inaugural tdm of unspecified duration.

[vestigemods]

VESTIGE TEST DRIVE MEME

WHAT IS THIS?

This is a test drive meme for Vestige is a musebox-game successor to The Box (yeah, the one that died like five years ago). It's invite-only with no activity check and almost no application to speak of.

This is a horror jamjar based on Cabin In The Woods, in which characters are pulled into this containment zone run by the Technicians working from a lab underground with the goal of creating Good Quality Suffering™️ to appease the elder gods who hover on the verge of creating a worldwide apocalypse. But of course, suffering is pointless if everyone is too numb to properly suffer, so there are plenty of morale boosts provided in between bouts of fear and misery.

This TDM is ongoing and will fill the gap between now and when I get around to setting up the comms. There is no official start date and currently literally nothing but this TDM available for perusal, but I'll update this section of the blurb as that changes. Threads in this TDM are welcome to be game canon once this shit opens because fuck it. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the top-level below or just wing it tbh, we'll be doing a lot of winging it up in this shit.

Characters arrive with all powers intact and carrying all items that they had with them on their canonpoint.

Also, feel free to hit up the Intro + Friending meme to network with your future peers in this suffering endeavor. (EDIT 5/20: We also now have a DISCORD SERVER! So hop on into that if you'd like.)

PROMPT 1 ► just your ordinary cabin in the woods

⬛ARRIVAL + GENERAL PROMPT

Whenever you're from or wherever you were, you awaken now with the mildest of headaches in a medium-sized wooden cabin. Maybe you wake in a bed, barely padded and covered in dust (so are you now, congrats!). Maybe you wake on the floor, arguably softer than the bed in spots thanks to some handy dandy water damage. Either way, you certainly aren't where you were before, and you have no recollection whatsoever of arriving.

The cabin is modest but multi-roomed and fully kitted with a kitchen and cozy living room. Nice, dry wood sits stacked by the fireplace, and if you check the various switches, the lights turn on with only the faintest protesting static. The cabinets are surprisingly well-stocked, as is the fridge, with perishables and non-perishables alike. As if someone has been here recently... but how, when everything else seems so thoroughly abandoned?

Should you choose to ignore the cabin's supposed hospitality and try to leave, you'll find that both the front and back doors are securely locked, in a way that no amount of fumbling with the locking mechanism seems to remedy.

That's when a sloooooow creak draws your attention to a door nearby, one you may not have noticed before... but it's open now. Was it before? Better yet, should you check out what lies beyond?

PROMPT 2 ► who's up for some fighty-fight, kids??

⬛MONSTER HORROR.

The basement is musty and dim, though a pull-string at the curve of the creaky stairs seems to turn on a sparse row of lightbulbs dangling precariously from the ceiling along the center of the room. This little bit of light illuminates a room absolutely packed with items, furniture and boxes and various knick-knacks of unknown and questionable origin. Spiderwebs litter nooks and crannies, many with actual spiders still nesting inside, and a layer of dust coats most every surface in sight.

It doesn't seem like there's anyone down here, nor is there any sign of an exit at the basement's far end. There is, however, something that catches your eye. An item, one that your feet seem to carry you toward without your mind quite telling them to do so. Perhaps it's familiar somehow. Perhaps it's so foreign to you that you can't help but get a closer look. One way or another, you somehow end up reaching out to touch it. But what harm can that do, a single touch?

Oh, sweet summer child. Haven't you seen this movie?




---




Whatever else your characters might touch, to activate this prompt they'll also touch one of the following five items:


• A child's drawing, of what appears to be... shit, what even is that? Is it a bat? Is it some kind of... reptile? We just don't know. (result! warnings for gore/violence.)
  
  
• A light-blue paper face mask, the sort used in hospitals for patients who have a cold. Maybe you guys should've brought masks too. It sure would keep all this dust the hell out of your nose... ( result! warning for body horror! )
  
  
• A buzzsaw blade, dusty but intact. ( result! warnings for gore/violence. )
  
  
• A music box, covered in faded yellow flowers. I wonder what music it plays? ( result! warnings for gore/violence and Alarming Children. )
  
  
• A funeral urn. But... It seems that someone glued it shut around the edges? I guess that's one way to make sure nobody spills grandma. ( result! )

These enemies can and will follow characters outside, should they try to flee. It might actually be a good idea to face these foes outdoors where it's less confined, provided they don't stray too far from the cabin (see prompt #4).

