Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There is something to be said about trusting people prematurely, probably. Then again, I didn’t expect my best friend to be so loose-lipped about me being in possession of a vision. In any other part of Teyvat, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but alas, I am from Inazuma, and here it is a big deal. 

Well, let me start from the beginning. 

xxx

(Aylin) 

“So,” Shirayuki asks, “what did you wanna talk about?” 

I hum, leaning against the kitchen counter. “well, now I’m having second thoughts about it.” 

“Oh come on,” She rolls her eyes, “what could possibly be so bad you can’t tell me about?” Shirayuki rests her head on her knuckles, giving me a crooked smile. 

“Well,” I wince, “that depends on your definition of bad.” 

Shirayuki shrugs, “It can’t be worse than the time Yuki cheated on me.” 

My frown deepens. I figure that’s as good a segway as any, so I force a laugh and say: 

“So, me having a vision isn’t that bad then?” 

All at once, the atmosphere in my kitchen turns...icy. And I don’t mean that as a cryo vision related joke. 

“You’re joking,” she says, “this...has to be a joke.” 

I frown, “are you calling me a liar?” 

“Aylin,” Shirayuki pleads, standing slowly, “you can’t...actually be serious.” 

“Why would I lie about being an enemy of the state!?” 

Shirayuki shakes her head. “This...is madness. Where did you even get it!?” 

I glance to the side, then shrug, “the Tsaritsa visited me in my dream.” 

Shirayuki blinks, wide eyed and clearly disbelieving, then shakes her head. 

“I can’t...I can’t believe this.” 

“You can’t tell anyone,” I remind her, “...but, if you need time to digest this, I get it.” 

Slowly, she nods. “I...I need to go. To think.”

I nod, “whatever you need.” 

Shirayuki nods, then heads for the door. Before she leaves, she mutters a little “goodbye”. I nod and echo the word back. 

Once the door closes behind her, I cross my arms. I stare at the window, watching the people outside pass by. 

A friend told me she was leaving Inazuma while back. This whole development makes me wonder if I should too....

I shake my head, and grab my coat and bag. Before anything else, I want to stop by my mother’s grave, and tell her about...all this. 

xxx

My visit to my childhood home is uneventful, and quiet. The hill is deserted, and quiet, the only things there being a quaint house, rotting from the inside, and a small overgrown grave by the path to the nearby field. I climb the hill, and settle in front of the tombstone. 

“Hey, mom,” I say, “a lot has happened since I was here last, somehow.” I swallow, considering what to say next. I lick my lips, “well, for one...I received a vision. So...now I’m an outlaw, I guess,” I chuckle, then reach into my bag, and pull a glowing orb out, the symbol of cryo reflected in it’s surface.

“There’s no frame around it,” I say, “I guess...normally you’d be able to buy a frame for it, but...obviously, that’s no option.” 

I pause. 

“I wonder,” I muse, “are you proud of me? Would you be proud if you saw me holding a vision? Would you have reported me? Would you have taken it? Would you have left Inazuma with me?” I pause. The only response is the wind howling around me. I huff. 

“I wonder if I should just...throw it away, and get back to my life. Back to being a sellsword. After all, fighting’s all I really know how to do.” I look up to the sky, which is turning purple in the setting sun. 

“or...should I take it and run?” 

For a moment, I listen to the birds sing, and the wind that seems to draw my gaze towards the horizon. It almost feels like the wind is trying to persuade me to…

To what? Go? 

….it might just be. I always read about how the anemo archon valued freedom…

I hear Mondstadt is lovely this time of year. 

xxx

As I turn the corner of the street towards my house, I spot 3 guards outside my door, knocking and shouting for me to come out. 

My heart leaps into my throat as I duck behind the wall from whence I came, my heart pounding in my chest. 

...I guess I have no choice, now.

xxx

That night, I sneak to the docks before the guards could realize I wasn’t even home. I knew that there was a ship heading for Liyue that night, and it was by my extreme luck, that it had not left yet by the time I arrived. 

I hid in a box, and became a stowaway on a trading ship headed for Liyue. 

xxx

“Ayo, I think there’s something down here!” 

The alarmed voice causes my eyes to snap open. Frantic, terrified I’ve been caught, I glance around. The door to the ship’s storage is open, and light streams in. The sight may be beautiful, but I know that if I stay much longer I won’t be able to escape. 

“I’ll check it out,” says a voice, and I lie down, pretending to be asleep. 

The footsteps come closer, and closer. There’s a small gasp, and my eyes snap open. The man looking at me sees, and turns to alert his mates--

“Hey--”

There’s no time to waste. I freeze his feet-- 

“What!?” 

--and make a run for it. 

I dash onto the deck, push aside a crew member, making him yelp. Before any of the crewmates can get too close, I jump off the ship, landing on the solid ground of Liyue Harbor’s port. 

“Hey! Get back here!”

Instead of slowing, I make a mad dash for the stairs leading up to central Liyue Harbor. 

I skip every other step, turn a corner and run, 

and run,

and run. 

And I keep running until Liyue Harbor is a city in the valley below, and I am stood next to a statue of Rex Lapis. It feels like he’s gazing at me. I frown at him. 

“Well? What do I do now?” 

I guess...anywhere but here is good, right? 

xxx

And so I start to walk. I meet a few adventurer’s, whom I ask about where exactly I am. They hand me a map and explain where we are, and give me some recipes as parting gifts. I find out where Mondstadt is, and decide to head there. 

On the way there, I find Wangshu inn, where I end up staying for a few days, during which I meet the elusive Xiao. He doesn’t actually talk with me, but he was having the same dish I was, so there was that. 

And then I very cautiously walked around Dragonspine. 

And then I arrive in Mondstadt. 

xxx

Bonus: Wangshu Recommends 

“So you’re heading to Mondstadt?” Verr, the Inn owner asks. I swallow the almond tofu I was chewing, and nod. 

“Yeah, I hear it’s the complete opposite of Inazuma.” 

Verr smiles, “Yes, it is. Do you have a game plan?” 

“I mean, the end goal is to join the knights, but...nothing immediate, no.” 

“Well, you’re in luck,” she says, “I know the acting grand master, if you’d like, I can write you a recommendation!” 

I clap, and then shake my hands in excitement, “Really? That’d be amazing! Thank you!” 

Verr laughs, “please, it’s the least I can do to thank you for clearing the streets. And I’ve seen you in action, you’re more than capable.”

My cheeks grow warm, and I bite my lip. 

“sit tight,” Verr winks, “I’ll write something up real quick.”

Chapter Text

(Aylin)

Once in Mondstadt, it doesn’t take long for me to find the knights’ headquarters and talk to Master Jean. Thankfully, since I’m all out of mora. 

“So,” Jean hums, eying the note from Verr, “Verr can vouch for your skills?” 

“Yes,” I nod, “I’ve only had my vision for a few weeks, but I can prove that I am very quick with it.”

“Oooh, confidence,” the librarian, Lisa, purrs, “I love that.” 

“Hmm,” Jean hums. She folds her hands, “let’s strike a deal. If you can clear out the hilichurl camps on the road to dragonspine, I’ll consider enlisting you. If you succeed, you’ll be invited to the training event for new recruits that starts tomorrow. Does that seem fair?” 

I grin, nodding. “Perfectly.” 

“Good,” she smiles, “take outrider Azure with you. Just in case you find yourself...unable to complete the task.” 

I nod. I doubt I’ll need help, the hilichurls in Mondstadt are nothing compared to what I’m used to. 

“I’ll call for her now. I’ll send her to meet you by the bridge, is that alright?” 

I nod, “fine by me. I’ll see you tonight then.” 

And with that I make my exit, and my way towards the city gates. 

xxx

“Ayo, are you Aylin?” 

I look up from where I’d been staring at the water to find a woman approaching me. She wears a shoulder free top, a simple cape, and a hydro vision attached to the bow on her chest. Judging by the appearance of her cape, I assume she’s with the knights. Her soft pink hair is tied into a braid, and her brown eyes are warm and inviting. 

“Yes I am,” I nod, “you’re outrider Azure, I’m guessing?” 

She smiles, “that’s me. Jean said you want to join the knights?”

I nod, “That’s right. She said if I clear out the hilichurl camps leading to dragonspine, I can attend the recruitment training.”

“Jean said you’re from Inazuma. I’m guessing...your vision is the reason you left?” 

I nod, “it’s...it was the final push, yeah.” 

“And why not stay in Liyue? It’s closer.”

I shrug, “dunno. Something...was very alluring about Mondstadt.” 

“Sure is,” she winks, “it’s the freedom I tell ya.” 

We share a brief chuckle, then she sighs. 

“Right. We better get moving.” 

I nod, and just like that, we’re off. 

xxx

I clear out the camps with little issue, and Azure and I return to Jean. Jean happily welcomes me to the recruits, and tells me a bit more about the program. I ask her about where I can stay, and Azure steps in to offer her apartment. So, arrangements are made, and the next day I go to train with fellow recruits in Wolvendom. 

xxx

(Albedo) 

Mondstadt is the city of freedom, and though it is considered to be governed by the weakest of the seven, it is without a doubt, the one place people go when they are in need of a breath of fresh air. 

Besides being a beautiful place, Mondstadt has many alchemical resources, and it’s connection to Liyue cannot be overlooked. The two Archons of Mondtadt and Liyue have been friends for centuries, and it’s people are no different. 

The knights of favonius are the ones who protect Mondstadt, officially. The staff of the knights are varied, from librarians to alchemists, we all can find a role within the walls of headquarters. 

When I first came to Mondstadt, I didn’t even know they had an alchemic branch, but I joined regardless, and now, here we are, one of the most alchemically advanced nations in Teyvat. Quite the accomplishment, I’d say. 

An accomplishment that I must live up to, now. 

“Mr. Albedo,” Sucrose’s soft voice interrupts my musings, “I’ve gotten the results of our last experiment. Do you want to look over them?” 

I look up from my desk, over my shoulder at her. I nod, “yes, bring them here.” 

Sucrose does as asked, and we spend the next few minutes going over the results. 

“So if we add sweet flower seeds---” 

“The reaction may differ, yes.” 

Knock Knock. 

The sound of someone at the door stops our conversation, and we look up, sharing a quizzical look. 

“Yes?” 

The door opens to reveal Lisa….and an unfamilliar face. 

“Good afternoon Albedo,” Lisa hums, “I’m just showing our new knight the headquarters. I thought I’d introduce you.”

I nod, “that’s fine. Hello.” 

Lisa enters, “this is Aylin, our newest recruit from Inazuma.” 

Inazuma…? She must have come far, then. 

“Oh! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Sucrose says, “I’m Sucrose, and this is Albedo, the chief Alchemist. I’m his student.” 

Aylin smiles, “it’s a pleasure to meet you both.” 

Aylin has dark green eyes, freckles dotting brown skin, and her brown curls and pulled into a ponytail. She wears a mix-match of clothes from Inazuma and Liyue, and her vision rests on her hip, currently. 

“You’re from Inazuma, correct?” I ask. She nods. “How is alchemic research there? Are they very well versed?” 

Aylin frowns, then crosses her arms. “Not really. It’s the same as with visions, Baal doesn’t want anyone to have any sort of power, really. They say Alchemy isn’t banned, but no one is putting funds into the people dedicated to it.” 

“Hmm...I see…” 

“It’s cool to see Mondtadt take it’s Alchemists seriously,” she hums, glancing around. “This is the most impressive lab I’ve ever seen.” 

I blink. I nod, “thank you. It is all thanks to Master Jean.” 

“But if not for Mr. Albedo,” Sucrose speaks up, “we’d be a lot worse off in terms of progress!”

“You flatter me,” I say, though I can’t help but smile. 

“Not at all!” Sucrose squeaks, “I’m only saying what everyone is thinking, mr. Albedo!” 

“She’s right you know,” Lisa purrs, “were it not for you, Mondstadt would be much less advanced in terms of Alchemy.” 

I glance away, “I suppose.” 

“In any case,” Lisa says, “we’re going to continue to the dormitories now. See you two around!” 

“Bye!” Sucrose waves, “it was lovely meeting you.” 

“You too,” Aylin grins, “I hope we can talk again soon.”

I nod, minutely. “Likewise.” 

As Lisa and Aylin leave, Sucrose turns to me. 

“Now, where were we? Sweet flower seeds, right?” 

I nod, turning back to my papers, “Right.” 

And for a while, that was all we heard. 

...until it wasn’t. 

Chapter Text

(Aylin)

After passing the initiation exam, the ones who passed had been briefed on what we’d be doing for the next month, and on the hierarchy of Favonius. According to Jean, knights without a home would stay at headquarters until they could afford their own housing, which was convenient. She explained that we would spend the next few months with a supervisor-slash-tutor each, and they would evaluate if we would become a proper knight or not. No pressure, really. 

I had been assigned Outrider Amber. Something about me being a promising potential outrider. 

When Jean mentioned the alchemic branch, I wasted no time in asking if it was off limits. It wasn’t so I asked Lisa to take me, as she was heading to the nearby library anyway. She’s done so, and ended up introducing me to Albedo and Sucrose. 

Albedo was a pale man--very, very pale--with dirty blonde hair that was very fluffy looking, and messy, with startling blue eyes, that seemed just slightly too bright to be true. Sucrose was just as attractive, with long green hair and honey-gold eyes. They both seemed too pretty to be working in alchemy. 

Chief Alchemist Albedo, though...it certainly had a ring to it. 

Regardless, from what I could tell shadowing Amber...I wouldn’t be seeing Albedo and Sucrose very much. 

But I ran into them one afternoon. 

