#⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝕯𝖚𝖐𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖎𝖉𝖊 - 𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙸𝙺𝙴𝚁 : wriothesley.

[chillingpenalty]

𝐇𝐄  𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒  .                                          then  a  hum  leaves  the  warden  ,  lowering  his  teacup  upon  the  thin  paper  pasted  to  form  an  eloquent  &  disposable  coaster  ,  used  to  protect  the  table's  surface  from  spills  .  wriothesley  surmised  it  was  a  cheap  &  easy  source  of  use  ,  rather  risk  actual  coasters  getting  lost  ,  stolen  ,  or  even  broken  .  wriothesley  happened  to  use  lone  newspapers  in  his  own  accord  ,  paper  soaks  up  moisture  to  keep  your  surfaces  clean  &  dry  .  came  quite  in  handy  when  you’re  busying  with  evening  reports  &  filed  codices  of  previous  timestamps  under  a  dripping  bastion  of  bronze  &  iron  .  keeping  tabs  on  data  of  who  sufficiently  provides  the  fortress  with  reasonable  effort  &  work  —  as  thankfully  recorded  by  stand  -  by  correctional  gardes  .

                                          "  monsieur  …  not  to  dig  at  your  nation’s  customs  ,  i’m  merely  making  an  observation  .  "  wriothesley  winds  broad  arms  across  his  chest  ,  metallic  chained  accessories  glimmering  the  dull  light  of  his  candle  that  sat  in  a  dwindling  idle  .  "  ahh  …  who  knows  .  do  you  normally  stare  at  your  foreign  travelers  ?  if  it  eases  your  mind  …  i’m  only  here  on  business  .  "  confidential  business  .  while  the  fortress  of  meropide  was  certainly  an  autonomous  de  facto  prison  —  entirely  disregarded  within  the  confines  of  fontainian  law  &  judiciary  —  wriothesley  would  meet  at  the  bare  step  to  ensure  particular  inmates  make  it  to  their  sentences  &  readily  able  to  be  apart  of  society  .  if  the  inmate  chooses  to  leave  however  .  most  don’t  .  

                                             according  to  many  of  his  records  &  eye  -  count  witnesses  —  one  of  the  alleged  convicted  had  fled  the  nation  .  the  three  -  headed  warden  canine  took  it  upon  himself  to  snuff  it  out  ,  leaving  dear  sigewinne  to  keep  tabs  on  the  fortress  ,  &  if  need  done  ,  clorinde  assured  she  would  make  frequent  visits  .  he  stayed  at  the  nearest  inn  anyway  .  a  rather  …  comfortable  place  for  leisure  travel  .  though  wriothesley  was  admittedly  finding  the  higher  elevation  &  dry  air  quite  difficult  to  manage  .  

cont  .  from  here  .    -  @alatusatlas .

[chillingpenalty]

◈  starter  for  @diiluvies  [  ;  ]  [  collapse  ]

"  𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐔𝐑  𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄  —  !  "                                in  light  of  recent  events  of  containing  the  purging  flesh  -  defiling  seas  within  the  gaping  jowls  of  the  sluice  gate  ,  water  utterly  contaminated  by  a  highly  concentrated  heavy  supplement  of  purity  [  ;  ]  made  to  cleanse  the  sin  of  all  those  birthed  on  this  land  [  ;  ]  waters  that  shan’t  delay  entering  one’s  pores  &   dissolving  every  cell  within  the  body  ,  every  internal  organ  swelling  with  waters  decaying  vital  structures  .  such  a  horrific  construct  of  delaying  the  prophecy  ,  delaying  until  wriothesley  could  continue  his  project  &   complete  the  ship  meant  to  combat  it’s  torrential  downpour  .  

                                wriothesley  anchors  his  heels  firmly  against  the  rustic  plates  of  the  forbidden  zone  ,  steeling  his  weight  as  neuvillette’s  body  befell  ,  energy  extinguished  ,  into  his  arms  .  what  an  irksome  matter  .  metallic  panels  retract  along  his  fingers  ,  peeling  pads  against  the  iudex’s  eyelid  ,  briefly  scanning  for  any  mental  consciousness  .  if  pupils  dilated  [  ;  ]  neuvillette  still  had  a  semblance  of  comprehension  .  his  eyes  briefly  flit  up  to  watch  the  seal  remain  enclosed  ,  no  rupture  or  wear  ,  the  chief  justice  had  managed  to  thwart  seemingly  sentient  seas  .  at  least  continued  to  do  so  .

