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Entry tags:
- arcane: vander,
- arknights: gavial,
- bastard!!: dark schneider,
- black butler: sieglinde sullivan,
- expanse (the): amos burton,
- fate/: quetzalcoatl,
- fate/: rin tohsaka,
- fire emblem: claude von riegan,
- genshin impact: tartaglia (childe),
- genshin impact: zhongli,
- granblue fantasy: eustace,
- magnus archives (the): the archivist,
- orv: dokja kim,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- star wars: jyn erso,
- trigun maximum: vash the stampede
The Seeds of Unrest, Phase Two 🌱
UPROOTED
Time has not been kind thus far, and the future will be no kinder.
The slow passage of days to weeks has seen both cities increasingly ravaged by the untamed growth of the enlarging roots. Their size is enough to uproot buildings by their foundations, if not bisect them entirely where they push through unfettered. In the worst-hit areas, entire blocks are left abandoned - if even standing at all, displacing families and leaving businesses in ruins.
Cetina and Kathova have been in near constant contact with Bearers via Communion, feeding them information about which areas to focus their lifesaving efforts. Yima’s Manor and the Seat of the Tribune - despite their closeness to the Trees - have been fortified by your leaders and act as a base of operations for each respective faction. You will be able to return to either to find sanctuary from the chaos beyond, but the innumerable civilians are not so lucky.
Bearers are tasked with rescue and recovery efforts and requested to assist hands on the ground with taking refugees to temporary shelters. Survivors must be dug out of the debris. Those who are capable of healing will be enlisted to assist at hospitals and triage centers. Supplies must be gathered and harvested from areas that are collapsed and too dangerous for civilians to navigate. If you are feeling generous, you can go on search and rescue missions, as many people are considered missing in both Highstorm and Springstar. Some areas are completely cut off to regular foot traffic by the massive, winding roots bearing countless Blight-blooms. Citizens are succumbing to the Blight flower’s effects persistent from phase one with more and more frequency.
While both cities slowly succumb to a deepening catastrophe, the situation worsens.
The slow passage of days to weeks has seen both cities increasingly ravaged by the untamed growth of the enlarging roots. Their size is enough to uproot buildings by their foundations, if not bisect them entirely where they push through unfettered. In the worst-hit areas, entire blocks are left abandoned - if even standing at all, displacing families and leaving businesses in ruins.
Cetina and Kathova have been in near constant contact with Bearers via Communion, feeding them information about which areas to focus their lifesaving efforts. Yima’s Manor and the Seat of the Tribune - despite their closeness to the Trees - have been fortified by your leaders and act as a base of operations for each respective faction. You will be able to return to either to find sanctuary from the chaos beyond, but the innumerable civilians are not so lucky.
Bearers are tasked with rescue and recovery efforts and requested to assist hands on the ground with taking refugees to temporary shelters. Survivors must be dug out of the debris. Those who are capable of healing will be enlisted to assist at hospitals and triage centers. Supplies must be gathered and harvested from areas that are collapsed and too dangerous for civilians to navigate. If you are feeling generous, you can go on search and rescue missions, as many people are considered missing in both Highstorm and Springstar. Some areas are completely cut off to regular foot traffic by the massive, winding roots bearing countless Blight-blooms. Citizens are succumbing to the Blight flower’s effects persistent from phase one with more and more frequency.
While both cities slowly succumb to a deepening catastrophe, the situation worsens.
STIRRING STORMS
As the days pass, inexplicable and unnatural weather occurrences will randomly plague both cities. They can last as long as a full day or as little as an hour before dissolving entirely.- Flurries: this snow is tainted by the Blight, making the snowfall look like ash. Any organic matter it touches will be affected by reopening wounds, re-infection of illnesses, or re-experiencing injuries that may have healed over years ago.
- Thunderstorms: these storms carry a frigid rainfall and heavy cloud cover, making already difficult-to-navigate disaster zones harder to clear. As each thunder bellow crashes overhead, you might swear you hear a familiar voice reaching out to you in the fading rumble… one that sends a message - either from the future or past.
- Fog: dense clouds of thick, freezing fog will roll in randomly, making visibility even more precarious. In your search for survivors - or your companions, you may find yourself coming face to face with someone else, instead: a version of yourself (or a companion) from another timeline. You may also hear your own voice calling out to you from within the fog, attempting to beckon you further into the mist.
- General Note: Exposure to any of the above weather patterns will increase your Blight infection.
