Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Wanderer turned the alchemist's words over in his head for a while after he was left alone. What a joke! Him offering to help a random man from Mondstadt in fighting Durin, the dragon? Of course, he was capable of doing it. Hell, he could defeat a mere dragon like that by himself if he so wished to, or maybe just out of boredom one day.

What was in it for him if he decided to lend them a hand anyway? Maybe they'd see his power during the fight and understand they should be intimidated by him. Now, that was something nice to imagine while strolling around in this rainbow-colored paper world, Simulanka, with Mini Durin beside him. That alchemist had implied that Wanderer was eligible to be an actual hero in Mondstadt because of the way he saved Mini Durin.

It wasn't an act of salvation, idiots. It was common sense. His blood boiled at the thought that not everyone could tell what the dragon needed. The traveler and the others only threw useless words of comfort instead of properly listening to find out the root of the problem. But even if they had known, there was no way they could fully understand those feelings.

Wanderer knew Durin's situation all too well. That's why he was so patient with everything this time. Durin was betrayed and abandoned by his creator, then hated by people who couldn't process anything bigger than them as anything other than a threat. Durin was a mirror of himself. No matter how much he despised the idea, Wanderer knew it was true.

Specifically because of this, he couldn't let Durin fall and become even more miserable. Durin could be saved, and Wanderer wouldn't wish his own fate to any other creature, so by helping him... he hoped to feel even the smallest bit of comfort by imagining he was saving himself, the clueless Kunikuzushi.

Mini Durin pulled at his sleeve, bringing him back to reality. "Hey, Hat Guy! Can I go play with Klee again?"

Wanderer furrowed his eyebrows, looking around until he, too, saw the little girl in red, patting some origami frogs and giggling with the other odd girl; Fischl, or whatever her name was. He looked at Mini Durin who was flying up and down with pleading eyes, then back at the girls. Sighing, he nodded. "Whatever. I'll be around."

The little dragon made an excited noise and zoomed past him towards Klee, who welcomed him with open arms and a few jumps that almost got her hat to fall off. Heh. The corner of Wanderer's lips twitched up.

Speaking of Klee, where was her other brother? He seemed pretty protective of her, so he must have been close, too.

And there he was, sitting on a bench that conveniently faced the place where the kids were playing, and at a safe distance to not interfere with their affairs but also close enough to get there fast if anything happened. Albedo's eyes observed the kids while his hand was sketching something on a paper in his lap. Huh, so he wasn't just an alchemist.

Wanderer only realized he had been staring when Albedo finally turned his head to meet his eyes and beckoned him closer with a nod. Of course he is an artist, Wanderer thought while moving towards the bench, his eyes are art themselves. The teal color was beautiful to him. It had become dear to him over time ever since his new life started, hence the color pallette for his clothes and everything.

Albedo tapped the free spot next to him on the bench and Wanderer slumped down, not looking at him. Instead, they both kept their eyes forward.

"I didn't expect for us to meet again so soon after my suggestion, Mr. Hat Guy," Albedo said. "Perhaps I should've saved it for later, then."

"That's a meaningless observation," Wanderer groaned. "The traveler would have to be there to hear it."

"Not necessarily, but I suppose that's true." A brief silence followed, filled by the kids' laughter in front of them, then Albedo continued, placing his paper and pencil aside. "So, have you given it any thought yet?"

"Naturally, since you gave me so much time to think about it," sarcasm dripped in Wanderer's voice.

Albedo hummed, a bit amused, but still with an impassive face. "One must be certain of who to rely on when the time comes. I can't say I am content or familiar with the feeling of relying on others, but in this case, there isn't much choice left."

"Ugh, quit your blabbering," Wanderer sighed and glanced his way, eyes lingering a second too long on the man's side profile covered by shiny blonde hair. "I thought I made it obvious I'll help."

"Silence is a vague answer."

"I didn't say no."

"That doesn't imply it was a 'yes' either." Albedo smiled when Wanderer threw his head back exasperated.

"Fine. Yes, I will help you," Wanderer said through gritted teeth. So unnecessary. "Although you haven't said what's in it for me."

"For you?" Albedo blinked at him. "Apologies, I was under the impression we had the same goal in defeating Durin."

"Which is...?"

"Saving Mondstadt and possibly the rest of Teyvat."

"Tch. I've never even been to that region," Wanderer leaned back on the bench, crossing his arms in front of his chest, ready to mock the alchemist. "Why would I care for its citizens or anything else?"

"That's a complicated question," Albedo rubbed his chin, furrowing his eyebrows. "Normally, the answer would be a call to your humanity and humility."

"Which I lack in equally high amounts."

"Which you seem to think you lack," Albedo corrected, which made Wanderer actually chuckle. Of course, the man didn't know anything about him. It was normal to assume he was a normal human unless proven otherwise.

"You've got plenty of time to think of something, Mr. Alchemist."

"That'll apply some pressure on me, but I will keep it in mind." He turned to Wanderer properly now. "Anything you like specifically?"

"Few things, really, but I won't help you in figuring it out." That saved him from thinking about it at the moment as well.

Albedo turned back with a small, barely noticeable pout, to watch the kids play. Klee was playfully chastising Mini Durin about flying too fast during a race which was unfair to her small legs. Fischl was fanning her face with one hand, adding a few words from time to time in sign of agreement or disagreement.

Wanderer was still unconsciously looking for any resemblance between Albedo and Klee, but he didn't notice anything besides the similar hair color. He knew Albedo wasn't actually her brother and he was created by that mage, Rhinedottir, but it was a curious thing to Wanderer how they still referred to themselves as siblings.

Maybe he should've told him that he was also an artificial human. It was odd how Wanderer had met not one, but two other beings alike to him in the span of a few days. And thinking about it, he wouldn't have minded talking more to Albedo about... about anything, really. He hadn't asked any stupid questions or had any dramatic reactions like Paimon had so far. He was calm and collected and just so... easy to talk to.

"Mr. Hat Guy," Albedo said right then, looking at him. "You said you haven't been to Mondstadt before. I would tell you about it, but I lack the proper words to describe it in a way that expresses its actual ambience. Even so, I dare to make another suggestion to you, and that is to visit it soon."

Him? Visiting a random region at the simple suggestion of one of its citizens? Yeah, right.

"That's a waste," he said without skipping a beat.

"What is?"

"You've used up the amount of suggestions I accept from someone in one year already in the same day. And only to invite me to your grand city of freedom," he was being sarcastic again. "What a waste."

"Oh," Albedo took a moment to process his words, but didn't give up. "It is a beautiful city, with beautiful people. Once someone charming such as our Cavalry Captain or someone among the Knights gives you a tour of it, you might not feel so doubtful about it."

"Why won't you give me a tour yourself?"

Albedo looked bashful then. "I am not well-versed in tourism and hospitality manners. I did recommend the city, but I do not live in it myself. My residence is in Dragonspine, where I don't often get visitors."

"Dragonspine," Wanderer echoed. The ridiculously cold mountain they had mentioned in their talk with the traveler. Who in their right mind could be living there?

"My outpost is enough of a home for me and my alchemy experiments. I use the lab in Mondstadt with my subordinates often, too, but I finish everything up on the mountain by myself."

A workaholic, then. Naturally, in alchemy there was always something new to discover. Writing research reports based on the practical experiments was a given, so it would be very time-consuming.

"Does little red hood live with you there?" Wanderer asked. That girl didn't look like someone who grew up on a mountain with only her brother and occasional visitors.

"Klee has her own room in the outpost," the alchemist looked in her direction with a fond expression, the most distinguishable change on his face the Wanderer had noticed so far. "But she usually lives in the city, in the care of the Knights. They're doing me and Aunt Alice a huge favor."

"I see," the other trailed off, not having anything else to add. As long as he spent enough time with Klee so she could remember she had an older brother, Wanderer supposed Albedo was doing his part of the job as a caretaker. She loved him, no doubt about it, and she was important to him all the same. A nice bond, that was. Almost made him feel nostalgic about times long forgotten.

"If you want to," Albedo cleared his throat. "I am extending you a formal invitation to the outpost as well. You are always welcome, as I tell all mine and Klee's friends. You could bring Mini Durin with you, especially if Klee happens to be in Dragonspine, too. They seem to get along well." They were friends? Already?

"All these suggestions and invitations," Wanderer clicked his tongue. "It's like you have no sense of danger."

"You are friends with the traveler, and you are a hero in this world, so I fail to register any potential threats related to you so far."

"Friends is an overstatement."

Albedo chuckled. "Then, I shall be careful how I refer to the nature of our relationship in the future, too."

"We can... be friends..." Wanderer mustered up a pathetic string of words that came out as if they were their own sentences. He wasn't against it, but he had gotten too soft recently after the Durin incident.

"I'm glad to hear that. I won't set any high expectations in regard to your visit, but at least I've had the smallest bit of influence over it." Why did he sound almost proud of that? As if Wanderer was easy to influence. He wasn't. Not anymore, at least. Not after everything he'd been through.

"Do you think that—"

"Albedo!" Klee jumped in front of them. "Hat Guy!" Ugh. There was that nickname again. But the girl was just so endearing, he couldn't even get mad at her for anything.

"Everything alright, Klee?" Albedo patted her head.

"I won the race!"

"Congratulations!" Albedo chuckled.

Wanderer looked at Mini Durin, who came up next to the girl, a disappointed expression on his face. Seriously? A dragon couldn't be faster than a little girl?
Nonetheless, he scratched under Mini Durin's chin, which earned a pleased sound. "I really need to teach you how to cheat," he told the dragon, watching him with critical eyes.

Klee made an indignant noise at the words, but her brother only laughed softly. He stopped abruptly, noticing something on Klee's leg. "Klee, did you fall? Your leg is bruised."

"Huh?" The girl looked down. "Oh. Yes, I tripped over a rock, but it doesn't hurt. I'm okay!"

"Still, it might get infected." Albedo stood up, grabbed his sketchpad with one hand and Klee's hand in the other. He turned to Wanderer and Mini Durin after calling Fischl over. "I believe playtime is over for now. May we meet again!"

Wanderer nodded at them with a hum. There goes the only other sane person in this world he got to interact with. Now he had to return to a crowd of imbeciles.

As the three walked away from the bench, Wanderer's eyes caught something white next to him. A paper. The man had taken the sketchpad, but left his drawing here. "Hey! Your drawing..." he trailed off at the image on the paper. It was the exact design of his own hat, with all the sharp lines and curves at the right angles.

Mini Durin marveled at the drawing, but his words were a blur to the Wanderer as he stared. How in the world... He was sure Albedo didn't even get a proper look at his hat in the first place. How was it so accurate?

Did everyone have something with his hat or something? That brat that keeps following him in Sumeru, Sethos, and now this alchemist. Should he consider getting rid of it, or have a change of style? Hah. As if!

Still, Wanderer stuffed the drawing safely in his pocket, somewhat pleased for no reason. He'd return it when they met again. What an odd guy, that alchemist.

Chapter Text

What was he doing right now, seriously... Wanderer had spent days—weeks, though he wouldn't admit it— wondering if he should take up Albedo's invitation. To his own bewilderment, he ended up notifying Lesser Lord Kusanali of his departure to Dragonspine and Mondstadt for a few days.

The Archon had shown her fair share of surprise. "The City of Freedom," she had mused. "Is there a specific reason you plan to wander so far?"

"Visiting," he had stated.

