The room looked cozy, but way too gloomy colored and depression inducing.
So much in fact, that Venti started having "Old Mondstadt" flashbacks, as that gloomy place was the definition of Unending Depression™️...
-Got it! All thirteen of them! -Childe said in a triumphant voice, interrupting his thoughts, as he put all of the drinks in his Vision's "Hammerspace". -I would have taken them with me before, but then many of them would already be "gone"~
-I know what you mean! If I had Dandelion wine on me right now, I would have drank them all right away! -Venti admitted, sounding very proud of himself. -Some things are just too tasty to leave for later~
And they were going to have a competition soon!
He would be able to drink so many of them!
...
Maybe this time, he could finally get dead drunk...?
*It might sound like a bad wish, but he never quite managed to do it before,
Having been stopped before he could, even though he could still go on...
He wanted to experience this new sensation so much~ Was that too much to ask...?
...
"We are not sure as we never experienced it ourselves, eithe...", the winds admitted, sounding slightly confused, before there was suddenly a pause, "...You have many visitors at the Hotel entrance. Almost all of them carrying "welcome back" gifts.", they suddenly said, sounding thoughtful, " It seems that Ludwig Goth told everyone of your "awakening" and where you were right now. They must have rushed here the moment they heard of it."
...
What...?
...
But, they weren't in the hotel itself for long,
And so many of them are already here...?!
*And carrying gifts?! Did they prepare them beforehand?
...
" At first everyone thought you were dead. Finding out you were in "Limbo" instead didn't help much in erasing everyone's worry. Both times...Truthfully, it was pretty bad. It would have been hard seeing their reactions if we weren't devastated ourselves...", the winds informed him, sounding conflicted, "...This time, it's best if you walk to Angel's Share instead of teleporting. As you reassure the people at the entrance and those you meet on the way that you are alright now."
...
Oh...!
It was like that...!
...
Once again, he...
*And "Devastated"...?!
Oh, Celestia…!
...
...
He should really be more careful in the future...
-...This time, let's walk, okay...? -He finally said, sounding conflicted, which slightly confused the other person in the room. -... It seems that I worried everyone even more than I thought I did. - He explained, expression guilt stricken now. -...If I actually died and then disappeared...Would they have...?
He quietly mumbled the last part, making the other look towards him in understanding.
...
Childe was a warrior, a tool for battle,
Ready to jump into battle at a moment's notice...
...
Yet, he still understood what it was like having family and friends.
*Though, some thought he and Zhongli were a couple...?
How did they get to that conclusion...?
...
Either way, not even a blind person would fail to see that this was quite the touchy matter for the "bard" before him,
And seeing such an expression on a seemingly young face made him imagine the same kind of expression on one of his younger siblings' faces...
...
Would they have a similar expression, were he to...?
...
-Let's go, then. We are finished here, anyway. -He finally said, trying to sound reassuring, though not sure if it worked or not. -After you are done talking to them, we still have the drinking contest to organize and participate in!
Venti looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face, before smiling slightly, as he started walking out the room, the other following him.
The walk afterwards was pretty silent, as the Archon was thinking about what he should say when he sees them.
...
"Sorry about almost dying again."...?
*Can a simple "sorry" ever be enough for something like that...?!
Weren't some of them, like Barbara, already traumatized because of him...?
...
"I will be more careful next time."...?
*He already promised this before and recently, to multiple people.
Actually acting on this promise was more important and would be the thing to put everyone at ease.
...
"...I am such a trouble magnet now. It would be better if..."
*No, he shouldn't have this train of thought. That would only make everyone mad.
Even if he were to invite nothing but trouble, they won't just abandon him,
He was very grateful for this, yet sometimes he felt undeserving...
...
...
He should repay them somehow, for all they did for him and continue doing even now...
...
But, how could he possibly be able to...?
