A TRAIN COMES INTO THE STATION.
You wake up on a train.
Your phone is buzzing. It's in your pocket, in your hand, on the seat next to you. It's a normal phone, and you're on a normal train car. One of the lights flickers, a little further down. The world is very quiet. It feels like you're right where you're meant to be. On the phone's surface is a white screen and the words—
WELCOME TO THE CITY. BEGIN ORIENTATION?
▶ NO
Please take a moment to complete your orientation.
Once you're finished, the subway doors slide open to let you out onto the train platform. To your right, the platform continues on and eventually ends; to the left is a set of stairs that will lead you up into the station itself. The platform is quiet, clean, empty—there's no one else around, and the only sounds you can hear are your own footsteps, your own breaths, and the occasional faraway sound of a creaking pipe or rush of air. The train you disembarked will stay there as long as you do, its doors still open, until you finally decide to venture up into this new locale.
As you make your way up the stairs to your left, you find yourself in the belly of City Hall station. The station is large, a sprawling underground mini-metropolis of corridors and storefronts. Here, you may find others like you, freshly-arrived city residents from other realms (or even your own). There is also a subway map, which will give you an idea of the layout of the neighborhood, and ticketing machines, which can currently only be used to buy tickets to a handful of stations located on lines 1, 2, and 9.
If you're hungry or in need of any kind of supplies, there are plenty of storefronts inside the subway station as well—snack stands, convenience stores, restaurants, clothing stores, a pharmacy, and a variety of empty shops that may or may not have ever been in use. Everything is unlocked, and you can take whatever you need.
Characters may stay on the train platform indefinitely, and may re-board and re-disembark from the subway as many times as they like, but the train will not depart nor will the doors close. Once they go up the stairs into the train station, they may hear the train doors closing and the train departing. Another train will not arrive, no matter how long the character waits. Only once they come up the stairs into the station itself may characters encounter their fellow newly-arrived residents and take advantage of what the city has to offer.
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WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
The station is located in the city center. It has three major exits that lead to areas of interest in the district, but there are several other smaller exits that lead in other directions around the neighborhood. You are welcome to use any of them, but may find the north, southwest, and east exits to be the most welcoming.
TO THE NORTH
The northern entrance to the station leads up into the sunlight and puts you out in a brickwork plaza. There's a modest building in front of you, three or four stories of stone with a welcoming facade. There's a sign above the entryway—it says City Hall. You may be tempted to explore, if you're interested in learning more about the city and how it functions, but prepare to find yourself disappointed—the folders in the records rooms are full of empty, blank sheets of paper, and the logbooks and balance sheets are similarly devoid of information.
Immediately to the southwest of City Hall, you will find a small building that houses the tourist information kiosk. It looks welcoming, with an inviting glass facade and a sign above the entryway announcing it as the "TOURIST CENTER." It's a humble building with a receptionist's desk on the back wall opposite the entrance, empty magazine shelves lining the side walls, and a few spinning brochure racks full of blank pamphlets. Anyone is welcome to peruse the tourist literature, though they won't offer much information, being primarily filled with pictures of the surrounding area—City Hall, the park, a statue garden, and the surprisingly heavily-featured cemetery. There are a few sentences sprinkled throughout about basic offerings of the city, such as apartment complexes and office buildings, as well as a few maps with the same limited scope as the larger version on the wall behind the receptionist's desk.
The main feature of the tourist center is the interactive kiosk installed dead in the center, right in the middle of a few rows of uncomfortable chairs that fill the small room. It's noticeably in the way of any would-be foot traffic through the tourist center, and something about the technology seems a little more modern than the computer behind the desk or the landline phone on the wall. The kiosk is a tall silver rectangle, about average adult height, and the upper half is a screen welcoming visitors to touch it to activate the kiosk. If you were to touch it, the screen would come to life with simple dialogue inviting visitors to ask it their questions.
However, residents should note that the kiosk is only programmed to assist with exploration within the available areas of the city. It may not be able to answer every question, and tampering with the kiosk may result in unreliable or inaccurate answers!
