Chapter Text
“I’m going to kill Six-fingered José.”
The phrase was uttered just low enough so that neither the retreating audience nor the lingering volunteers packing up the stage grounds could overhear this shocking declaration of intent.
Jean sighed. “Please don’t murder any town bards.”
Kaeya leaned on the wall beside her, a slick grin cut across his face. “Imagine this-I hear that our poor, little Klee has been down in the dumps because she doesn’t like her outfit, but was afraid that if she changed it she wouldn’t be a knight anymore. Naturally, I strove to quell those fears. ‘A brave knight has no need to follow outdated traditions’-”
“I would hardly call it outdated-”
“And that very same day, she brings a Harbinger into town.” Kaeya clicked his tongue. “Though according to that bard you sent to tail him, the guy’s a monster who doesn’t belong in Mondstat.”
Jean frowned. Kaeya enjoyed the sick thrill that rolled through his body whenever he lied, that left him not knowing if he wanted to laugh or puke. But when he lied to Jean there was none of that ambiguity, so he preferred to keep his silence instead. Tartaglia and his ‘fiancé’ would be out of town before she could know better.
The two watched the little girl chatting to the couple in question. Kaeya couldn’t imagine what they would ever talk about. As he often did in these situations, he started imagining wild possibilities-a group of thieves planning to steal Leonie’s jeweled sword after the show, or pirates who roam the land in a giant blimp, or wrongfully convicted escapees looking for proof to free themselves (with one truly treacherous soul hidden among them), or-but then he remembered that Klee was already over there, so he had no one to tell these thoughts to, and he stopped his foolishness.
Tartaglia sneezed. Suddenly a man’s coat and a child’s hat were thrown on him, and the Harbinger began whining. Apparently, they were talking about the weather.
“Do you ever think about how Klee will fare after we die?”
Kaeya shivered as the chill night air stabbed deeply through his coat. There are thoughts in this world you’re better off not letting even the shadow of into your mind. For years now, everyone happily imagined Klee’s pointy little ears as just a funny quirk of hers, so why now?
“I think about it all the time,” Jean said. “Late at night, I stare into the darkness and among the heavy thoughts that crowd my mind, this is the heaviest. I wonder if she’ll still want to be a knight, if she’ll go far away, if Mondstat will still love her.”
‘Of course she’ll be a knight, where would she live if not her home, who could ever not love Klee?’ All sorts of protests rose in Kaeya’s heart. Even though Klee had lived in Mondstat for not even half her life, she’d become so intrinsic to the place that Kaeya could no longer imagine it without her. But Kaeya knew very well that it doesn’t take even a year for a short life to change violently, and Klee’s mother had already experienced over five hundred of those.
“Last night was just the same-I didn’t really need to write those reports, and I didn’t. I just sat at my desk, thinking, and suddenly I heard those little tapping noises her shoes make on the tile floor.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Kaeya said, laughing breathlessly.
Jean didn’t answer for a long time. Tartaglia and his fiancé watched with rapt attention as Klee began making mysterious hand gestures that only experience with the girl told them represented a cat. Jean tilted her head back until it hit the wall. “I’m sorry, I’m tired tonight.”
“If you’re so tired, you could have stayed home.”
Klee crossed her arms behind her back and puffed her chest up so much she had to stand on tip-toes to bring it high enough to satisfy her. Was she miming a bird?
Tartaglia’s laughter rang across the courtyard, a shockingly innocent sound.
“When Klee ran into the plaza, hand-in-hand with a Harbinger, of all people, it was strange but-” Jean ducked her head. “This is a little embarrassing, so don’t tell anyone, but it reminded me of something from my childhood.
“At that time, my mother would remind me every day of the Gunnhildr’s sacred duty to Mondstat, and I trained endlessly so that I might one day be entrusted with that duty. However, when I envisioned a great knight, I just couldn’t imagine anyone from my family. They felt so lofty and far away, too perfect for me to even gaze upon. Instead, for a time, I would imagine Leonie, the imaginary noble lady who somehow felt more real than a blood person to me.
