Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hello, all.
I’ve added a few notable people who may be able to find more details about your sibling's whereabouts. For example, Fischl (@Prinzessin der Verurteilung) is an Investigator in the Intelligence Department of the Adventurer's Guild. Several other members of the Adventurer's Guild have also been included, some you have no doubt met already. It is my hope that in spreading our reach, we will be able to locate her quickly.

Again, we cannot thank you and Venti enough for your efforts in confronting Stormterror and effectively saving Mondstadt. We will do anything in our power to make sure we repay you with whatever information we can find. Feel free to add anyone who might have some insight or could potentially have leads.

Sincerely,
Jean

Thank you, Jean! I really appreciate everything

Welcome Aether!! I’m Bennett!! It’s great to meet you!! ＼(^o^)／

there she goes again with formalities

Welcome to Mondstadt, Aether! ^_^

i swear we aren’t all that intense

Weep not, fair traveler! For I, Fischl, shall embark on this treacherous journey to reunite thy fated souls! Let us not give into fear at the perilous unknowns, but instead rejoice at hope, reignited! May the threads of fate be weaved kindly upon us all.

lol nvm

Haha.. thanks, everyone

Hello. I don’t agree with this. I’ll let you know if I find any information, but I refuse to be in another one of these group chats. With a bunch of strangers, no less. Sorry.

Diluc Raginvindr left the conversation.

Jean Gunnhildr added Diluc Raginvindr to the conversation.

What

Diluc,
Having a specific place for us to all communicate is the most effective way to make sure we are all receiving the same information.
Mute the chat if you must.

lol embarrassing

Fuck off

language, Master Diluc! there are children present.

ehe

this is a great idea~!

I'm sorry, Diluc! I don’t want this to be a nuisance or anything.

Maybe it would help if we all introduced ourselves! ＼(^o^)／

[PINNED] Hi everyone!! I can start! I’m Amber, I recognize most of your names.
I'm an Outrider for the Knights of Favonius and happy to help out in any way I can!

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

This is perfect jean!! Aether, i’m sure we’ll find your sister in. o time!!!

in no**

Thank you, Amber!

can i have admin access @Jean Gunnhildr so I can invite some informants from liyue later

Jean, don’t give it to him.

please give it to him

Jean Gunnhildr gave Venti the Bard admin permissions.

I trust you Venti, but seeing their reaction leads me to believe you may use this incorrectly. Any sign of misuse and I will take your privileges away.

lol don’t worry im only here to help!

Don’t try anything funny tone deaf bard! ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ

LOL

oooooh, paimon that must be u huh

the floating thing?

EXCUSE ME??! PAIMON IS NOT A THING!! HOW DARE YOU

lol sorry it was a typo

Sorry about that, Paimon wanted to say hello and we only have one of these devices, so…

Oh dont worry! You can both use it!

we'll def know the difference dw

lol

[PINNED] Very well, if one must introduce thee, though thy should already know it... Remember thou this: That I, Fischl, am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Sovereign of Immernachtreich, omniscient and eminent judge of all the world's iniquity! As foretold in the message prior, the adventurer's guild is but one of my many royal arrangements.

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

[PINNED] And like I said, I’m Bennett! An adventurer!!! ＼(^o^)／

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

Great to meet you guys!

Venti changed the discussion name to "SEARCH PARTY (n‘∀‘)ηﾟ･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･* !!!!!".

That name... doesn't quite seem appropriate.

[PINNED] Hi sweeties. I’m a librarian, though I also teach on the side. I’ll keep a look out for any information. Looking forward to chatting with you all ;)

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

[PINNED] Kaeya, cavalry captain. here to help, of course.

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

[PINNED] I'm Rosaria.

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

doing a lot of pinning, i see

Kaeya,
Just trying to keep organized for whomever joins in the future.

[PINNED] I am Jean, the Dandelion Knight and currently Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt.