TO THE SOUTHWEST
The western exit of the station takes you up into a city park, lush and green with a very light fog still hanging about the trees. There are lampposts on the walkways and benches where you could rest, and plenty of flora, although you can neither see nor hear any signs of animal life. You walk the paths that meander idly through the verdant grass and you feel a sense of peace, some of your unease about this place easing into a pleasant calm. The air smells fresh, like it's recently rained, and you'll find the grass ever so slightly damp should you decide to take a seat.
As you make your way deeper into the park, the trees grow denser and the smell of soil and plant life grows stronger. This is the older part of the park, very nearly a forest, with ivy climbing the trunks of the trees and plants and shrubs growing riotously around their bases. As you turn a corner, you find yourself first in the statue garden, although the statues are harder to see now, choked as they are with ivy. There are many statues, some partially obscured, some fully—very few of them still stand free of the vines and clinging roots. (It doesn't feel quite as peaceful here.) If a statue's face looks a little bit familiar, you may not want to look at it too long.
Continue down the path and you will find yourself in a graveyard, one that seems centuries old. Most of the headstones are worn away by time and covered in moss, rendering them impossible to read. The few that are free of moss are blank, or bear only suggestions of names too faint to be understood. (Was that the name of—no, it couldn't have been. Could it?) Many of the headstones stand at an angle or are toppled over completely, having been subjected to either strong winds or the roots of the trees that grow up from some of the graves, spreading branches toward the sky.
TO THE EAST
The final exit of the station, to the east, puts you out on a quiet surface street. Are you hungry? Or are you paralyzed by choice? There are plenty of restaurants, offering options of almost any food you can imagine. You could try a convenience store—it's well stocked, and the items there seem free for the taking. How about a restaurant? There's no one to take your order, but when you look in the kitchen, there's something on the stove, and it's just what you've been craving. Imagine that.
A few blocks down, you come in through the lobby of a tall building and find yourself in a corporate office. The fluorescent lights are steady and unforgiving, and the cubicles and offices are empty. There are a few pieces of paper on desks, a few folders left in organizers, but everything is perfectly blank. Despite how empty and quiet the office is, it nonetheless gives you the feeling that just a few minutes ago, this place was bustling with workers going about their daily business.
You enter another building and find yourself in the lobby of an apartment complex—finally, a place to rest. The first door you try opens easily into a completely empty living room, freshly vacuumed but without a single piece of furniture. It's a nice apartment, quiet, but with a little too much echo for your taste, maybe. Still, and perhaps oddly, you have no trouble envisioning what life here would be like.
The second door you open leads to an apartment that feels lived-in. Why does it feel lived-in? It's fully furnished with items that seem to go together perfectly, true, but the feeling is more than that—the room feels like someone was just here, maybe standing right in the kitchen only moments before you swung the door open. The air is a perfectly comfortable temperature, and it somehow smells like home despite that you've never once set foot here before. The refrigerator is stocked, and the cabinets are full of spices and flatware and kitchen utensils.
As you look around the living room, you find that there are pictures in frames on the walls and some of the flat surfaces—a seascape, a field, a shot of a city park bench. In each of the photos there's something just slightly wrong with the angle, as though the photographer were aiming for a subject that can no longer be seen.
Characters are welcome to explore the district around the City Hall subway station to their heart's content. The City Hall building itself contains several floors of offices and file rooms, but none of them contain any particularly interesting information. Nonetheless, characters may wish to team up with other newcomers and try to find some hints about the nature of the city. They can also spend a while in the park, the statue garden, or the graveyard. In the blocks surrounding the station there are plenty of options for food and housing, as well as office buildings, storefronts, and alleyways to look around. There are no workers in any of the buildings, and there does not seem to be an honor system for payment, nor any consequences for taking food from the stores or setting up camp in an apartment or office building.
JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS
SO A TURKEY WALKS INTO A BOWLING ALLEY...
There's a bowling alley open in the newly-accessible district, and you're invited to come test your mettle!
