The Dadaupa villagers were feeling jealous,
Really jealous of the recently named "Eduard" for...!
"So this is what the so-called "problem" the Winds told me is all about. You lot are interrupting the festival's preparations and creating a scene.
...Not only are you ruining Weinlesefest with your interruption, as if it wasn't already ruined before, but because of you I couldn't stay and enjoy watching my people being adorably embarrassed! I could have already taken so many nice looking photos by now!
And all of this is because I am not giving you enough attention? Am I understanding it right?! Do you know why I ran away back then and haven't visited you since?
Yes, I actually ran away! I ran away from your so-called "feast" because it was just so overbearing and overly embarrassing! That overly huge and dramatic looking statue of myself, the smaller statue with me and Barbara in a f*cking shrine, the over the top food, decorations and presents and that stupid welcoming sign! Seeing all of those overly dramatic "props" you prepared made me feel like burying myself into the depths of Teyvat! I hated all of it so much! WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE EVEN SEE ME AS?! AS SOME KIND OF ATTENTION SEEKING SNOB OR WHAT?!
But it's apparently everyone else's fault that I HATED your so-called "welcome", of courseee it is! Celestia, you are so f*cking annoying and oblivious! Talking to you all is like talking to the wall! I wish I never allowed you morons to stay in Mondstadt, you are just so utterly dumb!"
...
...
They had no right feeling jealous, since for all this time...
*Just what were they actually doing for all this time...?
...
"WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE EVEN SEE ME AS?! AS SOME KIND OF ATTENTION SEEKING SNOB OR WHAT?!"
...
...
Was this really how their treatment of Lord Barbatos seemed like...?
They just wanted to treat him with proper respect and...!
"Yes, I actually ran away! I ran away from your so-called "feast" because it was just so overbearing and overly embarrassing! That overly huge and dramatic looking statue of myself, the smaller statue with me and Barbara in a f*cking shrine, the over the top food, decorations and presents and that stupid welcoming sign! Seeing all of those overly dramatic "props" you prepared made me feel like burying myself into the depths of Teyvat! I hated all of it so much!"
...
...
"But it's apparently everyone else's fault that I HATED your so-called "welcome", of courseee it is! Celestia, you are so f*cking annoying and oblivious! Talking to you all is like talking to the wall! I wish I never allowed you morons to stay in Mondstadt, you are just so utterly dumb!"
...
...
...
For all this time, just what did they...?
"Venti, I know how you feel, but...Can you give them another chance...?
...As punishment for making a scene, they can help with the festival preparations, right...?"
...
...
The High Priestess,
She wanted them to have another chance...
...
"Alright, if you really want to help, you can stay and do that...Just act civil and don't even think about starting another commotion, okay?"
...
And they did get it, even if reluctantly,
Which they were still thankful for and did as told...
...
...
But what now...?
...
They still wanted to show the Archon their appreciation,
But the only way they knew how...
"I ran away from your so-called "feast" because it was just so overbearing and overly embarrassing! That overly huge and dramatic looking statue of myself, the smaller statue with me and Barbara in a f*cking shrine, the over the top food, decorations and presents and that stupid welcoming sign! Seeing all of those overly dramatic "props" you prepared made me feel like burying myself into the depths of Teyvat! I hated all of it so much!"
"WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE EVEN SEE ME AS?! AS SOME KIND OF ATTENTION SEEKING SNOB OR WHAT?!"
...
...
It would just make him even more mad and they would be thrown from Mondstadt...
*Just what did those in Starfell Lake village know that they didn't...?
...
-...Maybe, we should ask them. -One of them soon suggested, looking and sounding unsure. -...Since both our communities came from the same origin, surely...?
-Why would they even want to help us...? -Another one interrupted him, looking and sounding conflicted. -...Don't you remember what happened before Lord Barbatos came to lecture us...?
He added before becoming quiet again, looking quite crushed,
As everyone else soon realized what he was talking about...
*Which wasn't hard to do, since it happened not too long ago...
"That's the thing, High Priestess, they have taken Lord Barbatos' attention all for themselves! Our Archon didn't even visit us for so long and the last time he did, when we prepared a feast to show our devotion, Lord Barbatos just left!
All of this happened because of those traitors, once our brothers and sisters, who dared to...!"
...
...
-They won't help, even if we beg. -A third one soon admitted, as he and the others looked quite lost now.
-The High Priestess might help, just as she did before! -A fourth one intervened, looking hopeful. -If it's the High Priestess, then surely she would tell us what we lack!
The others couldn't help but soon agree with him,
As Barbara was basically what you would call a "Saint"...
...
...
-...But we already troubled her enough. If not for the High Priestess standing up for us, we could have already been sent away. -A fifth one said moments later, looking and sounding conflicted. -...Can we truly ask for her help again...?
-...We don't have much of a choice...-A sixth one soon said, looking and sounding as conflicted as the other, before he sighed. -...We are already walking on thin ice...
Emilia could not help feeling conflicted,
As she and Albedo were walking towards the festival area...
...
And the reason for that was...
-We really took too long with that project and lost track of time. -She couldn't help saying soon enough, before deeply sighing. -On one hand, this is one of our more important tasks and should be done as soon as possible. On the other hand, we should be participating in the festival like everyone else, right...? After all, it is a good way to mingle in Mondstadt society, yes...? -She asked the other, slightly unsure, before her expression became thoughtful. -...Klee is like your little sister and since I am your "twin", that makes her my little sister too. Following that assumption, since we are arriving late to the event, she is bound to be quite miffed and maybe even...
"...Mad and vengeful.", was what Emilia was about to say, but didn't,
As she soon realized that unlike herself, Klee was a lot more merciful...
