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eyeshield 21: youichi hiruma

Open! (will match format)

Who: Jin Guangyao and YOU!
When: Throughout Juril
Where: Aefenglom and Wilde
What: Quests, Eclipse, and other hangouts around the city
Warnings: Animal death in Gathering Samples thread, others will be noted if them come up.

Basking Snek

The weather is perfect for Jin Guangyao in his naga form - humid and warm. So beyond his usual spot on the patio at Diplomatea, it's possible to find him in a park, or any other nice sunny spot, just soaking it in. Recent events have been... tiring, so even though the sun's been up for a while now this morning, but Jin Guangyao is still just barely awake, perhaps even napping off and on, upper body resting on his snake coils, with his lidless golden snake eyes still open and staring.

It was little effort to have a weiqi board made and some appropriate white and black stones found, so it is sitting beside him, an open invitation to enjoy a strategic board game. Just... give him a moment to wake back up first.

Or, if a little encouragement is needed, perhaps he's still aware and greets you with a pleasant smile instead, although you might have to pardon him not getting up in a hurry. "Please, feel free to join me," he invites. "Would you care for a game?"

Gathering Samples Quest [but actually testing venom in a civilized manner]

Jin Guangyao doesn't leave the city too often - especially now, when the city is so pleasantly warm and humid, and the Wilde is so cold. But the excuse of leaving to help out a fellow Mirrorbound, beyond the Outer City, is an excellent reason to wander a bit further than he might otherwise. Collecting plants is an innocuous enough task, and he stays well away from patches of Cwyld infection, loathe to touch his unprotected snake body to any ground that might be tainted. No, Jin Guangyao is only looking for manageable trouble, sword out and gleaming, not just from the runes etched along it, but also from the thin sheen of oily fluid down the length of the blade.

What might draw one's attention is some sort of horrible shriek echoing through the forest. Jin Guangyao's golden robes are hardly camouflage, and so the source of the sound is easy to find - it's not him that made the noise, though. The source appears to be a Cwyld-infected stag, its head blackened by the magical infection and twisted into some kind of horrible thing. It has fallen to the ground but is still alive, with a single small cut across one leg that's bleeding furiously in infected black and red. Jin Guangyao keeps his distance from the twisted wildlife, sword still out, but with no intention of coming in to dispatch the creature, only watching with a golden slit-eyed stare.

Night Hunt in the City [Night of the eclipse and lowered inhibitions]

Normally well-kept, neat and perfectly-groomed, Jin Guangyao looks considerably more dishevelled tonight as he slithers slowly down the city streets in the wee hours before the sun rises. His hat is absent, along with his sword, and his hair is mussed. The outer robe he usually wears is missing entirely too, and the whole ensemble unbelted as if thrown on in the greatest of hurries. The lack of belt is probably why he just can't seem to get the collar to lie properly, trying to adjust it as he slides smoothly along the cobblestones.

As much as Jin Guangyao appreciates Lan Xichen's affection, there really are a few other things he'd like to do tonight before he's completely exhausted -- even that restlessness and energy from the full moons only goes so far. His head is lifted a little, and at times his black forked tongue flickers, on the trail of something or someone interesting.

Jin Guangyao's Warm Rock Collection Begins

Speaking of warm weather, Jin Guangyao hasn't consciously realized yet that a new habit is upon him. A stray cobblestone from the street that's fallen out of place is warm from the sun, and just lying there in the street. Even though he already had an armful of ledgers, Jin Guangyao stops to pick it up and just carries it with him as he slithers off without even thinking about it. How much do you care about nagas creating potholes?

[Feel free to hit me up at

nanomachinesson for plotting or other prompt requessssssts!]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

It had seemed easy enough, and Sae was restless enough to want to do something. Even if Xichen had told her once before not to run out beyond the city without him before... This was harmless enough, right? Besides, if she did this and could prove herself capable of doing minor things like this, he’d be impressed, right? And maybe wouldn’t worry so much! Clearly,the perfect plan.

