Flowers apart

8

"Wait!" Star stared after Xiao, confused as the boy roughly pushed past him and dashed up the stairs.

"Ok...?" Was the only thing that he could think of. Was he being too annoying and pushy again? Star felt a little guilty for pestering the poor introverted guy.

Oh well, this means that he needed to find Lumine and Aether himself then.

He wandered around Mondstadt, obviously not knowing where to start. Where would Lumine and Aether be anyway?

Strolling to the more secluded parts of the city, he walked down suspicious alleys, however he wasn't cautious or scared doing so. He has done this way too much back at home anyway, especially when he was escaping from paparazzi.

Suddenly, loud noises travelled to his ears, and it sounded like many voices slurring together. He raised an eyebrow. He was familiar with these sounds, having been around these sounds for so many times every time he was out for a drink. That's right, it sounded like drunkards talking or shouting at each other in a drunken state. No doubt, ahead of him was a bar - or rather a tavern, an ancient equivalent to the many bars that he has visited back in Teyvat's future.

Curiosity couldn't help but creep its way up to Star's mind, and he quickly followed the voices.

Mission forgotten, he stepped into the tavern, which was packed with people drinking and conversing.

"Hello!" He said brightly to what seems to be the tavern owner behind the wood counter. The man was tall, and loomed over him until he had to look up to see his face.

And he looked...familiar.

No, not just familiar, but he actually recognised him. Minus the red hair and red eyes and swap them out for blonde...he looks like one his best-est friends back at home.

"Aren't you too young to be here?" Was the first thing that came from his mouth, his eyebrows knitted and his whole face in a frown.

Star winced. This was a problem he met with every time, even back at home. He was definitely lucky to have a 16-year-old body.

"No, as a matter of fact, I'm 20," Star said, hopping onto one of the tall stools. The man scrutinized him for a second, then nodded. "So what would you like?" He asked.

"Dandelion wine...?" Star prayed silently that they sell that here. All the dandelion wine back at home are all artificial - all the original dandelion recipes were destroyed in the Tevyat war. He wants to try out the real dandelion wine, and see how good he can take the alcohol.

The man grunted a response and went on to prepare a drink.

"So...by any coincidence...your name can't be Diluc, right?" Star asked, striking a conversation with the much reluctant bartender.

"It is?" He looked at the small boy with a questioning look.

"It is?! Pfft-" Star laughed, not believing his ears. Was it such a lucky coincidence?

"What's so funny about my name?" Diluc frowned, then pushed the ready dandelion wine in front of him. "75 mora."

Star got his wallet out - thank archons that he remembered to bring it with him - and paid him.

"That's...an interesting way to keep your mora," Diluc said as he stared at the wallet pointedly.

Star coughed as he quickly shoved it back into his pocket. Right, this was past Teyvat, and they probably never seen modern wallets before. Then he responded with an "ehe".

Diluc blinked at him, he seemed a little off-put by his response. Then he shook his head and sighed. Star raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it.