Eleutheromania (Various Genshin x Reader)

Bargaining -36-

"Ah, sir, you're here," the old toy maker (affectionately known as Granny Shan) greeted Zhongli as he approached her work bench with the three of you in tow, "The seven kites you asked for have been made to order. Would you like to take them now?" She asked.

Zhongli smiled, bowing politely to her. "Yes. Thank you." At his confirmation, the old lady laid out all seven pre-ordered kites, each of them colored and designed after their respective elements. It was clear the woman had spent time with each and every one of them.

Granny Shan sighed and placed her palm over her cheek. "It's rare to see customers who want to buy this type of kite nowadays," she lamented, "In the early days, we used to get orders from people of all walks of life..."

The little pixie giggled from beside you. "Well, this is Mr. Zhongli from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, so he's probably well-versed in all these walks of life. We've talked about a whole bunch of things while traveling with him." Paimon told the elder lady with her hands on her hips.

Aether nodded in a tired agreement. "Fashion, economics, jewelry, jade pottery, tea, perfumes, flora and fauna..." He ranted on, tapping a finger with each new topic that was recalled.

Paimon went on. "He seems to know Liyue's favorite topics, money and government, really well, but he likes talking about less useful topics instead." Zhongli only sweat dropped in reply. "Well, that's because I prefer to share fun things with you."

Delicately covering her amused smile with a hand, Granny Shan nodded, "Children's toys are very fun things, that's for sure. I enjoy watching the children at play as much as anyone else. But there is more to it than that. Finely crafted toys are well-loved by children. But this craft itself has been honed over thousands of years, and there is meaning behind that."

She gestured towards the kites in front of her. "I have made kites in Liyue for forty years, and I am intimately familiar with the forms passed down from my ancestors. The meaning of these seven kites is far from banal," she winked.

Zhongli nodded. "Indeed. These are decorations used in the Rite of Parting. The seven kites represent The Seven," the funeral consultant confirmed.

You leaned over the first one, it's teal coloring matching that of your Anemo Vision holstered to your hip. "This one is pretty," you commented, admiring the soft blues and their blending that created a gentle breeze-like pattern.

Granny Shan smiled at you. "I took the liberty of coloring outside the lines when doing the insignia of the Anemo Archon," she then gestured to the yellowish colored kite next to it with more of a blockish pattern and delicately done details, "As for the kite that honors the Geo Archon, one must follow the contract given right down to the last letter. These patterns are ancient, and you can also find them in the Golden House."

Paimon's lips pulled downwards into a frown, "Ah, Paimon's heard that name before—" She pouted out in annoyance before being abruptly cut off. "Paimon," Aether began with a tight-lipped smile, "stop talking." The pixie could only let out a dumb, "Huh?" in response.

Curiosity (and impulsiveness) got the best of you as you lifted the Geo kite and held it out in front of Zhongli who simply arched an eyebrow in return. "You know, the designs on the kite kind of match the ones on your suit," you noted.

The man raised both his eyebrows at this point in amusement, arms folded neatly behind his back. "Is that so?" He pressed onwards, eyes going between you and the kite before him. "I think it's pretty - er - elegant. Refined really," you quickly told him, carefully putting the toy back in its original spot.

You moved your (E/C) eyes to the next kite with the Electro insignia on it. The background was a deep, royal purple with paler lavender lightning displayed across it. Zhongli hummed in satisfaction. "The design of this kite displays a firm grasp on the cyclicality and eternity so dear to the Electro Archon."