[handmaiden of unsheathed swords] voice posted:

[darkeststars]

This is Darth Imperius.

Anyone interested in discussing our newfound options in person... [ or more importantly, away from prying ears on the quartz ] ...may find me in the parlor this evening. Perhaps it is genuinely time to round up that group meeting several of us keep threatening.

Comments

[darkeststars]

Then I'd be quite gratified to hear your thoughts about the matter this evening in person, at your leisure. You have proven to occasionally have a decent head on your shoulders.

[ Occasionally. ]

Will I be seeing you? [ dryly now ] Or perhaps you will be trading places with your friend off the network as you do on it, hm?

HOW ARE YOU DOING A 20+ CHARACTER LOG THO

[downswing]

He is not my instrument.

GOD PERISH THE THOUGHT no that's why the first half was "come see me individually" lmao

[darkeststars]

Just your partner? So I'd gathered, at least.

[ was the Dark Lord just.......... teasing? Naaah, surely not, right. ]

lmfao who asks this kind of question, Archeval

[downswing]

The person who knows me.

[weifinder]

Yeah! Like Lan Zhan says, we're soulmates.

[darkeststars]

[ this is the Dark Lord speaking in the most deeply amused drawl you have heard out of him thus far ]

Soulmates. Noted.

[weifinder]

( nuance is being lost here but it's very much backing up the "one who knows me" so he's just nodding to himself, all is as it should be. )

Mm, though really, Lan Zhan is perfectly capable of finding you on his own!

[darkeststars]

[ another amused drawl ] Yes, but will he?

Not that I blame him. I expect we are mutually less than excited about one another's company. Though your soulmate has certainly proven a man of great conviction and skill, so don't mistake me for complaining.

[ wow, look Wangji he actually did discover some tact after all! Just not for you. ]

[weifinder]

Hey hey, that tone isn't necessary! Anyway, he will if he thinks it's necessary, he's very much like that.

[darkeststars]

You'll forgive me for saying our personalities often find us at odds. But I have nothing against him otherwise. [ and he sounds amused about it too, so that's something, compared to how they talked to each other in their first weeks here -- not that Wuxian would be aware. ]

At any rate, I'll hope to see at least one of you. I don't trust any of the ears that might be listening on the network at this point.

[weifinder]

Oh, no, what forgiveness, everyone does or doesn't get along as they do, just as long as you know there's a lot of good in him, and a big heart, no matter how much he chooses to say!

Either way, of course, of course, I should be seeing you soon. Soonish?

[darkeststars]

Soonish, then. I shall try to round up something better than tea if we have any booze kicking around.

[ or more likely he'll go bother Mingyu about it, but regardless... after that there's a second's pause ]

I trust that your friend would probably stab a man he saw going for my back, regardless of any other feeling he might have about me. And one can hardly ask for more than that.

[downswing]

( THE LONGEST SUFFERING SIGH, JUST FOR ALL OF YOU, EVEN YOU, ARCHE, EVEN YOU. )

You aggravate him.

[weifinder]

... Hahaha, how?

[downswing]

He will misunderstand.

[weifinder]

... In what direction?

[downswing]

Their people have no soulmates.

[weifinder]

So what would the misunderstanding be? If the word becomes meaningless?

someone who has zero knowledge of the cultivation world & only a passing relationship with tact lmao

[darkeststars]

[ he meant it a little less seriously than that, but the specific turn of phrase in that response says an awful lot, even by Lan Wangji's cryptic standards. ]

The one who watches your back, yes. Fair enough.

[ dryly ] I will hope to see one of you, at any rate.

weeping

[downswing]

Not all decisions need come by committee.

[darkeststars]

I completely agree. And who do you elect to decide for all of us, in that case? I imagine you don't want me delivering the Merchant any answers by my own self, hm? [ he sounds dryly amused again. ]

[downswing]

I decide for my conscience.

[darkeststars]

Sadly I can't say that I prefer to elect your conscience to decide for all of us either. At least not solely. So, committee it is.

[downswing]

Hold your committees.

[darkeststars]

[ another low wry drawl ] Why thank you ever so kindly for the permission. Yes, I imagine we will.

And I would be interested to hear your own opinion on the subject, but preferably someplace less open than this.

[ read: he doesn't know how much of this the Merchant can listen in on okay. Or any of the other locals for that matter. The man you trust was six years not among us and all that. ]