Never mind that she couldn’t fight without any of her old abilities to back her up. She was only gathering a few things and then splitting so it’d be fine.

The shriek makes all the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and she whips her head about, eyes wide as she tries to locate its source. Something like that should have eben an indicator for her to leave, but as she turned to do so, she hesitated. What if it was someone in trouble? She was small, and quick—all Sae had to do was catch a glimpse of the situation and then bolt to get someone who could actually help.

So, basket in hand, she crept along the forest in the direction of the scream. Years of growing up in the woods in the mountain allowed her to move relatively quietly, up until she saw just what beast had caused the noise—and the naga staring it down.

“Oh!”

She gasps in alarm, one hand flying to her mouth, eyes wide. The stag twists to look at her, but can’t seem to summon the will to stand up and charge at her or anything. Sae stares for a moment, before turning the wide-eyed look on Guangyao. “What... What happened to it? Why does it look like that?”

"Is it 'Go'?" His approach is quiet, his question loud, but neither hold any regard for the Naga's light nap.

Hiruma's used his first week to explore, get acclimated as much as he'll allow himself to, and do some studying on the nature of the place. It isn't a walk in the park, but this should've been; he left the barracks' temporary quarters to finally take a moment to himself, deciding on a grassy stroll. Naturally he'd find a half-man coiled up on the ground in that time, still a wary distance away when he finally stops to assess him.

And the board game.

"The game, I mean. Looks like something I've played, but I'm a world away from where the name'd strike anyone as familiar. So, I thought it'd be wiser to ask."

The fight is rapidly leaving the creature, in fact. Its legs twitch once more, but it then lays its head down on the ground.

Jin Guangyao's dead-eyed snake stare is gone so fast it almost seemed an illusion, as he turns to look at the girl. "Please stay back," he warns, very seriously, with only the utmost in apparent concern. "It's infected with the Cwyld, and very dangerous."

Actually more dangerous is probably the edge of his sword right about now; he didn't expect the effects to be so strong, but then again, he had noticed the color of his venom changing as the months went on. Not that it was a particularly huge help. If anyone was quite literally poisoned, he was well aware he'd be the first suspect there too. But it was better to know now than in the heat of the moment, when he'd tried hypnotizing Nie Huaisang.

He slides across the forest floor to put himself protectively between the girl and the beast. Once he sees it's actually dead, then he'll be satisfied.

The voice trickles though Jin Guangyao's light snooze and, consciousness returning, he shifts on his tired coils to be a little more upright and take in this newcomer.

"Hmm? We call it 'weiqi' where I am from. Perhaps the rules are the same? You're welcome to sit here and play a game with me if you wish. I find it's a pleasant way to spend the early morning hours." It's really not early at all, by his old standards. But waking up runs on a different timeline when you're a snake.

Her gaze shifts from him to the beast, watching it with a peculiar expression as the life fades from it. Her face grows blank, considering. How many times had she watched life fade from the eyes of the people spirited away into her village? If it wasn’t her cutting them down it had been the Kusabi and for a moment all she can see is the rivers of blood and the screams echoing in her ears.

It should distress her, maybe, or at least scare her. Instead it’s just...fascinating. This was a new type of death to her and her basket hangs limply from her fingers as she takes a step closer to Guangyao to peer around him at the stag. “The infection killed it?” She whispers it in a reverent sort of tone, like if she speaks too loudly the stag will remember it’s supposed to be fighting for its life.

The basket slips to the ground and startles her out of her trance, swooping down to snatch it up again and hugging it to her chest. Her brow furrows and she hesitates, looking at it, Guangyao, and then away again in shame. “That’s what it does...?”

That... That was a snake alright. A really big snake and one that Leanne has never seen before! Leanne goes to fold her wings close to herself as she approaches the sleeping naga. It was when she was closer that she noticed that he didn't have any eye lids. Okay, that was a little weird. It was then that she notices the board and pieces and tilts her head at it. Was it... Sometype of game? That would mean that perhaps this man was sometype of Laguz.