Amber and I had spent all morning clearing out hilichurl camps, and once we had returned, Jean had called her in. 

“This might take a while,” Amber warns, “can you bring what we gathered off those camps to the chief Alchemist?” she hands me her bag. I nod. 

“you got it.” 

By this point I’d been in Mondstadt for quite some time, but I hadn’t seen Albedo since the day of my recruitment. 

Arriving at the lab, I knocked. A soft voice beckons me inside: 

“It’s open.” 

I open the door, and walk into the lab, which…

Is a mess. 

Amidst books tossed carelessly aside, notes strewn over ever surface--sits Albedo. He looks just as pale and disinterested as the day we met, but this time he’s facing me. He regards me with blue eyes that stare unblinkingly for just a moment too long. 

“Amber and I just got back,” I explain, holding out the bag of materials, “and, ah. She said you may find some uses for this stuff.” 

Albedo hums, eyes scanning me up and down, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment--

“Leave them on the desk there,” he gestures to a table next to the door, “thank you. I will return anything I cannot use.” 

I nod, depositing it on the desk. “Right...ah. Um. Then, happy alchemy-ing.” 

He gives a noncommittal grunt, already focused on his work again. I take it as my hint to just…. go . 

I make a quick exit. 

(Albedo)

Surprisingly, almost all the supplies left have potential. There are only a few items I can’t really use, very unlike the stuff Outrider Amber usually brings back with her. I can only guess that the new Aylin, I believe?--knows a least a bit about Alchemy. 

Regardless, I need to return the items that aren’t of any use. The sun is already set, so I can only hope she is still within headquarters. 

I leave the lab, which is now empty, and run into Kaeya. 

“Kaeya,” I say simply, “do you know where that new knight is? Who went out with Amber this morning?” 

“Oh?” he purrs, “looking for our newest star, are you?” he chuckles, “I think she’s in the library on the first floor.” 

“Thank you.” 

I head off to the library. 

I open the doors to find the library mostly empty. I walk inside and look over the railing…

Finding Aylin standing in the center of the room, basking in the moonlight as it streams through the window, an open book in her hand. She isn’t even looking at the pages, but rather the moon shining overhead. 

“Enjoying the night?” I ask. 

Aylin flinches, then looks up to me. She smiles. “Good evening, Mr. Albedo. Yes, I am. You?” 

I shrug, making my way down the stairs, “I suppose.” 

“Good. Were the materials useful?” 

I nod, “Most of them, yes. Just a few weren’t of use to me.” 

“Aw, shame. Well, I tried.” 

“So you were the one who picked out what to take,” I muse. “I guessed as much. Amber usually just dumps everything on me, without regard to it’s usefulness.” 

“Yeah,” Aylin rubs her neck, “she kept insisting we needed to take everything. Thankfully I convinced her that you didn’t need ashes.” 

I chuckle. “Yes, Amber tries, but she does not understand Alchemy. Though...I gather you do?” 

She shrugs, “basics. Timeaus tells me a bit now and then.” 

“You must pick up on concepts quickly then,” I hum, knowing how scattered Timeaus can come across. 

“Only if I’m interested,” she shrugs, “Inazuma wasn’t really. On board with the whole ‘power to the people’ thing.” 

I hum, “So I hear.” 

“What are you still doing here so late?” she asks. 

“I could say the same about you.” 

She nods, “fair point.” I hand her the left over materials, and she places her book down to investigate the contents. 

“Hmm...okay. I’ll try to remember for next time.” 

That…..is unexpected. Amber never bothered to check what wasn’t needed, or even try to remember. Could Aylin have an interest in Alchemy? 

“...I see.” 

“Hm?” she perks up, “did you say something?” 

 I shake my head. “I must get back to the lab. Have a good night.” 

“Oh, okay.” She smiles, “don’t stay up too late, we can’t have the chief alchemist going sleepless after all,” she winks. 

I hum, and nod. 

And with that, our second conversation came to a close, but I felt... Unsatisfied. As I continue back to the lab to finish up my day report, I find myself wishing we had talked longer. It has been a while since someone caught my attention like that, but Aylin seemed...intriguing. 

She was a knight, sure, but uncommonly interested in Alchemy. Timeaus had told me that she would swing by the stall often, and soon he wouldn’t have anything of note to teach her within a few minutes. She was clearly well-read, and observant as well. on top of her being curious, she seemed to be perfect scholar material. 

So...why didn’t she join the alchemic branch? 

I sigh, locking the lab behind me. I’d get no answers for my speculation unless I asked her, and I am uncertain if she would respond truthfully. 

So for now, my thoughts remain a secret. 

xxx

The next time I see Aylin, she is at the camp at the bottom of Dragonspine, two adventurer’s shivering as she wraps blankets around them. 

“It sure it lively here today,” I muse, not expecting anyone to hear. Somehow, however, Aylin does hear me. 

She looks up, then smiles brightly when she spots me. “Albedo! Hello!” 

For some reason her enthusiasm has my stomach doing a flip...people didn’t usually react that way to my presence. Not if they weren’t a student of mine. 

“What are you doing all the way out here?” Aylin asks. 

“I plan on doing some research on the mountain,” I explain, “It’s quiet up there, and I can get unique samples.” 

“Ooooh, I see.” She tilts her head to the side, “that makes sense. But...isn’t it dangerous? These two adventurers got turned around and nearly froze.” 

“It is dangerous, yes,” I nod, “but only if you are unprepared.” 

She hums, “I see. That makes sense. Any terrain is dangerous unless you’re prepared, after all.” 

I smile. “Yes. What brings you out here?” 

“Oh,” her smile falls, “we’d received reports that a group of adventurers had gone to Dragonspine, but hadn’t returned by the time they said they would. Jean sent me to investigate. I need to go up again, there’s at least 3 more missing people.” 

That would mean she’s going up the mountain alone, isn’t it? Before I can ponder it further, my mind comes to a decision: 

“In that case,” I hum, “let me accompany you. It’s dangerous to go up alone if you’re unfamiliar with the terrain.” 

Aylin’s eyes widen, “are you sure? I--That’d be great, but don’t feel obligated! I’m sure I could handle myself--” 

“You have a cryo vision, correct?” I ask. 

She quirks a brow, “uh, yes?” 

“Then you will surely need assistance,” I straighten my back, “I’m going up anyway. It is no trouble to accompany you.” 

Aylin smiles, and shrugs. “I guess there’s no arguing it then, huh?” 

I nod. “Let’s go. We don’t know what could have happened to those adventurers.” 

She nods, and we set out to the mountain. 

(Aylin)

When asking others about Albedo, they’d say he’s standoffish and cold, and doesn’t care about anything but his alchemy, but I find that that isn’t even true. 

Yes, his main concern is alchemy, but it’s not like he doesn’t care about others, I think he just finds it hard to express. As we climb the mountain, we come across a hilichurl camp blocking the way. 

I reach for my sword and huff, “leave it to me, this shouldn’t take too long.” 

I rush forward and slice the backs of two hilichurls, who turn as soon as I do so. With a few more slashes, they go up in smoke. I start to turn back to Albedo, but before I can move a muscle, there’s a warm presence beside me, and the sound of a vision being used. I turn, and find Albedo there, having constructed a blossom of geo to shield me from an oncoming arrow by a third hilhichurl.

Albedo then uses the blossom to catapult himself at the hilichurl---and slice it cleanly in half, sending it to oblivion. 

“Huh,” I tut, “I didn’t know you could fight.” 

Albedo turns to me, “Well, it is a useful skill to have in this world.” 

I nod, “fair point. You looked experienced, how long have you been trained with a sword?” 

“hm,” Albedo hums, “For as long as I can remember, actually. My master would take me into domains and on adventurers, and we would fight side by side. She taught me everything I know.” 

“I see,” I hum, “my mom was like that too. She taught me how to fight fairly young,” I laugh, “I think she’d know I’d get into trouble.” 

Albedo continues walking as he speaks next, “do you enjoy it?” 

“What?” 

“Fighting,” he clarifies, “do you enjoy it?” 

I shrug, “I mean, I'm indifferent to it, really. Like you said, it’s a useful skill, and it’s kept me fed, so.” I smile, “I don’t think I’m really capable of doing anything else, you know. So, it’s whatever.” 

“I see,” he hums. He looks up ahead, apparently finding something. “There are footprints by that cavern entrance.” 

I follow his line of sight, and see it as well. 

“Hey! You’re right!” I give him a playful shove, “good eye! I’ll go investigate.” 

He nods, “then I will go to my camp. I trust we will be seeing each other again.” 

I grin, “Likewise. Have fun!” 

Chapter Text

(Albedo) 

Aylin and I end up running into each other that very night. I see her clearing out a hilichurl camp close to Mondstadt’s bridge. It seems as though I never see her doing anything else. 

She is rummaging through the remains of the camp when she spots me heading towards the city. 

“Albedo!” she exclaims, a grin spreading over her lips, “good evening!” 

I nod, approaching her, “likewise. Did you need something?” 

She smirks, “what? Can I not just flag you down to talk to you?” 

I quirk a brow. She frowns. 

“Is it really so uncommon for you to talk to people just because you enjoy it?” 

I sigh, “people don’t usually seek me out just for a chat.” 

“Well,” She hums, “unless you want to help me look for loot in this camp, I would just like to chat.” 

...that’s...odd. 

“I see,” I hum. 

“So, what have you been up to?” 

I blink. Of all the things...I was likely expecting that the least. 

“You...want to hear about my research?” 

“Yes,” she nods, stuffing something lying around the camp into her bag, “I like hearing about it. It’s interesting.” 

I straighten my back, unsure where exactly to go from here. I suppose...I can fulfill her request? 

“Very well,” I pause to think where to begin. “Well...I have been transcribing an old alchemic recipe I found. We have reason to believe they stem from a long lost civilisation.” 

“Oh?” Aylin perks up, “what’s it about?” 

“That, we were unable to unearth,” I shrug, “the only way to know for sure is to test the recipe.” 

“oooooh,” she purrs, “Exciting. Do tell me the results, yeah?” 

“Oh,” I blink, then nod. “Of course.” 

We fall into easy conversation, exchanging stories of what we’ve been doing, speculating about Sucrose’s research, as well as my own. Eventually, Aylin has gathered up all the loot in the camp, and begins to walk towards Mondstadt, a skip in her step as we continue to talk about history, alchemy and even some mutual acquaintances. 

“Lisa is so talented,” Aylin sighs, “kinda makes you wonder why she settles for a library job.” She snorts, “Who knows, maybe she likes the low demands.” 

I hum. “Possibly. But I could ask the same of you.” 

“Hm?” 

“You’re clearly intelligent, and interested in Alchemy,” I say as we walk into the headquarters, “why busy yourself as an outrider, instead of joining us alchemists?” 

Aylin purses her lips, “‘clearly intelligent’...I think you’re alone on that one, chalk boy.” 

I frown, “chalk boy?” 

“What?” she grins, “don’t like it?” 

“absolutely not.” 

“Pity,” she sighs wistfully, “I thought it’d be cute.” 

“What...exactly would be cute?” I ask, quirking a brow. Aylin shrugs. 

“Nicknames. I dunno.” She chuckles nervously, raking a hand through her hair, “Nevermind.” She smiles again, “Where’re you headed off to?” 

Judging by her expert evasion of avoiding my question, I can only guess that she doesn’t wish to answer it, so I leave her be. 

“I’m going to meet up with Klee,” I say, “according to Kaeya, she should be out of solitary any moment now.” 

Aylin snorts, “well, good luck to you then. I should look over the materials I have, if any of them seem useful, I’ll send them your way, sound good?” 

I nod. “Works for me. I will see you then.” 

“Yep,” she giggles, “bye-bye!!” 

And with a wave, she hops up the stairs, two steps at a time. 

...what a strange person. 

xxx

(Aylin) 

I drop onto my bed, exhausted and defeated after my recent encounter with Albedo. He called me intelligent, and in the end I didn’t have the heart to outright tell him he was wrong. 

There’s a reason the only skill I’ve truly perfected is combat. Anything else I do is just a hobby, and I still have a ways to go in terms of progression. I’m basically a walking weapon, and everyone knows weapons don’t make art. Unless the art is painted in blood, maybe. 

With a sigh, I roll onto my back. The question remains, though...was he aware of me changing the subject? Did he just...go along with it? 

I shake my head, laying here and wondering won’t change anything. Instead of wracking my brain for an answer I know I won’t ever get, I roll off my bed, and look through the loot from my excursion. It was technically official favonius business, but I had my fun with it. I ended up only with some slime secretions, but I remembered Timeaus mentioning that Sucrose may find a use for it. 

And so, I got up from my bed, and left my room in search of Sucrose. 

xxx

I start my search in the cafeteria, where Kaeya, Lisa and Jean are conversing. 

“Good afternoon Aylin,” Lisa greets, “what are you doing all the way over here?” 

“Looking for Sucrose,” I reply easily, “have you seen her?” 

“Albedo is with Klee now,” Jean muses, “which means Sucrose should be in the lab.” 

“And if she’s not,” Kaeya adds, “chances are she’s out gathering materials near Wolvendom.” 

“Alright,” I nod, and wave, “thank you!” 

And I leave, making my way to the lab. 

Once I reach the lab, I knock, and am almost immediately greeted with a soft, albeit quite surprised “yes?? come in!”. Heeding the demand, I open the door. 

Sucrose and I have only talked twice before now, so seeing her at work is a real view. The lab looks different from when Albedo was using it, every note and book in it’s place. Sucrose is bent over the alchemy table, where now a very large windwheel aster blooms. 

“Oh!” Sucrose gasps, “hello! Aylin, was it?” 

