primos | from @bakerstreet

A song can be weaved of truths and lies. I... aha, perhaps am not sure which is which of that evening.

[ It's a true statement. Many of times, Venti's found no chill at the bottom of a wine bottle. Or two. Or three. Drinking was a hobby, but if it brings him together to people who still find themselves fated to cross paths with him? Why not go a little wild? It helps bury the ghosts of the past, even for a little while. ]

I'm glad a part of Barbatos remains in Liyue. [ Even with the nap.... ] Well, in your old age, they say the mind is the first thing to go.

[ Teasing, Venti takes a heavy swig. It lingers on his tongue as he roots himself here before Zhongli. ]

I, of all people, better not be lost to time!

[ with the trade between the two nations and the Millelith and the Knights of Favonius co-existing at Stone Gate, the mingle of Mondstadt to Liyue happens often. Rex Lapis had done nothing but encourage it; trade and commerce were important. all hands shaken and papers signed were contracts under his jurisdiction, efforts made in the name of prosperity. ]

The purpose of a contract is to hold a promise, and even in old age the deterioration of the promise is a fact, not a memory. [ he lifts the stein in his hand. ] The purpose of a ballad is more fluid. The power is not in the stability, but the flexibility.

[ the thing about Zhongli is that he looks perfectly serious when he teases. ]

The question would not be whether or not your memory is lost, but how your inebriation will be remembered in the coming millennia.

So your fondness of songs, which could be deceitful in their truths, rival a contract to you? My, oh, my.

[ That's not what he said at all, but... the smirk lingers. Venti teases, but there are times the elderly lets their mind slip. They forget faces and names, forget decades of their lives... but sometimes a song returns them back to fonder days. Despite Zhongli's own worries about erosion, Venti has little knowledge of its reality – on a weight it holds onto him. Venti is already sipping away, lost in is own thoughts for a moment. Behind those eyes holds something somber – a memory he holds dear that he speaks not of.

He's snapped back with the inebriation, thankful they can rebound from heavy talks – the kind Venti avoids readily. One day, the wind could be caught... ]

Is this a general 'your' or...?! My inebriation, from a personal manner, is quite functional!

[ Venti, that's not what he said at all.

but you know what? he'll go with it, why not? it's time to show Venti just how much he learned to be flexible in the last five-hundred years. after all, Venti still has to play a little bit of catch up.

Zhongli breathes in a sigh that comes out his nose. ]

There are some of your ballads that a delivered in slurs, no matter how functional you claim you are. [ he lifts the stein in his hand and pauses before he takes a drink. ] When you are true to your form, what comes from your lips is so mesmerizing that in those moments, you are beyond compare.

[ then he goes ahead and drinks like he didn't just say that. ]

There is a floral undertone this season ...

[ He was a god that saw the impossible as possible. He witnessed a revolution built from nothing but a bard's herald. The power of words and songs were deeply engrained into him, but there's something about how distracting his assumptions were. Venti liked it. Not being figured out, perhaps being underestimated.

Morax, no matter their bickering, seemed to not mind that he had befriended the 'weakest' among the Archons. Now... they were on a path so closely similar that Venti pretends that it was one in and the same. ]

Maybe that's just their charm and –

[ Interrupting obnoxiously did them no good. The red, rivaling an apple itself, rushes to his face at the compliment. He slumps forward with little shame, cradling his drink with one hand to top it off before resting his chin on his folded forearms.

What does he even say to that? ]

Quite. As if each petal has a purpose, to invigorate and renew.

[ perhaps he had learned more from his neighbor than not, it had been five hundred years since Venti slumbered, after all. ]

And you, Barbatos? Have you been invigorated and renewed?

[ after a long nap and five hundred years having passed upon return? Zhongli has always favored something more rooted. he likes his feet to be firmly on the ground, to watch those years pass at a steady pace.

Venti is still such a different creature in ways that he can't grasp. ]

I hope enough to sing like that again soon. While I appreciate your offerings, there are some experiences that I've come to remember as sweeter than the fruit and more delicate than the flowers that Mondstadt produces – perhaps because at it's core, it is the very thing that gives life to both.