                                beholder  of  𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐒  finally  unclenches  his  teeth  ,  a  breath  .  another  .  be  it  ,  whatever  soul  harbors  within  the  joineries  of  iron  &   bronze  ,  possess  him  to  salvage  any  ounce  of  patience  .  wriothesley  surrounds  the  width  of  his  arms  beneath  neuvillette’s  upper  limbs  ,  fingers  flushed  against  scapula  &   latimus  dorsi  ,  gripping  their  fabric  &   positioning  the  man  more  appropriately  against  him  .  "  good  thing  i’m  quite  adept  at  discerning  when  critical  moments  like  these  are  bound  to  happen  .  we  have  to  get  you  to  the  infirmary  .  "

                                yes  ,  sigewinne  would  know  what  to  do  .  his  entourage  of  four  stand  annexed  tightly  to  another  ,  &   upon  his  signal  he’ll  get  the  iudex  immediate  attention  .  

[chillingpenalty]

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐔𝐊𝐄  𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘  𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒  .                                "  it’s  all  quite  a  regular  dissonance  ,  really  ,  however  it  was  within  obligatory  monitoring  .  actually  had  to  use  my  gloves  this  time  .  "  he  could  practically  hear  the  venom  &  vehemence  radiate  out  of  the  cherub  -  like  mouth  of  sigewinne  .  perhaps  something  along  the  lines  of  melusine  fury  ,  scolding  him  how  careless  he  is  within  the  bloody  plate  of  the  pankration  ring  ,  but  he  could  understand  it  was  entirely  out  of  worry  .  he’s  gotten  this  far  satiating  the  ache  of  muscle  tissue  &  thinly  torn  ivory  epidermis  .  wriothesley  extends  his  long  fingers  ,  flexing  them  to  life  ,  thick  rolls  of  veins  still  toiled  with  adrenaline  &  tension  .  but  it  was  cleaned  &  bandaged  appropriately  .

                                the  monitoring  in  question  was  the  source  of  recently  missing  gardemeks  —  alas  he  found  them  to  be  used  outside  of  their  intended  purpose  .  as  a  result  the  production  zone  multiplied  their  funds  &  resources  to  make  -  up  for  the  missing  allocation  .  typical  .  "  thanks  doc'  ,  the  fortress  appreciates  the  extra  hands  .  i’d  hate  to  have  you  troubled  having  traveled  from  liyue  ,  please  ,  allow  me  to  show  your  typical  fontainian  gesture  of  gratitude  ;  if  that’s  up  your  alley  .  "

cont  .  from  here  .  –   @oneireth

[chillingpenalty]

𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐒'  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄   :                               the  lone  three  -  headed  hound  clutches  his  timepiece  in  idle  .  a  rather  intricate  contrivance  ,  that  the  warden  ,  deduced  ,  could  be  beyond  the  crafted  callouses  of  men  that  oft  work  with  gears  &  mechanical  technicalities  in  the  production  zone  .  such  fine  detail  inlay  in  florid  patterns  &  sensual  curves  that  act  like  stringent  veins  along  the  device  that  ticked  softly  in  his  clutches  .  it  was  like  a  timeless  vintage  item  ,  so  rare  ,  so  pure  ,  so  aged  since  its  adolescence  .  a  rustic  silver  ,  naught  without  scratches  from  wear  &  time  ,  &  fluid  feel  held  between  his  fingers  .  it  fit  in  palm  perfectly  . 

                     wriothesley  nitpicked  his  brain  ,  wracked  with  untold  strife  .  one  might  ask  if  it  held  sentimental  value  .  it  did  .  although  the  time  stamped  upon  the  small  object  itself  was  wrong  &  the  warden  didn't  bother  to  recount  to  change  it  ,  it  was  an  item  wriothesley  didn't  use  as  intended  .  exposed  thumb  drags  in  rhythmic  circles  along  the  florid  edges  ,  uncharacteristically  abashed  .  icey  glazed  eyes  flit  up  towards  his  cup  of  tea  ,  the  liquid  left  untouched  ,  left  undrank  .  left  without  value  .  so  much  for  an  afternoon  tea  ...  self  expression  was  a  dire  extremity  to  him  .  the  memories  that  are  stapling  away  the  grievances  of  pestered  sponsors  ,  meetings  ,  pricings  ,  manual  toiling  ,  are  swept  away  beneath  the  endless  series  of  ticks  .