The blurbs are just guidelines, feel free to scale up or down how strong/weak the monsters are, how many there are, etc. in order to better fit your characters' level of capability. The Technicians know your characters' strengths and weaknesses, so they'd know how to send enough to make this challenging but not insurmountable.

PROMPT 3 ► congratulations, you fucked up

⬛SURVIVAL HORROR.

Perhaps you didn't touch anything in the basement. Hell, maybe you didn't even set foot through that ominous basement door. But hey, we get it. Not everyone likes to party. You're not getting off easy, but at least you can say that you didn't fall into the trap.

If, by the time an hour has passed since the creaking open of the basement door, no object has been touched and no baddie has been summoned, you'll find your nose assaulted by the prevailing smell of smoke. One glance out any window tells you why: The cabin has been surrounded in it, an oblong ring of fire six feet thick burning tight along the exterior cabin walls. You're safe inside for the moment, but how long will that last?

Now, you have no choice but to try to escape the blaze. It overtakes the cabin quickly, creeping up over the rooftop, shattering windows and burning a path inside. No matter which way you try to run, you're almost certain to get burned... But that's certainly better than burning to death in here.

PROMPT 4 ► "escape"? never heard of her.

⬛PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR.

For some, staying in this creepy cabin with its stupid locked door was never an option. Maybe you break one of the windows and crawl through that, or maybe you're angry and OP and punched a man-sized hole in the wall itself. Hey, we're not judging. You got yourself outside, and that's what counts.

The outside of the cabin is... actually pretty nice. Picturesque woods, birds singing, perhaps a couple of deer bounding through the trees not far off. This place might actually be relaxing, if it weren't so alarming and kidnap-y. But it is, so it's time to get the fuck out of Dodge.

Or to try to, anyway. Just a few short meters into the trees, you find yourself entering a deep and all-encompassing fog. You can barely see your hand out in front of your face, let alone your path through the forest ahead. If you're not alone in this venture, you'd best keep a hand on your companion lest you lose track of them, as well. And is it just you, or is there a slight chemical taste to the fog that you're breathing in?

(Yes. The answer is definitely yes.)

Before long, you find yourself turned around, stepping back out of the fog with the cabin in front of you. Little do you realize that simply turning you around is the most merciful fate that this fog has to offer.

---

This is easier to break down without narrative, so!

• The first time your character ventures into the fog, they're just turned around and sent back to the cabin.
  
  
• The second time, they hallucinate things that they don't want to hear. Something they fear, something that hurts them, something that stresses them the fuck out. Maybe a character's worst fear is wildcats and they hear one growling just out of sight in the mist. Maybe instead they hear a loved one crying for help back in the direction from which they've come, drawing them back to the cabin. Or maybe they hear the voice of someone they admire berating their cowardice or stupidity or something, for running away from the cabin in the first place. The goal is to psych them out and send them running back to the place where the action is happening.
  
  
• The third time, it's the same but full-blown visual or even physical hallucinations. Basically anything that might lure, scare, emotionally wound, etc. them into going back to the vicinity of the cabin.

Characters are welcome to start off venturing into the mist together, or to discover one another while they're already in the mist. If it's the latter, look out - it may be harder to tell friend from foe when you can't quite trust your own mind.

THE LOOP ► a note on replayability

Regardless of which prompt your character faces, they'll be left unbothered after the creature is defeated or the problem is overcome until sunrise the following morning. Though the fog still keeps characters from straying from the area, they're welcome to recover and lick their wounds in the immediate cabin vicinity. An unburnt cabin leaves them food and resting facilities, while a burnt cabin... Well, at least the fire never spread from that self-contained ring, so they have some nice unburnt grass to sleep on.

Come sunrise, all characters still awake will fall unconscious. At this point, many of them will reawaken in a perfectly undamaged cabin back in Prompt #1 to begin the loop anew. They may have the same comrades in this loop, or perhaps they have different ones. Maybe their new companions have done this before as well. Maybe they're brand new and have no idea what they're up against. R.I.P., you poor unsuspecting fucks.

