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dirletti · 2 years ago

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I still like reading these:

But, which animal species were attracted to the anemo?

Maybe the doves? Who took the courage from the wind to fly, fly as freely as the wind?

Maybe the falcons? Who strike as fiercely as Lady Vennessa, who was one of the Four Winds, protecting Mondsadt from any danger she could see. It was also known as the Ragvindr clan, one of the oldest and most prominent families in Mondsadt, recognized the falcons as lifelong friends and often relied on them to carry their most secret messages to allies.

Wasn't that a clue?

The birds, having the ability to swim, fly, and walk, should be the species; that were attracted to the element of freedom.

The theory made sense, but the reality was far from it.

It was the cats.

And, oh, how much the Anemo Archon did mind them.

"You small rascal- Achoo. Don't, don't, don't. Come. Closer. You hear me. I am warning you-Achoo."

The cat, of course, had to and did come closer.

Venti held up his blanket like it would protect him from the abomination of a kitten.

The cats didn't have a cat allergy. They were already overpowered compared to him.

A movement took Venti's attention. Another cat. And another. 'They found me.'

"What happened? Fatui ambushing?"

After Diona left, Diluc was ready to interrogate him.

"Worse."

"Worse-?" Diluc's lips were a thin line, his brows furrowed. He looked ready to fight, a warrior, just like his once descendants. His

hair color wasn't the only thing he inherited. "Cats." Venti answered, taking another sip from his glass.

Diluc's eye-rolling wasn't easy to miss. With a huff, his stance relaxed much to Venti's dismay. It would have been funny to see Diluc throwing hands with a kitten.

Venti let his head hit the bar's window after his drink finished. Mondstadt looked peaceful, with only a handful of people on the streets.

Ah, right. He had to get his window fixed, Venti thought while pressing his hand to the bar's window.

On the outside; he noticed Prince wandering, trying to find another prey. Venti couldn't help but stick his tongue at the evil thing.

But something made him stop.

A shiny coil in the cat's mouth.

His lyre strings-

Even as the snowstorm raged outside the

cave, neither of them seemed to pay much attention. With the lyre in the hands of a nameless bard joining the soft humming of a wisp, the harsh noise was suppressed, allowing them to pretend they were miles away from Mondstadt.

As cruel as a predator stalking down anything it could reach, the winds couldn't find their cave. It was as if they were in a dream. In a dream of freedom.

After all, everywhere the wisp could smell was of apples and fresh grass— with the warmth from both the bard's face and hands surrounding it.

After all, everywhere the bard could see was far different from the Mondstadt's typical jail-like territory.

"Bard!" A voice woke him; very rudely by shouting in his ear Venti had to mention, and it nearly cost him a broken bone or two. Considering that he fell asleep in his statue's hands, it wouldn't be surprising.

Or the first time it happened.

Probably wouldn't be the last, either.

The people who knew him as the Mondstadt's archon were few, yet the truth wasn't impossible to learn.

"And where did you hear that?" Venti's voice got lower, his eyes looking more turquoise every second.

If she was aware of the danger, she didn't show. "From the six-fingered Jose."

Surprised about the sentence she blurted out, all Venti could voice was a confused hum. The wind died down when she started to pull him; thinking it was a confirmation from Venti.

It wasn't, though.

"You shall not judge."

A whisper to ensure no one except Venti heard.

Venti doubted neither the nearby pigeons nor himself would judge. He already saw two Liyue water eel gods kissing when he was on Liyue. Whoever she would say wouldn't top

that moment.

...The...

...The NPC?

She raised her hand again, probably to ask about the flower choices. The colors, the shapes, the scents.

"But you can't kill anyone with a flower. Can you?" This wasn't the question Venti was expecting. Furthermore, she looked lost in thoughts only to declare. "Unless you really try to do it, I guess."

Venti didn't ask how.

He didn't need to know that.

Well, at least now Venti was the tallest of them all.

Their love life looked interesting, with all the emotions and full of plot twists! Venti had to admit.

Too bad he didn't care.