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

[PINNED] Nice to meet you all. I am Albedo, Captain of the Investigation team and Chief Alchemist. I was quite impressed to hear about your victory against Stormterror, Aether. If we ever have a chance to meet in person, I'd love to hear about it more in detail.

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

Hi, Albedo! Wish i could take credit but really it was mostly venti

[PINNED] a lot of u hold me in the highest regard: it's me, ur savior, venti the bard~!

Jean Gunnhildr pinned this message.

Yep... that's the guy

hehe~ ask me anything! but before that,
something more dire has come up

traveler!! come quick to angel's share!! i have important matters to discuss!! anyone else is free to join!

we're on our way

kaeya join pls

Is this actually a dire situation?

No.

No.

ok no

But as Mondstadt's saviors, someone should be treating aether and i to a few drinks dont u guys agree

Aether is underaged and certainly not getting inebriated in my tavern with you, of all people.

i dont see u around to stop us

Are you honestly threatening crime in a chat filled with Mondstadt's law upholders?

im just kiddddddinnnnnggggggg

dw, i'm here now to make sure venti doesn't do damage.

Not reassuring

oh, Diluc's made an appearance as well. Not looking too happy, as usual

Venti and Diluc are currently fighting. Aether and paimon just arrived, though im not inclined to believe anyone could save venti at this point
truly an exciting series of events

I'm a little jealous... I want to come by and at least say hi! (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

Feel free, benny boy

ヽ(´▽`)/

update;; Diluc has personally escorted Venti out of the building. via his foot.

This is Mondstadt's greatest....

diluc im sorry! IT WAS A MISTAKE PLEASE LET ME IN

Probably shouldn't have been so rude. what were the words you used? oh yes, an "agnostic bonehead?"

Oh, Venti...

I was just kidding!!! i just wanted a drink or twooooo

Sorry, but... are you even legally old enough to drink??

HEY i'm older than I look

It's never just one or two drinks. Plus, you don't have any mora.

don't worry, the savior of mondstadt and I are sharing a few drinks as we speak. apple cider for him, of course, but we'll make sure to have a blast in your honor.

KAEYA NOT U TOO I THOUGHT WE WERE A TEAM

Sorry, Venti...

May Sucrose and I join you all?

T_T

of course. rosaria is headed over as well

I'll be joining as well after I finish up here in the library.

T_______T

how could u guys do this to me, after all i've done for mondstadt

Venti, I will pay for your drinks under two conditions.

\( ﾟヮﾟ)/ REALLY

Condition one, you behave yourself in Master Diluc's establishment. Two, you and Aether provide me more details about the Stormterror situation.

ehehe

i think that can be arranged, right aether??????

I'm happy to talk more about it with you, Albedo!

YAY

WHAT A GENTLEMEN! MAY BARBATOS BLESS YOU FOR YOUR GOOD INTENT AND KIND SOUL

This may have been a mistake...

No shit

Venti the Bard added Xiao and Zhongli to the conversation.

hehehe. i have gathered u both here for a very important mission

but also its been awhile, lets chat!

this isn't a hangout session.

Well, i dont mind! It's nice to know a few more people.

see? this is great! its people from liyue too, which u were headed to anyway. now u can know a few people there already!

what the fuck is this

<3

venti.

well this will surely be interesting

Venti, why have you requested my presence? What is the purpose of this chat? -Zhongli

oh god another jean type

this is my bestie, zhongli

he and i go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back and he knows everything and everyone in liyue

aren't you like 15?!

again I'M OLDER THAN I LOOK

How old?!

It is as the bard says. He and I have a long history and do indeed go way back. That being said, Venti, you still haven't answered my question. -Zhongli

ok it's not a letter u don't have to write ur name we know its u

but also, @Aether is a friend of mine looking for his lost twin. he's also planning to visit liyue soon to see the rite of descension. i told him maybe the great geo archon would know what to do! dont u agree????

