Author's Note:
This is set during some unspecified time during the whole Geo Archon business. Definitely before Jean's story Quest. I definitely didn't do things the way I should have in the game, so I'm just hand-waving the timeline a bit. Also - I know in-game you obviously have your party with you for battles, but in-story it's just Traveller and Paimon, so I've gone with the idea that Aether goes into battles mostly alone unless he calls on friends beforehand.
Warnings:
The rating is for minor injury description (more of that later) and swearing (also probably more of that later).
Disclaimer:
I own nothing recognisable.
Mondstadt Hash Browns
Outside the vault, Aether stumbles over rocks and moss, sinking to his knees at the foot of the waterfall. The roaring in his ears isn't entirely thanks to the water rushing over the craggy incline, but as he slips a little deeper into the shallows, his heartbeat begins to steady. The water feels like ice against his burning, aching skin. Paimon flutters out of the crack in the cliff and dives headfirst under the spray, oozing back up to float above the surface of the water. She's panting just as much as he is, and she didn't even fight.
"Paimon thinks we may have bitten off more than we can chew in there!"
It's a short swim to the other side of the waterfall, but Aether still feels wrung out by the time he hauls himself onto the dirt and grass. He props himself up against a crate. Evidence of the Treasure Hoarders still litter this pocket of—well, peace is a strong word for somewhere that secretly houses four Ruin Guards.
But it's quiet here. Outside the Vault, it's quiet, and the sky is blue enough to dive into. Aether leans heavily against the crate and watches the clouds float listlessly by, catching his breath.
Paimon nudges him to eat. He does, savouring the taste of grilled fish as the ache fades from his bones. It's slow, though. There's only so much a good bite can do. He's going to be hurting for a while. He knew the treasure was going to be guarded, especially once he saw those two long lines of lit braziers leading the way down, but nobody ever expects three Ruin Guards. The first one was bad enough, but three? At the same time?
He finishes off his fish and snaps the skewer in half with a disgusted sound. He tucks the mess away in his pack and rummages around for some fruit that isn't squashed. Victorious, he drops the pack in his lap and stares up at the sky, the sweet, tart taste of fruit covering up the copper tang from when he bit clean through his lip earlier. What a mess.
"The Chi of Guyun," Aether says suddenly, thoughtfully, "can get fucked."
Paimon huffs at his language, but she's sometimes just as bad as him; it depends on whether there's treasure involved.
"Paimon thinks we shouldn't have talked to Yan'er," she says, hovering above the crate while Aether bites viciously into another Sunsettia. "Maybe we should only talk to friends and nice people like Xiangling now."
"Xiangling isn't a friend?"
Paimon rubs the back of her head, sheepish but hardly shameful. "Xiangling is a good friend! But she's also a chef, and Paimon didn't want to rule out chefs. We should always talk to chefs."
Aether shakes his head, a quiet huff of laughter escaping. Two things he can count on Paimon to have an opinion about: treasure, and food.
He's almost uncomfortably full by the time he rises to his feet. He does another quick scope of the area, finding a few stray bits of wheat that he hacks up with his sword, but he hasn't missed anything of note. There's no reason to stay unless he plans on going back inside the Vault, and admittedly that isn't something he feels particularly eager to attempt. Not without help. Not without a lot more healing material. Not without at least a full week of avoiding his problems and chasing Hilichurls and Slimes instead.
Mondstadt. Aether hesitates, reaching up to tug on his earring. He only just came to Liyue, and it took a fair amount of time to make the trek here in the first place, distracted as he was. There's the whole business with Rex in Liyue Harbour to tend to, and he can't really afford to get even more distracted. Saying goodbye to his friends was painful enough the first time. Every time he's popped in since has been thanks to some commission or bounty, and he's not had the time to really talk to anyone, or catch up with them, or just relax in their company.
He misses it. He doesn't want to linger on it, especially when he'll have to leave after he finds Lumine, but he does miss them.
Paimon tilts her head curiously. "Aether? Are we going back in?"
Aether sighs, and picks up his pack, sheathing his sword. "We're not stepping foot in that place until I know we can beat back the Ruin Guards."
"Then where are we going?"
