whatsthehurry | albaedo

[ What the fuck.

Even from his lower vantage point, Albedo manages to pierce Kaeya with the flattest of looks. Regrettably, Kaeya is right - much as he might hate to be inconvenienced, he can hardly refuse a request for aid. It's part a sense of responsibility, part curiosity, but it's fully a pain.

Especially when helping a very drunk man home. Which reminds him that he doesn't actually know where Kaeya lives...and getting directions out of him at this point might be difficult.

What to do with him, then... ]

I suppose you were. As long as it doesn't become a habit...

[ He sighs, before starting them to lead them in the direction of his own nearby apartment that he keeps in Mondstadt. It's small, for all the time he spends on Dragonspine he hardly needs a fully functioning home here. Still, it will more than suit their needs. ]

[ kaeya is drunk enough that he hardly even notices they're not moving in the direction of his home. he doesn't stay there often, anyway - more often he's at the headquarters or in someone else's bed, so it doesn't faze him, or even occur to him, at first.

he's happy to just remain draped over albedo, for now!! ]

Habit? Mmmm.. but you're so.. ah, mph, what's the word..

[ you know, that word for someone you can count on. something you can rely on. oh! ]

.. reliable!

[ Careful, Kaeya...he's reliable to a point, don't think he won't ditch you like he did at the Golden Apple Archipelago just because there's no one else here to look out for him if he does. (He won't.)

He's not sure which is worse; listening to Kaeya and Diluc argue the whole flight to the islands, or dragging him back to his apartment while drunk...it's a toss up, but at least he's only dealing with one person this time. ]

And yet, sometimes it comes back to bite me. Up these steps with me now.

[ Perhaps a little ungently, he nudges Kaeya ribs to alert him to the stairs they must ascend to reach Albedo's apartment above the alchemists' guild. ]

[ you wouldn't abandon this face, would you, bedo?? :c

if you wouldn't, you should. ]

Mm.. steps, yes. Ow..

[ he stumbles up the first step, but soon snags the railing with his free hand, using it to stabilize himself while they continue. the rest of the stairs are relatively uneventful. he's finally beginning to cotton on to the fact that this isn't his place, however. ]

Where are we going?

[ he doesn't seem perturbed, however.. ]

[ Ah, thank goodness, Albedo won't need to drag him up the stairs, too. Even if it's not a particularly graceful ascent, they still make it to the door, into which Albedo slots a key from his overcoat. ]

My apartment at the alchemists' guild. Since I'm not often in Mondstadt, I don't stay here much, but it should have everything you need to recover for the night.

[ With one shoulder still supporting Kaeya, he nudges the door open. ]

Including a shower.

[ He needs one... ]

[ no, thankfully kaeya is rarely so drunk that he cannot manage stairs. he's rarely even this drunk, if he's honest - his constitution is quite strong, it takes quite a bit of wine to get him in this state. tonight, he had been particularly lonely. ]

Right, right, you're usually.. up there on.. Dragonspins. Dragon.. Dragonspank.

[ he giggles. i hate him. ]

Dragon.. spoon. Mm. On the mountain.

[ and in they go! kaeya steps with him into the small apartment. it looks modest enough, but clean, and it smells nice. ]

[ Well fortunately for Kaeya, he now has the company of Mondstadt's most noteworthy hermit! That should surely ease his loneliness, right???

Though he's not bad company, really, and at this point, Kaeya won't be looking for a companion so much as a couch to crash on. Albedo can provide that. Inside the apartment they go, and while it isn't terribly lived-in, there is still a warmth to it, thanks to the piles of books and notes that rest on every surface. It's not unlike his camp on Dragonspine, where every feature seems wholly focused on research. Even when he retires here, his mind still seeks the stimulation that only continuing his work can bring.

In other words, it's a bunch of nerd shit. ]

Yes, on the mountain. What was it called again...? Ah, never mind.

[ They make their way towards the couch, before Albedo eases Kaeya down onto it, exhaling softly. ]

Now then, wait here while I draw the water for the bath.

[ what if he is also looking for a companion?? kaeya is a lonely bastard, he likes to fill his time with people as often as he can, it keeps him distracted from his own thoughts, and there are few things kaeya hates as much as being alone with himself. albedo might be mild-mannered, but company is company, and honestly, kaeya enjoys being around those types. looks at both diluc and rosaria..

he drops heavily onto the couch with a deep sigh, throwing his arms over the back of it and sinking into the cushions. ]

Mm.. that sounds perfect..

[ a nice, hot bath.. just what the doctor ordered. kaeya's eye sweeps over the room, taking in the papers and books and tables, but soon enough everything is spinning, so he rests his head back and closes his eye, instead. better not to puke on poor albedo's sofa. ]

[ Please do not puke on his sofa, he may not stay here often but he still doesn't want to have to think about how Kaeya threw up on his couch anytime he sits on it!! ]

Wait just a moment.

