[ xiao had been, for the most part, completely silent until now.
he had highly considered simply leaving when the accusations were first thrown at him. after all, mortal affairs do not mean much to him, and it's not like any of these humans have real power over him. he has many other things to do, and waiting on... whatever it is that plan on doing is just a waste.
the only thing that kept him where he is, is that yelan had dropped by for a moment and mentioned the traveler's name before leaving. it was enough to put xiao on ""good"" behavior to not cause his friend any potential trouble.
still, he does not cooperate with anyone, and instead just stands in a corner. it isn't until he hear yanfei's familiar voice that he actually looks up. ]
it's too bad the fatui aren't on good behavior. xiao was obviously speaking to yanfei, but before she can get a word in edgewise, the fatui start up with their accusations again - he just came out of nowhere and killed a bunch of our men! i don't care who he is, no one is allowed to do that! in snezhnaya, we call that murder! he should be turned over to us immediately and sent to snezhnaya for prosecution!
yanfei, inwardly, thinks and in liyue, we call this lying, followed shortly by turning him over to you sounds like a really easy way to get you beaten up, but waits them out to see if their complaints will wind down.
they do not. and the millelith soldiers begin arguing back with them. it's getting louder and louder here, and she shoots xiao a sympathetic look before clapping her hands together to get the attention of the soldiers and the diplomats.]
Now, now. I understand that this is a very serious matter. [murder is a serious accusation, after all, even if it's utterly ridiculous to imagine that it actually happened the way the fatui are claiming, if indeed it happened at all.] However, Liyue does have its own laws, as I'm sure you're aware. The law requires a thorough investigation before we can do any such thing.
[we did investigate! the diplomat protests. that's how we know it was him!]
A thorough investigation led by a party uninvolved in the situation. As the complainant, you're bound to have a great many insights, but you're too close to the situation to meet the standards set by the law. So, I'll be taking charge of the investigation myself.
[the diplomat opens his mouth as if to argue - she's from liyue, so she's bound to be biased - but then pauses. yanfei's reputation is rock-solid; she's never let biases get in the way of her work before. at least, not to as far as anyone knows.]
Now, I'm going to need you to provide me with a little more information...
[what ensues is an interrogation - but not an interrogation of xiao, as the fatui had intended, but an interrogation of the fatui as to every inch of their accusations. by the time it's done, yanfei's heard the story inside and out, and there are many details that simply don't add up.
so! one thing leads to another, and she's off to investigate the location where they're claiming the murder happened, xiao in tow. (he's a suspect, you can't just take him out of here! the fatui had protested, only for yanfei to point out that making sure the evidence at the scene actually matched the suspect is a vital part of the investigation.)
once they're out of there without the fatui breathing down their necks, yanfei sighs and looks over at him.]
They're clearly up to something, if they want you out of the way. What a mess!
[ that was, actually, the first (and honestly, only) thing he had said to them once the accusations started to be thrown around. he probably doesn't need to say it to her, but if this is going to be some sort of an investigation, he should give his side of the story.
his side is very short. it's the only thing worth saying for his own defense.
however, for everything else... ]
I noticed there was some sort of disturbance near some ruins, but when I got there, everything was cleared out. I ran into them after I left.
[ and his life had not known peace since that moment. ]
... we should visit the ruins as well after. There's likely to be something there that I missed.
[his side may be short, but it makes sense. it makes a hell of a lot more sense than any of the accusations the fatui were making, actually, and yanfei nods, filing that away. he is, after all, the conqueror of demons, not the conqueror of humans.]
Hmm... actually, we may want to visit the ruins first and foremost. If your encounter with them there was the catalyst for these accusations, there was likely something going on there that they want covered up.
[she can just imagine it, really. if xiao hadn't been a vision wielder, they probably would have tried to kill him then and there, or had some sort of "accident" befall him on the way back to wangshu inn or some such thing. if he was a normal human, he could have been added to the ranks of those who disappeared after getting on the fatui's bad side.
but he's not, and so silencing him through their usual methods wouldn't have worked. hence the accusation.]
I imagine they were hoping to remove all traces of what was going on there while you were entangled in all of that nonsense. Let's not give them the opportunity.
[ he nods. that makes sense... who knows what might have been happening while they were dealing with jail. ]
I'll take you.
[ again, simple and to the point.