THE BLIGHT COMES FOR ALL
As if it were not enough to see the cities that have become your salvation at the end of the Timestream falling to collapse and ruin, the Bearers will slowly begin to realize their previous immunity to the Blight is eroding. They will begin to show symptoms of infection that increase into May’s event. ( For more information on the effects of the Blight and purification methods, please see the OOC Summary. )
Now that their last bastion - the Bearers - are just as much in harm’s way as everyone else, the populous’s efforts to formulate a temporary stop-gap solution are being rushed to completion. Time is not on anyone’s side. They will continue to work with those who have been kind enough to volunteer their resources and brilliant minds - collecting materials and attempting to figure out a way to avert their otherwise inevitable destiny.
🌙 YIMA will stress for all Zenite Bearers to prioritize their well-being and to avoid unnecessary exposure, to manage their symptoms as much as possible. They must fight for their own survival to bring in the birth of a new universe - and their lives are too precious to risk. Beyond that, she asks them to save what they can of their people and their most critical structures with the understanding that hard choices may be necessary.
🌞 CYRUS will implore all Meridian Bearers to prioritize the general population's lives and turn their efforts to save as much of Springstar as they can. He will note that Bearers have ways to help keep one another from suffering too much contagion and to coordinate their usages appropriately, to keep one another safe, and watch their backs.
Now that their last bastion - the Bearers - are just as much in harm’s way as everyone else, the populous’s efforts to formulate a temporary stop-gap solution are being rushed to completion. Time is not on anyone’s side. They will continue to work with those who have been kind enough to volunteer their resources and brilliant minds - collecting materials and attempting to figure out a way to avert their otherwise inevitable destiny.
ORDERS
Orders from your leaders will come as soon as infections among the Bearers have been confirmed.🌙 YIMA will stress for all Zenite Bearers to prioritize their well-being and to avoid unnecessary exposure, to manage their symptoms as much as possible. They must fight for their own survival to bring in the birth of a new universe - and their lives are too precious to risk. Beyond that, she asks them to save what they can of their people and their most critical structures with the understanding that hard choices may be necessary.
🌞 CYRUS will implore all Meridian Bearers to prioritize the general population's lives and turn their efforts to save as much of Springstar as they can. He will note that Bearers have ways to help keep one another from suffering too much contagion and to coordinate their usages appropriately, to keep one another safe, and watch their backs.
ANOTHER EN-TREE-TY
The Tree of Life continues to sicken, yet - thankfully - the progression of the Blight is slow. Still, Bearers will find themselves occasionally compelled to take a moment to sit beneath its boughs and vibrant leaves, even as some begin to show signs of discoloration and rot. Any characters who sit with the Tree with the purple leaf they found on their person after phase one will find it warming to the touch, its veins laced with gold. This effect will be even more effective if taken into the cavernous roots beneath the Tree! While this may fill you with a temporary sense of calm, it doesn't seem to have any other effects... yet still, you are compelled, if not curious.
The Tree has offered you this gift for a reason. Perhaps you will find its use before long.
...As long as you - and Kenos - survive long enough to discover it.
The Tree has offered you this gift for a reason. Perhaps you will find its use before long.
...As long as you - and Kenos - survive long enough to discover it.
no subject
Still, as far as he knows, there is no real safe place, at least in regards to the two cities. (Has the underground been spared, he wonders?) Does Zhongli know something new that Childe hasn't yet gotten wind of because he's been limiting his exposure? ( He just... can't be bothered trying to protect nameless people, especially when Lady Yima had made it clear who and what to prioritize. He's going to have to protect Zhongli and the others from themselves since he can't stop them from trying to help everyone, which means he has to be extra vigilant to be in a good enough position healthwise to do so
]
What are you talking about? Where are we going?
[ As he waits for an answer, Childe suddenly notices the fog that came in with Zhongli starting to creep down the corridor aiming for them both. The way the wall is brushed with that strange color of the blight flowers before the paint flakes off and the wood begins to shrivel and rot has the harbinger cursing before defaulting to a kneejerk reaction: Childe will immediately throw a conjured barrier around the flowers and the cat made of hydro even as the fog surrounds them both.
— And he slams the door shut (it gleaming with the sheen of a hydro barrier itself that stretches over the walls and encircles the room to prevent the fog from entering it,) too, even if it puts one or both of them into an awkward physical position as a result. ]
Is this what you're talking about? It's... it's fine, it'll go away. We need to check your infection, though.
