Crossposted A/N: I managed to churn this one out before Monster Hunter Wilds releases, heh.
"You…are curious."
Those were the first words that Chief Alchemist Albedo said to Cyril of Astora.
It was a chance meeting in the halls of the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Cyril had just left his quarters when he encountered Albedo striding through the halls, the expressionless visage of the alchemist doing little to conceal the intrigue hidden within his eyes once he spotted the knight of Astora.
"I am?" Cyril paused, unsure what he meant. After a moment or two, he decided it would be best to formally introduce himself. Luckily, he'd heard a description of Albedo from his friends before, "You must be the Chief Alchemist. I am Cyril, of Astora. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Likewise," Albedo nodded, his expression remaining unchanged.
"What did you mean by 'curious'?" Cyril inquired, still thinking that it was a strange first thing to say to someone.
"I've reviewed the reports that Lisa has compiled about the magic of the lands you hail from…manifestations of the soul, or at least an internal energy source untapped by the average resident of Teyvat," Albedo explained, "I believe that you are, based on the information provided, likely from another world."
"..." Cyril only looked briefly surprised, before his expression shifted to one of acceptance, "I was beginning to think something like that was the case due to the sheer difference between home and Teyvat...but for someone else to reach the same conclusion, do you have knowledge of such matters?"
"It's only because I've spent so much time chasing the mysteries of Teyvat that I can recognize when something or someone is foreign to it," Albedo admitted, "But according to Jean you lack knowledge of how you arrived here. That would suggest that traveling between worlds is not a common occurrence for you, I believe."
Something about that statement stuck out to Cyril, "You would be correct…but do you mean that you have encountered someone from another world that does commonly travel between them?"
"I've only conversed with them briefly about that particular topic, but yes. She mentioned something like that to me before," Albedo replied, "Any more than that I'm not at liberty to say."
"I understand," Cyril nodded, then shook his head ruefully, "I feel that I should be more surprised…but I am not. This world is just as fantastical as my previous one, in its own ways. That it is visited by travelers across the stars isn't so far-fetched."
"True," Albedo agreed with a nod, "But rather than the magic research you and Lisa have been doing, I'm more curious if you have any trinkets or items from your homeland? I'd love to study them if you're willing to part with any."
"Hmm…" Cyril rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a few moments before remembering something, "Ah, if you'd like…"
He reached into his bottomless bag and pulled out a familiar white soapstone.
"Oh? A writing implement composed of a soapstone?" Albedo gave it a look of idle interest.
"That's correct," Cyril affirmed, "It's a curious thing that no one I knew truly understood, but by inscribing my name and imbuing it with a bit of my power, others were able to use it to summon me temporarily."
He didn't go too detailed with how time had essentially been broken in Lordran, as he felt that the concept of temporary teleportation would be enough to pique the academic's interest. He was also interested to see if the natives of Teyvat could utilize it, as that meant he could continue to perform tasks and easily visit Mondstadt while traveling.
"Summon? Intriguing…tell me more," Albedo gestured for Cyril to follow him. They ended up sitting across from each other in Albedo's quarters, which were…surprisingly clean from what Cyril expected out of a scholarly type.
Apparently his expression was more obvious than he'd thought, as Albedo commented, "My lab is located elsewhere."
"Ah, I see…" Cyril chuckled sheepishly, "So, what did you want to know?"
"To begin with, I'd like to hear about the common use cases for this teleportation inscription…"
A little while later Cyril found himself sitting outside of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
"Cyril? What are you doing out here?" Lady Jean asked, recently returned from a patrol.
"Good afternoon, Lady Jean," Cyril greeted her politely, "Sir Albedo is performing an experiment with an item from my homeland. I do not know all the details of what his tests entail, but the item in question is a useful tool that allowed my allies to summon me temporarily to assist them with various tasks."
"Summoning? As in teleportation?" Jean looked at him with surprise.
"Yes, though as I said it is not permanent. It's more like summoning my spirit…as much as that may sound strange," Cyril laughed.
"That's…well, I'll have to hear what Albedo finds out about this item," Jean shook her head with a faint hint of wonder, "It seems your world is quite different from ours after all…"
He blinked.
