Chapter Text
When you had first seen the signs for the City of Mondstadt, you hadn’t stopped to consider what the city may look like or how it may respond to outsiders. As you crossed the stone bridge that led to the city, there were people languishing on the grass. Dandelions dappled the yard. No one paid you any mind, but it was the high walls and armed guards that you were worried about as you approached. The city of Mondstadt was almost overwhelming in its size. The walls towered over you making it feel like a fortress, but the guards stationed at the gate didn’t look at you twice. People milled around you chatting. Everyone was smiling and laughing and enjoying the breeze that took the edge off the high noon sun.
"I'm going to the Angel's Share when my shift is over, you coming?" You overhear a passing guard talking to a friend of his in plain clothes.
"I can, but no wine for me. If I come home slurring again Mary will…." his voice faded away as they continued down the path.
You pull your cloak tighter around your shoulders. You're obviously the outsider here but no one looks at you twice, making it feel safer to keep the cloak’s hood down. It sets you at ease to know no one considers you a threat or a troublemaker, but the anxiety chewed at your belly not knowing if that was actually true. For now , at least, you weren’t a threat to anyone. You didn’t even know who you were.
Just past the city gates the road splits into three ways. A street to your left and right, and a wider main street. Off to your right there are a few small benches lined with flowerpots. A young girl stood off to the side. She watched you eagerly as you approached...
"Would you like to buy some flowers!" She asked before you could say a word. You hesitated, mostly because you would have loved to. There was just one problem-
"I’m sorry… I don’t have any money,” You apologized, shifting uncomfortably with the admission. “Actually, I overheard some gentlemen talking and… What is the… er.. Angel's Share…? And where might I find it?" The girl pouted her lip in disappointment, but she didn’t try to argue with you.
"It's a tavern down that way. Master Diluc owns it." She replied and pointed toward a tall building further down the street. You craned your neck a little trying to see the front, but the curve of the street blocked it from view.
"Master Diluc?" You asked, a new wave of anxiety forming in your belly. When you saw the signs for Mondstadt and overheard the talk about the city, you hadn't got the impression it had a lord ruling over it. Was that castle you saw his?
"Yes!” The little girl squealed happily. “He owns the Dawn Winery. If you go to the tavern, you should ask for some of their grape juice! Or cider! My mum gets one for me every time she stops there!" The little girl was beaming. Whoever Master Diluc was, he sounded popular.
You promised the little girl that you would try the cider and headed down the street toward the tavern. You had no idea what to do next, but taverns were gathering places. Surely someone would know who you should talk to or where you could get help. Or maybe they could tell you more about where you ended up. Maybe someone might even know who you were. It seemed like too much to hope for, but the hope was there all the same.
The inside of the Angel's Share was half as bright as the sunshine outside. Candles lit the space and a single window on the far wall let in what little light it could from the day. Even still, it didn't look dreary or dark. It felt… cozy. It reminded you of a cabin in the middle of winter with a warm fire blazing. A warm little refuge tucked away from everything.
"You must be new in town," a voice came from the other side of the bar, which, you realized belatedly, was directly across from the door. You walked forward and carefully climbed onto one of the stools. As you anticipated, your feet no longer touched the ground and if you weren't careful, it would be far too easy to fall off of it. Judging by the unimpressed look of the bartender, he was almost expecting you to.
The bartender was easily a foot taller than you. He stood in black pants and a white button up shirt that had the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was bright red and long enough that he had it pulled back into a high ponytail. His eyes were a shade of red that matched his hair, and they were watching you with obvious distrust. At his hip hung a curious pendant about the size of your hand with a large circular red stone and what looked like a flame inside. You stared at it a little too long before remembering where it was hanging and quickly looked down as your face burned.
"Is it that obvious?" You mumble in your own embarrassment. You nervously tucked some hair behind your ear.
"I'm fairly familiar with everyone in this town. Especially the ones who frequent my tavern.” If he had noticed you staring, he was giving you the grace of not commenting on it. Realizing you had probably been caught made your cheeks burn hotter. “What can I get you?"
Through your embarrassment, what the bartender said registered in your head a beat too late. My tavern… The little girl said that Master Diluc owns this tavern. Did Master Diluc actually work in his own establishment? It was an act so humbling you didn't know how to respond right away. You hadn't been expecting to actually run into Master Diluc. Especially not while he was working in his own tavern. Possibly the most powerful man you’d met yet, and before even knowing his name he had caught you staring at..