-Lo...Venti! You are really awake now! -A relieved voice interrupted his thoughts, making him leave his daze, realizing that he was at the hotel entrance now, surrounded by people. His adorable people, who were very worried for him until now. -...Are you alright...? You are going to be okay now, right...? You aren't going to suddenly...?
They continued in concern, the voice getting scared and slightly horrified by the end,
Making Venti wonder just how much he scared everyone for them to...
"When people noticed the sky darken and thought you were dead, they became quite frantic.", the winds informed him, sounding conflicted, " They rushed all over the city, asking where you were and what happened to you. When they found out your whereabouts, they all gathered by the Alchemy shop, sadly talking between themselves, not knowing what to do." , their voice suddenly became sad, "After Acting Grandmaster Jean and the others came. After they were told of the situation and came outside with your "unconscious" and limp body. The moment everyone saw you in such a state, they were..."
They didn't continue, nor did they need to,
The Archon could already paint a picture of what happened next...
*And what he imagined made him feel even more guilty,
He said that Morax was dense, but what he did to his own people was no better...
...
-I am alright now! Just realized how cruel I was towards you all...-He finally said, noting everyone's worried expressions and how some kids were touching him now, seemingly to make sure he won't just suddenly disappear on them. -...I am okay now, thanks to all of you. Your love, care and faith, were the things that brought me back. -He added before anyone could comment on his earlier sentence, his expression turning thankful and warm, as he looked between each one of them. He owed them his life, now even more than before. - I can't thank you enough. - There was some silence after that, before Venti's smile suddenly turned amused. -...Now, I heard you had some gifts for me...?
There were a few seconds of silence, before it suddenly exploded, as the people started showering him with gifts.
There were a lot of them, which made Venti glad there weren't any more.
...
As a god, his "Hammerspace" was a lot bigger than those of Vision users,
Yet, it wasn't infinite. It might become packed sooner or later...
...
And this time there were more gifts than before,
If everyone keeps giving him gifts like this...
*Should he ask Madame Ping to craft him a Serenitea Pot...?
Even though he never needed one before this...?
...
-What is HE doing here...? -Someone suddenly asked, sounding mad and Venti noticed how some people were looking towards Childe in barely concealed rage, if looks could kill he would already be dead. - What is one of the FATUI doing together with you, Lord Barbatos?
The person was so mad, in fact, they forgot to call him "Venti" instead.
...
They were repulsed to seeing one of those...Fatui,
Especially in Mondstadt and especially with their Archon.
*They still remembered what happened last time,
Tolerating the presence of one of those...FATUI inside the city walls was hard enough...
But, having one of those monsters accompany their own...!
-We are going to have a drinking competition! And Childe here is paying for it! -Venti enthusiastically explained, interrupting their thoughts and trying to reassure everyone that there was no cause for concern. -Isn't it great? My drinking habits can finally be satiated! -He looked so happy, as if he just won the lottery. -I can finally experience what it feels like to be what you call "dead drunk"~
...
After those words there was suddenly silence, before the people looked towards the Harbringer as if he was crazy, which he usually was.
Venti found that it looked amusing, then people started looking towards him and...
"Lord Barbatos, the Fatui wants to have a drinking competition with you...?", he heard someone's prayer, "THAT'S INSANE! He would die from lung failure before you could finish your contest!"
" Lord Barbatos, that Fatui is definitely dead if he goes along with this insane "contest", no question about it! ", someone else prayed, "...There are rumors going around that the Fatui were unhinged. It appears that those rumors are true."
...
Soon more prayers/comments followed right after,
Making Venti have a hard time not to laugh,
His people really knew him well now!
...
"Barbatos, what did they say...?", the winds asked him in confusion, "...Your people just prayed to you, right...?"
...
Yes, they did! The gist of it is something like this:
"The Fatui is insane for deciding to have a drinking contest with you and will surely die from alcohol poisoning"
*Even though the other would probably collapse before that can happen...
...
