And I would do anything for you (anything at all)

Chapter 6

Diluc heads into Varka's office on the first day of August. His vision still isn't working properly, but it's gotten a bit better. Now he can go a whole lunch break without Kaeya hovering nearby before the pyro energy sends his temperature up past levels he can cope with.

(Which is not to say that it takes more than thirty minutes to start affecting him at all. Diluc is simply very good at ignoring the ill effects for a while.)

He's surprised to find an unfamiliar man sitting inside Varka's office, alongside the Grand Master himself. White hair, a Fatui mask over his eyes - despite the warm summer weather in Mondstadt, he is wearing a thick suit jacket. Most likely a necessity in Snezhnaya that he has not swapped out yet.

"Sir," Diluc addresses Varka, "you wanted to speak with me alone?"

"Yes, yes, though I am sorry to split up the dynamic duo thing you have going with Sir Kaeya."

Diluc tries not to flush with embarrassment; from the outside it must look like he is completely incapable of independence. Maybe he is.

Varka continues, "This is Mr Dottore, he asked to meet with you regarding Master Crepus' passing."

"What? I thought you were treating that as a cold case." The body was too badly damaged for any cause of death past 'electro energy' to be evident. The other Knights gave up over a month ago, and Kaeya has been trying to convince Diluc to drop it since even earlier. "And the Fatui are involved..?"

"Could you give us the room, Grand Master Varka?" Dottore asks.

"This is my office."

Dottore laughs, "Ah yes, so sorry to undercut your authority. I would have happily asked to meet with Captain Diluc in his office, however I was concerned about eavesdroppers."

He turns to Diluc ever so slightly, like he knows that anything short of a personal summon from Varka would have allowed Kaeya to come with him. He wasn't even comfortable with Diluc going alone as it stood, just 'a quick meeting with Varka'. If Kaeya had known that a member of the Fatui would be here right now, then he would have never been convinced to stop hovering by his side.

"Please," Diluc tries, feeling his vision begin to burn against his hip, "I'm sure Mr Dottore won't take too long."

Varka sighs, but leaves nonetheless. It takes a few minutes of silence before Dottore speaks again, "is he the type to stick around quietly and spy?"

"No. He doesn't have the patience for it."

"You seem like the patient type, Master Diluc," he registers the change in title, though it isn't unnerving enough to interrupt the Fatui, "I know that the investigation into Master Ragnvindr's passing has survived practically off your blood, sweat and tears alone."

"He was my father; of course I would be most invested in the investigation of his death."

Dottore hums, leaning back in the office chair. Diluc is still standing beside the door, not quite comfortable with sitting in Varka's seat. Even though he is physically looking down at the other man, he still recognises the threat that comes with someone perfectly relaxed in an unfamiliar environment.

It's only to put them both on equal footing that Diluc does head to the other side of the desk, taking Varka's place. If he feels the warm sense of dizziness in his mind alleviate slightly as he stops standing, well, Dottore does not need to know.

"What information do you have that you wanted to speak with me about?" He asks sharply, to speed this up.

"Your father's cause of death. It's been a mystery thus far within your ranks, however your Miss Minci contacted some Snezhnayan forensics specialists for assistance. They discovered a charm on Master Ragnvindr's corpse - do you recognise it?" He slides a Kamera picture across the table, of a blackened chunk of metal found near the site of the body.