[ Would she find it strange if his only motive was the want of her company? Surely it is not unusual for old friends to seek out one another's company, and yet she wonders if that can really be all that it is? She'd shut herself away for so long, preferring the unwavering solitude of her own mind to the ephemeral pleasure that can be found in the friendship of others. Perhaps it is strange to her, then, that anyone would choose to seek her out for any reason beyond her role as the Electro Archon.
And yet... ]
Perhaps, after my self-imposed isolation, I do find it strange that anyone might wish to seek me out for entirely personal reasons, but... I cannot deny that it pleases me you've done so.
[ Taking a sip of her tea, she sighs softly. ]
The news of Rex Lapis' passing was quite shocking when it reached us here, and even more so given my situation at the time. To acknowledge the loss of yet another of my friends was the last thing I wanted to do--it flies in the face of the eternity I wanted to craft for myself.
[ The unspoken implication, then, is that she's happy that he isn't actually dead--that he is, in fact, sitting here having tea with her after so long.
As to whether or not he's still the Lord of Geo: ]
A piece of jade will always be jade, whether or not it is called by a different name. If it is carved into a new shape, then, it will still be jade in the end.
Wise words from she who could weather the storm longer than all of us. But this old stone is no longer sharpened into blade and shield. Jade he may still remain yet more malleable than perhaps he has ever been. The world changes, yet the foundation endures as it always has.
[ Perhaps one of the most comforting things about Ei (especially for a stubborn rock like Morax) is that no matter how time carved its scars and gave birth to new and wonderous life, she remained steadfastly the same. Predictable and unbending yet dazzlingly fearsome whenever she made her presence known.
Morax had feared the worst when he had heard what had happened to Makoto, a secondhand telling from Yae Miko as the normally boisterous and cunning young youkai recounted the tale flatly, ears and tails slightly drooping though her tone perfectly retained its lilting cadence. Even with the losses that he had suffered, Morax knew that his own grief could not be as bottomless as what Ei certainly must have felt then. Losing Azhdaha had been like missing an eye, Guizhong — an arm. But for Ei to lose her other half, not even ripping out one's heart could begin to describe that kind of emptiness.
Loss. Tragedy. Isolation. Even if he disagreed with her methods, Ei's vision of eternity held a sort of forbidden wonder. (Who had not dared to dream of a world captured in a moment of time?) ]
It pleases me as well that you held audience with me so quickly.
[ The offered olive branch is received with the hint of a smile as Zhongli takes a sip of his own tea. A younger Morax certainly would not have been able to appreciate such sentimentality but now he feels no shame in fanning the flames of such heartfelt gestures. ]
And that you have once more opened your ports. Liyue has sorely missed its neighbor that dwelled across the water. Pardon my forwardness—
[ He says not sounding apologetic in the slightest. ]
But perhaps you could reacquaint me with all of the glories that Inazuma has to offer.
Hmm. Jade isn't really meant for use as a weapon anyway, in my estimation. There are materials that are better-suited for such a task. Jade represents serenity and balance, and should be treated in a manner that reflects that.
[ It's an odd metaphor, she thinks. Morax had been ferocious in his younger days, tempered over time like steel, rather than luminous jade, into the man he is today. Still, she thinks it fitting. He's not the same as he was back when the Archon War had rolled across the lands like a storm. Neither is she, for that matter, regardless of what she might hope for. Maybe that's for the better.
At his request to be shown around, Ei is amused in spite of herself. She hides her smile behind a sip of tea, then sets her cup down with the soft tink of porcelain. ]
In spite of my best efforts, it is not the nature of the world to remain unchanged; when I emerged from the Plane of Euthymia, things were not as I remembered them when I first entered it. Not too long ago, it was I who required a tour of my own country, if you can imagine such a thing. Even so, I would gladly take you around and show you what I have seen. You have always had a greater appreciation for the beauty of nature and art than I ever did.
Barbatos would be spitting out his wine if he heard you describe me in such a fashion.
[ "Serenity? From this old blockhead!" The screech was almost audible on the wind right now.
