blindforlove | Golden Peacock inbox

[ At the response to his muttering, Xue Yang's expression screws up into a slight scowl. Something about Xiao Xingchen's statement is wrong, but he's having a hard time figuring out what it is, much less how he'd try to explain it, so instead the remark is met with silence.

When Xiao Xingchen starts to panic, Xue Yang can't help it: he lets out a burst of laughter. He definitely didn't expect to get the chance to see Xiao Xingchen flailing about tonight.

From how his voice still comes from above Xiao Xingchen's crouching form, it's easy to guess that Xiao Xingchen hasn't floated very high. Still, Xue Yang shifts slightly, positioning his right side a bit more prominently towards him. If the man flails enough that he tries to grab onto Xue Yang, he wants to make sure his left hand is far out of reach. ]

Guess that one works, huh? You really aren't weighed down at all.

[Xiao Xingchen hears the man's laughter... from over him, and immediately feels both relief and embarrassment. At least it was only his friend here to see him lose his composure this way (though he will ignore all of the other embarrassing situations he's ended up in).]

Oh.

[Reaching towards the other man, his hand closes above his friend's right elbow. He can judge from the feeling of it where he's oriented and he straightens himself up just in time for gravity to set back in. His feet land lightly and without sound, hair and clothing falling back into place.

He gives his friend a small smile.]

I suppose it does. Though I am... not too suited for flying anymore. Especially now, when we're indoors practically all of the time.

[As much as he'd tell himself to not dwell on the past, the loss of flying has less reason to trouble him these days anyway. His smile becomes a bit sad, but he merely crouches down and feels around for where he found the pin. As he does, he brushes against something that must be like a miniature face, made of the smoothest stone. Curious, his fingers explore more of it and he finds himself brushing through what feels like realistic hair. It does feel disconnected from a body, however...]

The garden and vale are probably not too bad to fly in. Too bad about our swords, though.

[ And Xiao Xingchen would certainly continue to not fly even if he had his back, or a replacement.

"For that which crowns, long shall it be."

Xue Yang isn't even paying attention to the words anymore as he turns over the item he's still holding in his hands, then almost shoves it in the peddler's face. ]

So how much are you asking for this junk?

[ "..." They're quiet for several seconds. "A day and a half's time. Or fifty chips." ]

[Xiao Xingchen turns to face his companion. Faintly, he notices his head feeling a bit heavier, but pays it little mind at the moment.]

Is that something that you'd like?

[He reaches towards his sleeve, almost on instinct, before more hesitantly tugs the fabric.]

Ah... I don't remember how much I have. But it surely must be more than that.

[While the resort has added to his chips a few times and he has done his best to live a life free of excess, he didn't check how much it had all too often. Besides that, he has fallen into a mood to spend his money with less care than he ordinarily would.]

Not really, but I figured I might as well try one of these things out to see. Better than something that just stays cold, right?

[ He turns back to the peddler. ]

Ten chips.

[ He gets a scowl in return. "What insult you levy. Forty chips." ]

Forty? This thing's garbage and not even worth half that. We'll pay fifteen.

[ "Thirty-five, and no lower." ]

Thirty-five? Who the fuck would buy your garbage? There's barely anyone here but us. Eighteen.

[ "Thirty-five, to include his." They gesture towards Xiao Xingchen, and Xue Yang turns towards him as well. ]

... Hey daozhang, do you want that thing you've got there?

[Xiao Xingchen lets his friend do his work with the haggling, even if he is more than ready to forego the awkwardness that comes with it and pay the price. Money is certainly a difficult matter to deal with.

He stands back up, looking uncomfortable as he holds the head with both hands. The bottom of his hair swings lower than it had before, past his knees.

Though he doesn't know what it does...]

I-I'll take it.

[His want to finish the transaction is what's more important. That ought to be a good deal anyway, right? And he is surely he can replenish the money... somehow. Though he would have preferred to try searching the place some more before settling on something.]

Then thirty-two. Take the offer or we walk.

[ There's a long pause, during which the peddler glares at the two of them, mostly Xue Yang, or perhaps they're simply appraising the items the two of them are holding. Finally they let out a ragged sigh, like the rattling of old bones, wind through the sparse leaves of trees half-dead, or a draft rustling the paper windows of a run-down old house. A sound almost nostalgic for the place they had shared together before coming here.

"Thirty-two, and not a chip less." ]

[Xiao Xingchen suppresses his own sigh of relief as he puts forth his device, now tucking the doll head within his sleeve.]

Thank you...

[Such thanks are both for the merchant as well as his companion. It must be the polite thing to do as they conclude a transaction, even if a bit more awkward after the attempt to whittle down the price. Surely there's no need for that to create any resentment. And since that must have gotten them talking, perhaps they might talk a little more?]

I have some questions about the other wares here, if you do not mind.

[The ensuing silence has him suspect that he might have assumed too much.]

[ Xue Yang waits for a reply for several seconds before crossing his arms. ]

What? Don't want to sell anything more?

[ There's a brief pause before the reply comes.

