audio

[downswing]

username: yiling patriarch

( Rise and shine, to coarse, near-dawn rasps from a gently borrowed quartz piece. Overheard in the background: meowling winds from the settling snow storms, the yawning bustle of early-morning trade, and the sharp gasps of a crowd. )

Bring salt, wine, water and joss sticks to the marketplace. ( Murmured: ) They've sullied their dead.

( A pause, stretching its legs, until a child cries over the 'armless men there.' )

We cannot be as animals, to leave them in indignity.

( ooc: ...response usernames will vary, depending on whether he's still at the marketplace or back at the House of Dew and hoarding Wei Wuxian's device, since he's too himself to get his own. )

Comments

[weifinder]

From a block or...?

( Far, far from anywhere growing tea, living the "well we do have tea blocks" life. )

Mm, some. It's more emotion and intent, when I'm dealing with them. Cold for how they died, cold because they're dead, cold burning emotion; you feel it, but not the way you're describing it. It's not the cold that invades.

[downswing]

( They should have discussed this, prior. Should have. Did not. )

What do you feel, when you summon a multitude?

[weifinder]

( More to the point of discussing what differences he's felt, since being here; but they're talking on this channel and he sighs. )

Lan Zhan, you want to have this conversation like this, rather than in person?

( Not pressing the point of where he'd originally been heading when he went outside, but he's not presuming sanctity of conversational privacy, not without sound wards and seeing Lan Zhan face to face. )

[downswing]

( He wishes, revulsion stretching long arms beneath taut skin, he need not have this conversation at all. )

...sleep. You are not for the hour.

[weifinder]

Maaah, I'm out here in the cold anyway, I'll get other errands done and listen to ask the unhappy chatter. See you back there, and I'll work on your bath and tea, ah?

( His moments are just breath and crunching snow, now. Preoccupied thoughts concerning the dead at Lan Zhan's hands aside, he frowns, pulls hiss cloak up closer to his chin. )

We'll talk.

[downswing]

Wei Ying. We need not.

[weifinder]

We do, Lan Zhan. Some silences are comfortable, some educational, some preferred, but this is not any of those, I think.

[downswing]

My curiosity need not be Wei Ying's burden.

[weifinder]

Am I bearing it alone?

[downswing]

Not while I yet have shoulders.

[weifinder]

Then your curiosity met, when possible, is half my relief.

[downswing]

We are not one and same person.

[weifinder]

Good, because as much as I'd be fascinated to meet my exact twin, I'm fairly sure we'd also both be in incredible trouble within a month's time.

( ... which is true, but: )

We don't need to be one and the same. You have shoulders, so do I.

[downswing]

You lessen yous to accommodate.

( Him, but they both know. )

Stand straight.

[weifinder]

I kept all mine to accommodate before.

( They also know how that went. )

And tall. We'll need to find you another crown so you can have the height advantage again, Lan Zhan!

[downswing]

Perhaps Wei Ying may take the knee.

[weifinder]

One or two?

[downswing]

Plaintiffs greet the chief cultivator on two.

[weifinder]

Fine, fine, then down on two, please stand tall over me, oh chief cultivator, and if you're feeling so inclined, pat my head and call me a good boy while you're at it!

( kick him in the back of a knee, he'll go down on you all right )

[downswing]

One knee. Wei Ying is no supplicant.

[weifinder]

( let him tease, Lan Zhan, he's not getting to see the dead bodies today and is instead early to market with the crunch of too early (for him) winter ice and snow beneath his feet, let him tease )

No, past actions would indicate I'm more likely to question chief cultivators than supplicate them. Do I still get the headpats?

[downswing]

'Good boy.'

( Really? )

[weifinder]

( Congrats, Lan Zhan gets a choking noise out of Wei Wuxian that is outright surprise (really?!) followed by muffled laughter. It's worse, because he knows what Lan Zhan's doing right now, and also he's talking on the dog username, great. )

Lan Zhan!

[downswing]

Humbly, meeting Wei Ying's requirement.

[weifinder]

( Now he's not bothering to hide that he's laughing. )

You! Does that mean I get the head pats later, huh?