#and that is not fair

[anemoi-i]

You Conjure Such A Beautiful World

Diluven | 1.3k Words | Rated T | Canon Divergent/Different First Meeting | No Reposts

The first time Diluc crosses paths with Venti after his return to Mondstadt.

Hbd Diluc (even though I was late) ♥

If you like my work, consider becoming a member.

Credits: Title Banner: Me. | Divider Credit

There was a time where Diluc would much rather be alone, yet that choice became fleeting as he grew. He didn’t know how or why it happened, but his feelings changed and albeit slightly, he opened his heart. He remains ever cautious,  but realized at some point, subjection to the joys of what Mondstadt once brought him in the past is something he misses—sometimes, he even goes too far back. Those days as a child he spent at Dawn Winery’s grapevines trying to steal a sprig of grapes for himself and Kaeya only to be lightly scolded by Master Crepus, for instance.

If only it could be so simple. But it isn’t. It never is.

When he were younger, going from Fatui camp to camp and lighting them aflame to find out the truth behind his father’s death, he’d say, “I had so much going for me, what happened?” He looked at the blood on his hands after a Fatui Agent fell by his blade and wondered if he too, were a sinner.  At that point in time, it was too late to have regrets nor was it too late to feel remorse. From the Ordo Favonius forsaking his father and in turn, himself, Diluc knew he had to find the truth by any means necessary. The day the Harbingers caught up to him, he felt defeated, willing to accept such a fate if it meant peace.

But he awoke to a new beginning, rising through the ranks and soon taking over an elusive Intelligence Network which were the eyes and ears that the Ordo Favonius didn’t want to acknowledge. Despite everything, Mondstadt was still home. He was away for four years, but it was still home. He loved Mondstadt and needed to protect it. Feeling as if he alone could do this, Diluc took on a new identity, leaving not a trace of evidence that it was him leaving tied up criminals in front of the Ordo Favonius building with a note of “do your fucking jobs correctly” in elegant cursive or he was the one who stopped the Abyss Order and Fatui in their tracks. Recognition was not what he wanted, though he’d pay some serious mora to be called anything but the “Darknight Hero.”

While his return to Mondstadt was overshadowed by… himself, though Mondstadters did not know, Diluc felt like he was being watched. Whether it be out of sheer paranoia due to the enemies he’s made or just a strong feeling, there have been a pair of eyes on him—ones he cannot find an identity to. He begins to tread more cautiously. He doesn’t take up any nightly activities and does modest work in running Dawn Winery. Things eventually change on an early night when all but roudy taverngoers are asleep and Diluc comes across a figure sitting on the fountain and playing a lyre.

Venti, his mind supplied.

“How do you fare, Sir Ragnvindr? Isn’t it a lovely night?”

There was distance between them. He looked at the bard skeptically, eyes narrowing. The bard had no reason to be awake at this time, as those who would like to listen to his tunes were long gone.

“For what reason are you here?”

Venti smiled, “Can I not enjoy Mondstadt so quiet and peaceful? Why do you look at me with such a scary gaze?”

Crossing his arms, Diluc began to close the distance between them and walk closer to the fountain.

“I would have expected you to try and annoy my bartenders again with your excessive pleas.”

“It is not my fault you cannot accept I am older than you and your bartenders. Anyway, I am not here to talk about my love for wine.”

Diluc sighed. He could not get a read on this bard no matter how much he tried to. It was incredibly frustrating. Even his Intelligence Network failed to give him any information on him. The bard’s smile stay plastered on his face, but his eyes told a different story. He was trying to read into him, looking him up and down, daresay admiring  his features and ogling him. How bold.

“If you would be so kind to allow me a question, Sir Ragnvindr?”

“What is it?”

“How do you feel about Lord Barbatos?”

Diluc looked flabbergasted. What on Teyvat is this bard on?

“You wish to discuss our Archon with me?”

Venti chuckled. “Humor me.”

He doesn’t speak for a while. Being put on the spot like this is perplexing. What can he recall? Master Crepus taking him to the Church of Favonius, worship of Barbatos not being required but encouraged (which did fit the freedom the Archon wanted for his nation) and the holidays. He remembered giving a Windblume once as a child, a Small Lamp Grass. Remembered the Weinlesefest celebrations and how everyone welcomed Barbatos back home and the winds seemed to hug everyone on the end of that holiday as if he answered and said, I never left, I was always here. You never have to worry.

But what did all of that mean when he once felt abandoned by all? Even Barbatos?

Diluc settled for, “I don’t know.”

“Are you sure?”

Again. “I don’t know.”

Venti, strangely, begins to play a gentle tune on the lyre. It is one that he has not heard before. It is comforting, but as quickly as he plays it, the tune is over and in a display of magic, makes his lyre dissipate.

“Barbatos is part of a Thousand Winds. Each thread of those winds watches over Mondstadt and protects everyone from harm. When the cries are loud, he descends and dispels the calamities that threaten the City of Freedom. When he cannot save all, he rests their souls so that they no longer suffer, whether it be suffering from others or suffering from their own hands. He guides the Mondstadters that have died in the windless Mare Jivari back home so that they too, can rest peacefully. No soul is lost.”

