primos | from @bakerstreet

[ If anything, Venti feels like he's in his element. To usher in guests, to keep entertainment alive and well – it was practically what fuels him. But, for a dear friend? There's challenge there. ]

Good. I eagerly await to see which you choose. Such a simple choice does hold a lot of merit!

[ Gosh, the young flower girl could prattle on for hours on the meaning of flowers – it's inevitable he'd retain a thing or two. His people sure did like to attach meaning to things... ]

Yes, just one. Just as I greet you, I must say my goodbyes. It's horrible luck to allow your eyes onto another soul other than your host. Therefore, you must only see me before you depart. The moment your feet lead you to grassy hills and dirt paths, then you're off the hook.

It's good fortune my eyes are quite dazzling, isn't it? Not too much to complain about before you leave.

[ it's been five-hundred years, and he hasn't changed at all, has he? meanwhile, Zhongli has had that time to bend to his own kind of flexibility, even if it was slow going. leave it to Venti to test his boundaries on what Zhongli will agree to – it's fine, Zhongli will humor him.

just as many things stayed the same, perhaps time had caused Morax to become something a little softer, the edges of a stone sanded by the sea. ]

Mondstadt's traditions have held fast, I see. You certainly seem serious on their upkeep, between the generous gift of libations to an exchange of flowers. While certain cultural exchanges are common in Liyue, your rules sound akin to a romantic engagement.

[ are you taking him on a date, Venti ]

Is that what you want? That I'll only look at you?

[ it's a serious question with some level of Zhongli's dry amusement. ]

[ Five-hundred years was a blip of time, or so people would presume. Archons are gifted with much in their time in this realm. Power, followings, vision that no others could see of a future where the land could be shaped like clay between their fingers. What's a few hundred years, right?

They haven't talked about it. Haven't discussed much of anything in favor of shying from the past. Venti being gone, Rex Lapis' demise – all the bard knows is when word got to Mondstadt of his 'passing', he mourned he did with all those treasured in his life.

Until, y'know, he got his shit together and got more deets.

But, that amount of time pales in comparison to the slumber Venti took without much warning or fanfare. Perhaps that was a discussion for another day because truly? Nothing has changed. Venti is flighty and Zhongli humors it when not imposing his wrath. ]

Yes, they're quite welcoming! It's no wonder we get so many

What?

A romantic

[ Hm. Congrats on breaking him? He stops in his tracks, face flushed a hot red that seers its way across his cheeks. The thought of all these rules leading up to something romantic... no.

No, right? They're friendly... but why does Venti stop in his tracks to replay everything? To almost envision it coming to fruition. ]

Bahahaha! Is that how they do it in Liyue? I'm merely trying to

welcome, yes welcome you properly!

[ there is a lot to discuss: Venti's sudden nap, Zhongli faking his own death, their Gnoses both lost, and the turmoil that Teyvat seems to have fallen into just as the traveler stepped upon its soil. he's not unaware of their circumstances, and it almost seems silly to discuss tours and dates but from what he's learned, companionship is meant to be cherished, because it can be so easily lost. that isn't to say that he isn't somewhat cross with Barbatos' actions – but he can understand. he's not the only one who has to take steps to avoid erosion.

he's mulling this over. Venti's broken reply makes him curious. ]

You've been asleep for quite some time, our circumstances before you laid to rest didn't leave much room for affection. It must have been a while since you've last taken a lover.

[ and he can just sit here and think about this practically while Venti breaks a little bit on the other end. from the stand point of drinks, shows, flower exchanges and Venti's insistence that they remain together during his stay in Mondstadt, he knows a duck when he sees one. you know, from a very emotionally unnuanced point of view. ]

If you want to seduce me, it's not as if you don't have the means. Of course, you may have to be less sloppy in the execution of your ballads. If you could manage that.

[ it's been a very, very lonely last five-hundred years, but Morax always put duty above his own personal needs. the road ahead of him was also barren, an observer to Liyue's mortal renaissance, and looking forward he only had steps to take to avoid the possibility of erosion. ]

[ Venti avoids the difficult questions and the things that make him truly work unless they matter. Dvalin, honoring the nameless bard's image, and of course, providing companionship to the few remaining friends in his life were worth every bit of effort.

He just won't be super excited to put effort in, but... Zhongli puts him in a difficult position. To doubt himself. ]

We are sooooo not talking about my intimacy here. I've had many adoring fans, dozens of hands worth if we're counting!

[ Fans were not lovers though – and he doesn't put his heart on his sleeve so easily. Many of them had been lost to time and with his current form, he could only charm himself to a certain few. It was lonely, in a sense, but Venti tries his best not to want. Wanting was what brings him to act impulsively.

