yogen | .:An Adventure to Remember:.

Entry tags:

mo dao zu shi: meng yao

.:An Adventure to Remember:.

Who: Meng Yao, Subaru Akehoshi, Rantarou Amami
What: Some basic lessons are happening in the background, but some (mis?)adventures as well. Surely nothing will go wrong in a wonderful place such as this? Other than MY growing premature grey hairs. Either way, it's Exchange Program time, bby.
Where: Lanling Proper, and Koi Tower.
When: October 11th - October 17th.
Warnings: Potential death which will happen regardless and/or violence. Disturbing themes may be mentioned because JGS exists and golden end Lanling is still questionable. Just happier.

WELCOME TO LANLING—

The city is home to what is currently the largest cultivation sect around. It is prosperous and filled with many smiling faces. There are children who run through the streets, shop owners showing their wears, and people frequenting the establishments—inns, restaurants, you name it.

At the heart of the city is an important compound, Koi Tower. It seems to unfold before anyone who comes near it majestically, starting with the stairs and ending with the peerless infrastructure. It's terrific state is more than can be described in mere words, needless to say.

There are various gardens here or there, filled with a majority of the sect's symbol and flower—Sparks-Admist-Snow white peonies.

There is also one lotus pond located on the premises, but that is located somewhere towards the inner families' lodgings, and anyone passing through had better be someone who is part of the Jin Sect or a servant lest they wish to get into trouble.

As expected there is a magnificent reception area, a banquet hall, and another more extraordinary garden that houses a painting well done by a cultivator of renown. Said cultivator can be found around the city at certain points.

On the flipside, there are cultivators who are rather stuck up, though that goes the same for a good amount of the residents. Though the Sect Leader, Jin Guangshan is rather insufferable even if he is unfortunately talented at conducting himself with grace. Then there is Jin Zixun, who is neither graceful nor talented, but far more easy to encounter.

There is also, of course, the Treasure Vault. Another place that is actually guarded periodically though there are some dips in security due to the overconfidence the people have here.

Though even in this idyllic setting, there are places of ill repute if someone were to go looking around. Such as where others would sell weapons or other...things that are illegal or frowned down upon supposedly in Lanling. Hidden deep within the forest nearby that is essentially also part of Lanling, there is even a strange training ground that has been sectioned off by members of the Jin Sect. Going further where that is concerned is something that should be avoided lest anyone would want to experience a rather trying time, putting it very lightly. At the very least they'll shoo any wanderers away as long as they don't cause trouble or try to truly sneak in.

This is a city of golden times. But it doesn't mean that is the case for those outside of it or not caught within its golden age.

But whatever the case, their ends will be the same. Though, before that, shouldn't they enjoy their time while they still can?

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The three of them arrive in Lanling on a fine day, and even at the beginning of an early fall, Lanling is relentless in its splendor.

Meng Yao is all smiles, though it's a cautiously hopeful one, and his eyes seem to reflect the golden color that is seen across the city like a blanket of unforgiving brightness.

The town is abuzz, talking about how great it is that the Sunshot Campaign has just come to an end, thanks to two heroes. He tells his two companions with a hint of bashfulness that he's one of those two heroes, though he seems to wonder what kind of title he will be bestowed with. He doesn't say that when he had arrived in Yogen, he's never heard them or his father give him one yet.

He is sure when he returns home—truly home—he'll know. Or maybe, he'll find out here.

Meng Yao has, ever since his arrival here, been wearing what he was after he took off of his disguise, and his companions look like they stand out like a sore thumb. Though he intends to procure some outfits for them at the very least (likely through shady means.)

Either way the people are too happy right now to care what they look like.

However, even though Meng Yao makes his way to Koi Tower and tells them to 'wait outside', he doesn't get too far. The guards, the cultivators, and even Jin Guangshan himself—though he does not deign to see him—do not recognize him as Lianfang-zun and so he finds himself back with the others.

It's better than what happened the last time he attempted to claim his rightful place...they just simply seem to think he's crazy. Funny how they treat who they suspect have lost their marbles different from bastards.

It also hurts that his mother is also not even recalled as a existing memory for the Sect Leader who slept around, for she seems to truly not exist in this world.

In the end, he hides the fact that he's sulking, but he manages to get his companions time to stay at a reputable inn and some clothing if they care for it at some point.

He also lets them know at some point he would like to show the two some basics, especially since they're in a familiar world, so showing them how to utilize talismans will be easier.

With all of that aside, how will his fellow companions fair in this city? Only time will tell.

((Ooc note: This functions as a separate top level to give some information about the current time. There's no need to tag into this one, though it can be used to interact with MY even though I plan to tag into whatever top levels you guys feel like putting up!))

