Chapter Text
Act One, Scene 5 : Smokeless Wildfires
He never really understood why he was named the way he was. Bennett. It means good fortune in Southern Mondstadt and blessed in Northern Mondstadt. Both meanings are good, even if he never knew where the person who named him came from. It means that despite all odds he was alive, and loved. Even if it was just a select few that believed in him during his life. He wanted to prove himself, he wanted to be someone so great. Someone that would go down in history. Someone that, no matter the odds, showed everyone wrong. Bennett. He didn’t need to be supernaturally blessed or lucky, he wanted to make his own blessings. Make his own luck. Find people to surround himself with, people that wouldn’t get mad at him for small mistakes. People that would yell at him. People that cared for him. His name was Bennett, and by the gods, he thought he was a self fulfilling prophecy. He wanted to be childish and believe that if he just worked hard enough he wouldn’t be hated anymore. Everyday he wanted to think that if he just appeased more, if he was kinder, if he wasn’t as troublesome, if he was more invisible, if he wasn’t so burdensome, if he wasn’t Bennett- the unlucky curse of a human waste, he could be Bennett. Bennett, an idolized adventurer, a loved community member, a person worthy of not only his name but his existence.
Looking in the mirror, he’s never felt more like a monster than ever before. Looking in the mirror, he realized that maybe his life was never going to live up to his name. Looking in the mirror, he knew that he was terrified. Terrified because of all his work, he forgot one thing. That they were right. Looking in the mirror, he could see all those adventurer’s figures loom over him in shadows and leer. Leer and mock him. How they knew all along that he wasn’t possibly a human. How they knew that he was nothing more than a curse. How they knew, in all their cruel dispositions, that they were right. How dare he for ever doubting them. They would say. How dare he have the nerve to rise from the dead. They would coo. How dare he fake his right to humanity. They would snarl. Afterall, wouldn’t they be right? Time and time again he would wonder what he did so wrong to the gods to deserve this. Maybe it was just the offense of being born.
It didn't feel real. Just the sight made his mouth feel numb and heavy with saliva, and it didn’t take long before he dipped away from the sink to throw up whatever was left in his stomach into the toilet. He heaved and heaved, it was hard to feel the world around him. The cold tiles. The burning in his throat and the strain in his chest. Even the hot beads of sweat that made him feel feverish. The only evidence in his body of its nausea was the constant spinning. He wasn’t even alive in the barest sense. Bennett couldn’t register that his limbs wavered or trembled with exhaustion. He didn’t think anything of the frantic voices on the other side of the door, or the shuddering knocking that accompanied it. His mind could only circle back to the sight in the mirror.
It was the sight of the whites of his eyes no longer white. They were darker than black; his iris the same color as rampaging wildfires; his pupils small and bird-like; the fire-ish flickering tips of his hair, demon-esque teeth, large and sharp. Small feathers sported under his eyes like freckles, the soft white just drawing more attention to the deep black of his scleras. His ears now long and elvish much like Klee’s, so perhaps he wasn’t so bothered by that change, but… it wasn’t right. It wasn’t human, it wasn’t even close to it. It was grotesque. It was horrifying. He became something he fears, a thing that he’s sworn he’s only seen in the darkest of dreams, and clearest of nightmares. Bennett became a monster, a true monster that he swore one Bennett the Great would slay. That one day he’ll lance a sword through the beast and finally be loved. He would be happy. He just wanted to be happy. Bennett’s hands clenched the tiles on the floor, trying to lower his head to the tiles, but was startled back at the harsh squeal of hardened clay under his hands. When he looked at the perpetrator of the sound, he only saw black tipped fingers with long, gnarly, razor-sharp claws protruding and the left over sight of scorch marks from where his hands once were. Scorch… marks? He sees them everywhere now; on the counter, the doorknob, the wall. Oh. Oh gods…
Bennett felt sick all over again, but not nauseous. Not loopy, not dizzy, not feverish. Just sick. There was a growing ball of fear and guilt amassing in his stomach which threatened to expel whatever was left in his guts to make room for its growth. A nasty, invasive, but sobbing truth of his own monstrosity. Bennett could not feel his feet, legs, nor his hands as he fell onto his side. He barely felt the dull pain that thrummed from his collapse like a solid heartbeat. It didn’t go away, persistent and distant, but like all pain he’s ever faced- it’ll fade away. It’ll fade away, he had to believe this. It’ll just have too. Because after all, so many bad things happen to him, but they never last. Bad things replace bad things, but this doesn’t seem like it would go away. It just kept building.
Bennett doesn’t cry. He tries not to, at least for things like this. When it came to good things, he was nothing more than a cry baby. Tearing up at simple kind actions, or a stroke of good fortune. Tears of joy, or hope, however he couldn’t afford any tears of despair or fear. No tears of regret or sorrow. Not an ounce wasted on something that’ll happen again and again. Why waste so much on meaningless emotions when the next day could hold so much more? Something better. Something. Anything. So maybe it was desperation that clawed its way into Bennett’s throat and tore ugly sobs from his body. He couldn’t stop crying. He had to shove hands into his face just to muffle the horrible sounds. The underserved sounds. The cries of monsters shouldn’t even exist. His breath and gnashing teeth felt like lava against his palms, searing into the skin like iron brands. It didn’t matter anyway. He’s a fool sobbing wildly in a stranger’s bathroom hundreds on top thousands of kilometers away from home. He couldn’t run away from his shame if he tried.
