sizhui | Inbox for prismatica

Do you want me to pick you up from somewhere, I can come over. I know the town better.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM

I TOOK THE SWORD BACK AND THEN

THERE ARE A LOT OF TALL BUILDINGS WHERE THE HELL AM I

UGH

I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CHROMA TO FLY ON MY SWORD!!

JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE FAIRY AND I WILL FIND IT

UGH!!!!!

Please don't fly if you're low on chroma. I'll stay here. Fairy can find me.

[ He doesn't send another reply, but about twenty minutes later Jin Ling appears, red in the face and clutching not one but two swords as Fairy runs ahead of him, wagging her tail as she bounds up to Sizhui. ]

I should have challenged him on the spot! [ Jin Ling raged by way of greeting as he came up to Sizhui, both swords gripped tightly enough to make his knuckles turn white. ]

Sizhui!! How did he get my father's sword!! Does that mean he's here?? Why did this guy use it to seduce my uncle?? IS MY UNCLE BEWITCHED??

[ Hi. ]

[ Sizhui doesn't tarry much in reaching to hold both of Jin Ling's shoulders. He doesn't try to make Jin Ling let go or even loosen his hold on the swords. Just makes sure there is moonlacing happening, because that will help with a little calm. ]

Young master Jin is here, but I don't think he would be, ah, like that with Sect Leader Jiang. Either of them.

Mm... let's go somewhere warm and private and you can tell me everything and I'm sure Sect Leader Jiang will try to call you.

[ The words 'warm and private' made him flush even harder and he looked quickly away. ]

Exactly!! So someone stole his sword! I should have killed him on the spot.

[ He snarls a little bit. ]

But that's - okay, fine. Just - let's just go.

[ Sizhui manages to swallow the wince almost completely, as well as the words, you don't have to try to kill every thing that surprises you, because that would be unkind.

Instead, he squeezes Jin Ling's shoulders once more, and shifts one hand until it's holding Jin Ling's securely. And yes, he takes him home, but not to the room he shares with Jingyi and Zizhen. Not because there is anything to hide, of course not, but because Jin Ling needs to vent out and that's better done with fewer witnesses.

Instead, he takes him to the room Hanguang-Jun has set aside for Zewu-Jun, knowing it would be empty now. And sets on to making tea because tea... is how he's been taught to deal with things? ]

So when you say seduce... did you see them kissing or something like that?

[ Curiosity...

... but also knowing that Jin Ling won't blurt out the gist of things unless prompted. ]

[ He lets himself be led, fuming the whole way, though he mollifies a little bit thanks to the warm pressure of Sizhui's hand around his own.

He sits down once they're in the room, setting his sword aside as Fairy trots up and sits down next to him, putting her head in his lap.

At the question, he turns beet red. ]

That-- They were--

[ Agh, his face is on fire. ]

He was on top of my uncle! Naked! They were kissing, and my uncle was--

[ He can't even get all the words out and definitely can't look at Sizhui. ]

That sort of thing is only for married people!!

[ Sizhui blinks. Opens his mouth, then closes it. Then stares at the two identical swords. Then opens his mouth again. ]

It, um. I know who your older uncle lives with. [ Because neither of them have made a secret out of it. ] But I do not think he would have this sword.

What? No not - not that Uncle, he--

[ Wait. Wait. His voice raises: ]

Wait are you saying that him and Nie Sect Leader---??

[ Stop making him sidetracked!! ]

I mean my uncle!! The younger one!!

... I... yeah, it's difficult to be able to purchase a house without that.

[ Bluuuuush...

... anyway. ]

Yeah, it's... probably different for the younger one. It... is possible that there was an emergency and one or both of them were low on chroma. That... that will generate a lot of chroma, so in this place there are a lot of things that encourage it.

[ Cool, great, now he and Sizhui can be matching shades of red. ]

He could have told me that he’d married my Uncle. [ Muttered, lowly.

Dammit, why was his heart going so fast? ]

But then why with someone who stole my father’s sword? [ A safer topic than asking Sizhui just how much more chroma something like that would generate. ]

He was tricked, I’m sure of it!!

... well, that is up to them. But if they go back and neither remembers, would they consider it a marriage?

Either way...

The only person who can give you answers is your uncle. Who will probably try to find you, sooner or later.

... sooner.

[ Listen, he's witnessed sect leader Jiang yelling at Jin Ling for taking off without warning. Even if for this young sect leader Jiang, Jin Ling is a novelty, he strongly suspects it will be very similar. Maybe with less yelling but not with less emotion. ]

[ Jin Ling drew his legs up, Fairy’s head moving out of the way as he drew them to his chest, threading his arms around them and holding tight. She made a low noise and tried nuzzling his hand instead. ]

I don’t know. Maybe. To yell at me for interrupting and make me give the sword back.

