The Angel's Share was unusually quiet, save for the sounds of Luna devouring her meal at a corner table.
"*Nom nom nom*" Luna mumbled, thoroughly enjoying her food.
Between bites, she called out, "Uncle Charles, one more serving!" Her voice was muffled, her mouth still full.
Charles sighed, shaking his head as he turned to her. "Don't talk while eating. Finish what's on your plate first, then I'll bring more."
Luna grinned sheepishly, swallowing quickly. "Alright!" she said, her words clearer this time but her excitement undiminished.
Moments later, she leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Ah, that was delicious! I'm done!"
Charles approached, placing a fresh plate in front of her. "Here's the food."
Luna looked down and frowned. "Huh? Why is there only one dish, Uncle Charles?"
Charles folded his arms. "That's the last of the ingredients in the kitchen. Almost all of the food today, you've eaten."
Luna's eyes widened, but she quickly recovered with a confident nod. "Ah, ahem, well, it can't be helped. The food is delicious!"
Charles chuckled softly. "Thank you for the compliment. If there's nothing else, I'll continue with my work."
"Ah, wait, Uncle Charles!" Luna called out, raising her hand. "Can you bring me some Sunsettia juice? And make sure it's cold!"
Charles nodded. "Alright." He turned and walked back toward the bar to prepare her drink.
Meanwhile, Luna leaned forward, humming a cheerful tune. "Food, food, food" she sang softly, digging into her remaining dish.
Charles returned shortly after, setting a frosty glass of Sunsettia juice on the table. "Here's the cold Sunsettia juice you ordered."
"Thank you!" Luna said, her voice muffled once again as she spoke with food in her mouth.
Charles nodded silently, shaking his head at her antics before returning to his duties.
After finishing the last bite of her meal, Luna stood up, patting her stomach with satisfaction. "Uncle Charles! I'm heading back home now! And don't forget—put all the bill on Stinky Dad's tab!"
Charles, who was wiping down the counter, gave her a small nod. "I will."
Luna nodded back, grinning. "Yeah, thanks!"
She began walking away from the table, her steps light with energy. Reaching the door, she pushed it open and paused. "Eh? It's already evening."
The orange hues of the setting sun blanketed Mondstadt's streets, and Luna blinked in surprise. "Maybe I ate too long," she muttered. "The time's almost night now."
She stepped onto the cobblestone path, heading in the direction of her house. As she walked, her gaze drifted toward the towering Statue of the Anemo Archon near Favonius Cathedral.
From this distance, the statue seemed much smaller than usual.
Luna extended her hand toward it, closing one eye as if to measure the size with her palm.
"It looks so small from here," she said, tilting her head playfully.
"As if I could grab it with my hand!" She mimed the action, her fingers curling as though to seize the statue.
After a moment, her thoughts wandered. "Hmmmm... I wonder what Stinky Dad is doing right now. Probably fooling around with other women!"
Her face scrunched in frustration, and she stomped a foot on the path. "Ahhh, it's not fair! Just thinking about it makes me mad! I wanna flirt with other girls too!"
"Luna?" a familiar voice called from nearby, breaking her thoughts.
Luna turned her head to see Amber approaching, her ever-cheerful smile lighting up her face. "Amber?" Luna blinked, then waved excitedly. "Oh! Amber, hello!"
"Hello, Luna!" Amber greeted warmly, stopping in front of her. "Are you heading back home?"
"Yup!" Luna replied, nodding enthusiastically.
Amber tilted her head, looking at Luna curiously. "Eh, Luna? Where's Uncle Lucien? It's rare to see you walking around on your own."
Luna crossed her arms and huffed. "You mean Stinky Dad? *Hmph!* He suddenly disappeared this morning! Grrr, just imagining him fooling around somewhere makes me so angry! I wanna beat him up so bad!"
Far away, in a small, dimly lit room where Lucien was still writing a note, he suddenly sneezed. "Achoo! Huh, is someone thinking about me?" he muttered, rubbing his nose before continuing to scribble.
Amber chuckled, amused by Luna's antics. "You're always so lively, Luna."
Luna puffed up her cheeks but quickly changed the topic. "By the way, Amber, what were you doing before?"
Amber smiled, adjusting her gloves. "Hmm? Oh, I just finished patrolling outside the city and was about to head home."
"Oh! Oh yeah, Amber!" Luna's eyes lit up with hope. "Did you see my dad outside while you were patrolling? The last news I got was that he's out of the city right now."
Amber placed a finger to her chin, thinking for a moment. "I'm sorry, Luna. I don't think I saw Uncle Lucien outside during my patrols."
"Really?" Luna frowned, disappointment flashing across her face. "Huh…"
Amber placed a reassuring hand on Luna's shoulder. "Don't worry, Luna! I, Amber, the Outrider, will help you find your dad!"
Luna's mood brightened immediately, and she nodded firmly. "But maybe tomorrow, because it's almost night now."
Amber nodded in agreement. "That's true. It's safer to search in the daylight."
"Well, see you tomorrow, Amber!" Luna said with a wave as she turned to head home.
Amber waved back, her usual cheerful smile in place. "See you tomorrow, Luna! Take care!"
----------------
As Luna entered her home, she called out, "I'm home!" Her voice echoed slightly in the quiet house.
She kicked off her shoes and started walking toward the living room when her nose twitched. *Sniff* *sniff.* Her steps halted abruptly, and her expression shifted.
"?!"
Without wasting another second, Luna bolted into the living room. Her sharp senses didn't lie.
"I know you're here, Stinky Dad! I can smell you!!" she shouted, her eyes darting around the room.
