wen qing 1) au where they get married and are happy. 2) he decides to help the wen clan!! 3) any angst / pain / suffering 4) she lives for golden core reveal 5) non-sexual intimacy
lan xichen 1) xichen finding out about the golden core properly (discussing it after temple) 2) non-sexual intimacy, touching, hand holding 3) nightmare h/c (either side) 4) proposals, cultivation partners 5) time gap, baby jin ling ft. lan xichen and overwhelmed jc
wei wuxian 1) post-canon reconciliations 2) wwx finding out about jc turning himself in 3) pre/post-wedding bro moment
lan wangji 1) fighting / tension bc wwx. 2) hatesex / fucking through pain to feel close to wwx 3) meeting after seclusion 4) lan "why are you fucking my brother" wangji ft. panicked jc 5) bro in laws trying to make amends
general wants / aus 1) soulmates 2) hanahaki disease
Jiang Cheng had never imagined that one day he would be a father, no more than he had imagined that months beyond the beginning of that care he might be preparing for his own death.
Jin Ling is more his son than nephew, anyone at Lotus Pier could see that, and he keeps the boy closer than anyone would probably imagine from him. He is devoted to what remains of his sister, what remains of the fragile link between his joy and his heartbreak, and that means that his doting on the small child can sometimes get somewhat out of hand. No one comments on it, however - not when they are all too aware of how his own upbringing had been, how difficult a childhood he had lead with a father who loved him least and a mother he had never suited.
It's Jin Ling that's settled in his lap as he turns pages in the Lan Sect library, frowning as he stares down at the words in front of him. The little child is reaching to tug at loose hair and parts of the fabric of his robe, leaving Jiang Cheng able to do little more than lift his bells and shake them to entertain the baby, trying to ignore the knot in his throat and the way it makes him feel as though he's aching from the inside out. The fact that any of the Lan disciples might come here and interrupt the quiet is fearsome enough, but to have them see the great and fearsome Sandu Shengshou doting on a baby.
The only thing that makes the moment better is that another sits not too far from him, pouring over his own books. Zewu-Jun has been a constant companion as Jiang Cheng attempts to research his condition, and that has been both a boon and a punishment - especially since he recognises where some of his pain and suffering had come from.
Over the months since he had lost Wei Wuxian (and carried the burden of his murder, as if he had truly ended the life of his only brother) Zewu-Jun had been a kind companion to him, helping him to move forward. He had always been gentle, of course, and supported Jiang Cheng as he rose to accept his place as a Sect leader, but it has been different of late. It feels less like something compassionate and filled with pity and more like something kind, something tender, as if friendship is to develop between them - deeper and more real than anything he has had before.
Even the thought of it is enough to have Jiang Cheng trying to swallow back the petals that grow in his throat. He's seen the colour of them, whites and pale blues, looking too similar to lotus petals for him to ever feel comfortable staring for too long. Every time Zewu-Jun smiles at him he can feel the crush of it cutting off his breathing, making him feel as though he might lose his stomach if he is not careful. That is what he is researching now, some kind of cure for what had befallen him, something to make him well.
There's something sick and pained about the notion that he might die and leave Jin Ling alone, with no connection to Lotus Pier and his mother... That is something he cannot tolerate. He may still have Jin Guangyao as his other uncle, but...
Idle eyes turn to look at Zewu-Jun and he catches himself, lost at staring at the other man before he coughs, lifting a hand to cover his mouth as Jin Ling wiggles, trying to grab at his fingers.
"For what?" Lan Xichen asks, looking up from the pages that have held his attention for time half an incense stick has burned through. In truth, they had done so poorly. Not when the scrolls and tomes he and his companion have looked through so far have provided few answers.
They sit, the two of them and Wanyin's nephew in a corner of the forbidden section of the Lan library. The sections open to the rest of the clan, to those visiting the Cloud Recess, do not house semblance of answers. Xichen knows this well, he has looked through each passage at one point or another or assigned it to a student to copy. They hold no keys as to why the man before him is ailing, from what he's revealed. It must be different, then, from the way his own throat has ached since the first time he'd thought of the younger Sect Leader and found that he'd coughed pink stained carnations into his own hand.
It is not lying, not wholly, to not admit that a similar ailment plagues him. Even for a friend, for a man who he's grown fond of for his determination, his courage, his love for his family, Xichen could not grant entrance into the library's most sacred sections without some justification to the Elders. They are pulling at similar threads, not the same.
Xichen lets out a deep sigh, a soft sound compared to the babbling and fussing of Jin Ling in Wanyin's lap. The boy is growing well, a happy child all things considering. He is technically an uncle as well, through the ceremony that sealed the Venerated Triad into brotherhood, but he does not make that claim over the man who is more father than uncle. He would not dream. Besides, his own nephew -- his brother's son -- is napping a few feet away from them. It is technically forbidden to sleep in the library, unbecoming at least, but Xichen is not about to scold the boy. Not when the sleep is needed, he'd cried through the night and kept his Uncle up with him.
His father is still in seclusion after all, though Xichen has fought with the Elders and forced reason upon them enough that visits are allowed once every two weeks.
Sitting in front of Jiang Wanyin, Xichen understands what it is like to be both parent and Sect Leader, to balance the delicate duties and, too often, to not succeed. A-Yuan is not the first child he has raised, though this time there is more than a few years between the child he is parenting. It is easier, not easy. Here they are, two men who understand each other's struggles better than most. Xichen recognizes that he has more support than the Jiang Sect leader, has offered his own and is glad that it has morphed into more than a cordialness between them.
