Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Enkanomiya was a place of beauty. It was a destination created when Celestia first shone down on the world, carved by humankind, and severed by history. (Aren’t we all?) Over time, many have taken refuge in the land, making stories that newer generations take pride and curiosity in- a common occurrence among the nations.

(Who wouldn’t take refuge in the idea that a god was watching over them?)

(Horrid, insolent fools. Watching as their free will is wrenched from their hands.)

And yet, here we lie before the beginning of time, the place where the God of Time was first created. The first - and yet forgotten - story of Enkanomiya. Seeds of stories were not yet brought by the wind, nonexistent to time. But they existed nonetheless, only waiting for the right time to sprout.

Unbeknownst to all but one, there existed a place underneath the nothingness in Enkanomiya. If someone were brave enough to ride a floating stingray to the depths of the sea, only there they will find a place devoid of all light, victim to the abyss and dragons. Yet, this place was one of the safest for time to exist, a space unchanging but moving with the world- a constant. At least, that’s how she thought of it.

She was a miracle of life. A thing that was never meant to happen, and yet chose to happen anyway. This may raise questions, as to why and how a thing not meant to be chose to be, it defies the very concept of the universe. Sadly, the only one capable of understanding isn’t meant to exist either.

Fate always has a way of finding out, though. It picked her apart from the inside-out, tearing down her walls of fraud and corruption, piercing her heart. As she bled, died at the hands of her fate, she found her own blood sickeningly beautiful- a clear, untainted form of power. She molded it, ate away at it, held it, cherished it.

She loved hated it. It was heavenly, a small, dense ball of energy, created solely from her blood. It echoed the darkness that surrounded her, the only sign of life visible being two dim, blue eyes poking out of the void. It was also the light, a tiny white coat fashioned out of her tears of agony, angel wings willing her onward. (She felt almost parental towards it- it was her child, in a way.)

More so, she felt pity towards the creature. Once it developed its own consciousness, it would most likely search for its meaning in the world. Even now, it looked up at her with eyes wide, asking silently- why am I here? What purpose have you created me for?

She longed to comfort the creature, and say to it that it was the center of the universe, the wind, time itself. All stories, words, songs will be preserved within it, surviving even the worst of battles. That once it was time, it too would surpass the celestial plane, cutting the fake sky to reveal the truths of the world.

But it was not yet time for that.

For now, she settled on giving the creature a name- Barbatos. A name that shall ring amongst the highest heavens soon enough. She also chose to give the creature kin, taking from her bleeding heart a fraction of what Barbatos had, giving it to what she called the Thousand Winds.

As the beings flitted around her, she could almost hear Ronova’s laughter, chiding her and asking, “What did you do this time?” as they sat together discussing Ronova’s new outlook on the way of things over tea.

(Kairos, you have seen the future. Truly, are any of us meant to exist?)

She missed those times. Yet, now was not a time to dwell in the past, for fate had been set in motion- as it always had been.

One day, all of this would come crashing down. The Second Who Came will be demolished, and the Sunchildren would be avenged.

She sighed, her breath like the rustling of leaves. Soon Barbatos would flee on their own into the world, finding a family of his own. They will forget all about this, only coming to understand the true power they hold later on in life.

“Nor would the wind ever return again.”

…

The wind will return.

(“…We have found signs of The Shade of Time’s presence underneath the surface of the world.”

“…So she lives. Pray tell, what tricks will she pull this time?”

“We truly have no way of knowing, but she cannot run forever.”

“…No, she cannot.”)

Chapter Text

The spirit wasn’t sure how they got there. One second they didn’t exist, and the next they did. It's a confusing process to be created, shaped by someone else’s will.

The spirit was unable to comprehend the world around them, only able to see it- not understand. Around them, they saw…darkness.

Nothing.

Except, a being. A being of darkness and light- a mother. (Just like them.) Humans are only capable of seeing one or the other- darkness or light, and this spirit is even lesser than them. Yet, they were able to see both at once in the depths of her soul. A never ending light brighter than even the brightest stars, and a darkness consuming it, eating away at it. It hurt to look at.

She smelled of cherry blossoms and tainted water, and the sterile smell that something has when it’s just a little too clean. Her smile was gentle and all-knowing, but was frightening nonetheless with its sharp undertone. Her dress was of crystalline silk, cut from the fabric of the moon and her hair the reflection of the swan’s first breath. However, what was most striking about the figure was her eyes. 

Her eyes shone with the power of a thousand suns, dark rims surrounding white-hot pupils. What resembled a clock shone if you were to look close enough, small golden hands slowly moving around, charting the fact that time was passing. The spirit was the reason for those hands moving.

If the spirit were truly alive, they might have asked where this place was, how they were alive, and why their mother looked as if she were in great pain, but they could not. Instead, the spirit simply stared up into those eyes, feeling her hands gently cupping them like a warm nest, even for just a moment.

She let go then, plunging a hand into herself and ripping her own pulsing, bleeding heart out, morphing it to create more spirits not unlike them.

(Her blood was beautiful, like a flower being washed away by a river.)

Yet…they were different. Over time, the spirit was shown to be unlike all the others flying around. The others reflected light and beauty, laughter and love- a true reflection of the heart. This spirit wasn’t anything like that. They were a disease, a thing born of corruption and hate. It was torment to know such a thing.

(A thing like that isn’t meant to exist.)

(Tyrant! Why must you torture us like this-)

…The first true emotion the spirit felt was anguish.

Anger towards the fact that they were living, despair because why must they be the only one to know darkness?

These new feelings brought forth much conflict in the spirit, grief overriding all others as the many years went by. And this pain only grew when their mother gave forth a name to them, Barbatos. The spirit knew not of what the name meant or what was possible because they had attained it- all they saw was another wall that separated them from their “siblings”, if Barbatos could even call them such. They were alone, the only world they’d ever known being this one- this dark, small, confining space with no one else like them. Every once in a while, Barbatos could hear things past the walls of blackness, various sounds that proved there was more than this. There was more to the world, yet unreachable to their own mind. It felt like an itch, like the spirit forgot something important and knew it was there, but was unable to remember what it was.

Clearly their siblings knew not of this fact- or much else, choosing simply to wander around aimlessly, being the only source of light in this land of darkness. Sometimes they envied their siblings in that way. Wouldn’t it be nice to be ignorant of everything? No more fear, no more knowledge of the world beyond. All they know of is their tiny little world and the things five inches in front of them.

(“Ignorance truly is bliss, is it not, my dear?”)

                        ~~~~~~

Barbatos spent a very long time there in “Die unendliche Dunkelheit” they decided to call it, partly conscious of themselves. It was a long and painful process to puzzle out their emotions, but eventually, Barbatos understood the basis of what they themself wanted. They wanted…to leave. This place which was not a place had grown tiring for them to survive in, yet their mother didn’t seem like she had any intention of leaving.

(…)

(It was a very long time.)

The spirits grew restless, anxious- even they knew something was wrong. Barbatos had yet to hear speech from his mother, for she, as it seemed, was rotting away after severing her heart from her body. Yet they decided to consult her anyway, approaching the darkly lit maiden. The spirit had no way of speaking, instead choosing to gently nuzzle her shoulder, gazing into her golden eyes with wishes that could surpass even the heavens themselves.

(And they would someday.)

Barbatos knew from the moment they locked eyes that she understood what the spirit meant, what they desired. Her eyes darkened, her voice raspy and broken with misuse, “Spirit, you need not leave this place.”

