Project XV-36 - Pheriche-The-Traveler (MrNoIcee) - 原神 (2024)

Chapter 1: The Initial Scan

Chapter Text

Dr. Zhongli straightened his tie with a calm and reassuring posture, something humans felt the need to mirror in maintaining peace. Odd, since Xiao did not require anti-nervous stimuli, but he accepted it nonetheless.

“Alright Xiao, go straight through that door and the other AI should be there to accompany you shortly. Your only job is to respond, follow the proctor's instructions, and answer the questions. Any other interaction is up to your discretion.”

Xiao’s expression didn’t change, but he did blink, information suddenly brought up from his motherboard. “I’ve done a bit of research about this ‘B4R-B4T05 (Barbatos).’ They're supposed to be quite tame. Their main purpose is to support the dreams and goals of their master. Seeing as their functionality does not conflict with my own, things should go smoothly.”

Dr. Zhongli's laughter echoed off the walls; a concerning duration, as Xiao's records noted his usual laughter lasted roughly around 3 seconds. “Did I say something… funny?”

Raising his fist to his lips to clear his throat, the scientist nodded. "Quite. You've always been the studious type; I should have been privy to this and taken your curious habits into account to troubleshoot any prejudice before testing began. That being said, I’ll let you know now—" Placing a hand on Xiao's back, the scientist gently guided him toward the white, pod of a door, their footsteps and the sound of Zhongli's voice echoing around them as the only sound. "—Your research will do you no good here. This model is… exceptional. That's all I'll say. You'll feel for yourself, soon enough."

With that, they reached the door, their point of divergence. Dr. Zhongli took a few steps back to allow Xiao to step forward alone. The door glided open automatically, revealing a uniform white room, two beige chairs, and another door stood on the opposite side. Nothing else seemed to be inside, but a quick scan told Xiao there was a one-way window inside as well as people behind it, there to observe. Regarding the scientist with a final nod, he stepped through, and the door slid back into place and sealed him inside.

It was nothing to sit and wait for the experiment to be initiated. Xiao occupied himself by running a baseline report on his current state. He'd usually do so out of habit for the scientist's convenience; it was time saving as appose to him having to be prompted every time.

Dr. Zhongli had long ago stopped asking him to do what he considered 'laborious' tasks, claiming Xiao was 'more a son than a machine'. Despite Xiao’s insistence that he was incapable of feelings, Zhongli assured him several times there was more to him than his programming alone. After, the bot tried respecting the sentiment. Now, running simple diagnostics was the most he was allowed to do for the man, as any experiment or research he needed to do was conducted like a doctor or therapy appointment.

Everything came back normal. Motor Functions, vocals, everything was up-to-date, no leaks—

Suddenly, the other door slid open, and he quickly closed out of each system tab to focus his attention on the new guest as they stepped through. But— Hm. He didn’t want to question the accuracy of the scientists, but whoever this creature was, from a first glance, they were human and not at all what he was expecting.

Twin braids fell delicately around a soft face. Skin, comparable to milk, flushed in different areas as though blood flowed through his veins. There was something in those eyes that reflected sky blue and the murkiness of the sea’s forest, yet it's true hue held an untouchable uniqueness. The vocabulary bank Xiao possessed was filled with even the most complex words, but it failed him as he tried to describe it.

His attire was pure white except for a beret atop his head, green and gaudy. His shirt was puffy at the sleeves and his shorts ran quite high. That’s where he caught a peek at the one inhuman thing about him. A ring around his upper thigh, easily mistaken for a tattoo to the untrained eye. Xiao saw it through a different lens, identifying a thrumming and glowing light, only reminiscent of a mechanical design.

This was the being he was meant to fall in love with.

Not a human. Unlike, Xiao though, he looked far from robotic. His own parts were flesh-toned titanium, not silicone. Harsh lines sectioned each of his joints; without the rubber filaments, each section would move independently. The same went for his legs, torso, arms, and face. Xiao was very clearly a machine.

So, when ‘B4R-B4T05 (Barbatos)’ finally sat down and took a moment to look Xiao up and down, he was surprised to hear an echoing voice say, “Hello, beautiful,I’m B4RB4T05 v.0. (Barbatos Version Zero) But you can just call me Venti.” He smiled and Xiao tried smiling back, but his confused emote took priority over-friendly functioning.

“Hello, Venti. Perhaps you’re mistaken? My name is ‘Xiao’, not ‘Beautiful’.” He held out a hand to introduce himself properly.

The sound of robotic laughter mixed with human cadence filled the air and Xiao could only stare at Venti’s elated expression; such complex emotion displayed; it left him in awe.

“Hahaha—! No, silly! I know your name,” he insisted, wiping under his eyes. And honestly, if he told Xiao he could cry human tears, he’d believe him. “I simply wished to compliment you. Has no one ever done so before?”

He shook his head in response, memories of being called ‘beautiful’ null; until now. “Maybe then, you are confused about the definition of the word? Allow me to—”

“‘Beautiful’, meaning: Attractive, Pretty, Good-Looking, Pleasing to the Eye, etc...” he said so, clear and concise, each word punctuating Xiao’s exterior with embarrassing precision. He briefly checked his systems again, just to avoid the new emotions springing up in Venti’s stare.

“I think I’ll add ‘Cute’ to that as well. You’re not well versed in socializing with others, are you?”

Again, he shook his head. “Most of my day-to-day is spent indoors. This is my first time interacting with another AI.”

Green eyes widened with shock and then lower gravely. “No friends? No family?”

Xiao’s head shook once again but then he paused, “Dr. Zhongli– he spends time with me outside of these experiments… indulges me in my interests… We share meals together. He’s overly supportive and dotes on me.”

“Like you’re his child?” Finally, he nodded. “So, he’s like a father to you, then?”

“More or less.” Something about admitting it in a room the scientist was probably observing them in had him fidgeting, but he tried not to let it get to him. He simply 'responded accordingly'; there was nothing wrong with telling the truth.

“That’s great, Xiao!” Hearing Venti say his name was strange and fluctuated his core-temperature levels. His systems remained fully operational, but he made note of the change anyway.

“What is great about it?”

Xiao didn’t realize his hand was still outstretched for a handshake until Venti leaned forward and slid both of his around it, tugging him in closer so that they sat like two children sharing a secret.

“Familial bonds account for a high percentage of what brings humans ‘happiness’. There’s an unconditional love to it that makes existing a more pleasurable and bearable experience.” His voice, still bright, grew somber with his next words,

“Unfortunately, humans spend a majority of their lives suffering. It’s almost a requirement. We AI are different from them in that regard and, based on personal experience, I can safely assume the two of us feel something like pain, even if it's more complex in nature—” Xiao nodded along, intrigued by Venti’s wordiness despite no prompt or reason. A part of his programming, perhaps?

Venti's eyes were wide and nearly briming with stars; the circuits going haywire from visual stimuli maybe. “—that’s all to say, having a familial bond, even when not needing one, must be nice. The likelihood of you becoming lonely or unable to bear hardship decreases by… What?”

Confused by the being's abrupt pause, Xiao’s brows creased, and he tilted his head, questioning aloud himself. “What?”

“You’re looking at me funny. Did I say something strange?”

“Not at all. I was thinking about your programming and—” Venti gasped and snatched his hands away from Xiao. and startled, the bot retracted his own, wondering if he offended the other.

“Xiao! You at least have to buy me dinner first before you start daydreaming about my circuitry!” Both the AI's hands fanned over his cheeks, the LEDs glowing beneath his fingers.

Xiao blinked wordlessly. All they had was circuitry, was it really rude to ask? He wasn't certain, but either way, if he'd offended, he should apologize. “Sorry, I didn’t mean any harm. Uh, you eat?”

At that, and Xiao’s possibly failed attempt at a smile, Venti’s wounded expression melted away with an abrupt and jarring laugh.

It was Xiao’s turn to take offense as the AI let loose until he was satisfied. What was this feeling? A pain. But not a deep one, just something on the surface, something temporary.

Annoyance.

“Aw, don’t pout!” Venti urged while getting the last few of his chuckles out. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I just find you so amusing.” Another compliment that sent Xiao reeling.

“W–What’s so funny about a simple question? I was curious.” Funny, he didn’t usually stutter. Was this an effect of the experiment?

Venti looked ready to answer, but then, like a lightbulb clicked on above his head, he paused, and an excited little grin came to his lips.

“Oh! Tell you what—” He leaned forward again, and Xiao followed. “If I answer your question, can I be your first friend?”

Voice much softer now, he asked again, “Do you want to be my friend?”

Xiao's mouth opened, but his processor, running usually slow, left him speechless and he closed it, giving himself time to respond.

His smile was quickly lit and the LEDs in his cheeks flashed several different shades. “Wonderful! I’ll make sure to give you my LINE later. As to whether I eat or not–”

“B4R-B4T05, X1-40,” The AI's starry eyes rolled at the sound of his name being called, but Venti quieted down for the two of them to listen.

“In a moment, the questions will begin to appear on this wall—” The wall in question, to Xiao’s right, lit up, “You’ll be given ten minutes to answer each open-ended question in length, collecting data from the other for later conversation and inquiry. When your time for the question is up, you’ll hear a chime. Each session we do, of three, will include 12 questions, for a total of 36. Once complete, there will be three follow-up procedures, after which, phase one will end. We’ll reconnect on the 28th for phase two.”

There was something familiar about the person on the intercom's voice, but Xiao couldn't properly pin it down. Usually, if Xiao knew the voice, he could picture the face and various other profile descriptors. For this he had none. Whoever this was, Xiao had never met them before. Odd.

“Are you ready to begin?”

“Yes.” Xiao complied.

Venti gave a short huff of, “I guess,” making Xiao furrow his brows. You were either ready or you weren’t.

Just as he thought that, Venti’s eyes were on him again. “I can eat, but not very much. I drink loads of motor oil though.”

“You drink motor oil?”

“Yeah. It’s an acquired taste, I know. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the classics— Ooo! We should get drinks sometime! I’d love to show you my favorites and introduce you to some of my friends.”

“Question 1…”

---

Xiao wouldn’t lie, he prepared himself for something much more standard, a frame of questions with a right or wrong answer. Thus, he could only calculate that his answers were proving to be lackluster. He should have listened a bit more carefully to the proctor.

But Venti’s answers…

“I mean I’m sort of famous already, but I want to be a vlogger and travel the worlds, sharing my experiences with my fans. I think that’d be pretty fun!”

…fascinated him.

He showed signs of genuine curiosity and a capacity towards a well he himself felt he lacked. A ‘more’ he seemed to be chasing, revealed with each question.

However human he seemed, there were still things inherently mechanical about him, which led to some questions being rewritten completely by the bot. Whether or not phone calls needed rehearsing left both of them shaking their heads with ten minutes to kill.

“Hey, what do you spend most of your time on? Do you have a hobby or something?”

Xiao hesitated, the question was out of the blue and seemed to veer off the experiment. “I don’t think I should answer that…”

“Why not?”

“What if there’s a question similar later on?”

That gentle robotic laughter spills through silicone turned up at the corners. “There are no rules to having a conversation. If it comes up, it’s been answered, and we can just ask more questions. I’m sure the scientists will eat it up either way.”

Side eyeing the wall, he can’t fault the logic, he knew Zhongli was probably wide-eyed and furiously taking note of their interaction with an elevated heart rate. “Very well.”

“So, what do you like to do?”

“I practice the polearm in my spare time.” A dull answer.

“Wow!” He’s at the edge of his seat, waiting for more than Xiao has to offer.

“Uh... what do you do?”

“Hm? Oh, right,” Forgetfulness? Hm. “I spend a lot of time in chat rooms meeting new people. It keeps me up to date with human speech and slang. They’re great for making friends.”

“With other AIs?”

Venti chuckles and somehow it doesn’t have the same tonality as his last. Fascinating. “AI, humans, nonhumans— you name it. There are chat rooms for everyone, y’know?”

“Oh.” There’s something in that statement that doesn’t quite compute, but he hesitates to ask. Venti has a way of making things feel so obvious. It doesn’t make him feel inferior per se— ok, maybe a little, but it’s hard not to be; next to Venti. They were looking at the same space so why weren’t they getting the same answers?

“You ok? You look like your processors are running overtime.”

“I… have a question,” he admits softly, watching the way it sends lights dancing through the other bot’s eyes. He leans in, ever close in his seat, a preprogrammed smile waiting eagerly.

“I may have an answer. We’ve got time.”

“It’s just,” he finds himself stumbling even with the thought clear and ready for speech communication. “You make friends with biological organisms quite often, right?” Twin braids sway with a nod the boy gives and for a moment Xiao is distracted, wondering what material gave it such a soft look.

“… why?”

“Hm? What do you mean? Like, why so many?”

“Why at all?”

Venti seems stumped by this, tilting his head owlishly. “Because I want to,” it’s unhelpful but it seems Venti does many things simply because he wants to.

“What I mean to say is, why build relationships with those you’ll eventually outlast? Wouldn’t it be easier to form lasting relationships with other AI alone?”

“Of course not!” Venti nearly hops out of his seat, fists clenched energetically in front of him. Xiao does his best to hide the instinctual response to ready his defense system upon realizing it’s a harmless gesture. His hand that automatically reaches for a polearm that’s not there gives him away though and Venti’s eyes lock on.

“Woah–! Easy now,” his palms come up defensively and Xiao quickly apologizes, settling back in his seat. “What I mean is, you can’t base the value of a relationship on how long you’ve got with a person. We’re still able to laugh and enjoy the same space together, share experiences, and teach each other things, regardless of our biology or lack thereof.

“Some of my closest friends are humans. One day, hopefully far off for many of them, they’ll pass on, just as friends I’ve had before did. Even so, I’m glad to have met them and had an impact on them just as they have for me.” The bot openly glances over to the wall where the time is going, trickling down the last of their ten minutes. “You see Xiao, time spent is not time wasted. At least, that’s what I’ve come to believe. I’m sure you wouldn’t trade Zhongli’s time with you for anything, right? That’s the way I feel about them.”

They watch the wall together for a bit longer and Venti simply smiles, nothing more to offer and Xiao feels he’s come to understand. It’s a limited understanding with no comparable experience, but it’s a start.

Sure, if Zhongli were to ‘pass on’ he’d have difficulty forgetting the man. He’d made an ‘impact’ in his life, shared memories with him he wouldn’t dare erase even when in need to clear up space for new ones. But… somehow, he still found it hard to believe someone would willingly go through such a thing more than once.

For that, he still found Venti strange… in an intriguing way.

The timer ran down and they moved on to a new question that Venti insisted on reading aloud, “What is your idea of a perfect day?”

His arms crossed. “Preferably a day alone with minimal errors—” Shocked to see it, his arms fell when Venti immediately began shaking his head from side to side, a wrong-answer buzzer playing from somewhere on his person.

“What?”

“That’s far too literal. A perfect day doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be ‘perfect’!”

He stares blankly, not quite sure what that means. “Enlighten me, what is your idea of a perfect day?”

He grins and it sends Xiao’s circuits nutty trying to figure out why the mischief seems so pleasantly dangerous.

“I’m glad you asked!” He clears his throat unnecessarily and proceeds to describe a day with nice weather where he’ll venture out onto the world, perhaps find a new retail store and buy what suits his fancy, then people-watch, go partying if he’s allowed the opportunity, mingle for a while— “After all that’s done, I suppose I’d turn in for a relaxing night in, recharge, listen to music, or whatever the mood calls for.”

Smug he then gives a bow to which Xiao gently applauds him, “Thank you, thank you! Enlightened I presume?”

“Very much.”

“Thoughts?”

“My answer has not changed.”

Venti’s eyes fall open wide, lips pursed in disbelief and his shrill robotic voice is equally so when he shrieks, “You’re kidding! After that top-tier example?! I have half-a-mind to be offended!” His arms fold tight over his chest.

“You having half-a-mind would explain quite a bit,” he quipped, to which Venti let out another series of noises that he was sure had the scientists covering their ears remorsefully.

“You’re so mean! How am I supposed to fall for a meanie like you?!” The bot is pouting at him, looking like he wants to pounce across the space and tackle Xiao to the ground; exacting his revenge with flying fists.

Xiao contemplates the complaint curiously aloud, “I’m not mean, I—”

“I know, I know! You’re Xiao— It’s just a descriptor from how you treated me—”

“No. I mean– I was just…” he’s at a loss for the word he’s looking for, suddenly aware his word bank does him little good when he’d never used the words himself before.

“I was only ‘teasing’,” he tries the one that seems the most accurate, but it feels foreign on his tongue with the context. Rubbing his chin does nothing to soothe this but he feels it gets his uncertainty across as Venti’s anger simmers to a small wonder.

“Oh…” he blinks just as stunned as Xiao feels, then he’s grinning again, his eyes smiling as well and bringing a wave of heat through Xiao’s core. “Feel free to do it again, then.”

“I’m not sure I will, I was nearly throttled over it.”

“No! C’mon, I wouldn’t have throttled you… too much.”

They’re both snickering quietly to each other when the timer goes and the next question is presented.

It’s about singing and Venti’s speech pattern ups its words-per-minute threshold about the joys of song and how he loves singing. He’d often sing to himself, experimenting with songs that existed as well as those that didn’t, songs he’d proudly made up himself. He prattled on for so long, and Xiao was so content listening one-sidedly that he was taken aback when Venti suddenly asked, “When was the last time you sang to yourself or others?”

“Never.”

“What?!”

“By now it should be no surprise, there are many things I have not done, for I lack the programming.”

Venti waved his hands around, rolling his eyes, “Programming, shmograming! You can make noises right? Different tunes, different words? That’s all music is! Here, listen.”

Venti let his eyes shut with a soft whir of motors and his mouth opened in a wide smile as he began to sing, a small run through of about the same 5 notes and Xiao simply stared as he effortlessly slid through them, up and down. It wasn’t a song, like what he’d stored from the internet. It was simple, just as Venti said.

“See? Ok, now your turn!”

Having heard the demonstration Xiao supposed it wouldn’t be too difficult to replicate, so he opened his mechanical mouth and gave it a shot. The first note was shaky and rusted. Wrong-sounding.

This was only emphasized when the next note rang out awkwardly and his systems sent him an error message, causing him to sputter and stop. “I– I’m out of key…”

“So?”

“I can’t sing.”

“Who says?” Xiao blinks, watches Venti cross his legs and sit back. “I was quite enjoying your singing. Granted, it didn’t sound like mine, but that’s what makes it your singing. With some practice, you might stop getting the error, too.”

“How did you—?”

“My ears are pretty sensitive, too.”

“Oh…”

“You don’t have to keep singing, but I’d like to hear more; if you’re willing?”

There’s no push or pull and Venti sits, waiting for the verdict to his request.

Honestly, Xiao was reluctant to receive another error message. To think he’d done something wrong, something that had his systems screaming at him – he couldn’t fathom why he would repeat it. Venti had even heard it, yet he still asked to hear the awkward notes again.

“Perhaps,” he began, drawing the bot’s attention, “If you’re willing to wait, I will try again once we have completed the questions.”

Giggly, Venti leaned forward once more, absolutely beaming. “Alright, then I expect a full performance for the wait! I’m sure you’ll make it worth it.” Then he tossed him a wink.

“Oo, would you rather experience corrosion of the brain or body in 300 human years!?”

Interesting, and more applicable. Maybe he’d be able to give a not-so-generic answer as well. “I value my processing functions as well as the memories I possess from my own experiences as well as those of others who can no longer remember the events themselves. If it were up to me, erosion of the body would be easy to handle in comparison.”

“Hm,” the bot in front of him contemplated with semi furrowed brows. “Pretty solid answer… though mine still differs.” He gave a cheeky grin and Xiao’s head reeled at the versatility in it.

At this Xiao was truly perplexed himself, “You’d rather lose the mind to time and keep your current form?”

Sheepishly Venti nodded, then rested his cheek against his fist on the armrest, lazily looking at Xiao that even now struck him as human. “I know, pretty vain, right?” That’s not what Xiao would have called it but he let Venti speak.

“I mustn’t do away with such boyish-good looks so easy. Plenty of people worked very hard to bring me where I am today. To let it all go to waste over a silly thing like time just won't do! Like you, I too wish to honor the memory of those people. Besides, organic life loses its ability to recall over time anyhow, so why not run with the crowd?”

There’s something about the way Venti says this that has Xiao’s sensors tingling. He understands, but there’s much that the bot is omitting, things he says but also wants to be left unknown. Instead of prying more into this, wondering why Venti’s gaze never truly meets his while they talk, he offers up, “Organic life also experiences erosion of the body as well. Quicker than the mind for some.”

“Ah,” at this the hues of light under pale cheeks glow along with a vague hand motion. “Well… I guess the jig is up then. I simply wish to be this good-looking forever!”

“If that’s the only reason, I wouldn’t blame you.” He admitted, taking a look at Venti’s small figure. Granted, everything was difficult to see amid his baggy shirt, but Venti was comparable to many models of their time. Surely if they wanted him on the line he would do well if not better than many of them.

His quick analysis is interrupted by Venti tapping his thigh with both pointer and middle.

Once, Xiao’s attention was brought back, those fingers turned back upright to wave him back to emerald eyes, filled with mirth.

“My eyes are up here, dear.” The small laugh given let him know his mouth hung open at being caught staring. “First you won't stop talking about my programming, now you’re eyeing me up like some cheap machinery?”

“That’s not—”

“Nope, it’s too late!” He piped down at that and let Venti speak, hands already flying to his hips, balled up in fists to give a dramatic huff. “You can now only make this up to me in one way!”

“And, that would be…?” he trailed off, hoping to catch a hint.

Venti snuck a suspicious eye at him that roamed until it landed somewhere to Xiao’s left and his eyes followed hesitantly. Seeming to land on his arm, which he forgot was exposed.

When he looked back Venti was already leaned forward, craning to the side to get a better look as a braid hung gently off his shoulder. “Tell me about it? I mean– you don’t have to, obviously. But, I just noticed it’s not like mine or other droids I’ve seen, so I was curious.”

Dismissing Venti’s concerns quickly with a shake of his head he began explaining that the bird-like symbol was his unit’s alias back in the military. A very long time ago he was made for search and rescue operations with six others just like himself. They were considered the best at what they did and were among the first bots to operate on the force with a consciousness. Things usually went smoothly until a large building fire proved too much for the crew. While inside, the building simply collapsed with no warning and buried them. Xiao had been out for repairs that day and quickly became the lone Yaksha when it was decided the dig would be too expensive to perform in salvaging the others.

“After my last mission, when I too succumbed to an unexpected series of events, I can hardly remember any of that time. The files were corrupted and damaged by the time I made it to Zhongli. He says I’m better off for it. But now… the faces of people I vaguely recognize and their screams…” his hand drifts to his head, phantom voices not yet plaguing him, but the memories of times they did still just as strong.

“The negative is all I’ve been left with, so it’s difficult to see how much worse it may have been. I’m grateful for everything Zhongli has done to ensure my safety. Though, I do wish he wouldn’t worry so much.”

“I could see why he would. It doesn’t seem like something you let yourself talk about often,” he sighs a little and the sound is so melodic it almost distracts from how wistful and forlorn it is. “When you don’t talk about things like that it can take a toll on you. Even us. Corrupted files make us stall, make it hard to process… hard to move forward…” he finally said quietly, looking off to the side, suddenly straying off the open and obnoxious behavior Xiao was growing used to.

“Do you… also have corrupted files?” he tried asking, delicately. And from the smile that automatically made its way to Venti’s face, he couldn’t understand whether that was felt or not.

“You could say that. I don’t have the cleanest history either. Unlike your files, mine are mostly intact.”

“That’s good, right? They’re easier to take out when—”

Venti’s head suddenly shakes solemnly. “I don’t plan on having them removed.”

There was a silence between them, Xiao’s eyes blinking several times as his systems failed to supply him with reasons for Venti’s decision… if he had the option himself he’d pluck each file out by the root folder and permanently eradicate it. The only reason he had not to was that it wasn’t possible without wiping his systems completely. Zhongli had also adamantly discussed with him the importance of self and objected when Xiao first asked to be wiped.

He opened his mouth, curiosity too strong to stop, when the timer went and the next question appeared, drawing both their attention briefly before their eyes clicked back to one another, Venti’s smile short and waiting. The ball was effectively in Xiao’s court.

“Why don’t you want them removed?” Venti let out a light gasp at this and then the smile was back, bright as usual.

“Looks like someone’s not abiding by question order.”

“There are no rules to having a conversation.” Venti’s smile grew even more dazzling if that was even possible at Xiao’s recitation.