... life is easier when he can just basically teleport, but they can go the long way. that's probably better, he supposes, in case there's anything along the way. he does not voice these thoughts and will just start heading in the right direction without any other word. ]
yanfei follows him when he leads the way to the ruins, and - since he's quiet, and she's already said what she has to say, and in theory it'll take some time to actually walk there (although come to think of it the existence of portable waypoints as an item that the traveler can get a blueprint for and then make at the crafting table implies that they do, in theory, know that the permanent waypoints have teleportation functions that people are able to duplicate which begs the question of wHY EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER INSISTS ON WALKING EVERYWHERE uhhh anyway moving on) -
she opens a book and starts reading through it as they walk! she has the laws of liyue committed to memory, but she's looking through the writings she has on snezhnaya's laws now - particularly as they pertain to situations such as this. she can't imagine that the fatui diplomats are anywhere near as familiar with liyue's laws as she is, so reviewing the laws they would know well might give her a better idea of their mindset and what they might be hoping to accomplish here.
unless it really is just as simple as keeping xiao's mouth shut about whatever he might have seen in the ruins...?]
Hmm...
[somehow, despite the fact that she has her nose in a book, she does not stumble at all while they're walking. she even sidesteps a rock in her path that she probably should have tripped over. it's fine.]
[ it's fine. he just keeps walking, and it seems like he isn't even sparing her a glance.
but after a very long silence, he'll speak. ]
That's the same book you had before.
[ from the chasm.
if she looks up, he's glancing at her now, his head slightly tilted. he is asking her what it is without asking what it is, but it's a little obvious from the curious expression on his face. ]
It is, yes. You never know when a thorough understanding of the law might come in handy.
[it's a pretty heavy tome to be carrying around, but that's never really bothered her.]
In this case... I'm really not sure what the Fatui we're trying to accomplish here. So, I thought I'd try looking at the law as a Snezhnayan would understand it.
[she tilts the book in his direction so he can take a look at the pages. it's a bunch of writing on snezhnayan legal codes... but hey, at least they're not dealing with the laws in fontaine...]
Most likely! Unfortunately for them, that isn't the case. And I'm not about to let them use the law as a tool to get what they want.
[ :)
fools.
maybe if they'd tried this in one of the other nations, they might have gotten away with making an accusation and having someone locked up or put into their custody for however long they wanted. but in liyue? hell no. especially in a case like this, which involves someone she knows, yanfei is not going to let things just play out without carefully examining every single side of it.
she looks down at the book again, and then makes a small noise.]
Aha. So in Snezhnaya, suspects in cases like this are held for a minimum of seven days while their investigators verify the claims that are being made. But they didn't seem to be doing much verifying, did they? Most likely, they needed seven days to wipe away any trace of what they were actually up to. Which means we have seven days to find it all.
[ xiao could be killing so many monsters right now............
but he just nods. this kind of stuff really is beyond him, and he can't help but think about how humans really have made things as complicated for themselves as possible. it's not his place to judge if that's a good thing or not, but he does briefly wonder if this is what rex lapis and the other archons had in mind all those years ago.
well, probably not. the other thing humans are good at is being kind of unpredictable. ]
[this is definitely not what rex lapis and the other archons had in mind. rex lapis would never want xiao to get arrested.]
When it comes to the Fatui, there are almost too many possibilities, and all of them are unpleasant.
[it's important for a legal advisor to not have biases in their work, but like many of the people in liyue, yanfei doesn't exactly think well of them. in most cases, she can set that aside and look objectively at the facts (which, 99.9999% of the time, prove that the fatui are, in fact, shady little shits), but in this particular case they've crossed the line.]
Was there anything notable about their behavior when you encountered them near the ruins?
They seemed panicked, but they usually do when they run into me.
[ he's an adeptus who is known for his fighting, it is not that unusual that certain people would prefer to avoid him. ]
... but after the initial shock, now that I think about it, while they were engaging it seemed like they were trying to lure me away from where I came from.
[that being the case - they know exactly where to start. yanfei hums.]
They've probably got someone standing guard, if whatever is in there is worth trying to silence you over. We could probably knock them out, but that might tip our hands once they reported back to their superiors. We may have to sneak in.
No kidding! Imagine how much more work I could get done if I could cut out all the travel time...
[he should just pick her up like a sack of potatoes and teleport. god i wish they could just use the teleport waypoints. shakes fist at them for not being the traveler.]
Hmm, do you think so? [she is half illuminated beast, so maybe it could work?] Although we're working on a time limit, so I guess training wouldn't help us right this second...
[yanfei smiles. she will most definitely take him up on that later. xiao will be stuck with her for longer than it takes to resolve just this issue with the fatui.
however, she's immediately distracted by his pointing out the building, and she goes quiet as she observes it. it does look like a simple, rundown shack - but looks can be deceiving.
the question is, are there any fatui inside of it...?]
Hmm. Doesn't look like there's many ways into that one...
[it's pretty quiet, though. it might just be unguarded.
it's probably further into the ruins that does have some sort of a fatui presence - posting guards out here, or even in the shack, would just attract the attention of the millelith, and also the traveler, which is likely the last thing the fatui wants.]
