𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 || 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨!𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙭 𝙛!𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

[𝟏𝟔]. eye of the hurricane

Venti was intoxicated, not dumb.

"Hm... it seems like I must head back! Add this to my tab," The bard winked, sliding his half-empty cup of wine back as he scurried quickly out of the tavern, weaving into the crowds of Liyue with a certain Harbinger trailing behind him.

With his calm strides and fleeting grins, any bystander would've assumed that Venti was merely speedwalking to who-knows-where.

— But his internal prayers directed towards a certain adeptus was enough to garner attention from the deity.

"Venti?" Hands stabilized the bard's figure as he was met with the sight of your [e/c] eyes staring back at him.

"Oh, [Y/N]. You're here," His tone was unusually quiet, his azure irises searching around as if he were looking for Childe's form amidst the crowd.

"Let's go back to the inn, tell me what happened then," You pressed an index finger to your lips, shushing the archon without a word before teleporting both of you into your rooms.

☆

"That Harbinger— he knows I'm Barbatos! Well, of course he does, but he wants something. What do I even have anyway? My Gnosis is gone!" Venti exclaimed dramatically, falling onto the mattress with a huff as [Y/N] remembered Xiao's words.

The Fatui are trying to garner immortal souls to fuel multiple sigils. But Venti has a point... without his Gnosis, he's nothing but an immortal with very limited power, The adeptus pondered silently, eyebrows gradually getting more and more furrowed.

"Unless..." She looked up.

"This entire thing, this entire act of Childe threatening you in the tavern—"

"Is a decoy to the main stage."

"What do you mean by that?" The bard queried, his playful mirth dissipating as he seemed to be in Barbatos mode.

"As you said, you are powerless without your Gnosis. Childe knows that, and he knows I teleported us away. He knows where Aether rented out homes."

[Y/N]'s eyes widened.

"He's not after you, Venti. He made us teleport back here to waste time," She stood up.

"He's after Aether."

Thunder crackled from outside the window, illuminating the horrified faces of the two immortals.

☆

"Huh? It's raining? Since when! Wasn't it sunny when I left?" Bennett tilted his head up at the sky, hand covering his forehead in shock at his bad luck.

The boy jumped once a streak of lightning wisped through the air, followed by a boom of thunder.

"Bennett!" A familiar voice called, pulling the adventurer's lime eyes towards a floating mascot and soaked-in-rain-water traveler.

"Oh, Aether!" The young boy smiled, jogging up to the two.

"We were just about to head to the Golden House! Want to join?" Paimon queried, shaking her arms about as to repel the rainwater.

"Sure! What for, though? Isn't that where all of the mora in Teyvat is minted?" Bennett raised his eyebrows before flinching, a gloved hand covering his mouth.

"U-Unless, you want to rob the Golden House?!"

"What? No!" Paimon crossed her arms.

☆