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A new, rumbling force runs under the soils of Teyvat. A dark, mystical energy that glows like a black hole, swallowing in and never returning back its due favours. Headlines fly in Fontaine’s Steambird to all nations:
NEW ELEMENTS DISCOVERED? SPANTAMAD SCHOLARS LEFT PERPLEXED.
And, there also must exist its counterpart; A bright, glowing force, blinding in its abundance with overflowing gifts that it will never take back. A hand picks up the newspaper, dropping money into the newsboy’s hand before tipping his hat downward. He skims the headlines as he returns back to his home, making sure no one trails behind.
The man throws the slightly crumpled headline page onto another’s lap unceremoniously, “Are you kidding me?” The other man jolts from a nap under the open pages of a book, putting it aside to assess the situation. His expression barely changes but he sighs, “It’s about time.”
“What do you mean by that?- Oh, we’re in so much trouble.” He walks off to put his coat away, revealing a round, magenta coloured stone clipped at his pant belt-loop. “We’re gonna have to hide this forever, Hansol.” He unclips it and manipulates it to look like a blank card, slipping it into a card case in his pants pocket.
The other- Hansol- shrugs, turning to lay across the span of the couch, in turn revealing a similar looking dark purple stone resting against his hip the same way. In the middle of both, a swirling black void pulses and kicks as if wanting out of its confines. “Not like they’ll arrest us or anything. No one knows, and no one’s been acting up about it. We’ll be fine, Seungkwan.”
Seungkwan impatiently taps his foot, “Oh yeah? Then you’ll be the one to tell Chan the first chance he asks about this headline- Which, if I’ve been good on time… is in three, two-“
The front door is hastily thrown open, “Guys have you seen the news!” A slightly shorter man bursts in, setting down bags of newly bought items and food. Seungkwan shoots Hansol a smug look over Chan’s busy shoulder. “Yeah… It’s… interesting, I guess.” Seungkwan obviously mouths ‘Come on!’ with a frown and eye roll, to which Hansol puts his hands up to mouth back ‘I panicked!’
“Interesting? It’s so much more than that. Do you know how long I’ve been wondering about whether there could be other elements in this world? I mean, they’ve always just taught us the Seven but ever since news about a Traveller from another world I just… I had hope, you know?” Chan busily flicks to the page with the main story while he rambles, oblivious to the silent warfare his two roommates are having behind his back.
“Look! Here! It says… It might've originated from The Abyss- See! Ugh, I so knew that. Um…” Chan scans the text as Hansol gets up to join the two at the dining table, while Seungkwan is still pointing fingers at him. “Oh, I guess they have yet to really name them. These scholars really must’ve been shocked out of their minds. Imagine being an Akedemiya student right now.” Chan sighs but laughs, “Damn, now my Pyro vision feels lame as hell.”
“Actually, we want to tell you something,” Hansol starts, eyeing Seungkwan the whole time. Chan is looking at him with curiosity and expectant eyes. “You gotta promise not to freak out though…” Chan nods enthusiastically.
“We kinda lied about having no visions. We do, it’s just that-“ The two pull out their stones, Seungkwan’s forming back into its original form right before Chan’s very shocked eyes. “This is what they look like-“ Seungkwan cuts him off, “And they’re not really called Visions. We’ve had to adapt.”
Chan is shell shocked into silence. “That’s so fucking cool? Let me see!” The voids pulsing and rumbling in the magenta and purple hues are almost entrancing, the way they feel so alive. “How though? Also, The Steambird said the first few users of these strange energies were found in Inazuma. Was it you guys?”
Hansol shakes his head, “We’ve been here the whole time, Chan, you know this.” They tuck their stones away. The youngest housemate is still shocked. Then he asks for the name of their powers. “Mine’s Imaginary. Hansol’s is Quantum.” Chan laughs exasperated, “Okay that’s fucking sick and also, so much more complicated to think about.”
“Wait so… Is anything gonna happen to you guys? It’s not, like, illegal or something right?”
“Well,” Seungkwan sighs. “If people start acting up, then yeah they might do something about it. For now though, we keep laying low. Thankfully we’re not expected to do combat or anything, so it should be easy.”
Hansol snorts, “Say that now. Watch Chan get involved in someone’s commission, then we’ll talk.”
