An Adeptus' Last Wish- Zhongchi fic
(21/30)
More chapters here! <33
Summary-
After the Gnosis incident, Childe decides to take a much-needed break away from Zhongli.
However, how was he supposed to react, when all of a sudden Lumine showed up outside his apartment sounding terribly mortified, "Childe......Zhongli.......Zhongli....is in grave danger."
Of course, he was going to do anything to help the dying man.
Sure, he still felt a lot of contempt for him, after what he did, but his heart still loved him.....
But, what he hadn't expected was the sudden wisp of golden light that somehow transported him during the times of the Archon War?!
What the FUCK?!
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Chapter 21: Passionate Confessions, Hurtful Truths and a Bitter War. Pt. 1
Ajax woke up an hour later, after he heard an insistent knocking at the front of Morax’s abode.
He initially sought to ignore it, as he felt the lazy afternoon take a hold of him, and the calling of slumber lure him in.
However, as the knocking became harder, louder, and ultimately difficult to ignore, he decided that he would not be in his half-dazed state for much longer.
He groaned, not wanting to wake up as he gripped at Morax in his arms tightly, wanting to relish the warmth from the man’s body.
Even if he was cold blood (although, Morax had said that he was not coldblooded but in fact required a bit more time to warm up), when he warmed up, he felt like his own personal heater.
Like a warm fireplace, that crackled and sparked every now and then, giving way to magic and wonderment and sweet, sweet warmth.
The warmth of Morax’s body was tempting, and if he knew that it would be a day off…he would certainly not open it….he knew that he had to.
He sighed, yawning before he blinked his eyes open until things were no longer blurry around him.
Ajax gingerly removed his hands, which were around Morax, and huffed a laugh when he felt Morax grip at his own waist tightly.
As if the God also did not want to let go of Ajax in the sleepy state he was in.
He paused and admired the way Morax looked so beautiful while sleeping, his tan skin giving way to a beautiful glow in the small bit of light that seeped through the cracks of his domain entrance.
And the way he looked so peaceful and calm, reminding Ajax of the man he would become in a few hundred years. A man who could effortlessly charm all of the aunties and uncles with his wit, intelligence and decadence.
Heaven knows how much Ajax had heard the aunties down by the streets of Liyue gush and talk endlessly about how much of a gentleman Zhongli was, and how much they all wanted him either for themselves or for their daughters.
He was truly a prize catch, and Ajax was delighted (and pleased) at having caught the attention of such an esteemed and desired man.
Such a sought after beauty, that was kind but ultimately indifferent towards others advances, but not Ajax’s.
He had managed to catch the God’s attention…. how ….he didn’t know.
Actually, now that he thought about it, he truly never asked Zhongli when Ajax had managed to catch his attention.
Was it when they first met?
Was it during one of their lunch dates?
Was it down by the beaches of Liyue?
Was it inside of his apartment?
Just another question to be added to the long list to ask the man, once he saw him again.
A long list that he added onto every day, more mysteries than answers, more things that he itched to have answered.
But, he would have to be patient….even if it went against his own nature to do so.
He sighed as he looked back at Morax, studying every single slope and curve of his face, admiring how beautiful it was, and how Ajax had never seen such a fine specimen as Morax.
Sure, he had seen some physically beautiful people in his lifetime.
People that caused everyone to gawk and stare at their exquisite beauty, however, even then, Childe had never seen them as anything but just another pedestrian.
Even when they attempted to flirt with him, or even when they engaged him in conversation.
He did not blink an eye, not at all.
Because his only motivation at the time was following the Tsaritsa’s orders, and growing stronger.
So he did not have time to really study them and see exactly where their beauty lay.
But even so, Zhongli was such a radiant man, drawing people into him, even if they were somewhat unsure of what he would be like. They were drawn to him, because of his intelligence, kindness, outer and inner beauty and his adorable cluelessness.
He studied Morax’s face and chuckled when he saw the slight bed hair that had developed as a result from sleep.
But even with the slightly out of place hair, the man still managed to look so eloquent, so ethereal.
Celestia….he really loves the man…doesn’t he?
He’s too far gone in his love for Morax to be saved.
Surely his Tsaritsa would think it to be absurd if she were to find out that the man he had fallen in love with so deeply was none other than one of the 7, and on top of that, he was the oldest and strongest one.....
She would most likely faint, or her eye would slightly twitch as she rubbed her temples and attempted to make sense of the sight before her.
Her 11th had fallen in love with Morax, The Geo Archon, her (sort of) opponent.
It would surely be ridiculous to her.
It would be simply preposterous to think of such a notion, to think of such a strange possibility.
He chuckled and attempted to pull himself free from the man’s grasp, laughing when he felt him drag him back by his waist.
But this time he really needed to get up.
Whoever was at the door sounded positively enraged if not irritated. And even if the barrier muffled the voice of people, he knew how an irritated person sounded and well…..this person certainly did sound just like that.
He wriggled out of his grasp and finally managed to pull himself free from the man’s grasp, as he had replaced himself for the god’s own clothing.
And he felt himself grow fond of the way the god grasped at his own clothing, and buried his face inside of the warm cloth.
Ajax quickly put on his innermost layer of clothes before he slipped on a pair of white undergarments that acted more like shorts with the way they reached to his thigh before he went towards the door to see who it was that was disrupting their sweet sleep.
He hastily undid the barrier, focusing his energy onto the seal until it came undone.
A puff of gold glitter sparkled and flew into little clouds, like rays of sunlight.
And before him stood…an annoyed Cloud Retainer and a panicked Guizhong.
And that’s when he knew .
That his burial would come early.
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Guizhong had been training with the little ones all morning, smiling at the way they seemed to catch on quickly; reminding him of the way A-Qiu had been.
He had always been quite the rascal, quite the rambunctious kid during his formative years. Always looking for adventure in every corner, even if there wasn’t really one in the first place.
But she swears, that kid would truly always make something out of nothing.
Quite the firecracker in fact that Guizhong was not surprised when he became a sell’s man of the product years later.
And even if he was gone, it still seemed as if she found him in every corner, in every person she encountered and in the very flowers she herself carefully cultivated.
A sense of sad nostalgia washed over her as she saw Bosacius enthusiastically use his mace with the energy of a thousand suns, attempting to do his best to use it despite the fact that it was heavier than he was. He was always getting scolded by Cloud Retainer for his over eagerness and shenanigans.
Guizhong grew fond of him fairly quickly….she guessed she had a soft spot for kids that are prone to trouble.
She found that most times those loudmouthed and stupidly brave kids were really the ones who needed the most attention, needed the right guidance and love.
Although, now that she thought about it all of them needed love and attention, just in different ways.
Menogias seemed to be the one who followed directions the best, always serious and respectful that kid was. Always keen to bow and use formalities with his elders, it was no surprise that Cloud Retainer had become especially fond of him. And Guizhong was thoroughly impressed with the way he wielded his sword, being sloppy in his movements and yet very meticulous with each and every strike.
She always did like the more well-behaved ones…which is probably why she always favored A-Ping so much.
But Guizhong knew that she had even started to develop a soft-spot for Bosacius and Indarias.
Indarias was bright and just as eager to learn, however she was not as reckless as Bosacius was.
Instead she was more calculated in her strikes, as she meticulously brought down her broadsword onto the training puppets. She was a joy to have around, and very smart as well. Guizhong would make sure to take her under her own wing, as she had seen the girl occasionally dart her eyes to some of the blueprints Guizhong had brought along, a familiar glitter for knowledge in her eyes as she looked at it.
She would certainly be a genius inventor, if Guizhong would teach her. And well….she might even be better than Guizhong, more creative.
Guizhong was sure of it.
Bonanus was quiet but mischievous, always sneaking up and scaring the others. And she was quite the prodigy with her own right, with the way she would use her bow with ease.
And well, something about the way she used it, gave Guizhong the impression that she had been taught it previously, but out of respect for the girl, she did not say anything and let it slide.
Xiao was the last of them, and although he was quite the quiet and guarded child, merely nodding or shaking his head whenever anything was said to him, he was quite good at using his spear.
And out of all of them, he seemed to take their guidance very seriously, staring at how they would use a certain weapon and copying them carefully. But, it soon became evident that he was the fastest to strike, cleaning out the training targets in a few seconds. So, it was no surprise he took a liking to the spear, as it gave him a more versatile range of attacks.
Unlike the other weapons that had a limited amount of varied attacks and blocks.
However, even if the kids got a hold of their respective weapons, they still were by no means a master at wielding their weapons.
Not at all.
And so, Guizhong and Cloud Retainer were there, as well as Sky Bracer to guide the kids in using their weapons and learning how to be versatile in case their own weapon was ripped out of their hands.
Guizhong had been the one to retrieve each of the kids, and was delighted to see that they had already woken up for their training sessions.
And she was happy to see that they had slowly started to talk to one another, in a more close manner than before.
And she was certain that in a few more years, or perhaps even months, they would surely become as close as family.
And she hoped they would also consider them to be their family eventually as well.
Then, afterwards, they made their way to a clear spot near a small river, where Cloud Retainer was waiting impatiently, red glasses perched on her nose.
Next to her was Sky Bracer who gave them all a well-mannered smile, looking as calm as ever, even if Guizhong could tell there was a twinge of sadness pulling away at his expression.
…Guizhong felt for Sky Bracer, she really did….however, she knew that she could not force her shidi to like him back.
She could not do such a thing, and would not dare to.
But, either way, she still felt bad for him, as she could not imagine having someone so good and someone that you love so much being ripped away from you before you had the chance to say anything.
She sighed and felt exasperated as she saw Cloud Retainer begin to line them up, making them follow the movements of their routine.
Whenever they trained, they always followed this routine.
It was instilled and changed throughout the many years, as new ideas and concepts were thought of by the humans or by adepti.
And it effectively attacked all of the traits that were suited for a warrior: Balance, Mobility, Speed, Energy, Resistance, Flexibility, Defense, and Offense.
The kids joined in with them, doing their best to clumsily follow their movements, stiff as a rock.
Guizhong was almost reminded of when her shidi had attempted the routine at first, and even though he was highly flexible in his lower regions, he was quite stiff even then.
Cloud Retainer who had been practising Tai-chi was moving like water, graceful yet sharp, and it was a beautiful sight to say the least.
And well, even if Guizhong had gotten better at it, she was nowhere near the level Cloud Retainer or even A-Ping were.
But, she guessed that had to do with the beautiful control the both of them had over their bodies, moving any body part however they pleased, and well, besides that, it could also be because they meditate so often….something that Guizhong often forgets to do (mostly because she is always in charge of managing relations with the humans, devising new inventions, drawing up new blueprints, and dealing with her own turmoil about what’s about to happen…).
But, regardless, she chuckled slightly when she saw how Cloud Retainer scolded them all, kicking at one of their legs when they changed their stance, “Too high, go lower.”
And, “Straighten your back, shoulders back.”
And, “Too wide, too stiff.”
Etcetera, Etcetera .
And well…all of the kids looked utterly terrified as she approached them, looking concerned about what harsh critique she would give them.
It was so amusing, until Cloud Retainer approached her and kicked her back leg, “Straighten your leg.”
After that, Sky Bracer led them up to see if they could balance two pails of water up and down the mountain without spilling a drop.
Of course, they all failed in one way or another, but Sky Bracer smiled at them and let them have a break (which they highly appreciated).