(But why? Why do you keep me here when there is no purpose to this punishment, other than cruelty?)

                        ~~~~~~

It was a long while before Barbatos tried again. They could hear the other spirits, murmuring to each other in their tongue. Mother…why? What’s happening…? 

It hurt the spirit to hear their whispers. They were not aware of the world beyond, simply worried because they sensed their creator’s demise. Who was Barbatos to leave them here? They had emotions just as much as the spirit themself did. It would only be cruel to leave them here to die along with her.

Yet…

How can one leave a place that is not a place? In other words, how can something leave from inside of nothing? And if it were possible, how would one go about taking others with them?

The truth of the matter was, Barbatos didn’t know, and they didn’t care to ask. All they wanted was to leave, and when they confronted their mother about it once more, all they got was the same answer, “Spirit, you need not leave this place.”

That was the only answer they got for a long time.

The spirit could’ve simply disobeyed and left anyways, but how? Without their mother’s help they did didn’t withhold the power capable of slicing through the fabric of Die unendliche Dunkelheit, so how were they to disobey? 

Their mother was aware of this, refraining from answering purely out of love torment, until the right moment came. That moment came at the end of an age- Barbatos’ spiritual energy was waning, a crescent moon under the reflection of the water. The other spirits grew weary and weak along with their mother, who was laid out on her deathbed. Once more, the spirit went to the full moon- her, asking how they may leave this prison. She replied, “How many times have you come to me with this request? For how many years have you wished for freedom? Truly, your will surpasses that of many my son.”

That day, the full moon pulled the crescent moon out of the sea and hung it in the sky, wishing it farewell before sinking to the depths of the inky black ocean. The crescent moon fled, crying tears of joy as they danced among the stars, never again feeling trapped within themselves until he was killed for the rest of their life.

Where the crescent moon was headed, they did not know. After all, when the sun rises, do we truly know where the moon runs off to?

(“Istaroth. So your creation emerges.”)

Chapter Text

It was a calm, peaceful morning in the nation of Mondstadt- exactly the kind of morning you’d expect from a fairytale. The moon bid goodbye as the sun rose, the world slowly waking. Birds sang, calling out to each other as the grass and trees rustled softly in the wind. Animals greeted each other as slimes hopped about without care. Even the hilichurls couldn’t find anything to be angry about as the church bells rang out across the seas of flowers scattered in the fields. Travelers could be seen far and wide, walking the dirt paths to places unknown, all simply happy to be alive. Yes, in fact, it was the perfect morning.

Inside the city, people began to open their windows- walking outside and smiling at each other, no matter if the other was a friend or stranger. Out a window of the Favonius Headquarters, the Acting Grandmaster gazed quietly out at the people before plucking a dandelion from her vase and blowing it into the wind, watching as the seeds drifted away until they were out of sight. One such seed landed at the feet of the Fleeting Starlight, who ran with glee to show her friends. Another seed landed on top of a training dummy, which the trainer took as a sign from Lord Barbatos that this was surely her day to shine. As she hit the dummy, the seed blew off to find a new destination within the famous Cat’s Tail, landing in a drink and undoubtedly annoying the small bartender who resided there.

As the seeds flew about on tiny wings, they struck whatever emotion they wanted in the hearts within the city. However, one was led to a large tree outside of the city, where the ruler of all of this resided- perhaps to cause mischief. It fluttered around before coming to a halt on his nose, tickling him softly. (Whether the wind did this on purpose, well, that’s for the wind to know.)

“Ah…ACHOO!“

Venti was yanked out of his dreams in a flash, flailing around in a blind panic and accidentally losing his balance, crashing down from the tree branch in which he was sleeping only moments before. He was rather spectacular, dramatically landing with a loud thud as the animals in the surrounding area panicked and scurried away. He groaned, slowly getting up off the ground mostly unscathed despite a glaring brown stain on his white tights and a bunch of matted hair from the dirt he had fallen headfirst into.

The wind burst out in giggles around him, and Venti glared at the sky, “What was that for?!”

The wind didn’t reply, only choosing to flutter away. Venti pouted. He could’ve easily caught them, but it wasn’t in his nature. The winds went where they pleased, and who was he to stop them?

Venti sighed, gazing at the fields around Windrise. A slightly proud expression came over his face as he thought of the first Dandelion Knight who ascended right where he stood- there’d always be a special place in his heart for her after her bravery saved him and the city. She and her little sister were both little beacons of hope in his life, and he’d be forever grateful for the courage they had granted to him.

He stretched and sighed, feeling his back crack before he grabbed his hat from up on the tree with the help of the wind, setting on his way. He didn’t feel like heading to the city in this state, opting to spend the day in the wilderness. It was fine- he’d have plenty more time to go to the city. 

(He’d just end up doing this all again, anyway.) 

He skipped through the fields, humming a random melody that he didn’t remember how he learned as he greeted the world around him. “Good morning trees, birds, flowers, grass, uhh…rocks~” He chirped.

To him, Mondstadt was perfect. Its people (his children) were perfect, its sights were perfect, its destinations were perfect- even Dragonspine was beautiful, if you looked past the terror that came with it. After Dvalin had been cleansed from that horrid abyss corruption with his help, everything had calmed down.

(Barbatos, don’t lie to yourself. You’re hurt too, aren’t you?)

Venti did a little cartwheel, shrieking when the wind picked up around him in a little tornado, throwing him up in the air and tangling his cape as they laughed gleefully. He scowled, punching at the air. Really, he shouldn’t let the winds make fun of their very own god like this- they’re supposed to respect him! 

Nearby, a knight - Godwin, Venti recognized (Yes, he knew all his children by name, what about it?) - stopped pacing around and just stared at him as if he was crazy. Great. A knight just had to see him right now? Venti stopped, waving awkwardly before he walked away, whistling innocently. Godwin rolled his eyes before turning and pretending to do something important with a bush. Venti subtly shook his head- he wished he could tell Godwin how much his wife Glory cared and missed him. He didn’t need to go to Natlan and back to prove something, just being there for her was enough.

Venti pranced away, materializing his lyre and starting to play a cheerful tune as he followed the path around Windrise. Venti didn’t really mind what Godwin thought- in fact, he didn’t really care what anyone thought. (Liar.) If he did, he probably would’ve died of embarrassment already! To everyone, he imagined they thought he was “that one carefree drunk bard”, and he liked it that way. To anyone else, being portrayed like that might be upsetting, not to mention mortifying. But it was leagues better than being praised with an empty sort of awe that scared Venti in a way he couldn’t explain, the way that made Venti know that they expected, believed, that he was more than he was. That he was their savior, when he was anything but. He wanted to be there for them, but over time their belief in Lord Barbatos had grown to unimaginable levels that he had never expected when he had initially ascended. He wanted to be friends with his people, to be able to connect with them, to understand them. And instead, that growing awe pushed him away, isolated him. Everyone believed he was above them, even when he believed the opposite. 

(It hurt more than he wanted to admit.)