There are windows in the back, however the building is small enough that going around won't provide too much cover.
[ in other words, they might as well just go through the front door.
xiao gives the area one look over before simply walking to the building without further comment. he puts a hand against the wooden door and gives it a push. there's a loud creak before the door slowly opens, revealing a cramped space. however, if they look closely, it does seem like a lot of the furniture inside has been recently moved around. suspicious. ]
luckily, the room itself does not have any fatui agents lounging about within it, so they're not in for an immediate fight. yanfei hums to herself as she observes the placement of the furniture and the markings on the floor, taking note of what must have been moved in which direction to make those marks.]
Let's see here...
[time to shuffle some things around! she'll keep her eye out for anything noteworthy other than the moved furniture, but although her impression of the fatui isn't exactly good, she doesn't think they'd be foolish enough to leave anything truly incriminating out where someone could find it just by wandering into the building.
anything incriminating is more likely to be elsewhere.
there's a well-hidden doorway behind a shelf, which they should be able to pull back into place to cover their tracks once they go through. she rests her hand on the door and glances to xiao, then pushes it open slowly, careful not to allow it to make any creaking sound.
there's a much smaller room back here with nothing in it but a trapdoor leading underground.]
[ ah, a hidden door behind a hidden door. it seems they're really being careful here... although it makes sense, considering more and more of their plans have been getting ruined recently due to a traveling blonde.
xiao will walk over silently, before reaching down to pull the trapdoor open. it's jammed, but it seems like it's because it's meant to be hard to open instead of because of non-use. but xiao isn't an ordinary person, so he manages it. ]
If anything is dangerous, leave. Let me handle it.
[ saying this has never once worked, but he has to say it anyway. ]
[nothing could be more dangerous than what they faced in the chasm! and they got out of that ... mostly fine. ergo, unless the fatui are somehow more dangerous than all of that nonsense, she's not going to leave him behind.
xiao opens the trapdoor, and yanfei hops down there. the passageway is spacious, but also, it's a fairly long drop? she could just use the ladder on the side, which is undoubtedly how the fatui get up and down from this thing, but ain't nobody got time for that. so she deploys her wind glider and just floats down.]
It's quite a drop - be careful coming down!
[once she lands, she looks around.
it's dark down here. there are some torches flickering along the walls, but they're in short supply; there's just enough light that they aren't stuck in pitch darkness, but the shadows are long, and they'll need to be on their guard.
for now, there's only one way to go, and that's forward. so she'll head on once he gets down too.]
[ xiao also simply jumps down-- but falling from great heights is his specialty, so it's not that much of an issue. once he's also on ground level, he takes in their surroundings. ]
... hm.
[ hmm.
at least the torches give them some kind of idea that this is still in use. if no one's been using the passage, the fire would have gone out by now so that's a good sign that they're on the right track.
everything is quiet as they walk, almost a little too quiet-- it's enough that some doubt might start to be cast some doubt if there is anyone currently there. but after a bit of walking, they'll hear what seems to be a clanking noise. ]
yanfei narrows her eyes as they come within hearing distance of the clanking noise, and although she was already moving cautiously and quietly, she's doubly careful about her footsteps for now. though perhaps she doesn't need to be - the sound of the clanking is likely to mask their approach.
luckily, there is a conveniently placed rock formation that will allow them to peek around it and see what's going on without being seen.
...there are so many fatui grunts here. they appear to be dismantling some sort of machine. a harried-looking agent is barking orders left and right.
"Hurry it up! We have to get this out of here before they send someone to investigate it! We've bought a little time, but anyone delaying us will be reporting to Lord Pantalone himself!"
yanfei wrinkles her nose.]
I knew it.
[SHE KNEW ACCUSING XIAO OF MURDER WAS JUST THEM STALLING FOR TIME!!]
[ if they were monsters, xiao would have already left this rock to attack them.
but as they're human, he wait for yanfei to make the call on how to handle it. ]
What do we do?
[ wait so that they can get more information? fight them? he isn't entirely sure how one would proceed from a legal standpoint, or if they even need to deal with that if it turns out they're up to no good...
well, they're going to have to decide quickly, since the fatui are going to end up having to go in their direction to transport whatever it is. they'll likely just have a few minutes at most. ]
[they need evidence. luckily, they came here for evidence, so she's prepared; she has a kamera among her belongings. a few quick snaps, and they've got indisputable proof that the fatui are up to something shady around here. if only they could have recorded that agent barking out orders...]
This is proof that they're up to something, but it's not proof of what. I'd like this to be so airtight that they can't wriggle out of it...
[she hums, but like, quietly, and gestures for him to step back from the rock with her.]
Let's see where they end up taking this to. They're bound to let down their guard once they think they've gotten away with it.