"...Well, they are not wrong. Your alcohol tolerance is extremely high, Barbatos.", the winds admitted, sounding amused, "If a human could drink even a part of the amount you can, they would have been long dead already.", there was suddenly a pause, "...We are not sure about other elementals, but they would probably fare only slightly better...They won't die, but may feel the negative effects for a long while."
...
Is that so...?
...
So he was basically a Sea Sponge, but for alcohol instead of water,
Which he could drink as easily as other people drank water...
*Even though he wanted to be a bird, not a sea sponge!
He wasn't the Hydro Archon, why would he want to live inside the sea...?
...
-It's okay! I won't do anything bad to him! -Childe suddenly said as he was waving his hands in surrender. -I actually love children and have three younger siblings myself...-He explained, before his eyes twinkled in mischief, as he put his hands on Venti's shoulders. -...And he looks like a kid, so...
-I may look like a kid, but I am not actually one. -Venti interrupted him, pouting, as he folded his arms. -I am actually more than 2600 years old, you know...
There was some silence after his words, as people looked towards him in slight confusion.
What he said wasn't necessarily wrong, but the way he acted right now, with the pouting face and everything.
…
It would be easy to forget he was an Archon and think that he was someone's adorable kid instead.
*And some of them saw his Wind Spirit form, which they found was the definition of ADORABLE™️...
-Says the person who is cutely pouting right now. -Childe said, standing slightly to the other's side now and looking towards him with a smirk on his face. -Not really what I imagined an Archon to do, but it's really adorable, so I am not against it...-He added while bending down, so his face would be near Venti's ear, which the people around them had conflicted reactions to. -Keep this up and I may even spoil you like one of my siblings~
There were a few seconds of silence, before Venti teleported a few feet away from the gathering.
-...Let's just go already. -The embarrassed bard said, as he started walking towards the Market District. -...The drinking contest won't start itself...
The moment they entered Angel's Share, Diluc was boring holes into Childe.
-Fatui are not welcome here. -The bartender said with a glare, his voice barely controlled. - Either you leave by yourself, or I am going to force you to leave.
He wasn't going to have a Fatui inside of his establishment,
If it was up to him, he would have kicked this…"Thing" from the city himself.
...
He had zero tolerance for such despicable scum,
Especially after everything they did to Mondstadt, it's people and...!
-Master Diluc, it's fine! He is with me! -Venti interrupts his murderous thoughts, sounding and looking giddy, as he was also trying to placate the situation. -He invited me to a drinking competition and is going to pay the full cost for the wine!
He knew why master Diluc hated the Fatui so much,
But he found that the Harbringer was alright, all things considered...
*A lot better than that...Signora, who is luckily dead now.
...
And the "Whipped Mora Bag" invited him to a drinking contest,
Which he was going to pay for from his pocket!
*Which was actually the main reason why he decided to trust him,
The other was his friendship with that blockhead Morax, who seemed to like the guy...
-Fine, I will allow you to stay here. But, only because you are with the bard and paying for the drinks. I am still going to keep an eye on you, so no funny business. -Diluc reluctantly said, interrupting the other's thoughts, before he looked towards the Harbringer with a death glare on his face. -...And if you do something strange to the bard, you are dead. -He threatened, making said bard giggle in happiness that the other cared so much. -...Is there something wrong with what I said...? -This time he looked towards Venti, his expression conflicted now, though you could still notice the sadness in his eyes. -You were in "Limbo" just a while ago and we almost failed to save you. It's a miracle you are still alive. -He sadly said, as he looked down on the floor, before looking towards the other again. -...Venti...You may be an idiot, but you are our idiot. -He quietly added, his face looking a little red now. -Don't you dare forget that.
There was silence afterward, as the bartender swiftly turned around, his back to them now.
...
The Archon couldn't help but giggle again,
Master Diluc was so cute when he acted all embarrassed like this!
*And he really cared~ In his own way, he truly did~
...
