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tomaytow · 2 years

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we do not mess with the gods

— afab reader, implied one–sided himmel/reader, lots of cursing, probably some inaccuracies about barbatos lore, alternate universe

summary: “you are free to join if you want to,” himmel glances by his shoulder and sends her a gentle smile. “i’d prefer if you were with me.”

“are you kidding? of course I’m coming with you, dude!” [name] pushes her chair backwards, and grabs another cupcake. she pulls her satchel from the coat rack and scowls at him, before putting on her shoes. “you think i’m gonna leave you there all alone? in those ruins that may or may not be cursed? no way in hell, man. not on my watch!”

or: two best friends engage themselves that may put them both in big trouble, but what’s new, anyway?

“Whaf du fu meen yul gow tew de tawsund weends tempol tif lef ot nayt!?” [Name] quickly swallows the cupcake she’s eating when Himmel hushes her to keep her voice down. She glares at him and points him accusingly in the chest. “Shit, dude. Don’t tell me to be quiet ‘cuz this ain’t a private matter!”

It’s currently eleven pm in the evening. A couple of minutes ago, Himmel just simply barged out of his room, wearing some clothes that screamed he’ll be out to go somewhere, with his backpack in tow. He sauntered so casually to the dining room to find [Name] consuming Amos’ homemade cupcakes—and caught her attention by pulling on her sleeve.

Apparently, he was going to announce something.

And this something involved the Thousand Winds Temple.

Himmel sighs and grasps the index finger that belonged to his friend. “[Name], cursing is bad. You better lower your voice or else Mr. Ragnvindr will scold you again. Also, can you please hear me out first? I promise you will be interested!”

[Name] stares at him in disbelief. Himmel. Her crazy nerd friend who’s in love with history (ew, boring), science (convoluted as fuck), and mathematics (barf). Himmel, who excels in every class may it be related to the arts or not, implies that she, [Name], who does not give a fuck about education at all and who prefers just playing around since she’s just still a dumb teenager exploring the world, will be interested in what he’s planning…?

She scoffs, “Don’t say things you’re not sure of! If this is one of those tedious study sessions with you regarding the mechanisms of the Guizhong Ballista or the Sakoku Decree in Inazuma, I swear to the archons, Himmel — I will not hesitate to shove my cupcakes down your throat.”

Himmel giggles amusingly (whispering those don’t belong to you though, they’re for Amos!), and puts both of his hands over [Name]’s shoulders comfortingly. “Please do not attempt that, you know I am already weak—”

“That’s why I can exactly—“

“I’m going underground for the Anemo Archon’s statue.”

[Name] freezes in her position. Interested? Himmel promised that she’ll be interested?

Well, she is now but—

“Okay. I get it. My best friend’s losing his mind.”

Himmel giggles at her once again, before putting on his backpack. [Name] realizes that Himmel is dead serious about this! About visiting (or trespassing?) the underground ruins, where Mondstadt citizens are prohibited to go, but...

For a kid whose wisdom is endless, he’ll find his own ways to break the law just to satisfy his curiosity. [Name] knows that much.

“You are free to join if you want to,” Himmel glances by his shoulder and sends her a gentle smile. “I’d prefer if you were with me.”

“Are you kidding? Of course I’m coming with you, dude!” [Name] pushes her chair backwards, and grabs another cupcake. She pulls her satchel from the coat rack and scowls at him, before putting on her shoes. “You think I’m gonna leave you there all alone? In those ruins that may or may not be cursed? No way in hell, man. Not on my watch!”

Himmel looks happy. When [Name] catches up to him by the door, Himmel smiles even wider. “I knew I can always count on you.”

“Duh. You can always count on me.” [Name] puffs and stretches her arms. “Though, I am reminding you—“

She sways her cupcake with her hand, “We seriously are going to get in biiiig trouble with Jean this time if she finds out. And if Jean finds out, Amos and Mr. Ragnvindr will do, too. That means you’re going to be grounded. And I’m going to be grounded. You know how my mom is literally besties with Amos.”

