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She led him up the stone steps engraved with swirling cloud patterns, patches of fuzzy green growing here and there across their surface, indicating the undisturbed nature of this place. This forbidden getaway, a modest retreat suspended high enough in the sky that it even floated above the hazy sea of clouds. She could have just asked him to fly them up here, but making the trek was half the fun. Well, under certain circumstances it could be enjoyable, and this happened to be one such occasion. She was more than prepared for the journey this time. Not to mention this was supposed to be a gift, a special celebration for him on behalf of this auspicious day; making him work would have been rude, and ruined the whole point of the affair.
“You remember this place, don’t you?” Nova asked as they ascended the plaustrite infused steps together.
“How could I forget?” Zhongli replied, a touch of humor in his tone as he kept up with her brisk pace.
“Well, you did kind of build it, I guess,” she continued, accepting his outstretched hand with a blush as he helped her up the last few steps.
Ascending to the main platform, the young woman’s eyes widened as she took in the breathtaking view. She would never tire of visiting this place, or appreciating the unique beauty it offered any that were lucky enough to set foot on this floating island in the sky. The air was slightly cool, but that was to be expected at such an altitude. Nova had never done any real research into it, but she was fairly certain this was one of the highest points in all of Liyue, if not the apex of the region. As wavy strands tickled her cheeks, displaced by the breeze, she carefully took a few steps back from the edge. She felt the distinct sensation of bumping into something, and her assumption was confirmed as two firm, familiar hands steadied her with a reassuring grip.
The structure itself was simple, not too flashy or outfitted with extensive fixtures or items. Stone benches and wooden pillars were arranged beneath a roof that reflected Liyue’s signature architectural style. There was also a seemingly plain rectangular table that’d been piled up with numerous papers, books, and other seemingly innocuous knick knacks. Somehow they’d all managed to avoid being damaged or blown away by the weather; perhaps the fact that they were still here was proof of just how reliable the structure’s construction and location were.
“You’re not too uncomfortable up here, are you?” Zhongli asked, noticing the slight shiver vibrating beneath his fingers.
“What? Of course not,” Nova denied, although there was an unmistakable tremor in her voice.
“I promise I won’t let you fall off,” he vowed with a chuckle. “And even if you did, I would surely catch you before you even came close to incurring any harm.”
“Ahh, stop with the doting!” the young woman argued as she turned to face him, batting his hands away. “This evening, this outing is supposed to be about you, so I don’t want to hear any talk about what you plan to do for me.”
“I don’t see how ensuring your safety violates any desire to do something special for me. Although, now that we’ve made it this far, am I finally allowed to inquire about the significance of this little excursion?”
“You haven’t realized it yet?” Nova’s ears twitched with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. But, when it came to him, she knew she shouldn’t have been surprised. “This is a birthday celebration, a celebration of your birthday, to be exact!”
“My birthday…?”
His apparent confusion fanned the flame of worry in her heart she’d been doing her best to keep at bay. “Yes, your birthday. I know you’ve had a lot of them, but I don’t care how long it’s been, they’re still special! They always will be, because without a day like today, you wouldn’t exist in this world!”
Crossing his arms and pinching his chin in that signature fashion of his, Zhongli surveyed her nervous expression before skimming over the preparations that she’d no doubt gone out of her way to organize herself. “And what is all of this, if I may ask? I can understand wanting to come to a place like this for some peace and quiet, and to enjoy the view, but it seems like you’ve persevered beyond even those expectations.”
Nova couldn’t help the way her ears perked up when he said it like that, praising her efforts--inadvertently or not. Leading him over to the preparations in question, she began to present and explain the purpose of each one. “Well, of course I brought the proper necessities to make tea, just the way you like it. Xiangling helped me with this--” she lifted a bowl of what appeared to be some kind of soup, “--the slow cooked bamboo shoot soup you showed me how to make before. It probably didn’t come out as wonderfully as it does when you make it, but Xiangling helped me pull together something that I think you’ll find at least moderately decent. If it’s not to your liking, though, you can tell me. You don’t have to pretend it’s good just because you don’t want to hurt my feelings. On the contrary, I’d rather you be honest about it, because--”
Zhongli leaned forward, closing his eyes as he inhaled the savory aroma of the still steaming dish. An undeniable spark ignited his amber gaze as he re-opened them, meeting Nova’s anxious stare that was just as dark and enchanting as the night sky glittering above. “I’m sure it’s wonderful, regardless of your misgivings. The fact that you did any of this in the first place…I don’t even know how I can begin to repay you--”
“Hey, what did I say before?” Nova reminded him, setting the dish down as she raised a finger in emphasis. “This evening, this day isn’t about me. It’s about you, and there’s no repayment, no compensation that I expect or would even accept from you or anyone else. I did all of this because I wanted to. Actually, I also have one more surprise to give you.”
Zhongli’s head tilted to the side as one of his brown furry ears flicked with interest. “Oh?”
“Close your eyes.” Nova waited for him to comply before fetching the object and returning to sit beside him. “Alright, you can open them now.”