Still, this share struggle bonds. Perhaps as much as the ailment he wishes to help rid the other man of more than himself. The thought makes his own chest ache, his lungs burn. The coughing, on both their behalf, is rarely acknowledged as a disruption unless there is need for serious concern. "Are you alright? I am afraid that all of this," he motions to the books scattered before them, "and I have found nothing of use." A pause, he frowns and looks back at the texts and then at the abandoned teapot between them, they need more water. "I shall call for more tea? Unless Young Master Jin would prefer his Uncle take a break?" he teases, smiling fondly as Jin Ling continues to grab and make a fuss over his uncle.
( this because he's now here, not so politely tapping a toe against the doorframe before reaching out to slide things open and sweep in with all the understated fanfare of someone who is exceedingly sure of his own ability to (lovingly, probably) annoy.
also, as he's not the one really suffering, he can both smile and reveal the jar of salve in his hand, that he presents to Jiang Cheng once he finds him, all wide smiles and crescent eyed amusement. )
Behold! Something to make up for your late night idiocy. It's fine, it's fine, shijie just thinks I'm getting into all kinds of new and exciting trouble, she doesn't suspect a thing.
( are they deluded into thinking Yanli is unaware? this jar is far larger than what one Wei Wuxian would require, so yes. he's aware she knows but wasn't asking, just smiling in that way that says I'm letting you get away with this for now. if it were anything serious, she wouldn't, but boys being boys and not causing major trouble at a wine house is low on the level of antics that they very easily can get into. )
[while the message jiang cheng sends through enchanted butterfly doesn't say the words 'i am dying' directly, the panic in his husband's voice leaves dread spreading through lan xichen's system. the alpha in him, the creature the lan precepts make simple instinct and nature out to be, snarls.
something is wrong and the fact the other man doesn't clarify has lan xichen doing something he has not done since resuming his duties as sect leader, following his seclusion. his duties and meetings are handed off to his uncle, wangji can handle anything else that comes up in the mean time on his behalf.
both his brother and uncle nearly earn a snapping growl from lan xichen when they ask the reason behind it, but something has the alpha unwilling to share. his husband is in trouble, xichen cannot linger. husband -- he thinks, pushes down instinctual panic that his logical mind knows is unnecessary -- only because jiang cheng's beta biology will not let a mating bite take hold and the bite fades after each of xichen's ruts. in truth, xichen does not care but this is one of the last catch-ups of their marriage.
xichen doesn't think to pack clothes with him, driven by instinct to join jiang cheng in the inn in yunmeng that the other sect leader sent the message from.
when he arrives, he notices that jiang disciples stand guard at the entrance and when he is let inside the inn is emptied. the staff have been dismissed, the owner looks panicked as he greets him and tells lan xichen where to go. the fact no one will head to up to the third floor which make up the rooms given to the jiang sect is--- it's strange.
there's no reason for it, not that xichen can think of as he rushes up the stairs. when he reaches jiang cheng's rooms, two things have him stopping in his tracks. first, the door is warded meant to keep anyone from entering. second, despite the warding, xichen can smell his husband scent leaking out form under the door. it's sweet, a mix of lotus and something electric that xichen can never quite place but makes him feel at home as he presses his nose to the crook of jiang cheng's neck and tries to mix their scents together without overpowering the beta's altogether.
which is--- well, not supposed to be possible. just as they possess a weaker sense of smell, a beta's scent is never quite as powerful as an alpha's or omega's. it's not a strange thing, not when a majority of the population are betas but a rarity amongst the gentry.] Jiang Cheng? [he calls out, knocking on the door. it's gentle at first, then firmer knocking and a call with voice raised. something must be wrong.]
[ None of this is rational, and none of it fits the things that Jiang Cheng had been taught as a child.
He had been born a beta - a waste in the eyes of his family, not powerful enough in nature to inherit the clan outright and not a suitable partner to match with someone else for proper breeding. Stuck somewhere in the middle he had tried his best to overcome, to prove himself, to attempt the impossible and be someone strong enough to prove his worth to his mother and father. The problem is, of course, that it was never good enough for either of them - and then they were gone and it didn't really matter anymore.
Waking up that morning had felt as though his entire body was on fire, as if some illness had taken him in the night. It was rare for cultivators to get any kind of real sickness with their cores and the access to medicine, but no amount of cool water or focus had left him able to to push back the strange heat. It felt as though he had a lead weight in his stomach, as if something was attacking him from the inside out, and his first instinct was to suspect poison, some kind of underhanded attack.
(Who in Cloud Recesses or Lotus Pier would dare poison their Sect Leader's mate, though? It seemed impossible to imagine it).
He feels wrong, as though there is something he is missing, something whispering in the back of his mind that he should understand the reaction that his body is having, but he simply doesn't. The only thing he can think to do is to send a message to his husband and demand that the floor be evacuated, that his guards set themselves up outside. They seem in a rush to do it, no questions asked, which confuses him even more - do they know something he doesn't?
It's only when he hears the knock at the door and the familiar sound of his husband's voice that Jiang Cheng emerges from the pile of blankets and robes he had wrapped around himself, seeking some kind of relief in the cool silks. It barely helped, but it was something, easing some of the strange fuzziness in his head before he makes his way over to the door. The yearning he has felt for Xichen for the last several hours feels overwhelming now, desperate to touch him and not being able to explain why.