[ His own grip does tighten around the other though, as if needing to make sure the consultant doesn't somehow disappear into this sudden and unwelcome fog. ]
no subject
Any dealings you have with me now will increase your own chance of contracting symptoms of the Blight. I should get rid of these clothes first.
[ Zhongli takes a step back, tugging gently to loosen Childe's grip on him. If Childe's grip persists, he will not further pull away. Lingering concerns from how the horrors of Kenos had already graced this house stop him from completely separating himself from the other. ]
There is no sign of the Blight stopping. To the contrary, the longer we wait, the worse everything has become.
We should return to Heliopolis. I know that previous encounters have not left you with a good impression of the Tribune and his people, but it is where I need to be. And I have no intention of leaving you behind.
no subject
(not that he doesn't take it seriously, and he would never speak of it to Zhongli, but... it's easy enough to expel any accumulation of blight he has by simply finding some poor soul that's more than likely beyond help already. Childe sees nothing wrong with inflicting the blight onto a target that's already marked by death, especially if it's to protect those that he wants to protect.)
His grip will stutter at Zhongli's answer— first tightening and then letting go entirely as if he's not quite sure what he's touching suddenly.
Return to where? For a second he feels terribly cold, as if the entire house has frozen over with them in it. He needs to be with the Tribune? Childe doesn't sense the power of Meridian suddenly running through Zhongli, at least he's pretty sure it's not. He has no clue how the blight might affect that, but...?
... haha, what is Zhongli talking about, this 'not leaving him behind?'
Unable to bring himself to focus his question on that part, he goes straight to the more obvious thing he should respond to. His confusion is still obvious, but he doesn't seem to yet see this apparent behavior change as a threat as he doesn't back away or otherwise close off. Instead, he attempts to be as calm as possible, hoping that if he does so Zhongli will realize he's overreacting in needing to go anywhere, nevermind there. ]
Hey, wait. Calm down... why do you want to go there? Springstar is no better off, and the trek would expose us even more to the Blight, wouldn't it?
no subject
[ Zhongli's tone is as calm and rational as ever, but Childe will know that he is anything but. Childe had always been able to read him so easily except in that which was so obvious. Everything feels heavy, grounded, pulled toward of the gravity of Zhongli's attempts to persuade. This was not where Zhongli was supposed to be, and it did not have to be where Childe was anchored. And yet. And yet---
Was this always to be their fate? Zhongli wishing Childe by his side when Childe had already sworn an oath to another? What could Lady Yima offer that Zhongli could not with time. He just needed time to help the Meridian reach their end goal, and then those tiny fragile shards of life in the foyer could truly become the family that Childe longed for. Childe could regain all that he had lost. Time could for once be blessedly turned back.
("But there is something I understand better than most: When the door opens, it is time to leave.")
Foolish words from a foolish god who had grown complacent under the heel of a higher power. If they could have everything back---
One long steady exhale and the tension dissipates. Save for the fluffed up state of their furry companion and the swirling waves of hydro that surround all of them, one could almost describe the space as still. Not tranquil, no. But lacking in that fervent energy of moments before.
As to why: ]
I made a contract with the Tribune. Childe, you know this. You know why I must return to Springstar.
no subject
The harbinger is clearly trying to avoid contributing to anything that is driving Zhongli right now. That means he needs to be careful of his own emotions and his behavior. ]
I don't sense anything suggesting you are aligned with Meridian. I think... I think you need to rest, you've been overexerting yourself while being fully exposed to the Blight.
no subject
[ A contract with a higher power who wished to create the new world order as they saw fit. Beautifully constructed on paper, but in reality - the reality is the world cloaked itself in endless shades of grey while trying to present itself as good or bad. And those that had the power to rewrite history as they saw fit - they were truly the most terrifying of them all.
The world needed to be restored, not reset.
Zhongli shakes his head. ]
No.
[ And then another shake of his head. ]
No, that makes little sense. I would not fall into such an agreement a second time...
no subject
[ No?
Childe furrows his brow at the denial. Zhongli definitely is Zenith... but if he keeps thinking this way, is it possible he'll somehow unharmonize?
(Ah... he doesn't want ... that to happen. So, what does he do?)
For a moment, Childe considers. What is the best way to deal with this... he pushes his own anxiety away in favor of focusing on Zhongli's. If he deals with the archon's, then his own will go away, too. Should he ... go along with Zhongli's claim then? or will that make it worse?
