𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊. 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖉𝖊 || ɢᴇɴꜱʜɪɴ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛ || ᴋᴀᴇʙᴇᴅᴏ || ᴛᴡ; ɢᴏʀᴇ.

𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖚

Snorting and squealing noises clash against each other. Dirty pigs, starved. They want to feast. They want to eat. The small carrots aren't enough. Pigs need more. Greedy creatures. They roll in the mud, and scream for food.

Footsteps, squelching against the soft muddy grass, polished shiny boots now painted with a greenish dark brown mud..

The pigs raced, all 7 of them ran to the hand. A hand with a bucket. They were to be fed. Just enough so the pigs won't eat each other. But enough to keep them sane but hungry. They continue to squeal and scream. The wide landscape of small cecilias have their cries echo. A small, tight pen. To fit 7 pigs. 4 large heavy buckets of meat cut into small pieces. Smelling almost like rotten pork. But these greedy pigs would be willing to eat their own kind to satisfy their hunger. But this wasn't their own kind. So much meat was served to these pigs, almost too much to eat.
"Eat well." A deep voice groans.

Albedo knocked at Kaeya's door. Hearing the 'come in!' from behind the door, Albedo was quick to open the door.

Kaeya, almost hiding behind the stacks of paperwork, looked up to meet the blond's eyes.

"Ah, 'bedo. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kaeya sighed, sitting up in his chair. Albedo paused, studying the room before him. Paper was scattered everywhere. Someone could have mistaken the misfortune of a burglary to this room. Kaeya noted the movement of those bright blue eyes.

"oh, I hope you don't mind the mess." He clears his throat.

Albedo shook his head, "Not at all, Captain." He returns his eyes to the bluenette. "May I ask, what happened?"
Kaeya smiled, not like it had left his face the minute he saw the blond anyways, but he smiled more. Shrugging at the blond before lifting himself off the chair, to stand.
"Well," Kaeya's starred eyes flickered, clenching his teeth. "What happened here, that's a good question" he cleared his throat. "A bird.. Happened." He furrowed his eyebrows, speaking with uncertainty.
"A bird?" Albedo's dull eyes slightly widened.

"Yes.. a bird," Kaeya awkwardly laughed. "A bird had entered my room. I left the window open for fresh air and a bird entered. Made a mess of everything" Kaeya laughed.
Albedo slowly nodded. "Right.."
Kaeya buried his right hand in his pocket, fidgeting with the coin inside.

"Well. If you need help to clean up after I finish up my work.." Albedo hesitated, awkward from the conversion.

"I would very much appreciate that...."
It had appeared Albedo forgot the main reason he came to Kaeya, caught off guard by the mess. Albedo himself was used to a messy environment but even this was too much. The pillows were on the floor off his couch. So was that red blanket. A canvas, one gifted by Albedo himself was on the floor, the frame cracked. And papers everywhere. How could anyone work in such a mess?

"Well, was there something you needed? Unless you wished to see my charming self with the free time you might have had."
Albedo scoffs, the corners of his lips curving to a smile, a pale blush on his cheeks. Hard to catch, but Albedo could feel it.
"Sorry," Albedo mutters, "I have intruded in your room. I was going to ask, if you knew where Huffman was. I have to catch him up on our trip to dragonspine." He cocked an eyebrow slightly.
Kaeya's smile slightly faltered, before posing to a thinking face.
"I thought he had asked for a leave. A vacation he said... to Liyue." Kaeya muttered, brushing his hand against his sharp jaw. Albedo could not hide his surprise, almost stumbling back.
"He had not informed me of such!" Albedo gasps. He was quick to keep his composure.
"He left at the last minute.. Um. He had family to visit. A uh. Marriage"
Albedo frowned. "He deserves a rest but he could at least tell me.. Who shall I go to Sumeru with now?"

Kaeya paused. "I thought you were going to dragonspine."
"No.. I have to go tomorrow, to Sumeru. Dragonspine in 2 weeks from now. How can I tell someone on such short notice to accompany me to Sumeru tho?" Albedo says in frustration.
Kaeya smiled innocently down to the blond, walking up to him. The bluenette laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Shall I come?" He grins.
Albedo blinks. "You want to come?"
Kaeya nods. "Of course why wouldn't I! What time shall we leave?"
Albedo was dumbfounded by this, looking at kaeya in disbelief. "J-Just like that?" Albedo scoffs. Kaeya nods excitedly. Albedo sighs before agreeing.
"Okay, you can come." Kaeya grins.
"Well, we must catch up after work and discuss the trip." Kaeya nods, before returning to his work. Albedo hesitates to speak, before simply nodding and walking off, closing the large brown door off. Albedo glanced at Kaeya's door before looking at the room next to kaeya's.