Opening the door, Jiang Cheng's face is flushed, his eyes damp from unshed tears, his hands shaking as he reaches for Xichen. ]
Blues dominate, yellows spring up from the little gardens as rogue rock-flowers make use of the ponds and waterways, and the only true splash of vividness is a flash of red whenever Wangji's zhiyin careens through. It is not hard to keep the news of visiting Sect Leader lowkey but it does require that Xichen tactfully sends Sizhui and his friends up the mountain to enjoy a day off in the cold springs if they wish, needing to use some quieter, younger juniors whom he knows will not bring word of Jiang Cheng's arrival to the Jingshi up the hill. No doubt Wangji and his husband will come barrelling in at some point tomorrow when news eventually travels, but if Xichen cannot keep a secret for a single night he is not much of a leader at all.
That is how Jiang Cheng is greeted by two very respectful youths at the gates and led to the Hanshi where Xichen has been secluding himself (save for idle jaunts into the town where no one knows him beyond his title and a gulf of respect so wide it leaves him more alone in a crowd than not). With the knowledge of a visiting guest he actually wants to see lifting his depression somewhat, he has combed his hair and has tea waiting to be poured when Wanyin is escorted in.
His smile is genuine, dark eyes soft as they linger on Jiang Cheng above a bow. For as displaced as he feels most of the time, he anchors onto the other's presence and has a sense of his true self again. ]
Jiang-zongzhu, welcome. Please, sit with me after your journey. Tell me all about it.
[ Jiang Cheng remembers being at Cloud Recesses when he was younger, before everything had changed and his life had fallen apart around him.
It's strange, to be back here now as a completely different person, trying to ignore the ache in his chest and the prickle of discomfort that he feels. He knows that Wei Wuxian is haunting these lands, both literally and metaphorically, and the idea of coming face to face with him isn't something he is emotionally prepared for. Their relationship might have improved since his brother had first returned to life, but things aren't necessarily good. It's too intense for someone who hasn't had an hour of preparation.
Walking through the gates and up to the quiet buildings, he feels a sense of overwhelming relief - but also an odd little nervousness. It isn't often that he and his fellow Sect Leader are together alone, and he wants to make the best impression that he possibly can. He's embarrassed himself so often in front of Lan Xichen that the idea of making a fool of himself now makes him nauseated.
The first thing he does, of course, is offer the proper bow, his smile genuine for the first time in many days. Spending time travelling is good for him, he enjoys that, but there's something to be said for excellent company. ]
No, thank you, Lan-zongzhu. I am glad to have been invited. [ Stepping inside, he places his sword down gently as he makes himself comfortable. ] It hasn't been a difficult trip. I don't think I have done anything worth too much explanation, just met with a matchmaker and visited some of the quieter areas of Yunmeng.
[ It's been a while since Guanyin Temple, and he's not entirely sure how Jiang Cheng has been faring since. He's been traveling, roaming, drinking wine and keeping out of trouble. Maybe it's the wine itself that has him thinking of Jiang Cheng, as he lazes in his room in the inn he's picked for tonight.
Which means he sends off a message, to his fair brother, and isn't sure if he'll get one back. ]
Which is to say, of course, that life has continued as is, save for the strangeness of all the revelations, the need to protect his a-Ling all the more since the betrayal of his other uncle, and the sourness in his mouth each time he remembers Wei Wuxian.
When he gets the message, he ignores it for a full twelve hours, until: ]
Last night he woke up in a flush of warmth that flooded him like being dunked in a warm bath, as if he had fallen into a hot springs or had been buried in a mound of blankets. Some kind of sweating sickness had overcome him and left him struggling to crawl out from his bed, tangled in sheets and robes, sticky with it, trying to force himself together so that he could deal with the Sect matters of the day.
Every day since his marriage had been an anxious one, struggling to prove himself, to show the world that despite the loss of his core he could still lead the Yunmeng Jiang Sect without any problems. He knows that if Wei Wuxian had not come back to be wedded to him then they never would've accepted him, but that's not the point; he can do this. He has to.
Overcome the impossible.
It's too hard to go further than his office, slumping in a chair and feeling weighed down, and all he can do is sip at his tea as he closes his eyes and tries to ignore the stuffy, achy feeling that's flooding him. When he hears an unmistakable voice coming towards his office, sing-song and happy, he shouts without thinking about it. ]
[ Wei Wuxian had led a blessed existence, if he was honest. He was an alpha, he had a strong golden core, he had a wonderful family who he loved. Then his family died, then he transferred his core to his brother, then he became a pariah. So, maybe not so blessed. But after coming back to life, after solving the grand mystery of why things went so poorly for him, and after returning to the cultivation world properly — things have been on the upswing. He was still an alpha, even in this new body — strong and bold and powerful. He could cultivate a new golden core if he took the years it would take to do so. He was even welcomed back into the Jiang Clan, finding home again in Lotus Pier.
Then, well, the secret of Jiang Cheng's core got out and a beta with an alpha's golden core got a lot of scorn so to stabilize his position, Wei Wuxian married him. Now he was mated to an alpha, the alpha who gave him the golden core in the first place, and in doing so, his position is stabilized again. He is still the sect leader, but he has a "respectful" mate now and it's all kind of dumb but people are bothering Jiang Cheng less so Wei Wuxian is happy about it.
