audio | un: chengmei

[thesuspense]

Those dead people-- They talk a lot. Always the same talk. [From the sound of it, he finds said talk pretty tedious.] Restless dead. Arha won't shut up. I think his woman is being a-- [The sound cuts out as something that sounds like a paper wrapper is rustled loudly right by the stone] Pissed him off. Someone did. So they talk abo--

[A sudden pause, and then there are some quiet sounds, much like a piece of hard candy would make when pushed into a mouth and moved around by a tongue.]

...it's not sweet.

[This, in fact, is way more alarming news than whatever else he may have been about to tell.]

Why isn't it sweet? What is this useless place?! Why can't I taste?!

[That went from zero to a hundred on the barely interested to intense anger scale, and then the voice starts getting quieter, as if its owner has just up and walked away.]

Daozhang? Daozhang! I need you~ Where is-- Ah, right.

[With that, the voice becomes louder again, evidently having decided this thing might still be useful after all. Together with the stone, he also pick up on his long abandoned train of thought.]

Ah! Right, right, I forgot to say~! They want to kill you. Dunno why. Loooots of blah blah.

Comments

un: wei laozu

[weifinder]

... It would figure that I hear this voice and the first things you're talking about involve murder and sweets.

( That the guy can't taste. Zero empathy from this corner, but ah, grand. )

So, finally, down to this. I won't say welcome, but—hello, you.

un: chengmei

[thesuspense]

Ah, so ready to judge. Are you not too quick to that?

[Not that he is wrong... technically. None of the murder is his though! Yet.]

It's an honour. Who'd have thought that I'd get to meet you again?

[Not him. This dead thing is mostly less convenient than he'd have thought.

Aside from the taste.]

[weifinder]

Yangyang, coming from you, that inclines one toward laughter.

( he claps his hands, however. )

You shouldn't have, but—since you're here, and shishu is, might I offer a sternly worded statement that you be on your non-night hunt in Yi City best behaviour while you're here, ah?

( Hyperreactive murderers are not what we needed more of but great for undead armies really. )

[thesuspense]

M-hm...

[He has quickly gotten the sense that he is being lectured and talked down to - the 'Yangyang' is an obvious sign - and while from the Yiling Laozu he takes it in stride, his tone, even in that small sound, is one of a student being scolded who could not possibly care less.

However, as he is busy not caring, his mind wanders, comes across an idea, and there is a spark in hks voice now.]

You are ever so skilful, laozu. Won't you help me taste?

[weifinder]

( A pause, audible. And a humming note. )

Might be possible, here. We can look into it.

( Restoring a sense........... well. Xiao Xingchen was dead, and here was dead Xue Yang, and they're in a world overrun and ruled by the dead. he has enough of a headache with all that to want to stand there, post bear chasing, and rub his face nice. and. slowly. smearing around a probable blood rain's worth of precipitation. )

Taravast will have better resources. Let me take a look, you're clearly talking fine, can you smell?

un: absterge

[downswing]

( He, unlike his partner in crime, neglects to remember all of his fleeting casualties. )


End us, how?

un: chengmei

[thesuspense]

Kill.

Don't you listen?

[The hypocrisy leaves his mouth without hesitation. No look back, no wave.]

Aish, pay attention!

[downswing]

Through what means?

[thesuspense]

Slaughtering.

Bloody slaughtering.

Painful, bloody slaughtering.

[It's like horrible word association.]

[downswing]

Sword, then.

un : deft hand of little deaths [voice]

[scrapgege]

You don't need to listen to everything ghosts say, you know.

But it's a bit concerning that they want to kill people.

un: chengmei

[thesuspense]

If you find that so concerning, maybe you should listen to a bit more of what ghosts say.

It's usually that.

[scrapgege]

Most ghosts don't say that, that's not true.

... but those ghosts won't come close to me because they're scared of me, so I can't really eavesdrop on them.

[thesuspense]

What's so scary about you?

[It's not even as if he necessarily underestimates him. For one thing, most of those ghosts seem pretty stupid anyway. But he is curious.]

They like me...

[scrapgege]

Oh, I'm not scary. They just didn't like my cooking.

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ That's exactly the kind of warning you want to hear from someone who is very clearly impaired. (Which is kind of expected when someone says they get along with the dead.) Five doesn't give a shit about anything else he's babbling about, but he decides to risk shaking something more useful out of him. ]

Any idea what they're waiting for?

un: chengmei

[thesuspense]

Maybe they want the sun to set for the right lighting.

[Likely not and he does not sound as if he believes that is, but far be it from him to ever be unnecessarily helpful.]

[somebadnews]

[ It says something that this is the most helpful anyone has been in days. Five can cut him some slack for that. ]

So it's not so much a plan as an intention.

[ Is he surprised? Not even a little bit. ]

Thanks for heads up, anyway.

[thesuspense]

Ya, sure.

[He is being thanked. It is only then that it occurs to him...]

Do you have something to share too? Hardly fair, like this. Used.

What do you have for me?

action;

[binghua]

[While a certain someone is throwing a little tantrum, Xingchen is close by enough, whether by his choice or his friend's, tending to his borrowed horse. He holds open a bag of oats for her to eat, her big muzzle snuffling into it. He finds it kind of comforting, though. But then she's been a patient creature with him, so he's grown quickly fond. He gently pets the length of her forehead.]

There's a good lady.

[Then his ears practically prick up at the distressed tone of his title being called. Apologizing to the horse, he pulls the oats away and sets them down on a nearby wagon, heading toward his friend's voice.]

I'm here! What's wrong?

action;

[thesuspense]

[Turning to face him, Xue Yang immediately closes the distance between them, reaching out to grab Xingchen's wrist. His grip is tight at first, then relaxes a little, as his thumb begins drawing circles on the inside of his wrist, wanting to be able to touch him. It's not as if Xingchen can see him, after all, so it seems like a good idea to be as present as he can be. It seems like a good idea to touch.]

Something is wrong, daozhang. [Yes, he is complaining. Of course.] I have candy, but it doesn't taste sweet to me.

[binghua]

[Xingchen hardly even reacts to the harsh grip, more concerned with what has gotten his friend so upset, but neither does he pull away when that grip is loosened. He's here. He can be held onto, as emotional support or physical.

Of course, knowing how much his friend likes candy, this situation really is unfortunate.]

That shouldn't be. Is the candy old, perhaps?

[thesuspense]

[The more pressing - and potentially related - issue here is his lack of being alive, really, but Xue Yang sees no need to share that, as then he'd have to explain to Xingchen how it came to be and there is no need to upset him.

Besides, maybe he's onto something. Old candy...]

Won't you try it, daozhang? Then you can tell me if it is sweet.

[That said he reaches for another piece and unwraps it, astonishingly little hesitation, given how reluctant he can be about sharing. But this is Xingchen and this is a dire situation. He hold the candy out to him at first, then moves it closer, until it just brushes against his lips.]

Open up~

un: anglicized

[descendency]

Didn't your mother ever teach you not to speak with your mouth full?

[ That's the bit that needs responding to, in Mingyu's opinion. Because, well. When isn't someone or something trying to kill them? Easier to announce when no attempts on their collective lives are being made. ]

un: chengmei

[thesuspense]

[There is no need for him to keep eating, now that he knows he can't taste the sweetness.

However, there is being a brat. So candy is in his mouth again, being pushed around by his tongue, audibly so.]

Nah.