[Less that Aether is pushing... and more that Four continues to be conflicted on the best way to act on his feelings. Navigating life without others directing you is hard.]
[Aether sends over the directions to the cafe, still closed for now. As his friend arrives, the traveler opens the door and grabs him by the hand to pull him inside with a soft laugh. The door is then locked behind them.
The cafe seems to be prepared for the Valentine's Day - heart decorations can be seen all around, red flowers cover some spaces. The smell of freshly baked goods is in the air as well, and it can be picked up only better the closer they get to the kitchen.]
As you can see the preparations are almost done now. I'm alone in the kitchen for now, so we'll be fine.
[Four looks around the place, taking in the decorations. It's his first time really being somewhere decked out since he always used to think of celebrations as being For Other People.]
...You've put in a lot of effort.
[He realizes he's never been here before, and yet this is probably where Aether works. There's so much about him Four doesn't actually know yet. He only feels less sure of himself the closer they get to the kitchen, overwhelmed by all the atmosphere. What did he actually sign up for, here?]
It was a team effort! And I really mostly cook here. My... my lovers did far more in terms of decorating the place.
[He hesitates only a moment, before grinning more.
As they enter the kitchen, they are greeted by various deserts already prepared. The baked goods are waiting to cool off, before cream and fruit can be added on top of them for decoration.
As if sensing Four's hesitation, Aether gives his hand a squeeze, then directs them to a clean area of the kitchen. There's already some ingredients waiting for them there.]
[His lovers... Four can't help but feel a little weird about that. Should he even be here? Is this crossing a line? Four isn't sure of the rules in these situations, so if Aether is fine with it, then it must be okay.]
Are they here?
[In the kitchen, Four simply follows as directed. He's barely even cooked before beyond the basics, let alone made desserts--he doesn't even know where to begin here. If nothing else he keeps an eye on Aether, ready to mimic what he does.]
[That gives Aether a pause, but he thinks this isn't a topic they can ignore. Sooner or later Four will run into one of those said lovers.]
They are. They live on the upper floor, while the lower is used for the cafe. One of them is called Vincent, the other is called Vanitas.
[As they talk, Aether carefully shows Four what to do. He's gotten quite good at teaching, thanks to all the cooking lessons he's given to people before.]
[He tries to focus on following Aether's instructions, which are clear enough that combined with Four's natural precision he's able to recreate everything fairly easily. Unfortunately, this just leaves Four more room for him to dwell on what he shouldn't.]
...I've met Vanitas.
[Two very different encounters both time, and Four isn't entirely sure what his impression of the guy is now. He certainly hadn't expected him to be one of the people Aether is involved with...]
[Aether is quite surprised with how easily Four follows his instructions. A pleased smile plays on his lips, but it falters ever so slightly when his friend says he'd met Vanitas already.]
Ah. [That's really the only reaction he can have at first.] He can be very chaotic.
[He laughs a little when saying that.
...Four may realize eventually that Aether is picking only difficult people for his romantic partners.]
[His tone is solemn and he keeps his eyes trained on what he's doing with his hands, but he does mean it. Over everything else, that's what's most important.]
[Those words make him feel a little embarrassed now. He's definitely being judged in some way, isn't he?! But he can't really help it.]
You know, I... I feel like I can understand Vanitas in some ways.
[He's quiet for a moment or two.]
I'm a traveller. [He continues suddenly, his gaze is down on his hands.] The vast majority of my life I was travelling with my sister, never staying anywhere long and with no place to return to.
[He's not sure why he's bringing it up now, but he has never told Four much about himself, right? And he promised himself he'd try to be more open with people he cares about.]
[Four stills. Maybe that's the difference. Four has only ever lived his life in small, contained environments, confined either to his accommodations in Peil's laboratories or to the space station of Asticassia. After he'd died he'd been brought here, where he rarely leaves his house. He isn't at all much of a traveler.
Is such a thing very important to Aether?]
...It sounds lonely. It's good you had someone with you.
[Aether still hasn't told Four much about his sister. Back when Aether had all his memories dumped into him--he'd only wanted Four to stay with him, and Four had. But Four still wants to know as much as Aether will tell him.]
[Maybe it's not the important part, but it's a part that makes him feel like he gets Vanitas. They were both travelling from place to place, with no home, no living relatives except for one.
At Four's words, Aether considers looking at him, but he doesn't in the end. Instead he brings his hands together.]
I'm glad, too. I miss my sister a lot... Lumine is... very strong and stubborn. I'm sure we'll meet again.
[And then maybe they can finally have a proper conversation and explain everything to each other. He wishes for nothing more.]
We've been travelling for many years... [He continues.] Thousands... No, far more than that. I don't really remember. I stopped counting at some point. We travelled from planet to planet until we eventually landed on Teyvat.
[This is news to Four--he hadn't realized Aether was so old. In comparison, Four's own span of memory is barely a blip--he can only remember three or so years, though he knows he's been alive for longer than that. Four can scarcely comprehend having thousands of years to experience life.]
I don't usually talk about it. [He tries to laugh it off.] But... [He finally looks at Four.] I think you should know. [He's not sure what his real goal is: opening up? Telling Four the truth so he may understand that having feelings for this traveler is complicated in so many ways?
Aether sighs.]
The place I came from... no longer exists. It's just me and my sister now. [Everybody else is no longer alive.] We're a long living species and the technology used on our spaceships allowed us to sleep for hundreds or even thousands of years between visits to new planets. Maybe I was actually asleep far longer than I was ever awake. [He smiles like he's just said a joke, but his eyes are not laughing.]
[Four doesn't seem to take it as a joke either, not that he does with anything. He certainly isn't working anymore, though, instead softly observing Aether.]
