fracturarpg | [mingle] the space (january).

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[mingle] the space (january).

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?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. 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.

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.

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. 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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[Nyet!! He will not stop!!

Wow though, haha, Wen Ning really is just too good for this world and anyone in it. His expression softens a little as those words filter through his mind. Obligingly, he reaches out and rests his free hand atop Wen Ning's head, gently ruffling his hair.]

Mm, if that's what you'd like.

[As far as he's concerned, it's not a matter of his own safety. He doesn't care about how people view him or his reputation anywhere he goes either, but if Wen Ning wants the security of living this new life? If he doesn't want to dredge the past up here, in a place where it hardly matters? That's certainly fine by him.]

—Still holding up alright? If you're feeling well enough for it, we really do need to get you some new clothes.

I-it's all right, I... I feel fine, now.

[It's reassuring, having the one person he's most familiar with here-- especially when he's already been here, has some idea of what's going on. The hair ruffle is nice too, the gesture warming him, and he really had forgotten what that kind of emotion felt like physically.

Everything is kind of a lot, from that touch to the softer expression, and it takes him a second to realize why his eyes sting a little and his vision blurs, just slightly. He isn't crying, but he's definitely tearing up, and his breath catches briefly as he reaches up to try to quickly dry his eyes. He's not going to cry in front of Wei Wuxian, he's not, he's not.

It's been so long since he could, though.]

[OH NO. OH NO??? WEN NING WHY ARE YOU TEARING UP. Wei Wuxian pulls both of his hands away, only for them to awkwardly hover near Wen Ning instead, like he doesn't know whether to pat him or wipe at his eyes or check to make sure his tattoo isn't BURNING HORRIBLY or any other number of things.]

Oh—! Wen Ning, what is it? Are you hurt?! Is it the mark— Is it anything else--?

[IS HIS EX-ZOMBIE FALLING APART HE'S CONCERNED.]

N-no, I'm... I'm all right! I'm not hurt, young master, I promise...

[Somehow the concern doesn't help, and tearing up quickly turns into some of those tears spilling over as Wen Ning shakes his head, still trying to wipe them away. It's embarrassing, but... in a way, it's sort of a relief as well, some sort of release for everything that's built up from the moment he got here.]

Just... o-overwhelmed, I think?

[-he's still doing his best not to full-blown cry as he says it, so it comes out slightly shaky, but he's trying... he's just blinking down at the moisture on his hand after swiping at his eyes, as if still a little surprised that it's there.]

[Oh. Yeah, actually, huh - this has to be overwhelming for Wen Ning. More overwhelming for him than for anyone else, unless they're also experiencing the sensations of being alive for the first time in over a decade on top of the head-spinning wildness of waking up in a Whole New World.

So after a second, he soundlessly gets up and trots away THANKS FOR NOT SAYING ANYTHING WEI WUXIAN. But it's okay!! He'll be back very soon, since furniture sections are close together and all he did was hop over to bedding to steal a big ol' duvet off of a model bed, which he immediately and helpfully starts bundling Wen Ning up in. He bundles and bundles! Makes a nice little cocoon!! Tucks some excess fabric near his face so he can just cover himself entirely if he wants.

And then he sits down next to him again.]

—If you're feeling overwhelmed, you should let yourself be overwhelmed, you know?

[Just let it all out into your cocoon of emotions, Wen Ning.]

[Was that too much? He hopes it wasn't too much, that he hasn't driven him away, though a more reasonable part of him doesn't think that he would have.

-and then Wei Wuxian is back and he's being wrapped up in this bigass blanket, tucked comfortably in it, and again he has to stop and appreciate how nice it is for a few seconds.

He nods at Wei Wuxian's words, takes in a shaky little breath, exhales it slowly; then either he takes that to heart or just can't hold it in anymore, because letting it out is exactly what he does.

Thank you- slips out mentally, though.]

[A BINCH STILL HATES THANK YOUS AND SORRIES but he'll deal with it for Wen Ning's sake. Even if he doesn't address it directly, there's some fondness in the little huff that follows.

He'll sit with Wen Ning for as long as he needs, after that - shoulder to shoulder, or shoulder to poofy duvet cocoon... Though he doesn't have anything to say (and probably wouldn't be able to think of anything even if he needed to, rip, he is so bad at comforting people), he does start humming a few aimless bars of melody after a few moments. It's an airy tune, nothing of real substance, but something meant to comfort.]

[It's going to take a few minutes for him to recover-- it's been a long time since he was capable of letting anything out like this-- but eventually he manages to calm himself, his breaths evening out, sniffling quietly as he listens to that tune and exhales slowly.

He doesn't say anything himself, though; it feels like it would just ruin it, if he did, and so he keeps listening, an idle thought slipping out that -it's nice. It sounds a little aimless, definitely not meant to be transmitted, and Wen Ning stays silent for now as he focuses on drying the last of his tears and keeping his breathing calm.]

[Why is Wen Ning such a sweet bean, honestly... It's such a pleasant little drifting thought! The corners of his mouth quirk up again but he doesn't let his humming lull for long, intent on soothing Wen Ning through his cry.

Once it finally seems to start winding down, he reaches over to fuss with and fluff the duvet a bit.]

How are you feeling?

...better. I-

[A slight shake of his head, there, as he manages to stop himself from apologizing for it.]

It's... just been a long time.

[As comfy as it is, he starts trying to wriggle out of the duvet cocoon... this is nice, but Wei Wuxian's right, clothes are also something they have to take care of sooner rather than later. He doesn't really want to deal with explaining the visible scar.]

[He pushes aside the terrible gremlin impulse to wrap Wen Ning up tighter and thus make it harder for him to escape just because his terrible gremlin heart goes "haha wouldn't it be funny", instead moving to help unbundle some of the outermost layers.]

