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[sharethememory]

[ Of Justice and Contracts ]

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Vague Whispers

[sharethememory]

[ It was an accident really that Zhongli found out about it at all. It being that the Eleventh Harbinger was found guilty of a crime within the borders of Fontaine and sent to the Fortress of Meropide.

Zhongli stared at the image of his (former) dining companion being dragged off the stage by two large Meka, noting that the photo itself was a little blurry in places. An amateur photographer then or a junior member of the Steambird staff. Either way, he paid no attention to the way Director Hu was chiding him off to the side, exasperated that he had snatched the newspaper away when she and Xinyan had originally purchased it for the exclusive interview that was to be published about the Yun-Han Opera Troupe's latest production.

Can't she see that he was trying to read the front page?

It was quite the sensationalized story — covering almost the entirety of the Steambird in bold block letters that spilled over to the next page and the next, detailing the Harbinger's attempt to defy his verdict alongside the shocking headline Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale and Chief Justice at Odds. It was a story that Zhongli could barely make heads or tails of considering his generally unfamiliarity (intentional, by the way) of how Focalors operated her court. Something he was only now realizing was quite the lack of foresight on his part. Not that he could have anticipated things turning out this way.

Director's Hu chiding was more pronounced (and interposed with laughter that he neither had the time nor patience to unwrap) when Zhongli immediately requested to use his leave and departed Liyue for Fontaine. He takes the old often unused routes through the Sumeru deserts. The routes that brought the Oceanid Rhodeia of Loch to the northern shore of Liyue. He does not head immediately for the Palais Mermonia where he knows the Hydro Archon will be when she is not at court. He had neither the time nor the patience for Focalors theatrics and dramatics when so much time had already passed. She had always been a difficult person for him to handle, and during the few visits he had made to Fontaine after the passing of the first Hydro Archon (there's a brief ting of loss at even this small reminder), he'd come to rely on another whose mannerisms and beliefs were more aligned with his own.

Neuvillette. Iudex of Fontaine. Chief Justice. And one of the individuals that was there at the time of Childe's sentencing.

Luckily, it only takes a little asking around to find out where the Chief Justice is. The pale blue Melusine seems quite enthusiastic to help Zhongli with his inquiry, so it does not take long from after his arrival at the Court of Fontaine for the retired Archon to find the other upon the western shore. However, before he had left, the officer had insisted that Zhongli take a rather sturdy umbrella with him to weather the rain. A rain which became thicker and heavier as he approached said shore. Had Zhongli been here for leisure, he would have truly appreciated the sight of the tall and majestic city being bathed in its own element as a backdrop to this whole encounter.

Perhaps he could when this was all over.

Zhongli's own personal beliefs dictated that he should not enter this discussion too hastily, even if his unease had only grown during his travels. The Chief Justice had always been reasonable and fair in sharp contrast to the antics of his Archon. Surely it would not be difficult for at least for the two of them to come to an understanding. So there is no apparent frustration in his tone when Zhongli calls out to the other: ]

Mister—

[ Ah, he was in Fontaine and should be respectful of their way of address. ]

Monsieur Neuvillette. My sincerest apologies for interrupting, but there is a matter of great urgency that I wish to discuss with you.

[juridique]

[ Though he felt better after paying his respects at Callas's grave, rain in Fontaine is as inevitable as death and taxes. It is, after all, the only way Neuvillette can express his honest emotions as the judge who has to maintain a façade of apathy so his impartiality won't be called into question. Dark clouds gather throughout the sky, blotting out the midday sun and heralding the rhythmic sound of rain hitting the pavement. Neuvillette steps out of his office during a rare break in his schedule and makes his way over to the western shores; the view of Elynas's remains is beautiful and a little grotesque and he finds that it helps him think, so he likes to come here to ponder the human condition or what justice is.

Hand resting on the handle of his cane, he looks out over the water and watches the waves rolling in like low thunder and the occasional bird braving the rain to dive for fish. Above him, the steady shower of rain is soaking into his clothes, darkening his hair and dripping off his jaw. He does not mind this at all. Then, the arrival of a presence he hasn't felt in many years tugs at his senses and he turns just as the ex-archon calls out to him. ]

I had my suspicions that you weren't truly dead since no catastrophe befell Liyue Harbor during the Rite of Descension.

[ Neuvillette remembers the day he heard the news as if it were yesterday; Furina had barged into his office out of the blue, panic visible in her eyes as the waved the newspaper in front of his face. "Morax's gone! What if I'm next, Neuvillette?! If someone was able to kill Morax then I'm not going to stand a chance—" she had stammered out as he took the newspaper and started reading. He'd been rather shocked at the headline and the blurry photo of the Exuvia (taken from the top of the cliff overlooking the area because reporters weren't allowed near Yiyan Temple) taking up the entire front page, but it was quickly replaced by doubt as he realized that something didn't add up.

