Morning Breeze (Aether/Venti) [unfinished]

Act 4: Trouble At The Tavern

"Paimon is getting hungry, when are we eating?"

"You're always hungry!"

"Paimon is a growing girl!"

Aether looked at Paimon as if she just told him meat was green.
"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"
She stretched her arms and legs, trying to appear taller.

"Okay, okay. Let's get dinner."

The two of them ate an intimidating amount of food. Aether's cooking skills were a blessing upon Paimon's existence, even if she didn't admit it.

She ate so much sticky honey roast she could barely float.
"Aaah, Paimon is so full."

"I'm not carrying you."

"But we're almost back to Mondstadt! It would only be for a little bit!"

"I regret ever agreeing to that."

"Oh come on! Paimon isn't that heavy!"

"You are when you've just consumed enough food to feed a small village."

"You're one to talk! You ate just as much as Paimon!"

Aether struck a pose, flexing the muscles on his arms.
"I need a healthy appetite to stay strong! Who else would protect us?"

Paimon imagined herself fighting a mitachurl, eek!
"Paimon... can't argue with that."

The traveler scratched his chin. What would Venti be up to? He hoped to run into him. It had been some months since he'd last seen him. His search for his sister had led him to Liyue for much longer than he first planned. The people of Liyue were very different from Mondstadt. Being different isn't bad, of course. Aether just felt a certain fondness for the more laid-back life of the city of song.

"Dandelions! We're almost there."
He walked up to them and plucked one, blowing the seeds into the wind.

"Look at you being all sentimental, Paimon didn't know you liked it here so much."

Aether looked at the empty stem in his hand. It spent its entire life for this moment. He wondered what that was like. The thought felt alien to him. He who had traveled from world to world, constantly looking for the next adventure. Who had less purpose in life that those who's duty never ended?

Was this what Venti felt like? Two thousand years as an archon... No wonder he felt so lonely. That was it, he supposed. Loneliness was the true curse of immortality. It was why he searched for his sister, dreading the thought of being alone. He shed a tear.

"Hey um... is everything all right? Paimon's never seen you cry before."

"Hm? oh, sorry. Just lost in thought."
He wiped the drop of sadness from his cheek.

"Were you thinking about your sister? Paimon is sure we're going to find her."
Seeing her friend cry made her feel a deep discomfort. For someone so strong to show a crack in his shell, he must be hurting bad.

Aether didn't answer, simply looking out at the city in the distance.

Paimon had to try something to cheer him up. He wasn't usually like this.
"What if we visit some of our friends? We can visit Jean or Lisa, maybe even Amber if she's not out on a patrol!"

Nothing.

Paimon out her tiny baby hand on her chin, thinking of who else Aether might want to see. Diluc was a good guy but he prefered to be by himself. Kaeya was kinda scary. Razor would be really difficult to find. Klee would be too hectic. Who else... Aha!

"What if Venti's in Mondstadt right now? We might miss him!"

Aether's head jerked in her direction like a dog hearing a squirrel. Interesting. Paimon made a mental note of her observation. It seems the tone-deaf bard pulls him from his sulking.

"Right, no point in standing still."

Aether spoke as if continuing was his idea. Paimon knew better. He seemed to be hiding something from her. What could it be...? She thought very long and hard about it as they crossed the Mondstadt bridge.

She wasn't paying attention to their surroundings, simply following Aether absentmindedly as she tried to unravel his mysterious secrets like a tiny floating detective baby.

The traveler stood still and she bumped into him.
"Ouch! Why'd we stop?"

Before them was the entrance to Diluc's tavern. An unusual cheery loudness came from inside. Not that it lacked such atmosphere, but this was beyond the daily ruckus.

Patton was on guard duty today. He greeted the traveller.
"If it isn't the honorary knight! Here to pick up your friend?"

Paimon tilted her head in confusion.
"Did you plan something without telling me?"

Aether gestured at the tavern.
"No, i just have a good ear."

A distinct voice yelled out from inside:
"Is that all you got? That's the third knight in a row!"

Paimon realized what was going on.
"Oh no..."

Aether walked in as the front door opened with a creak. The spectacle in front of him was impressive. The tavern was filled with Favonius knights, too many for all of them to be on break at once. There were plenty of adventurers too, cheering on the chaos. Somewhere in the corner someone was keeled over a bucket, losing his earlier meal along with the many glasses of alcohol he had drowned it in. On a table in the middle of the tavern stood Venti. In one hand a bottle of wine tightly sealed to his lips. In front of him sat a rough looking adventurer with his old bottle, struggling to keep up.

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!
It was as if everyone in the tavern was cheering them on. Everyone except for one man.

Behind the bar stood Diluc, likely the only person in the building not intoxicated, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

Aether walked up to him.
"Looks like you're having a profitable day."

Diluc took a moment to reply. He had a tired expression on him, not too different from a mother with at least a dozen unruly children.
"Please tell me Jean sent you."

Aether took a seat at the bar. "Did you send for her?"

"I sent for someone an hour ago. Half of the knights here are supposed to be on duty right now. Turns out its pretty difficult to call for a knight's aid when they're the problem."
He gestured at the crowd.

The waft of drink and sweat was quite dreadful. Paimon covered her nose.
"Paimon thinks she's going to wait outside..."

Diluc agreed.
"I don't blame you, it's going to take a week to get the stink of drunk out of my clothes."

Aether was a bit shocked. It wasn't like Diluc to just let this happen.
"Can't you throw them out?"

"It'll be worth it once Jean shows up. I just have to last till then."

The front door swung open with rage. In it stood not Jean, but Kaeya. Diluc would never admit how he was glad to see him.

One of the less buzzed adventurers, an older man that's seen this sight many times before, tasted an opportunity. He wasn't a knight so Kaeya wasn't here for him which meant he wouldn't get in trouble. He stood up with vigor and raised his finger towards the cold figure in the doorway. With all his might, he shouted:
"SCATTER!!!"

The knights, many of which young and new, realized they were busted. Too drunk to think rationally, they panicked. Like a pack of headless chickens they ran in all directions, disappearing through every door they could find. Aether saw Diluc's frown grow harsher as the sound of a crashing window filled the room.

The old adventurer dropped back in his seat, his grey beard moving up and down as he laughed himself half to death. Kaeya gave him a stare that should have frozen him in terror but his eyes were tearing up from amusement and he missed the silent threat.