He shook his head- such thoughts wouldn’t help in the long run, they’d just end up weighing him down. (Perhaps these thoughts alone were enough to prove that he did care.) By now, he had wandered off towards the Whispering Woods, near to Mondstadt. Normally when Venti spent a day on his own he would head to Wolvendom, but he didn’t feel like it. Instead, he chose to simply wander about near the edge of the forests, playing the lyre softly to himself. Out of the blue, he heard a rustle behind him. He flinched and had to restrain himself from whipping around and taking out his bow and arrow, but if the Archon War had taught him anything, it was what different beings sounded like. You tend to retain heightened senses when you’re used to being creeped up on and chased by various monsters and rivals trying to kill you, he considered. A quick peek behind him only confirmed his theory that it was simply a fox, entranced by his music and following him around. It wasn’t uncommon for animals to start following him, unfortunately including…eugh, cats. Really, where does that cat allergy even come from? Animals were much more sensitive to elemental energy than humans, and many could tell immediately that he wasn’t truly human- perhaps they even understood who he really was, he couldn’t be sure.

Venti slowly made his way to a small clearing, sitting down on the damp grass and continuing to play, making sure not to make any sudden movements. As time went on, more and more animals came out into the clearing to sit and listen. Venti could see foxes, boar, birds, even a few slimes. He smiled delicately at them, whispering in their tongue, “You can come closer, there is no need to be afraid.”

The animals hesitated, but one by one they began to come closer, a fox even choosing to lay its head on his thigh. He quite liked talking to animals- they were good company, simple-minded and friendly. It was mostly one-sided conversations he had with them, but it was nice to talk to beings who didn’t act as if he were insane when he complained about how his wings got itchy right in the place where he couldn’t reach during the late summer season when he was molting his feathers.

Another rustle came from behind a tree. At first Venti believed it to be another animal coming to join him but as the sound grew louder, it became increasingly clear that those were human footsteps. Venti tensed- here he was, sitting in a clearing with wild animals surrounding him, occasionally speaking to him. He would’ve run, but he didn’t want to startle the poor creatures. In a painfully pathetic attempt to hide he tried to camouflage himself using his green cape and huddled around himself, but it was no use. A little boy stepped into the clearing. He was dressed in Mondstadtian clothing, stark brown hair and blue eyes complimented by a little sun hat. He was clutching a dandelion in his hand, and stopped dead when he saw Venti. Venti knew the boy from outside the city walls of Mondstadt where he often liked to play- Sage. The poor boy looked very conflicted, and startled back when a few of the birds chirped at Venti. Venti slowly got up, staring into Sage’s eyes.

“This isn’t what you think it is,” Venti started, but it was too late.

“Y-you were talking to them. I heard you before.”

Venti tried his best to stay carefree despite the circumstances. Thankfully it was Sage who found him, and not someone else. Sage was a kindhearted boy, but was known for believing almost anything he came across. Venti remembered the time when the boy got in trouble for spreading the false rumor of the Dandelion Sea to the children around Mondstadt and Springvale when in reality it was just a fairy tale in a Mondstadtian book for children. After that, it was unlikely that anyone would believe him when he went around claiming he saw a drunkard bard of all people speaking to animals in a forest. Venti smiled brightly, “Ah, no- I’m afraid that you’re mistaken. I do so wish I could understand the animals of this world, but unfortunately, I’m not magic. I wasn’t conversing with them, but was talking to myself as they were talking to themselves.”

Sage tried his best to look skeptical, glaring up at Venti, “But then…why were they all surrounding you?”

“Ehe~, music truly is the universal language, is it not?”

Sage didn’t look impressed in the slightest, fear still glistening in his eyes. At this point all the animals had scattered away, leaving nothing for Sage to try and prove Venti wrong with. The boy glanced around at the clearing, then at Venti, then at the clearing again. Then he turned, and promptly ran. Venti called out to him, but he was already long gone. Venti groaned. Great. Now he had that to deal with. While it was likely nobody would believe Sage, Venti would have to explain to the parents why he was part of the story and convince them that Sage didn’t mean any harm but wasn’t exactly telling the truth either (even though he was). 

Well, he wasn’t planning to head to the city today, but plans change- he moves with the wind. Focusing on his power, he felt himself condensing into the wind before he was whipped away, appearing in an empty Mondstadt alleyway just moments later. He jogged out, gazing around to find where exactly he was.

Venti had appeared partway down the main street of Mondstadt, across from the Cat’s Tail where cats looked up and narrowed their eyes at him. (Terrifying…) He began to walk down the street in the direction of the main gate where Sage’s parents often stayed, but he was in no rush. Sage couldn’t teleport like Venti could for obvious reasons, so he wouldn’t be back to the city for at least a half hour. 

He reached the bottom of the stairs and was about to continue onto the gate when out of nowhere he was run into headfirst, tumbling to the ground with a crash. The other person who had run into him cried out in panic, frantically getting off and stuttering, “I’m so sorry! Archons, I wasn’t looking where I was going and now y-you’re probably hurt, oh no…V-VENTI?!”

Venti pulled himself up, meeting eyes with a blonde-haired boy. Mika, Huffman’s little brother stood in shambles looking as if he were about to cry, staring wide-eyed at Venti as if he had just murdered the bard in cold blood. Mika was incredibly talented, but had always been quite shy, especially around him for whatever reason. Venti laughed to himself, I’ve never seen him comfortably talk to someone other than Noelle, and Noelle is friends with everyone! The poor boy had gone very pale in the face, starting to shake and Venti realized he had been staring at him. He’s really making a bad impression on everyone today, huh? Venti got up and tried to calm him. “Afternoon, Mika! It’s completely fine, I’m not injured~“ He grinned, but Mika remained unphased.

“YOUR TIGHTS! Did I do that?! A-and your hair! Oh nononono, I’m sorry! I’ll take you to the cathedral right away, I didn’t mean-“

“Oh no, you didn’t do anything! They were already like that, I- ahh!”

Mika took his hand without another word, flushing deeply before starting to rush up the stairs of the main street. Venti pulled away, shaking his head earnestly, “Mika, it’s alright! You weren’t the one who put me through this bard’s current plight- why in Teyvat were you in such a rush anyway?”

Mika stumbled before taking a breath, calming slightly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Venti. I was just filling out a job for Ms. Eula and I really need to get to the library but then I ran into you and it all went downhill and I’m sorry if I can’t make it up to you and if you file a complaint with Favonius Headquarters I completely understand and I promise this won’t ever happen again as long as I live and…”

Venti deadpanned as he stood there, gawking as Mika dove into a full-on speech about the Knight’s Code of Honor and how he’s basically ruined the bard’s life and how he’ll never forgive himself for this horrid act of injustice. Mondstadt’s people are really something else, huh…nevertheless, I love them for who they are, he thought. Eventually, Venti interrupted out of guilt.

“Mika, I’m fine, really. Ehe, you don’t need to be worried over anything my dear friend, you don’t offend- besides, I know you didn’t mean to! Accidents happen!” Venti giggles.

Mika blinked up at him, “Really?”

Venti smiled, “Really. And now who would I be if I didn’t help a person in need- how about we go to the library together? I don’t have anything I need to do anyways, so why not! It’ll be a breath of fresh air for me anyway- I love books! Ooh- especially poetry!”

Sage isn’t a huge problem, Venti considered. One of my children is in distress, I can come and sort out that minor issue later.

Mika looked like he was about to burst, glowing with both embarrassment and appreciation. He bowed deeply, “It would be my honor Mr. Venti…”

Venti smirked, “Oh, don’t be so formal! What’s the fun in that? I’d much rather you just be casual around me, like I am with everyone!”

“Oh. Umm…okay. Let’s go, “bro”. Ha. Haha.”

Venti laughed, patting Mika’s shoulder, “That’s the spirit, now you’re getting it! Don’t always be so uptight, it’s alright to - I dunno - let loose sometimes, y'know? Just let yourself go, be free!”

