Chapter Text
Pack up, look around the house, don’t bother saying goodbye, leave and say good riddance; Wanderer throws his name away in exchange for a new life.
This silent fiasco may sound depressing, but Wanderer wants to view it as hopeful. After years of living with an estranged family, strangers living under the same roof, nothing could be much better than departing and running to a new land. Nothing could be better than living as a different person. A new person devoid of errors and ill memories. A new person with new opportunities. So, let’s not call this sad.
A suitcase in hand, a backpack behind him, Wanderer ventures far and wide. Flies away from his birthplace and towards a city where the wind blows not too hot and not too cold, not too strong and not too weak. In this place, this is where he’ll start over.
Give him a day of flight. Once he reaches Mondstadt, nobody awaits his arrival. Nobody waves at him, looks at him, smiles at him, or even talks to him. So be it. He marches away from the airport. He treads to the center of the city, indigo eyes wide and eager. And after hours of roaming, after hours of observing people of all kinds, he soon stops in front of a four-story building.
A hue of earthy green, modern but not too luxurious, big but never as huge as Wanderer’s previous house — this is the apartment Wanderer chose to live in. The apartment that’ll bore witness to a grand restart. Er, maybe not grand, but it is a wonderful restart nonetheless.
Feigning confidence, Wanderer puffs his chest out. He deeply inhales, squeezing his suitcase closer before trudging inside.
Inside, the walls and ceiling are painted beige, close to white. Every piece of furniture is brown, not new but well-maintained to avoid all signs of aging — cracking, crumbling, fading, and every little thing observable. This apartment wasn't built yesterday but it sure looks like one. For that, Wanderer sighs, relieved. He truly has a good eye for good things.
“Um, excuse me?”
A new voice. Words that prompt Wanderer to snap his head to the left, his eyes darting to a young girl creeping on the corner, near a door to the left.
Pressed against the wall, her face fairer than snow, a young girl’s brilliant emerald eyes dilate as she forces a courteous smile.
Wanderer pauses, squints, ponders over who the heck this kid is. But forget about his confusion, he wonders if this girl is lost. If so, he needs to help. Don’t misinterpret though! It’s not like he’s super kind nor is he trying to be a hero; he simply can’t stand the sight of helpless children lost and crying for their guardians. With that said, don’t get Wanderer wrong. He’s not the type to be so kind as to get his kindness abused.
Lips pursed in a straight line, he relaxes and approaches the kid. He never speaks, instead he lets the young girl talk first.
“Are you the new tenant?” The young girl blinks, waddling away from the wall and towards the vacant receptionist’s desk. A bit too tall for her, she disappears behind the table only to re-emerge when she safely climbs and sits on the receptionist’s chair. Wanderer’s jaw hangs open. Is this young girl . . . an employee? Is Mondstadt allowing child labor?
In horror, Wanderer gulps but doesn't make rash judgments. Calm yourself. Never be driven by impulse. Clenching his jaw, he watches the young girl offer a graceful, mature smile.
“My name is Nahida,” she says, her eyes glimmering under the ambient light. “My mother owns this place but she’s super sick, so I’m currently managing it.”
The only thing leaving Wanderer’s mouth is, “Excuse me . . . what?”
Nahida giggles, nodding. “Mom is at the hospital so I volunteered to —”
“Oh my god, Nahida!” A new girl, again, stomps closer. Wanderer would’ve glared but the girl’s sunny yellow hair blinds him. Stuns him. Keeps him silent as he watches her trudge to Nahida’s direction.
“What did we say about you greeting people?” The girl scolds, her golden eyes narrowed in irritation. But not anger, never anger. Instead, concern fuels her, sincerity intertwined with her words.
“People might get the wrong idea if you greet them first,” the girl says. Only then does she notice Wanderer’s presence, her frustrated frown shifting into a polite grin. “Oh, hi! My name’s Lumine, I guess you’re the new resident from Inazuma?”
Oh. Lumine must be the person he was talking to last night. Thank goodness it wasn’t a child overseeing this place. Otherwise, he would’ve moved away ASAP to avoid seeing children suffer unfair treatment.
Shoulders slumping, his grip on his suitcase loosening, he nods and stays quiet, not in the mood to play nice. Yet Lumine continues smiling. She keeps the bright, cheery facade, her expression never faltering or waning. Impressive but that’s to be expected from people who are doing business. Wanderer’s not one to be persuaded by a mere smile.
