[ he lives to see another day! laurence will find zhongli seated in the mansion lobby with a tray of tea - teapot and cups and all - and his phone, back in his usual clothes that i'm not linking because you're canon familiar, looking at it with a very studious and curious expression. in his other hand is a cup of tea that he's in the middle of lifting up to take a sip from when he notices that the grumpy teen is here. ]
Ah, hello again. Another day for us to see what lies ahead. How are you fairing?
[ laurence is not in canon clothes but he has found something more comfortable. freedom from those horrible angel costumes. he pauses when addressed, frowning. ]
I'm fine. [ there's a soft scrabbling noise as penny catches up to him. he ignores her. ] There's something to actually look at now, and you're just going to sit around having tea?
Oh. Hello, there. [ to penny, since it seems she's not scrabbling to attack him and is instead left in his dust. ] Someone made a mess of this lobby, so I had been cleaning up the dirt left behind - I decided to enjoy some of the tea available in the kitchen before setting out again. The selection in the cafe we had access to before was lacking.
[ were you minding your own business on the boardwalk, laurence?
well, guess what. ]
Good afternoon, Laurence. [ is all the warning you get, unless you notice the light footfalls of your local god, because then there's a hand very gently falling to rest atop your head for a few seconds. touche
and then there's a very gentle pat, afterwards. ] I have something I would like to show you, if you would join me.
[ one of these days he'll learn to pay attention and today is not that day. but he settles easily enough once he realizes it's just zhongli, looking up at him curiously. ]
Ah, my apologies. [ for spookin. he didn't even really think about it, just succumbed to the desire to give a little patpat. ] There's a location beneath the hill, if you head towards it from the beach, where you can manipulate the surroundings into intangible imagery. I would like to show you the Glaze Lilies, if nothing else.
[ honestly rng choosing beach is wildly appropriate. zhongli can be found with polearm in hand, point angled downwards but grip tight and ready rather than absently loose like it had been for most of the week so far. he's walking the length of the beach and scanning it with brow furrowed, expression severe, like he's just - looking. for anything. where charlie was, any signs of a scuffle or struggle or fight or anything, but coming up short the entire way.
when he notices that laurence is simply... roaming, he makes his way over towards him, angling his approach so that it's in line of sight rather than something to startle him. ]
[ he'll not interrupt zhongli trying to help jiaoqiu, so in the meantime laurence stumbles onto the train and back to town. he's sitting the mansion now, sipping a ginger ale, and looks up when zhongli arrives. ]
[ i had perfect, prewritten starters for anybody that asked for them at the start of this week. they were wonderful!
and then a fucking cerbegoose happened.
zhongli is seated in the lobby when everything dies down, and laurence might brave exiting the safety of the interior of the mansion. he's as dressed down as it gets for him, still dragoned out - but the pointier ears that poke out of his hair twitch when he hears footsteps. so, he looks up from where he's pouring himself a drink of something amber colored in a clear wine bottle. at least it's not the ominous stomping of the goddamn goose. ]
... much too exciting for an end of the day. Did you get out of it unscathed?
[ he looks so nice and laurence looks like a bum teen. the changes for him are more subtle with just a laurel of pink flowers immediately visible in his hair (though they're slowly fading to yellow and white), and a little bit of ivy peeking out of his sleeves and around his neck. ]
I think I outran it. [ it was probably distracted with other snacks. ] What was the deal with that thing, anyway? A three-headed goose?! What gives?!
[ somehow, it feels as if it was better for them to have caught jing yuan in the final moments of trial last week. having nearly two hours to deliberate, to stew on the emotions, made it so much more... volatile.
zhongli walks, because it helps him think, these days, and it means that he can check on the others. there's little to do when it comes to hawke, but... there are still those, outside of the containment of the church, that might need a listening ear or some company during these times. ]
... Laurence. [ when he sees their poor demiflora in the garden, he begins making his way over. he's far more draconic, now, but not enough to no longer appear human. and it definitely doesn't hide the concern that he feels. ]
[ voice still a little hoarse, but the vines are gradually starting to ease up. not completely, and there are still more than there were even yesterday, but it's progress from when trial ended. ]
I- I'm okay.
[ he knows he drew some unwanted attention during trial, both in how he spoke of jing yuan and how he handled firefly's confession and anders' breakdown... it was a bad day all around. ]
[ throws them into the garden path, fresh off the train. laurence is immediately distracted by looking around at all the new sights, enough so that he almost trips over a chao.
...and when he sees the chalk drawings on the path, he smiles. ]
Careful, little one, don't wander too far. [ zhongli's golden chao - with a little black ribbon neck tie - toddles off to go investigate the other chao and their work, cooing, curious. ]
A friend? [ catching laurence mentioning a name as he glances back towards him from were he's further along the path. ]
[ to the garden we go... zhongli isn't surprised to find him, again, and will instead go to join him with a calm sort of weariness that he wears like a mantle. but it doesn't weigh him down so much that he is stagnant.
he can't be. ]
... you did well today, Laurence. With your whistle. But are you alright?
