ASAP
Diluc points forward, grabbing the attention of Venti, who's been looking at the ground. Venti smiles when his eyes finally see what Diluc's pointing at.
"Nahida!" He calls. The little girl, Venti's sister, looks up, smiling. She's on a skateboard, wearing green knee and elbow pads. The boy, Mona's brother Wanderer, looks up to. They wave, and Nahida looks at Wanderer, who nods, before running over to Venti and Diluc.
Venti envelopes his sister in a hug. They sit like that for several moments, long enough for Wanderer to pick up the two skateboards and walk over.
"We were worried about you!" Venti almost cries, pulling back a little bit before hugging her again.
"I'm sorry," Nahida says into Venti's shoulder. The sound muffled by how tightly Venti is holding her.
Wanderer smiles at the two of them before looking sheepishly at Diluc. "Is Mona worried?"
Diluc nods, frowning slightly. "You let it ring through." Wanderer and Diluc both sigh, only to smile when they look at Venti and Nahida.
"I was busy," Is all Wanderer says, a smile placed firmly, softly, on his face. Is this what Venti meant when he said that they hang out sometimes? If so, it makes Diluc happy, knowing that they could find friends in one another.
It wasn't often that Diluc got to see this side of Wanderer. Usually, Diluc seemed to show up right after or in the middle of a fight between Wanderer and Mona, so seeing him smile so softly was a good change of pace.
"Why didn't you call? Or leave a note?" Venti asks, finally letting Nahida go. Though not even Venti knows if Nahida will have an answer, sometimes you just don't think of it, Venti guesses. But Nahida always thinks of it. She's the smart one in the family, after all.
"I was upset, so we rushed here." Nahida nods at Wanderer's words, standing up from the ground. "She forgot her phone, and I had mine on silent. Sorry we didn't receive any messages."
The answer only gnaws at Venti and Diluc. "Why were you so upset?" They ask in unison, neither bothering to look away from Wanderer despite acknowledging that that was some creepy twin shit. But Wanderer laughs at what Diluc and Venti don't know.
Wanderer looks at Diluc rather than Venti, his next words speaking to him rather than the group. It makes Diluc feel a little nauseous. "Someone said something about a friend, and I lost it a little bit."
"How so?" Venti asks, not seeming to catch onto the look that Wanderer and Diluc are sharing. Wanderer moves his attention from Diluc to Venti for a second, only to look at Diluc again.
He hesitates, silently asking Diluc for permission to speak. But Diluc is still a bit nervous. It clearly has something to do with him, but he can't figure out what it is. Diluc nods, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Barbara, Jean's little sister, has this...problem...with gossiping." Venti nods, though he doesn't know Barbra, or why she, being younger than Jean, a freshman, would even be at the Akademiya. "She may have said something about Diluc..." Wanderer looks down, not wanting to look Diluc, or anyone, in the eyes.
Diluc's throat goes dry. "What did she say?"
Wanderer looks down again before looking at Venti. "I don't know if now is the right time."
"It's okay," Diluc says nodding. He wants to know, his nerves getting the better of him. IT doesn't matter in Venti was there, and he's sure that Nahida already knows.
"She said it was your fault." Wanderer's hands clench at his sides, anger flowing through him at the memory. The statement makes Diluc feel sick. It was his fault, at least he thought so. "But it's not, you did nothing wrong." That only makes Diluc feel sicker, he did didn't he? Wanderer didn't know the full story, no one but Mona and Kaeya knew.
"Thanks for sticking up for me." Diluc smiles, though it's fake. He feels like he's been punched in the stomach. He wants Mona or Kaeya. Maybe they would sit with him, order pizza he didn't want.
Wanderer nods, but he's not looking at Diluc. He's looking at Venti, who is yet to respond. They stand in silence for a moment before Venti speaks. "So I guess I have a problem with Barbara now." He laughs.
But this only makes Diluc frown. "There's no need." He says, putting on a brave face. "It isn't even really gossiping, she just has issues with repeating everything she hears...And now that I'm saying it out loud it is gossiping. Still, there's no reason for you to have a problem with her. She's just a kid."
Venti nods, though he can tell that he's just trying to make everyone think he's okay. But Venti can tell. He knows that look. The look that Diluc makes when he's hiding his panic. Venti has had the same look on his face many times before.
It makes Venti sad, thinking that Diluc doesn't trust him enough to say what he really feels. Though Venti knows it's probably not him. Diluc clearly only trusts Mona. It's no one's fault, Mona was just the one who was there consistently.
"So, now that we've found them we should probably head back, right?" Diluc asks, changing the subject. He really didn't want to talk about Barbara anymore.
Wanderer nods, looking down at Nahida. "We done skating for the day?" He asks, smiling. Nahida nods, standing up from the ground. VEnti doesn't know why she stayed down after he stood up. But Diluc knew that she didn't want to interrupt the conversation between the adults.
Venti nods, taking Nahida's hand. They all turn, starting to walk out of the skate part together. Venti decides not to ask anything else about what happened with Diluc, or why he thought it was his fault. It was none of Venti's business.