“I’ll show you to your room.” And so, Lumine guides Wanderer to his apartment. She even offers to carry his suitcase for him. What kind of man would Wanderer be to let a lady carry his stuff? As the only boy in his estranged family, he was born and raised to be a gentleman. A man with perfect etiquette; a man who has a way with his words. Though he dislikes his family to the point of erasing his name, he’d rather not forget the etiquettes he learned from them.
After rejecting Lumine’s offer, he shuts his mouth and trails behind her. To the elevator, to the sunlit hallway, to the end of the hallway with a window and two doors facing each other. Even upon reaching his new home’s door, Wanderer notices Nahida shadowing behind them. Pea green eyes wide, a tiny smile on her lips, Nahida hides her hands behind her while watching Lumine unlock the door.
“This is your new house,” Lumine says, eyes squeezed as she struggles to unlock the door to Wanderer’s new home. Grunting, she twists the door knob and voila! It clicks and swings open.
“There you go.” Lumine’s face lights up. While explaining every technical thing such as the bed or the kitchen or the bathroom, she hands the keys to Wanderer. She tours him around the house. Eventually, she stops at the small corridor near the front door.
“Um, another thing.” She flicks her fringe away from her forehead, her face creasing in apprehension. Uh-oh. Wanderer has seen his fair share of troubles but he hopes none of what comes out of Lumine’s mouth would stir enough problems for him.
Stomach clenched, his lips tightened, he hears every single word dripping out of her mouth.
Eyes hardened, leaning forward closer to Wanderer, Lumine raises a finger to her lips as she whispers, “If you hear someone screaming or crying or moaning or demonically laughing at night, don’t be scared, okay?”
Like hell, Wanderer wouldn’t be scared. Anyone who hears that in the dead of night would tremble and shit their pants without thinking twice. Too proud to admit that, he nods and keeps listening instead.
Lumine’s smile turns coy, almost awkward, as she adds, “Don’t worry about it too. That’s just —”
“Lumine? Come here!”
Oh for fuck’s sake. Do the people in this building have phones? Why do they keep screaming each other’s name instead of calling or texting each other through the phone? Irked, and definitely intrigued, Wanderer’s eyes sharpen as he glowers at the new person’s arrival.
Standing at the front door, with the same sunny yellow hair and amber eyes, a young delicate man frowns and beckons Lumine’s name. “Come here,” he says. “I have something important to tell.”
Lumine grumbles but she doesn’t protest. Eyes shifting back and forth between Wanderer and the other person, she fakes a cough and goes, “Hey, I’ll talk to you later. For now, relax in your new home and don’t mind every noise you hear. You’re safe in this place, mm-kay?”
With that said and done, she hops away from Wanderer. She runs to the man she calls “Aether.” Must be her brother, Wanderer deduces. The similarity between Lumine and Aether are distinguishable and anyone who says they’re not related are blind. Thankfully, Wanderer isn’t blind or dumb.
Slouching, head snapping to the closed balcony, he lets out a heavy exhale until it hits him — someone is still in the room. Someone watches him, eyes large and eerily akin to a doll’s.
Turn around. Slowly. When Wanderer spins on his heel, he spots Nahida at the door, her eyes bizarrely glowing and her smile mischievous.
What the hell?
Finally, Wanderer speaks up. In the calmest, most tender tone he can muster, he asks, “What is it? Something wrong?”
Nahida shakes her head, enthusiastic as she skips closer to him. Hand beside her lips, she whispers, “Do you want to know who your neighbor is?”
Wanderer couldn’t care less about strangers, so he stays honest. Shaking his head, he answers, “No.”
“Aw, why not?” Nahida pouts. “It’ll be super interesting to watch you interact with a man like him.”
“A man like him?” Wanderer replies. Okay, who let this young playful girl out here instead of going to school? Clearly, she’s smarter than her age. She speaks grown-up too. Though puzzled, Wanderer decides to ignore it. Instead, he focuses on the topic at hand. “Why? What’s wrong with my neighbor?”
To that, Nahida giggles and replies, “Nothing. He’s just a very fun person and I think it’ll be more fun to watch you two interact.”
“And why is that?”
