Open (+ 1 closed prompt)

[afterthemoment]

Who: Wei Wuxian and others!
What: Arriving on the island, meeting up with a couple of fellow newbies, ill-advised lorby hunting, and meeting people, basically!
When: From 11/20 until the end of the month.
Where: Various locations on Enso
Warnings: Mentions of open wounds and potential infection, allusions to PTSD and potential violence in the second prompt, bad hygiene in the third prompt? Will update as needed as we go!


A. 11/20 - Arrival on Enso - E0 to start; closed to Lan Wangji and/or Miu Hinasaki (cw: minor injuries)

[At first glance, Wei Wuxian looks like some dark malevolent ghost that just crawled out of the ocean only to unceremoniously die again on shore. His black robes are completely soaked, his thick, black hair a dripping stringy mess arranged into some kind of haphazard manbun. The ghostly white powder makeup and red rouge on his face are currently running down it in garish streaks, adding to the somewhat eerie sight. He's covered from head to toe in grains of sand; a state made somewhat concerning by the fact he has two sets of open cuts on his wrists, one of the incisions looking fairly deep.

All this ocean water and sand can't possibly be good for someone with open wounds but the man doesn't seem to be showing much in the way of life. Upon closer inspection, it's clear from the rise and fall of his chest that he's breathing, if still unconscious. Sleeping beauty here might need to be roused.

Or alternatively, Wei Wuxian could be ignored in favor of trying to ransack empty cargo barrels entrapt in the sand. Just step over him, it's fine!]


B. 11/21 - Lorblings (cw: PTSD, extreme survivalist mentality?)

[Of the three members of Wei Wuxian's newly formed little party, he's probably the most experienced with survival situations. Or at least, so he thinks. If nothing else, he has the sense to pool their meager resources and ration out what little food they have for as long as possible and knows that they have to secure more resources as soon as possible before they run out.

So it's with that mission in mind that Wei Wuxian ventures away from the makeshift camp he's set up for himself, Miu, and Lan Wangji in the island's wilderness and out into the jungle on his own. He'd emptied his pack of its contents, leaving the various supplies it'd contained back at camp to make room for any edibles he might find.

Given that Wei Wuxian knows precious little about the local flora and fauna in this place, it's a risky endeavor at best but he's never been one to shy away from risk, especially when others are counting on him to keep them safe somehow. There's an oddly distant expression on his now-clean face as he heads through the jungle, his eyes focused on a time and place that doesn't seem to be quite where he is right this moment.

So when Wei Wuxian stumbles across the wormlike creatures in the underbrush, he doesn't see them as anything more than a potential food source to hunt. They're noisy, bizarre little things and their shrieking is already giving him a painful headache but he learned the hard way that when one's hungry enough, any food will do. The young maiden might complain but it's better than starvation. The only weapons he has right now are his bare hands. Those will have to do, too.

Wei Wuxian balls his fist, preparing to strike. ]


C. Wandering civilization - 11/22 and beyond

[At some point, Wei Wuxian stumbles his way out Enso's wilderness and into the more civilized parts of the island. His hair, now gathered into a simple ponytail, is a tangled mess of knots, bits of leaf, and twigs, having not seen a comb in days. His black robes are pretty filthy with dirt and who knows what else. There's dirt and scratches on his skin wherever visible and judging from the smell, he hasn't bathed at all in several days.

Really, none of this is the impression that Wei Wuxian wants to make when meeting new people for the first time but beggars can't be choosers and it's going to take more than simple survival skills to get by here. No, he needs to gather information and form some sort of useful connections here, if not for himself, than for those he's placed under his charge and protection.

So now there is a literal stinky gremlin man in black robes just wandering around the outskirts of various buildings on Enso, grinning and waving enthusiastically at every single person he happens to see in the immediate area, and generally making a lot of noise.]

Hello! Hello! Can anyone tell me where I can find food? Or clothes? Or shelter? Or a bath or a doctor? I could really use a bath and a doctor.

[The cuts on his wrists, bandaged simply with cloth strips torn from the clothes he or his party members have been wearing, are pretty inflamed after his wilderness trek, but they're covered now, at least.]


