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“Careful.”
Sucrose gasped as a steady hand fell upon her shoulder.
“M-mister Albedo please don’t scare me like that!”
The chief alchemist nodded towards a shadow behind Windrise’s massive oak tree. She followed his line of sight to … a most unusual creature.
“What a strange hilichurl” She mused.
“Indeed.”
Sucrose observed the childish sparkle in his eyes and the subtle twitch of his fingers. And she couldn’t stop her lips when they curled into a shy smirk.
“It’s okay Mister Albedo! We can stop for the day and sketch.”
He frowned. Eyes still studying the bizarrely well-dressed monster.
“But I promised to help you with your Windwheel Aster experiments.”
“Please - It’s fine! I- I’m feeling a little tired anyways. I could use a rest.”
Truthfully, she wasn’t an ounce weary. But there was nothing more charming than watching her mentor imprint life on paper with his skillful strokes.
“I promise to come out here with you tomorrow.” He put a hand over his heart like he was swearing his life to her. This made her giggle.
“What?”
“Nothing! Come, let’s sit.”
Sucrose gently set herself down under a lovely adolescent oak. Windwheel Asters grew in abundance under its shade, and it was one of her favorite places in Mondstadt.
She had come to Windrise today with ideas of engineering an aster with three – maybe even four colorful pinwheels bursting out their stamen.
…Of course this project of hers would have no significant scientific value; she simply thought a three-flowered aster would look delightful on her bedroom windowsill. In fact, she had originally started toying with them when Albedo forced her to “vacation.” So that when he would inevitably scold her for continuing to work, she could show him that this was no scientific accolade she was trying to achieve.
Needless to say, Sucrose was more than surprised when the genius himself insisted on tagging along. He had muttered something about neglecting her studies for the traveler; wanting to spend as much time as possible with her before everything changes. She was still puzzling over what that meant. However frustrating it was not to be in the know; Sucrose had given up trying to pry into the alchemist’s secrets. He truly was an enigma, but perhaps some things are better known in time.
Sucrose was thrown off her train of thought when the alchemist on her mind plopped down next to her. She flushed. He was awfully close. Their shoulders were lightly brushing against one another. He already had his sketchbook in his lap and had fancily titled the page Unusual Hilichurl.
Sucrose watched fascinated; almost in a trance as Albedo delicately framed the creature’s face in charcoal. Deep set lines that transformed into eyes. Feathery scribbles that became the leaves of the cabbage the hilichurl picked at.
Suddenly Albedo stiffened.
“M-mister Albedo?”
He shifted to meet her eyes. He seemed…distressed?
“Is everything okay?”
“Sucrose I should be asking you that question.”
Huh?
“Earlier you had informed me that you were exhausted; hence why we are now resting under this tree.” He frowned “I’m a lousy field assistant for not making sure you are feeling well.”
Sucrose blinked. She had nearly forgotten that she had fibbed fatigue as an excuse to see his artistry.
“N-no Mister Albedo I’m feeling fine now! And you’re a wonderful field assistant – the best!!!”
But her words fell on deaf ears as the genius now rummaged through a pouch on his hip. Sucrose startled when she felt his gloved hand press something into hers. In her palm were now two golden candies; their honey-hue the same color as her eyes.
“My sweetflower candies!” She exclaimed.
“Yes. I find them to be extremely helpful during a tough day.”
With this he popped one of the little buggers into his mouth, his tongue darting out across his lips when he had finished sucking on the sweet morsel.
“Sweet, just like you.”
Sucrose was positive she was feeling fine just a few seconds ago. But now her collar felt quite hot, and her stomach was doing backflips. What was going on with her? It was good they had decided to take a break after all. But wait a minute…
“M-mister Albedo, this particular batch of candies do not have any stamina nor mood-boosting effects.” She whispered.
Albedo’s pencil came to a sudden halt for a few seconds, then he continued to outline the hilichurl’s lanky forearms.
“How odd.” He seemed to be sketching more hurriedly now. “I’m sure I feel more spirited and warmer whenever I snack on them.”
“Oh Mister Albedo! Perhaps you’ve developed a sweet tooth from spending too much time around me.” Sucrose giggled.
