awashlogs | We sail the ocean blue (closed)

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We sail the ocean blue (closed)

WHO: Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian
WHERE: At sea, floating along the northern shore.
WHEN: April 27-May 3
WHAT: In an attempt to discover more about where they live, they've decided to go on a seafaring expedition, to see if they can find another settlement, or whether the forest goes on forever.
WARNINGS: none!

Is that…

[ He shades his eyes with his hand, squinting out over the ocean water. Confusion turns to disbelief, which turns to abject joy. ]

It is! Look, look. Out there! They’re a bit hard to see, but—yes, right there, past that white-capped wave. No, no. Not that one, that one!

[ He leans next to his fellow intrepid explorer, pointing excitedly. ]

See? See?

[ This voyage has, thus far, gone remarkably well; indeed, they’d taken the sudden appearance of color in the harbor as a propitious sign. The boat hasn’t leaked, the winds have been favorable, and the weather fair. Fish have been easy to catch as well, many of them colored and delicious—or at least they would have been, were there a competent chef on this boat. They’ve otherwise got plenty of food and fresh water. Navigation is easy, as they’ve made a point of always staying within view of land, the grey-toned forest trees reaching down almost to the shore, their malevolent energy ever-present but somehow not extending into the water. On one occasion, however, they did glimpse a tree with leaves inexplicably flame-colored, one of the many mysteries of this place.

Apart from the weather, the atmosphere on board has been peaceful as well. Perhaps the memory of his own shameless acts in the week before has chastened him; or perhaps the fun of doing something new is enough to expend his excess energy; or perhaps he’d rather not be tossed overboard by his patient but freakishly strong fellow sailor; whatever the reason, Wei Wuxian has behaved himself the whole time.

Well, until now. Nothing lasts forever. He pulls on Xie Lian’s sleeve, shouting excitedly: ]

Maidens! I’m sure of it, there are maidens swimming out there! You see, I told you we’d find something interesting.

[ He starts to lift his arm, to wave at them. ]

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[It's been a surprisingly peaceful trip, though considering the embarrassment of the past week, Xie Lian can't help feeling a little bit like they're running away...which he's honestly okay with for the moment. It's just a short break, right? They'll be back.

He'd been calmly fishing when his companion suddenly started getting excited--shading his eyes with a hand, he gazes out over the water to see--]

--You're right, there are maidens there! Some sort of spirit, perhaps? [There's no way they're gonna find normal human women swimming around out here, right?]

[ He'd just been about to wave and call, when his erstwhile dearest wife says something that gives him a bit of pause. He lowers his arm. ]

Spirits or mermaids. Some kind of monster, probably.

[ He'd been yanked unceremoniously under the water by a many-tentacled thing. He's got no illusions about what lies beneath the surface of the ocean.

Even so: ]

No harm in looking.

[ From the far-off glimpse he got, these maidens have quite a bit of creamy skin showing. ]

There could be, actually--female creatures of that sort may try to lure you out of the boat.

[A pause as he lifts his fishing pole, leaning it against his shoulder. It could make for a passable weapon, if worse comes to worst.]

And if they aren't trying to lure you, then I'm sure you know it's rude to stare.

Hmm...

[ He rubs his chin, thinking. He definitely has read stories about beautiful women trying to lure hapless sailors out of their boats. Still, it seems such a shame...

He turns back, facing Xie Lian. ]

If they did try to lure us, would you be able to resist them?

[ The man who turned up in a wedding dress that day, he's a cut-sleeve, right? He, of all people, should be able to ignore them. ]

Edited 2019-05-04 17:45 (UTC)

I could, yes-- [wait.

He suddenly gives Wei Wuxian a somewhat suspicious look.]

Just because I have the training to resist doesn't mean you can let yourself get enraptured.

[Don't make him turn this boat around!!]

If things get out of hand, just plug up your ears and lash me to the mast! I read a story about—oh look at that!

[ His face changes from its usual expression of incipient mischief to frank amazement. He moves to the other side of the boat and points at something towards shore, far off. ]

Your godly eyes might be better than mine. Does it... does it look to you like the trees are thinning out?

Or we could avoid the danger entirely...

[He does turn to look though, gazing off at the far shore with his godly eyes.]

You're right, they are thinning out. Which means...there really is a possibility we could leave here? [His voice gains some energy at the end of that sentence, noticeably cheered by the idea of escape.] We should keep sailing! If we can get to the end of the tree line, we might be able to find another town!

[ When Xie Lian mentions "a possibility we could leave here," his heart twists. Hatching plans to make an escape had made enormous sense when the dragons were attacking... and running away from everything after his week of utter shamelessness even more so. But as he stands on their little boat, next to Xie Lian, he realizes once again that he doesn't want to leave this world.