Then, afterwards, Guizhong led them to a spot where there were many different training dummies and targets, as well as a variety of weapons made of different materials.
Guizhong did not doubt that they were stronger than they looked, not at all. However, she still thought it wise to give them weapons that were made of much lighter material, to not tire them out as much until they had built more strength and then move them to a much denser and heavier type of weapon.
So, from then on, they settled on wooden weapons, fairly heavy but not overbearing for them.
As the afternoon carried on, they carefully guided the children and advised them on their blocks and form. And soon enough, they were done for the afternoon.
The kids all looked like they had gotten run over by a giant boar, with the way they walked ever so slowly, most likely sore from the exercise.
Guizhong cooed at them and patted their heads, reassuring them that they would get to sleep the rest of the afternoon if they so pleased, as Bosacius and Indarias groaned and complained at the pain in their limbs.
Cloud Retainer had sent them both glares as she lightly pecked at their heads, “Insolent brats!! You should all be thankful that one was benevolent enough to grant you the rest of the afternoon off!! If this was a regular training day, one would have trained you until you could no longer stand up! Count your blessings for now, brats!”
Indarias and Bosacius both groaned but did not say anything else, as Cloud Retainer guided them towards her abode, which now served as a small apothecary. Menogias huffed a sigh, having grown accustomed to their complaints as he walked behind them. Bonanus merely laughed as she clung onto Indarias and reassured her that the pain in her limbs would soon subside. All while Xiao followed them quietly, not saying a word, but looking at the rest of them with a growing curiosity and annoyance, with a frown sprawled on his face.
The poor boy had grown attached to her poor shidi and was most likely wanting to go back to spending time with Ajax.
He was growing attached to the hip to her shidi and whilst it was endearing to see, even Guizhong knew that it was unhealthy for him to solely depend on Ajax and not on his other teammates.
And Guizhong laughed as she followed them, and as Sky Bracer bowed curtly to them and left to take care of his own duties.
Inside, Cloud Retainer would lay out her various ointments, medicine, and other materials as she ordered them to sit down.
Menogias was first up, and he remained still, merely wincing as Cloud Retainer applied the salve and bandages around his sore limbs. And afterwards, he thanked her, giving a short bow before Cloud Retainer gave him a short pat, muttering something about how proud she was of her filial disciple.
However, her good mood was dampened as Bosacius was next.
Cloud Retainer told Bosacius to stop whining as she applied the cooling salve on his sore arms and legs, wrapping bandages around them as he groaned at how sore they were.
Cloud Retainer merely huffed as she stuffed his mouth filled with pain killer and sent him on his way to a chuckling Menogias who merely told him, “If you were not as impatient whilst Shigu was applying the ointment, she would have been kinder towards you.”
Bosacius merely huffed as he leaned against Menogias, putting his head against the crook of Menogias neck as he patted his head, smiling fondly whilst doing so.
Something about them….reminded Guizhong of how her own Shizun and Shidi would eventually act, in years to come.
Indarias was next as she was less impatient (most likely not complaining due to how Bosacius was treated) as she only howled with pain as Cloud Retainer wrapped her own legs, and she was given the medicine in a more gentle manner.
Bonanus was next, asking about Cloud Retainer’s day, seeming a bit more talkative than the rest. Cloud Retainer merely smiled as she patted her head and replied that her day was going pretty well, and then she was off.
Indarias similarly complained about the pain in her arms, to a smiling Bonanus as she was led towards the garden that Cloud Retainer so painstakingly cared for…..Guizhong had a feeling that her intentions were not so pure as her mischievous smile was all that Guizhong needed to confirm her suspicions.
The girl would most likely make flower crowns out of Cloud Retainer’s collection of flowers, which would most likely result in her getting scolded by Cloud Retainer who would most likely make her replant her plants as punishment.
Afterwards, was young Xiao which Cloud Retainer had taken extra care of, knowing how fragile the boy was, how easily he would fall apart, and she gave him a longer pat than the rest of them, knowing how hard it was for the boy to become accustomed of having a home to come back to after a harsh day.
A home where he was welcome, fed, clothed, accepted, and loved.
Guizhong carried the young boy back to Ajax’s house, knocking on the door of the adeptus, and noticing the lack of response that followed.
Before she assumed the worst, she led herself in, noticing that the door had been left open.
She went inside, calling out for her shidi.
When she heard no response, she looked everywhere around the house and even outside near the hot springs, to find no trace of her shidi.
…..Oh!!
It suddenly clicked for her.
He was most likely with Morax.
But why?
…..
……
….oh…..
Oh no…
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She put Xiao down on the bed, chuckling when she saw that he was already fast asleep, and luckily for her, he remained that way as he snuggled into the soft blankets.
She quietly closed the door, and locked it (with the spare key underneath one of the flower pots outside the house that Cloud Retainer had sent over, after proclaiming that Ajax’s house looked so painfully bare from the outside).
The pot was made out of clay, which she had made herself, with small glaze lilies blooming and winking at her. They were smaller than the usual glaze lilies she made, bright red with yellow stamens and merely an inch wide and small in length as well, she had them made them specifically for her shidi shortly after he appeared by the mountain.
She smiled at them and glittered some dust over them, coating them and prolonging their life a bit more.
The flowers immediately perked up, tall and strong.
She giggled, it seemed like flowers, just as any living being, required proper love and attention to thrive.
She paid no more attention to the small flowers and instead hurried over to Morax’s domain, hoping and pleading that Cloud Retainer had not made her way over there.
Because from what she remembered, Cloud Retainer had talked to Morax about meeting up with him after the kids were done training to further discuss what their next plans would be with the other gods and about the possible permanent alliance they could strike up between them.
A contract.
But, now Ajax was missing from his own house, and was presumably at Morax’s….
Guizhong was not oblivious, okay?
She knew what it could mean, what it implied.
And she hoped and prayed that Cloud Retainer had not forced the abode open and found her disciple laying naked with her Lord….
And she further hoped that they were done….copulating and were merely basking in the afterglow of everything before she barged in and had a heart attack.
Thankfully, when she arrived there, Cloud Retainer was still impatiently knocking at the door, not forcibly opening it….just yet.
She let out a sigh as she made her way to Cloud Retainer and said, “Shigu! I….don’t think you want to go in there right now….”
Cloud Retainer whipped around, in her human form as she crossed her arms and frowned, glasses on top of her hair, “And why would that be?”
Guizhong felt her panicked state intensify as went in front of the door, “Um….Shizun is incredibly busy at the moment….he told me himself…earlier. It’s very urgent, and I need you to look at my new blueprints, they are a way to improve the-”
Cloud Retainer sighed, raising an eyebrow, “One does not have time for these shenanigans of yours.”
Guizhong shook her head, “No! They are really not shenanigans, I just really need you to look at these right now, I require your insight, Shigu.”
She had always been a terrible liar, so it was no doubt Cloud Retainer could see through her facade as she frowned, “When have you ever required one's insight? From what one remembers, you have always gone through with your designs, even if one doubted them….Furthermore, if you really require my assistance, then you can wait your turn. For now, one must discuss further matters with Our Lord. Please leave your shenanigans out of this, Lady Guizhong.”
She huffed and then shoved Guizhong out of the way as she kept knocking, more incessantly this time.
Guizhong felt the hairs on her arm stand up at this and she gripped at Cloud Retainer’s sleeves to prevent her from seeing what she was about to find, when the barrier started to become undone.
She felt her soul get ripped out of her body, when she saw a dazed looking Ajax staring at them in confusion.
His state was nothing short of an indicator at what he had done.
His auburn hair was messy, his eyes puffy and red-rimmed, his neck was covered in bite marks that were in the shape of long fangs, and red marks that trailed down his body….he looked like he had been mauled by several rift wolves, simultaneously.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, he wore his innermost layers and undergarments, which meant that Guizhong could see the poor state of his thighs and legs….and if she wasn’t taken aback…now she was.
It seemed as if Morax’s prowess in battle made its way in bed as well….
And well…
Cloud Retainer truly did look like she was having a heart attack with the way her eyes nearly bulged out of her eye sockets and her mouth gaped like a fish.
Ajax flushed like a Jueyun chili as she stared at them, the full reality of who was at the door washing over him like cold water.
He instinctively covered his neck and thighs with his hands and looked extremely embarrassed.
“Uh…I…umm….good afternoon…. Da-yi….Shijie…” He said, looking bashful.
Guizhong offered him an awkward smile and a wave, and she could sense how Cloud Retainer’s eyes glowed with annoyance and ire….
_______________________
Cloud Retainer marched into her Lord’s abode, looking twice as annoyed when she spotted the God lazily dozing off into the sheets, looking as peaceful as ever.
In a flash, she harshly shook him, as the confused God blinked his eyes open to see Cloud Retainer looming over him, with a glare.
He got up passively, and Ajax thanked the Heaven’s above that Morax had the common decency to put on at least undergarments before he went to bed.
The God’s neck was in a similar state, but was considerably less worse than Ajax, who looked like he got mauled by vicious rift wolves.
But, the long scratches on his back were an indicator enough that what they had done was not a fight…at all.
Cloud Retainer’s eye twitched as she yelled at the dragon, “You….Sly dragon!! One was waiting to discuss the matters further, and here you are, copulating and fooling around with one’s own disciple! How insolent! How preposterous!”
Morax did not say anything, merely blinking at her words, causing her to huff and send a look towards Ajax, which thoroughly exuded judgment.
“And you!”
Ajax twitched, feeling his embarrassment grow, “Y-yes…Shigu…?”
“You, insolent brat!! Come to see me after you’ve straightened yourself out and bathed, to heal up those puncture wounds of yours!”
Ah….
And with that, she stormed out, leaving a frazzled Morax, a confused Ajax and a mortified Guizhong following after Cloud Retainer.
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After he had done what she had told him, he walked to her abode, only to find her waiting ominously at her desk, with a nervous looking Guizhong leaning against one of the walls….most likely there to prevent Cloud Retainer from releasing her wrath upon him.
He gulped.
He had not expected for her to find out about their relationship in such an embarrassing manner.
Cloud Retainer pointed to the table, where he began to take off his clothes, and scarf (which he had put around his neck, because he didn’t want any judgmental and embarrassed stares directed his way from the people that lived in Qingce Village who were out and about).
But, as he took off his scarf, he heard a conjoined gasp.
…what?
He turned around, confused as to why Cloud Retainer and Guizhong were staring at him with such surprised and shocked expressions, “....What is it?”
Another moment of silence passed, as Guizhong was the first to speak up, “.....You…don’t know…”
Know what?
He shook his head, earning an exasperated look from Guizhong and a Cloud Retainer who looked like she was about to pass out.
Guizhong’s own cheeks had grown slightly pink as she withdrew a hand mirror, and gave it to him, pointing to the nape of his neck.
Ajax was confused, but complied as he took the mirror and started to guide it to the back of his neck, nearly fainting when he saw a giant mark on the back of his neck.
It was a Geo Sigil.
And it was gold, almost like a tattoo, and it even glowed occasionally, pulsating almost as if it was an organ...
It seemed as if the Geo Archon had marked him with his sigil...so that was the strange pulsating he felt like night on the back of his neck….ah…
It seemed this version of Morax was more possessive, either that or Zhongli had never placed his own on him because that way he would know without a doubt that the man was the Geo Archon.
