Eye Of The Storm || Diluc X Reader

Chapter 3: Jet Streams

Walking on the dirt path isn't as scary as you thought it to be when you have people to distract you. Lumine and Paimon were talking loudly about what to eat at Good Hunter, which quickly evolved into the conversation of what you would like there. Both of them kept naming dishes you've never heard of off of the top if their heads while the acting grand master (or you think that's her correct title) strolls in front of you laughing a bit at your bickering with Paimon. You'd turn your head every once in a while to see Diluc trailing behind you three, keeping the straightest face he could as he seemed to be on guard.

It wasn't a very long walk, but it wasn't short either. You all started on food and then slowly transitioned into fighting, learning that Lumine is a traveler and has been all over the place. She tells you about her travels and the crazy things she's seen and fought. She even told you how she fished out Paimon and you couldn't help yourself to laugh a bit as she calls Paimon her "Emergency food." On your way over to the city, watching the windmills become larger and seeing more and more of the city walls made an uneasy feeling rising in your stomach. You keep trying to push it down by listening to Lumine's stories, but can't fight off the feeling deep inside you. Little to your knowledge you have to pass a village before entering Mondstadt, which almost made you loose your entire cool right on the spot.

"And that's when we- hey are you okay?" Paimon stares right at you painted with an expression of concern. "You seem really out of it is everything alright?"

"I'll be honest, I've never really been into a place of civilization before, I've been on the run all my life so I never really got the chance to settle down" You admit, looking down a bit as you can't help the strange feeling building up inside you as you try to tone out the whispering voices from the rather small village.

"Don't worry, we'll help you get accustomed to everything." Jean turns around with a smile.

"Yeah!! And if anyone tries to beat you up Lumine and I will be here to beat them up!" Paimon punches the air after backing up to Lumine who smiled at you in support.

"It's not just you two, I'll also be here to help." Diluc trails up behind you, folding his arms in reassurance. You feel as if all your fears can just burn up on the spot.

You give them a silent but hopeful nod, as they all continue to walk towards the city gates. You'll be honest, you've never really let your guard down and let your personality out because you were too focused on trying to not get killed. Sleepless nights and flashbacks were all too common for you whenever you tried to rest your head, you'd wake up breathing heavily as if you just relived it again. You hated everything about it, so that's why you had to keep your guard up all the time. No one showed you kindness, so you could never be yourself, but something tugs at your heart saying that you can trust them even if it isn't easy. You've always lived by the statement "Life is always unfair" for as long as you could remember and those haunting memories are a constant reminder of that saying. You want to trust all of them, but you don't know if you can. You don't know if they'll hurt you like everyone else has, and it terrifies you.

You snap out of your deep thoughts as you arrived at the city gates, the knights upfront saluting Jean as she returns the same to them. You don't know if she said anything to you, as you were too busy taking in the surroundings around you. Its so much more different from Inazuma, or at least what you saw from a distance.

Lumine puts her hand on you shoulder which almost made you jump, giving you the brightest smile you have ever seen. "Welcome to Mondstadt."