"Rookery is all but closed for the night. Even should you not haggle, you would not buy in time."

That catches Xue Yang by surprise. ]

Rookery? That this place? [ He gestures as he glances around. ] Don't try to pull some bullshit about closing. Things never close around here. Do you think I arrived yesterday?

[ But he's barely turned back before there's a sudden wooshing feeling. Like breath being sucked out, then returned with the odd sense that you hadn't even been breathing before. The chill of the other world disappears along with the lanterns, stalls, even the wares directly in front of the two of them.

It's abrupt enough that Xue Yang doesn't even manage to react at first. ]

[Xiao Xingchen says nothing for a moment as his breath returns to him. The artificial pleasant temperature consistent throughout most of the resort returns, but that's all else he can notice immediately.

He's been around here long enough to pick up on when something has changed in this place, at least.]

What... what happened?

[Acting on a hunch, he crouches down and reaches for the items he touched a moment ago. He doesn't even feel the blanket the wares were on. His hair spill across the floor behind him, far longer than it once was.]

Edited 2024-05-26 08:00 (UTC)

It's... It's all gone. The whole thing just fucking vanished. All the people and all their stuff. Not even sure what happened.

[ Was this what that old bat meant by "closed"?

His eyes fall to where Xiao Xingchen is reaching down, and it's only then that he finally notices. ]

... Daozhang, what's up with your hair? Has it always been like that?

[Xiao Xingchen stands back up, expression incredulous, before he also thinks on the works he just heard. He pulls up his sleeve and slides his fingers across his device, the electronic voice announcing what he’s touching. On touching the clock icon, the voice announces that the time set by this place is currently 06:02.

Just past sunrise…]

They must have closed the very moment the morning began. But I’ve certainly never heard of a market that disappeared when it closed. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a sur—ah?

[He reaches to touch his hair behind him. It’s as soft and silky as ever ~~how would he be an ethereal cultivator otherwise~~, but he can’t notice how his hair now resembles a waterfall of ink. If he was to ever slouch, his hair’s ends would brush the floor again.]

I don’t believe I’ve done anything different with it…

Well, it's a lot longer now than it was yesterday.

[ Saying it in case Xiao Xingchen can't quite tell with sight alone.

But Xue Yang soon turns from it to the seemingly metal scrap that he got out of that deal. He turns it over in his hands a bit and even tries to press it to his free wrist, but nothing about it stands out and it doesn't stick. (If Xiao Xingchen is listening, he can probably hear at least a bit of Xue Yang's messing about.)

His gaze lowers to his feet and legs. As stupid as the shopkeeper sounded at first, everything else seems to have worked so far... ]

[Xiao Xingchen pauses, before reaching back towards his hair. Carrying the long, somewhat slippery bundle in his arms, he feels for the ends of it. Indeed, it's much longer than he expected.]

Oh. I suppose I don't mind all that much, though I do hope it doesn't grow much longer any time soon. It might become an inconvenience during night hunting.

[He lets it back down carefully. Yet to realize that other people from other worlds cut their hair, he can't quite understand what use it could have. It all does feel like someone's beginner enchantment attempts. Though if it can happen with one part of the body... a seed of an idea has been planted in his mind.

The sound of that messing around doesn't sound too close to the floor, where the ankle would be.]

Do you need any help with yours?

[ Xue Yang glances over again when Xiao Xingchen lets it down. He's having similar thoughts, but he's also thinking about how Xiao Xingchen is going to walk around without people stepping on it. Well, he could probably just use a more elaborate style to put his hair up in. Some of the Jin Sect ladies managed to get their hair up entirely without any of it hanging down, so if Xiao Xingchen did something similar it should at least keep it from being long enough to drag. ]

Not really. Hey, what side do you think I should put it on?

[ He's asking more out of curiosity for which Xiao Xingchen would choose, rather than because he can't decide. That means it's not asking for help. Right? Right. ]

[At the question, Xiao Xingchen hums in thought as he recalls what the merchant described as the difference of where it's placed. On the left, a taste of what you've long dreamed. On the right, a whiff of what you've recently desired.]

What side, hm.

[He lets the silence hang a bit longer than it likely needs to, just as he may be thinking about it all too much as well. Finally, he answers:]

Perhaps... your right ankle. Smelling what isn't there is likely less disconcerting than tasting what you haven't placed in your mouth.

[While he did suggest having the taste of candies to his friend earlier, that makes more sense after some thought. He also has another reason for his answer... but that would definitely feel like thinking too hard about it.]

Yeah, that's what I thought too.

[ That was not what Xue Yang thought but it can be now.

He turns it over a few more times before finally bending down and pulling up a pant leg, then placing the metal against it. He leaves it a second then tries to take it off again, and unlike all the times before, this time it doesn't budge. Xue Yang tugs it, and it still doesn't come off.

After a moment he straightens up. ]

Huh, it really stuck.

[ Is he smelling something yet? Maybe. He hasn't gotten a good sniff quite yet but he's noticed something seemingly in the air. ]

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