⌛ Who: Jiang Cheng, Anakinn Theerapanyakul and YOU ⌛ What: Anything and everything around the kingdoms ⌛ When: January ⌛ Where: Nippon! ⌛ Warnings: Will be listed in subject header as needed
With all the residents of this city and at the party celebrating the start of the new year, seeing a familiar face was a greater relief than Huaisang could have guessed it would be. The more formal and correct greeting wasn't even off-putting. It had been far too long since they were -xiong to one another. While the Nie and Jiang sects were on peaceful terms and even allies after a fashion, there was not the friendship of youth. Being away from home and at the mercy of a rather strict task master could form bonds in ways few other things could.
Though formalities aside, the other sect leader had a look about him that was unfamiliar to Huaisang. And of course he was curious about it's source.
"Jiang-zhongzhu," he greeted back with a salute of his own, his newly returned Shuixian clasped in his hand. "It is good to see you as well. Shall we?" He asked as he gestured towards the interior of the tea house. There was conversation to be had and it wasn't fit for the street and all who might pass by. "I am eager for a quiet corner where we might talk." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Though I suppose there are few who would understand our native language? Or does magic affect that as well?"
He all but threw his hands up as his mind threatened to wander down a winding train of thought that tried to puzzle out how this realm worked.
Yes, right. Tea. The way Huaisang greeted him was like any other day they needed to converse outside of the meetings that the sect leaders held. It was painfully familiar and nostalgic, actually. And bittersweet.
"It is my understanding that the devices they give us allow us to understand others speaking in a different language," Cheng started. "But it's not likely very polite to ask if someone else has them on hand or not." They were seated with Cheng requesting a private booth for them.
They had lots to talk about, some more on Cheng's side, possibly, then on Huaisang's. Once tea and cakes were ordered, he turned to watch Huaisang for a moment. "I take it you have reunited with Mingjue? You're back in the Unclean Realm, then?" Did Huaisang find the room that used to be his? Had it been scrubbed or preserved? Those questions Cheng wasn't certain he should ask.
Huaisang arranged himself comfortably, hands resting in his lap. "I have and that was yet one more surprise upon arriving here. When I was brought here," he paused and glanced away for a moment to make certain the pleasant expression had not slipped, that his eyes gave away nothing he did not want revealed. "Well, I'm sure you understand. Or perhaps, you wouldn't? It would depend on when in your time you were brought here, wouldn't it?"
For all that he appeared fluff minded and with no more sense than the birds he collected, Huaisang did so very much detest being uninformed and at any sort of disadvantage. It had not been easy to convince all and sundry for years and years that he was entirely helpless. Such a charade had required that he be better informed than nearly everyone else. And even then he'd had to learn to think very quickly.
And here he was again, thrown into the thick of things with little to go on and having to think quickly once more.
"Please forgive if this is an intrusive question but at what point in your, er, timeline did you leave Lotus Pier?" The answer would inform Huaisang as to how free he could be with his own history. Though there was every chance that his other self had already revealed all. He barely managed to stifle a sigh of frustration.
Once they were arranged in their little booth and tea was steeping, Cheng considered the question. There was little sense in worrying about old feelings arising as it would only be one-sided. This Huaisang didn't remember being here. And after how things were left, if Huaisang remembered, they wouldn't be having this conversation, anyway.
"I was on my way back home from Guanyin Temple," he started, watching Huaisang. "After the reveal that Gaungyao was your brother's killer. I was caught up there, circling about, never being able to get home--not that there was much to go home to outside of my sect. And then I found myself here. You were here, and Wuxian was here...I think Mingjue and the rest of the Brotherhood was here, too. But in the end, it felt too much like home--not in a good way. Everything I had cultivated and protected was gone, I was the outsider, I didn't have much in the way of a foothold here."
As Jiang Cheng answered his question, Huaisang poured the tea, serving the other man first and then himself. For a man to whom family was everything, Huaisang couldn't imagine the transition to this realm was an easy one to make. Especially directly after the events at the temple. Just one more challenge from the heavens after all the countless ones that came before.
"Finding yourself here must have been quite the shock," Huaisang said with a kind tone without condescension. "What happened after your arrival? How long have you been here?"
Whatever they had become in their world, even if only distant colleagues, he still considered the man who sat across from him a friend. And it was not difficult to be sympathetic to the difficulties he'd had to cope with.
Cheng nodded. "This is my second winter here. I've been here almost a year and a half. I learned that the morals here are more relaxed than what I was used to." Which was saying a lot. To the point where his ears turned a little pink. "Wuxian found work for me with him at the Sakuranbo. We would call it a brothel but it's different. More like an inn with entertainment." Entertainment being held loosely, here.
