Work Text:
Standing in Neuvillette’s office, Albedo couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. The domed roof easily reached the height of three stories. Teal patterned curtains with a gold trim hung off the windows. Floor to ceiling bookcases towered over him. The consoles and trunks lining the walls were stuffed with records. Before the executive desk, two couches faced each other. The office was certainly grander and more organized than Albedo’s camp on Dragonspine.
Neuvillette consulted a file, then typed on a typewriter. Seeing Albedo, he set aside the papers to smile at him. “Ah, Captain Albedo, I presume. It is my distinct privilege to welcome you to Fontaine.”
Albedo nodded. “Thank you for letting me feature in the art exhibit.”
“But of course. When I mentioned the event to the Traveler, she spoke of you and your skill quite highly. Admittedly, I was already familiar with your paintings and light novel illustrations. In fact, I was more so acquainted with your art than your work as an alchemist.”
Albedo blinked. “That’s… Alchemy is my chief occupation. Painting is merely a hobby of mine, something to fill the free time between experiments.” His whole life, his entire purpose was dedicated to alchemy. To be more recognized for his art rather than alchemy felt absurd.
Neuvillette raised a glass of water to him. “A man of many talents.” He sipped some, savored the crispy taste of Mondstadt water, then rose. He stood before the window behind the desks, hands folded behind his back. “You have my thanks for agreeing to participate on such short notice. So preoccupied with the prophecy, Fontaine has been too distant from the outside world. I’m continuing the outreach which began with the Inazuman film festival by including international artists in the exhibit. Given the Traveler’s recommendation and your fame, your work shall be the crowning jewel of the whole event.”
“I’m honored.”
Neuvillette turned to face him, hands resting on his cane. “I shall be taking half the day off of work to attend it. Although since attending the event falls within the parameters of my Iudex duties, one could argue it would still be work?” Tsking, Neuvillette held his chin. “Furina has been insisting I take a vacation. Even though I journeyed to Liyue for a morning, she insists it doesn't qualify. I can’t understand what she’s thinking. What would satisfy her I wonder…?”
Albedo raised a brow. Maybe taking more than half a day off…? The memory of the last time Lumine visited Albedo flashed through his mind. She asked him to break from experimenting to visit Mondstadt with her. He told her no. Albedo breathed in the smell of lumidouce bells from the vase. Well, this is quite the feeling of déjà vu.
Someone knocked on the door. Jeremy, a Melusine, entered holding an envelope in his hand. “Excuse me for interrupting. I have a missive from Maison Cardinalice—”
“Hi, big brother Albedo!” Klee poked her head around the door. “How much longer—? Oh, wow!” Her wide eyes took in the chandelier, two-story tall bookcases, and consoles covered in reports. “It’s soooo big in here!”
Brows furrowed, Albedo raised a hand. “I shouldn’t be too much longer, Klee. Please, wait for me outside.” When Neuvillette glanced at him, Albedo explained, “This is Klee, my younger sister. I didn’t want to leave her behind in the hotel by herself.”
Nodding, Neuvillette smiled and gestured for them both to come forward. Jeremy placed the envelope on the Iudex’s desk before leaving.
Cowed, Klee approached the desk, her head craning back to take in Neuvillette’s looming height. “Oh!” Clicking her heels together, Klee pressed a fist to her heart then dropped her arm to the side in the Mondstadt salute. “Hello, Mister. I’m Klee, and this… this is Dodoco!”
Neuvillette leaned over the desk to make himself more eye level with her and the toy she held up. “Greetings. How wonderful to meet such an exuberant young lady and her friend.”
Giggling, Klee hugged Dodoco to her chest. Albedo patted her hat. She scanned the candles, chests of papers, and a clay figurine on his desk. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing.
“Oh. Yes.” Neuvillette picked up the piece, a clay figure of a fierce blubberbeast with long, majestic whiskers. “This is my latest work. I desired to make something more ‘cute’ to amuse Furina, but I’ve been informed it’s quite off the mark. But if you find joy in it, by all means, please let your friend Dodoco have another friend.”
