The Cat and the Cocktail

“Well, Draff said that he had just found some so let’s ask him” Lumine suggested

“Pff! I wouldn’t trust a single word this old drunk say but go ahead and talk to him if you believe him” Diona suggested before scoffing in disbelief “There’s probably nothing but some leftover booze in his flask anyway” Diona reminded

Lumine then turned to the guy

“Draff, may we take a look at your flask? Diona needs to use some of that herbal soup” Lumine explained

The guy called then began thinking before he realized something

“Oh! Sure… Here, take it, just don’t spill it, it took a lot of…” Draff started before hiccuping “...A lot of work to get that stuff” Draff reminded

Draff then gave Diona the flask to which the latter sighed in disbelief

“You actually asked him for the soup? C’mon, don’t waste any more time, there’s only—” Diona started before she smelled what was in the flask making her grunt in disgust “What’s that smell?!” Diona asked before coughing in disgust “Get that stuff away from me! Yuck, that’s awful!” Diona said in disgust before she realized something “Wait…” Diona realized as she coughed for a moment “Could this really be that herbal soup?” Diona asked

“How ‘bout that! Daddy remembered what you…” Draff started before hiccuping for a moment “Told me… Ah… Give your old man some credit, I made a promise and I kept it… I…” Draff started before laughing a bit “Wouldn’t ever let my baby down…” Draff said before chuckling

“...” Diona thought in disbelief

“Well, what do you know, you’ve got the Hilichurl soup you’ve wanted!” Twilight said happily

“Yeah I know!” Diona said angrily before turning to Draff with an embarrassed look “My genius father… What are you gonna use to hold your booze in now that you’ve filled your flask with this stuff, hmm?” Diona asked

“I’ll just drink straight from the bottle!” Draff answered before chuckling a bit “It’s not a problem…” Draff suggested before hiccuping “Not a problem at all…” Draff said happily

“Well, looks like we have everything we need” Lumine said in relief

“Right, I’ll whip up a concoction to sober him up, it won’t take long, I mean, this soup was meant to give Hilichurls energy, combined with some ingredients I have, this should snap him right out of it” Diona explained before chuckling a bit “Good thing I brought my shaker with me, uh… It’d be a waste to use up all the ingredients at once” Diona reminded

“When did you— Nevermind, I do not wanna know” Twilight said in shock and confusion

“Are you really sure you can use this to sober him up?” Lumine asked

“Patience you two, I have my ways… Just sit back and watch” Diona suggested

Diona then began to mix the ingredients to try and help her dad get back to his normal self while Lumine, Rainbow and Twilight watched and soon enough she was done as she put the entire thing back in his dad’s flask

“Alright, it’s finished!” Diona said in relief before she turned to her dad “Here daddy, drink this” Diona suggested

“No! I-I can’t drink anymore! If I drink more my daughter will be very angry with me…” Draff reminded

“Guess he lost his memories again thanks to the beverage” Rainbow whispered to Twilight

“Yeah, he must’ve drank a lot if this happened” Twilight whispered back

“No more, can’t drink… Anymore! Drinking— Is— Bad” Draff said worriedly

Diona then scoffed in disbelief and anger

“Why would he remember stuff like that now?!” Diona asked angrily before pressing the flask on his chest as Draff could only look in shock “C’mon! Just! Drink it!” Diona ordered angrily

Draff worriedly then took a sip causing him to chuckle for a moment before turning to Diona

“Hey! This tastes pretty good… Fine, I’ll drink… A little bit… JUST a little bit though” Draff reminded

“Yeah that’s right, just a little bit, now, down the hatch!” Diona ordered

Draff then began drinking the herbal soup Diona made for him before he stopped and turned to Diona in relief with a sigh

“Wow… Wow, that was incredible…” Draff said in relief before he realized where he was and who was in front of him as he gasped in shock and worry “Wh-What are you doing here Diona?” Draff asked before grunting in pain “And… Why does my head hurt so bad?” Draff asked

“What’s going on…?” Lumine thought in shock and confusion

“Did I see that right…?” Rainbow thought in shock and confusion

“Could those ingredients really make something that good?” Twilight thought in shock and confusion

Diona then sighed in relief

“That seemed to do the trick, if you’re sober now then let’s hurry and get out of here” Diona suggested

