Divinity in mortal | Childe x Zhongli

Gathering information

Zhongli walked out of the Funeral Parlor and made his way to Childe, who was still sitting on the stone fence. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Don't be, I just showed up without notice", Childe replied with a smirk.

Zhongli stared at him. His smile was truly sincere and, despite the nonexistent sparkle in his eyes, the look that met behind the red-haired lashes transmitted happiness. "You're in a very good mood today, is it because of something you can tell?"

"I've been given a special assignment today", Childe announced with a cheerful tone in his voice. "I hadn't really liked my job for a long time and this has cheered me up."

"Your job as Harbinguer? You do not like it?", asked Zhongli curiously.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. It's just that I thought being promoted as a Harbinguer would put an end to the administrative duties and make everything more... exciting." Childe really thought that The Eleven, The Ten before he was part of it, would only handle jobs of another level. Battles and battles with strong opponents. Not that he was very knowledgeable about the ranks and their functions either. After all, he didn't sign up for the army by his own free will.

"I see."

"I guess like any job. Do you like what you do at the Funeral Parlor, Zhongli?"

"I really do. I have a lot of knowledge about the traditions and rituals of farewells thus I make sure they are done the right way. Especially for the Adepti farewells, they deserve no less at the time of parting. The details have to be prepared with the utmost care. Also, it's important for the new generations to maintain them."

Although Zhongli sounded very convinced Childe could not imagine himself working at the Funeral Parlor. In fact, he would rather be a Harbinguer with administrative duties as the only function. But it suited Zhongli. From his point of view, Zhongli had an older gentleman's attitude for the age he was. He couldn't see Zhongli as a Harbinguer. No, certainly not, he was a very quiet boy although that didn't mean he wasn't strong. He had never seen him in combat, of course, but he had a Geo vision. Childe saw him as so attentive, respectful and kind that he couldn't imagine Zhongli using his elemental energy even against a slime.

"Wouldn't you like to be a soldier? Not a Harbinguer but something like that for Liyue, part of the Millelith maybe?", asked Childe. He understand someone not liking those types of jobs and, in fact, he wished his siblings were part of those people. He didn't want their lives to be in danger at every minute.

"It's an honorable job. Still, I don't think it's meant for me at this point in life."

"You're not that old either", Childe thought. Zhongli always knew how to answer politely, surely he had told him so as not to offend him. "Hm", he thought was the best answer.

Zhongli knew he was not convinced by his reply. But even if he considered him his friend, he couldn't provide him with any more information. For Morax, or as Geo Archon, surely being a Harbinguer was one of the best jobs he could imagine. He would have enjoyed the countless battles as much as Childe. In a way, Childe reminded him of the young Morax, hungry for battles and giving his all in them. Thanks to his strength in combat and perseverance he managed to protect his people from the other gods and monsters and earned his place in Celestia as an Archon. But for Zhongli, by contrast, it was better to enjoy the traditions of Liyue and teach them to its people as well as learn mortal customs from them. If he could avoid the battlefield, the better. It was what he had devoted himself his whole life to, and now that Liyue was able to protect itself, he wanted to walk among the mortals, to sympathize with them and to love mortality, as Guizhong had tried to teach him 2500 years before.