un: worm wife / text

[wifedup]

( There is absolutely someone out there fucking with Wen Kexing, and so if anyone mentions the state of his new name he's going to commit Attrocities. He's here for a reason ... admittedly a potential wife reason, but still! You mention being a worm one time and fate laughs at you. )

It's come to my attention we're all very demure about our own skill sets. When it comes to trying to work together that reticence might be to our detriment. Especially considering the wealth of people we have here, what if one of us is in need of a carpenter and we don't know where to go? Or a scribe, those might be handy with all the terrible meetings we have to listen to. Or a healer, even.

( A healer especially, but he is the most subtle and anyone implying otherwise needs to be quiet. )

And so, I thought it might be a good idea if we instead shared what we were good at. I can go first.

Cooking.
A pursuer of scholarly endeavours.
Passable martial arts.
Provider of wine.

If anyone needs any poetry or lessons in how not to burn water then I am certainly your man. I know these aren’t exactly the more useful of skills, but there are bound to be more capable people out there. We need to help each other in these trying times, after all.

( We also need to not be lying bastards, but oh well. )

Comments

un: yiling laozu

[weifinder]

At least one of us excels in writing to the whispers of springtime, a handful of us were enterprising in lucrative ventures and venues since our emergence into this landscape of confused living, and another of us manages to make tea with what's termed magic, and has no direct relationship to qi as I'd call it, or to the sorts of talismans I prefer!

All very usefully useless depending on what's needed, we're all a delight!

[wifedup]

Poetry, business, and tea. What more could be asked for in such trying times?

( Quite a lot, actually. But Wen Kexing is at least trying to come across as easy ( other fights aside ). )

Do you find it strange too? How different some people are. If I mentioned qi to someone they might look at me as if I've grown a second head. And yet, so much of our wellbeing depends on it. Our meridians too.

[weifinder]

A lack of politics?

( so many, many things. )

Oh, the number of times I've explained that cultivation doesn't mean I know anything about farming! Or been told meridians are only related to sailing?

[wifedup]

Something is always still lost in translation, despite how hard working whatever ... magic ... it is that helps us communicate.

( Is it magic? He's not sure. It's something anyway. )

[weifinder]

The sad consequences behind not truly sharing a language, even in dialects.

We had a time before any of us had these pendants, or ones thralled half so well. Easy to replicate by leaving them behind if you're up for that adventure!

[wifedup]

And deny people of my lyrical wordplay? Heavens forbid, Master Wei.

Besides, I think they're useful. Much faster than hiring someone to run a message.

[weifinder]

Doubtless the heavens would, if they listened well enough to the clever tongues of those of us living in this realm!

Or sending messenger butterflies. Less pretty, I suppose.

[wifedup]

Messenger butterflies.

Now that's something new. Your version of the world continues to surprise me.

[weifinder]

Mine are barrier breaking, quite pretty and quite fun! I enjoy that trick.

Others are from different clans, recalling speech as remembered in a moment. Some recall words instead.

[wifedup]

Perhaps it's for the best I don't have anything like that where I'm from, I'd never get anything done. The gossip would be less stale though.

[weifinder]

Only if people are talking with you in such expensive ways, most things are still word of mouth. Cultivators aren't so numerous to have changed that fact, or so generous to supply every village.

Then again, think if they did. Gossip and so much more learned to act on more quickly. Or ignore more thoroughly. It does depend on the ones listening.

[wifedup]

Ah yes, so the worlds are similar in that respect. What could be useful to the common people tends to be hoarded by those with bigger swords and vaster pockets.

( He doesn't claim to have much stock in the class divide, usually because he's too busy pretending to be the most fancy of young masters. But he has noticed it in the Jianghu, and Ghost Valley itself is not affluent. )

You mentioned your talismans, Master Wei. I think I saw you use them when we met. Are they mostly for defence?

[weifinder]

They're for anything I think up, and are generally considered beneath most righteous cultivators in my world if used more than sparingly. Silly thinking all around!

I'm more interested in problem solving and the tools that make that possible, including a number which don't need qi to trigger operation.

[wifedup]

What's been your favourite?

[weifinder]

Oh, definitely everything! Though the spirit attracting inversion was interesting, considering the whole cultivation world adopted it after my apparent death.

[wifedup]

Master Wei must certainly be famous then.

[weifinder]

More infamous for a good near two decades, apparently.

[wifedup]

Is infamy better or worse, I never know.

( Certainly Wen Kexing's alter ego is infamous in it's own right, a scary story to tell children at night and a threat, mostly. )

It would be better to live in obscurity, one imagines.

[weifinder]

Obscurity is it's own freedom. Fewer people assuming they know what you've done or are doing, more open minds, perks in my thoughts.

Also fewer terribly ugly portraits.

[wifedup]

( He has yet to encounter the ghost brochure, so he cannot commiserate over terrible portraits, woe. )

I suppose that is one of the blessings of being in a place like here. Either you have no one to speak of your past, or if you do it isn't legions. A new attempt can be made.

[weifinder]

( if only he knew the depths of terrible portraiture )

If you wish, but even in our worlds, they're large enough to accommodate differences, if you're willing to become the stranger walking an unfamiliar land.

[wifedup]

I suppose it would work if you didn't have anything to leave behind, but the alternative seems lonely.

[weifinder]

I admit it's simply nicer when there's anyone to return to.

[wifedup]

If I ever think about disappearing into obscurity then I'll most certainly keep all of this in mind.

A quiet life might be nice, as long as there is still wine, and food, and company I can stomach.

[weifinder]

Exactly! The company is important, and the food can't be ignored. It being tasty is extra nice... something with spice!