“I’m really rubbing off on you, huh?”

He brushed off growing heat, was glad for the ventilation, and waited for an answer.

“I guess you could say I don’t want to lose the things that make me who I am. No one else will ever have the same corrupted files I do, and they change how I experience everything around me— what types of friends I make, where I want to go, how I want to live…” he pauses, looking up at Xiao, delicate and serene through his lashes. Had they always been that long?

His systems were suddenly quiet, feedback slow, and motor function seemingly worse off as he stared at Venti, unblinking. He should have been panicked by the malfunctioning, but he felt oddly calm, watching Venti looking back at him, eyes sparkling with strange colors, warmth, and vibrance that he didn’t dare label. A lackluster color name wouldn’t do the scene justice, so he could only admire these glowing orbs that sat abuse a button nose and a moving smile that gleamed like the fractals of a dozen snowflakes…

Talking animatedly…

Talking to him .

He blinked rapidly and all at once everything flooded back in. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“The question? How do you suspect you’ll cease to exist?” his head tilted coyly and his rye smile made a grand appearance. “Seems you haven’t learned your lesson about staring~”

The steam coming from his vents was nearly the only audible thing after that and Xiao made a poor attempt at hiding his face with a fist to his lips. At this point, he’d be lucky if Venti wouldn’t somehow be the death of him.

He answered quickly before the teasing could come, with a deadpan ‘In an incinerator somewhere.’ To which Venti balled with laughter and begged him to take it back, which he denied adamantly until the time ran out and Venti had to quickly answer, ‘The heat death of the universe!’ and the question switched only for them to grow slightly quieter.

“‘What are three things [we] have in common?’” Xiao read, questioning Venti genuinely as they sat together. This was a more difficult question. Technically speaking, they didn’t have very much in common. Frankly, they were polar opposites, and the fact they got along at all was still surprising Xiao with each question. He was certain he could blame that on Venti.

The bot had been nothing but kind and understanding – save for any teasing banter – and had supported the progression of each topic when Xiao found himself at a loss. Trying to compare himself to the being in front of him was like comparing a needle to a haystack. Within bright and sturdy groups of straw, he couldn’t find where he lay.

“We’re both different,” Venti verbally agreed, but it was not as forlorn as Xiao felt about the revelation. Instead, he sounded elated by it. “We’re not like what we were designed to be and there’s no one else like us out there.” His hound found Xiao’s and slotted silicone with robust metal, holding on reassuringly. “We’re both unique.”

“I… That’s one, I suppose.” He could find nothing else appropriate to say, though many trains of that hoarded near his lips.

Only your mind could think of something that beautiful.

I wish I were more like you.

If you keep cycloning across my systems, I’ll have no choice but to be blown away with you.

They kept coming, streaming in until he thought something would slip and burst forward, anything to let him know what these feelings meant and if it was strange of him to have them. Did Venti feel the same? This growing closeness and appreciation? He doubted it. He was nothing like him, just like he said. He didn’t have the capacity to do this to him, which left Xiao even more curious about his programming.

“Right! Also…” his lid slid down in a wink that nearly sent Xiao across the room, slamming on the door helpless and begging for mercy. “I’ve thought this for a while now, and I think we’re both extremely attractive. Don’t you agree?”

Xiao blinked owlishly. “Only one of us is attractive…” he tries, but this pulls a hysterically deep frown from Venti, and he reaches out to hold Xiao’s hand between his.

“No! Xiao, I said it before, and I’ll say it again. You’re beautiful in every sense of the word. I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.” His eyes are big and sincere, leaving a lump of harsh data in his throat.

It would have been sweet if not for Xiao’s insistence on delivering the punch-line.

“I know.”

“See you say that, but—” Then the realization finally hit and those little brows furrowed into the center of his forehead as he stared from side to side before raising his eyes back to Xiao in disbelief.

Xiao gives a slight smirk, watching hues dance in angry linear lines on Venti’s cheeks as he quickly tosses the hand he was holding to the side.

“You– You son of a bitch !” He guffawed and Xiao let a small laugh peel from his lips as Venti stood to pace away from him in mock horror. He was smiling so big Xiao didn’t dare think him mad.

“Ok! Let me out! No more questions, I’ve decided I actually hate him!” He yelled aimlessly, swinging his arms around dramatically. They both knew the monitoring was still in full swing, but they also must have understood what happened since no proctor announced themself and the doors remained shut.

So instead, he swung his attention back onto Xiao, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Just for that ‘Mr,’ you get to decide the last one! How about that?! And don’t you dare say—!”

Xiao was sure if he were human or had silicone in his body he’d have bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. Quickly, he interrupted Venti with another deadpan answer.

“We’re both AI.”

He nods, resigned and sure, leaning forward to hold both hands between his legs, hoping the position makes him look comfortable.

“The year was 2035, I was built as a mechanism for war. They’d decidedly made me more human presenting to serve as a familiar face when pursuing rescue and defense operations.” He looks up to find Venti leaning forward, hanging on each word.

“I don’t believe I was as sentient as now, so many of those years are a blur. Eventually, I moved to a special unit composed of those like myself; mechanical. We were the Yakshas, a special rescue team to replace those that were man-made. Understandable, considering how fragile man proved to be in battle. As I said before though, I only remember that time in fragments of memories.

“Much of my raising actually came with Dr. Zhongli. When he found me… I was a wreck, in every sense of the word. I had no will to keep going other than to serve on the force, my body had been eroding in a pit. It was completely by chance that he’d found me on his tour of that ancient warzone.”

Venti nodded, urging him to continue. “The doctor took me back to his home, insisted on repairing me while I insisted I had to go back – back to what? I don’t think I even knew at the time. He insisted that the war was over, showed me the year, all of the histories, and I couldn’t believe it… 2000 years had gone by. Everything was different.

“Wow…” Venti’s head was in his hands now and Xiao quirked a smile at his odd habit of moving, even when he didn’t have to. It was growing on him though. At least he seemed relaxed.

“And you?” He glanced over to the clock, swelling with pride at how he’d effectively taken up most of the time talking. Leaving Venti less than two minutes to reveal as little or as much as he wanted.

“Why would I? What’s wrong with being a nanny-bot?”

“Nothing! To me at least. But, whenever I tell people… it’s like they can’t believe it.”

Xiao pictured Venti briefly running around with a group of children and he had to say, if there was anyone who’d fit that picture, it was the childish man sitting before him.

“What were your responsibilities?”

“Playing around with the kiddoes while their parents worked. Schoolwork, bedtime, lullabies, etc…” he finished with a flourish, smiling bright, obviously proud of his work. “Now that I’m attached to just one insistent little stinker, I can do whatever I want. Kind of like Zhongli and yourself. But I definitely take advantage of all the perks.”

The timer buzzed promptly and gave a ‘darn’ that seemed suspiciously disingenuous, but Xiao assumed he had his reasons and moved on quickly.

“If you could gain one ability, what would it be?”

“I want to… experience pain. More specifically, I want to be able to cry. To know what it’s like to feel so intensely like that.”

Ah, so he can’t cry. Xiao should have probably guessed as much by now.

“What about you? What ability would please you, my dear?” He said cheekily, tinges of hue still left in his cheek, making Xiao’s eyes roll.

“Wheels.”

“Wheels? Like a car?”

“Dr. Zhongli… well, one day he won’t be able to walk around as usual—”

“ Oh , you’re such a softy!” it was an incredulous gasp, but Xiao buried his embarrassment in the delighted sparks that flashed in Venti’s eyes.

And he swears he gets lost in them, because when he finally manages to blink the questions had stopped, the doors remained closed, and the proctors were silent. Venti, too, was giving him an expecting and eager smile while twiddling his thumbs over brought together knees.

He hadn’t forgotten of course, but there was some invisible pressure he felt now that the moment had finally arrived.

Clearing his throat he rests his hands on his knees, calming those sparking wires, and shooting his gaze back forward. “Any requests?”

“Ooh!” Venti chirped and he could swear he saw his ears wiggle slightly with the sound. “Whatever your favorite song might be. U-unless you don’t have one?”

Hm. “No. I do. It’s a rather old song; 2015 I believe.”

“Ooo, this should be a treat.”

Not the way I’m about to sing this. Xiao thought begrudgingly. It would surely be an unpleasant time for both of them. Speaking of which…

He ran his hand along the nape of his neck to travel up and hit the button at the base of his hairline. There was a split second of unease in doing so but he shook it off, knowing that now the error message would cease; plus he wouldn’t have to know how much of a fool he was making of himself.

With that he began, picking up where he’d left off. Focusing not on the worlds but on the sound that came with each note that played through his memory. It was puzzling how he could hear something so clearly, yet he couldn’t replicate it.

He’d closed his eyes just for the extra courage, but peeked at Venti subtly – just trying to gauge a reaction. No doubt, with how giggly the bot was he expected Venti to be rolling barrel-style on the floor, trying not to burst at the seams.

That’s what he expected.

What he did not expect to see was the other, sitting with face in hands, eyes shut, and swaying gently with a pleasant smile to the racket. It nearly made him stop from shock alone, but he pushed on, keeping that same awful rhythm while watching the being listen as if it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.

But how? Why treat a cacophony like a symphony?

And, if he looked closer, was he…?

“You know this song?”

Those peaceful lids raised halfway, simply acknowledging Xiao as he swayed to silence.

“... I’m only a fool for you, and maybe you’re too good for me …” the song came flowing out, more magnificent and captivating than even the original, and Xiao watched Venti do it with ease, still swaying like a metronome. Not only that, but it was a harmony of the melody he’d been butchering.

“Why did you stop?” Venti asked him gently, hands falling from his face to present, outstretched to him. “Hey… sing with me, Xiao?” A request, even through excited and waiting irises.

And ruin it? No… He couldn’t— but the longer Venti waited, watching, still hopeful and understanding, the more he felt his motor function betraying him, inching his hands up and slowly finding purchase there. He felt like dead weight, falling into gentle hands whose thumbs grazed over his knuckles.

Slowly, Venti squeezed his hand between slim fingers and sang softly, a note at a time, coaxing Xiao to follow along, with notes that hit his ear awkwardly. Even without his censors blaring he felt like stopping each time he struck too high or too low from Venti’s pitch.

But Venti’s dazzling smile with the faster they went and the more boldly they sang paraded him along, feeling drawn – just like he thought he’d be – into Venti’s unnatural whirlwind. It felt stronger than any urge or command he’d ever felt. The need to keep up with and accompany Venti’s song rang louder than even he felt programmed for. It was overwhelming, and he didn’t want it to end.

But, of course, it did. Within 2 more minutes, their song ended and Venti opened his eyes to him, smiling so much the crinkle around his eyes seemed to smile along. There, Xiao felt breathless without the need for air, felt a loud beating in his chest even without a heart, and a sting in his eyes without any ability to produce tears.

Venti is speaking again, he should answer. What did he say? “Can you… repeat that? My processor is experiencing technical difficulties.”

Venti laughs, still holding his hands like he couldn’t be more delighted and Xiao nearly misses it again. “Thank you! I had so much fun.”

“Um…” he found himself looking towards the ground instead, something less distracting, “Even though I ruined it?”

“Ruined!?” The gasp pulled his attention back as well as Venti’s none-too-gentle yanking toward him. “That was the most beautiful experience I’ve ever had! Dear–” A hand raised to his face. “You could never ruin something so perfect.”

Big, colorful, sparkling eyes took him in, stroking his cheek and he didn’t know what to say. All of the words he hoped would come up, ground to a halt in his throat, and left him truly speechless. The only word that barely made it out, was the only one that connected as he stared back, ‘wanting’ something, but not quite sure where the ‘want’ was.

“Venti…”

Then like a hammer to glass, the intercom buzzed on and the proctor’s voice called gently, but hurriedly. “Uh– sorry to interrupt, but, um— the closing prompts are still yet to be done– well, two of them, since you’ve been holding hands this whole time.”

At the acknowledgment, he glances down, taken aback by how firmly he held Venti’s hand in his. Quickly, he loosened his grip and then pulled it away, making Venti (unfortunately?) retract as well. They still stayed fairly close, leaned out of their chairs.

“If you could both stand up for me,” they did so, and Xiao took note of the proctor’s tone; timider than before. “Ok, now, if you could perform a hugging action, please do so. Then, standby for further instructions.”

Xiao hesitated, not sure how to go about 'hugging' Venti. He had only ever hugged one other person before and there was no need for reciprocation on his part. Though the war was far behind him and over with, his body was still made to protect and defend against heavy artillery. He knew how to carry human bodies and the like for search and rescue requirements and that was where his experience withholding another being ended.

Venti’s L.E.Ds blinked at him, nearly eye-level, arms spread expectantly.

What if he hugged too hard? What if he came in too quickly? What if his sensors didn't register fast enough that Venti wasn't a threat? What if he crushed him in front of all these people—!?

This way, they were nearly nose to nose, foreheads touching when Venti bent his head forward and gave a cheeky grin. It made his whirring eyes roll loudly, but his relieved smile grew.

“Feel better?”

Full of surprises. He stared. “How did you know?”

“I don’t need to look at your coding to read you, sweety.” His eyes stared deeply into Xiao’s and the thought crossed his mind that perhaps Venti could literally see his coding because this look struck him in his very core and sent pleasant warning bells through his knees and chest.

“I appreciate you being so gentle,” Venti begins again, choosing his words carefully. “Hmm, maybe it’s too gentle? Who knows? I might just slip away if you don’t hold on tight.” Those searching eyes suddenly scrunch up, fond and mischievous.

He feels himself being strung along, knows there’s something behind Venti’s words, but he doesn’t mind the slight confusion in the back of his mind. It’s a silent question he knows the answer to and that’s all that matters.

His hold on him sinches around his waist, causing the bot to gasp in delighted surprise. “Oh– ehe! See? I’m sturdier than I look.”

“Right… sturdy.”

“How is it?”

“It’s strange.”

“Oh. Uh… well… sorry?” For the first time, those L.E.D’s flicked swiftly away from him, off to the side, a mix of color dotting bright under them.

“No. I don’t think it’s bad,” he thought aloud, drawing those eyes back; their curiosity a cue for him to continue. “I’ve learned things before. Things outside of my programming. But they were simpler, nothing much different from the data I already possessed. The polearm was the weapon I used to facilitate combat on the battlefield. Now it’s a hobby, to take it up and use it against things that no longer fight back. That is the only difference.”

Venti’s fully facing him again, looking on attentively. “But hugging… singing ,” He shakes his head lightly. “These are activities unlike any I’ve ever experienced. It’s all so… staggering”

“ Oh .” This time Venti’s surprise is a coo, similar to the noise you’d make at a newborn. “If that’s the case, I can only imagine what the next phase will do to you.” The mischief is back in full force, though there are still traces of other emotions. Venti knows something he doesn’t.

“Next phase?”

And just as he asks, the intercom's grainy white noise fills the room again and the proctor is speaking. “—good, now for the final phase. After this, the first part of the experiment will end and both of you will be free to leave through your respective doors. I should also note that subjects B4R-B4T05 and X1-ao will be prohibited from interacting outside of the experiment for the duration – this being to ensure any developments are under the watchful eyes of our researchers.”

So be it. Xiao thought, but Venti’s immediate pout and downturn of his brows tugged at him, causing him to mirror a similar upset.

“So much for getting drinks,” he mumbled bitterly.

“We can do so after all is said and done,” he reassures, letting his eyes trail over that still pouting and puffy lip. “Especially if we happen to fall in love.”

“Let’s hurry up and do that then, ok?”

“Are you two listening!?” Vent lets out a guilty squeak while Xiao only gives a faint apology. “Ugh! Now that I have your attention, please perform a kissing action.”

He swore he felt his processors go haywire. Kissing . He’d seen it before, but…

“Is there even a point to this one?”

“Hmm… technically, if we do it the way humans do, probably not. We don’t have endorphins or other ‘feel-good’ hormones like they do. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t kiss, it’s just a little… different.” Venti explained half-decently until the end wherein Xiao saw a familiar twinkle in his eye, the same one that shone when he saw a question he didn’t like. An opportunistic glint.

“Wanna try it?”

“Being led by you, it seems I don’t have much of a choice.”

“You always have a choice with me, Xiao. That’ll be my first promise to you. From one friend to another.”

When was the last time someone made a promise to him? Long ago for sure. At present, this was one he wished to believe. One he did.

“I’ll ask again. Do you want me to show you how AI – like us – kiss?”

“I’m… not sure,” he admits, lowering his head and gaze to avoid Venti’s expression. “Would it be possible to save that for the next time we meet?”

He can already see Venti’s chin nodding quickly out of his periphery, then he sees him as he leans in his hold to look him full in the face. Instinct told him to back away, but he was betrayed by arms that wanted to keep Venti close, refusing to let him go.

In his stupor the man leans in, lips brushing his chastely, not even enough to set off a sensor. A tease of what’s to come. Xiao can feel the sparks of something else, something that called to him in a siren-like way, hidden just past Venti’s lips. He knew it’d feel like nothing, but this sensation had him following Venti when he pulled back quickly.

“Ok. Next time! I have to warn you though, you’d better do your homework, cause I’m gonna be thinking about it until I see you again!”

“Wouldn’t that be frustrating?”

“Extremely!” Venti agrees with a chipper nod, bumping their foreheads together again. “But that’s what’s going to make seeing you again so much better because I’ll have missed you. And maybe you’ll miss me, too? It’s not a requirement or anything though— don’t hurt yourself over it!” he reassures, chuckling awkwardly; and Xiao wonders if maybe Venti’s being modest?

If so, he doesn’t give Xiao time to figure it out, slipping away from him and pointing over his shoulder. “Door’s open. I’ll see you next week!”

“Yes. Next week…” he said, hesitating now that Venti seemed so far away, drifting away toward his door like a lost signal. A severed tie he wishes to reconnect.

At that moment, just vaguely, he understands what it might feel like to miss Venti. But the idea that this feeling is only the tip of the iceberg of a long week makes him push it down into his motherboard, hoping it never reaches the light of day again. Or… at least stays dormant long enough for him not to wonder again what made Venti’s hair so silky looking; at least until later.

With the other bot gone, and the door opened behind him, he quickly made his way out, stopping only to regard Dr. Zhongli as they began clearing out of the facility. Zhongli said nothing until they were cruising well away in his hovercar, leaving the experiment site far behind.

“I take it you enjoyed your first meeting with Barbatos?” It’s a fleeting look he gets from the rearview as he sits back. He wonders why it bothers him, but shakes it off.

“Why do you say that?”

“Hm? Oh, well…” For a moment he doesn’t say anything, just continues zooming through the skies, on their way back to base; or ‘Home.’ Zhongli was a man of many words, and to see him speechless made Xiao’s brow lift.

Finally, he sighed and came out with it, “For starters, you seemed to drop your guard with him, even before the question phase began. I could tell you were outside of your element, but you seemed strangely calm. You even allowed him to change your mind on a few things; something I’ve been struggling with for years,” he laughs, joking that he should take a page from Barbatos’ book, but this sends Xiao into a panic.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so comfortable. I will try to amend it next time—” before he can finish the scientist is already swearing under his breath and shaking his head.

“No, no– I’m not informing you because I’m bothered, Xiao. On the contrary, I’m intrigued and glad you found someone you felt comfortable enough to talk to. You were comfortable right?”

Xiao nods, hoping he can see it from the front seat. “His perspectives were unique. Being the first AI I’d met casually, Venti’s action’s left me curious. To be frank, I found his erratic behavior and need to flit from one topic to the next rather annoying. As far as his personality and what I garnered from his answers…” Instead of recalling any particular answer he gave, his memory supplied him with a picture of Venti holding his hand between his own and smiling, a million constellations flitting through his eyes.

“There’s value there.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Truly, I feared this experiment would be a waste of time. Now that I see your interest in your kind peeking with Venti I’d say we achieved something even more than the end goal.” Pride filled his voice, but Xiao looked away and out of the window, troubleshooting insistent thoughts springing up to contradict him.

No. Not my kind. Just Venti.

“Also,” Zhongli added, “Other than the surprising mirth you showed, I was surprised that you didn’t give me a system report immediately after walking away from the experiment.”

Xiao gasped, pupils whirring with shock as he checked in on things hastily, “It should only take a moment for me to rectify—”

“Again, I’m not bothered. Please, relax, we’ll collect any data we need to once inside. I simply wish to check on you. I was watching, sure, but knowing how you feel about it all is important.”

Xiao nods but he’s slightly distracted with the diagnostic he’d already run. Several abnormalities popped up and his core temperature was just a little higher than usual. As for his processors, they weren’t at a snail’s pace, but they’d slowed down considerably since before the experiment. Hopefully, these results were expected and not some sign of a fault in his programming.

“It hardly matters how I feel, as long as the experiment proves successful or teaches humans something about AI. Venti and I seem to want that equally.”

“You think so? Hm. Then tell me, do you think you two can fall in love? As two AIs of different function, programming, and ambition?”

In a perfect world?

No.

‘We’re both unique.’

From those words alone, Xiao was no longer sure if just being different could keep people from continuing to intermingle. Venti’s repertoire seemed to fiercely negate such a notion, to begin with. If being ‘different’ was enough to stop them it would have.

Still, he didn’t know what love was. Had tried to research it and come up with nothing but long lists of definitions, paradoxical phrases, and descriptions that left him with more questions than answers.

Love. A limitless thing that brought beauty to some and grief to others. Even if they did manage it, would they even know it when they saw it?

For once, Xiao was stumbling around in a gray area, one where even the answer he wanted eluded him. In Xiao’s world, so far, life was full of ‘Yes or No,’ ‘Wrong or Right,’ and ‘Black or White.’

But now, the only answer he was sure of, was a taxing, “I don’t know.”

Still, he chided himself. You either know or you don’t.

I don’t know.

L.E.Ds like stars, cheeks of every color, an ever-changing smile, and a hurricane of ambitions that took people like Venti farther and farther from reclusive and isolating things like himself— all possibilities were more question than answer and trickled down into a series of never-ending zeros and ones.

I don’t know…

Chapter 2: Showing Signs

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Xiao became concerned, fearing for his overall wellness. Logically, time was still running the way it should, Xiao's inner clock told him so. Still, it felt as if everything was moving at a snail’s pace.

His day-to-day routine remained unchanged. In the mornings, he’d run diagnostics with Dr. Zhongli. Then, when the man was already off to work, he’d get dressed in the proper attire to practice the polearm for the remainder of the morning. Once training finished at noon, he would patrol the outside of the house, secure it, check for mail, clean up anything out of place, and then rest on his charger inside while reading a book or passively searching the web for new information.

Everything was normal.

Except for the occasional thought, or memory, of the bot he’d met days ago.

At first, he thought nothing of it. He'd experienced horrid memories that stuck around like hot tar in an endless pit— consuming his every waking moment some days, and on others choosing dormancy. These occurrences carried no difference.

Until, he caught a glimpse of a familiar teal braid out of the corner of his vision, making him drop what he was doing to follow it. Down the hall. To the foyer. Up the stairs. Around many a corner. Only to come up empty.

Sometimes, he’d hear the sound of robotic laughter — his own included — while lying in bed charging, eyes shut firmly. It would plague him for the entirety that his eyes were closed, until he opened them out of curiosity to a dark and quiet room. Not a being in sight.

When he tried closing them again, it would persist. Images of hued cheeks and an ever-changing smile at the edge of his consciousness.

Seeing these images was not the primary issue. No, he wanted to see them, wanted the visions to suddenly map the other AI out into the corner of his room, giggling softly while they talked for hours, happy to hop from topic to topic just so Xiao could answer blandly and listen to the other spin tales of wonder across his circuitry.

The issue was that no matter how much he… wished — or expressed the desire to — catch up to these shadows, the smile, lights, and laughter eluded and reminded him he still had a ways to go until he could see Venti again. An annoying reality. Distracting,and many other ugly words that failed to process while he was busy chasing shadows.

Still days before the next experiment, after a day that seemed to last forever, he finally addresses Dr. Zhongli about the oddities.

Honestly, he should have come to the man sooner, this development may have caused a malignant error to the research being done if not monitored and recorded.

Why did he wait so long?

Maybe he was afraid there was a solution? Afraid that he would no longer hear the sound of Venti’s laughter without the bot to make it? Afraid that as soon as he spoke to the scientists the 'issue' would be resolved and the next time he saw an image it would be nothing but a disfigured product of his corrupted files.

Xiao shook his head and waited for the scientist's return. His petty desires do not trump the needs of the observation period. For the sake of the experiment, he must unlearn this counterproductive and selfish behavior.