No soul is lost.

“Mondstadt has suffered and when Mondstadt suffers, Barbatos suffers. He loves Mondstadt like no other and loves all who dwell in it… and takes special care to those that protect Mondstadt under the cover of night. They are not seen by the normal person, but Barbatos is not normal and Barbatos is always watching.”

Diluc’s eyes widen. It is at that moment Venti stands and walks closer to him.

“I think everyone is flawed, don’t you? Humans, Archons… Everyone is flawed. Everyone thinks they’re right, everyone tries to fight for what they believe in. Like you. A lost soul, who found his way back home. Despite everything, you did find your way back home. You love your home  and protect your home and in turn, the Archon who watches over your home loves you.”

All of his defenses shatter. Diluc sinks down to the ground on weak knees, looking at the cobblestone.

“…Are you sure?”

Venti sinks to his knees along with him and whispers to him, his lips gently brushing Diluc’s ear.

“I am very sure.”

Venti helps him stand and he takes this moment to regain his composure. With another display of magic, a bouquet of Small Lamp Grass appears in his hand and presents it to him.

“How… What—”

Then Venti takes his gloved hand and brings it to his lips, kissing it.

“It is not time for us to meet yet. In due time.”

Venti turns on his heel and begins to walk away. Diluc tries to stop him, but he can’t.

“Happy birthday, Diluc.”

Why can’t I stop him? Why can’t I reach out to him?

“In due time,” he repeated. “In due time.”

Diluc did not see Venti again—not until a certain Traveler arrived to Mondstadt.

It would turn out that Barbatos truly was watching, after all.

#my fics #krisposting #genshin impact #venti #diluc ragnvindr #diluven #venluc #reposted because it wasn't showing up in tags #and that is not fair

[bumblebeebats]

Every time i purchase a moderately expensive item the Karl Marx on my shoulder is like "For shame... you purchase yet another pair of jeans when you have 5 already at home, you despicable commodity fetishist? In my time, a man with five outfits would consider himself blessed beyond measure, and yet you want for more, while there are children starving in the world??" to which the second Karl Marx on my other shoulder says "Objection! Those 5 pairs of jeans all wildly uncomfortable or have holes in the ass, due to the decline of clothing quality driven by the fast fashion industry, unfortunately making this purchase a necessity... Plus, by purchasing a slightly more expensive pair of jeans from an independent brand, seeking quality over 'brand recognition', they are deliberately trying to avoid engaging in conspicuous consumption!" to which the third Karl Marx clinging to my back like that beetle from Doctor Who says "Remember, my friend; the less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the pub, and the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, etc., the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure which neither moth nor rust will corrupt — your capital. Buy the jeans," to which I say "I don't know if any of you have actually read Karl Marx"

#My foremost Disco Elysium skills are KARL MARX‚ KARL MARX 2‚ YET ANOTHER KARL MARX‚ MARIE KONDO‚ SKIN-FLINTEDNESS‚ ADHD‚ and SAVOIR-FAIRE

[cadaverkeys]

You guys rlly don't realise how much knowledge is still not committed to the internet. I find books all the time with stuff that is impossible to find through a search engine- most people do not put their magnum opus research online for free and the more niche a skill is the less likely you are to have people who will leak those books online. (Nevermind all the books written prior to the internet that have knowledge that is not considered "relevant" enough to digitise).

Whenever people say that we r growing up with all the world's knowledge at our fingertips...it's not necessarily true. Is the amount of knowledge online potentially infinite? Yes. Is it all knowledge? No. You will be surprised at the niche things you can discover at a local archive or library.

#rambles #if you are a person who is into delicate skills #like lacemaking or printing or sewing #you will know fair well just how non expansive the knowledge online is in comparison to written guides from like the 50s #there was a time where at least one person in the household had to know a constructive skill #but in the modern day there is just less ans less demands for comprehensive guides #library propaganda #im stuck doing an essay rn but bc i have covid i cant go to the library and its totally fucked me #i want to source a lot of the stuff i read irl but i just cant go and get it and theres no online ver

[batrachised]

on one hand I get why people talk about the vanity of the instagram age, but on the other one time St. Ignatius of Loyola got his leg shattered in battle and discovered upon recovery that he could no longer wear his favorite tight leather boots due to the way his leg had set and so decided to rebreak his leg without anesthesia because he was that determined to wear his fashionable boots again...what i'm trying to say is that this man might have existed before instagram, but at heart he was an influencer

#ofc to be fair this man had a Personality #and tbf instagram has unique issues characteristic of social media in general... #and yet #st ignatius going on live “so many of you have been asking for boots update...”

[butchpoet]

I'm like if a chivalrous knight kissed a fair maiden's hand and said "my lady, I fight for you" and then walked off and immediately tripped over his own armor and fell on the ground

#and then the fair lady has to be like 'i love pathetic butches ' #butch #lesbian #butch4femme #written by me

[adhd-merlin]

some people really be out there typing fanfics longer than war and peace in their free time and then going on about their life like it's no big deal. how fucking incredible. like no offense to tolstoy but that was like. his whole job

#amazing #fandom #the hands of a hundred winters #though to be fair to lev he was also kept pretty busy by all the cheating on his wife #those peasant girls aren't gonna fuck themselves!