Hello! Nice to meet a friend of Venti

didn't know he had other friends

rude

If there is any trace of your missing twin in Liyue, Aether, it's possible Rex Lapis could be of assistance. If you could get ahold of him. The Rite of Descension is nearing, so you should hurry to Liyue if you intend to attend.

What does the person in question look like?

I don't have a photo of her, but she looks like me

just send a picture of yourself

you need a profile pic anyway

How?

PAIMON WILL DO IT! PAIMON HAS A KAMERA

Paimon?

What a cutie.

Stop

;D

Judging by the environment, you two are in Dragonspine?

Yeah! Looking for you actually

Is that so? Where are you exactly?

South of Wyrmrest Valley

I can meet you. It's getting late, you shouldn't be wandering around aimlessly in this weather. We can head back to my campsite for the night.

Sounds good (:

kaeya

ik

??

lol nothing

Based on your photograph, I myself have never seen or heard of such an individual stepping on Liyue soil. I will be sure to keep an eye out for such a person in the future.

Oh, I see... that's too bad.

thank you anyway

aether :(

I am sorry that I wasn't able to help more. Still, don't lose hope just yet. I know a few others who could continue this search far beyond the mountains of Liyue.

@Jean Gunnhildr Could you give admin access???

Of course. Welcome, you two. I'm sorry I was unable to greet you earlier, things are a bit hectic over here. Thank you for your assistance in finding Aether's sibling. We have had no leads yet, so we are led to believe they are not currently in Mondstadt.

Jean Gunnhildr gave Zhongli admin permissions.

Interesting. We shall uncover this mystery together.

Thank you, everyone.

Are you alright?

Is it that noticeable?

It's understandable. I'm sure it's difficult to receive another dead end.

Yeah... i want to stay positive, but it's hard.

I dont like worrying paimon

or you

From what I've gathered, friends will know if something is wrong regardless of whether or not you hide it. It's better to let us know so we can help.

It's natural to feel helpless, but don't forget that you have many people wishing for your success.

That many people hoping and wishing for the same thing is bound to produce good results, don't you think?

(: I guess you're right

Thank you, Albedo. really

Of course.

See you in a bit

Zhongli added Childe and Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean to the conversation.

wait

hey

Allow me to do the introductions. "Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean" is Captain Beidou of The Crux, an armed fleet with a renowned crew that frequently travels outside of Liyue for various reasons. I believe she would be most adept at finding your sibling, were she somewhere The Crux could reach.

BESTIE WHAT

Oh, what's this all about

ISN'T HE A FATUI HARBINGER

?!?!?

Childe does indeed have connections with the Fatui, as he is the eleventh harbinger. However, he has been a reliable companion to me and has proved to be trustworthy.

dawwh, i'm so touched

well, this took an unexpected turn.

oh archons

I've left u alone far too long and u ended up making some terrible friend choices

i cannot allow this

who is this little kid and why is he acting like he's your father?

WATCH IT HARBINGER

Childe is not a bad friend, nor has he been a bad influence on me. We have grown quite close recently.

HOW CLOSE

ok, lets calm down a sec

I'm with Venti. I would rather be struck by a meteorite than share information with Fatui scum.

DAMN

Damn

（　ﾟДﾟ）

LOL

damn

Nice to meet you too lol

normally i trust ur judgement zhongli but

i mean childe?? is that even a real name??

ur kinda oblivious, sure he's not using u?

I love that you're questioning my motives in front of me lol

You don't have to trust me, it's fine. As a friend of Zhongli, I'm willing to send my informants out and put up missing posters or whatever you guys need. For Aether, was it? or you can just kick me out. doesn't bother me

I'm not like, here to spy tho lol

THAT'S WHAT A SPY WOULD SAY

Kick him.

Childe and I are very close. I understand that it's no easy feat to take the word of a stranger, and so I understand the hesitancy. However, I will say that this is an opportunity for three nations to come together for a single unified cause. With Childe's help, we will be reaching far past Mondstadt and Liyue. That, in itself, is a reason to have faith, is it not?