Damn, he needs a drink for this. It takes a moment for him to formulate something suitable for the flighty bard, to combine his own flustered feelings with the guard they usually do keep up. It's difficult.

How can he write so many things and fail to find the words suitable here? ]

I wasn't aware my invitations were open for seduction. Are you seeking the affection of Barbatos or a simple bard, I wonder? Those are two very different things!

[ It was a distraction, the kind that Venti can get behind until he figures out the next course of action.

Unfortunately, he's going against a man who is impeccable with his plans... ]

Are we sure it's not wishful thinking for a lonely old stone?

[ it's not often that Morax gets the upperhand on Barbatos, but the years had served him well. the unmovable old stone had turned been carved into something more flexible, and even he's aware of his own change over the years. that is to say, that he's not the same person that Venti went to sleep on so many millennia ago. ]

They're not. [ as if he knows it as fact. ] Does the wind blow in a single direction? When it comes from the mountains it's different than when it rolls off the sea, but it's still the wind. You're more than one thing, Barbatos. Even if you've accustomed yourself to believing that they're separate, you're both an Archon and a simple bard. You're also a friend.

[ this is the problem with someone who's known you for at least two thousand years, Venti. while he may be dense when it comes to ... general emotional competency, he's known Barbatos long enough to know when and how he hides.

while their nature conflicted, and they went about their nations with two very different styles of leadership, they found some mutual ground to stand on. it was Barbatos who brought the first Seven Archons together, after all. ]

I am lonely, and I'm not unopposed to your company, even if the affection takes different forms. Take that however you wish.

[ this really is that simple to him. ]

[ Being called out brought out the childish deposition that most knew him for. His tongue sticks out as he reads each word, far more true than the one preceding it. It's almost insulting that Zhongli speaks of the wind, perhaps Venti will do his research on rocks for another occasion – a petty bard still always at odds as much as he is in favor of his old friend.

It... felt right to be. To keep things as they were, while ushering in another passing day with Morax still in the world. ]

When will I expect a novel based upon Barbatos penned from your hand if you're so sure of your testimony?

[ It's a lighter tease, at least, but doesn't stop the conversation. It doesn't derail it, merely cushioning Venti for the blow of his friend's words further. The admittance twists his heart into a knot he's not sure he could undo at the moment.

Old Morax... always simple when Barbatos romanticizes every aspect of life. ]

Are you unhappy as you are lonely? [ It was like a precise arrow, fired right to the heart. ] I'd be a horrible friend if I left you feeling both ways on the cusp of you coming to me.

[ Him. Not Mondstadt. ]

[ while he doesn't mean to tear open old wounds, he knows that they won't close if they're ignored. he wonders, for a briefest moment, if he should have been gentler, but no – Venti does need to hear certain truths if they're to move on from them. ]

You needn't worry. I'm not unhappy, and I'm not always lonely.

[ he's more than one thing on occasion, as well, even if he is unbending like a stone.

after a moment, there's another message: ]

You don't need to blame yourself. You're not the curator of my loneliness, Barbatos.

[ It's unavoidable. For as long as they've lived, there were bound to be things brought up. The discomfort allows them to realize their mortality and their kinship with the fleeting feelings of their people, doesn't it? ]

I better not be! I'm already planning a grand welcome for you here, after all! [ And absolutely questioning a few things. Their back and forth was a dance neither of them knows well and Venti was too light on his feet to step on feet. Just... y'know, take lead when the occasion calls for it. ] There better not be an unhappy or lonely bone in your body by the time you leave my lands. It's my duty to you now to live up to a Mondstadt welcome.

[ But... courting and seduction? The fluster falls from his mind and instead there's a small mischievous smirk. Will he ensure everyone buys his guest a round by offering his bardly services for the evening? Perhaps provide only the most beautiful flowers for the flowergirl in town? Distract the guards enough at the Eastern gate to truly ensure they would be alone upon his departure?

So many plans brew in his mind and they bring that toothy smirk to fruition, enough for his tongue to be bit down onto in his giddiness. ]

You'll end up begging me for another visit!

[ and there are many, many things that need to be brought up. they will all come up eventually, the good and the bad with it.

there's a moment when he feels his shoulders release – he can count on Barbatos to make an event leisurely, certainly. while he was more rigid when they had first met, he has slowly been learning to unravel. enough to allow Liyue to prosper without his prolonged guidance, passing it on to the humans who loved it as dearly as he did. perhaps Barbatos had been right about that – allowing that sort of freedom to see his nation become great had made him proud.

and now he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself afterward. ]

Sure. This sounds fun.

