Karotta

four years of Diluc's absence shattered that peace completely, leaving him defenceless, vulnerable, open to the very world, scarred and burned. he doesn't feel safe anywhere. he feels dread at the every step of his, at every breath he takes. his mind is in shambles.

so, he carries himself to the tavern. so, he drinks. so, he notices others spilling their secrets and babbling about everything when the tip of the scales tolls to the side. so, he decides to take the risks and put aside his own safety for the sake of Mondstadt.

after all, he knows what drunk people can do.

every time he enters the tavern, his mind screeches at him, begging to leave. every time he smiles and adds one more glass of the patron to his tab, he's pushing it, terrified of what can follow next. the secrets he's seeking or the punches he's avoiding. there's also a chance of poison in his drink, he has to be alert all the time. there's also a chance of spiking his drink. he's a handsome bachelor, after all. he's terrified.

he ruins his mind by paranoia he can't keep at bay.

then, Diluc returns. then, Diluc takes the bartender position in the tavern. then, Diluc seems to catch his consealed nervousness and bubbling horror.

then, Diluc tips his drink to the side, apologises, takes the glass with himself, and Kaeya sees the patron grit his teeth, seething. oh. then, Diluc breaks the fight before it's about to start, dragging the adventurer out, and Kaeya, pinned to the wall by the very adventurer, slips to the floor and sits, the tavern suspiciously empty of other people. then, Diluc throws him a look and gets him a mug, full of Glühwein, and Kaeya, half-delirious from the fever and shivering from the cold, sips at the spiced wine long after the shift is over.

then, Diluc sits on the other side and shares a wine with him. it's the day of Crepus' death. Kaeya hides his face in his hands, dry sobs stacked into his lungs, the long forgotten feeling of safety washes over him, and he can try and believe it's not as lost as he has imagined.

the wine he drinks seems slightly salty.

he ignores the tears in the red eyes.

this is a guy who can afford to be sassy because he has powerful innate combat aptitude and the unimaginably massive ragnvindr estate behind him, both of which protect him from the consequences and considerations that someone like jean would have to navigate

and i actually think this is a very very important part of his character arc because it ups the ante on his tragic 18th birthday and his character arc beyond that

here's the arc as i see it:

diluc is born as the only child to the affluent ragnvindr line. from birth he is coddled and spoiled rotten - we're told that crepus "wasn't stern by nature," and in the one instance we know of where diluc was actually punished, kaeya and adelinde finished off the task for him

a passionate and rambunctious kid, diluc benefits from incredible combat aptitude from a young age. this nets him a vision at age 10 and a captaincy at age 14, the age when most kids are still squires. his ascent is made easier by his second-in-command, who ensured he got through every challenge he faced smoothly

and because of all this, diluc grows up believing in a world of kindness and fairness and justice. because, well, why wouldn't he? unlike his counterpart kaeya, he's gotten everything he's ever wanted. he's never known what it feels like to be afraid, to be wronged, to be hurt, to be poor, to be wanting. he's never had to imagine a world that ISN'T kind and fair and just

...until, of course, his 18th birthday. because on that day, diluc loses more than a father and a brother - he loses his entire worldview

all of a sudden, the world that was so good and kind to him is violently flipped onto its head. the father he idolized is revealed to wield a destructive power. the brother he loved is revealed to be a traitor. the institution he's dedicated his entire life to is revealed to be fundamentally corrupt. his wealth, power, aptitude, and charm cannot save him. it is the first and greatest injustice of his life

given all that, is it any surprise he drops everything and goes on a rampage? is it any wonder he sells off his father's mansion and discards his vision and abandons the knights?

i don't think this is some random fit that he's throwing. i think this is diluc, who has gotten everything he's ever wanted, discarding everything he's ever wanted: his wealth (the mansion), his strength (the vision), and his clout (the knights). this is diluc casting off the worldview that has betrayed him and reconstructing it from the ground up

and this has implications for his arc beyond the manga and into the game!

bc if you view diluc as someone who never let his wealth, good looks, and aptitude get to his head - or if you prefer to see his manga personality as out of character given his game personality - then his arc in-game is like "guy who was traumatized but already pretty nice gets nicer through the power of friendship." which is fine, i guess?

but if you, like me, prefer the trust-fund-baby-diluc narrative, then it becomes not only a story of a guy working through his trauma but the story of a guy fighting against every instinct he has

cause like. there are tons of examples in the game where we see diluc tempted to throw a hissy fit. and sometimes he does! in early game especially, he's very grumpy all the time - i'm thinking specifically of the midsummer island adventure event:

Barbara: So… maybe this type of fish only comes out after dark? Diluc: Or to put it another way, we're gonna be here all night… Hmph.

Kaeya: Captain Kaeya's on the case! Diluc: Ugh... Paimon: Master Diluc, aren't you interested in pirate treasure? Diluc: Hardly. I'm more interested in peace and quiet. Paimon: Paimon doesn't think you'll settle for nothing to do... Diluc: Amuse yourselves however you see fit. I'm taking my leave.

kaeya even points out to us that he's acting like a child (even though kaeya himself is not the most reliable of narrators):

Kaeya: What's the matter? Diluc's scowl still bothering you? Kaeya: He's has that expression on his face for years now. He internalizes a lot of his feelings. Kaeya: So I'm afraid that his face is stuck like that. Just treat him like a big kid.

but! throughout the game, as he gets more opportunities for character growth, we see him slowly start to overcome his tendencies towards... well, towards being a baby

the example that comes most readily to mind is the same example i started this post with: namely, The Vase

in the manga, when kaeya first offers to buy him the vase, he throws a little fit and orders his butler to buy him a new one:

Kaeya: Hah! Your bro Kaeya shall be back with a new vase. Diluc: You! Go buy a vase right now! I do not trust the taste of Sir Kaeya of Ordo Favonius.

later, when kaeya references the vase, he denies ever seeing it:

Diluc: I see no reason to cling to things that have outlived their purpose. Kaeya: Is that so? Then I trust you were most swift indeed to part with a certain vase? Diluc: Sorry, I have no recollection.

but after he has the chance to work on himself a little more, he becomes able to receive kaeya's jibes without rising to the bait:

Kaeya: Here, this is for you. I bought it for you in Sumeru, and it cost a veritable mountain of Mora. Diluc: Thanks. Put it on the table. Kaeya: That's it? No comment whatsoever? Diluc: You want a comment? Okay then. This thing is very in line with your unique aesthetic tastes, much like that vase over there. Diluc: Elzer, fetch a bottle of this year's newest batch from the warehouse. Or else someone will keep blathering on with endless excuses.

we see him get better at responding to kaeya's barbs (or at least ignoring them):

Kaeya: Wonderful. Always eager to help, and never forgets to return a favor. That's the Master Diluc I know. Diluc: ...It's nearly dinner time. Would you care to stay for a meal?

he even gets kinder to his servants:

Diluc: Take some time off, Elzer. Don't put it off any longer. I'll handle the guild matters. Diluc: It's important to take care of your health. You have to take it seriously.

and again, you could read this as his innate personality - i think it's a fair read to say that diluc has always been warm and big-hearted and this is just an extension of that

but i think it's much more interesting if we say that no, he actually is a bit of a brat - prone to hissy fits, used to getting his own way - and this new, more tempered approach is the result of a lot of work and intentionality on his part