Thank you Genshin for getting me out of my creative slump
When he said he refused to return to Snezhnaya with Signora, this isn't what he meant.
"Sir, is everything alright?" Ekaterina asked, noticing her boss's unusual silence.
"Just peachy," he lied.
The day before his designated return to the capital, the Tsaritsa suddenly decides Childe needs to be sent to Monstadt to oversee operations at the Goth Grand Hotel. Surely just about any other Harbinger is better qualified for this?
Then again, who else is free? Childe hasn't received any new assignments since Liyue, and for all he knew, while he's been here wrapping things up with the bank, the operation for the next Gnosis has already gotten underway.
Besides, knowing the Tsaritsa and the timing, this could be her sneaky way of forcing him to take some time off. And for as much as he'll deny it out loud, he does need one.
Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
Monstadt was certainly different from Liyue. Mountains didn't park quite like they did in Liyue, but the snowy one sure did stand fall. Taller than almost all that he'd seen in the city of contracts. And what was that pillar floating in the sky?
Villages were not scattered throughout the lands amidst fields and caves and spooky forests. Rather, one village lay nestled in a forest near the city of Monstadt, and Hilichurl camps hid amongst the trees and the open fields.
One building stood solitary, practically on the border between Monstadt and Liyue. The famed Dawn Winery in all its glory—almost underwhelming, if Childe was being honest.
Monstadt did have its own spooky forest, and it was ripe with monsters. Leafless trees stood fragmented among the grounds, wolfhooks hinting at other creatures who inhabit the land. A sunken arena lay hidden amongst the boughs, changing a once light blue sky periwinkle, with mist clinging to the air.
All of this seemed to make Monstadt shine in comparison. Red roofs stretched toward the heavens. Buildings of cream walls and wooden structures and cobblestone bases littered the streets. People went about their daily routine without a care in the world—like leaves riding the wind.
Or like the dandelion seeds that blew in the breeze.
In short, Childe was impressed.
He didn't make it far into the walls, however, before a small body collided with the backs of his legs. Whipping around, his shoulders relaxed upon confirming that it was indeed a child who had crashed into him.
"I'm sorry!" she cried upon standing up and bowing her head.
She has blonde hair pulled back in pigtails, a red hat sitting on the top of her head and a dress in the same shade. She couldn't have been much older than Teucer, and at about the same height too.
Kneeling, he offered the girl a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. Are you okay?"
She nodded rapidly, finally meeting his eyes. Just as she opened her mouth, her eyes widened at something behind him. "Sorry mister, I've gotta go!"
And in the blink of an eye, the mysterious red girl disappeared. Blinking dumbly, Childe stood up, shrugged, and returned to his journey of trying to find the hotel.
A week into the assignment and Childe was bored.
The hotel was a mess that couldn't go ten minutes without his guidance. Childe hadn't had any time to explore the city, let alone the forests and groves.
By the time some semblance of order had finally taken shape, his fingers were itching for a fight, for the feel of his bow or blades or any kind of weapon. He'd even be willing to fight slimes with nothing but his bare hands.
By the time he felt like the agents at the hotel could handle today's business, the sun had finished its descent, painting the sky in hues of navy and blue.
Still, he didn't feel like he could go far. Maybe he was wrong about the Tsaritsa sending him on a vacation. He worried that if he so much as crossed the bridge he'd return to a major diplomatic incident. So sitting at the bank of the lake it is.
Walking out the side entrance, he stretched his arms above his head. Dandelions glowed softly in the dark of night.
Apparently, someone else had the same idea. The girl in the red dress stood at the banks, crouched over a backpack.
"Need any help?" he asked, slowly making his way toward her.
The girl started before turning around. She smiled when she saw him—did she already consider him an acquaintance?
"Hello, Mister Ginger!"
Childe chuckled. "Mister Ginger?"
The girl's eyes widened before her gaze turned down. Shifting on her feet she said, "I'm sorry, I never got your real name…"
Childe laughed again, waving her off. "It's alright. You can call me Childe,"
She perked up at this, her bright smile returning. Childe felt a pang of homesickness at the look. She really did remind him of his younger siblings.
"My name is Klee. Would you like to help me go bomb fishing?"
Bomb what now.
"E-Excuse me, can you… can you repeat that?"