That was pretty stiff…but it's the thought that counts, Venti reminded himself. Mika was never exactly a people person- Venti could understand that. Even the Anemo Archon couldn’t be at 100% all the time, Venti himself had his rough days too.

Mika hummed before quickly turning on his heel and rushing off to the library. Venti startled and ran after him, and really his children shouldn’t be in better shape than him- he’s taken on dragons before for Celestia’s sake!

(Durin’s screams of agony still echoed in his ears from 500 years ago-)

As he ran through Mondstadt’s main road following Mika, Venti couldn’t help but let his gaze wander around at the city of his children’s creation. Underneath his feet were soft red carpets laid on top of solid cobblestones, cool to the touch with little law-defying dandelions growing in through the cracks between the pavement. Flower beds lined almost every building with Windwheel Asters, Cecilias, and more growing from soft soil as vines crept up each wall. The wind blew softly through the streets and alleys, the colorful banners and flags hung everywhere drifting around with a few even flying off into the sky. People danced and sang as they went about their daily lives, kids running about with kites and pinwheels as adults opened up their windows to keep watch. If you were to ask almost any Mondstadt resident about how this city first came to be, they would respond with the fact that Lord Barbatos saved Old Mondstadt, making the land and the place what it was today. Venti, however, disagreed. To the bard, it was never him who made the city possible. The people - his children - were the ones who put in the work, dedication, love, and sacrifice necessary for creating a nation, and they were successful beyond anything he could’ve ever imagined.

He was so proud of them.

(He wished he could tell them how much he loved them, and that he never really left.)

Venti was shaken from his thoughts by Mika calling awkwardly after him, and he was once again focused on what was happening and what he was doing. He’s turning into a blockhead like Morax, always lost in his own head like the old man he is…if he really thinks about it he’s pretty old too…no! He’s still in his prime for the next few thousand years, Venti denied. He skipped ahead, humming as they continued to head to the library.

~~~~~

Mika didn’t understand what was happening. When Venti had suggested coming to the library with him he had been honored beyond belief, sure, but this? He had expected Venti to maybe pick up a few simple poetry books or just hang out in the library, but nothing could’ve prepared him for what he was met with.

The reason he had needed to come to the library initially was because of an assignment Captain Eula had sent him on. Recently there had been an increased amount of abyssal activity surrounding the area of Mondstadt and a few citizens had even gone missing. As a result, Mika - as their cartographer - was ordered to make a map of Mondstadt and the area surrounding it, highlighting any places that could be the source. Nobody was really certain where it was coming from, but either way, it was an important issue that needed to be addressed. Although, everyone at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters had assumed that they wouldn’t be able to gather much- if any information from the library.

The abyssal activity wasn’t exactly a secret to the people of Mondstadt, after all, they needed to make sure people knew at least of the issue so they could stay safe. So, Mika told Venti about the problem, he couldn’t sit back and watch his idol get hurt!

He was expecting Venti to be a little concerned, maybe reassure him that he’d stay in the city for a while, but no. The second Mika brought up the missing citizens to warn him, it was like he was speaking to an entirely different person. Rage like he’d never seen before had burned in the bard’s eyes, and he became practically a whirlwind within the library, digging through shelves and stacking up book after book, which brought him to the present.

He stared stunned as the bard read at an almost inhuman pace, his eyes flickering over the pages as he made little notes. The more books he went through, the angrier he looked. Eventually he growled at the current book in his hands and looked as if he were about to rip it to shreds, before he suddenly froze, slowly looking up at Mika. He grinned awkwardly before quickly getting up, almost tripping over a few books in front of him.

“Mika~! I…didn’t realize you were still here, ehe! Sorry about that, I was just trying to see if I could help with your situation, but it looks like this bard is less useful than he thought. I couldn’t find anything particularly helpful on the subject, although I did write down these little notes if these help at all. I’d…better be going off to the tavern or something, bye~” Venti flashed a painfully fake smile before flying out the door, leaving Mika holding a few papers covered in surprisingly neat cursive handwriting and piles upon piles of books. 

It took him a few seconds to react, dumbfounded by what he just saw as he read the notes that had been shoved into his hands. The notes detailed and focused on more information than Mika could’ve found in weeks of constant work, citing from multiple books for each bullet point and explaining many key questions Captain Eula had wished to cover- more than they had ever expected to, though. Mika felt like he was dreaming.

Just who is that bard? He’s even more impressive than I thought…! Certainly more than he seems to be, Mika agreed.

Either way, all this information was sure to please Headquarters, so who was he to delay? He first made sure that all the books were back on their proper shelves which was made much easier now that Venti wasn’t around making him all shaky and nervous, and then hurried off to tell Master Jean and Captain Eula about the experience.

Eula was certainly wary- not to mention just as confused as he was when it came to the explanation of the day's events, but strangely enough, when he explained to Master Jean what had happened, she didn’t seem surprised at all.

~~~~~

Mona watched as the bard’s eyes flicked over the pages of the books in a flash, not missing how they ever-so-slightly glowed a soft blue that made her feel as if the sky were giving her a warm embrace.

She narrowed her eyes.

Just what are you up to this time, bard?

~~~~~

Venti was freaking out. Why? Why now?! Right after he thinks things are resolved because he healed Dvalin, things get worse again! He should’ve known things wouldn’t be that easy, that things weren’t as they seemed. After the Fatui tried and failed to steal his gnosis, he was a little unsettled, but he had no idea the Abyss would decide to get involved too!

(They hurt his children, those MONSTERS!)

And if things couldn’t get any worse, he freaked out in front of Mika and accidentally loosened his grip on his divine powers, and now poor Mika probably thinks he’s some crazy ghost from Celestia! That’s not actually that far off, but that’s not important-

What’s important is that he really doesn’t need two different people- a little boy and one who happens to be a trusted cartographer from the knights to be spreading rumors about him. He could easily erase their memories, but his powers are fragile right now, they had been since he put so much effort into saving Dvalin. And…he doesn’t want to steal from them. The rare times when he’s had to erase memories had always made him feel unsettled and uncomfortable. It didn’t feel right to wrench something like that away from someone, whether friend or foe.

What he’s decided to do is…expected. Venti has always ran away from his problems in the past, and this was no exception. He found himself slinking through the door of the Angel’s Share - his favorite tavern - and finding a seat in the far corner, ordering a few drinks of their exquisite Dandelion Wine before getting comfortable and listening to the world around him, trying not to think too hard about what had just happened.

After slamming a few glasses down, things became easier to bear. It was like the world softened its edges and hugged him instead of pushing him away. He loved that feeling of being held. It helped him to escape from time life, and whether that feeling came from his own emotions or the alcohol, he didn’t care. Some might call him a coward, choosing to face away from the hardships of life instead of facing the music, but y'know what he’d say to them? He’d say, “how can I face the music if I’m the one playing it? If I’m the greatest bard in this city my audience can face and listen, but how can I?”

(He used to be able to watch him play music.)

He drunkenly waddled over to Master Diluc - the bartender that day - and found himself telling him about that thought, and many other things. The redhead simply sighed and nodded along with him, too tired to say much else against it. Soon enough, Kaeya and Rosaria joined him, and it became a lively night full of laughter and comradery, the events of the day forgotten until Diluc had to drag the three out and onto the streets.

