Diluc 19 due to merges - almost looked surprised at my request. "You want to come with me to the tavern?"

"I haven't seen the port town yet, and I could grab dinner somewhere down there. I bet they have a lot of good seafood options."

"Ah, so you wish to see the town. Have you unlocked the teleport waypoint?"

I forgot about that. "No."

Diluc crossed his arms in silence, thinking to himself for a moment. From what I knew about teleport waypoints, there needed to be one at point A and one at point B. Not only that, but the user will have needed to physically touch both waypoints to register themselves for teleportation. Because I have yet to touch the waypoint in town, nor have I seen the waypoint on campus, perhaps accompanying Diluc won't be possible after all.

"Come with me." He left the front steps of the library, motioning for me to follow. "I can take you to the Academy's teleport waypoint. Most first-years haven't had a reason to use one, so I suspect you don't know where it is."

"True. I haven't been to the one in town, either. Are you sure I'll still be able to teleport down there?"

Diluc turned along the path that took us to the main quad. "There is another way."

We continued down the path while I waited for him to elaborate, but he said nothing. Only after we reached the fountain where Kaeya and I had our rendezvous not too long ago, did he stop and face me.

"The waypoint is at the top of this fountain." He nodded forward to the cascading water.

There was indeed a structure at the top, but I thought it was purely ornamental. Sure, it glowed blue and—now that I looked more closely—was floating, but I assumed Celestia Academy was so wealthy that they could afford expensive installments everywhere.

I eyed the splashing water. "How are we supposed to climb up there without getting soaked? This seems like a rather inefficient design."

Diluc pointed to the far edge of the fountain, and for the first time, I noticed a set of stone steps leading to the top. The steps themselves were wet with fountain water, though, so my previous statement still stands.

"While it is typical to teleport after already visiting a location." Diluc tugged off his gloves. "It's possible to teleport to a new location if you are with someone who has already made contact with the destination's waypoint."

"Oh," I blinked. "That's convenient."

"And because waypoints require a physical touch, so does the connection." He held out his hand to me. "If you don't mind."

All I had to do was hold his hand? I quickly obliged and slipped my hand into his. As Diluc walked me up the fountain steps, I couldn't help but marvel at the feel of his skin on mine. While I expected him to be strong, I was surprised to find his hand was rather rough and calloused. I'd only ever seen Diluc in the context of playing chess, and I wondered what kind of fighting style he utilized to become so tough on the outside.

"Careful not to slip," Diluc warned as we crossed a particularly slick step. "It can be difficult to see with just the moonlight out."

My own hands were hardly as soft as a baby's cheek. With my dedication to the sword and failure to remember to use the special creams that Madame Ping ordered in bulk, I had a few callouses of my own. And yet, as rough as his hand felt, Diluc held onto mine as if it were a delicate feather.

At last, we reached the top of the fountain and faced the teleport waypoint. I could hear the hum of energy pulsing off of the device, and I briefly wondered what kind of power it was operating on.

"Place your hand on the waypoint," he instructed as he touched the base with his free palm. "Like this."

I mirrored the action and felt the humming energy float over and settle over my body. Nothing else happened at first, but then Diluc's hold on my hand tightened. I responded by firmly holding back, and I couldn't help but shut my eyes as bright light flooded my vision.

It felt as if we were moving at speeds of light while standing still all at once. My body tensed at an unexpected physical strain. I wouldn't say that the process hurt, though. It was like the shock of an ice bath, except instead of frigid waters, it was waypoint energy.

Thankfully, the unpleasant feeling went away as quickly as it began, and the dark of night replaced the bright light that surrounded us. Blinking hard to clear my vision and trying to not audibly gasp, I regained my bearings.

Diluc frowned apologetically. "I should have warned you. The first teleportation is hard on the body, but the feeling subsides over time. I got so used to it over the years, I forgot about the reaction you might have."

"I sure hope it gets easier."

He squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Do you need some time to recover?"

I shook my head and straightened my spine. "It wasn't so bad."

"You'd be the first to think so. Go ahead and touch the town waypoint. Don't worry, there won't be any negative side effects."