When a powerful elemental being meets their end, their power abruptly disperses like firework—usually with catastrophic and tragic outcomes. Egeria had merely turned into a pool of water in the desert, but it's easy to imagine what would happen if Morax died: his body might turn into a new mountain range cutting through the landscape or perhaps his death would trigger an earthquake great enough to sink the entirety of Liyue Harbor into the sea and send large tsunami across the water to Inazuma.

Once he had explained this she immediately calmed down and attempted to laugh off her previous bout of panic, acting as though it wasn't genuine. Of course she already knew Morax was just faking it, she was just checking if he could figure it out too. ]

What do you wish to discuss with me, Morax—or do you go by a mortal name now that you've stepped down?

[sharethememory]

[ There's a pause, barely two heartbeats as Zhongli gives far more weight to that question that it deserves considering the reason for him being in Fontaine in the first place. One heartbeat for the bemused shock that Neuvillette had seen right through his mortal guise so easily and another for his preferred form of address from the Chief Justice. Morax was his past— a name reserved for Azhdaha, Barbatos, the original Seven and those he had spent millennia alongside. It seemed less a name for the next generation of Archons as their gatherings had become less and less frequent as the seats changed hands one by one. Not once had they all gathered since the Great Cataclysm 500 years ago. Barbatos asleep, Beezlebub locked in her own eternal realm, and Lesser Lord Kusanali caught by her people. The world had changed after such a catastrophe and well—

Well, there wasn't much of a group to gather, was there? ]

Zhongli, if you would be so kind. Morax has been relieved of his duties. And the matter I come bearing to you today is a personal one.

[ The requests sits heavy in the back of throat, the words that he had refined over and over during his trip to Fontaine threatening to tumble over each other. This was still new territory for him, putting his own desires at the forefront and choosing a single individual over the many.

Ironically, the well-worn Fatui phrase "If not us, then who?" comes bubbling up from somewhere. Surely the Tsarista could come fetch her own Harbinger or create an international uproar that would be just the kind of excitement Childe himself craved. But even if that were true, something like regret (but not guilt never guilt) frayed at Zhongli's edges at the thought that Childe might be set up as a scapegoat in not one but two countries. Even if the first was pre-meditated by Zhongli's own hand. ]

It has come to my attention that the Tsaritsa's Vanguard, Tartaglia the Eleventh Harbinger is being kept at the Fortress of Meropide for a crime that he may not have committed. I understand the Steambird to be part of the opera and proceeding that is the way of life here in Fontaine, unmatched in its artistry but embellished when appropriate.

So I have come to ask you for the truth of what happened in that trial and for his release if he has been wrongfully accused.

[juridique]

Monsieur Zhongli, then. [ He says, repeating the name to make sure he got it right; he isn't accustomed to the way the Liyuen tongue uses tonal shifts to express numerous words with a single syllable and how using the wrong one can completely change the meaning.

He listens to what Zhongli has to say with a slight tilt to his head in a questioning manner. Why would the former Lord of Geo be so concerned with a Fatui Harbinger that he presumably came all the way from Liyue to seek him out? Does he spend his newfound free time making friends of dubious character? ]

He was accused of being the mastermind behind a serial disappearances case that went unsolved for twenty years. [ And that alone should've been enough to have the charges withdrawn before the matter could even go to trial, given that the accused would've been less than ten years old and still living in Snezhnaya at the time the first victim was dissolved. But when this was pointed out to Furina, she had simply waved her hand in a dismissive fashion and said that the accused could be immortal like her and falsified his passport to back up his claims of being in his twenties.

This is what happens when court proceedings are by design spectacles for the entertainment of the masses to meet the energy needs of the nation rather than serious matters where everyone involved in the process must act with proper decorum, with severe consequences if they are not conducted correctly. ]

However, the evidence presented established that he has no direct connection to the disappearances case. The true perpetrator was also named and ultimately confessed to his crimes in full and accurate detail after he was brought to the stand. I then declared Monsieur Tartaglia innocent of the charges brought against him, but the Oratrice issued a verdict contrary to my own.

[ He straightens his shoulders almost imperceptibly, and the long breath he takes is almost audible through the rain. ]

By law, the Oratrice's judgment is final.

[sharethememory]

[ Logically, the sequence of events (while more than a little absurd) make sense. If their positions had been reversed, Morax might also be standing in the Chief Justice's position right now casting down the same judgement. He had certainly been more unbending over even more trivial matters during his reign as an Archon.

Unfortunately, the world was not so black and white anymore for Zhongli. Failure of a mortal as he might be, living among his people for such a short period of time had allowed him to explore the nuances and complexities of situations that he never had the opportunity to dwell upon before. He thinks of gentle Havria, god of salt, whose kindness was the catalyst of her own undoing. He thinks of Childe's bitter words that day at the Northland Bank when all that Morax had planned had come to a satisfactory close.