I nod, stepping into the room, “that’s me. I came here to drop off some slime secretions I gathered, in case you needed them.” 

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she hums, “but I believe Timeaus might. I can take them off your hands if you’d like.” 

“Oh, no need,” I wave her off, “I have nothing else to do today anyway. He’s at the stall?” 

“Yes, that’s right.”

I grin, “cool.” I take a look around the lab, observing notes pinned to corkboards adorning the walls, my gaze catching on bottles and flasks. 

“Um,” Sucrose mutters, “was...there anything...else?” 

“Hm? Oh, no,” I wave, “just...looking. It’s all very interesting.” 

Sucrose perks up, ears twitching, “oh! Yes, it is, very much so, indeed. Mister Albedo is such a good teacher, too!” 

I smile, “that’s good. He seems like the patient type.” 

Sucrose nods, “he is! I’ve come very far in my research thanks to his guidance.” 

I grin, “maybe I should ask him for advice instead of Timeaus next time.” 

“If you’re looking to learn Alchemy,” Sucrose says softly, but fondly, “there is truly no better teacher than Albedo.” 

I laugh, “I bet, but I doubt he could help me,” I shake my head, and shrug, “I’m something of a lost cause.” I step back, and nod once, “Well then, I’ll be out of your hair now.” 

“Oh…” Sucrose says, “it wasn’t a bother! I’d love to show you around properly, if you’d like.” 

I grin, “I’d love that.” 

(Albedo) 

“I need to check in on Sucrose before we go home,” I tell Klee. She nods. 

“Klee doesn’t mind!” Klee squees, “Klee likes Sucrose!” 

And with that, we enter the lab. 

“Sucrose,” she perks up at my voice, “anything new with your research?” 

“Mister Albedo!” she gasps, “Oh, not much today! But I hear Timeaus made a breakthrough.”

“Oh?” 

“Yep,” she nods, “apparently, Miss Aylin stopped by to drop off some materials, and they had a chat. She helped him come to a revelation.” 

I hum, thinking back to the talks I’ve had with her. “Hmm...I see.” 

“She stopped by here earlier as well,” Sucrose says, drawing my attention, “she seemed very interested in Alchemy, but...it seemed like she was holding back, as well.” 

I sigh, “Yes, I got that impression as well.” 

“I think she’d quite enjoy Alchemy,” Sucrose continues, “she’s a joy to talk to!” 

I smile, nodding. “Agreed. She is quite the character.” 

Sucrose beams, apparently thrilled by our shared….acquaintance? friend? If I recall, Sucrose and Aylin have only talked twice, and myself and Aylin...only a few casual talks as well. 

“I hope she swings by again soon,” Sucrose muses, packing up her work, “I think she would have valuable input to my research.” 

I nod, “she is from Inazuma, so she’d already have different input regarding plants than I.” 

“Regardless,” Sucrose says, “Klee is with you, right? You shouldn’t keep her waiting!” 

“Are you sure? I can help you clean.” 

Sucrose shakes her head, “go ahead! I’ve got everything under control!” 

I offer her a smile. “Goodnight, Sucrose.” 

“Goodnight, Mr. Albedo!” 

xxx

A few days later, the city is alight with rumors when Sucrose and I return from an excursion. 

“Have you heard the news?” “the new knight got an official title, right?” “record time! only beaten by the Chief Alchemist himself!” 

“Huh?” Sucrose hums, “who are they talking about?” 

“No idea,” I murmur. I turn to Sucrose, “perhaps Timeaus knows more.” 

Sucrose nods, and we hasten our pace to the Angel’s Share. Once there, we open the door to Timeaus, Amber, Diluc and Kaeya conversing. 

Kaeya smiles, “Aye, Chief Alchemist! Sucrose! Have you heard the news?” 

“What news?” Sucrose asks. 

“Aylin was just appointed her knightly title!” Amber exclaims, “the Frost Knight!” 

Kaeya clicks his tongue as Sucrose and I share a wide-eyed gaze, “tsk, she’s coming for my brand.” 

Diluc scoffs, “not much of a branding, is it then?” 

“In any case!” Timeaus exclaims, “the rumors say she took down a trio of Mitachurls in one go, freezing over Dadaupa Gorge in the process!” 

Sucrose gasps, “All of it?” 

“The lake at the very least,” Diluc clarifies, “regardless of what was actually in the area, she froze over the lake, and there are still swords of ice sticking out of the ground.” 

“Whoa,” Sucrose gapes, “that’s...impressive.” 

Amber nods, “No wonder Lisa suggested Aylin use a catalyst! She’s amazing!” 

I hum, pressing a finger to my lips. Feats of such...range, are no easy feat. Turning your vision’s element into objects is no easy feat, either. If the rumors are true, then Aylin would have an impressive amount of control of her vision. 

“Y’all are making it out to be way more dramatic,” Azure states, walking into the bar. “I was there, and yeah, she froze over dadaupa gorge, but she didn’t take out the Mitachurl in one go, nor did she do it alone. It was a team effort.” 

“Perhaps,” Kaeya says, “but you’re already the Thunder Knight, so you being there is irrelevant.” 

Azure scowls, “I’ll show you irrelevant…” 

“But anyway!” Amber says, “it’s unusual for new recruits to become so big so soon! It’s amazing!” 

“And yet,” Kaeya purrs, “the culprit herself isn’t here to celebrate her victory.” 

“Yes,” I muse, “which is understandable, such a feat would likely take a lot out of someone.” 

“Mister Albedo is right,” Sucrose says, “I’m sure she’s just resting!” 

“I did see her safely to the dorms,” Azure says, “so if she’s not there, that’s not on me.” 

“Why wouldn’t she be?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me. 

Diluc sighs, “because she’s a restless person, and doesn’t know when to quit.” 

“You say that as if you two are close,” Amber points out. Diluc exhales sharply. 

“...She often clears camps near the winery. We’ve gotten into...conversation, a few times.” 

“You mean debates?” Amber grins, and Diluc rolls his eyes. 

The more I learn about Aylin…

the more intriguing she becomes. 

Chapter Text

(Aylin) 

My energy is drained from taking out a gang of hilichurs and mitachurls in order to get Timmie’s stuffed bird back, and the last thing I want to do is surround myself with people raving over the action. Undoubtedly, word had gotten around by now. 

I sigh, looking at the horizon as it turns purple and pink in the setting sun. The view from the beach of Stormbearer point is beautiful, but I had gone through the trouble of venturing out into the ocean a bit, onto a cluster of rocks sitting above the water. It’s...quiet, far away from hilichurl camps, Mondstadt, and even Dragonspine. 

The fight...had been weird. I knew I was skilled with using my vision--Lisa even suggested I replace my sword with a catalyst--but even I didn’t know I could perform such feats of...extreme altercations. 

I sigh, undoing my ponytail and running my hands through my hair. I wonder what else I could do...could I make it to the unmarked island sitting on the horizon over there? Or was freezing Dadaupa gorge the extent of my power? 

...Albedo may be interested too. Perhaps I could ask him to experiment with me. 

As if my thoughts could conjure him, a paper butterfly lands on the space beside me, shocking me out of my thoughts. It unfurls, and it reads: 

‘What are you doing out there? Do you want to be alone? -Albedo’ 

I look back over my shoulder, to find Albedo standing by the shore. I can’t tell his expression from here, though I doubt it’d tell me what he’s thinking anyway. I smile, my ears perking up as I motion him to come to me. 

It’s...mainly to see if he could, if he would. If he doesn’t...oh well. Guess he doesn’t care that much, but that wouldn’t be unexpected from Albedo. 

Much to my surprise, I hear the sound of Albedo’s geo vision being active, and when I look back towards him--

He’s using blossoms as stepping stones to get to me. 

I ignore the way my heart flips. 

“Now,” he says, landing on the stone island, “what are you doing all the way out here?” 

“I think the better question is,” I say, making room for him beside me, “how did you find me?” 

“I didn’t,” he confesses, “Diluc and Azure agreed you may be here.” 

I hum. Typical. “Then why seek me out?” 

“We heard about your feat in Dadaupa Gorge.” 

My expression turns sour, my mood immediately ruined. Any assumptions I made about Albedo’s thoughts of me must be incorrect. He’s only talking to me because of the power I apparently hold...right? 

“The knights have taken to calling you the Frost Knight.” 

I pause. I turn to look at him, and find him already studying me with cyan eyes. I frown. 

“So that’s what you’re here for?” I scowl, “testing my limits? Asking about what I did and who I paid for this power?” I roll my eyes, “If I wanted to test myself, I’d come to you myself.” 

There’s a pause. Then he speaks up: 

“You wear your heart on your sleeve, don’t you?” 

My cheeks catch on fire, and my shoulders tense as I turn back to him, “Well--I--you--er--” 

He chuckles, eyes sparkling with amusement. Embarrassment settles in my gut. 

“It’s not a negative trait,” he says, “Sucrose is the same. It is simply a fact.” 

I huff, “and you’re the opposite,” my eyes focus on the distant island, “you hold your cards close to your chest.” 

“You think?” he asks, “I simply don’t...feel as much.” I turn back to study his profile, “I am not hiding anything.” 

I purse my lips and pause, eyes moving to the water lapping at the stone island. “Why are you here?” I ask, eyes returning to his face. Albedo turns, and our eyes meet. He shrugs. 

“At first, I did want to ask about your feat,” I frown, “and...to check on you. Azure said she escorted you home, but that you may no longer be there. I simply wanted to make sure you weren’t collapsed in a ditch somewhere.” 

My chest squeezes. 

“That’s…” I bite my lip, “unexpectedly kind of you.” 

Albedo hums, “truth be told, I do want to experiment and see how far you can take this power,” he sighs, “but...if you do not wish to do so, it cannot be helped.” 

I hum, then bite my lip. I seriously can’t tell what he’s thinking…

“Maybe some other time,” I sigh, “I’d be lying to say I wasn’t considering it.” 

Albedo smirks, and I suddenly feel like I walked straight into a trap. 

“If you say ‘I knew it’,” I grumble, face burning and ears lying flat against my head, “I may actually kill you.” 

“please,” he scoffs lightly, sounding more bored than annoyed, “you haven’t got the stamina to harm anything right now.” 

My cheeks burn even more, and I scoff back, “are you just here to insult me?” 

“I already told you,” he says, “I came here to check that you were alright. Would you like me to leave?” 

I shrug, “I never said that.” 

“Good,” Albedo hums, “for I quite enjoy conversing with you.” 

I smile, “how convenient. I enjoy your company.” 

Albedo smiles slightly, briefly. It makes me smile even more in turn. 

“See that island on the horizon?” I ask, scooting closer and pointing to the island that is only a dot on the horizon. “One day, I’m gonna find a way to get there.” I turn to him with a grin, “I hope you’ll accompany me!” 

Albedo blinks blankly, then nods. “You should be able to make it, either over frozen waves, geo platforms, or a ship. It should be no trouble for you, given you take adequante measures beforehand.” 

I quirk a brow, “those being?” 

His expression is smug when he regards me, “Rest, Aylin.” 

My name on his tongue sounds strange but not unwelcome. Still, I huff. 

“Yeah, yeah,” I wave, “I’ll get enough sleep, don’t worry.” 

“Good,” he hums, “we should head back, then.” 

“Hmm,” I hum, “sure. I don’t think there’s much I can do at this point.” I smirk over my shoulder, then glance at Albedo. He gives me a questioning look. 

“Race you!” I shout, then scramble to my feet, hop over the stone, and dive into the water. 

When I resurface, he’s gawking after me. I laugh, and start swimming back to shore. 

xxx

(Albedo)

Aylin is...mysterious. 

She usually seems upbeat and excited, but when I found her on that stone island last night, she seemed like a totally different person. 

She was annoyed and impatient, yet still easy to read. Her words still sit with me, even as Klee and I walk through the hills on Mondstadt together. Based on her reactions, I think it’s safe to assume people have undermined her intelligence, and treated her differently because she isn’t traditionally intelligent. 

Her intelligence stems from experience, and testing something and remembering what fails. She is smart in the way Amber is--experienced and not afraid to reexperience. Even so...she clearly has an interest, and a natural skill for Alchemy, so I still wonder...why not pursue the craft? 

“Albedo!” Klee exclaims, pointing to the sky in the distance, where a great big creature flies over Mondstadt. “Albedo, what is that!” 

My heart sinks. 

“A Dragon?” 

“A dwagon!?” Klee gasps. 

“Come on,” I urge, jogging towards the city, “we must get back.” 

….and that was how the ‘Stormterror’ situation began. With a storm, and lingering thoughts of a new friend. 

Chapter Text

(Albedo) 

For about a week, Aylin and I barely see each other. Dvalin, once one of the four winds, had begun terrorizing Mondstadt, earning the nickname Stormterror. Aylin was busy keeping a lookout for the dragon most days, or cleaning up Hilichurl camps with Amber, while Sucrose and I were tasked with investigating any leads to a reason why this was happening, and finding a possible Alchemic solution for it. 

One day, however, I run into Aylin. 

Well, more like I happen across her. 

I am returning from a visit to my private workshop on Dragonspine, when I see her sitting on Mondstadt’s bridge, legs dangling over the edge, eyes focused on the water below. 

“Aylin,” I mutter, not truly intending for her to hear me, but clearly, years of being Sucrose’s tutor have taught me nothing, as she hears me. 

“Albedo,” she says, a slight smile creeping onto her lips. “It feels like it’s been ages,” she says as I approach, “how are you?” 

“At a loss,” I sigh, “I have no idea what could be causing Dvalin’s aggression.” 

Aylin frowns, “That’s...not good.” 