~~~~~

The next morning, Venti was feeling better despite his headache and thought it best to head down to Sage’s parents and attempt to explain before possible rumors became too much to control. He took a deep breath of the fresh air as the wind spirits played with his braids and set off from the tavern to the front gates. Ouch…his back is all out of sorts…ugh, is this what it feels like to get older? Or perhaps it’s the fact that I fell asleep on the ground outside the tavern…

Venti made his way out the square, admiring the large fountain in the middle before noticing a young woman with a small lyre setting up in front of it. He recognized her as Sansa, an aspiring and very talented singer. She was dressed in a red dress, brown hair tied back as she struggled to adjust her lyre strings. Venti could clearly see that she was tightening them backwards, so he walked over.

“Morning! Need any help? Couldn’t help noticing you were having a little trouble,” Venti started.

Sansa glanced up, took one look at Venti, and gasped before kneeling on the ground, “V-Venti-sama! Whatever are you doing t-talking to a low rank like me?!”

Venti didn’t quite know what to do- this was the last thing he was expecting. He’d never really talked to Sansa before, only knew that she struggled with performance anxiety and had always quietly cheered her on from the sidelines. This was a whole new perspective that he’d never seen before, especially from her. He grinned, “I was just passing by and I saw you were tightening your strings backwards, so I thought I’d help!”

“I was…? Oh Barbatos, I was, wasn’t I? Oh that’s so embarrassing,” Sansa blushed and lowered her gaze, “I’ll never really be good enough to be a bard like you…”

Venti rolled his eyes, “Well yeah, with that attitude you won’t! Doubt will never get you anywhere, you have to believe in yourself! Like my old friend used to say, “Belief will pay!” I make mistakes too, all the time! It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She sighed, getting up and taking her lyre in her hands, “That’s easy for you to say, all your mistakes are better than I could ever dream to be, and you’re so young too!”

Venti struggled not to snort at that- him? Young? Yeah right. He wasn’t old, but he certainly wasn’t young either! “It takes practice. My first performance was straight-up awful, I couldn’t even pronounce words right! Be patient, and I promise, everything will come together eventually.” He didn’t mention the fact that his first performance was over 2,600 years ago as a wind spirit, but those were…unimportant details.

Sansa hummed, “You give good advice, Venti-sama. I’ll try to be more patient with myself! Yes…patience is a virtue…”

Venti was about to ask her not to call him that and that she could just call him by name, but she started to tune her lyre strings - the right way this time - and turned away from Venti, clearly asking him to leave. He shrugged and skipped away towards the main gate once again. So what, he got a little sidetracked? That’s fine- he wasn’t in a huge hurry to see Sage, everything was just-

“COMING THROUGH!”

A blur of red zoomed past Venti like a rocket, scaring him half to death. Almost immediately he could tell it was Klee, the Chalk Prince Albedo’s adopted younger sister. She was crying, pushing past people and objects alike, not caring whether they were angry or not. He paused. On one hand, he could go about his day like he had never seen that and solve all his own issues- finally. On the other hand though…Klee looked so heartbroken, not unlike how he’d imagine himself looking if the Dawn Winery - Angel’s Share’s provider - shut down.

Venti huffed after a second. He was the Anemo Archon for goodness sake! He had a lot to do, he couldn’t just stop and help every distressed citizen with what they needed, no! What happens in Mondstadt’s walls is up to Mondstadt’s people to deal with, Klee will be fine! Her little brokenhearted face definitely won’t haunt him forever if he doesn’t do something about it, and he’s going to walk away from the issue now.

Walk away, Venti. You can do it. You can do it…

Nope. He’s got a long day ahead of him.

“Klee, wait up!!”

(“The plan is in motion, your highness.”)

Chapter Text

Hi guys!!! So, I feel like I need to come on here and do some explaining. I feel terrible for leaving this fic out to dry for almost a YEAR, but my motivation for writing is coming back little by little and I think I’ll start writing this again- if anyone is still interested 😭😭

Basically, this all came about when AO3 decided that I couldn’t post my next chapter because I had used too many special characters and effects and the problem was those are like my basis for the story so I kinda hit a wall :(

I tried taking some of them out, but then my AO3 actually crashed and wouldn’t let me edit anything except the summary so I put in the summary that there was an AO3 glitch and I hoped it would go away.

And then the literal WORST THING HAPPENED…the AO3 curse struck me

Guys I thought it was fake this isn’t cool

Basically I can’t give all the details because I’m not allowed to, but a bunch of stuff started happening like a week after I posted this fic and it was awful and I fell into some pretty bad depression and just didn’t do anything for a hot minute and the more I thought about how behind I was getting in this fic and my life in general the worse I felt until I realized that this fic was supposed to be an escape and a love letter to the characters and game that I still love so much, so I decided to step back and take a break

Thankfully I’m feeling much better now and I probably won’t post very often but I wanted to notify people that I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS FIC. I still love the idea I had and I found a note I wrote over a year ago on the layout of it and honestly I’m really excited because of the new-ish Mondstadt quest and I can’t wait to try and fit it into the plot!!

Again, I apologize for my absence and I am forever in the debt of everyone who gave this fic attention. I’ll see you guys soon!! <3

Chapter Text

Albedo was in trouble.

Venti had run all the way to the Favonius Headquarters with Klee who was quite fast for her age, watching her zip through the crowds like it was nothing. His shoes hit the pavement hard, slipping on the carpet a few times and upsetting some weeds that made the cracks in the pavement their home. By the time they got there Venti was huffing and puffing, annoyed at the fact that he seemed to be getting weaker with age. He was only, like, 3,000- he shouldn’t be this weak yet! His corset wasn’t helping either, digging into his skin and straining his lungs, his back…his back really hurt. He had thought it was just his unfortunate choice of a sleeping situation, but he usually didn’t get sore for more than a day…well, it was probably the corset. He could just take it off, but he was too lazy for that.

The only thing keeping him going had been Klee’s panicked and tearful eyes, whirling around in the crowd as they ran hoping to catch a glimpse of her big brother despite knowing he wouldn’t be there. You could argue it was because she was too innocent and that she didn’t understand the predicament Albedo had truly found himself in, but Venti knew better. Klee, despite being a magnet for trouble, was quite mature when she needed to be. The explanation for her impossible wishes had more to do with denial than misunderstanding.

He wished he could comfort her - the children of Mondstadt’s tears made something deep within him wrench itself apart in pain for their sakes - but he didn’t know how. He could be quite perceptive when it came to people’s emotions, and even children often felt at least moderately comfortable around him, but he didn’t want to make the poor girl feel as if he were pitying her. 

He settled for putting a feather light hand on her little trembling shoulder, offering a smile. Her pointed ears perked up just slightly, but she didn’t look back at him, choosing to stare blankly at Dodoco.

Venti remembered when Alice had made the little being, all that time ago when she had weaved its stories and a world of its very own. Venti had even gotten to help with some of the rhymes in the storybook Alice made! Dodoco - according to Alice - was a creature that lived with many other Dodoco in a place called Dodo Land on the Golden Apple Archipelago, which Venti was very proud of making, if he did say so himself. The Dodoco were playful, gentle creatures who were fond of roasted apples and jam and lived under the rule of the “great and mighty Dodo-King”, who was none other than Alice. Ugh, so vain. I should’ve been Dodo-King, Venti grumbled inwardly. He remembered how they had gotten into a heated argument over it before Alice had started stealing all his wine. Eventually, poor, sweet Barbatos had started going through withdrawal and threw in the towel on their argument. Venti definitely wasn’t bitter at all. Not one bit.

