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[ There's things that Zhongli does that confuse him. The grip he had once tight, almost cold – but even under a cool surface, the earth is warm. There's no doubt the love Morax has for his people. He'd be a fool to question it. Different in their rule, different in their manner – they wanted the same thing in the end. Their people to prosper generation after generation.

When Zhongli speaks, he doesn't know what to say. He himself had been considerably weaker, refusing to rule his people and covet the power their prayers and devotion gives to him. His own had been taken – and he's left wincing. ]

And why would you do that? We're not exactly on warm terms, you know. [ Bestie, why. ] You couldn't have just sailed off on a boat and left Liyue to its own devices?

[ He feels a tightness in his chest, of sadness and fear. For as many times as Venti insists things will be fine – it extends differently to Zhongli. ]

I suppose both of Gnoses are just off having fun together in her cold grasp.

[ Yeah, Venti gonna just slouch a bit and cross his arms. Hm. What a fun revelation so soon. ]

[ if only things were so simple. ]

No.

[ instead he did what he knew best: he made a contract. ]

A dead Archon is an Archon awaiting replacement. [ Celestia would be on that quickly – as quickly as they were with Ei and Makoto, and then with Naberius, and all their other friends left replaced. ] If I were to leave Liyue, then I would to allow the humans and Adepti to create their own terms. If the Gnosis could be passed on, as it would be, Celestia would again decide those terms.

[ this hadn't been a mistake, instead something that he had considered with care over the course of months – perhaps years – as all the players came onto the stage. it had been recently that Venti had awoken, but the gears had been turning in Snezhnaya for years now. ]

Though I'm curious how she pried yours away from you, under such circumstances.

[ while he knew Tartaglia was gearing up for a fight, he also knew that he could kick his ass back to Snezhnaya if needed. there wasn't a way that the Harbingers could remove his Gnosis by force, so Signora had been forced to negotiate. ]

[ The 'no' slices the short distance between them. Sobers Venti up considerably.

He was foolish to think Zhongli would come here without business. Without conversations that would put them both into a new sense of responsibility. Certainly not rule and archonhood, but a personal investment in their role for this new world.

As much as Venti complains about Zhongli being long-winded – his eyes shut to soak in each word. The husk of his voice didn't take away the tension, but it keeps Venti from speaking something stupid into existence.

Centuries hadn't changed that Zhongli is still Morax. Contracts, clauses, terms, purposefully tailored grey areas – Venti hates that he had this so specifically planned. The bitterness was long gone, buried under an understanding that he hates to admit. Part of the plan or not, Venti sits across from an old friend relieved to be so.

It could have ended way worse. ]

So the people mourn, the land moves on, and a man will face the mortal way of life; not a stone with its erosion, hm? Oh, Zhongli, it's not easy being this way!

[ A little light humor, a little dismissive handwave back and forth. Venti lives among his people and still finds it difficult to fully understand them. ]

... I don't lead Mondstadt. I don't covet their power, fuel myself their regards. The residual strength I have was because of their beliefs but I do not claim their accomplishments as mine, lead with my vision instead of theirs. [ Awkwardly, he was weak because of his ruling style but – is there more there? He pouts, he downplays but Signora taking his Gnosis was a feat in itself. It'll go to her head, undoubtedly. ] An unfortunate revelation... of letting go of the grasp on a nation.

[ But, Venti wouldn't have it any other way. ]

Maybe I'm still waking up, ahaha?

[ everything seems like business to him, and though he's been pulling at the threads and finding interest in other places. he's learning how to be leisurely, but it's a process.

perhaps it's easier to reason with Barbatos about this, as their values always seemed to align in the guidance of humans. they were the only two that were left with them, it seemed like. even though Morax had been hailed as the strongest among the Seven, he never thought of himself that way, and thus never thought of Barbatos as the weakest.

there were many kinds of strength. ]

A small consolation that you cannot be replaced.

[ they were a bridge between Celestia and Teyvat, and in order to ensure the safety of their people (even from Celestia), certain precautions needed to be taken. that didn't mean that Barbatos' autonomy couldn't be violated.

so, he has to ask. his tone gets lower, but it's surprisingly gentle. ]

Are you satisfied with that?

