[ childe just laughs, like a fucken lunatic, the echo filling the room and reverberating off the walls and making it seem louder than it is. the clash of their weapons has his blood pumping, adrenaline rising exponentially, as he sics his tentacles on zhongli; circling his wrists and, most importantly, his throat. ]

[ hey, zhongli, have you ever been a meat shield before... or a cosmic rock shield? no. first time for everything! ]