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Regardless of how many times Menogias had attempted to make sense of the situation, even a couple of decades after the other Yaksha were informed by Alatus of their death and return two thousand years after the Archon War, it was as if comprehending the notion was still far from his grasp. He felt as though he was simply resigned to let it be rather than understand the concept.
The thought that they had fought each other, gone mad and simply disappeared to perish was such a terrifying thought, his imagination unhelpfully supplying imagery that he could have gone without. None of them remembered a thing, the battles that Alatus had told them of where they seemingly lost themselves were completely scrubbed from them and from what was said, it appeared that even the Karmic debt had been eradicated from each of them, even Alatus, who apparently hadn’t lost his sanity.
With all of that… Menogias believed that it wasn’t the worst of what was explained. Their return had been an exchange, their saviour having been aware of the cost, yet had continued despite what would be lost and had managed to force some wiggle room into the exchange to be sure that Liyue would still thrive after the trade would be fulfilled.
It’d taken two thousand years of rebuilding to bring the Yaksha back without fault to their being, with full power and no known issue to their revival, and it was upon their return that the Geo Archon was parted from his memories as the God of the nation, in addition to being forced to step down… A curse to lose so much and restart as a long lived mortal with no memory, no known history, no idea of who he was. Yet still had the body of an immortal and the power of Geo, aided by a Vision he seemingly awoke to.
They had been told by their brother that Rex Lapis-... That the one they were likely to encounter at some point wouldn’t recognize them as his comrades. They’d been quite drained of happiness on their return when hearing it.
Menogias sighed, deflating that he’d repeatedly had this in mind for some time since his return a couple of decades prior and still had no way of shaking the saddening thoughts.
Alatus hadn’t lied, not that he’d thought it. The first time Menogias and Indarius had come across the very recognizable figure, it had been near the ruins in the Northern area of Guili Plains along the path. He and the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour had been on their way to Mingyun Village, very likely to deal with a passing as the Director and… ‘Zhongli’ only seemed to accompany each other to such tragic events early in the day. It had been during business hours, why else would they be walking the distance from the Harbour to the village?
The… ‘man’ hadn’t exactly said anything, he’d only nodded respectfully while the Director had been the one to address them as Indarius had called out experimentally. Regardless of his silence, Menogias had seen the mannerisms, the way he strode, the posture, pose and facial movements. Everything screamed Lord Morax. His memories were gone, but his body remembered. One cannot forget what their body was accustomed to.
That very phrase had come into play quite a few times due to Menogias’s fixed attention in seeing more from their Archon-... Former… No, it still felt so wrong to see him as anything other than that.
In short, he had been quite fixated on watching him, picking up stray details in how he went about his daily life and though it appeared somewhat repetitive, the Yaksha had learnt that he was very well known for his knowledge, his regal atmosphere and genuine honesty and kindness. He was well liked, well acquainted, had a very positive reputation, constantly sought after for many reasons and had quite the following despite his somewhat morbid job description and mildly awkward conversational skills.
It also appeared that he rarely found time to relax unless it was to retreat to his home or if it were late evening and Third-Round Knockout had stories to tell. Aside from that, it was an even rarer occasion that the man ventured out to the spot North East of the harbour, to gaze out over the ocean towards the Stone Forest. He hadn’t the faintest idea why, if it was true that his memory was gone. Rex Lapis would have his obvious reasons why he would watch the mountain lances, but… Zhongli wouldn’t have those memories.
As it stood at that very moment, Menogias was present to witness such a brief time. He watched from the upper platform hills shy of where the… of where he stood. He appeared fixated, unmoving, so calm and almost a statue with how he never appeared to move. He’d been there for some time, as had the Yaksha, who’d been sat there with his legs drawn up to his chest, his gaze soft on the broad back that faced him.
Fondly, when having inched closer, Menogias had noted that the clothing he wore had been one of Kapisas designs that he had created for him towards the end of the War, upon his success in acquiring the Archon throne.
It’d take him some time to achieve the proximity over the time Rex Lapis had spent standing there and… he’d grown a tad more confident to keep getting that much closer. Eventually, he’d found himself at the edge of the upper platform, well within view if he turned around. He half hoped that he would, if only for a chance at a conversation with no one to interrupt.
…Another quarter asked firmly ‘why not initiate a conversation’, while the last quarter whined that he’d make a fool of himself and require Bonanus’s shoulder to weep upon once Rex Lapis shrugged him off due to a lack of memory and in a reaction to the Geo Yaksha’s foolery.
All in all, he felt as though he had a very self-encouraging impression of how a conversation would go. And yes, that had been sarcasm.
With what he’d heard from Alatus himself and had watched over the short period, Zhongli did sometimes struggle with ‘getting to know someone’ if there was a lack of common interest and from his own experience with the God, the interests they shared were few. They were limited to Menogias’s fixing of his robes, creating his garments over time, their Element, their preference in wine, tea and… a scene like the one he was witnessing.
A calm, silent late evening with a beautiful hue of gold and reds casting across the sky like watercolour bleeding on canvas…
Would that be enough to start their path? To bring Menogias comfort and reassurance that Rex Lapis was still himself despite the state?
Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out in his current position…
Another gentle sigh slipped his lips before he’d attempted to throw caution to the wind and gradually eased himself to stand. Without much effort at all, he drew on his element and raised a sleek pallet of earth from the ground below without disturbance to his fixation, the golden strips of his hair shining with the act. He stepped forward with confidence in his ability and lowered smoothly, the earth refitting itself once he was of the same ground level as Rex Lapis.
He took a deep breath and began his uphill battle with himself, step after step bringing him closer and closer to the man, but also drawing on more of his apprehension that he would not be welcomed or that he would ruin whatever start they had. A start from ‘Zhongli’s’ perspective.