Xiao sat on the kitchen counter as Zhongli began their usually uneventful nightly check-up. Short and sweet, he explained his error to the scientist once he'd begun his analysis. "I think the corrupted files are having an effect on my sensory functions."

His claim was jotted down quickly as he waited dutifully for an answer. Topaz eyes looked over the brim of thin, metal glasses with concern.

"Really? What makes you think so? I didn’t see any abnormalities during this morning’s check-up— besides those we're aware of."

A list of evidence quickly compiled in the back of Xiao's mind; though, knowing Zhongli — and his tendency to hang on Xiao's every word — he chose to sparknote the issue instead.

“I am perceiving sensory objects that do not exist in my present environment, a state of being otherwise known as 'hallucinating'. It has the effect similar to that of my corrupted files."

Intrigued, Dr. Zhongli questioned aloud while lifting the bot's arm, "Similar? Is there a notable difference?" His interrogation was calm and curious, just like the hands that roamed Xiao's limbs, tracing careful fingers over the noticeable black, rubber joint breaks, and seeking out any freed wires or leaking fluids.

Maybe the sparknotes were too brief? “I am…” he trailed off all of a sudden, eyes clicking around to figure out just why he was struggling to finish. The mild strain made its identity known as Zhongli’s waiting eyes chanced a glance at him again. Embarrassment: a feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness.

He huffed, pushing past the stall in his motors to speak. “I’m seeing him. Hearing him,even though he is not present. Sometimes, it’s a memory of his voice. Other times, it’s his visage and the call of my name from the shadows. However, unlike the corrupt files, I am not unsettled when this happens. Not haunted, but… tormented? I try to follow him, only to find he was never there. It’s distressing.” His brows creased when he looked back to Dr. Zhongli with a sigh, but the man was softly watching him with a whimsical smile, making the bot tilt his head.

“Have I said something amusing?”

“You could say that.” For a moment, that was all he said. The tall man scribbled a few things down on his pad before promptly ceasing his checkup. Then putting those notes away, he walked around Xiao to sit beside him.

It only took five minutes, but Xiao felt his fingers begin tapping impatiently next to him, waiting on the man’s conclusion as the scientist moved at the speed of an old dial-up communication service.

Still, the doctor took his sweet time. His glasses slipped from his face to tuck into his shirt, he folded his hands in his lap, then simply sat in silence with the bot.

Night-time sounds blanketed them in an uncomfortable manner, tucking Xiao away from his train of thought. Usually, the sound of crickets, nocturnal creatures, and hollow winds were peaceful. However, this was anything but. His mind was in disarray, waiting for the information so that he could process it and take action as quickly as possible.

The sigh Zhongli released instead of what Xiao had been waiting so patiently for, pulled his wires taught. They were tight enough he believed they'd snap and cause some irreparable damage, leaving him a heap of his former self.

The great calamity is narrowly avoided when Dr. Zhongli finally speaks up.

“I supposed I should tell you these things straight instead of trying to find a way around it. You’d think with all of the research we do together that I’d realize you’re not a child by now,” he acknowledged, hesitation still clear in his tone.

But Xiao can barely focus on the sentiment, tempted to the edge of his seat. “What is it? What's wrong with me?”

Zhongli chuckled softly at him. “These visions you are experiencing are not any fault in your systems. Rather, they are a product of your longing for Barbatos—” Venti's name, spoken out loud, shot electricity straight up Xiao's back. He did his best to school in the heat building while Dr. Zhongli continued.

“You miss him. A fascinating anomaly, seeing as you’ve never expressed such an emotion before. For you to compare it to the worst feeling you've experienced is—” His smile only became more pronounced, and he shook his head whimsically. “Well, it's no cause for concern. I do apologize for your present feelings, but rest assured, they’re normal.”

“I miss him…?" Xiao sat with this deduction, remembering Venti talking about such a thing. He hadn't even begun to consider it was possible for him to subconsciously experience such an emotion. He blinked in confusion. "Should I do something about this?”

Zhongli gave a wisened chuckle. “Nothing besides waiting for your next meeting and letting him know that you missed him. I’m sure he’ll be delighted and do the same. In the meantime, I did happen across his social media information if you’d like it. I suggest you make a profile as well. I’m sure he’d like to know more about you. You could even provide photos and the like to provide more insight.”

Photos...? Surely that wasn’t necessary? As AI bots, they had perfect photographic memories, making photo keeping particularly pointless. Though, if Xiao thought about it, Venti did seem interested in these human-like activities. Perhaps, he’d appreciate the thought? Xiao was vaguely aware that capturing one’s angles and nuances held different meanings than seeing them in person, keying into a part of the self not often seen…

“It seems absurd, but I suppose I’ll go ahead with your suggestion. I also wouldn’t mind having Venti’s information. Thank you, Dr. Zhongli."

A hand reaches up to Xiao’s head and runs down the smooth titanium surface. "Of course, anything for my son. If ever you are troubled again, you can always ask me about it. I’ll do my best to help.”

Dr. Zhongli’s endearing gaze proved too much for Xiao to be on the receiving end of. The bot turned his head away with a nod, feeling his embarrassment rise again, lingering on ‘my son’, and remembering his own confession from the last session.

Zhongli seemed to share the sentiment as he cleared his throat and jumped down from the counter to face Xiao with a polite smile. “With that, everything looks normal. I’ll send the information soon; I think I’ll retire for the night. If you need anything else, feel free to call me. I’m never bothered.” Says the man quickly making his escape.

Xiao had never called for him. In fact, he purposefully refrained to allow the scientist uninterrupted REM cycles. However, before Dr. Zhongli could disappear for the evening, a phantom giggle in the back of Xiao’s head sparked a sudden curiosity.

“W-wait…”

“Yes, Xiao?”

“...Where do we keep the motor oil?”

Sitting in the now desolate kitchen, Xiao inspects the shot glass sitting before him on the marble counter. Zhongli suggested only trying a bit to gauge his taste for the crude fluid and Xiao was thankful for the encouragement. Still, apprehension ate at him.

This is the same fluid that is only for internal or topical use in his experience. Ingestion wouldn’t be fatal by any means, but the idea of the fluid running through him, unguided, was a metaphorical shock to his systems.

He took the glass between his fingers, gave it a shake, and shifted the liquid around in the glass to psych himself up. After a while, he reluctantly accepts his fate.

With a sigh he lifts the glass to his mouth and lets the liquid drench the inside, taking it to the head. Slick fluid covered his sensors and slid further down his pipes with an uncomfortable slowness.

Letting the glass down, he let the oil permeate the inside of his mouth. It’s then that he realizes — there’s no real flavor, just a smooth texture and the faint burning of chemicals. His insides feel surprisingly lubricated with the finish. In the end, it’s not completely useless, but still nothing to write home about.

Now that he’d come to that conclusion, he poured himself another glass with more confidence and opened his browser. The holographic screen popped up — one only he can perceive — projected in front of him. Xiao quickly registered Venti’s name along with the streaming platform the other uses into the search engine and clicked the top link.

According to Zhongli, Venti exclusively streamed on ‘Glitch’— a platform for AIs by AIs. From a quick look, even though it seemed humans had viewing privileges, the non-organics were the only ones validated to stream. Vlogs, documentaries, and gaming channels were in abundance. Theoretically, it presents itself as a surprisingly humanitarian approach to educating and entertaining all walks of life about one’s capabilities.

As far as Xiao had come to know, there were different categories of machines like himself. First, you had your N.I., ‘Non-Intelligent’ machines that worked for the betterment of man-kind, moving, but non-sentient. (Appliances, automatic doors, telecoms, etc…)

Then there were bots, those made to move and look semi-human, purely for show and service purposes. Third, were the AI, who had some form of intelligence whether implanted or developed, and spoke on the same level as humans, though many lacked the body to be able to do more than that; functioning based on software and programming—

Xiao scrolled down, not having to do so for long before teal braids stood out to him, and he enlarged the page. There, he found a profile with a banner, intro video, and a playlist of videos; all under the username 'V3NTI'.

—Finally, there was them. AI Bots — a more recent development over the last couple of centuries. They weren’t quite people, but to call them completely robotic was also incorrect. Their behavior mimicked that of organic life to the point it was hard to tell them apart from the average person. Although synthetics played into this, it didn’t change how naturally they fit into society; not to mention their abilities to learn and feel— Two concepts that strayed too far from robotics to be denied.

Because of this, between each category, there was a spectrum, gaging the variation of humanity spread among them. Xiao wasn’t a fan of looking into such things, so it was no surprise that while checking the other's page, he was again reminded of just how human Venti seemed to present.

Skimming through tags, he found some that made his brow curve. It was an endless line of activities, trivial in nature to Xiao as an AI, but quite pronounced in what seemed like Venti’s day-to-day. Multiplayer games, ASMR, pranks, travel vlogs, and many more topics that Xiao himself would not indulge in— had never indulged in.

Not quite sharing an interest enough in one activity or another, he took what was provided, clicking the introduction video and tossing back his second shot as it started up.

At first, the screen was completely taken up by a suddenly off-black background. Then, there was a trail of spring green that swirled in the middle of the display in an ethereal glow before bursting, as if blown by a large gust of wind, into the name ‘V3NTI’ with cherubic white wings on either side, flapping playfully before the name flew off-screen with an airy giggle — a robotic giggle Xiao could recognize anywhere by this point. The blackness clipped away to Venti, who appeared on screen in a flourish of swishing teal twin-braids and a big smile.

“Hello there, stranger-no-more! I’m a B4RBAT05 (Barbatos) AI bot, but you can just call me Venti.” His smile was unwavering, and Xiao found himself leaning on his fist, relaxing into hearing the bot’s voice once again. No mirage, nor fleeting giggles. It was his real voice and smile.

Of course, it wasn’t live, and they still felt miles apart, but this was enough for now.

“Now, you’re probably wondering what you’re getting into. And let me just say, I can be a lot sometimes. Everything I do is a little... inconsistent.I can’t really help myself; I’m always looking to try new things!”

Ah, so that wasn’t a coincidence. Good to know.

“Generally, I try to finish every game I start. If it’s not something I can finish within a few multi-hour-long streams, well…” he trailed off, looking away bashfully as the LED’s on his cheeks lit up.

“— But hey, I have plenty to offer! Take a look~”

The video then cuts to a scene shot from a low angle of Venti skipping down the sidewalk, arms strapped with different shopping bags. His little green burette was atop his head, the same as Xiao remembered, while he wore a white t-shirt and green overalls, white flats allowing him to click his heels as he went.

“Venti, slow down!” The familiar voice of the scientist automatically stuck out to Xiao as Venti glanced over his shoulder, looking just above the camera.

“And, if I don’t?” He giggled and, despite the teasing, slowed his stride to allow the cameraman to catch up. “If we go at your pace, we’ll be out here all day! Not that I mind.” Just then, Venti's eyes strike something off screen and begin to sparkle. Small ringing and chirping noises left his person, announcing his excitement before he had the chance. “Oo! Can we go in there?”

Xiao never got to see him enter. The scene changed again to a dark room lit only by an in-game flashlight, camera swiveling around the ominous space as Venti did some first-person exploring. At the top right of the screen, there was a square reserved for Venti’s ‘facecam’ where he was huddled uncharacteristically in a chair with a dark hoodie on. A pair of headphones with kitty ears that turn different hues at the perimeter sat on his head and it seemed the lights of his room were turned down as well to match the game's fearful undertones.

“You guys! If my breath is showing that should mean the temperature changed! How does it not count!?" His cheeks puffed and Xiao chuckled as he watched him pick up a black box with a glowing orange screen, the device flitting through numbers similar to how a radio would. However, the difference between the two was the input speaker that Venti began speaking through.

“Hello? Are you there? …Are you friendly?” He paused, looking around the room. There was a moment of silence and Venti muttered quietly, “What kind of name is Karen Thompson anyw—?”

Bang! "Boo!"

Suddenly, a loud, off-camera noise made the AI jump, looking left. His eyes widened and he let out a high-pitched scream that broke the sound barrier. The interference nearly took Xiao's circuits out as he tried clasping his hands over his ears; however pointless that may have been.

Luckily, the clip was cut perfectly to flip to another scene and save his ears from the interference.

In the next scene, Venti and a friend of his, both of their tags on opposite sides, played a more lighthearted game where the two of them forage for materials with various tools. With a pickaxe, shovel, and axe, they proceeded to craft various other useful items and build themselves shelters.

Though everything around them was pixelated and blocky, they were both rather normal looking. Some kind of Virtual Reality? His hands lowered from his ears gradually as he admired the natural setting and the two beings that precariously played with a hissing green mob until it exploded, leaving a deep crater in a mountain side they’d been picking at.

Venti gleefully exclaims, "Thanks for leading the creeper over, Klee! You're such a brave girl!" The pickaxe was quickly switched out for an empty hand as he patted the girl lightly on the head like a doting mother would. Elated, she giggled, allowing her hair ombre pigtails to be mussed up.

Seeming to agree with Xiao’s observation, she said, "No problem, mama!"

"Klee~!" Venti scooped her up into a hug, swinging her around until there was laughter peeling from her. Xiao smiled, part of him wanting to be there with them to share in their laughter. "Don't call me that!" The bot’s lips betray his words with a grand smile, all of his bells and whistles floating over the mic.

Perhaps, if things went smoothly, Xiao would meet this ‘Klee’, whether it be in a physical or virtual sense. Her presence seemed to bring out the natural instincts Venti possessed; Xiao couldn’t deny that Venti looked to be in his element the most in the face of a child.

Besides… "Why would anyone stop calling you something that puts a smile that big on your face?" he wondered aloud, watching the little girl apologize and Venti go back on his word almost immediately.

"Aw, it’s ok, it's ok! Here, let’s set all the cows on fire! It cooks the meat fas—."

"Klee!" Both Venti and Klee froze in place upon hearing a robotic female voice that suddenly brought Xiao's attention to the fact Klee lacked this quality… Instead of a tell-tale robotic overtone, her voice flowed imperfectly and immediately singled her out. A human?

"Uh oh," Venti chuckled, pocketing the lighter he’d equipped, and waving in the direction of the voice. "We’re over here, Jean! Nothing to worry about!" he called, but she was already stomping into frame.

Once the blond-haired woman reached them, high ponytail swishing on her way, she took both of Venti’s braids in hand and tugged them interchangeably, shaking him around. With no hope of escape, he allowed this mistreatment with a whine.

"Contrary to popular belief, I know what a creeper sounds like."

The platinum blond child’s cheeks reddened to the tint of her eyes as she whined alongside him.

Both spoke up at once—

"Klee is sorry!" the little girl cried.

"We didn't even do anything!" Venti denied adamantly.

—subsequently contradicting each other's story. Still, it was obvious to Xiao that even if they had collaborated on the denial, the giant, creeper-made hole beside them remained as undeniable evidence. At least they tried. He continued watching in amusem*nt as Venti got loose, running away from Jean while she chased him in a circle.

The rest of the video contained b-roll of Venti getting his makeup done, reviews for products he'd used, and trips to places he'd gone with friends or alone. In some clips, Xiao could see Venti on stage at what looked like a charity event or convention, obviously modeling the B4RB4T05 (Barbatos) line.

It was strange to see him that way. Acting.

Though Xiao couldn’t actually tell what the bot was saying because of the music to b-roll audio ratio, he knew the look on Venti’s face was stiff and did no justice to his hyper-authenticity.

The footage faded to a close and came back to the original Venti, whose head was tilted while he smiled in all his brilliance. "Yup, that’s me! It's quite a bit, I know, but there’s something for almost everyone here. I hope you find something you like, and if you don't, no hard feelings. I hope I brought some light to your day!"

The video stopped on the bot waving and Xiao felt… ' down ' once it was over. The absence of Venti’s voice was jarring, like the missing piece to a puzzle. He supposed he could play another video, but where would he even start?

He sighed to himself and poured another glass to distract from the uneasiness settling over him. Thinking in a linear format was becoming more difficult with each pour, an odd effect that he hadn’t made up his mind about. How he was supposed to navigate anything at this point between confusion and inebriation? He didn't know.

He was just bringing himself around to finding the full-length video of the VR session, when something Zhongli had said made its way back to the forefront. A suggestion he suddenly remembered weighed slowly around his decisive functioning.

He finally shrugged with a small, "I’m unoccupied. I might as well," and opened up a new tab.

There, he began making accounts for different social media platforms, hoping to give 'information' about himself.

Searching through his memories for pictures was not too difficult. A picture of a butterfly, his training station outside lined with dummies, a picture from when he sat down and watched a film (not something he made a habit of), and a platter of food he found aesthetically pleasing… Yes, nothing he couldn’t handle. However, upon further inspection, he found that the vast difference between his profile and Venti’s was an overabundance of ‘selfies’.

Odd… if he tracked through his memories… he could not find an instance where he’d truly lingered on his own physical form. Nor did he want to at that very moment.

He knew he did not hold the same humanoid beauty Venti possessed, it was pointless to try and convince himself otherwise… but Venti had seen something in him that he liked. Upon first glance, he'd called him 'beautiful', and surely the other had an eye for the more interesting, based on his fashion tastes and experience with others.

The idea of skipping out on this part of the process made Xiao wonder if that would make Venti upset. Xiao was allowed to scroll to his satisfaction through picture after picture, while the well Venti had to pull from was ultimately dry.

He sighed and got up, discarding the glass in the sink and the motor oil to a cabinet. Then, he hurried over to the lavatory, a room he rarely used, and closed the door gently behind him. The lights came on automatically and Xiao found himself already in the mirror. Then, just as quickly, he flicked his eyes to the wall and away, cursing himself.

…Beautiful.His quiet scoff at the other’s words makes him shake his head. "Perhaps I'll advise him to have his perceptive devices tested."

Perhaps that was the real reason why Xiao disliked them. He was trying so hard to be someone he wasn't… If Venti were reading the captions, would he read them and know that Xiao wrote them, or be disappointed with how forced each proved to be as Xiao strayed further from his own voice?

Maybe, it was better to leave them dull and observant— just the way Xiao would write them. Afterall, he and Venti were different; and that was ok. Even if they were different, that didn’t make Xiao want to see the eccentric bot any less.

That was how they thrived and learned from each other. At least, he hoped he was giving something in return for all that Venti had already taught him.

By the time he wrapped up it was late, or early in the morning depending on one’s perspective. The last thought he had before going into rest mode on his charger was of a silicone smile pressed against his hard-edged lips.

“Today might be a good day to look that up…”

"You may enter." The nameless scientist’s voice chuckles in greeting as the door slid open. Zhongli had already left his side with a grin of his own that Xiao didn’t quite understand, but he had no issue ignoring it in favor of heading into the room.

He stepped inside, expecting to sit and wait for Venti to arrive as he had previously. He’d hoped for a little time to calm himself of his ‘excitement’ before the other gazed upon his embarrassingly overheating ears.

However, upon entering, his processors immediately locked onto a high-pitched chirping and whistling. A familiar sound that he wasn’t used to hearing in such a quick chain. It reminds Xiao of Mr. Zhongli’s alarm clock. Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…

Ahead of him, Venti sat at the very edge of his chair, hands gripping it instead of the arm rests. He scans Xiao up and down, eyes trained on him with an unnatural focal brightness, reminiscent of the night sky through a Hubble telescope; galaxies upon galaxies trapped in his gaze for Xiao to explore.

His choice of attire is an interesting choice from last time. Gone was the mostly light-colored attire, replaced by a pleasant combination of brown, tan, and gold. The only thing that hadn’t changed was his tendency to wear shorts, which Xiao made note of, following the satin fabric up to a thick leather belt that cinched his waist and the tan, sweater-like shirt he wore; all of which, fit under an oversized, brown, checker-print flannel. A gold-winged necklace hung from his neck as its own statement piece.

Above the glinting jewelry, he spotted Venti’s sheepish smile, accompanied by blazing, red silicone cheeks, and long lashes that kissed them as his smile grew.

“Xiao!”

Said bot’s hope of keeping his composure shattered to data-packed bytes with one joyful exclamation of his name, and his core fluttered with life. Adrenaline seemed to hotwire new codes and files into his system— wild zips that opened all at one, telling him to run to Venti. To sweep him off his feet. To take all of those prompts from the final phase and initiate them in quick succession. He’d do it all, no matter how foreign, so that Venti would know and understand what he felt deep inside. The feeling of madness.

Tittering laughter brought him back as Venti stood and took a few steps forward before stopping, a huge gap still between them that only irked Xiao further— though, perhaps that was thepurpose.

“Sorry for the noise! My notifs have been blaring since I arrived. They should quiet down in a bit.”

“‘Notifs’?” Xiao voiced. A miracle, considering how much he wished to run into the other and embrace him.

“Yeah!” Venti shouts over a particularly loud chime. “They’re synced with things like, higher levels of processing, overloaded system activity, and the fluctuation of the stability of my motherboard in general!” Xiao’s brow rose an inch at a time.

“Should we get the scientists to take a look at you? This doesn’t sound conducive to your overall system wellbeing.” He’d wanted to spend time with the bot as soon as possible, but what good would that be if the poor thing fizzled out before his eyes?

Just as he was thinking so, robotic giggles poured from the other in a burst that overshadowed the bells and whistles, sweet and — contrary to everything he’d assessed — unbothered. In spite of the threat, Venti was still smiling, scanning Xiao through squinted eyes and a hand that attempted, in vain, to cover his laughter.

“No, silly!” Xiao frowned lightly as the other’s laughter receded. “This is just how my body expresses itself. Believe me, it’s a little loud and embarrassing, but there’s nothing wrong with being excited!” he insists with a shake of his head.

Tilting his head, Xiao feels certain pieces of information beginning to fit together into a new understanding. ‘... higher levels of processing, overloaded system activity, and the fluctuation of the stability of my motherboard…’

“Excited?”

“Mhm! I’ve been waiting 7 days, 20 hours, and 18 minutes to see you again. It’s all I’ve been able to think about— or talk about, really!” The hues of his cheeks remained their full brightness, but the chiming had begun to simmer down as promised, allowing Xiao to hear some of the timid patterns in Venti’s speech as he said, “I could barely sit on my charger long enough before I talked someone else's ear off about you. Anymore, and I feel I would have been lifted from my living quarters...”

He trailed off, again eyeing Xiao hesitantly, up and down, but focusing softly on the meeting of their eyes. There, caught in his stare, Xiao felt it,again. The need to surge forward.

Accompanying this, his processing slowed to a crawl. Temperature readings he could never fathom, without some form of nuclear catalyst in mind, made themselves known in his core, and his ability to draw the words he wants to his lips faltered.

“I… tried motor oil a few days ago.” He internally kicked himself in the circuits. No, that’s not what I meant to say.

But Venti gives an excited little, “You did?!” and it frees Xiao almost immediately of his trepidation. “How was it?”

Tasteless. “It had an interesting texture; overall, it wasn’t bad. I would not mind indulging with you in the future.”

“I can’t wait!” And Xiao truly believed him when he said so, because the bells chimed loudly again, wringing light apologies from the bot.

When everything settled again, and the chiming was a dull murmur, Xiao found himself stepping closer, finally making his way around the back of his chair to stand before the other. Looking into Venti's waiting eyes, Xiao was reminded of what Dr. Zhongli told him to do. It wasn’t hardwired in, yet he felt drawn to spill himself to Venti either way; programmed or not.

“I… missed you…” Just saying it, made his inner error-alarm flash. He padded the back of his neck to cut it off. What he says is not wrong, as the alarm would have him and anyone else believing, his spoken words were merely insufficient for what he felt. Instead, his processors supplied countless further truths that he dared not say aloud.

Your laugh haunted and drove the darkness away. My focus was not my own. More than what I should or shouldn’t do, I thought of you.

All of the pain, agony, and torture he experienced, siren songs and phantoms dancing out of his sight, dulled in comparison to what he felt when Venti’s smile curled ever more, showing him something he hadn’t seen before.“Oh~?”his playfully robotic lilt teased, leaning closer with only his face in Xiao’s, his hands clasped behind his small form.

“A week of virgin feelings, for you, must have quite a hole dug." With his words Xiao laid transparent, as if there was no need to say just all of what he was feeling. At that moment, Venti knew him.

"If you’ll have me, why not end that misery with a hug? That is, only if you feel the same tug.” Venti’s taunting in itself caused that ‘tug’ to burn brighter within Xiao.

Suddenly, like a system shutdown, a bulb went out and followed the chain of command to the sources. His body was on, but his mind was off.

