Chapter Text
Oliver's eyes opened slowly, taking his time adjusting to the pale morning light filtering through the leaves. He blinked once, twice. There was that familiar feeling again — the ghost of a dream he couldn't grab onto, already dissolving before he could make sense of it.
I hate this... He thought, exhaling quietly.
He turned his head. Venti was still beside him in the hammock, stirring just enough to signal he was waking up too.
"Mornin'~," The bard yawned, stretching his arms out like a cat in the sun.
Oliver's thoughts of his missing dream quickly dissolved into something else entirely — the very vivid memory of last night flooding back. What he did with the bard. He swallowed.
Naturally, Venti caught the flustered human's expression. A slow smirk crept across his face. "Oooh? What're you thinkin' about, huh?" He tilted his head with that look. That specific look he always does when he wants to be smug ass.
Damn this bard. Oliver turned away sharply. "I-I was just... the leaves on this tree are... really something, huh... f-filled with em..."
Even barely awake, that was apparently still enough to send Venti into a fit. He pressed a hand over his mouth, but it didn't help. "Oh Ollie~, hahaha!" He laughed — quiet but unmistakably him, bubbling and bright.
Oliver sighed once he realized that there was no way out of his one.
"...It... it won't just be a one-time thing, right?"
Venti's laughter faded into something softer. "Do you not want it to be?"
"Dummy, that's literally why I'm asking..." Oliver said softly.
A small smile came on the bard's face. "Of course not. You can play with my belly button all you like, for as long as we're together." Venti paused, something more thoughtful settling into his expression. "That is, until you figure out how to get home to your world. Wherever that may be."
Still blushing, and reeling in the fact of the things he has done with the bard, what he said somewhat settled within him. He shifted, now he was facing the bard. "V-Venti? I... Would I really be from another world?"
Venti shrugged loosely. "Could be. Mind wipes wipe everything — you could just be from Teyvat. But..." He tapped his chin. "Some of the stuff you say doesn't land right. Like yesterday? You called me a 'cup size.' Said something about a café using that as an actual measurement for drinks?"
"I've never heard anything like that," Venti added.
Oliver stared at the canopy above. "But if I really am from somewhere else... how do I get back?"
Venti didn't have an answer for that. That was a Traveler thing, and even then, it wasn't simple. If Oliver were a Traveler, they'd probably have that power within them somewhere. But it'll be useless now, given the forgotten memories.
He sat up with a quiet exhale. "Alright, enough of the heavy stuff for now. Let's go eat, walk around Mondstadt a bit. Maybe something will click — like Bennett did yesterday. Then I can maybe take you to the other nations." He glanced over his shoulder. "Sound good?"
"Yeah." Oliver nodded. "Sounds good."
~~~~~~
Diluc had been up early, the way he always was. He straightened the kegs along the back shelf, lined up the glasses neatly, and made sure everything was in order before the morning crowd trickled in. He reached for Venti's preferred bottle without even thinking about it, set it off to the side.
"I know he's coming this morning. And I bet he's dragging that new boy around with him," Diluc got the last things ready, but then he heard someone behind him. A whisper. "Dimension energy...." At first, Diluc didn't take much note of it, but then he heard another.
"Combine the worlds..."
Diluc was cleaning a cup he forgot to clean yesterday. He slowly set the cup down.
"The island is home to us, we don't want to leave,"
Diluc slowly turned around. It sounded like it was multiple voices. "Kingdom Hearts was the source of the universe," Then, it said one last thing, before Diluc fully turned.
"This world's not strong enough like Sub 7 is... Reporting back."
There, right at the bar counter — something that had no business being there at all. Dark. Shifting. A creature swathed in black mist, its form crackling with an energy Diluc had never felt or seen before. It stood at the bar like it was simply waiting to be served.
The moment his eyes landed on it, it recoiled. The dark shape shot backward, slipping through the cracks of the tavern door like smoke, and every inch of the floor it crossed trembled and buzzed with that same strange energy — before it all went still.
Diluc stared at the door.
"What-?... What the hell?"
Four seconds passed.
The door swung open."Bahahaha! Oliver, I genuinely cannot believe you just walked into Amber like that! You almost took her clean off her feet!" Venti held the door wide as he wheezed.
Oliver walked in looking like he wanted to disappear. "I wasn't paying attention..."
"I'll say! You can't just bowl over one of the Knights of Favonius! Haha — are you sure the memory loss didn't take your spatial awareness too~?"
"Oh, har har." Oliver grumbled, and made his way to the counter. He looked up at Diluc.
Then he stopped, tilting his head.
Venti noticed, but couldn't resist. "Pfft — Diluc, what is that face? You look like you've seen an actual ghost."
Diluc blinked. "...I think I might have."
Venti rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. A ghost who came all this way to buy alcohol. Just keep it away from my dandelion wine~."