"I also found that this place enjoys tricking people into situations that are better suited for private areas. You were here before and found me in a...less than compromising position." He wasn't proud of that. And as time passed, had been less than proud of what transpired after. But that wasn't the fault of a person who didn't remember it happening. And it wasn't Huaisang's responsibility to school Cheng's feelings about it, either. So he kept to the facts and used his skills as Sect Leader to keep his emotion away. "It's been a year. A very busy one with details I'm sure would bore you."
Huaisang's gaze fell to the table to between them, seemingly focused on the tea cup in his hands. Ah what had he been up to before this? What had inspired him to trifle with Jiang Wanyin? Silently he cursed that other version of himself and could only wonder at what the motivation had been.
"Did I ..." Huaisang glanced up for a fraction of a moment then back down. "Do I owe you an apology? Granted, I am completely unaware of what happened before and I will not press for details. But it was still me, after a fashion. And, well, I hope I did nothing that would harm our friendship, whatever remains of it from our youth."
He sincerely hoped that he had not taken the over indulgences of this realm and allowed it overwhelm his good sense. Truly, he knew better after the time spent avenging his brother. Unless he had run a little wild after the stress of the last years being lifted from him?
This was what Cheng had been struggling with ever since he agreed to meet up with Huaisang. As much as he wanted an apology…was it worth it? Words were just that. This Huaisang had no memory of what happened. And truthfully, he agreed to meet with Cheng, so that was already an improvement. But what exactly did Cheng want out of this?
His family was essentially dead. He and Wangji never really got along and all that was really left of his world who was ‘alive’ was Huaisang. Cheng didn’t know what the living situation was in the Unclean Realm but he had to assume that Huaisang and Mingjue were living together. As much as Cheng wanted to separate himself from the stagnant past, he also wanted that comforting familiarity. And deep down, he didn’t want Huaisang floundering if he received the same treatment as Cheng did, one day. Instead of blurting out his frustrations, he drank his tea, using the time to formulate a proper response.
“We were lovers, Huaisang.”
Did that admission have less bite to it than Cheng was anticipating? He had no idea. Still, he pressed on, setting his tea cup down. “At least, that’s how I thought of it. It…I don’t believe it was a good match. We wanted different things. And if it still stands, there was a room for me in the Unclean Realm, filled with the elements that made Lotus Pier home. When I left, I took only what I had brought with me initially-and no, I don’t want anything if it hadn’t been destroyed.” That he needed to make clear.
“As for an apology, we both are well aware that it is not the words that hold weight, but actions. The fact that you were willing to meet with me at all is proof that things will be different. And we’re in a tea house, not a room in an inn.” What else did he need to say? Nothing, really. Anything more would result in emotion and things his silvered tongue wanted to use as weapons and to be truthful, that would help no one. So when he finished, his eyes shifted from Huaisang’s face to his tea cup and proceeded to refill it. In hindsight, it was good they weren’t in a tavern. He wouldn’t be using cups for the wine that was offered.
That Huaisang heard anything beyond the initial answer was surprising. He wouldn't have been more surprised than if Jiang Wanyin had reached out and hit him. The rest of the words just added to the sense of overwhelmed confusion Huaisang was experiencing. Lovers? An affair that had turned bitter? What in all the heaven's had he been thinking? Why would he have jeopardized that fragile friendship only to turn around and mistreat Jiang Wanyin? And make no mistake, he took full blame in this. Huaisang knew what he was capable of when it came to dealing with others. He had either been malicious or careless. Either was unforgivable.
There was one thing he could address while he tried to find his feet with the rest of it. "I am unsure if your room is as you left it. Knowing my brother as I do, I doubt he would have done anything to it. So it goes without saying that you are welcome to come back and reclaim anything you wish. Otherwise it will remain as you left it until you give me leave to do elsewise with it." It was only a room after all. Apparently it was the very least he could do to make amends.
Had everything that had happened before been him & his choices and actions and words? Yes, he felt most sincerely that it was, regardless of his memory or lack there of. "Words won't erase what I have done," he went on. "And no, I have no intention of pressing for details. I can easily surmise at least the broad strokes of what must have occurred."
Here Huaisang paused, considering his next words very carefully. "You and others might not hold me responsible for happened before. Perhaps that it is right to some degree. I, however, do carry that responsibility. And so I feel the only proper actions I can offer in lieu of words is keeping to whatever distance you are comfortable with.
"We were friends once. To honor that friendship, I will not do anything harm or upset you going further."