Venti hated every second he spent with her, yet he answered. "By asking the acting grand master of the Knights of Favonius, of course."

"That's a long title." She said with whistling.

Without a warning, Jean took him for a hug. "Be safe Bar-Venti."

Despite how the fatui already ruined the festival's magical atmosphere he adored already, maybe this was enough for the atmosphere to come back. He smiled.

Venti, still sleepy from his hangover, awoke with a grumble. His eyes refused to open, his cheek on the bar table lying in his drool. "Aghah, yestry nigt wasth smtihng." He whined to no particular one. His arms flexed, but rather than opening his eyes; he turned his cheek to the table's other side. 'Five minutes more.' he allowed to himself.

"pap?" A small voice, sounding suspiciously like a child, said into his ear.

"Hngh?" was his answer. Did they allow

children into the bar nowadays? He hoped not. Though; it had been over a hundred years since he last visited Angel's share. The times may have changed.

"wokie?" The small voice continued, starting to poke his head.

"Wokie?" Venti groaned as he tried to repeat the word, but it left his mouth as a question. "pap, wokie, wokie!" The small voice, now closer than ever, declared the sentence in an excited tone.

"What-" Venti opened his eyes, at last, to find two white button eyes staring at him.

"pap!" The voice shouted again, making him awaken fully, all his nerves now alert with an instinct he did not know he had.

'A wisp?'

The wisp turned around itself, twirling on the table to show how happy it was by his awakening while murmuring a happy song.

"A wind wisp without wings?" Venti exclaimed, surprise obvious in his voice, straightening on his chair.

The chair he was sitting on fell to the ground

with a loud thud.

And so did Venti.

It was so small, Venti gasped. Nearly the size of his palm, it was a newborn, most likely. But how? When?

"pap?"

Unsure what he was supposed to do, his hand reacted almost instinctively, starting to pet the wisp. It yawned and closed its small eyes, giving Venti more time to understand what happened yesterday night.

His eyes found the beer glasses on the bar's table, a realization hitting.

Did he... Did he produce a baby?

"Pray, tell me Barbatos. What are you doing in my nation, unannounced." Rex Lapis roared in his human form, the horns on his head glowing with the geo-energy. It felt stupid; now that he traveled to Liyue, but Rex Lapis was the only lead he had.

"This wisp says that... You two are brothers?" 'Ta-da.' Venti said in his head as he showed

the small wisp to the blockhead. Upon seeing Rex Lapis the wisp's face soured, and the wisp looked disgusted.

At another time, Venti would have laughed at the Geo Archon's expression after he witnessed how the wisp's face changed. This time he kindly suppressed the laugh.

"Pap, who dis uglny men?" The wisp without a shame declared.

She gazed at the wisp who was busy with getting nearly drowned in a teacup while Rex Lapis was rolling his eyes.

He closed his eyes, but the impact he was waiting for didn't come. A small boulder hit his head, then dropped onto the small wisp's head between his arms.

Venti's eyes widen, surprised at the stone's small size, while the wisp started crying, clinging onto him. It was sobbing uncontrollably but its eyes were still fixated on the Geo Archon without blinking, even

though Venti was the one petting its head to calm it. Guizhong slapped Rex Lapis' head with a disapproving frown. After that the wisp started laughing at the Geo Archon and its crying stopped.

"What was, that, Morax?" Guizhong asked, clearly annoyed.

"It couldn't have hurt," was Rex Lapis' answer.

"I must admit, I am surprised at how responsible you are acting." Rex Lapis started with a gentle voice, making Venti turn at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I am talking about your fatherhood even though it is hard to believe you have a child, now." Venti stayed silent as they continued to walk, Guizhong in front of them talking with the wisp on her shoulder. Was he doing a good job?

He couldn't know.

"I... used to watch Ragvindr." Venti started with hesitation. "You know, the redhead who helped me with the rebellion."

Rex Lapis stayed silent, urging him to continue. "And he had kids. Small redheads, looking just like their father. He was acting differently with them, and I got curious. In the rebellion, all I could remember him as was a stern warrior. His eyes determined, his lips always on the downside."