D. Wildcard

[If there's something else you'd rather do with Wei Wuxian, feel free to hit me up via PM, on Plurk at mimarin, or on Discord at Mimarin#7493!]

Comments

C, also a screamed with glee when i saw your intro the other day.

[littlemhigan]

[ Castor really isn't looking much better herself right now, covered in soot and sweat from a day or so spent in the forge building on the islet. She takes a long minute to stare at the manic energy on legs currently b-lining for her. ]

Ye...what? Slow down, ser. I've not see ye before; How...how long've ye been here? Wait, hold that thought, what do ye need first? Food or a doctor?

[ Becuase twelve keep her, this is a hot mess of a boy. ]

oh, wow, really? it's always good to meet another fan :D

[afterthemoment]

Food first. But I have companions, two of them. They're waiting back at camp.

[As far Wei Wuxian knows anyway. Do his companions even know where he is? He thinks he told them he was going ahead to scout and look for help but maybe he forgot? Regardless, he found a friendly lady who seems potentially willing to offer him her assistance and that's what he needs to focus on right now. Maiden Miu's safety will have to be entrusted to Lan Wangji until he can get back to them.]

They need help, too. We washed up on a beach together a few days ago.

[He sounds vaguely bewildered by this turn of events. That weird dream he'd had about the talking bunny had left Wei Wuxian with more questions than answers. Same with the odd dreams about walking in the ocean and escaping the carcass of a dragon.

As for the wounds on his wrists, Wei Wuxian's waited this long for medical care; he can wait just a little bit longer.]

i haven't got to the novel QUITE yet but I've fallen in the deep end of it's various adaptations

[littlemhigan]

Food. Right. 'M on my way for some meself so come along, ser. [ She beckons for him to follow and starts talking again when he falls into step. ]

If ye've been here a few days already, why wait so long te try and find help? Did none've ye get a Stone of Farspeech? Someone would've come te find you all, I'm sure. Doubly so, if ye needed the attentions of a Doctor. Ye been sleepin' in trees in the meantime? What've ye been eating?!

haha, there's a lot of of them to wade through! still making my way through all of them myself

[afterthemoment]

We found a place to make camp in the jungle and have been living off the land, mostly. Sharing our resources, hunting, and gathering what we can. One of my companions lacks experience with it, though, and it's not a sustainable situation.

[Still, there's already a trace of fondness in his tone. Honestly, looking after Miu has been a welcome distraction from his other concerns at the moment. He follows after the lady, glancing around curiously at their surroundings as they walk. He is a stranger to these parts; even if his curse cuts his stay painfully short, it'd serve him well to familiarize himself with this island.]

'Stone of Farspeech'? There was a stone in my pack but I haven't had a chance to really look it over. I didn't know what it did so I just left it alone.

[In Wei Wuxian's defense, he'd forgotten most of what that weird bunny had told him in the dream by the second day. Between the other strange dreams he'd had recently and puzzling over the circumstances of his own resurrection, he's had a lot to process.]

[littlemhigan]

Well, I suppose I can't really fault ye for that; I imagine I'd've done much the same had I not been chased inland an' up a tree by some very aggressive water about as soon as I opened my eyes.

[ Chased almost right to where they're heading, actually as Denny comes into sight amidst well-walked paths and derelict buildings. ]

Aye well, you'll be well-served by learnin' your way about it sooner rather than later. 'S handy for keepin' up on news. Ye can even write on the damn things now.

[ The door to the refurbished Mess Hall is always open and Castor beckons her new friend inside, out of the sun. ]

There's a storehouse te the back here. Whats in it's a bit hit or miss but if we're lucky, there'll a fresh batch've whiskey and some meat.

[afterthemoment]

[That odd little rock can really do all of that? Well, color Wei Wuxian intrigued. Once he and his companions are safely settled somewhere that isn't a jungle with that cursed dog creature roaming about, he'll have to study it very carefully. His interest in magical tools aside, it sounds useful.]

Whiskey? What's that?

