Chapter Text
A thing string.
Celestia had blessed everyone with one including Childe, he’d seen his own amber-gold thread, attached his right pinkie.
Until the Abyss snapped it off, like someone had cut it with scissors and that happened years ago.
It broke off when he fell head-first into the Abyss, the strong amber-gold string snapping, disintegrating as if it never even existed. So why was it perfectly attached to his pinky now? Shining brightly, it was lighting up the small cabin he was staying in. The golden hue of it made his skin glow. Childe felt his breath hitch, panic rose through his chest,
What the fuck, why the fuck was it attached to his pinkie? It wasn’t supposed to happen, he did enough research to know that it simply shouldn’t exist .
His brain was working in overload, trying to figure out how the fuck this happened. There was no local explanation for this. He’d done plenty of research about soulmates, hell, he even allowed the Doctor to run multiple tests on him to his regret.
His breathing got heavier as he placed a hand on his heart, staring in fear and disbelief at his pinkie. Should he inform the Tsaritsa? After all, this was his first serious and consequential mission, would it get in the way of his mission to steal the Geo archon’s gnosis? How would She react? When he first told her that his soulmate string broke off, She felt heartbroken for him but now? Would she feel dejected that it appeared again right when his first serious mission started? Would she think it would get in the way of stealing the Geo archon’s gnosis?
Childe groaned into his hands, eyes tightly pressed together. Great, his mission was already going amazing.
It was better that he took action when the ship bordered Liyue Harbour and he was given the keys to his apartment. He should also visit a bookstore if he has time. Liyue was known for its theories and myths surrounding soulmates, so that would be a good first step.
He took a glance at his amber-gold thread again and touched it slowly as if he was scared to get zapped. Childe gasped at it, nostalgia flashing through his brain. It felt just like before the Abyss; soft and warm. It felt like a cosy and pleasant fire you sit by after a long day of playing in the snow, it was comforting, as if it knew how Childe was feeling right now.
The ginger slowly dropped it with regret and placed a hand on his forehead, sighing deep.
A thought popped up in his head. What if it was a test? The Doctor was one of the last Harbingers he saw and he loved the whole concept of soulmates, messing around with other people's strings. Would he go so far? To experiment on a fellow Harbinger?
No, he would not. The Tsaritsa would personally beat him to shit if he touched the other Harbingers. Soulmates were a touchy subject for Herself too and she felt horrible about the fact that most of Her Harbingers didn’t even have a soulmate string or mark, they all cut theirs when they ascended to become Harbingers. It was too dangerous to have their soulmate walking around, so they cut their bond off. The only exception was Damselette and the Knave, who already knew each other before they became Harbingers. Childe remembered the Rooster being relieved when the Fatuus first told him he didn’t have a soulmate string, he didn’t want Childe to cut it so early in his life.
But now? He has a big problem. What if his soulmate is a regular citizen of Liyue with a Geo vision who wants nothing to do with the Fatui? What if they found him sickening, revolting? His thoughts were running 100 miles a second, thinking of every scenario possible.
He could calm the fuck down and wait until the boat bordered Liyue Harbour. When they border, he should immediately visit the Northland Bank for a quick introduction of himself and his subordinates that joined him and fill in any forms or letters he receives. After that, he should visit a bookstore. Liyue has countless books and encyclopaedias about soulmates he could read.
Yes that should work, he nodded to himself and let out a sigh. But what will he do if he meets his soulmate earlier than he expected? His soulmate had a vision, they could be an adventurer and possibly a strong one too, if he’d to guess. His thread was bright amber, almost golden and if he squinted, he could see gold flowing through.
His soulmate had to be powerful, his string shined brightly. In one of the books he read back when he was still low ranked in the Fatui, it said that fighting with your soulmate was incredibly powerful. Childe had seen it once in his life so far, two of La Signora's subordinates. He remembered how they moved together: they were swift, steady and unyielding. Of course back then, he was incredibly jealous but now; he wondered if he and his soulmate were to fight together, if it would be the same.
He should stop fantasising about his soulmate, what if they didn’t want to do anything with him and preferred no contact with him. Still, there was a small chance that his soulmate accepted him like he was, maybe even his Abyssal taint. It would be amazing if so.
Childe tossed the idea away, not in a hundred years would someone accept him as how he is.
Two knocks on the cabin door threw him out of his bubble and the door opened, one of his subordinates peeking around the corner.
“Lord Tartaglia?” At that, he turned his head, looking at his subordinate. “We’re almost already to dock at Liyue Harbour, prepare yourself.” They said and immediately closed the door after.
Childe swallowed. He wasn’t excited in the slightest.