I chuckles, unable to help myself. “No,” I sigh, “It isn’t.” 

“Well,” Aylin hums, spinning around and hopping off the railing, “I may have something of interest to tell you.” 

I perk up, “Oh?” 

She smirks, wiggling her finger, “There’s a new face in Mondstadt.” 

Aylin and I walk together, and she tells me about a traveler, who went ‘wing to wing’ with Dvalin, as she put it. The traveler’s name was allegedly Lumine, and she was accompanied by a floating...child, named Paimon. Azure had immediately latched onto the two, according to Aylin. 

“Fascinating,” I hum, “and they appeared out of nowhere?” 

“Yup,” Aylin nods, “completely random! Apparently Lumine is looking for her brother.”

I hum, “I see.” 

“If you want to know more,” she sighs, “you’ll just have to ask Kaeya, Lisa, Amber, Azure or Jean yourself. They’re at the core of investigating and resolving this, after all.” 

“Is this...Lumine, person, helping?” 

Aylin nods, “She is. I’m not too bothered by it, personally. For now I think they have just destroyed the things Dvalin draws his power from.” 

I hum, “so he’s weaker now?” 

“Yup,” she nods, “I don’t think he’ll attack Mondstadt again, but like I said, only Jean and co. know what’s going on.” 

I sigh, “Pity. I would’ve loved to be investigating this alongside them.” 

“You mean...experiment?” she purrs, and I roll my eyes. 

“You’ve become insufferable, haven’t you?” 

She grins, “I think you mean incorrigble.” 

I pause, and blink. “You know what that word means?” 

She smirks, smugness dripping from her expression. I huff. 

“You are...full of surprises.” 

She grins, flashing her teeth, “just for you.” 

I feel my cheeks grow warm at that, as Aylin turns away. ...why did that fluster me so? It must be since I am so unused to such jokes, correct? Yes, that must be it…

It must be. 

xxx

In the days that follow, much happens. 

It starts with Aylin, Sucrose and I leaving Favonius’ Headquarters, and overhearing some Fatui diplomats talking about Dvalin, and how now is the chance to pressure Jean. 

“Do you think Jean will give in?” Sucrose asks. Without a moment’s hesitation, comes Aylin’s reply. 

“No,” she says, “Jean is a child of Mondstadt, and proud of it. She’d rather step down as acting grandmaster than give in to Fatui demands.” 

“You sound very sure of yourself,” I muse. Aylin nods. 

“I could tell the moment I met her,” She replies, “that Jean loves Mondstadt, and would do anything to protect it.” 

And that was that. Shortly thereafter, Amber had even informed us that we could return to our usual research, as she, Jean, Lisa, Kaeya and Azure had taken on the Stormterror case alongside Lumine. However, this did not alleviate Aylin’s duties, as she had to assist Amber in guarding the city, with how bold Hilichurls were getting. 

A few days after the fatui incident, there was news that someone had stolen the Holy Lyre. As I am no knight, I wasn’t directly informed, but I did know, as the cityfolk were incapable of talking of anything else. 

From there on, things seemed to quiet down. Up until the day Jean and her entourage headed to Stormterror’s Lair, to end the threat. That night, I watched as Hilichurls attempted to invade the city. 

From my vantage point in Alice’s apartment, I also had a prime view of the action, and could watch as Amber and Aylin dealt with the approaching creatures with ease, Aylin’s frosted swords slicing through them like butter, and Amber shooting them from afar. Klee was also out there, along with a few other knights I couldn’t be bothered to remember the names of. 

At one point, the battle was declared over by a senior officer, and almost immediately, Klee spun around, spotted me, and started waving. Nearby, Aylin had followed her line of sight, and our eyes met--

And she grinned, ear to ear, covered in blood and dirt and likely sweat, she waved at me, and warmth crept into every part of my body, my heart pounding in my chest. I...had never felt anything like it. 

To make matters worse (or better), Klee had then exchanged some words with Aylin, to which she promptly picked up Klee, heaving her onto her shoulders. Klee immediately got back to waving and cheering at me, and when I saw Aylin’s smile, I could say for certain…

My chest squeezed at the sight, and there was no one else in the world, except for her, me, and Klee, atop her shoulders. 

xxx

(Aylin) 

As the fight wraps up, Officier Lenya sends us home, promising that there will be enough time to clean the battlefield once we are better rested. Much to my surprise, Klee--who I’d only talked to because she wanted to make sure Albedo saw her--adresses me from atop my shoulders. 

“Miss Aylin!” Klee squeals, “walk with Klee to mommy’s apartment! Klee wants to stay on your shoulders!” 

I smile, despite her being unable to see, “Whatever you say, spark knight! Which way?” 

Klee points towards the apartment overlooking the border of Mondstadt, “that away!” 

As promised, I walk to Klee’s home, under her guidance. Where I expect a parent to open the door when we knock, I am mildly surprised to see Albedo. 

“Albedo?” I ask, as the door opens as I set Klee down. 

“Albedo is my big brother!” Klee announces, “he watches Klee when mommy is gone!” 

“Oh,” I blink, “I see.” 

“You two look worse for wear,” Albedo hums, and the look on his face is...the softest I’ve ever seen on him. “Come in,” he gestures into the apartment, “clean up, and then get some sleep.” 

“Yessir!” Klee giggles, running inside. 

I smile, crossing my arms and leaning against the doorframe, “you are...so different.” 

Albedo blinks, then shrugs, a small smile on porcelain lips, “Well, we aren’t related by blood, so small wonder.” 

“Indeed,” I sigh.

“Are you not coming in?” he asks, “you look tired.” 

“Ah,” I shake my head, lazily pushing off the wall, “I can’t intrude like that.” 

“Please,” he steps aside, “I can’t have you walking home--and possibly sleeping--in such a state. Alice would have my head.” 

My lips quirk up, “Alice?” 

“Klee’s mom.” 

I purse my lips, “so...your mom.” 

Albedo sighs, and I giggle as he resignedly says: “In a sense.” 

He shakes his head at my laughter, but there’s a smile on his face. 

“Come in already,” he says, the hint of finality making my chest feel tight. 

I do as instructed, taking off my boots right at the entrance. 

“Wait here,” Albedo says, “Klee is in the bathroom currently, I will get you some clothing.” 

My cheeks catch fire, “Oh, that’s not--” 

Albedo glares at me, cool and emotionless, but leaving no room for argument. I snap my lips shut. 

Albedo leaves, disappearing into a room, leaving me to wander around the entrance aimlessly. Walking into the apartment, you are met with a living room, covered in homemade items, travel trinkets, and paintings. Careful not to get anything dirty, I move to admire the drawings. 

I knew Albedo drew, but...if he drew these, he must be extraordinarily talented. 

His light footsteps alert me to his reappearance. I turn to find him approaching, holding a set of folded clothing. 

“Did you draw these?” I ask immediately, pointing to a painting of Klee. Albedo perks up. 

“Oh,” he hums, “Yes. I did.” 

“They’re amazing,” I sigh, “I’ve never seen your art before...it’s...very you.” 

He frowns, “what do you mean by that?” 

I shrug, stepping towards him, “oh, you know. Very detailed when it comes to matters you find interest in,” I grin, “Less so when you are disinterested.” 

He simply blinks at me, then shrugs. “I suppose.” He holds out the clothing he has to me, “here, you may change in my room, at the end of the hall, on the right. I’ll be in the kitchen.” 

I nod, “okay, thank you.” 

I follow his instructions to his room, and close the door behind me. His room is….very simple. 

Albedo spends most of his time researching, or watching Klee, so, naturally, his room is quite basic. There’s a bed in the corner, window overlooking the city streets below, and...the shelves are stacked full with books. There’s a desk and chair by the window, and a collection of art supplies in the corner. I find myself drawn to the pictures on the wall, some masterfully painted, others clearly fruits of Klee’s hand. 

Two stick out among the rest. The first is of an elegant woman who holds herself in a similar manner to Albedo, radiating an unaffected air, her hair braided in the same fashion as his. The painting is detailed, and he definitely spent a lot of time refining it. On the painting is signed, “Rhinedottir”. Is that his master? 

My gaze is then also drawn to a painting of equal detail, this time of Klee, Sucrose, and who I can only guess is Alice, Klee’s mother. I smile at the painting, the detail in it hinting to Albedo’s affection for the people depicted. 

...part of me wants to be the next object of his artistry. 

Wait, what? Why? 

I shake my head, turning away from the desk, and busying myself with changing out of my dirty clothes, and into the ones Albedo had given me. Huh...a simple blue blouse and dark jeans. Simple. 

xxx

When I return to the living room, I am greeted by the sound of a feather-light voice. Careful not to make any noise, I peek around the corner--

Finding Albedo singing to Klee, who is dozing off. If I enter now, I might wake her, so instead...I wait. 

Albedo is a man of many talents, but I suppose with a voice like his...his talent for singing is no surprise. I find myself losing myself in his smooth singing, and the sound of wind howling against the windows. 

As Albedo’s voice grows quiet, I step forward, drawing his attention. 

“Is she asleep?” I ask. Albedo nods. 

“The bathroom is first door on the left,” Albedo says, “There’s a towel for you on the counter, help yourself to whatever you need.” 

I smile, “Okay,” I nod, “thank you.” 

He simply hums, scooping Klee into his arms, and bringing her to bed. The sight makes me smile. With a low sigh, I make my way into the bathroom. 

xxx

(Albedo) 

If I was to be frank, I was not expecting to be so...affected, by Aylin wearing my clothes. It wasn’t a big deal, really...she needed a change of clothes, after all, but…

Why did my chest feel so light, and my face so warm, then? 

After putting Klee to bed, I return to the living room. I sit down on the couch, letting out a deep sigh. Watching the battle had been...stressful, but it was also eye-opening: Aylin was truly as remarkable as her title suggests. 

Besides being extremely agile and quick on her feet, she has impeccable control over her vision, and is able to immobilize enemies, create weapons of ice, and ramps of ice to accelerate her speed. If she ever wanted my assistance in experimenting with her capabilities...I could not deny her that. 

The bathroom door opens, and I look behind me to find Aylin emerging, seeming a great deal more at ease now as she lets out a deep sigh. 

“Tired?” I ask, a playful smile on my lips. 

Her eyes snap open, and she turns to me. She purses her lips, “...no.” 

I chuckle, and she walks to join me on the couch. The cushions dip down when she sits, and from our proximity I can smell my own soap on her. It’s...a hypnotizing feeling. 

“Would you like a drink?” I ask, to fill the silence. 

She shrugs, “some tea would be nice.”

I nod, and stand, handing to the kitchen. Aylin is close behind me. As I prepare tea, she sits on a chair in the kitchen. No words pass between us, but it’s not awkward. 

“Thank you for letting me stay here,” Aylin finally says, “if I’d gone back to the dorms, I likely wouldn’t have showered until tomorrow.” 

“Are the showers that revolting?” I ask. She laughs. 

“No, I’m just lazy.” 

I huff a laugh, and Aylin beams at me. 

“Well,” I say, placing a cup of tea in front of her, “then I’m glad you came home with Klee.” I pause, then add: “and...thank you for looking out for her.” 

Aylin takes a sip of her drink, humming as I sit down. “Naturally. I don’t quite get how a kid could be in the knights anyway.” 

I shrug, “I think it is supposed to keep her out of trouble when Alice is away, and I am busy, but, ah…” 

Aylin giggles, “I take it...that doesn’t end well?” 

“Ah,” I shake my head, “no, it does not.” 

“Well,” she hums, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on them, “if you ever need an extra hand, you know where to find me.” 

The grin she gives, sends my heart into my throat. 

Why...did her expression make me feel so...dizzy?

Chapter Text

(Aylin) 

Surprisingly soon after the Stormterror situation clears up, I find Klee in the Alchemy lab, scribbling onto a piece of paper. I had originally came down here to drop off some materials, but instead I find myself babysitting. 

“Klee!” I call out, “whatcha doing here?” 

“Miss Aylin!” Klee exclaims, “you gotta help! My treasure is gone!” 

“Your treasure?” I echo, “what do you mean?” 

“I went to get my treasure from the whispering woods, and now it’s gone!” she whines, “I came back here as fast as I could to find Albedo to help, but…” 

If I remember correctly, Albedo said he’d be on Dragonspine for a few days while Alice is in town, to get some work done. I smile. 

“Don’t worry,” I pat her on the head, setting down the materials on Sucrose’s desk, “I’ll help you find it.” 

Klee grins, “Oh yay! Then quick! We gotta hurry!” 

Before I can say anything, Klee has stormed off. 

“Klee! Wait!” I shout, jogging after her. 

By the time I catch up to her, she’s lying on the floor, and a semi-familiar face is helping her up--the honorary knight, who I’ve only met once before. 

“Klee!” I call, “Are you okay?!” 

“Miss Aylin!” Klee calls back, dusting off her clothes as she stands, “I’m okay!” Klee turns to the blonde woman, “Thank you for helping! Sorry for bumping into you...” 

“Huh,” the floating creature tuts, reading out a note: “Explosion inside city walls, grounded be thy woe. Explosions can hurt people, jean can be dreadful. Mondtstadt be bombed, Klee be doomed.” 

“Yikes!” Klee says, “Mr. Kaeya wrote that for me...they’re survival rules!” 

“More like solitary confinement avoidance rules,” I huff. 

“If I break these rules,” Klee says, “something terrible could happen.” 

“Kaeya writes like this?” the blonde asks. Klee nods. 

“Thanks for helping Klee,” I say, drawing both the girls’ attention. “I’m Aylin, a knight as well.” 

“Not a problem,” the blonde says, “I’m Lumine.” 