[ as Barbatos sits across from him, and what he's endured, he wonders if he will let this lie, or if he will make it into something else, as he tends to do. ]

Praise be. [ Almost sarcastic. Archonhood was a double-edged sword. They both have faced happiness seeing their people prosper, but does it take tragedy to get there? Loss and having the ones they care for simply fall between their fingers?

Venti feels a bit of conflict in his heart, but there was optimism there. Knowing that there was a traveler who was so devoted on his travels to help certain concurrent threads of fate. On paths that Venti and Zhongli, for whatever reason, do not travel on.

Zhongli's question makes his gaze tilt up. ]

All will be fine, my friend. If we don't allow it to be, what wings would we fly on? They grow tired over the years, shattered bones and lost feathers – it's best to let the free birds have their time to fly.

[ In his own weird way, it was to loosen the grasp. Mondstadt was once ran by a grip so tight it would choke the life out of its citizens... he didn't want to repeat that. ]

Do you trust me?

[ letting it lie means allowing the Tsaritsa's war on Heaven to continue to unfold. Zhongli isn't sold on it, but he can understand her rage. ]

After over two thousand years, you pose this question now? [ not that Barbatos was completely trustworthy in certain situations, but Morax could certainly trust him to do the right thing. ] You are many things, Barbatos, but untrustworthy is not one of them.

[ as sus as he is sometimes, really.

there's a hint of a twitch at the corner of one lip into a smile that seems to find the question amusing. perhaps he shouldn't – Barbatos looks, well, somewhat serious – but if Morax can find some irony in something, it's best to be appreciated. ]

Why not? It's not exactly a common occurrence we find ourselves across from one another, less in these forms – with these vulnerabilities.

[ To an outside eye, Zhongli was a Liyue visitor. Venti socializes with the best of them, seeing a dignitary from another land was not uncommon.

The reality they find themselves in now was not of fears that have rooted themselves into their hearts. Erosion and stolen freedom – those were so little to the current dilemma. ]

Then trust my words, heed them on a wind meant only for your skin – it is time we put faith in others. Truly.

[ Less in Celestia, less in themselves. Venti was never fond of it but he bites his tongue among company. He was too engulfed in living a mortal life, it seems. ]

Do you trust your choice? What do you hope to gain from what you've lost beyond... well, aha, the expected? You, not your people. [ Because Venti cares about what his old friend plans to do too. ] Do you even have a retirement plan ready? Any big adventure planned?

[ Yes, rapidfire Venti questions, go! ]

Edited 2022-01-22 23:17 (UTC)

[ sometimes Venti is flighty and shallow, sprawled out on the tavern floor after too much self-indulgence. sometimes his ballads are – ah, well, Zhongli would use the term artless. but there are certainly times when divinity peeks through, and he's beyond compare.

the focus shifts from the bigger picture and back to him.

Zhongli rests his arms on the table, shoulders still square and posture straight as Venti interrogates him. he allows the questions to continue without interruption before he answers. ]

Trust in my choices is also not something I lack. If the choice was wrong, then something can be done about it in the future. For now, the circumstances have been met, and I've made my decision. I stand by it.

As for the rest of your concerns ... [ Venti, buddy, he's very bad at relaxing. what did you expect? ] I've simply been enjoying the pleasures of entertainment that Liyue has to offer, there have been many mortal advancements in the years, and I'd like to enjoy them.

[ Venti talks about retirement like it was a choice rather than a necessity, as if Rex Lapis, himself, hadn't become somewhat irrelevant. ]

[ It had been a difficult conversation to have for many reasons. It forced them to truly accept the choices that needed to be made, react to what had happened, and take a step away from the player board.

Venti, however, felt like the grasp on the day had slipped from his hands – and there was no grasping it back. Bitterly, he looked to the conversation as a nuisance, but now? He supposed it was a necessity. ]

Good. I never doubt your resolve. Anything that opposes it, will face... how did it go? The wrath of the rock?

[ Sorry, he just is still giddy over that. ]

You need timeshare, my friend. Away from Liyue! [ A bold declaration follows as he tries to see things from his friend's perspective... Did he truly need to pull away from the nation? Even if the land had grown and Zhongli was curious... ] Perhaps you should invest in a place in Mondstadt – or a ship to sail you far off on grand adventures!