And something in Ajax’s stomach twitched with excitement at the prospect of the Funeral Consultant feeling the urge to mark him permanently but restraining himself from doing so.
Cloud Retainer sighed, looking as if she was over them, “Sly dragon…one should have seen this coming…..now then, stay still while one bandages up those terrifying wounds.”
He huffed a laugh, but complied.
What resulted was the indignant cries of mortification that followed as Cloud Retainer came face to face with the lust of a God.
His body was bruised all over, bitten (and the wounds were still lazily seeping blood), and given his pale skin, the sight of it looked worse in their eyes.
And Ajax particularly winced when Cloud Retainer and Guizhong came face-to-face with two hand-shaped bruises on either side of his hips….
Cloud Retainer finally spoke up, pushing up her glasses as she inspected his wounds, “Celestia above! Have you been mauled by a thousand rift-wolves?! Just what in the world is this? This is simply preposterous! Your body has just begun to heal up from your previous battles, it is no good to overexert yourself…That sly dragon has gone overboard in his pursuits…”
Guizhong, however, took on a different approach as she grinned at him, and wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, “It seems as if Our Lord had taken quite the liking to you, saucy little minx!...Going as far as staking his claim like a madman on my poor shidi….”
Cloud Retainer sent her a glare, as she inspected his body and merely had a heart-attack when she noticed the poorer state his lower half was in.
He knew it was purely medical but something about the way Cloud Retainer carefully inspected his lower nether regions certainly made him uncomfortable.
Luckily however, Guizhong had found it in herself to spare him, by exiting the room when Cloud Retainer began to inspect his lower half.
When she was done, she handed him a bottle of heavy pain killer, ointment that served as a muscle relaxer, healing salve, and another salve which could be applied for internal injuries.
And Cloud Retainer lectured him about doing such an act in appropriate amounts, and whispered low scathing words about how she would talk to Morax about lessening the blow to his body.
Because according to her, ‘It was a horrifying sight! ’ and ‘One has never seen such a terrifying thing before in one's entire lifetime!’
Ajax was just glad she appeared to accept their relationship, and was more preoccupied on the fact that the dragon had gone overboard with Ajax.
Ajax was happy, and glad to know Cloud Retainer had accepted them.
Even if she found out in such an embarrassing way.
_______________________
Guizhong accompanied him back to Morax’s abode, striking up a conversation as they went down the mountain, “So….it seems like you and Shizun…really made up…”
He groaned, burying his face in his arms, “..Shijie!~ Don’t say it like that!”
Guizhong merely laughed, “What? I’m not wrong, am I?”
He continued to groan in her arms, as he walked beside her, “Yeah…but either way, it's embarrassing!”
She laughed as she wrapped an arm around him, patting his shoulder reassuringly, “…fine, I’ll stop teasing. But seriously, I’m glad that you have managed to finally get together. I was getting tired of seeing you both run in circles around each other…It was becoming quite the headache.”
He sighed, taking his hands off his face as he grinned,“....Yeah, say what you want, shijie! However, we got our shit together, and I don’t see you getting yours together…”
Her hand stiffened on his shoulder, and something in the air seemed to change, becoming bitter.
He stopped in his tracks.
He had overstepped.
He looked towards Guizhong, who looked ashamed, and he patted her shoulder, “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…I was just teasing Shijie… ”
She shook her head, a smile replacing her frown, as she patted his hand, “Not to worry, shidi….I know…it’s just-” she ran a hand through her hair, before she said, “We are talking as normally, but I haven’t said anything…It seems as if I’m more of a coward than I thought.”
Ajax frowned at her self-deprecating tone, “Hey…I understand…trust me…it took me at least nearly 2 years to say anything…But….you should really set things straight with Madam Ping….rather than just leave things quiet.”
She nodded, “Yeah…I know…I was planning to tell her tonight…but I am still unsure if I should…”
Ajax pulled her into a small side-hug, “It’ll be fine, shijie…trust me…It will.”
She smiled at him, more honestly this time, “Thank you, shidi.”
_______________________
Morax was there waiting for them, looking as serious as ever, dressed impeccably, just like he had been during the day he had been when he had stated his predictions to the villagers in Qingce Village.
He had on that golden crown of his, with many tassels that moved and made wonderful sounds at any subtle movement of his head, and his hair was tied back presumably into a bun, with two pieces of hair at the front to frame his face. His red-eyeliner had been applied once more, and his robes were brown, and embroidered on them were dragons with golden thread.
He looked like an Emperor for fuck’s sake.
Ajax was so gone for him, it was almost laughable.
He turned to see them, as Guizhong rushed towards him and said, “ Aiyah! Morax!~ Looking so handsome in your new zhiju!! All of the people will surely swoon over you, Shizun.”
Morax frowned, as she leaned in closer and put a hand to his ear as she whispered, “Be careful not to make my poor shidi jealous, Morax.”
Morax merely huffed, “Outrageous...They should not think of me in such a way, as I have told you. And if they do, they will be tried for treason….”
Guizhong rolled her eyes and pouted, “Always so serious and proper!” She then turned to Ajax and sighed, “How do you put up with it, Shidi? ”
He laughed, before he went over to Morax and put a hand on his shoulder, “Simple, I make up for his seriousness…with this.”
He began to unbutton his shirt, seeing as Morax’s eye twitched at the sight of his marred freckled skin, on display for the entire world (which was now merely Guizhong).
Guizhong laughed, covering her eyes at such a sight in mock offense (as if she had not seen him starch naked before), “My, my, shidi!~ If I had know how much of a little fox you were, I would have not allowed Shizun to take you in! You are corrupting him with your charms, you Huili Jing!”
Ajax merely winked at her, “As if you wouldn’t have taken me in even if you knew I was a fox spirit.”
She grinned, shaking her head, “Yeah, I know…I guess I myself have been charmed by you,” she pretended to swoon as Ajax caught her.
She wiggled her eyes at him and he laughed, bringing her back up, before he whispered, “Careful, shijie. I’m afraid you’ll be on the receiving end of Shizun’s jealousy if you keep this up.”
Guizhong laughed, before she whispered, “As if that absurd possessive old dragon would ever try to displace his anger on me. And besides….I do not believe that I’ll be the one on the receiving end shidi,” she winked.
Celestia above!
It seemed as if her teasing had gotten worse,
He rolled his eyes at her, his cheeks going red, “It seems like I have rubbed off on you, Shijie…. And well…I can’t decide if I am flattered, or if I’m horrified.”
She grinned, “Definitely flattered.”
Morax’s eye twitched uncontrollably at the sight, and he wished for nothing more than to get to the meeting and leave those two by themselves. They were always such a mischievous bunch when they were put together, and it was always such a ridiculously and shameless sight.
He sighed, bringing a possessive grip around Ajax’s waist as he tugged him away from Guizhong.
Ajax yelped, but did not pull away as Guizhong winked at him.
His grip tightened, and he looked at Guizhong.
She seemed to get the message to leave them by themselves as she sent a mischievous smile to Ajax and said, “Well, then, I must leave to entertain those rambunctious children. See you both during dinner…..don’t fool around and be late to dinner, alright?”
Ajax groaned, and Morax merely hummed pleased that she would soon be leaving them alone once more.
_______________________
After she was gone, Morax pulled his headpiece off his head, placing it on this shelf before he pulled Ajax in before he had a chance to say anything, burying his face into the crook of his neck.
Ajax chuckled, as he relaxed into Morax and grounded himself with the man’s presence, “Hmm…it seems as if Da-yi and Shigu have found out….in less than appropriate circumstances.”
Morax merely hummed, unbothered by the way they found out, “Mn,” gripping at Ajax’s waist tighter, feeling pleased.
“.....You sly dragon…it’s almost as if you’re glad they know I’m yours now….”
Morax merely continued to hum, burying his face deeper into Ajax’s neck, pulling at he scarf and inhaling him in like a stick of lit incense, “Yes…mine….dearest treasure..”
So he didn’t mind being caught after, instead taking pleasure out of knowing that they now knew they were together.
That Ajax’s was his, and no one else's.
Ajax huffed, exasperated that he had ever fallen in love with such a possessive bastard, “What am I going to do with you, Morax…hmm?”
Morax didn’t say anything, as he gently bit at his neck, his hands trailing up Ajax’s back and onto his nape, tracing his mark and feeling the ridges of it on Ajax’s skin.
After a while of this, Ajax sighed, “....You should get rid of that rule of yours, Morax…We are together now…it goes against your contract.”
He had been considering talking to Morax about it, and well….this time was as good as any.
Morax hummed into his neck, “...Mnn….I will....my word is absolute..”
Ajax grinned at him, patting the top of Morax's freakishly soft locks, “Good…Now, you need to go to Da-yi’s abode, otherwise she’s going to become even angrier than she already is. And I certainly don’t want her pecking my head again….”
Morax huffed, and Ajax felt a slight puff of air against his neck, making him shiver as the man spoke up once more, “Mn…fine.”
Ajax chuckled at how grumpy the God was now and felt the urge to jump him intensify.
But he didn’t.
And saved that urge for much later.
For now, he pulled the man from his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
The man paused for a bit, taken aback from the kiss before he messily returned it.
It seemed as if Morax still had not gotten a hold of kissing yet, but that was to be expected after all from an inexperienced God, in matters of love.
Their kiss was chaste, but it was sweet.
A promise for things to come.
_______________________
Things carried on fairly sweet afterwards, as Morax made his way to Cloud Retainer’s domain to discuss and to join the festival they were having in the village.
Ajax had found it odd that the man was dressed so impeccably without any reason to do so, and had faintly figured that he was going to visit his people to tell them of his latest predictions and so forth.
But that was not the case at all.
It was to celebrate the Zhongqiu Jie.
Ajax would have missed that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it would have completely slipped his mind if not for Guizhong who slipped by to tell him to get ready for the festival.
He had gone to his house to fetch his vision and check on Xiao.
However, it seemed as if he did not need to worry about the brat, since he was peacefully asleep in the bed, dozing off and he appeared to be having a sweet dream.
And so, not wanting to wake up the kid, he merely patted his head, and wrote a small note, telling Xiao to come to dinner up Hulao mountain.
He had been planning on training the rest of the day, and perhaps making a dent of the local slime population, since Morax was most likely going to spend the rest of his day with Cloud Retainer.
And….considering how livid Cloud Retainer seemed, he guessed the poor Geo Archon would likely have to suffer an hour long scolding on how he should be going easy on Ajax’s body since he had just started to heal back up from his overexertion during battle.
And then after, she would most likely start to delve in deeper on what they should do with the number of Gods which were most likely starting to fall apart themselves, in their rage and hatred against humanity. And how they should probably strike up a contract with the other remaining Gods, to protect each other’s people in the event that another foreign God should attack them.
And he was just about to leave, vision strapped to his belt, when he heard a knock at his door.
When he opened it, he was surprised.
It was Guizhong.
But that wasn’t what took him by surprise, as he had become quite accustomed to her visits.
What took him by surprise was the fact the was dressed in a beautiful qiyao ruqun
It was unlike the other she had worn before, it was vibrant red, with white string embroidered on that depicted phoenixes that were in the middle of flying at the bottom of her billowing sleeves as well as the bottom of her skirt, as well as pearlescent white clouds of smoke around them, in elegant swirls.
The color of her undershirt went straight across in a horizontal line, and it too was detailed similarly at the middle of it with the same design. Not one string was out of place on her outfit, and it seemed as if she had gone to the teacher of a master tailor to get it embroidered, as Ajax had never seen such impeccable work ever before.
