Chapter Text
“You either control your mind or it controls you.”
~ Napoleon Hill
-INSIDE-
“Who are you?”
Xiao feels incredibly hypocritical asking the question, for he barely knew who he himself was, but alas, he had to cooperate with company protocol.
Through the grainy footage displayed on the monitor, the body laying atop the giant conference table smack dab in the middle finally stirs from its slumber at Xiao’s question.
“Xiao!” Diluc hisses from his side. “That’s not the order you’re supposed to go in!”
Xiao’s eyes widen as he casts his red haired coworker an apologetic glance, and he quickly picks up his laminated guide provided by the company and begins to rifle through it.
“Ugh, it’s too late,” Diluc groans. “You’ve already ruined it.”
“No, I haven’t .” Xiao hisses, finally stopping on the correct page.
Peeking at the monitor again, he feels his heart rate skyrocket as he sees the person is now fully awake and aware, roaming around the room with their blue hair tied in a low ponytail.
“Yup,” Diluc sighs, “totally ruined it.”
“Hello?!” The man’s panicked voice comes in through the speakers, and Xiao groans. “Where the hell am I?!”
Pressing the button on the microphone, Xiao tries to save what he can.
“S-Sorry,” he stutters, “it looks like I got ahead of myself.”
“Where the hell am I?!”
“I’m wondering if you’d mind taking a brief survey?” Xiao asks, reading what the guide tells him to.
“Who’s speaking?” The man snaps, and Xiao spots his one eye searching through the retro monitor, as his other eye is covered by an eyepatch.
“It’s just five questions,” Xiao responds, and Diluc snorts at the disaster before him.
“Who’s speaking?” He repeats again, more indignant this time.
“I’ll be thrilled to chat with you once you’ve answered all five of my questions.”
There’s a bloated pause where no one says anything, and the man simply glares daggers at where the speaker is, mounted on the center of the conference table.
“Shall we start with question one?” Xiao tries.
“Fuck off.”
“Phew, tough crowd,” Diluc comments.
“Not helping,” Xiao growls.
A sudden barrage of loud banging sounds from the door where the conference room connects to the control room Xiao and Diluc are in, as the man sees it and runs over to it, desperately trying to pry the handle open.
“LET ME OUT!” He shouts, so loudly that Xiao can hear him through the thick walls.
“Xiao!” Diluc yells, going over to the door and holding the handle down as if it’ll help. “He’s gonna bust the door down!”
Xiao simply elects to do nothing, and feels himself internally smirk as Diluc glares harshly at him. Eventually, when the door refuses to open, fatigue sets in for the man and he slumps over next to the door, breathing heavily as if he just ran ten miles.
“So,” Xiao hums, trying desperately to keep the smugness out of his voice, “five questions?”
“Not happening,” the man pants.
“It’s just five questions.” Xiao deadpans.
The man groans loudly, letting his head thump against the wall. “What do I get in return?”
“Depends on your answers.”
The man stares at the floor for a short while, before he crosses his arms like an annoyed toddler, and grunts, “Fine. What’s the first question?”
“What’s your first name?”
The man continues to stare at the brown carpeted floor, as if the usually simple answer is the most perplexing thing he’s ever been asked.
Good.
“It’s okay if you don’t know,” Xiao says. “Just say ‘Unknown’.”
“What the fuck…?” The man mumbles, his eye growing wide.
“Okay, so question one is unknown.” Xiao says, glancing over to Diluc who jots it down in the company provided notebook.
“Wait-” The man tries, but Xiao cuts him off.
“In which Teyvat province were you born in?”
“What happened to me-”
“Which province, please?” Xiao cuts in again.
“I-I don’t know-”
“Unknown.”
Diluc writes it down quietly.
“Okay, question three - can you name a Teyvat province?”
“Oh, shit ,” the man grumbles, “a-anyone of them?”
“The first one that comes to mind.” Xiao confirms.
“Shit, Fontaine, I guess? W-What the fuck is this?”
“Fontaine.” Xiao states, as Diluc diligently writes the answer down in an elegant script.
“Question four - What is the founder’s favorite breakfast?”
“Who?” The man asks. “Who the fuck is the founder ?”
“Tricky one,” Xiao chides. “Unknown.”
The man looks completely baffled, and Xiao sympathizes with him. This part sucked when he remembered doing it himself.