“And Paimon is!” the creature says, then sighs, “well, Paimon.” 

“I’ve heard about you guys!” Klee says, “you’re the honorary knight! Who helps Mondstadt!” 

After a brief talk with Paimon and Lumine, the four of us agree to help Klee find her treasure. The hunt leads us to the whispering woods, which reveals an abyss mage as the thief. We follow it to a domain, and make quick work of the hordes of monsters within, before confronting the Abyss mage. 

In the end, Klee’s treasure turned out to be a bomb, and took care of the abyss mage. Klee, only knowing that her hurting someone would land her in trouble, runs back to Jean to “turn herself in”. Luckily, Lumine, Paimon and I make it back in time to clear up the understanding. 

Not that it changed much, since Klee still gets grounded for planning to blow up Starfell lake again. 

“Why is a kid like Klee in the knights of favonius anyways?” Paimon asks, as we leave the headquarters. 

“I think I remember Albedo saying that it was a way to keep her in check,” I shrug, “clearly it doesn’t work as well as Alice hoped.” 

“Albedo?” Paimon hums, “Now where have I heard that name before?” 

“Timeaus mentioned him,” Lumine says, “a few times, actually. He’s the chief alchemist, right?” 

I smile, nodding. “Yep! Albedo’s also the head of the investigation team. Whenever we have a lead it’s usually thanks to him and his subordinates.” 

“Wooow,” Paimon gasps, “he must be pretty experienced!” 

I hum, a finger on my lip, “I’m not sure about that. He’s not much older than me. But still, there’s no denying that he’s amazing...” 

“Why would Albedo know why Klee is in the knights anyway?” Lumine asks. 

“Albedo’s her big brother,” I shrug, “so, naturally she’s usually his problem too.” 

“Usually?” Lumine asks. 

“Yeah, he has a few days off now,” I hum, “he’s conducting experiments on Dragonspine.” 

“Huh,” Paimon tuts, “you seem pretty fond of him, Aylin!” 

I pause, and blink. “I...do?” 

“Yeah!” she nods, “you must be close!” 

My cheeks become warm. “I….well. I...suppose.” 

“Oooh!” Paimon drawls, “now that’s an interesting reaction!” 

My face becomes warmer, and I scowl, “What?! What do you mean?!” 

“You seem so flustered!” Paimon giggles, “I wonder what’s going on there?~” 

“Paimon,” Lumine warns, but I’m already scoffing. 

“Ugh, nothing’s going on! We’re friends, is all!” 

...Right? There’s...nothing going on between us. 

...right? 

xxxx

(Albedo) 

“And that’s what I’ve been doing today!” Klee concludes as we set the table for dinner. Alice is at Good Hunter, getting takeout as she promised Klee. 

“I see,” I hum, “so you met the honorary knight then?” 

“Yep! She and Miss Aylin made a really good team!”  

My chest squeezes, but I push off the odd sensation with a hum. “so will you be allowed at Ludi Harpastum?” 

“Yes!” Klee giggles, “Jean promised!” 

“Then you shouldn’t get into any trouble before then,” Alice says, standing in the doorway, “or else she may change her mind.” 

“Mommy!!” Klee gasps, “You’re back!” 

“Yep,” Alice winks, “and I have sweet madame~” 

“Ooh yay!” 

Alice unpacks the food, and as we get to eating, she asks what she missed. 

“You been gone a long time!” Klee says, “you missed the big fight against the dwagon!” 

“A dragon?” Alice asks, “you mean...Dvalin?” 

“Yes,” I nod, “you never met Aylin either, did you?” 

“Can’t say the name rings a bell.” 

“Ooh! Miss Aylin is so nice!” Klee claps, “she helped me during the fight against a biiiig horde of hilichurls!” 

“Oh?” 

“Indeed,” I nod, “when Jean, Diluc and the Honorary Knight went to deal with Dvalin, Mondstadt was ambushed by hilichurls. Thanks to Jean’s foresight, the knights were able to defend the city.” 

“Yep!” Klee nods, “and Aylin used big ice roses to trap them!!” 

“Is that so,” Alice hums, “she seems strong.” 

“She  is,” I hum, “remarkably so. And she is quite intelligent, despite her protests. Her skill with her blade is nothing to be ignored, either. She has helped me greatly in my research, as well as Timeaus’. Not to mention how well she seems to get along with whoever she meets.” 

I glance up, finding Alice smiling at me. I frown. 

“What is it?” 

“You’re smiling,” she points out, “this Aylin...she means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” 

My cheeks burn under Alice’s scrutiny, and I purse my lips. “What, is it so odd for me to make a friend?” 

“Yes,” Alice says. Just like my master, Miss Alice never holds back...I suppose I get it from them both. 

I huff, “and people wonder where I get my attitude from. You and Rhinedottir are the same.” 

Alice barks out a laugh, “oh, lighten up! I’m just teasing!” Alice wipes a tear of mirth from her eyes. “Do bring her over sometime,” she hums, “I’d love to meet her.” 

“Stick around for awhile,” I say dryly, “and maybe you will.” 

Alice smirks, and with her next words, I suddenly wish I hadn’t said anything: 

“You know what? Maybe I will.” 

What...is this feeling of dread? And embarrassment? I shake my head in hopes of ignoring the feeling settling in my stomach, and surpress the hope that Aylin and Alice never meet...

Chapter Text

(Albedo) 

For a while, things in Mondstadt quiet down. This is evident in how much more time Aylin and I are able to spend together. 

Oftentimes Aylin will be in my lab, or camp on Dragonspine, helping with my research. Even if she is just someone to bounce ideas off of, her input will often help me view the problem in a different light, and be able to make some progress. 

As time goes on, it becomes easier to converse with her. Easier to tease her back in the same way she teases me. 

“What are you doing now, frost florist?” I huff, returning to my camp to find her rummaging through books and potions. 

Her cheeks darken, eyes widening as her ears stand up straight, “frost florist?” 

I hum, “you have many rose motifs in your cryo usage,” I hum, setting my bag onto the floor, “I thought it suited you.” 

She purses her lips, “Does that mean I can call you chalk prince?” 

I smirk, “what if I say no? Will you do it anyway?” 

Aylin pauses, then steps closer, a smirk decorating her lips as well, “and? what if I do?” 

I hum, my eyes involuntarily landing on her lips before I tear them away, back to her face. 

“Would you like to find out?” 

I watch her eyes widen comically, and her shoulders tense up. Her lips lick her lips, and she gives out a nervous laugh. 

“Um--I….I...did you need help? With any experiments?” 

I chuckle, a smile sneaking onto my lips. “No, did you need anything?” 

She clears her throat, “uh, no. I just, wanted to say hi.” 

“Well then,” I hum, “Hi.” 

She huffs, and I can’t help laughing slightly. 

“Well fine then,” she pouts, “I guess I’ll go on my mission without a goodbye, then.” 

I pause. “Mission?” 

Aylin nods, “mm-hm. I’m going to Wangshu Inn with a few other newcomers. It’s some event to exchange experience with some Millelith.” 

My glee fades a bit. Why do I feel so...sad? 

“How long will you be gone?” I ask. 

“A week, maybe two.” 

My heart feels heavy, suddenly. Sure, we’d been separated due to work since meeting, but...we are closer now than ever, and the idea of not being able to see her is…

Devastating. 

“I see…” I mumble. 

“Wow,” Aylin huffs, crossing her arms, “what a lackluster response.” 

I sigh, “Apologies. I simply didn’t expect it.” 

“Did you think I would always be here?”

“I had hoped so, yes.” 

Aylin lets out a low sigh, “oh…” 

“Nevermind,” I push away from my desk, “when are you leaving?” 

“Tonight,” she sighs, “I...I’ve been trying to tell you for a few days, but...it never seemed like the right time.” 

I take a deep breath. “Ah….then I suppose, this is goodbye?” 

She smiles, sending my heart to it’s knees, “only for now.” 

Archons...how could she have such a striking effect on me? 

xxx

At dinner, Alice notices how dejected I am. 

“You seem upset,” Alice hums as we clear the table. “Something happen?” 

“How can you tell?” I ask. Alice laughs. 

“I know you by now, Albedo,” she shrugs, “you and Rhinedottir are more alike than you know.” 

I hum. After a pause, I speak up: “did you know Aylin is leaving for Liyue tonight?” 

“Oh? Good for her.” 

“Yes,” I nod, “she and some other knights will be out of town for a few weeks.” 

Alice pauses. “Albedo, can I ask you something?” 

“Yes?” 

“Why does this bother you?” 

I pause. I scoff, “I am not bothered.” 

“You are,” she says, poking my chest, “and until you admit to yourself why that is,” she winks, “I can’t offer you any advice.” 

I blink, eyes widening. “What?” 

“Think, Albedo,” she says, ruffling my hair, “for once in your life, think about your feelings, yeah?” 

With that, Alice leaving the kitchen, calling for Klee, leaving me alone with my thoughts. 

...what could she possibly mean? 

As I leave to go towards my room, I spot a group of people leaving Mondstadt. I go to the window, and open it, watching as the knights depart. Without thinking, I wave. 

As if knowing I was looking, a figure dressed in white and blue turns--Aylin. When our eyes meet, she grins, and waves back. 

My heart pounds in my ears, leaping into my chest at the sight. The simple yet enthusiastic gesture is enough to send my senses into overdrive--

Wait….is she wearing my blouse? 

The thought fills me with warmth and pride and--

Before I can respond to her waving, the group of knights disappears into the darkness beyond Mondstadt’s walls. With nothing else to do, I wander to my room, as if in a trance. 

I close the door, and walk to my desk, where I had deposited my sketchbook earlier. The book is open on a sketch of Klee and Aylin I had started the other day. Looking at it again, an unfamiliar warmth has my heart feeling full, and my chest tight. 

“Gah,” I groan, running my hands through my hair, “this...is bad.” I drop onto my bed, flinging an arm over my eyes. My face burns as the answer to Alice’s question settles in my mind like a heavy blanket. 

I’m in love with Aylin, aren’t I? 

xxx

(Aylin) 

I wasn’t thinking when I put on Albedo’s blouse this evening, but then again, I don’t often plan my outfits. Now that I’m lying in a crowded wagon a few hours out of Mondstadt, I don’t regret it. I nuzzle into the soft fabric, breathing in the smell of chalk and lavender. 

I try not to think about his cool reaction this afternoon, or the way he seemed to distance himself when I mentioned the mission. Does he think we will no longer be close when I come back? Why does that idea frighten me? 

I shake my head, burying my face in my knees. I close my eyes, and sigh. There’s no use speculating now...the only way to tell is to experience it. 

Fuck. 

xx

When we arrive at Wangshu Inn, the first to greet me is Verr. 

“Aylin!” Verr laughs, “it’s good to see you! Having fun with the knights?” 

I offer her a smile, and nod. “Yes, it’s been great.” 

“That’s good!” she grins, “it’d be a shame if you weren’t!” 

I give a lackluster laugh, “Haha, yeah.” 

Unfortunately for me, Verr catches on quick, and frowns. 

“Now hold up,” she tilts her head, “why d’you look so down in the dumps, snowflake?” 

I sigh, “it’s just...a friend. Acted quite coldly when I said I was coming here.” 

She hums, “is that so? Care to elaborate?” 

And so, I tell her of my budding friendship with Albedo, and how cold he was--which wasn’t unusual, but he hadn’t been so curt since we first met, and it worried me. 

“I see,” Verr hums, “so you’re having boy troubles…” 

“What!?” I shriek, face catching on fire. “That’s not--It’s not--we’re not!” 

“Oh?” Verr questions, “you’re not?” 

“No!” 

“Hm, sure sounded like it though,” she sighs, “my bad then. In that case, I suggest…” 

Verr continues to talk, but I’m so flustered I can barely hear her. I zone in and out of conversation, do I really seem that whipped ? 

Wait, why do I care if I do? It’s not true anyway. 

...Right? 

xxx

As the days drag on, I find myself missing the comfort of Albedo more and more. His voice, his attention, hell, even his mere presence would be better than...this. I can’t go half an hour without some Millelith bastard trying to flirt with me. 

Luckily, we leave sooner than anticipated, and I only have to put up with his cringeworthy attempts for five days. 

When we finally return to Mondstadt, the first order of business is meeting with Kaeya and Jean, who brief us on our future with the knights. The finality of this whole situation...it makes my skin crawl. 

Regardless, eventually the sun is setting, and we are released from our duties for the day. I waste no time in making my way to the Alchemy lab, praying that Albedo hasn’t gone home yet. In my desperation to see him again I don’t even knock--

and my shoulders slump when I find it empty. 

I sigh, turning and closing the door. I walk back down the hall to the staircase, my eyes trained on the floor, when--

“Aylin?” 

The soft, familiar voice of Albedo has me craning my head. There he is, standing at the top of the staircase. His jacket is falling off his shoulders, and his face is flushed. Did he...run here? 

“Ah--” he says, then stops himself. “I...you’re back.” 

I let out a laugh. Ignoring the anxiety in my chest, I run up the stairs, two steps at a time, in time with the pounding of my heart--

And throw my arms around him, wrapping him into a hug. 

“Oh my archons!” I gasp, breathing in the scent of chalk and flowers, that is so very….him. “I missed you so much!” 

Albedo tenses, then relaxes, letting out a breath over my shoulder. “I...am glad the feeling was mutual.” 

“Did you run here?” I ask, the curiosity nagging at me. Immediately, his cheeks turn pink. 

“Ah, well,” he hums, “I...may have, once I heard you were back,” he clears his throat, “yes. I did.” 

I bite my lip with a grin, my heart fluttering at the confirmation. 

