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The air around him smells like salt. The waves beneath him lap over each other, producing a rhythm like mint, mojito and seafood. All in all, a perfect day to visit Inazuma!
Barbatos, the archon of Mondstadt, is on his way to visit a friend. Made of wind as he is, he did not have to wait for a ship to take him there. After all, won't flying be faster?
He briefly considered asking Dvalin along with him on his Inazuma visit, but remembering how Torachiyo spent their last visit egging Orobaxi and Dvalin into enacting what she terms a “Kaiju Battle”: Orobaxi graciously playing along as Dvalin nervously hid behind him — a mighty dragon hiding behind a tiny wind sprite, of all things! — Barbatos decided to spare his friend the awkwardness and go alone.
The introduction of a faint waft of sakura and lavender melon in his surroundings told him that he was nearing the archipelago ruled by Baal. Nostalgically, he recalls the taste of sakura wine and hopes that Baal would have some to offer him later — he has brought some dandelion tea and valberry shortcake for them as well!
When the waves crashing became a soft murmur and the smell of warm crystalline and amethyst sand grows stronger, Barbatos knows he is approaching landform.
A rumble of thunder alerts him to the presence of the Electro Archon in the vicinity. Oh? Is someone out today? A mischievous grin spreads over his lips as he nearly dives towards the source, the one surrounded by the smell of singed carbon.
"Another one here to test my strength? Reveal yourself."
Despite no visible figure before her, the goddess in purple robes points her spear up at the branches of a tree. The air up there feels different. Not malicious, like a demon god, but playful, like a kitsune, yet a lot more powerful.
The thrust of the spear is uncompromising and swift, like steel cutting through wind. Coupled with her voice, like rock sugar burning on a pan, Barbatos easily identifies her.
"Ah~ The kagemusha is hard at work today!" The Anemo Archon shows himself in the form of a young teen.
"Your martial prowess nearly make me feel like prey." He sticks out a tongue at her.
"So instead, how 'bout taking a break to play?"
Without further warning, Barbatos grabs hold of her obi and launches them both into the air with a wind updraft, extending his pure white wings that remind her of the wings of the tengu.
"... G-god of Wind...!? What-... Where are you taking me?"
"Wherever your sister is!"
The kagemusha gives up her resistance when she realises his identity. As much as she is keen to find out if the Anemo Archon is a match for her in combat, she is less willing to do so 500 metres in the air and accidentally destroy a human village if she misses her target when he dodges her strikes.
She has seen him several times before whenever the archons would meet each other, and never has anything the God of Wind did made sense to her. Too cheerful. Too carefree. Too irresponsible. Too friendly. Why does a God act in this manner?
If he is here for Makoto, I'll just let them meet then leave...
"Um, God of Wind, you're going the wrong way..." she tugs at his arm towards the direction of the Tenshukaku.
"... oh, oops! Thanks for letting me know!"
"Baal? Yoo~hoo~! Wow, you're already up here!"
The wind sprite in humanoid form lands his unwilling passenger and himself directly on the highest floor of the central tower of Tenshukaku, where the Electro Archon, Baal was waiting, the sliding doors to the chamber open, with tea and snacks all set up on the table.
"Of course. I can hear Suikou's song from far away."
"Ahahaaha! You still remember the name I used the last time! Oh, but I go by “Venti” now!"
"In that case, “Venti”, you should call me “Makoto” too." The Electro Archon rolls up her sleeves as she seats herself at the table, inviting her guest and her kagemusha to do the same.
"I would, but Beelzebul here was looking very scary, so I didn't feel like trying." The Anemo Archon made himself comfortable, feeling about for a cushion and sitting down adjacent to his host.
"You can't even see her." Makoto chuckles.
"I can hear and smell it! The whole journey here I was worrying if my barbequed wings would be served here for dinner!"
(Oh, I didn't think of that as a possibility, Ei ponders if it was too late to attempt to serve his cooked wings on a platter. Unlike tengus, Archons can regenerate their bodies, right?)
"You may call her “Ei”, as I do."
The mention of her name on her sister's lips caused Ei to pause in the midst of preparing to descend from the tower.
"Why don't you join us, Ei?" invites Makoto. "I'm sure Venti has something for both of us."
Escape foiled. Ei sighs and joins the two archons for tea.
Venti empties his cup of tea with a satisfied huff.
"Aaahh~! Sakura tea is pleasant as always! Thanks, Makoto!"
