equivocations | open rp post

Another evasion, this time using the cover of eating as an excuse - Wanyin could almost be at home in Cloud Recesses. He adds that to the list of things that he's learning about his new friend - he is a cultivator, an inner disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang sect, owns a lake, shows kindness and shares food with someone he's just met, has a beautiful voice, comes out alone to sing the sad songs he writes, has to ask why someone would want to spend time with him, and deflects talking about his own feelings as easily as though he's used to no one pursuing the subject.

Lan Xichen knows him already, he thinks, and decides that it would be okay to share a little more about himself.

He watches with mild curiosity as Wanyin removes his outer layers, eyes roaming over newly bared arms - no fins there, either, but that's to be expected - and then across his chest. Handsome, still, fins or not.

There's a burst of alarm when he starts to enter the water over edge of the boat, and Lan Xichen realizes that it was intentional just in time to keep himself from grabbing Wanyin. Humans can swim, he knows that.

He circles around Wanyin sheepishly, swimming up close to him now that he's in the water. He starts to reach for one of his hands, then pauses, remembering his manners.

"May I?"

He treads water as Xicheng circles around him, eyes tracking the long white tail beneath the surface is it moves around him and doesn't back away when the merman moves close to him.

Jiang Cheng, instead of answering, holds up his right hand for Xichen to inspect himself, wanting to see what he was going to do. There are no fins on Jiang Cheng but he's curious enough to want to reach out and touch Xichen as well. Are the ears sensitive, are the fins sensitive? Does Xichen feel anything where human meets fish?

"You don't actually have a taste for human flesh, do you?" he blurts out. Wei Wuxian had said many things. He's pretty sure most of those things were false. But after seeing the sharp teeth earlier, Jiang Cheng can't help but wonder. "And you're not here to drown me, right?"

He takes Wanyin's hand in his own, fingertips exploring it all over before he presses their palms together. He lines their fingers up as well, spreading his out and watching the contrast in the space between Wanyin's and the webbing between his.

"You're so warm," he says, pleased with the discovery.

Then Wanyin asks that, and the corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement.

"You weren't certain of that and you jumped in with me anyway?" He'd meant to be teasing, but he can't help but be a little bit admiring, and that comes out in his tone. "You're very brave."

Or willing to take a chance on trusting Lan Xichen, but considering that's exactly what he'd done with Wanyin - he likes that, too.

"I was going to try to save you from drowning, before I remembered humans can swim. I don't know about human flesh, though, I've never tried it."

Now he's definitely teasing, and he raises one eyebrow at Wanyin playfully.

Xichen's fingers and hand are cold. Like marble. No. Like jade. Pale and cool. He presses his fingers against Xichen's, flexing to feel the webbing for himself. It's...strange to feel. But not a deterrent. He's more tan than Xichen is, a testament of living his entire life in Yunmeng.

The comment about human flesh has Jiang Cheng bark out a laugh. He willingly swims closer.

"I was born and raised in Lotus Pier. We tend to swim before we even walk," he boasts. "We're the strongest swimmers among the great cultivation families."

It's gratifying to see that Wanyin seems just as interested in him as he is in Wanyin - he had wondered, from time to time, if humans would be afraid of him, or off put by him. He runs his free hand down Wanyin's forearm, over his elbow and up to his shoulder, then back down again, entranced - and then he shifts a little, offering the fin side of his arm out in case Wanyin wants to do the same.

Seeing Wanyin laugh so freely makes him beam, his smile much wider than he would have allowed himself back in Cloud Recesses.

"Then I will consider myself even luckier that it was you I found. Do you have to go back soon, or do you have time to swim with me?"

Not that anyone would miss him if he were late. Jiang Cheng lets the dark thought sit with him for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

"No. I don't think anyone would really miss me all that much. A swim actually...sounds really nice."

He would get to know if he could swim faster than a merman. And that challenge is definitely a point of interest for him. Jiang Cheng looks around. The lake is rather large, not the largest in Yunmeng but definitely one of the larger ones. He used to swim in this place for hours, burning away whatever anger had arisen from another row with Wei Wuxian.

Oh. No wonder Wanyin had been sad.

Well. He has a friend now, and Lan Xichen would miss him if he didn't get to see him again. He might not be able to do anything about the people back home, but he can make sure Wanyin enjoys his time out here.

He gives Wanyin's hand a squeeze before he lets go, smiling at him again.

"I would love if you would show me around, but - are you in the mood for a race first?"

A smirk plays on his lips. Already, he misses the feel of Xichen's hand against his, cold and strange as it was. He doesn't dwell on no one missing him for too long. His father had the perfect family without him. He shakes his head of it and focuses on the present, especially when Xichen asks if they could race.

"Is that fair to race a human against a merman?" he asks.

Jiang Cheng swims around Xichen, wondering if Xichen would find his legs as fascinating as he finds Xichen's tail. He wants to reach out and touch it but respects his space.

Wanyin is so expressive - every time he thinks he's found the one he likes the most, he sees another one he likes just as much.

"Probably not," he admits. "Oh! I could stay on the surface. It's not as easy for me to swim quickly up here. I can't build up momentum."

Which is - probably the kind of thing his uncle wouldn't like him admitting to a human, but it isn't just some human. It's Wanyin.

And he is absolutely fascinated by the way Wanyin swims, watching his legs move through the water. Before he can stop himself, he ends up asking, "Is it inappropriate to ask if I can touch them?"

