Chapter Text
The night started off being a typical one for Venti as he performed yet another jaunty tune in the middle of Angel's Share. With his growing popularity, there was already a crowd of patrons gathering around the table he stood on as he sang a tale about a young boy meeting a magical fox. Those around him tried to drunkenly sway to the tune, but none were able to outpace his energetic dance. His dark blue, teal tipped braids bounced around as he started getting into the song himself, his deep green cape swishing with him. Eventually, he strummed his lyre for the last time before flourishing his green hat out in a smooth gesture.
"Now I believe that tale's worth at least a glass of dandelion wine!"
Instead of being upset over the song ending, those around him laughed as some popped a couple pieces of mora into his hat. Once nobody gave him any more change, Venti hopped off the table and strode right over to the bar counter. He unceremoniously dumped the mora in his hat onto the rough wood and slid it over to the redhead in charge for the night.
"A glass of your finest dandelion wine please, Master Diluc." Venti winked, causing the bartender to roll his fiery-red eyes.
"At least you've earned it this time, bard." He went to pour the drink and slid it over. "Better than you pilfering my winery again."
"You know I only do so when I need to!" Venti laughed, plopping onto a nearby stool. He brushed over his poofy, green shorts and white tights before taking a sip. "Ah, I could never think of any better drink in the entirety of Mondstadt!"
Unamused, Diluc gave no response to the man's antics. Instead, he turned to the newcomer that entered the bar. Venti thought nothing of it until he heard the two whispering. He leaned in to hear them, being wary of Diluc's red ponytail as he did so.
"There's several Fatui forcing civilians to gather around the statue of Lord Barbatos."
"Do you know their purpose in doing so?"
"No, but there's a gray haired woman with this fur cloak standing on the hands of the statue. She seems to be a cryo user, but I couldn't see a vision from where I was standing."
"Did you not catch anything else about her?"
"Ah well, she has this really elegant demeanor about her? She's incredibly calm despite the panic her appearance caused. It's as if she's royalty."
Venti frowned as he tried to process the information. Once he inferred what was going on, he slammed his drink onto the countertop and hopped off his stool, only to be grabbed by his arm.
"Venti, do you know that woman?" Diluc demanded, the pyro vision clipped on his waist glowing slightly.
"I can't be sure, but I have a guess."
"If you're right, then how much of a threat to Mondstadt would she be?"
"I—now that I'm not sure about."
His response was enough for Diluc, who immediately turned to his spy. "Get Charles to cover the rest of my shift for me. I'll get my claymore. Venti, meet me at the back of the bar, and don't you dare run off to solve it yourself."
The green clad bard just huffed, fixing his beige sleeve. "It's not like I've done that before, Master Diluc."
"Considering how you looked ready to bolt a second ago, I believe my caution is justified."
"Who's to say I wasn't trying to grab your attention?"
Dropping the conversation, Diluc rolled his eyes and waved at the other to leave. Venti did so with a wink and went to the back of the bar just as Diluc ordered. Once he stepped out, he was instantly assaulted with a strong gust of wind, which didn't help with his nerves at all. Sighing, he materialized his bow from thin air, toying with the beige interior of his cloak nervously. From both the brief description the spy gave and the winds' panic, he had an idea on who it was. The question was, why was she here when they haven't talked in centuries?
He wasn't able to ponder on his thoughts much longer before Diluc strode out, claymore sheathed by his side. "Good to see you listened for once. I admit, I've never seen you this serious even when we helped you with Dvalin. That makes me worried."
"Hey, what sort of Archon would I be if I didn't worry about my children?" Venti knew when Diluc crossed his arms over his leather jacket, he failed to fool him with his act. Regardless, he continued, "While I don't mind continuing our little chat, we should hurry."
Diluc gave the bard a hard look before nodding and running off, Venti quickly following. With Diluc being the Darknight Hero and Venti used to wandering around Mondstadt late at night, it was fairly easy for them to navigate the streets. Soon, they reached the plaza and sure enough there were Fatui agents blocking people from leaving. The duo managed to slink past one of them and entered the crowd. Making sure to stay close to each other, they gently shoved people around until they were able to get a clear view of their target.
Venti's green-blue eyes widened once he saw that his suspicions were right. It was the Tsaritsa.
