#master venti

“It’s 3am already…?”

Venti muttered, resting his face in his free hand while his occupied one clicks his mouse again. His teal eyes struggled to stay awake.

“I could’ve sworn it was 9pm just 10 minutes ago…” he pouts then clicks the mouse again.

Just what is so fascinating about his computer that it has him up this early in the morning? Well, I’m glad you asked.

Venti was looking at his live security footage that covers the whole mansion and the surrounding woods. Yet with all of those cameras he couldn’t get himself to exit the footage of the cameras set in your bedroom.

Archons, what are you doing to me… he thought. But he couldn’t help it. Not when you looked so… divine, so ethereal when you were asleep. So perfect.

The subtle rise and fall of your chest and the peaceful, serene look on your beautiful face drove him mad.

He wondered what you were dreaming about… were you dreaming of him? Were you dreaming at all? Oh, how he longs to know…

“She’s so beautiful… like a goddess. My goddess.”

You could’ve slept in all morning if it weren’t for a certain someone waking you up at 6am.

“Get up, Y/n! We have chores to do this morning!” Maria said sternly as she yanked the covers off your tired body.

“Leave me alone…” you sleepily murmured while yanking the covers back onto yourself.

She rolled her eyes at your disobedience, “Ugh, Lord Barbatos said that I’m basically responsible for making sure that you do your work. And that includes waking up in the morning! Now… get up!”

Maria attempted to pull you off the bed but only left you dangling upside down off the mattress, the white sheets are now a mess to be cleaned up later.

“When did he ever say that?—“ You fell off the bed, head first on the hard, carpeted, floor beneath you. “-Ow!”

She stifled a snicker while watching you you scramble back up to your feet, “He told me yesterday. Yesterday when you were off doing something in the next room over.”

She gestured over to your bed with the sheets hanging down off the side, “Now go make up your bed and get in your uniform.”

“It wasn’t me who messed up the covers!” You pointed at the bed.

“Well I didn’t sleep in it last night, now did I?”

Maria left your room shortly after you had made up the bed, leaving you to get dressed and get your things ready.

You were walking down the hallway to help prepare breakfast when you caught sight of Venti in the corner of your eye. Of course, you were just about to greet him, but he seems to have beat you to it. Coming up behind you, he wraps his arms around your waist.

Your body stiffened, completely surprised my his sudden displays of affection. but your muscles relaxed when you remembered that you’d begin to notice the master of this mansion becoming a bit… touchy and clingy towards you for the past few — few days?

Wait, how long have I been here again?

Your first day here was yesterday, correct? Then why does that feel so long ago? Maybe you just can’t remember the time in between. It seems Maria remembers — but this isn’t important right now.

Giggling quietly, he leans in close to your ear, “Good morning my favorite follower.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “how’d you sleep last night, hm?”

His hot breath against your ear made a chill run down your spine. It wasn’t a negative reaction, really, more of an uncomfortable one. You couldn’t think straight with him this close to you, and your mind went blank. He took notice of your change of demeanor and a smile tugged on the corners on his lips.

“Good morning… Venti,” you said slowly, cautiously, as if you had forgotten how to speak for a moment.

He hummed in curiously at your tone and loosened his grip on you until he let go completely. Well, he let go of you because he heard the quiet footsteps of someone walking nearby.

“Oh? What’s with that tone, Cecilia?”

He walked over in front of you and leaned in a bit close to your face, his voice teasing, “You still a bit tired?”

The color rose to your cheeks when you thought, Is he flirting with me? He has to be flirting with me.

You cleared your throat, “Ah- ahem… No, no I’m fine, Venti. Im Just… I’m just thinking of something.”

“Oh really, now?” While his right hand he lifted yours and kissed the back of your knuckles, while the other caressed the side of your face.

A playful smile formed on his pretty face, “Have a nice day, my devoted follower.”

And he walked away.

You watched him walk down the hallway before you- Wait a second… what’s this on my ear?

You gingerly touched your right ear and felt something and grabbed it. Your face lit up when you brought it into your view. It was a beautiful white flower.

A Cecilia.

As you were staring in awe at the beautiful white flower, you wondered if he had given you the one from his hair. Maybe I should ask the next time I see him…

“What’s that?” Asked an all-too familiar voice from behind you. Maria. When did she even get here!?

