Chapter Text
“Miss Adelinde. Chief Albedo and Spark Knight Klee have arrived.”
Elzer’s smooth voice broke out Adelinde out of her thoughts. She turned and there they were indeed, Albedo and Klee hand-in-hand wearing breezier, casual clothes.
It was an informal day, after all, and an unusual one at that.
It was some time in the afternoon now by the cooling winds provided for them kind weather to be outside where they stood, at the grounds of the Dawn Winery and at the spot overlooking the stretch of the vineyards towards the nearshore of the lake
Adelinde was sat on one of the roundtables, watching the four figures by the lake for a while before the other pair of siblings arrived
“Greetings. I apologize for not greeting you myself,” Adelinde said, not even bothering to hide the exhaustion straining her posture of tone. If only they knew what she’s been through
And this was not about the past 2 weeks of turmoil, but rather the past 2 hours she had spent in the winery’s kitchen with the most… unusual students, to say the least
Her head still pounds with conversations that will haunt Adelinde to her sleep, most definitely
“We can put anything in these Pita Pockets?”
“Technically, that is the way. The way I learned to make it was with ground sizzling pork, tomatoes, and lettuce. Some people do it with shredded chicken.”
“So, in theory…”
“What?”
“Adelinde, where’s the candy jars?”
“They’re not under the sink?”
“If they were, I wouldn’t be asking, would I now, Kaeya?”
“You hid them, didn’t you Adelinde!”
“Because I know you boys would cause a disaster as soon as I unknowingly prompt you to. You are most definitely not putting chocolate chips as Pita Pocket stuffing.”
“Cocoa beans are not meat, so they’re a vegetable. Right, Jean?”
“Please don’t put me in with you two. Barbara, stop laughing, you should be defending me.”
“Ow, ow, okay Adelinde! We’re joking! We’re not so conceited as to disrespect culture. Think better of us, will you?”
“But seriously, you have candy jars? I think I fancy myself a gummy worm too.”
“No one’s getting candy until you make the perfect Pita Pocket.”
“…define ‘perfect’, Miss Adelinde.”
“Evenly cooked and tightly stuffed.”
“We’re all gonna die from the lack of sugar in this hot as fuck kitchen.”
“Kaeya, watch your fucking mouth.”
“Diluc!”
However, Adelinde can’t deny it was fun, so she doesn’t fight the smile stretching onto her lips
Klee gives a cute curtsy, smiling from eye to eye. “Hello Miss Adelinde! Can I go into your big house now?” she leaned in eagerly, doe eyes out and arms folded behind her
Albedo visibly tightened his hold on Klee’s hand. She gave a squeak and pouted.
Adelinde laughed, fondly petting Klee’s head, “You can go wherever you please, but if you’re actually looking for company, I’m afraid you won’t find it in there.”
The siblings followed her gaze to the nearshore of the lake.
Underneath one of the trees sat Barbara and Diluc, the girl leaned against the man as they both contributed to whatever wild commotion or banter that Jean and Kaeya were having while standing. Occasionally, Jean and Kaeya would shove each other, Diluc would get kicked, or Barbara would seemingly be threatened, but it was all in good fun and there was always at least one of them laughing.
They were there, Adelinde remembers, because they have eaten one too many of Jean, Kaeya, and Diluc’s “imperfect Pita Pockets” (or at least, imperfect by Adelinde’s impossible standards, so the kids lightly put it)
They finished a couple of laps around the estate (not the winery, the estate) – Barbara had done only half, Kaeya had done 3, Diluc and Jean did about 10 each… and now they were suffering the consequences of going on a run without due warm-ups (that Adelinde had painstakingly reminded them about before that)
Children, honestly…
Adelinde can’t help but feel giddy at thinking that.
Klee gasped in awe, too many familiar faces in their expected pairs it seems. She turned to her big brother with doe eyes once more, no doubt a tactic she had learned from a certain talented liar.
“Big brother, can Klee go play with the big kids? Pretty please?” the girl asked, hand clasped in front of her
Albedo petted her head, “Remember to announce yourself and mind your manners, okay?”
“Okay!” Klee giggled, a bounce to her step as she raced out of the cobblestone grounds of the winery and disappeared in the vineyards, no doubt already with a tactful navigation towards the place where the “big kids” were
Adelinde watched the girl waddle down to the lake, the others have noticed her arrival by then and are cheering her on to come and shouting reminders of being careful (mostly by Kaeya and Barbara)
Albedo sank down on the chair across her with a heavy sigh. She frowned at him, “Won’t you be joining your little sister with your peers?”
The man shook his head and closed his eyes, “I was thinking I should help with the dinner preparations. It’s only right since we’re tardy.”
Adelinde fought back the need to grin at her own cheeky thoughts. Albedo, my, what great husband behavior you’re displaying! And so blatantly in front of Diluc? – Kaeya’s voice narrated Adelinde’s own thoughts, that boy really is a bad influence on Adelinde
“Nonsense. There’s more than enough staff to prepare it for you,” she said, “You are guests, you needn’t feel obligated to help in the estate.”
