deadwenwalking | ic inbox (ryslig)

My friend,

Please, let me know if you receive this, and if you're alright.

If so, I urge caution if you spend any time near Bavan. A band of humans has taken some of us captive, and I'd prefer you not come to harm.

Unless you've received this shortly after I sent it, I've already set off for Bavan to investigate, so forgive me if my response is thus delayed.

Xiao Xingchen

Who's been taken?

Where are they?

Jiang Wanyin. I know not who else, nor where they've been taken. I plan to find out.

I'll come with you.

( the briefest pause as he weighs the two options. he would prefer not to endanger wen ning, but it could be valuable to have an ally in this endeavor. )

Where are you now?

At my apartment. One of the free rent ones.

( he's in bavan already, then. that settles it. )

I'll be there soon.

( coming to wen ning is much simpler than describing a location to meet. they can set out to hunt down these men together from there. )

[Wen Ning will be waiting outside, pacing agitatedly. His blood boils in a way that's normally reserved for the times when he purposefully allows his anger to go free. Recently he's been having a hard time holding it down at all.

He's far from his usual calm self. Xiao Xingchen should be able to smell the difference without him saying a word.]

( xingchen is (entirely thanks to the fog) trapped in his own night form at the moment, so he arrives in a flowing hooded robe which covers or casts shadow on most of his monstrous features well enough not to be quite so obviously inhuman. as for the other were, he does seem different - there's a tension in him that xingchen can practically feel radiating in the air around him, and his scent is distinctly different as well. )

Wen-xiong, ( he greets, friendly enough, but wastes no further time on greetings (he senses that wen ning isn't exactly in the mood) and cuts straight to, ) You're ready? ( just to confirm. )

Edited 2020-12-06 12:13 (UTC)

[Wen Ning's night form is fairly tame - pointed ears, patches of dark fur, yellow eyes, a tail. His fog form will make up for it physically, but right now he comes across monstrous in other ways.

Sharp teeth are bared, and his first response to Xingchen comes out as little more than a short, angry growl.

That's a 'yes'.]

( ah - wen ning's night form, it doesn't speak? xingchen can't help but wonder if it's more monstrous than his own, at least in the facial region... but it's not given more than a passing thought, because right now the priority is to investigate the abductions.

and so he nods a single crisp nod, then turns to head off down the street in the general direction that the reports of the suspicious men were last sighted. ) From that which I hear, they make no effort to hide their intentions - so I doubt they'll be difficult to find.

[Wen Ning can speak. It's just that right now he's too angry to, and this night will see the appearance of his fog form - the roots of which are already spreading inside him. For now, growls are the easiest to manage.

But he'll get out a few words here, if only to make his intentions known as he follows.]

I'll kill them.

( it seems that xingchen stands thoroughly corrected, regarding his friend's ability to speak. but the words are practically seething, much like the man himself - a fact which (based on his limited experience, granted) is very much uncharacteristic of the man. there is something at play than simply the abductions, one more in what seems like a terribly long string of months in which the people around him are no longer themselves.

and though he certainly won't voice it now, xingchen wishes he had picked up on this anger before he had agreed to bring wen ning along. while he would trust the man in any ordinary circumstance, he knows not if this version of his friend can act with any shred of the appropriate restraint. 'i'll kill them.' ) No. ( xingchen's word is firm but not sharp. a correction, not a rebuke. ) Dead men can't tell us what they've done with Jiang Wanyin, or anyone else whom they've abducted.

Edited 2020-12-30 11:03 (UTC)

[The other were's eyes snap to Xingchen as he's told 'no'. Sharp teeth are bared in a scowl, a low rumble building in the back of his throat. But he stops himself, pausing to breathe in deep and release it through his nose. His anger is boiling over, but he's used to being able to tamp it down. It's simply become more difficult to do so as the days have progressed.

This man isn't the enemy. Far from it. And worse: he's right.] Then what did you plan to do? [His teeth are still audibly grit. There's an itch beneath his skin, the need to rend and tear those who've wronged his own.] Abduct someone? Interrogate them?

[He'll still want to kill them after.]

My friend,

I'm not sure if you've heard, but the culture of this realm holds today as a holiday meant for giving gifts to those you care for. I've baked you some treats, if you'd like them. Rest assured that none contain chocolate. :)

I also come bearing somewhat less pleasant news. I know not if you've yet discovered either, but as of recently I've come to learn that the werewolves react poorly to both silver and a specific order of flowering plant. The plant grows on large stalks, with many flowers to each stalk. I've been told that they're purple. I'll show you whenever you're able to visit to claim your treats.

I'm not positive the extent of our vulnerability to each. I simply know that they burn to the touch.

Forgive me for offering such unpleasant tidings along with my gift, though I suppose knowledge can be a bittersweet gift in itself.

- Xingchen

I've been learning about this holiday belatedly and feel bad that I have not gotten any gifts for anyone. I should make something for you, even if it's late. I don't know what you prefer.

Thank you for the warning. It's welcome at any time. I still have more to learn about my new form here.

There's no need to trouble yourself with a gift. Though it's hardly in the same holiday spirit, the gift which you brought me just after the circus was more than generous enough.