“Just the week before I turned ten, a new Leonie story played. It was quite the hit-I’m sure you’ve seen it, that one with the duke. When I watched it, I believed with all my heart that any person has the power to bring good into this world, no matter their past.”
Kaeya raised an eyebrow. “Surely our Acting Grand Captain wouldn’t allow a criminal into town based on some fiction?”
It felt a bit cruel to say, but Jean merely pursed her lips and continued.
“Just a day later, I was attending a party held by the Bylandts. One of those stuffy affairs, I hardly remember it. The main topic of interest was-well, it was the dirty little boy that the master of the Dawn Winery had recently scavenged.” When she saw the look on Kaeya’s face, Jean stuttered. “That is-that’s a direct quote.”
Kaeya didn’t reply.
“They said things like-” But, perhaps finding the topic too sensitive, Jean fell silent.
“Tell me,” Kaeya grinned as his heart beat a treacherous rhythm. “What did they say, and who is the they?”
Jean shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, the people in the past don’t exist anymore.”
“Even so, I might have a thing or two to throw their way.” Seeing Jean’s small frown, he grinned. “I mean words, of course.”
Kaeya expected her to scold him, or at least sigh, but instead Jean smiled wryly. “Then what do you have to say to me?” She tilted her head. “I spoke grandly about becoming a knight who could save others, I cried when Leonie was able to accept a dubious man, but when faced with the real thing, I hardly thought about that boy at all. Perhaps a bit of a fire smoldered in my heart, but I couldn’t stand the thought of upsetting my mother. If she said, ‘stay away from that child,’ I would have done it without a thought.” Jean shook her head. “I held so many grand convictions, but not the strength to carry them through.”
Kaeya ignored the stinging in his chest. “That’s an adult’s duty.”
“And an adult fulfilled that duty wonderfully.” Jean closed her eyes, as if once more allowing the scene to play out before her. Kaeya could imagine it too, the high walls that to a child seem to go on forever, the plick - plick of a piano, the smell of too-rich food making the face scrunch, the puffy-suited nobles turning their noses up as if just the mention of some homeless boy could bring his stench before them, and then, some kind soul who Kaeya would spend the rest of his life pretending he didn’t hold a secret gratitude for approaches, and Jean opened her mouth and the man said- “It’s the heart’s nature, when faced with the expectations of others, to aim to satisfy those expectations, whether they be of good or ill nature. I would much prefer to place my hope in someone and chance disappointment, than to push any creature onto a road they would regret to walk.” Kaeya saw a shadow flicker across her eyes, and it couldn’t be- “The boy I found is remarkably kind, if a bit shy. I can’t imagine how much good he’ll bring to Mondstat and the world in the future.”
Kaeya fixed his eyes on the ground. If he looked up, he might see a ghost.
Jean leaned so that her shoulder just barely brushed him. He wanted to push back, to feel it burn across his entire arm, but even the thought was too painful.
“My mother later said that such sentiment was the reason he was never able to pass the knight’s test. But after all these years, not a single person in Mondstat has ever regretted accepting that boy. Master Crepus was an amazing person.”
Kaeya gave himself a moment, but when he spoke, his voice still sounded a bit as if the Windblume pollen had snuck into his throat. The pollen, and nothing more. “Klee’s pretty amazing herself.”
Klee was swaggering around now, speaking in a loud, falsetto voice. “And he’s sooooo special, he can’t have one teapot like anyone else, he needs twenty-seven!” Perhaps in the future they should sic her on whatever poor soul found their way into the holding room-Tartaglia’s fiancé looked ready to fall dead with shame. Tartaglia himself had gone past the point where he could laugh and just hung off his fiancé, arms wrapped around the man’s neck and face buried in his shirt as he shook with mirth.
