say my name with a the

Hu Tao’s world didn’t exactly shatter at the revelation, much like Liyue would stumble yet find its own identity without their beloved archon. She had already figured him out, and the only reason for not confronting the man was, well. Not only his privacy but nature by which he chose to appear in the city. Morax could be a god, but Zhongli wasn’t. He was a man, destined to die one day, to vanish from Teyvatt, to be remembered. And Hu Tao respected his effort to become a mortal man. If someone asked her, which no one dared to, but she was open about it nonetheless, Morax’s death was a great thing. The cycle of life and death continued, and Hu Tao was delighted to be a small part of it, preparing for his passing ceremony. She didn’t see Zhongli as Morax himself, but as a relative of sorts, those who usually honor their late loved ones. In that regard, she was glad to be at his side during the turmoil Liyue had gone through. Fatui’s involvement, on the other hand, was not exactly unexpected, nor was it of any concern to Hu Tao. She never involved herself in politics, leaving that to Ninnguang or Keqing, since that had nothing to do with death. Whatever happened just happened, and Hu Tao would do her job no matter the direction their nations took. She promptly exited the bank once they were gone and went to her favorite spot on the outskirts of Liyue. A small space near the waterfall, it provided a perfect white noise for her amusement and allowed some experimentation with her vision that would not end as catastrophically as one of Xinyan’s concerts. Hu Tao stopped abruptly, closing her eyes and listening to the sound of wind barely audible with the waterfall crushing beneath her feet. Oh, she was being followed. Now that’s fun. Should she acknowledge that other person’s presence? Nah. That’d be a bother. Hu Tao hummed to herself carelessly, tilting her head left and right, finding the right tune for one of her latest works. The sound of footsteps, previously carefully hidden, was now apparent and ever close. Hu Tao didn’t look back until the very last moment when it was obvious someone was attacking her. With a little smile, she let one of the wandering spirits of this place, Shaky, take the cryo catalyst shot. It dispersed in the air, earning an amused chuckle from the other woman. It was that same woman Zhongli was talking to, one of the Fatui harbingers. Oh, that’s even more fun. “I see you walking home alone, your face is alive and bright,” Signora hummed, approaching Hu Tao with her arms crossed and her head slightly tilted, “but you can’t see how weak you are, 'cuz I could end it tonight.” “O-ya?” Hu Tao flashed her a grin. “Nice verse, lady.” She proceeded to raise her eyebrows mischievously as if she were an old man in a desperate attempt to flirt. “Allow me to tip my hat,” which she did. “So you do enjoy poetry,” Signora’s smile faded with an irritated huff. She stopped, a few feet separating them. Enough for a catalyst attack, yet exactly short of her spear range. Nice. “It is an honor, the obnoxious child of Wangsheng.” Her voice reeked with sarcasm, yet Hu Tao bowed theatrically, not phased in the slightest. That could provoke another attack, but she did not care. Seeing how the woman decided to start a conversation, they’d at least established that Hu Tao could deflect a simple missile. A full-blown fight could be a little too much for Signora’s night stroll, she gathered. “Why, thank you, lady! To whom do I owe such a pleasure?” “La Signora,” she said like her name was exactly the thing to say when a person bowed at you. “Shouldn’t you know that already, child?” “You might be mistaking me for someone,” Hu Tao smirked, “my name’s not Childe. It’s Hu Tao.” Signora’s brows descended just enough for the air to suddenly become a bit chill. “Fascinating. I see where Zhongli was coming from when he depicted you as such,” she repeated, “an obnoxious child. And a naughty one, aren’t you?” She began walking forward, while Hu Tao crossed her arms proudly with the same grin she wore all the time. Her body tensed, sure, and she was ready to jump away or give the lady a fiery piece of her mind at any moment. Other than that, sure. Calling her obnoxious wasn’t a ground-breaking revelation, not that Hu Tao cared. She had her own life, and remarks like that were just words that’d disappear in the air like the morning dew. Only Ninnguang had a hefty price on her words, after all. “Calling me a child might be appropriate if you’re over thirty, I guess.” Signora let out a strained laugh that seemed genuine for a second before it faded into scorn. Oh, a proud one? People didn’t wear revealing dresses like that if they weren’t concerned with their looks. For Hu Tao preserving natural beauty wasn’t at the top of her priorities. She’d die and decay. Or, rather, she’d turn to ashes. Poetry and music, art in general would never die, as they are timeless. And her body wasn’t. Even Morax’s wasn’t, as it turned out. “That tongue of yours, while sharp, might better look in a pile of my trophies,” Signora said, again, stopping mere moments before the girl. Hu Tao frowned for a second, then shrugged. “If you own a butchery, yeah?” The chuckle this time was genuine to the end, just as it was cruel and promising. “I wouldn’t call myself a butcher, but the result sometimes is nearly identical.” Was that supposed to scare her? Ah, people were truly weird with their fear of death. “If you aren’t a butcher, that sucks,” Hu Tao said with a fair share of fake concern. “Imagine if my job didn’t turn out as it’s advertised. Whoever you are, lady, I don’t suppose they pay you for bringing fresh tongues. And if they do, you are a butcher, so congratulations! You can be a part of Liyue’s economy, everyone’s favorite.” In the middle of her speech, Signora closed the distance finally and grabbed Hu Tao by her neck. It didn’t