Oliver, however, leaned in slightly. "You sure? What did it look like?"
Diluc set the glass he was cleaning down slowly. "All black. Dark mist. It was just... standing here. Right where you're standing. Like it wanted to order something." He shook his head.
Venti giggled. "Told ya he wanted to buy some alcohol."
"Then it... vanished." Diluc shook his head again. "You guys didn't see it? It left just a few moments before you entered!"
"Nope~!" Venti said cheerfully.
"I didn't see anything..." Oliver looked back at the tavern door.
"I probably just need sleep," Diluc muttered.
"You stayed up late again, didn't you," Venti said, already climbing onto a bar stool.
"Maybe... a little," Diluc said. "Probably why. I didn't sleep well,"
"Well, you want me to run the bar for you today? Go and get some rest." Venti told him.
Diluc leveled him with a stare. "Absolutely not. You'll clean out my entire stock the second I'm not watching."
"I won't! Haha, I wasn't even thinking about that!" Venti pressed his hands to his chest. "Come on, trust an old friend~ I'll be on my best behavior, I promise. Oliver can keep an eye on me!"
Diluc looked at Oliver for a long moment. Then, slowly: "...Fine." A pause. "Oliver, if he drinks any, report back to me immediately." Another pause. Then, with the faintest resigned look: "Though you won't. Because you're completely gone for him and you'd cover for him without thinking."
Oliver's face went scarlet.
Venti dissolved into giggles. "Diluc, just go! Shoo! We've got it!"
Diluc left without further comment.
"Uhh? Venti?" He turned to the bard. "I... I don't know how to serve alcohol. Or... even know how to mix anything, like cocktails."
"That's fine! I do~" Venti smiled. "You just greet everyone who comes in. Chat them up a little — maybe someone'll spark something for you. Like Bennett did." He smiled. "We still gotta get your memory back. That's a great way to try."
Oliver sighed, then he nodded. "Okay,"
~~~~~~~
The hours passed. Patrons came and went, and Oliver greeted each one, helped where he could, kept himself busy. No memories surfaced — but he wasn't just standing there being useless, and that counted for something. It felt good to be doing something to help out a little bit. Something to keep his mind going, that wasn't Venti's teasing 24/7.
"Ollie! Can you come here for a sec?" Venti's voice could be heard.
Oliver looked up from where he was and walked over to the counter.
"It's getting a little packed in here," he noted as he approached the bard.
Venti groaned and dramatically collapsed face-first onto the bar. "I know. Diluc absolutely knew this was going to happen and said nothing."
Oliver felt something, he didn't do too well in crowds. And this loud bar wasn't helping.
"Can you help me out?" Venti asked as he stood back up. He turned, and got a clean cloth. "Can you go upstairs? And clean the tables up there? I think Diluc closed it off for a while. There was a leak in the roof, he did just fix it though, but never opened it back. I am sure the tables are dusty up there. Can you go clean em' for me?"
Oliver took the cloth. "Wait — the tavern has an upstairs?"
Venti blinked. Then laughed. "Have you genuinely never noticed the stairs?"
Oliver looked around until he found them. "...I'll go."
"Thanks, cutie~" Venti winked.
With his face red as fire, Oliver made his way up the steps with the cloth in his hands. Actually, he didn't mind doing this. Since the upstairs was closed off for now, that meant he'd have a little moment of space. He trekked up the stairs, until he came up to the private seating area. A few tables, and maybe some loose kegs laid around. Some small windows, and a door.
Oliver nodded, "Okay, let's get started, I guess," He walked over to one table, and started to wipe it down, along with the chairs after.
He started on the first table, wiping it down methodically, then the chairs. Moved on to the next.
"Scouting..."
Oliver blinked, and looked up. "Huh?" He was sure he heard a voice. But no one was around him on the upper floor. He could hear the chatter coming from downstairs from the customers, but that was about it. "I-Is someone there?" He called out. Nothing.
"Scouting..."
Oliver blinked. "What?" He muttered. The tables were in front of him, scattered around. Two sets were facing the wall, plus 4 kegs spaced out at the far end. The voice... sounded like it came from over there.
"Scanning.... Dimensional energy is low."
Oliver slowly set the rag down, and slowly walked over to the kegs. "H-Hello?"
The voice continued to speak.
"Scanning... Dimensional energy is low. Scanning... Dimensional Energy is low. Dimensional Energy is low. World cannot be combined..."
Oliver gulped. Something wasn't right. The voice kept repeating words. He slowly peaked around the keg, and felt his heart drop.
Pressed against the wall, pulsating slowly, was a dark creature. Shifting, crackling. And two wide, white eyes staring straight ahead.
Oliver couldn't do anything as his vision went blurry. His vision started to cackle and glitch, as it started to distort.
