(no subject)

[alongfallfromgrace]

If someone had told a much younger Wei Wuxian that his main concern for a day of work would be to work out what sort of building material he'd need to create a plot of land that retains enough water to grow, but not so much as to drown young lotus plants...

Well.

He'd ask why you weren't sharing what was obviously some wonderful liquor with him.

But that has been his task of the day. It is, of course, impossible to grow lotus so far from the Yunmeng, but he's gone and promised he can do such a thing. So now there must be lotus here at the Burial Mounds, whether it can be done or not.

One of these days he will learn to stop being so rash.

Not any day soon, however.

Wei Wuxian's 'rooms', such as they are, at the Demon Subdue Palace are in even more disarray than usual, his notes and few acquired books scattered in a mad pile as he tries to conglomerate everything he knows about lotus seeds and plants into a usable whole.

Comments

[alongfallfromgrace]

Alarm bells ring again, more strident than before. Starvation is an unfortunately close companion out here - giving the major clans a reason to invade their peace is something else entirely.

"Wen Ning... where did you go?" It's not an idle question, or one that he intends to get less than a full reckoning over. This is important. If one of the major clans knew there was a fierce corpse wandering their territory, that would be more than enough excuse to come and burn everything down around their ears.

[undead_radish_seller]

"Oh, Wei-gongzi, you don't have to worry," Wen Ning says hurriedly. "Nobody can follow me from there, it's -- it's a place in a completely different realm that I found by accident wandering among the trees. It's -- I wasn't going to talk about it..." he adds, unhappily.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wait, wait... what? A different realm hidden amongst the trees? Wei Wuxian finds himself on his feet, Chenqing in his hand (when did he pull it out of his belt? He does not remember, he'll have to be alarmed about that later). Every instinct he ever learned as a Cultivator is screaming that this could be a trap, could be dangerous, and beyond the mere level of life and death that he's been balancing these last few years.

"And now you will talk about, Wen Ning, I will need a full recounting - nothing left out." He demands firmly.

[undead_radish_seller]

"Wei-gongzi," Wen Ning says unhappily, "these people are very kind and helpful! I was going to Yiling to sell radishes some weeks ago when suddenly there were healthy trees in the wood" -- totally unheard of in the land around the Burial Mounds -- "and I came out at a lake where there was a tavern and a forge and a garden and cats and so many different strange people from many different realms, and the bar counter gave me lots of money for my radishes, and the Lady Sunshine gave me sweets, and there were people with different kinds of magic, and people from the land of Wa, and there were fish in the lake -- I forgot, I brought fish as well! That I caught in the lake there. And I sort of promised the man who gave me the whisky -- Water of life -- he was from the land of Wa as well and gave us all the rice, I said I'd bring little A-Yuan along with me the next time. May I? We can bring you all the chili oil you want."

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian rides out the first wave of terror - at this point, it's almost an old friend, that sudden moment of knowing that you've hit some tipping point and the world will not go back to its smooth path. Think, he has to think, what could this be? There is no natural path from the Burial Mounds to the land of Wa that one fierce corpse, no matter how gifted, could walk in the span of a day.

But the dead...

The dead could travel to another realm. Were supposed to, the drama always came when they did not, when they remained behind, resentful of the life they lost. Could a fierce corpse walk that path? Would the unnatural connection to the body bring him back? Would that mean this food originated in the realm of the dead?

What he wouldn't give for an hour let loose in the library at Gusu. He doesn't have the resources here to answer any of these questions.

But breathe, breathe, leash up again the energy that he knows is taking the opportunity to seethe free, focus.

Lan Qiren would be horrified, Wei Wuxian is sure, if he ever found out that the Lan techniques for mediation were such an important part of the Yiling Patriarch's control. Some day Wei Wuxian must find a way to tell him.

There. There.

He offers Wen Ning a smile he means as warm, but probably comes out much more limp than he'd like, before striding out of his cave. As he walks he bites into the edge of one finger, an old habit started in his youth when he'd always be leaving his cinnabar sticks behind, kept up now that he doesn't have the spiritual strength to power cinnabar anyway. Blood suits his uses now.

[undead_radish_seller]

Something is definitely wrong here!

"Wei-gongzi!" Wen Ning calls at his retreating back before hurrying after him. "Are you upset about it? Do you want me to try and take you there? Find your own chilies?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

Talisman magic - a cheap trick, perhaps, but still within his abilities - will have to do here. He can't stop and wish for other things, other people, that is useless.