When you looked behind you, you had noticed her peering over your shoulder and at the flower in your hand.

“A flower…” you muttered.

“Where’d you get it?” She asked. But she already knew the answer to that question. Maria knew everything about Venti, especially what he loves.

“I got it from Venti,” you looked over at her then back down at the pretty flower and putting it back where it was behind your ear.

She only hummed in response, brushing past you to go eat breakfast downstairs. She muttered something else but you couldn’t quite catch it. You didn’t care anyways.

You decided it’d be best if you were to just head downstairs anyway.

Walking by, you passed another maid, whom you don’t know the name of, carrying a tray of food. For Venti… you thought.

You stared at her until she disappeared past the corner. For some strange reason, you wished it was you bringing that food up to him.

Was it… jealously that you felt? No, it couldn’t be. You’re not jealous. I’m not jealous. You forcibly pushed those thoughts to the back of your head and continued to make your way to the kitchen.

When breakfast was over, you were wiping the counters in the kitchen. You heard footsteps approaching you but you assumed it was another maid coming down stairs. Turning around, you ask, “Hey, have you seen Mari-“ but you were cut off by a finger being brought up to your lips.

It was… a different maid. One you haven’t seen before. Her long, black hair stopped at her waist and her light grey eyes stared into yours in fear.

“Shh… keep. Your voice. Down.” Her eyes narrowed at you, then looked over to the security camera in the corner of the room.

“Wh- what? What’s going on!?” You whispered a bit too loud for her liking.

“Did… did he give you that flower?” She pointed at the Cecilia in your hair.

Your brows furrowed in confusion. What’s with everyone and this silly flower? “Ye- yes? What about it?”

She only sighed, “My prayers to Barb- the Archons go out to you…” You would’ve said something about her hesitation of saying “Barbatos,” but before you could open your mouth she was already gone.

Your hand came up to gingerly caress the delicate flower, what could possibly be the hidden meaning behind this flower? When turning around to walk back upstairs you saw Venti. Again. It’s — it’s almost like he’s everywhere.

Is he following me or what?

“Oh,” he blinked in surprise, his face them forming into a small smile. “Did I scare you again? You’re so jumpy, Y/n!”

You laughed nervously and rubbed your arm, “Yeah… guess so.”

“Do you like apples, my pretty flower?” He asks rather suddenly and… and it actually catches you off guard. What do apples have to to with anything?

You blink in bewilderment, “Uh… yeah. Sure, they’re good.”

With a little laugh, Venti reaches over the kitchen counter and grabs a bright red apple from the bowl of assorted fruits.

As he took a bit of the delicious, red apple, he stared at you the entire time. He found enjoyment in your uncomfortable demeanor.

Before you knew it, he had walked away. Red colored your cheeks, but you knew it was wrong to be attracted to Venti, a god.

Finally upstairs again, you look everywhere for Maria. You asked every maid you came across and checked every room you passed. Why are you even looking for her, you ask? Well, you forgot where the library was and today was your turn to clean it… or was that yesterday?

It took you a good 20 minutes before you finally found her. She was in her “own bedroom” sitting and praying on her bed. Not wanting to interrupt her, you tried to walk past her room undetected but she inevitably caught you in the end.

“You could’ve came in,” she said, a bit more calm than she usually is. When her eyes landed on the flower in her hair you could almost see her eye twitch in an emotion you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

“I- I didn’t know if I…” you scrapped that sentence and started over, “have you been avoiding me?”

“Avoiding you?” She scoffed, “For what?”

“I don’t know, it just… it seems you just ran away after you saw me with Venti’s flower in my hair. And I got lost trying to find the library.”

A sigh escaped her lips, “I’m not avoiding you. I just… those are just his favorite flowers.”

“Speaking of which, how do you even get the Cecilia’s when we’re surrounded by wood? I can’t remember where in Mondstadt they grow… but I would imagine it’d be nowhere near here, correct?”

“I’m not sure how he gets them, but Lord Barbatos can do anything! Yet still, I would love to leave the borders of his Mansion and find out what would happen to me if I wandered too far in those fascinating woods.”

“But if you leave… you’ll die. You’re the one who told me that.”

