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Liyue, the land of contracts, looked over by the archon Morax, is a festive one. It sounds like one that would have well disciplined citizens and one where everything is kept under control. But that is definitely not the case.
Having a criminal on the run, a pirate sort of a lady breaking most of the rules in Liyue, a traveler suddenly appearing and getting involved with one of the biggest incidents in Liyue and making women drool over him, having a living zombie that isn’t able to die walking around in a pharmacy, a girl who likes to play with ghosts roaming around the places, scaring the living daylights out of people on the streets of Liyue, an exorcist who can’t get rid of any spirits at all due to his overloading Ying-Yang energy, causing him to act like a drunkard whenever he interacts with anything hot or spicy.
And with his best friend hanging around him , teasing and trolling him, he is a walking disaster. And those are only FEW of the problems in Liyue. Liyue is a land on fire. At least that’s what Xiao thought.
Xiao is Morax’s wingman. He is a warrior, an Adeptus who once lived under the name Alatus, an evil demon with corrupted energy that can slowly eat him alive, a solitude spirit, who has suffered with the companions he has lost in the Archon war. He was the last survivor among Morax’s men. But now, after the Archon war ended, Morax has changed his identity to a human named Zhongli. A broke person. Strolling and looking after Liyue secretly.
Xiao may still be serving him whenever he orders, but Zhongli is always willing to listen to his problems. Just like a friend. And in the past years...past 2000 years that he has lived, he has seen so many things. The trauma, the joy, the pleasure, the despair. All of it.
Trauma and sadness was most of his life, he still contemplates the mistakes, the things he could’ve done. He also had a bad impression about humans. He thought maybe if they were smarter, stronger, he wouldn’t need to go through so much as the duty to protect this land. But humans only have limited power and limited things that they can do, so Xiao couldn’t really blame them. They tried.
But what about the frustration? Where should he put those feelings upon? Who’s responsible for them? Xiao doesn’t know. He has been doubting, thinking for so long, he's been wearing a strict, unhappy face for so long, that he has at a point forgotten how to smile.
But there was one thing he has remembered since everything happened, it was never a vague memory for Xiao.
He was being corrupted, destroyed by his own magic, own demonic energy. Rotting, screaming in pain, helplessly being surrounded by enemies on the battlefield as they watch him suffer and cry.
He thought this was the end for him. The end of his life.
Until he heard a flute playing. It sounded so soothing, he didn’t even notice his pain was relieved, and he was slowly healing. The music cured him, and whoever played the flute saved him. His savior. His savior vanished away after saving him.
Xiao didn’t know who he was, until he asked Zhongli about this mysterious man, who was later known as the wind elemental archon, now a bard in Mondstadt.
Until that one fateful day where life brought them together. He believed for so long, on that day, when he met the bard and the bard said hello with his ever so sweet voice. He smiled, replying to his savior. It shocked everyone, including Zhongli himself. It was such a beautiful moment.
But now Xiao is thinking about it, an irritating thought struck him.
That’s right. His savior was the ever silly, irresponsible, carefree, immature, loud and drunk god. The one and only God of freedom, the wind elemental Archon, Barbatos. He was the one who played the flute, saving Xiao from corrupting. But now this god has taken the form of another human. Not because of a war, but because he wanted to continue his best friend's legacy, lead his people to freedom in his form and save his people. That man is now called Venti. Mentally 15, but actually an old 2000 year old god who now plays the lyre instead of the flute.
Oh but who is he to call old...he’s the same.
Xiao has met Venti countless times in Liyue. And everytime he comes, a disaster happens in Liyue.
So he expected the worst to happen when he heard from Zhongli that Venti would visit Liyue this week.
But he didn’t expect this. The first day of the bard's arrival. His girlfriend, Ganyu, who was also a brave warrior that stood beside Zhongli, ever since the war. Though she only came into his life after being the last survivor, they kept a stable loving relationship with each other...until now where he gets requested to sit down in her room. She opens her mouth to break the ice cold atmosphere.
"We're over." Her throat was dry and rough like the desert sand in the Sahara. He froze.
"What?" His voice echoed, emptiness has chosen to dance along with his voice when the words rang her ears.
She sighs. "I'm quite sure I did not stumble upon my words Xiao."