"What is that, my lord?" She spoke softly, unsure if the man before her is awake or asleep.

Jin Guangyao's slow in propping himself up, which paves the way for a languorous mood; Hiruma's been seeking one for the better part of the day. It's why he so boldly takes a seat when it's offered to him, legs crossing loosely beneath him so he may lean forward over the board. The pieces are similar.

Clever fingers begin to check them one by one, admiring the small rocks and the care taken to find similar ones.

"'Weiqi', then. Sure, I'd play." Now, time for a bit of posturing, an eyebrow raising when his lopsided smirk seems to bump it higher. "I hope you're very, very good, because I never lose when it comes to strategy games. Especially if the rules are similar... but how do you figure it's still morning? Can't you see where the sun's at?"

Can a snake stretch? The answer appears to be yes, as Jin Guangyao rises, serpentine, enough from the pile of coils to stretch out the meter or so of tail right under his human torso before settling back down, the whole long snake tail repositioning under him for comfort.

"It's easy to lose track of time when the day is so pleasant," he lies easily, adding humbly, "I am hardly so skilled, but I hope that I can give you a few moments of entertainment. I'm known as Lianfang-zun, or Jin Guangyao if you're the less formal sort." Which he guesses this fellow is, from the looks of him. "And you must be one of the new Mirrorbound? I can't say I've seen your face around Haven before."

Jin Guangyao watches too. He can 'smell' the heat coming from it, see the blackness of Cwyld corruption still upon its flesh even if it has stopped moving entirely; in the city, his more serpentine senses are a distraction, but out here at the edge of the wilderness, the advantages are immediately apparent.

He's still wary, but it seems like he can allow himself to be distracted a little. It wouldn't be good if exactly what he was testing out came back to the ears of those that were familiar with him.

"It's a terrible thing," he says sadly, shifting his coils and holding one arm out to his side a little, as much trying to block her line of sight with the loose drape of his robes as much as 'protect' her. He risks a glance back at the girl. "One such as yourself shouldn't have to see such dreadful sights. But... surely, you aren't out here alone, are you?"

Sae can’t help but feel a bit dazed, as she often did when death brushed too close to her. Had it died in agony, in pain? Or had it felt nothing letting its life slip away? She blinks slowly and turns a quiet look on Guangyao, his expression looking immediately guilty. She was one who’d never had to hide her emotions before and therefore had never learned how, all of them playing easily on her face. She’d never had to worry about harm coming to her, nor had she ever had to learn or be warned against trusting strangers, so there’s no resistance against just telling him plainly.

“...I didn’t want to bother anyone...” Sae mutters, hugging the basket to her and looking away with a sulking sort of expression. “And it’s fine... It’s just death. It happens to everyone eventually.”

But her attention returns to his clothes, reaching out boldly to take one sleeve and look at it curiously. “This is... Do you know Wuxian-nii, or Xichen-nii? This looks like the kind of things they wear...”

Of all his time here, Viren's yet to encounter a Naga. At least, not a Mirrorbound Naga (of which, the Mirrobound in particular tend to be drawn to this establishment), if that is indeed the identity of this guest resting upon DiplomaTea's porch. The warmth of the greeting, almost rivaling the pleasant weather that had also drawn Viren outside, initially gives him pause.

Reptilian eyes narrow, and he readjusts the stack of books clutched against his chest. He makes his way over to an open table, drops a few of the items against its surface. It's then he replies (but doesn't properly answer, alas), turning back to the Naga with a reluctant curiosity,

"Who're you?"

"Lianfang-zun, more commonly known as Jin Guangyao," he replies pleasantly, warming his real hand (the other is a bronze prosthetic) on his teacup. Look, his table has a very nice sunbeam, and he's just here to soak up as much of it as possible, snake half in a very loose sort of pile up and around the chair to brace himself into place without expending any actual effort.

The pleasantness isn't even faked today, even if he is rather tired. Life has its... complications, but some things aren't so bad either.