[ That was real retirement. ]

[ weight was never a good thing on a reunion. he didn't like letting things fester, it became a gaping wound that was far more difficult to heal. so he makes the stitches as soon as he can, weaving them together the best he knows how to. ]

A place in Mondstadt that you could occupy while I'm gone?

[ look, he doesn't doubt Venti's strides to Not Work and still Be Comfortable. even if he shooed him and kept the place locked up tight, he was certain that Venti would find his way in and make himself at home. ]

While I'm not needed in Liyue in the way Rex Lapis was, I'm still a consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I intend to keep my occupation, as it's where many others know where to find me. A ship without a destination in mind would be ... [ a pause. ] reckless.

And you, are you still peddling songs for drinks?

[ Venti isn't blind in his own idealistic and flighty views – he understands more than ever that when something calls you, you must listen to it. ]

Ah? Are you offering? I could keep it tidy for you.

[ That wasn't his intention, but it certainly was a good perk, wasn't it? He likes the idea more and more. A safe haven for the two of them where they can drink, be merry, and brood if the time calls for it.

Venti, that's a commitment, booboo. ]

A ship without a destination serves its purpose. Tell me – do you know EVERYTHING you're going to do in a day the moment your eyes open up? Hmmm?

[ And then: ]

It's not peddling. It's performing! Don't undermine the art – it keeps my tongue wet and my soul fed.

[ it's a commitment and Morax would need a contract and oh, they don't have any mora. none. zip. zilcho. could Zhongli manage to get himself a free house? it's debatable, he may be able to swing it.

but would he? honestly, the Realm Within seems more comfortable. creating a little corner of an Adeptus Abode – yet he was living as a human now, his Exuvia still coiled in the Golden House. ]

Is it me that you're trying to convince? It sounds more like you may want to spread your wings to see a Teyvat five-hundred years since you last left it.

[ many, many things had changed. he knew Venti got bitten by the travel bug on occasion, off to see sights that couldn't be seen during the Archon War. it's how they had first met in Liyue, even if Morax huffed about it being reckless then, too. at that time he seemed more drab and serious about it, his face set in hard lines.

there wars something warmer about him now. ]

Has your – erm, performing reached anywhere beyond the corners of your nation since your awakening?

[ They're absolutely broke and it would be fortunate if they could afford an inn room, let alone a home. Go figure. The lavish rule of an Archon means nothing compared to drunkenly stumbling into one's own bed. Ah, one day, perhaps! ]

Ahhh, the world is so vast and unexplored, M– Zhongli. You'd be surprised what awaited you if you tried. Even just a few steps into the unknown can lead to – well, ehehe, more questions!

[ He isn't obtuse, but there's a lingering sense of lightness when Venti talks about what remains out there. For a bard who claims to know every song – past, present, and future... he really doesn't expand on how he speaks, huh? His knowledge was tightly held, a little opportunistic but an Archon also had to be survive the war. ]

I haven't, no. My people needed me here. Even if it was something as simple as entertaining... [ And, truthfully? He was still weak. ] Have you traveled since your "retirement", friend? I had thought to go to Liyue, you know. When word got around that... hm. You know.

[ And soon, Venti just presses his face into his palms and tilts his gaze up to the sky. ]

I didn't think I could face it. Your land.

[ there he goes, looking up like he still has wings.

out of the two of them, Barbatos was always far more sensitive, and far more in tune with his own emotions. Morax had been so militant and disconnected that he always seemed to know what was right without considering his own feelings, nor those of others. ]

All losses mount upon one another with time, until they eventually become unbearable. [ his arms rest on the table, gloved fingers near his elbows, folded neatly as if this were Liuli Pavilion. ] I would rather not witness the one that finally turns to shackles on your wrists. You look far better in the sky.

[ there's a quiet moment when he looks over those chattering and surrounding them, going about their day like it's any other. ]

I worry that it may be too much for you.