[sorry to meng yao,

but there might be a pair of familiar voices bickering nearly day one of being here. maybe day two if we're lucky. one is infinitely more familiar to meng yao than the other, but the other one is more easily recognizeable since, well, they go to school together right now.

that is: subaru is absolutely seeming like he's picking a fight, or has had a fight picked with him, over... seemingly nothing, but--

it's jin zinxun, so, who can say!!!]

S'not my fault if your belly's so big it takes up the whole street!

[mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm]

[this place... is quite spiritual. and subaru knows that meng yao handles a lot of that stuff, too -- had helped the little shopkeeper once before, so maybe... maybe...

anyway. subaru'd asked for a nice place to have tea with his fresh friend and so here they are, having tea. he's just trying to figure out how to bring this up without spilling too much information that isn't his to really give, so after a lull in a conversation about "if a bird had human arms, do you think it'd swing it and wing it (hit and run) or do you think it'd be more ground based"--]

Can I ask you something kinda funky, Maimai?

[like

the bird question wasn't funky. also maimai is his nickname now i'm sorry.]

[meng yao teach him talisman stuff. he's been watching him and amami go at it, and it seems pretty... fun? interesting anyway, so maybe once meng yao is done with amami for the day is when subaru slouches onto the other (whether meng yao has expressed his dislike of this or not) and whines,]

I wanna learn toooooo, Maimai! Hey hey, teach me something! I'm getting bored just watching you two!

[-- besides meng yao offered and now he's taking that offer seriously since it sounded boring before and now he's lonely]

[subaru considers himself having a nose for trouble.

and amami is quite the adventurous person.

so they're naturally checking out the ins and outs of the city, because it's fun and out of the way of people subaru otherwise has an issue with for looking down on him (jin zixun his detested), when

they come upon a wooden box. it appears just to be a plain wooden box, not too large, something that's easy to carry and hide if needed. but it's got sort of a surprising heft to it when subaru lifts it, tilting his head curiously...]

What d'you think's inside? Gold bars?

Mmm....

[everything here is so... interesting to subaru. there are things that are similar by different names, and things that aren't anything like he's seen before. the jewelry is the same anyway, and then there's clothing pieces he keeps looking at, and also some books he steps over at a merchant to see if anything would be interesting there...

all in all, it's actually an unusual amount of considering subaru is taking for something at the moment, since he has other souvenirs already bought for everyone else amami could think of him having bought one for.]

[it's a clear, starry night in lanling.

the end of the week had passed, and now they lingered in the days subaru had pleaded from the both of them -- just a little longer, even if he was yearning to get back too just a little longer, because the knife sitting at his bedside right now is terrifying to think about even if he won't ever say that's the reason for it -- and

he misses keigo, misses sitting on the roof of the school, and wonders if they'd like to do that when he gets back. once he gets the courage to. it might be nice, laying together watching the stars. it won't be hard for amami to find subaru, in essence, since there's no one else out so late and he's gone often enough to the roof of the inn even if he really should not be up here.]

( amami, for his part, is holding off on souvenirs for the time being — would rather see everything there is to see before he makes any specific picks. that doesn't mean that he's not up for helping someone else pick though, and he glances between subaru and whatever the other's eyes might happen to be resting on for now with a spark of curiosity in his own.

he notices that thoughtfulness, and you know what? he'll bite. )

Looking for something specific?

( when amami's rib is broke, and you say it's time for him to find his way up to the roof.

he's not going to do that, actually; he has a hunch as to where subaru's disappeared off to, despite the fact that it's hardly the first time subaru has gone and done so. evenings where amami comes back with tea, and the other is mysteriously gone. he doesn't pry too much, but some shuffling sounds overhead have pretty much betrayed the other's trips either way — it's just too bad that the roofs here are... not the easiest to climb, when you've got some injuries that interfere with that kind of thing.

so amami has to compromise, kind of. he'll head outside, but on the ground level — gives himself some distance from the building, then looks up to see if he can spot a head of red hair standing out against the sloped tiles up there. if he does, and if subaru happens to see him in turn, he offers a bit of a wave. doesn't move, though. you come down to him. he has an excuse. )

( there's a matching curiosity that shines in amami's eyes as he peers at the box in subaru's hands, lit up with interest, though... it's hard for him to guess when he's not the one lifting it. you know what would make it easy to guess, though...? )

What do you say we take a look?

( which is just what you do when you find a mysterious box that doesn't belong to you on the street, and not at all an excuse to snoop. )

If it's something that's been lost, it'd probably help find the owner if we know what's in it.

( because looking left, looking right, the small alleyway they're tucked away in, somewhere between the main streets that are lined with merchants and stalls, is out of the way enough that it doesn't look like others pass by here all too frequently. it's hard to say if this is where it's supposed to be, or if the owner is gonna be able to find the winding path they took to come across it again. they're just being good samaritans, y'know? )

And if we can't find the owner, we'll just take it for ourselves~.