They still sleep in separate bedrooms though, still haven't... touched each other because even though they are married, they're brothers too, right? It's a little complicated. Wei Wuxian wonders if they'll ever... kiss or do anything a married couple ought to do. Jiang Cheng doesn't seem to want to, all of this was done for his status after all, so Wei Wuxian hasn't bothered him with it.
Still, he likes to bother his brother whenever he can and so today, he's making his way to Jiang Cheng's office, twirling chenqing within his fingers as he does. ]
Jiang Cheng~! Are you in?
[ He's about to slide open the door when he hears his response. Go away! I don't want you around right now! And if Wei Wuxian was a better brother, husband, he might listen to Jiang Cheng and leave. He's not though, so he slides open the door and steps over the threshold with a bright grin. ]
What's wrong? You —
[ He cuts himself off then, his expression going from happy and carefree to outright confused because he's just been hit in the face with the scent of an omega in heat. But ... no one else is in this room except Jiang Cheng? ]
( against all odds, they survived, if only to sustain and rebuild their struggling communities. her regrets are many, but a small voice rises above her many thoughts and insists on attempting to live for now. it seems impossible, for wen qing, but the single reminder of a comb once left and once returned had led her to question her own stance.
her life has only ever been spent navigating sect politics, healing others, and, most importantly, protecting her family. there was never room for romance. he had always been there, standing on the other side of the many walls they had built around each other. perhaps the truth can help to set them free.
it is strange, to live honestly and openly.
she seems antsy on the day he is set to arrive, suddenly aware of how rough her hands have become, regardless of how much ointment she had used on them the night before. her clothes, her lack of finery - none of those matter to her, at least, and she suspects it won't matter to him either. still. she waits at the border of her small village, ready to greet him. )
He would never admit to it, and if anyone asked he would simply claim to be weary from the journey and the Night Hunts they had taken part in along the way, but that would not be the truth. He feels that bubble of anxiety that is so strangely familiar to him, an echo of what he had experienced in his youth - the desire to please, to show that he is worthy, that he is meant to have the regard of the person that he cares about.
It makes something burn inside of him, and the knowledge that he is welcome, that when he arrives in the small village that she might greet him with that small, soft smile... It keeps him going, it keeps him focused, until the moment gets there and is stepping off his sword and beyond the gates of the place he knows she is waiting for him.
Most of his disciples had been ordered to go and rest at a nearby inn, so it is just him, and he looks around the space for a moment before his eyes land on her. Momentarily breathless, he feels his cheeks prickling with heat before he steps forward and offers her a proper, formal boy, peering at her over his hands. ]
[ The truth of the matter is that Jiang Cheng does not want to be here.
Visits to Gusu Lan and the Cloud Recesses are rarer these days, beyond delivering disciples for their education and ensuring his sect behaves themselves appropriately. He doesn't like returning to these hallowed places and being strictly reminded of his youth, of all the things that came before and have been robbed from him by time and despair both. He doesn't like the dour faces of the Lan disciples and their funeral attire, making him feel a twist of something in his stomach.
He comes all the same, for it is his duty as sect leader, to attend conferences when summoned and do the best for his people. It is what he has always done, and that is not something anyone in this world could deny. Jiang Cheng bleeds purple, lives and breathes for the people he had brought into his fold, for the Yunmeng he had helped rise from the ashes. Overcome the impossible, it was said, and he does all that he can to do that.
It is all the worse knowing who is waiting for him here, and it feels immediate, like a stinging barb; Lan Wangji, the idolised Jade of the place, who is there to welcome his congregation. Trying to steel his resolve (and his features), Jiang Cheng offers a proper, formal bow, as is Hanguang-jun's right. ]
[ Lan Wangji really does not want to be here. Visits from clan leaders are already tedious enough, whether it is a visit to the Chief Cultivator or to the Gusu Lan, but this one in particular was certainly not being welcomed with open arms.
For two men who spent months in each other's company during their youth, shared hardships, who danced in the same circles of clan and cultivation politics, who shared a mutual acquaintance, you'd think there would be something there, some sense of camaraderie and if not friendship then at least mutual respect but nope— there really isn't. ]
Welcome, Sect Leader Jiang.
[ He offers a formal bow in response, as is earned due to his status, the other Lans behind him mimicking the gesture as they too pay their respects.
And then once it is over Hanguang-Jun stands there, all stiff and upright as he does that stare that doesn't quite seem to be direct eye contact but instead at a spot just over Jiang Cheng's shoulder as a second of silence passes, then two, then three.... god, this is going to be a nightmare. ]
We have prepared tea. Offerings of food. If you and your disciples wish to partake.
[ Jiang Cheng never once imagined that he would be a doting and tender husband.
When he had been younger, his mother had spoken to him of his role as a future sect leader, that he would have to find an appropriate wife and wed her for the future of their clan. She would have to be strong enough to give them a good heir, but decent (in all terms of the word) to be well accepted. The Jiang Sect, she had said, were welcoming, but distinguished, and as the fifth most eligible bachelor in the cultivation world he had to be prepared to be honourable and good to her.
He did not dwell overmuch on how she funnelled her frustrations with her father into the narration.
The loss of his golden core had changed it all. He was no longer the prized heir, no longer the bounty of a great gentry sect, but was instead a nothing; a cultivator with no cultivation, with burned ashes to offer in proposal. Desperation had him clinging to his sister upon their reunion, trying to adapt to their new normal, to find some plan for future, and there was only one open: she could not marry into the Jin family and have Yunmeng swallowed by their greed, so it was down to Jiang Cheng to make an advantageous marriage.
