𝑩𝑨𝑩𝒀𝑺𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹 | venti [✔︎]

x.

Zhongli was not pleased. In fact, he was pissed. First, the last cheng huang left Liyue. Second, she wasn't where she said she would be. As Zhongli made his way to Mondstadt, he held an angered expression, his amber eyes glowing with rage. There was no doubt in his mind that she snuck off to Mondstadt to be with that damn bard.

The dragon-qilin sighed to himself, his thoughts conflicted and swirling in his mind. Perhaps he had been too strict, causing her to lash out, or perhaps he wasn't being a good friend. Regardless, he knew she would've snuck out at some point anyway. It was only a matter of time.

Now, as he passed through the Stone Gate, the obvious aura of his beloved sister figure appeared. Her aura was swirled around with that of a lighthearted spirit, and he immediately deduced it was Venti. He quickened his pace, hurrying to find their location to bring the woman back. Zhongli soon found them near Windrise, with Venti playing something on his lyre and [Name] laying on his lap.

The dragon-qilin frowned before revealing himself. The duo didn't so much as twitch, already aware of his presence.

"Morax," the cheng huang greeted. "What brings you to Mond?"

Zhongli frowned. "I have come to retrieve you. It is time you return home."

"May one ask why?"

"Your absence has gone on too long. You must return at once."

"You old blockhead, leave her alone. If she wants to stay here, then let her stay here," Venti retorted defensively.

Zhongli let out a grumble. "Barbatos, I must ask that you stay out of this. It is not your place."

"It is my place, Morax," he spat. "You're trying to force her away from where she wants to be."

The vixen frowned as the two archons argued, only to have her eyes widen as a large rock was thrown directly at Venti. The wind sprite easily cut it in half, sending it to the side with the wind. [Name] let out a quiet cry as she protected herself from the harsh winds. Rocks flew everywhere, scraping her exposed skin as they passed by.

Hopefully no one would be passing by. She knew how destructive both archons were, as the Archon War was proof. Not only had Zhongli thrown enormous stone spears, but Venti had completely flattened some parts of Mondstadt, having cut mountains with wind alone.

The two energies kept growing, and she was certain the Knights of Favonius would be feeling it and sending out patrols. Having had enough of their petulance, she cried out, frustrated tears spilling from her eyes. "Enough, you two! You are adults, so talk this out like adults, dammit!"

They paused, staring at her in shock. She sighed before continuing, "M'lord, one will return, but, you must allow me to leave periodically."

The winds died down, and the rocks were put down. A relieved exhale escaped her and she gave a weak smile towards Venti. Zhongli hummed in thought before nodding in agreement. "Very well. Let us return, [Adeptus Title]."

•••

Upon coming back to Jueyun Karst, [Name] instantly felt heart ache. She missed Venti. His touch, his laugh, his voice. The vixen frowned as she stared towards Mondstadt. It wasn't long before a harsh breeze blew against her. A small smile formed on her lips, knowing it was Venti's way of reassuring her.

She held out a hand, letting a small wind crystalfly land on her finger. "Tell Venti he can visit whenever he wishes, would you?"

The crystalfly dispersed into the wind, and she was left alone once more. Sighing, she turned to enter her abode. Even when he received the message, it was unlikely he'd be allowed into Liyue anytime soon. Zhongli was sure to prevent access.

[Name] hummed quietly to herself as she wandered towards her daughter's old room. Upon opening the door, she was greeted with dusty silence and worn bookshelves. It didn't take long before her eyes landed on a painting of her and her daughter. Tears welled in her eyes as she picked it up carefully.

The painting was of her and Liling with matching flower crowns. Setting it down gently, she turned to the bookshelves. Faded books several centuries old sat untouched, their covers worn. Before she could begin crying again, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

The vixen shifted into her beast form, bounding up into the sky of the domain. She danced through the clouds, her chest aching. She missed Tian and Liling. The emptiness of the abode left a hole in her chest. The lack of laughter was deafening. Ears pricked, she picked up the faint strums of a lyre, only for it to disappear.

Landing, the cheng huang pinned her ears back. The silence was making her uncomfortable, yet she was too scared to talk to herself for fear of becoming insane. Shifting back into a more human form, [Name] headed back into the house.

Perhaps some tea would help...

•••

Several days had passed when Zhongli finally decided to visit the cheng huang. Her absence had been noted by Xiao, causing concern among the acquainted adepti. As the archon stood outside the adobe, he picked up the faint sobs of the vixen. Quietly, he entered the domain.

[Name] was curled into a ball, a small lamb plush he recognized as Liling's pressed to her chest as she cried. Blearily, she blinked up at the archon, who had a concerned expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

She said nothing, glaring up at the archon before releasing a sigh and getting to her feet. Silently, she began making tea, her eyes red and irritated. She worked quietly, the silence slightly uncomfortable. Upon setting the teapot on the table, she sat down across from Zhongli.

[Name] poured herself a cup and took a small sip before speaking. "I miss him."

"Tian?"

"Venti."

Zhongli frowned. "Why?"

"He made me feel alive again, m'lord. After Tian and Liling passed, I haven't been okay. Venti helped with that. He made me laugh and smile again. I miss him."

The dragon-qilin sighed as he pondered her words. The minutes of silence stretched on as the archon thought. "I see."

"Do you, m'lord?" she asked. "Do you really? Because as far as I'm concerned, you didn't lose your entire family in one night. You didn't lose someone who made you feel like yourself again. I'm trapped here, m'lord. I apologize, but I do not feel at home here any longer."

Zhongli sighed as he took a sip of his tea. "I understand, howe-"

The sudden cracking of a teacup startled him, and he looked up to see the cheng huang crushing it in her fist.

"You don't understand," she snapped. "You would never dream of leaving Liyue for anything but a vacation. You would prefer to stay here, meaning you don't feel caged. You weren't forcefully taken from one whom you love due to selfish reasons. Leave, Morax. I do not wish to see you."

Zhongli, startled as he was, nodded, standing up to leave. "Very well."

As soon as he was gone, a sob bubbled in her throat. She released it, crying as she cleaned up the broken teacup and spilt tea. She was certain the wind would alert Venti of what happened, however, she didn't bother to care. Perhaps her outburst would change Zhongli's mind, allowing her to receive the freedom she sought.

•••
this was a very difficult chapter to write. i nearly scrapped it and started over, if not for kya's help! so big shoutout to kya for helping me with this chapter.

as i publish this, its around 3:30am for me, so i deeply apologize for how odd this update time is. i promise i dont usually update this late.

are you guys excited for fontaine? it's coming soon, and i'm so hyped for it honestly. i'll finally have something to do on genshin again! :D