"His nation was prisoned, so it was natural for him to act that way. It must have been his coping mechanism." Rex Lapis replied.

Venti shook his head. "I know, I know. But after he got kids, his whole posture, his clothes, even the taste of his wine changed."

"How so?" Rex Lapis hummed.

"It got... All of it got softer. And you know, I always liked humans. Their emotions, songs, and poems always fascinated me. So I wanted to learn about his behaviors in case; I also became a parent. I am sorry; does this make sense?"

"It does." Rex Lapis nodded, opening his mouth but instead of telling Venti what he thought about all of this, he shouted at

Guizhong. "Cover the wisp's eyes!" Guizhong didn't need his warning to cover the poor thing's eyes immediately. "Huh, why? Oh. Oooh." Venti raised one of his eyebrows, looking around to find what caused his friend to act that way. And he saw it with his own eyes.

Two water eels were kissing in the open, their water tongues making sinful noises. Venti also closed his eyes, surrounding them with the wind. No one needed to hear the water gods.

"I swear to Celestia, I am gonna have to seal their horny tails someday." Rex Lapis said, a hint of anger obvious in his voice. Venti agreed. Some children could have seen them. Namely, his child could have.

His cheeks became pink when Guizhong turned to him with an all-knowing smirk. He ducked his head in embarrassment.

It still felt weird to say it aloud, though.

"Pap." The wisp said firmly. A command, Venti realized. He went to the wisp's side, asking what happened.

"Don't tawk uglyn dwaghons," Wisp answered with a frown. Guizhong covered her mouth again, to not let a giggle escape.

After a little more walking; they reached their destination to see Rex Lapis' familiar. "Young one, here is Azhdaha." Guizhong gestured at the round dragon without wings, sitting on the ground.

The wisp's eyes twinkled when it cheerfully declared. "Pap, look. Another uglyn dwaghon!"

Rex Lapis' tired sigh filled the domain.

The wisp started walking on the shrine while Venti watched it, his head in his hands. But then, something pink with swift paws blurred his vision, picking up the wisp and started to run.

He rolled his eyes as the wind current brought the pink fox into his hands. The fox struggled in the wind, refusing to let go of the wisp, sneering at him.

And then electro shocked him, causing him to

drop the fox into the ground. The fox changed into a young pink-haired girl, trying to stand up. Venti didn't let her, picking her from her outfit's neck and raising from the ground. "Throw it out."

"I ate it." The girl said stubbornly, yet her words were muffled. The wisp was probably still in her mouth.

"No, you didn't." Her vision glowed, but this time Venti was prepared for the shock.

"Don't make me call your archons." He threatened.

"You know my archons?" The girl smiled with childlike glee.

"Miko, drop Barbatos' wisp!" Ei's commanding voice echoed in the shrine before he could call her.

Venti smirked when the small girl did what was asked of her. "Yes, I do know them."

Ei looked embarrassed while Makoto was smiling as an apology.

Then the wisp didn't look back after it started to walk. Venti's eyes started to water, so this

was how-

The pink fox picked up the wisp again as it was on its way.

Venti turned at Ei with a deadpan expression. Ei sighed, getting her polearm ready. "I will be back."

"I decided to use a braid on my new design, now. Thanks for the inspiration! Now, now. About you my experiment #2037. Off you go!" Venti let out a horrified shout as the woman, the cute little puffer's creator, its mom in a sense, threw it into a small wooden wolf's awaiting mouth.

He felt the anemo energy leaving the small puffer, and his knees gave up, dropping to the ground in shock.

"What-" Venti let himself accept what happened before he continued.

The small puffer was gone, eaten by a creature who looked like a forbidden result of a wolf and a tree breeding.

He refused to use that 'di-' word to his tiny cute child.

"Why, why did you do that?" Venti's voice was so weak even he was surprised. The woman looked at him like she only realized his presence and laughed.

"The wolf needed some food. Oh, I am sorry for you. Did you get attached to experiment number #2630"

Venti opened his arms in frustration, trying to not cry. "We had a bonding moment. I cradled it in my arms."

