Art: ???
A/N: Publishing again! Yessss!!
Give it up again for another chapter in a row this month! I just got so excited about this small 'side quest' kind of story they all got dragged into.
(Edit): Bruh— why'd I think Pulcinella would be taller.......... He's not even tall enough to carry Y/N on his shoulder either. (P.S. For those who've seen the new Genshin video)
My image of him was taller, but shorter than Dottore. And a cool guy with a mystery opus mask on from the very early shown story chapter preview.
The two adoptive brothers couldn't help but be excited somehow to absolutely destroy some newbies in fighting.
When they say sparring, did they mean with actual weapons? Or with spare hands?
"We've gone over weapon handling, so we'll be sparring with these daggers you'll start to become accustomed to." The 'mentor' announced as he brought out an entire rack of an entire selection of blades.
All looking identical, only they were made of wood. The shape were exactly as seen as per more pro Fatui guys.
'But they're still weak,' per Diluc's declaration.
Diluc stared at the dagger, as he tried to adjust his grip on the weapon. But it was somehow so weird shaped it was hard to easily grasp and get used to quite yet.
Kaeya was already swinging it around in the air like a freezing maniac psycho.
Albedo was analyzing every single bit of it, as he went into the motion of grabbing his notebook and pen, only he realized he was wearing a different jacket.
"Alright, first up I want number 15 and 22. Then 31 and 8. 40 and 44–" and ect. Only Diluc was paired up with Kaeya unexpectedly.
While Albedo was up against a taller and very confident boasting foe. A type of person he's most having trouble of dealing with.
'Man, is Albedo alright against that guy? He looks pretty ripped and a lot bigger than he is...' he looked from Albedo over to his own opponent Diluc. And noticed the fired-up aura he was feeling as Diluc gripped the handles of the blades tightly, staring down Kaeya.
Then he came to remember, 'am I going to be alright against this guy?' He started to sweat rapidly, because he knew Diluc absolutely forgot about 'keeping it moderate' as soon as Kaeya was his opponent.
"Start whenever you're ready, in 3, 2, 1!" It was quiet until there was a loud clash that didn't sound like wood hitting each other. It wasn't a less aggressive and almost placid sound.
Most eyes turned to Diluc who hadn't thought even twice about attacking Kaeya very seriously. As the blueberry man looked quite concerned for himself, and Diluc because quite naturally people might think he's a little too trained for this kind of thing.
"Diluc, moderate." Kaeya whispered through his teeth.
"I am keeping it moderate."
"Not to the people around us." He whispered back, as he pushed Diluc's weight off of himself. Using his daggers, swinging them straight upwards to distance himself from him.
The rest stared as this was happening in almost 10 seconds.
And before the two could continue the intense fighting, they both saw an image in their heads of the one fight that broke their brotherhood in half.
Which made the fight a little more mild and moderate in fact.
As Albedo noticed the sharp and immediate decrease of will to fight, the instructor proceeded to shout for the rest to start their own fights already.
"Hehe, unlucky for you. You have to fight me." The giant guy chuckled, as he continued to talk. Albedo couldn't help but almost roll his eyes at whatever crap he was talking about. "You're so small, you look like my little sister. And she's 6."
Albedo just silently stared at this guy, looking upwards. And quite literally seemed like he was belittling this giant guy just by looking.
"Though, since this is just a spar match I'll go easy—" he was cut off when Albedo had kicked off the ground and in an instant had the wooden dagger point towards the guy's eye.
"Unlucky for you, I won't." Albedo replied coldly, and quite aloof he was.
It was silence after that, the lesson continued while they were still infiltrating as 'students.' And by far the most humiliating thing was the fact that Scaramouche had passed by and immediately saw them mixed in with the rest.
He never failed to give them a disgusted, or rather annoyed look at them but walked off.
They had finally finished, but were dead tired after these lessons because they were too old to be doing these kinds of exercises. They didn't even need it, nor did Albedo. He just had skills.
Mad skills indeed.
Diluc was regrettably carrying a dead Kaeya on his back, as he tossed him a little up so the guy wouldn't fall as he groaned in fatigue like no other.
Albedo knew no matter how much Diluc portrays himself to hate such a narcissistically appealing man Kaeya was, he couldn't hate him much longer.
Nor did he really truly loathe him, and possibly just a 'spur of the moment type of thing,' Albedo theorized.
Though I guess we'd never hear him admit it vocally no matter how much he cared, even after watching the way he carried the tired captain with such an annoyed grumbling and scoldings.
They've taken different paths and traveled different roads. But they might end up on the same one when they're old. And if one was under trenches and under fire, the other would cover the other.
They've lived different lives, and Celestia only knows if they'll make it back with all their fingers and toes. Five years, twenty years, they'll come back. And they'll always be the same.
If one was dying on their knees, the other would be the one to rescue the other. If they were drowned at sea, the other would give their lungs so they could breathe.
- (from a very specific song, and alternated by me. If you know where, go to the very bottom of this chapter and comment it where I tell you to. I'd like to know. Love this song since a long time ago...)
They've traveled far down these same looking halls. They were dark and cold, the same since they've first entered the palace. And it was absolutely annoying to be facing those many freezing figures.
Diluc pushed Albedo and Kaeya back suddenly when they were about to turn a corner. And it would've been fine if they were just simple Fatui members, only they seemed a little to advanced. And the way their footsteps were drawing in closer and closer towards them was even more concerning.