In a sense. I'm still a little hungry, I guess. [ That's not what Zhongli means and he knows it. It's better to hide away the slight discomfort he's had since awakening. Worried about the Traveler, of the turmoil with Dvalin – on what waits ahead. However... every story was at his fingertips, he merely plays his part... as a good bard would. ] If I said I wasn't, you'd cast a judgmental gaze only you could. As if you'd turn me to stone!

[ He's snickering just a bit, trying to play off his own feelings of the matter. It had been some time since they sat – as equals, as friends, as those on the same path at times – and it felt... nice. He keeps half of his rounded face obscured, looking out to the city unfolding behind them. ]

Hey! That's a tall claim, friend. But... [ He tilts his gaze up. The brush of his braids fall sweetly to his cheeks, his eyes narrowed with a tight grin. ] If you're so confident, I do hope soon is quite literal. You know, this city is quite entertaining at night. If you plan to stay, that is.

[ the world is changing.

perhaps it was the traveler that had been the catalyst, but Zhongli could feel it. it wasn't something that he could ignore any longer. even as they sit, enjoying the day in a moment of calm of Mondstadt's morning, there is unease.

Barbatos can pretend he doesn't feel it, but Zhongli knows he feels it better than anyone else. ]

I was planning on turning a bard with a bad taste in humor to rock beneath my judgmental gaze, but if this is an invitation, perhaps I can make an exception this time.

[ you know, just in case Venti needs a reminder that he is, in fact, occasionally horrible at jokes. ]

...

Despite the legends, I do not, in fact, have the ability to turn anyone to stone.

[ Barbatos would be the first to feel the winds of change lift high and carry across Teyvat. It's a burden he carries alone, knowing the pieces in play must serve their roles. He was never interactive until he needed to be, after all. ]

An invitation carried so sweetly is not to be met with limestone and iron chunks!

[ Don't ignore his pout, he's trying to manage a lot of weird emotions right now. The fact they've come far from their own solidarities – their own responsibilities... ]

Oh? Then someone should get on rewriting some stories. [ Change a little of Morax's history? Hmmm... ] I do know some of your other traits and mannerisms, though.

[ Perhaps they'll have seafood for dinner? :) ]

[ one of Barbatos' more infuriating traits is his hands-off approach to anything that Morax deems a responsibility, but perhaps after a thousand years it's now something he simply accepts as is. the expert way that Barbatos evades even the simplest task that requires any type of discipline is a feat in itself. ]

I have no idea to what you're suggesting.

[ he knows exactly what he's suggesting.

LOUD SQUINT. ]

Oh? Do you believe there to be others walking this earth that know you better?

[ It was a bolder claim, one that Venti wondered if Zhongli would receive in the same way as intended. They were old. They had many of diverging paths but they also walked along side one another during crucial parts of their lives.

For as distanced as Mondstadt and Liyue is, they still had common ground. ]

I think I have prime insider info about Rex Lapis that not even his most devout know of. Perhaps my lips have loosened... hm, hm...

There are many that claim to know the secrets of Rex Lapis, a certain reckless, frivolous bard included. Especially now, considering all that's happened.

[ is that something that Barbatos truly wants an answer to? this is what he gets for humoring him for thousands of years. he just can't seem to bite when it comes to Barbatos, like a few of his harder edges had been sanded down over time by too much damned wind. ]

You can always add to the collective echoes of storytellers and songmakers. Maybe such things would get drown out in all the noise.

Claim and undoubtedly know are two different concepts entirely! To bundle me in a league with novice historians or fearful loyals... pah.

[ He does bite, but the bark is always so much worse. Venti crosses his arms, as if he truly takes offense. Yet... he may spread stories of Morax being a 'brute', it was all in good jest.

In reality... would his enemies fear a big stone softie? ]

Are you only saying that because you're curious as to what I'd spread? Would I sing your praises? Scorn you? I think you care about how I view you more than you let on.

[ give Barbatos an inch and he takes a mile. what should he expect? this is the way it's always been. it had been close to half a century since he last heard his voice, and this is a welcome change from those prior frightful circumstances.

there's a tilt of his head as he looks him over, golden eyes flickering over the expressive Anemo Archon with a look of stone. ]

You've five hundred years to catch up on if you wish to rival those who now believe they have insight to the Geo Archon. Even if stone weathers the elements, all things change in time.