ERROR. AVATAR OFFLINE.
~~~~~
Begin send back.
System reboot commencing.
Body transfer in 3... 2... 1...
~~~~~~
Oliver gasped loudly, and so forceful, if he wasn't strapped to the transfer chair, he could have flown out of it. "AH — what — what the —!" He thrashed, eyes flying across the room, trying to get his bearings. "What was THAT?!"
He craned his neck up toward the monitor. Black screen.
His heart dropped to his stomach. "Oh no. Oh no no no no — What do I do!?" He pulled at his arms, but the restraints held firm. "DR. BARCLAY!" His voice cracked. ARE YOU THERE!?" Still no answer. "COME ON!!! DOC! Your machine is BUSTED! There was... some.. dark thing! I dunno what it was!"
Just like the last two times, there was no answer.
Oliver's breathing went ragged. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know if Venti was okay. He didn't know anything. "That thing better not have touched him," he said through his teeth. "I think that's gotta be the thing Diluc saw! What is it?!"
Then the screen flickered.
Error - Problem within system
Oliver gasped, and shot his head up towards the screen.
Error — Dimensional transfer
Vitals of subject: Poor
Dimension Gateway: Erupted
Media: Genshin Impact — Media Type: Game — Fictional Universe Code: Sub-3921 — Missing Elements: Missing some lore points, other subs have more; different locations — unstable for transfers.
Oliver felt his heart drop. All of what was written on the screen, spelt out bad.
Subject was poor, which meant his avatar he was transferred to was damaged. The gateway being erupted, meant what it exactly said. It was either blown off from the receiver, or turned off. Oliver didn't know what to do. Panic started to kick in now. When he's in the world, Dr. Barclay has told him his body within the chair stays preserved as long as he is connected.
That fact that he's now back in his body, trapped in the chair, means he'll eventually starve.
"No — NO, I have to get it back online, I have to get these straps off, I have to — Ugh get off me!" He strained and pulled until his wrists burned. The chair didn't budge. "COME ON! GET OUT, DAMMIT!!!"
Error error error - Dimensional breach detected.
Oliver gasped, and looked up at the screen again. Still back, but it was saying something. "What is it talking about?!" Oliver then saw what it was talking about.
A dark substance manifested around the back side of the mounted screen. Oliver went quiet, as his eyes widen. The dark matter slithered around the monitor, and formed line of darkness down towards the ground just next to the human.
Then, the darkness manifested into a creature.
Oliver was trembling inside of the transfer chair. He wanted to speak, but couldn't as he saw the bright white eyes staring into his soul.
But to his surprise, the creature spoke.
Did it sound pleasant? No.
"I don't know what's going on here, or what this is supposed to be," The creature said. "But you, and whatever this lab is, showed up on my radar." The dark creature came closer to Oliver's face, its head twitched slightly, as its white eyes grew wider. Oliver was frozen, but his breath was coming out in very rapid sounds.
"I have something important to do within a combined world. I don't want any more anomalies messing up my plan," The creature said, as it pulsated. "That wretched blue-haired Holder is enough." It stared down Oliver.
Then, it stood back up, but at a fast pace. It continued to warp and crackle. "I will send you back to whatever fantasy you're living out. I won't ask anymore questions about what this lab is. Just stay outta my way."
The dark creature lifted it's shadowy arm, and snapped a finger.
Vitals of subject: Fine
Dimension Gateway: Open
Media: Genshin Impact — Media Type: Game — Fictional Universe Code: Sub-3921 — Missing Elements: Missing some lore points, other subs have more; different locations — Stable for transfers.
Oliver swallowed, and panted. The creature disappeared in a puff of black mist.
~~~~~
Begin send back.
System reboot commencing.
Body transfer in 3... 2... 1...
~~~~~~
Oliver awoke on the floor. He felt his heartbeat racing madly. But he didn't know why. He pulled himself up. He was confused. What was he doing? He stood up, and saw that he was on the upstairs of the bar. He came here to clean. Why was I on the floor?
Everything that had just happened was gone from his mind. Completely. Like it had never existed. But his body hadn't gotten the memo — he felt awful. Wrung out, shaky, like something had passed through him and taken too much on its way.
He didn't feel like bussing the other tables anymore
He had no idea why he felt like this. He just held the rag, and made his way down the steps, and back into the busy bar below.
Venti was at the bar, seems like Bennett has joined. And another boy, Razor, who was Bennett's boyfriend, but Oliver was too much in a slight panic attack to even care.
"Here you go, Benny! I think this is your usual what you get from Dilic, right? Sorry if I got it wrong!"
Bennett took the glass with a bright smile. "No, actually this is great! I think it might even be better than how Diluc does it. Don't tell him I said that though!" He laughed.
"Haha! Your secret's safe with me!"