That room meant so much to Cheng-more than he probably should give it, if he were being honest. And in some fashion, it still meant something to him even if he vowed never to look at it or take anything from it again. Too many things were burned or buried or lost to time or broken memories. And while that room had become a cage, towards the end, it was still a part of Lotus Pier. Cheng couldn't dream of having it torn down.
He was quiet for a long moment after Huaisang's offer of distance. It was a devil's offer, he was certain of it, but not that Huaisang was the devil: his own mind could be. He looked up, feeling vulnerable, and choosing not to scowl. "I would still like to be friends. As much as there are several of us here, the fact remains that those who were dead outnumber us living and...You might find as I have that with the passage of time, you might have changed and grown in ways that the others might not understand. And it can be very lonely coming to that realization."
He knew of the loneliness that Jiang Wanyin spoke of. He'd drowned in it when his brother had been taken from him. Mingjue had tried to prepare him for the role of sect leader and he'd fought tooth and nail to avoid it. It was something he wouldn't have to worry about again as he had his brother back.
But what he was hearing was nothing less than a confession. One made without a single shred of Jiang Wanyin's usual blustering anger that had served as his shield for at least as long as Huaisang had known him.
"Finding those that understand us and are supportive is vital if one is to survive what the fates bless us with," Huaisang answered in a gentle tone. "I hope that you have found that for yourself?"
He thought about that question, satisfied that Huaisang agreed to be friends. As much as he came to resent his own feelings, he still admired the man for being patient to avenge his brother's death-something he couldn't do for his own family.
As for finding support, something between pleased and awkward came across his face. "Yes, I think so. I always thought that I would find understanding with people around my own time. They've lead me to ponder if I was the one who was born in the wrong time. They allow me to consider options and make my own choices. That's..." Yes, he will admit that out loud, "extremely seductive. I enjoy being around them."
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jikan_rpg2023-01-01 04:39 pm
Re: Closed to Nie Huaisang
Though formalities aside, the other sect leader had a look about him that was unfamiliar to Huaisang. And of course he was curious about it's source.
"Jiang-zhongzhu," he greeted back with a salute of his own, his newly returned Shuixian clasped in his hand. "It is good to see you as well. Shall we?" He asked as he gestured towards the interior of the tea house. There was conversation to be had and it wasn't fit for the street and all who might pass by. "I am eager for a quiet corner where we might talk." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Though I suppose there are few who would understand our native language? Or does magic affect that as well?"
He all but threw his hands up as his mind threatened to wander down a winding train of thought that tried to puzzle out how this realm worked.
no subject
"It is my understanding that the devices they give us allow us to understand others speaking in a different language," Cheng started. "But it's not likely very polite to ask if someone else has them on hand or not." They were seated with Cheng requesting a private booth for them.
They had lots to talk about, some more on Cheng's side, possibly, then on Huaisang's. Once tea and cakes were ordered, he turned to watch Huaisang for a moment. "I take it you have reunited with Mingjue? You're back in the Unclean Realm, then?" Did Huaisang find the room that used to be his? Had it been scrubbed or preserved? Those questions Cheng wasn't certain he should ask.
no subject
For all that he appeared fluff minded and with no more sense than the birds he collected, Huaisang did so very much detest being uninformed and at any sort of disadvantage. It had not been easy to convince all and sundry for years and years that he was entirely helpless. Such a charade had required that he be better informed than nearly everyone else. And even then he'd had to learn to think very quickly.
And here he was again, thrown into the thick of things with little to go on and having to think quickly once more.
"Please forgive if this is an intrusive question but at what point in your, er, timeline did you leave Lotus Pier?" The answer would inform Huaisang as to how free he could be with his own history. Though there was every chance that his other self had already revealed all. He barely managed to stifle a sigh of frustration.
no subject
"I was on my way back home from Guanyin Temple," he started, watching Huaisang. "After the reveal that Gaungyao was your brother's killer. I was caught up there, circling about, never being able to get home--not that there was much to go home to outside of my sect. And then I found myself here. You were here, and Wuxian was here...I think Mingjue and the rest of the Brotherhood was here, too. But in the end, it felt too much like home--not in a good way. Everything I had cultivated and protected was gone, I was the outsider, I didn't have much in the way of a foothold here."
no subject
"Finding yourself here must have been quite the shock," Huaisang said with a kind tone without condescension. "What happened after your arrival? How long have you been here?"
