seeing in monochrome

[espritdecorpse]

WHO: Wei Wuxian and you!
WHERE: Anywhere in Chroma, but mostly his townhouse
WHEN: Days 1-7 after the hearts event. Please note the day in your tag header!
WHAT: Pyra unlocked the Bad End in his heart, and now he's lost all color and emotion. Note that he'll be in full technicolor, and back to himself, at the end of day 7 (the transition is closed to Pyra).
WARNINGS: None

[ Wei Wuxian has lost all color, and with it all interest in his surroundings. His face, usually alive with a smile, is dull and grey. The playful light in his eyes is extinguished. He spends his days in bed or sitting in his Ruga townhouse, idle; he'll only leave if he's dragged out. Neither eating nor drinking hold any interest for him. Most of the time, when spoken to, he won't answer. But if pressed, if you really push him, what he'll tell you is: ]

Get lost.

Comments

day 7 AAAY

[pyrafect]

[ She's known him to be social and friendly, enthusiastic and curious about the world and others around him, smiling and laughing, joking, diligently playing the part of the fool. But now...

It would be far too easy to be deterred by his lack of color, lack of emotions, lack of any want to interact with anyone or anything at all in the world. He's so morose that he's surprised he hasn't sapped out the color from around him, either. She can't lie that it's has been difficult for her to face him, as she was the cause of it. It feels like she's taking that arrow to her chest all over again every time she sees him like this, every time he tells her to leave.

So she has taken him to her ramen stand, made him a bowl with a broth so savory and thick that it could be a meal in of itself, poured him a cup of saké-- her old kingdom's finest bottle also provided courtesy of a wish--, and sat him down at the counter despite his numerous protests for her to "get lost". The good thing about this whole lack-of-color spell that's overcome him is that his apathy makes him easy to use. (Which... she'll feel guilt about that later.) But he needs to eat, so: ]

Eat.

[ She's smiling, sitting beside him at the counter, but knowing that he has remained a entire week like this and has no signs of recovering any time soon? She's about to break. She cannot look upon him without immense guilt and regret in her eyes. ] ...Please eat.

[espritdecorpse]

[ Her guilt and regret reflect in his eyes, but he doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t seem to care about anything, still. Neither the rich broth, the fragrant wine, nor the woman beside him. His hair is loose about his shoulders: it gives him a wild look, but it’s because he can’t be bothered with his appearance. He can’t be bothered with anything.

When the wheels of his mind do occasionally turn, what they think about is that day: that day long ago and it’s echo one week ago, in which someone else he cared about, died. That this person is beside him now, alive, he hasn’t made that connection. All he can think about, when he thinks at all, is that his existence is a curse. Nothing should prolong it.

He exhales. ]

Get lost.

[ A long pause. ]

Please get lost.

1/3

[pyrafect]

[ She can stand his emotionless expression, his coldness, his lack of color.

But that please-- ]

[pyrafect]

[ She has to remain strong. ]

[pyrafect]

H-hey... don't be like that.

[ Unable to look at him, she decides to pour the rice wine into a saucer for him, pushing it into his hand. ] You're getting all of this food for free. Beggars can't be choosers, you know.

[ And then she lifts her hand, brushing some of his long hair over his shoulder. When was the last time he combed it? He looks a mess, and yet... her fingers linger upon the strands before pulling her hand back to herself. ] That's some of the saké... from my world, served to royalty. From the Titan... the continent called Torna [ "Ira" by another name-- Wrath.

If Chroma's mechanic to restoring colors is by way of bonds... maybe this means that somehow, she has to forge something like one here. Even if it might only be a one-sided bridge, she'll toss the rope to him. She'll tell him a little more. ] The continent sank in the war, but you-- [ Her smile is bittersweet at best. She's only glad to be able to share something of her world with him, even if this wine no longer exists. ] I'd want you to have it.

