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[threedontknows]

 

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[brightjade]

[ His lips thin at that painful laugh. He'd never wanted Huaisang to know this pain, however expected. Then his brother rambles about his strength. how he'd carried such a heavy burden alone. That not just anyone could manage.

He's about to scoff and interrupt Huaisang when his brother stops himself. He recognizes how hard it's been for his brother.

Mingjue starts to bristle at the idea he needs to be taken care of - but it's true. And he hates the fact he needs at least some care. The sect doctors hate treating him because he's their worst patient. It doesn't, of course, keep them from fussing over him and doing their job. His fingers drum angrily on the table, probably making his image shake.

Then his brother goes and says that. Leaving him speechless for a moment before he huffs out a breath. ]

A-Sang...I will keep your advice in mind. This damn thing doesn't let me do much for you there, but as long as it allows us to speak, we will maintain it.

[threedontknows]

[Yes, however long he has, he’ll take advantage of it. Soon the Barge will be back to its version of normal and his brother will be dead once more.]

If you can’t — I’ll still find a way. [He wipes his face on the back of his hand. These tears are different than the weaponized ones; it’s sorrow, plain and simple.]

I was trying to deal with the family tomb when I died. I’d gotten so close to figuring out a way to date the hunger of the sabers.

[brightjade]

You will.

[ Not tears as a sign of weakness, he can recognize that much. So he says nothing about them, only wishes he could be there in person to support his brother.

His eyes close when Huaisang tells him how he died, fingers clench painfully on wood. ]

What would that accomplish?

Whoops that should have said ‘sate’, thanks phone!

[threedontknows]

[His eyes are still wet as he continues, wanting now to press for information despite the utter melancholy.]

When did Father tell you about the sabers? When did you learn our cultivation path was poison?

lol autocorrect is naughty

[brightjade]

[ Now they're having this conversation, Mingjue won't hold back what he knows. Not when it might still help his brother. Somehow. ]

When I discovered part of it myself. It wasn't long until that damned Night Hunt with the Wens, but he told me then about our ancestors' tomb.

[ The same one they'd fallen into. Then it was Huaisang who got them out. ]

[threedontknows]

[That trip to the tombs — he’d hated every time he had to go back, but that was before he was leader of the Nie. Before it was his burden and his burden alone.]

I tell them now, Da-ge. Our disciples. I offer them a choice. Cultivate with a saber and take the risk that comes with our strength, or choose a different path.

[The struggle between filial responsibility and responsibility to their disciples had always been a struggle for Huaisang. In the end he chose to protect the lives of the living — wasn’t that why their ancestors chose their cultivation path to begin with?]

I hate that you didn’t get to choose. I don’t care if that disappoints our ancestors, they’re not the ones who had to watch you cry bloody tears.

[brightjade]

[ He frowns at that, but it's become Huaisang's responsibility. To do right by their people. And he knows his brother hadn't made the choice lightly.

But he shakes his head, sharply. ]

I would still have chosen to cultivate with the saber. That has always been my plan in life, to protect our people with my strength.

[ However. The Wen sect is essentially gone now. ]

But that strength isn't so badly needed now. Our people need those like you.

[threedontknows]

[But that Mingjue would have been given the choice to begin with — that’s his point, whether he chose the saber or not.]

People like me. [Vicious little liars, that’s him.]

I took my revenge. I destroyed everything. Everything. It’s all wiped clean now.

[brightjade]

[ He grumbles unintelligibly for a moment, then glares mildly at his brother to make a point. ]

People who are intelligent and stubborn to do what needs done.

You got revenge as is right. Did you destroy our sect? Our people? I think not, A-Sang. I believe you did enough so that going forward, people can move on better.

[threedontknows]

.[Yes, Da-ge. Of course, Da-Ge. He never thought he’d missed being given a stern lecture.]

You don’t know what I did.

[brightjade]

Then tell me. Everything.

[ He's not above throwing Huaisang's words back at him if necessary. But he doesn't say it just yet. ]

[threedontknows]

[Huaisang doesn’t feel an iota of guilt for what he did, not one bit, but the thought of telling Mingjue…

They’re more alike than people might think. Stubbornness for one, a sense of justice. Huaisang’s moral compass is just a little bit more skewed.]

