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Xiao has over done it. He knows he should have been more careful, but the demonic energy had been particularly worse than he expected it to be. The fight itself turned dirty and rough leaving his body in ruin. Xiao currently stood in the marsh landscape that just a few minutes ago was an epicenter of monsters seeping demonic energy. He closes his eyes and tries to regain his composure. He feels the weight of the karmic debt taking over his soul. He’s tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of losing people. Tired of being alone. The mask he wears begins to suffocate him. He wants to rip it off and throw it into the ocean and never look at it again.
Desperate to try and release some of the weight he feels Xiao speaks slowly into the wind. He might be known as a man of little words, but for once that didn’t stop him. He pours his heart out into the open. He speaks of the companions he lost, the innocent lives he couldn’t save in time, his fellow yakshas who are now but a fading memory. The pain and agony of this life is too much for him right now and he continues to pour his pain out into the open. May the winds carry the pain away from him. Maybe if he could escape these feelings, he could be free from them. Maybe the only escape was to let the karmic debt consume him once and for all.
Time moves agonizingly slow. Xiao has no idea how long he stands in place, but it didn’t matter when the first note of a flute flows through the area. It begins slowly as if the player was testing how the sound moves through the winds. It didn’t take long for it to pick up into a beautiful melody. Xiao can’t move. He feels paralyzed. Not by the karmic debt that’s trying to consume him, but the emotions that the song brought him. He feels the pain, suffering, and loss he has been holding onto for years ease to a numbing throb. The negative thoughts that constantly nag at him become quiet in his head. He has never felt like this before. He tries putting a name to what he was feeling, but it escapes him. He was never good with human emotions.
He opens his eyes and sees a person sitting on a rock, flute in hand, in the distance. Their back is facing him. He can make out two blue braids swaying in the wind as they continue to play. Do they even know he’s here? He feels his vision react faintly, and even though his mind is a jumbled mess he knows deep down who the flute player was. Why is Barbatos in Liyue? He tries to move closer, but his body rejects every motion. He moves slowly until he eventually stumbles upon a rock overlooking the marsh landscape. The last thing that passes through Xiao’s mind before he passes out is that the player was as beautiful as the song they played.
Years past since Xiao heard that melody in Dihua Marsh, but he’ll never forget it. It was burned into his soul, forever to be a part of him. Xiao tries picking up the flute to recreate the unfamiliar feeling he encountered on that fateful night. Nevertheless, he was nowhere near close. It felt like grasping at nothingness. He can’t understand what he is missing. He eventually grows frustrated with the flute and stops playing. He holds onto the instrument though not being able to find the will to throw it away.
Xiao relies on his duties to push aside his need to understand that unknown feeling. Although, sometimes when things are quiet and the patrons of Wangshu Inn are asleep he’ll allow himself to get carried away a little. Xiao likes to imagine an open flower field with vibrant colours that are the embodiment of a sunset. Bright pink, purple, orange, and yellow flowers will mix together to create an endless twilight that covers the earth.
Xiao likes to envision himself there in that field dancing without a care. The flute will play, filling the area with an angelic melody. The wind will blow through his hair while he spins. The flowers will drift in the wind syncing with his movements. His arms sway with his body gliding through the air. The tune in the background is all he can hear as it encompasses his body and soul. He will wear his mask, but not to conquer demons. In that moment he will be happy. He’ll feel like he did in Dihua Marsh. He’ll feel…
A desire like that is dangerous though. Xiao knows that a dream like that is unattainable. He has his duties he cannot ignore. He is nowhere near done repaying his debt to Rex Lapis. The battle he fights will only end when he’s dead. He buries this dream deep inside of him. Adepti do not desire anything he reasons with himself. Desires are a mortal ideal that he will not lose self-control over.
The traveler is a strange human. Lumine isn’t afraid of him like the other humans are. Rather she seems to think of Xiao as her friend. She will visit him from time to time always making the same excuse that her and Paimon need to be protected from danger. Xiao knows it’s her way of getting him to spend time with them without fully taking away from his duties. He doesn’t fight them on this. If anything, he secretly enjoys both of their company. He witnessed Lumine holding her ground against Osial. She was even able to absorb adepti energy and fight using it. That alone grants her his respect.
