Ann.: Can be read as Barbara/Rosaria, Barbara/Bennett or platonic relationships. Has Eulamber.
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The winds were howling against the Cathedral like they hadn't ever since Stormterror's attack. Inside the church's walls, the noise from outside was well audible, even during choir practice.
Sister Victoria was nervous. She felt like something bad was going to happen, the memory of a mighty dragon sweeping past the Anemo Archon's statue and settling onto the Cathedral's roof still fresh on her mind. That incident had happened during harsh winds as well. It had been the cause for harsh winds.
"Sister Victoria, you're off-tune again", the sister next to her whispered. Sister Victoria flinched and realized that she had gotten distracted by the view outside the window again, not paying attention to the sheet of music in her hands. Guilty, her eyes flew to the Deaconess standing in front of their group, who was teaching them the melody to a new song by dictating the rhythm and singing first, so that the other sisters could repeat after her. If Barbara noticed, she didn't let it show and continued undeterred.
After choir practice, every sister went her own way. Curiously, that was the moment when Sister Rosaria appeared from out of nowhere, joining the group that was about to leave the Cathedral for outside. Sister Victoria happened to spot Rosaria from the corners of her eyes as she wanted to go up to Sister Barbara and apologize for her rudeness earlier but changed her plans and decided to intercept Sister Rosaria first.
"Sister Rosaria, you have missed practice", Victoria chided, making sure that she wasn't talking loud enough for Barbara to overhear. "Again. I can't start to count how many times it has been by now."
Rosaria stopped and crossed her arms in front of her chest with the sort of exhale through her nose she had perfected: not hard enough to be called a sigh and thus reproachable, but not exactly regular breathing either, making it clear what Rosaria thought about Sister Victoria's reprimand. She kept staring straight ahead, not having the least decency to turn and face the person who was talking to her. This was the sort of behavior that irritated Sister Victoria immensely as well.
"Where have you been? Really, I can't with you, Sister Rosaria!", Victoria complained, walking around Rosaria to stand in front of her and once again mourning that she wasn't tall enough to be able to look Rosaria in her eyes. "You can't go on like this!"
"This is why I avoid you", Rosaria mumbled beneath her breath and said louder: "I was on the roof, praying to Barsibatos. The winds are filled with murderous intent. I wonder what's going on today."
"You've been praying?" Victoria doubted that. For the unlikely case that this was the truth, she doubted that Barbatos would listen to prayers when they were addressed to the wrong name. "I expect you to attend choir practice next time anyway. It's highly disrespectful to play truant on your duties. Especially towards Sister Barbara!"
Now Rosaria looked down and met eyes with Sister Victoria. Victoria felt a shiver run down her spine when their gazes locked and wondered for a moment if the feeling was connected to Rosaria's Cryo Vision. Whatever the case, she did her best not to flinch or back down. She was right to reprimand Sister Rosaria.
"You've been distracted a lot today as well, Sister Victoria", Rosaria commented lightly. Sister Victoria's eyebrows shot up - impossible! How would Rosaria know about that? She didn't attend practice at all! "You don't need to worry about my absence. I've got a feeling that it's a job for someone like me."
While Victoria fought for her composure, her face running red from chin to forehead slowly, Rosaria's hand wandered to the exposed side of her skirt, reaching for the short knife she kept there; a gesture to make sure that it was still there.
"Is there a problem?", a light voice from behind Sister Victoria joined their conversation politely. Barbara approached and smiled up to Rosaria, swaying lightly from side to side. "I'm glad you managed to make it, Sister Rosaria. I fear you're too late for practice this time as well though. You barely missed it, sadly."
"You've been teaching the song you've been humming these past days, I believe?" Barbara's smile changed from surprise into real joy. She nodded enthusiastically. Rosaria gave a court nod. "I'm familiar with it then. Now, if you excuse me. I need to go." Without giving them much time to answer, Rosaria rushed past Victoria, shaking her out of the stupor she's been in. The winds were strange, but Rosaria's behavior was often stranger.
"Sister Rosaria, where exactly are you going?" Sister Victoria found her voice again, turned and followed the quickly walking Rosaria, having troubles with keeping up. Where Rosaria did one step, Victoria had to take two hurried ones.