                                  alas  ,  does  he  stew  in  these  seemingly  nocturnal  emotions  &  enrapturing  funnels  of  adolescent  memory  .  sitting  before  an  arching  &  narrow  window  ,  seated  upon  a  stool  that  gave  his  rather  short  stature  leverage  of  view  .  a  young  boy  with  tousled  black  hair  ,  seated  atop  within  his  own  thoughts  .  just  as  he  persists  in  the  now  .  a  small  &  eloquent  bedroom  ,  horses  depicted  prancing  across  an  endless  sea  of  grass  within  an  oil  painting  .  bears  &  other  stuffed  toys  sit  atop  his  bed  ,  that  were  neatly  done  .  as  expected  of  a  finely  raised  child  .  in  small  hands  were  held  a  much  mightier  &  lively  timepiece  ,  a  fresh  coat  of  a  hearty  lubricant  –  a  wax  –  that  made  the  iron  capture  the  eyes  of  the  exquisite  .  a  gift  given  to  him  by  his  mother  .  a  woman  who  did  not  marry  into  a  family  .  a  woman  that  endorsed  her  goals  to  the  fullest  extent  .  &  thus  placed  it  into  the  hands  of  her  orphan  son  .  it  rained  ...  &  the  young  boy  could  only  look  on  with  a  poised  expression  .  he  wasn't  sad  it  was  raining  .  yes ,  the  rain  was  his  friend  .  they  shared  a  kinship  of  silence  ,  but  expressive  in  the  act  .

                          a  timid  voice  interrupts  his  trance  &  does  the  warden  reply  with  a  belated  sigh  .  "  i  assume  it's  about  management  regulations  ?  i'm  certain  i've  reimbursed  the  section  in  regards  to  the  falsifying  of  data  &  productivity  .  "  he  opens  ,  confiscating  the  timepiece  beneath  the  lapel  of  his  waistcoat  .

[chillingpenalty]

new wrio - cons hehe .

[chillingpenalty]

test - !

[chillingpenalty]

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | tags.

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝕯𝖚𝖐𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖎𝖉𝖊 - 𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙸𝙺𝙴𝚁 : wriothesley.

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝕬𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖓𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖉 𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖑𝖊𝖘 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖇𝖊 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓. - 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳 - 𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽 : studies / paperwork.

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖟𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘 &. 𝖌𝖔𝖆𝖑𝖘 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌. - 𝙰𝙽𝚂𝚆𝙴𝚁𝙴𝙳 : submitted.

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖌𝖊𝖙 𝖆 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖞. - 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 : tea time.

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖆 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖊 - 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖎𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖊 𝖎𝖘. - 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳 : in office.

⫘⫘⟡⫘⫘ | 𝖙𝖜𝖔 𝖈𝖚𝖇𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖚𝖌𝖆𝖗 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖒𝖞 𝖙𝖊𝖆. - 𝙼𝚄𝙽 : out of office.

[chillingpenalty]

"  𝐍𝐎  𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆  .                                you  could  say  my  relationship  with  the  traveler  thus  far  has  been  within  the  mannerisms  of  approaching  a  highly  centralized  situation  with  the  utmost  caution  &  clarity  of  recent  events  .  strictly  on  matters  of  business  tying  to  my  turf  ,  the  fortress  of  meropide  ,  with  my  fullest  attention  .  "  sure  ,  the  warden  typically  handed  the  brunt  of  his  workload  off  on  others  who  happen  to  already  be  well  -  versed  with  the  situation  .  it  was  wriothesley  that  would  see  it  to  the  end  [  ;  ]  interfere  if  safety  was  put  on  the  line  .  be  it  by-standing  inmates  or  the  fortress  itself  .  wriothesley  was  a  curious  type  ,  but  the  duke  forwent  answers  .

