Chapter Text
"As promised, Diona, I'll take you on a small hunt," the brown cat said to his daughter, who was more than happy about this opportunity. Her father never took her out on a hunt because of the danger, but now she had the chance.
"And I'm sure I can find plenty of disgusting stuff!" Diona said as she fiddled with her bow. "But the Traveler and Paimon said they were gonna join us? Why aren’t they here?"
Just as Diona finished her sentence, a blond head popped into Draff’s view, sneaking up on Diona. Two hands grasped Diona's shoulder, causing her hair to stand up straight. "AGHHH- ...oh, Traveler, ha ha, you're here! We can begin now," the little girl responded, trying to play it off cool. Paimon flew out from behind the Traveler's back. "Mhm, and Paimon is here too!" she said, clapping her hands.
"Well then, shall we begin?" Draff asked, looking at the three of them.
"Yes! Paimon can't wait to hunt a delicious boar!" Paimon yelled, her hand already over her stomach, daydreaming of the food to come.
"Daddy cooks the best meat!" Diona told Paimon, causing the fairy to give her full attention to the girl. "That is if he isn’t drunk," she muttered, side-eyeing her father. A soft giggle was earned from the Traveler as she covered her mouth.
"Alright, alright, now let's head off," Draff pleaded, trying to get the three of them to follow suit. Finally, this time it worked as they headed out of Springvale, grabbing Diona’s small hand as the Traveler and Paimon followed.
"AGHHH! HELP!" a voice screamed nearby. Draff turned his head quickly, pulling out his bow, and the Traveler readied her sword.
"Sounds like someone's in trouble; we better go help!" Paimon cried, encouraging the follow-up. "Diona, stay back, Paimon watch her!" Draff ordered as he and the Traveler ran off to find the victim of the screams.
Past the bushes and trees, a group of hilichurls was attacking an unfamiliar place. The Traveler, fast as ever, drew her sword, jumping off a nearby rock, slashing the first hilichurl's head. The next came quickly from behind her but was met with a blade sunk deep into its chest. The final samichrul sat from a distance, creating tornadoes from atop a nearby tower, giggling. The wind really started to pick up.
"Traveler," Draff began, lowering his bow, "my arrows are useless in this wind; I'm afraid I'll have to leave this to you!" he yelled over the beckoning winds that were blowing louder and louder. This was no ordinary samichrul. Draff rushed over to the victim as the Traveler made to climb the tower, taking the samichrul from behind. The job was finished. She went over to see who the disheveled victim of this attack was.
"GOLDEN WOMAN AND CAT, THANK YOU!" the victim said theatrically, rushing up to hug the Traveler, though stumbling on his hurt leg. His hair was long and black, his ears were those of a Rishboland Tiger but black. His face bore two green eyes, and his chin was speckled with unshaven stubble. It was clear as day that this stranger was not from Mondstadt. Draff's hand reached out to a suitcase scattered on the ground. "Sir, is this yours?" he asked as the Traveler helped him up from the ground. "The name is Sadhil, sorry for troubling you," his long tail wagged in embarrassment as his cheeks flushed red.
"I'm Draff, a hunter here in Mondstadt, and this is the Traveler," Draff introduced, helping Sadhil to his feet as well. "THE Traveler," Sadhil turned to the Traveler, a grin on his face, shaking her hand. "I've heard so much about you! Good, no, great to meet you!" his grip on the Traveler's hand was unbreaking as he continued to shake it aggressively.
"Are you lot okay?!" Paimon's voice echoed as she floated over, a small Diona running behind her.
"Daddy! Stop running off like that! I shouldn’t have to worry," she went and hugged his leg. "Oh, and who is this, A DRUNKARD?!" she asked accusingly to Sadhil.
"Paimon, Diona, this is Sadhil, he was the one in trouble," Draff explained to the two, the Traveler nodding. Sadhil waved to Paimon and Diona, looking a little ashamed as Diona continued to stare.
"I.. am Sadhil. I'm an actor from Sumeru who is now in Mondstadt," Sadhil began to explain, his cheeks still red, scratching his stubble. "…no, I'm not a drinker …Diona, was it?" Diona nodded in response, and her glare relaxed.
"Ooh, yay, new friends!" Paimon clapped her hands in joy. "Paimon is Paimon, and you've already met the Traveler! Ooh, we can give you a tour!"
"Don’t we have that meeting with Jean soon?" the Traveler responded. "And we didn’t even have time to finish the hunt…" she said dejected.
"What?! Ugh, not fair," Diona stamped her feet, her ears and tail pointing up. Draff scratched the back of his head; it was getting late.
