daozhangs | ic inbox, ryslig.

( though they've kept a brisk pace, the walk back has been quite a bit longer than xingchen anticipated - but then, he had anticipated it being less walk than run, and on four legs instead of two. the choice to remain in human form was made at about the same time as the choice to offer the man he met in kulen a quiet place to stay as he gets his footing within this realm, even if only until the immediate fog has passed.

and oh, he hasn't forgotten the fog. part of xingchen's haste to return was due to that very fog, and the way that it drags him from his proper form regardless of the hour. but he has come to learn, largely through trial and error, that it's not so sudden as his nightly shift. it can be forestalled, at least for an hour or so, with vigilance and discipline. and such is precisely what he employs now as he adamantly refuses to allow his monstrous features to burst forth from his proper form until they've arrived at his home and he has excused himself to the washroom.

but it's alright. that was the single caveat he expressed to runyu in his offer - the caveat that xingchen will spend the next five days in a more monstrous form than that which he occupies now, and it only seemed proper to warn him as such. it changes nothing about the offer, of course. if he objected to guests during the fog, he wouldn't have invited one. and since runyu seemed amenable enough to that, they find themselves coming upon his house now where it sits in a small clearing amidst the trees some half-hour deep into the woods by semi-worn dirt trail. the exterior is painted wood (though he has yet to think to ask anyone what color), and it's entirely dark inside, not a light to be seen. he changes as much the moment he steps in the door, fingers finding the light switch beside it and turning on the lights for the kitchen and living area. )

The amenities here are likely quite different from that which you're used to, ( he says, reminded by the light switch but also referring to such things as the modern stove in the kitchen not far from the door, the laptop sitting on the coffeetable in front of the living room couch. speaking of the couch, he gestures in the general direction of that and the adjacent chair says - ) Feel free to sit as you please, I'll be back in a moment.

( don't mind xingchen, heading for the washroom. no use tempting fate any further and risking shifting to his monstrous form right here in front of poor runyu. behind the closed door, the water turns on (though without experience with faucets, the sound may be less identifiable) and runs for a long minute or two. it muffles the various visceral sounds of his changing features, xingchen's own pained sounds muffled even further against his own arm - and then it's over, the blood washed from his hands and his face, the teeth tidied up and discarded.

when he emerges again, he certainly looks a bit different. a good five inches have added to his height, his ears have gone pointed and furry (in fact, the fur trails down the back and sides of his neck, though his hair covers much of that), and a mouthful of larger, sharper teeth bulge slightly beneath his lips. he has traded his robes for a long white tunic with similarly billowing sleeves and a pair of extra long trousers which account for his tails (of which there are four) and his lengthier legs.

he makes no attempt to address any of this, blindfolded eyes 'looking' to runyu wherever he has settled to ask, ) Are you hungry? I'm putting on tea, and I could quite easily cook as well.

[ Runyu has taken a seat at the chair, leaving the roomier seating for his host and has spent the last few minutes examining the small room around him, specifically the magical light sources and the fabric beneath his fingers on the chair. Occasionally, he has glanced at the more calming view outside the window. The misty woods outside are not as strange as the lodgings he’s been given and give some semblance of normalcy. The landscape is soothing and offers some relief, making it easier to maintain his calm appearance.

It is not because he is attempting to disguise his emotions as he usually would with strangers. This facade is natural to him, even with those he has deigned to confide some of the truths about himself. It is easier to process everything around him with that control as well. Without his desperate emotions threatening to blind him.

In addition, Runyu does not want to trouble Xingchen with more than is necessary. Even if his companion seems sincere and quiet, he does not want to do something to jeopardize that mood. His companion seems to be going through enough as it is as well.

Hearing his inquiry, Runyu turns back to Xingchen. His form has changed, as the man had warned him it would. But the fox's appearance is not as beastly as he had anticipated. There was an elegance and regality in the change, more pronounced than what Xingchen allowed before. But the man was still there underneath the white fur.