I sure hope not. Having to go through that sensation again on the way back was not something I was looking forward to. I turned around to face the waypoint and looked at my hand still clasped with Diluc's.

"We hold hands for this, too?"

"Ah, no." Diluc let go in a jerky motion and pulled his gloves back on. "After this, you'll be free to use the two teleport waypoints as you wish."

I nodded and placed a hand on the waypoint, greatly appreciating the simple wash of energy that skated over my skin. After sensing that the registration was complete, I took a step back and noticed the details of where we were.

"Is this the town square?"

The streets were made of paved cobblestone, but the teleport waypoint was situated in the center of some type of plaza. Simple benches and bushes encircled the waypoint as if it were a spectacle to just sit and watch it glow.

Diluc pointed to the right. "The tavern is down that way. If you wish to have dinner, there's also a restaurant nearby known for serving a specialty from each of the seven nations. There is food at the tavern, but it's nothing to write home about. I've been meaning to talk to our cook about that. Hmph, another thing to add to the list."

The restaurant seemed like an interesting option, but I wasn't keen on eating alone in a new place. Besides, I wanted to see what Diluc was like when he wasn't playing chess. "Let's go to the tavern."

"If she insists." He led the way.

I thought the port town would be small, but there were a surprising number of people out on the streets tonight. It could be because it was the weekend and people were itching to spend some Mora. Though none of the townspeople approached us, many of them met my eyes with a friendly smile and a wave. A few of them even said hello to Diluc by name.

"Do you come here often?"

Diluc sighed. "Not often enough and far too often than I'd like. Ah, here's that restaurant I mentioned before. And there's the butcher and bakery."

He continued his act as town guide, and I learned about the bed and breakfast that only served Teyvat Fried Eggs. There was a general goods store close to the dock that sold more fish than goods people would generally need. To keep up with the Academy's use of weapons, a blacksmith was also stationed in the town, striking at an anvil even now.

We rounded the corner and there was an immediate increase in foot traffic leading up to one building. Clusters of people gathered around the entrance, though it was unclear if they were trying to enter or preferred to mingle in the night air.

"That would be the tavern. Seems business is booming as usual. That's good, I suppose."

"You don't sound happy about it." I followed behind him as he weaved through the crowd of jolly patrons.

He pushed the tavern door open and allowed me to step inside before closing it shut. "That's because I'll be manning the bar tonight."

The inside was even more lively than the outside. Overlapping conversations from all directions assaulted our ears, mingling with a jazzy tune coming from a piano I couldn't spot. Wooden chairs scraped against the wood floors as people constantly moved around, and it was hard to maneuver without bumping into someone.

A young man ran up to us. "Ah, Master Diluc! Thank the Archons you were able to make it. Our usual bartender had an emergency, and we've been short-staffed all night! Also, the porter got a shipment of cocktails from Cat's Tail this morning. Margaret left a note expressing interest in collaborating with our branch on the island since she wasn't able to obtain a license here herself. The cocktails are a sample for us to try and see if our patrons take any interest, though, we're not sure where to store them."

"I'll take care of it," Diluc said.

I stuck close to his side, not sure where to go, but I nearly lost sight of him after an intoxicated man stumbled into me. His drink sloshed onto the floor next to my shoes, and I hopped back with a yelp. That was close.

Diluc stepped up to the man and grabbed his collar. "Watch where you're going."

"Sorry 'bout *hic* that." The man wobbled and looked at me with a drunken smile. "Didn't see her standin' there. Such a *hic* small pretty thing she is, heheh. She should uh…settle down somewhere *hic* quiet. I can show her to a…a corner if ya don't mind?"

I stepped close to Diluc. "No, I'm good."

"Are ye *hic* sure? Name's Seven-Fingered *hic* Marley. See?" He spread out his left hand to reveal seven digits. "If ya come with…with me, you can find out why all the ladies—"

"She said no." Diluc tightened his hold on the man's collar, practically dragging him to the exit. "If you don't want your name changed to Zero-Fingered Marley. I advise that you ."

The man wasn't really given an option. Diluc swiftly kicked the door open and hauled Seven-Fingered Marley outside. He returned just as fast, tugging at his gloves with nonchalance.