Kick him.

lol

uggggghhhhhh

@Xiao did u know about this? what do u think?

i hate him.

What a fast response! Σ(゜д゜;)

he's obnoxious and always around.

oh boy

but

he doesn't seem to have malicious intent

wow

ok fellow mondstadters

what do u think

dislike, but perhaps we should leave this up to aether

i mean aether watched a harbinger attack me so im guessing he's not pro-fatui

but true, it is for Lumine

I'm sorry, but we're just trusting these people have good intentions?

hmmmmmmm well zhongli normally is a pretty good judge of character, but he can be pretty oblivious with things as well

That's not reassuring. Do you trust Zhongli?

of course! like i said, we go way back

How 'way back'?

hmmmmmmmmmm

'bout 2600 years give or take

Wow.

you think he's changed? perhaps his allegiance lies elsewhere

pls, that old blockhead? no way

You have been gone. He could be completely different from what you remember.

nope no way

i mean its true we haven't been friends the entire time i've known him but

that's just cuz we're a little fundamentally different ya know

Just in the way he speaks I can already see the difference.

hey D:<

we just have conflicting values and things, zhongli's really involved with his nation and, welllllll i have a pretty laissez-faire attitude bout it all

Completely absent.

SO anyway yeah we just don't see eye to eye a lot, but we care about each other

even though occasionally he has beaten me up

you've truly made an excellent case for him

whatever, i trust him. i say we just see how it plays out with this childe guy. ill even make a little trip to liyue myself and do some snooping

I trust your judgement, Venti. Please just let us know if anything seems amiss so we can figure out the next steps together.

Are you shitting me

you're such a barbatos fangirl

Workaholic muted God of Sex for 24 hours.

ehe

ok fine, let's try it

I agree, it would be a waste not to utilize this opportunity. Does this work for you, @Aether?

Splendid, thank you for putting your faith in us.

happy to be here

Fuck you

Jean Gunnhildr muted Diluc Raginvindr for 24 hours.

LOL

Diluc has... quite the temper.

My apologies, he's had a few negative run-ins with the Fatui. We all have.

yikes

well let's at least try to get to know each other before we let labels decide for us, shall we?

I agree.

ofc u do

so, what does Lumine look like, exactly? besides the photo of that kid, do we have anything we can go off of for missing posters?

Um, hi! (^_^;)

hey

We could ask @Albedo for help! He's the best artist in Mondstadt!

is that so? what do you think, Albedo? could you accurately draw Lumine, with Aether's help? I could mass print and send them off within the next week

they haven't said anything in awhile..

Oh dear, do you think they're alright?????

It's getting late. Dragonspine's terrain isn't safe at night. Not to mention the monsters can be particularly vicious. I'm concerned.

(>_<)!!

Let me go look for them.

No need, Paimon's here!!

Paimon?? Are you guys okay??

Yep!! We're all just snuggling up at Albedo's campsite! They're so engaged in a conversation that they haven't had time to check their communication devices!

snuggling up eh????

interesting

ah

The machinations of the heart hold no logic!

wtf

Thank goodness you're all good. We got a little worried when we didn't hear back.

Oh, so sorry about that! Paimon will be sure to talk to Albedo about drawing Lumine! Paimon thinks he'll be happy too!

we think so too

Loving the energy in here

thanks (;

how do i leave

Xiao nooooooo you can't go!

fine.

hehe~

@Childe will this sketch suffice for the missing posters?

Wow!! That's so pretty! (*´▽｀*)

Aether, does your twin really look like that? She looks just like you!

so that's what she looks like, huh? nicely done, albedo

not bad, i'm impressed

Yeah, it's pretty accurate. Albedo really captured her likeness

It was a lot to take in, honestly. i mean it really looks like her

I am sorry again. Had I not been so engrossed in translating your words onto canvas, I might have noticed how you were feeling sooner.

