Chapter Text
"Wait—" Oliver said, looking down at the small stash of supplies Venti had somehow managed to hoard onto the Waverider. Alongside some fresh water were several snacks brought straight from Mondstadt. "When did you even get these on the boat?"
Oliver turned around to look at the bard piloting the boat. Venti didn't look back, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.
"Oh, I just teleported back and forth between the Waverider and Mondstadt a few times before I grabbed you to head over to Liyue," Venti explained casually.
Oliver blinked. "Wait... L-iyue?" He paused, looking around blankly. "That's... how you say it?"
He racked his brain, recalling a slow afternoon a couple of days ago in Mondstadt. He had been looking at a map of Teyvat on the upper floor of the tavern, trying to sound out the nations.
"I-I could have sworn it was pronounced lie-you," Oliver confessed, facepalming.
Venti snorted, instantly bursting into a fit of giggles. "Oh, okay, that is hilarious!" he gasped. "Yeah, no! It's definitely not called that!"
"Never in my life did I expect it to be pronounced lee-way," Oliver muttered, continuing to rummage through the stash.
Venti had clearly prepared for a long trip, though Oliver's eyes narrowed as he spotted three distinct glass bottles of Dandelion Wine. He let out a playful sigh. "Seriously?" He giggled softly.
"Huh? What?" Venti asked, finally turning his head around.
Oliver smirked, holding up one of the bottles. "You're only going to be gone for a few hours. Can't bear to be away from your wine?"
"Nope!" Venti beamed proudly, spinning back to face the front window.
Oliver gently set the bottle down and walked over to stand right beside the bard. For a while, they both stood in a comfortable, therapeutic silence, save for the rhythmic sound of the Waverider cutting through the ocean waves outside.
"You told me you didn't remember where this island was," Oliver said, tilting his head toward Venti. "But aren't you a god? Shouldn't you know all of Teyvat?"
Venti answered softly, his tone shifting to something gentler. "I'm the god of Mondstadt. So, I don't know absolutely everything about Teyvat."
Oliver nodded. "Oh, okay." He thought for a moment before pushing further. "As a god, do you know... everything? Like the past and the future?"
Venti tilted his head toward Oliver, a fond smile breaking across his face. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with a mortal," he giggled. "But yes. That's a pretty common trait among most Archons."
Oliver narrowed his eyes, trying to piece it together. "But... wouldn't you know about me then? Shouldn't you know for sure if I definitely come from another world or not?"
"That's the thing," Venti replied instantly. "I couldn't. I don't know if you remember, but when we first met and you told me you lost your memories, I placed my hands on your shoulders. I was trying to scan deep into your essence to see where you came from, but I saw absolutely nothing." Venti sighed. "You're a massive mystery, Ollie, and I am highly intrigued to solve it."
"Hmm." Oliver crossed his arms. "So... if you can see the future, does that mean you saw yourself handing these trade papers to the general?"
Venti blinked, then burst out laughing. "Oh Ollie, of course not, dummy~" He giggled. "It doesn't work quite like that. How do I explain this..."
He tapped his chin with one finger while keeping his other hand steady on the boat's controls.
"I can only see the future of major events. Like which god might be throned to rule Mondstadt, how Mondstadt start started, or how it will end. Even if I can't read too much into other nations, I can even see how Teyvat itself will end." Venti shook his head. "I can't see ordinary, everyday things. Like me giving you a box of treats tomorrow, or handing the Traveler a gift, or... the next eventful time we have sex~" He added that last part with a playful wink at his boyfriend.
Oliver had been listening intently, but at that sudden turn of phrase, a massive blush erupted across his face. He whipped around, hiding his expression.
"Ventiiiii!" he whined. "Don't rile me up while you're driving a boat!"
"What?" Venti giggled. "Sex on the water sounds hot~"
"Oh god—" Oliver covered his face.
Venti snorted. "Anyway, yeah... oh boy, if I could actually see everything, I'd go completely mad, Ollie. And I think that goes for anyone. It would give me a real reason to drink this much wine, haha."
