[ and as promised, hua cheng is there just after sunset. as a ghost he has no need for food or drink, not the same way mortals do, but he is able to partake when he so desires—and the prospect of meeting such an intriguing cultivator for the first time is certainly such an occasion. although cultivation sects are few and far between in his land, he's come to understand from his previous acquaintances (lan sizhui, namely; we'll see if that comes up) that they often don't take especially well to powerful creatures of evil, so to hear from wei wuxian that he finds ghosts not only interesting, but useful...
well, it piques hua cheng's interest. how could it not? he's the ghost king of paradise manor, after all.
so he finds two open seats in the red cardinal and occupies one of them, orders a drink for himself and then sits to wait, content to peoplewatch for however long it takes wei wuxian to arrive. at least hua cheng is hard to miss, as tall and imposing as he is—the long hair and eyepatch probably help, too. ]
[ It occurs to Wei Wuxian when he arrives at the Red Cardinal that they never exchanged descriptions of each other, so he'll have to rely on his instincts to figure out who Hua Cheng is. So, he arrives, not too late at all and takes in the patrons of the bar for a moment.
He's dressed simply enough though what might make him look out of place is the long black hair, tied up in a high ponytail with a long red ribbon. A contrast to the short hair most men here have taken to, he's realized. His eyes scan the bar and finally land on Hua Cheng, narrowing them slightly as he tries to guess if he wants to approach this man or not. If he had to take a stab at someone who seems like a Ghost King, well, this man fits the bill, does he not?
So, bold, he approaches the man with a confident stride, standing in front of him and tucking his hands into his pockets. ]
[ although the attire blends in well enough with the other patrons, what sets wei wuxian apart from the other people hua cheng has seen come and go from the red cardinal is the baffling density of the energy that hangs around him like a cloud. no golden core that hua cheng can sense—although of course his sense for that sort of thing is imperfect, lacking in experience—but plenty of yin energy that feels so startlingly similar to the atmosphere of ghost city that it makes hua cheng sit up in his chair as he regards wei wuxian with a long, assessing look. ]
I am, [ he says. he doesn't stand, because hua cheng's manners are awful, but he does gesture to the chair across from him in an invitation for wei wuxian to join him. ] And you must be my new cultivator friend, courtesy name Wei Wuxian.
[ up close, the vibes are even more fascinating. hua cheng's visible eye is bright with interest as he looks across the table at the other man, and he leans his chin into his palm, elbow braced against the table as he grins. ]
What will you drink? [ he asks. ] The wine here is excellent, but be careful with your order. There's one vintage that will make you fall instantly in love with the next person you see.
[ and that's why rokurou rangetsu has a wine jar in his bedroom with hua cheng's face on it. don't worry abt it ]
[ Wei Wuxian can sense a bit of Hua Cheng as well. Though it's nothing that surprises him — the man already told him he's a ghost, so the yin energy is nothing that catches him off guard. He doesn't know how much Hua Cheng has sensed from him instead though, but he's not exactly trying to hide what he's become at all, even if he also won't explain himself. No, he is what he is and if there are questions, they'll eventually come.
Instead, there is a bright smile from Wei Wuxian and he doesn't mind that Hua Cheng doesn't stand up, moving to slide in the seat offered to him instead. He folds his arms on the table and gets comfortable, giving a nod to that greeting. ]
That's me, alright!
[ And then he considers the question. There has been such a new world of alcohol revealed to him since he arrived here and yet, he enjoys what he knows from home most of all. So, in answer to Hua Cheng, and as he flags down a waiter, he calls out — ]
A bottle of huangjiu, please! Semisweet! And peanuts!
[ Before he turns his attention back to Hua Cheng, drumming his fingers over the surface of the table as he takes in the man. ]
While I find the appeal of falling in love with a stranger after one drink somewhat hilarious, it might not make for good conversation! So, I will stick with what I know.
[ there will indeed be questions, although hua cheng already can't imagine they'll all be answered. to be a cultivator full mostly with yin energy is a strange enough feat that he can't imagine wei wuxian came by it in a way that would be accepted by a cultivation sect, or at least, it wouldn't be accepted by the ones he's heard of—dalliances with ghosts and demons and other creatures of evil rarely are, after all. if it were him, he wouldn't want to reveal all his secrets either, so while he intends to ask, he won't take it personally if wei wuxian doesn't give him a straight answer.
for now, though, they can keep things light. ]
On the contrary, I think it makes the conversation very good, [ hua cheng says with a grin, ] but perhaps not productive or conducive to asking questions or sharing our learnings.
[ so while hua cheng definitely agrees it would be hilarious, he also can't fault wei wuxian for choosing not to order the fall-in-love wine. as they wait for their order to arrive, he props his chin in his hand and looks over at wei wuxian, studying him from head to... well, waist, as much of him as hua cheng can see before he asks, ]
Tell me, my friend—how does a cultivator such as yourself come to find cultivation sects so annoying?