He tries to force a reassuring smile for the consultant, now. ]
I... see. My mistake. Well, then... You can't go back on your contract, so I won't keep you here. Let's make sure your symptoms are in control enough for you to make such a journey, first, though, okay?
[ this has to be the infection's fault. If he can get Zhongli to let him help him with it, then it should clear things up, right? (This is going to get really messy if he's wrong, though, with him talking like this.) ]
no subject
While Childe may claim that he does not like the subterfuge and politics that the other Harbingers choose to involve themselves in, that doesn't mean he is not skilled in it. Had their ever been another Harbinger that had lived mostly harmoniously for so long in any city of Teyvat, even if he was met with the usual mistrust of the Fatui? Childe had navigated Liyue months before the fruition of Zhongli's plan had turned the city against him. He had charmed more than one person into thinking he was just a simple Fatui bank worker, and he had made his own side deals while he was there (coconut trade for a young zombie and overpriced incense included).
That is the smile of Childe trying to placate and disarm someone.
But why? Why would Childe think that he was Zenith even if he spoke otherwise? It doesn't make sense.
Unless...
That was not what Childe was trying to placate him over.
Flatly: ]
You are not coming with me.
no subject
I'm a Zenite and we're at war. Do you really think they're gonna turn a blind eye to that especially with all this Blight and the surrounding panic? We both know how people get when they're scared.
[ of course Childe's own concerns are nowhere near any of this actual conversation, and are all about getting Zhongli to agree to the cleansing ritual. Although he will ask, perhaps a little callously: ]
Why, does that matter to you?
no subject
[ Perhaps if the argument had been left there, the rest of this conversation could have returned to something more amicable and less heated. This was a ridiculous argument to have after all - when both parties just wanted to help out the other.
Why does that matter to you? Later, Zhongli will admit to himself that such an accusation unsettled him in ways that he could not fully comprehend. The events in Liyue had surely made this strained for a time, but he thought they had worked passed all that.
(It turns out they had worked passed nothing. Broken trust was hard to mend after all, and ever patched could never return to what was. Perhaps not dealing with such an issue directly had only caused this issue to fester further.)
So, if trust was not something Zhongli could request or expect, and if his past actions were not proof enough of his intentions--- the path forward was simple. Zhongli would have to work harder to repair this rift between them. And that assuredly meant that Childe could not be left behind here to play this conversation in his head over and over, coming to the worst possible conclusions like he before Manon's revival. No, it was more imperative than ever that Zhongli prove exactly what he meant. ]
I know that our past makes things complicated, but your safety and well being are very important to me. It is selfish of me to ask this from you as you have done nothing but offer me shelter and company since I arrived here, but at least in times of duress such as this one, I wish to know personally that you are unharmed.
no subject
Childe sighs, looking terribly unmoved by Zhongli's proclamations. Does he realize how worked up Zhongli is getting over this? Maybe, but no one ever said Childe was kind and selfless. He has his own priorities right now, and making Zhongli feel like he's done a Good Thing here isn't one of them. ]
Our past has nothing to do with it. It's just who you are, isn't it? Between me and Liyue, of course we know you would choose Liyue. I don't really mind that, but in the end, what are you planning for here?
Are you thinking you can absolutely convert me, or are you already aware that you may have to simply choose Springstar and the Meridian over me, too? That's not going to do much for my 'safety' in the end.
[ it's not something he would normally say so lightly— but in this moment he says it now incredibly so. There's no feeling to it, no anchor that suggests Childe acknowledges or otherwise understands the weight of his own words and what he's accusing the other of right now. In truth, he doesn't. No matter how much he might think it and resent it on the inside, he would never throw such a thing in Zhongli's face for real. It's only to be expected that he would prioritize his homeland, even if he weren't an Archon. It's not as if he can want to receive special treatment if he isn't willing to give it himself, as well, right?
Besides, they never had anything that would warrant that kind of commitment too each other to begin with. The fact Childe even could feel rankled over Liyue from that angle was laughable even to the Harbinger himself.