"Why? I have given everything I could for you, did anything a person could possibly do. Tell me Ganyu, what is it that makes you give up on us?"
"You never had much faith in me in combat." She stated as her attitude grew colder than the hail.
"In fact I believe you think I'm rather weak."
"Nonsense!" The male stated, trying to stay calm, "I could never think of you this way!"
"Nonsense not, Xiao. You always wear a grumpy face and you never really told me what it is in your mind that you think of. It is normal to assume." She said with no emotion, eyes dead yet blue like the clear sky.
"Well now you know." Xiao said, annoyed.
"You never cared." Ganyu continued "You never care much about mortals. Not the people you protect, not even me."
"You aren't like the rest!" anger seemed to waltz into their dance of emptiness and sound of Xiaos.
"Oh but I am. So what, I'm immortal. You don't pay much attention to me. I tried to confront you with your problems yet you only shut me out. You don't have any consideration for my feelings." Ganyu scoffed.
“No!” Xiao exclaims.
“We aren’t made to be together.” She finishes, her ocean eyes were polluted.
“Ganyu, you know that I love you.”
“You say that but your heart belongs to someone else.” Ganyu sits up from her chair as she gazes upon her window.
“And who’s that?” Xiao asked, rather confused.
“That bard. The one who finds you for anything. For entertainment, for help, for work...and for love.”
She glances at the male. She was certain she was correct, those soft eyes looked embarrassed, lost, and confused.
“Nonsense.” Xiao uttered.
“Not quite. Your eyes get enraptured by him easily, you watch him sway and dance along with the wind with undying interest and your eyes shine like the milky way whenever he sings his tunes and songs. He charms you in every way possible.”
Xiao does not know how to deny.
“Our conversations are black and blue, you hurt me and make me feel helpless. I’m sick and tired of seeing you being attracted to another person. It’s a weird attachment, but I suppose you just have to accept that you are rather different Xiao. I hope I declared myself well enough.”
Her hair flirted with the wind before leaving Xiao alone in the room.
Xiao hangs his head low as if they were the leaves and branches from the Chinese salix. The pigeons on his roof chirped, “How much sorrow he feels.”
“How sad indeed!” Said the flower that sat on his windowsill, who is now cooing with the soil.
Xiao did not weep. He is the last survivor of the archon war. He is the Yaksha Adeptus. He shall show no weakness or he shall not be the strongest of them all. He tells himself this all the time. He must stay strong.
He walked on the rocky roads of Liyue. He saw the rich merchants laughing with their bags of coins. He felt the swaying of the trees as the gentle wind ran past them.
He thought about the mystery of emotions. For one he is not mortal and has suffered through unmeasurable pain. His life was so bitter it numbed him away from simple emotions, the most simple ways of how to live a life. Was living his life only meant to serve? To fight? To kill? To shed tears?
He used to believe that love was a great feeling. Until he realized that love is only climbing a ladder to heaven, but your hand has slipped and you're falling somewhere in the deep depths of hell. He doesn’t want to try again, because it hurts. These thoughts drown him, he’s tired.
He suddenly heard fine tones of a lyre. He gazes up and sees a bard, sitting on the roof, above the busy roads of Liyue.
“If it isn’t Liyue’s Yakasha adeptus. Shall I sing forever more for you tonight again?” He asks as he strums another string of notes.
Xiao did not greet him, nor did he approve of his presence. It was the bard's fault. If he wasn’t around Xiao so much, maybe Ganyu wouldn’t misunderstand his feelings. It was the bard's fault, being the person he needed. It was the bards fault, for being such an attachment for him.
“Stop.” Xiao grunts. Love only hurts himself in the end. He has suffered enough to suffer again. He is done with being hurt. He learned his lesson.
The bard hops down the roof, his fresh green cloak flowing behind him, spreading it across the open area and he follows the adeptus.
“Not much of a pleasant day? Shall I sing your worries away?”
“Go back to your city bard. You don’t belong here.” Xiao said, his voice thick as ice.
“Oh I know jolly well that I don’t belong here Xiao, but it is indeed a splendid place Liyue Harbour is! The city is bright and the people are lively. Unlike the uniqueness my city has!”
“Then venture to this place alone. I am no companion for you.” said the male. He wasn’t in any mood to see anyone. Especially the bard.
