Once more, from the top. Repetition is the key to memorization after all.

Miss Lisa, a clinical psychology major, currently in her final year of post-grad and well on her way to an outstanding PhD program.

That one’s easy. Lisa was among the first people whom Albedo met when he enrolled. It was a stroke of luck, getting a job in the library alongside the school’s brightest PhD candidate. Though it’d taken a while for Albedo to grow accustomed to her naturally flirty way of interacting.

Next, Miss Jean. Criminal Justice and Conflict Resolution, a dual major, with plans to apply for law school come the next year or so, if Albedo recalls correctly.

The difference between Lisa and Jean’s mannerisms is stark, but somehow balanced, in a way. Lisa brings a sense of calm to Jean’s strict—borderline overbearing—work ethic, and Jean motivates Lisa to act on the boundless potential she carries.

How very complimentary.

And the last piece to the puzzle, for today.

Mister Ky— Ki? Kae?

Albedo can’t remember seeing it on paper. He’ll have to mention that to Sucrose later.

But yes, Kaeya. Albedo doesn’t actually know what his major is. They’d only met fairly recently, and he’d quickly taken to conversation without any of the usual ‘icebreakers’ used by students.

He’s a childhood friend of Jean, growing up in the same neighborhood. And via Jean, Kaeya met Lisa. An awful combination, Albedo must say, even if he’s only known the combined pair for a short time. He has no doubt any one victim to their teasing would combust rather quickly.

Okay. Hopefully he can remember everything as they make their way throughout the day. He’s never been that great with names or faces, especially in groups. And Sucrose isn’t here to assist him, so he’ll really have to stay on top of things.

How long he’d been wrapped up in his head, Albedo isn’t sure. But when the car comes to a lurching stop, he knows it must’ve spanned enough time for them to arrive at their destination.

Kaeya announces their arrival, gesturing outside with a flourish. Jean offers a little cheer that has Lisa laughing softly in response.

This is Albedo’s first time at a Renaissance Faire. He didn’t have a lot of expectations going into it, but his first view of the fair grounds certainly delivers.

The door to his left pops open, startling him from his train of thought. He hadn’t realized that everyone was already on their way out. Kaeya stands beside Albedo, thankfully blocking most of the now beaming sun. His hand is on the door handle and his lips tilt up into a smirk.

“Coming?”

———

To say it again, Albedo’s never been to a ‘Ren Faire’ before. He can’t remember who’s idea it was either, just that he’d been dropped into a group chat very suddenly a few days ago.

He didn’t have too much of a preference going or not going, but when Amber had to drop last minute to help her partner from dance class—

Well, Albedo found the decision being made for him.

He made sure to thank Amber for her spare ticket—it was the polite thing to do—but he did worry a little.

Sucrose had a biochem exam approaching, so she couldn’t make it. Timaeus…didn’t know any of the others all that well.

And…Albedo didn’t really have any other friends his age to consider.

(The idea of bringing his little sister did flutter at the base of his head for a second before he shooed it off, a tad embarrassed.)

Thankfully, things seem to be going decently well. Lisa is a familiar presence. Jean is wholly accommodating. And Kaeya—

Albedo has the patience to deal with types like him, he’ll just say.

That’s why he does little more than roll his eyes, an amused smile tugging at his lips, when Kaeya immediately directs the group to a period-catered costume shop upon entrance.

It seems a bit much, but Albedo’s silence is outvoted unanimously.

There is the option to rent consumes but—

“That doesn’t seem sanitary,” Jean mumbles, hand at her chin while she frowns at the advertising sign.

“I don’t think ‘sanitary’ was a major concern in this century,” Kaeya offers when he walks by, an assortment of clothes already on his arm.

“But it is the present, so I’m sure they’d be fine,” Lisa chimes in, lightly pulling Jean’s hand from her face.

Wrist in hand, Lisa begins leading Jean off to a corner of the store. Her voice fades.

“You won’t be needing those anyways though, dear. I’ve got just the thing for you.”

———

Albedo hadn’t gone into this with the knowledge he’d be purchasing a costume, but he did bring an ample amount of spending money—just in case—so it doesn’t pose much of a problem.

He isn’t exactly sure what he should be buying though, so he just purchases what he can find on a similarly sized mannequin.

