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When I suffer from injustice, bless me with the courage to fight back.
O Barbatos, our lord and savior, enlighten those who have taken the wrong path. Guide them so they can make the best choices for their well-being and the well-being of those around them.
I pray for the health of every person who resides in Mondstadt, for their happiness and their success in all which they wish to accomplish.
And today especially, I pray that everyone has a great Valentinstag with their loved one.
…
Including us.
Even without him around, Barbara could easily hear Venti’s snicker in her mind, teasing her about the small addition to her daily prayer.
She still remembered how odd and awkward it was at first to repeat the prayer everyday, knowing Barbatos was Venti, the guy she was in love with, and that he was listening. It didn’t feel right to treat him as a godly being, but eventually, she just fell back into the routine and it didn’t bother her anymore.
If anything, the fact was humorous enough for her to occasionally send Venti small messages if she felt like it, and he would respond in kind the next time they saw each other, either answering her or simply teasing her.
Whichever it was, she loved it. It would usually be the highlight of her day, a nice reminder that he was always there for her.
With a contented sigh, she stretched a little and got her utensils ready to clean the windows outside of the church. Bless the Archons for her Hydro vision (even if Venti told her Archons had nothing to do with Vision granting).
By that point, she was used to scrubbing the windows and the floors, which fortunately translated to her arms not being sore the morning after. Still, she preferred to avoid interruptions if possible, unless of course it was something urgent.
When one of the members of her fanclub showed up, Barbara knew she was in for a ride.
“Barbara-sama, happy Valentinstag!”
“Have a great Valentinstag, Barbara-sama!”
“A small token of my appreciation, Barbara-sama. Please accept it!”
As Albert was leaving after giving her yet another gift, he passed by Sister Victoria’s side, who gave him a glare on his way out as she made her way to Barbara’s location with a sympathetic smile.
“I’ll take these to your room if you’d like,” she offered once there, extending her hands. Barbara hummed in thought, looking down at the bunch of gifts in her hands, before glancing at the still remaining areas she still had to clean. With a sigh, she relinquished the presents.
“Thank you, Sister Victoria. I’ll make sure to repay you!”
“Nonsense. It’s a favor,” Victoria shook her head dismissively, but then she let out a small laugh. “Though… this is a considerably less amount compared to last year’s. Might be because you’re no longer single, huh?”
“Yeah… maybe,” Barbara could feel her face heating up and she played with one of her pigtails nervously. While it was true that the fanclub had calmed down noticeably ever since her relationship with Venti became public, the occasional praise and gifts never stopped.
She appreciated their support with all of her heart, truly! But sometimes they would go too far. Receiving gifts from them on Valentinstag felt… wrong, considering she had a romantic partner now. But of course, she didn’t have the heart to deny them.
“Oh! That reminds me, how did the truffles go? With Noelle?” Sister Victoria asked then, snapping her out of her thoughts and bringing her back to reality. Truffles? Noelle? Ah!
“Pretty good, actually! She was a great help, I wouldn’t have been able to do them without her,” she replied, cupping her hands together as a smile graced her lips at the memory.
Noelle had been happy to assist her in making the truffles, and she had been patient as well. Although Barbara wasn’t a stranger to the kitchen, making sweet foods wasn’t exactly her forte, and she’d been determined to make those apple cider truffles for Venti for weeks.
“That’s lovely to hear,” Victoria smiled with a slight tilt of her head to the side. “Though… When will you give them to him? You didn’t ask for a day off today, which surprised me.”
Barbara had to resist the urge to grin.
“I’ll give him the present when I have time. Venti understands my duties at the church are a priority, so he said it was okay for me to continue today if I wanted to,” she explained, mustering the best I-am-responsible-and-work-comes-first voice she could manage. Victoria seemed confused, nodding slowly in acknowledgment.
“That’s odd coming from him… but alright. Thank you for your hard work.”
“You know I’m glad to help,” Barbara gave her a final smile before the other sister walked away with her gifts in hand.
A part of her had been unwilling to ask for two days off in row; not because Sister Victoria would have denied her, but because she knew she would’ve felt guilty afterwards. Neglecting her duties was not something Barbara could afford, no matter how much Venti protested that she needed a break. Still, being the supportive person he was, he adapted to her wishes and they both came up with a simple plan to see each other on that date.
Clasping her hands together in a prayer, she sent the archon a short message.
I can’t wait to see you tonight.
A warm, gentle breeze ruffled her hair. It was enough for Barbara to know he’d heard her.
She retired to her personal quarters after a long day of work, practice and even more gifts from the fanclub. She would open them in due time, but not at that moment; she’d rather wait to do it after her small date with Venti.
