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Oh, to be home… and to be missing a vital piece of what he calls home. Ajax sighed as he walked through the door into his private quarters in the palace. He had just finished reporting back to the Tsaritsa and now he was ordered to get some rest. He didn’t really want to. He’d much prefer to be going to Mondstadt and checking on Diluc in person. He hadn’t received a letter back from him in a long time, and while he knew why that was, he still couldn’t help but worry about how Diluc was doing.
Instead of going to bed, despite how late it was, Ajax sat at his desk and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. He wanted this letter to make it to Diluc as soon as possible.
~
Diluc,
I’m finally back in Snezhnaya, and while I’ll always love the snowy landscape that I’ve called home for so long, I can’t help but say that I don’t want to be here now. I’d much rather be in Mondstadt.
My journey home was a safe one. I had no problems making it here and I’ve received a clean bill of health after I went to a doctor. It’s part of a procedure after any missions for us Harbingers to get checked over for any injuries that we may not have caught, but I’m sure you could have figured that out.
I’ll be in Snezhnaya for the next few months, so you can send a letter back this time. I hope you’re doing well. Please let me know how you liked everything that I sent you. And let me know if you’ve tried any of those recipes. I hope there weren’t any disasters resulting from that.
Be sure to stay safe and get some rest, firefly. And I promise, the moment I have the chance, I’ll be back in Mondstadt to come see you.
Love,
Ajax
~
Diluc smiled at the letter and read it again a couple more times. Then, he set it to the side to pull out a piece of paper and a pen to write his response. He felt happier that he could send a response back this time around. He contemplated sending the other responses to old letters that were tucked in a box with this one, but he decided against it. He could always send them later or just wait until the next time he had the chance to see Ajax in person.
He read over the new letter one more time and turned back to the blank sheet of paper.
~
Ajax,
I’m doing well, though I can’t say rest comes easy. There’s a lot to do here and I still have a hard time sleeping alone. I’d much prefer patrolling Mondstadt for any threats than laying awake in bed and wondering what you’re doing.
How are you holding up? I’m glad to hear that you’re uninjured. Please do your best to stay that way. I don’t want to hear that you’ve been put on bedrest for any reason. And if I’m honest, I do wish I could travel to Snezhnaya to see you. I’d rather not deal with the complications of stepping foot in that nation after what happened the last time I was there, though.
I have tried some of the recipes. I will be honest in saying that I did fail to recreate a few, but I plan to try again. Adelinde offered to help me. The failed attempts did not lead to disaster, though. And I have successfully recreated a couple of those recipes. They’re quite fun to make and the food is really good. I think my only complaint is that I have to order a lot of the ingredients from other nations, but it really isn’t too much trouble.
As for the outfits, I think they all look nice. The desert travel outfit from Sumeru was a bit revealing for my taste, but I can understand why someone would not want to wear completely covering clothes in a place like that.
I’ll keep trying with those recipes you sent me. I’d like to make them for you whenever you get the chance to return to Mondstadt.
Love,
Diluc
~
Ajax read through the letter with a smile, laughing quietly as he read about how Diluc had failed at recreating some of the recipes he’d received. ‘Typical Diluc. At least Adelinde’s there to teach him now.’ He thought, though he wished it was himself instead. He wanted to make the recipes with Diluc. It had been fun when they cooked ponchiki together and he missed it.
‘I hope he’s resting at least a little.’ He thought, rereading the letter. ‘If he collapses from exhaustion, I might just go to Mondstadt to scold him for it.’ The Harbinger set the letter to the side and pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
~
Diluc,
Remember to rest. I am sorry that I can’t be there to help you sleep, but I don’t want to hear any news about you collapsing from exhaustion or something, firefly. Be careful.
I wish I could be there to make those recipes with you. It would be fun. I enjoyed making ponchiki with you. I am glad that Adelinde offered to help you with those recipes, though. At least you still have someone there to teach you how to cook properly without causing an explosion or something.
I think it’s getting close to time for me to leave for another mission, so unfortunately I don’t think you’ll be able to send a response to this letter. I did send a package that should arrive a few days after this letter. It’s got a cloak in it that I thought you’d like. I know you don’t usually go to cold places, but if you ever need to make a trip up to Dragonspine or something, that cloak should be able to come in handy.
Stay safe, Diluc. And get some rest. I really miss you.
Love,
Ajax
~
Diluc sighed as he read that he couldn’t send a response back. The thought of not sending something back did upset him, but he was looking forward to the package he’d get. He still wasn’t used to receiving gifts - barely anyone in Mondstadt, aside from his own staff and Kaeya, bothered to remember his birthday or get him a gift. He loved all the gifts he’d gotten from Ajax so far, though.
Diluc wrote his response letter and then put the letters into their respective boxes before turning and getting ready to head to the tavern. Speaking of Kaeya, he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear him gripe about the fact that he’d gotten yet another letter from Ajax. Unfortunately, he’d just have to deal with it.
~~~
As expected, three days later Diluc received a package. When he opened it, there was another letter on top and the cloak - a white cloak with black fur trim around the collar and a large hood. He smiled and opened the letter.
~
Diluc,
I do have another mission soon. I won’t be leaving Snezhnaya, but I will be away from the palace for the time being. I’ll let you know the second I’m back.
I hope you like the cloak I sent you. I had it made from the same fabric that we use here to keep warmer. It’s surprisingly light, so you’ll still be able to have full mobility in it. No worries about getting into a fight and being unable to defend yourself. I also made sure to have a bird sewn into the back of it as a custom order. I hope you like it, firefly.
Stay safe and get some rest. I’ll keep you updated on my mission progress.
Love,
Ajax