welcome home

[outofoffice]

Who: Venti, Yuri, Saya, Lumine, and Kantera
What: A moment of respite
When: March 4th
Where: A house at the far edge of Blossomcrown
Warnings: Probably mentions of previous game trauma/violence


[ Venti has always been the type who wanders to the beat of his own drum, dipping in and out of people's lives as easily as the blowing wind. But Tokyo-F . . . changed things, somewhat.

Though his initial instinct had been to sleep under a tree and call it "home," an invitation to live with old friends put a halt to those plans. For starters, it would be protection from the unpredictable weather in the segments. For another, maybe he did get used to having a bed and a room to call "home," in no small part because of the teammates and friends who inhabited it with him. Now that solitary tree feels . . . lonely, in a way it didn't before.

And so here he is, standing at the threshold of a house full of people he loves and trusts, who asked him to stay . . . it makes him feel his age, but not in a bad way, for once. Nor does he feel that nagging urge to disappear into the wind.

Should he catch anyone watching him, the pensive expression dissolves into a smile. ]

Hehe, is this the part where we fight over bedrooms?

Comments

[outofoffice]

[ He's silent for a long while ]

. . . Wanting to preserve what you have in the moment, even if it's selfish, even if it's doomed . . . it's easy enough to see how something so cruel can happen. Even when we love and trust someone.

What will you do?

[sangreine]

I wish I knew.

I'm upset and furious, but I love him. And I understand how seeing someone you love forget you could be incredibly hard.

I just -- I'm not sure how I trust him again if he could hide something this big.

[outofoffice]

Perhaps you don't.

And if that's the case . . . then you must decide if you can live with that or not. Maybe not right now, but eventually.

[sangreine]

What do you think?

I'm not asking for an answer about what I should do. Just... what you think about it. Am I overreacting?

[outofoffice]

[ Well. If the request is to stop being so impartial for a moment. ]

I don't think you're overreacting.

Telling you he may leave you is more cruel than simply doing it. That it was always a possibility and you accepted a commitment not knowing it is even worse. He knows your insecurities well enough to understand the consequences of this.

[ Actually this is Venti's own commitment-phobic nightmare made real. Fuck that. ]

[sangreine]

Mm. [ She scoots over and plonks her head on his shoulder. Yes her willingness to accept comfort was contingent upon his answer. ]

Yuri said he would drag Doctor back if he ran, but I don't see how that makes it better. If he leaves, I think that he should have to live with the consequences because I'm not doing this every cycle for the rest of time.

That's as far as I've gotten for now.

[outofoffice]

[ Saya . . .

He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her in as close as he can get her. ]

I'm not sure I'm with Yuri on this one. If Doctor truly wants to leave, he has every right to do so. And if he returned to you because he was forced, and you only found out later . . .

[ Then Saya gets to ride the pain train multiple times! Not on Venti's watch! ]

[sangreine]

[ She will accept being pulled closer, gladly. Part of her was worried she was somehow wrong for how she was reacting, it's nice to know at least someone doesn't think so. ]

Yuri was trying to help, I know. [ But sadly, not helpful. ]

But it's as you said. I wouldn't want him to stay with me out of obligation or because he didn't have the choice to leave.

This sucks. I'd go back to where we were and stay there forever rather than have the people I love betray my trust like this. I know I'm the furthest thing from perfect, but...

[outofoffice]

Well, it's fortunate you're not in charge of such things, since I'd much rather you be here than there. But . . . I understand.

Will you need somewhere to sleep for a while?

[ Or like. Is Doc going on the couch. ]

[sangreine]

...If you and Lumine, or you and Yuri, don't mind the company it would be nice to get some space. I couldn't bear to put him out of our room.

I don't plan to avoid him all the time, but it'll be easier to think without him right there.

[outofoffice]

There will always be time and space for you.

[ Giving her a slight squeeze ]

Just say the word and I'll be there.

[sangreine]

Thank you. [ She deeply appreciates that. And also wonders why she's always making herself a problem Saya you didn't make this problem shut up ]

I might try to spend nights out, too. I can't sleep anyway, yet.

[outofoffice]

Really? . . . At all?

Have you just been laying there in bed all night, then?

[sangreine]

I usually slip out somewhere after everyone else has fallen asleep. I have a bunch of night jobs for now.

I'm sort of like a watch that's been wound too far. Running too fast. Then eventually I'll have something like a human sleep cycle. And then the watch runs slower and slower...

[ Until it stops. Not the most comforting analogy but it's what she's got. ]

[outofoffice]

[ Don't Like That. ]

Would you like company some nights? I know for a fact that there's plenty to do in Nightwake even into the early hours.

[sangreine]

Ah, trying to tempt me with your ability to be a bad influence. I should have known.

It's working. What've you got?

[outofoffice]

I believe the youth call it "clubbing."

[sangreine]

[ Of course ]

Sold. What's your favorite place?

With the caveat that if there's any vampire theme happening I'm out.

[outofoffice]

Hehe, no vampires -- well, maybe. But there is one with a "goth" theme that might pique your interest.

[sangreine]

You do know I was stereotyped into that unit.

I'm not against it, though. Why's it great, theme aside?

[outofoffice]

[ Conspiratorially: ]

It has the best drinks.

[sangreine]

Okay. But if you tell anyone I'm a vampire I'll tell everyone from Teyvat you're -- [ She wouldn't really. ]

...You never did tell me your real name. Zhongli and Childe did. I guess they must have liked me more.

[outofoffice]

--Eh?

Wait, what?

[ ?????? ]

[sangreine]

I'm not sure what I said that was confusing.

Zhongli let Childe's alias slip at one point. It must have shown on my face that I was surprised he wouldn't tell me himself. Zhongli called me on it, so I told him, I said it was okay but he insisted on telling me all the names he went by over the centuries.

It's fine, I know it doesn't mean you don't trust me. [ Even if it...... kinda does mean that to her, a little. Saya's guileless enough that she sees hiding things as dishonest even when there's a good reason. That's why she struggles to hide her past for very long even though objectively no one has a right to that information. ]

[outofoffice]

[ Oh dear. He's blundered into something without even realizing it, hasn't he?

Is this what it's like to be Zhongli? ]

Ali-Rin . . .

How to explain? Barbatos is one of my names, that's true. It's the one Zhongli knows me by, just as I've continued to call him "Morax". They're the names given to us as members of the Seven, in acknowledgement of divinity.

[ Though she doesn't have all the details -- because he never talks about anything, naturally -- he knows she has at least some idea of his fraught relationship with godhood. ]

But . . . that doesn't make it my "real" name. That will always be "Venti," to me.