[ Closed ]

[guijiangjun]

WHO: Wen Ning, Xue Yang
WHEN: August
WHAT: Nail removal
WHERE: Gazin
WARNINGS: mind control


Wen Ning is not quite all there. He's a prisoner, his consciousness not quite at the forefront but always trying to get through, willing himself to be in control, to be out of his own head. Still, even in his state he's confused by the new surroundings, wandering in black robes, not the best kempt and heavy chains around him. His eyes are unhuman in a way.

There's a flicker of recognition when he sees someone he knows. The person that had his mind locked away and left him little more than a weapon for years.

He goes toward him, without much certainty.

Comments

[jiangzaid]

Xue Yang is out for one of his usual rides, trying to keep his mind off worrying over the wolf he'd rescued months ago and has only recently let back in search of a pack to join - his husband's suggestion and encouragement. He still misses her warmth and bright personality, but Zichen's reasoning was sound...and he can't deny either of his daozhangs anything at this point.

But something catches his attention. He can't describe what, only that he starts angling his stallion up toward the sign for Gazin. A frown appears when he sees a black figure heading his way, and nudges his mount to slow to a walk. Who...?

Oh. His expression clears and he sighs before dismounting, letting the reigns hang in signal for the well-trained stallion to stand still. He saunters over to Wen Ning, looking him over. "Stop," he orders. He doesn't pull Jiangzai from his back, there's no point just yet. Hopefully not at all.

"I can get this right, at least...This will hurt." He at least sounds apologetic, and reaches to tug the nails out of the head he'd put them in years ago.

[guijiangjun]

There's a flicker of recognition when Wen Ning sees Xue Yang but he just stops when he's ordered to, staring with blank eyes at the other. He makes no sound as the other removes the nails, the pain registers but Wen Ning's tolerance is very high so even as his consciousness, his free will returns the surface and his eyes shift back to normal it's merely background noise.

"Xue Yang."

There's a moment he's not sure what to do in the face of him.

[jiangzaid]

They both have absurd pain tolerance levels.

Xue Yang steps back when the nails are out and slowly moves to stand in front of the other again, a little wary - this man has every right to attack him for what he's done. But he does his best to check Wen Ning over, visually, to make sure nothing lingers.

He holds the nails up in an open palm. "What do you want to do with them? I don't need them."

[guijiangjun]

Wen Ning's eyes lower to the nails and he shakes his head a little. He certainly doesn't want to take them from Xue Yang.

"Why..." his voice is hoarse. He hasn't spoken in years. "Why did you remove them?" It's not really answering the other's question yet.

[jiangzaid]

He makes a face at the sound of the other's voice and moves back to his horse, rifling through the saddle pack there and returns a moment later with the water sack he keeps with him even when out for a few hours. Taking a sip to show it's not poison, he holds it out to Wen Ning as he thinks on how to answer.

"People here gave me a chance, showed me how life can be when met with a clean slate. But mostly...I told your sister when she was here that if I found you, I'd take good care of you. And my daozhangs would be disappointed if I found you like that and didn't help you." A little grin and a shrug. "And my Senior would be angry, I've worked too hard just to stay alive now to ruin it by leaving you in a state I'd put you in in the first place."

So many reasons. Wen Ning can pick one or accept all of them!

[guijiangjun]

Wen Ning only hesitates a moment before he accepts the water. He's certainly overwhelmed to be in complete control again -- for Xue Yang to be behaving so oddly? What all must have happened while he was locked away in his mind for all those years?

He takes one sip and then another and then he drinks a bit eagerly before he makes himself stop and return it to Xue Yang -- turning over the man's words in his mind, shocked.

"My sister...? She was here? Why isn't she now? What happened?" His eyes were wide. Wen Qing...

"Senior Wei...?" He questions, maybe a bit hopefully.

[jiangzaid]

He can't imagine how it must feel for Wen Ning. Zichen hadn't been put under his control yet when he came here, so he can't exactly ask him.

He waits, feeling oddly both numb and delighted that Wen Ning is so far accepting both his help, and what he's saying. The return of his water sac has him smile and he sets it at his hip to be put away later.

It fades a little when those questions wash over him.

"She got here when I did, along with several others. Most left since then, while some came back but...different. I don't know how it works. I don't know why she left, she was looking for you and you weren't here." He can't quite help the slightly sharp clip to his voice. Wen Qing vanishing as she had is something of a sore spot with him. Just another person he'd started to open up to who had disappeared and left him behind.

He shifts his weight, working on pushing frustration and pain and anger out into the ground instead of lashing out at someone who has already been hurt too much by him.

A breath, and he nods, letting something akin to good cheer return. "Senior and his husband are both here." And clearly Xue Yang hasn't been skewered by either of them.

[guijiangjun]

Wen Ning doesn’t like hearing about his sister vanishing. It didn’t feel right to him. He knows, of course, he just wants her to be with him but what Xue Yang describes makes Wen Ning’s heartache. She’s gone… why is Wen Ning here now?

Wen Ning gives a slight nod at the latter confirmation.

He studies him for a long moment before asking:

“Do you know somewhere I can rest?”

[jiangzaid]

It was even less fun in reality. Only Zichen had kept Xue Yang from going on a rampage.

That question hints at trusting him to give good options. Good things! So he nods, already discounting his house. He can't imagine Wen Ning wanting to live with someone who has caused him so much pain (his daozhangs are special cases).

"There's an inn in Gazin that provides cheap rooms to newcomers, long enough to get a job and make more permanent living arrangements. I can take you there."

Xue Yang already turns around, heading back for his horse to lead Wen Ning into town.

[guijiangjun]

In truth, Wen Ning probably wouldn’t have turned him down if he had offered his house. He doesn’t trust Xue Yang completely but he also knew now what the other could do if Wen Ning didn’t keep his guard up and the other had a mind to do so again… which he sensed he didn’t.

Still, the inn would be a good choice he needed a place to gather his thoughts and adjust to having his freedom again — at least to some degree. He knew being controlled isn’t out of the question but now it is not a constant and he is not locked away in the back of his own mind.

“Thank you,” Wen Ning says, bowing his head and moving to follow Xue Yang.