Neither Springstar nor Highstorm are either of their homes, but it's just all too easy with them suddenly standing on opposite sides again to play substitute, especially considering how Childe doesn't allow himself to reflect on anything that slips off his tongue. ]
Anyway, you won't get rid of me that easily. I promise I'll be fine. Which is more than you are going to be if you keep arguing and don't let me help you with the infection.
no subject
Hmmmm. Perhaps this was also a hidden opportunity if Zhongli could tug at the thread to unravel exactly what was still at the root of the fracture between them. In different circumstances, Zhongli might leave this alone, but time was not on their side. (Or perhaps that was just an excuse since Zhongli had a well-ingrained habit of meddling - gods will do as gods do.) ]
I do not think I can absolute convert you to anything; that is not my desire. Your choice is your own. But nor do I have to choose Springstar and Meridian over you. That choice was mine and agreed upon with the Tribune.
[ Cyrus understood - that regaining one's world meant nothing to Zhongli if he had to sacrifice those who had survived to obtain it. How could he look Barbatos in the face again if he had purposefully caused harm to his children. And how could he live with himself if he abandoned "Zhongli's" first mortal friend. Even for Liyue. No - this time, he had made sure the contract aligned with what he wanted, not what he should do.
(A shame Zhongli's addled mind is mistaking the promise of one faction leader for another.) ]
And I have no intention of being such a poor house guest that I would leave you alone with the consequences of my own actions regarding the Blight when you have been so clearly making efforts to avoid it altogether.
no subject
[ Childe decides to leave the trust of what and what Zhongli won't do at that even though he does distinctly feel the need to argue about things with Zhongli. It doesn't matter because Zhongli isn't Meridian, so getting sucked into this is pointless, and yet—
He'll go to shove Zhongli back against the wall, leaning up against him rather deliberately with a small little smile there. ]
My choice is my own—you won't leave me behind but you can't stay here because you are needed in Springstar. Only one of these can be true, Xiansheng~.
Don't you see that you're clearly confused and your mind is muddled? [ he'll deliberately settle a hand on Zhongli's chest now right over where his shard is despite it being hidden by clothing. ]
So do the ritual with me first.
no subject
Childe is correct, and the realization of it settles across Zhongli's features like the approaching storm outside. He cannot give Childe a choice and leave him here at the same time. The return to Springstar is inevitable, not only for his duty but for Zhongli's own well-being. The itch of being away for so long is already eroding at his senses.
But if he admits to such a thing, then Childe wins the argument and whatever negative pre-conceived notions will remain. It would be the exact opposite of what Zhongli was trying to achieve here.
Which left Zhongli with only one option left - maneuvering within the confines of a contract.
Zhongli's goal was two-fold: 1) ensure Childe's safety and 2) return to Springstar to resume his duties. If Childe returned with him to Springstar, the completion of both becomes trivial, but will Childe's contrary nature allow him to go back with Zhongli? If not, he must ensure Childe's safety here without a doubt before returning - a much more difficult and ambiguous task, but ultimately doable.
Zhongli places his hand over Childe's, fingers wrapped around the palm. For the moment he does not welcome or reject the gesture, choosing instead to keep it as is. Childe's answer to the next question will determine the final outcome and Zhongli's next course of action. ]
Tell me your choice first. Will you come with me to Springstar or do you intend to stay here in Highstorm?
no subject
Why is the Archon being so stubborn about this? Is this some manifestation of the Blight as a self-defense mechanism or something? That's not good if it's the case, and simply forcing Zhongli into the ritual would be incredibly difficult considering the necessary process.
Irritated by the idea some magical invisible entity is fucking with him even more than Zhongli is, he snaps his reply: ]
I refuse, I'm not going there! [ and neither should Zhongli but how does he stop him? Ugh. ]
1/2
Then I amend my statement. I shall make this place safe before I depart and shall return before the Blight has a chance to threaten it again.
no subject
Zhongli moves quickly through the house, suddenly grateful he did not bother to remove his shoes at the door as it makes it that much easier to exit back into the Blight-covered city outside. Once outside, it takes but another moment to rise a stone stele up against the door to prevent Childe from following the same path. Could Childe easily exit the house through the windows or another method? Yes. But all of that would take time even he did not want to brute force the way out of his home. And brute force would just leave that many more ways for the Blight to get inside.
Speaking of---
Spear in hand, Zhongli rushes down the narrow and winding streets of the city to take care of just that. If he could prune the vines back to a certain radius, then even with the accelerated growth of the Blight, Childe's home and Childe himself would be safe for at least a few hours. ]
no subject
Before he can express any of his befuddled in a manner beyond his expression he's being forced back. He's quick to attempt to than his balance, but the trembling floor makes that almost impossible and certainly impossible for him to move in time to not get cut off the by the sele.
