world menace society

Indie Xue Yang Kuizhou Era DNI if under 18

[alurkingdisaster]

                                                                               𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚡𝚞𝚎 𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚐

                                                                                                   . . . 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢

𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚛𝚙 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝟷𝟹 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚡𝚞𝚎 𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚋𝚢 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍  𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚎.

[alurkingdisaster]

coffinseas​:

                             “I would if I could,” Granny replied passively, yet it was clear, despite her unchanging expression, that she was pleasantly amused. Even though she was a proud woman who would never admit to such things, she had been pretty lonely.

“I’m gonna run circles around you, you little squirt,” Laogege called out from the back, re-emerging a few moments later with a clinking coin purse. “He shows me no respect at all. Thinks I’m his grandfather instead of his brother.”

Except if he really thought that, maybe Xiaoming would actually respect him…

Nah, probably not. 

Patting himself down to make sure he had everything he needed, he turned to the old woman and bowed his head. She met his eye for only a moment before shrugging. 

“I’ll be back with materials soon and bring this guy over by the end of the week,” he spoke up, silently placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder to get him to say thank you, or goodbye, or anything. “Thanks for letting us use the kitchen.”

“Don’t forget to paint the sign outside.”

“I won’t.” 

Turning to leave, he looked over his shoulder at the woman and her surroundings and added, “And don’t close the windows again if you’re not going to light a lantern!”

Granny merely grumbled for him to get out of her hair, and he soon found himself in the fog once more. 

The boy could only laugh at Laogege's retort, toying with the minor temptation of taking up calling his big bro 'gramps,' a hell of the older man's own making, but... Nah. That guy was Laogege now until he found out his proper name, and even then he'd still probably be Laogege. It was too late to make the change. It would just sound weird!

A hand on his shoulder got a look up at his alleged brother before he returned his attention to Granny, to whom his own farewell consisted of a simple cheery-toned truth: "It was nice meeting you, auntie." 'Thank you' wasn't exactly part of his active vocabulary, and what point was there in a good-bye if it wouldn't be his last time seeing the old woman?

When all was said and done the boy waved at Granny before turning to tag along after his big bro. He paused for a quick moment upon exiting back outside to take stock of where they were, exactly, intent to begin to memorize the way there and back; to get to know his own way around, in other words. If he was going to be spending any amount of time there, it'd be for the best.

"She's nice," was what he had to say about her, once they were on their way to - where-ever they were going next. Back to the coffin home, if he had to guess. "A bit strange looking," he added, in a roundabout attempt to know why that was.

If they'd been living in the same town for however long, then surely Laogege knew?

And it brought him back around to an earlier curiosity of his: "Why do you two live in separate houses?" 'If you're worried about her falling over' and 'doesn't it get lonely' both possible additions left un-added.

[alurkingdisaster]

xunque​:

Mei Xun merely giggled again at the threat. It was hard to bring someone like him down when there wasn’t an actual issue present; he had a surprising ability to turn situations around and stay afloat during things that would normally dampen the mood.

That didn’t mean things didn’t get to him here and there, though. He was just currently too happy to let any of that break through. 

Even while walking backwards, he knew there were only so many detours he could take them on while trying to get to his destination, and with the conversation taking a turn towards planning future meetings, the more he wanted to get the delivery out of the way and focus on assigning objects to locations. It sounded like so much fun! Not just that: now he was also wracking his brain for some nice fish recipes to prepare for his new friend. Fanciful stories aside, he couldn’t just give raw fish to someone with the body of a human, especially if he had no means to cook it himself. 

It would be fun to try out a new recipe. He’d not cooked too much fish before, preferring red meat himself, and the challenge was definitely part of the adventure. 

If he caught the lingering suspicion, the unspoken ‘but’ in Xue Yang’s voice, he ignored it.

“My good friend wouldn’t steal from me when I’m offering him free food,” Mei Xun replied sweetly, turning himself back around to face the road properly. The houses on this street were small, but had sizable, if barren, courtyards. “Besides, it would be nice to look out the window and see you walking by sometime.”

Realizing he’d overdone it with the questions, Mei Xun tapped on his own cheek as he thought of what to ask… Coming up with an entirely different question in the process. “Hmm… Your birthday!” 

'Good friend,' huh?... Huh. They were friends, he supposed, weren't they--they were on good terms; knew each other's names; had plans in the works to meet up again... When had that happened?

Pointless puzzles aside - it wasn't worth thinking about too much - Xue Yang gave a short laugh. "It would be dumb of me if I did," he agreed; such a thing would be running the risk of coming out at a loss, especially if he got caught red-handed. And, taking his most recent fuck up into consideration, he wasn't feeling up to pressing his already minimal luck. "And I guess I'll be walking by your place a lot, won't I?" To set up whatever sign or object was relevant for that day or time, and to remove it when it was no longer where he'd be, and whatnot...

... Had Mei Xun intended that? How clever, if so!

While he waited for Mei Xun to settle on one question, Xue Yang turned his attention to where they were, and what they were passing by, not yet spotting anything worth taking note of for a second 'visit' later in the day or early evening; and when the other boy asked his single question, the little thief had to actually give it some thought. He had a birthday, everyone did, but what day that was, specifically... Well.

"It's some time between the sixth or seventh month," was as close as he could guess. "I think," because he wasn't quite sure. It had been some time warm, at least, was all he could remember about it, but it hadn't exactly been the most important thing in his life to keep track of.

