sharethememory | Kenos

[ they're all saved by Yima, Childe wants to say. Yima is the one who pulls all their shards from the primordial soup their worlds disintegrated into once taken by the void. Meridian couldn't be without Zenith's leader here in Kenos.

but he doesn't. it wouldn't change the fundamental truth of wheat Zhongli is saying. so the youngest harbinger of the fatui is grateful when Zhongli offers a diversion for his mind, settling in with a wistful expression of their days in Liyue before it all fell apart. even though that is just as much gone as teyvat itself.)

his voice is once again soft in resignation. ]

No, tell me about her, Zhongli-xiansheng.

Havria, the Goddess of Salt, was just one of many of the gods who lived in the era of peace before the rise of the Archon War. And like many gods, she had her own loyal followers.

But unlike the other gods, Havria was gentle. Too gentle for those times as she chased the peace of the past. She never raised a weapon to harm another. She never spilled the blood of another in offense or defense and neither did any of her followers. If met with confrontation, she negotiated with her opponent or ultimately fled. Gave and gave away until there was naught but one small shelter for her people.

Yet still she did not raise her blade. Yet still she believed in peace.

In the end, the last ruler of her people slew her. Most likely it was an act of mercy for a god that was too kind for the world. But perhaps it was a rallying cry to finally fight and defend their people, knowing that lives would be lost in order to survive. Regardless, gods never die peacefully and the aftereffects of her destruction resulted in the death of many of her followers. A tragic end to a god and her people who only wished to be left in peace.

[ There's a pause after he finishes his story, short enough to let Childe think over his words, but not long enough that Zhongli will forgo his own final interpretation. ]

I know you may not see the Meridian themselves in this light. They fight as fiercely as the Zenites to see their ideals succeed. But what they wish for is essentially the same. They wish to return to that peaceful era that lives in their memories.

But this world has changed. All our worlds have changed. It can never be as it was before. I'm afraid trying to restore it will be at a cost that all of us cannot afford. And yet they will try and eventually and regrettably have to make concessions against their ideals.

[ Zhongli's story does put a spin on it he didn't consider. Afterall, the Tsaritsa has not been kind in her methods towards other countries. The difference is, Snezhnaya has never claimed the same as Meridian.

Still, maybe he's just bitter and biased. In fact, that's probably a big chunk of it. as much as he hates to admit it.

And at the same time, he almost doesn't like the thought that Meridian could come on top only to not get what they hoped for. That just feels even more wrong. This is too complicated and messy, perhaps. All of it.

He'll try and order a gentle smile, nevertheless. ]

Ah, you and your lack of happy endings, Xiansheng. I see what you mean, though...

I do not believe this story to be either happy or unhappy. It is just the culmination of the choices made versus the time lived in. The surviving followers of Havria made their way to the harbor and lived and prospered just as any other citizen of Liyue. In that way, her legacy continued.

[ Zhongli returns Childe's smile with a neutral expression, or at least one that bears a hint of confusion. It almost felt like he was being offered comfort but for what and why, Zhongli does not know. He's still far removed from Manon and this whole mess outside of what Childe has told him and what he has learned this day. Was he not supposed to be the one offering advice to the distressed party? ]

I believe that Meridian will also reach a point where the very foundation of their beliefs and hopes will be challenged. What they decide from there will determine their fate and perhaps the fate of Kenos.

[ Truthfully, though, Zhongli did not see either faction as inherently wrong - it was just two paths to similar end goals and trusting either wholeheartedly (no matter how kind Lady Yima had been to Childe) was not something that should be done without abundant caution. ]

The Zenith issue is one that more have probably experienced. To create a world that puts themselves at the pinnacle of power - then it becomes a question of if that power is being wielded fairly or if they fashion themselves into tyrants that must later be toppled.

Kenos - Communion

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