"I- I'm sorry, you lot didn’t need to come to my aid when you had hunting to do!" Sadhil panicked, waving his hands, grabbing his luggage. "I have to find a place to stay anyway, so sorry about the tour and about… everything!" he stumbled over his words as he took a step away, his left knee giving weight, causing him to plummet towards the ground. Draff was quick in catching the other man.
"Careful, look, my… ancestor is visiting Liyue for a couple of days, so you can stay with us," Draff answered, pulling up the other man to his two feet. "HUH," Diona exclaimed, shocked at this decision. "DADDY, HE IS A RANDOM STRANGER!! HE COULD BE A KILLER OR SOMETHING," she was correct; he was a rando. But it wasn’t hard for Draff to admit he was an attractive stranger. Though putting his daughter at risk for a silly crush was the last thing he should do.
"You do not have to house me. And I promise I am just a plain old street actor who got a little tired of Port Ormos, looking for a change of scenery," Sadhil explained, kneeling down to Diona’s level.
"Well, are you sure you don’t drink alcohol…?" Diona asked crudely, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Do you like sweets?" Sadhil asked, digging through his luggage and pulling out a small brown bag. He smiled gently at
the girl as she nodded her head, still suspicious. "I picked these up from the city not long ago, if you would want one," he held out the bag for the girl. "Don’t worry, they are not poisoned; I can eat one myself to prove it," he said calmly and genuinely.
"Diona, dinner is soon-" Draff began, but Diona quickly grabbed one from the bag and stuffed her face with it. The Traveler and Paimon giggled together at the action while Draff stood in defeat.
"Okay, you can come stay with us on one condition," she leaned in closer to whisper to his furry ear, "you have to help me destroy the wine industry and stop daddy from drinking." Everyone could hear what she said; Diona wasn’t too discreet, and she was very predictable. Sadhil ran his hand through his greying bangs after the initial surprise of the request, but he soon nodded in agreement. "I promise I won't stay past my welcome," Sadhil sighed; he knew he didn’t have anywhere else to stay, and if some kind strangers were offering a roof over his head, well, Sadhil would gladly pray they won’t kill him. Diona clapped happily. "You better keep your promise… you too, Daddy," she said before running off back to Springvale, the Traveler and Paimon chasing after, seeming like she had forgotten about the failed hunting trip altogether. Draff turned to Sadhil, who struggled to get his standing right. "Need help?" he queried, but Sadhil shook his head. "You've offered more than enough, Mr…. Uhh, I never got your last name?"
"Kätzeln, but please just call me Draff." Now Draff could easily admit when he saw an attractive guy; he had sorted out his sexuality decades ago. And to Draff, Sadhil was stunning! He wasn’t quite sure what drew him in; was it the stubble or the long hair? The greenish-brown eyes or possibly his muscular yet confined stature. Well, it was a lot, to be honest, though after having impulsively made this decision, Draff was now at the responsibility of making it safe for his daughter. "Well, Draff, should we head off? Um… again, thank you for your offer," Sadhil bowed his head as they began to walk off towards Springvale. "I don’t know how I can repay you, seriously."
"I mean, you could help out with housework, I suppose," Draff suggested, hearing Sadhil's worried tone. "Ah, yes!" Sadhil clapped his hands, "of course, I should have offered that myself," he gave off a soft laugh. There was something so dramatically perfect about Sadhil's voice; it was, in a way, calming. "Well… would you like to tell me more about yourself?" Sadhil asked after a period of silence between the two.
"Oh! Um, yes! I’m Draff Kätzeln, head of the hunters in Springvale and… well, the proud father of Diona!" he said with a smile. "She’s the best mixologist in Mondstadt," he said proudly. "Isn’t she like 10?" Sadhil asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"It's… a complicated story, I’ll save it for later," Draff rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, tell me more about yourself, Sadhil," the name rolled off Draff’s tongue easily.
"Oh, once I start, I won’t be able to stop!" Sadhil clasped his hands together, his tail shooting up. "Where to start… Oh, OH! So I’m a street performer – actor specifically – from Sumeru. I performed mostly in Port Ormos with my troupe, but now I am but a woeful traveler in the land of freedom!" every single one of Sadhil's words was said with intention; its tone and effect thought out as if he had practiced this introduction a million times – he probably was the type who had. Draff couldn’t help but crack a smile; it was a rather cute thing – wait… was he just describing a fellow man in his late 40s as cute? Oh well.
"Hey! You better not be laughing at my chosen career path!" Sadhil turned to Draff, pausing in his tracks. Draff's face flushed red. "Ah! No, no, no, I just really enjoyed the way you said it," he coughed, clearing his throat. Here Draff was, blushing like a 14-year-old to a man he just met. It was Sadhil’s turn to let out a laugh; his smile was wide. They continued back to Springvale, eventually getting to Draff and Diona’s house. The pink-haired girl sat in front, looking angry.