"When's yours?"

[alurkingdisaster]

littleblindmaidenz​:

She says nothing as he puts more distance between the two of them—it’s really not a surprise to her, at all, that he wants to avoid it, that’s half the reason she swings it a lot of the time—but does roll her eyes again as he kicks at the dirt. “Manners might get you somewhere,” she says to him with a scrunch of her nose. “Sometimes they can be useful, and make people wanna help you out more; you’d know that if you’d ever tried it.

“Besides, what’s so curious about my eyes, anyhow?” She asks on, shaking her head. “They’re really not so odd, they’re just eyes, and you compared them to a granny’s, so you must have seen them before. They can’t be so odd just because they’re on me, so I really don’t get you.”

She grins, though, at his reaction to her calling him “small”; if there’s anything about her, it’s that she likes to find people’s buttons, pressing on them if she feels she needs to. It’s mostly for her own amusement, and sometimes just because there’s certain people she likes to bother, but either way, it’s a nugget of information she can tuck away for later. Just in case, of course.

“‘Offer to show me around,’” she continues on, however, repeating after him. Really, she’d half expected the offer and half not, so she’s unsure of what she should say to it. It could be that he’s serious about it, and it could be that he’s not. If he’s serious, then what he says next could very much be someone he knows, or even himself, so she takes a moment to finally glance at the rest of him. He’s as much a street urchin as she, that much is obvious, but he also looks like he doesn’t have anything to him, either. It sets off an alarm in her head, especially with the way he’s talking; What’s he planning? She thinks, flexing the fingers that are around her pole. It’s an action made out of her indecision, though, and nothing else.

“If you don’t own this street, why would you show me around?” She questions him, raising an eyebrow; it’s better for her to seem confused that he’s offered rather than anything else. “And who’s this scary guy you’re talking about? No one’s walked by but some people looking to buy things from the market vendors, and none of them are scary-looking at all. I bet you’re just trying to trick me, to make me scared and go away! There probably isn’t anyone at all who’ll mug me; and even if he did, he’d get nothing outta me anyway! Just like you said, you can see for yourself, I’ve got nothing at all to take!”

She doesn’t feel the need to say anything about his last statement, because she thinks it’s likely made just because he’s doing just as she says he is, so again, something he’s said goes ignored. If it is true, though, and he’s not really yanking her chain, then it wouldn’t really bother her much, anyway; she’s quick on her feet, and confident enough about it that she’s not too scared about getting into too much trouble of that nature. And even if she does get caught, then more often than not, people don’t think to take her pole from her when they try to grab her (which is odd, she’d think more people would, but as she knows they think it’s just an aid for her and not just something she carries around to act like it is, she suspects that their willingness to think she’s too weak to do anything with it gets in the way of that). She swings it enough, especially with enough force, and anyone’ll leave her alone, thinking she isn’t worth the trouble.

At the girl's continued talk of manners he just huffs, stubborn and annoyed. All manners had gotten him, when he'd still bothered with them, was grief--but whatever. What would she know? She probably just got lucky that her manners hadn't gotten her any problems instead of whatever good things she'd gotten that had her espousing their merits so much.

"You're not much older than me," he muttered, opting to do some ignoring-of-things of his own. Granny Eyes could learn her own life lessons when her manners came back to bite her in the ass. It would happen, his childborn cynicism had him sure of it. Maybe he'd even be around to see it! "So you having eyes like that is weird." Hey, he wasn't a doctor--he didn't know the difference between cataracts and coloration.

When she went on to question him, his motives, the truthfulness of his story, the boy listed his head to one side, clucked his tongue. So, she wasn't stupid... It was a good thing she had nothing on her worth trying to mug her for. Chances were she'd catch on to him relatively quick, and he didn't fancy the thought of catching that pole with his noggin. Not that it'd probably feel like much, but the resulting headache would get annoying - but it's for that reason that he's annoyed, anyway. The only thing she had that he could take was her time, something to entertain himself with; whether or not it was worth grasping for rather than, say, continuing on to pursue some merchant's goods, was up to his stomach. And since he wasn't particularly hungry, he wasn't just going to give up and move along in the face of her challenges.

"Why d'you think he'd be walking around in plain sight? And why would someone have to own a place to be able to show someone around? I don't own anything but what I've got on me but I'd still be able to show you around one of the local manors." Granted, he said that last thing just loud enough for her to hear, and with a snicker at the end of it. "What're you doing here, anyway," he went on to ask, finally looking away from the girl to look down the street one way, then the other, because for all he knew she was waiting there for someone and that someone might recognize him as 'that pest always harassing the merchants' or something and that wouldn't be great. "If you aren't selling anything, or if you've already sold everything. It can't be much fun, just standing at a corner like this."

[alurkingdisaster]

xunque​:

Mei Xun wanted to say that he didn’t really have all that much free time to go looking for someone who didn’t want to be found, but he was both too worried of scaring Xue Yang off and too excited about his cat story to do so. They could surely figure something out; he was no mastermind, but he liked to think of himself as resourceful, at least.

His eyes continued to shine like tiny suns, and it was most likely plain as day to see that it didn’t really matter if the story was true or not, he was going to act as if it were anyhow. 

He nodded with a little giggle and put a finger to his lips. “I won’t tell a soul! It’ll be our little secret. I wouldn’t want to share something so special, anyhow. I want to keep it all to myself.”

