Withering Lampgrass

Chapter 11 - Divergence

Warning: swearing, near death incident

It was Diluc's 18th birthday.

Kaeya had woken up early, adamant to surprise Diluc.

He had gone to Crepus' room, woke him up, and told him his plan.

"Today you can bring Diluc around Mondstadt. I'm sure many people would want to see him, now that he is a young adult. I will stay inside and prepare his cake and gifts from us and the staff, and when you and Diluc come back we can all celebrate!"

Crepus smiled fondly at Kaeya.

"You sure did plan this out carefully, didn't you my boy?" Crepus chuckled.

Kaeya huffed.

"Of course I did! Today is a special day."

"Alright, alright. Once he wakes up, I'll let you two play for a while and when it's time for dinner, I'll take him out with me. Adeline will prepare some food for you and help you while Diluc and I are gone. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Crepus."

"Good. Off you go. You are free to do whatever you please while Diluc is still sleeping. I will begin making his gift."

-

Kaeya stared at Diluc.

What would he like? He did tell me that he liked lampgrass so I suppose I will go collect a bunch later. Maybe he would like a bird? No. Yes? Ugh, I should've considered this earlier.

Kaeya was actually confident a bird was what Diluc wanted, yet he still doubted himself. He knew everything about Diluc, how come he didn't know what gift to give him?

This was infuriating for Kaeya. If only gift choosing was easier. If only he could ask him. But that wouldn't be a surprise any longer, would it?

Whatever. He would go to a bird shop right now and look for a bird that would suit Diluc's taste. All he needed was Crepus' permission and he would be good to go.

"Master Crepus. May I have some mora? I need it to buy Diluc his gift."

Crepus chuckled.

How amusing.

"Of course you may," Crepus answered, reaching for his purse (is there any other word for this? Tried to search but bro sack seems kinda unprofessional...), "you may spend as much as you need to. If need be, you may also buy something for yourself."

"Thank you for the kind offer, Master Crepus, but I won't be buying anything for myself. It is Diluc's birthday not mine. Thank you."

-

All the birds were nice, but the one that stood out the most was an Umbertail Falcon. It was appealing; a beauty.

He told a staff member that he wanted the bird.

"A clever choice, young master Kaeya." the man assisting Kaeya had said whilst he was hoisting the bird along with a free cage as it was for the son of the most wealthiest man in the whole of Mondstadt.

"Ahaha. I know. I'm sure Diluc would like her."

"He probably would."

-

Kaeya proudly carried the cage back to Dawn Winery. He made sure he was agile as to avoid Diluc in case he had already woken up, which was rather easy for him. It was as simple as breathing.

Kaeya gave the cage to Crepus, and then went out to find some lamp grass. He found a bunch near a shady spot under a tree, and gladly started picking some up. He was planning to pick 18 up, perfectly fitting the age Diluc was turning to.