"DADDY?! What took you so long!" she scolded, running up to him. "Paimon and the Traveler already left." Draff picked the girl up. "Well then, I say it's time I start making dinner," he said with a smile. "Sadhil, you joining us?" he turned to the tan-skinned man. Sadhil shook his head. "You're housing me; I don’t need you to feed me too. I- I mean, I don’t want to take too much of your-"
"Daddy makes the best meat dishes, and we can plot about destroying the wine industry together, Sadhil," Diona said, the last bit quieter, but everyone could still hear. Sadhil, not willing to argue with a little kid, agreed to the offer. ---
Diona had finally drifted off to sleep. Draff made sure she was tucked in and quietly left the room. As he entered the hallway, he was gifted with the sight of Sadhil awkwardly standing with his luggage in his hands; he looked a little anxious, but his face lit up in a smile as soon as he saw Draff. He had defining smile lines that illuminated his stubbled face.
"I don’t want to abuse your kindness… but is it possible if I could use your washroom? I’ve been traveling for a couple of days, and-"
"It's no trouble at all," Draff cut off Sadhil's anxious rambling. "Go ahead; I'll go fetch you a spare towel." Sadhil nodded. "I’ll be quick," he went to prepare a bath for himself. Meanwhile, Draff went to the cupboard where he kept the spare towels and blankets. He fetched the towel and headed to the bathroom, though it wasn’t long until his footsteps came to a halt. He was in the kitchen, looking at the wine cabinet. One drink wouldn’t hurt, would it? His daughter was asleep; he hadn't had a glass for a whole day. So just one wouldn’t hurt, right? It took a while of staring at the cabinet; a hand reached for his shoulder. "You okay?" Sadhil's soft voice asked. "I found a towel in my luggage… but you alright?" he asked again.
"Oh, yes, I’m fine," Draff lied, turning around to face Sadhil, who had already dressed himself in Sumerian sleepwear, though his hair and tail were still wet. Draff's ears faced the side as he let out a sigh.
"Are you sure
you're okay? I don’t mean to pry or anything," Sadhil asked one last time, his voice gentle as ever; it was probably more fatherly than Draff's own voice.
"Just… just trying not to drink, that’s all," Draff brushed it off. "…Um, you got a family back in Sumeru?" it was a stupid question, and Draff knew it as soon as it exited his mouth. A laugh escaped from Sadhil's lips.
"Nope, I'm very experienced in the dating pool, though… it's just I fear I’ve left starting a family too late, so now I'm just an undesirable old man," his voice still carried laughter as he began to dry off his tail. "What made you think I had a family?" Sadhil asked, paying close attention to Draff's cat ears of all things.
"Oh, nothing more than the way you spoke to Diona and stuff," Draff deflected, fiddling with his mustache, trying his best not to make direct eye contact with the other – why was he acting like he did when he was fourteen?! He couldn’t help but ask himself. "Well… it's getting late," he said, trying to keep his cool.
"It is; should I sleep on the couch?" Sadhil asked, dispelling all the awkwardness that Draff had set into the conversation.
"Oh, no, you can sleep in my ancestor's room!" Draff brushed off the awkwardness as well; Sadhil thought about it for a while. "…Wait, I should probably inform him first… I’ll get one of my pigeons to send a letter tomorrow. As for now…"
"I can sleep on the couch," Sadhil said proudly, placing his hands on his hips. There was no way Draff would let his guest stay on the couch; no, he had a spare mattress he could lay out in his room.
"Look, Sadhil, I have a spare mattress in my room; if you could lay it out on the floor, you can sleep there for tonight before Olaf gives the green light, but I still have to get ready for bed right now," Draff spoke fast; he was getting more stressed by the minute. Was it wrong to ask a guest to do things himself? Is Sadhil a guest?
"Of course, if it isn’t too big of a trouble," Sadhil smiled; his ears perked upwards; his voice was still gentle. "Thank you again."
Draff came back from the bathroom wearing only his sleeping pants; it was summer, so he would usually not wear a shirt to bed. His chest was covered in various scars accumulated from hunting and hair; he hoped Sadhil wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but it was no sacrifice to put on a shirt. When Draff entered his room, he found Sadhil sitting on a mattress set out next to Draff’s bed; he sat on a blanket that seemed to be something Sadhil owned himself, reading a book. Sadhil looked up from his book to look at Draff. His ears shot up on seeing him.
"Ahem… I hope you sleep well, sir," Sadhil said, looking down quickly. "Thank you again."
"Please just call me Draff," it was his turn to be the gentle voice. Draff got into his bed and soon drifted off to sleep.