[Wei Wuxian follows her into the building, his face lighting up with pleasant surprise upon recognizing it to be an eatery of some kind. He's instantly charmed by the rustic look of the place. He beams with pure delight as he takes in the establishments exterior.

However, before he can allow himself to get too excited, he has to ask.]

How does trade work here? My companions and I don't have any money or goods to barter yet but perhaps one of us could provide services in exchange for aid instead.

[He may have been more of a protector and benefactor, leaving most practical leadership decisions to Wen Qing back at the Burial Mound, but he still has enough basic understanding to know that resources don't come for free.]

[littlemhigan]

Whiskey's a liquor, an' the lass makes it with blackberries. Goes down almost too easy, I think.

[ Because gods know, she's had her fair share of the stuff in the last few weeks. ]

Service'll do fine - we got gardens and some livestock that need tendin' to, and all manner of things that need buildin' or fixin', but so long as ye don't cause trouble, you can take what you please...and you're probably safer doin' so until you learn whats worth eatin'.

How much food do you think you'll need Ser...uhm. Forgive a lass for not askin' sooner but what is your name, Ser?

A ofc

[blackwaterchild]

[oh she is not happy. Not in the slightest.

Waking up inside the reliquary filled with the inky yomi water was one ting. That stuff dried and left her-- Fine, more or less, if just briefly more powerful and irritated. But this? The sand was going to be a mess. The sea water was not going to offer much relief, just leaving her feeling vaguely like she had a film of salt on her skin or something.

Not that it stopped her from immediately entering the water again to wash herself off, inwardly cursing to herself. Re-emerging from the water she took stock of herself, everything more or less in place. Her stockings were a bit ripped, which she regarded with mild irritation. Her camera still worked, at least--or would, once it dried. It had been drenched in rain enough that probably it'd be okay after it dried out.... Probably. But in all things seemed to be in working order, Miu just wet and cold, but she'd gotten distressingly used to that one.

Her mother's hairpin is met with a blank look before she shoves it in the bag she'd found near her, filled with other strange things, and begins walking, wasting no time in trying to figure out just where the hell she'd ended up this time.

It really only takes her a minute or so to find the body splayed out on the sand and, honestly? Miu is 100% ready to completely ignore the body and keep going until she realizes she recognizes that body.

With a frown she wanders closer to confirm, though she's not really sure if she's glad or not that it totally is the weirdo from her dream.

...It had been a dream, right?

Well he didn't appear dead, at least. She nudges him with her foot]

Oy. If you die out here it'll be really annoying, you know that? Hey-- Uh. [She falters with the sudden realization that she never did actually get his name and represses a sigh of frustration.

After a moment she reluctantly kneels and hesitates on touching him directly. He seemed a bit too close to death right now and she wasn't sure if her ability would automatically react to that or not.]

Hey, can you hear me? Ugh... [Why was she doing this again? Why was she bothering?? It's an annoying feeling of responsibility towards this guy, like when one finds an animal who clearly can't survive on its own or something.]

[afterthemoment]

[At the nudge of that foot, only one thought goes through Wei Wuxian's mind: who dares to disturb the rest of the Yiling Patriarch?

If the state he's been in for the past thirteen years even qualifies as rest. The chaotic nightmares and enforced self-reflection punctuated by the odd human voice attempting to call out to him beyond the hardly counts as peaceful slumber.

Even so, he's reluctant to awaken just, coming as slowly and groggily to his senses as he had most mornings before nine back when he'd been alive. He gradually becomes aware of another presence kneeling down next to him, realizing that someone's speaking to him. Very slowly, he cracks open one eye and then the other, gazing upward as his vision begins to clear.

For a second, Wei Wuxian thinks he's a strangerL a young, pretty maiden with black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin. Then he realizes that wait, he knows this maiden. Sort of. He remembers her. The ocean, the coral, the whale and dolphins... it's starting to come back to him in bits and pieces.]

Oh, it's you again...

[It comes out as little more than a mumble, but there's still an audible happiness and wonder to it.]

But I didn't catch your name.