Dressed in a white cloak with a royal blue fur interior, the Archon stood right where the statue's hands were cupped together. Her gray curls framed her face, which accentuated the air of regal elegance she possessed. She held a small smile on her face as her sparkling, ice blue eyes scanned through the crowd. Once they landed on him, her smile widened, and she unclasped her hands.
"Greetings Mondstadters! You may or may not be familiar with who I am, but regardless I should introduce myself." Despite her being so high up, her voice remained as crisp as ice. "I am the Cryo Archon from Snezhnaya."
She paused as the crowd erupted in chatter. Diluc looked at Venti, concern written all over his face. "Had you suspected it was her?"
Venti pursed his lips before turning to his companion. "Yeah. Though, it's not like I was expecting her to show up. She's never tried a stunt like this in all the years I've known her."
He then gave the others in the crowd a cursory glance before rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration and looking back up again. This time, his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out her motive behind all this. Diluc peered at him before grasping the hilt of his claymore, prepared to unsheathe it at any moment.
"Settle down, settle down everyone! I don't plan to threaten you. At least, not for now. All I request is for your Archon, Barbatos, to reveal himself so we could talk."
Instead of calming the civilians down, it riled them up even more. Through the uproar, someone managed to shout out, "Lord Barbatos hasn't shown himself in over a millennium! What makes you think he's here now?"
At this, the lady's gentle smile morphed into a smirk. "Well, considering how I can see him in this very crowd, I'm very certain he is here."
Once again, her announcement made everyone go wild. As they all tried to figure out who was their missing god, the Tsaritsa's demeanor turned slightly sour. She reached out a hand with a flourish of cryo energy, which managed to quiet them down.
"However, I sadly believe some drastic measures must be taken since he's still refusing to come up here."
With another wave of her hand, three large spears of ice suddenly started falling from the sky. The crowd screamed as they tried to disperse, but the Fatui around them kept everyone in place. Diluc immediately unsheathed his sword, fire running up its spine as he prepared to attack, even though he knew his power wouldn't be enough to melt all three spikes.
While all of this was happening, Venti reflexively dissolved into a slew of anemo particles, leaving behind a cyan flash of light that made Diluc and those around them squint.
He then reappeared in the air, crystal white wings flapping in the air as he took on his Archon form. His white half skirt with its navy blue interior billowed around him as a swirl of anemo formed around each ice spear, stopping them in mid air. With a push, he propelled them, each one safely landing far away in Cider Lake with a deafening splash.
The cyan disk on his golden chestplate moved as he tried to catch his breath. Once he did, he outstretched his arm, the white fabric covering it wrinkling slightly as he summoned his bow.
"Tsaritsa, what was that for? You can't harm my citizens like that to make me talk to you!"
The Cryo Archon merely crossed her arms over her royal blue bodice. "Well, it caught your attention, didn't it?"
He glared at her. "You know there was a better way to handle it. You could've started a war!"
"Relax, I knew you'd be capable enough to step in. What happened to the playful bard that drinks his life away every night?" She tilted her head mockingly. "I'm only taking a page out of your own book, Barbatos."
He gripped his bow even harder. "What is it that you want, Tsaritsa?"
"Quite frankly, you've already accomplished part of it. Right now, all I needed was your attention. The rest shouldn't be discussed in such a public area, I'm afraid. As such, I will be off, but hopefully we can meet somewhere more private soon."
Venti had a split second to move back as a sudden cyclone of ice circled her. It disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, taking her with it. With a sigh, he dissolved his bow away and slowly drifted back to the ground with his back facing the crowd. He had a strong urge to draw up his white, gold trimmed hood and run. However, he knew running wasn't an option.
"Venti, are you the Anemo God?"
Despite his nerves, he couldn't help but smile softly as he briefly remembered a fiery redhead asking him that exact same question a millennium ago. He took a deep breath before facing the crowd, body completely rigid. His wings folded themselves behind his back, soft feathers tickling the skin that his singular thigh high stocking and white shorts didn't cover. In front of him was Bennett, the young pyro user peering at him curiously.
It took him a second to respond as his mind raced with thoughts, but soon enough he was able to recover a part of his playful persona and gave a small grin. "That I am, but I still prefer Venti."
