The building Diluc was supposedly at was even more decrepit than the rest of the street. It was five stories tall with the façade of the building severely weathered. The front door was missing but barricaded, there were no windows and a faint stench of rotting wood permeated the place. Still, Mona was certain he was inside, somewhere.

"It looks like the scene of a first-degree murder." She immediately said. "Whatever he's doing here, I don't want to get entangled in it."

Venti approached the front door and looked through the gaps in the boards. "Nobody's entered through the main entrance in a long time. Maybe you were just wrong and he's not here."

"Are you doubting my abilities? Of course he's here." Mona looked up, inspecting each window of the five floors. Then, her eyes wandered to the next building. "Sure, maybe they haven't entered through here. But there might be an underground entrance… or some type of temporal bridge on the roof. If it's the latter, they enter through adjacent buildings, jump or place some board between them and enter through the upper floors."

"That checks out. There's many a song that tells about doves smuggling alcohol through different aviaries on ye olden Mondstadt rooftops. Then, people would enter through different buildings and sell them in the catacombs. The story might not be true, but certain buildings are indeed connected in different ways. Especially old ones like these. Smuggling is dead nowadays, but some other shady individuals use them..." Venti scratched the back of his head as if it would help his reasoning. "So how do we verify that?"

Venti looked more serious than usual, which was quite ominous. Just like animals sensed danger before it even happened, Mona wondered if he was showing the same instinct. "Let's see if there's anyone in the adjacent building. With just a glimpse, I can tell if they're nefarious or not."

"Pulling out the thesaurus, are we? Go ahead, Great Astrologer." Unsure of whether he was mocking her or not, Mona simply took the compliment and ambled towards the other building. The moment she passed by Venti, he snatched her hat.

"Hey!"

"Anyone can see your pointy hat." He fixed it to his head. "No worries. I'll give it back to you, unlike some other people…"

Mona pulled out her tongue, holding back a giggle. She peeked over the building, saw no one, and climbed the staircase towards the main entrance. Only a few steps in, and she immediately spotted something odd. Though still dusty like the previous building, the hallway in the back had footprints. And many of them. With a quick scrying, she confirmed her suspicions and walked back toward Venti.

Venti heard her report, clearly curious. "Mercenaries or Bounty hunters? That's odd. No wonder Diluc's on the chase… So, who do you think they're hunting?"

"I can't tell. Someone they hate or some troublesome being. Maybe both." Mona started to sink into the realm of thoughts, but Venti's prodding stopped her. "What?"

"You could figure it out if you saw their client, right? Or are you chicken?"

"Venti, do you think provoking me will tempt me to infiltrate a dangerous criminal hideout?"

"No." He blinked. "Yes."

"Which… Whatever, yes, I was going to do it anyway." Mona took back her hat and placed it back where it belonged. "I like mysteries. But if I sense any danger, I'm running away."

"Not if I run first!" Venti looked up at the building. "So, first—"

"Hold on, you want to enter? No offence, Venti. But you don't look like the most stealthy or able person to do this." Mona gave him a quick glance over. "To be fair, you don't look like much either way."

"Counterpoint." He stepped on thin air and suddenly became able to hover around. "I don't even make a sound, Miss Fortune."

"…Alright, you can come. Just let me think of the best way to enter." She tapped her chin for a moment. "Also, please don't call me that."

Entering through the entrance was too obvious. If it was a criminal hideout, they'd have a sentinel or two. The only way to properly enter would be through yet another underground entrance, which might not exist. Or through the rooftops. Perhaps if she could identify a gang member…

She snapped out of her thoughts, sensing Venti's deep stare.

"…What?"

"The point of doing this together is sharing our thoughts. You took too long though so we're doing this my way. The wind way." He approached Mona and pulled her by the hands. "So how's that flying license?"

"What's that about? I've not had the time to…" She remembered the move he pulled to run away from her. "W-Wait, I don't…"

Venti held her by the waist before a surge of wind lifted them both towards the roofs of Mondstadt. Mona noticed too late how her hat was blown away, landing on the roof tiles feeling sick from the sudden movements. Before she could complain, a gentle wind drew her flying hat towards Venti, who placed it on her head.

