inujuju · 5mo
I (finally) finished Cloud Retainer's story quest and seeing Zhongli pop up was such a treat!!! Seeing them interact together gave me tons of fun thoughts of their interactions (some of them being erotic ofc) but they also made me remember how... easy it was for Guoba and Zhongli to interact again. While it's true Guoba doesn't have his full memories (to my understanding?) it must be so nice for Zhongli to just get to easily be with an old friend. I don't think there's anyone from the Archon War that really interacts with him easily. Maybe Madam Ping! But clearly Zhongli beat himself up over Guizhong's situation and struggled to connect with her post-war.
I actually kind of love that Guoba doesn't remember/isn't aware; I enjoy playing around with the idea that there is like, a familiarity there, but he isn't bogged down by painful memories in the same way that the others are. And the others-- Zhongli, Ping, Cloud Retainer, etc; I just like the idea that they kinda... indulge and take care of him. Marchosius sacrificed his entire being to save the soil of Liyue and that's just... a big thing. I like to think that the others have eased up over time. Zhongli's 'retirement' is definitely like... a peek into that.