[ He would be lying if he said it wasn't a little bit tempting to make it an ice cold bath instead. It would sober him up a bit, and, you know, he'd like to see how Kaeya reacts to it. For scientific purposes, and not for mischief, of course.

But in the end he opts for a hot bath. Do they even have indoor plumbing in Genshin??? Who can say, but Albedo draws a warm bath somehow. Soon enough, steam begins to filter into the living room, to which Albedo soon returns. ]

Now, then. If you would make quick work of cleaning yourself up, I would appreciate it. Steam will get to the tomes if exposed for too long, and there's the matter of your rest to see to as soon as possible.

[ Is Kaeya the kind of person to spend an hour in the bath? He certainly seems like he would be. ]

[ i'm pretty sure there's indoor plumbing?? idk teyvat is weird, it's advanced in a lot of ways but i can't remember whether or not they mentioned plumbing.

... though uh now that i think about it, nahida sure did mention flushing that dookie away, which implies toilets, so yeah i think indoor plumbing is a go?? ANYWAY.. ]

Mmm.. hmm?

[ kaeya had definitely been dozing a little bit. also albedo is absolutely right, he likes to take his time in the shower, getting himself perfectly squeaky clean and probably using about 400 hair and skin products. but he can make do with roughing it. albedo's hair looks soft and fluffy, he probably has nice conditioner. ]

Oh, yes. 'Course.

[ with a grin, he's climbing his lanky body to his feet again, still unsteady, but at least this time he doesn't stagger into a wall. he shoots albedo a sharp grin before he's off to the washroom. for the sake of brevity, we'll fast-forward through all of the bathing!! by the time kaeya emerges, he's looking and feeling much more clean, and a little bit more sober, too. he's still quite tipsy, but he's able to walk mostly properly, and speak without slurring. ]

That was excellent. You're a peach.

[ I'm really glad that the dook-dook line is informing your worldbuilding assumptions. As it should...

By the time Kaeya emerges from the bathroom, Albedo is making up a makeshift bed on the sofa. He could probably send Kaeya home now, but better that he keeps an eye on him until morning, and who knows how long it might take him to get home. They should both get some rest as soon as they can.

And "rest" for Albedo probably means falling asleep slumped over a pile of books on his desk. Still. ]

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You look much more...seemly.

[ Ah, but there might be a few more leaves in his hair. Thoughtlessly, Albedo reaches forward to pluck one from Kaeya's hair. ]

Do you need a hand with your hair?

[ it's important canon knowledge, all right. i'm using my critical thinking skills, or something.

and look at albedo, making up the couch for him! he's really a kind person, isn't he? he sure didn't have to do any of this for kaeya, yet here he is, taking time out of his night to baby a drunk. he's sober enough now to be able to properly appreciate it, at least, though his smile is still lazy.

it sharpens a bit, when albedo pulls that leaf from his hair. ]

Oh, I thought I got them all..

[ apparently not. it was a lot of leaves. kaeya's eyelid lowers. ]

I won't refuse you, however. That sounds nice.

[ kaeya is a peacock, he loves to be preened. ]

[ The couch isn't for you, Kaeya!!! Albedo sleeps in a cave in ice town most of the time, even a couch will be like sleeping on clouds for him. ]

Just a moment, then.

[ Albedo is the farthest thing from vain, but he does like to keep a tidy appearance, to keep his mind clear for his work and operating at his best. He can't abide letting Kaeya sleep with leaves still in his hair, though hopefully the jizz at least all washed out fine...

Anyway, Albedo disappears into the bathroom for a moment before returning with a brush in hand, motioning for Kaeya to sit on the sofa. ]

Sit here, if you would.

[ what, don't make him sleep in your bed, albedo!! he'll fight you on this!!

also yes, here's hoping all the jizz made it out of his hair, indeed.. we'll say that it has, so poor albedo doesn't need to deal with it. anyway, kaeya drops heavily onto the sofa to wait for him to return, sinking deeply into the cushions. it smells familiar in here, he realizes - like albedo's hair and skin, a scent he'd become acquainted with while leaning heavily on him all the way here.

it also smells like old books and parchment, and something sharp and acrid as well, that he can't place, but he's sure must be alchemical in nature. overall, it's not a bad atmosphere. not kaeya's preferred sort of place, but not uncomfortable, either. it certainly feels far more lived in and cozy than his own place, that's for sure. anyway, he grins. ]

It's been a long time since anyone's combed my hair for me.