"I'm glad you're expanding your horizons! Although, if you do pass by Dragonspine, as you say, could I bother you to write a report on your experience? It's a place of interest for many researchers, and I'd like to satisfy some personal curiosities I have about it too." 

Wanderer had raised one eyebrow at the request. It's a mountain. Besides Durin's presence, there wasn't anything else worth exploring. You could find underground ruins and caves anywhere else; somewhere warmer if possible. "If there's anything worth mentioning, I will write it down," he had acquiesced, giving the mountain the benefit of the doubt.

And so he took Mini Durin with him on the journey. The dragon was beyond excited to see Klee again and see new places. The first time Wanderer brought him out of Simulanka to show him around Sumeru— well, more like just make sure he wasn't getting into trouble— Mini Durin had been over the moon, stopping every few seconds to admire things that were very much ordinary to others. Especially the flowers. Wanderer ended up carrying two dozens of random species of plants, from the common mint to the Sumeru specialties like padisarahs. 

At least now in Dragonspine there was nothing but snow around on their way, and Mini Durin was busy shivering and whining about the cold instead of surveying the place. Wanderer was fine, as expected, but fine didn't mean comfortable. He felt the cold slow his movements, freeze his limbs to numbness. He hadn't taken a coat with him, and he had to keep taking his hat off to get rid of the snow that kept piling up on it until they found the outpost.

Standing in front of the wooden door, the question came back to him. What was he doing right now? He should have at least sent a notice to the alchemist before coming. Well, not like he needed to announce his presence, but he wasn't mannerless.

He impatiently knocked on the door, a little too harsh, because he felt like hitting something at the moment. The door was answered in a matter of seconds by a...wow... a very disheveled Albedo. His hair was down, no traces of tidy braids in sight, but parts of it still managed to stick out because of some star-shaped hair pins. So he could look like that too...

Albedo blinked a few times, eyes darting back and forth to the man and the dragon. Wanderer crossed his arms in front of his chest and huffed. "I take it you didn't miss us, Mr. Alchemist." 

That seemed to be all it took for the alchemist to snap back to the situation. He blinked again, opening the door wide for them to enter. "Right! Do come in, Mr. Hat Guy, Mini Durin! You must be cold."

"The biggest understatement you've made yet," Wanderer said, striding in like he owned the place with Mini Durin behind him. He said that for the dragon's sake, and maybe just to put a little more pressure on the man.

The outpost was exactly what you'd expect. Tidy, in the sense that there weren't enough objects in the main room to cause an actual clutter per se. An open kitchen was in the far back of the room, which you could guess what it was by the small stove.
Wanderer could spy a hallway on the side, leading to other rooms and maybe a personal lab or office, since Albedo had mentioned finishing projects at home sometimes.

A small but efficient enough abode that you could call a home, he supposed.

"Apologies, I was not expecting guests," Albedo tried to push some askew toys on the floor to the side, leading them to the round table near the kitchen. 

"As you were." It felt nice to catch the alchemist off-guard like this. Perhaps he should schedule such random visits more often just to get off on his despair at being caught lacking by a stranger.

...Friend. Not stranger.... Whatever.

"How have you two been?" Albedo tried to divert the attention from himself.

Mini Durin started something that might have lasted hours—describing everything that was new to him, which was pretty much everything— had it not been for Klee entering the room without her signature hat. "Albedo! I got the answer right! I used that formula you-" she stopped so abruptly she nearly fell over. "Durin! Hat Guy!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, jumping to hug them. "You're here!"

The dragon dived right into the hug without hesitation while Wanderer patted her head, obscuring any changes of expression, such as his eyes softening at the sight of the little girl, from the other man's sight.

"It's your lucky day, Klee," Albedo said, dusting his hands off after cleaning the table. "Homework time is over. But you have to do double next time to make up for it."

Klee hummed in delight, patting Mini Durin. "I was almost done, anyway. I want to go play with Durin!"

The dragon turned to Wanderer with pleading eyes, the question being more obvious than ever. 

"That's why you came here, didn't you?" Wanderer said, annoyed that he was asking for permission again. "Go on." That was all the two needed to hurry towards the hallway and into one of the rooms. "Hey, careful!" The man frowned at their speed, but they just giggled before shutting the door. He plopped on a chair, looking around the room until Albedo sat across from him.

"She wasn't even halfway done," he sighed wearily.

"Playing with her and then making her study is like sabotaging both of you. The combo should at least be reversed." No one could pay attention to something considered 'boring' after having fun. How was that plan even going to be? Play, study, and play again? He knew Albedo wasn't stupid, so it must have been Klee's pleads that made it happen.

Albedo stared at him. "You assumed that because of the toys on the floor? Those have been there since yesterday." Oh, please. Nothing the alchemist would say could sound serious when he looked like that.

"Those stars you flaunt in your hair look more recent. Sudden change of style, perhaps?" 

The alchemist patted his head until he felt the hairclips under his hand, which he immediately tried to take off with muted horror. A slight redness was visible at the tips of his ears. "Not to discard the idea before it even took shape, but had I wished for a new appearance, these wouldn't be part of it."

"A shame," Wanderer mumbled. The clips did tear down Albedo's credibility, but they also made him look quite adorable. No, Wanderer had said that about the traveler; this wasn't the same. Albedo was quite... endearing. Yes, that sounded better.

"Would you like something to drink?" Albedo asked, standing up after fixing his hair. When he turned his back, however, there was one stubborn hair clip left that clung to the clueless alchemist's hair.

"Anything bitter."

"Bitter..." Albedo checked a few cabinets in the kitchen until he found something. "Coffee?"

"Tea. No sugar."

As the man left the water to boil on the stove, Wanderer patted his pockets. "Speaking of," he said. "Here," he placed a small bag on the table. When visiting someone, the customs around here were to bring something with you. A gift of sorts. It had been truly frustrating to find something that could appeal to someone he didn't know anything about, so Wanderer ended up choosing something he would have liked for himself in the hopes the other man had similar tastes.

Albedo came over to check it out. "You didn't have to," he said, to which Wanderer huffed. He should've said that earlier then. "Oh? Tea?" The man raised the tea bags up.

"Inazuman tea. If brewed right, one of the best you'll ever have." 

"Never had it before." he marveled at it. "Thank you. Would you mind if I used this one now then?"

Wanderer waved him off. "You can do whatever you want with it; it's yours. But I won't hold back the criticism." 

Albedo squinted his eyes slightly at the tea bags. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't be up to a connoisseur's standards when it comes to this. Meals I can get by with, but I don't drink tea often, and I cannot say I have cared enough for its quality as long as it was sweet."

Sweet...? Ugh, and more blabbering. "Then make coffee. I'll accept whatever you give me." With a mild distaste, yes, but he would. He was a guest, after all. He wasn't going to make requests now. Although the criticism part still stands.

"I'll have you know," Albedo said as he stepped behind the stove again. "That I'm interested in learning."

...And? Wanderer blinked. Was that all he had to say? "Learn what? How to make tea?" 

Annoyingly enough, the alchemist awaited the question on purpose. "Among other topics of study, yes. Granted, I learn fast, so together with the desire for knowledge it serves me greatly. Even when it comes to something as simple as tea-making, I believe any new information sets me closer to the truth of this world and–"

"Move," Wanderer had silently left his hat on the table and appeared next to him during his inveterate chatter. Seeking the truth of this world — ha! — in the art of tea-making. Now he'd heard it all. Wanderer glanced from the tea bags to the alchemist. "Truly preposterous that I, an esteemed guest, have to teach you such basic skills," he stated, but his words didn't hold nearly as much malice as he would have liked to convey.

Albedo muttered something about how he should've taken his sketchpad to note down what Wanderer was about to show him. Archons above! He wasn't kidding when he talked about his odd fascination with anything that moves(and anything that doesn't).

"Alright, watch closely," he gave in. But instead of starting right away, he closed the distance between them and took Albedo's last hairclip off. Brushing the wild short strands of pale hair from the alchemist's face, he pinned them in place with the clip so they didn't get in the way.

There it was, the endearing image that had welcomed him and Mini Durin a while ago. Judging by the subtle glint in his eyes, Albedo seemed even more eager to learn now. That, or that's just how Wanderer interpreted it.

"For the record," Wanderer stepped away, frowning at his sudden urge to to take a sharp breath, though he did not need it. "You're lucky I respect you. Your words don't sound like the pinnacle of lunacy, as much as I hate to admit it, so I am willing to show off my greatness this once." He picked up the tea bags he had brought as a gift and resumed his teacher stance with the other man's eyes following his every movement. "Now, the thing about this tea..." 

"Don't leave, big brother!" Klee whined as she clung to Wanderer's shorts. 

"Is everyone who talks to the alchemist your brother and sister? How many of those do you have?" The man pinned her with a look, but didn't move away. That turned out to be the wrong thing to say when the girl looked up at him with glassy eyes. "Hey!" he panicked. "Don't you dare cry! We will see each other again." 

The tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks disappeared in one blink. "Really?"

Damn these kids. "Yes, really. But it will be a surprise. So don't expect it too soon, okay?" Or at all, for that matter. 

Klee nodded fiercely and Albedo picked her up in his arms to detach her from the Wanderer. The alchemist offered them a gentle smile. "Thank you both for coming. And thank you, Mr. Hat Guy, for the teachings. Have a safe trip back."

Wanderer stared at him. There was an itch he couldn't get rid off unless he listened to it. And listen he did. Wanderer took a step closer and swiftly took Albedo's hair clip off. "I suppose the trip here was worth it. The rest, we can handle." No matter how many times he'd deny it later, he had enjoyed this visit.

As soon as Mini Durin hugged Klee and said his goodbyes, the two were outside the door. Adjusting his hat and grimacing at the cold, Wanderer turned one last time. "Mr. Alchemist" he said, to which Albedo perked up. "Thanks for the hospitality." 

On their way down the mountain, time filled with Mini Durin's stories about the games Klee played with him, Wanderer kept playing with something in his pocket. A small star-shaped hair clip.

Chapter Text

Mondstadt was peaceful. No scholars to look down on you just because you're smarter than them. No one following you in the shadows to take a look at your hat for who-knows-what reasons. And the best part, no one who knows you!

Everyone minded their own business assuming the best intentions in each person they passed by, including Wanderer. Though, if he had to comment on that, he'd say it was quite the bad habit. Sure, life seemed dreamy in this city, but there were still scammers around. Not that he had the displeasure to deal with any so far, but there had to be some! He was sure of it.

Mini Durin had not come with him this time, despite the excitement the dragon had expressed at hearing about it. He had returned to Simulanka, ready to tell everyone there what he'd seen in Sumeru and Dragonspine. So Wanderer had decided to live up to his own name and dawdle around the streets of Mondstadt City during the rest of his so-called vacation.

While peaceful, it did get the smallest bit boring, since he was alone. Street vendors weren't as adamant as the ones in Sumeru either, so nothing got on his nerves. He started wondering if the frown on his face had become a default feature of his or if it really was caused by a lack of annoyances; hence the annoyance at not being annoyed.

That was until a speck of blonde hair caught his eye. Not only did his frown disappear, but Wanderer himself vanished behind the corner he had just come from without a second thought. The alchemist had his back turned to him, blissfully unaware, as he was weighing a watermelon and chatting with the street vendor. It was unmistakably him, Wanderer could recognize him anywhere. Of course, because of his attention to detail, nothing else. He could recognize any of his acquaintances from far away.

