goldfish

[xxweixiaoyu]

.pretty thing

[xxweixiaoyu]

jingyunxx‌:

The demon bird must be defeated. He had heard its final cries before a loud thud - likely from when its body hit the ground. Jingyun halted his attempts to stand and allowed himself to relax against the tree trunk that was still partially stained by his blood. Taking in a deep breath, he urged for his still rapidly beating heart to stop its pummelling.

Someone was approaching and judging by the sound of his laboured breathing and occasional hisses of pain, it was Xiaoyu - and hurt. “Where did it get you?” Jingyun reached out his good hand to help his companion, only to have the other’s robe slip from his fingers.

The ground began shaking violently.

“What is happening?” He dropped onto his knees and felt around for Xiaoyu. “Is there an earthquake? Is it the demon?” What sort of demon had enough power to shake an entire mountain with its death? Something didn’t make sense. Xiaoyu gasped ‘gege’, some sort of awe in his voice. “Yes?” Jingyun inquired, waited, and eventually realized Xiaoyu might have forgotten he was blind and was expecting him to see something interesting.

Thankfully, by then, he managed to grab onto Xiaoyu and was able to figure out by feeling his arm that the other was pointing at something. “What is it? You have to describe it, Xiaoyu, my eyes don’t work.” Jingyun attempted to figure out exactly where Xiaoyu was pointing but considering how forcefully the earth was quaking, it was difficult.

there’s no time to respond to jingyun’s concern over his injuries - they can be addressed later, once whatever is happening now has been sorted out. it seems to be one scary thing after another on this mountain, and xiaoyu wishes he could just go home now - this had all been just a bit too much for him to handle. 

but as jingyun drops down beside him, and xiaoyu manages to cling to him, his fear dissipates just a little. ever since jingyun helped xiaoyu find his way back to his brothers when they met he’d felt safe around him, like jingyun could protect him from anything. now, though, he realises as jingyun points out he can’t see, he supposes his abilities to protect him aren’t what they used to be. 

so, xiaoyu must protect jingyun. 

taking jingyun’s wrist he pulls it up to point his hand towards the thing in the sky, so he can follow the line of his arm to give him a better idea of exactly where it is. “it’s like a shard of something. it looks like jade. in the sky, flying this way.” he says, voice hurried. he feels sick with worry, wondering whether they’ll even make it off the mountain alive at this point. 

if they do manage to get off the mountain, what happens to the village below the mountain if is starts to collapse and break apart? he’s moments from throwing up, the only thing stopping him being the comforting presence of jingyun beside him. 

[xxweixiaoyu]

.pretty thing

starter for @jingyunxx !

xiaoyu’s leg twinges and twitches, hanging heavy with the pain that weighs him down. he’d managed to get himself back up the steep hill he’d fallen down and got himself patched up by a fellow cultivator once he found the others. he’d tried to tag along as best he could with the group trying to find the spiritual guardian, but his leg was really beginning to let him down. he needed to rest, and just wanted to go home at this point, the fear he felt consuming him the point his couldn’t stop shaking no matter how hard he tried to control his breathing and calm himself down. 

once the bird demon had been defeated, though, xiaoyu’s nerves loosen just a little, and his eyes fall on jingyun only a few metres away. he’s hopping over, wincing and whimpering when the ground begins to shake and he falls at jingyun’s feet with a yelp. he’s not sure what’s happening, but he’s on his feet in seconds and grabbing at jingyun’s arm, the adrenaline coursing through his veins numbing the pain in his leg. 

that’s when he spots the thing in the sky. he stares, eyes wide as he watches something crash into the pretty thing and break it into pieces. “gege!” he gasps, pointing up towards a shard of the pretty thing flying in their direction. the thing that had been broken was so pretty that xiaoyu wondered if the mountain was shaking because it had been broken. what was the red light that he’d seen just moments before he’d spotted the pretty thing, and how on earth were they going to get off the mountain before it collapsed?

[xxweixiaoyu]

IT’S A MATCH!

you’ve matched with wei xiaoyu! a full-time fashion and modelling student from yiling. he likes animals, memes, being told he’s pretty, and free food! he mostly uses tinder when he needs a confidence boost, and rarely meets people off of it. on the rare occasion that he does, though, it’s unlikely to go anywhere past a simple date where he subtly pushes guys to buy him food, despite having the money for it himself.  

[xxweixiaoyu]

the heart bleeds.

                                                if you live to be a hundred,                                    i want to live to be a hundred minus one day,                                              so i never have to live without you.