Sighing softly, he held onto his basket a little tighter. “It must be wonderful to be a cat. Getting to go wherever you want, sleeping wherever your body drops… Should I give you some fresh fish the next time I see you?”

He skipped a few steps ahead and turned to walk backwards, not eager to end their time together but rather feeling restless and attempting to combat it. “Sure I did, but there’s certainly more to tell! What do you like to do when you’re not stealing? Do you have a favorite season? How old are you?”

Of course, these were too many questions, and there were other things to focus on, such as what Xue Yang himself had brought up, which was something he very much wanted to solve, too. What use was having a friend if he could never see him?

“A-Yang, I don’t think that’s going to work too well,” he admitted. “I don’t have… Well, I mean… As fun as a treasure hunt sounds every time I want to see you, I can only stay out of the house on my own for so long. I wouldn’t want to waste more time than I have to trying to find you. Oh, but-!”

If he left the pebbles or sticks by his house, that would save him running around town! 

“If we assign each part of town to an object, you can leave those by my house and spare me the trouble!” He grinned. “You’d just need to stay put until I got there.” 

Though he wasn’t sure a drifter like Xue Yang would want to stay in one designated place for too long… 

"Good! Just know that if you do tell, I'll know."

And... Huh. Even though it'd just been a dumb little story, the way the other boy whimsically unpacked it all it still described his state of being with surprising accuracy. He indeed got to go wherever he wanted (or, well, wherever he could make it to without keeling over from lack of food and-or water) and provided it wasn't in someone's way or liable to put him in danger by virtue of a lack of awareness he could, pretty much, sleep anywhere. In essence, he might as well be a cat, but at least as a human he could defend himself from stray dogs a bit better than the average stray cat.

Musings aside, the offer of fresh fish was met with a nod and a, "Yeah, that'd be nice," tinged, instinctually, with some small, slow-cadenced suspicion. What's the catch: words on the very tip of his tongue to ask. There was always a catch--other than, in that case, the fish. Though--looking ahead at the other boy as Mei Xun did his skips and backwards-walking (Xue Yang stayed attentive to what was ahead of them, in case a head's up about some obstacle or incoming person was needed)--he didn't look or generally strike him as the sort to hide 'buts' or 'only ifs' up his sleeves. He'd paid off that lady, given him an apple - which he took another bite out of while being inundated with questions - and hadn't really asked for anything in return yet.

Then again, he could also be charming and nice when it suited him.

Putting his paranoia and the other boy’s questions aside for a moment, he considered Mei Xun's alteration to his proposal. It'd be way more convenient for both parties. Mei Xun who wouldn't have to look for any signs, and for himself, who wouldn't have to remember where he left the signs to go back and get rid of them when he moved on.

"You'll be entrusting a thief with the location of your house, though," he pointed out, a little smirk on his face. "Not that I make it a habit to sneak into people's homes, it's too risky. But if you're fine with that, it'll work."

Now, those questions!... Geez, Mei Xun had a lot of those, didn't he? Xue Yang, after taking a very short moment to consider which to answer first, eventually decided to cheat a little, instead: "Anyway... Out of everything, what do you want to know the most?"

[alurkingdisaster]

coffinseas​:

                                          Laogege knew he had lost this round. He calmed himself down and let his hand drop again, nodding in acceptance of his defeat. If Xiaoming thought he could make some mannequins worth selling, he wasn’t going to defy him, and especially not in front of the woman who had suggested it in the first place. 

               Besides, it was probably true. They were crafty types.

“Alright, alright. You wanna learn to cook and make mannequins? I won’t stop you. We could both use the help,” he nodded towards the old woman, who nodded lightly in return.  “Just don’t bite off more than you can chew, little guy. I can’t teach you what you really want if you’re tired.”

This was light ribbing, of course, but Granny wasn’t having it. She let out a ‘hmph!’ and set down her needle. 

“How could he be tired!? He’s in the prime of his life. Show a little faith in this brother of yours.”

Xue Yang (sr) couldn’t help but wonder if she’d had actual grandchildren. If so, they were long gone, but he had the feeling they would’ve enjoyed hanging out with her, even if she would’ve most certainly worked them to the bone.

Maybe Xiaoming reminded her of them.

“He’d better not turn out to be a lazybones with how much faith you’re putting in him,” he teased, heading through the doorway to reach the money box. “We’ll be out of your hair soon.”

Granny merely grumbled, resuming her task once more, even as her eyes focused on the youth. He truly was the spitting image of his older brother. 

Once more Granny beat him to the punch, even as he bristled and puffed himself up in preparation to completely and utterly dismiss Laogege's worries about his constitution--and, once again, he completely agreed with the lady! He wasn't about to let her alone defend his youthful honor, though. He had things he wanted to say, too!

Namely, when his 'older bro' went to retrieve the needed funds: "Auntie already knows me better! I can do those things and more and still have the energy to learn! Just because you're old and tired doesn't mean we're all old and tired." Teasing was a two-way street; he was more than happy to dish out what he received.

"Right, Auntie?" He turned a smile upon the old woman, doing his best to be as charming as he could be. "Even you could probably run circles around Laogege if you wanted to."

Alright, he didn't really believe a word that just came outta his mouth. The old gal looked like she'd crumble to dust any moment, her bones probably had the same give as dry twigs - but all of that aside, it was still a funny thing to imagine.

