After a week of horribly tedious training, Diluc had brought Mona to the tailor one last time. Mona was excited, not because of the working dress, but because it meant a break from her boring training. The tavern had an odd smell of oak and alcohol that she just couldn't get accustomed to as well.
Regardless, the nice old tailor lady helped her dress up for the first time. She personally checked that the dress fit correctly, as well as made quick adjustments on the go. By the time she was fully dressed, some good ten minutes had passed.
The uniform was a knee-long coffee-coloured dress with white trims. It was sleeveless, leaving her torso more flexible for the tiring work of a waitress. Her legs were covered with tights, something that she was already accustomed to wearing, with low heel shoes.
The moment she left the dressing room, Diluc analysed her from her feet to her head in less than a second. He twirled his finger, motioning her to turn around. She begrudgingly did so, showing her strapped back and attached vision.
"A bit too infantile with those twintails, but you look ready to work." He said with a straight face.
"What a backhanded compliment." Mona scoffed.
Diluc showed the slightest hint of a smile before continuing. "I was just teasing you. You look great."
Mona didn't expect the flattery of someone as stoic as Diluc, so she did her best to not blush immediately. She averted looking at him by inspecting her skirt, whirling in the spot.
"It feels heavy." She commented, switching topics.
"You won't be fighting with it. At least, you shouldn't." Diluc observed her for a few more moments before continuing. "That brings me to the next point. We've gone over this, but try to not hit clients, even if they're acting unreasonable. I will not blame you if you do, but I'd prefer if you let Charles or me handle it."
"Sure, Master Diluc. But if they ever touch me, I'm breaking their hands."
"Good. I like those words." He patted Mona's shoulder before approaching the tailor.
Throughout the week, Mona learnt that she had misjudged the Master of Dawn Winery. Yes, he seemed dull and grumpy. But the more she talked with him, the more she understood him. He was a strict teacher, but also gentle and good-natured. His down-to-business approach was something that she appreciated, as she did the same when focusing on her astrology studies. In fact, it reminded her of a grumpy cat who now and then got very cuddly.
"Mona," Diluc had finished his chat and had already paid the nice tailor. "We're leaving in two minutes."
She thanked the old tailor and rushed into the changing room. Once she managed to peel every layer away, she was back in her usual suit in an instant.
When they left the tailor, he once again talked. "Today is Friday, a busy day. That's why you'll start working now, at six P.M."
"T-Today? Shouldn't I start little by little?"
"You're good enough. Even if you still have not shown me any noteworthy wine-bending abilities."
"That's… that doesn't exist, I've certainly tried. The wine mixes with hydro and becomes watered down. I also believe it might be poisonous."
Diluc seemed amused by her answer. "You went through it? Admirable." Then, without saying a word, he walked away without any fuss.
Mona stood dumbfounded at the odd conversation. "Was he joking? I've never seen him like that…"
Wondering why Diluc seemed in such a good mood, the Astrologer ambled back to her home with a new outfit in hand.
For better or worse, the first time working at a new job was always memorable.
Though she could have made an entire list of all she hated about the bartending job, what she hated the most was the people. Sure, most of them were nice. But the brain always neglected positive experiences, leaving all the worst interactions imprinted on your mind. A type of survival instinct, Mona believed.
She wouldn't have minded much if all clients were like those in the first few hours. Not drunk, just having fun with their friends, asking for drinks that didn't contain alcohol. But as night started, those clients disappeared and more unruly people arrived. She found herself walking through the whole tavern, taking orders, bringing drinks, and receiving nasty looks. Had it not been for Charles and the other waiters, she'd be completely spent.
Somewhere before midnight, she managed to walk back to the bar counter, only to find a tremendous amount of dirty glasses. She sighed and proceeded to clean them.
"What's with the long face, greatest astrologer of Mondstadt?"
Venti was sitting on the barstool nearest to the wall, with a wide smile on his face.
"You indeed show up at the worst times." Mona frowned and started her odyssey to wash all the dirty glasses.
"You appear when I don't want to talk with you, so I guess we're even. Trouble with the clientele?" Venti asked, resting his chin on his hand.
"Do you want to drink or do I have to call Charles?" She retorted with clear hostility.
"I'll take that as a yes. So, I'll have one water please." His answer was devoid of any seriousness, which only prompted Mona into an awkward reaction.
"I… That's not what I meant when I said to ask me for easy drinks." Mona said, unamused.
"Fine, how about a pint of pale ale? The one second to your left. You better know the price or I'm going to swindle you."
