Out Of Your Control

    Diona didn’t get it. She made drink after drink after drink, but nothing she ever made was bad enough to turn people away from wine. Perhaps, she just wasn’t trying hard enough. Maybe if she tried a little harder, daddy would stop. Maybe if she was better at what she attempted to do, he’d care. Diona pondered a moment longer before she returned to her grueling job, why did everyone want to drink anyways? She sighed as she poured the next one.

    Diona returned home with her mother that night, hoping that daddy wouldn’t be drinking again. The days where he wasn’t seemed few and far between, it was getting more tense between everybody in the house the more time progressed. She stepped through the door and shut it behind her mother before she ran into the living room, a smile on her face.

    “Daddy, I’m home! Do you want to play before I have to go to bed?” She asked him excitedly. Diona went and sat next to her father on the sofa. The smile on her face faded when she realized he was glaring at her.

    “Not tonight, Diona. Maybe another day.” He told her, taking a sip out of the bottle in his hand. Diona grimaced and tears filled her eyes.

    “But you say that everyday, can’t we just play tonight?” She asked softly. He groaned.

    “Would you listen for once? I said not tonight so just go on. Play by yourself.” He said firmly, the anger in his voice evident. A tear slid down Diona’s cheek and she stood up, her eyes meeting with her feet.

    “I should have guessed that by now.” She mumbled as she walked away towards her room.

    The next morning, it was as if nothing had happened the night before. Diona tried to just move on like usual, just go along with his mood. He seemed happier today, better. Maybe he would play tonight, though even in her childlike mind she knew that was doubtful. He made her breakfast today, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. She wasn’t excited about it like usual. In fact, she was still sad and angry about the night before.

    She didn’t say a word though and ate instead, thanking him kindly. What was the point in saying anything anyways? Nothing ever changed it, not even her disgusting concoctions. She just had to try harder and be better, there wasn’t anything else to it.

    It was a few hours into her work day and somehow there were already four drunkards in the building. It wasn’t even noon yet and these idiots were already drinking so much. Diona’s mind wondered after that and she began to wonder if daddy had a drink yet today. She began to wonder how it would be at home when she was done working and the thought almost made her not want to go. What if daddy didn’t want to play again? What if he was mean again? 

    Diona decided a break was in order after that. She gave a lady her drink before she stepped out of the bar. She walked down the stairs and began to walk down the roads of Mondstadt when she saw him. The man that she despised more than she despised anything in the world, and Diona, she despised many things.

    Diluc was the reason her daddy drank, the reason everyone here drank. She made it her goal to abolish what he created and she intended to always keep that goal. Diona would never let Diluc win, one day she would turn everyone else onto her side and they would realize that she was right, that she had always been right. One day…

    Diona approached the tall red haired man with an angry look on her face, today she felt like expressing her anger towards him. 

    “Diluc.” She grumbled, staring up at him angrily. He looked down at the very short girl that stood before him. His expression didn’t change once it met her’s, he continued on with the same blank face he usually wore.

    “What do you need, Diona?” He asked gently. His response made her even angrier for some reason, but possibly that was just Diluc’s existence in general.

    “I want you to stop running the Dawn Winery and the Tavern.” She said firmly, placing her hands against her hips. He sighed and shook his head, this wasn’t the first time she had told him this and he guessed that it wouldn’t be the last either.

    “I won’t be doing that, I apologize, Diona.” He replied. Diona’s mind went to every time her daddy said sorry to her because he didn’t play with her or he was mean and how every time, even though he had said sorry, he still drank again anyways. Sorry didn’t matter, sorry didn’t change anything. Only Diluc could and for some reason that Diona doesn’t understand, he wouldn’t.

    “If you were really sorry, you would stop. Y-You would listen to me. Y-You’d..” Diona paused and looked down, her eyes filling with tears. She felt more sad about this than usual today, but she didn’t want to show Diluc that, she didn’t really want to show anyone that if she was being honest.

    “Diona..” Diluc started, though to anyone else it was clear that he didn’t know where to go with it. He wasn’t great with people in general, let alone children who were sad about their bum of a father.

    “Just s-shut up Diluc. It’s y-your fault. You won’t stop what you’re doing, so daddy won’t stop what he’s doing. I-If you’d just s-stop..” Diona felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks and she couldn’t stop them this time. She had no control over her tears, over her daddy, over anything. She cried harder.

    “Listen, Diona,” Diluc knelt down to the girl’s level and he grabbed one of her hands gently, “I am not at fault here.” He said softly and Diona ripped her hand away from his.

    “Yes you are!” She cried out, moving to run away from him. Diluc grabbed her hand again along with the other this time, holding her in place.

    “Listen to me, Diona. I simply run the two businesses. I do not drink, I do not force your father to drink or anyone in Mondstadt for that matter. I don’t want to say this to you, I know you won’t quite understand-” Diona cut him off,

    “I-I’m not stupid!” She tried to pull away from him again but it didn’t work, as expected.

    “I know you aren’t, you are far from it. I just don’t think you want to hear this yet I suppose, but your father, what he does isn’t anyone's fault but his own. He makes the choice to drink and even if the winery didn’t exist, even if the Tavern didn’t exist, hell, even if I didn’t exist, your father would still find a way to drink. It is his choice and not in anyone’s control, not mine, and certainly not your’s.” Diluc told her. He tried to be gentle with it, though he knows he must have come off a little harsh. What do you expect though when you have to tell a kid something like this?

    “Y-You, you’re wrong! You don’t know him, y-you…” Diona was crying so hard that she was shaking now and she didn’t even try to move away from Diluc’s grasp anymore.

    “I don’t know him, you’re right. But I do know that his choices are wrong. I also know that his drinking is his choice and it is sadly out of your control.” He replied as softly as he could. Diona began to cry harder and she didn’t say anything after that. She knew Diluc was right, she probably always did, she just didn’t want to accept it. She still didn’t and honestly, she probably still wouldn’t for a long time.

    Diluc let go of Diona’s wrists and instead wrapped his arms gently around her waist, beginning to pull her into a hug. She tried to break free from him but he held her tightly.

    “Diona, Diona.” He whispered and she gave in finally, sliding her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his shoulder. He ignored the dampness that began to grow on his jacket, hugging the little girl tighter instead.