That grin fell when his response opened up a floodgate of questions. He understood the level of shock everyone was going through, especially the sisters of his church. Still, it didn't make everyone talking over each other less overwhelming.
"Oh Lord Barbatos, I've always believed in you!"
"I can't believe you've been roaming the streets for months. You do have a home, right?"
"I apologize for how the Church has treated you, Lord Barbatos. I hope we can atone for our sins!"
"Please tell me you've listened to my prayers, Lord Barbatos."
"Why did you decide to live amongst us?"
"Does this mean all the stories you've sung about yourself are true?"
As Venti spiraled in a panic trying to answer everyone's questions, he jumped when he felt someone gently grasp his wrist. He sighed once he looked up and saw it was Acting Grandmaster Jean. Diluc was beside her, nodding his head once when Venti peered at him.
"Everyone, while Lord Barbatos appreciates your attention towards him, it's been a long evening for all of us," Jean addressed the crowd, her hand reassuringly squeezing his wrist, "I need to talk to him about what just happened, so I will have to take him away for now. If you all could step aside and let us pass, that would be appreciated."
Thankfully, they were able to part through the crowd like butter as the people of Mondstadt listened to their leader. Those who didn't were given a harsh glare from Diluc that made them wince and step aside. Somehow, Jean managed to not get lost within the mass of people as she led the two men to the front steps of the Knights of Favonius headquarters. The guards at the front gave the trio a bewildered look, but they didn't get the chance to ask anything before Jean unlocked the door and shoved them into her office.
"I apologize for the current mess. I didn't expect to receive anyone anytime soon, so I didn't get to tidy up."
Venti shook his head. "It's alright, Master Jean. Thank you."
"It was no problem! Should I get you a chair? Shifting like that must have taken a bit of energy."
"Ehe, it really doesn't."
"Still, let me clean up the table for you all to sit down at."
As Jean moved to do so, Venti cautiously unfurled his wings, allowing them to stretch a bit. "Ah, it's been a while since I've been able to enjoy having my wings out."
Diluc just gave them a cursory glance, stepping aside to lean against the wall in case he accidentally bumped into the wings. "Were you actually born with those?"
The bard laughed at the question, clutching his bare stomach. "Oh no Diluc, I wasn't born with these at all. In fact, I wasn't even born with this body!"
"What do you mean?"
"It's a long story, but I was initially just a formless wind. I gained the ability to change my appearance over time as people started believing in me."
"I want to say that makes sense, but it doesn't. How can you gain belief without people seeing you?"
Venti smirked as his gaze leisurely went to Jean, who was still frantically trying to clear up her table for them to sit down at. "Now that, I'm not sure about. You'd have to ask Jean since the Gunnhildrs were my first believers."
Now that made Jean pause. "What? We were?"
"Yep. I believe it started with a certain blizzard during… uh what'd you guys call it again? The Age of Kings or something?"
The acting grandmaster frowned in confusion before her eyes lit up with realization. "You were the wind spirit that saved my ancestors?"
"Ehe, that I was! I didn't think your family would still remember since the aristocracy burned down most of Mondstadt's old library."
"That may be so, but there's a book about the history of the Gunnhildr clan," Diluc chimed in, "I actually have a copy of that book in the Dawn Winery. It was written after the Aristocratic Period, so I don't know the validity of it, but it proves the Gunnhildr Clan has a strong oral tradition."
"You're actually quite correct about that. I used to hear the tale as a bedtime story."
Suddenly, a voice interjected, "Hello Acting Grandmaster, am I interrupting something?"
Getting lost in their conversation, none of them noticed that someone had even opened the door. Thankfully for them, it was only Kaeya, his single, periwinkle eye twinkling with mischief. He closed the door behind him and entered the room, brushing his blue hair aside as he crossed his arms.
"What are you doing here?" Diluc demanded, glaring at the captain.
"Well, I heard all the commotion outside about the Anemo Archon's appearance in Mondstadt while patrolling, and I had to see him for myself." Kaeya gave Venti a look over, the god fidgeting. "I would be more surprised, but I've been speculating this for a while. Now, should I call you Barbatos or Venti?"
"Uh, Venti please."
"Alright then." Kaeya nodded once. "I admit, I have a few questions myself, Venti."
"Sure, ask away. How could I dare deny the Cavalry Captain from sating his curiosity?"