He thinks of the Traveler who carries on in her search, soul burning bright against unfavorable odds and trapped in a world too set in its ways.

Surely, there must be another way. ]

I thank you for your explanation as it brings much clarity to the situation. However, I must ask if there is any possible recourse in altering the Oratrice's judgement. Final would imply that such a decision is beyond reproach and therefore a risky dealing in absolutes.

Even contracts can be re-negotiated under the proper circumstances.

[juridique]

Contracts can be altered with the consent of all parties, yes.

[ The grip on his cane shifts somewhat. In the distance, lightning strikes one of Elynas's ribs; Electro isn't in his repertoire, but sometimes the rain Neuvillette brings down upon the land causes the accumulation and separation of charges in the clouds. ]

The law, however, is far more rigid in its application and is imposed irrespective of consent. It does not currently allow for a judgment rendered by the Oratrice to be overturned and cannot simply be rewritten on a whim for the interest of a particular individual.

[ He speaks calmly, never breaking eye contact, his words carrying an authoritative weight to them as though he is seated up high above in his seat at the Opera Epiclese. Yet there's also an undercurrent of frustration working its way through them; truly, he wishes it were that simple. Any changes to the law must be carefully considered or they will risk upsetting the established equilibrium. Their judicial system is built upon the principle that the Oratrice cannot err; enshrining exceptions into law would be an admission that their divinely created mechanism is unreliable which would damage people's faith in the system even further. What happened the other day is a hairline crack, but hasty decisions may cause it to spread deeper until the entire metaphorical dam collapses. ]

[sharethememory]

Even at the expense of allowing who you personally deemed an innocent to be imprisoned?

[ Zhongli almost immediately regrets the accusation as soon as it is spoken. It is not because he does not think it is a valid question, no. It is a very valid question. However, systems worked on a nationwide level, hoping to achieve such a success where every person would be treated as they should. But only too often did some fall through the cracks no matter how careful one was in their planning and implementation. How easy it would be to let slide a visitor from another land falling through those cracks, unfair as it may be.

Not to mention that line of questioning only exposed Zhongli's own biases about this very specific case. It's true that Childe's unfair imprisonment is what has spurred Zhongli to come here in the first place, but as the oldest of the Seven, it is but an old habit to not be shy about offering his opinions to those of equal status. ]

Let us put aside for a moment the specific case and the specific individual. If this were to happen a second time, would you still uphold the Oratrice's judgment?

At what point does its contradiction cross over the threshold of being a whim?

[ Hasty changes should of course be avoided, but how much more discontent would there be in Fontaine if a second or third person was unjustly sentenced? If the pattern of the Traveler's journey continued (as Zhongli is almost sure it would be), then was not Fontaine the next tinderbox, waiting for the match to strike and set ablaze its current problems.

The prophecy is something of Fontaine's open secret, known by many in positions in power (Archons included). Though Zhongli was not aware of how serious the issue had become in recent years, he knew it still must weight heavy on the hearts of the nation. Did they really need this looming uncertainty to add on top of it? ]

I come for a friend — that I do not hide. But Liyue and Fontaine have always been on good terms. I also do not want to see anything to happen to her or her people.

[juridique]

[ Zhongli's words provoke a twinge in his chest; questions like these have been lingering in his mind like shadows cast by the setting sun ever since the trial ended. But it's one thing to have them prod at the back of his mind and another to hear them out loud from someone. ]

Once is an anomaly, twice is a pattern. [ A quiet exhale. ] If it were to happen again, it would irreversibly damage the people's faith in the judicial system upon which Fontaine is built. Every single verdict issued by the Oratrice would be met with skepticism and our laws would have to be altered to reflect that reality.

[ In a sense, he supposes that they're lucky the victim of this miscarriage of justice is a foreign national and a member of the Fatui; the public outrage has been minimal and aside from a vocal few, most of the population just seems to be shrugging their shoulders at recent events, having accepted the verdict on the basis that a Fatui Harbinger probably should be thrown into prison just on general principle. As long as it doesn't happen to one of them, life can go on as usual and the Oratrice can continue to be trusted. But had it been an upstanding citizen of Fontaine instead, people would be out protesting in the streets demanding answers from their Archon, with the resulting energy crisis potentially escalating the situation into full insurgency. ]

[sharethememory]

Then on this, we do agree.

[ Some of the tension leaves Zhongli's shoulders. At the very least, it seemed that Neuvillette and himself were operating under the same belief. If the Oratrice was faulty, then the issue needed to be resolved sooner rather than later. ]

I trust that with your commitment to justice, you will not simply wait for the coming of the second occurrence.

