Aftermath

[fanoperator]

Huaisang sat on the steps in front of Guanyin temple, still staring at Meng Yao's hat and the droplet of blood that had caught on his thumb. Wei-xiong had gone, and Wangji, and Xichen. Huaisang thought that Xichen in particular would probably prefer not to see him again for a while. Xichen had believed Meng Yao at once when he accused Huaisang of orchestrating his downfall. The others, Huaisang was pretty sure, weren't certain.

"Jiang Cheng!" Huaisang called, waving to him in hopes that he wouldn't leave yet. Of all of them, Jiang Cheng was the one he most wanted in his life, and would regret most if he lost. The others he could live without, if necessary. He would miss Wei-xiong and Wangji. Xichen he was glad to lose. He'd never been entirely certain whether Xichen really was ignorant of Meng Yao's crimes, or if he had actively enabled those crimes. But Jiang Cheng he still wanted as a friend. More than ever, now that it was over and Huaisang no longer had to fear for his life at the least misstep, no longer had to fear that he might drag Jiang Cheng into danger or that Jiang Cheng would decide that honor required rash action.

Comments

[jc_superstar]

"If that were the case, then you should already be healed twice over and not worry about walking," he teased gently, leaning slightly into the touch, eyes half closing as his hair was played with. There was a grin heard in his next question, "Or are you merely milking the injury so you can have more time here?"

He still didn't move much, but did shift so that Huaisang was cuddled up and tucked in against him more securely.

[fanoperator]

"I can't heal in an instant with any amount of energy!" Huaisang scoffed, grumbling and nuzzling at his friend's collar. "I still have to focus and meditate to speed it up and it still takes time. I have energy to spare, but it'll still take time to heal either of us. We can do more in a bit, before we sleep." Jiang Cheng was spot on that Huaisang didn't yet want to leave this embrace or this room. Huaisang didn't care if it was obvious. He just wanted to stay here, safe in Jiang Cheng's arms.

[jc_superstar]

A small chuckle vibrated through Cheng's chest as he pets Huaisang's hair, mindful of the braids. "Fine, fine. I suppose you know best," he teased softly, letting his lips mouth the words on Huaisang's hair than speak into them. He held the embrace for several more minutes before slowly parting, taking a moment to look at his friend's face.

"Better, now?"

His expression was softer, making him look almost as young as he was during their time in Cloud Recesses. He figured the sooner they healed up, the sooner they could start figuring out what exactly they were to each other.

[fanoperator]

Huaisang made a sound in reply that was part affirmation and part whimper, unhappy at the loss of his friend's embrace. He gave Jiang Cheng a pout, also looking almost as young as when they were in Gusu. "Better, thank you."

He hesitated, not wanting to seem entirely childish even though he's still pouting. "I don't want to leave. This time with you has meant so much to me."

[jc_superstar]

Cheng smiled softly, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "I know. But we both still have responsibilities. And I'm sure a council will be called to figure out the aftermath of this mess." He was certain of it since it affected all of the major sects.

"But we still have time, A-Sang. Don't worry." Once all the loose ends were taken care of, they could move forward.

[fanoperator]

"Ugh, I don't want to deal with a council," Huaisang sighed, wrinkling his nose. Though he would have heavy sway in any council, with Jiang Cheng so strongly in support of him, and Jin Ling strongly under Jiang Cheng's influence and guidance. Lan Qiren would represent the Lans, most likely, but aside from them, the power of the great sects had ... become more concentrated, in a certain way. He wondered if it would give some of the smaller sects an opportunity to claim promotion. "You know," Huaisang said, thoughtfully. An idea was taking shape in his mind, though he wasn't sure if Jiang Cheng would object to it.

When he'd been asked hours ago about what schemes he would pursue next, he'd genuinely wanted nothing. But the prospect of being courted by Jiang Cheng changed things. Huaisang was willing to change the world to make that happen.