Oliver sighed and looked back at Venti, eager to change the subject. "So only big things. Hmm... Teyvat ending? How exactly does it end?"
Venti's expression turned somber for a brief moment. "It's something I try not to focus on. It won't happen in the timeline of anyone I currently know. But it will happen way down the road, to whoever comes after. I won't know them unless they are incredibly important to the entirety of Teyvat. But hey! It won't happen for a very, very long time at least."
Oliver could see the underlying weight in Venti's eyes. It looked like Teyvat was destined to go south somewhere down the line, and there was absolutely nothing the bard could do to stop it.
Venti cleared his throat, breaking the heavy mood. "I think this is also why I fell for you so quickly." He glanced at Oliver. "The whole 'not being from here' thing, I mean. I don't often date people from Mondstadt. I view them all as my children. If I ever dated before, it was usually people from surrounding nations. Though... I have accidentally slipped up and dated people without realizing they were from Mondstadt first, but I was already so deep in my feelings before figuring it out, haha." Venti smiled.
Oliver leaned against the chair Venti was sitting in. "Well, even if I was from Mondstadt, it's a bit too late now."
Venti snorted. "Yeah, we banged twice," he giggled. "No turning back now."
Oliver groaned, burying his burning face into the crook of Venti's neck.
"Also, you played with my belly button a ton~"
"Ventiiiii!" Oliver whined against his skin.
Venti giggled teasingly. "Hehehehehe~"
Oliver sighed, leaning heavily against Venti. Venti tried to playfully push him off. "Hey! What did I say before? I'm driving a boat here!" he smiled. But Oliver dodged his hands and managed to plant a swift kiss on Venti's cheek.
Venti just sighed, his shoulders dropping as he gripped the wheel again. "Ahh, when did you get so bold, huh~?" He glanced up at Oliver standing over him.
Oliver shrugged, a smug smile on his face. "Me kissing you just now—did you see that in the future?"
Venti giggled again. "Ollie, I told you that's not how it works, haha!" He shook his head. "Only major, world-changing events!"
Oliver had been planning this trap for the last few seconds. "Oh? So me kissing you isn't an important event? HA!" He dramatically threw his hand up and turned away. "How dare you~"
The theatrical tone caught Venti off guard, making him snort. "Ollie, that's—" He turned his head and saw Oliver sitting on the bench behind him, smirking. When their eyes met, Oliver playfully stuck his tongue out, trying to stifle his own laughter.
"Oh dear," Venti let out a breathless chuckle. "I'm rubbing off on you~"
Oliver smiled softly. "I don't know how I feel about that—"
"Oh, shut up~" Venti giggled, turning back to the controls. "Better hang on, we're approaching land. I just hope it's the right island." He pulled the lever down, slowing the Waverider to a crawl, then to a stop.
Venti glanced back at Oliver as he stood up and walked toward the back of the boat, picking up a box nestled among their supplies.
"This is the paperwork from Jean and Amber. Honestly, if you weren't here... well, to be fair, I probably wouldn't have volunteered to help them, ehehe~ But if I somehow did, I would've just used the wind to drop these papers right on the general's head." Venti hoisted the box. "But I'm far too lazy to use my powers like that right now."
Oliver blinked in disbelief. "You're too lazy to do something that makes it easier?"
"Well, more like I don't want the general to deal with raining paperwork," Venti said, stepping toward the door. "He does not me know me, and he'd definitely babble to the Knights about what happened letting all who know did not know about the true me, know about the true me now, haha,"
Venti gestured to the door, "Care to open it for me, babe~? Your poor bard's hands are completely full~" He said, giving the box in his hand a small glance.
Oliver shook his head. This man was unreal. "You are incredibly confusing sometimes..."
"Hehehe~" Venti giggled.
"Like..." Oliver reached over and pushed the Waverider door open. "You've told me so much, but it still feels like there's a whole world more to you."
"Oh, maybe~" Venti said playfully. "I don't have to reveal everything at once~ Maybe when the time is right."
Venti stepped out onto the island, with Oliver following closely behind. The environment was massive, and the atmosphere was entirely different from anything Oliver had experienced since waking up in Mondstadt.