Venti and Mona shared a glance but didn't say anything more. For Venti, the game had merely begun. For Mona, her plan had to continue unabated.
For that night, they both had very different objectives. Venti had been on the losing end of the previous two encounters. As much as he enjoyed being straddled, that didn't matter if he kept getting the short end of the stick! Mona had too many cards on her hands because of it, and most importantly she held hostage his hat! If she realised that he was starting to like their encounters, then he'd have no other option but to admit defeat and flee. And so, the objective for the night was to even the field and make Mona owe him something.
Mona only had to stick to the plan. Make him drink as much as possible. And the moment he passed out, his vision was up for the takings. The previous incidents had been… a trip, but just like an astrolabe, she was slowly narrowing down her objective. If she had to continuously interact with him, so be it. So far, the plan seemed watertight.
"Say, what type of music do you like?" Venti shifted on his seat as soon as he talked, as if unable to keep still.
"…I don't know, anything that isn't too loud." She answered without much thought. "Lyrics break my concentration."
"Tunes over words? A harsh customer. I can't really play anything here, but I know plenty of music. I'm sure I know your favourite song too."
Mona placed the glass of beer in front of Venti. His hands seized the glass immediately.
"You can't play here? What happened to the City of Freedom?" Her sarcasm didn't affect Venti in the slightest.
"Ah, this tavern has already a bard that… should be back there. Huh." Venti checked around the tavern but found no competing bard. "Anyways, you bring up an interesting point. Freedom and rules aren't antonyms. Mondstadt still represents freedom of expression, association, love… Freedom is not measured with rules, rights or power. Freedom isn't an institution, but a continuous thought process." He took a swing of his drink. "Or that's what Barbatos thought. Nowadays, Mondstadt is still bound by petty things like religion and ruled by the military that… I didn't even drink that much and I'm already talking about politics."
Mona just stared at the laughing Venti, not expecting the sudden spike in sagacity. "So what, the city of Freedom isn't free?"
"Hmm… Yep, you're right. For example, freedom of expression is somewhat restricted. You can't even make a little joke about the Geo King wanting to buy Mondstadt without getting weird looks. And also… Free love is kind of hard to come by too. Not being judged by whoever your partner is, or even fighting people to accept who you are. Even here, that is hard to find."
"It's odd to hear something coherent coming out of your mouth. And oddly foreboding." Mona nonchalantly said, wondering what was the bard's plan.
"Hah, I'll take that as a compliment. Speaking of love, how do you think it starts?" Venti waited for Mona to answer, but after a long silence, he continued. "Don't even tell me. You think it's all about fate, isn't it? I bet you're that traditional type of person, searching for the chosen one to appear like a dashing rogue. Oh, what a plight! Why are they taking so long to find me…! Am I right?"
"You keep talking without knowing when to stop, am I right, bard?"
"You got me. Just listen to what I think: Love blooms from desire. The desire to see that person, to have fun with them, to experience with them. Once desire threads through heart and brain, love can spring forth. And I don't mean only lust. If it's only based on sexual desire, it can sometimes simply extinguish before love can arise." He tapped his glass. "Both partners can very well feel satisfaction without ever falling in love."
"Alright, I'll bite. What's with the philosophical conversation, Casanova? I've never taken you for a sage." Her question was a way to dodge the subject as subtly as possible.
"Cause I want to know your opinion. Though you've been quite annoying, you must have quite the worldview to go through… whatever you're doing with me."
In a brief second, Mona tried to understand the end goal of the conversation. She believed that perhaps the bard was trying to outflank her with heavy topics. Inadvertently make her say something that wasn't, or make her lower her guard. She couldn't let that happen.
"There are many things the world's principles can dictate, but they are just that. Principles. Guidelines. Human emotions are not displayed in the same way as pain, hunger or thirst. Love, friendship, and hatred are emotions you must deduce with the flow of fate. For example, the stars might be able to tell you that a certain person will attack you. But they will not say they're attacking you because they hate you. Fate cannot tell you that a person will love you, but it can tell you that you will spend the rest of your life with them. That's why Astrology isn't as easy as people believe. It's not just seeing future or past, but interpreting it."
She had recently written an article about world principles that relied heavily on such emotions. So she was ready.
"Hmm, interesting. So no fated one for me? What a shame." Venti answered, finishing his drink. "So how do you think love begins, then? If it's not controlled by fate, then it's in human hands."
"I have not said that it isn't predetermined. Regardless, I've never given it much thought. I am quite busy, you see." She shrugged, continuing to clean glasses. "To narrow down such a complicated topic in one sentence would be quite hard. I suppose it varies from individual to individual."
