Pyro's Change

Gift Idea

I did my best...I fought the best I could but I lost...

Who are they? What do they want with me and what are they gonna do to me?

Can't a plant just live in peace?

A group of entities showed up out of nowhere and immediately I saw them as a threat so of course I lashed out at them. No matter what I did though, in the end I lost. They were way too strong.

Now they stand around my barely conscious form as they pluck a leaf here and there and a petal. What do they want with those? I have no clue.... They seem to be following orders from one main guy as he examines and paces around me, muttering in a language I don't understand at all.

I just want them all to leave! Please, help me...

After a while of pure torture, the leader of the entities takes something in his hand and proceeds to inject my plant's center bulb with something and finds a crack in the stone below that was created from my earlier battle with them and sticks the same item into the ground where my roots lay.

I feel the liquid surge and soak into my roots as soon as it touches. I worry for what it could have been, but after a while of no results, as the beings stand around me also probably waiting for something to happen, I calm and rest.

As I slowly start to slip into rest due to torturous exhaustion, I sense the people packing up as the boss is yelling at them.

Something about how "it didn't work!"
Wait? Did I just understand him?

Nah...it was probably just the exhaustion talking.....

.........

*Lumine's Pov*

"Hope you're hungry cause food is ready!" My friend Xingling yells out with a wide smile on her face.

While roaming around liyue, the tour guide with a bottomless pit for stomach started complaining about being hungry while taking in the aroma of the delicacies in the air.
I wasn't sure what I was going to make but thankfully, we ran into our good friend Xingling and she said she'd treat us to a meal so we can catch up.

A smile graced my face as she put down the plates on the table and Paimon immediately started digging in.

A chuckle came from both of us as we watched Paimon dig in not leaving any survivors.

"Thank you for this Xingling! I really appreciate it! You too Gouba!" I say as I turn towards Gouba and hand him a portion of my food for him to enjoy. He makes a happy noise as he chows down on the portion of mora meat I handed to him.

"It's no problem at all! Me and Gouba love cooking for you guys. Besides, I've been wanting catch up with you for awhile now."

"It has been a long time since we've been able to hang out like this. Time sure does fly, doesn't it." I answer.

All this time has been used to not only look for my brother, but to find answers after the cryptic message he left us with. Huh. I guess it's just easy to loose so much of it that I even forget to pay the occasional friend a visit.

"I do apologize that it has been so long."

"It's all good! You're looking for your brother and finding him is all that matters in the end. We have plenty of time to hang out afterwards and your brother can try all my famous dishes!" Xiangling laughs off with a big smile and takes small bite of her food.

"I guess your right..." I answer as I pick up my food and take a bite.

"So what have you been up to Xingling, other then helping with the restaurant and foraging for ingredients I mean." I ask curiously.