"This one's a freebie. Let's see if we can see something from up here."

"Can't I get a heads-up before you do something completely reckless?"

"I'll keep that in mind." Venti walked through the slanted rooftop until he reached a certain spot on the edge. "There's a window right below us. With a bit of athleticism, we can enter through here."

Mona approached him, her steps wobbling on the uneven ground. The heels weren't helping. "If we fall we're toast, you know that?"

"Hmm…" Venti crouched, peering down to the street below. He nodded to himself and looked back at Mona. "Heads-up!"

He jumped off, striking the Astrologer with a brief instance of panic. It was unfounded, however, as Venti seemed to stand on solid air and slowly sank to the height of the window below.

"When I said give me a heads up, I meant tell me what you're going to do. Not yell it before trying to give me a heart attack." She approached the edge of the roof, watching how Venti handled the window below. "Did you open it?"

"Yup. Come'ere, I'll give you a hand." He extended his arms forward, suggesting that she should jump into his arms. "It's better to do things together!"

She placed her hat on his head and looked down to locate the window. She carefully analysed her chances before climbing down and entering the open window with a swing.

"Thank you, coat-hanger," Mona said, standing proud inside the building. She motioned him to enter as well. "A witch hat suits you well, has anyone ever told you that?"

Venti giggled as he landed inside the room. "Oh, you have no idea. But maybe I have lice, you know? I should keep it around, wash it properly afterwards… Actually, maybe you gave the lice to me."

"Ha-ha. Let's try to be serious, alright?"

Mona looked around, noticing the broken windows of the run-down room. The room was empty, without much furniture besides dust and rat droppings. Her eyes scanned the walls, ending up on the only door of the room. Venti seemed to have the same idea.

"Well, no other way but forward." He fixed the witch hat to his head before suddenly sneezing.

"Bless you," Mona said on instinct. "Are you allergic to dust as well?"

"Thanks…" He rubbed his nose. "No, just kitties. They must have used this building as a shelter."

"It does feel musty… Besides, this place is disgusting." Mona followed Venti towards the open entrance to another room. "Yet somehow not the worst place I've seen."

"Ah, really? Was it the same as this but on fire?"

"Surprisingly it was underwater. Humid rat excrement gives an even worse smell." She explained. "The place I stayed on collapsed and I fell into the flooded cellar… Of course, my Master never even told me that was supposed to happen."

"Oh, disgusting. Let me guess, a lecture about fate or some hijinks? I sure hope she invited you to tea afterwards." They walked into another room with a locked door. "Never tried to get back at her?"

"Well, I'm staying in Mondstadt because I'm afraid of her reaction for… things that you shouldn't know. So you can guess the answer." Mona answered, stopping in front of the door. "Now what, Sherlock?"

"Behold my power!" Venti pulled the door, which opened inwards. Some boards were barricading the door through the other side. "So you're afraid of that woman, eh? I'm sure she's not that bad if she's taken you for an apprentice. Anyways, I didn't take you for a quitter." He took off the witch hat, crouched below the boards and crossed towards the other room.

"I'm not quitting. I am just delaying our meeting. Besides, I like living here." Mona followed suit, immediately noticing the cleanliness of the new room. "Why put boards the wrong way?"

"Someone got told to block the door and did a half-assed job at it." He walked towards the path leading to a set of stairs. "Why are you her apprentice then? Is this all for knowledge? Fear of death?"

"What do you mean? My astrology?" She put back her hat before following him.

"Mm, sure. My constellation… Rather, my fate is but a hurdle in your quest, isn't it? What do you hope to achieve if not knowledge?"

"It's not that simple. I want to guide as many people as I can towards happy lives. But I also wish to learn the truth of this world, that which weaves fate behind that starry night sky." Mona's carefully chosen words stirred an odd reaction from Venti, who stopped for a moment before continuing to walk. "What? Are you going to mock me?"

"Nah, I was just curious. A very laudable goal." Avoiding turning around, Venti scratched his nape and climbed down the next set of stairs. "If not dangerous."