The three now walk up a hill not far from Mont Automne-qui, staring down a big Meka that’s made its way out of the Maison’s care and roamed free into the fields of Fontaine. Seungkwan folds his arms, looking at Hansol with disapproval, the sun in his face making him look more angry than he is, “You just had to open your big mouth, didn’t you?” Hansol tries to fight back but Chan steps between them, breaking their argument up. “Guys come on. I can handle this solo, okay? I’m not that weak. Plus, even if you had to do something, there’s no one around to see it.”
“That’s not really possible, Chan. Our… energies can get really messy really quick. And, by the way, the Gardiennage wants this thing back in as pristine a condition as possible. So, no bits and pieces this time.” Chan rolls his eyes, shooting a thumbs up before approaching the massive Construction Mek. Seungkwan bites his nails watching their youngest dwarf those unruly crane claws, even suggesting to Hansol a few times that they should do something to help him out.
“I’m not risking destroying this thing.” Seungkwan snorts mockingly, “You think your super cool dagger slices are powerful enough to destroy that thing?” Hansol smiles back genuinely, “You think my dagger slices are cool.”
“Shut up.”
With one last sweep with his polearm, a strong burst of Ousia stuns the machine long enough for it to trigger a complete power down. The two older housemates run over to assess Chan, “You okay?” He pants but gives a bright smile. Some Gardes come by to pick up the Mek and thank the three for their hard work. Seungkwan and Hansol sheepishly smile as they stand further behind Chan and nod at the praise. Suddenly, a Garde’s dog begins barking at Hansol, trying to drag its handler over to him. Everyone gets a little shocked. “Weird…” The trio hear the Garde mumble as they leave. “She’s never acted like this before.”
“That was close. I think that dog could sense your abnormal elemental energy.” Seungkwan says once they’re all safe and secure at home. Hansol drags his hands over his face, speaking behind his fingers, “This is starting to suck now… Should we just move away?” Seungkwan tuts, “You can’t run away from everything.”
|| >>> ||
On the night of Seungkwan’s birthday, the trio end the celebrations at a local bar, Hansol deciding to spoil his best friend for a night. Drunkenly, Seungkwan giggles, “Since when has my Sollie been so nice to me?” Chan laughs boisterously as Hansol only gives a quiet smile, “Always, Kwan.” Just then, an extremely intoxicated man bumps roughly into Seungkwan, some of his drink spilling down the back of his coat. “Watch it, punk!” He yells. The trio sit in shock, adrenaline starting to run high from the confrontation ramping up. Seungkwan acts first, standing from his seat.
“You’re one to talk! Maybe watch where you’re swinging that Archons-awful drink, you bumbling idiot!” The man haughtily laughs, “Oh~ So you’re looking for a fight, eh?” Normally, Seungkwan would’ve never initiated anything of the sort. But with three hours of alcohol in him, he was more than raring to go. “Fight? Oh yeah, with your clumsy footing I bet you’re gonna be real good at that-”
“Control, Kwan…” Chan’s eyes dart to where Hansol was zoning in on Seungkwan, catching on to the small glimpses of magenta starting to grow from his pocket. The commotion has alerted the barkeeps and Chan can see that Gardes are on the way, “We might get in trouble soon.” Hansol sighs, “We should bounce. Kwan, smoke us. And do not say a single word.” Meanwhile, Hansol grabs a coin from a pouch attached to his belt and holds out his hand to Chan. Seungkwan groans but does as told, grabbing a vial out of his coat pocket. He smashes it on the ground, filling the bar with a sweet smelling smoke screen, just as Hansol flips the coin high into the air and with a glint of the lights, the three of them land softly on their living room couch. Chan, dazed, mumbles his confusion. Seungkwan sighs, pouting in mourning as he takes off his coat, “My beautiful jacket…”
“No one will remember whatever just happened. We’ll be fine,” Hansol says, grabbing the item of clothing from Seungkwan to put in the wash. Chan leans further into the couch, “That was amazing. You guys are so cool.”
“Yeah? It’d have been cooler if Drunk-Seungkwan didn't like picking fights with strangers.”
At the bar, two Gardes show up asking what the commotion was. A barkeep tends to them with confusion, saying that there had been no disturbance enough for Gardes to be called. They leave with more questions than answers. “Did you, by chance, smell something sweet in there?” The other scrunches their nose, “Maybe. A hint of orange, perhaps? But it’s a bar, Madam. I’ve heard of drinks using such ingredients.”
|| >>> ||
“Oh Archons… The place is swarming with Garde dogs now. I wonder why,” Chan says, closing and locking their door behind him. He grabs the newspaper from atop the crate of fruit and throws it to Hansol, who receives it with a perfect catch. “Did you try reading the headline?” The youngest shakes his head, “No time. I had to get away from all those machines. Eugh, their ticking was making me go crazy.”
