i will enjoy a little zhongaechilde once in a while! i wouldn't say it's a fav ot3 because there are other characters i love shoving in with zhongchi more (like xiao or venti or even scara) but it largely depends on the premise and if i like the author and so on

tbh it took me a long time to appreciate traveler ships overall because while i do see a pretty distinct character for aether and lumine in the game now (moreso than i did early game) it's still hard for me to shake the special snowflake self-insert vibe? which is totally fine because even i indulge in a little special snowflake self-insert fantasy when the mood strikes but the mood DOES have to strike for me to maintain interest. it's not an aversion as much as it is boredom?? (I TRULY DON'T MEAN THAT OFFENSIVELY if you love and adore aether with all your heart i am sure this alone makes you write a good one)

THAT BEING SAID from a strictly canon perspective there's no denying that childe and zhongli are fond of aether, and when it comes to someone capable of keeping up with these two and managing their potential miscommunications, aether is ideal for the job. (i would love a scenario where aether is trying to matchmake them and accidentally ends up caught up in the mess LOL)

alternatively.... abyss prince aether roping the abyss side of childe to his side in a dubiously consensual kind of way is always sexy, and it's even more fun to imagine zhongli negotiating for childe's freedom except the only exchange aether is willing to take is zhongli himself 😳