Chapter Text
The air was thick with smoke and tension.
Ningguang’s pipe is devoid of tobacco, and yet she refuses to place it down. A reassurance, perhaps, as the familiar action of twirling her pipe calms her just a tiny bit.
“Ah so you do remember me”, Pantalone’s voice echoes in Ningguang’s office.
Though impossible due to the numerous books and paper reports scattered about, the aura he presents makes it feel as if the room were wider, and the walls were darker.
“...What brings you here?” Ningguang hesitantly replies.
“Not even a word of greeting?” Pantalone mocks, his smile thin, the atmosphere seemingly growing as cold as the frost of his Queen.
Ningguang takes a drag from her pipe, forgetting that her tobacco had all run out, once again finding comfort in the action rather than the smoke.
“Careful dear, I hear that ailments of the lungs are quite common in smokers” Pantalone chides her.
“I’ll ask you one last time, why are you here” Ningguang glares from across her desk.
Pantalone hums, tilting his head to the side. “I thought it was obvious? You think we wouldn’t notice this little embargo you have established hmm?”, his tone bordering clueless but his words betraying the depth of what he knows.
Ningguang’s resolve shakes. She doesn't cower, no. She is the fucking Tiangquan for Archon’s sake, and she will not show weakness. Not to this vermin, not now.
“What embargo?” Ningguang grits out.
Pantalone sighs, “Oh please, you think by stopping our ships you’ve completely cut off our communication? And here I thought you knew better” he bares his teeth in a predatory smile, “After all, I expect more from a fellow Tianquan candidate”
“How dare- I AM the Tianquan, no longer a candidate” Ningguang fumes, her perfect mask crumbling against anger (or perhaps guilt?)
“Yes, yes. You beat me after all” Pantalone jests, “Back to the topic”, he mocks her for losing composure.
Ningguang inhales, a loud and stressful gulp of air.
“There is no embargo” She stresses.
“Explain then the lack of supplies and aid for our men in the Chasm?” Pantalone asks
“What men?” Ningguang presses
“Pretending they don’t exist now?” Pantalone’s tone is sharp and condescending, “The men you hired?” He takes a piece of parchment from his pocket, folded neatly into four, “The men you had called and asked to help?”
Ningguang is happy she had asked everyone to leave. If word gets out that she had formed a contract with the Fatui, the Liyue Qixing would lose all integrity they had gained after the fall of Morax.
“...What do you want”
Nigguang has no choice. She’s backed into a corner. She knows who she’s up against, and she knows what he can do. Besides, the contract is real- she’d signed it personally to keep it on the down low. All she can do now is concede and negotiate.
“I want our ships released, the embargo lifted-”
“Granted”
“And” Pantalone follows immediately, annoyed that he was cut off, “I want the Liyue Qixing to admit to falsifying rumours about our Eleventh, your own actions during the rise of Osial, and the fucking shitshow that is the Chasm”
“What- No! Do you know the damage that would do to the Qixing? To Liyue ?!” Ningguang bursts from her chair, now standing, palms to the table.
“I don’t give a damn” Pantalone sneers, “I don’t care if the Qixing crumbles, I don’t care if Liyue crumbles, you of all people should know that”
Ningguang takes a deep breath. Her thoughts running a million li a second. He’s right and there’s nothing she can do to appeal to him. But she won’t lose here, not yet. She had worked far too hard and far too long to stand where she is now.
“If we release the truth, it will also be revealed that Tartaglia was most definitely responsible not only for Osial but also the desecration of the Golden House. The Traveller’s account will not hold” She rebuts, “No matter what damage to the Qixing this will do, it will hit him ten times harder. ”
Pantalone stills as if considering something. Ningguang has an edge. It wasn’t a coincidence that the Harbinger had asked for Tartaglia’s absolution first. This is their real motive, everything else is just a bonus.
A long and tense minute passes, Ningguang relaxing finally sits. She steels herself, this negotiation is far from over.
At last, after a while, Pantalone speaks.
“There are so many details you know not about” He says, “I suppose I can't fault you for that. And although normally an uninformed opponent is beneficial for me, this is one of the times it frustrates me instead.”
Pantalone stands, gracefully stepping aside, “Our demands still stand, should you refuse we will take action” He turns to leave, “But know this dear Ninggaung , your knowledge is lacking”
Ningguang shouts, “We refuse!”
Pantalone, on his way out, stops in his tracks “...Do you know the number one source of income in Liyue- no, in all of Teyvat?”
The Tianquan stills once more. Fuck she hadn’t thought of that, she-
“It’s the Adventurer’s Guild” Pantalone deadpans, “And who, pray tell, controls the Guild?” The Regrator turns, his eyes meet the Tianquan…a static rings in the air
“....Snezhnaya” Ningguang whispers
“And there you have it”, Pantalone tilts his head, a simile of a bow, and leaves. His footsteps ring in Ningguang's ears.
The Tianquan is all alone in her office. Not a sound within her office.
“Fuck” A helpless whisper cries out
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“Tartaglia, why are we heading to the Chasm” Dottore hisses out
“Checking things out, I promised Katya I’d at least be productive about-”
“I’m asking why you even need to be here” Dottore whines as his boots squelch in the dark mud. “Pantalone has this taken care of”
“..What?” Childe turns back to Dottore
“He’s taken it up with that Tianquan” the mad scientist flicks mud from his pants, his distaste evident.
“...oh, then we can turn back then” Childe says as he passes by Dottore, returning to the path toward Liyue Harbor. “Why didn't you tell me sooner”
Dottore arches his brow, “You’re very calm, you usually whine about efficiency and fighting and all that”, his arms crossed as he stalks behind Childe.
“I don’t know. I’m just very…detached I guess?”, the 11th answers.
“Ah, perhaps it’s a side effect to-”
“LAMENT!” a blur of green miasma zips through where Tartaglia was moments ago.
The Harbingers on the ready, having just dodged a clear strike meant to kill Childe.
“Fatui scum, return what you stole”
There stands Adeptus Xiao. Mask upon his face. The moonlight shines, and truly a visage of a demon he shows.
Tartaglia summons his blades, saltwater flows with gold flecks shining through.
“The wind is picking up.” He raises his blades, ready to strike,
“There is conflict in the air.”