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[ Curling comfortably around his shoulders, face tucked in his paws as his tail is still swishing behind him. ]

Oh? What makes you say that?

Or perhaps a better question is what company do you think I keep?

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[ Scritching under his chin ]

Probably people who aren't homeless, for one!

[ Also he's met your adepti, Morax. ]

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[ Oh.

Is Venti saying something?

Zhongli is too busy almost toppling over purring and trying to tilt his head like a cat for maximum scritching. ]

Mmmmrrrrrrr.

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Hoooh? Have I discovered the great Rex Lapis's weakness?

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[ Zhongli just tries to glare at him while he's still purring and leaning for scritches.

It is not super effective. ]

I could say many things to that but I will refrain.

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[ But can he be huffy if Venti changes gears and scritches both of his cheeks at the same time. ]

Ehehe, feel free to go on.

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[ Well.



No.

The huffiness evaporates. But so does any attempt to retort over the happy purring and the thumping of his tail against Venti's leg. ]

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[ THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF VENTI'S LIFE!!!! ]

Just think, Morax. For millennia you could have been getting all the cheek scritches you wanted, if you'd only asked~ ♪

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[ A low grumble of dissatisfaction among the purring. ]

As well as never hear the end of it from you for those millennia.

Furthermore, this form is unfit for a ruling Archon.

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Surely you don't believe I wouldn't scratch your cheeks just as readily in your original form?

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[ His tail thumps one against Venti's leg. ]

I suppose I will have to take your word for it. Unfortunately, that was the original intent of the AlcheME! potion. But alas - this was the end result.

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Oh dear.

[ VALIANTLY, he doesn't laugh. But it's a near miss. ]

But you're at ease with the outcome regardless?

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I am not in any distress, no. And the effects are temporary.

So if you will humor me staying here until it wears off...

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You can stay here whenever you want, for as long as you want, whether you're a cute little stuffed dragon or not.

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Quite the generous offer.

[ And he settles back down on Venti's shoulders, tail tucked under his paws. ]

I would be foolish not to take you up on it at present.

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[ He goes to carefully flop on the bed, making sure plushie Zhongli is still comfortable and tucked in safely. ]

Then would you care to join me? I was just reading about poetry and music from other worlds.

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Oh? One of my unitmates was listening to a genre known as pop. It was very lively.

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Ah, yes, B from AlcheME! showed me one of those! They also have machines in the future that they've taught to sing, it's quite remarkable.

Ehe, this poetry is much more somber than all that, though. It's by a poet named "Poe" and he seems to have been more morose than even the most serious of Liyue poets.

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I can't fathom why you would be in the mood for that kind of literature.

[ Makes little grabby paws for the book despite his words ]

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Well, I was told you can look things up on the phones, so I searched for "best poets of all time" to see what would come up. He was on a list on this internet page called "Buzzerfeed."

[ Holding out the Poe book, though. Fortunately it's small! ]

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[ Said grabby paws immediately set it on the nearest flat surface as he opens it to the first story. His tail thump-thumps happily against Venti as he begins to skim through the paragraphs. ]

Oh? Is that a reputable Publishing Company?

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I dunno! There were a lot of little moving pictures, though.

[ With his hands thus freed, he goes back to stroking the lil dragon head. ]

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[ Venti.


VENTI.

The purring is very inappropriate for reading the Hell version "The Tell Tale Heart" you know. ... Actually it's probably unchanged.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs continue as does the happy little tail wag. ]

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[ HEHEHEHEHEH ]

Wow, I see you truly enjoy Poe's poetry!

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[ Thumps him with the tail fluff ]