He stayed on that floor for what felt like days. He muffled dry wails, and pitiful whines. The tiles were cold, but now they weren’t. The cold ceramic warmed into a dying bed of coal, nothing seemed to stop burning. Nothing seemed to stop burning with his mortification and despair. It was like the world itself was alight with shame and burned in its embarrassment of Bennett. Would the winds too, warm? Would Barbatos be ashamed of Bennett? Barbara would say he was being ridiculous, and that Barbatos loves every child of the wind… but they’re human and Bennett is not. Barbatos in the legends fought for years starving off monsters, and now Bennett was one. Another burning roll of fear gripped his body, what if he couldn’t even go home? Accepted by the people or not? Did the god of his home even want him?
(The answer would be yes, Barbatos loves all, accepts all. But the answer ‘yes’ scared Bennett more than the ever so common ‘no’.)
The darkness eventually consumed him. Embarrassing, falling asleep whilst crying. Bennett thought he outgrew that by ten, being sixteen- seventeen. Being… seventeen and still acting like a child was embarrassing. However, it was the least mortifying thing to happen in a day of monsters, secrets, and crying. If anything, Bennett thinks, to his horror, he deserved being able to cry about himself and his troubles for once. At least Bennett was able to reason with himself. There was no shame in this. He’s braved years of bad luck, which only got worse, but he braved with a smile. He took beratings with an apologetic grin. When his life was literally going to shit- he deserved to do this. Just this at least. Whatever it took just to feel human again.
˗ˏˋ ✸ ˎˊ˗
He must’ve fallen asleep into a mediocre silence. Then the familiar sound of water bubbled like a fountain behind him.
“Bennett.” His name was called with the muddled voices of what sounded like a thousand winds and meshed into tempest storms. He couldn’t make it out, but he was certain enough to know it was his name. Like a puppet yanked, he gasped for breath as his hands hauled him up on the fountain’s edge.
A warm rush of deja vu overcame Bennett as his eyes fluttered open to see the central plaza of the City of Mond. The Adventurer’s Guild stood imposing far above the wall, the church barely seen, Barbatos’ statue casted a shadow on half the city. All the familiar shops and restaurants lined the main road, with orange, teal, and yellow banners and decorations lining the skyline in celebration. Weinlesefest, Bennett related belatedly. These are decorations for Weinlesefest. Of course it was, the road was chalked in teal doodles and orange balloons rose up from barrels and posts. The rich scent of spices and festivities lingered on his nose. It looked and felt like home, but didn’t feel like it. Like a sick trick played by his mind to make him remember what he was missing right now.
Bennett looked into the clear reflection of the fountain only to find the monstrous form looking back. Even in his dreams he couldn’t escape his newfound inhumanity. He ran a hand over his face with a weak groan, why did he ever think that his dreams would provide some respite?
“Fascinating isn’t it?” A rumbling voice mused from behind him and Bennett jumped out of his skin. Scrambling up, knocking into his own legs, and clumsily falling into the fountain behind him. At least he could see the man that made him embarrass himself so much. The man was…. Tall. Taller than life it seemed from down soaking in the fountain. With rich dark skin; bright red geometric tattoos; thick braids that faded from dark black to blazing orange; and piercing yellow eyes. The stranger in the empty city wore an apologetic look as he offered a hand to the drenched teenager. “Oh, I did not mean to frighten you.”
For some odd reason, this person felt oddly familiar. Bennett would’ve swore he’s seen this man in passing if it were for how certain Bennett would remember such a striking person. The bright colored Natlanese clothing, the bright colored tattoos, blazing hair, bright yellow, everything. The man didn’t scream forgettable. Bennett eyed the stranger’s hand with a wary glance before taking the offer. Maybe it was just a dream, consolidating all the strangeness. “Um, thank you.”
“Ah, do not fret over apologies, little one.” The man consoled which was both oddly comforting and slightly patronizing. “Hmm, you have a voice now, your form is truer, but your connection… it ceases to exist.”
“My form?” Bennett cocked his head as he looked at the darkened skin at his claws and mulled over the sharp fangs in his mouth. “My connection?”
“You will not even remember my answer, should not I tell you. I would rather wait until you remember to hear the truth.”
What an odd dream, maybe his head was trying to make sense of the odd situation? Console him from his new… life. The man gave him a sad smile, and Bennett returned the smile with a more happy note. “I guess that’s a shame?”
“... Yes, I am Bennu, little one.” Hah, even the dream man had a similar name to Bennett, funny. The man sat down next to the fountain looking up at the endless blue over the city. “You seem… upset.”
Bennett followed the motion, moving to lay outside the fountain and splay out on the warm stony plaza. The water was not bothering him as much as he thought, small dream perks where they exist. “I guess being a teenage monster would upset anyone.”
Bennett was glad he couldn’t see the man’s face morph to cruel ridicule, but… he never heard the crooked tone. Only a softly broken question. “Monster?”
Bennett could not help the self deprecating scoff that escaped him at the soft question. “Tsk, yeah. Here I am, trapped in my own mind; no control of my body; soaking wet even in a dream I’m supposed to be able to escape in; fangs and claws-”
“Talons.” Bennu said with an owlish tilt. Then he pointed down at Bennett’s hands with his own pointed nails, and repeated, “Talons.”
“I guess? Would explain the… feathers.” Bennett cursorily looked back at ‘Bennu’ before looking back up at the sky. “Still, it doesn't change the whole monster problem. It really sucks.”
“How?” Bennett shouldn’t be so floored by such a simple question.