"Patrolling."
"Patrolling?" That was hardly the work a Sister of Favonius would do. Rosaria had many liberties and good ties with the captains of the Knights of Favonius - but Sister Victoria couldn't shake the persistent feeling that something bad would happen. She had learned to listen to this feeling as an answer from the Anemo Archon, speaking his warning for sisters to hear. No sister should be on her own outside, doing Archon knows what. "Alone? Why don't you leave patrolling to the Knights of Favonius and join us for prayers to the Anemo Archon instead?"
"I told you earlier that I've already prayed to Bartaboss. I have a feeling." They reached the Cathedral's doors and Rosaria burst through them, unblinking against the harsh wind almost blowing Victoria's headwear off as the doors swung open. "A really bad feeling."
"Sister Rosaria!" Victoria grabbed her headwear to hold it in place and blinked repeatedly, gasping against the sheer strength of it. This wind was indeed like back then, with Stormterror.
"Listen, Sister Victoria." Rosaria turned around, unfazed. She lowered her upper body to be on one level with Victoria, stretched out a hand and spoke clearly so that Victoria wouldn't miss what she said. Victoria would have to have a word about this with her too, later. "If you see Albert lingering around, punch him square in the face without hesitation. If you have any qualms about doing it, do it for me."
"I will do no such thing, Sister Rosaria!" Now, Victoria had raised her voice, indignant. "I believe that Acting Grandmaster Jean had a talk about violence with you?!"
"Yes." Rosaria straightened up, unmoved by Victoria's shouting. "And she was very understanding about the necessity of a permanent solution. Mondstadt is a city of freedom but what's enough is enough. If we can't restrain Albert and stop him from bothering the Deaconess, we can teach him a lesson he won't forget."
"I will ask him to leave the premises if I spot him." Victoria frowned. Frankly speaking, between her and Albert, there were no amicable feelings either. He bothered Barbara one time too many, far above what was acceptable. But Victoria still believed that Rosaria's approach when she saw him loitering about had been too drastic for somebody who had done nothing to be punished for: a punch hard enough to almost break his nose for just standing outside the Cathedral? Albert had pestered every other sister to file a complaint about the sister that punched him for weeks.
No, Sister Victoria couldn't condone that sort of violence.
"If you can't hit him right, then call me, I'll do it anytime. I know your shouts are loud enough to reach me anywhere in Mondstadt." With that, Rosaria turned around and left. Sister Victoria watched her leave in stunned silence but decided to leave it at that. She did give a deep sigh though.
A soft hand against her shoulder almost made her flinch, but when she turned her head and saw Sister Barbara's polite smile, she reciprocated it with deep gratitude.
"We should close the door. The wind is fitful today." Sister Barbara gave the sky a sorrowful glance and guided Sister Victoria away from the doors so that she could close them. Her frown quickly melted into a smile again. "We should pray for kinder winds. Lord Barbatos will definitely hear our pleas."
"So he will."
"Is everything alright, Sister Victoria?", Barbara asked and joined Victoria to walk back to the church's front. Victoria waved her hand.
"Yes. I'm sorry for being distracted during practice earlier. I didn't mean to be disrespectful, Deaconess."
"It's okay." Barbara smiled and joined her hands behind her back, redirecting her gaze back forward. "I'm glad that we're progressing smoothly with this piece. Soon, we can ..." Barbara was interrupted when the doors flew back open, and two newcomers stood at the threshold.
"Barbara, help us, please!", Amber's panicked voice reached the two sisters. She was supporting the taller Eula who had an arm slung around Amber's shoulder, following the Outrider along deeper into the church. "Eula is injured!"
Immediately, Barbara rushed to meet them halfway, ducking to assess the gravity of the injury around Eula's other shoulder. Judging by the blood soaking around Eula's other shoulder's armpit and Eula's pale complexion and unresponsive state, the injury that needed to be treated was rather serious and needed Barbara's prompt attention.
"Carry her to the front! Sister Victoria, prepare a camp bed, quickly!" Victoria obeyed the Deaconess and rushed off.