But the bard didn't care about his words. He sang about the harbours of Liyue and the beauty of the city. Words are as soft as the night sky and his voice is the harmony of peace. His fingers that strum on his lyre are the freedom of this magical world and his glittering eyes are fervent for love,song and melody. In the busy streets of Liyue, he is the lost soul dancing, feet so light he is no longer touching the floor.
Xiao felt like understanding the beauty of living. But he doesn’t think he could.
This Anemo, wind elemented bard who sings night and day, the one who watches over his city Mondstadt and his people, he often quotes,
“May the wind guide you.”
Once upon a time Xiao had believed that it would. But it was silly to him now. The bard only led him into a miserable mess of doubtable questions.
“Let the wind tell you and they shall lead you to infinite happiness! Xiao, what is troubling you?”
“Something you needn’t know.” Xiao continues to stroll along the street, leading them up to a terrace of grass and flowers, up to a hill where the loveliest glaze lilies will bloom. And the most extraordinary sight is seen on the peak of the hill.
“It concerns me how you are such a damsel in distress today. You were still in quite a great mood yesterday, after all that you’ve been spending time with Morax and your lover, not to mention the lively traveler and his little friend. Joy was expected but not sorrow, so would you please tell me your unease? I shall sing them away!” The bard raises his voice as he strums another melody.
“Silence!” Xiao hissed. What a silly attraction it is indeed. The bard is only an annoyance. An ignorant brat. Ganyu was wrong. It simply wasn’t possible, how ridiculous.
And silence it really was for the bard. He never sang any more songs, his melody was not heard nor was the great harmony he created. For music and harmony was the meaning of the bard's existence, the bard lived to sing, to protect people with his voice, and silence to him simply meant everything he could ever care about. The bard stopped on his tracks and his fingers were frozen as if the cold had landed on his hands. The lyre ceased to sing. Silence simply meant for the bard to disappear. Xiao knew that well.
“Silence it shall be.” Said the bard.
And so the birds chirp as the morning wind blows then dawn falls into the midst of the summer night.
The bard never appeared near Xiao again. At first he was relieved, then he became wary. Gloom fell upon him, he couldn’t help but rethink his decisions and his words. He was bothered, he was troubled. What did the bard even mean to him?
“Communication will help solve my problems.” He thought. And so he went to see his friend Morax.
“Hello Xiao. What have you come here to seek?” His friend said. “Morax.” Xiao greeted him. “Ah-Zhongli! You brought a friend over?” A sudden red head appeared out of nowhere. “Ah, Tartaglia. What is it?” The redhead skips towards Zhongli and wraps his arms around the male from behind.
“Nothing much.”
Zhongli gives Tartaglia a little peck on his cheek. “Are you certain?” Zhongli turns around, running his fingers through the other males hair. “Yes,yes I am darling.”
Xiao felt their need for each other, lust fixed in their eyes. He understood what Ganyu meant now, he had passion and love but not desire for the other.
Was there someone that made him want to want the other?
The voice of the bards ran through his mind.
“Xiao” it called
“Nonsense!” He muttered quietly, so soft only the ones who witnessed a great void of silence could hear.
But was it really nonsense?
In fact he has been feeling quite lonely without the bard these days. He felt weird, certainly unusual.
“Excuse me for that Xiao, what was it you were about to say?” Zhongli asked.
“I think I’m feeling… weird bothering human emotions.”
Xiao is a demon. He never really understood emotions until he learnt them from the people around him. People showed him glee,unhappiness, fear, anger, vengeance, love and so much more. The more he saw, the more he understood, but even for thousands of years, he has not experienced this. It was new, somewhat felt fear for these emotions. He was scared.
“What sort?” His friend asked.
He felt bitter. He felt the pang of pain when the bard left his side. Emptiness fell into deep slumber on his heart and despair refused to leave. Lonely he was as if he was stranded in the freezing cold alone. He felt helpless while anguished pain crashed onto him like the waves of the sea when it met the shore. How much he wanted the bard to be with him and how much he missed him. At that moment, it felt right when he said so, and now he wants to take it all back. But why?
“I believe...it’s what mortals call… Regret.” He gripped on his shirt, exactly where his heart lay beneath the clothing and skin. Remorse was his face and resent was the color of his eyes.