Yet another ordinary action he had caught the alchemist in. But isn't that the best way to meet someone? When they simply exist, not looking to please anyone or act differently because of someone's presence? Albedo was not one to act differently around certain people, Wanderer figured out, but...

For Archons' sake! Why was he hiding behind the corner? Seeing Albedo couldn't have startled him that much, could it?

Slowly, he detached himself from the wall, debating if he should greet him or not. They weren't particularly close; Wanderer owed him nothing, not even a greeting. It hit Wanderer, however, that he had admitted they were friends. That did change things quite a bit, and before he knew it, his legs took him right next to the alchemist.

Wanderer glared at a bunch of Sunsettias, then at the street vendor who immediately shut her mouth, intimidated, then back at some other fruits on display. Anywhere but at Albedo, because Wanderer was not one to approach people, damn it!

There it was, the blink that delayed Albedo's reaction to noticing him. Teal eyes focused on him now and Wanderer did not meet them. "Mr. Hat Guy! It's a pleasure to see you again."

Wanderer gritted his teeth. "...Likewise."

Albedo glanced about him before returning his gaze to the man. "Mini Durin doesn't seem to be accompanying you this time."

"He returned to Simulanka. I am not his only friend anymore. He's got a bunch back there to hang out with." Fact which felt rather bittersweet. It was good the dragon had made new friends, but in the end he might forget about Wanderer after spending most of the time with them.

"That's good for him. Although Klee already misses him," Albedo bit back a smile. "As she does miss you, also."

"Nngh.." Wanderer frowned at the thought of the girl crying, asking him not to leave. "Using your sister to convey your feelings, eh? You can just say you missed me, Alchemist," he finally looked at him.

Wanderer had this ability to look down on people no matter their height. He could make a tall person cower in front of him with just one look. However, there was Albedo, same height as him, who did not do that, and Wanderer didn't expect him to. It would almost feel like they were equals, had Wanderer's ego not been as big as it was.

The alchemist only hummed, avoiding a direct response, and paying the street vendor for the fruits he had bought. The woman smiled at him, offering a discount 'for our hardworking Chief Alchemist'. Albedo did not reject the offer, but exchanged an awkward smile instead. When he stepped away, Wanderer followed, intrigued. This man didn't smile often.

"Would you like me to recommend you a good tour guide? It is a big city; you might want to make the best of your visit," Albedo glanced at him.

"Well, you're here already. I'm listening," Wanderer adjusted his hat, matching his steps with the other's.

Albedo's steps faltered the slightest bit before resuming his normal walk. His lips attempted to form a reply, but he ended up clearing his throat, before sticking to a proper one. "I told you, I am not—"

"Well-versed in this kind of stuff, yes, yes," Wanderer waved him off. "Don't worry, I'm not here for history lessons. You praised it greatly before, so present it to me from your perspective."

He stopped when he noticed the other man had stopped walking. Albedo was looking at him, his head titled to the side. "Are you sure?"

And there, standing barely three steps higher than him, in the sun which made his hair shine in an almost platinum blonde, Albedo looked ethereal. Wanderer was created to be perfect in all aspects, including looks; part of being an artificial human. But the alchemist, despite being created to be human in more ways than one, seemed a better definition of the word 'perfect'.

"Mr. Hat Guy?"

"Wanderer," he said, pulling his hat to hide more of his face. Never had he even thought of someone being better than him in any aspect. He could give credit where it was due, but... "Call me Wanderer."

"Wanderer," Albedo tested it. He had come closer to be on the same level. "Is that your actual name?"

It didn't use to be. "Anything's better than Hat Guy," he answered curtly. "Now, lead the way, dear guide."

Albedo lowered his head in defeat. "Allow me, then." He started walking ahead, holding onto his bag of fruits. Wanderer followed, intrigued again. Was Albedo really that easy with everyone? That wouldn't serve him well in the long run.

"Is there anything in particular you're curious about?" Albedo asked, rubbing his chin with his free hand.

"I don't know," and he didn't care. What he did know was that he felt way less bored in the company of someone now, even without much talking; which was an improvement. Then another thought popped up, after considering the question again. "Why is it called the city of freedom if it's surrounded by walls?"

"No one is stopping people from going out."

"That's not what I meant."

Albedo's mouth corners twitched. "I know. It's just a question I haven't heard until now. And I'm afraid I cannot give a definite or satisfying answer to it."

Of course, that was expected from someone who spent most of his days in his lab or his outpost miles away. Wanderer was not disappointed specifically because of that reason, but he didn't hesitate to poke fun at it. "You're not a very good guide so far."

The sound the alchemist made was strangled, but the frustration was clear. "Mondstadt is not only called the City Of Freedom. Some poets call it the city of love."

"City of love?" Wanderer chuckled dryly. "Of course they have nothing better to do besides daydreaming in here." He wondered how many people of the ones he'd just passed by would understand even the basics of an essay from the Akademiya.

"Many people seem to associate freedom with romance, so it just gravitated towards that name," Albedo went on, ignoring his remark. "I do not think it wrong. Rather, it's fascinating."

"What is fascinating about inane emotions?"

"Everything undiscovered about the human mind may sound inane, but lack of explanation does not mean lack of reason."

"So you think love may be rational?"

"It feels offensive of me to try defining something I haven't experienced."

"Offensive to whom? You don't need experience on something to have an opinion. I can say romance is a load of blabbertrash, despite me not being able to feel it," Wanderer argued.

Albedo stopped to switch the hand that was holding the fruit bag with the other one. "Wanderer, I'd like nothing more than to debate with you on this, but I must sit down somewhere." When Wanderer slightly narrowed his eyes at him, he met his eyes. "May I have the pleasure of inviting you to desserts with me?"

"Desserts," Wanderer echoed, narrowing his eyes more and enunciating the S, dragging out the word.

The alchemist's lips thinned into a line, pointing at a bakery in front of them. Wanderer thought they had been walking aimlessly for a while, but it seemed the other man had a certain place he had wanted to arrive to. To eat desserts. He looked at him to check if he was joking.

Clicking his tongue, Wanderer took the bag out of Albedo's hand and walked towards the bakery. He mumbled something angrily under his breath about desserts and how he couldn't comprehend how they could like all that sugar. Something he both wanted and didn't want Albedo to hear.

If you want to see a new side of Albedo, give him desserts. That's what Wanderer had noted in his mind, looking at the man sitting across from him. His teal eyes had gained a spark that hadn't been noticeable before, and his composure almost crumbled before that piece of chocolate cake on the table.

It was like seeing someone else completely. Not bad, but certainly interesting.

"I apologize for not asking about your culinary preferences before," Albedo sheepishly said while picking up his spoon. "You are the first person I have met who isn't fond of sweets." So the fact that he didn't want any sugar to touch his tea at the outpost had not been enough proof, huh.

"Just eat," Wanderer said with his arms crossed. "I'm fine." He had asked for a cup of black tea, since he saw it on the menu, and now it sat in front of him, still leaving a small translucent trail in the air because of how hot it was.

He was looking around, criticizing the simple decor of the bakery, when an odd sound put him off and made him snap his head to Albedo. His eyes were closed and a pleased smile settled on his features while munching on that damned cake, moaning at the taste.

Wanderer stared at him like he had two heads. Had the last bit of composure the alchemist had left just vanished? It was unexpected coming from him, but Albedo was enjoying himself so... It was alright. Wanderer took the opportunity to look at his face while the other had his eyes closed in bliss.

Long eyelashes fluttering and forming dark crescents over his cheeks, pale brows fully relaxed, nose slightly scrunched while chewing, and then lower was... Albedo opened his eyes then, the mark on his neck bobbing up and down while swallowing. Wanderer met them.

"Sugar is an efficient way to replenish energy," Albedo felt the need to explain.

"Yeah, until you crash halfway through the day," Wanderer mocked, sipping on his black tea trying not to grimace. It wasn't one of the best, but it would do for now.

Albedo's eyes followed his towards the bakery, landing on some gaudy dandelion decorations. "Have you ever heard that dandelions carry wishes?"

"Another folklore story? Are you secretly a poet or is it your goal to make me bored?"

"It is something I hear often. People wish on dandelions and then blow them out like candles," he looked down thoughtfully at the slice of cake. "Though, if we are to talk about the results, it is unclear if the wish helped at all."

"Of course it doesn't help," Wanderer said. "It's like people thanking the Archons after a doctor cured them of an illness. Never actually acknowledging the hard work around them."

"You have a grim way of perceiving things."

"Tch. You just noticed?" Wanderer smirked, giving him a tissue to wipe the crumbs around his mouth. "Seems like you had no idea who you wanted to work with in defeating Durin."

"I was considering other pacifist ways to deal with him, actually," Albedo took another bite of cake before accepting it.

"If he were similar to Mini Durin, perhaps it would work, but alas! They are different." The two had talked about it more in the outpost last time, so this wasn't new. Wanderer was aware of the threat Durin posed. He knew Albedo agreed, but was still looking for details that he might have missed in the reports he'd written about it.

The two looked at each other for a moment again, without saying anything. This was not the topic for a casual conversation, so they let it go.

Everyone in this city knew Albedo; that was a given, since he was the Chief Alchemist. But were they always so nice to him? After resuming their walk, Albedo stopped by different street vendors and stores to buy more food and ingredients. He said he had run out of rations at the outpost.

Wanderer understood, and his annoyance was minimal, but the sellers had a similar behavior that stood out to him. All of them gave him discounts, even tried to give him more than he had asked for on the house. Albedo may not go shopping in the city often, but it was still not a reason to fill his hands and pockets with everything on the shelves when he did. Not good for business and not good for him, because he would have to drag everything with him to Dragonspine. The way he had to switch the hand he was holding the fruit bag with came into Wanderer's mind.

So....what was going on?

Albedo didn't look surprised in the least. He gingerly accepted most of the stuff, thanking them and trying to spare himself of the small talk everyone wanted to have with him.

The other man didn't ask. They just resumed their conversations each time Albedo was done with a transaction. He was still doing his best to keep up his role as a good tourist guide for Wanderer. Wanderer let him talk, the soft timber of his voice overshadowing the chatter and general noise on the streets.

In the end, it was worthwhile.

"Are you sure you can carry everything to the outpost?" Wanderer asked when they were finally in front of the entrance to the city.

"Oh, this?" Albedo looked at the bags he was carrying, and turned his head to the side to check on the full backpack burdening his shoulders. "It's alright. I must go to the Knights Headquarters to check on Klee and pass by the lab before leaving. There's usually someone around there who can see to it that my bags are taken to Dragonspine safely."

I can help too, Wanderer wanted to say, but his help wasn't necessary. "That so. Well, you were an entertaining guide. Thanks for taking the time to walk me around."

"Will you be staying in Mondstadt for long?" Albedo asked.

He didn't particularly wish to, but he had already rented a hotel room for the whole week. Well, not him; it was the courtesy of the Dendro Archon. He couldn't waste that. "A week. This region seems to be worth my time after all."

Albedo smiled at him. A soft, natural curve of the lips that hadn't been directed at anyone else today. "I'm glad. Thank you for accompanying me on my errands today. Then, I shall see you soon. There's plenty of things that require my attention down here these days."

"Mhm."

They parted ways, and it had only been mere seconds when he heard a familiar high-pitched voice behind him. He stepped to the side as to be out of their sight.

"Albedo!" Klee's voice was clear. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Did you– oh? There's a lot of food at the party already, why did you buy more?"