Hansol reads it aloud, “‘More Garde Dogs to be Put on Patrol Following An Increase of Suspicious Activity In Fontaine.’ I wonder what that means,” He adds sarcastically. Seungkwan’s mouth hangs open, “No way. There’s not a chance they had a single whiff of us!” Hansol snorts, putting the paper down in favour of his book, “Talk about ‘whiff’. Try making your skills unscented next time.”
A silence falls over the house, Chan’s eyes widening as he looks to Seungkwan, “Your… Your smoke…” Seungkwan chews on his orange slice in a guilty silence. “I-I refuse to be slandered! This is impossible. No one should’ve cared to remember any smell! I-I don’t get it-“
“Okay, what does this mean, then? Is Seungkwan not allowed to go out?” Hansol shakes his head. “Excuse you! You’re not my mother,” Seungkwan humphs. Chan rolls his eyes.
“No, Kwan doesn’t need to be on house arrest. But we just need to be extra careful. Maybe try taking on less long commissions, Chan. It’ll help us get less exposure to others.” Seungkwan sighs, “Laying low again, I see.”
Days pass and all seemingly goes well. The trio think they’re finally safe from suspicion. Until a knock comes at their door just as they’re finishing lunch. Chan gasps, whisper-shouting a code word, “Apple!” The other two’s eyes widen, Seungkwan dropping his stone next to Hansol’s as he grabs a pen to draw a triangle around the items. With a trail of pixels, they disappear into a hidden shelf in the house just as Chan opens the door to greet a Garde.
“Afternoon, this is Patrol Officer Celine. May I just ask a few questions?” Inviting herself to their empty fourth seat at the table, Seungkwan gives Hansol a look that scoffs, ‘Rude.’ and Hansol has to try to hold a laugh.
“I’m not sure if you all have heard, but there have been suspicious events happening over this quarter of Fontaine. Gardes have been called to locations supposedly reporting some altercation or abnormal event when witnesses say neither have taken place. Are any of you aware of this?”
Time to lie. All three give various answers of “No”. Officer Celine gives an unsatisfactory hum, scribbling down something. “Ah- By the way, I notice an abundance of oranges in your fruit basket. Particularly enjoying them, eh?” She gives a smile that’s meant to be inviting and courteous, but Seungkwan can tell it’s all a facade. Since her gaze is directed at him, he responds with a shy chuckle, “For sure. My mother used to grow them and have us eat when I was younger.” Hansol has a small smile; He remembers. Officer Celine makes a noise of approval, seemingly accepting Seungkwan’s half-truth.
“Are you all siblings?”
“Friends, Miss.”
…
“Thank you for your time.”
The door closes, the three sighing in relief after what felt like hours of simple questions. Hansol grabs the pen and redraws the triangle, his and Seungkwan’s stones fluttering back into existence. “I thought we were done for,” Chan whispers. “They're getting way too close for comfort. The way she mentioned the oranges?”
“Well,” Hansol shrugs, “We do have a suspiciously abundant collection of them right on the table.” Seungkwan frowns, “Okay but she doesn’t know that I genuinely love eating them! Why do you think I made my smoke screen orange-scented? It smells good! Would you rather it smell like gross water?” Chan’s nose scrunches on instinct, causing Seungkwan to point it out, “That’s what I mean!”
They spend another day in their house, milling about and causing minor annoyances to each other. Night rolls around, Seungkwan pacing the rooms while doing skincare to check if everything that needs to be turned off is off. He pauses during his survey of the living room, ears picking up on a new beeping sound he’d never heard before. Quietening his movements, he waits for the sound to come again.
Faintly: Beep!
His eyes widen, rushing to the dining table.
Beep!
He pulls Hansol’s favourite chair out of the way to peer under the table. He stifles the gasp that wants to come out, rushing to Hansol’s room, grabbing Chan on the way. He slams the door, “We’ve been tapped.”
“What the hell do you mean?-“
Seungkwan presses a hand to Chan’s mouth, “Shut up! I don’t know how far this thing can reach or when it was placed or what it has heard,” He looks at Hansol, “What should we do?” Heaving a deep sigh, Hansol says it was likely the Officer that came to question them. “Are they allowed to do that? It sounds so illegal! Ironic,” Chan whispers, rolling his eyes. Hansol shrugs.