( the corpse, that is, and another six weeks of relief from the choice between killing and losing his mind. as morbid as it is, that was quite possibly the most thoughtful thing wen ning could've offered him. )

When shall I expect you to come for your treats? If you have the time to spare, I could put on some tea as well.

[He feels a little sick to his stomach thinking about that gift, but he's glad it helped his friend regardless.]

I can come by whenever you want. If you want me to come today then I will.

Today works well enough for me.

I won't keep you long enough that you can't return safely home before evening.

( it's perhaps a bit of an assumption on xingchen's part, that wen ning prefers (as he himself does) to shift in the privacy of his own home, but it seems like a safe one unless he's told otherwise. )

You're very kind, Daozhang. I won't keep you waiting.

[And assuming he knows where the other man lives, he'll be heading over promptly.]

Please, just Xingchen is fine.

( wen ning definitely knows where he lives, if he dropped off the post-circus meal. this time, xingchen is in quite a bit better shape, no longer drooping with the fatigue of spending nearly a week as a captive. as he awaits wen ning's arrival, he puts on a pot of a new blend of mildly-fruity black tea recommended to him earlier this month. )

[Wen Ning knocks on the door with some slight hesitation after he arrives. He's been invited over out of Xingchen's kindness, but that doesn't keep his furred ears from sitting a little flatter than usual. The unavoidable canine emotional tells irritate him when he actually notices them.

He still wanted to bring over something small as a gift. He'd almost brought a book before he remembered that the other were wouldn't be able to read it. Instead he has a few homemade bratwursts bought in town. Meat could always work as a gift for a were, and the shop had smelled fantastic when he'd gone by.

The package is held out in front of him, neatly wrapped in brown paper, as he waits for the door to open.]

( a book wouldn't be entirely amiss. he was able to read thickly-inked writing by touch back home in their realm, and if such a thing doesn't exist here, there are a couple of people he could potentially petition to read it to him.

that said, meat is certainly a fine gift as well, all things considered. the delightful smell of it greets xingchen as soon as he opens the door, though he pays it no mind just yet in favor of offering the man a welcoming smile and stepping back to open the door a bit wider for him. ) Wen-xiong, come in. I've put on tea, if you'd like some, ( he says, waiting for wen ning to enter and then closing the door behind him. ) And that's your gift right there on the table - you can take the containers with you, I've far too many of them. ( xingchen may or may not have gone overboard on ryslig-brand tupperware. it's fine.

two containers do indeed sit on the table, one slightly smaller than the other. the top one contains fao gao (pink despite the seasonal red and green because he honestly isn't sure how appetizing red or green fao gao might actually look), while the bottom contains osmanthus cake cut neatly into squares.

before heading in that direction, himself, xingchen detours to the kitchen to collect two mugs from within the cupboard and the teapot from the stove, which are brought to the table as well. wen ning doesn't have to pour himself some, if he'd prefer not to have any. )

That's so generous of you, Dhao-- ah... Xiao--...

[Wen Ning fumbles with the name. The other were is calling him Wen-xiong but asked to be referred to by his courtesy name. He should probably follow those wishes.]

...Xingchen.

[He lifts the package he'd brought again so that it gently touches Xingchen's arm.]

I-I got a gift for you after all. I hope you don't mind. They're just pork, but they should be tasty.

[It doesn't have to be human meat all the time. Wen Ning hasn't been a fan of a lot of the sweets in this place, but what Xingchen has for him is a reminder of home. He hadn't been lying when he'd said he was grateful for them. He can enjoy them even as he is now, even in this place.]

[ a package arrives quite early in the morning, probably because there is one (1) delivery bird working his tail feathers off today and this is just where wen ning ended up in the carefully arranged queue.

the box is simple, longer than it is wide and rather flat in shape. it's neatly tied with red cord, under which a folded bit of paper has been tucked with a note scribbled inside. ]

Wen Ning —

I really hope you haven't turned into something with no arms, but if you did it's OK and I'll make it up to you! But if you do have them, maybe we can go hunting some time! Do you think this place has pheasants? We should find out!

[ wrapped in such a way that it can't really be said that it's done neatly but certainly with deliberate care is a bow and several arrows to go with it. time and attention has been spent to make sure it's well-crafted in both form and function, although there remains a certain rough and unpolished quality about it because its maker is no professional.

at least in this object there probably aren't too many differences between their respective worlds in terms of the overall design, but being in ryslig means having different materials on hand and needing to adapt accordingly. that's mostly true for the arrows as well, although in this case it's probably much easier to mimic what they're used to. there's a band of red painted around the notched end under the black feathered fletching, presumably to make them a bit easier to see to recover in the brush. ]

Master Wei!

I received your gift. I'm devastated that I don't have anything to give in return yet. I was too indecisive on what I should do, but I will think of something even if it's late.

I definitely have arms, though! Hunting with you would be something to look forward to. This lowly one is very grateful for what he's been given.

ic inbox (ryslig)

< xiao.xingchen > nov 16th, early afternoon

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backdated to the 25th.

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( backdated to the morning on dec 25th because i am tragically slow... )

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