"These are to take back with me at the outpost, Klee," Albedo spoke much softer now. "And the sellers gave me double the amounts I wanted. I believe they meant them as gifts."

"My gift is better!" The girl whined.

"Of course it is. The best one I've got today."

"There's many you didn't get to see yet! Master Jean said she'll lock the door next year so you wouldn't leave the party, but don't tell her I told you," her voice got lower and lower, as to hide the secret. Just what party were they talking about?

Must be some celebration of the Knights. Wanderer heard there were never enough festivals in Mondstadt. He was prepared to leave when Klee said her next line. "It's not a birthday party without the birthday boy! Come on!"

Suddenly everything clicked into place. The knowing smiles and the unending compliments from the sellers all had a reason. It was Albedo's birthday. And that idiot did not mention anything about it. He had even run away from his own birthday party. Pft. Wanderer huffed to himself. How could he not suspect anything? Archons above...

And he didn't even give him anything. In fact, it was Albedo who gave him something: a small porcelain decoration in the shape of a cat with an even smaller anemo vision on its paw. A welcoming gift from a typical tourist store in the city. Ugh, that alchemist...!

When Albedo had returned to the outpost, a small box was waiting for him at the door. It was not frozen and there was no snow piled on it, so it must have been placed there not long before he arrived.

He took it inside, eyeing it with interest. Perhaps it was another birthday gift that he had not asked for. Some knights had taken the bags and his backpack to the outpost while he was still at the party, so maybe it had been one of them.

Upon opening it, however, it was clear who it was from. He had to apologize to Klee now. There might have been a better gift than the Dodoco drawing holding hands with him. In the box stood a freshly picked dandelion in full bloom and a note.

Make a wish. A good one. Don't waste it
on a mediocre wish like others do.
And when it comes true, thank me.
Happy birthday, Alchemist.

                                                                  W.

Chapter Text

He had said they'd meet again during the week he was to stay in Mondstadt, but Wanderer left that city behind as soon as he convinced himself to leave that box in front of Albedo's door. He knew how these things worked. The alchemist would bring it up in their conversation, would have thanked him, maybe treated it like it was the best gift ever to make him feel better. He wouldn't do it. Too troublesome and time-wasting.

The Dendro Archon was surprised to see him back so soon, but she kept her remarks and questions to a minimum. As she should have, since he reluctantly put together a report on the overall experience in Dragonspine. Except... "Did you make any friends?"

Wanderer looked away. What did it matter if he had? His glare set itself on Nahida, feeling how she'd read his mind. "Need I answer when you already racked my brain for it?"

Her expression morphed into a bashful one, but her voice got softer. "I'm just glad you made friends... I heard there was a celebration around the time you were there. Perhaps you participated?"

Now that he thought about it, he could have. Alas, he wasn't invited. Their loss. Albedo's specifically, since he hadn't even mentioned his birthday, that fool. "Birthday celebrations are a waste of time and resources." An image was forming inside his head as he said that. A speck of blonde hair, someone being congratulated and complimented by a room full of people.

It made his blood boil.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." He turned on his heels when she cast another question at him, to which he turned his head.

"Wanderer, have you never celebrated your birthday?"

...Their eyes met, his defiying ones and her doe ones that slowly widened in realization. "Oh, I didn't mean to..."

Wanderer nodded, back fully to her now. "I'll be taking my leave then."

Correspondence had always been his preferred way of communication. It was efficient in more ways than one, except for the rather long waiting time. But Wanderer had never been bothered by it because he had enough work to keep him busy until the replies arrived.

Letters had a limited amount of interaction, practicaly none, and spared him of other people's attempts at small talk before actually getting to their point. Everything was concise, neatly organized, and even if there were unnecessary parts, he could blatantly ignore them and skip past. Objectively, this must surely be ideal for everyone.

Wanderer didn't get much mail usually; just researchers from Akademiya with their discussions, some news, and occasional letters from the traveler. The latter was present a week after Wanderer had come back from Mondstadt. It was easy to recognize because of the different wax seal model.

Despite him clicking his tongue and specifically saying there was no need for them to keep in touch like this before, an undeniable interest was possessing him each time he'd get something from the outlander. Annoying.

"You should've told me you were in Mondstadt! I was going to pass by for Albedo's birthday, too. Seriously, you could've lingered around a bit more. But I guess you probably got bored. There's not much to do when you're picky.

Anyway, at least you met Albedo again. He told me you hung out and talked and that you are 'a pleasure to be around'?? I'm not sure what happened, but I'm glad you made him happy on his birthday. He said it had been the most exciting part of his day and he wished you could've stayed longer too.

I offered to give him your contact information to send you a letter or something, but he didn't want to. "It would be convenient, but I'd rather ask for it when I meet him again." That's what he said. He was very sure you'll meet again, so maybe he has some plans. Either way, if you guys do hang out again, you could invite me as well, you know? It's not often that we get time to see each other now.

I've been busy traveling around Natlan and...."

Wanderer stopped reading, or rather, he stopped processing the rest of the letter. The alchemist had praised him behind his back? Granted, he'd be the first and possibly last person to do it. A pleasant feeling still managed to wedge itself through him, thinking about it. What else had he said?

Shaking his head, Wanderer placed the letter back in the envelope and left it on the table. He could not focus on the rest at the moment.

Perhaps visiting Mondstadt did not seem so bad anymore. Especially its more icy corner. Something else stuck out to him, though. Albedo was so sure that they'd meet again. Traveler offered a simple speculation about some plans he might have had, but speculation had never perturbed Wanderer's mind.

....Until now, that is.

Months later, Wanderer noticed he had developed a sort of... disagreeable fixation. Despite Traveler's speculation that he had managed to discard later, there had been no news or mentions of the alchemist.

Wanderer's eyes had been, well, wandering subconsciously looking for something. He avoided acknowledging it until they actually landed on what they had been looking for.

Sumeru City has always been busy and obnoxiously loud. After New Year's Eve, it became the number one place to avoid for Wanderer. Unfortunately, he lived there. And, unfortunately, he had been assigned to change some posters on the billboard next to the Adventurers' Guild. Was that his job? No. Was he a substitute for some drunkard who was nowhere to be found at the moment? Yes.

At least five people had bumped into him on the way there and almost caused his hat to fall. Some children tried to tug on its back strings as well and Wanderer almost ripped the posters he was holding to shreds, close to just giving up. The hassle was not worth it at all.

Finally in front of the Adventurers' Guild, he sighed, already dreading the path back to his house. Those posters were mediocre at best. He glared at each one as he stuck them on the board, more of a habit than actual dislike, really.

One of the papers he had brought with him had a mind of its own and flew out of his hand. "What— Hey!" Wanderer turned around to see where it managed to fly, curses ready on his tongue.

The venom dissappeared just as fast as it came when the person who caught the paper met his eyes. Teal eyes bright in the sunlight looked at him, as the man's free hand was hanging in the air, about to approach him.

Wanderer blinked. "You...!" He cleared his throat. "Chief Alchemist. What midguided you to these lands?" His appearance hadn't changed one bit since he had last seen him.

Albedo's lip corners twitched. "Not the wisest choice of words for the region of wisdom, is it?"

Wanderer rolled his eyes and snatched the paper from his hand. Like he cared! "Does anyone here seem wise to you? Even common sense is uncommon here. Look at this street, you barely have space to breathe." Not like he needed to breathe, but the he was talking about the principle of it all, of course.

"It is always fascinating to hear your thoughts on such ordinary matters," the other man said, stepping closer. He looked at the paper Wanderer was currently sticking to the board and cocked his head to the side. "Dance interests you, then?"

Wanderer scoffed. "As if!" A flash of Inazuman traditional dance crossed his mind and he gritted his teeth to get rid of it. "These announcements are not worth two mora. I am merely doing some delinquent's job."

A non-committal hum next to him.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I wished to discuss some matters with the Dendro Archon, but I am staying at an inn here for a few days to explore, also."

Wanderer inspected him with a look. "Matters, you say... Important ones?"

"It is not of the nature you may be thinking of," the alchemist hesitated. "One could call it... a family matter."

Family? "Everything alright with that little troublemaker?"

Albedo nodded absently, studying the billboard with sudden interest. "Klee is doing fine. It is very fortunate that the Knights are doing their best to take care of her when I am not around. Although the way they spoil her is still way over the limit."

So it was other family. Wanderer knew not to pry, even though he wanted to. "You could've brought her with you."

"It is in her best interest to get used to being away from me."

He would've almost considered it a joke in bad taste, but Albedo's solemn expression was an indicator of something else. This guy, seriously, always speaking nonsense...

"Hold these," Wanderer thrusted the papers he had taken off the board in the other man's hands. One look to make sure the billboard looked alright, then he turned on his heels and Albedo followed, fine eyebrows raised.

The street had cleared the smallest bit, but it was still a pain to pass through the people. Albedo got hold of a string at the back of Wanderer's hat on the way like a child.

Once they were in a more open area, Wanderer turned around, annoyed. "Do you blindly trust everyone like this? What if I was luring you somewhere to kill you?" The doe teal eyes staring back unnerved him.

"You are no stranger to me, Wanderer." His tone was factual, like there was no truer statement than this one.

"Well," Wanderer sighed. Could he ever get a bigger reaction from him? "I am a pleasure to be around, after all," he said, starting to walk again. "That right, Alchemist?"

He missed the way the blonde man's eyes slightly widened in recognition. "Have you talked to the Traveler?"

"Oh, all the time! I now know all your darkest secrets, Alchemist. Don't ever cross me."

"The Traveler is knowledgeable, but—"

"I'm playing with you, weirdo," Wanderer leaned his head back to stick out his tongue. "Why would I care about your business?" There were a few beats of silence, which would normally feel awkward with anyone else, but between them it was somewhat comfortable.

Something was clouding Albedo's eyes, however. Like he was perplexed about something, battling with his own conscience. What could Wanderer do to ease that... moreover, why did it bother him so much?

"I believe I owe you," he said, stopping in front of his house, the other man almost bumping into him.

"Owe me?"

He took the papers out of his hands and let them fall on the doorstep with a muted thump. "You wish to explore. That right?" When the other nods, he grabs his wrist to turn him around towards the stone path again. "Come then. I will be your guide."

Albedo stumbled behind him. "You would do that?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Wanderer clicked his tongue, "I'm just returning the favor."

Come to think of it, Albedo had been one of the worst guides Mondstadt could ever have, so the 'favor' Wanderer was about to return would exceed those expectations by a lot. Albedo should owe him again after this for the quality of his service.

He reached his hand behind to make sure the other is following. And so they were walking side by side now, the alchemist's face slightly brighter than before.

Wanderer showed him taverns — mostly bashing each of them for the smallest inconveniences he'd had in them; the vendors who sell quality pieces at advantageous prices ( "It would disappoint me greatly to see you fall for any easy scam, although it would be quite funny."); and Nilou's stage was last.

It was empty, as there weren't upcoming events, but the star herself was right by its side, her red hair being a dead giveaway. Her eyes lit up seeing them and she waved at them excitedly to come closer just when Wanderer wanted to sneak out. Great.

"Hat Guy! Mr. Albedo!" she smiled at them. "It's so lovely to see you like this! How are you?"

"Wanderer is giving me a tour of the city," Albedo replied, trying to match her energy, but not quite getting there.

