Flower In The Rocks

☆ A Deal Is A Deal ☆

"I believe our agreement was I was getting a piece of power from you," Morax stared the hooded woman down.

This woman was Zhāodài¹; one of the many humans of the village Morax watched over. She was a woman of great power, and held all of her deals through contracts that she kept on hand.

From granting a fellow village member riches beyond comparison, to helping an old woman reverse her own age; Zhāodài has more than shown her abilities.

Although, looking at the moving bundle she was holding, perhaps he should've listened to the fact that she may not bring the exact thing he wanted in such a deal.

After all, the old woman had been reversed to a child with no memories, and the now rich man was rich in ink.

The hood of the woman stayed on while she leaned back in a laugh, "Oh! Morax, you blind archon. This is a source of power! Well- they could be."

With the same grin plastered on her face, she held out the bundle to the god, "You paid me in the Core Lapis I wanted, I'm giving you something with power. It's a win-win."

Morax could only watch the bundle shift in anticipation, and he gently took it out of the woman's hands to look closer.

In his mind, he tried convincing himself that perhaps she had just made a statue with the Core Lapis provided. A small hand outstretched from the bundle, and two golden eyes reflected his.

"You seem lonely man," Zhāodài let out a hearty laugh like a hyena, "So I made something to try and help you come out of that bedrock shell you hide inside of!"

"And- you made a child? How did you even accomplish that?" Morax turned to the woman, who responded with a shrug.

"It wasn't exactly on purpose making them, but I think it works better than my original idea," She smiled, "I think you deserve some sweetness on your life, like berries!"

Morax fell silent. Did he really seem that pathetic on the surface?

The babbling of the baby in his arms pulled him out of his thoughts. He put his hand out, and the baby grabbed onto one of his fingers.

"If you don't want them, I'll gladly take them back," Zhāodài put her arms out, "It was a stupid idea anyways-"

"No, I..." It came a surprise to himself and the woman when he was so quick to refuse, "I think I'll keep them. Do they have a name?"

"Good question," A misty scroll of a contract appeared in front of her with the flick of a wrist, "I didn't think it was my place to name them."

"So, I'm putting that in your hands," She looked at the archon, "Shouldn't be too hard; you do have a high title."

Morax had a soft smile on his face now, as he brought up the child to look him in his face.

"I think I'll call them Y/n."

"Y/n? Isn't that a bit of a weird name compared to yours? Oh! You could always name them Zian-!" The woman suggested, only to met with a rock hard stare, "Okay, okay. I'll write it as Y/n."

"Write it? Oh right," In his excitement, he had forgotten that Y/n originated from a deal.

"Mhm! If I don't write it down, it might not last past my life time," Zhāodài let out a dramatic sigh, before smiling, "I am human at the end of the day. Unlike you and Y/n."

"However, when that day comes, I do have someone that will continue helping you," She smiled, before quickly turning on her heel, "I, of course, can't tell you!"

"What-? You can't just say you'll send someone to help and then not tell me!" Morax called after the fading figure.

It was definitely strange to be standing alone with a baby, especially one that was now considered his.

Y/n let out a tiny yawn, before resting their head against his shoulder.

He couldn't help but smile at the action, turning to leave in a different direction than the one Zhāodài took.

He was now a father of a child of rock.

A strange title, he noted, but one he would wear with pride.

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Hey hey!

If you're here, you're either wanting Father Figure Zhongli content, or wanted to see what I could write after my Baal kid story.

And if it's both or neither, welcome to the journey!
You can expect OCs, noncanon events, and a little bit of wallet mentions.
Also! If I accidentally make something that can serve as a trigger, please let me know! I do reach on what I can, but the internet can only tell you so much.

¹Zhāodài is written as "招待". 招 means trick in this context, and 待 means treat. All of Zhāodài's contracts have both a 'treat'(the original deal) and a 'trick'(the hidden costs), hence her name.

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