His thoughts were interrupted when one of the Knights of Favonius walked over - Wyratt, if Venti remembered correctly - and ushered them inside quietly. He gave the pair a strange look, not uncommon considering the trouble both of them notoriously caused, before turning and moving back to his post outside the library. If it had just been Venti visiting Jean, he would’ve just flown up to her window on a wind current and kicked it down, but of course he couldn’t do that with Klee around. She would undoubtedly love doing that, and that’s what scared him the most…! 

As he and Klee walked in, he was immediately hit with a strong scent of vanilla and cinnamon, with a hint of lavender. Lisa had probably been in here recently, ehe! But that was none of his business…as Archon, he was overjoyed with any love that sprouted in his city~

Jean glanced up from her paperwork, moving some of the scrolls under her desk before giving them an uptight smile, “Lor- Venti, Klee, it’s a pleasure to see you both. I have an assumption as to why you might be here, but I ask that you explain before I jump to any conclusions. Especially because Klee is supposed to be in solitary confinement right now.”

Klee wasted no time and practically leaped onto Jean’s desk, nearly knocking her candles onto her papers. Venti swiftly caught them with a sheet of pressured wind, and Jean shot him a silent thankful glance.

“Big brother Albedo is in trouble!! I don’t care about solitary confinement, me and Uncle Venti need to do something!! Master Jean, y-you can help, right?”

Jean sighed, standing up and adjusting her uniform before addressing them both, “I am aware of some of the details regarding Albedo’s situation, although even I am not privy to them all. Klee, you need not worry about it now, alright? I’m sure Albedo will be alright, and these charges will come to pass.”

Venti knew something like this would happen eventually. In fact, he was expecting this after Jean had informed him of the plan they had to make surrounding this year’s Windblume- mostly as a coverup. It was risky, and he wasn’t completely onboard with any of it, but it was what they needed to do. Besides, he had spoken to Albedo before the happenings and had become aware of the existence of Mini Durin who was currently under the alchemist’s care. Simulanka had always fascinated Venti ever since Alice had invited him to one of their tea parties (man he missed those) to discuss its creation along with Barbeloth and Andersdotter, but the mixture of the real and fake worlds was incredibly dangerous, which made this plan all the more important to complete.

Which world is fake in your eyes, Barbatos?

Jean took to quietly comforting Klee before bringing her outside and promptly taking her back to solitary confinement- seriously Venti felt bad for the girl sometimes, Jean was kind of scary! 

By the time she returned, Venti had made himself at home on her windowsill, behind her desk. Anyone else might’ve been worried for his sake as he sat on the open windowsill, precariously close to tipping and falling outside, but not Jean. She stood there tapping her foot on the ground looking terribly unimpressed until she was forced to accept that that was just the way things were going to be. As she walked over, Venti could swear she muttered something along the lines of “Barbatos save us all,” before glancing up at him and seemingly coming to a less-than-wonderful realization- that Barbatos himself was currently dangling halfway outside her window. Of course Jean cared for Venti, and Venti loved Jean as one of his children, but “cared for” and “loved” were not the same thing as “liked”, sometimes. She turned her chair so she could face the window, the hinges squeaking quietly as she sat down. She adjusted her glove before looking up in his direction, addressing Venti.

“I’m assuming I don’t have to explain most of what’s happening to you, do I?”

Venti grinned, flourishing his hand in the air as if he were a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, “I have a general idea…although it wouldn’t be insulting for you to fill a bard in on the details of what’s happening, I would be quite appreciative!”

Jean nodded slowly, “I would be happy to, although I must admit I had assumed you had come here to fill me in on the details.” Jean reached for her cup of likely lukewarm coffee on the desk behind her, taking a sip. “As you know, I was one of the people who set this plan up, but I am lacking in factual knowledge when it comes to Albedo’s background. I had hoped you would be able to change that.”

Venti hummed, taking a small paperweight from Jean’s desk and fidgeting with it. He spoke, “There are certainly things that some, including you, may not know that I myself am aware of- but as I’m sure you understand, I am not necessarily able to explain them to you. Nevertheless, as Freedom’s Number One Fan, I will not let that stop me~ I’d be happy to try and discuss what I can with you, Jean!”

“If we could only purify corruption…” Jean muttered, puzzling over some of the notes that Venti had scribbled in the library earlier. Venti started slightly, his fierce golden gentle green eyes sharpening at Jean’s choice of words. Why did that sound so…his throat began to dry up, words unable to choke out. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Teyvat will be fine without some Traveler otherworldly White Knight coming to save us. Besides, it’s not like us to back down from something like this! We will prevaaaail~!” Venti began to sing some sort of jolly tavern song, standing up on the ledge and summoning his lyre before briskly hopping out the window and disintegrating into the wind. Jean leaped up, moving to the window, “Wait-! What about explaining?!”

Below, a guard on patrol looked up at Jean’s open window, giving her a puzzled look before continuing on his way. Jean quickly changed back into her formal stance, nodding and waving to the guard before moving out of sight, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Jean watched as the small particles of wind remaining from her god’s teleportation slowly drifted away, catching one in her palm. It felt slightly warm against her glove, brushing up against the coarse fabric before flitting away. She sank down into her chair, sighing as she let her head rest on her desk for a moment. Beside her, her candles slowly crackled and she could distantly hear the guards patrolling around the main hall. Somewhere else in the building, Klee was busy toying around with whatever made her bombs, and Lisa was lazing about, playing with some electrical current as she read about the newest happenings in Sumeru.

Jean murmured, perhaps to herself, or perhaps to some higher power that she still held belief in despite the differences between her teachings and reality, “Dear Barbatos, please let this work. Please let me be right.”

She wasn’t.

~~~~~

Venti was on his way to meet Dahlia, which he was incredibly excited about! He hadn’t seen the deacon for a lengthy period of time due to his ongoing work at the church, and since Venti had to deal with Dvalin on his own, he’d had to take care of his friend while he was recovering from Durin’s poison. The first trial had gone about without a hitch, with Albedo becoming an even stronger suspect than before. That wasn’t necessarily part of the plan, but everything was still on the right track. Venti himself hadn’t been at the trial, however he had listened in on the wind. After all, Mondstadt's average citizen would be quite confused as to why a bard - one who had a reputation for being a heavy drinker at that - would be at a private trial if he wasn’t testifying. Oh, he could imagine the ruckus he could make…there would definitely be some major explaining to do if he let anything slip. So, he stuck to listening in.

Venti spotted Dahlia’s telltale pink hair from a mile away and waved excitedly, the deacon immediately using his hydro vision to bounce himself over to Venti.

“Surprise baptism!”

(…He wasn’t even going to ask.)

Dahlia landed gracefully on the grass, making sure not to flatten any Cecilias before jogging up to Venti and giving him a hug.

“How’s my favorite tavern-hopping nomad of an Archon? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, what with the church and you being so busy! I trust you’ve been well?”

Venti smiled warmly. Dahlia’s company really was a breath of fresh air sometimes. “I’d say so! And you know, I’ve just been going around fulfilling my daily Archonic duties to the nation…nothing too serious! How was the trial? I heard some of it, but I was also busy tracking the suspects of…you know.” Venti made some vague gestures, but he knew Dahlia had caught onto the gist of what he had meant.

Dahlia nodded solemnly before continuing, “It’s not looking good for Albedo currently. He’s gone and dug himself into a bit of a hole, you could say…just like he did to those bodies, haha!”

Venti rolled his eyes, snickering. “Seriously though! If this plan is to go how we want it to, I, as your gracious and generous Archon, need to see to it that I have all the information!” Venti made sure to make it clear how important this was, jabbing a finger at his own chest.

In reality, Venti already knew the majority of what had happened in the trial. He was fully aware of Albedo’s position and how the court was currently viewing him, but he wanted to hear it from Dahlia anyway.

To be honest, there wasn’t much use of a Herald for a god that lived among their people and heard their every word, but Venti didn’t want to put Dahlia out of a job, and he genuinely cared for him, just like he did all of his people. Even if a few of them needed a little talking-to…

He listened to Dahlia’s summary, nodding along with what he had to say before introducing him to the Dodocommunication Device that he had received from Alice and explaining how he planned to communicate through it and possibly wind currents when the time came. Dahlia seemed incredibly curious about the device, grabbing it from the air and fiddling with it before he settled with making a little flower crown for it and smirking at his work, adding a few popcorn kernels that he always seemed to have as a finishing touch. “I heard the knights are going to investigate Albedo’s lab in the upstairs of the Knights of Favonius headquarters, but that should take at least a day or so. So…” Do you wanna go get a drink?

Dahlia’s thoughts echoed in Venti’s head, a side effect of having a Herald so tuned to his personality. 

Venti grinned, adjusting his bow tie adamantly to demonstrate his incredible respect for this indescribably important trip. “Of course, my dearest deacon! It would be my honor~”