It is true — weapons crafted of jade are difficult to find indeed. Liyue itself only has one surviving set from the Archon War with one being relentlessly cared for by the Conqueror of Demons and the bow lost to the sands of time. Despite both of their best efforts, the world did not stop for anyone. A lesson that all of those who lived such long lives were forced to learn less the world sweep them away.
It heartens Zhongli to see Ei emerge from the other side of that understanding, even though her journey is now just beginning. ]
This time of peace has given me a chance to imagine many things that I could not previously conceive. Eternity gracefully accepting guidance from the present is just one such unprecedented scenario.
I would love to see your country, Ei. I wish to see the new that has caught your attention, whether it is inspiring or vexing. And the old which still keeps your fondness.
[ Morax and Beezlebub had been cut from the same cloth, after all. Warriors first and philosophers second who both found the mantle of Archon resting on their shoulders when it should perhaps have been belonged to another. Zhongli remembers in one of his early visits to Inazuma after the Archon War how (perhaps with one drink too many) he had whispered in Beezlebub's ear to take him to see the remains of Orobashi personally — both to see the proof of her battle prowess as well as the kinship of laying low that which threatened the land. ]
Perhaps, but Barbatos isn't here. Not at the moment, anyway--can you believe he had the nerve to come to Inazuma for last year's Irodori Festival but didn't bother to visit me?
[ Her offense is mostly feigned. Barbatos comes and goes as he pleases, much as the wind itself does. Ei knows she hasn't been very approachable over the last few centuries, so it isn't really all that surprising that the Archon of wind and freedom might not seek an audience with her.
Even so, Morax is here now--Zhongli, now, she supposes--and that means something to her. ]
Finish your tea, then, and we'll go. I have a few places in mind that I believe you'd enjoy.
Ah yes. I had traveled to Mondstadt and even visited the local taverns during one of their festivals, but he was nowhere to be found.
[ Nevermind that was right around the time of the Irodori Festival.
Another beat. ]
Do you think he is avoiding us?
[ For even though Venti came to visit Liyue during the last Lantern Rite it could hardly be called a normal meeting since the two had to feign not knowing each other since Barbatos had decided a group dinner was most ideal time to barge in. ]
[ Ugh. Moving along. Thinking about Barbatos's antics makes him age at least a decade. ]
Then as soon as we finish our tea.
[ Zhongli says making no move to expedite his own tea-drinking. In fact, he actually hinders the process by pulling out a red box tied neatly with a gold ribbon. It's obviously from a high-end confectionery store in Liyue based on the elegant script printed on said ribbon.
Zhongli opens the box to reveal tanghulu— a specialty of Liyue made of sweetened candied fruits. He perhaps had wandered the markets a little too long in deciding what kind of sweets Ei would enjoy that could also survive the long boat ride from Liyue to Inazuma. It had been so long; surely only the best and most traditional Liyue sweets would do for such an auspicious meeting after so long. ]
And accompaniments.
[ He says with a smile as he divys them up between the two of them. ]
If he is avoiding us, I can only assume it's because he does not wish to be known as Barbatos among his people in Mondstadt. Beyond that, I imagine he disapproves of the way I've ruled Inazuma since the cataclysm, though I would hope he'd have revised his opinion as of late. Still, if he doesn't pay me a visit in the next decade or two, I suppose I'll just have to go find him instead.
[ Morax's next little quip earns him the slightest of chuckles. ]
He's always up to something, but it's usually harmless.
[ Moving on, indeed. Ei watches with interest as Morax produces a fancy box filled with glistening sugar-covered fruit. They look delectable, and in fact, are quite the treat. Ei samples one straight from the box, enjoying the contrast in texture between the crunchy sugar shell and the soft fruit beneath. Morax always was a connoisseur of the fine things in life, acquiring a keen eye for the very best quality over the centuries. She'll have to do her best to match him on their excursion today.
But... not just this moment.
Time to ancient beings doesn't move quite in the same way that it does for more ephemeral creatures, but even though the pair of them are both quite deliberate in their enjoyment of tea and sweets, eventually their plates and cups are empty. Ei rises elegantly from her seat and gestures toward the door leading out of the garden. ]
Shall we?