"Venti, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I can kick him out for you."
Before Kaeya could respond, the god shook his head. "That's alright Diluc, I owe everyone at least some explanation to things. Although, I'd rather be in my regular form, so everyone close your eyes for a second."
Once everyone did so, Venti shifted back to his human form, the bard sighing once he finished. "Okay, you can open them now. Master Jean, am I able to sit down now? All of this is giving me a headache."
"Of course! I'm sorry for the wait. Go right ahead."
The bard proceeded to plop down on the closest chair to him, which was conveniently facing the other three in the room. "Come on, sit! This'll probably take a while."
Once they too sat down at the meeting table, he continued, "Now, what were your questions, Kaeya?"
"Hmm, let me start off with an easy one. With how comfortable you were with Jean and Diluc a second ago, I'm assuming they already knew you're Barbatos. When did that happen?"
"Oh, that's simple enough! They figured it out when I helped out with the issue with Dvalin."
"You mean the Stormterror Crisis?"
"Yeah, but can you just call him Dvalin now? He's a friend of mine, after all."
"But of course. That means the two of them knew for a while, huh? How is it that you managed to hide your true identity this whole time?"
"I dunno, ask everyone else." Venti shrugged. "It wasn't like I was trying that hard to hide it. I even told one of the sisters from the Church to get the Lyre Der Himmel, but that failed." He gave Kaeya a wink. "I'm glad she didn't believe me though. That means I did a good job of not being suspicious."
"Maybe it's because of your reckless drinking." Diluc gave Venti a side-eye.
"Yeah, it could be. Hey, that just means I need to keep drinking at Angel's Share!"
Kaeya chuckled, an amused smile on his face. "I'd raincheck on that. Since everyone in Mondstadt knows who you are now, I think Diluc is going to get a lot more business."
"How I'll handle that is none of your concern. Are you done questioning him so you can leave?"
"Maybe, but I can't help but wonder why you are so annoyed by it. It's not as if I'm asking anything personal."
"What, I can't defend my friends? Knowing you, you'll try to use whatever information you get on him. He doesn't deserve that."
"I can see why you'd suspect that, but I don't harbor ill intentions all the time."
"And how am I to know when you aren't?"
"Diluc, I think that's enough. He's plenty reliable to me, and you should have more faith in Venti. Kaeya is one of his friends, just like you and me. He'd tell us if he's uncomfortable, right Venti?"
While the two were arguing, the bard had been staring out the window. Once Jean addressed him, he blinked harshly and faced them. "Oh huh? Sorry, I spaced out a little."
"Uh, that's alright. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, of course I am! What makes you say that?"
Kaeya raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't be serious. I've even noticed how exhausted you are right now. It's understandable if you need to take a break with everything that's happened."
"There's obviously something on your mind, and you can talk to us about it." Diluc glanced at Kaeya before huffing, "Including him too if you trust him."
"Oh, I'm flattered! Diluc Ragnvindr actually having faith in me?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it. Jean's right, you're one of his friends, even if it's just drinking buddies. I'm not going to let my animosity with you get in the way of helping a friend."
Kaeya merely gave a smirk before pointedly peering at the bard. When the other two looked at him as well, Venti sighed. "I really am fine, okay? I'm just contemplating some things."
"Like why the Cryo Archon appeared?"
"Exactly, Master Jean. None of it makes sense to me. This is simply not her style."
"Then what is?" Kaeya couldn't help but ask.
"Considering all the Fatui everywhere, I think you can make a guess."
"Venti, just cut to the chase."
"Okay fine, Diluc. She's the type to trap you in a web so that you're left with no choice but to concede to her. I've never seen her so confrontational before."
"Maybe she just changed her strategy?" Diluc suggested, "Since it's you we're talking about, you're more likely to twist the mind games onto her. She probably saw a direct confrontation as the only way to reach you."
"I guess that makes sense. It explains why she sent someone to jump me outside of the Cathedral."
"Pardon?"
"She did what?"
Jean was the only one who wasn't surprised, which Diluc caught quickly. "You knew about this?"
"Well, Barbara told me she found Venti unconscious. I just assumed he exerted himself from creating that illusion."
"That would never happen. Illusion magic is my forte!"
Jean and Diluc gave him an exasperated stare while Kaeya asked smoothly, "In that case, what happened?"
