muses-of-teyvat

[muses-of-teyvat]

once a mountain

[muses-of-teyvat]

𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘴

(this was supposed to be a short comic but I got lazy)

[muses-of-teyvat]

Zhongli is now in timeout because I explicitly asked him not to get me Vortex Vanquisher when I was going for Neuvillette's weapon

[muses-of-teyvat]

"Mr. Zhongli! I learned something today all on my own!" Eros is practically bounding over to the other. He reaches up for the other, waiting for him to come down on his own level and then press his lips to the former Archon's. A toothy grin spreading across his features then. "The humans express um -! Affection like this! I saw a lot of them doing it and then saying 'I love you' after! And I love Mr. Zhongli lots!"

"Oh?" It's always a delight to hear of the smaller dragon's experiences while they're apart. Zhongli cannot teach him everything, after all, and learning independently is important.

He... did not expect to be kissed, however.

It is quite sweet, but he still finds himself exceedingly flustered as he straightens up once more. Ah, of course he's not yet had any of these sorts of talks with Eros, as it is a topic he himself sees differently from humans.

"I..." He clears his throat. "I love you as well, dear one." A gloved hand comes up to pet those soft curls reassuringly, in case his instinctive reaction might have been upsetting. "However... ah, this is something humans tend to do when courting, or with their mates. They draw very clear lines, for the most part, and can be a little distant in comparison to other species. We, that is the adepti, have adopted many of the same habits when in our human forms."

[muses-of-teyvat]

Zhongli looks in one direction, then the other, then deposits a handful of crystal chunks into his mouth. Contentedly crunching on them.

[muses-of-teyvat]

Zhongli echoes that laugh with a warm chuckle of his own, nodding his agreement. "It is best not to let ones confidence grow into folly. Although being praised for one's achievements can be quite pleasant indeed." He does have a weakness for listening to storytellers go on and on about his own great feats of heroism and leadership, after all. Compliments certainly never hurt anyone.

"Ah, of course. I would not want to disrespect the ghosts of the past." He casts another glance up at the statue's face, and gives it a small bow of his head. Trespassing is one thing, since he knows himself to have nothing but good - or, at the very least neutral - intentions, but he would not disturb the sanctity of this place so brazenly.

He sets off on a leisurely pace towards the beach, relaxed under the warmth of that artificial sun. "... if I may ask, should the entirety of this place remain undisturbed? Natural features included? If not, I would be able to shape those rocks into more pleasant seating for the purposes of sharing tea and a chat. It would only take but a moment."

With flattery that heavy Jing Yuan would have persumed that perhaps the other was up to something, however the personal tidbit puts that suspicion to rest a fair bit. Warriors could understand each other in a way different than most.

"Well, I try and remain humble. Best to not let such comments go to my head, you know?" he says with a little laugh.

"How thoughtful. I can never say no to trying new tea," the general says with a smile.

Then he cants his head toward some rocks on the beach, a bit away from the statue.

"However, if I may ask if we share a drink closer to the beach? The space we stand now is... too sacred for such activities."

No, to Jing Yuan, it would feel wrong to share a drink there with anyone but them.

[muses-of-teyvat]

"Similar to that, yes. Although size is not necessarily a sign of maturity." His thoughts briefly drifted to Xiao, and his lips twitched. It would be very interesting indeed to introduce Eros to the yaksha, and to the other adepti in turn. He wondered who he would get along with best. Streetward Rambler seemed a safe bet, but Cloud Retainer, too, had a fondness for young ones who liked to learn. And Eros, old as he was in years lived, had the eagerness and curiosity of a hatchling, still. "I have some other old friends that I will introduce you to in time. Younger than me, but quite knowledgeable and wise in their own ways." He only hoped they would manage to act normal around a Sovereign, when they were mostly hopeless at acting.

The returned affection surprised Zhongli for a moment, then he smiled fondly. It had been such a long time since he'd been around anyone with similar instincts to his own. He would have to get used to that again. "We shall simply pick you mostly brown and green fabrics, then. To make the stains less visible," he suggested, "Do you... like to eat the frogs, or is this just a pastime for you?"

He resisted the urge to reach behind himself for his counterfeit vision, and instead folded his hands behind his back. "It's hardly scary to them. Some humans are capable of manipulating the elements as well, but these... gifts from the heavens are what provides that power. So, if you want to appear as a human and draw less attention, then you should not be bending the earth without one."