This time Lumine and her floating companion find Xiao not far off from Liyue Harbour. They beg him to be their escort back to the harbour. Xiao reluctantly agrees knowing full well Lumine can protect herself.
“Say Xiao, I noticed you have a flute on you. Do you play?” Lumine looks at him curiously.
“Oh! Paimon wants to hear your best song!” Paimon says enthusiastically, floating in front of him. Xiao tries to swat her away earning a dirty look from the floating fairy. Well, he thinks Paimon is a fairy. He’s not exactly sure what Paimon is.
Lumine continues talking, “I’ve wanted to ask for a while. Why did you pick it up?”
“It was a hobby to pass time. I was hoping it would help me understand something,” Xiao replies. “Although, I have not played for a long time,” he adds on.
Looking at Lumine he notices she’s wearing one of her knowing smiles. He looks away quickly. It can be unnerving with how easily she can read others.
“Did you figure it out?” she asks.
Xiao pauses. He can sense where this conversation is going and he doesn’t like it.
“No.”
Lumine nods. “I’m sorry. If you ever need help you could ask,” she says carefully.
Xiao’s eyes harden. “I do not require the help of mortals.”
“Yes, you’ve made yourself very clear with that,” she laughs.
“No song? Paimon wants to hear Xiao play! The tone-deaf bard would have played something for us!” Paimon pouts.
Xiao gives a curious look towards Paimon, but does not ask her to elaborate. There is no use in keeping this conversation going longer than it has to.
Lumine ends up changing the topic and rambling about some of her odd jobs that her and Paimon have been doing. Xiao falls into a silence listening to her talk about helping with food deliveries and clearing out hilichurl camps. For someone looking for their missing sibling she sure does spend a lot of time doing other things.
“Have you ever met the Anemo Archon?” Lumine asks Xiao.
She finds him sitting on the roof of Wangshu Inn. Xiao notices the lack of floating companion. Lumine settles next to him pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them. She rests her head on her knees and looks towards him. Xiao returns her gaze and raises one eyebrow.
She takes it as a sign to continue talking, “I was thinking that since Venti knows about music maybe he would be able to help you!”
“Venti,” the name sounds foreign on his tongue. “So that’s the name he goes by. His tunes are...” Xiao realizes his slip up and quickly changes his direction. “Forget it. The Anemo Archon has no need to meet with me over such trivial matters.”
Xiao has never met the Anemo Archon again after that night. His duties always seem to call him away whenever the archon decided to visit the Geo Archon. Yet, whenever he returned, he would find Rex Lapis with his head in his hands muttering to himself something along the lines of “that drunkard.” Xiao has yet to figure out what Rex Lapis’ true feelings were towards to Anemo Archon. Rex Lapis often complained that Barbatos was annoying and a disgrace to humanity. Yet, he always welcomed the God of Freedom whenever he visits Liyue. With Rex Lapis’ retirement Xiao wonders if visits will still occur.
Xiao saw Barbatos differently than the Geo Archon did. Barbatos saved his life that day, and for that reason alone he will always be in debt to the archon. His music has made a permanent mark on Xiao’s soul. Not to mention Xiao will sometimes catch a glimpse of what he thinks are two blue braids and his heart will begin to pound. Only to find out later it was a false alarm. But Xiao’s duty lies with Rex Lapis. Getting himself involved with another archon would be complicated.
“He gave you your vision I bet he would be willing to hear you out.” Lumine gently nudges his shoulder with hers pulling Xiao out of his head.
He huffs, “My duties lie with Rex Lapis I do not need to seek out another archon.”
Lumine tilts her head. “It was just a suggestion. Why don’t you think about it? Speaking of Rex Lapis.” She hands him a small bag. “Here, I was instructed to give you these. They’re special painkillers that will work on adepti.”
