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It was hard for Xiao to concentrate on the delectable texture of the soft white cube in his mouth while he felt watched. His honed warrior senses were tingling, even though he knew the presence was not a threat.
"Again that same dish? You're always devouring that whenever we meet here!"
A nuisance, sure, but not a threat.
Xiao turned his back on the marsh's landscape and looked up. Someone was sitting on a beam of the inn's azure rooftop, and two short, slender legs hung above his head. Dark brown shoes were swinging to and fro, playful. He couldn't see the person's face, but he recognized the high-pitched voice; it wasn't the first time he had encountered the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt.
"I come here to eat this in particular," Xiao replied.
"Always that? Only that?" The figure shifted, and a face upside down was in Xiao's line of vision. The two bluish braids cascaded towards the ground, yet the green hat in the god's head remained as if glued on its place, as if gravity could not touch it. Maybe that was the case.
"Yes," the adeptus shrugged and took a block of tofu to his mouth.
"Variety is the spice of life, you know. For people who have perfected spicy food, you folks of Liyue sure like to play things safe. Quite dull."
Xiao saw no problem with that. His existence was the opposite of dull. Little rituals like visiting Wangshu Inn and enjoying these dream-like desserts were a good source of well-needed stability between his battles and strife. Why would he desire something crazy and intense in this moment of quiet?
"I have no interest in spicy food. I can only stomach almond tofu anyway."
Barbatos grimaced before removing his semblance from the landscape. Seconds later, a gust of wind was unleashed in the space between the two. Immune to the power of Anemo, Xiao just sighed and protected the plate and chopsticks from the gale. The other immortal man floated in the center of the whirlwind with unexpected grace, and landed on the wooden veranda of the balcony.
"Well, have you tried other kinds of food? Sweet, like your tofu? How about savory?"
"I have, still not interested. The textures were awful."
And in the case of Pervases' favorite food, the fish spines had been bothersome.
"Textures, huh?" Barbatos held his own chin between his thumb and index finger. "I'm not that much of a picky eater as you, but I understand a little that issue. Have you been unfortunate enough to try cheese?"
"I've never heard of this cheese of yours. Should I try?" Xiao raised an eyebrow, already tired of this conversation.
"No, never!!" Venti's body shuddered as though he was cold. "Disgusting!"
Xiao continued with his plate and tried to ignore the visitor. The bard had snapped out of his thoughts, and standing next to the yaksha he reached for the lyre hanging from his hip. For a while, Barbatos entered in a melancholy trance as he strummed the chords in a soft foreign ballad about a hero that Xiao had never heard about before.
Like all the other few times he had heard Venti play his music, Xiao just stood there soaking in the sound willingly. It was hard to describe, the stirring feelings those tunes left in his heart. They were… pleasant. Soothing. A respite from the evil in this world and the pain inside Xiao. He couldn't tell whether he liked those songs or not, however, because they ended eventually and then he was left wanting for more.
He didn't want yearnings of any kind. It might make things harder. But he still listened and faced the void when the silence returned. Everything was temporary, just like the last piece of almond tofu melting in his tongue. He left the plate aside and took a glance at Barbatos who still seemed lost in thought, or in another time. His eyes and smile, usually childish and mischievous and mirthful, had suddenly shown the weight of the archon's real age.
That didn't seem so bad for Xiao. If Venti wasn't saying foolish things as usual, it meant a return to the peace and quiet he had sought in the inn's balcony.
It didn't last long. Everything is transitory in this world.
"Say, Xiao. I know what might do the trick!"
"I don't know what you're talking about… Venti." The yaksha made an emphasis in using the name Barbatos went by. Real names, after all, contained power. He would not pollute an archon's title with his sinner's lips. He was still polite, despite everything.
"I'm talking about you always eating the same. Comfort foods and drinks are alright, but you should have something nutritious and different every century or so. It's good for you! Like music for your stomach."
That made no sense to Xiao, but there was no way to stop Venti when he decided to do something. Or not doing anything, most times, if Rex Lapis' stories about the shameless, irresponsible Lord Barbatos of Mondstadt were any indication. Regardless, Venti was wearing one of those huge sunny grins of his, and the Conqueror of Demons had no will to fight it even if it was an idea so unfathomable to Xiao's mind. It was like trying to fight the weather, in the most literal sense.
"Hmmm, but you've just partaken in your favorite morsel…" Venti went on and on, hands on his hips. "Your entrails must be full, your palate too saturated by the taste of sugar and milk. I know! How about you come back tonight for dinner, and I'll have it ready for you? What do you say?"
