Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sucrose held the towelette against her fingertip, the cold sting of disinfectant against the paper cut grounding her as she tried to ignore the ruined experiment at her desk.

She didn’t even notice the cut until the small drop of blood had rolled off her finger and soured the entire experiment. She’d need to gather all her ingredients and samples and then clean and set all the equipment up and—it was going to be a long day. Sucrose bit her lip and tried to quell her frustration.

A knock interrupted her downtrodden thoughts. “C-come in!”

A knight poked his head in the lab, careful not to step inside—mistakes had been made in the past, now most knights were not allowed inside the lab. “Head knight Jean asked me to invite you to her office. She also specified that if you were busy it could wait.”

Sucrose’s ear flicked. It wasn’t often she was called to see Jean. They knew each other fairly well, but Albedo was always the one to speak with her. She scrambled to set her vials and tools away where they belonged. “Of course! I’ll be there in a moment.”

Master Jean was terrifying. That was probably due to their lack of interactions.

Jean was always swamped with paperwork with bags under her eyes. Most of the time Sucrose heard her voice it was a strict yell following one of Klee’s escape attempts. It’d frightened her before, making Sucrose jump and drop a valuable test tube. There was still a stain on the wooden boards.

With everything set away, she fixed up her uniform and made her way to Jeans office, knocking twice on the door. “Acting Grandmaster Jean? It’s Sucrose!”

There was a sound of papers rustling behind the door before Jean spoke, “Come in!”

She slipped inside the room, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible before looking at the Acting Grandmaster.

In all truthfulness, she looked tired. There was ink smeared on her hand, and papers stacked all over her desk. So much so she couldn’t see an inch of the polished wood top. Still, Jean gave a small smile.

“Hello Sucrose, how’s the apprenticeship?” Jean asked. There was a heaviness behind her words, an exhaustion. Sucrose nodded.

“It’s good—I’m working on some independent studies. Mister Albedo is a great teacher.”

The genuine feel of the smile was drowned out by the dark bags under the Acting Grandmaster’s eyes. “That’s wonderful to hear. Do you have anything important going on today?”

“Oh! No, I was just planning on heading into the wilds to collect some plant samples, but if there’s anything the knights need I certainly don’t mind helping.”

Jean perked up, “You're going out? Do you think you can take Klee with you? Just for the afternoon that is—She’s so wound up and I have so much work to do and… and I just can’t deal with her right now. I usually have Albedo do it but since you’re in for him today and he’s in the mountains—”

“I-of course! Mind if I take her up to Galesong hill? There’s things I need to grab there, uh-and she can blow off some steam with the hilichurls around there.”

“That’d be great, she’s just so… pent and chaotic up all the time. I don’t want to keep putting her in her room but she’s just so destructive. I don’t know what to do with her.”

“Well I’m always happy to help.”

“Thank you Sucrose, really. It’s a huge help. Oh, and Kaeya is going too.”

“…wait—”

~~~

Contrary to what most people would think, Kaeya and Sucrose knew each other fairly well. Sucrose was a great contact for getting any sort of special ingredients that Lisa wouldn’t let slide, as well as being a (usually) willing second party in his getting-out-of-work schemes. He was also a good listener.

They lounged calmly on the hill next to the gorge. The sound of explosions and giggles rang out below them as Klee had her fun in the gorge below. The little knight was smart enough to be unsupervised for a little bit. Sucrose already had the majority of the ingredients she needed in her satchel from the walk there.

With Kaeya, it was all too easy to spill her heart, sighing heavily as they talked about the little girl below them.

“It’s just… Jean definitely isn’t overreacting b-but I don’t think she’s reacting…”

“Correctly?”

Sucrose gestured vaguely. “She’s such a great leader, and a wonderful woman—I know that, I do—but… Klee’s in her room so often. It’s just going to make Klee resent Mondstadt by the time she’s twelve. And a runaway Klee… gosh, image the menace she’d be.”

“Mhm.” Kaeya made a vague noise of acknowledgement. He was laid down in the grass, wrist over his eyes to shade them. The sun was nice. He always seemed to glow in it.

“Mister Albedo thinks similarly.” Sucrose confessed, a little guiltily. She messed with the hem of the skirt as she spoke. “Perhaps my opinion is due to influence from him but… He’s worried about her a lot. But he gets it, everyone is also so busy. Jean, Lisa, the Knights too—o-oh! Klee? Klee! Don’t do that-”

Kaeya and Sucrose shot to their feet. Klee was hurling bombs towards a hilichurl archer standing very close to a stack of pyro-slime-sposives.

Klee giggled, tossing a bouncing bomb towards the hilichurl. They sprinted down the hill.

Kaeya was quicker, sharp blades of ice crystallizing around him as he threw himself forward, arms wrapping around Klee. His body braced for impact.

Sucrose stumbled back, arms jumping up to shield her head.

A wave of heat from the explosion blew past her.

The moments after were wordless, filled with heavy panting and Sucrose struggling to get her breathing under control.

Kaeya stood, an unharmed Klee hanging in his arms, eyes wided.

“Oopsie.”

“Klee! You little terrorist.” Kaeya bit out, exasperated. His chest was still heaving.

They were fine, everything was fine.

Sucrose’s heart felt like it was about the tear from her chest. “Thank archons…”

Klee, realizing the severity of her actions, looked up to Kaeya, tears collecting in the corner of her eyes, “…are you gonna tell Master Jean?”

A series of emotions flicked over Kaeya’s face, exhaustion edging into pitiful acceptance. Klee’s eyes were wide, puppy dog sad as she stared up at Kaeya. Sucrose herself felt a pang of guilt. He looked down, shaking his head.

“Of course not darling.” Kaeya continued to hold her in his arms. “But we are going to head home.”

“B-but-!” She kicked her feet.

“We still need to get Sucrose some sunsettia pits, remember? If you promise to be careful you can bomb some hilichurl camps on our way back.”

“Deal!”

“Kaeya we don’t need to get any sunsettia pits, it’s a simple retrieval, you can’t take Klee home-” Sucrose stopped when two identically mischievous eyes turned to her. “O-or not,”

Kaeya set Klee back down, and she hopped up in celebration, “Woo! We’re gonna kill hillichurls! And get Aunty Sucrose some sunsettia pits!”

“Yeah!” Kaeya laughed along.

“So long as everyone’s safe—!” Sucrose tried, but Klee had already booked it, running towards the city that hung over the lake.

~~~

Kaeya had parted ways at the gates of mondstat, saying it was about time to “muck the stalls”, something that Sucrose knew actually meant meeting Rosaria while skipping work duties. Whichever way, Sucrose was left to bring Klee back to the Favonius headquarters.

Klee skipped ahead, doing imaginary hopscotch as she putted along. They stopped to get two meat and mushroom kabobs from the good hunter for lunch. Klee attempted to pay in mini bombs, Sucrose ended up paying in real mora.

Klee had always been an adventurer, a demolitions expert, a wild card graced with a destructive vision far too young, and with a far too protective caretaker to learn her own limits through trial and error. Sucrose almost mourned Klee’s childhood as they approached the steps of the the favonious headquarters.

Only for something to be… off.

Sucrose paused, Klee stopping in her tracks alongside her, confused.

Deeper in the city, near the church, elemental energy sparked, fizzled, and snapped in conflict with each other.

“What’s going on up there Sucrose?”

“I don’t know,” Sucrose whispered, staring off towards the church. “Trouble. We should go inside—”

“Trouble? We better go help!” Klee said, and not a second layer she took off, hands stuck out like an airplane.

“Klee no-!” she yelled after the girl, hesitating before sprinting after her, chasing the little girl up the steps. “Klee!”

Klee made it to the church courtyard, past the statue of the anemo archon, with Sucrose on her heels. Why were children so fast? Their legs were so short—oh no.

Sucrose fumbled to a stop, Venti— the mysterious bard of Mondstat, and the great traveler who felled a dragon, were helpless, surrounded by a storm of ice and snow on the steps of the church.

Venti said something, snappy and point, and the woman rushed forward, striking him hard and tearing the chess piece from the twine around his neck.

Sucrose’s ears twitched as she stumbled a few paces backwards, was she really going to let this happen? Klee was sprinting towards them, too, she’d for sure get caught up in this—

The woman—dressed in white with a black Fatui mask perched on her head—held the piece high, admiring her own accomplishment. “So, this is a gnosis? Wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this ugly—”

“Jumpty Dumpty! Get her!” Klee tossed a bomb at the woman, and it collided with the woman’s skirt, exploding in a fizzing spark of pyro.

The woman roared, turning and narrowing her eyes in on Klee. With a snarl, she summoned several razor sharp cryo blades, “Insolent vermin.”

She couldn’t just leave Klee.

Sucrose tossed a crystal core into the air, chasing with a gust of anemo from her vision. Large wings unfurled from it, blowing everyone in its radius back. “Construct 332, fetch!”

The anemo butterfly rammed full force into the gnosis, knocking it from her hand and snatching the gnosis from the air in the same stroke.

The woman recovered quickly, shooting a blade of ice through the anemo construct’s core. It didn’t do much, and the Construct returned to Sucrose, dropping the gnosis.

The woman’s icy cold glare fell onto Sucrose as she snatched up the gnosis. “Get her!”

“Run!” The bard yelled.

“Ack!” She scrambled away, booking it down the steps, and into the streets of Mondstadt.

Knights of Favonius covered her tracks, trying to cut off the Fatui. All illusions of diplomacy long gone, both sides drew weapons.

She held the gnosis close to her chest and picked up the pace, a burst of anemo spurring her on faster.

People ducked into their houses as Sucrose ran. Many of the Fatui had delusions themselves, and ice began to crawl along the stone paved streets.

She could easily be cornered if she stayed in the city, her best bet would be the open air around Mondstat. Could she make it to dragonspine? Albedo would surely protect her.

With the gnosis clutched in her palms, the anemo in her lungs and around her body grew stronger, easier to control. She compressed the air in front of her, running up it like steps, up to the roofs of mondstat.

Wind spirits began to run alongside her, lengthening her strides, she felt lighter than air. The roof ended, and she jumped, weightlessly landing on the next one. The next jump however, would be over the wall, a jump she couldn’t make.

A strangled noise escaped her as she dropped back into the alley-like streets. Footsteps sounded far off, Fatui ones? Her breaths were quick and light.

“This way.” She almost screamed as Rosaria grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her along in a sprint.

“W-Where?”

“Exit—by the dock gates, and whatever you do, don’t let them get that chess piece. The Knights are distracting them, and the Traveler and Jean are facing the Fatui woman.” It seemed they were both on the same page about the gnosis’ importance.

“T-thank you!” she called back.

In the open air, more wind spirits joined. They curled around her ankles and tugged at her hair.

“Go, go, quick, like the wind—” their small voices whispered in her ears.

Something behind her buzzed, an electric current sending a shiver down her spine. She yelped as an electro bat dove for her.

A wind spirit intercepted, ramming back against it. Sucrose still stumbled, falling back into the grass. A purple clad Cincin mage was closing in. Sucrose covered her head and held tight to the gnosis—

“Heathen!” The Cincin screeched.

An arrow flew past, planting itself into the cincin’s shoulder. Outrider Amber!

The electro bats the cincin had manifested fizzled out as the mage fell to her knees. There were more fatui coming—was there an Encampment nearby? Were they laying low within the city?

Amber readied another shot, arrowhead blazing. “Sucrose! Keep going! We’ve got you!”

The spirits were tugging at her again. Sucrose continued on, the sound of, “Go Go Baron Bunny!” Echoing behind her.

Dragonspine, Dragonspine—if she could make it to Dragonspine then Albedo would be there to protect her. She was a mile out from the base of the mountain, only a few minutes at full speed with the wind spirits to aid her.

A pyro assassin growled behind her, the swipe of its blade catching and tearing the fabric of her cape. She just barely outpaced it, coming to the foot of dragonspine.

The adventurers at the camp snapped to attention, some scattering, others readying their bows and blades. Only the assassin kept up with her, others farther back. She didn’t turn back to see what would happen to them, sprinting to the snowy base of the mountain.

“Albedo!” She screamed. Her voice echoed emptily up the mountain, but she did it anyway, begging the wind to carry her voice to him. “Help!”

The Fatui that often prowled about the mountain joined the chase as soon as they saw her sprint past their camps. Fuck, maybe the mountain wasn’t the best idea-

But the biting cold snow and air gave her one advantage. She dug through her pockets, searching for the small vial. Clutched in her fist, she slowed to look over her shoulder, the troop was reasonably grouped up, and gaining on her

Skidding to a stop in the snow, she shattered the vial in her fist and tossed it back. “Enhanced Anemo Module 75!”

It bloomed middair, anemo wings swiping over the snowy path, casting snow, ice, and Fatui into the air, as well as tossing her off balance.

Wide eyes stared at her crystalline construct, its wings of anemo sent ice scattering through the air. Each beat of its wings cast the path into obscurity, harsh winds sending harsh whips of cryo through the air, cutting open skin and obscuring sight. It didn’t harm her, but her pursuers were not as lucky. Their shouts echoed behind her, confused and angry.

The blizzard her creation stirred clouded her glasses, leaving her to stumble blindly forward. It couldn’t harm her, but she gasped as the biting cryo whipped forward, slashing through a cicin mage’s forearm.

She scrambled to her feet, taking advantage of her creation, and continuing up the mountain.

Within the blizzard that Sucrose had stirred up, geo constructs began to sprout behind her, bluntly knocking soldiers off their feet and stirring up more snow. She glanced back, catching the way one slammed full force into a pyro fatui agent’s chest. The crack of his ribs was cutting through the deafening wind.

“M-Mister Albedo!” She yelled out.

She broke out of the blizzard, glasses still fogged, but she found him regardless.

He steadied her as she nearly collapsed against him, breathless, she panted out: “The gnosis! We have to keep it from them!”

Albedo, confused but ready to defend his assistant, shifted, moved in front of Sucrose. Instinctually, she wanted to keep going, all the way to the lab, but an ache set into her legs and the air in her lungs burned like cold fire.

She swayed on her feet as the snow settled and what remained of the troop gathered in front of them. They were tense, with lifeless eyes of their masks all focused on Sucrose. On the gnosis.

“Mister Albedo…”

“I’d suggest you leave, lest the Knights of Favonius catch up.” Albedo spoke, calmly. Sucrose hoped they did, Eula was never more than a few paces behind conflict, especially those involving the Fatui. Sucrose wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up right then.

“You don’t know what you’re messing with.” The commander hissed, but he and his men were alone and unprepared, all the equipped ones were already engaged with the knights and vision holders of Mondstadt. Albedo was well known already and these troops had been residing on Dragonspine for no short while. They knew of the prestige and danger he held. A fight with him was not easily won.

Sucrose shrunk down further behind him, watching the Fatui over his shoulder with wide amber eyes.

Albedo’s hand clutched his sword. “You are Fatui, correct?”

“Hand over the gnosis and no one gets hurt.”

He idly tilted his head. “Strange, with what I can infer, those two things seem like oxymorons.”

The grind of the commander's teeth was almost audible. A tense moment as elements buzzed around them in the air. Sucrose still clutched tightly to Albedo’s sleeve.

The Fatui wielded delusions. They were no easy foes. But true visions could never be matched by replicas. Several of their personnel were laid limp in the snow, some coughing up blood, others unconscious. She wouldn’t be surprised if Albedo could strike half the ground down in one blow. Her eyes flicked between her master and her assailants. Albedo stayed strong, heels dig into the snow.

“Fall back.” The commander barked.

Yes!

Sucrose wanted to collapse, but she couldn’t. She held a goddamn gnosis—something that was the center of countless hypotheses since the moment that bard reappeared. She couldn’t just-

“Are you alright?” Albedo steadied her, hand on her forearm, startling Sucrose back to reality.

“Wuh-Um, yes, yes! I’m fine. Tired! But fine. They didn’t land any shots...”

He nodded, “Let’s go to the lab, you need to sit down. Someone will probably be here to pick up the—whatever that is, shortly.”

“Albedo, w-wait. It’s… there’s something special about it.”

“I sure hope there is, what with the fuss it made. A harbinger, here, in Mondstadt.” He said simply.

“Y-yeah.” She said uneasily. It wasn’t unusual for Albedo to know about things he wasn’t present for, no. That wasn’t the part that worried her.

What would a harbinger want with a bard’s simple chest piece? What was a “gnosis”?

Her legs ached from running halfway across Mondstadt, but still she began to walk to the lab. Such questions would be answered later.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Experimenting with a possibly archon related magical chess piece without permission or any knowledge of what she was getting into was absolutely normal and not at all stupid.

Okay maybe it was a little stupid.

Still, Sucrose was an alchemist(‘s assistant) and wanted to—no, needed—to know.

There were old tales of archon’s holding continents up from the sea and bringing life to dead chunks of rock. Raising dying children to zombies and making flowers sprout upon battlefields drowned in blood. Stories of defying life and death alike.

She set a propagated wind wheel aster sprout on a metal tray.

The gnosis was cool to the touch, never warming between her hands, it was like an endless sea breeze. Breathing carefully scored, she brought the gnosis up, and ever so carefully carved away a chip of it.

It didn’t behave like wood or metal, but curiously carved away like unhardened clay.

She dropped the chip into the dip in the alchemy table, adding in a corrosive agent after it. Gently, she ground and mixed it into a fine paste.

She had some sprouted windwheel asters. She chose the largest one and set it in her petri dish. Following with the paste. Nothing happened. Yet. She just need a activating agent—

Just as she was about to fetch her catalyst, one of the few curious wind spirits that often floated around the lab floated over, gently gliding in idle circles above the dirt. Sucrose tilted her head.

It… it worked! The flower grew, and bloomed, big as her head. And it stayed blooming! Not fading to dust like her experiments did. Its roots spilled over the tray, dangling for the floor as the bloom spread to full. Almost half her size, like the flowers in the stories.

She couldn't help the euphoric giggle that bubbled up from her chest. The flower spun as it caught the breeze, ruffling Sucrose’s hair.

Just for that moment, she felt young. Running through wheat fields alongside her friends, faces flushed but never too hot, the wind cool against their skin. She imagined them sitting on their doorsteps, book of fairytales on her lap, her friends leaned over it as she read it aloud. Old tales of fantasy lands unfolding before her, hand holding down the pages so the wind wouldn’t make them lose their place.