"Sure, that's a fair non-committal answer. What I told you was simply my point of view, not a universal constant. Alright, now you ask something." He gestured at Mona with his hand.
"Ask something?"
Again, Mona stopped and thought. What was he accomplishing with this? It almost felt like he wanted to learn about her. She couldn't understand it, so she had to be on guard. "Very well, why don't you tell me about this curse of yours? Unless you want to run away again?"
"I guessed as much. If you're that interested..." He tapped his empty beer glass. "I might remember if you give me another one. Less foam, please."
Mona clicked her tongue as snatched the glass, and refilled it as slowly as possible before slamming it back in front of him.
"Alright so, I suppose it all started with my mother… What a tragedy…"
"Oh my god…" Mona hissed under her breath. "Are you making it up? Because it feels you're going to do that."
"No, no. I'm serious." His finger tapped the foam and then made it float with his powers. "You see, my mother… you could say she had a lot of responsibilities. And I was just one of them. I'm sure she loved, loves, and will love me, but I didn't want to be always associated with her. One day I simply chose to go my own way, made a friend, said friend died, and I got cursed."
Venti bit his tongue, gauging Mona's reaction. Then, as if it would make everything better, he drank the whole pint in one go.
Mona stared in awe at his feat. "You know, that is a very horrible thing to lie about. And… it's not healthy to drink that quickly."
"Right," He tapped the glass again. She got the message immediately and refilled it. "You could say that my acquaintances always considered me as the son of my mother. When I decided to prove myself, a quest suddenly befell me to, let's say, hunt a certain type of monster. The very nature of my curse prevents me from telling you what it was, but the only thing you have to know is that I was completely unmatched. My friend devised a plan to make this monster lose the will to fight which I… naively accepted. So when my arrow pierced the monster's heart, I was rewarded with this curse. A curse to always feel the wind in my back, to never be able to settle down or to connect with anyone who doesn't share the same curse. If I somehow did that, they'd die not too long after. So if I told you my constellation, your fate would be sealed."
Venti started to drink his next pint, but only drank half of it. He looked at Mona's face, but she seemed absorbed in cleaning the vases and glasses.
"And are you sure about that?" Mona's question actually seemed to upset Venti.
"Of course I am. How would you feel if all your friends died tomorrow? And you try to make new friends, and they die the next day regardless. Relationships would feel empty, wouldn't they? Why make friends at all? You'd be alone for the rest of your life, without getting attached to anyone for the fear of ever losing them."
Mona wasn't about to believe his words, not after he continuously sabotaged her attempts. "Alright. Then why am I not dead then? We've definitely interacted a bunch of times, and I'm still full of health."
"Well, you're not my friend, astrologer." Venti stuck out his tongue. "You're my deadly enemy!"
"Funny. And what about Diluc? You're friends and he's alright."
"Diluc has a curse of his own. Though his curse is not mystical like mine, it's worse than whatever I'm afflicted by. I'm not one to talk about it, and he'll be even harder to convince than me. In fact, don't tell him this conversation even happened." He trailed off, his eyes wandering towards his empty glass. "Oh, my tongue got a bit loose. I downed three pints in ten minutes, that's not good."
"Oh, poor Diluc. He doesn't deserve that." Mona couldn't maintain eye contact with the bard.
"And where's the 'poor Venti'?" He asked, somewhat offended.
"You are poor, Venti. If you truly are not lying, then I will apologise. But if you are, then you're truly a despicable being. Don't joke about dead friends… dead anything, actually." Mona finished cleaning the last glass.
"I'm not that much of a monster, it's an embellished story. So, my turn to ask now, right? Why do you want to know my constellation so badly?" Venti quickly moved on. "Another pint please…!"
"Are you really… okay? You shouldn't drink so quickly." Though this was definitely what Mona intended, she didn't expect it to happen so fast.
"Oh, fine. Give me something stronger then, brandy, please? Maybe like, half a glass or something?"
Still unsure about the whereabouts of all bottles, Mona started to rummage around the bar in search of brandy.
Meanwhile, Venti glanced at Charles, who was making his way towards the bar counter again. He snapped his fingers, forcing open the windows on the second floor with a rush of wind. Charles instantly did a U-turn and rushed up the staircase. "Anyways, are you going to answer me, pretty please?"
"Uh, right." Mona found a bottle of brandy. "I only have the desire to learn about the stars, to see what they hide beneath their endless sea. The principles of the world are hidden beneath their darkness."
"Oh? Desire, huh?" His smirk became ever so mischievous. "You desire to learn about me, is that it?"