“Well —”
As usual, Lumine returns, her footsteps heavy and her tone severe. No nonsense, devoid of gentleness, she scowls and — with a frighteningly calm voice — asks Nahida to go leave Wanderer alone. Truly a smart child, Nahida swallows and glances at Wanderer one more time. She would’ve said something but Lumine drags her by the hand, no attempts at hiding her growing annoyance.
Nahida merely whimpers and shoots a pitiful look at Wanderer.
Confronted by a pair of sad doe eyes, tiny hand reaching out to his direction, Wanderer would’ve felt bad but no. Nuh-uh. A random child isn’t his business. And so, he shrugs it off, deciding to overlook Nahida’s statements so he can sit down, relax, and unwind after an entire flight. Still, one thought knocks on his mind. What did Lumine and Nahida wish to tell him earlier?
A neighbor who screams, cries, moans, maniacally laughs at night; a neighbor who’s interesting and fun. A type of psycho? No, that can’t be. When Wanderer searched for a good, safe city to live in, he found this place — this apartment, to be exact — and immediately knew he had to move here. After all, this place is near a park. The bus station is walking distance, several stores selling different things surround the apartment, there’s also a weekly night market every Saturday. All in all, this place seems to be perfect for the new, fresh life Wanderer wants. If anything, to not move to this suburban place can be considered a foolish crime. But . . . isn’t this city too perfect?
Confounded and, frankly, alarmed, he paces back and forth before staring daggers at his front door.
Outside his apartment, across his front door, another blue door arises. A blue door that is oddly silent, unmoving, lifeless even. Such an image strikes fear into one’s heart. Much like lightning during a stormy night. Wanderer’s body stiffens, his throat constricting as he creeps closer to his front door. Stay calm, stay calm. Arms crossed, eyes glazed in anxiety, he grabs the door knob. Pulls it and slams the door shut. There! Shut and locked, his safety returns as his anxiety leaves, draining the energy out of him till he’s trudging to the sofa.
Goodness, he can only hope nothing awful comes from his neighbor.
“So . . . I wanted to tell you something.”
Lumine looks at Aether and yes, Aether knows she’s mad. She’s quite pissed because not only is Nahida messing with the new tenant, Aether is out here creating trouble for both of them. Still! Aether means well, he means it.
To prove his innocence, he showers her with a pure and kind smile. He speaks in a honeyed voice, obviously fake and nauseatingly sweet.
“What.” Lumine frowns, her eyes dead.
In their cozy house where the sun enters and the wind wafts, where the curtains flutter as the ringing silence envelops them, Aether stands and looks at Lumine, who sits on the sofa, reclining and her legs folded. Such a queen behavior from Lumine. Aether almost folds, intimidated. But he digresses. Grinning and perking up, he confesses his latest achievement.
“I got accepted in Teyvat’s best culinary school!” Aether claps, laughing before screaming “Let’s go!” at his own self. Pathetic to applaud himself but he’d rather cheer himself up than be disappointed nobody is cheering for him. After all, even Lumine refused Aether’s dream of becoming a chef. Unbelievable. His own twin sister declining his dreams to be the very best — nobody would understand how much that hurt his soul. But life goes on. He can’t let one rejection drag him down.
Keen on achieving his dreams, Aether leans on the wall. He grins and says, “I know you’re worried about the distance but it’ll be fine. I can handle riding the train every day. Besides, you remember Xiao?”
Lumine simply grimaces, shrugging as she replies unimpressed. “Yeah, your partner?”
Aether scoffs. “You’re crazy, we’re just friends. But that’s beside the point. What I’m trying to say is, Xiao studies in Liyue too. We can accompany each other.”
“So more time with your partner?”
“We’re just friends, Lumine. Oh my god, you are literally deaf.”
Sometimes, the twins fight over stupid things. Sometimes, Aether starts it. Sometimes, Lumine does. Today, however, Lumine has no intentions of being the nice, compliant sister. Instead, she scowls and grabs her hair. She rakes her fingers through her curly locks, eyes squeezed shut and lips curled in a harsh sneer. What got her so crossed, Aether doesn’t know but he braces himself for the impact.
“And who’ll pay for your tuition fees?” Lumine grumbles.
Aether giggles and goes, “Me. I’ve been working part-time, remember?”