Squealing a thank you, Klee admired it from all angles. Albedo stiffened. “Are you certain? You made this personally—”
“Of course. I’m aware my art is but a puddle compared to the vast ocean of your skill. But if she finds it pleasing, why would I deprive her of it?” Turning to Albedo, Neuvillette evenly gazed at him. “Art delights, inspires, and is thought-provoking. It is meant to be shared with others. And speaking of, you have a week to submit your entry for the gallery. Unless, of course, your piece is already finished, and you’ll like to submit it now.”
Albedo stilled. “It… still needs some finishing touches.”
Humming, Neuvillette nodded. “I’ll ensure you have everything you need. You need only to ask. After all, your masterpiece will be the centerpiece of the whole exhibit, drawing art connoisseurs from Fontaine and beyond. I would like for everything to be no less than perfect.”
Albedo smiled, but he broke out in a cold sweat.
He hadn’t started yet.
Nursing some coffee, Albedo stared at a blank canvas. Tomorrow was the day and still not a single brushstroke. He procrastinated by taking Klee to go diving, the opera, and Lyney and Lynette’s magic show. Consuming copious amounts of coffee and dessert with Klee was also a poor decision. He had as much energy as Klee before crashing with fatigue when he was supposed to be painting.
The hotel suite Albedo stayed in had blue walls trimmed with gold accents, giving the room a quiet elegance. Gold molding crawled over the dresser and cabinet. In the candlelight, all the gold seemed to glint menacingly. Klee slept in the neighboring room.
Frowning, Albedo tapped his quill against his sketchbook. A landscape piece would be the most obvious… Art critics especially loved his scenery pieces, but such a subject would be predictable. Depicting Mondstadt’s hills from memory would be difficult, and painting Fontainian landscapes for a Fontainian event felt uninspired. Ordinary.
Albedo sketched a gavel. “What about justice?” But every artist that ever breathed in Fontaine had tried to capture the spirit of justice on canvas. It’d be a dime a dozen. Jaw tight, Albedo crumbled up the page and tossed it over a shoulder.
Sighing, he looked out the window. From the third-story window, he could see small doll-sized people walking the paved streets. Men wore suits while the women had frilly dresses and pearl accessories. Clockwork meka patrolled the streets. Melusine and humans mingled together as they pursued the storefronts.
“Maybe I could…” A thought struck him. Imagine being the honored guest of an international event, and the artist could only be bothered to draw the view of their hotel room. The insult.
Groaning, Albedo ran a hand through his hair. The empty canvas stood before him, flicking in the candlelight.
What am I doing here? I should be dedicating myself to alchemy not chasing accolades. All the time spent on traveling could have been devoted to finding the truth of this world.
Memories replayed in his mind: the joy of the first time he brought a drawing to life, Alice squeezing his shoulders upon seeing his paintings, Lumine staring up in wonderment at his Irodori festival paintings.
“Enough with this.” Shaking his head, Albedo rose and tossed the sketchbook aside. “It doesn’t matter.”
Nothing came before finding the truth of this world. Painting was a waste of time.
Albedo walked the streets of the Court of Fontaine alone. His boots smacked against the cobblestone pavement. Even if he regretted participating, he still had an obligation to provide a painting for the event. Roaming the streets could provide inspiration. Gray clouds overcast the sky, leaving only the glow of street lamps and storefronts as illumination. A group of drunk friends laughed and chatted as they rounded a corner. Wanting to be alone, Albedo slipped behind the Palais Mermonia. Bushes and flower beds lined the pathway. Only a couple of people sat on the benches.
Albedo approached the railing by the canal to watch the water. A figure who stood at the railing’s far end walked over. “Fancy meeting you here, Captain.”
Blinking, Albedo turned. “Oh, Monsignor Neuvillette.” Wonderful. The very last person he wanted to see right now. Forcing a smile, he asked, “What brings you here at such a late hour?”
