' I will be here when you call. '

long haired xiao has been living in my mind rent free

‘ try again. ’ again? alhaitham almost wants to say, clearly exasperated, and already regretting his choices. after all, his research was important to him, one of the first times, in years, he's been allowed to pursue a topic of his own interest without the sages breathing down his back ━━ but this? alhaitham only sighs in response, raising his hand, the universal signs of ' throwing in the towel, ' “ that's enough for today ... ” and maybe forever, “ i've recorded some of the data through my earphones ... so that should be enough for now. i just need your confirmation that you consent to your voice being stored within my database. ”

"You wish me to consent to what?" Sumeru has changed much since he saw it last, no doubt a result of the dendro lord's influence. The earphones his 'student' mentioned look similar to the trinkets Cloud Retainer might craft. If so, they are no doubt outside of Xiao's understanding (and interest). "It is proper ettiquette to ask prior to doing such a thing, is it not? What if I refuse?"

After taking in everything that he could, the puppet looked over to his host and decided to break the few minutes of silence. " Hm... It's been some time since I was last Liyue. Can you tell me if much has changed as of late ? "

A brief glance finds his guest before Xiao begins to pour their tea. "I'm not the best person to ask," he admits. "I keep my distance from the mortal world, so there is much I am oblivious to." He seats himself opposite the wanderer before continuing, "I did notice, however, that the people tend to rely less and less on the divine. Adepti, too, have started to fade into the background of their everyday life. They don't rely on our protection nearly as much as they used to." It's why he has time to chat with his guest. Some hundred years ago, he never would have entertained such fancy.