Another day tranquil day was occurring in Mondstadt, one where Loona was at the library taking lessons from Lisa.
« Excellent work, my dear. You're quite the quick learner. » Lisa complimented her student.
« Girl, you're the only person in the universe that can make lessons fun. » Loona replied.
« Glad to hear. None the less, today's lessons are to be cut short. There are various matters to attend, you see. »
« Hey, no problem. I just hope these lessons aren't taking free time off your schedule. » Loona shrugged.
« Not to worry. I can easily recover. » Lisa smirked. « Oh, by the way, do you mind if I asked you for a favour? »
« Shoot. » Loona casually replied.
« Would you mind testing this little gadget out? » Lisa asked, as she pulled out a monocle. « It's called a nirnama detector, and it's made of materials from Sumeru. »
« Looks neat. So what does it do? » Loona asked.
« From what I have gathered, it's supposed to be able to see imaginary friends. I, however, seem to be unable to use it. perhaps I lack a certain childlike sense of wonder? » Lisa replied. « I was hoping that you could test it out to see if you had better luck. »
« I mean, I can try it, not sure it will work. Spoiler alert, this chick here is only childlike in the worst way possible. » Loona shrugged.
« You'll never know unless you try. » Lisa smirked.
« Ya know what? Fair enough. » with that said, Loona exited the library, and put on the monocle to see if it worked.
After a while, she found a possible target: a little girl, talking and laughing to herself.
Surprisingly, she wasn't actually alone. Indeed, there was a ghostly figure alongside her, no doubt her imaginary friend.
« Holy shit it works! » Loona exclaimed.
« What works? » a voice asked her, catching her by surprise.
It was none other than Venti, casually hanging around one of the many benches of the city.
« Femboy! Don't scare me like that! » Loona cursed.
« You call me "femboy" one more time, and I get to break one of your bones by my choosing. » Venti threatened the Hellhound.
« You wanna go, punk!? » Loona growled angrily at the Archon.
« Meh, was worth a shot. So what are you doing here? » Venti shrugged.
« Lisa gave me some cool shit that lets me see imaginary friends. » Loona casually replied.
« Sounds like quite the contraption. » Venti smirked.
« Not like you need it or some shit. » Loona shrugged.
« Was it that obvious? » Venti sighed.
« Hey, you said it, not me! » Loona smirked again. « Anyway, wanna check out if there are any other children with imaginary friends? »
« Sounds like a plan. » Venti replied.
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the duo found another child, who had an imaginary friend in the shape of a flying plant.
« There it is. Behold, a floaty imaginary friend for floaty-headed Flora: A Bloatty Floatty! » Venti declared.
« That's strange, but I'll allow it. » Loona raised an eyebrow.
« Hehehe, hi Loona, hi Bard. » the girl greeted the two.
« 'Sup kid. Cool bud, huh? » Loona replied.
« Hmm? Oh, you mean Mr. Floatty? Most people can't see him. » the girl replied. « Mr. Floatty is my bestest friend. We grew up together! »
« Sounds like a friend to me. » Loona smirked.
« Say hello, Mr. Floatty! They can see you. »
« Flora... Why exactly are you friends with a Bloatty Floatty? » Venti asked.
« What's wrong with it? I always wanted to be friends with a plant who could fly. » the girl, Flora, replied.
« You tell that femboy, girl! » Loona winked.
« What's a "femboy"? » Flora asked.
« Him. » Loona pointed at Venti.
« Okay! What else do you want to know, Mr. Femboy? » Flora asked innocently.
In response, Venti simply screamed in the inside in pure, unyielding rage.
« But seriously, why a plant out of all people? » Loona asked.
« Hehehe, because then when it's windy you and your friend can fly off into the sky together! You gotta admit that's pretty cool. » Flora replied. « I only found out this plant existed from an explorer who told me stories of his adventures. »
« Who? » Loona asked.
« I think his name was... Stanley! » Flora replied.
« Not ringing any bells, really…» Loona shrugged.
« Stanley's an adventurer. And you can tell he's an expert at it from the stories he tells! Hehehe. » Flora explained. « "The amazing adventures of Stanley" are super famous in Mondstadt! He's in the city at the moment. You should go ask him to tell you some of his stories. »
« Maybe later. So who's next on the list, Barb? » Loona took some pity on the Archon and decided to call him something other than "Femboy".
« YES! Yes, plans! Yes! Plans are good! » Venti recovered from his inner rage. « By the way, I don't know why I should, especially when dealing with YOU guys, but I'm still willing to offer the olive branch. There's going to be a massive party tonight hosted by one of the demons who got stranded here yesterday. Wanna join? »
« Oh yeah, Beelzebub! Yeah, heard that plenty of Hellhounds have also decided to join the knights of incompetence. I mean, I guess it's like their old bodyguard jobs, but come on! The knights? Really? » Loona raised an eyebrow.
« Well at least they're contributing more than YOU guys and your freaking explosions! » Venti complained.
