Pagan/Huaisang

[crab_rangoon]

"Ah! No, no. I don't need to send the messenger. Just let me go," he tells the guards at the gates, waving them away as he walks straight through with his sword at his side, his entourage behind him. They walks in with their white robes, though Pagan is in red and black, and he breathes in the Impure Realm. He hasn't been here since the death of the Nie clan leader, but he's been aiming to check on their newest leader. It's been a dark time for them, for all of them, but he still feels more than a twinge of affection for the boy.

Well, man. He's been a man for several years now, but it doesn't seem like anything has changed.

Still, he promised he'd continue to offer support, so he walks on, ignoring the protests of the guards.

Comments

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan stares at him a while, then drinks himself, letting the conversation drift to frivolous matters as they refill their cups.

And when his head is pleasantly swimming, he returns to it, hoping Huaisang has let himself go a bit more.

"I should get you home."

[threedontknows]

He doesn’t want to go back home yet, even though he knows it’s starting to become late in the evening. He sighs in annoyance - not at Min Pagan but at the situation.

“How about another round? I don’t want to go home just yet.”

It’s nice having an older sect leader to indulge with - but more than that, he can act like a young sibling again.

[crab_rangoon]

"You will ruin an old man," he laments with a laugh. But another round is ordered and Pagan happily downs it with him.

"Now...now it's time."

[threedontknows]

“You don’t sound insistent, Gan-ge!” He’s still fully playing his role as the silly younger brother. He grins and looks around as though trying to flag down a server for another round.

“We won’t get back before dawn anyway, why leave?”

[crab_rangoon]

He arches a brow at that, but is still laughing. "Ah, you are the one corrupting me!"

He leans back. "Fine. Then we shall stay here."

[threedontknows]

“I can’t corrupt what’s already corrupted!” he replies, getting to his feet with a wobble. Oof, Qinghe wine is always stronger than he remembers. “I’m going to get us our rooms.”

He nods and prances off, trying to buy two separate rooms but unfortunately being met with the news - all rooms have been sold, save one. Rather than risking having to traipse around the alleys of Qinghe to find another tavern, in his infinite wisdom
Nie Huaisang snatches up the last room and returns to where Pagan is sitting.

“There’s just one room, but we’re already slumming it, it shouldn’t be too bad.”

[crab_rangoon]

"It wouldn't be the first time I have been trapped in a room. At least you are pleasant company," he laughs.

But he will follow him up, saying not another word about it.

[threedontknows]

“That sounds like a story,” Nie Huaisang laughs, grabbing onto Min Pagan so he can stumble up the stairs with him. It’s not an act, he’s feeling fairly drunk and unstable on his feet.

The room is in the corner of the tavern, small but still spacious enough.

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan follows him in, laughing as they stumble into the room. "There's no story. I often find myself alone with beautiful people. Usually it's simply a mirror," he laughs, leaning back against the desk.

[threedontknows]

Nie Huaisang groans and immediately makes his way to the bed and flops down on it. "I'm not going to laugh at that. You have all of your court and advisors and friends to do that for you."

[crab_rangoon]

"I don't have advisors who laugh at my terrible jokes," he points out. "If they did, they would be terrible advisors."

He doesn't say anything about his friends, though.

He only has a few, but they all have the same terrible sense of humor.

"You simply have no sense of humor."

[threedontknows]

“Likely story,” replies Nie Huaisang, waving his hand dismissively. “I have a wonderful sense of humor. A better sense of humor than my brother or my father ever did!”

It’s his mother’s doing, he’s sure of that. From what he can tell the severity was passed through his father’s lineage, the Nie ancestors.

[crab_rangoon]

"Now that is the truth," he laughs, coming over to sit on the bed with a grin. "They never understood nor enjoyed my jokes, either. It's a shame that you don't."

He smiles to himself, stretching his legs out.

[threedontknows]

Nie Huaisang sits up with a little happy wobble. "Maybe just that joke. You could tell another and I might laugh!"

[crab_rangoon]

He places a hand to his heart. "Oh no. You have wounded me. I fear I may never tell another joke again. Now look what you've done."

He is very drunk.

[threedontknows]

"You're going to let a younger man tell you what to do? You, Min the Merciless!" He snorts and gives Min Pagan a little push, jumping up to his feet to start undressing down to his inner layer.

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan looks up to him with a smile, letting him push him a little. "Ah, that is the art of compromise, Xiao Nie."

He threads his fingers through his hair, watching him a moment before he has the decency to avert his eyes.

[threedontknows]

“I know all about that,” he says with a wink. He folds his clothes and then sits down beside Pagan on the bed, clad just in his inner robes and trousers. “You can compromise to your hearts content if you don’t make a decision on anything.”

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan leans over and trails his fingers along the sleeves of his robes. "I have something for you. Next time," he mutters, as if reminding himself.

"Is that your game?" he asks after a long moment.

[threedontknows]

He looks down at Min Pagan's hand, his face not his typical mask of wide-eyed disbelief. He's a little too drunk, a little too intrigued to fully play the part of naive fool.

He has something for him. It must be something fine, like clothes. Secretly he hopes the next time would come sooner rather than later, and he doesn't think it's just about the gift alone.

"It's not a game if I don't know," he tells him.

[crab_rangoon]

"Everyone always underestimated you, you know. Even you. You were your biggest fucking obstacle."

He stands up, shedding his own outer robe, letting it hang over the desk.

[threedontknows]

He laughs quietly. He doesn't like how close Min Pagan is to seeing him. He knows it's just by virtue of having known his family for so long, but it still makes him feel bare.

"I'm still weak when it comes to cultivation and martial arts. No one looks twice at me."

[crab_rangoon]

"Mm, that's because they only think strength is physical," he points out. "But you know better. I know better."

[threedontknows]

"Well...it's not not physical too," Nie Huaisang laughs, pulling off his boots and bringing his feet up onto the bed. "Just look at my father, and Da-ge."

[crab_rangoon]

And Huaisang is the one still alive.

Pagan doesn't say it, but there's a pause in how he turns around, how he looks at him, and then shrugs. "Go to sleep, A-Sang," he mutters. "You're drunk and so am I and we cannot make good decisions."