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

[scrapgege]

New to the Jianghu, but not to the world, I hope. You're not a child. And your skills were taught to you by someone.

[wifedup]

I picked them up where I could.

( The subtlest souring of his voice, even if he's still overly friendly. ) Though if my master was famed for something it was not his martial arts. Maybe I'm a quick study!

[scrapgege]

And yet you'd still just call yourself passable? That's very modest.

[wifedup]

What use would I have for gloating?

( What use indeed, says the man who loves being proud. )

And I have heard there are more than a few martial masters in this place. I wouldn't want to overstep. And so, passable. What about you, Master ... Ah, I didn't catch your name.

[scrapgege]

Ah, where are my manners? I am Xie Lian.

I guess I could also say that my martial arts are... passable. In a way.

[wifedup]

( Suddenly, more brightly. )

Lan Xichen's friend! Ah, you can't sell yourself short, I've already heard all about your skills.

( And of his husbands, but Wen Kexing is reasonably sure Lan Xichen mentioned Hua Cheng is no longer here, and so he won't rub salt into a wound. )

I was hoping our paths might cross sometime.

[scrapgege]

I am sure Master Lan flatters me too much.

[wifedup]

Mm. He does do that.

( He's fairly complimentary about Wen Kexing when he shouldn't. )

But I'm sure they must have some merit.

[scrapgege]

I mean, I do know my way around a sword or a fight. But he is still too good with me.

[wifedup]

He likes to speak highly of his friends.

( Deserving or not, he doesn't know much about Xie Lian. )

You were one of the ones he was bringing food too, were you not? Did you like it? ( Vaguely teasing. ) Master Lan is a quick study, this master was proud of him.

[scrapgege]

He's brought me some, yes, it was lovely as far as I remember? I usually cook for myself only, so I don't get much of a chance to eat anything else.

[wifedup]

I feel like I've spent too much time around men too idle to enter a kitchen, the abundance of cooks in this place is startling.

( He's counting Xie Lian amidst their number ... For now. )

We could open a restaurant with our number. Though I still think the food of Ephes is lacking something.

[scrapgege]

Well, I've lived on my own most of my life, and I need to feed myself, don't I? And it's not like I have the money to by pre-made food all the time.

[wifedup]

No, that makes sense. It's why I learnt, there's no harm in it.

( He's just surprised so many of them know how, is all. )