Whatever they had become in their world, even if only distant colleagues, he still considered the man who sat across from him a friend. And it was not difficult to be sympathetic to the difficulties he'd had to cope with.
no subject
"I also found that this place enjoys tricking people into situations that are better suited for private areas. You were here before and found me in a...less than compromising position." He wasn't proud of that. And as time passed, had been less than proud of what transpired after. But that wasn't the fault of a person who didn't remember it happening. And it wasn't Huaisang's responsibility to school Cheng's feelings about it, either. So he kept to the facts and used his skills as Sect Leader to keep his emotion away. "It's been a year. A very busy one with details I'm sure would bore you."
no subject
"Did I ..." Huaisang glanced up for a fraction of a moment then back down. "Do I owe you an apology? Granted, I am completely unaware of what happened before and I will not press for details. But it was still me, after a fashion. And, well, I hope I did nothing that would harm our friendship, whatever remains of it from our youth."
He sincerely hoped that he had not taken the over indulgences of this realm and allowed it overwhelm his good sense. Truly, he knew better after the time spent avenging his brother. Unless he had run a little wild after the stress of the last years being lifted from him?
no subject
His family was essentially dead. He and Wangji never really got along and all that was really left of his world who was ‘alive’ was Huaisang. Cheng didn’t know what the living situation was in the Unclean Realm but he had to assume that Huaisang and Mingjue were living together. As much as Cheng wanted to separate himself from the stagnant past, he also wanted that comforting familiarity. And deep down, he didn’t want Huaisang floundering if he received the same treatment as Cheng did, one day. Instead of blurting out his frustrations, he drank his tea, using the time to formulate a proper response.
“We were lovers, Huaisang.”
Did that admission have less bite to it than Cheng was anticipating? He had no idea. Still, he pressed on, setting his tea cup down. “At least, that’s how I thought of it. It…I don’t believe it was a good match. We wanted different things. And if it still stands, there was a room for me in the Unclean Realm, filled with the elements that made Lotus Pier home. When I left, I took only what I had brought with me initially-and no, I don’t want anything if it hadn’t been destroyed.” That he needed to make clear.
“As for an apology, we both are well aware that it is not the words that hold weight, but actions. The fact that you were willing to meet with me at all is proof that things will be different. And we’re in a tea house, not a room in an inn.” What else did he need to say? Nothing, really. Anything more would result in emotion and things his silvered tongue wanted to use as weapons and to be truthful, that would help no one. So when he finished, his eyes shifted from Huaisang’s face to his tea cup and proceeded to refill it. In hindsight, it was good they weren’t in a tavern. He wouldn’t be using cups for the wine that was offered.
no subject
There was one thing he could address while he tried to find his feet with the rest of it. "I am unsure if your room is as you left it. Knowing my brother as I do, I doubt he would have done anything to it. So it goes without saying that you are welcome to come back and reclaim anything you wish. Otherwise it will remain as you left it until you give me leave to do elsewise with it." It was only a room after all. Apparently it was the very least he could do to make amends.
Had everything that had happened before been him & his choices and actions and words? Yes, he felt most sincerely that it was, regardless of his memory or lack there of. "Words won't erase what I have done," he went on. "And no, I have no intention of pressing for details. I can easily surmise at least the broad strokes of what must have occurred."
Here Huaisang paused, considering his next words very carefully. "You and others might not hold me responsible for happened before. Perhaps that it is right to some degree. I, however, do carry that responsibility. And so I feel the only proper actions I can offer in lieu of words is keeping to whatever distance you are comfortable with.
"We were friends once. To honor that friendship, I will not do anything harm or upset you going further."
no subject
He was quiet for a long moment after Huaisang's offer of distance. It was a devil's offer, he was certain of it, but not that Huaisang was the devil: his own mind could be. He looked up, feeling vulnerable, and choosing not to scowl. "I would still like to be friends. As much as there are several of us here, the fact remains that those who were dead outnumber us living and...You might find as I have that with the passage of time, you might have changed and grown in ways that the others might not understand. And it can be very lonely coming to that realization."
no subject
He knew of the loneliness that Jiang Wanyin spoke of. He'd drowned in it when his brother had been taken from him. Mingjue had tried to prepare him for the role of sect leader and he'd fought tooth and nail to avoid it. It was something he wouldn't have to worry about again as he had his brother back.
But what he was hearing was nothing less than a confession. One made without a single shred of Jiang Wanyin's usual blustering anger that had served as his shield for at least as long as Huaisang had known him.
"Finding those that understand us and are supportive is vital if one is to survive what the fates bless us with," Huaisang answered in a gentle tone. "I hope that you have found that for yourself?"
no subject
As for finding support, something between pleased and awkward came across his face. "Yes, I think so. I always thought that I would find understanding with people around my own time. They've lead me to ponder if I was the one who was born in the wrong time. They allow me to consider options and make my own choices. That's..." Yes, he will admit that out loud, "extremely seductive. I enjoy being around them."