"Really?" the girl looked at Wanderer with sudden interest. "That's very... kind of you," she said, barely believing her own words.

"Tch, it's whatever. I had nothing better to do."

Nilou shared a knowing look with Albedo, which he returned for some odd reason. These two barely knew each other. What could they possibly share through their eyes?

"Would you like something to drink, Mr. Albedo?" Nilou asked, patting away at her pockets and looking at the stage. "I am done ordering some new props for the stage. If you guys want to hang out for a bit somewhere, I'd love it!"

"No thanks—"

"That'd be wonderful!" Albedo interrupted him. How dare he— "Please do join!"

Was that just a formality or did he say it as a means to not be left alone with Wanderer any longer? It better be the first one.

"We could go to the tavern next to the Adventurer's Guild!" Nilou suggested.

"Wanderer said it has bad air conditioning," Albedo said solemnly, repeating the other man's words from earlier.

"Oh, don't they all!" Nilou laughed, waving them off. "Come on! I will be your guide for Sumeru's cuisines."

The two got off a little too well, Wanderer was thinking while following them towards that mediocre tavern. Good for them... But it still didn't sit right with him.

Not that anyone ever asked him about what he thought. And not like he cared, anyway! 

Chapter Text

Archons, did Nilou's energy ever go down? They'd been talking for hours already. Wanderer could see the sun going down through the window. It turned out that "a guide to Sumeru's cuisines" meant ordering everything on the menu only for Albedo to take two bites to taste each dish.

The dishes were rich in flavor, but plenty of them were not exactly appealing to Albedo's Mondstadt taste buds. Wanderer had expected it, but kept silent, watching with satisfaction how the alchemist tried to contain his facial expressions.

"Are you done torturing his stomach yet? He's bound to puke it all out if you keep mixing everything," he said at one point. Nilou pouted, pushing the newest addition on the table, a minty bean soup, to the side. 

"There must be something you like, Mr. Albedo. I'm sure we will find you a favorite," she said, determined to set that as her mission. 

"Miss Nilou, I appreciate it. Truly. But..." Albedo had a hard time finding the words to turn her down. Pft. Softie.

"Waiter," Wanderer gestured. "Bring us one Padisarah pudding."

Nilou looked at him. "But Hat Guy, you don't like sweets."

"It's not for me. It's to cleanse our alchemist's palate." He wouldn't consider it cleansing, but Albedo might. He could only watch the alchemist's face contort in discomfort for so long.

The —hopefully last— plate was placed on the table, and in it sat the most vibrant shade of purple. For what it's worth, Wanderer did tolerate this dessert more than the rest, though it was still a hit-and-miss depending on its preparation. 

"Are you sure, Wanderer? You haven't eaten anything," Albedo looked up at him through his lashes. 

"I had tea."

There was a pause while they looked at each other, as if they were having another conversation through their eyes. 'Is that really all?' Albedo seemed to ask, to which the other answered with a brief 'Yes. Got a problem with that?'

No problem present, as it were. Excluding, of course, the rumble of someone's overfilled stomach. 

Nilou seemed resigned. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Albedo. I wanted to make you feel welcome." The man felt welcome, all right, Wanderer took notice. It was the wellness part that had degraded.

"If it warms you in any way," and he was aware it wouldn't, "at least you helped in an accelerated completion of one thing off his travel list: indulging in native cuisine."

The woman's eyes immediately moved onto the man in question, searching for confirmation, which Albedo offered with a weak nod. "Thank you for this experience, Miss Nilou. I want you to know I value it like any other. Alas..." His attention drifted to the seamless pudding in front of him. "Could I get this packed to take home?"

A reasonable request, yes. However, it was just another thing that rubbed Wanderer off. The alchemist had tasted over 10 dishes with no question and he stopped at the one he had ordered? Now, it may not have been directly offensive, but it was enough to make one wonder.

He did not voice that thought, only called back the waiter to pack up the pudding and any leftovers Albedo was open to hold onto. 

Nilou was silently counting the mora in her small pouch. The frown on her face gave away everything there was to know. Just great! Not only did Wanderer lose precious time on this, but he also ended up paying for it. He offered to do it, yes, but it was obvious it would end up that way even if he hadn't. He just wanted to speed things up a notch.

Outside, the two men bid farewell to Nilou. She hugged Albedo, whose movements in reciprocating the gesture were awkward and slow.

And they were alone again. One of the rare moments Wanderer could say he 'got to breathe'.

"How did you know I had a list?" 

The question didn't catch him off-guard. In fact, it's quite amusing that his guess had been right. "It was a likely thing for you to do. I imagine you sat down one evening and ordered them by importance."

"It is a little unnerving." Albedo started walking, the comically large bag of food dangling at his side, weighing him down slightly. "The way you shoot guesses about me and land them in the center of the target more often than not."

"You're not exactly the enigma you make yourself out to be."

"I have half the mind to contradict you."

Staring at his back would have been creepy, so Wanderer caught up, matching his steps. "Scholars have found that, though it's still a complex process, making educated guesses is a top-down procedure in one's brain. Granted, it was quite obvious."

Albedo's brows knitted together as he changed directions, striding outside of Sumeru City's gates. Wanderer followed with a click of his tongue. 

"Obvious things must also be documented," the alchemist said at last, when they settled on a small cliff. Devadaha Pool unfolded before their eyes, sun shining down on the water.

Albedo lay the pudding out next to him with the cutlery on top. So he was going to eat it before going home, after all. That was good.

For now, however, the alchemist brought his knees to his chest and stared forward, while Wanderer sat with his legs outstretched and slightly leaning back on his hands. The scenery was objectively mesmerizing, but Wanderer had grown used to it in time, so he just let the other man enjoy it.

His eyes were almost closed when the question hit. "Wanderer, have you ever thought about the concept of creating life from scratch?"

Any boredom that was about to overtake him flew out into the wind. "...What kind of life?"

"Human life."

Wow. Wanderer scoffed. "Are you unfamiliar with the concept of reproduction, Alchemist? You of all people?"

Albedo thinned his lips. "That is one way, indeed. But what if there are... other ways?" His voice is hushed towards the end, as if it was something forbidden.

It wasn't until Wanderer was ready to mention adoption and surrogates that he realized it was actually forbidden. Albedo was considering alchemy. Alchemy to create a human, just like he had been created. Problem was that his creation was completely different and n times more powerful than he could ever become.

"I may not know much of human lives," he spoke up carefully, "but I do know about creating a God." He felt the other's eyes on him, but didn't look up. "You may have heard from the traveler about the Akademiya's project some years ago." The bitterness in his voice did not justify even half the anger and disgust he was still feeling.

"I have heard," Albedo's voice distracted him momentarily. "They had planned to fuel it with a gnosis. A harbinger had had an influence on the process as well. The traveler did not wish to go too much into detail. They seemed too affected by the events to elaborate at the time."

"Well, it, as you call him, was a person," he said. "Someone who had been taken advantage of. Those imbeciles had crossed all ethical principles."

"But consent was given, wasn't it?" Oh, this man was clueless!

"Because they fooled him!" Wanderer argued. "They saw vulnerability, the petty desire for revenge, and they used it all to manipulate everything in their favor. Is it consent when one's mind in incapacitated?"

Albedo stared at him and, for a moment, it truly felt as if he understood, as if he knew Wanderer had been talking about himself. Perhaps he did figure it out. Still, he did not mention anything to show it, only shuffled a bit closer and stretched his legs out front, mimicking the other man's position. "My apologies. You are right. I admit I have thought more about the technicalities than the feelings involved."

Wanderer exhaled, relaxing. "Still, even with consent from a healthy individual, the whole project and its conditions were inhumane. It was—" he paused. "Are you seriously eating right now?"

The alchemist was caught red-handed, just about to take a second spoonful of pudding from the bowl. "Something about our discussions usually stirs my mental faculties, so I need to recharge accordingly. Do carry on, please. Would you like some? I have a second spoon."

"...You're odd, has anyone ever told you that?" Nonetheless, he took the spoon, spun it in his hand for a moment, then pointed it towards Albedo. "You owe me so much more than this for my hospitality, but it will do for now because I am feeling kind today."

Albedo's smile did not last more than a second. He faced forward again. "The whole process that you've been talking about is fascinating, and I am interested in more details. However, it doesn't quite match the circumstances that I was thinking about when I mentioned creation."

"Oh? Do enlighten me, then." Was he going to find out more about the infamous Rhinedottir? Albedo must have taken after her, given that she was his creator and teacher.

The alchemist took another spoonful of pudding, but his hair was getting in the way. Almost like it was second nature, Wanderer leaned in to gather the strands of blonde hair and hold them back, brushing some behind his ears, which began to warm up at the tips. It was softer than he had imagined, falling back like bird feathers.

His excitement was immediately shut down when the other man hesitated to answer. "Something that I cannot name for certain is about to happen. You may not have noticed it when you visited me and Klee, but Dragonspine —at least a certain part of it — is unstable."

Wanderer frowned, sitting up straight. This man was as vague as ever. "Is it Durin?" So soon? He knew it had been months since he had agreed to help, should the dragon be awakened and threaten Mondstadt City, but he'd never actually tried to estimate a time for when it would happen.

A non-committal hum came first. "Not on his own, but yes. I can handle it, so you don't need to worry—"

"Hah?" Wanderer interrupted him with a disbelieving scoff. He took a bite from the pudding just to offer himself a moment before lashing out. "Who's worrying? I told you I have no ties to that region whatsoever. But you better remember that you asked for my help, to which I foolishly agreed. I am a man of my word, Alchemist. You need help, and it's not often that I offer it on a silver platter like I'm doing right now, so do not slap my hand away."

Albedo blinked at him, hand frozen mid-air holding an empty spoon. He even dared to act surprised now? 

"I know," Wanderer continued, slower this time, "you don't wish to rely on anyone for this dirty work, but—"

"Human transmutation," Albedo said, and it was the first time his tone had been raised a little over his usual range. "I am aware of the possible repercussions and consequences you might be thinking about right now. My plan is advanced enough to avoid most of them."

"Most of them? That's not how you talk, Albedo. You must have numbers that support such a novel endeavor, not hopes and assumptions!" Forget the fact he used his name instead of 'Alchemist'. Forget everything!

"We are looking at a 90% chance so far."

"That leaves 5% more than the acceptable error threshold."

"Indeed, it does. It will have to do."

It will have to do??  Was he joking? Wanderer was reminded of the fact that he had had an even better percentage of success to become a God, by Dottore and the scholars' calculations, and it still failed.

Albedo taking such a risk for something he wouldn't even fully disclose was just "Incredibly stupid. Ludicrous!" Wanderer stood up, barely bothering to dust away his shorts. His glare was fixed on the alchemist. "You're planning to attempt human transmutation with no stable hand!"

"Wanderer, it is much more complex."

"And you refuse to tell me because...?"

The man fidgeted with the spoon in his hand. "I don't want too many people to get involved. I deem you more than capable of helping in any way. Despite that, I lack the courage to put you in such a situation."

"Why?" He was right there! For once, he willingly acknowledged that he wanted to help, so why?

Albedo looked up at him, then back down, sighing. "I don't know."

That did it. Wanderer threw up his hands, surrendering. "Find me when you do, then. Or don't. I don't care."

He stomped away. The annoying thing was that leaving it at just that felt like he was doing an injustice, not to himself, but to Albedo. It baffled him to no end. 

