(*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

“Adepti?” You repeated. “Are they real?”

“Are they not where you’re from?”

“I’ve never seen one.”

“They’re very real,” Childe said with another amused smirk. “As I’m sure you’ll figure out.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He flicked his fingers through his hair as he gave you a dramatic shrug. “None of the adepti I know will even think of talking to me. Lucky for you, Zhongli’s good friends with them.”

“He is?”

Another snort. “Of course he is. Your best bet is to meet with Ganyu if she is able to give you any time out of her very busy day.” 

Ganyu… that name sounded familiar, but you couldn’t quite place your finger on why. “And where would I find her?”

“Here and there,” Childe said. “I could help you track her down, but you’ll have to speak to her. Though I doubt you’ll be able to keep up appearances for long. Anyone with half a brain can tell you’re not Zhongli.”

“Lovely,” You said. 

“It’s still your best bet.” Childe said as he reached for the door. “Stay here. I’ll see what I can find.”

“But I need to…”

“It’s late,” Childe said. “That body of yours hasn’t slept all day.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Sleep anyway,” He swung the door open and gave you a bow. “Make some tea. Take a bath. Relax. Try not to think about this too much.”

“All the easy things,” You said. 

He laughed. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be back soon.” The door shut behind him and you sank to the floor, miserable. What were you supposed to do now? Wait around until the solution simply fell into your lap? Frustrated, you pulled off your gloves and tossed them onto the bench. However, you froze when your gaze fell to your hands. They were golden and completely unlike the rest of Zhongli’s skin. Curious, you rolled up your sleeve. The yellow shifted to a dark brown with golden symbols that ran along his muscles. When you traced the lines, you swore they lit up under your fingertips. You reached behind you, unclipping the vision that you had felt bouncing against your back during your walk. Geo. You brushed your fingers over it, but nothing happened. Odd. Hu Tao’s vision always glowed when she did something with it. Maybe your inability to use visions in your world would keep you from using this one. You quickly decided that was probably for the best as you placed it on the table. You shed his coat, letting it fall around your form as you finally undid the top button to give you some room to breathe. The skin along his neck was at least the same as his face, and you wondered where the dark brown ended and everything else began. 

There was something off about this Zhongli person, but you weren’t quite sure what it was. You glanced down at his -your - arms again and frowned. A stray thought crossed your mind - Is he even human? - but you pushed it away. Of course he was. You could tell that just by looking. Now whether or not he was fully human was another question entirely. Maybe if you looked more around the house you could find some information. But you already felt strange examining him the way you were. How were you supposed to manage in the body of someone you didn’t even know? You didn’t want to pry into his life, but you didn’t have many other options. You hoped that he would understand if he was in the same predicament. If someone was stuck in your body, you knew that Hu Tao would notice that something was off. She knew you too well not to. And you were certain she would help. How could she not? But then again… how could she without thinking you'd gone insane? 

You leaned your head back, knocking it lightly against the wall. You let your eyes close and searched your mind for anything you could find. None of his memories surfaced and your own were jumbled at best. Wonderful. You took a long, slow breath letting it settle in the pit of your stomach. There was nothing you could do but wait now. Maybe you could make some tea to soothe the nerves. But then that made you question whether tea bags were a thing or not. Deciding that it probably wasn’t yet, you then wondered how you would go about making actual tea that wouldn’t taste terrible. 

You groaned. This was all too much to think about. Maybe sleep was the best option you had. Maybe you’d get to dream about something he did or who he was. Or maybe you’d see absolutely nothing and it would be a huge waste of time. Even though your mind was wide awake, your body ached. Your arms and legs felt heavy. Your head lulled to the side as your vision struggled to focus. You swore you felt something clawing at you from the inside, begging for you to rest. But just as you were about to comply, there was a knock at the door. Confused, you pushed yourself to your feet, only to realize that the sun had already gone down. 

Had you actually fallen asleep without noticing it?

“Mr. Zhongli?” A feminene voice echoed from outside. “It’s Ganyu. I was asked to come check on you.”

You rubbed your eyes as you stumbled toward the door, pulling down the sleeves of your shirt to hide the marks on your arms. You managed to slip on the gloves just before you opened the door. Standing there was a short, blue haired woman with a pair of dark red horns on her head. Her clothing was striking with black fabric and a white and blue blouse. The bell around her neck chimed softly in the breeze, but you were drawn to the look of pure worry in her purple eyes. A long distance behind her, you noticed Childe leaning against a wall in an alleyway. He nodded once at you, then turned and walked away. You didn’t know this person, but - for now at least - she was the only chance you had. 