« Stormterror crisis. » was Loona response.
« Again with that shit? » an annoyed Venti rolled his eyes. « Never mind, you have a point. Still, you wanna visit this Beelzebub place in advance? »
« Sure, why not. I already did check this shit out, so I guess we have some free time now…» Loona shrugged.
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the two reached the massive hellish mansion.
It was in a white and yellow colour scheme and a Retro-themed design. However, the windows on the doors and some of the windows were teal in colour and were rimmed in gold, along with having one black spike on the orange orb of the building in a way that resembled a bee's stinger.
It was on a shiny gold walkway with stairs, along with some tropical orange/yellow trees near it, as well as having two plants that were in honeycomb-shaped pots.
« Holy fucking shit this place is massive…» Loona commented.
« You wanna do the honours? » Venti asked.
« Sure thing, little buddy. » Loona went towards the door, and knocked at it a few times.
After a while, a demon opened the door.
She was a tall and foxlike demon with shapely hips, digitigrade legs and insect-like features - such as two pairs of arms, a pair of antennae attached to her ears, and a small pair of insect wings which were light yellow with pink outlines. Her long hair and tail appeared to be made out of lava lamp fluid coloured in bright pink, aqua-blue and orange, with her waist also resembling a lava lamp. Atop of her head was a pink, black and white tuft which resembled a small, flame-like crown.
Her fur was light yellow with dark fuchsia stripes and small markings located on her ears, the sides of her face, and between her eyes respectively, with white from her upper torso up to her muzzle with a small black nose. She also had a dark fuchsia stripe on her head, which was shaped like a small heart.
Her eyes had very pale yellow sclera and hot-pink pupils, as well as faded light maroon upper eyelids and thick eyelashes with two protruding that resemble antennae. She also had black, dripping-like markings from her eyes, and over her four arms and digitigrade legs, resembling fingerless gloves and thigh-high stockings.
She wore a black choker around her neck, a low-cut black bra under a small, off-the-shoulder pink crop-top with lighter markings below the heart-shaped cutout, and a set of light pink shorts with the trim being the same colour as her top.
« Oh hi guys! Like, I don't mind people coming in and all that shit, but the party's a bit too early! We barely have any drinks ready! » the demon greeted the two.
« Beelzebub, I presume? » Venti asked. « Anyhow, we have heard that you have decided to hold a party in this mansion. Would it be possible for this humble bard and his canine friend to join? »
« Oh hey! You must be the Archon of Mondstadt, Barbatos, right? » Beelzebub replied.
« How is it that you demons always manage to recognize me? » Venti raised an eyebrow confused.
« Oh come on. You, like, totally look like the boy on the window in that church! I went there to try and, like, invite the girls there to join my party, sad thing is only one of them decided to join! » Beelzebub replied.
« What a surprise. » Loona joked.
« And you must be Loona! From the Immediate Murder Professionals! Love your work, sweet pup! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
« Excuse me? » Loona asked slightly offended.
« None the less, welcome to the city of freedom, my friend. » Venti said.
« Also holy shit you're a fuckin' cutie! Where you been hiding girl? » Beelzebub laughed.
« …Boy. I'm a boy. » Venti replied slightly angry.
« Uhhhh got the gender wrong, uh? Yeah, totally not fetch, sorry, Hehehe…. » Beelzebub laughed nervously.
« All is forgiven. » Venti shrugged. « Heard that you're having quite the party tonight. »
« I would've thrown a bigger one, but I couldn't convince that Jean lady to use my stash of party drugs. So fucking lame! » Beelzebub conjured a bottle of beer, only to drink from it a few seconds later. « She essentially said I'm a total jackass for even trying. But, hey... I'm proud to be a total jackass. »
« You're quite the party animal, aren't you? » Venti raised an eyebrow.
« Ha! Holy shit! Okay. You're hilarious. That's so funny. » Beelzebub laughed.
« Honest to Satan, I don't know why, but I thought you were more plague-y? Why did I even think of something that fucking cringe? » Loona commented.
« Oh, that was just a cringy phase I was going through in the Middle Ages. Totally not fetch, caused, like, the Black Plague and all that shit! » Beelzebub cringed at the memory.
« Hey, cringy phases are a pain, all right. » Loona shrugged.
« I love that those are the first things you two say to me. You don't give a shit how freaky you come off, and that's. Fucking. Beautiful. » Beelzebub moved next to the two. « You two are my new favourite people. »
« That's…good to hear? » Venti smiled nervously.
« Yeah, bitches! » Beelzebub laughed. « No, really. Reminds me of the time I saw Satan without a shirt on. »
« Wait, you saw Satan without a shirt? » Loona raised an eyebrow.
« I was like, "Oof! Boy! You are hot as hell!". » Beelzebub replied. « But then I wanted to die, 'cause it was so awkward. 'Cause he's more like a brother to me. You know? But not actually my brother. So, I guess... it was fine. I could hit that...»
