sagau p3: animosity, acceptance he/they for reader, but no anatomy or dni.
random bullshit go. previous parts here and here. just wanted to properly note the doubts and thoughts on the false god's doings.
"you can hardly hold this one accountable for your unfortunate... circumstances," xianyun noted, pushing her spectacles up with a clawed finger, "the adepti were not involved in your and the archon's business at all."
(name) smiled, bringing his cup up to his lips, gingerly taking a sip of the scalding tea. "indeed... your contribution to either side of the falsehood was scarcely significant." he responded, tone so dry and disdainful xianyun had to furrow a brow.
she cleared her throat, glancing sideways at a fuming moon carver. "you must pardon me for such a hasty invitation," she spoke, addressing all those at the table, "when one was alerted of the false- ahem, returned god i believed it best suitable we speak before word got by to the archons." (name) raised an eyebrow skeptically, to which xianyun hastily added "not that any of us would've spread it out, we were of course acquainted quite closely in the early days, were we not?"
(name) hummed, "indeed we were," he looked over at her from above the rim of the teacup, "but you must tell me why the invitation was required at all. i had assumed quite early on you wanted nothing to do with me?"
xianyun and mountain sharper looked ever so slightly uneasy, but moon carver crossed his arms and spoke solemnly. "indeed we did not. and while i cannot speak for the others," he said, looking over at cloud retainer and mountain sharper as though they had done him some great betrayal, "one still does not wish to."
"however, it must be said. as adepti, our first priority is the safety of liyue and her people." (name) smiled, knowing well what the other meant to intend, "you posses a blade against that safety. a wicked one."
how he wounds me, (name) thought lazily, but said nothing at all, letting moon carver speak on.
"we demand to know of your intentions, and why, how you broke the seal of exile. such power mustn't be tampered with, and even as the others only wish for peaceful dealings, one will not hesitate to defend liyue against your previous tyranny."
mountain sharper bristled, "peace, moon carver." he turned to (name) who seemed thoroughly impressed by moon carver's words, choosing to blank out at him for a moment, before their lip twitched upwards and they looked away. "you must realise we chose for such a calm gathering due to the fact you have not yet possessed a threat to tevyat at all."
(name) nodded, "yes, no threat at all. though i find it marvelous how little words seem to shatter this land's superiority... is it truly that dangerous?" his words had no bite behind them, fangs neatly covered by grinning lips, but the others still looked weary.
"good (name)," xianyun began, "we do wish to know, as your... companions," the entire table winced at once, and (name)'s smile faded ever so slightly. his eyes lidding, "my pardon. we wish to know, as liyue's protectors, what you intend to now that you roam tevyat free again."
moon carver frowned, "let us not forget the matter of why you are free to roam tevyat as well. it is the abyss which adopted you, is it not?"
(name)'s fingers interlocked, elbows on the table, as he rested his chin on his hands, eyes shut. "i had help, but i am afraid a dear contract, one much similar to yours allows me not to speak much more of it."
"and as for the matter of what i wish to do... hm, nothing alike what i did once, i assume..."
"i've grown weary at the though of travel, and speaking seems like a chore. i greatly doubt my ability to preach anymore as i once did, so you may rest your scowls and mistrust," he opened a single eye to look at moon carver, delighting in the way the other seemed to only frown further. "i now only wish to carry out a small favour for a friend, perhaps rekindle with old acquaintances along the way." avenge. was a thought unsaid.
xianyun looked weary, mountain sharper skeptical, and moon carver frustrated. another lie from the charlatan's mouth, they thought in unison, only for the man in question to raise a hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh.
"you great beings make it so easy to understand what you think, moreso than mortals do," he commented, unlacing his fingers to hold a tea leave between his fingers, picked from a tray. "but i must indulge in your mistrust, indeed there is not a word you should believe from me, not a single one."
"but," (name) continued, placing a sheet of paper on the table, "i presumed you would only be consoled by your own means of tethering beforehand, and have prepared so."
moon carver took the paper, looking over at the text. liyuen alphabet, but written by a foreign hand, judging by the artistic but uncommon curves. but moon carver was too acquainted by the habits of his scarce companions to know it was not written by (name) himself.
"a contract?" xianyun queried, peering over at the parchment. "indeed, a blank one as well." (name) responded, tapping at the sheet, "you, my dear friends, are free to choose the terms. i shall be bound by liyue's laws, and you shall rest peacefully."
mountain sharper took the paper into his own hands, as though to examine in for any fabrication, and upon finding none commented, "a truly unexpected show of genuineness from you, lord (name)."
(name) narrowed his eyes in offense, "...right. i shall give you time to decide the terms in solitude. when you are to sign it, the affects will bear themselves on me without question." he took the tea leaf to his mouth, resting it under his tongue. "and should you find any falsehood... i need not create your pre-existing judgements."
time passed awfully quick in tevyat, (name) thought, watching the adepti privately fuss over the sheet, trying to ensure no loopholes in their terms at all. minutes seemed to play the role of hours, and hours the role of months. in merely seconds the three were done with their terms, and (name) almost giggled at the absurdity of such a stern matter, him, being settled so soon.
"the terms are simple," cloud retainer stated, "a tongue-binder. you are forbidden from spreading falsehoods to any man, child, creature, being, belief, and depleted from writing them, inking them, putting them in song, poem, prose or sharing it in any way."
moon carver looked ever so slightly smug, uncharacteristic for his regular demeanor, "judging to how your injustices to tevyat's purity stem from your lies, you shall be unallowed to lie in any shape of form. this one term single handedly covers any issue you could pose to liyue, the adepti, the archons, and tevyat herself."
(name) looked bored, chewing on the tea leaf in his mouth idly, "very well. i assume you have signed it already, since i feel a sense of foreboding just looking at you."
mountain carver scowled, shoving the piece of paper onto the table. "do with it what you must, but surely you already know, that any defamation done to the contract will not undo it's contents, unless you are you die and miraculously be brought back to life." he meant it in contempt, but xianyun still muttered under her breath "this excludes if you are to become a jiāngshī of course, though i doubt any adepti would aid you in it..."
(name) tilted his head, looking solemnly at the three, and then at the contract. "quite innovative i must say" he drawled, not meaning it at all, but it must've been a truth, "if our business here is complete, i would greatly like to take my leave. even one as idle as myself has other things to do than sit out at tea parties, esteemed hosts."
moon carver and mountain sharper turned to eachother, but cloud retainer spoke first. "indeed. we would not wish for your presence to be found, especially not in the company of the adepti, lord (name). though one must ask for the knowledge of where you plan to keep your abode, and i am afraid it is a matter of curiosity over concern."
(name) sighed, eyes wandering over to take in chenyu vale's scenery, peering down at the far-away ground from their little meeting on the trunk of a large, curved tree. "i do not know, dearest cloud retainer," he mused, resting his head on his palm, "i assume i must wander as i once did. you need not worry so." he added, a little sarcastically, knowing well, they would not worry. not anymore.
mountain sharper bowed his head, "then we must all depart, i have my duties to tend to, and i believe this matter has been settled."
"you mustn't forget yourself, (name)," mountain carver growled, "you were a great hindrance to the land, and shall you return to your unsavoury habits, we shall not hesitate to strike you down, and repent for our past mistake of not involving ourselves."
(name) smiled, standing up from his chair, brushing his robes to straighten the folds. "your tea is despicably bitter," he commented, and xianyun glowered.
💌 very late update... school just started and i've been so burnt out. i miss the fatui, might try to shove them into the next update.