This is, in effect, a series of trial runs by the current batch of Technicians to see if they're able to run this containment zone scenario long-term. When Vestige opens properly, characters will awaken free of the loop and will have quite a bit more continuity and recovery time between horrors. The 'loop' mechanic is specifically in place to give this TDM some shelf life and let y'all entertain yourselves while I work on the actual pages and such, rather than the one-and-done feeling of the usual TDM.

CODE BY TESSISAMESS (patreon)

Comments

[porndealer]

[Around him? Are you sure about that? Faint memories of the temple with the dancing fairy... regardless, Huaisang didn't fear that Wuxian would ever hurt him, but there was a lot he didn't know about what was going on. What with him usually in the Unclean Realm while things went on, hearing most things second hand.

Things he doubted after knowing Wuxian personally for some time.]

Ooh... where did you hear it from?

[There's no one else here, right? ... right? Whether his friend answers or not, he's easily distracted by all the food Wuxian is grabbing and well. He may as well as help! So he'll just grab whatever he can reach, arms full.]

Don't you think we should leave some, maybe just in case.

[They still don't know what's going on after all. What if they need some of this later?]

[mannerless]

( the first question earns a vague shrug. ) There was a man here, earlier. A drifter I think, his robes were made of fur and his shirt was just netting. ( his brow knits a bit in humor, because how strange is that? ) Anyway, he told me the name of it. Oh, that reminds me - these orange fruits, you have to try one. Avoid the yellow, though. ( he could have played a trick on huaisang, but his last trick is probably still too fresh on the man's mind. he'll show mercy this once.

'don't you think we should leave some, maybe just in case,' huaisang is suggesting, and wei ying sighs a bit. ) I said trying all of it, not finishing all of it. Where's your sense of adventure?

[porndealer]

Wha? Fur and netting?

[That sounds... like a mad man for sure. Does he use the netting to hunt for fish? So many questions he'll keep to himself for now.]

Wait so the orange is okay but the yellow is bad... they don't look that different.

[But he'll listen to Wuxian's advice, taking an orange and tries to bite into it, making a face. Eugh. Oh, it has an outer layer on it, okay.]

Wei-xiong my sense of adventure is wanting to go home. This place is weird and I don't even remember how I got here, doesn't that scare you too?

[And there was a drifter here but now he's not? What even is this place?! Huaisang gets enough of the peel off to get a slice of the orange and pops it in his mouth, chewing curiously. There's that light bulb moment where the flavor hits him and his eyes widen.]

Oh-! This is really good!

[Scary weird place forgotten for a second as he shoves more of the orange in his face, mhm.]

[mannerless]

( it takes almost the entirety of wei wuxian's self-control to keep from laughing as huaisang bites into the orange without peeling away the rind first. perhaps he should have warned him? but at least it was an innocent mistake, not some sort of prank.

the man does make a point, though, about their mysterious arrival and the lack of any further information since. he leans back against the counter, giving chenqing an idle twirl between his fingers. )

Scare me? No, not particularly. But it is strange... ( to be fair, though, very little actually scares wei wuxian anymore - words that he will quite possibly be eating later this evening, but for now he's cracking into what is known in the modern day as a good old-fashioned pudding cup. which, i might add, he's drinking like some sort of thick goopy beverage.

'oh-! this is really good!' ) What did I tell you? Anyway, I figure that once we're done with this, we can see about checking outside for some sign of where we've disappeared to.

[porndealer]

[He doesn't know you're trying your best not to laugh at him, but if he did he'd appreciate it. Then again laughing and teasing with Wuxian had always felt good, not like someone just thinking down of him. Granted Huaisang used that view of himself to get out of things, but he'd always liked how Wuxian and him could tease and joke around with each other and it just felt. Right.

Call him a sentimental loser, that's fine.]

Wei-xiong, always so brave... I wish I could be so sure like you.

[Sighed with a little pout as he tries not to make a mess while eating this lovely new juicy treat. His fingers are getting sticky now and don't mind him just having to suck them into his mouth to try and clean them. Around anyone else he'd never dare, but it's Wuxian, he won't care.]