Sucrose smiled, all anxiety and fear slipping from her body. Everything was truly going to be okay.

~~~

Sucrose was a terrible person. Absolutely awful, it was an awful idea and even worse that she was acting on it.

The small object synthesizer was mainly meant to be used to make specific instruments needed for special experiments, still, it was simple enough to make a hollow replica of the gnosis.

But it was merely a replica, nothing more, no trace of anemo or godly power within it.

Sucrose looked at the small wind spirits that had been dancing around her. “Hi, uhm, I need a favor.”

The wind spirit did a little twirl, and Sucrose’s heart broke.

“So sorry!” She plucked it from the air by its tail and shoved it inside the shell of the fake gnosis.

The other spirits crowded around bumping against her and nipping at her hands. “Hey! It’s just for a bit! I promise.”

Sucrose startled at a voice behind her.

“Well well. Someone’s been causing trouble. I’d’ve thought we had enough drama with Stormterror and that Harbinger.”

Kaeya leaned against the entrance of the lab cave, eye glinting like he just unearthed an ancient treasure. Sucrose looked down at the crime scene in front of her, then back to Kaeya, mortified.

“But here you are, it’s always the sweet ones.”

“It’s only for a bit! I’m just… curious.” Sucrose’s face was red, and the fur of her ears was ruffled.

“You can’t expect to get away with this for more than like, half an hour, right? You’re gonna have to hand it back to the bard personally once mondstat deals with that woman.”

“W-well… I never said I was gonna be the one to hand it back. Maybe I would get someone else to do it. Someone who owes me…?”

“Shifting the probable blame then? What poor sap are you gonna make—oh no.” Kaeya stopped when he saw how she was looking at him. “No.”

“Oh come on! Kaeya, I need this! I’ll never get a chance to do this again!”

“I already mess with Jean and the Traveler enough as is, they’ll gut me if they think I did it.”

“They won’t! They love you, Kaeya. And I’ll take the blame if they get too upset.”

“No, Sucrose.”

Sucrose didn’t respond, instead she pulled her research journal from its clasp by her hip, flicking it open and turning to the bookmarked page. She cleared her throat; “September fourth, delivered three mist corrillas to Kaeya after dark, so far unpaid. July seventeenth, let Kaeya borrow the lab for a ‘private conversation’ with Albedo—on the clock. June third, assisted in helping Kaeya escape a formal event by setting up a miniature anemo hypostasis simulation to make noise in the courtyard in exchange for a favor…”

“Alright alright.” He laughed, and she perked up. “I knew you were more sly than you let on. I’ll bring the chess piece back to the Traveler and that bard when you’re done.”

Sucrose untensed, bowing slightly. “T-thank you, Kaeya. Really.”

Truthfully, Sucrose had nothing to weigh over Kaeya’s head should he have simply said no. He could have walked right out the lab and Sucrose would be stranded. Skipping events wasn’t a huge deal for a knight, and neither was his… complicated relationship with Rosaria. Nothing she could have revealed would ruin his life.

It was purely his values that Kaeya always tried to stand by his promises, even if he occasionally caused trouble.

Occasionally.

The head of the Calvary didn’t have much to do when their entire fleet of horses was taken out on a several year long expedition. He had to entertain himself somehow.

“Sure Sucrose.”

~~~

“The gnosis is fake.”

Sucrose sat beside Albedo, chewing the inside of her cheeks and glancing around the meeting room.

Rosaria leaned against the doorframe, there on behalf of the cathedral, her angled eyes staring down at nothing. There was no need for her to look, her ears were sharp enough. There were others, Amber, Eula, Lisa, and even Diluc strangely enough. All in various states of confusion, concern, or cold, calculated suspicion.

Sucrose forgot how terrifying and efficient the vision holders of Mondstadt were. Even without knowing of its true significance, their eyes sharpened and fangs bared at any sign of danger, or deceit. Truly, only Sucrose, the Traveler, the bard, and perhaps Jean knew the extent of the gnosis’ importance.

Kaeya had handed the false gnosis back to the Traveler personally a couple days ago. It left her with enough time to run a couple tests. Not much, but more than she could have.

By the look on the Traveler’s and Jean’s faces, they were already well aware. Paimon floated above the Traveler’s shoulder, much more visibly anxious, the others just looked calculated.

“Venti? Would you like to show us what was given to us?”

“Oh yeah, sure.”

Venti dug into his pockets, producing the hollow clay counterfeit she had created. Sucrose dug her filed nails into the skin of her thighs.

“Yeah, this is not the gnosis. Not even close. And uh, not sure if you guys realize that but, I’m gonna need the original back.” Venti chuckled, unnaturally sober, and mildly ruffled.

“Signora was the last Fatui to touch the gnosis, and after that Sucrose took it and managed to return to dragonspine, with various knights and vision holders covering her tail and shutting down Fatui forces. The gnosis was in Sucrose’s possession the entire time, until the false somehow ended up in Kaeya’s possession, then ours.” Jean folded her arms.

“So that brings us to our first two possibilities, Kaeya or Sucrose.” Diluc leaned back in his chair. “Sucrose?”

“Y-yes?” Her eyes flicked up from where they stared at her lap.

“Did the gnosis pass through any others before being given to Kaeya?”

Kaeya spoke before she could, “she gave it directly to me.”

Diluc’s glare was as fiery as his vision. Kaeya nearly flinched, and Sucrose’s gut sank further. “I asked her, not you.”

“H-he’s right, it didn’t pass through anyone else’s hands.”

“If I may, Sucrose was nearly dead on her feet by the time she made it to me.” Albedo added. “I should have personally taken the gnosis for safekeeping, even if I was unaware of its purpose, she wouldn’t have asked Kaeya to return it on his own then.”

Sucrose looked away. Did he really think she was so exhausted that Kaeya managed to worm his way into having her receive it. Did he really think she couldn’t have defended it? That she wasn’t trustworthy?

He was right. But it hurt when she glanced at her master and knew that he thought less of her, weaker in strength and weaker willed.

Still, there was no doubt in her mind she would do it again. She was a bio-alchemist. It was her duty to seek out the truths of life, and it was her promise to make true paradise.

“Hm, you’re so certain of my own misdoings. How cruel.”

“I hate to burst your bubble Kaeya, but there’s no way it was something Sucrose did. Have you met her?” Amber’s voice was as chime-y as ever.

“It wasn’t him.” Rosaria spoke for the first time at that meeting. She tilted her head back.

Sucrose didn’t fail to catch the way he chewed the inside of his cheek. Once cool and collected, he faltered.

He reached behind the fur on his neckline—did he have a pocket back there?—and presented a chess piece. The one she had passed off to him the night before. “Well, I never said I didn’t have the real one.”

Every eye in the room turned to him.

“And you waited this long to hand it over? Instead of at the start of the meeting?” Paimon screeched, foot stomping against empty air.

“Well no one asked me directly if I took it. If you all had just gotten to the point then maybe we would have saved some time.”

“Kaeya…” Diluc was staring him down.

“Oh come on, a little birdie just needed to borrow it for a bit.”

“Kaeya, we need to know where it went in the interim.” Jean stared him down with an unnatural intensity. Sucrose’s gut immediately turned to liquid lead. “A lot of damage could have been caused.

“It was safe.” She almost expected a sly wink with the playfulness behind Kaeya’s voice. “And I don’t see Mondstadt in flames, so I think it’s fine.”

“Kaeya.”

“It’s the real thing though.” Venti had snatched it up, and was fastening it to the twine around his neck. “Welp! That's all I need, thanks everyone! I’ve got a gig at Angel’s Share. Traveler! You’re coming too!”

Venti stood to leave, and dragged the Traveler with him by the wrist.

“Venti! But what about figuring out what he did with it!” Paimon whined, floating(?) after them.

The rest of the table had settled, staring down at Kaeya. Luckily he didn’t seem panicked, but he was not comfortable. She almost wanted to confess, to say it was her fault and she asked him to do it, but the words died in her throat.

Iron tinged against Sucrose’s taste buds, and she belatedly realized she had down a bit too hard on the inside cheek.

Her mentor next to her was no comfort. His gaze was the same glare that the rest of the table showed. But still, he did not accuse.

Instead he stood, “It seems this meeting has accomplished its purpose. Carry on however you need to, and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance if you need some more… scientific assistance. We’ll be retreating back to the lab.”

Sucrose followed after him, bowing her head slightly in thanks—a habit from her time in Liyue—and followed after Albedo.

The door closed quietly behind them, neither said anything as they passed the knights posted by the doors. The click of Sucrose’s heeled boots was the only thing heard as they walked down the halls.

She always considered herself incredibly lucky to have Albedo as a mentor. He was patient with work and only really asked her to fetch things or fill in for him at the headquarters when he couldn’t be there. They didn’t talk to each other personally, but Sucrose had always considered them sort of comrades. She held the same respect for him that he did of her.

Hell, she even harbored a crush when she was younger and first started out working under him. When he’d explain complex things to her in ways she understood, or watch from afar as she conducted independent studies, trusting in her but ready to guide should she stumble or her hands begin to shake. His gentle lead and so easy to follow in. Such thoughts had faded when she grew more as a person, he was much too old for her, and far too calm and caring. Like a brother, or a father.

“I’m sorry, Sucrose.” He said, startling her slightly. She looked up to him with a tilt of her head. “If you weren’t directly involved with the event, I would never have made you come. I know situations like these are not ones you enjoy. I also know you would have never given it to Kaeya if you'd known he had ulterior motives.”

Her ears dropped, and she looked down to the floor again. “I-oh no mister Albedo, I know it was necessary, I was just… just nervous they’d come to the conclusion it was me. What with the ears and all. Ha.”

He paused, steps faulting for a moment, “Your ears mean nothing of your character, or your affiliations Sucrose. No one in that room would have thought that.”

“I know… it’s just...” She mumbled, unable to find words.

Lying was terrible, lying to Albedo was worse.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Kaeya was mildly surprised he made it out of that meeting room alive. With the Traveler, Jean, Diluc, Albedo, Eula, and Rosaria—the main cast of people one wouldn’t want to piss off in Mondstadt—all staring him down.

He knew he was in for a rough few weeks. He was expecting to get cornered in quite a few empty hallways. Specifically via Diluc.

If the thick headed dunce ever asked directly in private, Kaeya probably would cave and tell him the full story. Of the favor for Sucrose and his lack of scheming. But alas, Diluc would never be that emotionally available. Instead, Kaeya resigned himself to either being cornered or trailed for the foreseeable future.

First though, he had to deal with a different person.

He strode into the church of Barbatos. The sun had already gone down, and the church looked empty to the naked eye. The only source of light was the mounted candlesticks.

He kept his head high, hoping she couldn’t smell his mild uneasiness.

A heavy weight slammed into his back, and a thin heel struck the back of his knees, forcing him to fall forward. Clawed fingers snatched his collar before he could hit the floor.

“Nice to see you too—umpth.” He was thrown back against a pillar.

He blinked, regaining his footing, and lifted his head to see Rosaria in front of him, her chest leaned into his. The lantern’s light caught the glint of a thin blade before it was pressed to his throat.

“What did you do with the gnosis?” She hissed.

He tilted his head back, managing to look down at her despite their position. The bronze skin of his neck was on full display. “Didn’t you see? I gave it back to the bard.”

She bared her teeth. Her canines were sharper than an average person’s, he realized. “I’m not in the mood Kaeya. I will ask you once and only once, and I expect you to tell me the truth, what did you do with it?”

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the pillar, softening slightly. God he was tired. “Nothing bad, Rosaria.”

“How can I trust you?”

“I think you already do.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Kaeya sighed. “Sucrose wanted it. Just for a bit. She didn’t do anything bad but she asked me to cover for her. It remained in her care until last night. Something about hypotheses and experiments.”

“And you did it?”

“Oh come on, she’s done a lot for me.”

Rosaria scoffed, “No shit. So she finally cashed in on all those favors? Honestly I didn’t think she’d ever do it.”

“Me neither. She’s sweet.”

Rosaria made a small “Unfortunately”, and pulled away to free the Cavalry Captain.

Blade no longer pressed to his skin, he untensed. Actually untensed, not the false calmness he always exuded. He rubbed his neck as Rosaria twirled her knife around her fingers, catching it easily when she tossed it up.

“So, what’d she do with it?”

“I don’t know, probably just alchemy stuff.”

“Eula’s gonna confront you.”

“And I’ll deal with Eula. Probably tell her the truth—the girl was just curious and wanted to mess with it, she likes Sucrose. Depends on how it turns out.”

“Diluc might too.”

“Maybe then he’ll finally talk to me. He barely glances at me, even when I get a drink at Angel’s share.” Kaeya rolled his eyes. Rosaria knew too much for him to keep a tight tongue around her.

“Pfft. Maybe you should try talking to him first. You know he hates your drinking.”

“What a thought! Now why would I do that?” Kaeya joked emptily, messing with his sleeve.

Rosaria rolled her eyes. “Stupid, stupid men. Come on, you owe me a beer for making me come to the church off duty.”

Kaeya sighed, knowing he’d have to face Diluc at Angel’s Share. He’d have to come up with a cover story, and quickly. Eula would probably accept the truth, swear vengeance and never follow through. Sucrose was one of few that had no prejudice against the woman. Diluc though, he was always so extreme, it’d be better to just put her off as long as possible.

“Coming?” Rosaria asked, and Kaeya grinned.

“Of course.”

It was gonna be rough managing the next few days, but a drink sure would make it easier.

~~~

Venti was an archon.

Sucrose chewed her lip. The harbinger had come to Mondstadt to steal the gnosis, a thing of legend, supposedly used by archon’s to commune with celestia. Venti held the image of a bard known long ago, and appeared as the anemo archon’s allied dragon began harassing the city. His hair was even styled in the image of their archon.

There was no question about it. He was an archon.

And she was perhaps one of the only people who knew this.

The Fatui wanted the gnosis. The gnosis is used to commune with celestia.

Something big was happening. World-altering big. And Sucrose had no knowledge or power over it.

She shrunk into her seat, unmotivated to continue her experiment.

Since the stunt, all Fatui within the nation were captured or deported on sight within, and all comercial exploits between the two nations were on pause.

It was horrible, but Sucrose couldn’t find herself wishing it never happened. Her time along with the gnosis yielded valuable insights, and progressed her own ambitions well.

Ever since losing her childhood friends, Sucrose was determined to make the paradise they used to obsess over together. And her pursuits of making her own life forms were paramount to that.

The Windwheel Aster lived, thrived and didn’t shrivel.

This led to one conclusion: artificial lifeforms could sustain accelerated and sustained growth with the help of a strong enough source of power.

Sucrose had time to reattempt the experiment on some other life forms. One of which was the body of a dead shrew, picked clean to the bone, from her personal collection. Only, the skull was replaced with that of a baby rabbit.

Under the power of the gnosis, an artificial body of anemo formed around it, reanimating it for a few short minutes, until its power bank ran dry.

She made new life, spliced together the dead and created a functioning creature around it. It had no brain nor intelligence, but that was remedied as she lured a wind spirit into the skull, delighted as the spirit seemed to pilot it freely.

Theoretically, a living being able to resonate with anemo could pilot an anemo construct. Such a process needed a strong enough source of power, anemo specifically, and a skeletal “base”.

This was an amazing finding, one she’d definitely report to Albedo once her monthly independent studies check came around.

He was a scientist as well, he had to understand the endless pull for trial and error that led her to hiding the gnosis for a few days.

…Or perhaps he wouldn’t, instead declaring her a traitor and tossing her from his lab, dragging her off to be judged by the knights.

She’d… she’d deal with that later. It’s been three days since she’d left the lab, meaning it was time to do her rounds.

Sun had set, so she carefully packed up her notes, research, and materials before starting the descent down the mountain and back to the city.

~~~

Mondstadt was pretty at night, with its warm lights and cool breeze that swept through the city streets. She wasn’t there to sightsee though, the main advantage of the night was the fact most were either home with their families, or at the taverns.

Once every three days, Sucrose ventured into the real world at dusk. These excursions were rare, and somewhat daunting. Still, she had things to do, especially tonight.

She stopped by the adventurer's guild. The windows of the building were lit, silhouettes of adventures come to rest back within Monstadt showing through. The muffled sound of laughter floated over the street. Instead of entering, she stopped by Katherine out front.

“Hi-um hello! I’m here for the… uh-” she struggled, only to stop as Katherine waved her off and ducked down under her desk.

“Hello again Sucrose. You are here for bones, correct?” She asked, already rising up with a small terry cloth sack. Katherine set it on the desk. The opening of the sack slightly opened, revealing the crisp white bones that’d been set aside for her.

“Yes!” She said quietly, but excited. “How much?”

“One-hundred seventy-six mora for the entire thing. Keep the bag.”

“Thank you.” Sucrose bowed her head in thanks, picking up the sack and leaving the mora on the counter.

The rest of her excursion went similarly, with the butcher next, and the Springvale hunters on her way back.

It was a strange habit of hers, and when she first built up the courage to begin asking she earned questioning looks from many. But it wasn’t long before it simply became an accepted fact for many of Mondstadt’s people. And besides, her strange habit paled in comparison to the others’ within Mondstadt. Fischl and Eula’s way of speech, Amber’s constant glider crashes, Fiona’s loud distaste for alcohol. According to normal citizens, vision holders were always at least a little off.

By the end of her outing, she had a sack of the normal boar and bird bones, but also other rarer bones. Included were the skull of a coyote, a complete snake spine, several miscellaneous ribs she’d identify later, and an eagle skull, beak attached.

Normally, she’d head back to her official residence within Mondstadt’s city, or the laboratory in the mountains, but today she headed towards Angel’s Share.

Her ears flicked at the heavy laughter and chattering within the bar. It wasn’t her type of place, but she schooled herself and opened the door.

A wave of heat hit her face as she slipped inside the tavern, the smell of fruity alcohol wafting through the air.

“Sucrose!” Kaeya greeted, sat at the bar.

“Hello Kaeya, Rosaria.”

“Hello Sucrose. How has your day been?” Rosaria’s clawed fingers cradled a glass of wine that Kaeya no doubt bought. The woman’s sharp eyes flicked over her once, before she turned away, taking a sip of her wine. “Good haul?”

Sucrose tilted her head slightly. She’d never seen Rosaria while on an outing, but it seemed the sister was out enough to catch onto her strange habit. Sucrose blushed, hiding the sack a little behind her leg. “I-I guess…”

“Sit down, have a drink.” Kaeya offered, gesturing to the empty stool next to him.

“Oh no, oh no no, I didn’t come here to…” she mumbled, pawing through her satchel. Where was it? She brought it, she double triple checked—oh.

