venti_late: (A voice so feeble yet all-knowing (2))
Venti ([personal profile] venti_late) wrote in [community profile] kaisou2023-05-27 11:29 pm

Text | UN: makeitaventi

WHO: Venti and all of y'all!
WHERE: Network
WHEN: Near the end of May
WHAT: There's a new grandpa in town, and he's marginally more well-adjusted than Zhongli! Marginally. This one at least knows how to manage his finances.
WARNINGS: This will be a little cursed most likely, and probably language!

So this is a weird, new app! Since I can't delete this thing, I'm gonna guess that it's not some weird community thing for Kaisou, right? Like a FB group for people to get strongarmed into--I mean join?

Guess it wouldn't hurt too much to intro myself since I'm new here. I'm Venti! I just moved here like. Today. Lovely place, the Spirit Vein up above really sets the mood!

Okay, so here's an icebreaker for you guys, just to have a little bit of fun!

Is cereal a soup? Alternatively, how do you say the word 'pecan?'

And a friendly reminder that bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't berries!
lapislazily: (◆ do not give this man your money)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-30 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
[Those bright green eyes filled with tears are an extremely volatile weapon. Even Zhongli, who is normally unmoved by such things, is feeling himself waver a little bit. But only a little. There is nothing he will do to jeopardize a contract, especially one written fairly. He already told Jusis as much.

Venti's tone is... surprisingly gentle, though. Funny enough that only makes what he's saying seem worse.]


... You don't have to mince your words with me. It doesn't suit you, and we've known each other for too long.

[He says this like they weren't just fighting two hours ago in front of God and everyone. This is just how they are, though. It's comforting and familiar, like his favorite coat.]

Ah.

[Venti was right; that one stings. His amber eyes shift to the side, and then he closes them.]

Venti... Azhdaha as we knew him no longer exists. Even if I were to end my contract by the terms I negotiated, we could never go back to the way things were.

[He doesn't see a point in thinking about things like that.]

In our other lives, he assumed I would end him when he began to erode. As if it were that simple... In other words, I think he wouldn't approve of keeping him alive. Is that the answer you were seeking?

[His words seem sharp on paper, but he's just... tired... of arguing about something he can't change.]

The arrangement I made suited all of us. Azhdaha kept his life, if not his memories. The Black Order gained my strength. And as for myself... well, you may call my motivations selfish if you like. Sooner or later, the Black Order would have come for us-- for Azhdaha. There's no other option when our immortal kin descend into madness and become dangerous.

If you had also...

[He stops. Maybe they shouldn't go down that road.]

... Your ignorance of the truth protected you. That's all I can say.
lapislazily: ; fanart (◆ v; they're lesbians harold)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-30 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
[To his credit, Zhongli doesn't look away once Venti's commanded his attention again. They muzzled you, his old friend says, and the brunet just... takes it quietly. He's listening, maybe vaguely unsettled, but he's still just weathering it all like he expected this. On some level he'd been prepared for a long time.

But then Venti goes on about the wind. There's nothing cute or cheeky about this metaphor. There's... the beginning of some realization in his odd amber eyes, eyebrows rising slightly. That emphasized word, comfortable, slides in as easily as a knife between the ribs. The tears are even worse. He raises one hand to wipe an errant tear with his glove, thumbing at Venti's cheek unconsciously.]


... That isn't right. [He's protesting the metaphor. Not the other stuff. All of that about the Black Order? He won't deny it.] The mountain in your story-- it only ever wished for the wind to return to its side. Whatever form it took, the mountain was simply grateful for its presence.

[But oh, he's listening. Because the moment Venti says the Azhdaha in this life, he's transported right back to the most halcyon of autumn days. He recalls the softness of Azhdaha's skin as he took Zhongli's hand, contradicting the firmness of his grip, and said:

I understand you fear for the boy. Let me help you, Zhongli. Consider his point of view for a moment. How can he think of life as something precious if he only ever sees your suffering? Will he not believe he is a burden?