Walking into the lobby, you're struck by a peculiar combination of scents—shoe polish, floor wax, pretzels and nachos, and something pungent and a little oily. On the wall behind the desk is a shelf full of pair after pair of shoes, in every size you could possibly imagine, and there's a low rack filled with brightly-colored, heavy bowling balls that are ready for the taking. You can also hear the low hum of machinery and the rattle of pins being reset every time someone knocks them down, the bowling alley a well-oiled machine despite the fact that no one seems to be manning it.
You can bowl alone, start a match play (1-v-1), or bowl as a team, but you'll quickly find that bowling is much more fun (and somehow easier) when you're playing with others. Maybe it's because being around other people raises your spirits, but you feel more confident when you step up to bowl, and you find that when you're playing as part of a team, the bowling ball travels faster and in a straighter line, and you seem to be making strikes and spares with much greater frequency. Teamwork really does make the dream work!
If you occasionally see what you think might be the shadow of someone passing behind the machinery at the far end of the lane, don't worry about it—that's probably just your imagination.
If you stop by the bowling alley at night, you will find the place totally transformed. There's a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and brightly-colored lights flashing and dancing around the floor and walls. Any white parts of your clothing glow a delightful blueish color, and you find that you're illuminated in all kinds of interesting shades by the blacklight bulbs glowing in the ceiling. This is cosmic bowling, truly not for the faint of heart!
When you've finished bowling, you may want to stop by the snack area for a pretzel or hot dog, a soda, or—if you're there for cosmic bowling—maybe even a more adult beverage from the food counter on the far end of the building.
There isn't anything especially spooky about the bowling alley—except, of course, being forced to wear shoes that have been worn by a hundred strangers before. Characters are welcome to find their shoe size, grab a bowling ball, and go to town! Characters who come during the day will encounter a normal bowling alley, but they can always come back at night to get the full cosmic bowling experience. There will always be shoes in their sizes, the pins will reset themselves, and the balls will always be returned. Just be careful, those ball chutes can crush your fingers if you're not careful!
JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS
WILDCARD.
The city is by no means small, and there are plenty of things for you to see. There's no rush in exploring, so feel free to take your time looking around and peering into various nooks and crannies and alleyways—and don't worry, you're not very likely to find anything peering back.
If none of the above prompts appeal, feel free to check out the Locations and Maps pages and write your own freestyle prompt using one or many of the available locations.
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citycenter) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
citylogs2023-07-01 11:00 am
c
[ Lan Xichen wasn't expecting that question. He's met plenty of strangers, but most of them so far haven't been interested in the library. They've been looking for people or a way out or the mysterious source that brought them there. He's so surprised that he stops short, looking back at Midnight who makes quite the sight, clearly drunk and now drinking... what is that? ]
No, I think... all of the texts so far have been unhelpful. Are you all right?
[ Sir? He's more concerned about the new man's health than anything as he belatedly realizes they are walking together, with Xichen being swept along absently. ]
Should I find you some water instead?
no subject
I'm doing delightfully now that you're here. Your eyes are gorgeous, by the way. Let's look for the library together, darling. Or water. Whatever makes you happy.
[ Midnight is definitely still looking for that library, but if this stunning man decides that he needs a hydration break instead, he will happily, tipsily follow along. He's not gone, but he's getting gone, honestly. ]
no subject
He can't have that. He smiles at Midnight gently, making it his unofficial responsibility to take care of him for the time being. ]
I can help you find a library, but all of the texts here are blank. None of the words are readable.
[ But it won't hurt to look again. He can understand someone wanting to check for themselves. Still, he makes sure to offer his arm for support, because Midnight might still be walking at the moment, but he's still worried that won't last. ]
It will make me happy to know you're feeling all right. Did you just arrive here? You seem to be good at flattery, but reckless with your health.
no subject
He takes another sip from his bag. His new friend is so very nice. He would die for him, probably. "Good at flattery, reckless with his health": the Midnight experience. ]
So many questions, so very many... Sweet, kind stranger. I want you to know that you're very precious. I promise I am doing delightfully. Delightfully. I'll write you a book. When is your birthday? You celebrate birthdays here, don't you?
no subject
You can't call someone you've just met precious. And it seems to me like you're only drinking more. Is that wine? Something like that will get you in more trouble, you know.