[taahko]

living in nyc is so fucking unserious you walk through a paramilitary operation (the nypd) to pay $2.fucking90 to use a form of transport that hasnt received maintenance since 1965 and when you get on the train youre greeted with this

#oh and if they catch you not paying the fair they can kill you #shut up aggie

[callisteios]

Hi, feel free to take my new uquiz to discover what kind of vampire you are!

#NO IM NOT TALKING ABOUT CHESS THE MUSICAL I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT IS. I AM TALKING ABOUT THE ANCIENT BOARD GAME:CHESS #uquiz #vampires #twilight #because let's be honest there are a fair few references #and maybe this is my twilight quiz which has been in my drafts for nearly a year! #and i was tired of it sitting there #maybe! #quiz #werewolves #mention #you can get human in this im really sorry #it's a bit of a mean result #oh if anyone has an actual picture of the vampire that killed dean winchester please send it along #i could not find it with a cursory google search but i rememeber he wore a clown mask #so maybe one of those guys is the guy?

[bakedkittensworld]

💐🧚🏻‍♂️📚🍄🧌

#fantasy #mushrooms #green aesthetic #peaceful #flowers #nature #books and reading #books #books & libraries #asthetic #fairycore #fairy aesthetic #fairies #fair folk #cute

[arataka-reigen]

#yes humans are a fantasy race what abt it #this is 100% inspired by dungeon meshi. as would be obvious to anyone who knows me. but i put some of the races we dont get on dunmeshi. #like fair folk #entertain me with this please. im bored and looking for attention. #gi talks #polls #fair folk #fantasy creature #goblincore #cottagecore #1 #1k #b

[zabreus]

my contribution to the masc hypno genre

#sorry #masc hypno #ftm hypno #forcemasc #force masc #forcebutch #forced masculinization #autoandrophilia #lgbt #o #to all the miller lite haters in the notes: yea fair #i wanted it to say spotted cow originally but it wouldn’t translate as well

[tattoosingarishhues]

#tmg #🐸‼️.txt #its been a tough year for a lotta people ‚ ik ive had my fair share of struggles. BUT!!! #we have made it #i hope the new year is warm for u all i am hugging u all

[daftmooncretin]

my absolute favourite thing about the kirk and spock dynamic is that the whole time you’re watching the show spock is gaslighting you into thinking that kirk is this loose canon and spock is paragon of logic keeping his captain on the straight and narrow when its very clearly the other way round. aside from being turned on by everyone and fighting like an old-timey boxer…. kirk is just like.. quite a logical, stable guy. like yeah he rules with his emotions but he’s rarely reckless or erratic, even in situations of immense pressure he’s always calm and measured. sure kirk is unhinged and insane, but we knew that right off the bat. spock on the other hand tries to hide how insanely balls to the walls crazy he is by standing next to jim and hiding all his derangement with logic. i think the reason bones beefs with spock so much because he is the only one who has noticed that spock is an absolutely unhinged individual. (jim is too busy doodling <3 mr jim spock <3 all over his briefings to notice)

#remember that time spock mutinied and pretended to be jim lmao #hes so girl math #and kirk was like lmao fair enough love you while bones just stood there like MUTINY??? #we know that bones is the only thing keeping that ship afloat at this point lmao #star trek #star trek tos #spock #kirk #bones mccoy #jim kirk #james t kirk #spirk #tos

[jadenvargen]

nom<3

#aerith gainsborough #aeris gainsborough #zack fair #final fantasy #myart #ffvii

[elucubrare]

i firmly hold that it's my duty as a reader to believe it when an author tells me at the beginning of the series that the dragons are gone forever and never coming back. but god it's a struggle sometimes.

#that is: i don't think it's fair to hold that kind of genre knowledge against a specific instance of it #not even because while i've read hundreds of bad fantasy novels someone else might not have read any #but because hm. 'the dragons are gone' is the foundation of a kind of feeling - discovery; renewal; awakening - #there's not a way to get the feeling later on without laying the foundation #so even if the foundation feels like busywork for me the reader #it has to be there in some form or other

[dykealloy]

what do you mean jennifer saunder's shrek 2 cover of Holding Out for a Hero didn't play over the entirety of dressrosa arc

#happy new year. it's been about a decade since dressrosa arc first aired #i thought i was well and truly done with that last edit but this struck me like a bolt of lightning #one last go at it to wrap up the year #also. to be fair to doflamingo: how the fuck do you predict or prepare for this shit #(small aside: dressrosa arc is so badly paced you would not believe how many eps i had to download to pull four minutes together) #one piece #op #CJ's op watch-through #CJ's edits #dressrosa #trafalgar law #donquixote doflamingo #amv #monkey d. luffy #monkey d luffy #lawlu #roronoa zoro #zoro #donquixote rosinante #lulaw