Aether reaches for the familiar tug of awareness inside him, that kinetic power that looks blue on a map, and grins.
"How'd you feel about a bit of a holiday?"
Using the Teleport Waypoint never gets any less bizarre. First comes the sensation of falling asleep, that sinking feeling of unmaking as unconsciousness pools inside him, and then follows the swift jolt of waking up. His feet hit the hard-packed earth outside Mondstadt City. He blinks back to life under the bright sun.
The wind here feels different, more playful, like an old friend. Aether rearranges his pack and takes three long, steadying breaths. It feels like a weight has been lifted, and he's barely been here for a full minute yet. Then he leaps off the low hill and strolls down the path, picking mushrooms along the way.
"Ooh, don't miss that pine-cone! Paimon hasn't had hash browns in a while."
"I made hash browns a few days ago," Aether says, rolling his eyes.
He picks the pine-cone up anyway and tucks it into his pack. Cooking is something he's pretty adept at by now, though it takes him a while to get the hang of new recipes. It's nice, though. Relaxing. Gives him something to do with his hands that doesn't involve a sword or strange new powers.
"Only for you, Paimon," he says, and she cheers as they head over the bridge.
They do their best to avoid the pigeons, but it's pretty much unavoidable. White and grey wings flitter over him as he edges along the bridge. Paimon drifts out of sight for a while and Aether nods at the Knights stationed at the main gate, darting past before they can start rambling on about whatever historical fact they've remembered today.
The flags above him are as brightly-coloured as usual. There's an argument occurring at one of the stalls. Helen plays a somewhat scratchy tune on the lyre, observing the comings and goings from her balcony. It's nothing like Venti's pure, aching music, but the sound still makes Aether relax. He takes his time meandering around the lower portion of the City, drinking in the familiar sights, dropping Mora where he sees fit and handing over his ore at the forge under the blacksmith's wary eyes. The hubbub and chatter feels pleasant, cosy in a way he can't define.
Some small part of him, tiny and buried under an oppressive amount of guilt and grief, whispers home.
Aether shoves that part even further down, taking the steps through the City two at a time. He waves at Katheryne and bobs his head at all the shop-owners, and he's heading past the fountain when he hears Paimon call out from behind him. He jerks around, eyes scanning his surroundings. A pink and white blob waves frantically from outside The Good Hunter.
"Hey," he says, as he jogs over. "Raiding Mondstadt's entire stock of food? You have to leave some for the rest of the crowd, or the City might starve."
Paimon puts her hands on her hips, scowling, while Sara chuckles from behind the storefront.
"Paimon was actually talking to Sara about work, not food! Although work is food at The Good Hunter, so maybe it's both." She shakes off her confusion, jittering about in the air. "Anyway, that's not the point! Paimon found us an opportunity to earn some sweet, sweet Mora and relax after the whole Chi of Guyun mess. You should be thanking Paimon."
Aether peers around Paimon's indignant, quivering wings and smiles at Sara. "Morning, Sara. How's things?"
Sara puts her hand over her mouth, laughing. "Things are fine, thanks. Although I didn't expect to see you back here so soon."
"Don't ignore Paimon!"
Aether offers her the last of their Matsutake Meat Rolls as an apology, and Paimon swoons immediately, zooming away to sit above one of the chairs and munch her way to a bellyache. He chats a little with Sara while he ponders how many sausages to buy, neatly dodging the question of why he's in Mondstadt at all. It's strange, having people know him on sight, even if it is by the title of Honorary Knight. Strange, but not necessarily bad, unless those people know that he left a while back; that always leads to questions.
Sara is one such person, and she's fairly good about keeping her questions light and airy, but he can still sense the curiosity pouring off her.
"I'll take all the ham, if you've got any," he says, opening his pack to fetch the necessary coins. "I would have made some myself, but I used the last of my salt a few days ago."
Sara packages up the ham for him in thick wax paper. "You like cooking, don't you?"
"Yeah, it's pretty fun. Keeps me alive, too, so there's even more reason to enjoy it." He tips his head, accepting the first of ten packages and shoving it inside the nebulous black hole that masquerades as a bag. "How come?"