Bennett was happy that someone would just listen to him. Not even consoling, just listening. That’s the only thing he could ask for, and he’s been waiting his whole life for another adult just to do that, someone who wasn’t just two Knights, or an infamous drunkard, who are too kind for their own good. An adult that doesn’t either outright hate him or ignore him. None of that pitying stuff, or glass treatment, or even ignoring the problem. Even if this moment would last a moment in his head, even if the moment was an image catered to him, it was so pleasant.
“I’m very unlucky.” He sucked in a cold breath and puffed out hot air. “I can probably list every person that likes me on my hands. ‘Like’ as in they tolerate me, hang out with me, or for some odd reason actually enjoy my company.”
The man made a shuffling noise, and Bennett saw him also laying on the stone, watching the blue above. Bennu made a deep humming noise which urged Bennett to keep talking. “The amount of people that out right hate me outnumbers the kind people ten to one. It’s… not undeserved. I mess up so many things, for so many people. I’m a massive screw up. I probably was a massive screw up even before I reached the age of one. I mean, a cursed child from the infamous land of ashes? It makes sense now why some of the guys at the Guild would call me a scorn or monster. It sorta makes sense now.”
“Does it really?” The man questioned. A fragile silence enveloping the plaza. “I do not know much, but it seems- er- immature to blame a child for the extent of your problems. You should not be confined to blame and restrictions of other peoples' hates and ideas of you.”
“Do you really think so?” Bennett hated how hopeful he sounded. It sounded implausible. A place where no matter what happens he would still be given not only the benefit of the doubt also a second chance. A life where he can just be happy, a life where he can act or look however he wants and still be seen as himself and nothing else. He would ask people to excuse his actions, or ask for them to bend their backs for him, but just treat him like anyone else. An impossible perfect world. “But I’m… I’m-”
“A child foremost, and also a living being like anyone else.”
“I really make a lot of people’s days worse.”
“A lot of people make a lot of people mad. There wouldn’t be wars or crime if that wasn’t true. Condemning a child for making mistakes instead of trying to prevent them is barbaric in thought. That doesn’t make you a monster. Being different shouldn’t make someone a monster. The oni race in Inazuma, the Sauf people in Sumeru, elven people in Mondstadt, so much more. They’re different, are they monsters?”
“No, but-”
“Then stop making excuses for those who unjustly judge you.” Bennu sounded rather angry, and the adventurer decided not to push it anymore. It felt weird to have a dream man affirm his feelings and trash on the older guild members. It made his chest oddly warm and his stomach to somersaults, like a nervous journey he spent weeks preparing for. The quite kind man noticed his prolonged silence, and probed with a soft, “Do you wish to keep talking about it, little one?”
“Not really.” Bennett drawled, curling a tiny bit onto himself as his knees drew upwards. The truth is he didn’t want to talk to anyone about it really, he really didn’t want to see everything wrong with how he’s been living for all his life. All the best adventurers do say ignorance is bliss, maybe avoidance is it too.
It seemed like the comfortable silence would stretch for eons. He didn’t want to wake up and leave Mondstadt all over again. He just wanted to sit and stare at the sky, the autumn sun warm on his skin, the gentle wind fluttering around. It was all home in its terrible beauty, and he missed as much as he feared it. Maybe this is where he misses it the most, soaking wet, laying on toasty stones, talking to dream people, and in an empty city. If he were a gloomier person he would dwell on how Mondstadt was better empty, but he missed interaction. Good or bad.
˗ˏˋ ✸ ˎˊ˗
The warmth of sun baked stone roads were gone and replaced with cold clay tiles. The faint feel of autumn and crisp air was traded with stagnant warm air and the distant scent of spices. Ugh, his head felt heavy and his mind was foggy. His half baked mind was already slowly taking in his surroundings again, which was regrettably not Mondstadt. Bennett was back to Kaveh’s and his friend-roomate’s house. He groaned and curled back up onto himself, he was glad he made an embarrassment of himself in private and not in front of other people. Bennett was also horrified that he spat and hissed like a cornered cat in front of them. Even if felt rightfully mad, he wasn’t being considerate of their feelings, two wrongs never make a right. The silver-headed boy felt a gross urge to spill his guts and apologize. There was no shame in being the bigger person.
With another childish groan at the thought of getting up, but green eyes focused on the room once more. He blinked once. Twice. Even rubbed his eyes for good measure. The bathroom door was creaked open and there was a plate placed not too far away with what looked like chicken, flat bread, and an assortment of sauces and vegetables. Bennett felt like a stray dog with how he slowly inched closer to the plate and cursory glanced back and forth from the door to food. The aggressive rumble in his stomach made him nervously click his talon-like claws against the floor before deciding to grin and bear it. He scarfed down the food in record time, not taking into account how it maybe should be eaten, but it was eaten regardless. It was cold but still flavorful, so it didn’t taste like straight animal feed. However. he still acted like an animal, which couldn’t be a great way to behave…
And it wasn’t like anyone was around to take offense to his poor manners….
Which was odd. No one was around. With a clearer mind, and a not ravenous body, he thought again. There was no one around. Kaveh or Alhaitham had to jimmy the lock in order to leave food in here. They had to have seen him curled up on the floor. Ugh, the implications of it all frustrated him to no end. They cared enough to give him food or check up on him. They also cared enough to give him space. Relative strangers cared more than most adults he’s had to live with. If they only knew what they signed up for. For some reason, he hesitated to call himself a monster, so he settled for burden.
Yeah, Bennett of Mondstadt. He should be better than this. He groaned as he grabbed the empty plate and slinked out of the bathroom. For whatever reason he was emboldened to face off once more. Bennett knew, however, life couldn’t get any worse. Apologizing always made things better, so here’s to hoping.