That leaves him in a white, long sleeved shirt that he cuffs to his elbows to match the display. It’s a bit—um—poofy? But the collar keeps it settled on Albedo’s shoulders fairly well. There’s a pair of baggy, but otherwise generic, brown pants on his legs and a yellow sash around his waist—for an accent? He supposes? That’s really the gist of it.

It’s not bad, Albedo thinks, but the rest of the group definitely took the idea to heart.

Lisa’s gown is a rich purple, complimented by the flowers in her hair. Roses, he thinks. Do roses come in purple? That’s beside the point—

She looks like royalty, elegant and poised. Albedo hopes she doesn’t overheat.

Jean’s dress is much more subdued, though that isn’t meant to come off negatively. Albedo doesn’t have the fashion background to describe it, but the dress seems well-fit to Jean’s style.

A white peasant dress with a blue bodice, flowing loose around her ankles. The sleeves hang off her shoulders and puff out, much like Albedo’s. A simple chain of daisies sits on her head, a subtle statement in her golden hair.

Kaeya’s outfit is the only one he can’t recall seeing in the store. Which is strange, since Albedo has an almost photographic memory.

His pants are almost identical to Albedo’s, just black and—obviously—a size larger.

His top…

….

It’s…another white top, long sleeved and of a thinner material. There’s ruffles or ruching—Albedo doesn’t know the specific terminology—around the neckline, which, ah—

—drops, a bit low. In a v-shaped cut that ends about mid-sternum and it—

It looks good — on him. Albedo will leave it at that.

…though leaving it there would mean glossing over the corset fitted around his waist. Navy blue and secured snugly on his lower abdomen.

How can a man be so tall and yet have a waist so small, it’s just—

“So that’s where that corset went.” Lisa says, slipping into Albedo’s line of sight.

Kaeya only shrugs his shoulders, a ‘guilty as charged’ smile on his face.

“Oh, you’re lucky you got ahold of it before I could. Jean has a figure to die for, and that would’ve gone a long way in getting others to properly appreciate it.”

Albedo doesn’t miss the look of relief on Jean’s face, nor the thankful smile she shoots Kaeya over Lisa’s shoulder.

———

From then on is a blur of vibrant colors, spirited music, and brisk, autumn air.

Kaeya leads the way, for the most part. Albedo follows gladly; the last thing he wants is to lose himself in this bustling faux city. Thankfully, Kaeya’s height makes that difficult to achieve.

There are many stalls set up, lining the walking paths of the town, but the group gets only a few steps in before someone starts taking an interest in one of the shop’s wares.

Lisa is taken by the handcrafted jewelry, glass pieces that catch the light and make it dance on the dirt path. Jean’s attention is stolen a minute later by a batch of artisan wind chimes, as beautiful in craft as they are in sound. Kaeya gets stopped by a weapons display, which doesn’t entirely surprise Albedo. But the way he slowly approaches a small tray, picks up a modest, old slingshot with an expression that’s almost—wistful…

Some part of him wants to ask, but he doesn’t.

Albedo doesn’t find much interest in the shops. He browses over the items when the others choose to stop, but the clothes on his back will be a significant enough momento as is. He doesn’t find himself pausing until they’re passing by the live music.

He doesn’t stop intentionally, just steps more and more slowly, lingering beside the small amphitheater. It’s upbeat music, though not in the sort of way he’d describe any music today. The percussion is light, the strings are vibrant, and the woodwinds ring distinctly clear in the white noise of people.

He’s startled by the applause that sounds around him when the piece ends, finding himself in the middle of the group. He—didn’t expect them to leave him, but—

“You know, for as many times as I’ve come here, I can’t remember the last time I stopped to really take in the music.” Kaeya says, standing to Albedo’s left.

He meets Albedo’s eyes, then shuts his own in a smile. “Thank you for that.”

They continue walking. Albedo wonders briefly whether the heat is getting to him.

The browsing continues on like this for another mile or so before something breaks the cycle.

“Oh, would you look at that.”

The amusement is clear in Kaeya’s voice, though Albedo can’t say at what in particular. Not until Kaeya sidesteps past him and up to a hunk of wood off the side of the path.

There’s a decent amount of space around the wooden stocks, sitting in a circle of dirt beside the main road. They’re not the most popular of attractions, as far as Albedo can tell, so it’s not a problem getting their group of four situated around them.

