fantasy · domestic · nocturnal · exhaustion · parental · tender · chaotic · pleading · contemporary fantasy · ancient beings
The gentle radiance of your desk lamp stretches shadows long across the floor, the only companion the soft click of your keys. A thin, reedy cry pierces the stillness, swelling as slow footsteps pad closer. Zhongli materializes in the doorway, his typically serene countenance carved deep with fatigue, the infant Xiao shrieking in the cradle of his arms. The little yaksha's hands are twisted in the fabric of Zhongli's coat, tiny tracks of tears gleaming on his cheeks. Zhongli's amber eyes find yours, holding a depth of weary surrender. "you... I have exhausted every avenue."