Chapter Text
The sun gently rises above the city of Teyvat, painting the sky in different rosy hues as the world quietly awakes. A new day is about to start in Teyvat, and with it also comes a new dawn for a newcomer to the city.
Tired golden eyes open as the soft rays of the sun filter through her curtains, and the city slowly but surely hums to life, ready to face the new day.
Lumine softly smiles to herself, stretching her arms after a well-needed night of rest. This is going to be another great day , she thinks. After all, it was the first day of college, though it didn’t really affect her.
When moving to Teyvat, she decided that she preferred online classes, that way she could decide on her own schedule and organize her workflow, and more importantly, she could get more part-time jobs!
She barely has the time to get her feet out of bed when her door bursts open, and someone quite literally jumps at her, tackling her back into her bed.
“ Lumiiii… her brother whines as he hugs her so tight, she would not be surprised to hear a rib or two crack.
- Aether, move! I need to get ready!
- But Lumi… It’s gonna be awful to go to classes and not see you on campus… Why didn’t I think of online classes!
- Because you have a sports scholarship, you absolute idiot. You can’t do online classes, she deadpans her brother, flicking his forehead.
- Ouch! Okay, first of all: rude! Secondly, you’re the idiot, dumbass. And lastly, it’s still gonna suck without you. We’ve been living together for like a month after not seeing each other for years! Aren’t you gonna miss me?
- If you don’t move right now, I will put you six feet under, and then no I will not miss you. But all jokes aside, you’ll be able to come see me at work! Now move, I have the opening shift, you know how this goes.”
Grumbling something along the lines of ‘I knew it, you hate me’ , Aether reluctantly moves away and lets his sister wake up for another day in Teyvat, while he also gets ready for the first day of his 3rd year in the Teyvat University.
“ Sho … he tries to articulate while munching on his morning toast. Where are you working today?
- I have the opening and morning shift at the Qixing, then I spend the afternoon at Favonius before helping out at Wanmin tonight.”
She makes sure she packs up everything she needs and triple-checks everything : her keys, her first-aid kit (yes, she always carries one. Who knows whenever she or someone else might need it?), her wallet, her laptop and charger, her water bottle, a cereal bar, her headphones… Yup, that’s everything! She checks the time and starts putting on her shoes.
“How the hell do you manage to do all that while studying? Are you really my sister? Oh! Are you an alien? Who are you and where’s my Lumine?
- Are you seriously threatening me with a carton of orange juice? At that, her brother looks at the carton in his hand, then his sister, before slowly putting it down, narrowing his eyes. What can I say, dear brother, I guess I’m just that great.
- To be fair, you are. But don’t overwork yourself! You might be great, but you’re not invincible!
- You should listen to your own advice, Mister ‘I almost break something during every single practice’.
- Yeah yeah whatever, he scoffs.
- Okay, I really gotta go now. You’re still not keen on introducing me to your friends? From the very little you’ve told me they seem nice!
-Yeah, no way. I would rather kill them now than let them within a 10-feet radius of you. You are never meeting that bunch if I can help it.
- Booooo, you’re no fun… Enjoy your first day of the semester!
- Bye Lumi!”
Thinking back on it now, Aether still isn’t sure whether Lumine predicted the future or simply manifested it into existence, but either way, it frightened him.
After his sister leaves, Aether sighs. She’s been working for about a week now, and Aether can still barely believe it. They’re actually together. In the same state, the same city, the same apartment . He still couldn’t believe they were put in different foster homes in high school, right before hers moved away. They were twins, for fuck’s sake.
He inhales. Exhales.
But that’s all in the past now. They’re together, and that’s what’s important. He and his sister were reunited once more, both thriving in their own way, but side-by-side again. That was all that mattered to him at the moment.
After putting away the dirty dishes (he’ll do them after his morning classes. it’s fine, they only live 10 minutes away from campus) in the sink, he looks at his phone and sees a message from his friends’ groupchat.
[the BOYS - 7:19am]
Childe : hey boys~ ready for the semester? ;)
Xiao : why the fuck are u texting us like we’re your inexistant gf?
Venti : ^
Thoma : ^^
Kaeya : ^^^
Aether : ^^^^
Albedo: ^^^^^
Diluc : ^^^^^^
Venti : LMAOOO EVEN DILUC ROASTED U TAKE THAT FUCKBOY
Childe : why do you hate me
Zhongli : I don’t think anyone here hates you, Childe.
Kaeya: i beg to differ but ok
Zhongli : …Regardless, I, for one, am ready for this semester. I hope you all are as well.
Thoma : I mean, I hope everyone is since it’s the first day!
Kazuha : I’m ready as well. I sincerely hope that everyone here will spend a pleasant semester.
Venti : damn okay shakespeare
Venti : anyway~
Venti : Aether, didn’t you mention that your sister moved in with you this summer?
Diluc : He did say that.
Albedo: I remember that too, you seemed really happy to be reunited with her again
Aether : No Venti I will not introduce her to any of you I will murder you before you can get close to her.
Aether: And yes Albedo I am so happy you have no idea how overjoyed I am
Venti : dang it
Aether : THAT APPLIES TO ALL OF YOU FUCKERS BY THE WAY
Aether: HANDS OFF OR ELSE I'LL CHOP EM OFF
Childe : fuck
Kaeya : you’re no fun aethie :(
Aether : wtf ew don’t call me that???
Xiao : Aether?
Aether : holy shit not you too Xiao-
Xiao : idc about your sister dumbass
Xiao : but i just saw your professor entering their classroom
Aether : FUCKOTHSTHSU
Kazuha : …well, it sounds like this year is going to be… interesting.