                                                                                                    .winnie the pooh

xiaoyu doesn’t realise the fog has eaten up the friends he’d been walking with until it’s too late. the thick white mist makes it feel as though he’d just walked into the sky, right into the fluffy clouds he’d so often peered up at and tried to distinguish shapes in. he expects it to feel cold and wet, but the tendrils of fog that slither around his hand as he slowly waves it through the whiteness feels almost as soft and warm as the lan bunny rabbits fur in the sunlight. 

he calls out for yukai, who he’d seen only moments ago walking only a few feet from him, but it’s as though his voice is swallowed up by the fog, eaten before it could get far enough to be heard by anyone else. he can’t hear anything other than his own heartbeat, slowly picking up pace and beginning to pound in his ears. his hands grow clammy, and he curses, knowing his sweat slicked hands will make it harder to hold his sword, which he’s now drawn from it’s sheath. 

his footsteps slow, so he can try and hear anything, until he stops, slowly turning in a circle, desperately trying to see, or hear anything other than his own heartbeat. he’s starting to panic, he can sense it in the way he begins to tremble from head to toe - what sort of cultivator can’t even stand strong against a simple fog?!

but it’s being alone in the fog that scares him, despite how comforting the fog feels, as if inviting him further in, tempting him to open himself up to it. then, starting quietly, as if far away, he begins to hear a familiar voice calling to him. moving slowly in the direction it came from he realises it’s jingyun’s voice, calling his name desperately, as though he’s in danger and needs him. 

but then, he feels the overwhelming sense of dread and decay that comes with demonic energy. it’s like a thick, suffocating darkness that grips at his chest and tries to suffocate him, and it’s coming from the direction jingyun’s voice came from. 

is jingyun in trouble?

he doesn’t think twice before heading in the direction of jingyun’s voice, every fibre of him screaming to get away from the energy he’s going towards, but he needs to make sure jingyun’s okay. he can’t ignore his voice, not when he’s pleading so desperately, as though he might die if xiaoyu doesn’t get to him in time. 

stumbling through the fog, his sword gripped tight in his hand, xiaoyu hurries towards jingyun’s voice-

until the ground falls out from beneath his feet.

he’s falling, tumbling down a steep slope, his arms, legs and head bashing against rocks and logs and dragging through bushes, the sticks ripping at his robes as he falls. he doesn’t even cry out, the fall so sudden that he’s shocked into silence. though, as he continues to bounce and slide and roll down the slope, his leg smacks hard against a large, jagged rock and he hears the crunch of his bone breaking, followed instantly by the searing pain. 

it’s only as he drags himself to a stop at the bottom of the slope, his nails dug deep into the dirt and his sword sliding to a half beside him that he takes real notice of the pain though. rolling onto his back he gasps for breath, before his jaw clenches and he screams in the back of his throat as the fire of the pain consumes him and makes him want to rip his skin off. 

he wants to writhe from the pain, wants to cry out, but he realises, amongst blinding agony, that whatever had been calling his name wasn’t jingyun. it had come from this direction, but much higher - jingyun wouldn’t have been floating in the air above wherever he’d fallen to and was now laying, so it must’ve been a trick, and that dark energy he felt wasn’t something jingyun was fighting - it was the thing calling for him. 

so, he keeps quiet, pushing himself into a sitting position and grabbing his sword, to hold it ready, knowing he’ll need to defend himself if it comes for him out of the fog. he also knows he’s going to have to try and get back up the slope by himself. he can’t wait to be rescued, not when the rest of the hunting party are a whole steep slope away and don’t know he’s fallen. 

so, with a hard swallow, brushing a couple tears off his cheeks, xiaoyu steels himself to make the hard journey back up the slope. he keeps his sword in his hand and uses his good leg, and his free hand to slowly crawl his way back up. 

it’s going to be a long, painful journey.

[markumb]

「hide & seek.」

[xxweixiaoyu]

jingyunxx‌:

Hand-in-hand, they walked.

Jingyun must admit, this was truly an interesting encounter. The Lan sect disciples were known for their good manners, their kindness and their refinement. Affection was something they felt inside but refused to show on the outside. Jingyun couldn’t recall the last time he held hands with anyone - ah, perhaps with Qingfeng ge on that one night when he had nightmares. It would have been a sweet memory, if he didn’t also recall senior brother Xiayi staring at them in the background, as if Jingyun did something wrong.

Hmph, no matter. Senior brother was acting grumpy lately and the younger outer disciples began whispering behind his back. Due to the fact Xiayi was the one who brought him to Lan sect as a baby, Jingyun always gave him an extra dose of loyalty. If he heard the whispering a year ago, then he would scold the juniors into silence. Now, however…

A wave of guilt assaulted Jingyun. No, he should have still stood up for senior brother Xiayi instead of letting annoyance get in his way. He owed the older disciple his life and that debt he shall carry until he became old and grey.

“Almost! You did very well.” Jingyun had both of his feet planted on the ground and smiled at Xiaoyu encouragingly. They were literally one step away from victory but alas, it was not close enough. Something must have made Xiaoyu slip and Jingyun had no idea what it was. Moss on the rock? His words? Either way, they were falling, tumbling.