"I have not uttered a single word of that besides the word desire, which I could easily have replaced with want or hope."
"Getting a bit wordy, are we?" Venti started laughing like it was the funniest thing he had said. Mona just stared at him in silence.
"I… I don't get it." Mona placed a shot glass in front of Venti.
"Get what?" He stopped her from pouring the brandy. "Brandy isn't served in glass shots but… You know what, screw tradition. Pour it down!"
"Oh, I'm sorry."
She reluctantly filled the glass shot, only to receive an odd groan from Venti.
"You know, it's bad luck to drink shots alone. I'll buy two shots, and you drink the other one."
"Erm…" Mona glanced around the tavern, but couldn't see Charles anywhere. "I'm not sure if I should. Or want."
"I drink shots with Charles all the time. If Diluc wasn't such a teetotaler, I'd drink with him too!" He slightly leaned on the counter, his eyes gleaming.
The answer was a clear no. But Venti was getting drunk very fast, so maybe the high alcohol content of the brandy would push him over the edge. Just a little bit more, and everything would end. She could return to her routine, and have time to stargaze every night… And it would only be one shot away.
"I suppose one… won't hurt…"
"Yay!"
She got another glass and filled it slightly less. Mona kept loathing the idea of drinking, but by that point, she couldn't quite backtrack.
"So should I just… drink it all at once?" Mona picked up the glass, the spicy smell of the brandy making its way over her.
"Yep! Bottoms up!"
Venti drank it like it was water. Mona took a bit too long, which only made her reaction worse. The burning sensation coupled with the pungent savour of the alcohol only made her cough in pain.
"This tastes horrible! How can you drink this?" Even away from her mouth, she felt the alcohol burning in her stomach.
"Cause wine goes in, and joy comes out!" Veni proclaimed with pride.
"That's called urine. Speaking of which, your body is too small to have so much alcohol inside it." Mona gulped down the spit in her mouth in hopes to remove the fruity flavour of the alcohol.
"Having a bad time? When did you last eat, by the way?"
"Erm… why do you want to know?"
"Oh, right. You don't eat much." Venti scratched the back of his head while awkwardly laughing. "Well, I err… maybe you shouldn't have drunk that. That was a very strong brandy, you know? It can have quite the effect on a novice."
"Y-You say it now?!"
"Well, let me make it up with some gossip." Venti moved aside the glass and leaned on the counter. "Did you know that Diluc totally likes Master Jean? Pretty sure the feeling is reciprocated!"
"What? Really?" Mona looked around the tavern even though she knew Diluc wasn't there. "He's actually kind of sweet, but I didn't think the Acting Grandmaster…"
"You should see them in a room together. It would be hilarious if they weren't so awkward. They're so in love with their own duties that they can't bring themselves out of their shell." Venti sat back down on the barstool, almost falling back. "I have an eye for these things. Bards are the burning torch of budding couples, after all!"
"Is that why you kept talking about the philosophy of love before?" Mona asked, somewhat awkwardly.
"Sure, let's go with that. You know, that's why Diluc disappears every now and then. I bet he just doesn't want to run into Jean and goes off to who knows where."
"If they keep focusing on their jobs, it would never work anyways. I've scryed people like them, so I suppose they are scared of that… That if they take time to focus on each other, they will never be able to fully focus on their duties anymore."
"Do you fit into that category too? Cause I don't. Got too much free time!" Venti jokingly answered though he leaned against the wall again.
"I do not. Not because I'm not a hard worker, but because I simply do not feel the need to be in love with anyone."
"Good answer. Love sucks! Looking at those happy couples makes me sick! 'Oh, thank Barbatos for striking me with a love arrow, I'm so lucky! That never happened, it was all you! Where's the desire?! If you're only with someone because of luck, you don't deserve anyone!"
"Weren't you making an argument in favour of love like five min-"
"Shut up, astrologer. Like the wind, I change opinions very quickly. It might be just the alcohol though." Venti drummed his fingers on the counter. "The point is that… That… I forgot actually. Right! You should tell Diluc some fate bullcrap about love and put him on track."
"I don't lie with my foretelling."
Venti scoffed at her answer. "You lie with your mouth and you're horrible at it. I'm starting to get a lil'bit ahead of myself. So I'll stop for the night." Venti counted the few mora he had and placed them on the counter.
"W-Wait, what do you mean? You're not completely drunk."
"And? We had some good talk but it would be rude to get drunk while you're sober."
