Chapter Text
Aether decides to take the commission for helping out at the Interdarshan Championship. He's been out of Sumeru for a time, but he's looking forward to what comes of it.
And, of course, because it's just his luck, he finds something amiss in the first few minutes on the job. As he gazes at the Diadem of Knowledge, he feels a presence—and then sees a faded, staticky figure muttering to himself; his surroundings go dark and still.
"Things can only go from bad… to worse…"
"Who are you?" Aether calls out.
The figure turns to face Aether, meeting his eyes. "Human nature begets conflict, and conflict begets ruin. From the beginning, the seeds of wickedness have been sown."
"Perhaps," Aether concedes. "But that's not all there is to humanity."
The figure narrows his eyes. "You… what are y—"
Aether becomes suddenly aware of his shoulder being given a rough shake. He blinks several times as the world returns to normal, and he finds himself meeting the eyes of—
"Yatra," Aether says.
Yatra pulls his hand back, eyes narrowed.
"—invite our six Darshan representatives to the stage!" Kareena, the organizer, is saying. Aether looks up, and by the time he looks back down, with a gust of wind, Yatra is gone.
"Our contestants are: representing Amurta, Tighnari! Representing Spantamad, Cyno! Representing Rtawahist, Layla! Representing Haravatat, Faruzan! Representing Kshahrewar, Kaveh!"
They all stand on the stage, coming to attention when their name is called. They look well.
"And for Vahumana… Huh? Is Vahumana's representative not here yet?" Kareena looks around, and in the blink of an eye, with the coming of a breeze, there Yatra is.
"These introductions are pointless," Yatra says. "Let's just get this over with."
"Finally!" Kareena gestures towards Yatra. "Our final contestant is Vahumana's representative: Yatra!"
There are murmurings surrounding Aether. "Oh, is that what his name is? I think I've seen him before…"
Another person answers them: "I've heard that he's a researcher from a different country who nominally belongs to Vahumana. Word is that he's written a lot of political analyses. His manner of speech hasn't made him popular amongst most other Vahumana researchers, but his comings and goings are quite irregular, so he doesn't interact with others much. Aside from his more controversial aspects, his perspectives are considered quite incisive. Vahumana has seen a dearth of new talent lately, and some of its existing ones are not currently at the Akademiya, so I suspect he might have been their only option…"
Aether is curious about what he's doing here. He can't imagine that Yatra enjoys the excitement and activity of large competitions. When Aether looks at him, Yatra meets Aether's eyes—but his gaze answers nothing at all. The other contestants catch Aether's gaze, too, and most of them seem unsurprised to see Aether here, though the way Tighnari seems to almost be glaring at him…
"Now that we have our six contestants," Kareena continues, "the Championship will soon begin! Who will triumph this time around? Hold on to your hats, because we're all on this ride together!"
"You," Tighnari says, accosting Aether as soon as he was released from the stage, "have a lot of nerve."
Aether blinks with his best impression of innocence.
"Don't give me that look. When were you planning on telling me that you—" Tighnari stops. His ears twitch, and he takes a deep breath. "Alhaitham didn't find it necessary to bring it up himself, but he was willing enough to tell Cyno about it when pressed."
Ah. Right. Dying. "I… don't really go out of my way to talk about it," Aether says, looking away. "And then, well… I was out and about doing other things." Like helping Nahida handle various remaining matters of the Akasha. "I was able to talk about it with Alhaitham. We're okay."
Tighnari stares. "With Alhaitham?" —and then he sighs, composing himself. "Okay, okay. I'm not your doctor, and you aren't obligated to tell me about these things. I just… worry, you know? We all do."
"Maybe you should be his doctor," Cyno says, approaching as well. "Maybe he'll learn to see you before he needs to go to the ICU."
Aether blinks. It takes him a moment, but he covers up a laugh with a cough, which earns him an assessing look from Cyno.
Tighnari closes his eyes for a moment. Breathes. "I'll help where I can, but I'm not really qualified. But that's enough of that. What are you up to here, Aether?"
"I've been commissioned to be a guest commentator," Aether says.
"Is that so?" Tighnari asks, ears perking up in interest. "I heard that there would be guest commentators recording the proceedings with Kameras, but I didn't expect it'd be you."
