video | un: wei ying

[weifinder]

( he starts this recording from the crows nest of the Queen or the Pariah, his pendant hooked around the mast so it records him, bow slung over his shoulder. the quiver at his back has one arrow, and he nods to the camera, indicating toward the overcast sky. )

Take care when shooting, if you do. The amulets the priests have given us draw on our energies significantly.

( that said, he unslings the bow, turning and pulling the arrow out of the quiver to string it in a smooth motion. wei wuxian pulls back, taking aim at the skies, at the concept of where the sun hides behind the muddied clouds. pulls the bow taunt as the wind teases his hair, whips it and his ribbon behind him, making this man with his serious, focussed expression an icon of what he was once: a warrior.

pulling back, the bow bending, bending, his arms steady, his gaze on that hidden light in the sky. calm and steady breathing, and a tension that is near palpable before he finally releases, the snap of the bowstring and the whistle of the arrow taking flight stabbing through the pendant's audio transmission. he watches, wind still tossing his hair to a mess around him. only when there's enough time that he's ostensibly watched where the arrow has come back down to the sea does he turn to the pendant again. he's breathing more heavily than one shot arrow explains. )

Two more things. One, the dead who boarded their deceased's ships within the heart of the crossing were acting in ways that sound familiar. They were decaying dead men who moved and spoke, some aware, some animal in awareness. A number had a dark, tar-like liquid stitching together their wounds. Feels like there's a mirror and its magics at the heart of this. Possibly a smaller one onboard the Pariah right now.

( he reslings the bow over his shoulder, and now, allows himself to smile a touch. )

The second, most important one is going to get loud. Most of you will want to cover your ears.

( his brief smile fades as he inhales, turning to the side, which would mean facing toward the prow of the ship, and cups his hands around his mouth. calls out in a strong, clear, carrying voice that's impossible to ignore over the pendants: )

Lan Zhan! I love you! The only marriage I ever wanted to mimic was my parents' marriage. Do you understand? I married you because I love you, not because you'd married me first! I want to walk every path in life side by side with you! Only you!

( ... and he's lowering his hands, panting a bit from that effort. )

Comments

un: white pawn; video

[chosenbylight]

[It is a pity that Anduin did not heed the warning you gave him about those arrows when you did, Wei Wuxian...

The face he makes in response to that proclamation, though. It takes him a moment to wrap his head around the first part, when his head is still ringing with the latter.]

That was quite a lot of important information indeed, my friend...

[weifinder]

( if only, Anduin, but don't worry, people can lecture you after, right?

He smiles, waving his hand at the pendant before he straightens, flicking a finger against the bow's arching curve over his shoulder. )

Glad you agree! It does push forward getting our eyes into the Pariah's bowels, ah? Now's as good a time as any, I think.

un: absterge | audio

[downswing]

( The scraps of his dignity, like scintillas of ash scattered, should not weigh so heavy on his tongue, down his throat. Should not choke him.

He bides his time to breathe. To be. Then, in a rare rapprochement with his youth, he tugs the strings of spell that can weave Wei Ying's tongue silent. Anathema, to steal his voice, after death did so for sixteen years. He does not hesitate. )

Located aboard the Pariah and not its sister ship. You are certain?

( Let Wei Ying take a turn to write. )

video | un: wei ying

[weifinder]

( how long has it been? not long enough, really, to feel that familiar spell, to have his lips sealed, and so his eyebrows rise because he cannot pant like this, and so his breathing grows more and more audible through his nostrils.

Writing would be sensible, but he doesn't: he stares at the pendant with the kind of offended look a cat offers to a companion who has stolen away their napping spot in the sunlight.

Gestures toward the pendant, and speaks into the sealed silence of his lips, the mutterings emphatic and Lan Wangji invited to make of it as he will, since his will has made this. The pulse at Wei Wuxian's throat, the heaving of his lungs, grows more obvious in subtle degrees.

Stealing his voice is stealing his breath away, husband. Truly a message enough in itself. )

un: daozhang | audio

[binghua]

[When Xingchen replies, the sound of muffled laughter can still be heard for a moment, and it's obvious he's smiling even as he offers concern.]

You are paying attention to your own energies, yes?

presumes this before he gets silenced by wangji

[weifinder]

I'm a master of monitoring my own energies, never fear! Not from this, at least. It'd be a waste to incapacitate myself when we have worse to come.

un : dappled peals of the parted seas (voice)

[beitangmoran]

[The love proclamation is cute and all, and will even get a smile from Moran on his side but let's focus for a moment.]