Bennett turned to Razor. "Here, try it!" He smiled.
Razor took a sip. "I... like it." He said.
Bennett giggled sweetly, and kissed Razor's cheek. "Knew you would!"
Venti smiled watching the couple share the drink, then he turned, and saw Oliver walking over.
"Oh! Ollie! I was wondering where you were. You took so long up there. Surly it wasn't that dirty. It wasn't closed for that long." As he talked, he was getting another drink for another patron. "Here you go!"
This time, he fully turned to Oliver . "You wanna help out some more? Or do you-," Venti stopped once he saw the expression on Oliver's face.
"Hey..." His voice dropped. "You don't look good. Like, at all..."
Oliver didn't feel good.
"My heart won't stop racing and I... I don't know why..." He said, quieter than he meant to.
Venti set everything down in an instant. "Bennett, cover for me!"
Bennett and Razor were currently very occupied with each other. Kissing. Bennett pulled back. Razor was still kissing the air, then blinked once he realized Bennett pulled away.
"What? Why?! I don't know how to —"
"Just do it!" Venti vaulted over the counter... though he could have used the door. "I'll sing and play my lyre for you later! Just hold it, geez!" Venti grabbed Oliver's arm, and pulled him into the storage room of the tavern. Once the two were in there, Venti closed the door, drowning out the sound of all the loud noises of the bar.
Venti then turned around to Oliver, who seemed to be visibly calmer, but he still looked stressed. He held himself absentmindedly, as he slightly glanced around the somewhat enclosed space, filled with stocked up unused wine glasses, beer mugs, and empty kegs.
"Hey," Venti came closer slightly. He could see that Oliver was going through something. A panic attack? "Can I hug you? Is that okay when you're like this?"
Oliver met his eyes. Then nodded.
"Okay." Venti closed the space between them and pulled him in, arms wrapping around him steady and sure. "Shh... you're alright," he said softly, rubbing slow circles across his back. "I've got you. You're okay~" He pressed a quiet kiss to Oliver's cheek.
Oliver gripped him back. Venti smelled like flowers — light and warm and gentle — and between that, and the circles on his back, and the softness in his voice, Oliver's heartbeat began to gradually, finally, slow.
He breathed. Once. Again. Deeper.
Until he was fully calm.
Venti didn't let go the moment he felt Oliver calming down. He stayed until he was sure. Then, carefully, he drew back.
After a moment, he did pull away. "You feel better?"
Oliver sniffed. "Y-Yeah."
Venti smiled. "Good."
Oliver cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I dunno what came over me..."
Venti took his hand, lifted it gently, and pressed his lips to his knuckles. "Don't apologize. If it happens again, I'm right here. That's all." He lowered Oliver's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Now — let's go back out before Bennett somehow manages to shatter all of Diluc's good glasses."
Oliver nodded.
The door swung open, and they stepped back out into Angel's Share.
Sure enough, Bennett was behind the bar looking frazzled, balancing two orders at once while trying to remember a third. Razor was seated exactly where he'd been, expression serene, watching Bennett's spiral with quiet amusement.
Venti vaulted back over the counter.
Oliver took a deep breath as he walked over to the counter, trying to clear off the last of his panic attack. "You know, you... there is a door."
"Doors are for people who aren't me~," Venti replied, and heading to Bennett. "Sorry I did this to you friend!" He laughed nervously. "I didn't know what else to do..."
Bennett dropped his head with relief. "Thank Barbatos. I thought I was going to knock something over. Geez you would have made Diluc nearly kill me!"
Venti giggled shyly. "Sorry~," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I would have taken the blame for it, I promise."
Venti got started to make the other drinks for the other costumers, then he got a glass, and put it in front of Oliver, who was sitting at the counter.
"Here-," the bard took one of the bottles of dandelion wine that Diluc keeps just for him. "Might help your nerves," He slid the now filled glass to Oliver.
Oliver looked at the glass, then took it up, and took a tip, savoring the taste of it. He could tell why Venti liked it. Lightly sweet, floral, not acidic. Almost like Venti himself. Smell, looks, ways of acting. All of it.
As he continued to take some sips, he found himself staring at the bard working on the drinks, staring at his two blue braids. He was very beautiful. "How would someone pretty like him even like me..." he grumbled to himself. "Does he even like me at all?" He remembered that it was said that Venti loves to fluster everyone. Even Venti himself said that. But Oliver was the only one who he maybe stuck around with.
"Am I really that special...?" He thought to himself.
If I ever get my memories back, I'll probably find out there's nothing remarkable about me at all. And I'll wish I'd never remembered.
He finished the glass and set it down quietly. Didn't ask for another. I don't have whatever immortal liver Venti's working with, he thought. I'm not superman
Then he blinked for a moment. "Superman?" He squinted.
Why do I keep saying things I don't understand?