“It’s okay!” Jingyun called out, scrambling to keep hold of Xiaoyu’s hand. “I got you.” The river carried them with surprising speed. They must get out. “See that rock that’s coming up? We are going to try and throw ourselves on it. On the count of three, okay?”

xiaoyu can see the end of this horrible ordeal, right there at the edge of the river. had the water belong been flowing slower, or been a little shallower, to where xiaoyu could see the bottom, he’d not have been so afraid, but something about the way the water rushed, and sprayed, as if shredding itself to bits against the rocks it passed over had him trembling with fear. 

he’s ready to make the last step across to land, when something, he’s not sure what, make his foot slip, and before he can find his balance again, he’s tripping into the water. his grip on jingyun’s hand tightens as he cries out, just as his head dips beneath the water and he gets a mouthful of it. bobbing back up he spits it out and coughs, his free arm flailing in the water to try and keep his head above it as he tries not to notice them being swept away from where they had been. 

xiaoyu’s thankful that he isn’t left alone in the water, that jingyun is with him, or he might have panicked even more and drowned, because he doesn’t even think about how to get out, all he can think of is how he might drown, and how he’s wet and cold and can barely hear anything but the roaring of the water and his heartbeat in his ears. but jingyun seems to know what he’s doing, xiaoyu thinks, as he holds onto him as tight as possible. 

he can’t respond verbally, as he feels as though if he opens his mouth he might just wail incoherently from the sheer terror of the situation. but he nods to let jingyun knows he heard him, and that he understands. so, as they near the rock he readies himself, trying to kick against the water to push himself closer to be in line with the rock. then, as they get close enough, he gives one last kick with both feet to propel himself towards the rock, still holding onto jingyun, and throws his arms out.

he only just manages to grab onto the rock, his hands scrabbling at the surface for a second before he gains purchase and begins to pull himself up. only when he’s able to get himself onto the big rock and kneel there to catch his breath does he realise he let go of jingyun’s hand when he went to grab the rock. lifting his head, he looks over to make sure jingyun made it onto the rock as well. 

[xxweixiaoyu]

.splish splash

[xxweixiaoyu]

xxjingxuan‌:

     Xuan’s and Lian’s relationship was a lot like… two brothers’ relationship, yes that, that was probably the best way to describe it. Surely Xuan looked up to his brother, he found the older cool and sometimes wished he could be a little more like him, at other times it was hate and boredom of the older, wishing them to stop caring for him so much and stop being annoying (though truly speaking, most likely Xuan was the annoying one). So their trip had been filled with ups and downs, Xuan wanting to give up and sleep and have Lian carry him, Xuan wishing for them to get there faster and running around, and by now, they had agreed on taking a break and Xuan was using it to check the place around them. 

     Xuan had wandered happily around, his hair swinging in the air as he had let it loose for once finally, it was not often he would be happy while at the same time being alone, but the thought of that lesson thing made his mood better. The male however stopped wandering around as he saw something, or rather someone. He stared at them for a while, for Xuan there existed three kind of people. People who seemed boring and he did not care to talk nor even look at, people who forced him to gain slight interest in them, and people who just somehow caught his attention. In this case, Xuan was hooked, he wanted a new friend. 

     Xuan didn’t care to much about if anybody was to see, he was confident, so in a second he dropped his clothes and put his hair back into his usual ponytail, and then he entered the water, he figured he could probably need getting cleaned anyway. He let the water soak around his body, splashed some water on his body and slowly moved towards the stranger. There was the option of saying something like a simple hi, but that didn’t fully satisfy him, so of course he got the idea of grabbing the stranger’s attention by splashing water on them. 

     He’s about to do it again though suddenly he’s the one with water on his face, he lifts a hand to as best as he can dry his face. “I’m bathing and naked too,you splashed water back” he says back loudly, lips pointing upwards as he scratches his shoulder.

     “I’m Xuan” the male says shortly before splashing water at the other again.

xiaoyu takes a moment while the man’s talking to let his eyes scour over him just a little. he’s handsome, and xiaoyu might even have entertained the idea of flirting with him had they not both been naked. the man’s counter-argument doesn’t really hold much merit, xiaoyu think, and he’s about to tell him so, when he introduces himself, and splashes more water at xiaoyu.

with a small gasp and a pout of displeasure, xiaoyu smacks water back as he, too, introduces himself. “i’m xiaoyu. wei xiaoyu.” he says. he wonders what clan the man belongs to, but without any robes, and no other distinguishable marks about his person, it’s impossible to tell. he’s therefore not sure how to treat this person.

he’s pretty sure he’d not a lan, as he very much doubts a lan would strip naked around anyone else, let alone start a splashing fight. the same might be said for a jin, so he’s probably not one of them either. that leaves nie, jiang, or some smaller clan. of course, if he’s from a smaller clan xiaoyu would hope it was one that didn’t have the airs and graces of a jin, without the power - he’s heard of far too many like that, thinking that if they act high and mighty someday it’ll get them up among the bigger clans.

“what’s with the splashing anyway? why splash a stranger, hmm? i could’ve been a dangerous, easily angered psychopath!” xiaoyu says, finally ceasing his splashing and simply skimming his hands over the surface of the water to create little ripples. 