[ i'm going to drop us directly into memshare so that i can make sure we get everything taken care of. so whether they're in the funhouse or step through a doorway and find themselves there...
well, congrats! you've been chosen for a memory of names for this one! if you want another one later on in the thread or the week i've GOT you. ]
[ well. this academy place in equestria is pretty normal! at least, from what he's known of it from the other side. zhongli is still prepared for any kind of trouble that might pop up, especially after the chaos of the polar express and candy kingdom. he doesn't visibly have his polearm on him, but he's walking like he's ready to draw it from thin air, it seems. when he runs into laurence, it's outside, looking up at the building and around at the grounds, even curiously glancing in the direction of the baby zone.
the vibe is calm, if cautious, and definitely curious, although the baby zone - even from outside - makes him a little bemused. but there is a wee touch of familiarity underneath that last one. weird. ]
Odd, that things have remained so unchanged in this place compared to all the others. [ looks up at the bones, which is weirdly the most absolute normal seeming thing to him. he can't even see the sports field yet. take him on a tour!! let's go trackstar!! ] Laurence, have you spent much time here..?
Yeah, it's weird. Like... what makes these places different? The flower garden's like that, too.
[ there's just an air of confusion about him because of it. ]
Not in the school, but there's a field outside that's good for running. I mostly spent time with the cats or in the Archives, but those got weird, too.
[ outside, so that he's easier to find for this very reason. he's been working on something but seems to have taken a break with it - it means it's easier for him to put his arm around him wordlessly. ]
wknd 0; saturday
Ah, hello again. Another day for us to see what lies ahead. How are you fairing?
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I'm fine. [ there's a soft scrabbling noise as penny catches up to him. he ignores her. ] There's something to actually look at now, and you're just going to sit around having tea?
[ make it make sense ]
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Oh. Hello, there. [ to penny, since it seems she's not scrabbling to attack him and is instead left in his dust. ] Someone made a mess of this lobby, so I had been cleaning up the dirt left behind - I decided to enjoy some of the tea available in the kitchen before setting out again. The selection in the cafe we had access to before was lacking.
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wk 0; monday
well, guess what. ]
Good afternoon, Laurence. [ is all the warning you get, unless you notice the light footfalls of your local god, because then there's a hand very gently falling to rest atop your head for a few seconds. touche
and then there's a very gentle pat, afterwards. ] I have something I would like to show you, if you would join me.
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Sure. What is it?
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wk 0; friday
when he notices that laurence is simply... roaming, he makes his way over towards him, angling his approach so that it's in line of sight rather than something to startle him. ]
Laurence.
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Mr. Zhongli. Were you trying to find any clues, too? Looks like a lot of you had the same idea.
[ people keep telling him they're finding nothing, though... awful. ]
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week 0, sunday
Is- Is Jiaoqiu okay?
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... he'll need rest, and we'll have to keep an eye on the wound with no clinic available to us. But he'll be alright, Laurence.
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wk 1; tuesday
and then a fucking cerbegoose happened.
zhongli is seated in the lobby when everything dies down, and laurence might brave exiting the safety of the interior of the mansion. he's as dressed down as it gets for him, still dragoned out - but the pointier ears that poke out of his hair twitch when he hears footsteps. so, he looks up from where he's pouring himself a drink of something amber colored in a clear wine bottle. at least it's not the ominous stomping of the goddamn goose. ]
... much too exciting for an end of the day. Did you get out of it unscathed?
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I think I outran it. [ it was probably distracted with other snacks. ] What was the deal with that thing, anyway? A three-headed goose?! What gives?!
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wk 1; saturday
zhongli walks, because it helps him think, these days, and it means that he can check on the others. there's little to do when it comes to hawke, but... there are still those, outside of the containment of the church, that might need a listening ear or some company during these times. ]
... Laurence. [ when he sees their poor demiflora in the garden, he begins making his way over. he's far more draconic, now, but not enough to no longer appear human. and it definitely doesn't hide the concern that he feels. ]
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[ voice still a little hoarse, but the vines are gradually starting to ease up. not completely, and there are still more than there were even yesterday, but it's progress from when trial ended. ]
I- I'm okay.
[ he knows he drew some unwanted attention during trial, both in how he spoke of jing yuan and how he handled firefly's confession and anders' breakdown... it was a bad day all around. ]
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week 2, monday
...and when he sees the chalk drawings on the path, he smiles. ]
Oh, Iris would love this.
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Careful, little one, don't wander too far. [ zhongli's golden chao - with a little black ribbon neck tie - toddles off to go investigate the other chao and their work, cooing, curious. ]
A friend? [ catching laurence mentioning a name as he glances back towards him from were he's further along the path. ]
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wk 2; saturday
he can't be. ]
... you did well today, Laurence. With your whistle. But are you alright?
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Not really. I was so worried about Yves, but Ms. Neverah...
[ that was really intense for a murder? it's shaken him up a little. ]
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wk 3; monday
well, congrats! you've been chosen for a memory of names for this one! if you want another one later on in the thread or the week i've GOT you. ]
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Xiao...?
[ did he really name someone for their trauma.............
no but his tone is questioning. peepaw explain. ]
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wk 7; monday
the vibe is calm, if cautious, and definitely curious, although the baby zone - even from outside - makes him a little bemused. but there is a wee touch of familiarity underneath that last one. weird. ]
Odd, that things have remained so unchanged in this place compared to all the others. [ looks up at the bones, which is weirdly the most absolute normal seeming thing to him. he can't even see the sports field yet. take him on a tour!! let's go trackstar!! ] Laurence, have you spent much time here..?
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[ there's just an air of confusion about him because of it. ]
Not in the school, but there's a field outside that's good for running. I mostly spent time with the cats or in the Archives, but those got weird, too.
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w7 saturday
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