“You’re so cute,” I coo, and he scoffs. 

His cheeks seem to darken, though that may just be a trick of the light. 

 “In any case,” he says as we part, and he smooths down his hair, “how are you?” 

“Oohooho,” I laugh, “you’re gonna love this--” 

And with that, we leave Headquarters together. 

Chapter Text

(Albedo) 

Aylin talks little about what she learned during her week away, as it seemed like she didn’t learn much at all. Something she did tell me about though, were the advancements of a millelith recruit. 

According to Aylin, he barely left her alone, and kept calling her “a hottie” and “little angel”. Now, first of all, Aylin was certainly no angel. Secondly, she seemed...more amused at his attempts than me. I found it quite...upsetting. I hadn’t been there, but still, hearing about this makes my skin crawl and chest squeeze. 

Is this...jealousy? 

“He should’ve gotten the message,” I huff as Aylin concludes her story. She snorts. 

“I didn’t exactly. Turn him down.” 

I blink in confusion. “What? Why not?” 

Aylin shrugs, “I didn’t wanna hurt his feelings, y’know?” 

I frown. “No,” I huff, “I don’t know.” 

Aylin rolls her eyes, nudging me playfully, “we can’t all be as straightforward as you, Kreideprinz.” 

I huff a laugh, “Well. That shouldn’t keep you from establishing your boundaries.” 

Aylin laughs nervously. “Eh, well...I guess I’d need to know them to enforce them.” 

My heart stops, and for a second...I realize just how little Aylin actually knows about herself. She is clearly intelligent but denies it, and now she admits to not knowing her own boundaries. How...strange. I can’t help but wonder...why is she so disconnected from herself? 

“Oh,” I hum, thoughtfully. “By the way,” her ears twitch at my voice, “have you reconsidered my offer of studying your capabilities concerning your vision?” 

She blinks blankly, then grins. 

“Just say the word, and I’m all yours.” 

I feel my gut do a flip, my face catching on fire, why did she have to say it like that? 

“Ah, then,” I clear my throat, “We should...consider looking into that, shall we?” 

Aylin blinks, and for a second I fear she’s figured me out. Then, she smiles, “Ok! Sounds like a plan!” 

I let out a sigh of relief. I nod, “very well. This weekend good for you?” 

She nods, “after noon?” 

“Excellent.” 

xxx

With Aylin back, I find myself being able to focus on my research once more. Knowing she is simply a walking distance away...calms me. Before I know it, it’s Saturday, and Aylin and I are walking along Stormbreaker point. 

Somewhere along the line, we’d gotten to talking about Visions. 

“You’re pretty pragmatic,” Aylin hums, “so...how do you see your vision? You must feel honored.” 

“Honored?” I echo, then hum. “Hmm...I see it more as a tool that was inevitable for me to obtain.” 

She snorts, “wow, aren’t you humble?” she deadpans. I roll my eyes. 

“I know I am quite skilled, though I wouldn’t consider myself a genius.” 

“No?” she hums, “why not?” 

“It implies that this knowledge was gifted to me,” I say, “and not a fruit of my work.” 

“Ooooh,” she sighs, nodding. “I see. That makes sense.” 

“And for you?” 

“Hmm?” 

“What does your vision mean to you?” 

Aylin visibly deflates, and bites her lip. “I...I’m not sure yet.” She heaves a deep sigh, “I’ve had it for a while now, but...I can’t fathom why the Tsaritsa would want me to have a vision, and what she expected me to use it for.” Aylin shakes her head, “I don’t know what to think of it, but I guess...some good fortune in a life plagued by misfortune.” 

“Oh?” I ask, and she nods. 

“Yep! After all, if not for my vision, we may have never met!” 

All at once, my heart stops. Our encounter...couldn’t possibly have lied in the hands of something so...fragile? 

“You believe so?” I ask. Aylin shrugs. 

“Or at least, we’d have met in veeeery different circumstances.” 

I hum. Thinking back, I don’t even know what Aylin worked as, before. 

“Say,” I muse, “what was your life in Inazuma like?” 

Aylin freezes, and I watch her shoulders draw together, as she seems to curl into herself. 

“I…” she swallows thickly, “...am not proud of it. Nor do I want to talk about it right now.” 

“Very well,” I nod. 

“What about you?” she tilts her head in question, “what was your life like before coming to Mondstadt?” 

I hum. “Truthfully, there’s not much I can say. I would travel with my master, typically in snowy climates, and we would take on domains as she taught me Alchemy.” 

“I see,” she hums, “so...you’re pretty used to the cold then, huh?” 

I nod, “I suppose.” 

“What happened to her?” 

I pause, briefly considering how to put this. 

“She had always threatened to leave if I didn’t meet her expectations,” I begin, “but, one day...we had found an artifact in a domain, that had rattled her somewhat. The next day she was gone, and had only left directions to Mondstadt, a recommendation letter for Alice, and my last assignment.” I sigh, “I do not know, to this day, why she left. I cannot think of anything I did wrong.” 

“Well,” Aylin hums, “even if you had, she should’ve stayed.” 

My eyes widen, and I turn to look at Aylin. She shrugs. 

“She was your family, right?” she shakes her head, “it wasn’t right of her to leave without reason.” 

“But if I failed--”

“That wouldn’t have changed a thing,” Aylin sighs, placing her hands on her hips. “You said you considered her your family, right? Family, especially when chosen, shouldn’t turn their backs on each other.” 

For the first time in a while, I find myself at a loss for words. Aylin always has this….idyllic view of family, that makes me wonder more and more about her own upbringing. 

“My mom and I were close,” Aylin continues, “and...I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She was my best friend, my mentor, and...she was my anchor.” 

I frown. All her use of past tense...it cannot be accidental. 

“What happened?” I ask, though I fear I may regret it. Aylin sighs. 

“Curiosity,” she states simply. “My mom got too curious about certain groups, stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, and one day I woke up, and she was….not going to wake up.” 

My heart sinks. I didn’t realize her past was so...heavy. 

“Aylin…” 

Aylin forces a smile, “I mean, it’s been a long time, I’ve learned how to live with it, y’know?” 

I frown. “Did you?” 

“Huh?” 

...Or did you just learn how to ignore it?

I shake my head, “nevermind. I am...sorry you went through that.” 

Aylin shrugs, “what’s done is done, and I can’t change it. So...might as well go with it.” 

I nod. Then I spot a hilichurl camp in the distance. 

“Aylin,” I say, pointing ahead, “I believe it is time to commence the first experiment.”

Aylin blinks, then grins, summoning her sword to her hand. “Leave it to me.” 

xxx

(Aylin) 

Albedo is...curious. He’s not afraid to ask any questions he can think of, which I admire. I didn’t...plan on anyone ever learning about my past, and I’m kind of glad he never asked about my dad. I’d rather not talk about it, after all. Though, if I told him that, he wouldn’t pry either. Albedo is understanding that way--curious, but knows people keep their secrets for a reason. 

I really...like that about him. 

As it turned out, my vision was average--just like all other visions--but my creativity made it seem impressive. Albedo also said that I should consider using only my vision, and use a catalyst as a ways of channeling it, like Lisa and Sucrose do. 

I decided to give it some consideration. In the meantime, Albedo and I got back to our respective work. I ended up having a quite few patrols near Dawn Winery, which resulted in me and Diluc talking often. 

Diluc would always say he didn’t need patrols, and I would always reply that it’s not my decision to patrol. Then he would tell me to leave, and I’d say that I can’t leave or I’ll get in trouble. Then instead he’d invite me into the Winery and we’d talk. 

The perks of having him befriended him in other contexts, I suppose. 

One of these days, Diluc and I got into an...uncommon conversational territory. 

“Azure and Lumine are inseparable these days,” I hum, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Azure left the knights to join her.” 

“Good for her,” Diluc says, “the knights are quite inefficient anyway.” 

“Perhaps,” I say, not wanting to derail our conversation into such a worn out topic. “I think it’s nice for Azure to get out there, she doesn’t seem the type to be content to remain in one place forever.” 

“Very true,” he hums. “Speaking of people who stick around specific people alot,” he regards me with a neutral look, “you and Albedo spend a lot of time together.” 

I smile, “Yeah. I have a lot of fun with him,” I shake my head, “but people seem to think we’re dating.” 

“Well, that wouldn’t be a shock, if you were,” Diluc says, and my eyes widen, “after all, you’re the only one he’s so...reactive to.” 

“W-What are you talking about?” 

Diluc shrugs, “he smiles more around you, is more talkative. Is less...cold.” 

I bite my lip, “Is that so?” 

“Indeed,” Diluc nods. “But...perhaps that is just due to your likeable nature.” 

I blink, then roll my eyes with a smirk. “Flattery gets you nowhere.” 

“It isn’t flattery,” he rolls his eyes, “after all, I’m not Kaeya.” 

“Did someone call for me?” A voice speaks, and Diluc and I turn to find Kaeya standing by the Winery door. Diluc frowns. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Looking for our little Frost Knight, of course,” he hums, “Klee is looking for you. Something about treasure hunting?” 

“Oh, yeah,” I stand up, “I promised her we’d go explore Dvalin’s lair together.” I turn to Diluc and curtsie, “it’s been a pleasure, Master Diluc.” 

He rolls his eyes, “Oh, go already. Don’t leave the poor kid waiting.” 

“It’s nice to see you too, Diluc,” Kaeya drawls, but receives little more than an eyeroll and a wave. 

We exit the mansion together, and immediately, Kaeya perks up. 

“You were talking about Albedo I hear~” 

I already feel like I should have my guard up--something about Kaeya always making me feel like I should be on high alert. 

“Yeah? Why?” 

Kaeya shrugs, “he’s an interesting character. Calm, collected, and incredibly talented.” 

While Kaeya isn’t wrong...he also hasn’t spent almost an entire afternoon with him, and seen how sarcastic and dry he can be, humor wise. 

“He’s the type everyone likes,” Kaeya continues, “some even more than others.” 

My heart stops, and suddenly I feel...agitated. Why do I care if people like Albedo romantically? It’s not like we’re dating. 

“What’s with that look?” Kaeya asks, and I blink rapidly, snapping back to reality. Kaeya smirks, “What? You into him as well?” 

My face catches on fire, and I scoff, “What!? No! What do you care?! I’m not making any face!” I stomp off, towards Mondstadt, “Ugh, I need to go meet up with Klee, I don’t have time for... this .” 

As I walk away from Kaeya, I start to wonder why I care so much about what people think...both of Albedo, and our relationship. 

Chapter Text

(Lumine) 

After meeting Sucrose in Mondstadt, she mentions the chief alchemist, Albedo to us, and his new project, which he needs help with. We--that is, Paimon and I, seeing as Azure is busy--go to Dragonspine. At the foot of the mountain we encounter Rosaria, who reluctantly offers to help us find Albedo on the mountain. 

About 15 minutes into our journey up, Paimon spots a familiar face--

“Hey! It’s Aylin!” 

Aylin’s ears twitch, and she turns around, quickly spotting us in the snow. She smiles. 

“Lumine and Paimon! And…” she falters. “Rosaria. What a surprise.” 

Aylin’s ears pin to her head, and it’s clear she does not like Rosaria. 

“Frost Knight,” Rosaria nods, “as easy to read as ever.” 

“My forte isn’t ambigiouity,” Aylin retorts, crossing her arms, “the same way yours isn’t empathy.” 

“Snark.” 

“Snoop.” 

Rosaria rolls her eyes. 

“you two know each other?” I ask. Aylin nods. 

“Rosaria is a sister of the church, who work with the knights occasionally. Of course we know each other.” 

“Unfortunately,” Rosaria adds. 

“Anyway,” Paimon says, “what are you doing here?” 

“Oh,” Aylin hums, “I’m meeting up with Albedo. I heard he has a new project, and I haven’t had time to check on him until now.” 

Paimon gasps, “that’s great! We can go find him together!” 

Aylin grins, “sure!” 

And with that, we continue following the trail of elemental energy. 

(Aylin) 

After some walking, we find Albedo sketching some Hilichurls. I can’t really tell what would be interesting about them, and Paimon and Lumine seem equally confused. 

“Why is Albedo here?” Paimon asks. 

“Word on the street is he loves to sketch,” Rosaria explains, “he’d go anywhere for a good landscape. The scenery here is pretty good, sketches everywhere you look.” 

“Can’t he see those Hilichurls?” Paimon asks, “isn’t he in danger?” 

I let out a light laugh, “he may be a scholar, but Albedo is far from defenseless. If those things posed a threat, he would be able to fight them off.” 

Rosaria scoffs, “I think his safety is the least of our problems.” 

A loud sound draws our attention towards the Hilichurls--who have just decided to notice us. 

“Eek!” Paimon exclaims, and I huff, summoning an ice sword to my hand. 

After my conversation with Albedo a while back, I decided to try using a catalyst over a physical weapon, and so far….really fucking good. 

Lumine, Rosaria and I make very quick work of the Hilichurls, then approach Albedo. 

“Aylin,” he says, slightly more energized before he notices the entourage, “what are you doing here? Who’s this with you? Why did you alarm them?” 

“Sorry,” I shrug, “won’t happen again.” 

“Thank the Archons I already completed my sketch,” he sighs, “it would’ve been a shame to leave these Hilichurls unfinished.” 

“Why were you sketching those Hilichurls?” Lumine asks. 

“Yeah!” Paimon nods, “what makes them so interesting?” 

“Come take a look for yourselves,” Albedo says, gesturing to his easel. 

We make our way over to his sketchbook, where he has drawn the hilichurls. Like usual, the focal point is the only detailed thing in his artwork. 