"What of yourself? I don't believe we've met properly before," he remarks, sparing a half-moment's glance for the books he was carrying. Another Mirrorbound, presumably, given the place's clientele -- which was simply another good reason to frequent the place. It was always good to get to get acquainted with the others, for various reasons.

Edited 2020-07-08 00:54 (UTC)

He's slow to awaken, gaze refocusing on the person before him and giving a pleasant smile, about to pen his mouth to greet her... before he notices the wings, and that smile freezes on his face for a second, his snake body almost instinctively sliding into a big spiral coil around himself, a defensive position.

"What i-- ah, I'm sorry," his words don't come so easily in that first moment, a chill of fear running through already cold blood at the sight of those feathers.

It's ridiculous. Not as if she has claws to swoop from the skies and attack him. She's simply out to say hello on a pleasant day. But that feeling lingers still.

"Just a small board game. I was waiting for someone to come by, but it seems they've lost track of the time," he lies easily.

Caught between catching up with his observations and paying attention to the girl and her rather unfortunately accurate thought, the small tug on his sleeve and those very familiar names draw his attention more clearly. The heat from the injected stag is starting to fade, and with it, the signs of the infection, that blackness, melts away from its corpse.

"Xichen is a very good friend of mine," he says kindly, if seriously. "But Wei Wuxian... how did you encounter him?"

Viren now more properly slides into his seat. His own table doesn't have quite the radiant sunbeam that Jin Guangyao has to himself, he notes to himself with a tug of a frown. Even so, with a roll of his shoulders, he already finds himself relaxing somewhat with the warmth.

"... Jin Guangyao."

Foreign as Naga are to Viren, he doesn't allow his gaze to linger too obnoxiously long. He delicately sets out a quill and parchment, flipping open one of his books to a nondescript page.

"Viren," comes his answer. Ah, he wishes his designation as a Lord still held some relevance here. "My title here is 'Manager,' apparently. A pleasure to meet you."

Emerald eyes blink as she sees that movement to almost get into the defensive position and the forced politeness.

"My apologies, my lord. I didn't mean to frighten you." She goes to speak in the most gentle tone of voice she can possibly come up with.

A part of her chuckles inwardly at the thought that such a laguz would be scared of a heron. She keeps her wings tucked as close to herself as possible to try and hide them from him.

"What is the game called if I may be so bold as to ask. I promise I won't take up much more of your time."

There’s something in how he asks that that immediately sets her on edge. Her focus switches to him completely, frowning in concern.

“He...He helped me out. The first time, in that dream, he carried me to somewhere safe. When we met up again, he said I could stay with him and Lan Wangji...” She trails off uncertainly, tilting her head in a quiet, ‘why do you ask?’

"You mean when you sleep it all away like that?" Counters Hiruma, who's inclined to believe the lie when it seems like a logical conclusion to come to, though the dubious stare is at the humility Jin Guangyao shows when it comes to weiqi.

Bullshit. An old man—by Hiruma's standards, which means anyone who looks older than he does—sitting in a park with a game board is guaranteed to be adept at it. That's just the law of the land.

"You're right, though, I just arrived with the last bunch of suckers. It's too fucking bad, huh, scales?" Looks like he's even more irreverent than initially thought, 'less formal' an understatement, but the way his hand's outstretched for Jin Guangyao to shake, in a very Western-minded fashion, suggests he has some tact. "You must be Chinese, with names like that. Unless you being from Earth's too bold of me to assume. Where do you come from?"

Edited 2020-07-09 18:44 (UTC)

Assume there's a brief moment of fumbling here, because a western-style handshake is entirely unfamiliar, and Jin Guangyao's closest analogue is the clasp of forearms as a handshake between the people of this city. He's willing to extend himself to whatever polite customs others have, even if Hiruma is... hardly polite, overall. 'Scales', is it? Thanks, he hates it.

"Lanling city," he replies easily. What are places outside the realms of various sects and petty mortal nobility? It's a mystery. "If it is 'Earth', it must be a very different one the ones others comes from, I think. Are you so dissatisfied with your arrival here, young... ah, it seems I've forgotten your name already, my apologies."

