hydrangeabloom | (no subject)

[ Life, Zhongli had come to learn, was just a series of beginnings and endings. A journey that followed the natural cycle of the sun and the seasons with time marching ever forward. But that did not make the transition from ending to beginning any easier no matter how many times one lived through it. And it certainly was even more poignant for those going through it for the first time.

The 75th Funeral Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had passed not more than a handful of days ago, leaving his now 13 year-old granddaughter to take on the mantle of the 77th. Perhaps Zhongli should be more concerned that someone who was still a child was being handed such a heavy role, but he had lived through too many wars and times of trouble to see it as anything other than the unfortunate reality of the world. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would endure as it always had. Those chosen by fate would rise up as they always did.

Still, that did not mean he could not assist the young Director in her new duties and attempt to ease her grief. Zhongli had been quite fond of the previous director, and Morax eternally grateful for the entire Hu family. Their young granddaughter may be a bit of a handful, but it was nothing that he wasn't used to over the years. (And actually maybe missing in his life since Barbatos had been sleeping for the last 500 years. Not that he would ever admit he missed him or his antics.)

Now if he could just find where she wandered off to.

The other staff had mentioned that they seen her yesterday, clutching her grandfather's hat to her chest as she scurried down the hall with a purpose only know to her. And so Zhongli wanders the halls of the Funeral Parlor over and over again, trying to find whatever new hiding place she may have discovered. ]

Director Hu. The Parlor is closing.

[There was only so much a little girl could handle. For as lively as she was, there were times when her emotions got the better of her. This was one of them as she held onto her grandfather’s hat as if it was the last thing on Earth. It was the only thing left of him as she stared out into space hoping for some kind of miracle to happen. She should have been prepared for his death, it wasn’t something that happened so suddenly.

His age was catching up on him as he was slowly losing his energy. She knew that as he had trouble keeping up with her but it still hurt. It hurt even more when she had to plan his funeral all by herself. She had to make sure everything was perfect, no one else could interfere. While it turned out brilliant and everything went as it planned, it didn’t satisfy anything. It made things worse.

As she was thinking to herself, she hadn’t noticed a familiar voice in the background. She had hoped by staying in this little corner to herself, no one would bother her. However, it wasn’t meant to be.

At first, she pretended not to hear Zhongli’s voice. She didn’t want to break her train of thought. However…]

Yes, I know.

[She said in a low voice. Despite how it was barely a whisper, one could tell she had to been crying.]

[ Oh.

There she was.

Her grandfather's funeral had been beautiful, a true testament to both Hu Tao's innate gift for this morbid line of work as well as how much her grandfather had painstakingly taught her his craft. Funerals were personal, a gift for the living as just as much as the dead. So what greater gift could the new Director give herself than to see to every minute detail of his funeral? It had been flawless. It had been perfect. Zhongli's critical eye could find no flaw in its execution.

And yet that seemed to dampen the young girl's spirits all the more for it.

Zhongli stood waiting in the doorway, giving her the space that she seemed to desire. He was too straightforward still, slowly adjusting to his mortal guise and had yet to fully grasp the nuances of such interactions.

What he does know is that the child should not be left alone, even if the only option is his stilted company. ]

Chef Mao has put his special steamed fish on the menu this month. It would be a shame if you did not get a chance to enjoy it before Wanmin's menu changes again.

[He was right, she should eat something. It had been sometime since she last ate and she was a growing girl. And yet, she didn't seem to care. Not when she kept holding on her grandfather's hat.

She didn't say anything at first and kept her gaze on the ground. She knew that Zhongli was trying his best to cheer her up but she couldn't find herself caring.

Right now, all she wanted to do was stay in her corner and mope.]

...You go on ahead without me.

[With each word she said, the more it was a struggle to not cry. Just about anything was reminding her of him. Food, water, flowers, it kept making her realize that the person who raise her was gone. What's even worse was how she couldn't even say goodbye to him either.

Giving a sniffle or two, she shook her head.]

I-I think I'll pass on it today.

If that is what you wish.

[ There is a gentle click at the sound of the door being slid shut, but instead of footsteps heading back down the hall where he came, they approach right where she is hiding in her small corner of the room.

Zhongli shouldn't leave. He knew that much. But what could he do for someone that had lost such a vital piece of their world? (Can he even recall what stony feelings he locked away the first time such a thing happened to him?)

The seconds stretch on, Zhongli going over multiple scenarios in his head, before he ultimately decides to sit down next to her. The long tail of his coat is folded carefully underneath him as he sits just a little too straight. Not too close to give her space if her reaction was unfavorable, but also close enough to lean in if she did want the company. ]

But if it is alright with you, I'd like to stay here a little longer.

