Over the span of thousands of years, Zhongli had learned much of humanity. Of their struggles, of the weight of their emotions. Vash may not be "human" physically, but he still felt, hoped, feared, and cried tears... that was "human" enough.
Of course, it couldn't be said that Zhongli had no ulterior motives either-- though he indeed wished to soothe Vash's distress and distract him from his troubles, he would be remiss to forget the disaster at Arcus Cove. Vash had been enduring a great deal of turmoil lately, and for those with great power, turmoil could breed even greater danger-- if he could aid in settling this unsteady ground...
Now, perhaps, it was worse than before, because following that disaster had been the disappearance of several of those involved. Each of them had returned to the tower that day, but in the following weeks, one by one they vanished, until only two remained who had been there to tell of the day's events.
The disappearances had been perfectly ordinary when it came to Echoes.
But knowing Vash's temperament... he undoubtedly blamed himself.
Zhongli led him on a leisurely walk to the seaside, the vibrations within the earth warning him ahead of time of any disruptions, anything that might cause trouble so that he could choose their path in advance and maintain the present equilibrium. The teahouse he favored in the area for its similarity to those of his hometown was situated overlooking the harbor, where they could watch the ships going to and fro.
He brought Vash to his usual seat, a somewhat private corner of the establishment. It was true that he came here often, because without even having to order a pot of tea and a pair of cups shortly appeared on the table, along with the promised seasonal menu.
"If you see anything you would like, you are welcome to order whatever you wish," Zhongli said mildly, then gestured to the weiqi board already set up at the table. "Do you play?"
