Venti loved dandelion wine. He wasn't sure where the fixation started in his long lifespan, but, ever since the sweet nectar touched his lips, he truly found it to be one of his greatest joys in life. Second only to music and freedom, the wind bard took dandelion wine as the finishing point in his trifecta of pleasures. The only problem with his love for the drink? Being a bard didn't pay very well.
The dark haired boy huffed, his hair blowing gently in the breeze as he laid in the hands of the statue outside Mondstadt's church to the Archon. With a little flick of his hand, the wind danced and twirled above him, carrying with it a few dandelions that only made him wish for another chance at that sweet, sweet drink.
"Venti? What are you doing?"
The Traveler cocked his head as he pulled himself up on the arm of the statue, huffing a bit as he walked over and sat next to the boy. The bard's face lit up in a soft smile, kicking himself into a sitting position.
"Well! If it isn't Mondstadt's Honorary Knight~ I was merely uhm… enjoying the breeze here. The wind always carries well at heights like these~"
"I see. You weren't reminiscing here again, were you?"
"Nothing so sour, sir knight! Merely relaxing. I promise~" Venti said with a honeyed voice and a soft smile, but he felt genuine affection at the care in the Traveler's tone. He was always a treat to talk to, even if he preferred to let others do the talking sometimes.
"Well then, maybe the tone deaf bard would like to be useful for once~" Paimon said as she popped into view, illustrating the example well.
The bard gave a smile, rolling his eyes gently. "Oh~ And what may I help with? Do you require some music? I promise my prices are fair~"
The Traveler chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No. We were hoping you'd join us on a small commission actually. We could use a bit of Anemo to balance out our group."
Venti's brow furrowed a bit, raising as he looked at the Traveler. "Well, I don't mind running around with you, but what is the commission you speak of?"
"Diluc is paying us to help deliver some casks of wine back to the estate of his! Paimon bets it's cause we're strong!" The small girl grinned, doing a little twirl with a flutter of wings as she struck a pose.
"But, it's easier if it's not just me there." The Traveler added on, giving a small smile at Venti. The bard's thoughts ran a bit at the idea of heading to the vineyard. Perhaps there, he could find some of the wine he so coveted as a reward? With a smile, he hopped to his feet.
"Well of course! Leave it to the most wonderous bard in Mondstadt to help you on your quest!~"
Venti's mouth watered silently as he took in the scent of the barrels with a soft sigh, his bow slung on his back as the group walked around the transport balloon FILLED with dandelion wine. The casks were locked together, tightly pressed against each other as they clacked while moving through the gorge that led to the vineyard.
"Venti, are you alright back there?" The Traveler called with a raised brow, noticing the silence that seemed rather unusual for the bard.
The boy quickly shook his head, perking up with a smile as he looked over the casks at the blonde. "Oh yeah yeah! Of course! For this job I am merely vigilant, for our cargo often begets irritants!~"
The Traveler chuckled, giving a shake of his head. "If you say so, just be sure to call out if anything appears behind us, alright?"
The bard merely nodded, his attention going back to the casks of dandelion wine with a sigh. Maybe he could just ask for one as payment? Or better yet, even a few as payment, that would bring him a wondrous amount of joy. If he drank evenly, he could even make it last a week! He tapped his fingers on top of one of the casks as he thought, huffing gently. However, he found his rhythm interrupted by the dull thunk of an iron arrow landing atop the barrel itself.
"Oh! Traveler! We have company!" The boy cried out in surprise, quickly drawing his bow as he moved in front of the barrels with the string taut. Several Hilichurls were already stepping in their direction, apparently taking the balloon as easy prey for their own devices. An arrow flew from Venti's bow, striking one directly in it's mask and sending it flying backwards. He pulled another one out just as a stone boulder around from the ground in front of him, knocking several of the other hilichurls away.
The Traveler leapt from the balloon, his sword landing directly on one hilichurl before flipping in his hands and slashing the next. He moved with a grace that even Venti found slightly impressive, smiling as he flashed his bow towards another hilichurl and sent a gust of wind towards the flaming club of the creature. It exploded into a burst of flame, sending it flying into another of its kind with a laugh from the bard.
