[The martial ties make sense; Xingchen has been wondering when that would come up again, even though there's no other knowledge he can offer Wei Wuxian. But even that doesn't seem to be enough to care so much, especially since they've never -
I'd only met you once before
- ...met.
That's not right. Xingchen left the mountain not long after Wei Wuxian died -
Song Lan
Hearing the name punches the air right out of him. Any impossibilities are left forgotten for now because he hadn't been ready for anyone to speak his friend's name, and so casually, so easily.
His hands grip at the soil, fingertips digging in. He can feel dirt lodging itself under his nails.
Somehow, he keeps hearing. Acknowledgment of something Wei Wuxian shouldn't know. No one should know except one other person, a friend whom he told in confidence. It isn't that Xingchen regrets giving his eyes to Song Lan - quite the opposite - but the world doesn't need to know of his failure, how he never expected that doing the right thing would hurt those he cares for most. How Wei Wuxian found out, he doesn't know. Wei Wuxian shouldn't have been able to find out at all. He's dead. He should be dead...
Taking a shaking breath, he decides to focus on the one thing here that doesn't prick at him, though he can't just let the rest of it go, either. Put some distance between himself and the memory of Song Lan and from now on, we won't need to meet again and collect himself.]
I...was your mother's shidi, if only in name. I did not know her. I cannot tell you anything about her.
all around me are familiar faces
I'd only met you once before
- ...met.
That's not right. Xingchen left the mountain not long after Wei Wuxian died -
Song Lan
Hearing the name punches the air right out of him. Any impossibilities are left forgotten for now because he hadn't been ready for anyone to speak his friend's name, and so casually, so easily.
His hands grip at the soil, fingertips digging in. He can feel dirt lodging itself under his nails.
Somehow, he keeps hearing. Acknowledgment of something Wei Wuxian shouldn't know. No one should know except one other person, a friend whom he told in confidence. It isn't that Xingchen regrets giving his eyes to Song Lan - quite the opposite - but the world doesn't need to know of his failure, how he never expected that doing the right thing would hurt those he cares for most. How Wei Wuxian found out, he doesn't know. Wei Wuxian shouldn't have been able to find out at all. He's dead. He should be dead...
Taking a shaking breath, he decides to focus on the one thing here that doesn't prick at him, though he can't just let the rest of it go, either. Put some distance between himself and the memory of Song Lan and from now on, we won't need to meet again and collect himself.]
I...was your mother's shidi, if only in name. I did not know her. I cannot tell you anything about her.