faileas: (Default)
aefenglom log posting account ([personal profile] faileas) wrote in [community profile] middaeg2020-05-03 03:07 pm

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

I. Boaltinn (1st - 3rd)

    Boaltinn comes around again. A handful of Mirrorbound will remember the holiday from last year, but for others, it will be brand new. In both Residential Districts, bonfires burn in central locations through the night, frequented by the residents celebrating another summer come to Aefenglom. Curiously, while last year the bonfires seemed quite segregated by human or Monster, this year, there is more of a noticeable mix at each, and Mirrorbound are invited to join the games and festivities quite happily. Characters are invited to try and jump through the bonfire's flames to burn away any poor relationship experiences, be it romantic or platonic, past or present; to aid them in this, those at the Eastern Bonfire will give those participating rune-etched accessories to protect them from the fire.

    The city has quite a bit to offer for this holiday: shared rose baths at public bathhouses and pleasure establishments that increase feelings of friendliness and talkativeness, poles draped in ribbons meant to be danced around, wrapping a ribbon around the pole to bring good luck for the summer, food stalls whose offerings are meant to be shared, and fortune-telling set up by Divination students of the Coven, who can tell your day is going to go.


To see last year's Boaltinn prompts, you can take a glance right here! Much of it, including the bonfires, baths, and entertainments will be similar this year, so feel free to use those in your top levels.
II. An Unusual Arrival (3rd on)

    A full year from the arrival of the first group of Mirrorbound, the 1st passes quietly, with no one showing up in the mirror-lined halls of the Looking-Glass House. Dates and times are important in most kinds of magic, and this is strange enough that some Witches of the Coven get together on the night of the 3rd to try a probing ritual, attempting to gather some kind of clues that could be useful in prying out the cottage's secrets. Boaltinn is the best time for such things, when the boundaries are thinner, and magic is stronger.

    Those who are awake that night at 3 am might notice a pulse of harmless silvery light that spreads like ripples on water throughout the whole city, originating at the Looking-Glass House, but nothing further happens, and the Coven receives no answers.

    Well, nothing happens in the Looking-Glass House.

    Before long, the reports start coming in: people are emerging from mirrors, regular old mundane mirrors, all over the city. Anything with a particularly reflective surface could be an entry point for someone from another world! Inhabited homes, businesses closed and locked for the night, pools of still water in fountains or the river, these unorthodox Mirrorbound pop up anywhere and everywhere, causing chaos for the City Guard (folks aren't happy to find strangers in their bathrooms at 3 in the morning) and the Coven both.

    Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. If you are one of these unfortunate arrivals, it's likely a rude awakening for you, to find yourself somewhere inconvenient, somewhere other than where you've been. It only makes sense to be confused. Hopefully someone finds you and explains to you what's happened to you.

    Resident Mirrorbound will hear a message from Miss Nessie shortly after it begins, a call to arms: "Dears, I'm quite sorry to disturb you, but it seems your fellows are arriving elsewhere than the Looking-Glass House this month! We're trying to track them all down for the usual welcome, but we could use a hand or several! If you could just bring them by the Coven, the usual spot, that would be lovely." She'll give her usual orientation and pass out Watches, but no doubt the Mirrorbound will be more helpful in this regard, with so many arriving.


III. The Goblin Market (All Month)

    Life goes on in Aefenglom, despite the addition of so many new residents. With the City Guard decidedly busy dealing with the sudden flood of break-ins (or, more accurately, break-outs?), the vendors of the Goblin Market find opportunity to set up their stalls more openly than they have since the crack-downs some months ago. They pop up all over the city, but clustered more often in the Residential Districts and the Harbor District, where there are even fewer law enforcement agents out and about to run them off.

    These sellers, while not as devoid of morals as those major players of the Black Market, still have very few compunctions when it comes to lying, cheating, fencing stolen goods, and misrepresenting their wares to unsuspecting buyers. It's also the place to find those things that are- not quite legal, shall we say. They won't say a word if you don't. If confronted, they are quick to pack up their things and slip away, however; they know this city and its hiding places a lot better than you do.