Saying that the sight that greeted him was unexpected would have been an understatement. The indisputable form of his Gnosis, encased in what appeared to be amber, or some other kind of translucent gold substance, was enough to make anyone do a double take. It was gorgeous, stunning, and he was speechless as he stared at the extraordinary item. He thought about touching it, but wondered if disturbing it in any fashion might cause it to shatter in his hands, or disappear in a flash. As unrealistic as that possibility was, he couldn’t temper the overwhelming flood of emotion that assaulted his senses and jumbled his thoughts until they were more like the foggy layer of clouds drifting by below.
“Do you like it?” She shifted in the item in her hands, the combination of his startled expression and lingering silence starting to concern her. “If I went overboard, I’m sorry. If you don’t like it, you can be honest. It wasn’t that expensive or anything, so you don’t have to feel bad or worry about me needing to return it or something. I actually made it myself--well, with some help, but that’s not the point--”
“Please, tell me more about it, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, like, what it is, or…?”
“I’d like to hear more about what it is, and how you came to procure such a thing.”
“Well, of course it’s not the real thing,” she began with a nervous chuckle. “That would be kind of difficult, and pretty disappointing after all I did to make sure you kept it. No, I had Mona and Ganyu help me make a model of it, of your Gnosis. I think it turned out alright. Fairly accurate for only having seen it once or twice in its entirety. It’s encased in Cor Lapis, which I know may seem strange, and also incredibly difficult to both extract and work with, but…I won’t get into those specifics. The point is that it worked, I think it turned out pretty decent, and…you can do whatever you want with it. I know it’s not really something you can do a lot with or share with anyone, but I just wanted to get you something to remind you of who you are. Even when you stop being an Archon, even when your long life finally comes to an end. Although I’d rather not talk about it, I think it’s important to remember things like this. It’s a responsibility and a burden, but it’s also a gift and an example of your legacy, your greatness, all you’ve done for Liyue--both the land and its people--for so long.”
“I…”
“Don’t know what to say?” Nova finished for him, her smile gentle and much more relaxed now that it seemed he wasn’t as upset as she’d initially assumed. “That’s alright, you don’t even need to say anything if you don’t want to. And if you don’t want to keep it, that’s really fine, too. I know you’ve got a lot of mixed feelings about your position, and all you’ve gone through, but to me you’ll always just be Zhongli.”
Setting the item down, she reached out to cup the side of his face, trailing her thumb over the subtle patches of scales that appeared whenever he took on this more draconic form of his. Horns the color of honey that gradually darkened to their base were protruding from his silky locks, and unusually soft, pointed ears of the same dark shade had replaced his human ones. A rough, scaly tail curled around his feet, following the line of his spine and plumed with a fluffy tuft of swirling golden fur at the tip. He leaned into her palm and her smile somehow softened even further, her ears reflecting just how serene this moment really was to her.
“I hope it’s not too rude of me to say, but I’ve definitely missed seeing you like this.”
“Why would that be rude?”
“I guess if you don’t understand why, I don’t really have anything to worry about,” she murmured, still tenderly caressing the combination of his smooth and scaly skin. “It’s hard for me to explain. I definitely feel…more at ease, when I’m with people like you, or Ganyu. Even the other Adepti. It makes me feel less alone, makes me happy to know that I’m not the only one that’s like this.”
He placed a hand over hers. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way you are.”
“I know you don’t.” The feeling of his rough, clawed hand against her own brought her even greater comfort. “And I feel the same way about you. Human, dragon, mortal, Archon. I know you’ve lived a long and arduous life, full of strife and chaos, loss and disappointment and abandonment. But you’ve also seen and experienced a lot of good in those six thousand plus years of existence, I’m sure--”
“And you’re still one of the very best things out of all of that that I’ve had the pleasure to encounter.”
She laughed, unable to channel her nerves through any other response or gesture. “That’s very sweet of you. Impressively charming. But I really want you to know just how thankful I am to know you, to be here with you, to have you in my life…thank you. I know it may not seem like much, or it may not even seem possible, but just you being here means more than words can say. Your existence, your presence has helped me keep going even at the darkest of times, even when I was convinced there was no way I could ever manage to pull myself up out of that darkness. I don’t need to pull myself out, really, just keeping my head above it all enough that I could still see you was enough to help me find the strength and courage to keep trying. So thank you, Zhongli…Morax. Thank you for existing, and coming into my life, and allowing me to stay by your side in any capacity. I can’t tell you how much it means to me, how much I--”
He took her hands and squeezed them. “You don’t need to go on. You’re welcome to, if you wish, but I think I understand where you’re coming from. I can certainly say that I feel much the same way about you.”
“That’s good to know,” she replied sheepishly, and he pressed a reassuring kiss to one of her ears.
“Now, why don’t we enjoy some of this before it gets cold? I would hate for any of your preparations to go to waste.”
“If that’s what the birthday boy wants, that’s what we’ll do,” she agreed with a smile, reaching over to start sorting out the cups and bowls.
Despite her fussing, Zhongli insisted on helping, and she could only deter him for so long. Eventually, she yielded to his insistence, indulging in the edible delicacies and lighthearted conversation that filled up the remainder of the evening. It seemed like he’d had a good birthday, a good day in general, and that’s all that mattered to her. In the end, it turned out to be quite a pleasant evening, a calm and casual affair they were able to enjoy just like old times…and for that, neither of them could have been more grateful.