"G.. Grape juice," you stammered almost reflexively, suddenly thankful the little girl had given you something to order. Remembering the little girl, you remembered your penniless situation. "Wait!” You jumped and the stool wobbled beneath you in warning. You put both hands on the bar to steady yourself, your face a shade of red that must have matched his hair. “I'm sorry, I can't order anything. I… I don't…"
Master Diluc already had a glass in his hand. You realized then that he wore gloves of black leather. They looked soft and extremely well made. He stood watching you as you stumbled over your words, trying to find a way to explain how you couldn’t pay. It was just the slightest incline of his brows that suggested just the smallest bit of curiosity. Without waiting for you to finish, he filled the glass and placed it in front of you.
"On the house," he said.. He leaned back and crossed his arms as he studied you. "In exchange, tell me about yourself. Where'd you come from? What brings you to Mondstadt?"
Again, you sat completely shocked. The look in his fire red eyes gave nothing away. Almost complete disinterest. Nothing about his demeanor seemed mean exactly, but he didn't look the type to give free drinks to total strangers, either. Your hands wrapped around the glass to ease their shaking. You stared down into the darkness of the drink like it would give you better answers than the ones you had to give.
"I don't know," you finally admit. "I woke up along the road somewhere in the forest. I don't know how I got there. I don't remember anything before waking up. It felt like I just… came into existence or fell out of the sky. When I began to walk, I started seeing signs for Mondstadt, so I followed them. A city was better than staying in the forest. I was hoping someone here might be able to help me…" He watched you for a long moment as if assessing the sincerity of your story. You took an anxious sip of the juice. That little girl had been right. The grape juice was delicious.
"You made a good decision coming to Mondstadt. I haven't heard of anyone being reported missing, and you don't look like anyone I've ever seen. Not from Mondstadt or Liyue.” He studied you a moment longer though you had no idea what he was looking for. “I hate to say this, but you might want to talk to the Knights of Favonious. Acting Grand Master Jean has a lot on her plate right now, but if you're from anywhere around here they'll be able to find out for you. If you want, I can walk you over there? I have staff on hand that can run the bar. As much as I hate the Knights, I would feel better knowing you were taken care of."
Not trusting your voice, you nodded once. Master Diluc pushed himself away from where he leaned and strode off. You sat with your grape juice taking larger and larger drinks. Whether it was the trip through the forest, or something you had done before waking up there, it had left you thirstier than you had first realized. A few minutes later Master Diluc returned with another man in tow. The new bartender gave you a welcome smile as Master Diluc pulled on his coat; something long and black with what might have been fur on the cuffs and collar. He opened the door and gestured for you to go first. You blushed and ducked your head.
“Do you have a name?” Master Diluc asked as he began to lead to you a set of stairs at the very end of the street. You didn’t answer for a long time.. Surely you had a name. Surely you did. Whatever it was, you couldn’t remember it. Different names ran through your mind but none of them sounded familiar to you. Few of them barely even sounded like names. They were just… words. “Maybe you can choose a new one. If you can’t find your past… Maybe it’s a chance to reinvent your present.”
You look up at him and there’s the tiniest smile on his lips as he looks down at you. Then it’s gone and his face is as impassive as it was before.
“How about instead… What would you want me to call you?”
The sound of your footsteps filled in the silence that fell between you as you considered this. It would be so much easier if you knew who you had been, even if you couldn’t remember the name that person had. At least you would know what kind of name they should have. Instead, there was just you. Lost in a world that didn’t feel like your own even if it once had been. The pendant at Master Diluc’s hip jingled softly as he walked, and you considered the emblem that glowed inside of it.
“Ash,” you finally answered. “Ashwood trees. Ashes of a fire.” You smiled, already liking the sound of it. Master Diluc laughed.
“Ash it is then.”
Master Diluc led you up two more flights of stairs, through what felt like a maze of high stone walls that seemed to close in around you. Finally, you found yourselves on a platform that overlooked part of the city with a single massive building and a door at the far end. Two men in armor stood outside, clearly on duty.
“Afternoon, Master Diluc,” one of the men said.
“Good afternoon. I’m looking for the Acting Grand Master, is she in?”
“I’m sorry, sir, the Acting Grand Master is away right now. Captain Kaeya and Miss Lisa are handling things in her stead for the day.” Master Diluc’s face twisted in disgust.