[ The other option was that Tartaglia was truly guilty, which seemed implausible for multiple reasons. It was ironic that the very same Harbinger who was scapegoated for flooding a nation would be found guilty in another for what appeared to be similar and very unfortunate circumstances. ...Or perhaps it wasn't. "Normal" people did not become Harbingers. Zhongli still remembers the Abyssal taint that clung to the Golden House long after Osial had been resealed. So perhaps there was more to this story than what appeared on the surface. The connection, however, still eluded him. ]

So please allow me to do what I can in both this and in clearing Tartaglia's name.

[ A presumptuous and bold request. Archons typically remained out of each other's way, their domains sometimes leading to fundamental contradictions on how they believed they should lead their people. Morax remembers on more than one occasion getting into heated arguments with Barbatos, mostly because he was wrong but sometimes only because dealing with such a nonchalant spirit was akin to dragging sandpaper across his skin. However, Justice and Contracts were not such opposing forces. Surely he could assist in reaching a resolution if his offer was accepted.

(But perhaps that was a very risky if.) ]

Life is a masquerade so let's have a ball

[sharethememory]

[ All stories have eventually reach their inevitable ending. But all the wise beings and scholars of the world would have been hard pressed to predict the ending to this one.

If the death of Rex Lapis had been a shock, then the curtain falling on Fontaine was a bombshell. A feverous crescendo of events that somehow left the nation of Fontaine and its people healthy and whole and granted a wish that they did not even know they wanted. Redeemed of a sin that very few people (himself included) even remembered. Zhongli had so many unanswered questions. Questions about Childe and the All-Devouring Narhwal in those brief moments he had glimpsed the Harbinger in the fight at the Opera House. But he had not a chance to see him before he was whisked away back to Snezhnaya or so the Traveler had informed him. Even more questions about the hydro elemental energy he felt at the time of the flood, something more purer and fundamental than could ever be wielded by vision holder (or an Archon). And bottomless questions and a hint of dread at the feeling of emptiness and loss when Seven became Six.

Everything has a price. Something of equal value for which to trade. If there is nothing that is worth the price of a gnosis, there is even less chance of anything being worth the cost of a Divine Seat.

Ah, but there was no time for Zhongli's private inquiries in the aftermath. The ex-Archon does not know exactly why Lady Furina stepped down from her now non-existent seat almost immediately but it was also not his place to ask. The only bonds he had in Fontaine were with that of a absent Harbinger who didn't know he was there, a Traveler who had already left for her next adventure, and one Chief Justice who was bearing the brunt of the increased workload and chaos of the passing of the prophecy. For weeks, Zhongli avoiding seeking out Monsieur Neuvillete knowing his duties to be many and his standards for them as high as ever. If their positions were reversed, he too would be working himself to the bone as well.

It is not until many weeks later that he asks Sedene if he might schedule a meeting with Neuvillette after hours as to not interfere with his workday. The Melusine, as cheery and helpful as always, redirects Zhongli to Erinnyes where she informs him that the Chief Justice is running a personal errand. What that is she doesn't offer and Zhongli doesn't ask as he makes his way over by aquabus once again to the nearby island.

It's both reminiscent of their first meeting and the time they spent at the fountain of Lucine, brief encounters that they were. Yet somehow they keep circling back to this all the same— with Neuvillette being more integrated with the land of Fontaine so much more than his role as its head judge.

Zhongli isn't even surprised really when he finds the man nestled among a group of vishaps as if he belonged there. If it was Fontaine, Neuvillette belonged everywhere.

(The similarities between the two of them did not escape his notice.) ]

[juridique]

[ A week after the visit at the fountain, a brief trial is held for "it", lasting only twenty minutes before the judge declares that no verdict can be reached due to insufficient evidence. However, the final decision is left to the Oratrice as always and it returns a guilty verdict, seemingly proving their theory true. After a brief discussion, the two of them part ways once more as there is nothing more to do but wait.

After that, it feels like a century's worth of events happen in the span of just a few weeks. Having to push back the Primordial Sea as the sluice gate falls. The tragedy at Poisson, followed by the discovery of three mysterious stone slates and the nagging suspicion that Furina may be a fraud—a suspicion that is later proven true in what the Steambird describes as the greatest trial in the entire history of Fontaine, where long-buried secrets were unearthed like corpses from a forgotten grave. A trial that culminates with a dance and the Seven permanently becoming the Six as the divine seat shatters under five hundred years of Indemnitium.

Then, of course, came the flood just as foretold. But thanks to Focalors's centuries long gambit to fulfill the conditions of the prophecy through technicalities the people are saved as Neuvillette completes their transformation into true humans, therefore "dissolving" the original sin they had been burdened with. He also has the foresight to temporarily give everyone the ability to breathe underwater like Vision Holders do so no one drowns as the waters submerge the land. The death toll is so low it can only be described as a miracle on top of another miracle.

