singlelogbridge | Inbox: Ximilia

[The warmth in his smile is achingly sincere as Rosinante shares about his friend, and he chuckles more than once at the description. Aside from a-Yuan, there weren't really any young people in his life at the end of things and trying to imagine a-Yuan showing up as an adult is too bittersweet to imagine. He's glad Rosinante gets to have that with Law though, however strange it might be.]

He must have had a good teacher. [He grins and his eyes flicker back to the sketchbook still in front of Rosinante, his grin softening just a little at the sight of his friend. Without knowing his own thoughts are echoing the sentiments of some of Rosinante's, he adds] It must be nice to get to see that so many years later he's doing well.

It's hard to know how things will work for kids.

Yeah.

[His smile doesn't falter, exactly - it just weakens. Subtle enough that anyone could just assume his exuberance waned after a few seconds on the topic, as anyone's would naturally.

He has already told a few people here that the last time he saw Law before this, the kid was terribly sick. Terminally. But it doesn't feel right now to keep sharing those details now that Law is here, and now that it's his story to tell. Maybe Law expects it anyway, just as he's sure Law talks about him sometimes when he's not around, but he decides it's best to cut back on the details anyway. Besides, it shouldn't matter to anyone else here what nearly happened to poor Law as a child, because it didn't happen, and he's very much alive and thriving. That's the part that everyone should think about.]

Yeah, and not only all of that, but what he wanted most as a kid was to become a doctor. And it turns out in his time he's become probably one of the world's top surgeons! He always did study really hard. It wasn't easy to find books for him when we were traveling, back then. But he's really sharp, and he picks things up really fast!

A surgeon! [Wei Wuxian's eyes light up.] Good for him. I don't think there are many paths quite as noble as healing. You must be really proud of him.

[After a short pause, Wei Wuxian reaches over to the sketchbook and flips a few pages until he comes to an image of the other woman occurring as often as Jiang Yanli.]

This woman—her name was Wen Qing—she was the best doctor of our whole generation. Absolutely brilliant. I bet she would have gotten along with your Law. [He does not shy away from was anymore than he shies away from her name. Wen Qing deserves to have a legacy spready across the stars.] I can't count the times her skills saved my life.

[As if Rosinante's pride in Law could be any more obvious! Honestly it's best that Wei Wuxian redirects the conversation slightly, because otherwise he'd just find ways to go on too long about Law. Best terrible brat child, no question.

Instead he looks over the drawing he'd seen before, but now with renewed interest. The was, the past tense - well, she just looks far too young to have suffered some terrible fate, but reality is often crueler than any of them want it to be, isn't it?]

Sounds like you're fortunate to have counted her among your allies. Is it all right if I ask what happened?

[He nods and his expression softens, eyes drifting away. There are some things locked so deeply inside of him that it would take something catastrophic to bring them out, but Wen Qing isn't one of them.]

She and her brother—[He flips to another page of the two of them together. In the picture he's chosen, Wen Ning is still alive and looks strikingly like his sister]—were distantly related to a man who started a terrible war.

They did not fight for him and they did not support him. When that mad man's war failed and he was justly killed, the great sects in all of their wisdom—[And he can't help the way the bitterness slips into his words, into his veins]—decided that everyone who shared that man's last name was equally guilty.

Every elder, every man, woman, and child was eventually hunted down and executed. Wen Qing and Wen Ning went willingly to their executions in an attempt to save a man far less worthy than either of them. [He goes quiet for a long time before eventually sighing quietly and fixing Rosinante with a tired smile.]

There was one child who was spared. My a-Yuan. He was rescued and his name was changed. [Wei Wuxian blinks, remembering himself and he lets out another soft sigh.] I'm sorry. You probably didn't want to know all of that.

[That is the sort of story that instantly gets a genuine reaction from him, one he doesn't bother trying to cover. His expression hardens, his eyes narrow.

His is a world where execution is standard practice, especially when a point needs to be made in favor of the power of justice. That isn't what bothers him. But to punish innocent people, one a doctor, purely because of blood relationships?

He has personal experience with that way of thinking, but even if he didn't, he'd still be absolutely opposed.]

No, it's... It's fine. I'm glad you don't support that kind of bullshit. At least... [Ugh, it is kind of personal, isn't it? He rubs at the bridge of his nose.] I'm glad the kid got out safely. Your friends and their family deserved better.

They did. [He agrees in a solemn tone. Better than the world turning on them, and certainly better than Wei Wuxian as their one attempt at salvation.]

And I'm glad too. I'm told he's grown into a remarkable young man. Kind and sweet, and a strong cultivator. [It's Wei Wuxian's turn to sound proud. He hadn't known of a-Yuan's survival until Lan Xichen had revealed it to him, and a part of him still feels like it's impossible.]

I only hope that he doesn't still believe that babies grow from children being planted in the ground like radishes. [He grins and winks at Rosinante.]

[The little joke breaks through his frown. He shakes his head and allows his lips to quirk into something like a smile. Clearly Wei Wuxian doesn't want to dwell on that tragedy.]

Little round heads and a sprout of hair, hm? If only it was that easy. [He even chuckles a little, then reaches for the mirror and tucks it into the makeup kit.]

I probably shouldn't keep you any longer. Thank you, though. We'll have to do this again sometime. [He pats the kit, and really, truly, he means it. Some mission or other, maybe they can really go all out with cool looks to suit whatever world they get tossed into.]

[Easy grin back in place, Wei Wuxian rises along with his friend, tucking the sketch book against his side and seeing him to the door.]

Maybe next time we can grab some drinks too, hmm? [He laughs and waves his friend off.]

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