Not that Hiruma actually gave it, but it's a nice enough way to remind him by putting the blame on Jin Guangyao himself.

Listen, even if his war-won title of Lianfang-zun isn't so relevant, Jin Guangyao is hanging on to every scrap of gentrification he has for the sake of his image -- especially now, after some thoughts on the underground city and his visit there with his Bonded.

"Likewise, Manager Viren." His usual sensitivity to how others look at him is eased a little when it appears to be only curiosity. He's used to his own displeasure with the long serpentine body, but certain newly-arrived relatives' shock and disgust has been a reminder of just how bad it can be, when he hasn't been lulled into a sense of security by this city's familiarity with 'Monsters'.

"If you are too busy with your work, don't let me distract you. I am only curious, though - is it so common to only go by a single name, in your homelands? I thought it an oddity at first, but the more of my fellow Mirrorbound I encounter, the more common it seems. Should I begin to call myself simply Guangyao?" Jin Guangyao can't decide if this is horrifying or amusing -- certainly everyone else from his world would look askance at that degree of familiarity from simply everyone.

He is so welcome, and blessed to have such a cute nickname. An awkward handshake and his first move aside, taking the opportunity to let a black rock 'clack' forward on the board, he's more than happy to introduce himself: "It's Hiruma."

Checking out the patterns of Jin Guangyao's snake tail, wondering what species he's supposed to be. It could be a foreign, magical kind, so the question isn't posed.

"Never heard of Lanling city, so maybe you're right. Or maybe I need to brush up on my geography. Shouldn't you be dissatisfied you were forced to leave your home, or are you one of the idiots who actually enjoys being kidnapped and winds up relating to their captors? That's called 'Stockholm syndrome' where I come from."

A wink.

Edited 2020-07-10 19:27 (UTC)

Jin Guangyao sheathes his sword and -- well, he hardly needs to crouch, only coil downwards on his snake body to put himself closer to her level. There isn't exactly anyone about, who might overhear silver-tongued words and suspect ill. And Jin Guangyao is in a practical frame of mind, considering just how he might use others against those he hates.

"I know he seems like a very nice fellow, and I'm glad to hear that he helped you. Perhaps... ah, perhaps there's a chance that you aren't in so much danger then," he replies, 'obviously' worried. Just look at how concerned he seems about this development. Truly, Wei Wuxian must be someone terrible, right?

"Hmm?" Jin Guangyao fakes distraction by the questioning as he lays his first piece down in response. "I haven't heard of such a thing before. I'm afraid there really is little left for me in my home; I would assuredly be dead were it not for the mirror that pulled me through. So I can't help but have some fondness for this place," he replies sweetly. Fondness is not really the word, but he is grateful for life, at least. "I suppose were my position different, I might not be so pleased, it's true. If you don't mind indulging my curiosity, what were your circumstances before being pulled through?"

As they take turns, the initial few strategic placements of stones makes it obvious that Hiruma's assumption is correct and Jin Guangyao is not exactly a novice.

He can still see the wings curled up, but he hates his own animalistic instinctive response as much as the sight of those feathers.

"Weiqi," he offers, smoothing down his voice, trying to relax the tight coil of his body. It's only the snake part of him that's afraid, and he refuses to accept it, the idea of being ruled so thoroughly by monstrous urges. "No, no, it's... quite all right. I was only surprised I should not have drifted off, but it is such a pleasant day."

He can't quite bring himself to suggest a game though.

It’s not that Sae didn’t notice he was a naga, of course, but the movement brings it back to her attention and she watches him in a sort of startled fascinating. It’s a little— weird, maybe. Not gross—she wouldn’t be so mean as to call it that—but definitely unsettling. Her eyes travel the length of his more snake half and then back up to his face, resisting the temptation to reach out and touch him. That seems like it’d be a little rude, you know?

Besides, how is she supposed to resist bait that hangs that temptingly in front of her? “What do you mean?” Sae’s brow furrows a little and she frowns. While she’s reasonably sure he can’t be that bad... Well, she doesn’t have anything to go by other than how he’s treated her so far. Wasn’t that enough? But even then...She is curious...