Albedo explains why the Hilichurls stand out, explaining that it’s a demonstration of evolution. Halfway through his explanation, Rosaria scoffs. 

“Hold your horses,” she sighs, “I have the feeling we’re in for a lecture, and I haven’t got the stamina. We found your man,” she nods at Lumine, “I’m headed back.” 

As Rosaria leaves, I can’t help but feel...irritated at her wording. 

“So sister Rosaria brought you,” Albedo hums, “that’s a surprise. I was wondering what she wanted.” Albedo’s voice becomes sultry, the way it does when he teases people, or tries to push their buttons: “and I didn’t have time to thank her.” 

The way he says it, has me warming up already. 

“Back to the point,” Albedo says, “you were looking for me?” 

Lumine explains her encounter with Sucrose, and I explain that I have some time and wanted to check on his new project. Albedo recognizes Lumine as the honorary knight, and after some more chatting in which Albedo assures Paimon and Lumine that his experiments are harmless, Paimon asks if the seed will grow into anything. 

“I don’t know,” Albedo shrugs, “but the importance lies more so in the method than the end product.”

“Using Alchemy to awaken otherworldly life would revolutionize Alchemists’ understanding of the essence of life,” I add, “so, in this case, we really want to know how to transform it, not what it’ll become.” 

“Precisely,” Albedo nods. “After awakening, we could even consider the possibility of creation.” 

Paimon groans, still seeming at a loss.

“Still confused?” I ask. 

Paimon shakes her head, “No! Paimon’s got a brain! But what’s the seed going to become? Isn’t that more interesting?” 

“Well,” Albedo shrugs, “if it turns out to be a delicious fruit, dinner’s on me.” 

With Paimon on board, we begin our experiment. The first step is background information, so Albedo begins to ask Lumine about...things. Mainly, her physical makeup--organs, her connection to Paimon, very basic knowledge. 

After some conversation, Albedo sends Lumine off to fight some slimes as we watch. After she is done, Albedo asks if she is unhurt, if she’s feeling anything strange. After confirming that everything is normal externally, Albedo says we will move on to internal elemental flow. 

“Sounds kinda terrifying,” Paimon hums. 

“Don’t worry,” Albedo says, “in the normal course of events, you’ll feel a little uncomfortable, but it is only temporary.” 

“And...in the abnormal course of events?” 

“I--If anything unexpected occurs,” Albedo tells Paimon, “i’ve taken the neccesary precautions. Try not to worry.” 

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring,” Lumine grumbles. 

“Well,” he says, “it’s not like there aren’t any risks, but if there is anything blocking your elemental flow, this would be the test to locate it.” 

“Didn’t we use a similar test when we were experimenting with my capabilities?” I ask. Albedo nods. I turn to Lumine, “see? Nothing to worry about.” 

“Well we’ve also seen you run face first into a Mitachurl’s shield,” Lumine laughs, “so...maybe you’re just built differently.” 

“a fair warning though,” Albedo says, redirecting the conversation, “if an internal elemental reaction occurs for any other reason, that’s a bad sign.” 

“That’s making it sound like a check up,” Lumine muses. Albedo nods. 

“An excellent way to put it. But, before we go back, the potion is missing an ingredient, so we’ll have to make a detour to get some.” 

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I grin, “after all, we have 3 capable swordsmen on our hands.” 

Albedo nods, “then let’s get going.” 

xxx

We collect the Starsilver, then head to the campsite, where Timeaus is. 

While waiting for the potion to be ready, Lumine, Paimon, Timeaus and Albedo crowd around the board, where the results of the previous test are laid out. I stand off to the side--my knowledge of Alchemy may be a bit more detailed than Lumine’s, but it’s nothing compared to Albedo’s, or Timeaus’. I elect to stay out of the way by sitting on a chair, straddling the back of it. 

I watch with amusement as Lumine drinks the potions, then freaks out when it burns. Paimon briefly freaks out, but Albedo is quick to calm them, explaining that this was expected. When Paimon expresses confusion, because Albedo knew this would happen and tested it anyway, Albedo explains that it’s his alchemy, so he must be the guinea pig. 

The realisation that Albedo cares so much for everyone, despite his personal interest in them….it hits me like a wave. As a matter of fact, everything endearing about him hits me in this moment, where I watch the scene unfold like a fly on the wall. 

Albedo is handsome, yes, but he seems even prettier illuminated in the warm glow of the torches in the camp. His hair frames his face nicely, and he looks...unbearingly soft. 

When Albedo starts talking about the results, my attention is drawn back to reality, away from my pondering if his lips are as soft as they look…

“As far as elemental energy is concerned, you’re nothing unusual from anyone else,” Albedo clarifies. 

“Aw,” Paimon whines, “Paimon wanted something cooler to happen!” 

“Ah, but a ordinary result is better than a peculiar one,” Albedo says, “Peculiar ones tend to be...more undesirable.” 

“Why’s that?” Lumine asks. 

“Because there’s no frame of reference,” he shrugs, “when you’re ordinary, everything is a frame of reference. Everyone understands you. People are the same, they can encourage, sympathize, and understand you.” 

The more he talks, the more I realize...that something is off. It feels like...he’s driving the point home from a position of...understanding from a personal level, which...is perplexing. Albedo is just as human as I am, so why would he feel isolated? 

...then again, he is a special case, and very few people take the time to understand him. The only people who truly know Albedo, are Sucrose, Klee, Timeaus, Alice and...myself. 

That must be lonely. 

“Aylin?” Albedo’s voice brings me back to the present, where he is now standing in front of me, holding a notepad. “Are you alright?” 

I flinch, blinking rapidly as my face heats up. “I--er--what?” 

“You seemed mentally absent,” he hums, taking a step back. “I wanted to make sure you’re alright. I’m sorry I startled you.” 

My shoulders relax, and I find myself smiling. Of course he was worried about that. 

“I’m fine,” I say, “just thinking.”

He smirks, turning back to what he was working on before, “careful, don’t hurt yourself.” 

I scoff, “Jerk.” 

“Lumine and Paimon are waiting outside,” Albedo says, “We’re doing another experiment here before going out again. Are you coming along?” 

I hum, then shake my head. “I don’t think I can add much by tagging along...I’ll wait here.” 

Albedo nods, “do you have any preferences for lunch? I intend to test if Lumine can channel elemental energy into her cooking.”

“oooh~” I drawl, “hmm...sunshine sprat?” 

Albedo smiles, the first I’ve seen him do today, “sounds great. I’ll make sure to tell her to make enough for all of us.” 

“Good luck,” I nod. Albedo nods as well, then turns to Lumine and Paimon, standing by the entrance. 

As I watch him walk away, a part of me regrets not going along...and the other basks in being able to admire him from here. I watch the light dance off his features as he talks to Lumine and Paimon, and the way his eyes twinkle with mischief whenever Paimon speaks. 

The way he glances back at me at random intervals has my heart leaping every time. He looks...unfathomably pretty bathed in the flickering firelight--

Oh archons. This can’t be happening. I can’t...actually be in love with Albedo. 

…

...but I am already. I...likely have been for quite some time now. 

...fuck. 

xxx

(Albedo) 

After our lunch break experiment, Lumine, Paimon and I have a brief talk, where Paimon explains that it’s less so that Teyvat is inhibiting Lumine’s abilities, and more so that they didn’t know how to infuse the food with elemental energy. 

“Not to worry,” I assure them, “we put some food to good use, so don’t feel disheartened.” I hand them their portion of the food, “here’s your share. I can box it up if you like.” 

“Woohoo!” Paimon cheers, “Thanks! I’m glad you were paying attention!” 

Lumine laughs, “you’re her new favorite.”

“I can tell that you’re good friends,” I mention, “Paimon was watching you carefully during the experiments. Not that she could’ve done anything had something gone wrong…”

“Hey!” Paimon exclaims, “you were being nice a moment ago!” she deflates a bit, “but...you have tasty recipes. So Paimon forgives you!” She grins, “and you’re right! We are good friends! You have good friends too, right? Good students?” 

I blink, and find my gaze drawn back to Aylin. She spots me staring, and waves, grinning. My heart beat picks up, my face warming considerably. 

“Yes,” I sigh, turning my attention back to Paimon and Lumine, “yes, I do.” 

“I can tell you and Aylin are close,” Lumine smiles. 

I shrug, “We are. In any case, we should continue lest it become too late.” 

“Oh, alright,” Paimon sighs, “then what’s next?” 

Next we have a brief conversation about “superpowers”, or possible ones, before we conduct a physical test in form of a timed journey downhill, followed by a test of intelligence at some old ruins. 

Lumine ends up uncovering a hidden message, which I copy and return to my camp with, leaving Lumine to follow behind whenever she is ready to. When I make it back to the camp, I see Aylin playing a guitar as Timeaus pours over some documents. 

Aylin’s ear twitches, and she looks up, lips stretching into a smile when she sees me. 

“Albedo!” 

Her excitement, paired with her smile, has my heart leaping into my throat, and my knees nearly giving out under me. 

“Did you come to any conclusions?” she asks, standing up as she puts the guitar away. 

“I have,” I nod, “but, I would like to wait until Lumine and Paimon have returned.” 

“Did you find anything interesting?” Aylin asks as she walks over. 

“Just some markings engraved on a wall,” I say smugly, showing her the sketch, “nothing too curious.” 

“Oooh!” she drawls, and I turn my focus to the seed on my desk--

When I feel her body press against my back, and she leans over me to read over my shoulder. I am...all too aware of her chest pressing against my back, and her humming next to my ear. 

“Looks like the language of the abyss,” she muses. 

It takes me a moment to properly make sense of her words, as I find myself unimaginably flustered at our promiximity…

“A-Ah, yes,” I stutter, then clear my throat as she backs away, “We--I still need to decode them properly but, yes. They seem to be stemming from the abyss.” 

“Fascinating,” she hums, “can I go check it out?” 

I shrug, “sure. We can head there together after Lumine and Paimon leave.” 

A little while later, Paimon and Lumine return. When asked what took so long, Lumine mentions Rosaria. 

“Aha,” I chuckle, “I wouldn’t worry. She’s just doing her job.” 

Aylin scoffs, “she’s being overly suspicious. It’s not fair.” 

I offer Aylin a smile, and a shrug. “It is what it is,” I turn to Lumine, “now then. Back to the matter at hand…” 

I tell Lumine that her results were very ordinary, keeping the...questionable sediment of the bottle to myself. I talk briefly again about Teyvat having a natural hostility to outsiders, and reveal the seed. By imitating Lumine, I am able to help it sprout. 

All that sprouts is a flower, 

I tell Paimon and Lumine about what it miracle it is for them to exist here, and after a moment during which the air between us feels heavy, we conclude our research. 

As they leave, Aylin approaches. 

“Something’s on your mind,” she says, and I faintly wonder when she learned to read me so well. 

I sigh, knowing that if I don’t tell her she’d likely back off...but not wanting to keep her in the dark. 

“I made a point of telling her how ordinary the results were,” I explain quietly, “but...well, you saw the vial, right? And the sediment that formed at the bottom?” 

Aylin tilts her head, “yeah? Was that...not normal?” 

I shake my head. “No. But I don’t know what it could mean.” 

Aylin hums, “Well...I think you’ll figure it out,” she pats me on the shoulder, “buuuut- not today. The sun is going down, and I don’t think you want to stay up here in the cold that late.” 

I smile, “bold of you to assume I don’t have a cot up here, or ways to keep warm.” 

I mean it truly innocently, but judging by the way her cheeks darken, ears perk up, and her lips part--I doubt she felt it as such. 

How...curious. Her flustered reaction makes me want to purposefully tease her…

“Well--Well, I’m cold,” she huffs, “so--I’m going back to the city.” 

“Now hold on,” I chuckle, “I never said I wouldn’t go back with you.” 

She smiles, “great! let’s go home, then.” 

...Home…

It feels like it’s been too long since I’ve felt at home anywhere…

But, looking at Aylin...being with her, it makes me feel at ease. Perhaps...perhaps Sucrose was right...maybe people can be home, too. 

xxx

(Aylin)

As we walk back to Mondstadt, I hear Albedo mutter: 

“those born of earth are bound by it’s imperfections, but those born of chalk are free of impurities...perhaps we are more alike than we realize…” 

“What was that?” I ask, mostly to gauge if he’s open to me knowing what he said. 

“What?” he perks up, then shakes his head, “it’s ah, nothing. Let us get back, I’m sure Klee misses us.” 

I nod. I don’t tell him I heard him, knowing that he’ll tell me when he’s ready. 

Though...I do wonder what he means by ‘those born of chalk’....could he be hiding something? 

I huff. Knowing him--it’s highly likely. 

But I trust he’ll tell me--whenever he’s ready.

Chapter Text

(Aylin) 

The next day I receive a mission--Treasure Hoarders have been seen lurking around the coast. Amber and I are tasked with locating their hideout and returning the stolen goods. The excursion is...low effort, to say the least. Treasure hunters are more intelligent than Hilichurls, but they’re poor as dirt--and lack the weapons we have as knights. 

In any case, among the treasure we find a myriad of weapons, making me wonder why they wouldn’t use them. Are they in such bad condition? 

The thought only plagues me momentarily, as Amber and I are sent off on a follow up mission almost immediately. 

And just like that, the memory of the mysterious plunder vanishes from my memory…

Until I find myself at Albedo’s camp, a week later, after my shift in the area had ended. 

“Hey, Albedo!” I greet as I enter, maybe a bit too excited for ‘just friends’. 

“Aylin,” he smiles as he perks up from where he was studying something, “good to see you. Anything specific you need?” 

“No,” I hum, “just wanted to hang out, since my patrol in the area has ended.” 