« Anyway, if you don't mind, is there anything we can help for these festivities? As a sign of good will on my behalf. » Venti asked.
« Like, whaaaaat? I can't ask a god and, like, my new favourite person to do work! That's totally not fetch, man! » Beelzebub replied.
« Oh, come now. Don't think of it as work. Think of it as a sign of friendship between the four of us. » Venti replied.
« That so? Did we just become besties? » Beelzebub asked.
« Thought we already were. » Loona smirked.
« Holy shit you're hilarious! »
« What can I say. I was born for comedy. »
« Well, since you want to help, we were actually looking for a guy named Stanley. He's a great adventure and we thought it would be fun if he joined the party tonight, you think you can help me find him? » Beelzebub proposed.
« Oh yeah! That little girl told us about him. Sure, he sounds fun. » Loona replied.
« Really? You are, like, the best people ever! » Beelzebub squealed.
« Just a girl helping another girl out.» Loona smirked.
Xxxxxxx
After a while, Beelzebub, Loona and Venti had arrived at their destination: the Temple of the Lion.
« All right. From what I gathered, Stanley was last heard saying he was going in this place. Bet you know something about this place, don't you Loona? » Beelzebub asked.
« Not the proudest moment in my career. Swarmed by Chilli Churros, that's fucking cringe. » Loona pinched her nose in annoyance.
« Hey, you made up for it! You kicked Stormterror's ass! That's totally rad, girl! » Beelzebub replied.
« And now apparently adventurers regularly come here. Come, my friends! Let us meet this Stanley to sing of his great battles and adventures! » Venti declared.
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the group found two men surrounded by a Cryo Abyss Mage and Hilichurls.
« Wait, are those the guys we're looking for? » Loona raised an eyebrow.
« Holy shit they're in danger! That's TOTALLY not fetch! » Beelzebub exclaimed, as she transformed.
She became larger in size, and her fur and hair had a colour scheme of shades of yellow. In addition, her eyes had red sclera and multiple white pupils, and the stripe on her head opened up into a third eye which had a red sclera and a slit white pupil, surrounded by a black-and-white crown-like pattern.
She darted towards the Hilichurls and the Cryo Abyss Mage, and torn them to shreds in a matter of seconds, much to the horror of the two people present, as well as Loona and Venti.
« Temper, temper! Holy shit girl! » a terrified Venti exclaimed.
« Wait, what just happened? Did I, like, passed out or some shit? » Beelzebub asked, once having returned to normal.
« Oh, it's all right. Sometimes it happens when dealing with Chilli Churros. Happens all the time. » Loona shrugged.
« I…uh…Thank you, ma'am. I was so sure I was about to die! » one of the men exclaimed.
« Like, I'm so sorry for scaring you, pal! You wanna come to my party? Y'know, to make up for it? » Beelzebub asked mortified.
« No need, but sure, I can come! » the man replied.
« You Stanley? » Loona asked.
« Actually, my name is Jack. Stanley is the person next to me. » the man, Jack, replied.
« And not to fear, Jack. It was nothing that I, Stanley, couldn't have dealt with by myself! » Stanley exclaimed.
« Oh, shoot! I hope I didn't steal your kills or some shit! » a mortified Beelzebub exclaimed.
« Not to worry. You saw what appeared to be adventurers in peril, I would had done the same thing. » Stanley replied.
« Hahaha! I must say, it's an honour to meet one as legendary as yourself. » Venti greeted the man.
« Anyway, we came here because we wanted to invite you to Beelzebub's party. You interested? » Loona asked casually.
« I see no issue with it! But first, if you don't mind, I would like to proceed my exploration of this Temple. » Stanley replied.
« Oh, an adventure! That sounds totally fetch! Let's do this thing guys! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
Xxxxxxx
As the group proceeded further in the Temple, Stanley struck up a conversation. « So. I'm guessing you mostly came here because you wanted to hear my adventure stories, am I right? »
« Actually, we were looking for you to ask if you wanted to join my party tonight, but sure! I'd love to hear of some of your adventures! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
« How about that time you and your partner reached the Mare Jivari! A famously terrifying place with not a wisp of wind! » Jack proposed.
« Precisely! There was a deathly silence in the air. A sea of ashes stretched out before us, as was as the eye could see — the Mare Jivari. » Stanley begun. « Suddenly, my partner was caught in a whirlpool whipped up by an evil beast! Luckily, I managed to grab hold of him just in time... »
« Wow! So did he make it? » Jack asked.
« Sadly... In the end, I alone was able to set foot on home ground once more, where the gentle breeze carried away the tears welling up in my eyes...» Stanley sighed.
« That poor guy... How could that happen...» Jack cried out.
« Jack! You can't cry so easily if you want to be a great adventurer! » Stanley scolded the man.