Ugh, no... what the fuck is the other doing?!
Furious, Childe forms his hydro weapons, moving to slam one violently into the stone barrier as he yells Zhongli's name. He knows that's not going to do much, but how dare the other do this to him? How dare he catch him off guard and leave without clearing his infection first after Childe demanded he do it multiple times! How dare he leave? His fucking dare he smile at him like that before pulling this shit?
What does he do? He can't make the house more vulnerable; where would they be able to retreat to one Zhongli isn't delirious? Even if not concerned for the small animals, this— ]
Damn it, Zhongli! What do you think you're doing!
[ but screaming about it is not going to do anything— but shit shit, he can't let Zhongli go to Springstar!
But even if he gets through he won't get through in time to stop the other if he's going there immediately.
Not knowing what else to do and his mind overly focused on Zhongli, a communion link will end up established forcefully, although there's nothing stopping Zhongli from disconnecting it just as quickly. Childe's communion sounds confused, frustrated, and slightly panicked.
Why he's panicked isn't clear: it could be just as well he thinks he's being abandoned as much as it could be he's concerned for Zhongli's wellbeing. ]
Stop, come back! Zhongli...!
[ don't you dare leave me here alone by succumbing to the Blight. Damn you...! ]
no subject
Childe.
[ There's a long pause then, as Zhongli formulates what to say next - half a dozen ideas ultimately discarded. ]
I cannot keep my promise to you while debating with you in your house. This is the best solution unless you can think of a more suitable one.
I will clear the Blight here, in Highstorm, before returning to Springstar. And I will return before it has the opportunity to pose a danger to your residence. Please stay there where it is safe.
[ Truly the arrogance of a god who thinks he has an answer for everything. ]
no subject
What the hell are you saying! You can't clear the Blight in Highstorm even temporarily by yourself, you'll die! How do you intend to get back to Springstar then, you stupid fool?!
[ He tries to avoid the whole I'm doing this to protect you ordeal but ultimately fails upon realizing it's not gong to go away just because he's trying to ignore it . It's hard to argue the sincerity here, but Childe feels repulsed— repulsed because there's a clear yearning to cling to being wanted, for someone to want to care about him to such lengths even if he can't stand the idea of being protected like this.
Of course, he wants this from Zhongli, of course it's part of what he wanted from Zhongli all along. But, like this—
(What good is it if you die... damn it!)
His grip on his weapons is so vicious that blood starts to splotch his gloved in areas of stress even as he struggles to keep his emotions in check. He needs to calm down or his discord is going to potentially tear it's ugly head. It's been a while since he's been truly departed from Zhongli beyond him being somewhere in Highstorm. How long will Zhongli be gone— No, this is bullshit, Zhongli isn't going anywhere because he's not Meridian!
He can't stop him like this, and he's not sure if he can guilt him. What's left after that?
. . . ]
Don't do this.... don't do this to me, Xiansheng!
no subject
(Childe would be right, of course, conflicted and determined as Zhongli was to maintain control over a situation where he had long lost his grip on the wheel.)
It's ridiculous, really, just how much more complicated life is in Kenos. In Liyue, there had been a duty and an uncompromisable goal upon which everything else could be deprioritized against. Choices were a simple of matter of "does this protect the people of Liyue or not" and whatever best fit that criteria was chosen and everything else eliminated no matter his personal feelings on the matter. But "clever", "retired" Zhongli had made himself a loophole so that he could put the survivors of Teyvat before factions, and just such a simple additional factor was interfering with all of his known calculations. Always prioritizing the survivors of Teyvat was foolish - they were all vision holders with their own conflicting goals and agendas, perfectly capable of executing upon them without Zhongli's interference. Even Childe would probably have been fine should Zhongli have not come today and made a mess of everything. (The repulsion leaking through the communion at the thought of needing protection was clear. Pride was an integral part of the Vanguard and the Knights of Favonius and not to be tread upon lightly.) But the people of Springstar and Meridian - they always needed protection just as the majority of Liyue had. That need was well-known and familiar rather than whatever this argument he was having with Childe was. The choice of what should be done should be clear.
Yet it was dark as the muck that dripped from Childe's discordant form and just as bleak.
Perhaps it was time to stop trying to play chess against himself if he was going to make such a disastrous mess of the board.
