primos | from @bakerstreet

from @bakerstreet

meteorder

I've gotten a lot better with my drinks, thank you kindly! I think sticking to one type helps keep my pranking fingers at bay. Jeez, I'm actually pretty long overdue for a good pranking... maybe Master Diluc ... maybe Miss Lisa...

Gah! Now you have me thinking of pranks, stop that.

[ He's trying to be good! Although, Zhongli may find it more bothersome to think back on spilled drinks, isn't that just life? A bunch of spilled drinks? They had a good laugh, even if Venti ran for his life in the process of it.

Even now... he thinks of it from time to time. ]

My timing is as it needs to be. I'll arrive promptly at the outskirts of Mondstadt's east gate and give you the best tour. The history, the gossip, and the best company you can expect. Just... let's avoid the church, eh? The sisters have been a bit agitated lately.

[ Funny enough, Venti's already taking down notes in a small leather notebook – all key points of his city and the people he'd introduce Zhongli to. Little stars and hearts around important bullet items line the paper, but... he stops between messages to soak it in. It's funny how the tables have turned...

Morax is not dead. That news brought him such joy, just as Venti's awakening must have done the same to the geo archon. The bard can't help but smile a bit wider. ]

There's just a few rules you have to follow. Ready to hear them?

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[ as proud Morax, militant Geo god, Archon of Liyue, he never thought that in the end, it would be him and Barbatos, of all people, standing hand in hand at the end of the world. Venti's small fingers encompass his wrist, and his fingers curl in his grasp, like a gift to prove he's not a stone statue.

the two of them had lost a lot: soldiers, families, and lovers. perhaps in all of Zhongli's hopes, he wanted to ensure that the bits and pieces of Liyue that he knew remained as memories in a tapestry of history. it didn't matter if it was in mythology or celebration, or in small things, like keeping Xiao warm. ]

May it be those memories that live on.

[ in all of his loneliness, he found himself here.

the gloved hand moves from his hand and to his shoulder, offering Venti the invitation to step closer. ]

[ There was something bittersweet about it. Did Liyue and Mondstadt truly figure it out? To work together in such a way that their people would continue on without them? It brings warmth to Venti's heart, but Zhongli's presence is what brings it to his features. Rushed red, eyes tremble just at the sight of the man in such a way.

As if a haze had been cast in the old, lonely library... he feels something else stir. He can't share this moment with anyone else. Mortals wouldn't hold the weight of history, his Winds wouldn't know what it was like to have these curiosities (save, well, Vennessa but >bird).

Zhongli walked close to his own path.

Close, yes, that was quite the word for it.

He wants to question the motion when Zhongli moves his grasp to his shoulder, his form tense but he isn't quite sure what to expect. Yet, the invitation isn't denied.

He'd never deny it, he thinks.

The scuff of his shoes squeaks against the floor as he stumbles closer with the stumble of his heart. Impossible to react without his face torn up with embarrassment, he tilts his gaze down – all waiting for Zhongli. ]

[ perhaps it was appropriate, to be in a place surrounded by dusty memories scrawled over parchment. catalogs of humans in everything from numbers and figures to grand ideas of mythology. they've come so far in the last few thousand years – the era of gods and monsters finally coming to an end.

Zhongli retired out of necessity, understanding that if he didn't, that what came after him may be worse. to protect Liyue from both dissonant gods of malicious temper and Celestia herself, he handed over his gnosis. the Geo Archon still lived, but not as the pillar of Liyue any longer. it had taken some time to get used to his post, and will take time to get further used to it still: Zhongli is a creature of steady movement and graceful change, as stone does not embody the chaos of many other elements. still, rock becomes cracked and shattered, presses together into fine gemstones, but still remains.

gold eyes look down and he catches a glimpse of the pink in Venti's cheeks. perhaps that was too bold? or, perhaps, the want for closeness was not mutual? ]

Perhaps I've misjudged.

[ and this is not a date.

at the shoulder of Venti's cape, Zhongli's fingers loosen and fall back to his side, but he still seems to enjoy the closeness. ]

[ The collected data and endless stories were beautifully represented. Each one bound, some worn more than others... to be cherished for any soul who dares hunt for something to connect to. Lisa, he suspects, is fond of them for the possibilities... and he has to agree.

Venti is in a delicate place. He wants to come and go. He wants to exist where Zhongli's eyes are on him as well as he has the power to command them his way. That is where the conflict lies. The freedom of choice was so strong that it curls his stomach into a tight knot... for those possibilities can spiral.