[blackwaterchild]

Is now really the time for names? [She looks a little bit relieved anyhow when he moves though, feeling inexplicably a little flustered by his tone of voice.]

...It's Miu. And don't sound that happy, it's just me. [It wasn't like she was, well, anything, and in this place probably even less where her face wasn't well known. She reaches out to shield the sun from his eyes with her hand so he doesn't have that beating down on him directly]

Are you okay? Can you sit up? Just laying out here under the sun isn't going to end well for you.

[afterthemoment]

[Of course, he's happy to see her. It means that she got out of the ocean okay and she's safe and sound on dry land. And maybe it's been a lifetime since he's woken up to anything at his side besides empty air. That he's able to recall, anyway. It's nice, despite this bizarre set of circumstances.]

I think so. Nothing seems to be broken. I -

[There's a sudden hiss of pain when he braces himself against ground, jerking himself upright in a surprisingly violent gesture. He stares blearily down at his slashed wrists. These wounds... He'd had them in the dream, too, had just started to figure out what they might be at the very end but he'd woken up in mid-conversation.

He feels almost dizzy as disorientation sets in, hitting him in full force here in a way that hadn't happened in the dream. In the dream, Wei Wuxian had simply been drifting from one dream to another, the surreal events offering their own buffer from the reality of the situation.

In circumstances like this, where things are relatively calm and quiet, he allows himself the luxury of profound confusion.]

I don't understand. Why am I alive? And here...? I shouldn't be.

[It comes out more as mutterings to himself than anything else.]

[blackwaterchild]

[Miu makes a strangled noise of surprise when he suddenly hisses and jerks himself upright, recoiling a bit herself.] Hey--

[Her noise of protest falls flat when she can't do much to really stop him and her hands hover awkwardly a moment before she drops them into her lap with a frown.]

Oh right. We were talking about sacrifice rituals before, right? This isn't your body, or whatever.

[She looks around the beach, frowning, and shakes her head slowly.] I don't know what or where this place is either. Last I knew, I was on a mountain, not anywhere even near a beach. If what that... Rabbit thing said was true... [They're in an entirely different world? She's not entirely sure what to think about all that. Hell, she's not entirely sure the rabbit thing wasn't just a weird dream to begin with but it was the only coherent set of answers she had.]

[afterthemoment]

[There's more sand in the cuts now; after being submerged in dirty sea water, they're bound to become infected if they're not properly treated soon. Despite this, Wei Wuxian just starts trying to clean them out the best he can with more salt water from the ocean as he listens to what Miu's saying. He's visibly wincing the whole time but he has to get the sand out of them the best he can, at least.

Wei Wuxian looks contemplative as he starts tearing a couple of strips from an inner layer of his clothing. They're the cleanest cloth he has available to him right now; they'll just have to do as bandages for the time being.]

You dreamt about the rabbit, too? How weird. To think... A whole new world.

[Reincarnation into a new, if weaker body, and an entirely new place where the name of the Yiling Patriarch might be completely unknown? Second chances don't get much better than this, do they? He could start over here - well, once Wei Wuxian has a better idea of where here is.]

I told you so much, already...

[With his memory as faulty as it is, Wei Wuxian can't be sure what his reasoning for it had been at the time but he's grateful for it. It's kind of comforting to be greeted with a companion for once.]

[blackwaterchild]

Did you? [Miu winces as she sees him using the sea water—she’s not a doctor but she’s pretty sure that’s not good. She opens her bag and rummages through it. Could you use rubbing alcohol on wounds...? She’s pretty sure it’s not great long term, but to clean it out?]

You haven’t told me anything. I still don’t even know your name. Like I said, I just know something about rituals like that, a little. [She gestures for him to come over towards her.] Here. Use this. Just a little on the cloth should be enough. I don’t think you’re supposed to use this long term for stuff like that, but it’s better than sea water. Probably.

b.

[inquiryguqin]

Lan Zhan did not wish to disturbed his rest. He woke up much earlier to find himself on the island on the same beach. He was also covered in sand, which inconvenienced him considering he wears delicate robes that is long in the sleeves and covering down to his ankles. He came to consciousness from what feels like a long dreadful dream from being inside the dead dragon and fighting their way out through the jaws and made their escape.

