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What happened to all of those sunny warm days?! You could take a walk and you'd be fine, save for a few bug bites every once and a while and sneezing from pollen, but it was tolerable! Not this.. What..? ..WINTER BLIZZARD WEATHER! The seasons really have been changing far more quickly recently. The temperature changes are too abrupt, and the weather just goes batshit crazy. At least that's how (Reader) feels.
Wanderer? He doesn't feel anything. Only the snow crunching and pivoting beneath his feet, but he ultimately feels nothing but annoyance at (Reader)’s complaining.
Okay first of all, why was Wanderer with them in the first place? Because (Reader) kept bothering him to fly them there so they wouldn't have to walk. And he only agreed because he had no choice, or else they wouldn't shut up. However there was a small problem: It was a hellish blizzard outside and Wanderer couldn't fly in these conditions.
“It’s so cold!!!” (Reader) would whine, clutching onto their cloak that is wrapped around their shoulders. The two had just left for Mondstadt for a quick visit.
“Well whose fault is that?” Wanderer grumped as he held onto the front of his hat with one hand, but was also holding (Reader)’s. Only because he doesn't want to find them if they get lost. Only because of that. “Certainly not mine. This was your dumb idea to go out into a fucking blizzard that we could see from miles away.” He spat. “Your reasons being: ‘Well a blizzard shouldn't be this bad this early in the season!! Only a few snowflakes here and there’..” He mocks their voices, feet walking across the snow as he dragged them to keep up. “But no! A blizzard is more than ‘a few snowflakes’ dumbass.”
Throughout all of those personal attacks, (Reader) could only scoff as they braced all of the cold air brutally assaulting their face. “HEY! That was me being optimistic!!” They scowled, their grip on Wanderer’s hand tightening as they trek through some more snow. The path that they were on was barely visible. The snow fluttering all around them was like a blinding swarm of ice cubes. It hits your face and you get a free exfoliation.
“Yeah? Well optimism only gets you so far.” Wanderer snarks as he also tightens his grip on the edge of his hat. The tassels fly around in the ice cold wind like two pig-tails.
(Reader) sneezes, to which Wanderer cringes at the sound and turns back. His face was disgusted at first, but shifted when he remembered (Reader) is just being sensitive to the cold. However, (Reader) just gives him a look and sticks out their tongue.
“Keep giving me that look and something will happen. I already told you that I was being optimistic and I’m sorry-!” (Reader) frowned, stumbling over a heap of snow that was kicked up by accident.
Wanderer scoffs at the supposed threat, and was about to say something until a huge gust of wind blew their way. It was enough to make even him struggle to anchor himself. (Reader) of course obviously was about to blow away, but was barely saved when Wanderer had tightened his grip on their smaller hand.
“Shit!” Wanderer grunted as the aftermath of the wind lifted the back of his hat and made it blow far away. All that was visible was a blur of blue, teal, and two flying tassels disappearing into the wind.
The two stop walking on the path, as Wanderer stands there literally winded and stunned. Then makes a deep and heavy sigh. “..Hahh…. There goes my fucking hat.” He rumbled.
(Reader) shivered and unconsciously moved their body to go up against Wanderer’s for some comfort and get shielded away from the wind. They looked at Wanderer and snorted. “Ha! I told you something would happen, you mean ass!” Their laugh sounded crisp against the harsh winds. Then sneezed again, making Wanderer recoil in disgust once more.
With a short gruff, Wanderer tugged (Reader) along the white-covered path and snow-capped mountains. Following the direction where his hat flew, his pace was hurried yet careful. He didn't want to say it out loud, but he really did care for (Reader)’s safety. Or at least the bare minimum. Silence descends on the two again. Nothing but the icy winds were blowing throughout any openings in their clothes. (Reader) shivers, Wanderer is still and calm.
It was only until a couple dozen meters that Wanderer spotted a blue mound in the snow. “Oh fucking finally--” He exasperates in mild relief, then practically yanked (Reader) to walk faster.
(Reader)’s feet were really cold. And with this constant running more snow was being kicked up onto their clothes and shoes. “Slow down! I’m tired of walking so fast!” They scowled, but were promptly ignored.
As the two approached the little blue blur, Wanderer plopped down and dug his hands in the snow to push and brush the snow away. (Reader) just stands there, pulling and tugging their coat to stay on their body. They saw the mysterious snow mound and were just staring at it. Something was off, but they couldn't put their finger on it. Was it the weird glow from the snow bank? A weird little snowflake effect around it? Well, the mound was kind of too round to be a hat shape but whatever.
Wanderer continued to dig in the now, he had a smug smirk on his face as snow flew all around him. “Hah! Beat this shit (Reader)! Bad luck didn't last very long!!” He cackled and laughed, reaching the source of the blue blur that was once covered in snow. “Hah…C'mere you fucker..” He sneered as he grasped the blue ball, pulling it out from the snow.
His smirk was there for the next 5 seconds until he frowned. In his hands was a blue thing sure, but it was squishy and round and really cold. Definitely not shaped like a hat. It had a face. A cute face at that. And it stared at Wanderer blankly. And he stared at it back blankly. Then went back to his classic disgusted expression as he realized his false hope for finding his dear hat was only to dig up a stupid little Cryo slime. A little staring contest happens. Until Wanderer gets tired of looking at his failure, throwing the slime up with a sudden gush of Anemo, sending the poor Cryo blob into the air and out of sight. The cold air also acts a little… Escalator? The ones in airports to move faster? Or maybe as a little current in the air, and really all you could see was a blob of something going up and away..
