First enterance: Wen Qing

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing is low on certain fungi which she uses for medicines. She had been stalked up on them but someone had raided her supplies to try and get lotus to grow.

She would be very upset by this but it has helped Wei Wuxian's mood tremendously, which in turn has improved Wen Ning and the other remaining members of her clan. Not quite as much as Uncle's success with fermentation, but she will take every success she can at this point.

Which leads to the present. She had been wandering the forests of the Burial Mounds hunting for mushrooms, one of the few things that grew well there, but has now realized the forest has changed dramatically. Suspicious, she picks up a long branch she can use as a walking stick or staff if the need arises.

She makes it another few minutes before she spots her first rabbit. It does not feel right and so she keeps her eye on it. Then there is another. And another. Before there are enough to call it a pack, she runs staff held loosely but ready.

Comments

[mogget_cat]

Rabbits are quite swift when they need to be, even those who move as prey animals and not as predators, as these dark rabbits move. And rabbits, by nature, are gregarious. They're always happier in a group.

One larger rabbit, bolder than its fellows, making a lunge for the running woman's heel as she passes. But as he leaps, a small white shape pounces from the underbrush, tumbling the bold rabbit roughly against the roots of a nearby tree. The rabbit squeals the high-pitched sound of a rabbit in pain, but only briefly. The other demon rabbits, familiar with that particular white shape, scatter in a panic that would be more suited to their prey animal cousins.

[herb_and_needle]

She is just preparing a leap, having spotted the larger rabbit, when the new white shape darts into the path. She leaps off into the air, pushing herself forward with her golden core and landing on a large tree limb by the time the cat has cleared the pack back into the forest.

Spinning on the balls of her feet on the branks, she raises her stick certain of a need to defend herself but instead finds a clear path with nothing but a white cat.

[mogget_cat]

A white cat, and a dead demon rabbit. The cat sits, licking blood from its paw like a fastidious person might wash their hands after touching something messy, its leaf-green eyes gazing up at the woman in the tree.

The other rabbits appear to be gone.

"Mai?" it miaows with a curious tone.

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing offers a polite bow from her perch and smiles to the cat.

"Are you my savor then? I am truly fortunate."

[mogget_cat]

One paw still lifted slightly, the cat dips its head in return, sniffing. Maybe it looks a little like a return bow.

"Miaorrw," it opines, agreeably.

[herb_and_needle]

She drops down from the tree silently and lightly, like a blossom in Autumn. Slowly, she approaches the cat; ready to pause or step back in the creature gets scared.

If she is allowed to get close enough, she will offer a hand for sniffing or marking and then attempt to pet her savior.

[mogget_cat]

The small white cat is not afraid in the slightest. The danger has passed, and it looks like there is the potential for pettings and scritches. The cat lifts its head to sniff the offered hand, and soon lean its forehead and soft ears into the curve of her fingers, offering a quiet purr.

[herb_and_needle]

She reaches to pet the cat and feels a strong tingle run up her fingers, nearly strong enough to numb but not painful. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, she still pets him.

She does not believe it is as it appears.

[mogget_cat]

The purring is steady and the fur under her fingers is soft. Surely that is enough to be going on with, for the moment.

If one partially-closed green eye is peering up at her, it's just to make sure there is no danger of the scritches being prematurely ended, even if the jig is up.

"A little to the left?" is the soft request that comes a few moments later.

[magic_by_accident]

Somewhere along the path, leaning against a rock and smoking*, is this bloke.

He sees the girl, and then the rabbits.

He may be new here, but a demon's a demon.

"Want some help, sweetheart?" he says, getting to his feet and moving out into the path between her and the red-eyed bunnies.


*a cigarette. His clothes are not on fire.

[herb_and_needle]

As she runs she nods to his question and then spins on her heel to face the pack.

"I thank you, master. I am Wen Qing and as absurd as it sounds, I do not know where I find myself."

She did not his strange appearance and clothes, but demon bunnies first.

[magic_by_accident]

"Not absurd at all," John says and spreads his arms. "I'm John Constantine, and you can call me master any time you want." He winks at her before turning serious.

He recites a quick incantation, and his hands go ablaze.

[herb_and_needle]

Her face falls into the cold serenity that has kept her out of Wen Chao's clutches, though she withholds the offended air she normally gives the scion of the Wen Clan.

When his hands go ablaze she backs away, eyes going startled and awestruck. She is not familiar with such magic.

The bunnies are not so awestruck and one leaps for her, thinking she is distracted. She catches it with the end of her makeshift staff and sends it flying. "Perhaps we can discuss this further, at a later time?"

[magic_by_accident]

"Anytime you want, luv," John says, concentrating on directing fire at the demon bunnies. They scatter into the grass, leaving a few burning trails in their wakes.

[herb_and_needle]

And it would seem that time is now. Wen Qing watches them run in silence until she is certain that they are not attempting to flank them before turning to offer this strange man a more formal bow.