[espritdecorpse]

[ His hair is black; in his monochrome version, it's #000000. But the tresses she touches pick up imperceptible percentages of red, green, and blue, values as high as #111111, though to the eye his hair still appears entirely black.

His eyes follow the movement of her hand, and keep staring for a long moment. Finally they drift away from her, alighting on the saucer of wine. He looks at it, with unblinking eyes, as she speaks.




And then.... nothing. No response.



Finally: ]

War.

[ There's no intonation behind the word, no spark of interest. He seems without comprehension, speaking just to echo her, with no other purpose. ]

day 1

[neronian]

[ She lives with him, for crying out loud, and cares for him as a friend. How could she not do something when she found him literally colorless and incredibly apathetic. Something must have taken his color. Something must have broken him beyond the pain he was shouldering.

When he tells her to get lost despite her persistence, she simply responds with a curt: ]

No.

[ She sits on a chair by his bed, the very one he's languishing on. Her lips twist into a frown. Nero has never thought to act a caretaker in this capacity, and yet, what else can she do? She, who can raise cities, summon a glorious theater, and bring down even a Knight of the Round Table, cannot mend a broken heart. She crosses her arms and looks at the bowl of food she has prepared for him after she noticed that he wasn't eating or drinking anything of his own volition for a worryingly long amount of time. ]

Your vessel is that of a human, and thus needs sustenance.

[espritdecorpse]

[ That his proud, imperious roommate would be cooking for him is something that would have tickled him immensely, were he himself. He’d have been sitting up in bed with his head tilted, eyes shut, mouth open, and arms tucked under the covers, childishly begging her to feed him.

This Wei Wuxian has none of that life or energy. He is lying bed, ignoring her, staring straight ahead with grey eyes. He’s aware of hunger pangs, but doesn’t care about them; needing to eat is a problem unrelated to him.

He hears Maiden Nero speaking, and his eyes shift over to her reflexively. He stares at her without interest. Her frown, her worried tone, the bowl of porridge she’s holding… none of these things register. Eventually his eyes drift away.

Evenly: ]

Go away.

[neronian]

[ She is proud, yes, but not so proud as to let someone die or starve because she refused to cook for them. To her credit, her meals aren't that bad, as hearty reconstructions of her homeland's cuisine usually. And should he get better from this, he is so not going to bring it up or remember it in public company, yes?

But right now, all she has is porridge, with honey, cheese, and chopped up hard-boiled eggs, so that the food goes down easily. ]

Absolutely not. It is an insult that you think I will be cowed so easily. Besides, somebody around here has to make sure you do not die. You have not eaten for hours. Must I force-feed you?

[espritdecorpse]

[ Before, he'd looked over to her out of reflex, to see who was making the noise. Now, it seems that stimulus has extinguished, because he doesn't look at her when she speaks. However, the smell of the food stimulates the reptilian part of his brain that cares about such things as hunger. Some deep part of him would like to eat...

...

Finally, he turns towards her a little. But the effort involved in reaching for the bowl and actually feeding himself—it's more than his reptilian brain can muster. Some part of him registers irritation: he'd been content in his own little mindless world of oblivion. So he bows his head and murmurs: ]

Leave.

2

[queenofminiskirts]

[She's dealt with this before, and she hated it as much this time with Wei Wuxian as she had with Guren.

She hated that there wasn't anything she could do to make things better.

But she can at least take care of him.

She decided to drag him outside. She wasn't going to let him be cooped up until his colour came back. She won't take him far, isn't sure he'd want people to see him like this, but some fresh air and sunshine couldn't be bad for his health, surely.

She was going to ignore him when he told her to get lost.]

If you stay inside the whole time you'll start growing mushrooms.

[espritdecorpse]

[ He can walk if pulled along. One step and then another: it's reflex. It's mindless. He's aware of a person at his side, a voice speaking to him, but who she is or what she's saying? It's pointless. Who cares?

...