Eros tilted his head thoughtfully at the other's words. While he didn't fully understand a lot of things, he did at least understand the sentiment that Zhongli was explaining to him. It had been something rather similar to what he recalled his mother speaking of with Miss Apep a rather long time ago. "I see...like how- when I got bigger I was supposed to um- do more important stuff? But I don't think I ever got to get much bigger." No, his true form was much larger than it had been in those days. Smaller for a Sovereign, surely, but larger than what one would expect given his tiny form. "We match then! You and me we can be very old together, yes." Even if he still didn't quite understand just how old he was now. At the very least he had someone he could learn from and find a comfort in. That was nice at least. That he could also find a companion who was as attuned to the earth as the little Sovereign was felt particularly lucky.

"I can get even more clothes?! Oh, yay! I promise I'll be super duper careful with everything, too. I won't rip it or get it dirty- well... I might get it dirty, I like to chase after the frogs, you know. They're very slippery." When the other patted his head, Eros stopped for a moment. And on instinct he nuzzled up against the touch before they kept walking. Giggling all the while as they went. "Oh- wait...that sounds very silly to me, though. Why should I need a little bauble to show that I can manipulate the powers of the earth?" Though, he tilted his head and thought it over a bit more. "Are the humans um- afraid if they see things like that? I don't want to scare them...so maybe I should get a glass bauble too."

[muses-of-teyvat]

"I like to ask." He mumbles, not really arguing, but feeling the need to explain. The lessons are important and he likes to learn. Loves it. Loves their time together. But dreary days full of rain are just that -- very dreary, indeed. A small nod is given in response as he shifts so that he can look up at the other from just under his arm now. "Yes please...can I lay in your lap while you read to me?"

Zhongli lowers his head so he can peer down at him, smiling fondly. Being a mentor to Eros has given him something he didn't know he was missing in his retirement - even though his employer in his human job has been teasing him more and more about how many days he simply takes off work to make time for their lessons now. He wouldn't have it any other way. "There is nothing better than cuddling on a rainy day, is there?" he asks, and allows his horns to reappear atop his head in a shower of golden lights as well. "We shall have some particularly comforting tea."

[muses-of-teyvat]

The tiny dragon has come to curl himself around Zhongli from behind, just resting his head between the other's shoulder blades as he stands on the tips of his toes. "Mr. Zhongli? Can we just have a quiet day? The rain makes me feel very tired..."

Zhongli goes perfectly still, in a way a human would not be able to, to allow Eros to lean against him without danger of tipping over. He cannot reach him with his arms in this position, but with a moment of focus, his tail curls out from under his coat instead, and he uses that to wrap around the small dragon's waist. "You can rest whenever you like, you do not need my permission. Would you like me to read to you, then, rather than doing our usual reading lessons?"

[muses-of-teyvat]

going insane with lore brain

how... how many?

this is such a fascinating history lore drop/confirmation of a lot we didn't have solid proof of so far

[muses-of-teyvat]

Happy Birthday, Wriothesley!

So eager to summon me to the Pankration Ring, are you planning to show off the results of your recent training?

Hold on, just a second. All contestants must thoroughly check their gear before the match begins.

This coat... Hmm, best leave it in the spectator stands. Who knows, by the time we're done, it might end up with some more stickers.

How many do you think there'll be? Care to make a wager?

[muses-of-teyvat]

"Not at all," Nahida assured. Technically, this place never locked down for the night, even if strangers weren't supposed to be able to walk in without thorough examination first. Since the Sages had held control over the Akademiya, a lot of the regulations had been gradually loosened, but paperwork was still required so everything could be kept in order. Some of the staff would joke that all the bureaucracy was left in place only so they could keep their jobs, but they all knew that it was a safety concern above all. As much as Nahida wanted to offer knowledge freely to all who came searching for it, she'd seen time and time again how dangerous the wrong book or wrong capsule was in the hands of those who wanted to cause harm. Or even just those who didn't know how to tread carefully with what they had been granted.

But those types tended to get nervous upon being caught, and Nahida sensed none of that now. More than that, the stranger felt like something else entirely. And curiosity wanted to be indulged. A set of steps of light and curling vines appeared and allowed Nahida to hop up and sit beside the mysterious non-human person. "You're very casual about sneaking past the guards. They couldn't cause any trouble for you even if they tried, could they?" That was something Cyno would be displeased to hear, and Nahida would have to break the news gently tomorrow.