Act One, Scene 6 : Dwale Eater
It was dark. Well, relatively speaking. It was nighttime, there was no moonlight slipping into the house, and all the gas lamps were off. It should be dark, very dark… but as Bennett came to accept, most things weren’t what they should be. He could see, not fantastically, but adequately to maneuver around without much difficulty. It was similar to walking around a dimly lit room; annoying to get around, but mostly manageable.
(He mentally noted another oddity, and his body rapidly felt out of place with his mind.)
The adventurer clutched the plate as he determined where exactly the kitchen was in the house, and placed it down in the sink. There was a familiar guilt that arose when he looked around again and could make out the clean dishes on the drying rack… Hmmm, the least he could do was to wash his plate. He may still be mad, but he was a guest foremost. As he fumbled around for a minute before getting his hands on a washcloth and some soap. The tap was a bit more difficult to figure out to use. It didn’t work when he twisted it, tapped it, or glowered at it. Bennett owlishly tilted his head and decided to just keep fiddling with it until the handle obeyed.
Several embarrassing minutes later led to him figuring it was a push of all things and washing the dish(as silently) as he could in the dead of night. Though he should’ve guessed with his luck that his ditzy blundering around. He heard the tell-tale sound of a thump followed by a curse, then he saw the faint green(?) glow of a handheld lamp. The boy placed his clean plate with all the other dishes and turned around to greet whoever was awake and try to smooth some feathers from his earlier outburst. He saw Kaveh probably way before Kaveh saw him. If his screech and loud curse was anything to go by.
“Holy fuck!” Kaveh floundered back, and a frantic beeping sound appeared from behind him. Which was a floating metal briefcase with green eyes and wielding.. a massive claymore??
“Woah! Woah woah! Mister Kaveh!” Bennett threw up his hands with his own terrified screech. He did not know the architect had a claymore wielding and floating robot, one that he did not want to be hacked by.
“Kid?” The architect and bot both sounded shocked. The briefcase made an upbeat beeping sound before the claymore dissipated and Kaveh gripped his chest. “Oh my Archons, you terrified me and Merhak!”
“The briefcase has a name?” He asked, lowering his hands back to his sides and cocked his head to the side. Then he drew his gaze back to the happy emoting robot. “Merhak?”
Merhak floated around while Bennett realized that the green glow was emitting from the bot, Bennett could only dream of having a friend robot flashlight. It would make his adventures easier and less lonely. Kaveh shuffled around before all the gas lamps in the kitchen flashed on. “Yeah, her name is Merhak. What- What are you doing up?”
Kaveh kept rambling before Bennett had a chance to interject. “Did you eat? If it was cold I could make more, no problem. I-I mean it’s the least I can do at least. I can make soup, curries- rice is also easy, the actual shawarma spread was mostly Alhaitham. Do you like soup? Chai? Uh, rice? We have bread… that’s something Mondstadtians eat a lot right. Oh god is that like racist to assume-”
“I don’t think so, Mister Kaveh-”
“You have every right to be angry with us! I just have to put it out there, because you know… You’re like trapped here and you most definitely deserve adults that know how to deal with kids way better. Er- But kid as in you know, teenager.” Kaveh physically recoiled at his own words and Bennett saw him wince so bad when he went to bend at his hips into a slight bow. Even Merhak followed her human companion with a bow of her… forward axis? She tilted forward. Bennett panicked with the architect. “I can assure you me and Alhaitham are so sorry, very much so. We won’t withhold anything else, we were just unsure how to explain.”
The adventurer was floored. Bennett was most likely just as bad with adults as Kaveh says he and Alhaitham are with kids. Bennett can safely say that this is a new first, having a full grown adult ramble and apologizing and bowing?? “Oh, please stop. I guess I can understand, just-” It was his turn to wince as he cringed at his wording. “Please stop bowing?”
Kaveh reluctantly rose with Merhak. “Y’know, I can definitely understand if you're still furious with us. You should be…. Er, how are you taking it?”
By ‘it’, Bennett assumed Kaveh was talking about the year's absence. “I am mad. I think I’m just angrier with the situation if anything. I have more of a reason to go home. I want answers, and I’m just… stuck here. Stuck ‘cause of my failing health.”
“Well I don’t think it’ll stay that bad.” Kaveh assured as they descended into an awkward silence. “I was serious about offering something to eat.”
“I’m not going to eat bread, and I just ate.”
“You slept for a bit longer than I thought. I really thought that the smell of food would’ve woken you up.” Kaveh leaned a little forward and rocked back. “Uh, chai?”
Bennett mulled over that trying to recall where he had heard that before. “Like… chai tea?”
Kaveh gave him a look equivalent to Venti hearing that Razor disliked apples. Muted shock and disgust. “Bennett, kid… chai is tea.”
“Yeah? ‘Cause it’s chai tea.”
“No, it’s chai.”
“I don’t… but you just said chai is tea. Chai tea.”
“Chai is tea. Like- Chai literally is tea, it means tea.”
A beat. Two. “Oh.”
˗ˏˋ ✸ ˎˊ˗
Turns out chai was way better than he ever thought. He got scolded three times consecutively about trying to drink it the second it was poured in his cup. The two of them sat side by side on the couch, and he assumed so they didn’t have to maintain eye contact. It was almost peaceful if the metaphorical slumperbeast was still not addressed. Bennett could tell there was something that both of them were dying to say, it was just a stalemate of who would break first. The minutes dragged on to a whole hour of a seemingly comfortable silence of tea drinking and listening to the random beeping Merhak would do in the kitching. She seemed fascinated by the gas lamps, which was odd that a robot had a fascination, but sorta human all the same. Bennett chose to focus on that instead of the dreading feeling of talking building in his gut.