Xiao takes the bag and peaks inside seeing the painkillers. “I left Paimon behind so they wouldn’t be eaten,” Lumine elaborates. “Zhongli said nothing of this world can withstand them.”
Xiao freezes. “Zhongli sent this?” Lumine nods.
“Can I ask,” Xiao hesitates. “Zhongli, what does he do with his days?” He grips the bag harder than he intends to.
Lumine hums softly. “He spends his days about the harbour looking at antiques, telling stories about native Liyue flowers, and gazing at birds. He seems happy if you’re worried.”
Xiao keeps his eyes trained on the bag of medicine. “I do not worry. But I wonder what deeper meaning could they hold.”
He thinks of that feeling that he could not name. Is that how the Geo Archon feels now? Just what is that feeling! Is it what Lumine said? Happiness? Was that what he felt long ago? No, he’s felt happiness before, and that was different.
Long after Lumine leaves to return to Paimon Xiao speaks into the wind again.
“Will I ever be free of this pain?” he whispers.
A gust of wind blows gently against Xiao. It swirls up and around his body ruffling his hair when it reaches his head. He reaches out as if to grab it, but it flows right through his fingers. He clenches his hand into a fist and drops it in disappointment.
One day Xiao returns to Wangshu Inn during the dead of night. He can’t tell how long he’s been gone from the inn. A week? A month? Xiao likes to ignore the concept of time. He knows that nothing can withstand time. Especially with Rex Lapis’ retirement the ideal has been further cemented into him. Everything ends eventually.
He quietly goes to the roof and stops in his tracks when he notices a familiar figure standing along the balcony. He would recognize that green cape anywhere. He sucks in his breath in surprise. At the sound they turn around to face him.
“Ah! Adeptus Xiao!” they smile at him. Xiao’s heart stops. He can feel his vision faintly reacting towards the stranger just like it did that other time.
“Lord Barbatos, you are very far from Mondstadt,” says Xiao. The Anemo Archon grins at him. He watches as the wind swirls around the archon. Does it just naturally do that or is he channeling it?
“Call me Venti!” Venti places one hand against the side of his mouth and leans forward as if sharing a secret. “That’s my human disguise!” he fake whispers. Xiao can only bring himself to nod.
“Why are you here? Did the traveler say something to you?” Xiao asks. He’s trying to think of a reason why Barbatos would visit him now. His conversation with Lumine comes to mind. Is this her way of meddling?
Venti just looks and him and shrugs. “Nope! I heard you calling for me. It’s about time we meet don’t you think?”
Xiao is dumbfounded. “I have not called for you Lord Barbatos.”
Venti only gives him a soft smile. “You’ve been calling for a long time. I’m sorry it took me this long.”
“I do not require your presence. I am not one of your worshippers.”
“You may not be a resident of Mondstadt, but you wear one of these.” Venti points at Xiao’s vision. Xiao realizes he was cradling his wrist, lightly touching his vision. He changes his stance so his arms are crossed over his chest.
“We’ve now formally met. Is there anything else you require from me?” Xiao asks bluntly.
Being in the presence of gods who are not Rex Lapis always make him uncomfortable. Xiao worries that all the negative energy inside him would seep out while in their company.
But this is different. He is uncomfortable with how unalike he and Venti are. He can sense Venti’s carefree nature. Even just standing there in the dimly lit balcony Venti seems to light up the area with just his presence. And Xiao? He is just pain and vengeance. He is the darkest part of the abyss whereas Venti is the shining sun.
He feels discomfort beginning to grow inside of him and breathes in deeply. Venti takes a few steps towards him, so they stand about arm’s length apart. Xiao stiffens at the close proximity.
“Mind if I play you a song?” Venti asks. A lyre appears, and he starts to strum it slowly.
The music fills Xiao’s ears. He feels his eyes close as Venti begins his song. Xiao is as quiet as he can be as Venti performs. He takes it all in savoring the way the melody flows, the way Venti’s soothing voice rings in his ears. Xiao feels it again. Not as intense as the time in Dihua Marsh, but it’s there. He feels lighter. All the negative emotions that were building up within him seem to disappear. What is this feeling? He always thought if he felt this way again, he would be able to pin point the name. Yet it slips out of his grasp again. Once the song finishes, Xiao opens his eyes to gaze at Venti.