One of the smartest people he got to know was being vague about a pursuit he'd asked for help with before, and refusing said offer in the most crucial moments of it. Perhaps smart had been an overstatement. 

A few knocks were heard on his door in the middle of the night. Grumbling, Wanderer got up from his bed. Not like he could sleep anyway. He didn't even have a need for it in general, but he had gotten used to doing it at night as a means of rest.

In front of him stood just the reason his sour mood wouldn't let him sleep. Albedo's lower lip was caged between his teeth when he met his eyes. "Hello," he said, teal eyes looking at him, but not at his face. Only then did he realize he was wearing only a loose black shirt and shorts.

Unperturbed by how he must have looked in the other man's eyes, Wanderer raised one eyebrow at him, not replying immediately. "...Lost something?"

"Wanderer, could we talk more about that plan I have?"

"The one you don't want me involved in?"

"My apologies for saying that. Unfortunately, my view on that has not changed. I do require your input on it, still."

"You have some nerve, I'll give you that," he chuckled dryly, hand tightening on the door. "Didn't you have to talk to the Dendro Archon? I'm sure her input is much more valuable."

"To be entirely transparent with you, it is not more valuable in comparison to yours." Now, Wanderer could have said he felt prideful after hearing that, if it wasn't for what followed shortly: "In addition... it involves Mini Durin."

So Wanderer opened the door wide. He made tea, sat down at the table with Albedo, and discussed openly. He had stood up, had sat back down, criticized weak points, suggested alterations, all the while the alchemist had noted it down.

All in all, the success percentage had gone up by the end, much like Wanderer's mood. They had gone through 5 cups of tea each by the time the sun was rising. He was just about to praise the fact that Albedo did not seem to be affected by staying up all night when the man yawned and stretched his arms up, similar to a cat. 

Wanderer would have been lying if he himself said he wasn't the smallest bit tired. They had to go into intricate details, connect every point to the next. Both demanding and productive for each of them, only in different amounts.

"You may rest here," he offered, collecting the empty tea cups. "I have a couch."

"That's very kind, but I must prepare to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali," Albedo said, though he made no move to stand up from his chair. On the contrary, he slightly leaned more on the table.

"She can wait." Hundreds of years, even, his mind supplied as a joke. 

"Thank you." After Wanderer showed him to the couch and offered an extra blanket and pillow, the alchemist grabbed his wrist. "One more thing, if I may..."

He looked at him expectantly, not rejecting the touch, but not leaning into it.

"Perhaps this Windblume festival is not an agreeable destination this year for you, but I would like to invite you to the next one, should no other threats arise in that time. I will welcome you."

Invited to Mondstadt for a mundane visit, and now invited to one of their many festivals. One could call it progress, though not sure towards what it could be.
 
Still, Wanderer hummed. "I'll think about it."

As he let go, Albedo smiled. An actual smile that reached his eyes and conveyed the most genuine relief. It almost made Wanderer ask why he didn't do it more often, why it felt like it emanated warmth. "Good night, then."

"It's morning," he cleared his throat, reluctantly pulling his arm away. "But yeah, good night, Albedo."

Chapter Text

He had witnessed everything. The alchemist's empty pleas to keep him away had done nothing. No one could tell him what to do! Just because they were friends or whatever. 

Wanderer had said he'd help, so he was ready to do just that when he sneaked into Mondstadt. First thing he had noticed was the sorrowful faces of the citizens; then he'd heard their arguments over petty nothings. Certainly an atmosphere they could do without during the festival that was supposedly in motion.

Dark clouds loomed over the once-lively city, and Wanderer understood then just how bad it was. He even dared to doubt Albedo for a moment; if he could handle it, if it was really best for Wanderer to stay on the sidelines instead of being there with him. And all of it caused by that damned dragon? It was hard to believe. As he was passing through the shadows, he pondered that. How Albedo had said that it was only partly because of Durin. What could he have meant?

The other night, they did elaborate on the plan of action, though one of them was clearly more reserved, which got on his nerves so bad that he had almost kicked the alchemist out.

"Side effects would have a more subjective scale," Albedo had said, hand rubbing at his chin.

"Why?" Wanderer asked through gritted teeth, tired of getting only half the information.

"Durin harbors a heavy amount of resentment towards humanity, among other negative emotions. It might be hard to have that balanced out just by Mini Durin's fairytale experience."

"Durin has all the rights to feel that. I would even dare to call him a sensible creature if he wasn't so violent," Wanderer replied as he stared into his tea. After all, what had humanity done for Durin not to resent it? 

Albedo shook his head. "It's somewhat expected, given his history, I understand. But the emotions I am talking about are doubled in these circumstances. Something inside him has... amplified his condition."

Wanderer narrowed his eyes across the table. "Something," he echoed.

Albedo nodded. Again, he did not elaborate. Great! "This will not hinder the plan. We may only see the actual consequences well after Windblume passes. Durin will need monitoring and regular check-ups."

"Which we will provide," Wanderer assured, though he could not guarantee it. "I have been taking care of the little one for a while. It won't be too much of a burden to keep doing it. Even with his new form."

A distant part of him considered what that new form would look like. Would he be short? Would he have anything in common with Albedo, his 'co-creator'? For instance, Albedo was good-looking, so would the new Durin have the same smooth features? 

However, the latter was not thinking about that. "What we are about to do..." Did he mean we, as in the two of them, or just the people of Mondstadt who were going to help him? "By all technical means, it is a natural course of action, although I was advised against it by other alchemists. However, forgive my choice of words, Mini Durin is a dangerous variable."

Wanderer regarded the man's distress thoughtfully. Shadows were covering his features, every sharp point more prominent than before. It hadn't been obvious in broad daylight, but seeing him like this now... The whole ordeal had been taking a toll on him. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Almost six months now."

He grunted. Of course he'd been hiding it for half a year. “Tch. And how far along are you? Did you even have the smallest outline of a plan by the time you started acting?”

“Naturally, I was the first to notice the changes in Dragonspine, so you could say I have been thinking about this for much longer than six months. Durin’s awakening could have manifested in plenty of ways, thus variation in form demanded variation in approach. That is to say, I had multiple solutions at the ready, yes.” He could have just said yes…

Wanderer stood up from his seat to pace around. “You know…” He rubbed his chin with one hand – a habit he’d picked up against his will. “I consent, and you consent, but isn’t there someone you forgot to ask?” And something he had kept avoiding mentioning, but it was probably not that relevant. Or so Wanderer hoped.

The other man nodded, meeting his eyes.

A flyer landed at his feet. The words made his whole body freeze. Albedo's name was the first thing that got his attention. Chief Alchemist Albedo Kreideprintz... Trial... Suspicions of murder...

He'd known, of course, of this part of the plan. Even so, it did not come as less of a shock seeing it for himself. They could have done better with the illustration. The corners of his lips twitched into a smirk. Hilarious, this whole thing. At least it would have been if it hadn't involved an entire city.

Folding it neatly, he pocketed the flyer safely in his pants. For the memories, like most people said. To laugh at it later, once everything is over, Wanderer said to himself. Hell, he would've laughed now if he were not hiding.

The traveler had passed by, unaware of his presence, and confused as a goose. Oh, this was truly going to be entertaining.

No sign of Albedo, so far, but then again, why would a criminal who was about to be sentenced pace around the city before his trial? The last time he’d seen him was not in the best scenario… It was while the blonde man was burying scraps and victims of Durin’s monsters, which were in strategic places. Three instances, three red Xs on a map. He’d only gotten to see two. 

“What’s the mark in Dragonspine for?” he’d asked, skeptical.

The alchemist dodged the question while shuffling the papers he had brought with him. “That part is already done.”

“This early?”

One could have missed the second Albedo had stilled, which he had played off as confusion for mistakenly placing a paper wrongly. “I’ve told you the timeline is stretched out over several months. One must start somewhere. Plus, the order of these doesn’t matter.” If Wanderer hated something more than him having to repeat himself, it was someone else repeating their nonsense, so he had dropped it.

He still could remember Albedo’s face, the slight tremor in his hands when he had been done with each burial. Initially, and ideally, there weren’t supposed to be actual victims, but they were prepared for such unfortunate cases nonetheless. Wanderer had watched from a distance how the man dealt with them, and that slump in his shoulders, that tightening of his jaw… Wanderer had clenched his own fists then because his fingers twitched, an unbecoming desire to be closer.

Now, however, it was time to see those burials mentioned during the trial. That woman – Hertha, was it? – looked at Albedo with an uncharacteristically cold glare for a Mondstadt citizen. Her accusations and evidence were not sloppy per se, but the bias was obvious, and perhaps one of the first hints at her fake identity. No one, Wanderer had found out during his last trip to this city, had anything against Albedo; against anyone, really, but even less for Albedo. Naivety prevailed here, much like he remembered. 

That was, perhaps, why he caved that morning.

"You can't just tell someone to make a life-changing choice on the spot!"

"Hm. Then how should we go about this?"

"I–"

"By expounding on the context first, maybe?"

"Yes, but I don’t mean to cause panic by listing side effects."

"That’s not what I meant, you- Ugh!"

"Can I speak?" Mini Durin flapped his wings angrily. The two men had been bouncing replies off each other since morning.

Wanderer was glaring at Albedo, who was as impassive as ever, yet he still sat down, their shoulders touching on the couch. "Whatever," he crossed his arms to his chest.

"You're saying I can become a human," Mini Durin said, confirming the purpose of all this. It was morning, shortly after breakfast time. They had called for the dragon the other night to make sure they could settle the matter as soon as possible. Both men in front of him nodded. 

"You will be referred to as 'Durin', since you will be one and the same with the dragon, but with all aspects of a healthy human," Albedo completed. “A human,” he emphasized. 

“Synthetic,” the other man supplied. It would still be different.

Mini Durin hesitated. “...Will it make people happy?”

Wanderer then buried his head in his hands silently. Due to the little sleep he had gotten, he felt unbearably tired. When he looked up again, he looked at the small dragon, eyes softening despite himself. “That’s not what you should be thinking about first. Humans’ feelings, they… change, and so shouldn’t matter. Especially in this kind of decision.” He let his hands fall in his lap, opting to lean back on the couch. He just had to do something, anything, not to sit still.

Damn humans! Unpredictable, inferior beings. They were a factor in everything. When one talked about salvation, it was specified as ‘saving humanity’. Oftentimes, they were ungrateful for that, too. There were agreeable humans, whose work mattered, who had compassion and brought warmth with them everywhere, like some certain people he once knew; but for each brave, pure soul, there was double the selfishness in another. 

The line between the two was often blurred, or one side was just more dominant than the other. He couldn’t imagine what a life surrounded by these variables could do to Mini Durin if he were to join them.

A warm weight covered his left hand for a moment when Albedo spoke to Mini Durin. “Your impact will be meaningful to the citizens of Mondstadt, possibly the rest of Teyvat even, but it’s you who will bear the final result for the rest of your life. I’m afraid I can’t guarantee that your experiences as a human will be the best, so I understand if you reject this. It is your choice.” His jaw was tight as he realized where his hand had been and retracted it.

Wanderer sat there staring at his empty hand much longer than he would’ve liked to admit, but long enough for the words to settle in his head as well. What was that? A good half of Albedo’s plan had been built around Mini Durin’s involvement. His choice of words, however, denoted otherwise. Did he have something else up his sleeve, or was he just willing to drop everything had the dragon not agreed?