*And even when the child was blowing up fish and all kinds of different creatures,
She was doing it from a place of playfulness and wonder, rather than any negative response...
...
Klee was truly a "Bundle of Destructive Cuteness", like some people said,
So much so that even if she were to destroy half of Tey...
-BIG BROTHER ALBEDO! BIG SISTER EMILIA! YOU ARE FINALLY HERE! -Was suddenly heard, as Klee was running towards both of them at high speed, before long colliding into the two and the trio falling down to the ground in a heap. -K-Klee knows that you were very busy until now...B-but I missed you a lot! -She sadly told them, upon hugging them both, looking and sounding like she was on the verge of tears. -...I-I didn't see you in the morning or when we went here with Venti or when we slept under the tree and you also weren't here when we started celebrating and Klee though you got bored of me and didn't want to spend time with me anymore and...! -She started mumbling more and more, her words soon getting too quiet for anyone to hear, before she suddenly froze in place. -...Big brother, Big sister, you still like Klee, right...? You feel bad for making Klee sad, right...? You feel so bad, you will do what Klee wants, right...? -She slowly asked, before suddenly jumping up from the two, a mischievous smile soon appearing on her face. -I have decided, we are going to spend the rest of the festival together and I am not accepting "no" as an answer! -She added as they were finally able to stand up, before proceeding to put her hands together in amusement. -And if you disagree to Klee's plan I am going to blow up your lab, so there!~
And before the two of them could as much as react,
She took their hands in hers and started to pull them along...
-Father! I-I mean, Seneschal Seamus, how good it is that you could join us! -Barbara said as soon as she saw him and the others arrive, trying to keep herself calm and collected. -...Seeing as even Cardinal Calvin is here, there is no church work to be done at the moment?
-Not quite, Deaconess Barbara, we simply finished the more urgent matters and decided that a well deserved break is in order. -Seamus answered her in a more serious and calm voice, as he looked around the place, before turning back to her. -I have heard from the Winds about what transpired here before Lord Barbatos' arrival, with the Dadaupa villagers making a scene. You did well handling the situation so it wouldn't worsen, Barbara. The title of "High Priestess" truly suits you. -He soon added, his expression turning warm, before it became thoughtful moments later. -...While I agree that what you did was admirable, especially as you made sure to help the people of Dadaupa cement their place in Mondstadt's society by having them help with the event preparations, are you certain that giving them a third chance was a good idea...? -He suddenly asked her, looking quite uncertain, before he deeply sighed. -...Unlike the Starfell villagers, they didn't seem to change in the least from how they were during their cultists days. Moreover, even our Archon doesn't have much patience for them left and he is quite a gentle god. As matters currently stand, they might soon be as disliked as the Lawrences were. You understand what this means, right...?
-...They would no longer be welcome in Mondstadt. -The Deaconess ended for him, looking and sounding quite conflicted. -...I thought it would be alright to give them another chance, especially since they are not necessarily bad people...-...Though she might just be thinking like this since they are still polite to her and Venti and she also felt bad for them after they were "lectured" by him...-...They just don't know of any other way to act around Venti, right...? If they knew how he wants to be treated, then surely things would have been a lot better by now...
She soon added in a quitter voice, hoping that this was really the case,
That like herself a few months ago, they just didn't know that Venti didn't want this kind of "worship"...
*And yes, she still remembered that they were the ones to kidnap him before,
But they were clearly regretful for doing that and gladly served their punishment...
...
...
And now, after Venti told them all that, what he really thinks of them,
Surely, now they are lost and confused, unsure of what they should do next...?
*And even if they wanted to ask for help, there are not many who would want to, right...?
...
...
They might ask her for help, wouldn't they...?
Since she was close to Venti and their "High Priestess"...
...
...
Wait, shouldn't they have approached her by now, then...?
*If they wanted to ask her for help, then surely...?
"Uh, they are currently, kind of...Sheepishly standing around, unsure how to approach you with this matter, Deaconess Barbara...?", the Winds suddenly said, sounding a little confused, "Seems like Barbatos' words truly broke them, a lot. So much so that even after deciding to ask for your help, they are still unsure if they should."
They explained in dead seriousness, before becoming quiet again,
As Barbara couldn't help looking around, wondering where they could be hiding...
...
She could see Kaeya sulking by master Diluc's side, with the other looking conflicted,
She could see Draff looking embarrassed, as Diona was looking at him with big innocent eyes, while the others laughed,
She could see Venti walking between the stalls, talking to people, being given gifts and...
-Daughter, they are hiding right behind the nearby stalls. -Her thoughts were soon interrupted by her father's serious voice, as she soon turned to look towards him. -...I got a summary from the Winds. Seems like they have also realized their current situation, but are unsure how to approach you. -He thoughtfully said, before suddenly pausing, as his expression soon turned confused. -...Since you are the "High Priestess" and I am your father, could the reason for them being reluctant to approach be...? Surely, that's not actually the case here, right...? Do they know I am the Seneschal of the Church of Favonius...? Could the reason be either of these...? Could it be both...? But as former cultists...
He couldn't help wondering, his words soon getting too quiet to hear,
As Barbara finally looked thoroughly at the nearby stalls in search of the hiding people...
*And surely enough, just like her father said, they were there,
All seemingly in different states of distress, as well as some guilt...?
...
...
Barbara couldn't help but compare them to scared animals,
They looked truly lost, guilt stricken and afraid...
...
...
Since she was the one who asked Venti to give them another chance, it was also up to her to take responsibility for this now...
*To give them advice on how to "correctly worship Venti" and how to interact with him day to day...