[ The revelation that Diluc had actually met another Snezhnayan before is a little surprising, but he's unsure if the redhead is counting his dealings with the Fatui as "meeting" them. He'd ask about it, but then Diluc says something that might as well be a throwing of the gauntlet, and - well, he can't just let that go.
The shift in his demeanor can probably be seen as well as felt. While his drinking skills aren't anything to sneeze at, probably much better than Diluc's since he made it seem like he wasn't a frequent drinker, there was something jarring about downing a mixture of different proofs of sakes that weren't meant to go together. At least with fire-water there were familiar notes of taste for him to get accustomed to; here, everything was new, and he could already feel his throat burning with the liquid and the strangeness of it all.
But he's no coward. So, after setting the glass down - first to stare Diluc in the eyes in silent acceptance of the challenge, and second to get his bearings enough to get in the right mindset - he's quick to immediately draw in a breath, hold it, and then throw back the rest of the concoction all in one go.
This he does without breaking eye contact, not even once, which might be terrifying in its own right if Diluc was unused to it. But surely those in Mondstadt got drunk enough to try and rile up their cute bartender when they'd been injected with enough liquid courage.
When he's done the way he hunches over the counter and breathes out, ragged and uneven, is probably telling. What a terrible, awful idea. ]
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The shift in his demeanor can probably be seen as well as felt. While his drinking skills aren't anything to sneeze at, probably much better than Diluc's since he made it seem like he wasn't a frequent drinker, there was something jarring about downing a mixture of different proofs of sakes that weren't meant to go together. At least with fire-water there were familiar notes of taste for him to get accustomed to; here, everything was new, and he could already feel his throat burning with the liquid and the strangeness of it all.
But he's no coward. So, after setting the glass down - first to stare Diluc in the eyes in silent acceptance of the challenge, and second to get his bearings enough to get in the right mindset - he's quick to immediately draw in a breath, hold it, and then throw back the rest of the concoction all in one go.
This he does without breaking eye contact, not even once, which might be terrifying in its own right if Diluc was unused to it. But surely those in Mondstadt got drunk enough to try and rile up their cute bartender when they'd been injected with enough liquid courage.
When he's done the way he hunches over the counter and breathes out, ragged and uneven, is probably telling. What a terrible, awful idea. ]