His eyes were set at the back of the alchemist’s head, wishing that for once, he’d have Nahida’s power to read someone’s mind. The confidence he emanated was uncanny. False confidence, perhaps?

“Well,” Mini Durin spoke up, “not like the dragon life is a dream, either…” 

“But it is still a life,” Albedo didn’t falter. “This is the second life you have had to get accustomed to. What we are proposing would be a third, with a difficult transition on top of it.” Seriously, was this reverse psychology? It almost seemed like Albedo didn’t want Mini Durin to accept. 

“Can I… Can I think about it some more?”

“Of course,” he smiled. “I will be here for another hour, if there’s no objection.” He glanced over his shoulder at Wanderer, who had been silent.

“Clearly, I’m not kicking you out,” the latter clicked his tongue. 

Mini Durin muttered something about being right back, then flapped his wings towards a room behind them, closing the door. He had been here enough to know his way around the house, at least.

The two men were left alone once again. This was the moment.

Wanderer stretched his arms up and yawned before speaking. “Are you sabotaging yourself on purpose, Alchemist?”

To his surprise, the blonde man leaned back to rest on the couch as well, his head turned to Wanderer’s side. Ah, they were both beyond tired. Albedo’s restlessness must be contagious, he thought as he stared back into his troubled eyes.

“I can’t help but think of Klee,” Albedo said, voice hushed. “This way, I can understand your point of view better. You were Simulanka’s hero who helped Mini Durin accept himself and has taken care of him ever since. It is only normal for you to be protective of him.” 

Wanderer frowned at that. “Spare me your sympathy. They are worlds apart. Why are you not trying to persuade him? Talk about the blessing of having a human heart or what your poets say.” There were definitely many ways to romaticize humanity. 

A breathy chuckle. “I do need his consent more than anything, I suppose, if I want everything to work well. However, one can’t be biased or manipulate information in their favor to achieve what they want.” A slight frown passed on his face. “It would be unfortunate if he refused, but I must understand his side and not pry too much.”

“I’m still rather opposed to it, as you can tell, but you are slicing your chances too thin with what you’ve been saying,” Wanderer stated as a fact. “You are aware that you can conduct the transmutation smoothly. He will find that confidence comforting.” A part of him could also acknowledge that he himself also felt better knowing it was Albedo’s hands that Mini Durin would be in.

“It’s the first time I witnessed you overestimating someone,” Albedo mused. “It is an honor to be the subject of that overstatement, though again, there might be some extra pressure now to fulfill your expectations.”

Wanderer smoothed out the fabric of the alchemist’s shirt, brushing his hand over it absently. “I speak in facts, Alchemist. You have had enough time to doubt yourself.” Months, maybe years; enough to go through every possible option. “And, for the record, I can doubt you enough for the both of us. Make that my role in all this.” 

Was it clear that he was talking about the hidden information the other man had not disclosed? Albedo stiffened under his touch, if that was an indicator of anything. He parted his lips and closed them once, twice, but no sound came out. Until the third time: “What would you say if–” The words died on his tongue at the sound of a door opening behind them.

Mini Durin came back, at last, and Wanderer retracted his hand fast, looking at him with restrained tension. He felt as if he were almost finished with a puzzle when someone threw away the last pieces he needed for it. Not relevant , he told himself again.

“From the beginning, my soul was incomplete,” the dragon said, breaking the silence. “And I was sort of a copy of the real deal, only with a happy ending. Even that ending was incomplete, actually. So, if Mr. Albedo thinks it will work out well, then I want to help. Maybe I will finally get to feel complete.”

Wanderer heard a relieved exhale next to him, followed by his own resigned one. “Well, get a move on, then.” The sooner, the better, before he could change his mind.

Albedo’s gaze lingered on Mini Durin a moment longer. His voice came low, thoughtful: “Existential questions knock at any conscious being’s door. Whether you are human or dragon, you will ask questions about belonging, fitting in, right or wrong; and though you may not get answers for all of them, you will find that it is a crucial part of life, and they won’t make it less enjoyable.” His gaze moved to the Wanderer. “We will try our best to guide you through it.”

Watching Albedo defend himself against false accusations proved to be interesting enough for Wanderer to linger a bit more than he had planned. His composure hadn’t crumbled at any point whatsoever. Perhaps a career in acting would have suited him in another life.

“I never killed a single person,” the alchemist’s defense was curt. That was a constant during both trials. The first one ended with him being declared guilty, though not immediately taken away. 

Only during the second trial did Wanderer’s smirk begin to slip. First he had hardly glanced at the traveler, but when they came forward to speak about the hole in Dragonspine – the one Albedo had avoided expounding on – things started to go south in his brain. 

There had been no remnants of a human in that one spot. Albedo started describing a being, an imposter, that was dressed the same, had the same hair, the same… Wait. That couldn’t be it. 

It dawned on him then, though it was not mentioned directly, that he knew just what it was. Rhinedottir had many projects to her name, but not all of them successful. Before Albedo, there was a failed attempt at a safe functioning homunculus, a mere shadow of him, what they could call now Subject Two. 

…So it was all about Subject Two?!

Wanderer pinched the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to sigh and curse. That absolute fool, Albedo! Wanderer had known about that failure! All that cat and mouse play during their discussion for the plan was to hide that thing's existence? Madness.

He could have asked Wanderer, could have just mentioned him briefly, anything at all, instead of hiding it in vain! Oh, the talk they needed to have at the end...

Thoughts were swirling around in his head as he left. What else was there to see? Either the plan had taken a whole different turn, or it would continue as expected. He could not care less. 

Despite that, he didn’t leave quietly. Monsters were marching towards the city; armed hilichurls, mitachurls, and samachurls were moving quickly, bloodthirsty. He glared at them from a distance as they approached. He had managed to get to a safe distance from the bridge that led to Mondstadt’s gates, partly obscured from the two men who were guarding that part. They wouldn’t have noticed him.

Wanderer tilted his head, calling the power of Anemo in both his hands, slowly rising in the air, hat vanishing. The grass around him swayed, blown to the side by the sudden surge of wind. Anger seethed within him, so, he thought with a dangerous glint in his eyes, might as well take this opportunity to unwind. “Wrong time to piss me off, unsightly insects.”

Chapter Text

Wind still roared in his ears as he drifted down from the final gust. Hilichurls twitched in pain on the grass, but otherwise lay unmoving, scattered and silent behind him. Wanderer dusted his hands, the sting of fury ebbing only slightly. Ha… just what he needed. Now he could set off, actually processing everything with a calmer mind.

From a distance, Mondstadt City glittered with Windblume’s final celebrations. Fireworks in all colors cracked the night sky, the light almost strong enough to color his face. It was similar to the sounds a thunder strike would emit. How irritating.

He grimaced with a hand on his hat, just about to turn away. Then he saw it. While citizens were focusing on the sky, faint golden lines appeared on the ground, connecting each path in a way that would create certain symbols. Alchemical symbols. 

It wasn’t for decoration, he knew. Albedo had used Mondstadt’s layout as his transmutation circle, hiding it beneath the clamor of Windblume fireworks. 

The whole city had become his chalkboard, the ritual sprawling and deliberate. Wanderer’s fingers twitched at his sides, unease rippling beneath his anger.

“This better be worth it,” he muttered, pulling his hat lower. The golden veins dimmed, and he caught the faintest breeze under his feet. Better be worth all the evasive acts from that fool. 

Albedo had sent a letter. 

Days after the festival had ended. It was sealed neatly, precise penmanship protected from any crinkles. It was short, merely asking to meet up and talk. Wanderer's lips were parted as he read it again and again. No sign of remorse, nor happiness at the results of the transmutation, just clear results and insignificant percentages of possible complications.

First correspondence from the alchemist, and yet, it only managed to fuel the conflict inside him. He was pissed at him, yes, but the fact that Albedo's first action after the ritual was to report to him and ask for a meeting... He couldn't ignore the pleasant feeling that passed through him.

The alchemist had been the one to come to him first lately, so the letter was somewhat expected, Wanderer supposed. The way it started with no fillers: “It's been a while, so I think it is time we met up.” So it was. 

They did meet up, but the proposed location was not a familiar one. Wanderer had passed by it during his travels to other places, but never lingered enough for it to be ingrained in his mind as a meaningful place. 

As he entered the area in Dihua Marsh, silk flowers greeted him along the barren path. So on and so forth until he stepped on wooden stairs, bringing him to the destination: Wangshu Inn. Liyue.

He had almost laughed at Albedo’s phrasing when suggesting this place in his letter. A “middle point,” the man had called it. Not particularly far nor close to either of them. Truthfully, he wouldn’t have minded the trip to Mondstadt, but that was not a good enough reason to reject it.

Most of the tables outside the inn were not occupied at this time in the afternoon, so he took the liberty of choosing one on the side, next to the railing. Behind his seat was a potted bonsai, leaves rustling in the small breeze, and if he turned his head to the right, his view was that of a bridge where two people (lovers, perhaps?) had their backs to him, gazing ahead at the water and mountains up ahead.

Decent enough, he concluded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Waiting.

He wasn’t too early, which meant the moment stretched only briefly before the person he’d been waiting for made an appearance, passing through the big gate that preceded the bridge. From the gate, Albedo’s figure passed across the wooden bridge, every step unhurried, steady. Afternoon light clung to him, gold melting into gold. Of course the man would look like he belonged in a painting against water and mountains.

Wanderer watched, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his fist. Would that composure crumble at any point today, given what they were about to discuss? It’d be fun to put a frown up there, a quiver in his lips… Archons, he’d been bored out of his mind.

Albedo took time to gaze around him, at the water around the bridge, the people he passed, the path that led to the inn – sensing that he was about to turn towards the inn altogether, Wanderer turned his focus suddenly, jaw tight.

“Wanderer,” came his name one second later. The man stood in front of him, looking down with a pleased expression. The distance hadn’t done him justice; the closer Albedo was, the more he radiated that strange light around him. “I hope you did not wait for long,” he said as he took the seat across from him.

“Only half a day,” Wanderer replied, face blank. Albedo looked up sharply, eyes widening a bit. “I’m joking,” he amended with the same face. “You’re on time.”

“I plucked this on my way,” the alchemist pulled a silk flower from behind him, laying it carefully on the table. “Silk flowers are valued not for themselves, but for what they can become and contribute to. I find that fascinating.”

Wanderer eyed it – it was in full bloom, pale petals trembling delicately at the smallest breeze, a whiff of subtle sweetness coming along from it-, then him. “If you truly are secretly a poet, you are not hiding it very well, Alchemist.” His hand twitched on the table close to it. 

Albedo tilted his head, unbothered. “It doesn’t disappoint in appearance either.” He folded his hands in his lap, expression mild. “Though I suppose it is not easy to preserve like this, if you wish to keep it in this state. Sucrose, my assistant,  has been testing formulas to slow withering, but for now, we’ll have to settle for their fleetingness. This flower hasn’t been tested, so its bloom will be brief.” He never got tired of talking…

The damn thing sat there anyway, vivid and stubborn as if mocking him. Wanderer tapped the table once with his finger, then leaned back in his chair, mask of boredom firmly in place. “Tch. Handing me flowers already. How sentimental.” 

If this meeting were of another nature, he’d ask about that assistant, their experiments, would offer input in case something similar had been done at the Akademiya, but maybe another time.

The faintest trace of amusement crossed Albedo’s face.