"You're welcome, Venti. But we both know what you're really here for? I take it that you have something to offer too?"
"You know it!" he winks.
Summoning a small wind vortex above the table, Venti lays out a spread of appetising colours and smells gently piled into a small pyramid.
"First up, Dandelion Mint Tea for Makoto!" He picked up a paper bag of dehydrated petals and leaves. "Dvalin and I made it together. Or rather, I just picked them out laid it on his back to dry them in the sun."
"Valberry Shortcake for Ei! Got them from a café run by one of Boreas' grown-up kids. He's always so grouchy, but he's really a what-you-call-“tsundere” in your language!"
Makoto giggles at this description of the Wolf King that she knows he will not appreciate.
"Almond soy beancurd, I got them from a medicine seller who was really Morax in disguise again. He- well, she, said that one of the kitsunes is expecting soon and this will help her have a smooth delivery."
"Oh! That is sweet of him... Is... that really Morax?"
"He's... softened up... a bit. Yeah but, not by much, I still got punched across the peninsula of Liyue."
(Ei quietly registers the possibility of doing the same, calculating the amount of force she would require and the angle of elevation to throw him all the way across the ocean back to Mondstadt.)
"I think that is a “you” problem rather than him."
"That's mean, Makoto! Then again, Venessa also said the same thing...
"Ah yes! It was her who reminded me to bring more snacks since there're so many more gods and youkai here than in Mond. So, I've got- ..."
Venti proceeds to show his host a variety of goodies mostly from Mondstadt, occasionally some from the neighbouring nations of Liyue and Fontaine, each as fragrant as the next. Makoto contributes by assigning each gift to their suitable recipient.
Meanwhile, Ei slowly enjoys her Valberry Shortcake, willing the sweet tartness of the berries, the smooth coolness of the cream topping and the buttery crumble of the pastry to filter out the chatter between the two archons. At first, she frowned upon the meaninglessness of Barbatos' visits — coming all the way to Inazuma simply to talk frivolously with Makoto and the other gods and youkai. Socialising the way Makoto did was too tiring for her.
Yet, having received this sweet dessert from Venti... Despite her discomfort with the noise that comes along with him, it is heartening to know that even in her role as Makoto's shadow, the God of Wind acknowledges her and thought of her to get her a cake that her taste buds found so delectable. For the sake of desserts... Ei decides she will tolerate his presence.
By the time Ei was through with her third valberry shortcake, she found that Makoto had already brought out the sakura sake for Venti.
And he is already on his fifth bottle.
How Makoto allows such familiarity from the God of another nation — one with enough power to terraform mountains and seas — puzzles her.
"What's wrong, Ei? Do you want any of the other sweets too?"
"No, the valberry shortcake is very tasty," Ei tongues over the sweet remnants of the berries on the inside of her teeth. "Umm, thank you, Venti."
"You're welcome, Ei! Thank you two for eating and drinking with me too!"
He takes another swig at his sixth bottle.
"Last week, I had a fun little trip with Venessa and Dvalin. It was nice, having friends around, especially around this time... We came across an Inazuman merchant! And that reminded me of Makoto and Ei! And so I decided to come by today!"
"I'm glad you came by too, Venti," agrees Makoto, taking a sip at her cup of dandelion mint tea. "It is good to know that you took note of Ei as herself instead of my mere double.
"That's weird. You two sound and smell completely different. Makoto is like sakura flower blossoms and Ei is like candied cherry."
Makoto looks at her twin sister fondly. "We do look exactly the same. Although... I expect, that is irrelevant to you."
"If we look the same... Will people see us as one too...?
"That's nice... It would be like... Venessa and Dvalin were remembering him with me too..."
Makoto places a gentle hand on the side of Venti's face. "I think they are glad for how your friend brought you to them too.
"It might be a little strange to say to one who has always existed with the elements, but maybe, that day when you met him, could be considered the day “Venti” was born?
"So Happy belated Birthday, Venti! Sake is on the house tonight! Even though you've already started on it, hahaha!" she chuckled.
"And a Happy early Birthday to you two, Makoto and Ei! Kanpai~!!" Venti raises up his bottle in a toast.
Ei does not quite understand most of what they said. But when Makoto words it as such... She gets it. A birthday is a day to be thankful that they were born in this world.
Makoto is looking at her, smiling with a teacup in hand. Oh...! Ei refills her teacup and holds it up to join Makoto's, along with Venti's bottle of sake.
"Kanpai! O-tanjoubi omedetou!!"