[alurkingdisaster]

littleblindmaidenz​:

“If I hit any ‘poor boy’ with my pole, it’s because he’s earned it,” She says with a very pointed two taps of the pole on the ground, the action clearly showing her exasperation; children these days! Really, where does he even get off, calling her “Granny Eyes”, of all insults?! It’s not even that bad (if only a little annoying!!). “Especially if he comes up behind me and waves his hand in my face, I’ll make sure to whack’im good!” She makes good on such a threat by swinging it around; he’s already moved away, what is it if he moves away a bit more? She knows how to control it enough to not hit anyone she isn’t actually aiming for, anyway. 

“And of course I can see with my eyes,” she continues on, “I was born with them this way! But so what if I couldn’t; are you insulting the blind, or are you just being mean? In fact, don’t even answer that, because you probably are, anyway, which means you’re a rude kid! A rude kid for sure, surely raised with no manners at all! What’s your deal, you really make me so mad!”

She’d have given another harrumph and turned away, thoroughly done with the conversation, were this any other person, but there’s something in her that tells her keep talking, keep going, keep the ball rolling, so she deigns it fine to answer to his other questions. Besides, he seems well enough like someone who’ll at least keep her company for the moment, even if it’s not the best, and she can’t help but to want that; there’s an odd feeling of loneliness, deep in her chest, that she hasn’t been able to shake just yet. Since he seems so keen to keep next to her for the time being, why not try and give him a reason to? It’s not like she has to dig deep to conjure up her irritation, so she may as well; she’s never not been one easy to rile up, after all.

With a tilt of her head and narrowing of her eyes, she once again continues on, “And what d’you care, if I’ve got anything to sell or if I’m new here? Maybe I already sold everything I had, and maybe you’ve just never seen me before. Do you own this street, is that why you’re asking me that? You’re so small, I don’t think you do, so I’ll stand here all day if I want!”

She deliberately doesn’t rise to his last statement, however, choosing to ignore it altogether; it’s similar to one she’d heard once before, and with what she’d just been thinking about—or, rather, who—she doesn’t really want to. If there’s any chance at all that, somehow, he is related to that guy, or even just knows him, she doesn’t quite know what she’ll do upon immediately finding that out. Cry, yell, or walk away—they’re all reactions she doesn’t quite want to experience, just yet, because she’s still trying to figure the emotions behind them out. It’s, also, one part because he’s a kid she (maybe, probably) doesn’t know and so shouldn’t deal with any of that from her, and one part because it’ll make everyone around them look their way, and she’ll surely lose her chances of gaining any information. No, instead, she just rolls her eyes, choosing to keep her thoughts about it under wraps for now; if it comes up, then she’ll ask, but she doubts it will, so there’s no reason to bring it up herself.

And that was his cue to put just a smidge more distance between himself and the crazy girl with the pole, though he didn't lose the cheeky grin even a little bit. She was the human equivalent of a firecracker! It was just a pity that, unlike a firecracker, he couldn't light her and throw her at some unsuspecting passer-by! If she exploded her wrath would be consciously directed at the cause of it: him. Fortunately if that came to pass he was light on his feet and knew the place like the back of both somewhat topographically different hands.

He opened his mouth to answer the girl's questions, but snapped it shut again--albeit briefly--when she made her more or less accurate assumption. The scoff when Granny Eyes turned away, he couldn't help. "Manners... Bah! Useless things, where do they get anyone?" The boy kicked at the dirt and stared up at her, contemplating what button to try pushing, next. Should he go for the eyes again? Or try jabbing at her unladylike manner?--nah, she didn't seem the type to give a shit about that one. Then again, he didn't even know the girl's name, but that mattered just as much as manners did; chances were slim that he'd be seeing her much after this encounter unless her parents, had she them, just moved there (and poor them if that were the case).

... When she spoke up again without him having to wheedle her, he hadn't been expecting it. He blinked once, owlishly, then snorted. "I'm not small!," he protested. "And I was just curious, Granny Eyes. Can't a guy be curious about someone he's never seen before? Especially if they've got eyes like you've got? Maybe I was gonna offer to show you around." It wasn't something he'd been going to offer, but now that he thought of it--maybe it'd give him something to do. Other kids, at least, weren't as - annoying, treacherous, dishonest - as adults.

Usually.

"I don't own this street, but I do know there's this guy that likes picking someone to follow and mug once they stupidly decide to go somewhere less crowded," he went on, sombering up a tiny bit. While he was talking loosely about himself, no one needed to know that. "You'd probably end up being a target just 'cause of your eyes. He'd probably bag you and sell you off to some other guy!" That, though, was a complete fabrication; a tall tale additive spun purely to try scaring the girl, because why not?

[alurkingdisaster]

littleblindmaidenz​:

For as relaxed as she’s trying to make herself look at the moment, she’s rather on-guard while standing in her little corner; it was a habit she’d never really let go, much the same as her habit of still tapping her pole along the ground (especially while walking, though she also does it while standing still, just as she’s doing now; she’s not sure if it helps anything, but she’s noticed it at least makes people look her way, which is the first step right now). Just because she’s on-guard, however, doesn’t mean she notices everything; she’s not as talented as a cultivator, so while her spatial awareness is likely better than the average person’s (and she’s well aware she may be tooting her own horn, but what does she care? She’d done this sort of thing for years, death couldn’t take it from her), it’s not the best. And just as well, focusing on children isn’t her main concern; sure, they might know something, but adults were the ones with all the knowledge, right? And certainly, they had way more money than a kid would, so why would she notice a kid right then? Besides, she remembers from her times alone that, at times, the kids on the streets could be meaner than any adult, or at least more bothersome than them—it’s likely for the better that she doesn’t focus on them at all.