“I have a problem,” You said. “And I’m not sure how to fix it.”

Ganyu tilted her head. “Your eyes…”

“I know,” You said quietly. “They're not his.”

She blinked slowly. Then, a look of understanding dawned on her face. “Come with me,” She said. “We’ll need to talk to the others.”

Xiao knew something was wrong the moment he laid his eyes on you. Maybe it was the lack of grace in your movements or the uncertainty on your face. Maybe it was because the prim and proper Zhongli wouldn’t be caught dead with clothes in such disarray. Or maybe, just maybe, it was that look of concern that plagued Ganyu’s face as she led you up the hill to Jueyun Karst. “Adeptus Xiao?” She yelled out into the wind. “I need your help.”

Xiao paused, watching from a distance. It was rare that Ganyu ever called his name, so he knew she never would unless it was an emergency. It was lucky, then, that he was in Jueyun Karst today and not at the inn like he usually was. Monsters had been rampant here as of late, restless and violent for reasons that Xiao didn't yet know. When Ganyu stopped, promising you that “help was on the way,” Xiao finally teleported out of his spot, landing directly in front of you. You nearly jumped out of Zhongli’s skin, but Ganyu breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Xiao. I haven’t had time to find the others.”

“What’s this about?” He said, eyeing you with a distrustful look. You didn’t meet his gaze, all but confirming his suspicions. It didn’t help that your eyes were distinctly wrong and your energy didn’t feel anything like his. Whoever was standing in front of him was not the former Geo Archon, no matter how much you looked like him. 

“Is there a place to sit?”

Xiao crossed his arms. “This will do just fine.”

Ganyu nodded. “I have reason to believe that Mr. Zhongli no longer inhabits this body.”

Xiao raised an eyebrow, glancing at you again. Still, you didn’t look at him. Instead, your eyes had dropped to the ground on your feet as you nudged a pebble in random directions. “That's rather obvious,” Xiao said flatly. 

“I’ve heard of this happening before,” Ganyu said. “When ancient magic aligns just right, souls can be moved between physical vessels. It used to be more common during the Archon War.”

“I’m aware,” Xiao said. It was a much greater problem back when the demons he hunted took over the bodies of humans and animals alike, destroying their souls until there was nothing but husks left in their wake. The concept was the same, and he had heard stories of other adepti or humans who were drawn into the wrong bodies through curses or other sources of magic. But the Geo Archon? Xiao would have thought it impossible if you weren’t fidgeting right in front of him. “We can perform a ritual to return the spirits to their rightful place.” He said. “Where is he?”

“That’s the problem,” Ganyu said with a quiet sigh as she looked up at you. “Tell him what you told me.”

You nodded, finally meeting his gaze. “I’m not from this place,” You said. 

“What?”

“It’s true,” Ganyu said. “The things they spoke of… machines that move on their own or speak to people. Metal that people can move in..” She shook her head. “I’ve never heard of any of it. And they were convinced the adepti weren't real.”

“We don’t exactly make ourselves well known,” Xiao said. 

“Some of us do,” Ganyu said. “But that isn’t the point.”

“I think I’m from the future,” You said. 

“And why would you think that?”

“Rex Lapis died last year, right?”

Xiao closed his eyes and lowered his head. “They don’t know?”

“Know what?” You said with a flash of frustration. “Childe wouldn’t tell me anything. Said I’d have to ‘figure it out’ or whatever.” You put your hand to your chest. “But there’s something… off about this body. I just don’t know…”

Xiao shook his head. “Off? Of course it would be. You’re human, I presume.”

“And he’s not?”

“Xiao…” Ganyu said. “We need to take this one step at a time.”

“Do you understand how dangerous this is?” Xiao said. “A human in the body of Rex Lapis?”

You stared at him. “In… what?”

“Xiao!” Ganyu said. “That wasn’t…”

“But he… he died.” You said. “All the history books… everyone knows…” You took a step backward, reaching for your head. “He died over 300 years ago. How could this Zhongli person be him? That doesn’t… make any sense.” 

“Neither does a human inhabiting his body,” Xiao hissed. “And whatever dreams this person has been having does not mean that they’re from some different world. We need to find Rex Lapis and…”

Xiao snapped to your side the second you crumbled, catching you just in time. But when he tried to stand you up again, you were out cold. “This is why we needed to wait,” Ganyu said. 