“Okay, last question,” Xiao informs, “To the best of your memory, what was the color of your mother’s eyes?”
The man stays silent, before his eye turns cold. “What in the fuck did you do to me?” He spits out.
“Unknown.”
Diluc slips him the piece of paper and Xiao reads the answers off, as per the guide’s instructions.
“Okay, so, Unknown, Unknown, Fontaine, Unknown and Unknown.”
He makes eye contact with Diluc, who gives him a nod. Xiao gets up from his seat and goes to the door, unlocking it. Throwing it open, he glances down at the man still sitting dejectedly on the floor next to the door. He looks up at Xiao as if he were a god.
“That’s a perfect score.” Xiao breathes.
-OUTSIDE-
The oppressive heat from outside made the inside of Xiao’s ratty car feel like an oven, but the pain was welcome.
Even five years after the accident, all Xiao can think about is him.
His beautiful aqua green eyes, neatly styled braids, his laugh that Xiao swore made his day no matter how bad he was feeling…
And he lost it all in the blink of an eye.
And worst of all, there was no one to blame but himself.
He feels his chest constrict, and he lets his forehead fall and gently thud against the steering wheel, willing himself to not cry.
You can do this Xiao, he tells himself. Venti wouldn’t want you to be sad, you gotta keep going. For him.
“For Venti,” Xiao exhales aloud to the silence of his car, before he throws his door open and steps out. Walking through the spacious and beautifully designed parking lot that’s mostly empty, he enters the giant black glass office building of Dusk Enterprises , the summer heat beating down on him.
He nods at the person manning the front desk, making his way over to the elevator, where he also nods at Lawrence, the security guard. Lawrence nods back and gives him a tray, where Xiao deposits his phone, watch, license, and a couple other personal items.
“Have a good day, Xiao.”
“You too,” Xiao mumbles, trying for cheery, though he knows it doesn’t reach his voice nor face.
Stepping into the elevator, his mind fights against itself, until the telltale prickle overtakes him, and he closes his eyes, succumbing to It as he descends.
- INSIDE-
Xiao jolts as the elevator comes to a halt, the doors sliding open to the usual entry lobby that he woke up to. Small and depressing, with only a small couch and a couple chairs.
“Xiao!” An all too familiar voice greets, and Xiao can’t help but wince as Childe comes around the corner, smiling happily.
“Mr. C.” Xiao grits out.
“Xiao, how many times have I told you,” Childe huffs, “It’s just Childe.”
Xiao rolls his eyes, stepping out of the elevator and casting Childe a suspicious glance. “What’re you here for, anyway? You almost never greet us up here.”
“You have a new assignment,” Childe hums, spinning on his heel and walking. “I’ll explain more once we get to your office.”
Xiao sighs internally, but resigns himself to his fate as he navigates the maze of stark white hallways with Childe leading him, even though he already knows the route by muscle memory.
The office Xiao works in isn’t your traditional setup. It’s an inappropriately sized room that’s way too big for four employees in Xiao’s mind, and everything they could ever need is in rows upon rows of cabinets and closets built into the wall. Topped off with an ugly brown carpet, it’s quite the sight to behold, all illuminated by an army of terribly bright fluorescent lights built into the ceiling.
“Morning, everyone!” Childe greets happily.
Diluc spins around in his chair, nodding at Xiao and grimacing at Childe. “Morning.”
In the cubicle perpendicular to Diluc’s, a familiar head of blond hair emerges, as Aether’s friendly gold eyes spot him and Childe. “Hey guys!”
Xiao frowns when a third voice doesn’t chime in, and as he gets closer, he fails to see his third and favorite coworker.
“Where’s Zhongli?” Xiao questions.
“Ah, about that,” Childe says, scratching the back of his neck with a bashful, almost deathly nervous expression plastered across his face.
“Everyone, uh…” Childe starts, but loses confidence.
“...Yes?” Aether prompts.
Childe takes a deep breath in, before saying, “Zhongli has, er, moved on from working with Dusk Enterprises.”
Silence falls upon the office.
“W-What do you mean?” Aether asks, eyes wide.
As Childe rambles on about some nonsensical, slightly suspicious explanation, Xiao stares at the floor.
Zhongli? Gone? Just like that?
Xiao didn’t know what to feel, or even if he should be feeling at all. He’s worked with Dusk for two years now, and Zhongli has been present ever since the beginning, when he first woke up on that large, uncomfortable wood table in the otherwise barren conference room.