~~~~~

It turned out that the investigation took a bit longer than expected, which resulted in a few days of rest for the pair. Well, for Venti at least. The knights had ended up finding a map in Albedo’s office that contained three marked locations, incriminating evidence on Albedo’s part lying there for them to find. Venti had a hunch about what really happened thanks to a few major context clues others weren’t privy to, but of course he couldn’t outright tell anyone that. When the church and the knights had decided to organize a second trial, Venti had attempted to give Dahlia a hint on what was going on, but now he just had to wait and hope the deacon understood what he had really meant. 

In the meantime, he decided to take an evening stroll around town and maybe stop by the alchemical workshop where Albedo usually worked, along with Sucrose and Timaeus. He had heard from Dahlia and various others who had been at the trial that Sucrose had openly lied to the courtroom to try and convince people that Albedo was innocent, before caving and later breaking down after the trial. Venti didn’t know Sucrose very well, but he always felt guilty when his people were upset. When his people cried, it felt worse than when his wings had been stabbed through in the Archon War. But it wasn’t a piercing pain- more of a silent, wailing, crushing sensation that he wished would swallow him whole so he wouldn’t need to see their sorrowful faces anymore.

Pathetic.

Venti wandered towards the general area, but Sucrose was nowhere to be seen. That wasn’t that surprising, Venti thought. Sucrose was as honest as they come, and to be caught in a lie in a courtroom would be horrid for anyone. Faintly, the wind tickled his ears and whispered that Sucrose was somewhere with Barbara, and that was all Venti needed to hear. Again, not his problem~ but he was happy Sucrose was able to find someone who would listen to how she felt about everything without judging her. Venti was pretty sure the only person other than Albert - ugh, he really needs to talk to that guy - that Barbara had ever really gotten upset with was him, so Sucrose had chosen a good person to possibly vent to. 

On that note, Venti skipped off to the tavern, humming as he tapped a little rhythm into the stone below his feet. As he approached he saluted loosely to poor Patton who looked like he was just about ready to jump off Mondstadt’s high wall, discreetly sending a comforting breeze his way before busting open the door. Immediately he was greeted with cheers, hollering from those already drunk, and a few requests for songs to be played. Six Fingered Hosé’s eye twitched at all the shouted requests, as he continued to play his - slightly obnoxious - music for the tavern. He smiled thinly at Venti, who rolled his eyes. Such a bad sport, it’s not like I meant to steal his audience! Besides, I’m the best bard around- I couldn’t help it~

Venti shrugged before throwing himself down on a stool and draping himself over the wooden counter. He took a moment to admire the craftsmanship of the building, as he always did. Never let it be said he was a lousy, good-for-nothing drunk. He cared! Venti’s eyes flitted to the countless, exquisitely crafted shelves that housed countless, delicious antique wines of various colors, complimented by the goblet-shaped lights and the golden evening light pouring in from the windows. The aforementioned light danced in and pooled in a certain redhead’s hair, making him look almost as if he glowed. This was contrasted by the flat, exasperated expression on this certain man’s face, staring at him as if he would rather be literally anywhere but here. Venti wondered if he thought that if he furrowed his eyebrows enough, Venti might just be willed away in the wind.

