Chapter Text
If Diluc had known it would come to this at the time, he wouldn't have let Dawn follow him.
His day, or rather night started normal. Dawn came to him before.. well, dawn and gave him news of two Abyss Heralds that she'd seen entering the temple of the lion.
Diluc, just in case, since the "Darknight Hero" incident had started wearing a cape again, so he slipped out easily and was at the Temple in just twenty minutes.
That was when Dawn started requesting he let her come in too.
"It's not safe," Diluc explained, "And I know you can use fire too, that doesn't make you invulnerable. Two heralds and a couple minions, I can defeat, but I can't protect you while doing that."
"But it's not safe!", Dawn squawked in her own language of screeches, "What if you get hurt again?"
Diluc tried a soft tone. "Darling, please. I know I can do this. Can you trust me, please?"
Dawn bit his ear.
"Shit- Dawn!"
He silently cursed himself for swearing.
"I'm not leaving you! Either you let me come or I'll.. I'll go get Jean!", Dawn cried.
"Dawn, it's not safe for little birds like you, please, just list-"
"I'm seven years old! I'm not a little bird!"
"It's little for elemental animals. Look, the temple is enclosed and if you get hur-"
Dawn bit him again.
This time Diluc kept his irritated expression on.
"Fine. But don't charge in fights no matter what happens, unless I call for it. Understood?"
Dawn huffed. "I'm not an amateur bird, Luc!"
Diluc sighed tiredly. "I know, sweetheart."
Lord Barbatos, if I ever forget, remind me why I never want children.
-
Diluc left the temple completely unharmed, all the enemies defeated, and a sniffling bird in his arms.
"Diluc..", Dawn sniffled in the best way she could.
Dawn's wings looked as though they had been burnt though they hadn't, and her feathers kept falling off. Why, you may ask?
Diluc was this close to defeating the herald, he just needed to close in once more and it would be fine, except.. was that a vial the Abyss Herald was carrying?
The Herald should know that it's impossible to defeat Diluc now. Does that mean he plans to use that vial of some kind of poison to bring him down?
Diluc dodged his first attempt at using the poison. It's fine, Diluc thought, I can use this
The Herald seemed to catch on, but left with nothing but the poison and some minor attacking powers, he started using his Cryo attacks with the poison. A shield wouldn't save him from long, not from Diluc, but he didn't seem to get that nor would his attacks.
The next time the Abyss Herald striked, Diluc took the opportunity to swipe in. He could have continued doing that once more and the herald would be dead.
And he could have. But this time when he went for the kill, flames engulfed the Herald.
Did Dawn charge?, Diluc wondered, and with a shot of worry because how could a charging bird dodge a potion?
The Herald managed to dodge her attack-barely, but somehow he managed it, and Diluc killed him on spot. He rushed to where Dawn had dropped, not flown away like she usually did after charging.
"But luc.. he was going to hurt you..", Dawn tried flapping her wings, but winced in pain.
"No, he wasn't. That was an easy target. It would have took nothing to defeat him, but now you're poisoned with some random poison from the Abyss.", Diluc muttered
Deep breathes, Diluc, he told himself, deep breathes.
"Luc.. I'll be okay. Barbara will heal me up. It's only a little painful in my wings, promise. And only a few of my feathers are falling out and my body just feels a little sore.", Dawn tried reassuring, but it didn't help.
"Yes, sweetheart, it will be alright. Don't worry about it." We're talking about that stupid move once you're better. "Just do me a favor and keep screeching, please?" Because you will be better, of course you will.
Diluc decided to climb the wall to Monstadt.
The Cathedral was closed, of course, because it had only been an hour and a half since it still wasn't morning. It would open in an hour, but Diluc didn't know if he had an hour. He was ready to knock some guards out, except they were asleep.
Of course they're asleep, these good for nothing favonians, he thought to himself on reflex and simply stepped inside the cathedral and walked to Barbara's room.
"Luc, are you mad?", Dawn screeched.
Extremely mad. "No, darling. Not at all." In fact, I think I'm never taking you on a mission again.
"Luc, please don't be mad. I promise I'll never do that again!", Dawn cried snuggling closer to him
"I'm not, Dawn. Don't move so much." Poison spreads faster if you move. I can't lose you too.
Diluc would have immediately knocked once he arrived at Barbara's door had he not heard voices.
"I'm really sorry, Barbara. But just wait a few days and let Traveler come back with Grandmaster Varka and I promise, we'll take a long vacation together to Liyue. Alright?" That was Jean. She must have not been able to take out time for Barbara again.
"It's okay, Big Sister, I understand. I'll wait.", Barbara said, sounding a little tired.
"Or we could follow my plan and let me take over the knights for a few days..", a familiar voice spoke. Kaeya. Of course it was him.
"Kaeya, I love you like a brother, but no.", Jean said. Deserved, Diluc thought.
"Gods, thank you?", Kaeya said sarcastically.
"No offence, but why is he here, Big sister?", Barbara asked, sounding genuinely irritated.
"I had some business around this area.", Kaeya said smugly.
"He's slacking off. I'm sorry for bringing him, is there anything you need to-"
"No, no, it's okay."
Diluc didn't have the social power for this, but maybe he could just..
Dawn whined in his arms.
Deep breathes, Diluc.
He knocked.
"Who is it so late at night?", he heard Jean whisper.
Barbara was used to this. Diluc did come to her sometimes at night when he was sure she was awake, so he supposed she would be. "Coming!"
"Barbara don't -", Kaeya started, but the door was already open.
Perhaps Diluc should have removed the Cape. It didn't matter, however.
"Who-"
"Master Diluc! Are you alright?", because Diluc saved his injuries for mornings unless he was badly injured.
"I'm not interrupting anything, I hope?", he looked at Jean and Kaeya.
"Not at all!", Barbara smiled, looking down at Dawn, "Is she.."
Diluc nodded. "Some unknown poison from the Abyss. Do you think you could tell if it is lethal at least?"
Barbara nodded. "Come on in, I'll try my best."
Diluc managed to completely ignore Jean and Kaeya, because his social power was going into negatives now.
Barbara gently took the bird and placed her on the couch, closed her eyes, and tried to use her healing powers.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Jean tilted her head. It had always been a habit of hers, whenever she was confused, she tilted her head slightly with her doe eyes wide open, like the action version of "what?"
"That's weird..", Barbara muttered.
"What?", Diluc asked.
"It's like..", Barbara continued, eyes opening, "like it's trying to go upwards- the liquid, through her wings. It's not lethal at the moment, just very painful, I imagine. I don't know how it may develop, but I've stopped it for a while, I think. You may have to go to Albedo."
Diluc let out a breathe he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thank Barbatos. Thank you, Barbara. You are an angel. I'll be off to find Albedo now.", he said, quickly scooping Dawn up.
"It's no problem!", Barbara grinned.
"I feel okay now! Can I fly?", Dawn screeched.
"No, don't move. You're still sick."
"But Luc!"
"I said no. Good day, Barbara, Jean, Captain Kaeya."
With that, he left.
"Did you..was I hallucinating, Acting Grandmaster Jean?"
"No, I saw it too, he was talking to his bird, and his bird was screeching back."
"No, that's not what I'm talking about, was he genuinely that worried about that bird-"
"Big sister, Captain Kaeya," Barbara smiled, "Perhaps you should leave now that it's, you know, 4 in the morning."
"Ah, yes, of course. Sorry for the trouble, Barbara.", Jean said, and walked out, dragging Kaeya with her.