[ He probably does know, Xichen thinks. And he's relying on a complete stranger for help. Now he absolutely can't abandon him. He might need to carry him if the man really does pass out. ]
I have a birthday, but I'm not from this city either. I was born in the autumn, so you hardly need to worry about that now.
[ Is this how his brother felt? Frustrated and touched by the careless affection of someone that thought nothing of it? It's too much for his careful reserve. ]
At least we should start with trading names. Mine is Lan Xichen of Gusu. Is there someone I should look for? I don't want anyone to worry about you.
no subject
[ Midnight takes another fortifying sip. The blood is making him a bit more sober, if no less affectionate. (He's usually the one carrying others! Being carried would be a surprise. A welcome one. One that he certainly isn't expecting at the moment.) ]
Lan Xichen of Gusu. Midnight, of... Well, Higashi, I suppose, but that's the past. You know what's present? Seasons. Autumn will come again. In the future. A dazzling, glorious future. Mm. "At the red branch of the slow autumn at my window..." Now, how does that one go?
[ This is why he needs his books! He sighs tragically. ]
Do you know a beautiful woman named Orchid? Operator Spot, a medic... Miss Catapult, Miss Popukar. My team. They'd look for me, along with my Doctor. I don't think they're here.
no subject
[ He asks that with an already knowing tone. It doesn't stop him at all from keeping his arm around the other man for support, attracted despite himself by those pretty words and dramatic demeanor. He's met very few people so warm and flighty, and he can admit to himself that there is something appealing in his company. He's persistently charming, and Xichen finds that good nature infectious. ]
I don't think I've seen anyone like that. I can help search for them, but you shouldn't be wandering around in this state. What if someone saw you stumbling and meant you harm? Strange places are dangerous.
[ It's probably his own selfishness too, wanting to fuss over this stranger just because he was a little too friendly. After all of his recent anger and frustration with himself, having kindness granted with no strings or baggage is a temptation he can only encourage. He may live to regret that later if Midnight didn't intend to be so affectionate, but for the moment, Xichen will conveniently overlook that possibility. ]
no subject
[ He hiccups, then sighs. It's been a while since he's been properly drunk. It's not going too badly. He's got an arm around him now, things are very warm and slow, he's saying all the overly lovely things that he keeps to himself, or says with a very thick veneer of insincerity so as to escape notice, but Lan Xichen of Gusu still hasn't dropped him on a park bench and left. It's enough to make a beat-up vampire like him feel very soft.
Did he intend to say these things? Yes, of course. Midnight sober is just Midnight drunk but with a modicum of self-awareness. ]
Life is dangerous and cruel, Lan Xichen, but you aren't. Actually, hang on.
[ Midnight turns a little, moving them both around in a very clumsy way until he has Xichen's face in his hand, looking him in the eye. He keeps them both still for a moment. His focus is very serious in the way someone who is very sloshed can sometimes achieve, but there's another level of attention in there. He's looking for something.
After a moment, he sighs, smiles, releases Lan Xichen's face, and returns himself to his shoulder. ]
No. You wouldn't hurt me. Your eyes would look different.
[ That is something he didn't intend to say. Not that he'll remember it all that well. ]
no subject
He's not expecting the drunk vampire to awkwardly pull back and fumble them into a position so he can stare him down. If it were a different situation he might laugh, but the man looks very serious as he holds him by the jaw, and that contact feels very personal. Midnight might not remember it later, but he will. His skin feels hot after hearing what is definitely a flippant comment but one that accidentally strikes him right to his core. You wouldn't hurt me. Had he ever thought about how it would feel to hear anyone say that directly to him? Apparently not, because it's having more of an effect than he would have pictured. Of course it would have to be from a drunk stranger! ]
I won't let anything happen to you.