The truth is that he had been shocked when Lan Xichen had entertained the formal proposal, more so when the negotiations had led to a wedding. Even as they made their bows, he had thought that his betrothed might change his mind, realise what kind of creature he was binding himself to. There would be no hope of cultivating to immortality with Jiang Cheng as a husband, but... They would have many years together. The bows had been done, and the marriage night had been tense, but sweet enough, and now it is weeks later and Jiang Cheng is trying to find his place as the spouse of the leader of Gusu Lan.
Tonight, he returns to their rooms as silently as he can, sliding the door behind him. He has spent hours in the library, copying books so the students have more to use, and he is doing all that he can to be as out of the way as possible, to not disturb the work of the famed Zewu-jun. He has no desire for his barbed tongue to damage their tentative peace, and it means that as he slips through he does not notice the table, shifted so slightly, nor is he able to stop himself as he trips and collapses forward.
[ Xichen is out of his seat in a heartbeat, stepping across the room to try and catch his fall. He was not asleep, though he should have been, so he heard the entry, and then the mishap.
Even his exclamation is quiet, and his quick movements graceful, as that is how it has been ingrained into him to move, and to speak. But the concern is genuine, his heart twisting silently inside him even though he knows adults, on the whole, don't take that much damage from tripping over a table.
Usually.
But... Wanyin has been hurt in so many ways already, and it feels like even a little bit is too much.
Whether he reaches him in time to catch the fall, or after, to help him up, his hands are gentle and careful and very... proper. Very deliberately proper. ]
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(frozen comment) prompts / desires / thoughts / etc
1) au where they get married and are happy.
2) he decides to help the wen clan!!
3) any angst / pain / suffering
4) she lives for golden core reveal
5) non-sexual intimacy
lan xichen
1) xichen finding out about the golden core properly (discussing it after temple)
2) non-sexual intimacy, touching, hand holding
3) nightmare h/c (either side)
4) proposals, cultivation partners
5) time gap, baby jin ling ft. lan xichen and overwhelmed jc
wei wuxian
1) post-canon reconciliations
2) wwx finding out about jc turning himself in
3) pre/post-wedding bro moment
lan wangji
1) fighting / tension bc wwx.
2) hatesex / fucking through pain to feel close to wwx
3) meeting after seclusion
4) lan "why are you fucking my brother" wangji ft. panicked jc
5) bro in laws trying to make amends
general wants / aus
1) soulmates
2) hanahaki disease
@lanhuan.
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They sit, the two of them and Wanyin's nephew in a corner of the forbidden section of the Lan library. The sections open to the rest of the clan, to those visiting the Cloud Recess, do not house semblance of answers. Xichen knows this well, he has looked through each passage at one point or another or assigned it to a student to copy. They hold no keys as to why the man before him is ailing, from what he's revealed. It must be different, then, from the way his own throat has ached since the first time he'd thought of the younger Sect Leader and found that he'd coughed pink stained carnations into his own hand.
It is not lying, not wholly, to not admit that a similar ailment plagues him. Even for a friend, for a man who he's grown fond of for his determination, his courage, his love for his family, Xichen could not grant entrance into the library's most sacred sections without some justification to the Elders. They are pulling at similar threads, not the same.
Xichen lets out a deep sigh, a soft sound compared to the babbling and fussing of Jin Ling in Wanyin's lap. The boy is growing well, a happy child all things considering. He is technically an uncle as well, through the ceremony that sealed the Venerated Triad into brotherhood, but he does not make that claim over the man who is more father than uncle. He would not dream. Besides, his own nephew -- his brother's son -- is napping a few feet away from them. It is technically forbidden to sleep in the library, unbecoming at least, but Xichen is not about to scold the boy. Not when the sleep is needed, he'd cried through the night and kept his Uncle up with him.
His father is still in seclusion after all, though Xichen has fought with the Elders and forced reason upon them enough that visits are allowed once every two weeks.
Sitting in front of Jiang Wanyin, Xichen understands what it is like to be both parent and Sect Leader, to balance the delicate duties and, too often, to not succeed. A-Yuan is not the first child he has raised, though this time there is more than a few years between the child he is parenting. It is easier, not easy. Here they are, two men who understand each other's struggles better than most. Xichen recognizes that he has more support than the Jiang Sect leader, has offered his own and is glad that it has morphed into more than a cordialness between them.
Still, this share struggle bonds. Perhaps as much as the ailment he wishes to help rid the other man of more than himself. The thought makes his own chest ache, his lungs burn. The coughing, on both their behalf, is rarely acknowledged as a disruption unless there is need for serious concern. "Are you alright? I am afraid that all of this," he motions to the books scattered before them, "and I have found nothing of use." A pause, he frowns and looks back at the texts and then at the abandoned teapot between them, they need more water. "I shall call for more tea? Unless Young Master Jin would prefer his Uncle take a break?" he teases, smiling fondly as Jin Ling continues to grab and make a fuss over his uncle.
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@flauted
Hm. That doesn't seem right.
@weifinder
Yes, yes, you're a hero. Hurry up.
no subject
( this because he's now here, not so politely tapping a toe against the doorframe before reaching out to slide things open and sweep in with all the understated fanfare of someone who is exceedingly sure of his own ability to (lovingly, probably) annoy.
also, as he's not the one really suffering, he can both smile and reveal the jar of salve in his hand, that he presents to Jiang Cheng once he finds him, all wide smiles and crescent eyed amusement. )
Behold! Something to make up for your late night idiocy. It's fine, it's fine, shijie just thinks I'm getting into all kinds of new and exciting trouble, she doesn't suspect a thing.
