audio | un: xianxian of yunmeng jiang

[weifinder]

Bear!? Bear! There was a bear in the bath!

( So comes this startled and startling shout, as elsewhere in camp, Wei Wuxian is (unfortunately) streaking past in damp, confused glory, a bear of arctic composure lumbering after him, soap bar still in mouth. Come back! He was just handing the soap over, he wanted to help! )

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[weifinder]

( Animals, unlike people, are much more up front about wanting to literally devour you. People mostly aren't into cannibalism. #thesmallthings

He shifts his hold so the second blanket also gets clutched, hunching his back to not be baring himself more than a sliver when regathering the points in front of him. The jab at his shoulder is felt, and not dodged, though his stumble back has much to do with being tired and all the mud around. )

What do you mean, what happened between us?

( Nope, sorry, he forgot the body convo, too much bear and other things in the meantime. )

[consignation]

[ Bold words for a man who was eaten alive by his own zombies in one of the adaptations, I forget which.

Jiang Cheng immediately begins to turn red and sputter as he's faced with having to put his questions/accusations into words. ]

Wei Wuxian! Don't play stupid— Lady Wen! The— You—

[weifinder]

( Hey if they're zombies are they really practising cannibalism, asking for the novel--

A blank look, before it rises from the waters of his mind and he says: )

She's a doctor, when hasn't she seen a great deal of either of us?

[consignation]

[ ...well, at least you dodged one bullet. Now you just have to stop your baby brother from promptly throwing himself off a cliff. ]

................................no.

You didn't—

W— [ He chokes, makes several more false starts, and then valiantly tries again. ]

Wei Wuxian! You're not saying— She—

[ His breaths come quicker, more shallow. He takes a half step back. ]

How— How much of me did she see?! Why didn't you just let them kill me—

[ Is this why she rejected his advances? Of course it is, in addition to all the other reasons he's a horrible match. She's already seen everything and finds him wanting.

It's all so clear now.

He's going to feed himself to the bear promptly. ]

[weifinder]

( He'd throw his hands up to calm Jiang Cheng down, but they're currently clutching blankets in place. )

Hey! Slow down there! Jiang Cheng, there's nothing untoward—hahaha, what are you even imagining? You do know, it wasn't just her, shijie and I were taking care of you too, ah? Who do you think handled the worst of it.

( A crooked smile; he means himself, but uh. Later... )

Jiang Cheng, I want to talk to you about... things from back then, but for the sake of what's happening right now, that's probably better in Taravast.

[consignation]

That goes without saying! It's Lady Wen! [ Jiang Cheng snaps this, huffing. He means about it being nothing untoward, of course not! However, that does not mean she didn't see him naked. And Wei Wuxian— Wei Wuxian having seen him being naked doesn't count, that's just part of growing up together. And he's not going to think about Yanli having seen him naked. He knows for a fact she did, probably often, but he's blocked it out and he doesn't want to think about it. Is he not traumatized enough, Wei Wuxian?! ]

What more could you possibly tell me?? Does it get worse? Why would it be 'better in Taravast'?!

What are you hiding?!

[weifinder]

( Having whispered to himself (or muttered, really), instead of telling out of nowhere: GOLDEN CORE SURGERY, which would be on brand for how his life goes, he instead comes out with a truly surprised: )

You proposed to Lady Wen?

[consignation]

[ Every fiber of Jiang Cheng's being, every thought, every sensation, every single biological process, comes screeching to a halt. ]

I what?!

[weifinder]

You gave her a comb?!

( He doesn't sound disbelieving--he has every indication of being thunderstruck. The woman just said it in his metaphorical and literal ear, with the dryness of the way she could say anything.

But what comes to him with that is: how much. How much else has Jiang Cheng been carrying alone on those broad enough, overtense shoulders of his? All these years? )

[consignation]

[ Long silence. ]

....yes??? And she gave it back. Why are you bringing this up?!

[ And rubbing in one of the more painful memories of his life??? They're pretty much all painful memories that Jiang Cheng has of his life at this point, but like. Wen Qing giving the comb back before, you know, dying horribly an undefined amount of time later is like. Top ten at least. ]

[weifinder]

... When?

( He points to his ear, and let us recall this meant he ran buck naked around with a crystal on a string around his neck. (One did require translation, even when bathing, in case not-a-bear comes up to jump you.) )

She didn't tell me that part, just the first.

[consignation]

A lifetime ago! What does it matter now?!