"Nothing less than impressive performances from the most whimsical bard in Mondstadt!" He boasted with a smile, shooting a flurry of arrows in the direction of another incoming hilichurl who fell to the ground with a thud. The Traveler slammed his blade into another two, sending them flying as a flaming arrow was shot towards bard yelped, dodging out of the way with another charged burst of air flying from his bow. However, the fire next to him also caught some of the wind, causing a sudden burst of flame as some of the casks rolled to the ground.
"T-Traveler!" The boy stammered, quickly finishing off the hilichurl as he rushed to try and keep the casks in place on the balloon. The blonde looked back, swiping his blade across the group and finishing them easily before running over as well. He helped push them back on the balloon, giving a huff.
"Ugh, this is going to make the trip there a bit more annoying…" He grunted as he pressed his shoulder against the opening in the crate, huffing as Venti chased several of the casks around and stopped them. He dragged the no longer rolling containers back and set them atop the others with a grunt.
"Well… perhaps there may be something we can do to repair the balloon's holding… thing?" Venti huffed as he also set his shoulder in with the boy's own and nudged the balloon forward slowly. The Traveler shook his head in return.
"Not unless we can find some boards and rope here in the gorge…"
The bard groaned a bit as he nudged it along with the boy, an idea forming slowly as he gave a grin. "Oh, wait a moment! Perhaps I can make this easier at the least~"
The Traveler rose a brow. "What, do you happen to be carrying a coil of rope in those tights of yours?"
He flicked the blonde on the head softly, giving a smile. "No, but I do happen to have the wind on my side~ So, perhaps I can just float some of the barrels while we move them~"
The Traveler's mouth opened a bit, but he soon closed it as he couldn't really see that problem with that plan. He shrugged gently, giving a soft nod. "Well then, if you think you can, then sure."
Venti giggled a bit, waving his hands. "Think, dear Traveler?~ Don't underestimate the most whimsical bard in Mondstadt~"
The wind gathered up below the boy as his cloak began to billow, floating as he sighed and focused the gust towards the loose casks. He pulled them into the air, floating lightly as he pushed forwards with a giggle. "Come! Push with what weight you got, and I will keep these as safe as can be~"
The blonde nodded with a smile, chuckling a bit as they went forward with their new set up. Venti of course was boasting, but he somehow managed to keep his wind as they placed the transport balloon outside of the Dawn Winery. He fell to the ground, using the rest of his breath as he strained the casks down gently to the ground with dull thuds. A familiar man with a dark brown hat rushed from the front of the manor towards the two.
"Ah! Finally, you two! Thank you!" Conner, the winemaker, spoke quickly as he examined the casks for damage. Finding nothing more than a few scrapes, he sighed happily, moving them closer together. "Ah, it's good to see each one intact. Wine that has been aged for decades is the hardest to replace after all. Even our techniques can't quite match the taste that refined aging can bring."
Venti perked up from his heavy panting, looking over the casks. "D-Did you uhm… say… decades?"
"Ah yes! I thought Master Diluc had explained it. We were transporting these back because there seemed to have been a bit of a mix-up with the orders to the bar. It is not usual for a stock of this size to be delivered, to be sure."
The Traveler nodded. "Well, it's good we brought it back safely then. Is Diluc here now?"
Conner nodded. "Ah! Of course. But, Adelinde is the one that is handling your payment."
"Then Adelinde we will see!" Paimon said with a squeak, popping up by the Traveler's side as he chuckled.
"I suppose so. Venti, do you wish to come in with us?"
The bard did a double take from staring at the barrels, shaking his head as he processed the question with a start. "Ah, haha! Nahhhhhh, I'll take a walk around the vineyard~ After all, it's not often I get to come to the winery that makes the best drink in Mondstadt~"
"Suit yourself, tone deaf bard. Paimon is hungry for mora!" The floating girl said with a grin, flying towards the Dawn Winery as the Traveler sighed and shook his head. Conner followed suit, and the bard was left along with the casks.