He's met with a soft sentence, the kind that makes his gaze snap up.

Was it a confirmation or a conflict? ]

Misjudged? [ He wants to prod and inquire further but the moment Zhongli's hand pulls back – the dial turns and the strike echoes with the chime of a bell hitting an hour's welcome.

Venti crashes forward with his hand latched roughly to Zhongli's jacket at his hip. The bard's face presses stubbornly into the man's chest and his grumbles were muffled for a time being. There's no telling what scolding Venti was giving him, but it's clear what the intent was.

They had played judge, jury, and executioner for many things in life ... there was simply no more room but to simply be.

One hand against the middle of Zhongli's back and the other still tightly clenched to his jacket... each chime from the clock sounds like centuries.

Venti's terrified that once the final one rings, he'll awaken with nothing left. ]

[ Zhongli was resigned to it, and he was content with whatever affection Venti decided to display. between the two of them, Venti had always been far more expressive, while Zhongli more reserved. it was part of their nature, one that Zhongli saw as all-encompassing once, and now sees as more flexible.

his hand doesn't make it back to his hip before Venti's launched himself at him, grasping the embroidery of his jacket and almost lifting himself off the ground to attach to his center. admirably, Zhongli does not sway under the pressure, and remains fairly dignified as Venti finds a nook to bury himself.

well, that's enough of an invitation to raise a hand to support him around the waist, just under the cape to keep him from tipping in any direction.

Venti chatters in his annoyed, flustered fashion and somewhere, he can hear the bell ringing. it's all a little out of scope, considering the wind sprite that's decided to take occupancy by attaching to him. ]

Barbatos ... [ there's a sigh that comes after that, and his voice comes evenly. ] I'm not going anywhere.

[ When the final chime leaves them in silence... Venti tilts his gaze up, chin digging into him. He's small by all means, but he stands a bit taller at Zhongli's words.

Out of all that comes and goes... Zhongli still remains.

His heart is racing and he looks more nervous than he ever had in his life. Shaky eyes, darting brows... his words were a soft whisper. ]

...Then, you haven't misjudged anything.

[ If anyone was to walk in, they'd promptly turn and avoid their eyes – there was no denying how close they were and entangled into one another.

Venti fetches behind him, papping for his book tucked away in his waistline. He offers it and leans back juuuuuust enough for Zhongli to be able to do as he requests: ]

Last page. Turn to it.

[ when Venti tips back his head, Zhongli places a hand on it to keep his hat from falling off – it would be undignified, even for Barbatos. there are arms around his waist, and Venti's body is pressed so tightly against him he'd swear that the little god was trying to leave no surface untouched.

with an elegant turn of his wrist, he shifts his forearm against Venti's waist, pulling him, somehow, just a little closer so he could tilt down and retrieve the book with the opposite hand. it's a little puzzle, even if it's easily solved, he feels as if he's somehow walked straight into Venti's plan.

though he certainly feels like that often.

the only problem with the whole thing is that he has to let go to sift through the pages of the book, and Venti's left clinging without support. ]

As you find yourself at a lack for limbs for the moment.

[ of course he can't help make a comment, but he does nothing to move or dislodge Venti when he easily could. instead he turns to the back page, respectfully not glancing at any others. ]

[ Look, he's a brat. He wants it both ways.

Yet... he'll ease up. There is no doubt that while Barbatos is as free and hedonistic, he isn't overly clingy. ...Much? Venti leans back enough on his heel to give Zhongli the distance needed to take the book. He'll go to the last page with nothing crazy to distract him. Compared to the lists and scribbled out suggestions, there is only one neatly written paragraph. Venti pulls back enough to create a foot of distance, but it feels different now.

To know what it was like to embrace him in that way, even if they weren't quite as clear as they should... there was only a before and after, now.

To say goodbye without longing or regret, that would be quite an adventure, wouldn't it?

Don't be too late again.

If Zhongli lowers his gaze, Venti looks up to seek out something he isn't sure he wanted a response to. ]

[ Barbatos has never been clingy, but perhaps for those that he enjoys the company of he likes to push boundaries in terms of personal space. while Morax would probably be adverse to the contact with others who hovered in his general vicinity, Barbatos has slammed himself up so hard against the rock that he's worn it down that Morax doesn't seem to mind the intrusion.