Sucrose presented the gift, something small wrapped in simple cheesecloth. Rosaris snorted at the nervous blush on the small alchemist’s cheeks.

“It’s um… well, it’s a thank you I suppose.”

He plucked it from her palm, amused. “A gift? Whatever would it be for, Sucrose?”

Sucrose didn’t respond, only watching as he unraveled the cloth, revealing a hand chain. Its small chains were a dark metal color, and connected between the chain and rings, was an icy blue crystal, torn from the corolla of a cryo regisvine.

“Jewelry? Hm.” He said simply, but unable to help the small smile on his lips as he lifted it to admire the handiwork. “That a hobby of yours?”

“No, but I read some books! I just followed the procedures. All it really required were proper tools and steady hands. The chain links were pre-ordered from the smith though…”

Rosaria whistled. “Pretty thing. But are hand chains allowed under the Favonius dress code?”

Sucrose’s ears drooped. Did she really get him an apology gift he couldn’t wear? Would he even want to wear it?

“Bold of you to say as you were claws and a headdress of iron’. Besides, when has that stopped me? One would think you knew me by now Rosaria.”

Rosaria rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You sticking around Sucrose? This oaf can cover your drink.”

Kaeya turned his head with a tilt, smiling at her. “Aren’t you enough charity for one night?”

“Only one night?” She asked, as innocently as she could.

Sucrose very suddenly wanted to go. “I-I have things to do, and I have to bring these back to my—well, my home. Thank you, though.”

“Suit yourself, and have a nice night. This truly is a beautiful gift.”

Sucrose made a very quick exit, ignoring the way Rosaria tugged at Kaeya’s fur neckline, pulling him back towards her.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

The vision incident seemed to blow over strangely easily.

Sucrose wasn’t quite sure what Kaeya did to ensure such, but it seemed to have worked. No favonius snooped around the lab, no further meetings were held, Venti even smiled and gave her a small solute when she passed his performance on the streets.

She didn’t really care if he had revealed her actions to a select few, so long as they weren’t angry, but she just really didn’t want them to confront her personally. Kaeya knew that about her.

And, like always, something new comes along to keep Sucrose busy.

“—it is a solution proven to ease the effects of eleazar, but so far no reversal of them has been discovered…”

Sucrose and Albedo were speaking over the various reports and studies she’d collected from the library, trying to theorycraft.

A child within Mondstadt had fallen ill. A very specific type of illness too. Eleazar.

It was unheard of within Mondstadt, especially for a native, so when the doctors had no solutions besides pain medications and rest, the parents had to come to them. And of course, both were happy to put their work on hold. It was a child after all. No one deserved that kind of pain.

“If I may, sir… Sumeru’s typical treatment plan involves a lot of herbs and antibiotics to ease it. The physical effects of decay are the pressing issue. There is a zombified child within Liyue that avoids decay with a cryo vision…” Sucrose suggested. “And reports of that infected girl that came through Mondstadt a couple years ago had her staying in Snezhnaya and she was heavily infected. The correlation isn’t solid but it’s a suggestion.”

“Hm, good catch. I’ll test the effects of cold against the dead skin samples. Synthesizing Sumerian antibiotics isn’t out of the question though. I’ll order a batch. But there is one other thing I’d like to look at.”

“Oh?”

Albedo pulled out a paper, passing it to her. “There’s something new on the market. Very expensive, but more effective than native Sumerian methods. Unfortunately it’s only sold at high prices to high bidders.”

She looked over the paper, its claims were promising, but simply claims. And without medical experts backing it, and its hefty price tag. Sucrose set it back down on the table. “Ah. It seems very impressive, but I fear the family’s ability to afford it. Even more so if it doesn’t work.”

“We don’t need to be frequent buyers. We just need one set of doses so we can synthesize something similar for them. The one time purchase and the good reviews it’s had gives me hope. Shouldn’t be a legal issue either if we don’t sell it.”

“Then we should absolutely get it! When will it be on the market again?”

“It’s sold for auction. The nearest event will be in Fontaine. There is one issue though.”

“Oh, what is it sir?”

“I’ll need to remain in Mondstadt to oversee the health of the child. I don’t want to leave him in the hands of normal doctor’s, and as much as I acknowledge your talents, you aren’t a doctor. We could try and put down a bet remotely, but we could easily be outbid. The tried and true method may be preferable...”

“I can go to Fontaine!” She said hastily. It was a good shot, and any attempt to help she’d take. “I-I mean I’m a little rusty on the language but I do know it, and I can certainly handle myself should any trouble arise! I’d hate for us to lose out on a treatment option…”

Albedo seemed to consider it. “It’s in a little over a week, you’d have to leave very soon. Transportation would be another issue…”

Sucrose lit up, “the crux will be docking at dorman’s port in tomorrow. I know the captain well. I’ll call in a favor.”

“If you think you can pull it off, I trust you.”

“Thank you! I… I won’t let you down!”

~~~

“Sucrose!” The Captain waved. She stood, one boot perched on the railing of her ship. Even from a distance, her cheeky grin was visible, almost as glaring as the sun over the ocean.

Sucrose waved back, a little shyly, as she continued down the dock and towards the boat.

Nearly nine years ago, Beidou raided the trafficking ship Sucrose was captured in, freeing her and many others from their unknown fates.

Beidou was barely nineteen, newly endowed with a vision and the title of captain, and Sucrose was maybe nine, not speaking a lick of Liyue’s language.

Sucrose still remembers the way she clung to her, fingers threaded through the fur of her captain’s coat. Beidou didn’t leave her with the strange guardsmen—who she now knows are the Qixing.

Now, twenty seven and around eighteen respectively, they still spoke, and did each other favors on occasion, trading things the other may find valuable.

“You're gonna love what I’ve got for you.”

“Oh?” Sucrose tilted her head. She hadn’t been wrong yet.

The waterproof box full of old research papers of a sunken akademia scientist was among one of her most prized possessions. Sucrose had secured her a month's worth of non perishable sugar and sunsettias she had been breeding in return. This time she’d merely brought a few batches of her preservative solution to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits.

“Yeah! Get over here!”

Sucrose couldn’t help her small smile when Beidou slung an arm over her shoulder and led her across the ship.

“It got caught on our anchor while we were docked by Inazuma. We all thought the anchor was dragging up some rocks. At least, until we pulled it up! Quite the surprise.” She chattered on, leading Sucrose across the deck. “Immediately thought of you when I saw it.”

“Oh, I hope it’s not too much, I didn’t bring much in return, and I had a favor to ask of you as well...”

“Oh stop it. I’d give it to you even if you brought me four mora and a sunnsettia pit in exchange.”

Sucrose blushed, turning her head away in embarrassment as Beidou ruffled her hair.

They stopped in front of a wooden crate, its lid nailed shut. Sucrose grabbed the crowbar before Beidou could, struggling a moment before the lid popped open.

Sucrose gasped as she stared down the skull of a juvenile sea serpent. A species long extinct under the Electro Archon’s watchful eye.

“The cart, it’s all yours.” She said, not even bothering to look at Beidou, too busy inspecting the skull down to the smallest detail

“Ha!” Beidou laughed. “Not even an ounce of negotiation, I told the boys you’d love it.”

Sucrose didn’t reply, running her fingers over the smooth bone. The entire skull was twice as wide as her torso, and nearly as long. Most of its bottom jaw was intact, as well as most of its teeth.

Normally she’d be excited by bones due to her own hobby of collecting and piecing together skeletal structures, but this time she had other uses for this. A side project to her main ambition if you will.

Reluctantly, she pulled away from the spectacular specimen to face Beidou, bowing her head in thanks. “Thank you so much Beidou.”

“Aw come on. It was no problem for my favorite honorary crew member! Now, you said you had a favor to ask?”

Here it goes, she took a deep breath. “Yes—I know it’s a lot and I knows it’s so short notice but akidgoteleazarandthetreatmentisbeingsoldatanauctioninfontaineandIneedto—“

“Alright alright! Little slower kid! What do you need? One word at a time.”

Sucrose flushed, ears pinned back in embarrassment. “Sorry, sorry. So a kid in Mondstadt has Eleazar and one possible treatment option is being auctioned in Fontaine within the week. I need to be there, and your ship is the fastest option on such short notice. The trip only needs to be one way—I can get a ship back on my own once I get there. I really wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

Beidou considered it. “Fontaine? Little over two days and two nights. But we can do it, especially for a kid. Don’t worry, I’ll get ya there.”

Sucrose relaxed. Step one was over. “Thank you so much Beidou. You’ve done so much for me.”

“No problem kid, we’ll leave tomorrow, round noonish after stocking up. Be ready.”

She nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back!”

Beidou laughed her hearty, strong laugh. The kind fit for a sailor. “There’s no need. I’m happy to help. Really. I’ll give you some time to say goodbye to whoever you need to and pack if you haven't. See ya tomorrow.”

“Thank you again.” She nodded, turning away, “Goodbye! I’ll be on time! You have my word.”

Beidou laughed, waving her off. “I trust ya kid.”

Sucrose paused for a moment, before her face lit up into a bright smile. “Thank you!”

~~~

Chapter Text

Fontaine City was a beautiful place filled with waterways and steam powered architecture. At least, the upper levels were.

Sucrose was no stranger to the way the lower levels had to live, no matter how easy it was made to ignore. After stepping off the Crux and waving Beidou off, Sucrose marveled at the country.

Gold trimmed marble, intensely blue waterways. Steampowered architecture all around. From the getgo, it was much more technologically advanced than Mondstadt. Kamera’s were flashing, boat engines peddling, trinkets and souvenirs where being sold–It was almost too much.

As much as she’d love to stick around, adventuring through Fontaine city, it was simply not her destination. So, she adjusted her purse, worked very hard to dodge and ignore the locals selling overpriced and non functional goods to tourists, and made her way to the place she’d be staying.

The hotel was more run down. Not meticulously cleaned and polished like the docks were. Still, it was white and gold, with hydrotechnics running all through it. The water more cloudy than the upper levels. Being closer to the underground, it was unavoidable. The location was an intentional choice, because the auction itself was occurring in the underground, but not one made happily. It was… shady, but she promised Albedo, so she swallowed her nerves and entered the hotel.

~~~

Sucrose stared at herself in the mirror. The girl who stared back looked almost like her. Only… ethereal. Her short locks of hair were curled and placed perfectly, and the longer parts of her hair were braided back. There was a slight sheen of body glitter that glinted along her cheekbones when she tilted her head too.

Fontaine fashion was meant to be extra, all show sparkles and dramatic suits. Buttons, straps, add-ons. Compared to a local, she was almost drab.

Still, as she looked in the mirror, she saw not the shy but knowledgeable assistant to Chief Alchemist Albedo, but instead a beautiful but timid young woman. The rhinestones in her bangs reminded her of the Liyue gems she was never allowed to touch as a child.

She carefully closed the makeup guidebook Lisa had offered her and set it in her luggage. It was a great deal of trust put in her to bring it outside of the city, let alone Fontaine.

The dress she wore was a dark blue. Its fabric was light, and trailed down to her knees as well as her shoulders. On her neck was a simple black choker, holding her framed vision.

Little about her looked local, but many within the auction wouldn’t be either. Her lackluster looks in comparison to the rich and wealthy she’d be beside would hopefully turn attention away from her. Even if her vision was to grab it.

Feeling a bit better, she

~~~

“Name?” The doorman huffed. Sucrose’s ear flicked nervously.

“Sucrose, I am here on behalf of Albedo.” She responded quietly. Titles would do her no good. If she was on the list, they knew her name.

The doorman looked down his list, before nodding and stepping to the side. “Found you, your table is number seventeen. Have a good night.”

“Y-you too.” She said quietly, walking past him and into the establishment.

Inside was akin to a dinner show, a stage on the far end of the building, and many round tables and booths between. She had her seat reserved for her in the corner, where hopefully she’d be left alone until the needed bid came up.

Many people were there already. They all looked extravagant, pretty dresses, suits, and guards all around them. They chatted happily within their circles, nursing drinks and laughing.

Her eyes nagged on a larger booth in the corner of the establishment, only to immediately look away. Fatui.

Not just Fatui, someone high ranking, judging by the above-the-average-soldier looking bodyguards around him. He had dark long hair and glasses, as well as a heavy fur coat common in the north.

Sucrose kept her eyes to herself, taking her assigned seat at a booth opposite of the room. There were more important things to worry about.

She was spending Albedo’s money, which meant she needed to be smart about it. Earlier that week she spent a few late nights reading up on auctioning and it’s techniques, but anything could happen, and people with a lot more money than her could want the same thing as her.

Albedo had given her permission to spend—a reasonable amount of—money if something other than their prize catches her eye. She had no plans to do so though, so that was basically off the table.

“—vision on her choker.”

Her ear flicked as she caught the tail end of a conversation across the room. She hadn’t noticed anyone else with a vision. But why would Fatui be discussing her?

The high ranking man tilted his head, her ears catching the slight jingle of the chain on his glasses. “Curious. That someone so similar shows up here. On behalf of another it seems.”

One of the Fatui was staring at her. She did not dare look back at him, only glancing once from the corner of her eye.

He had dark, long hair, and half glasses sitting on his nose. His face was… pristine. Beautiful. Much older than her though. He almost felt familiar.

“Hm.” Was the final thing he said about her, turning away to watch the auction begin.

The man on the stage was nearly as extravagant as the guests he was entertaining. What was it with Fontaine and glitter?

One by one, items came out. Goods, rare chemicals, treasures. She fidgeted with her glass as she waited.

The auctioneer called out prices like an ensemble’s chant, hardly waiting for the wealthy people to raise their numbers before chugging on to the next price. The wealthy people in the crowd fought for rare and expensive goods, their prices racking up to a daunting amount. Old world goods worth a couple ten thousand mora shot up into hundreds of thousands.

Sucrose nearly laughed when a catalyst with a cheap jade core went for nearly one-hundred-and-twenty thousand mora. Barbatos save these rich fools and their wallets.

The majority of the money to be made that night was from rich fools with more money that sense. Though, there were a few tables that hardly put bets down, only coming in when something of true value appeared—a perfectly preserved set of Eremite elemental blades, a stunning polearm that thrummed with elemental energy, a full grown seelie in a bottle. Sucrose oftentimes couldn’t help but stare longingly at some of the items.

The Fatui table was one of these. Taking only a few bets and giving them up easily when the price began to exceed the worth.

There must have been something big they were there for. Same as her, maybe? It was unlikely she’d be able to outbid them. Fatui funding and all that. Hopefully they were uninterested in it.

“Next up is twelve individual doses of derodreum, straight from the akademiya’s laboratories. A substance developed by the north, proven to fend off one of Sumeru’s most devastating diseases, Eleazar. Do I hear fifty thousand-”

Sucrose set down the drink she’d been slowly nursing for the past hour and quickly put up her number.

“Lady in the booth says fifty—do I hear sixty?—yes sixty! seventy thousand I’m callin’ out seventy thousand!—“

The Fatui man raised his number. He wasn’t looking at the goods though. His eyes were trained on Sucrose.

The number climbed, breaking a hundred thousand with ease. Slowly, Sucrose’s nerves grew. The Fatui man wasn’t dropping his bid. A hundred twenty five—oh no.

“One-fifty do I hear-? Yep one fifty—one seventy five?”

She held up another bid, then another. They needed that. Come on. Her ears pinned flat against her head.

“Two hundred thousand—yes sir in the back-”

Anyone with sharp eyes could see the growing franticity of the girl. In contrast, the Fatui lazily flipped up his number, not even acknowledging the growing price.

“Three hundred fifty thousand?”

Sucrose didn’t put her number up.

“Going once? Going twice? Sold! To the man in the booth!” The auctioneer called, and her heart quietly broke.

The rest of the night Sucrose sat quietly, chewing the inside of her lip. She didn’t even look at the incoming items. Rather waiting for the night to be over as her heart slowly sank.

How was she supposed to tell Albedo? He trusted her to get this done. Sure, there wasn’t much she could do to combat being outbid, but no amount of reminding that fact to herself eased the tightness in her chest.

The night winded down, and eventually the auctioneer bowed and thanked the crowd for their time. She clapped politely with the rest of the people, before collecting her stuff and leaving her table. No winnings, no reason to stay longer.

As she walked across the room though, one table called out to her. “Young lady in the blue?”

She paused, looking over at the table, eyes locking with the high ranking Fatui she had bidded against. He gestured her over, his smile growing as she listened.

Quietly, she spoke first. “Hello.”

“Hello, young lady.” He seemed cheerful. “Quite the bidding war, hm? I wanted to apologize for any inconvenience I’ve caused, on behalf of the Fatui of course. You are from Mondstadt, no?”

She inclined her head, the frame holding her vision was Mondstadt, and she was here on Mondstadt business, but she was also raised a bit in Liyue, and probably born in Snezhnaya. Quietly, she indulged him as little as she could while remaining polite. “I am… on business from there, so yes.”

“Hm, your accent though. You speak Fontaine’s language well, but it is not quite Mondstadt’s accent. You use Liyuean pronunciation on certain sounds.” He smiled a little wider. “Am I wrong?”

Sucrose’s ears flattened against her head, and she fought the rising anxiety. She had to return back to her hotel room and contact Albedo about losing the bid. There was no time for entertaining Fatui. Barely audible, she mumbled, “I have to go.”

“Oh, don’t be so flighty, we have nothing but time, afterall.” He gestured vaguely. “Who are you on behalf of?”

“Chief Alchemist of Mondstadt Albedo.” She responded, a bit more confidently. Surely his name carried some weight. Hopefully it would discourage any trouble. “I am his assistant and apprentice.”

“Interesting. I believe I may know that name. Quite far from Mondstadt though, are you not?”

His small smile stuck to his face in a way that couldn’t be genuine, and his eyes squinted as he spoke. Perfectly diplomatic and unassuming. Still, she glanced nervously at his guards.

She’d fought a few Fatui in her time. Her vision gave her an edge against them, but the Fatui on dragonspine were there legally, which meant some sense of mutual respect. One she could take, maybe even two. Not this many. She took a step back, “Well—I really do have to go. I am expected elsewhere. Congratulations on your winnings, sir.”

He waved his hand, dismissing her request and keeping her put. Would running be too much? “What’s your title? Surely one under Alchemist Albedo is under some renown.”

Her voice wavered, but she was raised to be polite, so she bowed her head slightly. “Sucrose. Simply Sucrose.”