“We would like to talk to Lisa,” he all but ground out. The knight nodded his head in reverence and turned. Master Diluc began to follow him up into the stately building and, unsure what else to do, you followed behind him. The knight lead you into a massive hall with four evenly spaced doors. The knight stopped beside the first door on the right. Master Diluc gave the knight a nod and proceeded forward.
Again, the light dimmed so quickly you were left blinded for a moment as your eyes struggled to adjust. You stumbled forward toward the light in the center of the room and felt a hand on your arm before it yanked you back.
“Best to… Stand still, to let your eyes adjust,” Master Diluc cautioned you. You blinked a few more times and realized you were in a library. On the second floor, from the look of it. Master Diluc had pulled you away from tumbling over a railing. “There’s stairs this way, not as fast but safer at least.” He looked over his shoulder at you with a small smirk, clearly teasing you. You didn’t argue, thankful the shadows of the library for hiding the burning red of your face.
“Master Diluc, it isn’t often I see you here,” a sly feminine voice spoke up from behind a large wooden desk tucked into the corner by the top of the stairs.
“Always nice to see you, Lisa, but you know I wouldn’t be here of all places without a reason.”
Lisa was maybe a few inches taller than you, but it was hard to say if that was in height alone or the heels you heard clicking against the wooden floor. She wore a purple dress that accentuated her lovely figure, and a large purple witches’ hat with what looked like a lantern hanging off the tip of it. Her hair was a brown light enough it could have been dirty blond and she had it tied to one side of her face with a purple rose pin. Green eyes looked mischievous and caring at the same time but a smile that was nothing but genuine. She reminded you a bit of a cat. Affectionate and sweet, but clever and wily too.
“This is Ash, she-”
“They,” you corrected him, albeit a little self-consciously. Both of them turned their attention toward you. “I mean… Since I don’t know who I am… I don’t really feel like a girl… Or a boy, for that matter.” You stopped yourself as you felt the confession on the tip of your tongue. I don’t really feel like anyone .
“ They ,” Master Diluc continued, correcting himself. If you didn’t know any better you thought you saw another hint of that small smile touch his lips, but before you could be sure it was gone. “Seem to have no memory of themselves. They said they woke up in the forest and followed signs for Mondstadt. Perhaps they were attacked by hilichurls or bandits and lost their memory. I thought one of the Knights’ might be able to figure out who they are.”
Now it was Lisa’s turn to look at you curiously. Her green eyes didn’t help the catlike feeling she gave you as she tapped her lower lip thoughtfully.
“You don’t remember anything?” She pressed. You shook your head.
“I will do what I can, maybe I can loosen some memories. By Archons, don’t let Albedo find out. He’s been extremely fixated on memory lately and being a guinea pig for experiments is not the best way to get to know someone.” She laughed, as if this were an inside joke. You didn’t know who Albedo was, but you made a mental note to give him a wide berth when you found out.
“I will leave them with you,” Master Diluc nodded at Lisa. He turned to face you fully. “I will make sure there is a room at the inn for you so that you have somewhere to stay. Until you find your life or build a new one… Consider me your patron. If you need anything, do not hesitate to find me at the tavern. If you can’t find me there, I will leave instructions for my staff on how to assist you. Good luck.”
Without waiting for so much as a thank you, Master Diluc turned away and made his way out of the library. You were left alone with Lisa, wide eyed and stunned in your gratitude.
“You must have made quite an impression on him,” Lisa remarked lightly, “I’ve never heard of Master Diluc making such an offer for someone before.”
“I… I’m a charity case, honestly. Master Diluc is just very sweet. I don’t know if I have a life to go back to, and I have no life right now.” Lisa cocked her head, feline interest perking.
“Sweet?” She laughed. “That’s not a word someone usually hears to describe Master Diluc. Gentlemanly, certainly. Polite. Respectable. But I’ve never heard someone say sweet…” She continues to watch you thoughtfully and for a moment you feel as if you’ve given something away. “Except Kaeya, of course, when he wants to push his buttons.”
Lisa laughed and you tried to laugh with her, but your thoughts strayed to those tiny smiles you caught for only a fraction of a second. You must have made quite the impression on him. You couldn’t imagine how. You hadn’t done anything in particular. In fact, you were pretty sure he caught you staring in the area of his crotch. You tucked your hair behind your ear a little anxiously, but Lisa doesn’t notice as she begins looking through books and asking questions you weren’t paying attention to. There is one thing you knew for certain: Master Diluc certainly made an impression on you.