Zhongi releases his support as Venti steps back. the little notebook is open between his thumb and forefinger, tilting it up in an elegant manner that now, after so long, comes easy to him. there isn't much to read on his face, he looks, if anything, quietly contemplating.

without much change in expression, he hands the notebook back to Venti. ]

Why didn't you say something sooner?

[ ah, Barbatos. ]

[ This was the longest moment of his life! Will be overwhelmed? Angry? Is Venti viewing this completely wrong...? They had discussed things like the gnosis and looming threat so briefly that guilt riddles the bard.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

That's all he says? Venti's eyes tremble at the question as if it was an arrow to the chest. He's not sure what he expected, but he takes the notebook and holds it half to his face, covering his mouth.

He mumbles: ]

Really? You're always out of reach, Morax.

[ He says with a soft grunt of annoyance. War, duty, sleep, death, whatever separated them from this small moment... ]

Say something else.

[ Zhongli is, in some way, completely out of his depth. Venti makes a scrunched up expression of disapproval and it takes him a moment to pull it back – he's certain that if Guizhong were to see this, that she'd be laughing at him.

Cut him some slack, Morax, he obviously has it out for you.

with a pinch of his forehead, and a suffering sigh, he tries again. even as the breath passes through his nose, he sounds a little softer. ]

You were never good at getting what you wanted.

[ though it sounds less like an accusation and more like something far fonder. he offers out an arm this time for him to come closer. they can try that again. ]

Come here, Barbatos.

[ Zhongli had taken the trip here, enjoyed his company... and Venti wonders should he have said anything at all. They always had this... tension, maybe to make up their lack of affinity with Geo and Anemo.

Or maybe it was something else entirely.

Venti thinks he has it figured out and now that doubt spreads, but he refuses to regret. ]

I ask for little.

[ Which isn't absolutely wrong. They meet here in a library he's restricted to sneaking around in, he has no home to bring him to – but... simply wanted to lift that mask that Venti, the performer, wears so well. ]

Come to you. [ Repeating slowly, as if he's doubting the next few moments. He clarifies, and slowly steps forward. It isn't until the tip of their shoes kiss that he looks up and stops. ] I'm here.

[ wasn't there always that tension between freedom and contracts? one allows for space, while the other is firmly rooted to the ground. they're both needed, in their own nature, but the nuances cause them to draw together, rather than drift apart.

see: the freedom in the contract is the gap between what is written and what is not, and there is always room for negotiation.

see: the restriction of freedom is in what can't be requested, in fear that the request would influence the freedom of whom it was requested upon.

Zhongli wonders if this is the impasse, but as soon as Venti steps forward he finds that he doesn't care. the offered arm draws around his waist as he steps forward, pulling him close again. it's not a light embrace, but Morax's tight grip, pressing him inward until their bodies are flush. the other arm rests over his shoulders, bringing him until he's buried against his chest, like the coils of a dragon. it's unbecoming to be a little desperate, but he has missed this. ]

I know things have been hard for you.

[ his voice is a gentle purr in his chest. ]

[ They were close in their nations but they wished to be close elsewhere. To further understand the other. Morax frustrated Barbatos as much as Barbatos frustrated Morax at times – if only because it was a reminder that the other had something they did not.

The tight grip was not prepared for and he swallows a bit comedically and gasps for air – if only because of course Venti will try to lessen the tension.

...It doesn't go away. It's only when he sinks his form forward with his arm weaving around Zhongli's side does he feel that loosen – like a vice-grip on his chest being loosened. ]

I don't want pity. It's hard for everyone. You're dead, remember? [ Well. Rex Lapis was. ] But... do you wish to live, truly?

[ With mortal little moments like this, he means. His nails grip into Zhongli's back softly, taking the desperation as his own instead. ]

[ Venti wiggles his arms around him and he feels more at ease than he has in a long, long while. as if his decision for retirement was truly the right thing to do, and there were no regrets to leave behind. ]

The death of duty is not the same as passing to the other realms. You don't need to concern yourself with the nuances between the two – I am exactly as I would have myself be in this moment.

[ so, the answer is yes, but he never wanted to die. he knew it was not his time, neither historically nor fatefully. there was no other choice beween leaving Liyue to Celestia and leaving Liyue to the humans. ]

Pity and comfort are not one and the same, Barbatos.

[ This is new. Venti can't parse what the right move is so he wings it – as he did offering the book to him. They just stand there, two forms different from one another but melding so perfectly. Venti's features press against his collarbone and just... breathes him in. Every truth past his lips wasn't cast with doubt, not when Zhongli speaks so confidently on the matter.