Cyno nods. "It's a pleasant surprise that you're visiting Sumeru again while I'm still on leave. When everything comes together perfectly like this, I call it the Biryani factor. Because it's always rice to meat stew again."
Aether snorts. Cyno's eyes shine at the reaction. Tighnari looks pained.
Aether isn't surprised to find out that Cyno is in the competition for the limited-edition Genius Invokation TCG card. And that Tighnari's goals are entirely unrelated to the competition's prizes. After talking with those two, Aether finds Kaveh, Faruzan, and Layla together; he waves to gather their attention.
Kaveh notices him first. If he's nervous about seeing Aether again, he masks it well. "Oh, Aether. What are you up to here?"
"I've been invited as a guest commentator," Aether explains. "I'm to record what happens during the competition."
"Continuing with all your problem solving, Aether?" Faruzan asks, raising a brow. "I'll have to trouble you to catch the moment of my triumph on Kamera!"
Aether chuckles. He hasn't seen Faruzan since working out that collaboration with Kshahrewar with her, when he happened to bump into her not too long ago. He's glad she's doing well. "I'll see what I can do, Madam Faruzan."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, now," Kaveh says. "Victory will obviously be mine!"
"Hah, you're far too young to even consider challenging me. Kshahrewar or Rtawahist, you're all children as far as I'm concerned…"
Aether notices Layla fidgeting, seemingly trying to find a moment to speak. "Layla," Aether says, "how did you end up joining the competition?"
"O-oh, me? Um… I don't know why, but a lot of people recommended me. I didn't sign up myself. I just woke up to find my name on the announcement board."
"Similar to Tighnari, then," Aether notes. Unless the other Layla got involved.
"Him too?"
Aether asks the three about their reasons for joining the competition. Faruzan is hoping to get funding and potentially some students, Layla seems to mostly not want to disappoint her Darshan, and Kaveh…
"Um, well… You know, right? I want to buy some property…"
Aether hums, tilting his head. "Do you?"
Kaveh's gaze shutters. "I—what's that supposed to mean? Yeah, I do." He hesitates. "Also, my father took part in the Interdarshan Championship when I was young, but he didn't win. Once I do, the right to wear that diadem will be mine. In a way, I'll be helping my father fulfill a dream of his."
Ah. Right. Aether recently gained some fragmented memories about that. The grief, the guilt. Aether takes a breath and nods. "I hope you find what you're looking for," he says.
Kaveh stiffens slightly before relaxing. "Thank you."
Aether finds Yatra at the back of the stage. "Yatra," he greets.
"Aether," Yatra returns, arms crossed.
A long pause. "Did you join by your own will?" Aether asks.
Yatra scoffs. "Since you're asking, you must already know the answer."
"Well, I have my guess."
Yatra sighs. "I have an agreement with someone not to reveal my motives for being here."
"Is it Nahida?" Aether asks.
Yatra levels a stare at him.
"… Can I ask how you ended up in Vahumana, then?"
Yatra gives another sigh. "I heard that the Vahumana researcher named Aqaba was researching the Tatarasuna incident, so I wrote a few essays to refute his points."
"I heard about that," Aether muses.
"Did you, now? Well, later, when I was bored, I wrote some commentary on societal issues in Inazuma. I didn't expect Vahumana to consider me as one of them. Someone even invited me to a lecture or whatever." Yatra scoffs. "From start to finish, it was just the wishful thinking of idiots—a misunderstanding. There's your answer. Simple." He pauses. "But when Lesser Lord Kusanali heard about this, she went out of her way to get me registered in Vahumana… She used the name 'Hat Guy.'"
Aether blinks. "Hat Guy? Um, you got it changed, right?"
"What do you take me for? Obviously." Yatra looks away, the brim of his hat hiding his eyes. "I don't know what she was thinking with that. I have a name. The one you gave me."
Aether has a feeling that Nahida did it on purpose. Maybe to see what he would do. To see in what way he values his name, now. Aether is a little happy that Yatra made sure his name was right.
"So." Yatra lifts up his head and looks Aether in the eye. "What happened back there? You looked brain-dead for a minute."
Aether blinks. He almost forgot about that. Almost. "There's something in the Diadem," Aether says. "Some kind of presence. A ghost, a remnant… something. I must have connected to it for a moment—maybe I was in some kind of psychic limbo? It was saying some nihilistic, misanthropic things…"
Yatra narrows his eyes. "Is it you that finds trouble, or is it that trouble finds you?"