“You play the lyre now.” Xiao’s mind is reeling and it’s the only thing he can muster up. He watches the moonlight reflect off of Venti’s eyes. He observes that Venti’s eyes are green.
“I can play many instruments! That is the duty of a travelling bard!” Venti strums his lyre again. The sound makes Xiao’s chest swell. He grips at the clothes over his chest.
“Why are you here?” he asks again.
Venti continues to strum. “I told you, you were calling for me.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Sure, you did!” The cheer in Venti’s voice did nothing to quell Xiao’s growing frustration. Venti continues talking, “The wind carried your pain towards me.”
Xiao feels his face heating up. “You heard me?” his voice is barely above a whisper.
Venti nods in response.
Panic begins flaring up inside him. Leave! Get out! Xiao’s mind screams at him. He’s entering a territory that he usually avoids at all cost. Being even more vulnerable was the last thing he wants to do. He already fears he showed too much during the song. He has to leave before it gets worse.
“Excuse me, Lord Bar- uh Venti. I have just caught wind of a demonic cluster further out in Liyue. I must take my leave now.”
He hears Venti give a short laugh, “Heh! Caught wind! Very fitting Xiao! I did not expect you to be one with words!”
Xiao gives a quick bow and teleports as far away from Wangshu Inn as possible. He lands in Jueyun Karst and hastily looks around. Only when he’s sure a fellow archon did not follow did he finally let out a deep breath trying to calm his racing heart.
The next time they meet Xiao approaches Venti first. “You shouldn’t be here,” Xiao states.
He looks up at the Statue of The Seven and there in the lap of the stone Geo Archon is Venti. He is currently draped across the lap with his legs dangling over the right arm of the statue. Xiao notices the bottle of wine that Venti is clutching. He teleports up and grabs the bottle from the archon’s hands. Venti makes a weak attempt to reclaim his bottle and sighs in defeat.
“Maybe I knew you would find me here,” he says with a slight slur. “Please give that bottle back! I swindled it from a grumpy redhead. It’s very precious to me!” he tries to swipe it, but Xiao was quicker holding the bottle above his head.
“Spilling wine on Rex Lapis’ statue would be unforgivable.” Xiao glares at him.
Venti makes another attempt to swipe the bottle by springing upwards. Xiao pulls the bottle out of the way again. As Venti lands his foot slips and he starts to fall. Xiao watches as green eyes widen in surprise as Venti tumbles off the statue. Sighing, Xiao jumps off grabbing Venti by the waist and pulling him close to save him from a hard impact.
“Ehe, thank you! You saved my life! My personal hero!”
Xiao lets go of Venti watching him fall to the ground not expecting the loss of his support. Venti gazes up at Xiao with a bewildered look on his face. He tries to stand on his own, but fumbles causing Xiao to reach out and steady the archon. He sighs when he notices the huge grin on Venti’s face.
“What are you doing here?” asks Xiao.
Venti ponders for a moment. “Well, I was at Angel’s Share in Mondstadt, but I couldn’t get the beauty of Liyue out of my head! I was so inspired that I just had to write a new song!” he hiccups. “So, I stole a bottle of wine, uh borrowed heh, and came out here!”
Xiao eyes Venti with suspicion. He makes a note on how there is no lyre in sight. “If you expect me to believe that story you are highly mistaken.”
The smile on Venti’s face falters for a second. If Xiao wasn’t watching closely, he would have missed it. Venti wiggles out of Xiao’s grasp and sits down on the ground in front of him. He sits crossed legged and leans back on his hand to look up at Xiao.
“Look at you! We’ve only talked once before and you can already read me like a book! Must be the power of the adepti,” he muses, gazing up at Xiao. His eyes seem to twinkle. Xiao wonders if others notice how beautiful his eyes are.
