Mondstadt Alter (Rewrite)

Act 1 Chp 2.6: Angel's Share

After playing with those youngsters, I'm psychologically, not physically, a little worn out. If I were the old me, I would head back straight home. Actually, it wouldn't happen if I were the old me in the first place.

Empty-headed, I've been strolling aimlessly around the city for a while now. Sometime later, I arrived at the front of the city's gate. I look into the distance. I briefly considered leaving but soon dismissed the idea. With the sun almost going, without a doubt, it's a bad idea.

"Ugh..."

My head feels a bit dizzy.

I didn't notice my surroundings until someone bumped into me. That caught me off guard and made me fall forward. I was about to land my face first, but luckily, I reacted fast enough and landed sideways.

"Oof!"

Ignoring the pain in my head, I quickly stand up. I approach the person and lend my hand to help them as I apologize and ask,

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm also sorry I didn't look where I ran." He took my hand.

He brushes his pants from the dust before looking at me. He has navy blue hair with streaks of lighter blue, accompanied by a long lock of hair that rests over his left shoulder. His bangs cover a bit of the right side of his face, and he's wearing a plain black eyepatch.

"How about you? Did you get hurt?" He checked.

"I'm fine. Once again, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." I bowed slightly.

"You don't have to do that, really. We both are at fault here."

Even he said so, he wouldn't have crashed into me had I not stood there, right?

"Hm?" I hummed.

"What's wrong?"

I ignore his question as I am preoccupied with my thoughts. This familiar sensation was the same as when I met Mr. Hao. But there's nothing unusual except his eyepatch and his clothes are standard too.

"Hello? Is there something on my face? You've been staring at me for a while."

I stared at him for too long, and now he noticed.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude or anything."

"You sure are an interesting fellow." He giggled, "By the way, I'm Kaeya. What's yours?"

"Name's Morgan."

His eyes widen the moment I say my name.

"I see." He mused, "Well, good to see you."

"Anyway, where were you going, Kaeya? You seemed to be in a rush."

"Oh, right! It almost passed me by that I had to help Master Crepus in the tavern this afternoon." He smacked his forehead.

"Sorry, but I have to go. See you later!" He ran and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

He goes as fast as he comes, huh?

"Ugh...!"

I clutch my head tightly with my hands as I shut my eyes. Breathing heavily, I lean on the closest wall, looking for support. I push myself away from the wall after feeling better.

I guess I'll make this my last trip of the day. The sun will be setting in less than two hours, and I don't even think I could last until then. But I want to keep pushing myself more. Who would know if I have the will to go out like this again tomorrow?

...

After a short walk, I finally see a building with a board sign written 'Angel's Share.'

I was about to enter before realizing something. Do taverns allow underage to go inside? Because I know you can't drink alcohol if you're underage. I have no intention of getting one, either. I guess I have to ask the guy standing near the door.

"Um, excuse me."

His straight expression makes me nervous, but then a smile forms on his face.

"Welcome to the Angel's Share! Come in and take a seat. We have a special today!" He announced.

"I want to ask something. Can I go inside even if I'm not old enough?"

"Of course you can! We also serve non-alcoholic beverages here, so anyone is welcome in Angel's Share!"

"Oh, and before I forget, here. Take this. It goes well with our drinks." He proffered me food.

"Thanks." I said before taking a bite.

I am greeted with cheers as soon as I walk in. Closing the door, I look around inside the tavern. The atmosphere is lively here, with customers drinking with friends at each table. Some sit at the counter, and the first and the second floors seem packed with people.

It was my first time in a bar. I don't remember why I chose this place out of all options.

Seriously, what am I doing here?

I step to the counter and take a vacant seat. I will have to wait for my turn later since the owner is busy taking orders from customers, and perhaps it'll take a while. Behind the counter are shelves filled with bottles, I assume wine.

Shifting my focus, now I'm looking at the tavern owner. A man in his forties has long red hair tied into a ponytail and a short red beard. He wears a white slim-vest, a black long-sleeve shirt, and a red tie.

His interactions with customers suggest that he is quite sociable. Soon after, he approaches me and looks at me.

"What do we have here? It's not every day I see a young patron. What do you like having today?"

His gentle tone reminds me of someone. But before I can say anything,

"Oh, we don't serve alcoholic drinks to underage. So you might want to order anything else but that."

"Then, can you show me the menu, please?"

"Hmm? Is it your first time coming here? I thought your face was rather familiar to me." He wondered while holding his chin.

He picks something under the counter and gives it to me.

"Here. It just so happens that I just renewed the menu. Take your time picking and tell me when you made up your mind."

I glance at him briefly before I look at the menu. Scanning it, I have no idea what is all of these beverages. There's no explanation whatsoever about them cause the menu only displays names and prices. I wanted to flip the menu but stopped hearing the owner chuckling.

"Your face tells me you're confused."

"... Well, you are not wrong."

"Yeah. Don't worry. It's only natural to feel confused since this is your first time here."

"How about I ask someone to explain them to you? While I would love to do it myself, there are other orders to fulfill."

"Hold up, there is-"

"Diluc!" He shouted.

"Yes, father?"

A boy around my age is now in front of me. He bears a resemblance to the owner. It's like he's the younger version of the owner himself. The difference is he's wearing a black coat.

Hmm?

"We have a new customer here, and he's about the same age as you. I would like you to help him understand our products. Can you do it?"

"Of course! Leave it to me." The boy said confidently.

"Very good. I'll be back once I've done dealing with our patrons."

I feel deja vu.

A/N: Crepus was the previous owner of Angel's Share before Diluc, and naturally, Crepus was his father.

Thank you for reading, and carry on!