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Nothing compared to an evening in Liyue Harbor.
Zhongli, of all beings that called the continent of Teyvat home, had the most experience with which to contest this notion. And, yet, he could not. The experience was simply unrivaled.
The setting sun hung low in the sky; its girth cradled by the crests of the Harbor’s waves. Fractures of color, of orange, pink, and refracted blues, tinted the streets of Liyue. The hustle and bustle of the city had slowed to quiet din, comforting in its constant presence.
It felt warm. That was the best way Zhongli could describe it. The atmosphere, the colors, the sights – they all melded together, creating an ambience so welcoming that it could soothe the heart of even the most frazzled and confused traveler.
Of course, it was just as likely that the warmth he felt was coming from his companion, rather than Liyue itself.
“Xiansheng?”
Zhongli paused, looking over to where his companion, the vanguard of the Fatui Harbingers, had stopped – rather suddenly, he might add – in the middle of their stroll.
“Yes?”
“What are those?” Childe pointed to a nearby merchant’s stall. From their wares, Zhongli surmised that they were a toymaker. Following Childe’s finger, he examined the products in question.
Dozens of plushies protruded from the metallic hooks of a portable display’s wall. Zhongli easily recognized them as cartoonish parodies of his beastial form. Amber colored horns sprouted from the plushie’s head, accentuated by the ruffle of a fire-tinged mane. The dragon’s body – mimicking his body – only extended for less than a meter more below its oversized head, then curled into the tuffs of fur that plumed on the tip of its tail.
“Those…are Rex Lapis plushies.”
“What?” Childe snorted. “Run that by me again.”
“As I’m sure you’re well aware of by now, Liyue’s worship of the Geo Archon differs from the other 6 nation’s practices quite dramatically. The people of Liyue are encouraged to find the will of Morax in not just the eyes of the Tianquan, but in the eyes of the enterprising merchant hawking his wares, or the poetic storyteller charming the crowd. For residents, the Geo Archon is more than just a distant patron god – he is a friend, an advisor, and consultant. This sort of easygoing attitude has allowed artistic representations of Morax to flourish – both official and unofficial.”
“Stuffed animals inspired by his draconic form, like the ones you spotted over there, are often sold around the Rite of Descension. I do believe they are quite popular as a children’s toy.”
“What a quaint tradition.” Childe laughed, and, perhaps, if he were accompanied by any other Liyuean, they would misconstrue his mirth as mockery. Zhongli, however, could find no cruelty in the brightness of his ocean-blue eyes, nor in the gentle bow of his pink lips. Joy, and it alone, was the cause of his laughter.
Childe glanced at him, then, gaze so startlingly alight with life that it made Zhongli's heart seize.
Perhaps he had been staring too long. He turned away, bringing a hand up to conceal the curve of his mouth and clear his throat. Childe turned too, his attention drawn back to the display of plushies.
“I should buy one.”
The simple statement, uttered with no hesitance, made Zhongli nearly choke on thin air.
Composure, he reminded himself. He must keep his composure. Childe didn’t know he was Rex Lapis. His next words had to be those of Zhongli, the humble funeral parlor consultant, who merely wanted to know what inspired his friend to make this unusual purchase. They must not come from Rex Lapis, a descended god who had just learned that the human dearest to him wished to purchase a stuffed version of his heavenly form.
“May I ask why?” he finally let out, his voice rasping more then he’d prefer. “I was not exaggerating when I said those were children’s toys.”
Childe smiled, and Zhongli almost forgot his question entirely. “Ah, your comments are one of the many things I enjoy about Liyue. If this were Snezhnaya, the mere sight of that display would send the other Harbingers into fits of laughter, and they surely would have insisted that I buy one – going on about how it was ‘made for me,’ and what not. I’m afraid I’m still a child in their eyes.”
This did not answer Zhongli’s question. “Well, lucky for you, I am not the other Harbingers, and I am not insisting that you buy one. So…”
Childe shrugged. “I suppose it’s just a gut feeling, then, telling me I should buy one. Are you implying that I shouldn’t?”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Zhongli lied.
It was not fine, but there was no reason to tell Childe that. Or, more accurately, there was no way to tell Childe that.
Zhongli stood and watched as Childe went to go make his purchase. His blood ran hot and cloying in his veins. He felt embarrassed, and how odd it was that embarrassment had come for him, in this manner, after he had lived so many years free from its clutches.
Childe quickly returned, having forgone a bag to carry the plushie in his hands.
“Xiansheng, isn’t it cute?” Childe poked the animal’s stuffed cheek, and Zhongli felt the urge to bring his palm up to his own cheek, as if he would be able to feel the press of Childe’s hands mirrored on his own body.
“Well? Don’t leave me hanging!” Childe lifted the plushie so Zhongli could face his false self directly. “Don’t tell me you can say no to this cute little face?”
Zhongli very well knew he couldn't say no to that face, but, unfortunately, the red-head wasn't boasting about his own good looks.
“It is very cute,” he finally answered. “And well-made.”
“I’d expect no less from Liyue’s merchants.” Childe brought the plushie back to rest in his arms. “In fact, I’d be quite disappointed in you if it weren’t, given your talk about the Liyue’s ‘iron-clad contracts’ and ‘rock-hard business integrity’.”
Zhongli chuckled, endeared rather than insulted by the warrior’s impression. “If you say it like that, I’ll start to doubt the unbiased nature of my own advice.”
Childe smiled mischievously, before looking down to examine the plushie again. For a few moments, silence blanketed their conversation.
Childe looked handsome like this, Zhongli thought. Leisure, despite how infrequently it came to grace young Harbinger’s time, suited him well.
“Do you think Rex Lapis’s eyes ever close like this, in real life?” Childe asked, startling Zhongli out of his thoughts. Accentuating his point, Childe gestured to the gentle curl of the toy’s lashes. “Does he ever let his guard down? Would he ever willingly surrender his watchful gaze over the whole of Liyue?”
Zhongli paused, considering his query, wondering what answer he could offer in return.
“No being is infallible,” he finally drawled, slow and careful, “and there exists no burden light-enough to be carried for eternity. However, I do not think Morax would surrender his duty. Rather, a transfer is a much more feasible option.”
“Always so analytical, xiansheng,” Childe teased. “Maybe you should trade your work for the life of a betting man.”
“I find my job enjoyable,” Zhongli replied. “After all, I’m sure that a gambler would not have met nearly as many interesting people as I have in the course of my career.”
Childe’s cheeks, Zhongli noted, betrayed a hint of pink. “I wonder if I’ll still be here in Liyue Harbor when that happens. When Rex Lapis is no longer the Geo Archon.”
Zhongli could not entertain this question with an answer, not without betraying too much too soon. Still, his heart knew what he could not say.
I’ll keep you be my side, Childe. As long as you’ll have me.