[ Barbatos had been gone and he had stood as resilient as a rock in Liyue from the time of the Cataclysm until his – well, much exaggerated – passing as the Geo Archon. that hadn't made it less lonely, and perhaps the years as such had softened to the point of admitting it. ]

Though that's certainly what makes them exciting. Perhaps you should look for new material if you want to embarrass me properly.

[ take that. ]

[ So many people fall victim to Venti's own ... charm. He sneaks away from such dialogues that offer little, but assists when he can (or wishes to). Yet, here he remains. Rooted to a chair, opposite of an old... friend? Companion? The definition feels blurry, so he just... stays. For once, he's still. ]

Wouldn't you be the one best suited to ensuring I'm up to speed, I wonder? Every little rumor and secret about a topic still sore on the hearts of Liyue's most loyal. Perhaps that is your mission in life now.

[ To..... use against him. Venti can see the optics – that Morax was not a fearsome foe nor the ally he needed to be in battle. They were something else now. Two catalyst for a future they truly had little say in. Their faith had aligned: in their people. Venti waves off to the local grocer girl, insisting on something else. A small shot, one that was fragrant as it was powerful. Some swill that didn't catch Venti's mind often, merely to celebrate. ]

Show me what's changed about Rex Lapis in his final days. For the Rex Lapis I heard of would not have been bested by a mere assassin. [ He air quotes mockingly, as if trying to still play as if they were undercover. Play... that certainly was one of Venti's favorite pass times.] You never confirmed, by the by!

[ The glasses are set – one in front of Zhongli and one in front of Venti. He takes it, holding it high to the sky. ]

I have 500 years to make up for forming an opinion of you. You best make sure it's a good one, hmm?

The Rex Lapis you know of wasn't bested by an assassin, you know that well enough. Even if you hadn't, I'd expect more creativity.

[ isn't that the important part?

the words aren't as cutting as he could make them – Morax had a way of being cruel when a sense of judgement or responsibility crossed his mind. instead, there's some warmth to it, as if something Venti said hundreds of years ago had sunk in. ]

Perhaps the Exuvia had cracked like stone, and something else was born of rock that day that meant to live among the mortals.

[ it wouldn't be too far from what Venti is now doing, would it? ]

It's a tantalizing alternative.

The Rex Lapis I know shall never return. That little scene ensured it.

[ Both in mentality and form. The sad truth of the matter was word spread like fire through Mondstadt at the Archon's apparent assassination – like a game of gossip, details get muddied. It wasn't until a busy Traveler provided Venti with more insight, the kind that brings them together here and now. ]

Creatively? Hmmm... Perhaps a giant sea monster dragged Rex Lapis down to the fathoms below the Harbor! All their squirmy little tendrils snuffing out the breath from the Exuvia and –

[ He erupts in laughter, clearly painting a picture that was more joking instead of meaning to be alarming. Insensitive, at his worst. Venti was mischief as much as he was the wind, child-like with how at times he doesn't dance around odd subjects. ]

Tantalizing... So if something new is born, you must earn my admiration, no? To rely on old times in this new life... seems a bit unfair. [ Curiously, he isn't wrong. Venti had cast aside shackles that Celestia placed upon him in a sense – with denying his form as Barbatos and the loss of his Gnosi. Yet... For Zhongli, it's different, isn't it? It still calls for him – Liyue, he means. ] Perhaps we should get to know each other. Just as we are now.

[ just when he believed that he had the upperhand, Venti shifted the conversation and once again, surprises him. it causes him to pause for the moment, stein gingerly between his gloved hands as if it were a delicate porcelain cup. he hovers over the drink with a look that seems pleasantly taken aback. it's an expression of touche that lasts a barest of moments in his golden eyes before he takes a sip. ]

... the story could do without the sea creature.

[ and as if in response, he makes it a long sip before setting the stein back on the table. he needs to drown out that memory. ]

Absence does not cause history to cease, but memories don't have to be tethers, either.