[ it truly is amazing how different things are when you also need to prove someone's innocence, which is something xiao has long since stopped thinking about because it's. not actually that important to him. he figures he could just leave if they tried to take him by force, since it really shouldn't be an issue if there's no harbinger involvement.
but. it would probably make things difficult for liyue if he did that. ]
Fine.
[ he'll do what she says. time to get out of the way so they don't get caught. ]
[it's probably good to teach the fatui - and the tsaritsa, by extension - that just because rex lapis is "dead" doesn't mean they can just run around and do whatever they want. liyue is in its people's hands, and the fatui have proven time and time again that they don't really respect its people.
it's time to teach them to.
anyway, they get out of sight and follow the fatui from a careful distance. they're able to hear some of the discussion - or rather, the orders that are being barked out - and it soon becomes apparent that they are heading to (spins wheel, pulls up list randomizer) ...............the chasm, what the fuck.
yanfei frowns.]
Oh, dear.
[WHY DO THEY HAVE TO GO BACK DOWN THERE. perhaps they can simply abandon the fatui to die. (no.)]
once it becomes obvious that is definitely where they are going, xiao takes a moment to consider the options. he glances over at yanfei, and while he has a feeling he knows what the response is going to be, he has to say it anyway. ]
It's too dangerous. You should stay behind.
[ maybe, for once, someone will take the suggestion and listen.
he know that won't be the case here, but he wouldn't be a yaksha if he didn't give the warning. ]
Edited (kicks the smile away) 2022-10-14 13:13 (UTC)
[it is dangerous, and she knows that, but that's precisely why she'd rather he not deal with this on his own. what if he gets hurt? again, at that? not to mention, she's supposed to be helping him out here. (he never asked her to, but the qixing did, so it's fine.)]
Surely they wouldn't be foolish enough to go too far in... [she sounds a little doubtful when she says that.] They're trying to hide evidence of what they're doing, not risk their own lives. So it stands to reason that we should be alright if we're just following them.
[she glances at him.]
...besides, we already know what to be on guard for. It will be fine.
[ even though these people are trying to frame him, at the end of the day they're still human so xiao will have to make sure they don't get murdered in here.
he doesn't quite sigh, but there's a sharp intake through his nose as he accept this without further fuss. again, he knew that she was going to say no, but he still had to say something anyway. ]
... then we should move. But if it gets too much, you're leaving.
[it's not an agreement! but it's not an outright disagreement, either, which is probably the best either of them can hope for at this point. they are both stubborn people, but it's fine.
into the chasm they go. it is probably a lot easier for them to move safely than it is for the fatui - they're not moving in a large group or carrying a bunch of crap along with them - so that gives them plenty of opportunity to observe what's going on as they head in there.
what surprises yanfei is how easily the fatui are able to avoid the people stationed around the chasm. it's almost like they know exactly where the millelith and the miners are stationed. her brow furrows a little.]
...how do they know?
[who is leaking information to the fatui, what the fuck.]
someone with a little more tact might figure out another way to phrase this. xiao, instead, just blurts out the first thought that comes to his head. ]
There seems to be a mole.
[ he figures this won't go well back over in liyue, considering just how overprotective they all are over the chasm-- it's one of the worst places to have a traitor stationed-- or maybe it was someone who was always loyal to the fatui in the first place?
this might go a little deeper than they initially thought. ]
That may be more trouble later for you if not dealt with.
It will be more trouble for them once I get to the bottom of this.
[she's smiling, but she speaks in a way that makes it abundantly clear that whoever the mole is will be punished to the Fullest Extent of the Law.
...one the time is right, though. she'll need to gather information to determine the mole's identity, and while it's likely that will come naturally as they're investigating what the fatui are up to and why they tried to frame xiao of all people so they could get away with it, the priority right at this moment is to gather proof of the fatui's plans while preventing any meaningless deaths.]
The ease with which the Fatui interfere with Liyue's affairs is— [she cuts herself off as some of the fatui vanish through a previously-hidden entrance into the chasm.] ...oh, dear. I suppose we'll have to go that way as well, or we'll lose sight of them.
[ why are there so many secret chasm entrances. xiao makes a mental note to do another search of this place once this is over, because this is starting to get ridiculous. he doesn't voice the thought because yanfei may volunteer to come with him.
sometimes you are trapped with someone for a relatively short amount of time but you leave knowing what they're like very well. ]
Follow me. Do not make any noise.