“Why do I miss him instead of her.” Xiao couldn’t understand. It was the bard's fault, so why is he feeling this? The bard ruined everything for him, but he just misses the cause of his troubles?
“You must really love him then,” said his friend. A curious wave of emotions made him confused. Love? Since when? He started doubting himself. He’s losing trust in his emotions. His mentality.
Did he really love the bard? He doesn't know.
He was left in silence, he felt eyes looking at him with an expression of sympathy.
"Don't make that face, boy." Said the redhead.
"Pardon?" Xiao asks.
"No nothing...it's just that your face told me that your leaden heart got utterly crushed."
In fact, heavy emotions did wash over him. He felt his eyes start to get watery. The bard. Why can't he just get him out of his head? Was he really this helpless without the bard? Why is it that he is regretting his words now?
But Xiao must not weep. He went through worse. Losing companions and friends, losing people that he cared about, losing the person he had done everything for. He lost himself.
"Was it because of what happened with Ganyu?" Zhongli approaches Xiao.
"Rather not." Xiao shakes his head.
"Then is it the bard?"
Xiao flinched when he heard the name. "That bard? That annoying, needy, nosy, loud bard?! Why would he be one of my troubles?"
"Your face tells me that he is your biggest concern." Zhongli places his hand on his shoulder.
"And it seems that you like that the bard is annoying, needy, nosy and loud." The other male agrees.
"Not possible!" Xiao denies. But only a true friend would know how he felt.
"It's alright to love someone more than you have ever imagined. I believe Ganyu made you understand that you weren't meant to be alone."
Xiao gulps at that. Perhaps it was love after all.
"I made him unhappy. How foolish I am for pushing away someone I needed." Xiao sighs, finally giving in,and he looks away from his loyal friend.
"You must apologize." Said the friend.
And so Xiao went to find the bard.
He searched up and down. Through the deepest darkest woods and the unbalanced bumpy roads of Liyue. The grass fields of Guili Plains and the highest peaks of Mount Hulao.
Until he reached the plaza of Liyue Harbour. There was the bard,singing and dancing as the sunset fell upon him.
Oh but it sure was unfortunate for Xiao. For he was dancing with another girl. A very pretty one. He sways and sings his sweetest tune for the girl. The girl was the words to the bard's song.
How much he wishes the girl was him.
How much he wishes for the bard to sing his gaily new tunes next to him.
Jealousy wrapped their fingers around Xiao, having misery kissing his rosy lips, making him choke on the air he has been breathing all this time. Xiao knew he was greedy, he should've known that he wanted the bard more than he ever imagined.
For a second, his eyes met with the bard.
It wasn't pleasant.
It was heartbreaking.
Xiao couldn't watch anymore. He left with his soul silently weeping and crying in the dark as the night fell upon Liyue Harbour.
"What's wrong? You have stopped your dancing and delightful harmony."
"Oh did I...my bad young maiden."
And for the rest of the night, all the bard could sing were songs that can pierce another's heart.
"How sorrowful your songs are now, bard!" Said the pretty maiden before leaving the poor bards' side.
Xiao has not dared to approach the male anymore. For all he fears now is his poor soul to feel even more broken than it has ever been.
The next day, he wandered around Liyue. Trying to forget the bard, but everything only came back to him. He went anywhere he could ever think of. “Oh just how does this bard keep on coming into my head?” He cried. He felt another soft gust of wind blow past him. It must’ve been the wind… Though the breeze was rather rough against Xiao’s skin.
“I must go indoors if I need to block the wind away from me! For I do not want it to touch me anymore. The wind is no longer the gentle happy wind I once knew, it’s a storm, a hurricane against my flesh.”
He had decided to enter a restaurant. Where he could block out most of the wind away from him.
It was loud there. Lively, exciting, festive. The boy with Ying Yang energy, dancing on top of tables, and his silly friend clapping alongside him, their laughter was the loudest in the room. Reminds him of the bard as well. He was about to leave, for he can no longer stand the thought of him anymore. But a conversation caught his attention.
“Have you seen the bard?”
“Yes, yes. He is a brilliant fellow indeed. Heard he was from Monstadt!”
