[Zhongli doesn't flinch at the flicker of the bodies around them. It's not real-- none of this is real, except it is, for Childe's soul.

The sight of the Exuvia shifting and moving startles him, however. It's unexpected, and he's not used to seeing a shell of himself moving without himself in it.]

What...?

[His eyes narrow. His eyes return to Childe, assessing, considering.]

Rex Lapis may be one of my many names, but 'Zhongli' is my preference, when I am with you. [It's said softly. He disliked hearing that name from Childe's lips, somehow. Many people called out to Rex Lapis, but few of those people knew him as Childe did.]

Is the Gnosis truly what you want, Childe?