The options were clear. Return to Springstar and work with his fellow Shard-Bearers to protect the people. Weather the storm here with Childe in Highstorm. Or die trying to do both and protect no one.
Well at the very least one of those options was no option at all.
After a long intense silence where nothing comes over the communion but the howl of the icy wind in the streets outside: ]
Then what would you have me do?
no subject
[ It's clear Childe doesn't like this route and resents it. But it's also hard to tell if he's being truthful about it-- although, there's also nothing outright suggesting Childe is being dishonest, especially with the ripples of frustration and sulking over being forced to concede.
Why is he like this over Zhongli putting his life on the line? He doesn't care, he shouldn't care, the last time he cared if Zhongli died was because it would have been his fault in a way that wasn't him choosing to kill the Archon. This is nothing like that (except Zhongli's being extra stupid because of Childe, which he still doesn't get, and that is also making it actually quite similar the more he reflects on it. The other just leaving and going to Springstar is one thing, but doing this, too...)
The eleventh harbinger breathes heavily, attempting to gain control of the sudden whirl of emotions he doesn't want bombarding him. They are so useless, all pointless, all obnoxiously making things that should be simple and smooth a rocky obstacle course to conquer. Even else, he knows these emotions of his don't make it any easier for the Archon, either.
Just what the hell are they doing?
What's wrong with them that they can so intricately fuck each other up on his the normally would operate when they don't even have a currently definable relationship? How or why is it that Zhongli thinking he's Meridian still also has him so fiercely protective of Childe in this manner? shouldn't that have dissipated with his knowledge of being a Zenite? surely he doesn't think he went all the way to make a contact with Cyrus with immediate intent to return and use his Harmonization to drag Childe out of his discord slop?
???
This is insanity. Whatever they are doing to each other is insanity, even if they are ultimately doing nothing at all.
(And could that be the problem? Childe is so busy trying to avoid collisions and screwing things up while Zhongli is trying to make amends that Childe pretends he doesn't see?
Maybe, even for what Zhongli did and Childe's feelings on the severity of it all, it's too cruel even for the Archon that has experienced practically everything. )
He recognizes the feeling that underlies all this now— it's a feeling of neediness that he can only assume is from his shard more than himself (deep down he doesn't get how he can keep a straight face telling himself such things.) It's a neediness to be around the other, to be close because things in the dark can't find him or get him when Zhongli is around. What a fucking pain... to be relying on the other for this sort of thing lke he's literally codependent on the other's existence.
...Well, is he? Isn't Childe really only refusing to let Zhongli make amends because he's afraid Zhongli will leave him once he's cleared whatever strange form of guilt for what he did?
.. did Zhongli even feel guilt over what he did? Him feeling guilty makes zero sense because guilt suggests remorse or regret for his actions. He did what he had to do for Liyue, there's no real room to be guilty about it like he did the wrong thing. So if he's not guilty, then what the hell is even driving the other to keep at this?
( Then, just maybe... he really valued the time they had together, too? M...aybe.. )
—Ugh. Right now, there's nothing he can do about it, so he's going to stop hurting his head trying to think about it. He's going to stop thinking about the whys of both their actions. It's really the only sensible thing to do at this point to get anywhere.
Childe's going to have to go along with the circumstances and fold on this one if he wants to avoid Zhongli fully infecting himself to a point of real harm because the adeptus is not in his right mind as it is to be able to act as damage control for their messes like he always does.
Which means... ]
...Please just come back.
[ it's time for Childe to step on the brakes, already. ]
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This is the mask of Rex Lapis.
As the last surviving god of Teyvat and the god of history, Zhongli has a duty to see that Teyvat lived on no matter how small and fragmented that existence may be. And for now, that existence is but four weary mortal souls and a Traveler who stepped into their lives for just a brief moment before stepping out again, following her own priorities as she is wont to do. And between one of those mortal souls and the other three, a chasm of country and politics tore between them. Yet a string of fate (by his own doing) linked the mortal and the god. Yes, he had even more of a responsibility to the Harbinger who lived and breathed the land of Liyue for months by a plan of Zhongli's design.
Teyvat came first. Liyue came first. That is why he had bargained for the contract.
(And for now, he wouldn't let himself look any deeper into the matter than that.) ]
I shall return shortly.
[ For Zhongli needs a moment to brace himself before returning back to the house. It's a moment of weakness he will disguise as clearing just one more vine of Blight before he turns and heads down cobblestone streets until the familiar sloping roof still untouched by the disasters around it came into view.