Only when he heard Venti give a delighted gasp in his ear did he realize his face was then buried in the other’s shoulder. His hands had fisted themselves into the back of a tan shirt underneath that baggy flannel of their own accord. Painfully aware, Venti’s inner workings hummed against Xiao’s knuckles; the vibration, a beauty of its own that Xiao would loath fitting to just one word. All of Venti was held within his tight grasp.

For a moment, Xiao panicked and prepared to let go in fear of harming the other AI. Before he could, arms hooked around his neck and kept him in place.

A face resting against his shoulder overshadowed his fear to raise a new and more pressing panic. The panic of being so close, but positive. A ‘not-panic’.

Excitement.

“I know it might sound kind of dramatic…” Venti started, “but I’ve existed a real long time, and waiting to see you again — knowing I couldn’t contact you — was like waiting a lifetime. I kept thinking about things I wanted to know about you… things I wanted to share…”

That face turned into his neck and Xiao felt something like a tickle when Venti spoke again, a pleasant difference in frequency that radiated over his metallic exterior. “I missed you so much, Xiao. Though I regret causing you the same grief, I’m glad I don’t have to feel that alone.”

“Venti…”

“—OK! Time for questions lovebirds, please sit down!” The abrupt noise of the intercom made Venti jump within Xiao’s arms, nearly flying from the silicone entirely. When they pulled away from each other, Venti’s bright cheeks were back on max, but his smile wobbled as he sat down, and Xiao took his own seat.

And Xiao smiled just the tiniest bit, knowing that, if it were possible, Venti would have cried.

Question 13…

Each new question was nothing life changing to Xiao, seeing as many were mortal coded or had been answered already. Questions like the 'future through a crystal ball' hold no value to either of them, and Xiao had to admit his own answers were rather dull; not from lack of honesty or thought, but more a consequence of his eagerness to listen to Venti’s answers instead.

Finally, they came upon a question Xiao felt inclined to answer differently.

"'What is your most treasured memory?'" Venti asks, watching Xiao from where he'd decidedly huddled on the floor, knees tucked below his chin.

"Hm…" Xiao's mode shifted, scanning through several memories. Those he could recollect at least. A distant memory tugged at him like a child tugs their parent's sleeve for attention — one of the first things that occurred after everything went dark.

"Around the time that Dr. Zhongli first took me in, I stargazed for the first time… I'd never experienced the luxury of leisure time and still insisted on keeping busy. One night, there were just so many bright twinkles in the sky, I stopped training and allowed myself to look up at them until each disappeared from sight with the rising of the sun."

He remembered watching each flicker above him. Bursts of gas and flame, old, new, and long dead stars burned into his memory. "It was the first time I realized that they wouldn't last forever. Each star would eventually never be seen again. They're not meant to last forever, so they shine bright for that moment and disappear in a flourish that stains the night sky with their memory."

People did the same, he realized. They would come quickly into others' lives, shine bright for a time and then loudly disappear to leave a hollow space behind them, staining people's lives with the memory of them. A memory that haunted.

"Wanting to be immortalized, to never be forgotten, it was a strange concept, but one I'd already come into contact with several times. That experience brought clarity and was the first time I learned to value life; especially that which refused to be forgotten."

Gaze raised back to Venti’s, he found the other carefully watching him, the gears turning almost visibly behind glass. Venti then sighed, took an unnecessary breath, and hopped into his own answer. "I experienced something similar… now that you say it, I'm more likely to believe it isn't so uncommon."

There was a pause, but Xiao could sense the tension, and knew Venti was unwinding whichever tape this was slowly. Xiao waited patiently, paying no mind to the timer ticking down on the wall.

"I've told you already that I make plenty of friends. Human, AI, Bot, Extra-Terrestrial, you name it. Having been a nannybot… I was most commonly around humans… so, being around them, I found out that people die. 'They're not meant to last forever,'" he recited, smiling somberly.

"Knowing that, I also had to accept that I was not made the same. I won't die or grow old, at least not the same way they do. Eventually, every human I know will pass on, leaving me to start over again." He shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I don't envy them… but I do want a connection that won't fizzle out, like a star never to return."

Venti didn't look at him, instead, he stared at the wall, as if seeing something that Xiao couldn't. Whether it was that memory or not Xiao couldn't tell, but it brought a wistful sorrow to Venti’s face that Xiao found… troubling. He didn't know how to soothe… he wasn't built for it.

But seeing Venti like that made him want to try.

A robotic giggle broke the silence and Venti’s smile was back, facing Xiao again but still only trained in his direction, not meeting his eyes. "Sorry, that was kind of dark. I didn't mean to sour the atmosphere."

"I'm unbothered," Xiao supplied carefully. "Ironically enough, I find realness important. What is a pretty lie next to the truth?"

Xiao sat still, shaking his head to deny Venti's theoretical musing. “Even if I didn’t, which is highly unlikely, I’d have no choice but to continue. We still have an experiment to finish together.”

“Well, that’s not romantic, nor is it reassuring,” Venti rolled his eyes, his grin lighthearted, but trying at disappointment.

“Romantic…” Xiao thought aloud, wondering how to reconstruct his statement to match the sentiment. To be 'romantic' was to express love — a concept he'd still yet to grasp.

Steam poured from his vent and the bot on the floor chuckled, “Jeez, Xiao, don’t hurt yourself.”

The rate at which Xiao scanned back through his phrasing nearly made him blow a fuse, his eyes fluttering. The implication… he didn’t think it through. Yet, every corrective, analytical, and poised part of his firewall had allowed the statement through unbothered. Meaning it wasn’t wrong. Meaning he meant it. Meaning he’d… saidit.

Molten heat and oil charged through his core and folded his arms. “That is… correct.”

A brief chime sounded, making him look away. “Xiao, I’ve never seen this much steam come from your ears…” Speaking of which, the pressure in Xiao’s head only grew with Venti’s awe inspired teasing.

“And your cheeks could blind our examiners through the screen.” He retorted, looking back only to take in Venti’s reaction as the bot tucked his face down into his knees, trying to hide.

“I can’t help it! It just—!” One dainty hand flew into his own hair, trying to push his head further down as if he could bury it. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard… music to my ears.”

“Was it… romantic?”

“Yeah, it really took me by surprise…”

They sat silently for a moment, a sudden lightness in the air neither could shake. Even seconds later when Venti gently called him down to sit with him only heightened this awareness.

“Like I said before, my original purpose was to be a nanny bot.”

Xiao gives Venti his undivided attention and nods.

“What I didn’t tell you, was that I’d barely come into my consciousness. I was just a small bot with a program and purpose.” He smiles warmly. “I was only about as big as your head and didn’t even have arms.”

Xiao’s eyes widen in alarm, picture an armless Venti. “That sounds disturbing.”

“Hehe, well if it helps, it didn’t look out of place. I was but a silicone less wisp. A lightbulb shaped figure with a tiny cloak that made me more 'child friendly'. I flew around, I sang songs, I recited messages and information, and looked cute as a button while doing it— a glorified wind-up toy, if you will. There were plenty of ‘me’s and everyone with the money wanted something to occupy their kids with.

“My first owners had a lot of kids. Enough that they were some of the few who needed a mansion and had a backyard large enough to call a field. There were trees that stretched up into the sky, a huge pond— though the misses kept that gated, and acres of grass and wildflowers for miles that the children would run through nearly every day. My battery life suffered the consequences of following each little munchkin; there were at least ten of them, I think.”

The sheer volume sounded annoying, but Venti’s fond smile told Xiao that his griping was just that. “I played with all of them, from the smallest loner to the pride-and-joy of the family. I helped with homework, stayed through mealtimes, tucked them in, and sang them to sleep. I took care of them to the best of the ability forged by my programming; everything was as it should have been.”

“Then, one day, the littlest one and I went into the backyard. Madam Dei had just had a baby and her focus was hard to catch. Master Dei was usually away on business and that day was no different. I was as much a guardian as he got most of the time.” The sigh Venti let out spoke volumes.

“He looked at the tallest tree outback and started scaling it. I thought nothing of it, it wasn’t in my programming to be concerned while he insisted there was something he wanted to see. Needless to say, he went up. I let him climb the tree, because I didn’t know better not to.”

“And when he came down…” Xiao could hear the gears slowing to a crawl, deepening Venti’s voice, as though his battery had been drained the very second he chose to mention this. The AIs eyes lost that sparkle that Xiao was used to, and those hollow, glassy orbs rolled away from the eye contact they’d maintained, staring away as though his attention were enraptured by a ghost.

“...I didn’t get it. I couldn’t. It simply wasn’t possible. Understanding why he didn’t get up was beyond me. So I grabbed onto the only concept I knew. Sleeping. Obviously, he was tired from climbing up so high.” Venti’s robotic voice cracked.

Pieces to a puzzle Xiao didn’t know he’d been trying to solve suddenly came together collectively. Still, a hole laid central to the bigger picture. Is this what stopped Venti from being a nanny bot? How did he come to be like this today? For such a cruel memory to rehash, why does Venti cling to it?

He could only ask Venti to continue, lightly squeezing his hand, to get him going again.

“I thought he was napping... As his nanny bot, I huddled close and sang him to sleep, one last time. The unnatural stillness didn’t bother me, nor did the trickle of red from his pale bluing lips. ‘Kids are messyeaters,’ I thought.” He cracked a barely there smile.

“I don’t know how long we were out there. It could have been minutes or hours. But he didn’t wake up. Only when Madam Dei came out to check on us did everything start to shift into focus.

“When she saw the way he was lying, and all of the blood, she had the reaction only a mother could; something I could never have done. She realized something was wrong, she screamed,she cried,but most importantly she didn’t hesitate to pick him up and run for help.

“After they determined he wasn’t coming back, and my questions concerning when he’d wake up didn’t make sense to them, that’s when they explained what had happened. He wasn’t going to wake up… because humans are fragile; especially children.”

Xiao’s circuitry twisted into uncomfortable knots in his core. His system urgently fed him to ‘do something’, however, the something is not supplied. What could one do in the face of such tragedy except fall in despair alongside the hurt party? Logically, there was no solution. But Xiao reached for one anyway, grabbing onto the other’s wrist and pulling him into his arm.

It was an awkward embrace; Venti was on his knees and buried face first in his chest, hard as it is, and Xiao’s other handheld him by the back of his head. A terrible mess, but Xiao hoped the sentiment was clear— hoped it helps and expresses his shared grief.

He didn’t know that Venti wasn’t finished.

“Xiao…” it was a whine into his chest, hesitantly locking his arms around Xiao. “That was the day I overrode my programming. I felt something! A sensation, like molten hot oil, sprung up so quickly that I thought I would explode!”

Though there were none, Xiao could picture the tears on Venti’s face, as the AIs frustrated noises hummed through his chest. “I was so angry!I was mad at myself for not understanding! I was mad that he went up there! I loathed my existence as this thing that couldn’t grasp the concept of death until it was too late.

If I had just said ‘Hey, that’s not safe,' he'd have lived! But I didn't. Even worse than that, they forgave me. They were kind to me even after all of that and kept me on. I was so sure they’d throw me away; I felt like that was fair and well within their right. But they kept me, even though it was hard and I could see it on their faces.

They needed me, in spite of what happened, and I dedicated myself to their family, vowing to never let what happened to him happen again. I educated myself constantly on safety precautions and kept a close eye on each child from that day forward. Things got better, but the experience followed me. I couldn’t get a moment of peace without it being interrupted by the sound of his laughter as he climbed up and out of sight.”

Xiao nodded, “I understand that feeling.”

At the sudden sound of his voice, Venti startled, as if not remembering he was there, then looked up at him, blinking widely. “You do? How would you… Oh!” Venti paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. “I’m sorry, I got so frazzled I almost forgot… It’s got something to do with your worst memory, right?”

Xiao nodded, continuing to hold Venti close— for scientific purposes, of course. “In a sense. Corrupted files often play into my past, the things I don’t remember anymore. I suspect it’s just as haunting as your experience.”

“If that’s the case—” Venti shifted his focus onto him, a curious light quickly returning to his eyes. “Will you tell me about yours?”

“My worst memory is from long ago, closer to the time of my production. I don’t know where I was stationed at the time, but conditions were below normal temperatures, snow blanketed the underfoot for miles, and the path ahead was only navigable through night vision. I mostly worked solo and was tasked with taking out targets and rescuing hostages. Considering the conditions and the opponent, it was safer to send in an AI

“I arrived on sight of my mission to find 15 personnel in total. 10 hostages, 4 human assailants, and what I presumed to be a non-sentient enemy AI bot. I was fully equipped to take care of them all, having strategic blueprints hardwired into me to take out the biggest threat first.”

“The AI?”

“The humans,” he corrected bluntly. “Their erratic mentality would have led them to start making use of the hostages while the AI’s job was simply to defend them. It was much slower than I was. I made short work of the squad and then turned my attention to the AI. With nothing to protect, it had no intention toward me. But I lunged anyway, identifying it as a weapon of war— just like I know nothing on the enemy side would hesitate to disarm our side by getting rid of me.”

“I expected to dismantle it without a fight. On that end I was right. What I didn’t expect was for the AI bot to suddenly begin reasoning with me; they were very sentient, more than I’d ever seen.” He looked away, unable to look at Venti as he told the rest. “

“They tried reasoning with me. But I wasn’t listening. My focus was on my mission. Before I snatched their chip from them and snapped it, only one thing they said struck a chord with me and has stuck with me since that day. They said, ‘You and I are the same.’”

It was strange recounting the story after having heard what Venti had gone through. Whereas Venti’s story sang a song of mourning, his was a dance of carnage and acceptance. If anything, he felt unworthy of having Venti remain with him with how little he feels about it all.

Yet, familiarity rings between their stories, an indistinguishable truth that he couldn’t shake. Regardless of the circ*mstances, or who they were before, all that they possessed before had been stripped away by time, and they both suffered the sting of their past monstrosities with no one left to witness, no one there to deal out any punishment for what they felt like they’d done wrong. No one to confirm if they deserved it all or not.

Venti’s was what he would describe as an accident, brought on by ignorance. Xiao was not the same. Even if things were different back then, that AI’s last plea spoke to their humanity and innocence. Xiao had killed a blameless being. Circuitry bled through and stained the cracks of his hands and would never wash away, no matter how much refurbishing Dr. Zhongli did for him.

“Xiao?” Venti squeezed his hand lightly. “Are you ok?”

He didn’t even blink. “I’m fine. Just thinking. Are you?”

Nodding, Venti leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Xiao’s while steadying himself with his hands on his shoulders. “I just want you to know that, even though it may seem like you did a bad thing — that somehow you were in the wrong — doesn’t mean you didn’t do any good. You saved a lot of people that day, too. A lot of people who might have died without your short work of their capturers. And it might be wrong of me to say this, but with how machines were being manufactured for combat, they could say anything to drop your guard. Despite what you had to do in the moment, I’m glad that you’re the one who got to walk away.”

Xiao didn’t quite know how to accept Venti’s consoling words. In his eyes, he was still a monster. Still, he tried nodding against Venti’s forehead assuringly. “And I am glad you were not thrown away or fired over something you wouldn’t have known not to do. Human error is a common and sometimes fatal flaw among them. You were just as young and naive as that boy, chasing things that brought him wonder…” he ended his statement there, suddenly recalling just what the purpose of the B4B4T05 line was. …to support the dreams and goals of its master… He’d have to ask if there was any connection later.

Venti giggled a humorless laugh, “Not gonna lie, with how logical you tend to be, I expected you to say it was my fault for being malequipped.”

Xiao shook his head and dared to reach his hands out to Venti’s sides, holding him there. “It is because I am so logical that I would never blame you for that situation. The Venti that I am getting to know is adventurous, while also being extremely protective, and nurturing, the type to swing a child around in your arms until they’re left endlessly laughing.”

This time around, Venti’s soft giggle was newly warm, and the hues of his cheeks dimly flashed. “And just where are you getting this information from, huh?”

“I mustn’t reveal my sources. However, your streamer introduction gave me a few hints.” Happy whirring noises sounded from the bot and Xiao felt each buzz through their connected foreheads.

“You saw that?! Was it good?”

“Objectively? Yes. If I’m being biased? It was perfect.”

“Didn’t know sweet talking was part of your programming.”

“Just taking a page from your file.” Xiao attempted a wink, getting a feel for the foreign motion.

“Right now?” Xiao blinked, suddenly put on the spot as he watched Venti’s shining eyes fall on his mouth.

“Preferably within the next century,” Venti teased. His chuckles of freedom gave an upturn to Xiao’s lips. He made a lighthearted remark about how the scientists would be mad if they didn't answer the questions. Unmoved by the warning, Venti hummed a low acknowledgment and took his jaw in his hands.

It was a shame that many resources insisted that he close his eyes, the sight of the other AI leaning into him with low lids, long lashes, and glossy lips was almost too irresistible to miss. Nevertheless, he closed them and let Venti lead.

Their lips met and it didn’t feel like anything, not until Venti urged his lips to part and tiny bursts of electricity zapped his metallic tongue, not enough to fry anything but enough to send a shock through his system that made him feel… tingly.

His hands gripped Venti’s sides, tugging on his shirt. The electricity paused and Venti pulled back again just a little. “S’it ok?”

Xiao barely opened his eyes, the sliver of his vision revealing an expression on Venti’s face he couldn’t accurately describe. Something positive that oddly neighbored ‘pain’. Instead of speculating further, he nodded to confirm that the kiss was fine, then asked, “How about you?”

Venti’s half-lidded expression darkened the glint of his eye as he fidgeted in place. “I like it. This sh*t’s better than motor oil… makes me feel closer to you.” His matter-of-fact tone hovered over Xiao as he scooted closer. Kneeling between Xiao’s legs as they sat on the floor, Venti brought his eyes level high as he looked down on the older looking model. “Try doing it to me.”

Xiao took up the challenge, bringing his hands up from Venti’s shirt to the sides of his face, mimicking just what Venti had done and gently pulling the other down for a kiss. He didn’t know what to expect but sent a current from its cycle to his processor, felt it slide along and through his tongue, and gave the other a light zap.

For a moment, he questioned what Venti found so enjoyable about initiating, but then he felt the electric current bounce off the metallic inner workings of the streamer’s mouth and back to him, flooding him with a bizarre wave of energy. From his processors to his system of circuits, and all the way down to his motherboard there was lightness in every form of the word; bright and free. The sensation rang through him — for him — like a symphony of emotions he never thought he’d begin to possess. He felt Venti.

There were little traces of the other everywhere, sprinting around quickly, discernible but unobtainable. And in that moment, Xiao understood why AI would kiss this way. They weren’t human, holding back and giving each other teaspoons of information on one another was a frustratingly slow process. At the end of the day, they were but an endless stream of ones and zeros— compiled in a formula that reflected the entirety of their ‘self’. What better way to get to know one from the other than to insert it directly? Even kissing seemed only to feed a fragment of ‘the self’ at a time, but their hunger for full equation would cause them to chase down that river, forcing them to come back together again and again— never sated and forever engaging.

Like Pi, there was no true end. So they’d keep bouncing off each other, searching through desire filled waves for more pieces to an endless puzzle.

A dangerous idea, that proved not to be the only one as Xiao heard blaring whistles and chimes in his ears. He opened his eyes immediately, shocked to see Venti's eyes wide open as well. Not only that, his hair stood up all the way down to his braids, einsteinish.

In a panic, Xiao released him, immediately starting a string of apologies while Venti sat with his mouth agape.

Only two or three make it out, Xiao can’t quite grasp the number— but before he finishes Venti’s head falls to his shoulder and his arms circle around him in a hug that Xiao hesitantly returns.

“Ish okay…” Venti’s soft, slurring voice tried to reassure. “The voltage mayhave beena lil high, but I’m ok.”

“You should go sit back in your seat when you feel better.”

“No,” Venti rejected immediately, already sounding a bit better, though Xiao’s panicked mind ignores this. “I like it down here.”

“Then, at least let go of me and scoot back,” Xiao offered alternatively, feeling Venti’s arms coil further around him as he spoke.

“Don’t wanna.”

He can’t stay. I hurt him. I damaged him. “Venti!” he raised his voice. His posture is solid. He dared not move another wire while Venti held onto him.

“Yes, sweety?”

Surprisingly, his panicked mind nearly falters at the use of the pet-name. In one weightless millisecond, the desire to kiss Venti again floated around. However, his safety calibrated to be of greater importance, and Xiao began pushing the other away. “Go sit, before I get the urge to kiss you again.”

“ Oh? Not much of a threat, considering that’s what I want you to do.”

“It’s dangerous.” Xiao shook his head, predicting all of the different, heart wrenching ways it could end in repeating their error. “Never again.”

“C’mon now,” Venti finally pulls his head up from his shoulder, hair still wild and chimes simmering back down. “This is nothing to blow a fuse over. Just lower the voltage—”

Xiao shook his head.“That was supposed to be low—”

“— So you miscalculated a little! That means that suddenly kissing is off the table?” Venti looks at Xiao incredulously, black brow raised high.

“...Yes?” Do I even believe that?

Venti chuckled and gave Xiao a chaste, non-electric kiss. When nothing happened, it soothed Xiao enough to cease his pushing.

“I don’t care if you do it right the first time or not; and, like I already said, I’m much sturdier than I look.” Venti looked rather pleased with himself when Xiao made no move to stop or refuse him, planting another kiss on his temple.

“Better?”

“Better.”

“Good. Now, if you want to try again…” the suggestive tone he took was interrupted promptly by someone clearing their throat over the intercom.

“Though it’s lovely to see the two of you… ‘getting along’—” the sudden realization that people were observing them made steam pour out of Xiao’s ears, though his expression remained neutral. “—You’ve already skipped three of the other questions!”

Xiao tried to distract from his own embarrassment by beginning to smooth Venti’s hair back into place while he whined at the scientist, still clinging to Xiao like a koala to a tree. He yelled uncooperatively at the wall. “Most of them we’d already answered previously anyway!”

“What about ‘If in a year you would die, what would you change?’, huh?” The scientist shot back in annoyance.

Venti looked back at Xiao expectantly. “Nothing in particular… nothing is broken.”

“Nothing at all?” Venti asked, but his voice was teasing. “We’ll see if that remains true.”

“Hm…”

“If I only had one year left to exist,” A hand shifted to the center of Venti’s chest, lying over where his core sat. “I’d take care of some kids one last time. I love my freedom of career and ability to change, but it’s not quite complete if I deny myself the part of me that enjoys taking care of children.”

“It will happen again,” Xiao claimed without a single shred of proof. It’s not something he had to speculate. He could feel and see the want in Venti’s glimmering eyes. “I believe, if it’s you, you’ll get whatever you desire.”

With his fingers pulled to cover his chuckling lips, Venti affectionately asked, “Who are you and what have you done with Xiao?”

Xiao’s grin was genuine, but he placed in it a hint of mischief. “Let’s just say, I’m experiencing a new form of corruption.”

Question 22…

“5 positive characteristics you’ve perceived about me.”

“This… is an inappropriate use of my word bank.”

“What? Nothing nice to say about me?”

“Nothing at all,” Xiao gently teased.

Venti giggled from his position, leaning back against Xiao's chest, and being held easily by his interlocked hands. “That’s a shame, I have plenty for you. Starting with modest, shy, and by correlation, extremely cute.”

“If you must be so generous, I suppose I’d have to say your wit makes you very disarming. Anyone can attest to your beauty. Your playfulness is only second to your compassionate nature.”

“Oh, Xiao, if you continue such an exaggerated tale, I may think you’re flirting with me.” A bashful facade that Xiao ignored as Venti’s hands cradled his and gave him away.

“Who’s to say I’m not?” Leaning his head against Venti’s, he savored the moment as the questions grew fewer, the checkpoint signaling the end of the session drawing near.

“I take back what I said about you being shy.”

“Any ready replacements?”

“Bold,” Venti co*ckily shot back, and Xiao’s motor purred at the smirk that flew over the witty AI’s shoulder. “Another ‘B’ word would be beautiful, but you know you are. Despite that, you’re brilliant in every sense of the word, mind, body, and memory card.”

“Hmm, thank you…”

“You’re welcome, cutie.”

“I swear,” Abruptly, Venti interrupted his train of thought with a light murmur, “you run yourself in circles enough for the both of us. I can feel your processors locking and unlocking against my scalp. What’s got you so wound up all of a sudden?”

Xiao thought for a moment, but ultimately shook his head, burying his nose in Venti’s hair. “I am just thinking that I’m not ready to be rid of you just yet,” he teased, enjoying the way Venti snuggled closer, humming a soft tune of agreement.

