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| [They'd been interesting students, Aether and his sister — both had majored in history, with concentrations in sociology and ancient civilizations respectively. Not a common thing to study in today's day and age, but they had both been unwavering, unshakable in their decisions. They'd both excelled in their fields of study, as well: Lumine had chosen to focus her graduate thesis on Mondstadt's aristocratic area, putting her in touch with Venti, but Aether had written extensively about ancient Liyue, landing several remarkable publications in national science and history journals, all of which he'd run past Zhongli, department chair, for editing.
And yet, after graduation, Lumine had landed a highly respected archaeological survey in far-flung Sumeru, and Aether...
Aether, for some reason, had stayed behind.
Was there not enough room for two more researchers on the team? Had they just found Lumine the better candidate? More importantly, have there been no other opportunities for Aether since graduation? That's difficult to believe, given the quality of his graduate work, but it can't be denied that he hasn't seemed to have done much of anything in the field of history since he earned his degree. He's had no publications, no movements in his public profile; he doesn't even seem to be actively seeking employment.
In person, Aether's been vague about his prospects. Mysterious, even. And yet, despite everything, he's stayed in touch with Zhongli — stayed in touch with Zhongli and Zhongli alone, of all the professors he used to work with as a graduate student. He's gone to dinners and lunches and networking events with Zhongli; he's met him for coffee and tea and walks through local parks. It might be fair to say that they've moved past being professor-and-student and instead become simple colleagues and friends.
Case in point —] | |
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| [Truthfully, Aether's not entirely surprised that it didn't work out.
It had been a bit of a surprise when Lumine pulled this Dainsleif from — from somewhere and then introduced him to Aether as her boyfriend. Naturally, Aether had been suspicious and cynical. He could never really get the picture of how they met, whether it was at school or work or somewhere else; he could never really get a sense of Dainsleif's history, of where he worked or what the man did before he met Lumine and became her lover. But the skepticism had worn off in the end, because it soon became quite obvious that Dainsleif, past his stoic and slightly awkward demeanor, loved Lumine. He worshipped her like a goddess. He would have done anything for her.
And so, in the end, Aether approved.
But then again, that was just the problem, wasn't it?
Lumine was never going to be satisfied with the kind of man who agreed with her every decision like an obedient pup. Aether loves his sister, loves everything about her — but, to put it very cynically, she didn't need from a boyfriend the kind of behavior she could get from her twin brother. Someone pliant, someone loving, someone who would do everything she asked, fetch her a blade of grass from Inazuma or a single berry from the wilds of Sumeru if she so much as mentioned a whim for one... Lumine didn't need someone like that when she had grown up with that kind of behavior by her side in Aether.
And so, in the end...] | |
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| [They'd been a cute couple at first. Sure, Aether pretended to tut disapprovingly at his sister's boyfriend, like any brother would — and sure, on some level he was a little hurt by the idea that he wasn't the most important man in his little sister's life anymore — but he didn't hate Childe, really. They seemed good for each other; they seemed well-matched. She'd looked like a princess on his arm, and he her gallant knight. He was gentlemanly, and handsome, and wealthy; she was loving and gentle and beautiful. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and she was always just stern enough to keep him in line when his more puppylike tendencies came out to play.
Maybe Aether had thought, once or twice, that it would have been nice to have someone like that. And yet, at the same time, maybe he'd also thought that he'd be better off alone.
When did the fighting start? Aether can't remember. At first, the disagreements were minor — things like the way Childe would stay out all night doing who-knows-what, and then Lumine wouldn't answer Childe's texts for days on end just to get back at him. They'd try to forgive each other, but the petty grievances would pile up; both were just as likely to let bygones be bygones as they were to hold grudges, and eventually, the relationship became a petty cycle of "forgiving" each other for perceived slights only to start fights over the same thing again.
It was mutually toxic for a while, Aether thinks, as he makes his way to a less-traveled street and smoothly parks his car. He doesn't want to think that about his sister, but it's true; part of the reason she and Childe would constantly fight with each other was that they both liked fighting, liked breaking up just to make up, and Aether wonders, sometimes, if he played his own role in the conflict. Growing up, he'd always given Lumine anything she wanted, always conceded that she was right even if he felt that she was wrong. At the time, he'd only wanted to be a supportive older brother, the kind of man who would always be by her side when the world would surely throw its share of obstacles in her path.
He meant to protect her. Maybe he only succeeded in sheltering her from compromise.] | |
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