eastbound inbox.

[lanclan]

inbox for the mirror pendant of 'Average Sighren'.

“Please leave your message and I will attend it as soon as possible.”

Comments

[lanclan]

Ah, how startling for you. Yes, I'll come over and have a drink with you, poor a-Xing.

[wifedup]

I'm at the Jug, come up to the office.

[lanclan]

[ Over he goes! Today in darker blues, giving a nod to the men and women who greet him on his way up to see Wen Kexing in "the office". He knocks but lets himself in, craning around the door. ]

Is there a heap of a former man in here?

[wifedup]

I get so drunk I can't walk once and you're acting like it happens all the time.

( He's pulled a chair around to his side of the desk, a bottle of wine and two cups in front of him. The paperwork he'd been frowning at gets placed on the desk and he pats the chair in welcome. )

Also, I'm unfortunately sober. Come and rectify that with me.

[lanclan]

It was wonderfully dramatic, you must admit.

[ He sits down in the chair, reaching into his sleeve as he does. A bag of nuts is dropped in Wen Kexing's lap. ]

On a scale of one to ten, how did your meeting go?

[wifedup]

Good?

( He sounds like he's asking Lan Xichen, which is silly. But Wen Kexing feels a little out of sorts, unsure of himself. He takes the nuts, tosses the little bag in the palm of his hand to feel the weight, expression thoughtful. )

No, it was good. I'm happy. It's just - ah, I have more to fret about now. You know I'm good at that.

( He opens the wine, fills Lan Xichen's cup first, then his own. )

He's from further along than I am. I think by some months.

[lanclan]

Oh? [ Time discrepancies are so awful. His expression melts into a concerned frown as he watches his best friend stewing. ] And did the extra time lend any ... depth to the relationship you were hoping to work towards?

[ Siiip. ]

[wifedup]

( He makes a noise, knocks the wine back. )

Ah, no? I don't think so anyway. There was a mood. ( And he'd asked, Zhou Zishu had called him his zhiji. He thinks he could be thankful for that. ) He was very drunk. Maybe he'd thought he'd be alone? He was just there, in the tavern. I found him completely by chance.

[lanclan]

Perhaps you should ask him again when he's sober.

[ His heart aches for Wen Kexing's, sympathy pains. ]

[wifedup]

Maybe.

( Thoughtful, turning his cup in between his fingers. )

There are things I need to deal with first. I had pinned my hopes on Ye Baiyi, remember? But he isn't here, and Ah-Xu doesn't have the time. I need to find a healer, and fast. My ... feelings can wait.

[lanclan]

How sick is he?

[wifedup]

He's dying.

( His gaze turns vacant as he refills his cup. )

Before we had time, maybe a year, but he seemed - I don't know. I could be worrying prematurely. Either way he's in pain and if I can find a way to stop that I will. I know Mistress Wen is a physician. Could she be called upon, do you think?

[lanclan]

Mistress Wen is very good.

[ His hand lays on Wen Kexing's arm to offer the support of human contact. ]

A-Xing. Have you considered that even if we heal him here, it may not affect his situation back home?

[wifedup]

If we heal him here, he lives here.

( The desperation finally creeps in, cracking through his words. )

I'll return back to the same time if we get to leave, so I still hold out hope for Ye Baiyi. But who knows how long he'll be here for? It's been months for me, what if he doesn't have that?

[lanclan]

Alright. Alright, I know. I just don't want you to obsess over this and find him gone one day, as my friend Hua Cheng was without warning. We will find a way to help him, together.

[wifedup]

He better not go anywhere. Not without me, at least.

( Darkly, like now Wen Kexing has Zhou Zishu back he'll make it everyone else's problem. He pours another cup, hands steadier than he feels.

And then, a sigh. )

I should have been asking around before now. I just didn't want to hope he might turn up. Wishing for things gets you into trouble, you know.

[lanclan]

We'll figure something out, there are always possibilities. The important thing is that he accepts you. [ Because Wen Kexing has been agonising over it. ] And may come to return your feelings in the future.

[ Gentle verbal prodding! ]

[wifedup]

He accepts me.

( And then, slightly more disbelieving. ) He actually does. I can't believe he's just - 'oh, I knew, I've always known' -, and that's that? Am I really that bad at lying? I lie all the time! Nobody's ever called me out on it before.

( Possibly no one has dared to.

And then, more quietly. ) I don't have to pretend anymore. It feels so strange, like I've taken a step just a shade off, or I've forgotten something. I keep waiting for the other boot to drop.

[lanclan]

A-Xing's lies are harmless, mostly. Why call on them when they are surely there for a reason? That's probably what his reasoning was in the past.

[ It's not as if Xichen believed him to be an innocent, if somewhat spicy, young man with no past behind that sharp wit. ]

[wifedup]

Harmless, ha!

( He shakes his head, almost amused. )

Maybe the two of you are just soft-hearted.

[lanclan]

Perhaps we both took the time to get to know you.

[ Patting him on the knee, he swipes his cup up and takes a long sip. ]

Where is he now? You should be spending your time with him, not panicking over what-ifs with me.

[wifedup]

We're not joined at the hip!

( Actually, if it were up to Wen Kexing they would be. )

And I, unfortunately, have to work. This is a business meeting. ( He angles his cup Lan Xichen's way. ) The ladies always work harder if they've seen your charming face.

[lanclan]

Very true, I'm sure. If this is a business meeting, I'd like to set up a meeting between myself and Zhou Zishu.

[wifedup]

So you can tell him how pathetic I've been? No.

( He's gonna have to run interference. )

[lanclan]

A-Xing, I won't say anything of the sort.

[ Listen to his soft insistence! ]

I promise to only speak highly of you.