Now, Venti wasn't exactly a bad person. He had a tendency to be playful and joke about, even make an insult in seriousness if the time called for it. Yet, as many a connoisseur in Mondstadt would say, he had a weakness for the fabulous wine of the region. Sitting there, literal barrels of fine, aged wine in front of him, Venti had a bit of a lapse in judgement.
He looked about, seeing no one immediately in the vicinity that would notice his actions. With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed two small casks with a gust of wind, sprinting to one of the sides of the winery with a silly grin on his face. He found an alcove near one of the stoops and slid to a stop in front of it. With a slink, the boy filed himself into it with a mischievous giggle. Here, the boy could partake in his dastardly scheme to consume his wine to great excess!
The boy huffed as his hand caught the top of the cask, making a small hole in the wood with a few well placed notches of an arrow. The aroma that drifted forth from the wood and wine inside almost made the boy start floating without thinking. "Ohhhhhh myyyyyy… it smells so heavenly~"
The liquid's taste on his tongue was like mana from the Archons, and he sighed as he took a long dredge of the nectar in the barrel, letting the sweet, crisp taste roll down his throat like a man parched. When he finally pulled the cask away with both hands, he let out a huff of air, his cheeks already a warm pink from the fine wine. "Ho ho ho ho~ It's been so long since I've tasted wine this sweet~"
He kicked his feet up against one of the logs near his alcove, sighing as he relaxed with the cask in his lap. A tune flowed from his lips, light and airy as the bard let the warmth of the drink carry him into song as he tapped his foot along with his tune. With another heft of his hands, he was going to take another drink when the cask was tugged back into his lap by another hand atop it. The boy squeaked, his eyelids flying open from their relaxed position.
They caught something that the boy was VERY unhappy (and slightly afraid) to see. Diluc's gloved hand pulled the cask away from him, setting it down with a level look in the bard's direction. The ever growing smell of burning in the air somehow tipped Venti off to the fact that Diluc was feeling anything but level towards the bard at the moment. He gave a nervous giggle, resting his hands behind his head quickly.
"H-Hey there, Mister Diluc~ Fancy seeing you here~"
"It's my winery, Venti. One which I have been looking after for a while now. I for one find it fancy that I am seeing you here." He said while tugging on his left glove, pulling it down a bit with a frown on his face.
"Uh, well you see. I had helped the Traveler with his little task of delivering your wine! And so, I had thought that maybe you might be willing to part with a cask or two. After all, we did do such a good job at getting all of it back. I think it might have been a crime to not repay us in something as delicious as this~" He gave a giggle, tapping the cask that Diluc had near his foot now.
"Now, that might have been an idea. But, my payment was set for the Traveler, and perhaps if the wine wasn't so unique, I might have been willing to part with some as a reward. However…" He reached down, hauling the bard out of the alcove by his bicep and causing Venti to give an "eep!" that would put a mouse to shame. "...I will not appreciate a certain bard taking some of his own volition, ESPECIALLY without my say so."
Venti gulped as he was held in the larger male's grip, trying to pry Diluc's fingers off his arm softly with a nervous chuckle. "Ah he he… y-you wouldn't be upset if I paid for it right?"
"With what mora?"
Ouch. Venti blushed a bit deeper, digging around in his garments with a free hand before coming up with nothing. His head turned up towards the redhead with a helpless shrug. "Uhhh… perhaps an IOU then?"
Before the boy could register, his vision was suddenly turned upside down as he squeaked. He felt the extremely warm form of Diluc close to him, and his whole body wiggled as he finally registered that he was now over the male's raised knee, Diluc's foot on the unopened cask. A lean, muscular arm wrapped around Venti's waist, pulling him closer as the man peeled his glove from his left hand. Squeaks poured from the boy's mouth as his feet began kicking, dangling a few above the ground.