Standing, Runyu offers him a polite bow. ]

Thank you, Xingchen. A meal would be most agreeable if it is not too much. When I understand this realm better, I can return the favor.

Edited 2020-11-22 10:28 (UTC)

( for what it's worth, time spent with xingchen will make quite clear that very little can actually jeopardize his calm or sincerity. if it could, jiang wanyin would've long since managed it, fussed as he is about everything. while it may be true that he's dealt with his share of stress in the last couple of days, that holds no bearing on the present - on his ability to properly host runyu.

though he can't see the offered bow, he does hear the man stand and can assume well enough what follows, the corners of his lips lifting in a shadow of a smile to acknowledge it. (smiling is mildly more horrifying with this particular set of teeth, he'll refrain form doing so properly for now.) as he heads for the kitchen, ) You'll have to forgive me - most of my cooking experience has sought to stretch paltry resources, with little opportunity to experiment with taste. ( a hand finds the refrigerator handle almost thoughtlessly, habit by now, but he thinks to ask - ) Are you alright with meat? I had the thought to make a stew.

( in the meantime, he'll turn away from the fridge to reclaim the teapot from the stove's back burner, swapping last night's water with fresh and setting it to heat. )

[ Runyu offers his host another smile. ]

A simple stew would be more than agreeable.

[ Runyu returns to examining the room around him. There is much in the small space that he is unfamiliar with, even if he assumes there is a new kind of magic for the light sources. At first, he has dismissed the white box at one side of the room, but as his host opens it, his gaze turns to it, drawn momentarily to the chill that flows out and the more pronounced hum from it. A food storage device with some manner of barrier upon it perhaps.

He turns his hand over, examining his pulse point once more, but the flow of his powers remains lost to him.

Even the heavenly prison leaves an echo behind after stripping the criminals of their skills, a grim reminder of the price of their arrogance.

Here, there is still nothing even in the presence of these light sources.

He sighs at the confusing turn of his thoughts. ]

It seems that my powers have disappeared upon arriving here, and yet there are sources of light that are not of fire and there’s something bringing the temperature down in that box, maybe even a barrier. Is this something you can explain?

( stew it is, then. xingchen sets to work claiming ingredients from within the fridge, not quite considering how jarring such a thing must be for runyu - he himself has grown accustomed to it, to a degree. but then comes the inquiry, and xingchen's lips curl in a proper smile for a moment despite the pointed teeth it reveals. he finishes setting his armful of ingredients out on the counter in a tidy and navigable row, all the while offering - )

They call it 'electricity'. ( and while he himself doesn't entirely understand it, he can relay what he does know. ) By my understanding, it functions by harnessing the innate push and pull of the world itself. There are things known as magnets which appear as stones but channel those very forces - they pull toward or push away from one another of their own accord.

This is used... in some form, in order to generate a flow of power. ( the 'in some form' took on a note of humor, amused at how terribly unhelpful the explanation ultimately is. but an attempt was made, and it was his best one. in the meantime, he's chopping the beef into bite-sized pieces, a bowl of flour set aside with which to bread them. )

[ Runyu tilts his head as he considers the explanation given him for the power before him. The ‘electricity’ is unlike anything he has ever seen before, the description is simple in its own way. It piques his interest further. He turns his eyes to the light sources in the cabin. ]

Are these also created through the electricity?

[ As his companion nods, Runyu chuckles. Rising from his chair, he washes his hands in the sink before walking over to the counter where Xingchen is cutting the beef, picking up an onion. ]

Allow me to assist?

[ After a few minutes of cutting vegetables, he continues with his questions. ]

Is it difficult to adjust to this electricity around us?