[ There is, of course, no way to really disguise herself, nor does she feel the need to do so, but Morax--no, Zhongli, now--draws attention simply by virtue of his presence at her side. She doubts that anyone would guess his true identity, but there's bound to be speculation.
They walk at a leisurely pace, and she points out landmarks and businesses, commenting on the historical significance or the items that they sell. She brings their tour to a pause in front of a little stand on the side of the road, however. ]
This is Tomoki, and he is a vendor of assorted snacks and other food items.
[ The man in question looks shocked. The Almighty Shogun remembers his name??
Well, yes. Of course she does. She goes on to order a few bottles of dango milk for them, offering one to Zhongli and suggesting they find a nearby spot overlooking the water to sit and enjoy it. ]
I discovered this with the Traveler not too long ago on one of their visits to Inazuma. They were kind enough to show me around at the time, and we partook of this dango milk together. I hope you like it.
[ It has been a long time since Zhongli was able to savor the company of a friend. Even longer that he was allowed to do so without the weights of his own responsibilities tugging him back to productivity. So it is here with Ei that he allows a warmer smile as they catch up about everything and nothing. It is here with Ei that they share the fruits of each other's cultures and a moment of peace that should have stretched on much longer than it did after the Archon War.
In this, Zhongli begins to have a greater appreciation of Eternity. Just like his retirement gave him a new outlook on Freedom.
He places his finished cup upon the table, thanking the attendant who comes to clean up after them before rising to his feet and following Ei out into Inazuma City proper.
There are whispers of the foreigner from Liyue travelling with the Raiden Shogun, but Zhongli pays them no mind so enchanted he is in exploring the new modern day Inazuma. He slows down their walk to admire the silks and kimonos on sale at Ogura Textiles. He pauses again at the lacquerware shop not a few stores down.
But he does not truly partake in anything until Ei hands him a curious glass bottle of what she calls dango milk, and they sit along the water's edge to enjoy the way the sunlight plays off the lightning clouds in the distance. Beautiful and fearsome as Makoto and Ei ever were. ]
I do not share the same sweet tooth that you do, but I am intrigued by such a innovation all the same.
[ He brings it to his lips like a cup of tea, taking a generous sip. As expected, it is a little too sweet for his tastes, the sugar from both the milk and dango seeming to coat his tongue. But it is novel. And it is something that Ei favors. Perhaps for those reasons alone, Zhongli finds he favors it, too.
Perhaps if paired with some charred and slightly bitter nuts from Sumeru, it might be something he would offer to guests of his own. ]
It is good. Perhaps a little sweet as the aftertaste lingers. But I do believe it suits you. And your people. I suppose the Traveler enjoyed it as well.
Did you enjoy your time with the Outlander while they were here?
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hydrangeabloom2023-09-16 04:29 pm
no subject
And yet... ]
Perhaps, after my self-imposed isolation, I do find it strange that anyone might wish to seek me out for entirely personal reasons, but... I cannot deny that it pleases me you've done so.
[ Taking a sip of her tea, she sighs softly. ]
The news of Rex Lapis' passing was quite shocking when it reached us here, and even more so given my situation at the time. To acknowledge the loss of yet another of my friends was the last thing I wanted to do--it flies in the face of the eternity I wanted to craft for myself.
[ The unspoken implication, then, is that she's happy that he isn't actually dead--that he is, in fact, sitting here having tea with her after so long.
As to whether or not he's still the Lord of Geo: ]
A piece of jade will always be jade, whether or not it is called by a different name. If it is carved into a new shape, then, it will still be jade in the end.
no subject
[ Perhaps one of the most comforting things about Ei (especially for a stubborn rock like Morax) is that no matter how time carved its scars and gave birth to new and wonderous life, she remained steadfastly the same. Predictable and unbending yet dazzlingly fearsome whenever she made her presence known.
