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If there was one thing the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing was good at, it was transactions.
Contracts, if you please.
Contracts were the backbones of liyuen society. They were the start and the end of the day, the way of life and the law of nature. One thing for another. Mora for products, mora for service and naturally, mora for pleasure as well. Nothing makes the soul more pleased than a well struck deal, a fair contract between two parties.
Naturally, some exchanges are harder to realize than others. When the two parties are not equal in power, not equal in influence, not equal in nature, how does anyone measure the true value of what’s offered.
In simple wording, how does one convince a god to spend the night? An Archon, to be more precise.
Ningguang was a collector, you see. A collector of things of most exquisite in both nature and value. The Jade Chamber was her personal treasury where she could display the rarities she acquired by opening her seemingly bottomless coffers. Century old vases, carrying the history of the land in their patterns, scrolls even older, telling tales during which even the gods were young. Accessories of different, far-away lands, one more exotic than the other.
Yet none could compare to a god.
The oldest of the Archons, The Prime of the Adepti, The Divine Dragon of Liyue. Rex Lapis himself. Ningguang wanted him. She wanted him in gold lined marble chambers, between soft dark silks and featherbeds. She wanted him in golden chains she can tug on, in a collar inlaid with cor lapis to match those intense, captivating eyes of his which made Ningguang’s teeth ache with want every time they just as much as glanced in her direction.
And when Ningguang, Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, the First Merchant of the Harbor and Lady of the Jade Chamber wanted something, she would stop at nothing to get it. Be it a shiny new hairpin, a thousand year old vase, or the God of Geo himself.
Now she just needed a proper bait.
*
It was surprisingly easy, as Ningguang found, to have the Archon over for dinner. In hindsight, she found it kind of funny, how the very idea of disturbing their mighty protector in his daily musings seemed like a sacrilegious offense only a few hours ago. How does one even begin to construct such an invitation?
She decided that some field work was in order. A good, old fashioned information collecting. Ganyu was almost offensively hard to find. The half-qilin was running around tirelessly, doing her duty as the Secretary of the Qixing. Ningguang let everyone know in the Jade Chamber that she wished to talk to the woman as soon as possible. Still, it took her message almost an hour to reach the Secretary. Ningguang entertained herself by scripting her invitation, polishing it until it was as close to perfection as she could get it.
Just as she was trying to decide which type of ridiculously over expensive scroll she could write her invitation on, the knock came. At her beckoning word, Ganyu opened the door and slipped into her study, silent as her own shadow.
“You’ve wished to see me, Tianquan.”
“I did.” Since time was mora and Ningguang was never one to mince her words, she asked point blank the question that has been burning her side for a while. “Tell me, Ganyu, how often do you see Rex Lapis?”
The question obviously caught the Secretary off guard. Pretty pink eyes widened in surprise as their owner opened and closed her mouth for a few seconds. Ningguang kept her blood red gaze on the qilin hybrid, who smoothened out her dress before answering, as if the mere thought of speaking about the god in rumpled clothing was a blasphemy in itself.
Ningguang clicked her golden armor rings against her desk, trying to not take notice of how her teeth ached once more.
“Rex Lapis has been a little withdrawn in the past few decades. He has been spending quite a lot of time in his abode and when he is outside, it is to make sure the borders are secure and no treats are imminent.”
The Tianquan of the Qixing let out a pleased hum.
“So you’d say he is not overly busy.”
Ganyu worried her lower lip with her teeth for a second, hesitant to openly say the words. It would be unbecoming, after all, to imply that the Archon of Liyue was slacking off or anything of the sorts. Should the question come up in between any different circumstances, Ningguang herself would take the insult as the gravest one, yet now these were precisely the words she wanted to hear.
Because that means that the divine dragon had free time.
“Since I do not know what he spends his time with in his home, I cannot answer that question.” Ganyu said in a neutral, yet now slightly flat tone.
She was suspecting something. Not a surprise, knowing that she had passed her three thousandth birthday already. She was likely there in many wars their god had fought for their sake, protecting him must’ve come as easy as breathing. Even from the Tianquan herself. Ningguang was pleased.
“I was thinking about inviting him for dinner.” She admitted, eager to set things in motion.