“We need to fix this,” Xiao said. 

“That’s why I brought him here,” Ganyu said. “I was hoping we could make some kind of plan.”

Xiao picked you up with ease despite the lankiness of Zhongli’s body. It felt strange holding the Geo Archon in such a manner, but Xiao knew he didn’t have a choice. “Meet at the statue of the seven on Qingyun Peak. I’ll gather the others.”

“Will he be alright?”

“Nothing will get to him,” Xiao said. “I'll see to that.”

You stared at him, mind racing. You couldn’t recognize the city, much less lead him to a possible home. If this was Liyue, it was a part you’d never been to before. And, considering that you and your friends had gone practically everywhere out of the name of curiosity, you knew that was nigh impossible. But what could you do? Your heart was racing. Your mind was frazzled. Everything was unfamiliar and terrifying. Yet this man was giving you an expectant look and was clearly in no hurry to help. So, you pushed off the wall you were leaning on and took your first step… only to promptly tumble right into your companion’s arms. “Whoa there,” He said as he adjusted his grip to help you back to your feet. “Alright, alright. I’ll get you home. But you owe me.” 

You grumbled a thank you, ignoring the incredulous look on his face as he led you through the crowded streets. You looked around trying to be discreet as possible, but you were certain you were failing miserably. Everything was impossibly loud with people yelling above each other as they haggled for goods or paraded their products to anyone who would listen. The scent of food of all kinds made your stomach rumble, but you were overwhelmed. You’d never been to a market like this before. Sure, the local mall was always busy, but this was different. It felt like your senses were far better than they should have been. Everything bled together into a mush of sights and smells that made you want to crawl into a hole and disappear from it all. But you forced yourself to keep walking, trying your best to find your footing in this unfamiliar body. 

What happened? You still didn’t know, nor did you think you could figure it out in your current state. You could try asking the man, but he seemed suspicious of you as it was. A part of you hoped this was just some elaborate dream that you and Hu Tao could laugh about in the near future. But everything felt too real. You felt too sluggish and out of control. And you rarely dreamt anymore. At least… not this vividly. But if it was real… then what did that mean for you? 

Were you actually in someone else’s body? Maybe this Zhongli person? And if that were the case, what had happened to him? You couldn’t feel another presence, though you weren’t certain you could pick that out of the mess in your head if you tried. You desperately wished that this man would at least tell you his name so you had something to ground you, but you also didn’t want to ask. You had no way to pretend that everything was alright. Without this man’s memories or any clue where you were, you’d have better luck trying to feed fish to a gummy bear. 

The two of you turned into an alleyway and walked further and further from the crowds. The buildings became more and more dilapidated as you passed by. An uneasy silence settled between the two of you and a small part of you wondered if you should try to run. This surely couldn’t be the way to your home… right? Why would this person own such a nice suit but live in such a dark and dreary place? “Wait…” You said. 

Suddenly, he spun around and shoved you against a nearby wall. You cried out in surprise as a blade made of water appeared inches from your throat. A vision. Hu Tao had one too, but you hadn’t been blessed with such a thing. Your handful of friends all had, but that was an exceedingly rare phenomenon. The fact that this man had one… and was using it so flippantly...

“Where is he?” His voice was cold. Ruthless even. 

“I don’t…” You gulped, eyes wide as you grabbed onto his arm. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t move. “How did you know?”

He scoffed. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“I never…”

“You don’t even know my name,” He hissed. “And your eyes… they’re all wrong. Who are you? What are you doing here? Where is he?”

“Please,” You said. “I woke up like this and that’s all I know.”

He scanned your face and you assumed he was searching for some sign of a lie. “I don’t know,” You repeated. He didn’t respond, but his eyes narrowed. After a painfully long moment of silence, the blade disappeared and the man pulled away. You gasped for air as your feet hit the ground and propped yourself up against the building. The man crossed his arms, clearly unamused. “Wonderful,” he said. “How am I going to explain this to anyone?”

“I have to be dreaming,” You said as you shook your head. “I have to be…”

“Afraid not,” The man said. “Last time I checked, I’m very real.”

“Who are you?”

“Childe,” He said. You blinked and he rolled his eyes. “It’s an alias.”

“That’s… good to know.”

“He’s really gone?”

You pointed at yourself. “This… Zhongli person?”

“Yes.”