He's wanted this for some time, but did he feel as if he deserved it? It's hard to say. Part of him wants to still pull away and keep their distance – it's safe, but he knows all of the longing he's written in poems and plans mean nothing if he doesn't let it actualize – manifest, hopefully. ]

I wanted you to come to Mondstadt to see how it's grown, for you to lay eyes upon a thriving free city that I am so very proud of. If you were proud of my city as well, it would mean... ah! Well, a lot!

[ Venti is quiet: ]

The city... ah, even with set-backs, they forge onward! From sampling the winery's best wares, to listening to the children practice their instruments in the square before dinner is ready... perhaps life could be as simple as we wanted.

[ It's a lie, but it sounds so believable coming from his lips. ]

I wanted your eyes on me, as well. So very badly, I may add.

[ Ignore him while his face erupts in red. ]

[ even if Venti wanted to pull away now, Zhongli knew better. he had handed over the pages of his book, laid them open, and with it, himself bare. given, Zhongli has learned that Venti can wiggle his way out of almost anything if he puts his mind to it, but he won't let him run away from something like this.

for a brief moment, he frowns, more thoughtful than judgmental. then he tilts up Venti's chin with long, gloved fingers, examining his expression as if he were looking for something. he's pink – Zhongli can see the blood rushing in Venti's cheeks, almost to his ears. ]

I stepped away from my duties as an Archon because I saw what you had done with Mondstadt. There is no need to be proud of what inspires you.

[ it seems a little silly, he supposes, to admit it so easily. it feels as if he's giving Barbatos something he hadn't worked for, or perhaps he's being too harsh, and perhaps he already had. after all, Liyue was thriving at the end of the world because of Barbatos' declarations of freedoms. ]

And for what? I will not put my eyes on Mondstadt when you're right in front of me.

Edited (i will not use the same icon three times in a row. who do you think i am) 2022-06-28 05:02 (UTC)

[ Zhongli eases him as much as frustrates him. How many times had he tried so desperately to reach the man grounded into Liyue? However, Barbatos was a hypocrite. His first instinct at the thought of something being reciprocated was to flee – unsure and inexperienced in true matters of the heart.

This was different than taken lovers or one-sided admirations.

If he had his wings, he'd have flown the coop by now.

Instead, the tilt of his chin draws a deep sigh past his lips. A touch sends shivers down his spine and he fails to stay grounded. His shoes leave the ground and he floats just enough on a small wind to nearly even their height. Searching... seeking something in how Zhongli looks to him. ]

Mondstadt matters will always fall to its people – and now, I am left without any direct need to interfere. This is truly my people – and yours, now – standing on their own.

[ It goes back to their people for only a moment before Venti's hands scoop at the side of Zhongli's neck tentatively. Softly, experimenting with touch as much as words. ]

You'd be a horrible guest if your eyes stray, then. Horrible, I say. Does that bother you?

[ To have Venti so demanding? They are teetering on the edge, so close to crossing over a line that they cannot return from. ]

[ so noisy, even now, after getting what he wanted. Zhongli could have prophesied Barbatos' unease, much to his displeasure. Barbatos has always been a creature of unrestrained freedom and fleeting pleasures, where Zhongli has been been tethered (to Liyue or to duty or to something or other). now, when Zhongli is gently tapping a toe to release the ties, Venti is the one who seems ... nervous. ]

Barbatos. [ he says, like a name is something grounding. ] Does this bother you?

[ there is some vindication in admitting feelings, but he wonders if Barbatos is afraid of rejection, or afraid of acceptance, as one would have different tethers than the other. it was like a game: the question what does he want from me? turns into doubt that Barbatos knew, himself. ]

Do you think I'll stamp your name on a contract and never let you out again? [ but in some way, all relationships were contracts, weren't they? ] You were always bad at utilizing them.

[ Does this bother you? ]

No! It doesn't!

[ He protests quickly, as if all the things he was unsure about washes away. His inexperience in matters deeper than carnal experiences shows. He can serenade fair maidens and write poems that could bring old men to tears – but no words could truthfully express their story. His grip on the side of Zhongli's neck tightens – not enough to hurt, even if he could. It desperately claws at him as if he was afraid he'd be out of reach. ]

I'm bad at many things and I don't mind being them with... you. [ A foolish bard. A drunken wayward thorn in his side. Uncouth and ill-mannered. ] Morax...