[ Why can't he hear that from someone that likes him! Suddenly overwhelmed and restless without knowing quite what to do, he takes out his frustration by turning to face Midnight, holding him up and very seriously declaring: ]
I'll take you to the books I know, but you can't blame me if you don't like them.
[ He does understand that Midnight probably doesn't care what is going on. It's all drunken fancies and games at the moment, but Lan Xichen is just too serious not to answer the request. He's still moved by the stranger's words and can only respond by focusing on the part that feels like action. Scooping Midnight up into his arms, he starts making his way to City Hall, silently scolding himself for letting something this small get to him. ]
I hope when you recover you do find your companions. They can't allow you to wander around like this. It's- it's too embarrassing.
[ It's like losing an oversized lost puppy. Even if he weren't a Lan raised under strict chivalry, how could he let someone this trusting and gentle walk around alone in his drunken state? His friends must be having fits of worry for him. ]
no subject
But those are fantasies about the past. This is the present. Nothing bad is happening, and if bad things happen in the future, he understands that there is simply no guarantee that anyone will be there to save him. Not even his squad. Not even his Doctor. In this world, the only person you have in your life from beginning to end is yourself.
(But it's nice to be promised safety for a little while.)
Eyes widen, brows raise in surprise in response to the grab. The look of surprise turns into an arrested "sorry, what—" as he lifts off the ground. Midnight does put an arm around Xichen's neck, but the way his blood packet plus straw hangs from his fingers as he looks at the world from his new position indicates that he had absolutely no idea this would happen, has no idea what he's doing here, and can find no possible reason what could possibly have brought this on. Midnight does flail a bit, but settles when he remembers that it's just him and Lan Xichen here, and he's the one who picked him up. Mr. Kind-eyes. ]
I — sorry if I kicked you, love. Thought I was flying for a bit.
[ ... Is this really all right? Midnight isn't quite in the same shape he was a couple years ago, but he's gained much more muscle in the past year in exchange. And he's always been rather tall. And people don't simply pick him up. Not unless it's some sort of joke, or a game, or if Miss Popukar's having a rough time. ]
I'm always embarrassing. No amount of chaperoning can fix that. What's the word... Stubborn? Impossible? Exasperating?
[ Did he do something wrong? He tries to think back. This is why he doesn't get drunk. He knows that he can't keep track of himself when he's drunk. This is getting a bit worrying, to be honest. Lan Xichen said that nothing would happen to him, and Midnight still believes it, but whatever this is, it seems to be happening extremely much. ]
no subject
I'm sorry I surprised you, but I don't have the power to fly right now.
[ Or a sword to fly on. He wishes he did--or does he? He's not sure if he misses that or not at the moment. Being unable to use his full power is difficult, but there's something freeing in that feeling. He likes walking with Midnight, letting the normalcy of footsteps carry them and not feel like he should be someone else. Getting a person to the place they requested feels like an accomplishment, and he starts walking toward City Hall with that in his thoughts. He's getting the chance to make someone happy with just his own two hands. ]
Well, for the time being, we can go where you want. Maybe the, uh, phones can help you find your friends? I only know how to converse a little using them, but everyone here seems to have one.
[ He's never tried to call anyone on his own. But how hard can that be, right? In the meantime, he'll make sure Midnight doesn't get injured or lost during his drunken book hunt. Yup. He's doing good. ]
I'm sorry I've taken liberties. You just seemed like you wanted to be carried.
[ Which might be a Lan's terrible misreading of the head on his shoulder as exhaustion or discomfort standing, but he's trying his best. ]
no subject
[ This seems like a response to several of the things Xichen said, and the lack of specificity bothers Midnight. He tries to find something else to say. Several options float up in that very soggy brain of his. I'm scared. Bad idea, he's not holding it together well enough to explain that this isn't Xichen's fault, nor is it actually a big deal. I don't like being drunk. True, but irrelevant. I don't like drinking alone. Also true, also bad. I like it when people take care of me when I'm drunk. Oh, absolutely not. ]
Don't put me down. Even if you start flying. Please. Thank you.
