[ the kiss catches her off-guard, but lumine doesn't try to break free from his grasp or pull away, allowing the harbinger draw her closer even for a moment. her fingers curl gently around the tips of his hair, only letting go when he finally breaks the kiss. but even she knows that that's not always a good sign, that he's probably simply frustrated and it's one of the ways he shows it to her.

understandable, she thinks, after their conversation today. ]

Never my calling, [ she huffs, shaking her head in exasperation. even now, a thousand years after, he's still at it with the fatui and her. ] Besides, it wasn't as if you liked how they operated.

[ in any case, this isn't the reason why she took over lumine's body and woke up childe. and while she's certain they have enough time, her counterpart exhausted beyond reason, she doesn't want to waste any second of it. her fingers once more brush against the line of his jaw, her eyes leveled against his. ]

I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry ... [ she whispers to him as she rests her forehead against his. ] And that you've always mattered to me, even if you think you didn't.