"Hm, looks like the sunset arrives." Sans commented. "Klee, it seems we have to go back to Headquarters."
"Does it mean Jean will put me into solitary confinement?" Klee asked.
"Not sure." Sans responded. "You didn't do anything wrong for what I know, so you should be fine."
"Yaaaay!"
"We'll be going there too." Vanko added, standing with his group behind them.
"Sure then." Sans nodded. "Wanna take a shortcut?"
"You know some?" Sigurd asked him.
"Yeah, behind the corner." Sans nodded, giving Klee a wink and getting a wink back.
"Hm, if Klee trusts him with it, so shall we." Simon concluded quickly.
…
"Hello, my Grand Master." Sans greeted, waltzing into the office of curiously sitting Jean as if he was in his home.
"It's 'Acting' Grand Master, Sans." Jean responded, mildly annoyed.
"If that's acting, then the theater hires for double" Sans jokes. "But enough of my silly things. The day de facto ends."
"Indeed." Jean nodded, looking to the left at the orange sky. "The day has ended."
"Which is why one question remains." Sans continued. "Remember our agreement?" He asked as Klee walked from behind him with an innocent smile.
"Hello, Master Jeaaan!"
"I must admit, I didn't expect you to make her not blow up anything." Jean nodded, looking back at the two.
"And I promise, I'll try to be careful with my bombs!" Klee pleaded, almost throwing her off the chair.
"Really?" Jean asked, as if she didn't believe her.
"Yes! Sans showed me how much fun I take from you with blowing fish all the time. And fun is something for everyone to have!" Klee explained, momentary squeaking in her high pitched tone.
"You did?" Jean asked, looking up at Sans.
"Mmmeh, just gave some hints." Sans responded with 'whatever' face, then giving her a full closed-eye wink. "I mean, Klee's smarter than you think."
"Alright, Klee. I have one more question." Jean nodded, walking from behind the desk and crouching before her on one knee. "Is Sans the best?"
"Sans is the best!"
"Alright, it seems like you passed my challenge." Jean nodded, standing up from excited Klee and looking at the comedian she employed. "Can you get in contact with Noelle and inform her we plan to test her as an Outrider?"
"Sure, I'll catch her when she returns home to not throw her off whatever she does." Sans nodded. "I will need the address though."
"That won't be a problem!" Klee responded. "My big brother can tell you."
"Big brother, huh?" Sans asked, intrigued.
"Oh right, you are hardly done with meeting other Knights." Jean commented. "Klee, can I count on you showing Sans the way?"
"Of course!" Klee confirmed.
"In that case, we'll be going." Sans nodded, slowly stepping aside to reveal Vanko waiting behind the doors with an adamant face under the helmet. "And don't mind them, we met them today and they have another idea for you to think about."
"Hey, Skidibi." One Fatui guard said, having himself and another one take a fresh air break in front of Goth Grand Hotel.
"Yes, Horrors Of Being Fontainian?" Other one asked, with the name call as well.
"Do you think other Fatui have… LessLess boring lives?" First one asked.
"I mean, we are solely on a diplomatic mission here… All of us." Skidibi pointed out in partial agreement. "But if you wanted something to do, then why did you join Doctor-!"
"Do not butter the name of our Harbinger when he isn't present." First Fatui said, almost shoving an anvil into seconds' jaw.
"His lower trusted ranks too?" Second guard asked.
"Meh, you can." First Fatui agreed. "Just remember to be respectful and intimidated."
"Aaa, ok."
"What's up you two dong-dongs?" Third guard asked, walking from behind them and making a bro hug.
"Sup, Cheese Toucher." Skidibi greeted him. "Here to touch my cheese?"
"You wish." Toucher responded. "The thing is, one of ours is missing."
"Have his name?" First guard asked. "Crazies get mixed all the time."
"Huh, let me see…" Cheese Toucher nodded, putting on comically small glasses as he started to look down the prepared list on a piece of fried chicken. "... I Throw Bricks At Toddlers."
"... Nope, sorry." Second guard answered. "Didn't see him all day."
"Aren't you his roomate?" Horrors asked.
"I drank too much last night and slept till dinner, remember?" Skidibi justified himself. "But I do remember him reaching for some yellow stones at the party-"
"And nobody other than you bothered?" Cheese Toucher asked.
"Including you." Horrors pointed out.
"Frill yourself."
"Mind if we return to the topic of a menace running amok?" Skidibi asked.
"... Nah, I'm too lazy for that." Cheese Toucher shrugged his shoulders. "Just send two dudes to have shifts observing the local orphanage and we'll be fine."
"Fan-tastic idea."
"You screwed the syllables."
"Screw you, if anything."