"It's simply that..." Jin Guangyao hesitates again. "You should be very careful around him and his partner, Lan Wangji. I know I shouldn't hold it against him, for it was in our other lives, before we came here. But he has killed so many people. I know, he looks very sweet, but you should understand, that at times, he simply isn't in control of himself."

He bites his lip, as if he's already said too much. "But please, I mention this only for your safety. If he suspected that I had said anything, I hate to think what would happen."

Her eyes widen a little and then she looks down at the basket and the ground, considering this carefully. “...But why... Did he kill them?”

Because that’s the important part here, isn’t it? Her fingers curl tighter into the basket, frowning sharply. “I don’t think I’ve met anyone here whose hands are very clean. So what’s ‘safe’ anymore...?” She sighs, sounding tired more than anything.

His voice is speaking and acting so much differently than his body. She, should leave soon so she won't scare him. Just a few more pleasant exchanges.

"I don't believe I have heard of it." She goes to coo, smiling before forcing out a chuckle. "It is a pleasant day... A nap would be rather lovely to have."

She won't bring up the idea to play a game of it though.

"How long have you been here, my lord?" She asks quietly as she goes now to fidget with a lock of hair. Seeing that he wasn't human did made her feel more at ease but she wasn't going to sacrifice his comfort, at least not for long.

"You can't go back?" A statement more than a question, wondering if it's like that for many others. If it is, that poses a problem. Will people band together to help find routes home, or will they boycott the missions out of fear of returning?

"My circumstances are ordinary. I ran through a normal day's routine before winding up here, so it's not especially important to note." Hiruma, while he may be studying Jin Guangyao's moves on the board, is more intent on watching him. And placing his own pieces, his style of play is aggressive, a constant, methodical attack on the enemy. "Have you met people like you in this place? People who'd be dead if it weren't for the mirrors' imposition?"

Losing one of his own rocks, he offers it up to Jin Guangyao with a smirk.

"At least three others, certainly," Jin Guangyao remarks lightly, though the fact that those people at least should have stayed dead still rankles, to various degrees. Though he's certain it's strange to look at, he shifts around to rest the human half better. arms propped up on a coiled length of tail.

"May I ask what is ordinary for you? I'm sure we would both consider different things to be ordinary," even from looking at the style of dress alone, Hiruma must come from a rather different place. Jin Guangyao hasn't spared any thought at all to the idea of returning, entirely off the plate as far as he's concerned. But with the idea brought to the discussion, he can't help but add, "I'm sorry to hear that it isn't such an intriguing change of scenery for some. I suppose there are those, back where you are from, who you miss terribly."

The question earns a raise of an eyebrow. His fingers linger over the open page of his book, yet to remove his hand from obscuring the words; caught in the conversation, it seems Viren doesn't plan on immediately diving in, just yet.

"We have other methods of tracing lineage. Though I would think that having a prominent... alternative name, would certainly make it easier to immediately discern who belongs to which family." A pause. "But titles, places of origin, the like — tend to be descriptive enough. For example, I would be Lord Viren, High Mage of the Kingdom of Katolis."

Ah. There we go. To be correct, former high mage, former lord. But if anyone hadn't heard of his full name and title, or still couldn't make the proper connections - then he surmises they might just be beyond help.

"... And, that depends," he answers, cautiously. Naming conventions, he's also learned, tend to have different meanings among the Mirrorbound. "What calling you simply Guangyao might imply to others of your world."

"It would be quite familiar," Jin Guangyao admits with a light laugh. "As if we were brethren, and while I would say we Mirrorbound do share a connection, I'm not certain we all are that close."

"Still, even if it's not so relevant to those here, I'm surprised that so many would simply discard their titles from days before falling through a mirror. You're not the first person I've met who had other titles of nobility that they decided not to mention on first introduction. Is settling with 'Manager' more to your liking, then?"