There's a lot of destruction to deal with as the water recedes, though. Roads and infrastructure have been severely damaged and many people have lost their homes and are now living in temporary shelters provided by the state. But people are optimistic about the future as they start rebuilding and Neuvillette spends every waking moment either organizing the reconstruction efforts or going out to personally assist his people in cleaning up rubble and debris. It's going to take a long time before everything is fully rebuilt, but things are going as smoothly as they possibly can.

He starts receiving reports about a herd of hydro vishaps being sighted to the west of Loch Urania on Erinnyes. There had long been rumours about vishaps living deep in the woods, but confirmed sightings were few and far between and the only vishap Neuvillette interacted with on a regular basis had been Pahsiv, who he started teaching the human language. Now there were dozens of them that suddenly were comfortable being seen out in the open. Perhaps they had sensed that their Sovereign had returned to full power and now want to follow his lead in coexisting with humans rather than staying away.

He barely has any free time these days, but it so happens that he doesn't have any meetings this afternoon and he's already taken care of important matters for today—and after some urging from Sedene, he decides that he probably ought to take a breather and heads over to Erinnyes to spend some time in the company of his kin.

Legs stretched out in the grass in front of him, he relaxes against the large vishap napping behind him as he gently cradles a younger vishap the size of a corgi, rocking it back and forth. Around him several other vishaps in various sizes are dozing comfortably.

Then, he catches a familiar figure in the periphery of his vision. Neuvillette turns his head in the direction of the approaching figure, nodding his head slightly in greeting once he's close enough. The vishap in his arms stirs briefly, blinking sleepily at the stranger before going back to sleep. ]

I thought you had returned to Liyue, or gone to Snezhnaya to visit Monsieur Tartaglia.

[ Behind Zhongli, a crumbling statue of the Seven overlooks the area from a distant cliff; physical proof that there's no position of Hydro Archon to be passed on to a successor. ]

[sharethememory]

[ Zhongli takes the greeting for what it is, blessed that Neuvillette would choose to entertain him even when they both knew that the Chief Justice's free time was a more precious commodity than mora at this point.

But hmmm. Why had not he returned to Liyue or visited far off Snezhnaya? Zhongli knows that with time he will return to the Harbor; he cannot be far from his home country for long and a homebody he is at heart. But how best to broach the topic that he and Tartaglia are not close enough that a house visit would be appreciated. Perhaps he shall send him a letter instead (assuming that the poor boy wakes up anytime soon.) ]

It would be poor manners for me to leave without a proper farewell for all that we have shared together on this journey.

Besides.

[ He takes a seat on the grass, far enough away to not disturb the sleeping vishap or its young, but also close enough so that they may converse easily. It's quite peaceful here. Surely a place that Azhdaha would have enjoyed as he often found him napping under the shade of ginkgo leaves whether he be in human or dragon form. ]

I still have fifteen days left of my community service left to serve. [ A generous term for his reparations for his dine and dash ] I would not dare think of leaving Fontaine before it was finished.

[juridique]

I see. [ He cants his head slightly at that. Zhongli is.... certainly taking his time paying off his debt to the hotel; either he incurred more "community service" with his apparent inability to have money on his person or he has been only working a few hours a week as he spent the rest of his time doing tourist things or continuing his search for new leads on Childe's situation. And now Hotel Debord is temporarily closed for business as most rooms have been given to those who have been rendered homeless by the flood, so it might take some time before the debt can be fully worked off. ]

I would like to once again express my gratitude for your assistance—in both the investigation and at the opera house. You helped save lives when the narwhal appeared.

[ His attention had been on that whale at the time, but he had caught a glimpse of the familiar man in the audience quickly moving to summon a stone stele to stop the otherworldly whale as it dove down in its pursuit of the Primordial Seawater within the bodies of a few stragglers running toward the exit. The stele had shattered almost immediately, but those few precious seconds he bought ensured that those people made it out of the courtroom just in time. ]

[sharethememory]

[ A little bit of column A and a little bit of column B. Calling Zhongli a part-timer at the Hotel would be a generous term for as many errands he ran that took him away from the place for hours at a time. Not to mention the two new dishes he tried after respectfully asking for an extension of his community service time, which the staff could only flabbergastedly agree to before the manager stepped in. Other than those eccentricities (which were quite a lot), Zhongli was a model employee, efficient and holding himself up to the highest standard of quality. He also enjoyed getting to know the employees and guests on a personal level whenever time permitted. He particularly enjoyed seeing Selene and chatting when she came in for her coffee and cake.

But with Fontaine largely on the mend, Zhongli found himself with the other geo users repairing various foundations and infrastructure within the city. It was quite the architectural marvel — how the tall and proud structures had withstood all that had happened that day. ]

You are as kind as ever, Monsieur Neuvillette. I was happy to assist in whatever small ways that I could.

