Chapter Text
Mondstadt, the land of freedom and wine, it wasn’t hard to imagine that you’d miss this place. Compared to other nations it had something special about it, that gentle warmth and unique atmosphere which felt almost like a dream. The peaceful wind carried sounds of nature throughout the land like a cheerful song. When you were young this place felt like paradise. Everyone could express themselves freely, the food was always warm and comforting, and people knew each other like a big family, especially when they lived in a village. You learned to appreciate all this during your time in Inazuma where you were “an outsider” and had to make new connections. The food there was amazing, you couldn’t say a bad thing about the filling ramen or little rice snacks… but it didn’t taste like home. That’s why you were so glad to come back to your little heaven on earth, to Mond.
Thanks to some idiot bard that got attacked by a bunch of Hilichurls your journey was longer than expected, so when you finally arrived at the city gates it was already getting dark. Moon was reflected in the calm waters of cider lake and looked like a portal to another world glimmering with all the stars. The city of Mondstadt looked just as warm as you remembered, it brightened up the night with the street lamps and lights that poured out through the windows of all the houses. At this time of the day, there weren’t many people walking around, that’s why the guards quickly noticed you walking towards the gate and insisted that you explained what are you doing here so late. They didn’t recognize you, so they took you for a foreigner. At this point maybe you were one… Ten years away took its toll. You didn’t even wear Mondstadt-style clothes instead dressed in a comfortable yet elegant Inazuma-style dress. It was red with cute golden koi fish dancing around the silky fabric. You liked the pattern a lot, for some reason it made you feel happy and the dress was comfortable too. Even if it wasn’t the most practical clothing for combat.
With a tired sigh, you showed the guards your documents to prove that you’re a returning Mondstadter and hoped for them to leave you alone because you didn’t have the energy or nerves to deal with them right now. They seemed to be suspicious of you. Did something happen in Mond lately to raise their guard like that? You could only wonder as you stood there watching their expressions. Normally you’d probably examine them a bit more, take note of some characteristic traits or try to remember their faces, but they didn’t pick your interests. They were just some regular guards doing their job… They could as well stay nameless in your mind till you meet them in better circumstances.
You got your papers back after they inspected them for way too long. You were starting to worry if they have trouble reading but it was just their suspicion getting the best of them and they checked everything three times to make sure you were not dangerous.
“You’re free to go miss. Please stay safe and enjoy your stay.” said one of them. You glanced at him and thought that he looked kind of familiar. His face was so… common. He looked like “every guy” from novels you’ve read. His name is probably something simple like “Guy” or “Bob”, you thought to yourself with a smirk before you waved them goodbye and walked inside the city.
The streets were empty, but you weren’t new to Mond, you knew where all the life went… To the bars. A good warm meal and a drink didn’t sound too bad right now, they’d surely help ease your nerves after the travel and encounter with the guards. Maybe you’d finally feel back at home. Without much trouble, you find the way to “Angel’s Share”. You remembered coming there with your grandpa when you were still young. He always ordered you some wolfhook juice and something sweet, then you’d listen to the music or he’d teach you how to play cards. Those were the good times… hopefully grandpa was having just as much fun wherever he was now…
You opened the door and the sound of music and lively chatter hit your ears instantly. The inside of the bar didn’t change much which was somehow comforting. Everything inside was made from wood, from the slightly worn-out wooden floor to the staircases, tables, and decorations. The interior was radiating with warmth because of both colors and the welcoming atmosphere of this place. As you looked around you thought that you’d like it to stay like this forever. A place you could call home.
You could stand there for hours just listening to the music and watching all the people enjoying themselves. It felt like a travel back in time to when everything was so simple… Though your legs really needed some rest. Not to mention your stomach begging for some sustenance. With a soft sigh, you came back to reality and walked up to the bar. Luckily most of the chairs there were empty… You didn’t think much of it and just sat on one of the stools next to someone you didn’t recognize at first and didn’t care to notice at first. You waved at the barman hoping to order your food quickly and calm down the hungry void inside of you.
