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“Kaeya!”
The memory is hazy, blurred at the edges.
The dull thuds of footsteps against the carpeted floor distracted him from the crackling of the fireplace in front of him. He looked up slowly, meeting eye contact with the boy who called out his name. Diluc’s smile was bright, brighter than the stars at night. His hands were held behind his back, almost as if he was hiding something. Kaeya noticed.
“Diluc?” Kaeya tilted his head questioningly.
Kaeya’s knees were pressed against his chest, arms wrapped around them. The wind howled outside as rain hammered down against the tiled roof of the manor. Memories of that night haunted him. The feeling of rain beating down on him, clothes soaked and bandages loosened while he shivered.
“Don’t you remember what today is?” Out of the corner of his eye, Kaeya could see Master Crepus approach the two of them.
The man who saved him from the rain. The man who showed him the kindness and warmth that his father lacked.
“November 30th?” The end of the month, Kaeya remembered.
The date was circled on a calendar he and Diluc kept. For what reason, he couldn’t remember. But as the day grew closer, Diluc looked more excited. Diluc had shook his head at Kaeya’s answer, a clear sign that his answer wasn’t what the red-haired boy was looking for.
“No, silly! It’s your birthday!” Diluc finally revealed his hands, and in having done so, revealed a gift as well.
A small box wrapped in blue paper with a light blue bow. Kaeya’s eye widened at the realization before taking the gift offered to him in his hands, holding it carefully.
“My…”
Birthday?
He untied the bow first, only starting to dig into the wrapping paper after the ribbon was removed. Inside the box was a leather eyepatch, custom made. What caught his eye was the gold embroidery near the top right, making it look like something a pirate from his storybooks would wear.
“Is this really for me?” He held up the eyepatch, staring at it with one starry eye.
“Of course! Happy birthday, Kaeya!”
He couldn’t remember the last time he celebrated his birthday.
Small beams of sunlight shone through translucent curtains, signaling the beginning of the day. The sun was warm against Kaeya’s face, making the feat of waking up near impossible as his eyes slowly opened. A clock ticked from behind him, Kaeya rolled out of bed. Birds chirped from the rooftops of houses within the city walls, he ran a brush through his hair and put on his usual outfit. People walking and chatting with each other could be heard from below, he slipped on his boots and walked out the door.
People smiled and greeted him as he walked by, receiving a wave back and a smile in return.
He approached the marketplace, eye scanning the stalls until he found what he was looking for. A stall that sold apples, managed by a cryo vision user. He weaved through the crowds of people, only stopping once he was standing in front of the vendor.
“Captain Kaeya, how may I help you?” They smiled, so Kaeya offered one of his smiles back.
“Just a few apples, if you please.” He took a small pouch of mora from his pocket, placing it down on the table while fresh apples were put into a paper bag for him.
It took no longer than five minutes for everything to be finished. He picked up the bag, waving goodbye before heading off to the next vendor he needed to buy groceries from.
Grocery shopping, going back home to put everything away, going back out for a walk outside of the city, a routine schedule for his day off. He wasn’t going to make it routine today.
After placing down the bags of groceries he’s obtained, he dropped himself down on the couch. The fireplace near the wall was extinguished, nothing but ashes and charred wood remained. He looked at it with a weary expression, the dream he had not a few hours earlier still fresh on his mind.
Or could it really be called a dream?
“Happy birthday, Kaeya!”
The familiar voice echoed in his head whilst his vision blurred, exhaustion taking over him. A nap for a few hours instead of a walk shouldn’t hurt, he reasoned with himself.
“I forgot… I’m sorry.”
A bead of sweat slipped down the side of Kaeya’s face.
“It’s alright! I’m your… So of course I’d remember!”
Your what?
I’m glad.. You really are the best!”
Kaeya bolted upright, breathing heavily. The room was darker, painted a warmer orange. The sun had started to set, and he was behind schedule. He stood up from the couch, stretching to rid himself of the stiff feeling in his back before making his way out the door again.
The crowds of people outside had dispersed, only a few remained. Many of the marketplace vendors had already closed down shop for the day, others in the process of closing. He walked by, his destination a different one.
In the heart of the city, near the statue of Barbatos that watched over the nation from in front of the Cathedral. He took his time walking up the many flights of stairs, watching as the sun slowly lowered further down into the horizon. It gave time for the moon to rise, the reds and oranges slowly turning into light pinks and purples.
A group of three people stood in front of the statue, one of which being the person he was looking for. The shop vendor who sold him apples, an electro user who wore the Adventurer’s Guild uniform, and his informant.