[xxweixiaoyu]

TRACKER

writing →

splish splash - @xxjingxuan hide & seek - @jingyunxx voices from beyond - @jingyunxx

waiting for →

bun-napping - @xxsulei arachnophobia - @weiyukaixx stress relief - @sijunxx learn to smile - @xxjianren

[xxweixiaoyu]

.learn to smile

starter for @xxjianren !

it’s been many years since xiaoyu had seen lan jianren. he remembers him being a stiff teen, seemingly never smiling - xiaoyu had wondered if he even knew how to smile. despite that, xiaoyu found him interesting, and perhaps unfairly handsome (not as handsome as his brother though). so, he’s wondering what the years will have done to jianren since he’d last seen him - had they been kind, or cruel? had he learnt how to smile yet?

he’s not expecting to bump right into him upon entering cloud recesses, and he’s right - it takes a couple days for xiaoyu to spot the older lan man, back perfectly straight and face as steely as he remembers it being. maybe he hadn’t learnt how to smile yet. oh well, he’s still jingyun’s brother, and therefore i must be nice to him. 

xiayu tries to keep his back straight and shoulders back as he walks over to jianren, though he’s not sure he’d giving the poised, elegant impression he was hoping to. “lan jianren! i don’t know if you remember me, but i’m wei xiaoyu. your brother, jingyun, fell in a river with me many years ago. you probably don’t remember, but i remember you well! have you been well?”

[markumb]

「voices from beyond. 」

[xxweixiaoyu]

jingyunxx‌:

@xxweixiaoyu

He couldn’t see, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t experience the town. There were various scents in the air, from roasted chestnuts to hot steamed buns. Music too cheery and energetic to ever be heard from the Lan sect danced by his ears, putting a lightness in his heart despite all of the apprehensions he had, coming into this mission.

It’s been a long time since he was out on a hunt, especially in group. Since that incident three years ago, Jingyun had mostly stayed in Cloud Recesses and no one ever criticized him for it.

He requested to be on this mission and the sect leader was surprised by his sudden enthusiasm. Of course, their leader tried to persuade him against going, insisting it wasn’t because he thought he would hold the group back due to his lack of sight, but because he wanted Jingyun to start on missions again with the easier ones. Like a true Lan, Jingyun proved to be capable of great stubbornness. When the leader realized how determined he was to go, he relented, but refused to hear out the rest of Jingyun’s desire to go alone.

Xiaoyu was by his side, chattering excitedly about what was taking place beside them, explaining everything in vivid detail so Jingyun would be able to see them through his eyes. It was very kind of him and Jingyun, despite the situation, found himself smiling. The truth was, he came on this mission because he had a feeling something terrible was about to happen. The last time he felt like this, a lot of his friends died. This time, Jingyun will protect everyone and make sure the history won’t repeat itself.

Also, he thought perhaps this would be an opportunity to investigate. See if somehow, his lost memories could be restored to him. He just wanted to know what happened so the one responsible for the death of so many innocent Lans would receive their proper punishment.

“What are you doing?” Jingyun felt something soft slip past his forehead and caught it with his hand. Running his fingers gently along its fragile surface, he realized it was a flower. “Putting flowers in my hair again?” Throughout the entire journey, Xiaoyu had been hard at work, trying to decorate him. For the most part, Jingyun didn’t protest because flowers smelled nice and if it pleased Xiaoyu, then why not?

it’s been a beautiful day - one of the ones where xiaoyu can feel the sun on his skin, as though the light were caressing him with it’s delicate fingers. it wasn’t the kind of day he wanted to be on a mission on. even so, he finds he doesn’t mind the somewhat wasted day when they stop in the small town filled with stalls and lights and people. there’s stalls selling all sorts, but the ones that catch his eye are the ones with lanterns, or toys, or flowers. 

xiaoyu hadn’t been thrilled at the sound of the mission to begin with, as his nerves trembled at the mere thought of the demon haunting, but he, of course, couldn’t chicken out even if he had a choice. he’d never forgive himself if he ever backed out of an important mission, or any mission really. he wouldn’t get anywhere with his fears if he simply backed away and hid from them. 

but, hearing that jingyun would be going on the mission too made xiaoyu feel better about going. if he got to spend time with jingyun he’d wade through a pit of tarantulas- okay maybe not, but he’d definitely consider it. so, as soon as they set off he makes it his mission to stick by jingyun’s side and describe the beautiful day to him, and eventually, as they make it into the town, he goes about describing everything, wanting jingyun to be able to imagine it as vividly as if he were really seeing it. 

as he threads another flower, bought hurriedly from a stall they passed, into jingyun’s hair, he bites his lip at the question. “they just look so pretty, gege.” xiaoyu can’t remember when he got into the habit of playfully calling jingyun, a man younger than him, gege, but it had stuck, and he did it more often than not now. “and you’re pretty too, so i thought you’d match each other. there’s some plum blossoms, and one very pretty, pink camellia. i know blue is more your colour, but it really is charming.” he doesn’t think jingyun minds the flowers, or else surely he’d look more displeased. 