Draff then thought in confusion before he realized something

“Oh right… I remember now, I came here looking for something, I think it was some kind of… Herbal soup or something?” Draff thought out loud before he realized it “Yeah, that’s it! Herbal soup! The one you told me about last time Diona, Samachurls made that stuff a-and I found it!” Draff realized as he searched for his flask “I filled my whole flask with it too! It’ll definitely be enough for you, it’s right here…” Draff explained but when he tapped the spot it was on he got worried “Wait, where’s my flask? Oh no… I didn’t lose it did I?” Draff asked in worry and confusion

“Actually, um, Diona has it” Rainbow explained

“And she may or may not have already used the soup to sober you up” Lumine explained

“Really? Did I… Drink too much again?” Draff asked as Twilight nodded “Oh…” Draff realized in defeat

“Nevermind daddy, I’m already used to it but now that you’re sober let’s start heading back, Allan and the others are waiting at the entrance” Diona explained

“Ah! That’s right…” Draff realized as he sighed in disbelief “I completely forgot about Allan…” Draff said in disbelief

“How do you feel daddy? If you still can’t walk Twilight can help you” Diona said

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve literally had a dragon on my back most of my entire life!” Twilight explained

“No no, I’m fine, let’s get going” Draff suggested before sighing in disbelief and embarrassment “I… Must have gotten carried away with my drinking again… Diona, I’m…” Draff started before giving another sigh in worry

“Daddy… I’ve seen it all before, besides, you’ve done way weirder things when you’ve been drinking like the time you chased dogs around town calling them Hilihounds or that other time you filled empty bottles with the town’s spring water and kept chucking that down…” Diona reminded

“Seriously?! I didn’t know it was that bad!” Rainbow said in shock

“That does seem random, even for an hunter’s standards” Twilight agreed

“Oh and don’t forget that time you begged Myweiss to write you a song about a hunter and his… Loyal Hilihound” Diona reminded

“Now that’s next level” Rainbow said in shock

“Please help me unsee it guys, I can’t handle all this!” Twilight said in agreement

“Yeah, I agree! That’s enough, the Honorary Knights and Rainbow can hear you, you know…” Draff reminded

Diona then began thinking out loud for a moment

“What you did this time was actually pretty normal compared to what you’ve done in the past” Diona reminded

Draff then sighed in relief

“Good thing I found that herbal soup, otherwise we really would have been up a creek without a paddle…” Draff said in relief

“...” Diona gasped in shock and disbelief “Thanks daddy” Diona muttered embarrassingly

“Huh? What’d you say? I couldn’t hear you very well…” Draff asked

“Ummm, I said don’t drink so much!” Diona answered angrily

“Okay, okay… I know, I’ll try to drink less from now on” Draff promised

Diona then scoffed and sighed in disbelief

“Silly old man” Diona muttered in disbelief

The group then walked back to the camping area where Allan was waiting for them and once he saw them he sighed in relief

“It’s Diona, Rainbow and the Honorary Knights, you’ve brought Draff back! Thank goodness you’re all alright, I was about to report to the Knights of Favonius if you took any longer” Allan said in relief

“Sorry, we had a drunkard to turn back to normal” Twilight apologized

“Wait what?!” Allan asked in shock before turning to Draff “Are you okay?” Allan asked

“I’m fine thanks to Diona, Rainbow and the Travelers, otherwise things might have ended very differently” Draff reminded while turning to his saviors before turning to Allan “Allan, go round up the others, let’s tally up our game and head back to Springvale” Draff ordered

“Understood, I’ll get right on it” Allan said

Allan then ran off as the group watched him leave before turning back to Draff

“Girls… Will you be coming back to Springvale with us?” Draff asked

“No, we only came here for the herbal soup” Diona answered

“Yeah, and besides we’ve found it, though, it has changed our choice quite a bit” Rainbow explained

“Yeah, not to mention, the smell was too much for us” Twilight agreed

“Yes especially since you found it for us so we’ll return to Mondstadt” Diona explained

“Alright” Draff said as the group left as he called out to them “Wait! Do you still have enough left over after making the stuff to sober me up?” Draff asked

“Of course we do, I’m a professional bartender, there’s no way I’d use up all my ingredients at once” Diona said before scoffing a bit “The remainder will be enough for what I need” Diona explained before she turned around “Now, if that’s all, we’ll be on our way back to Mondstadt then so just hurry up and get yourself back to Springvale daddy” Diona suggested before giving one more glare “Oh and don’t drink so much!” Diona ordered

