bang! crash! the lightning flashed!! -- that's another story, nevermind, anyway!

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin sweeps along the shores of the lake, glowering. This is not his beloved Lotus Pier. These waters are cold, foreign, uninviting. Clearly there's been some trap: he's been distracted by duty in this hunt, and when he followed the slight tug in his chest, he ended up getting pulled into unfamiliar territory.

No matter. He draws himself to full height, letting cool arrogance slip down his shoulders and suffuse him. Sandu is naked in one hand; Zidian crackles in the other. He can handle whatever monsters may arrive.

Comments

[wickedwit]

Claudius sees a man bristling with hostile energy and weapons drawn, and his instinct is to go in the other direction. Unless the man is attractive. There's a reason why he let Enjolras show him how to shoot a musket. He just has to be at his most disarming, starting with a bow -- one closer to Lan Wangji's when he still respected the Peak Lord than the bows of Claudius's own court. "Well, welcome," he says. As he rises, he considers how thick he'd like to lay this on. "It's always a pleasure to meet a capable-looking man. Where might you be from?"

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin, who is still bristlingly furious that some golden-haired child disarmed him through some foul trickery and then conspired to allow Lan Wangji whisk him and Wei Wuxian away, bristles at the interruption and then feels rather like he put his foot down expecting another step only to find himself on the top of a stair at the rest of what this man says.

He has manners, sometimes. He bows in return, though his scowl does not fade. "Yunmeng."

[wickedwit]

"Yunmeng ... yes, I believe I've heard the name." If Claudius were more detached, he might pretend a distant recollection, or say something vague and consolatory about Lotus Pier. But in the context of Lan Wangji sharing something deeply private -- the story of how Wei Wuxian lost his core -- it feels wrong to use the knowledge for a social game. "Quite a different world from this mansion between worlds, I'm sure," he says, employing a different sort of vagueness. "I'd love to hear more about it."

[qingxinling]

"What the fuck have Wei Wuxian and/or Lan Wangji said about Yunmeng," Jiang Wanyin says, immediately on the defensive.

[wickedwit]

Claudius smiles with faint amusement. "Very little. As I understand it, Lotus Pier was Wei Wuxian's home for a time. Was it yours, as well?" There's times when Claudius's mind works too quickly, before he's bothered to have the full conversation -- but it does occur to him that the mansion only brings people who figure in stories, and a new arrival's likely to be connected. Wei Wuxian has what Crowley would call main character energy.

[qingxinling]

"It still fucking is," Jiang Wanyin snaps, itchy at the mention of Wei Wuxian's childhood. "I am the Yunmeng Jiang Sect Leader, Jiang Wanyin."

[wickedwit]

Well, that's several connections made. Claudius has the grace not to say oh, you're the cruel and grasping child in the guise of a sect leader with the personality of a rotting loquat. Or oh, I bet the only reason you're still a sect leader is because of the excruciating pain Wei Wuxian through to give you his golden core with no expectation of thanks of recognition! "Well, what an unexpected honor," he says instead. "I'm Claudius. I'm from a world without cultivation sects, so it's all quite new to me -- but it only takes a glance to see your cultivation is impressive."

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin crosses his arms. "Oh yeah?" he asks. "How the fuck would you know, then?"

The thing is... it's not a rude question! He's genuinely curious about how someone utterly unfamiliar with cultivation might judge such things! But the way the question comes out... well. That's another matter altogether.

[wickedwit]

"Well," Claudius says in measured, friendly tones, "keeping in mind that I am a world without cultivation sects, and therefore without spiritual weapons ... you've not put down your spiritual weapon since we started talking. I imagine that takes some skill to wield." It's crackling with purple lightning. It looks extraordinarily magical.

[qingxinling]

Slightly mollified, Jiang Wanyin makes Zidian crackle extra-hard with a burst of spiritual energy. Then he puts it away. "You know something about cultivation," he allows. Especially for a guy who claims to be from a world without it.