Morax had feared the worst when he had heard what had happened to Makoto, a secondhand telling from Yae Miko as the normally boisterous and cunning young youkai recounted the tale flatly, ears and tails slightly drooping though her tone perfectly retained its lilting cadence. Even with the losses that he had suffered, Morax knew that his own grief could not be as bottomless as what Ei certainly must have felt then. Losing Azhdaha had been like missing an eye, Guizhong — an arm. But for Ei to lose her other half, not even ripping out one's heart could begin to describe that kind of emptiness.
Loss. Tragedy. Isolation. Even if he disagreed with her methods, Ei's vision of eternity held a sort of forbidden wonder. (Who had not dared to dream of a world captured in a moment of time?) ]
It pleases me as well that you held audience with me so quickly.
[ The offered olive branch is received with the hint of a smile as Zhongli takes a sip of his own tea. A younger Morax certainly would not have been able to appreciate such sentimentality but now he feels no shame in fanning the flames of such heartfelt gestures. ]
And that you have once more opened your ports. Liyue has sorely missed its neighbor that dwelled across the water. Pardon my forwardness—
[ He says not sounding apologetic in the slightest. ]
But perhaps you could reacquaint me with all of the glories that Inazuma has to offer.
no subject
[ It's an odd metaphor, she thinks. Morax had been ferocious in his younger days, tempered over time like steel, rather than luminous jade, into the man he is today. Still, she thinks it fitting. He's not the same as he was back when the Archon War had rolled across the lands like a storm. Neither is she, for that matter, regardless of what she might hope for. Maybe that's for the better.
At his request to be shown around, Ei is amused in spite of herself. She hides her smile behind a sip of tea, then sets her cup down with the soft tink of porcelain. ]
In spite of my best efforts, it is not the nature of the world to remain unchanged; when I emerged from the Plane of Euthymia, things were not as I remembered them when I first entered it. Not too long ago, it was I who required a tour of my own country, if you can imagine such a thing. Even so, I would gladly take you around and show you what I have seen. You have always had a greater appreciation for the beauty of nature and art than I ever did.
no subject
[ "Serenity? From this old blockhead!" The screech was almost audible on the wind right now.
It is true — weapons crafted of jade are difficult to find indeed. Liyue itself only has one surviving set from the Archon War with one being relentlessly cared for by the Conqueror of Demons and the bow lost to the sands of time. Despite both of their best efforts, the world did not stop for anyone. A lesson that all of those who lived such long lives were forced to learn less the world sweep them away.
It heartens Zhongli to see Ei emerge from the other side of that understanding, even though her journey is now just beginning. ]
This time of peace has given me a chance to imagine many things that I could not previously conceive. Eternity gracefully accepting guidance from the present is just one such unprecedented scenario.
I would love to see your country, Ei. I wish to see the new that has caught your attention, whether it is inspiring or vexing. And the old which still keeps your fondness.
[ Morax and Beezlebub had been cut from the same cloth, after all. Warriors first and philosophers second who both found the mantle of Archon resting on their shoulders when it should perhaps have been belonged to another. Zhongli remembers in one of his early visits to Inazuma after the Archon War how (perhaps with one drink too many) he had whispered in Beezlebub's ear to take him to see the remains of Orobashi personally — both to see the proof of her battle prowess as well as the kinship of laying low that which threatened the land. ]
no subject
[ Her offense is mostly feigned. Barbatos comes and goes as he pleases, much as the wind itself does. Ei knows she hasn't been very approachable over the last few centuries, so it isn't really all that surprising that the Archon of wind and freedom might not seek an audience with her.
Even so, Morax is here now--Zhongli, now, she supposes--and that means something to her. ]
Finish your tea, then, and we'll go. I have a few places in mind that I believe you'd enjoy.
1/3
Ah yes. I had traveled to Mondstadt and even visited the local taverns during one of their festivals, but he was nowhere to be found.
[ Nevermind that was right around the time of the Irodori Festival.
Another beat. ]
Do you think he is avoiding us?