And to top it off, her hair was ostentatiously styled, at either side of her head was a bun, being held into place with silver hair pins that were in the shape of flowers that had small water-droplet like tassels, and in the back there was a braid, which was also held by a silver pin (although this one did not have tassels), with the leftover hair being combed out nicely.
She had on dazzling earrings, which were silver with small pearls encased and dangling off of them, that twinkled whenever the light hit them.
Her face was also beautifully done with makeup, as her lips were painted ever so slightly with red lipstick, eyes painted similarly with red eyeliner (but appeared softer than Morax’s), her forehead was painted with a small red flower, two dots at the corners of her mouth, and two small crescent shaped lines at the side of her eyes.
She looked beautiful, like the Goddess she was.
Otherworldly, like those paintings that Ajax had seen of the many Goddesses and Gods of Liyue’s history, drawn and painted nicely with the finest ink, used commonly in the temples that were around the area.
Or those traditional paintings that were now hung up in museums, that showed how people used to dress during the early years of Liyue’s conception.
Guizhong giggled at his reaction and twirled her dress around, “Do you like it shidi?”
Ajax snapped out of his trance and nodded, “Yeah, you look beautiful, shijie!”
Guzhong seemed to not expect such an earnest compliment as her cheeks slightly reddened and she grinned, “Thank you, shidi! You really know how to make a girl swoon, huh? Who knew that my shidi was such a charmer? Careful though, I hear that if you continue complimenting me, you’ll summon a raging dragon at your side!”
He laughed, “...I’ll take your word shijie…. but what makes you think that a jealous fish will not appear at your side.”
She threw her head back in laughter as she slapped his shoulder playfully, “At least there’ll be two of us stuck in the same boat, shidi.”
He grinned, “Yeah, it appears so….Now then, why are you so ostentatiously dressed, shijie? It is not like you to dress up so much, unless there is an occasion of sorts?”
Guizhong’s eyes lit up, “Oh! Right! It seems as if I have gotten distracted with our banter, that I have failed to mention the reason I have come here. It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival shidi!”
Oh…
Really?
That soon?
He didn’t know how fast time had passed until Guizhong had come to tell him it was already the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Liyue had many festivals, and so this one had slipped his mind completely.
Usually, whenever there was a festival, Zhongli would inform him of such a thing, or he would see the unusually high amount of people gathered by the harbor.
He still fondly remembers his first Mid-Autumn Festival with Zhongli.
A sweet and exhilarating memory.
_______________________
Childe had been busy with work all week.
Busy with the paperwork that nearly filled his office to the brim, to the fact that they were almost done with the Sigils of Permission (having figured out how to produce them in mass a few days ago) certainly wasn’t helping the amount of work he had to get done.
But the most unfortunate thing was that he did not get the chance to spend his usual dinners with Zhongli at Wanmin because of his damn work.
He had profusely apologized to Zhongli, who had graciously taken his apology with a smile and complete understanding.
He had not gotten the chance to spend time with Zhongli as much ever since he got that day off the week prior, and ever since Zhongli had been helping Ms. Ganyu with her betrothal gifts and proposal.
Zhongli had happily informed him that Ganyu had proposed to Keqing a few days ago, through a letter sent his way (as the man knew that Childe was busy and did not want to bother him at work).
Childe was happy to hear the news that Keqing had accepted and how Zhongli expressed his delight that Ganyu had personally gone to her family and handed them the betrothal gifts.
Keqing’s family had heard about her relationship with Ganyu, and had been delighted to hear that their own daughter was blessed enough to get married to an adeptus, so they had no problems in accepting the proposal....they were exhilarated in fact.
It seemed as if times had changed for people in Teyvat, as they accepted relationships between women and other women and men with other men, and so forth.
Times have changed for the better, and he was happy to hear that their family was overjoyed to hear their daughter was getting married to an adeptus and a respected girl in their community.
The fact that she was a woman, did nothing to deter them.
He was happy for her, and wished that someday he too would have such a warm welcome with Zhongli’s own family as he entered theirs.
His family was close-minded, and would most likely detest such a notion.
But, he could chose his own family.
He could have his own people to treasure and cherish.
Biological ties meant nothing if your family was shit after all.
He shook his head, and remembered to send Ms. Ganyu his regards, and perhaps attend her wedding alongside Zhongli, and enjoy the festivities and delicious food.
He sighed, reading through the latest debt of a treasure hoarder, who had borrowed some of his men and money to uncover a treasure hidden beneath a certain cave.
It wasn’t as hefty as some of the antiques Zhongli had gotten in the past, but it was still a considerable sum.
And he went towards Katya to inform her of such a thing, getting out of his seat to go over to the main desk where she often was.
However, he was stumped, letter in hand to see Zhongli standing there, pleasantly talking with Katya, holding a red bag, which seemed to be a gift.
And Ajax noticed that a similar red bag, which was much smaller, was beside Katya’s desk.
Ever since they had struck up a friendship, Zhongli had visited the Northland Bank every once and a while, mostly to send a message to Childe in case he could not be found.
And whilst Katya did not trust him, not in the slightest, her suspicions over his true motives and identity still at large, she still could admit that he was a great conversation partner.
And she too was caught up in many of his historical tales, nodding and adding her own two-sense on the matter.
Zhongli paused when he saw him, and his awkward pause mid-way into a segment on the intricacies of the sango pearl and its many uses, made even Katya look his way.
“Ah…Childe you are here.”
Ajax blinked.
Where else would he be?
He smiled at Zhongli’s cuteness, “Yes, this is my workplace, Xiangsheng….Or have you forgotten that I am in charge of this bank?” he teased.
Zhongli blinked, caught off guard before he started up again, “Ah…my apologies, it seems that it has certainly slipped through my mind indeed that you are in charge of this establishment…”
Ajax threw his head back in laughter, at how the man had taken his words almost literally.
“I am only teasing, Xiangsheng. I am glad to see you here, but what are you doing chatting up my dearest co-worker?”
He threw Katya a wink, which caused her groan, and he knew that she must have been rolling her eyes under her mask.
Zhongli paused, something in his mind seemed to be put on hold.
Before he continued, the previous surprise in his gaze withering away, “...I was just asking Ms. Ekaterina if you are free for the evening.”
Ajax nearly choked.
The man could be terribly honest sometimes, and such honesty was not good for his soul.
“O-oh….and why may that be?”
Zhongli smiled, as Katya was forced to watch the two idiots helplessly flirt, or attempt to flirt, “It is the Mid-Autumn Festival today, and it would be an honor to spend it by your side.”
Ajax felt his cheeks heat up as he looked away from such earnest eyes, “....Always quite the charmer when it’s least expected, aren’t you Zhongli? It is no wonder people fawn over you so much.”
Zhongli’s face grew slightly sour, “They are not whom I am interested in nor any of my concern at the moment.”
Ajax’s heart quickened as Katya groaned into her arms.
And he was about to say something, when Katya finally spoke up, “I can’t take it anymore....Mr. Zhongli, My Lord, is more than free for the evening. Actually scrap that, he’s free right now, so take him! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would appreciate it if you both took this conversation somewhere else, I have work to catch up on!”
And with that, she almost literally forced them out of the Northland Bank.
And they now found themselves walking through the streets of Liyue.
“So, what exactly is the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xiangsheng?”
Zhongli glanced over to him, fondness in his stare as he began to talk in that familiar baritone voice of his, “Oh, my apologies. It seems I have just blindly asked you to spend it with me, believing that you were already familiar with it. We have grown so close that I forget that you are a foreigner that is not used to our customs.”
He began, “The Mid-Autumn Festival is usually celebrated on the day when the moon is the brightest and fullest. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks to the gods for the harvest of that year. However, as the Liyue changed and developed, the festival became a way to reunite with family and spend time together with them. The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by worshiping the moon in hopes that the Goddess Chang’e will bless them and make their wishes come true. It is also celebrated by sharing a large meal with family, eating mooncakes also known as yuebing which are often gifted in ostentatious wrapping paper by family and friends and come in a variety of different flavors, appreciating the moon, and by making lanterns which often depict many different animals, flowers and plants.”
Ajax gleamed, as he heard about the festival.
Excited to see people out and about, making lanterns, chatting about and reuniting with their own families and sharing stories and cups of Osmanthus Wine.
“Liyue certainly has such a variety of beautiful festivals. I would be delighted to join you, Xiangsheng.”
Zhongli chuckled, fondly looking at his dearest treasure, “It would be my utmost pleasure.”
_______________________
The evening carried on, as Zhongli dragged Ajax to show him around Liyue.
It was early out, but people were already starting to put together their small carts, filled with a variety of knick knacks, lanterns, mooncakes, and even a variety of delicious food.
The streets were delicately decorated with lanterns and the excitement could be heard in between lively chatter between the people in Liyue.
It seemed as if everyone was excited for the festival.
And their joy rubbed onto Ajax, who was now smiling widely at such a joyous mood.
Zhongli smiled at how excited Ajax seemed to be for the festival, grinning from ear to ear as he gawked at all of the decorations and the delicious smelling food.
He looked down at the red bag which he had been carrying all along, wondering when it would be the right time to give him such a gift.
People often gifted mooncakes to loved ones, expressing their appreciation and familial love that they had for them in them. And oftentimes, they were handed to friends, to similarly show your appreciation for the friendship you shared.
He had handed The Adepti, Ms. Lumine, Ms. Hu Tao and even to some of his acquaintances, in much smaller packages. Which they had all accepted graciously, with some of their own.
But, the mooncakes he had inside of the bag symbolized something special.
It was a quiet confession, in the same way the dragon and phoenix patterned chopsticks had been, he supposed.
It was a way to show that he loved him.
And whilst he doubted that the man would ever understand that, as he was not used to their customs, it still largely satisfied him to know he had accepted them.
He had painstakingly made the mooncakes by hand for the man, following Madam Ping’s recipe.
There were 9 of them.
3 of them were filled carefully with lotus seed paste. 3 were filled with mixed-nuts. And the last 3 were filled with green tea.
A nice balance, Zhongli was sure that he would enjoy them.
He had then carefully packed them into delicate red wrappings, and hoped that his love would love them.
Soon enough, night strolled on by.
The moon was big and bright in the night sky, glowing a faint relaxing hue of soft yellow, looking somewhat otherworldly.
Ajax had never seen the moon be so bright and beautiful before, but he guessed he never truly stopped to admire its immense beauty since he was always caught up in his work.
And, a part of Ajax was certain that if it wasn't for Zhongli in his life, he would never stop to admire the simple things that mortals often took for granted.
He would never have thought to appreciate the moon, not once.
The light from the lanterns that decorated the streets of Liyue were colorful and bright, and lit up the streets with their warm light, as the streets started to grow busy as the hustle and bustle of Liyue was heard far and wide.
Families stopped to gather alongside the harbor, at big tables with a variety of dishes, all sharing tales and stories, whilst children and adults alike enjoyed mooncakes.
And Ajax spotted the many people all coming up to buy lanterns, and even to make them. After they were done, they would let up into the sky or upon the waters of Liyue, watching as the lanterns either floated up or floated down the vast sea.
It was a lively atmosphere, and he relished the warmth of it all.
