Whether or not they are directly linked, or the characters know each other, I think of my stories as all having happened within the same little world! In my stories. I frequently mention things that have happened in others I have written, but most of them should be able to be read stand alone without issues.

Also, while I try to keep it very close with Genshin lore, I don't know every single bit of lore, and can't remember it all. So, some things are slightly different, there are also some things that are only guessed. I'm just here to write stories for people to read, should they choose!

As always, thank you for reading, I hope everyone enjoys it!

Feel free to leave a comment :)

Karma

"I don't want to!"

"Stop pouting, and it's not going to come off on its own." Diluc tried his best to bite down the next fit of laughter threatening to burst out of him.

"I would have to walk through the city!"

"I didn't realize the great Cavalry Captain cared quite that much about his image. Are you saying one little hairy situation could bring you down so easily?"

Kaeya did not look amused by his pun, the pun being that while the quite hungover Kaeya had fallen asleep in his office, Klee had drawn a mustache just above his lip, and whatever she used wasn't coming off. Now, Klee was nowhere to be found, so they couldn't even ask what she used. Diluc had woken Kaeya with very loud laughter, and Kaeya actually screamed when he saw his reflection.

Diluc rolled his eyes, "Adelinde will know what to do. Come on."

"NO." Kaeya crossed his arms and turned away.

Diluc took the opportunity to grab the bluenette by the arm, and drag him out of the office. Kaeya yelped, and barely managed to drab a book that had been on the edge of the desk. Diluc smirked in satisfaction, Kaeya wasn't weak, but Diluc was bigger, and the younger wouldn't be able to stop him. Maybe if his brother would actually eat, or maybe even tried some training, he'd have more muscle to make times like this more difficult.

"The longer it stays on there, the harder it'll be to take off. We'll take the side streets, so fewer people can see you. Will that be better?"

Kaeya grumbled something from behind the book his face was now shoved in. The Knights they passed gave them odd looks, and unsure salutes to the captain who couldn't see it.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

Could he take it easy on Kaeya? Certainly. Would he in this case? Absolutely not, this was far too amusing. Kaeya shouldn't have stayed up too late drinking, if he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this situation.

"I can hear you mentally laughing! Stop it!" Kaeya yelled, pulling the book down just in time for a random person to yell hello to him.

"Captain Kaeya! Hello! I've been meaning to ask you if-" the man paused, "Uh, are you okay? You have a book…"

"Oh, yes. It's nothing! Just a very good book, impossible to put down. I'll tell you what, I will get back to you tomorrow on -whatever it is you need. Alrighty, bye!"

Diluc stopped Kaeya from walking straight into a building, and gave the confused onlooker a short smile before he dragged his brother away.

"You could have warned me someone was there."

"I could have, but that wouldn't have been nearly as fun." Diluc deadpanned. In truth, he hadn't seen them, Kaeya didn't need to know that.

"You're enjoying this!"

Yes. Yes he was. This was karma, for getting into the wine reserves.

"I'm not," he said, "Why would I enjoy you suffering like this?"

"You are such a liar. I should tell Adelinde that you have made a habit of lying."

"If it were true, that would make you a snitch." Diluc grinned to himself.

"I… I'm not talking to you anymore." Kaeya moped back, easily defeated.

Even taking the side streets wasn't much help for Kaeya. In this particular time of year, Mondstadt was busy within the city walls. In the slightly more chilled weather, rather than meet up outside for picnics, people would come visit their family in their homes instead. This meant that many more people than normal were on the less used streets, too.

Diluc found it far too amusing every time he had to stop Kaeya, who refused to take his face out of the book at all now, from walking into more walls, tempted as he was to let him. At the front gate, Swan stopped them upon seeing the bluenette.

"Captain!" he saluted, "Good evening… Captain Kaeya?"

Kaeya didn't stop, Diluc had. This left him to provide some sort of explanation.

"He, ah. He doesn't want to lose his page, but he lost his bookmark."

Worst excuse ever. Again, this is what Kaeya got for being mischievous. Diluc knew Klee, and he knew it could have just as easily been him, sure. Diluc worked a lot, at the winery, at the tavern, and under the cover of night, and he was always tired. However, it wasn't Diluc who had been drawn on by the mini pyrotechnic, and he was Kaeya's big brother and was obligated to find his predicament amusing.