[ Zhongli was built for loneliness, but Venti was susceptible to his own sensitivities. while the Geo Archon could stand another five hundred, even a thousand years of loss, he knows that there are times that the grief comes from no where, and Barbatos is already at the edge of the precipice. ]

You've already invited me for an evening in Mondstadt to get reacquainted, unless you had something else in mind.

[ he knows Barbatos isn't as innocent as he likes to come off.

(also he still can't tell if this is a date. ah, well.) ]

Aw, but it's so dramatic...

[ He huffs under his breath, trying his best not to let such a notion linger. Is it the same as throwing a cat in the fray? Their preferences aside, a little careful ribbing was something fiercely still offered for them. That would never change.

How Venti looks at Zhongli now did. His eyes never settle. From mapping the cut of his jaw, comparing if his eyes were the same color as he remembers, and desperately searching for twitches of amusement. Venti was more sensitive than he lets on, but shoulders a burden as difficult as old Morax. While erosion doesn't tie him from experiencing life... perhaps his own loss insists he lives without apology. Recklessly, more accurately. ]

Huh? [ Snapped from his own musing, as if the bard always had his attention divided, Venti can feel the red rush to his features. They spread like fire as he looks away – waving for the girl tending to them to pick up his now empty glasses. ] I had quite a bit prepared, you know.

[ The words linger and he reaches to the small, weathered notebook tucked at his waist under his cape. He hadn't forgotten and truthfully, it's as vulnerable as he can be. It's laid between them, closed but still calling. ]

However, we're in a bit of a pickle! For everything written in this notebook was prepared for an old friend – not a new one! [ He has to ham this up because, yeah... what even is right now? The call to leave and experience the free city was there but... this was nice. Being idle, across from Zhongli with a view that he's beginning to truly soak in. His eyes linger too long, he clears his throat and opens the book with a glance downwards. ] Perhaps I can salvage a few things...

[ From Zhongli's perspective, he'd see quite a few pages have been ripped away, leaving the aftermath at the spine. Finally, ink stains on paper visible, but Venti defensively tilts the book away to hide as he scans it, humming all the way. ]

[ Zhongli is enjoying another long sip of wine, savoring it in the way that he does most pleasures in his retirement. Venti fondles the bound book between his fingers, and Zhongli opens a single golden eye to glance over at him, it's enough to catch the distinctive script of the Anemo Archon's penmanship, but little else.

when Venti leans away, Zhongli goes back to his drink. ]

At your leisure, of course. It's not as if I have much to do in my retirement but enjoy the scenery.

[ even if it's a gentle quip, he doesn't mind waiting for Venti in the least. the breeze is nice, the wine is sweet, and the bustle around them is lively enough to relax him. ]

Perhaps I can serve as some inspiration.

[ So many ideas had been written, some that were fiercely scribbled out that not even an attentive eye could make out the original content. Had he been drunk? Wrote something embarrassing? Even he can't quite remember, but it mattered not.

His thumb roams down the lines, finally settling on one: bring Zhongli to the only place that outwords him. ]

Have you ventured into Mondstadt's library, ever? Miss Lisa is a beautiful soul with enough electricity to put an old friend of ours to shame. Admirable as she runs the place, she is known for enjoying her strolls around this time.

[ As with the change of the guard... ]

There are a few things I wish to show you. Something you can bring back to Liyue to remember me fondly by!

[ For this wasn't merely a wine and dine, it was now entering espionage territory. Stealth missions that didn't involve the church? Consider Venti as playful as he was devoted to ensuring Zhongli remembers his time. ]

We'll be alone, I'm sure of it.

[ to Zhongli, he figures that it's both: Venti was drunk and written something embarrassing. yet, to Venti's credit, it's not as if he let much embarrass him, especially not in his own drunken stupor. it was strangely admirable, and something that Zhongli, despite all of his petty barbs, quite liked about him. ]

Admittedly this is the first that I've set foot back in Mondstadt since the unfortunate events of the past.