There’s a twinkle in Himmel’s eye. “Then we will just have to be furtive.”

[Name] is already used to Himmel’s antics.

Well, it is known by the people that [Name] is far more ‘‘troublesome” between them, when it comes to crazy sports activities that involve wind gliding or windtrace. But in actuality, it’s them both.

Himmel can be a little mischief maker too. He will do absolutely everything just for knowledge and [Name] knows that much.

Thankfully though, they have each other – they have each others’ backs when someone is getting lost or maybe a bit too invested with their ordeal. If Himmel is forgetting to take care of himself due to his studies, then [Name] is there to bonk him on the head. If [Name] is pushing herself too far (to her own limits), then Himmel is there to give her the longest lesson about the dangers of over exertion on the human body.

But when they join forces, here’s where no one can predict what happens next.

They will be literally magnets for risks and misfortunes.

Usually, it’s Himmel who follows [Name] around—either to support her or even accompany her—but this time, it’s the opposite. [Name] knows what they’re doing is a bit (or maybe even more) risky but it’s where the fun is. It’s where the thrill is!

Though, she can’t help but be worried over Himmel’s sudden interest regarding the Anemo Archon. She’s figuring it out with her brain, pondering over possible answers. Why, out of all the things in the world, was Himmel intrigued with a god?

So she asks.

“So uh, Himmel,” [Name] calls out, and Himmel hums in response. Right now, they’re inside the Thousand Winds’ Temple underground cave, where, according to the grandfathers and grandmothers, the Anemo Archon’s statue resides. (There’s a story that it sank due to a powerful earthquake, but that’ll be for another time.) “…Yeah. I hate it here. Anyways. What drove you to explore the oh–so holy cavern of the Anemo Archon, huh?”

It was a miracle that she and Himmel had even gotten outside the walls of Mondstadt city without attracting any of the Favonius officers. (She starts to believe that they’re useless, because of a certain red–haired male.) However, she can’t even call it a miracle too when they simply just walked inside the steep entrance of the cave. No one bothers to come here since it’s declared closed to the public, according to Jean.

With their flashlights in hand trying to illuminate the whole area, [Name] inches a little closer to Himmel, who’s just right beside her. Fucking eerie shit. And it’s even quiet! All she can hear is their footsteps echoing through the stone walls.

“Hey. Himmel, answer me.”

There’s a water droplet in the distance. Himmel seems to not be shaken at all. Now the tables have turned – the weakest of the pair is brimming with such courage right now, while the one with the fists and strength is apprehensive. ([Name] should definitely tell him again her fabricated ghost stories so they can be afraid together.)

“Oh, I just want to try something out,” Himmel replies, and they head to the right side. His flashlight reveals an extremely long staircase, where the light can’t reach, so they’ll have no choice but to go down there. [Name] focuses on a graffiti text that said DO NOT ENTER HERE in red. [Name] just cringes and averts her gaze away. Focus on Himmel, focus on Himmel… “And it involves the Anemo Archon Lord Barbatos himself.”

[Name] elbows him on the ribs, hard. Himmel whines from the contact, whimpering how it hurts. If her panic is showing, then so be it. She’s seriously freaking out.

She literally felt a shiver run down her spine when he mentioned their archon—their archon who is still being worshipped, despite being rumored to be gone a long time ago. The famous archon of Mondstadt who’s probably never going to come back anymore.

“Motherf– dude! Come on dude, come on. Don’t make me regret this, dude. Don’t make me regret joining you because I just thought that you wanted a little trip to see the damn Lord Barbatos himself, but nooooo, you’re going to experiment on him!?” She inches closer to his face, “Are you outta your mind!? Remember what the boomers said, we do not mess with the gods. I repeat, we do not mess with the gods. It’s like, the ultimate first commandment of Teyvat! BAH! Who am I kidding? Himmel, I literally don’t give any flying fucks about the archons, but I’m telling you this. Do you know how insane you sound right now?!”