[ And it's been a long time since Albedo combed anyone else's hair - well, Klee notwithstanding. She comes back from her various...adventures with all matter of sticks and bugs in her hair, that Kaeya's seems tame in comparison, even if it's much longer. It's a nice color, too, a unique shade that Albedo is already carding through his paints in his mind and pondering which he would combine to match this exact color.

But he's getting distracted.

With precision and care, he begins his task, standing behind the couch so Kaeya's hair fans out over the back, a veritable waterfall for him to work through. The bath took care of the worst of it, but Albedo is still careful as he pulls the brush through the other man's hair, working out snarls and leaves both. ]

Yours is a little better taken care of than Klee's, I'll give you that. Though I suspect you have less of a tendency to set yourself on fire.

[ albedo sets to work, and kaeya rests his neck against the back cushion, his eyelid dropping low. those fingers in his hair.. they feel lovely. albedo is careful, gentle, and the touch to his scalp is enough to make kaeya shiver. he's a tactile person, he loves to touch and be touched, it hardly matters that he and albedo are little more than acquaintances.

it's all the more reason to get to know him better, isn't it?

albedo's knuckles brush the nape of his neck, and kaeya purrs a soft sound in his throat, followed up by a chuckle. ]

You're right about that. Fire and ice aren't the best of friends, though little Klee makes for excellent company nonetheless.

[ kaeya's eye closes, and he smiles. ]

And she's very fond of you.

[ What was that noise? A...snore? That's all he can assume, even if it didn't really sound like one...better he just. Not think about it, and continue to brush Kaeya's hair out.

Though it's a little bit strange...should he feel uncomfortable about this? It's not as though he's ever done something like this before. In his estimation, he was just being practical, but now he can't help but wonder if he's stumbled into something that is more intimate than two mere acquaintances should share in.

Hm. Right. Better to let this conversation distract him. ]

I just don't want Miss Alice to have any reason to regret leaving her in my care. She may be a handful sometimes, but such a precocious spirit deserves to be nurtured until she blooms like a Pyro Regisvine into the most powerful being in Mondstadt.

[ no albedo.. no that wasn't a snore.. ]

Well said.

[ this is absolutely more intimate than normal acquaintances might allow, but neither of them are completely normal people, and speaking for himself, kaeya enjoys it. he's easy to get along with in general, laid back and comfortable as a person, absolutely the sort to allow a coworker to comb his hair. especially when said coworker is cute. and if he's honest, kaeya's wanted an excuse to get to know albedo better. ]

She's lucky to have you, and you're lucky to have her. I've no doubt that she'll grow to overshadow each and every one of us.

[ with a pang to his heart, kaeya smiles. he can't help but be reminded of the families he once had. two of them, now both lost. ]

[ There's genuine fondness in Kaeya's voice, and while Albedo more or less trusted Klee's estimation of others, it's nice to hear for himself that this man genuinely cares for the girl that Albedo has come to see as his younger sister. If anything happened to her, it wouldn't just be for Alice's sake that he would worry.

She is the closest thing he has to family himself now, after all, and in many ways...their connection is more simple and straightforward than the one he had shared with his Master.

But this isn't the time for such thoughts. He continues to work through the lingering snarls in Kaeya's hair, fingers carding through to ensure the brush has done its job. It doesn't even strike him that it might be an intimate gesture; he doesn't have a great frame of reference for such things. ]

She's lucky to have you, too. I may or may not have used seeing you as a means to motivate her to behave in the past, so I owe you my thanks for that.

[ Klee is always thrilled to see Unkie Kaeya! ]

[ kaeya's smile is thin, but genuine; a shame that albedo can't see it properly, standing behind him as he is, but perhaps that is for the better. kaeya doesn't particularly like to bear his soft parts openly. ]

Now you're just flattering me.

[ a soft laugh, his eye still closed. ]

But for what it's worth, use me as you wish, if it means keeping her out of trouble. Well. Too much trouble.

[ she can have a little trouble, kaeya thinks. the threads of his hair tickle the back of his neck as albedo brushes, bringing kaeya to shiver against the cushion, and when those fingers slip into his hair again, he presses against them. ]

That feels too good.

[ Klee will have a little trouble whether they like it or not...Albedo doesn't laugh in return, but his smile remains gentle and fond.

Kaeya's reaction to his touch, however, is unexpected, and puzzling. Is he perhaps invading Kaeya's personal space? And yet the other man isn't shivering away. It's perplexing, heat blooming just beneath Albedo's collar that he swiftly ignores. ]

Is your head sensitive, perhaps? Or do you simply enjoy physical contact with another person?

[ An astute observation, and one given very matter-of-factly, no judgment or leading in his voice. ]

[ kaeya rests his head back a little further against the cushion, mostly so he can flick his eye up toward albedo. he's such a curious little thing, asking such a question in that tone. he's absolutely not like anyone else that kaeya's ever met, that much is certain. ]

Both.

