-Venti or "Lord Barbatos" if you go by his Archon name and title, is not someone who simply wants to be worshiped by others and put on a pedestal. Rather, he wants to be treated as our equal. And just like you all, it took me a long time to understand...-Barbara started explaining soon after, looking between the Dadaupa villagers as she did so, before she lowered her head and deeply sighed. -...That time, the evening after the "Grilled Fish festival", I...-She soon started retelling what happened back then, from herself feeling bad about not respecting his wishes before this and until he reassured her that it was alright as she couldn't stop crying. -...Venti...No, Barbatos is not someone who cares much about status, including his own. He doesn't want to be treated as someone who is more important and special than everyone else, but rather be close to people, as their friend and family member. Which is something he couldn't quite have for so long, only able to connect with a select few who knew who he was...As everyone else kept growing distant...-She added by the end of the retelling, her expression turning sad. -...His words to you back then, they didn't come from a place of malice. Rather, his pent-up feelings about the whole situation got loose, with your actions back then possibly being the trigger...
"Barbara, it's alright! It's not your fault! You just didn't know, that's not a crime!",
Was what he said to reassure her back then, after all...
*Venti was not someone who could become mad easily, he was just too nice for that,
And if the situation at the time was different, he might not have unloaded on them the way that he did...
...
"...Oh, sorry! I am not sure what came over me. I didn't mean for the words to come out so harshly!"
"...In the meantime, I am going to sit under the tree and play a tune in order to calm myself down. The way I suddenly lashed out is so unlike me."
...
...
Wherever happened back then,
Venti was not in the best state of mind...
*Which is why everyone was so shocked by his outburst at the time...
...
...
But it seemed like he was feeling a lot better now,
Happily strolling through the stalls, talking to people and getting some gifts...
*Barbara remembered seeing him at the Plushie booth before and...
...
The others aside, did he really choose all the Plushies he could of herself...?
*She knew that he saw her as his "Adorable Deaconess", but still...!
...
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T-this was just...!
...
...
-O-oh, I apologize! I got distracted while overthinking something. -Barbara soon told the confused looking people, secretly reprimanding herself for going off topic. -...What I want to say is, as long as you act familiar to Venti, he would surely appreciate it and...-She paused her explanation upon seeing their growingly confused expressions, soon realizing the reason as to why. -...Right, just like I was once upon a time, you are used to seeing him as someone whom you have to show respect to at all times and feeling that not doing so would be akin to blasphemy. -She sadly continued, before deeply sighing, her expression soon turning determined. -There is no need to worry, everyone. As your "High Priestess" and someone who went through a similar situation myself, I am going to teach you how to treat him properly.
She promised them, her voice both serious and reassuring,
As the Deaconess already started making a lesson plan in her mind...
*Which would be best started after the festival's end and the clean up...
...
Actually, having them help with it would also be a good start,
That way, they could become a little bit closer to the rest of Mondstadt...
*And they also had a chance to listen to Venti playing music again...
...
The last time that he played music, under the tree with the flute,
It felt as if the tune itself was accompanying their event preparations...
*It sounded so nice and felt unusually invigorating, lifting her spirits,
So much so, that Barbara couldn't help wondering if he was doing this on purpose...
...
...
And if it actually was,
Then it was his own way of helping them, right...?
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...
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For all his talk of herself and the others being adorable,
Venti was no less adorable himself, her lovable Archon and friend~
Rosaria took it upon herself to make sure the festival was proceeding smoothly,
So when those "Dadaupa villagers" were making a commotion, she had to stop herself from punishing them all...
*She really wanted to smack them just like she did with that stalker, but since it was not her place to do so, she abstained...
...
Thankfully everything turned out okay in the end and those people even helped with the remaining festival preparations,
And it even looked like they were actively trying to reform and even agreed to listen to all of Barbara's instructions...
*Which was a good thing in hindsight, but she was still going to keep observing them and their actions,
And in the event that they try starting another commotion, she would be there to punish them accordingly...
...
But for now, it really looked like things were proceeding smoothly,
With the festival proceeding without trouble and everyone having a good time...
...
...
Almost without trouble...
-...Albert, what do you think you are doing...? -She soon coldly said, upon teleporting to the stalker's side and making him jump up from surprise. -...I thought you already learned not to stalk Deaconess Barbara. Do I need to educate you again...?
She continued with the same coldness, which soon made him visibly flinch,
Before he started blabbing something about his "goddess" and she didn't care to listen anymore...
*All she could think about is that this "man"child needed some "reeducation",
Between him and those "Dadaupa villagers", he was clearly acting worse right now...
...
...
But she already tied him to a tree, smacked and slapped him to build up his resistance to pain,
And she also kicked him to that flower monster's den and had him run around the place, getting some much needed physical training...
*Of course, she had some other ideas about how to punish him at the time, as well as make him more useful,
But sadly, doing so would have either:
1. Polluted the environment -Kicking him into Cider Lake
2. Made others unnecessarily pissed -Rhodeia of Loch would have been mad to see THAT in her territory
3. It just wasn't worth the energy - The Chasm was too far to make this journey simply for the education of some stalker
...
So those choices were out of the question, even now,
And she had to think of another way to teach him to behave...