There was a dinner to be held in the winery, for no other reason than Kaeya having invited one too many friends with him to the estate so now they have to make room for what should’ve just been a dinner for 3 – now, it’s a dinner for 6
(should’ve been for 8, actually; but Miss Eula declined and Miss Lisa insisted on taking over the headquarters while Jean, her fiancée, enjoyed some well-deserved “family time”, her words specifically)
Not that Adelinde would’ve minded a larger crowd than she had expected, of course.
The Dawn Winery is always lively, bustling with employees and countryside citizens, but it’s a different sort of liveliness when it’s these such people that are gathered in its grounds and halls.
“You should enjoy the fine afternoon while the day has yet to grow old, Chief Albedo,” Adelinde advised, turning back to watch the 5 little figures by the lake, “The sunlight can only stay for so long, after all. And I’m not very good company in this age of mine.”
“I’m afraid I’m not very good at conversation either, even amongst my peers,” Albedo sighed
Adelinde chuckled, glancing at him with a knowing look. “I’m sure your mere presence will be a prompt of much conversation.”
Albedo met her gaze for a split second. From the corner of her eye, Adelinde watched him flush red in embarrassment and sink further into his seat
After a while, Albedo eventually gathered his courage and stood up, excusing himself meekly before awkwardly beginning his walk of shame down to the nearshore of the lake where the other 5 are
Even from the distance, Adelinde can feel Kaeya’s teasing smile at Diluc as Albedo walked over to them, a smile that Jean and Barbara will most likely catch up on the meaning of. Maybe even Klee could catch on to the tension, maybe just not the context (hopefully not)
That ought to keep them busy for the next hour or so.
Adelinde watched them from where she sat for a little longer, as the young men and women talked amongst themselves animatedly.
It’s not what it used to be, Adelinde knows and is learning to make her peace with that; but it is just as precious and special to them as it is to her
Adelinde contemplated getting a camera to capture the moment.
The moment of Diluc and Kaeya being in the same space again, engaging in cheeky banter as though they were still the children that they are deep down
The moment of Jean and Barbara speaking on the same terms and laughing at the same things, in-sync and relating to each other
The moment of Albedo and Klee being together without fearing their lack of time or the consequences that might come after
But she decided against getting a camera. She trusts that there will be more moments like this, so it was alright to relish in them as they come
Or maybe Adelinde is just making excuses. She has been teaching a cooking class for nearly 2 hours straight
What a shame. The sunlight was seemingly just in the right place, approaching the peak of the golden hour soon. Who knows when the sunlight would be this good once again?
There would be rain, hard rain with thunder that cracks the sky and sounds like shattering glass, with howling unkind winds that can cause sailors to be lost to the sea.
There would also be cloudiness, where the sunlight won’t be able to reach all to where it is needed, where it is wanted
Some days, the sunlight just won’t be right.
But they’ll be okay, Adelinde knew so.
They’ll be okay.
In the first floor of the Dawn Winery, on the mantle over a fireplace, is a picture frame solely made of glass. It’s an expensive picture frame. Everyone knows glasswork is a costly service.
But the frame is in glass as it must be and as it should be so that the entire picture it encases is visible.
The picture is aged, as the ink is worn and the paper is stained by the color from the press of parchment paper. But the image it presents is clear.
It is of the secluded shore by Wolvendom. There are, what appear to be, Favonius tents and cargo in some of the corners of the picture, with the captured presence of a few knights that were caught in the frame. Maybe it was taken sometime in the afternoon, the golden hour is apparent in the photo’s subject
Three young Favonius knights, two wearing that of a common knight’s uniform and one who wore what looked like a variation of the uniform, perhaps that for a captain’s, are what the picture was focused on.
They sat on the shore, all of them covered in various bandages, seeming to be conversing in a world of their own.
A blue-haired young man with dark skin on the right, wearing a common knight’s uniform. He leaned back on both arms. His blue eye was twinkling with mischief as he stuck his tongue out at his two companions.
Sat on the center is a blonde-haired young woman, also wearing a common knight’s uniform, but with a dandelion, insignia not found on the other two embroidered on her shoulder. She was also leaning back on both arms, her head tipped backward and her eyes closed as if she were laughing
On the left was a red-haired young man in a captain’s uniform of the knights of Favonius. He was sat with his legs crossed; his elbow placed on his knee so his chin is propped on his closed first. He was grinning, lips parted a little as if he were in the middle of speaking
The picture frame was glass so that even the back of the photograph would be visible.
Because on the back was a tidily written caption.
It read:
“Blackwater Operations Conclusion (December 25th Year 21) Diluc and Kaeya cheer up Jean while the knights set an investigation perimeter around the area. Varka came to scold them, after I took this photo, for moving around while sustaining injuries he says. As if these kids didn’t just sled off of headquarters’ roof last Friday – Alice”
And beneath the caption were three signatures in blue, green, and red ink respectively.
Kaeya Alberich
Jean E.P.G.
Diluc Ragnvindr