Some Bardic Cheer!

Story time

(songs in this chapter: Soldier Poet King by the Oh Hellos and If I were a man by Barlow and Bear)

Venti giggles softly as Dabi carries him through the doorway of the ever familiar bar. His adorable self bursts into a fit of giggles as he sees the rest of the league sitting in a circle actually calm for once.

"Who knew y'all could actually be calm for once?" He says as he jumps out of Dabi's hold. "So, what's got y'all looking so serious?"

Toga immediately shoots up, running over she hugs Venti tight. "Come come!!! It's Friday!! It's bonding time!!!! We're sharing stories!!!"

Toga carries Venti over, tossing him into the middle. He huffs softly. "Hey! Who said I'd share any stories?!"

Shigaraki scoffs, rolling his eyes. "You're a bard aren't ya? Then I'm sure you've got stories to share. They gotta be personal though, thems the rules."

Venti playfully rolls his eyes. "Alright alright. I guess I've got a few. If you don't mind waiting hot stuff?"

Dabi chuckles, nodding as he joins the circle as well. "Don't worry about it. Once you get chosen you can't back out."

Venti nods. "Okay!" His smiles wide as he carefully floats up from the floor. "So, it has to be personal right? No exceptions?"

Toga nods. "Mhms!!! It's a bonding exercise! It helps us get closer! Big bossy is even here too!"

Venti looks behind him to see the TV screen on, a smiling All for one watching them. He giggles as he waves. "Hey!" He says in a sing song voice. All for one waves back. "Hello Venti, I do look forward to learning more about you."

Venti shrugs. "Eh, there's not much to learn really." He turns his attention back to the group. "Are you ready?" He asks as soft minty feathers begin to float around the group. It was obvious he was going to make this entertaining.

Toga squeals in excitement as she eagerly awaits Venti's story.

"There will come a soldier, who carries a mighty lyre. He will tear your city down oh lay oh lie oh lord." In the dancing winds sprout images of a boy, who looks very similar to Venti, standing amass a large castle looking structure. "Oh lay oh lie oh lay oh lord, he will tear the city down oh lay oh lie or lord." The picture changes to one of the castle crumbling and the boy down on the ground.

"There will come a poet, who's weapon is his word. He will slay you with his tongue, oh lay oh lie oh lord." The scene changes to one of Venti, floating gently in what appears to be a tavern. "Oh lay oh lie oh lord, he will slay you with his tongue oh lay oh lie oh lord."

"There will come a ruler, who's brow is laid in thorn, cloaked in wind just like I oh lay oh lie oh lord." The scene shifts to a person looking incredibly similar to Venti, just with long white wings with glowing teal ends and a... rather showy outfit. "Oh lay oh lie oh lay oh lord, cloaked in winds just like I, oh lay oh lie oh lord. He will tear your city down oh lay oh lie oh lord."

Toga claps happily once Venti stops singing. "That was awesome!!! It wasn't very telly though, I don't think we understood a thing." She giggles lightly.

All for one nods inside his TV. "Yes, I believe Toga is correct, perhaps another dear bard? One with more information this time."

Venti sighs dramatically. "Oh fine! If you insist, this is the last one however." He smiles gently.

Shigaraki scoffs. "This one better be good." He grumbles. "The rest of us had to do something big for this stupid bonding session so he should too."

Venti nods. "Alright, I'll make it more entertaining then." His lyre sounds more and more upbeat as he begins to play. "I guess I have to be Barbatos, smiling and waving, constantly obeying. I guess I need a traveler, to come and save me," He scoffs. "Even if I don't need saving."

"I guess I just sit up on a throne I won't own, watching the people I love all on my own. I guess as Barbatos there's just some things I'll never know~" His voice sounds desperate now. "But I do were Izuku! I'd go to Japan, Maybe swim in the Zushi, and learn to speak French!" Illusions appear behind him in his winds of him doing these things, swimming in the Japanese beaches, teaching himself French simply for fun, and exploring Japan. "I'd have my own life in the palm of my hand. I'd finally do what I could but I can't... If I were Izuku."

Suddenly the illusions change to two figures, a tall man and a tall woman. Kurogiri recognizes these as figures of Venti 's friends. "So these friends are apart of this story? How interesting."

"Raiden, I must tell you something." Zhongli says, his voice catching his audience off guard with his soft it sounds.

"What is it?" Raiden replies.

"I've learned of an archon who's come to denounce themself." He says, voice a bit firmer then before.

"North, East, or West?" She questions.

"Northeast." His voice replies.

"Oh, I wasn't any of the archons were questioning?"

"They're not."

"They're not? How does a archon denounce themself without question?!" Raiden exclaims, a slight horror in her eyes.

"I don't know." Zhongli sighs.

"Well we must find out so it doesn't happen to us." Raiden insists before dragging Zhongli away, both illusions disappearing.

"I guess I have to go to festivals." Venti continues with a dramatic sigh. "Acting rather shameless." He rolls his eyes. "I guess I need a cape, down passed my ankles, doing up my hair in tangles." He shivers slightly at that. He remembers letting Klee do up his hair during one festival, he won't let anyone touch his hair to this day. "Guess I have too dance and look pretty, drink till I'm proper dizzy." He winks playfully. "Throw away the life I've been missing." He rolls his eyes again at that.

"But if I were Izuku! If summer in Sapporo! Maybe play in the sand, and wear my own skirts!" He sees Dabi smirk a bit at that part and throws him a seductive wink. "I'd have my own world in the palm of my hand~! I'd finally fly far away from the nest! If I were Izuku~"

"They'll be no archons or kingdoms, just the world to explore! I don't care if it's all blood and gore! No extravagant festivals, or traveler calls, and I don't give a rat if he's handsome and tall!" He stomps his foot brattily. "I don't want to settle and squawk, or never leave Mondstat unless for a business trip. What if I?~ What if I want to fly~!"

"Cause if I were Izuku, I go to Yokohoma! Maybe play in the sand, and learn to speak Korean. I'd have my life in the palm of my hand. I'd finally do what I could but I can't. If I were Izuku~"