Pop Guqin

[yinyangwizard]

Abe no Seimei has not touched his guqin in a while, but he is playing it by the fire today. Sometimes he plays classical guqin pieces, but more often plays something unusual. Today he wears Western clothes, a turtleneck sweater and wool pants in dark greys.

He has, of course, a pot of tea and two cups nearby.

Comments

[zenigatcha]

That's something he rarely hears -- certainly he's heard both Abe no Seimei and Lan Zhan play, but not recently. Whatever Lan Zhan is doing with Wei Ying here, it hasn't involved the guqin, and Zenigata's a little bit afraid to ask the boy about him. It's been a point of contention in the past, and honestly, who knows where Lan Zhan's feelings are after so many years.

Still, he seeks the music -- when he's homesick (which is most of the time) he always seeks out things that remind him of home. When he finds the source, he brings up his bright smile.

"Ah, Abe no Seimei! How are you today."

[yinyangwizard]

Seimei stands up and bows. “Very well, Zenigata-keibu! Although I admit I am anxious to see Wen Wing. I hope she is recovering.”

Physically, anyway. Other things will take longer.

“Would you care for some tea?”

[zenigatcha]

"Between her and Wei Ying's returning, I feel like some great fate is moving," Zenigata says, before he bows and gestures, "Of course, I'll join you for tea. Thank you."

[yinyangwizard]

“I think you are right,” Seimei agrees, lifting the teapot to fill both cups. “Just before Wei Wuxian came back in the other day, I had a very strange feeling, and while it has faded it is not entirely gone.”

Perhaps others thought dead will come back too, but Seimei is afraid to say so out loud. He hands one of the teacups to Zenigata.

“Wei Wuxian is different too. Certainly in some good ways, but also in some very puzzling ways.”

[zenigatcha]

"Well, the body is certainly not his original form. The resemblance is there, but it's not complete." Sect Leader Jin gets around, the bloody bastard. Zenigata hates him on principle. "But things are... different, yes. I'm working on a regimen to help get his body up to snuff, though. He needs exercise and healthy eating!"

[yinyangwizard]

“Indeed. That body used to belong to someone else, but it was given willingly to him.”

Seimei takes a sip from his teacup. When he speaks again, he does so quietly.

“Zenigata-keibu, I know this is an unfortunate thing to hear, but before he came back he was in a state of kegare, because of the sort of magic he was using.”

To one of his countrymen he uses the Shinto term for spiritual defilement, rather than saying something more general like ‘tainted by necromantic magic.’

“But he is not that way now - which is how one can surmise that the previous owner of that body was a willing donor.”

[zenigatcha]

Zenigata was very quiet, thoughtful as he holds his tea cup. It's dwarfed in his shovel-sized palms.

"I knew something was wrong," he said very quietly, after organizing some thoughts. I did not know what I could do, though-- I am a faithful man, but... That sort of thing is beyond me."

He sipped his tea, letting it sit in his mouth for a moment.

"I think maybe that is why he couldn't see how his friend looked at him," Zenigata continued, keeping his voice very low. "Or why he struggled to accept help. He knew something was wrong, I'm sure of it. He knew... He knew."

Wei Ying knew he was going to die, sooner rather than later.

[yinyangwizard]

“I am sure he did. Almost everyone who gets that bad knows, deep down, that they are in trouble. But they are compelled to keep going, for whatever reason.”

In Wei Wuxian’s case, it was to protect Wen Ning and his family with the only tools available to him.

“It is very hard. They can only be helped if they are willing to accept it, and they can rarely ever be convinced.”

There’s nothing Zenigata or anyone else could have done, really.

[zenigatcha]

"Still, he has returned -- though through tragic means. The young man who felt such despair... that he brought back a 'monster' to avenge him!" Zenigata shakes his head. Dark haired boys who were hurt by their past are something of a sore spot -- when Wei Ying died, he...

Well, it was Oscar all over again.

"He will get the help he needs now, though. He has so many friends and people who love him," Zenigata relentlessly grabs for the positive. "I know he will do better. They'll solve the curse, and then he'll have a good long life, and will not have to go down anymore dark paths!"

Because Zenigata's gonna tie him to the Eiffel Tower if he tries otherwise.

[hat_and_dimples]

Jin Guangyao looks up from his spreadsheets, then puts down his tablet computer, to listen.

[yinyangwizard]

Seimei finishes his piece, and notices Jin Guangyao watching him. He smiles and beckons him over.

Things between them could get uncomfortable, with Wei Wuxian back, but there is no reason to treat that as a foregone conclusion.

[hat_and_dimples]

Jin Guangyao puts on his hat, stands, bows, and then wanders over with his tablet computer and his empty teacup.

[yinyangwizard]

Seimei bows to him. “I think you could do with a fresh one,” he says of the teacup, and fills one of the two he has at hand. He passes it to Jin Guangyao and then fills his own.

[hat_and_dimples]

Jin Guangyao accepts it with both hands, takes a sip, and then sits.

"I have learned to play the guqin a little myself, in the meanwhile," he says. "But I still couldn't compete with you, or with Lan Xichen who taught me. I can just pluck out a few tunes."

[yinyangwizard]

“It is a difficult instrument to master, but being a quick study, I think you will manage it sooner or later.”

Jin Guangyao is probably better at the instrument than he claims anyway - he always undersells his own skills, perhaps on purpose.

[hat_and_dimples]

"I hope so," Jin Guangyao says, sighing a little and taking another sip of his tea. "I spectacularly failed at the objective for which I first learned."

[yinyangwizard]

“Failure can be a stepping stone to success elsewhere,” Seimei says. “What were you trying to do?”

[lupintrois]

"You're such a cosmopolitan man," Lupin notes, nodding at the turtleneck as he passes by. "Most old guys aren't so adventurous."

[yinyangwizard]

“The past several centuries would have been dreadfully boring if I were unwilling to try new things,” Seimei says. “Would you like some tea, Lupin-san?”

[lupintrois]

"Sure. Though you don't mind if I spice it up a bit?" He holds out an old flask and wiggles it suggestively.

[yinyangwizard]

“Lupin-san, I can just order us a bottle of something.”

[lupintrois]

"Yeah, but they charge for that. And I got a second income to support now, y'know." He spikes the team and offers a raised glass before throwing it back. "Speaking of, your horoscopes saying anything fun about me recently?"

[yinyangwizard]

Seimei picks up his own teacup. He will not have it spiked. Seimei does not know what’s in that flask and wishes to continue in blessed ignorance.

“Not recently. But I will be sure to let you know if there is anything to be careful of, Lupin-san.”

Seimei does not want serious harm to befall Lupin, not least because it would make Zenigata very upset.

[lupintrois]

"Really? Nothing at all? You sure?" He's leaning in a little, coaxing.

[yinyangwizard]

“Well...I could do a special divination for you. But it may not work out the same way as the other two I did for you before.”