“Okay so-“ Seungkwan’s hands fly about his face, his voice filling with panic and stress. “Wh- What the hell do we do now? We can’t run; They’ll be suspicious. But we cannot lie in wait here ready to die-“
“We will not die, Seungkwan.”
“How do you know that, Sol?!” Silence hangs heavy in the air. Chan watches from the edge of Hansol’s bed as Seungkwan paces nervously, hands gesturing wildly as he rants in a hushed panic. He watches Hansol respond calmly with barely a flick of worry in his tone. Then, it dawns on him that this may all be over soon.
“Guys…” Two pairs of eyes turn to him in the dim light. “I… I’m gonna miss this.”
“Oh not you too, Chan,” Hansol groans. He can say as much as he wants about how they’re ‘just’ going to be put in Meropide for a number of years. There’s no law against having different powers than the Seven, anyway. “How I’d kill to befriend that Traveller. I heard they know every important figure in all the Nations. Isn’t that something,” Chan trails off, eyes focused on the hardwood. He wants to commit all these to memory: the floors, the soft beds, their morning apples and afternoon oranges. He wants to remember Seungkwan’s excitable talks, Hansol’s quiet laughter, and the insignificant arguments that he never thought he’d want to remember, much less cherish. Despite Hansol’s reassuring words, his tone gives way for Chan’s mind to convince itself that something is about to go very wrong.
Chan doesn’t get a wink of sleep. How can he, when their lives are at stake? It’s no surprise, then, that as soon as the sun is up, resounding, authoritative knocks echo on their front door. Fear eats at him as his roommates answer, but their demeanour is everything but afraid as Gardes immediately yell and shout as handcuffs are clanged shut around their wrists. Chan stares horrified from Hansol’s bed, his door a perfect frame to the scene. The Gardes’ words are mere white noise as Chan stays rooted.
Guilt sets in the moment he locks tearful eyes with Seungkwan, the other seemingly knowing the dark future ahead. He sees Hansol speak to an officer, face unfazed. Chan has always been in awe at the older’s ability to remain looking calm, even if he was shaking with fear on the inside.
The officers look at each other in silent communication before one rudely scrounges for scrap paper and a pen in their living room. Hansol takes a moment under their watchful gazes and intrusive judgement as he writes something over their precious dining table. Seungkwan manages to peek at the last of his sentences before tears roll down his cheeks and he forces himself to look away. Chan never thought he’d seen Seungkwan as completely destroyed as he is now. The realisation alone causes a pain he’s never experienced before to make itself known in the pit of his stomach.
After a lifetime, the officer in charge of Hansol’s capture barks for him to finish his writing. “Leave it here,” Chan hears him say. The last words he’ll remember.
Then, in a flash- and with all the noise and grandeur of the security force of the entire city of Fontaine-, the house is empty and quiet again.
Guilt comes back to smack Chan like a thunderstorm, tossing his emotions around and around. “If only I’d gone up to them,” he thinks. “If only I’d pleaded, or got up- or SOMETHING!” he cries. “If only… If only…” No amount of thinking and wishing, nor crying, will bring them back to him. He runs out to find the paper Hansol wrote for him laying on the ground, blown by the wind of their front door slamming shut. (Oh how the house feels so unnaturally stale now that his two reasons he’s been smiling everyday for the past three years are gone.)
Through the tears in his eyes, he tries to read:
Our Channie,
We all knew our time was up. Kwan and I accepted our dark fate last night, knowing “specials” like us were never meant to be a part of this world. Thank you for being with us all these years; watching you grow was a dream neither of us ever thought we’d get to experience in our lifetime. You’ve taught us so much about Teyvat, about this world and shown us your precious and worthy life. Our absence in this world as we know it means nothing, as the days and nights pass, you too will come to accept it. Don’t worry about us- where we are, how we’re doing. Don’t try Meropide either, we all know there’s no chance of it.
As outliers, as people without written destinies in this world, it’s only a matter of time before we are once again eradicated. This isn’t our home, nor our timeline, anyway. Yet in what a short-lived time with you as our roommate, friend, and little brother, Kwan and I are only too grateful for your little spark that killed the boredom of our lives. Live yours with no fear, with endless courage, and keep that Vision sparkly when we’re gone. You have more of a future than we ever did. Our memories here were beautiful because of you.
Keep going out, keep exploring the world, and keep that smile of yours radiant. We’ll remember you for what’s left of our life. We love you, Channie.
See you on the flip side, among stars and between galaxies.
Chwe Hansol & Boo Seungkwan:)