𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 ✦ 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 ⁽ᴹᵃˡᵉ ᵛᵉʳ⁾

𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴

"Another please!" m/n exclaimed, slamming his glass against the counter after he finished drinking his fifteenth cup of grape juice. His request sounded like more of a demand...

The bartender began to hastily search for some more grape juice but Diluc stopped him.

"You know if you keep this up, you're going to get sick." he said to the smaller boy, voice exasperated, "That is if you don't drink all the grape juice we have first."

M/n pouted, "But alcohol smells weird and apple cider burns my throat."

Diluc sighed heavily and stared at the boy who gave him a miserable look, "How about I get you something to eat instead?"

M/n shrugged, "Okay."

"Hi! We'd like a seat at your... uh... least conspicuous table!" a voice chimed, scaring the crap out of m/n.

M/n whipped around, nearly falling out of his seat then relaxed at the sight of that bard he'd seen plenty of times. M/n was aware that he was broke and even though m/n didn't care too much for music, he still gave him generous tips whenever he managed to find the bard.

...

What?

He was rude but he wasn't heartless.

"Uhm... the second floor is almost always empty. You'd be less conspicuous there." Diluc replied then narrowed his eyes, "But aren't you a bard? Wouldn't you prefer to sit on the first floor where there are more customers?"

M/n blinked, recognizing Aether and Paimon behind the bard. However, telling from how their eyes were fixed on the ground, m/n figured they didn't want to be recognized at the moment.

"Let's save the paid performance for later." the bard said nervously, "We'll be going now."

Both m/n and Diluc watched the trio run up the stairs to the second floor, both of them thinking similar things. Well, not really.

M/n was wondering when he'd get food.

It was literally a few seconds before the knights burst into the tavern. M/n, who may still be wanted for committing arson and raiding Springvale, turned away quickly and busied himself with his cloak to appear less suspicious than he already was.

I mean, the description the inhabitants of Springvale provided said, "Suspect a small child with messy h/c hair and s/c skin covered in scars. He was wearing a black cloak with fur on it and his face was painted."

His current appearance matched the description perfectly. And he'd already had to deal with Diluc scolding him for his actions.

The small child part was embarrassing enough since he was a young adult. He didn't need jail time too.

"Master Diluc, have you seen two thieves around?" one of the guards demanded as m/n quietly thanked the bartender for the cheese and crackers he was given. He quietly arranged the slices of cheese and the crackers to look like bears. He already looked like a child. Might as well act like one too.

"What's all the fuss about?"

"Haven't you heard? Two thieves were caught stealing the Holy Lyre!"

"Oh? How odd."

"Isn't it? The Holy Lyre is a treasure that was played by the God of Anemo themself. Such a precious piece of cultural heritage-!"

"Why would someone try to steal something they can't sell off? Would be better to seal from my cellars." Diluc hummed.

The guards seemed puzzled.

Heck, m/n was puzzled.

'What's a cellar...?'

"Sorry, I went off topic. I believe they went that way." Diluc said simply, pointing to the door.

'Please leave, please leave, I need to pee-' m/n thought, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, 'I am going to pee my pants if you don't leave, leave, leave, leave-'

"Thank you Master Diluc." the guard exclaimed before leaving the tavern. As soon as they did, m/n let out a squeak and ran for the bathroom, cursing under his breath.

•••

The fact that m/n was in the bathroom all evening, even after the tavern closed, was concerning. For the people outside, it might seem as though the boy fell asleep on the toilet or had really bad indigestion problems. However, m/n was trying to figure out why the heck he was having so many unnecessary flashbacks.

It wasn't uncommon for m/n to start hallucinating and remembering memories he didn't even know he had after having over ten cups of grape juice. It just happens.

But... to be honest... all day, he felt as if something had been burning a hole through the pocket within his cloak. He recalled looking into a box that held his things when he was still a little toddler.

Matr had kept the things he'd grown out of in the said box. The day m/n had gone through it, he'd taken out a glove with what looked like a cryo vision embedded into it. He'd kept it, figuring it had once belonged to a family member.

Something about it just felt... off. Wrong.

Of course, m/n paid no mind to it as he exited the bathroom and hopped onto a chair by the counter so he could lean over and just sit there in misery.

Everyone was gone and he was alone again. He could smell Diluc's trail, having had years to memorize his scent and learn to distinguish it from others.

As odd as it was, it helped a lot throughout m/n's childhood. Considering how many times he'd won fights against tough opponents but typically left in bad conditions.

With a small huff, m/n got to his feet and began following the trail, trying to put together sentences in his mind so he could tell his scarlet-haired friend just how much he hated being left behind and why he shouldn't just leave him by himself like that.

It was when he came across an entrance to what looked like a secret base that he stopped abruptly.

Every nerve in his body was telling him not to go in and he felt... scared.

"Screw it." he said, going in.