[ what's up, beau is on her way to wu ming today, a couple days after The Stabbening. she's been thinking about what the mysterious probably-not-a-god told her on the mountain, and even though whoever it was (she's got a suspicion) said hua cheng wasn't going to be angry, she still needs to say something. she needs to get it out there.
so she walks, slowly, from the winery to wu ming. she's in no shape to be wandering around anywhere, really - it shows, in the way she carries herself and the way her hair barely glows above a feeble flicker. but she's nothing if not stubborn.
if she runs into futaba on the way, she'll offer to carry her with. but either way, she's in wu ming's lobby, looking for hua cheng. ]
[ hello, it's your friendly neighborhood fox child. she, for the record still looks a little green around the gills after yesterday's fun time but she is if nothing but also stubborn. they all should probably be in bed for the next few days but checking up on the others is far more important than lazing around and seeing shit that's not there.
it's too quiet where she is and her thoughts are Loud.
at least with running into Beau, Futaba can tuck herself under an arm so she doesn't eat shit along the way? look at that, it's already a good thing that she wandered out.
[ It's the head matron of the ryokan that greets them as they come in, and it's with... concern. She's seen Hua Cheng come in looking godawful, and now these two - both familiar faces to the Wu Ming staff, in their ways - and it raises a lot of questions.
But none they'll ask. They're discreet, if gentle, concerned and fussy while the matron sends a lesser fox demon off to fetch their employer. He told them to leave him alone, he had business to deal with (licking his wounds). It takes all of five minutes for them to be ushered from the parlor into the dimly lit halls of the basement floor -
Where Hua Cheng greets them at the bottom of the stairs, massaging his forehead and sighing. His eyepatch is missing, and instead bandages wrap around his head, a blotchy spot of blood just visible where it seeped through from the bottom. ]
[ beau definitely keeps futaba close, arms carefully around her. it's nice to have someone to protect, she thinks. it's always nice. and it's always nice to be fussed over too, by the wu ming staff, even if she shakes her head and doesn't let them do it too much.
when they reach the basement floor, she doesn't let go, but she does look stricken for like a whole second before she manages to control her expression. hua cheng's eye. she bites her lip. takes a deep breath. ]
We came to check on you. [ beau says, glancing at futaba before looking back at him. ]
she vaguely remembers what happened on the way out but seeing the bandages so stark against his skin certainly causes a flip in her stomach. Hua hua..... ]
I needed to see.
[ and maybe a comfort hug or five. with the exchange of glances, Futaba slips out of Beau's grip to Hua Cheng's, cuddling against his good side. congrats on your new growth ]
[ He watches the two of them, different from how he was with Lan Wangji and even Xie Lian (at least, at first, for the latter). For Beau and Futaba, Hua Cheng feels a need to appear unfazed, fine, as if it can protect them further. How he came to feel responsibility for these two is a question he asks himself constantly, but he simply sighs again as Futaba comes over.
The exhaustion is there, just under the surface. Hard to hide that, really, especially when he gets a new growth. He just folds his arm around her instead of pushing her away, though. ]
If you're going to come all this way, you might as well come rest. I can't imagine Shinobu cleared either of you for this.
It's just a stab wound, how bad can it be? [ beau jokes weakly. futaba scoots over to curl up against hua cheng's side, and beau - thinks about doing the same, but. she doesn't, with a little sniff. not because she doesn't want to, just.
she brings a hand up to run through her hair instead. ]
Both of you look like you need a four day nap. [ she says, a bit roughly. she'll shoo them off towards wherever hua cheng wants them to rest, though. ]
[ with dadhood comes great responsibility etc, etc. ]
Itβs fine, Iβm not seeing weird things anymore.
[ she also hasnβt slept since but sheβs still too keyed up to relax enough. but trying to do so in an empty room while her head was playing tricks even she didnβt appreciate didnβt help whatsoever. so here she is, with people she likes and trusts, seeing if that might help even a little. ]
[ While maybe he truly does need an eye patch, now, Hua Cheng has mastered the ability to give people dry looks with only one eyeball. He does that now, when Beau jokes like that. (Something twinges, and it isn't pain, when she sniffs. What the fuck, dadhood.) ]
I'm fine. [ Said calmly, like it's true. (His head is throbbing.) At least Futaba isn't hallucinating, now, and feels like she's less tense under his arm. ] Maybe you're projecting your need for a nap?
[ A beat, where he allows the shooing, managing to navigate with his attachment. But once Beau is unawares, he grabs her by the elbow to drag her along with them. ]
[ she makes a face!! she's totally fine, it's whatever. she is glad to hear futaba isn't seeing things anymore though, and that... well, they're all alive. she takes a couple steps after them, and then, when hua cheng grabs her elbow, makes a startled sound.
oh. oh, okay. she takes a deep breath, and just carefully leans into it, swallowing hard. ]
Yeah, maybe. [ she says finally. she's going to count on hua cheng to situate them wherever they're going to cuddle. ] Maybe you guys are just radiating it enough that it's hitting me.