He wanted to know everything Kaveh knew. He wanted to know if they heard back from Kaeya or Albedo. He wanted to know if they even missed him. He wanted to hear that his dads were doing okay. He wanted to know what was wrong with his body. He wanted to know why he woke up so far from home. He wanted to know what happened to the domain. He wanted to know what the doctors thought of him- what everyone thought of him. He wanted to know everything so bad, but he feared acting on it more and that made everything hurt even more. So, he just continued to nurse his cup of warm chai.
“My mother thinks I am a burden.” Kaveh said softly, his words catching Bennett off guard and the boy had to double take.
“B-but aren’t you like a ‘renowned’ architect who's close with the Grand Sage and a- the general?” Bennett couldn’t imagine himself being that successful and still being demeaned by people like Royce. “How?!”
Kaveh offered an almost silent chuckle, and looked off into his cup. He looked smaller when he did that, and Bennett hated seeing that look on other people. “Well, disappointment and being a burden aren’t mutually exclusive. I just looked like the subject of her grief.”
“Oh.” Bennett turned his head to look at his tea too.
“My dad died when I was young, I still love him more than anything. I just… I just sometimes can barely remember his face. I must've seen his face in mine. At some point she avoided me all together, so I took care of myself until she just up and left to get married to some guy in Fontaine. I was only fifteen, but that was old enough for her to leave me.”
Bennett stayed silent, he was partly confused why Kaveh was saying all this. Hearing other people being open was nice in a way, maybe it was a subtle olive branch. One he would take.
“I spent a lot of nights wondering what I did wrong, what I could’ve done, what I should’ve done. All of this just to break myself over and over with work or perfectionism, or anything to get people to acknowledge me. At some point you get so willing for that validation you’ll set yourself on fire just so someone can ask if you're okay, even if that lighter is still in hand. It’s horrible. It’s horrible living in someone else's perception of you. You lie to make others feel better; you hurt yourself for your goals but tell others not to; you get yourself stuck in cycle, and for what? To prove something to a person that couldn’t care less. To someone who blames you for something you can’t control, or to feel responsible for something that you can’t control.”
Kaveh turned his head to look at Bennett, who was already now looking up. It sounded painfully familiar. “I don’t know what you have going on, but I think I can get a jist. You’re just a kid, you shouldn’t have to deal with any of this. You can’t control any of this, and you should be able to trust the people you said they’ll help. I’ll say it as much as I have to, but I’m so sorry. You’re just as human as any of us, regardless of where you came from, your age, or how you look. Nothing will change that, and being fair should’ve been my first idea rather than concealing things. Me, of all people, should know this, and I didn’t act on my own life experiences. You can be as angry as you want, I’ll never be angry back, I’m truly sorry”
Bennett felt his eyes sting and he whipped his head away from those all too kind eyes. He doesn’t cry over bad things, but is this even bad? It’s just out of the ordinary. Adults don’t have to be so… heartfelt in their apologies. He rubbed the heel of his palm to his eyes and sniffled. “I’m sorry about your mom. I have a pretty good set of dads,” Markus, Ernest, Chance. “,the other rooming with us in the guild- that's definitely always up for debate, but my dads never, ever treated me differently, despite my luck.”
Kaveh nodded with certainty. “That’s good.” Then he faltered. “Your luck?”
“Yeah, basically a resident curse or whatever. I’m incredibly unlucky, although surprisingly nothing horrible has happened in the last few days. Maybe Celestia thought this is enough trouble as is.”
“Let’s keep it that way.” Kaveh didn’t look sold on it, but was kind enough to play along.
Bennett hummed a mediocre agreement, but he always knew the good days never lasted too long. “Did… did anything ever come back from Mondstadt.”
“Er- yes. I don’t really know since I didn’t read it and I didn’t press Alhaitham about it.” Kaveh rubbed his forearm nervously after he put his empty cup on an awaiting coaster. Bennett reached over to also put his empty cup on the side table, but instead on a very ugly orange and pink coaster. Kaveh made a muted sound of disgust at the colors but easily went back to talking. “Alhaitham and Cyno are corresponding with Mondstadt-”
“With this ‘international case’?” Bennett remembered Doctor Lune saying something about that. One of the reasons he had to stay until and he was basically escorted back. Not like he needed one, thank you very much.
“Ah, yes. Again, not my monkeys, not my circus, but you could ask Alhaitham.” Kaveh tapped his finger to his chin. “I know it has to roughly do with the domains and something about them collapsing.”
“Well, that makes sense, I guess. ‘Cause one did collapse on me.”
“Oh well then-.” Kaveh stuttered to a stop. Looking at Bennett then to the floor, then to Bennett again. “What did what on what.”
“Well, I was adventurin’ ‘cause-”
Kaveh sputtered out and waved one of his hands to get Bennett to stop. “I heard you, I’m sorry. I’m just. I just. A whole domain? How they made it sound was like the entire thing. All of it! L'orologio di Ridge? Even the news here spun a story on it.”
“The whole thing collapsed?” Bennett mused, part horrified, part mystified. Could explain his cracked vision. “Maybe that’s why my vision’s cracked.”
Kaveh made a sick looking face and guiltily looked at a random book on a nearby bookcase. “Cracked. Yeah.”
“Mister Kaveh?” Bennett pressed precariously, his talons digging into his palms. Kaveh made a whining- almost keening noise before folding under very little pressure.