« I—I know! Because an adventurer's proudest achievement is to die in the course of their final adventure. » Jack replied. « But whatever happens, no adventurer should ever die in a place where the wind doesn't blow... The wind has to bring your spirit back to Mondstadt! »
« That's right! To die in a place where the wind blows, and to have your spirit carried back to Mondstadt on the wind... That's... that's the dream... » Stanley sighed sadly.
« Yes... Although, the most I can aspire to right now is beginners' commissions, like clearing out the slimes clogging up the sewers... » Jack replied.
As that happened, Loona narrowed her eyes as she immediately realized Stanley was not being completely honest.
However, she also noticed that Beelzebub was not very comfortable. « Lost someone dear to you too? »
« Like, not exactly… My boyfriend is stuck in Inazuma at the moment, but so far he's fine. We've managed to contact one another with the help of some of the locals. » Beelzebub replied. « I'm more worried about Stanley. »
« I know. The guy is full of shit. » Loona narrowed her eyes angrily.
« I don't think that's the issue. There's something wrong about him…I'm getting really bad vibes from him…» Beelzebub replied worried.
« Loona, could I ask you to use the nirnama detector once more? » Venti asked.
« Sure thing, Barb. » Loona casually replied, as she pulled out the nirnama detector.
« Wait, what's that? » Beelzebub asked.
« Oh, just a little gadget that allows me to see imaginary friends. » Loona replied.
« Holy! That's totally bark! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
« It sure is! » Loona replied, as she used it on Stanley, only to see an imaginary friend who looked like a mighty warrior. « Huh. So that's new…»
« It seems his imaginary friend is a seasoned warrior... covered in scars from head to foot, and a look of staunch determination on his face. » Venti noted.
« He sure seems to love jerking off on his own adventures…» Loona smirked.
« You're saying his imaginary friend is an idealized version of his own self? » Venti asked. « Interesting idea! But is it true? »
« I know 10 liars in this Temple and he's 20 of them. » Loona replied.
« I agree. He wasn't telling the whole story. » Venti replied.
« Please excuse me, I'll be leaving now. » Stanley said suddenly.
« Bye, Stanley! » Jack waved goodbye to his "mentor." Then, when he was gone, he turned towards the trio. « Do you three still have time to spare? »
« What is it? » Venti asked.
« A few days ago, Stanley got drunk and told me a secret — something he's never told anyone before. The weapons he took on his adventure all those years ago... they were none other than those once wielded by Mondstadt's greatest hero, Vennessa herself! The Sword of Brilliant Valor and the Shield of Magnificent Honor! » Jack explained. « I don't know whether you believe me, but... apparently, both the sword and shield are still right here in Mondstadt, over in Dadaupa Gorge! Since you guys are the experts at this... Can you come with me to try and retrieve these two legendary weapons? »
« And he just…left such great weapons in the wild? » Loona raised an eyebrow sceptical.
« I dunno, outstanding individuals always come with their quirks, right? If I can just get a hold of something impressive enough to show my family what I'm capable of, maybe they'll finally come around to the idea of me being an adventurer... » Jack explained. « Right now, I'm just a rookie. My abilities are limited, and my parents don't support my goals one bit... So, what do you say? Help a guy out? »
« Absolutely! I'm still mad as shit at myself for scaring you before, and I don't care if you forgive me, I still haven't forgiven myself! So let's do this thing guys! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
« By Celestia she's so pure, isn't she? » Venti smirked.
« I don't know why, but I thought I was going to hate her. What's wrong with me? » Loona asked herself with a look of utter confusion.
Xxxxxxx
It didn't take long for the group to find both the Sword of Brilliant Valor and the Shield of Magnificent Honour.
« Like, I don't wanna be rude, but these sure don't look like legendary weapons…. » Beelzebub commented.
« Meh. Seem legendary enough for me. I mean, they survived that time we obliterated this shithole to the ground. » Loona shrugged.
« Holy shit! You guys, like, nuked this place!? » Beelzebub widened her eyes in shock.
« It gave us shitty rewards. » Loona growled angrily.
« Oh. Well, fuck this place then, all right! » Beelzebub replied.
« Did you REALLY have to nuke it though? » Venti asked angrily.
« Yes. » Loona plainly replied.
« …Okay…»
« Guys, thank you so much! I can't believe I actually found them! » Jack exclaimed, before racing off. « Mom! Dad! Check out the legendary weapons I found! »
« I sure hope no one pegs him during your party. » Loona smirked.
« Only if he's into it! » Beelzebub shot back.
« Hmm? What're you doing here, Stanley? Out for a stroll? » Venti suddenly turned.
« Ah... haha, ah— hey...! What're you doing here, bard! Fancy that, huh? You, uh... out for a stroll, too? » Stanley replied, coming out of his hiding place.
« Just helping a guy out. » Loona shrugged.
« Adventurers must be pretty familiar with Dadaupa Gorge? You've fought battles here before, after all. » Venti continued.
« You'd better believe it! I could navigate this whole area with my eyes closed! » Stanley replied.
« Wow. Then I admire your perseverance, and your memory too. » Venti continued.