Rhinedottir looked apologetic now, but the wolf did not, even licking its mouth as if to mock the poor bard.

All of his parenting went to waste just like that.

He needed a drink.

No, he needed ten drinks at least; to forget how much his heart hurt.

That last glass of wine was too much for yesterday. His head felt like it was full of wisps, all of them chattering at the same time.

The squirrel lifted its hands to the air laughing maniacally. "We can begin the sacrifice for my revenge!"

Now, now. Venti may have lived 2600+ years, but this was only the second time he was face to face with a squirrel who wanted him dead.

"Back when my grand grand grand grandparents were living on Mondstadt, there was Anemo archon who lived and ruled the lands. Every animal thought of him as kind and carefree soul, but never as a tyrant like the old god caging the nation. Then, he showed his true nature!" The squirrel declared loudly.

It was a better storyteller than the six-fingered Jose; Venti thought without interrupting the animal.

"He took the lands, the mountains, everything he could see as an impurity without listening to the cries of my ancestors! They wept on

and on, hugging each other in pure terror. The Anemo archon laughed with a cruel and ugly sound, smirking at the poor unfortunate souls. 'Since I am a very evil god who likes torturing everyone, I will send you all away.' 'But we thought you were the archon of the freedom. How could you dare to take away ours!' My grand grand grand parents shouted back at the god, trying to let their voices be heard between the endless winds. A low chuckle was what they heard when the Archon's violet eyes found them. He was a breathtaking boy, the squirrels thought when he came closer to them, his wings looking soft as clouds. But how he frowned with disgust made my ancestors afraid. They were whimpering with fear yet that just made the archon more amused. He took the princess squirrel's arms without a word, tightening his hold to not let the beautiful poor girl escape."

"What do you mean he took the princess squirrel?" Venti said, deciding to interrupt the story at last.

What kinda wisp-tale was this?

He turned back to the topic with a sigh, processing what he learned from the story. Apparently, he kidnapped a princess squirrel to marry. He made her parents cry. Then tossed all of the squirrels into the sea. His eyes were violet, his voice cruel and ugly. No wonder, he was the villain to a wisp-tale. Venti had no words about this and it took great effort to make him, a poet, a bard speechless.

Also, something was wrong. Not the story, it was already, but the fact the squirrel chose him as its sacrifice. It was unlikely to be a coincidence, or maybe he was just that unlucky.

They made eye contact while Venti raised one of his eyebrows in a silent question. The wisp; who was supposedly but not really the Dendro Archon, averted its gaze.

Without breaking eye contact, Venti started

slowly. "Are you sure this is the Dendro Archon?"

"Yes. She even picked you herself!" The squirrel looked proud as the wisp started to sweat in front of Venti's gaze. It looked everywhere but Venti; stubborn to pretend like nothing was its fault.

The wisp probably thought it would be fun to watch things unfold but didn't expect Venti to learn its shenanigans.

"Before you die, would you like to join my Anemo Archon hate club?" It gave him a paper. It looked official signed with a squirrel government stamp. "If you sign here, you will even get a badge!" The squirrel added.

Venti kindly refused, though the badge was a tempting offer.

Venti waited for it to ruin his shirt further, but it stopped eyeing the tattoo glowing with turquoise, his disheveled hatless hair. Then it looked at the wisp, most likely comparing the

tattoos. It was just minutes before the realization dawned on the small animal that Venti and the wisp were-

"Huh, didn't know an archon and a sacrifice would be tattoo besties."

It got angrier and picked up an acorn from Archon's know-where. "You tricked me! I am gonna nut you now."

Venti knew he shouldn't have corrected the squirrel when it was holding the acorn, yet the temptation won. "You mean, you are gonna gut me?"

"No, nut you. With this nut." The squirrel looked puzzled.

"No, not me. Oh, thank Celestia-" Venti couldn't finish his sentence when the squirrel started to scrape the acorn into his chest as if it could take out his heart.

The acorn wasn't a knife, so the squirrel looked like it was at a loss when it didn't cut his skin.

"Let's make a contract." He offered.