Looking away, Neuvillette gazed out at the scenery. Beyond the waterway lay rolling hills which rose into jagged peaks. The colored specks of flowers in the distance bobbed and weaved in the wind. “I come here for fresh air whenever troubling matters arise. In court today something happened which has only occurred a few times before in my career. Someone specifically requested a life sentence.”
Albedo stilled. “What?”
“He was only guilty of a minor crime. However, when I gave my verdict, he started to confess to a long list of crimes he wasn’t guilty of, crimes he had no means of. The way he shouted and gripped and shook the trial stand railing, so adamantly insisted he was guilty…” Sighing, Neuvillette closed his eyes and hung his head. His shoulders fell as if carrying a heavy burden. “He wasn’t only requesting a life sentence, he was desperate to have it.”
Brows furrowed, Albedo held his chin. “How troubling. Did he have family or any known associates on the inside? Did the crime he committed protect someone close to him?”
Neuvillette shook his head. In the street lamp light, Albedo glimpsed how pale and weary his face looked. “No. He didn’t have any family or deep connections to anyone, nor did his crime protect anyone. He was protesting an Upper Quarter store opening and being a general nuisance to the customers. He hoped his actions would inspire others to riot and rise up against the Upper Quarter and achieve a better quality of life for the Lower Quarter. To think he believed only violent methods could realize the societal change he wanted… It’s saddening. Seeing no other sentence than life would satisfy him, I granted it.” Jaw clenched, Neuvillette gripped the head of his cane tightly. “Falsely believing his actions had a greater meaning, he was happy to walk into Meropide.”
Albedo lowered his gaze. The wind picked up, carrying the smell of city smoke. The once still water rippled, upset. Falsely believing your actions have a greater meaning… The memory of Rhinedottir ordering him to find the truth of this world flashed through his mind. Albedo shuddered.
“Although, there are some people who discover happiness in prison.” Wide-eyed, Albedo glanced up. Neuvillette continued, “Between their factory occupation, the Pankration Ring, and the connections they make there, some inmates lead fulfilling lives. Wriothesley even told me he recently hosted a wedding.”
Frowning, Albedo fully turned to him. “But… even if they do find happiness within jail, they’ll still never see the sun again. They’ll never see their families outside of visits, pursue new careers or opportunities, or a myriad of other things.”
Neuvillette heaved a sigh before dipping his head in a nod. One hand behind his back, Neuvillette gripped his cane and gazed out at the mountainous landscape. “There are all kinds of prisoners: some who actively choose to do evil, others who are coerced into committing crimes, and still others who are content being confined in prison. I suppose then, prison is what you make of it.”
Realization struck Albedo like lightning. Eyes wide, he gasped. “Prison is what you make of it.”
“Hm?” Twinkle in his eye, Neuvillette summoned a goblet of water and sipped. “It seems like this discussion was helpful in some way to you. I hope—”
“Forgive me, Monsignor Neuvillette, but I have to leave immediately. Thank you!” Albedo all but ran back towards the hotel.
He knew what to paint.
A crowd stood before a painting in the exhibit. Other art enthusiasts pursued the other pieces on display, talking and laughing, but the group in the center only spoke in hushed tones. The painting’s plaque read, “ The Prisoner by Albedo.” Said artist stood a small distance behind the crowd with Klee holding his hand. Over the guests’ heads, Albedo studied his work.
The top half of the painting depicted a dark prison cell. From a small window, the moon illuminated only a sliver of the cell. Overgrown weeds sprung through the cracks between stones, as if the cell had been abandoned by the outside world. One could practically smell the mold and rust. A person dressed in rags huddled in a ball in the corner, their head bowed and tangled hair covering their face. Gazing at it, one could feel waves of bleak desolation. Of hopelessness.
And yet the prison door was cracked open. No one stood guard.
The bottom half of the painting showed the same prison with daylight streaming through the window in ethereal beams. With the sunlight, the prison came to life: a blanket of moss covered the stones and the plants bloomed with pink, white, and blue flowers. The door hung wide open. Outside the window, the person ran through a field, their arms thrown overhead in euphoric joy.