“I know, I know, don’t worry, I mean, I don’t even have my flask anymore…” Draff reminded

“Yeah right! Who knows how many more of those you have” Diona reminded

T-True” Draff said

The group then waved before they went towards Diona who gave them a smile

Girls, we’ve gathered all the ingredients we need so let’s head back to the Cat’s Tail and when we arrive I’ll make you girls a supreme specialty drink that will shatter every fantasy you’ve ever had about booze” Diona suggested

“Hah! Challenge accepted!” Rainbow said

The group then left which Draff saw as he sighed in relief

“Drinking sure causes a lot of trouble, I really need to control myself from now on” Draff reminded

Soon Allan came back as he turned to Draff

“Draff, everyone’s ready, we can head out once we’ve tallied up the hunt” Allan explained

Meanwhile the group arrived back at Mondstadt as they went towards the Cat’s Tail’s staircase where they turned to Diona

“Alright, let’s go inside, I’ll clean my shaker and pour out the herbal soup from the old man’s flask…” Diona said before she noticed the group was looking at her in confusion “What’s wrong? Didn’t you all want a cocktail? Why are you all just staring like that?” Diona asked

“Well, how are you able to make anything from an ingredient that smells like that?” Lumine asked

Diona then gasped in realization

“So that’s what you’re all wondering, I can’t help it, basically, any drink that’s made by my hands can only be a good drink” Diona reminded before sighing in disbelief “This isn’t a bartender’s pride talking, this is a fact” Diona explained

“Sounds cool, try making the worst possible drink and we’ll see if it tastes great!” Rainbow suggested

“RAINBOW!” Lumine and Twilight called out in anger

“I-I mean, try making the best drink ever, not anything disgusting” Rainbow suggested nervously

“But regardless of the type of ingredients or method, as long as I make the drink myself, it’s bound to be delicious however that’s just the way it is for now, I’ve been searching for a solution and the herbal soup is one of the ingredients that I’ve been searching for” Diona explained

“And yet it didn’t work according to you” Twilight explained

“Yeah but once I find the solution I’ll show those old boozehounds how terrible alcohol really is” Diona said before laughing maniacally

“Why am I feeling a bit of worry for myself right now?” Rainbow whispered

“Because she’s planning on making the worst booze the world’s ever seen” Twilight whispered back

“B-But, isn’t this Mondstadt? The city of freedom and wine?” Rainbow whispered

“Well, yes but I think Draff drank too much which made her hate booze” Twilight whispered

“Hmm, I have an idea” Rainbow said

“What is it?” Diona asked

“Well, is it alright if I tell Jean about your troubles with Draff and the booze?” Rainbow asked

“Huh, why?” Diona asked

“Well, I think Jean could send somebody to investigate your father and see how badly he drinks the booze and what actions he does but if he goes too far he’ll be put in prison for a few months until he keeps that in mind” Rainbow explained

“Wait, really?” Diona asked

“Yeah, I’m not doing this because I want booze or whatever, I’m doing this to help you feel a bit safer with your father, what do you think?” Rainbow asked

“Well, my dad is going too far at times so sure” Diona said

“Though you’ll have to promise me one thing despite the amount of which you hate booze” Rainbow explained

“What is it?” Diona asked

“You’ll stop trying to make the most disgusting type of booze” Rainbow said

“Very well, I accept” Diona said before turning to the others “Hey girls, aren’t you two here for a drink yourselves? Come on in, I have plenty of ingredients to whip you up something special inside” Diona said

Twilight and Lumine then looked at each other in shock before turning to Diona and Rainbow before nodding

“It won’t be bad, right?” Twilight asked

“Yeah and after I make you my specialty drink I promise you’ll never want to set foot in another tavern except the Cat’s Tail ever again” Diona said

“That bad huh…” Lumine said with a smirk

“Well, we accept your challenge” Twilight said

“Uh, well… Yeah but I also said that’s only for now, there are plenty of methods and ingredients I haven’t tried yet” Diona reminded

“Ooh, sounds interesting, it isn’t bad, right?” Rainbow asked

“Of course not!” Diona answered

“Just hurry up and come in… And prepare for a specialty drink that I’m making just for you!” Diona reminded before making cat noises

The group then rushed into the tavern with Diona following after them