"Paimon wasn't wrong about me having an opportunity for you," Sara admits. "Things have been a little crowded here lately, and I'm running low on staff. With just me working on the front, things get busy fast. But if you're not staying in the city for long, then…"
Aether glances up and to the right, to where Barbatos's statue towers over Mondstadt. It isn't visible, not from here, but the longer he looks, the more he swears he can hear music drifting down on the wind, paired well with mischievous laughter. He meets Sara's hopeful eyes, swinging his pack over one shoulder, and offers her a bright grin.
"How can I help?"
The Angel's Share is alight with laughter and music by the time Aether wanders in. He spent the rest of the day in the Whispering Woods, keeping an eye out for Venti and foraging, and he's exhausted as he slips into the tavern. He considered going to the Cat's Tail, where there are sure to be extra beds, but there is comfort in the familiar, and that's what he's in Mondstadt for. Comfort, and familiarity. And running away from his problems.
The Six-Fingered bard gives him a friendly little wave as he slouches past, hauling himself onto a bar stool and waiting for Charles to serve him.
But it isn't Charles that grimaces at him from behind the bar.
"Diluc," Aether says, surprise tempering his usual grin, softening it. "I didn't know you were working tonight."
"Traveller," Diluc says, dipping his head in greeting. "What brings you to this establishment? Not more bards, I hope."
"I thought you'd be more concerned about another dragon."
"Dragons don't drink me out of tavern and home." Diluc hesitates for a moment, some of his natural gruff exterior falling away to reveal a hint of genuine concern. "If it is a dragon, or some other monster, I'm sure I can lend a hand."
At first the shock renders him silent. Diluc isn't an unkind or inconsiderate man by any means, and he certainly has a soft heart under all that grouchiness, but in the time Aether's known him, he's known him to be a hot-tempered, quick to disparage, bitter piece of work. The last thing he expected was an offer to help right off the bat.
But then Diluc's eyes flicker down to where Aether's shirt lifts up to reveal his stomach, and he gets it.
Somewhere in the second wave of Ruin Guards, one of them caught him in the stomach with their spin-to-win and sent him flying into the cavern wall. He remembers the crack his body made as it juddered on impact. The pain is mostly gone now, thanks to the healing material, and he's pretty sure his ribs aren't broken, but the skin is probably still bruised. He should have checked before he came to such a nosy place, but it's too late now.
"No dragon," Aether promises, waving a hand. "If you want to help though, I wouldn't say no to a room, if you've got one spare. I'll take a Wolfhook Juice too, please."
Diluc raises one eyebrow, clearly curious. He doesn't press him for answers, but he also doesn't move to make Aether a drink. Aether rolls his eyes, leaning more heavily against the bar, and shrugs.
"I'm staying for a while."
"That's obvious," Diluc scoffs, selecting a glass. "You wouldn't need a room otherwise. But I thought you were headed off to greener pastures."
"That makes it sound like I'm dying."
A quick glance at his stomach again makes Aether wrinkle his nose, his amusement fading to background noise.
"I'm not dying," Aether says, more solemn than he normally would be. "I'm not even that hurt." At Diluc's pointed stare, he rolls his eyes and slumps against the bar, drawing ancient shapes on the surface with his forefinger. "Seriously, it's fine. And I'm still going to Liyue after the week's up. I just have some business here and I'll need to stick around for a bit, that's all. But I can always camp outside the city if you don't have a room."
Diluc pushes the plummy drink across the bar and shakes his head.
"Who knows what kind of trouble you'll get into if you don't stay here. At least this way I can keep an eye on you. Find me when you want to rest."
He stalks off then, muttering about sheets as Charles comes up from a cellar with a barrel of wine. A couple of Knights at one of the nearby tables cheer loudly, hoisting their tankards into the air. Aether sips at his drink, turning away before Charles can engage him in conversation, and when he's done with it, his whole body sags with exhaustion.
Definitely way past his bedtime.
"Your fairy friend isn't here," Diluc observes, as he shows Aether to the room upstairs. "Did you finally eat her?"
Aether grins to himself, hitching his bag up higher.