[ But, while Venti wants to escape into the sky... at least Zhongli was rooted to the uncomfortable reality of what the world was. What it could be. Hearing him speak doesn't do much to change his feelings, however – the point did still stand. ]

Do you have faith in me? A drunken wayward bard? [ One who had say goodbye to his responsibilities long before Zhongli? ] I don't think it's in my nature to be shackled but...

[ With almost a sad smile: ]

I don't think the sky awaits me either.

[ Tilted gaze, a forced smile was sunny and big – eyes honest: ]

It's not the first time I have lost, but... to say it gets easier would feel like an insult. I suppose it's fortunate a consultant from Liyue instead helps me busy my morning!

[ it wasn't his nature to be shackled, but they had certainly lived with their own weight since the Archon War. their companions had fallen during the years, being replaced and setting a new tone in their leadership in the last thousand years.

there's a breath that goes in his mouth and out his nose. it suspiciously sounds like a sigh. ]

And what, exactly, would a drunken wayward bard need consultation for?

[ Venti always has a way of zigging and zagging, and Zhongli will play into it here and there if he can poke and prod when it felt needed. even after five-hundred years he knew how to throw Barbatos with brutal honesty if need be. ]

Hmmmm... many, many things. While I may know every song, rhyme, and story that has and will come to pass... perhaps it has been far too long since old company has crossed my path. Emphasis on wayward, by the way!

[ He's snickering under his breath, a bit less mopey than he had been. There's improvement there. Venti held a lot close to his chest, things that others can't even begin to understand or maybe... even forgive him for. The mere thought of Venti leaving his people to rule so young in their developing of the land? That could be sacrilegious to the more serious Archons. Not naming any names.

For now, though? Consultation? No, he shakes his head. ]

I'll get back to you and call upon you when the time is right. We've always been pleasant, why not continue that relationship even in our vulnerable forms as they are now? Squishy and –

[ He lifts his arm up, poking at his bicep as if that indicates mortality. ]

Well, as we are.

[ it's another moment where Zhongli has to wonder just what Venti wants from him. at times it felt clear, other times as if what Venti was talking about suddenly escaped him. it was like watching a mountain through the fog at dawn, the peaks and jagged edges of stone colored in soft pale pinks and yellows, before it became shrouded in fog until it disappeared. he never quite liked the feeling, but it was so rare that each time it felt as if he should have somehow already conquered it.

his expression is thoughtful, if not a little pensive. for a moment, he watches Venti's display of ... mortality. ]

Indeed, we've never been at odds during our time. [ even though Barbatos had forged his signature during the on-again-off-again naps. ] Though you could say that I'm rather curious on what your opinion of that relationship would be.

Now that we're – [ and he clears his throat, looking just slightly amused. ] – squishy.

[ No one knew how to expect the wind. Weather was a fickle thing, was it not? Even if there were scholars keen on predicting it... the wind moves without reason. He'll wax on about how it made life worth living, gave inspiration to chase the morning sun and do it again the next day... but there's something underneath it all.

Something Venti doesn't disclose to anyone. He guards himself in a way similar to others – but not quite the same. Perhaps one day, conversations can wane into the evening for much more than matters of their history and future. Something that will be beyond both of them.

For now, however, Venti is selfish. ]

Huh? What do you mean? I suspect that I'll be pestering you long into our lives. [ Although, the definition of relationship... it feels once like a shackle but now? He's curious too. ] Squishy or not, that much isn't changing. Perhaps we'll be better suited to see each other more frequently. With said squishy, I mean.

[ STOP SAYING SQUISHY. ]

Could you perhaps come up with a different term?

[ he tries not to look too annoyed, waving his hand as if to dismiss squishy.

perhaps Morax had taken a page out of Barbatos' book after all, making himself a man of leisure in his retirement. there may be something to it, even if he won't readily admit it with a few prods to his soft spots. ]

We're no longer Archons of our respected nations, even if we decide to extend our protection to them in our own ways. Though the two of us never had a contract, we still held ourselves to a certain standard of practice. Both Liyue and Mondstadt have been on amicable terms since the Archon War, both in politics as well as trade, and through what we've fostered, I believe those that now hold such reins will continue in a similar fashion.

[ Zhongli leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over the front of his chest. ]

We no longer need to associate for the sake of our own nations, but we may do so at our leisure.

