The god, Barbatos, of the city of freedom. Taking the form of a green eyed boy, eyes twinkling with a nice smile. He always enjoyed seeing others smile, so he decided that if he could give even more joy to his people, he would simply smile all the time.
Venti sat quietly on the edge of one of Mondstat's inner walls, this one in particular had been enveloped with leaves and mosses. His mind was lost within a universe of its own as he let his senses be filled with the comfort of familiarity.
"Venti," Kaeya interrupted the Bard as he stared off in thought, "Venti, are you there?" The Knight Captin flung his ponytail off the front of his chest and to his back.
Venti moved a bit to clear his head, "Ah, hello there, sorry I was just- ah nevermind, what is it you need?"
"Well, I was going to say," the blue haired male laughed deeply as he noticed the other's vivid tiredness, "you should go down to Windrise for a while."
"The tree?" The Bard questioned aloud, which of course.. he loved that tree, but why would someone else suggest he go there.
"Yes, it was a suggestion from Jean."
"Oh," Venti's voice quieted, perhaps the Acting Grand Master had noticed his attitude was off. Which, in all honesty, did not surprise him one bit. He knew her as a smart, levelheaded, overworking, genius. Why, he would not want anyone else watching over his city. "Well, thank you, I think I will do just that."
"Wonderful, I will report back to Jean," Kaeya waved off the bard as he left, "have a nice one."
Venti shook his head with a perturbing thought, "Now is not time for something like this." He grunted in frustration and jumped carefully off the wall.
Sara at the Good Hunter waved at him with a smile as he passed her stall. This made the male's heart overjoyed. "Have a good day Miss!"
Everyone else on his way out of the stone walls was just as friendly. What an amazing group of individuals to be known as his people. Although he didn't exactly own them, this was The City of Freedom after all.
The water on the outskirts of Mondstat was as blue as ever, giving the God the urge to spontaneously jump in. Although, Timmie may not appreciate him scaring his birds away. Nontheless, as he saw the tree he loved so much in the distance, he continued on.
Venti neared closer and closer to his sacred safeness. Taking a deep breath as he finally arrived under the tree.
"It's been a while, hasn't it," The Bard placed his hand upon the trunk of the tree and smiled, "old friend."
He allowed himself to stay there for a while, eyes closed as he stood comfortably in the space he valued so. But as time drew on, he had eventually found his way back to a patch of sunlight in the trees. He stared up through the leaves and wondered if life could eternally be this blissful.
Venti could've sworn that his joy was radiating off him in yellow waves.
But as days turn to night, and time continues to tick, night approached, the male decided it was time to head back.
A sensation of being looked after was warming his soul, and although he wasn't sure why. Venti knew the intentions of this feeling were pure and not of evil desires, so he let it be. After all, it wasn't hurting anyone.
The Bard went to step backwards, obviously forgetting the roots of this tree were as wild as his hair in the morning. "Ah," Venti huffed out as he began to feel himself go towards the ground, and even though he could stop himself, he figured that a taste of human clumsiness wouldn't hurt to experience.
So as he braced for impact, something caught him from behind.
Venti was confused as to why this was, the thing that was holding him from the ground.. could it be wind? No, it felt too firm to be wind.
As any normal person would do, he pushed himself up from the support behind him. However, as he turned to see what had saved him from the impact. Venti was met with nothing but emptiness, "T-thank you?" He sputtered out.
No response was given to him, yet he knew whatever or whoever helped him, was a friend. Someone he knew was only looking after his well being, so he left the questions he had to drift away with the wind.
-
Venti had made his way back to Mondstat, his new destination clear in his mind. The stone under his feet echoed quietly throughout the small alley on the way to the wine shop.
The wooden door was opened faster then he would like to admit, but Venti was desperate for a good drink at the moment.
"Diluc," the male exclaimed, "wonderful, I didn't know you'd be here tonight!"
"Neither did I," the red head groveled in his low voice.