“I’m aware. And so what?”

“So what?” You echoed.

Maria’s eyes look up to the ceiling as she rests her hands on either side of her reddening face, “I’d let my god do whatever he wants with me, for I am only a vessel whose only purpose is to worship and serve him.”

She diverted her eyes to yours, your skin going pale, “And if that means dying, well, so be it!”

Maria was a bit… strange… that you knew. But you never would’ve guessed that she was fucking insane!

“So you’re telling me…” She can’t be… but it fits together all too well, “You’re in love… with Barbatos…?”

“Barbatos…” this is the first time you’ve actually referred to him as such that wasn’t in a mocking way. Maybe she is rubbing off on you…

Her dark eyes jolted to the ground and her hands on her face moved to cover her eyes.

“Shut up, Y/n! Just- just shut the hell up!” She snapped. Did you… finally get her to break?

“So what if I am!? What if I am in love with my ultimate creator, huh!? He was in love with me first anyway! But you’re taking that away from me too, yeah?”

You blink in bewilderment. What did she just say? “He was in love with me first?”

Love… Venti… Venti loves me? You wanted to laugh but could only say, “I never took anything away from you, what are you even going on ab—“

“-oh don’t you try to play dumb with me you- ugh! I see the way he looks at you. The- the way his hands are always all over you…! You enjoy that don’t you, Y/n? You enjoy watching me seethe with anger as he gifts you the same flower he once put in my hair.” You could see the tears welling up in her dark-brown eyes, but she fought them back, “You just hate me, don’t you?”

Is that what that flower meant? You are Venti’s current obsession love?

And is that what she really thought of you? That you were taking the “love of her life” away from her? You were taking her place as Venti’s fixation.

She cannot be fucking serious right now…

She’s jealous of you. Well, more so of Venti’s obsession with you that she believes you caused. But in reality, you have zero control over who he falls in love with.

“You’re crazy- this is crazy!” You exclaimed, raising your voice.

“It’s crazy to be in love with the man who’s been protecting me and the rest of us for all this time? To envy those who receive all of his time and affection, leaving none for me… I- I’m not ashamed to be in love with Barbatos, I am a loyal follower of him, my god.”

“That’s why you call him ‘Lord Barbatos,’ right?”

Maria was going to say something but but her lip, deciding that was the best thing to do anyway. She rushed out the room, brushing against you on her way out. She muttered something that you couldn’t exactly hear but it was along the lines of, “Lord help me…”

Still not knowing where the library is, you aimlessly walk around the Mansion until you’re standing right in front of his door. It was wide open and you could tell he wasn’t in there.

Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a little peak, is what you would’ve said if you didn’t care about your life.

Nonetheless, you walk in there anyway.

You immediately notice his desk he was sitting at when you first came in here some days ago. On it was an empty glass that smelled vaguely of… apples? Apple cider? What’s with him and apples and flowers…?

You walked around his bedroom and curiously searched through his items. Walking around his bed, you felt your foot hit something and you paused. Kneeling down, you found a box and a calendar.

This is very… random… you thought while looking through the calendar.

You flipped through the pages until you found when the checked off X’s ended. That must be today… you thought. But on today’s box on the calendar, there was a star.

Strange.

Looking over the boxes again, you noticed one that said “Y/n’s first day…” two days ago? If I got here two days ago… why can’t I remember yesterday?

Before you drove yourself mad with questions, you put the calendar aside and opened the pretty heavy cardboard box. Inside it were different flies titled with the names of each of the maids here.

You were just about to reach for Maria’s when you stopped yourself and grabbed yours. You couldn’t remember anything about you and who can blame you for being curious?

Opening your file, the first page was an image of you. But… it seemed like an off-guard photo. How exactly did he get this photo? I wish I could fucking remember…

The next was… more… photos of you. From what you could tell from the images, you lived alone and worked in an office.

“This is so weird…”

You felt uncomfortable but even more curious, so you flipped to the next page. On it seemed to be his handwriting which wasn’t the neatest so it took your a bit to read it all. Basically, you’re a Fontainian detective investigating a case about missing women in Mondstadt in between the ages of 19-22.