    With a brand new batch of what the natives assume are Mirrorbound, many undergoing rapid transformations into their Monster forms, many of the wares on display are potions: supposed cure-alls for aches and itches, calming draughts for the full moon restlessness, some even claim their brews can halt changes entirely! Some concoctions are meant to increase a Witch's magical ability, or decrease it, or provide them a finer control. They offer potions that they say will eliminate the need for a Bond, or temporary Bonding potions of their own that they claim are more pure, stronger, than the ones offered by the Coven.

    Claims are only claims, though. A few remedies for the pain of changing or some regular temporary Bonding potions can be found here and there, but for every potion that works, there are twenty more that have less than pleasant side effects. A brew that will cause everything you touch to turn to solid gold for up to an hour; a potion that will invert your sense of direction - trying to turn right will make you turn left, trying to go forward will cause you to walk backward; a potion that will remove all traction from your feet, causing you to slide around as if cobblestone are the slickest ice. Worse, some shadier vendors sell things more sinister, including a potion that gives you the appearance of being moderately to heavily infected by the Cwyld.

    Even if you don't drink any, the vendors are not at all careful where they're sloshing those bottles around, trying to show them off, and they all activate on skin contact.

IV. A Wilde Hunt (7th - 22nd)

    All Mirrorbound, temporary or not, are likely to feel it. Monsters are always affected by the full moons, but this month, it is more. Stronger. Instincts rise to the surface as the Sisters emerge full and visible in the night sky, and for many Mirrorbound, they are undergoing rapid transformations into whatever type of Monster they are meant to be. Curiously, the natives get along like they usually do, noticing nothing out of the norm, other than the increased agitation and restlessness from Mirrorbound Monsters.

    Monsters' aggression fades when the Sisters start to wane, but as the new moons approach on the 22nd, Mirrorbound Witches will notice their magical reserves overfilling, and will find themselves stricken with the overwhelming urge to use it, until casting spells, pushing one's magical limits, is almost a compulsion. Those who are not in proper Witch-Monster Bonds will feel it even stronger, with no stabilizing magic to consume (for Monsters) or avenues to expend magic (for Witches) other than casting spells. (For those who are interested, the Coven does offer temporary Bonding potions which can be used to help alleviate the effects somewhat.)

    The Coven Witches notice the signs, and they take decisive action on the morning of the 6th, the day before the full moons. So many Mirrorbound, likely to be so heavily affected by the lunar cycle this month, many of them coming into new features and abilities at a breakneck pace, only spells danger for the city. They barricade off a massive chunk of Wilde outside Aefenglom, largely free of Cwyld and totally bereft of farms, homes, and Wilder outposts. They invite anyone who feels the effects of the moons too strongly to control to come out for a Hunt. The hunting grounds will be open nightly to anyone who needs to work off restless energy or overflowing magic; all participants will be warned that their safety cannot be guaranteed from others, but they won't be able to harm bystanders out here.

    The woods are thick, with the river cutting through them, and full of wildlife. There is room to run and chase prey, or room to play with your developing magic. Play cat and mouse with your friends or Bondmates, or stalk a stranger. If playing games isn't your thing, there is something else to hunt out here as well.

    With the deep Wilde entering into Winter, this patch of land so close to the city is much warmer, and fearsome Shades have emerged to search for prey. These were once living beings, Monsters, Witches, or animals, who have been overtaken by Cwyld infection long ago, leaving them dead but for the infection, white-eyed and seeking out sources of magic to consume and infect. Anything could become a Shade, but the most common out right now are the ferocious remains of bears, wolves, and nomadic Arachne and Turnskins. If not killed, these Shades threaten the people of the Outer City, when they inevitably escape the barricade. Careful to limit your contact, though; anyone infected upon their return to the gates will be escorted straight to the infirmary.



    Welcome to May's Fourth Wall event, An Inauspicious Arrival! The comms are now open to comments from all registered users and will be until June 1st. Current players, if you don't want fourth wall characters tagging your posts, just say so in your text. Fourth wall characters can use this post for their own network top-levels, or this post for log top levels. This event is game canon; threads from this fourth wall can be used as application samples later and current players may use these threads for AC. As always, be courteous to each other! Let the mod team know if there are any problems and we will handle things.

