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[leaveofabsence]

[ The default voicemail message greets you. ]

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[childeishly]

[ startles, ] ah, Xiansheng, I... I was just deep in thought. [ not a complete lie. ] Thanks for coming all the way out here.

[leaveofabsence]

[ Zhongli takes Childe's hand not occupied by his phone and gives it a squeeze. ]

Of course.

I want to be here.

[childeishly]

[ returns the squeeze and stops what he’s doing, though he keeps the phone in hand like it’s a lifeline. ]

… [ how to start. ] Xia- er, … [ where to start and… why! ]

What’s in the basket? [ nailed it. ]

[leaveofabsence]

[ He pulls back the cloth cover of the basket and presents Childe with a very particular bottle of alcohol. ]

Snezhnayan fire water. Plamya boda, I believe you called it.

You mentioned this drink was a representation of comradery and trust among allies. But more importantly, I thought it might be comforting - considering how tumultuous the last few days have been.

[childeishly]

...ah. [ at this point he manages a small smile, reaching to remove the bottle from the basket, inspecting it. ] I think so. Drinking a good liquor with an even better boyfriend...

[ he's not even going to hesitate opening it. ] You'll drink with me, right, Xiansheng?

[leaveofabsence]

[ Zhongli pulls two glass tumblers from the basket as well. ]

Yes. Just a little.

I'm afraid more than that will be too much for me.

[childeishly]

…that’s fine. I think I might try finishing off the entire thing by myself anyway. [ leans into him and opens the bottle, pouring himself a heaping helping and giving zhongli something more… respectable. ]

…

I… I need to talk to you about… about something.

[leaveofabsence]

[ Zhongli shifts to accommodate Childe more comfortably as he takes the glass from him. ]

Of course. I am listening.

[childeishly]

[ instead of getting into it from the get go he's just going to take a drink. and then another. and then another. and soon he's finished off his ( first ) share. it doesn't hit him as hard as it does most people, but he absolutely feels a bit of a buzz. ]

I... I died.

[leaveofabsence]

[ Zhongli reaches up to place a hand on Childe's back, testing the waters to see his response. He drink gets set down completely for the moment. ]

Childe. . .

I am so sorry.

[childeishly]

It's fine. [ a immediate knee-jerk response. ] I mean you don't need to apologize. Did you know that YOU-kai had been offered a deal... killing people in exchange for helping nudge them across the finish line, since I imagine they'd gotten real close. I found Five-sensei dead, murdered by one of them, and... my mask broke for the first time. I couldn't help the overwhelming amount of... of everything! and it just... shattered. I know I would have killed him if not for his friend. [ fingers the rim of his glass and considers pouring himself some more. ] I still can't make heads or tails of what she managed to do, but it's like she reached into my body and... make it her own. -I- couldn't move, but... it moved... [ he hated it. he hated it so much. no control on top of no control is his worst. fucken. nightmare. ]

Do you know what happens when you die here?

[leaveofabsence]

[ He does not say anything while Childe explains though Zhongli's hand against his back shifts as he mentions the death of Five, his mask breaking, and the puppeteering...

That's already so much! That for a moment Zhongli just stares at him as he parses the question. ]

You mean outside of a game, yes? I only know what was written in the guidebook put together by the people here. That something happens if the person is not revived by pep!pep! within a day.

[ Or more accurately, he had furiously read through it after his failure to find Childe and after hearing nothing else from pep!pep! ]

[childeishly]

...mm. You end up in one of the other hells, Vengeance, I think, and you meet the mother of monsters, Lilith. But because of how far out we had all been and the fact that neither he nor she said anything to anybody... nobody found and revived either of us.

[leaveofabsence]

. . .

Might I inquire as to who could be so cruel as to leave the two of you to that fate?

[childeishly]

Kozuru of YOU-kai. I'm sure you saw him around. He'd been going hard from the start, but the unit couldn't keep up with the likes of sea.Di.

[leaveofabsence]

Even so, even the man who murdered half of the healing unit had the grace to bring the bodies back so that they could be revived.

But I suppose that cannot be helped now.

More importantly, are you all right? And Five?

[childeishly]

I doubt he stopped at us, being under time constraints, so he had to keep going... keep killing... I sincerely doubt it stopped with the two of us, but there's nothing to be done about it now. If he ever comes back though, I plan two kill him at least twice. [ once for himself and once for five. ]

...strictly speaking. We're back. [ ... ] But in order to come back a price had to be paid and I think I've become a bit more... corrupted.

[leaveofabsence]

[ Oh.



Oh no.

His fingers dig into the cloth at Childe's back before Zhongli forcibly relaxes them. ]

What kind of price? What could possible be worth a life...?

[childeishly]

...just losing more of ourselves to hell. More corruptions, essentially. [ and the parting gift of a nightmare, but he's not interested in talking about that right now. ]

1/2

[leaveofabsence]

[ For a brief second, Zhongli's expression looks cold and vengeful.

A visage more appropriate of Morax during the Archon War than of the humble funeral parlor consultant Zhongli. ]

[leaveofabsence]

[ But his visage quickly turns gentle again as that hand on Childe's back shifts to grip his shoulder. ]

What can I do for you?

And I ask this not because I think you cannot handle whatever this Mother of Monsters has thrown at you.

But because I wish to aid you as you have aided me when I went through my own terrible experiences here.

[childeishly]

...make a contract with me. [ turns the fully face him. ] If my mask should break again, then I want you to do everything in your power to keep me from doing something I might regret. [ he's not concerned about killing most people... just a small group. ] I don't know what I could give you in return, but I'm open to suggestions.

[ ... ]

I, ah, also figure in your infinite wisdom you may know a thing or two about... [ clears his throat. ] going into heat?

[leaveofabsence]

Childe.

[ And he cups his cheek in one palm. ]

Let us address the first issue and we can move onto the second.

I have already promised to intervene should your mask break. But if a contract would make you feel more at ease, then I will enter into one with you.

As for what you can give me in return, you can allow me to oversee your healing and care after and such episodes occur.

[childeishly]

…but that was something we talked about before we knew the extent of it. Now… [ sighs. ] I figured it’d be bad, but… maybe I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed, because of everything that’s happened.

I hate that they’re trying to strip me of control with all of these things. [ the mindless killing machine that’s foul legacy and the horny tattoo… ]

It’s frustrating. [ sets a hand on top of zhongli’s. ] I can do that. Are you sure that’s enough, ..? This contract seems a touch lopsided. [ cracks a smile. ]

[leaveofabsence]

It is not lopsided at all. I remember how... creative your solutions were the first time the mask was breaking. I just do not want a repeat occurrence of some of those options.

I want to be able to be kind to you when other factors prevent you from being kind to yourself. Isn't that equivalent of you wanting me to spare you from regrets?