"...I take it Sir Albedo informed you of his theory?" Cyril finally asked.
"Lisa and I began to suspect something strange after seeing the sheer number of differences in magic between our lands…Albedo's input was more of a confirmation than anything," she admitted, "I have heard you don't have any plans of returning, though?"
"Yes…I quite like it in these livelier lands," he sighed, "It feels disloyal of me, but I would argue few ever made it as far as I did in service to those realms."
"I can't say I blame you, based on what you've told us…" Jean nodded with a sympathetic wince, "But enough of that for now. Does this current project you and Albedo are working on have to do with your desire to potentially travel?"
"That is one of the perks, yes," Cyril replied, "If it works you would be able to summon me as needed to assist you all. I owe Mondstadt that much at least."
"None of us would think less of you for wanting to see the world, Cyril," Jean huffed good-naturedly.
"But I would not be satisfied otherwise," he remained stubbornly adamant.
Jean knew she wouldn't win this minor quibble, so she set it aside for now, "Do you have any idea where you'd like to go?"
"To be honest, I've yet to decide," Cyril shrugged, "I have no immediate plans to leave, after all, only that it remains a possibility. I've read of Liyue, which seems intriguing and is close by as well."
"Mm, Liyue is quite different from Mondstadt, but I'm sure you'd like it," Jean nodded, recalling her past visits, "So long as you remain as courteous as you've always been, you'll be surrounded by an environment and way of life just as unique as ours."
"I'll certainly keep your words in mind," Cyril smiled appreciatively, before he was suddenly enveloped in a bright white glow.
"Cyril!?" Jean made a noise of surprise.
"Ah, it appears Sir Albedo has managed to activate the item. I will be appearing in his quarters, most likely." Cyril shook his head with a smile before giving Jean a small bow, "It was a pleasure talking to you Lady Jean."
"Um, likewise…" Jean watched with a perplexed expression as Cyril essentially faded into motes of light.
That was strange…
Jean shook her head bemusedly and left to resume her knightly duties. If she'd stuck around, she would've seen the rather comical scene of Cyril startling the guards when he popped back up just a few minutes later when his summoning was canceled.
The next day…
Lady Sucrose was a bit more quiet than Cyril had expected for someone who was apparently a master in her field. In his experience, most such experts tend to be rather long-winded, and while she was happy to talk about her favorite subject matter, she was still more reticent than he expected.
The general idea of this "bio-alchemy" didn't sit well with him, as he was reminded of the Grand Duke's experiments. But he was willing to give the reservedly passionate girl the benefit of the doubt.
Certainly, her appearance was much more fair than the Pale Drake's. He just couldn't see such soft eyes belonging to someone who would cruelly defile the sanctity of life just to satisfy their curiosity. In fact, she seemed rather frightened of him, though he was unsure if it was him specifically or strangers that unsettled her.
That all changed once the small talk was over and he brought out the titanite shard and explained its origins. Her expression lit up with poorly concealed interest, and she all but snatched the valuable mineral from his hands to study it intently.
"This came from a living creature?" Sucrose held the titanite shard between her fingers gingerly, which honestly wasn't necessary considering the strength of the material, but he was glad to see her mindfulness. She was so busy examining it she probably didn't notice how smoothly her words were coming out now.
"Yes, we call them crystal lizards," Cyril explained, "They are small and reptile-like, but have large growths of metal and crystal that resemble tumors, in a way."
"Interesting. I guess the first thing that comes to mind are the materials you can harvest from geo-borne creatures mainly found in Liyue." Sucrose turned to him with an apologetic look, "I don't know much about that, I'm sorry. If you want, I can have this sample passed around our contacts to see if they know of any metal or material that matches it."
"That would be helpful for the maintenance of my equipment. Though it's not urgent, I have plenty in reserve and it takes quite a while before I need to use any." Cyril inclined his head thankfully.
"Okay, I'll get the word out." Sucrose carefully wrapped the shard up before she smiled shyly, "W-Was there anything else you needed?"
"Not particularly." Cyril shook his head, before returning a smile of his own. "In fact, I was wondering if you needed assistance with anything? I find myself devoid of any tasks for the day."