    As always, please direct your questions to this thread!

fairyherder: manhua (TFlMttc)

oh my god

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-10 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ not so bad? not so bad? he's turning into a monster of some kind, it hurts and he's alone and fuck this place he doesn't even have access to his golden core and it's all confusing and he's just a kid!

he whips his head up to retort and glare but catches himself, confused at the familiar golden robes but the unfamiliar face. he remembers most faces of the Jin sect, so who is waltzing around in their robes if he doesn't know who it is?

not that it matters, he's not going to show weakness in front of someone, not even someone who's supposedly familiar (least of all that!), and he rubs at his eyes furiously with his sleeve, glowering. ]


I'm fine. I was just—

[ just sitting down. just gathering his wits. just taking a break?? that's a weak excuse and he knows it, so slowly gets to his feet, fingers curled around Suihua like a life line. even if the sword is just a regular piece of metal here, it's still his piece of comfort. ]

I fine. Who are you anyway? I don't recognize you.
jichengren: (053)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-10 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ When the boy comes out and Zixuan sees that he's wearing Jin clan robes, his eyes narrow. Who is this young man, and why do they not recognize each other? Sure, it's not like Zixuan knows all of the Jin clan disciples all that well, but he's sure he would have seen someone like this around. ]

How do you not recognize me? I'm--

[ He cuts off as soon as he recognizes not the boy's face, but the sword he's holding. His grip tightens on that very same sword in his hand. ]

Where did you get that replica?

[ Because obviously it can't be the real Suihua. He has the real Suihua right here. ]
fairyherder: manhua (3veVhR5)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-10 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he immediately looks incredibly offended, face contorting into an actual scowl, dog ears absolutely laying as flat against his head as possible, tail going still after one violent lash.

how dare this random stranger come and insult his father's sword, imply it's not even real. he takes one step forward, holding the sword to his chest protectively. ]


Replica?! It's not a replica! This... this is... it's my sword! How dare you imply it's not real! It's—

[ his eyes flicker down to the strangers sword and he just goes quiet, eyes widening, before he looks back at him. no this can't be right, this... pompous man in front of him isn't anyone he knows, and he started this! he's the one with the replica! he points with a shaky finger. ]

You're the one with a replica! How dare you carry around a copy of my father's sword!
jichengren: (077)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-10 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Zixuan stands his ground when the loud dog child steps forward threateningly, showing no sign of being intimidated whatsoever. He's about to argue back that of course his swords is not a replica, it's his sword, not this boy's, when he's stopped dead in his tracks.

His heart skips a beat. He looks dumbly, from the boy's sword, to his own, then back to the boy's face. If he looks closely, can he see traces of A-Li's features there? The Jiang clan chin, perhaps?

All animosity is gone from his stature. His brow is furrowed with concern, but his eyes are open, and pleading. ]


...A-Ling? Can it be you?
fairyherder: manhua (eYPXwmd)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-10 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he stills, freezing to the spot where he's standing, arm still outstretched and pointing at him, almost choking down a swallow, eyes impossibly wide.

what?

he has no recollection of what his parents look like, only a kind of specific warm presence and gentle sounding voices he doesn't quite recall surrounding him. the sword and his Jiang clan bell are his only items to not remember them by, but represent them, because there's nothing there for him to remember. still.

the way the other's demeanor has completely changed is throwing everything off. because it's familiar and at the same time it's not. his arm drops to his side, and while it looks like the sword will slide to the ground too, he grips it hard, knuckles turning white with the effort as he tries to unsuccessfully swallow the lump in his throat again and again. he cannot cry, he doesn't cry, goddammit. he can already tell that's going to be a losing battle, but that doesn't stop him from fighting it with all he has.

but this... this can't be. but he's addressed by name and... and... and what does he even do in this situation but nod dumbly, slowly, looking completely withered and lost. ]
jichengren: (047)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-10 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The silent nod is all the confirmation Zixuan needs, to start stepping forward, one foot after the other, trying to get a closer look at-- his son? How is this possible. A-Ling should be back with his mother at Carp Tower. And he should be a baby. Not some brash teen of... ]

How old are you now? [ How long has it been, that they have been separated? And, more importantly: ] Why do you not recognize me?