His eyes widened a bit in surprise, and she briefly wondered what that meant. “Hm. Curious and curiouser. Do you speak Snezhnayan?”

“No.” It was a simple coincidence they asked, she assured herself, powered by the fact the Fatui themselves were from Snezhnaya. Either way that skill had long faded to and became incomprehensible to her.

“Interesting accent then, a mix of Liyue but mostly Mondstadt. Were you adopted, perhaps? They often share their orphans due to proximity.”

“Sir, I—well, I don’t quite see the meaning of such a question… no offense, of course! But I am simply one of Chief Alchemist Albedo’s assistants and apprentices.”

“Oh? So sorry, I seem to have gotten off track, my greatest apologies. I haven’t even introduced myself. Pantalone, I have a hand in Snezhnaya’s finances. It is wonderful to meet you, Sucrose.”

He inclined his head politely. She tried her best to ignore the tightening of her throat from the nerves. How long before she could leave?

“And do you yourself have any achievements of mention, working under such a prestigious man?” He would not stop asking questions it seemed.

She shifted on her feet. “Some bio-alchemical developments in the commercial field, related to edible plants, as well as on elemental constructs. Not much. My lane is mostly in research.”

“Oh, I’d love to hear more. I’m always looking for… investment opportunities.” He tilted his head and gestured to a spot on the booth. “Sit?”

She took the offer as an out immediately. “So sorry, but I already have an investor.”

He picked up his glass, raising it to eye level, staring at the shimmering alcohol within. “Surely not one with all the resources and prestige of the Fatui, no?”

“Liyue’s Tianquan serves my purposes fine.”

One could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed.

The man’s eyes flicked from his drink to Sucrose, who felt some type of pride in shutting the smooth talking Fatuus up.

The man regained his smile, blinking once. “Then, it seems you are better off than you appeared. Do keep my offers in mind, though, Miss Sucrose.”

She nodded, taking that as her cue to leave.

Tonight was a mess.

Fontaine’s air was not as clean nor comforting as Mondstadt’s, but she found herself breathing it in with vigor as she escaped the auction house.

Albedo trusted her. He trusted her to get this done. The kid too. This was their fastest path to a treatment plan and… she failed. Their funds were not enough.

There were other ways to secure that treatment though. The thought creeped into her head. She could just… steal it. They bought a bunch of items that night, surely they could part with one?

She made the walk back to her hotel.

~~~

Sucrose was considering doing something… possibly diplomatically damaging.

In her defense, she probably wasn’t going to go through with it!

The treatment came from Snezhnaya anyway, meaning it probably wasn’t even what Pantalone was present in Fontaine for. He could get it in Snezhnaya. He didn’t need the only copy available outside of his home country.

She paced back and forth in her hotel room. How long would Pantalone be in Fontaine? If she could figure out where he was staying, what he was visiting in Fontaine, she could just take it. Surely her trip could be extended a bit, she hadn’t even bought a return ticket—

An innocent knock at her door made her nearly jump out of her skin. “C-Coming!”

She rushed over the door, standing on her toes to see through the peephole. Only to pause when the hall outside was empty.

Slowly, she opened the door and peeked her head out, glancing up and down the hall. The only thing around was a package and an innocent letter on top of it.

Sucrose may only be an assistant to Albedo, but she was the second highest ranking alchemist in Mondstadt, and technically a government official. She wasn’t naive enough to just open a mysterious package.

A quick flash of elemental sight allayed her caution. The letter was fine, and the briefcase glowed with only the slightest amount of elemental energy. No machinery or energy source flowing inside it. So, she snatched them up and closed the door behind her.

Setting the briefcase on her nightstand, she turned to the letter, carefully tearing the letter open to pull out the folded parchment inside. It’s writing was elegant, written in Mondstadt’s language.

A gift. One you seem to need much more than me. I do apologize for any trouble I have caused you, and I hope this is not the last time we meet. You appear to be a very smart, accomplished individual. I hope you enjoy your time in Fontaine.

Sincerely,
A Friend to The North

She set it down and immediately picked up the briefcase, dots connecting in her head. It clicked open, revealing a set of five vials, a slight green glow to each of them. The treatment.

Immediately she inspected them. No cracks in the glass vials, their elemental energy similar to the one she saw on stage—it was most likely it.

Pantalone gave her the treatment. For “free”.

A sense of guilt washed through her, was she really considering thievery? Sucrose set her head in her hands, leaning on her elbows on the nightstand.

Okay. okayokayokayokay–New plan. Tomorrow she’d go to the docks, return as soon as possible, bringing the treatment back to Albedo, and ignore the debt she now owed a high ranking Fatuus. Easy.

She collapsed onto the hotel bed, stifling an overwhelmed sob. It would be easy. It had to be. She didn't think she could take it if it wasn't.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Another icy storm raged outside the plush office of the ninth harbinger. Inside the frost crested windows though, was a warm fireplace and expensive furniture just oozing ‘old money’. And at the chair behind the desk, a beautifully pristine man sat, half moon glasses on his nose, a file set out in front of him.

There was no chance that the girl wasn’t Dottore’s spawn. Same name, same ears, same (if more shy) demeanor. Sure she has no visible memory of Snezhnaya. No accent or softness for Snezhnaya.

As a child, he met her only a few times, bringing a few expensive presents as courtesy and to spite Dottore’s protectiveness. He only got vague ideas of her nature then. The more important event relating to the girl was the fallout after her disappearance.

But to be raised in Liyue, adopted in Mondstadt, and apprenticing under a highly regarded alchemist? Seemed some thirst for knowledge was passed on from Dottore to her.

The moment upon realizing the girl’s identity, he planned to attempt to employ her. Sadly the only woman he could not outbid had set her claim first.

Now was the hard part, deciding whether or not to tell Dottore. He and his segments were absolute pains sometimes, and depending on his opinion of the girl in her prime, having some influence over her may translate to influence over Dottore.

Or perhaps the crazy man may dissect her like a lab rat, in which case he’d be dooming the poor girl.

The harbinger’s little daughter was more impressive than she let on, he noted, flipping idly through her file.

One of the more notable was her credit with enhancing a subspecies of sweet flower, increasing its sugar content and its processability, and therefore the plant’s worth. And, like she said, the endeavor was sponsored and marketed by none other than Liyue’s Ningguang, who took over the sugar trade across nations with it. Over time it became the standard brand sugar, and a closely guarded secret. One could make a lot off of that, and she most likely held generous shares.

Other than that, the girl’s studies, as reported by her mentor to the Akademiya ethics board, focused on elemental constructs and bio-alchemically creating independently functioning flora and fauna. With varying success.

So similar to her father, but so far. So far indeed.

The creatures she had in her theories, notes, and sketches bordered on fantastical, beautiful things that belonged in a storybook. A little girl’s fantasies.

Dottore was cruel with his manipulation of life. Bringing sentient things into existence, only to experiment and test on them without thought. It was a habit that slowed when Sucrose was born and Dottore Prime developed some attachment to the small thing, but was not staved off for long after she left.

Not left, was taken. And eventually rescued. But taken either way. Pantalone closed the file with a sigh.

As much as he’d enjoy any advantage over Dottore, he did not want to get flayed. Dottore was hardly the only harbinger who valued the girl. Capitano once spoke of offering some level of combat training once the girl was old enough, Columbina often asked after the girl’s health during meetings, and Pierro obviously did not object to her existence.

This was going to be a complicated meeting.

~~~

As he expected, the table sat silent. Shock, most likely.

“And you are certain the girl was her?”

Slowly, painfully so, he took out the file from his overcoat, handing it off to his assistant, who carried it dutifully to the doctor on the other end of the table. The more powerful end. “My certainty falls just short of a blood test. I’d put money on it. See for yourself.

The file was opened. It contained any picture that could be captured of the girl, a few taken by his spies, others borrowed from the Knights of Favonius, a couple taken off security footage of the auction. Hell, she was in Sumeru’s Akasha Terminal as an “Independently Studying Alchemist, highly knowledgeable in Bio-alchemy and elemental constructs, vision holder”.

“She looks… similar, I’ll admit.”

“Quite shy in demeanor, so similar to my… limited impression of the girl before she was taken.” He gave his best diplomatic smile.

He would kill half his men if it allowed him to tear the mask off the Doctor’s face and see the expression underneath it. Alas, the only show of emotion was the twitch in the man’s mouth.

“Doing quite well on her own. I investigated her banking statements. Safe to say she’s successful. Though that is to be expected when your main investor is Liyue’s Tianquan.” His smile couldn’t help put creep into a grin when he caught the Doctor’s fingers brushing over the pictures.

Others at the table were silent. The ones ranking above him had most likely met the girl while she was within their care. Some even liked her. To what extent was unknown, but Columbina seemed to actually be paying attention. Which was an achievement.

Capitano straightened himself, and from the swirling void behind his mask, a deep voice spilled out. “So we know what happened to her?”

Dottore turned his head, waiting for Pantalone’s explanation. Pantalone nodded.

“As we suspected—and acted on—years ago, it was related to trafficking. Only, she never arrived at the fate they had for her as we originally suspected. The ship in question was raided by a band of Liyuean vigilante pirates, and she was eventually adopted by a family within Mondastadt.” Pantalone answered. “Now she is an apprentice of the chief of Alchemy in Mondstadt, along with having a vision of her own. Anemo.”

Capitano nodded, “What are her combat capabilities?”

“That is irrelevant.” Dottore answered first, waving away Pantalone’s response.

Pantalone knew that she was… sub par in power level, at least compared to other vision holders. A catalyst rested on her hip, but she had no combative edge to her. He held his tongue though. It seemed Dottore wasn’t keen to share his daughter as he had during her earlier years.

But Capitano was apparently intent on digging his heels in. “It is not. Especially if The Fatui has any interest in her as an asset.”

“The Fatui do not need to worry about her. This will be evaluated and dealt with by me personally.”

“Do you plan to bring her back to the north? I’d just love to see the little fox again.” Columbina sighed blissfully. Dottore tilted his head dangerously.

“I see no need to decide now. My information on the girl is spotty at best.” Pantalone's smooth voice interjected, trying to ease the tension at the table.

Dottore leaned back in his chair, file still in his hands. A sharp grin pointed at Columbia split his face. “I agree. Let’s save this for later.”

“Dottore.” Pierro warned, speaking up for the first time. “I expect updates on whatever choice you make with the girl. That is not optional.”

Dottore’s grin twisted into a toothy frown. “Understood sir.”

~~~

His child was within Mondstadt. Raised under the same name, same face, same mannerisms. She was right out in the open, alive and safe.

In the aftermath of her disappearance, many things happened, many interrogations, much weeding out of trafficking and crime within their nation. Things once left willfully ignored for the sake of peace were now torn open and shredded as Dottore’s segments clawed at the seams, looking for his kin. And yet despite it all, the girl was nowhere, and their searches simmered as Dottore returned to his laboratories, continuing his experiments with renewed insanity.

But now, the girl was found.

And he had no clue what to do next.

He’d like to think she was unchanged. Still the clumsy, curious, cute little kitsune mix that followed him around the laboratory, looking up at him with such trust and admiration that an ignorant person would think him a perfect father.

Dottore did not become who he is by lingering on fantasy.

Watching longer, he noticed every little change. Apologetic, uncertain in tone, and wary in the face of people she both did and did not know, always hovering out of arm's reach. She moved like she was afraid of noise. Steps careful and quiet. When alongside her mentor, she almost hid behind him, trailing in his shadow, looking for approval.

The case file, nearly three inches thick, sat in front of him. He flipped through it without hesitation, drinking in every piece of information.

She was found on a ship belonging to an illegal Snezhnaya-based smuggling ring, along with a dozen other’s. Most likely for the purpose of being cut apart and sold to the highest bidder, or perhaps sold whole, for servitude. She was found by one Captain Beidou, and kept in Liyue. There were some attempts to locate her family. It did not get far. They assumed her to be ten—she was younger, Kitsune just grew fast the first few years—and gave her to a childless couple in Mondstadt. The girl maintains contact with the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, who acts as a financial sponsor.

Most likely it was because Tianquan Ninguang was aware of the girl’s situation. Liyue’s spies were not to be underestimated.

At seventeen, she was accepted as an apprentice to Chief Alchemist Albedo within Mondstadt, studying bio-alchemy. She is accomplished, having created and profited off her bioengineering and improving of various important food goods, sunsettias and sweet flowers in particular. Her biggest investor is Liyue’s Tianquan. Her finances are stable. She was given a vision.

Every three days she collects bones from Mondstadt’s hunters, butcher, and adventurers guild. She is trusted within Mondstadt, and even considered a member of their ranks.

Dottore flipped through each page at least twice over, lingering on pictures of his daughter’s face. His eyes hovered over the once oversized ears she had finally grown into.

She was… she was doing well, according to the words on the pages. Smart, with connections across Liyue and Mondstadt. Left on her own, she would most likely continue to flourish. She did not need his help.

The segments buzzed in the back of his brain as he relinquished the information for consideration. Such was their purpose, offering guidance and views from angles not his own. In response, a conflicting symphony of voices bloomed in his skull, spilling over each other in conflict.

He sighed, and thus began the long debate.

“She’d do well on her own, sure, but better with us to train and mold her.”

“But such would not be performed by you personally. Thus I believe that you should not have an influence on that decision.” Another reasoned.

“The influence of Mondstadt’s simplicity and softness would only harm her. Restrict her. She could achieve much.”

“What heights do we wish her to reach? Greatness, or simply survival?” An elder one asked. The responses that came were hushed, mumbled considering. “If we want to influence her, how so?”

“Greatness, rivaling gods. She is ours. She will be no less.” A louder one reasoned.

“With our blood I’d expect nothing less except her trying to overtake us.”

“It’d be a good goal. Unachievable as it is.”

“Hubris, young one. And she is not only our blood. Her donor had just as much influence over genetic disposition.”

“Watch her. See how far she’d go. If she has the stomach for work like ours.”

“I don’t beleive she does.”

“And if she does not rise to our level?”

“Sink. Sink to our level. Our work is nothing if not wretched and against the gods. Do not think of us as noble, it will only blind you.”

“She could rise. Even to the rank of a lower harbinger given her potential. Our potential. Not that I’d trust her to become one. Still, we could use some more pull at the table.”

“She directly intercepted an attempt to gain a gnosis. She is too noble for our line of work.”

“According to some recovered research notes, she immediately went on to experiment on said gnosis the moment her peers turned their backs. Her mentor even described her as overwhelmingly curious, and morbid at times. She still collects bones, as she did as a child.”

“She had also been said to be overwhelmingly kind, shy, and somewhat lost in fairy tales. Her independent studies attempt to recreate a storybook paradise.”

“Not all scientists need to undo godhood and reclaim the stars. Even if her ambition is elementary and easily achievable, it is ambition.”

“The best course of action would still be to watch. She will receive no harm, and we can scout her out. See how far she’ll go. Offer support, should she need it, and of course accept it.”

“You all ignore one facet, the danger an outside connection brings. There are only two options, her being beside us, or being dead. We can control those better.”

“What is the point of our rank if not to gain advantages, liberties, that others do not? To have the power and pull to be careless in such a way? Tell me, could we not protect her, even from a shadowy veil of mystery? We are powerful enough to be selfish in this regard.”

Dottore Prime ended the debate in one swift statement, standing. “No harm should come to her. But progress with our goals must be made. She provides an interesting route into the government of Mondstadt. We have established work within Mondstadt, but not within their governments.”

“It is to be considered. But we have much work in progress already. Diverting resources to her wouldn’t be productive.”

“Delta is already within Mondstadt, doing minor research on the effects of Eleazar within Mondstadt’s anemo elementally aligned environment. Have him scout her out. See if she’s worth anything.”

Delta, an older Dottore segment responded. “Don’t try to interrupt my work with mere scouting.”

“The other is right.” Prime interrupted. “Your work is of the least immediately useful to us, and you are confidently placed.

From the other side of the connection, Delta’s annoyance spiked, but he acquiesced. “Alright then. I will try to find time for such a thing. But do not bother me otherwise, you hear?”

“Yes yes. Now get on with it.” Prime gritted out, headache suddenly becoming more annoying than it was worth.

The connection shattered, and Dottore leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

“—you just gotta stay still for one moment…” Sucrose said, holding the boy’s arm as she injected the needle. His bone thin forearm was trembling, but the boy still had a smile stretched across his face.

“Okay.” The boy nodded.

“You're a very brave kid, aren't you?” Albedo said, filling the space as Sucrose steadily injected the dose.

“I am!” The boy smiled, toothy grin flashing a few missing teeth. They were slightly yellow. Seems he hasn’t had much time to brush them recently. From the way his body shook, it may not have been possible for him.

“He really is the bravest.” His mom said, her voice weak. She sat in the corner of the lab, the father standing next to her. They both looked… wrung out. Distraught. Sucrose did her best to keep her eyes off them.

“I can tell.” Albedo smiled at him, before turning to Sucrose, his voice dropping most of the whimsy. “Almost done?”

“Almost.” Sucrose nodded, pushing the last of it in before pulling the needle. “That’s the last of it, mister Albedo.”

“Good.”

“A-and that’s the first round of treatment done?” The mom asked.

“That was really easy!” The boy chirped.

“Not quite. That was the primer. We need to make sure he doesn’t have any adverse reactions to any of the ingredients, especially before putting the work into synthesizing several more rounds—pass me that would you Sucrose?—anyways, the dose is small enough to ‘test the waters’ and see if it will help him. In three days we’ll look at the affected tissue and make the decision to proceed or not.”

“S-so we’re still not treating it?” The mom bit out, a voice shaking. Sucrose’s ears twitched. It was a mix of anger and desperation.

“We will be very soon if things go right.”

“He’s getting worse by the day!”

The dad laid a hand on her shoulder, “Darling, let’s let the scientists do what they think is right.”

“It’s okay mom! I’m already feeling better.” The boy smiled again. That couldn’t be anything other than a reassuring lie, Sucrose knew. But it was one the mom needed.

“Alright darling. Let’s go home. Do you think you can walk this time?”

“Mhm!” The conversation continued, but Sucrose tuned it out, busying herself with disposing of the used needle.

After they had left, and the Favonius lab was cleaned, Albedo spoke;

“Good job, Sucrose.”

“Thank you, mister Albedo.” She inclined her head, a slight redness passing over her cheeks at the praise.

“I will be remaining in the lab for the next three days, just in case they come back with an emergency. I don’t expect you to stay here as well. In fact, the Dragonspine lab will be empty, and I know you’ve been eyeing some of your theory work since you got back.”

Ah, he read her like a book. And embarrassed blush deepened across her face. “I-I wouldn’t want to be away if you needed me, sir!”

“There shouldn’t be an issue with you taking a few days. You’ve been busier than me lately. I won’t need you for a few days.”

“Alright sir… don’t be afraid to call for me if something comes up.”

