zhongven things xd

simple past, simple present

love between the mortal and the immortal wasn't prohibited, nor was it inherently a bad thing.

it was definitely... tricky, though.

zhongli finds someone interesting. venti is sad, and has a hard time expressing his feelings. diluc is an unexpected consultant.

—

morax, the "deceased" archon who presided over liyue, had invited venti to a night out on the town. it had been quite some time since they'd caught up—and with the subsequent series of events that had led up to both of the gods losing their gnosis, there was much to be told. venti was ecstatic to see his old friend again, especially because the other man was rarely the one who made the plans, despite his title of god of contracts. admittedly, morax had been a very busy god. a workaholic, if you must.

so, barbatos sent off his reply to be carried by the wind that, yes, he would be there, and that he'd be bringing his own bottle of dandelion wine.

~~

the group sat at a table outside a tavern, listening to a nameless, but upcoming storyteller recount fascinating liyuean tales, abundant with the knowledge of old and new. zhongli's lips were pulled in a tight, but subtle smile that was sweet like honey. years ago, before guizhong had beat the philosophies of emotion into his thick head, such an expression would be uncharacteristic for the god. back when he leveled seas and rose valleys to become mountains, the geo archon had simply no time for such trivial things. but now, closer to the mortals than ever, his emotional capacity had expanded greatly, just as his wisdom.

barbatos considered himself to be a romantic god. he cherished freedom in all senses and valued the importance of emotional expression. in such ways, mondstat itself reflected his values. with such knowledge embedded into his mind, barbatos recognized the many signs of certain feelings that zhongli was experiencing, most likely for the first time in ages.

the way his eyes softened just the slightest bit as he looked at their third group member, childe, was the first one he noticed.

venti, being a god who embraced love in all forms, wasn't one to judge. to say that he was happy for his friend may have been overdoing it, though.

morax's laugh was something you might've heard once in an average mortal's lifespan, back then. venti thinks he might've heard it so many times in just one night that he's imagining it. that he's in a dream, and pinching himself doesn't do squat.

zhongli, and that snezhnayan man, childe. tartaglia. the 11th of the fatui harbingers.

zhongli, and a mortal.

morax, and...

the ginger said something to venti, but he didn't quite catch it. come to think of it, had the air just gotten a bit chilly in the past couple minutes? venti didn't bother to ask the man to repeat himself, instead bringing a glass of wine to his lips. he would need a good 50 glasses to really get tipsy, but that tartaglia doesn't need to know that. he takes a long sip. the bard lures those blue eyes into his own. venti knew he didn't need to say anything. he didn't need childe to know how he really felt.

just that he was watching.

but tartaglia giggled and took a sip of his own wine. venti felt a pit form in his stomach. it was different from the casual chuckles the fatui had thrown around that evening--it held a secret message. childe wasn't looking his way anymore. zhongli was rambling on about some ancient jade tablet. his eyes were glowing--an elegant amber they'd always been. childe's mouth was quirked up ever-so-slightly to the right, an expression that was all-too-readable for the wind god.