Music to my Ears [(Y/n) x Venti]

Chapter 1

The sun shone down on the four of us as we made our way to the tea house. Yesterday was still a blur: getting harassed in public, spending time with Zhongli, and getting the offer of a lifetime from a man named Sam. My siblings took it surprisingly well. Perhaps they too longed for a different life, to be able to start fresh.

  "When will we get there? It's too hot outside!" Johanne whined, followed by a hasty shush from Aster.

  "Look! There it is!" I proudly pointed to the tea house.

  A sigh of relief escaped Aster's mouth. I could tell the bags she carried were cutting into her shoulders, and though I offered to carry one, she silently refused. That was the thing about Aster. She puts too much pressure on herself, and doesn't seek help from anyone. I wished she would listen and recognize that there were other people in her life that she could lean on.

  "Johanne!" I was interrupted by Aster's voice calling after the little boy. He was running to the tea house, his laughter startling the few others around.

  We managed to make it to the shop in one piece, just in time to see Sam waiting by the door.

  "This way!" He ushered, hoping not to attract too much attention. Luckily, today was a pretty quiet day anyway so the few customers who did see us just look over at us confused.

The young man led us to a back room, where crates of tea and shelves lined with all sorts of things dominated the room. In one corner were a table with several chairs surrounding it. Sam motioned for us to sit and smiled.

  "I see you've brought your family." He said, motioning to my siblings. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sam, a humble worker here and an eager scholar of the art of calligraphy. I wanted to offer you a new life away from the harsh judgement from the people of Liyue." He politely bowed to the three of them, leaving them speechless. Even I was shocked. Never had someone treated us with such respect; well, other than Zhongli of course.

  "It's an honor to meet you. My name is (L/n) Aster, and these are Dahlia and Johanne." My eldest sister said in a quiet voice. Sam nodded at each of them and then stood upright.

  "You all must be hungry. Wait here. I'll come back with what I can find from the kitchen."
  Intrigued, the four of us looked around the room. It was rather small, with a low hanging ceiling and tight corners. The wood floor was no longer quite as shiny, with lacquer chipping off in multiple places. One small window let in a breath of sun, shining right on a patchy rectangular rug in the center.

  "This looks like a small storage closet perhaps being used as a break room." Aster commented in her sweet, silky voice.

  Dahlia scoffed, crossing her arms. "This is probably just some sort of ruse to mess with us. It's too good to be true. Also, why Mondstadt?"
  Aster gave her a worried look and gingerly placed her hands in her lap. "Mother always told us to go where the courses of life lead us. If that's Mondstadt, I have no doubt we will make the best of it." Her voice trembled at the mention of the one she looked up to the most. She left way too early, and Aster wasn't prepared.

  The door swung open, startling our thoughts. In walked Sam carrying a steaming teapot and a wobbling tower of tea cups. Once they were in the table, he filled each cup with hot water and walked over to the crates.

  "Surely the staff won't notice if I take something from here." He mumbled, opening one of them.
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  "Here's the wagon!" Sam motioned for us to follow. We had had our fill of biscuits and tea, and now it was time to get going.

  "Ooh! Can I go inside?" Johanne giggled excitedly.

  Sam nodded and turned to the rest of us. "I'll help load up the wagon."

  Dahlia immediately gave Sam her luggage and went after Johanne. Aster apologized but he just laughed it off.

  When all the baggage was loaded and the horses were fed, we set off, Aster and Sam in front, and the rest of us in the back.

As we left Liyue, the landscape began to change. And with that, so did my emotions. I was no longer excited, but rather nervous. Had I made the right choice?

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  "Look! There's Mondstadt up ahead!" Sam pointed, stopping the wagon. We all got out, mouths agape.

In the distance was our destination, standing tall and proud. A gust of fragrant wind blew towards us, almost as if it were a welcoming greeting. Turrets and towers surrounded the city in the form of a cobbled wall. The tops of the trees made it hard to see much else, and I yearned for a closer look.

  After what felt like an eternity, we were finally at our destination, the new life ahead of us.
  "Hey, look! Apples!" Dahlia's eyes lit up and her mouth began to water. My stomach rumbled looking at the crimson fruits.

  "I'm sure it'll be alright to stop for a snack." Sam smiled, looking up at the sun. From its position, he concluded it was midday, not too late to settle in.

  Dahlia raced to the tree and called out to me to follow. Johanne whined when he realized he was too short to climb after us.

  The tough bark scraped at our arms and legs, but we couldn't feel a thing. I let out a giggle when a leaf slapped at my face, while another hit caught in my hair. I cautiously squirmed into a book in the tree, putting all my weight on the branch beneath me. Above my head, ripe red apples bobbed in the soft wind.

  My breath caught in my chest as I looked at the city. It was a way better view than the ground, and somehow, it looked even more stunning than it had on the ground.

  "Climb higher!" I yelled to Dahlia, flashing her a cheeky grin. She sighed, trying to mask the smile tugging on her lips, and did as she was told.
  We went as high as we could, both of us positioned on a different branch and gaping at the scenery below. The rolling plains before looked like waves on a beach, the grasses softly swaying where the wind blew.

  I turned to Aster and Johanne but they were already setting up an area where they could rest. I wanted to tell them how much they were missing out on. I hadn't seen scenery like this since we moved to Liyue.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard a crack, and then suddenly felt a strong pull of gravity as the branch below me gave way. Branches and twigs clawed at my skin as I fell lower and lower. I heard a faint scream come from somewhere. Everyone was too far away to get to me on time. I shut my eyes, waiting to feel the impact of my body with the ground.

But that never happened. Instead, I felt the wind break my fall and cradle me. I opened my eyes cautiously, only to see that it wasn't the wind that held me but a person.

"Are you alright there? I thought you would for sure break something with the speed you were falling at!" A light voice chuckled. I looked up at his young face in awe. When did he get here, and how?

  He set me down gently just in time for Aster and Sam to run towards me.

"Venti?" Sam drew our attention to him. "What are you doing around here?" I let out a sigh knowing they knew each other.
"I was just taking a well deserved nap when I heard a cry of help. How poetic to swoop in at just the right time." He chuckled, placing his hand on his chest.

"How did you get here so fast?" I looked at the ground, flustered.

My eyes widened as he pointed to a small, circular object glowing at his waist. It was a vision, and an anemo one at that.

"Guys, this is Venti, one of Mondstadt's greatest bards. I stop by to listen to his singing every time I'm around." Sam introduced just in time for Dahlia to reach the ground and run over.

"You're too kind!" Venti waved a hand, dismissing any praises, although he beamed at the words. "I see this time around, you've brought some guests. Perhaps your family?"
  Sam shook his head quickly, dismissing the idea. "They're from Liyue, hoping to move to Mondstadt."

  Venti nodded at that, and then turned to look at each of us. "Mondstadt's a beautiful city, and I'll guide you every step of the way to making yourselves at home." He smiled pleasantly.
  We thanked him for the offer, obviously delighted to have a tour guide and friend even after Sam was going to go back to Liyue. We were off to a great start. But would it stay that way?