This time, Zhongli steps in with slow and measured steps, toeing off his shoes in the doorway to set them on the low shelf next to Childe's. This time there is a long slow blink at his surroundings before he heads toward the room where he last found the Harbinger. ]
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He's very clearly waiting.
His head tilts ever so slightly to catch glimpse of the other, immediately noticing that he took his shoes off. Oh, does Zhongli want to play it nice and calm and domestic now after pulling what he just did? Take his shoes off like he's home for the day for the first time this evening and he's not out of his mind believing himself to be Meridian harmonized?
Pushing away from the door, Childe approaches the Archon, not nearly as calm as Zhongli is felt somehow having managed to get it all corked up and keep it from seeping out into their communion on Zhongli's way back. ]
Oh, what's this? Willing to stay for a little longer now, Xiansheng?
[ It won't be hard for Zhongli to notice the harbinger's movements that indicate he's about to take a swing and try to punch him across the face. Whether he misses or not doesn't seem to even matter as a hydro blade forms in one hand and Childe brings his other to grip around the blade as he ultimately slides it through his hold. It cuts flawlessly, as if the wounds aren't even there— at least until the long slivers of red appear as the bleeding starts. ]
You make me so damn angry, you know! I never wanted this, I never asked for any of this with you— [ If only he could properly figure out what this consisted of. ]
What is it, huh? [ If Zhongli stands his ground, Childe will just push up against him even as he reaches for the other's wrist with his own bloodied hand. He has full intention of cutting Zhongli's hand to make it bleed just the same unless stopped, going to physically drag them motion by motion through exchanging blood for the infection. ]
What could it possibly be— [ and then something strikes the Snezhnayan. He can't remember well enough, but he knows there were blacked out periods even in his own mindscape where so much drifted like dreams in his head about far too many things. Things he didn't want to think about even then, things he didn't want to recall, and his eyes narrow as his grip on the consultant changes to grabbing the lapels of his coat. ] ... Did you see something when in my head that time, Zhongli-xiansheng?
[ is it possible Childe didn't realize the other may have been forced to experience things in his corrupted mindscape that are affecting his way of doing things? That would at least help explain what he feels is excessive to Zhongli simply wanting to protect the small group left from Teyvat. He thought it just coincidence that Zhongli had harmonized then and Childe had arguably gotten himself into trouble where he really did need to be rescued and that was enough reason for the other to be a little over the top, but what if he saw something that caused this sudden surge in thinking that he needed to show he... felt something? Cared?
No... no... did he see or feel a glimpse of how affected he was by that plan of his? It can't be that. That isn't something anyone was supposed to see, nevermind this person...!
(hasn't he already been humiliated more than enough in front of the Geo Archon?) ]
What the hell did you see? Answer me!
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At least for the moment, anyway.
With both of their hands now dripping blood down their palms, relieving Zhongli's Blight is only a matter of time. And with that ritual, the connection between them will be pried open once more.
Zhongli stares at Childe the whole time, letting him work through whatever emotions that seem to be arriving in rapid fire succession. Less of a rag doll and more of allowing Childe to nudge him in whatever direction that he wants - or needs. Yes, this is more likely what Childe needs right now. An outlet for whatever has upset him this time. For Zhongli has stopped trying to apply logic to the push and pull that is his relationship with Childe. He never knows when to take a step closer or give the other space. All answers had the potential to light the fuse that sparked Childe into avoidance, anger or arrogance. Most days, such reactions were manageable and Zhongli tried to deal them with the patience and understanding of he who presided over disputes for millennia.
But perhaps it is the fragility of Zhongli's Blight addled mind or the the fact that Zhongli could not tell if Childe was deliberating setting him up for failure just so he could prove that Zhongli was a fallible being like any other. It was a truth that they both knew yet Childe felt the need to pick at it as if to remind himself of it, time and time again.
He cannot imagine Childe will react well to the answer he gives now, as honest as Zhongli is attempting to be. (Though never completely honest. That was not something Childe was ready to hear nor Zhongli ready to give.)
Dropping his gaze from Childe, he raises his palm to watch the red streak down the creases to condense right at the edges of his hand before their slow steady drip to the floor. ]
I saw you take on the heavens and the abyss without hesitation, reckless as it was admirable. I saw you protect those who you hold close to your heart and keep safe in these four walls. I also saw you protect those who had no right to your protection.
You showed me nothing more than I already knew.
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