“I’ll admit sometimes when things get to be too much, I like to seclude myself from others. I’ll grab a bottle of wine and usually find a tall tree to sit in. I like to look back on the old days. It helps with the loneliness I sometimes feel.”
Xiao sits down next to Venti letting his legs stretch out in front of him. He still refuses to give the bottle back. Instead, he takes a swing of wine receiving a glare from the archon. He was never much of a drinker. Alcohol doesn’t affect adepti like it does with humans.
“Can’t you be lonely in Mondstadt?” Xiao says bluntly. “Why Liyue?”
“Maybe I was hoping you would find me. I can’t seem to get you out of my head either.”
Xiao finds that statement hard to believe. He shakes his head lightly. “You don’t know me. There’s no reason for me to occupy any space in there.” Xiao taps lightly on the top of Venti’s head.
“Everyone who I give a vision to occupies a space inside of me,” Venti says. “They are as much a part of who I am as anything else.”
“If we’re all a part of you, how can you be lonely?” asks Xiao.
“You are also thousands of years old Xiao. You must understand the loneliness that time brings,” Venti says. He throws his head back to look at the sky. Xiao wonders if Venti also has had his fair share of misfortunes that time seems to bring.
“As much as I try, I find myself clinging to the past quite easily,” says Venti in a quiet voice.
He looks for the bottle that Xiao is still holding. When he sees it, he looks at Xiao with a silent plea in his eyes. Xiao gives up handing the bottle over. There’s just something about those green eyes he can’t shake off. Venti eyes him curiously as he hands over the bottle. He grabs it clutching it to his chest in silent declaration that he won’t let it go again.
“You cannot change what has happened in the past. There is no use clinging onto it. It’s best to just keep the memories alive. Nothing lasts forever,” Xiao says wistfully.
Venti gives him a small smile. “Is that so?” he looks out over the surrounding landscape.
“If you are hesitant to move on you can share your stories with me. I’ll hold onto them in here,” Xiao says placing a hand over his heart.
He surprises himself with that offer. He looks away embarrassed by his sudden outburst of sympathy.
“Mind if I play you another song?” Venti asks. His lyre materializes and he begins to sing.
He tells a tale of old Mondstadt. He starts off with how the god loved his people in all the wrong ways. How his protection caused his people to become imprisoned within a stormy barrier. Venti sings about a revolution to overthrow the tyrannical god. How the people wanted to see the world outside the barrier. He mentions a boy who lost his life too young and who will never see the birds fly.
Xiao sits quietly listening to the tale. He’s heard others talk about the fall of Decarabian and the rise of Barbatos. He didn’t expect the archon to view the event with such sorrow. He didn’t realize the price it cost Venti to help acquire the freedom for the people of Mondstadt.
Venti is quiet once the song ends. His fingers lazily strum the strings on his lyre. Xiao waits for him to say something.
“This is his appearance you know? My friend who died,” Venti eventually admits. “I tried to rebuild Mondstadt in a way he would have liked. A place where everyone is free.”
“You did a good job. He would be proud,” Xiao says gently. Words of comfort never came easily to him. Such tender emotions make him hesitant. He prefers to stay silent.
What does freedom truly feel like? When Xiao was released from his old master by Rex Lapis, did he feel freedom then? It was so long ago. He tried his best to lock away the painful memory. Was he happy in that moment? He couldn’t remember. When he hears Venti’s music is that what he feels? Freedom? No, that’s not exactly right. He doesn’t feel liberated when the music flows through him numbing his pain. It’s must be something else. Why can’t he figure it out! Human emotions really are a pain.
Xiao feels something hit his shoulder bringing him out of his thoughts. He jumps a little and sees that Venti has fallen asleep against him. His head now lays against Xiao’s shoulder.
Xiao cannot understand why Venti has put so much trust in him. He doesn’t know Xiao. If anything, he should be keeping his distance. A small part of Xiao is grateful though. Venti chose him to open up to about his past. Xiao secretly hopes that this will continue. As much as Rex Lapis seemed to be annoyed by the Anemo Archons presence Xiao didn’t seem to mind it all that much.
