[Liem absolutely is going to reject a god’s affection, when he’s obviously threatening to give it just to mess with him. Also, while Liem might consider calling Tezcatlipoca’s bluff just to see how far he was actually willing to commit to the bit, part of him is afraid that the god might actually just not have any shame at all. Certainly Quetzalcoatl didn’t seem to. Liem doesn’t want to end up in a situation where he got too bold trying to call a trickster god out and ended up with Tezca being too stubborn to give up on playing the part.]

Lady Rudbeckia has her own strengths.

[He cannot help but recall the frantic stretch of time he’d spent with her in that bizarre carnival, when he had been too frightened to think straight. She had seemed to possess her own kind of strength then, even if it was not strength of body or magical ability.]

Besides, I have no love for conflict. [Only a certain divine representation thereof. Don’t worry about it.] I much prefer negotiation. That is why I serve the patron I do.