( are they deluded into thinking Yanli is unaware? this jar is far larger than what one Wei Wuxian would require, so yes. he's aware she knows but wasn't asking, just smiling in that way that says I'm letting you get away with this for now. if it were anything serious, she wouldn't, but boys being boys and not causing major trouble at a wine house is low on the level of antics that they very easily can get into. )
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Not as lucky as me. Sap.
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@levamen
Family is important. The most important, I think.
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In the end, isn't that all we truly have?
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@desultorily
Chopsticks are not as good as combs!
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@achickenformylove
The latter. It was only one floor.
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@weixianme
I'll visit you, dumbass! Or I'll send them away when you come.
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omegaverse | change is in the air
something is wrong and the fact the other man doesn't clarify has lan xichen doing something he has not done since resuming his duties as sect leader, following his seclusion. his duties and meetings are handed off to his uncle, wangji can handle anything else that comes up in the mean time on his behalf.
both his brother and uncle nearly earn a snapping growl from lan xichen when they ask the reason behind it, but something has the alpha unwilling to share. his husband is in trouble, xichen cannot linger. husband -- he thinks, pushes down instinctual panic that his logical mind knows is unnecessary -- only because jiang cheng's beta biology will not let a mating bite take hold and the bite fades after each of xichen's ruts. in truth, xichen does not care but this is one of the last catch-ups of their marriage.
xichen doesn't think to pack clothes with him, driven by instinct to join jiang cheng in the inn in yunmeng that the other sect leader sent the message from.
when he arrives, he notices that jiang disciples stand guard at the entrance and when he is let inside the inn is emptied. the staff have been dismissed, the owner looks panicked as he greets him and tells lan xichen where to go. the fact no one will head to up to the third floor which make up the rooms given to the jiang sect is--- it's strange.
there's no reason for it, not that xichen can think of as he rushes up the stairs. when he reaches jiang cheng's rooms, two things have him stopping in his tracks. first, the door is warded meant to keep anyone from entering. second, despite the warding, xichen can smell his husband scent leaking out form under the door. it's sweet, a mix of lotus and something electric that xichen can never quite place but makes him feel at home as he presses his nose to the crook of jiang cheng's neck and tries to mix their scents together without overpowering the beta's altogether.
which is--- well, not supposed to be possible. just as they possess a weaker sense of smell, a beta's scent is never quite as powerful as an alpha's or omega's. it's not a strange thing, not when a majority of the population are betas but a rarity amongst the gentry.] Jiang Cheng? [he calls out, knocking on the door. it's gentle at first, then firmer knocking and a call with voice raised. something must be wrong.]
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He had been born a beta - a waste in the eyes of his family, not powerful enough in nature to inherit the clan outright and not a suitable partner to match with someone else for proper breeding. Stuck somewhere in the middle he had tried his best to overcome, to prove himself, to attempt the impossible and be someone strong enough to prove his worth to his mother and father. The problem is, of course, that it was never good enough for either of them - and then they were gone and it didn't really matter anymore.
Waking up that morning had felt as though his entire body was on fire, as if some illness had taken him in the night. It was rare for cultivators to get any kind of real sickness with their cores and the access to medicine, but no amount of cool water or focus had left him able to to push back the strange heat. It felt as though he had a lead weight in his stomach, as if something was attacking him from the inside out, and his first instinct was to suspect poison, some kind of underhanded attack.
(Who in Cloud Recesses or Lotus Pier would dare poison their Sect Leader's mate, though? It seemed impossible to imagine it).
He feels wrong, as though there is something he is missing, something whispering in the back of his mind that he should understand the reaction that his body is having, but he simply doesn't. The only thing he can think to do is to send a message to his husband and demand that the floor be evacuated, that his guards set themselves up outside. They seem in a rush to do it, no questions asked, which confuses him even more - do they know something he doesn't?
It's only when he hears the knock at the door and the familiar sound of his husband's voice that Jiang Cheng emerges from the pile of blankets and robes he had wrapped around himself, seeking some kind of relief in the cool silks. It barely helped, but it was something, easing some of the strange fuzziness in his head before he makes his way over to the door. The yearning he has felt for Xichen for the last several hours feels overwhelming now, desperate to touch him and not being able to explain why.
Opening the door, Jiang Cheng's face is flushed, his eyes damp from unshed tears, his hands shaking as he reaches for Xichen. ]
I am dying.
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[ Purple is a rare colour in Cloud Recesses.
Blues dominate, yellows spring up from the little gardens as rogue rock-flowers make use of the ponds and waterways, and the only true splash of vividness is a flash of red whenever Wangji's zhiyin careens through. It is not hard to keep the news of visiting Sect Leader lowkey but it does require that Xichen tactfully sends Sizhui and his friends up the mountain to enjoy a day off in the cold springs if they wish, needing to use some quieter, younger juniors whom he knows will not bring word of Jiang Cheng's arrival to the Jingshi up the hill. No doubt Wangji and his husband will come barrelling in at some point tomorrow when news eventually travels, but if Xichen cannot keep a secret for a single night he is not much of a leader at all.