Barbara took Eula's other side, pressing a healing hand with the power of Hydro against where she estimated the wound roughly was, supporting Eula's weight as well. Together with Amber's and her joined efforts and with the camp bed laid out in front, they eased Eula onto the ground. Barbara got to undressing Eula with trained hands, removing every piece of clothing that was in the way of treating her directly, while Amber quickly recounted how Eula got wounded during training.
"I don't know how it happened! I was shooting arrows and Eula was deflecting them, it's part of what we usually do, and then I thought I pick up the pace because I've been training new moves for upcoming Windblume and Eula was fine because she's strong and graceful and suddenly one arrow hit her! And she fell and there was so much blood! I must've missed or aimed wrongly, I don't know how it happened!"
Amber was wringing her hands anxiously, trembling as she watched with wide eyes how Barbara had bared Eula's shoulder. Amber's arrow had left a deep cut under Eula's armpit, but it was nothing Barbara couldn't heal. Barbara gave a small, relieved breath, thanking Barbatos that Eula's life wasn't in danger.
"Amber, thank you for bringing Eula here and telling me. I'm sorry but I'll have to ask you to leave. I need to concentrate to heal Eula properly. You don't have to worry, she will be perfectly fine." Barbara rose and put her hands on Amber's arm, stopping the fiddling of her hands. Amber nodded but still looked like she was about to cry.
"I didn't mean to hurt her!", Amber snivelled.
"Amber", Eula spoke up from the ground and Amber inhaled sharply. She dropped to the ground next to Eula and clenched her hands into fists against her chest, the first tears falling. Breathless apologies were falling from her lips, but Eula reached out with her free hand and put it gently on Amber's thigh.
"Amber, it's okay", she said. "It doesn't hurt. Listen, take my Vision. Take care of it for a while, okay?"
Eula pulled her lips into a smile, doing her best to not let the pain shine through, and waited until Amber gave another row of court nods, grabbing and holding onto Eula's Cryo Vision. She held it pressed tightly against her chest. Barbara put a hand on Amber's shoulder and when the Outrider jumped up with a brave but shaky smile and let herself be led away by Sister Victoria with her eyes still desperate on Eula, Barbara replaced Amber on the ground and went promptly onto healing Eula's injury.
Usually, Barbara had to heal little wounds like cuts or bruises, sometimes a broken bone or fevers, but rarely deeper wounds like Eula had them. For proper healing, Barbara had had to learn the details of the human anatomy, so that she could recreate missing muscle and skin parts correctly and close wounds properly. Of course, she wouldn't be able to heal something like missing limbs.
The longer Barbara's fingers produced the healing Hydro above open flesh structure, renewing the structure and healing the wound, the more exhausted she grew, but the better Eula started looking in terms of facial color and general awareness. Barbara couldn't heal mental wounds and states like shock, but Eula seemed to do better on her own the longer the Deaconess and the captain stayed on the ground. Attention returned to Eula's eyes, and she turned her head to look to where Amber had disappeared.
It was nice to see that Barbara was able to close Eula's wound without a trace of a scar left behind though.
Barbara felt the tenseness fall off her shoulders and leaned back, retracting her hands, and wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She had been so concentrated all this time that she hadn't noticed how exhausted the healing had really left her. But she was content. The healing had been successful.
"How do you feel, Eula?", Barbara asked, trying to shake the exhaustion. Eula sat up effortlessly and moved her previously injured shoulder in circles, checking herself over.
"Refreshed. Good." Eula reached for her sleeve-top and started redressing. Her fingers were quick in doing so, as trained as Barbara's had been earlier. "Mark my words, Barbara. Because you've seen me in such a weak and unresponsive state, vengeance will be mine." She fastened her belts beneath her breasts and made a face at the blood on the white fabric. It would be a nightmare to wash out. "How can I repay you, Barbara?"
"Oh. There is no need for that!" Barbara waved her hands with a small laugh. Eula froze in the process of dressing, turned her head and lifted an eyebrow after a beat.
"Join Amber and me at Good Hunter, then. Knowing Amber, she's completing the task I've given her diligently, as she's taking care of my Vision. But I must reassure her that this accident wasn't her fault. I meant to tell her earlier, but the pain has been numbing and I couldn't find the words. With both Amber and you at Good Hunter, I'll be able to exact my revenge on you as well. You like one of their dishes, don't you? I believe I saw you eat there once or twice. Vengeance will be mine then."