([Name] doesn’t notice how Himmel’s cheeks are flushing faintly.) Himmel puts his hands up in defense sheepishly. “I–I appreciate your concern for me [Name], really, but I got it under control. I– I promise.” His expression turns serious, but there’s still a smile on his lips. “I researched. I would not just go here unprepared! You know that, yes?”

He’s right. Memories come rushing over [Name]’s mind: there are times that their plans almost failed because of external factors but Himmel manages to always find a way. That’s how calculated he is, and it never fails to impress [Name] everytime. Himmel is so damn reliable, even in a life or death situation.

[Name] groans and takes a step back. “Fine, fine. I trust that you have thought this through, but I am still scared of the outcome, okay?” She starts going down the stairs and she wonders where she got her sudden confidence from. Whatever. Everything for Himmel, she guesses. “But if shit goes down, we’re leaving this place, okay? And we will never speak of what happened. Okay?”

It’s illegal to come down here, after all.

“Yes. Also, language please.”

“Okay, so how are we gonna do this?” [Name] questions, a brow raised as she shines over the gigantic statue of the Anemo Archon in front of them. They’ve finally reached the biggest area of this cave — where the statue of Barbatos is located. [Name] can feel the sacredness of the statue so she’s trying to be cautious. Archons only know what could happen if she commits a mistake. “Fuck, it’s dark everywhere…”

“Don’t worry, I brought candles.” Himmel starts bending down and putting on lit candles around the wide space. Even if it’s just a little bit, the candles helped because they can see each other a little better now without the flashlights. [Name] assists him by grabbing more candles from his backpack—this damn nerd brought lots, by the way—and lit up some more.

After a couple of minutes, [Name] finds herself admiring their handiwork. Now the cavern looks like a safe place, but there’s still some creepiness lingering around. [Name] places her hands on her hips and flatly remarks, “Yeah. What we’re doing is literally cult activity. Ugh. This is why I am atheist.”

Himmel motions her to come closer from where he’s standing. “[Name]. Come here.”

She approaches him, and he shows the written symbols beneath Barbatos large feet. They both observe the old writing, and [Name] looks at him questioningly. She’s not that dedicated like him to study the field of linguistics. Himmel lifts on finger, “It's ancient Teyvat language. It translates to: gateway to celestia.”

[Name] is mystified. “Celestia… wait, isn’t that like. Where the highest form of beings live?”

Himmel nods, delighted that his friend is invested. “Indeed! It’s where the supreme beings settle and watch over the whole of Teyvat.”

“Oh, so you want us to go there? Oooookay. And I’m assuming it requires our souls? Damn, dude. You didn’t even tell me that we’re gonna die here—we’re gonna sacrifice our bodies! Well, if we’re going to die here, might as well confess—”

“No, no! Stop, [Name]! Do not say that! We are not going to… also, did you say you are going to confess—?” Himmel stares at her expectantly. Himmel moves closer, who looks more interested than before. “C–confess about—?”

“I’m gonna confess about how I stole your—”

“Alright, alright. Let us talk about that later,” Himmel sighs disappointingly, and [Name] just grins cheekily at him. “Regardless, I am going up there—“

He points at the statue’s cupped hands.

“And I will be performing the ritual.”

“R–ritual— hold on, you didn’t say anything about rituals! Also, no way in hell I’m leaving you out there and you leaving me out here. We’re going together, Himmel.” [Name] flicks him on the forehead. “You’re insane. Now give me your bag.”

Himmel complained a lot, but [Name] just threatened to punch him in the stomach if he wouldn’t shut up. [Name] offered to carry him on her back, because she knew all about his breathing problems. She also didn’t want Himmel to pass out due to exhaustion while climbing the statue. It would even be a bigger problem if he did.