"Are you preparing another odd wise rambling?" Mona pressed on, finding the mute answer somewhat saddening.

"Not really." Venti reached the bottom of the staircase and turned towards Mona. She was two steps above him but he continued. "Do you know this tale? A black cat once stumbles into a hidden book in its master's house. It cannot comprehend what a language, much less what the written symbols mean. Yet, if the book allowed the cat to understand its contents, what would happen? The feline suddenly realised what that book contains, what it took for that book to be created, to be written and printed… that this book is so much more ancient than its short life would allow it to comprehend. And worse, the owner of both the book and the cat would know that this animal can read. Its secret knowledge was now part of this cat. Therefore, the owner puts down the cat. And locks the book away for eternity so it never happens again. Who was at fault in this story? The book for allowing its knowledge to be shared? The cat for its prodding? Or the owner for their carelessness?"

Mona had braced herself for a story similar to the one in Angel's Share. She had been caught off-guard, however. She understood what he was implying. Knowledge was dangerous. But that was not what she believed, however. Neither could she come up with a straight answer either. Instead, Mona answered in the same way Venti would. Saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Is this a magical book that can talk?"

"Oh, uh… Sure."

Mona climbed down the staircase, passing by an oddly petrified Venti. "Why is it even a cat? They don't have that kind of curiosity."

"You're being an awful listener, don't gut my story!"

"Look, I get what you're trying to say. But I don't agree with it. Learning is not the equivalent of being thrown into the wolves. It's a slow, steady pace that may or may not be satisfactory. If this knowledge is so important, it has to be understood slowly. Nobody is at fault in that story, it was just mistakes from each party. The cat is a being of curiosity, but it should have it controlled. The book's purpose is to share knowledge, but not unabated. And the owner… well, they sound like a bunch of idiots."

It was now Mona the one looking up at Venti, who seemed oddly uneasy at her answer. "Okay, but, let's say this knowledge was tangible and dangerous."

"Don't move the goalposts, Venti. But I'll humour you." She lifted her hat, exposing her green eyes fully. "I'll explain it so even you can understand. Knowledge… Is much like alcohol. You can drink a fine wine and feel pretty good afterwards. But brandy can only be drunk in small quantities, because if you drink too much it'll go straight to your head. Do you understand?

Venti shifted his weight nervously before heaving a heavy sigh. Then, as if the air leaving his lungs also carried bad humours, Venti's mood suddenly lifted. "Hah, alcohol allegories? Are you Barbatos? You sure are adamant, so I'll concede. No more heavy stuff!"

He climbed down the last few stairs and gave Mona her hat back. She dusted it off before placing it back where it belonged.

"We should—"

The sound of heavy steps forced each of them to take cover. Mona turned into a puddle while Venti shot back up the staircase without making a sound.

Two men leisurely walked by the staircase, noticing the puddle next to the staircase but attributing it to the decrepit state of their hideout. They walked through the hall, entering a room somewhere at the end of it.

Not a moment after the sound of a door locking appeared, Venti glided down the staircase.

"Where did they come from?" He asked, prodding the puddle with the tip of his feet.

Mona reappeared from her hideout, drenched in water. "You're asking me? I've had two heart attacks in the span of ten minutes. We just had to start having a philosophical debate in the middle of a criminal hideout, did we?"

"Where else?" Venti shrugged and walked towards the staircase right below the one they were in. "Looks like most of them are on the floor below. Probably some watchmen making sure the Knights don't come knocking."

"K-Keep quiet then!" She whispered back, summoning her scryglass.

"That got your heart racing? Oh, you're also soaked, you're going to leave a water trail everywhere. Hold still." He snapped his fingers and a brief breeze blew the water out of her body. "There we go. Your hiding technique is only useful once, but thanks to my…"

"Thanks, but can you shut up? I'm trying to scry." A few modifications of her scryglass later, she found her answer. "Okay, got him. He's below us."

"Hmm… We can't go through the staircase or everyone will be on top of us. And I don't want Diluc knowing we're spying on him." Venti's hair waved slightly as if a faint breeze had washed him over. "This place is old. There's bound to be a hole we can spy through."