[ He gripped his knees a little tighter. ]

Why is everyone in this place so nuts? I- I get that moonlacing feels good. Of course it does. It feels really good. [ Ah there was that flush again. ]

But that sort of thing is supposed to feel good back home too, right? And yet people don’t just - all the time —

[ Jin Ling you sweet summer child. ]

... well. It can save a life, which is, I will admit, quite a good reason. But also...

[ Sizhui takes a deep breath and tries to be as calm as he can. These are things that he's considered since coming to this world. And especially since... that network post and the subsequent discussion. ]

If we don't remember what happens here, back home... it's as though as it doesn't matter. So things that are... considered permanent back home may be more... flexible, here? Doing it doesn't mean you have to marry, because tomorrow the other person might be gone, and what would the marriage vows mean? Or if you want to commit to somebody from another world? Tomorrow is not promised.

There is only now, and ... why not take what can be taken?

And also...

I think it can feel very lonely here, for some people. I have Hanguang-jun, and I have you, my friends. And even Zewu-jun, and Senior Wei. But some are... uprooted. Both the feeling good and the connection, however temporary, they might be better than ... emptiness.

[ He didn’t say anything for a while as he digested Sizhui’s words, resting his head on his knees.

After a long moment: ]

... I can understand feeling lonely. [ Quietly. ] Even with so many people here...

[ He trailed off, miserably. Turned his head to look the other way. ]

I want to feel like I’m supposed to be somewhere, but it all feels wrong. I— it’s not that I don’t want my uncle to feel— happy, or—

[ Ugh. ]

Why would he have chosen someone that stole my father’s sword? [ Miserably. ] I know he doesn’t remember, but couldn’t he have figured out how much that would hurt?

[ Sizhui leans a little closer so that their shoulders are definitely touching. Not bumping, but gently brushing against each other. Not alone. ]

I don't know, Jin Ling.

It...

Do you know which one was the one with you, and which one you took from him?

[ ... would it even matter if the swords got mixed up? Would anyone know?

... he's curious. ]

[ He leans back, grateful for the contact.

At the question, though, he pauses - suddenly unsure. He picks them both up, and-

Huh. Yeah, he can. ]

This one's mine. [ He lifted the one in his right hand. ]

The wear patters are different. See? The gold here has been rubbed down a little where my thumb rests a lot of the time. It's still engraved pretty sharply on this one.

[ ... ... ..

nope, apparently he can recognize this and still not put one and two together. ]

[ Sizhui nods, glad that there are differences that Jin Ling can spot, and listens intently, head canted to one side. ]

As though the sword is from before you started using it?

[ Considering the whole complicatedness of when people come from, that doesn't seem too out of the ordinary. For this place. ]

Well that makes sense. There’s no way anyone would be able to steal it from me.

[ A huff.

A sudden revelation!!! ]

The sunshot campaign!! They took his sword, he didn’t have it for months! Those bastar— [ — hrk —

He flushed and looked away. ]

Someone must have taken it then!

[ Sizhui blinks slightly at the way Jin Ling catches himself, before he realizes what he means, and he can't help to soften a little. ]

I... think you're right, though. Those who did that were that. But...

Jin Ling, what if that person who was there took the sword from them to give back to your father? I mean, why else would he just have one sword...

[ Jin Ling frowned. ]

... Maybe.

But then why seduce my uncle!! Did they have an affair in the sunshot campaign?? Why wouldn’t he tell me!!

[ He draws his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them in a huff. ]

Whatever. I can try to make up stories to figure it out all day and it still won’t make sense.

... Jin Ling, do you really think any of the adults would tell us about an affair they had if it wasn't unavoidable? They, um, have to make sure they have our respect and all.

Let's finish the hot chocolate and wait for your uncle to call you, hm?

He should tell me if he has romantic intentions towards someone here, [ He pointed out grumpily, still bracing his knees but glancing down at his hot chocolate.

There was a longer pause, and then: ]

What am I supposed to do if he finds someone here? He already doesn’t know me. Why should he bother thinking of me as family at all? Other than- other than a normal nephew.

...

Jin Ling, I know that your uncle's affection could never be so fickle, and especially not towards you. Even if he doesn't know you yet, you will have his ... regard, and his love. Because you are family, and because you are you.

People can love other people in different ways. The love he has for you won't be diminished if he loves somebody as a partner, it's... it's different, all right? One doesn't take away from the other.

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... maybe we can wrap up this one soon?

Sounds good!

So do explosions.