[ too many rocks to accidentally kick.
but he will swiftly move forward, keeping sure to tuck by the shadows to remain unseen. at the very least, the fatui are still completely unaware there is anyone else in here, so they aren't as alert as they could be. it's not too difficult to follow along as long as they don't fuck it up somehow ]
luckily for them, it's much easier for two people to be stealthy than it is for a company of fatui to be. xiao and yanfei are light on their feet, but even if their footsteps do occasionally make noise, the fatui seem to be assuming that it's coming from someone else among their number.
small mercies, though if push comes to shove later that's going to work against them.
the path the fatui take through the chasm is long and winding. yanfei can't help but wonder why they're going to such trouble - just what are they so intent on hiding? - but eventually, their leader motions for them to stop, then beckons some members of the group to shift around some heavy-looking rocks.
...which were covering a cavern entrance. yanfei purses her lips as the fatui start to enter it.
it's a much smaller space. going undetected there would be much easier said than done, and she looks to xiao to see what he's thinking as the fatui vanish into it one by one.]
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no subject
he had highly considered simply leaving when the accusations were first thrown at him. after all, mortal affairs do not mean much to him, and it's not like any of these humans have real power over him. he has many other things to do, and waiting on... whatever it is that plan on doing is just a waste.
the only thing that kept him where he is, is that yelan had dropped by for a moment and mentioned the traveler's name before leaving. it was enough to put xiao on ""good"" behavior to not cause his friend any potential trouble.
still, he does not cooperate with anyone, and instead just stands in a corner. it isn't until he hear yanfei's familiar voice that he actually looks up. ]
You tell me.
no subject
it's too bad the fatui aren't on good behavior. xiao was obviously speaking to yanfei, but before she can get a word in edgewise, the fatui start up with their accusations again - he just came out of nowhere and killed a bunch of our men! i don't care who he is, no one is allowed to do that! in snezhnaya, we call that murder! he should be turned over to us immediately and sent to snezhnaya for prosecution!
yanfei, inwardly, thinks and in liyue, we call this lying, followed shortly by turning him over to you sounds like a really easy way to get you beaten up, but waits them out to see if their complaints will wind down.
they do not. and the millelith soldiers begin arguing back with them. it's getting louder and louder here, and she shoots xiao a sympathetic look before clapping her hands together to get the attention of the soldiers and the diplomats.]
Now, now. I understand that this is a very serious matter. [murder is a serious accusation, after all, even if it's utterly ridiculous to imagine that it actually happened the way the fatui are claiming, if indeed it happened at all.] However, Liyue does have its own laws, as I'm sure you're aware. The law requires a thorough investigation before we can do any such thing.
[we did investigate! the diplomat protests. that's how we know it was him!]
A thorough investigation led by a party uninvolved in the situation. As the complainant, you're bound to have a great many insights, but you're too close to the situation to meet the standards set by the law. So, I'll be taking charge of the investigation myself.
[the diplomat opens his mouth as if to argue - she's from liyue, so she's bound to be biased - but then pauses. yanfei's reputation is rock-solid; she's never let biases get in the way of her work before. at least, not to as far as anyone knows.]
Now, I'm going to need you to provide me with a little more information...
[what ensues is an interrogation - but not an interrogation of xiao, as the fatui had intended, but an interrogation of the fatui as to every inch of their accusations. by the time it's done, yanfei's heard the story inside and out, and there are many details that simply don't add up.
so! one thing leads to another, and she's off to investigate the location where they're claiming the murder happened, xiao in tow. (he's a suspect, you can't just take him out of here! the fatui had protested, only for yanfei to point out that making sure the evidence at the scene actually matched the suspect is a vital part of the investigation.)
once they're out of there without the fatui breathing down their necks, yanfei sighs and looks over at him.]
They're clearly up to something, if they want you out of the way. What a mess!
no subject
[ that was, actually, the first (and honestly, only) thing he had said to them once the accusations started to be thrown around. he probably doesn't need to say it to her, but if this is going to be some sort of an investigation, he should give his side of the story.
his side is very short. it's the only thing worth saying for his own defense.
however, for everything else... ]
I noticed there was some sort of disturbance near some ruins, but when I got there, everything was cleared out. I ran into them after I left.
[ and his life had not known peace since that moment. ]
... we should visit the ruins as well after. There's likely to be something there that I missed.
no subject
Hmm... actually, we may want to visit the ruins first and foremost. If your encounter with them there was the catalyst for these accusations, there was likely something going on there that they want covered up.
[she can just imagine it, really. if xiao hadn't been a vision wielder, they probably would have tried to kill him then and there, or had some sort of "accident" befall him on the way back to wangshu inn or some such thing. if he was a normal human, he could have been added to the ranks of those who disappeared after getting on the fatui's bad side.
but he's not, and so silencing him through their usual methods wouldn't have worked. hence the accusation.]
I imagine they were hoping to remove all traces of what was going on there while you were entangled in all of that nonsense. Let's not give them the opportunity.
no subject
I'll take you.
[ again, simple and to the point.