« It's only to be expected of a great adventurer like me! You guys had better watch out though. This place is crawling with hilichurls! » Stanley warned the group, before turning to Beelzebub. « A-anyway, at which time is your party, ma'am? »
« In three hours, so you can, like, adventure the shit out of this place! » Beelzebub replied, trying to hide her feeling of uneasiness.
« T-that's good. I, ah— I'll get back to my, um... ah... stroll now. Goodbye. » Stanley then walked off.
« Holy shit this guys gives me such bad vibes…»
« He's a fraud, that's all. » Loona shrugged.
« Although... on further reflection, I must say I'm intrigued. » Venti noted.
« What's on your mind, Barb? » Loona asked.
« Someone who can't let go of the past, and gives up on the present instead... » Venti pondered. « I wonder... if such a person was forced to take their first step towards the future, which way would they go? »
« That's a good question. Come back when you can explain what the hell it even means. » Loona replied.
« Haha, I'm just musing to myself. » Venti replied. « Anyway, see you two tonight at the party! »
« Hell yeah, buddy! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
Xxxxxxx
That evening, Beelzebub's mansion was filled with lights, and music could be heard from inside it. Yet surprisingly, it didn't seem to bother the inhabitants of Mondstadt.
« God are the others still busy with Jean's assignments? Thank fuck I'm not there…» Loona smirked, as she entered the mansion. Inside, there were hexagon patterns for the walls and the floors. In one area of it was a dark red TV in the wall, and there was also a black pole in the ceiling. There was also some honeycomb-shaped pots that had some plants, including some monstrous multi-eyed cyan, red and yellow piranha plants and some white flowers in them.
Inside, she found Venti casually conversing with some demons.
« Ah, and here's my favourite Hellhound. How do you find this fine evening, my friend? » Venti greeted her.
« Easy there, Barb. I'm a little bit too young for you. » Loona smirked.
« Oh, come on! Do I look like a sex demon to you? » Venti asked.
« I mean you sure don't look like dad! » Loona joked, before the two of them laughed like madmen. « But seriously, don't tell Blitzo I called him that. »
« No problem. Anyway, let us enjoy the festivities, shall we? » Venti replied.
« Hell yeah! » Loona replied.
« Oh-em-gee. Loona? Lunatic Luna? That you? » a Hellhond said.
« …Oh shit…» Loona said in a dreadful tone. « Uhhh, yeah. It's Loona... yeah. »
« Wow. I can't believe you're showing up to another party. I mean, do you even remember the last one? » the hellhound joked.
« I'm sure you'll remind me. » Loona gritted her teeth.
« Yeah, this... This you right? » the hellhound took out her phone, and showed a picture of Loona vomiting.
« Why do you still have that? » Loona growled angrily, crackling with Electro energies.
« It brings me joy. You know, you're supposed to keep things that bring you joy. » the hellhound looked over the picture, causing Loona to growl even more, her crackles of energies being VERY visible.
« Wow... you're being really negative. Your aura is really aggressive right now. » the hellhound commented.
« Oh, yeah? Well maybe it's 'cus I'm in the presence of a massive-» Loona shot back, before being interrupted by Venti.
« Let's just try not to get too angry at one another…» the bard defused the situation.
« Holy shit, this your girlfriend or something? » the hellhound asked.
« I'm a fucking boy. » Venti replied pissed.
« …Oh my dog, dude I'm so sorry…» the terrified hellhound replied.
« It's all right. Just don't call me a girl again. » Venti replied, having calmed down.
« She's a pain, ain't she? » Loona growled annoyed.
« A friend of yours? » Venti asked.
« Suuuureeee….Let's go with that… » Loona shot back.
Suddenly, however, the two noticed something. Or better yet, someone.
It was Stanley, drowning himself in alcohol.
« Wait…is that Stanley? » Loona raised an eyebrow confused.
« Tell me, Stanley... Tell me what should I do...? » Stanley pondered to himself.
« Wait, what's he talking about? » a confused Loona said.
« Oh, Stanley... It should have been me! I should have been the one to die in the Mare Jivari that day... Why won't your spirit come and stop me from using your name? Why, Stanley, why? » Stanley cried out. « If only you hadn't had to save a rookie like me, you would have never died in that windless corner of the world... You were a renowned adventurer, destined to become a legend one day... But now... that'll never happen, because your life was cut short— and all because of a worthless tag-along... »
« …What? » Loona asked confused.
« ...I think our friend really did make it to the Mare Jivari. And I think the tragedy he encountered there was real, too. » Venti replied.
« …Oh shit…» was Loona response.
« But the real adventurer, the real Stanley — that was his partner. Not him. » Venti continued. « The real Stanley is the one who died to save our "Stanley." »
« Sooo….he just stole his fucking name or some shit? » Loona asked.
« I fear that may be the case. » Venti sighed.