It’s for that reason alone, though, that she doesn’t notice that one has walked up behind her until there’s a hand already waving in her face; instead of acting as though she doesn’t see it, though, she scowls and immediately goes to swat it away, even using her pole to do so. “Hey!” She snaps as she turns to face whoever’s behind her, her free hand flying to her hip. As much as she wants, and had been telling herself prior, to keep her wits about her should something happen, having a hand waved in her face has always pissed her off. Even if she couldn’t see it, surely people would know that she could feel the wind such an action would give off, especially at such a close distance! “What’s your problem, you little—!”

She’d planned on continuing into a little rage (if only because she’s never been able to before about this sort of thing before; how unfortunate for this kid to be the first to do it, now that she is), but the moment she looks at who’s behind her, she realizes that she’s seen him somewhere before. It’s something in his face—his features are distinct, his eyes are a very peculiar colour that she’s sure she’s seen before, and overall, there’s something that’s just very familiar. He reminds her of someone she’d known before, someone she’d known for years but had, for many of those years, only known in looks alone, only learning his name later in her life. But, no, it couldn’t be the same person… Surely it’s not him, of all people, right? She asks herself, greatly confused. After all, this kid looks no older than her; hell, he even looks like he’s younger than her by a few years. When she’d first seen the person she’s reminded of, he’d been older than her (though she wasn’t aware of how many years’ difference was between them), so when he’d died, he’d already been an adult. Maybe this was just coincidence, this kid looking like him? That person, he’d once said that he had no parents, but maybe he’d just never mentioned having a sibling or two? Or cousins, even, sometimes cousins looked similar to each other. 

She suppresses the urge to sigh; that seems wrong, the possibility that that person had a family (surely he wouldn’t have forgotten to mention it at some point, right?), and it’s not like she can just ask this kid what the deal really is, so for the moment, she lets it go. There’s no guarantee he’d know, either, she tells herself, which is true. Who knows how much younger this kid is than that guy; there’s a possibility that they have nothing to do with each other at all, too. So, with her scowl coming back to her and giving a strong hmph!, she shakes her head and says, “Don’t you go wavin’ your damn hand in other people’s faces, there ain’t a person alive who likes that! If you’re gonna bother someone, go do it to someone who ain’t busy!”

Oh shit.

He withdrew his hand quickly when she swatted at it with her pole, eyes momentarily wide with his surprise at this startling revelation. Now he was a mite bit jealous, too... She looked the part, but she wasn't, and if that wasn't something one could use to wheedle at the nature of people who pitied others and performed charitable acts to feel oh-so better about themselves then what was?--he didn't think might about the little interlude between annoyed and scowling. For all he knew, she'd been about to sneeze, or came to the realization that her little ruse wouldn't work so well on the people around to witness her little tirade, or - any number of things that it wasn't.

Soon enough he was snickering, stepping back and out of what he hoped was pole-whacking distance--though he only factored in the length of the stick--just-in-case. "Wow, you can see, even with those old-looking eyes? You must be the envy of grannies everywhere," he said, managing to sound genuine in what was most blatantly a taunt. If the words themselves didn't give that away, his chuckles likely did the tale-telling. "And what are you busy with? How busy can someone be, standing around here?" There was a pause wherein he folded his hands behind his back all innocent-like and looked about the ground around her, leaning to the left and right in a dramatic display of trying to find something. "You don't look like you're selling anything," surmised the boy, flicking his eyes back up to hers, grinning like he'd caught her in some sort of lie. She wasn't busy at all!

And even if she was, that wouldn't have been enough to make him leave her be. So far she was coming off like one of the fun ones to annoy, the kind that gave the best reactions to a little inconveniencing. He just had to be weary of that pole in her hands.

"You're new here, right? I haven't seen you before, so you gotta be! What're you here for, Granny Eyes? Have you come to trick poor boys into thinking you're blind so you can whack 'em with your stick?" He hipped his own hands, tutting and making a show of looking disapproving. "To think I fell for it...” Sans the whacking. (So far.) “You're convincing, I'll give you that."

[multeasers]

As she makes her way into this new village, she realizes that, if there’s anything she’s ever hated, it’s not knowing where she is.

Still, she’ll be making the most of the journey; she doesn’t exactly have much choice. Besides, sometimes starting in a new place is a good thing! Even if everything around her in this village is unfamiliar, including the people, that doesn’t mean she can’t find someone who’s willing to help her. And it’s not like she’ll be here forever, either; she’ll just ask a few questions, get a few answers, and then be on her way. It’s not anything new to her, and it’s not like she has to put on any sort of act or face to do it. If she keeps things simple and quick, she can move on to the next place no issues, more than likely. While it would be nice to see a familiar face, she’s not unused to not knowing the people around her, so it’s not like that’s a new concept to her, either. She also doesn’t know how long it’s been since she died; it could have been weeks, months, or even years. Or maybe not long at all! She has no way to tell, though, on her own, so it’s something she’ll have to figure out. Trying to ask anyone might make her seem suspicious, and she doesn’t want to be thrown out of this place too early.