Jean hummed.
“I’m sure that when she thinks back on these days, Klee will only remember me as that annoying nag that never had any time for her, but I always think, ‘what if she does this when I’m not around to help her?’ What if the next person in my position doesn’t think she’s cute or sweet, what if that person looks at her pointed ears and sees something no different than a Hillichurl?” Despite the ominous words, Jean was smiling. “The thought torments me endlessly, but tonight, even with a Harbinger in our midsts, I was able to enjoy the play without distraction. She’s really becoming her own person. It makes me feel as if she’ll be okay after all.”
For once, Kaeya let himself imagine it as well. It took hardly any effort at all-Kaeya already knew intimately what would happen on the sad day that Jean feared. She’ll cry so hard she’ll wish she was dead. And then she’ll stand up, and pick up her sword, because that’s what a knight does.
But Jean was wrong. When Klee thinks back on her life in Mondstat, all of the wonderful and terrible things she experienced, and even those scoldings, will become beautiful memories of the people she loves.
“I bet you four bottles of Dandelion wine she’ll be the next Grand Master.”
“Kaeya, honestly-”
“And eight that Tartaglia’s ‘fiancé’ is some poor schmuck working off his debts to the Fatui.”
“They seem rather too close for that.” Jean shook her head, but her lips began curling up.
“And can you imagine how heartbroken the old women who loiter around the teahouse would be if he left? I just couldn’t do that to poor Irma.”
And then Jean was really, truly smiling-the one where her nose crinkled and the lines around her eyes didn’t look deep at all. That smile was just the reason Kaeya didn’t like to lie to her-it really was so much better than that tired, somewhat sad face she wore too often.
“Of course you’re still getting arrested.” The two returned to the show. While they were distracted, it seemed that Klee’s talk with the newcomers had become somewhat heated. Klee stood in front of the two, fists on her hips, like the tiniest wall in the world. She pointed at Tartaglia's fiancé. “You’re still a thief!”
Tartaglia laughed wildly. “Oh no, we’d better book it!” And he grabbed his protesting fiancé's hand and dragged him away, swerving around the abandoned play seating and whatever people lingered, chased by a screaming child.
Strangely, it was Tartaglia who stumbled, and his fiancé who, in a slick move, ducked down and hoisted him onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Tartaglia waved back at the furious girl, and, face lighting up as if struck by genius, started squirming around until he could crawl into something like a fireman's carry. He wrapped his arms around his fiancé and pulled his face in close and-
“No serial smooching!”
Jean sighed fondly. “Will anyone ever tell her that those ‘serial smoochers’ the knights broke up were doing more than kissing?”
Klee was far enough away that they couldn’t make out her pouting expression, but the way she hopped around like an abyss mage clearly spoke of her fury. She twisted her body so that could rummage through her backpack. Jean tensed for a moment, but relaxed when Klee only pulled out a book. Idly, Kaeya wondered if she’d use it as a projectile.
Kaeya laughed. “I’d rather die.”
Klee flipped the book open and Kaeya’s eyes narrowed. Wait, isn’t that-
Her Vision flashed red.
“Jumpty-”
“Klee, no!”
No night in Mondstat was as peaceful as the last night of Windblume. Stories of revolution and freedom absorbed the mind, and the kind of tiredness you can only get after a week of hard work and play made the body slow. And as the people of Mondstat lay in bed that night, a soft warmth spread through their chest as the memories of the neighbors and friends they’d seen staved off that lonely beast that sometimes stalks the soul in such hours of the night.
Out of duty, the Knights left their doors open and kept vigil through the night, but no one actually expected anything to come of it. But life never quite goes as you expect it to.
It was Noelle, keeping watch outside the library entrance, who answered the knock at the door and came face-to-face with the strangest couple she’d ever seen, carrying only a teapot, a fancy box, and a single bag that looked empty.