Zhongli had brought him to make a lantern of his own, which he swiftly released alongside the crowd of people, watching as it flowed up into the sky, as the light flickered fiercely inside. And then, he brought him to a shop where they sold changshan, a style of Liyuen traditional clothes, which dated back a few years prior.
Ajax bought a nice sea-blue one which caught his eye.
The top was long and cross collared, reaching nearly to his ankles, with a long slit that settled on his lower stomach, giving way to a small window into pale skin, with light and airy white pants which were very refreshing, perfect for the weather.
The changshan was embroidered with white thread, and depicted two dragons dancing in harmony on the changshan alongside small wisps of air that were similarly embroidered by white thread.
Zhongli stared at Childe, when he stepped out of the changing room, mesmerized.
He looked beautiful, and his gaze burned holes into him, especially when he would stretch, as it would linger on the sides.
Afterwards, when Zhongli similarly bought (more like Childe bought) a simple brown one with gold accents that were in the shape of geo sigils, in the same style as Ajax.
And now it was Childe's turn to not stare at the sides of beautiful tan skin whenever he moved.
Zhongli led him to a table at Wanmin, with two chairs, one for him, and the other for Childe.
He sat across Zhongli, listening to the man’s many tales about the Goddess Chang’e and her lover Hou Yi, or about the Jade Rabbit who made the elixir of life for Chang’e .
He sat mesmerized as the man continued his many tales, as the light from the lanterns lit up his handsome features.
And Ajax felt himself fall deeper in love with the man, entranced by his beauty and immense knowledge.
And, as they ordered the many delicious dishes, provided by Xiangling herself, who finished their last order and then hurried off to spend time with her own family; Ajax spotted as Zhongli brought up the gift to the table, clearing out some of the plates first.
Ajax stared at it, confused.
Zhongli smiled, “Childe, these are mooncakes, prepared by me by hand off of a recipe passed down through the years….I enjoy and love our time together and would not trade it for any other treasure in the world. I appreciate you with all of my heart, my dearest,” Zhongli’s own hand came to carefully caress Ajax’s, which was lingering on the table.
Ajax felt his heart in his throat.
There was no way that Zhongli’s words did not mean something more.
And yet, he was not sure what to say.
He swallowed, sure that his face was redder than any other Jueyun pepper he had ever seen before, “Ah….Thank you so much, Zhongli….I…”
He gazed into Zhongli’s eyes, filled to the brim with sincere wishes, with nothing but fondness and love…
“You are very welcome, Childe.”
After a moment, Ajax shyly looked away, overwhelmed by those eyes of his that almost appeared to be glowing, “I…It’s….It’s….Ajax…”
He said his name in a manic fury, driven by how deep those eyes were gazing into him.
At how it seemed that those eyes were almost imploring him to reveal his well-kept secret: His real name.
A name that was given to him at birth, and one that he was starting to identify with the more he spent with Zhongli.
The man blinked, in the process of sipping on a cup of Osmanthus Wine (his favorite) as his eyes widened, and dilated.
And was his hair….glowing?
No, that was probably the trick of the lantern lights.
Something in Zhongli’s eyes was akin to feral satisfaction, like a parched man who had been granted a sip of cold water.
And Ajax could feel the ground below him shake a little, before it settled.
But, as the strange look in Zhongli’s eyes simmered out, he smiled (yet even his smile seemed borderline possessive, but perhaps he was reading into it a bit), and gripped onto Ajax’s hand tighter, linking their fingers together, “Hm?”
Ajax felt his heartbeat quicken even more, as he stared at their hands, feeling as if he was caught inside of a dream or something, “...My real name…is Ajax.”
Zhongli’s eyes glimmered with something that Ajax could not name and he gripped at his hand tighter, “I see…It is a very beautiful name. A warrior’s name, is it not?”
Ajax nodded, feeling delirious, perhaps it was the wine’s fault, “Y-yeah…it is..”
Zhongli hummed, eyes glowing and grip becoming tighter, “Beautiful, absolutely gorgeous.”
Ajax felt his face on fire, wanting more than anything to delude himself into thinking that Zhongli was talking about the moon, when in fact he was staring directly at him.
Always at him.
But, his fear got a hold of him as he nodded fiercely and looked away from Zhongli at the moon, “Y-yeah! The moon sure is beautiful today! I don’t ever think I’ve seen such a beautiful moon in my life!”
Zhongli merely hummed, “Yes, it sure is,” gazing at his beloved face. Immense joy and excitement filled him up so much that he lost grip and made the ground shake.
Guizhong was right.
He knew he should have trusted her.
Doubting her was pointless, he had been proven incorrect.
He would make sure to inform Ganyu of such news soon enough, to inform the rest of The Adepti about such news.
But first, he would have to make his dearest treasure remember, make him fall deeper in love with him, hold onto him tightly and make him his, and his only.
But for now, he let his love enjoy the festival, as he let go of his hand, and poured himself another cup of Osmanthus Wine.
He drank the delicious wine, relishing its taste and the memories that were associated with it.
Ajax would soon be his.
He would just have to be patient once more, and wait it all out.
_______________________
“That soon, Shijie!”
Guizhong grinned, “Yes! That soon, isn’t it wonderful! Last time, we did not get to go together! But this time, I’m determined to bring you with me to celebrate!”
Ah, so that’s why she had come.
He had always wondered briefly, how festivals would be inside of ancient Liyue, so he guessed this was his chance to strike.
He smiled, “I would love to, Shijie, but I am sure that I do not have an outfit in store for such a lively festival.”
She shook her head, “Nonsense, shidi! Besides, do you really believe I have not prepared for such an occasion!”
Ah….so she had custom made him an outfit…hadn’t she.
“Shijie…. How much did it cost?”
She shook her head, stubborn as always, “No, I will not tell you. Because if I do, then you’ll insist on paying me back….Consider it, my gift to you, no need to repay me for anything.”
He groaned, but went to hug her, “Thank you, shijie…. you didn’t have to.”
She chuckled, patting his head, “I did! It’s a joyous occasion, shidi, gifts are a must!”
He sighed, “...Fine…”
_______________________
She brought him to her abode, where she showed him the outfit she had custom tailored for him.
It was breathtaking.
And yet….slightly…inappropriate.
It was a light blue, almost grayish dachang.
And it was see-through.
Meaning that you could still occasionally see pale skin if he moved the fabric.
It was delicately embroidered with light blue and white string that depicted two dragons swirling around each other, with small roses around the collar, which was utterly ridiculous, as it was very loose and open, meaning that they could see the poor state of his neck and his collarbone.
And it did not help that the collar went across all the way to his waist, which meant if Ajax moved a bit they could see more skin peaking through.
Then, if that didn’t make it bad enough, the rest of the dachang was extremely suited to his figure, extenuating his wide shoulders that made his waist seem more narrow than it was.
And his waist was tied tightly with a red and blue string, holding the rest of the skirt together, which joined together by the black, red and white hem of the bottom of the dachang.
And the worse thing was that the back of the collar was cut low, a stylistic choice it seemed, which perfectly showcased the glowing geo sigil on the back of his nape.
Luckily, Guizhong seemed to spare him, as alongside the dachang was a separate coat that went on top of everything that was a darker gray compared to the outfit and was not see through.
To go alongside the outfit, Guizhong got him a special red ribbon, made out of fine silk and embroidered with soft flowers of many colors. It was beautiful and went along with the red accents of his outfit.
She helped him tie his hair up into a ponytail, with two small braids at either side of his head alongside the ponytail.
Then, she handed him two pairs of earrings, they were silver and were mismatched.
One housed a flaming red stone, while the other one housed a blue one.
Usually, Ajax liked to wear only one earring, but given the occasion, he supposed two couldn’t hurt.
After he was done, Guizhong put a necklace in the form of a circle around his neck, it was a simple silver one, with dangling jewels and dazzling detail.
He then slipped on the shoes she had gotten him, which were in the fashion of his outfit, and were a nice shade of red.
After he was done, Guizhong pulled him to the makeup chair, and pulled out her cosmetics.
They were in beautiful porcelain cases that depicted dragons in blue ink.
And with expertise, she got out one of her brushes, dipped it slightly in water before she got out her red rouge and swiped it a few times before she said, “Close your eyes for me please….I promise to make sure that you will look like a million yuanbao by the end of this. That old dragon will surely eat his words!”
Ajax chuckled, but complied, shutting his eyes as he felt her drag the brush up his eyes, leaving a thin line of red eyeliner across his eyes.
“Shidi!~ You little Huili Jing! You will surely seduce everyone there with how beautiful you look!”
He rolled his eyes, cheeks fiery red.
After she was done, she showed her results in a small compact mirror and Ajax admired her handiwork.
It was similar to how Morax painted his own eyes, but much sharper, so much so that he looked like a siren luring sailors at sea to their deaths with his beauty and voice.
Next up, she drew a delicate flower, with three small strokes in the center of his forehead, similar to the blessing that Cloud Retainer had given them.
And Ajax vaguely wondered if Cloud Retainer had been the one to make it a trend of sorts.
Because he had seen some of the ladies inside of the village wearing huadian on their foreheads, and such.
And he would not be surprised if she had made it a sort of fashion trend.
He could already see Cloud Retainer wearing it on her forehead out and about in her human form, using it as a way to cultivate her adeptal energy, making some of the other ladies pause and admire her beauty as she drank in a small cup of tea by the nearby river, on one of the rare occasions she took a break.
It was no secret that Cloud Retainer had many admirers, many of which were women, who always flocked to her like sheep whenever she walked by them in her human form. But no matter how hard the ladies attempted to obtain her attention, and get close to her, Cloud Retainer without a doubt would always glare at them and leave.
She was certainly beautiful in her human form, sort of like a cold beauty, icy and distant, one that you could never reach.
Kind of like how Lumine always similarly tended to attract people towards her, as did Shenhe and even Zhongli (though for him it was mainly because he was a God that wasn't focused on romance).
The both of them ignored everyone that flocked to them, as they strived for their individual goals.
But....Ajax had his suspicions that Lumine had someone special to her, as he had seen her break her cold and serious attitude when looking at those letters of hers.
He didn’t know who it was, but he hoped that Lumine would be happy with them.
And well....he even believed that Shenhe had a thing going on with that opera singer Zhongli and him often watched perform.
Guizhong finished quickly, smiling at Ajax, as she painted his lips ever so lightly with rogue, blotting it with a small handkerchief, “Done! Now, let’s go and check out the festivities!”
_______________________
By the time they got there, the sky was already beginning to darken, as the sun was starting to set.
The celebration was different from the one in modern Liyue, which was to be expected.
Since it was a smaller town, the festival felt more personal and more private.
People hung up lanterns around the town as well, but the stands around town were slightly less bigger than the ones in Liyue Harbor.
However, the people were the same, talking and chatting amongst themselves, gathered around outside tables around food carts, walking around the streets as they held lanterns to light their way, smiling and talking to each other, dressed up fancily as well.
And some even stayed besides some of the more secluded areas, content to just sip some simple tea and watch as the sunset washed over, and gave rise to the stunning moon.
Whilst others preferred to drink Osmanthus Wine, eating small sweets whilst they sang joyful tunes as they awaited for the moon’s arrival.
There were less lanterns being made, and less people in the village, but the same warm atmosphere was everywhere.
And then, the sun had finally set, and the moon herself had appeared.
She was beautiful.
Even bigger and brighter than Ajax remembered her being.