"Ah w-wait! Y-You don't have to do this Master Diluc!" The bard yipped out, reached back to protect his bottom out of instinct. A solid slap landed on his thigh; he yelped out in surprise this time before his hand was pinned to his back. Oh boy, this was already bringing back some NOT pleasant memories.
"I'm going to deduce that you probably know what is about to happen. Regardless, I can assure you that I DO have to do this. I don't tolerate thieves in the best of moods."
Warm fingers slid into Venti's shorts and pulled down his garments and undergarments quite easily. The boy was flushed red at this point, already acutely aware that anyone could stumble upon them at this moment. His brain went into high gear, words fumbling out.
"M-Master Diluc pleaseeeeee…!" His voice went into another high-pitched, pained yip as the warm hand of the winery owner landed upon his pale buttocks. A similar impact came moments later, a light pink already flushing across both cheeks as Diluc started a small rhythm. Right to left, his hand fell twice in succession as he frowned quietly.
Venti, however, was anything but quiet, or still. He kicked his feet, whimpering and gasping as he felt the hand of the man landed squarely upon his wriggling cheeks. With each ripple of the skin, his bottom warmed uncomfortably. What was already like being spanked with a very warm wooden paddle soon became the equivalent of being swatted with a hot frying pan. The bard's hands gripped the leg of the man, holding tightly as he yelped again with watery eyes.
For a well-traveled bard, the boy didn't quite have the pain tolerance of one. As the pale skin of his bottom soon became bordering on a fresh strawberry, Diluc took note of his higher cries with a bit of a huff. He spoke, his voice carrying even more authority to the bard's ears.
"Now then, should I expect you to be taking any casks from me anytime soon?" He questioned gruffly, hand slapping across the crest of Venti's bottom.
"N-No, sir!" Venti cried out, tears leaking down his cheeks softly from his blue-green eyes.
Diluc grunted in amusement, not really expecting such a respectful tone from the bard. "Let this be a lesson then. If I ever catch you with wine you didn't pay for, I am going to tan your rear until it is glowing, understand?"
"Y-Yes, sir!" The boy said with a vigorous nod, wiggling his light red rump softly as he squirmed.
The redhead nodded in return, taking the boy up and setting him on his feet. He slowly tugged his glove back on and righted it while watching the bard dance about on his tip toes while rubbing his bottom. Venti pouted as he sniffled and furiously pressed his hands against his burning cheeks. The bard's rubbing did little alleviate the burn, however.
"Adelinde should be done paying the Traveler by now. I will walk you back." Diluc said in a firm tone, which sent a shiver up the boy's spine.
Venti just nodded rapidly, hissing as he gently tugged his shorts back up with a blush. He was led with a hand on his shoulder, Diluc carrying both of the casks under his other arm. It wasn't until they were about to round the corner that Diluc tugged Venti back and produced a handkerchief from his pocket.
"Here, clean your face." Diluc said simply, his tone at its usual level.
The boy accepted it with a nod, blowing his nose as well after wiping his cheeks of the tear tracks. He handed it back to Diluc, who huffed gently as he merely tossed it to the side with a slight grimace. His hand landed on Venti's shoulder again, and the two walked out to where Adelinde, Paimon, and the Traveler were talking.
"Ah! Tone deaf bard! Where the heck did you run off to?!" Paimon said with a huff, puffing out her cheeks as she crossed her arms.
Diluc spoke before Venti got a chance. "He merely was looking for me to deal with where to put the casks. I assured him that it would be taken care of."
"Uh, y-yeah. Just wanted to make sure we got the job 100% you know~" The bard said with a smile, putting his hands behind his head in a lazy way.
The Traveler nodded with a smile, and the group fell into their usual casual catching up before the trio bid Diluc and Adelinde farewell. As they walked back, Venti gave a sigh.
"Mannnnn… commissions are hard work~"
"Hah! Harder than lazing around all day you mean?" Paimon huffed as she floated between the two.
"Yeah yeah yeah~ What say we take some of that mora and get some dandelion wine? I got a bit of uh, desire to lay down and relax. Preferably on my stomach~"