Strengthening their bonds, this is what this Mister F wants from them all. Bonds of friendship... or bonds like a rope, tying them to this place... ]

[ But when he thinks about everyone close to him, he considers how all of them must want to get home, to the friends and family they've lost. How can he not help? ]

Yes. Yes we should—ah, hello ladies.

[ The far-off maidens are now right off the bow, waving to them to approach. ]

--Ah.

[When'd they get so close? Xie Lian glances at the maidens, then to Wei Wuxian next to him, then.....quietly grabs onto the man's shirt. Just in case, you know.]

It's a pleasure to meet you all - I hope we aren't interrupting anything.

[Obviously the maidens want them to interrupt, but. Manners!]

[ He stares. It becomes abundantly clear to him, as they are lifting their arms and waving that.......... ]

They're... they're rather free in the water, aren't they?

[ .......neither of them is wearing a stitch of clothing. He looks at them. He looks down at Xie Lian, holding his shirt. He looks at them again. ]

[ Slowly, he reaches his hands up and covers his eyes. For all his impulsiveness, he knows his limits. And Xie Lian is, almost certainly, the best person to rely on in such a situation. ]

Would you mind going over and seeing what they want? I suppose I don't need to warn you that this is probably a trap, but they might, just might have some useful information.

[He considers it for a moment - talking to the creatures, asking what they want, maybe getting something useful out of it.

But this is a place heavily influenced by fairy tales, and he clearly remembers a book in the library that described beautiful women whose sole purpose was to lure men out to drown at sea.

He gives the strange women an uncertain look, then turns back to Wei Wuxian.]

I suppose I'd be willing to try, but-- [Xie Lian lowers his voice to a whisper.] I've met creatures like this before, on land, and they didn't have anything resembling good intentions.

[The girls are right at the side of the boat by now.]

[ He parts his fingers a little ways. ]

You have? Where?

[ You've definitely been visiting better parts of the forest than he has, if you've been running across unclothed ladies.... ]

It was back in my homeland, not here.

[He feels the need to clarify that for some reason.]

More importantly, if we keep sailing we should be able to reach the end of this forest. So let's ignore them, alright? I don't want us getting in trouble so close to the goal.

[ Somewhere overhead a seagull screeches. Waves crash at the shoreline. A sea breeze rises, filling his sleeves and blowing his long hair to one side, tangling with Xie Lian's.

He sighs. ]

On one condition....

[ Brightly: ]

This experience you had in your homeland sounds like an excellent story. You tell me all about it, and I'll agree to keep sailing!

[ It seems only reasonable, if he's being asked to forego one interesting adventure, to hear about another in return. ]

[...Well it isn't exactly one of his brightest memories, but how many happy memories does he really have? A story in exchange for possibly preventing death at sea, that sounds fair enough.

After a moment's hesitation, he gives a small smile as he moves to pull in his hair in the wind. Maybe he can tie it with some fishing string.]

I don't mind telling you, if you're willing to get the boat moving again. Though I'll warn you it was quite a long time ago, so I might not be able to tell it properly.

Okay!

[ With a sad wave to the nubile and very, er, buoyant maidens, he tightens the line and trims the sail, picking up the sea breeze. The maidens' faces twist in fury. They cry out, shattering the air with their high-pitched, eldritch screeches.

But.. they don't do much else, fortunately. The trees continue to thin, far away on shore. ]

Whatever you don't remember, feel free to embellish! That's what most storytellers do, hahahaha!

[They're certainly not as intoxicating as the land version, with those shrieks of theirs...he sits back once he's sure they aren't following, glad that Wei Wuxian actually listened to him there.

Though now he has to tell a story? Hm.]

Let's see....there is a type of creature - a plant, really - of which the pollen has a very strong aphrodisiac effect on men. Once the fruit matures, it will come out of the ground in the shape of a woman, taking advantage of your weakness to drain you of your vital energy. [A pause.] They're quite stubborn too, if I remember.

[ That isn't how you tell a story! he thinks to himself. You're starting with the punchline first. You should have started with, when I was a boy of fifteen, I was out on a nighthunt, and I happened to encounter a flower with a form and fragrance lovelier than peach blossoms in spring. Thus entranced, I leaned over and...

But he holds his tongue, refraining from criticizing (for fear Xie Lian might clam up), instead only asking: ]

How stubborn were they?

[You know when's the last time he told anyone a story? Probably never, that's when! Ask him again next time and he can recite the Daodejing for you as a bedtime story.

He looks thoughtful as he tries to recall the details of that day--the thought of a certain masked someone causes a frown to cross his face for a second, though it's quickly replaced with a light smile.]

Oh, they harassed me for hours. Maybe a full day? Admittedly it was rather hard to keep track of the time...

[Ahem.]

What happened that day was...it was in the middle of a war, you see, and so the smell of blood prevented me from realizing I'd stepped into a field of demon flowers. I had a young recruit with me at the time as well, I remember thinking he'd be quite good with a saber if given some training--though I don't believe I saw him again after that. [Or maybe he did? Oh dear, he can't quite remember...]