“But then again,” Wanderer continued, voice flattening, “poets are also liars. They hide truths in pretty words. Albedo, we are not close enough to keep secrets from each other. Wouldn't you agree?” He made an effort to smile politely.

“In contrast, I believe we have become rather close,” the alchemist smiled, and for a moment, Wanderer almost faltered. They had been… good friends, to a certain amount.

Still, he leaned forward. “That so. Alright, then aren't we close enough to not have secrets amongst ourselves?”

“You are contradicting yourself.”

“Maybe I am, but both instances convey the same point: no reason to be secretive. Secretive like you have been.” The accusation landed in between them like a brown leaf fallen from a tree.

“Have I?” Albedo blinked.

That was either him deflecting or genuine confusion. Perhaps there were too many secrets to pick from. “Ugh, this is dragging on for too long,” he scoffed. Straight to the specifics, then. “Listen here. I didn't want to breach the topic directly, but you don't seem to catch on. So, let's talk about Subject Two.”

Albedo tensed, checking their surroundings. No one spared them a glance. “...You know,” was all he deduced in his stupor.

“I have known for longer than you think.” The Hexenzirkel was no mystery, though he disliked those mages; they only did whatever they wanted. Irminsul didn’t have all the information on them for some reason, as if it was withheld on purpose. They just had a world of their own. “That's not the point now. Would it have killed you to mention it back in Sumeru?"

"I was not aware you knew already." The surprise showed in his irritating repetition.

"You didn't trust me enough to tell me, Alchemist, yet you insist that we are close. Now that sounds like a contradiction." And he had trusted him in return. Subconsciously, like it was the natural thing to do. Trust, that damned human thing, had somehow gotten to him, only for it to prove him right again. 

The man gnawed at his lower lip for a moment, but he couldn’t seem to come to a satisfying conclusion. "But how did you find out?" 

"Well..." Wanderer hesitated. He could say it; a secret for a secret, but they would stray from the important matters. "My methods are not the concern right now, are they? I already know, don't I?"

Albedo looked down at his hands. "It's not that I do not trust you, in any way. I did not mention this detail to you because I foresaw this type of confrontation, and I hoped to avoid it, had you reconsidered your support.” He dared to glance up, perhaps awaiting exactly what he had hoped to avoid.

“Of course I would have reconsidered," Wanderer bit back. "Would you have blamed me?”

“I suppose I couldn’t, but it seems that it all worked out in the end. He is stabilizing, ready for his first socializing attempts.” So it seemed. But they had no way of knowing for sure until later. 

The fact that Durin was 'stabilizing' couldn't account for his first steps outside in the world. Then again, this would have been a concern even if there were less threatening factors added.

“You misjudge the extent of Subject Two's influence over Durin,” Wanderer finally said, his tone leveled and less cold, like melting ice. “I can’t tell if you're overly confident or simply ignorant.”

“To put it plainly, I am neither,” Albedo considered. “We didn’t exactly have a model for this kind of ritual, but you recall how we discussed many possible outcomes back in Sumeru. As for Durin’s emotional state…” he dithered. “Its instability is part of human life, no?”

And Durin is a human now, Wanderer completed inwardly. Synthetic or not, a heart was there, beating. Unlike himself. “Indeed,” he sighed. The fire in him subsided significantly. He could press further, but Albedo would only answer in half-truths, and dragging the words out by force would cheapen them; it was not worth it. All he could do at the moment was just trust Albedo again, which he found he was not entirely opposed to this time. And yet he opened his mouth to interject again when Albedo spoke up.

“I apologize that I couldn’t manage to reach your expectations.”

Wanderer actually laughed at that. A raw, sudden sound provoked by the absurdity of it. All tension shattered with that line like glass. How could he tell Albedo that his only expectations were those of people leaving him? That it was never about anything else. 

The alchemist stared at his face, lips parted. The most clueless intelligent person he knew. Endearing.

“Don’t worry about nonsense like that. If anything, I’m more disappointed in the fact I missed out on the interesting parts.” As his laughter faded, a server happened to pass by their table, a tray held in her hand to carry an order nearby.

Albedo glanced up and, with that same calm precision, placed a quiet order for tea. “Would you like something to eat, Wanderer?” he asked, to which Wanderer only grimaced, signing a pointed no. The alchemist tilted his head, observing.  “I don’t see you eating whenever we meet.”

“Concerned for my well-being, I see.” As if food could have gotten the chance to cross his mind during their conversation. 

“You might have eaten before our last meetings, since they had been unplanned,” he continued. “but this time I wonder if I should take offense if you did that with my invitation in mind.” To get rid of him faster.

Wanderer’s brow lifted. “In a jesting mood, aren’t we? Pick something for me, then, Alchemist.” 

Their conversation stretched on as they indulged in native dishes, a humble Vegetarian Abalone, followed by servings of Almond Tofu (“One of our residents is especially fond of this dish,” the woman who served it had said mysteriously.) They circled back to Windblume, to what had actually happened. Though again, Wanderer could tell, not entirely, but he bore with it, the boiling anger covered by the food he tasted. 

Well, not like it mattered anymore after the act was done, but he still felt the need to pry. “You are in distress and yet you call upon Alice, your so-called aunt, instead of your creator?” He asked at one point, after hearing the challenges the mages had given him and the Traveler. The mushroom from the Abalone left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth then.

“That is not a subject I’m willing to engage in,” Albedo replied blankly, eating away at his meal.

Oh? “Not fond of your master, I take it?” What if…

“‘Fond’ wouldn’t be the correct term.” He paused, eyes on his plate. “Frankly, not a fitting one comes to mind. My master is my mother, yes, but she is not always… available, so to speak. These human feelings are complicated to process, is all.” So they weren’t that similar, after all. No wonder Albedo seemed to be doing perfectly fine alone. Rhinedottir had been there when it mattered.

Wanderer spared him then. He didn’t want to hear arguments for still being attached to a creator that was nowhere to be seen now. Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one, as the alchemist also resumed eating normally after noticing the topic slipping away along with the steam from their cups on the table.

By the time their tea cups and plates were cold and empty, dusk had already settled over Dihua Marsh. The two of them ended up on the same wooden bridge Albedo had crossed earlier, standing side by side. Now the water beneath mirrored streaks of orange and violet, mountains blurring into the horizon.

Albedo rested his hands loosely on the railing, gaze lowered to the current. “I think that you will help Durin greatly,” he said, tone careful. “Since you are human.”

A reply burned on Wanderer’s tongue – I’m not human, you idiot. In fact, you might be even more human than me – but he swallowed it back. Not like he didn’t want to say it. He was aware he should. It had been dragging on for quite a long time now. Soon, he thought again. Soon they’d be able to talk about more than the fate of others.

“You’ve been living among humans for years, Albedo,” he opted for comfort. “Even what you told Durin back then, it didn’t sound like a non-human. It was exactly how it feels, being unsure and inexperienced. You know more than you think you do, which comes as a surprise from you, if I’m being honest.”

Albedo pondered this, fingers rubbing his chin. “Even if that were true, it often feels like you know more than me,” he mused. His profile was sharp against the glow, lips pressed into faint thoughtfulness. 

“I like to stay informed,” Wanderer waved him off. “About what is of interest to me.” He looked ahead, not allowing his gaze to linger a beat longer on the man, shifting his weight against the railing. “Speaking of, how has the city been?” he asked for the sake of asking, to divert the attention from himself.

“The Knights are discussing how to improve our internal communications to avoid impostors sneaking in again. I would argue that it's not necessary, but better safe than sorry.” It made sense; issues with trust were the last thing they needed. “Isn’t it curious?” Albedo suddenly asked. “You did not care for anything related to Mondstadt the first time we met, yet now you played a significant part in its fate.”

Hah. Mondstadt still didn’t interest him. The people there, the knights, the buildings… They did nothing for him. They only came alive when he’d remember passing by them with Albedo. The alchemist cared about them beyond measure; that was all. So much so that it just felt disrespectful for Wanderer to judge it as harshly as before.

“Not like they know I was involved. Or that there was anything to be involved in to begin with.” He tapped his foot lightly against the bridge’s wood for a few beats, eyes dropping to the river below.

The last of the day’s light bled out of the sky while they lingered on the bridge. The chatter from the inn behind them dimmed as night settled in, leaving only the quiet rush of the river and the occasional trill of a distant bird. Stars began pricking through the violet haze above, faint at first, then sharp as diamonds the longer one looked, similar to the golden mark Albedo bore on his throat.

Wanderer tilted his head back slightly, gaze tracing the constellations, though his mind wasn’t on them. He thought of Nod Krai — the unfinished score waiting for him there, the inevitable pull eastward. It would mean leaving before seeing Durin; and damn it all! If there was anything he wished to see after all this, it was the kid’s new face. Albedo’s descriptions, though intricate, could only satisfy so much of his curiosity. 

His fingers drummed absently against the railing. He was restless, but not in a hurry to part ways just yet.

Beside him, Albedo was still watching the water, as steady as he had been when crossing the bridge earlier. Too composed, as if the growing night didn’t touch him. The sight pressed at Wanderer’s chest in a way that made him remember a certain idea he had gotten in the past few days. Something to do after hopefully getting rid of his resentments. So, he said almost off-handedly: 

“Chenyu Vale is renowned for their tea and compelling sceneries. I usually wander alone, but I wouldn’t mind you tagging along if you are interested, I suppose.”

“Exploring Chenyu Vale?” Albedo turned his head eastward in the direction the region was, as though he could glimpse it from far away. “It is not far from here, if memory serves right.”

“Don’t force your luck now.” Wanderer scoffed, tilting his chin toward him, the corner of his mouth curving faintly. “We aren’t setting off tonight. Think of it as a future endeavor.”

The reply came with no hesitation. “I appreciate the invitation. I will make time for it,” he promised.

For a moment, Wanderer allowed silence to stretch again, the night air humming quietly around them. The offer had slipped out of him easier than expected. Was it right?

His next destination plagued his mind again. The obligations waiting, the cold air and cold faces he’d inevitably return to. But this time, he wouldn’t let silence stretch too far between them. Albedo had been the one to initiate contact between them most times, but now it felt like his turn. 

He would write. Nothing elaborate—just enough to conjure up a review of the place and its potential research material. Enough to be followed by mundane questions, harmless chatter. Small things, but they would be his effort, his line drawn first. Perhaps he’d find the Traveler there, too, and share some useless pleasantries for the sake of mentioning it to the alchemist later.

The thought lodged stubbornly in his chest, almost like anticipation.

“I believe we overstayed our welcome in this middle point,” he said after ordering his thoughts. “Can you return safely to your outpost?” He turned his head sideways only to find the other man already staring at him, teal eyes contrasting against the dark of the night.

Albedo blinked, shaking his head, like getting rid of an inane idea. “If you are offering, I would like company, but it doesn’t sit right with me to know you are to return double the distance back.” Hm. How thoughtful of him.

He pushed himself away from the railing at last, brushing his shoulder deliberately against Albedo’s as he passed. “Well, you can't say I didn’t try now.” It wasn’t in his nature to insist on such an ordinary thing. “Til’ our paths converge again, Alchemist.”

As the distance grew between them, a shadow flickered on top of the Wanghu Inn. A pair of two slitted watchful eyes had been on them. Whether it was curiosity at newcomers or a simple pastime activity, only the man himself could tell, until he faded into the night as well.

The lone table at the inn still had the cups and plates on it, a trace of the words spoken over them still present. Words that were being carried carefully to another nation, in the form of a flower.