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

[lonelydream]

Peace and prosperity for the citizens, unharmed by the power struggles of those who would seek to rule them.

[nothinglikefather]

Do people need to be ruled at all? No, forget I said that. It was rhetorical.

[lonelydream]

[ Interesting. ]

Forgotten.

[nothinglikefather]

What do you think it is? The elusive "greater good"?

[lonelydream]

As I said. A world where the citizens of the country are able to live in peace and prosperity.

[nothinglikefather]

Free from the interference of others?

[lonelydream]

At least without suffering through countless wars that have no lasting effect on their daily lives.

[nothinglikefather]

...Well, we agree on that at least. I imagine Wennie would do as well. He's quite the heroic sort, isn't he?

[lonelydream]

He'd deny it, but yes. Very much so.

[nothinglikefather]

Most of them do, for one reason or another. The ones that tell you that they're saints are normally bastards.

[lonelydream]

It's the great hypocriticism of heroes. The lie of it. Boys grow up wanting to be heroes; they believe in the glory and honour of it. Men realize that there is no glory, and very little honour to be had.

[nothinglikefather]

Then wouldn't you say that's a problem with the way we talk about heroes? Doing the right thing is more important than glory and honour is a load of bullshit.

[lonelydream]

[ He sighs softly, the sound audible. ]

Yes. It definitely is. And you're right--I'm being too negative about it all.

[ There's still plenty of people honourable people who do the right thing in the jianghu, he's just smarting still from those who don't. ]

[nothinglikefather]

[There's pain in those words, and Jacob softens his own tone.]

It's hard not to be negative when the world bites your arse. But you keep doing the thing that's right, and that's what's important.

[lonelydream]

[ He smiles, he can't help it, and it's utterly mirthless. He's done far too much to be considered any sort of honorable hero and he's well aware of it. The children, though. May they not repeat the mistakes of their elders. ]

Is that how you live? That's not so bad.

[nothinglikefather]

Oh, fuck no. I'm a complete arsehole. I just know how the hero types act. Or should.

[lonelydream]

Self awareness isn't so bad either.

[nothinglikefather]

Exactly!

[Says Jacob, with the self awareness of a tree frog]

[lonelydream]

[ Ah, youth. ]

I wish you luck in your endeavors, then.

[nothinglikefather]

Ours. We're all on the same team now Ah-Xu.

[lonelydream]

Ah--

Zhou Zishu. My name. Lao Wen won't take it well if you call me that.

[nothinglikefather]

[Give him a moment of softly repeating that to himself, because English tongues do not well lend themselves to Chinese syllables.]

Pleasure is all mine, Zhou Zishoe.

And yes, he's the jealous type, I know.

[lonelydream]

[ ...close enough. ]

He is, at that.