It's okay, really! I was just surprised at how well you understood my description!

You're really talented (:

It was all thanks to you, though. You are a captivating source of reference material. It was easy to imagine the rest with you there next to me.

guys i cant anymore

My teeth are rotting.

Haha ah thanks (: okay sorry gotta go, monsters nearby

he was in a hurry

hEHEHEE ALBEDOOOO

...Yes?

Jean Gunnhildr muted Venti the Bard for 4 hours.

Please ignore him.

In fact, it's late. Let's all get some rest.

yes ma'am

Goodnight, everyone! (︶｡︶✽)

Venti the Bard changed Benny's name to 'too pure for this cruel world'.

Venti the Bard changed Aether's name to 'heartless'.

Venti the Bard changed Prinzessin der Verurteilung's name to 'fish(lol)'.

.... What are you doing, Venti?

Venti the Bard changed Jean Gunnhildr's name to 'mom of the group'.

i'm boreddddd and drunkkkkk doesn't anyone wanna hang out

@Diluc Raginvindr open the bar for me

1. No.
2. Shouldn't you be headed to Liyue right now?

Venti the Bard changed Diluc Raginvindr's name to 'rich meanie'.

accurate

Venti the Bard changed Kaeya Alberich's name to 'icy hot'.

very accurate

oooh, the bard is coming to liyue? and why is that, pray tell

Venti the Bard changed Childe's name to 'a mistake'.

ouch

is this a cry for attention

i was going to liyue

but

T_T AETER LEFT ME WIThOUT ME

"Aeter"

Do my royal eyes deceive me? Cease this idiocracy and revert my illustrious name back at once!

mom of the group changed fish(lol)'s name to 'Fischl'.

To be fair, Paimon and I waited for you at Stone Gate's border for 3 hours! We thought you bailed, and you weren't answering our messages!

Venti, unbelievable.

incredible

Wow...

I was coming! i had just stumbled upon a bit of dandelion wne and i couldn't let it go to waste

And where did you "stumble" upon this, bard?

not iportant

heartless changed Venti the Bard's name to 'Tone-Deaf Bard'.

what IS important is that i feel cheated! betrayed! how can i show my face in liyue now!?

Like we SAID. you can still join us. we just about made it to Liyue Harbor. I'm sure you can catch up.

now, now

do i sense a touch of irritation from our dear traveler?

:( Maybe

Venti, I can't believe I have to be the one to tell you this, but apologize to Aether and Paimon.

T_T

:(

TONE DEAF BARD!!!!!! You seriously left us hanging, what the heck?! Do you know how difficult it was fighting all those monsters alone1? WE COULD'VE DIED

T_____T im sorry

It's true, it would've been nice to have your skillset around. Needed some crowd control at one point...

But it's fine. Maybe we could've waited a bit longer for you, too... :/ Honestly i just wanted to spend some time with you so i was happy when you said you had business there too

dear lord that's sad

T____T ll make it up to u honestly

nice going bard

STFU

AETHER I REALLY AM SORRY WILL U EVER FORGIVE ME

You're an idiot

T_____T AETHER PLS

@mom of the group This new name for Aether is incorrect, can we fix it?

mom of the group changed heartless's name to 'Aether'.

Thank you.

Hmmmmmm

Okay, you're forgiven

REALLY

Just don't leave us hanging again, please

Wow! You're so nice, Aether!

forgiving is a nice quality to have

also Jean, if you could?

My pleasure.

mom of the group removed Tone-Deaf Bard's admin permissions.

this

is a fate worse than death

Now we're even

Kind but stern. I like it

if you two are feeling lonely, i have a few moments to spare and i am fairly close by (;

MY WORST FEARS AR COMING TRUE

PAIMON STILL DOESN'T TRUST YOU, HARBINGER!!!

lol rejected

Zhongli changed a mistake's name to 'Childe'.

haha fair enough

Venti, I have just read the messages from earlier and I am appalled (albeit unsurprised) by your behavior. If you truly care for Aether, you should not take promises so lightly. Shame.