With a heavy sigh, Wanderer gets up and turns around to face (Reader), a look of unhappiness clear and visible. (Reader) on the other hand watched the interaction, suddenly not feeling cold and stood there amidst the snow. And laughed loudly at him, but to his dismay. “Shut the hell up.” Wanderer snapped as snowflakes fell on his hair. Looks like dandruff honestly.
(Reader) obviously didn't want to. “HAHAA!! What an idiot! I knew something was off. IT shouldn't have been that easy..” They hummed and eased up on their joy when Wanderer made that little ball of Anemo in the palm of his hand. “...Yea okay.” (Reader) deadpans.
Wanderer kept his unamused look and turned back around, holding his hand out behind him for (Reader) to take. “..C'mon… Let's just hurry up, get my hat and get the fuck outta here.” He grumbled, then resumed the hike as he feels (Reader)’s cold hand meet in his. “The visibility is horrible.”
With (Reader)’s cold hand taken into his, two pairs of feet resumed its penguin-like shuffle through the snow. The journey continues; But the progress was nada. And that starts showing as Wanderer begins to tweak out as 14 minutes pass, his eye twitching and pace increasing in urgency and the whole shebang. (Reader) was just witnessing the spectacle behind him, and isn't sure whether or not to laugh or feel worried about Wanderer’s sanity. So instead they just tugged at him lightly as they started plowing through the snow.
“Hey! Calm down already!” (Reader) urged as they began to trip over their feet from having to make small leaps over piles of snow. “...You’ll find it soon. So just relax..” They mumbled, now being somewhat serious.
Until they couldn’t hold it anymore and coughed out a chuckle. “..Your hat is like your damn child; don't worry, they’ll be found soon!” (Reader) says with mocking optimism. It was a comment meant to lighten his anxiety, but also indirectly make fun of Wanderer for having an attachment to the accessory. He was quiet for a few beats, though (Reader) could barely hear subtle: ‘you wouldn’t understand..’. But they couldn't put their numb blue finger on it.
Right after Wanderer responded with a huff and shook his head. “This is all your fault- If you didn't make us pass through Dragonspine instead of walking AROUND it, then we would be in this shitty predicament!” He barked at (Reader) roughly.
It was true, (Reader) thought it would be a really good idea to take the “scenic route”. Turns out they were proven wrong immediately at the start of their hike. Wanderer didn't need to rub it in. After he says that, a little roll of snow blocked their path, but blinded with snow flying, Wanderer tripped on an undercover stick trap and fell on his face. So as Wanderer faceplants into the snowbank, (Reader) follows suit by also tripping over his legs and landing their knees into the powder pile. They get up first and dust off the cold shivers from their legs. Wanderer however, remained in the snow, and (Reader) had to poke their foot into his side for him to just sigh heavily.
“..Quit that.” Wanderer says, voice muffled in the snow as he moves his hands to bury himself in the snow, effectively making a mound over his torso.
Rolling their eyes at Wanderer’s dramatic behaviors, something catches (Reader)’s eyes. Slowly but surely, a fluttering object from the blurry sky floats down and lands squarely on Wanderer’s mound for a head. (Reader) blinked and snickered, though their little noises of excitement were rattling with shivers. “..F-Found… Your hat..!” Their voice rittled from the effects of the cold, with a shivering but entertained smile.
To that, Wanderer seems to stop his burial and physically pauses.
And just makes another long groan into the snow as the idea that all of his previous attempts and long walks of agony on finding his dear lost hat were in vain. The two couldn't find his hat, but the hat found them instead.
That stupid hat of his seemed to have adapted his behaviors of teasing and lasting themes of dramatic tricks.
How ridiculous.
After 2 minutes of life re-evaluation under the cold protection layer, Wanderer creaked his joints back up (with the help of (Reader) shovelling the snow off of his body), and fixed the mischievous hat back onto his head. Taking (Reader)’s hand without saying anything else and head tipped downwards, Wanderer seemed to be a bit embarrassed by his emotional outbursts over the umbrella for a hat. And also maybe because (Reader) seemed to enjoy poking fun at him.
It was a silent walk out of Dragonspine, and at this point (Reader) had frostbite in multiple places. It hurt and burned, but at least (Reader) had some kind of enjoyment out of this long journey as well as maybe even bond more with their aloof companion.
But one thing was for sure, once they were out and warmed up out of the damn death mountain, Wanderer scooped (Reader) up in his arm and flew to Mondstadt and as quickly as he left. After (Reader) was finished with their desired errands and activities of course. And yes, he held onto them tightly (he would probably say it’s so (Reader) doesn't complain how he might drop them mid-air to perish) on the way back to homebase in Sumeru.
It’s also ironic how he was freaking out about his hat, but it literally disappears once he’s in flight. But if he has an attachment to it, then he does. And (Reader) is happy that they helped contribute.
Unfortunately, from now on, he probably won't agree to go do errands with you anymore.