[ Without turning his head, Zhongli glances over at her, watching her fingers curl more tightly around her grandfather's hat. ]

Have you heard the story of the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's hat?

[As soon as he said those words, she figured that he would leave her alone. It seemed to be the sensible thing to leave a grieving girl in peace. Imagine her surprise when she happened to hear footsteps. It momentarily snapped her out of her thoughts when looked upward to see the imposing figure making his way toward her.

And yet, once he sat next to her, she looked at other way. If he wanted to sit next to her, that's fine. However, it did make for an uncomfortable situation since she didn't know what else to say. All she could do was nod as she continued to hold into her hat.

She knew he was trying to comfort her in his own way but it still awkward. Normally, she would be chatting up a storm with the consultant. But she just couldn't. She didn't have any energy to. Which was why, for the second time, she was surprised how he wanted to strike up a conversation with her.

But the topic was enough to fully get her attention as her eyes widen before staring at him once more.]

No, I don't. I'm guessing you have? [She said leaning in closer. Indeed, what did he have to say about her grandfather's prized possession?]

[ Awkward. Incredibly awkward.

But unpracticed and unskilled in comfort as Zhongli was, there were limited options on what he could do to for his friend, someone he was protective of (more than just in a godly way) and now his newly appointed employer. And the most effective tool he had at his disposal was talking. Zhongli had a passing talent for long rambling storytelling and perhaps that was just the distraction that the both of them needed. ]

As you know, the very first directors of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor dated back to the time of the Archon War. Due to the conflict of that era, the founders of the parlors straddled the line of healing and funeral rites. Long hours did they toil to save who they could and send with their blessing those they could not.

But it was also the age where gods died and their undying corpses festered across the land. The miasma soaked into the trees and the water and the land and those unfortunate souls who had yet to be buried. It was imperative that those spirits were sent to their final resting place and their bodies properly cared for.

[ Zhongli reaches out to point towards (but does not touch) the brim of the hat that Hu Tao still clutches in her small hands. ]

See here? It has always fit snugly on your grandfather's head, correct? In the past, the director would wear a hat of similar make but dressed with a veil to prevent them from inhaling too much of the miasma. However even with this precautions, it stubbornly clung to their persons so began the tradition of accepting the bodies only in the cover of night to limit exposure to the general public. It also began another tradition of adorning the hat with the preferred flowers of the director to counter the effects and rot of death and decay.

I believe it was the 4th Director who started this practice, a wise and older woman who lost her husband — the 3rd Director — to the tragedy of war. She affixed silkflowers in a half crescent wreath along the side both in veneration to Rex Lapis and because it was the favored scent of her late husband.

[As Hu Tao looked at Zhongli attempted to reach toward the hat, she flinched. She don't know if he was planning on taking it away but she had to react. Still, listening to his words, it brought her some comfort. To know that her ancestors used this hat as a means to protect themselves and to honor their god?]

I guess that explains a little why he loved this hat so much and why I see it everywhere he goes. I didn't realize it was meant to be a protecting themselves against death.

[She might have recently met her new employee but based on what she had seen from him? He seems like the type that would want people to listen to him whenever he gets the chance. As boring as that sounds, she couldn't help but keep on listening in.]

Do you think that if I keep wearing this hat, it'll help me too? Do you think....

[She said before trailing off.]

It'll let me see him again?

[ Zhongli carefully settles his hands back in his lap at the flinch, doing his best to not call attention to her reaction. Hu Tao was so young. It was really her parents that should be here today, offering her the comfort that even she who was well acquainted with death so desperately needed. But unfortunately— ]

Miss Hu...

[ His words are soft, but still careful and measured. ]

I think that this hat can give you comfort and a sense of purpose, just as it did for your grandfather and the many directors before him.

However—

[ Zhongli bows his head a little, knowing that he is delivering an answer that is hard to hear. The process of grief was never a simple one. But with the responsibilities that would soon land on Hu Tao's shoulders, there were some fantasies that the soon-to-be Director should not entertain. No matter how difficult. ]

We cannot meet again those that have already departed this world. Nor would it be advised to wish for such a thing.

[That wasn't what she wasn't hear. She knew that she couldn't get a chance to meet up with her grandfather once he has passed on. But it hurt hearing it straight out of Zhongli.

Gripping the hat, she struggled not to cry and she found it difficult. Holding back a sob, she gave a nod.]

...I-I know. But I really had hoped....

[Was it really useless then? Was she really not going to find him at all?]

There will could be a chance, isn't there? His spirit still lingers around, it hasn't been too long since he passed so he could be at the border!