Mona started to clean the already dry glasses to calm her nerves, but internally she was screaming. She had made this whole plan to be a waitress to get him drunk, and now the dumb idiot was too much of a goodie two shoes to get drunk in front of her?! She should have just invited him out for drinks, why did she overcomplicate things?!
"B-But I don't mind, you can keep drinking and stay! You hardly talked at all and I'm having fun!"
Mona realised in horror what she had just admitted with those few panicked words.
"Oh? You want me to stay?" Venti's cheeky smile only made Mona's anxiety worse. "My, my, has Barbatos struck you with a love arrow? Honestly, you just had to say so." In contrast to Mona's screw-up, Venti could only rejoice as she fell for it hook, line and sinker. "But now I feel a bit slighted! Here I am, telling you my life story while you don't even tell me how you really feel… I'm so broken up I could cry to death!"
"You… You shut your mouth. All your chatter was senseless."
Venti shook himself awake, completely sobering up in a few seconds.
"Ohoho! Now it was senseless?" Venti's exaggerated fake laughter gave way to a barely self-contained giggle. "You know, you sure like overcomplicated plans. You didn't even try to investigate me a little before going all in with this little side gig. If you had, you'd know that my alcohol tolerance is greater than Dragonspine. You improvise well but… a plan that cannot be altered is a bad plan."
Venti was waiting for the moment Mona would crack her charade and snap. But throughout his explanation, she maintained her wits. At least, she tried to keep up that appearance.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Not everything is about you."
"True! Because it's about you, isn't it?"
Mona stopped cleaning the beer glass, wiped her hands and stared at Venti. "If I like overcomplicated plans, then you like overly simplistic ones. You're trying to make me mad again, I know that."
"It doesn't really matter if you know it. See, that's the thing about good plans. They work as smooth as a breeze, regardless of unexpected changes."
"Tsk! You're insufferable."
Without saying anything else, Mona walked out of the bar counter mid-conversation. "Charles! I'm taking my break!"
Venti blinked, stared at the empty beer glass and looked at Mona leaving through the backdoor of the tavern.
"Maybe I shouldn't have drank so quickly, I barely talked with her." He scratched the back of his head. "Now I seem like an awful person, I was going to motivate her."
Mona kicked the air as soon as she was out of the tavern. Her skirt flared up, only making her angrier before she heaved the deepest sigh possible.
"How's he always a step ahead? Goddamn it!" She forced herself to keep quiet and controlled her breathing to calm her nerves. "I need to cool my head, I was doing so well until I let my guard down."
Her eyes unconsciously drifted towards the night sky. Though Mondstadt's light covered the dimmest stars, she could clearly see all the summer constellations. Somewhere in that endless sea of stars, the answer floated and escaped her grasp. Her eyes had trouble focusing at all. Perhaps she was just tired of it all.
She thought that alcohol would be the bard's weakness, but it was a premeditated mistake. If alcohol truly was his weakness, he would have been dead ten times over. So then, what could it be? What was his weak point?
"Don't stand in front of the door."
Mona almost screamed in terror at the sight of Diluc standing right in front of her. "M-Master Diluc, what the hell! How did you…"
"You're still in your shift, mind your language." He fixed his coat and waited for Mona to move away from the entrance.
She sheepishly moved away, knowing that the man wouldn't establish a conversation on his own. "I…"
"What is it? Make it quick." His cold tone sent shivers down Mona's back.
"How can I defeat somebody who seems stronger than me?"
Diluc stopped and pondered for a long few seconds. "Retreat, recover, re-analyse and rematch. That is the core principle against a sudden opponent. If a retreat is not possible, play into your strengths and never allow the opponent to lure you into their game. Do not care about honour. In a fight to the death, honour is needless. Use every dirty trick possible to gain the upper hand and open up a path to retreat."
"Every dirty trick, huh…?" Mona thought out loud.
"Indeed. Honour and pride matter little if you're dead in the mud. Even I have used… questionable methods to balance the tide in my favour. In hindsight, I do regret ever doing so. But I understand that if I didn't use it, I would never attain what I sought." Diluc stopped his talking and inspected Mona's thoughtful expression. "If anybody is bothering you, I can offer some assistance."
"Oh! No, your words have already helped me enough. Is there any way to easily identify somebody's weakness in the middle of a fight?"
Diluc now found her insistence somewhat out of character, but he saw no harm in aiding her. "I recommend never fighting unless you are certain of your victory. Never fight somebody if you don't have to. But if I did have to do it in the get-go…" The mental exercise seemed to actually interest Diluc. "Yes, there are two ways an opponent would hide a weakness. One would be to completely shadow your weakness with your own strategy and make it invisible. The other way would be to show your weakness as your strength. A good fighter does both at once, but it depends on the character of the opponent."