"If you had let me finish, I would have told you that."

"Oh!" Venti smiled slightly, somewhat embarrassed. "Seems like I'm not the only one having trouble with teamwork!"

"Come on," Mona seized his wrist and pulled him away from the staircase. "Those guys could return at any minute."

A few rooms away, a half-broken door led to a small empty room with a column in the middle. The floorboards were rather rotten, with a minor hole in the faraway corner of the area. However, most seemed in good condition. Voices were coming from the lower floor, so the duo carefully and silently entered the room.

Then, when they got close to the breach, they both tried to lie down and listen to the conversation `properly. Which was quite hard to do.

The hole was quite small, and they both couldn't peer down into the room below. Even though they were light, only a few boards were strong enough to stand their combined weight. They were butting heads to check what was going on.

She couldn't quite distinguish full sentences, but there were at least two people. A rough-sounding man and a more mellow voice alongside it. The ones from before. Then, another more imposing voice appeared.

Mona pressed her right ear against the boards, only for her to bump against Venti's shoulder. So she tried to push him away ever-so-slightly, but he didn't budge. So she tried to push away his shoulder with little success.

He casually turned his head towards her. "Oh, why hello Mona. Fancy meeting you here."

"S-Shut up." She whispered back. "Move away, I wanna have a look."

Venti tried, failed and then answered. "Hold on, let me check if I recognise them first."

"If I get a glimpse of them, I could do it easily." Mona just gave up on her arm and tried to climb over him. "Let me check."

He shifted around, pushing her off his body. "Early bird catches the worm."

"This is my expertise, I'll be faster."

The short scuffle proved to be too much for the rotten floor boards as they suddenly collapsed into nothing.

"The fuck was that? This place's falling apart, man."

They hadn't fallen. Mona wasn't quite sure how it happened, but they certainly didn't fall. Somehow, Venti had not only moved himself from the falling boards but Mona as well. She couldn't even question the feat. Almost all boards around them had fallen, and only the ones they were laying on remained. They could stand up and walk towards the door… but not without the men below spotting them.

"Them ghosts, I tell you! This place's hunted."

"These conditions are not suitable for a negotiation. Either find another room, or I will roll back my financial support…"

The voices below were loud and clear. Yet, they were too busy to pay attention.

Venti placed a finger over his lips, making it clear that there was no room for chatter anymore. Mona had thought as much, but her mind was currently preoccupied with the sudden situation. Their faces were basically on top of each other. Her ragged breath heavily contrasted against the calm and drawn-out breathing of Venti, which slowly caressed her face. This would have been an intimate moment if it hadn't been his fault.

So Mona stayed quiet, yes. But she also moved her right hand against his cheek and pinched it. Venti glared at her momentarily before doing the same and squeezing her own cheek more forcefully.

She wasn't about to back down. The power of having two hands meant she could do two different things at the same time. So she reached down and slipped her hand into his shirt again. Her range of action was limited since she was on top, but she could still tickle him.

Venti rapidly shook his head, knowing what she was trying.

Mona quickly answered with a nod, her fingers lingering above his waist before tracing his skin. Shuddering in contact, Venti retaliated by tickling her as well. They both suddenly realised that pinching each other's cheeks was counterintuitive, and freed their hands to stop each other's tickling.

All hands locked, the struggle suddenly became a strength bout. Being in such a precarious situation, they were about even… Perhaps one of the two would be able to triumph over the other, but not over some creaky boards. They could do nothing but stare at each other again. Yet even in that standoff, Mona suddenly felt it. It could be the risk of being caught, the effort she was exerting or perhaps being locked in such a hazardous space. She had no doubts. That damned word he uttered that night. Desire.

Desire, for what, exactly? His flowery smell? His puffy cheeks? His oddly grabby waist? His entire demeanour? His constellation? No, they all felt like excuses. She just wanted to beat some respect out of him. And the only way he showed his real self was by pinning him down and wring it out of him.