[Because she was desperate. All she wanted was to say her final goodbyes to him. Was that so much to ask for?]

[ Zhongli does not give form to the weary sigh that seeps deep into his core. Young as she was, he thought that surrounded by death from such a young age, Hu Tao would understand why the departed should not linger.

But that is a difficult pill to swallow when it's your most precious person wrested from your grasp through death's jaws. Even more so since Hu Tao had more affinity for communion with the dead even among the other parlor directors past. Naturally, she would be curious. Naturally, she would harbor the hope for a final parting. It would be a cruelty to dissuade her and a cruelty to let her go.

But sometimes the only way to learn the nature of the world was to experience it firsthand.

Zhongli folds his hands together, placing them neatly in his lap as he watches the fading light filter in above them through the dusty windows. ]

If his spirit still lingers, yes, it would be at the border. But that is only if he held any regrets and work unfinished in this life.

He has to have some, it's only normal for people to regret a couple of things when they're gone.

[From what she had experienced, family had expressed some level of regret that their loved one has. Werther it is from financial issues, marriage woes, or something, it was still regret. While she didn't know if her grandfather might have some, she was so hopeful that he does.

Immediately, her eyes widen as she leaned in closer toward him.]

You worked him closely, right? Do you think he had any regrets?

[As she said so, it was almost as if he was going to say yes. It would give her an excuse to go and see her grandfather's spirit. She just had to see him again.

Just one last time....!]

[ For a few moments, he avoids her eye contact — roles reversed from just a few moments before.

On one hand, the Directors of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor understood the boundaries of life and death more acutely than most. In normal circumstances, he would not expect to see any of them at the border. But these were not normal circumstances. One being that Hu Tao was left alone at such a young age. And second was due to the absence of who should have been the 76th director. ]

I'm afraid that we were not close enough for me to make such a judgement call. My apologies, Miss Hu.

[ And thus, he left the door neither opened or closed but up to her whether or not to pass through it. Perhaps it was too much responsibility to place on the shoulders of a child.

(But also, regardless of her choice, Zhongli would shadow her movements to make sure that she came to no immediate harm. ... Assuming that he could keep up with her.) ]

[How disappointing, those were not the words she wanted to hear. Feeling frustrating, she leaned back before sinking back into her spot. Mumbling to herself, there were already a few possibilities running through her mind.

If her new employee won't help out, it seems that she might have to take a few things into her own hands. Given the circumstances, her grandfather might be at the border. He died suddenly so he should have some unfinished business to attend to. Why would he leave when his poor granddaughter was by herself with little to no help?

There was no doubt that she already made up her mind.]

...I'm going to the border. I have to know if he's there.

I understand.

[ Even if Zhongli did not agree with her actions.

Terrible that a person who worked everyday attempting to alleviate the grief of others would handle the grief of his new employer so spectacularly poorly. But in this, Zhongli could offer no kind words that could ultimately lead to false hopes.

Perhaps, though, there was something else he might offer if Hu Tao was willing to accept it. ]

Would you allow me to escort you there? I will not interfere in what you feel you must do, but I also want to ensure your safety— both for your journey to the border and your safe return.

[And here, Hu Tao thought she would be listening to the rambles of her employee telling her not to. He would be telling her how dangerous it was and how a girl as young as herself shouldn't be going there. And yet, there were no such words.

As she slowly turned her head around and stare at him in awe, she was pleasantly surprised he agreed to her demands.]

...That's fine but you're not going to say no? Or even bother telling me how I shouldn't be doing this?

[With that, she stood up from her corner as she awaited his words.]

Oh?

[ Zhongli's brow furrows in thought for a moment. ]

I suppose I could. But if I do, would you not try to go there anyway? If I stopped you, would you not harbor that regret and grievance for many years to come?

[ Some experiences would always be an intimately personal processes. And while surely some of those choices could be forced upon a person, coming to a conclusion on one's own tended to be the most effective catalyst. A younger Morax might have tried to forcibly keep the young director here, arrogant enough to know what was best for her but not wise enough to see the ramifications of such a hard-handed action.

Still, he had to make one thing perfectly clear as he also rises to his feet: ]

I do not think you should go. This I believe you already understand. But I will not stop you. I only wish to see you safely returned here.

[That was a surprise. She wasn't expecting that response either. As she continued to stare at him, she gave a small nod. Indeed, she would regret it if she didn't go for she had to know. Giving a sigh, she knew what she had to do.

With a smile on her face, she placed both her hands on her hips!]

Don't worry, I promise that I will come back safely! As a funeral director, I have to be prepared to go on adventures in search for what a client wants right?