When Kaeya finally dropped the book, Diluc couldn't stop the laughter again. He imagined Klee seeing an apparently very soundly sleeping Kaeya, and drawing the mustache on him. It really wasn't half bad. A big, black, fluffy, overexaggerated cartoon mustache. She almost got the sides even.

"I haven't heard you laugh this much in years. I'm glad you're deriving sooo much joy from my pain. I'll get you back for this."

Diluc stopped, and slowly turned on his heel to face his brother, "I am not the one who fell asleep where Klee could easily get to them. I am not the one who got drunk, and I am certainly not the one who did so on their brother's reserve."

Truly, he wasn't all that angry. He left extra bottles in there for Kaeya, but he also expected Kaeya to drink them wisely. He had not done that. While the bluenette had been better about his drinking overall, he still had his moments, and this had been one of them. Diluc had realized some time ago that Kaeya still used drinking for his most difficult days, but even if only for his health, his brother needed to change that, too.

They made good time to the winery, having rushed a little more than usual. As soon as they were in the door, Adelinde was rushing into the room.

"Master Diluc! I wasn't expecting-" her jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly, "I see. Dare I ask how it happened?"

"... Klee." Kaeya was pouting again.

"Alright… And with what?" she looked where Kaeya's face was still red from where they had tried to clean it off.

Diluc cleared his throat, "We don't know. Captain Kaeya was sleeping on the job."

"Hah! Now you're the snitch!" Kaeya narrowed his eye and pointed a finger at the redhead.

Diluc merely shrugged at that, and smiled slyly the moment Adelinde couldn't see him.

"Okay! Alright! You boys… always in so much trouble. Diluc, stop making that face!" she said with her back still turned.

"I -what? I wasn't…"

How could she have possibly known he was making a face?!

She turned and gave him a look, "I have eyes in the back of my head, mister. I'm always watching you."

Kaeya laughed silently behind her, and her head snapped back around to him, "You too! And this is what you get for getting into the wine! The two of you are no better than children sometimes!" she ushered him to the table, "Stay. Do not move, and don't taunt each other!"

Diluc dropped his coat on the back of a chair, and leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed.

"You still look far too satisfied with this." Kaeya grumbled.

"Maybe."

"Maybe." Kaeya mocked.

Diluc narrowed his eyes, "Stop copying me."

He knew he shouldn't have said that the moment it came from his mouth.

"Stop copying me."

"I said no taunting!" Adelinde's voice yelled from another room.

"Fine. Maybe I am taking some satisfaction in this. For one thing, it really is funny. For another, this is what you get for getting hung over, then falling asleep at work."

Kaeya scrunched up his nose, but said nothing.

Adelinde returned with a handful of different liquids, "Alright. We're going to try these. If they don't work… you'll have to leave it up to time."

Two hours later, they were all tired, and Kaeya's upper lip was rubbed raw, but the mustache was gone. Kaeya decided to stay for the night in hopes that his face wouldn't be so red the next day. He shuffled into his room, and flopped face-first onto the bed.

"Still hung over?" Diluc asked from the door. It was evening, and it was the previous night that Kaeya had gotten drunk. That would be worrisome.

"No. Just tired."

"Going to be hung over again?"

"... No."

"Good."

Diluc started to leave, but turned back. Kaeya was slowly getting better at talking with him instead of doing something stupid, like getting drunk or starving himself. Diluc still wasn't sure if on these particular days Kaeya was just drinking to drink, or drinking to forget. He couldn't force his brother to talk to him, but he had offered numerous times now. Once more wouldn't hurt.

"If you need to talk, my offer still stands. I'll listen."

Kaeya just grunted at that. It was the best Diluc could do, keep saying he'd listen. He knew he was part of the problem, along with the past Kaeya was too afraid to talk about. Maybe the bluenette would open up to his closest family and friends someday.

"Goodnight, Ky."

"Hm? Yeah. Goodnight Luc."

"I still think it's funny." the redhead laughed.

"Shut up."