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venti uncurled his fingers, letting wind bounce out of his palm and return to the skies. his eyes followed where it floated, where it would venture from here on out. who it would reach, who would reach out to it and make a wish. hoping the faith would bring forth strength and freedom to keep going the path they chose.
xiao tore his eyes away from the clouds and to venti, whose lips tugged by his cheeks into a wide smile. whose eyes enclosed the glimmer that rivaled that of the lantern rite. and for a moment, felt a surge of spirit enter his chest. xiao’s lips parted, a hand reaching out to the archon before said archon spoke before he.
“when good old friends are going away, will you wish them to remember your name?” though xiao had his eyes on venti, he remained watching the breaks of the clouds with his smile never wavering. xiao pressed his lips thin as he held his breath in.
a sigh slipped past him once xiao lowered his head. “in the fables of another land, the name xiao is that of a spirit who encountered great suffering and hardship. he endured much suffering, as you have. use this name from now on.” xiao held on to the dirt, rather, his nails had already dug through. he lifted his chin and met the eyes of the geo archon.
“xiao?” xiao. the adeptus blinked back to his senses. with a hum from the curious venti, xiao searched deep within himself for the answer. and at last returned to venti’s gaze moments after. what came to him was not an answer, but a feeling.
a feeling that he felt… welcome here. a feeling that he belonged as venti inched closer. a feeling as gentle as the wind pushing him, but to where? if he wasn't drowning in the jade of venti's eyes, he could have followed it.
“i haven’t given it much consideration. morax— he gave me the name xiao, and released me from the endless pain i endured.” venti retreated with a chuckle. with each hitch of his laugh, something beckoned from within the adeptus. now the wind made its appearance by tousling the archon’s hair, careful not to tamper with its loose braids.
xiao thought about how unfair the wind was. unfair?
venti leaned against the breeze and kicked his feet. “now that is a tale i’ve heard of. and to this day, i think it is a rather splendid name, one befitting you.” xiao faced the view ahead, liyue in its golden, bustling glory as the sun surrendered to make way for the moon. if he were to wish for anyone in this town to remember his name, once they perish, who is to remember after? will they truly remember?
it sounded more of a burden for someone to carry the weight of his name on their tongue and mind than a wish come true.
but xiao chose not to voice these thoughts.
“how so?”
“i was told that despite differing writings… the sound remains all the same.” venti chucked his fingers beneath his chin. out came another hum before the archon spoke again. “xiao. ah! now i remember.” the wind picked itself up again as if to respond to venti’s delight, who bent close to place a finger over xiao’s heartbeat.
the adeptus swung to venti, breath gone with the wind and the emotions in his bosom erupted. his mind desperate turning over every thought to gather the right words to say at this moment. though, before xiao could conjure up a string of words, venti had already beaten him to it.
“if you write it differently, it means brave and strong.” venti then attempted to hide his snickering behind his bitten lips . “there was also ‘good horse’ but we don’t talk about that.” he failed.
despite that, xiao didn’t find himself displeased with venti’s affinity when it came to his name. rather, it was his laughter afterward that made the adeptus turn away from shame. only part of it, truly, venti’s finger over his heart made him feel bare and exposed to the wind.
once venti’s laugh died out with the breeze, he directed his attention to the town below them. lights flickered in the stygian sea and houses and establishments soon followed suit. in spite of the night now dawning on them, the people continued to flood out in every street — their voices growing louder for the upcoming evening exhibitions and deals.
it was as though there was something to celebrate every single night. if venti were a mere traveler, he would have been swept up by the atmosphere, by the people, and end up passed out on a sail to inazuma the morning after.
nothing is exactly stopping him from doing so now, however.
xiao kept watch as well, shall his presence be needed in a conflict. venti swerved his head just in time and eyed xiao’s fingers closing in his polearm and placed his close enough, then returned to the sight below. soon enough that this very view will disappear with time, in time. with nobody to remember its former eminence except for those bound by the chains of a long life.
only xiao will remember this day as it is, as life drags on.
“xiao. when good old days are passing away, will you promise your heart remains the same?” the archon pulled a knee against his cheek, his eyes now watching for the adeptus’s response. silence followed venti’s question. he sat still until all the stars revealed themselves from the blanket of darkness.
and xiao’s lips split.
“i promise.” his focus remained on liyue, he may not choose to outright say it; that he cares for this place entrusted to him. and the little ties of connections he’s weaved up, even if it took him longer than anyone would have liked. they are still bits of companionship nevertheless.
venti couldn’t fight against the amount of thrill and joy for the adeptus. he knew that these bonds would vanish in a blink of an eye. but it would be xiao’s choice to make the most of them must he ever find the need to.
there will be friends. friends that will remember and say his name with utmost fondness and admiration. never again out of fear and death.
a lyre then sat on venti’s lap and he brushed his fingers against its strings. “a shade more ethereal than white, yet more radiant still than gold,” xiao’s ears perked at the sound and led his focus to venti, who caught his glim with another pluck of a string. “it eases in your eyes,” the archon flashed a smile at xiao. “and restores to light a solitary soul.”
xiao put his eyes to a close, allowing the tunes — venti’s voice — to swirl up inside of him. “if it’s too hard to say goodbye, give us a try to sing a rhyme.”
with a final strum, the lyre raised up high and vanished.
“i promise to sing your name for all time to come.” venti grabbed hold of his chest, almost giving in to the sound of xiao’s name pounding in his ears.