"I don't do contracts with villains." The squirrel refused.

"I am not a villain." He stated.

"That's what a villain would say." The squirrel argued.

He had to fix the misunderstanding. It bothered him how he was branded as just like the old god ruling Mondstadt. A villain, a tyrant, a bully. He was supposed to be none.

Unfortunately, Venti couldn't think of another thing the squirrel would want. And, no. He didn't have a princess squirrel.

"I can't believe you could do this to me." Venti started with a disappointed look.

"How was I supposed to know it would result in getting involved with the mafia?" The squirrel answered with an innocent look without raising its head from the ground, a shovel in its hand digging. The wisp chattered with a glare.

"You are right. If I didn't specifically tell the squirrel three times to not to, it would have been a valid argument to have," Venti added

to the wisp's sentence with a sigh while stabbing his shovel to the ground.

"Great! I am glad; we are starting to get along." He said.

"We are not getting along. I am simply tolerating your evil presence." The squirrel stated, continuing to dig a hole with its shovel. Its tone caused Venti to flinch. But no fear! Venti was the friendliest archon the squirrel could find.

After a few minutes; hours worth of work finished, his cape tangled on his body with the powerfull wind and he fell to the ground with a cheerful yelp.

The squirrel didn't attempt to help him to stand, only staring with judging eyes even though it looked like it was impressed. Venti continued to lay on the ground.

"How about that?" He cheekily asked while the squirrel turned its back on him.

"Are you pouting?" The squirrel closed to his side after a while, asking quietly. "No, I am not." Despite his answer, Venti felt the pout growing on his face.

He attempted to hide his face in his hands but judging how the squirrel started smiling wider, he was unsuccessful.

But... could you really call anything that resulted in someone's genuine smile something unsuccessful?

Without looking, Venti laid down a pine cone near the squirrel and was surprised when it was taken by the animal.

Only after the squirrel was in his arms; it started showing signs of life, shivering endlessly, clutching to him with its paws. Venti gave a sigh of relief as his wings carried them to the ground slowly. He leaned onto a nearby tree, petting, and stroking the animal's soft fur.

Venti didn't talk; he didn't sing or release the squirrel from his arms, waiting for its

shivering to pass. Only after its breathing evened, he started to hum.

What did he hum?

He hummed about a windborne dragon who once wept on learning he was abandoned by his friend.

He hummed about a nameless bard who freed his nation but fell to the ground without touching a bird's feather.

He hummed about a red-haired warrior, who stood against tyranny; becoming the lawful leader the nation needed.

He hummed about a blonde knight who helped him to win his friend's life.

The tunes became one, became two, and continued as long as he could without an instrument accompanying.

He needed both hands to hug the squirrel, he needed both arms to ensure the danger was gone.

He closed his eyes after the melodies finished and felt the sun disappear.

"Though; even if you may not believe me, the sacrifice wouldn't give you powers. Ah, it would make me dead, and that would make your wish, so that should be a plus." He continued, kneeling on the ground while opening his braids. He already saw a friend in braids die. He didn't want to cause its image to lie dead on Mondstadt grass again.

"About the princess squirrel. Hmmm... That is unfortunately a wisp-tale. But I hope you find your heart's princess to continue your life besides. Everyone deserves love, freedom, and friendship. There are things better to do in Mondstadt." He laughed.

"The riftwolves are an exception, I must admit. They once cost me a life and cost me twice yesterday." The squirrel listened to everything without talking or getting something to rip his heart.

So; Venti smiled, craning his neck to his shoulder, and waited for it to gain courage enough to talk.

"I must apologize for your clothes." The squirrel finally said.

Venti's eyes squinted, shaking his head slightly in surprise.

"My clothes? -Ah." Venti forgot how his archon outfit appeared when he was in distress.

His wings flexed, and between the feathers, Venti's eyes caught a wisp. It was buried, sleeping soundly.

As if Venti was its personal bed! He shook his wings, causing the wisp to fall to the ground with a loud thud.

The wisp stood up on the ground with half-lidded eyes, questioning what happened to its soft bed.

Serves it right.