[ did he just say that? he did. it came from him. and he may regret it because is Venti ever going to let him live those words down?? probably not. ]

It's been a long time since we got together. It may not be all of us [ those dead. those gone. those in their own personal confinements. ] but it does bring back memories. Perhaps the both of us would be good with some company.

[ look, he's not a cheap date. it's a problem. ]

I trust you're not planning any prolonged naps in the future.

[ What else were Archons but the good and bad? Power was a funny thing – a balance needed to make it truly work, but things were so advantageous, weren't they? These long lives... these memories buried with the passage of time... that was the good and bad all in one.

But, Venti does not forget Morax nor will he. He can practically imagine his posture, imagine the drinks he'd favor for the evening, and that look of annoyance that he can't help but fish out of him at time.

Now at their current forms, Liyue would rest well without his watchful eyes. Venti would provide ample enough for him to deal with.

But, imagine fun being part of Zhongli's vocabulary... ]

Fun?

Fun!

But, of course. I'm practically the Funmeister of Mondstadt. [ Is that even a title? A word? ] You'll trust me to provide you with good memories and good company, then. That is my vow to you.

[ A vow he holds close, even if he may not be the most... ah? Responsible... ]

The only nap I'll take is under a tall tree or in the softest bed in the city. No worries, friend. So long as, you know, there's no faked deaths as well. :3

[ ok, there's a lot here, but first ]

What is :3?

????

Jeez, ya old stone!

It's a face. Like a furry one.

Y'know, when stupid cats have that smug look on their face. Only thing I can really stand about them...

Look at it again.

:3

[ Venti's acting like this makes sense and he feels like he's being duped again. how is this supposed to look furry? smug? like a cat? it looks like a number.

3.

3 mora. ]

It's a number and preceded by punctuation. I'd neither consider it furry nor smug. Does it merely represent cat in code?

What does this represent?

:8

[ It makes sense to those youthful and spry. ]

You can't tell me the 3 doesn't look like cat cheeks??? Use your imagination! I know you have one.

[ But... He asks about another instance. Hm... More tough. ]

It looks like you have two acorns between your lips!

[ THIS SOUNDS FAKE, VENTI ]

It resembles a number, how is that in any need of imagination?

Perhaps yours is far too inspired if there are acorns in that image.

[ he has to add, for a good measure. ]

I fail to see any mouths, especially not my own.

[ Trust him, damn it. ]

Numbers are made of shapes, however. It's not my fault you cannot see what is so clear.

Sigh... I suppose I'm gathering acorns for your visit then just to prove you wrong.

[ he will probably, but he has to make everything difficult ]

Another instance of "fun" in Mondstadt, I take it.

You've made a vow to me, you understand the implication, don't you? Cat cheeks aside, if I don't have fun, you'll face the Wrath of the Rock.

[ but sometimes he can be a little cheeky.

while he certainly judges Venti for getting wasted, he isn't innocent of having fun with alcohol when the time is called upon. he can even get messy, Celestia forbid. ]

[ It's only fair, honestly. ]

If you want to lay blame to me or my people, sure.

[ He just makes a note to spam more ridiculous emoticons because they're old farts. Emoji was a concept even far past his mindset.

Yet, vow.

Vow was an interesting thought to an archon so free and a wind wisp use to going wherever the calling was. A vow was restrictive and partially, ego aside, that scares him. Perhaps it was why they avoided their dance moments ago, why Venti still feels the sting of red on his cheeks...

This was a vow he takes seriously, whether he liked it or not. ]

I've been on the receiving end many times, friend. It's like you've lost your fearsomeness long ago when I know the real you.

Besides! My honor is on the line as the perfect bard, tour guide, and friend. I assure you, you will have fun.

[ With and without alcohol, but Venti's preference was clear. ]

[ when they had first met, Morax didn't know what to think of him. it was as if Barbatos had no sense of duty, wandering from from Mondstadt to give him, of all things, wine. a creature like that didn't know how to keep a contract, and certainly not put brush and ink to one. it took a long time for him to finally understand the perspective of someone untethered by responsibility, and then even longer to reconcile what that meant. even when he grappled with the meaning, he respected Barbatos' autonomy.

there were no signed contracts between them – at least, nothing serious. Morax never brought it up, even when their borders were linked together. there were contracts between their people, commerce and trade, between the Knights of Favonius and the Qixing, but not them. he couldn't ask Venti to do anything against his nature, but there could be concessions here and there: he would have fun and Venti would keep that vow. ]

And I assure you that I'm fully capable of it. I'll be sure to keep business to a minimum.

