──── ─ [𝗔𝗟𝗟] 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗘. ✦

manikin┊⁰⁰⁶

꒰❝chapter six; manikin❞꒱

in a remote territory, a weary redhead let out a sigh of exhaustion as he dispatched of yet another hilichurl. diluc wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead, seeking refuge from the relentless sun's glare, as he tried shielding his eyes. his lips curved upward upon spotting a familiar falcon in the distance. However, before he could approach it, a voice called out to him.

"sir! we've managed to neutralize all threats in this area, and—oh," jean's voice trailed off as she noticed the falcon perched on her captain's shoulder. "my apologies for the interruption, sir. i—"

"it's quite alright and didn't i tell you to drop the 'sir'? we're practically the same age," the red head interrupted with a charming smile, causing the blonde to redden. whether it was from embarrassment or something else, she wasn't sure at all.

after the brief exchange, diluc dismisses jean with a nod, allowing her to continue her duties. he then turns his attention back to the falcon, gently stroking its feathers as he untied the letter bound to its leg. a grin spreads across his face as he recognizes the sender of the letter from the clumsily warped ribbon adorning it.

'kaeya'

with a sense of curiosity, he unfolds the letter and begins to read its contents, his expression changing subtly as he takes in the written words.

'dear diluc,' the red head chuckled at his brother's cheesy opening. 'it's been a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it? father and i miss you dearly. i'm sure adelinde does too, though she's been acting kind of odd these past days.' diluc raised his brow at that but continued reading the letter. 'but other than that, everything's been normal. i took [name] to the city the other day! we had a lot of fun together. we should all go together when you come back! [name] is very fun to hang out with!' diluc hummed at that, honestly, he had forgotten all about your existence before reading this. 'anyways, please come back safely to us. send my regards to jean as well! your brother, kaeya.'

diluc headed toward the camp to compose a response, but before he could, a group of knights approached him, their faces etched with worry and fear. "sir! The monsters have discovered our camp! and—" diluc swiftly dashed past the knights, gripping his sword tightly as he raced toward the camp, his expression becoming stern as his vision glowed. 'sorry, kaeya, the letter will have to wait.'