un: heart-fluttering hummingbird | audio (forward-dated: 24 May)

[downswing]

( A silence to his mouth, begrudging. The words, when he does speak them, gravel between teeth: )

...apologies. The blood in the northern halls will want more hands for the washing.

We made insufficient attempt.


( ooc: posted today for ooc ease, but assume this comes up after Sizhui/Eleven/Mingyu speak with the miners, around 24 May. Alina and Lan Wangji have given the miners their mercy kill, before they could fully transition, and removed the bodies from where they were kept... but clean-up. )

Comments

un: yiling patriarch

[weifinder]

Handle who, now?

[downswing]

( One job, Archeval, you had one job.

One.

One and name it done. )


No matter.

[weifinder]

Ah, so I'm no matter, then?

( What, handle him to keep him away from... death? Blood? The earmarks of their maturity? His mixture of confused emotions over all this, and the increasingly bizarre realisation that he's not the one fucking up the most, which is admittedly an experience he's still getting used to. )

Kind of liberating, I've been that matter for so long, to be fading into obscurity must be some kind of blessing.

[downswing]

We claimed them. They suffered.

We took responsibility.

[weifinder]

You hardly claimed them alone, and I'd already spoken on this with Archeval—if things were not possible to change, if the end conclusion was like this. Why did you and Miss Alina feel so compelled?

( He didn't have to. It wasn't a sole responsibility, and he said nothing. )

[downswing]

...enough.

( Called to account, like a child. )

You. Them. Myself. What difference?

[weifinder]

Apparently, and this one is odd, less blood.

( He sighs, deflating. )

Have you sent them off?

[downswing]

( Ah. He is found... lacking. Negligent. And biting: )

According to the precepts.

[weifinder]

( Then the telling is more delayed than it might sound at first, and he rubs at his nose, contemplating. )

Is there going to be a point where you let me help share your burdens?

[downswing]

You said nothing of your intentions. I did the same.

( How are they not both to blame? )

Do not begrudge me efficiency.

[weifinder]

( They definitely both are, and Wei Wuxian even knows it, but: )

As you wish.

( He's bothered, and it's hard for him to pin down exactly why. )

[downswing]

...and if you had struck first?

[weifinder]

Word. On this. A warning, if nothing else.

[downswing]

( Disbelieving: ) The Patriarch would have been slow.


( Efficiency diminished enough to give warning. )

[weifinder]

Have you not heard, Hanguang-jun? The Patriarch has always been known for his mouth.

( It takes no effort, and he didn't say he'd have lingered to argue: as he wouldn't. )

[downswing]

You wish warning each time I kill?


( ...are you quite sure? )

[weifinder]

( ... okay, now. Now he's curious. )

Sure. I'll give you warning, too!

( There's no way they can regret this. Or make everyone else regret this. )

[downswing]

( No... way.

This is still Archeval's fault. )


Agreed.


( But he did not specify how, so it must be warning in hand-written letters, abandoned in Wei Ying's quarters. For discretion's sake. )

[weifinder]

( Meaning Lan Wangji is getting crystal called over it.

Surely.

Surely going to go well. )

Agreed!

[darkeststars]

Respectfully to the both of you, [ and that's not a sentence you'll hear out of the Dark Lord very often, ] but Lan Wangji, I most certainly do not want to be in the middle of this.

Regardless, however. I suppose our mutual services are no longer required whether we like it or not.

[weifinder]

( Here stands Wei Wuxian, embarrassed that Lan Zhan's pawning him off as a problem for someone else to handle THANKS LAN ZHAN, REALLY )

Ah, hah, yes, that is true at this point. If we were lucky and in a world less riddled with undead armies, maybe our services never would end up being, but as it stands... that's a for now, I guess.

[darkeststars]

Until next time, presumably. [ sigh ]

I'm a stranger to all of this, of course, but if I were to venture one opinion. Perhaps let him have this one. They went to the trouble of arranging this by themselves, so just as well they clean up their mess by themselves.

[ and, well. He also knows something about wanting to protect somebody even when you're well aware it's a futile gesture. ]

[weifinder]

He's already handled it.

( Is his (sighed) and offered conclusion, because it's not these particular people being killed per the mercy they merited that bothers, in the end, but other concerns he's not sure he should be concerned by, and it's not related to anyone but himself and Lan Zhan in the first place. )

Personal responsibility is admirable, that is always true.

[darkeststars]

[ he just thinks Wuxian doesn't need to go assist with the cleanup alongside his friend, but Arche's dabbled enough in sticking his nose into places where he's not invited already today. ]

A theme with him, I'm guessing. [ dryly ] But I will leave the pair of you to it.

[weifinder]

( Wei Wuxian is................ managing to avoid doing that. As he's now been tasked with. Drawing a bath that Lan Wangji has zero intention to use.

... But hey, that's #domesticbliss, right? Or is it trying to find ways to make someone happy, while someone else is trying to find ways to make someone feel worthwhile? It's not working on either end, but so it goes, sometimes. )

Ah, hahaha, thanks, Archeval. We'll... get to it.

( Whatever it is??? )