Glaze Lily (Zhongli)

2

"Not anymore? How so?"

A smile formed on the Nymph's lips.

"Who knows."

"You are strange." The god muttered, staring deep into the Nymph's eyes.

"How so?"

"I just noticed that when you look at the city, you seem really lost."

"If you're worried about me getting physically lost, I assure you that I know my way around here."

"I see, you're lost but you aren't, you know your way around, but you don't know it completely."

"I see the rumors that you are indeed a really deep man is true, Morax." the god shrugged.

"Perhaps. But now that you know a little about me, maybe you can tell me a little about you."

"And what does the lord of geo want to know about me?"

"I hear you have quite the predicament concerning the local gods, please do tell."

The Nymph sighed in defeat. "I guess my predicament is way more popular thab I think."

"Well, it is not everyday that we hear the gods of Liyue wage war over a woman." The Nymph rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, Morax. Refrain from speaking as if it is such as honor."

"Forgive me. I am merely intrigued."

"And I'm exhausted. I can't stop a war that I caused."

Rex Lapis did not fail to see the sadness in the Nymph's eyes as she stole another glance at the colorful firecrackers swirling in the sky.

"Why do you want to stop the war? It could help you gain power, knowing you're the reason why they're waging to begin with."

To his logic, a normal woman, specially someone who is not a god would feel empowered to be in her situation. So he wondered why? Why is she not at all happy that she could gain control? Is it really possible for someone to possess such a pure heart? He wanted to know. He ached to know.

"Is power really everything in this world? Why do you speak as if it is the only thing we should care about?" The  Nymph asked, upset of the god's remark.

"You want order and peace right? We cannot achieve those without getting a hold of a little power."

"Would you participate in a war for a woman?" The Nymph stared right into his eyes, intently waiting for an honest answer.

"Well, if the woman is worth going to war for, why not? And the way I see it, you are very much worthy, Queen of the Nymphs."

Heat formed on the Nymph's cheeks as the god gazed her back. For a moment, she felt her heart flutter. But she had shaken it off just as quickly as she felt it. For fluttering feelings are feeble emotions that don't last.

"I don't want to be worth killing the innocent for." she mumbled, desolately looking away.

"If you want to stop the war, May I propose a solution, then?" The nymph nodded.

"Very much so, what is it?"

"They will stop once you're claimed by someone powerful, right?"

"They will. But I don't want to be claimed by someone powerful but lacks essence."

"Then pretend that you've chosen."

The nymph narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

"Pretend that you've chosen someone. That should atleast buy you time until you find someone you really like."