[ he's mildly surprised that albedo hasn't surmised as much on his own; after all, kaeya's rumored promiscuity is well known, but then, albedo spends so much time up on that mountain, and he also doesn't seem the sort to pay much mind to rumor. admirable, really. kaeya thrives on whispered information. ]

It's nice, don't you think? Though I suppose you don't have much contact, when you're holed up in icy caves. A shame.

[ Albedo is also the sort that likes to discover things for himself; judgment is always reserved until he has the chance to observe and interact. Before tonight, he didn't have much of an impressions of Kaeya, aside from his tendency to spend a considerable amount of time with his boots up on his desk, but that's hardly a crime.

It seems to fit that he would enjoy contact so much, though. He's a warm, engaging kind of person, his disposition so unlike Albedo's own muted tendencies. He's fascinating. ]

I do not, aside from the occasional visitor. However, the seclusion suits me. I've yet to find a better place to focus and conduct my research in relative peace, the odd intruding hilichurl notwithstanding.

[ And there was. That whole business with his doppelganger. But that guy hasn't showed up for awhile! OR HAS HE.... ]

[ what a good little guy, honestly. kaeya doesn't necessarily always believe rumor, but rumors do have a way of being true often enough, so he certainly doesn't write them off. not to mention, he simply enjoys gossip for gossip's sake. ]

You don't get.. lonely?

[ kaeya wouldn't know what that's like. he's lonely all the time. he's lonely when he's surrounded by people. no matter how problematic others can be, he can't imagine living in such isolation; honestly, he'd rather pitch himself off of a cliff. ]

[ It's not the first time he's been asked such a question, though for a long time, Albedo didn't know why people were so surprised. He's a little more sensitive to it, now, but maybe he's just used to being alone, after Gold vanished all those years ago. ]

It would be more accurate to say that I don't perceive my own loneliness. I get so caught up in my work, it leaves room for little else. Sometimes I do wish for a companion with which to share my discoveries, however.

[ With Kaeya's hair now nice and brushed, Albedo's hands drop away from his head, as he sets the brush aside. That was strangely soothing, even to himself. ]

[ albedo's hands draw away from his hair, and kaeya grunts his displeasure. the gravy train has reached the station, it would seem. ]

Mm..

[ that still sounds sad to kaeya, but then, at the very least albedo isn't actively hurting. he's quiet for a moment, contemplative, imagining what it must be like living on that frigid peak, alone, with only research for company. kaeya sighs, sinking further into the cushions, his eyelid flickering low. the booze is catching up with him again, his lucidity gained from the bath beginning to fade, and kaeya yawns. ]

Well.. maybe I'll need to come visit you up there someday, in that case. Though I can't pretend to care too much about alchemy.

[ Sorry, Kaeya, no more free touchy-feelies for now!! Better find other ways to make a mess of yourself.

With his task accomplished, Albedo moves around to the other side of the couch and perches on the seat next to Kaeya, a soft smile on his lips. It isn't often that he gets called on to help someone like this, and it's nice to feel as though he's accomplished the task well, despite his lack of experience. He can only hope Kaeya gets the rest he's looking for tonight. So long as Klee doesn't come over in the morning, it should be very quiet and relaxing... ]

You're welcome to visit anytime you like. Even if alchemy isn't your passion, there's still plenty to do and see. There are few vistas as breathtaking. Once you take in the whole of Mondstadt from Dragonspine's peaks, few things compare.

[ Maybe he could even get Kaeya to sit for a painting up there. It would suit him, Albedo thinks. ]

Mmm..

[ kaeya is growing quite sleepy by now, between the alcohol, the general atmosphere, and albedo's expert hair brushing. his hooded eye flicks toward albedo as he sits, but then soon closes. ]

Well, I'll keep that in mind.

[ it might not be so bad, visiting him up there, seeing what he's up to. if it's one thing he's learned tonight, it's that being around albedo is pleasant and warm, a feeling kaeya gets around very few people. even though dragonspine doesn't seem welcoming in the slightest, it's certainly beautiful, and -- oh, well, he's asleep now. ]

[ Ah, well. So much for insisting Kaeya takes the bed. He needs it far more than Albedo tonight, he thinks, but while Albedo might be strong enough to help Kaeya here, he doubts he could straight up carry him to his bedroom.

Alright, fine, he can rest on the couch, then.

With a small, warm smile, Albedo sighs and rises to his feet before standing before Kaeya and resting both hands on his shoulders to guide him back down against the sofa, adjusting the pillow beneath his head so it hopefully won't be too uncomfortable.

A man so full of life and personality...he looks so peaceful like this. ]

Sleep well, Captain.

albaedo

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