« Stanley, for so many years I've lived in fear... fear that Mondstadt will forget all about you... So I tell your adventure stories at every opportunity... Mondstadt must remember: Stanley reached the centre of the Mare Jivari... He's the greatest adventurer there ever was, and he lives on! » Stanley exclaimed. « Stanley will never die, because... I am Stanley! I... am Stanley... I'm sorry, Stanley... I'm getting too old... now... »
He then turned towards Loona and Venti. « Are you guys planning on eavesdropping much longer? »
« You have some balls acting all aggressive after the shit you just pulled. » Loona growled angrily.
Suddenly, however, Jack arrived.
« Loona! Venti! I'm so glad you guys are here. » he exclaimed. « I've been looking for you everywhere! I wanted to thank you again for helping me find the sword and shield. My parents are finally supporting me! »
« Oh... Really? » Venti smirked.
« Yeah, really! They even said they're gonna pay for someone to fix up the Sword of Brilliant Valor and Shield of Magnificent Honor for me, so I can take them out on the road. » Jack replied.
« That's wonderful! So, Jack, is this the part where you bid farewell to Mondstadt and set off on your intrepid trip traversing Teyvat? » Venti asked.
« No, not yet. I still don't have what it takes to go too far from home just yet. » Jack replied. « Besides, I'm sure Stanley still has a few stories left to tell. Hehe... They're what inspired me to become an adventurer in the first place. »
« If that's the case, enjoy the party! But stay away from the stronger drinks, or you'll get like Stanley here. » Loona said.
« Got it! Thanks for the heads up! » Jack exclaimed, as he went to enjoy the party.
« Ya know, he has a soft spot for ya. » Loona commented.
« Thank you for not telling him about my secret. » Stanley replied.
« Eh? All of a sudden you're facing the facts? That isn't like you... » Venti raised an eyebrow.
« Just now... I couldn't bear to look at him. His adventurer's spirit is so pure... unblemished... » Stanley replied. « I'm just a weary old feckless fraud, but that kid is a brand-new shining star, full of potential... I cannot allow his dreams to be crushed. »
« Half a fraud, to be fair. » Loona commented.
« To be honest, my memories of adventuring, and of Stanley... they're hazy these days. That's my biggest secret of all. And my biggest fear. » Stanley replied. « All these years, I've been livin' to tell his story. But his personality, and the details of his life, I don't remember them clearly anymore. Ah-ha... But the one thing I can never forget... is that he died in a windless land, where his spirit can never be recovered! »
« So all that's left is an ideal, huh? » Loona commented sadly.
« Exactly... Even in his memory, the real Stanley isn't the living, breathing friend he knew at all. » Venti replied. « Instead, he's become fixed on the image of him as that battle-scarred warrior... and that image has held him captive his entire life. »
« I'm too old... I never let go, but still so much has slipped away... » Stanley continued. « I'm completely and utterly worthless! »
« Hans Archibald? » Venti softly spoke Stanley's true name.
« My true name... How did you know? » Hans asked surprised.
Almost as a response, Venti summoned a breeze that, whilst weak enough that no one at the party would sense it, it was still felt by Hans.
« The wind…» was all Hans could say. « I can hear the wind blowing in the Mare Jivari... »
« Will you hand me your old friend's spirit? » Venti asked. And with that, Stanley took his hand, and his spirit was finally in peace.
« I... I can't believe it... Thank you all! And thank you, Lord Barbatos... » Hans thanked Venti. « I'm sorry, it's gonna take me some time to calm back down... But, I think that... I'm gonna be okay... »
« How about you start your new life by enjoying this party? You deserve it, bud. » Loona said.
« I…it will take a while to get adjusted to the changes, but I'll do my best! » Hans replied, as he went to enjoy the party.
« Ah, wonderful! Stanley reconnected with his true self, and Jack can finally go his own way. » Venti exclaimed. « This calls for a celebration! And by celebration, I do of course mean libation! »
Suddenly, a voice offscreen boomed through a microphone, attracting most of the partygoers. « Haha! How're my dirty bitches doing toniiiiight? »
« Speaking of libation…» Venti smirked.
« Awooh, awooh! Ya'll ready to party with the Queen Bee of Glu-tto-ny? Come on! » it was none other than Beelzebub, who was twirling around the disco ball as she hyped up her audience of partygoers. « Hell yeah! 'Cus the honey is flowin' tonight! And this bitch 'bout to get fuckin' wild! Let's get it started! »
Then, she grabbed onto a pole, and begun to sing.
Cotton candy, cotton ca— candy
Candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy
Hey! I'm whatchu need, I'm watchu want
I got it all, a carnivale, I'll bring you up, I'll take you down
I'm sticky sweet, stuck in your teeth like
Cotton candy!
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah)
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-oh)
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah)
I'm whatchu want, not watchu need (Ah-ah, ah-oh)
Hey! I don't know why, I'm whatchu want, but it's the truth
I'm not your lie
Let them eat cake, let them eat pie
Or, better yet, let them eat cotton candy
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah)
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-oh)
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah)
I'm whatchu want, not watchu need!