... life is easier when he can just basically teleport, but they can go the long way. that's probably better, he supposes, in case there's anything along the way. he does not voice these thoughts and will just start heading in the right direction without any other word. ]
no subject
yanfei follows him when he leads the way to the ruins, and - since he's quiet, and she's already said what she has to say, and in theory it'll take some time to actually walk there (although come to think of it the existence of portable waypoints as an item that the traveler can get a blueprint for and then make at the crafting table implies that they do, in theory, know that the permanent waypoints have teleportation functions that people are able to duplicate which begs the question of wHY EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER INSISTS ON WALKING EVERYWHERE uhhh anyway moving on) -
she opens a book and starts reading through it as they walk! she has the laws of liyue committed to memory, but she's looking through the writings she has on snezhnaya's laws now - particularly as they pertain to situations such as this. she can't imagine that the fatui diplomats are anywhere near as familiar with liyue's laws as she is, so reviewing the laws they would know well might give her a better idea of their mindset and what they might be hoping to accomplish here.
unless it really is just as simple as keeping xiao's mouth shut about whatever he might have seen in the ruins...?]
Hmm...
[somehow, despite the fact that she has her nose in a book, she does not stumble at all while they're walking. she even sidesteps a rock in her path that she probably should have tripped over. it's fine.]
no subject
but after a very long silence, he'll speak. ]
That's the same book you had before.
[ from the chasm.
if she looks up, he's glancing at her now, his head slightly tilted. he is asking her what it is without asking what it is, but it's a little obvious from the curious expression on his face. ]
no subject
It is, yes. You never know when a thorough understanding of the law might come in handy.
[it's a pretty heavy tome to be carrying around, but that's never really bothered her.]
In this case... I'm really not sure what the Fatui we're trying to accomplish here. So, I thought I'd try looking at the law as a Snezhnayan would understand it.
[she tilts the book in his direction so he can take a look at the pages. it's a bunch of writing on snezhnayan legal codes... but hey, at least they're not dealing with the laws in fontaine...]
no subject
he looks at the text for the appropriate amount of time, which is longer than five seconds. ]
They were likely hoping that no one here would be familiar.
[ since they could use their own land's laws as a way to overcomplicate things.
there's a pause. ]
Human affairs are too complicated.
[ this is why he is not here to make friends /kara ]
no subject
[ :)
fools.
maybe if they'd tried this in one of the other nations, they might have gotten away with making an accusation and having someone locked up or put into their custody for however long they wanted. but in liyue? hell no. especially in a case like this, which involves someone she knows, yanfei is not going to let things just play out without carefully examining every single side of it.
she looks down at the book again, and then makes a small noise.]
Aha. So in Snezhnaya, suspects in cases like this are held for a minimum of seven days while their investigators verify the claims that are being made. But they didn't seem to be doing much verifying, did they? Most likely, they needed seven days to wipe away any trace of what they were actually up to. Which means we have seven days to find it all.
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but he just nods. this kind of stuff really is beyond him, and he can't help but think about how humans really have made things as complicated for themselves as possible. it's not his place to judge if that's a good thing or not, but he does briefly wonder if this is what rex lapis and the other archons had in mind all those years ago.
well, probably not. the other thing humans are good at is being kind of unpredictable. ]
What do you think it could be?
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When it comes to the Fatui, there are almost too many possibilities, and all of them are unpleasant.
[it's important for a legal advisor to not have biases in their work, but like many of the people in liyue, yanfei doesn't exactly think well of them. in most cases, she can set that aside and look objectively at the facts (which, 99.9999% of the time, prove that the fatui are, in fact, shady little shits), but in this particular case they've crossed the line.]
Was there anything notable about their behavior when you encountered them near the ruins?
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[ he's an adeptus who is known for his fighting, it is not that unusual that certain people would prefer to avoid him. ]
... but after the initial shock, now that I think about it, while they were engaging it seemed like they were trying to lure me away from where I came from.
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[that being the case - they know exactly where to start. yanfei hums.]
They've probably got someone standing guard, if whatever is in there is worth trying to silence you over. We could probably knock them out, but that might tip our hands once they reported back to their superiors. We may have to sneak in.
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xiao just stares. ]
Sneak in.
[ he just
goes into places ]
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[a beat.]
Many of us don't have other options.
[it would be nice if she could just poof into places.........]
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[ he just
says this like it's their fault ]
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[he should just pick her up like a sack of potatoes and teleport. god i wish they could just use the teleport waypoints. shakes fist at them for not being the traveler.]
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Perhaps with some training...
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Hmm, do you think so? [she is half illuminated beast, so maybe it could work?] Although we're working on a time limit, so I guess training wouldn't help us right this second...
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[ xiao's character development is that he is offering to do this in the first place
but after a moment, he pauses. ]
That building, over there.
