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Venti is idly stumming his lyre under Vanessa’s tree when there comes a flash from his stature. He looks up to see the traveler stumbling away from the statue, her floating companion unusually quiet at her side.
“Venti,” she signs, and then she’s striding towards him and collapsing next to him. Her head comes down on his shoulder and a full body shudder runs through her.
“Lumine,” he greets, “come find me for a drink? Or perhaps a song?” Even as he asks, he continues to strum his lyre and shuffles a bit to make her more comfortable against his shoulder. Paimon quickly translates his words to sign so Lumine, who can’t see his mouth, can understand his question.
She hums, and when she signs its tired and sloppy and at the wrong angle for his basic grasp of the language, so he looks at Paimon who translates. “She says she’s not opposed to either, but she really just needs a nap and a friend who doesn’t need anything from her.”
He stops playing the lyre to slowly sign, “I’m always happy to just sit and listen.”
He can feel Lumine nod against his shoulder and she places a hand on the side of lyre. He picks it back up and begins to play again with Lumine’s hand on it to feel the vibrations of the song. Paimon flies over and curls up in his lap like the small child that she so adamantly claims not to be. Not even five minutes later the two girls are asleep, their breathing even and Lumine’s hand dropped to rest on his leg, next to Paimon.
Venti continues to sing softly and play, even if neither of his companions can hear it. He infuses gentle magic into his song, soothing the bruises and scrapes that linger on Lumine and granting the two soft, gentle dreams.
By the time he feels Lumine stir against his side, the sun has begun to set, and Venti has moved on to playing the flute. When Lumine sits up enough to blink blearily and rub at her eyes, Venti puts the flute away and signs a simple “feeling better?”
“Yes,” she signs before twisting to stretch and pop her back. “Paimon still asleep?”
He nods and runs his fingers through the little fairy’s hair. “Do you want to talk about it or do you want me to leave it alone.” He signs slowly as he speaks.
She huffs and turns to better face him signing, “If you’re okay with my complaining.”
“Always,” he signs.
She stretches one leg out to touch him and Venti absently starts rubbing her calf and ankle.
“I was just in Inazuma. Paimon and I took Ei,” she fingerspells the name before signing what must be her assigned name sign, “on a tour of modern Inazuma. It went really well. We had a good time together, and I think that she finally gets that change can be really positive and important. Which is great!” she rolls her eyes and abruptly, Venti understands.
“But you still dislike her?” he asks.
“I don’t know!” is the aggravated response, hands flying into the air and a stormy look on her face. “She seemed so sweet and considerate when we went out, but after everything that she put Inazuma through, that she put me through,” she trails of, hands going limp for a moment, then halfheartedly, “I don’t know.”
“I understand.” Venti signs, and he really, really does. Ei herself is great, and although Venti was always closer to Makoto, he considered Ei a friend in the past. But the way she rules her country and her people, well, it leaves a sour taste on his tongue and a storm in his heart.
“She’s a good person, and does what she thinks is best, but she can be naïve and stubborn. She doesn’t always make good decisions and doesn’t always apologize. I’m sorry you had to go through everything that you did, it’s not fair to you. You deserve an apology from Ei herself, but you’re unfortunately not likely to get one.”
Lumin sniffles and nods, “It would be so much easier if I could hate her the way I did when I first went to Inazuma. Why does she have to be so, so, innocent! I hate her so much and now that I’ve actually met her I just can’t.” She abruptly bursts into tears and Venti feels his heart break a little further.
“Oh, darling,” he murmurs and pulls her into a hug, careful not to jostle or squish the still sleeping Paimon. He holds her tight and rubs her back as she cries into his shoulder, hands clutching at his cape.
They stay like that for a while, until Paimon stirs in his lap.
“Good morning,” she slurs and Lumine pulls away from Venti to give her room to get up. The little fairy sees Lumine pulling away, dried tear tracks on her cheeks and puffy eyes and immediately leaps out of her spot to comfort the other girl.
“Oh Lumi!” she exclaims and flies over to wipe the stray tears that are leaking out all over again. “Oh no, what’s wrong?” she says and signs, hovering in front of her travel companion.
“I’m better now, I promise.” Lumine signs as Paimon continues to fuss over her.
Paimon signs something else that Venti can’t see from his spot and sends him a glare, to which he raises his hands in a gesture of innocence.
Lumine giggles and signs “He didn’t make me cry; I was just upset over Ei still. Venti was comforting me.”
“That’s good, because Paimon totally would’ve kicked your ass if you were being mean to Lumi!” Paimon signs and says, punctuating the statement with a couple of air punches. Both Lumine and Venti giggle before Paimon looks more serious. “Ei seems really nice and friendly, but Paimon still remembers when she was going to steal Thoma’s vision and when she,” Paimon stutters and her whole body shakes slightly, “when Paimon thought she was going to kill Lumi, and, and Paimon doesn’t know how to feel about her.”
Lumine holds her arm out in a silent invitation and Paimon immediately flings herself into it for a hug. Lumine holds out her other arm and grins at Venti, shaking her arm a bit in invitation. Venti laughs and gladly joins the hug.
After a moment the three break apart, and Paimon informs him in out loud and in sign, “you’re probably the coolest god we know. I mean some random evil god separated Lumi and her brother, Ei stole a bunch of visions and fought Lumi, and Zhongli is super cryptic and confusing and made us deal with all the problems he caused in Liyue. You just made us briefly fight a dragon before curing it. Compared to everything else, Dvalin is really super chill, and Paimon was so scared of him at first!”
Lumine and Venti collapse into giggles again at Paimon’s summary of events. After a minute Lumine calms down and catches his attention.
“But seriously,” she signs, “thank you for always being so kind. You, Paimon, and the Knights of Favonius, you’re all like my family in this world.”
Venti feels tears start to sting at his eyes and he blinks them away hastily to sign. “Mondstadt will always be your home, for as long as you want.”
“You guys!” Paimon squeals hitting Lumine’s shoulder, “you’re going to make Paimon cry!”
“Don’t cry,” Venti tells her, “If you cry, so will Lumine and she already got my shirt all wet once today.” he finishes in sign and aloud and Lumine reaches over to smack him lightly, grinning all the while.
They stay there for several more minutes, comfortable in their sprawl of limbs. Then Paimon’s stomach growls loudly and Venti pulls back with a laugh.
“Why don’t we go find some food?”
“I’m sure I have something in my bag,” Lumine signs back, but before she can even reach for her bag, Paimon screeches and waves her hands widly.
“No! No more packed food! Paimon’s so sick of cold sweet madame and fried eggs! Paimon wants real food!” Venti laughs at Lumine’s pout even as she shoulders the bag.
“Fine. Although I’ll have you know I’m a very good cook!”
“I know you are,” Venti grins, “let’s head to the city, I heard that Good Hunter has a new specialty dish!”
Paimon cheers and darts ahead. Lumine grins after the little fairy, then winds her arm through Venti’s as they head after her towards the city of Mondstadt, towards their home.