"Sorry about that." He rested a hand on my back and guided me in the direction of the bar. "I don't allow unsavory behavior in my tavern—customer or not. Have a seat at the counter. I'll be bartending for the night, and it would do my peace of mind wonders if you remain within my sights."

The tavern was even more crowded at the bar, but just one look from Diluc scared away enough patrons to open up a seat for me. I hopped up onto the barstool, and the counter was surprisingly clean. Diluc walked behind the bar and took off his dark coat, revealing a white tailored vest on top of a black-longsleeved dress shirt.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

My nose scrunched. "I've gone out for drinks before and didn't like the taste of alcohol. Not even dandelion wine."

"I prefer grape juice, myself."

"Then I'll have some of that. You can take care of the other customers first, though. I can wait."

"Nonsense." He rolled up his sleeves at elbow-length and rummaged around the icebox. "Archons, how is it that we're out of grape juice? I'll have to have a word with the porter on that. Any other requests?"

"Excuse me," a woman hollered from her seat. "I need a refill."

"I've been waiting at this counter all night," another man complained. "What does a guy have to do to get a drink around here?"

I met Diluc's tired eyes and mouthed go. I wasn't particularly parched or anything, nor did I want the business to suffer on my account.

Diluc began to re-do his hair in a higher ponytail. "Check the icebox for something you like. If anyone bothers you, don't hesitate to yell out for me."

He turned his attention to the waiting customers, and I waited a moment before deciding to inspect the tavern's supply for myself. Certain no one would steal my seat while I was gone, I walked over to the icebox and opened the cover.

Hm…apple cider, wolfhook juice, and—ooh—pink lemonade. I grabbed a bottle and carried it back to my seat. As soon as I made it to the barstool, Diluc nodded my way and slid a glass with ice cubes down the counter. I caught it before it could smash onto the floor and uncorked the bottle.

A pretty pink stream of lemonade filled the glass, and I took a sip. To my surprise, the taste was not at all like pink lemonade. Sure, there were some light notes of citrus, but the main flavor was a sweet strawberry. It was delicious.

I'm not sure how much Sweet Flower was used to make this juice taste so good, but I didn't care. I was already pouring another glass before the ice cubes could begin melting, and I cherished the wonderful flavors mingling on my tongue. Ah, there's nothing like a refreshing juice to end the day.

It's no wonder Diluc's tavern was so popular. "This is the best juice I've had in my whole life," I murmured to myself with a smile.

All too soon, my bottle was emptied, but I was happy to go grab another. I grabbed two, just in case, and contently sipped on another glass.

Observing the patrons around me, it was so strange to think that we all lived on the same island together. The atmosphere of prestige and rigorous work at Celestia was quite different from the lightheartedness that the townspeople experienced in day-to-day life. I quite liked it here. I should make a habit of teleporting over when I got the chance.

Diluc couldn't seem to catch a break. I watched as he made cocktail after cocktail, shaking up the drink mixer as if he'd been doing so his whole life. All of the customers seemed satisfied with their drinks, and he looked good while he worked. I liked the high ponytail. Diluc should keep his hair in a high ponytail more often. Hm, yes…the rolled-up sleeves, too.

I wanted to go up and tell him myself, but he looked so concentrated. He wasn't smiling. I sighed. Diluc hardly ever smiled. I wished he would smile more. He had such a cute smile. I beamed at the thought of it.

Diluc looked my way, and I jumped in surprise as I was caught staring. Since my glass was empty again, I distracted myself by filling it up. Such a pretty, pretty pink color…I wondered what it was called. I would love to keep a few bottles for my dorm room. Best juice in Teyvat.

It's a good thing I grabbed two bottles, yet the contents of one of them had already disappeared. Was somebody else drinking my juice? I turned my head in either direction, looking for a possible culprit, but the quick movement made me a little dizzy. Ah, well. I could drink from the other. When I started to uncork it, a gloved hand snatched the bottle away from me.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "That's mine."

Diluc held my bottle of delicious juice and stared at me. "What is this?"

"My juice."

"This isn't something served at the tavern. Where did you get this?"

I leaned over the counter to take it from him. "If you want your own, get it from the icebox. Now, give me the bottle!"

