modernity - xiaoven

46.

i love going self-indulgent and forgetting about lore in this book <3

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once zhongli had left to speak with jean about their plans to leave, xiao sighed.

"are you going to get off of me?"

"no."

"why?"

"like i said, you're comfy, and i'm pretty sure if i move i'm gonna fall over."

"fall over?"

"my entire body feels exhausted."

"... that might be the cause of the hand through your chest, especially since your gnosis is likely calling out to you."

"why-?"

"you draw your powers from it. you have smaller, more calmer powers right now, from not having it, but you might feel you need to be stronger due to what had happened."

"oh."

"rest some more, then. i'll be moving you to an actual bed though."

"no."

"yes."

"no. i'm not tired."

xiao sighed, exasperated. "atleast let me go."

"bu-"

"you can still sit here. besides, i'm getting restless."

"restless? why?"

"just, call it my debt. it's eating away at my mind, and i feel the need to move"

"alrighty!"

venti simply rolled off of xiao, and onto the rest of the chair-thing, they were sat on.

"if zhongli asks, i'll be back by midnight."

"why midnight?"

"i need to cool off, per se, alright? i'm leaving now."

"bye."

xiao simply nodded and teleported away, leaving venti alone.

venti sighed, leaning into the plush of the chair-thing.

----

moments later, zhongli returned.

"where has xiao gone?"

"he said he needed to cool off? he told me to tell you he'll be back by midnight tho!"

"alright. jean's letting us stay in a room, one that you apparently stay in because sir kaeya doesn't stay at the knights."

"alright!"

"there's apparently an air mattress on the floor that kaeya set up for when he does need to stay at the knights, so i assume one of us will be using that?"

"i can use i-"

"i will. you've recently lost your gnosis so i believe that you should use the bed."

"what about xiao?"

"he... doesn't like to sleep unless heavily injured, because he needs to be on high-alert for anything out of the ordinary. i would prefer it if he got some rest, though, which is one of the reasons that, once we get to liyue, the two of you will continue through teyvat."

"he doesn't sleep?"

"he doesn't deem it necessary."

"i'm gonna force him into healthy sleeping habits."

zhongli lightly chuckled and sighed, "he wont keep them after you leave."

"then i'll write a note on my hand for the other me."