fracturarpg | [mingle] the space (april).

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[mingle] the space (april).

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently? In addition, characters will find that they've been allowed to bring back souvenirs from this most recent trip - trinkets, nothing violent, but items that can fit in your character's pockets, whether that be sentimental or otherwise.

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. For those who have been here a while, they might notice some expansions. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble.

It might've changed since the last time you saw it. Today it reads:

(*´ω｀)o That wasn't so bad, was it?
Hey, you know how that old song goes?
Do you believe in magic? (☆▽☆) Do ya?

Hope you found what you were looking for!

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin. In addition to that, it seems like Home Base is on the fritz again…?

It seems that suddenly and at random, characters will be able to suddenly see visions of memories that aren't their own flash before their eyes. Pieces of your lives or where you were before this will suddenly slam into other's heads, as clearly as if they experienced the event and the feelings themselves. You might have an inkling of where your memory went and what it was - but you'll need to talk it out with that person in order to recollect it in all its strength back to yourself. Don't you want to keep those precious parts of yourself? It's best if you don't fall more to pieces while you're here. (Memories that have been lost in fragments cannot be sent to others - that's more fun for the future!)

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Or maybe you'll get a glimpse of where you're going next. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

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...it is.

[that comes with a tiny, reassuring smile, and wen ning takes a moment to push his sleeve back. the marks from those cuffs and chains are still there as faint scars, but the marks that had returned in that world are gone again.]

I can feel everything fine, again. But that I lost it at all...

[it's a little worrying.

oh he has his sword with him again, by the way, i forget if he managed to run at wei wuxian last space round to tell him he had it?? it's here.]

[I ALSO FORGOT BUT THAT'S FINE wei wuxian's memory is shit anyway.

He makes a little tutting sound, more a note of disapproval for this place and their collective situation than anything else.]

Aie... At this rate, I'm going to have to work out an entirely new array just to make sure people loved by trouble can actually manage to stay out of it.

[He, the biggest pot calling the kettle black. BUT LOOK at least he karmically deserves the shit he gets into, Wen Ning has done nothing wrong. ANYWAY, with a huff of a sigh:] —I couldn't fix my mistake by the time we left, though. I am sorry about that.

Then please be sure to use it for yourself as well, young master Wei.

[he just says that without missing a beat, because YEAH, WEI WUXIAN SURE IS A POT HERE. if other people are loved by trouble, his young master's being courted by trouble for his hand in marriage.

there's a shake of his head at the apology, though.]

You-- you did try to fix it, though, and it's fixed now. I don't think that you have anything to apologize for... you helped me there, too.

Wen Ning...! Don't say that to me when you're the one who needs it first. Look at the things you stumble your way into!

[AND LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WEI WUXIAN IS THERE, MAKING THINGS WORSE CONSTANTLY. Even if he tries to make things better, he can't help but stare at the very bold pattern beginning to emerge here... "Wei Wuxian tries to improve things and just ends up making everyone else sad and mad". Hm. Bad lifestyle.

He just sighs though, shaking his head but not saying much else right away. He knows how bullheaded Wen Ning can be when he really puts his opinion down - and absolving him from blame has always, for some cursed reason, been one of the things Wen Ning is steadfast about. Eventually:]

Just let me give you one anyway, alright? And a promise to do better in the next world. No testing limits to that degree, no using things I clearly don't fully understand yet, none of that.

[HE'LL TRY TO ESCAPE HIS CURSED DESTINY as a bearer of misfortune, wow.]

[...well. the thing is that he knows, reasonably, that they never seem to remember what was happening before they enter these worlds-- that so far, the two of them haven't retained their own memories instead of assimilating. that there's a very good chance wei wuxian will have no idea he's made this kind of promise at all.

but he does want to believe that things like that will carry over, much in the same way that wei wuxian and lan wangji have still been close, in the way that he and royce don't seem able to disentangle themselves either. a part of wei wuxian might retain this, even if his conscious memory doesn't, and wen ning hopes it'll let him avoid this sort of guilt.

so, after a brief period of consideration, wen ning just nods.]