"It's going to be hard for Jin Ling, leading the Jin Sect at this time. I felt too young and unprepared to take over the Nie Sect, and I had to deal with some pretty terrifying power grabs, and I was in my twenties. I have an idea that ... I think you should discuss with him." Huaisang sat up straighter, mind starting to operate at full power as he laid out his thoughts. "I think you should consider uniting the sects." He lifts a finger to stop Jiang Cheng from a knee-jerk rejection of the idea. "You'd run both the Jiang and the Jin sects, you'd manage the administrators and governors holding power in the various cities and towns under your control. You'd be able to more actively mentor Jin Ling in the management and supervision of a great sect. It provides him with significantly more protection and support now, and it provides him with inheriting both sects in the future. Even if you were to make him your heir to receive the Jiang Sect in the future, combining it under your own supervision makes it immensely easier for him both now and in the future."

[jc_superstar]

"I'm aware of how difficult it was. I was but eighteen when I ascended. A-Ling is younger than that." They all became men way too young, in his mind. Leaders and caretakers of people before they really understood what it was to be a man.

He thought about what Huaisang had said. Dual leadership over Jiang and Jin. While he and Guangyao had plenty of pleasantries before the betrayal, he wasn't certain if it was entirely prudent. "That would be a shift in power I'm not certain the others would be agreeable to." Of course, no contest with the Nies. But Lans? "Perhaps a conservatorship of some sort." The minor sects would make the loudest protest on combining Jiang and Jin. "And there will be talk that perhaps I consipired to make this happen." No doubt there would be people who spoke about that.

[fanoperator]

"Perhaps," Huaisang agreed, letting Jiang Cheng work through his thoughts for a moment. He'd expected most of it, and he thought it was most significant that there weren't many others who could make any real objection. The Lans would most seriously want to avoid any conflict, especially now, and they wouldn't be willing to move against the combined power of the Jiang and Jin sects--and the support of the Nie sect--unless Jiang Cheng showed a serious abuse of that power. "You'll want to take time to think about the implications, and I do think you should discuss it with Jin Ling as soon as possible." That was the core of the issue, Huaisang thought. If Jin Ling felt that his uncle was trying to seize his power, Jiang Cheng would never go against his wishes and the matter was irrelevant. If Jin Ling was grateful for the reprieve, Jiang Cheng would have no choice but to proceed with it. "Even without that, you're going to have an administrative hand in the Jin Sect for at least a few years, and you'll probably need to have a fairly significant martial influence in the Jin Sect as well, to handle any threats who try to move against him. So many of the objections and accusations of conspiracy will be exactly the same in either situation." Therefore, why not choose the option that centralized that power and made it easier for both uncle and nephew?

This time, Huaisang gave him only a couple of seconds to take that in before he continued with the next possibility. "And if you courted me, seriously courted me..." he let it trail for just a moment, to give Jiang Cheng the opportunity to realize where this was going before he said it. "You'd be offering him the chance to inherit the power of three sects."

Huaisang knows exactly what the implications are of this idea. That's not just a merger. That's an empire, the sort of thing that the Wens had wanted to do. The smaller sects would object, but even all combined, even with the Lans as well, they couldn't actually put up any kind of real resistance. Lan Qiren would be furious and Lan Xichen would probably never willingly speak to either of them again, but Huaisang didn't think that either would be willing to go to battle over it unless there were significant abuses of power from the new empire. It had been hard enough to get the Lans into the Sunshot Campaign even after the Wens had nearly killed their heirs in Xuanwu cave. The smaller sects wouldn't even try to go to battle without the Lan Sect. If Jiang Cheng agreed to the idea and Jin Ling didn't object to it, no one could prevent it.

Huaisang's only real fear in proposing it is that Jiang Cheng will think of him as corrupt and power-hungry, and that Jiang Cheng will question whether this was Huaisang's plan all along. That terrifies him, losing Jiang Cheng when he's so close to getting to be with him.