His hand came to a stop once again, but this time he raised his head so that his striking teal eyes bored into hers. And suddenly that strange but thrilling sensation shot its way back into her stomach.
“Hmm…perhaps.”
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While Albedo finished his sketch. Sucrose tried to distract herself from the strange feelings by throwing herself back into work. Specifically, the details of a new prototype. The feline girl puffed her rosy cheeks out in frustration. In her notebook, all her plans were written in great detail and fine calligraphy, but she couldn’t visualize them for the life of her.
There was the familiar scratch of pencil next to her.
She blushed and shook her head. Maybe if she was braver.
Nervous, she stuffed a couple candies into her cheeks.
But it would really improve her studies.
She reached for another sweet.
Surely it wasn’t a completely outrageous thing to ask?
She started unwrapping two more pieces.
“Sucrose.”
The harmless sweetie screamed, accidentally flinging a hard candy that smacked an unfazed Albedo in the forehead.
“OH MY GOD IM SO SORRY- “
“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” He gently pressed the back of now bare hand to her forehead. And in an instant the strange feeling had returned.
Sucrose wanted nothing more than to disappear right now. She was sure her face was redder than a pyro slime.
“You really will get sick if you eat that many- “
“MISTER ALBEDO PLEASE TEACH ME HOW TO DRAW!”
Albedo slowly drew his hand back to his lap. Sucrose threw her head into her hands.
Did she really just yell that at him? Gods, why was she so embarrassing! He’ll never comply with her request now-
“Of course I’ll teach you how to draw.”
Sucrose peaked out from behind her hands to see the alchemist with a soft smile and her heart immediately melted.
“Sucrose, you do know that I would do most anything you ask, right?”
Okay so her heart was now a puddle.
“You hardly request anything from me so I admit, I get strangely excited when you do call upon me.” The chalk prince said as he handed her his treasured sketchbook.
What comes after a puddle? Had her heart now evaporated into a gas?
He curled her fingers open to place his charcoal pencil.
“Mister Albedo, a-are you sure you want me to use your sketchbook?”
“Yes, we can always rip out the page when we’re done.”
The blank white of the paper was far more intimidating than she would have thought. How are you supposed to create something from nothing? All of Sucrose’s research centered around the modification of already existing things in this world. But Albedo…he was remarkable to take on the blank expanse of nothing and against all odds, create. It had never dawned on her how powerful he was until this peculiar moment of her staring at a piece of paper.
“The first thing every aspiring artist should draw is the face.”
Sucrose suddenly felt very nervous “B-but I wanted to draw to better visualize my experiments.”
“I know” he smiled “But you can hardly draw cold lifeless machinery if you can’t capture the one thing the human brain is hardwired to recognize.”
“That does make sense.”
He nodded “Draw me.”
Sucrose is sure she looks so stupid staring slack jawed and ears on end at the chalk prince.
Draw him!? But he’s so gorgeous how could she possibly capture- Oh my god did she just call Albedo gorgeous?!
“Ah you must have no idea where to begin.”
Then Albedo shadows his hand over hers and she nearly snaps his precious pencil in half. He begins to guide her, sketching the sweeping lines to create the basic profile of a human face. He is talking about how the spacing of facial features is the most important factor in the unique look of each individual. But she hardly hears him. Because shamefully, Sucrose can only focus on her hand in his.
What is wrong with her!?
“Okay there’s the basic shape for a head, now try filling in some of my features.”
He removed his hand from on top of hers; almost lingering longer than needed. But Sucrose’s brain rot was not alleviated; because now Albedo was staring at her. Staring very intensely. And those expectant and intelligent eyes were akin to a punch to the gut.
Sucrose flushed and immediately lowered her eyes to find his nose. It was a fine nose and she began to draw it in stiff lines.
Down further were his lips, which she could have sworn upturned into a slight smirk when she stared at them. Pushing down the heat in her chest she began to move the pencil again. They looked firm in appearance but she wondered if they would be softer when – She shook her head and internally screamed at herself as she moved her gaze to his princely hair.