[ Kind and polite, but ultimately distant. Surely Neuvillette felt the impact of the fulfilled prophecy and its fallout most astutely than anyone else in Fontaine save for the now retired Archon of Fontaine. Yet still he continued to tirelessly work to stay on top of things— much like many of his adepti and yaksha and now member of the Qixing did to keep everything running smoothly.

Surely the Melusine were already looking after their adored father figure to make sure he was at least getting some rest. But with the look on Sedene's face last time they had crossed paths, well— a little extra check-in couldn't hurt.

Especially when Zhongli also had so many other things to ask the Chief Justice. ]

Perhaps it is presumptuous of me, but I wished to know how you were faring. There has been little time to rest since that day, and due to your station, you've had even less chance to rest than most.

[juridique]

A little tired, I suppose, now that I've taken on Lady Furina's responsibilities in addition to my own.

[ He does not say it, but he feels whole after a lifetime of aching for a fundamental part of his being that the Usurpers had taken from him. No combination of words in any human language could accurately convey that sense of being complete once more. Yet that feeling is tinged with something melancholy; Focalors had died for this and he will always carry the burden of knowing that his power was not returned to him without sacrifice. ]

It's going to take some time to get fully accustomed to governing the nation by myself. But that aside, I'm faring as well as can be despite being busier than ever before.

[ A selfish part of him wants her to take up the mantle once more because he already misses governing the nation together with her as they had done for over centuries; despite their differences, they were like the ebb and flow of an oceanic tide and working together simply felt right. But he ignores that ugly little voice in the back of his mind because he would never voice that thought out loud when he knows how much Furina hated her role. She deserves to simply rest for as long as she wants to and then live out the rest of her mortal life pursuing the things that had been denied her for centuries.

He only wishes for her remaining years to bring her joy and fulfillment.

Adjusting his hold on the vishap, he strokes a hand over its back as he looks Zhongli in the eye, as though waiting for him to ask something. Like why the Seven are now the Six; surely he must've felt something when the divine throne shattered? ]

[sharethememory]

[ From one workaholic to another, Zhongli can see how much pride Neuvillette takes in his work. How he sees the added responsibilities as a privilege instead of a burden.

It warms his heart even as he is already thinking about conspiring with Sedene to send dinners and specialty waters to the Chief Justice on the days where he works well into the rising of the moon. Just as how he remembers his own adepti's fussing and squawking. How Guizhong had stolen all of his scrolls one evening under Streetward Rambler's excellent ploy of distraction. That's how it had started in the old days, before everything had started to fray at the edges. Those long-ago more innocent days where guiding one's people had been the sole focus of many of the original archons.

Fontaine is rather lucky, Zhongli thinks. To have someone like Monsieur Neuvillette to help get it back on its feet. The smile is fond (and perhaps a bit nostalgic) as he raises his own head to meet the other man's gaze. ]

One of my domains is history.

[ For while Zhongli had stepped down as an Archon and attempts to live a normal life, there are some parts of a divine being that simply will not change. Even moreso for a stubborn rock who does not know how.

And one of those things is his attachment to his domains, many as they had come to be during his life. Unlike contracts and gold, history was something that Zhongli had grown into. A desire that burned within him as another beloved comrade fell, their stories kept only so long as they lived in people's memories. ]

I'd like to keep the story of what happened here if it is one that you wish to be preserved in this world.

[juridique]

[ For a quiet moment, only the breeze and the rustling of leaves in the trees can be heard. Gold and contracts, and history... so far, the only person he's told about Focalors is Furina—and all she had to say that she was tired and wanted to rest, looking neither saddened nor comforted—but he had a feeling that the former Geo Archon would sooner or later seek him out for answers. Now that time has come and he will give him those answers. The general public will probably never hear the full story of the god who deceived the Heavenly Principles, but he will share it with someone who can preserve it for centuries and millennia to come. Her deeds deserve to at least live on in the hearts of her fellow gods. ]

It is. I will tell you everything.

[ His gaze flickers briefly to the statue of Focalors in the distance, then returns to settle on Zhongli once more. He takes a deep breath to sort out his thoughts a little and settle on an appropriate place to start. He breathes out, and begins to speak. ]

When that bright light enveloped the courtroom, I was brought to a plane of consciousness created by the true Hydro Archon, Focalors—she had been within the Oratrice all this time, having set up the past five hundred years to unfold in a manner that would fulfill the prophecy via technicalities while still saving her people.

May no spring nor fountain ever run dry

[juridique]

[ As promised, Neuvillette pays off the remainder of Zhongli's debt to the Hotel Debord; he also tells the hotel that for the rest of his stay in Fontaine, his meals will be paid in full by the Palais. He might not particularly like the man, but he wants to show his gratitude for his assistance nevertheless.

Month pass. Slowly but steadily life begins to return to normal as reconstruction efforts proceed as smoothly and rapidly as possible. More people begin to leave the temporary shelters to their rebuilt homes. Most schools have reopened. The main hospital in the city now has a new maternity ward, built in preparation of the coming population boom; for better or worse, turning the people of Fontaine into true humans also granted them reproductive freedom now that they no longer need to pray to the fountain to conceive children.