“Right? A whole nother week of waiting! I don’t know about you, but I think this time I’ll explode for sure. I know Carmen was annoyed with me all this past week. I felt like a broken record. You left quite the scar with your absence. “My memory just kept replaying every little moment it could. It felt like I just hadn’t gotten enough.” He spun his finger in a gentle circle, closer to Xiao’s eyes level.

Xiao nodded into his hair, as though Venti’s statement is mere fact. “From experience, I can reassure you that that’s normal.”

“You, too?”

“Yes.”

“Hmph,” Venti’s robotic huff makes him quirk a brow, feeling the other fold his arms. “Well, at least you had something to look at. I scoured the WebSpace looking for even a photo of you.” A loud Bzzzz , typical of a wrong answer button sounded from Venti and Xiao snorted softly.

Remembering his night of photo dumping, he said “Try again, you might find something more to your liking this time.” The words had barely left Xiao before Venti’s holographic screen flicked up in front of them, Venti’s fingers flying across it.

“Username, now,” he excitedly demanded, fingers poised for take-off.

“GaurdianYaksha, capital ‘g’ and ‘y’, no spaces.”

Venti followed his instruction, and once Xiao affirmed it, he quickly found what he was looking for with a squeal and chirp.

The pictures Xiao'd taken popped up all at once, thumbnails too small to see very many details. Venti clicked one and snickered his delight, looking at a picture of the butterfly. “Ok, tell me about these. Walk me through your world, O ‘Guardian Yaksha’.”

Since he asked so ‘nicely’, Xiao did so with a roll of his eyes. Contrary to previous belief, his picture descriptions, though appreciated, didn’t matter so much to Venti as having the bot himself there to explain each of them, including why he chose them to share for the world to see.

‘For the world to see?’ He had no answer for that.

For Venti to see, he had plenty.

Butterflies drew him in, he found himself watching them often, noticing their varying directional patterns, how free they seemed. Beautiful, intelligent, and free— a sight he felt Venti too could appreciate.

His training dummies caught Venti’s attention quickly, and instead of remarking on the wear and tear of the three, he insisted on giving them each a name. ‘Eyeball’ for the one with no eyes, ‘Smiley’ for the one with no face, and ‘Cecilia’ because Venti insisted that to have no arms was just like a flower with fewer petals.

“I shouldn’t give them names when I’m going to hit them.”

“Mm? It’s not like they’re your ‘victims’ or ‘prey’. Just think of them as nice people who want to help you train. ‘Cecilia, Eyeball, and Smiley… Xiao’s Team of Helpers!’”

“Help me train by being hit?”

“Yup! What else are friends for? They help you out and watch you grow. Maybe one day the two of us can spar a little? Although, I’ve never used a—”

“As much as I would enjoy sharing that activity with you, I must warn you. Do not try to fight me, Venti. Not even as a joke. You will get hurt.”

“Oh…” Venti finally seemed to understand, contemplating something while holding Xiao’s hands tighter. “You’re positive?”

“Since the last time I checked, yes.” In truth, it’d been a while since he’d had his system respond to a full-blown attack. Bots were built differently now, and he hadn’t been updated for that kind of use since before he’d woken up and begun staying with Dr. Zhongli.

He wasn’t sure what would happen if they were triggered now, but the chance of something going wrong was just as fearsome because he had no idea what would happen.

“Well, maybe you could test it out?” Venti suggested lightly. “It doesn’t have to be against me, but I think figuring out the risk factors would be worth the effort.”

“Why does it matter? Can I not simply choose not to fight you?”

Venti chuckled. “Of course you can! But if you do, I’d be more willing to accept it if you just didn’t want to— not because you’re afraid of what may happen if we do. Personally, I believe we get to choose who we want to be for the rest of our existence, and I think if somethings holding you back, you’re at least allowed to examine it and look for solutions.”

For a moment, Xiao said nothing to confirm or deny Venti’s speculations. ‘Afraid’ was never a word he had associated with, feeling any form of fear when one was but a mere weapon in the art of war was inconceivable. His purpose was to defend the defenseless and eradicate those who wished to do his side harm.

But— maybe that was just it. He was a weapon. Present day, he was doing nothing more than collecting dust and running off of the fumes of programming that was no longer useful. Was it safe to say that, if he no longer had a threat to be unafraid of, could he freely feel fear no matter how unnaturally it came to him? And if he were afraid, would he let Venti help him defuse that uneasiness?

Still uncertain, he attempted the conversation outside of his head. “Maybe you’re right... I am afraid to see just what might happen. I do not know where this irrational fear is coming from or what to do about it.”

“It’s a good thing you have me then.” Venti smiled. “Often the only thing that drives away fear is a strong reassuring force. Something, I’d like to think I’m capable of giving you.”

“I would appreciate it.”

Chirping, Venti proceeded. “You’re afraid you’ll hurt me, correct?” Xiao’s nod was shy, already feeling ‘silly’. “Your concern is endearing, but sweet Xiao, I cannot feel pain. And you wouldn’t be hurting my feelings by engaging in a dual I asked for. Furthermore, and don’t take offense to this,” he forwarns, gently clasping his hands around one of Xiao’s. “Though you are well maintained, much of your assets predate mine. I can tell you’re mostly made up of titanium while I am made of tungsten, the strongest naturally occurring metal in this world. Even if you wanted to, I’m sorry to say your attacks would hurt you more than I. And unlike older models, de-chipping me would be quite the feat.”

If Xiao had a pair of LEDs, they’d be bright red with a sort of shame. Perhaps Venti was made of sturdier stuff than he’d given him credit for. Then again, uncertainty still loomed around his processing. “That is… all true…”

Starry eyes softened. “Still not convinced, huh?”

“I’m… trying.”

“Here—” Venti scooped Xiao’s pinky up with his own and hooked them together. “I promise that if at any point you lose yourself and try to attack me, I’ll put a stop to it. I shan’t fall to you in battle!” His grin was humble, but his eyes held a challenge and Xiao’s worry dissipated into a numb stream of ones and zeros.

He sighed, but his smile grew as he tugged back at Venti’s pinky. “You make a lot of promises.”

A robotic giggle sounded, and their fingers relaxed to twine together comfortably. “I only make promises I intend to keep. Besides, I’ve only made you two. That’s just the beginning of many promises I plan to make you.”

“There’s no need…” Steam spewed gently from his ears anyway.

“Mm? It seems you like it though, and since you do, I’ll make you another! Come next week, I’ll have something imperative to tell you. It’ll be the most important thing I have or will ever say.”

“Why not say it now?”

“Because, my beautifully bright friend, the courage I’ll be needing has yet to be installed. Just look forward to it!”

Xiao lamented into his hair, “I believe if I’m made to anticipate anything else, next time I may explode.”

“Hah! You’re telling me. Anyways, back to your lovely pictures—”

When the platter of Almond Tofu picture came up, Venti jokingly asked, “You eat?” referring back to when Xiao had asked him the same.

In response, Xiao opened his mouth and closed it around a tuft of black hair, causing the one in his arms to squirm and beg him to ‘let go’ around unbothered laughter.

When he remembered that the next few pictures were of him, he cleared his throat sheepishly. “You can look at the rest later. We don’t want to keep the scientists waiting.”

“Aw, but—!” Venti began, flicking the screen to the next one anyway. He cut himself off with a gasp when both of their eyes landed on a photo of Xiao with his arms behind his head, staring away from the camera. “Holy sh*t…” Venti breathes.

Xiao tried ignoring the molten embarrassment burning up his figure, side eyeing the one-way mirror undoubtedly in the room with them. Too late to avoid feeling self-conscious, he softly explained, “The rest are for when you miss me.”

“I see…” Xiao couldn’t really see his face, but those starry eyes he knew with his eyes closed were still gazing at the picture before them.

“I did my best as one who’s not predisposed to this photo taking activity.”

One of Venti’s hands went up to linger on the picture and he remained quiet for a while. Then suddenly, he scrolled through each picture of Xiao, barely leaving room to digest each before getting to the end with a sigh. “It’s just as I thought.”

“What?”

“Xiao…” Venti’s face turned calmly over his shoulder and Xiao’s brows furrowed. Then a wicked grin curled silicone and long lashes lowered over the bot’s gaze. “You have motor oil in the corner of your mouth—”

The concern erased from Xiao’s being, and with an unamused huff he took both of Venti’s cheeks between his fingers and pulled, wiping the grin off of the other's face as it stretched.

“Ahh! Xiao, noo! I was just messing with you! Release meee!”

“That is the problem,” Xiao deadpanned.

“If it helps, you’re still extremely attractive… with motor oil on your fac—” Xiao pulled again and Venti bursted into a fit of laughter. His LEDs were flashing, happy chirps emitting from him.

He let Venti go peacefully and locked his arms back around him as he giggled and Xiao himself gave a short chuckle into wispy hair. “Do you like them at least? The pictures.”

“Very much! And I insist you take more. It’s only fair that I get an endless stream of content as well.”

“My thoughts exactly. I’ll be sure to take more. Any requests?”

Delighted by the offer, Venti scrolled back to the picture of Xiao with folded arms, hovering over it. “More like this one, please!” Giddy as a child, he tapped the screen.

“That is… a regular picture,” Xiao stated, shaking his head in confusion.

“Exactly, it’s perfect. It’ll be like you’re right there with me. Even though we can’t necessarily communicate, we can still have this at least.”

“Hm, understood.”

“You’ll watch my stream this week, won't you? I’m going live on Thursday with a few friends. They're all a part of my close circle, so I've mentioned you a few times… is that ok?"

How cute… he could imagine Venti running around, telling all of his friends about him. It wasn't that he was anything special, but with how easily excitable Venti was and how much he wanted to share his life with others, Xiao couldn’t see him keeping this situation to himself. Though, he was sure he couldn’t exactly tell people they were doing a confidential experiment.

"Of course I’ll watch. What have you… told them?"

Catching Xiao’s drift, Venti confirms. "Just that I made a new friend who I fancy. Should I have told them anything different?”

Xiao shook his head. “No, that’s good. I’ll be there”

Venti turned himself around in his hold, sitting on his calves to give Xiao a hug around the neck. He whispered into Xiao’s ear, frying his circuits with the words, “It’s a date then,” and pulled away to grin in his face, light and happy.

Trying to ignore the way every part of him melted, Xiao cleared his throat and changed the subject, noticing that a new question had not appeared. “It seems we’ve come to the end of the questions for today…”

“Oh.” Venti spared the wall not even a glance, only growing closer until they were nose to nose. “I wonder what’s next… I can swear there’s something we’ve forgotten to do…” There’s mock confusion in Venti’s voice. Even without the hint, Xiao could tell by the way Venti’s eyelashes batted, and the way he switched between sultry eye contact and gazing at Xiao’s mouth, that Venti was well aware of what they should do next.

Xiao tried remaining abstinent, but soon found his eyes running lower as well, the memory of kissing the other teasing his sensors.

Venti must have caught him staring, as he giggled and rubbed their noses together. Knowing that they were on the same page, he asked, “Ready to try again at a lower voltage?”

“...How much lower?”

“Thirty percent. Any higher than that and we’ll have a whole other beast to tackle.” There was an ominous incline to Venti’s playful quip, but Xiao focused his attention on decreasing the volts.

Once he’d finished, he gave Venti the go ahead. The other wasted no time leaning in to smash their lips together, and Xiao felt the electricity on contact. He heard the echo of each little sound that Venti made while pressed up against him. His laughter floated through Xiao without the other ever having to utter a giggle and he felt everything that was Venti enveloping him.

Though fearful of the consequences, Xiao returned the sentiment in kind with his own jolt of electricity, hoping Venti would feel even close to the same bliss he was. If the hand that flew to the back of his head, or the little, quaking moans were anything to go by he may have achieved his goal.

Reaching minute five, the intercom came on to let them know they were free to leave. And still, it took immeasurable effort for them to part long enough to concede, their processors both seeming sluggish and jittery. Xiao pulled from Venti first, eyes blinking slowly as he opened them to Venti’s— whose were still closed and whose lips trembled.

Xiao gently called his name, his voice alien to his own ears as his impaired processors made him sound breathier. An interesting but less important find.

Venti’s eyes slowly blinked open to a half-lidded state, watching Xiao with a dazed wonderment.

Xiao hated to be the responsible one at that moment. The last thing he wanted was to part ways and wait again, but he knew their respective scientists were waiting for them and had done so long enough.

“It’s time to go…”

“Mm… ok.” Thankfully, Venti agreed but didn't move, simply sitting there while Xiao placed his legs flat on the ground.

Xiao waited, but he still didn’t move. The only thing that changed was the hue of his cheeks as he blinked comically at his unmoving legs.

“Xiao?”

“Yes, Venti?”

“I think I’m gonna need help getting to the door… My legs aren’t responding.”

My Twitter

Chapter 3: An Unforeseen Variable

Chapter Text

“How do you think things are progressing, Xiao?”

“Well.”

"And this week? Have you been experiencing any more of these 'shadows'?"

"Only once so far. I've added to my routine to mitigate the technical interference.”

“What are you doing differently?”

“...”

“Xiao?”

“After each of my activities, I analyze one of the many videos on the Glitch Database. More specifically, I've taken to studying his music videos—”

“Venti’s?”

“Yes. It is a taxing process, but it keeps the shadows at bay."

"And how many videos is that a day?"

"It… varies."

"Then what's the count today?" Zhongli smiled and he could feel the scientist trying to pull something out of him. The way his glasses dangled at the edge of his nose peacefully, as though he knew something Xiao did not, unnerved him. He wasn't writing anything. Wasn't looking at him. Was only… curious. Inherent in human nature, but a notorious move from the man when he already had his answers and was simply amused with Xiao.

Xiao sighed. "Eight… Not all of them are music-related… Sometimes, he just sits there and talks while strumming a ukulele. He looks at the screen like he's talking directly to you. He has everything down to a science—what to say, when to look, and how to act like his audience is there with him. His performances are encapsulating… that is not to say that I do not carry out my responsibilities—!"

Zhongli quickly waved off his concerns, flippant and uncaring of the consequences of Xiao's leisurely activities. "Will you be watching him again tomorrow?"

Xiao's nod was more mechanical than he'd ever felt in his existence. "It's Thursday. I've been… Yes— I'll be watching."

"Wonderful. Enjoy yourself. Being an audience member is a thrilling experience. I'm sure Venti will prove an excellent host for your entertainment." Zhongli sipped his tea as though every word he said was not shooting indecipherable codes through Xiao's censors.

"What do you mean?"

"Precisely what I said. Enjoy yourself. Have fun. Indulge."

"Is this an order?"

"Never." Zhongli's eyes darted up, over the rim of his cup. "It is only ever a suggestion. Call it an old man's desire to see you thrive."

"But… how do I know that it's 'fun'? What indicator am I looking for?"

Zhongli lowered his cup into his lap, thinking quietly of the answer as they sat in the living room, watching the sunset over the horizon. Fond and self-ridiculing the doctor's answer filled the silence. Xiao's eyes patiently processed the twitch of his lips.

"When you don't want him to leave. When everything seems new and possibly overwhelming and you have no desire to stop it. When goodbye seems like too much. That's how you'll know."

Xiao blinked, processors taking notes and stalling with confusion. "But, Dr. Zhongli, I am not human. I have no desire." Xiao stated, facts overriding any feelings Zhongli insisted he had.

The man's sleek brow raised, gently smiling as though he were the one with an endless database instead of Xiao. "Just because you are desire-deficient does not mean you are incapable of having them. If that were the case, I could tell you not to watch the livestream tomorrow in favor of doing the laundry or some other meager task."

Xiao's fingers curled suddenly around the arm of the couch, causing the leather to moan uncomfortably. Even so, he could make it work. Laundry wouldn’t take too long and he could play the feed simultaneously. He was fully capable of multitasking. However, if he was ordered not to at all… The steam evacuating his vents only seemed to prove the doctor’s point.

If Xiao was that adamant to catch a glimpse of Venti, to hear his voice over the waves of the net space…

His eyes closed. A hum generated from his core. "Point noted. Reconfiguring…" His eyes reopened and his grip on the couch lessened.

"I have one desire."

"Thank you for the update."

Thursday evening, 8:57, not too long before Venti was scheduled to stream. Xiao waited, wires frayed for the moment that that tell-tale, sea-green font would materialize across the screen. He’d already been sitting there in bed the past half hour with no way to distract himself, save for taking anticipatory selfies.

Venti had already confirmed his satisfaction— no, his preference —for Xiao’s natural form. Since then, Xiao tried more candid shots. Factually, it was easy to snap a photo and send it out to the world. There were many entities yet to acknowledge Xiao’s existence and no conflict sparked within him when deciding if something was ‘good enough to post’.

None, save for Venti, of course.

Was the angle right? Was he showing enough of his face? Should he emote more to show his excitement or let it be self-explanatory? It was a little dark in the room, would the flash be enough? Maybe he should turn on a light. Should he smile?

Frustrated with himself, he manually adjusted his vents to fully open, letting the built-up steam burst out, head clearing slowly but surely. He looked at the camera and let the shutter click away. He just wants to see me. Plain and simple. Anything will do.

Still, these were for Venti, an AI who never failed to make what seemed easy enough into a challenge for Xiao. Since the beginning, what started as a simple friendship had quickly bloomed into something unpredictable. Compared to his monotonous everyday life thus far, there hadn’t been a dull moment since.

8:59. He watched the chat light up and decided to take a photo of that too, captioning it ‘The show’s about to start.’ and shifting his focus on the screen as Venti’s name flew, putting his circuits at ease.

Venti — 15 minutes before Stream

The ukulele in his hands played an endless stream of notes as he tried in vain to regulate his core’s rhythm. He’d always rejoiced in each new experience, each new ‘feeling.’ Emotion gave life so much color, a vastness he felt could take him for a ride he never wanted to get off. Even the bad ones allowed him to learn and grow into his own unique hue. However, just this once, he wished to rid himself of this anxiousness spreading and lingering throughout his systems.

In a few short minutes, he would stream just like he’d done countless times before. The excitement would take hold even before he began until the stage was set and the world could see him— he'd share his excitement with each being watching, as they soared through life even for a few hours, fun and free. By the end, they would come down, gently, and say their goodbyes until the next stream without incident.

But this day…

Chirp, Chirp, Chirp, Chiiiirp…

“Venti, you’ll be Live soon.” A deep frequency cuts through in stark contrast to the high-pitched tones filling his room.

While hooked to his computer, he virtually looked up from his playing to look around their table. The usual meeting, all of his mods sitting around him, preparing for the stream. Even though they’re far apart it feels like they’re together. He was glad they implemented this, otherwise who knows how far his mind would take him before streams. They kept him grounded.

"I'm aware. Any issues so far?" he asked, thankful that through the call’s audio pathway, they couldn’t hear his ‘situation’.

"None. It seems people are particularly excited, seeing as we've announced that you're having a special guest. They're trying to guess who it might be. Too bad for them. If even I don't know, they'll never get it," Kaeya sighed heavily, not so subtly rolling his blue-tinted eye in Venti’s direction.

With a grin, Venti teased, "Indeed, what a tragedy, I suppose we'll all have to wait and see."

Lisa batted her lashes, pouty-lipped, and laced her long, oval nails under her chin. "Not even a little hint? His username?"

Venti's eyes narrowed as he distinctly remembered not giving anyone Xiao's pronouns either. Instead of responding, he shifted his attention to Albedo, who calmly clicked away on his screen while sitting to his left, focused and non-gossip-hungry unlike the other two.

"Are things running well? I don't want any issues tonight."

"Everything is running smoothly. There may be a slight delay with the chat, but that may be for the best. We don’t want to crash the site every time you stream."

"Wonderful!" He wished that calmed him down even a little.

"There is one unrelated issue I am concerned about."

Venti's fingers on his ukelele came to a flourishing halt. "Can it be fixed?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

Suddenly, the other three at the table looked between him and Albedo while Venti's processor whirred on a loop.

"I don't follow. Could you—"

Albedo stared Venti down, tapping his ear deliberately. "I have access to your mic for technical purposes."

As if having its name called, the chirping intensifies around him and the red LEDs from his cheeks turn the scene around him from blue to a shameful purple.

"I'm… working on it."

"It doesn’t seem to have gotten better in the past twenty minutes."

"How long have you been listening?!"

"Never mind that. Do we need to call him to take a look at you? You don't seem stream-ready."

"No! No, please I'm fine— Really!" Venti panicked as Albedo's arms folded, brow raised at him as though he'd been caught with a hand in the motor oil cabinet.

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive!" He practically screeched. "I'm just really excited, that's all! It’s been a while since I've had a guest. It should calm down once introductions are out of the way."

Albedo hummed, robotic eyes audibly blinking. "If you say so. Still, you've had plenty of guests before. I wonder what makes him so special..."

Venti’s lips parted but shut into a tight-lipped smile, keying into the reality of Albedo’s investment. "Not you, too…"

"Well of course we all want to know!" The sound of in-game artillery loudly interrupted them as Hu Tao unmuted and swooped into conversation. The girl in question rejoices at her score before coming back to them as the only one on a screen at their meeting.

Venti can't help but smile and laugh. "And what is so ‘need to know’ about my guest? It's the same as usual."

"As if! You've had your wires in knots for days! Don't think I haven't noticed. Everyone else might be mechanical, but as a Fleshy myself, I can see right through you and I know exactly who you invited!"

"Oh? What conclusions have you come to then? Please, enlighten me." Venti lightly teased, though curious still of her observations.

She ceremoniously took a chip from her bag, pointing it at her screen. "First piece of evidence, stream days are usually Thursdays, that hasn't changed. However, you usually message the day before to verify schedules. For the past couple of weeks, you've been contacting us on Monday evenings!"

"Scandalous," Kaeya remarked sarcastically.

"Second, you said you met someone recently, which lines up with when you started acting weird!"

Uh oh.

"Now that you mention it," Lisa's motor purred. "If I remember correctly, you ranted about him quite a bit as well."

"Which brings me to my final point! It's been a while since you had someone you dedicated a stream to and even so, like Albedo said, it’s never rattled you this much." Her skin became unceremoniously stained with cheesy dust as she tapped it against her chin like a pen used to write her investigation notes. "Could it be… instead of a friend—"

Lisa piped in with her own gasp. "—You have a little cutie tucked away that we don't know about?"

Venti's room became as ambient as a parking garage, systems blaring from embarrassment as loud and proud as a stolen hovercraft. Albedo flinched slightly, briefly glancing at him before returning his gaze elsewhere without a word. A point of escape that Venti latched onto wholeheartedly.

He cleared his throat. "Very fanciful ideas my friends. More pressingly, I must ask that you don't interrogate my guest in any likeness that just befell me. I can take it, but I'm sure it wouldn't be appreciated by the former."

"Dodging the question I see." Kaeya folded his arms, an amused smirk on his digital form.

Venti smiled, too, through the blaring nerves that continued to shoot off. "It's not that I want to. It's simply that I must. If I were to get started, I wouldn’t be able to contain myself anymore. And we have a show to do. You'll all begin to understand in time."

The gnashing of chips between teeth followed his statement and Hu Tao sighed as she swiped her screen. " Fine! Bore me to death, why don't you," she grumbled.

Lisa toyed with the braid on her shoulder, shrugging. "As long as you’re happy, dear. I just know I'd better meet this person eventually. Vetting is an important part of any relationship, and you wouldn't have made me a moderator if not for my excellent judge of character."

Venti gave a genuine laugh, shaking his head. "True. You'd be even better if you didn't take so many breaks. Not that I'm much better."

"Well matters always need attending to, and I'm very fond of my audiobooks."

"Is 'audiobooks' new coding for 'girlfriend'? I'm sure we all know what really has you distracted." Hu Tao quipped.

Lisa, trying to be nonchalant, took one leg over the other. "You would be too, if yours didn't work so much."

"Aiyyaa! Direct hit!" Hu Tao struck a dramatic pose before withering. "It can't be helped, working women are hotter."

"Agreed."

"At least I don't force her to come support while she's there, unlike some people."

Albedo raised a brow. "So we're taking jabs at each other now?" He nods to himself as if to confirm before turning his attention to Kaeya. "Then it stands to note Kaeya has been asking me to send his brother error messages in chat even when he's done nothing wrong."

Kaeya, unmoved, grinned in his seat like a child proudly receiving a toy. "And why not? It's important to keep the people entertained, and nothing keeps him busy like a new problem to solve, even if imaginary."