[ How could Jin Ling not know his own father? His voice, his face. They should be intimately familiar to him. What is going on? ]
fairyherder: manhua (Bkbt8gB)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-10 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he doesn't dare to step back. this person... this... this person?? is this his father? but that's frankly impossible, because he knows his father is dead, his mother is dead. he's reminded of it every single day, that he's an orphan. people talk about it behind his back, his so called fellow Jin clan disciples sometimes takes jabs at him because of it, even if shrouded in thinly veiled politeness.

he knows that his parents are dead. so why can't he just dismiss this random stranger with the same robes as himself as some kind of impostor, only here to poke more fun at him for being alone. lately has been all kinds of chaos, and while he's refused to believe all the kindness his uncle showed him was false, having recent events dropped on top of him, the expectations he knows will suddenly be on his shoulders as the Jin clan heir, and the emotional whiplash of finding out the truth about everything is kind of. a lot? for a teenager.

his voice strains when he tries to use it once, and he narrows his eyes a little, feeling defensive in the face of his own emotions threatening to spill over because he did not ask for this. ]


F... fifteen. And why should I recognize you? I don't... I don't know who you are.

[ he thinks? he doesn't want to assume, doesn't dare assume something that is impossible. fierce corpses exists, of course, he's seen it, he's heaped his hatred over Wen Ning and then found out it wasn't entirely warranted. but his own father? if... if that's what this stranger is implying, anyway. what is there to believe anymore...? ]
jichengren: (027)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-10 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ This was supposed to be an easy night hunt, to take his mind off the complicated mess Zixuan had found himself in. But now, it seems, he's landed in a whole other mess altogether.

It's not hard to guess why Jin Ling doesn't know him. He would never have abandoned his son for fifteen years, not even for one second! So that just mean he... Wasn't there for reasons entirely out of his control. He's about to put two and two together to guess what those reasons would be. ]


What... [ His voice is quiet, small, choked with emotion. Very unlike his usual confident tone. ] What about your mother? She never told you about me?
fairyherder: manhua (1oDYxz5)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-10 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
My mo—

[ his voice absolutely cracks, small and vulnerable and scared, and he hitches his breath, unable to get air into his lungs without hiccuping. of course his mother never told him. how could she have, when she died almost at the same time. he doesn't know her either. ]

H-how...?

[ how could she have told him? how is this situation even possible. how is this person his father? how is he alive? how is his life this messy? how does he even manage this kind of situation, how does he obliterate this huge lump threatening to fill all of his insides and choke him to death with emotions?

he doesn't, so he just slides down to the ground, face crumpling up, clutching Suihua to his chest and starts bawling, unable to stop, because what is even going on anymore. ]
Edited 2020-05-10 21:41 (UTC)
jichengren: (045)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-10 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh no. He's said something wrong. He's said something very wrong. All his worries, that he wouldn't be a good father, that he would never understand his son, that he would put too much pressure onto A-Ling the way too much pressure was put onto him, they all come flooding into him now, as he watches Jin Ling collapse into himself and start sobbing.

Obviously he failed as a father, but not in any of the ways he expected. He failed by not being there. He failed by dying. But... What about A-Li? She would never have failed as a mother. She would be the perfect mother, Zixuan knew she would. So why is even the mention of her enough to make his son break down crying?

There's a part of him that wants to run. The way he used to run from Yanli, from his feelings towards her. But he hasn't been the man who runs for a while now. No, he has to fix this. He has to do right by A-Ling and get to the bottom of this, somehow.

He kneels, reaching a tentative hand forward, unsure of every inch of movement, before it lands solidly on Jin Ling's shoulder. ]


Talk to me. Please. What happened?
fairyherder: manhua (kfHyccX)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-10 11:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he's more leaning against the sword than his father's hand because that's what he's used to, the sword was always his go-to crutch, even if it was a weapon, it was all he had. not even Xiao Shushu in all his gentleness compared, because even if family, there was always going to be a bridge between himself and everyone close to him because they just weren't. right. an outlier no matter what his status was.

so he doesn't know how to accept support from anyone, least of all someone who claims to be his father while he's still trying to wrap his head around that fact, and again thinking about that he has no parents, they're gone and—

expect apparently not? he doesn't understand. there's so much that happened... how could he even begin to describe the chaos and intrigue he's apparently lived through none the wiser. he has to get a hold of himself, to do... something. he hiccups, reaches up with one hand to really try and rub his tears away but they just won't stop, so his words are a mess between tears and a shaky voice. ]


I don't h-have parents... s-so what that I never knew them! It doesn't make me weaker!