Your conclusion is the same as mine. The aggresssve mermaids, the congregation of spirits, and the manipulating of human interests... that all sounds too familiar for those of us who have been here for a while.

[weifinder]

Seems a likely way for a person to think they're finding vengeance against what took their last ship and crew to try and bring the same back in, ah?

If it's the same compulsion, it didn't end until the early mirror was broken... but the effects of a breaking, as Five and Miss Winnie have shown, or Zenobius and his tower. Still, if we can prevent the mermaids from similar ends as to what happened with the slave ship.

un : deft hand of little deaths (voice)

[scrapgege]

A mirror would explain a lot... And we've already had one be transported on a ship. There was one on the ship where I woke up when I first got here.

[weifinder]

I recall there was some mention of that particular mirror being used to inhibit people's abilities? In addition to it's draw, such a we later saw at Zenobius's tower, and his, ah, appeasements.

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Five was about to cut in before the extremely loud love confession, and honestly, he can't tell if he did it to mortify Lan Wangji or if they just had a fight. Times when he's convinced he's not the weird one and everyone's priorities are backwards. It's really a wonder he led with the relevant information. ]

That's one way to get everyone's attention.

[ Yes, everyone heard it, Lan Wangji. ...But back to the other thing. He had his suspicions already about what's been going on here, for different reasons. Now he has to have anxiety about someone being an idiot and breaking another mirror. ]

And what? You think if we can find the mirror, we won't have to worry about any more tar-zombies?

[weifinder]

( when you're married to someone with a whole brain and personality that isn't an invention of your own mind, it's a lot more complicated than your relationship experience, five. gosh! )

Clearing the air on certain things, you might say.

( his fleeting smile to address his confession, and he's still panting a bit. )

I think we might work to seal something about it, as long as no one goes smashing through it.

[downswing]

We are tasked to toil.

voice; un: man's greatest treasure

[reparo]

[Gets ready to offer her support in locating the mirror, if they're sure there is one here, but then gets stuck in the middle of an uncomfortable declaration of love.

Oddly romantic.

Very loud.]

Do you think that'll stick? Because I have a spell to amplify your voice for the next time, if you need it.

[downswing]

He has no requirement.



( NO LONGER ADOPTING THIS CHILD. )

[weifinder]

Oh, that'll be fun!

un: qishan (voice)

[silverneedles]

You have worked out your marital problems, then? Some of them. [ she pauses, deliberately considering the rest of his announcement ]

Even a small mirror can have such an impact.

[weifinder]

Call them works in progress, ah? Hahaha...

Mm, a small mirror has a large effect, can seal, can curse, can consume. Zenobius might attest to that fact, if he were lucid more than he is yet.

My worries are two mirrors, potentially, but I'd like for us to figure if one lies here, and to also not shatter it anytime soon. That always goes poorly.

un: absterge | tmw the SiL rules the house with a dainty iron fist

[downswing]

Do not indulge discourtesy.

un: starburst (audio)

[valeas]

To confirm: Lan Zhan is Lan Wangji?

( the things she hears when taking breaks between lighting arrows on fire. )

[weifinder]

Intimate name Lan Zhan, courtesy name Lan Wangji, title Hanguang-jun!

un: absterge

[downswing]

Indecorously presented.

@taken for granite | voice

[rumorate]

[Okay, this is adorable, Allison can't help but be amused. She is making note of the mirror conversation though, because that is definitely a Five-related concern.]

I'm very happy for you both. Love is hard to find.

[Especially directed at someone as stoic as Lan Wangji.]

[weifinder]

( when you have ??? men in middle age shouting about love on a boat, it's the life. )

Thank you, Miss Allison! It is a journey indeed.

( pls dont actually talk about this, he did not foresee anyone wanting to linger on the loud part he was shouting because he's fairly sure his husband would avoid it forever if it wasn't horrifically public, and he doesn't actually know what to say.

not that he himself is embarrassed or regretful. rather, tonguetied. )

[Video; UN: heavenly four seasons]

[eternallywandering]

[He has a hand cupped around his ear, ready to taunt. What? It's good for him.]

I think I caught all of that. When did you get married? [And why wasn't he invited? Rude.] Are you expecting, by chance? This is hardly the place for morning sickness on top of seasickness!

[weifinder]

Now, now, we shouldn't make light of Lan Zhan's struggles, Zhou-gongzi.

[traaaaaash]

[ Cackle-snort. ]

Congrats on the marriage!

[weifinder]

Thank you! It's been months now, and slightly longer, and also seventeen years! No, eighteen? Who knows, I don't remember that one.