hydrangeabloom | (no subject)

[ He bows his head before Venti so he can climb on ]

Of course it is.

You are here, are you not?

[SHUFFLES ON WITH ENTHUSIASM]

Usually I do all my own flying!

[ He shifts his weight as he floats in midair, making sure that Venti is in no danger of toppling off ]

Correct.

I thought it might be a nice change of pace for you to be doing the sightseeing.

I'm always looking. But this sort of way...its very novel. It has been quite a while since it has been like this.

Yes. It's been far too long since you and I have traveled like this.

And longer still that is was done simply for the experience of it.

[ Morax starts rising higher into the sky ]

Hold on tight. There is much I wish to show you.

I'm waiting to see.

[clings tightly, but not with any sort of anxiety

this is comfortable and easy and so familiar]

[ Off into the air they go.

Since they are in the teapot, there is a limit to where they can fly to. Only the rocky mountains and waterfalls of a small mountain range. But Morax flies them to the very top.

Close enough to touch the sky and the stars - if such a thing were possible ]

[stops holding on to lift his hands up to space]

Beautiful.

Barbatos.

What would you say is your favorite season?

Spring.

When everything is new and the wind is gentle.

A gentle wind...

[ He dips a little, body coiling around Venti protectively ]

Hold on tightly, if you would.

I am.

And I know you'll take care of me.

[ It's easy enough for the two of them to dip out of the teapot realm. Less so to navigate the skies of Mondstadt and Liyue in such a way that no one catches Barbatos or Rex Lapis in their star gazing.

But the both of them know the ways around their country well enough that it doesn't take too long to make their way to the very east of Sumeru - away from any of the larger human settlements but still in the comfort of the large leafy rainforests.

This is close as spring as he can get.

And maybe the change of scenery will be good for the both of them. ]

Oh....I rarely venture this far...

It's so green here.

[ Plops Venti down on a large squishy mushroom before reverting back to his human form. ]

Ah, it has changed quite a bit since you took your last slumber.

[lifts his chin, taking in a deep breath]

Have you come often?

Unfortunately, no.

It is only upon my retirement that I have had time to visit the other nations.

I was a bit disappointed to miss you the last time I travelled to Mondstadt.

[carefully easing himself back on the mushroom so he's laying down, enjoying the sun, letting his broken wings splay out around him]

When I'm better we can tour it together.

Perhaps in time for a festival.

Of course.

[ He sits down next to the mushroom, keeping an eye on those broken wings to make sure that they are laying as flat as possible. ]

There's always a festival going on somewhere. So take all the time you need to feel better.

You can stay with me until then.

The festivals are suppose to beckon me home.

It's hard to ignore when I'm not asleep.

Then we shall stay in Mondstadt. The location does not matter so much as the company.

Thank you.

...do they still call to you in Liyue? With your Death?

Some still pray. I think it will take some time for that to pass, even with the very public spectacle of my passing.

[ And if Zhongli still answers a prayer every now and then, that's just the adepti at work and nothing more. ]

Your people still pray to you though you've not made a public appearance in many years now. Or at least not---

[ Gestures ]

Divine public appearance.

They don't need to see me. They can still feel it, the same way I can feel them.

Even now they're tugging on my thoughts, you know? None of them know I'm the cause of their troubles this time.

[ Barbatos...

Zhongli will tousle the hair on the top of Venti's head ]

This is not your fault.