.......if you stay inside the whole time you'll start growing mushrooms....

People growing things makes his mind free-associate to Shen Qingqiu and how he'd grown cucumbers from his head. At the time he'd thought that was hilarious. He remembers laughing, although being able to experience emotions like that... it seems like something that happened to another person, perhaps a lifetime ago. His heart feels like it's made of ashes.

That other person would have told the girl about Shen Qingqiu and his cucumber head, and she would have laughed, but what's the point of laughter now? ]

It's fine.

[ ....if he grows mushrooms, he means. ]

Go away.

[queenofminiskirts]

[She'll get the story out of him one of these days. She was...less upset than she had been the first time this happened. Being upset wasn't going to help anyway.]

It's not fine. If you start growing mushrooms your popularity will drop even if your face is pretty.

[Also she's still ignoring that 'go away' as she pulls him along, while holding his hand. There's a nice tree up ahead. They can probably go sit under it.]

3

[esperimental]

[ wei wuxian was one of the first people kind to ritsu, despite the misunderstanding with his whole lack of speech thing and being an angry little girl. for as much as ritsu had a hard time getting attached to most people-- wei wuxian wasn't a bad person. as soon as he'd considered it's been too long since he's seen him out and about, some part of his heart worries, and he visits.

he didn't want it to be a big deal or anything. just a quick check-in. but that's because he didn't know what it was that happened. ]

...

[ that he doesn't immediately greet ritsu is already a tell tale sign that something is wrong. then he doesn't lift his head at all. if it weren't for his open eyes, ritsu might think he was dead. he hangs back some moments more awkwardly, before approaching a few steps. ]

Wei Wuxian?

[espritdecorpse]

[ His bedroom door is open; his roommate Nero left it that way and he hasn't bothered to close it. He's sitting in bed, disheveled, his hair loose and tangled about his shoulders. He's thinner since Ritsu last saw him, and utterly without color. The people in Chroma always stand out against the backdrop of the town, at once drawing the eye with their life, color, and vigor. But Wei Wuxian seems to be part of the background now, blending into the blacks and whites and greys.

He turns when he hears the noise, a reflexive movement of his eyes and head. Beyond that, there's nothing. No flicker of recognition, no easy smile, no words, no jokes, no laughter. After a while, he turns back and stares ahead, at nothing. ]

Get lost.

[esperimental]

[ ritsu's hair stands on end, and that doesn't usually happen because of social situations. no, this felt more... unnatural?

he tentatively wonders if he should obey. what if it was contagious or something? but he's not the type to back down easy. and wei wuxian is. well, maybe a friend. ]

Okay, what's wrong? You look like a part of a wax museum.

4's an unlucky number, let's pick that

[holycurse]

[Xie Lian had spent a day or two inside himself, after all those harrowing "heart-to-hearts" - a little time just to piece his thoughts together and sort out all his feelings.

But so many days without hide nor hair of Wei Wuxian seems almost unnatural in their silence, and having made a good number of mutual acquaintances by now, it's inevitable that he'd show up at the other man's house sooner or later. So here he is now, standing over the bed, frowning down at the colorless shell of a brokenhearted man.]

.....You can't stay in bed forever, you know.

[It's said in a gentle enough tone of voice, despite the frown--any worry he feels kept successfully bottled inside for the moment. Is this like what had happened before? Will the color return on its own? He honestly wishes he knew.]

[espritdecorpse]

[ Were he merely feeling unsociable, rather than colorless, he might have taken the initiative to hide, getting away from all these concerned visits. It would be easy, he thinks to himself. Just walk into the forest and keep walking. Don't come out again.

But... he can't muster the motivation to do even that. Being visited, dragged out, force-fed: it's all slightly annoying, as it disturbs the nothingness of his inner state. But once the people go away, oblivion returns. He'll wait it out. ]

I can.