She searched every corner, her gaze sharp. Nothing seemed out of place until her eyes fell on the table.
"A box? And... a note?"
Her curiosity piqued, Luna approached the table. She picked up the note first, her heart pounding as she read:
---
Dear Luna, my lovely daughter,
I'm sorry for suddenly disappearing this morning without telling you. Dad has something important to do, and I can't be with you for the time being. It may take a few days, weeks, or even months, but I want you to know: I am not abandoning you.
So please don't be sad. You can be mad at me for leaving, but don't ever think I've abandoned you—because I haven't and never will.
Also, do you remember a few years ago when you kept nagging me to give you the gun, and I told you to wait for the right time? Well, that time has come. Inside the box is the promise I made to you. I hope you like it.
Love,
Your dad,
Lucien
P.S. If you need anything, just go to Uncle Diluc. He will take care of you for the time being.
---
The paper trembled slightly in Luna's hands as she finished reading. Her chest felt tight, her emotions swirling in a chaotic mix of sadness, frustration, and affection.
Her gaze shifted to the box. Slowly, she reached out and opened it.
Inside was a sleek, beautifully designed gun that gleamed faintly under the light. Her fingers brushed against it gently, as if confirming it was real.
"Dad..." she whispered, clutching the note tightly.
Her feelings were torn between anger at her dad for leaving without saying goodbye and the warmth of knowing he had thought of her, even in his absence.
She let out a deep sigh. "You better come back soon, Stinky Dad... or I'll really kick you next time!"
Holding both the note and the gun close, Luna stood there for a moment.
"I'll wait, but you owe me big, Dad," she muttered, before heading to her room.
The living room fell silent once more as Luna's footsteps faded up the stairs.
From a dimly lit corner of the room, Lucien stepped out of the shadows. His usually confident expression was tinged with guilt as he glanced at the table where Luna had just stood moments ago.
"I'm sorry, Luna," he whispered to himself. His voice was soft but heavy with emotion. "Dad just needs to confirm something before I can be with you again."
His eyes lingered on the note he had written, still clutched in his daughter's hands when she had disappeared upstairs. A faint smile tugged at his lips, though it couldn't mask the weariness in his eyes.
Lucien sighed deeply, running a hand through his silver hair. "Stay strong, my little Kaslana. Just a bit longer," he murmured, as if trying to convince himself as much as her.
Without another word, he backed away quietly, retreating toward the door. The faint creak of the floorboards under his boots was the only sound in the house as he left the room, disappearing once more into the night.
The house returned to its stillness, the only trace of him being the lingering scent Luna had noticed earlier.
-----------------------
Lucien stood under the vast expanse of the night sky, his silver hair catching the faint glow of moonlight. His eyes, distant and reflective, gazed upward as the stars.
"I still remember nights like this," he murmured, his voice carried by the cool breeze. "When we went camping together… It feels like just yesterday."
His mind drifted, pulled into a memory from years ago.
---
A few years earlier...
A crackling campfire illuminated the faces of Lucien and a much younger Luna, her cheeks puffed with determination.
"Dad," Luna called, her small voice brimming with resolve.
"Hm? What is it, Luna?" Lucien responded, his eyes softening as he looked at her.
"You see, Dad," she began, her hands clenched into little fists. "I want to be stronger! Like you! No—stronger than you! I'm going to become number one in this world!"
Lucien paused for a moment, his expression unreadable, before breaking into a soft smile. "I see. That's a good dream to have."
Encouraged, Luna nodded enthusiastically. "Then, if I want to become strong, I need—"
Before she could finish, Lucien interrupted, his voice teasing yet firm. "No, you can't have the gun yet."
"Eh? But I wasn't finished talking!" Luna pouted.
Lucien chuckled. "Even if you finish, I can already guess what you're going to say. Am I right?"
Caught off guard, Luna puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Urgh… Hmph! But I want a gun too! You always say the Kaslana family is good with guns, but you never give me the chance to practice!"
Lucien leaned back, shaking his head. "I could let you use a normal gun. But not this one."
Luna crossed her arms and turned away, her little frame radiating indignation. "But I don't want a boring, plain-looking gun! I want the cool one you have!"
"Luna, a gun is a gun. No matter how it looks, it's a weapon. It's not a toy," Lucien explained gently.
"Hmph." Luna looked away, her lower lip jutting out.
"Oh no," Lucien teased. "Is my little sunshine sulking?"
"I'm not sulking!" Luna shot back.
"But it looks like you're sulking," Lucien said, leaning closer with a grin.
"Grrr, I said I'm not!" she growled before lunging at him and biting his head.
"Ow! Luna, stop biting my head!" Lucien exclaimed, laughing despite the pain.
"Not until you give me that gun!" Luna insisted, her voice muffled.
"Fine! I'll give it to you when you're older!" Lucien promised, trying to pry her off.
"Really?"
"Really…"
"You're lying!" she accused, biting down harder.
"Ah! Stop, Luna! I promise! I swear I'll give you this gun when you're big enough! Just stop biting your dad's head!"
With a triumphant "Hmph," Luna finally let go, satisfied with her victory.
Lucien rubbed his head, muttering, "Raising you is harder than facing a monster…"
---
End of flashback
Lucien let out a weary chuckle, rubbing his temple as if he could still feel the phantom bite.
"Hah… Just remembering that makes my head hurt," he muttered, shaking his head. But despite his words, a small, fond smile crept onto his face as he looked toward the distant horizon.
The stars above seemed brighter, as if sharing his cherished memory.
(A/N: 2k word yatta! Anyway i try to describe how each character look like but i dont know when i try it feel weird? Maybe because Im bad at describe something. Meh)