Hah, that's certainly true.

[OVER TEN... Wild. As he's working, he adds:]

I want to take another look later, whenever we can find the time for it. After you get a little more settled, maybe. Your physical body is in good shape, but there may be reason to be concerned about your pathways and core.

Oh, I...

[He hadn't considered that? He's been dead long enough that he didn't even think about the possibility, even though he'd had it before.

--after a brief period of quiet where he appears to be focusing on something, though, his brows knit together once more.]

-I don't think you need to... to worry about that.

[WHY IS THIS WORLD JUST OUT HERE SNATCHING GOLDEN CORES... More importantly why would this place give a cultivator back a body that is essentially "incomplete"? If they were capable of doing all of this, then the rest should be a cinch. He pulls back a little, folding his arms across his chest and giving Wen Ning a scrutinizing look.]

--Might be one of the things you're missing too, maybe? I don't see why they would handle things like this otherwise.

[Though, haha. He's definitely already starting to get an inkling of what might actually going on with Wen Ning's body here, and it is Probably Not Good. When is anything in their lives anything less, though! It's fine.]

M-maybe, but... really, bringing my body back to life is enough, too.

[Wei Wuxian's probably not wrong, it should be possible to do both, but-- he's had quite a lot restored to him just by being alive. If he doesn't have his core back on top of it-- well, he can't do as much now, but he doesn't feel like he can complain much. He's existed without it for some time already, right?]

It's not as useful as it was before, b-but-- I'll do what I can with it.

[GOD... Well, being who he is, he obviously won't just be able to look at this situation and go "okay cool, guess that's that!" But he also doesn't want to give Wen Ning a heart attack by stressing him out with his General Himness this early on in a stay that will probably be at least somewhat stressful.

Instead, he reaches out to pat Wen Ning's shoulders helpfully.]

Wen Ning, Wen Ning. Don't worry about things like that here! You should focus on readjusting - both to that body and to this world.

[Don't worry about being useful! He doesn't have any carts full of radishes to pull here, or enemies after his head! (cue Jiang Cheng tumbling from the void in the distance).]

...I'll try to.

[And he'll still do his best to be helpful because this is who he is as a person, but he decides this isn't the time to insist on that. He's just going to have to find ways to make himself useful, even without his physical strength or his core.]

Ah, about this world- do you know if there are many of us here?

[Goddammit Wen Ning, can't believe he's gonna have to put his ex-zombie on watch to make sure he doesn't do anything STUPID... Like get himself flung from the train tracks like a penny Wen Ning.]

From our world, it's only us three so far. In general? I'd say... Mm, twenty-five? Thirty, maybe? I haven't met every new arrival yet, so I can't say for sure.

[Listen he couldn't just let Kano get hit by a train! These things happen!]

Th-that doesn't seem like many, for a place this size... if the market is this large, is it the same everywhere else?

[Is there life outside the Notsco?]

[Just let Kano get hit by a train IT'S WHAT HE DESERVES FOR BEING AN AGENT OF CHAOS.]

Oh, yes! The rest of this place is just a giant void. [HE SAYS SO CALMLY.] You can get from one place to another pretty easily, but it's a lot of empty space in between. It's a bit hard to keep track of the passage of time around here because of that, haha. No sun!

[OH WELL so it goes.]

No idea how many people they plan on bringing here, so maybe the size of it indicates what their goals are?

A void...? What is this place? There's r-really no sun at all?

[All of this is concerning, please don't be so CALM ABOUT IT? How does a place not have a sun, how are they existing in a giant void... he looks so troubled by literally all of this.]

-I hope no one falls into it.

A place that connects worlds! [HELPFUL.] And no, I don't think there is. There's light, though!

[And "sunlight" in some places... It's funky. Also, with a bright grin:]

Oh, it's fun to fall into, though! You just float a bit until you find a surface to put your feet on. I'll show you after we get you some new clothes! [He's going to walk upside down on a traintrack and give Wen Ning a heart attack.]

Come, come - the clothing is over this way, past that row of dressers and beds.

Young master Wei, that doesn't sound fun at all-!

[DON'T GIVE HIM HEART ATTACKS HE IS FRESHLY REVIVED!

...but he's also following easily enough, leaving that duvet behind reluctantly.]

Please, be a little more cautious...

[IT'S FINE, IT'S FINE.]

I am being cautious! I've been plenty cautious, haha. [THE LAUGH SAYS OTHERWISE but look.

Actually don't look. Anyway!! TO THE CLOTHES. He's nyooming on ahead, immediately diving into a pile of whatever looks softest. There's a zebra print sweater in here...]

Oh! What about something like this? We'll need sleeves big enough to fit your arms and those chains of yours.

[DOUBT. So Much Doubt.

but, the clothes... Wen Ning looks over that pile of fabric curiously. None of this is quite what he's used to, but compared to clothes with a bigass hole in them-- well. He can't afford to be picky, and he reaches out to touch the sweater.]

Oh- it feels warm, b-but... isn't it a little bold?

[This pattern is so much.]

["A little bold", says Wen Ning, not knowing what horrors await him...]

Do you think so? I guess it is a little hard to picture you wearing this. Hm, hm - then how abooout...

[RUMMAGE RUMMAGE. He pulls out, in order:
- a fuzzy white sweater with sequins in different colors
- a sparkly blue and gold shirt that looks like it belongs in a cheerleading outfit
- a sweater that says "god won't let me die" on the front, which he makes a face at
- a bomber jacket with a dog on the back, which he makes an even worse face at
- the chosen shrimpmingo.

Immediately, the stream of not this and absolutely not stops broadcasting mentally, and Wei Wuxian plucks it out with delight.]

Here! What about this one? How's this?

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