He reared backward and held it out of reach. "You smell like alcohol, Lumine."

I rolled my eyes. "We're in a tavern, remember?"

Diluc uncorked the bottle, and I was afraid he would drink it all right in front of me. Instead, he lifted it to his nose and took a sniff. "This must be the batch of cocktails Cat's Tail sent over. Why didn't they leave it in the back? I haven't given approval for it to be put out here."

"So, Not juice?"

He was frowning again. "How many bottles have you had?"

"You always look so grumpy."

"What was that?" He leaned against the bar to hear me better.

I propped my elbows up on the counter and spoke louder. "You always look so grumpy!"

"I asked how many bottles you've had."

How many? I held up two fingers. "Peace!"

"Two?" he confirmed, and I nodded. "You don't drink alcohol, yet you've downed two bottles all on your own."

"It tastes like juice! Really, really good juice. You should try some."

"Cat's Tail is known for serving drinks with a pleasant taste, no matter what ingredient is involved. Their bartender has exceptional talent." Diluc lifted the bottle to look at its bottom. "This batch is called Pinkity Drinkity."

I giggled. "Huh?"

"Pinkity Drinkity," he responded with a serious expression.

"Say that again. It's too funny with you making that face. Pinkity Drinkity. That's hilarious!"

Diluc returned the bottle back to the icebox, much to my dismay. I didn't notice there was a back door until he turned to go deeper inside, reappearing with a burger on a plate. He set it on the counter in front of me and then filled my empty glass with clear liquid from a tap. "Eat. Drink."

I accepted the glass and held it up to my lips. "What is it? I hope it tastes just as good."

It was flavorless.

"This is water. Why can't I have more of the Pinkity Drinkity?"

He crossed his arms. "You're intoxicated. You have no tolerance for alcohol, and your inhibitions have been drastically lowered. Drink the water, eat your food, and stay put where you are. I can't have you falling over and knocking into customers."

"Don't be so dramatic, Diluc. I feel fine. I feel better than fine. This town is so great. We should do this again. You look outstanding!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your hair!" I pointed at him. "I love the high ponytail. Oh, you should go without a coat more often, too. That vest with the rolled-up sleeves, mm."

His expression stuttered, and his frown finally dropped! "Eat the Golden Chicken Burger and keep drinking your water. I'll finish up with these customers here, and then I'll take you back home."

"Aw, that's lame."

"Stay right there," he ordered before returning to the remaining patrons.

I downed the glass of water as fast as I could so Diluc wouldn't pester me about not listening to him. I suppose this was his tavern and I was just a guest, so I'll follow along. The burger was tasty, very tasty. Now that I think about it, the last thing I ate before now was breakfast. I scarfed the rest down and searched for a napkin to wipe my hands.

Someone bumped my back, and I nearly fell off the barstool. My head swam as I tried to regain balance, and I swiveled around to catch the offender. Ugh, it was that guy from earlier. What was his name again? I think he had too many fingers.

"You!"he spat in my face. "Ya got me *hic* kicked out of the tavern. I'm—I'm a regular here, ya know. I *hic* don't care how pretty ya are. Don't go messin' with my fun."

His nose was a lot uglier than before, all bruised and swollen. I wonder what happened to make it match his disgusting personality so well. "Your nose looks like a smashed Sunsettia." I laughed in his face.

"Pretty girl got jokes? I ain't never been one to raise a hand against a female, but there's a first time for everythin'."

The man drew back a sloppy fist, bloodshot eyes focused on me. He was slow.

Before he could even manage to lean forward, I hopped off the stool, balling up my own fist and swinging directly at his ugly face. It smashed into his already-busted nose with a satisfying crack. Blood spluttered from his nose and a few unfortunate drops got onto my clothes.

I whooped in laughter at my success.

He clutched his face from where he collapsed onto the floor. "You wench!"

"Hey!" A voice boomed across the tavern, silencing the idle chatter and commanding everyone's focus to its speaker at the bar. "Who's starting a fight in my tavern?"

The crowd of people around the bar parted. My fist was still clenched and hanging in the air, and I quickly swooped it behind my back. Diluc's attention snapped to me, and I froze.

"He started it." I pointed to the man struggling to pull himself off the floor.