“Well.” Kaveh then said the most incomprehensible mush of words ever.
“Can you, um, repeat that please?”
“Your vision was grey when you ran into me!” Kaveh blurted out then whipped his head in the direction of the bedrooms and held his breath. “Oh thank god he didn’t wake up. It would’ve been off with my head.”
“My vision was grey?” Then he did die. He thought he was dreaming of the blood loss and the cold spell, and- oh Barbatos. He fumbled his thumb nail between his fangs and nervously chewed. He died. Grey visions are only found in dead vision holders. Could he have been just on the verge of it? So close to the edge he lost his dream? Is that possible? Maybe he didn’t die. Maybe he did. Ugh, his head hurt just thinking over it.
“Umm, okay there, kid? Kinda- uh, glowing.” The blonde ruffled his hair a little, although the confusion in his eyes was real. “I don’t really know how your people work, but um, I’ll learn! Maybe glowing is a good thing? Is it?”
“Oh, I- I have no clue.”
“Oh, because-”
“- you're adopted.” Kaveh mumbled the same time the unlucky boy said.
“-I was never like this before.”
“Oh. Can- can you excuse me really quick.” Kaveh got to his feet and picked up their cups before retreating into the kitchen with a stream of ‘what the fuck is going on’. It took the man no less than five minutes to return back with both cups full. Bennett happily took his cup as Kaveh flopped back down on the couch.
“We’re taking you back to the doctor’s tomorrow. Don’t give me that look.” Kaveh sighed when the teenager leveled a pitiful stare. “Maybe there’s some sort of medical precedent to it.”
“Of becoming a monster?” Bennett huffed, eyes falling off to the side than in Kaveh’s face. “I don’t think so.”
“First of all, you are not a monster. No self hate in this house. For the hell of it, no self hate ever. If I hear it- I’ll… uhh no sweets at all or any sorts of treats from anyone. I’ll eat them all. Also double doctor appointments. And I’ll be horribly sad.”
A rather childish threat but if Bennett wanted to get his talons on Cyno’s husband’s- Tighnari’s kunafa… Childish threats do work on children. “I don’t really want to go back so soon.”
Kaveh nodded. “I understand. I’ll talk to Alhaitham… the day after tomorrow, or like technically tomorrow since it’s a little past midnight. I think we could get an appointment on Monday.”
“I guess… I suppose I would have to go eventually.” Bennett grumbled into his cup, slouching into the couch.
“Don’t worry, if all goes well, we should get you home before the end of Weinlesefest!” The architect smiled widely, and Bennett trusted that. Weinlesefest was a week away, and it ended two weeks after that. That’s nearly a month, if there’s already correspondence, it shouldn’t take that long.
“Mhm!” Bennett smiled back, which for some reason got Kaveh to ruffle his hair again. “Thanks, Mister Kaveh…”
“Oi, don’t give me that.” Kaveh snickered, but kept going anyway. “For what it’s worth, kid, you look really cool. Like almost… what you expect those bird adepti to look like human.”
“I think they would look a bit more Liyuenese.” Bennett couldn’t fight the infectious giddyness he felt. Like a spoiled cat he smiled and let out a prideful hum. Well if Kaveh thought he looked cool, then at least to Kaeya or Venti he’ll look cool. He’d probably be fascinating to Albedo, but Bennett didn’t know in a good or bad way. Probably good, he had faith in the alchemist.
“That they would be. Mondstadt and Liyue have a long standing friendship though, whose to say an adepti and Mondstadian illuminated beast couldn’t have gotten along too well.” To this, Bennett snorted. He had to hide his laughter in his hands to keep a reasonable volume so late in the night.
“I don’t think that’s all too possible.” Bennett said through laughter. “I’ve met Andrius, he is the biggest loner in the world. He only likes one thing, his wolf family- lupical.” A sting in the heart, but he kept going. “Dvalin just likes to soar around and naps these days. That just leaves Barbatos which… huh, I guess it wouldn't be all that unreasonable. Ah, Barbatos forgive if that’s hearsay or something.”
“I don’t think he would care.” Kaveh jested, raising his cup of chai. “Here’s to the most carefree and the oldest god in Teyvat. He’s doing everything right if he’s the oldest now.”
“I hope so… I love Mondstadt, and I hope he takes care of himself for centuries to come.” Bennett raised his cup too.
“Here’s to that. Just make the winds smooth sailing from here, return this child of your winds, Barbatos.” Kaveh smiled as he lowered his cup and finished off, Bennett did the same. “Now you go to bed. The last couple days definitely were probably the most hectic in your life so get some more well deserved rest!”
Bennett let himself basically get cajoled into the study slash makeshift bedroom without any fuss. It was dark and silent with the exception of the playful rustling of the wind outside the windows. He was angry, so angry at first. Seventeen months and he didn’t know. It kinda made sense now, even if he was going to be pissy about that for as long as he wanted (given explicit permission as well). He would’ve done something similar if he was in Kaveh’s shoes, or Alhaitham’s. He didn’t know much about the sage, but from what he’s heard, there’s a lot of paperwork- so that’s something Bennett can thank that man for.
