Indeed. It seems as though they have a precise understanding of what they want.
[ Which is, apparently, to see two people make out in a closet. Zhongli won't pretend he understands why, but what they're asking for seems crystal clear to him.
And so he offers his hand out to Childe, palm up. Expectant, but not demanding. He's more than happy to wait for someone else to let them out, but if Childe is ready to accept their 'challenge' then so is he. ]
[ Childe shrugs a shoulder. He has no idea why, either. Can they secretly see in here? How do they know what's going on? He doesn't like being spied on thanks. But he's also not against the whole exhibitionism thing and it's just kissing (haha, unless?).
It had to be Zhongli of all people. He's trying so hard not to lose his shit in one direction or the other about that part.
He accepts that offered hand, plastering a grin back on his face and stepping closer to the former archon, sliding one arm around his waist. ]
Seven whole minutes, huh? Hope you know what you're doing.
[ At Childe's challenge, that not-quite-neutral expression Zhongli has been wearing finally tips into proper amusement. He smooths his thumb over Childe's palm and lifts his free hand to settle against his neck. ]
I have no reason to doubt my own capabilities.
[ And he thinks Childe doesn't have a reason to doubt them either—but that's Childe for you. Always looking for a fight even when there's none to be found. Zhongli doesn't make a habit of accepting, but in this case...
He steps closer. He and Childe are close in height, so there's no need to bend down. He simply tilts his head, leans in, and presses their lips together. ]
[ There it is. Childe enjoys seeing Zhongli react. He's a fairly stoic person, though Childe spent enough time with him in Liyue to catch on to some of the subtlety in his expressions.
Sometimes he longs to see that expression tip into something else, something obvious. Anger would be fine, he thinks, in that part of himself that wants to literally fight a god. Other things would be fine, too. That little amusement will do for now. Zhongli's hand is on his neck and he's an idiot to think he could win any type of fight, metaphorical or otherwise, with the former Geo Archon.
That's the best kind of fight to have, though.
Childe's lips are still smiling when Zhongli leans in to catch them. He returns the kiss immediately, free arm sliding around Zhongli's waist. He has to resist the urge to pull himself completely flush against him. They have seven minutes, but only one of them has patience and it's not Childe. The tension there in his arm as he resists the urge for the next three seconds or so is probably obvious. ]
[ Well, then. That's simple enough, though Zhongli suspects that things will only escalate from here. But there's no point in catastrophizing about the future, and given Tighnari's joking reassuance (which does get a faint smile from Zhongli) he's not worried about the latest challenge. So Zhongli pushes himself to his feet and circles the table.
The dice haven't made any elaborate demands this time, so Zhongli keeps it simple. He rests one hand on Tighnari's shoulder, then leans in to press their lips together. ]
[ zhongli is quite tall, isn't he? it's difficult not to notice once he unfolds himself from his chair. given how short tighnari is, even sitting in his chair, he'll do the man a favor and rise to his feet as well, making it that much easier to lean in for a kiss.
it's.. quite nice, really. zhongli's lips are warm, gentle, and he smells good - earthy, in a way - and tighnari breathes the scent deep as he tilts his chin upward to receive him. overall, it's quite chaste, but who knows what else might come of all this? once they break apart, he smiles. ]
[ While Tighnari is preoccupied with Zhongli's scent, Zhongli is more focused on his sense of touch. The other man's lips are soft and pleasant, and when Zhongli's hand brushes Tighnari's hair he can't not notice how fine and soft the strands are.
All in all, the kiss is an enjoyable experience, and there's a satisfied warmth in Zhongli's eyes when he steps back. They have a few more rounds yet to go, but he already suspects the game may not be the end of their exchange.
Zhongli takes his seat again and waits for Tighnari to roll the dice, and quirks a brow when 'caress breast' comes up on the dice. Zhongli doesn't have those per se, but the intent is clear enough. Fortunately, his collar is still loosened from the earlier 'caress' challenge, so it's a simple matter to reach up and undo a few more buttons. ]
I suppose the lack of privacy is half the point of the game in the first place.