I figured it out almost right away, that he was responsible. I remembered when I played Cleansing to calm you and you’d — [Slaughtered poor Nie Zonghui. He doesn’t say this. His poor Da-ge had wept so bitterly for the lives lost then.] I remembered what happened, how you got worse.

I bid my time. I acted like a fool. Worse — like I couldn’t do anything at all for myself. And I plotted, and schemed, and I found a piece of you. Your body had gone missing, and I searched the very day you died until years later I finally found a single piece - your arm.

I knew I couldn’t suppress or exorcise the resentful energy coming off of you, so I guided a different bastard son of Jin Guangshan to give his body over to Wei Wuxian’s soul. Your arm slaughtered the Mo family…I may have thrown it into the village to bait Wei, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist figuring out who the arm belonged to.

[Not his brother’s favorite person, buuuuut ends justify the means and all.]

I wanted the world to burn, Da-ge. So I set everything in motion to expose your killer and find the rest of your body. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji followed every lead I planted, every hint I dropped, every little crumb I threw them.

[brightjade]

Don't blame yourself for playing a skewed Cleansing. [ Most important to him is that his brother doesn't blame himself for not knowing.

But then he listens. While he doesn't like how his brother had used his arm to get things started, or that Huaisang had manipulated someone into such a sacrifice to bring Wei Wuxian back to life. Just because he doesn't like that man doesn't mean he can't see the benefit of having done so for revenge.

His beloved brother, who'd wanted to burn the world. To cleanse it, in a way. ]

I do not take back my words. You did what you had to for the better of our people. In war, deaths are expected on all sides involved.

[threedontknows]

[He loves his brother so. Damn. Much.

He dips his head softly.]

He had your head in his trophy room. He had to die.

[brightjade]

[ That love is mutual.

Mingjue closes his eyes at that detail. ]

But you found all parts of my body and put me back together. Exposed him and dealt with his end.

[ Reopening his eyes, he stares hard at his brother. ]

You did well.

[threedontknows]

[For the first time in what feels like forever, Huaisang can feel himself smiling. Really smiling. Tears blur his vision but it doesn't matter, his brother thinks he did well!

His brother thinks he did well.]

I braided your hair.

[He doesn't know why he thinks to say it, but it seems important.

The mental image is also something, Mingjue's severed head in his lap, Huaisang meticulously putting the signature Nie braids back into his long hair.]

[brightjade]

[ At least he could give his brother this. Approval. Pride. Because it's true. It's worth it to say the words when he sees that smile.

The odd comment suddenly brings a grin to his lips. Ridiculous, and yet so very Nie. ]

I was going to ask if you had.

[threedontknows]

You know how your younger brother is, I'd never let you look unacceptable.

[Even if his brother was just a shell of himself, he was still his brother. If he was going to put him in a tomb he needed to look like a Nie.

It's so good to see him smile.]

[brightjade]

Of course not.

[ Shell or not, certain things just must be done or seen to. Just as he's certain now that Huaisang had stitched his body back together and dressed him as he should be for his last resting place. ]

Was the resentment cleansed in the end?

[threedontknows]

[All the joy suddenly leaves him. He pales and looks away briefly.]

No one was able to put your corpse to rest, Da-ge. The resentful energy was too strong. We sealed you away as best we could.

[brightjade]

[ His eyes close at that news and he frowns. Well. If he'd been hacked to pieces after that final qi deviation, he can guess it makes sense. ]

I hope no more trouble is caused so you won't have to worry.

[threedontknows]

[He's just going to pointedly not mention that he had to entomb his beloved brother with their mutual worst enemy.]

Trouble follows me, but I can handle it. I'm capable.

[brightjade]

[ He'll find out. His frown darkens, but he nods. ]

You are Nie and my brother. Of course you are capable.

[threedontknows]

[Does he mention that he’s become Chief Cultivator?

…nah. This is better. His brother sees him now, what he’ll become.]

I’m an inmate now, but one day I may be a warden. If that happens — would you be angry if I brought you back to life?

[brightjade]

[ Nope. But it wouldn't surprise him, not after what Huaisang has said.

He tilts his head at that question. It's not as easy as wishes.

But. ]

If in doing so you are not harmed, no I would not be angry.

[ Because he will always be Huaisang's older brother, no matter how great their ages shift because of the strange powers here. ]