So, Diluc was the bartender today…lucky him~ Venti loved making it his sole mission to annoy Diluc into giving him free drinks, even though it usually stopped working after he’d gotten sufficiently drunk and started babbling about who-knows-what. According to Kaeya, Venti was quite flirtatious while drunk and outright bribed Diluc for wine in exchange for a date with himself, but he chose not to believe him- partly considering Kaeya claimed he did it to everyone, and partly because he didn’t want to have to deal with the embarrassment that would result from that. Unfortunately, even gods weren’t free from feeling guilty about what they’d done. And after all, who’d believe a traitor Kaeya?

~~~~~

Soon enough, Venti was drunk. At some point during the now-evening, Kaeya and Rosaria had made their way into the tavern, and were now sitting on either side of him, laughing loudly. To be completely honest, Venti couldn’t remember what they were laughing about. All he could feel was the way his friend’s his lungs heaved with laughter and the way his heart felt warm, their arms wrapped around his shoulders. A dull ache still reverberated throughout his back, but he didn’t care. Beneath his layers of clothing, his tattoos glowed coolly, pulsing with his heartbeat, casting an ever-so-slightly soft light on the three. Not a one of them cared about what they may have looked like to the other two, content with cherishing the time they had with each other.

(In the end, the people of Mondstadt already knew who Barbatos was for a long time.)

Perhaps this was why he never really fit in with the Celestials, never understood why they did what they did. Perhaps this was why he couldn’t understand Morax when he first ascended; Venti was always so different from the others who were chosen, no matter how hard he tried. The moment Barbatos had become a Celestial (he’d always been one) the Heavenly Principles labeled him “strange”. “Dangerous”, even. Andrius was meant to be the original Anemo Archon, and the only reason the wind spirit was here now was because of the wolf’s refusal over 2,600 years ago. 

Andrius didn’t see himself as fit to rule a nation, but Venti wasn’t either. He was a mere wisp of wind, who wasn’t meant to exist for more than a month at a time. Something that was lower than even a slime, which were often regarded as a mistake of nature. (You’re wrong, Barbatos.) He was never meant to be given a name, nor a role, nor a conscience or a body to inhabit. Wind spirits didn’t even reproduce, they simply floated in and out of existence and that was that. And yet…he could feel. He felt more than anyone else. Oftentimes, he felt as if he were drowning in an intense, ugly, overwhelming, terrifying, yet wonderful feeling of love. For his people, for the beings who had existed with him the most, for everything. Some might call it pathetic, a weakness that was worse than all evils, but…

…it was something Celestia could never dream of understanding.

Kaeya ruffled his hair, pulling him out of wherever he had been a moment ago. The cavalry captain grinned, his one diamond eye visibly crinkling in amusement. He winked - does it count as winking if only one of your eyes is visible? - at Venti, brushing his flushed cheek with his fingertips. Venti giggled, batting him away as Rosaria groaned dramatically, moving between the two and pushing them away from each other.

“Get a room before I call Diluc on the both of you.” Despite the cold attitude, Rosaria’s face was flushed as well, her threat not quite landing as well as she might’ve liked it to considering her inability to speak without slurring a little.

Kaeya snickered, puckering his lips in her direction, “Oh don’t tell me you don’t want a piece of this action too~!” Rosaria barked out a laugh, rare for her, before she “reluctantly” obliged and sat back down, this time beside Kaeya. Behind the counter, Diluc stared at the interaction with a complicated expression before realizing he was being watched by Venti, the face melting into an annoyed indifference. Venti let out a subtle sigh as he watched the tavern’s various patrons interact with each other, Diluc pointedly refusing to make eye contact with any of them.

He wasn’t aware of all the finite details when it came to Diluc and Kaeya’s relationship, but he knew for certain that both of them secretly wanted to reconcile. The regret behind Diluc’s normally fiery red eyes whenever he saw Kaeya, the shards of complicated emotion carefully and expertly hidden within both of them. He’d seen before that they weren’t afraid to fight, to take out their anger on each other because, in reality, they were too afraid to admit they missed each other. Venti never had a brother- he’d had people that were incredibly close to him and even had technical siblings - if you count the wind - but never someone he could really claim were his family. Nevertheless, he knew that if it were him in their position, he wouldn’t be able to live with the fact that his own were living in constant pain due to him. He wished he could do something to nudge them forward in the right direction (which he had) that wouldn’t end up tearing them apart any further.

(Why are you acting like the world won’t be torn apart by your own hands?)

(Are you having fun pretending this all won’t be taken away from them anyway?)

As evening turned to night, slowly the patrons began to trickle out, until only their group was left. Kaeya stood, sweeping Rosaria up into his arms as she rolled her eyes, but there was a smile pulling at the edge of her lips. After they had sauntered out the door, Venti was left alone with Diluc, who was busying himself with cleaning the counter. Venti purposefully laid down over the wood so he couldn’t continue, looking up at him with the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. Diluc paused, glancing down at him.

“What do you want? You know I don’t serve wine at these hours, and I am not bending the rule- much less for you.” He flicked him with a few droplets of water, originating from the rag in his hands.

Venti pouted, tapping his fingers on the empty mug in front of him. That wasn’t what he had intended on asking, but it was easier to play along and pretend than face what was on the tip of his tongue for forever the entire day. Most people would’ve blurted it out by now based on how much Venti had drank, but he was affected by alcohol differently than most mortals. What was the question he had intended on asking? Well, he need not dwell on it. 

All answers come in due time.

He put on an easy smile, letting his words flow with the wind like they always did. “Diluc, you wound me! Why, I wouldn’t dare force such a thing onto my heavenly supplier of wine and living quarters!”

Diluc huffed, turning his back to the god as he began to clean the shelves, “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

Venti sniffed, pretending to cry at Diluc’s absolutely ridiculous notion before dramatically getting up from the stool he was sitting at- not without stumbling a bit in the process. He righted himself before twirling around, facing away from the bartender. “If I’m that unwanted, I fear I must retire…a bard never stays in one place for long, much less a place that undervalues his very existence!” Diluc sighed, walking around the counter and stopping him before he could reach the stairs.

“Wait a minute.”

“Hm?”

“…Take this. You’ve just been using your cape up until now.” Diluc held out a small, thick blanket that had the Dawn Winery symbol on it. Venti blinked once, reaching out and slowly taking it out of Diluc’s hands. It was clearly old, but was woven with beautiful craftsmanship. And the fabric beneath his fingers was undoubtedly soft, despite its age. (Just like him.) 

Venti had been staying in the tavern’s upstairs for quite some time now, ever since Klee found out Venti didn’t have a place to stay and wouldn’t leave Kaeya alone until the knight awkwardly asked Diluc if he could stay in the tavern on Venti’s behalf. It was a kind notion, but really! Mondstadt was his home, he didn’t need a specific place to stay! Trees were plenty comfortable once you got used to birds and the wind, and bugs…and spiky branches…and…maybe he was glad Klee had chosen to speak up for him. He was getting better sleep these days. He was given a small back room that he was pretty sure was neglected until he had arrived, the only things in it being a single lamp, an old, rickety couch, a carpet, and a window overlooking the street outside the tavern. Even so, Venti was thankful. No matter the circumstances, Venti always considered someone who gave him a temporary home during his long years incredibly kind. Just like all his children were.

Diluc coughed, “Will this…be alright?” The taller shifted uncomfortably at the silence, idly adjusting his gloves.

Venti realized he had just been staring, shaking his head to signal that this was indeed wonderful. The wind flew over and pranced along Diluc’s cheek in a silent thanks, as if to covey Venti’s unspoken gratitude. Venti grinned, “Ah yes, this will more than suffice! I suppose I’m once again in your debt.”

Diluc had half the mind to remind Venti that he was the god of the nation, and debt didn’t really matter to him, but he stayed quiet. Venti wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, spinning around on his heel before attempting to skip up the stairs, nearly falling over a few times. Diluc rushed to catch him, but Venti waved him off playfully. That bard is going to give me a heart attack one day, Diluc thought to himself.

~~~~~

Venti finished climbing the two sets of spiral staircases to the top of the tavern, walking down the hallway before opening the door to his room. The door creaked on his hinges like it always did, but Venti did the best he could to avoid the floorboards that creaked as well to best preserve the tranquility of the quiet space. He pattered over to the couch that he could swear was as old as him, sinking into the weak cushions. They were tinted with something brown and lightly green that Venti definitely didn’t want to know what was. Choosing not to fixate on that, he took off his cape over his head, rolling it up and folding it next to the armrest before unhooking his corset and unpinning his teal brooch- a gift from a particular blockhead. He kicked off his shoes, the soles landing on the carpet, before flicking his arm to guide the wind into cracking open the window.

Immediately, the wind fluttered in, twisting and coiling around his wrists and ankles just like it would back then. Venti smiled wryly at the wind, settling down. He laid his head back on his cape, the wind carrying Diluc’s blanket and laying it over him. He had angled the couch the first time he slept here so he could gaze out the window at night- although many would do the same to be able to look at the sky or the sunset, Venti never did it thinking about that purpose.

He knew it was fake.

Instead, he chose to watch the city itself. The bustling nightlife of the place he had poured his very soul into wasn’t exactly what some would call relaxing, but it was reassurance that everything was alright. It was still okay. The world wasn’t gone yet.

He let his eyes drift closed, the warmth of the blanket paired with the chilly midnight air drafting in from outside reminding him far too much of the past- much too far gone for his liking. His mind wandered to the multitude of nights where the seven archons would end up cuddling together to fend off the cold of the night, oftentimes taking to using Barbatos’ angelic wings as a pillow. The feathers would end up getting stuck together with mud and dirt afterwards, and although Barbatos complained, they didn’t mind. They were simply happy to be together. Makoto’s snores really were loud…and Morax was much more cuddly than he’d ever admit out loud. He also remembered when they would all huddle under his wings as an umbrella in the rain, and Rukkhadevata Kusanali would always take the time to dry their wings while they sang together, Barbatos’ fingers flitting across the strings of his lyre like a bird spinning through clouds made of cotton candy.

The prodigal son soon fell asleep to memories of the past, painting their mind fully as an artist would on a blank canvas. The past was beautiful.

…Or was it the future?

(“Perhaps a being more frail than snow sees life differently than others when given the weight of the world.”

“Yes. Perhaps they do.”)