[ it's a trained line, it's something he's repeated more times than he can recall, sometimes while crying, other times yelling in indignation. it might not be quite what he needs to say, but it's the easiest thing to say when his mind is otherwise just a jumble. ]
jichengren: (005)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-10 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ So that's it then. Both himself and Yanli, gone from their son's life. He speaks as though he has no memory of them at all. So... Whatever it is, it must happen soon. While A-Ling is still too young to form memories or lasting bonds. From Zixuan's perspective, his son was just one month old. How much longer does he have, then? Will that change, now that he is here? Can you change the future by altering the past?

He pushes all of those thoughts and the looming existential crisis out of his mind. His son is crying, and he needs to be a strong father right now. Even if it breaks his heart to think of leaving his son, of losing Yanli, their family...

No. Pull yourself together, Zixuan. This is what you need to do, here and now. Don't think of what is yet to come. ]


You... You have one now. I'm sorry I left you. But I'm here now. I won't leave you again.

[ Is he doing this right? He's so far out of anything familiar he can't be sure what are the right steps to take... ]
fairyherder: manhua (Y7cBuVo)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ he sniffles and brushes his sleeve across his eyes again, anything to make the tears stop, because he feels exhausted and disgusting and there's definitely more fur popping up along his throat and hands. the whole transformation lies on top of everything else and it's painful, but no way will he admit to that, or talk about it. he needs to... he needs to calm down.

his heart does something like a painful squeeze at his father's (because he knows it is, he just doesn't understand it) words, because how can he trust that. how can he trust anyone's words anymore. it's like he's back at the temple, his life upended over his head, feeling both betrayed and lost, and he doesn't want to feel that way, not in front of what should be something he should be happy about!

it takes another moment before his shoulders sag as he takes another couple of hitching breaths, halway leaning against his father's hand, swallowing hard. this is all right, isn't it? if... if it's true.

and he wants to tell him how he died... but... the details surrounding that involves so many intrigues and misunderstandings, and if he's to believe what different people have told him about his father, he'd probably jump to the wrong conclusions at first, and Jin Ling doesn't feel coherent enough to explain everything, hell he barely understands the circumstances himself beyond that everything he knew was somehow wrong.

but he doesn't know what to say. how do you interact with a parent? ]


I...
Edited 2020-05-11 00:09 (UTC)
jichengren: (020)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-11 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ Zixuan can watch in real time as more fur grows across A-Ling's neck. It's worrying, but he understands it somewhat, due to the feathers that have sprouted along his own arms and across his back. Why he is a bird and his son is... What, a dog? Those are definitely doglike ears... Why they're different, he doesn't know.

(There's a lot about this scenario he doesn't know, or doesn't understand. He's trying his best to muddle through despite all that anyway.) ]


You don't have to tell me anything. [ He'll want to know eventually. He'll want to know everything. But he can understand that A-Ling is perhaps too emotional to explain. And, if he's honest, he's not exactly prepared to learn how he will die. ] You don't have to say anything. But if you do, I will do my best to listen.

[ The night hunt is going on around them, Zixuan can tell. He can hear the animalistic growls of people-cum-monsters running through the forest, chasing prey. It seems silly, how he had looked forward to the hunt, before he had the fortune of running into A-Ling. Who could focus on a hunt now, when faced with their own son all grown up without them? ]

Can you stand? We should go somewhere more private.
fairyherder: manhua (RZMoHmL)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 04:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jin Ling doesn't know or appreciate the emotional turmoil his father is going through, but perhaps he'll pick up on it at some point later, when he's not overwhelmed.

and then he's reassured and it's strange. to consider this and apply it to "this is my father" because it's... unheard of? so maybe if he pushes all these weird confusing thoughts to the side, he can bring himself to speak. or maybe he just continues to hiccup, though more silent than before. he was excited for a night hunt, but then the transformation stalled him and now ... all of this. it's everything and more, it's what he always wanted, to meet his parents, or at least one of them.