As her boss started explaining the pros and cons of a stalwart defence, Mona processed the actual useful parts. She was beginning to believe that Venti truly wanted her angry with only one objective. That was to make her push, shove or straddle him again. It was so painfully obvious that nobody in their right mind would fall for it. But upon closer inspection, it was all a feint! The last time she… impulsively attacked him, he was completely disarmed from any argument. Besides, he was the type of trickster who would say what cards he had in a poker game to screw with his opponent.
Mona had to play into her strengths and use every dirty trick possible while exploiting his weakness. Yes, she now understood what she had to do. She didn't like it, but that was the only way to outsmart that fool.
"I see, I understand. Thank you Master Diluc. I kind of understand why the Acting Grandmaster likes you." Mona pursed her lips the very moment she said those words.
"Even you follow through with such rumours? They're all a lie, make no mistake." Diluc walked past Mona and placed his hand on the door handle. "She has not come to you, has she?"
"Um, no. But… your constellations are compatible if you wished to know…?"
"It's irrelevant." Diluc opened the backdoor and entered the tavern without saying anything else.
It was at that moment that Mona realised her oddly loose tongue. She could only guess that it had been that cheap shot she had drunk before. It wasn't important. The next time she met that bard, she would accomplish everything she wanted.
"I should have guessed you were here, bard." Diluc removed his coat, left it behind the bar, and removed the bard's empty glass before wiping the counter clean.
"Any luck with your hunt?" Venti asked before yawning loudly.
"This isn't the place to discuss Fatui issues."
Venti's smile suddenly reappeared. "Oh, no. I meant your love hunt."
"No such activity exists. Truth is, there's something more troubling in my mind. You have not come here for the past week and you suddenly came here the same day the Astrologer started working." Diluc crossed his arms. "We have talked about this before. I do not care if it's love or lust, the Fatui are still active in Mondstadt. If they use her…"
"That's an interesting point." Venti completely ignored his warnings and focused on what he wanted. "I've been in love and made love with all kinds of people. It's fun, sure, but it feels like something my vessel wants, and not me. But I don't understand why it's different when I'm with her. It's been so long since I've experienced something new that truly feels good. And I feel so happy that I get butterflies in my stomach! Or that's the alcohol. No, yeah, totally the alcohol."
"Venti, I don't know how much I can stress it to you, but I could do without knowing your personal exploits. Besides, you've talked to her three times at most. The only thing you know about her is that she likes astrology."
"Lies and conjecture." The bard replied, completely satisfied by the three-word answer. "Besides, it was five times. She's just too wary of me to open up… And I can't believe Diluc, the most romantic knight of Teyvat, doesn't believe in love at first sight!"
"That title doesn't exist. And think with your head a little, bard. I don't care if you like her or her body, because I am certain the only thing she feels for you is hate. Based on my last conversation with her, I am certain she's planning on beating or worse, killing you."
Either a goosebump or an alcohol shiver ran through Venti's back.
"Come on, Diluc. She's having fun! Why would she… she…" The gears in Venti's mind started to turn. "Oh god. Maybe she was trying to kill me with alcohol, and she does hate me. I should apologise and…"
"What are you talking about? It can be a good moment to distance yourself from her. You both will return to your normal lives." Diluc calmly explained. "I have seen her commitment to this job. She's well-focused and disciplined. A diamond on the rough. Mondstadt needs people like her while its Archon is ever absent."
"Yeah," Venti mutedly agreed. "You're right, I shouldn't be so selfish. Anyways, keep the change."
"I'm not trying to chain you down," Diluc said with an odd gesture.
Without realising he had already paid before, Venti wandered away from the tavern. The bard stopped short of flying away, deciding to just be done with it all. He hated Diluc's words, mostly because he was right. Barbatos was a god of freedom, of Mondstadt. If he had acted on selfish desires, Decarabian would have never been defeated.
However, those thoughts were pushed aside as he realised a bigger priority. Downing so many pints in less than thirty minutes had a slight inconvenience. He really had to take a leak.
He strode towards the back of Angel's Share, where he knew there wouldn't be anyone around. Except he forgot a slight detail.
"Took you long enough," Mona's words were so calculated that they came out cold and bitter.
Venti froze, completely caught off-guard. He was sure that Mona's plan involved him getting drunk. He was so sure he'd bet an arm and a leg on it. There was no way she had planned this encounter. So why did he feel like a mouse in front of a snake? This was bad, he had been lured into a trap.