[ There. A demand doesn't reveal anything specific. Not the truth, not a lie. He doesn't even add that he'd feel sad if Xichen did drop him, which is good. He's an adult, and some overly kind stranger who has been taking time out of his day to care for him should not also have to deal with his very drunk emotions as well. Good. Situation: salvaged. ]
I shouldn't text or call while I'm very drunk unless I have something vital to say. So please do take me to a book, or water, I really do mean it.
[ He then loops his other hand over Xichen's neck and leans his face into his chest to indicate that he's very serious about wanting to be carried. (Wait, does he want to be carried? Well, yes, but only if it's nice for Xichen, too. Oh, that's the question. He should have asked that from the start. This is why he doesn't like being drunk.) ]
no subject
I won't put you down. If you were to fall asleep out here, you'd surely catch a cold or suffer from overheating.
[ It's probably inappropriate to feel so pleased at being clung to, especially when he's sure his friend will be embarrassed about it once he sobers up. But with his arm around Xichen's neck now and the half-coherent answers, he can't help feeling a little thrill of happiness that makes him wish he could find Midnight a book that wasn't sadly devoid of any text. At least he can try to make him comfortable? Which means Xichen actually carries Midnight to a nearby restaurant, because water to him is the next logical solution. ]
You can rest for now, if you want to. Midnight... Your name reminds me of a spirit.
[ He supposes spirits can get drunk too. Probably? Could a sword spirit go drinking? Is Midnight just a strange name or a title? Xichen hums to himself thoughtfully. ]
Perhaps I'm only making assumptions because this place is unfamiliar. It seems really possible to meet gods and demons here. Even ones that might need carried.
no subject
Midnight hums in gratitude, thinks, ah, if only sleeping was as easy as that. He spends another handful of seconds trying to feel guilty and anxious about having to be carried anywhere, but he is too drunk, tired, and easily lovestruck to keep up that level of negativity, so he snuggles in and decides to give up. ]
Gods and demons...
[ Midnight takes another sip of his blood, mentally notes that this is another man who has apparently never met a demon, much less known the name "Sarkaz", and strives to sober up so he doesn't startle his new friend by saying something absurdly gauche. Speaking of gods and demons in the same breath, though... Those are wars millennia old. Ancient. Way before Midnight's time. Midnight's ancestors were simply on the losing side. Not that it matters much. Honestly. ]
No. It's a codename. I have a normal name... my ci-vi-lian name. [ ... ] It doesn't... don't need it. I like being Midnight.
[ He had other names, but they have very little to do him at the moment. They belonged to people who did and said things he no longer does. Things he no longer believes.
... He peeks up at the stranger for a second. One of those people Midnight was a long time ago would have been too starstruck to say anything, probably. So handsome. So kind. ]
You're being very kind. And you're very handsome.
no subject
You speak like you're a yaoguai. But if you were, I'd be the one spiriting you away. That isn't very intimidating of you.
[ It is a bit like he's stealing a demon for a bride, but Xichen can't help but laugh to himself at that. For a big guy, Midnight is too gentle to be a yaoguai. And really, all of the compliments are making him feel warm and flustered when he isn't even drunk! What a smooth lost lamb he's ended up with. Even so, he can't complain. Something about Midnight's acceptance makes Lan Xichen want to coddle him. ]
And you're very drunk. A silver-tongued gentleman with the ability to seduce any passing stranger, but not to stand on his own? I don't know what I should do with you.
no subject
Don't say things like that, darling. It's tempting fate, is what it is. I'll steal you away someday, and then where will we be, mm?
[ He shifts in Lan Xichen's arms. Well, he won't be sweeping anyone off their feet so the rest of the evening, but the sentiment is definitely there.