but it actually happening is something he never ever thought would be possible in his lifetime, because people simply do not suddenly come back to life! Wen Ning he's been told was never actually dead. he's not entirely knowledgeable about fierce corpses anyway, the details still muddy and part of a piece of cultivation he's been raised to abhor and hate. (thank you, Jiujiu.)

either way, it's something happening now, and he'll just have to deal with it. preferably with less crying involved, if he could just stop his eyes from leaking.

he shifts a little to get to his feet again, carefully, somewhat unsteady with emotion, but doing his best to straighten and show that he definitely isn't a weak little runt. what if this is all an hallucination brought on by the pain of the transformation? it could be an elaborate ruse and he'd be none the wiser the moment they move somewhere else... but he has to know. he's not quite comforted, not yet, and he doesn't trust his dumb teenage voice to not crack again so he just swallows down another lump and nods, watching his feet. ]


Mm.
Edited 2020-05-11 16:08 (UTC)
jichengren: (042)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-11 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ As A-Ling stands, so does Zixuan, keeping the hand on his shoulder even if he doesn't know whether that's even a help or a hindrance. He doesn't get any closer, finding himself somewhat paralyzed as well. Instead he just looks around, tries to find an exit, a way to get away from this chaos and confusion. Well, maybe that part is inescapable. But there is a gate leading back towards the city. Zixuan decides that is the best direction to go.

He begins to walk, slowly, waiting for A-Ling to keep up. The hand remains set on his shoulders stiff and awkward. ]
fairyherder: manhua (8)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ the hand is somewhat grounding, it proves that this isn't a ruse, or a mirage that'll dissipate into mist the moment he moves a hand through it. and takes one step, then another, and silently falls in stride with the man beside him. he... he doesn't dare to look up at him, still not quite convinced, even by all the obvious signs. it's a heap of emotions all tangled up in his head and he's doing his best to sort them out as they walk. he wants to say something, to start talking, but every time he opens his mouth for something, anything, he just deflates, swallows.

damn it Jin Ling, get your act together! this can't be easy on this man— his father either. ]
jichengren: (107)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-11 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Seeing as the hand is well received, Zixuan allows it to slide across A-Ling's back to the other side, until his whole arm is resting over the boy's shoulders. His own father hadn't really ever touched him in this way, but he thinks he would have liked it if he had.

They walk, as slowly as necessary, out of the gate and back towards the quiet of the city at night. They come across a square, with a small fountain surrounded by stone benches. Zixuan ushers the pair of them over to one and sits down, urging A-Ling to sit beside him. ]


Why don't you talk to me. Tell me about-- [ There so much for him to learn. Even putting aside the circumstances of his and Yanli's deaths, there's Ling's childhood, his likes and dislikes. Who has been raising him and caring for him in their absence. It's... A lot to ask for, all at once, Zixuan realizes. Better to start small. ]

Tell me about yourself?
fairyherder: manhua (sR4kDhl)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's a strange feeling, a mingle of comfort and utter confused sadness when his father holds him closer as they walk and he really wants to lean into it, but keeps himself from it, from... attaching himself too much. because he has no guarantee this will last, and it's better not to put himself up for disappointment, or show that kind of weakness but it also hurts because he wants to.

so he ends up in a sort of half-way situation, not leaning into, but walking closer and just focusing on that this isn't yet another one of his childhood pretend shadows he made up when he was feeling the most down on himself. this person is real, tangible.

he doesn't lean back as they sit down, but rather stays upright, sword still clutched close to his chest as he considers his lap, picking at the edge of his sash with his other hand, considering the question.

he opens his mouth, then closes it, and realizes he's embarrassed. because he's not sure what to say that doesn't include his reckless escapades that frankly has him yelled at more often than not. that's not impressive or something to be proud of. ]


I have a spirit dog, her name is Xiānzǐ. Xiao Shushu gave her to me when she was just a puppy.

[ nailed it?! ]
jichengren: (058)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-11 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Xiānzǐ. That's... nice.