                                he  would  be  pleased  when  his  intuition  proved  truth  when  it  was  time  for  intervention  [  ;  ]  imperative  wriothesley  acted  quickly  to  thrust  claws  into  the  arteries  of  potential  evidence  ,  gouging  out  sufficient  information  .  no  matter  if  the  duke  would  be  perceived  as  the  aggressor  ,  bringer  of  conflict  ,  or  mere  bastion  against  specific  goals  beneficial  to  what  may  appear  just  cause  to  the  good  guys  .  even  if  it  meant  keeping  those  who  are  held  dear  under  his  watchful  eyes  ,  withheld  until  all  has  been  spilt  .  

                                the  land  of  sinners  couldn’t  even  amount  to  fitting  the  descriptor  of  the  fortress  .  it  was  a  land  of  the  depraved  [  ;  ]  the  damned  [  ;  ]  the  exiled  .  a  makeshift  womb  to  rehabilitate  all  who  desire  rebirth  .  

                                "  but  that’s  another  story  .  i  get  what  you  mean  though  …  heard  word  of  mouth  you  are  quite  a  notorious  figure  within  liyue  .  a  friendly  old  chap  told  me  quite  a  few  stories  [  ;  ]  sounds  straight  out  of  a  fairy  tail  .  "  wriothesley  lowers  his  tea  -  cup  ,  tongue  grazing  ivory  lips  ,  wetting  them  &  removing  excess  liquid  .  "  fontaine  isn't  a  stranger  to  that  either  ,  so  i  guess  i  should  be  honored  to  be  in  your  presence  ,  great  adepti  ?  from  what  i  heard  it’s  not  often  you  indulge  yourself  with  the  likes  of  our  mortal  exchanges  .  "

after pausing for a moment, xiao pours himself a cup of tea, considering that there is another cup on the table before them, set there haphazardly by someone that he did not fully observe. the tea is a blend that he is familiar with purely due to zhongli's influence, and one that he's drunk before. while bitter, it is not too bitter, allowing him to be able to take small sips without the aid of sugar.

observation has always been a key part of being a yaksha--in years past, during wars that would alter the very landscape of liyue, the yakshas would observe enemies from afar before deciding on their course of action. depending on what they saw, they would perform a silent execution, or a fiery blaze, or even block off the enemies' path so that they could not harm innocents. it also allowed them to pick out whether or not a potential ally was an assassin in disguise, keen eyes discerning whether or not there were hidden weapons.

now, xiao's observation is not as focused towards those purposes as in the past. of course, he used his eagle eyes to pick out enemies from afar and decide his course of action, but now--now he uses them when meeting people that have a friendly interest in him. he's used those observations to conclude that the young son of the commerce guild would often prank the exorcist that seemed to have a hero-worship directed towards xiao, and more recently to discern whether or not a young girl with cat ears and a tail was feeling due to the minute movements that a feline often makes.

wriothesley is....an interesting character, from xiao's observations. while obviously dressed in finery with a wolf brooch and silvery chains, he holds himself like a fighter, always prepared for a fight if the need ever arose. the adeptus sips his tea, holding the cup carefully with both hands as if he was afraid he would drop it. "wriothesley, then. you may refer to me as xiao, if you so wish. the traveler has told me that they respect you as well, although the start was...rocky, in their words."

[chillingpenalty]

𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒  𝐈𝐍  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐓  .                                an  unfaltering  wave  of  just  concern  .  wriothesley  didn’t  appear  to  be  convinced  [  ;  ]  not  in  the  slightest  .  recovery  of  this  magnitude  cannot  be  so  easily  shaken  off  ,  unless  the  warden  gravely  underestimated  the  iudex’s  abilities  ,  which  he  surmised  he  hasn’t  .  neuvillette  is  an  extraordinary  man  with  impeccable  knowledge  of  justice  &  fortitude  .  if  the  judiciary  would  come  in  physical  form  [  ;  ]  it  would  be  neuvillette  . 