The next one will be better. For all of us, I hope.

[muffled clown car music in the distance as things gear up to inevitably get worse]

I got off pretty lucky this time around, so I'll be glad if I can actually keep up a streak of fortune for once!

[When your ass considers being murdered every week to be lucky... BUT LOOK. IT WAS. ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO THE LAST WORLD.

He blinks after that though, reaching out to tap the stone floor where Wen Ning sits before pointing at his sword.]

A piece you've gotten back?

Lucky? But you kept being killed...

[and yes, he was always all right and it was more an inconvenience, but that doesn't mean wen ning likes remembering it now. even back there he didn't care for it, would have preferred it to be himself instead.

one hand rests on the sword's sheath when wei wuxian asks about it, the other lifting to rest at his chest.]

It is. I... I have my core again, too. [which he's happy for, really, but he doesn't sound as excited as he should when he says so? he feels a little bad about having it when wei wuxian doesn't.] I've been trying to practice, a little. To get used to it again.

Deaths I don't remember! That's fair enough fortune, isn't it? That revival array really took the cake... I might take a stab at a recreation myself, if I have the time!

[THOSE ARE FOR YOU SHIGURE... Take this punning about his own deaths power away from him. He'd sure prefer it to be him over anyone else, in any case. His flippancy in the face of death saves him from being ruffled by it.

WOW THOUGH please be fully excited, it's not like he hasn't lived without his core before!! He seems pleased on Wen Ning's behalf, anyway, leaning forward with a grin.]

Wonderful! How is the practice going? Still feeling the rust? Hopefully it won't take you too long to shake it off, hah.

[wen ning knows how he is but sTILL. STOP PUNNING ABOUT YOUR DEATH.]

It's... it's going well enough, I think. I wasn't that accomplished when I was last a cultivator, either, so it's nothing impressive...

[...but it's still a relief to have. after what he experienced in the last world, he was a little afraid he'd find it gone again, or that his senses would still be dulled.]

[HE CAN'T IT'S HIS FAVORITE METHOD OF COPING!!

That sure is a fair concern to have, though. Considering he's seen some people come back with injuries SHIGURE, he'd been a little worried about the transfer of things from one world to the next, too. That said, with a goblin grin:]

We should increase your training, then! Add more weight to your sword when you fly!

[TAKE HIM FLYING.]

Oh, I could try...

[of course he'll take wei wuxian flying... though, hm. he tilts his head slightly.]

You could ask young master Lan, as well, if you need to travel anywhere.

[he knows his sword can be flown on too now, so he's just going to. subtly encourage this.]

[SEE THE THING ABOUT THAT is that he's just feeling massively awkward about having asked him to prom AND ALSO FUCKING KILLING HIM. He'll have to deal with Lan Wangji sooner or later, but... Haha! Not today satan.

He waves a hand with a little too much energy, probably accidentally splashing Wen Ning a bit.]

I don't need to travel anywhere in particular! If I did, the train works well enough, and I have a perfectly functional pair of legs, too. Hah - I'll have to congratulate him for remembering how to do that later, though.

[Much later!! He's got to accidentally traumatize Lan Wangji with his flippancy about death first.]

Later? You haven't spoken yet?

[wei wuxian PLEASE.

well, not that he can talk, he hasn't seen royce since they arrived here either. the splashing doesn't bother him, either; he fully expected this at some point.]

Mm, well, you know! I was busy with this and that.

[THIS AND THAT... Yeah... It's fine!! He doesn't even seem to notice he splashed Wen Ning so thank god he isn't bothered, damn. Wei Wuxian folds his arms over the edge of the hot springs after that, resting his chin there and looking up toward the ceiling of the bathhouse.]

I'm sure he's had people to talk to, too. Things weren't nearly as hectic this time as they were in the last world, but they were still a little bit of a mess, hm?

...mm. More than a little bit, sometimes.

[they went fine for wen ning, mostly, when he wasn't trying to keep wei wuxian from being STABBED... it was sort of nice to have shinobu as a sibling, though?

maybe it's a shame he doesn't really have a sister.

wen ning hums quietly, though, looking down at the water, feet kicking idly-- just in small little motions, to avoid disturbing the water too much.]