[Volunteering to help here and there looks good for both the Mirrorbound and himself, and Jin Guangyao doesn't mind animals as long as they're not in the way of more important matters. Trying to corral a bunch of teleporting little beasts seems like a hopeless task, so he's settled for luring them to him; even as he stretches his long snake body up against a tall shelf to pick a little calico kitten off the top shelf, the tip of his tail waggles in little back and forth movements; several sets of kitten eyes are fixed on it flicking back and forth.

Hearing another volunteer come in, he calls pleasantly before he turns around:]

Did you bring some more toys? These little fellows certainly are rambunctious.

Edited 2020-07-22 19:18 (UTC)

[With an armful of small, soft toys tipped with bells and tassels, the little cats are blinking in and out of her feet, trying to climb her skirts with needle-sharp claws. She doesn't trip, but it's a close thing. Keeping her feet under her is distracting enough that she doesn't notice who exactly the naga volunteer is until she's already in the room, in fact; his upper body was too high up for her to catch with her gaze fixed on the kittens.]

There were some left, but they said the kittens have hidden most-- oh!

[....... Hello, brother-in-law.]

[It's a bit of an odd picture, to see him slip down to a normal height, kitten in his arms and batting at one of ties for his hat. There's a flicker of hesitation, there only if one is looking for it, before he greets her with a small smile. If she's been told much of anything by now, well, there's no way he can do much about that -- or at least much more than he's done already, to tell both her and Zixuan that he's leaving those things in the past.]

Ah, I wondered when I might see some familiar faces once again. What a pleasure it is indeed. I assume you must be settled already then, to offer your own generous help to these people?

[One of the watching kittens finally pounces and grabs into his tail with wee little teeth and claws. But thick scales and skin really make it hardly more than a firm touch, and he keeps wiggling it ever so slightly to keep the critter engaged.]

[She's looking for it, but that's not particular to him. Still, she can't quite bring herself to smile back. Fortunately, there's still a kitten doing its level best to climb her, and she can look down to untangle it, and keep her expression and tone light.]

With so much help, we were settled before we knew it. [It's easier to watch the kitten currently attempting to maul his tail. She loosens her grip on her own charge, and in a blink it's joined the others in their hunt.

Well, she might remain unsure about him, but she can at least rescue his tail. She kneels easily, and starts pairing kittens to toys, luring them away from the tempting target.] Have you been busy?

I'm glad to hear it.

[Expression duly noted; he's not exactly happy about things either, when it comes to most people from his world. But what other choice does he have than to tolerate it, the way things are right now?]

There are always many things to be done, between work and Council duties. [And time spent with Xichen, but that certainly isn't going to be mentioned.] But I've never minded taking some time out of my schedule to help the citizens here. I feel fortunate that I arrived after the Mirrorbound had become more well known and trusted here -- and people are very kind here overall, don't you think?

[The kitten gets tired of patting around that string and poofs right out of his arms the moment he isn't looking. Letting out a soft sigh, he glances around the room, looking for where it might have gone off to.]

[Not having the opportunity to look around now she's close enough to the ground to count as a Lap, she just holds up one of the unclaimed toys for him to use. Her knees are now a staging ground for a second attack on Jin Guangyao, so she might as well equip him for it.]

Kind, yes. And welcoming. [It makes a nice change; she was almost dizzy with it for a while, like she was back in the tents of the campaigns. The feeling of understanding beyond ranks and borders. Her smile returns, a natural consequence of a pleasant enough conversation and fond recollections.] I understand a little of what you said, about being able to start anew.

[He takes it, a few bits of feather on a string, and tries luring one of the other fuzzballs into a leap and mad dash across the floor after the arcing plaything. His tail is hardly safe from kitten pounces, but he'll survive. It's another good little distraction.]

Do you?

[Is his very mild reply, questioning. With no crimes to have held against her, and no scorn and contempt from others watching her every move? Or simply acceptance of his own words, in light of whatever she'd been told by now.]

"Ah." Aloud, this time. Viren shuffles slightly in his seat, his noise scrunching briefly. "Right. 'Jin Guangyao' would be preferable, then."