(Wouldn't they be running away together at that point? Which is absurd, but given that they're in an equally absurd space of eldritch loops that allows for no means of escape, perhaps a bit of impossible dreaming is needed to keep one's hopes up. Given Midnight's life so far, it's on brand, at least. Or that is what is very drunken brain is saying, at least.) ]
That's what you can do. Let me take you away sometime. You'll be beautiful. I'll be less drunk. Tell me you will.
[ Is he feeling very sentimental right now? Yes. Is he also very serious? He is very rarely kidding about these sorts of things. ]
no subject
Mm, you make that sound nice. I think I would like that.
[ Oh, he is sure the man will forget all of this once he sleeps off his drink, but for the moment, he's sweet and lovely, and Lan Xichen can afford to let his imagination dream a bit. It's relaxing in a way, to hear those things and not feel any judgment or expectation from anyone. Maybe it's better that he's sharing this hypothetical dream with a stranger, but Xichen tries not to dwell on what that means. ]
If you do, you'll have to be the one walking. I can't spirit myself away.
[ He finally does bring Midnight inside a restaurant, carrying him to one of the booths so he can provide a somewhat comfortable seat. ]
Can I put you down now? I can find you water and something to eat. Or would you rather sleep away some of that alcohol?
no subject
I'll walk anywhere for you, Lan Xichen. You'll see...
[ Midnight smiles up at his kind-eyed, straight-backed stranger. Now that he's absolved himself of the responsibility of keeping himself safe from what he doesn't know about Lan Xichen, there isn't much stopping him from falling in love in the way he likes. Secretly, intensely, the way he keeps fairy-tale princes and princesses in the background noise of his thoughts to keep him company. ]
You may put me down, but not because I want you to. [ Midnight blinks hard a couple of times, shakes his head once, before looking toward the booth and beginning the tedious process of disentangling himself from someone he rather likes. He still feels loose. He may not have any obligation to keep himself safe anymore, but he'd still like to be a bit sober for this. He wants to remember this face, damn it. ]
I won't sleep. Mmmh. I should... find a place to stay tonight. Mustn't sleep just anywhere.
no subject
[ He tsks lightly, unable to resist smiling back. If only more people could be this pleasant when they were drunk. He'd gladly hold councils with all of the great sect leaders if they would only behave half as civilly as this one stranger. This kind of behavior is also probably what managed to win his brother over, too, and now that he's feeling the effect of having someone flirt and charm him, Lan Xichen has to admit that he could probably have fallen in love in that same position. Okay, fine, maybe he was too harsh. Maybe he should have been more patient with Wei Wuxian, but that's no reason for the gods to send someone to come punish him now! Time has barely past and he's already having a difficult time keeping himself from agreeing with the flighty promises and playful flirtation. Usually compliments wouldn't win him over, but Midnight somehow makes them seem personal. Would it be terrible of him to go along at this pace, playing a game until the man recovers? Surely not. He's helping! ]
Well, you should sit up for now. Try to get comfortable after roaming around.
[ He does set Midnight down gently, guiding him onto the booth as if he were leading a delicate prince who had never stepped outside of a palace. It's a little comical, but that's okay. He might even dare to admit that he's having fun. ]
It's all right to sleep. I'll be here. You can worry about tonight after you've regained your balance.
[ He removes his outer robe and folds it into something like a pillow, reaching over Midnight to tuck it behind his head. ]
But first, you should really drink water. If you pass out, I'll have to carry you home, and I don't want you to wake up thinking some awful stranger has abducted you.
[ That's possible, right? He could look like some bandit? ...No, probably not. But he's not sure how scandalized Midnight will be once he regains his senses. ]
no subject
Midnight likes this game. He likes to pretend that people are exactly what they promise to be. ]
Who could ever mistake you for someone awful?
[ But he obediently sits, then reclines on his side, makeshift cushion under his head against the back of the seat, feet sticking out of the booth and into the walkway, but otherwise perfectly comfortable with doing what he's told. ]
Please don't take too long with the water. I'll worry.