That is how Jiang Cheng is greeted by two very respectful youths at the gates and led to the Hanshi where Xichen has been secluding himself (save for idle jaunts into the town where no one knows him beyond his title and a gulf of respect so wide it leaves him more alone in a crowd than not). With the knowledge of a visiting guest he actually wants to see lifting his depression somewhat, he has combed his hair and has tea waiting to be poured when Wanyin is escorted in.
His smile is genuine, dark eyes soft as they linger on Jiang Cheng above a bow. For as displaced as he feels most of the time, he anchors onto the other's presence and has a sense of his true self again. ]
Jiang-zongzhu, welcome. Please, sit with me after your journey. Tell me all about it.
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It's strange, to be back here now as a completely different person, trying to ignore the ache in his chest and the prickle of discomfort that he feels. He knows that Wei Wuxian is haunting these lands, both literally and metaphorically, and the idea of coming face to face with him isn't something he is emotionally prepared for. Their relationship might have improved since his brother had first returned to life, but things aren't necessarily good. It's too intense for someone who hasn't had an hour of preparation.
Walking through the gates and up to the quiet buildings, he feels a sense of overwhelming relief - but also an odd little nervousness. It isn't often that he and his fellow Sect Leader are together alone, and he wants to make the best impression that he possibly can. He's embarrassed himself so often in front of Lan Xichen that the idea of making a fool of himself now makes him nauseated.
The first thing he does, of course, is offer the proper bow, his smile genuine for the first time in many days. Spending time travelling is good for him, he enjoys that, but there's something to be said for excellent company. ]
No, thank you, Lan-zongzhu. I am glad to have been invited. [ Stepping inside, he places his sword down gently as he makes himself comfortable. ] It hasn't been a difficult trip. I don't think I have done anything worth too much explanation, just met with a matchmaker and visited some of the quieter areas of Yunmeng.
[ He glances around the room, almost shyly. ]
How have you found yourself, Lan-zongzhu?
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Which means he sends off a message, to his fair brother, and isn't sure if he'll get one back. ]
tigers or toads, which do you prefer?
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Which is to say, of course, that life has continued as is, save for the strangeness of all the revelations, the need to protect his a-Ling all the more since the betrayal of his other uncle, and the sourness in his mouth each time he remembers Wei Wuxian.
When he gets the message, he ignores it for a full twelve hours, until: ]
Tigers, of course.
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lets do ALL))Zewu-Jun requests an audience with Sect Leader Jiang upon his convenience. Non-urgent. Within Cloud Recesses.
[ Why he couldn't have simply said so himself, who knows. Oh well, Lan Wangji's fraternal duty has now be honoured—— ]
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Zewu-jun could not send the message himself?
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marriage au with shenanigans @suibian
Last night he woke up in a flush of warmth that flooded him like being dunked in a warm bath, as if he had fallen into a hot springs or had been buried in a mound of blankets. Some kind of sweating sickness had overcome him and left him struggling to crawl out from his bed, tangled in sheets and robes, sticky with it, trying to force himself together so that he could deal with the Sect matters of the day.
Every day since his marriage had been an anxious one, struggling to prove himself, to show the world that despite the loss of his core he could still lead the Yunmeng Jiang Sect without any problems. He knows that if Wei Wuxian had not come back to be wedded to him then they never would've accepted him, but that's not the point; he can do this. He has to.
Overcome the impossible.
It's too hard to go further than his office, slumping in a chair and feeling weighed down, and all he can do is sip at his tea as he closes his eyes and tries to ignore the stuffy, achy feeling that's flooding him. When he hears an unmistakable voice coming towards his office, sing-song and happy, he shouts without thinking about it. ]
Go away! I don't want you around right now!
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Then, well, the secret of Jiang Cheng's core got out and a beta with an alpha's golden core got a lot of scorn so to stabilize his position, Wei Wuxian married him. Now he was mated to an alpha, the alpha who gave him the golden core in the first place, and in doing so, his position is stabilized again. He is still the sect leader, but he has a "respectful" mate now and it's all kind of dumb but people are bothering Jiang Cheng less so Wei Wuxian is happy about it.
They still sleep in separate bedrooms though, still haven't... touched each other because even though they are married, they're brothers too, right? It's a little complicated. Wei Wuxian wonders if they'll ever... kiss or do anything a married couple ought to do. Jiang Cheng doesn't seem to want to, all of this was done for his status after all, so Wei Wuxian hasn't bothered him with it.
Still, he likes to bother his brother whenever he can and so today, he's making his way to Jiang Cheng's office, twirling chenqing within his fingers as he does. ]
Jiang Cheng~! Are you in?
[ He's about to slide open the door when he hears his response. Go away! I don't want you around right now! And if Wei Wuxian was a better brother, husband, he might listen to Jiang Cheng and leave. He's not though, so he slides open the door and steps over the threshold with a bright grin. ]
What's wrong? You —
[ He cuts himself off then, his expression going from happy and carefree to outright confused because he's just been hit in the face with the scent of an omega in heat. But ... no one else is in this room except Jiang Cheng? ]
... The hell?
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some slightly happier au 💖
her life has only ever been spent navigating sect politics, healing others, and, most importantly, protecting her family. there was never room for romance. he had always been there, standing on the other side of the many walls they had built around each other. perhaps the truth can help to set them free.
it is strange, to live honestly and openly.
she seems antsy on the day he is set to arrive, suddenly aware of how rough her hands have become, regardless of how much ointment she had used on them the night before. her clothes, her lack of finery - none of those matter to her, at least, and she suspects it won't matter to him either. still. she waits at the border of her small village, ready to greet him. )
💖💖💖
He would never admit to it, and if anyone asked he would simply claim to be weary from the journey and the Night Hunts they had taken part in along the way, but that would not be the truth. He feels that bubble of anxiety that is so strangely familiar to him, an echo of what he had experienced in his youth - the desire to please, to show that he is worthy, that he is meant to have the regard of the person that he cares about.