His tail coils nearer to his chair's legs. If Viren were honest, his flippancy toward others' titles, and thus his own in an attempted show of humility, had been rooted in his own bitterness surrounding the circumstances the current status of title. Why should he respect others', here? If he were to meet a King, he would bristle at the thought of calling them such. He doesn't verbalize these thoughts, naturally.

"It wasn't a decision made without consideration behind it," he begins, his mouth pressing into a line. "'Manager' Viren, or 'Lord' Viren - if you are insistent, I can't say I have a strong preference."

More of an outright lie, here; he would very much appreciate the use of his defunct title.

"I can't say I'm familiar with what Lianfang-zun means."

Jin Guangyao has a pretty good sense for people, and if both are offered with a title at hand, well. It's quite obvious which is the better one between the two, isn't it? If someone were to call themselves a king or emperor that might be a bit much, but there's nothing wrong with placing oneself at least at the level of local aristocrats, surely.

"Lord Viren," he smiles, testing it out, golden snake eyes keeping watch for the reaction. "I think it would come out rather like... Lord of Hidden Fragrance, perhaps. Such titles are often given for meritorious deeds or other matters of fame in my world. It was a rather long time ago, but in my youth I was rather foolhardy and slipped into an enemy fortress during the war... ah, well, it is a rather long story. Indeed, perhaps not so relevant to people here either, but I have some fondness for a few things of the world left behind I suppose."

Foolhardy... more like desperate. But this isn't the first time he's revelled in that feeling of truly starting afresh here. Even recounting a few details of his past, they are only what he shares; the circumstances of his birth are unknown to all, and the disrespect from that completely absent. The only complication being some individuals from his world, but so far, they've been at least publicly silent on the issue.

[Scorn and contempt come in different shades; his low birth combined with his prodigious talents made him a target. Her high birth and connections along with her mediocrity caused their own problems. But she doesn't care to compare.

In good faith, she nods.]

To live beyond the reach of the cultivation world... I hadn't imagined it.

I'm not certain I could say that entirely.

[He replies with the same even tone, perhaps a mild resignation. Those familiar faces including some not insignificant grudges against him. Even if not the same degree of pressure from all sides, it was felt especially keenly from some specific directions.]

After all, there are a surprising number of familiar faces here as well.

Jin Guangyao does receive a reaction; just a slight glimmer over the dark, slitted pupils of his eyes, barely perceptible, and a hardening of his mouth. Viren is very much someone that revels in his title (traitorously laments that it could be something more, in his darker, more secretive moments), thinks he's thoroughly earned it. Someone using it on their own accord, here, affords him just a sliver of validation.

But, following this, he squints - the Naga's short summary of the tale is just like a teasing premise to a novel; as such, it does further catch his curiosity.

"It does sound like it," he agrees. Long story, indeed. "Because surely, there is something more meritorious to this venture, rather than just slipping into an enemy fortress."

I find that... [ She hesitates, partly to get her thoughts together, and partly because two kittens have just fallen into a clumsy, squalling fight that involves as much flash-stepping as a fight between two immortal swordmasters. She watches them for a good few seconds, smiling helplessly, before she shakes her head, and gives him an apologetic look for the interruption.]

-- That is, I suppose I prefer to deal with individuals, rather than sects. Ah, for example, I never had the chance to meet Zewu-jun outside of gatherings, and now we're working at a bakery together...

Oh? [Jin Guangyao seems momentarily surprised, stopping mid-dangle of feathery toy midair. It's only momentary though, and his response is blandly polite, with so many conversational minefields in the discussion of former sects and the past.] Well, he has taken up a variety of new interests of late.

I take it my brother and your son are settling in well by now too? I've hardly spoken to either since their arrival.

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Gathering samples

basking snek 👀

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Basking snake!

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basking snek

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gr8 question jgy tbh

look he's been running into it a lot lately and having some thoughts

For Jiang Yanli -- Blink and Miss 'Em quest

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