He blinks that memory away. Venti's teary eyes fill his gaze, filled with anguish and grief in a way that Zhongli hasn't seen in this life. Not even once. But... he remembers... far enough back, there was something... wasn't there?

Does Venti think he is a burden because all he's seen is Zhongli's suffering...?

Why won't you let me help you? Venti's question echoes in his empty brain a little, framed by falling ginkgo leaves and the taste of ancient tea left in his mouth. Zhongli searches the face in front of him for something, as if he might find the answer to those demanded questions in his eyes. But he finds nothing.

He's so tired.

Without much preamble, he simply leans forward and rests his forehead against Venti's chest, the rest of him limp. After a moment his arms wrap around the bard's middle. He's said nothing out loud, but his body language says he's given up, like a half-dead animal approaching a strange human for help.]
Edited 2023-05-30 05:50 (UTC)
lapislazily: (◆ rare moment of emoting)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-30 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[That's a painful question that Zhongli knows the answer to, but he's not thinking about it right now. He thinks his metaphor was enough. That's how Venti likes to speak, isn't it? Riddles and rhymes and songs. Sometimes it's better to try to... speak someone's language when you want them to understand something. Either way, it's something they definitely need to discuss later.

At the moment it'd be a miracle if Zhongli is able to say anything. In the absence of some deep-seated fury, and when he's faced with an onslaught of emotion that he can't begin to process and doesn't know where to start, he simply won't try. His eyes remain dry, but that's not a surprise. Who can squeeze tears from a stone?

The darkness behind his eyelids is soon broken by Venti humming a song. It's... it has to be an old one, because Zhongli's never heard it before. Is this from Venti's childhood? He doesn't want to ask. He feels like... if he acknowledges it, if he accepts what's happening, it'll shatter the dream. After all, he's never been allowed to have any sense of paradise for very long.

The curious thing about Venti's music is that it has always had the power to move hearts, but the healing magic—that is extraordinary. Zhongli's not wounded in the traditional sense but he can feel the gentleness of the wind wrapping around him anyway, tousling his hair, tugging playfully at the lapels of his coat.

No one's asking him to do anything at this moment. There is a bigger war to be waged, battles to be strategized and fought, philosophies to be debated... but he's so tired.

At the end of the day, he's not a mountain but a lone stone standing tall in a field determined to cast some shade... and he doesn't realize there are trees behind him. What he's doing isn't necessary. But he's stood here for thousands of years, and he thinks he needs to be here a thousand more.

Then some windy imp flies by and pushes him into the mud. He's trying to decide if he wants to bother getting up after all of that.

He's forgotten how to ask for help. If it isn't in the defense of his people or his loved ones, he can't fathom such a request. Up until this point he's fought for himself as necessary, and he thought he had the strength. It's only in this moment that he begins to realize that perhaps he can't even be trusted with that.

But what is the alternative? Freedom? Freedom is a terrifying concept full of unknowns, utterly unimaginable by a man who plots his path with constants. Zhongli has always distinguished himself by his relationship with other things. Absent of that other thing, he has a hard time defining his own edges.

Eventually his grip on Venti loosens but he stays where he is. He feels very small in Venti's hold, not at all like the figure whose memories he inherited. Instead Zhongli was brought low by a mere gust of wind. How laughable...

It's only after the lullaby has faded that he finally manages to collect himself. He sits up slightly, but when he speaks, he keeps his voice low. This is only for Venti to hear.]


... In a time before history, a time before memory for most, there was a dragon who soared through the skies of his home. He danced among the clouds and played with the wind until all the troubles of the world demanded their attention, and then he descended to the ground below.

At some point between that world and this one, he lost the ability to fly. It wasn't that his wings were clipped; he simply never had them in the first place.

[He's speaking in metaphor, except for the part where he is very much a dragon who can't fucking fly. (Just a smaller one.)]