[ They don't speak so plainly. It takes a lot for the words to leave his lips, so he asks – holding back impulse and desires alike. ]

May I shut you up and just kiss you?

[ while he doesn't have a drunk Venti in his arms now, he certainly expects one later. that, he supposes, is something that comes along with the entire package that is Barbatos. ]

I never did expect you to ask. [ he thought Barbatos would just do it, but he supposes that he only partially accounted for the jitteriness. then again, Barbatos was taken by his whims more than not. ] You must be familiar, considering kissing is the subject of many songs written by man wandering bards ...

[ is he going to continue? he definitely needs to be shut up, because it looks like if he's not stopped, he'll just continue. it's as if he's unintentionally handing Venti a new weapon for his arsenal.

he'll regret it later tonight. ]

[ What's so long about November 2021 when Venti has wanted to do this for centuries? He expects something other than what he gets. There's many things one would not expect from the bard – yet here he was. Trying to compromise, seem logical and give Zhongli choice.

A precious choice that was as fair as it was intimate.

But, even he has his patience.

He plays coy, or simply, firm as a stone and doesn't dare kiss him first. Or even ask for it. Both hands comb up from his neck instead to squeeze his jawline, thumbs to the sharp bone. Venti huffs before he kisses him, winds making the bookcases rock from how deeply he goes for it. He feels pained, in a way, that he waited this long but it feels... right. To kiss him and hope he feels the same sparks coursing through him is all he could want right now.

He doesn't pull back – not until he has to. ]

[ Zhongli would have kept talking, as it seems like he always has something to say, but his words pause as Venti spreads his fingers over the back of his neck and over the curve of his face.

for someone who prides themselves in being as still as stone, Zhongli bends so easily to meet him.

it starts sweet – the brush of the lips as Venti huffs indignantly before closing the space between them. for the moment, Zhongli savors the contact. it's been a long time since he's had it, and even longer since it's brought some comfort to him. there's a swell inside of him that feels all too much like the call of Geo, but he keeps it at bay. the intensity is there, as if it's pushing up against the barriers, but it's no surprise, Zhongli has always held back.

he likes the taste, something that he's thought about for at least a thousand years, pressed up against him in mild desperation. it, surprisingly, seems to come naturally to him, even as he parts his lips and gives Venti some room to explore.

(yet, he's still here, holding back.) ]

[ Venti isn't sure what he's doing.

He never got a clear indication what Zhongli liked in a lover or partner. When he thinks about it... he fears there's an incompatibility that puts their lack of resonance with Anemo and Geo to shame. For he was everything Venti was not – but... perhaps that is why he seeks him so desperately now to fill a space left hollow. It's tiny, but there. The size of an arrow wound to his heart, if he wants to be sappy about it.

But... Zhongli's lips fit against his and that gives him enough drive to kiss. Soft at first, open eventually, and soon with a bite of his bottom lip – he pulls back with features flushed and words fumbling out past his lips: ]

...Tell me you felt something. [ Anything, but preferably that he felt the same spark inside as him. It's almost pleading as the winds around them die down. He's thought of this on lonely nights for centuries – feared seeing him when he awoken for the thought of how badly that desire would still be there. Yet... here they were. ] Please. Anything.

[ there have been many lovers and partners, all of Zhongli's relationships like contracts. when he takes them, he doesn't fear incompatibility or how good at it he may or may not be, he simply offers himself into it. while Zhongli has the ability to make many things complicated, moments of this are quite simple.

physical pleasure is much like many of the other things that he's learned to appreciate in his life – this is his first offering off it after he stepped down as Liyue's Archon. there are other responsibilities, but all of which are less pressing.

he touches a thumb to his bottom lip curiously, as if he's testing something. then Venti's pleading with him, and his head tilts like he's not entirely certain how to place it.

is he still unsure?

perhaps it's that Zhongli doesn't feel things in the same way Venti does, or that there's still little rifts between them that had always been there. Zhongli doesn't mind them, actually, he's learned quite a bit from those gaping gaps between the two of them. he's not sure how to express that, or how to convey it to Venti to soothe him. so, he doesn't say anything, and instead leans forward again to kiss him.

it's less soft this time, as if something that he had been holding back is slowly being chipped away, releasing a ferocity that's normally kept for the dragon that he once was. this time he fills the pocket of Venti's mouth, pressing his body backward and into the closest bookshelf. ]

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u thought u would get away with this before bed?

yes