Aether, please let me know when you make it to the harbor. I would be happy to give you and your companion a tour, as well as treat you to some of Liyue's best cuisine. I only hope that it can make up for my old friend's troubling behavior.

what a gentlemen

zhngliiiiiiii T____T

OK, PAIMON'S DEFINITELY INTERESTED!! THANK YOU MR. ZHONGLI!!

zhongli

Yes, Childe?

how are you planning on paying for this so called 'treat'

Ah, yes. I seem to have forgotten.

whats happening

...DOES THIS MEAN YOU'RE BROKE

Well, I don't suppose you would mind joining us for dinner, would you?

goodness, dont i feel welcomed and not at all used

are you his bank

havent wanted to admit it, but yes

Are you telling Paimon that wE HAVE TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU ANYWAY?!?!

if you want free food, probably

Childe, please understand it was not my intention to 'use' you. I had hoped to respect Aether and Paimon's wishes for not wanting to spend time with you. However, I had foolishly forgotten one of the more important aspects of eating out, yet again. Because of that, it would appear that I have only made things uncomfortable. I apologize.

If it comes as any comfort to you at all, I always relish your company and would love to spend time with you myself.

dont worry (: its no big deal

Good, I am relieved.

what the fuck is this

horny for dongli

shut up

holy shit Rosaria nailed it

AHAHAHAHAH ARE U EMBARASSEd HARDBINGER

please stfu

HAHAHAHA HOLY ARCHONS

I don't understand.

HAHAHAH DW IM FLYING OVER ILL TELL U SOON

you cannot possibly be serious

lol that's what it took

Be careful, bard. By the looks of my nearly empty warehouse, you can't possibly be sober.

holy shit, did he drink your wine

Where else would he have gotten it?

Doesn't matter, it was decoy wine.

(・・ ) ? Decoy... wine....?

I put any faulty products in that warehouse and purposefully leave it unlocked so that it's his first trip before bothering me.

bravo, you've outdone yourself

LOL Does he really drink that much?

Yes.

i cant even be mad

tha was a delicious decoy

You are a wreck.

alright aether, how is it? any sexual tension during dinner?

Gods, i cant believe i'm indulging this, but yes.

Even though Mr. Zhongli invited us, Paimon and I feel like third wheels!

The amount of flirting coming from Childe right now is unbearable!

And Mr. Zhongli seems to be encouraging it!

well now, isn't that juicy

I mean he's doing a LOT of chatting and weird looks and earlier he was teaching Childe how to use chopsticks and it was VERY intimate

That's not normal, right? Is that normal??

how intimate are we talking?

Intimate enough for Paimon to stop stuffing her face and do a double take

lol interesting

i need more details

what does mr. zhongli look like? 

Don't judge, but he is surprisingly attractive

you're kidding

I'm not

And the way Childe looks at him! He's like, totally infatuated.

It's very un-harbinger-like

holy shit

i've been doing a bit of research on that one. he's a well known battle maniac, even feared within the inner ranks of the fatui. you guys need to stay on guard

It's so strange to even imagine that while i'm watching him practically fall into Mr. Zhongli's lap

could be part of his hidden agenda

Not sure, they both really seem to enjoy each other's company...

It does seem like Mr. Zhongli is clueless when it comes to flirting though. Which is wild, because he is incredibly knowledgeable on EVERYTHING.