[While he doesn't think the question is unreasonable, it makes him lapse in silence at first. Eventually, he calmly responds:]
The spaceship we arrived in crashed and when we tried to escape Teyvat, we were caught by an unknown god and imprisoned. I woke up 500 years later and my sister was nowhere to be found.
[So it wasn't really his choice, not at first.]
But... as I travelled through the world I discovered many beautiful places and met many amazing people...
[After saying that, Aether falls silent once more.
His journey wasn't easy: it was lonely. He got forced into helping many times, sometimes receiving not even a small "thank you" in return, following leads that got him nowhere, trying to find his sister who refused to tell him the entire truth.
And yet... He presses a hand over his heart. He has so many memories that fill his chest with warmth. His expressions softens when he thinks about it.]
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All right. What should I do?
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There's a cafe I'm working at. It'll be open later today, but we can use the kitchen there now. I'll be preparing some food there anyway!
[It would be a neutral ground?]
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I can be there soon.
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The cafe seems to be prepared for the Valentine's Day - heart decorations can be seen all around, red flowers cover some spaces. The smell of freshly baked goods is in the air as well, and it can be picked up only better the closer they get to the kitchen.]
As you can see the preparations are almost done now. I'm alone in the kitchen for now, so we'll be fine.
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...You've put in a lot of effort.
[He realizes he's never been here before, and yet this is probably where Aether works. There's so much about him Four doesn't actually know yet. He only feels less sure of himself the closer they get to the kitchen, overwhelmed by all the atmosphere. What did he actually sign up for, here?]
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It was a team effort! And I really mostly cook here. My... my lovers did far more in terms of decorating the place.
[He hesitates only a moment, before grinning more.
As they enter the kitchen, they are greeted by various deserts already prepared. The baked goods are waiting to cool off, before cream and fruit can be added on top of them for decoration.
As if sensing Four's hesitation, Aether gives his hand a squeeze, then directs them to a clean area of the kitchen. There's already some ingredients waiting for them there.]
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Are they here?
[In the kitchen, Four simply follows as directed. He's barely even cooked before beyond the basics, let alone made desserts--he doesn't even know where to begin here. If nothing else he keeps an eye on Aether, ready to mimic what he does.]
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They are. They live on the upper floor, while the lower is used for the cafe. One of them is called Vincent, the other is called Vanitas.
[As they talk, Aether carefully shows Four what to do. He's gotten quite good at teaching, thanks to all the cooking lessons he's given to people before.]
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...I've met Vanitas.
[Two very different encounters both time, and Four isn't entirely sure what his impression of the guy is now. He certainly hadn't expected him to be one of the people Aether is involved with...]
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Ah. [That's really the only reaction he can have at first.] He can be very chaotic.
[He laughs a little when saying that.
...Four may realize eventually that Aether is picking only difficult people for his romantic partners.]
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As long as he makes you happy.
[His tone is solemn and he keeps his eyes trained on what he's doing with his hands, but he does mean it. Over everything else, that's what's most important.]
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You know, I... I feel like I can understand Vanitas in some ways.
[He's quiet for a moment or two.]
I'm a traveller. [He continues suddenly, his gaze is down on his hands.] The vast majority of my life I was travelling with my sister, never staying anywhere long and with no place to return to.
[He's not sure why he's bringing it up now, but he has never told Four much about himself, right? And he promised himself he'd try to be more open with people he cares about.]
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Is such a thing very important to Aether?]
...It sounds lonely. It's good you had someone with you.
[Aether still hasn't told Four much about his sister. Back when Aether had all his memories dumped into him--he'd only wanted Four to stay with him, and Four had. But Four still wants to know as much as Aether will tell him.]
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At Four's words, Aether considers looking at him, but he doesn't in the end. Instead he brings his hands together.]
I'm glad, too. I miss my sister a lot... Lumine is... very strong and stubborn. I'm sure we'll meet again.
[And then maybe they can finally have a proper conversation and explain everything to each other. He wishes for nothing more.]
We've been travelling for many years... [He continues.] Thousands... No, far more than that. I don't really remember. I stopped counting at some point. We travelled from planet to planet until we eventually landed on Teyvat.
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[This is news to Four--he hadn't realized Aether was so old. In comparison, Four's own span of memory is barely a blip--he can only remember three or so years, though he knows he's been alive for longer than that. Four can scarcely comprehend having thousands of years to experience life.]
Why? What happened to where you came from?
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I don't usually talk about it. [He tries to laugh it off.] But... [He finally looks at Four.] I think you should know. [He's not sure what his real goal is: opening up? Telling Four the truth so he may understand that having feelings for this traveler is complicated in so many ways?
Aether sighs.]
The place I came from... no longer exists. It's just me and my sister now. [Everybody else is no longer alive.] We're a long living species and the technology used on our spaceships allowed us to sleep for hundreds or even thousands of years between visits to new planets. Maybe I was actually asleep far longer than I was ever awake. [He smiles like he's just said a joke, but his eyes are not laughing.]
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What was it about Teyvat that made you stay?
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The spaceship we arrived in crashed and when we tried to escape Teyvat, we were caught by an unknown god and imprisoned. I woke up 500 years later and my sister was nowhere to be found.
[So it wasn't really his choice, not at first.]
But... as I travelled through the world I discovered many beautiful places and met many amazing people...
[After saying that, Aether falls silent once more.
His journey wasn't easy: it was lonely. He got forced into helping many times, sometimes receiving not even a small "thank you" in return, following leads that got him nowhere, trying to find his sister who refused to tell him the entire truth.
And yet... He presses a hand over his heart. He has so many memories that fill his chest with warmth. His expressions softens when he thinks about it.]