( though xingchen would never have asked for assistance in cooking, his guest has already appeared at his side and taken hold of an onion, his mind seeming quite set on the endeavor. and so xingchen slides open a drawer to draw the proper knife for vegetable-chopping, setting it on the counter where runyu plans to work. )

If you truly insist, then I welcome the help, ( he says, sliding a potato into the counter space between them in case runyu finishes quickly enough. and they chop in silence for a bit, long enough that xingchen has time to bread the meat and start it cooking in the pot. the question has his brow flickering under the edge of his bandaging, considering such a thing for the first time. is it difficult to adjust to? it's certainly a bit tricky to learn how to integrate into one's daily life, but xingchen doesn't think that's quite the question being asked. )

I've never quite found myself able to feel it, ( he admits. he can hear the buzz of it sometimes, but the only time he has ever quite felt it was when he touched too close to the breached wire of a faulty appliance. ) Can you?

[ Runyu glances to him with his question before continuing to cut the vegetable, moving from one to the other, as he answers his comrade. ]

Yes I can. If I am focusing or I believe when I start meditation here.

[ Runyu sets his knife down and looks around the small dwelling once more. ]

This might be due to my upraising. I’ve become quite observant of certain things. This electricity is similar enough to the powers I have dealt with in the past in that manner.

[ Sensing power, even in this strange form, is nothing that Runyu is unfamiliar with after decades of duties in the heavenly realm and guarding Xufeng while he undergoes nirvana. Even weathering the empress’ temper tantrums when he was younger and locked away in a barrier from all for days for a supposed slight to her actual son. It has become second nature for him to notice barriers and centers of power for his own self-preservation and peace of mind, whether they be benign or a potential threat. It is better for him to know.

( though it follows naturally from runyu's question, the answer nonetheless takes xingchen a bit by surprise. it shouldn't, he recognizes at once. such a place as this might seal off all powers they once may have had, but a sense is a sense - and if this electricity resembles that which runyu is used to, to lose his ability to feel it wouldn't be entirely dissimilar to xingchen losing his ability to recognize pitch or to taste that which is salty or sweet. )

This place has robbed you of your powers as well, then. ( deliberately not quite phrased as a question despite the inquiry in his tone, in case such a thing is a sensitive topic that runyu would prefer not to address. ) I could turn the electricity off once we've finished cooking, if you'd be more comfortable. I have candles by which you might see.

[ Runyu waves a hand, momentarily forgetting his host is blind, before recalling that fact and speaking aloud. ]

Do not worry about it. If the 'electricity' does become a problem for me, I can ask you to do so in the future, but I believe I should spend some time in this realm's natural state. And it does seem like the 'electricity' is quite commonplace. It would be prudent to adjust to it.

[ He chuckles quietly then, reflecting on the irony of the other of his friend's suggestions. ]

If we do agree to turn off the electricity, you don't need to worry about candles for me. I have excellent night vision due to my duties back in my realm.

[ And even before he had been isolated by the duties of the Night Immortal, the dark had, more or less, been his friend. No one could see his tears or the harm done in the quiet of the still nights in the lake. No one could expose or question him. And even if he couldn't see the heavens when the Empress had locked him up for a supposed slight to Xufeng, it isn't the darkness that had affected Runyu. ]

The night has never bothered me.

Edited 2021-01-11 10:32 (UTC)

( though runyu dismisses the need for candles, xingchen will likely set about lighting some regardless, should the need arise. just because his guest can see in the dark doesn't mean that he should have to, not within the home in which he's staying.

'the night has never bothered me,' he says, pulling an amused quirk to the corners of his lips - not at the assurance, but his own response which comes a moment after. ) Nor me, ( he says with the faintest lilt of humor, breading the last of the meat and dropping it into the pot. ) I know how terribly surprising that must be. ( what with his prevailing lack of sight. )

Edited 2021-01-18 07:41 (UTC)

[ Cutting up carrots now, Runyu almost misses his host's joke but the meaning dawns on him and he laughs, covering his mouth a moment later to quell the amusement. If asked, he can argue that he doesn't want to distract his host while cooking blind, but honestly, his amusement has caught him off guard. And the reaction to stifle it followed instinctually. Even in a new realm, it is difficult to let his guard down after all he's been through.

He chuckles as he finishes the vegetables, considering how to best reply. ]

I'm sure you've shocked many of your foes with that fact.

ic inbox, ryslig.

(for runyu) backdated to nov 4th, early evening

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