Cotton candy skies
Sweet as apple pie
I can't help but shine
Brighter than the starlight in the sky
Cotton candy
Cotton candy (Yeah)
Cotton candy
I'm whatchu want, not watchu need
So, watchu want?
« Ya hungry; Take a bite! » she exclaimed, as she enlarged the taco one of her guests planned on eating, then she shoved it into his mouth. « Get fucked tonight! »
So, watchu want?
She then moved onto the next table, where she enlarged the alcoholic beverage of two dog demons which she then shoved down their throats.
« Your Queen Bee brings the sweet stuff, so keep making me that motherfucking honey! Yeah, keep it comin'! » she exclaimed, before enlarging the party's punch bowl and prompted the others to swim in it, which four partygoers did without hesitation.
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah)
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-oh)
Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah)
I'm whatchu want, not watchu need!
Cotton candy skies!
Sweet as apple pie!
I can't hеlp but shine!
Brighter than the starlight
Cotton candy skiеs
Sweet as apple pie!
I can't help but shine (Woo!)
Brighter than the starlight in the sky!
She then ended her performance with a firework of confetti and the hellhounds cheered.
As that happened, Loona shook the cotton candy out of her hair.
« Awooh, awooh! Barb! Loona! » she flew over the two. « The party is buzzin' now! »
« I can tell! That was quite the performance! » Venti exclaimed.
« Fuck! » she exclaimed, as she dusted herself. « I feel like I went a little too hard with the confetti this time though. I have like, a rainbow... in my vagina right now. » she added, as she materialized a mini rainbow.
« That…was NOT something I thought I was gonna hear…» Venti commented with wide eyes.
« Anyway, you two have a good time tonight. Get some sweets, get some eats. Drink it, tear it, fuck it up! Whoo! » Beelzebub exclaimed, as she went to enjoy the party.
« Actually, before you do anything…how about a gift? » Venti proposed, as he handed a Vision to the demon, which turned into a Pyro Vision.
« OMG, is this a Vision thingie! All, like, the best people in this place have one of these! You're my new best friend! SUCK IT BELPHEGOR! » Beelzebub exclaimed.
« Glad that you enjoyed it, my friend! » Venti replied. « Anyhow, time to, as you said, "Get some sweets, get some eats. Drink it, tear it, fuck it up!" »
« Speaking of drinks, hey Bee! You wouldn't happen to have some Beelzejuice, wouldn't you? » Loona asked. « I wouldn't mind some, but I'm pretty shit at holding my liquors…»
« Beelze-what? » Venti asked.
« Oh, you never had some? It's, like, the best fucking alcohol on all fucking Heeelll! » Beelzebub replied.
« Really? Then who am I to say no? » Venti smirked.
« Here ya go, Barb! » Beezelbub then handed a large glass of Beelzejuice.
« I mean, I'm sure you can handle it, but just to be sure, don't overdo it. » Loona warned the Archon.
« Oh, come now. How bad can a glass be? » Venti shrugged.
Xxxxxxx
A while later, Venti was drinking from a keg as the other guests chanted « BARB! BARB! BARB! BARB! »
After a few seconds, Venti hopped off the empty keg. « Ha ha! That was nothing demons! Give me a real challenge! »
At this point, the hellhounds were howling, even Loona.
« Oh, yeah? Wanna fucks with the big bitch, Barb? I got a challenge for ya. » Beelzebub proposed.
« Oh... He's gonna die. » one of the hellhounds commented.
Beelzebub used her powers to bring two yellow kegs, putting them down on a table.
« Aaaalright, let's do this! From my personal supply, the hardest shit there is. » Beelzebub exclaimed. « You ready, my man? »
« Oh, born ready! » Venti prepared with some stretches, and tried to open one of the kegs. « Show me a good time, fraulein! »
« Alright, smooth talker, but there hasn't been a soul yet who can beat me at my own game. So, you better bring the fire, baby. » Beelzebub laughed, before using her powers to lift the kegs and prep nozzles for them.
« Oh, is Queen Bee too scared to lose to a little bard like me? » Venti teased the demon.
« Oh, okay. Let's get it on, femboy! » Beelzebub smirked, as the two started drinking.
« Come on, Barb! Show her why we call you the Alcohol Archon! Or at least that's what Emergency Food calls you, who gives a shit! » Loona exclaimed.
Then, all of a sudden, Venti ripped off the nozzle, and proceeded to chug the whole keg, surprising Beelzebub, who looked at him concerned.
« HAHA! I'M THE KEG ARCHON NOW! » Venti shouted triumphantly, climbing on top of the empty keg.
« Well fuck me! That's a first. I haven't had a first in a while. That was magical, seriously, impressive. I tip my crown to you, Barb. Respect. » Beelzebub bowed before Venti, before howling, prompting the other party guests, including Loona, to cheer as Venti passes out drunk
As he got carried off, however, Beelzebub look at him concerned. After a while, she then headed towards Loona, who was laughing with a couple of other hellhounds, and tapped her on the shoulder.