Thankfully, Himmel wrapped his arms around her neck, and his legs around her stomach without any qualms. (For some reason, Himmel immediately accepted the idea and clung to her like a koala. Himmel apologized for being such a burden though, and [Name] reassured him that it was fine. Himmel was light as a feather so it was no biggie.)

It wasn’t an easy feat, because the statue was slim (why is the Anemo Archon petite and slim, anyway?) and [Name] almost fell twice due to her stupidity and due to the statue’s slippery stone clothes. Or robes. Whatever.

It didn’t help that Himmel wasn't a fan of heights either so he just clung himself tighter to her. He whimpered that he didn’t want to fall, not like this, and [Name] did not understand what he meant, so she just did her best to climb over the statue’s body swiftly as possible.

(It would be more of a problem if they both plummeted down the ground. They wouldn’t be able to stand up and go to the Cathedral for some healing if they have fractured bones.)

When [Name] reaches Barbatos’ shoulder, she maneuvers Himmel safely to the other side. Himmel bows her head in gratitude. A tired [Name] just grunts to get over with the ritual already, so after five minutes, they both sit on the statue’s hands.

“Sturdy. We’re not gonna fall, are we?”

“We are not. The statue is built with—”

“No nerdy shit. Explain. Now.”

Himmel shakes his head. “Language…”

[Name] clamors, “Dude, the clock is ticking.”

Himmel snickers. Then, he ducks to unzip his backpack and pulls out two things: one is an apple, and the other… is a bottle of Mondstadt’s speciality.

Dandelion wine. [Name] squints at him suspiciously. “Seriously?”

“We are not going to drink it,” an amused Himmel says. “It is an offering to the Anemo Archon.”

Now it clicks. “Oh. Now I understand why Barbatos is absent… dude’s drunk as hell he can’t even get up.”

“Careful, you may anger the archon, [Name].”

“You know, I am perfectly fine with it. I might even die here anyway so why not seize the moment. You only live once.”

Himmel pouts at her cutely. “Stop that. No one is going to die.” He puts the apple and bottle in front of them—or in the statue’s stoned fingers. Himmel brings his arms over his crossed legs and opens his palms. “Now… my objective here is that we are going to summon the absent archon.”

[Name] doesn’t budge. She glances at the statue’s face for a sec—at least, she tries to—and notices that the head is covered in a hood. “Insane behavior.”

“That is rude, [Name].”

“Am I lying, though? Where and how did you even get this information, huh? About the summoning?” [Name] quips and crosses her arms. “Was it the nuns? Sister Rosaria?”

Himmel closes one eye. “I would love to answer your question, but I am afraid that you will just have to read my paper. It will be in chapter three, and once you are done, you can ask me the questions you desire.”

“Forget it. So, Himmel the Nerd. How are you going to perform this?”

“Hold my hands.”

Easier said than done. Himmel stares at their intertwined fingers for a moment, until [Name] blows a raspberry. Continue, [Name]’s expression says.

Himmel just laughs for the umpteenth time. “Next, we just need to say mea libertas meus canor three times. Though, I presume that it only needs one person for the ritual, but maybe us saying it together will allow the summoning to strengthen.”

“What happens if we say it four times?”

“Mhm, I am not entirely sure. We will find out.”

“Greeaaat, science mixed with divine shit. We seriously are signing ourselves to death.”

Himmel gives her a warning glare—at least, he’s trying to. Himmel’s too much a softie to give someone the stink eye anyway. “[Name]...”

“I’m kidding! Let’s start?”

Himmel nods. He shuts his eyelids. “We’re gonna say it in three.”

[Name] can feel something building up. She guffaws. Himmel looks so damn silly. “Should I, uh, pfft, close my eyes, too?”

“It is up to you. I closed mine for personal reasons, so…”

[Name] doesn’t. It’s better she’s watching in case some stranger things ensue. “Nah. Go start.”

Himmel complies. [Name] knows that what they’re doing is not what teenagers nowadays do unless you’re some part of religious shit. No, what they’re doing is entirely out of pure curiosity and for Himmel’s academics.