The clopping of boots approached. Neuvillette stood alongside Albedo and Klee, summoned his cane, and soaked in the painting. After a long moment before he spoke. “My word. I must say this work utterly outclasses everything else featured here. It’s leagues beyond any of your previous works as well.” Lips parted, Neuvillette gazed at the painting, his eyes searching. “It’s stunning. Not only is it rich in detail, and the stark juxtaposition of darkness and light is visually engaging, but also there’s a story here. A message. And the feelings it invokes! The empowerment, rush of freedom, and most of all: wonderment.”
Flushing, Albedo smiled at the ground. “Thank you…”
Neuvillette switched to holding his cane in the other hand, to give Klee more room. He smiled down at the child. “What do you think of your brother’s work?”
“Umm…” Finger to her lip, Klee looked at the piece. “The top part is sad. And in the bottom, it’s all happy! They escaped!”
Albedo chuckled. “Yes, but take a closer look. Do you notice anything strange about the prison cell?”
Brows scrunched up, Klee studied it for a long time and guessed a few wrong things, before she gasped. “The door is open! That means they could leave anytime!” Frowning, Klee looked up at her brother. “But why would they stay there?”
“Depends on the person,” said Albedo. He looked up at Neuvillette who nodded.
Klee scratched the back of her head. “I guess I stay in solitary confinement longer than I hafta sometimes.”
Neuvillette choked. “E-excuse me? A child? In solitary con—”
“Uh huh.” Klee stared dead straight into the Iudex’s eyes. “Kaeya says I’m a hardened criminal.”
“I-I see…” When Neuvillette glanced at him, Albedo mouthed, “Time-out.” Relieved, Neuvillette nodded.
Hand on his heart, Albedo turned to Neuvillette. “If I may be so bold as to impose on your graciousness, Monsignor Neuvillette. Would it be possible for me to return to Mondstadt with the painting? I’d like to keep it close as I experiment on Dragonspine.”
“Of course. However, I find myself quite partial to it as well. I would be in your debt if I could have a reproduction hanging in my office. Have it remind me to take breaks from work and take those first few steps out of my comfort zone, so to speak.”
Albedo smiled widely. “I can make a copy with alchemy for you.”
“You have my thanks.” Humming, Neuvillette held his chin. “Speaking of time off, I think I will take that vacation. I’ll invite Furina as well. Our relationship has been… different but after all the hardship she’s endured, she deserves a break as well.” Neuvillette slid his gaze over to Albedo. Brow raised, he asked, “And what steps shall you be taking, Captain?”
Albedo looked over the guests’ heads to glimpse his painting. He felt the despair of lying in a filthy cell and the adrenaline rush of freedom from breaking free. Eyes closed, he breathed in the smell of floor wax and perfume. The guests’ murmurs faded into white noise. From a place deep within himself, a thought rose to the surface. It’s time I live life for myself instead of for Master’s sake.
Blinking, Albedo swallowed a lump in his throat.
“Al… bedo?” Klee tugged on his hand. “Are you okay?” Jaw clenched, Neuvillette narrowed his eyes.
Albedo took a steadying breath. He cleared his throat before saying, “I don’t believe we’ve seen a film yet, Klee. Would you like to see one?”
Klee started. “But don’t we have to leave tomorrow? We gotta get back to Mondstadt for your work and stuff.”
Smiling, Albedo placed a hand on Klee’s head and rubbed it. “I’m happy to make time to be with you. And once we return to Mondstadt, I’ll endeavor to visit Mondstadt city more, paint regularly, and travel to domains with the Traveler if she’ll have me.”
Klee went still, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Oh… you really mean it, Albedo? Really, really?”
“Yes. Really, really.”
A slow grin split across Klee’s face.
Raising his cane like a mock toast, Neuvillette asked, “And in the spirit of enjoying ourselves, shall we have lunch after the exhibition? We can sample some of that cake Furina is so fond of.”
Squealing, Klee jumped up and down. “Yes, yes, yes!”
Albedo laughed. Head held high, he gazed at his painting. At the former prisoner running through a field, their arms overhead in joy. He smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”