"Haha. I wonder."
"Well. Try not to make a mess out of things, or yourself. Keep watching—I'm sure this championship will be one to remember."
Aether bumps into Dehya and Candace, and subsequently gets the brunt of their hugs—a very tight one from Dehya, and a gentler one from Candace. They tell him to have fun and to try not to get into trouble, which is fair. But Aether doesn't try to be a trouble magnet…
The first competition begins, and Aether gets the chance to talk to Alhaitham and Nilou.
"I didn't expect that you would be invited as a commentator as well," Alhaitham notes as Aether approaches.
"And I'm surprised you're here, too," Aether says. "How'd you end up as a commentator?"
"There were several factors, but primarily the recommendation of the sages. I suppose they assumed that I'd have the free time for this job after resigning as Acting Grand Sage. That said, they'd probably claim that my calm demeanor would help maintain fairness in the competition." Alhaitham hums. "The job itself is quite simple and effortless, at least."
"That's good. Don't push yourself?"
"I'll be fine. Worry more about yourself."
Aether laughs lightly. "How about you, Nilou? How are you?"
Nilou lets out a gentle, nervous laugh. "This is my first time commentating for such a competition. I'm feeling kinda nervous. But, overall, I think I'm doing pretty well!"
Aether smiles. "I'm sure you'll do great. Can I ask how you got here?"
"The staff said that spectators would be less inclined to come if the contestants and commentators were all from the Akademiya," Nilou says. "I don't quite understand it, but I'm happy that we're able to all meet again." Nilou brushes a lock of hair from her shoulder. "Alhaitham isn't much of a conversationalist, but his company is nice."
"Hmm," Alhaitham hums in response.
Before Aether knows it, the first competition is over. Aether bears witness to Kaveh's willingness to trouble himself for the first time, and finds that it's a bit painful to watch but does not interfere. He simply watches and records the proceedings quietly, faded into the background.
(He can't help but wonder if Paimon would enjoy this, too. But when he reaches for her, only a dull echo responds.)
As he's dismissing the camera into his storage, he's approached by an individual who informs him that Dori is looking for him. Aether spares a glance to the group still by the stage; Alhaitham catches his eye, head tilted. Aether waves, and Alhaitham nods before departing without a care to the conversations still happening with Kaveh, Nilou, and Faruzan.
With that, Aether goes.
It's later, after Aether first encounters Dori and explores the stalls, that he seeks out Dori again for her information. At his approach, Dori grins. "Have you decided to buy information from me? I'll sell it to you for the fixed price of one million Mora!"
Aether stares at her. She stares back, continuing to smile. Aether starts to turn around.
"Wait, wait! Let me see… Eh? Aether is customer number 1,001 for today. The original cost of the information was one million Mora, but for you the price is now free!"
Aether turns back around and raises an eyebrow, hoping it expresses how dubious that sounds.
"Don't look at me like that! Do you want it or not?"
Aether nods.
Dori grins once more. "Dori's exclusive scoop number one! Do you remember the Diadem of Knowledge?"
Aether perks up in interest. Maybe she'd know about that presence? At that reaction, Dori's eyes sparkle. "Only the champion is entitled to wear the diadem. It was an expensive antique given by Sachin. Yet this very diadem, after it was donated to the Akademiya, was lost by them once before!"
Aether tilts his head. "Do you know what happened?"
"Hehehe, that's all you get from me. There's a young fellow named Kashmer from the suburbs. If you're interested in delving further, you could ask him. The password is 'that incident from twenty years ago'!"
Aether finds an empty tree hollow based on Kashmer's description of where an Aranara may have hidden the diadem. Well—empty save for an old weathered note.
The good Nara taught Arakasyapa how to read. Arakasyapa must protect the good Nara…
Aether wonders if Arakasyapa remembers, still. He wonders if Kashmer taught them, or if it was someone else. He'd like to visit the Aranara again… he sees them around, but it's been some time since he's gone to Vanarana.
Aether finds himself feeling a bit tired. The tree hollow is nice, and hidden from view, and he curls up for a nap right there. He drifts in his dreams, flitting from mind to mind before settling in Yatra's for a time.
Yatra notices him, and carefully arranges his thoughts to keep them fuzzy and distant, but makes no move to banish Aether's presence from his mind.