"Me?" She gave him a puzzled look with a hint of mild panic, "Um…"
He hadn't intended on flustering her, though he had to admit the reaction was somewhat endearing. She looked around in thought, a sense of urgency coming from her slim frame.
"Erm, it was just a passing inquiry, I can go ask others if they need help…" Cyril trailed off.
"A-Actually…what you said about the crystal lizards of your home was pretty interesting…" She paused, taking a moment to rally herself, "If you're okay with it…could you tell me more about the creatures of your homeland? I'd love to…um…hear more.'
"Of course, I don't mind at all." Cyril easily nodded and began gathering his thoughts. There were all kinds of interesting creatures he could potentially speak of.
Sucrose wasn't sure what to make of Cyril. He'd already gained something of a reputation for being a model knight, even if he wasn't formally part of the Knights of Favonius. People always talked about how courteous, kind, and skilled he was.
…And that was pretty much all the same things they said about Acting Grandmaster Jean!
How terrifying!
Sucrose still had a hard time looking her in the eyes whenever they talked…
So she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated when the foreign knight stopped by to visit. Was someone like her really able to help him with whatever he needed?
Luckily he'd apparently heard about her beforehand (and wasn't that an embarrassing thought?), as he approached her with specific questions about living creatures and bio-alchemy. He'd also included a few scrawled notes from Albedo, who'd already taken a preliminary look at several of the items Cyril had with him, which definitely gave her a starting point and helped her organize her thoughts.
Of course, he then threw her out of her comfort zone (unintentionally) when he asked her if he could help her with anything. How was she supposed to answer a question like that? There was always something to do, like gathering materials or performing experiments, but she had no idea what he was capable of or willing to do. Or how much time he had available! She needed more time to come up with scenarios and characterize his skills and preferences!
So she ended up just saying the first thing that came to mind, which was to ask about other unique creatures from his home.
Gosh, that probably wasn't what he was looking for at all. He's a knight, they go out and do things…not sit and talk all day. But to her surprise, he was willing and even eager to share his knowledge with her.
As the conversation began in earnest they sat down at her desk (still cluttered with all kinds of paper and pieces, oh, how mortifying), and she found herself feeling surprisingly comfortable. Cyril was a calm and clear speaker, but he was also patient and understanding, taking into account her tangents and pauses.
In fact, she got the feeling he was more accustomed to silence than conversation, even though he was so good at it. And while she knew deep down that people like Acting Grandmaster Jean were also dependable and understanding, somehow she didn't feel as intimidated with him.
It was a weird feeling.
Also, it also helped that he had all kinds of stories and descriptions of creatures she'd never heard of. Nothing ever got her blood pumping than learning about the quirks of fauna and flora. So, even though it was someone she was just talking to for the first time, Sucrose actually found herself having fun.
She didn't even notice the small smile she had on her face.
"This is a sketch of a creature known as a basilisk." Cyril flipped through the pages of his field journal, showing it to Lady Sucrose. "Those large organs aren't actually its eyes, though they are still vulnerable to attack. The most dangerous aspect, however, comes from the fog it spews…"
The green-haired girl was listening with rapt attention as he explained everything he knew about various creatures he'd encountered.
"So if you're exposed to enough of that fog in one sitting you turn to stone?" Sucrose made a face. "That sounds like a horrible way to die."
"It is not pleasant, I must agree." Cyril nodded, remembering the few times he'd been caught flat-footed by the annoying beasts.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She was likely thinking he knew someone who'd fallen prey to the basilisks, as his undead nature was still concealed from any native of Teyvat.
"Not to worry, I've just encountered the aftermath of their curse. None of my companions suffered such a grisly fate." Cyril explained.
"Oh, that's good then…I mean, not that it's good that other people got attacked, just that it wasn't your group. Of course I still feel bad about the people that did get hurt but...err…I'll just be quiet now." Sucrose turned a bit pink as she stumbled over her words.
Cyril couldn't help breaking into a slight smile. Her awkwardness reminded him in a way of Anastacia, though without the oppressive pall of sadness hanging over her. He'd eventually coaxed the firekeeper to speak with him more, though she remained ever reluctant and stilted in her speech. He had tried his best to lift her spirits whenever he was around, but nowadays he felt he could've done more…
Perhaps it would be best to drop that line of thought.