He rummaged around in the room for a while, finding an extra pillow and another blanket. He wasn’t cold, far from it, but… he only had one of each in his room back home. Bennett fumbled around the room a little longer before finding a knob attached to the wall which turned on the gas lamps once turned. Sweet. He waited until he heard Kaveh go back to bed and went out to raid the nearby closet for more materials. Pillows, blankets, and hit a mini scale jackpot with a handful of thumbtacts. All of these valuable resources of course were used to build a makeshift tent, a pillow tent. The blanket pinned in the middle on the ceiling with the help of a few books, dangerously stacked on the bed to act as a stool. The books were then recycled at each corner of the massive blanket to hold it down. Like wooden stakes! By the end of it, it felt similar enough to sleeping under a tent that he could pretend that he was just camping out in the Wolvendom forest. He’d be home soon enough to sleepover in Razor’s forest for real.
It’s been far too long.
˗ˏˋ ✸ ˎˊ˗
There was rapping at the door and it opened with a loud creak. Bennett rose groggily and poked his head outside of his tent to see an impressively amused Kaveh who just looked at his seeping setup with curiosity.
“Rise and shine? Nice to see you made yourself at home so quickly.” He chuckled, leaning into the room and looking at Bennett to his hoarded materials. “Where did you get all of that?”
Bennett was sure he made some sort of grumpy noise and got Kaveh to stifle a poorly hidden giggle. “Breakfast is ready, if you want to get ready to eat. I left your extra clothes from that shopping trip near the far back bookcase, and went out this morning to get you your own toiletries, so they should also be back there.”
Bennett doesn’t believe there won’t be a morning where he doesn't fall out of bed at the mention of cooked breakfast by someone else. He’s been called food motivated by more than one person, and now Kaveh as he literally fell out of the bed and scrambled to freshen himself up for the day.
“Holy Kusanali, I didn’t expect you to be that food motivated. It’s not going anywhere kid.” Kaveh called out as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.
He rushed through getting dressed, but retained enough sense to not leave looking a total mess. He retained his arm band, and another sleeveless turtle neck, but with heavy crimson cargo shorts, a light weight red and yellow poncho, and his goggles around his neck. He went about his normal routine of washing up before sitting in front of a mirror and trying to style his hair just like Albedo’s. He didn’t have the bangs for it so he just settled with a simple pulled back ponytail. He could not wait another moment.
He sped walked down the hallway to where the delicious smell of Fishersman’s Toasts was awaiting. That practically had him bounding to the table in less than a second. “Oh my Barbatos! What? How?”
“I heard Kaveh apologize before me, which is in character, but I am rather bad with ‘sincerity in my words’ as Kaveh puts it, so I decided to try my hand at a Mondstadt dish.” Alhaitham explained, quickly putting a thumbs up in his palm before Kaveh shook his head no. Bennett did not understand that at all, but the sentiment was appreciated. “I am sorry.”
“It’s okay, but could I possibly know a little more about this whole thing I’m caught up in?” Bennett winced, but it faded once he dug in to eat.
“Oh, that’s a puzzle to explain. In the most simple terms, The Knights and Matra are working to uncover a string of illegal human testing, trafficking, fatui involvement, neglect, and all sorts of things. You happen to be a common factor, so as soon as you're ready I believe Cyno wants to ask you some questions.”
“Huh?” Bennett looked up, and gawked. No, that… that was definitely a lot. He finished the rest of his breakfast in a contemplative silence. He doesn’t think any of that has anything to do with him at all people. Fatui kidnappings? Human lab testing? He doesn’t think so. Or else he would remember it. Right? There was still a massive chunk of his memory missing, maybe it wasn’t as far fetched as it sounded. Do the Fatui have some mind erasing weapon though? That sounded horrifying.
Kaveh seemed satisfied with breakfast and cleaned up after the chef-sage as Alhatiham went to flip open a book on the couch. Once Bennett finished his plate he went over to help only to be shooed away four different times. Kaveh not giving up his position over the sink or anywhere in the kitchen. The adventurer stood just outside the kitchen trying his best dejected puppy faces out before Kaveh reluctantly let him help dry the dishes.
“Why on Teyvat are you so stubborn?”
“Dishes!” Bennett pointed out to ignore the question asked. “Yay?”
“What-?” Kaveh began before there was knocking at the door, and he abandoned his spot to go check on it. Bennett assumed the blonde’s position in washing the dishes instead of drying them, which earned him a lengthy glare. He switched his focus to his roommate. “I don’t think we have anyone coming over today, right?”
Alhaitham tapped the arm of the couch. “Tighnari said he could swing by tomorrow, but no. Nothing about today.”
“Hmm.” Kavah hummed before he opened the door. His face seemed to quickly cringe up in disgust. “Oh, what is that?”
The door opened up to reveal Cyno, the general, and a kind looking man with a black and green bob and long, tall fox ears and bushy fox tail. He looked like a jungle chemist with all the badges and tassels and equipment attached to a utility belt. Maybe this was Cyno’s husband he and Kaveh were talking about. Bennett was about to greet them before Kaveh looked at the people in front of him and decided to blurt out and pointed to a thing Cyno was holding.
“What the fuck is that.” Kaveh pointed to a wine bottle that had apples waxed to the bottle all over and looked like an art project nightmare…. Maybe to everyone but Venti. “Seriously, what the fuck is that, Cyno.”
“You shouldn’t have asked.” The fox man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Worry not Tighnari.” Cyno quirked a small smile. “You see, Bennett is new here, and I read that pineapples were great housewarming gifts.”
Alhaitham seemed to understand already and muttered under his breath. “Archons.”
“But sadly, I could not find any pineapples today, so I brought a wineapple.” Cyno puffed, bringing the bottle even closer to Kaveh’s face with a proud but nearly silent laugh.
“Cyno.” Tighnari shook his head as Kaveh took the bottle and peeled off one of the waxed apples.