He took note of his personal inventory and none went missing. Eventually, Wei Ying wakes up in suit. They make an account of their resources, which doesn't look too good for a start. To deal with the immediate hunger, he nibbles what little food they have for his strength and keep his mind clear, and then think of a strategy and plan to contribute to their own survival for today at least.

For now, the idea is to explore the rest of the island to find their resources. Lan Wangji has experience surviving in the wild, from making camp in the wilderness during his travels and expenditure on his night-hunts and that his home province, Gusu is a very mountainous and forest area.

Lan Zhan has the foresight that Wei Ying straying far into the jungle into unknown wild and territory on His Own is Definitely not a Good Idea, even if the mission is a well meaning one and Wei Ying wanted to help. Remembering the lesson from the dream, where the danger is constant and can be right around the corner, Lan Zhan follows after him leaving Miu behind to guard the camp.

Does Wei Ying learn anything remotely useful from his training Jiang Sect? One can catch a fish with bare hands, but to catch a snake and fight with fists, whether it's non-venomous or not, is not only reckless, but haphazardly fatal .

"Wei Ying...! Step back!"

Lan Zhan doesn't hesitate. He strikes faster than a serpent, and in one decisive move, he swiftly send his sword forward, bichen the cool blue energy, the sword stab forward through the creature's throat, thereby killing it.

[afterthemoment]

Bichen's blue glare is familiar and it slices through the wriggling creature quick. Once it's dead and the noise stops, Wei Ying turns to face Lan Zhan, frowning slightly. On the bright side, he looks a little more here than he did a few moments ago.

"What are you doing here, Lan Zhan? Shouldn't you be watching over Maiden Miu back at camp? She shouldn't be left alone out here. It's dangerous for a girl like her to be out here by herself."

Wei Ying, on the other hand, has been alone many times in situations like this. In far worse situations than this one! Life on the run with Jiang Cheng after Lotus Pier and his captivity in the Burial Mound had prepared him for this far more effectively than any sect training ever could.

He drops his quarry on the ground momentarily and proceeds to massage his temples a moment. The critter really was very loud, its cries skull piercing. He sighs.

[inquiryguqin]

Which is good, because now they're no longer dreaming anymore. This world they're in is real, but it doesn't make it any less comfortable. This jungle is so humid that his robes are sticking to his skin.

He simply nodded. Still, he scolded him. "She'll be all right if we go back and find another way. That's reckless. You could have been hurt." Lan Wangji fetch his sword and looks at the now carcass impassively. "I think we should find a river and get some fish."

Lan Wangji look at the flesh closely and there's a bit of a foul smell. Turning his face away from it, he turns to Wei Wuxian, and waited for his headaches to subside. His own headache started like a painful pounding at the base of his skull, vision blurred, and coming to focus.

"If you're going to go hunting, at least let me go with you." He insist and there was a look of worry as he's being insistent on the matter. "We must know of the dangers in the jungle."

[afterthemoment]

It's not a dream, just an awkward reality. Wei Ying still can't understand why Lan Zhan is helping him and large chunks of their enounter inside the dragon from that weird shared dream they had have already faded from his memory. He's not going to turn aside aid, though, not when there's a young maiden in his care. His ability to protect and look after her properly might be limited but that doesn't mean Wei Ying won't give it his all regardless.

And that far away look is back in his eyes again for a brief second.

"All right. Fine. The sooner we catch something, the sooner we can get back to camp. I don't want to leave Maiden Miu out here alone for too long."

After all, she's being exposed to the exact same dangers as they are out here and he doesn't have any talismans to notify him if anything goes wrong. From what Wei Ying's observed of her so far, he's unsure the girl has any real survival experience. As for the foul smelling carcass, he leaves it where it's at with some reluctance, slowly standing up and wiping his hands on his robes. Taking the creature's life and simply leaving it there to rot feels like such a waste to him, especially under these circumstances.