Xiao's head said no. But alas, no matter how tough he usually was, how collected he behaved against fools, he just couldn't resist earnest requests like those. Just like that human traveler and the traveler's flying companion before him, Venti's large emerald-colored eyes had the ability to plead for Xiao's patience. Oh well, he could bear the minimum for a whim like that. It would be mean to refuse an act of kindness, too.
Even if his opinion on the Anemo Archon was contradictory and confusing, he appreciated that Barbatos never used his position or powers to force him into doing anything against his will. He, Rex Lapis, and that traveler duo might pester and manipulate until Xiao resigned to their presence, but it was always in a pacifist manner that allowed refusals. Gods and mortals usually didn't consider an adeptus' feelings or consent, especially one such as Xiao. Therefore, that was worthy of adamant respect.
"…Fine, do what you want."
Xiao was already regretting it as he watched Venti grabbing his dirty plate and hopping downstairs with glee. What had he gotten himself into?
He leaned on the veranda and turned his gaze towards the mountains far beyond, watchful of any evil presence that could appear. Yet it was hard to ignore the archon's loud voice in conversation with the mortal woman in charge of the inn. Xiao had, unfortunately, a very heightened sense of hearing.
"Mrs. Goldet, I'll proceed to borrow your kitchen tonight if you don't mind!" Venti said confident at first, but then descending into a loud sneeze. His voice turned nasal and congested. "Ugh, why is there a cat always on your desk?"
"I don't mind you using the kitchen," said the owner, "as long as Smiley Yanxiao isn't using it at the moment. Our customers' orders take priority."
"Ah, it's fine. I can wait until the kitchen is free. I doubt Xiao will be that hungry anyway."
Xiao thought he should stop overhearing, now that they were talking about him. This conversation should mean nothing to him, and yet… he kept listening. It wasn't really prying if Barbatos won't keep it quiet.
"You're cooking for Xiao? Well! That's surprising, but you're not the first one who tried it. I believe that strange traveler gave him a salad along with the usual almond tofu."
"A salad? That's insipid! No, I shall present him with my specialty: A Buoyant Breeze!"
"Can't say I've heard of that one."
"Oh, right. That's just the way I named it. Perhaps you're accustomed with the name of the more accessible variation of its recipe. You might know it as Barbatos Ratatouille."
"I'm familiar with ratatouilles but not that one."
"Preposterous! And you claim to be from Mondstadt, madam?" He heard a pouting sound. "It was extremely popular about a thousand years ago! The great Vennessa loved it. In fact…"
Bored already, Xiao jumped off the balcony towards the estuary, leaving Venti's voice behind. He had nothing to do there for the rest of the day.
Xiao returned to the inn after the colors of dusk painted the sky and the stars shined bright above his head. His expectations were low, truth to be told. He expected Barbatos' food to be inedible or a failure, if he had made anything at all. The adeptus didn't know the god enough to know whether he fulfilled his promises or not. Rex Lapis had said that some of the other archons' lands don't have such a high concept of verbal contracts as in Liyue, and he was certain the deity of the winds was one of those who didn't care much.
It was better not to expect anything and forget about it the next day. Everything is transient, even disappointment. If it was edible, it didn't matter all that much either.
He didn't find Venti in the balcony, so he moved inside the building to search for him. Right away he could hear that voice from two stories below. Xiao jumped down, landing in the kitchen area. Sure enough, he saw a green-clad figure in front of the stove.
Typical of him, the bard was singing while he stirred a steaming pot. Some song about something called potatoes. Venti also did a little dance, which Xiao assumed might be part of the gastronomic ritual. He had never paid much attention to the process of cooking beyond the unbearable length, be it by humans or adepti. Venti's little number was endearing if not useless.
Careful that the chef didn't spot him and start to annoy him, Xiao sneaked behind the painted screen and sat by the wooden table. He could still hear the cheery hums but the young-looking god was invisible to him. A smell that honestly wasn't too appetizing also made its way to his nose.
"What can I get you?" a waitress approached the table. He vaguely knew the girl from other visits.
Before Xiao could make a gesture to shoo her away silently, Venti's voice intervened. "It's alright, miss! He's having the soup I'm making!"
So much for staying unnoticed.
"Almost done, Xiao," Venti said after the young woman left with a bow. "No complete preparation before you take care of the presentation."
"There's no hurry," Xiao sighed with his arms crossed, resigned.
"There is, actually. That burly chef wants his kitchen back after I'm done."
"Then don't dally if you're bothering them."