Mm, wouldn't do to look around on an empty stomach. I agree.

[mannerless]

( it's true, though! for quite a while they had a rapport that wei ying lacked with anyone else, the ability to laugh at one another's expense and not find cruelty in it. not even he and jiang cheng had that. a-cheng has always been slightly too sensitive to his remarks, too easy to wound unless wei ying is prepared to let him win at least a little.

now that he's finished his pudding cup, he sets another one on the counter nearest huaisang to say, ) This next. ( and he rummages in the fridge for the first liquid he sees, twisting the cap off... only to hear it hiss in some sort of warning.

his eyes dart from the bottle to huaisang and back to the bottle. ) I think I've... angered it?

[porndealer]

[Maybe it's why it was so easy to fall back into that comfortable easy back and forth between them. He'd missed Wuxian, missed the friendship they'd had before everything got too serious. Before they all had to grow up real fast. Especially now with Wuxian apparently against the other clans as the Yiling patriarch, there was no way he they could see one another or talk anymore.

Well, he could write if he wanted... but there's no way his brother would allow that. His stance against Wuxian was not a kind one.]

How did it taste?

[He'll ask, picking up the little container Wuxian sets down for him. Huaisang puts the peel of the orange in it's place, opening it as he'd seen his friend do before. Giving it a little sniff his nose wrinkles. Huh, smells sweet. Don't mind him cautiously dipping the tip of his finger in first and having a taste of it. Look Wuxian may not have dropped dead from it yet, but-]

Hm-?

[Sucking the pudding from his finger he looks to his friend with wide eyes, finger still in his mouth, as whatever he's opened... hisses. Eyes dart from Wuxian to the bottle then to his friend again as he sets the pudding aside fully focused on whatever this must be.]

Is it some spirit catching bottle? Did you just... did you free an angry spirit?!

[The last part he whispers as if some wicked demon or spirit heard.]

[mannerless]

( it doesn't seem like a spirit-catching bottle - the script on it is plain writing, not talismanic in any shape or form, and how often is there liquid in a spirit-catching bottle? never, he thinks. only a spirit. at least that's what he'd assume, never having seen one before. )

Well, ( he starts, a little slowly, eyes on the bottle. ) I don't think so? I don't feel any angry spirits lingering around to rip your fan or cut your hair. ( kidding, kidding - but only about that last bit, he doesn't feel any resentment here and that's something he's... uniquely attuned to these days. )

[porndealer]

[It doesn't but a lot of things that are recognizable here by function alone are still a lot different than what they are back home. Maybe it's... something similar from neighboring lands? He's never been outside of where they live so. Who knows.

But then again, it does seem like Wuxian is right. He doesn't sense anything either. Huh.]

I hope not, this is my favorite fan.

[He pouts slightly, knowing that he's being teased.]

... are you going to try it?

[Huaisang motions with his hand, waving at the bottle.]

Go on, you should see what's inside.

[mannerless]

( 'are you going to try it?' well now he has to, doesn't he? wei wuxian narrows his eyes at the bottle a moment longer, but he's already unscrewing the cap again by the time huaisang follows up with encouragement.

it hisses again.

wei ying retaliates by pouring some into his mouth.

his brow knits again, and he swallows his mouthful of liquid with mild confusion. ) It tastes... Like fruit, but angry. You try. ( and he holds the bottle out to huaisang. )

[porndealer]

[Again, Wuxian is much braver than him any day. He just goes for it and doesn't immediately die so...]

Okay-!

[Licking his lips he takes the bottle looking VERY DETERMINED, he can do this. Just like Wuxian! Screwing his eyes shut, Huaisang tips his head back and downs some of the liquid in the bottle, swallowing before he can over think it.

Wuxian hadn't been wrong it does bite! It surprises him still, getting a bit if a sputter, but thankfully he'll manage to not spit every where.]

It's good, but... so strange.

[He's just gonna take another cautious little sip, squinting at the bottle after, before holding it back out to Wuxian.]

Feels weird, but I kinda like it.

[mannerless]

( thus it has been decreed: the angry fruit water is weird, but they kinda like it. in celebration of that fact, wei ying takes another bolder drink before screwing the lid back on (wouldn't a cork be so much easier??) and setting it aside. )

You choose the next one.

