The flute amidst a sea of flowers

Missed connections

*Sigh* why did I just cried in front of Xiao. Will he think I'm a crybaby? I hope I don't look bad when I cried. I gulped down the apple cider in one go and went down from the chair. I mumbled some words and met a person I should've avoided but here I am caught in a difficult situation.

"*sigh* I should probably get going."
"Who said you could go."

Ah. Haha. Shit. I recognize this voice.

I slowly turned my head as I turned a bit pale, cold sweat on my face.

"D-Diluc?! Ah haha what are you doing here?"

I was trying my hardest to show a slight smile but it didn't work.

"What am I doing here? Isn't that a dumb question. You do know I work here."
"Ah haha... how could I forgot."

Shit. That smirk and that face resisting a mad expression, tells me I'm fucked up.

"If you have nothing to say t-then I'll be going."

I went to the door quietly trying my best to escape this place.

"Wait!"
"Y-yes?"
"I feel you have a lot to explain"

His face was smiling with hidden intentions that I couldn't move a inch.

Aaargh! Stupid Venti, look in what situation you're in! You know yourself that you need to avoid Diluc at all cost and yet you have the guts to enter his tavern. Fuck.

"Please don't kill me I- I'll do anything you want!"

As I pleaded with my eyes closed and arms crossed trying to stop Diluc from coming even though he didn't move.

"Anything I want?"

As I was too afraid trying to protect myself, I realized what I just said and shit why did I say that. Ah haha I'm deadmeat yet again.

__________________________________________________

TwT how did this happen.

I'm currently cleaning the whole tavern with my wind powers and now I'm afraid being with this dangerous guy.

Urgh having wind power doesn't mean it's for cleaning! "Since, you use anemo why not clean the whole tavern while I arrange the drinks." That's what Diluc said, but my powers aren't for that kind of usage.

Just as I was cursing Diluc in my mind, he gave me a glass of water.

"Here take it, you can have a break."

I glared at him for a while. He noticed.

"What do you want?"
"Giving me a glass of water makes it very suspicious. As goes the saying of nothing goes free. Tell what do you want from me."
"Ooh quick to understand."
"Just tell what you want."
"I just need a thorough explanation of what happened that day."
"About what?"
"Seems our bard have forgotten what happened on that day."

Diluc's face quickly frowned and I could only feel chills running down my back. He's a bit mad.

"Ah haha I remember now."
"The explanation then?"
"About Xiao?"
"So his name is Xiao."
"He's a friend I just met a couple of weeks ago. He's from Liyue. That's all I know about him."
"And the reason why he came to Mondsadt?"
"He wanted to give back the flute I gave him."
"That's it?"
"Yeah I gave him a flute when I was in Liyue."
"A flute?"
"It's a long story."
"Mind elaborating."
"I gave him this flute on the first day I met him. I was drunk at that time and wanted to breathe some fresh air so I went by a small riverside. I was playing the flute and I sensed his presence watching me play. He was covered in demonic karma so I used some of my powers onto the flute so that the karma would disappear temporarily. Since then, I guess he always had the flute with him, because when he visited me in Mondsadt he wasn't covered by demonic karma."
"Did you accept the returned flute?"
"Well I had no choice, he went all the way here to give back the flute so I couldn't deny it."
"Mmhmm and here I thought he was your lover."

I choked on my drink.

"*cough* *cough* l- lover!?"
"Isn't that your relationship with him?"
"I- I've never saw him as a lover before."
"Don't you like that guy?"
"..."
"Hmm? No words? So it's true..."
"Well I, myself, am not sure of how I see him as."
"What do you mean?"
"I've long let go of human affections so I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is really ok to be feeling this way."
"Doesn't the spirits counts? You usually would say that when something is unclear."
"Yeah, but this is different. He may doesn't feel the same and I don't want to ruin our current relationship."
"Running away from your problems won't solve anything."
"I know, it's just very difficult for me."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll be experiencing terrible loss if we were to be together. I'm an archon, I live longer than mortals. I can't get myself into a relationship that's impossible. It will only make me suffer."
"..."
"Well that's about it. I've said what I had to say."
"My only advice is that you go and meet him-"

At that moment, unexpectedly, someone opened the entrance door. A blond streak of hair popped out of nowhere, it was Aether.

"Aether?!"
"Oh hello, Venti! I didn't know you were still in the tavern."
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Liyue?"
"I got some errand Diluc requested me."
"Oh?"

I glared back at Diluc asking for an explanation.

"*sigh* you could've come tomorrow morning."
"I just had to bring you back these everflame seeds."
"Everflame seeds?"
"Yeah, Diluc requested me to bring him some of these seeds."
"The pyro regisvine?!"
"Hum yes?"
"You went over there?"
"Well it was nothing much."
"Just be careful next time."
"No worries. Oh and by the way there's gonna be a lantern rite festival in three days."
"In three days?!"

Oh shit. I didn't know it would be that soon. I gotta go today or I won't make it.

"Seems I need to go now, I'll be absent for a few days. See you!"
"Wait Venti, what about the cleaning?"
"Aaah I'll do it later when I come back."

I quickly went for the entrance door as soon as I could.

"Oh and one last thing, Diluc. It seems that your advice was correct. I'll meet him."

I slammed the door behind leaving Aether and Diluc no time to say anything. Their expressions were in awe.

Without a clear motive I decided I would think what to do with the current relationship I have with Xiao when I arrive at Liyue, but who knows things would have turned out differently....