« Hey, Loon. I don't mean to be a buzz kill here. But, uh, Barb... Is um... He's seeming a bit... » Beelzebub explained concerned, « Out of control, like... A mess. »
« You sure? I mean, not the first time he got drunk, it can't be THAT bad…» Loona raised an eyebrow.
« Look honey, I see people having fun and getting fucked up all the time. But, he's clearly getting wasted off his ass and causing problems on purpose. » Beelzebub continued.
« What do you mean? » a now concerned Loona asked.
« I'm just pretty sure he's had like four tongues inside him at once. I mean... good for him. » Beelzebub explained. « But... I can taste the flavor of people at my parties, and he's giving off a very... not okay vibe, you know? »
« But he's always in such a good mood! Even when he got his fucking Gnosis stolen, he was doing great! » Loona exclaimed. « Where is he now? »
« He's in the back. I…I think we should check on him…» Beelzebub replied.
As the two went to the back, they were surprised to see Venti French-kissing a demon.
« Oh piss on a dick! » Loona exclaimed, before grabbing Venti by the collar. « What the fuck are you doing Barb?! »
« This guy~ » Venti pointed at the demon, who briefly waved.
« It looks like you're in the middle of a goddamn orgy! Stop! » Loona exclaimed.
« Oh, come now, my dear! This is a party, I'm just havin' fun with, uh... » Venti turned towards the demon. « Who might you be? »
« Dennis. » the demon replied.
« Dennis! See! » Venti exclaimed, before he started stumbling, only for Beelzebub to catch him.
« You don't need anyone else sucking your face, Barb. You need to drink something other than Beelzejuice. » she then proceeded to carry him over her shoulder.
« Uuuugh….s-statue… » Venti said weakly.
« Statue? What statue? » Beelzebub asked.
« I think I know the place…» Loona replied, as the two headed out.
Xxxxxxx
After a while, the three reached the statue of Barbatos near the Church of Favonius.
« All right, we're at the statue. Now what? » Loona asked.
« High up…hands…» was all Venti said.
« All right, pup. Grab my arm. » Beelzebub told Loona, who instead of arguing did as she was told. In a few seconds, then, the trio were now in the palms of the statue's hands.
« Hehe…I love the view here…brings me memories…» Venti said, slowly recovering.
« Do you need to throw up? » Loona asked.
« Mmm... no... » Venti replied.
« Yeah you do. » Loona scoffed, before Beelzebub handed a glass of water to the bard.
« I have to say…your Beelzejuice is WAAAAY stronger than Dandelion wine…helps me forget much better…» Venti commented with a bitter tone.
« Oh yeah? Is that why you drank like five gallons worth of who-knows-what? » Loona asked.
« The first time I saw this view, I hadn't even taken on this form yet. » Venti commented.
« I…what? » Beelzebub asked concerned.
« It was about twenty-six hundred years ago, before the world had come under the rule of The Seven. » Venti explained. « At that time, Old Mondstadt was ruled by a tyrant, who sealed off the city's perimeter with a ferocious hurricane. Even the birds couldn't get in or out. »
« Holy shit…Mondstadt? A tyranny? » Loona asked surprised.
« The tyrant of the winds who once ruled from that tower was Decarabian, God of Storms. » Venti replied.
« What about you, Barb? » Beelzebub asked.
« Back then, I was but a wisp among the thousand winds. I wasn't a god of anything — I didn't even have a human form... » Venti replied. « I was just a tiny elemental being who lived in the wind, a gentle breeze bringing subtle changes for the better, or tiny seeds of hope. »
« But you sure as shit look human now. So what happened? » Loona asked.
« My current form is not so different from the situation with fake Stanley... I took the form of a friend. » Venti replied.
« …Something tells me this story doesn't have the happiest of endings…» Beelzebub said.
« …He died. Died in the revolt which saw the fall of the Old God of Mondstadt…» Venti replied with a sad tone. « Oh…Oh Celestia…he's dead….»
« Barb? You good? » Loona asked concerned.
« Oh, Celestia, I'm no different than Hans, am I? He's dead, Vennessa's dead, Makoto's dead, I don't even know where Buer is…and Tsaritsa hates me…We're gonna die alone, aren't we? » Venti teared up. « Will you be there? »
« Be...where? » Loona asked.
« I dunno, just…Please be there…» Venti mumbled.
« …We'll be there, Barb…» Loona replied, as she and Beelzebub sat there, with Venti mumbling drunk, only for him to throw up the Beelzejuice a while later.
« Fuck! Yeah, I did need to throw up. »
Xxxxxxx
Many thanks to Inanna for many of the suggestions for this chapter.
I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Please review so I can know your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions for what is going to happen, so stay tuned! Also, remember to like and follow, if you want!
See you to the next update!