Dangling her legs off the little platform she'd created for herself, she mulled over what she'd already learned. There were few things in this world that were truly ever news to her, and the existence of other realities was not one of them, and yet, this was significant. "Is there a reason you chose this version to visit? And will you be able to leave as easily as you came? A good friend of mine had no issue entering, but has been stuck unable to leave ever since then."

Arevs, don't concern yourself with those snobby scholars! It will do you no good! In another life, the young Tayvetian Samvel Aram had heard nothing but ill of the Akademiya scholars, those jungle-dwellers who looked down their noses at the Eremites who lived freely and liberated within the deserts and oases. Samvel had never cared much, as they lived in ivory towers far away from the world and the young Sumerian was happy with his simple life within Aaru Village.

If only they could see where he was now, alive when they weren't, knowing more than they ever could.

Yet, as he absently traced the leathery spines of the thousands of books contained in one towering bookshelf, the presence of the Dendro Archon drew a soft scoff from the Memokeeper, but it wasn't derisive. Kusanali in his world had been more mature, almost a spitting image of her past life, Rukkhadevata.

"Lord Kusanali, I'm not intruding, am I?" he teased the young Archon indulgently. "I mean, technically, I shouldn't even be here... Those Mahamatra would've been on my ass in two seconds... if they could see me. But, they can't, so it's fine." He turned away from the tomes and inclined his head.

"Not really. I'm just... reminiscing. Been awhile since I've been in Teyvat, just... not this one."

[muses-of-teyvat]

@remembranced radish for you

It was rare for Nahida to be wandering around late at night, considering she preferred to spend the time most everyone was asleep traveling through their dreams. She considered it part of her duty as an Archon as well, to soothe some of the worst nightmares and share in their simple joys.

But tonight, she'd taken some advice and sought out peace and quiet to think, walking through the echoing halls of the House of Daena, her eyes glowing faintly in the dark as she did not need to bother with a light.

She wouldn't have been surprised to find a scholar or two still awake and researching even at this hour... but what was surprising was the fact that this person was floating next to one of the taller bookshelves. And... giving off an energy she could not quite place immediately.

Nahida frowned up at them curiously. "Are you looking for a specific book?"

[muses-of-teyvat]

i sometimes feel like i make Zhongli talk too much, and then i have to remind myself that this is Zhongli, who will dump an entire book's worth of fun facts and observations on people at any given time

and, really, this level of eloquence and educated speech is what makes him so reminiscent of an Ancient Chinese scholar (and ruler!)

if he didn't spout poetic similes about the silkflower trade, Rex Lapis wouldn't have been nearly as revered as an Archon (and, on a meta level, he wouldn't have carried the necessary gravitas especially Chinese audiences would expect from what he symbolizes as a character)

[muses-of-teyvat]

Ah, yes. Zhongli talking for a real long time sounded par for the course. When Ajax had first met him, he'd barely gotten a sentence in during their initial tour of Liyue Harbor, the old archon all too happy to share a flood of facts and anecdotes. It had made more sense, in retrospect, how much he loved his nation, and Ajax had never minded learning. One could gain many advantages just from listening, usually more than from chatting away without thought.

"... it wasn't there before?" Liyue Harbor was old. The oldest still inhabited city in the world, in fact. Shoi-Ming had been asleep since at least the Archon War? "It is pretty impressive," he agreed, "The trade capital of the world. You can sit at the docks for a day and meet people from all seven nations without ever moving from your spot."

To be fair, it wasn't like he had any frame of reference for those actions. He'd only woken up after that had all been dealt with, after all. And besides that, he'd be able to tell if someone was bad, right? That's what he liked to think. That if there was anyone who was a threat to him, he'd know. And most of the people he'd encountered didn't seem that way. Even Zhongli who was so strong Eros could sense it had been polite and even took him under his wing. And that had been his first interaction after waking up! So surely other people had to be similar enough, right?

Besides that, this was just a mortal! What could a mortal do to him anyway? His tail began to wag as the other spoke, though. "Yeah! Mr. Zhongli! When I woke up, he talked to me for a real long time and took me to the Harbor! I was like woah! Cuz- cuz that wasn't there when I was awake before, nope. He said that the mortals built that! And the floaty thing in the sky, too! Isn't that cool?" Knowing that Childe knew Zhongli made him feel even better about him, honestly. To the smaller, the former archon was an excellent judge of character!