Venti's face was just a few centimetres away from her. So close, she was certain she'd be able to smell whatever drink he had spilt on his clothes days ago. It would take just a small adjustment, just a tad, to lean in and steal a little kiss. Maybe then he'd understand to take her seriously. Maybe then…

"Mona," Venti suddenly spoke up, prompting her to back off. "No one's talked for a while."

Blood rushed through her face as she realised what she was about to do. She glanced at the hole beside them and saw nobody around.

"R-Right! Let's get up already."

Mona scrambled to get up, making sure to get a healthy distance away from him and the half-room-sized hole around them. Venti seemed to have a hard time standing up, though he could have been slow on purpose.

"Well, that was a bust. They were talking something about… I can't remember actually." Venti peered down the hole before ambling towards the Astrologer.

"We didn't even see Diluc. Well, one of the criminal's voices did sound like his but… How are we even going to get to him?" Mona asked.

"Getting to Diluc for what?"

"…Besides this whole infiltration mission, you said you wanted to push Diluc and Jean into a situation or something."

Venti blinked, completely lost for a whole second. "Ohh, yes! I did say that." He stared at the floor for an instant. "I may have forgotten that whole ordeal."

Mona was reasonably upset. "Venti! Why did we even infiltrate this?!"

"This was your idea. I proposed to wait."

The logic was sound, which understandably upset Mona further. "Y-You egged me on!"

"Well, I'll take thirty… No, twenty-five per cent of the fault. You just had to prove that the Mighty Mona could unveil the evil Bard, so I couldn't possibly say no."

"That's an awful name. And go to hell."

Their conversation was short-lived as the door suddenly opened in front of them.

Mona reacted on instinct, sidestepping and grabbing the intruder's outstretched limb. On cue, Venti swept the man's legs, forcing Mona to slam the man down to the floor. The duo was about to beat down the poor man when they realised that he was knocked out cold.

"Visions be damned, you could have broken his arm with that move!" Venti said in awe.

"Self-defence, self-defence!" Mona answered with a frantic chant. "He's alive, isn't he? He has to be! Why did you kick him like that?!

"He scared the air out of me! What was I supposed to do?!"

"You were raving about the wind telling you if someone was coming! Where was the wind?!"

"The wind was trying to keep your lousy tongue out of my throat!"

"I wasn't—"

A flurry of stomps stopped them. Both Venti and Mona stepped over the unconscious body and made it out into the hallway, where a shocked guard suddenly made his appearance. He barely managed to yell an incongruence before Mona locked him in place with a water spell. An instant later, a gale of wind threw him flying against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"They heard that!"

The duo ran towards the staircase, intending to escape from the windows above. However, that plan was cut short as a group of men rapidly climbed up from the floor below, leaving the staircase inaccessible unless going through it.

Seeing an issue with that, Venti yanked Mona's hand and pulled her into a nearby room. Like the previous room, its floor was tattered with holes. But so was its ceiling.

A surge of wind destroyed both the ceiling and floor as Venti carried Mona up to the fourth floor. They clumsily landed on the shaky wooden floor before running away.

They sprinted through the hallway as turmoil involved the building. Whatever was going on downstairs, it wasn't any of their business. Or at least, that's what Mona thought as the hallway came to an abrupt halt. They had missed the wrongly barricaded door, where they had first entered from. This wasn't an issue for Venti, however. The hallway still contained a window, and that was enough for him.

Venti snapped his fingers and the window bursted open. His intentions were quite clear. "Let's get a run-up!"

Slowing down her running, Mona was already doubting his great ideas. The moment he tried to sprint, Mona managed to stop him.

"W-Wait, no!" Mona's words only made his smile even more mischievous. He held onto her hand and started to run away with her. "Venti, no!"

"Venti yes!"

Mona quickly closed her eyes as the wind seemed to gently hold her as they jumped out of the building. She peeked out only to see the street below at an alarming height so, still holding into the slightest bit of sanity, she clung to Venti for dear life.

They landed on a nearby rooftop, rolling off through the roof tiles like they were snow. Venti somehow cushioned Mona's fall, much to her surprise.

"Oh god, my back…! This used to be way easier…!" Venti muttered in pain as he slowly stood up. "…Woohoo! We made it out in one piece! One point for the Fateful Freedom team!"