Lumine sends him a bitter look. “You’re working and studying, and now you’re gonna commute from Mondstadt to Liyue every damn morning for one hour. Does that sound healthy to you? Is that what you want?”
They fought over this time and time again and as much as Aether appreciates his sister’s concern, he has it all figured out. Strangely confident, he beams and replies, “I’ll be fine. Trust me. I’ve got this all scheduled and in time, I’ll graduate and work in a five-star restaurant.”
“You shithead, that’s not what I mean,” Lumine exclaims, shooting up from the sofa with her eyes burning against Aether’s. “As long as you don’t accept our financial aid, I’ll never accept your dream. Never.”
“Huh? Are you kidding me?” Aether snaps back, mouth ajar as he gapes at Lumine’s reaction. “Do you really want me to accept your money that badly?”
“Duh.” Lumine rolls her eyes. “Dain is begging you to accept our help and you’re out here working your ass off when you could have it easier. Why don’t you just receive our help?”
“I’ll never accept your money, Lumine.”
“Okay then. I’ll never accept your dreams too.”
And with that, the room goes silent. The air hums but it never soothes the soul, instead it caresses the twins’ faces, their gazes a similar sight. Both furious with the other’s statements.
To this day, the past holds them back. It continues troubling them but the one whom the past holds back the most is Aether. Refusing his twin sister’s help, rejecting every offer he receives from his cousin, Dainsleif — Aether has made it one of his goals to achieve his dream of becoming a chef by himself. Nobody knows why, not even Lumine, and that’s alright. That’s what Aether wanted.
Staying independent, Aether stands his ground. He looks Lumine dead in the eye, no intentions of giving up. In the end, Lumine groans and turns her back on him.
“You’re so annoying,” she mutters. “Fine, go work your ass off. I won’t stop you. If that’s what you want.”
“Lumine . . .” Aether’s eyes soften.
Yet she bursts in frustration, glaring at him as she replies, “Ugh, shut up. Leave me be for now. I need to work alone.”
Though Aether is known to be a gentle brother, he frowns and ends up mimicking his twin’s reaction. Annoyed, he scoffs and lifts his chin. He retorts, “Fine! Stupid face, you’re adopted anyway.”
To which, Lumine points at his face and says, “No, you’re adopted. You’re the ugly twin too.”
Once again, that starts their usual argument — the twins pointing fingers at each other’s faces while hurling nasty insults at each other’s soul.
“You’re uglier,” says Aether.
“Shut up, you look like a gorilla,“ Lumine replies.
“You look like the alien from Predator when you’re angry, which is every day by the way.”
“Oh, you little — get out! Stupid, dumbass, idiot, poophead.”
Aether would’ve responded with intelligent words befitting of a human but he mimics his sister’s insults, speaks in a high-pitched voice till he resembles an alien. Somehow, copying his sister’s words always succeeds in pissing Lumine off. It angers her more than when Aether throws unnecessary mockery. Oh well, a win is a win. Aether takes his cake and eats it, walking out of Lumine’s apartment without looking back.
“Hah! What got her so pissed anyway?” Aether mumbles as he exits the building. Outside, a sleek black car parks on the sideway, his friends waiting for him inside.
“What took you so long?” Venti waves from the backseat, his eyes squinting as he beams. Beside Venti, with a phone in his hand, Albedo glances at Aether. As always, silent and composed.
Aether throws them a quick smile.
The window on the passenger’s seat rolls down, revealing Xiao who’s on the driver’s seat. Unsmiling but never austere, he nods as a greeting before signaling Aether to get in the car. What else could Aether do but comply?
Like this, the four of them drive to another random spot Venti found. Two weeks ago, it was a lake with a large tree where fireflies live. Six days ago, Venti sent them on a four-hour drive to Sumeru to see a waterfall that Venti swore was “a sight that convinces you it’s where fairies live.” Now, Venti promises he saw a large statue of a previous king near Liyue.
Xiao and Albedo barely believe Venti but Aether decides to act as Venti’s supporter, which brings them here.
Is it worth it to believe Venti’s words? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, it’s a complete waste of time. Regardless of the outcome, one fact remains true. All four of them would eat in their favorite restaurant after this and if the result is good, they’ll talk about it with smiles on their face. It seems today isn’t the time to discuss their journey’s end with a smile though.