The adeptus’ eyes widened once more, her shoulders losing the tenseness that had crept into them the same time suspicion began to build in her head. She let out a soft ‘oh’ sound, her mouth in an adorable shape for a few seconds as she worked the news in her head.
To prove her point, Ningguang handed her the written letter.
The Secretary took it with a tentative hand, not sure if she somehow landed herself in some type of tone-deaf prank. She shot one last questioning glance towards her boss before her eyes turned to the page, running over the lines with practiced ease. Her eyebrows rose higher and higher with every line she read and then finally, she turned back to her.
“You invited our god to discuss… antiques?”
“And for dinner.”
It was almost impossible to smother the anticipating smirk that tried to etch itself onto her face. Of course, she would only entertain the Archon of Contracts to a modest dinner, wishing to smoothen the communication between her office and his divine throne to make their shared ruling easier. And after that, she would make sure that it would be more pleasurable as well.
Ganyu was experienced in warfare. She probably knew too well almost every shape and form one’s interest could take in the Geo Archon, yet it seems that she hadn’t quite connected the dots just yet. Fair enough, since Ningguang would admit that she was somewhat of a work alcoholic, one could be forgiven when they don’t associate a ‘friendly dinner’ with something as carnal as she had in mind.
Meanwhile the adeptus seemingly came to the conclusion that whatever business her boss could have with the god would not put said god in danger, since that would be counterproductive to their very nation, because she vanished the written letter into a fold of her robes.
“I will relay your message then. Will that be all, Miss Tianquan?”
“That will be all, Miss Secretary.”
When the half-qilin left, Ningguang opened her fan, hid the lower part of her face and grinned.
*
Ningguang had seen the Geo Archon in his human skin only once in her entire life. It was an accidental meeting. There was some problem in the Chasm about a Noctilious Jade vein which required her personal attention. Only later did she find out that the problem was in the ley lines themselves, which prompted their Archon to make a personal visit, donning a less noticeable appearance than his Exuvia form.
Still, Ningguang knew who he was before Ganyu had a chance to spot and recognize him. Dressed in a cream white, long coat and dark pants fitting of a liyuen warrior, he approached like a silent storm. Her Vision thrilled in his presence and the very earth hummed in pleasure with every step he took towards the open mine. The white hood hid the most of his auburn hair, but even then the orange tinted long locks made her want to twirl her fingers around them, squeeze and pull.
Yet it was the eyes that remained with her. Those cor lapis eyes, not even slightly human in nature but so perfect on that sculpted marble face. He looked at her and her magic rejoiced. She never felt as alive and powerful as she did in the presence of the being that was the origin of her power.
Ever since that day, Ningguang wanted those eyes back on herself. She wanted to feel that pleasant hum that filled her body in his presence. Yet she didn’t want like others wanted before her. She had no intention to fall on her knees before the oldest being in Teyvat, oh no such ideas. Even in the presence of divinity, Ningguang of the Qixing will not be humbled.
Is it blasphemy? Most likely.
Does she care? Never.
Because Rex Lapis was standing before her now. He was akin to his statues, in some ways. Ningguang doubted she would ever view them more than pieces of stones after this meeting, not when she was in the presence of the real deal. His eyes remained the same as she remembered, so did the feeling that he has awoken in her bones. Even hundreds of feet in the sky, the Geo Archon embodied the pull of the earth.
“Miss Ningguang.”
Despite hearing his voice every year in the Rite of Descension, it was something else without the booming presence of the great divine dragon form. Soft and low, so smooth it almost made her visibly shudder as it rolled over her skin and mind.
She made a motion to bow, playing her cards safe for now, not risking offense so soon, yet he was ever quick to stop her. Warm fingers slid under her elbows to keep her up and her skin burned where they connected. The golden lines on his bare hands and arms were humming with the power of ley lines.
“No need for that. Our business tonight shall not be official. I was hoping we can speak as friends.”
Oh, Ningguang was hoping even more than that.
“You honor me, My Lord.”
She gestured towards the table, already filled with to the brim with every type of food, so much so that if he found anything to his displeasure he wouldn’t have to even look at it and still be able to eat his fill. She led him to the table and poured him wine as a good hostess should, trying to keep her eyes from wondering. Much.
She was sending a message, after all.