Mona was not as cheery, standing up more thankful for being alive than for escaping. "Oh god, we're alive, thank Barbatos!"

"Ohoho, how's Morax helping ya?"

She rubbed her shoulder for a few moments. "…You wouldn't have suggested this whole deal just to make me say that, did you?"

"Uh… No." He seemed visibly lost but nonetheless laughed. "But the fact you think I'm able to do that flatters me!"

Before they could breathe in relief, a cryo arrow suddenly struck the floor below them. From the criminal hideout, the shady outlaws still had a clear vision of where they had landed. For the third time that day, they started to run away once again.

"How's desire treating you?" Venti said, his breathing still calm and collected even through so much exercise.

"My only desire right now is to eat a full meal and sleep the whole day!" Mona yelled at him while barely maintaining balance while running. "Don't you know how hard it is to walk, much less run with heels? On a slanted, slippery surface to boot!"

"Fair enough!" Venti held her hand once again. "So how about one last heads-up?"

"OH COME ON!"

Once again, a rush of wind surged from nothing and lifted them to the skies momentarily. This time, Mona saw clearly how they jumped from one building to the next one. Still, as long as she could see the criminal hideout, so could they. So even after landing, they kept running.

Or that's what she would have thought in any other situation. An astrologer she was, and Venti's antics were completely unreadable. So she needed to get back at him, and he'd never expected it.

"Venti!" She said between ragged breaths. "Heads-up!"

He couldn't have expected Mona to jump off the roof, pulling him along with her. After an instant of freefalling, a water spell surrounded them both and they suddenly reappeared in a random alleyway of Mondstadt.

Drenched in water and devoid of his fun, Venti had but one thought.

"What the hell Mona!"

"Ha-ha, made you flinch! You forgot I could telepo~rt!" Mona cooed while completely soaked. "Mona Megistus is back on top!"

"Oh, you little— Come'ere!"

Not hiding their laughter, the desperate running became playful and frisky. Wherever they were, there was no criminal or hunter around to keep them from acting like children.

Venti caught up relatively quickly, swiping her hat in one move. The chase immediately stopped as he placed the witch hat back on his head. "Ehem, I'm Mona now. I'm like, super mysterious and I'm not going to tell you my origins. But I will try to wheedle your constellation out of you. Also, I harass poor bards."

"Ha!" Mona turned herself into water before reappearing behind Venti and snatching away her hat. "That was a terrible impression by the way."

He gave a half-shrug, wiping the water off his clothes. "Terrible or not, it's not every day we infiltrate some weird, bandit reunion!"

"Yeah, well, it was a bit fun in hindsight… For a truce, we sure had more action than all the past few weeks."

"That's because you spend half your life studying. Not so bad to loosen up once in a while, is it? I bet it's the most interesting thing you've done this week. And this month as well. See how it's much better if you just ride the wind? If you had been the whole time thinking of some way to make me confess, it wouldn't have been as fun."

Mona scoffed at his wording. "Yeah, well, maybe so. I suppose getting some mental and physical exercise isn't so bad." His cheery attitude was quite a contrast from the aloof acts of earlier in the day. "But this doesn't mean I'll stop trying to unmask you. It gets my heart racing the same way."

Perhaps the choice of words could have been more appropriate. That wretched desire that had awoken back in the hideout seemed to still have a hold over here. And she had just realised so. But she needn't worry. Venti was a baby who had no initiative when it came to desire. With her, at least.

"Ah, so that's your ulterior motive? Not learning the brooding truth behind my cute face, but some stimulation in life? I know a good word to describe that longing." Venti's smile forebode trouble for Mona. "Humanity's oldest companion. Desire."

"Not again… I really hate that word because of you."

"How else would you describe it?"

A cheeky question that Mona decided to take head-on. This was a challenge, just like in Angel's Share. If he wanted once again to play this game, she would do it. He had lost all previous times anyway, this time wouldn't be different.

"Fine, sure. It's desire. Regardless, my desire doesn't entail an ulterior motive. I just wanted to have a bit of fun to forget that I'm hungry, that's all."