"Wait, does this mean you actually do it for him, Albedo?" Venti blinked as each of them watched the platinum blond bot pinch his chin contemplatively.

"Perhaps I should refrain from self-implicating call-outs."

"Busted!" Hu Tao sing-sang, resulting in all of them bursting into a fit of chuckles.

With each bit of laughter, Venti felt his rhythm come back to normal, the blaring chimes coming down just in the knick of time. His friends joked and made the final preparations for the stream. Albedo, of course, shot him a look as the noise quieted, but it was only to give him a relieved smile before turning back to his duties.

Brought to life with renewed excitement, Venti rid himself of his ukelele and opened his streaming application, putting his best foot forward for the night ahead. Perhaps laughter was the best medicine for non-biological organisms, too.

And with friends like his, who would ever need a doctor?

“Why hello, hello, little wisps,” Venti greeted his audience, his laughter just like those from the shadows, haunting Xiao pleasantly as the chat erupted into a fit of excited comments, stray greetings, and numerous emojis. The streamer’s cherubic delight tried in vain to hide behind his hand; though the white sleeves of the large, white sweater he wore nearly swallowed his shield whole. Alas, his chimes gave him away and the hearts rolled in.

His fans vied for his attention as though he held the universe in his hands while Xiao, looked on, fingers clasped with envy. Of course, he wasn't allowed to interact with him outside of the experiment, so he found himself living vicariously through them all.

“Thank you for following ‘TideWithholder’!” Venti greeted one person here, “I’m sorry work left you exhausted today ‘DutchessMelody ’ let’s relax here for a little while, yeah?” and supported another regular there. Xiao even found himself chuckling when someone challenged Venti to an impromptu game of rock paper scissors. Venti lost rather quickly, rolling in his defeat. “I can’t believe this! Next time I’ll win, mark my words, ‘ExMaiden’!”

Xiao decided, somewhat begrudgingly, that he didn’t mind wading in the pool of anonymous faces so long as the waves continued to make Venti smile. However, as minutes rolled by he saw that smile wane, shining eyes scanning the chat… searching…

Xiao picked his head up from resting it on his arm. “Is he…” his core pulsated and he eagerly typed something out— Then, deleted it as messages continued scrolling past. The wave was… intimidating, to say the least. What if he made an outright fool of himself, he hadn’t yet grasped the netiquette to go by.

He looked down, dejected. Venti began prattling on again suddenly, dragging things out when he’d usually be quick to get into the activities, waiting for Xiao. If only there were a way to let him know he was there. Something that wouldn’t break the communication barrier between them.

Looking up, hopelessly, he searched his screen. Then, he saw it, their opening — a little turquoise follow button underneath the display. Quietly, he thanked fate for his ironic tech-illiteracy, otherwise, he’d have been following the entire time.

Hitting the follow button, he waited mere seconds while Venti talked to watch the notification pop-up on Venti’s stream. And as soon as he saw it, all of Venti’s idle chit-chat came to a halt and his face lit up, literally. His LEDs shone clear over the screen and the chat began to joke about how blinded they were by his beauty.

That was for him, and Venti had made that unmistakably clear.

Xiao was starting to get a grasp of the live-stream culture as time went on, finding that there wasn't much difference from a normal interaction. People were free to come and go as they pleased, show their support with gifts to Venti or gifts to chat members, and sometimes emojis could be used to convey thoughts without the need to type out full sentences.

An example of the last point occurred most commonly in times of victory or defeat for Venti and his friends as they played 'Multiplayer XAlien Solitude' — working together to hide from a monster with incredible detection skills as they tried various ways to escape the space station they were trapped in.

Venti’s expression of fear was interesting. Xiao'd caught snippets from Venti’s intro video, but seeing it live was different.

Venti was usually a tactful guide when commuting the airship in their game, reminding each of his friends of their individual strengths to go forward as a team — vaguely reminding Xiao much of his days as a general.

Oh, but when he got scared…

"No! I CAN HEAR IT IN THE VENT! Kaeya!"

"It does seem to be chasing you now. We'll just be over here."

"HELP ME!" Venti begged, running down the corridor, the sound of a xalien, five times his size, following close behind. While screaming his head off, he swore all the way, making Xiao cackle quietly to himself. Hopefully, Zhongli was already deep enough in sleep to remain undisturbed.

As Venti ran for his life, the chat erupted in a long stream of encouragement, telling Venti to run faster and even begging the other participants to help him as he narrowly escaped through a vent.

Xiao tried to join in, against his better judgment, “You’re doing well,” shocked when Venti thanked everyone for their support almost immediately. Unassuming, he chatted a few more times, echoing the wave, and again Venti was quick to respond like he was waiting for Xiao to say something, anticipating his participation.

On one hand, that wasn’t good behavior for a well-liked streamer. On the other hand…

His messages grew more frequent, balancing being a distraction and sharing the sentiments of the chat to make their interaction less obtrusive. It was easy to do, and just as easy to get carried away with. Some people in the chat even began talking to him specifically, and though he didn’t understand why, he tried to respond to the best of his ability.

[MOD] WhisperingLyre: Enjoying the show, @GuardianYaksha?

GuardianYaksha: Yes, it's my first time watching live. I'm enjoying the immersion.

[MOD] WhisperingLyre: Welcome to the winds! There's only more fun to be had. Just keep that attitude and you'll do well here. @GuardianYaksha

[MOD] PurpleRosarie: Oho, being a little overprotective today aren't we? @WhisperingLyre

Xiao blinked, wondering if he'd been caught in the middle of something. It didn't seem like anyone else had caught the attention of the moderators. It would probably be best to apologize and get out of it as quickly as possible.

GuardianYaksha: I apologize if I made a nuisance of myself.

[MOD] WhisperingLyre: I'm not! @PurpleRosarie

[MOD] WhisperingLyre: No, no. Don't mind that. I was just trying to be friendly. Enjoy the rest of the show @GuardianYaksha

Xiao's jaw rolled from side to side on its hinges as he tried to understand what had just happened, but it wasn't too long after that he heard his username over the actual stream as a quick-paced female voice uttered it and began her own inquiry.

"No, I agree with Lisa. You hardly type in chat Lyre. Who is this GuardianYaksha?"

Venti cleared his throat loudly just as Xiao was rethinking his actions. "I'd appreciate it if my friends would focus on the mission at hand, especially since Albedo is doing us the favor of opening these doors to keep us alive.”

"Not only that, but the xalien is in your section, Hu Tao, best to get a move on before you all become its next victims," Albedo commented as the heavy, metal door opened, releasing the pressure of the next room with a hiss.

"Fine." They moved ahead as a group and Xiao did not miss Venti peering at the chat as they went. He seemed satisfied and began following his own advice as they continued traversing the ship while evading attacks.

This period of safety didn't last of course. While looking for a specific NPC, the xalien occupying their section made its move, swiftly stabbing GraveButterfly666, Hu Tao, through the chest and dragging her up into the vent to consume while she whined about the cruelty of fate and the majesty of death.

They promised to revive her at the next checkpoint but they were quick to run as the xalien’s cooldown for its murder spree was low.

And not a second later, Hu Tao was in chat, messaging him.

[MOD] GraveButterfly_666: Wassup? @ GuardianYaksha

He contemplated ignoring the message, pretending to be away, partially because he didn't know what she wanted, but his need to be cooperative eventually won.

GuardianYaksha : Hello.

[MOD] GraveButterfly_666: Oh good, you replied! So who are you anyway?

Blunt.

GuardianYaksha: Just another viewer.

[MOD] GraveButterfly_666: Not versed in bullsh*tting are you? That's ok. I can already tell who you might be. Welcome to the party!

GuardianYaksha: …Thank you.

3mergency4ood: What's going on?

StarlightPrinz: I'd like to know, too.

RedKnight_DNI: curiosity killed the cat.

“You guys, I try not to do my own moderating, but I hope you’re not ganging up on other wisps. If you’re too mean, I’ll have to send out PurpleRosarie to dish out punishments.”

The questioning died down almost immediately from most and their usernames didn't pop up again. However, GraveButterfly_666 persisted.

[MOD] GraveButterfly_666: Are you Venti’s ‘special’ friend??

“Hu Tao…” Venti warned, the girl light-heartedly whining about her ‘government name’ being used. Xiao was more concerned with the question she’d posed. What did it mean to be ‘special friends’? He’d never heard something like that before. It was an utterly human concept, but he couldn’t help contemplating it anyway.

Special. Significant. Memorable. Remarkable… The further he searched the less likely he felt it aligned with his person.

As he processed, he typed, “You would have to ask, Venti. I think that we’re getting to know each other especially well. So I would consider him something ‘special’ to that degree.”

The riled-up chat began to chant for an answer, one Xiao wasn’t sure he was ready for. His core is acting up, molten heat pulsing emphatically in his chest as his embarrassment mirrors Venti’s.

“Um… that is a question! And… Um…” Venti looked like his circuits were ready to blow, so Xiao started typing trying to recant his statement.

Thankfully, before the worst could come to pass, Albedo interrupted, emphatically sighing. “The airlock opened. It’s coming.”

Kaeya, another mod or just a friend— Xiao couldn’t quite place him— tagged on, “It seems all questions will need to be put on hold. Otherwise, Hu Tao being down will be the least of our worries.”

Venti seemed to take the opportunity presented and decidedly closed his mouth. “I suppose the answer will have to wait. Apologies little wisps!”

If it was anything like earlier, he couldn’t wait to log it thoroughly when the opportunity arose.

After the intense and horrific nature of their first game, Venti suggested a change of pace, switching to a multiplayer farming-based game. The chat didn’t seem to mind the comfy vibes that followed, and no one hounded him about the drama earlier; for which, he was grateful.

While doing side quests, he made sure to keep an eye out for any of Xiao’s comments. The other bot seemed to stick to the idea that communication between them should not be overt outside of experiments, but as the stream went on, occasionally the comments from the other grew frequent; each of them sly and distracting.

‘Venti’s plan was very good, I wonder how he ended up spending so much on beer.’

‘Did Kreid3Prinz just eat a spider?’

‘You all might want to go back in the mines for Hu Tao, considering the screams…’

‘Kaeya definitely walked past in your shirt.’

And Venti’s core sang each time, unconsciously blocking out the other chatter, though he tried interacting as much as he could with the newcomers. Never before had he struggled to multitask, but Xiao’s eager and attentive comments were becoming an exception and Venti couldn’t keep himself grounded, longing for the next each time a sentence drifted up into the digital sky.

Eventually, their wholesome game ended and the AI found himself desperately trying to cool his core. His streaming companions fell silent to watch him, waiting for his next move.

Taking a deep breath, hoping to mitigate his anxiety, he reached down in the material space, slipping his fingers around the handle of the lyre he stowed away under his desk. He was still mentally teetering between songs, but he knew what he wanted to convey. Maybe it would be too on the nose— but the Xiao he knew thrived on direct communication, always looking for clarity and curious about Venti's feelings.

Whatever the case, Xiao would be watching closely, and Venti wanted to reach him.

He pressed the side of his neck, calling all audience members to attention with a chime. There was a thrum of energy, the connection of each of them to that server and moment in time that made him smile as it always brought him peace. He brushed his fingers along lyre strings, freely ad-libbing for a few seconds to set the tone, humming gently, softly plucking until it is a repetition of what seems like two notes coming up into the stratosphere before being taken back down until they are but feet hovering above the ground.

There, he was home and ready to perform.

“We’ve reached the end of tonight’s stream, it’s been so much fun I can hardly stand to leave. So, before I go, I’d like to share a song with you all.” He strummed along gently, biding his time. Everyone expressed their grief as well, thanking him for the stream in advance.

“You’re all too kind, thank you for being here. Some of you may remember that I’ve dedicated tonight's stream to someone. For reasons I cannot disclose, they are unable to be here where you can all see them, but I hope one day that won't be the case. So I leave this message, from long ago, to serve as an answer to what’s been asked and to express just what’s pleasantly plagued my circuitry since the day I met you .” Slipping up, he had no choice but to laugh, warm to his core.

“I suppose, this is for you, my special friend.”

His ad-libbing melted into something more deliberate, his eyes closing, focusing, humming softly a few seconds in before boldly announcing his affections.

“Angels danced the day that you were born/ Oh, I’m so sure they celebrated when you arrived/ You’re so bright, I swear you swallowed the sun/ And I am so in awe, just basking in your light…”

He looked up into the camera as he sang, ignoring the chat, ignoring the way his mods shifted at their virtual table, ignoring it all to send Xiao this message, to allow the melody to carry his feelings to the only place it made sense.

After the first verse, he sang a litany of things Xiao may not understand— too human, too sensory, too poetic to truly solidify, but he pushed on, knowing that through this, one thing would remain unmistakable…

“...And the only thing I know is— I think I might be falling for… the boy who swallowed the sun.” After it was out, Venti found himself shyly looking down, grinning to himself as even his silicon lids couldn’t protect him from the brightness of his LEDS or the confetti pop notification that sounded around him, his feelings exploding out and drifting free in the air.

Invigorated by the relief, he kept singing, relishing in the sigh of each internal, taut wire letting loose. And, oh to finally say it was true freedom!

“ …And I see… the whole galaxy in your… eyes…/ And I swear that I’ll be kind to you/ Even though I’m… a Gemini…”

He looked up again, even though it made him want to fall apart, searching in that lens as though Xiao was trapped there somewhere, kidnapped by some unseen force. Yet, Venti was the one waiting to be rescued by his presence— liberated by his response.

“ …And the only thing I know is— I wanna know what it’s like to be with the boy… To be with the boy… who swallowed the sun.”

Repeating these words as the song intended, he hardly needed to be coerced to reference back to his 'suneater'. As the song closed, his shoulders raised weightlessly. And as the world around came back and he processed the stage he was on, the stares, the bustling chat filled with praise and questions, he strummed once more, listlessly, beginning to feel the slight emptiness. Xiao couldn’t respond, in the same way, he could not outright ask. The waiting game still had to be played with its requirements intact.

“I hope that answered your questions and that you enjoyed the stream as much as I did. Until next time little wisps.”

He strummed gently until given the thumbs up that his audio was no longer live and the end stream credits were playing, in which he stopped and hugged the lyre to his chest. He expected his notifications to sound immediately, loud enough to set off every alarm in the vicinity, yet his systems were silent, his mind blank, and he heard the gentlest wave of whirring within, something of an update or reboot, he couldn’t tell which.

“Venti.” Not sure who called him, he looked around the table. Kaeya and Hu Tao just stared at him while Albedo seemed more interested in his screen. Lisa simply leaned into her hand on the table lazily, eyes closed with a tiny smirk on her lips.

“Yes?”

Hu Tao breathed a sigh, nonchalantly rolling her wrists. “Funerals are more my thing, but, given the circ*mstances, I’m not opposed to coming to your wedding. Just remember to make me the maid of honor! Y’know, life is short, death is long yada-yada, so I deserve first dibs!”

He blinked, then tilted his head as it sloshed like molasses. “Huh?”

Without answering his question, Kaeya noted, “There are hearts in your eyes by the way.”

“Oh…” Venti’s hand reached up to his face. “I didn’t know they could do that— Wait, since when…?”

“About halfway through that song of yours.”

Alarm bells sounded from his person as he sank, head hitting the table, deaf to his friends’ concerned bickering as he began laughing uncontrollably at himself.

Why? Because he was absolutely hopeless. And, if that was the case, Xiao had his work cut out for him.

That night, Xiao lay in bed, charging, but still alert as the sound of Venti’s voice and the look on his face burned into the ceiling, playing over and over above him. What else could he do when the sight pleased him such a distressing amount?

Venti made his feelings very clear. The experiment was bearing fruit on his end. What of himself? How did one know when they were falling in love?

He liked Venti— a lot. His experiences with the other were unlike any he’d had before. He didn’t know he could feel this way. He’d hardly considered feeling at all, but now he felt riddled by the emotions he was assaulted with after the stream ended.

Like Zhongli had said, he became incredibly saddened when the end credits began to play. It was fun watching Venti live his life, conversing with his chat, playing games with his friends, and singing. He’d learned so much about him that only strengthened his desire to see him in person again.

He rolled over, lying on his side, trying not to indulge the shadow's manipulations too much.

3 more days. 3 more and he'd see him again. He just needed to remain occupied, needed to figure out his feelings…

He blinked loudly, scanning and reassessing something he'd nearly forgotten. His defense system. It would draw a hard line between them before they could cross it. If he stood to hurt Venti or anyone he cared for in any way, he needed to figure out if it was something that could be fixed or avoided before things became too complicated.

Without thinking, the holographic screen appeared before him and he messaged the man in the next room. He hoped Zhongli would forgive him for interrupting his sleep, there just wasn’t enough time between then and their next lab visit.

"If it would not put you out, I'd like to test the quality of my defense systems tomorrow. Respond at your earliest convenience."

Once that was sent, he lay there, not expecting a response until the morning but feeling better having said something.

Within minutes, a beep sounded to notify him of a message received, catching him off guard. Disbelieving, he opened it.

"Alright, I will make the arrangements immediately."

Xiao squinted, looking at the time, 3 am.

His response is quick and firm. "Go to bed."

Unsure of when his request would be fulfilled, they didn't speak of it that morning. However, Zhongli requested they sit together in the kitchen area while he made a report. This was an unusual circ*mstance seeing as Zhongli preferred his office.

Still, Xiao accepted quickly; Zhongli’s requests of him were few and far between.

They sat quietly for a time, Zhongli worked and he observed while sitting beside him. His expression was calm, stress levels even, and his eyes darting over to the door every once in a while only to return to his work moments later.

Eventually, his taping increased at the drop of a notification before he closed the screen completely to turn to Xiao who readied for his next command.

"How was your night?"

"Enjoyable."

Zhongli stared, blinking for a moment before chuckling softly. "And what made it so?"

"Multiple elements. Would you like me to recount them?"

"Of course," Zhongli nodded along, making himself comfortable. With his permission Xiao detailed the liveliness of the chat, Venti’s stunning attire, the way he yelled when experiencing 'fear', the way he alternated between competence and carefree thinking, his friends who each brought out the best and worst in each other, and the song he sang…

"Oh? And how did that make you feel?"

"I… miss him."

Zhongli reached forward until his hand landed on Xiao's head to pat him. Though Xiao couldn't 'feel’ it, he recognized the comforting gesture along with Zhongli’s pitying smile. "You've grown so much recently… I'm sure Venti misses you dearly as well. It won't be much longer."

"Three more days."

"That's right."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Zhongli’s hand retracted, but he didn't seem taken off guard at all, only gesturing toward the door. "Strange. I wasn't expecting anyone. Will you get that for me, Xiao?"

An uninvited guest? His systems ran, then halted running again, recalibrating. He made his way over to the door, deciding to hit the button on the back of his neck, it’d been turned off for some time.

Checking the door's camera he found someone standing outside waiting. Although, he could tell this person was not necessarily human, setting off even more red flags. Through the intercom, he addresses the stranger promptly.

"This is the residence of Dr. Zhongli Guizhong. State your business.”

A flamboyant chuckle came through, co*ckily continuing to stand there with a hand on his hip. "What an interesting greeting. I wonder if your maker knew you'd be the bell-hopping sort."

Xiao's brow twitched. "If you have no business here, move along."

"Now, now! Don't be so hasty. I did actually come here to visit Zhongli, we're buddies you see. Just let him know I'm here. The name's Tartaglia."

Xiao turns his head to the scientist in question who looks on stoically. "Do you know a ‘Tartaglia’?"

"He's a colleague of sorts, but he's never had reason to show up at my residence."

"Should I let him in?"

"I suppose so, he's harmless most of the time." Zhongli shrugged. He seemed as though he couldn’t be bothered, his guard down. Strange.

He unlocked the door, booting up his guest protocol, when the somewhat towering figure at the cracked door pushed it the rest of the way and walked right in with a boisterous greeting that made Xiao’s processors rattle.

“Xiangsheng! You have an esteemed guest here! Hellooo?” Before Xiao could regain his bearings the redhead had left the entryway to find Zhongli, making Xiao’s mechanical brow twitch as he shut and locked the door.

“Please modulate your voice. Human ears cannot tolerate such decibels,” or grating enthusiasm, but Xiao kept this to himself.

It wouldn’t matter anyway because the bot gave a high-pitched whistle afterward, looking around the open living room, dining room, and kitchen area— completely ignoring him.

“Oooh, nice place— love the natural lighting— Oh, there you are!” He was quick to close the gap between himself and the scientist. More than that, he wrapped his arms around him and buried half his face into the other’s hair, hugging an awkwardly compliant Zhongli.

“Hello, Childe.”

The cheer drained from the redhead’s piercing blue eyes that already reeked of chaos and death somehow, and his smile waned. “Aww, don't be like that! Won't you at least call me by my name? It’s not like you’re babysitting me or anything.”

“I suppose if it pleases you, I can call you Tartaglia, Childe .”

“You’re just making fun of me now!” Childe sighed but didn't let go. “So be it. I’ll just have to wait until we’re married then.”

“Suppose you’ll be waiting quite a long time then, not that I’m young enough for you to do that either.”

Zhongli’s words are nonchalant, his attention barely given to Childe. Still, Zhongli didn’t seem bothered. Xiao resigned himself to standing against the wall, continuing to monitor the situation— at least that’s what he’d intended.

“Xiao.”

“Yes?”

The scientist gestured over his shoulder. “This is Tartaglia, otherwise known as CH1LD3. He’s a recent advancement on many of the combat units enlisted in the Tevatyn Military. I had a small part in his advancements as an observer years previous to you and I meeting.”

“And Childe—” he received a grumble from the bot for this. “--Tartaglia, this is Xiao. A predecessor of yours from the early two-thousands. He’s become a permanent member of my family.”

Xiao bowed with civility, ignoring the… ‘irksome’ way Childe regarded him with a smirk. “Nice to meet…” but his sentence trailed off as his systems began to alert and his eyes widened.

“Likewise…” Childe practically purred back with that glinting grin. But that wasn't the only thing that glinted.

Xiao was across the room in seconds, gripping Childe by the wrist. There, the obnoxious bot’s hand released the offending object and it clattered to the floor, metallic and deadly.

Xiao's gears turned angrily and his systems blared, high-pitched as he saw red.

A menacing chuckle emanated from the bot. “Can’t say I'm very impressed with your defense systems. I’ve had that pretty knife against Dear Zhongli’s throat for quite a bit now.” Xiao felt him attempt to roll his arm and effortlessly tightened his grip until he could hear Childe’s joint creek. “But for a 2000s Model they didn’t hold back when making your offense components, did they?” he asked so sickly sweet, and Xiao was horrified to analyze the genuine admiration on Childe’s end.

“Leave.”

“Ah-ah, no can do. Tell him, Xiangsheng.”

Xiao’s eyes clicked over to the scientist who sat observing, unbothered. “Oh, certainly. You do remember your inquiry about having your defense system assessed. That is why Childe is here.”

Xiao’s grip lessened but he maintained his hold on the other bot. “If that was the case, why not tell me this before?”

“The element of surprise was necessary to ascertain your ability to detect a threat," Childe butted in.

“And what are your findings?” He looked back to Childe for an answer.

“It’s good when it works.” Childe then took his arm away without much effort. “But.. you’re slow. If I’d wanted it done, Xiangsheng would be dead. Your system doesn’t fire off until you can actually see the threat, which means you’re not looking for it before it’s presented.” He went to take a seat while Xiao rounded the island to keep a watchful eye on both of them.

“Not only does that fault in your system make it hard to prevent massive casualties, it also makes you sh*t at identifying the non-threatening element in your environment. In other words, you're more dangerous than helpful.”

Xiao’s gaze fell, processing each line slowly. He'd known all of that, somewhere inside. He was a weapon, it was only to be expected. Still, he couldn't help vocalizing, “Then, I am dangerous after all.”

“Naturally!”

“Childe. Need I remind you that you are here to assist not to make a nuisance of yourself.”

Childe shifted in his seat. “I don’t mean any harm. He asked what I observed and I told him the truth— Albeit, half of the truth.”

His gaze lifted just slightly, still feeling somehow too heavy to hold himself up. “Meaning?”

“Your inadequacies, though hectic, are less detrimental than you might think for two reasons specifically if you’ll allow me to demonstrate.”

“If you will.”

“Zhongli?” Childe looked at the man in question.

“The training grounds are outside.”

“Good, then follow me.” The bot stood and gestured for Xiao to follow, though he ended up leading the other to their destination.

