The Cat and the Cocktail

“I’ll go with Rainbow’s choice, since the base matters more than the flavor” Lumine explained

“Awesome!” Rainbow said excitedly

Twilight then got a sad look before she gave a forced smile

“Let’s go tell Diona” Twilight said

The trio then approached Diona

“So… Have you two decided?” Diona asked

“Yes, we’d like the base to be more unique…” Lumine answered

“A drink with a special base huh? Hmm, looks like you three already possess plenty of potential to become a roaring drunkard so I’m gonna have to really knock some sense into you three with this one” Diona thought out loud before clearing her throat “Anyway, let’s head to Dadaupa Gorge, I know just the place to find an unique drink base” Diona explained

“Alright then, lead the way” Twilight said

“Yep and don’t worry, we’ll protect you in case of dangers” Rainbow said

The group then began walking to Dadaupa Gorge and when they got nearby Diona turned to her friends

“Dadaupa Gorge is just up ahead, we should be able to find a special drink base there” Diona explained

“Really?” Twilight asked

“Yeah, an adventurer who visited the tavern told me that he once ventured deep into Dadaupa Gorge and discovered a type of drink inside the cooking pots of a hilichurl tribe who lived there” Diona explained

“Ooh!” Twilight, Lumine and Rainbow called out in awe

“The drink is actually an herbal soup made by Samachurls using a variety of ingredients and according to the adventurer, it seems like the Samachurls made these drinks to grant the tribe more energy, the adventurer also said that just by taking a single whiff of it and I quote… ‘I wasn’t able to determine whether or not I took in the smell because as soon as I tried to smell it, it began to feel like my nose was being trampled by a hundred forest boars so I couldn’t feel my nose anymore, let alone smell anything…’” Diona explained before scoffing in disbelief “Even though he lost his sense of smell he still remembered to come and drink, he even started telling me that my delicious cocktails would help his nose regain it’s sense of smell again…” Diona explained glaring at Mondstadt in anger “What a hopeless drunk… He was probably just exaggerating and hoping for more drinks” Diona said angrily

“I don’t think so, he sounded really thankful” Twilight explained

“Yeah, even I think so” Rainbow agreed

“But whether or not he was exaggerating is not important, the idea of using a hilichurl drink as a base for my cocktails is one I’m definitely interested in” Diona said before chuckling a bit

“Maybe we can use something else instead” Lumine suggested worriedly

“No way! Normal ingredients will never suffice for a special cocktail, we must use something special” Diona reminded

“Did we now?” Rainbow asked

Diona then glared at her

“Of course and besides, I’ve never used such ingredients before either, this will be my latest drink, just wait and you three will be the first ones to try it” Diona reminded angrily before turning stopping and turning to the trio with a brave look “Now listen up, I had that old adventurer mark the location for me so all we have to do is get there and grab what we need and since we’re only on the outskirts of Dadaupa Gorge, we’ll have to walk further in so we still have quite a ways to go” Diona reminded

“Alright!” Rainbow said

The four then continued to walk as Diona began speaking

“I also told my father about the Samachurl herbal soup, he said that he would keep an eye out for it but he’s probably just saying that, once he’s had enough drinks in him he can’t even remember his own name, let alone the herbal soup I mentioned, oh well, I never had high hopes for him anyway, looks like I’m going to have to get the special drink base on my own” Diona explained in disbelief

The group soon arrived at Dadaupa Gorge where they heard somebody saying something

“Hmm? Someone’s approaching…” The guy said out loud

The group then approached the guy standing at the entrance who then noticed Diona

“Diona? Is that you?” The guy asked in shock

“Huh?” Diona asked as she turned around only to realize who it was “Oh, I know you… You’re the one that usually goes hunting with my father” Diona realized

“Yeah, my name is Allan, I’m part of the hunting team that Draff leads” Allan introduced

“Huh, so if you’re here that must mean my father is also somewhere nearby” Diona realized in shock before glaring at Allan “Well, where is he huh? Oh I’ll bet he drank too much again after the hunt and fell asleep somewhere, waiting for someone to drag him back to Springvale” Diona reminded angrily

Allan then chuckled nervously

“I-I wish that were the case…” Allan said nervously while rubbing the back of his head before turning back to the group “I’m afraid that Draff… Well, h-he rushed into Dadaupa Gorge by himself!” Allan called out worriedly

Wait… What?!” Diona asked in shock

“You see, Draff brought us hunting in the area nearby and thanks to him the hunt went really well and we managed to catch lots of game and after the hunt, we stopped to rest for a bit before we’d head back to Springvale so we started a bonfire, got some barbeque going and well… Had a little to drink” Allan explained only to see Diona glaring suspiciously “Honest! We only drank a little, you know, just to celebrate the hunt” Allan explained

“What happened afterwards?” Twilight asked

“Well, after a few drinks, Draff started saying that he wanted to go get something from a Hilichurl tribe in the depths of Dadaupa Gorge and he refused to let any of us accompany him, instead, he kept saying that he’s a descendant of the Kätzlein Bloodline and that he could come and go as he pleases in a place like this and before we could say anything he rushed out by himself, there’s no way we could stop him, I had a hunter who’s quick on his feet run back to Springvale to find help and sent a few veteran hunters into the gorge to look for Draff but…” Allan started worriedly

Diona then groaned in disbelief

“That stupid old man! And it’s all because he had something to drink, right?!” Diona asked angrily

Rainbow then sighed in disbelief

“What’s with everyone the last few, I believe, months?! Disappearing without knowing the concerns of others?!” Rainbow asked in disbelief

“Tell me about it” Twilight agreed

“I don’t know how many times I’ve told him not to drink! He just won’t listen!” Diona said angrily before sighing in disbelief “I’ll go look for him and see what kind of trouble he’s got himself into this time!” Diona said

