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The stage directions have always been confusing to Aether, but he makes a point to learn. The world is a stage, and he’s the actor of one person who cannot be any more real than the lines in the sand that are drawn between him and the rest of Teyvat. The hydrogen and helium of stars were never meant to collide with the calcium carbonate found within the earth, and yet here Aether is, a star turned god turned boy, and here he is, with lightning scars and new fears that wrap around his neck in equal turns.
Do they know his hands still tremble? Do they know that the Honorary Knight, Hero of Liyue and Revolutionary of Inazuma, can no longer sleep at night, can no longer look himself in the mirror? The story sounds grand, but the invisible demons that sleep in his head are not. Aether is not an actor – he is the character, locked in the grand play.
He’s never liked his role in all this, but he’s always been good at adapting to them.
---
“How did you feel on the Golden House, facing Beisht?” Yun Jin asks, and Ather knows this is meant to be a question for her opera, something innocent, but all he can think about is his body slamming into the rock, and how in that moment, he thought he was going to die.
He knows Yun Jin wants his thoughts and feelings, how he felt and what grandeur came upon the floating building as he faced the last of Osial’s court, but all he can think of was that he was going to die.
Burn out and explode and be reduced to nothing but cosmic dust. It must be his wish to save people, or something similar if he keeps finding himself in these situations. He’s found himself less willing to do that these days. He wonders why.
“I thought,” Aether admits quietly, his finger tapping out a rhythm, quick and in staccato. “I thought I was going to die, during that fight. And for a second there, I was scared that I would never find my sister after the fact.”
---
Chinju Forest is silent, and Aether watches the tanuki play.
His hands tremble. He does not force them to stop. Enkanomiya had only been a 4 day trip, Aether being desperate to leave. He simply just resolves everything, bids his farewells and leaves.
There are no regrets. This is what he tells himself.
---
Ei says goodbye to her sister for one final time, and Aether watches and watches as time goes forwards and backwards and refuses to say a word about the fabric of the universe ripping and stitching itself. About how time began to split and fuse back together, because he is a star rendered mortal, so he does not dare to say anything until they leave.
And when he stumbles out of a domain, fresh from being just possessed at Yae’s instruction, he refuses to say anything either, despite his shaking fingers and glassy eyes. He simply just mentions to Thoma whilst doing a bounty that he’s headed to Mondstadt and he’s welcome to join if he likes. Thoma tells him that he’s a bit to busy to pull away from work, and Aether just nods and makes his own way back.
---
It rains from late Feburary to early March, and he’s holed up in Diluc’s home, curled up next to the fire with Paimon snoozing in his lap. There’s a blanket that Diluc wrapped around his shoulders, made from wool and dedication, and Aether feels tiny swamped in the fabric. Diluc reappears only a moment later, and presses a mug of tea into Aether’s trembling hands.
“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Diluc says, sitting on the floor next to Aether with a mug of coffee in his hands. “But I just want you to know that Dawn Winery is always happy to have you here. You don’t have to camp out in the rain when in Mondstadt.”
Aether only hums, taking a sip of the tea. It’s a bit on the sweet side, but nothing too bad. “Sorry for being a bother,” Aether says quietly. Paimon mumbles in her sleep, saying “Bad…Aether don’t say that…”
Diluc quietly chuckles, sipping from his own mug. “You’re not a bother. You’ve given a lot to Mondstadt. You can afford to take a little bit of yourself back.”
Diluc hums a bit, then tilts his head towards Aether. “Say, Bartender Academy Week is coming around again. Would you like to take part?” he asks, and Aether blinks.
“What’s that?”
Diluc smiles, small but reassuring. “You man the bar at Angel Share for a week under Charles and Luka’s supervision. They teach you to make a few drinks, and you get to talk to people outside a ‘save the world’ kind of matter.” He explains, setting his mug on the floor. “You only really have to complete 3 days to get a good grasp on things – and I can watch out for you if you like.”
Aether tightens his grip around his tea, slightly sweet. “I don’t have to fight anyone?”
The unspoken “I don’t have to save anyone?” hangs in the air.
“No,” Diluc says, “You don’t.”
Aether considers the offer, and then nods.
---
Kaeya and Rosaria are his first customers, after Diluc perches himself on a bar stool and lets Aether handle the ingredients after an easy starter of a Gray Valley Sunset made with sunsettia juice.
“Well, if it isn’t Master Diluc?” Kaeya teases, and Aether looks at Diluc. The man in question only sighs, and gives Kaeya a glance, red eyes searching.