He was always there for Xiao, and he was the one who showed him the ropes in the early days or comforted him when Mr. S would snap at him. Don’t get him wrong, he also enjoyed the companionship of Aether and Diluc, and definitely considered them good acquaintances, but Zhongli was more like his actual… friend.
“Xiao?” Childe asks, booping him on the nose and bringing him back from his thoughts.
“Don’t do that,” Xiao grovels, swatting Childe’s hand away. “What’s up?”
“ If you were paying attention ,” Childe sniffs, “I need you and Diluc to carry out the orientation process for our newest hiree who will be joining your department.”
Ah. So that’s how it was.
Zhognli was getting a replacement. Just like that.
“Why do we have to do it?” Diluc scoffs.
“Because you all are being promoted! Xiao’s taking over in Zhongli’s stead as Department Head, and Diluc is taking over Xiao’s former position, etcetera.”
Oh. So technically Xiao was Zhongli’s replacement. Just like that.
“Woohoo!” Aether claps. “Does this mean I get to make more money?”
“Not you,” Diluc snarks, “your outie does. The one who doesn’t have to deal with this-”
“Diluc.” Childe cuts in, his blue eyes cold, “Don’t you remember what we talked about in the Break Room?”
Xiao feels a shiver run up his spine at the mention of the Break Room. He had never been there, thankfully, but those two words still scared the crap out of him nonetheless.
Ever since Diluc came back from his time in there, he was… different.
Diluc crosses his arms and averts his gaze, but still glares at the floor.
“So… I still get paid the same…?” Aether asks quietly.
“Of course not!” Childe cries. “You get paid more with your promotion, silly Aether!”
“Oh,” Aether mumbles, face turning a little pink. “Ha, right. Silly old me.”
“Anyways!” Childe crows, clapping his hands. “Diluc, Xiao! We have an orientation to make! Give the newest member of our Dusk Enterprises family a warm welcome, wouldja? First impressions are everything, after all.”
Xiao rolls his eyes but obliges, and follows Childe through the winding corridors, Diluc in tow.
“A… perfect score?” The blue haired man asks, his one eye blinking. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you're hired and now a part of our team,” Diluc informs, stepping out behind Xiao into the conference room.
“Team?” The man questions.
“Me and Diluc over here are part of the data packet organizing department at Dusk Enterprises.”
The man blinks owlishly, as his mind slowly processes it. Xiao remembers his first time waking up being pretty similar as well during his own orientation. When he first met Zhongli.
“I’m so confused…” He finally says to himself, cradling his head in his hands.
“Should I explain or you got it?” Diluc asks Xiao.
“Leave it to me,” Xiao grumbles. He kneels down so he’s level with the man, eye to eye. “You made an agreement to undergo the severance procedure with Dusk Enterprises, where a device is inserted into your brain that effectively separates your work memories from your everyday, out of work memories. It’s only in effect when you’re spending the eight hours here, at work.”
“Woah,” the guy says. “That’s… a lot to take in.”
“Welcome to the club.” Diluc huffs.
“So, in a way, you're kinda like two separate people once you come down here,” Xiao tries to explain. “For example, none of us know anything about our personal lives - whether we’re married, have kids, what our house looks like, and so on.”
“Or what our mother’s eye color is,” the guy huffs, crossing his arms.
“Ha!” Diluc laughs. “Exactly.”
“Can I at least know my name?”
Just as Xiao opens his mouth to respond, Diluc beats him to it.
“It’s Kaeya. Your name is Kaeya.”
Kaeya, huh ? Xiao thinks to himself. Diluc must’ve peeked at the new employee packet.
“Kaeya…” Kaeya says to himself for the first time, testing his name out on his tongue. “ Kaeya… ”
“Don’t overuse it.” Diluc says sarcastically.
“Has the orientation been completed?” A new voice butts in.
All three heads turn to the door to see Childe waltz in, the man clapping his hands as Kaeya makes it onto his feet, his legs wobbly like a newborn fawn standing for the first time ever.
“Ah! Splendid! Let’s show Kaeya to your department, shall we?”
“It’s not like we have any choice.” Xiao hears Diluc mumble under his breath, to which he inwardly agrees with.
Childe leads the way through the maze of corridors, Kaeya looking around with a wide, yet observant eye, as if the blank walls devoid of literally anything give away all the secrets to their existence.