[jc_superstar]

What Nie Huaisang was implying was a huge thing. It was what Guangshan wanted before he died-was murdered, whatever. There had been no real loss there, as far as Cheng was concerned. But for the others, it was a big deal.

"That's something that can be visited later," he finally responded, not wanting to bring on a headache just yet. "There's time, and I need to find out where A-Ling has been spirited off to. If anything of this magnitude is going to be discussed, I want him present so it doesn't seem like you and I are conspiring against the rest of the cultivation world." Yes, that seemed like the best response to all of it. He wasn't going to dismiss it nor embrace it. "I would ask the Lans but... they have enough on their plate." With Xichen so broken, Cheng didn't want to involve the man, nor ask for his opinion on the matter considering he had been so blinded with what had been going on in the past. And there was the matter that Wangi had spirited Wuxian away which would bring no relief to Qiren, either. Fine by him.

For now, he would rather deal with the present issues at hand, which was healing, resting and then returning home. More healing and resting, though. He was curious to figure out how this arrangement of courting would work. He figured decently well, though maybe in secret first. "It may be best that we keep our own affairs quiet until the sects are better settled. I don't want anyone assuming that one or both of us are hedging to come out on top of this mess."

[fanoperator]

"I agree with everything except asking the Lans for their input," Huaisang said. He knew he'd put a lot on Jiang Cheng just now, and they weren't in a good state to be making any kind of decisions. "I don't particularly want to hear Lan Qiren or Lan Xichen's advice on anything for a while, maybe ever, if I can help it. None of this should be decided now. I think you should talk to Jin Ling about just the possibility of uniting the Jin and Jiang Sects, because that's a decision you should make with him, not with me. Whether I one day give you the Nie Sect as a wedding present isn't something we're going to decide in the near future. I only bring it up now because ... I want you to know that it's a possibility, when you're making your decision with Jin Ling. I wouldn't want to surprise you with the idea a year from now, if we decide we're serious about our courtship, when it's something that's occurred to me now. And I want you to understand that if we decide in favor of all that, I don't want joint leadership with you. I would give it all to you. I've been saying since I was a child that I'd rather be a sect leader's consort than the sect leader. People took it as a joke, but ..." People have always taken him as a joke, more or less. "I meant it."

Huaisang feels tired. He drains the last of the wine, then shows Jiang Cheng it's empty and grimaces. They'll have to ask someone to send up more. "How did we start talking about serious things again? Let's just ..." Talk about what? Dramas, painting, birds... all the frivolous topics Huaisang uses to avoid serious issues. They all feel empty, now, and he doesn't have the energy to pretend to be frivolous. "The only things in my head are nonsense and politics, and I'm sick to death of both. Talk to me about anything, Jiang-xiong. Anything."

Headcanon with misplaced historical events ahoy!

[jc_superstar]

He looked at the wine and then took the empty bottles, setting them outside their door. They would more than likely be replenished without additional request, given how the inn keep wanted Sect money for his little place. For now, he returned to the bed to sit beside Huaisang.

"You never came to any of the Dragonboat Festivals," he started. "They're my favorite holiday, with as many people decorating their boats as possible to run them from one end of the Pier to the other. And the drums would beat out a rhythm to herald the event. I loved those drums as a child and couldn't wait to be able to participate with playing one of them. After Sunshot, only one of the drums remained. And I immediately ordered to have the others rebuilt."

He turned to look at Huaisang for a moment. "You may not know this, but those drums are originally a warning for the region, in case the lands were under attack. But the house drum in the palace was destroyed before the warning could be sent out. It was important that they be restored. We only started the dragonboat festivals again five summers ago. We needed it. And I wanted A-Ling to understand what it was, too."

that's the canon norm~

[fanoperator]

Huaisang smiles as he listens, eyes starting to prickle with tears because of how much this simple act means to him. That even if Jiang Cheng does suspect him of crass ambition, he still wants to share this thing with him. He wants Huaisang to know about--and probably to see--this thing that means so much to him and is so central to his idea of home. Jiang Cheng is just doing as he asked, but the choice of what comes first to his mind carries such deep significance.