[ from the outside, it looks like a simple, rundown shack. ]
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however, she's immediately distracted by his pointing out the building, and she goes quiet as she observes it. it does look like a simple, rundown shack - but looks can be deceiving.
the question is, are there any fatui inside of it...?]
Hmm. Doesn't look like there's many ways into that one...
[it's pretty quiet, though. it might just be unguarded.
it's probably further into the ruins that does have some sort of a fatui presence - posting guards out here, or even in the shack, would just attract the attention of the millelith, and also the traveler, which is likely the last thing the fatui wants.]
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[ in other words, they might as well just go through the front door.
xiao gives the area one look over before simply walking to the building without further comment. he puts a hand against the wooden door and gives it a push. there's a loud creak before the door slowly opens, revealing a cramped space. however, if they look closely, it does seem like a lot of the furniture inside has been recently moved around. suspicious. ]
Here.
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luckily, the room itself does not have any fatui agents lounging about within it, so they're not in for an immediate fight. yanfei hums to herself as she observes the placement of the furniture and the markings on the floor, taking note of what must have been moved in which direction to make those marks.]
Let's see here...
[time to shuffle some things around! she'll keep her eye out for anything noteworthy other than the moved furniture, but although her impression of the fatui isn't exactly good, she doesn't think they'd be foolish enough to leave anything truly incriminating out where someone could find it just by wandering into the building.
anything incriminating is more likely to be elsewhere.
there's a well-hidden doorway behind a shelf, which they should be able to pull back into place to cover their tracks once they go through. she rests her hand on the door and glances to xiao, then pushes it open slowly, careful not to allow it to make any creaking sound.
there's a much smaller room back here with nothing in it but a trapdoor leading underground.]
Aha... I wonder what they're hiding down there.
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xiao will walk over silently, before reaching down to pull the trapdoor open. it's jammed, but it seems like it's because it's meant to be hard to open instead of because of non-use. but xiao isn't an ordinary person, so he manages it. ]
If anything is dangerous, leave. Let me handle it.
[ saying this has never once worked, but he has to say it anyway. ]
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[nothing could be more dangerous than what they faced in the chasm! and they got out of that ... mostly fine. ergo, unless the fatui are somehow more dangerous than all of that nonsense, she's not going to leave him behind.
xiao opens the trapdoor, and yanfei hops down there. the passageway is spacious, but also, it's a fairly long drop? she could just use the ladder on the side, which is undoubtedly how the fatui get up and down from this thing, but ain't nobody got time for that. so she deploys her wind glider and just floats down.]
It's quite a drop - be careful coming down!
[once she lands, she looks around.
it's dark down here. there are some torches flickering along the walls, but they're in short supply; there's just enough light that they aren't stuck in pitch darkness, but the shadows are long, and they'll need to be on their guard.
for now, there's only one way to go, and that's forward. so she'll head on once he gets down too.]
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... hm.
[ hmm.
at least the torches give them some kind of idea that this is still in use. if no one's been using the passage, the fire would have gone out by now so that's a good sign that they're on the right track.
everything is quiet as they walk, almost a little too quiet-- it's enough that some doubt might start to be cast some doubt if there is anyone currently there. but after a bit of walking, they'll hear what seems to be a clanking noise. ]
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yanfei narrows her eyes as they come within hearing distance of the clanking noise, and although she was already moving cautiously and quietly, she's doubly careful about her footsteps for now. though perhaps she doesn't need to be - the sound of the clanking is likely to mask their approach.
luckily, there is a conveniently placed rock formation that will allow them to peek around it and see what's going on without being seen.
...there are so many fatui grunts here. they appear to be dismantling some sort of machine. a harried-looking agent is barking orders left and right.
"Hurry it up! We have to get this out of here before they send someone to investigate it! We've bought a little time, but anyone delaying us will be reporting to Lord Pantalone himself!"
yanfei wrinkles her nose.]
I knew it.
[SHE KNEW ACCUSING XIAO OF MURDER WAS JUST THEM STALLING FOR TIME!!]
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but as they're human, he wait for yanfei to make the call on how to handle it. ]
What do we do?
[ wait so that they can get more information? fight them? he isn't entirely sure how one would proceed from a legal standpoint, or if they even need to deal with that if it turns out they're up to no good...
well, they're going to have to decide quickly, since the fatui are going to end up having to go in their direction to transport whatever it is. they'll likely just have a few minutes at most. ]
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[they need evidence. luckily, they came here for evidence, so she's prepared; she has a kamera among her belongings. a few quick snaps, and they've got indisputable proof that the fatui are up to something shady around here. if only they could have recorded that agent barking out orders...]
This is proof that they're up to something, but it's not proof of what. I'd like this to be so airtight that they can't wriggle out of it...
