A Contract With You

The Invitation

It happened to be a typical, dreary day. The clouds were inexplicably grim and grey, with heavy rain drizzling down onto the rooftop, making a rather annoying pattering noise. The ex-Archon had been working hard at his assigned desk, just to try and earn some cash, in an attempt to pay off some of his debt. Of course, a regular nine-to-five most certainly would not help the poor man fix his credit score, but at least it would improve his reputation: if even only the tiniest bit. As he was scribbling away at his excessive amount of paperwork, Hu Tao suddenly wandered her way in, slamming an envelope in front of Zhongli, before being quick to leave. Glancing up, he looked at it in surprise, raising an eyebrow. Needless to say, he was rather confused at the fact he was receiving mail. Especially within the workplace. Placing his pen down gently, after replacing the cap, he picked up the letter and slid his finger under the seal. And, to no surprise, inside was a piece of paper. Unfolding it with caution, he adjusted the glasses on his nose (which he most certainly didn't need to wear, it was more so a fashion statement) and gave it a quick read through. 

"Dear Zhongli,

I am writing this to invite you to a party tonight at Angel's Share in Mondstadt, at 8:30 pm. Before you refuse, drinks are on me. Yes, free osmanthus wine! And just so you don't refuse to come along, please sign this contract, because we all know how much you like those. Thanks!!

I want free wine. Signed by ________

See you soon! 

- Tartaglia :D"

Taking a deep breath, Zhongli found himself wanting to faceplant the table. "That's not how contracts work.." he sighed, feeling a bit frustrated. After all, with how long Childe had known him, one would have thought he would have learned a few things. "If I go, will I get free wine? Fine. Okay. Sure." He grumbled huffily, having already made up his mind. Picking up his biro once more, he jotted down his signature in the designated slot. Slipping the page back into its envelope, he pressed down the adhesive and shoved it aside for the time being. 

Standing up from his seat, he had decided to let himself go home early. After all, he needed to get changed, or he wouldn't fit in well with the other folk attending. Who needed money anyways? Well, he did need the money, but free wine was his priority at that moment. Lifting his arms in the air, he stretched his body a bit, his joints mildly in pain from sitting down for such an extended period. Once he was done with manoeuvring his limbs to regulate the blood flow, he wandered over towards the door and grasped hold of his messenger bag. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, allowing himself to set off on his journey home. Providing a sincere goodbye to his boss, he shuffled out of the building.

Now that he was out on the very glamorous and astonishing streets of Liyue Harbor, he was ready to make the trek to his house. Ignoring pretty much any person that wandered past him, it didn't take too long for him to arrive at his first destination. It had taken six minutes and thirty-seven seconds, to be precise. Heading through the entrance, he scurried along to his bedroom. Hurriedly sliding open his wardrobe, he was quick to pick out an outfit. As he got dressed in his usual attire. Stepping towards his mirror, he untied his hair. Brushing through it cautiously, being determined to remove the knots, he eventually managed to get it in a silky-smooth state. Now restyling it, he managed to perfect his appearance and was rather pleased with his presentation. Spritzing himself now with some deodorant, he strutted to the door, more than ready for the night out. He was most definitely prepared for his serving of free wine. 

Now that he had completed all of his necessary preparations, he was prepared to head to the tavern. Soon leaving on his journey to Mondstadt, it wasn't long until he had finally arrived at the front door. Making his way into the bustling establishment, he was warmly greeted by those who had already arrived. "What is this? Some sort of ridiculous party?" He scoffed to himself, under his breath. Around him were practically all of the stars of Teyvat.