Vaulting over the counter, Diluc stalked toward us. His eyes flicked to the bloodstains now decorating my sleeve, and he stilled. A dark shadow crossed his face. Was I in trouble?

Diluc slowly turned from me to the man on the floor, and he swiped an empty beer bottle from the counter, holding it by the neck like a weapon. When he smashed the butt of the bottle into a pillar, bits of shattered glass rained to the floor. The jagged edge was aimed at the whimpering man.

"Your verdict is death."

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or grab another Pinkity Drinkity while Diluc was distracted. I knocked this guy down all on my own. He was nothing compared to what Instructor Xiao made us do in class. Why was Diluc getting so worked up about a regular, albeit rude, dude?

I stepped behind him and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Let the man live."

The man on the floor began to sob. His face was as red as a tomato, probably due to the alcohol, embarrassment, and getting his face smashed in. "Please…I didn't mean to—"

I glowered at him, shutting him up. "Not a word from you."

"He bothered you," Diluc said, tense.

"And I took care of it. Look at these hands." I showed him my fists. "I ascended to Physical Combat II in the span of one class. Look at this strength." I flexed my arms. "Physique supreme. I'm beyond okay."

"He would have taken advantage of you."

"Please," I snorted. "Stay right there, Sir Ragnvindr. I'll show him out myself."

I snatched the bastard by the back of his collar and easily dragged him across the tavern floor. He put up a bit of a struggle before going limp in defeat. Patrons stopped to watch us, but they kindly parted to make way for the door.

"Out with ye!" I grinned and hauled him out the door. He landed in the dirt with a tumble. "And stay out."

Brushing the grimy man's residue from my hands, I turned back to face everyone in the tavern. "Alright, back to what you were doing. The show's over! How about another round of Pinkity Drinkity for the lady?"

Diluc stood there, knuckles clenched around the broken bottle. I sighed. What's it going to take for this guy to relax? Everyone's having fun. I was having fun.

"C'mon." I tried to pry his fingers loose from the bottle's neck. "You're gonna slice your own hand off with this thing."

Finally, Diluc released the bottle with a clatter on the floor. I stared at the shards scattered by our feet. When I bent down to pick up the pieces, Diluc was quick to grab my wrist, pulling me up.

"You'll cut yourself. Plus, your balance is off. Intoxicated, remember?"

"So you say," I said and smiled. "Good. You're normal grumpy now. This is much better than murder grumpy."

Diluc took both my shoulders and ushered me back to the bar. "I'll go find someone to clean this up properly. You stay put here."

"I would feel safer by the icebox." Pinkity Drinkity, here I come.

Diluc gave me a warning look. "Find more water if you're thirsty."

"But—"

"Please."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and clasped my hands together. "Only because the Pinkity Drinkities were on the house. Right? On the house?"

He cracked a smile. "This time."

My heart swelled at the sight. For the millionth time, I wished he would keep smiling. I watched Diluc order an employee to grab a broom. His smile was gone, again. Fleeting like a shooting star.

"We're leaving already?" I sulked as Diluc shrugged his coat back on. "There are still customers here. Don't you need to bartend?"

"I would rather see you return to campus." He adjusted the sleeves. "Safely."

"I know the way back."

"Can you walk the way back?"

What a silly question. "Of course, I can."

He crossed his arms. "Walk."

I stared dubiously at him before hopping off the barstool and walking to the exit. I reached for the doorknob and—oops. I missed. That was weird. I grabbed the doorknob and swung open and—whoa. That was a lot of force. Good thing I had a hold on the door to keep me from swaying. Stepping into the outside air, my foot caught on a cobblestone—a loose cobblestone—and nearly fell over.

Diluc followed me out the door. "I've seen enough. You're a hazard to yourself."

"Someone needs to fix these roads," I muttered, scuffing my shoe on the ground. "This is sabotage."

"Self-sabotage."

I laughed. "Seems like it, huh? Who would have known I was drinking cocktails this whole time?"

"Anyone with common sense. It's a tavern."

"Ah, semantics. Teleport time!"

Diluc grabbed my wrist and pulled me in the other direction. "It's this way."

"Right. Yes, of course. Oh man, I am dreading this."

