Albedo's laboratory inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters was unusually lively that afternoon. Normally the room was quiet enough that even the faint bubbling of reagents inside glass containers seemed loud, but today the presence of three people had turned the space into something closer to a discussion hall than a research chamber.
Shelves lined the wooden walls from floor to ceiling, each filled with carefully labeled jars containing powders, crystals, preserved plants, and other materials that most people would not recognize at first glance.
The large worktable in the center of the room was covered with notebooks, instruments, and half-finished experiments that hinted at the countless hours Albedo spent there.
Henry and Lisa sat across from the Chief Alchemist while he finished explaining what he had discovered.
"I was able to confirm the existence of the material you mentioned," Albedo said calmly, closing the notebook he had been referencing. "Rubber does exist in Teyvat. However, it appears to be a relatively recent invention originating from Snezhnaya, and its use has not yet spread widely beyond certain research circles."
As he spoke, Albedo reached into his inventory space and retrieved a small object, placing it neatly on the table in front of them. It was a simple rubber ball, about the size of a Sunsettia.
Henry leaned forward slightly as he looked at it.
Good, Henry thought to himself. If the base material already exists in this world, supply will be far easier to manage.
He glanced toward Albedo as another thought came to mind.
"A few days ago, Lisa mentioned something interesting," Henry said thoughtfully. "She suggested that slime might be able to combine with rubber through alchemy to improve its durability."
Albedo looked mildly intrigued by the idea.
"Slime?" he repeated.
Lisa gave a small shrug as she leaned back slightly, clearly amused by their reactions.
"Well, when you think about it, slimes are essentially elemental lifeforms made from condensed elemental energy," she explained. "Materials derived from them already possess unusual properties, so it wouldn't be strange if combining slime condensate with rubber produced a stronger or more flexible material."
Henry nodded in agreement before looking back at Albedo.
"In that case," he said, gesturing toward the materials on the table, "why don't we try experimenting with slime and see what happens?"
Albedo seemed to consider the suggestion only briefly before turning toward the shelves behind him.
Without hesitation he walked over and retrieved a small glass jar from among the many containers lined along the wall.
Inside the jar was a small cluster of translucent slime like crystals.
"Slime condensate," Albedo said as he returned to the table and placed the jar beside the rubber ball.
Henry watched closely as Albedo opened the container and removed a small piece of the condensate, setting it next to the rubber sphere. Once both materials were prepared, the alchemist raised his hand slightly above them.
A faint golden glow began to gather around his fingers.
Elemental energy flowed from Albedo's hands onto the table. The light gradually expanded outward until it enveloped both the rubber ball and the slime condensate together.
For a few seconds the two materials hovered slightly above the surface of the table as Albedo's alchemy worked its subtle transformation. The glow brightened briefly before fading just as smoothly as it had appeared.
When the light disappeared, the object that dropped back onto the table looked nearly identical to the original rubber ball, though the surface texture appeared slightly different.
Albedo gestured toward it.
"You can test the result now."
Henry reached forward and picked up the ball, immediately noticing the difference in how it felt. The material was softer and far more flexible than before, yet it possessed a strange resilience that made it feel tougher at the same time.
He squeezed it experimentally, watching the ball compress between his fingers before springing back into shape.
Curious, Henry picked up a thin metal pin from among the tools on the table and pressed its tip against the surface of the ball. Instead of puncturing the material, the rubber stretched around the metal point, resisting the pressure with surprising elasticity. Even when Henry applied more force, the surface refused to tear, snapping smoothly back into place the moment he pulled the pin away.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"This is it," Henry said with clear satisfaction. "We just made rubber far more durable."
He reached over and gave Albedo an appreciative pat on the back.
The normally reserved alchemist allowed himself a small smile, clearly pleased that the experiment had worked as intended.
Lisa leaned back in her chair with an amused look.
"Well, that was easier than I expected."
Henry rolled the improved rubber ball between his fingers for a moment before another thought occurred to him.
"There is one small issue, though," he said.
Albedo tilted his head slightly.
"What issue?"
"You can't always be around whenever I need to make this material," Henry explained. "If I want to produce this regularly, I'll need a way to repeat the process myself."
Lisa raised a finger casually.
"That part is simple," she said.
Henry looked toward her.
"Alchemical tables are available all over Mondstadt. Even amateur alchemists can perform basic synthesis using them, as long as they have the correct materials."
Albedo nodded in agreement.
"In that case," he added, "I can arrange for an alchemical table to be delivered for your personal use."