“Good evening, may I ask for the menu?” you called out. You felt a bit hesitant after the words left your mouth. Were you still allowed to speak so casually? Honestly, screw it… you were too hungry and tired to think much of it.
When you were pushing your thoughts away someone approached you. Your head was tilted down so you only noticed a pale bruised hand placing a menu in front of you and heard a quiet “There you go. Welcome to Angel’s share”. This person had such a soothing low voice. Did you hear it before? You looked up quickly, but the only thing you saw was fluffy crimson hair tied in a ponytail that flashed before your eyes before the mysterious person walked away. Was he the barman? The characteristic hair color could mean only one thing - he was someone from the Ragnvindr family, the owners of this establishment.
“Hey! You could have at least answered my question! How rude… You saw that?!” the man sitting next to you whom you chose to ignore suddenly spoke up and it seemed that he was talking to you right now. You looked at him and took a moment to study his features. Warm dark skin that reminded you of hot chocolate with milk, dark blue hair in a loose ponytail, a very specific style of clothing with his chest exposed, and beautiful blue eye that was now looking right at you. The other (eye) was hidden under an eyepatch. You called the man “glam pirate” in your mind since this nickname suited him well and you didn’t know his name yet. Unsure of what to say to him you just nodded awkwardly and looked back at the menu that was handed to you. You thought that maybe the man was just drunk and wouldn’t bother you much if you ignore him. It’s not like you were scared… just tired from dealing with nuisances.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before… You’re from Inazuma, right? No, no… You don’t look like someone that comes from Inazuma. Hmmm, could it be that you just came back home from the land of thunder?” he continued to speak seemingly calming down. You didn’t know what was this man’s relationship with the barman, but you had a feeling he was a regular here. Maybe you should answer him. There was nothing bad about talking to someone… and it’s not like you knew anyone around. For some reason at that moment befriending a possible local drunkard didn’t seem like the worst idea.
“Yes, I’m returning from Inazuma but I was born in Mondstadt.” You didn’t even ask how he guessed it. Your clothes were a clear giveaway.
“Welcome back…” he paused as if he was trying to remember your name even though you didn’t say it to him. You decided to stop the awkward pause.
“Brienne.”
“Oh, nice to meet you Brienne. My name is Kaeya. Maybe you heard of me already, maybe not. I’m the cavalry captain here in Mond. You know, I have a friend who also moved to Inazuma years ago. Maybe you met him. His name is Thoma.” he surely talked a lot and didn’t seem to mind sharing information about himself. Though that was partially understandable since as a part of the Knights of Favonius he was a public person.
You thought about the person he mentioned. Thoma… you heard that name many times. The famous fixer of Inazuma, an outsider became someone important there. You briefly talked to him a few times but never got a chance to meet him better. Now that you talked to his friend he felt a bit closer. You wondered for a moment what kind of person he is with his close friends but you didn’t dare to ask about it. You didn’t know him well, and you didn’t know glam pira- Kaeya well neither.
“I heard of him. I didn’t know he was from Mondstadt. That’s good to know.” you answered unsure of how you should react. Surely with your poor conversation skills, this won’t go too far.
“He’s such a sweet guy. I’m sure you’d love him if you knew him a bit better. He always complained to me about his poor luck with love…” was he trying to find a date for his friend now? Okay, now things were getting awkward. You tried to distract yourself by looking through the menu. You weren’t sure what to order but when you noticed the name “sticky honey roast” a wave of nostalgia hit you and you already knew what you were going to order. A glass of cider to go with it and you should be alright. Yes, you were really hungry… not embarrassed at all.
“Oh, sorry. Don’t take it too seriously. It was worth a shot though… So, what are you doing back in Mond? If I may ask of course…” Kaeya seemed to notice that you felt a bit uncomfortable with the sudden mention of dating his friend that you didn’t even know. You didn’t know when your cheeks turned red. The man next to you was a bit… intense. Though he didn’t seem bad or rude. You could see that he’s a good person, just a bit eccentric.