[ it is an enjoyable kiss, as enjoyable as a kiss with a relative stranger can be, for someone like tighnari. he's doing his best to live in the moment, to take things as they come rather than dwelling on the weirdness of it all, and overall he's doing.. okay at it. it's difficult for someone as analytical as tighnari.
at any rate, they settle in again and get.. caress breast. well. fair enough. zhongli is already loosening his top, which gives tighnari the chance to stand and move over to him, and this time he just.. drags his chair with him. why not? they're going to have to keep moving to one another, might as well sit close and make it easier for them both.
sliding his chair in beside zhongli's, tighnari sits again and lifts one hand, wiggling padded fingers. ]
If you'd like to stop at any time, please do let me know.
[ And there's two of them, even. Quite convenient. Zhongli takes a step forward to study the rings, though he doesn't reach out to take his yet. ]
It's difficult to tell simply by appearance, but they seem to be genuine gold. So even if we don't use them for the game they have some inherent value.
[ Zhongli is not nearly so unkind or uncharitable as to be pleased by Furina's reaction. Even so, after Venti's utter lack of surprise at learning he was still alive there's something almost refreshing about Furina's comparative shock.
And she does an admirable job keeping her composure. So Zhongli, at least, doesn't feel that his trust in her has been misplaced so far—an assumption that's only reinforced when she starts to confess to the intricacies of her situation. He doesn't go so far as to interrupt her, but he does interject as she trails off. ]
I have some understanding of the circumstances surrounding your tenure as Archon.
[ News from Fontaine tends to spread far and fast, given the dedication of the journalists at the Steambird. That's without even considering a certain mutual acquaintance of theirs. ]
Such a complicated discussion can be saved for after dinner, if you wish.
[ Or saved for never, frankly. It's not like Zhongli is planning to give her all of the prolonged details leading up to his decision fake his death any time soon. ]
[ Realization dawns upon her features more pronounced and apparent than before. Not only did he know of her situation, but he knows and is still willing to even speak with her about it? That leaves her with more to process than perhaps it rightly should, but she still hardly sees herself as anything of an Archon at all. Is he doing this out of some sense of goodwill towards the god of justice? Yet as far as she knew, Focalors had never met any of the Seven.
How complicated she has already made the matter in her mind is a clear sign that they probably should wait until after dinner to speak of it more, and that's what polite etiquette would have her do. Still, this is an opportunity she could have never expected to be afforded, so before they close the book on the matter— ]
No, I...I don't mind, really. To be honest, your perspective on matters might be rather refreshing, after enduring the backlash from my dear Fontanians. [ She bears them no ill will, for they only saw what was before them, a sham, and not the drama that played out behind the masquerade. ] It's more that I...
[ Hm. How to put it... ]
I am only due so much credit in a plan that was laid out masterfully by Focalors herself. She was the still the authority, the Archon, while I was a figurehead.
Furina is correct that Zhongli never met Focalors, and he's never so much as heard anything about her secondhand. Even before the Cataclysm Zhongli rarely had need to leave Liyue. Afterwards he had even less cause to depart, and his contact with the new and remaining Archons had been sparse for a variety of reasons. It's really only Barbatos that could have been a reliable source of information, and 'reliable' isn't a word that belongs in the same sentence as his name.
The point is that his impression of her thus far has him expecting a response with more ego and bombast, even given how sedate she's behaved during this conversation thus far. Curiosity flickers across his expression when she immediately sidesteps taking credit for any part of Focalor's scheme. ]
I see. So your actions in that time were directed by her?
That's correct. I only spoke to her once, when she first created me, but — ahaha. I suppose she would know better than anyone, just what to tell me so that I would play my part to perfection.
[ And so she had, though it nearly was not so. Had thought it not so, and had feared she had failed Focalors, failed everyone until the moment she stepped out of the Opera Epiclese to clear skies a purified people. At the very least, she can allow herself a small kernel of pride, of having stayed fast to her path until the bitter end.
Her stubbornness has always been noteworthy, after all... ]
Now, I am no different from any other human. [ A little flourish of her hand. ] The curtain fell on the greatest drama Fontaine has ever witnessed. Are you familiar with Monsieur Neuvillette? The authority of Hydro now resides with him.
[ As it always should have been, though many of the details of Focalors' plan and Neuvillette's power remain lost on her. She suspects Zhongli must at least be familiar with him by name, as one of the dragon sovereign. ]
[ A civil war, then. Zhongli nods, understanding. While he never would have been happy to depart Liyue in the middle of the Archon War he's made the acquaintance of plenty who would, and did, run as far away as possible at the first opportunity.
