"Oh, you used to train on Dragonspine?" Albedo asked as he stood with Mieko at the entrance to the Knight's Headquarters. Mieko had finally found the payment, nearly a week later, and had come to thank Albedo. They got to talking, and now the topic was turned to Mieko. "What sort of weapon do you use? I noticed your vision is Hydro."

"I'm a polearm user, and yes I did. My grandfather used to be an adventurer, so I had lots of help from him and from his friends in the Adventurer's Guild when I was learning how to fight." She smiled.

"Oh? I would think the Knights of Favonious would have wanted to recruit you."

"They did, but I declined more than once. My combat skills are, though good, not up to par, in my opinion."

"Oh? May I be the judge of that?" he asked. Ever since catching a glimpse of her vision on her back, he was curious. Why was she just a shopkeep? Surely her vision would have attracted attention. He took her outside the city, sparring with her for a short while. "Hm."

"See? Told you." She smiled, clearly a bit winded.

"Well, I for one, think that you could make an excellent fighter. The skills are there. It's your stamina that's a bit lacking. Perhaps a bit of training assistance will do you some good?" He pondered.

"Well, considering it's been 6 or 7 years since I stopped." She chuckled. "And I usually only have to do light practice or fight off a couple of hilichurls when I leave the city for work. But thank you for saying so. I'm sure you're quite busy, so I don't want to take up your time." Once again, Albedo thought, she was quite self-deprecating. This had become quite apparent since they became friends. She sat down and took some deep breaths, Albedo smiling and leaning back against a rock. "Diluc thought I had potential too, but I never got back into training, once I was by myself."

"By yourself?"

"Ah, yes, I used to live with my grandparents. But they passed away, so since then, I haven't had time to train. It's been nothing but work, to keep my shop afloat."

"I see… That must be rather difficult." He nodded.

"It is. But at least the work is gratifying." She said softly. The clouds began to swirl and Mieko looked up at the sky. "We'd better go. It's going to rain."

"Is it?" Albedo asked. Mieko stood up and dusted herself off. "Very well." He walked back to Mondstat with her, surprised when he felt the first drops just as they entered the gate. They made it back to her shop as it really started coming down.

"Please, come in." She offered, letting him in and closing the door behind him. "Sit. I'll make you some tea. You can try some of the sweets I've been testing out."

"Oh, more sweets?" He asked, smiling. It was strange how he always seemed to start smiling when she said something like this. Her intuition was something to marvel at, he had been wanting to have something sweet. He followed her into the kitchen, helping her make the tea and sitting with her at the kitchen table, listening to the rain coming down outside. "These are quite tasty."

"Are they? Good." she smiled. "They're a mix between a recipe from back home, and something I found in my grandmother's cookbook."

"A mix of recipes? Impressive."

"No, no, it's just me trying things out. I've always liked baking, since it reminds me of my grandmother and my mother." She smiled. "And sweets are always nice with good tea."

"Yes, they are. Along with good company." Albedo commented, Mieko chuckling. "Thank you again."

"Of course. Feel free to stop by whenever you like, alright?" She refilled his tea. "It's the least I can do for a friend."

A few months later, Mieko was working on a repair outside of the city walls in Springvale. She was musing to herself about what to make for dinner when she was nearly run into by a young woman with mint-colored hair and glasses. "M-Miss Mieko!" She exclaimed, rushing to catch up to her. "I've found you at last."

"Um… Forgive me, have we met?" Judging by her outfit, this wasn't someone she remembered from the Headquarters.

"Oh, please pardon my manners. I'm Sucrose, Mister Albedo's assistant and apprentice." she said with a smile. "He talks about you often, so I just called your name without thinking." Mieko was surprised, since she and Albedo had only talked a few times since their initial meeting. "I was hoping you would be able to assist me."

"Assist you?"

"Well, you see, Mister Albedo has holed up on Dragonspine, but I have a few things that need to be delivered to him. I thought he would have come down, but he's been up there for over a week now." she sighed. "I was hoping you would be able to find him for me, and deliver the items? I heard from him that you used to train on Dragonspine, and that you were familiar with the area."

"Ah, I see." she nodded. "Very well. I will go home to grab some things for the trek up." she said. "Will you bring me the items?"

"Of course, I'll bring them to you at the storefront." Sucrose smiled. "Thank you again, Miss Mieko." she bowed before rushing off. Mieko sighed, smiling as Sucrose went out of sight. She went home, going to grab some warmer clothes and a heavier jacket, some provisions, and some other supplies. She took the map and supplies from Sucrose when she arrived, giving the girl a small box of sweets.