"Wow... this is a totally different vibe," Oliver murmured, looking around in astonishment. "Look at the trees. They're different shades of purple. Like... It looks straight-up magical or something."
"Yeah," Venti nodded. "Pretty, isn't it? Come on, let's see if we can locate the General."
Oliver nodded. Suddenly, a wave of intense heat flared up right behind them. A Pyro Slime had spawned. Before Oliver could even think, a sudden spark zapped through his mind.
"Oh, you mean Gorou?"
The words slipped out unexpectedly. He didn't even know where the name came from. Feeling the heat intensifying behind him, he turned to see what it was, then, he gasped. "VENTI!"
Venti was already moving. He dropped the box, instantly materialized his bow, and shot a single, precise bolt at the slime. It popped out of existence.
Oliver let out a heavy sigh of relief. "How does anyone survive those things? They're everywhere. I'm glad you haven't taken me into the dangerous depths of Teyvat yet." He looked up at Venti, who was busy picking the box back up. "They're really hot... but honestly, not as hot as you."
Venti blinked, turning back to Oliver with a grin. "Wow," he laughed. "That was smooth~ OK, Mr. Bold-Pants, I see you." He giggled.
Oliver laughed, jogging to keep pace with Venti. "Yeah, I'm the king of pickup—" He abruptly tripped over his own feet. "WOAH—"
His eyes went wide as he desperately scrambled for balance. Snapping back into a normal stride, he brushed himself off, let out a nervous cough, and looked back at Venti, continuing as if nothing had happened. "—lines."
That did it. Venti completely lost it again.
"BAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The box slipped from his hands once more. Just like back on the lift in Fontaine, Venti collapsed onto the ground, entirely consumed by laughter. Oliver's face flushed a deep, bright red. You'd think he'd be used to the bard's chaotic laughing fits by now, but it still caught him entirely off guard.
"HahaaHahahahhHHahahah!" Venti cackled on the dirt path, his legs kicking slightly as he clutched his stomach.
Oliver's blush deepened. "O-Okay, Venti... stop it now," he mumbled, nervously glancing around at a few locals who were starting to stare at them. "P-People are watching..."
Venti just laughed harder. Taking a few breathless, wheezing gasps, his arms went limp for a second before he finally dragged himself up. "Okay, okay, I'm good now." He let out a small cough and bent down to grab the box. "Oh my word, your face... the way your eyes went so wide... the way you tripped... the—PFFFT!"
Venti dropped the box again, doubling over in a fresh wave of cackling.
"Oh, COME ON, VENTI!" Oliver snapped.
~~~~~~~
After Venti's millionth laugh attack, the two finally resumed walking to find the general.
"Sometimes the general just hangs around specific spots," Venti explained, wiping away a stray tear. "He could be stationed anywhere on this island. I just hope we find him quickly. I could use the wind to listen for him, but I've never actually met him, so I don't know his voice. I only know what he looks like because of a picture the Knights of Favonius had." Venti glanced sideways at Oliver. "Though... I am a little confused about what you did earlier."
Oliver blinked. "This better not be about me tripping over air again."
Venti bit his lip, dangerously close to another laughing fit. "Okay—" a few chuckles leaked out. "If I start cackling again, it's officially your fault! Ehehe~ I'm trying to be serious here!"
Oliver sighed, crossing his arms as they walked.
Venti cleared his throat, forcing the giggles down. "So, right when we stepped off the boat and I mentioned the general, you blurted out his name."
Oliver blinked. "I... I did?"
Venti nodded.
"I don't know, maybe you mentioned it before?"
"Oliver, no. I haven't," Venti said, looking straight ahead. "I've been calling him 'the General' this entire time. I never use his actual name when Jean or anyone else brings him up, and I certainly never said it to you. How could you possibly know his name? The only way would be if you saw it on some papers when I brought you to the Knights of Favonius headquarters a few days ago... but nah, you were glued to my side the entire time."
Oliver flushed, crossing his arms defensively. "Hey, that building was massive. I was terrified of getting lost."