And he smiled as he saw many people offer up offerings to the moon, praying for good luck to Chang’e as they lit incense and placed it in an incense holder, as they lit small candles.
And they also prayed for the harvest of that year, giving thanks to the many gods who had helped them, and it was not uncommon to see a villager inside of Qingce Village kowtow before Guizhong, having recognized her as their Goddess.
Guizhong was upset to see her beloved people so willing to bow before her, but she knew her pleas to get them to get up would run through one of their ears and out the other.
So, she thanked them for their offerings and promised that she would come by later to personally thank each and every one of them.
He had also seen these offerings in Liyue Harbor, but over there, long tables filled to the brim with offerings were a common sight to see.
And he guessed that there was something whimsical and beautiful about celebrating festivals or holidays inside of small villages, because everything felt all the more personal.
Guizhong dragged him along to a certain stall selling lanterns, and she picked two out and handed some yuanbao over before Ajax could intervene.
She had gotten him a small white lantern with the design of a small white rabbit, most likely done in honor of the Jade Rabbit.
Meanwhile, she got herself a white lantern with what appeared to be a woman in many beautiful robes who was most likely Chang’e herself.
They lit it together before they let it go, floating daintily into the sky.
Ajax smiled as he looked at the sight, before he was pulled once more by Guizhong, “Shidi! It’s time for dinner, we must make haste! We don’t want to lose the delicious food, now do we?”
Guizhong looked so beautiful, nearly resembling a beautiful flower being caught in the moon’s light, as she ran up the mountain, holding Ajax’s hand as her bracelets shook and made tiny twinkling noises of metal hitting metal.
_______________________
Thankfully, they had made it just in time.
Madam Ping was barely starting to set the table alongside Cloud Retainer and Sky Bracer.
The others were busy chatting with each other, as the children danced to a lively pipa, played by someone whom Ajax has never seen before.
It was a gorgeous woman, with soft features, plucking away at the pipa as she grinned at the dancing children, her hair the color of dark blue tidal waves, eyes green and serpentine-like and yet immensely kind. She was dressed in a beautiful dark blue and white qixiong ruqun, and there were slight scale-like patterns that adorned her outfit, having been embroidered on with white string. And one thing that stuck out to Ajax was the fact that she was wearing many silver bangles on her wrists as she played.
Next to her, was a man, who had a hand on her shoulder, intricately decorated fan in hand as he flapped it and blowed through his lighter colored sea-blue hair, eyes darker blue and playful as he played with the women’s clothing, causing her to send a glare his way a few times. He was dressed in a yichang which was light blue and dark blue, and on his sleeves and on the bottom of his outfit, embroidered on were small waves and a small lotus flower floating amongst them.
Both of them had horns, but they appeared to be slightly different, more edged and sharper than Morax’s or even Ajax’s.
Then, there was another woman, sitting near the small pond, gazing out at the moon, admiring it as she sipped on a cup of herbal tea. Her hair was white and held up by exquisite pearl pins with small silver detailing. Her eyes were similarly white, and yet they exuded a soft tenderness to them as she wadded her feet in the pond.
She wore a white qiyao ruqun with pearlescent details alongside the embroidered blossoming blossoms all over her outfit. She was wearing a pair of pearl earrings that were in the very same shape as Guizhong’s and Ajax briefly wondered if she had been the one to give them to Guizhong. She wore a long winding pearl necklace that wrapped around her neck twice before falling down and cascading down her neck.
And then, talking next to Morax was a man, shorter than Morax, looking at him with a slight admiration to them. He was enthusiastically chatting away alongside Morax, who merely hummed and gave short replies. His hair was dark, and a pair of yellow horns protruded out of it, and he was dressed in a yellow yichang with slight black accents in shapes of geo sigils.
And of course, there was that familiar huggable bear, Guoba.
Ajax was so delighted to see him that he greeted him, catching Guoba off guard but prompting him to similarly greet him.
He had never seen all of those other people ever before, but he guessed they must be close to the adepti to prompt them to invite them all here during the festival.
Guizhong dragged him up to the main table, where he was greeted by Madam Ping who gave him a small smile and then a hug.
She was dressed up as well.
Dressed in a blue and green qiyao ruqun, with slightly embroidered flowers and pearls at the bottom of her skirt and at the center of her top. Her qiyao ruqun’s collar was cross collared, unlike Guizhong’s.
She similarly did her own makeup, but her eyeliner was a softer pink, more circular around her eye, as she smiled at Ajax. And yet, the thing that did not change was the spear which she had attached to her back.
Ajax sat down in his seat, as he was quickly joined by many of the adepti.
And soon enough, even little Xiao came to join them, dressed in the outfit Ajax had gotten him, half-asleep, settling himself beside Ajax.
Ajax grinned and patted his head, as Xiao melted into his touch and allowed it, “Today marks the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, A-Xiao! I’m so glad you are here along with us now, and you are lucky you have arrived just in time for the festival! You will get the chance to be able to see the beautiful moon in all its glory today. ”
Xiao looked confused but nodded, as he stared down as food was shoveled onto the table by an annoyed Cloud Retainer.
Ajax’s grin became wider as he hugged the boy, who looked frazzled but ultimately relented into the touch, “...Mn…”
Celestia above, it seemed as if Morax had rubbed off on the boy.
_______________________
Ajax grinned as he took in the warm atmosphere.
Wanting to commit the feeling and moment to his long-term memory.
Soon enough, Morax had started to walk towards him, having finished his conversation, as more and more food was served on the table.
“Ajax…. ”
Ajax was jolted from his momentary sweetness as he looked at the man.
He was as gorgeous as he remembered, his head-wear discarded onto the grass nearby, leaving him with his hair messily done apart from that neat bun it was in moments ago, a choice that was most likely entirely the man’s own accord.
Ajax grinned, feeling over the moon and lucky to have such a handsome man as his lover, “Hmm?...”
Morax stared at him for a moment longer, enraptured in the man’s beauty.
Because he was certainly beautiful indeed, but it seemed as if he was even more tonight.
His outfit was perfect, accentuating all of the parts of his that Morax loved so dearly. And those beautiful plump lips of his, looking more cherry like with the soft rouge that had been most likely applied by Guizhong, and the sharp eye-liner which demanded Morax’s attention.
And a part of him felt comforted by the fact that in some ways, Ajax was wearing his marks, even if they were poorly concealed by the layers of his dachang or behind his neck, because even with the familiar eye-liner, it made something in Morax positively preen .
He was so beautiful that Morax could not prevent the urge from leaning forward and ‘kissing’ him, as Ajax had called it.
And as Ajax grinned at him, eyes twinkling ever so slightly, even in their deadness.
And as he teasingly leaned closer, his collar slipping and revealing marred skin and scars, something within Morax snapped.
He immediately grabbed Ajax and pulled him out of his chair, wrapping a tight arm around him, before he leaned forward and captured his mouth in a searing kiss, feeling the warmth of his body pressed up against his.
Ajax was surprised, but quickly adapted as he reciprocated the kiss.
It was chaste…enough…
And he breathed out heavily when they parted and he buried his face into Morax’s shoulder, embarrassed.
Thankfully, Xiao had fallen asleep during this time, having slumped against the chair, tired. Ajax did not know what to say if the kid had seen such a thing, and would have likely been too embarrassed to speak if he had asked about it.
And Madam Ping and Cloud Retainer, although they saw it, did not say anything as they continued to set the food on the table.
Cloud Retainer had seen worse, and Madam Ping knew of their relationship as Guizhong had probably gossipped about it to her.
And the rest of the kids were running about, making flower crowns, attempting to catch the fish inside of the pond as some of them went to bother the white-haired lady, who merely laughed and played along with them.
They were all distracted with their own tasks.
But of course, not everyone was distracted.
The blue-haired man whistled before he made his way over to Morax, who had an arm wrapped around Ajax’s waist, possessive as always.
“My, my, Morax. You have finally taken yourself a lover, and a pretty one too…hm…what a surprise indeed from The God of War who is always so serious. Even going far as to make it a mandatory part of an adepti’s contract to not have themselves a lover…Why the sudden change in heart, Morax? ”
The man said as he fanned himself, leaning closer to Morax, his eyes filled with playfulness mixed with something else, “This little Huili Jing certainly charmed you out of breaking your own contract. Tell me, is he really all that beautiful?”
Morax’s eye twitched, as his grip on Ajax’s waist tightened, becoming slightly unbearable.
Osial did not relent in his teasing, and instead, he switched his glaze over to Ajax, bringing his hand to Ajax’s face and to his chin, pushing him up.
He looked at him, leaning in close, his face mere inches away from his.
Osial was certainly good looking, that much could not be denied.
He was a sharp beauty, as most of the angles of his face were sharp and angled, making it so that he looked cold and yet playful as he smiled wolfishly.
He inspected Ajax’s face before he hummed, pleased, “Yes, it seems as if this little Huili Jing is quite the beauty indeed….”
He leaned in closer, his breath tickling Ajax’s face, but before he could get any closer, Ajax moved away from him.
Osial grinned wider as he leaned back up, “Hm….I am slightly jealous you managed to snatch up such a precious and loyal jewel before I had the chance to do so myself. What a pity….say, little Huili Jing, if Morax doesn’t treat you well, come to me and I’ll show you pleasures you have never felt,” Osial’s hand went up to cup Ajax’s face, stroking his cheek.
And it almost felt like that was the moment the straw truly did break the camel’s back.
Morax snarled, as he slapped away Osial’s hand, voice commanding and angry, “Osial ! Do not play games with me…You know the consequences to your foolish ploys, or should I remind you again?”
Ajax paused.
Oh….so the ancient god whom he unleashed onto Liyue was now…..flirting with him.
What even was his life at this point?
Osial (?) merely laughed, as if the God had not threatened him, “Morax, Morax, Morax! I am merely joking with you, I would never dare to steal your lover from you. Or have you forgotten I have a wife?”
Morax’s eyes went into slits as he glared at Osial, anger evident on his face.
But before he could say or do anything. His presumed wife stopped playing the pipa before she stood up and went up to Morax, bowing slightly, “Lord Lapis, my husband meant no disrespect, please do not hold his reckless behavior against our contract….I sincerely apologize on his behalf.”
Ajax blinked.
Huh?
Just what kind of marriage was this?
It seemed as if they were just friends, and his wife looked very annoyed with her husband, looking as if she did not want to be there or even associated with her husband.
Osial merely huffed, “Beisht, always quick to apologize aren’t you? It was merely a joke.”
Beisht pinched his side, causing him to wince, sending daggers his way. Before she looked at Ajax, smiling gently at him, “Greetings, I apologize for my husband’s rude behavior but I believe we have not met before. I am known as Beisht, and of course this is my husband Osial. Pleasure to be in your acquaintance.”
She said husband as if she was referring to an annoying thorn in her side, and Ajax wondered if this was just the dynamic between the two of them.
And further wondered if the two were a loving and doting couple in private…hmm..
Ajax smiled at her, bowing slightly, “Pleasure to meet you, Lady Beisht, Lord Osial. My name is Ajax.”
Osial had lost interest in Ajax and merely waved before fanning himself….It seemed as if that precious pearl already had an owner, how unfortunate, and went off to do something else in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Beisht’s eyes glittered when she saw the radiance of his smile, and she instantly knew why Morax had fallen in love with Ajax.
He was radiant, full of life, bright, with a lingering darkness buzzing at the corners.
