Chapter Text
To Alhaitham, Lumine reminded him of the sea.
He acknowledges that it is a peculiar comparison, especially when others are more keen in comparing her to the dancing winds, or the evershining stars. And while those are valid comparisons, Alhaitham thought that they did not fully encompass her true nature.
The sea is seemingly vast and endless. Beautiful, yet dangerous. There was something about that traveler from a land afar, something that simply could not be seen through the naked human eye. Mysterious, yet ever present.
There was something more about her that did not quite meet the eye. There was something behind her smile, her seemingly polite demeanor, and brave facade. There was something more to the way she held her blade, or the way she gazes up to the night sky with a distant and unreadable expression on her face.
But alas, none can ever truly reach the bottom of the sea. And besides, Alhaitham has never seen the sea as anything more than a body of water that just so happens to be so vital to human activity.
“Not a fan of parties?”
Turning towards the sound of that soft voice, Alhaitham was greeted by the sight of her small smile. The pale glow of the moon, and the faint sound of music, laughter and cheer. She offers him a glass of imported Mondstadian wine, and he accepts without much thought.
“Not particularly.” He replies. “And you?”
“I enjoy it in moderation.” She laughs lightly, taking a sip of her wine. “But frankly, I’m feeling rather tired after being dragged to the stage by Nilou and stuffed to the brim with food by Paimon.”
Alhaitham nods, taking a sip of his own wine. To his surprise, it was a strong one.
“‘Death After Noon.’” Lumine says. “A favorite of a friend and one of the stronger ones. Sorry if it isn’t to your taste.”
Alhaitham sighs amusedly, taking another sip of the intoxicating wine. “Eager to drink your sorrows away, are we?”
There was a flash of sadness behind her eyes, before it quickly disappeared into something more neutral - something that Alhaitham could not completely decipher. At that moment, he could not help but remember her moment of weakness when she faltered at the recount of Lesser Lord Kusanali’s estranged history.
But before he even thought of pursuing that topic, Lumine swiftly steers the conversation to another direction.
“Are you looking forward to be able to dream again?”
It was a strange question, certainly not a type of question Alhaitham thought anyone would ever ask him - a question that he had never entertained before. The childishly curious glow behind her golden eyes made the question, this situation, all the more peculiar.
Yet, Alhaitham answers the question in a way that is familiar to him. “What is there to look forward to?”
He answers the question in pure rationality and objectivity. He expects her expression to contort in annoyance, or even disappointment. But strangely enough (or perhaps, not so strange considering her very existence itself is strange), she only smiles softly.
“Nothing much, really.” She takes another sip of her wine. “Whether they bring joy, sadness, fear, or anger; at the end of the day, dreams are just, and always will remain to be dreams. Another natural process of living.”
Lumine gazes to the night sky, and, ah, there it was again. That distant expression that reminded him of the vastness of the open sea.
“But hey, there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to dreaming again!” She says cheerfully the moment she snaps awake from her previous trance. “Who knows, maybe you’ll dream of something so wonderfully pleasant that you’ll wake up the next day feeling completely refreshed!”
“I suppose.” He comments, unsure of what else to say.
“I’m going to go back now. I don’t want Paimon to think I’ve abandoned her or something.” She smiles and slowly gets up from the lone branch they had shared. “Are you going to go home after this?”
A part of him wants to stay a moment longer. But still, he replies with a simple, “Yes. I think I’ve overextended my stay in this victory celebration.” There were still many things he needed to get done.
“Okay.” Again, she smiles softly. “Goodnight, Alhaitham. May you have sweet dreams tonight.”
With that, she disappears into the crowd.
---
That night, Alhaitham dreams for the first time in many years.
It felt strange to be able to dream again, to see images flash before your eyes that felt so real, yet so fragmented at the same time. So irrational, so ridiculously separate from objective reality. And yet, Alhaitham immerses himself in his dream nonetheless - not that he could do much about that anyway.
He dreams of reading a book with dubious information while laying in a sea of grass, the clear blue sky a perfect backdrop for the jaded white pages of that ancient book.
Then, in the irrational, fragmented style of dreams, the scene changes.
Alhaitham dreams of himself as a child once more. Young and naive, happily strolling through the forest and appreciating the beauty of the flora and fauna without even thinking of its scientific name or how it could be used for the “progression of humanity” or something amongst those lines.
Then, he dreams of visiting the library in the Akademiya, browsing through the shelves in search of a good read. And then, he dreams of Port Ormos, of a memory he recalls with perfect clarity.
That day, the sky was clear, and the wind was blowing tenderly. The wind had allowed the smell of the sea to travel until the heart of the city. The wind had allowed the strands of her blonde hair to dance freely to its soft breeze.
“Thank you for your help back there.” She says, a smile on her face as she places her hand above her heart. “I’m Lumine. A student from the Akademiya.”
That wasn’t how their first meeting went, but the dreaming Alhaitham could not have known that. So, he replies.
“I’m Alhaitham.” Dream Alhaitham says. “It's nice to meet you.”
It's strange. Up until a few days ago, Sumeru was a dreamless land. It was once considered a blessing from their Archon, for dreams are nothing but a hindrance to rationality and wisdom. Now, the people of Sumeru dream once more.
And in this once dreamless land, Alhaitham finds himself dreaming of her.
---
“Good morning.”
Kaveh freezes and slowly turns his head to face his roommate with a bewildered expression. “What?”
“I said, ‘good morning.’” Alhaitham repeats, eyes still fixed on his book.
Dumbfounded, the blond repeats; “What?”
At this, Alhaitham lowers his book and raises his brow. “ What .”
“You never greet me good morning.” Kaveh’s expression went from bewildered to a mix between suspicion and concern. “What’s this? Are you sick? Did you do something? Who are you and what have you done to Alhaitham?”
“Babbling nonsense right after you wake up? What a productive way to start the day.” Alhaitham sighs as he gets up with his book in tow. “I’m going on a trip to Port Ormos for a few days, so don’t forget your key. Have a good day.”
“D-D-Did you just … told me to have a good day? Alhaitham, are you sure you’re not sick?! Did you have a dream of your impending death or something?! Oi, Alhaitham!”
Paying no mind to his roommate’s hysterics, Alhaitham swiftly makes his way out of his home and makes large strides towards the City’s exit. The clear blue sky, the beautiful shades of green that graces his eyes.
In a rare moment of reverie, Alhaitham allows himself to pause and take in the sight of the hustle and bustle around him.
It's strange. How is it that a dream that he does not remember made him feel so refreshed, so tranquil and peaceful in this singular moment of time?
Another question that requires an in depth investigation it seems. Perhaps he should make a stop at the Akademiya to search its archives for anything related to this topic.
“... Lumine! Hey, Lumine! Wait for Paimon!”
A gentle breeze, the scent of flowers and the distant sea. Alhaitham catches the sight of her blonde locks, of her small back disappearing in the crowd of people.
For a moment, Alhaitham considers following her - to understand what had caused her to take such large strides to the point that even her little pixie friend struggled to catch up.
But in the end, Alhaitham decides that he had spent enough time lingering on needless, irrational things.
And so, he lets her go.