Still, it's impossible to not be curious about some things. ]
You're not worried how the war might play out while you're away?
[ He gives a faint wince because ow, critical hit. ]
I am. Especially because today was to be... [ He trails off, shaking his head before scraping a hand down over it. ] It was a battle most of us didn't want to fight. All of us have friends on the other side of that battlefield - on all sides of it. We'd avoided coming face to face until now, for the most part, but... That wasn't to be the case today. And unfortunately, we couldn't talk our Prince into finding another option.
[ His need for vengeance had blinded him to far too much. ]
So yes, I'm worried about that, but I'm also... very relieved I didn't have to stare down an old friend on the other end of my lance today.
[ Ah, it seems as though he cut right to the heart of the matter. Zhongli falls silent while Sylvain explains. He is, unfortunately, quite familiar with being driven to conflict with a friend, as well as dismay of encountering a friend being far too gone for negotiation to be possible.
So, yeah. He gets it. ]
I think I'd also view arriving in this hotel as a welcome reprieve, in that case.
[ More importantly... ]
I apologize if I pushed the conversation into uncomfortable territory.
[ Zhongli isn't expecting to run into Baizhu here. He's definitely not expecting to run into him while Changsheng is nowhere to be found. While he recognizes the doctor immediately, the sight of him unaccompanied is jarring enough that Zhongli blinks before he nods. ]
You needn't apologize, Dr. Baizhu. Hospitality seems to be in short supply all around.
[ That's even before you consider all the people getting locked in closets. ]
[ His Vision, huh? Zhongli's gaze flicks to Baizhu's, and he supposes it's no surprise that the man arrived with his. Visions aren't mere trinkets, after all.
Which is a bit of a problem, because Zhongli's Vision is a trinket and thus didn't make the trip to the hotel with him. Would admitting to that be too strange? Bazihu isn't someone he can assume will accept everything at face value. On the other hand, does it really matter if he does grow suspicious? There's little he can do to confirm it here, and once they return to Liyue it's not likely that he'll share the information carelessly—or be believed even if he does.
Zhongli's considerations, ultimately, only take as long as it does for him to look to Baizhu's Vision and then meet his gaze again. ]
I'm afraid that avenue is closed to us.
[ And he doesn't elaborate further on that matter. ]
In any case, it may not be worth the risk of damaging the door to escape. If the hotel staff are capable of forcing us to come here in the first place, I'm sure they're able to force us to pay for any damages we cause.
[ Just as well that Baizhu’s failed to notice Zhongli’s lack of a Vision given everything else that’s been going on. Right now he’s just trying to steel himself for the inevitable, but it’s also hard to shake off the feeling that Director Hu might be hovering nearby, even if she’s nowhere near subtle enough to actually escape his detection. ]
So we only have one option left to us, then.
[ He might be willing to take his chances with waiting for some kind soul to get them out of there, but who knows how Zhongli might be feeling about this… ]
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December TDM
for abyssmade
Indeed. It seems as though they have a precise understanding of what they want.
[ Which is, apparently, to see two people make out in a closet. Zhongli won't pretend he understands why, but what they're asking for seems crystal clear to him.
And so he offers his hand out to Childe, palm up. Expectant, but not demanding. He's more than happy to wait for someone else to let them out, but if Childe is ready to accept their 'challenge' then so is he. ]
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It had to be Zhongli of all people. He's trying so hard not to lose his shit in one direction or the other about that part.
He accepts that offered hand, plastering a grin back on his face and stepping closer to the former archon, sliding one arm around his waist. ]
Seven whole minutes, huh? Hope you know what you're doing.
[ Words that could mean so many things. ]
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I have no reason to doubt my own capabilities.
[ And he thinks Childe doesn't have a reason to doubt them either—but that's Childe for you. Always looking for a fight even when there's none to be found. Zhongli doesn't make a habit of accepting, but in this case...
He steps closer. He and Childe are close in height, so there's no need to bend down. He simply tilts his head, leans in, and presses their lips together. ]
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Sometimes he longs to see that expression tip into something else, something obvious. Anger would be fine, he thinks, in that part of himself that wants to literally fight a god. Other things would be fine, too. That little amusement will do for now. Zhongli's hand is on his neck and he's an idiot to think he could win any type of fight, metaphorical or otherwise, with the former Geo Archon.
That's the best kind of fight to have, though.