stop her from finishing somewhat hoarsely. Shaky, who was still hanging around, mind you, playfully burned Signora’s hand. She pulled away with a hiss, staring at the newly acquired hole in her black glove. “I’m surprised by your wits, child,” she narrowed her eyes. “Must get lonely in that parlor of yours.” “Not really,” Hu Tao scratched the back of her head. “I don’t have a crowd, unless it’s a war, in which case, yikes,” she grinned, “but I’m fairly social.” “I see. You do remind me of Childe,” that didn’t sound like a compliment. “You two would get along,” Signora all but spitted. “Which child are we talking about again? And if you bring me his corpse, yeah, we can find some common grounds.” “I think I will,” Signora smiled with all the poison in the world. “Alas, he seems to be sticking around for a bit longer.” Her posture changed, and she was now towering above Hu Tao with a malicious glare. “In any case, little girl, I don’t have much time left in the city, so let’s get this over with.” “That’s what she sa--” Something was gloving under her mask, which Hu Tao assumed was her vision. It didn’t take her long to understand which one, since the gloveless hand gripping her chin was freezing her jaw. “Eavesdropping is bad, you naughty girl,” Signora said leaning decidedly close. Hu Tao was almost getting the wrong idea here. “You need to face the consequences of your actions.” Shaky would try to help again, but the air around them got so chill that with a faint moan he ducked under the waterfall. Hu Tao narrowed her eyes. “Your face is pretty close alright,” she managed to utter, straining her muscles. In the next second, there was a small explosion of glowing fiery butterflies. The chill air, following the release of heat, stabilized at a neutral temperature point. Hu Tao lunged forward, her blood boiling quite literally, revealing her spear. Signora’s eyes widened for a second before she sidestepped the attack with a smirk. As they danced around amidst the butterflies, Hu Tao and Signora were both smiling, and it didn’t look like anyone had the edge in that conversation. Not before Hu Tao ran out of steam, falling on her knees after missing an icicle that almost slid her throat. The spear dissipated, and Hu Tao found herself frozen to the ground beginning with her legs and below. It was a peculiar feeling, one she wasn’t used to, only ever covering herself in flames. “Now, will you finally stand still for a moment?” Signora asked triumphantly as she lowered to Hu Tao, taking her chin with her cold hand again. “You know who I am by now, and you know it’s futile to put up a fight. Zhongli described you as a fairly bright child if overly obnoxious, so show me some intelligence of yours.” Even if it was beyond hard to speak with that hand on her jaw, Hu Tao was still grinning. “Ah, he’s too kind. I’ve failed one of my exams 'cuz I overslept.” Slap. Signora was staring her down with a raised eyebrow, while Hu Tao wanted to rub her cheek which probably had a glowing handprint at that point. “Ouch.” “Is that enough of a hint?” Signora asked with amusement, continuing to clench Hu Tao’s jaw. “Well, lady,” she muttered, “I’m not a cat, but even then, you’re rubbing me the wrong way.” After another slap, Hu Tao’s head went spinning as she was counting seconds internally until her flames would return. And it was past that time already. Would she miss out on all this fun though? Nah. “Do you not value your life at all?” Signora continued her interrogation routine. “I can kill you on the spot since our contract with Zhongli is fulfilled and any obligations don’t stretch past that.” Oh, so he asked Fatui to leave Hu Tao alone. That was nice of him? “Why would I?” Hu Tao replied honestly, looking in the one eye of the woman. “Life is life, death is death, simple as that.” Signora’s eyebrows would continue to rise beyond the point that felt appropriate for her stern face. “There’s nothing after death, little girl. All your little poetry will be all but forgotten, no one to manage your parlor, no control over what happens in this world and what doesn’t.” The way she accentuated the word 'control' let Hu Tao assume she had some issues with it. “Are you content with that?” “Forgotten?” Hu Tao exclaimed, almost offended. “I beg to differ, lady, it’s published!” Her eyes turned serious for a moment as her smile faded. “And yeah, there’s nothing after death. That’s the point. What’s yours?” Signora paused. For the first time during their little talk, it looked like she had nothing to counter with. In Hu Tao’s experience, only Zhongli managed to hold on for longer. “You are a peculiar child, Hu Tao,” her fingers moved to Hu Tao’s neck, and the grip grew even stronger. “It’s almost a shame to let you die. You seem to be moving in that direction already and quite enjoying yourself.” “…that’s… the Hu Tao for you…” she smirked, straining her voice. “Yeah,” Signora whispered, as if confirming something to herself, “I think I like you enough to not leave without a present.” She pressed her lips to Hu Tao’s, and if she thought her body was getting cold before, now it was almost quadruple cold. Or was there a better word for that? Hu Tao’s mind seemed to slow down as well, and she, despite herself, struggled to find an answer. The answer that came was the kiss she returned, for no other reason than continuing the cycle. That was Hu Tao’s essence, after all. “If you do seek death, little girl,” Signora said, leaving Hu Tao to thaw out, “come and see me. I assure you, the journey will be worth it,” she finished in a hissing whisper. Hu Tao wouldn’t immediately book a ship to Snezhnaya, of course, but she was strongly considering it. She couldn’t reply to the woman with her lips frozen at that time, so the deep-seated urge to continue the cycle was still there. And that would keep Hu Tao awake at night for more hours than she would remember.