His hair was not easy to draw. The ash blonde strands stuck out at so many wild angles but somehow framed his handsome face perfectly. Sucrose began to wonder what Albedo would look like with his hair down. Moments later, she decided the images she had conjured in her mind were dangerous to her mental state. Nobody could say she didn’t try her best to capture his majestic mane.
Now the part Sucrose dreaded most.
She would make this quick. Sucrose took a deep breath.
It was hard to describe what it felt like looking so deep into the Kreideprinz’s eyes. But it hit her like a tidal wave. A shifting landscape of beautiful but cold blues and greens. The three dots in his iris almost like planets swept along in his current. She was looking at the ever changing tides of the alchemical universe. Life and death. Land and sea. Chalk and soil. Forbidden knowledge.
Sucrose found she never wanted to look at anything but him ever again.
She did not try very hard to draw his eyes. Because she realized now that no artist in the world would ever be able to capture his beauty.
Now Sucrose pulls her head back from the paper to observe her handiwork.
He looks horrible.
The head was fine, as Albedo had basically drawn it for her. But somehow the contrast between the perfectly laid template and her hideous artistry made it that much worse. His nose was much too long and stuck out at an unnatural angle. His lips were twisted a painful grimace. She had just tried to draw a neutral expression; how could it have turned out so wrong? His beautiful eyes were misaligned and the left approximately 20% larger than the right. And his hair. God his hair. It looked like a five year old on a sugar high had spastically scratched random spikes around his head.
Sucrose felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. She was a failure. Surely Albedo could never look at her again if he saw this cursed image. She would have to burn it somewhere-
Suddenly the paper was gently tugged out of her hands.
"May I see?"
She frantically tried to reach for it back but it was no use. Her fate was sealed. So she opted to squeeze her eyes tightly shut and prayed that if she didn't bear witness to his horrified reaction this would all go away.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Sucrose slowly opened one of her eyes. Her heart stops when she sees him staring in adoration at her sketch. A goofy and boyish grin adorning his features. If Sucrose wasn't a failure of an artist, she thinks she would never stop drawing this expression on his face.
"It's perfect" He whispers.
"N-NO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU AT ALL I TOTALLY SCREWED UP YOUR-"
"Can I keep it?"
"What?" Sucrose is stunned for a moment.
"May I keep your drawing of me?"
Throat dry she gives the slightest nod. Because she doesn't trust herself to only say yes. Her head is light and hot as he gingerly folds and tucks away the paper like it is one of the most precious belongings in the world.
They sit in an awkward silence for a long moment. The sweet breeze ruffling her ears and his golden locks. The poppy pinwheels spinning.
"Drawing is much more intimate an art than I would have previously thought." She finds herself whispering to the wind.
"Is it now?" He raises an eyebrow "But I draw you all the time."
She looks at him with wide honey eyes.
"Sucrose" He says softly "Can I show you something?"
The genius alchemist picks up his sketchbook for the both of them to see. He hands it to her and Sucrose begins flipping through the pages.
She nearly sobs.
There are so many drawings of her. Sucrose sees herself in the corners of blueprints, taking up whole pages and everything in between. She is conducting experiments, practicing with her anemo vision, smiling brightly, half-asleep on the couch...
Most of all she is overwhelmed by how beautiful she is.
She almost doesn't believe that it's her. Is this really how he sees her from his point of view?
She turns her watery eyes to the chalk prince who is staring hard at a Windwheel Aster. He wears the same puzzled expression as when he is working on the most challenging of theses.
"I-I don't know why I can't stop drawing you" He hesitantly meets her weeping gaze "This has never happened before and I-"
She flings herself into his lap and cuts him off with her lips.
It is clumsy but genuine and they are both fast learners. Sucrose swoons when he sighs happily into her and she runs a hand through his hair. It just feels so right.
When they finally pull away from each other he wears a rosy flush and the same grin from earlier. Albedo presses his forehead to hears and her ears flutter involuntarily.
"Thank you for helping me solve this conundrum."
Sucrose laughs and nuzzles into his chest, content to stay like this for a while and not think for once.
After a long time Albedo stands and brushes the dirt off his shorts. She looks up at him, puzzled.
"Right! Naturally our next art lesson is of the human body" He says pointedly as he begins to shrug off his coat.
"MISTER ALBEDO!!!"