“I’m trying to figure that out myself,” You stood up as straight as you could and dusted off your jacket with some semblance of dignity.

“Do you have any of his memories?”

“No.”

Childe broke into a fit of laughter. You stared at him, trying to discern what was so funny about this situation as he keeled over in front of you. “Oh this is rich!” He said. “You’re stuck in that body and you don’t have a clue who it is?”

“His name is Zhongli… right?”

“You could say that’s an alias too.”

“What’s his real name?”

“I’m not sure I should even tell you.”

“Then what’s the point of this conversation?”

“Come on,” Childe said. “Let’s get you home and we’ll figure things out from there.” 

“We’ll?” You said. “You’re not… going to leave me?”

Childe snorted. “And miss this entertainment? Absolutely not.

Zhongli awoke in a bed far bigger and much softer than his own in a blue room. He blinked a few times, but nothing changed. He winced as he sat up, trying to stretch out the numbness in his limbs. It took a great deal of effort to actually get out of bed. But once he did, he was met with a mirror. Golden eyes widened in shock as he realized that the rest of his body was completely foreign. He had never seen you in his life. Of that he was certain. And a quick glance around the room told him he wasn’t in Liyue anymore. There were devices made of metal and plastic that he didn’t recognize sitting on dark furniture. Pictures hung on the wall over a desk, and he was surprised to recognize a few of the people as teenagers he'd seen around Liyue. Each one was dressed far differently than usual but the rest was the same. Books were scattered in all directions, some open and some not. Remove those and the room was mostly clean with the exception of a few unfolded clothes by the laundry hamper. 

A voice echoed into the room. “No, I don’t know what happened.” Hu Tao? Her voice was uncanny, but it couldn’t be her. At least, not the Hu Tao he knew. Zhongli wasn’t even sure he was in the right world. Everything was unfamiliar and far too real to be a dream. But what had happened to him? If he had passed out, then Childe would have taken him home. At least, Zhongli hoped he would. Maybe he’d take him to Hu Tao, but that would probably end in disaster. 

And what about you?

“Hold on,” Hu Tao’s voice said. “I’m going to check on her.”

The door swung open and Hu Tao stepped in, gripping a strange black rectangle to her chest. Her eyes met Zhongli’s and she exhaled before pulling the thing back to her ear. “She’s awake. I’ll call you later.” She tapped on the front of it and tossed it to the bed before sitting down and taking his hand. “Thank the archons. I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance.”

“Ambulance?” Zhongli said. 

She stared at him before reaching out and pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. “You’re not burning up… Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I… feel fine,” Zhongli said awkwardly, uncertain where he should take this conversation. Telling her the truth seemed like the last possible option, though he doubted he could keep up any kind of charade. He didn’t know you. He didn’t know what you did or what you liked or your relationship with this Hu Tao. He didn’t know any of your friends or even where he was. He couldn’t even recall the layout of your own house, confirming that your own memories had not transferred to him. Still, he was as calm as he could be given the circumstances. He’d witnessed many strange things over the last 6,000 years and had even heard of magical events such as this one. He never thought he’d be a part of it, though.

“You don’t look fine,” Hu Tao said. “Your eyes are all wrong.” 

“They’re…” Zhongli trailed off, uncertain how to explain that either. “Did I have any plans for today?”

Hu Tao blinked. “Well, we were going to meet our friends at your coffee shop this afternoon, then head to the arcade for the night. But considering what happened… maybe you should stay home.”

“It’s alright,” Zhongli said. He wouldn’t get anywhere by staying home. The best thing for him to do now was to figure out his surroundings, then search for the solution. If he was lucky, he might run into an adepti that could help. “I shall accompany you.”

Hu Tao raised an eyebrow. “Why are you speaking like that? Did that cube do something?”

“What cube?”

She paused for a moment before leaving the room and returning with the dumbbell. Zhongli stared at it as he reached out, taking it into his hand. It was heavier than he remembered - though, without his Geo powers to manipulate it, he wasn’t surprised - but it was undeniably his. “Where did you get this?”

“I bought it,” She said. “Did you hit your head on the way down?”

Zhongli hesitated, but only for a moment. He needed to play along for now as trying to explain the circumstances behind her friend’s sudden change would surely cause some issues. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to hide his manner of speech, but maybe he could get away with being quiet for now. “I just need some rest.” He said. 

Hu Tao shook her head. “I’ll give you an hour, then we’re heading out, okay?” Zhongli nodded as she hopped off the bed and left the room.