"I understand the sentiment you wish to convey," Cyril reassured Sucrose. "On another note, if you'd like, I don't mind lending you this field journal. I've no use for it here in Mondstadt."
"R-Really!?" Sucrose gaped at him with wide eyes.
"Yes. From our conversation just now I feel that you would be more comfortable reviewing the material yourself before coming up with questions to ask me, correct?" He asked.
She looked surprised that he'd figured that out. "T-That's true…" She took the journal from him while not quite meeting his eyes, "Um…thank you, I really appreciate it."
There was no hiding the bit of happiness she felt at someone else understanding her preferences. Cyril couldn't help feeling a bit glad that he'd read her right, as he was now constantly working to improve his communication skills. There hadn't been much occasion to practice them in Lordran, after all.
He watched idly for a bit as Sucrose began looking through his journal, her attention shifting completely as she got absorbed in reading. He was no expert scribe, and his notes were mostly about fighting, but he did record information about non-hostile creatures and plants he encountered as well. It'd been on a whim, but seeing someone get so absorbed made him happy that he'd put in the effort.
It was only after nearly an hour of relaxing in her quarters that he realized that she had forgotten his presence, so absorbed in his notes as she was. With a small smile and huff of amusement, the knight excused himself quietly and left her to her reading.
Scholars were the same no matter where you were, he supposed.
Some days later…
It came as a surprise when one of the knights passed on a message to Cyril stating that Lady Sucrose wished to meet with him, but he saw no reason not to comply.
After grabbing a bite to eat for breakfast (he'd started eating regularly to avoid scoldings from others such as Lady Amber or Lady Jean), he made his way to Lady Sucrose's workshop.
He found her with two notebooks in front of her, one of which was the one he'd given her. She looked up at the sound of his entry, a pensive look on her face that broke into a small smile when she realized it was him.
"Hello, Cyril. It's good to see you again." She greeted him with her characteristic soft voice, only able to maintain eye contact for a few moments before averting her gaze.
"Greetings, Lady Sucrose. Did you have something you wished to ask of me?" He inquired curiously.
"Ah, it's not a request or anything like that." Sucrose shook her head, "I…just had some questions about your field journal."
"I see. Then ask away, I am at your disposal." Cyril replied with a smile.
"For a few of the entries on more aggressive fauna, you made a few notes regarding the creature's common reaction to something called 'Hollows', but there isn't an entry for them in the journal, so I wanted to ask about what that term meant." Sucrose explained.
He froze. He'd honestly forgotten he'd written those notes.
As time had passed, he'd started considering revealing his true nature to his hosts. While he was still unsure how the people of Teyvat would react, he was at least confident that they wouldn't try to exterminate him outright.
Exile was a more likely option.
Regardless, he wasn't about to drop that bombshell on Lady Sucrose out of nowhere…but how could he explain a Hollow in a satisfactory way without giving away too much information?
"Hollows are…former humans." He began hesitantly, "As you've heard from Lady Jean, my homelands are essentially ruined. One of the factors that led to their decline was an increase in hollowing."
She looked more than a little disturbed, "Is…is it an ailment of some kind?"
"That's not an inaccurate statement, though the source was never discovered, nor did it spread with any rhyme or reason. In short, it was not a natural disease. But those afflicted can be described as soulless. They become akin to mindless puppets whose only drive is to hunt their fellow man." He unclenched his fist, attempting to relax as all kinds of unpleasant memories and thoughts ran through his head.
"...That sounds horrible." Sucrose gave him a worried look, "Was a treatment ever found?"
"...No, even among the greatest scholars of all nations…" He trailed off and shook his head sadly. "The solution that was reached was to put them to the sword. So that they could rest at last, and pose no further harm to innocents."
"...I see," She said quietly, her thoughts inscrutable. "I'm glad that you're okay then, Cyril."
He gave her a surprised look, before his expression turned warm, "Thank you for your kind words. Hollows are not pleasant to encounter…and depending on the individual, many retain their skills from before their affliction. It makes them quite dangerous. That is why I made note of what creatures are hostile to them on sight, as it meant that I could expect to encounter less of them."
"That does put some of your notes in context. Would you say Hollows were the primary danger there? Over any of the fauna that's in this journal?" Sucrose asked.
