prompt post | Wei Wuxian x Luo Binghe requested by @commandertired
"Oh hey, it's you." The demonic cultivator stands among the destruction of corpses, staring over at Luo Binghe curiously. His dark hair is an artistic mess, whipping around him. He has a flute loose in his hands and a curious tilt to his lips as he stares at the demon emperor.
Luo Binghe considers the man, wary. He straightens his posture and folds his hands behind his back. He lets his qi roll out of him in a wave as he casually begins to walk in a predatory circle around the cultivator.
"How interesting," the demonic cultivator says, and Luo Binghe doesn't know if it is mostly to himself or to him. "Paired cultivation techniques of demonic and spiritual qi. You use them interchangeably." There was a brilliance in his eyes that prevented Luo Binghe from simply launching across the battlefield and ending this man's life.
That brilliance made him far more cautious than when he initially came across a hoard of wandering corpses.
Word of the "corpse army" had caught Luo Binghe's attention. Either the "army" was exaggerated, or the demonic cultivator was hiding more corpses. He wasn't quite sure how he wanted this meeting to go yet. As he circled the cultivator, the cultivator turned so that his back was never to him.
"I think I knew that," the cultivator continued, "from before. I just wasn't really paying attention. It's hard to really be aware when you're not really all there. But hey, I have a golden core now too!" He hummed as he thought, tapping his flute to his chin. "Though it interacts differently with resentful energy."
Luo Binghe decided he needed more information. He forced his stance to relax and pulled on a large, charming smile. "From before?"
"I don't blame you for not remembering," the cultivator said with a wince. "That place was..." He trailed off with a frown.
Either this man was a good actor or he was truly empathetic to Luo Binghe's struggles - whatever struggles he was referencing. Since the man was being vague, he was inclined to believe that this was all some strange ploy. He raised an eyebrow and teasingly said, "This lord would be bereft to believe he had forgotten a face like yours."
"Oh." The cultivator's eyes widened and a grin stretched across his lips. A blush pinched his cheeks, though he didn't seem to take the flirtation as genuine. He didn't react the way others usually did; their defenses falling apart and dissolving underneath one carefully charming smile. "Well. You wouldn't have known this face. Seeing as I wasn't a face. I was a spirit."
It was very hard keeping his smile after that. Luo Binghe stopped himself from lurching forward with wild desperation. His throat squeezed shut.
"That place" was the Endless Abyss. "From before" was when he was trudging through it with nothing but the floating fire of a spirit long dead. His heart trembled.
In a life where he had known nothing but abuse and abandonment, that one spirit fire had kept him company. It was discordant and never really there. It lacked warmth. It was nothing but an echo of a person.
But it tried to make him laugh. It gave him tips. It guided him through sand storms and pure darkness. It had stayed by his side almost to the end - when it stopped Xin Mo from consuming his mind.
"Wei Ying?" Luo Binghe asked, dumbly.
It was stupid to ask because - if... someone had somehow known about that, all the man had to do was nod and smile at him. There was no way to prove that it was actually-
But then Wei Ying laughed. It was his laugh. Head bent back, he cackled; it echoed across the plains, unbidden by any shyness. "So you do remember! After becoming so big and powerful, merging the realms-"
Luo Binghe was across the field of corpses in an instant. He meant to take Wei Ying in his arms, to hold him close and breathe him in. He was alive. He was alive. Alive, alive, alive-
Something suddenly slammed into his back. It felt as if a giant hand transpired from the air and pressed a finger against him and pressed him into the earth.
"Wow there!" Wei Ying said with a skittering laugh. "I know you came here to kill me - which... you don't need to! The army wasn't mine. I took care of it, actually. Easy enough. I kept a few... at least until you dealt with them..."
"W-Wei Ying!" Luo Binghe roared, shocked that his cheek was pressed against the earth. He tried pushing and shoving upwards, but an impossible weight held him down. He had never felt anything like this before.
Wei Ying crouched down beside him and stared at him curiously. He smiled. "You've done a lot for yourself. And I'm really proud of you, kid!" He reached out and patted his head.
With a shaky breath, Luo Binghe tried to reach out and grab onto him.
Wei Ying danced away with another laugh. "Don't worry! I won't be getting in your way again, Luo Binghe!"
"W-Wait!" Luo Binghe grunted, struggling. "Don't-"
"That talisman will wear off soon, especially with your level of power," Wei Ying assured him. "I'll make sure nothing comes by to take advantage of you. It was good seeing you again - and remember! I promised to stay out of your way."
"Wei Ying!!" Luo Binghe cried.
The demonic cultivator's laugh echoed in the valley as he escaped.
AHHHHH!!! sorry for taking so long to respond but I desperately wanted to draw something for this!!
Thank you for writing this, it's absolutely lovely!! And yeah Luo Binghes romantic relationships are always doomed for miscommunication 💔💔 Shen Qingqiu and Wei Ying suffer from the same chronic flavour of obliviousness (don't give up Binghe I believe in you!!) (although maybe WY would clue in faster in this one, with LBH being more direct than LZ. If WY would stop running, that is.)
WY helping/guiding LBH through the Abyss is SUCH a good idea omg. He desperately needs the comfort too😭
My work for the boat boys zine!:] my art changed a lot after drawing this but i still like it. The Zine is amazing yall should check it out @boatboys-zine
We are happy to announce that the Boat Boys Zine is finally released!
Download it here on Itch.io !
With about 20 Contributors and over 30 individual pieces created, this zine features different eras of smalletho and their obsession. From the firey beginnings of Double Life, through the rocky Life Series and peaceful Hermitcraft, to Alternative Universes with endless stories to tell!
We hope you enjoy reading BBZ as much as we have enjoyed making it.
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