Besides.

He's very good with talismans. Even if he is saying so himself.

As he walks, he scribbles out the pattern for protection on his palm with his own blood, as overt as he can make it, as clean as he can make it with the tools he has available.

A few dashing steps has him at the roof of the Demon Subdue Palace, where he can get a clear view of the four corners of their tiny realm. Just as well it is tiny today - he simply doesn't have the resources to defend a larger space. The motions to fling the protection talisman to the anchor points he'd long ago decided on in each cardinal direction are long-ingrained, the red flare of the sigils sharp as they snap into place.

He pauses to breathe, and watch the protection take hold, and focus on not toppling off to his death. That'd be embarrassing.

Finally he jumps down in a more controlled fashion, dusting off his hands.

"It's... it's fine, Wen Ning." It's not quite a lie, but not strictly the truth. He smiles anyway, clapping Wen Ning's shoulder. "But please, do not take the living among such paths."

[undead_radish_seller]

"The living?" Wen Ning says. "Oh no, it's not a place of the dead! These people are as alive as you or me -- no, wrong, they're as alive as jiejjie or little A-Yuan. Even the dead people are alive again in there."

Pause.

"But if you'd rather, I'll go alone again next time. And bring you seed potatoes. My friend from the land of Wa will understand that you'd rather not have me bring A-Yuan there."

He hopes.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"That's good." Wei Wuxian sighs, rueful, "I don't know what else we'd have here to appease him."

It's not exactly a land brimming over with milk and honey, after all.

Still. No real harm done, he supposes.

"Still, I should go play Requiescat, to keep the peace."

And just try not to think about how the last time he played it, it was as a duet.

[undead_radish_seller]

"Here, or there?"

There is nothing to lay to rest, here, except the usual resentful energy, of course.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian laughs, short and rueful.

"I'm not quite ready to walk those paths, Wen Ning." He does not fear death, but he is not actively courting it either, despite what anyone might say. "Go, you should make sure A-Yuan hasn't stuffed himself silly with those treats."

[undead_radish_seller]

"He's probably tried to give the rest away to the aunties and uncles," Wen Ning says, shaking his head. "He wants to make sure everybody is happy."

Pause.

"I could cook for everybody tonight? There is enough fish for once. And hot sauce for you if you find the fish too tame?"

Then everybody can be happy for once, and Wei-gongzi will see all the good coming from that strange place, and hopefully worry less.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Aaaah, yes, that would be good, thank you." At this point there's precious little reason to bother trying to stop anyone from eating food from this mysterious place - it can hardly be less troublesome than food grown from a land full of corpses. Besides, the damage is done - what good will worrying do?

"Let me know when it is ready?"

[undead_radish_seller]

"Oh yes, I will," Wen Ning promises. "I'll go right ahead, after I try and separate A-Yuan from the rest of his Killer Zebras and Chocoholias."

The last is just a meaningless sound, reproduced as well as he can.

"That's what she calls her sweets."

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian chokes on air, spinning back to grab Wen Ning's robes.

"Killer?" He demands, harshly.

[undead_radish_seller]

"It's a joke!" Wen Ning yelps. "The name is a joke! Wei-gongzi! It's just black and white sweets!"

[alongfallfromgrace]

After a long, assessing stare, Wei Wuxian nods, and releases Wen Ning with an almost apologetic pat. Almost. His heart is still hammering away in his chest like it is trying to escape - he'll manage a better apology later.

"A poor joke." Wei Wuxian agrees, taking a step back. "And one that does not bear repeating."

[undead_radish_seller]

Wen Ning almost argues that it's not his fault what the Lady Sunshine names her sweets, but he thinks the better of it before the first word leaves his mouth. Wei-gongzi is upset enough as it is.

"Erm, I'll go and cook, then," he says instead.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Yes." Wei Wuxian is glad the point isn't argued - names have power, if not the grand dramatic power of many things in their world. "Give me a shout when there's supper." He gives Chenqing a spin, the red tassel whipping around in a whirl.

[undead_radish_seller]

"I will," Wen Ning says, nodding briefly instead of bowing, and then he hurries off without naming any more names, powerful or otherwise.

That went -- moderately -- well.

[alongfallfromgrace]

It isn't long before the first haunting notes of Requiescat soar out over the compound, echoing from the perch Wei Wuxian has found. Maybe it's a bit over-protective, but...

Nothing wrong with a little over-abundance of caution.