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The scenery starts off as Zhongli stares out into the rain, coated by the heavy drops of ice cold water as he watches the dark clouds.
"Mister Zhongli!" Childe runs out to him bringing an umbrella, rushing to his side.
"What are you doing under the rain? You'll get sick if you stay under any longer!" The Snezhnayan worried.
Zhongli shifted his gaze towards Childe's blue eyes, his draconic golden ones piercing into the ginger's soul. "No need for such formalities Childe. And as for this, one can't help but simply be brought back to the past." He spoke out.
Childe pushed his black velvet umbrella standing over himself and Zhongli. He hovers the only layer of protection over themselves to momentarily stop the harsh rain from pushing through.
"The past..?" Childe piqued his interest towards Zhongli.
Zhongli said nothing in reply as memories of the Archon war flower it's way back into his head, as he sighed.
"Yes. Specifically, the Archon War."
Childe placed his full attention toward the lapis-eyed man, intently listening and wanting to know more about Liyue's history.
"Could you tell me a little more about the war and how standing in the rain has to do with any of this?" He perplexed.
Zhongli nodded, as he begun his tale.
"During the Archon War, Osial, the god of the vortex cursed Liyue with an eternal and heavy rainfall. Many bygone gods including myself were forced to fight under the fall of these thick droplets that would freeze our skin in an instant."
Childe stood next to Zhongli, whilst the former god rambled on of his journey in the past. The Snezhnayan man reaching out with his gloved hands to collect the small scattered droplets of the rain that formed on the edges of the umbrella, only to be soaked up by his burgundy gloves.
"I see... No wonder."
As Zhongli's voice dissipated, the swallowtail coated figure stepped from the barriers of the umbrella, letting himself being showered once more by the downfall of cold driblets.
"Being under the fall brings back more than many bittersweet memories." He said with a pensive look.
Childe bit his lips and sighed.
The ginger cast away his umbrella and stood next to consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"I guess so.... It is quite refreshing as well."
Zhongli nodded.
"One can agree."
Childe hesitantly looked at his concealed hands before balling them into a fist and letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He quickly peeled of his pinot noir stained gloves.
To him, it symbolized that for that brief moment he was not acting or being the 11th harbinger, but more as himself.
"...I've rarely get to experience rainfall back in Snezhnaya, since it always snows." He murmured.
"One can imagine, Childe." Zhongli stares into the dark firmament.
"Even if it rained during the year, which was already rare, the droplets of water would freeze and turn into small if bullets when they come into contact with anything." He wandered his thoughts as he played with the small heads of water that clumped against his palm.
Zhongli huffed before returning his attention back to the ginger haired.
"It may be a little too late to ask this but, what are you doing here in Guyun Stone Forest?"
Childe twiddled his thumbs before answering. "I was looking for you. The Rite of Parting is to begin soon, and the Qixing were looking for you." He explained right before looking away.
"But I guess that can wait..."
Zhongli perked up and raised his eyebrows in amusement.
"Why so?"
"Standing here in the rain brings one back to the past."
Childe giggles in the end of his sentence, mimicking Zhongli before going back completely silent.
Zhongli slightly chuckles, turning his gaze towards the still thundering skies, letting out a breath.
"As you wish then."