"I'll gladly accompany you, thank you." Barbara got to her feet and swayed, having to catch herself against the next bench. She plopped down onto it, hoping that Eula had been too occupied with the blood stain on her top to notice Barbara's exhaustion. It wasn't too bad compared to other days - a signature spicy drink mixed by Barbara or maybe one of Diona's beverages would do magic for Barbara's condition, surely! And it was only nice that Eula had offered to pay. "What happened? How did your injury happen, Eula?"
"I got distracted. It usually doesn't happen." Eula gave up. Her outfit was ruined and beyond saving.
"By ...? The winds? The winds are unusually strong today." Barbara looked outside the window. Eula laughed and shook her head.
"No. By Amber. The way she moved, I could tell that our tango lessons have paid off. She always compliments how graceful I'm fighting, but that's natural for a Lawrence like me. Amber however ... she has such a lovely step sequence and her posture with the bow is always immaculate. Her aim is flawless even under moments of high strain, be it harsh winds or not, and she strings arrows as easily as birds take flight. And yet, whenever she moves, she keeps the part of her that is so Amber -"
Eula snapped her mouth shut and turned her head to look at Barbara's knowing smile with wide eyes. Barbara could watch how the blush found its way onto Eula's cheeks.
"I fully understand you, Eula. Amber really is amazing." Barbara swung her legs back and forth happily.
"For this, vengeance will be mine, Deaconess!" Eula whirled around and started along the benches, but she didn't get far, when the doors jumped open, and another person came in. Barbara turned on the bench to see who it was, and was on her feet again when she recognized the person, exhaustion forgotten in her joy.
"Bennett!", she exclaimed, but he didn't hear her.
"Hey, if you're worried about your friend, why don't you come in!" Bennett was walking backwards, talking to someone just outside the door. "Barbara is the nicest girl in all of Mondstadt, she won't throw you out! I call it my greatest luck that she's nice to me too, even though I'm a really unlucky guy, you know?"
Since Bennett wasn't looking where he was going, he almost bumped against the last row of benches, but was stopped from doing so by Eula's outstretched arm. "Woah!", Bennett exclaimed, looked behind him and broke into laughter. "Oh okay, I forgot about this, actually! Thanks for helping me!"
"You should look where you're going." Eula crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned her attention to the door, where Amber was peeking in shily, her face still crumpled up as she was trying to hold back her tears.
"Oh no, are you hurt?! There's blood on your top!", Bennett noticed.
"Hm?" Eula looked at Bennett and seemed surprised about him still standing there, seeing that he was worse off with a myriad of little cuts all over his arms and face. It took her another moment to realize that he was talking about her. "Oh. No, I'm fine. Sister Barbara took care of it. Pardon me, I need to ..."
Without finishing her sentence, Eula walked off and left Bennett behind to go over to Amber and sling her arms around Amber in a reassuring way, leaving it for the other church sisters to close the front doors. Confused, Bennett lifted a hand behind his head and scratched the back of his head.
"Huh. It was nice to see you, then." Bennett looked over to the front, where Barbara was sitting on the bench, waving once he spotted her.
"Hey, Barbara! You've healed someone again! That's so cool!" He started and bumped his little toe against the bench's edge through his shoe, shouted out and pulled his foot up to grab onto it with both hands. With a grimace, Bennett jumped on one leg until he reached Barbara and dropped onto the bench next to her.
"I knew the bench will get me one day", he complained, rubbing his foot through his shoe. Barbara's gaze flitted over Bennett's face with worry.
"What happened, Bennett?" Barbara reached out and gently touched the side of his scratched face, and with her touch, Bennett visibly relaxed. He put down his leg and turned to face her, leaning deeper into her touch as he placed both hands in the space between them and leaned forward.
"Your hands feel so good", Bennett said and closed his eyes. Barbara infused her fingers with some more Hydro and continued healing the scratches, starting with the bigger ones, tracing her fingers over the wounded skin. The scratches weren't bleeding, but Barbara knew that those could be the most annoying ones. "I fell down a cliff East of Springvale and through some thorny bushes along the way. There's new bruises on my knees too, see?"