It was no wonder he had become quite enraptured with the auburn haired adeptus.
“Ajax, what a unique name. Are you not around these parts as well?”
He nodded, as Morax carefully watched the exchange, “Ah, yes. My homeland is quite a ways from here….But, your playing….it was beautiful, I have never heard anything quite like it before. A truly stellar performance, Lady Beisht. I felt very moved.”
Beisht seemed to grow flustered at how earnest Ajax sounded in his compliment, and she grew the faintest bit red as she sheepishly looked away.
She had never heard such an earnest compliment to her playing before, as her own husband would merely hum when asked how her playing was, and her own people would merely exaggerate how grand her playing was....This was...different.
Honest and pure.
A part of her started to grow jealous of Morax.
If the God hadn’t already been in a relationship with Ajax, perhaps she would have snatched up the pretty man for herself.
Her marriage to Osial had been a political one at first, as they joined together their separate parts of the ocean. However over time she had grown fond of Osial, as he had of her, but she was not sure if it was truly love.
But perhaps it would be, given enough time.
She sighed.
The God was certainly lucky to have attracted such a shining jewel by his side.
“Thank you very much, Lord Ajax. I appreciate the compliments and praise for my humble performance,” she smiled at him, leaning slightly closer and managing to smell the lovely smell wadding off of him.
It was like the sea-side, refreshing, salty and yet slightly sweet.
He smiled at her, clueless of her intentions as Morax’s arm tightened around his waist, looking annoyed.
It seemed as if the God had restrained himself for his lover’s sake. But, he had obviously seen the keen interest in Ajax in Beisht’s eyes.
But, no one could blame her.
Not even her own husband, who similarly found the man attractive.
'Ah....how unfortunate,' she thought as she pranced off, back to play her pipa once more, closing her eyes and feeling the strings underneath her fingers.
_______________________
Morax gripped at his waist, pulling him in tighter around himself, as he refused to let go of Ajax the rest of the evening.
It seemed as if the possessive block-headed dragon had become irritated at the fact that his claim over Ajax was being threatened.
And he perhaps wondered if he should pin Ajax’s hair up, so they could all see his mark of claim on the man’s skin.
But, perhaps that was too barbaric.
He would think about it later, and in the meantime, he buried his face inside of Ajax’s neck, causing the man to chuckle and brush his fingers through his hair.
But, first, he would relish and bask in the warmth of his beloved, and worry about such matters later.
_______________________
Finally, after a long wait, the last of the dishes were laid on the table.
Everyone seemed to run towards the table, as Ajax sat down at his usual spot, only to get pulled off by Morax, who merely dragged him along to his own seat.
Ajax stared down at the seat, confused.
But soon enough that confusion turned into red hot embarrassment as the man sat down and pulled him down onto his lap.
Ajax yelped, attempting to get up, which only caused Morax to put his arms around his waist and essentially trap Ajax on his lap, and bury his head into Ajax’s nape.
Ajax flushed red, as the rest of them began to sit down.
The white-haired goddess paused when she saw the spectacle and blinked, “....Have I missed something in the meantime?”
Guizhong laughed, having appeared out of nowhere, holding a half-eaten mooncake in her hand, “Indeed, Lady Havria. Our dearest Shizun has taken a lover! A truly surprising thing, as I have never in my lifetime believed that Morax would be capable of getting himself a lover....The foolish dragon can barely talk to the humans without scaring their undergarments off.”
Morax lifted his head from Ajax’s nape, glaring at her before he tightened his arms around Ajax and buried himself once more into his nape, breathing his lover in once again as he calmed his rattled nerves.
Havria lightly chuckled as she drew Guizhong into a small hug, “You never change, do you, Lady Guizhong.”
Guizhong’s grin widened, “Not if I can help it!”
Havria, the Goddess of Salt.
Ajax had briefly heard about her in Zhongli’s stories.
And he felt slightly saddened at the fact that alongside many other Gods, she had tragically been killed by her own follower, her people’s appointed king.
He had killed her as a way to show her that she would not win the Archon War with kindness and gentility.
And he was right, as she died tragically in the Salt Terrance where her city stood.
And apparently, her death served as a lesson to Morax, who knew that he had to kill or at least put down the other Gods in order to come out on top, in order to move to an era of peace and prosperity.
Ajax swallowed down the bitter feeling in his throat as Havria approached him, smiling warmly, “...Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, and greetings. I do not believe we have met before, I am known as Lady Havria .”
Ajax smiled, and wished he could properly greet her, if not for the possessive dragon that clung to him, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you as well, Lady Havria. My name is Ajax, I am one of the newest adepti, pleasure to be acquainted with you.”
Havria smiled, the same gentility that he had seen from Guizhong on her face, as she continued, in a soft voice, “Ajax is such a beautiful name, I have never heard of it before…”
Ajax nodded, “Yeah, it’s not a very common name around here. And neither is it in my homeland…It was originally the name of a notorious warrior in my village, who fought many battles and visited many lands….”
“A warrior’s name….I deem it to be fitting, if what Lady Guizhong tells me about your many battles and scars, is not an indicator enough of your battle prowess.”
Ajax shook his head, “Ah…does she write about me often?”
Havria nodded, her eyes glittering with admiration, “Yes, she has told me quite a bit about you in her letters to me,” her white eyes glowed, like a heavenly light being cast upon him.
He felt a strange warmth pass over his body as she stared into his soul with her white clear eyes.
After a moment she hummed pleasantly, “Indeed, she was correct about you….Your soul is very beautiful and honest, full of a strong sense of justice and chaos. Like a wonderfully constructed harmony, I have never seen a soul quite like it before. Simply admirable and gorgeous.”
Ajax did not know what to make of this so he sheepishly looked away, “Ah…thank you…”
Havria shook her head, “No need, your soul speaks for you…However, I must advise you..”
Then, a quick message passed through his head, in her voice, ‘If you continue to linger inside of the darkness it will consume you.’
Ajax blinked, not sure if he heard that right as Havria smiled before she walked away to her seat, next to Guizhong.
….What was that?
_______________________
He didn’t have time to dwell on her cryptic words as everyone sat around, eating the delicious food with joy, as the kids did so as well.
Xiao had long since woken up, and begun to eat his food more enthusiastically than usual. Ajax guessed that he must have been hungry for him to eat so much (since the kid usually ate so little).
Mooncakes were shared amongst them, as Ajax got to experience the joy of eating mooncakes made by Cloud Retainer and Madam Ping’s special recipe.
They were similar to the one’s Zhongli had made, but all the more refined.
He sat next to the other adeptus children, as Sky Bracer set down Ganyu alongside them who sat on Bonanus’ lap who chatted happily about anything and everything to a confused Ganyu and an enthusiastic Indarias who was shoving food down her throat faster than anything Ajax had ever seen.
Meanwhile, Menogias and Bosacius sat side-to-side as Bosacius similarly shoved down food like it was nothing and happily chatted up an amused Menogias who wiped at Bosacius’ mouth.
Ajax had found out that the other strange man’s name was Azhdaha whom he vaguely remembered in another one of Zhongli’s extensive talks.
Azhdaha had been one of Morax’s successful creations, one of his only creations who had a will of their own, a mind of their own, life. Morax cared about him, deeply and treasured their friendship, as Azhdaha helped Morax protect and take care of Qingce Village.
However, as the others soon succumbed to the other god’s wrath and hatred in the form of miasma, his benevolent thoughts about Morax turned ugly and soured significantly.
He was cruel and spared no one, and eventually, as much as it pained Morax, he had to seal him inside of a mountain.
He had greeted Azdaha briefly, and the man appeared to be very sweet and very loud and enthusiastic.
Ajax did not want him to succumb to such a cruel fate, but even if he wanted to, he knew he could not save everyone.
But even so, his goals were always stupid and naive.
So, he still refused and added yet another person to save.
_______________________
The night carried on, as Osmanthus Wine was shared between laughs and conversation as they all admired the stunning moon.
And Ajax pretended not to notice the way Madam Ping had slipped away, during a particularly loud conversation between all of them.
And further pretended not to notice the way Guizhong sent him a nervous look, before she herself slipped away and followed Madam Ping.
Ajax closed his eyes, leaning back into Morax, who embraced him tighter and continued to hum replies to Mountain Shaper about the recent developments.
Things would get resolved between them, once in for all.
All's well that ends well.
He supposed.
_______________________
Madam Ping was caught in a standstill, not sure what to do or say.
In an attempt to get past the pain she felt in her chest from the tense air between her and Guizhong, she began to talk to her once again, like they normally did.
Because even after all, it hurt more to not talk to Guizhong than it did to ignore her feelings and pretend everything was back to normal.
They chatted about the usual things they did, and Guizhong enthusiastically told her about how Shizun and Shidi had finally stopped dancing around each other and had finally gotten together and how happy she was for them.
Ping pretended it did not hurt for her to say that, whilst their relationship remained ambiguous and what had happened between them remained on the back-burner, blissfully forgotten.
And she had attempted to be strong, attempting to not let it bother her.
Tried to be strong, tried to remain nonchalant, tried to repress her feelings from slipping through.
But, she had never been the strong one of the two.
So things ultimately crashed down.
Seeing Guizhong at their gathering, during dinner, and how beautiful she looked, dressed up in beautiful clothing with those pearl earrings she had gifted her, made from her own tears as a Jiao Ren.
And something about her undeniable beauty and the way she talked and laughed at the conversations being had during the dinner table, something inside her shattered.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
Tears pricked her eyes, as they formed the shape of small water-droplet tears.
She got up from the table, avoiding a concerned gaze from Cloud Retainer as she quickly made haste and walked away.
_______________________
She made her way to her usual spot, near the side of the creek, spotting the beautiful large stone sitting beside the bank, perfect for such situations.
He went over there, before she took off her shoes, and then socks before she dipped her feet into water, feeling instantly soothed by such an action.
Water always had the power to calm her nerves down, as she was born with an affinity to water, being a Jiao-Ren.
She knew that Guizhong had followed her, as she could recognize her foot-steps from miles away.
Having memorized everything about her.
Guizhong’s footsteps stopped right behind her.
But before she could say anything, Ping spoke up first, “...Shijie…. if….If you have come here to comfort me, please leave…And if you have come here to reject my feelings for you, please spare me and leave ..”
The last word was spoken, rather wobbly, filled with emotion as Ping watched as her tears turned into pearls as trickled onto her lap, different shapes and sizes, perfect for a pearl necklace.
Guizhong was silent at first, motionless.
And Ping was ready for her heart to shatter and for her to throw her feelings to the side if Guizhong’s footsteps fade as they walked back up towards the mountain.
But then nothing came.
And then, Ping felt footsteps coming towards her, as they picked up speed and stopped right before her back.
“A-Ping….will you please turn to look at me…”
Guizhong said, her voice filled with just as much emotion, wet and choked up.
Ping felt hesitant to do so, but as Guizhong’s warm palms landed onto her back and implored her to turn around.
She didn’t have a choice.
She turned around, to see Guizhong’s face running down with golden tears, celestial and beautiful.
Like golden silk on a pinwheel.
Guizhong sobbed as she pulled Ping into her, wetting her shoulder with tears.
Ping similarly sobbed, as her tears turned into pearls as they trickled down Guizhong’s ostentatious qiyao ruqun showered it further in pearls.
Guizhong held into her tightly, as if afraid that if she loosened her grip, Ping would fly away, and in between sobs she cried, “Will…will you be with me…until my time comes?”