“We are here to carry out our-I believe the term is ‘prison sentence?’”
As Noelle guided the two to the holding room she heard the whole story. Apparently, Mr. Zhongli left his belongings at an inn after promising to bring a room’s payment later in the day once he reconvened with his fiancé. However, upon reaching the inn, all of his items were lying abandoned on the street, and every other inn they could find had already closed their doors.
She felt rather bad for them, and offered to let them stay at her home since she wouldn’t be there until morning anyway, but they assured her that they were, indeed, terrible criminals, and a Knight of Favonious herself ordered for their arrest.
As Noelle ushered the two into the room, she suddenly felt a bit shy that maybe she hadn’t fluffed the pillows enough, and she was sure that there was just a bit of dust in the corner. She brought out her handkerchief and almost went to wipe it up before she remembered the harsh scolding she’d received just the day before and put it back. The couple insisted that the room was wonderful.
“Once,” the strange redhead said, “I wandered in a place so infested with monsters that I could only get a wink of rest if I covered myself in blood and slept under a corpse.” And he looked so proud of the fact that Noelle instantly praised him for being so clever and brave.
She bid the two goodnight and returned to her post. She’d been thinking about what the redhead said, and how it reminded her exactly of Master Varka, and wondered if maybe he might like to read the same books, because My Foxy Yokai Lover and One Night with the Geo Archon had been sitting collecting dust for quite a while now, when another knock at the door interrupted her musings.
“Apparently, I’m a ‘vagrant probationer,’” said the local bard, grinning as he scratched his silly green hat.
He went into the holding room adjacent to the couple, though Noelle had a rough time getting him there. He’d perhaps drunk a bit too much-he swayed slightly as he walked, and at one point fell and made such a racket of it that Noelle was sure that every person in the building must have heard his outraged cursing at the plant that tripped him.
And with that, all the holding rooms were filled. Noelle sent a silent prayer, hoping that no other criminals would gain a sudden conscience that night.
Perhaps to thank her for all her hard work, not another person came to the door, and the night passed without incident. It brought Noelle into such a good mood that she hummed a cheery song as she entered Klee’s room, carrying the little knight’s breakfast.
When her eyes landed on the bed, she dropped the tray.
Noelle and then Miles and then Otto and then Swan, Rook, Wryatt, and Joyce all searched the headquarters, looking under chairs and behind bookshelves and in the curtains and not finding a thing. And then Kaeya joined, and he told them to return to their posts, because he would handle it. After all, Kaeya already knew where she’d scurried off to.
Immediately after opening the door of the holding cell, he saw proof of the long night’s activities. Sitting on the floor sat a beautifully crafted tea set painted with birds, and scattered around that lay a dozen candy wrappers and at least three decks worth of Genius Invocation TCG cards. And there, on the bed in the corner, he found the participants of the criminal reformation.
On the small bed lay the Liyuen thief tangled together with the loiterer-cum-serial smoocher, and half lying-half falling off of them was the vagrant probationer. And at the very top, like the cherry on the cake, lay Mondstat’s very own Spark Knight herself, exhausted from having to watch over these ridiculous criminals all night.
They must have stayed up late into the night, to be so dead asleep to the world as to not even twitch as the door creaked open. And so, very slowly, not making a peep, Kaeya slipped out and shut the door behind him. He didn’t think there would be any more trouble with this year's batch of Windblume ruffians. And if he was wrong it would be no trouble at all-there was already a Knight in the room to handle it.
With a spring in his step, he headed towards the Grandmaster’s office. Earlier, he’d caught Jean leafing through all the information the knights had regarding current housing for sale. She wanted a place fit for two, she said, but with plenty of space to entertain guests. After all, there wasn’t a person in Mondstat who wouldn’t want to say hello to their new neighbors. To tell them how happy they were, that of all the places in the world they could be, they found themselves in the same town, in the same room, in each other’s company. To shake their hands and welcome them home.