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Diona hates alcohol and those who make it. She despises the people who drink it. Those who praise it. Those who get too drunk to remember their own children.

She glares at everyone who enters Cat’s Tail.

Lately, Kaeya, the Knight Captain, has been making more appearances at the bar, for longer time and for more and more drinks.

While he was typically the least troubling drunk among the patrons, she still didn’t like him or the amount of alcohol he drank.

Diona asked for permission to kick him out after a few drinks but she was told no. To not bother him too much or just give him ‘normal’ drinks.

Margaret would always have a weird look on her face every time the Captain was brought up. Her usual smile would still decorate her face, but it seemed… less cheerful, sad even. 

She would even tack on discounts for the man for no reason.

It left Diona confused and suspicious.

What did he do that gave him special treatment?

“Did he do something to you?” Diona once asked Margret? “Why do you treat him differently?”

“No, no.” Margaret told her. “Nothing like that.”

Diona gasped, her mind jumping to something.

“Did he break your heart or something?” She asked, ready to fight the blue haired adult. “Were you in love with him?”

The look of utter shock on Margaret‘s face made her pause. The burst of laughter the bar owner let out caused Diona’s cheek to flush with heat.

That was not the response she expected.

“No, no, Nothing like that.” Margaret said when she got a breath from laughing. “He’s much too young for someone like me.”

“Then why?”

Margaret had that sad smile back.

“Because he has a reason to drink.” She told Diona gently. “Take a moment to try and understand things from his view, it might help.”

“Reasons?” Diona nearly screeched skeptically. “I doubt any of these drunks have good reasons for drinking.”

“For most of them, yes.” Margaret shushed her. “But not all of them. Take a moment, see if you can’t figure it out on your own.”

Margaret left her with that to stew in her thoughts and went to finish today’s prep.

Diona helped of course, but instead her usual mumble and grumble cursing of drunkards, she was quiet, mulling over her thoughts.

Captain Kaeya has a reason to drink?

He was a regular, usually jumping between Angel’s Share and Cat’s Tail. Though, he usually spends more time at Angel’s Share.

A rumble was heard outside.

“Looks like we’re getting a storm tonight.” Margaret called across the bar, “You're welcome to crash at my place tonight if it’s bad.”

“Thank you, Margaret.” Diona called.

She wasn’t worried about the rain and finished preparing her drink well and ‘special’ drink ingredients.

They were officially open for the day.

While waiting for the customer, Diona’s thoughts drifted back to the Captain. 

She has only been working at Cat’s Tail for 2 years. She glanced at the calendar, in Margaret’s office. It was almost May. Did the Captain’s reason have something to do with time of year? Or was it something else?

Speaking of the man, he was the first one to enter the bar today.

This put Diona on high alert.

Captain Kaeya was never the first one in, ever .

He’s never usual this early either.

“Greeting Captain Kaeya.” Margaret called out.

“Hmm..” was the only response.

Another oddity.

The Captain usually flirts or spews flowery words when greeted by anyone.

Diona kept her eyes on the Captain.

She spotted several things that went against his usual vain behavior.

First, he was dressed down. 

No silver accessories, no long fur collar, no cape, no colorful vest. The only trinket on his person was his Vision that glowed dimly where it hung.

He wore a simple loose white long-sleeve, strange since it was muggy out due to heat and recent rain. His pants were simple and casual, almost like something you’d wear to bed instead of going out in town. His hair wasn’t tired in its usual tail, it just hung limply along his back.

The only thing that was familiar about his outfit today was his corset. 

Second was his movement.

He walked stiffly, as if he was forcing his body to move. Not his usual flowing grace he strutted around with. It was almost like he was hiding pain or a limp.

Diona felt her ears flatten at the thought.

The last thing she noticed right away was his eye.

It was dim, not the usual alertness for his entire surrounding, it was blank, half lidded, and looking down. Like he was sad or tired.

Diona watched as he dragged himself to a table in the back corner. A place he could be alone and hidden from the majority of people who would enter the bar tonight.

She walked over to him, order note in hand, ready to serve him.

“Oh?” the Captain perked up at her presence. “What has little ole me do to warrant such a strong look today?”

Diona wasn’t aware her ears could flatten more. His attempt to sound normal just rubbed her the wrong way.

“I don’t know yet.” Diona bristled slightly. “What do you want today?”