He gently pushes one of Venti’s braids off of his face where it was resting on his nose. He watches as Venti wiggles his nose at the loss. A small smile tugs at Xiao’s lips. He feels something slowly building in his chest. Adepti do not need to sleep, so Xiao decides he’ll watch over the sleeping god until he wakes up.
Since that time spent at the Statue of The Seven, Venti has been appearing more often in Xiao’s life. If Venti visits during the day, he’ll show up saying he wants to test out a new song he’s working on. Xiao will always reply saying he’s busy with work. This causes Venti to plea with Xiao begging him to take a break. He’ll argue that Xiao is lucky to hear him play for free. His usual currency for songs is an apple or alcohol. He claims that Xiao is special, which is why he gets the special discount. Xiao will counter, claiming no one would pay to hear Venti anyways. Somedays Venti is smart enough to bring almond tofu with him as a bargaining chip. Things usually run smoother if he does. Xiao wonders if Venti asked Lumine for advice since he never offered up the information himself.
Once Xiao agrees Venti will choose a place to help get his ‘musical juices flowing’ as he puts it. Xiao never complains about the locations the bard picks. Venti always takes him to the most beautiful areas in Liyue. Xiao will sit and listen as Venti tries different melodies and lyrics. He only volunteers his opinion if the rhymes Venti comes up with are dreadful, which happens quite often. Xiao thinks Venti does it on purpose.
If Venti visits at night, he’ll appear at Wangshu Inn with a bottle of wine in hand. When this happens, Xiao knows that Venti is wrestling with his past. They’ll end up on the roof with Venti singing tales of his past and of people long gone. In return Xiao holds onto these stories by committing them to memory.
Xiao never offers up any of his own stories whenever they talk. His contain death, destruction, and suffering. He doesn’t want to add any more negativity to their conversations. If he does speak, he retells stories that Lumine told him.
Xiao is starting to notice little things about Venti. When he’s excited the wind will flow around the bard to match his enthusiasm. His eyes change colour depending on the time of day. They are the brightest shade of green during the day and become rich in colour at twilight. Although, Xiao thinks they are the most beautiful at night when the moonlight reflects off of them.
Xiao also notices that Venti looks at him differently. Venti’s features seem to soften if he is able to get a short laugh out of Xiao. Or when he notices Xiao’s smile at one of his more successful rhymes. It baffles Xiao. No one has ever looked at him that way before. Xiao is not one to be looked at with affection.
When Venti becomes tipsy, he laughs more. Xiao likes it when he laughs. Xiao believes hearing Venti laugh solves at least 50 of his problems. Tipsy Venti likes to tell Xiao how pretty his hair is or how he is a hero to the people of Liyue. This causes Xiao to look away with cheeks red muttering for Venti to stop.
Sometimes he can feel his heart start to pound when he’s with Venti. He’s written it off as mild panic for being so familiar with an archon who is not Rex Lapis. Surely Adepti do not feel that sort of human emotion. Right?
Xiao is still working up the courage to ask Venti about that time in Dihua Marsh. Being vulnerable was difficult for him. Last time he showed any signs of weakness it was held over him and he was forced to do cruel things. Being alone, staying away from others is what he knows best. It’s how he protects others and himself from getting hurt. Although, he has come to trust Venti. The God of Freedom will never use Xiao in a way that is cruel to others. He knows that’s a truth deep down. Venti wants everyone to be free and make their own decisions. He is not a person to hold another down for his own selfish gain.
Still, Xiao hesitates. He and Venti have fallen into an odd friendship since getting to know one another. Xiao worries that what happened in Dihua Marsh was only special to him. Maybe Venti has forgotten about that day entirely. He hasn’t seen the flute that Venti used once during their many times together.
Sometimes when they aren’t together Xiao can still feel Venti in the wind. He feels the way the wind will blow gently only around him. How sometimes a breeze will blow across his face feeling like soft kisses. Other times it will come from nowhere ruffling his hair leaving him flustered scrambling to pat it down. After bad fights when all he wants is to just crumble to the ground the wind will pick him back up again.