"It's simple! One of the Fatui Harbingers randomly attacked me. She probably was looking for the perfect moment to strike and found one. The Traveler was with me, so I couldn't just teleport out. I also couldn't fight back in the middle of the city."
"Ugh, curse those Fatui. Which Harbinger was she?"
"Oh, her name was Signora. Funny enough, she was from Mondstadt a long time ago. Don't worry about her though, last I heard she died in Inazuma."
"Hmph, good riddance."
"You know, it brings a smile to my heart to see you so enraged by Fatui."
"Of course I would be! The Knights of Favonius are always so inefficient when it comes to them especially."
"I wouldn't say that. The Knights must keep up diplomatic favors to prevent a war."
"Weren't you listening to Venti earlier? You are all falling into her web."
"Please don't start an argument again, especially about this. It's difficult enough as it is to maintain pretenses when I myself despise them, especially after the story we just heard."
"Fair enough, but this new information must at least make you reconsider trusting them."
"It would if I ever did. Until Grandmaster Varka comes back from his expedition, I have no power to wage a war with them right now."
As the trio continued talking about politics, Venti started to droop. Since he didn't really have much to contribute to the conversation, there was nothing to distract him from his tiredness. He unintentionally tuned them out, and his focus once again drifted to the window. It was as if the wind was trying to tell him something…
Before he could guess what, Kaeya addressed him, "Venti, you seriously need rest."
"No, I'm perfectly fine." His words would've been more believable if he wasn't slurring them together. "Where were we again?"
"Kaeya's right, you need rest. Do you have a place to sleep?" Jean frowned when Venti shook his head. "We'll discuss that issue later. Since the whole city is in uproar about what happened, it's best you stay here for the night. Diluc, Kaeya, we can finish this meeting tomorrow. It's been a long night for us all."
"Ah yes, finally a break!" Kaeya immediately got up to stretch, a yawn escaping his mouth.
Diluc rolled his shoulders before opening the door. "Hmph, I suppose so. I should start heading back to the winery then."
"Oh, but isn't that such a long trek? Perhaps you should stay with me?"
"Kaeya, that's never happening."
Once they left, Jean rose from her seat. "We don't have many bedrooms, so you'll have to sleep here. Would that be alright?"
"I'll manage. Thanks again, Master Jean."
"Again, it's no problem at all. I'll go ahead and get some bedding for you then."
At last, Venti was all alone. He took the moment to break down the walls he held in front of them and let out a big sigh.
"I have a bad feeling about all this."
He rubbed his forehead as another headache started forming. He considered the trio's words and realized it probably was best for him to take some sort of break. Wiggling in his seat, he tried to find a comfortable position.
Before he could drift off, a sudden tap came from the window.
Jolting, Venti quickly glanced at where the sound came from. Noticing a familiar face, he stood up and opened the window. "Seriously? Was the wind trying to tell me that you're here, Blockhead?"
Lo and behold, it was none other than Zhongli in his usual beige dress shirt, brown and amber dress coat, and black trousers. Despite how late it was, he was as pristine as ever, his amber eyes and red eyeliner cutting into the darkness of night. He climbed through the open window and promptly brushed down his outfit.
"Greetings Barbatos, it has been a while. I wished to have seen you in better circumstances."
"Morax, I go by Venti."
"Apologies, it's an old habit. As you already know, my name is Zhongli now."
"Yeah, I was just trying to make a point." When the man rolled his eyes, Venti continued, "What are you doing here? There couldn't be a worse time to come see me."
"Ah yes, I'm aware of that. I came here with Tsaritsa." Zhongli glanced towards the window. "She thought it would have been more appropriate for you to see an old friend first."
"Well, I can appreciate that sentiment at least. Tsaritsa, get in here. I wanted to talk to you anyway."
"As expected." The woman rose from her hiding spot and reappeared inside the room with a small flurry of snow. "I wished to come through the door, but there were guards. Zhongli didn't see the point of disturbing them and decided to come through here instead."
"Wow!" Venti fake gasped, placing a hand on his chest. "Zhongli not acting like a blockhead? Am I dreaming?"
"Despite how irritating your senseless teasing is, I can't say I haven't missed it."
"Aw, I guess mortality has affected you! How's it going? You're a consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, right? I think you told me last time we met, but I wasn't sure."