It makes something burn inside of him, and the knowledge that he is welcome, that when he arrives in the small village that she might greet him with that small, soft smile... It keeps him going, it keeps him focused, until the moment gets there and is stepping off his sword and beyond the gates of the place he knows she is waiting for him.
Most of his disciples had been ordered to go and rest at a nearby inn, so it is just him, and he looks around the space for a moment before his eyes land on her. Momentarily breathless, he feels his cheeks prickling with heat before he steps forward and offers her a proper, formal boy, peering at her over his hands. ]
Lady Wen.
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@lwj; gusu visit.
Visits to Gusu Lan and the Cloud Recesses are rarer these days, beyond delivering disciples for their education and ensuring his sect behaves themselves appropriately. He doesn't like returning to these hallowed places and being strictly reminded of his youth, of all the things that came before and have been robbed from him by time and despair both. He doesn't like the dour faces of the Lan disciples and their funeral attire, making him feel a twist of something in his stomach.
He comes all the same, for it is his duty as sect leader, to attend conferences when summoned and do the best for his people. It is what he has always done, and that is not something anyone in this world could deny. Jiang Cheng bleeds purple, lives and breathes for the people he had brought into his fold, for the Yunmeng he had helped rise from the ashes. Overcome the impossible, it was said, and he does all that he can to do that.
It is all the worse knowing who is waiting for him here, and it feels immediate, like a stinging barb; Lan Wangji, the idolised Jade of the place, who is there to welcome his congregation. Trying to steel his resolve (and his features), Jiang Cheng offers a proper, formal bow, as is Hanguang-jun's right. ]
Greetings, Hanguang-jun.
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For two men who spent months in each other's company during their youth, shared hardships, who danced in the same circles of clan and cultivation politics, who shared a mutual acquaintance, you'd think there would be something there, some sense of camaraderie and if not friendship then at least mutual respect but nope— there really isn't. ]
Welcome, Sect Leader Jiang.
[ He offers a formal bow in response, as is earned due to his status, the other Lans behind him mimicking the gesture as they too pay their respects.
And then once it is over Hanguang-Jun stands there, all stiff and upright as he does that stare that doesn't quite seem to be direct eye contact but instead at a spot just over Jiang Cheng's shoulder as a second of silence passes, then two, then three.... god, this is going to be a nightmare. ]
We have prepared tea. Offerings of food. If you and your disciples wish to partake.
@lxc; arranged marriage au.
When he had been younger, his mother had spoken to him of his role as a future sect leader, that he would have to find an appropriate wife and wed her for the future of their clan. She would have to be strong enough to give them a good heir, but decent (in all terms of the word) to be well accepted. The Jiang Sect, she had said, were welcoming, but distinguished, and as the fifth most eligible bachelor in the cultivation world he had to be prepared to be honourable and good to her.
He did not dwell overmuch on how she funnelled her frustrations with her father into the narration.
The loss of his golden core had changed it all. He was no longer the prized heir, no longer the bounty of a great gentry sect, but was instead a nothing; a cultivator with no cultivation, with burned ashes to offer in proposal. Desperation had him clinging to his sister upon their reunion, trying to adapt to their new normal, to find some plan for future, and there was only one open: she could not marry into the Jin family and have Yunmeng swallowed by their greed, so it was down to Jiang Cheng to make an advantageous marriage.
The truth is that he had been shocked when Lan Xichen had entertained the formal proposal, more so when the negotiations had led to a wedding. Even as they made their bows, he had thought that his betrothed might change his mind, realise what kind of creature he was binding himself to. There would be no hope of cultivating to immortality with Jiang Cheng as a husband, but... They would have many years together. The bows had been done, and the marriage night had been tense, but sweet enough, and now it is weeks later and Jiang Cheng is trying to find his place as the spouse of the leader of Gusu Lan.
Tonight, he returns to their rooms as silently as he can, sliding the door behind him. He has spent hours in the library, copying books so the students have more to use, and he is doing all that he can to be as out of the way as possible, to not disturb the work of the famed Zewu-jun. He has no desire for his barbed tongue to damage their tentative peace, and it means that as he slips through he does not notice the table, shifted so slightly, nor is he able to stop himself as he trips and collapses forward.
No hope for quiet, then. ]
Shit...
oh, baby boy
[ Xichen is out of his seat in a heartbeat, stepping across the room to try and catch his fall. He was not asleep, though he should have been, so he heard the entry, and then the mishap.
Even his exclamation is quiet, and his quick movements graceful, as that is how it has been ingrained into him to move, and to speak. But the concern is genuine, his heart twisting silently inside him even though he knows adults, on the whole, don't take that much damage from tripping over a table.
Usually.
But... Wanyin has been hurt in so many ways already, and it feels like even a little bit is too much.
Whether he reaches him in time to catch the fall, or after, to help him up, his hands are gentle and careful and very... proper. Very deliberately proper. ]
Are you all right?
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aweeeehhh
i’m already obsessed
they be like that. not nearly as obvious as others, but take your breath away
yes!!
UGGHH EMOTIONS
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