Discovery | Albedo's Descent Book 1

Chapter 11: Where On Teyvat?!

Aether sighed as he walked over to Good Hunter and, once again, borrowed their kitchen. Unlike usual, though, someone unexpected was speaking with Sara.
She giggled, "you flatter me too much!"
The Cavalry Captain laughed, "but I'm serious. Ah, Traveler! Good morning!"
Aether fought the urge to roll his eyes. Would it kill everyone just to learn his name? He waved, "morning."
"What brings you into town this morning?"
"Well, first I just came over here to cook, but Victoria also needs help at the church again."
Kaeya smiled, "I hear that you ventured into Dragonspine recently?"
Aether nodded as he started pulling ingredients out of nowhere.
Kaeya tried not to be freaked out. He'd seen it multiple times, but it was still weird.
"What about it?" Aether started sticking seemingly random things in a pot.
"Uh- well, I was just wondering if you ran into our Chief Alchemist?"
Aether nodded, sticking the pot in the stove with his bare hands. "Yeah, Albedo's pretty chill."
Kaeya blinked, "uh, well, what did you do with him?"
Aether looked over his shoulder at Kaeya. He shrugged, "he had me help him with his experiments. Why?"
"Just curious," he smiled.
Aether eyed him for a moment. "Oh... so he's your newest interest, huh?"
"What?" He tried to keep his voice level.
Aether sighed, "yeah, whatever. Anyways, I don't think he likes you. That, and he's not even a human."
Kaeya hesitated, "so... you know...?"
"Duh," Aether pulled out the pot that had somehow become a Sweet Madame. Ignoring the Captain's baffled expression, he continued, "he's made of chalk."
"What?" He was trying very hard not to raise his voice.
Aether nodded as he stood up, about ten plates balancing in his arms.
How had that even happened?!?!
Aether smiled awkwardly, "uh, yeah. He made it sound like that."
Kaeya couldn't really take in anything that was happen. 1: because he was still very tired. 2: because the Traveler never made any sense...
"Made of... chalk?..." Kaeya felt dizzy, "but how..." He had been hoping that Albedo was something super cool and interesting like a monster sorcerer from another land, disguised as a human. But... chalk?... what?...
Aether shrugged, "no clue. I'm pretty sure someone had to have created him. Dunno who that is, though."
"And... you know this how?..."
Aether cocked his head, "observation?"
"What?"
The traveler shrugged, "he kept muttering things about 'can those made of chalk do the same' and weird ominous stuff like that. Pretty sure he's made of chalk."
Kaeya took a step back, "you're serious? You aren't just getting back at me for teasing you?"
Aether shook his head, "I'd love to say yes, but I can tell you like him a lot." He shoved, somehow, those ten plates into his pocket. It didn't even look like he had a pocket there... "so I wouldn't get back at you like that. I'd find a way to publicly humiliate you."
"Well, gee, thanks for your consideration," he folded his arms.
"Any time!" Aether flashed a smile before dashing off.
Kaeya sighed to himself, was that really true?... Albedo wasn't a human... or a monster, it seemed... but a chalk sculpture?... then how was he alive? It certainly explained why he was so cold and how he was so perfect... but Albedo still breathed, but maybe that was an act... But the Cavalry Captain was sure he'd heard Albedo's heartbeat when they were close... though, that might have been his own. It had been beating pretty loudly in his own ears...
He just didn't know. He'd have to ask Lisa about it. She'd be able to figure it out. If anyone could, it would be her. He made a note to talk with Rosaria later, too.

"Lisa!" Kaeya whispered as he entered the messy library.
The librarian shushed him, "I'm trying to take a nap!"
Kaeya strode in, "this is important. We can nap after."
She sighed heavily as she sat up, "this better be about how you and Albedo were passionately kissing earlier."
"Huh?! What?!"
"Dang it," Lisa frowned, "you still haven't kissed yet..."
"No, of course we-" he shook his head, "Nevermind! But this is about him."
She raised a brow, "oh?"
"It isn't like that..." he sat down heavily, "I spoke with the traveler... they said that Albedo is... made of chalk..."
Lisa blinked, "hah?..." Then, her eyes widened, "oh, that makes so much sense..."
Kaeya ran his hands down his face, "what am I supposed to do...? I'm in love with... chalk?..."
Lisa giggled, "well, he is sentient and has a conscience. He's got his own personality, too. If I had to guess someone was trying to make a human."
"You think so?"
"He behaves like one, for the most part. And he looks like one, too. If they just needed something to do stuff for them, they could just make a, I dunno, a little helper slime."
Kaeya paused, "I... is he really a person or not?..."
Lisa smiled, "I would say so. He's got a mind and makes his own decisions. There are people and things he cares for less than others. And most of all, he deeply cares about Klee. He's such a good big brother to her."
"Do you think Klee's mom made him for that?" Kaeya inquired.
"Maybe," Lisa shrugged, "there really isn't any way to tell."
Kaeya sighed, "my head hurts."
"Sleep. Oh! Finally, it's nap time!" She fell back onto her couch and immediately fell asleep.
Kaeya smiled a little bit as he took one of the shapeless chairs [beanbag lol] and also want to sleep.