How does one dream of a freedom they've never truly known?

[He takes one of Venti's hands in both of his.]

How many times must I prevail upon you to teach me?
lapislazily: (◆ the fuck is this tea)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-30 06:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[As many times as he needs to, huh...

Hasn't Zhongli tested his patience enough?

He looks at their joined hands. They don't do this a lot. The last time was probably Venice. It's not... unpleasant, but it's unfamiliar. He wonders how much the wind can accept the cold, unyielding grasp of stone. He wonders if he's hurting Venti simply being this close.

It's never been gentle or easy? Neither has living. Zhongli has walked a long, arduous path of his own making.

... Still, his fingers curl a little around the bard's hand.

What does he want in this moment? That's difficult. Freedom and everything like it... those are lofty concepts. So, following Venti's advice, he focuses on the now.]


I...

[THIS IS HARD GIVE HIM A MOMENT]

... I want to enjoy a glass of wine with an old friend, [he says finally.] I want to hear about the things he's learned, the places he's seen, and the songs he's sung since last we met.

There are some things that I cannot see or imagine from my position. ... Your words always added a few colors to the painting.

[Totally straight things to say to your best friend right.]
lapislazily: ; fanart (◆ earth give me strength)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-30 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[There really is no rushing a mountain. He has always gone at his own glacial pace. Which is why it's taken this long for him to even begin to admit that he can't imagine being free. He hasn't said he wants to be free, but it's between the lines. That's progress.

He looks relieved, though, when Venti agrees. He'd been expecting... more scolding, maybe. Yet Venti hasn't pulled away from him, and neither has Zhongli relinquished his hand. How is it that things always become a stalemate between these two?]


All right.

[The joke falls flat, but that's okay. Because what comes out of his mouth next isn't a retort but just something that... happens. It just tumbles out.]

—I missed you.

[uh wait fuck that's not what he meant to say. He realizes this, at least, and tries to explain.]

Of course, you always keep your promises. My concerns amounted to nothing. I realize that the burden of those worries isn't yours to bear.

[He doesn't take what he said back, though he does let Venti's hand go after that.]
lapislazily: (◆ please stop embarrassing me.)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-30 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[Heaven and earth, Zhongli, pull yourself together... He's facepalming inwardly at himself so much. Poor Venti's confused by the sudden outburst, and like, who can blame him? Thankfully, the bard handles it with grace. He isn't sure what to say to the fact he was missed, too, so he just kind of... stares helplessly as Venti sits down.

... That's right. Venti did cry fairly hard, and Zhongli is the reason, so...]


Wait just a moment.

[He steps back into the apartment for about thirty seconds. When he returns, it's with a cool washcloth and a small bowl of ice water.]

... I've been a terrible host. You've no need to act and dance for me like you're my own personal entertainment.

[Even he can tell when Venti is trying too hard.]

I'll listen to your story, but only when you're ready.
lapislazily: ; fanart (◆ ????????? ? ?????????? ? ? ????????)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-31 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Zhongli blinks. Mixed signals? How is he giving mixed signals? It's a normal day when Venti is saying shit that doesn't make sense, though. He hands over the washcloth and sets the little bowl on the table so as not to risk dumping ice water on his friend.

... However, upon hearing that last part, Zhongli gives a surprised laugh.]


I had no idea you felt so strongly about the Eiffel Tower.

[NOW WHO'S BEING PARTICULAR?]
lapislazily: (◆ conjecture)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-31 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
[This represents a rare moment when Zhongli is the one to learn something about his friend instead of the other way around. Somehow "Venti has Opinions about architecture" just wasn't on the bingo card. That said, he's pleased to see Venti cheering up a bit. His smile, even when mischievous as hell, tends to put Zhongli at ease more than a frown would.]

It sounds as if we won't be visiting Paris anytime soon.