"Lead the way, Lan Zhan. I'll follow you."

[inquiryguqin]

Lan Zhan wondered if there is anything to edible to eat on the island if any at all? The creatures are strange and unfamiliar, almost alien in this world. Are they even edible? He has never seen the likes of them before.

Using the sword, he feels much of his strength becomes deplete quickly and Lan Zhan figured he must conserve his strength and don't use his own energy impulsively.

At the moment, Lan Zhan took a gamble to look for fish in a nearby pools or rivers he noticed a while back, which he leads Wei Ying to it.

"Let's go and look. If we catch some, we can bring it back to cook. It's like that time when we catch fish in the rivers and waterfalls in Cloud Recesses. Do you remember that, Wei Ying?"

[afterthemoment]

"Yeah, I do! That was so long ago but it was fun. Huaisang and I used to go sometimes, too, I think."

Handfishing and hunting had been some of his favorite past times growing up. It'd certainly made life at the Cloud Recesses a little more bearable. Life had been a lot simpler for them both back then. It'd been before the Qishan Wen Sect had started to assert dominance over the remaining sects, before the Cloud Recesses had burned down, before the attack on Lotus Pier, before the Sunshot Campaign. Even at the end of everything, it'd been a lifetime ago. Now he's on his second.

But happier memories are a little easier for Wei Ying to remember than the sad ones so he takes a moment to appreciate the nostalgia.

He hears the sound of bubbling water and heads toward it. However, upon investigating the stream, he can't make out any fish swimming around. He turns to look at Lan Zhan.

"I don't see any fish here but maybe there's something else that's edible around here. Check those bushes over there, will you? There might be some berries left in them."

Berries and fruit might be an easier sell to Maiden Miu, he thinks. They'll still have to find some source of meat, too, but at least, it'd be a start.

C (i have no excuse for lateness!!)

[vagabone]

[He has absolutely no room to judge others on appearance. He, a shambling skeleton held together by spit and a prayer, shoeless and needing to learn to change his clothing more than once a year... not to mention he probably doesn't own a hairbrush. At least he bathes, though it's never going to make him look less dingy.

On the other hand, he certainly doesn't have any BO and never will! Thank goodness he's dead.]

Oh! Eesh, how long have you been out there? Are you hurt? There's a couple healers around...

[afterthemoment]

[Oh, a skeleton! Finally, something familiar!

Wei Wuxian's smile is as radiant as the sun as he trots up the skeleton. He doesn't so much as blink as he simply starts chatting him up as if he was an ordinary man with flesh on his bones and this was a completely normal and natural experience.]

Hello! My companions and I washed up on shore a few days ago. We've been making camp in the forest but none of us know the land very well or where anything is located. Could you tell me where the healers are? I'm wounded and need to see someone.

[Between the cuts on his wrists and the small leech wound on his ankle, Wei Wuxian's been gambling with infection out in the wild for days now. If nothing else, he has to go to ease Lan Wangji's and Miu's concerns.]

[vagabone]

[Good, good. He is just an ordinary man, probably the most mundane and average guy on the whole island.]

Of course I can! Not that far off, you're almost there. There's a restaurant, sort of... [He waves an arm back the way he came and spins around neatly, starting off.] Maybe we need to start putting signposts out, people don't show up in big bunches the way they used to.

[afterthemoment]

Signposts would be great! We got a little lost out there on our own.

[Dreams fade after awakening. At least, they do for Wei Wuxian, especially when he's in an unfamiliar place with a charge he's assumed care and responsibility for. He hadn't known who would be hostile and who would be willing to help, in addition to the physical dangers the jungle presented. However, they continue as they were so here is.]

Do people wash up here much?

[He follows the skelton man, curious and eager to learn more about this strange island he's found himself in.]

[vagabone]

Maybe... two or three a month? Not actually wash up, we don't know how we got here.

[Every single one of them. He fell asleep in a nice, soft bed... and woke up in the sand without much more than a weird dream. Who knows??]

Signposts, right, have to remember that idea. Who's 'we'? Are they alright?