“Yes yes! Indeed they sell the best Dandelion wine. It’s probably why he likes to get squiffy and complain all night about his long lost lover.”
“Long lost lover?”
“Some fellow named Xiao. Oh the sorrow in his voice was painful even when drunk! He must’ve really loved them.”
...Venti saw him as..a lover?
“Oh yes, he often sings very cheerful songs when he first arrives in Liyue. But now his songs were depressing and heartbreaking. Poor fellow.”
“He apparently got so drunk last night he danced on the table saying that he would head to Guyun Stone Forest at midnight to find his lover! He wasn’t seen until then.”
Xiao got frantic, his heart almost jumped out of his chest.
GUYUN STONE FOREST?!?! BUT THAT'S WHERE ALL THE MOST POWERFUL MONSTERS GATHER?! DEAR ARCHONS HE MUST BE INSANE!!!!
Xiao left the restaurant immediately, rushing out of the door, leaving a trail of confused men looking at him. He knew the bard wasn’t like any kind of bard. He was great at combat. Who is Xiao kidding, he was an Archon, he was the God of Freedom who led Monstadt to peace, he was Barbatos. And Xiao is just a Yakasha who was saved by him. Sevens sake the bard is definitely better than him in combat. But yet he is still worried. What if something had happened to him? His thoughts raced and faster he began to run.
Xiao wondered why he was doing this, whether doing this is a good idea or not, why even bother? The answer only came quickly.
It’s because you love that annoying, needy, nosy and loud bard.
You love Venti.
“I thought he didn’t like us anymore. Yet he is travelling along with us.” Said the wind.
“Oh what a great and true lover he is! He is running towards the stone forest to save his love!” Sang the birds who watched him ever since he ran out of the restaurant. The wind was intrigued by his actions and decided to come along with Xiao,running behind him.
Sweat rolled down his skin and he pants heavily. His stamina was steady and high but the trip to find his dearest bard in Guyun Forest was still not quite pleasant. He had teleported there, but still, finding his bard was not easy at all.
His name he cried as if he was a siren ringing. The Bards name he cried worriedly. He screamed and yelled. But the response was nowhere to be found.
He finally reached a cave, his voice echoed when he went in. But the voice no longer echoed. He could not speak. His voice won’t come out.
A curious drop of water that fell from his eyes slowly turned itself to a raging flooding river.
He steps towards the object laid on the floor.
It was the bard's hat. With red splintered over and next to it. It still seemed fresh and the Cecilia is now tainted red and crimson. The green on the hat has been invaded by the red.
Terrified was Xiao and so was the wind. The wind roared in fear and the wind panicked.
Xiao held the hat with his shaky hands.
His leaden heart shattered into millions of pieces. Pain made its way to the cracks and made Xiao suffer more. The dejection from his veins that he had stored has found the broken heart, she tried to fix the heart but they only made things worse. Frustration from his blood has also found the heart. Frustration tried to wrap its hands around the heart, but more the heart broke. Fear took a stroll near the brain but once he heard the loud cracking, it came immediately and tried helping them. But of course they only exacerbate.
“So this is what they called...” Xiao said. Clear and thick rivers of tears proceed to roll off his sea green eyes, ruining his pretty face. It was called regret. Regretting everything because he had denied everything. He denied the truth, so now he had to face it.
Why did Xiao fall in love? He knew it was only going to hurt him and it did.
Bitter again he felt. The same pang of pain again instead felt worse. Sadness sealed upon his brows and for once when he cried, sorrow sealed on his voice. His sobs were painful, hard to listen to.
“I’m so sorry, Venti.”
It was only 4 words, why couldn’t he say it to him? This was never his fault. It wasn’t Venti’s fault that Ganyu ended their affair once and for all, it wasn't his fault how he found Venti a bit too attractive, it wasn’t his fault for going squiffy.
It was Xiaos. All Xiao’s fault. He is responsible for his death. Responsible for the harm he had caused for the one he loved most.
“I’m sorry.” He sobs as the wind cries louder and louder.
Xiao is weeping. He is the last survivor of the archon war. He is the Yakasha Adeptus. He shall show no weakness but for this bard, for the one he loved, for the Archon, for barbatos, for Venti. He would be willing to be weak, willing to be infirm, willing to be frail.