Venti giggled before turning serious again. "But back to the point: how did you know his name? I was going to ask right then, but then that Pyro Slime showed up and put all my questions on hold."
"...I really don't know why I said it. Honestly, I don't even remember saying it!"
Venti sighed softly. "I really wish I could see into your past. Normally, I can't look into someone's life like that, but if I form a deep connection with them, I can usually see glimpses. But with you, I hit a total wall. It just proves that you really are from..."
"Another world," Oliver finished for him. "I know. You already told me."
"Yes, but..." Venti sighed, shaking his head. "Your subconscious is so confusing. It's clear your soul belongs to a different world, but your reaction to Mondstadt looking familiar is one thing... calling someone by their exact name without ever hearing it while your memory is completely wiped? That is incredibly strange. Have you ever traveled to Teyvat before?" He looked over at Oliver. "Could you be like a Traveler? World-hopping back and forth? I don't know, I'm running out of theories. I feel like I definitely would have run into you if you've been here before."
Oliver shoved his hands into his pockets. He desperately wished he understood what was going on inside his own head. "Venti... it feels so weird when this happens. It's incredibly uncomfortable knowing that I know something, but I can't actually remember it. It's a horrible feeling."
Without hesitation, Venti dropped the box once more, instantly pulling Oliver into a tight hug.
"Shh, it's okay. I'm sorry for rambling on. I didn't mean to make you feel anxious," he murmured, gently rubbing Oliver's back before kissing his cheek. "I'm just naturally curious. And, as always, Venti is incredibly impulsive." He chuckled softly against him. "Sorry."
He pulled back slightly. "But I promise you, we will get to the bottom of this. And yes, I remember everything you told me. Like about that Doctor Barclay guy. Well, oh crap—" Venti groaned, playfully thumping his forehead against Oliver's chest while holding his shoulders. "I totally forgot you don't even remember talking about that person either!"
"Y-Yeah, I don't," Oliver said, resting his chin on top of Venti's head. "But I remember you telling me I said it. It's been stuck in my head ever since."
"Please don't overstress yourself over it," Venti said, hugging him a bit tighter. "Overthinking is a Venti trait. Don't go stealing my job."
Oliver blinked. "Huh?"
Venti let out a quick cough. "Anyway! Come on!" He pulled away, though not before planting a sweet, big smooch right on Oliver's lips. "We need to get this to the general!" He looped back, scooped up the box, and beamed. "Let's go!" He said tilting his head to the side, then turned around.
"Is it going to take forever to find him?" Oliver asked. "Because I fear if you only know what he looks like, and a name, it may take-,"
"Wow," Venti interrupted suddenly. "There he is! Well, that was easy!"
Oliver looked ahead and spotted a nearby village. The place looked like something plucked straight out of a fantasy novel. They were standing right at the entrance of the village, where two figures stood talking.
One was quite small, noticeably feminine, and sported actual dog ears on his head. The other was a towering, muscular man with prominent horns.
"Uhhh... which one is the general?" Oliver muttered under his breath.
"Come on, let's go!" Venti nudged him forward, holding the box.
They walked up to the duo by the wall. Oliver cleared his throat, instinctively stepping toward the massive, muscular man to address him. But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Venti walking straight past him toward the dog boy.
"You're the general, right?" Venti beamed, presenting the box. "This is the trade deal paperwork straight from the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt!"
The dog boy gasped, a warm smile breaking across his face. "Oh, thank you! I wasn't expecting these to be delivered so quickly... and by a bard, no less! Haha!" The general laughed softly.
Oliver blinked rapidly, looking back and forth between the actual general and the muscular man standing right in front of him. "The femboy dog is the general and not the macho-man over here?"
"HUH?!" The general let out a startled, high-pitched squeak, his eyes widening in pure shock as he stared at Oliver.
Venti bit his lip so hard it turned white, instantly looking away as a massive wave of laughter threatened to explode out of him again.
Well, that came out of Oliver's mouth without him even thinking. "I-I mean- I..."
"Ghh-rk~" Venti squeaked, fighting for his life to suppress the laugh.
