Chapter Text
It is a Guizhong Evening at the assembly. Cloud Retainer, Morax suspects, has chosen this night because of the minor squabble over the sugar. Outwardly, the excuse she uses is that there is no better time for desserts than a full moon night.
Without any proper introduction, she pushes a dish towards Xiao with her wing. Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper watch him anxiously, so Morax carefully looks at the moon instead. When Xiao is gone, Morax pours all of them tea and reminds them that it is rude to stare. In return, he is forced to endure the unrelenting stares of two cranes and a stag.
To their credit, they do not stare when Xiao returns, visibly upset.
“The almonds you used,” Xiao starts, cutting to the heart of the matter as he is wont to do, “they are not from Qingce Village.” The plate, when he places it on the table, is empty. Did he scrap it?
Three pairs of eyes (Morax’s included) turn to look at Moon Carver, who at least has enough conscience to look down and paw at the ground. When even Xiao looks at him, he says, “Sincerest apologies. Those almonds were harvested from one’s domain, grown only with the clearest spring waters. One had heard that you had no particularly adverse reaction to Jueyun Karst’s Qingxin flowers, except that they seemed too bitter for your taste, so one decided to test a theory.”
Morax can hardly blame the other two for condoning it. For someone who is unable to eat anything grown outside of Qingce Village, Xiao is exceptionally adept at discerning the taste of almond – processed as it has been – which is native to neither Qingce Village nor any other part of Liyue. Morax, too, has suspected there is something more – or less, for that matter – to Xiao’s dietary requirements than he lets on. Perhaps that is why Guizhong is not present today. She would surely not approve of this experiment.
Xiao’s frown only deepens. However, when it looked like Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper were about to add their own apologies, he says, “Why do you go to such lengths? I assumed food was simply a passion of Cloud Retainer’s, but… first the extinct apricots, and now this…”
In his defence, Morax is far from the only one who is perplexed. The three of them are baffled. Xiao is confused. Morax suspects even he is uncertain of what he is accusing them of. Still, he carefully averts his gaze while he ponders Xiao’s words.
The silence is uncomfortable, if only because Mountain Shaper and Cloud Retainer are fidgeters. His tea is cold. A finch lands beside his hand, and quickly flies off when Moon Carver rumbles at it. Finally, Morax suggests, “They are simply attempting to create a dish that you can stomach.”
The response is immediate. “I have no need for food.”
Thankfully, Morax is prepared for this. “Guizhong is concerned about your growth,” he says, because nobody wishes to disappoint Guizhong, and because she is not here to answer any questions Xiao might have about that.
“As are all of us gathered here,” Cloud Retainer says, “even Rex Lapis, though he does not show it because his face is made of stone.”
He sighs.
“Hatchlings must grow,” Mountain Shaper agrees. “Do you not lack strength?”
Xiao looks, impossibly, even more confused. “My spear is quicker than any, and I have not been told that my blows lack power. A large frame will only be a nuisance in close combat.” Then he tilts his head consideringly, “If this form bothers you, I will endeavour to acquire a new one.”
Having Cloud Retainer present does not, in fact, make the conversation any easier to navigate. Morax notes to himself that Guizhong is the only one who can be relied on when Cloud Retainer says, “Rex Lapis is a master at the art of form-changing.”
Firstly, it is not a skill that can reliably be taught to anyone. Adepti can generally only switch forms by first reverting. He does not believe that Xiao especially, trapped in his human form as he is, is capable of changing to another one.
Secondly, “That is neither here nor there,” he says with another sigh. He had talked to Guizhong after the last time he and Xiao had talked about growth. “Your lack of growth is concerning because it is a symptom of starvation,” he says, in exactly the words she had used. “The adepti of old did not eat, but they also spent months at a time meditating in areas like Jueyun Karst to absorb adeptal energy. You do neither, and you have recently lost your main source of energy too.” Referring, of course, to the Chi and how all his waters were tainted. They are cleansed now, but they are no longer imbued with his power. “You may not have noticed any other side effects just yet, but that is only a matter of time.”
When Xiao simply says, “I am able to stomach herbs,” Morax wonders if his speech has simply bounced off Xiao’s impenetrable skull. Once again he feels the urge to flick him on the forehead – and he notices this time, though he does not restrain himself from indulging in it. Xiao barely reacts to it, and he is probably far too polite to ask what it was for.
“How was the dessert?” Cloud Retainer asks cheerfully.
“It is not entirely unpalatable. The texture is perfectly reminiscent of a dream,” he says. “But it tastes…” He frowns. “Categorically not of the realm of the living.”
Moon Carver sighs. “The hatchling’s tongue is sharp.”
“Apologies,” Xiao offers. “The attempt to imitate the taste of a dream is not a failure, only it does not taste like any dream a living being can conceivably produce.”
Morax has very little idea what that might mean. He almost wishes Xiao had brought some back so he could sample it as well.
“Try this one,” Cloud Retainer produces another dish, outwardly identical to the previous. When Xiao only eyes it doubtfully, she explains, “The clouds cannot stay above Qingce Village forever, so one tested the recipe with water from elsewhere.”
Obediently, he takes the plate and disappears again.
When he comes back he seems… alive, not that he had not looked alive before, but now he looks like he has discovered a long lost secret. The plate he puts on the table still contains half the dessert. “What tea is this,” he asks Morax.
“Oolong,” he replies. “The leaves were harvested and prepared by the farmers from Guili Plains, grown around Jueyun Karst. They seem to believe that it is a favourite of mine, and so they offer a large box to me every harvest. It is a pity, the quality is almost always impeccable – except on the rare warm year, when even the adepti cannot cool the area – but Guizhong prefers tea made from flowers, so we distribute the leaves amongst the other adepti instead. Would you like some?” Without waiting for a reply, Morax pours him a cup. “If you enjoy it, I will have a box put aside for you next season.”
Xiao sniffs at it warily, then proceeds to pour the tea over his pudding. (Morax does not miss the way the desecration it makes Cloud Retainer restless.) Then picks the plate up and excuses himself.
“He is terribly shy,” Mountain Shaper observes.
Shy? Morax would hardly use that term to describe Xiao, though he is rather unapproachable and reticent. And adamantly opposed to eating in others’ presence. Guizhong has not mentioned that as a point of concern, so Morax lets him be.
“Agreed,” says Cloud Retainer. “One has come up with several ways to bring him closer to the flock. Perhaps we can discuss…”
“With Guizhong,” Morax suggests.
“Ah,” she huffs, as though she has forgotten that Guizhong is not present. “Of course.”
Xiao returns and places the plate – empty of pudding but not of tea – on the table. “You need not trouble yourself with leaving the tea leaves for me,” he says. “Mortal produce disagrees with me… but, when it comes to reproducing the flavour of a dream, the odour of the mortal realm is a necessary nuance.”
Cloud Retainer is both smug and annoyed when she pushes the last dish towards him. “The common sugar Lady Guizhong enjoys was used for this.”
Xiao goes, and comes back relatively quickly with an empty plate. When asked, his evaluation of the dish is simply, “It is fine.”
“High praise,” Cloud Retainer says, uncertainly. It does indeed seem like a glowing review to Morax as well. “Relative to the other two?”
“Mass produced sugar lacks depth,” he says, and Morax thinks it is good to gather without Guizhong once in a while, “but it does taste unquestionably of the mortal realm.” Then, “... Of the three, the one made with almond was most acceptable.”
Cloud Retainer caws in outrage. Mountain Shaper pats her on the back with an outstretched wing. Moon Carver is smug as he presents Morax with a copy of the recipe.
‘Almond Tofu’ is written in glowing gold ink at the top of the page.