                                "  i’m  surprised  you’re  more  concerned  about  keeping  public  face  as  opposed  to  seeking  adequate  attention  ,  iudex  .  i  would  be  applauding  your  valiant  efforts  had  i  not  been  condemned  to  my  position  as  warden  of  this  fine  establishment  .  as  administrator  of  the  fortress  ,  completely  autonomous  from  fontainian  interference  ,  &  on  account  of  our  relationship  being  strictly  on  lines  of  providing  resources  [  ;  ]  no  one  will  say  a  word  .  "

                                so  rest  assured  ,  chief  justice  ,  wriothesley  would  dare  a  soul  to  utter  a  word  of  wrong  .  this  was  a  land  of  sinners  [  ;  ]  as  such  ,  no  one  daren’t  ever  cast  judgment  onto  another  ,  everyone  was  guilty  &  are  learning  to  rehabilitate  their  rebirth  .  many  unfiltered  propaganda  started  to  surface  on  the  buds  of  his  tongue  ,  &  wriothesley  chose  to  withhold  on  account  of  maintaining  his  professionalism  .  he  surrounds  neuvillette’s  arm  around  his  neck  &  over  his  shoulder  ,  lagging  an  appendage  to  allow  the  chief  justice  to  hold  onto  the  last  ounce  of  pride  that  stubbornly  refuses  to  be  discarded  .

                                "  if  it  really  ails  you  that  much  ,  i  will  accommodate  a  path  that  doesn’t  directly  lead  into  the  administrative  area  &  dormitories  ,  rather  ,  a  short  -  cut  to  the  infirmary  .  sigewinne  should  already  be  expecting  your  visit  .  "  the  hollow  &  gigantic  pipes  would  vary  in  direction  ,  one  could  easily  get  lost  if  you  weren’t  a  crime  born  citizen  of  the  fortress  .  

                                "  it  would  be  rather  unfortunate  to  have  our  main  contractor  for  materials  &  shipment  suddenly  go  sick  or  worse  for  wear  …  or  the  chaos  that  would  ensue  if  the  palais  mermonia  lost  their  beloved  judge  …  "

to holdback a tsunami of wrathful waters, it takes a toll on the psyche. sure, his body was fine, his constitution was one of his quite unexpected strengths, yet it was the sorrow that came with the fear of what if it failed. what if, the judgement he tried to overrule decided his counter was not well received, and the nation of fontaine will drown for their sin. that could not happen, and will not happen, not while the iudex still stands.

legs shake, and without realising it, for a split second, his mind blanks from exhaustion and he falls back. snapping back into reality, albeit breathless from the blip of the brain activity, neuvillette looks up a little to see the concerned expression of the wriothesley. though the gaze was blurry and disorientated as he comes to fully, there was no denying that the other's speed and desperation to ensure the safety of the iudex was paramount in his movements and orders.

"...duke..?" he breathed out, trying to adjust his posture given how he knew moving post semi-fainting was never a wise move. leaving himself at the mercy and guide of wriothesley - more so to make sure he did not lose his sanity - and his men, the hydro dragon looks down and sighs a little bit. this was... not how he predicted sealing off the primodial sea would end.

"...i do hope you have no inmates near your office ready to watch on and enjoy the sight of a frail iudex." a scoff, even in his situation, his pride will always remain in control.

[chillingpenalty]

𝐍𝐎𝐓  𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇  𝐎𝐅  𝐀  𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐑  .                                wasn’t  out  of  fear  or  any  narration  of  off  -  putting  gesture  [  ;  ]  more  like  a  settled  observation  .  wriothesley  being  familiar  with  those  that  get  a  little  freaked  out  by  his  presence  alone  ,  but  this  wasn’t  exactly  the  correct  descriptor  he  would  place  the  smaller  statured  man  .  back  to  square  one  …  the  warden  lowers  the  weight  of  finely  sculpted  &  sinewy  arms  ,  unraveling  them  so  his  hands  could  find  placement  atop  parchment  .  as  such  ,  would  depict  news  ranging  from  the  steambird  or  small  photos  etched  with  feiyun  slope’s  bulletin  board  .  bulletins  that  range  within  the  happenings  &  overall  management  instances  within  the  impregnated  city  of  gold  [  ;  ]  mother  of  all  mora  .