[ For even though Venti came to visit Liyue during the last Lantern Rite it could hardly be called a normal meeting since the two had to feign not knowing each other since Barbatos had decided a group dinner was most ideal time to barge in. ]
no subject
no subject
Then as soon as we finish our tea.
[ Zhongli says making no move to expedite his own tea-drinking. In fact, he actually hinders the process by pulling out a red box tied neatly with a gold ribbon. It's obviously from a high-end confectionery store in Liyue based on the elegant script printed on said ribbon.
Zhongli opens the box to reveal tanghulu— a specialty of Liyue made of sweetened candied fruits. He perhaps had wandered the markets a little too long in deciding what kind of sweets Ei would enjoy that could also survive the long boat ride from Liyue to Inazuma. It had been so long; surely only the best and most traditional Liyue sweets would do for such an auspicious meeting after so long. ]
And accompaniments.
[ He says with a smile as he divys them up between the two of them. ]
no subject
[ Morax's next little quip earns him the slightest of chuckles. ]
He's always up to something, but it's usually harmless.
[ Moving on, indeed. Ei watches with interest as Morax produces a fancy box filled with glistening sugar-covered fruit. They look delectable, and in fact, are quite the treat. Ei samples one straight from the box, enjoying the contrast in texture between the crunchy sugar shell and the soft fruit beneath. Morax always was a connoisseur of the fine things in life, acquiring a keen eye for the very best quality over the centuries. She'll have to do her best to match him on their excursion today.
But... not just this moment.
Time to ancient beings doesn't move quite in the same way that it does for more ephemeral creatures, but even though the pair of them are both quite deliberate in their enjoyment of tea and sweets, eventually their plates and cups are empty. Ei rises elegantly from her seat and gestures toward the door leading out of the garden. ]
Shall we?
[ There is, of course, no way to really disguise herself, nor does she feel the need to do so, but Morax--no, Zhongli, now--draws attention simply by virtue of his presence at her side. She doubts that anyone would guess his true identity, but there's bound to be speculation.
They walk at a leisurely pace, and she points out landmarks and businesses, commenting on the historical significance or the items that they sell. She brings their tour to a pause in front of a little stand on the side of the road, however. ]
This is Tomoki, and he is a vendor of assorted snacks and other food items.
[ The man in question looks shocked. The Almighty Shogun remembers his name??
Well, yes. Of course she does. She goes on to order a few bottles of dango milk for them, offering one to Zhongli and suggesting they find a nearby spot overlooking the water to sit and enjoy it. ]
I discovered this with the Traveler not too long ago on one of their visits to Inazuma. They were kind enough to show me around at the time, and we partook of this dango milk together. I hope you like it.
no subject
In this, Zhongli begins to have a greater appreciation of Eternity. Just like his retirement gave him a new outlook on Freedom.
He places his finished cup upon the table, thanking the attendant who comes to clean up after them before rising to his feet and following Ei out into Inazuma City proper.
There are whispers of the foreigner from Liyue travelling with the Raiden Shogun, but Zhongli pays them no mind so enchanted he is in exploring the new modern day Inazuma. He slows down their walk to admire the silks and kimonos on sale at Ogura Textiles. He pauses again at the lacquerware shop not a few stores down.
But he does not truly partake in anything until Ei hands him a curious glass bottle of what she calls dango milk, and they sit along the water's edge to enjoy the way the sunlight plays off the lightning clouds in the distance. Beautiful and fearsome as Makoto and Ei ever were. ]
I do not share the same sweet tooth that you do, but I am intrigued by such a innovation all the same.
[ He brings it to his lips like a cup of tea, taking a generous sip. As expected, it is a little too sweet for his tastes, the sugar from both the milk and dango seeming to coat his tongue. But it is novel. And it is something that Ei favors. Perhaps for those reasons alone, Zhongli finds he favors it, too.
Perhaps if paired with some charred and slightly bitter nuts from Sumeru, it might be something he would offer to guests of his own. ]
It is good. Perhaps a little sweet as the aftertaste lingers. But I do believe it suits you. And your people. I suppose the Traveler enjoyed it as well.
Did you enjoy your time with the Outlander while they were here?