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But how should she do that...?
...
-Yay! Klee is all done with the funny whacking game! -Was heard a few feet away from the enthusiastic child, who soon put the mallet back and turned around towards her brother and sister. -Big brother Albedo, Big sister Emilia, do you want to play it too? It's really fun!
She couldn't help happily saying upon pointing to the "Whack a mole" game stand,
With said "moles" looking suspiciously similar to a certain Albert, as the twins noticed:
A humanoid with short light brown hair and purple eyes, wearing what looked like a light green shirt.
-...It appears that someone has a Vendetta against him. -Emilia couldn't help thoughtfully saying aloud, before her expression suddenly darkened. -...Whoever it is, I can't fault them for this, as I have someone like that myself...-...And it was also a certain someone whom she now saw in those "moles"...-I would be glad to play a round, Klee~ -She soon added, slowly walking towards and standing before the game, before taking the mallet into her hands. -Since I still can't fulfill my revenge, this should be a good way to take out all of my gathered anger~
With these words and without waiting for any kind of reply,
She proceeded to violently whack any "mole" she saw, evilly cackling along the way...
*This made Albedo remember how Emilia was when she was "Nigredo" and tried to kill him and the others,
Yet seeing with which rage she was whacking those "moles", it appeared that she was a lot more enraged now...
...
WHACK! WHACK! SLAM! WHACK! WHACK! BAAAAANG!
...
He had a very good idea whom she was imagining those "moles" as,
And he decided to just let her do what she wanted, it was for the best this way...
*Though they might need to pay for the repairs later, since the stand might not withstand her rage...
BANG! BANG! WHACK! SLAAAAAM!
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-...Mommy, Daddy, Lily is very confused...-The child was slowly saying, as she stopped throwing the hoops and turned around towards her parents. -...I thought that no one is fighting anymore, but it sounds like there is some trouble...Are the baddies attacking again...?
-No, sweetie. Everyone is just enjoying the festival. -Jilianna soon reassured her as she took the child's hand in hers, before turning to look towards the direction of the sounds, her expression slightly darkening. -...It just looks like someone is having too much fun with it...-She coldly mumbled, before her expression brightened and she turned around back to her daughter. She was not a part of the Treasure Hoarders anymore, so she should be keeping calm. For her daughter. -...Since it's too noisy here, how about we go somewhere else and see if there is anything fun to do there?
She suggested to the other, as at first Lily looked thoughtful,
Before the child turned around and took her father's hand with her free one...
-Lily agrees, let's go explore! -The child soon enthusiastically yelled out, jumping in place between her two parents, her arms firmly linked. -We can look around and find some new games to play and buy some new plushies and have some fun and then we can find Venti and Klee and...!
The child soon started to happily chatter, as the family started their walk,
The loudest sound accompanying them, still being heard in the distance, being...
WHACK! WHACK! BANG! BANG! CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!
It was now a while later,
And yet Kaeya still couldn't help feeling concerned...
...
He still couldn't stop thinking about what happened,
Back then when Diluc almost collapsed from a sudden splitting headache...
*And his brother didn't even remember what brought this reaction at all!
...
...
Something was definitely wrong here,
He could feel it with all his being...
...
Diluc thought about something he shouldn't have,
Something that is kept hidden, just like Forbidden Knowledge...
...
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It was actually Forbidden Knowledge, wasn't it...?
*And if not, then something similar in nature,
Something that certain "people" don't want anyone to know about...
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Just like his Khaenria'h origins and not just him being a spy...
...
Yes, there were still things that he kept hidden,
Information that might put his brother and Mondstadt itself in danger...
*The Traveler might be the only one he could safely tell this to, right...?
...
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But at that moment, when he saw Diluc...Like that,
If it continued, he might have actually revealed himself,
And then, THEY would have...
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No, it was okay,
Everything turned out okay in the end...
*His ONLY family, his older brother was okay,
And neither did he betray the place which took him in...
...
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But he still couldn't help worrying about Diluc suddenly collapsing,
Just like (his)/their (adopted) father, before he...
...
Diluc was a very loyal and equally reckless man,
One who tried to protect everyone he could himself, reluctant to ask for help...
*If anything happened in the future, where a choice would have to be made...
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He should definitely look after Diluc, just in case,
He can't lose him, especially not after they finally returned to being brothers...
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"All those last months were just a short time in this bard's life, weren't they...? Yet, so much has changed from back then.
...It is quite fascinating to see where we've started and where we are now."
...
Was what Diluc said a few minutes before his sudden collapse,
So his collapse might have to do something with that...
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It would not be a good idea to try to understand what exactly it was...
...
Yet still...
"Like a ripple in still water or the flap of a butterfly's wings, just one moment, one change can have a great impact on how a story goes."
...
Himself and Diluc becoming close again,
Somehow it was thanks to "Venti", wasn't it...?
*He wasn't entirely sure where this thought came from,
But if he was right, then...
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Just what was currently going on in the world...?
...
All of the possible little changes,
To both himself and his brother, as well as the others...
...
Was it actually intentional...?
By whom and for what reason...?
*Just who is playing chess with their lives…?
…
And if so,
What or who are they playing against…?