She sighs, quietly, as she walks; maybe she should post up on a corner for a little while, try and beg for some money. Who knows what time it’ll be when she finishes looking around, there could be a possibility that she has to stay in this village. If she has to stay the night, then she’ll have to eat eventually. She’s not overly concerned about finding a bed, though (because while it would, again, be nice, she’s not aware of what the prices for bedding are here, so she’ll probably just look for a deserted building or something), but eating will be good. No sense in traveling on an empty stomach, she’s always said!

Squaring her shoulders, she sets herself up in what she thinks will be a decent place to stand for a little while; This’ll be easier, she thinks to herself, trying to hide her sly little smile of amusement. After all, if people come up to her, instead of her seeking them out, then that means she won’t have to walk around just looking on her own. And if they give her no help in the sense of coin, well, she can look to get information out of them instead. All in all, it’s less work for her in terms of moving, so there’s surely hope yet, for little A-Qing! She’ll be fine; as long as someone comes up to her, anyone at all, then it’ll be a win on her end!

@alurkingdisaster​

[alurkingdisaster]

Another day alive meant another day spent looking for easy pickings and distracted merchants. The boy kept as out-of-sight as one could while among people going about their daily business; in other words, doing naught to bring attention to himself, Xue Yang wandered down familiar streets filled with mostly-familiar faces, hoping the whole time that that familiarity was and would remain relatively one-sided. He liked to think he knew most of the people also cursed to live in that dead-end place: people-watching was one of his (least-unlawful) pass-times, after all! Once you knew a person's usual day-to-day routines, it became all that much easier to take what you wanted from them.

Hence why the weird girl at the corner made him stop and stare and squint. She was new - he'd never seen her before, and he was damn sure of it, considering those eyes of hers. The only people he knew with eyes like that were old, feeble, blind; she wasn't old, she didn't look feeble, but surely at least that third thing still held true? A person didn't just have eyes like that unless there was something wrong with the things, right? And while sure, she didn't look like she had anything on her worth trying to steal...

... 'Be a fucking pest' was also something he liked to do to pass the time! A boy could only take so much boredom in his life before he resorted to doing dumb shit to make it go away for a little while.This was Exhibit A.

He made his approach in a roundabout way, simply going with the current until he could double-back so he'd be somewhat behind her. Out of habit, though he was pretty sure she was blind, he tried to keep out of her approximated peripheries; he also tried to keep his step casual to blend in with other passers-by. At least until he started getting close. Then he tried to be a bit more quiet.

It culminated in notorious delinquent Xue Yang rudely and tactlessly waving a hand in front of the girl's face. And he said... Nothing, of course! Why would he give himself away before he could have his fun at her expense?

[xunque]

Errands are always more fun with a friend!

[alurkingdisaster]

xunque​:

Mei Xun chuckled softly as he looked down at the cobbled streets beneath their feet. If he didn’t have a basket under his arm, he’d be swinging both arms back and forth. 

“I wish I could give you a concrete date, but I don’t know when my next free day will be,” he confessed. “Maybe I could look for you, though?”

He sounded hopeful. Going from stall to stall and garden to garden in search for blue fruit seemed like fun, but leaving the confines of the town walls seemed like even more fun! He’d never had anyone to go adventuring with, and now here Xue Yang was; someone who seemed perfectly suited for adventure. 

It was a dream come true! …So long as he didn’t drive Xue Yang away, anyhow.

“Aah, that’s not far from here,” upon having his question answered, he nodded softly in acknowledgment. Not a second after, though, his eyes were widening. “Wait. What secret?”

In addition to widening, his eyes were now sparkling as he leaned in closer to Xue Yang, as if to get a better look at him; as if to peer into his very soul. Could he be some sort of supernatural being in addition to a cool new friend? That would surely almost be too much for his heart to handle! He was very nearly bouncing in place.

“Are you actually a cat?” He whispered, very nearly sailing past the question he’d been asked. Everything else he’d wanted to ask Xue Yang was now gone.

However, he did reel it in for the sake of politeness, shaking his head as his eyes dimmed just the slightest.

“No, I used to live somewhere else before… Can’t remember it well, though. There were jagged rocks — maybe a mountain?” He looked troubled at the fact he couldn’t quite recall. Still, this was only momentary, as he was soon going back in for the kill. “But back to you!” 

"I try not to be easy to find," he contemplatively mumbled, actually giving thought to the conundrum. While he still planned to keep tabs on the other boy until he considered good things repaid, it wasn't like he'd be stalking Mei Xun every waking moment of the following however many days he'd be in that locale. Maybe, maybe...

Xue Yang tossed his head in a tilt to one side and side-eyed the other kid when the bait he'd laid was taken. He put the conundrum on temporary hold and flashed another toothy grin, leaning in in order to whisper back - albeit much more conspiratorially, "Yeah, you caught me, but don't tell anyone, okay? I only just got here! I haven't even angered any of the merchants all that much yet."

Well. That one lady had been pretty pissed, but Mei Xun bought her off, so things were probably fine on that front so long as he didn't target that old hag again (while her granddaughter was watching). If he learned from his mistakes elsewhere and the one he made that day then it'd be fine.