"Indeed, I am. I admit, I've yet to fully adapt to being a mortal. As for you, I assume you've still been singing and drinking?"
"Yep, I'm still crowned the best bard in Mondstadt too! Can you believe that?"
"Well considering it's you, I have no doubt about it."
Deciding enough was enough, the Tsaritsa cut in, "While it's lovely to see you two reminiscing, I wanted to keep this short since your friend will be arriving again shortly."
"Who? Master Jean?"
"Yes, though I don't understand why you call her with such a title. She's your follower, not the other way around."
"Does that really matter? Hmm, maybe you should also try and walk amongst your people too!"
"While your antics are amusing, I came here to give you a message. As you know, I've been plotting against Celestia. Now that I've acquired all the Gnoses, I'm finally able to execute my plan."
Before she could explain said plan, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Venti? I brought your bedding."
"I'm coming!" The bard raised a finger at the Tsaritsa. "Hold your thought for a moment."
He went to the door and cracked it open, slipping outside before closing it again. "Thanks again, Master Jean!"
She handed him the folded sheets and padding in her arms. "I know I've been saying this quite a bit, but you're acting extremely peculiar. I don't think I've ever heard you thanking us as much as I have tonight."
"Ehe, that might just be because I'm so tired. It's no biggie!"
"Hmm, well if you say so. Although, I swear I heard you talking earlier. I didn't catch what it was, but there was definitely something."
"Oh, that was just me talking to myself. It's nothing, really!"
"Not that I doubt you, but I'll check just in case."
Even though Venti tried to stop her, Jean managed to open the door. When she saw the other two Archons in her office, her eyes widened. "Pardon?"
Zhongli and the Tsaritsa both looked back at her sheepishly. The three were locked in a staredown till Venti came in and placed the sheets in his arms onto the table. "Okay, I can explain! First, I'll need you to put your vision somewhere inside the library."
"Why?"
"I—ah sadly can't say why at the moment, but please trust me. Once you leave it there, then I can tell you."
Jean narrowed her eyes before unclipping her vision. "Alright." She returned back fairly quickly, closing the door behind her. "Now, please explain what's going on."
"Well, you know Tsaritsa. She was the one who came by earlier." Venti glanced at Zhongli before facing Jean again. "As for the gentleman, he's the Geo Archon, Morax, but he goes by Zhongli now."
"What? I thought Morax was dead?"
"Hm, how should I explain this? I had faked my own death so I could walk amongst the common folk like Barbatos."
"Have any other Archons done so before?"
"Nope, not at all!" Venti laughed, smiling, "As you know, I've done it ever since I established Mondstadt. Zhongli used to do it occasionally, but I guess the old man decided to fully retire now."
"Ugh, must you all engage in such small talk?" The Tsaritsa rubbed her forehead in frustration. "My initial plan was to leave my message and depart as soon as possible. Now that there's a mortal with us, a vision holder nonetheless, explaining my situation will be more difficult."
"I don't see why?" Venti shrugged. "If it helps, you left off about overthrowing Celestia."
"What?"
The Tsaritsa groaned. "Ugh, this is why I wanted to do this before she returned."
"While none of us can talk about what they've done, Celestia isn't as… holy as you guys make it seem," Venti explained before looking at the Tsaritsa, "Though, I'm confused why you still need me. I thought you already got what you needed? That's why I let Signora take my gnosis."
"Unfortunately, that was only part of my scheme. I would explain the rest, but you understand how risky doing so would be. Therefore, I wished to gather all the Archons together to discuss it."
"So, you want me to join your revolution?"
"Yes, precisely. I've already been able to convince the other Archons. I thought that perhaps—"
"I'm sorry, but I can't possibly do that. If I join, I have no doubt Celestia would wipe out Mondstadt. I don't want my people to end up like Khaenri'ah."
"Khaenri'ah?"
Venti sighed, glancing at Jean. "Trust me, don't worry about it."
"Ah, I see," Jean trails off, contemplating something. Pursing her lips, she continued, "While my home being destroyed is a frightening thought, who's to say they won't target us anyway?"
"Huh? Why would they if I don't participate?"
"Well, Mondstadt's been a rebellious nation since the start of its history. While I'm not as knowledgeable on the other nations nor Celestia, it's possible Mondstadt's history will make it appear as their biggest threat."