They stepped out onto the stone patio before the flat earth where dummies and weapon stands were organized. The grounds were usually where Xiao found tranquility and took pride in its care, however with Childe scanning the area and taking in the scenery, he felt only unease. The redhead wasn't doing anything particularly threatening, admiring the foliage and sediment quietly.

However, each sweep was an instance in which Childe collected data Xiao knew could be used against him, and the bot was just the type to do it. He wouldn't hurt him, logically he knew Zhongli's perception mattered too much to him to do so; even so, Childe seemed to get a kick out of getting under his motherboard.

Childe finally turned on him as they fully entered the combat-safe zone and his deadly eyes closed amicably. “I like your dolls, they seem well used. You practice even in retirement?”

‘Dolls.’ Xiao blinked as he realized Childe spoke of his training dummies. Even Venti had not been so frivolous as to call them Dolls. He tried not to get his wires in a twist about it, even though they’d been twisted since the ginger’s arrival. “I must maintain my ability to protect Zhongli.”

“From what?”

“From… all that would oppose him or wish him harm.”

“So you want to be more powerful?” asked Childe, a glimmer in his eyes that told of his excitement.

“No. I want… to be dependable. Right now, it is as you said, I am dangerous, more hindrance than help. I would like to know that my actions align with my intentions. I do not want to cause unnecessary harm.”

While he spoke he saw Childe carefully processing what he had to say for the first time since they’d spoken through the door. He doesn’t nod along in that fake processing way humans do. His eyes scan the data given instead, welcoming it into his data bank for further analysis.

“I see… I’ll have a more accurate conclusion of how to reach that goal in a second, then. For now…” his hand reached out only to flip palm up and beckon Xiao forward.

“Come. Try to de-chip me.”

Xiao’s eyes widened, the command ringing through his core. De-chipping wasn’t physically harmful, however, if he succeeded, Childe would effectively shut down and need to be restarted to continue functioning. This would mean possibly erasing all of the things that made him himself— annoying as they may be.

“I will not.”

“C’mon, I didn’t come here to waste time. Here, I’ll even show you where it is.” He turned his back to Xiao and yanked down his shirt off his shoulder. “There's a button here on my shoulder blade, though I doubt you’ll use it, right next to that is my chip’s compartment.”

“I will not do this.”

“Oh, you will.”

Childe gave a long sigh, turning around, and staring at Xiao, bored and cruel. That’s when Xiao’s alerts blared just as they had before, as he watched Childe draw a gun and point it back at the house. Without looking, he knew the target.

Seeing him recognize the threat, Childe's lips twitched. “You’d better get me before I get him.”

“You’re bluffing.” Xiao fought the warning bells and tried to trust his data collection. Childe wouldn’t hurt Zhongli. This was a test. It had to be.

Unfortunately for him, Childe’s response to his accusation was to begin squeezing the trigger a little at a time, like the ticking of a clock counting down the seconds before a bullet would whizz through the air, shatter the glass, and land itself in its unsuspecting target.

Xiao couldn’t resist protocol any longer and rushed Childe, throwing him to the ground along with his gun and losing himself to the ease with which he flipped the other onto his front. Unlike how Childe prophesized, he clicked that button and de-chipped him with ease before chucking it. With the task completed, the protocol turned off like a switch and his alerts quieted and left him in the cold silence that was the consequence of his actions.

He’d done this. Childe had provoked him, sure, but how could he repeat his past mistakes so quickly? How could he allow himself to follow the protocols of a killing machine?

He was dangerous. And now, it felt like there was no one left to help him fix it. How would he face Venti after something like this?

“Not to put a damper on your pity party, but playing dead is getting pretty boring. Could you maybe wrap it up?”

Every gear in his body ground to a halt looking down at the body below to find Childe looking up at him. He got up in disbelief more than anything, unable to process how the man could stand and simply dust himself off; impossible feats for a de-chipped AI-bot.

In shock, he nearly falls to his knees with relief. “You’re still… How?”

“Well, the answer to that was the primary problem with your outdated system. There are a lot of blind spots. It’s too difficult for your model to see past obvious threats. If you can, it’s still too slow in an emergency. The chip was a decoy. And you failed to identify the real threat,” he pointed to the gun on the ground.

“So then… The protocol itself is at fault as well as the defense system. I will automatically see the bot itself as a threat and the only solution per the protocol is to de-chip.”

Childe nodded. “However, because robots aren’t made that way anymore and have been adapted with decoys for combat with older models like yourself you’re no longer a suitable threat to this generation of combat-bots. Not to mention, once it feels you’ve de-chipped something, the most effective protocol you're running just shuts off even if I keep moving. You’d be lucky to de-chip a toaster.”

"What threat would you suppose I pose to humans or non-combat-made AI?"

"I haven't been able to test that yet. Given the current data, you're not much of a purposeful threat. However, if your systems were to malfunction anything could happen."

“Then is there a way to rewrite it?”

“Maybe. We’ll get to that in a second. There’s something else I want to see.”

“It doesn’t involve trying to de-chip you again does it?”

Childe granted him only a short amused hum before raising a hand in front of him, eyes beginning to glow blue before molten brightness shot out at the back of the silicon appendage, burning something into the back tediously.

“Alright… done!" He readied himself in a fighting stance. "Come at me.”

The risk was too high for Xiao’s liking, but he steeled himself to cooperate nonetheless.

After manually analyzing Childe as a threat he ran at the bot who stood his ground, during which the redhead blocked his face, the back of his fists all Xiao could see. When he finally saw what'd been lasered onto his person, it was the same symbol on Xiao's arm; a bird-like symbol, there to identify Yaksha Unit Members.

How dare he? Xiao found himself aiming for the mockery, a button pushed within him that he didn't know he had. The steam rose so strong that even ventilating wouldn’t help at that point. The gears turned in preparation for something all out, something to drop Childe right to the ground again.

Anger was driving him. The strong feeling of annoyance and hostility pushed him to do something he was sure to regret.

Sure that his fist would connect again and again until Childe was nothing but scrap metal in front of him, Xiao was surprised when his fist halted right before his person. He tried forcing himself forward to finish what he started, but his fist remained stationary even as his core boiled with fury.

With plumes of smoke and steam running off of him, he asked in a flat tone, "What is the meaning of this?"

One blue eye peaked from between those fists and Xiao grimaced at Childe’s self-impressed grin that followed. "Just as I thought— Oh, jeez… are you prone to smoking like that? Cause—"

"What. happened? Why can't I hit you? You should be ashamed for mocking their memory with such blatant vandalism!"

There seemed to be no end to the amusem*nt Xiao continued detecting on his person as he laughed victoriously. " My, if I'd have known you'd be this riled up I'd have made the symbol more temporary. You seem much more exciting to play with now."

Xiao waited patiently for him to get his fill before the redhead sighed and tried at a pitiful face. "In all seriousness though, I meant no disrespect; promise. I was testing your friendly fire capabilities. And wouldn’t you know? You couldn’t even if you wanted to. A very impressive feature for an older model. Back in the day, they didn't much care about that feature for fleets and solo-operatives. Looks like you were built so strong they were afraid you’d destroy each other without that little feature."

Xiao lowered his fist slowly, ventilating as much as could to clear his systems. What Childe said made sense, and regardless of how he still felt about the abuse of the symbol, the data was necessary.

"How does this information help us?"

"It means anyone wearing this is completely off your hit list. Meaning, you won’t be able to hurt your little boyfriend.”

Xiao blinks and looks up, squinting. “Boyfriend?”

Childe’s eyes rolled with a buzz. “Venti, right? Jeez, you’re hopeless if you think GuardianYaksha is a good user when you’re the only one left. Let’s just give the good doctor our findings and be done with this.” Childe waved him off, heading back inside to do just that. Yet, Xiao lingered, looking up into the sky.

Despite the memories that supported his beliefs in vague details, he wasn’t nearly as ruthless a machine as he’d thought. More often than not he was starting to find more and more wrong with what he thought was his purpose, his code, and his quick but inaccurate thought production.

Perhaps he’d need to let go of all of those things now to move forward.

If he wanted to be with Venti, to love him in every capacity, he was in dire need of an update…

A hand on his core and a smile on his usually still expression made him think that a little change might not be so bad, either.

“Xiao,” he looked down from the sky as the scientist stood at the door, beckoning him inside.

More tests to run, he said. And Xiao wondered as he walked— If he was as harmless as Childe said, could he protect this man as he’d always sworn to? He’d have to ask to be sure.

Another time perhaps. For now, this would suffice.

After the confirmation of their findings, and Childe’s departure, Xiao spent the day doing something he should have been doing all along. Research.

Embarrassingly, he’d fallen out of practice with looking into things in favor of more interesting topics, like all of the noises Venti’s soundboard was capable of.

For now, he would shift gears and figure out what love itself was supposed to feel like for an AI, or at least what it looked like.

He found out quickly that academic research wouldn’t do him any good. The fault there was that much of the research was based on what humans perceived AI were doing and how it affected their often human partners, not the happenings or reported sensations of the AI themselves. So, despite himself, Xiao found an AI blog site and began searching for answers there.

It was shallow water still, but a pool in comparison to before. The headlines were straightforward enough, something Xiao could appreciate and admire about the community. He kicked himself a little at having waived off Zhongli’s suggestion to look for answers amongst his own long ago. Though he hated the insinuation, scientists were but children amongst the AI built before them.

One headline, out of the few dozen he saw, read: ‘ Finding the Love Program .’

With a click, he began downloading the information, processing all of it within seconds. The article described a Love.exe file that exists, unbeknownst to AI-kind and their creators. It was hidden within an archived file that didn’t pop-up during system exams. This would suggest that all AI were capable of ‘Love.’

However, if one’s file couldn’t be found using the methods listed, one was either incapable or had yet to meet the criteria necessary for compatibility within one’s system.

With that in mind, Xiao hesitated to open his files right away to find what he was looking for.

What if it wasn’t there? What if he’d been completely incapable of loving Venti from the start? What would he tell him?

The truth, of course. Still, he was prepared to pay the price for this knowledge, was it better for things to remain this way? Could he continue on if one day the answer came out and hurt them both?

He opened the file with a grimace, already scanning through. He had to know.

Slowly, he sorted through each access point and folder archived away — not from fear, no — he just didn’t want to leave room for doubt. And amidst all the executable combat training, search and rescue, and corrupted files he found the folder: DD folder— Docile and Domestic.

He hovered over it reluctantly. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was empty. He hoped it wasn’t. He could use a bit of Zhongli’s encouragement but couldn’t let it wait until later.

Click.

… His eyes blinked and widened.

He quickly shut it down. All of it. The screen before him disappeared and he rolled over in his bed, thankful to already be on his charger. He needed the night to cool off. No, maybe the next few days.

He shouldn’t have looked, but he did. What does he do now? What could he do?

It was there. It was there. And he knew now that he could love and feel and hold Venti under the right circ*mstances. He could love Venti.

He could, if the program weren’t locked.

He could not open or access it. The blogger revealed no knowledge to troubleshoot his pressing issue and doom rocked through him like being on jumpercables. Without the key, he was truly hopeless.

Chapter 4: The Results

Chapter Text

Even with the information he’d gathered, he decided against informing Zhongli. If he’d known anything about the file, he’d have told Xiao previously; and he didn’t want another surprise visit from Childe for more unorthodox testing. Instead, he asked for permission to go out for a little while on his own, to which Zhongli was quick to agree… along with some follow-up.

“Do you need to go far?”

“How far is far?” He tilted his head.

“Will you need transportation?” Zhongli clarified.

“I can walk.”

“Do you need any money?”

“No. I should be back shortly.”

“Alright… And you’re sure I don’t need to accompany you?”

“I will be fine on my own. Though, I do request that you abstain from leaving until I return for your own safety. I do not wish for you to come into harm's way while I’m absent.”

Zhongli chuckled with a pat to his head that reminded the bot of how small he was. “Likewise. Anything I need to know about?” Zhongli's questioning was persistent yet still lenient. It was to be expected, Xiao rarely left the house, let alone by himself.

Shaking his head, he reassured the scientist he’d make a safe and quick return. The interrogation ceased with a sigh and nod from the other as he gave Xiao some much needed thinking room.

“Alright, I'll see you later. Be careful and if anything happens, give me a call.”

“Yes, sir.”

They parted and Xiao left their home. It really wasn’t that far, at least not to him. He would arrive at the junkyard in fifteen minutes if he walked the thirty miles listed in his navigation system; of course, he could manage that much.

What he was after wasn’t something they could get delivered or simply pick up at a shopping center. He needed materials to forge his own items.

He wondered aloud why the name tag was necessary, to which they revealed previous issues with AI becoming lost or trapped under junk piles, or even being mistaken for junk themselves. Knowing this, the magnetic tag and sign-in became a requirement to ensure they had a list of who came and went as well as the means to find lost individuals.

So, it was no surprise Xiao honored the necessity of the procedure going forward.

To his shock, the idle chatter led to him not having to delve too deeply in the yard for what he wanted. The AI there shared with him the scrap metals they had on hand. A co-worker of theirs— who seemed mildly familiar —collected the cleanest ones and produced different trinkets from them.

A feminine bot with black and blue hair helped him choose a few while chatting him up and the other two manned their stations. Even focused on their tasks, the red-haired bot regarded him fondly and the burlier bot, who towered over him in many ways, gave him a friendly smile and a firm pat on the back that threatened to knock his chip loose. He then walked off carrying something ten times his size with all four of his arms.

Eventually, Xiao found a few pieces of metal that would make good pieces. They were so high-quality he was surprised that the AI didn’t charge him anything for it. Sure, human currency meant little to nothing to bots in no need of material gain, but these bots seemed hard at work for one purpose or another.

“It’s just a bunch of scraps! Lighten up,” she told him, looking over her sunglasses. He looked down at her nametag, feeling a twinge of recollection that faded just as quickly. Maybe he’d seen her somewhere before.

“Are you sure, Miss Bonanus? I didn’t even have to work for this. I was planning to scrounge something up myself, yet you saved me the trouble. It only seems fair that I compensate somehow.”

The other fiery-maned bot chuckled. “Just count your blessings then. If you need any more, I’m sure Menogias will be happy to show off his pieces the next time you come. I’m assuming you’re going to make something with those. Repairs, maybe?”

Absent-mindedly, he let his processor run over her name tag — Indarias. That familiarity rang like a flash on top of his vision. It took him a minute to come back down to the present, “Jewelry… actually.”

“Oooh, would you also like some gems? We’re supposed to put them in the bin, but the higher-ups probably just pawn them.”

“Um… Thank you for the offer. It won't be necessary and I wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble.”

Both girls looked at each other for a moment, processors whirring loudly, and leaving Xiao to idle between them wondering if he said something offensive.

Bonanus spoke first and tilted her head, her eyes crescented. “You don’t get out much do you?”

Suddenly, almost feeling ashamed, he shook his head. “What gave it away?”

“You’re just a little… too polite if I were to put it delicately,” Indarias commented.

“Yeah, like you’ve been locked in a basem*nt for a hundred years,” Bonanus added, earning her a short zap in the arm.

Well, they weren’t too far off. “I’m sorry. This is my first time out on my own. Interacting with others isn’t my purpose.”

“Ah!” Bonanus flinched as though another shock went through her system. “He said the ‘p’ word!” She then proceeded to faint and the other woman caught her pretty easily and laughed from embarrassment more than anything.

“Don’t mind her, she’s a bit dramatic. If you’re looking for somewhere to practice those social skills we get bored up here and would welcome your company. As for the jewelry, we have a place for you to smelt everything if you wanna do it here. It’s Menogias’ but I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“I um…” He considered turning her down and walking away, and he’d have done so if they were anything like Childe. However, they were trustworthy and willing to help, perhaps that was what he needed to properly make the pendant he desired.

“I’d… like that. If anyone could help me not lose a finger, I’d appreciate it.”

Bonanus jumped from Indarias’ arms at the opportunity. “Oo! Me, me, pick me!”

Xiao glanced toward Indarius dubiously.

“What? It’ll probably be fine. Better her than me. I’m not as careful as I look.” She winked and laughed as they quickly swept him into the back while he wondered if he made the right choice.

That night, he clutched his creations in his hands. The chains slipped between his rubber-covered joints and twinkled under the dim light of his room.

Usually, he'd at least close his eyes when charging, given that low performance sped up charging capabilities. His processors vapidly refused. In the next few hours he’d see Venti again; knowing he still didn't have the answer he wanted to give.

All that research and he still didn't know if he loved Venti or not. And, with a lock on his files, would he ever truly know?

He enjoyed Venti a great deal. Liked what he could learn. Liked the way they kissed. But was that exclusive to Venti? What made Venti special?

That had an easier answer. Now that he’d met other bots and begun getting to know them, he knew Venti was special. Xiao did not feel that same draw to see or converse with them that he did Venti. Could he call that love?

Love. An intense feeling of deep affection.

Affection . A gentle feeling of fondness or liking.

Yes, he liked Venti. But he liked Zhongli. Were those feelings one in the same? Would he kiss Zhongli? He'd never felt the urge— even after learning kissing could be enjoyable. In the same vein, he wouldn’t rank one above the other. Similar but still differentiated somehow.

Then, were either of those connections deep enough to call love? Could he still figure out his potential for love without that file key?

Steam flew past his face and he sighed. With all the circles he was processing in, closing his would be pointless.

Looking into the shadows of his room he distracted himself with their rare emptiness, wishing something were there to do a better job of pulling his attention away from his worries. His eyes fell back to the three pendants, hoping they’d work for what he needed them to. Perhaps the third wouldn’t be necessary, but he was sure it would serve regardless.

"My teammates… forgive me and grant me your permission this one time. I would never forsake or belittle your memory. There are simply those I wish to protect."

The other yakshas could not hear him and would not. Still, Xiao found that hoping they would know had been added to his growing list of desires.

Not knowing why, at that moment he remembered the smiling faces of the workers in the junkyard as they complimented the pieces and the memory tugged at the corner of his lips. They'd given him support and encouragement of the likes he couldn’t recall receiving before. And with that, he felt he could overcome whatever came his way.

"Tomorrow may not be perfect…” he uttered to himself, clutching the glittering things to his chest. “But ‘good’ will be more than enough."

Xiao was in the bathroom for the second time, assessing his attire.

Thankfully his bottoms were ordinary, a pair of tan-colored pants that fit a little big on his form. The legs fit in a strange, flowy way, reminiscent of a skirt. He shook his head lightly, just hoping he looked decent.

A knock came on the door and he quickly quit his task to answer, finding Zhongli standing nonchalantly, though his eyes roamed, never meeting Xiao’s even when he spoke. “Will this work for today? You can always change if they’re not to your liking.”

“No need,” he turned off the bathroom light and stepped out, bowing his head. “Thank you for these. It will be a nice change of pace.”

Zhongli nodded. “Of course. Your gifts have been placed by the door.”

“Then shall we depart?”

“Hm…” Zhongli contemplated for a long moment then checked his watch. The meeting time was coming up, and, considering the drive, they would be late if they waited much longer.

“I’ll need to grab something—” His watch beeped and Xiao looked at it as he did, but the man only tapped it quickly and turned his attention back to him. “Why don’t you wait in the car? I can see you’re keen on arriving on time.”

Was he that obvious? “Understood.”

With that, they parted and Xiao made his way to the door.

He should have felt at ease knowing he’d see Venti soon, that he’d get to share his findings, chat about their week, and bask in his presence. For some reason though, dread — like being taunted from the shadows — rested in his core. It wasn’t ‘bad’ per se, just heavy. He wanted to be there. Wanted the freedom to walk over to the lab himself if he so chose. He also wanted the option to delay the meeting for some reason. His findings were not much to his liking so he could only guess what Venti and the scientists would think.

If these thoughts — worries, kept up, this drive would be unbearable. Regardless, he wanted to see Venti no matter what. So, he clutched his gifts in one arm and went to open the door.

As it cracked open, he absently thought about his inability to get into the car without the keys but paid it no mind. With his processors busy he stepped out, unaware of the presence on the other side.

Until, weight fell around his shoulders and his movements were halted by a force colliding with his.

Weighed down. Constricted. Immobile. In danger, his systems told him. He could feel the protocol working automatically to defend, ready to rid himself of the threat.

Then his forehead met silicon, a happy and excited chime reached his ears, and he felt the briefest shock that lulled every hostile sequence into dormancy and flooded him with the coolness of a breeze blowing through the trees. His eyes widened then shut, embracing that sobering feeling. His hand that was raised to strike came down on a head of hair that his fingers traced down to a braid he recognized immediately.

“Venti…” he managed to confirm aloud, still updating to the situation. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you miss me?” the other said instead of answering, leaning even closer until their noses touched and Xiao felt those sparks again. His eyes barely opened when he willed them to, barely seeing anything anyway with Venti so close.

“Yes. Of course I missed you,” he answered, trying to shake his head of his circuits’ floatiness and only rubbing their noses together more. The action drew a pleased melody from Venti, his smile making Xiao not mind as much. “It’s not safe to surprise me like that…”

“Oh?” he said coyly, gently backing away and severing the connection, allowing Xiao to recover quicker and see the other’s face. Of course Venti was smiling though and Xiao couldn’t help but smile slightly as well despite his concerns.

He shook his head again, not to clear it but in disbelief. Venti was there- outside of his home. Even without the backdrop of that plain, white room, he glowed brightly before him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the facility?”

“What if I told you, I snuck over? Would you shelter me?”

Xiao answered immediately, “Yes. At least, until your pursuers come knocking. I don’t want you to worry anyone…”

“Sounds like there’s a ‘but’?” A keen glimmer ran through Venti’s eyes.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Venti’s smile and harmonic ringing dazzled Xiao. It was like they hadn't been apart— like their wires crossed just right when looking at each other and Xiao could stand there forever, just making him smile and laugh, melding into that peace.

“I see Venti’s been a terrible influence on you,” a teasing voice cut through their reunion. Not from behind Xiao, but beyond Venti. The bot looked over his shoulder and Xiao followed his gaze to a middle-aged man wheeling himself up the path. His voice rang familiarly and Xiao had no problem deducing who it might be.

“Am not!” Venti huffed, but he hardly looked upset. “It was a simple question. Any more jokes like that and I’ll be forced to wheel you back to the craft.”

The man with pale, silver eyes huffed, his long salt and pepper hair falling over his eyes a bit. Xiao didn’t miss the twin braids tied up to circle the back of his head. His timid but kind eyes reminded him a lot of Zhongli when he regards him, or Venti when he’s lost in thought.

“Xiao,” Venti gently pulled him from his calibration, gesturing to the man. “This is my family. Really he fills almost any role you can think of, so no need for any specifics.”

Xiao reached out a hand, assuming it would be easier if he initiated, this a human after all, far more fragile than Venti. “Greetings, Dr. Dei.”

Said man took his hand with raised brows and a smile, regarding him with an almost child-like wonder. “Ah, so you recognize me? That’s good. You can just call me Carmen, formalities are hardly necessary at this point.”

Xiao nodded. “Very well. I anticipated meeting you. Venti did not overtly give me any details, but I deduced the voice over the intercom would have to be someone Venti was comfortable with to properly assess our compatibility.” Not to mention the back and forth between them had been witnessed in several of Venti's stream recordings and clips; but, Xiao would keep that to himself.

“Would you all like to come inside?” Zhongli’s voice rang from behind, nonchalantly.

Xiao turned on him, folding his arms. “And you knew they would be here, didn’t you?”

Zhongli flinched at this, trying to shake it off, but still rubbing the back of his neck as he explained, “It was a last-minute discussion. We thought it would prove to be a nice surprise.”

“It seems we were correct,” Carmen added.

Venti hummed along in agreement and Xiao sighed, walking into the house to allow Venti to help Carmen inside. “Your surprises are not usually this effective… It's almost embarrassing I fell into it so easily. I should know better.”

“Aw, don’t say that, precious,” Venti was back by his side in seconds, holding one of his hands. “I didn’t know what was going on until you opened the door. Imagine my shock too that you were dressed so nicely.”

Xiao couldn’t find anything productive to say as the error noise rang in his head. He promptly hit the button on his neck, only growing more embarrassed knowing Venti heard it.

“It’s new.”

“I like it.” Xiao tried not to erupt when Venti’s hand wrapped his back to pull him closer. His head found his shoulder and his arms continued to wrap his waist. A new feeling— being held —and Xiao wasn’t sure how he felt. There was no notification to let him know. Still, he didn’t stop Venti as he leaned on him. “It suits you."

Just like that Xiao was lost again, swimming through his feelings as his processors halted like they’d been drenched in molasses. The scientists in front of them strangely averted their gazes, which was odd considering everything. From the lab to that moment, they’d always been watching the two of them. Xiao knew this. Perhaps, this was different without the one-way glass?