[xxweixiaoyu]

.stress relief

starter for @sijunxx !

okay, so maybe xiaoyu has yet to get used to the rules in cloud recesses. it’s not that he thinks their rules are stupid (although maybe a little part of him wonders why there has to be 5,000 of them, and such pointless little ones too). it’s just that it feels a little suffocating going from a place where he could pretty much do as he wanted as long as he wasn’t hurting anyone, to somewhere where he’s not even allowed to slouch. 

which is why he’s snuck out only a few days into being there. at first he’d though it was going fine, but then his back began to ache from all the sitting up straight, and his face felt uncomfortable from not laughing enough, and he was fed up with not being able to play rough whenever he wanted. did the lan disciples even know what fun was? it was just too much for poor xiaoyu, so he’d decided to take the night off and find something fun to do. 

that’s how he finds himself wandering along a path that leads him to a building sitting adjacent to the road, decorated with lanterns and flowers. despite the late hour it seemed to be bustling with activity - it was almost as if some sort of magic was pulling him towards it. it was just so pretty that xiaoyu could see no other choice than to slowly approach the gate. 

as he slips inside he’s almost knocked off his feet by scent of flowers and fruit, pretty colours catching his eyes in all directions. he wonders what sort of place this is, and whether he’ll get in trouble for just walking in, as he begins to take a few steps inside. he’s not paying attention to where he’s walking, so it’s no surprise when he bumps right into someone. “oh- sorry!” he hurriedly apologises, bowing quickly. “i’m sorry i just walked in, but this place is just too pretty!”

[weiyukaixx]

Arachnophobia

[xxweixiaoyu]

weiyukaixx‌:

Yukai was heading back to the Burial Mounds, returning home from a long, tedious trip. He had been looking forward to reuniting with everyone, finally putting his feet up for a bit of rest–at least, until he set off again–but as they say, one could never predict the sorts of troubles they would meet on the road. Was it not his very Sect leader who once uttered that wise phrase– “a cultivator’s work is never done”? Now would be a prime example.

“Disappearances on the mountain?” The tavern owner rubbed his chin. “A few, yeah, but mostly just livestock that wandered off the farm. A couple of lowlife drunks vanished up there, but everyone knows to keep off the mountains–there’s wildlife in there. Bears, ya get. And wolves!”

Yukai quirked a brow. Oh, something was definitely amiss in those mountains, and unfortunately for these townspeople, it wasn’t wildlife. When Yukai passed the dirt road, the scent of demonic energy was leeching off the forests.

The tavern owner scrutinized Yukai before saying, “You mentioned your name was–what was it, Wei? Funny, there was a kid just here with the same surname, asking the same strange questions–now that I think about it, you two even dress alike.”

“Oh?” Yukai piqued with interest. “Is he still here?” He glanced around the tavern and finally spotted a familiar mop of black hair. Well, well, well! What a happy coincidence–if it wasn’t his younger disciple-brother, Wei Xiaoyu!

Letting out a cheery whistle, Yukai sauntered towards Xiaoyu’s table. He firmly planted himself on the seat beside Xiaoyu, and clapped the boy hard on the back.

“Xiaoyu! You’re in the same area as your older disciple-brother, and you don’t even come to say hi?” Yukai broke into an ear-to-ear grin, pulling Xiaoyu in by the scruff of his neck, ruffling his hair affectionately. By the time he was done, the poor boy’s hair resembled a bird’s nest. As it should.

“What a stroke of luck, bumping into you like this. How have things been back home? Hopefully A-fu hasn’t set the place on fire–He musn’t start without me!” Yukai laughed and slapped his knee. “Waiter! Bring us two jars of wine. Drink up, Xiaoyu–don’t be shy now! It’s my treat.” As always, he filled Xiaoyu’s cup to the very brim.

“So, what brings you to this town? Don’t tell me–you also sense what I sense?” Yukai knew his little disciple-brother also had a particular knack for demonic energy detection. 

as much as xiaoyu hated travelling alone, or being alone for any extended length of time for that matter, he’d been forcing himself to do so more and more recently, determined to push himself to be braver. he couldn’t spend his whole life cowering behind his older brothers and sisters and crying every time he saw a slightly too large shadow at night. it’s pathetic, really. a man of his age and with his abilities shouldn’t fear anything other than maybe their own mother, but xiaoyu was pretty much afraid of his own shadow at this point.

the travelling alone had helped slightly, though. only in the area of sleeping alone outside though. the first few nights he’d sat huddled up close to his fire, not getting a wink as he nervously kept his eyes glued to the trees around him. after a while, though, he’d been too tired to stay awake and he’d fallen asleep far easier. when he awoke the next morning, somewhat surprised to see he’d not been devoured by a bear in his sleep, his fear broke a little, and he was able to get a few hours in at least each night. 

for the most part though, travelling alone and sorting out problems for people wasn’t the most enticing way to spend his time. xiaoyu needed company, desperately, before he started talking to himself. to get some human contact he’d stopped at a tavern for a drink, and to enjoy the chatter of the people around him immersed in their own conversations. 

he’d not expected to meet anyone he knew there, which is why he’s thoroughly surprised when someone drops into the seat beside him and slaps a hand on his back. for a moment he’s worried it’s someone looking for trouble, but when his head whips round and his eyes fall on yukai he feels as though a weights been lifted from his chest. despite the light-hearted scolding and the rough affection, xiaoyu’s grinning, grateful for the familiar face. 

as expected, yukai begins to talk, and xiaoyu waits for a break in the constant stream of words so he can respond to all the questions. he’s a little apprehensive at the thought of drinking wine, knowing how he can get when he drinks - thanks to his uncharacteristically low alcohol tolerance for a wei boy, but, to please yukai, he doesn’t protest. 

