A Barkeep And His Poet

I've Always Liked Diluc

Up until arriving at Mondstadt, the walk was quiet. Charles said goodbye, running to the winery to pick something up last second.

I sit at Cat's Tail with Diona until sundown. I don't ask her for drinks, and she doesn't call me an old drunk, it's a good friendship. We play cards.

Walking to the tavern from the main plaza doesn't talk long. I don't walk in, deciding to ask Diluc about the drink after people started getting kicked out. 

"Have you seen Charles?" Speaking of the devil, Diluc walks towards me, where I have been setting up a cup for tips. 

"He walked me to Mondstadt and then said he had to meet you at the winery." I try not to have my voice be so short, but Charles really upset me with how he talked about Traveler. 

Diluc nods, "Did he ask you about playing outside?" I frown, I really don't want to play outside, but I made the promise and now I have to stick to my word. 

"Yep, hehe, and he promised me some drinks afterward!" 

"Oh? Did he offer drinks from my tavern, or did he ask you to go out for drinks together? hmm?"

My cheeks flush red. I didn't think about it like that. I didn't mean it like that. "You sound like Keaya. Ehe" I try to play it off, but Diluc's laugh is gone as quickly as it came. He's scowling again. I shouldn't have brought up that stupid Caverly Caption. "He said that he would give me drinks from the tavern and he hoped that it didn't come out of his paycheck. I wasn't going to ask until after."

"My apologies for assuming. Feel free to come in after we close." He brushes past me going into the tavern. I feel like I messed that up. Everyone knows not to bring those two up.  But here I am doing it anyway.

The night moves on slowly, I'm out here singing to an empty street. Everyone has gone into the tavern, and I don't have enough in my cup to buy the cheapest wine in Mondstadt. 

After a bit, Diluc opens the door. "You can come in now. I have some dandelion wine waiting for you." 

While following him into the tavern I thank him. 

I want to apologize for bringing up Keaya but I think mentioning it would make Diluc's mood worse. 

"What did you say to Charles? He was so down that he came in and left through the back, stating that he was going to go home early."

I look down, staring at the wine, suddenly feeling too sick to drink it. All I was doing today was upsetting people. "He was saying something about Traveler being in the abyss order, I shut it down really quick... That and I heard everyone talking about bards being annoying. I snaped at him for that one. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings."

"They were saying what?" 

I shrink back a little bit, shocked at his raised voice. Looking up at him I see that he's really angry. "I fell asleep in the tavern a while back and I heard Charles and some others talking about bards being annoying. My name came up and I," I pause, still looking at Diluc. He's gained his composer back, but he still looks angry.

"I'll take care of it. As a business we rely on bards, specifically you, often. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." He refills my glass and finishes wiping down the bar. 

I take the rag and start wiping the tables down. Diluc starts sweeping. We both clean the tavern in silence. I take breaks every once and a while to take a drink. By the time the place is clean I feel warm and fuzzy. Not waisted, but defiantly tipsy.

"Hey Venti?" 

I look over to Diluc, who has another glass for me, and my cup of mora. It's filled now, mora all of the way to the top. He puts it on the floor in front of me. 

"Will you sing something for me?"

The look I give him is questioning. Cocking my head to the side. 

"Just a small song." He tries to look distant and stoic, but in reality, he seems nervous, and a little lost.

"Ehe, sure. Which one?' I smile at him, trying to calm his nerves.

"That one you sang the other day. About tearing the city down?"

My smile grows even wider, he liked that one? "Oh yes. Soldier, Poet, King. Its about how we saved Divalin. I'm glad you liked it." I summon my lyre while I sit. Strumming the strings has always been comforting. Though now I am on edge. 

I've always liked Diluc, at first as a friend, but watching him care so much about the city made me like him just a little bit more. 

He claps when the song is finished, and I let myself out. Time to visit Travelers tea pot. They'll probably let me spend the night.