-Well, you heard the guy, let's have this competition started! -Childe suddenly said in a giddy voice, as he took out a big Mora bag and went to put in on the counter, before sitting at a nearby chair while taking out the Snezhnaya Fire-Water from his "Hammerspace", seemingly forgetting about Diluc's threat. -Just to let you know, the drunks here have nothing on me.
-Is that so? You actually think that you can outdrink me...? -Venti countered in amusement, as he also walked towards the counter and sat on a nearby chair, noting that Diluc was taking out some Dandelion wine bottles now. -I suppose it's time I show you how wrong you are~
The drinking contest started soon after, going surprisingly well, as no one died from alcohol poisoning yet.
...
Until a drunk Childe happened, that is...
-You are actually pretty nice. -The Harbringer suddenly told Venti, his face red from inebriation. -With your proficiety over Anemo, you could have easily taken the air from someone's lungs, killing them easily. -At his words the activity in the tavern stilled, as almost everyone were looking towards him in shock (Diluc was just amused and eager to see what happens next) and started wondering if he stopped using his brain altogether. -If you really wanted to, you could have even taken care of us Fatui~
Venti paused in shock at the other's words,
Did he hear that right just now...?
...
Did the "Whipped Mora Bag" just say what he thought he did...?
...
-... You. -He slowly said, as he couldn't help himself from glaring at the other. - Are you actually suggesting for me to...?
-But, you can do something like that, right...? -The other countered, looking slightly amused. -...You just choose not to. Which is a real shame~
...
Childe smirked, knowing that he was right,
He knew full well how the most "gentle" elements could be the most dangerous.
*This knowledge he used for his own benefit, freely creating two twin blades out of water to slash his opponents with.
...
Anemo, which was everywhere, could be the deadliest of them all if used right.
*And for an Anemo Archon himself, the possibilities were numerous...
...
Not only in the way he suggested, but also cutting someone's throat/head/limbs,
Stealing someone's possessions and then dropping them in a pit full of monsters,
Sending someone flying at an extremely high speed and then tossing their mutila...
-Ajax, you seem to be really hung up on this. -Venti slowly said, interrupting the other's musings, his voice and expression suddenly getting dangerous and cold. The person before him started getting on his nerves. -...Do you actually want me to do something like that...? -He said as his expression darkened further. Did the "Whipped Mora Bag" want to become a "Torn Mora Bag"...? -...Do you actually want me to "try it out"...?
...
Almost everyone in the area, but the person in the most danger, looked scared by that point, but then...
-Venti, there you are! -A voice interrupted the tension in the room, as Zhongli ex Machina was standing in the doorway, as if summoned by the danger on his friend's(?)/boyfriend's(?)/wallet's(?) life. Which turned out to be true, as he didn't actually want Childe to die just yet. -I actually wanted to inquire about your current Chief Alchemist, Albedo. -He said as he walked towards him, glancing towards the Harbringer for a second, before glancing back at the "bard". -I wish to borrow him, as he is extremely intelligent and his many talents may greatly benefit Liyue in tho...
-He is one of mine! Find your own Chief Alchemist! -Venti interrupted him, pouting, before teleporting away and then teleporting back moments later with a confused Albedo in tow. -He is mine! Mine! -He repeated for emphasis while he hugged the other from behind, making the Chief Alchemist blush slightly, though the other wasn't quite sure why he was blushing. - You may have given him your Elemental Vision, but it's Mondstadt's! It's ROUND and has WINGS on it! -He declared while suddenly poking said Vision. -... Therefore, he is MINE!
Thankfully nothing bad happened afterwards, the establishment wasn't destroyed and no one died.
The drinking contest continued into the early evening and Childe collapsed before long, making Venti the winner, though he looked quite dazed.
...
Was he...Dead drunk now...?
Or wasn't he...?
...
He felt funny,
Like everything around him was a dream...
...
Was it really a dream...?
Was it not real...?
...
...
Were the people around him a dream...?
Was he someone's dream...?