[... but other places are on the table. And judging by his expression he is probably thinking of alternatives and wherever will be least offensive to Venti's architectural sensibilities.]
lapislazily: (◆ so you say)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-31 09:45 am (UTC)(link)
[............................. of course he's interested in the wine tasting. Some things never change. He's not wrong, though; some of the world's greatest vineyards for grape wine are in France.]

Europe is diverse, and there's more to France than simply Paris. I'm sure we can find somewhere decent to spend the time. [He's not even pretending it isn't a date at this point, but that would involve knowing on some level it's a date. Sorry Venti.]

I've been to the States before, though most of my time was spent in New York. I visited again in the late seventies. [His eyes settle on Venti. Despite the wine addict talk, his expression is mild.] If it's that notable, I'll have to make the time.

[But they've gotten off topic.]

What did you do after you awoke?
Edited 2023-05-31 09:46 (UTC)
lapislazily: (◆ sunshine)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-05-31 06:18 pm (UTC)(link)
To be more accurate, I've now seen two.

[WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS ZHONGLI. Considering how rough the past fifteen minutes have gone, it's possible he's trying to cheer Venti up in his own way.

He listens to the story, though. And that slip? It confirms something he's wondered for a long time, but he doesn't call it out. He'd rather let Venti talk, since they haven't had the opportunity in a couple hundred years or so.]


I still visit China when I can, but the Order is based in Europe. [They really did just miss each other. Awful. That's it for the interruptions because he's just as engrossed in Venti's story as Venti is in telling it. The way his eyes brighten and he begins getting more animated, even a little more poetic...

Truly, there's nothing better than hearing a tale from a bard or a storyteller. It's a shame it's something of a dead art form in modern times. He can't help a tiny smile at Venti's praise of the ships they had at the time. Zhongli had similar feelings when he crossed the Atlantic a little while later...]


I'm surprised you didn't spend a century or two as a pirate.
Edited 2023-05-31 18:19 (UTC)
lapislazily: (◆ softly)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-06-01 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
Any ship would have been blessed to have a child of the wind upon it. Still, I understand your reservations. I prefer solid ground myself.

[Zhongli rests his fingertips on the base of his wineglass, but he hasn't yet grabbed it for a drink. It's not even like they need to toast, since this was poured so casually, but he's that engrossed in the story...

Such a time of change and upheaval in American history. It's just like Venti to embrace it wholeheartedly, only to realize that there's something deeper going on. That was how each of his adventures started. Venti undoubtedly has a nose for trouble, and Zhongli had pulled him out of it numerous times... but he'd done the same for this old earth god, too.

His brows knit as Venti recounts the loss of an instrument. Absolutely no way, huh...]
That is unfortunate. What was it that you lost?

[He says it so casually, but Venti knows him well enough...

Anyway, he listens closely as Venti describes the Falls. They really do sound like something beautiful-- rivaled, perhaps, only by the Liyue he loved in his past life. There were some places in China that were still untamed, but they were growing harder to find, and so much of the beautiful earth has been taken by modern advancement. Zhongli truly belongs to another age. They both do.]


It sounds as if it was worth the trip.
lapislazily: (◆ :thonk:)

[personal profile] lapislazily 2023-06-01 11:44 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm. [He's not sure if that's a compliment or not.] My grasp of graceful language could never compare to that of the world's greatest bard, however.

[That was definitely a tease, but he also meant it.]

I see... [Venti can be assured that he's memorizing every detail of this conversation, and already putting some kind of plan together in his mind.] Was this in New Orleans or further north? Somehow, I can't imagine you would miss the emergence of a new kind of music.

[Venti is predictable like that. Just like Zhongli occasionally enjoys attending academic summits for things he isn't even a part of.]

I don't mind the snow. [Of course an old mountain wouldn't care.] Though, I've been told the winters here can be... intense at times. I suppose we'll see when winter comes if I still hold that opinion.

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