"Perfection needs time, my friend."
After a short time, Barbatos walked to the other side of the screen with two bowls in his hands. The smile on his face was like a bright crescent moon in the night, illuminating a dark path.
"There's more in the pot if you like it. Here you go, my specialty!" He then winked with excessive confidence. "Get ready for the best meal of your life."
Xiao seriously doubted it, but it was too late to back down. And rude to offend an archon, albeit an embarrassment to his kind.
"...Thank you," he murmured before grabbing a spoon. Venti sat down on the stool in front of him with his own plate.
The concoction in the bowl was of a suspicious golden color, but it was the least interesting part of the meal. A large flower foreign to Xiao, exactly like the one decorating Venti's hat. Big pieces of yellow and orange vegetables soaked in the broth. Barbatos had gone creative with the embellishment with greens and yellows, adding a border around the circumference and what seemed to be an Anemo symbol right in the middle, except the rhombus-like shape in the center looked like a heart.
Why all this decor in something you were going to eat anyway?
"It's for the eyes," Venti said, index finger pointing at the ceiling, as if he had read Xiao's mind. "If a meal looks good, it might taste better! You look forward to it before you take a bite. Like I said, the presentation is as important in the experience of eating as it is taste and smell. They say cooking is an art, you know? And art involves aesthetics."
Xiao didn't understand but he said nothing.
"Come on, eat it while it's hot!"
Careful, Xiao picked up one of the large yellow chunks from the stew with the spoon.
"Stop! Blow it a bit, like this." He also fished a spoonful from his bowl and blew the softest puff of air through his lips. Xiao felt uncomfortable at this gesture.
"Didn't you say we should have it hot? Why are you making it colder?"
"Yeah, but it can't be as hot as a summer in Natlan! Otherwise you can't feel the flavor and the roof of your mouth gets burned. Hot but not that hot. The right amount of hot."
"I see..."
He imitated Venti and let out some breath a couple of times, slowly. He waited until Venti had tried his spoonful to make sure it seemed edible. The archon let out a melodic 'mmm!' sound, a seal of approval. At least it was good for Barbatos, but that didn't mean his stomach could stand it.
Xiao took the plunge, as with everything in life, as if it was an enemy instead, and put the spoon in his mouth. At first it was underwhelming: these chunks were harder than almond tofu. The texture was smooth but they were solid. These didn't melt in his mouth as easy, and minor chewing was necessary in order to process them. The taste was salty but not extraordinary.
When he swallowed, however, an unexpected whirlwind exploded inside of him.
His soul had transcended. No longer he sat on a dirty wooden stool. He floated in the bluest clear sky, gentle, over a field of green grass. Birds sang around him. Green spring leaves danced in the air. And the winds, the winds enveloped his entire being in an embrace, kissing his cheeks and ruffling his hair. He felt them crossing his torso like knives and staying inside in swirls.
They felt warm. They felt welcoming. For a brief moment, the swirls broke the chains of two millennia of struggle. The karmic debt, always at the back of his mind, fell asleep. No noises or voices in his head. No resentment. No hatred. No pain. No sadness. No loneliness. No corruption. The wind lulled everything in its path.
It was only Alatus floating with the leaves and the bird songs, and the winds leaving him with a new storm like he had never seen before. It was a prickly emotion, as painful to feel as the ones he knew, but one that he didn't know he desperately needed. As if... a certainty that things would be alright. No matter the changes in Liyue and even within himself, the fight would be victorious. He would persevere. He would survive. The people and the land would be fine. It was fine. He was not alone. It was all good.
Was this true peace?
Was this, perhaps, a ray of hope?
What was that wind?
All that lasted, perhaps, a second. He was no longer flying, and maybe he never was; an illusion mirroring his heart. The feeling persisted, smaller now, like the little pulse on a wrist. His eyes stung.
"So, what do you— Oh? Well, that's new!"
Xiao blinked at Venti, and by doing that he felt something wet trickling across his face. With his free hand he touched his cheeks and found a tear trail.
"Whoa, was it so bad it made you cry?" Venti joked, but his playful tone didn't hide the lack of surprise and an understanding of the phenomenon that had happened. As much as a fool as he was, this was after all one of the Seven.
"Venti," Xiao said, staring at the familiar sigil made out of vegetables. His voice was shaking. It took all of his willpower to restrain himself.
"Hmm?"
"What did you put in this?"
"Potatoes, onions, carrots, water. You want the recipe?"