"Nah, she wanted to go find Lisa, said she hasn't seen her in a while. She'll probably fall asleep in the library or on Jean's desk and come find me in the morning. Sorry about that."
Diluc grunts, evidently not eager about dealing with Paimon at an early hour.
The stairs go on for a long way, leading up to a few spare rooms, all of which seem empty. The noise of the tavern fades, and Aether eyes the bed with longing when Diluc cracks open the door. It smells a little musty, but there's a fresh sprig of lavender hanging over the open window, and the sheets look clean. A candle burns on the night-stand.
"There's a master key, but it's kept in a safe location, so you're the only one with access unless something happens," Diluc tells him, dropping the cold iron key in his palm. "Do what you want, and leave when you want, but you pay for any damages."
"I'll mind where I aim my palm vortex," Aether promises him.
Diluc shakes his head, unimpressed, and Aether wiggles his fingers at him, pale blue magic shuffling across his skin.
"Yeah, you're on your own, kid," Diluc says, rolling his eyes. "Try not to injure yourself. I don't want to deal with the rumours." He stalks out of the room, his bright red hair illuminated briefly by candlelight, stark against the shadows of the hall. "Bad for business."
Aether sticks his head back out of the room and calls, "Thanks, Diluc," as softly as he dares.
Then he shuts the door, and locks it.
It's not fear or panic that grips him, but suddenly the silence feels stifling. It reminds him too much of all that time spent on the beach, confused and lost, missing his sister. Rarely has he been alone since he found Paimon. She isn't always around, but there's usually someone nearby on the days when she feels like stretching her wings. A friend, or someone who needs help, or even an Abyss Mage or two to keep things interesting.
Now it's just him, and the starlight eking in through the windows, and the scent of lavender. Lumine doesn't like lavender. She never has been a fan of floral things. She prefers spicy scents, woodsy and smoky notes. In their world, and in the places between worlds, everything smelled electric and abstract and wild, like possibility. She wouldn't approve of this, of a quiet room above a tavern where the air smells of lavender and the night is silent and still.
Aether almost hesitates at the bed, but if there's one thing he knows, it's that Lumine would never disapprove of him taking care of himself. That was the one thing they always insisted on for each other. She might hate the way he's retreating, or even the way he's slowing down and coming to love this world instead of rushing to find her, but she would never begrudge him his rest.
Maybe she wouldn't even hate those other things either. Maybe she will find a way to love this world too, once Aether finds her. Then he won't have to feel guilty for it.
Aether climbs into bed and pulls the cool sheets up to his chin, resting one hand on the tender bruise over his ribs, and he tries not to think of flowers or old childhood lullabies or Lumine's soft, sad, understanding smile anymore.
The next morning, Aether wakes feeling more tired than he did when he went to sleep. He groans, rolling out of bed, and he's pleased to find that the bruises are almost completely gone now, helped along by a quick breakfast. It takes real effort not to head straight for the Adventurer's Guild, but he also can't help the twinge of excitement in his chest.
Excitement is followed very quickly by guilt. He should be looking for Lumine. He should be attending to the matter of Rex. He should be scouring Liyue for answers, for anyone who might have seen his sister, anyone who might have an inkling about what happened to the Geo Archon.
By the time he makes it out the door, the excitement has faded, and he's resigned to his own reasoning. The walk through the City is a miserable one, and he's fully prepared to gently let Sara down.
But then he arrives to find the oven already hot, and the food piled up, and a warm, expectant smile on Sara's face.
"Ready for your first shift at The Good Hunter?" Sara asks, holding out a bundle of cloth.
At first he only blinks at the cloth. But then he recognises it for what it is: an apron. There's even a little tag stitched into the front, his name spelled out, a dotted constellation. Aether sends a quick, silent apology to Lumine, and lets the excitement flood back in, drowning out the guilt.
"Yeah," Aether says, taking the apron and tying it around his waist. "I'm ready."
Thank you for reading!
This started basically as a hate letter to the Chi of Guyun quest, which I despise and still cannot complete, but I have turned it into soft Aether nonsense. I'm going to pack as much found family into this as possible. Each chapter should focus on some kind of food, a friend, and Aether getting whatever he needs!
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