Your blood ran cold. “Fontaine… Fontaine… where is Fontaine…” you muttered, desperately trying to remember the layout of the Teyvat map but you just couldn’t. Is that why you’re in Mondstadt? You’ve just assumed that you’re from here this whole time. It never dawned on you that you are actually from Fontaine, and a detective at that.

Your eyes widened in fear when you flipped to the next page and it was multiple photos of you sleeping. You don’t recognize the room so you assume it was before you lost your memory. Deciding that was enough information for today, you go over what you just found out in your head.

“So… so… I’m a detective that was investigating a case of missing women that just so happens to match my exact situation. So I must’ve moved to Mondstadt from Fontaine then was abducted a little bit after that?”

Gingerly, you put the file back where it went then pulled out Maria’s. You could tell hers was missing a lot of papers, but your attention was taken away by a small pill bottle hidden in the box.

Taking a look at the pill bottle, you read its label. ‘Made in Fontaine.’ How funny.

The bottle was almost empty and the big bold letters under the side affects said, ‘MASS CONSUMPTION OF THIS DRUG MAY CAUSE DISTORTION OF TIME AND MEMORY LOSS.’

Is that why you can’t remember yesterday? Or that it feels like you’ve been here for weeks?

Opening Maria’s file again, her words from part one come back to you when you asked her how long she’s been here, “About 6 months, but it only feels like a few weeks… oh, how the time flies by…”

Looking at the bottom of her file, she’s only been here for a bit less that two weeks. Every other maids’ has the same date. Except for you.

Did he kidnap you because you almost caught him? Were you so good of a detective that even an Archon was scared of what you could uncover? Or was it something else? Was it because he was obsessed with you?

You froze when you heard footsteps approaching the room. Then you realized — you had found all of this stuff way too easily.

Quickly packing everything up and shoving it under your bed, you run out of his room, almost running into another maid in the process. It was the dark haired one from the kitchen.

Her eyes widened in shock when she saw you, “What the hell were you doing in there!?”

You opened your mouth to speak but no words came out. You were too shaken up. “I- I… sorry. I gotta go,” you ran past her.

I need to get to my room immediately!! You thought, not realizing that the sun has almost set all the way.

Finally reaching your room, you panted. Conflicting emotions running through your frazzled mind. Holding your hands to your chest, you closed your eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“What have you been up to, Y/n?” A familiar voice rang out. Opening your eyes, there Venti was, standing right in front of you. He had a smile on his face, yet there was a look in his eyes that scared you.

“Y/n…“ he’s barely ever called me by my first name… when he took a step closer to you, you reached for the door handle.

He tilted his head to the side his smile faltering, “What’s wrong, Y/n? You seem so shaken up…” When he came even closer to you, you would’ve opened the door but his hand on your wrist stopped him.

Your eyes glanced to the window behind him, it was nighttime.

“Trust me, my flower,” he caresses your hair, “you do not want to go out there.”

The second he moved his hand off your wrist, you swung the door open and fell to the ground. Rubbing the back of your head in pain, you felt something strangely warm and wet on your other hand.

But when you looked down, you saw not only your bloody hand, but Maria.

Maria with multiple stab wounds to her chest and her throat slit open. She lay on the ground above a pool of blood. Petrified, you screamed and backed away from the corpse. Tears pricked in your (e/c) eyes as you watched him grow closer to you, his hand in his pocket.

“G- get the fuck away from me, you- you murderer!” You shrieked, the tears in your eyes finally rolling down your cheeks. You struggled to get up to your feet as you ran down the stairs, your breaths coming in short and your head throbbing.

Once you finally reached the end of the staircase, your movement was already limited due to the tight dress, so you lost your footing and tripped over something.

Your head hit the ground so hard to felt dizzy, but it’s not the time to be worrying about that. When you caught sight of what you had tripped over, you screamed in absolute terror. She was yet another deceased maid.

It was the dark haired woman from the kitchen and saw after you had left his bedroom. She had an axe in her skull, the blood pooling around her head stained my face due to the fall.

After struggling to get up off the ground, you noticed the flower had fell out of your head. You ran, looking help in any room. And wherever you looked it was either another dead body or bloodstained walls, D- don’t tell me he’s killed everyone!! You panicked.