I mean, it feels like he could recount the entirety of Liyue's history!

knowledgeable but clueless, huh

reminds me of a certain someone

Who?

albedo

Oh, i don't think he's clueless...

clueless when it comes to your very obvious feelings for him ;)

and dont try to tell me that look you give him is just a, "i'm in awe because we're doing an alchemic experiment together" type of look

It's pretty obvious isnt it

i have to admit im a bit jealous, albedo is definitely a keeper

Please don't say anything to him, he just sees me as a friend

looks like he's not the only clueless one

don't worry, your secrets safe with me dear traveler

...and, unfortunately, venti

Oh NO

relax, ill give him a stern talking to

Thanks... I'll definitely owe you one

Gotta go, I think I'm offending Mr. Zhongli by talking to you

if he wants to keep you engaged in the conversation, perhaps he shouldn't be ogling Childe in front of you two. but thats just my opinion lol.

nice eyepatch, we match

Beidou, right?

sorry, not interested.

can't say i didn't try

I NEED HELP

what happened

I FEEL SICK

call my name.

It's 3 in the morning. What could you possibly need.

Who dares to interrupt a royalty's slumber!?

what happened up there

Doesn't matter. Everyone go to bed.

hmmm grumpy.

@rich meanie

@rich meanie

@rich meanie

@ me again and I will come and kill you.

come on over

@rich meanie

goodness, aren't you a rowdy group

Is this fucking hell

mom of the group muted icy hot for 2 hours.

Enough.

Thank you.

Go to bed.

...

(－ω－) zzZ

so. i've been thinking

No thanks.

venti told us that he and zhongli couldn't see eye to eye because of their differences in values, correct?

True, but that's not very surprising.

of course not, but think about this

Rex Lapis is an archon who is very much deeply involved in the governing of his people right

I mean they basically brag in liyue about how their god has been actively a part of the community since the dawn of its creation

the complete opposite of barbatos

and for a guy who speaks so formally, he's got to be older than barbatos right? i mean he could be as ancient as the geo archon

What's wrong about the way he speaks?

So you're basing half of this speculation on the assumption that the man messaging in our group chat is old? Because he uses correct grammar and doesn't speak like an idiot?

I mean you have to admit that's a very boomer thing to do

Boomer?

oh my god

Adepti could also be thousands of years old. Older than Barbatos.

BUT they arent involved in their nation. think about it.

the adepti in Liyue are practically a myth now

people say they've retreated to the mountains

who else would be really involved in the nation of liyue and be as old, possibly older than barbatos

NOT TO MENTION Aether told me that Zhongli seems incredibly knowledgeable about all of Liyue's history. That's definitely going to be a trait the OLDEST archon has

You're reaching, now.

He could just be interested in the culture.

... Actually, I think Kaeya is spot on. Venti also said something to me a few weeks ago...

He was incredibly drunk and had knocked over an entire shelf in the library. He told me that it reminded him of a time when he had accidentally damaged a very ancient relic that the Geo Archon had kept, even carried around with him, and the Geo Archon was so angry that he "beat him into the earth's crust".

He just told us that Zhongli has occasionally beat him up, so it's not an outrageous thought...

...... you've just been sitting on this information and you didn't share it?

I'm not always trying to "spill the tea" like you are, Kaeya.

fair but your doing it now so you're no better than me

Touché.

Are you saying we've been chatting to the Geo Archon disguised as an old man?

actually, not old. Aether says he's incredibly attractive

Great. Your type, then.

No wonder he was so adamant about learning the truth.

;)

alright, now the last thing to do is confirm our suspicions

Kaeya Alberich added Venti the Bard to the conversation.

why did u guys make another chat when we already have barbatos and buds

GASP were u talking about me behind my back?! WHY DO U HAVE A GROUP CHAT WITHOUT ME T_T

Read above.

tl;dr

just confirm: Is Zhongli the Geo Archon

UHHH

NO???

...Wow.

niceeee

...I can't believe you were correct, Kaeya.

alright alright fine yes but dont say anything, zhongli is much more secretive than i am

That doesn't mean much seeing as you practically scream it from the rooftops.