Walking back into their office, Aether stands once he’s spotted them, and he makes his way over immediately, taking Kaeya’s hand into his own without permission and shaking it vigorously.
“Hi there! I’m Aether.”
“Uh, hi? I’m Kaeya, I guess.”
Aether laughs awkwardly, letting Kaeya take his hand back as he looks to Childe. “So, Kaeya’s our department’s newest member?”
“No, he’s here to stare at you and only you for the rest of eternity.” Diluc deadpans.
Both Childe and Aether roll their eyes at Diluc’s sass, before Childe places a hand on Kaeya’s shoulder and leads him over to his new cubicle.
“You’ll be right here, next to Xiao. Since he’s department head, he’ll show you all of the ropes.”
Great , Xiao thinks. Just what I needed .
Everyone eventually settles into their seats, and Childe makes for the door, casting them one last glance, a wide, artificial smile in place.
“Well folks, as always, be great today!”
-OUTSIDE-
As Xiao opens his eyes, he’s greeted with the pain in his head ebbing, but the typical fatigue of a day full of work settling in, just as the elevator doors woosh open.
He steps out, where he gathers his things silently from the bin he gave to Lawrence, and bids farewell.
Outside, the sky has turned gray, warning of an impending storm.
Making his way over to his car, Xiao takes his phone out from his pocket, and sees a new text from his brother, Chongyun.
Chongyun (13:15): Hey Gege! I know you’re at work, so please respond when you see this, but A’Qiu and I have a REALLY important announcement to make, so please stop by for dinner at 7:30!
An important announcement, huh? Xiao responded saying he would be there, and chalked it up to some sort of overly dramatic affair orchestrated by Xingqiu, Chongyun’s loyal and doting boyfriend.
But no matter how important it may or may not be, it seemed to clearly be important to Chongyun, so Xiao would definitely be there no matter what. Even though they weren’t blood related, Xiao loved Chongyun fiercely, and would do anything for him.
And when Venti died, his protectiveness over his younger brother only increased tenfold- no, a billion fold.
So yeah, there was no way Xiao would miss this.
The sky remains gray as the gate to Xingqiu’s ostentatious estate quietly creaks open, the overgrown vines on the metal gate opening to reveal the towering, five story structure that was the lodging of Chongyun and Xingqiu.
Xingqiu loved to joke around and call it their “humble abode”, but it was anything but humble.
Topped out with all sorts of amenities, such as a twenty car garage, four pools, and a freaking windmill in the backyard, it was obvious Xingqiu was loaded . Xiao had to give Chongyun credit, he sure knew how to pick them.
Yet again, it was no surprise, seeing as Xingqiu was the second heir to the Feiyun Commerce Company, the largest computing and delivery company in all of Teyvat.
Xiao rolls his eyes as he parks his beat up car next to one of several of Xinqiu’s shiny Rolls Royces, his car looking like the dictionary definition of jalopy next to it.
The large front doors of the mansion swing open and a servant chases Xingqiu out as the young man hurries down the steps, giving Xiao no time to react before he’s dragging him inside and slamming the door behind them.
“Xiao! It’s so good to see you!”
“Likewise.” Xiao half lies. He didn’t hate Xingqiu; he actually thought he wasn’t that bad, even though their Auntie Shenhe had her suspicions. He was a nice boy, and luckily grew out of his habit of bullying Chongyun when they were kids, though he still messes with him now and again.
Xiao fondly remembers stalking over to a middle school aged Xingqiu with a wailing Chongyun in tow, telling him how Xingqiu pranked him into eating jueyun chilis even though Chongyun was mildly allergic to them.
Being in high school at the time, Xiao pretty much scared the living shit out of poor Xingqiu back then, but it was actually Venti who truly helped Xingqiu become a better person and taught him how to behave with kindness and love.
Xiao sighs sadly at the memory.
“Something on your mind?” Xingqiu hums as he leads them to the dining room, his servant scurrying off to the kitchens.
“Just remembering the time I first met you and nearly gave you a heart attack.”
Xingqiu snorts, covering his mouth with his hand. “You were so scary back then!”
Xiao can’t help but laugh quietly. “Yeah I was. But then Venti helped me.” He glances sadly at Xingqiu. “He helped you too.”
