Unexpected Scenery
idk if anyone remembers the Kinich one i did, but i wanna make a xiao version! (i also haven’t played genshin in awhile so bare with me..)
You were a small photographer, making your mora through small gigs to get by. It was fun, you got to travel to certain nations for different events you got to get pictures of. This time? You were doing Zhongli a favour and taking photos of the Lantern Rite.
Lantern Rite was something most of Liyue’s residents participated in. It was a festive time of the year where all the merchants would come out and overprice their items, food carts selling festive food, and the distant sound of fireworks heard every so often.
You smiled to yourself as your kamera hang loosely around your neck, but secure in your hands as you kept them steady. Click! A small photo comes out as you shake it slightly, watching the group of kids you just took a photo of crowd around you to get a chance to see the newly developing photo. Once they see the photo on awe they run off all screaming a thank you as they find a stall to entertain themselves with. As you watch the kids run off, you turn your head to stare at the big firework that sat in the harbour.
The sun was setting which meant that the show would be starting soon. You wanted to get a far away view of the show, rather than be in the middle of the harbour like most people would be.
You start making your way to the outskirts of Liyue Harbour to a somewhat tall hill.
Running a little behind, the fireworks start as your about halfway up the hill. You take small photos here and there, your flash off as you aim it at the sky, the sound of your footsteps concealed by the sound of fireworks. Just as the big deer shaped firework is about to take off, you make it to the top of the hill. A figure sat at the edge of it, seemingly having the same idea you did.
The wind lightly blowed through their hair, as the deer firework came to life and started prancing around the harbour. You crouched down slightly as the prancing firework passed you both and you clicked a beautiful photo of the sitting figure and the deer.
Just as you looked back up from you kamera, the figure was gone. You did a double take as you sped walked towards where they should’ve been and looked around for a moment. Your attention was quickly diverted as the deer firework exploded into a spur of beautiful colours in the sky, reflecting and lighting up your eyes.
Later in the next day you’re sat at Wangshu Inn, sat down at a small table with Zhongli. It was fairly late and barely anyone else was around, especially at the top floor. A small hum comes from you as you sort through the photos with the man. You come across the one with the figure, a small smile reaching your lips. It was a pretty photo, a shame you didn’t know who it was of though.
You show Zhongli the photo and he offers a smile as he takes it and examines it, grabbing his chin and tilting his head at it slightly. You’d think he’d be examining something belonging to a museum.
“Say.. May i hold onto this? I’d like to show this to someone.”
You hum as you look up at him from another photo you were examining.
“Hm? Yeah, I can make you a copy of it if you’d like.”
“Could you make two? That’d be delightful.”
You offer a small smile as you let him borrow the photo.
After you leave, giving Zhongli two copies of the photo and night falls, a shorter figure appears next to Zhongli, looking at the photo in his hands with a slightly annoyed look.
“Damned humans.” the smaller figure mumbles as he furrows his brows.
“Now Xiao, i think it’s intriguing, don’t you? It’s a well taken photo. I’m surprised you didn’t hear them behind you.”
Xiao scoffs but his eyes don’t leave the photo.
Zhongli offers the photo to him silently, and he hesitates to take it. Staring at the photo as if it offended him in some way. He finally takes the photo with a sigh.
“What do you want me to do with.. this?” He says with distain, holding the photo with one hand as his gaze breaks from it finally to look at Zhongli.
“Keep it. It is if you afterall.”
Xiao sights for the nth time.
He remembers the photo being taken fairly vividly. He still doesn’t understand how he didn’t notice someone behind him.
The traveler had encouraged him to watch the fireworks again this year for Lantern Rite… again. He wasn’t completely against it, although he may have acted like he was. It made him feel a little more connected to Liyue and its people, in his own way. Each year he gets a little closer to the harbour for the fireworks. Maybe this year he got too close.
His eyes reflected those of the fireworks in the sky as they exploded in a magnificent colour blur. His eyes trained on the sky. Unable to hear anything but the booms from the sky and the muffled cheers from below. Anything until a small click comes from behind him.
His head snaps towards the noise as he sees a person crouched, aiming a kamera at him. He immediately teleports away, not wanting to be seen by the person again. Slightly irritated at the person for sneaking up on him, and himself for not being able to notice the person to begin with.
Now that the photo that was taken is in his hands, he still feels a little annoyed. But he can’t help the slightly warm feeling that bubbles in his chest the longer he looks at the photo. He can’t place the feeling, but Zhongli has a small idea of what it could be.