The muscular man burst into a laugh, throwing his hands onto his hips. "Hahaha! Man, I wish I was the general! But knowing my luck, they'd probably kick me out on day one!"
The general was just staring at Oliver. "The heck is a femboy?!"
Venti took a sharp, dramatic gulp to force down the impending hysterics, turning back to the general to salvage the conversation. "So, yes! That's the paperwork!"
The general blinked, clearing his throat. "Um... right! I'll get these all sorted out." He gripped the box tightly, casting one more suspicious glance at Oliver before looking back at Venti. "Your assistant over there is definitely a strange one."
Venti just giggled.
The general turned to leave. "Will I see you later when these are processed, or will it be Jean or someone else from the Knights?"
"Most likely Jean or someone else! I'm just helping out for the day!"
"Alright!" the general called out as he walked away. "Come on, Itto!"
Once they were out of earshot, Venti playfully nudged Oliver's arm. "Oh babe, you're going to be the death of me," he smiled. "You can't just call the general that to his face!"
"I'm sorry! It just slipped out! I was seriously expecting the giant, buff guy to be the general... not a dog boy in a crop top!"
Venti snorted loudly. "Babe, that wasn't even a crop top!" he laughed. "I mean, sure, it's revealing, but it's not meant to be sexy. Now, if you want to talk about revealing and sexy, you should see my Archon clothes~" Venti offhandedly teased.
Oliver blinked. "W-Wait, your what now?"
Venti snorted.
Oliver blinked again, stopping in his tracks. "No, no, no. What exactly is this 'Archon outfit'?"
Venti giggled. "Oh, just something I know would send that little belly button fetish of yours into absolute overdrive~"
Oliver gasped, his entire face flushing a violent crimson. "I—?! HUH?!"
Venti burst into full-blown laughter. "HAHAHAHA! YOUR FACE! OH MY WORD, HAHAHA!"
Oliver groaned, burying his face in his hands. "It really feels like you're withholding crucial information from me..."
Venti snorted. "Crucial information? What, because of your cute little belly button obsession?" He giggled adorably.
Oliver rolled his eyes, looking away to hide his smile. "Stop,"
Attempting to save face, he quickly changed the subject. "Not gonna lie, though. I was incredibly tempted to pet the general's ears."
Venti let out another loud snort. "Pfft~ Trust me, he absolutely hates that!" He smiled warmly. "Or at least, that's what the Traveler told me. You know who does like that, though? Tighnari. He might seem strict and acts like he's above that kind of stuff, but he'll actually let you feel his long ears if you just ask him nicely~"
Oliver narrowed his eyes as they continued down the path. "Tighnari?"
"Yeah!" Venti beamed. "He lives over in Sumeru."
Oliver stopped dead in his tracks yet again. "Sum-... Seriously?!" He faceplanted into his hands, shaking his head. "I am actually stupid."
Venti's eyes widened as he looked at him. "Huh? What's wrong?"
"Sumeru..." Oliver clicked his tongue in absolute defeat. "I swear it was pronounced as SUMMER-RUE on that freakin' map! I literally read 'Sumer' as 'Summer'. BRUH!"
Venti completely lost it, leaning heavily against Oliver for physical support as a fresh wave of giggles took over.
"Geez, I saw the map said part of it was a desert, so I thought it was just called 'Summer-rue' because it was hot. Wow."
Venti laughed even harder, burying his face right into his boyfriend's neck. "Oh my god, you are so incredibly silly!" he giggled.
"There was another town I saw, and I definitely read that one wrong too," Oliver muttered.
Venti chuckled, finally standing back up and wiping his eyes. "Which one?"
"Nateland," Oliver said flatly.
Venti blinked, and then—
"PFFFHAHAHAHA!"
He clutched his stomach, completely doubling over. "Oliver, NOHOHO! There isn't even an 'E' in Natlan! And it's definitely not 'land'! Where on earth did you get 'Nateland' from?!"
Oliver looked away, completely embarrassed. "I think I genuinely need to get my eyes checked."
"Your reading comprehension too~" Venti teased, nudging him playfully.
"Hey!"Oliver snapped, but giggled softly.