genshin impact drabbles

albedo: adventures in dragonspine [part one]

The frigid wind whipped at your skin as you trekked up the snow covered mountain, face pink and fingers frozen from the more than cold temperature. Gripping the side of your cloak and wrapping it around your body further, you looked at the figure next to you to see if he was losing his battle with the cold as bad as you were. To your displeasure, he seemed mostly unfazed, rosey cheeks aside.

"Albedo," you called your platinum-haired companion through shivers. "Do you mind if we stop and rest somewhere for a bit? I'm dangerously cold."

The alchemist slowed his pace and flicked his eyes around the environment looking for a cave or cavity in the mountain to use as a makeshift shelter. Spotting an opening to a small cavern, Albedo reached his hand behind your back, gently pushing you towards it. The cave was small but not suffocating, it's walls protecting you from the unforgiving winds of the mountain.

"We should be able to rest here for a little while," Albedo said as he started a fire while you set a blanket out for him and cocooned yourself in another.

"Every time I come to Dragonspine I say I'll be okay, and I am wrong every time," you say with a flat face. "I don't know how you do this all the time."

Albedo smirked slightly at your remark, glad his back was facing you to hide his amused expression. "A trick of the trade I suppose." He turned to you and picked up the blanket waiting for him at his feet, draping it over his shoulders. He spoke again, his voice calm as ever, "maybe next time you'll wear an insulated coat instead of a fur-line cloak.

You gaped at him. "There's an insulated coat? An insulated coat!?" The fact that all of your previous trips up this mountain could have been warmer had you known makes you want to laugh and cry. "I really need to do better research."

The ends of Albedo's lips tipped up, a small smile gracing his features. "No worries, I should have told you about them, I-" The man's words were cut off by a rumbling sound accompanied by an intense shaking that made your face high-five the ground.

Hand pressing your forehead, you let out a trivial groan, breaking free from your cocooned state as you sit up to keep yourself from falling again. "What's happening?" You looked at the genius beside you.

"I cannot say for certain, but from the sound coming above us, I think it's an avalanche," he said, voice raised.

At his words, as if he beckoned it, snow came rumbling down, the white substance obstructed the entrance, leaving you and Albedo with no way out. It all happened so fast, and you were wide-eyed at it all.

"Are we stuck in here?" You asked, one part of you wanting to scream and another wanting to laugh hysterically.

"It would appear so."

Eventually, the latter feeling won you over, and you doubled-over on the ground laughing. With happy tears pooling in your eyes, you tried to gain some composure. "Sorry, Albedo, had I known we would get stuck in a cave, I wouldn't have proposed we take a break."

"Well, I am actually glad we stopped," he looked at you thoughtfully. "Had we not, we would be under ten feet of snow right now."

You bounced your head left and right, as if weighing the options. "Yup," you popped the "p" sound, "definitely happy to be in a cave right now." You then looked over to your bags and asked, "you wanna do some work right now to pass the time?"

Albedo nodded, immediately going over to the bags and picking them up, placing them beside you and him as he sat back down on the chilled stone. He pulled out his sketchbook and pen, his eyes reflecting deep thought as he analyzed his art and annotations. You opened your notes as well, going over the properties of forging materials and imprinting the location of crystal chunks in your brain. That's why you came on this journey with Albedo--for he needed to return to his Dragonspine research camp and you needed to gather materials to ascend your sword, it's current state not being enough for the battles you get yourself into anymore.

"Hey, Albedo," if he heard your call he didn't show it, but you knew he was listening anyway. "What did you need from your research camp up here?"

Still in his position, he replied, "I left something when I was there last, it is--" he paused, mentally searching for a fitting adjective. "Sentimental."

You gave him a look of understanding and pressed the subject no further. "Hmm, what are you working on?" You knew you should not have asked, as distracting him from his work was sort of rude, but you loved it when he talked about his work--his eyes brightened, his features softened, and his whole demeanor livened up--even if only slightly.

He only meant to give you a basic breakdown, but he eventually began to ramble. Although the content of his words were complete gibberish, his intonation and inflection were music to your ears. His voice, so silky and smooth, calmed your insides and warmed the frigid atmosphere of the cave.

"But, anyways," Albedo's ramble had come to an end. "How do you feel about getting out of this place now?"

"Get...out...?" You asked, a confused expression etched on your face. "Why do you make that sound easy, I thought you said we were stuck in here?"

The alchemist chuckled, his mouth curving into a slight smirk. "I believe I said we appeared to be stuck, not that we actually were." With that, he turned and aimed his hand at the pile of snow covering the entrance. His hand glowed brightly, a brilliant gold light emitting from his fingers. The light pooled into a ball slightly in front of his palm, shooting out, dissipating the snow as if it was never there.

"H-how did you-"

Albedo let out a big laugh at your dumbfounded look. "Alchemy, darling."

"Right, alchemy, of course." You shook your head vigorously and sucked on your cheeks as you slung your things over your shoulder and left the cave. "Teach me that trick, Albedo. I've needed a get out of jail free card like that on many occasions."

"I will, but let's finish our job up here in Dragonspine first, eh?"

"Yes, yes, of course."