#as much as i crave validation i just know this is gonna be stupidly specfic to get any but im happy with my choices

[smallest-moon]

just thinking about kaveh (yes again) and how i think he'd love to study the chasm, to be able to fiddle and learn about the rocks and minerals there

it would be a perfect place to learn about steadier foundations, how to work with different types of rocks and how to best combine them, after all he needs such knowledge to continue to improve his architecture (not to mention more inspiration and a million other things he could learn). really what better way to learn about such things than the land of geo?

also thinking about how zhongli would still be the geo archon and is still working as a consultant and that is how he ends up being kaveh's guide through the chasm and the rest of liyue

they get along extremely well, which taking turns going on deep tangents about whatever subject comes about while the other listens and attentively (and in kaveh's case when the subject is very particular, taking frantic notes)

during this trip, kaveh was extremely worried about his expenses and made sure to budget everything as this was not a cheap journey but he figured that it would be worth it all in the end

and zhongli was extremely observant, he had noticed this and it he finally understands one night when after dinner (paid by zhongli) kaveh got drunk and spilled his heart out to the man it was so easy to talk to him for some reason

this made zhonglis heart stirr even more at this point, he'd already been captivated by the architects sunny personality and deep heart so this made him come to a decision: he'd look out for kaveh

and so during the rest of the trip, he made sure to pay for everything leaving the younger man quite flustered and whenever he noticed the architect looking at something with an interested look he didn't hesitate to get him whatever it was