"Not the most dangerous, but certainly one of the most common." Cyril replied.
"Got it." She wrote something down before giving him an apologetic look, "I'm sorry if I brought up any unpleasant memories."
"No need to worry. As I said before, I am at your disposal," Cyril shook his head and spoke reassuringly.
He wondered if she realized he wasn't telling the whole truth, as the curse of undeath was indeed a mystery, but the reason for hollowing was known: loss of purpose, giving into despair. He'd just combined the two for now, until he could reveal the full truth at a later point in time.
"O-Okay then…" Sucrose averted her eyes once more, occupying herself with the journals, "It's a shame I can't get my hands on a live example of some of the flora or fauna you've written about. N-Not that I'm disappointed with you or anything!"
"It would help your studies along greatly with some hands-on experience, wouldn't it?" Cyril agreed. "Though since I do not know how I arrived, there is always a chance…I've had discussions in which I pondered if others from my homeland might arrive here in Teyvat as well."
"...You don't seem to like that idea very much." Sucrose pointed out the frown that had subconsciously wormed its way onto his face.
"Mm. I worry that someone unprepared may find themselves in harm's way. Still, there's no use agonizing over such things until they happen." Cyril straightened up. "Was there anything else you wished to speak about?"
"Actually, yes! So, I went over the notes that Lisa and Albedo compiled on your magic system, and I was wondering if any of the creatures' powers were somehow linked to the same energy source. Do you have any knowledge on that?" She tilted her head curiously, a rather endearing sight.
"Hmm…perhaps we can go over the creatures you have in mind one-by-one? I've not really thought about any connection between the powers they wield and the magic we used." Cyril suggested.
"Okay!" Sucrose nodded happily, before pulling out an extra seat for him to sit down on, "First, there's the obvious correlation between the lightning spell you've demonstrated and the lightning bolts that these imps you wrote about can cast…"
It was past lunchtime before Sucrose realized how long they'd ended up conversing for. More embarrassingly for her, the signal that informed them was the growling of her stomach, which caused her no small amount of mortification.
Deciding to spare her any further embarrassment, Cyril said his farewells and left her workshop while she packed her things before going to grab a meal.
He was about halfway to his personal quarters when he encountered Albedo once more.
"Ah, Cyril. How did your discussions with Sucrose go? I meant to follow up with you, but I was preoccupied with other work." Albedo greeted him with a stoic nod.
"Good day Sir Albedo. Our meeting went well, at least by my reckoning. She seems quite interested in the creatures and plants of my world." Cyril replied fondly.
"That journal of yours is liable to make her wish she could visit those lands," Albedo agreed. "I assume she suggested passing that 'titanite' material you brought on to our contacts for further research?"
"Indeed." Cyril nodded. "I informed her it's not very urgent as my equipment doesn't require maintenance often, and I have plenty of reserve materials available."
"Understood." Albedo paused, seeming to mull over something before a flicker of mixed emotions flashed across his face. "I don't wish to pry, but I have to ask, are all the humans of your world like you?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" Cyril frowned puzzledly.
"Forgive me for any offense, but I noticed something about you that marks you as plainly different from the average human of Teyvat. The discrepancy is…metaphysical in nature, as strange as that may sound. It's more apparent when you are casting magic, so perhaps it has something to do with the 'soul' you say powers your spells." Albedo explained.
"..." Cyril's expression flattened, though he wasn't able to hide his surprise, "You're quite sharp, Sir Albedo."
"I have a fair amount of experience studying humans, after all." Albedo shrugged, "It was just a passing curiosity. Though judging from your reaction…there is something deeper to it than a mere difference between an individual of Teyvat and an individual from your world."
"...Yes. I swear it is not my intention to deceive or mislead. It's just…something concerning my past and origins." Cyril sighed.
"I see. Then I won't say any more," Albedo replied. "Though if you'll take unsolicited advice…perhaps confiding in someone you trust will alleviate the weight you're feeling."
"...I've had the same idea, actually." Cyril smiled wryly. "Thank you for your words, Sir Albedo."
Albedo simply gave another nod and continued on his way, leaving the Astoran knight alone with his thoughts.