[ Gods above and below, this sudden sense of affection and softness. Hua Cheng is going to have to go and disappear someone, after all this is through, just for the normalcy there. But he gives Beau a moment to accept her fate, then corrals the two of them along, dragging Futaba easily under his arm. ]
Despite the fact that this is a ryokan where laziness is encouraged, I'll have you know I don't know the meaning of it.
[ He dicks off all the time with Wei Wuxian, he's a liar. But he leads the way down, actually, to the private floor of Wu Ming.
Yeah. All business. [ beau mutters. she's just very slowly making her way down to the private floor with both of them. the longer it takes the more she feels like just laying down on the floor and not getting up. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
post investigation, idk when this is time is fake
so she walks, slowly, from the winery to wu ming. she's in no shape to be wandering around anywhere, really - it shows, in the way she carries herself and the way her hair barely glows above a feeble flicker. but she's nothing if not stubborn.
if she runs into futaba on the way, she'll offer to carry her with. but either way, she's in wu ming's lobby, looking for hua cheng. ]
wheezes in
it's too quiet where she is and her thoughts are Loud.
at least with running into Beau, Futaba can tuck herself under an arm so she doesn't eat shit along the way? look at that, it's already a good thing that she wandered out.
Hua Hua, are you still alive?? ]
wheeze party
But none they'll ask. They're discreet, if gentle, concerned and fussy while the matron sends a lesser fox demon off to fetch their employer. He told them to leave him alone, he had business to deal with (licking his wounds). It takes all of five minutes for them to be ushered from the parlor into the dimly lit halls of the basement floor -
Where Hua Cheng greets them at the bottom of the stairs, massaging his forehead and sighing. His eyepatch is missing, and instead bandages wrap around his head, a blotchy spot of blood just visible where it seeped through from the bottom. ]
What are you two doing here.
no subject
when they reach the basement floor, she doesn't let go, but she does look stricken for like a whole second before she manages to control her expression. hua cheng's eye. she bites her lip. takes a deep breath. ]
We came to check on you. [ beau says, glancing at futaba before looking back at him. ]
no subject
she vaguely remembers what happened on the way out but seeing the bandages so stark against his skin certainly causes a flip in her stomach. Hua hua..... ]
I needed to see.
[ and maybe a comfort hug or five. with the exchange of glances, Futaba slips out of Beau's grip to Hua Cheng's, cuddling against his good side. congrats on your new growth ]
no subject
[ He watches the two of them, different from how he was with Lan Wangji and even Xie Lian (at least, at first, for the latter). For Beau and Futaba, Hua Cheng feels a need to appear unfazed, fine, as if it can protect them further. How he came to feel responsibility for these two is a question he asks himself constantly, but he simply sighs again as Futaba comes over.
The exhaustion is there, just under the surface. Hard to hide that, really, especially when he gets a new growth. He just folds his arm around her instead of pushing her away, though. ]
If you're going to come all this way, you might as well come rest. I can't imagine Shinobu cleared either of you for this.
no subject
she brings a hand up to run through her hair instead. ]
Both of you look like you need a four day nap. [ she says, a bit roughly. she'll shoo them off towards wherever hua cheng wants them to rest, though. ]
no subject
Itβs fine, Iβm not seeing weird things anymore.
[ she also hasnβt slept since but sheβs still too keyed up to relax enough. but trying to do so in an empty room while her head was playing tricks even she didnβt appreciate didnβt help whatsoever. so here she is, with people she likes and trusts, seeing if that might help even a little. ]
And you need to sit more than I do-!
[ come here beau, itβs cuddle time :β| ]
no subject
I'm fine. [ Said calmly, like it's true. (His head is throbbing.) At least Futaba isn't hallucinating, now, and feels like she's less tense under his arm. ] Maybe you're projecting your need for a nap?
[ A beat, where he allows the shooing, managing to navigate with his attachment. But once Beau is unawares, he grabs her by the elbow to drag her along with them. ]
no subject
oh. oh, okay. she takes a deep breath, and just carefully leans into it, swallowing hard. ]
Yeah, maybe. [ she says finally. she's going to count on hua cheng to situate them wherever they're going to cuddle. ] Maybe you guys are just radiating it enough that it's hitting me.
no subject
[ especially if she can transform and curl up between them, soaking in the Safety and Comfort of two of her favorite people. naptime, naptime!]
no subject
Despite the fact that this is a ryokan where laziness is encouraged, I'll have you know I don't know the meaning of it.
[ He dicks off all the time with Wei Wuxian, he's a liar. But he leads the way down, actually, to the private floor of Wu Ming.
And, subsequently, his private office. ]
no subject
Yeah. All business. [ beau mutters. she's just very slowly making her way down to the private floor with both of them. the longer it takes the more she feels like just laying down on the floor and not getting up. ]