“You seem happier lately. Did something happen?” Lumine and Paimon find Xiao out in Guili Plains one day. Lumine claims she has commissions from the adventurer’s guild in the area. Xiao is skeptical, but he lets it slide. They end up sitting under one of the trees hiding from the sun’s rays.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies.
“Awe, come on! I can feel it!”
“Paimon is curious what made Mr. Doom and Gloom so happy!” Paimon says excitedly.
“No one made me happy,” Xiao snaps.
“Oh, so it’s a person! Did you perhaps meet with Venti after all?” Lumine asks.
Xiao whips his head towards her, eyes wide. He didn’t like where this was going. “We did meet,” he says cautiously.
Lumine gives him another one of her knowing smiles. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but I have a feeling he’s been helping you.”
“You know nothing of what I’m looking for. Mortals cannot begin to understand the complexity of the adepti.”
Lumine throws her hands up in surrender. “Yes! Yes! I’m just glad that you seem happier. I hope you’re able to open up with him. I feel like maybe he could understand the complexity of the adepti a little bit better than a mere mortal like me.”
“He and I are nothing alike.”
“Are you sure about that? I think the two of you are more similar than you think.”
Xiao thinks for a moment. He recalls the stories Venti has told him. He is still repaying his first friend after all this time by honoring his memory. Xiao honors Rex Lapis for saving him even now after the Geo Archon has retired. They have both lost ones who were close to them and watched others become corrupted by evil forces. They have suffered similar loss throughout all these years. Yet, Xiao knows that Venti is still different from him. Venti is whimsical, outgoing, enthusiastic. Whereas Xiao is just destruction, despair, and fear. Venti is free. Xiao is still chained to the karmic debt that looms over Liyue.
“Maybe you should ask him if you’re curious,” Lumine says after watching him for a while.
“Maybe,” Xiao replies.
Xiao has over done it. He had a particularly grueling fight earlier that day. The demonic monsters were strong taking a toll on his body. He feels weighed down and tired. His mask is suffocating. He has run out of the medicine Zhongli gave him and he notices now without them how they made things significantly better.
Voices circulate inside his head. Desires from the people cry out. They repeat his name over and over with their wishes desperate for him to make them come true. He also hears the hatred from the gods that were buried under Liyue. He hears the curses and evil that they spew. It was too much. Just stop it. Stop it. Stop it. He keeps repeating it over and over hoping that something will give. He wanders trying to clear his mind not realizing where he was subconsciously going. To who he was going to.
“Please,” He whispers out into the wind, begging for some relief.
He’s in Stormterror’s Lair. Xiao notices the ruins from the old city of Mondstadt. He thinks back to the stories Venti told of this place and of the revolution that took place. He has a feeling Venti is nearby. His vision reacts faintly against his wrist. The voices in his head continue to shout at him. His body feels like lead. He can barely feel himself gripping his spear. He checks periodically to make sure he is still holding it and hasn’t dropped it. Xiao drags himself along the ruins looking for Venti. Eventually, he finds the archon sitting upon the ruined tower. His legs are dangling off the high structure as he looks out.
“Xiao! What do I owe the pleasure?” Venti smiles up at him when Xiao appears beside him.
“Can you play something for me?” Xiao asks through gritted teeth. His breathing has become ragged and he’s gasping at this point. It’s too much for him.
Venti’s eyes harden and he pulls out an instrument. Xiao sits down placing his head in his hands. The voices are all he can hear at this point. His body is in agony. He wants to disappear. Run away from it all, but he can barely move. He wants to give up. Stop this suffering once and for all. He feels himself being tied down by invisible ropes. Maybe this is the end for him after all.
The first note of a flute begins to play. It’s the same song. The one he heard many years ago.
It’s like light is entering the abyss for the first time. Everything seems to become shrouded in light instantly becoming brighter. Xiao feels himself being pulled away from the tightening ropes. The song flows around him making his body feel lighter. The voices become silent. The pain is gone. Xiao feels it again. That emotion.