( he can't just keep taking things wei wuxian hands him, where's the fun in that? )

[porndealer]

[Huaisang goes to reach for the drink, but it seems like Wuxian is ready to move onto trying something else now. Heck, he hasn't even eaten his pudding cup, just dipped a finger in before the drink became the focus of their interest.

It seems like it's his turn to pick something so he'll have a peek into the cold fridge thing, looking at all these things he doesn't know or understand. Something stands out, only because of the brightly colored packaging and cap on it. It's a tall cylindrical bottle or something... it's hard. There's words all over it, but they mean nothing to him. Giving it a little shake to hear if something is inside it makes no noise, so he'll try to open it, pulling and tugging till the cap comes off.]

Huh, what is it?

[The thing under the cap answers nothing, it's just a weird long pointed thing that uh. Does. Something? Turning the can over he'll shake it again, seeing if anything would come out. Nope.]

Do you take this off too-?

[He'll try to pull the long pointed white part off, but only ends up bending it a little and getting a handful of brightly colored cold mush? The whole experience has him dropping the can on the floor with a little surprised yelp, staring at the mess in his one hand.]

What- is that supposed to happen?!

[Unsure and confused he'll bring his palm of bright orange something or whatever to his nose and sniff it. Oh boy that's. He doesn't know what that is actually. With a frown he just makes a face at Wuxian.]

If I die eating this I'm coming back to haunt you, Wei-xiong.

[Says the person who can't do any of that. Sighing heavily he brings his hand back up to his face and very very hesitantly sticks his tongue out to barely lick at it... and immediately scrunches his noise up.]

Eugh, no, that's terrible!

[mannerless]

( all in all, huaisang doing combat with a goop-spewing bottle has to be the highlight of wei ying's time in this mysterious place thus far. it's only his fascination with the entirety of the process that keeps his amused grin tempered to a faint smile of rapt intrigue, right up until his friend licks the substance from his hand and... reacts with abject disgust.

wei wuxian glances at the substance (what he can see of it), then down at the can on the ground. then, slowly, he stoops to pick it up, his gaze flicking from the can to huaisang's face as a terrible grin finally curves his lips.

the question is clear: does huaisang dare him to try it? )

[porndealer]

[He's still retching at the taste of it as Wuxian picks the can up, looking very mischievous. He almost warns him not to try it, it's gross, it's absolutely dreadful, but what's the point in suffering if Wuxian doesn't do it with him?]

You won't-

[He shakes his head a little, but he knows that little bit will be just what Wuxian needs to be egged on into doing just that.]

[mannerless]

( and there it is. there's the dare. and wei wuxian, showoff that he is, spins the can between his fingers like he would his flute with a decent amount of success.

then he lifts the can above his head, presses the nozzle, and sprays liberally down into his own waiting mouth.

it takes a very long second for wei ying to process what he's tasting. the expressions play out quite beautifully on his face, from 'oh, this isn't bad' to 'wait, now i actually taste it' - and then he's pressing his lips together, solemnly setting the can on the counter, and sinking down slowly to lie on the floor.

from on the floor he whines, ) I think I'm dying. I never want to taste again.

[porndealer]

[And there he goes, gotta do a little bit of showing off of course, he expected no less. It only makes the inevitable downfall that much more hilarious. If he's going to suffer terrible tasting food he's going to take Wuxian down with him.

The face journey his friend goes on is magnificent. Almost worth his own suffering, the taste just sits in his throat, makes his stomach rumble in a way that doesn't feel pleasant. God he can't stand this anymore, grabbing the drink they'd just tried he'll kneel beside Wuxian on the floor.]

You can't die. If you leave me here alone I'll never forgive you, Wei-xiong.

[Said in a pout. He'll down some of the lovely hissing drink to help wash away the taste... it helps a little. If it helps his stomach? Unsure. Then he'll hold it over Wuxian's face, shaking it a little.]

It helps a little, maybe you won't have to die.