[ "Harassed" by unclothed maidens for hours, to the point you lost track of time, doesn't that sound like you're bragging? He's about to ask if Xie Lian perhaps knows how to propagate such a horticultural delight, and is already searching his memory to see if he's heard of any such demonic technique, when... ]

[ .........the story turns dark, with talk of a war and the smell of blood, and a boy not seen afterwards. Gently: ]

What happened to him? This "young recruit"?

[He hears that change in tone, recognizing it for what it is, and smiles gently in return.]

I honestly don't know. I know he survived that incident, but what happened to him after that...I suppose I'll never know.

[Ah, but that's a depressing way to end it, isn't it?]

He was really quite helpful though - it's almost funny how angry he was at those creatures for daring to approach me. And no matter what shape they tried to lure him with, he stubbornly stayed by my side to the end.

[ .................

When he was a boy, if he'd been with a senior in such a situation, he's pretty sure that anger at pretty demon maidens wouldn't be his first emotion. He might have helped defend a fellow cultivator, if the maidens turned hostile, but given that the consequences seemed only to be "drained of vital essence," er. Well. He probably would have been... amused about the whole thing.

He chuckles. ]

The way you're telling the story, it sounds like he was trying to defend your virtue.

[ After a pause, glancing at Xie Lian with a wink: ]

He must have really liked you.

Ah, well...I was still a relatively well-respected god back then, after all. And as the cultivational path I follow is one that insists on abstinence, succumbing there would in fact have diminished my power.

I'm sure he moved on to a new god eventually, though. After all, I haven't been relevant in years.

[The smile he gives is perfectly calm, the expression on his face about as melancholy as if he were talking about a lost pet from his early childhood. It's an event long-past by now.]

[ The smile on his face had been like sparkling sunshine, but now it's as if a thin cloud has passed over, filtering and softening it. ]

Xie Lian...

[ He'd seen the curse mark about the man's neck and argued with him over trying to remove it. For hundreds of years he'd been punished, without looking for or even hoping for forgiveness. "Relatively well-respected": given Xie Lian's humility, that's probably a tremendous understatement. He hadn't just fallen from grace; he'd fallen from glory.

He doesn't have any words of comfort, because he senses there's so much more beneath that smile, a level of suffering that even he can't imagine. In the end, all he can do is move on instinct, and lift his arms to embrace the man. ]

[The hug is unexpected; caught off-guard, he finds himself stiffening at first, as the other man wraps his arms around him. Had he been too open? Had he said too much? It's true he has a tendency to wave off awkward moments as being perfectly fine, but getting hugged like this is...

...It's a long moment before he relaxes into that embrace, his expression caught at some midpoint between a smile and a frown - he's gotten a few hugs from Pyra since arriving here, he's had people look into the painful depths of his heart, but still, to be comforted like this--

He's almost afraid to let himself fully appreciate the feeling. Giving in to the comfort will only make the pain worse, once he loses it.]

...It was a very long time ago. [A soft exhale through his nose, almost a laugh.] There's no need to worry about me--I'm fine, really.

[ It takes a while, but he finally feels Xie Lian relax in his arms, as the boat gently rocks on the waves. He turns his head, so he's smiling into the man's hair.

Thus, when he speaks, his voice is a little muffled: ]

Hmm? Who's worried? I'm only hugging you 'cause I felt like it. You're nice to hold.

[ A little pause. More softly: ]

But if there's ever a time when you're not fine, I'm here.

[He finds himself leaning in, just a bit, his head resting itself against Wei Wuxian's shoulder even as his mind makes up excuses. This is just the kind of person he is. It doesn't mean anything. It's fine to take a little comfort where you can.

....Rather than helping, the excuses make him feel guilty for enjoying it. It's not long before he gently tries to push away again, looking a little embarrassed.]

I, ah. I'll...keep that in mind. [Ahem.] Anyway, we have work to do! We're almost at our goal, it wouldn't do to get distracted now.

[Xie Lian turns away, busying himself with a sail that really doesn't need any adjusting.]

[ He'd felt Xie Lian fully lean on him, if only for a little while. That, he supposes, is something. He watches Xie Lian fiddle with the sail, before finally tearing his eyes away and squinting towards land. It seems like they've been sailing for a while since he first noticed the trees thinning out, and asked Xie Lian to take a look with his "godly eyes." Still, it only seems that they've traveled far enough for him to be able to ascertain with his own eyes, that—however far off—the trees actually do end. The shape and terrain of the land does definitely change. ]

That goal—I can see it now, too. Definitely! There's no mistake! Hahahaha, can you believe it? Since arriving here, this is the first time I've—

[ What that first time is, he doesn't get to say, as he feels a sudden jerking sensation in his body........

...and then everything goes dark. ]

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We sail the ocean blue (closed)

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