[because it's finders keepers rules, clearly. he did this about some sports equipment too, though he doesn't think they'll be finding mitts and balls in here... maybe it really is gold bars. what do gold bars weigh. he doesn't know, but his imagination wants there to be gold bars.]

Let's see...

[it's a pretty sturdy little thing... definitely meant to be hard to get into in that wooden box sort of way, but luckily they do have these little knives. so subaru'll carefully try and work it open... he doesn't want to nick the bars...!!!

...

...

... these aren't bars of gold. subaru doesn't know what they are, because i'm going to make you decide, enh, but they are not bars of gold and are definitely something two teenage boys shouldn't have possession of,

though it's debatable they they have much a choice when there's some footsteps heading back their way]

[it's best to get them early...! subaru believes this, but then he's going to buy so many more souvenirs as he sees them anyway. this doesn't matter, but it also does--

and you know what, amami speaking up seems to startle him, because he forgot the other was around. but... maybe he's the perfect person to help subaru, too. at least in this case. right now he's reaching out to play with some windchimes.]

Soooooorta? [hm. subaru glances over, then back away, a grin tugging on his face despite obvious efforts to bite it away.] I'm looking for a gift for Boss, but it's hard to know where to start.

[books... maybe. or something they can look at... books would probably really make them happy, but then they might just sit there and read and not pay attention to him...]

[subaru hears the door below and looks down, catching amami's eye and wave. maybe he's been up here too long, or too often... he hates to worry others, or make them think like something's wrong, so he'll go with the compromise and stand up, making his way off the roof the only way he sees fit:

jumping and rolling.

and he can do so without injury, outside of a little soreness maybe, because he knows how to tuck just right. it drives me up a wall. regardless, he'll stand and brush himself off, grinning brightly. ah, of all people that should know, amami's definitely one of them. but isn't it bad enough that komaeda already found out? on the other hand, it's cruel to leave someone close to keigo out of the loop, and he's already told meng yao at this point what he needed to know for his own answers too, and...]

Out for a walk~? Lemme join you, the night feels really good~.

( ah, makes sense — the two of them are pretty close, after all.

amami glances at the windchime, the faint sound a little bit distracting, but as long as he returns to keeping his attention on subaru, the sound is somewhat dulled anyway. )

Oh, for Kamo-kun? I wouldn't stress too much over it — pretty sure they'll be happy with anything from you.

( he's pretty much their favourite, after all, y'know? but he offers subaru a bit of a smile, maybe a little pitying considering the other's excitement. how to... tell him that he might be in trouble no matter what he gets them, because it's all stuff that was gotten while he was away from them... hm. well, if there's one way to offset that, maybe he'll go with this: )

I guess you'd say they're more the sentimental type...?

[if amami tells subaru that he's their favorite he might actually combust (pos).

but the sentimental type... so something that makes him think of them? is that sentimental... yeah, that probably is. he usually just takes the shiniest, most sparkling thing to bring home (it's what he's done for the rest of his gifts, really) and that's that... this is different though.]

They definitely seem the type. [maybe the windchimes are a good choice then.

... so he just needs to find a cute design for it, like how they always choose such nice suncatchers to sell him.] You two're are close, right? I can tell 'cause you nickname them~.

[and nicknames........ are supposed to make you closer to people. maybe he should ask keigo if they'd like a nickname when he gets back. he has some ideas.]

So I wanted to ask, Ama-chan... What sorta things do they like to do? When I ask 'em they always talk about other people, though I do know they like molding stuff.

( then it's a little box of death.

which is clear to amami pretty much as soon as he looks inside it — some thin papers, price tag stickers not unlike the ones that meng yao had stuck to amami a handful of times before. those, he'd normally assume, are pretty safe, except... tucked alongside the stack, there's this small collection of vials — salmon-pink powders, some dried herbs, and a handful of liquids and pastes that range from milky-white to deep wine-red. finally, two small cloth bags, pulled shut by their drawstrings. because he's a totally normal person, with totally normal experiences, who jumps only to totally normal conclusions, he's immediately just like: )

Oh, looks like a poisoning kit.

( it could just as easily be medicine or something else, but amami is like this, so he just understands. that said... for all those footsteps, which side are they... coming from... amami is still peering into the box with absent interest, y'know? almost like he doesn't realize there's someone coming. maybe he'll reach in to grab one of those little drawstring pouches — he wants to see what's in them. )

I guess you could say that. They indulge me a little bit, so I want to look out for them too, if I can.

( it's kind of a different way to return the affection he's given, but it's something he's excited about all the same. actually, even this plays into it in a way, and being treated like he's some kind of kamo-kun expert? that's definitely something he takes satisfaction in, so he brightens a lot at subaru's question. gotta put some serious thought into this one. except not, because he already got some good thoughts from kamo-kun on the subject of gifts. )

Anyway, don't you think talking about others is a bit of a hint too? They told me before, they'd rather somebody spend time with them than get a gift made by someone else.