As he approached the group, he could overhear bits and pieces of their conversation.
“Now, are you sure you didn’t see anything else on Dragonspine, or did you see more evidence of Abyss Order activity?” Kaeya could hear the tapping of a pen against a notepad.
“Yes.”
“Very descriptive. I’ll take it.” There was a pause before the next question.
“Did you at least take pictures of the mountain with your Kamera?”
Kaeya approached the group slowly, only raising a hand to wave once the informant noticed him.
“Oh, Sir Kaeya!” The light of realization dawned upon her face, she turned back to the rest of the group apologetically.
“Blue, Chup, give me a moment. I’ll be right back.”
That was all Kaeya needed to hear.
He turned away, only stopping once he reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the Cathedral. His informant followed, pausing in front of him with a notepad in hand.
“Code names?” His smile towards his informant turned smug.
“As the old Liyue saying goes, the walls have ears. It’s a fun thing we all agreed on.” She shrugged, holding out the notepad for him to take.
“Consider this my birthday gift to you, it’s exactly what you’ve asked for.” He took the notepad, flipping through it.
Abyss Order Hideout near Galesong Hill and Dragonspine.
Interrogated Abyss Mage.
Plans to attack Mondstadt December 3rd, West Gate.
Meant as a distraction, ulterior motive unknown.
“You went into an Abyss Order hideout for this?” He raised an eyebrow reading through the notes.
“It’s amazing what a vision can do..” There was a pause. “...I had a little help from an acquaintance of mine.” She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
“I’m impressed. Good work.” He took another pouch of mora, placing it on top of the notepad before handing it back to his surprised informant.
“This.. Is a lot more than I was expecting. Are you sure that’s alright?” She slipped the notepad into a pocket, investigating the generous sum of mora that was handed to her.
“Of course. Spend it wisely, now.” He retreated away, making his way back down the many flights of stairs leading up to the statue plaza.
The sun had completely set now, the sky a dark, navy blue decorated with stars. The streets were dark, but not dark enough that he couldn’t see where he was walking. Streetlamps illuminated the paved roads, leading his way to the last destination of the day.
“Consider this my birthday gift to you,”
His birthday.
It was today, wasn’t it?
Had she not mentioned it, he would’ve forgotten it. Just as he had last year, and the year before that.
Opening the familiar wooden door leading into the Angel’s Share snapped him out of his thoughts. The loud chatter of drunkards and regular patrons kept Kaeya from losing himself in his thoughts while he closed the door behind him, sitting down on one of the few barstools in front of the bar counter. Chairs screeched against the hardwood floor as people came and left, glasses clinked against each other as toasts were made, the smell of alcohol was prominent throughout the whole tavern, everything was familiar to him.
He was used to it.
Charles wasn’t tending to the bar today.
Kaeya forced a smile, donning his mask. “Master Diluc, what a surprise!”
“Captain Kaeya.” Diluc turned his head slightly, offering Kaeya nothing more than a side glance.
“One Death After Noon, if you would please.” His smile was smug once again, growing slightly wider as Diluc huffed and turned away.
They sat in uncomfortable silence, Diluc mixing the drink while Kaeya sat and watched his back with mild interest. The loud background noise of the tavern slowly blurred together, quieting down to Kaeya as he focused solely on the man in front of him.
Something was different, he just couldn’t figure out what.
Diluc was always the most difficult for him to read.
The drink was placed in front of him with relative care, the alcohol still swirling in the glass. He picked it up with one hand, bringing it up to his mouth to take a sip.
“You’re acting differently today, Master Diluc. What’s the occasion, hm?” Kaeya’s eye was sharp, looking towards Diluc in search of anything that might give an answer away. Nothing changed.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself over.” Diluc turned to look at him more clearly, meeting eye contact with Kaeya.
It reminded Kaeya of his dream.
The dream he realized was actually a memory.
There was a moment of silence before Diluc spoke again.
“The drinks are on me tonight.” He sighed.
“Oh? Master Diluc is being quite charitable tonight. How amusing.” Kaeya teased, taking another sip of his Death After Noon.
“Don’t make me regret my decision.” Diluc turned away, giving Kaeya the cold shoulder.
Something about Diluc’s words struck something in Kaeya, wiping the smug grin off of his face. His mask cracked.
“Why are you doing this today?” He asked instead, hoping silently that Diluc would answer.
He could hear another sigh escape Diluc’s lips, “Because it’s your birthday.”