Xiao swallowed down the saliva in his mouth, and felt the aftertaste of the chunk and the broth once again in his throat. Within it, the strange feeling pulsed. It was hard to keep the hand wielding the spoon steady and unmoving.
"I'll ask again. What did you put in this?"
This time, the smile on the youth was different. More alike a wise ancient being.
"Ehe, you mean that? Why, something nutritious! You're only eating sweets all the time, Xiao. They're yummy and nostalgic, yes, but they do nothing everlasting for your body and soul. Even I, a poor boy who only eats apples and drinks wine, eat better than you. A good plate of food must have value and warmth and affection. You need more veggies in your diet for your warrior's body. And also, and more importantly, you need to feed your soul so it can keep its strength."
"...You."
"All me."
"You still haven't answered."
"You really want me to spill the secret ingredient, huh? It's in the name of the dish itself, didn't you notice? A buoyant breeze. A wind that brings hope and tiny twists of fate. This is what makes it different to the mundane copy called Barbatos ratatouille that humans cook."
Wind. Venti had indeed infused the chowder with his own archon powers. Similar to Rex Lapis' medicines.
"I mean, I've seen other people being affected," Venti confessed, "but I didn't expect you would feel it so strongly. Could it be because you're also an Anemo user, which makes you more sensitive to the effects? I thought it might be the other way around and you'd be immune, like an elemental slime."
Xiao let the slime comment slide.
"So you hated it?" Venti pouted.
Should Xiao hate it? If anything, he hated the fact the feeling of peace would fade and all the evil would return to battle within him again. Had eating this soup ruined him forever? Would he yearn for the taste until the day he died?
But...
He didn't want to admit it, and yet... he was hungry for more.
He stopped fighting the urge. With a fast swoop, he took a second spoonful, quickly blew on it twice, and crammed it in his mouth, desperate to feel it again. He quickly swallowed, not knowing if he'd feel the breeze again. But it was still there, now softer as it didn't take him by surprise that time. The paler chunks (potatoes, was it?) didn't seem so hard as before either.
Still peaceful and delicious.
Xiao hurried and took a third spoonful, and a fourth. He heard Barbatos' laughter, as musical as the bird chirps in the Buoyant Breeze.
"I'll take that as a no, ehehehe!" The proud cook scooped the little heart in his own bowl and ate it. "Cheers, glad you liked it, then~"
Xiao had never felt a full stomach. It turned out such a dish was heavy. According to Venti, Mondstadt cuisine tended to be so. Or perhaps a man who would eat mainly jelly or snow knew nothing of slow digestion.
"Save the rest for another day," Venti said, offering the pot. "For when you need it again." His eyes were sad. "Sorry, I'm unable to heal your karmic debt or your corruption with my powers. Not even your god can. I can help a little, with my music or my ratatouille, but in the end it's all up to you."
"I know," Xiao nodded, drowsy. "I... appreciate the attempt. I do feel..."
Better. He felt better. He avoided Barbatos' green eyes full of meadows.
"The breeze should stay with you for... dunno, actually. Weeks? Months? But if we want this hope to keep nurturing you, you have to eat healthier. And so!" Venti leaned closer, hand next to his mouths as if he were confiding on a secret. "If that's okay by you, I can come over once or twice a year to visit. I'll make you some pots so you can heat a bowl whenever you need the boost. I heard Morax... sorry, Rex Lapis and you are still in contact and he sends you some weird medication, right? If I don't come over to Liyue for some reason, let him know so he can go to Mondstadt and drag me here by the ears in your behalf."
"You don't have to trouble yourself... this isn't your land." Xiao tried to argue, ears flushing, but he felt too calm and tired and sleepy.
"It's not, but it's a good excuse to come visit you guys and play you a couple of great songs. You and that old fart Zhongli need some revelry every now and then so you don't feel alone."
Xiao wanted to argue, but there was no argument to counter and no real desire to do so. He leaned over the table, arms crossed under his chin, and closed his eyes while the bard sung a lullaby in an ancient lost tongue. His belly was full; his heart burst with hope and courage and a temporary truce with himself.
The next time the traveler visited Wangshu Inn, the vigilant yaksha wasn't eating his usual favorite food, almond tofu.
"Xiao, what's that what you're eating?" Paimon floated nearby, curious and excited. "Is it a broth? It looks really tasty!"
"A Buoyant Breeze," Xiao's golden eyes almost smiled. "The texture of almond tofu reminds me of sweet dreams. The texture of potatoes... it reminds me of warm hope."
It reminded him of him and his chirp-like laughter and his warmth.
The traveler and Paimon stared at each other, confused.