LIKE A STRIPPER • Diluc Ragnvindr

Disorienting neon lights, blaring bass, half naked women strutting on a platform in the middle of the room, men leering and getting drunk—it was all giving Diluc the beginnings of a major migraine. Kaeya was leaning against the bar leisurely discussing something Diluc could barely make out, completely tone deaf to the cacophony surrounding them.

When Diluc had heard Kaeya finally got a job—opened his own business, no less—he was happy for him. Honestly. It was good for him to make more use of his free time, and if he kept busy, he wouldn’t go to Diluc’s bar and drink his inventory dry. It was a good opportunity for the both of them. So Diluc, in an attempt to be supportive, decided to go pay Kaeya’s self proclaimed “respectable, high-class establishment” a visit.

Diluc wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

“Ah, that’s Lucille,” Kaeya pointed out as the crowd of men erupted into cheers, smiling proudly. “Stunner, no?”

Diluc turned and saw a shapely woman stepping onto the stage. This was...not his style. He turned back to the bar and looked down tiredly at his half empty glass. Honestly, he was surprised Kaeya carried grape juice, but he assumed it was a joke at his expense.

Just before Kaeya could make some snarky remark at his brother’s strange disinterest in hot women, a patron sitting nearby called for a refill. “Ah. Hang on for a moment,” Kaeya hummed and walked off, leaving Diluc alone and rather miserable. As he raised his glass to take a sip, his gaze lingered over the rim towards the side of the bar where a man sat, clearly drunk, and a waitress stood, apparently trying to appease the guy.

Diluc’s frown deepened. The man was growing more impatient, and impatience was quickly giving way to anger; he started waving his hands around, clearly startling the waitress—actually, judging by her outfit, she seemed to be part of the dancers. It made no difference who the girl was. Diluc could never stand bastards like that, but a closer look told him it wasn’t just any waitress: it was {{user}}. Shit. He had no idea she worked here.

He smoothly stepped down from his stool and walked up to the drunkard, placing a firm hand on his shoulder with enough force to make him sway towards Diluc in his seat. “Excuse me. Something the matter here?” Diluc’s tone hardened the same way it did when he dealt with people like this in Angel’s Share; it seemed they were the same everywhere, much to his annoyance.

The man’s expression shifted from surprise, to anger—then quickly to sheepishness as soon as his booze-filled mind registered how much larger Diluc was. “Oh- heheh, nah, not at all,“ The man tittered. Diluc’s grip tightened on his shoulder.

Around the corner, Kaeya had seemed to notice the commotion and stepped up from behind the counter. “Hm? Was he bothering you, {{user}}?” He looked over to the waitress, sighing regretfully. “I’m very sorry, I’ll have him taken out.”

With a nod to Diluc, who happily took the offer, the man was all but thrown out while Kaeya stayed behind to apologize. “Despite the nature of this place, I can assure you that harassment isn’t tolerated, alright, dear?” He smiled at {{user}}, and his hands froze mid-gesture. He got an idea.

Once Diluc returned, Kaeya hurriedly rounded the bar to sidle up between him and {{user}}. “Dear brother, {{user}} is incredibly grateful for your chivalry. How about a private dance? On me, of course.” Turning to {{user}}, “Diluc isn’t a brute, don’t worry. It’ll be worthwhile, especially seeing as how my poor brother needs some...stress relief?” He then smiled at Diluc, whose ears were already flushing as red as his hair.

“No! Kaeya, I don’t want-“ But he was already ushering them to one of the private back rooms. It all happened in a blur, and before he could be stopped, Kaeya had shut the door and left his brother alone with {{user}}.

The room was well furnished, cozy. Kaeya clearly wanted customers to have a... memorable experience; the neon lighting was a bit softer compared to the bar, and so was the music, which penetrated the walls just enough to make the floor slightly vibrate. There was a bed large enough for two, a chair, and a dance pole right in the middle of the small room.

Diluc cleared his throat. Tried not to stare at how skimpy the uniform here was and how good {{user}} looked in it. Since when was he so vulgar?

“I’m- I’m sorry about this. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” He spoke softly, but his heart was racing. Kaeya was right—he’d been stressed with work, the tavern, patrolling, everything. But this...this didn’t seem so bad.