He re-righted his posture and listened to the answer to his own question; he wasn't exactly well-traveled, so he couldn't weigh in with any fanciful guesses. One quiet, "Huh," later and the other kid had circled back round to being nosy.

"Well, you already figured me out. Mm, but, about that other thing, I think - I could leave you ways to find me," Xue Yang suggested, "Maybe... Signs in the dirt for if I can currently be found somewhere that can be easily erased when I've moved on. Something simple."

Though he stopped, briefly, to consider the very not-dirt path they were on. "... Ah. Arranged sticks might work better," he amended. "Or pebbles."

[alurkingdisaster]

gentlemoon​:

Xingchen followed the other and could sense that he was rather upset. He waited until they were out of reach before he opened his mouth to clear the air between them. “I have money to pay for what you want. There’s no need to steal,” he explained with gentle voice, hoping the other would agree with him.

Xiao Xingchen spotted the extra kepabs that Xue Yang had sneaked with him, sighing softly. “If you wanted more, you could have just said so,” he mumbled and looked down on his bag. He thought about the seller who probably had a family to feed.

It wasn’t right to just take good without paying for them. On the other hand, the boy couldn’t be upset with the other child who just didn’t know it better. Xingchen grew up in a privileged family which always had enough money. Famine was something he had never experienced. He couldn’t couldn’t judge any thief as they were driven by desperation.

Nevertheless, it was the best if he took care of the situation. “I will go back and pay for what you took,” Xingchen decided and looked for his wallet. He was convinced that this was the only good way. He didn’t even consider that the man could let his anger out on him.

The boy in white turned on his heels, intending to make his way back to the market.

Xue Yang only stopped and let go of the other boy once they were a fair distance down the little side-road. He turned his huffy glare upon Xingchen, then, not looking the least bit impressed by the explanation he had to give. There was no agreement to be found. There was no agreement to be had!

Never mind the plethora of things he could have said in response to that explanation. That the other kid was so straight-laced that he had it in his head to go back and pay for the extras...

He scoffed, hipping his kebab-free hand. "I'm not going to wait for you here if you go," he said, blunt as the end of a nail. Though with that said, he made no move to grab the other boy and keep him from going. It was his choice! And if he went, he wouldn't have to share his not-entirely-ill-gotten spoils!

Not that he had to. By all rights he shouldn't. The other boy was a goddamn snitch.

"But, go on. I'm sure you can make it on your own, since you can afford to waste your money. I wonder how long that'll last if you can never find your parents." He smiled, to himself mostly, turning his attention to the kebabs and picking one from the meaty fan splayed out in the hand he held them in. "You know, if some other thief sees you, I bet they'll take everything. Maybe even your life if you start shouting for help. You won't make it to nightfall on your own."

[coffinseas]

have you ever wanted to hold xue yang gentle like hamburger? have you ever wanted to bash his head through a wall? do you wish to torment him for his sins, or watch him grow from them? because you can do all that right here on this blog. 

though the blog follows a somehow-alive-and-swordless xue yang living alone in the ruins of yi city by default, i am open to playing him in the past, and in AUs, and in whatever your little heart desires. we can be super serious or super silly.

join me here on coffinseas and get a xue yang of your choosing delivered directly to your doorstep!

(terms and conditions apply.)

[alurkingdisaster]

coffinseas​:

                                       Laogege was really going to string Xiaoming up by the ankles and leave him out to dry if he ever found out just how much he insisted he was old. He wasn’t old! This was the boy’s future, so he’d better learn to love it!

“Whenever’s convenient,” he echoed, putting a hand to his chin in thought as the other rested on his hip. “Well, I need to gather materials, and I’ll be cooking for two every day now, and…”

In a roundabout way, he was trying to say no time would be convenient from now on, just as a fun little jab. Granny, however, merely smacked her lips a few times and spoke up anew, dismissive of any sass the man might be giving his ‘brother’. 

“Take money from the box. We can start at the end of the week.”

Xue Yang (sr.) blinked a few times and straightened out his posture. The old woman wasn’t even looking in his direction as she spoke! They did feel overly familiar now, in a sense. “Are you sure? There’s plenty of places for me to scavenge. You don’t need to spend money.”

“What else am I using it for?” She clicked her tongue. “It’s more efficient to buy the materials than to go on a ridiculous hunt. You, talk some sense into your gege and tell him you’ll be making back the cost anyhow.”

He had to cover his mouth to prevent laughter from leaving his lips as he turned to look at the boy. Man… He should visit more often. 

That sounded like a whole lot of excuses that could go on and on forever and little Xiaoming had just been about to see whether or not being subjected to a round of puppydog eyes would work on Laogege (besides, he could learn how to cook, too!), but Granny spoke up first. His attention--sans the pout he hadn't quite gotten to--slid over to her.

... Well!

It was great to hear that she had some degree of confidence that he'd be able to make some things worth selling. He couldn't just up and disappoint an old lady, now, could he? So, at her behest, he looked back over to his 'big bro' to accost him with... Words, at least. She'd sort of saved him from having to do any pouting.

Indignantly hipping his hands and puffing his cheeks in slight annoyance, though, was entirely on the table. "Hey, what's so funny? Auntie's right! I can make back the cost and then some!" How difficult could it be to make those mannequins, anyway? Although he didn't know what went into making them, exactly, they didn't look too complicated!