“Are you kidding me?” Xiao gazes at the statues near Liyue, his eyes empty. Not even anger or disappointment. Turning to Venti, he mutters, “You brought us here for this?”
Albedo eyes the two statues of mighty soldiers, his hand slowly pulling his phone out. Cool-headed, he mutters, “Aether, get ready.”
Aether blinks, puzzled. “Get ready with what?”
Of course, as the group’s artist, Albedo asks Aether to stand in a certain way. To pose in shameful positions. To stand still while Albedo captures an image soon to be used as a reference. Although burning in embarrassment, Aether submits to his duty — which is to pose for Albedo so Albedo can get a good reference picture.
Along the way, Xiao stops talking to Venti, his attention wafting to Albedo and his phone. Eyes wielded like knives, he tightens his lips and says, “I’ll take a picture of Aether. I’ll send them to you.”
Albedo side-eyes Xiao. Silence. And then, a shake of his head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll take a picture of him myself.”
Xiao would’ve argued but Venti steps in, volunteering to take a picture of Aether as well. Now there are three people arguing to take images of Aether, two of them without proper explanation as to why they’ll take images of him. At least for Albedo and his illustrations, Aether can be helpful but with Xiao and Venti? What are those two going to do with his pictures?
Ashamed, Aether buries his face in his hands while groaning.
“Just let Albedo take a picture,” he whines. “It’s not like you two would draw me.”
Venti puts his hands on his waist, huffing and throwing his head back. “Are you challenging me?”
Aether must’ve been infected by Lumine’s uptightness, that must explain why he rolls his eyes at Venti’s response. Head tilted, Aether replies, “Please. We’re not done with you bringing us to Liyue just to see these common statues.”
“It’s majestic,” Venti cries.
“You just want to see Mr. Zhongli,” Xiao argues. Emotionless as always. Alas, Venti stutters and staggers backwards, defending himself and rejecting Xiao’s so-called assumption.
Unlucky for the group’s resident singer, Albedo has Xiao’s back. As the logical one in the group, Albedo defends Xiao’s side. This leaves Aether, sympathetic to Venti’s situation, protecting Venti from Xiao and Albedo’s hard-hitting interrogation. Lo and behold, all four men talk in unison.
Xiao has no brakes but he isn’t known to be disrespectful to elders. And since Venti once dated his adoptive father, Xiao politely suggests one thing. “If you wanted to meet Mr. Zhongli, I would’ve been happy to help.”
Albedo, the rational one, explains why he thinks Venti went out of his way to convince them the two statues are worthy of seeing. In his words, Albedo states, “I recall it being this month when they separated. Venti must’ve felt nostalgic, which brings us here in this place.”
And there’s Venti left to fend for himself. “I don’t miss him, okay? I don’t miss anyone. I’m happy like this. Please, why can’t you guys believe me?”
Meanwhile, Aether is trying his darn hardest to calm the conflict between his friends and his own self. “Please, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and assume what Venti planned. I mean, yeah, he probably misses Zhongli — wait, no, Venti said he’s fine so — wait, no no no. Albedo’s right, they did break up during this month. Argh! Fuck! Venti, you’re so hard to defend.”
Ah, yes, a typical commotion in their group. A calm but strict friend, an extremely logical but also artistic friend, an extremely artistic friend who’s also impulsive, and the normal friend who keeps everyone afloat. Aether forgot how they all met, but it is what it is. Now he’s stuck with these three men for better or worse.
Amidst their chaotic ramblings and argument, Venti halts. He shuts his mouth. He runs behind Aether, grabbing Aether by the wrist before pulling him closer.
Hasty, Venti whispers, “He’s here. Look over there, he’s here!”
Aether, Albedo and Xiao whip their head and meters away from them, donned in a tight suit, Zhongli treads beside his boss, the 77th director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao. Luckily, Zhongli never notices them. Pupils dilating, Aether gulps before ultimately snickering at Venti’s face.
“You fumbled the bag so hard.” Aether laughs without any attempt at hiding his mocking tone. “How horrible were you that he dumped you?”
Most of the time, Venti says something snarky. He might even turn the tides so the harsh waves crash on the other person. Today, however, he stays quiet. Not a single clever word leaves his mouth, instead puckering his lips and looking away in coyness. What a reaction. It sends Aether into a guilty attack, his guts churning till he clears his throat.