While waiting for the agreed time, she entertained herself with a book, or tried to, anyway. Her mind was a flurry of emotions and Barbara couldn’t really stay still. She was nervous because she would sneak away, excited for the exact same reason, happy to be able to spend time with her partner, and angry at herself for being unable to keep her feelings in check.
She’d already checked everything was alright with the wrapping of her gift over a dozen times, that she had two cushions and that her hair was neatly done, that the amount of perfume she had applied on herself was enough to be noticeable but not overwhelming.
Why was she such a mess? It wouldn’t be her first date with Venti, nor would it be her first date with him knowing he was actually Barbatos.
(That date had been painfully awkward.)
There was a knock on her window and her heart almost leaped out of her chest, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth so she wouldn’t scream. It took her a moment to calm herself down, but eventually she walked over and opened the window, coming face to face with Venti sporting a worried frown.
“Sorry, did I scare you?” he asked apologetically, but she knew he was somewhat amused, placing his hands on the windowsill in order to lean on it. She sighed and shook her head with a small smile which served its purpose, causing Venti’s shoulders to relax.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before he decided to greet her properly.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, his previous worry completely gone from his face. Now, he was giving her one of his mischievous smiles.
“Hi,” she giggled her response. It would never fail to surprise her how easily he could make her laugh. The only thing he had to do was be himself, really. He didn’t even have to try, and she could already feel her heartbeats slowing down into a comfortable beat.
“Happy Valentinstag.”
“Happy Valentinstag, Venti.”
He reached over with one of his hands, cupping her cheek and caressing it with his thumb. Barbara placed her hand on top of his and kissed his palm in return to the gesture. Venti took the opportunity and pinched her nose playfully, earning himself one of her glares.
“Do you have the cushions?” he asked her innocently, straightening up and leaving some space for her to get out through the open window.
“I’ve got them right here,” she nodded, showing them to him. Venti helped her get out of the room and once outside, offered to carry the cushions for her. She’d thought about hiding her gift in between them, but luckily she changed her mind earlier, so she relinquished the objects without so much as a second thought.
Taking them to the side of the cathedral, Venti used his Anemo powers to take them to the roof with ease, holding her hand as he guided her to the place they agreed on; the now empty spot on the tower. A chest used to be there, but Lumine took it upon herself to claim its contents, as well as the contents of every other chest in Mondstadt.
It was a strange spot for a date, a new one at that; they frequented Windrise if they ever had the chance to spend some time together, but Barbara had said she didn’t want to exit the city so late at night and with that condition in mind, Venti found this a proper option. It was creative, private and the view of Brightcrow Mountains was splendid. The addition of the cushions would make it comfortable, so it was perfect.
Once everything was set up, they both sat down with a sigh. Immediately, there was a cold breeze that made Barbara realize she might have forgotten something.
“Oooh… I should’ve brought a blanket,” she commented as she shivered, hugging her frame and rubbing her arms, trying to warm herself up. Venti radiated a comforting warmth and their proximity helped a little, but it wasn’t enough.
“No need. Here,” he didn’t miss a beat, taking his cape off and draping it over her shoulders. Barbara thanked him in a whisper as she fixed it a little, curling into herself. Looking over, she found Venti looking completely unfazed by the wind. She almost, almost, asked if the wind didn’t bother him, but then she remembered,
Right… He’s basically a gust of wind himself.
“Can I give you my gift first?” It was sudden, but if she was honest with herself, she couldn’t continue waiting any longer. Nerves and anxiety were eating away her soul again and it would be better to get it over with. Venti shifted a little in his place, nodding eagerly, looking like a child on Ludi Harpastum.
With a deep breath, a terrible attempt at calming herself, she pulled out the box and handed it over to him before her hands began trembling. The way his eyes nearly sparkled like stars made her feel a little better, since he’d only seen the wrapping; it was almost the same color as the green of his attire, with a white dotted pattern and a silver ribbon on top.
Venti didn’t waste a millisecond, breaking the wrapping to see what was hidden underneath. Once the box was free, now he opened the lid slowly to reveal the sweet treats inside, gasping a little at that. As she gathered the wrapping paper to throw it away later, she began speaking.
“I know very little about making desserts, and I didn’t want to mess up your gift in any way, so I asked Noelle to help me make them,” Barbara explained, somewhat hastily, breaking apart the wrapping even more so her hands didn’t tremble. It was for naught, since they were already a quivering mess, but oh well.
“You made these?” he asked her, with one truffle in hand, looking surprised at the revelation and… kind of flattered? When he saw her nod in response, he popped it in his mouth and chewed slowly. She made sure to make them bite sized, knowing Venti wouldn’t hold back on eating them. Would he like them? Was the flavor right? Did he even like truffles? Oh gods, she didn’t even think about–
Venti made a sound.