"No, no, no…" Venti shook his head, his smiles till present. "You wanted to have fun, sure. But since we kindly agreed on a truce, you decided to have fun with me. Which, by the way, very kind of you. I'm usually a very calm person, so I don't get to unravel like this."

"…Alright, and? What's your point?"

"None, I just wanted to say that it was fun. Though, we didn't really talk with Diluc. Or Jean for that matter. Oh well." He looked at his clothing, still somewhat wet. "Right, we should probably lay low. Just in case. Right! You agreed on this playdate because you wanted… Groceries? Or a meal? I can't recall, it feels like months have passed by."

That was it? No more arguing?

Venti continued to be oddly joyful, so Mona didn't lower her guard. Was there something she was missing? Why did he want to suddenly stop? Just like last time, he stopped before things started to get interesting. And why was that?

She had achieved nothing over all this! The situation was too tense to get anything out of it. Actually, she had learnt something. Venti seemed to mostly appear awfully competent when he was just improvising on the spot. The last time Mona tried to do so, she had gotten outmanoeuvred. Now, however… She knew Venti much better.

"Oh, I got you now, Venti." Mona stepped in front of him, her eyes piercing straight through his. "The quirk about desire is that it's stronger when it's not fully satisfied. You're treating me like a fine wine you don't want to open too early, waiting for the right occasion."

That broke Venti's smile, immediately sparking another in Mona. He quickly answered. "That makes me look very bad. I'm really not that awful. I'm just, uh…"

Mona flicked Venti's nose, smirking. "Really? You're really not that awful? Stop lying, bard. You keep weaselling your way out of these conversations because, in reality, you don't know what you want. You're the worst."

Taking note of her playful tone, Venti seemed to grow slightly at ease. The change was just superficial, however. "Oh, uh… Yeah… The worst of this city." He cleared his throat and his doubts. "I just enjoy the chase more than the goal itself. Like a long poem, the beauty is in the words themselves, not in finishing the poetry."

She wasn't too sure, but that seemed more like the truth than a lie. And she had gotten it just by randomly saying the first thing that came to mind… Well, it wasn't so random. That wretched desire was perhaps guiding her actions. And without the aid of her scryglass, she was as lost as bits of pollen in an abandoned handrail.

"Since when are the first and last lines of any poetry, where the poem begins and ends?" Mona swallowed hard but found her throat dry. "So you mean I can ruin your chase right now and spoil your sweet wine? Is that it? Let's not forget that this started because of your rude, unapologetic gestures. So why shouldn't I ruin your fun?"

"You certainly have your motives." Venti said, aware of the implication. "I may just run like I've done before."

"No, you won't. I haven't even said what I'm going to do. Curiosity is luring you towards me and desire is mesmerising you in place." She placed her hands on his shoulders, her grip a bit too strong. Regardless, she maintained her eyes on Venti, who was ready to call on her bluff. "You should know that your freedom is bound to my fate."

"So what you're saying is that you've given up. You admit I can avoid you endlessly, is that it?"

Mona loosened her grip on his shoulders and leaned in against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, their faces so close

"You're the one giving up, Venti. You'll spoil your own drink completely on your own." Her cheeks were starting to blush, so she quickly continued. "You just have to say it. Say you want to kiss me. And I will."

There was no voice of reason like last time. The spell she had cast had locked Venti's mind, leaving only a lonesome and eager thought to sunder his psyche apart. If he succumbed, he'd be at her mercy. Venti knew that it would only be a matter of time… And if he didn't say the truth soon, then…

"Well, I mean…" The fact that Venti maintained a cool charade was not working in Mona's favour. "I'm not sure if I'll like it but… Fine. I give up!"

Mona could have taken that reply, but her nervousness didn't allow that. "I didn't ask for that answer."

As if that was the straw that broke the camel's back, Venti sighed and actually blushed. "Okay, fine. Kiss me, Mona."

The rush of final victory was not as sweet as Mona had hoped. Mostly because she had not thought this far ahead, and now she truly had to kiss him. She didn't exactly mind, however. Desire, that dreaded sensation, had taken the reigns from her free will.

