Traveling Teyvat

Hate

You hate Tartaglia, obviously.
After he almost killed you for Zhongli's Gnosis, you never let yourself forgive him.
However l, Childe, The 11th Harbinger, pretends like it never happened. Even if only a few weeks have passed, and your battle scars have yet to heal.
"Hey girly~" a familiarly annoying voice coos behind you as you dine in a tea shop at the heart of Liyue's bustling city.
You don't turn around to greet him, already knowing who he is.
Having already finshed your array of ontrays, and now feeling sick hearing Tartaglia's tempting voice--you quickly stand from your stool to walk out the door.
No way he will follow.
You end up being correct, as you walk down the roads that adorn tents holding Teyvat wonders and people buying them up like no tomorrow, you make note that not a single set of footsteps follow you out the shop and down the winding roads.
It puts you at ease, and you let your guard down. Taking a quick detour to Katherine for a quest and heading to where she marked on the map for some much needed Mora.

Hours pass as you clean up the last bit of hillichurls outlined from your given quest: clean off the roads that bridge between Liyues main route towards Monstadt. It is rather easy for you, the animals that plague the lands are strong physically but lack mental brawn. Easy to trick a thing that doesn't know the difference between fighting and dodging.
You huff out dramatically, slicing through the final hillichurl (of 30) and taking a moment to collect your breathy thoughts. Why did you take on another quest so late in the day, it couldn't have possibly been caused by the idiotic Harbinger... Could it?
No, of course not, you need Mora. That is all.
Caught up in your own thoughts, and forgetting where you are for a breath of a moment, you fail to notice a lawachurl running head first at you.
You whisper a swear before ducking inbetween the large animals legs, sliding inbetween the two thick log-like limbs and out the edge of his back.
You slice him down easily, after a few good attacks to the back of the animals neck.
However, when the thing drops with a thud, another enemy reveals himself.
Tartaglia stands on the other side of the lawachurl. His scythes of water at the ready and the smell of ocean-air accompayning him. He looks worried, strangely enough the the egotistical Harbringer.
You prepare to attack, and stop when he diminishes his own weapons. You are personally against attacking someone without their own defenses or means to reciporcate what you throw. Even if it is him.
Childe tries to smile, relaxing his body to fake a calmness that he hopes will wash over you like the hydrolic water he controls, his voice kind but obviously needy "I have something for you, and its worth hearing."
You frown, it isn't like Tartaglia is much of a liar... At least, you think he isn't. However, he is a talker, his voice often sweetening the tricks up his sleeve. So, you ask him to go on with what he wants to say, and to make it quick as you sheathe your sword.
"Well... Ah, this is harder than I thought..." Tartaglia sort of turns to his side, turning away from you entirely as he thinks of what he wants to tell.
You harshly turn from him aswell, bickering that he wasn't quick enough with what he wanted to tell you. You start down the road, but stop when he says four simple words.
"I found your twin." Childe tries, his statement almost sounding like a question out of his treatourous mouth.
You turn back to the Harbringer at this, slowly, could be an easy trick. Your not willing to pass up any information that could lead you back to you brother, Aether.
Yet, when you look upon Tartaglia's face, a face splattered in dried blood and his eyes as dimly-deep as the seas across Teyvat, you see the truth.
He knows where Aether is, his face only full of loss. It is as if he relates to what you feel, deep down, in every battle you fight that you hope brings you closer to your twin. Maybe thats why he fights too.
You don't hesitate to find the trick and trap before your ensnared in said thing, questioning Childe why he would give you such information. You think.
What is your motive?
"I just..." he hesitates, stuck with the words making his tongue trip before he continues "...It involves us both..."
You question how, and regret becoming knowledgeable on the answer you get.
"Your brother is working against who I work for, so if I find him first--I will kill him." Tartaglia simply states, shrugging.
You respond back with not a word, the sound of your steel sword coming out of its sheathe is enough. You start towards Tartaglia, his threat taken seriously enough.
Sure, you probably aren't as strong as some Harbringer, but why not test it now?
Childe doesn't make a move, raising his hands to surrender, his smile growing at the thought of fighting you. His voice playful "I'd love to throw you around and all, but I have a proposal that is worth hearing before we both end up entagled in eachothers arms."
You continue towards him, unfaltering with your weapon in your grasp. His flirting won't work against you.
"I am just saying... That I will promise to not kill Aether if you help me find him."
You raise your weapon to his chest, letting it sit there as you again question his motives and try to find a hint of deceitfulness from the hired arm.
There is no such hint.
His voice is sweet, looking down at you with a grin "You are the only one he will listen to, thats why."
You clarify that you want his motives, and only then does his smile drop.
Tartaglia plays with his rustic hair at this, turning his eyes heavenward "I want to stop all of this...I guess you could say I have had a change of heart..."
"Liar." you mutter, finally settled on your own thoughts and feelings. Finally, you take in your surroundings, take in him.
Childe turns his sights back to you, leaning into the weapon. In turn, leans towards you, his breath hitting the top of your head "Will you trust me if i show you him myself?"
You sigh out a swear, too good of a opportunity to pass up. This is the most help you have gotten in finding Aether, and thats not saying alot (especially since the only person who really ever helped was Amber, with missing posters).
Tartaglia adds, rather innocently "If it make you feel better, you can tie me."
You flash him a look at that, and he waves his hands. You can almost swear you see him blushing, but ignore it. Pass it up as a sunburn in the heat of summer.
"Well...? Lead the way." you rudely say, again sheathing your weapon.
Childe plays with you, happy that you accepted his offer "It's a long ways away...maybe we should find a place to stay..."
You shoot him a glance as you follow beside him, your voice tired but unwilling to stay in a closed off place with a flirtacious play-boy "If you walk as much as you talk, we will be there in no time."