Xingqiu’s golden eyes glaze over as he gently places a hand on Xiao’s shoulder. “He helped all of us.” He sniffles, trying to nonchalantly wipe his eyes. “I can’t believe it’s been five years. I miss him.”
Xiao tries to steady his breathing, as he gives Xingqiu a nod. Quietly, he whispers, “So do I.”
Chatter from the dining room draws Xiao’s attention as they finally arrive, and seated at the far end of the incredibly long dining table is Chongyun, along with Hu Tao, Xiangling and Xingyan.
“Xiao!” Chongyun yells happily, his brother sprinting at him full force and crashing into him, sending them flying backwards onto the floor in a heap.
“LOOK!” Chongyun shouts, shoving his finger in his face. Xiao squints, pushing Chongyun’s hand back, to see-
“Holy shit. Is that an engagement ring?”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Chongyun sighs whimsically. “Xingqiu had it made back home from the mines in Liyue from straight shivada jade gemstone!”
Xiao’s jaw drops at that, the light blue ring absolutely breathtaking as it shimmers in the dim lighting, and he silently hopes that Xingqiu got his father’s approval for that purchase, because it sure as hell couldn’t have been cheap.
“I’m pretty sure that ring costs more than all my assets combined.” Hu Tao snorts, walking over to Xiao and helping him up.
Xingqiu blushes, averting his eyes. “Yeah, well, Chongyun deserves the world.”
Chongyun crushes Xingqiu into a hug, his much larger stature engulfing him as he spins them around. “Aw, A’Qiu, you are my world!”
Xingyan and Hu Tao proceed to start gagging, while Xiangling starts giggling, waving at Xiao.
He has to admit, it is a pretty comical sight, seeing as Chongyun grew to be big and buff, meanwhile Xingqiu is slight and delicate. Xingqiu wasn’t short by any means, now a couple inches taller than Xiao, to his dismay. But Chongyun towered over all of them, and Xiao had a sneaking suspicion it was from all the carrots Xingqiu refused to eat that Chongyun ate in his place.
They end up taking their seats, Xingqiu sitting at the head with Chongyun to his right and Xiao next to Chongyun.
Dinner is soon served and all is going well. Xiao didn’t expect the girls to be here, but as family friends they’re always a welcome surprise. Hu Tao gets Xiao to laugh, multiple times to Xingqiu’s dismay, and Xingyan rambles excitedly about her next tour coming up.
All is well till Xiangling asks, “Hey Xiao, I’ve been meaning to ask, but how’s work going? Chongyun never told me, but apparently after you stopped working at Wangshu, you found work elsewhere?”
Before Xiao can even think of responding, Xingqiu explains it for him.
“Oh, yeah! Xiao’s working on the severed floor at Dusk Enterprises!”
The entire table falls silent.
“ Xingqiu! ” Chongyun hisses, his icy blue eyes furious.
“O-Oh,” Xiangling says, looking away as she winces.
“For real?” Xingyan huffs, rolling her eyes. “You actually had them put some shit in your brain that controls your mind ?”
“I don’t think it’s that bad!” Hu Tao interjects. “It’s Xiao’s body, he can do whatever he wants with it.”
“Yeah, of course, but-”
Xiao feels his entire body go rigid as he tunes out the brewing argument between Xingyan and Hu Tao, as a white noise fills his ears and his mind goes blank, when-
BLAM!
Everyone startles as Chongyun violently brings his fist down, shaking the whole table.
“ Enough! I will not tolerate any slander about my brother’s choices while we’re having dinner. Tonight is for spending time in the presence of loved ones. Not arguing.” He casts a glare at Xingqiu.
“Sorry, Xiao…” He mumbles. “I didn’t know you hadn't told them yet…”
Xiao bows his head, embarrassed, but doesn’t digress his forgiveness to Xingqiu.
Chongyun tilts his head back with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “My first day engaged and I’m already having an argument with my fiancé.”
“Better get it all out now!” Hu Tao tries to joke, though it falls flat as no one laughs. The atmosphere is already well ruined.
Dinner passes by in awkward silence, and Xingqiu tries to escort him to the door when it’s time to say goodbye, but Xiao brushes him off.
“Goodnight, soon to be brother in law.” He says tiredly before slamming the door shut behind him in Xingqiu’s face.
He knows he’s being a little petty, but Xingqiu had no right to go around telling people about Xiao’s substantial life choices without his permission. And between everything going on, he’s beyond upset.