The world seemed a lot quieter then. Since when were they the only two people left in the tavern? How much time had truly passed since he entered? How many glasses of Death After Noon had he truly downed? Kaeya couldn’t remember.
“I’m surprised you remember.” Kaeya muttered, finishing the glass he was holding.
He put down the empty glass, waiting for Diluc to take it.
“...I haven’t forgotten.” Diluc took the glass, wiping it down slowly whilst Kaeya replayed his words in his head.
“...I haven’t forgotten.”
He hasn’t forgotten.
A small present was placed in front of Kaeya. A box, wrapped in familiar blue wrapping paper and decorated with a light blue ribbon. Diluc’s eyes weren’t as bright now as they used to be, nor did he smile. But the way he looked at Kaeya said enough.
“Happy birthday, Kaeya.”
“Happy birthday, Kaeya!”
Diluc walked over to stand behind Kaeya, whose eye was widened in considerable shock.
The screech of his stool and the loud thud of it hitting the floor grabbed Diluc’s attention. Kaeya’s arms were wrapped around him, Kaeya’s face buried into his shoulder as he cried.
Kaeya’s mask didn’t just crack.
It shattered.
Diluc’s shoulders tensed. He hesitated, arms hovering behind Kaeya as he debated with himself whether he should hug back, before deciding he should.
“What a fool I am, crying on my birthday.” Kaeya muttered to himself.
“A drunk fool.” Diluc corrected. Kaeya let out a slight laugh.
“Maybe you’re right.” Kaeya pulled away, wiping what was left of his tears away.
There was another moment of silence between the two of them. It wasn’t uncomfortable this time, just two brothers speechless.
Diluc looked towards the clock on the wall, shaking his head at the time.
“It’s closing time. You should go home.” Diluc crossed his arms across his chest, but something was different.
He wasn’t upset or angry at Kaeya this time.
“...I’ll be on my way.” Kaeya took the small box, holding it tightly as he walked towards the door.
“Have a good night, Diluc.”
“Stay safe, Kaeya.”
“Lumine! We got a letter in the mail today!” Paimon flew up to Lumine, an envelope sealed with blue wax in her small hands.
“Oh?” Lumine smiled, recognizing the familiar style of the letter. She received one from him last year too, on the same day.
She unsealed the envelope, taking out the piece of paper with cursive writing that could’ve only come from one person. Kaeya. Her eyes scanned the paper, reading each word carefully with interest.
The Acting Grandmaster gave me the day off, probably because it was my birthday. Too bad I wasn’t in the mood for drinks, so I opted for a stroll instead. But you know, going where the wind takes me isn’t all that different from what I always do... Haha, just kidding. Our jobs as Knights of Favonius can be both thankless and tough. The opportunity to leave our worries at the door, clear our minds, and just feel the breeze can be a real pick-me-up.
So I ended up going a little further out than expected, only to find all these Crystalflies around me. Well, is it just me, or were they also waiting for the winery’s grapes to turn into fine alcohol? Either way, I’ve heard that you’re quite fond of shiny little trinkets, so they’re all yours.
...All in all, I think I’ll refrain from solitary walks in the future. I’ll ask you to come along instead -- It’ll be more interesting that way, I trust.
-Kaeya
“Paimon, perhaps we should give Mondstadt a visit soon.” Lumine folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope, slipping it into her backpack.
“Oh? Is Paimon going to get some Fisherman’s Toast?” Lumine laughed at Paimon’s question.
“Of course. Let’s finish up here and take a ship back to Liyue. We’ll walk to Mondstadt from there.”
“Yay! Fisherman’s Toast! Fisherman’s Toast!”
December 1st was always a bitter day.
A work day after a break, the day after his lonely and supposedly forgotten birthdays. The day he’s usually left with a hangover after a night at the Angel’s Share.
Kaeya was working at his desk, the scratching of the tip of his quill pen against paper filling the silence as he slowly wrote report after report. He signed papers that needed to be signed. The work distracted him, gave him a reason not to think about the day before.
A box sat on the corner of his desk, resting on top of a mess of ripped blue paper, surrounded by a light blue ribbon.
An eyepatch, leather with golden embroidery laid within the box, untouched by the working blue-haired man. A note was on top of it, written in neat cursive that rivaled Kaeya’s.
An eyepatch fit for a pirate. Because you seem to like telling the children of Mondstadt that ridiculous story.
- D. Ragnvindr
Kaeya smiled a genuine smile for the first time in what felt like years.