For he figured that loving that bard was worthy of being hurt. Perhaps he wouldn’t even be hurt! He should’ve not run and explored this future with him. But it was too late now.
The darkness Xiao felt around him. The terror and anger and despair surrounded him. “It’s all your fault!” Anger yelled. “Your fault!” Terror and Despair yelled after him, for they always agree with anger. “You killed him with your terrible nature!” Anger yelled again. “Terrible nature!” Terror and Despair yells at him too. They chant and chant next to Xiaos ear, deafening him from his surroundings.
Xiao is such a mess. Xiao is in an unavoidable situation. He doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to stop weeping, he couldn’t stop. Emotional mess, mentally unsteady, his thoughts driving him insane, he wanted to scream but whenever he attempted sorrow stopped him.
He was cold.
Until he felt warmth.
“Xiao?”
That familiar voice, with one sentence, Stopped everything. It stopped Anger, Terror and Despair from chanting, made Sadness fly away from his brows, sorrow left his voice, Frustration, dejection and fear has also stopped working. The wind had stopped crying too. HIs heart is whole again.
Though the heavy rain of tears refused to leave Xiao's eyes.
He turns around and tightly embraces the small bard who's hugging him from behind.
“Thank the archons, you’re alright, I thought-I thought...” He said, tears still streaming down his face. He couldn’t continue his sentence. Venti hugs him even tighter as well. “I got you, I got you okay? We got each other, I’m here, it’s alright. Everything will be alright, so stop crying. It pains me to see you like this.” He pulls Xiao more into his embrace, having Xiao burying his face onto his shoulder,letting his tears flow onto his green cape. He strokes Xiao’s back with his delicate, skilled fingers, calming his stuttering, shaking breaths.Even though Venti felt hurt, seeing Xiao looking so desperate, worried, broken and sad, he was happy. Happy that Xiao cried for him, happy that Xiao thought of him, happy that Xiao cared. Happy to know that he’s thinking about himself just as much as he thinks about Xiao. He never thought he could feel Xiao’s embrace. He never thought Xiao would be this warm.
When Xiao’s breath finally turned stable, Venti finally released the hug. “Finally done crying?” He asked. “I’m not crying.” Xiao mumbles and Venti laughs. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“I’m so sorry, Venti. For everything.” Xiao mutters under his breath as he holds Venti’s hand, placing it on his cheek.
Venti’s cheeks lit up as if cherry blossoms bloomed on his small round face.
“You were willing to weep for me Xiao.” Venti said softly, smiling. “Just what do I mean to you, dear Yakasha?” He teases. Xiao has learned his lesson. If he doesn’t want to lose Venti again, he must tell Venti the truth. He will not lose him. Never again.
“More than I can ever imagine.” He answered straightforwardly.
Xiao's words, filling the bard's heart with caramel and sweet sweet honey, so sweet even the wildest sweet flowers in the *Dawn couldn’t be any sweeter.
It caught Venti off guard. And so he blushed. “You were supposed to be embarrassed…”
“Well I’m not. I’m just being honest.” Xiao, for once, smiles at Venti.
“Then do you love me?” Venti said nowhere out of the blue, but his face was darker than any shade of red.
“...Maybe I do...I may find the need of you being with me I suppose…” Xiao's gaze landed somewhere else when he said that. He felt agitated.
“Aww, just maybe?” Venti teases.
“You know what I mean bard…” He looked at the boy and without knowing, the other males arms were wrapped around Xiaos.
“You know that I meant I love you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” He said with his shimmering aquamarine eyes.
Venti gave a little kiss on Xiaos lips. “I was so sad when I knew you decided to love Ganyu instead of me too.”
“I’m sorry, I’m rather late to realize this.” He says, still feeling shy and unused to this sudden display of affection, but he’s not complaining, not when it’s the bard. His bard. “One more time, Venti.”
“You! Be careful or I’ll start weeping out of happiness.” They once again collided their lips together. The wind was gentle again and it was cheering and singing, happy for their ending.
They pull away.
“Let's go home.” Venti said, unwrapping his arms from Xiao and he held his hand.
“You have a lot of explaining to do with you and your hat.” He sighs as they walk out of the cave hand in hand.
May a great romance blossom in between them and love shall never be a burden again.