hoping not to scare him.
He finally turned to her, and gave her a smile in greeting. “Hello there.”
“I was told to come get you for dinner, sir.”
He hummed cheerfully. “Are you a new housekeeper?” He turned back to the fishing rod. “I keep telling Alexei and Misha we don’t need any servants…,” he murmured.
“Ah, I’m not a housekeeper. I know your son, Childe—Ajax, I mean.”
His eyes widened and he turned back to her excitedly. “Ajax is back?”
She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips.
His eyes seemed to see her, really see her for the first time. “Ajax brought you here?”
“Yes, for Lyublyu.”
He laughed heartily. “Well, look at you! You must be…Lumine,” he said knowingly. “Many of my children have spoken very highly of you.”
“I’m flattered.” She held out her hand.
He shook it gratefully. “I am Feliks. You can call me whatever you’d like however.” He pointed to the fishing rod. “Would you like to ice fish with me?”
Lumine recalled Childe briefly mentioning how he had learned to ice fish when he was younger. So his father taught him… “Yes, I’d love to.” She took a seat next to him.
Feliks told her all about ice fishing: the intricacies, the lessons, the patience. She listened attentively, warmed by his voice, and excited by the happy twinkle in his eyes.
She and Aether never had parents. Since their birth into the world, it had just been the two of them.
But something about Feliks definitely feels like…a father.
The two then sat in silence, waiting patiently for the fish to bite. Soon, they heard the clicking of heels on the ice.
“Father. Lumine,” Misha’s voice rang out. “Dinner is ready.” Then just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared back to the house.
Feliks let out a quiet sigh, pulling the fishing rod from the ice, and began walking away.
Lumine caught up to him. “Having so many children must be difficult.”
“Ah, yes why so many children?” He smiled softly. “My wife and I lived very lonely childhoods. I think we both wanted a large family. Though, with so many children, a few are bound to be at odds.” He looked longingly at the house, at the large, lonely windows casting amber lights into the dusk. “I think we knew that. But when you love someone so much, having another existence to love like them—that’s just as precious as them? It absolutely fills your heart.”
And six kids later… Her heart felt warmed, just listening to him talking about children, not that she had ever thought of having any. But she could tell, he did love them—and his wife—deeply.
“Your wife, I’ve yet to meet her,” Lumine said.
His smile turned sad. “You will. Galina is very kind.”
As they drew nearer, they could hear the excited chatter of the children. “And you?” Feliks asked. “Do you plan on having any children?”
“I don’t know.” I’ve been a bit preoccupied. The future isn’t really something to think of.
“Hmmm. Well, I wouldn’t mind not having grandchildren. Tonia, Teucer, and Anthon are already a handful.” He chuckled. “Perhaps in the future though.”
Lumine’s face flushed. He can’t seriously think….Childe and I?!
… … … … … … … … … . .
[part 2 coming soon]