Solitary confinement. Where Huffman would usually guard the post, now empty.

Kaeya looked down at his luggage.

It wasn't the best. But it contained his clothes, which was enough for him. He stood at the carriage stand, waiting for Albedo.

A distant voice yells the bluenette's name. Kaeya turns his head, watching Albedo walk up to him, waving.
Kaeya keeps his hand in his pocket, his body now turning to Albedo, watching the blond approach him. He had packed heavy, compared to Kaeya.
Albedo finally reached Kaeya, his hair slightly ruffled. Kaeya took a moment to look at the blond, his hair was not in the classic half up half down. Instead, it was all out.
"What took so long?" Kaeya smiled, leaning to the blond. He looked back up at Kaeya, shrugging.
"Katherine wasn't there. She was gone." Albedo muttered, his brows furrowed. Kaeya's eyes flicked at his words.
"What do you mean gone?" Kaeya scoffs.
"Well, she wasn't at her booth. No one has seen her since last week." Albedo sighed, shaking his head as he dropped his luggage to relieve his hand.
"Ah..She must have caught a cold, no?" Kaeya chuckled, taking a luggage of Albedo's, whichever looked the heaviest, with his own luggage as he walked off to a carriage and packed the bags on the cart. The horses whined as the driver fed the horse.
"Of course, everyone has been getting sick recently, Lisa said Jean was also getting a few symptoms.." Albedo concludes, taking the remaining luggage and following the tanned. Also packing the luggage.
"Well, it's good we're getting out, let everyone get rid of whatever is circulating around" Kaeya nods, opening the carriage door for the blond.
"Thanks." Albedo mutters, taking Kaeya's hand to hop on the carriage. Kaeya followed soon after.
"Have you been to Sumeru before?" Kaeya turned to Albedo, cocking an eyebrow.
"I have, yes. I did a lot of travelling a few years back." He responded, looking down at the bluenette's shoes. "Were you elsewhere before you came?" He asked. Kaeya followed the teal watercolour eyes to his shoes. Kaeya's shoes were quite muddy, the heal painted in dry mud.
"Hm, I was sent on a last minute mission to patrol for the hilichurls."
Albedo nodded. "I thought Amber's was covering that patrol.."

Kaeya smiled, putting his hand on Albedo's shoulder. Not responding. Albedo cleared his throat from the silence, looking through his side window, pushing the curtain and looking out.
"Well, it's going to be a long ride, won't it.." The blond cleared his throat, tucking some hair behind his ear.
"Hm, yes.. We will arrive at night." Kaeya murmured, staring at the blond.

Some more silence swallowed the carriage, other than the rattling from the carriage as it shook. The horses trotting and neighing.

"... you should leave your hair out more often." Kaeya muttered. Albedo blinked, looking back at him.

"I should?"

"Yes. It's very flattering."

Albedo smiled to himself first before feeling his cheeks tint red.

"Have you thought about cutting it?" Kaeya asks again.

Albedo hesitates.

"Yes."

"And you didn't?"

Albedo shook his head, smiling to himself. "Captain, you, yourself, know that I am .. quite the introverted one with others. My hair is almost a.. Border for people when I don't want to be.. Seen." He kept pausing, to think of the right words.
Kaeya laughs in response, clapping his hands.
"A curtain!" He exclaims.

Albedo chuckles. "I suppose."

"Smart." Kaeya sighed, nudging his shoulder. Albedo shook his head.

"And you? Do you plan on cutting your hair?" Albedo asked, turning his attention to the bluenette, seeing Kaeya's hair put in a bun, instead of his usual ponytail.
"Ah,no.. It is tradition amongst my background to keep my hair at its longest. It signified beauty." Kaeya smiled, his fingers brushing through his framing pieces.

"Beauty it is you have." Albedo smiled.

Kaeya's eyes slightly rested, a tint on his cheeks. The lightest of reds against his deep tanned skin.

"Why thank you."

The journey to Sumeru was long and tiring. But the two were to wind up there eventually...

find story on my ao3!

ജ~

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨
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