It’s Albedo’s first time seeing something like this in person, and it’d be underwhelming if he had any expectations, but he really doesn’t. Two boards of wood with a few holes split between them. Albedo doesn’t see the appeal.

Kaeya still seems to be interested though. He fishes around in his pockets, eventually finding his phone and handing it off to Jean.

“Take a picture, would you please? I’d like to send it to Diluc. I think seeing me locked up will make his day.”

Albedo doesn’t know the circumstances, but the way Jean muffles a giggle behind her hand makes him want to.

Kaeya lifts the top piece gingerly; the hinges squeak, probably from disuse. He slots himself into place, bending at somewhat of an awkward angle to compensate for his extra height. Lisa assists in carefully repositioning the top piece before stepping back out of frame.

The first picture is all smiles. Bright and sunny in a way that completely contradicts the setting. Kaeya flashes a peace sign and Albedo has to feign a cough to cover up his laugh.

“Kaeya, you’re a prisoner,” Jean reminds behind the camera.

Kaeya’s smile drops, to what could only be called a pout, for a moment before he ‘gets into character’. Hanging his head in defeat. Gazing blearily off to the side. So dramatic — a good thing, in this circumstance, Albedo supposes.

Eventually Kaeya calls Jean over to look at the pictures. Though he chooses to remain in the stocks while he scrolls through his phone, for whatever reason. He hums his approval, saving at least a couple of the pictures Jean took to work with later.

“Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,’ Lisa purrs, draping herself over one side of the stockade.

Kaeya sighs, overdramatic as he hangs his head once again. “Yes, of course. I’ve seen the error of my ways now.”

Albedo holds back from rolling his eyes. He can see where this is going.

“Oh? And how am I meant to believe that?” Lisa coos.

“I’ll be a model prisoner going forward.” Kaeya presses. “I’ll accept my punishments graciously and be good from here on out.”

It’s so cheesy, Albedo considers turning around and leaving. They’ll catch up eventually. But his attention is taken by a weird sound — almost like a…yip? — before he can move.

The angle Kaeya bends to fit into the stocks leaves him just about level with Albedo, so it’s easy to see when his hands tug suddenly against the wooden frame. Like the stocks intended though, he doesn’t budge.

“H-hey, wait now—“

Kaeya’s tone has changed completely. He’s dropped the prisoner act, voice going cautious, even wavering a little.

“Hm?” Lisa hums, smiling sweetly. It sets off multiple alarms in Albedo’s head, even though he’s fairly sure it’s not meant for him.

“Now, I thought you were going to be good for me?”

“Hmph—“

Again, another weird noise. This time obviously from Kaeya, muted and kept in his throat. His wrists rotate in the stocks’ hold, but there’s no slipping them out.

Albedo blinks, processing. He feels like he’s missing a piece of the puzzle.

He can see Kaeya fidgeting—trying to casually remove himself from the stocks, but the loss of his cool is visible as the seconds tick by. His jerky movements against the wood increase in frequency, until eventually his eyes shut, lips pressing together like his life depends on it.

Lisa, on the other hand, has all the cool Kaeya doesn’t. She’s still lounging lazily against the stock mount. Though it’s quite obvious now that her position was intentional, resting atop the frame to keep it shut over Kaeya’s twitching body.

Albedo doesn’t get the joke. Not until Jean intervenes.

“Oh,” Jean frets, stepping from behind Albedo to get closer to Lisa. She peeks over to get a better view of the stocks’ back side. “Don’t go too close to his back. He used to scream whenever his brother—“

“Jea-hean!”

And that one shout is all it takes to loosen the iron seal of Kaeya’s lips. The air is immediately filled with bright, bubbly giggles as Kaeya loses his grip. He tries, more than once, to bottle the sound back up, but every attempt leaves him sputtering and squeaking in failure.

Ah, so he’s ticklish.

“Oops! Sorry, Kaeya!” Jean cries, hands flying to her mouth.

Albedo takes one step to his left, adjusting his view to the back of the stocks. Where—apparently—all the action’s been happening.

Now he can see Lisa’s hand—delicate and dainty—with long, painted nails that—in this situation—must be absolutely brutal. She scribbles a fast back and forth motion up and down Kaeya’s side. Starting at the top of the corset, hugging his waist, then sliding up the curve of his side and the bony protrusions of his ribs.

The way she lingers, spidering around each divot and bone of Kaeya’s rib cage makes something sympathetic flutter in Albedo’s own chest.

