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Kaeya has always been quite the character, anyone could learn within minutes of meeting him. He has a noble yet sinister aura, and somehow the two never seem to blend into what could have logically become a "malicious advisor" archetype. He has poise, but is no doubt the type to sit in soft light that casts sharp shadows. I'd love to draw him someday, in a way that can do him justice, at least. I've tried to, but Kaeya is the busy type. It's hard to get a good sketch of him acting naturally, and I want everything just right.
"A model? Me?" He reacts coyly when I finally approach him to ask. "Why, I'm flattered that you think me a fine specimen."
"You're not a specimen," I correct him, "not today at least." I've had his help with a few simple experiments, at least the ones I could guilt him into after he intruded on my studies. He's a good subject, and valuable diversity in the study pool. Oftentimes I am the only subject, and Kaeya's company is also quite pleasant. It really helps to fill the otherwise empty feeling evenings. "I just want to get a good sketch of you, is all."
"Well, be my guest. Shall we go somewhere... private?" Kaeya is also one who is quite fond of dropping little teases and flirts, and it's not lost on me; though I have my doubts about his sincerity. I do think he's like this with everyone, (except for maybe Klee,) but a small piece of my chest does feel aflutter when he gets like this.
I tell him, "I was thinking of the study room. It's just upstairs in the Headquarters." Upstairs is getting a handful of renovations, and an entirely empty study room is an unexpected benefit to that. I like to sometimes use it as a quiet space, so much so that Lisa has joked about turning it into a lab.
"Alright then. Let's go." He struts onwards with his usual mysterious grin, though whatever he could be smiling about is anyone's guess.
"Well, we're here. Nice, isn't it?" We make it to the room, as silent and empty as it always is. "I'll set up my canvas. Could you handle the lighting?"
"For the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius? Of course." I'm not fond of the long title, but at least he doesn't insist upon calling me Kreideprinz like some fellow alchemists do.
"Please, call me Albedo. Ehr, close the curtains and light… That candle." With a few words and the point of a finger, he closes the curtains and lights a wall candle just to the left of where I was setting up my easel and charcoal. He looks quite handsome under this lighting, I'll give him that.
"How should I pose, Albedo?" His voice holds the tone of a taunt or threat, but the contents of neither.
"Naturally. Maybe just stare at something for a while."
"Well that's not very natural now, is it?" I meet his humor with an unamused stare, and he seems unable to help himself but chuckle. "Alright then. Is this alright?" He positions himself so that he looks to be turning around into the shadows.
"Perfect."
There's a brief pause as my charcoal starts to scratch at the canvas, encompassing the rough shape of his head and shoulders before it's interrupted. "May I ask you something, Albedo?" He turns a sly eye towards me. I'm not sketching his mouth yet, so I suppose there's no harm in a little idle chatter.
"Alright, what is it?"
"How do you feel about men?" The question catches me a little off guard, and I stop sketching for a moment.
"Well… The same I do about women, I suppose."
"So you'd date one like you would a woman?" As strange as it is, his line of questioning quite intrigues me.
"I see no reason I wouldn't." His grin only widens. "... You look eager for me to return the question."
"Fret not, this seems to be a matter we agree on." My heart is beating, I realize, and it's beating heavily. The room feels a bit warm now. I wish we'd gone to Dragonspine instead. I wordlessly continue my sketch.
"Albedo…" I feel a jolt as he says my name, some strange mix of stress and excitement. "Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?" He wears an expression I've never really seen on Kaeya; a genuine smile. No traces of smugness or deception, simply a happy look on his face. I really wish we had gone to Dragonspine.
"No… This is the first I'm hearing of it." I suppose I ought to return the compliment… "You're quite 'pretty' yourself, though not in a traditional way… There's this other, indescribable air about you that I can't quite name…" I do know a word for it, but I don't quite agree with simply telling Kaeya he's "sexy."
"Ha ha, you flatter me. Tell me, Albedo…" I get another jolt of anticipation. "How would you feel about a nude model instead?"
I feel yet another rush of heat, this time coming with waves of stupidity and panic marching behind it. My body is still as I go into a sensational frenzy. Well, it's mostly still, at least. No man has absolute control over what his body does, and I am no exception. I was unable to stop my excitement, and it isn't until the rush is over that I realize there is an uncomfortable, damp spot on my pants. As the clarity settles in, I quickly buckle my legs and realize the many levels of discomfort there is to be had over this.
For one, my pants are now wet. Secondly, I had just absolutely lost control of my senses in a way that I never would have anticipated, and perhaps worst of all, is that Kaeya is standing right here and may have very well noticed. If anything he's noticed that my stance dramatically shifted from relaxed to tense, and if I know Mondstadt's Cavalry Captain, he most certainly did.
"Well, well, well," he chuckles, regaining his smugness, but also a sense of merriment. "I wonder, is that a sword in your pants or are you just that excited for a model like me?"
"I- Sword- You're…" I'm nothing short of a mess as Kaeya breaks his stance and heads towards me. He silences my muttering by bringing my chin into his gloved hand.
He flirts, "It's alright, I won't tell anyone." He leans closer, and I catch a glimpse of his vision. A Cryo vision, that can spread ice along the body of anyone unfortunate enough to be the least bit wet.
"Wait-!"
I barely cry out in time as the vision bushes against me, spreading ice through my entire body in a sharp jolt. The ice swallows me in an instant, and Kaeya lurches back in the first bit of genuine alarm I've ever seen from him. His shock quickly fades into chuckles, and then he bursts into laughter. I suppose, if nothing else good happened today, I got a glimpse into a side of Kaeya I wasn't aware of until now. But as it stands, I'm not about to get much done by simply being frozen, and he seems to have little will to thaw me out.
Needless to say, not much drawing is getting done today.