Edited (right word this time) 2022-02-15 02:07 (UTC)

Malleable? Fleshy? Spongy? I'm running out of terms here.

[ Venti snickers under his breath, as if he's purposefully being obtuse. However, the bard stiffens in his chair a bit when Zhongli speaks plainly. Both hands prop his features up and he looks off to the small crowd of people in the market. He doesn't ignore a single word he says. It is hard to ignore his voice, even when he grows verbose. ]

If you think I want you here because your people provide valuable ore and gems... you're mistaken. I'd always value your company, even if I may ... ah...haha... find myself too intoxicated to show it properly. When we come together, it is almost a cause for celebration – but, I suppose now is time for things to not be lost in translation.

[ Plainly, Venti's gaze falls to him. Those eyes soften, a sad little smile on his lips. ]

I am glad I did not lose a dear, old friend. Bringing you here was not part of an attempt to keep the peace. It was to enjoy our time together, how long or little we have left.

[ out of the two of them, Barbatos had always been far more sentimental. where Morax had to pull at the strings to untangle the web between emotions and duty, it seemed to come more naturally to his fellow Archon.

there's a subtle tilt of his head as he fixes amber eyes on him. ]

I'd not meant to insinuate that our relationship is built on mutual benefit for our nations instead than our own. Rather, that the foundation of our duties have shifted, and in the way that many things change, so have we.

[ but then he looks amused at something private thought to himself. ]

Though I suppose you've already made your choice, from the sound of it. It is in the nature of the Anemo Archon to find enjoyment in many things.

[ which almost sounds wistful rather than disdainful, how it would have been over a thousand years ago. ]

The foundation is built, as it has been for centuries... but it's time to build. [ Will you build something with me? It nearly leaves his lips before he realizes how forthcoming it felt. Stuffy. Desperate in a way. His night had been filled with making a list of things they were not even close to accomplishing. Instead enjoying the rising sun, the smell of fresh bread, and each other's long-awaited company. ] My choice is as it always was, so not much is different. To live with a honor that some do not have the privilege to experience.

[ The world would be too lonely if the humans denied such a feeling. How Venti's heart beats a little faster – the realization that they had reunited far too fond in his mind. ]

Too bad the Anemo Archon is here in memory only. A bard finds enjoyment in things with more... ahem. Entertainment.

[ And pointed: ]

What do you enjoy, when not being tugged back to the past, Zhongli?

[ five-hundred years, and as much as Morax has learned to change and shed his own skin, in some ways, Barbatos is completely the same. in other ways, he's the most fluid out of all of them, changing when the time for change calls.

the smile tugs at the corner of his lips, arms firmly crossed over his midsection. thought takes him for a moment. ]

There are triumphs in the arts that I've never had the time to properly give attention to during my time as the Geo Archon. The storytellers, music, opera, the cuisine that has evolved with the seasons that have passed through Liyue. Each tells a nuanced story of the place that Liyue has become today, and a moment of time before the future.

[ it's like he's talking about a child that's grown and left, leaving him behind to find the next phase of his own life. ]

Over the time that I've spent watching over humanity in Liyue shape history, I've learned how resilient and adaptable they are.

[ and in all of that, how right Guizhong had been. ]

[ Hearing Zhongli speak on about such things makes him beam for a brief moment before it turns to worry – ]

So your path leads you to be a critic now?! [ He takes a single thread from Zhongli's story and weaves it into more than a tease, a justified assumption. Of course, he doesn't believe Zhongli to be paid or live a life judging others so harshly. How tiresome, but there's no denying his bar is far higher than the Anemo Archon that ravages wine cellars for wares when he gets too ... ah, inspired to drink. ] They are quite admirable. Even the smallest seed can grow into the largest tree...

[ Or the nameless bard's memory could burn in his mind, centuries later. ]

I suppose it's only fair you mold this... squishy form of yours into their image as well.

[ Far from a wind wisp, Venti was the same, after all. He lets a smile linger, eyes trace his form for emphasis. Nothing the cut of his jaw, the sway of his bangs with each movement, and how tightly styled his attire was. ]

I'm glad you're here to see Mondstadt's stories, then. Just to give you some fresh perspective and new experience.

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