"For your troubles." she smiled, heading up to arriving at the base of the mountain, she donned her jacket and tied her hair up in a ponytail rather than her usual braid, not wanting to lose Yuki's ribbon. She headed up the mountain, slashing monsters that approached her and eventually finding her way to Albedo's lab. She crossed the broken bridge, landing with her glider on the other side. "Secluded… and hard to find." she muttered to herself. "It's a good thing I didn't try to come up here and surprise him." she told herself, heading around the corner to the campsite, looking around for where Albedo could be. She didn't see him, walking into the camp and placing the package of materials down on the table carefully, placing her own bag of supplies on the ground. "Where could he be?" She walked back out of the camp, trying to see where there might be footprints in the snow. She wandered around for a bit before she found him sketching a particularly interesting mint, it's color was strangely vibrant. She stopped, watching for a short while. When he turned to her, the surprise on his face that faded into a smile made her heart race.

"Mieko. What are you doing here?"

"Forgive me for interrupting you, Albedo. Your assistant sought me out to give you some things."

"Oh, Sucrose did?" He nodded. "Very well. I apologize for keeping you waiting." he walked back to camp with her and inspected the materials, nodding in satisfaction. "Good. Now with everything in order, I should be able to complete my experiment."

"That's good. I'll leave you to it, then. I don't want to get in the way." She turned to leave, a gentle tug on her shawl stopping her.

"Ah, actually." She turned to look at him. "You are more than welcome to stay. If I may borrow you."

"Huh? Me?" She asked.

"Yes. The final ingredient needed is Hydro energy. If you would be so kind as to assist me, that is."

"Oh. Of course. I'm happy to help." she replied, Albedo smiling at her enthusiasm. He performed the experiment, explaining to her what he was doing with the materials as he went. Mieko was intrigued, and she listened attentively. When he was done, she used her vision to help with the last bit, catalyzing the potion and creating the final result, which glowed in the fading light.

"Fascinating." Albedo nodded, writing down some notes. When he was done, he turned to her. "Once the potion is done resting, it will be complete. Thank you for your assistance." He said to her. "I shall compensate you. Do you like Sunshine Sprat?"

"I love Sunshine Sprat." She corrected him, smiling. Albedo nodded, making the dish for her and sitting to eat with her. "Mmm, this is amazing~ I've never had Sunshine Sprat like this. And the way you plated it is simply beautiful." She added.

"I appreciate the compliment." He chuckled. "I'd be happy to make it for you more often, since you're often treating me to your baking."

"Ah, you don't have to. But… it really is delicious. Thank you."

"I'm glad." By the time they were done, it was getting quite late.

"It's a good thing I changed, it's colder than I remember it being." She added, sitting down to pull a blanket from her bag, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"It is quite cold… You brought that up here to stay warm?"

"Proficiency and preparedness are the two things my grandfather drilled into my head while we were training." She said with a smile. "Are you cold?" she asked him. "Here, come sit with me." She said, opening the blanket so he could sit with her. "This is something my grandmother made back when I was training. It's still the warmest thing I own, and it does wonders fending off the chill."

"I see. It looks very warm." He moved to sit next to her, feeling her wrapping the blanket around his shoulders as he sat, pulling it so it sat comfortably over him. "Thank you…"

"Isn't it? She told me that grandfather stole these off of a few Abyss Mages back when he was young and they kept them as trophies." She chuckled. "It always made me smile, hearing them tell stories of back when they were young." She added, relaxing a bit, clearly tired but enjoying his company.

"Oh? It certainly reminds me of an Abyss Mage Cloak." He smiled as she talked about her past, about her family back in Inazuma. But as snow began to fall, he caught a sad look coming to her face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong… Just… A little nostalgia creeping up on me." She replied. "The snow always brings back memories…" she added."It's a long story, but if you'd like to hear it, I have no problem sharing it. It isn't as though it's a secret."

"By all means. I'm happy to keep listening." Albedo said. Mieko chuckled.

"Alright… Then, let me explain. I came to Mondstat when I was 12 years old. My grandparents took me in, and I met my first friend within a few days. Her name…" she took a deep breath. "Her name was Yuki. Yuki and I did a lot together in the 3 years we were friends… She called me sister more than once, so we just stuck with calling one another that… I still think of her as my sister, since I was an only child." She added. "She was always described as energetic and charismatic. Always smiling and making people laugh. Her brother, Yuma, said she and I were like polar opposites. I was always quiet and shy." She chuckled. "We would eat together all the time, spend time at each other's houses, sleepover. We'd borrow one another's clothes and go on little adventures, longing for the freedom." She took a breath. "It was like that on the day she died too… It was snowing, and I didn't have a good feeling… Yuki asked if I felt sick, but I told her no. I just felt nervous. She said we'd just go out quick, grab a couple of souvenirs, and then come right home… But outside the walls, I felt worse. It felt like something was watching us. And then Yuki started feeling it too." She took a deep breath. "I told her we had to go… we headed home, and I kept glancing back… but when we got to the bridge, about halfway across, she stumbled, and then collapsed." She took another deep breath to steady herself. "She told me she was sorry for causing me trouble… I called for help… and then everything after that went too fast…"

"Yuki! Yuki, please open your eyes!" Mieko sobbed over her best friend as she lay lifeless on the church floor. The girl's parents and brother came running, but it was too late. Mieko kept apologizing to Yuki even as they took her, Yuma holding her back from trying to chase them. "Yuki…" Mieko sobbed, falling to her knees and sobbing still. "Yuki, I'm so sorry… Please forgive me…"

"She's still not eating?" Yuki's father asked.