“of course, why else would i come here when i could be at home with the little-ones?” it’s well known that xiaoyu prefers the comfort of being at home around the other sect disciples, especially as he can enjoys spending most of his time with the children of the sect, teaching them about plants and animals and telling stories. even so, though, he knows he has a duty to utilise the skills he has, and he’s getting no braver from telling stories sitting at home. 

“the burial mounds, thankfully, are still standing. or at least were before i left.” he lifts his cup to take a drink as he pauses, “but it was rather dull without you there. you mustn’t go off without me again! you know i miss you when you go!” an exaggerated pout forms on xiaoyu’s lips and he weakly bumps his shoulder against yukai’s. 

“at least now you’re here, we can work together to sort out whatever’s going on. i’d rather the townspeople didn’t know it wasn’t just animals doing the vanishing though. don’t need them panicking and getting in the way.”

[xxweixiaoyu]

.bun-napping

[xxweixiaoyu]

xxsulei‌:

she looks closer at him and the other’s cute looks almost win her over. she’s not going to tell him off for being a weird bun napper. besides, how could someone so cute be a potential rule breaker? nah, sulei decidedly decides that she’s simply going to take him back with her as well. she rubs the bunny’s ears in her arms and smiles once he pulls the bunny out, she tucks her rabbit into her sleeve for a brief moment and goes almost full mama mode on him, aiming to fix his robes. she quickly adjusts his robes and keeps holding her bunny. 

“of course, i can understand. they are so incredibly adorable and soft. while i can’t give you permission to take the bunnies out of the cloud recesses, you may hold onto them while you’re here at the lectures.” she states, heading back up the mountain and motioning for him to follow. “after all, taking bunnies from the recesses is  against the rules. But there’s nothing that says you can’t keep it on you while you study. and if that boring old man decides to tell you off, you can always keep the bunny with me,” she adds. 

“well, what i hear about yiling…is that environment would not be good for the bunnies of cloud recesses.” she states, laughing. As he talks about how most rabbits are brown and not nearly as friendly, sulei grins. “i take it personal experience?” she asked, with a grin. 

“of course! i couldn’t possibly take one of them away from their brothers and sisters!” of course, he hadn’t thought of it before, but he supposes he’d not want to be taken from his brothers and sisters either. he definitely wouldn’t want someone stealing him away from a-fu and yukai, that’s for sure. unless it was jingyun, then he might not mind so much. “they’re just far too soft not to pet constantly.” 

he’s not expecting such a reasonable response from the woman, but is very glad he’s not receiving some horrible punishment for sneaking a bunny around in his robes. “that’s very kind of you. i’ve become attached to this particular bunny, you see, and i’d hate to have to part with it immediately. no taking it out of cloud recesses though, promise.” he pets the bunny now in his arms with a fond smile, noting how it reminds him of someone special. 

“no, i suppose you’re right. it’s a shame, i’d love to live surrounded by lovely fluffy white bunnies!” maybe he can marry into the lan sect one day, though he’s not sure he’d like to be governed by so many rules. the pros and cons seem to balance each other out. a blush forms on his cheeks at her insinuation of his bunny antics and he purses his lips. “you could put it that way, yes.”

“i’m wei xiaoyu, by the way.”

[xxweixiaoyu]

.bun-napping

[xxweixiaoyu]

xxsulei‌:

sulei knew that the rules existed for the sake of everyone’s peace and calm. And of course in the many many lan clan regulations, there were rules on the bunnies in the sect. no killing of the bunnies, no eating and no kidnapping of bunnies. however, she was often quite willing to let those rules pass her by. often she took some of the bunnies back to her chambers to watch them hop around and then go back out. 

no one could be so midly foolish as to take a bunny with such ease. sulei headed down the mountain to see if she could grab a bunny to take back to her chambers. she saw the newly arriving discples and she politely greeted some with a polite bow and then kept going. the little furballs were clambering around and sulei picked one up from the side, petting it and burying it close to her. her rabbit was settled and she was almost ready to head back.

of course, someone had bumped into her almost as she was about to turn around and head back. the red and black robes made her roll her eyes. of course, the wei sect was invited too. how could she have forgotten. she looked down at the boy who bumped into her and she offered him a coldly polite smile. “it is fine. you should watch where you’’re going. especially when you have a bunny in your robes. they tend to wake failry easily with a slight shock.” she said, rubbing the ears of the bunny she was holding.  becasue of course, she’d noticed the bump  but she wasn’t about to call anyone out for being a bun napper. 

damn. he’s been caught. the woman he’d almost bumped into not only seems beautiful, but smart too, as she instantly notices what xiaoyu had thought was a very well hidden bun in his robes. in her arms lays another small rabbit though, and the sight relaxes him. surely, someone who seems so fond of such a cute animal couldn’t be too frightening. he finds himself smiling for a moment, despite his fear of the telling off he’s inevitably about to get for trying to kidnap one of the lan sect’s precious bunnies. 