~~~

It was that reason that Sucrose walked into an empty lab in Dragonspine.

It didn’t take her long to throw herself into her work, leaving the lab table covered in research papers, reference materials, and documentation of her failed trails.

“Huh…” Sucrose mumbled, tilting her head at her work. She was having trouble translating her anatomy sketches she had drafted up for her sea serpent into functional DNA. The baseline she was working with was from the skull Beidou gifted her, but the changes she wanted to make were significant enough that she was lost in implementing them.

Genetic distortion was not her forte… or really anyone’s. The topic was basically banned in the Akademiya, especially to the extent Sucrose wanted to accomplish. There were no existing studies to work from.

Perhaps she should first recreate the serpent's embryo and alter it from there? But there was no way she could do that without figuring out how to write the dna in the first place-

She froze, ears flicking up, as something in the lab moved.

“…hello?”

Footsteps. On the hard stone floor.

She turned around, and standing in her lab was a tall man. His hair was an electric blue, and a Fatui’s mask covered most of the top half of his face, tapering down over the nose. Hanging off his white suit-coat were belts and vials glowing electric blue, and a similar one hung off his ear. He smiled, taking a step closer.

She summoned her catalyst, the pages flipping open wildly as if a harsh wind had blown them open. “Sir… this is private property. You can’t be in here.”

“Hello there.”

He was older, the closer she looked. The skin between his cheeks and the corner of his lips were creased like he’d spent too much of his life with a scowl.

She took a step back. “Sir, you aren’t supposed to be here.”

He smiled. “I know where I am, Sucrose.”

Her ears flattened against her head as she eyed him. She needed to remove him from the lab, but she had no idea how difficult that’d be.

Wait.

“You know my name?”

“I do. I know a lot. Sucrose, legally eighteen. Assistant and protege to Chief alchemist Albedo. Anemo vision holder. You specialize in biological alchemy. You were adopted from Liyue young, and raised as a native Mondstadter. I know more. But most of all, I know how much of a waste this life is on you.

“So full of potential. I know myself. After all, you are my daughter.”

“Excuse me?” She said warily.

“Ah, allow me to elaborate. My name is Dottore, Second of the Fatui Harbingers. And you are my spawn. You met one of my… coworkers… within Fontaine. He alerted me to your existence.

“I can offer DNA samples if you wish to match us. You take visually after your, ah, mother. But I have more convenient proof.” From his coat, he offered up a small batch of photos. “I don’t have many, apologies.”

They were of her. Well, a much smaller her. One had velvety ears and eyes that were still closed, where she was laid in a crisp white crib. More followed, with her from newborn to about visually nine. The last one had her standing beside the Harbinger, holding his much bigger hand in her tiny ones. She was in a small blue dress, smiling.

She gave them back, face scrunched in confusion. It was pretty damn convincing.

“That’s why you’re here? For me?” She asked lightly, confused. He was definitely old enough to be her father.

“Ha! Something like that.” He barked out a laugh, walking idly through the cave, almost circling her. Like an animal. The sharp teeth that peaked out from his thin lips reinforced this. Even Sucrose’s weren’t like that, only her canines were slightly longer than a normal person’s.

She could make a break for it, now that he wasn't between her and the exit, but… she had to stay. She caught the scent of new information, new questions. It wasn’t in her nature to give that up. So she stayed.

“Tell me, Sucrose, you didn’t even bother finding anything out about me. No care for figuring out your origins. Why?”

“I… I had important things to focus on. Distractions… they would only bring about mistakes.”

“Ah, yes, the restricted study you are performing.” He walked over to her notes, thumbing through them. A smile crept onto his lips. “So taboo. But you, you don’t care. I was similar when I was your age. Shame though, it’s savage and underdeveloped. Such is the sadness of youthful inexperience.”

“It’s not—so long as the restricted study doesn’t hurt people, I-I just don’t see why I should avoid it.” She tried to defend herself, ears flicking in annoyance and fear.

He looked over another page, mumbling, “Wouldn’t be too hard. We can work with this.”

“Well—the stuff on the serpent is just theoretical. I don’t plan to create or raise it...”

“Don’t be delusional. No one puts this much work into something just to make nothing of it. So, indulge me. What do you plan on achieving with such a creation? Power? Knowledge? The pleasure of simply knowing you can?”

He laughed. It was loud, a kind of noise that rings in your ears. She took a step back from him.

“Ah… anyways. I’ve not come to claim I love you, to promise a paternal connection, or to apologize for the lost years. No, I’ve come to give you a broader horizon. An understanding of the world, and my work.

“Celestia threatens Teyvat, restricts us, watches us, imposes their will and rules upon us while evading blame. Ties even the gods, the archons. And they abandon their mistakes.

“The Fatui, by the guidance of the goddess of love, aim to challenge Celestia. As such, we have attempted to claim severa gnosis to achieve this end.”

She looked up, prices clicking in her head. “That was why that Fatuus attacked the Traveler and our Archon.”

“Oh? So you have figured out the identity of the anemo archon. Interesting. Interesting.”

“W-well-! With the gnosis’ abilities and its enhancing effects in the hands of a vision holder, plus his own mysterious appearance in the face of Stormterror it was a simple…” she rambled for a bit, before trailing off. The Doctor was looking down at her. His eyes remained concealed, but the slightly upturned tightness of his mouth spoke of pride. Something about it made her uneasy. She stepped back, glancing down at the floor. “…deduction.”

“Very good.” He actually smiled then. Where his teeth sharp? “So I have conveyed the importance of the gnosis to our cause, I now must ask you for your assistance.”

“…In?” She asked.

He took a breath, about to speak, but paused. A smile creeped over his lips. “Tell me, child. What is a gnosis used for?”

“I…” she hesitated. “It’s connected to Celestia, most likely. Based on mythology and my own brief observation…”

“Convening with Celestia. Sucrose,” he circled her, forcing her to spin to remain facing him. His hand ghosted over her shoulder at one point. He did not touch. “One gnosis alone can contact the heavens, imagine the contact if all seven were used? A war could be waged on that ground. Equal ground.”

“And so you are taking them? To try and… face Celestia? They haven’t done anything for centuries, they’re basically mythology. It’s…”

“Unnecessary? Of course, one as young as you wouldn’t know the details of their reign. The blood they shed.” He sighed. “I am not a righteous man, but an entire nation? Surely you think something needs to be done. And… imagine what else could be accomplished with a gnosis. I know for a fact you are curious.”

“So… that was the reason you came to me? For assistance in attacking and betraying my home?” Her eyes narrowed, “Of course, you’re truly not interested in me.”

“Oh don’t be dumb. After all, I am first and foremost a soldier of the Tsaritsa. But, if you must know my feelings…” he sighed, almost annoyed by her reaction. “Your work is ambitious—if childish, your talent is obvious, and your experience can be nurtured. You are… promising. Incredibly so.”

“I am not a traitor.” She hissed.

“Child.” He tried, stern as if he had any authority over her.

“No. Please, go away. You should return to the north, the knights will learn of this.”

“I’m sure they will.” He said offhandedly, “Such a waste. Oh well. If your mind does change, I am easy to find. I did not lie when I said you are promising. Even without your… assistance I’d be happy to offer guidance.”

“Please leave.” She said again.

“Yes yes. Leaving, leaving.” He waved his hand as he walked out the lab. “Good luck with your work, little one.”

She watched as he disappeared into the dense, snowy mountain weather outside the lab, the unnatural blue glow of his vials the last thing to disappear in the wind.

Unsure how to proceed, she turned to put away her work, only to pause as she noticed an unfamiliar pile of papers left among hers.

Its contents quickly became obvious. Translated genetic code, notes on safe variation, part by part diagrams of the expected growth. All of it written out. It was practically a step by step guide on genetically engineering her pet project.

Her fingers toyed with the edge of the paper. This was… oh it was not good. Well—no. It was perfect. It was everything she needed, everything she was wondering about and struggling with, just given to her, carelessly.

She… she needed to tell someone.

First though, she needed to know the truth.

~~~

Liyue was close to Mondstadt, so it wasn’t hard to take a day off to visit. Albedo actually seemed happy she wasn’t going to work for the eighth day in a row. He accepted readily, and didn’t notice the way she paced back and forth or picked at her cuticles. For the first time since she was a teenager, she really wanted a smoke.

She did get the day off though, and arrived in Liyue city at noon, immediately making her way to the Jade Chamber.

“Ninguang is busy with paperwork.” Baiwen said from where they stood outside her office. “I’m sure I can set up a meeting though…”

“It’s urgent.” Sucrose’s voice was tight, her breath a little too fast. “I need to see her.”

Baiwen hesitated, only for Ninguang’s voice to sound from the other side of the door. “Let her in Baiwen. I have time.”

“Very well.”

Sucrose entered the ornate, culturally beautiful office a little too fast. Not bothering to accept Ninguang’s warm greeting.

“You knew. You found him.” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper. She came to a stop in front of Ninguangs desk. Her glare was accusatory, but behind it, her eyes just looked tired. “My father.”

“Sucrose—”

“He’s a high ranking Fatuus. There’s no shot he didn’t look for me. Meaning you knew, at some point. Am I wrong?”

Ninguang seemed to know what Sucrose was talking about. She set the paper she was looking over down, sighing heavily. “Darling… we don’t—didn’t, I suppose—return the refugees we recover, unless we found their direct family. If we did, they’d just get sent back to whatever fate we liberated them from. If we found missing posters, and requests to send you home, I would have returned you in an instant.”

“…But?”

“We knew something was amiss when many known illegal trade rings began disappearing. Upon further investigation, the only thing we found were trails of destruction. A lot of people got imprisoned or killed. It was obvious these organizations had overstepped in some regard. It… wasn’t safe at the time.”

“But did you know he was my father?”

“They didn’t put out any direct descriptions, or requests, but it was impossible not to notice the chaos unraveling in that part of the underworld. We couldn’t be sure in any way.”

Sucrose stood there, chewing the soft skin inside her cheeks. It was all she could do to keep from breaking. Ninguang sighed. “Sit down, Sucrose.”

She did, taking the chair across from Ninguang.

“Don’t take it personally. If, say, they put out your name, your face, publically requesting you back, what would have happened? The daughter of an extremely high ranking person within Snezhnaya, suddenly publicly revealed to not only exist, but be missing? The only people who knew about you were on the inside, and our own secrecy about the people we take in only exacerbated that issue. Simply put, we weren’t sure it was you, and we weren’t sure it was him.”

Sucrose thought for a moment, eyes trained on her lap. Cogs in her brain turned, but not everything fit together. “Would you have, if you knew?”

Ninguang paused. “…Elaborate on that for me, would you?”

“If you knew immediately that my father was Dottore, assuming my own and your peoples’ safety were a non-issue, would you have returned me to my—The Doctor?”

“I don’t deal in hypotheticals, Sucrose. They are not reality. There is no point in looking at a non-existent past, they do not influence the present.”

But things still didn’t add up.

“When I was little, first taken in by that orphanage, I saw you a lot. Not much in the first year, but soon you began to visit me often. You gave me gifts, my clothes were better than the others. You… influenced me, greatly. Did you do that to the others on that ship?”

“Not to the extent I did to you.” She said, honestly at last.

“I received special attention. I know that. You always checked in personally, and almost immediately you put me in an orphanage in Qince—very far from the mainland. Far from where whispers about a little Snezhnaya girl would spread. Far from where any foreign diplomat, or—or—General could notice me. You sent me to a family in Mondstadt as soon as you found one.”

“That is all true.”

“You hid me. You’ve been hiding me. When did you learn? How old would I have been? You have some excellent people in intelligence, I know that. So, how long did it take you to find out? Was it a year? Was it less? Was I even fluent in Liyuean yet?”

“Nothing I did was with any intention of cruelty.”

“It—it feels pretty damn cruel!” She sputtered, her voice raising, sharp in a way that was unnatural.

Sucrose hadn’t raised her voice in all the time they’d known each other. Always compromisingly calm and passive. Her bottom lip shook as she tried not to sob. Now was not the time.

Ninguang didn’t respond, waiting for the Sucrose’s heavy breaths to even out. The young alchemist stared desperately at her investor,m, ignoring the burning tears in her eyes. The pitifully blank stare the Tianquan offered back only fueled a helpless sort of rage in her blood.

Alas, she was tired, and not a person built for anger. The hot spikes of her anger washed away into a cool pit of knots in her throat and stomach as she finally looked away, pathetically waiting for Ninguang to resume.

“To answer your question, it took a little under a year to confirm suspicions. And, yes, that was why I offered you more attention, more gifts, more opportunities. I don’t regret it. You are a smart girl, competent, and curious. But that does not mean moral, or fair. Your father is an example of that.”

Sucrose did not reject, just kept staring down at that file.

“I’m sure you saw Collei, back when she first arrived in Mondstadt. She has many scars, both mental and physical. What you may not know, is that those scars were received in Dottore’s care. Is that a man you’d want me to give you to? Every choice that man has made has reinforced my decision. It may feel cruel, but it is the truth;

“I do not regret anything I did while handling your case.”

Sucrose swallowed, building up the will to ask her next question. Hushed, she asked, “Were you afraid? That I’d become like him?”

“No. I wasn’t then and I’m not now.” Ninguang stood, walking around her desk to open her arms to Sucrose. She accepted. Sucrose let her set her chin on the top of her head and murmur a low, genuine; “You’ve always been so painfully kind.”

“Okay.” She said quietly.

Ninguang sighed, letting Sucrose out of her arms so she could walk over to her endless cabinets and shelves. Practiced, she pulled a simple tan file out from one, holding it up to Sucrose’s attention.

“This file has everything we know about him—within reason. It’s your choice to open it, and it will be your choice if you want to meet him. You are an adult, after all.”

Sucrose grabbed the file and walked out of Ningguang’s office without another word. Her eyes burned. She ignored the curious eyes of Ninguang assistants following her. How many of them knew too?

For some reason she felt shame. Shame about where she came from. Shame about who she was. It bubbled up in her chest and stayed there, fossilized between her ribs.

She left the jade chamber that day, answers tucked into a little tan file, feeling just a little bit more heavy.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

~~~

Nothing said was a lie, and no action of either party was done with the intent to hurt. At least, Sucrose really hoped so.

Then why did her chest feel so tight? Why did she long for her father, killer and all? Was it simply within her nature, or was it her lack of a biological one growing up that planted a deep longing in her chest?

Sucrose didn’t bother to dig deeper and figure it out, more answers only meant more hurt. She was done hurting.

Instead, her workbooks were set all around her as she delved deep into theorycrafting for a prey creature that would populate her paradise.

It would ideally feed on the petals of the many large flowers she’d already drafted up. Perhaps based on a rabbit? They were already herbivores, so the stomach structure would probably remain unchanged. Flower’s had many biologically active substances including vitamin A, C, riboflavins, niacin, minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium. All this would pass into the animal, and return to the soil upon death. But she didn’t just want rabbits. They had to be fantastical. How could she change them?

Many of the flowers she’d already created were large, some the size of people, with thick petals to boot. They’d need to be larger than normal rabbits, but rodents like rabbits have ever growing teeth worn down through eating roots and harsh vegetation. She’d have to find a way to slow their growth, or they’d never get worn down and eventually pierce their own skin. Also, would her petals actually provide enough nutrients to support a larger rabbit? Perhaps increased size was not the issue. In fact, she could reduce their size, and give them increased climbing abilities to reach the petals and seeds. Small claws would help, longer limbs too. Similar to squirrels, but also providing home for the role of a pollinator. That was perfect!

The wagon shook as it passed into Mondstadt. She sighed as a light breeze washed over her, as if it knew her troubles deeply. She’d leave by Springvale, and walk to Mondstadt herself. Until then she had ample time to theorize what DNA strings she’d need to change in order to get her desired result.

In the pursuit of paradise, there was more than creating flora and fauna to fill out her world. She’d need an undisturbed space away from people and judgment, where she wouldn’t be questioned, nor be in the way.

Liyue had been leaving a sour taste on her tongue recently, so it would have to be in Mondstadt.

Mondstadt was not nearly as expansive as some other nations. Going unnoticed there would be harder. Not to mention she wasn’t going to completely abandon the city or her mentor.

There was a small island off the coast she’d been eyeing. It had a gateway opening to the Abyss, which means it was hardly ever visited. It was also far from shipping routes. It would be nice, far enough to not answer questions.

Another, morbid thought of challenging the Abyss with her more carnivorous creations rose to mind.

She batted it away. Her creations were to be simple animals. Not beasts with killer instincts.

But… the stories she read were not lacking in beasts. Dragons and serpents. Dottore had pointed out the promise in her sketches of a revived version of the creature Beidou had given her the skull of. Sucrose briefly indulged in the thoughts of a spiraling sea monster, perhaps a tamer version. With the notes Dottie gave her it wouldn’t be difficult.

That would be fairly simple. She had taken bone marrow samples from the thing. Making a fertilized egg from it was easy, what with her knowledge. The brain may be untamable though. Perhaps it could be replaced with another’s? She’d need something that was afraid of people for safety reasons.

…Territorial tendencies and a fear of people were common in snakes. That was a start. Could she perhaps instill loyalty? Inherent subservience, like that of a hound? Or perhaps the playful nature and lack of aggressiveness toward humans that porpoises native to Fontaine had?

She had soon abandoned her rabbit, instead flipping back to her sketches and theories of the great serpent she could raise and against the abyss.