Sure, the consequences are unprecedented; they’ve gone through lots of challenges together, but [Name] can surmise that this is definitely the craziest.

Involving themselves with the Archon of their land… man.

[Name] won’t admit it, but she just hopes this summoning won’t work. She’s being a meanie right now, but she doesn’t want anything bad happening to her friend! It’s always bad when gods are included.

“Mea libertas meus canor.” They both say out loud.

They say it again.

And again.

Nothing happens.

It’s silent.

[Name] gulps. Creepy eerie shit fuck. Her eyes check sideways if there’s anything below that seems out of place. Nothing. Just the candles. She returns to Himmel again.

Himmel is not speaking. He still has his eyes closed. Their hands are still latched onto one another.

“It’s not working,” [Name] whispers. Her stomach churns. Now she’s really having a bad feeling. She repeats, “Himmel, it’s not working. Can we go now?”

But Himmel doesn’t reply.

Instead, he grips their fingers. [Name] flinches at this and voices out, “…Himmel?”

“Mea libertas meus canor.”

And just like that, harsh gales of wind gust over the cavern. [Name] quickly scans her surroundings, dumbfounded and utterly confused of what is happening. What the fuck, where did these winds come from?!

She quickly looks back at her friend, who is still somehow inactive (unconscious?) and [Name]’s heart sinks in terror. The bad feeling—! Fuck! She immediately clambers close and removes her hold with his. She starts shaking him, crying out his name, but the winds just get harsher and harsher by the minute.

“Himmel! Hey! You didn’t tell me about this! Himmel, snap out of it! This isn’t funny!”

The candles’ wicks go out, and [Name] watches with wide eyes when Himmel begins to levitate into the air. “Himmel!”

The ends of Himmel’s braided tips begin to glow in a blue light, and other parts of his body begin to brighten as well. In his arms. In his leg. In his neck.

Stunned, [Name] just can’t help but gape at her friend hopelessly in the darkness. She ransacks her mind to figure out what’s truly going on, until—

“Himmel!”

—it abruptly stops.

The candles’ wicks below the statue are mysteriously lit up again. The winds are suddenly gone.

Himmel falls, and [Name] screams his name once more to catch him barely in her arms. Himmel rubs his eyelids as he groans weakly.

[Name] clutches Himmel intimately and tightly to her chest. “You fucker! Don’t do that shit! I was so scared, my heart was about to leap outta my chest! Fuck you!”

“Mhm… that is… some obscene language I’m hearing first thing in the morning,” Himmel croaks out, and [Name] blinks. Wait a second. Huh? Why did it sound… a little different? Is this one of the side–effects of the ritual? Does Himmel have a runny nose or something? Is he sick? Also, morning?

[Name] withdraws herself slightly from him to scrutinize any signs of weirdness, but Himmel remains in her touch.

Himmel yawns, and then opens his eyes slowly—revealing what’s supposed to be cerulean irises, but they’re green. An emerald green. Himmel murmurs weakly, “Is it morning yet, though? If it is, good morning – to whom do I owe the pleasure of cradling me so gently and so lovingly in their arms…?” He smiles sweetly. “And you are…?”

[Name]’s jaw drops.

Signs of weirdness? Forget that. It’s all over him.

Himmel has this under control? He has everything planned?

No.

He doesn’t.

So who the hell is this dude in [Name]’s arms, who’s using Himmel’s body?

“Oh shit.”

#venti x reader #nameless bard x reader #it’s one-sided tho #yeah this was just an idea LOL #i thought it’d be nice to explore this concept #HIMMEL WASN’T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE CRUSHING ON READER #but he moved by himself #and it’s cute #venti #himmel #i literally didn’t know how to write himmel at first but he’s now a cool nerd in my eyes #a nerd who’s not so gullible and not so naive #a cool damn nerd #this is a one–shot ig #tomato.writes

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