Venti turned to the wisp to make an invite, but his sentence and the apple stuck to his throat when he saw it eyeing his thighs covered with bruises. He started coughing.

"Oh Barbatos, please no. Tell me you didn't." Venti whined, hiding his face in his hands. The wisp's mouth wasn't as evident as its

eyes to differ on his face, but Venti thought he saw a smirk on its face for a second. "What, what happened-" The squirrel asked with fear in its eyes.

It was actually nothing to fear.

At least for the squirrel, it was nothing to fear, Venti thought while embarrassment filled him.

Wind wisps liked to gossip, and Venti knew what they guessed every time they saw bruises on his thighs. That was the sole reason he switched to a more covered outfit!

The last time it happened, the wisps were excited, throwing a cheer because they thought they were going to become aunts and uncles. The news got carried by the wind quickly, with all of his siblings joining.

It took a while to confess that no, he did not participate in intercourse, no he was not going to be a dad, and they were not going to become aunts and uncles. The bruises were because he fell in his travels, because he pissed off other gods or because some monsters attacked him. Not because of a lover doing 'the thing.'

They all deadpanned while Venti waited anxiously for a response. One of them called him a 'loser', then they left.

"You were with me all the time, today! You knew I haven't, yet still invited them-" Venti desperately exclaimed while the wisp remained expressionless.

"Them?" The squirrel asked, but before Venti could answer, countless wisps filled around, chattering at the same time, asking for all the details.

The bard busied himself with his lyre checking the notes it made every time his hand touched one of the strings.

He didn't look in a hurry, taking his time to play with the lyre. After he was pleased, his frown disappeared, an adorable smile blossoming.

"You may be wondering." One of his fingers was going left and right as he wandered around in a circle with closed eyes. He hummed, his lyre joining his voice, getting

harmonized.

Then all of it abruptly stopped, his gaze turning to the reader yet again. "How did this charming young man find himself in a situation this frightening?"

He leaned towards the reader, his hand near his mouth as if he was about to tell a secret. He opened his mouth, only to close it after a second thought.

That wouldn't have been fun, would it?

He winked with a mischievous expression, the lyre going behind him, still in his hands. "Ehe, let's start from the beginning, shall we?" The story continued again, with the command given by the bard.

The wisp's plump body was trying to fly straight, unfortunately not succeeding.

Once it rose, once it fell. It experienced the danger of tumbling down on a tree, its head hitting the trunk.

The threat of getting eaten, the webs from the spider's home coiling around.

The possibility of getting drowned in a river,

the water's flow strong enough to make it happen if the wisp had been much more careless.

Some birds laughed when the wisp passed in front of them, pointing at its weird flight and calling wicked names, its body still soaked, tangled by spider webs, shivering.

It was looking smaller than it actually was. Too small even, inviting bullying from the twice or thrice its size birds.

Its white button eyes came close to tearing up by the mocking, only ceasing because of a melody filling its ears.

A melody so enchanting, making its little heart beat faster. The tune made the wisp curious. Why was a tune; so gentle, full of melancholy?

And the song was luring into the storm god's barrier; the wisp noticed in a moment, hesitation appearing just for one second only to vanish as fast as it came.

The wisp decided right there, right at that moment.

It was going to enter, never mind the risks. Birds warned it when they saw where the wisp was captivated at gazing.

'You may never return here.' One of the birds, its feathers black as the night, claimed.

'You may die there.' Another one of the birds, its feathers white as the light added.

Yet, the wisp didn't look back at them, nearing the border, determined to find the source.

It didn't know the birds, shaking their heads in disapproval, flew further away to not be witnesses to its doom.

'Eehh, this is the wrong beginning!' The footage stopped once again, to reveal the bard. He shook his head, frustrated, and departed from the sight in a hurry.

He returned in a minute to bow to the reader, his hands clasped as he apologized.

'So sorry dear reader. There have been some technical difficulties. But never fear, you can continue now.'

#venti the bard #genshin #genshin impact #Venti #attempt at humor #ao3 fanfic #genshin fanfic #wisp venti

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