He, quite literally, moaned in delight.
Her eyes widened and she blinked at her companion.
“These are amazing! The texture, the taste of the apple cider, the sweetness… Archons, I think I will pass away.” Once again, without effort, he managed to make her laugh, her shoulders relaxing as the tension left her body completely. Not only at the irony of his expression (he was one of the Archons, for wind’s sake. She would never not laugh at how he said it so naturally), but at the fact that he enjoyed them so much.
If Barbara allowed herself some credit, Noelle was there to guide her throughout the recipe, but the deaconess did most of the work. It made her proud and unbelievably happy.
He ate another truffle before closing the box and setting it aside. Once he had swallowed, he beckoned her closer with a grin.
“Come here, you~”
Venti kissed the corner of her mouth and he reveled in the blush that adorned her cheeks at the gesture. He was glad he could still rile her up despite them having been together for a couple of months already.
“Thank you,” he mumbled against her skin, without really pulling away, and straightened up only when she whispered a—barely audible—‘it’s nothing’.
“Alright! It’s my turn now. Would you be so kind as to close your eyes?” he asked and he simply broadened his smile at the way her eyes narrowed in his direction. He couldn’t really blame her, given he’d surprised her more than once after telling her those exact same words.
Thing was, he’d completely forgotten to wrap his gift.
“I promise I won’t move us from here. I just don’t want you to see the gift as I take it out,” he decided to be partially honest with her. Barbara hummed, and with a sigh, closed her eyes.
Venti shuffled a little to get the box—and the other little thing—he’d hidden in plain sight. While his second gift, though he wasn’t sure he could count it as such, was still hidden, at least it was within arm’s reach now.
Without a word, he placed the box on her lap. Barbara tensed up for a split second before she relaxed again, moving her fingertips on top of the object carefully.
“Do I have to guess what it is?” she asked him, still not opening her eyes.
“No, no, heh. Not this time.”
“So… Can I–”
“Yes, you can open your eyes.”
Barbara did just that and with an excited smile, opened the box in her hands as if it were made of glass. Venti chuckled, both nervously and out of amusement, at the utter look of confusion on her face the second she saw the contents.
“They’re dried flower petals, for tea,” he began to explain. “I have a friend in Liyue who knows way too much about tea for his own good, and I went to him for advice on what sort of flowers to get. He told me Violet Grass helps relax the body, Silk Flower is very good for a hoarse throat and Qingxin is overall nice, especially before sleeping.”
As he elaborated on what Zhongli had thoroughly told him, he pointed out each segment of the box, despite them being labeled anyway. Once all doubts were cleared, it was relieving to see how her eyes lit up with fondness.
“You went to Liyue? Oh, Venti… What– Who did you ask for help? Can I know?” Barbara closed the box and placed her hands on top of it. She looked very happy with her gift and he was sure it’d be useful for her, given how often she either was stressing herself out of her guts or had a hoarse throat after a string of demanding performances. It wouldn’t cure those issues, but it would help her with them.
“Rex Lapis, Morax, whatever you want to call the old man,” he replied dismissively, even moving his hand to disregard his answer as unimportant. Venti could already see her reaction coming a mile away, the second her eyes widened like plates.
“REX LA– The Geo Archon?!”
“Former Geo Archon, and he was happy to help. He also told me about other flowers from his region aaand… I got you this one,” he said, completely ignoring her stupor, and showed her the small pot with a white flower which had touches of light blue on its petals. It hadn’t bloomed, not yet, anyway. He could see the spark of interest in her eyes as she held it in her hands, always careful.
“It’s called a Glaze Lily and he told me they’re very rare to find in the wild. They’re supposed to open at the… What was it… The sound of pure, beautiful music. That’s how he put it.” Venti loved how her eyes were absolutely sparkling, and at his explanation, she turned to look at him with bewilderment.
“Seriously?! That’s amazing!” Barbara carefully placed the pot down and reached over to trap him in a hug, one that surprised him but not for long, as he returned it soon enough. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love both gifts so much!”
She pulled away only to scoot closer and lean her head on his shoulder, while Venti pressed his cheek against the top of her head. He didn’t miss how she continued eyeing the Lily and an idea popped in his head as he materialized his lyre. Venti played a simple melody, one both of them knew, and after a small chuckle from her part, she joined in with low hums that were the perfect accompaniment to his rhythm. He followed her lead and they both closed their eyes, getting lost in the melody and the love that enveloped them, filling the night with strings of music.
It didn’t take long for the Glaze Lily to bloom.