They walk to Venti's family's apartment first, somehow it was closer then Mona's place. Venti had called ahead, asking Prince and Haven to sit in the lobby. When they walk in Haven runs for Nahida. "Buer!" She calls out, falling to the ground to envelope Nahida into a hug once she reaches her. "We were so worried! What happened?"
Wanderer wives a half-smile-half-frown. "Sorry, she forgot her phone." He says, only making Haven look up in anger.
"And who do you think you are? Taking her out without asking? Scaramouche you have some explaining to do!" Wanderer flinches at his dead-name, frowning even more. When Wanderer doesn't say anything Haven continues. "I mean it, what were you thinking?!"
Wanderer looks at Prince, whose only frowning and looking just as angry. Wanderer looks at Diluc next, who nods. They deserve to know. "Someone said that Diluc's dad dying was his fault. So I asked Nahi-Buer if she wanted to hang out. I'm sorry, you're right. I should have asked someone first."
But this information only seems to make Prince and Haven even angrier. "Why would it be his fault?" Prince asks, making Diluc feel sick all over again. They were going to find out and then everyone at the Akademiya would find out and they would look at him with pity or disgust and Venti won't want to hang out with him and...wait, no. He did nothing wrong. Diluc tries to remind himself. But it doesn't work. He's going to have a panic attack.
"It WASN'T his fault," Wanderer says firmly, letting a little bit of anger seep into his voice as well.
"By who would think that? Why would they think that?" Haven asks and Diluc is sure he's going to be exiled from Celestia. This is his last moment here, in Celestia, the Akademiya, near Venti. Diluc feels like he's going to puke.
"Because someone started a rumor back in Mondstadt. It's not true." Wanderer frowns, trying not to get even angrier. This was counter-productive.
Prince nods, looking at Diluc, who's trying his best to stay calm. But the panic is hitting him hard. He's breathing at quietly as he can while hyperventilating.
Prince nods at him, seeming to understand what's happening. "Regardless, you need to ask before taking Buer anywhere."
Wanderer nods, turning to Haven. "I'm really sorry, but Diluc has to deliver me to my sister." He's trying to get Diluc out of the situation.
Venti stays quiet, not wanting to interject. But everyone can tell Diluc's having a panic attack. He doesn't want to, but anyone bringing up his dad was sure to set him off.
Wanderer turns to leave before looking at Diluc. He's still standing there, looking at the floor, not realizing that it's time to leave.
"I'll walk you out." Venti smiles at Wanderer and then his parents. He walks in front of Diluc, catching his attention.
Diluc lets himself get lead out of the building, though he doesn't hear what Venti and Wanderer are whispering about.
"Will Mona be able to help?" Venti asks, looking at the floor in front of him instead of the boy he's talking to.
"Mona and Kaeya are the only ones who do." Wanderer's voice is strained. He feel's bad, he never should have told them what Barbara had said.
Venti nods. Though he can't stop thinking. He definitely had a problem with Barbra, if he ever met her, he would make it known. In a less discrete way then his problem with Mona. Though Mona was good in his book now he still could be mean and stand-offish to people he didn't like.
Venti just hopes that this didn't effect how he saw Jean. But it's too late for that, he had a bad feeling about Jean the first time they had met. But now? Oh, he had a bigger issue with those sisters than he had with almost anyone.
Venti wont tell anyone about that, he would rather keep it to himself, even if his behavior gave him away.
Venti watches as Wanderer opens the door, watching at he leads Diluc away to Mona's apartment. Sighing, he walks back over to his parents, look at him skeptically.
"What do you know about what happened to Diluc's dad?" Prince asks, looking at where Haven and Nahida have walked closer to the elevator, waiting for them.
"Just that there was a car crash, Diluc blames himself, though I don't know why." Prince nods at Venti's words before speaking again.
"It wasn't his fault. Barbados, if you even suspect someone is telling other people that, you set them straight. I don't care if I have to fight for you to stay on the Akademyia." Venti frowns, shocked at his dad's words. He's staying that it's okay if Venti gets into a fight. Prince want's him to start throwing punches if anyone even suspects that the death of Crepus Ragnvindr was Diluc's fault.
Ultimately, Venti nods. Something about Diluc makes him decide that it's worth getting kicked out of the Akademyia.
"Will do," Prince smiles at Venti before turning to walk over to the elevator.
"Are you coming?" Prince asks when Venti doesn't start walking with him. Prince is back to his normal chilled demeanor, but there's still a fire in his eyes. Prince is pissed, and Haven will be too when he tells her. Haven wont want Venti starting fights, but he knows his parents enough to know that someone blaming Diluc for something they know nothing about is the thing that starts the fight.
Venti's just following through. Staying by Diluc's side, a ride-or-die, if you will. and Venti's glad to do it. For any of his friends, and right now, after seeing how Diluc reacts to the mere mention of his father, Venti would cross heaven and hell.
"I have some where I need to be right now. Save me some dinner?' Prince nods, turning away quickly so that Venti can leave without being disrespectful.
Oh boy, Venti is just as pissed as Prince. He wouldn't do anything, but he had to talk to Albedo, ASAP.