In the cold mountains of Dragonspine resides a certain alchemist best known by the people of Mondstadt as Albedo. Most think of him as distant and independent, only focusing on his studies when he isn't exploring the vast landscape, but there is muc...
Night was setting in quickly. The previous array of pinks, purples, and oranges was nothing more than a faded picture of her memory. Since Albedo had left, the snow had picked up, leaving Melanie to move further into the cave to keep away from the bitter cold.
He told her he'd return by morning, yet she yearned to see his calm, teal eyes sooner. It was horribly lonely in the empty campsite. She couldn't bring herself to do much more than lie under his table and stare blankly ahead into the darkness.
What had been so urgent that he had to drop everything and leave? She didn't consider herself as the clingy type, but she wanted nothing more than to be in his presence. Being confined to the camp really changed her mindset on him. Days could go by without seeing him before the whole incident. Now she couldn't go for an hour.
Internally, she felt like death was upon her. The cold was setting into her bones, even with the fire blazing in front of her. Sleep refused to set in and left her wide away. And worst of all, the loneliness within made her heart throb and ache.
Questions formed in her head. Why had Albedo left so quickly? Did he not bother to give her any information? Couldn't she have gone with him? Had he beaten the snow? Her body shivered with fear for him. All she wanted was to hear his voice again.
Melanie frowned and sat up, bumping her head against the desk above her with a loud thump. "Fuck!" she hissed. Her hand went to her head, pulling away sticky with blood. A thin line dribbled down the side of her face. Had she really bumped her head that hard?
A headache began to set in. She crawled out from her hiding place and retrieved a towel from her bag. The snow outside would make a good ice pack, she noted in her head, so she quickly ran outside and scooped a bunch in the towel, and retreated to the fire.
See? She could take care of herself for one night, even if she had already cut open her head. Her mind drifted over to the contents of his supply bags. Melanie walked towards the bag and squatted by it to sort through everything.
There were a large number of snacks, but she had no appetite. A few paintbrushes followed, along with a sketchbook, pencils, and a little packaged present. It immediately piqued her interest. Shoving away everything else, she inspected the wrapped box with great scrutiny. Her name was on it... should she open it?
Her curiosity was too much, for the next moment, the wrapping paper was burning in the fire and her blue eyes were widened with surprise. She dropped the homemade ice pack and gazed at the object. Resting in her hand was a silver bracelet; a custom-made one, by the looks of it.
The bracelet was made up of two long cords of silver intertwined with each other, overlapping just at the clips. Snowflakes were carved into the metal. Each individual flake was jaggy, but for the size of them, there was no surprise.
Immediately, she felt comfortable with the distance between her and the alchemist. She had his jacket and a bracelet just for her. Albedo wasn't one to get angry over the little things, and he was going to give it to her anyway, so what was the point? She shrugged away any doubts and picked up her ice pack to return to under the desk.
She wondered what he was up to. Her previous anxiety had morphed into something completely different, something more positive and easy on her mind. Perhaps he was exploring a place in Mondstadt's territory beyond the city walls. There was likely warmth radiating on him from the bright sun... unless it was raining. Rain was likely as bad as the snow blowing around outside.
Albedo's jacket was pulled close around her. For once, it provided enough warmth for her to remain comfortable, even with the dripping water from the towel. It was tossed to the side with a flop after she decided it no longer served her any use. Now she could tuck her hands safely into the deep pockets and cuddle into the rough fabric.
Once again, Melanie inspected the bracelet around her wrist. The silver distracted everyone from the dark scars lining her pale skin; for once, she felt pretty. Something so small made her feel bigger than she truly was. What an outstanding gift it was! She wasn't sure how long she sat there, staring at the jewelry.
Melanie rolled over onto her side, head positioned to look into the dancing flames. A soft smile spread across her pink lips. Her hand rested on the bracelet, gently cupping it. Though her eyelids were feeling droopy, she didn't feel like she could drift away into her thoughts yet. She needed something to truly convince her.
There was a trick she would use with the Treasure Hoarders to fall asleep under harsh conditions. Often enough, they weren't able to establish a camp before a storm rolled in or for fear of being discovered. This was where countless nights laying awake came into the equation.
Instead of counting sheep, Melanie listened to the weather and tried to predict every gust of wind that came in. The blizzard was easy enough to hear above the crackling of the fire, especially with the way it made the entire cave shake with its intensity. All she had to do was close her eyes and activate her keen sense of hearing.
A huge gust of wind rattled the interior, resulting in a few loose papers flying around. She didn't let that bother her. Instead, she listened to the silence that followed. It was quiet, but the snow still clattered against the rocks. To predict the wind, you had to listen to the trees for the beginning of a crescendo. With the lack of rustling leaves, it would be difficult, but the branches were good enough.
She didn't know how long she was listening to the wind, but it must have been a while. Hours, even. One thing about when she slept was her ability to always listen; always stay alert. Nobody ever snuck up on her.
Quiet. It was still quiet. Melanie could imagine the snowflakes falling, calmer than they previously were, that was until she heard the clattering of branches. The moment she was waiting for, the start of the incoming wind. The sound became more frequent and grew in volume until finally; she felt the wind flow in and brush her cheek.
Or was it the wind? She wasn't quite sure. Her mind was fuzzy with sleep to the point of confusion. The drowsiness she felt was more like she had been asleep and was just waking up rather than the beginning of a sleep cycle. She didn't open her eyes; they were too heavy.
There was a rustle a few feet away, though she assumed more papers were sent flying into the air. She curled tighter into the jacket and sighed with contentment, her breathing slowing once again. Soon, she felt warmth at her back as she drifted away once again to the land of dreams.
She didn't stir again until the next morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can we take a moment just to say....
awwwwwww :)
Question of the chapter: How do you fall asleep when you have trouble?
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