“Let’s go home.” Aether forces a grin. “Before Zhongli sees us, we should just leave.”
No other words have been said. To save Venti’s dignity, they depart before they’re detected. Do they stop discussing the matter between Venti and Zhongli though? Of course not, hence why they continue arguing in the car.
Past the mountains of Liyue and past the plains of Mondstadt, after two and a half hours, they reach the building where Aether lives. Having decided to order food instead, they park the car before pacing towards the building. Along the way, they never stop talking about Venti’s past relationship. At this point, it’s the fuel keeping all of them awake and alive.
On the sidewalks, in the lobby, inside the elevator — they chatter and chatter without hints of stopping.
Aether has just moved into this apartment where Lumine also lives and because Lumine oversees this place while the true owner rests in the hospital, Aether has learned a few tenants’ names as well as the new tenant who moved in this morning. Best to stay quiet to avoid getting on the new tenant’s bad side then.
Shushing his friends down, Aether reminds them to stay quiet to avoid disturbing the neighbors. Ring! And the elevator swings open. The group would’ve continued talking quietly but something freezes them. No, someone’s silhouette shuts them up.
In the dim hallway where the moon peeks inside through the windowpane, a young man with skin fairer and softer than all stands at the end. His dark indigo hair compliments the snow-white of his complexion. His vibrant eyes, nearly purple in color, exude grace. Aether recalls who that man is.
“Um, Kunikuzushi, right?” Aether calls out, his lips twisting into a small smile as he shares a knowing look with the others. Stepping forward, he finds the young man glaring.
“Don’t call me that,” he says. Then nothing else.
Aether swallows his words, apologizes, and asks what name he can call the man.
“Wanderer,” he answers. Brief but he makes his point. Aether respects it.
“Okay, Wanderer, what brings you out here? Is something wrong?” There’s a hand holding Aether back, a hand lingering and imprinting warmth on his arm, but Aether ignores it. Preoccupied with helping the new tenant, he approaches Wanderer till Wanderer turns his head to the right. To the blue door across Wanderer’s apartment. Aether blinks and follows Wanderer’s gaze.
Whatever could be in there, nobody knows, but Aether ensures it’s another tenant sleeping well. Still showing a pleasant expression, Aether opens his lips to say something yet a noise petrifies everyone. A noise that provokes all of them to flinch, jump back, and get closer.
An evil laugh, followed by a faint statement of “I’ll fucking kill you.” Not a single person in the hallway recognizes that voice but everyone sure as hell knows that sounds terrible.
Grabbing Aether’s by the sleeve, Venti huddles closer to him while frowning in concern.
Aether glances at Venti before saying, “It’s okay, I got you.”
Venti merely blushes. “Aw, Aether, you —”
Before Venti can finish his sentence, Xiao and Albedo simultaneously command, “Stop.”
What do you know? Venti shuts up.
Aether can only peer at them, abashed after showing his friends’ eccentricities to Wanderer. He hopes Wanderer isn’t judging them too harsh.
Back to the problem at hand though. What person would actually cackle like a witch before uttering such a vile sentence? Concerned for the tenants in this building, Aether gulps and steps forward. Xiao grabs his wrist, asks him to stop, but Aether disobeys.
“Since my sister’s overseeing this place, I’ll warn this tenant in her place,” says Aether, his hand curled into a fist.
No worries. Many people are here, it’s not like he’ll die when he knocks on the door. He believes he won’t get dragged inside once someone opens the door too. Still, the dread remains. It rots in his lungs till his breath turns labored.
Wanderer heaves a heavy sigh out. “I’ll do it,” he says.
Aether’s nose crinkles. “No, it’s fine. I’ll do it.”
“I’m the one who initially wanted to warn this person.” Wanderer frowns.
“Yeah, but I’m the brother of the person overseeing this place. I’m doing this in her stead.”
No use. Aether and Wanderer glare at each other, both of them without intentions of surrendering their pride and bravery. They could’ve fought, they could’ve shoved each other away, they could’ve knocked on the door first but surprise, surprise. They back off. They grimace at the door as the person inside releases a loud, delirious laugh again. This time, they’re certain — the person inside isn’t normal.
“Perhaps we should call the cops,” Albedo suggests.
“No, let’s check who this person is first,” Wanderer replies.