“i-” his cheeks burn a little, and he slowly pulls the rabbit out of his robes, not bothering to fix the way they gape a little now, showing off some of his chest. “they’re just so charming. i only wanted to bring it with me to pet it longer. surely you can understand.” maybe he can talk his way out of a scolding. it’s all he needs when he’s barely been in cloud recesses for ten minutes. 

“i wish we had lovely white rabbits around yiling, but most are brown, and not nearly as friendly.” he recalls the time he tried to catch one, and spent a good majority of an hour rushing around after one, trying his hardest to coax it towards him with carrots. it hadn’t been persuaded, and he’d eventually given up, but the lan bunnies seemed almost as sweet as he remembered a certain lan boy being. 

[xxweixiaoyu]

.bun-napping

for @xxsulei !

xiaoyu’s always had a deep love for animals, especially small fluffy ones, so finding an abundance of beautiful, white rabbits surrounding cloud recesses felt like some sort of heaven for xiaoyu. he’d been sitting for a while before heading on through the gate into cloud recesses, watching the creatures hop around, ears twitching and noses scrunching. 

it’s no wonder xiaoyu couldn’t help but shove one into the front of his robes, deciding on keeping it as his pet. there were so many around cloud recesses, surely they’d not mind if xiaoyu took one for himself. he wasn’t going to hurt it, in fact, he wanted to do nothing but keep and pet the little fur ball all day. surprisingly, the little bunny didn’t struggle at all, simply laying inside his robes and, presumably, going to sleep. 

with the rabbit settled, xiaoyu decided to head on into cloud recesses, hoping nobody would notice the small hump on his chest. his way past the gate went smoothly, his invitation gaining him easy entry, but he still had a while left to walk up the mountain, and he was too busy gaping at the lovely scenery around him to notice the figure heading towards him. he’d have bumped into them had he not looked over just in time. “oh- excuse me, i wasn’t looking where i was walking.”

[markumb]

「hide & seek.」

[xxweixiaoyu]

jingyunxx‌:

“Wei Xiaoyu?” He echoed, unable to stop himself from smiling. What a name! It literally sounded like feeding little fish and while Jingyun couldn’t praise it for elegance, he did acknowledge it was a very Wei sect name. Only cultivators of that sect would ever name their young something so innocently simple. 

“Oh, um, I mean no offence, Young Master Wei.” After realizing his lips had curved on their own accord, Jingyun’s first instinct was to apologize. “I like your name very much,” he added for good measure.

The two of them started making their way back and Jingyun must admit, he didn’t move as fast as he could have. If anything, he actually slowed down when they were climbing over the rocks, just to make this moment last. There weren’t a lot of opportunities to speak with someone from another sect, especially to a disciple around his own age. The Lans were known for being good at maintaining their composure, but Jingyun was slipping a little today due to the excitement.

“Just past the river,” he called out to Xiaoyu, who was a few steps behind him. “The rocks are slippery, so be careful when you are crossing.” Jingyun tapped on the rocks first with his foot to ensure steadiness before placing his weight on it. He was half way across the river when he stopped to check on Xiaoyu. The other, to his surprise, didn’t make much progress. “Are you…afraid of water?” Jingyun looked down and indeed, the river was flowing quite rapidly. Just because one was named fish did not mean they could swim like one. “Here.” After a moment of contemplation, Jingyun extended his hand across the distance between them. “You can hold onto me, if you want to.”

xiaoyu knows his name is... unique. it’s nothing like the pretty names that lan’s give their children. even so, xiaoyu likes his name, he likes how it’s birthed many a fond nickname over the years, however he’s not surprised when jingyun smiles, almost looking as though he may laugh. it’s okay, xiaoyu thinks, he’s pretty, he’ll let it slide. 

plus he’s his only way out of here alive. 

“thank you, and i like yours. it’s much prettier, i’ll admit.” 

xiaoyu notices the slow pace they’re moving at once they begin on their way, but doesn’t comment on it, as he supposes those from the lan sect must just be a lot more careful in every aspect of life. maybe he’s just too used to moving fast because that’s what he’s been brought up around. he doesn’t mind it though, jingyun doesn’t seem like bad company. maybe xiaoyu can gain a friend through what began as an unpleasant experience. 

it isn’t until they reach a river, the water running quickly and smashing against the rocks surrounding it and the few dotted across like stepping stones, that xiaoyu finds himself going far slower than jingyun now. his heart hammers in his chest as images of him being eaten up by the water and drowning flood his mind. oh, the irony of being named little fish when you’re scared of any water that isn’t shallow and slow-moving. 