                                cuffs  lie  annexed  to  his  tea  -  cup  &  relative  pinpoints  of  where  he  could  hunt  down  the  retreated  .  such  cuffs  tailored  made  to  be  primarily  of  display  on  the  girthy  width  of  his  right  hip  bone  ,  &  with  every  stride  ,  they  wriggle  with  a  satisfactory  joinery  of  clicking  .  however  ,  even  in  use  ,  it  offered  elemental  resistance  ,  tailored  if  he  happened  to  be  arresting  a  vision  wielder  .  though  that  sort  of  thing  occurring  isn’t  all  too  regular  of  an  occurrence  .  asides  from  inmate  𝟕𝟒𝟓𝟖  —  alias  [  ;  ]  tartaglia  —  became  in  possession  within  the  duke’s  hands  .

                                callous  digits  surround  the  sensual  curl  of  the  cup’s  appendage  ,  slipping  at  least  an  index  in  while  dulled  nails  come  to  cradle  the  small  base  .  he  lifts  to  sip  from  it  ,  his  nostrils  welcoming  the  pheromonal  steam  .  such  rich  heat  lingered  with  an  addition  of  exactly  2  sugar  cubes  .  made  it  more  tolerable  to  drink  &  acquiesce  to  the  bitterness  once  the  buds  of  his  tongue  relishes  the  specs  that  remain  in  his  saliva  .  

                                cut  -  up  &  chapped  lips  ,  whetted  against  the  slender  bridge  of  his  cup  ,  subtly  parted  as  he  speaks  .  eyes  lifting  up  to  stare  at  them  ,  who  still  seemingly  in  a  state  of  observation  ,  &  it  was  so  nonchalant  in  the  manner  wriothesley  wonders  if  there  was  something  on  his  face  .  “  i’ll  begin  [  ;  ]  formalities  aside  now  ,  &  there’s  no  need  to  keep  putting  on  a  façade  of  business  casual  .  you  can  continue  to  refer  to  me  as  the  duke  ,  or  you  can  call  me  by  my  legal  appellation  [  ;  ]  wriothesley  .  we  aren’t  strangers  &  you  seem  to  be  highly  respected  by  the  traveler  .  “

the two are much more alike than xiao initially presumed.

they both prefer to work alone, finding some kind of peace in solitude. perhaps it would also be that the duke does not anyone to get in his way, or could be akin to iao's own reason--that he wants to avoid collateral damage when it comes to his duties. if he were to hurt an ally in battle by mistake, it would not be something that would settle easily in the adeptus' soul.

there's a pause, and now xiao is closer, sitting across from wriothesley instead of a distance away from him upon a fallen log. now closer, the yaksha can make out the flecks of silver in the grey-blue of his eyes, pupils slightly dilated due to the dim light. they remind him of the worn steel of blades used in combat over and over, blades that have been worn down yet still lovingly sharpened and polished regularly by their various wielders.

"there is no need to make accommodations for me--i will drink the tea as is." little sips would be alright, and since that is the proper way to drink tea (at least, according to his lord), it should be alright.

the adeptus is quiet for several beats, keen eyes taking in the appearance of the man before him. wriothesley has stern and strong features, matching his physicality that opposes the yaksha's. xiao is a solid head and shoulders shorter than the duke, delicately built like a bird would be, which he has noticed causes many mortals to doubt that he is actually as strong as he is. of course, if they recognized him as the vigilant yaksha, they would not doubt him, but travelers from afar often would and would treat him as such.

he....didn't like it. xiao, for over two thousand years, has trained and fought battles and become as strong as he could possibly be, but to some, he still looks weak. drunks would sometimes hassle him, and there have been many times that xiao wished he had a more physically intimidating body, one like the duke's or his beloved lord's, so that he may be taken seriously.