Seemingly unbothered, Klee returned to digging through her backpack. "Bomb fishing. I can teach you if you want?"
Swallowing, Ajax's brotherly instincts kicked in. Looking at his surroundings, he spotted a man fishing, some spare fishing rods sitting next to him. Ajax reached into his pocket and, sure enough, he did have some Mora on him.
"How about I teach you regular fishing instead?"
In the days after their fishing session, Childe and Klee have been seen hanging around Monstadt even more.
Childe had enough Mora to keep her entertained for a whole day, and Klee took Childe exploring around Monstadt, even occasionally joining him in battling Hilichurls—although Childe always seemed to try to keep her from fighting the stronger ones.
A week after these outings became a daily routine, Klee found herself standing in Master Jean's office with Mr. Kaeya. Did Master Jean find out she tried to go bomb fishing so close to the city again?
"Klee, why have you been hanging out with a Fatui Harbinger?"
A… what?
Jean sighed and knelt down to be eye level with her. "Klee, we've talked about the Fatui, right? How we shouldn't trust them?"
Klee nodded. "They don't care about what's best for Monstadt. They're just here for their own needs."
Jean nodded back. "That's right. The Harbingers are the highest ranking members. They're the biggest threat to Monstadt. And that man you've been hanging out with? He's their newest member."
Klee shook her head. "No, Mr. Childe isn't like Mr. Fluffball. He isn't a bad guy!"
In the background, Kaeya snorted. "'Mr. Fluffball?'"
Jean glared at him before signing. "Klee, why do you think this?"
"He taught me how to fish, without bombs! And it was fun! He also buys me things, and when we're out exploring he protects me even though I don't need it. He hasn't done anything wrong!"
Jean looked like she was about to argue when Kaeya stepped up. "You know Jean, Klee is right. I've been keeping tabs on him, he hasn't done anything that poses a threat to Monstadt yet."
Jean placed her hand under her chin. Klee's fists clenched at her sides. Surely Jean knows that Mr. Childe is her friend, right?
Finally, Jean gave out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. I'll let you continue to hang out with him as long as Kaeya continues to keep an eye on him."
Kaeya nodded and winked at her. "We have a deal."
Childe still refuses to indulge in Klee's request to go bomb fishing with her, but he doesn't think his will can hold out for much longer.
As it stands, he's allowing her to bomb fish at Falcon Coast. Archons, what would happen if his family found out about this?
Dandelion seeds blew in the wind, gently caressing their faces and making the atmosphere soft.
Klee hummed as she looked through her backpack. Childe stared up at the stars, rod planted in the sand in front of him.
He used to stargaze a lot in Liyue. Most nights there was nothing else he could do outside of work, so he turned to the stars to entertain him. Seeing an infinite expanse of little lights, numbers unchanging whether it be Liyue or Snezhnaya. He continued chasing the combination of homesickness and connectedness they provided.
After Osial, all the stars did was make him long for home. Long for the familiar snow and forests, long for his family who still loved him despite the violence loving nature he came home with at age fourteen. Longed to leave a city he once felt was also home, before looks of betrayal were fired at him.
Before the one person outside of his family he considered a friend revealed his own betrayal.
"Mr. Childe?" Klee asked, forcing Childe out of his spiraling thoughts.
"Yeah?" His eyes stayed glued to the sky.
"Is something wrong?"
He blinked. "What makes you ask that?"
"Your eyes, they seemed… duller. Sad. You were looking at the sky, but you looked like you were seeing something else."
What a perceptive kid. If he weren't the one being subjected to it, he'd be proud. He'd also feel bad about lying to her. She read him so easily, so he probably couldn't lie convincingly anyways.
"Well… I was just remembering a friend. Or at least, I thought he was a friend. As it turned out, it was all a lie… guess I'm not as over it as I thought."
Childe looked back at Klee, who looked sad. Ah, he should've lied.
"But I'm feeling much better now that I've met you!" He wasn't lying either. Come to think of it, up until today he hasn't thought about Zhongli since meeting Klee. He's been too busy spending time with her to let his thoughts go down that road.
The sad look dissipated, replaced with the unshakable determination that could only belong to a child.
"Well, don't worry! Klee is your new friend now, and I won't lie to you like he did!"
Ajax smiled at her. This he didn't doubt.
My characterization still needs some work but I've got some fic ideas so I'll be able to practice