[ but there will be business. ]

I'll meet you at sunrise at the front gate. You should be there early, if you're the first person that I'm to see upon my arrival. [ as in, don't get too drunk tonight, Venti. ] Otherwise, there are preparations that need to be made before I depart from Wangshu.

[ Many things have changed, many people left them, many stories written that held only a glimpse of their lives. They knew the truth; all ink smears between the lines of a things written too long ago. It's how it's always been. So the actuality that a rock that was once rooted so firmly into the chiseled earth of Liyue would find comfort in Mondstadt was there? It brings the wind from Venti's sails at the realization.

No contracts needed to be drafted, even if Zhongli would find pleasure in that, for Venti was good on his word. When there was words to be given. Definitively, Venti will take his notebook and use it for good, to spread a cheer that an old friend was worth of experiencing.

But... sunrise? The lad has to stick his tongue out at the thought. ]

A lesser host would turn down such an early engagement but... [ Daydrinking? Daydrinking. ] Fortunately for you, you'll experience first hand the severity of this role. You're in my capable hands – I've had no complaints, ehe.

'Til sunrise, old friend.

[ It was as if for once, he dared to not want to sleep. To plan and secure his own fragility as much as excitement. Bottle it and drink that down. Either way, true to his word... Venti would be at the front gate at the first moment of the sun rising, ensuring a pleasant wind brings Zhongli to Mondstadt. ]

[ there's always the question in the back of his mind:

what does he want from me?

in days gone past it had been a hindrance, as Barbatos had no qualms with telling him his shortcomings when it came to emotional grace. Guizhong had been better at that, and even in her passing it was still a learning curve that Morax struggled with, and still does as he is now.

the question has lost its weight and now becomes more intriguing than frustrating. what, exactly, does Venti want from him? the answer could be to have fun, simply; it's been a while, perhaps for company, surely. though he was never good at understanding Venti's motivations, and could mull over it all he liked, but Venti was something that he had to experience for himself.

so, he takes care of his business at the Wangshu Inn, leaving Xiao Remedium Tertiorum without stopping to greet him. nightly travels are generally more dangerous, but he finds a few merchants from Mondstadt to follow through the Stone Gate, stopping briefly for a very, very early tea break on the wooden pathway before the sun rises. unfortunately his presence brings a few unscrupulous eyes to party – Zhongli looks like he has money (he does not have money), and a few bold bandits think he looks too fancy to fight (he is not too fancy to fight), but in the end, they're left face down in the dirt for their misgivings.

they part ways at Dawn Winery, and Zhongli gets a passing glimpse of it when he heads down the road to Mondstadt. the towers tipped with slow-moving windmills is enough to mark the way, even without road to guide him. the stars begin to disappear and the deep blues and purples of midnight begin to fade into soft pastel lavenders and pinks of the dawn. the dew is still hanging from tree leaves and clinging to the grass as if it may have some hope of a fleeting existence before the sun greedily decides to reclaim it. it makes the air heavy with moisture, clinging to his cheeks and the back of his neck.

the moon is lowering and the sun ascending the line of the hazy horizon as Zhongli stops in front of the bridge to Mondstadt. he doesn't cross it – in fact, he doesn't mean to enter the city proper – he can hear the slumber of the city break with the chatter of morning. the marketplace is beginning to rise, and it doesn't sound too unlike Liyue Harbor as the fish carts and shops begin their early hustles to stock goods for the day.

while he wouldn't normally care if he stuck out like a sore thumb in his Very Obvious Liyue attire, fancy and head-turning, Venti had made a Big Deal about seeing him first.

so he'll grant him that luxury. he waits, patient like a statue with its arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed, just enjoying the moment of morning. ]

[ If he had an answer, he'd maybe be inclined to tell it. Barbatos was a poorly kept secret among a few circles in Mondstadt, but Venti holds his feelings tightly to his chest.

He does not fear erosion, but he does fear a song being lost.
He fears living without a name.
He fears things ending too soon.

So, once Zhongli doesn't reply further – it was Venti's cue. He works harder than he had in sometime. Out in the outskirts of rolling hills and lush trees, preparing the right basket of fruit.

He's trying to remember – which fruit dragons were partial of? Dragonfruit? Nah, too easy.

Not even ballads could help him – so he does one of everything but right at the top... a precious apple. A gift he hopes to truly share with an old friend. Never before had he worried about the pretenses but – what were they? It was a friendly brag, to show his city working fine when there had been many talks about his ... way of ruling. So different than the other Archons, Barbatos was not one to leave trust especially when he took this form as Venti. This? He took it to heart, for ego and old times sake alike.

