Aaron/Huaisang - Early

[creeksidealtarboy]

He was simply Aaron when his boat landed on the coast. He remained only Aaron when he was pulled from the small boat and taken to a healer, who found him not only alive and breathing but strong and capable. He was taken in by a clan, a strong clan, one of rules and laws and principles, and Aaron began to thrive there. He doesn't talk much, chooses to smile and fake his way through most interactions, but he proves himself to be a diligent student and learner. He spends his time reading or practicing, and they assess that he isn't too far behind his peers. He will catch up eventually.

But there's the matter of his appearance. He's an odd child, fair of skin and hair and eyes. He's been able to prove himself with his own clan, but that doesn't mean that the others will think the same of him.

Comments

[threedontknows]

Nie Huaisang looks through the book, and yes, the spells are closer to the one he (they?) need, but it isn't quite what he had in mind. He sets the book down and picks up a scroll, not minding one big that Yalun's gotten closer to him.

"This might have it. Have you ever drawn an array before? We'll have to craft one. We'll need cinnabar, probably, incense..." He unfurls the last bit of the scroll and smiles at the illustration he sees - two men, one in the process of turning into the other. "This must be it."

[creeksidealtarboy]

He grips his arm a moment.

"And the way to reverse it?" Aaron is nothing if not pragmatic about these sorts of things. He doesn't want to be Nie Huaisang forever.

The rest of it, though, he knows how to find. With everyone distracted, it would be easy to take and -

He feels a twinge of guilt about doing it, but that doesn't seem to matter as much as the way that Huaisang is looking at him.

[threedontknows]

"Step back into the same array," he says simply, having scanned it only the once. He's exceptionally lazy when it comes to most things, but when Nie Huaisang wants something...well. His enthusiasm is boundless then.

"What do you think?" He closes the scroll and turns to him excitedly. "Should we try it? I can draw the array, I'm really good at those."

[creeksidealtarboy]

He seems unsure for a moment, but his friend's enthusiasm is infectious.

"Well. Alright."

He doesn't sound certain, but there's a resiliency to his tone. He's committed to doing this, so that means that he's going to do it.

"I'll get what we need. We can meet - " He looks over his shoulder. "Do you recall how to get to my home?"

[threedontknows]

He should say that he doesn't remember, but truthfully Nie Huaisang does remember. He doesn't forget a thing, especially the home of someone who had been kind to him.

"That way?" he says, pointing east. "Next to the Blade Hall?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

He tries not to look surprised.

"Yes, that's right. Meet me there and I'll have what you need. The house should be empty right now." And for the rest of the day. And tomorrow. And every day after.