[wickedwit]

Claudius gives a smile of look, now we're talking like civilized people who don't walk around with weapons drawn. "I only like to learn about the people I meet," he says modestly. "When I know how much discipline a path like cultivation takes, I can better admire it. I'm sure you have many more admirable qualities for me to learn about, Jiang Wanyin."

[qingxinling]

Well, he's fucking filial, for one, unlike some people he could name. "What the fuck do you mean by that?" he demands.

[wickedwit]

Claudius reflects again on how well-suited Lan Wangji is to the art of composing burn books -- moreso than Claudius himself. Truly, there has never been a man more like a rotten loquat. In looks, fair-faced and appealing; in conversation, coarse and charmless.

A shame, but there's still some entertainment to be had. "The men of Yunmeng are bold, I see. Do you want to hear me say it?" His smile turns flirtatious as he takes Jiang Wanyin's arm. "I mean," he says, "I'm interested in you."

[qingxinling]

"I'm no cut-sleeve," Jiang Wanyin says, immediately. He stumbles over his words a little; his tongue feels weirdly thick in his mouth? Anyway, it doesn't count, with the Chief Cultivator, because the Chief Cultivator always dresses like a woman when they... whatever... and never asks Jiang Wanyin to look at or touch his prick, no matter what Jiang Wanyin... whatever!! He's no cut-sleeve. Obviously.

[wickedwit]

Claudius continues leaning on his arm, and smooths a hand down the sleeve of his robe. “I see thou art well-attired,” he says, rather than ask any clarifying question. He’ll ask Lan Wangji later what cut-sleeve means. “As befits a leader of his sect. A man who dresses with skill, they say¹, can show his skill in other ways.”

¹ Who says that, Claudius? Did you say that?

[qingxinling]

"You really don't like to get to the point, do you," Jiang Wanyin observes. He's decided to hell with politeness. It's not like he's going to stay here; he doesn't need to make any charade of diplomacy.

[wickedwit]

"You really are bold," Claudius says with a grin. Though as far as he's concerned, that's one of the more polite things Jiang Wanyin has said -- it's a true observation that Claudius is willfully twisting for the sake of provocation. "But if it's what thou wouldst prefer, I can tell thee a well-dressed man is a pleasure to watch undress. Or is that not pointed enough for thee? Wouldst thou have me whisper in thy ear all the things I'd do to thee after dispensing with thy fine raiment?"

[qingxinling]

"I don't know why the fuck you're talking like that," Jiang Wanyin says, feeling very much like he's the butt of some joke somewhere. Maybe Wei Wuxian has been doing nefarious things around here? Why else would a short guy with offensively short hair be saying things Nie Huaisang might when -- never mind!! "I told you I'm not a fucking cut-sleeve." He takes a step closer, trying to look menacing; the effect may seem more like a disgruntled pampered cat whose paw landed in a puddle.

[wickedwit]

"Ay, and so I admired thy attire. Thou must be hungry for flattery." As Jiang Wanyin steps closer, Claudius closes the distance, insinuating himself against Jiang Wanyin's chest and caressing the collar of his robe. "Or art thou impatient?"

[qingxinling]

How the fuck could an obvious cut-sleeve not know what a cut-sleeve is? "What--" he says, frozen in shock.

[wickedwit]

His fingers catch in Jiang Wanyin's collar and pull his face down, and he's not quite ungentlemanly enough to kiss Jiang Wanyin on the lips for a jest. But he comes very near to it, with a lingering kiss to his cheek.

[qingxinling]

And Jiang Wanyin bluescreens!

[wickedwit]

An excellent reaction, and one Claudius smiles broadly at. “What, where is thy boldness?” he teases. “Art shy now?” He sighs and steps back, after patting Jiang Wanyin’s chest. “A shame, but it happens even to the best of us.”

[qingxinling]

"I'm not fucking shy," Jiang Wanyin blusters, once he pulls himself together a tiny bit. He takes three long steps back from Claudius. "What. Kind of custom is that."

[wickedwit]

"Oh, poor innocent!" Claudius lets his eyes grow wide. "Hast thou never had a kiss, Jiang Wanyin? My apologies. A gentleman should never trifle with maidenly hearts."