“No, wait! It’s too dangerous for you to go alone Diona, let’s wait for more help to arrive and go find him together” Allan suggested

“I’m also of the Kätzlein bloodline and I’m much better on my feet than he is and most importantly I don’t drink so I won’t be making any of the mistakes that he would” Diona reminded

Yeah so don’t worry, we’ll go with her” Lumine explained

Allan then realized something as he turned to Lumine, Twilight and Rainbow

“You’re… Oh! You’re the Honorary Knights and Guard of Favonius!” Allan realize

“That’s us!” Rainbow said while giving a proud smirk

“There should be nothing to worry about with you by her side so I’ll leave you three to it” Allan said in relief

“You’re coming with me to Dadaupa Gorge? There’ll be a lot of monsters in there so I wouldn’t want to stir them up all at once” Diona reminded

“Hey, haven’t you heard of us?! We’re the most awesome heroes in Teyvat, we can beat any creature big and small!” Rainbow reminded

True but I was planning on sneaking past the monsters to find my stupid father… What was your plan?” Diona asked

“Well, I’d defeat all the enemies head on!” Rainbow answered

“I doubt that’s a good idea but fine, only because you’re a Guard of course” Twilight reminded

“So you’re suggesting we take them all head on, huh?” Diona asked before shrugging it off “Well, you are the Guard and Honorary Knights of Favonius after all…” Diona said before she began thinking “Hmm… That would work too I suppose, you three can distract the monsters while I sneak around them” Diona suggested

“I’ll keep watch” Rainbow said

“Very well, let’s head deeper into Dadaupa Gorge, I don’t know where my foolish father is but we can start our search there and uh, if the monsters are too strong then just run away if you can, there are lots of places to hide around here… Trust me” Diona reminded

Twilight then gave everyone a map of the entirety of Dadaupa Gorge

“Don’t ask why or when but I’ve marked the approximate location of the edges of Dadaupa Gorge on your maps just in case one of us gets lost” Twilight explained

The group then carefully began to walk across Dadaupa Gorge and every time they noticed an Hilichurl looking away either Twilight shot them or Lumine and Rainbow slashed them with their sword or spear and after a while they noticed a guy sitting on the ground with a drunk look

“Over there!” Twilight called out

The group then rushed towards him as they saw the guy thinking

“What was that? Some kind of… Soup?” The guy started before hiccuping a bit “Or herbs?” The guy thought out loud in confusion

Diona who heard that then groaned in disbelief

“Ugh, just as I expected… He’s completely drunk!” Diona said in disbelief

The guy then gasped in shock and relief

“Oh! Is that you Diona? My beloved daughter… Hmm? What’re you… Doing here?” The guy asked in confusion before he realized something “Oh! Right! You must be here for th-that soup… Or herbs… Or what was it again?” The guy asked with a slight drunken tone

“I think he’s too drunk to speak properly” Rainbow whispered to Twilight

“Definitely” Twilight whispered back

“Well, I found it! …Just for you! It’s all here in my flask” The guy said before chuckling a bit “Look, it’s full of soup or… Whatever this stuff is!” The guy said excitedly

Diona then grunted in anger and disbelief

“C’mon Daddy, pull yourself together… How much did you have to drink?” Diona asked angrily

“N-Not much really… Just the usual amount…” The guy said before chuckling a bit before pulling out his flask “Here! Take my flask with the herbal soup stuff that you were looking for, I’m going to continue the hunt…” The guy said before hiccuping

“If I were on duty I would’ve arrested you by now” Rainbow said angrily

“I don’t know what the rules in Mondstadt are but yeah! You literally scared everyone, even your friends!” Twilight said angrily

“Exactly!” Lumine agreed angrily

“Wait, I remember something, you know, I saw this huge… I mean HUGE Hilihog next to the tribe’s camp” The guy explained

“What’s a Hilihog?” Twilight asked

The guy then chuckled a bit

“You don’t know a Hilihog? It’s like a forest boar… I saw it next to the Hilichurl—” The guy started before hiccuping again “tribe camp! It’s called a hi-li-hog! Boy, you sure don’t know anything about hunting…” The guy said before laughing a bit “And not only were there hilihogs, there were hiliHOUNDS too! Ugh, don’t you know anything?” The guy asked before hiccuping again “Well… If we can hunt that Hilihog it’d mean a lot of food for a long time” The guy reminded

“Really?! That’d be gross!” Rainbow said

“Only for ponies, remember?” Twilight asked

“Oh right, yeah” Rainbow answered

Diona then groaned in disbelief

“Looks like he’s enjoyed himself today…” Diona said in disbelief

“Well, to be fair, I was looking forward to seeing some Hilihogs and Hilihounds…” Lumine explained

“Hey, keep it together! You’re not the one that’s drunk!” Diona reminded angrily

“Right, sorry” Lumine realized

Diona then turned to the guy who was her dad with an irritated groan

“Silly old man… I doubt he can even walk straight in this state” Diona said in disbelief before she began thinking “If we're gonna get him out of here we need to sober him up, good thing I know just what to make for him” Diona explained

“Really? Tell us” Twilight suggested

“But given how much he usually drinks I’ll need ingredients that’ll pack a real punch” Diona suggested before thinking “Perhaps the herbal soup made by the Samachurls will come in handy…” Diona thought out loud

“Lumine, I see you’re thinking, is there something you had in mind that we need to know, if so, you know you can tell us, right?” Twilight asked

“Yeah, well, um…” Lumine thought out loud “Should I straight up say it or should I lie? Let me think about it” Lumine thought out loud

Tell a Lie

Tell the Truth