Interlude: Part 2

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[takes place after Chapter 18]

A few hours after Morax's "apology" to Childe...

"You know, I was teasing you the first time," Guizhong said, "but I'm starting to think Tartaglia's influence on you is greater than I predicted. This makes two times that you have visited uninvited."

Morax's adeptal beast form peered at her with the saddest expression he could manage. Guizhong swore that he had even shrunk his size to appear even more pitiful. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to send him away. She sighed.

"Okay, you can stop looking at me like that. Come in."

As he stepped through the doorway, he shed his adeptal form in a shower of gold. Guizhong closed the door behind him. When she turned, Morax was standing nearby, his back turned to her and his arms crossed.

"You–," he cleared his throat, "–you've given him more power."

Guizhong raised an eyebrow, "I've done what?"

Morax turned to face her, an unusual mixture of emotions on his face. Simply put, he looked conflicted.

"The clothes, Guizhong."

She nodded slowly, still unsure of what her friend was getting at, "So they finished making them? I sure hope it suits him."

Morax made a strangled noise, "It does. Suit him, I mean. He extends his thanks to you– but that's besides the point."

She sighed and summoned a table, gesturing for him to sit. She had a feeling Morax had a lot to say on...whatever this was. He sat down and interlaced his fingers, placing his hands on the table. Guizhong's eyebrows raised. Apparently it was serious.

"So?" she prompted after a moment. "What is this about?"

"It's the clothes, Guizhong!" he repeated.

"We've established that the clothes suit him..." Guizhong said tentatively, "...so I really don't see what the issue is?"

"He– his shirt is–" Morax gestured vaguely to his own chest, "– open ."

His expression alone nearly caused Guizhong to burst out laughing, but she controlled herself.

"That's not exactly how it was intended to be worn, but I can see the benefits of having it unbuttoned in this weather," she replied.

After Morax placed a hand over his face in what was likely exasperation, she added–

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm having trouble seeing what the issue is here."

There was a lull in the conversation, and after a few minutes she heard him take a deep breath. His expression returned to his usual neutral one, but she could tell something was still bothering him.

"So, apart from how he was wearing the outfit," she said, trying to prompt more out of her friend, "it looked good on him, right?"

"It did..." Morax replied. "The blue you chose, the gold and red elements, all looked very..."

"Beautiful?" Guizhong supplied. "Handsome? Pretty?"

She swore that the tips of Morax's ears turned red.

"...Yes," he admitted. "He looked...good."

Guizhong laughed lightly, "Tell me more."

Morax stared at her critically, "About what?"

She shrugged, "About Tartaglia. You went to see him, and I assume you've apologized. So, tell me more."

Guizhong watched the gears turning in his head as they sat in silence. Then, Morax spoke.

"His expressions," he said, voice quiet and contemplative, "he has such interesting reactions."

Guizhong nodded her head, prompting him to go on.

"I showed him the armory, as you've likely already gathered," she could hear it in his voice as he began to warm up to the topic, "he was so excited . He picked up the Unforged first. Which was...unexpected. I had believed he was more partial to lighter weapons, and...well, I did not expect him to have the strength necessary to bring it down from its stand. But he just held it. Brandished it, even."

"And then," Morax's voice moved into an area she could only describe as fond, "when I gave him his domain– I had Xiao Ping make a teapot for him– the first thing he did was create a forest full of snow. And he looked so at peace."

Morax's hand came up to settle over his chest. Guizhong wondered if he was aware of it.

"He was silent. I have never seen him so quiet, so calm. I thought something was wrong, but he was smiling. It was so genuine , and my– Guizhong? What are you doing?"

Guizhong looked up from where she was writing in a notebook. She placed the brush down and tactfully covered up the page she had been working on.

"Oh, this? Just notetaking," she smiled innocently. "Nothing to worry about, my friend."

Morax didn't seem to believe her words, his eyes narrowing as he stood and leaned over the table.

"Guizhong, your expression is awfully suspicious," his hand came down over the corner closest to him.

Before he could drag the book closer to himself, one of Guizhong's dust arms shot out and grabbed his arm, holding him fast. Gold and silver eyes met, both narrowed but with no real heat to be found.

"Well now, Morax, I believe we are at an impasse," Guizhong smirked.

"Indeed we are," Morax replied, mimicking her expression. "How shall we proceed?"

"Why don't I count back from three, and we take our hands away?"

"That is reasonable."

While Guizhong counted, their eyes did not once separate.

"3...2...1."

Neither god moved.

Guizhong was the first to laugh, with Morax closely following suit. When she felt the tension in his arm lessen, she removed her own. He glanced down at the words on the page before removing his hand.

"I know you enjoy your secrets, so I will not push further," he said.

"It really isn't anything too interesting," Guizhong replied. "Just...notes for myself, on things that I do not understand. I don't mind showing you if that's truly what you want."

"No, that's alright," Morax shook his head. "I think it's time that I depart so you can get back to your research."

Guizhong nodded. She walked him to the door, holding it open for him as he once again took on his original form. He took off into the skies above, golden light reflecting off of his scales. His departure came with a gust of wind and song of coins, the sound of his scales moving against each other.

She smiled wistfully, closing the domain door with a soft click.

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Guizhong's Notes:

It appears that all it takes is a single article of clothing to bring down a god. What a curious phenomenon. I knew that Tartaglia would be a wonderful subject of observation, but I did not anticipate that Morax would provide me with the same. I'm curious to see where this new discovery will lead.

Note: Morax has been in a similar state of distress before, during his first uninvited visit. It seems that from now on, I will have no choice but to allow such visits if I want to continue these observations. Entertain bad habits or lose a chance at observing something so interesting? What I have gotten myself into.

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