"I thank you, John Constantine, for your assistance. Your timing was fortuitous."

[magic_by_accident]

John watches the bunnies flee, and, satisfied they're not going to regroup and attack, douses the flames on his hands with another incantation.

"Ta, luv.

"Y'alright, Miss Wen Qing? Did they burn you at all?"

[herb_and_needle]

She does not feel burnt but takes the time to examine herself anyway.

"No, I am uninjured." She is still mystified by this place and this man, and his words. Ta?

[magic_by_accident]

The accent probably doesn't help her mystification.

"Good to hear.

"Let me introduce myself properly. John Constantine, master of the dark arts."

[undead_radish_seller]

"Jie-jie, you're here!!"

That's her little brother, jumping out from around a corner at her, a beatific smile on his ghostly pale face.

The statement may seem absurd to her, but his delight is undoubtedly genuine.

[herb_and_needle]

"A-Ning!" She calls out in surprise and despair. She does not want him harmed by whatever these creatures are. "Careful, I think these are spirits or demons!"

Running to him and turns to protect him with her branch.

[undead_radish_seller]

"They're demon bunnies!" Wen Ning says. "They live here. They're a bit nasty, but dangerous only in much larger groups."

Pause.

"How did you find your way here?"

[herb_and_needle]

"I was out gathering mushrooms for my medicines..." Wen Qing answers distractedly as she studies the rabbits. Sure enough, now that there are two people, they start wandering off for easier prey. "You've been here before? And you didn't tell me."

Wherever here is.

[undead_radish_seller]

"Erm..."

Here's one very, very awkward undead little brother.

"Erm, you remember when I brought the herb seeds and things and sweets that time? That was from here."

[herb_and_needle]

She gives him a mock stern look.

"I see," she manages before breaking and grasping his shoulder affectionately. "Come, let's find someplace to sit and you can tell me all I need to know about this place."

[undead_radish_seller]

"There's a tavern over there, outside the forest," Wen Ning says, "where I could serve you tea. Or introduce you to coffee."

[herb_and_needle]

She does spare a glance to the forest with a thought to how to return, but if Wen Ning has been and returned, she trusts it can happen easily.

"Let's do that. Is there something to eat besides radishes?"

[undead_radish_seller]

"There is everything to eat!" Wen Ning declares. "This is where I brought the sweets from."

Beat. Grin.

"Mind you, jie-jie, I even found a recipe for fried spicy radishes. Even Wei-gongzi might like that."

[herb_and_needle]

"I had been wondering about them." But didn't want to spoil everyone's fun. Regardless of what the Yinling Patriach thinks, she doesn't enjoy spoiling a good time.

She takes his arm and gentle pulls toward the tavern. "I would like to try this recipe. It does sound delicious."

[undead_radish_seller]

"I'll make it for you," Wen Ning says. "They have a kitchen here anyone can use."

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing smiles even broader. An actual kitchen.

"This place is wonderous. Is it hard to return to the BUrial Mounds?" She knows travel back and forth is possible since A-Ning has done it.

[undead_radish_seller]

"I just walk into the forest, and at some stage, it becomes our forest," Wen Ning says, leading the way to the back door of the kitchen.

[alongfallfromgrace]

There is a sharp piercing note that rings down the forest path, before the dizi's song morphs into something calmer, almost sedating. Sometimes Wei Wuxian thinks he spends more time convincing resentful creatures to calm down than he does creating armies.

He's alright with that.

The man himself stands at a bend in the path, the tassel on Chenqing swaying in an unfelt breeze.

[herb_and_needle]

With Wei Wuxian here Wen Qing spins on her heel to face the demon bunny pack, branch raised but the sweet tones of Chenqing are affective; the bunnies have calmed and begun to wander away.

Wen Qing looks over her shoulder with a slight smile. "Wei Wuxian. I should have known you'd be behind this somehow."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Me?" Wei Wuxian protests, eyes widening, the picture of an innocent necromancer. "Make bunny demons? I would never."

[herb_and_needle]

"Ah! So they are demons. I thought so." She crosses her arms. "If not you, then who?"

She does know Wei Wuxian wouldn't raise any demons but he's too fun to tease.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Some evil, horrible person who has never held a bunny." Wei Wuxian huffs, descriptors that obviously would never apply to him. "Or maybe they became consumed with resentful energy when all they could find to eat were radishes."

[herb_and_needle]

"Ah. And I am certain you know how best to hold a bunny, despite your resentful energy at having to eat nothing but radishes?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

"I have held many bunnies." Wei Wuxian protests, because this is slander. "I made friends with them in Gusu. Did you know Lan Clan kept bunnies? They are very cute."

[herb_and_needle]

She smiles and lowers her head at the memory; a mixture of fondness for the time and shame at the secret role given to her by Wen Ruohan.

"I did, though I did not have time to make friends with them. It seemed odd to me that they allowed the bunnies. The great, powerful, and serious Lan Clan keeping bunnies." She has to cover her mouth from the laugh the thought brings.