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Now that the Traveler is alone in his room, he pulls out the Vision entrusted to him. He expected to see the broach-like object to be shining like a jewel, but to his surprise, it was dull. Aether’s eyes grow wide in both confusion and concern.
He was reminded of Kazuha’s friend, the deceased’s Vision had fallen into the young wanderer’s hands and had no glow. Its purple color faded into a white canvas. But in this case, Ajax’s Vision still had its blue color and held the symbol of Hydro.
The star places the darkened Vision onto his desk and paces around the room, arms crossed as he wracks his brain for a possible answer. Perhaps all this time playing attorney in Fontaine has started to rub off on him.
He remembers the time in Inazuma where Vision holders started to lose their memories and become a hollow version of themselves when separated from their Vision for a prolonged time. It’s hardly been a week since Childe handed his to the Traveler, so the effects shouldn’t be as dire.
And he was just as energetic as always. Aether smiles to himself as he recalls the young man’s theatrics back in court. No matter where he was, what situation he found himself in, his mind would always default to one thing. Fighting.
So, why was it that his Vision wasn’t glowing? Was it simply because its been separated from its owner? Surely, there has to be another reason for it…
Just then, Aether was struck with an incredulous thought. It was said that a person’s Vision is a physical embodiment of their ambition. Once somebody lost their Vision, so to their aspirations and meaning in life.
But is it possible for it to also work the other way around?
“Did Ajax… forget his ambition?” Aether mutters.
The star sits on the chair, legs crossed as he shifts around imaginary evidence. His eyes are fixated on the Vision in front of him, but he is gazing beyond it. As far as the Traveler can discern, Tartaglia’s main goal in life was always to achieve total world domination. Power was always his main drive.
He was boasting to Aether and Paimon about how he could always rely on his Delusion if the going gets tough, but for someone who was so obsessed with getting stronger, it wouldn’t make sense for him to hand off one source of it. It didn’t look like it was burdening him when he wasn’t using it. If Ajax really didn’t want it getting in the way of his fighting, he could simply not activate it.
Why would anyone in their right mind hand their ambition to someone else?
It was another slow day at work. Manning the desk of the fortress meant having to face a lot of angry lawyers, crying family members and sketchy people demanding to see a prisoner. He doesn’t remember when he last saw the sun or even roamed the busy streets of his beloved city.
He watches as the clock ticks closer to lunch hour and the man’s stomach starts to growl. Just a few more minutes…
“Excuse me, sir.”
The man fights the intense urge to groan. But all his tiredness melted away when his laid his eyes on the person in front of him. “Y-yes, miss, how may I help you?”
The young lady gives a polite smile, but a look of worry is still prevalent. Her eyes are large and round with a brilliant shade of gold. Her nose is cute like a button and her soft, plump lips are in a light shade of pink. She wears a rather big hat, but its normal considering the fashion here in Fontaine.
Her beautiful dress was yellow with white accents, the hat matching the color scheme. But what was particularly striking was her jewelry. The deep blue stones of her hanging earrings definitely drew attention to her face more than anything else.
“Hello?” The maiden’s head is tilted to the side, looking concerned. “Are you alright, sir?”
The man coughs to hide his embarrassment. He was too busy staring to hear what her questions was. “Sorry, sorry. It was uh… a long day today, miss. Forgive me. What was it that you need me for?”
“Oh, it’s alright.” She waves her hand. “I just… wanted to know if it was alright to visit at the moment.”
“Visit? Oh, yes, I suppose you can.” He blurts out before he remembers the time. “Ah, but it’s lunch hour, miss. So, you’ll have to wait for an hour or so before we can grant you access.”
“Really? But I only found the time now…” She shrinks into herself, clutching her hands to her chest. “I just found out he was just imprisoned too…”
He? The Garde echoes in his mind in disappointment.
The young lady’s hands are clutched close to her chest, almost in a prayer. That was when he noticed a simple white band on her ring finger, with a gem the same color as her earrings. The color of a deep blue sea.
“Who is it that you wish to visit, miss?” He knows he should just dismiss her, but he can’t help but want to get on her good side somehow. His eyes flicker to the clock, he can afford a few minutes if it meant hearing her honey sweet voice longer.
“Ah…” Her cheeks blush a pretty shade of red. She bows her head in embarrassment. The Garde lowers his head to sneak a peek of her cute face below her fancy hat. “Please promise to keep this a secret…”
“Of course, miss. You have my word.” Gosh, he was such a sucker for pretty girls.
“The name of the man I wish to visit… is Childe.” She says.
It takes him a while for him to process but he then blurts out, “Childe?! You mean the Fatui Harbinger?”
“Shh!” She places those dainty hands of her across his lips and it makes his heart skip a beat. “Please! I really need you to keep it down…” She waits until the Garde gives a slow nod. “I… heard he was being put under trial and was deemed guilty by the Oratrice. I never got to see him that day as I was preoccupied with personal matters, but when I heard about it… I just had to see him!”
“W-wait… Who are you to him?” He asks. Surely it was his sister, or maybe even a colleague. Just don't say…
The maiden covers her face with her hands and she quietly confesses, “I… am his lover. Truth be told, he didn’t need to be in Fontaine. He should be back at home in Snezhnaya, spending time with his family. But… It was me who begged him to come visit! I can’t help but blame myself for making him come all this way and get tangled up in this mess. I just need to see him- No, I absolutely have to!”
“I-I’m sorry miss, but the time…” He can’t believe his heart’s being broken before his feelings even fully developed.