Doesn't matter if no one will believe it.

yeah, you don't really have the air of a powerful being

T_T id rather u guys talk about me behind my back

so, this means that harbinger is basically pining after a god lol

Do you think Childe knows his real identity?

if he doesn't he's in for a rude awakening

Yeah idk, Zhongli's dense when it comes to emotions so i cant see that lasting, especially if he hasn't revealed such an important detail ya know

Who cares.

OK GUYS I MADE IT TO LIYUE

What? Do you want a pat on the back?

You okay? I saw your messages a little late and you seemed... not okay...

oh im fine, @Xiao found me immediately and saved me from certain doom. thx Xiao!

it was no problem.

no one else seemed to care though :/

Xiao, what is it that you do, anyway? You never introduced yourself!

i fight demons

...Oh okay

It's difficult to know when you're really in trouble, Venti. You cry wolf constantly.

ehe ╮(￣ω￣;)╭

wow, i see all the missing posters were distributed

though it pains me to say it, not bad harbinger

thanks, couldn't have done it without your support

eh nvm i take it back

AETHER WHERE R U

AETHER

DID I MISS THE RITE OF DESCENSION

@Aether

Oh my gods

Rex lapisl;'

???? rex lapis what

???????

@Zhongli ????

what is wrong with morax

???????

What happened?

Aether?

Aether's fine, though he's a little preoccupied at the moment

What's going on?

Tell us where he is.

relaaaaax

I sent him and Paimon to Jueyun Kharst to clear their names with the adepti there. @Tone-Deaf Bard you can meet them there if you're still in the city, though i'd suggest getting as far away as you can

Clear their names? For what reason?

they maaaaay be suspects in a crime

specifically the murder of rex lapis

Wj;'

Liyue's God?!

That's outrageous.

Why would they be suspects?

THE GEO ARCHON IS DEAD?!?!

That... is a serious accusation, why would they believe something like this?

two suspicious foreigners fleeing the scene

i mean one literally floating away

how is that not cause for concern? id arrest them too

But who would kill the Geo Archon?!

This is awful...

.. i'm having a hard time believing this ...

where is @Tone-Deaf Bard?

Is there anything we can do?!

not likely

in fact more foreign involvement might seal the deal for those two

I would wait and see what the adepti have to say

I'm worried about Venti.

and should the adepti find them guilty?

That can't happen!!!

No way!! They've gotta be innocent!! We have to defend them!!!!

Calm down. Let's wait before we make any rash decisions.

Venti's attire alone is enough to cause a scene. Add in his disruptive behavior...

Venti, please answer!!

Will you two meet with me in my office?

I have a bad feeling about this. If someone is going around killing gods...

That bard is in danger.

We have to figure out the motive behind it.

It's obvious, is it not? It's those damn Fatui. We already know of one attacking Venti before. Who's to say they hadn't meant to kill him then?

I don't trust that damn harbinger in the slightest.

We'll have to wait for Aether to respond to know for sure, but we should plan for the worst.

If he's even still alive.

that outlook is a bit too grim for my liking.

Another thing...

That was a friend of Venti's that was just murdered. I'm sure he's having a difficult time just dealing with that alone.

my, I feel incredibly helpless this far away

Damnit.

We're okay guys, sorry for worrying you

Thank goodness, I've been on edge all day!

We were so worried! I'll let the others know right away!

You two gave us quite the fright.

Sorry, I didn't mean to scare everyone and then disappear like that...

But... the Geo Archon...

he cannot be gone. i would have sensed it.

Aether, thank goodness you two are alright.

Tell us in detail what happened.

Well we went to see the rite of descension but

Rex Lapis fell from the sky

I mean he was killed, we don't know how

It had to be someone there at that moment

We knew we already looked suspicious so we tried to leave but we got caught

If Childe hadn't saved us, I don't know what we would have done

we can discuss payment later (:

....

I'm just glad you two are alright.

Thanks, I am too, and it seems like the adepti believe our side of the story.

Have you two seen Venti?