[ His eyes are half-lidded, his voice is soft. This is not intentional. He just wants to make sure that, if Lan Xichen does end up being a nice dream of a gentle Yanese stranger, he'll get to see him for as long as possible before he vanishes. ]
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He is trying hard not to have indecent thoughts. The open flirtation is nothing he would have expected at home, and it's embarrassingly effective despite his knowing better. A little cuddling and compliments and the Lan sect leader is already hanging on Midnight's words. Just a little. He'll be fine once this situation passes. It's just slightly unfair when Midnight asks him not to take too long with that kind of voice and that look. What gods granted him those talents? He clearly doesn't even realize he's doing it, and Lan Xichen has to cover his face with his sleeve to hide his flush. ]
You stay right there. I won't be long, so don't go anywhere on your own.
[ That's a little unfair. What if his friends really do find him? Is Xichen telling Midnight to stay even if they call him? He tries not to think about that as he hurries to the kitchen of the restaurant, looking for something to bring back. What the restaurant offers him is indeed a glass of cold water (strangely poured over ice) and a hot mug of tea. He should maybe question why the restaurant always seems to know what he wants to find, but he just fetches them both back to the booth instead. It's fine, right? He sets the glass down near Midnight when he returns, tapping his knee lightly. ]
Here. Tell me if you want anything else. Do you always drink like this?
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(Indecent thoughts? Midnight has plenty of them, usually, but kissing someone on the neck, right where they're warm and nice smelling... Is that indecent? Midnight finds the idea rather comforting. Surely nothing that nice could be indecent.)
Midnight reaches for the water and tugs it next to him, blinking slowly, deliberately. He understands how drunk he is at the moment, so he focuses on his goal of being able to remember this man's face and nothing else. ]
No. I don't like being drunk, actually.
[ ... Was that on his list of things he didn't want to say out loud earlier? He can't remember. He obediently puts his lips to the rim of the glass and begins sipping. ]
Mm. I have everything I want... Wait.
[ Ah. He sits up and slowly makes room next to him, water still to his chin. ]
Wait, come sit with me. Then that's everything.
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[ He notes that rousing Midnight might not have been the best idea. He should have let him rest. But the proud smile he gets back brushes away that resolve. How much would he give to have someone that content in his presence? It's obviously the help of the alcohol, but Lan Xichen ends up smiling back anyway. Midnight's team must be endlessly frustrated by him, if he wanders off like this and yet remains so charming. No wonder they can't hold him back. ]
You'll keep drinking that? I'll hold it for you if you need assistance.
[ He isn't that poorly off, of course, but Lan Xichen says it anyway. Maybe just to drive his point home as he slips into the open space next to Midnight, letting him get comfortable. ]
Why were you drinking? Are you all right?
[ Does his friends know he was wandering like this or are they actually missing? Maybe Midnight is really upset and the bubbly affection is a plea for help. Lan Xichen stays close, offering some comfort and support. ]
You can tell me anything if you need to.
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My love, don't mind me so much. I'll start getting ideas.
[ ... He's already had several ideas, but he understands what happens when people start enabling him in a certain way. ]
I'm all right, just very drunk. You knew that, though.
[ Mm. He takes a deeper draft this time before putting the water down and settling against Lan Xichen's side with very little hesitation, head on his shoulder. ]
I was going to... test if public intoxication was a crime here. [ ... ] I like drinking with people, and I've met quite a few people today. It really was meant to be an experiment. I got carried away. That's all.
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[ Ideas of being reckless and getting drunk, obviously, but Lan Xichen says that with a tone of acceptance. As long as Midnight is calm now, he feels more comfortable with just keeping an eye on him until he eventually manages to sober up. Being a shoulder support isn't bad. He could even call it comfortable, although it keeps him from making sure Midnight is getting enough water. Well, he seems fine. ]
Even if it was a test, you shouldn't do it alone. I suppose meeting people is beneficial, but you might have been hurt when no one was nearby. He gets brave enough to reach up and stroke some of Midnight's hair with his fingers in a bid for attention. He's trying to be serious here. ]
Promise you'll be careful from now on? Once you find your friends, you should stay in contact with them. Let them know where to find you. You'll remember to do that?
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