[muses-of-teyvat]

first impressions matter a collection of meet cutes and meet uglys from yours truly. (add a “swap” to swap the sender/receiver in the prompt (or just do it manually).)

ankle, sender twists their ankle and stumbles forward, coincidentally falling into receiver's arms.

bark, a dog barks loudly, making sender jump and send their phone flying into receiver's face.

chips, sender and receiver both reach for the last bag of chips in the grocery store, their fingers touching by accident.

drink, sender chokes on their drink and ends up spitting it out all over receiver as they walk past.

emergency, in the middle of an awkward blind date, sender pretends to be receiver's friend and helps them get out of the date by faking an emergency.

french, sender pretends they can only speak french to get out of giving a stranger directions. receiver is a witness.

gift, sender is about to get scammed into overpaying for something before receiver steps in to help (and haggle).

hair, sender gets something they're wearing caught in receiver's hair and ends up yanking a chunk of it out when attempting to separate.

ice, sender is ice skating for the first time and skates uncontrollably in receiver's direction.

jail, sender and receiver are both thrown into the same holding cell at a police station.

kid, sender loses a child that they're caring for, only to end up finding them in receiver's company.

lock, sender crashes their ex's wedding, and receiver, a bridesmaid / groomsman, locks them both in the bathroom to prevent sender making a scene.

match, sender and receiver both end up being sat at the same table in a full restaurant.

nauseous, sender is drunk, and while receiver is attempting to help them, ends up throwing up all over receiver's shoes.

oops, sender is carrying a bag full of groceries that ends up breaking. receiver helps them pick their groceries back up.

plug, receiver walks into the bathroom to find sender stuffing tissues up their nose in an attempt to plug up a nosebleed.

quarter, sender doesn't have enough coins for the vending machine, so they stick their hand up the flap and gets their arm stuck just as receiver approaches.

rain, sender and receiver both get stuck under the same awning when seeking shelter from sudden rain.

shh, sender and receiver are both sitting beside each other at the movies. sender keeps whispering to themself every few minutes.

tooth, sender accidentally bites down too hard on their food, resulting in a tooth falling out and skittering across the floor to land at receiver's feet.

undone, the laces on sender's shoes ends up coming undone and they trip and fall, bringing receiver down with them and into the fountain beside them.

vacation, there's a problem with the booking of sender and receiver's hotel rooms and they end up having to share one. thankfully there are two beds.

woods, sender and receiver bump into each other in the woods. one of them is holding a shovel.

x-rated, in a bookstore, sender accidentally drops a few of the erotic books they were planning on purchasing on the floor, which receiver picks up.

yawn, sender, who is dressed down and has not yet slept, bumps into receiver, who is dressed up and just woken up, in line for coffee.

zap, sender calls out to receiver to ask for directions, but as it's late receiver mistakes sender for a creep and tases them.

[muses-of-teyvat]

"And yet you are a wise and compassionate leader now. It takes a rare sort of person to pass through the fires of war and emerge with those qualities still intact. That is deserving of at least a little flattery, if you will indulge an old veteran." He is teasing, ever so gently, but there is nothing but truth in his words.

Perhaps he is speaking with a little too much familiarity, or brushing too quickly over pleasantries to get to true depth in their conversation, but that is merely force of habit. In Liyue, Zhongli still quite often soothes the worries of the people, and gives praise and support when they most need it, even if they are unaware of his identity. He cannot sense Jing Yuan's desires the same way, and will never receive a prayer from him, and yet, he falls into familiar patterns anyhow.

He is quite happy to have a chance at answers through a pleasant chat, rather than digging through databases. It's... still unusual for him to work with digitized data, although he was familiar with the Akasha system when it was still functional. His eyes always feel strained when reading on screens. Learning through conversations is much more natural, and he will be able to get Jing Yuan's own thoughts on things, which will be interesting in itself. "I have nothing but time," he assures with a smile. Retirement is kind like that. And he did take time off his actual job for this trip. "And I've brought tea from my home to share with potential new friends."

The General chuckles. "No need for flattery my good fellow. My days of flashy heroics were a long time ago."

That was not entirely the truth but only the Astral Express crew could prove otherwise for that so Jing Yuan would just not mention it.

The more then stranger spoke, the more Jing Yuan wondered what the home planet was of the peculiar person before him.

"There is likely a very long line of people who would like to speak to the Permanence, you would likely have to join the end of that queue," he jokes.

Zhongli blew right past the issue of trespassing, and while a bit annoyed Jing Yuan would let it lie for now given that the other had caused no damage to the site.

"Should you have time to kill, I can try and curb your curiosity with what I do know. I used to be close friends with one."