Just when you thought you had lost him, there was his painfully playful voice, “Haha, you can run, but you can’t hide! I’ll always find you!”

Your heart rate sped up and you panicked, tears streamed down your face as you wiped them away, along with the blood of your coworkers.

The next thing you knew, you were running into the first bedroom you saw. You didn’t think it was stupid at the time, but you hid under the bed. The closest was too small to fit in.

You cupped your hand over your mouth as you heated his approaching footsteps.

“Oh, where could you be hiding, my flower?” He sang. You heard him walk right past the room and the next one. Nevertheless, you stayed silent.

It was all too perfect.

You weren’t expecting to be dragged out from under the bed by your ankles, you screamed and cried at he did so. You knew it was all too good to be true.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know where my favorite maid would go running off to? I am a god after all.”

Your bottom lip quivered and your body trembled in fear beneath him, “Aw… that fearful look on your face is just adorable…”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small white cloth. Without giving you time to react, he had already pressed it against your nose and mouth. And you blacked out.

You woke up again in an all too familiar room — his bedroom. You sat up quickly, your head aching in pain, but you didn’t give a fuck.

You tried tried moving your arms but they were handcuffed to the bedposts. Beginning to panic, you screamed, “V- Venti! Venti, please… don’t do this!”

You began crying, your tears falling into your lap. It was until a few moments later when you heard a soft tune being played… right next to you?

Opening your eyes, you saw Venti. He had that same damn smile on his face as he stared to you with a look in his eyes that resembled love… but you knew that wasn’t it. If he truly loved me, he wouldn’t have kidnapped me and brought me here.

He was holding his lyre in his hands which also had a decorative Cecilia flower on it. He played a peaceful song on it — a complete contrast to the blood stains on his clothes.

The crimson stained his pale fingers that played the delicate strings of the brown lyre.

Your eyes widened in fear as you stared at him, the tears continuing to rolling down your face. You tried to speak, but every time you opened your mouth nothing came out.

When his song was over, the man set the lyre to the side and wiped some of the blood from off his face with the back of his palm. “Oh, you just love to cry don’t you, my precious Cecilia…” he pouted mockingly, reaching out a hand to caress your flushed, tear-stained face.

Leaning in impossibly closer, Venti pressed his lips against yours in quite a forceful kiss. You wanted to jerk you head away from his touch, to scream, to run away. But you couldn’t… not right now you can’t.

When he pulled away from the kiss he stared at you with a blank expression, “You know too much, Y/n…” He laughed, a bit less playful and a more hysteric. “You’re so lucky I didn’t get rid of you like the rest of them…”

He smiled, “I only kept you because I love you—“

“-Were you in love with Maria? Before me?” You asked, this question has been bugging you since her outburst and you need to know immediately.

Venti froze, his hands on your face falling to his sides. He repeated your question over and over in his mind until he finally said, “‘love’ is a stretch… Maria… Maria was crazy, my flower…”

“Th- then you give her that flower!? Why… why was she so, so damn jealous of me the second we first spoke to one another!?” You screamed, a bit more angry than sad now. In all honesty, you didn’t exactly like Maria, but what he did to her was wrong on so many levels.

“Did you do what you’re doing to me to her? And if you loved her, why did you murder her!!”

His teal eyes closed and he sighed, “If you want the truth, then I’ll give it to you. I did fall in love with Maria at some point, it was bordering an obsession. That is, until I found you,” He smiled.

“Maria was obsessive and a bit delusional. I’ve never put any flower in her hair. She stole it.”

You couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. But it was hard to go against what he was saying when you recall her very last words to you.

“But I knew you would’ve figured that out sooner or later, Little-Miss-Detective.” He laughed a bit, “I knew you would’ve figured me out sooner or later. That why I moved all of those files under my bed. Only someone as daring as you would sneak into my room in look through them.”

“But you’re so smart. That’s what I love so much about you, Y/n,” He presses another kiss to your cheek and you flinch.

Hesitantly, you asked, “A- are you going to do what you did to Maria… to me? Have there been more women you’ve done this to?” You fought back the tears welling up in your red eyes.

“Hey, shhh…. Don’t cry, don’t cry…” he wiped the tears falling from your eyes.

“We’ll be here, together. Forever.”

back to part one !!