... and, y'know, to lessen any threat of getting boulders thrown at him.

It was lonely most days, aimless and carrying through the city and lands without a home. Without a real purpose besides... well, helping? When the occasion called for it, that is. Venti's pen scribbles lines and rhymes in tandem, recalling the blur of Mondstadt and Liyue. Where he can truly no longer tell what was his... and what was Morax's. His romanticisms bleed in even when he wasn't sure if he meant to. The conversation he narrowly avoided like an arrow – it lingers on his mind.

And then the words he wrote for the past hour feel useless.

Venti's frustrations were high as he pulls the notebook's sheet away and tosses it in the trash behind him.

He tries again, for Zhongli.

No drink was slipped past his lips as he finishes up – well into the night where he fell asleep with ink smeared into his fingers and his face smeared into his arm. It was a brief nap, an hour at the most. Enough to send him into a panic and rush out with his basket in tow and notebook tucked away – chasing to beat the first rays of the sun.

Zhongli beats him, waiting like a finish line at the front of that bridge he's passed by thousands of times. It was a rush – so close, so far... and finally the brown of his soles skid to a stop and he has to hoist out the basket to his guest with a giggle past his lips.

He'd drink Zhongli down now if he had another moment, to note his form and see what's changed truly since their last meet-up. Ah... oh well. ]

May the City of Freedom welcome you proper, friend. A gift – all plucked from the finest offerings of our land and curated by the finest eyes of our city.

[ AKA... him. :/ A tilt of his head, the ends of his braids dance against his cheek – his features showing exhaustion in those eyes of his, but he's grinning ear to ear. ]

For it has been some time and you have much to catch up on!

[ their last reunion hadn't been nearly as joyous, consumed in ash and flames. this is far more peaceful, even if it feels more like a reprieve than something that may last for more than a few moments. time is funny that way, especially to those considered gods: it moves slowly sometimes, as if it may come to a complete halt, and in others it drives forward where one moment bleeds into another, until everything passes at once in a heartbeat. this feels somewhere in between, like a hazy exhale before another sharp intake of breath.

Venti pierces the quiet murmurs of morning with noise, eagerly chirping about fruit in the way that a parent would display a child's drawing on the wall with excessive pride. if this were Liyue, he'd feel the same way. there was so far that Liyue had come that filled him with pride, even when he had to let go.

an eye opens half-lidded beneath heavy lashes, like a dragon awoken from a brief nap. then he lifts his head to give a proper greeting. ]

Barbatos.

[ he says as easily as someone would say good morning. (it'll take him some habit to fall into Venti instead of Barbatos, whoops.) ]

It has been a while. I see things have changed for Mondstadt just as they've changed for Liyue.

[ bright eyes go past the top of Venti's head and to the stone gate and the towering windmills above before lowering back to the giddy little bard in front of him holding the offering of fruit and ... well, excitement?

it strikes him a little oddly, then settles warmth in his chest that he didn't expect. despite all the arguments and horror from so long ago, it's good to see him. ]

[ Honestly, the fruit basket was a bit much. Overbearing in every sense of the word, an extreme of the friendliness he totes so proudly. Proof that a city can function without a tight grip upon it... that his lands flourish. As much as he was trying to get the man to live a little, he's also trying to subvert expectation.

There was no threat bringing them together, no funeral or sadness – it was a joyous occasion but one Morax should be rightfully weary up. Had the fruit been rotten in the inside? Had it been filled with salt? Perhaps just rocks painted to mimic fruit? Barbatos was tricky as much as he was welcoming.

Venti was fine with his display until a chilling reminder of a voice long since lost in his mind – for once, he does not mind being called that. Not in this moment. Instead, it just makes him bite back a smirk. ]

Morax.

[ A hushed, acknowledging submission that where an archon ended, a bard began – weaved together in one form... just as Morax experienced many lives now. ]

Oh, yeah! Your land expands to the sea, mine seems to build towards the heavens.

[ Liyue harbor was quite a place, always something being prepared for with their festival schedules – putting him to shame, honestly. Venti muses that he'll nudge the sisters along over the next few years to 'find' something... maybe like an Apple Cider Festival? Ehe, but that was for another day, another worry.

Venti shakes the basket a little as if telling him to take it, impatient as he rocks back and forth on his heels. ]

There's going to come a time when we stop being amused by changes – maybe on our actual deathbeds, but... there will be a time. Shall you accompany me, esteemed guest, for the morning market?

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I'M SCREAMING

he IS LEARNING

and venti is judging

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lemme know if you need me to revise anything i just kinda ... makes hands

it was perfect! i'm excited and thank you for spending the time to set a transition scene!

❤️

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