It was merely a daydream though, as were most things in her life.

~~~

Sucrose couldn’t help the calm smile that stretched over her face as she entered the city, headed for her house there. Momentarily, her nerves about Dottore and her anger towards Ninguang washed away as her boots walked over stone streets, and a slight breeze ruffled her bangs.

Albedo had given her the day off despite her only needing the morning and afternoon, so he didn’t expect her in the laboratory.

There were several things she needed to do, though.

One, draft a letter. Dottore was a real threat. No matter how upset she was at Ninguang for hiding him, she needed to inform the right people. But… she really didn’t want to have to rally the entirety of the knights, or pick together a group of vision holders. She had an idea of who to tell though.

She entered her house. A quaint thing bought with the money Ninguang—the thought made her spit taste bad—had enabled her to buy. Its porch was filled to the brim with plant pots. Sweet flowers, dandelions, lantern grass, flowering shrubs. Their aroma’s mixing into a strong scent that was an assault on the nose to anyone who wasn’t used to it. Inside, every window had a plant hanging by it, and every wall had a full bookshelf pressed against it. Many of which contained her own scientific contributions to botany.

She walked through her home, setting the file Ninguang had given her on her desk and collapsing into the chair. It was nice, considering she spent the better part of her day in the hard wooden seat of a wagon.

After taking a moment to herself, stretching, and sighing softly, Sucrose took out a quill, ink, parchment, and began to write. “Dear Traveler…”

~~~

Sucrose nervously paced around the lab. It’d been nearly four days since her encounter with Dottore, and three since speaking with Ninguang and sending out her letter. The Traveler should have received her letter by now.

She hadn’t so much as touched her pet project since her interaction with Dottore. Restricting her studies to simply assisting Albedo in his work. Today though he was with Kaeya and Klee, who had double teamed him and demanded Albedo take the day off work and join them both on a sister-brother-situationship date.

Outside the Dragonspine’s Lab entrance, voices and footsteps made their way through the snow. There was a light, high pitched voice, “She said she’d be here… oh, there you are Sucrose!”

“Paimon! Traveler!” Sucrose spun around, quickly running up to greet them. “Thank god you’re here, I know you’re on your way to Inazuma and you’re so busy and I wasn’t even sure you were gonna come—”

“Woah woah! Calm down, we’re here! No need to get all panicky on us, right Traveler?” Paimon turned to the Traveler, who nodded.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s important.”

“R-Right…” Sucrose paused to take a deep breath. “It’s… about the Fatui. Like, the woman who attempted to take the gnosis…”

“Trust me.” Paimon said, hands on her hips. “We learned allllll about the Fatui in Liyue. Damn Childe!”

“What…?” She asked tentatively.

“We ran into this guy who was all like ‘I’m here to help’ and we were like ‘ok moneybags’ and then we did some stuff and he turned out to be a Fatui harbinger! And then… well…” Paimon trailed off nervously.

“The Fatui got their hands on Geo Archon’s gnosis.” Lumine finished for Paimon.

“Oh. Oh no.” Sucrose’s ears flattened against her head. “Well, I got bad news. They’re coming back to Mondstadt for another attempt at the Anemo Archon’s gnosis.”

“Figures! Dumb Fatui…” Paimon stomped her foot.

“Wait, Sucrose, how do you know that?” the Traveler asked.

“I met a harbinger. He… asked for my assistance in doing it. I refused of course! I wouldn’t—I would never do that!”

“Hey, hey! Relax. Tell us everything.”

Sucrose did not tell them everything. She was going to! But, when it came down to it… the words “that harbinger is my father” felt like acid in her throat, and she simply couldn’t choke it out.

So, she lied, saying that his pitch was about offering her valuable insight on her personal research, and about the “war with the gods” being noble and necessary.

It… didn’t feel nice, the way the Traveler watched her explain, so painfully trusting in Sucrose’s lie. Her stomach physically ached from guilt. But she couldn’t just say it.

“An attempt on the gnosis is soon it seems.” Paimon thought aloud.

“I didn’t know who else to tell, Traveler. You’ve always been very strong and smart. You’ve fixed our problems before. It seems… cruel to ask this of you, but I really don’t know what to do… who to tell.”

“It’s okay Sucrose, we’ll get through this.” Paimon smiled.

The Traveler nodded in agreement. “It’s just a shame we don’t know how he’s gonna go about it. Venti’s probably been a lot more protective of the gnosis since the first attempt.”

“You should probably warn some of the more trusted knights, as well as Venti.” Sucrose suggested.

“Yeah!” Paimon nodded along. “Maybe we should hide the gnosis too or something. For safekeeping.”

“Whatever it takes. We’ll make sure they won’t get their hands on it.” The Traveler said genuinely.

“Thank you—thank you really. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do…” Sucrose sighed, “I feel really bad that I can’t help more.”

“What are you talking about? You warning us is already super helpful Sucrose!” Paimon said sweetly.

“We’ll deal with it, Sucrose.” Traveler promised. Sucrose nodded. This was exactly what she needed after the scare that was Dottore. Surely this problem would now solve itself.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Dottore leaned against the entrance of the Dragonspine lab, casually watching as she organized her papers.

She noticed him several minutes ago. Her ears were sharp after all. But if he didn’t feel it necessary to introduce himself, perhaps she shouldn’t acknowledge him.

Eventually though, her silence was interrupted. “No plans to raise the serpent, and yet you have drafted up an incubator and terrarium?”

Sucrose didn’t yelp—she was preemptively biting her bottom lip to prevent doing so—but she did jump slightly at his voice. Mentally, she kicked herself. She knew he was there!

“Ignoring me? Quite petty, my child.” She heard the smile creep into his voice. “Who raised you?”

“Not you.” She retorted, too quietly and softly to be taken seriously. He huffed a laugh.

“Obviously.” He said. Footsteps signaled his steps closer. He leaned over her shoulder, evaluating her work. “The design you drafted is… bad, simply put.”

She turned on her heel, confronting him with a glare. “You aren’t supposed to be here. I—I will go get the knights if you don’t leave, sir…”

“No honorifics, my child. And I would be gone before you return with the knights. Besides, Fatui personnel are cleared to be on dragonspine—I’ve broken no rules.”

“You’re trespassing being in the lab—and you admitted you wanted to steal a gnosis!”

“Hush. Now, the design you drafted isn’t incubated or regulated. Think, where did this species of serpent live naturally?”

“Inazuman waters…” she responded, unsure of where he was going.

“Which are mildly warm and don’t vary in temperature. The glass will need to be thicker, incubated. The heater you drafted should be adjusted as well. Cold could stunt the creature’s growth.”

Sucrose looked back down to her blueprints. She… really shouldn’t be listening to him. But he was correct.

Glancing between Dottore—who’s birdlike mask was tilted curiously at her—and her papers, she made her decision. Taking an eraser, she began to adjust the design.

~~~

“…pass me those samples, would you?” Albedo asked, crouched down to peer through the magnifying glass.

Sucrose handed him a set of glass slides, on them were samples of ashy gray skin—completely dead cells, but the traces of Eleazar on them were needed.

“The viral infection of Eleazar seems to die when targeted by the synthesized treatment. Molecularly, the treatment we have should be identical to the one we’ve synthesized.” He said.

The treatment he’s synthesized. Sucrose had spent the last week running around, handing him tools and second checking his math, but all the science was Albedo’s. He was nice enough not to say that though.

“Do you think it’s ready to be administered to the patient?” Sucrose asked, glancing over the notes, just to give herself something to do. “We can always request more samples and continue to run tests.”

He stood straight, touching his fingers to his chin as he looked over his work. “I do think it’s ready for the first rounds of use, though I’d like for the patient to spend a few days under our observation for the start of it, meaning we shouldn’t leave him alone. Do you think you are up to staying in the Favonius lab for a few days with me in case anything goes wrong. I know you need more sleep than me but having you on hand could be helpful.”

Sucrose straightened up, ears perking. “Of course, Mister Albedo!”

“Good. I’d like you to go home and get a full eight hours of sleep beforehand though—to ensure you are right of mind.”

“In all honesty, I’d rather not put administering the treatment off even a few minutes longer than necessary—much less eight or so hours. If it’s no problem with you, I’d like to do it immediately.”

Albedo looked to her then to the treatment in front of him, the countless hours worth of work sprawled out all around them, then he nodded. “Alright. I’ll get a knight to inform the family to bring the boy to the lab immediately. But if you need a break, you tell me. No excuses.”

~~~

The knight—and the boy—wasted no time in rushing to the laboratory. Within ten minutes, the boy was laid on the lab table, Sucrose carefully applying a numbing agent—not that many of the cells were alive, but oh well—to the affected areas. After, she could help no more than standing back alongside the parents and watching as Albedo worked diligently on his patient. Only occasionally moving to pass Albedo a tool or, painfully enough, to help hold the boy down when the needle arrived.

Eventually, the boy laid down flat on the observation table. Sucrose swallowed back her spit. He looked… dead. Not actually, obviously. But the thin body of a little boy, once undoubtedly lined with lean muscle perfect for running through the streets or fields with friends, kicking a soccer ball between them, laughing, was now thin. No muscle, no fat. Just the outline of his ribs as he was laid on the table like a corpse to be dissected. His body was lined with dark, flakey skin.

“Sucrose, needle?” Albedo’s voice called her, and she finally broke her stare away from the stolen youth in front of her.

“O-of course,” she scrambled to say, passing him the correct tool, before settling back to staring at the near corpse, ready to be flayed, in front of her.

The first round of treatment went well. It did little to alleviate the lump forming in her throat.

~~~

On her way up to dragonspine’s lab, Sucrose had made a detour, heading north to Dorman’s port. There, she had… acquired some important materials. For all the work Sucrose and Albedo did, they didn’t often build things unless requested. So, her knapsack was heavy with scrap metal, isolation, glass—carefully wrapped to not shatter, of course—and the necessary parts to piece them together.

She entered the lab and set her bag down, careful not to damage anything.

Turning to the desk, she froze as she saw what rested on top of it.

A strange device. Large, heavy, and square, the tabletop it sat on dipped ever so slightly with its weight. She approached it slowly. Ears flicking with interest, she inspected it carefully, pulling open parts of it, looking over every metal and glass wall. It seemed to have some sort of clear compartment, filled with an off-white, slightly clear liquid? She pressed her ear to it, listening as it hummed. It was powered somehow, and slightly warm, fighting off the coldness of Dragonspine.

Finally, it clicked. It was an incubator. Similar to the one she’d drafted up. Only it had extra parts. Another small area within it, only this one had little needle-like arms. Small. Sharp. Something used in surgery.

“Those are small enough to edit embryos.” Dottore said. Sucrose shot up, quickly turning to face Dottore where he stood in the mouth of the cave.

“Sir! You aren’t—you can’t be here!”

“Hm? I don’t recall commiting a crime lately. I am simply here to give my daughter a gift. Reasonable, considering I missed so many birthdays in the past. Do you know when your birthday is, Sucrose?”

“You can’t keep coming here. I won’t accept any more gifts or help from you, not anymore.” She hissed out, digging her heels into the ground. Dottore sighed, looking his age for a moment.

“I simply want to see my daughter’s passions play out, Sucrose—”

“I-I really don’t believe that sir.” She sputtered out, quickly, before he could sink his sharp teeth into whatever openings he saw. “I really don’t.”

“Sucrose.”

“No!”

“Sucrose I was just like you. Young. Without the guidance, resources, or wisdom to make these things turn out right. And you know what I did? Ran away. Isolated myself and messed with things I should’ve, all alone. And when things went wrong there was no one there that could help me.”

She couldn’t say anything.

“Sucrose, I desperately don’t want you to end up alone in a lab, having hurt yourself working with concepts beyond yourself and using bad equipment. You’ve already begun to isolate yourself by no action of mine—”

“You’re here for the gnosis. Not for me.” Sucrose said, almost reminding herself as well.

“One can do two things.”

“You don’t care.” She bit out. Dottore froze at the welling of tears in her eye. “This is too much. You don’t care. Y-you’re doing something here. You aren’t… you aren’t here for me.”

“I am.”

“No no no…” she looked down, hair falling to shade her face, but fat tears splattered on the cavern floor. “This isn’t fair. You can’t do this to me.”

She sank to her knees. Distantly, she registered Dottore’s arms as they wrapped around her, his hand pressing her head to his chest, pulling her glasses away so she could sob into his coat. He said something, little “I am”s in response to her incoherent sobs.

It was moments like those she felt inexplicably her age. Still a teenager. Barely an adult. Sobbing with grief she thought she had long outgrew.

Her first family, so distant she didn’t remember the language she loved them in. Her childhood friends who were torn from her by circumstance and tragedy. Ninguang, who was like an aunt to Sucrose, who lied and destroyed her trust for years, who kept her first family she loved so far away Sucrose could do nothing but mourn forgotten memories. Oh archons.

She had little left, she supposed. Her adoptive parents, her childhood dog, her mentor, a handful of almost-friends who she was too isolated to truly know, and now, maybe, Sucrose had her father again.

He wiped away her tears, voice uncharacteristically low, uncharacteristically kind, “Cry all you like, my child. Afterwards, I can teach you how to use the gift I got you.”

She sniffed, before nodding once.

~~~

Breathlessly, she watched, ears perked forward, eyes wide. In her hands were a notepad and pencil, ready to take notes.

Just on time, the infant serpent pressed against the opaque shell of its soft egg, slowly breaking its head free. The process was slow, taking several minutes just to get to a point it could rest halfway free of its shell. Sucrose noted down every detail as it made its first breach. Finally, it took its first swim, abandoning its egg.

“It… It worked!” She exclaimed, pressing her fingers to the glass tank. Beyond the glass, her creation swam clumsily, beginning to explore the bounds of its tank, taking its first strides. Sucrose smiled, stars in her eyes as she watched.

No deformities, no mutations, no issues.

“Dottore, it worked!” She turned around, only to freeze at the expression on Dottore’s face.

The lights in the lab were mostly turned off, leaving the glow of the fish tank to wash his skin in its blue fluorescent light. He looked dead. And on his dead face, and pale lips, was a look of pride that lingered uncomfortably on her. “It did.”

She… she shouldn’t be doing this. Not with him. Still, something ugly in her pushed past the guilt. She turned back to the tank

“It’ll quickly outgrow this tank, what with all the altering. Its calorie intake will be expensive.”

“Agreed. It’d do better in a large, enclosed natural biome. Like a lake. Or the ocean, preferably.”

“Well, yes. That would be ideal for the creature itself, but it’ll be difficult to monitor, and it runs the risk of attacking ships. But the nature of sustaining life for a long time non-biologically is difficult. It will need some sort of elemental energy source. For now my vision works just fine! But… it won’t for very long. I'll probably have to euthanize it when it gets any longer than a foot. But that’s fine! It’s simply a test run.”

“Hm.”

Sucrose paused, “Sir?”

“Yes Sucrose?”

“You were… it was just that you were uncharacteristically quiet. It’s… it seemed like you had something to say?”

“Oh, that. I was just curious as to how you’re planning on achieving that… What did you call it, Paradise? Whatever it is… you plan to engineer artificial life. But you lack the elemental energy sources to do so. However will an entire ecosystem thrive without a… powerful energy source.”

“Well… there are options. And I have a lot of time to research! I’m still young…” she trailed off, staring at serpent-1, pouting slightly.

Dottore sighed, as if she missed the point. “I’m sure you know of certain elemental catalysts with enough power to indefinitely sustain life, don’t you Sucrose.”

Ah. That.

“Gnosis is not a tool I have access to, Dottore. An-and rightfully so!” She turned to look at him, stern. “And if that’s a subject you want to breach, then I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“Calm down. It was simply an idea.” He waved her off, taking a step to nowhere while skillfully swapping subjects. “And that’s not even the first problem with your ‘paradise’.”

Serpent-1 and all other species will have to be isolated, so as to stop the risk of invasive species and harming human settlements, and you need a large space to house an ecosystem. You do well with money, but you do not have that much.”

“Ah.” She looked down shamefully. “I do not know. Nowhere seems large and private enough. And I do make plenty of money, it’s just not feasible. I will figure it out eventually. I may as well make sure all of my creations function in the meantime.”

“Sucrose.” He said, “how… are you attached to Mondstadt?”

Sucrose didn’t like this conversation. In fact, she didn’t like thinking of Mondstadt at all when she was with Dottore. It made her feel dirty. Still, she didn’t dare lie to him. “It is very dear to me, it’s people made me who I am.”

“Dearer than progress? Dearer than your experiments?”

She didn’t respond.

Behind the glass, her first life swam. So small and easily fragile, its veins visible under the fluorescent light.

~~~

Something was different when she walked into the library.

It’d been a week since she told the Traveler and Paimon about Dottore. Nothing had changed yet. The Traveler had taken the information and done what they thought was best with it, so life continued on normally.

Lisa had invited her for tea a few days back, and Sucrose had intended to make good on that invitation. She was incredibly stressed, and Lisa was always so relaxed.

But when she stepped in, it was much louder than a library should have been. There were half a dozen people crowded around the librarian’s desk, all chatting and fawning over something as Lisa sat in the middle of it, a blissful smile on her lips as she faced the small crowd.

“Congratulations!”

“True love, really. I have a feeling you two are gonna stay together for a long time.”

“The ring’s so beautiful, Miss Lisa!”

“Oh you all are too sweet.” Lisa giggled, before her eyes caught on Sucrose. She gave a little wave. “Oh, hello Sucrose!”

“Hello Miss Lisa, has something happened?”

“You haven’t heard?” Margret turned to her. “Her and Jean are engaged!”

“Engaged? Oh Miss Lisa, congratulations!” She turned to Lisa with a bright smile.

“Thank you thank you,” Lisa smiled back, before giving a forlorn sigh. “Took her long enough. I was about to ask myself.”

Then, Lisa smiled forlornly, dramatically setting a hand over her chest to flash the ring.

“But she did. Anyways, I believe I had invited little Sucrose here to tea? It was nice to speak to you all.” She said, clueing the small crowd in on the fact it was time for them to go. They said their goodbyes, Sucrose giving a small wave as they left. Lisa slipped down from her desk then, leading Sucrose to the second floor, where her little tea party was all set up. Sucrose took a seat at the small round table

“Oh Sucrose it’s all so… amazing.” Lisa sighed, sinking into the chair across from her, a dopey smile on her face.

“I’m really happy for you, Miss Lisa!” Sucrose smiled. “Any idea when the wedding would be?”

“Oh, yes. We are planning to marry quickly. Within the month. I want to formally invite you, Sucrose. That invitation extends to Albedo as well. I haven’t been able to catch the man recently, so I hope you’ll tell him.”

Sucrose swallowed down her bite of pastry, face falling. “O-oh! Within the month? So quickly.”

“I was not blessed with a long life, Sucrose. I see no need to dally when I love someone.” She sighed, picking up a scone. “She’s amazing.”

Sucrose did the same, taking another bite into the pastry as Lisa continued to speak.

“In terms of my health… I am getting weaker. Electro has become harder to control, my hands shake when I turn pages in my book. My appetite is sparse. I really can only stomach tea and pastries. I give it just years before… well. I don’t intend to suffer on a deathbed.”

“I hope you stay healthy as long as possible. And happy as well. I truly do, Lisa.” Sucrose promised, setting a hand to her heart.

Lisa laughed, crows' feet wrinkling beautifully as she smiled. “Oh sweetie! I am so used to the title of miss coming from you, it’s almost surprising to just hear ‘Lisa’ come from your lips. I hope so as well.”

“Anything you plan to do? Anywhere you want to go? If there’s anything I can do to help, I will. I promise.”

“There’s no need. As soon as I found diagnosis, I left the akademia and did whatever my heart desired wherever it saw fit to wander. It brought me here. In terms of final wishes, this library is just that. In my eyes, paradise”

Paradise.

Lisa gazed lovingly over her books, at the small reading circle of children visible from the upper balcony, the quiet but happy readers tucked into nooks and crannies. Sucrose had no doubt that this was her little paradise.

So content. Content enough to live—and to die—here. Sucrose wanted that. Not to die, but to… not ache for completion or purpose. Lisa had everything she needed, so young. A short lifespan does that. Sucrose smiled softly. It ached.

“I do hope you attend my wedding, Sucrose.”

“Of course I will miss Lisa.”