“And if he’s ultimately a criminal?” Venti chimes in, still hiding behind Aether.
“We’ll subdue him. Simple.” Xiao steps forward, ready to act.
With all in favor, Aether moves forward. He raises his fist, pounds his knuckles against the wooden door, then he waits. He braces himself for the worst. He hopes it’s just a guy who’s dreaming an aggressively nightmare very, very loudly. He hopes and hopes and hopes until the door swings open.
In the corner of Aether’s eyes, he finds Wanderer’s face going pale. He couldn’t even focus on the new guy’s appearance when Wanderer gasps, recoiling away at the new guy’s presence.
“Huh? Why are there so many — wait . . . Scaramouche?” The man gives a crooked grin, his ocean blue eyes swirling with mirth.
Wanderer could only slap his forehead as the guy with orange hair beams and greets the others.
Uh-oh. Aether must’ve stumbled upon two people who know each other — two people who might have a complicated history. Intrigued but not nosey, Aether’s smile turns strained and fake the more time passes.
“Tartaglia,” Wanderer mutters, a pained smirk on his lips. “I see you’re still obnoxious.”
Behind Aether, Venti whispers, “They know each other?”
Albedo chimes in, replying, “Clearly. We shouldn’t be here then.”
Sure, they could leave and let Wanderer and Tartaglia talk it out but who would do that when Wanderer lands a solid jab at Tartaglia’s face, pouncing on him like a tiger to its prey?
Shocked but quick on his feet, Aether holds Wanderer back while shouting at Xiao to help him restrain Wanderer. Clueless but subservient to Aether’s demand, Xiao sprints to Wanderer’s side so the fight wouldn’t escalate.
“Let me at him,” Wanderer screams, flailing his limbs to escape only to no avail.
“Calm down, please, calm down.” Aether struggles to hold Wanderer back, his face twisting in fear when Wanderer almost punches him in the eye.
“Hey, enough,” Xiao shouts. “You’re gonna hit Aether at this point, stop it!”
“Oh god, are you okay, sir?” Venti frantically asks Tartaglia before turning to Albedo, sweat forming on his temples. “What do we do, Albe — huh? Albedo, why are you running? Where are you going?”
“I’m calling Lumine,” Albedo replies as he runs upstairs.
Wanderer keeps cursing at Tartaglia and his entire bloodline; Xiao spends his entire energy to restrict Wanderer’s movement; Venti is conflicted whether to laugh and record this scene or help Aether and Xiao; Tartaglia is left on the floor, aching and grumbling at the bruise near his lips; and Aether . . . let’s just say he’s on the verge of breaking down.
“Please, just calm down, calm down,” Aether cries, letting out small “ow” and “ouch” every time Wanderer shakes him off.
The next scene plays out in slow-motion. Without any warning, without any pause or kind notification, Wanderer lifts his fist and shakes Aether and Xiao away. Of course, nothing happens. The two men refuse to leave him alone, to let him pummel Tartaglia to pieces, and that boils Wanderer’s blood. Beyond enraged, Wanderer jostles Aether away, only to give the poor man an accidental backhanded punch to the nose. Alas, let it be known that Wanderer — without meaning to — broke someone’s nose by accident. Only then does the frenzy come to a screeching halt.
Venti and Xiao rush to Aether and his bloody nose. Tartaglia gasps and gawks at Wanderer. Albedo returns with Lumine behind him. And why the hell is Nahida behind Lumine carrying snacks as if she’s headed to a movie theater?
Confused and hurt, Aether tears up at the scorching pain in his bleeding nose. He just wants to make a Michelin food, why is he suffering this much? Sobbing, Aether curses at tonight’s moon. Ignore Xiao’s furious complaints towards Wanderer’s behavior. Ignore Venti and Albedo trying to explain the situation. Ignore Wanderer apologizing to Aether and mocking Tartaglia at the same time. Ignore Lumine’s breathless interjections of disbelief. And ignore Tartaglia loudly asking what the hell is happening. Aether’s nose is broken, what else could matter other than that?
“I need . . . ugh, please, get medical attention, please, calm down.” Aether wheezes for air, his voice congested and his nose full of blood. Before he discerns it, his head feels light. The world spins. Eyelids rolling down, Aether drops to the floor, his last conscious moments involving everyone shouting and arguing.
Ah, yes, what a way to end the night.