"No, not a bite." Mieko's grandmother shook her head.

"It's already been 2 days…" Yuki's mother said softly. "Do you want us to try?"

"No. Leave her be." Mieko's grandfather, Mori, stated. "She knows she needs to eat. She wants to grieve alone."

"Very well." Not a moment after Yuki's parents left, Mieko emerged from her room."Decided to finally eat?" Her grandfather asked her, not looking up from his book.

"Ojii-sama… What is this…?" Mieko asked, Mori looking up at her. His eyes went wide to see an azure blue vision in her hands.

"A Hydro Vision…"

"A vision…?"

"Yes, Mieko. A vision." he replied, petting her head. "The archons have deemed your trial overcome, little one."

"My… trial?" She shook her head. "I don't want it…"

"Words like 'You're so lucky' and 'At least you got something for your hardship' slipped so easily from people's mouths. I didn't want any of it. Yuki was gone, and this was left in her place. I hated it." she stated. "But after my grandmother convinced me to hold onto it… I began thinking of it as Yuki leaving me one last present." she smiled sadly, now cradling her vision in her hand. "Ojii-sama taught me how to fight after that… So I could protect myself. He was an adventurer in his prime." She smiled at Albedo. "One of the best, from what Obaa-sama used to tell me."

"I see." Albedo nodded.

"It is life, but it is also a lot… considering how sheltered I was back home in Inazuma by my parents…" she said softly."When Yuki died… everyone tried to tell me there was a silver lining in my vision. So I hid it. I didn't want that to overshadow the fact that Yuki was gone… Especially not around her family." she said softly. "Her older brother is the only one who knows I have it, in their family. I'm sure he told her parents eventually, but…" she sighed. "I probably should have done it myself… I was scared they would hate me…" she added.

"An understandable fear. But… I think you also have been given something that, perhaps, you can use to remember her by. That's why your weapon's name is Snow, right?" He asked. "To remember her by."

"Ah, you knew about that?" she asked, laughing a little nervously. "Yes, that's why I named my weapon Snow."

"I heard you talking to your weapon when we finished our fight the other day." He added.

"Ah, how embarrassing. You caught me talking to her."

"It isn't a bad thing. It's rather amusing." He added, smiling at her. "It's getting quite late. You should get some rest."

"Ah, I don't want to bother you though. I'm sure you want to sleep in peace." She said.

"It's not a bother. Please, stay and rest up." he said. "I heard from both Jean and Lisa that you have insomnia. Have you ever taken anything for it?"

"Taken? Ah, medication? I have tried, but it never works out." She smiled.

"Well, your potion should be ready."

"My what…?" Albedo smiled and got up, retrieving the potion from the desk where it had since changed colors. He placed the bottle carefully in her hand. "Albedo… You… Made this for me?"

"I did." he smiled. "I could see the bags under your eyes." he added, chuckling. "It doesn't suit you, to be so exhausted." he turned to go and do some other work, Mieko just staring after him. She took the potion and gently opened the bottle, taking in the scent. It reminded her of home. She took a sip and closed the bottle, placing it down and feeling herself already starting to relax. It was warm. And she felt so relaxed. "Is it working?"

"It is." she replied. "It's so comfortable…" She mumbled, leaning against the crate they had sat down next to. Albedo chuckled, glad that it was taking effect so quickly. When her mumbling stopped, he turned to see her passed out, walking over and kneeling in front of her.

"You're so trusting…" he sighed, brushing her hair from her face and taking her glasses off of her. "Why do you trust me so much?" he asked. "Aren't you afraid of me?" He stood back, grabbing his clipboard and sketching her sleeping there. She looked so peaceful. He sat and watched her for a good long while, finding himself tracing her form with his eyes. "What is it about you, Mieko? Why do I find myself so drawn to you?"

"Mnnn." Albedo jumped a little when she made a noise, but settled down when he realized she was just groaning in her sleep. "Albedo…"

"Yes Mie?" He asked, smiling as she fell back asleep at the sound of his voice. "Jean was right. And from my observations, you really don't see much in yourself. I wonder… if I could fix that?" he asked in a whisper, smiling.

((Chapter 1! It's kind of choppy thanks to the time skips, but I figured as friends they wouldn't see too much of one another, so long durations of not seeing one another seemed prevalent.

How old is Mieko, you might be asking? Upon meeting Albedo, Mieko is 25 years old, though by the end of this chapter she's probably 26, since a few months had passed. I think they probably met in January. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and are excited for the next.

-Winter Cheshire))