[It felt odd knowing that was the first time she smiled for days. After spending so many days crying, it was refreshing to feel her face muscles stretch out as she giggled a bit.]

Shall we get ready? I will need a few things to get ready.

[ A smile from Hu Tao is worth a small smile in return. Zhongli also pushes himself off the wall and back to a standing position, smoothing out the wrinkles in his suit as he does so. ]

Of course. Please take all the time that you need.

I will meet you in the lobby when you are ready.

[ And true to his word, Zhongli will be waiting for the young Director in the lobby within a few minutes (or however long she needs to take to put her things in order). For his part, it seems the only preparation he needed was to fetch a black and gold spear decorated in the themes of the geo element and Rex Lapis. The vision he clasped to his back had to be good for something, after all. ]

[At the same time, as she marched out of the room, she started to look for items she would need. Gathering some food and some supplies, she knew her journey would not be easy. If anything, it was the opposite as she didn't know what might happen in the border. Giving a sigh to herself, she couldn't turn back now.

After an hour or two, she went straight to the lobby with her supplies on her back.]

And so, I think I'm ready to go! Do you think I need anything else? I have some food and a knife should anything happen!

[ Zhongli glances at how much food and water she plans to bring with her on her journey. Honestly, he is not too worried about the dangers that they may face if he is accompanying her. Even pretending to be a mere consultant with a geo Vision, that should handle most of the enemies that could cross their path.

And yet.

And yet... ]

Do not forget adequate water. How long do you plan to wait if you do not find him immediately?

[ It is a question that he is only half listening for an answer (as Zhongli would remove her forcibly and gently if she lingered too long) as he glances down at the knife. He would be enough. Surely. But also—

He heads to a cabinet not often used by the previous director but still well known to house some of his more personal items. ]

[The smile on her face falters a little. As much as she knew there was a chance that she wouldn't be able to find him, she didn't want to think about it. Her grandfather must have some regrets and had to linger around for just a bit.

Otherwise, she wouldn't really know what to think. She didn't say anything at first and instead?]

Don't worry I will! But I think I'll give it a 3 or 4 days. I shouldn't be too hard for my grandfather to find me. He wouldn't be a very nice person to keep me waiting for that long!

[Again, that was what she wanted to think. But she wouldn't afford to think of anything else. Not when she was so deep in her grief.

While he was headed the other way, she tilted her head to the side.] By the way, where are you going...?

[ Zhongli steps out of the cabinet, holding a very distinguished (and somewhat dusty) polearm in his hands. The end is tipped with a flare of red rather than the usual silver and golds that made up the blade of most Millelith weapons. It wasn't even the green jade of the more specialized weapon of Liyue. A curious artifact indeed - the Staff of Homa. It did not find its way into the hands of every Funeral Director, but—

"Only an unbound flame can purify the filth of this world."

It was quite obvious she was more suited for it than most.

Zhongli holds it out to Hu Tao, palms up in both hands that is reminiscent of the ceremony of a trainee finally joining the official ranks of the Millelith. ]

Might I suggest also arming yourself with something more sturdy than a knife. Three or four days is a long time in the border of this world and the next.

[ He makes no comment on whether he thinks the time is too short or too long. No director has ever lingered at the border, and he has not reason to think her grandfather will be any different. So the time allotted should be the time that Hu Tao thinks she needs to reach that conclusion for herself, too young for this task as she may be. ]

Edited 2023-10-23 04:56 (UTC)

[The moment she saw the polearm, her eyes widen. She was aware of what it was as she had seen her grandfather use it a handful of times. However, to know that Zhongli was giving it to her was a little surprising.

To know that she was holding something so special made her take a step back.

After all, she was only 13 and she dared not to use it so casually. When he handed it to her, she could only stare in awe.]

While I am aware that I am spending a fairly long time there, are you certain?

[It seems so exceptional for her to use it. Was she hearing things correctly?]

I am certain. You are more than worthy of it.

[ Zhongli waits before the weight of the staff is settled carefully into her hands before he lets go. It suits her, he thinks. Even at the young age of 13, Hu Tao had proven that she was wise and capable beyond her years. If her grandfather was not around to instill in her the small flame of confidence that she needed to reach her full potential, Zhongli would dutifully provide it in his stead. It was the least he could do for the long line of funeral parlor directors who gave so much to Liyue.

(And if she broke it, well, the blacksmiths in Liyue were also top-notch, and they were no strangers to restoration projects.)

After a short beat of silence: ]

But it is a family heirloom, so do treat it with the proper respect.

The 77th Director

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Sorry for the late!!

No worries at all. I will backtag 5ever. (And I was knee-deep in the new patch myself)

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