The fiery man was the first to take action, as he started to sprint back down the halls they came from. Kaeya followed, as he pulled Albedo along as if he couldn't run for himself.
"There! Over there! After them!"
"Were we discovered already?" Diluc nearly shouted, but to himself in such frustration.
"Scaramouche is going to kill us~" Kaeya said again in his very confident yet flirtatious, and scheming voice as they continued to flee.
And they weren't supposed to get caught because they haven't even found the way towards Y/n yet because of so much wasted time. But Albedo retained something else: the fact that the dungeons weren't so far away.
"Let them catch us." Albedo suddenly stopped and proposed.
Now, Kaeya had the right to sound absolutely perturbed and petrified by this statement. "Okay, your demands are starting to get out of hand. And I may have one eye showing right now, but I sure can see an absolutely bizarre joke right now from you."
"But I don't do jokes." Albedo replied quickly, as he stood and stared at Kaeya funnily in a way. And Diluc gave a very distasteful face.
"Just do as I say." Albedo suggested again. "I want to check something."
"In a cell?!" Kaeya whisper shouted as he looked around and started to slightly panic as the footsteps approached closer.
"And don't use your visions so they'd easily catch us. Wouldn't want even more attention."
Diluc eyes Albedo carefully, "you sure you have a plan though?"
"I don't. Just pure curiosity, I need to check something. That's all there is." Albedo finished. He was being absolutely serious, and the way everything was happening so quickly didn't make the process any better.
There was a few moments of pure silence, as Diluc looked at Albedo more sternly. Cause, who's thinks Diluc would actually willingly agree to this kind of thing?
"I guess I'm in then." He turned his head towards Kaeya who looked troubled, but knowing that there was no way out of this, he ruffled his hair and chuckled very nervously.
"I can't believe I let myself be caught this easily purposely." He said, as he saw the approaching Fatui, ready to apprehend them.
And so they found themselves in a dungeon cell under this cold place.
They had even confiscated their visions, which were placed on some shelf beside the door to the dungeons. (A/N: In this story, I interpreted myself that if they don't have the vision somewhere on them, then they can't use it.)
Diluc had his arms crossed, as all of their masks were forcefully taken since their identities were already revealed anyways.
That they were intruders.
Diluc raised his red eyes upwards to catch a glimpse of Albedo who seemed to be ever so more deep in thought again. And during those times, silence was always the best.
But not to Kaeya.
"You know, I don't think Jean even realized that I've been gone for half a day. She's too busy with her workload. And I doubt Lisa would really care to tell her anyways." Kaeya babbled on and on about things. "If I don't get out of here, then I won't get my paycheck."
"And then?" Diluc asked, obviously he had little to no interest in this conversation. But for the sake of this seemingly soundless small square space they call a dungeon cell he'd do it.
"And then I wouldn't be able to buy my usually daily wine to drink away my sorrows and drown in my guilty pleasure and addiction to alcohol because of the way it makes people drunk."
"I'd rather like it if you didn't have money to pay. Then maybe you'd be even a little bit of a human and consider the possibility of how much trouble you cause when you're drunk." Diluc finished.
There was a small silence again, "speaking of Mondstadt..." Albedo started. "Don't forget what we talked about back in Morepesok with the kids. Remember? I'd really like to keep it."
"Keep... oh, yeah." Kaeya nodded his head.
"I keep promises."
"Because some don't." Albedo looked at Kaeya for a split second, then back at Diluc.
The group all sat by the fireside, warmed up in large knitted blankets and a few cups of warm drinks. The night was long, and Scaramouche had yet to inform them on anything yet.
And apparently Morepesok happened to be the seaside village they live in.
There were tons of fish to spare, only if they ever do unfreeze from the cold. Or perhaps be able to withstand such cold yet wait patiently for a while. And Childe happened to be that way, fishing for a long time before.
"You don't think he just left us here, do you?" Kaeya whispered to Diluc, as he leaned over a little bit so he didn't have to whisper loudly.
"If he did, then I'd already be burning him." Diluc answered, without much of a care in his violent response, despite looking so calm and serene with his cup of warm milk.
"So where are you three misters from?" Anthon asked to clear out the silence.
"Mondstadt." Albedo answered, whilst Diluc gave him a disapproving look because they shouldn't be revealing too much 'information.'
"Oooh? Is it far from here?" Teucer asked.
"Way too far." Kaeya said.
"Is it... warm?" Tonia asked next.
Diluc had a tinge of pity strike through his eyes, but only for a short moment. "Yes, it's very warm. Many flowers bloom all the time."
"How nice," Tonia stared at her cup, as if she was in her own world. Longing for something at least once to experience like that.
"I wish we could see that." Anthon said, when the silence felt a little too long.
Kaeya and Diluc looked at each other, "we'll bring you one day." Kaeya reassured.
"Really?!" Teucer and Anthon shouted, and maybe a little bit of Tonia too.
"Yeah, of course!" Kaeya smiled. Diluc had another look, and somehow in a way he felt a little bit more morbid of how much restriction these kids have because of Snezhnaya.
"That's a promise, okay Misters?" Teucer asked, with such a widespread smile.
All they could do was look at each other, and as if they were looking at each other for confirmation, they all nodded gently to the kids. With another much kinder smile.
"A promise it is." Albedo replied, he sipped his warm milk again, happily.
A/N: heyyyy guys thanks for coming this far. This chapter was rushed... sorry about that. Double thanks if you actually read everything I wrote, cause— kudos to u!!
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