"I suppose having you remain wasn't such a bad idea."
"You only say that because she agrees with you." Venti rolled his eyes. "Though, you have a point, Master Jean. I just—I need time to think about this."
"Take as much time as you need, Venti." Zhongli reassured, "Although, we request that you at least attend our first meeting, even if you haven't decided yet."
"When's this meeting?"
"Tomorrow at sunset. We'll be hosting it at an abandoned domain so Celestia may not spy on us. I was planning on meeting you at Old Mondstadt to transport you and any companions you wish to accompany you."
"I only have a day to decide? What's with the time crunch?"
"I figured if I gave you too much time to contemplate it, you would drink away at a bar and completely forget."
"But Tsaritsa, what's to say I won't do that anyway?"
"Venti, please at least consider." Zhongli stepped closer to the seated god. "You don't have to decide on anything yet."
"That's the thing Morax, I do." Venti suddenly stood up, his cyan and dark blue eyes meeting Zhongli's amber ones. "Attending that meeting is essentially me declaring war on Celestia alongside all of you. Jean may not have her vision, and we may not have our Gnoses, but Celestia is always watching." His gaze shifted to the window behind Zhongli. "And if there's something I've always been aware of, it's that they're always watching me ."
Jean gently placed a hand on Venti's shoulder, causing him to look at her. "It's been a rough night, maybe get some rest before giving a definite answer?"
"Yeah, you're right." He shrugged her hand off and plopped back into his seat. "Tsaritsa, Zhongli, if there's nothing else for you to say, just go. I'll remember to meet you at Old Mondstadt if I decide to join."
The Tsaritsa moved towards the window before pausing. "One last thing. To convince you to join my side, an old friend of yours had come and told me this, 'Seeds of stories, brought by the wind…'"
"...and cultivated by time."
The Tsaritsa nodded. "Yes, that was the rest of the quote, I believe."
A sharp glint sparkled in Venti's eyes as he narrowed them. "How did you know about that? It's meant to be a secret phrase."
"As I said, your friend told me. She had come into my throne room with a cloak and refused to reveal herself, but somehow I understood everything once she had touched me."
That statement alone had melted the ire in his eyes. "That sounds just like her. It's been so long since I last saw her though. If she told you our phrase in confidence, that must mean she's desperate for me to join. Man, you really should've opened your argument with that."
"Tsaritsa wanted to, but I thought it would have been best for you to make a decision without anything else influencing you."
"Thanks Zhongli, that means a lot."
"Hm, get some rest, Venti. You need it. Tsaritsa, let us depart."
The god in question nodded her head and grabbed the other's arm. With a swirl of ice, the two were gone, leaving Venti with Jean.
After a moment of silence, Jean went to lay down the forgotten bedding and set up the makeshift bed on the floor. "There's a lot I want to ask about, but I'm aware now isn't the best time to do so."
"You could say that again."
Jean smiled at Venti as she fluffed up a pillow. "While this isn't the most comfortable accommodation, I hope it's enough for you to sleep."
"Oh, don't worry about that!" He waved a hand playfully. "I regularly sleep on tree branches, so this is definitely better than that. Although, I kinda wished I went to Windrise after all that's happened."
"Yes, but unfortunately it's possible people are already there," Jean reminded him, "The city is aware that is your favorite spot, along with your statue."
"Yeah, it's sad isn't it? I'll probably have to watch my every move now that everyone knows."
"We both know that won't stop you from doing whatever you want." Jean crossed her arms, a grin on her face. Said smile soon fell when she remembered something. "Although, we might have to explain all this to Diluc and Kaeya tomorrow."
"I'd rather not think about that." Venti gracefully plopped into the makeshift bed, not even bothering to push in his chair. "Wow, this is surprisingly really comfortable!" He wiggled into the top blanket. "But yeah, if I'm not going to worry about it, then neither should you. You need to go to bed yourself before you collapse from exhaustion!"
"I suppose you're right." Jean went to the door, pushing in Venti's chair before opening the door. "Goodnight Venti."
"Goodnight Master Jean!"
Once the door clicked shut, Venti closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep, but his mind raced with thoughts. He only had a single day to make a life changing decision, but he knew deep down his heart had already decided for him.