[ is it really? one should expect that diluc would have noticed him first, so perhaps that's a refreshing change in pace. he could blame the crisp, little bites of crab he has at the moment. he could also blame the dark of the bar. after all, someone has to do their job. and that someone is diluc. as usual. between picking at the delicately fried cuisine he's taken into careful consideration, he's been watching the flow of individuals to-and-from the bar. his expression a practiced neutral, he gives no real indication he's monitoring it at all. however, he's already made a running tally of who has been here longer than the newest gaggle of them. he's made a note of what the bar has in stock. and, similarly, he's also made a note of who seems to gather in groups. he's caught a few names, by the time he someone decides to come in and ruin his day.

at least, he'd like to claim. there is no such wash particularly thorny relief that floods him alongside the prickling irritation that he still feels that after all these years. if he keeps following that tail, it only gets all the more convoluted, and so his face does something muddy and complicated when his eyes land upon kaeya's face first. and then the rest. ]

Sir Kaeya. [ his tone is as flat as the sea on a calm day. there not one wave on the horizon. the corner of his mouth snags into a constipated snarl of what looks like fatigue and disgust. and maybe a little bit of something else? either way, he won't even bother to ask what the fuck he's wearing. he knows. it's hard to miss. ] Some would like to maintain order in the bar. You know just as well as I do that free samples don't deter inflated expectations.

[ he knows he's worked those shifts with the newest harvest with him. he knows. but, he's letting kaeya off with bone-deep sigh in the meantime and reaching for his similarly colored abomination. at least his only contains juice. ]

I see you've had no trouble kicking up your feet and becoming one of the locals.