he’s frozen, staring at the clearly wet rocks that jingyun is stepping on to pass over the water. xiaoyu wishes he wasn’t so scared of everything, especially now, with jingyun watching him with confusion. he can feel his cheeks begin to burn from the embarrassment of his inability to simply cross a river without his knees shaking. in response to jingyun’s question xiaoyu simply blushes more, not wanting to outright admit he’s terrified.

it takes him a second to notice the hand jingyun outstretches toward him, and xiaoyu doesn’t hesitate to reach out and hold onto it tightly. despite his trembling, having someone to hold onto as he moves across the rocks helps. his heart, still hammering so loudly it battles with the volume of the rushing water underneath him, slows just a tiny bit, though not enough for him to feel anything other than fear as he crosses the river, the last few steps he takes as he nears the opposite bank behind jingyun hurried and reckless. 

he simply wishes to be away from the rushing water as fast as possible, and back on the nice, solid ground.

[xxweixiaoyu]

.splish splash

starter for @xxjingxuan !

the journey from the burial mounds to cloud recesses is a long one, and xiaoyu had decided to make it alone. there were many things that frightened xiaoyu, and a lot of those things he knew he’d likely have to deal with to some extent during his journey to cloud recesses for the lectures. it seemed the perfect opportunity to expose himself to his fears, and confront them. 

he’s made much of the journey already, having had to light fires at night himself, and dealt with spending nights alone outside, where there were animals and insects and all kinds of unknown, invisible dangers. but he’s come to a stop at a slow running stream near gusu to rest and bathe. his clothes are laid neatly on a rock nearby, and he’s let his hair down to wash completely, seeing as he’s in no hurry yet - he’s still got plenty of time to get to cloud recesses. 

he’s crouched in the lower area of the stream, the water lazily rippling around his middle, crawling it’s way along down it’s path. the sun shines against the water and xiaoyu smiles at the beauty if it, sweeping his fingers through the water to watch as tiny waves are pushed in the opposite direction to the way the water’s flowing. he begins to hum a tune as he washes, wading a little further into the water so that it reaches up to his mid-chest now. 

he’s relaxing, wondering how the other wei disciples are getting along with their journeys, when he feels droplets of water hitting the side of his face. with a start he turns in the direction of the attack, only to see a man who looks to be about his age, hands poised for another splashing-attack, but before he can, xiaoyu slaps some water back at him with a confused expression. “it’s rude to attack a man when his back is turned, and especially when he’s bathing- and naked!”

[markumb]

「hide & seek.」

[xxweixiaoyu]

jingyunxx‌:

It was his second ever night hunt and already, Jingyun was expecting to be punished once they made the return to Lan sect. It was his own fault - he should have followed his senior brothers more closely and not gone off on his own. Though the demons featured at this hunt were of the lower levels, they were still dangerous and capable of hurting him. 

The spirits told him that there was someone - a crying boy - in need of help, and so he followed their instructions. So far, no boy in sight. Could the spirits have lied to him? No, they shouldn’t be able to. He’d been practising Inquiry since he was a child and it was one of the skills he was naturally good at.

A few more minutes of searching among the caves and he finally heard the sniffling. Peeking over one of the larger boulders, he found the one the spirits must be talking about. “Hello?” Jingyun called out, making his way towards the other. “Pardon me for intruding. My name is Lan Jingyun, of the Gusu Lan sect.” He folded his hands together and bowed politely.

“Are you…lost?” He asked carefully, glancing the other up and down.  The other cultivator was a teenager, possibly around Jingyun’s age. His outfit? Red and black, looked like Yiling Wei sect uniform. Good, the disciples of the Wei sect weren’t known to be very prideful, which meant offering his assistance now would likely not be taken as offence. “I can help you,” he said, summoning a light smile. “I saw your senior siblings in that direction.”

of course it would be xiaoyu who’d get himself lost. of course he’d wander off, chasing a pretty butterfly, and end up separated from the older wei boys he’d been following closely. he was going to get eaten by a monster now for sure! the mere thought of it had him weeping into his sleeves, sitting curled up small behind a large boulder. if only one of the older boys could find him and take him away from the scary place he’d found himself lost in. 

a voice startles him, making him practically jump out of his skin with a small squeak of surprise, springing to his feet quickly. he sniffles, wiping at his cheeks with his sleeve. after a moments pause, he hurriedly, and rather clumsily, bows back to the boy. “hello.” his voice sounds small and nervous to his own ears, and he quickly clears his throat, trying to stop himself crying. “my names wei xiaoyu.”  at the question he merely nods, shuffling his feet nervously, rather embarrassed that he’d gotten himself lost. he knows enough about the lan clan to know they’re far too smart to get lost like xiaoyu. this realisation only makes him more shameful. had he done as he was told, and paid attention he’d not be in this situation. 

however, at the offer of help xiaoyu’s eyes light up and he breaks into a hopeful grin. “you did?!” he steps closer to the boy instinctively, reaching out to take ahold of his sleeve. “please show me?” the boy, jingyun, looks about his age, so xiaoyu feels a lot more comfortable than he would have had it been a much older lan boy who’d found him. “i was beginning to think i’d have to sleep here!”