[mannerless]

( the offered bottle earns a considering stare for a good few seconds. but then he concedes, hoisting himself up on an elbow while the other hand accepts the bottle, taking a drink for himself.

another considering pause, and - ) Oh, that does help. ( with relief as he lets himself lie back on the floor. he can barely taste it now, it's really just the memory of it keeping him down here, but what a vivid memory it is. wei ying isn't sure if he'll ever properly recover. )

[porndealer]

[Oh good. Though there's still the problem of the goop on his other hand that he'll frown at. There's no way he's wiping it off on his robes, these are nice okay. One of his favorite. Looking around from where he is beside Wuxian on the floor he spots a dish towel hanging off the handle of the stove, not that he knows that's what it is. Or what a dish towel is, let's be real. It just looks like something he can use to clean his hand off.

The quick trip to go grab it and free his hand of disgusting bright orange goop is a success, tossing the towel on the counter beside his barely touched cup of pudding. He'll sit again with Wuxian and sniff his hand.]

Ugh it smells so bad.

[He's glad he didn't have a lot of it, Wuxian definitely had a lot more than he did.]

I can't believe you just swallowed so much of it. Do you still feel like you're dying?

[His own stomach feels unsettled, he can't even imagine how Wuxian must feel. It looked like he'd had quite a lot after all.]

[mannerless]

( and wei ying watches in the corner of his eye as huaisang undergoes his own quest to deal with the foreign orange goop. it seems successful enough, since the man sinks down beside him again and regards his hand with lingering disdain.

the question earns a wrinkle of his nose and a vague shake of his head. ) I think I'll live to see another day - ( an arm lifts now, though, to jab a teasing knuckle at huaisang's arm or leg or whatever is nearest. ) ah, but if I don't, consider preparing something heartfelt to say while you cry over my corpse. A-Cheng would probably just say 'good riddance', so as long as it's better than that, you'll do fine.

[porndealer]

[The idea of Wei Wuxian dying has definitely become a stark possibility with everything that's gone on back home. Everyone thinks he's some devil and wicked. Evil. He's shown none of that. He's still just the same Wei Wuxian he's known. Kind but mischievous, willing to go the extra mile for people, to face what others wouldn't dare.

He wished he could could be so brave, that he could stand against everyone he knows and loves to do what he thinks is right. Maybe. Maybe one day. Huaisang understood both sides to some extent, but the politics and sect nonsense that made Wuxian some kind of villain frustrates him. It's not right, it just isn't.]

He probably would, but Jiang-xiong would cry too.

[And he pulls out his fan, flicking it open and sighs.]

I'd wear my best robes for you, I wouldn't do that for just any one.

[Huaisang says it with a teasing tone, even though it feels like this is a pretty serious topic. Haha, it's fine. This is fine. He'll clear his throat, sitting up straight as he fans himself.]

What would I say about Wei Wuxian, hmm... let's see... I guess he was pretty fun to hang out with. Teaching me how to fish and indulging me in bird watching sometimes. He was a pretty funny guy, but his jokes weren't as good as mine of course.

[He'll side eye Wuxian with a little smirk, but then continues.]

There's no better person to have a drink with. Wei-xiong had excellent taste. Not just in drink, but also literature.

["Literature".]

There was no one easier to laugh with than Wei Wuxian. He...

[God why does it feel like he's actually giving a speech about Wuxian like he's dead? He's laying right beside him, but his chest feels tight even now, because back home it felt like he'd never get to see his friend again. His next words come out with a more somber tone, quieter.]

He was my friend.

[mannerless]

( though the 'robes' comment is tossed his way as a joke, wei ying's smile is incriminatingly close to fond as he lets his eyes drift up toward the ceiling. he has no doubt in the slightest that huaisang would wear his best robes for wei wuxian's death, in the same way that he planned an entire banquet for wei wuxian's return. they may not speak of particularly deep or sensitive matters, but their friendship has never been any less true because of it.

and for the first decent chunk of the eulogy, wei ying lies there awaiting some sort of punchline. one that almost but doesn't quite get in 'his jokes aren't as good as mine', but it does earn a mild look of faux-offense regardless.

but then comes that somber, 'he was my friend,' and an inexplicable ache swells in wei ying's chest. it's loss and it's confusion and it's guilt, because this isn't the first time he's ached with loss since he settled down in the burial mounds but it's certainly the first time he's done so for nie huaisang. nie huaisang, who didn't deserve to be forgotten. who won't be forgotten again.

he swallows hard, then exhales a breath of laughter without any real humor, his hand reaching up to catch hold of the sleeve up near huaisang's shoulder and tug him down to the floor to lie beside him. ) You see, ( he says, forcing nonchalance into his tone with every ounce of stubbornness he contains. ) I told you yours would be better.