Bennett opened his eyes and pulled back to lift his knees, demonstrating the fresh bruises. Barbara continued to heal those too seamlessly by placing her hands on the bruises and making them disappear through her touch. This sort of injuries was familiar to her - and healing Bennett and making his life a bit easier was a nice thing to do.
"Really, I don't know how I can repay you for all you do for me, Barbara!", Bennett kept on talking, unknowing that his loud voice had attracted another, less welcome newcomer, "You like that one drink from Cat's Tail, right? I'd offer to bring you one here, but I fear I'll ruin it with my bad luck. Why don't you come along, and I'll just pay for your drink?"
"Tsk." The unexpected sound made both Barbara and Bennett jump and look at the guy who was standing on the other side of the bench, arms crossed as he looked down on them. "Barbara likes Chilibrew, consisting of a mix of Sweet Flowers and Jueyun Chilis to temper with the spiciness and create a milder drink that will help Barbara continue working as hard as always! If you knew the first thing about her, like I, the Head of the Barbara Fan Club, you'd also know that she mixes her drinks herself and will rather need the ingredients than just some bought beverage from Cat's Tail."
"Albert." Barbara bit onto her lower lip, taken aback. Since when was Albert standing there? How had he got into the Cathedral? With him here, Barbara felt exhaustion close heavily around her shoulders again. Of course, as Mondstadt's idol she was there for everyone - yet, Albert, for some reason, one Barbara couldn't place a finger on, made her feel really really exhausted beyond just physical exhaustion. He was a bit ... much.
"How can I help you?", Barbara asked anyways, stilling her work on Bennett's cuts. Albert turned his attention to her, face jumping from disapproval to a wide grin.
"I've injured myself!", he explained in a happy tone. Too happy for someone injured and in pain and in need of assistance. "Please heal me, Barbara!"
"You're injured?", Barbara repeated. To prove his words, Albert extended his arms that had a couple of scratches that seemed to be done by a cat. Nothing that needed Barbara's healing ability, usually. But seeing how Barbara was healing Bennett's scratches no matter how light they were, Barbara thought, she had to do the same for Albert too ...
"I'll be with you in a moment." Barbara averted her head and looked down on how she was holding Bennett's hand in hers. She hadn't noticed that she hadn't let go of Bennett's hand and that Bennett was squeezing her hand in silent reassurance. It was nice, actually.
When Barbara looked up, she saw how serious Bennett looked at her. Barbara couldn't help herself: she froze in surprise.
"You're exhausted, aren't you?" When Barbara wanted to lift her hands and continue healing Bennett's bruises with a quick smile and lie that she was okay, Bennett grabbed her free hand and took hold of it as well.
"I think Albert and I will be fine as we are", he said slowly. "You've already helped Eula earlier, I heard Amber talk about it! And it was no easy healing. You don't need to push yourself so hard, Barbara. We'll be okay." Bennett looked Barbara deep into his eyes, making sure that she understood. Barbara averted her head and curled her fingers around Bennett's.
"I can't", she said.
"If you're worried about the wounds, don't worry, Barbara! I can take care of them too." Bennett hit a thumb against his chest and straightened up, back to his usual confident volume. "I have bandages and salves and the knowledge to take care of some cat scratches too! Albert is going to be okay. Just you see, I'll pep us up to 100% in no time!"
Barbara giggled involuntarily and gifted Bennett a grateful smile.
"Wait", Albert cut in, his voice nails across a chalkboard. "I don't agree to this. I'm injured. I need healing!" Albert stretched his arms out again, gesticulating wildly at the little scratches. "Look! Don't you see the blood?"
"I can see those." Bennett rose from the bench and gave Albert a thumbs-up. "But no problem. I can take care of little injuries like that! You can trust me, Albert, encounters with cats have happened plenty in Benny's Adventure Team!"
"Are you kidding me?" Albert turned to Barbara. "Barbara please, I need your attention!"
"I fully trust in Bennett's abilities. Look, Albert, Bennett needs the medical treatment himself too." Barbara rose from the bench as well and reached out to brush a thumb over a thick bloodied line across Bennett's collarbone. She healed it just a little bit to ease the itching pain it must cause Bennett.