He didn't think about it twice, he could easily walk away. And so, with the finesse of three drunkards, he took a step back and tripped on his own foot. Before he could realise it, he was already on the ground.
"…Seriously, bard? You can't leave me alone for even five minutes?" Mona climbed down the few stairs separating the back entrance from the street. "You can barely stand straight, are you alright?"
Venti rolled on the ground and stood up. "Uh, yeah! I'm not one to brag, but I'm totally invulnerable to everything while drunk." Venti nervously flicked his cape back.
"You seem on edge," Mona answered, closing the gap between the two of them. "I think I know why you've come here."
Venti laughed it off. He couldn't overthink the situation, she had no plan ready. Even if she did like overcomplicated plans and this trap already seemed like a stretch, there was no way she could predict so far ahead.
And as he was thinking that, Mona placed her hands on Venti's shoulders and slowly pushed him to the wall on her right. He waited, almost longingly, for that rush of odd sensations that he had felt a few days prior. Disappointingly, it was taking a while.
"Uh… Why have I come here?" He asked, trying to maintain his suave exterior.
"Because," Mona's face was completely neutral, but even then her rosy cheeks became more and more noticeable. "This is what you wanted this whole time, isn't it?"
"Please, why would I want this? Maybe the alcohol got to your head a bit too quickly? You're going to regret it tomorrow."
She immediately snorted at his answer. "I'm not a lightweight, I barely drank anything. And stop talking, I don't like your excuses. You're going to give me what I want."
Mona pushed a lock of hair from her face and then continued to pin him to the wall. Venti could have escaped right there and chosen against it. His rationality was starting to lose control of his actions.
"Ah, so this is a racket?" He placed his palms against the wall. "As I said, I'm a hundred percent invulnerable. I'm not going to tell you my constellation regardless of what you do. All because of alcohol's ability to—"
"Can't you just shut up for a moment?"
Venti shut his jaw tight and nodded.
"We're making a deal. I don't need you to tell me your constellation. You're just going to give me a lead. Are we clear?"
Venti twisted his lips as he felt beckoned to follow her order. However, mustering all his will, he answered. "Only if you tell me why you switched strategy."
As if the mere answer insulted her, Mona chuckled. "Because Master Diluc is very nice, unlike you."
"Diluc is telling you to pin people against a wall? Not unbelievable." He hummed for a moment. "But I don't know, this doesn't feel as good as other times."
He realised that he shouldn't have said that out loud.
"Wh-… So you do like it!" She flinched slightly, but her grip didn't cease in the slightest.
The bard found it too amusing to cave in yet. "So do you."
Mona fidgeted in place, her leg brushing against his for a moment. "I certainly do not. You're just too unbearable unless you're restrained."
"That's because you keep invading my privacy. And I like you better when you say what you want, which for some reason only happens when I'm like this." Venti dramatically pondered for a moment. "Ah, right. So you wanted a clue about my constellation? Hmm… It appears in Summer!"
Mona's eyes gleamed in response. "Ha! That worked!" She faked a cough, closing her eyes. "Okay, good. That was… good…"
Venti's innocent smile only meant trouble for Mona. The ball was now in her court. Which meant she had to uphold her deal.
However, in a moment of clarity, Venti gained lucidity about his actions. Whether it was alcohol or desire, he was beginning to make serious mistakes. He had to leave now, or he'd suffer in the long run.
The bard suddenly broke free of her grasp and distanced himself from her. It felt like whenever he was around Mona, he lost the purpose of his objectives.
"It's fine. That was a freebie." He started, rubbing the back of his nape.
"What's with this good guy act now…? You're up to something, aren't you? Well, no sir. You're not getting the upper hand again. A deal is a contract, don't break it on your own."
"No, no. As I said, I don't want you to regret anything tomorrow." He handwaved away her concerns, but Mona was having none of it.
"I'm perfectly aware, you dumb bard!"
She grabbed Venti by the shoulder, but Mona's hand slipped from the evasive bard. The sudden movement made her tumble and drop to the ground. However, in the sudden scare, she managed to grab onto Venti's legs, toppling him alongside her.
"I'm sorry!" The mage instantly apologised, before noticing that she was right beside his belt. The very same belt that held his vision.
It seemed every plan she came up with had already failed, and the way out was right in front of her eyes. Grab it, and everything would end. This was her chance. She instantly cast aside his cape and rushed to the vision. It was hooked. In the rush of the situation, she couldn't find the fine motor skills to detach it.
