[sidereal - the dreaming]

[laughitoff]

[for MDZS AU plot-related shenanigans]

Comments

[laughitoff]

[Kind of. I didn't have much reason to go here; I sealed it off. I think a lot of the ghosts were...prisoners, or traitors, or something. They died of the bamboo torture.]

[strikingchords]

[Thoughts?

he'll do his own thing if not, but he's deferring to Wei Wuxian's expertise here.]

[laughitoff]

[I could try to command them, through you, hold them. There's not really a way to...convince them to go do something else. We don't have any leverage, and they're very fierce, so there's no point trying to sweet-talk them.]

[strikingchords]

[he hesitates; Wei Wuxian can't read his mind, but he catches the cool smooth flow of his thoughts as he thinks it through, an unfamiliar feeling like the progression of water spilled and channeled over perfectly level glass.]







All right.

[laughitoff]

You'll have to come closer.

[strikingchords]

[...he does come closer after another hesitation, slowly; cautious of Wei Wuxian's personal space, but not wary...]

[laughitoff]

[gives him the notes he wants him to whistle; sitting poised and ready to act now; Lan Wangji can feel his mind racing]

[strikingchords]

[he whistles them obediently. could he find Chenqing here, he wonders? he saw the memory of its discovery from the other Wei Wuxian's dream...]

[laughitoff]

[he presses near as Lan Wangji whistles, so close they're nearly overlapping, and intent spirals into the air with the sound, a press of pure willpower and resentful energy carried on the channel of his breath: obey me

the frantic whirl of half-visible ghouls stills, but they immediately start to struggle against the grip]

[strikingchords]

[he instinctively plants himself at Wei Wuxian's "back," natural as breathing, and reaches out to anchor him against the pull. he doesn't have much time to analyze the dynamic because he has to keep whistling, narrowing his eyes in concentration and walking out fearlessly among the ghouls. making Wei Wuxian hang onto them longer than necessary is counterproductive.

he's looking for HEADS or PLACES LIKELY TO CONTAIN HEADS]

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian continues to bear down. the ground is so hard; it is unlikely the skulls can have been buried. the clear paths between the bamboo stands don't contain skulls. so that leaves the stands themselves...]

[strikingchords]

[he takes a heartbeat to judge the landscape and leaps to the highest point around, a wall or ridge if he can find it; getting literally lost in the weeds here will not be useful if he could have spotted something from above. still holding Wei Wuxian in place, immovable as stone]

[laughitoff]

[there: shapes in the stands at the opposite edge of this area that don't belong, too rounded and too pale against the sharp slashes of the bamboo]

[strikingchords]

[jumps down again and heads for them, swiftly]

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian is straining, even as they draw closer to the skulls; a couple of wraiths break loose form the edges and head for Lan Wangji with a shriek]

[strikingchords]

[Wei Wuxian feels that cool analysis again, much rapider this time. it apparently ends in the decision that it's not a good idea for him to try to play music at the same time as he's acting as the instrument Wei Wuxian is using to do his own thing, unless it's really necessary - he summons his sword from its sheath with the barest effort of willpower and sends it at them to keep them back with a sweep.

pulls Wei Wuxian closer, letting him lean harder on his own will and focus for a moment, and arrows towards the skulls fast]

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian braces his shoulders against Lan Wangji's and digs deeper into himself. a red haze steals over their shared vision.

the skulls need to be pulled off the bamboo; they look to have been staked onto it, at some point. other human bones litter the bases of the woody stalks]

[strikingchords]

[he's going to gather the ones that seem to go with the skulls up - he remembers the major ones that seemed to be missing from the coffin - and head back towards the tunnel mouth, if he can. is there time?]

[laughitoff]

[DASH MADLY, BUDDY]

[strikingchords]

[there's no value in avoiding the use of spiritual energy to keep the ghouls less interested at this point. as Wei Wuxian's control continues to crumble he summons his sword back from their defense and flies close to the ground in a near streak of light to the cave mouth, dodging the many, many enemies closer to the escape route than they are..

turns and plants himself solidly just inside it as soon as they get there, the mass of wraiths nearly on their heels, and pulls his guqin out now to blow them all back from the entrance with a few notes, the song modulating up and up and up into something strident and powerful as he backs up one step, then another--

the rocks at their feet begin to tremble and dance, everything shakes, and then the mouth of the tunnel fucking caves in]

[laughitoff]

[wow, that's hot

I MEAN Wei Wuxian slumps back as he lets go of the rest of the ghouls, panting; that was a lot]

[strikingchords]

[Lan Wangji doesn't slump; apparently tension turns him into an ice-blade of a human, drawing him up crystal-clear and sharp and tempered to intensity rather than jarring him from his calm. it takes him little while to thaw.

closes his eyes, after a moment; Wei Wuxian's still slumped against him, unless he's pulled away.

Are you all right?]

[laughitoff]

[he can feel pain, now, that dull all-through ache he was picking up from Wei Wuxian earlier gone sharp as knives. Wei Wuxian is mostly ignoring it]

I'm fine, I'm fine.

[strikingchords]

...

[he imagines that using demonic cultivation isn't pleasant, but doesn't think Wei Wuxian has been in this much pain for the last few years. the realization dawns on him slowly but fully formed in his moment of detachment: oh. Wei Wuxian's meridians must still be damaged from his death.

...doesn't... push back against this... he just turns to walk up the tunnel again instead. Wei Wuxian doesn't pick up any fresh distress from him, just quiet acceptance.]

[laughitoff]

[the ache and pushing it down has been enough of a constant that Wei Wuxian doesn't think much of it, actually; doesn't even quite realize he betrayed that to someone else.

it's not long before they're both a bit distracted by the ghoulbaby's enraged wailing up ahead]