( and, looking awful proud of himself here— )

So me, I was thinking of putting something together myself, if I can find all the pieces I need.

Jeez~, you're a high-level threat after all.

[it's playful, because subaru's not worried at all actually, but he can't help but want to rib his friend... even if the relationships aren't remotely the same, and he got the feeling that amami thought of them more like a sibling, he can't help it.]

Make something yourself... I was thinking of like, getting them something that reminded me of them, but your sounds more fun. What kinda pieces are you looking for? I'll help~.

[oh, such a normal person with normal experiences, amami is. subaru is gonna chalk it up to amami being well-traveled and not that he was in a death game.

the footsteps seem to be coming from more into the alleyway, going by the way subaru looks up, and he tilts his head a bit at the other's lack of realization... or maybe he's playing it cool, like this is theirs and they just need to fake it 'til they make it. maybe he should do that too--

but there's more than one man, and none of the three seem particularly pleased to have found two boys pouring over their poisoning kit. subaru'll touch amami's side, hello.]

I think they might be the owners.

[which amami might not be able to hear too well, since he's being quiet as is, and very much bracing himself as they plaster nice smiles on their faces and prepare to either make a deal or deal with the two]

( there's some amusement in his eyes at that kind of answer. subaru has... a little bit of a ways to go here, he's thinking, but he'll laugh it off easily.

maybe he can use his threat level for good instead of evil. )

Haha, well if it's Kamo-kun, they'll want you to say everything reminded you of them, y'know? I don't think they'll be satisfied if they hear that you didn't spend your whole time here thinking that way.

( said with all the affection and fondness in the world because, to him? that's far from a bad thing. )

I was thinking seashells though. The rest shouldn't be too hard to find, but I forgot to ask if there's any beaches in the area.

[everything........... he's taking mental notes. the sky, the stars, the sloping roofs, the guards and thugs... maybe not those. but everything... okay.

windchimes, maybe ones that look like stars in the sky... or leaves rustling lightly in the wind... the latter sounds nice, that and "everything reminded me of you" or some smooth line like that.]

You could use snail shells instead!

[that might work... they could hunt for snails.]

( well that's... an interesting idea. he hadn't thought of it before, but maybe they can improvise if it comes down to it. for the time being, he shakes his head. )

Maybe, but that's something we could even find at the school. ( he thinks? )

Figure they probably have some kind of trade going on here, even if the shells aren't local, y'know? So I'll see what I can find first.

[time to plot clue for snails]

Aww... I think it'd be fun to see where we could find 'em, though. Maybe we oughta see where they sell seafood?

[subaru'll look at the windchimes again, playing with them idly, before stepping back towards the books... the seller has seen him do this like three times now, so he has to ask -- for whom is subaru shopping for, since he's having such a hard time choosing?]

Oh, uh... [............] My lover?

[oh

they have some steamier stuff to get the heat billowing here below if he wants--]

[ Jin Zixun is so unpleasant.

He sneers and scowls right over at Subaru, looking at him like he's nothing worthy of being anything but the dirt on his shoe. Indeed, this is what this inner Jin disciple believes to be.

He shouts at Subaru, "I'm the perfect size to crush anyone who is stupid enough not to get out of the way in time!"

Also waving his fist as if that's going to intimidate the other.

Just in time, however, does Meng Yao appear...dressed instead in yellow instead of the greys he's been accustomed to during his stay here.

Honestly, he hides a sigh at Subaru getting himself into trouble with the Jin Sect from the start. Well, he covers up his annoyance and decides to put on his attempts at mediating and then helping Subaru making a quick exit from this blustering fool of a cultivator. So he's putting on a polite inoffensive smile that seems appropriately concerned. ]

Excuse me, may I ask what might be the problem here?

[ Of course predictably Jin Zixun is going to blame Subaru for everything, and so this is just a way for Meng Yao to eventually follow-up with a scripted response he's already put together in his head. ]

[ Meng Yao is having himself some classic Jade oolong tea.

His ... current associate has a knack of making for interesting conversation. However, Meng Yao doesn't seem bothered by it, giving a polite customer service smile™ for most of it. His responses are relatively more down-to-earth as much as they can be in such outlandish or unique topics. It does also get his mind off of certain...things and keeping him from getting too caught up in his own head.

However at that question, Meng Yao pauses, and resisting looking to see if the other had been addressing someone else because he does catch on relatively quickly. ]

...Maimai?

[ ... ]

Yes, go ahead. What question did you have?

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.:An Adventure to Remember:.

AND SO IT BEGINS.

meng yao 1

meng yao 2

meng yao 3

amami 1

amami 2

amami 3

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