~~~

She caught them on the street, rushing over to them before pulling them away from people, rushing to one of the many empty alleyways and staircases of Mondstadt’s streets. “Traveler, Paimon! Have you heard the news of the wedding?”

“We have! Isn’t it great?” Paimon said gleefully.

“They’re great for each other. Maybe Lisa can get Jean to take more breaks.”

“I hope so.”

“Is something wrong?” the Traveler seemed to have picked up on her apprehension quickly.

“It’s just… with the gnosis business. Is this really the best time? Surely this could have been planned a bit better. Does Master Jean know?”

“About that—we were going to tell Master Jean about the harbinger, but then she spilled the news about the engagement and that the wedding’s soon—she just looked so excited! Paimon and Traveler couldn’t ruin that for her. So we… sortakindadidnttellher?”

Ah. The worst case scenario. Of course. “Oh no. So she doesn’t know?”

“No, but don’t worry! The other knights, Kaeya, Eula, Amber, Diluc—We’re gonna make sure everything goes great and stop any Gnosis stealing plots! You have our word!”

“So, then, they are all aware?” Sucrose asked.

“To varying extents.” The Traveler clarified. “Some simply of a Fatui plot on the gnosis. Some of the presence of Dottore himself.”

“Ah. That is probably for the best.” She nodded.

“About that, have you seen any more of Dottore since you first told us about him?”

“No.” The lie came easy. Too easy. “I-I really haven’t. Maybe he’s laying low for a little bit? He did know I planned to tell the knights.”

“Hm.” Paimon said. “If he’s laying low, then there’s a good chance the wedding will go by before he tries anything.”

“I hope so.” Sucrose replied softly.

“Hey, I’m sure it will be fine, right traveler?”

“We’ll make sure Lisa and Jean’s special day goes by without a hitch.”

“Thank you. God you guys are so kind. I really don’t know what I’d do without you guys’ help.”

“Oh don’t worry about it, Sucrose!” Paimon chirped happily. Lumine set a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re happy to help, really.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Sucrose wanted to scream.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

~~~~~

“I hope whatever you’ve been doing in the lab while I’m gone is worth it.” Albedo said out of the blue, interrupting the soft silence as Sucrose was preparing to head back to Mondstadt.

She felt her stomach drop, freezing in place as she carefully thought out her response. “I—Sir… I don’t know what you mean.”

“Sucrose.” He turned away from his experiment, and Sucrose nearly began to shake when his star pupils settled on her, his face looking on her with pity. “I’ve been mentoring you for years. I know how you act. I know when you are hiding something. I truly hope you make good choices from here on out.”

“Mister Albedo… it’s just… he’s…” she couldn’t find the words to defend herself.

“A parental figure? Smart? Encouraging? Attentive? I guarantee each action of his is perfectly picked to influence such an opinion. I urge you to look beyond your interactions with him. To collect data. You know how to do that.”

“Yes Mister Albedo.” She dipped her head.

He sighed, “He is not a good person.”

“It’s different…” she said weakly, unable to meet his eyes.

“Maybe. I do not know everything. Which is why I am asking you to express caution. People like that don’t really care about you.”

“He’s family. He’s my family.”

“Really? When I think of the idea of "family," my Master comes to mind first. My Master… she is a genius, she made me, taught me and trained me. I am who I am because of her. But despite that, I have no doubts that the moment I did not live up to her wants, needs, and expectations, I would have been terminated. Please Sucrose, keep that in mind.

“You are a brilliant young woman. I have no doubts in your abilities. But anything can be used to hurt in the right context.”

“We aren’t—I would never hurt people. They—Celestia, they need to be challenged. They are no more right in their war against them than our Archon’s resolve to let us live independently! Consider what happened to Khaenri’ah five hundred years ago, they—we need to challenge them! They could kill so many, they have before. People don’t deserve that.”

“The cause is understandable. Flawed, but understandable. But many of The Doctor’s actions are not. Please, dig deeper before giving this man power over you. You are the only person who you have to live with no matter what.”

“I’m not a bad person, and he’s…” she took a breath. “Yes Mister Albedo. I understand.”

“You are not a bad person, but bad choices are not exclusive to villains.”

Her eyes, hidden by her lashes, were angled at the rocky floor of the cavern. She wondered if their amber was the same color as Dottore’s. How much of him she truly took from him. She took a small breath, exhaled it sadly. The same way she did whenever an experiment had a disappointing result. She was hovering by the exit, so the small plume turned white in dragonspine’s cold air.

It was silent a moment longer. Albedo was no doubt watching her.

“Are you going to report me?” She asked finally, as she had been wondering since he made it known he knew.

At his silence, she glanced up. Albedo considered it a moment, head tilted slightly as he thought. “No. No I will not.”

“Okay.” She said softly. “Thank you, mister Albedo.”

“Go home, Sucrose.” And his eyes glanced over her once again, pity etched deep in them. “Barbatos knows you need the rest.”

She tasted iron on her tongue, before belatedly realizing she was biting down on it. “Mister Albedo…”

“Go.”

If she had a tail, it’d be between her legs as she retreated from the lab.

~~~

She didn’t head back to her house in Mondstadt, even though Albedo was right about her needing the rest. Instead she set off for Springvale.

The town refused to change throughout the years. At night, it looked the exact same as when she was sneaking out to explore as a child, sneaking out to see her friends as a teen, and as an adult sneaking back into her childhood home. Only now she didn’t avoid the lantern light, or sneak in through an unlocked window. Now she walked in full view of the lanterns, and now she put her key in the lock of her front door and sighed as it clicked open.

A nice house. Small and happy. A living room with a bookshelf still populated by her childhood interests—mainly flora, fauna, and fossils—and a rug she used to nap on, a small kitchen with a lantern grass plant hanging in a pot by the window. Its soft blue glow was the only light in the house.

Her childhood dog, a Rottweiler named Captain, lifted his head as she closed the door softly behind her. He was an old dog, the gray painting his muzzle telling of his age. He was long past the times when he’d follow her as she tramped through the forest, scaring off hilichurls and letting her get into trouble.

She came to a stop in the middle of her home. Why… Why did she feel so guilty, just standing there? It hurt. Like homesickness or grief, despite the fact she was where she longed to be.

Her parents bedroom door creaked opened, and her mother, dressed in sleepwear, hair tangled and eyes heavy with exhaustion walked through. She smiled so, so softly when she saw Sucrose. “Hey baby.”

“Hi mom,” she said softly. “Did I wake you?”

Her mother shook her head, even if it was a lie. “You don’t look so good.”

“I… I don’t really feel good.” Sucrose settled on. Her mother clicked her tongue, walking forward to brush Sucrose’s hair from her face and cup it between her older hands.

“Overworking yourself?” She asked. Sucrose didn’t reply. Her mother pulled away a moment later, walking to the kitchen cupboards and pulling them open. “Wine?”

“Just hot cocoa.”

“Still not a drinker?” Her mother asked, just to fill the silence. She knew the answer.

“No, is dad still asleep?” Sucrose asked, just to fill the silence. She knew the answer.

“Mhm.”

The silence filled itself after that.

Her mother and father were great. Growing up, they provided her all the free reign she needed to satisfy her curiosity, and when something was dangerous they provided her a different path. Her mother worried the most though. She still probably does.

“How’s work?”

“Good. Albedo can still be mildly forgetful, so I’ve been reading up on his field of study to better help him prepare. I have a lot more free time too.” Sucrose responded. Then, a moment later more tentatively said, “Mom?”

“Mhm?”

“I… got a job opportunity. There’s a lot more room for money to be put into my work… a-and I’ll learn a lot.”

“Oh darling.” Her mother turned from the oven where the hot chocolate was cooking. “That’s wonderful.”

“It’s outside of Mondstadt though. And, maybe… permanent?”

Her mother gave her a slight frown. “Oh baby. Well, if it’s what you want to do, and you promise to write home and visit… then I think you should take it. And I bet your father would agree.”

Sucrose glanced to her parents bedroom, where her father slept soundly. “Yeah. I just… I’m not sure about the… people I’d be working with.”

“Oh. Well I’m sure you have time to decide, and look into it.” Her mother grabbed two mugs from the cupboard, pouring the cocoa into one and wine into the other. “Whatever you decide we’ll both be so happy for you. You aren’t a little kid anymore, we aren’t here to leash you.”

“Thanks, mom.” Sucrose lifted her cocoa to blow gently on it. “Love you.”

“Love you too, my little sugar fox.” Her mother squeezed her wrist, gentle and kind.

~~~

“I must ask, Sucrose, what is your opinion of me?”

She paused, biting her lip slightly in through. “May I ask what brought this on?”

“Is it so strange to wonder what my daughter’s opinion on my character is?”

“I—well I suppose not. I have to say, on first contact, I was absolutely terrified of you. But… Your contributions to my learning have been amazing. Albedo doesn’t share my line of science. Which is fine! He’s always been incredibly insightful, but certain things he just could not assist with. I really do appreciate your assistance.”

He laughed. “I suppose so. You have made more progress in the short weeks I’ve been visiting you than during your entire apprenticeship. Makes me curious what you could achieve with my more specialized research equipment back in Snezhnaya… back there, serpent-1 and its next variations could grow to full size. And we’d have the resources to sustain it.”

“Really?” Sucrose supposed that made sense. He was very high ranking in the Fatui. “That sounds amazing. I could never get that kind of funding from Ninguang… especially not for this.”

“You know, you are welcome in Snezhnaya. You’ve worked as an assistant for years, you have the knowledge and experience to assist me or a different segment. I would ensure safe passage and good pay. Excellent pay, actually, compared to what you receive currently.”

She looked at serpent-1. It was bigger now, the length of her forearm. In mere months, it’d have to be euthanized due to unsuitable living conditions.

It certainly was an option.

“I don’t think I’ll take you up on that. I am quite happy here, and I don’t exactly know you well.”

“Hm? I suppose you don’t.” He agreed. “How about this? In the spirit of getting to know me, I give you the opportunity to ask me any question, free of judgment or lies.”

“That… would be helpful, but how would I know you were being truthful?”

“You have nothing except my word, I suppose, but I personally would take the chance. So!” He smiled, “what burning questions have impeded your opinion of me?”

There were many. But one main one just wouldn’t leave her alone. So, she swallowed her fear and spoke;

“There… There was a girl who arrived in Mondstadt a while ago. Her name was Collei.”

“Ah, that pesky specimen. Did she cause trouble?” He asked lightly.

Sucrose still, tongue running over the back of her teeth. That was not the response she hoped for. But she had to dig in. Find out the truth. “You admit it, then. She was under your care?”

“Yes,” he answered, and she took in a shaky breath. “quite a helpful specimen at that. Shame she ran off.”

“It… she was traumatized, Dottore.” She bit out. “And it was under your care?”

“Remind me the purpose of your visit to Fontaine.” He turned to her, his lips set to a thin but sharp smile. Her confidence wavered slightly.

“I-I… I was attending an auction.”

“For?”

“I was trying to secure a new relief medication for Eleazar…”

He stepped closer, leaning down to match her head, head tilted as he displayed his teeth. “And what, pray tell, what do you think was required to create such a thing?”

She stayed silent, taking a step back.

“Eleazar doesn’t appear in non-sentient creatures, Sucrose. It appears in people, in hybrids, and in mythicals. So, tell me, how does one go about creating and testing a medication?” He took a step forward.

She took a step back.

“We are able to use animal experimentation because the diseases we are trying to treat occur in those animals. It is cruel but it is survival. Understanding that, what do we do when a disease does not happen in animals?”

He moved away, and she was finally able to breathe again.

“How is he?”

“What?” She snapped out of her fear, looking back to her father.

“The boy with Eleazar. The one you treated.”

She had an ugly feeling swimming in her gut as she answered. “Better. Not cured, but better.”

“Has my point gotten across?”

“She… she was really traumatized—”

“What medications have you taken in your life?” Sucrose blinked, unable to find a quick answer. “Too many to count, hm? The test bunnies who made them safe were put down after, you know. The lab rats and puppies didn’t get to live. Not like she has. I’ll ask again;

“Has my point gotten across?”

Sucrose looked to the side, unable to make eye contact with that blank mask. He sighed, turning away.

“So light hearted. It’s a wonder you’ve gotten this far.”

Dottore, she continued to find, has a tongue sharp as his teeth. A tongue he wasn’t afraid to dig into her. Around him, her worries became bothersome little things that were to be slashed away with facts, logic, and personal attacks.

It was a stark contrast to Albedo, who was so… willing. Content with her contributions, and considerate of her worries.

She bit her tongue.

Serpent-1 tore into the strip of raw fish that’d been dropped into his tank. She watched as its small, baby teeth latched into the flesh, tearing it as his body writhed around it.

‘The subject exhibits aggressive eating behavior, moving and tearing into the given meal, similar to a dog shaking a rabbit in its jaws.’ She jotted down in her notes. ‘It’s debatable whether this is from the hound-like mental alterations, or a reflection of the species natural hunting techniques.’

“It could easily be a combination of both.” Dottore offered.

“I’ll note that.” She said quietly.

~~~

“Anything important to be done today, Mister Albedo?” She asked, hanging her bag by the door in the knights of Favonius lab.

“Ah, Sucrose. No there doesn’t seem to be. The boy with Eleazar had reported no adverse effects, and all important experiments are wrapped up for now. So, I think we’re free to—”

Albedo didn’t finish before the lab door swung wide open, revealing a cheerful little elf, grinning ear to ear. “Albedo Albedo! I’m all ready and Miss Jean said yes!”

“Hello Klee.” Albedo responded, a fond smile crossing his face as he looked at Klee. “I’m almost ready, I was just about to invite Sucrose.”

“Sucrose!” Klee spun to face her, still grinning, “Me and Albedo are gonna go get dresses for the wedding! You gotta come! And Kaeya is coming! And maybe more!”

“I-I can come! I was just going to help Albedo today anyways, so if he’s going I certainly can.” Sucrose smiled, Klee’s glee infectious.

“Yesss! Let’s go!” Klee snatched Sucrose’s hand, dragging her out of the lab, Albedo following after them with a small laugh.

~~~

The boutique was a Mondstadt staple, with large windows displaying beautiful dresses in the native styles. The little bell on the door chimed cheerfully as people walked in and out.

“Big sis Lisa already picked out her dress—which is sad because I wanted to help—but it’s okay because she made me flower girl! Which means I run down the isle and toss flowers like bombs! Which I’m really good at!”

“But you will be throwing flowers, not bombs, right Klee?” Kaeya asked with a pointed look.

They—Kaeya, Sucrose, Albedo—were all sitting on a view couch as Klee stood atop on the little viewing stage. She was dressed up in a light pink dress, embroidered with little flowers. Next to him, Rosaria stood by the arm of the chair, looking uninterested. Amber and Eula were also there, just in the changing room—the same one, Sucrose noted with a little glee, it seemed to be a recent development.

Klee pouted and stomped down her foot, shooting Kaeya as nasty a look as the little girl could manage. “Of course I won’t!”

“I’ll double check there’s no Jumpty Dumpys in her flower basket.” Albedo promised.

“I said I won’t!”

“I’m sure Jean would appreciate that.” Kaeya smiled, teasingly ignoring Klee’s assurances.

Sucrose sat quietly, taking it all in. It would soon be her turn to sort through and try on outfits.

“What do you think about the dress?” Albedo asked her.

Things had been stilted between them since the “confrontation” they had.

“Oh, it’s nice.” Sucrose mumbled.

“Oh come on. Give us more than that!” Kaeya chided.

“Yeah Sucrose! What do you think.” Klee gave a little twirl.

“It’s…” Sucrose thought for a moment. “Very flammable, with all the tulle.”

Kaeya laughed. “It is indeed. Perhaps you should leave your vision at home the day of the wedding, hm, Klee?”

“I'm not gonna burn it!”

“Now now, Klee, there’s a reason your dress is fireproof.” Albedo said, referring to the many singed dresses that had to be discarded after Klee got her vision. “But I won’t ask you to put your vision away. How about we look for more fire resistant dresses instead.”

“Fineeee.” Klee groaned, hopping off the little stage.

Albedo and Kaeya both stood, Albedo helping Klee down, and Kaeya walking up to a worker. Probably to ask about their fireproof options. Sucrose stood too after a moment, turning to Albedo.

“I’m going to go look for a dress.” She said quietly. She waited for his nod before walking off to the aisles and shelves filled with beautiful dresses.

Pinks, red, blues. Frills, lace, tulle. Long dresses, short ones. She roamed the small area of the store, running her fingers over the material

“Find anything you like yet, Sucrose? If you're worried about costs the Knights will probably foot the bill. I got the church to foot mine.”

Sucrose jumped slightly. “O-oh! Rosaria. Hello. No, I haven't found anything yet—and don’t worry I’m good oh money.”

“Good to hear.” She responded plainly, leaned up against the support beam of an aisle. They were hidden from direct view. “These dresses are a rip off. The one they settled on for Klee was twenty-five thousand.”

“Yeah, crazy…” Sucrose trailed off flipping through dresses. Usually she’d be unsettled by Rosaria’s actions, the nun wasn’t one for small talk and doing so was unusual, but Sucrose’s head was pounding and she just couldn’t bring herself to care.

“Anyways,” Rosaria’s voice changed, becoming low and sharpened. “Albedo was talking to me and Kaeya, about unwanted visitors in his lab.”

Sucrose froze.

“And, what do you know, I’ve been noticing an uptick in rats around Mondstadt. Eyeing our walls, looking for cracked windows, scaling our roofs… caught a few myself.”

“Rosaria…”

“Albedo talked to you already I bet. But, knowing him, he was soft about it. Kind. So now it falls on me to be cruel. Yet again. Oh well. Just know this Sucrose;”

“You betray this country, and you will not step foot in it again. If you do, it will be for the final time.”

“I… Rosaria. You know me. You’ve known me since we were kids…” Sucrose whispered back, desperately. She wasn’t a bad person. Rosaria had to know this. She had to.

Rosaria tilted her head, evaluating the ruined desperation painting Sucrose’s face. The wide eyes, the slight tremble, like a deer caught in lantern light.

“I hope I do.”