"H-Hey! What are you doing!" Venti was still reeling from the impact, and unsure of what she was trying, he rolled over.
That, however, only gave Mona room to put her weight on him. As she managed to remove his belt triumphally, Venti used his powers to blow it away from her grasp. Unable to grab it before it landed away on a wooden barrel, Mona tried to follow after. Venti wasn't idle, however, and with a bout of strength, they were locked in a battle where they rolled and grappled again and then again.
He tried and failed to gain the upper hand, ending up in the same position as last time. Pinned to the ground with Mona on top of him. Between heavy breaths and bruised muscles, a moment of pause suddenly developed.
Pinning his shoulders and panting, Mona managed to speak. "Are you… done with this?"
Venti didn't answer straight away. The answer that had eluded him for so many days was suddenly in front of him. The winds that made up his being and the desires of his vessel were in harmony. It wasn't a selfish desire of Venti or a ploy of Barbatos. His whole being desired Mona. But why her? What was it about her that somehow triggered everything within him?
He was sure that at that point, he would say and do something stupid. He couldn't trust himself to act rationally. He had already screwed up enough, with only a small window to act before he was completely lost.
"Fulfill your contract, trickster. Or I'm never going to believe you again." And with those words, Mona had unknowingly sealed Venti's fate.
Trapped in a loop of all types of thoughts as Mona's glare pierced his eyes, Venti managed to filter out the most debauched thoughts into one bearable request.
"Since you're going to such extremes, you won't mind giving me one lousy kiss?"
The glaring contest they had been engaging in suddenly became too much for Mona, who averted her eyes and pulled back her hands.
"I'm not going to touch you." She glanced at her arms holding him down. "More than this."
"Fine by me, let's go on a date then."
Mona would have given a more concise answer if she hadn't scuffled against him for more than a minute. "Only if you don't drink."
"Deal." Venti immediately regretted not fighting over it, but it mattered little.
Mona's breathing was still ragged, but she feigned having it under control even after she realised his ploy. "Wait, you… you did that on purpose. You gave me an unreasonable request so I would feel more inclined into accepting the following one."
"Well, I was projecting when I talked about 'regretting it tomorrow'. Because I knew I'd be saying stupid stuff. Alcohol powers, you see."
"If we hadn't established that you're one of the weirdest people I've ever met, I'd be calling you a pervert." Mona furrowed her brow briefly but she couldn't maintain it. "Admitting that doesn't make you any better of a person, though."
"To be fair you were the one who attacked me and tried to strip me. Then how about you blow me a kiss? You won't touch me and I'll even forgive your misdeeds!"
"You really are just a kid sometimes." Holding back a sigh, she kissed her fingers and blew on them. A barely noticeable breeze reached Venti. But for a spirit of the wind, that was as good as the real thing. "Happy?"
"Yep! Now, can you get off me?"
Struck by a sudden rush of shame, Mona tried to quickly stand up. In her haste, she stepped on her skirt and tripped to her side. Her fall felt slower than it should have been, so she managed to brace for the fall and stand up as if it was all part of the plan.
"Say…" Venti got up from the ice-cold pavement. "Sorry for being annoying on purpose."
"Just go away already." She cleaned off her dress, gesturing him away. "Challenges represent a way to become better…" Mona glanced at Venti, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. "It's fun as well, so why are you apologising?"
"Oh! If you're having fun then I don't feel guilty." He wiped off a fake sweat from his forehead. "Anyways, see ya whenever I feel like having that date."
"But I blew you a kiss?"
They shared a long staredown, only stopped when Venti spoke. "I thought that one was for free. I never said it was part of the deal."
Mona just shrugged, accepting his explanation. "I guess it could have been more embarrassing."
"I'll take that as a challenge."
There was a brief moment where Mona was about to belittle him, but the bard had disappeared in a gust of wind.
Venti had run away, belt in hand, wondering how the hell he had screwed up so badly in just one night. He had admitted to liking his encounters with Mona, gave away a clue about his origins and his constellation… only for a feeble rush of air from the Astrologer. Being a wind spirit, he found a slight taste for such kisses. The essence of her soul was fleetingly carried towards him… but it wasn't something worth blowing his cover.
But the worst part was that he didn't feel guilty in the slightest. At the very least, now Mona did owe him something, which was the objective for the night. Besides, he also learnt that she somewhat enjoyed their encounters. And that was worth it in his eyes.
"Unrequited love once again, that's my fate. Maybe I should have asked for my hat."
His eyes wandered off to the distance, shifting from the buildings of Mondstadt towards the starry night sky above.
"I wonder what you desire, Astrologer."