Your little notebook is a treasure trove of information.
Brilliant pages of flora and fauna, pictures of the people you'll see most often in Mond, all inked in Diluc's careful hand, and accompanied with warnings of monsters and slimes and the people to be wary of. In your abundance of time, you'll flip through the pages, trying in vain to memorize the information – but with the fog clouding your mind in a permanent haze, you find that it's an impossible task, especially on the worst days when you're so out of it that you forget that you even have a notebook.
Today is not such a day.
In fact, it happens to be one of the better ones.
You're almost alert as you traipse around Mond, relishing the cool spring breeze rolling in and brushing against your face. As early evening turns to night the clouds disperse, blown away by the cold wind that gradually intensifies as the sky turns black. The streets of Mond are a warm shade of orange as the streetlights flicker to life. Your Catalyst and notebook are both tucked away inside your satchel, and there's a prickle at the edge of your memory as your mind thankfully decides to cooperate with you.
Taking out your notebook, you flip to the bookmarked page, staring at your chicken-scratch scrawl with pursed lips. All your tasks for the day have been crossed out, which leaves you with only –
Meet Big Brother at Angel's Share for dinner!
There's even a map enclosed, once again drawn in Diluc's careful hand, accompanied by hearts, a smiley face, and a picture of Diluc's specialty, Once Upon a Time in Mondstadt. You think that you'd badgered him endlessly to cook for you, and after about a minute of you chanting, please please please at him, Diluc had given in.
Carefully, you snap your notebook shut, tucking it away once more.
And then it happens.
The night seems to coma alive in a frenzy of movement and a flurry of screams as, out of nowhere, three figures soar high above your head, landing without so much as a stumble on the hard cobblestones an inch away from your stunned figure. You spring back in surprise, as though you've been stung, toppling over into the gutter beside the pavement. But you never reach the ground. You look down at your arm, caught in midair by a pale hand.
"Sorry!" A harried voice says. Blinking in surprise, you follow the arm up to find a girl with hair of soft-spun gold. She grabs hold of your hand and tugs. "But we gotta run!"
Mond is coming alive. You hear them before you see them, boots marching in tandem, a shout turned to gibberish upon the wind, the clatter of swords being drawn from their scabbards.
"Time to go!" The slate-haired boy with her says cheerfully, bright green eyes twinkling down at you with some sort of amusement. For a brief, ludicrous moment, your memory stirs, and you struggle to part the veils of darkness. He seems familiar. Haven't you met him before? "We gotta get somewhere safe before the Knights find us!"
Safe.
The word summons to mind a flurry of images, tidbits of information buzzing in your head. Blankets. Honeyed milk warming the tip of your tongue. Your bedroom in the Dawn Winery. The faces of your brothers. Kaeya, with his smooth brown skin, and crystalline eyes, with a wide, white smile on his face and welcoming arms whenever he catches sight of you in the streets. Diluc, with his mass of unruly curls and his expression like ice, which melts into a smile whenever he thinks you aren't looking, the roughened callouses on his hands and the strength of his arms, which are soft when he wraps you up in a warm embrace.
The thought of your siblings never fails to rouse a smile to your lips, and floods your brain with happiness.
"Hello?" The little fairy practically shrieks, her voice loud and grating upon your ears. "We have to run!"
Safe ...
"Okay, let's go!"
It's as if a switch has been flipped. Instead of being half dragged, half carried along the alleyway, you're the one taking charge of the situation. Your resurrection might bring with it a memory about as efficient as a sieve, but your body has become stronger and healthier as well, and you're capable of running, twisting and turning at speeds that should be impossible for a human.
And now, you practically fly down the streets of Mond, speeding to a sprint as the four of you leave the square. The blonde traveler still keeps a firm grip on your wrist, and you tug her along in your wake, mindful of the pursuing footsteps which seem to be drawing ever closer, ever nearer. You dart down the blackness of an alley, weaving through the narrow streets and sordid bars, until you reach a wooden door marked Angel's Share.
The boy is remarkably cheerful for someone who's spent the past few minutes dodging guards and racing down the side streets. "Alright, in we go!"
The tavern is warm, and lavishly decorated, with expensive-looking vases and paintings. There's dark wood paneling everywhere, and the floor is so clean that you can see an outline of your reflection on the polish.
"Big Brother!" Forgotten are your new companions or anything else as you hurry into the room, and throw yourself into his arms. You hug him tightly in your excitement.
Seeing as how he's preoccupied with an armful of younger sibling, the blonde girl and her floating companion quickly usher the boy away, up the stairs, and you see them duck into a shadowy corner.
Diluc isn't a fool; he notices them too. Although his tone remains steady, there's a steeliness to it that makes you tense. "What did you do this time?"
"Nothing!" You chirp, your eyes far too wide and far too innocent. "Bye bye!"
Before he can question you further, you wriggle out of his arms and scurry up the stairs. You can still feel your brother's inquiring stare, boring a hole into your shoulder blades, but his attention is quickly drawn to the jingle of the bell behind the door, announcing the arrival of new customers once again.
Venti pokes his head out from behind a shadowy corner sheltered beside rows of crates, and beckons you over. "Not that I have any objections to being in a tavern, but why did you bring us here?"
You crane your neck, catching a glimpse of burnished curls, and the briefest of eye contact, which tells you that Diluc knows exactly where you're hiding. Hastily, you hunker down in the corner once again. "You said you needed somewhere safe to hide, so I brought you here, 'cause I always feel safe with my brother!"