[ He knows, on some abstract level, that if he continues to stay here, he'll die. However, the difference between death and his current state of being is negligible, so it's a true statement, as far as he's concerned. ]

Go away.

[holycurse]

You can't.

[He may not have any idea how to bring back his color, but broken or not, a man can't live (or improve) if he stays buried in blankets, in the dark solitude of his room.

He doesn't address the second comment.]

What happened to you? Can you tell me? I'm here to help you, if I can.

day 7, post-pyra obviously

[scooptimistic]

[ It's... bad. Maya's naturally concerned for many people at the moment, but seeing Wei Wuxian completely drained of all but life (and even then, she has her doubts) is chilling. No teasing, no grins, no rapid speaking or wild gestures, and as she'd checked on him more frequently, there doesn't seem to be any more signs of improvement.

Which doesn't really faze her, because Maya's a little too stubborn to give up so quickly. She spends the rest of the week digging into texts at the library, checking for something remotely similar. She tries her hand at healing him, but there's no favorable response. As far as she knows, food's at least being forced into him, but...

It's frustrating, and she's about ready to tackle the library again when she spots him.

And, intelligently-- ]

You're not bland.

[espritdecorpse]

[ Not only is he not bland, he’s positively glowing in vivid color and high spirits, dashing about in a state of frenetic activity, as if to make up for the time when he was enveloped by grey stillness. ]

Maiden Mayaaaaaa! Hi, hi, hiiiiii!

[ He dashes up to her with his arms wide. Want a hug? Look sharp, or you’re getting one! ]

[scooptimistic]

[ Please, Maya will never turn down hugs, let alone hugs from friends who up until like... yesterday were lifeless and taciturn and really just plain pitiful and heartbreaking. HUG AWAY, SIR, or rather-- she'll be the one to fling her arms around him first??

Okay. ]

You're okay!!

day 5

[shizun]

[ Shen Qingqiu did not think that his face would ever recover from what he showed others. Strangers know how bad he roasts himself! How is that even remotely fair? He decides to just try to come more to terms with the fact he doesn't like himself -- before he decides to say "fuck that," and check on others, instead.

His heart got what it wanted! He put a pin in the secondary issue, and keeping an eye on it.

Visiting the townhouse, it is more than a little surprising to not have Wei Wuxian greet him. Even more surprising to not hear any of his little cultivation tools running around. No humming. Nothing. Hello?? Is everyone still alive?? He feels a chill run up his spine before he takes off in a sprint to look through the rooms until he finds him in his bedroom. ]

Wifi, there you are... is it really all right to still be in bed? Sleeping in is sleeping in, but... [ His tone is mockingly scolding before he notices that the man has no color. He turns pale in response as he walks over. ] ... Wei Wuxian?

[espritdecorpse]

[ Not only colorless, by day five Wei Wuxian is gaunt. Even with regular force-feeding, it’s difficult for anyone to get him to eat enough. His hair is loose about his shoulders and matted. It would give him a wild look, if not for the expression of complete listlessness on his face. He probably doesn’t smell so great either, as it’s been days since he had a bath.

He hardly stirs when Shen Qingqiu accosts him. Finally, he murmurs, flatly: ]

Get lost.

[shizun]

[ Drawing closer, he sees how bad that he looks. What the fuck?! It's enough for him to jerk backwards in surprise. The hell!! He recalls that when they parted he was fine, so what happened? He wonders if he's going to get an answer, but at the moment, some things need to be deal with first. ]

What is it that you told me? About not eating even for an immortal? [ He tries to make a slight joke, but this really isn't one! Shen Qingqiu can only walk forward to press his hand against the other's forehead, sliding down to cup the side of his face as his fingers touch certain key points to transfer energy. That'll give a bit of a boost, I think, then uh, bath is in order.

He assumes that the young miss that lives with him didn't drag him into one. Fair, fair! There's a difference between being okay with painting oneself nude and seeing a roommaate's heavenly pillar, even if it is to help out! ]