[porndealer]

[Huaisang closes his fan, clutching it in his hands looking somber before Wuxian tugs him down. With an indignant squawk he ends up tugged to lay on the floor, giving his friend a little bap with his fan. He's not actually upset by it, settling comfortably on his back and sighing, staring up at the ceiling.]

You don't know that. What about your sister? She'd definitely give the best speech about you.

[Because anyone who'd known any of the Jiang sect siblings would know how much Yanli cared for both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. Hearing about how she'd stood up to that buzz kill Jin Zixun, putting him in his place. He's sad he'd missed it honestly. Someone needed to take that idiot down a few pegs.]

... I'll have to work on it some more. Could be better.

[Glancing at Wuxian next to him he'll nudge him in his ribs gently.]

So don't die until I have!

[mannerless]

( wei ying grins a quiet grin as huaisang settles on the floor with minimal complaint, a hand reaching out to snatch at his fan when it baps him, though if he succeeds he's just going to lazily fan them both with it. ) You're going to make my mourning shijie deliver the speech? She deserves to weep in peace at that point, I'd think. ( oh, she'd try her absolute hardest, but he's confident the tears would get the better of her and his heart aches at the very thought of her trying to struggle through it.

the rest, though, has him glancing back at huaisang, grin renewed to say - ) I don't plan to, ( as if it's truly so lighthearted a thing. but the gravity of the eulogy still hangs over him, and the grin fades now 'til it's nearly gone. ) Huaisang, ( he says, a note more serious even than the comment about his shijie. ) I don't know what you've heard, but I'm not-... Off starting some demonic sect in the Burial Mounds or whatever it is they're saying, and I don't want to fight anyone. ( because if nie huaisang is going to declare him a friend even in death, wei ying can't help but burn with the sudden urge to make sure that he knows at least some form of the truth. )

[porndealer]

[Oh he'll let him have his fan, he knows Wuxian won't break it or mistreat it.]

Okay okay, we'll force Jiang-xiong to go up instead. Even if he doesn't say anything it's better than embarrassing your poor shijie while she's crying so much.

[Because she would. They all know she would. Was there anyone who loved Wei Wuxian more than his sister? It's very questionable. Huaisang didn't know her on a super personal level, but anyone could see she was very kind hearted and sweet. That she cared a lot for both of her brothers. Yiling Patriarch or not, Wei Wuxian was still her brother.

He almost feels like things might stop being so somber when Wuxian grows quiet for a moment, then talks like he's trying to convince him that he's not the wicked monster everyone has made him out to be. Wuxian doesn't have to do any of that, but it's still good to hear it anyway. Huaisang picks at his sleeves with nervous fingers, not sure if he should tell Wuxian everything he's heard. It's a lot of things, no doubt mostly absolute nonsense.]

I remember the day it happened. When you came to Carp Tower and had everyone up in arms.

[The thing he hates the most is that he just stood there. Watching and didn't try to help or back his friend up at all. He didn't have the courage or guts to even consider it. All he could do was stand there and watch him leave once he'd made a huge scene in the middle of the Jin banquet, knowing that after this things would be different. Wuxian had threatened a member of the Jin sect in front of all the other sects after all.

That wouldn't be taken lightly. Yet it had ended up much worse than even he had thought it would.]

Later hearing about what happened at Qiongji Path... everyone said such terrible things, that you murdered all those men because you were evil and wicked, but- but you wouldn't have done anything if you didn't think you had to. Right? Wen Ning and Wen Qing they weren't bad people, the people left from the Wen sect weren't all evil either.

[Things aren't just black and white, but the sects only see things that way. There's never anything in between.]

It's hard to believe much of what anyone says lately.

[Anyone being the Jin sect and their loyal ass kissers.]