Mona closed her eyes tight and, without thinking, brushed her lips against his. Then, as if she had missed her mark, she planted a weak kiss on the corner of his mouth. Her heartbeat skyrocketing, Mona simply pulled back and stared weakly at the bard.

"T-There!"

"That's it?" Venti opened one of his eyes. "A five-thousand-year-old dragon can kiss better than that!"

His unnecessary chatter forced Mona back into action. Their lips met again, this time more firmly. Mona took the lead, wrapping her arms around his as she pushed forward. Venti seemed content to be on the receiving end, merely holding her waist to not let her fall. The kiss broke, leaving Mona more dazzled as she caught her breath.

"Hmm, that wasn't it either," Venti whispered with a giddy laugh. "Let's try again."

"Not funny."

Mona could only twist her lips to hide the smile that was naturally forming on her face. She parted her lips and Venti rejoined the kiss, their tongues timidly meeting each other for the first time. The heat of the moment swept away all reasoning. Mona's left hand roamed around his collar, down to his chest and then to his abdomen. Though, perhaps more lucid than her, Venti took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers before she could do anything.

After what seemed like the shortest eternity in existence, Mona managed to pull back.

"Oi… That's at least three kisses. You only begged for one." She muttered, not even bothering to look angry.

"Well, I wasn't sure if I'd like it. It was alright!" Venti proudly proclaimed, raising Mona's hand alongside his. "My, how did this happen?"

"Ugh, you sure know how to ruin a mood." Mona wriggled her hand away, though Venti quickly let go of it. "Ehem, that being said, three is a bad celestial number. So we should kiss again."

"Well, I'm a slave to the celestials, woe is me."

Maintaining themselves true to their act, their lips meet for a brief, last time.

"You two." The voice of a woman hastily forced Mona to pull back and take a step or two away from Venti. "You should refrain from… Oh, it's you, Venti."

Mona took a moment to realise that the Knight that had suddenly entered the alleyway was none other than the Acting Grandmaster of Mondstast, Jean Gunnhildr. And to that realisation, came the worst cause of embarrassment in the entire world.

Mona pulled her hat down to hide her face as Jean looked at their two flushing faces.

"Yep, that's me. What's up?" The bard recovered immediately, but Mona did not.

"I was under the impression that… Nevermind. What are you two doing?" Jean noticed how Mona sank further into despair.

"Stalking you." Venti falsely confessed. "You see, my friend right here is a big fan of yours. I told her I could just introduce her to you, but she gets embarrassed quite quickly. So we were just following you around while she worked up her courage."

"T-That's right," Mona added, managing to look at Jean. "M-Master Diluc talks a lot about you."

"Right…" Jean raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not one for autographs. If there's anything you need, you can strike up a conversation with me any time without any issues." Something clicked in her mind. "Ah, you are Mona Megistus, are you not?"

"The one and only!" Her embarrassment quickly melted away.

"It's good to see you're making friends after moving here. But I do recommend paying rent in time." Jean said in her usual calming voice. "If there isn't any trouble, I will take my leave." She stepped back and looked at Venti for a moment before walking away.

"What did I say? Piece of cake!"

Venti turned around only to be hit by Mona's thrown hat. He managed to grab it before it fell to the grimy ground.

"She totally saw us…! I…! Rent!" She blathered while pulling on her own twintails.

"What?"

"Rent!"

"You can't just say rent."

Mona managed to say ten words in one second and jabbed a finger on Venti's chest. "Invite me for a meal, I deserve this! This was the worst thing that could happen in the entire world, I want to scream!"

"Hold up, what's got you so flustered? Jean's a professional, she doesn't gossip." Venti's eyes widened for an instant as if realising something. He quickly shook his head. "Oh well, I'll take up your offer. Cat food won't do, right?"

"No! Gosh, I hate desire, I didn't do anything today!" Mona jabbered some words before giving up and pulling Venti out of the alley. "I hate you more though, all your fault."

"You know, I hear that awfully often. Shouldn't I be the one mad though?"