[ There is gratitude in Wei Wuxian as Hua Cheng takes the lead and asks him outright about cultivation sects. He wasn't sure where exactly to steer the conversation now that he was here but this helps! This works perfectly! And so he smiles and considers his answer.
He can't say "well, they banded together to kill me and believe gossip like fact, swayed by the slightest breeze and changing their mind whenever they want" because, well, that would require more explanation than he's currently willing to give. So, he considers a softer answer. ]
I grew up in one, but I'm the son of a servant so was looked down upon even if my skill was quite good. As I got older and proved myself, interacting with other clans was always... interesting. My successes were lauded upon but my failures were criticized even more sharply. I've been both a hero and a pariah to these people, so I've learned not to take their opinion too seriously.
[ A shrug of a shoulder and he laughs. At the same time, their drinks arrive and he's able to pour himself a cup and knock it back merrily, enjoying the burn as it goes down his throat. ]
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text, @wwx
@sanlang / text (1/2)
→ action!
well, it piques hua cheng's interest. how could it not? he's the ghost king of paradise manor, after all.
so he finds two open seats in the red cardinal and occupies one of them, orders a drink for himself and then sits to wait, content to peoplewatch for however long it takes wei wuxian to arrive. at least hua cheng is hard to miss, as tall and imposing as he is—the long hair and eyepatch probably help, too. ]
no subject
He's dressed simply enough though what might make him look out of place is the long black hair, tied up in a high ponytail with a long red ribbon. A contrast to the short hair most men here have taken to, he's realized. His eyes scan the bar and finally land on Hua Cheng, narrowing them slightly as he tries to guess if he wants to approach this man or not. If he had to take a stab at someone who seems like a Ghost King, well, this man fits the bill, does he not?
So, bold, he approaches the man with a confident stride, standing in front of him and tucking his hands into his pockets. ]
Gongzi, are you Hua Cheng?
no subject
I am, [ he says. he doesn't stand, because hua cheng's manners are awful, but he does gesture to the chair across from him in an invitation for wei wuxian to join him. ] And you must be my new cultivator friend, courtesy name Wei Wuxian.
[ up close, the vibes are even more fascinating. hua cheng's visible eye is bright with interest as he looks across the table at the other man, and he leans his chin into his palm, elbow braced against the table as he grins. ]
What will you drink? [ he asks. ] The wine here is excellent, but be careful with your order. There's one vintage that will make you fall instantly in love with the next person you see.
[ and that's why rokurou rangetsu has a wine jar in his bedroom with hua cheng's face on it. don't worry abt it ]
no subject
Instead, there is a bright smile from Wei Wuxian and he doesn't mind that Hua Cheng doesn't stand up, moving to slide in the seat offered to him instead. He folds his arms on the table and gets comfortable, giving a nod to that greeting. ]
That's me, alright!
[ And then he considers the question. There has been such a new world of alcohol revealed to him since he arrived here and yet, he enjoys what he knows from home most of all. So, in answer to Hua Cheng, and as he flags down a waiter, he calls out — ]
A bottle of huangjiu, please! Semisweet! And peanuts!
[ Before he turns his attention back to Hua Cheng, drumming his fingers over the surface of the table as he takes in the man. ]
While I find the appeal of falling in love with a stranger after one drink somewhat hilarious, it might not make for good conversation! So, I will stick with what I know.
no subject
for now, though, they can keep things light. ]
On the contrary, I think it makes the conversation very good, [ hua cheng says with a grin, ] but perhaps not productive or conducive to asking questions or sharing our learnings.
[ so while hua cheng definitely agrees it would be hilarious, he also can't fault wei wuxian for choosing not to order the fall-in-love wine. as they wait for their order to arrive, he props his chin in his hand and looks over at wei wuxian, studying him from head to... well, waist, as much of him as hua cheng can see before he asks, ]
Tell me, my friend—how does a cultivator such as yourself come to find cultivation sects so annoying?
no subject
He can't say "well, they banded together to kill me and believe gossip like fact, swayed by the slightest breeze and changing their mind whenever they want" because, well, that would require more explanation than he's currently willing to give. So, he considers a softer answer. ]
I grew up in one, but I'm the son of a servant so was looked down upon even if my skill was quite good. As I got older and proved myself, interacting with other clans was always... interesting. My successes were lauded upon but my failures were criticized even more sharply. I've been both a hero and a pariah to these people, so I've learned not to take their opinion too seriously.
[ A shrug of a shoulder and he laughs. At the same time, their drinks arrive and he's able to pour himself a cup and knock it back merrily, enjoying the burn as it goes down his throat. ]