"It'll only feel worse with you in that condition," he informed me and my steps faltered.

I hadn't thought of that. Archons, why didn't I think of that? Teleporting was absolutely horrendous the last time. My gut churned at the thought of how my body would react now.

"You can hold on to me for support if you feel the need."

What a brilliant idea. Diluc was smart. He's got that chess brain. I took him up on the offer and grabbed his arm, feeling instantly more steady on my feet. I giggled. This was nice.

Diluc mumbled. "I meant for the teleport waypoint."

"Oh." I blinked and began to release him.

He cleared his throat. "If it helps you now, you can stay like this."

Neat. I returned to my original position and walked with Diluc to the teleport waypoint. There were fewer people out, probably because it had gotten so late. I still buzzed with energy, though. Did the Pinkity Drinkity have an energy booster in it?

"What are you thinking about?" Diluc suddenly asked.

Definitely not the Pinkity Drinkity. I couldn't tell him that—he would think I'm a lost cause. Hm, what should I think about instead? The first thing that popped into my mind was the treasure-hunting expedition I did today, but perhaps that should be kept a secret. Kaeya would appreciate it.

"You don't have to tell me."

"No!" I exclaimed. "I was thinking about, um, Kaeya."

"Kaeya?" Diluc's step faltered, and I tightened my grip on his arm to stay upright.

Shoot. I forgot they were estranged. Kaeya didn't go into detail, but I could tell it must have been something serious. I shouldn't have said his name. No worries, I could fix this.

"I meant…" I bit my lip. "Kayaking."

"I despise deception, you know. Lies aren't befitting of anyone. Not even you."

I gulped. "Sorry. I just know you two aren't on good terms. I didn't want to make things awkward."

Diluc sighed. "I don't care."

Didn't care about what? The fact that I brought Kaeya up, or the fact that I was thinking about him? I couldn't help but think it was the former, especially with how Kaeya talked about Diluc earlier. His refusal to reconcile. The pain that was on Kaeya's face was an expression I was familiar with. Grief over time lost. Grief over a broken bond. They were brothers, yet Diluc was a stranger to him. How could he be so indifferent towards his own brother?

Would Aether behave towards me in such a way? Would I to him? I tried to conjure up a scenario that would validate enough bitterness and hatred to break a bond between siblings, but I only ended up hurting my own feelings. My perspective was biased. Of course, I would want to stay by Aether's side no matter what.

Diluc halted and turned to look at me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I sniffled.

He frowned.

"What?"

He pointed to his cheeks, and I lifted my fingers to find mine were wet with tears. When did that happen? I sniffled once more and hastily wiped my face dry with my sleeve.

"Those cocktails were pretty strong." I tried to muster up a laugh and pushed forward.

I found it hard to bring myself to smile again. For once, I could resonate with Diluc's ever-present frown.

"I didn't mean to."

"Mean to what?"

He looked at me apologetically. "Make you upset."

Diluc thought I was crying because of him? I balked. I mean, I sort of was…in a roundabout way. Though, I hadn't even realized my own emotions were running so high. I never faced my sadness again after Kaeya and I had our heart-to-heart. It was easier to think about other things.

"It's not your fault," I said. "There have just been…things weighing on my mind recently."

We finally reached the plaza, and the teleport waypoint cast a blue glow on Diluc's features. The contrast softened him.

"Anything I can help with?"

Could he help? I now knew Aether had no involvement with the Academy, despite Katheryne's connection. Finding my brother was something I didn't have to do alone, I'd realized that. But I wasn't just sad for myself. I wasn't the only sibling hurting. If there was something I could do to help…

"Could you maybe talk to him?"

I didn't say who. Judging by the way Diluc's expression shut down, I didn't need to. It was worth a shot, I suppose. Kaeya had said he'd tried to reconcile before, and I'm not sure why I would be the one to change Diluc's mind on a situation I wasn't involved in.

"Let's go," was his only response, and we walked up to the teleport waypoint.

He removed just one glove this time, and we both placed our palms on the device. I bristled in anticipation of the unsettling transit. The last thing I remembered was Diluc pulling me close and whispering soothing words to ease the torturous transport.