[ taair is indeed in the lighthouse - up high, high above. enough so that he doesn't even realize, just like before, until he is addressed. he can see that taair is curled up, his chin on his knees, a blanket around his shoulders, and fiddling with something in his hands as he stares out the window.
however, when he's addressed - he turns his head, and despite the tiredness, a warm smile spreads on his face. ]
Oh, Zhongli... [ and he scoots over a bit. ] Come. I would love your company and your thoughts both.
Ah, those are far more muddled than they've been in quite some time. Perhaps we can work our way through it all together.
[ he manages a smile in return, seeing taair's, before he comes closer and uses the rail to lower himself carefully next to him, tail lifted. once he's seated, he curls it towards him - extra warmth to be offered on instinct. ]
What is that, you have there? [ asked with the tone that implies he doesn't have to share if he doesn't want to, but open curiosity regardless. ]
[ the golden whorls, like clouds, settle on the further side of him, just as soft as the gesture as he looks down at the keychain. ]
Its appearance reminds me of ghost fires. There are many, across Teyvat, but they are a constant fixture of Liyue's Wuwang Hill. [ a very slight tilt of his head. ] ... from your trip, I take it? To the Xianzhou Alliance?
[ a ghost. he hopes not. something about that makes his heart squeeze, in his throat, makes something burn hard in his ribcage. taair swallows it back, his expression soft as he runs a thumb over it before he holds it out for zhongli to take and inspect, if he wants. ]
Mn. It is a reminder of a young girl that I came to know. Not in the Xianzhou Alliance, but rather - in the ruins of a village, destroyed by enemy forces.
[ his hand is raised to take the offer, but it pauses, hearing the full explanation of where the token's come from. the care he exercises in picking it up shifts from respectful to delicate, nearly reverent, like it's as fragile as spun glass in his gloved fingers. ]
I see. You were toying with something at one point, during the trial. Much happened, and I thought it best to leave it alone, but now I understand what it was.
[ ruined villages are far too familiar to him. but in his assessment of the keychain, he looks up from it to taair again. ]
[ of all of the blurry memories of his strange adventure into the echoes of jiaoqiu's life - it is this one that sticks out the most firmly, like a thread wound around his heart, into the chambers and through the aorta, inextricable. ]
Everyone in her village was killed. I only found her because - [ a slight hesitation, but he trips over it and carries on ] - another soldier called for my aid, because she was so terrified of him that she ran and hid. I managed to coax her out of her hiding place, bit by bit, and... after that, she remained with me.
[ he sounds so fond as he says this, achingly so. he loved that little girl so dearly, in ways he couldn't even begin to put to words. he has never had bonds, let alone something like that. the chance to provide shelter to a terrified orphan - true shelter, true warmth and kindness. the way her tiny hand fisted in his shirt sealed his decision on that little girl before the words had even come out of his mouth. ]
[ cupping his hands to better support the keychain, zhongli looks down at it while he listens to taair speak. a small smile twists at his mouth, hearing that the little girl was afraid of the soldier - it reminds him of ganyu when she was young, her parents bringing her to meet the adepti that formed half her heritage, afraid of morax and clutching guizhong's flowing sleeves for safety. ]
Huohuo... huo is a patchouli, a kind of mint. It's one of the 50 most fundamental herbs in traditional medicine. [ it wouldn't surprise him if the same was true in both liyue and the xianzhou alliance, frankly. ] I'm sure, despite the adversity she faced when you met her, she still flourished like her namesake, regardless. Especially under a gentle, guiding hand as yours.
[ that offered, he turns and looks back to him with hand extended to return the keychain to him. ]
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however, when he's addressed - he turns his head, and despite the tiredness, a warm smile spreads on his face. ]
Oh, Zhongli... [ and he scoots over a bit. ] Come. I would love your company and your thoughts both.
no subject
[ he manages a smile in return, seeing taair's, before he comes closer and uses the rail to lower himself carefully next to him, tail lifted. once he's seated, he curls it towards him - extra warmth to be offered on instinct. ]
What is that, you have there? [ asked with the tone that implies he doesn't have to share if he doesn't want to, but open curiosity regardless. ]
no subject
I think that would be wonderful.
[ but, ah, at the question... he opens his hand for zhongli to look! in his hand is a small keychain. ]
... It is a memento.
no subject
Its appearance reminds me of ghost fires. There are many, across Teyvat, but they are a constant fixture of Liyue's Wuwang Hill. [ a very slight tilt of his head. ] ... from your trip, I take it? To the Xianzhou Alliance?
no subject
[ a ghost. he hopes not. something about that makes his heart squeeze, in his throat, makes something burn hard in his ribcage. taair swallows it back, his expression soft as he runs a thumb over it before he holds it out for zhongli to take and inspect, if he wants. ]
Mn. It is a reminder of a young girl that I came to know. Not in the Xianzhou Alliance, but rather - in the ruins of a village, destroyed by enemy forces.
no subject
I see. You were toying with something at one point, during the trial. Much happened, and I thought it best to leave it alone, but now I understand what it was.
[ ruined villages are far too familiar to him. but in his assessment of the keychain, he looks up from it to taair again. ]
... another foxian, perhaps?
no subject
[ of all of the blurry memories of his strange adventure into the echoes of jiaoqiu's life - it is this one that sticks out the most firmly, like a thread wound around his heart, into the chambers and through the aorta, inextricable. ]
Everyone in her village was killed. I only found her because - [ a slight hesitation, but he trips over it and carries on ] - another soldier called for my aid, because she was so terrified of him that she ran and hid. I managed to coax her out of her hiding place, bit by bit, and... after that, she remained with me.
[ he sounds so fond as he says this, achingly so. he loved that little girl so dearly, in ways he couldn't even begin to put to words. he has never had bonds, let alone something like that. the chance to provide shelter to a terrified orphan - true shelter, true warmth and kindness. the way her tiny hand fisted in his shirt sealed his decision on that little girl before the words had even come out of his mouth. ]
Her name was Huohuo.
no subject
Huohuo... huo is a patchouli, a kind of mint. It's one of the 50 most fundamental herbs in traditional medicine. [ it wouldn't surprise him if the same was true in both liyue and the xianzhou alliance, frankly. ] I'm sure, despite the adversity she faced when you met her, she still flourished like her namesake, regardless. Especially under a gentle, guiding hand as yours.
[ that offered, he turns and looks back to him with hand extended to return the keychain to him. ]