“What are you doing, Kaveh? That was a very lengthy art project. You have to pay me back in TGC time, you don’t want to go in debt. I’d say you're a cheap man, but even I wouldn’t buy it.” Cyno had an apple chucked at his face while everyone else watched. Bennett seriously did not get what wasn’t funny about this.
Behind the Scenes III : Wheel of Fortune
There were many things he hated about the outside world. Other gods; albeit there’s now a shockingly low amount left; human greed, never a shortage of that; and mouse opossums, they unnerved him. However there were way more things he was willing to love about the Teyvat mainlands than hate. Ideas, music, life, cultures, converse, the undulating idea of lands unknown. The outside was daunting as it was interesting.
It was soon proven that his preemptive fear of Teyvat was quickly proven correct when a mysterious legion called the ‘Abyss Order’ attacked a small family trying to complete a thousand year old tradition. Mahuiztilia. Giving oneself to the sun for rebirth. His subjects typically did it to welcome a little new one to the cycle, or letting oneself free from it. In this case, it was a welcoming and an ambush. Macani Tecpatl, his wife Aroni Tecptl, his brother Tattu Tecpatl, his sister Bhaunra Tecpatl, and him and his wife’s child- Venturo, all went missing for a series of hours before the four adults appeared under the Falsun but not their child. Slaughtered, they said. In the middle of an ancient tradition, no less. He was first outraged at the audacity, then mournful with the parents. Without a proper connection established, they lost a child to blatant violence with no purpose.
Years went by before a sliver of a leyline connection snaked from Mare Jivari to the heart of Mondstadt. It intrigued the sun god, almost all Jivarians never left the island, and those who do, ritualistically break their cycle and thus their connection. Investigation led to answers, it was Venturo, or Bennett. His parents overjoyed and floundering at his feet to bring him home. He was their god, and he owed such a discouraged child an actual home with a welcoming culture, no less.
Bennu, Sun God of Mare Jivari, never breaks a vow.
“NuNu!” A familiar friend called, her fluttery voice heard soon before her crash landing embrace. His friend was a toweringly-tall, pale lady, with leg long black hair. Face tattoos in oranges, pinks, and blacks mimicking calavera makeup, deep black eyes, and a long red dress- dragging along the flor. “Día del Recuerdo is almost upon us!”
“Mictecaci.” Bennu patted the much taller god’s hands as she released him and offered him a small glass box filled with brigaderios. Delicious. “Thank you. I assume you and Izcalia are looking forward to the festivities.”
“Izcalia? Not looking forward to festivities? Have we been protecting the same city?” Mictecaci giggled, backing off and looking back at the ash plains of the island. “What are you doing so far out in Cheche Plains?”
“Thinking.”
“Huh, whatcha thinking about?”
“That thread, the lost Jivarian.”
“Yes yes, the Tecpatl child.” She sat down on the lava cracked, heated, and barren salt plains. “Lipoca has been following him.”
“Why has she being doing such?” The man whipped his head towards the death goddess, this was the first he heard of such. “I did not know they were doing that. She’s in offland? Teyvat? Lipoca by no means is a weak god, but we barely know anything that happened in the last two thousand years.”
“Yes, the Archon War divergence sure was a choice.” The goddess was always upset about that choice, whether she was thinking about vengeance or curiosity, he did not know anymore.
“And play right into Celestia’s god killing claws?” Bennu felt his hidden feathers ruffle. “We couldn’t lose anymore friends, nor people.”
“I know… I just want to know if that arrogant Natlan god is still alive so I can strangle him with my hands.” Ah, vengeance.
“Let’s just hope Lipoca returns safe and with positive news about your rival's untimely demise.”
“Lipoca… he’s a bit of a trickster, but a loyal warrior at fault. They’ll be fine. And it wouldn’t be untimely.”
Ah, he sees. “What is she even doing there?”
“The first recon mission in the last two thousand years. He wants the Abyss Order deader than a pile of rotten weeds.”
“An admirable goal.”
Mictecaci sighed and sat up. She overlooked the barren land with him once more. The Cheche Plains went on for miles, surrounding the coasts, and acting as a natural barrier for roughly 20 miles inland. It was just plains of death, lava, and salt for miles and miles. It was a nest of fire tucking a flourishing mountainous jungle in the center. It was home. The fire and water; the salt and trees; the sun and the moon. He spent years and years, millennia protecting this island. He worked with current friends and passed on predecessors on making the Cheche Plains ring as inhospitable as possible to anyone who wasn’t Jivarian, god or not. It was a millennial old bird card, but only to the outside. People have left, but no people can enter.
“When you’re done thinking out here, you can come back to Izcalia. It’s Elder Jabari’s birthday.”
“What does that make him?”
“Oh, good question. I think 1,538? His daughter would know, he’s an ancient man.”
“The oldest of them all.” Bennu offered a smile which Mictecaci returned back. “I fly over in an hour.”
“You better, and… update me on the Tepcatl kid.”
“His cycle connection grows.” Bennu started, looking back on the conversation he had through such a faint connection. “I think he would do better here than out there.”
“Yeah, probably. Humans are vicious creatures.” She muttered before she slipped away in a flurry of white flames. Leaving Bennu alone in the middle of the salt barrens with a container of brigaderios with no supervision. He took a taste bite, and they were delicious. He took several more tasty bites as he sat down where Mictecaci once did, and ended up with an empty container in less than a minute.
The heron god looked out at the south, where in just over five miles the sea would start. He wanted to get this saddening ordeal over with happy parties on both sides. Perhaps he should take a page out of Lipoca’s .