"I dunno, let's stop fighting you two."
"Have better ideas, Fontainian?" Skidibi asked as the two looked at a third person in close vicinity.
"First off, don't use my own bit against me. Second, I know some new recruit coming around who can find him…"
"Once again, thanks for keeping an eye for my sister today." Albedo said, as he and Sans stood by the open window in one of Mondstadt City's many houses. "I needed more time for my newest experiment and couldn't spare time."
"Meh, not that I mind." Sans responded, loosely shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't even do it for Noelle or you."
"Really now?" Albedo asked, curiously looking at him. "Then why would you?"
"I just wanted to improve my success rate at guiding youngsters in life." Sans responded. "Nothing personal, I just grab an occasion and gave some benefit by accident."
"Happy little accident. Tsk, tsk." Albedo almost snickered, though he definitely smiled as he looked beside him through the window at slowly darkening red sky. "And if Klee is to be believed, you are quite a wise, omnipresent person."
"... I kinda figure things out as I go." Sans responded. "Not that it always is enough."
"Well, that leaves me with something more to ask." Albedo said. "I heard how you fight."
"The duel with Eula?" Sans asked. "Sure, Sans-ational news spread like bones.
"Hmph, funny." Albedo nodded patiently. "But on a more serious topic… Can I ask you something personal?"
"... About me?" Sans asked in return.
"Not precisely."
"Sure then, go on."
"If I ever happened to… Lose control of myself." Albedo said, turning to stand directly front towards Sans. "Can you promise to be there and stop me?"
"... Shoo." Sans almost whistled. "Shame, I actually hate promises."
"Taking an obligation without confidence in your ability to pay them back?" Albedo questioned, getting a light nod and lowered head as a response. "I can see why, no hard feelings."
"... Actually." Sans spoke back, looking up and then directing his head towards Albedo. "I… Think I can make this promise. But not for free.
"State the price then." Albedo responded.
"If… Someone I know has no control of himself, has come here…" Sans began, taking time to build suspension. "Can you promise to stand up against them and stop them?"
"... Sounds fair." Albedo nodded lightly. "So, our promises are in action now?"
"Indeed, they are." Sans nodded. "So if you did lose control…" He slowly ended his sentence, turning his eyes black. "Consider yourself done."
CLICK*
"Huh." Albedo raised his eyebrows, seeing that Sans was gone and nowhere to be seen. "Seems like I asked the right person for this."
"... The people here are as disgusting as ever." Teenage boy with black-gray hair said to himself, trolling across the empty, shaded in black street with evenly repeating clanging of his boots against the pavement as he approached outside of Angel's Share, where Eula was impatiently waiting. "Oh, Eula…"
"Where are your manners, brother?" She asked him back, turning to face him directly with a hateful grimace all over her face. "Such conduct is justly shunned."
"Unless to an unruly maid." Teen remarked, making her cheek turn red. "But enough about worthless waste, there is a letter from thy Father."
"Hmm?" Eula raised her eyebrow as he gently extended his arm to give away a well maintained envelope with golden edges and family crest as purple seal with artistic bust of old, high-estate man facing forward, though face details were not present, if not outright nonexistent.
"... The Grand Lord of our noble clan hates waiting." Teen reminded.
"Very well…" Eula agreed, reluctantly taking the envelope, opening it and silently reading the contents. "... Glacial Seal stays with me. That's final."
"Oh-hoho. Brave just as I was warned." Teen commented with amusement. "Shameful display. Especially since Glacial Seals are for the clan to award, not traitors to keep."
"So what will you do? Attack a Knight of Favonius?" Eula asked him, visibly confident, yet agitated.
"No need for waste of vital energy." Teenage messenger smiled. "In fact, you already lost it."
"Is your mind numb? All I need to do is-" Eula boasted, freely showing open pal of her gloved hand, but creating only a shattered mess of ice, which themselves were slowly turning to dust, emitting a yellow, snow-like visual that disappeared into evening air. "W-w-Wha-a-What?"
"Father was right, interaction with plebs makes one's mind long forgotten." The teenager smiled, seeing Eula's frozen shock face. As if she was damned to be locked in the moment of realization. "But for my deserving amusement, know a traitor like thee. For I am Sicco, and I will grant Lawrence Clan all fate can see." He added a poetry verse before gently walking past illuminated with the tavern's inside light face.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaa!" His laugh became louder and closer as he walked away from her…
Author's note:
Sicco is allegedly the name of a Prussian priest who led a murder of Saint Adalbert of Prague according to earlier storytellings on the topic. The etymology of the name itself is directed to either assassin or a deformed name for a Prussian priest who walked between various villages to execute his religious duties for people.
Do with this (Simplified) symbolism what you want.