“I came back because I missed everything here. The city, the people, the atmosphere… I thought about coming back for good, but I’m not sure yet.” you answered his question honestly. His eye widened for a moment and you could swear that you saw a little spark in it. You weren't completely honest, but you didn't need to pull anyone in your problems.
“That’s wonderful! If you’d like I could give you a tour and help you decide if you-”
He was interrupted by the barman who appeared out of nowhere by your side.
“So, are you ready to order? Maybe you’d like me to recommend you something?” his red eyes scanned you carefully as he spoke. His voice was calm, but something about it felt as if he was angry. Now you understood why people didn’t take a seat at the bar. This glare felt as if it was piercing through you and all that while he acted so calm and polite. What a guy…
“Oh, yes. I’d like one sticky honey roast and a glass of apple cider,” you responded quickly. You didn’t recognize your own voice. Why were you in such a rush? Why did you suddenly feel so much tension in the air?
It didn’t take long to understand what it was all about as you noticed the way the red-haired barman looked at the man next to you. He didn’t say anything, probably because you were there and he didn’t want to scare away a new customer…
“Diluc, I got you! You’re not running away now.” you heard Kaeya call suddenly and saw him grab the barman’s hand. So his name was Diluc, huh? What was the deal with these two?
“What do you want?” never in your life have you heard such a cold and unwelcoming voice. The difference between the soothing tone he used towards you and that sharp growl when he spoke to the blue-haired male was almost scary. You couldn’t help but wonder why he acted like that.
“Finally! I wanted to talk to you about something… important.” Kaeya’s voice cracked as if he was swallowing some words he couldn’t say. You could feel the sadness that he tried to mask so hard… Maybe it was because of the alcohol that he couldn’t completely push down all the emotions. The sound of his words felt like a cry for help. You couldn’t ignore it.
When Diluc pulled his hand out of Kaeya’s grasp you could see the man sink. He suddenly looked so small and pitiful. You didn’t even know what came over you but a moment later you were the one holding onto the barman’s hand. It was surprisingly warm and rough to touch… though it wasn’t important right now. YOU WERE HOLDING A STANGER’S HAND! What the heck were you thinking?!
His eyes widened for a moment as he looked at you. It was clear that he wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t know you yet so he couldn’t predict your movements and didn’t know what to expect from you. It gave you an advantage over him… That means if you tried to attack him right now, but you didn’t mean to! Your face became all red and the words got stuck in your throat. You tried glancing at Kaeya hoping that maybe he’d use the chance to say something more but he was just as shocked as you and was completely frozen in place.
Time was running and the longer you were holding Diluc’s hand the weirder it got. You had to act fast. But before you do… You let go of his hand. He won’t be going anywhere now. Not after what you did. You made it way too clear that you want something from him, but now you couldn’t make yourself speak up. You didn’t know what to say. Butting into people’s business was just rude and you didn’t even know Kaeya well. Why did you want to help him so badly?! Because you saw the pain on his face? Because he was pitiful? Because he was the first person to be so nice to you after you came back? You couldn’t just step in like that. You didn’t owe him anything and it would only complicate things.
Now that you decided that you’re not getting involved you had to come up with an excuse as to why you grabbed his hand so abruptly. You could see a faint blush on Diluc’s face which only made you feel more ashamed of yourself.
“I uh… I just forgot to say that I’d like my cider alcohol free.” you blurted out the first thing that you could think that wouldn’t make you seem like a weirdo. Moving back to your place you tried to calm yourself down. The barman just nodded and rushed to the kitchen. Seems like you’re saved… You turned to look at the male next to you and saw a gentle smile on his face. What was he thinking right now? No, you didn’t want to know! It does not concern you!
“Thank you for trying… It’s not so easy with him,” he said softly and sighed looking down and turning back to the empty glass that stood on the bar in front of him. So he noticed what you were trying to do and appreciated the effort… You didn’t expect it, but with that little smile the glam pirate got your sympathy and you decided to help him in whatever he’s trying to achieve with the stubborn redhead barman.