Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

Different than expected (Zhongli/Childe)

Surrendering his gnosis was not a rash act, it was a well-considered plan, a necessity to avoid the dangers of erosion. It was also necessary to put Liyue in danger, an examination of the people to assess their independence, their ability to manage, protect, and provide for themselves. All of this had been planned well in advance, and yet not everything went according to plan. Even before the 11th harbinger had even set foot in the country, even before the contract with the Tsaritsa had been signed, another decision turned out to be a mistake, a mistake with consequences. Perhaps gods were immortal, perhaps they were vulnerable, even if hardly a wound had long consequences, but not every injury could be removed by the mere use of energy. Some injuries, including those on divine flesh, took time and energy to heal. Zhongli hadn't been careless, not unprepared, but the unplanned challenge drew deep lines on his skin, gold shimmering through his veins to stop the seemingly endless flow of dark red. Shit, this time it would not be so easy to get back on his feet. Collapsing into the puddles of foreign blood, the archon had no choice but to temporarily replace the much more strenuous form with a smaller one to heal. Once or twice he had taken this form before, to heal or to entertain Guizhong. This form was not heroic, not tall and scary, not graceful, it was small, chubby and, as Guizhong had said, cute. A small, chubby dragon, long whiskers, golden fur on brown scales. It made a plop sound everytime the archon moved his tiny legs to waddle out of the puddles, what a shame that form had been to him. But even for this eventuality he was not unprepared. Of course he couldn't go back to the Funeral Parlor like that, not to his small apartment, not to the city, he had to carry this chubby body to where it could stay, where he had lived before he decided to live among mortals. The way to this cave, this nest seemed so unbelievably far now that he had to conserve his strength, uphill, downhill, no child's play for such short feet. Dragging the mud and blood along with his tail, dirt sticking to his claws, not much could have been more uncomfortable at that moment, but his hiding place was chosen wisely. Surrounded by fresh water to bathe and drink, a few Sunsettia trees for food, a hidden entrance, yes, he had known why he had chosen this place once. He would surely have to spend a few days like this, but a nuisance would be a necessity in this case.

-

Sinking the small, long but chubby body in the shallow water, reminiscing about the days of the past, the archon noticed the footsteps that were approaching him, but who would pay attention to such a creature if there was more than a dirty little dragon lurking around them. Of course he turned his head to look at the stranger, but being in this form did more to him than just changing his appearance. He couldn't speak in that form and even though he had never admitted it, he thought less. That was nothing that happened on the first day, but steadily increased the longer he stayed that way.

"Eh? Is that what dragons from Liyue look like? Haha...how disappointing.", Childe chuckled as he crouched on the rocks watching the chubby dragon taking a bath. In the first two days after he came to Liyue he had nowhere found the consultant who was supposed to help him. Bored, he had decided to go looking for the archon himself until the unreliable consultant would show up again.
"Hey little fella, all the dirt is pretty stuck on your scales, eh? What did you do? Played too hard in the mud? ", the ginger asked and laughed when the little dragon just stared at him as if he were horrified at this a
audacity. Eyes of the shade of cor lapis watched Childe's every movement when he jumped into the water, approaching the dragon in a peaceful manner.
"Lemme help you a little, eh? And in return you tell me where I can get information about this old archon, deal?", he said and crouched down again, picking the clotted dirt and blood from Zhongli's fur.
Who did this Fatui think he was? And what did he think Zhongli was? A pet?
"My siblings would go nuts if they saw you. Are you still growing or are you finished like that? Don't get me wrong, you're pretty cute but far from protecting a country haha...", Zhongli would have laughed if his actual body would've been capable of laughing. What a strange person this ginger was. If it hadn't felt so relieving getting rid of the dirt, he would have left a long time ago anyway.