[she hums, but like, quietly, and gestures for him to step back from the rock with her.]
Let's see where they end up taking this to. They're bound to let down their guard once they think they've gotten away with it.
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but. it would probably make things difficult for liyue if he did that. ]
Fine.
[ he'll do what she says. time to get out of the way so they don't get caught. ]
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it's time to teach them to.
anyway, they get out of sight and follow the fatui from a careful distance. they're able to hear some of the discussion - or rather, the orders that are being barked out - and it soon becomes apparent that they are heading to (spins wheel, pulls up list randomizer) ...............the chasm, what the fuck.
yanfei frowns.]
Oh, dear.
[WHY DO THEY HAVE TO GO BACK DOWN THERE. perhaps they can simply abandon the fatui to die. (no.)]
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once it becomes obvious that is definitely where they are going, xiao takes a moment to consider the options. he glances over at yanfei, and while he has a feeling he knows what the response is going to be, he has to say it anyway. ]
It's too dangerous. You should stay behind.
[ maybe, for once, someone will take the suggestion and listen.
he know that won't be the case here, but he wouldn't be a yaksha if he didn't give the warning. ]
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I would prefer not to.
[it is dangerous, and she knows that, but that's precisely why she'd rather he not deal with this on his own. what if he gets hurt? again, at that? not to mention, she's supposed to be helping him out here. (he never asked her to, but the qixing did, so it's fine.)]
Surely they wouldn't be foolish enough to go too far in... [she sounds a little doubtful when she says that.] They're trying to hide evidence of what they're doing, not risk their own lives. So it stands to reason that we should be alright if we're just following them.
[she glances at him.]
...besides, we already know what to be on guard for. It will be fine.
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he doesn't quite sigh, but there's a sharp intake through his nose as he accept this without further fuss. again, he knew that she was going to say no, but he still had to say something anyway. ]
... then we should move. But if it gets too much, you're leaving.
[ whether she wants to or not. ]
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[it's not an agreement! but it's not an outright disagreement, either, which is probably the best either of them can hope for at this point. they are both stubborn people, but it's fine.
into the chasm they go. it is probably a lot easier for them to move safely than it is for the fatui - they're not moving in a large group or carrying a bunch of crap along with them - so that gives them plenty of opportunity to observe what's going on as they head in there.
what surprises yanfei is how easily the fatui are able to avoid the people stationed around the chasm. it's almost like they know exactly where the millelith and the miners are stationed. her brow furrows a little.]
...how do they know?
[who is leaking information to the fatui, what the fuck.]
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someone with a little more tact might figure out another way to phrase this. xiao, instead, just blurts out the first thought that comes to his head. ]
There seems to be a mole.
[ he figures this won't go well back over in liyue, considering just how overprotective they all are over the chasm-- it's one of the worst places to have a traitor stationed-- or maybe it was someone who was always loyal to the fatui in the first place?
this might go a little deeper than they initially thought. ]
That may be more trouble later for you if not dealt with.
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[she's smiling, but she speaks in a way that makes it abundantly clear that whoever the mole is will be punished to the Fullest Extent of the Law.
...one the time is right, though. she'll need to gather information to determine the mole's identity, and while it's likely that will come naturally as they're investigating what the fatui are up to and why they tried to frame xiao of all people so they could get away with it, the priority right at this moment is to gather proof of the fatui's plans while preventing any meaningless deaths.]
The ease with which the Fatui interfere with Liyue's affairs is— [she cuts herself off as some of the fatui vanish through a previously-hidden entrance into the chasm.] ...oh, dear. I suppose we'll have to go that way as well, or we'll lose sight of them.
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sometimes you are trapped with someone for a relatively short amount of time but you leave knowing what they're like very well. ]
Follow me. Do not make any noise.
[ too many rocks to accidentally kick.
but he will swiftly move forward, keeping sure to tuck by the shadows to remain unseen. at the very least, the fatui are still completely unaware there is anyone else in here, so they aren't as alert as they could be. it's not too difficult to follow along as long as they don't fuck it up somehow ]
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luckily for them, it's much easier for two people to be stealthy than it is for a company of fatui to be. xiao and yanfei are light on their feet, but even if their footsteps do occasionally make noise, the fatui seem to be assuming that it's coming from someone else among their number.
small mercies, though if push comes to shove later that's going to work against them.
the path the fatui take through the chasm is long and winding. yanfei can't help but wonder why they're going to such trouble - just what are they so intent on hiding? - but eventually, their leader motions for them to stop, then beckons some members of the group to shift around some heavy-looking rocks.
...which were covering a cavern entrance. yanfei purses her lips as the fatui start to enter it.
it's a much smaller space. going undetected there would be much easier said than done, and she looks to xiao to see what he's thinking as the fatui vanish into it one by one.]