"You can't be serious! Why can't you heal me?" Albert rounded the bench in his way and came to halt in front of Barbara and Bennett. By now, his raised voice had attracted the attention of other sisters in the church. Sister Victoria, who was usually dealing with Albert, was nowhere to be seen though.
"Did you notice the weather outside, Albert?", Barbara asked, moving away from Albert and closer to Bennett. "Excuse me, but I have to lead prayers to the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. May he bless us with a breeze instead. It can't wait."
"No!" Albert took a step forward and Barbara instinctively pressed even closer to Bennett. Bennett was radiating heat due to his Pyro Vision, but right now, due to poorly concealed anger as well. Albert was ignorant to that. "Why would you favor someone like unlucky Bennett over me? Royce told me everything about him, he's a curse to have around! Royce almost died when he was part of Bennett's Adventure Team, and you want to leave me alone with someone like him, Barbara? Do you want to kill me?"
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Rosaria walked with grim determination just fast enough to not be running. She had heard Sister Victoria's shouts and left the rest of investigation to Kaeya, her hands clenched into tight fists as cold anger rolled off her in clouds. The Anemo Archon wouldn't forgive creeps, why should she?
The only reason why Albert was still alive was because he hadn't given Rosaria a good reason to kill him yet. However, Rosaria had made it sure when she and Jean had talked about this problem that should Albert ever cross the line, Rosaria wouldn't hesitate. And Rosaria had told Albert very clearly: Stay off the Cathedral and away from Barbara, in the only language the guy understood: with a punch hard enough to hurt but not injure, so that the slime bag didn't run to Barbara for healing.
And now, once Rosaria was away for a moment, Albert had decided to ask for the last prayer of his life. Rosaria would gladly give him that.
"He said a cat attacked him and insisted that I let him in", Sister Victoria shouted once Rosaria was in sight. Rosaria didn't lose any time and tossed her wind glider to the ground carelessly, reaching for the daggers hidden in her outfit. Albert would wish that a cat was his greatest problem.
"May Barbatos show mercy but I won't this time", she hissed and pushed past Sister Victoria into the Cathedral, fingers closing around her favorite dagger.
The situation was clear: Albert stood menacingly in front of Barbara, who was pressed against another guy in search for protection. Albert was shouting: "Why would you favor someone like unlucky Bennett over me? Royce told me everything about him, he's a curse to have around!", pointing accusingly at the guy who must be Bennett, almost shoving his finger into his face.
Touch her and you're dead meat, Rosaria thought.
"Royce almost died when he was part of Bennett's Adventure Team, and you want to leave me alone with someone like him, Barbara? Do you want to kill me?"
A satisfying smack reverberated through the church. Like in slow motion, Rosaria watched how Albert's head flew to the side due to the slap and took him off balance, making him fall to the ground, where he stayed down. With terrified eyes, Albert looked up to Barbara, who still had her hand raised, breathing heavily.
"Say another word." Her voice was low but in the silence of the church, she could've been screaming. "I dare you."
"I-I'm ... I'm sorry!" Albert scrambled to his knees and pressed his hands together, head lowered. "I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to! Please forgive me, Barbara!"
"Get out." Barbara's shoulders were heaving, but she watched as Albert scrambled to his feet and ran out of the church as if he was chased by a pack of wild Hilichurls. Hot tears fell down her cheeks, her hands clenched to fists. She only felt that she was shaking when Rosaria closed her arms around her and pressed Barbara into a tight hug, brushing her hand over the back of her head.
"Shh ... He's gone."
"Why did he say such awful things!" Upset and hiccupping, Barbara turned her head and extended a hand to Bennett, who had held onto his neck, swinging one leg around as if he wasn't sure what to do. He took the offered hand, cleared his throat, and said: "It's fine, Barbara."
"It's not! Albert is wrong and Royce is wrong too. You mustn't listen to them, Bennett."
"I know." Bennett came closer and wrapped his arms around Barbara as well, awkwardly. Rosaria side-eyed him but didn't object or shake him off.
"How's your hand?", Rosaria asked, keeping up the soothing brushing over Barbara's hair. Barbara sniffled.
"Fine. My big sister taught me how to defend myself properly. I'm a healer, but ..." Barbara retracted and smiled at both Rosaria and Bennett. "... I know how to do damage too!"
Rosaria smiled at that.