Young master Wei... do you think that it- means anything, to keep being close to certain others in these worlds?

[One of these worlds Wen Ning won't be stuck as Wei Wuxian's eternal bodyguard...

A REAL SHAME THOUGH, YEAH. Real... real shame there. Hm. He looks up at the question, eying Wen Ning's expression for a quiet beat or two. He could gently bully this poor soul into a corner about what he means in a straightforward way, but bullying with no finesse is no fun! Instead, with a curious lilt to his tone:]

Do you want it to mean something?

I don't... know.

[a little shake of his head, there.]

I don't really know what to think of it, or-- or if I want it to have any meaning.

[he does know that he... well, he's not oblivious to his own feelings, and they definitely carry over more from those worlds now. but that's something he knows how to bury better than he knows how to actually deal with it.]

[Wen Ning stop running from your feelings challenge!!

His smile softens a little, and he tilts his head to the side, cheek now resting on his folded arms instead. He can understand that - not knowing what to think of it. Not being sure how you want to think of it. Whether it's a good thing, whether it's a bad thing, what sort of help or hurt it may bring.]

Mm... Well! I do think there's some meaning to it. Seems to be the way things work, you know? This leads to that, that leads to this, so on. I think it's likely that some people have ties that aren't so easy to sever, for better or worse.

[Like how he keeps ending up as Jiang Cheng's brother even though THAT'S A NIGHTMARE FOR BOTH OF THEM EVERY TIME THEY GET BACK TO THE SPACE.]

Makes the world feel a little smaller if you consider there may be people out there that you'll always find your way to or who will always find you, though, don't you think?

[This applies to so many cursed people who literally cannot escape Wei Wuxian.]

Mm. You might be right.

[like how he keeps ending up tied to wei wuxian, as well-- some ties really are hard to break.]

Like... like you and young master Lan, as well.

[He just LAUGHS, lazily waving a hand. When in doubt, joke it out!!]

Seems none of you have enough good fortune to be rid of me.

[NOT A SINGLE DAMN ONE. Truly cursed. Jiang Yanli isn't even here and yet she still ended up his NPC sister in the last world??]

Now that you mention it though, it might be a smart idea to compile lists of people we keep running into or ending up tied to. Good data, you know?

I'd prefer not to be separated, anyway...

[as if he would mind, as if he would consider it good fortune to have nothing to do with wei wuxian. after everything-- how could he think that way?]

But it... might not be a bad idea, to keep track.

[True enough, it's hard to imagine ending up in a world where he has nothing to do with Wen Ning. Their relationship may be a complex one fraught with Death and Power Imbalance, but at this point in his life, he's spent more time in Wen Ning's company than anyone else still alive but Jiang Cheng. As much as he wants Wen Ning to live for himself, the thought of him just not being there is a little lonely.

NO TIME FOR DEPRESSO ESPRESSO HERE THOUGH. He reaches out with his hand to rapidly pat Wen Ning's knee, leaving wet hand prints behind if he hasn't rolled his pants up.]

Doesn't look like that'll be a worry any time soon, at least! [CURSED.] I'll see about getting us some notebooks and pens later and spread the word. The more people we can track this through, the better.

[he's definitely leaving wet handprints, but again, wen ning doesn't mind. he's entirely too tolerant of wei wuxian in general, god.]

I'll-- I'll help, then. But please spend some time relaxing first...

[after all that death, wen ning wants him to chill a little before yeeting off once more...

but they aren't going to get to fully relax, thanks to memshare. abruptly, wen ning has the feeling he's lost something he didn't necessarily want to explain to wei wuxian in detail, and wei wuxian will see--

well, first of all, he'll realize the reason he doesn't have this memory himself is because he's there, but not conscious. instead, he'll be filled with the same indignation wen ning felt toward jiang cheng, finally bubbling over so much that he just can't take it. it's a strange feeling in a corpse's body, though; his breathing cannot quicken, nor can his pulse. there's no physical reaction from his body at all, even with the strength of his feelings. the feeling is simply there, too much to ignore.