"And!," he went on, lifting his chin in a display of confidence caught like a contagion, "I can learn to cook, too!" That way it couldn't be used as an excuse for things! Hadn't he helped a little just the other night, anyway? It couldn't be difficult to do all of that on his own.

[alurkingdisaster]

coffinseas​:

                             The simplified answer to why both people had their own houses was that each house held significance to said person, but of course, little Xiaoming had no way of knowing that or anything else regarding the two, and it wasn’t exactly easy to bring up, as he well knew.

Poor Laogege could only roll his eyes as he secured the last of his tins into his sleeve. He then rested against the counter as he watched the boy and the old woman interact; there was something pleasant and peaceful about the scene that he didn’t want to put an end to just yet.

“Of course,” Granny replied with a little tut, not stopping her needlework. Though her hands didn’t shake, they were rather stiff, which made her task take time. “Didn’t you read the sign outside?”

“That sign needs some serious work,” Xue Yang (senior) shook his head. “The writing’s all faded.”

“Well then, you should fix it up while your brother here learns the trade,” was Granny’s passive response. “Although I think I’m out of materials.”

They already had plans for the evening, as Xiaoming was sure to remind him, but Laogege figured he could set time aside to go gather more sometime during the week. Pick up some ink while he was at it.

“I’ll handle the materials. When would you like to learn, didi?” Calling his young self didi was amusing at best, but he kept a straight face regardless. 

All Xue Yang (junior) had to say about all the talk of the sign was, quietly, thoughtfully as he tried to recollect what he'd seen on the way in, "There was a sign?" - but, he really hadn't seen it! Granted he also hadn't been looking, more focused on following Laogege or on peering into the darkness of the house while it was still prevalent.

Oh well, it was just a sign. He looked back to the mannequins, pondering the possibilities, as well as the question that his big bro eventually posed.

They did have plans for that... Afternoon, wasn't it? And since Laogege was really up there in years--thirty-two was technically still young sure, but that was still old! Half way to Granny's age, probably! His bones would probably be creaking by then!--that evening probably wouldn't do, either. Seeing as materials apparently had to be figured out, too...

"Mmmmm," he hummed, putting quite a bit of thought into his answer before he ultimately shrugged and flicked his attention once more toward Laogege and half-tossed his hands up in a shrug. "... Whenever's convenient?"

He didn't know how difficult or how easy it would be to get whatever was needed, how long it would take, and he wanted to try to be a little considerate about his elders, still operating under the notion of buttering him--now them--up. What if he said 'tomorrow!' and Laogege threw out his back or displaced his hip gathering things too quickly?

Perish the thought!

--he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from snickering at the thought.

[alurkingdisaster]

xunque​:

“Maybe we can go blue fruit hunting someday? I’m sure there’s bound to be at least one…”

Mei Xun smiled broadly as he took his first steps beside who he hoped would now be a friend, eager to get some answers out of him to expand the knowledge he had of the world. He didn’t care if Xue Yang was a petty thief; with any luck he’d learn just how that came to be, without being horribly insensitive. 

“I’ve never seen anyone with teeth as sharp as yours,” he commented with a cheery glimmer in his eye. Truly nothing could bring him down now. “I like them! They remind me of the cat that hangs out at the pottery.”

This was, as all things were with him, not meant to be taken as offensive. It was merely an observation, and one he found to be endearing. He truly found the boy beside him to be pleasing to the eye, peculiar and exciting all at once.

“Let’s see…” He truly didn’t mind being called A-Xun. Most people did so already, since those he dealt with were usually adults trying to look good in the eyes of his parents. “Oh! Where were you before coming here?”

Taking a turn towards an empty street, he looked over to Xue Yang several times, as if afraid he might just disappear if he took his eye off him for too long. He was careful not to show any concern on his otherwise chipper face.

“Which town, I mean.”

The notion of hunting fruit got a chuckle out of Xue Yang - still, it didn't sound like a terrible idea. It would be a way to spend a day, at least, and if not a blue fruit, maybe they'd find some other thing to snack on.

"Sure," was his quick and easy answer. Didn't even have to think about it long. "Just name a day!" Provided he hadn't been driven away by angry merchants by then...

He slid his visual attention over to Mei Xun when the other boy commented on his teeth; in combination with the question that followed, it almost had him wanting to try and spin the beginnings of a silly tall tale. And, well, why not give into that temptation? It wasn't every day he met up with another kid around his age on civil terms. Usually it was another drifting orphan in situations where truces were temporary and scraps were fought over.

So again he answered easily, "Kuizhou," which was true.

"I was driven out when someone looked too closely at me and discovered my secret," was not entirely true. The sellers at the market looked a bit too close, yes; memorized his appearance and habits a little too much; but there really weren't any secrets to be discovered. His delinquency was clear as day to anyone with the eyes to see it and he was otherwise just a boy.

Fibs aside, he figured he could ask questions, too. "What about you? Or have you always lived here?"

[alurkingdisaster]

What horror trope are you? 

the final girl you're very tired, aren't you? thrashing and fighting and trying to survive– it has taken its toll, but that has not stopped you. you'll continue to gnaw and scream and bare teeth until you can free yourself from this mess, even if it means being the last one left. there is rest at the end of this hard battle, i promise you. there is a time when the fight will be over– but fighting is all you know, isn't it?

Tagged by: no one, I snagged it while trawling through some tags Tagging: anyone who likes doin’ quizzes