...
...
...
DID THEY ALL EVEN EXIST?!
...
WHAT IF ALL OF THEM WERE JUST A BUNCH OF...?!
-Lo...Venti! There you are! -A happy voice was suddenly heard, interrupting the other's starting existential crisis and the almost breaking of the fourth wall. -I was asked to get you, since the preparations are finally done!
There was a long silence afterwards, as Venti tried to connect what he just heard.
-..."Preparations"...? -He finally said, rapidly getting confused in his inebriation. -...What did you prepare...?
The other person, who was actually Noelle, only smiled warmly in reply.
Which made the drunk Archon even more confused.
-It's a surprise that everyone were working hard on! -She happily explained, while coming closer to him, already planning on helping him up. -We are hoping that you will like it!
-So, it's finally done, I see. -Zhongli added, looking slightly amused, as he was now carrying the sleeping Childe in his arms, already planning to stop by the Goth Grand Hotel and put him to bed. -...It would surely be a night to remember.
There was silence again, as Venti was looking between them in confusion, the words they said still swimming in his head.
...
Maybe he really drank too much this time,
Since it just sounded like they worked on a surprise for him...?
...
But, weren't they already tired after working on "awakening" him...?
...
Why would they hold a surprise pa...?
-I will hold onto the remaining drinks for you. -Diluc suddenly said, interrupting his confused thoughts. -So, just go. Go and have fun.
The red head's words confused him even more, but he still allowed himself to be led out of the tavern by Noelle, with Zhongli and Albedo following after them.
The other Archon soon left their group, leaving the three Mondstadtians to continue their walk, as they soon reached the Statue Plaza.
-...W-what...? W-why would you...? -Venti couldn't help himself from shuttering out, as he looked at the decorations in rising shock. -...T-there is no festival today...!
The Windblume festival should start in a few days, but not today.
...
Why did they decorate the place with so many Cecilias…?!
And was that a table full of apple dishes...?!
...
And a banner on which was written…
...
...
"Welcome back, Venti!"...
-...W-what...? B-but I...A-and so fast...?! -He couldn't help but say aloud, steadily getting embarrassed. -... It wasn't even half a day since I "awakened"...!
Yet they already organized a "welcome back" surprise party for him...?!
And there were also so many people around! It was at least half of Mondstadt, if not two thirds!
...
It was overwhelming...
*And in a different way than the letter was...
-Welcome back, Venti. -Barbara warmly told him, as she walked up towards him, a familiar lyre in hand. -Thanks to...Zhongli's help, we managed to restore it!
He was still shocked, having a hard time registering what was happening.
...
They managed to restore the Holy Lyre der Himmel,
And Morax even helped them with it...?!
...
...
And was it just his imagination,
Or he could feel a huge amount of Faith energy coming from the Lyre...?
-... You really...Did this all for me...? -He slowly said, taking the lyre from her now outstretched hands. -... Thank you. Thank you so much.
The power from the restored and Faith infused lyre made him shift into his Archon form, which he didn't quite register in his current emotional state.
He was so touched by their gesture, that he couldn't help but sing aloud as he gently plucked the lyre's strings, the words simple yet completely sincere:
"I felt myself unneeded for so long,
A weak Archon and a waste of space,
Mondstadt flourished without me all along,
An "absentee Archon" others mocked.
...
Yet you showed me so much love and care,
Your Faith giving me the strength to preserve.
...
You saved my life more than I could count,
How can I ever repay you for all you have done...?"
...
He slowly sang, with his eyes closed and making those around unable to tear their sights off him.
In his inebriation, Barbatos unconsciously infused the words with his power, summoning numerous Anemo Crystalflies all over the city.
Added with the full moon shining overhead, it's light glistering down below, the Archon himself looked like a scene from a painting:
His wings gently shining in the moonlight, the hair tips and tattoos giving a teal glow, numerous Crystalflies fluttering around him, adding to the ethereal feel.