Huaisang has cried so little during these past years. He made himself cold and shut off all his emotions, never allowing himself the kind of vulnerability that would bring tears. So he's surprised that a couple of tears spill down his cheeks now. "I'd like to see that, Jiang-xiong," he whispers.

[jc_superstar]

Cheng turned to look at Huaisang as he heard the words, watching for a moment as tears rolled down the man's cheeks. Without thinking, he reached out to thumb them away gently. "I want you to. It's a lovely sight. I know the drums won't mean much but... that's something everyone in Yunmeng knows. We feel it in our souls, in our bones. And the dragon boats race to the tributary towards the sea, in honor of the sacrifice Ai-Hwa, the water dragon, made to save our lives long ago."

Yes, that was another story that he was open to speaking of, as well. Cheng didn't quite know why, but he felt that Huaisang needed to know of his land's history, why the drums were so important, why the water was cherished. Why all of this was so vital for Jiang Cheng personally and not just his people.

[fanoperator]

Huaisang moves to nestle back into Jiang Cheng's arms, head on his shoulder and arms tight around his waist. "Tell me about that?" he asks, soft and pleading. The world that Jiang Cheng paints is a better one, where Huaisang wants to live, instead of the messy and complicated world of vengeance and politics where he feels trapped. He clings to his friend, no longer hesitating at all over the intimacy of such an embrace.

*Drags out my notebook of lore*

[jc_superstar]

Cheng, in turn, accepts the little leech that has attached to his side. He gets comfortable, winding an arm around the other to settle in for the story.

Long ago, this land was nothing but a barren valley with a mountain range separating the land from the sea. The land was devoid of life because there was no water. Seeing this, the gods flooded the lands to prepare it for plants and animals that would bring it beauty and prosperity.

While all but the tops of the mountains were underwater, many creatures from the sea moved in. All of them fantastic and terrible and beautiful in their own right. And with the denizens of the sea came the guardian of the sea, Ai-Hwa. This dragon was long and sinuous like seagrass and as green as the deepest malachite. His fins were a mix of pinks and whites with eyes the deepest amethyst. He swam freely between the sea proper and the land known as Yunmeng-which was all underwater.

Mortal humans befriended Ai-Hwa, enjoying the way the dragon would watch over their playing children and help chase fish into the fisherman's nets. So enamored they were with the dragon that the people began to ignore the gods that had flooded the place to make it better for them. The gods became jealous of the dragon and caused a massive storm, mortally wounding the dragon in the process. The people were devastated by what happened, horrified as they could hear the dragon's heartbeat in the water. You see, it was exposed by the injury, and the sound echoed in the water, reaching all ears.

The gods chose that time to drain the sea away from the land, knowing that since the dragon had a mortal wound, it could never reach the sea proper again. In order to help their sea guardian, the people hurried with their boats, catching the dragon up in their nets, and raced to the channel where the water was draining back into the sea. All the while, they were driven by the beat of the dragon's heart, quickening their pace in desperation while Ai-hwa's heart slowed.

As Ai-Hwa was dragged through the water, he noticed how the people were rushing to get him to the sea. And as they continued towards the sea, the water was draining rapidly. When he was freed, how would the people eat? With the water draining, so was the food for his friends. One more mountain range and all the water would be gone.

In desperation, the dragon turned, digging his feet into the earth and blocking the channel to keep some of the water in the valley. But all the animals that the people used for food were gone, back to the sea. Ai-Hwa's friends mourned, knowing that the dragon would surely perish and their efforts to save him were in vain. Upon hearing the people's cries, Ai-Hwa felt deep compassion and told the people that their efforts were not in vain, but they too had deserved to live as much as he.

As Ai-Hwa took his last breath, his scales fell to the bottom of the inland sea and took root as the water leveled out into the lakes we have today. The scales became the first seeds for the lotus plants to feed the people. And while the people attempted the impossible and failed, they still succeeded for they ensured their future generations would thrive.