The now defunct Oratrice remains in the opera house as a reminder of the justice Focalors represented and Neuvillette is pleased to discover that while it can no longer produce Indemnitium, it's still capable of storing some power, allowing him to transfer a small piece of his elemental authority to temporarily supply the nation with Pneumousia in his absence. He doubts it'll be necessary anytime soon since he has no plans to travel farther than Chenyu Vale in the foreseeable future, though.

The old year gives way to the new one in Fontaine, and just a few weeks later it's time for Liyue to follow suit and usher in the new year with the annual Lantern Rite. Neuvillette decides to take half a day off (his first half-day off that isn't a public holiday in years; Sedene is so surprised when he informs her that she nearly drops her teacup) and takes the boat from Lumidouce Harbor to Yilong Wharf.

The earth trembles slightly as he disembarks. Nothing to concern oneself with, surely; seismic activity is a regular occurrence in the land of Geo.

The weather is pleasantly cool and mild, the blue skies only partially obstructed by some scattered clouds as the Iudex wanders the wharf for some time, perusing the various stands selling all manner of trinkets and food as hawkers try to outdo each other in promoting their wares. He doesn't think twice when one of them tells offers to sell him ten boxes of tea at a fifty percent discount and immediately buys them; it might be a little too much tea, but he knows someone who will appreciate such quantities.

Another brief tremor, lasting less than three seconds. Enough to make tourists give pause and halt in their step, but the locals barely react to it and continue as usual. Probably nothing to worry about.

Ten boxes of tea now neatly tucked into a paper bag, Neuvillette leaves Yilong Wharf to walk along the well-trodden dirt path leading to the nearby Qiaoying Village. As he nears the village, he spots a roadside stall of some sort and upon approaching he finds that the woman manning the stand is offering tourists the chance to try their hands at the ceramic arts.

After paying the woman, he dons one of the aprons hanging on the side of the stall and takes a seat and removes his gloves so they won't get dirtied (he's a little hesitant to do so in front of a stranger, but then decides that since she can see his rhinophores there's no harm in letting her see the scaly hands as well). He's given a rectangular block of clay that he doesn't quite know what to do with as first, but he finds that he likes the cool texture between his fingers as he experimentally begins to mold it into the shape of a ladle. Then another idea stirs to life and he begins to knead the top of the handle into the head of a heavily stylized dragon.

He's so focused on the task at hand that he fails to notice the very familiar aura that approaches. ]

[sharethememory]

[ Zhongli stays in Fontaine longer than he probably should, even with his debts to the hotel paid off. Despite all the confusion that accompanies Fontaine's reconstruction, Zhongli finds the rebuilding of a nation soothing. Simpler and nostalgic for times long passed.

Except for brief chance encounters, he does not meet Neuvillette again before he packs his bags and heads back to Liyue.

Over the next few months, Liyue remains largely peaceful. The Qixing have become well accustomed to leading without their Archon for many years now, and despite the mora crisis looming over them, life seems to continue as normal. The only strange thing of note is the occasional earthquake that shakes the land. They're short, sporadic and unpredictable but ultimately harmless as of now. Being attuned to geo as he is, Zhongli knows that they are not natural and instead caused by some sort of disruption in geo energies, but the clues and hypothesis he follows run cold very quickly.

And besides, it is Lantern Rite. He should take this opportunity to enjoy all that is Liyue and to meet up with old friends. Thus, he agrees to go with the Director to Chenyu Value. It seems the adepti there (who he has not encountered since the Archon War) have become more active recently.

Imagine his surprise when Zhongli feels a familiar presence as he leaves Qiaoying Village (Hu Tao having already left herself for the larger shopping arcade of the Wharf). A presence he had assumed that he would not feel again until the final conflict of the Traveler or for many centuries to come. Like a moth to a flame, he is drawn to the Hydro Sovereign even though he knows he should be cautious about their interactions, especially when Neuvillette had been quite clear he had no time in the near future to visit Liyue.

Finding the Chief Justice tucked away in an obviously seasonal set-up of pottery equipment and being warmly encouraged by one of the old Aunties stirs something warm within him. A silent wish answered that the new leader of Fontaine be able to enjoy the fruits of the land that he was overseeing, whether that be his own nation or anywhere else in Teyvat. Zhongli's smile only widens as he approaches, the woman chattering pleasantly on how he might reinforce the piece to hold its intricate shape.

When there is a pause in Neuvillette's concentration, Zhongli clears his throat, doing his best to not disturb that art in progress. ]

It seems that this a very auspicious Lantern Rite that our paths might cross once more.

Greetings, Monsieur Neuvillette. I hope Liyue has been treating you well.

