#not sure if kaeya changed his surname or if he kept the Alberich name the entire time but how angsty would it be if he was a ragnvindr

[kaeyachi]

One of my favorite tropes/HCs is that Kaeya and Diluc have more than a year of age gap (around 2-3 years)

Kaeya would have always been smaller than Diluc their entire youth, maybe even up until Diluc's 18th birthday, because Kaeya would just have started his sudden growth spurt at that time.

Diluc must have started knights training young considering he became a captain by 14, so of course Kaeya would soon prefer to start training early as well just to be with Diluc more.

This would, of course, turn everything that occurs later even more tragic.

Kaeya, still in his mid-teens, would lose another father.

Diluc, in rage and disbelief, attacking Kaeya and immediately regretting it once he saw how young the other looked against his raging flames.

Diluc making the hard decision of leaving to learn more about their father's death (because no one else would, and who else better to do it than himself). Kaeya telling him when and how to go.

Diluc selling the manor, their childhood home, and Kaeya having no say in it simply because he is not of age.

Kaeya also having no say in business proceedings other than letting his opinions known

Diluc returning home only to see Kaeya who had become an alcoholic in his time of absence (and him wondering how this happened)

(note: With this age gap, at the start of the game, Kaeya would have just been 19/20 for Diluc's 22/23. Kaeya would be 15/16 when Diluc left.)