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[threedontknows]

 

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[threedontknows]

Huaisang become serious, his light and warm expression turning dark and melancholy.

“He was good to me. Even when I thought he was being horrible, he was always good to me. We lost both our mothers - we’re half siblings, and our father died unexpectedly. Da-ge had the world on his shoulders.”

He closes his fan and sets it down onto the table.

“He was righteous. Good was good and evil was evil; there was nothing in between. He was stubborn. He kept things from me, important things. He could have a temper. It got worse and worse near the end of things, but he was always hot-headed.

“But was brave, and loved his people deeply. He loved me.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

Every male figure in Aaron's life had been objectively bad. His father beat him. The Bishop abused him. He had found comfort with people he knew, people who were like him. Siblings, he supposes, orphaned in either a literal or metaphorical sense.

But they weren't protectors of each other. Aaron's never had that. He's been his own protector, then created a reality where he could act as the protector to his imagination.

So while he can't relate, he can see the effects of it echoed in his friend. Huaisang had been what he portrays himself as. He had been light and delicate, much like the fictional Aaron, until he lost that and had to stand on his own.

"Man I'm - I'm sorry. He sounds good, like he was a good guy. World needs more people like that, not less."

[threedontknows]

Huaisang nods softly in agreement. Unfortunately there could only ever be one Nie Mingjue, but here, in this place of possibility...

"You've heard what the wardens get when they graduate an inmate, right?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Yeah, ain't it some magical genie wish?"

He isn't quite sure about the logistics, but there's an obvious leap to make. "You gonna be a warden and get a deal to get your brother back?"

[threedontknows]

From the general tone of the conversation he can surmise what a ‘genie wish’ might be. But he nods, at least somewhat carefully.

“It’s hard not to be tempted.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Or just see if you can talk your warden into doing it for you. Then you don't have to do shit," he suggests, eventually moving to sit on the floor with him.

[threedontknows]

“If I get that lucky,” Huaisang laughs. “I’ll probably get someone who makes me do things.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron laughs, gently running his fingers along the other man's hair. "Yeah, real fucking terrible thing. How have your temps been? Mine is fucking useless, but he's friends with Raylan, so I gotta endure it."

[threedontknows]

Huaisang immediately melts under the soft touch to his hair. He sprawls back out onto the cushion with a low sigh.

“Useless,” he agrees with nod. “Too quiet, too docile. I’m fine with it though, they leave me alone.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron keeps his hands there, fascinated by its length.

"Course they do. And you don't need shit from 'em."

Which Aaron is grateful for himself. He doesn't need anything. No asks. No nothing.

[threedontknows]

“I like to give them the illusion of helping me. Keeps my cover.”

He gropes for his fan and pulls it down off of the table.

“You don’t need anything from anyone, do you?”

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Nah, I got a job. Got the whole library. Got everything in my room. Three square meals a day and a bed that ain't a tent in the street."

He shrugs. "You like playing helpless. I like playing helpful."

[threedontknows]

Huaisang fans himself casually. It's true, there's the difference between the two of them. Helpless versus helpful. Both of them liars.

"Your life was difficult. I admire you for surviving -- thriving, from the sound of it, of a sort."

[creeksidealtarboy]

He makes a non committal noise in the back of his throat, twisting two strands of Huaisang's hair together. "Was this your place? At home? I got my apartment."

[threedontknows]

"My rooms, mmhm." Not all of them though, but he doesn't want to rub it in Aaron's face. He was spoiled, the second son of a clan leader. He knows it well.

"You'll let me see your cabin sometime?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Sure. It ain't much, though. You - nothing like this," he says, gesturing around the fine place. "But I ain't never been in nice places."

[threedontknows]

"I lived in a fortress," he tells him, sitting up carefully. "A palace in the mountains. It's not a typical place to grow up."

He could take Aaron to nice places. He's sure he could. He wants to, in any case.

[creeksidealtarboy]

He moves his fingers away when Huaisang sits up and leans back, propping himself up on his hands. He doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, but he knows that this is nice. This is - well, it's comforting. Talking about all this shit like it's real.

"Palace in the mountains, huh? You someone fancy, Nie Huaisang?" he asks, mostly teasing.

[threedontknows]

He waves his fan idly in response. "Don't be ridiculous, of course I'm fancy! Look at me!"

Huaisang scoffs playfully, as though he were actually insulted by the notion that he, young master Nie, wasn't absolutely frivolous and spoiled.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Yeah, you are, ain't ya?" He shakes his head. "Well, I'll show you one day, but you won't be impressed by it. It's just where I keep my books."

[threedontknows]

Huaisang shakes his head and closes his fan, tapping it against his palm.

“Just because I enjoy lovely things doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate more utilitarian things. I’m a cultivator! I’ve slept in caves and on the forest floor before! Your home is yours, that’s what makes it worth seeing.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

He laughs brightly, starting to really enjoy that snap of a fan.

"Sure, rich guy. Whatever you say."

He taps the table. "I'll make you some real tea, too."

[threedontknows]

“What do you mean, ‘real tea’?” Huaisang looks appalled. How is this not real tea!?

Clearly Aaron is from a fairytale world.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"You know. It's black. And it's sweet. And cold. With ice and shit."

He laughs, delighted by Huaisang's expression.

[threedontknows]

That sounds…that sounds awful.

“It’s cold? What kind of backwards world do you come from anyway!”