“Hmm.” The Captain hummed, “A bottle of Dandelion Wine and one of your Diona Specials.”

Diona sputtered a bit, stopping herself from screeching at the amount of alcohol ordered at once.

“Coming right up, Captain.” Diona said begrudgingly.

She was quick with the order, mainly because no one else had entered the bar yet. She made her ‘Diona Special’ with simple but still weird ingredients. The bottle of wine and wine glass was grabbed on her way back to the table.

She paused.

Margaret was at Captain Kaeya’s table. She stayed back and watched them. 

The man was laying his head on the table and Margaret was kneeling down next to him, hand on his back. She looked worried.

He had one hand in his hair, gripping it. The other sat limply in his lap. He was shaking slightly.

It scared Diona.

This was not the Cavalry Captain she knows. This isn’t even the Drunkard Captain she knows.

Why does he look like he’s in pain?

Diona took a big breath and marched up to the table.

“-get Barbara?” Diona heard the end of Margaret’s question.

“Don’t bother.” Captain Kaeya shook his head still on the table, voice muffled. “She can’t do anything anyways.”

“You drinks, Captain.” Diona quickly set the bottle and glass on the table.

“Oh thank you, Diona!” Kaeya sat up, pretending again. “I’m sure it will taste good as always.”

She didn’t react to his praise. She was too busy looking at his hands.

The Captain’s hands were marred with scars. Raised pink skin clashing against the darker shade of his skin. His usual gloves tactfully kept them covered but he had taken them off for some reason.

Diona gently took one of his hands. Margaret left to greet some other customer who entered. 

She felt her ears and tail droop as she looked at them.

“Don’t worry about these.” Kaeya waved his hand. “They don’t bother me.”

“Lair!” Diona snapped at him, bristling. “If they aren’t hurting what is!?”

Kaeya let out a breath and grabbed the mixed drink before downing it one go.

Diona flinched at the action. Captain Kaeya typically nursed his drinks, enjoying the flavors and buzz they had.

“This does.”

He took his hand back and pulled down the collar of his shirt.

More scars decorated him. Raised, pink, and patchy. In the center of what she could see, the deepest part of the scarring, was a white line. Like a blade strike.

“What happened?” Diona asked before she could stop herself.

She couldn’t take her eyes off it until the shirt covered it back up. 

“Sorry.” She looked away, knowing she’s gone past boundaries.

“Don’t worry about it.” He said with a chuckle. “It’s all common knowledge anyway.”

He took a drink from the wine. She didn’t even notice him opening it.

“I lost a fight with a Mitachurl a few years ago.” He told her, but it sounded rehearsed. “Sometimes the scars like to hurt every now and then but it’s nothing to be worried about.”

He ruffled her hair and shooed her away.

She returned to the counter, petting one of the cats on the way.

Diona, being from Springvale, knows a lot about injuries. Most kids grow up learning about them in Mondstadt. She’d seen Adventurer come back with injuries from exploring Domaines, Hunters from failed hunts, and Knights from training and expeditions. 

Diona has never seen an injury that bad before.

“Margaret…” Diona mumbled. “Is that why he drinks? The injury?”

Margaret was quiet for a moment.

“Yes and no.” She told her, kneeling down to her height, “The injury still bothers him I’m sure, but it’s the wound on his heart that hurts him the most.”

“His heart?” Diona questioned.

“Yes, the same day he got that injury, his father died.” Diona froze, her mind thinking back to the night she got her Vision. “His brother also left shortly afterwards, I don’t even know he knew Kaeya had been injured that night before he left.”

“Captain Kaeya has a brother?” Diona didn’t know that.

“Yes, it’s not something he likes to talk about anymore.” Margaret explained. “Don’t treat him any differently now that you know, he wouldn’t like that, just make sure to cut him off when you think he’s had enough.”

Diona gave her a nod and they both went back to work since more people had entered the bar.

The night went on as usual with Diona complaining about people and their drinking habits. She cut the Captain off after his second bottle of wine, screeching at him that he’s had enough.

She noted that his shaking subsided and his body relaxed as he drank. Seeing the Captain no longer in pain, Diona will reluctantly admit that alcohol has at least one good use today.

She didn’t see when Captain Kaeya left but he left her a big tip when she cleaned off his table.

Thankfully it didn’t start raining. The first thing she did when she got home was hug her dad and tell him she loves him.

Even if he was too drunk to remember it.