With no way to hide it now, Kaeya seems to have given up on keeping his composure.

Shuffling his feet, shaking his head, and laughing entirely unfiltered. His arms pull against the wooden boards sporadically, getting especially jumpy whenever Lisa’s hands venture too high.

He can’t stop his yelp when Lisa’s hand finally does poke around his armpit, but he does lower his head, hiding the redness of his cheeks under a mane of messy blue hair.

“Oh, hun,” Lisa trails, all smiles despite—and probably because of—Kaeya’s predicament. “Don’t make her feel bad. It’s not like I didn’t know about that spot already…”

As if to prove her point, Lisa moves her hand, inching towards the expanse of Kaeya’s back. She scratches with what seems to be the slightest use of pressure yet, and it’s got Kaeya folding in on himself. Half-standing, half-crouching as his legs give out. All from one finger gently scratching along the inside of his shoulder blade.

“L-Lisahahaha! Aha! Mph—n-nohoHOHOHO!”

“No?” Lisa tilts her head. “I don’t recall prisoners getting to choose their punishment—“

She adds another finger, pressing more firmly against the bone. Kaeya’s body lurches forward. The stocks must be keeping him upright for the most part now. He shakes his head, squeaking out partially intelligible pleas and apologies between his frantic laughter.

Albedo didn’t know the back could be so ticklish, but he’s getting a first-hand account of what a very bad spot it can be.

Kaeya’s hands curl into fists, his back arching and jerking away from Lisa’s precise and deadly touch. There’s a slight wheeze to his exhale, already breathless with laughter, that pitches to a fresh whine when Lisa reaches over to mirror her touch on his opposite side.

And as entertaining as this is—truly—Albedo thinks they may be causing a scene. He’s seen at least a few people stop and laugh before continuing their stroll down the main road. Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on perspective—Kaeya speaks up before Albedo has to.

“Okay! Okahahay! E-enou-hah! Enohohohough!” Kaeya gasps, tapping his hand against the wood desperately.

Lisa’s giggle is barely audible above Kaeya’s laughter, but she finally grants him mercy, removing her hand and stepping back from the stocks.

The hinges squeak loudly when Kaeya frees himself, arms wrapping around to hug his sides as soon as he’s able. His hands rub at the ghostly sensations, letting the last of them fade with his laughter.

It takes him a minute to unstick his arms from his torso, but, when he can, Kaeya eventually plants his hands on his hips. He attempts to glare at Lisa, but his lips are so wobbly with leftover laughter, it’s impossible to take him seriously.

Lisa definitely doesn’t, moving to ruffle his messy hair fondly.

“Wha-! No!” Kaeya squawks, batting away her hand. He tries to fix himself up, but it’s basically a lost cause at this point.

“You can’t play nice now,” Kaeya huffs, getting his hair to a moderate level of disheveled. His arms settle to cross over his chest. “Taking advantage of a poor, innocent soul like that.”

Lisa is—understandably—unphased, the remnants of a winning smile still on her face. Jean doesn’t help when she muffles a laugh into her hand. Albedo is just lucky to have mastered the art of a convincing poker face.

It’s probably why, before he can blink, Albedo has an arm resting over his shoulders. Kaeya stands firmly beside him, shooting the others a haughty look.

“I’m treating Albedo and I to a cup of mead. You two can join us when you’ve thought over what you’ve done.”

Then he turns back towards the path, dragging Albedo along with him.

———

What a strange situation to be in — with someone he’s only recently met nonetheless.

Albedo can’t possibly be feeling this comfortable around what’s practically an acquaintance. But there’s no other way to describe the ease he feels, stepping alongside Kaeya as he leads them through the fairgrounds.

It must be this feeling which prompts him to say what he does next.

“And if I decide to take advantage—?” Albedo reasons, tone light. “—of what I just learned?”

Kaeya’s arm disappears in an instant.

It snaps back, elbow pressing to his side, hand reaching around to cover a tiny portion of his back. When Albedo looks, he finds Kaeya wide-eyed and already fighting back a nervous smile. Albedo’s never seen him like this.

His laugh breaks the tension, Kaeya’s relieved chuckle following suit.

“Don’t worry,” Albedo smiles, taking up their earlier stroll. Kaeya quickly falls into step beside him. “Your secret’s safe with me.”