Taking over the Abyss

19- Bonds that tie us

You let Venti drag you inside the bar, ignoring the curious looks the other bartenders cast your way. Venti brought you straight over to Charles, beaming with excitement as you pulled out your bag of mora. Truth be told, you were also excited to buy your very first drink in Teyvat, finally having mora of your own.

"How much does a bottle of dandelion wine cost, sir?" You asked, struggling to hide the pure excitement that came with making your first purchase. Charles was unfazed by how happy you and Venti seemed, but otherwise perplexed by your manners.

"No need to call me 'sir', miss," Charles said, then gestured backwards with his thumb, "Prices are up there. 3000 mora for a whole bottle."

Augh, that was pricey. You counted the mora in your little bag, then painstakingly handed all of it over. Having to count individual coins was going to get very, very tiring. How the people of Teyvat managed to do it was simply beyond your comprehension. Charles handed over the bottle of alcohol with little fight, along with two cheap-looking wine glasses. Although given the somewhat tired look on his face as Venti snickered mischievously, he was clearly under the assumption that the two of you were troublemakers.

Venti guided you to a wooden table of his choosing, making you sit right next to him for maximum alcohol bottle reach. Pouring a glass for the two of you, he picked his up and gestured for you to do the same, trying to imprint some of Mondstadt's bar etiquette onto you, "Okay, now we clink our glasses together!"

You did as directed, the two of clinking your wine glasses together before taking a drink. The wine tasted just as you remembered, the faintly familiar sweet aftertaste stronger than you assumed. Venti seemed content, sighing happily and staring at his glass lovingly.

You took a slower sip, savoring the taste before commenting, "No wonder it's so popular... it's better than I remembered."

"It's been quite a while since I've been able to savor such a delicacy," Venti was practically cradling his glass, "Much less in the company of such a pretty lady..."

You felt your face flush with heat at the compliment, grumbling, "Flattery can only get you so far, bard..."

"Flattery is only flattery when it isn't true," Venti winked at you.

You changed the subject before you could be flustered any further, "I'm assuming you've had every drink they serve here?"

"Of course I have! How much of it depends on how much people are willing to buy for me, though," he explained, "Often times, when I find I'm low on mora, I'll just put a wine glass in my mouth and play for tips that way. It usually works, but sometimes I'm unlucky. Are you trying to hint that you want me to give you recommendations?"

You nodded, "Ordering the same drink over and over again would get old, and you seem like a professional wine taster."

"Well! You've come to the right person! It just so happens that not only am I the best bard in all of Mondstadt, but I also have extensive knowledge about every wine in existence!" Venti boasted, taking pride in his incredible skills. "This week, for the low cost of a glass of dandelion wine- which you have already paid in advance- my recommendation is such: the black valberry special!"

"I'm assuming by 'special' you mean it's some sort of cocktail," you guessed. Venti smiled and nodded.

"Yep! It's quite limited, too. As in, only Diluc can make it, and he'll only do it half the time," he said. So even the drinks in Teyvat had gacha...

"It sounds like a nice treat. I'll have to bug him into making it for me sometime," you were curious about what it tasted like, but figured that if Venti didn't tell you, it was probably meant to be a surprise.