He smirks, crossing his arms. “In the area...do you meet at the foot of the mountain, or actually on Dragonspine?” 

My cheeks start to burn, and I glance away. “Uh...the er. Foot.” 

Albedo laughs lightly, and it’s a rare sight that has my heart falling to it’s knees, and my pulse beating furiously. 

“Wh-What have you been up to?” I manage to ask. 

Albedo hums, “You remember the mission you went on a few days ago? Regarding that treasure hoarder camp?” 

“Hm?” I perk up, “yes? Why?” 

“Well,” I hum, “I saw this, in storage,” walks around the desk, and I follow him, only to find a purple and black sword, with intricate detail decorating the handle. “This is...a most likely cursed sword.” 

“Most likely?” I echo, quirking a brow. 

“Very likely,” he hums, “as far as my base research can tell, you or I touching it would...result in catastrophe.” 

“Then who can touch it?” 

“Lumine,” he says simply, “and her brother, probably.” 

I frown. “So...what are you going to do with it?” 

“Perform Alchemy on it,” he shrugs, “there’s little use else for it, no?” 

“True,” I nod, “it looks...ancient. Using it without any alchemic enforcement could result in it breaking.” 

“Indeed,” Albedo nods. 

I pick up on the sound of footsteps landing on the ground outside the camp, and I stand straight, “someone’s coming.” 

Albedo straightens as well, and a moment later--Lumine and Paimon enter my line of sight. 

“Lumine,” I grin, hands on my hips, “back already?” 

Lumine smiles, “yep.”

“We can’t seem to keep away!” Paimon adds. 

“Did you need something?” Albedo asks. 

“Sucrose says you’re keeping secrets,” Lumine purrs. Paimon gasps. 

“Wait! Why are you telling him!?” 

“Secrets?” Albedo echoes, and Paimon groans. 

“Situations like these call for more delicate approaches.” 

“Well, there’s no fooling him now,” Lumine says with a shrug. 

“Your arrival isn’t unwanted, actually,” Albedo hums, “I actually have business with you.” 

“Oh?” Lumine tilts her head. 

Albedo explains about the sword--now named the Festering Desire--how it is cursed and no one from Teyvat can touch it. As he explains Lumine’s ability to wield the sword, and some more background on it…

How was he able to discover it amidst the treasures we brought back? Does this have anything to do with that chalk thing he mentioned? 

“Aylin,” Albedo says, drawing me back to the present, “we’re going out to test the sword. Are you joining us?” 

Immediately, I jump up, “Yes!! Let’s go!” 

(Albedo) 

This isn’t the first time Aylin’s been...spacing out, during my experiments with Lumine. She always seems to be deep in thought--an unusual sight, if she isn’t investigating a crime scene or studying my sketches. 

I...have been quite loose-lipped about my origins recently, more often than not alluding to my...inhuman state. Recently it was comparing creatures of dirt to chalk--which I have a suspicion she heard--and now it is bringing up this sword.  If I’m not careful, Aylin may corner me to interrogate me on this. 

For now, I busy myself with investigating the sword with Lumine, Paimon and Aylin. 

As our first experiment, we go out looking for some slimes, which Lumine makes quick work of. As Aylin and I approach to get a closer look, her shoulders tense. She looks around. 

“What is it?” Lumine asks. 

“Someone’s coming,” she warns, nodding her head ahead. From around the corner emerge a group of…

“Treasure hoarders?” Lumine questions. 

“Over here!” one of them shouts, pointing at Lumine, “it’s with these brats! Give it back you thief!” 

“What are treasure hoarders doing in a place this cold!” Paimon gasps. 

“Enough talk,” the guy grunts,  “hand it over!” 

Following this, he runs towards us--right as his colleagues appear from around the corner. Aylin summons a sword of ice to her hand, and assumes a fighting stance. 

“Not so fast,” she scowls, and Lumine and Aylin move in for the counterattack. 

Lumine and Aylin work well together, Lumine’s control over anemo allowing Aylin’s ice shards to become deadly, and both of their swordsmanship is nothing to sneeze at. After a few minutes, the treasure hoarders retreat, and we reconvene. 

“Now that’s rich!” Paimon scoffs, “Treasure hoarders calling us thieves!” 

“They certainly arrived quickly,” I scoff. Aylin snorts. 

“Yeah, only took them what? A week?” she adds. 

“You didn’t actually steal this, did you?” Lumine asks us, a dry look on her face. 

“Goodness, no!” I say, though Paimon frowns. 

“By the looks of it, they were talking about this sword though!” Paimon points out. “What’s going on?” 

Lumine frowns at me, her brows scrunching together. Her expression radiates disappointment. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, “of course I didn’t steal it.” 

I sigh, and Aylin and I explain how the treasure hoarders had the sword, and Aylin retrieved it, but that no one came to claim it. I explain how it is so old, that the only use for it would be alchemic. 

I explain it’s origins--a now dead blacksmith--and Lumine seems to understand, though Paimon is more freaked out than ever. 

“Do you know the story of Durin and this mountain?” I ask Lumine. She shakes her head. 

“I do,” Aylin says, then explains: “Long ago, there was a dragon who terrorised Mondstadt, Durin. He was defeated thanks to the Anemo archon Barbatos, and Dvalin. When he fell, he did so on Dragonspine.” 

I nod, “The snow atop this mountain never melts, which is most curious. People speculate whether it was a coincidence or not.” 

“You mean it may have been intentional?” Paimon asks, sounding quite worried. 

“it may very well be,” I nod, “perhaps it was chosen as a gravesite so that the snow could seal the toxicity of Durin’s remains.” I shrug, “it seems plausible that Barbatos would think of this.”

“Was Barbatos such a powerful god?” Paimon asks, and I hear Aylin snort at her tone of disbelief. 

“Well,” Aylin hums, “these are just speculations. We have no proof of anything.” 

“Yes,” I nod, “but no matter the truth, it is true that Durin and this mountain are intricately connected.” I cross my arms,  “in fact, I’m very certain that this sword has Durin’s remains in it.” 

“Dragon remains?” Paimon gasps. I nod. 

“Indeed. The dragon’s eyes, claws and scales, ground into dust before being used to coat the blade.” 

“That seems graphic,” Aylin muses, eyeing the sword. “But then, that explains how it would be cursed--his venom would’ve entered the sword and corrupted it. So then...anyone who touched it would be similarly affected.”

“Exactly,” I nod. “The craftsmanship of this sword is astonishing...we can assume that the blacksmith was eager to test out the sword, but...the corruption would have entered their body. Ordinary people cannot withstand such power. The blacksmith may have fled, driven mad by the curse, before meeting their end in some unknown location.” 

I move on to explain how Lumine was able to purify Dvalin’s tears, and how that due to this, the curse has no effect, and therefore only she can use it. As our conversation peters out, the sword starts to glow. 

“Whoah,” Aylin gasps. 

“It’s glowing!” Paimon points out the obvious. 

“As far as I’m concerned,” I adjust my gloves, “this is where the real experiment begins.” 

I explain that it  absorbs power in battle, and in order to continue researching it, we need to see it’s effects over a longer period of time. We make an agreement to meet again in a week’s time--after the Windblume Festival--and Lumine and Paimon leave, as Aylin and I return to my camp. 

“So,” I hum, “what will you do now?” 

Aylin blinks, then shrugs. “Dunno. I’m hanging out at Angel’s Share with Diluc tonight, so I should probably head back…” 

“Oh?” I tilt my head, “why are you meeting with Diluc?” 

“Just to hang out,” she shrugs, “we haven’t had a lot of time to do that recently, and he technically does have to be at the tavern sometimes, sooooo...I get to drink, he gets to yell at drunks--in the end, it’s a win-win.” 

Even though Aylin and Diluc have been friends for a while, the notion that they make plans has me...feeling quite bitter. 

“Then you best get going,” I say, wincing internally at how cold I sound, “it’ll be dark soon.” 

Aylin deflates, her ears pinning to her head and showing her dejection at my tone. “Oh,” she nods, “yeah, no, you’re right.” She forces a smile, though her ears betray her as they twitch, hesitantly righting themselves. She waves with a fake smile, and my heart breaks in my chest when she speaks: 

“Then...see you later.” 

She turns to leave, and I almost grab her wrist--

but I don’t. 

And the heart wrenching guilt I feel threatens to eat me alive. So, in order to avoid the feeling...I throw myself back into my research. 

xxx

It doesn’t take long for me to get lost in thoughts of Aylin--something that’s been happening too often recently--wondering if I was too cold, or regretting my reaction. Of course I shouldn’t be jealous of Diluc, it’s Diluc after all. And besides, I already knew I wasn’t going to pursue these feelings. 

And yet...I feel bitter at the thought that he gets to see Aylin tonight, despite the fact that we’ve spent days together as well. 

And so, when Sucrose and I meet in the lab as we agreed, it’s clear to her immediately that something happened. 

“Mr. Albedo, you look troubled,” she says as we go over our research of the past week, “is something wrong?” 

I blink, and pause. I consider briefly if I should tell her...before finally sighing. Knowing Sucrose, she’d catch on eventually either way. 

“Sucrose,” I hum, “have...you ever dealt with ah...being romantically attracted to anyone?” 

Sucrose blinks, eyes widening before they soften. “Oh...I suppose so, yes. Why do you ask?” 

I nod, then sigh again, leaning against the desk as I cross my arms, “Aylin is currently hanging out with Diluc. It...It bothers me, for some reason.”

Sucrose blinks. Then, she smiles softly, “Mr. Albedo, I think you may be feeling jealous.” 

“Ah,” I sigh, “of course. I suspected that…” 

“Are you,” Sucrose steps closer, “are you romantically interested in Aylin?” 

I hum, “...yes, I believe so.” 

“I see,” she nods, “well, what do you plan to do then?” 

I frown, “what do you mean?” 

“are you going to tell her how you feel?” 

I pause, my eyes widening. I hadn’t...even thought of that as a possibility, as a choice. I shake my head. 

“No,” I say, “this isn’t...I don’t want to burden her.” 

“Mr. Albedo,” Sucrose says, a hand on my shoulder, “you are no burden. And, if she has any kind of affection for you, she’d tell you the same.” 

I sigh, “yes, well. I doubt that.” 

Sucrose frowns. She sighs, “well, then what do you intend to do? About your jealousy?” 

I quirk a brow, “what of it? I’m just going to pretend it doesn’t exist, obviously.”

“That doesn’t seem healthy.”

“Well,” I sigh, “It’s the least trouble, for both me and Aylin.” 

Sucrose hums. “I suppose…” 

“Are you busy tonight, Sucrose?” 

She perks up, “hm? Oh, nothing. Why?” 

“I think I may have found some new species of flower near Dragonspine,” I quirk a brow, “care to explore with me?”

Immediately she’s on board, “Oh!! Yes! Right now?” 

“Why not?” I shrug, “no better time than the present.” 

“Agreed!” she nods, “let’s go!” 

xxx

(Aylin) 

Hanging out with Diluc is pleasant, though the pleasant conversations we hold are oftentimes interrupted, it’s interesting to see his interactions with different people; patrons, his employees, knights--he wears different masks for each of them, presents himself as a slightly different man. 

Still, even observing him can’t distract me from Albedo’s cold dismissal earlier. 

“Oh, I know that face,” a familiar drawl tears me from going through the memory again. I look up to see Kaeya by the door of the tavern, hands on his hips. “What is our little Frost Knight thinking about now, I wonder?” 

“Kaeya,” Diluc huffs, “what? Here to drink yourself stupid again?” 

“Diluc, is that not what taverns are for?” 

“Not this one.” 

Kaeya rolls his eyes, moving to stand beside me, arms resting on the bar. “So. What’s gotten you all down in the dumps?” 

I flush, “what? Nothing! I’m not…” 

“Please,” Diluc sighs, “you’re a horrible actress, Aylin. No offense.” 

I pout, “...how am I not supposed to take offense to that?” 

“If Albedo told you that,” Diluc smirks, “you would’ve simply let him.” 

I scoff, “please, can we leave Albedo out of this?” 

“Oho!~” Kaeya purrs, “so this is about the chief Alchemist, eh?” 

I flush, my cheeks burning, “wh-what!? How did you even kn--come to that conclusion!?” 

“Oh, Aylin,” he sighs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, “you’re so easy to read. Who else would it be you’re so concerned about?” 

“I hate to admit it,” Diluc admits, “but Kaeya is right. It’s only ever about Albedo--because there is no one else you care that much for.” 

My lips part in surprise, now that he says it like that-- he’s not wrong ...

“My, my Diluc!” Kaeya claps, “how romantic.” 

“Shut up.” 

“How do I make it stop hurting?” I ask, drawing their attention. “How do I...care less about every inflection into every word he says?” 

Kaeya hums, but Diluc is the one who speaks up. 

“You can’t,” he says. “There are some people who we are connected to, who matter more than others. Whether those feelings be romantic or platonic, they make us care too much about others’ opinions, make us want to do anything to avoid those feelings of rejection. Some people are home, and when you are locked out of your home, it’s isolating. And it hurts. But the only thing you can do, is talk to your home, and maybe...you’ll realize where the key is.” 

There’s a moment of heavy silence. Finally, Kaeya breaks it. 

“How...poetic.” 

Diluc shrugs, “I’m sure Venti would find a way to make it more so.” 

“True,” Kaeya shrugs. I hum. 

“So...I should talk to him?” 

Diluc nods. “The Windblume Festival is coming up,” he says, “it’d be a shame if Albedo were to spend it alone again.” 

The Windblume Festival….again? 

“What’s the Windblume Festival?”