[chillingpenalty]

𝐇𝐄’𝐒  𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋  𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐃  𝐓𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄  𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍  𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  .                                  he  wasn’t  aware  former  inmates  𝟕𝟒𝟓𝟗  &  𝟕𝟒𝟔𝟎  explicitly  begun  to  mention  distinguishing  details  about  his  identity  .  being  constantly  within  the  depths  of  the  ever  -  rising  sea  levels  –  one  might  find  the  lack  of  mention  of  comfort  .  less  risk  of  finding  yourself  trying  to  namely  decide  how  to  make  an  impression  ;  which  wriothesley  failed  to  imprint  on  .  not  that  lying  or  trying  to  appeal  to  others  was  on  the  forefront  of  his  mind  .  the  duke  wriothesley  of  the  palais  -  mermonia  ,  now  administrator  of  the  fortress  of  meropide  ,  having  to  be  uncharacteristically  not  within  his  place  of  stay  ,  speaking  with  someone  wriothesley  figured  was  important  if  the  traveler  themselves  spoke  to  them  .  "  is  that  right  ?  well  -  don’t  get  me  wrong  …  i  don’t  mind  extra  back  -  up  if  it’s  required  or  offered  to  me  ,  like  right  now  ,  but  i  am  entirely  working  on  this  myself  .  your  influence  in  this  land  does  not  contribute  to  the  land  of  fontaine  .  with  all  due  respect  ,  "

                                                          the  typical  boxing  hand  wraps  for  flint  molded  gauntlets  have  been  replaced  by  black  leather  finger  -  less  gloves  ,  with  his  wolven  brooch  ornament  sweeping  across  them  in  delicate  ,  materialized  condessence  ,  of  chains  .  this  hand  saddles  atop  the  curve  of  his  forearm  ,  fingers  each  following  the  decorum  of  silver  pieces  ;  rings  &  jewelry  wedged  with  a  crimson  crystal  ,  that  the  warden  surmised  was  mined  in  dragonspine’s  snowy  domain  ;  scarlet  quartz  .  wriothesley  keeps  a  poised  &  expressionless  stare  ,  holding  the  shorter  man  in  non  -  brazen  voice  of  reason  .  

                                                          "  proving  myself  to  someone  isn’t  on  my  pay  grade  ,  no  it’s  …  more  believe  word  of  mouth  .  i’d  rather  not  fight  if  there’s  no  point  in  it  .  i  like  to  think  i  hold  myself  to  a  high  propriety  .  "  like  the  penkration  ring  ,  serving  as  the  fortress’  exercise  program  &  rehabilitation  for  the  exiled  ,  the  duke  made  quick  work  with  his  words  as  he  does  with  his  short  feints  exchanges  with  his  opponent  .  

                                                          "  that  being  said  …  whatever  the  traveler  said  about  me  is  devoid  .  simply  —  i  am  just  doing  what  i  believe  is  right  .  &  therefore  ,  i  think  it’s  about  time  you  owe  me  an  introduction  at  the  very  least  .  “  his  eyes  silt  from  the  man’s  exotic  features  towards  his  lone  -  standing  cup  of  tea  .  “  if  there’s  one  thing  that  is  indefinite  ,  i  do  enjoy  conversations  over  tea  ,  &  i’ll  accommodate  with  sugar  if  that’s  more  your  preference  .  "

before wriothesley had even arrived in liyue, the traveler had told xiao some basic information about him: that he was the warden of fontaine's major prison, that he had the title of 'duke' granted to him by the governing bodies of the land of justice, and that he wielded a cryo vision to great ability. the only two cryo vision wielders that xiao commonly made contact with were chongyun, the young exorcist with a pure-yang spirit, and ganyu, a fellow adeptus who preferred the comfort of working for the liyue qixing.

"i am aware that you are on business, duke," xiao starts, pondering how exactly to phrase his words before letting them flow. "the traveler requested that i aid you in your endeavors. they seem to hold you in a high regard, and i would like to see for myself why they do such a thing." the way xiao phrases his words makes it clear that he trusts the traveler's judgement, but is still curious--like a cat.

(while he is a birdlike adeptus, xiao finds himself often compared to a weird cat. he's fond of cats.)

"if my staring makes you feel uncomfortable, then i will stop." a pause. maybe like other mortals, wriothesley is curious about adepti, and would want to know about that. "if it were to make you more comfortable, i will sit with you and we could talk. the traveler said that you enjoyed conversations over tea."

there doesn't appear to be any sugar around, which would make drinking tea for xiao difficult. bitter tastes would remind him of bad dreams, and that may send him deep into his own mind. but, if the other man wishes to drink tea with him, xiao would do his best to push through it and make a....good impression. or the closest thing to a good impression he can get now.