[juridique]

[ Having just finished one of the side fins, Neuvillette is in the middle of attaching it to the lower section of the ladle and delicately smoothing the two parts together. His hands still mid-movement and he straightens his back, turning in his seat to face the other man. Liyue is a large nation and Neuvillette only intends to be here for half a day; what are the odds of them chancing upon another by the side of the road like this? Inwardly, he nearly laughs at the absurdity of it. He had hoped they wouldn't meet again anytime soon, yet here they are. What a strange twist of fate. ]

Greetings to you as well, Monsieur Zhongli. I didn't expect to see you here. [ He says, forcing himself to school his mouth into a faint and pleasant smile. He wouldn't call it auspicious at all. Quite the opposite, really. ]

Liyue has been treating me well so far. Chenyu Vale's landscapes are tranquil and majestic—the views alone have made it a worthwhile trip.

[sharethememory]

It is an honor to have you bestow such praise upon Liyue.

[ Neuvillette's sincere praise is well received and regardless of the Chief Justice's own personal feelings, any warm words toward Liyue instantly puts Zhongli in a better mood. Which means he just invites himself more into the Sovereign's space.

Zhongli takes a seat at an unoccupied pottery wheel next to Neuvillette, exchanging quick pleasantries with the shop owner before settling in. ]

Have you had a chance to enjoy the tea here? It would be a shame for you to come all this way and not have the opportunity to sample some of it. I know of a very reputable teahouse in the area if you are interested.

[ Another tremor shakes the earth — causing Zhongli only a moment of pause as his brow furrows. Ah, perhaps that should be a matter he returns to sooner rather than later. Perhaps after a shared cup of tea (to redeem Liyue's water in Neuvillette's eyes.) ]

[juridique]

[ Neuvillette quickly places his palms against the sides of the ladle as the earth begins to tremble, preventing it from accidentally falling off the pottery wheel. His brow furrows slightly before smoothing out as the trembling subsides; something about this concerns him for reasons he can't articulate, but he pushes those thoughts aside for now. This is commonplace here, and he's only a tourist. This does not concern him. ]

I bought a few boxes of tea for Wriothesley, but I haven't sampled it myself. [ With the trembling having subsided, he begins to work on the other side fin, carefully shaping it with the tools provided. ]

Perhaps I'll go to this teahouse once my clay ladle is ready to be baked in the kiln.

[sharethememory]

[ Zhongli peers down at the earth much like an owner would look at a favorite puppy that is misbehaving, fond yet exasperated. Did it not understand that Zhongli was busy trying to entertain a Sovereign in his home country?

Not that the earth should care about such matters of mortals and gods. The ex-Archon pauses for a moment, listening to see if he is somehow missing something that could be the cause of the disturbance. But unlike that time so many millennia ago, he does not hear the voice of anything calling or the song of an elemental. He just hears the whistle of the wind as the earth pauses in its rumbling.

It's a little bit disconcerting.

And thus Zhongli continues the conversation as if he didn't space out into his element and nostalgia for a few moments. ]

Monsieur Wriothesley— ah, yes. Your friend from the Fortress of Meropide. That's a very thoughtful gift which I hope he finds to live up to its reputation.

[ Zhongli himself had yet to read the Steambird article but the Ministry of Civil Affairs would not allow anything but the best to be written about beloved tea of Qiaoying village. ]

Would you perhaps like some company to the teahouse? I was planning on visiting there myself later today and —

I must admit I have an ulterior motive for such a request.

[juridique]

[ Noticing the pause, Neuvillette's gaze fixes itself on the other man as he watches him look down at the ground below; should he take this as confirmation that these tremors are an anomaly, rather than naturally occuring seismic activity? If the former Geo Archon is reacting in this manner he cannot interpret it as anything else. ]

When you put it that way, I cannot refuse. [ Inside of him are two dragons. One wants to bluntly tell him no. The other wants to act with propriety. Besides, he is a little curious about these ulterior motives. ]

This shouldn't take much longer, I think. I assume it's best to apply the paint after baking?

[sharethememory]

[ And so two dragons step into the same dance again as they had back in the land of hydro. A dance where formalities and social niceties were the cornerstone of the interaction regardless of the individual goals of the participants.

Not that Zhongli does not want to spend time with Neuvillette. Quite the opposite. He is pleased to see him and more pleased to see that he seems to be taking a vacation of all things. But even retired as he is, it's always good manners to keep an eye on such a powerful visitor to Liyue. If he can impart some affection for its culture and history, then well, that was only an added bonus. ]

Yes. But please, do not rush on my account. Such an activity should be done at one's leisure especially if it's your first time experiencing it.

[ Though he does not begin to form anything with it, Zhongli also leans over to admire the blocks of clay available here. A fingertip smooths down the side of a particularly well-proportioned block: ]

As you know, I've always had a soft spot for creations made from the earth.