“I’m just making sure he doesn’t get overwhelmed,” Diluc explains, taking a sip of his juice. “You know how people can get around him when they’re not careful.”
“And how much they demand of him,” goes unspoken.
Kaeya hums his agreements, and asks for a Moonlit Alley.
Aether pauses, and then looks at Diluc, eyes questioning. Diluc gets the question, and points out the ingredients. Coffee, Milk, and Coca Paste, a part each, mixed and poured slowly into a coffee cup. Served chilled.
Kaeya accepts his drink with a hum and goes “Well, our Honorary Knight knows his stuff!” and Aether only flinches a little bit at the title.
Rosaria notices, asking for any kind of tea. Aether asks if a Brightcrown is okay, and Rosaria nods. One part tea to two parts milk, stirred only slightly to agitate the milk and served hot. “Nice one, Sunshine,” Rosaria says, sipping her tea, and Aether’s shoulders relax at the nickname.
That one is better. No weight or responsibility tied to it.
---
Lisa and Jean only stop by, and they make small talk with Aether and Diluc, and they leave shortly thereafter. Eula comes stumbling in, and a Foamy Reef with more carbonated water then coffee is pressed into her hands as she slumps over the bar and quietly fights off her impending headache.
And then Zhongli walks in, and Aether is reminded of Azdaha, of Sal Terrae, and nearly drops the mixing cup in an attempt to still his hands.
But Diluc is still here, who makes a motion to block Aether from Zhongli’s sight, and Eula, who despite being drunk is still dangerous, sending a glare towards the ex-geo archon, and Venti only bursts in a couple of seconds later to wink at Aether and Diluc before dragging Zhongli away, prattling about how if he wants alcohol, then they should go to the Cats Tail.
“Sorry,” Aether mumbles, and Diluc shakes his head.
“It’s not your fault.” Diluc says, and Paimon, small but ever helpful, comes back with an order of a Birch Sap for Amber and a Sweet Cider Lake for Noelle. She says she can complete the order for him – her small hands don’t tremble after all – and Aether can hide behind the bar.
So Aether does, as Paimon and Diluc talk about drinks and different kinds of juices and teas. Aether curls up on the floor, feet wedging themselves against the box, and counts backwards from ten.
---
Aether’s never been any good at acting, but he can recite his lines pretty easily by now.
---
Venti comes dancing back into a mostly empty Angel Share, prattling on about how Zhongli has left and is at the Goth Grand Hotel and is “napping like most old men,” until Diluc quietly points out that Venti is one of the eldest here.
Venti pouts, and orders a Barbatos’ Boon. Aether mixes the juice and water and mint syrup together and Venti asks about Inazuma.
Aether is quiet for a bit, then says, “I…didn’t particularly enjoy it there.”
Venti does not press for details. Diluc does not ask questions. Eula has returned to her slumber, a hand loosely curled around her 3rd coffee cup.
“For what it’s worth,” Venti mumbles, swirling his juice around. “I’m sorry I dragged you into our mess.”
Aether shakes his head, mixing caramel and coffee together for Paimon. “Mondstadt is…different. I chose to involve myself in that.”
“Unlike every other nation,” Diluc mutters, as Aether pours out the drink and hands it to his friend, “Where you were forced into action. Where you didn’t get to choose.”
Aether nods, and says nothing else.
“Zhongli hasn’t apologised to you for all the stuff he dragged you into, huh?” Venti asks, and Aether nods again.
---
Ruu watches Aether with wide eyes, and thanks him for helping him, and that the thunderbird feather in Aether’s hands will be his way of travelling with him.
Aether, silent, quiet, closes his fingers around the purple feather alight with static, and does not say anything to the boy disappearing into the din of Tsurumi Island.
---
When the event is over and Charles takes his place behind the bar once again, Aether plans to return to his travels. To visit Inazuma as it opens its borders, to investigate the Chasm that is reopening the mines to its depths. There’s much to do for Aether but he has time. He can take all the time he needs for now.
So for now, he draws the play to a close and asks to exit, stage left. Now, he asks Diluc if he can spend a week at Dawn Winery, asks if the Knights can host him in Mondstadt for just a few more days.
Both parties are always happy for him to stay – because Aether first arrived on freedom’s shores, and it seems fit for him to return there, once in a while. Once the fighting is over and the dust has settled, before he sets out again.
---
He’s always thought that stage fighting was a little underwhelming, but he pulls it off pretty well.