Venti plays for what seems like hours. When he stops, Xiao’s breathing has become stable again. He lifts his head slowly. He sees Venti staring at him with a slight frown and a furrowed brow. He reaches out slowly towards Xiao silently asking permission to touch him. Xiao has no strength to move out of the way. He sits as Venti slowly pulls his mask off and places it behind them. Xiao then feels arms wrap around his shoulders. Venti pulls him close into an embrace. Xiao stiffens, but doesn’t push away.
Neither of them says anything. They remain still with Xiao leaning into the embrace. His head is tucked into Venti’s shoulder with Venti’s head resting on top of his.
When he has the strength to speak, he finally asks, “Did you know I was there? In Dihua Marsh all those years ago?”
He feels Venti nod. “I heard you. I can always hear my vision wielders. Yours that day was particularly painful. All I could feel was your pain. I may not be the god you follow, but I still look over my wielders from a distance. Your cries were too much for me to sit by and do nothing.”
“You saved me,” Xiao confesses.
“I’m glad that I was able to help.”
Xiao pulls away from the embrace to look at Venti.
“When you play everything goes quiet. All the voices in my head are gone. The pain goes away and I feel lighter. What,” he hesitates. “What is this feeling?”
Venti gives him a soft smile. He reaches out with one hand and cups Xiao’s cheek. “If I was to experience something like that, I would say I feel peaceful.”
“Peaceful,” Xiao repeats.
He is at peace when he hears Venti play. It all clicks into place. That’s what he’s been looking for all along. He feels peaceful!
Xiao pulls Venti into a tight embrace. The momentum accidentally knocks Venti’s hat off and Xiao buries his face into Venti’s shoulder. His hands slide into dark hair as he holds on tight. He hears Venti squeak in surprise, but soon feels arms wrap around his waist holding him close.
“Thank you,” Xiao whispers. He can feel his face growing hot. He has never been this vulnerable with another person before. With Venti though, it seems to come more naturally. Xiao trusts him.
Venti hums in response.
“You helped me as well you know,” Venti admits. “You let me unload my burdens. I’ve never done that with anyone else. To others I’m seen as lazy and somewhat aloof. They expect me to be the epitome of freedom all the time. My past was beginning to chain me down. To combat it I would spend most of my time sleeping to avoid any more grief.”
Venti pulls back a bit so they’re looking at one another. Xiao entwines his hands behind Venti’s neck whereas Venti cups Xiao’s cheek again with one hand. He rests the other on Xiao’s leg. Xiao feels his heart pounding.
“I have grown quite attached to you over our time together. Being with you makes me feel free again,” Venti confesses.
Xiao sees that same soft look of affection sprawled across Venti’s face.
“You are able to give me a feeling that I otherwise cannot create myself. You saved me countless times pulling me out of the depths of despair. Albeit with your music or just the winds you send my way. That alone makes me eternally grateful towards you. Along the way it seems I have gotten quite attached to you as well,” Xiao declares.
Venti smiles and Xiao can’t stop himself from blurting out, “Can I kiss you?” Venti nods.
Before Xiao can close the distance, soft lips press upon his. Venti moves his hand from Xiao’s leg to his hair and slowly threads his fingers through it. Xiao was never one for human affection, but he didn’t mind kissing Venti. When they part they’re both flushed in the face.
“Like a summer’s breeze, a lover’s sweet kiss will sweep me off my feet,” Venti declares.
Xiao scrunches his face. “That one is your worst one yet.”
Venti just laughs, “My bad! My brain isn’t exactly working quite right!” He gazes at Xiao fondly. All Xiao can think of is that he’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen. Venti leans forward so their foreheads touch.
“I promise that when you grow tired of gravity and wish to fly, I will send the winds of the world to blow towards you,” he whispers.
“I promise when you find yourself clinging to the past, reluctant to move on I will quietly remember these stories in my heart,” Xiao whispers back.
He closes the distance between them for another kiss. After all these years Xiao can finally say he feels at peace.