~~~

When akademiya students are given opportunities to study abroad under geniuses in their field, it’s one of the best opportunities they can get. It’s an offer most can’t refuse.

When Sucrose was given an opportunity to study abroad under the smartest man she’d ever met, it was a moral crisis. An offer she should refuse.

How much did she really know about Dottore? How much of her view of him is carefully crafted, biased by genetics and cherry-picked interactions?

It wasn’t something she could simply make a decision off of.

Like any researcher, she began to consider other sources.

The file Ninguang had given her was still untouched. She had kept it in

Sucrose flipped open the lockbox, only to freeze as she saw what was inside. Or rather, what wasn’t inside.

It was empty, just the polished wooden bottom of the box.

She stood up, checking her shelves, her filing cabinets. Everything. Where…?

It wasn’t mixed in with her notes on her desk, or somewhere under her bed. As her search turned up empty again and again, she began checking in more and more unorthodox places. Her pantry, her couches.

Nothing.

She came to a stop in the middle of her torn apart bedroom. There was nowhere else it could be.

She couldn’t have just lost it. Sucrose wasn’t that kind of person. It couldn’t have been a break in either, as nothing else of value was stolen.

Pacing around her house, checking and rechecking nooks and crannies, she eventually had to accept it was gone.

Strangely, this wasn’t the cause of more stress. She felt less tense than she had in weeks. Sucrose was almost… relieved.

The feeling made her pause. Was she really that afraid of the truth? Of finding out more about Dottore?

She bit her tongue. It didn’t matter. It didn’t. Carefully, she set everything back into place.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Later on, as she and Dottore met again in the Dragonspine lab, she brought up the topic of Snezhnaya herself. “If… if I were to accept your offer, when would we leave?”

He smiled, sharp and toothy. She looked away, back at her work. “After securing the gnosis.”

“You won’t be able to. The knights are aware of your plan.”

“Maybe not.” He agreed. “I suppose then you will never get to learn in Snezhnaya. Perhaps Celestial will catch on then. Strike again, leaving another nation who stood against them as only dust.”

“I—well, Celestial has been silent for a long time.” She retorted. “To us, they are practically ancient legends.”

“They are always either silent or in the midst of a slaughter, my child. Have you ever really heard of Celestia’s benevolence? Of how they’ve aided Teyvat?”

“No, but that’s just because of their age, right? The stories around them are nothing more concrete than legend. The only reason we know so much about the cataclysm is because it was relatively recent.”

“There are no records of them ever bringing prosperity or balance to Teyvat. In fact, they only serve to promote the opposite. To stunt our technological growth, to keep us obedient. With the clockwork mechanical developments in Fontaine I wonder where Celestia will draw the line? Another nation crumbled to dust for daring to think independently.”

Right. Fontaine and their clockwork mecha. They were more recent developments made under the new archon. Sucrose supposed that too could eventually cross a line. But that wasn’t even the end of it. “The akasha from Sumeru as well, I guess. What with its capabilities.” She wondered aloud.

“Exactly! See Sucrose. I knew you’d get it.” His hand grasped her shoulder tightly, a motion meant to be reassuring. She simply looked down at his thin, almost skeletal fingers.

When she said nothing, Dottore carried on, swiftly changing the subject. “Oh, I hear there’s a wedding occurring within the week! How wonderful! Will you be attending?”

“I—yes. Yes I will be.” She responded quietly.

“Fantastic. I do hope you enjoy yourself. You’ve been very stressed lately. It’s not good for you.”

Sucrose sighed, setting her pencil down. She felt exhausted. “You’re probably right.”

~~~

For the week leading up to the wedding, Sucrose didn’t see an ounce of Dottore. Logically that was for the better. Still, it almost felt like betrayal.

~~~

The wedding day came too quickly. It was sudden, jarring, as most things had been recently.

It was almost too much.

Obviously, she was the only one who felt that way. As the wedding day preparations began, her fellow vision holders—her friends—all laughed and twirled, showing off their dresses and doing each others’ makeup. Through it, Sucrose was mostly silent, laughing occasionally. But mostly just listening. As such, she lagged behind, and most of the people she was with finished getting ready and left the little room they’d been using. Eventually, only Kaeya and her remained.

Sucrose stared quietly in the mirror, fluffing out her hair and trying to ignore the almost acidic feeling of nerves in her stomach.

The formal dress almost looked wrong on her. Everything about her did.

Under her eyes was painted to match her cheeks, no longer a dark bruise telling of her late nights working with both Albedo and Dottore. Her heels gave her a little height, making her look less small and more graceful. Her vision wasn’t displayed proudly on her neck, instead tucked away under her dress so as to not attract attention—it was Lisa and Jean’s big day after all.

Overall, looking in the mirror, everything seemed about five degrees to the left. She looked a little less remarkable, a little less eccentric, a little smaller—despite the heels.

“You look good.” Kaeya smiled, the rest of the main cast having left for the start of the wedding. “Would you like me to braid your hair?”

“No thank you. It’s fine as it is.” She responded plainly.

He frowned slightly. “You’ve been off, Sucrose.”

“I’ve never really been considered normal, Kaeya.” She gave a weak smile. “None of us have really.”

“It’s not that.” His fingers messed gently with the tips of her hair. “Albedo and Rosaria were talking. I didn’t catch much but it was about you. They were worried. I’m worried. You’re a friend and a good member of the knights.”

“I-I’m not hurting anyone.” She pleaded out. “E-everyone—they—I.”

“You’re panicking, Sucrose.” Kaeya stated softly. “Breathe.”

She nodded as she took a few breaths. After a moment, she calmed down, only realizing she was shaking when she finally stopped.

“Good. Better, at least.” He blinked, catlike, inlcinfing his head slightly as he did so. “Sucrose. I’ve interrogated a lot of people. I’ve cracked people open verbally. I know what it looks like when someone’s being… manipulated.”

“I’m not.”

“Guilt tripping, gaslighting, I’ve seen it. I’ve done it. It’s effective. You’re constantly on edge—”

“I haven’t been sleeping well—”

“Paranoid. Rethinking a lot of things about the world. It's like you’re having a moral crisis for Barbatos’ sake.”

“I’m an adult! I don’t need to-to—to be psychoanalyzed by someone who doesn’t know anything about what’s going on!” She snapped.

“I don’t know what’s going on. Albedo and Rosaria wouldn’t tell me. But do you know I think is going on?”

He tilted his head, expression grave, almost empathetic.

“I think someone’s been talking to you behind the scenes. I think someone’s been promising you things, and putting ideas in your head. I think you’re about to make a decision that will put your fellow knights in danger.”

“I’m not! I’m not doing anything—I’m not promising anything!”

“Sucrose, if you tell me, I can protect you and this can all go away.”

“A-are you good cop-ing me?” She said, incredulous.

“We want to, and we can, protect you, Sucrose. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

“N-no! I’m not asking for protection because I’m not doing anything!”

“Alright. Then I’m sorry to do this but you’re suspended until further notice.”

“Suspended? From the knights? Kaeya—you can’t do that!”

“I can, I’m a captain and I have the authority to do so when I suspect a lower member to be compromised or conspiring.”

“This—that won’t hold up! I haven’t done anything! If this gets brought in front of Acting Grandmaster Jean it will get thrown out.”

“Then bring it in front of her, Sucrose. I’m not stopping you. Just do it after the wedding. Jean is busy enough.”

“Kaeya, I'm your friend! Friends don’t—”

“The wedding begins in an hour, let’s go.” He turned away, leaving the preparation room without looking back. Sucrose sniffed, wiping away the stress induced tears as she turned back to the mirror.

Looking even further from herself, her face twisted into a frustrated anger. He didn’t even know anything, and now she was suspended. Did he think so little of her? Did the rest of the knights as well.

Grabbing a wet wipe and her makeup bag, she ignored the pain of guilt and frustration as she desperately tried to correct her messed up makeup. Kaeya was right. The wedding was soon. She—she didn’t have time to wallow in her guilt and anger.

~~~

Wedding bells rang from the highest point of the favonius cathedral. They were extra loud in Sucrose’s sensitive ears, almost damningly so.

The processional began. While Sucrose wasn’t a part of Lisa’s bridesmaids, she was a good friend of Lisa’s, and as such, the wedding couple had been kind enough to save her a seat in the front row. She sat with Diluc to her right, and Eula and Amber to her left.

Normally, she’d prefer to sit with Albedo, or with Kaeya when he wasn’t available. But with her previous interactions with the two, she simply couldn’t. Secretly, she took great relief in the seating.

Barbara was the officiant, standing behind the pedestal—elevated on a small box so she didn’t have to stand on her toes—beaming widely. It seemed that recently Barbara and Jean had really reconnected. Sucrose couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s quiet but bright enthusiasm. Jean stood by the pedestal in the groom’s spot, dressed in a white and blue suit, decorated with her family’s coat of arms as well as symbols of knights of favonius. She looked so content. Calmer than Sucrose had seen her in forever.

Courtesy of Venti, the music started, and everyone smiled and ‘awww’-ed as Klee ran down the aisle, tossing flowers in her little pink dress. Sucrose couldn’t help but giggle at the similarity between how Klee tossed both flowers and bombs.

Then Lisa came out. She… looked gorgeous. Her wedding dress, embroidered with beautiful purple roses all along the flowing skirt and chest.

She truly did look like she was in paradise. The crows feet in the corners of her eyes proudly displayed as she grinned at her wife down the aisle.

Lisa had almost reached the end, almost reached her wife—she two steps up the small platform—when the cathedral doors swung open, and wedding came to a halt

Sucrose turned in confusion along with everyone else. Only when she turned to look, she was not filled with more confusion like her companions, no.

She was filled with dread.

“Apologies for crashing this wonderful union,” Dottore called out as he strode down the center aisle, “but may I borrow your guests?”

Something was wrong with the crowd.

They smiled and remained turned to the front of the cathedral, awed looks on their faces, even as Fatui spies appeared throughout the crowd, holding blades to their throats. Sucrose stumbled to her feet, alongside the other vision holders who had risen, but were forced to remain still as defenseless Mondstadter’s were threatened.

“What did you do?” Jean growled.

“It was a little trick I learned. Usually it would require subjects to be hooked up to something akin to Sumeru’s Akasha. This, though, uses Mondstadt’s innate elemental energy that flows through its living beings. Anemo is air, after all, and it surrounds everything. Such a thing is not possible anywhere else. Beautiful no? How easy it is to make commoners kneel.

“They think their god has descended to bless this marriage. About now they should be hearing Barbatos’ oh so holy voice. They don’t even notice the blades at their necks” Dottore laughed.

And the people in the pews reached out, but dared not rise from their seats in the presence of a god. Even the god of freedom.

Sucrose looked around wildly. The real Barbatos—Venti—was completely surrounded, once again by Signora’s icy storm. She strode forward, tearing the chess piece from around the god’s neck.

Sucrose watched, helpless, as vision holders drew their weapons, surging forward—only to be stopped as a Fatui soldier drew their blade across a civilian’s neck.

The civilian stumbled to their knees, hands grasping at their throat, illusion broken as they cried out. The Fatui who’d done it stepped back, watching through their blank mask as the person died. Sucrose bit her lip to stop the pained noise wanting to make its way out. She knew enough about the body to know it was not a pleasant death. Albedo covered Klee’s little eyes.

“Don’t move, less you wish more from this crowd be gutted.” Signora commanded.

Sucrose could practically feel the righteous anger wafting off the vision holders next to her. The metal grip of Diluc’s weapon was glowing red hot, and there was a muffled crackle of electro in the air. Enough to make it suffocating. None of the Fatui moved. Neither did the civilian, after a moment.

Sucrose was eternally glad her parents weren’t here.

“Good.” Dottore purred at their ranks. She knew it was mocking, but Sucrose still took a small breath in at the praise in his voice. It sounded the same as when he’d stand over her in the lab. Was he looking at her? “Do not move, do not attack. Keep your weapons still, and no one else will bleed today. Understand?”

No response from the vision holders. Their eyes burned into the Fatui, waiting for a moment when an attack wouldn’t hurt their own people, even if they knew it wouldn’t come.

“Best wishes to the happy couple!” Dottore said as he strode across the cathedral, towards the door. A few feet on his tail was Signora and a hoard of Fatui foot soldiers. “So sad we couldn’t stick around for the reception.

Out the door. Two steps down the stairs. And then, a distant command from Dottore to his men.

“Fall back.”

Blades were lifted from the civilan’s throats, and Fatui after Fatui disappeared in a puff of their strange mist—that was it.

That was all the knights needed.

Diluc was the fastest, surging out the door, fiery phoenix on the tip of his blade. They didn’t expect it.

It melted through foot soldiers like butter, and burst through the icy shield Signora cast with little resistance. She screamed out as the heat seared her flesh, and the gnosis fell from her hands.

“Useless witch.” Dottore growled, not even singed. He snapped, and several of the Fatui surrounding him rushed forward to pick it up. Eula was faster, intercepting them and pushing them back.

The entire courtyard descended into chaos. Vision holders join the fray to battle Fatui, keeping them away from the fallen gnosis. Lisa, still in her wedding dress, darkened the sky as thunderbolts struck the odd Fatui she could single out. The knights—Kaeya, Jean, Klee, and the Traveler especially—moved forward to distract Signora.

From the corner of her eye, she saw geo pillars erupting from the ground to block off the cathedral. Albedo doing his best to protect the still entranced civilians inside.

And Sucrose?

Sucrose tossed a crystal core into the air, chasing with a gust of anemo from her vision. Large wings unfurled from it, blowing everyone in its radius back. “Construct 332, fetch!”

It did so, lifting into the air and dropping the gnosis into her hands

And once again, she stood on the steps of the cathedral, gnosis clutched in her palms. The world seemed to stop, only the heavy beat of her heart and her breathing could be heard.

Both sides froze.

“Sucrose! Over here!—S-Sucrose…?” Paimon called out for her to retreat to them, only for her voice to waver when she saw the hesitation on Sucrose’s face. The way she glanced between the two.

She could go, Sucrose knew, go to the knights. They’d cover her, defend her, take the gnosis and protect it. They had before. Once again, she could foil a fatui’s plan to take the gnosis. She could hinder the war against Celestia.

But the knights she thought of as close friends hardly trusted her anymore. She was suspended because of the very man who made her. Dottore… Dottore was her father.

The world was at a standstill, Dottore held up a palm, keeping the Fatui footmen still, and no vision holder would move against her.

“Come here, my child.”

Sucrose looked at her father. He stood, among a group of fatui, all posed to defend him. On his lips, a slight smile, sharp teeth peeking out from behind it.

“Sucrose?” Amber called out behind her, voice wavering, confused.

She looked back at the Knights. Albedo clutched Klee to his chest, holding her as she squirmed. Her voice was a whine, “I wanna help-!” But Albedo just held her, sad, pitying eyes trained on Sucrose.

She just couldn’t take that fucking look. Like she disappointed him again. Like he knew but hoped better of her.

Sucrose turned her back on the knights, retreating to her father.

A symphony of voices sounded out behind her, Paimon’s yells, Jean's commands, a growl of accusation from Diluc. All questioning or angry. They only knew that they’d been betrayed. Among them were not Albedo, Kaeya, Rosaria, or the Traveler’s.

His smile turned to a grin as she ran to his side, holding out his palm for the gnosis. In one motion, she gave it to him he whispered in her ear. “Follow the troop to the boat in the harbor.”

She did, looking over her shoulder only once as she followed the group of Fatui. Burned into her mind was the look of betrayal, of confusion. Their wide eyes and disbelieving stares.

Still, she turned her back.

The fighting resumed as she retreated from the Cathedral, cloaked in a group of Fatui, with only the clash of swords and yells echoing in her ears as she left.

~~~

Sucrose sat on the railing of the boat, legs dangling over the side. She watched the dark blue beneath her feet zoning out to the waves.

The sound of footsteps eventually snapped her from her trance. The common fatui didn’t approach her. This was Dottore.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” He noted, coming to her side. “And you’ve not touched the private quarters set up for you.”

“I prefer to stay above deck.” She said instead of answering the first two statements.

“You feel guilty.” Ah, astute observation. “I assure you it will pass, so long as you don’t obsess over it. Which is, my child, what you are doing.”

“I’m not.” She says, and immediately regrets it. Sounding like a teenage girl unable to admit her parents were right. “I’m just thinking.”

He tilts his head slightly before returning it to its original position. She imagines he was rolling his eyes. “I almost didn’t think you’d do it. You have a guilty mind. Something I suppose you inherited from your mother. Or perhaps it was something that life conditioned into your person.”

“But it was right.” Right? “Celestia, and-and… yeah.” He gets it. Probably.

“Progress is more important than personal connections.”

“I suppose.”

“You will thrive in Snezhnaya. You are an experienced assistant, and endlessly smart. Your goal of paradise is well within reach.”

“I know.”

“And yet here you are, sitting guiltily on the railing of my ship, as if you are intent to fall over the edge. Stand on the deck, with both your feet, and wallow there for all I care. But stop whatever this is.”

She looked away, what a stupid thought. “I’m not going overboard, Dottore.”

He grimaced. “You are a great source of worry, my child.”

It was nice to know he cared, she thought.

“I’m sorry.” She said quietly. He waved her off.

“Then you’ll get out of this funk, go document the state of your serpent. The boat ride and soon change in humidity and temperature is sure to affect it. Soon. There is also a winter jacket on your bed for when it starts getting cold. We are headed straight north, so you will soon need to use it.”

Finally, she slipped off the railing and back onto deck. “T-thank you, Dottore.”

His shoulders eased up in slight relief, but he waved her away. “Impress me, don’t thank me.”

“Yes sir.” She responded. It didn’t feel right. She took a breath and tried again. “Yes, Father.”

~~~~~