[ Is that nice? He doesn't know anything about dogs. (Oh no, he's terrible at this.) He makes a mental note to do some research into dogs-- especially now that his son is turning into one, apparently???

And Xiao Shushu... Does that mean Jin Guangyao? He can't imagine his father would let any of his other illegitimate sons buy a dog for his only grandson. He's glad that Yao is looking after A-Ling after his death. He may not entirely like or trust his half brother, but learning this has definitely brought him higher in Zixuan's estimation. ]


What is she like?
fairyherder: manhua (PMMAmyq)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ unfortunately, things are not as simple with his uncle as it seems, but that's... not something to get into now.

he relaxes somewhat at the continuation of the subject, finally letting his shoulders sag and he manages to look a little exasperated instead of distraught. ]


She always runs off everywhere and makes me run after her. It's troublesome and really a pain, but...

[ he pauses, because of course that's just a small part of it all, and Xiānzǐ was, instead of a inanimate object like his sword, a warm and welcome comfort. so while he doesn't puff his chest out while he says it, he does sound proud, regardless. ]

But she's mine and she's also the best spirit dog.
jichengren: (068)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-11 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Now that they're sitting comfortably and A-Ling seems to be coming out of his shell a bit, Zixuan withdraws his arm from the boy's shoulders, settling both his hands demurely in his lap. He doesn't fidget or fiddle with anything, but sits still and silent, the way he was trained to do. To be the best representative of the Lanling Jin Sect. For a long time, the only representative, the only recognized heir to his father's seat at the head of the clan. Zixuan wonders how Jin Guangyao is faring, filling the position in his absence. And how will A-Ling fare, when it is his turn? ]

I am glad you have her for... [ Support? No, that's the wrong word. ] ...Companionship.

Do you have any other friends?

[ Please tell him his son isn't spending all his time chasing after a dog and doing nothing else. ]
fairyherder: manhua (7XjIAX1)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ no, where did the arm go... he doesn't tense up, he doesn't tense up, he's just a bratty kid who clearly is asking for too much. his father is the Lan sect heir, there's no reason for him to be overly coddling towards his son, after all. he doesn't want to give that impression so he forces himself to stay the same kind of relaxed, though it's hard, and he focuses on answering his father's questions.

friends... he has friends. Lan Sizhui, Ouyang Zizhen and... even Lan Jingyi though he argues with him all the time. they go on night hunts and they've been through a lot together, so he'd like to think they are his friends, at least. he hopes they are his friends, though he would never ask them that outloud.

but before them, he absolutely spent all his time chasing his dog around and got yelled at by Jiang Cheng. sorry, dad. ]


I guess... I don't know if I'd call them friends, but I know a few juniors from the Lans and Baling.

[ this is embarrassing. he's only known them for a little while, and before this it's not like he had any "friends" who also didn't talk about him behind his back. ]
Edited 2020-05-11 20:24 (UTC)
jichengren: (041)

[personal profile] jichengren 2020-05-11 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Zixuan nods. He wishes A-Ling had the confidence to know whether to call them friends, but... it's not like he had friends when he was A-Ling's age. The person he's always been closest to was Jin Zixun and even then, he didn't like his cousin all that much. There was always the impression between them that Zixun was only spending time with Zixuan to make himself look more important. ]

That's good. The Gusu Lan sect is respectable. I trust they won't lead you astray.

[ Of course, the image he has in his mind of the Lan sect does not include someone like Lan Jingyi, but... oh well. What Zixuan doesn't know can't hurt him. ]

What, um. [ Okay, what do they talk about now. They've covered pets and friends. What's next? Hobbies? ]

How do you like to spend your time, with these other juniors?
fairyherder: manhua (qcYOGS6)

[personal profile] fairyherder 2020-05-11 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he huffs, but he supposes it's not untrue. Sizhui is the smart one, and he likes him the best. Lan Jingyi is annyoing, pompous and self righteous and they bicker all the time. he's not sure he'd call him respectable all the time, but ...he kind of misses the bickering right now. ]

We've been going on night hunts together a lot.

[ ...and a whole lot of other things he's not sure how to breach. ]

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GMAIL NEARLY ATE THIS TAG

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gmail quit that!!

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gmail rude!

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