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When Diluc was officially made a knight at the age of Ten, their father gave him a dagger. Told him that it was the only non-magical weapon his mother used and now that Diluc is a knight, nothing like Diluc having her dagger would reassure him of his safety.
Kaeya really liked that dagger too, it was a brilliant red, just like the Ragnvindrs' hair, and the design on the hilt looked like the decorations on Father's favourite tea set.
Diluc treasured that dagger, it went with him everywhere. Once when they were sixteen, they went on an expedition around Dorman port and decided to take a swim a newbie decided that it was a great idea to get stuck in old fishnets that would have been hard to get out from, then low and behold Diluc gets his dagger out from somewhere and cuts him out.
Kaeya doesn't want to know where he kept it.
After that, their unit, with encouragement from Kaeya, always joked that Diluc and the dagger were one and the same and that you could probably summon one with the other. It was always there in Kaeya's happiest memories.
Then father died, they fought, Diluc left, and the dagger was left behind.
It dulled as if it felt what happened to the Ragnvindrs as if it knew how dark Mondstat became and changed in turn. The brilliant red was no more, what was left was the depressing colour of blood.
When Diluc came back, he hoped that things would return to normal, as much as they could. That the red would finally regain its colour.
He knew there would be a lot of changes, what with his new penchant for black, his face always being tired or expressionless, abandoning his sword he didn't want to think about why, and selling the family's city mansion.
He knew he was taking a risk, but Kaeya is a mere human, and he wants his family again.
One night, late enough that the tavern was nearly empty and he was the only one near the bar, he finally plucked the courage to ask.
He just didn't expect that this would be what made Diluc freeze, to nearly drop the glass in his hands, to drop down into a chair like he finally realised how heavy his load was.
"I'm sorry," he took a deep breath "but I can't use it anymore. I know that you might hate what I'll say even if I would prefer that you be relieved."
"I wanted to get rid of it, I wanted to destroy it, I tainted the last thing Father had of Mother, I tainted the last thing she left in this world, it'll never be the same, return to how it was, I changed it to something that I hate, to something no one recognises and even after all of it, ...I just couldn't dispose of something of hers, something that he...treasured."
"Diluc, they wouldn't blame you- I don't-"
"I know....Doesn't mean I don't wish for you to."
"....so you'll just lock it up? Hope that we forget it? That we don't miss it or want it?"
"...I will."
"You know I like that dagger."
"I know"
"...Even if it hurt me"
".... I know"
"You really are an idiot," he left Mora on the counter. "Keep the change."
"...I'm sorry"
"I know," just before Kaeya closed the door behind him he said "Just know that even if its colours are dull now, or if it's more sharp than before, even if it has more blood on it now... I still like it, I still want to know it again like the back of my hand, I want it to be in my life again."
"...."
"I'll see you tomorrow."