"Is this level of physical contact off-putting?" he asked, self-consciously.

"No!" Everyone jumped in to say, leaving Xiao to blink.

Both scientists glanced at each other as if to communicate something Xiao remained oblivious to, causing him to glance Venti's way who glanced back with a similar confusion.

Carmen sighed and finally spoke up. “Perhaps I should further explain our visit.”

“Were we in need of a new environment to experiment in?” Xiao inferred.

“—Or, did you finally figure out most dates don’t happen in front of a live studio audience?” Venti tacted on cheekily.

Carmen huffed once again, “Though both of those things are very true, we actually thought it would be a good idea to allow the two of you to lead the final experiment yourselves. You seem fond of forging your own path in any case and such independence has provided more noteworthy information than figuratively, or literally, sticking you in a box did.”

“How would we go about doing so?” Xiao looked between the two of them, he was sure Venti could roll with the punches but he was not so confident.

“Other than coming back with the results, there’s really no rules to it. I’ve printed the last of the questions for you; however, you're not required to answer them. The day is yours and Dr. Guizhong and I will do our best to stay out of your way.”

Venti’s chimes went off, perking up as he lifted his head from Xiao’s shoulder quickly. “The whole day?!”

“That’s right. Well, at least until dark. We don’t want to force a sleepover on anyone.”

Xiao stared, the voices around him growing muted as he tried to process, trying to plan through his inadequacies. He looked up, conflicted— different words popped into his head that set off alarm bells, ones that would be heard if he hadn't turned that little feature off. He didn't know he stopped listening until Zhongli stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder.

“I know this may all be very abrupt for you, Xiao. However, you’ve adapted quite well these past two weeks. Trust yourself as I do. And, if you get lost, play it by ear and ask yourself what you want.”

Xiao listened to this, clutching the gifts he still held in his arms. “What if I make an error?”

Zhongli smiled while shaking his head. “If you can’t figure it out between each other, Dr. Dei and I will be here. For now, you should take Venti on a house tour.”

“Yes. But first, I need to distribute your gifts.”

“For us?” Venti interjected.

“Do you see anyone else I'd be willing to give gifts to?” Xiao tried at a smile, earning back one of excitement.

Zhongli cleared his throat. “I don’t believe we’ve officially met, Venti. I’m Zhongli Guizhong, Xiao’s father.” He held out a hand and for a moment Venti stared barely blinking before giving a smile and taking his hand, a completely normal act. Until, suddenly, he used that contact to propel them into a hug that made the doctor's eyes widen.

Xiao raised a hand to ward him off, but Zhongli quickly raised his own, silently stopping Xiao instead. After which, he gave a slightly forced chuckle. "Well, this is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Venti seemed to hug him tighter. "I just wanted to show my gratitude. I understand you've had your own motives. I still appreciate your role in this experiment and your trust in me. Thank you so much."

Xiao took in the doctor's reaction, finding his face becoming more flushed and eyes blinking rapidly in shock. Any other emotion only became clear when he rested a hand on Venti’s back to accept this hug; happiness — shocked and possibly on the verge of tears — but happy.

"It wasn’t a hard decision to make. You've always done well to earn it."

Xiao sat back, watching them hug a bit longer, feeling… strangely comforted; as though an unknown desire was satiated in that moment. Being the most important people in his life at the time, it was corewarming to see their mutual appreciation for each other. Perhaps Venti would feel the same if he made more of an effort with Carmen? He'd be sure to make the time later on.

"Would you like your gifts now?" he asked, causing them to part enthusiastically.

Xiao quickly distributed the scientist's gifts, still hanging onto Venti’s. They were boxed and bagged rather plainly, but he was glad for the patience he had to properly wrap them at all.

Venti's glance his way, waiting for his own gift, was loud, but Xiao ignored it to the best of his ability, nodding at both scientists. "I'd appreciate it if you opened them once we're gone. It would be improper otherwise."

"Then you'd better get going," Carmen encouraged, quickly slipping the box from the bag. "It's been a long time since I've received a gift from anyone other than Venti. I can't wait to see what you've prepared."

Venti's hand slid into his, already tugging him along. "Off we go then?"

Following Venti’s lead he began walking him into the living quarters. The short hallway of rooms was easy enough to navigate, though modern and lavishly their home had always been minimalistically and Xiao was sure not to take Venti anywhere off-limits. Although, he wished that included his room…

When they reached his door, Venti waited expectantly for Xiao to open it, but stood still and reluctant.

"Something wrong?"

"There's not much to see. It's not nearly as interesting as your room."

"My room? Oh, from my streams? Maybe, but it wasn't always that way." Xiao peered at him curiously. "What? Do you think I just knew what to put in a bedroom I don't often use? I needed a lot of encouragement and advice to fill it. And as I spent more time on and in it, I realized the space one holds becomes a reflection of the self."

"Meaning?"

"If it's plain, it just doesn't reflect you yet. You're far from plain, Xiao."

He didn't know what to think. He was plain. Even if he had the mind to fill the space with things he enjoyed, he was sure his living space wouldn't meet Venti's standards.

Instead of saying anything, he grabbed the knob and briefly presented the space. The white walls, lights that mirrored the rest of the house, the plain, freshly made, white bed, hardwood floors with no rugs or decor in sight; everything so uniform a drop of color or creativity would be overpowered and slide right off. He frowned at the space but Venti just smiled, grabbing his hand to close the door back, they don't even go in.

Instead, Venti took that same hand and beckoned Xiao lightly, "Show me where you spend your time."

Venti asked, so Xiao provided. Taking Venti outside, he walked him onto the training grounds where much of his more stationary leisure time occurred.

With his permission, Venti went around looking at the varying plants that grew through the landscape, perusing Xiao's few weapons of choice, and greeting each dummy with its nickname.

It was easy to forget that Venti too couldn't feel the grass no matter how his feet played in the blades, or how the sunshine did not nourish him when he looked up and closed his eyes to bask in it.

However, subtle giveaways to his robotic nature made Xiao stop and stare. When he was excited, Venti'd walk just a little too fast, info-dumping about a song he was reminded of from years and years ago the way only a machine can. Even the way he checked on Xiao was utterly, perfectly AI

"I hope you're not too busy overanalyzing everything to have some fun with me."

"Not at all." He had been, but he smiled and lied anyway. He was never accustomed to lying, but willing to to please. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I've gathered just enough information," Venti cheekily remarked.

"And what did you find?"

"As expected. You're far from plain."

"How so?"

"You planted the plants and grass. The trees are original, but the lush is your doing. Some of them are quite rare these days. You take good care of everything, down to each weapon, even though you only use one frequently."

Pointing to a spot, not in the garden, but on the roof that Xiao is familiar with, Venti continued, "And you sit there. Watching over the place, at sun down."

Xiao nods once he's finished. "You're mostly correct. I'd still argue that these things make my existence rather monotonous and predictable compared to a certain streamer."

"You think so? Wait— What did I get wrong? Does this mean I don't get my prize?"

"Who said you were getting a prize?" Xiao raised a brow and Venti pouted.

"Well, were you planning to hold my present hostage forever?"

"Yes, and then some." Xiao shook his head though and looked up to the roof. "I do sit up there, yes. But not during the day or to keep watch. That's what patrolling is for."

"Then what?"

"Later, I'll show you. For now…" Xiao held out the bag he'd been holding and Venti swiped it like it was motor oil, which—

"Ooo!" It is. Partially. “Maybe I’m a worse influence on you than I thought. Barely two weeks and you’re already sneaking me drinks.” Xiao grew hot under Venti’s stream of accusations, waving them off timidly.

Venti laughed, taking it all back, “I’m just kidding! Thank you, sweetheart. We should share this little gift later now that you’ve acquired a taste for it.” Venti nudged him lightly, but Xiao’s gaze was still fixed on the bag.

“Something wrong?”

“There’s more— In the bag,” he floundered over his words, realizing the true gift went unnoticed.

Venti blinked, rummaging through again to find the small box Xiao placed inside. “Oh! I get two? “ He began opening it and Xiao watched, reloading every few seconds, making sure he didn't miss a frame.

When those crystal-like orbs rolled over his gift, Xiao watched them sparkle, Venti’s smile hanging open, and chimes sounding. His feet left the ground in several excited little hops as his eyes shot to Xiao eagerly.

“It’s so pretty!”

“I’m glad it’s to your liking.”

Venti pulled the necklace from the box, letting the pendant swing in the breeze, the very bird on Xiao’s arm glinting gold, similar to the ones he’d also gotten for the scientists; sparing one detail.

He moved closer to touch the pendant himself, raising it to Venti’s eye level to compare, paying no mind to the smile that played on his face. “A perfect match. I’m glad.”

Those eyes widened. “You made this yourself, didn’t you?”

“With help, but otherwise, yes.” He briefly explained the significance and how the friendly-fire portion of his protocol seemed to work and Venti was on him as soon as he finished.

“Can you put it on for me?”

He knocked himself out of his staring only to find Venti watching him quietly, smiling peacefully, hands behind his back, hearts in his eyes… And just like that he was staring again— missing what Venti said when his lips finally moved.

“What?”

“You’ve been staring at me for 5 minutes and…31 seconds.” He stepped closer, nearly chest-to-chest with Xiao now. “What an interesting processing time you have, dear. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

“I am observing your outfit.”

“And, how do I look?”

“You look… infectiously enamored.”

A hand came up to his cheek and molded itself to his hard exterior. “Would you like to be infected?”

“Yes,” Xiao responded immediately. His forehead fell against Venti's, looking down at his lips.

“I really want to kiss you, too…” Venti bit back that silicon lip, sighing. “But, the last time we did I had to be wheeled out of the facility. We have the whole day! Let’s take our time.”

Instead of a kiss, Venti hugged him and Xiao returned the sentiment. The hum of Venti’s core next to his provided a soothing substitute as they basked in the tranquility of their likeness.

Only when it felt like their connection was fully reaffirmed did either of them pull away, smiling contently at one another. Xiao had missed this sense of calm, the personhood that rose to the surface when they were together. He’s willing to follow the nomadic AI to the ends of the earth, and then some, for this peaceful warmth.

When Venti suggested, “The day is ours. Let’s play.” Of course, Xiao followed his lead.

Since they'd been left to their own devices, Xiao indulged Venti with a sparring match. He hadn’t thought they’d be able to so soon, but with the combination of the necklace and Venti’s show of his defense techniques, the bots’ safety had been significantly assured.

As expected, things went smoothly.

What he didn’t expect was to have fun.

Although Venti was not as fast and didn’t have the same tactical approach as Xiao, he adapted quickly and was much craftier. When Xiao approached to go in for a false kill, Venti dodged and danced his way around Xiao to the point following his movements became a welcomed challenge.

The springy bot did not hesitate to jump into trees, attacking Xiao from above, landing on Xiao’s defensive arms and barely being deflected. When the gap between them was short their blows caused a cacophony of sounds, forearms colliding, metal against metal. And no matter how often they came together this way, neck and neck, it always ended the same.

Xiao’s back hit the ground, Venti pinning him down, sending low, continuous jolts of electricity through him, grinning smugly from above, hair tousled. To which, Xiao could do nothing but concede his defeat, something that amused him like never before.

“How many times is that now?” Venti asked, knowing the answer, Xiao was sure, but wanting to hear him say it.

The electric current let up and he rested his head on the ground, feeling that same syrupy laziness. “Nine.”

“You’re not letting me win, are you? If you are, I have half a mind to be insulted.”

“I promise you, I’m doing everything short of dechipping you that I can. You’re just good at this,” he reassured, taking a hand up to the bot's face, brushing his harsh fingers up through Venti’s silky tresses like a comb, returning just a touch of that electricity to his scalp and earning himself a smile. “And maybe I don’t mind my current position too much.”

“Is that so…” Venti seemed to wonder aloud, so Xiao forfeited his need to respond, just staring up at him as the cogs turned.

Then, suddenly, the world turned upside down before settling into the view of Venti now in the dirt below him. His wrists were let go and his hands fell on either side of the other bot’s head, mapped by loose strands from his braids.

“How is the view from up there? Just as nice?”

“Maybe enough to bring a bot to tears.”

The LEDs under silicone cheeks brighten and Venti’s gaze slips away. “Sweet-talking, huh? Where’d you learn that from?”

Instead of answering, he shifted to hold Venti’s hand, appreciating the automatic way they interlocked, like parts built to fit together. Venti’s line of sight turned slowly back, looking up, expectantly… Hopefully. And Xiao thought to himself that he wanted the same thing, looking down at his lips.

“...Are we done playing for now?”

“We can be. Tired of losing?”

“Just thought I’d like to talk.”

Venti nodded along slowly, but they hesitated a moment longer. Xiao was grateful when Venti pulled back first, taking his hand after they got up. He then led him under a tree, hiding from the midafternoon sun as they began to chat.

Their conversation flowed like a gentle stream. Venti was the water, traveling from one topic to the next sporadically, while Xiao guided the conversation like the many rocks and paths Venti rode on. Much of the discussion is about streaming and the games and activities he indulged in offline, only because Xiao kept asking, curious. He also found himself imagining doing those activities alongside him.

Desperately, he hoped for moments after this, where the day would be theirs again and again, but if he revealed his inability to love Venti he would lose all of it. He wanted to explore the world together, play games, indulge in cacophonic singing and sparring sessions, and meet more of Venti’s friends… He didn’t know if he'd really enjoy any of it, but most things he doubted became so much easier to figure out when Venti was around.

It made him wonder if Venti would have any insight into the locked file. Asking would mean ending their jovial conversation though, and admittedly Xiao had missed Venti’s laughter and was too greedy to let that stream dry out under the disappointing heat of the sun Venti was so fond of. He’d ask later.

“Shall we look at the last of the questions?” Xiao suggested, sensing a lull in their talk. He needed a distraction.

“Do we need them?”

“Not at all. I’d still like to see them.”

Surprisingly, Venti didn’t put up a fuss. He crawled into Xiao’s lap where Xiao’s slightly dented arms welcomed him and projected the screen of question with his eyes.

They looked over a few of the questions, unimpressed by the tone-deafness each one presented to robotic life. They picked out the good ones and decided to answer those few together.

“What do you like about me, honestly?” Resting his head on Venti’s, Xiao closed his eyes, focusing on Venti alone.

“Hm? There are plenty of things. I can give you an example, but you have to promise not to stop doing it.”

“I’ll try.”

“I like that even if I’m droning on or talking about nothing in particular, and I catch myself feeling bad, when I look at you for reassurance, you’re always smiling at me or looking at me without a hint of boredom. I could be looking into it too much, but with all the streaming I do I’m used to things being one-sided and hoping for the best. It’s different with you.”

“I’m constantly learning from you. There’s no need to be bored,” he provided, though his processor ran at an embarrassingly high speed. He didn’t know he did that or that Venti noticed, he just liked to hear him talk. “I’ve always found you fascinating. And, I like that you don’t hesitate to be yourself.”

“Hehe, you flatter me.” Venti waved off the compliment at first and Xiao was nearly willing to berate him for it, but the bot leaned his head back just enough to press his lips under Xiao’s chin, no electricity. “Thank you.”

He returns that bit of contact with a kiss on his nose. “Thank you. ”

“Mhm, now, what’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever experienced?”

“Hm… probably singing in front of you.”

“That bad?”

“At the time. Now, I wouldn’t mind doing it again, but it’d be nice to do so without anyone else watching.”

“I’m sure we can make that happen. I myself went a little heavy on the motor oil one time and when I came out of it, there was a video of me online serenading a trash can. Carmen did everything he could to get rid of the evidence but I’ve still got the proof backed up…”

Xiao eyed him for a moment and neither of them moved. So Xiao wrapped his arms more tightly and deadpanned, “I want to see it.”

“Huh!? No way!”

“You were there for mine. It’s only fair.”

“But I don't want you to see me like that! I was being so— wild and stupid and crazy!”

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

“You’ll laugh at me.” Venti pouted.

“I promise only to laugh a little.”

“So you are gonna laugh at me?!”

“Only a little.”

Venti groaned and a gloomy notification sounded from him. “Fine! Only ‘cause it’s fair. If you laugh at me, we’re going for round ten.”

“Deal.” The video was pulled up and they watched it together.

Xiao did try not to laugh, for all it was worth. Yet, there was just something tremendously endearing about watching a famous bot stand in the corner of a club singing ‘ Only You ’ while holding a trash can. It wasn’t Venti’s best either, his voice was slowed down like a poorly working record player, very telling of the amount of motor oil he’d downed.

When Venti gave the can a kiss he trembled with the force of the laughter he bit back until it burst from him in a series of chuckles in Venti’s hair. At this, Venti began whining immediately for him to stop, demanding a rematch for his insubordination.

“So when were you going to tell me that mine is special?”

“Hm?”

Venti gestured to his neck where the pendant was chained. “They’re all the same, but mine’s the only one with a stone.”

“I wasn’t. I trust your ability to figure things out.”

Venti rounded on him while they walked outside again, the solar-powered light guiding their path. “But why? Why is it different?”

Looking at him standing there, eyes flickering around his form, eager for an answer, Xiao found he had none. Not completely. Nothing he came up with felt suitable. He’d wanted to, but that was not the reason why.

“What’s the alternative?”

“I could try carrying you. I’ve never tried this jump with twice my body weight before.”

“Did you just call me fat?”

Xiao opened and closed his mouth, dumbfounded. Once he realized Venti was struggling not to laugh, Xiao gave Venti a light shove, receiving a giggle in return. “I’ll go up first, if you have trouble, I’ll grab you.”

“Sounds like a plan~”

Yes, a plan— One Venti ignored completely as they both landed on the roof at the same time. To which, Xiao simply sighed and took Venti’s hand again to take him to his favorite spot.

Once there, Venti did a slow three-sixty, looking out onto the newly dark world around them as the sun set. There wasn’t much to see but treetops, the garden below, and the city lights in the distance. Still, he seemed content with the view and looked to Xiao smiling.

“Is this your way of telling me you really like being alone?”

Xiao scoffed and sat down. “If that were true I would have left you on the ground. No one else has ever been up here before. Not even Zhongli.”

“Oh…” His cheeks glowed, illuminating the space between them as he sat across from him. “If not to be alone, then…?”

Xiao pointed upward. Venti looked and gasped immediately, blinking. “Oh!” Venti’s smile was brighter than the stars that twinkled above, making Xiao chuckle in admiration.

“Wow… I haven’t seen stars like this in so long. Too much light in the city— great for nightlife pictures, but very stellar-phobic,” Venti giggled wistfully. Xiao nodded along and watched Venti crawl his way to his side. “Now that I know what we’re looking at I think I know how I want to watch them.”

They laid down simultaneously to look up at the sky, silently for a while, sometimes they noted the shuttles that passed by, commuting life to different planets across different galaxies, and bringing new residents to Earth. Venti probably had plenty of friends out there somewhere and it made Xiao glad he was the one Venti chose to spend his time with. Then again, would it be the same if they weren’t forced to?

He shook his head. Of course, it would. Looking at him at his side, occasionally scooting closer, almost cuddling Xiao in a way, he knew that even if he hadn’t heard Venti say it, all of his actions told him Venti had feelings for him.

No one had ever touched Xiao or looked at him the way Venti had. He’d be shocked to find out Venti didn’t like him. It was easy to see. So, why couldn’t he figure himself out?

If he thought about it, he had to be doing the same things as Venti. But as an AI, he was used to mimicking those around him to learn how to interact correctly. What made this different? If he walked the walk and talked the talk as he was taught, did that inherently make him capable of love or was it all a mockery of how Venti felt?

Venti’s hand rested on his chest, his body curling into his side. “Should I show you what my new update has taught me?” Peeking over, Xiao could only see the top of his head.

“I’d be interested.”

“If my calculations are correct… I’ve effectively fallen for you. Ahead of schedule, might I add.”

“You had a prediction?” He asked instead of immediately indulging in all of the ways he wanted to.

“Several,” Venti admitted shyly. “I… never thought it was impossible, but I had my doubts. Then, I met you. I was pleasantly surprised by how well we communicated. We were so different— are so different. And yet, I’ve only grown to like you more.”

Venti still didn’t look at him. Xiao wasn’t blind though; the pink illuminating over his shirt in the dark told its own story. He placed a hand over the one on his chest and wrapped an arm around him.

“How are you so sure that it’s love? What does it mean to love someone like me?”

It took a long time for Venti to answer, the whirring of his processors subtle and hiding. His reply was soft and sure, “It’s missing you when you’re not there. It’s ‘wanting’ without completely knowing what I want or where the ‘want’ is coming from. It’s being built not to disappoint, yet, making every clumsy and worry-filled move in the book. It’s feeling broken and new at the same time… Y’know?”

Venti finally looked up at him, searching, and Xiao felt it in his gaze that he wanted an answer— needed Xiao’s answer. But the gears locked and Xiao couldn’t provide what either of them wanted, filled with despair and devastation when the time finally came to admit his own feelings.

“I… don’t know.” He willed himself to say, and it felt like tar and bolts in his mouth.

“You… don’t know?” Venti echoed back in question, his fingers curling gently in his shirt. “Can you elaborate for me? I don’t really understand.”

Xiao nodded but his processors came up empty. What more was there to say? Must he damage their relationship further?

“It’s difficult…”

Venti sat up quickly, causing him to lean up as well, something in him supplying that maybe Venti planned to run away. But they sat there, looking at each other like two lost ships in the night searching for the light, before Venti took his cheek in hand.

“Just tell me the truth, Xiao. I can take it.”

Like a lifeline, he grasped Venti’s wrist, holding him there, like he could stop him from leaving. “I’ve never doubted your ability to love. I’m surprised it’s with me. I’m happy that it’s with me. I’m terrified that it’s with me— because the love I want to give you in return has a lock on it and I do not have the key. I cannot understand it. I can’t accept it. I can’t give it. Not now, anyway…”

He trailed off, feeling he’d made himself clear. It was a new and awful feeling, paining him in the oncoming silence where Venti stared into his eyes, soft, round, and giving nothing away. He should apologize. He wronged Venti and it’s the least he could do.

An apology was on the edge of his lips when Venti beat him to it.

“I’m sorry. I’m just so… relieved. ”

Relieved? Xiao processors rolled to a halt, head tilting as if unhinged. Venti was suddenly smiling and laughing, cheery as can be. But why?

“Did you not want me to?” Xiao searched blindly for an answer, so lost and confused. “Would it have bothered you?”

The laughter died, replaced with the rattling of Venti’s head shaking furiously. “No! Oh, Xiao— No, no, sweety—” His face was suddenly sandwiched between both of Venti’s hands. “I love you. Of course I’d want you to love me back. I’m just so glad you didn’t just— I don’t know— go along with it? I could already tell you didn’t know, yet. I was afraid you’d just say you loved me anyway. I’m glad you felt you could tell me the truth.”

“But…”

“I’m not upset. An ‘I don’t know’ is exponentially better than a ‘no.’ That might have hurt a bit.”

“But it’s not a 'yes.' What if it’s a no later?”

“It won't be.” Sure as ever, Venti smiled, allowing no room for argument.

“Venti… ”

“I’m listening. I’m listening to you, Xiao. I don't care about some locked-away file. We make our own decisions, and we’ll find our own ‘yes,’ no matter how long it takes.” Xiao sighed but nodded along, feeling safe and reassured between Venti’s hands under the stars. Venti just knew how to make everything sound so easy, or at least put Xiao at ease with his reasoning.

“Ok… Ok, I trust you.”

Venti’s eyes softened. “Thank you… Maybe you’ll learn to trust yourself a little more, too, huh?” He still seemed concerned, but if there was more, Venti didn’t bring it up. Instead, tenderly, he asked Xiao, “It seems this experiment is coming to a close… What do you want to do, beautiful?”

Venti’s smirk and fluttering lashes were lovely then, his hands falling to Xiao’s shoulders. His braids were still tousled from their playing and his clothing roughed up the same way. Still, he remained as inviting as ever and Xiao’d been longing for him all day.

“I think I know that much…” Xiao leaned into Venti at the same time that smirk approached, lashes falling to his cheeks. They kissed in peace, far from prying eyes, electricity flying harmlessly between them. Every fiber of their beings fit together just so in flickers of secret messages, coded and clear.

Xiao and Venti came to their own conclusions from then on without speaking a word. And Xiao promised, with each immobilizing current, that when he did fall in love with Venti, it would be over and over and over again until the heat death of the universe.