Ping paused, stiffened, as she registered the meaning behind her words, “…Do you really mean that…”
Guizhong nodded in her shoulder, hair slightly tickling her face, “…I am sorry for taking so long A-Ping.”
Guizhong withdrew from her embrace, cupping her face as she peered into her pretty teary eyes, “I have been afraid…cowardly in my affections towards you, and I hurt you....And for that I’m truly sorry.”
Ping listened to her, as Guizhong continued, “…I have been afraid of hurting you, after I saw what is in store for me in the future….I will die, A-Ping. I will die and you will go mad if we’re lovers….But I….I guess after all this time, I really am selfish….Even though I know you will go mad after my death, I still want you all to myself….I still want you to spend every waking hour with you by my side, as my lover, as my friend, as my shimei…. ”
Ping was stunned.
Guizhong would die?
The light of her life would die?!
What kind of messed up world was this if such a pure form of life would die?
No.
She wouldn’t accept this, she wouldn't-
Guizhong’s fingers tightened and her nails merely sank into her cheeks as she continued, “Do not think of it. Do not think of my death and mourn me before I have the chance to live…. We are all going to die someday, A-Ping…So, if you can grant my selfish wish…please stay with me for now. Stay with me for now, and love me until my fingertips grow numb and until my tears dry up. Love me until you cannot bear it anymore, and until I cannot.”
Ping’s eyes filled with pearls once more, as they fell down her cheeks and down Guizhong’s hands, and she nodded, in painful understanding.
She was right, as she always was.
Guizhong had once shared to her that although her existence was one that was meant to withstand the test of time, remaining beautiful and youthful even as everyone around her withered away and turned into the dust she governed, she had a feeling that her existence was not bound to be forever.
That she would die and would turn into the dust she ruled over; a cruel irony.
Guizhong shakily smiled, pressing her lips against Ping’s eyes, kissing them and feeling the slight wetness of her eyes, before they turned into a soft pearl as they fell from her eyes.
Ping felt warm.
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Pearls were a Jiao-Ren’s speciality, the beautiful and priceless things that were naturally produced from their body.
They were a priceless and precious jewel, one that was so sought after by many humans and immortals alike, desiring them for their illustrious beauty and even more so because they were so well kept by Jiao-Ren. And they would often adorn their entire bodies with the pearls, making all types of jewelry with them, would sow them onto their outfits, and would even make cosmetics out of the pearls.
Their pearls were a sign of their great pain and sometimes their great joy.
And so, because of this, many Jiao-Ren had the tradition of collecting their pearls into small boxes, giving them to their lovers and loved ones as a sign of vulnerability.
A sign of trust.
However, as pearls were more coveted through the ages, many people started to torture the poor Jiao-Ren in order to force them to cry and collect their pearls in large sums. And some even went as far as to kidnap the Jiao-Ren and keep them behind cages, only bringing them out to torture them and collect their pearls, until no more tears wept from their eyes.
Because of this, many Jiao-Ren held in their emotions until their very spirits corrupted and they withered out into sea foam, washing out into the many oceans.
Whilst other Jiao-Ren swore to date amongst themselves, forbidding outsiders from becoming entangled with one of their own. And the remaining few merely kept to themselves, shutting themselves out from ever loving another human being.
Ping was misfortunate.
When she was a child, she was fished out by a cruel God, who coveted her precious jewels for their greedy partner who desired the world’s most luxurious goods.
Every day, she was tortured for hours on end, trapped in a small cage, with other Jiao-Ren who busied themselves by chatting amongst themselves in order to feign ignorance and ignore the pain of their fresh wounds.
Water seemed so far away from Ping’s dry gills.
And she dreamed of the days where she would long to swim amongst others, lounge around the banks of rivers, listen to the old lady down the village creek play her instrument as lovely melodies were played that told the story of a longing maiden awaiting her lover after a long year.
But, as the years went by and as Ping was now an adult, withering through the years.
And now, she found herself unable to dream about the outside world, caught in an iron cage, forced to listen to other’s cries and the laughter of the God and his lover as they ran their hands through the mountains of Jiao-Ren tears.
And she forced her eyes shut, wishing for death to take hold of her, so that this miserable existence could end.
She had a giant gash in her stomach, and she was lazily bleeding out, feeling slight satisfaction at her demise that was coming to relieve her.
To save her from the massive pain in her heart.
But, it seemed as if fate had other plans.
A flash of light seeped through, and then a scream. Then an indignant yell, and then a loud thud as the sound of blood being splattered against the walls jolted Ping awake from her dazed state.
And then, she blinked.
And a bright woman entered, wearing a white qixiong ruqun, beautiful like those small lotus flowers Ping had seen around small ponds. Embroidered on, was small dainty clouds and wisps of air, that Ping had not seen in years. Her hair was pinned up into a tight bun, with a small golden hairstick, with a red gem.
She looked around with horror in her eyes, as if a knife had been plunged through her chest, rendering her shocked and stiff.
But then, her expression turned to anger, as she shook and then, in a flash of light, her eyes turned a reddish-orange as her teeth grew into fangs, long and sharp, and a pair of feather-like appendages sprouted at either side of her head which glowed like fire, and the beautiful red markings like scratches at either side of her face.
But what completely mesmerized her was the two long wings that sprouted out of her back, golden and yet fiery red, glowing brighter and adorning the light-less cages in a strong light.
A Goddess.
Someone who was too benevolent to ever look away from, someone so beautiful and pure-hearted.
Ping felt her heart race as she felt the urge to reinstate itself into her, as she fought the urge to close her eyes and succumb to her injuries.
Guizhong looked around, opening the locks to the cages, with a glide of her hand, melting the lock with her fire.
She smiled at them, despite her anger, “My name is Guizhong, I have come to set you free! So run away and never look back. We have slain your captor, so there is no need to worry everyone. Go back to your families and friends and rejoice!”
Everyone paused, looking amongst each other, hesitant.
But when they saw the kindness inside of Guizhong’s intimidating eyes, they settled down and scrambled to get out the door, running and nearly trampling one another.
Guizhong grinned, wild and free, delighted that they were free.
Ping’s heart began to beat heavily in her chest at the sight before her.
After everyone left, Guizhong looked around, making sure she left no one.
And then, she paused to look at Ping.
Their eyes interlocked and Ping felt as if her entire face had been lit on fire, she looked as if she was sent from the heaven’s above, absolutely divine.
Guizhong’s eyes filled with something and she rushed to Ping’s side. Ping did not say anything, feeling undeserving of such a benevolent Goddess.
Guizhong carefully brought her hand towards Ping, causing her to flinch, “....Do not worry…I will not hurt you….I am merely healing you.”
Ping allowed her to continue, forcing the tension in her muscles from leaving as she let her in. Guizhong gave a small smile, relieved, as she carefully pressed her hand to the giant gash in Ping’s stomach, drawing a soft light from her palm.
It was unlike her unforgiving flames, melting anything that came into contact with them.
But they were gentle, like a soft light, guiding an unsuspecting traveler on their journey.
The energy carefully healed up the layers of muscle and skin, as it stopped healed up the wound, closing it and preventing it from bleeding further.
When she was done, Guizhong withdrew her palm, her wings carefully tucking in as she carefully put her arm around Ping and lifted her up.
Ping winced, as her foot had been injured, but she did not voice any complaint as Guizhong silently led her out.
The building was desolate, the usual laughter of the God and their lover was nowhere to be heard, just a deathly silence.
Ping enjoyed it.
Guizhong turned to look at her once again, “...Do you have any family to go back to….”
Ping shook her head.
All of her family had been killed years ago, by the same people, as she had heard from some of the other Jiao-Ren, and she had no home to return to, as her people had long since moved away.
Guizhong looked hesitant, and a slight pity coated her eyes as she said, “...Well...in that case….would you like to come with me?”
Ping felt her breath hitch as she softly nodded, “...Yes..”
And that was that.
And from then on, Ping trained to join The Adepti, trained to be a warrior, a strong dependable one that her beloved shijie could lean against, one that could protect her, keep her safe.
And the further time went on, the more Ping’s feelings deepened and hardened, until she could no longer deny that it was love she was feeling.
And as she stayed inside of Guizhong’s arms, feeling her warmth, like on the day she met her.
She cried openly and let Guizhong kiss her through her tears, relishing how gently she treated her whilst she was so vulnerable.
And soon enough, she was carried by Guizhong, who kissed her inside her arms as she entered Ping’s abode, and laid her down on the bed.
There, they would lay in their own warmth, embracing each other until they fell asleep, feeling the pulse of the other and sighing in the warmth of their body heat.
For now, they would remain, calmly dozing off to the sound of each other’s breaths as the night carried on.
For now, they would worry about nothing else.
For now, they would merely remain.
With each other, for now.
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The news of a God's death shook the entirety of Teyvat.
She was known as a powerful warrior, one that never backed down from a challenge, but was very stubborn and impulsive.
After a particularly fierce battle against another God, she returned back to her abode, corrupted by untreated miasma, a thing that went unchecked because of her own stubbornness to admit she was injured.
And yet, nobody had ever expected that she would succumb to it to the point where it corrupted her very being and eventually, as she ventured inside of her lover’s bedroom.
She turned to her lover in a miasma-induced rage, pulled out her sword and slit her lover’s throat, right through until she bled out.
After she had come to, she cupped her lover’s dead body in her arms, wailing and weeping when she realized what she had done, and in a fit of rage, the miasma had driven her to commit another terrible act.
And she killed her people, one by one, until their home was nothing but a desolate ruin of what was once a delightfully peaceful place, filled with harmony and love.
And now, it was covered with pools of blood and organs.
The Goddess looked at her dead lover in her arms, buried her carefully underground, carving a small tomb before withdrawing her sword from her hilt and plunging it deep inside of her, corrupted by her immense sadness and rage.
Afterwards, her death would soon follow the news that….
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The Goddess of Salt, Havria was slain, not by her own people.
But by her own lover.
In their bedroom, alone.
The news had come after Morax happily took the 'no relationship' rule out of everyone's contract, leaving everyone slightly more relieved at such a change, whilst the children remained confused as to why it mattered so much.
The momentary joy from such a proclamation, was extinguished, once news of Havria's death reached their ears, by a solemn Cloud Retainer.
Ajax had cried when he heard of the news, more so out of deep frustration. Morax was gone to talk to his people to assure them that everything was fine and that they would look into the matter, most likely feeling the weight of Havria’s sudden death too much.
Guizhong had locked herself up in Madam Ping’s abode, alongside Madam Ping who kept watch and prevented people from entering their abode.
And the rest were either watching over the children, or patrolling the outer perimeters of Qingce Village.
Ajax was alone in his sadness, in his frustration, in his anger.
Because he had failed.
He had failed .
He had overlooked what was happening underneath his nose…he had failed to save someone.
Failed to save a life.
Failed.
Fucking failed!
Fate was cruel and merciless as it was kind and merciful, but what it was most was fair.
Ajax had changed the events of the original timeline, and because of that, he had catapulted the death of Havria quicker, faster .
He was changing the timeline, in the process of saving others by changing key events, by changing the way things were done, and had messed it up, had caused a careless death that would have been prevented had he taken the timeline into more consideration.
And soon enough, fear gripped at him.
Havria’s death could only mean one thing,
The war would approach faster than he had anticipated.
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