“Please! I beg of you, sir!” She leans in closer now. Her hands clasp his and it makes his cheeks flare up. “I’ll do anything! I just need to see him, right this moment…”
Her golden eyes start to tear up, nose tinged red. She was desperate and she looked so… helpless.
Another guard escorts the young maiden to the deepest part of the fortress. He didn’t hide his displeasure when the lovelorn receptionist guard told him to escort the lady despite it being lunch hour.
This part of the fortress is normally reserved for the most dangerous of convicts, so it’s no surprise the Harbinger was thrown all the way down here.
“You get twenty minutes, miss.” He says, before leaving her alone.
The young lady stays silent by the entrance of this prison cell until the footsteps are far enough away. Another set of footsteps approach the iron door from the inside, no doubt the Harbinger himself.
“They said I had a visitor coming. So, tell me. Who’s here to bail me out?” The familiar snarky voice is heard through the barred slit of the door.
Just as he finishes the sentence, the sound of water splashes on the cement floor. Not long after, a waterfall pours in from the slit into the cell. Childe steps back in surprise as a puddle forms right at his feet.
“Woah, what-?!” He’s about to say the next word when the puddle starts to stand up from the ground to form a suspicious blob.
The blob then quickly took the shape of a humanoid before finally, Ajax is face-to-face with a lady in a yellow dress. She lifts her head up to reveal her face from beneath the hat and suffice to say, Ajax was more surprised to see who it was than whatever trickery this person just did to sneak into his prison cell.
“Well, if it isn’t my favourite Traveler.” He laughs. “What’s with the getup? You just come back from a tea party?”
“Shut up, it was the best idea I had.” Aether takes the silly hat off and tosses it on the ground. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“How much was the dress?” The redhead walks around the smaller blond, eyeing him up and down. “Wow… It really suits you.”
“Focus.” Aether’s embarrassed with the attention the other man was giving him. “It’s about your Vision.”
“What about it?” Ajax is directly behind him and a gloved hand is playing with a ribbon tied to his corset. “I trust you haven’t auctioned it off anywhere?”
“Why would you assume that? A Vision is worth more than money.” The blond spins around slapping the naughty hand away. “Look at it.”
Ajax does just that. It’s dull. Like his eyes.
The redhead looks at the Vision in his star’s hand then back at his face, then back again. He didn’t think he had to spell it out for him, but perhaps he was never that straightforward to begin with. Atleast, not when it came to anything other than fighting.
“What’s happening, Ajax? What is it that you’re not telling me?” Aether brings a hand to cup at his beloved’s face. The young man looks so lost, but he knows that there’s something he isn’t telling.
“I already told you what I know. Your guess is as good as mine.” Ajax turns his head away.
“Because of that ‘thing’ that your master claims you have?” Aether prods. He has so little knowledge on the Abyss that he really can’t go off on such vague information. “It doesn’t seem to be affecting your Delusion, right?”
The redhead gives a half-hearted shrug before sighing and pouts cutely. “Listen, Aether, I’m really happy to see you here but if all you came here to do is just ask me redundant questions, I’d feel really sad.”
The star’s heart skips a beat but his irritation tips the scale. So, this is what it feels to be on the receiving end. No wonder his beloved kept getting annoyed with his answers about himself. He grips onto the dull Vision tighter in frustration.
“Fine, forgive me for being so nosey.” The blonde huffs before turning heel and heading for the door.
Just then a gloved hand grabs onto his forearm and he’s pulled into a warm embrace. Strong arms wrap around his torso, keeping him in place. A very handsome face is rubbing itself sweetly against Aether’s neck. He’s both embarrassed and overjoyed by the sudden PDA, but he knows it's a cheap tactic Ajax is pulling to stay in the star’s good graces.
And so far, it’s worked.
“I’m sorry… I really don’t know anything…” His beloved’s breath tickles his ears. The man is now rubbing his cheek against Aether’s. Gosh, he’s really pushing his limit…
Aether’s face is surely as red as a tomato and he’s seconds from imploding before a large gloved hand covers the fist that's holding the Vision. He guides Aether’s smaller hands to place it onto his chest, directly above his racing heart.
“Just keep it safe for me, please?” Ajax pleads. “You're the only one that can do this.”
The star doesn’t immediately answer. But he gives a small nod anyway. Ajax smiles in relief and tightens the hug on his adorable comrade, rocking their bodies side to side a little bit for fun. How lucky to have such a kind and thoughtful person in his life.
That’s when Ajax feels something hard on the other man’s smaller hands. He uses a finger to trace it and sees his star wearing a ring. A ring that Ajax did not remember buying .
“Where did you get this?” He asks. “Who gave it to you?”
“Huh?” Aether was shocked at the sudden change of tone from the younger man. He was all sweet and loving mere seconds ago but suddenly he sounds… angry? “What are you talking about? You gave this to me-”
“Not the Vision. The ring.” Blue eyes shift to the earrings. “And those. Did you buy them yourself?”
“What? You think I had time to go shopping when I was pretty much playing lawyer for a whole week?” Aether retorts. “No, I borrowed it from a friend. Even this dress was lent to me.”
Nivia definitely gave him a weird look when he randomly asked for it this morning. But she was more than happy to help out once he told her he was trying to do things that were… almost illegal.
“...I’ll get you nicer ones.” Ajax mutters as he runs his thumb over the blue gem absentmindedly.
Aether’s face flushes once more at the random offer and gives a gentle smile. He doesn’t need to know that he purposely chose this color when Nivia offered a wide variety of jewellery.