Henry blinked in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Henry smiled.
"That would help a lot. Thanks, Albedo."
Albedo gathered his notes and closed the jar of slime condensate.
"Unfortunately I must return to my research now," he said calmly. "And I still have to. report to Grandmaster Varka."
With that he offered them a brief nod before leaving the laboratory, the door closing quietly behind him.
For a moment, the room felt strangely quiet. Henry scratched the back of his head before glancing toward Lisa.
"So… Lisa."
She looked at him with a knowing smile.
"Yes, Henry?"
"Do you want to go out for a bit? Maybe stretch your legs?"
Lisa stood gracefully from her chair without hesitation.
"Hmm. That sounds nice."
Before Henry could react, she slipped her arm through his and gently linked it with his own.
"Come on," she said lightly. "Let's go."
The two of them left the Knights of Favonius headquarters together and stepped into the lively streets of Mondstadt. The afternoon sun bathed the city in warm golden light as merchants called out to passing customers and adventurers gathered near the plaza.
However, more than a few people turned their heads when they noticed Lisa walking arm in arm with Henry.
Whispers quietly followed them as they passed.
Lisa seemed completely unconcerned by the attention, while Henry did his best to ignore it.
They wandered through the city at a relaxed pace, occasionally stopping whenever Lisa found something interesting in a shop window.
After a while she glanced toward him with a small pout.
"You know," she said, "you never actually taught me how to ride that bicycle of yours."
Henry blinked in surprise.
"Wait… I didn't?"
"Nope. You did not"
He chuckled but then he got an idea. "Well then, why not now?"
Reaching into his inventory, Henry pulled out one of his bicycles and set it down on the street in front of her. The sudden appearance of the two-wheeled contraption did not catch the attention of several nearby pedestrians as several of them were used to the bikes.
Lisa examined it briefly before climbing onto the seat. "So what do I do?".
Henry stepped behind the bike and held the back of the seat to keep it steady.
"Just start pedaling. I'll keep it balanced."
Lisa pushed down on the pedals.
The bicycle wobbled dangerously from side to side, forcing Henry to tighten his grip to keep it from tipping over. After several attempts that ended in similar wobbling chaos, Lisa let out a quiet sigh of irritation.
Then she reached behind her and grabbed Henry's hand.
Before he could react, she moved it from the seat to her lower back.
"Hold me instead, Henry."
Henry froze for a brief moment, clearly startled by her boldness. Even through the fabric of her clothes he could feel the warmth of her back beneath his hand, and the smooth curve of her posture made his face grow slightly warm.
Lisa, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed.
"Now Lets try again," she said calmly.
With Henry steadying her from behind, the bicycle moved forward much more smoothly. Lisa still wobbled slightly, but she managed to ride a short distance before slowing down.
A pleased smile appeared on her face.
"Well," she said with quiet satisfaction, "that's progress."
They continued practicing for a while, Hnery trying not to laugh as Lisa wobbled occasionally as she tried to regain her balance. By the time they finally stopped, the sun had already begun to dip toward the horizon.
Neither of them had realized how quickly the time had passed. Henry glanced toward her.
"Hey Lisa, Want to grab dinner?"
Lisa smiled.
"That sounds lovely."
They eventually arrived at Henry's shop, where Alina was sitting behind the counter.
Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed Lisa.
"Oh! It's Miss Lisa! Hello!"
She greeted her politely before turning toward Henry with a teasing smirk which Henry ignored.
Throughout dinner, Lisa and Alina seemed to find endless entertainment in teasing him. At one point Alina leaned forward with obvious curiosity.
"You know," she said, "A few days ago Henry was on a date with Acting Grand Master Jean."
Henry immediately shook his head.
"It wasn't a date. I was just taking her out because she'd been stuck in her office for days."
Lisa raised an eyebrow while exchanging an amused glance with Alina.
Henry could feel his face growing warm as the two women continued their playful teasing.
By the time the meal was finally finished, Henry felt as though he had survived an entire trial rather than a simple dinner. After bidding both of them goodnight, he made his way upstairs toward his room, hoping to finally get some rest.
However, as he reached the top of the stairs, he paused when he heard voices drifting up from the living room below.
Lisa and Alina were still there, chatting with surprising enthusiasm.
Henry stood there for a moment, wondering what exactly they were discussing.
Then he quietly shook his head and continued toward his room.
Somehow, he had a feeling he probably didn't want to know.
---
Goal is 60+ stones same as before. Surprisingly we did meet this goal last week.
Thank you for that!❤️
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