Childe's lips are still smiling when Zhongli leans in to catch them. He returns the kiss immediately, free arm sliding around Zhongli's waist. He has to resist the urge to pull himself completely flush against him. They have seven minutes, but only one of them has patience and it's not Childe. The tension there in his arm as he resists the urge for the next three seconds or so is probably obvious. ]
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for veardant
[ Well, then. That's simple enough, though Zhongli suspects that things will only escalate from here. But there's no point in catastrophizing about the future, and given Tighnari's joking reassuance (which does get a faint smile from Zhongli) he's not worried about the latest challenge. So Zhongli pushes himself to his feet and circles the table.
The dice haven't made any elaborate demands this time, so Zhongli keeps it simple. He rests one hand on Tighnari's shoulder, then leans in to press their lips together. ]
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it's.. quite nice, really. zhongli's lips are warm, gentle, and he smells good - earthy, in a way - and tighnari breathes the scent deep as he tilts his chin upward to receive him. overall, it's quite chaste, but who knows what else might come of all this? once they break apart, he smiles. ]
That makes it your turn, then.
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All in all, the kiss is an enjoyable experience, and there's a satisfied warmth in Zhongli's eyes when he steps back. They have a few more rounds yet to go, but he already suspects the game may not be the end of their exchange.
Zhongli takes his seat again and waits for Tighnari to roll the dice, and quirks a brow when 'caress breast' comes up on the dice. Zhongli doesn't have those per se, but the intent is clear enough. Fortunately, his collar is still loosened from the earlier 'caress' challenge, so it's a simple matter to reach up and undo a few more buttons. ]
I suppose the lack of privacy is half the point of the game in the first place.
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at any rate, they settle in again and get.. caress breast. well. fair enough. zhongli is already loosening his top, which gives tighnari the chance to stand and move over to him, and this time he just.. drags his chair with him. why not? they're going to have to keep moving to one another, might as well sit close and make it easier for them both.
sliding his chair in beside zhongli's, tighnari sits again and lifts one hand, wiggling padded fingers. ]
If you'd like to stop at any time, please do let me know.
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for discomposer
I believe those are the goal of the game.
[ And there's two of them, even. Quite convenient. Zhongli takes a step forward to study the rings, though he doesn't reach out to take his yet. ]
It's difficult to tell simply by appearance, but they seem to be genuine gold. So even if we don't use them for the game they have some inherent value.
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[ That isn't what it is. ]
Take care of me, okay~?
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It's not unthinkable that they might inflict such a thing upon us.
[ Finally, he reaches out to take his ring. ]
We'll both need to be appropriately diligent, in that case.
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[ He will not be careful. It's fine. ]
At least we won a prize~! Hopefully it does cool things?! [ It does not... ]
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sorry about that, work ate me and spit me out
mood, been dealing with that from university myself
suffering high five
for precipitous
[ Zhongli is not nearly so unkind or uncharitable as to be pleased by Furina's reaction. Even so, after Venti's utter lack of surprise at learning he was still alive there's something almost refreshing about Furina's comparative shock.
And she does an admirable job keeping her composure. So Zhongli, at least, doesn't feel that his trust in her has been misplaced so far—an assumption that's only reinforced when she starts to confess to the intricacies of her situation. He doesn't go so far as to interrupt her, but he does interject as she trails off. ]
I have some understanding of the circumstances surrounding your tenure as Archon.
[ News from Fontaine tends to spread far and fast, given the dedication of the journalists at the Steambird. That's without even considering a certain mutual acquaintance of theirs. ]
Such a complicated discussion can be saved for after dinner, if you wish.
[ Or saved for never, frankly. It's not like Zhongli is planning to give her all of the prolonged details leading up to his decision fake his death any time soon. ]
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How complicated she has already made the matter in her mind is a clear sign that they probably should wait until after dinner to speak of it more, and that's what polite etiquette would have her do. Still, this is an opportunity she could have never expected to be afforded, so before they close the book on the matter— ]
No, I...I don't mind, really. To be honest, your perspective on matters might be rather refreshing, after enduring the backlash from my dear Fontanians. [ She bears them no ill will, for they only saw what was before them, a sham, and not the drama that played out behind the masquerade. ] It's more that I...
[ Hm. How to put it... ]
I am only due so much credit in a plan that was laid out masterfully by Focalors herself. She was the still the authority, the Archon, while I was a figurehead.