[ it's been a while: since Barbatos went to sleep, and since the darkness that engulfed Liyue. there was a lot to unpack there, but he doesn't go further into it.

to Barbatos, Mondstadt was fine to discover its own freedoms without him; to Morax, Mondstadt was a business transaction without Barbatos. ]

I know that the Knights of Favonius are quite diligent in their pursuit of the expansion of their collections. The current Grand Master has made some rare requests of Wanwen Bookhouse. I suppose even his title of Titan does not limit him, as there's interest of knowledge to pursue and a library to expand. Of course, the acting Grand Master has also made her share of requests.

[ there's a partial hint of a smile on his face as he crosses his legs elegantly at the knee. ]

That said, if there's something you wish to show me, I'd be inclined to oblige.

[ That answers one question. Selfishly, Venti wondered if he enjoyed Mondstadt for what it provides without him. A strange, jealous streak was there — childish, as much as his own view seemed to be on other matters. He didn’t ask to go jumping in puddles or climb the tree in Windrise, Venti invited Zhongli to something he truly believed he would enjoy. ]

Ah, the Knights and Grand Master have their own affairs. Some stray from traditional rules, some… marching to the beat of their own drum.

[ Venti thinks of someone, his mouth feels sour. Only a moment before he forced a wincing smile in his face. The thoughts of a Cavalry Captain walking a line Venti cannot interfere with... it was uncomfortable at best. ]

I am sure all of their requests are more… tame, but the Library is quite something! I think you would enjoy it and I, the one who had helped some of the stories in the very pages of those books, feel responsible to curate the masses for your own amusement.

[ They both know the state of what happened in Mondstadt, of the ups and downs– even songs were not immune to being spread about such rocky waves. Thus is Liyue. Thus is Inazuma. Thus is the lands beyond. Here and now, Venti fortunately uses his last bit of favor to clear their tab and up he goes, snatching the book up with a dramatic thump. ]

Join me, then. I assure you will not be bored.

[ five-hundred years had passed, and Barbatos was still the same in many ways. selfish in his own right, but giving in others. it was the way of the Anemo Archon to catch himself in whatever way the wind took him. connecting again after so long feels as if they had just parted ways yesterday, like the time from one moment to another had been a hours rather than hundreds and hundreds of years.

perhaps that was also because of Barbatos. ]

Very well. [ the glass goes to the table for a final time. ] I'll consider that a promise.

[ some things about the Lord of Geo never change, as much as other parts had.

when it comes to the matter of payment, Zhongli clears his throat and tells Sara to bill it to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. it's not as if he didn't have mora, but more like he didn't think of bringing it on this little excursion (which meant, of course, that he didn't have any mora). there's not much for Sara to do, and by the time she accepts, Zhongli is already strolling up the stone pathway to the Knights' Headquarters.

the day has come to life, and Mondstadt bustles around him in gossip, laughter and bright colors. it puts him at ease, much like the way that Liyue Harbor does. people are people, no matter where he goes, Liyue and Mondstadt are no different. ]

It seems that you've already made yourself acquainted with Mondstadt's new band of knights. [ he's a little curious. ] There has been turnover since you've last roused from your last slumber.

[ What did they say wind was?

It came and went.

Five-hundred years was here and gone, but when Venti looks across to Zhongli it feels as if he has much catching up to do. Eager to do so, more than he'd readily admit to himself, they end up calling it quits for a calm chat out in the life of the city. It wasn't as if they didn't talk – or at least, feel the reality and gravity that their old age and status brought them together once more.

Venti isn't going to argue with payments nor how they are quick to leave but – the city was still unraveling to the visitor. Shops opening up or calling out to passerbys and children run in the streets. Venti is left stopping every so often – catching a fly ball with a tiny gust of wind before chucking it back.

This was as normal as they could get. Venti wasn't going to ignore he checks Zhongli's attention – seeing where his eyes drift, wondering what thoughts fill his mind. When they arrive up the stairs to the Headquarters, he rocks back and forth idly as he lags behind. ]

As with time, such a thing is unavoidable. I hear there's a woman leading quite the tight ship over in the Harbor too. I... do feel good about this one, though! Acting Grand Master Jean has proven herself kind and just, she reminds me of...

[ Vennessa, but the name is all but caught on his tongue. ]

a leader. Which, we truly do need here! Damn that Barbatos for slacking off.

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