"Can I get my usual," Venti smiled politely towards him behind the bar.
He noticed Diluc getting a glass out as he turned to the new familiar face he spotted.
"Kaeya, well well, didn't expect you'd be here," The Bard laughed playfully in his sarcastic tone.
"L-like I'm the on-nly one-e," The Knight dropped his head down on the table as he slurred his words.
"I'll go get someone to take him home," a random regular at the bar nodded to Venti and Diluc as she headed out the door.
"Well, I'm glad someone is willing to pay attention to him," Diluc scoffed as he stared at the blue haired male. "Here is your drink."
"How much," the male with braids began to down his first glass, "for three." He gulped as he finished off the first glass, looking toward the red head with sincerity.
"Three drinks, you?" Diluc laughed heartily, a sound The Bard had not heard often if at all from him. "Anyway, you know the deal," the tall male pinched the bridge of his nose, "you keep her and I a secret and you get whatever you want for free." Diluc thought for a moment then continued, "Unless you start showing up more often, then we will have to negotiate, for my stock's sake."
Venti laughed as he downed another glass of Mondstat's finest.
The door to the Tavern creaked open, "Kaeya.. again, are you serious." A somewhat recognizable voice was echoing into his ears as he eavesdropped. More intoxicating liquid falling down his throat.
"W-who is th-hat?" Venti slurred as he gestured with his hand. "I think-k I," he hics, "know, but can't-t p-place it."
"Who," Diluc works on wiping a glass down with a white rag before looking up and noticing who's arrived, "oh, that Alchemy guy, I forget his name.. he works on the mountain or something.. ehh, not really an important person to me."
"A-a," The Bard lies his head down for a moment, but by the time he lifts it, he has forgotten what he was talking about. After two more glasses, six, seven, ten, and then twenty, the room was even more of a blurry mess.
"Bye," Venti muttered as he drug himself out of the chair, he had once again, stayed way over closing time. However, this was expected behavior, Diluc was less then surprised.
The red head turned around to put up the last couple of things he could before closing. Yet, this was a major mistake on his part. Venti, being in the state he was in, wandered upstairs and to the extra room, his brain somehow making sense that this was the way to leave.
He pushed open the plank of wood and was greeted with a face he knew. "Ah, Jea-n, w-what're you doing-g he-ere?" The Bard smirked.
The Acting Grand Master's face lit up a bright red as she tried to hurry him out of there, "Let's not talk about this Venti, you are very drunk and confused, let's get you to your place, ok."
The Bard pushed himself off of Jean, "N-no, I'll go b-yy myself, y-you ha-ve oth-her plan-ns." As he walked himself out to the balcony he mimicked kissing noises.
Venti laughed to himself as he leaned against the railing of the balcony, "Ah, wh-hat a day."
"Come on," a voice called to him, the familiar safeness resting over his body again, "did you hear me?"
A hand suddenly grasped his own, pulling Venti down the flight of stairs at an alarming pace. The grip on him was firm, but not an unpleasant feeling. He wasn't used to physical contact, but he certainly wouldn't push it away.
"Who?" was all he could manage to get out before violently throwing himself to the side and vomiting.
"You know who it is, stop acting like you don't."
Was that really true, was Venti choosing not to recognize this person. He knew somewhere deep inside didn't he. He knew the truth.
"T-that's enough," Venti wiped his mouth and pulled away from the hand of the unknown speaker, "I- m-must be going." He stumbled down the street, droplets of wetness falling quietly onto the ground as he moved forward.
The Bard entered his room in a state of confusion, grabbing his lyre and beginning to play a tune he had once written for someone he knew. A somewhat trifling matter caused the two of them to lose touch. However, this did not stop his thoughts or concern for his friend. Somehow it made them more persistent.
After a while of playing and mindless humming, sleepiness fell upon the male's eyelids and led him to fall asleep tossed onto his bed with the lyre close by his side.