Even with Chongyun, the past five years have been so lonely. There’s only so much love his brother can provide, and between his heart aching for Venti all the time and Chongyun’s engagement, he can’t help feeling just a little jealous.
On the way back home, the skies finally open up as rain gently begins to fall.
That night, he dreams of his wedding eight years ago, where he said his vows and officially became one part of the same soul. And now, with half himself missing, the current events become too much and he cries himself to sleep.
When he wakes the next morning, he ignores the tear tracks and puffy, red eyes, and walks into work looking just like that.
After all, his appearance during work was no longer his problem.
-INSIDE-
When Xiao wakes, he usually feels well rested, but this morning, he feels like he was hit by a bus.
He groans as he enters the office, and Aether looks up from where he’s talking with Diluc, both men’s eyes widening.
“Fucking hell Xiao, what happened?!” Aether asks worriedly.
“You look great.” Diluc says.
“Thanks guys.” Xiao croaks, taking a seat and pushing his chair in.
Aether exchanges a worried glance with Diluc, who just shrugs and turns back to his own work.
Xiao figures it must’ve been a rough night for his outie, which was what they referred to as their outer selves. The ones who actually had an enjoyable life. Or so Xiao had thought.
Childe waltzes in a few moments later, sloshing his cup of coffee around. “Morning comrades! Kaeya won’t be in till later today; upstairs needs him to still finish his- holy shit Xiao, what the fuck happend to you?!”
“Don’t know, don’t care. It was my outie.”
“Jeez…” Childe mumbles, his eyes concerned. “Why don’t you see our new wellness counselor?”
“We got a new one?” Diluc asks.
“Yup!” Childe chirps. “Aina retired, but I heard our new counselor is even better!”
“What’s their name?” Aether asks.
“I dunno.” Childe glances at Xiao, smiling. “Why don’t you find out for us, Xiao?”
Xiao had only been to wellness counseling once in the past when Zhongli had to physically drag him there, but he’s not in the mood to argue with Childe, so instead he wordlessly gets up.
“Do you remember the way?” Childe asks.
It had definitely been a while, so Xiao shyly shakes his head.
Childe gives him his best faux employee management smile he can muster. “No problemo! Follow me.”
Xiao does, and thanks Childe as he drops him off in front of the lobby for the wellness counseling office. Like the front lobby, it’s small, with only a couple chairs, but there’s a painting and another person, who seems to be putting the painting into place.
“Uh, hello?”
The person looks down at Xiao from their perch atop the chair where they stand on it, blinking at him like a robot.
“Hello. Are you here for a wellness session?”
“Uh, yeah.” Xiao coughs awkwardly. “Are you the counselor, or…?”
“Oh no, I’m just from AD.”
Xiao blinks. “What’s AD?”
“The Art Department.”
Oh.
The man jumps down and sticks his hand out. “I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Albedo.”
Xiao slowly takes his hand and shakes it. “Xiao. From DPO.”
Albedo nods as he releases his hand. “Well, I just finished up here. I do hope you enjoy the piece of art, as well as your wellness session. Aina was great, but the new guy is truly spectacular. Do have a good time.”
He quickly bows his head and then takes off down the hall, leaving Xiao speechless.
Choosing to ignore it for now, he opens the door to the office and takes a seat in one of the two white oval shaped chairs.
Taking in his surroundings, the room is lit in the center brightly, but darker on the edges with mahogany wooden walls. A small zen garden sits in the middle and a cylindrical wood table is next to Xiao’s chair, with a miniature waterfall set up on it. Xiao watches as clear water softly falls down, creating quite a tranquil environment. Xiao surprisingly starts to feel his nerves settle, though minutely.
Suddenly, a side door pops open, and a man walks over, taking a seat across from Xiao. When their eyes meet, Xiao feels his heart flutter with a foreign yet oddly oh so familiar feeling, buried deep within his chest.
Xiao’s amber eyes meet aqua green, and he’s rendered speechless by the man’s beauty.
He doesn’t even realize the man is holding his hand out to shake, which Xiao simply stares at.
“Hiya there! I’m your new wellness counselor!” He greets jovially.
Xiao takes his hand in his own gingerly and shakes it as if it’s the most delicate thing in the world. So far in his existence, it is.
“My name is Barbatos, but you can call me Venti!”