It felt far longer than it appeared, though not long enough according to the anxious quarter of his mind. Menogias had grown closer far too quickly for his waning confidence and though he appeared to not disturb him the second he’d appeared, the moment the Yaksha had slowed and came to a stop beside him, his shield of stoicism shattered the moment those o’so familiar golden eyes pinned him in place as they regularly used to in the past.
Menogias could only gaze into them, his ‘everything’ becoming so soft and obvious under their gentle scrutiny. And he’d gazed for far longer than was casually necessary. Zhongli had turned his head that much more towards him, his expression showing his curiosity.
“Are you alright, Master Adeptus?” his smooth, deep, velvet voice spoke so softly, so familiarly to him. Rex Lapis… But the name, the term used… He’d have never called them by that. It had only ever been their names spoken so fondly, so warmly, always so informal due to their close knit bond.
“No-, no no, apologies… It’s simply that your eyes remind me of Cor Lapis. They shine despite the time of day. They’re quite beautiful,” They remind him of Cor Lapis?! They shine and are beautiful?! Menogias had already started off so pitifully and so clichely that he had already begun thinking of a way to escape, to maybe create a hole in Mt Hulao and seal himself inside for the rest of his immortality-.
“Truly? That’s quite flattering, thank you,” his golden gaze had softened along with his features, resting on the Geo Yaksha so warmly that he feared he’d melt under their intensity.
… Maybe he hadn’t started so poorly.
With the gentle smile and kind regard from him for the Yaksha’s presence upon his initial fluster, Menogias felt a gradual calm reach him, his gaze lingering, though it appeared that the other may have welcomed it as he returned it with far more of an analytical glint. The mannerism was so familiar, so recognizable. It mirrored Rex Lapis’ calculating stare whenever he’d been present during Menogias’ activities, when his hobbies had taken over and he’d just so happened to have crossed his path and joined him by sitting in silence.
It felt akin to those moments, save for the time taken up by his hobby. The calm, the comfort and content air between them in the late evening where the sun was low and the moon reached to peek above the horizon.
Regardless of memory, it felt so natural to be by his side… it was just that… the other could not recall. His core grew cold at the thought once more. Though nothing of grand results came from their shared time, it had been the small things that he’d cherish, that Rex Lapis had even admitted agreement to. They enjoyed each other's company… How long would it have taken to rekindle that feeling?
“Are you sure you’re alright, Master Adeptus? You appear… forlorn,” Menogias blinked, having been returned from his thoughts by the comforting, smooth and deep tone of his… his…
“I apologise for worrying you,” he spoke softly, “You remind me of an old friend,” an old friend, an old comrade, an old being that he missed dearly. The feeling of not being able to bring up even older memories to laugh over, or to find comfort in, to feel a shared sense of belonging…
“I see,” the God breathed gently, “Is it him that you love?” Menogias paused before he could return to his mind, before he could lose himself once more. He gazed at the other, blinking blankly while registering the words, the purposely worded question striking him.
“Love?” the Adeptus muttered quietly, though in the silence and calm evening, it was loud enough that both had heard the question.
“You have the air of lost love about you, assumedly when you appear to fall into thought,” Zhongli had observed with a far too keen an eye for it to be a mortal skill. The God had always had such an enhancedly attentive and perceptive stare. But the words, the process of understanding what was said.
It was Rex Lapis, he always knew to speak his mind and rarely ever was he wrong. Socially with mortals, he appeared to struggle, but with his own, he was consistent when conversing, always so sharp to know what ailed them… He knew Menogias far too well.
For him to see his sadness for a lost loved one, to know that it was… Love that the Yaksha had felt. It came as a realisation that his love for the being was not simple comradery or familial… He loved him.
“... It appears you’ve made me realise my own feelings,” the Yaksha smiled sadly, a hand lifting to brush between his hair and the back of his neck to sheepishly rub. All of this time, and it had taken the very person he felt for to make him come to the result. It was quite ridiculous, yet bittersweet.
“Better to have realised them later rather than having not at all, Master Adeptus,” the man… the God, comforted. Again, the title had drawn his mind, the way there seemed to be distance between them. Menogias eyed him, his golden gaze still firmly reading the Yaksha as if he were a simple children's book of pictures.
Though it hadn’t lasted as long as he’d hoped, it appeared that he was done for the day, seemingly taking his last look across the black ocean between them and the Stone lances basking in the ever glowing moon light that had finally made its presence known.
Before he could leave, the Yaksha reached out, fingers brushing his jacket shoulder, hesitant to disrupt his regal air. But it had caught the others attention, his soft gaze returning with a clear question. For the seconds that passed, he hesitated further, his mouth opening to speak before closing. And where his hand eased that much over his firm shoulder, Zhongli’s met it, gently ghosting over the back and softly grasping his knuckles reassuringly.
It gave him the courage…
“Can I… ask that you call me by name?” he forced, his voice wavering just slightly, though he hoped that he’d done well to hide it. And if he hadn’t, he didn’t indicate that he had whatsoever. Rather, a simple smile graced his smooth features, the glow of his gaze so beautiful against the dim lighting.
The grasp on his hand grew more comforting before it was removed and reached across, briefly brushing the spot where his heart hammered ruthlessly against his ribcage.
“Good night, Menogias,” for a moment, he swore the beating had stopped, that he’d been about to buckle and collapse there and then had his body not saved him by seizing upon hearing his name spoken once more by his Lord.
He swallowed thickly, almost following him as the man turned and slowly made his return to the harbour. If only had he not been frozen on the spot, so instead, he allowed his gaze to follow, drifting after him, growing heavy with the ‘want’ to be close once more…
“Good night, Rex Lapis,” he muttered so softly, he hadn’t heard him.