He let the story sit there in the room with them silently, his thoughts in a different time, remembering how he was always the most still and rapt with attention when the elders told this story. And suddenly, he missed them, the story tellers, the elders who kept the history of his people, and now only the young ones were present to try and preserve what will most likely be lost to time.

[fanoperator]

Huaisang listens, breathing slowing and evening out as he relaxes in Jiang Cheng's arms. He doesn't want to let himself fall asleep, because this is important, and it means a lot to him that Jiang Cheng is taking this care with him. But he feels soothed and calmed in a way that he hasn't for a long time, and the story feels more like a dream as it continues, low and soothing.

"That's lovely, Jiang Cheng," he murmurs once it's done, yawning with sleepy contentment. "It was soothing. I needed that."

[jc_superstar]

He smiled, rubbing Huaisang's arm gently. "It's a favorite story. All the story tellers would master it for the festivals and children. And it was always one I requested, over and over again. I guess I had some of the story telling rub off on me." It was a story he told A-Ling over and over again when he was little, sometimes embellishing the lotus portion, sometimes the race portion. He adjusted it depending on the boy's mood.

"I'm glad you liked it," he murmured after, turning towards him when he said it. While utilizing cultivation was needed, he didn't have the heart to push either of them into it. Huaisang was warm and cozy and relaxed and Cheng felt that was more important than anything else.

[fanoperator]

"I'm glad to have you here," Huaisang replied, smiling tiredly and keeping his head on Jiang Cheng's shoulder. "You're warm. Am I okay like this? I'm not hurting you?" He was a little worried about the pressure on Jiang Cheng's torso, but not yet worried enough to draw away from him. He needed his friend close.

[jc_superstar]

"I'm okay," he assured his friend, holding Huaisang closer to him. "And, after all the calamity that's happened, I'm glad you're here, too." Cheng couldn't imagine handling the immediate days after the event on his own. He could have buried himself in work but with Lan Qiren here, he was certain there wouldn't have had many things that required his attention.

While he had suggested they meditate again, he didn't push it, preferring the company and warmth that was being shared here. "Sleep," he urged softly.

[fanoperator]

Huaisang nodded, a little bit hesitant at sleeping again after he'd just slept for hours, but he did indeed feel exhausted. The events of the night before had been emotionally draining, he supposed, in addition to the sleep deprivation. In addition to the physical injury.

Releasing Jiang Cheng again, Huaisang laid down very carefully. He whimpered as he shifted his leg, but he still wanted to move enough so that he could lay on his side with his injured leg uppermost. This put his back to Jiang Cheng, and Huaisang hoped he understood that this was a desire to spoon rather than a cold shoulder, but he resolved that he'd specify if Jiang Cheng didn't automatically understand.

First half of testing done! I swear I lost 5 lbs sweating

[jc_superstar]

He watched Huaisang for a moment, brows furrowed as he tried to puzzle out what was happening. He did and took one final drink of tea before getting the blankets arranged and laying on his side as well, covering Huaisang's back and winding an arm around his middle. "Comfortable?" His voice was soft and warm as he worked to get used to this. Last night...or this morning? That was different. They had both been pushed to their limits. Now Cheng was a little more aware, sliding his hand higher towards Huaisang's chest when he realized that it might have been scandelous to have his hand on the man's stomach.

[fanoperator]

Huaisang made a happy noise as Jiang Cheng's body pressed against his back. His hand rested over Jiang Cheng's, not thinking anything of it when Jiang Cheng moved it other than perhaps he wanted to feel how Huaisang's heart was beating. It gave a little flutter at the thought, and his cheeks flushed, but he didn't make any effort to brush Jiang Cheng's hand away. His grip tightened, if anything, wanting to keep Jiang Cheng close. "Yes. Warm. Safe. Thank you, Chengcheng."