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Furina is correct that Zhongli never met Focalors, and he's never so much as heard anything about her secondhand. Even before the Cataclysm Zhongli rarely had need to leave Liyue. Afterwards he had even less cause to depart, and his contact with the new and remaining Archons had been sparse for a variety of reasons. It's really only Barbatos that could have been a reliable source of information, and 'reliable' isn't a word that belongs in the same sentence as his name.
The point is that his impression of her thus far has him expecting a response with more ego and bombast, even given how sedate she's behaved during this conversation thus far. Curiosity flickers across his expression when she immediately sidesteps taking credit for any part of Focalor's scheme. ]
I see. So your actions in that time were directed by her?
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[ And so she had, though it nearly was not so. Had thought it not so, and had feared she had failed Focalors, failed everyone until the moment she stepped out of the Opera Epiclese to clear skies a purified people. At the very least, she can allow herself a small kernel of pride, of having stayed fast to her path until the bitter end.
Her stubbornness has always been noteworthy, after all... ]
Now, I am no different from any other human. [ A little flourish of her hand. ] The curtain fell on the greatest drama Fontaine has ever witnessed. Are you familiar with Monsieur Neuvillette? The authority of Hydro now resides with him.
[ As it always should have been, though many of the details of Focalors' plan and Neuvillette's power remain lost on her. She suspects Zhongli must at least be familiar with him by name, as one of the dragon sovereign. ]
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for philancer
[ A civil war, then. Zhongli nods, understanding. While he never would have been happy to depart Liyue in the middle of the Archon War he's made the acquaintance of plenty who would, and did, run as far away as possible at the first opportunity.
Still, it's impossible to not be curious about some things. ]
You're not worried how the war might play out while you're away?
[ Zhongli doesn't sound judgemental, merely curious. ]
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I am. Especially because today was to be... [ He trails off, shaking his head before scraping a hand down over it. ] It was a battle most of us didn't want to fight. All of us have friends on the other side of that battlefield - on all sides of it. We'd avoided coming face to face until now, for the most part, but... That wasn't to be the case today. And unfortunately, we couldn't talk our Prince into finding another option.
[ His need for vengeance had blinded him to far too much. ]
So yes, I'm worried about that, but I'm also... very relieved I didn't have to stare down an old friend on the other end of my lance today.
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So, yeah. He gets it. ]
I think I'd also view arriving in this hotel as a welcome reprieve, in that case.
[ More importantly... ]
I apologize if I pushed the conversation into uncomfortable territory.
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Don’t worry about it. The past several years have all been uncomfortable territory. This is still refreshing, trust me.
What about you? You said this cuisine was familiar, right? Something similar to what they serve where you’re from? Do you miss it yet?
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for snakelace
[ Zhongli isn't expecting to run into Baizhu here. He's definitely not expecting to run into him while Changsheng is nowhere to be found. While he recognizes the doctor immediately, the sight of him unaccompanied is jarring enough that Zhongli blinks before he nods. ]
You needn't apologize, Dr. Baizhu. Hospitality seems to be in short supply all around.
[ That's even before you consider all the people getting locked in closets. ]
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He sighs, leaning against a nearby rack of towels. Another coughing fit isn’t coming in anytime soon, but he’s tired all the same. ]
I don’t suppose your Vision will be of any help here…?
[ Baizhu does have his own strung at his hip like usual, though it’s completely inert at the moment. ]
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Which is a bit of a problem, because Zhongli's Vision is a trinket and thus didn't make the trip to the hotel with him. Would admitting to that be too strange? Bazihu isn't someone he can assume will accept everything at face value. On the other hand, does it really matter if he does grow suspicious? There's little he can do to confirm it here, and once they return to Liyue it's not likely that he'll share the information carelessly—or be believed even if he does.
Zhongli's considerations, ultimately, only take as long as it does for him to look to Baizhu's Vision and then meet his gaze again. ]
I'm afraid that avenue is closed to us.
[ And he doesn't elaborate further on that matter. ]
In any case, it may not be worth the risk of damaging the door to escape. If the hotel staff are capable of forcing us to come here in the first place, I'm sure they're able to force us to pay for any damages we cause.
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So we only have one option left to us, then.
[ He might be willing to take his chances with waiting for some kind soul to get them out of there, but who knows how Zhongli might be feeling about this… ]
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