he can't let this go, cannot tolerate the way sect leader jiang speaks about his young master anymore. and wei wuxian likely knows everything that wen ning explains to jiang cheng already, though he's probably never heard wen ning sound quite like this as he makes him unsheath suibian, explains the situation with his core. and, well-- there's a distinct emptiness where wen ning tells him just who completed the procedure, who else was there with them, an identity that wen ning just can't latch on to as he is now. wei wuxian will know, when the memory ends, but in the moment... it's almost like static, albeit with a distant sense of pride in this person he can't remember.

the emotions he'd kept in check for so long fuel him further onward-- "why do you think he never used suibian again and never carried it with him when he went out? was it really because of some youthful arrogance? could he have really enjoyed it when others said that he was impolite and lacked discipline, whether behind his back or not?", and it isn't hard at all to tell that wen ning himself hates hearing such things. even if wei wuxian always seemed to let remarks slide off him, it can be hard to listen to.

and when jiang cheng insist he's a liar, throws suibian down and pushes wen ning away, that just sparks it further. he takes the blade up again, steps in once more, forces it into jiang cheng's arms.

“take this sword and go to the banquet hall, to the training field, to anywhere you want and ask every single person you see to pull the sword out. see if any one of them can pull it out! and then you’ll know if I’m lying or not! sect leader jiang-— you, so driven of a person, have been comparing yourself to others your whole life, but you have to know that you never should’ve been able to equal him!"

jiang cheng kicks him away and runs, and wen ning doesn't follow. that's not where he needs to be.

he leaves with lan wangji instead as he carries wei wuxian away, a flicker of guilt already coming to life for exposing that secret in such a way, but-- he can't bring himself to regret it, either.]

[He remembers explaining once, long ago, how resentful energy worked within corpses. How the strength of a fierce corpse depended on its level of malevolence, or the sheer intensity of hidden and suppressed emotions from when it had been a living, breathing human. He had always figured Wen Ning fell into the latter category. It made sense, after all; he didn't seem to have a hateful bone in his body. He'd handled the Jiang disciples corpses with care, had tried to get back the remains of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, had sheltered himself and his brother at great personal risk. A person like that could surely only become such a powerful fierce corpse on merit of the feelings they had never given voice to when alive.

Now, he has confirmation of exactly that. Strong emotions aren't foreign to him, though the lack of any sort of bodily reaction to them is. More than anything, it's the ferocity with which "he" speaks and feels in this memory that startles him once he snaps out of it. Wen Ning has a spark in him, he'd never deny that. But to think he could lash out so viciously against someone Wei Wuxian's only ever seen him cowed by - that's a surprise.

Also there's the whole part where he's learning about this fuckin golden core nonsense for the THIRD AND FINAL TIME. Wen Ning's initial words had passed from his mind, and then Jiang Cheng's, leaving behind only a vague sense of unease. He hadn't forgotten this moment in the first place, though, having been unconscious. He's quiet for a beat or two as he tries to wrangle his errant thoughts and buzzing heart back into submission. It's hard to shake the lingering threads of emotion that aren't his own, and when he looks over at Wen Ning - searches his face reflexively - it takes him a second to reconcile it with the sharpness of that memory in his mind's eye.

Eventually, he reaches out to grasp Wen Ning's hand. The laugh he huffs out is more reflexive than anything - an attempt to clear things away. He's experienced this before and knows what he'll have to do, but can't help saying, before anything else:]

—There's really no end to the surprises with you, is there? Just when I think I have everything figured out...

[At least this surprise doesn't have to do with his zombie-itis.]

[the quiet worries him, at first-- but then wei wuxian takes his hand, and wen ning relaxes, if only slightly. it's... a good sign, at least.

but he still has no idea just what wei wuxian saw, though there are only so many things it could have been, if it's something that he wasn't a part of himself. they spent a lot of time with each other, after all, and there's not much he remembers from the years he wasn't exactly himself.]

Was it really that surprising...? What was it?

[mingle] the space (april).

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later canon spoilers here FAIR WARNING IF YOU'RE READING

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