"Not inappropriate."

Jiang Cheng wants to ask if he could touch Xichen's tail in return.

"You can. If you can race me to the other side of this lake."

He already takes off in the water before he could hear Xichen respond back to him, swimming closer to the surface so that he and Xichen had the same part of water to race against each other for. Indeed, he is one of the fastest swimmers in Yunmeng, making it to the other side of the lake in no time. He breaks the surface and dips underneath to help slick his hair back and away from his face.

That startles a burst of laughter out of him, and for a moment Lan Xichen just - watches Wanyin swim off, a little bit in awe of how easily this human has managed to make him happy enough to forget himself.

Then he realizes that Wanyin can indeed swim very fast, and Lan Xichen is already quite a bit behind. He takes off after him, pushing himself more than he usually does when he's swimming along the surface - he's usually complacent, not worrying about the way that his tail breaching and entering the water again makes it difficult to build up speed. But now he works to counter it, keeping his tail still and using his arms more, and he closes the distance between them.

Wanyin beats him by a little bit, and Lan Xichen is delighted.

"That was fun!"

Watching Wanyin push his hair back, water dripping, caught up in the exuberance of the race - Lan Xichen cannot remember a time when he enjoyed himself this much. He lets his tail slide over Wanyin's legs, using it to nudge him closer.

Beat him! Jiang Cheng lets out a short laugh when Xichen catches up to him. He can't recall the last time he had this much fun either. He wipes the excess water from his face when he feels something slide along his legs and move him. Immediately, he looks down to see the white tail nudge him closer to Xichen. When he looks up at Xichen again, he realizes how close. The feeling of that tail along his bare legs feels...well, it feels weird but it sends a strange thrill through him.

"Do you...not race a lot wherever you're from?"

Wanyin looks so pleased that Lan Xichen is glad to have lost, at least this once. It was worth it to hear him laugh again.

The feeling of bare skin against his scales is not entirely unfamiliar, of course, but Lan Xichen has not had anyone to be physically affectionate with since his brother decided he was too old for hugs. He doesn't want to admit that he misses it. But this is - different, anyway, when Wanyin is so warm, and he's never felt legs before.

"I did when I was younger. And now for training, sometimes. But we have certain disciplines that we follow, at home, and racing is prohibited there."

He shifts his tail, arching it up a little so it's under both of Wanyin's legs and he can hold them up. Then he puts one hand on his knee, expression intent as he explores it with his fingers, pressing in lightly and sliding down his calf.

"Do you race often?"

He keeps treading water even when Xichen raises his legs to inspect. It's weird being inspected so closely and with Xichen's cool fingers moving along his knee and muscled calf.

"No. Wei Wuxian usually beats me. Then it's a question of why I bother racing in the first place if he's so insistent on rubbing my face in the fact that I lost," he scoffs.

Truly, he cares for his adopted brother but Wei Wuxian certainly makes it difficult to care.

"Have you...really not talked to any human before?"

The idea that Wanyin doesn't do something he enjoys because this Wei Wuxian takes the fun out of it for him makes him frown.

"You are the better winner, then. There are some of our rules that I like better than others, some I agree with more, and not gloating over those who have beaten is one of them."

He shouldn't admit that. It feels - scandalous, doing so, and his head fins twitch a little with his daring, even though his uncle is not here and Wanyin could hardly know the impact of the future sect leader declaring he doesn't agree with some of their rules.

Then he shakes his head. He's gone with his uncle, and on night hunts a few times, where he's gotten close to humans, but he's never spoken to them.

"I've seen humans before, but you're the first I've talked to."

His hands make their way back up Wanyin's leg, over his knee and up his thigh. It's a different kind of strength than the musculature in his tail, but he can still feel the muscles there. He likes it, firm and warm and solid.

The hands seem to explore more and more, moving up along his leg until Jiang Cheng could feel the smooth cool touch along his thigh.

"Did you just not want to talk to humans?" he asks.

He isn't afraid if he stops treading water. He knows that Xichen will keep him afloat, as best he could. Xichen was even ready to jump to save him from drowning earlier. Hands grasp at Xichen's shoulders to make sure he doesn't float away.

Rules, huh? Jiang Cheng tries to think of which sect has so many rules to choose from.

He gives a contented hum when Wanyin grabs at his shoulders. Little patches of warmth sink into his skin, and he finds himself leaning into the touch a little. The end of his tail swirls lazily through the water, keeping him afloat.

"It's safer not to." His hands keep going, up until his fingers meet the small bit of clothing that Wanyin still wears. "My uncle says you never know which of them will be more interested in killing or capturing us than talking."

He pushes his hand under the fabric, eager to feel along the line where his leg is joined to his hip.

He raises a good point. Especially in fishing places like Yunmeng where someone would want to potentially capture someone like Xichen or even view his kind as a bad omen for their fishing that day. Jiang Cheng resolves with himself to not tell anyone of Xichen’s presence and existence, not wishing for any ill will to fall on him already.

“So you do have a family.”

Perhaps they weren’t so different than humans anyway. He gives a surprised sound when the cool hand makes it up further and further up his pants.

“What are you trying to find, Xichen?” It’s a little teasing but he hasn’t had anyone touch further up than his knees ever. With turnabout being fair lay, he lowers one hand to brush along the length of the tail. Cool, scaly, but not at all too like a fish. His tail feels smooth.

"I do," he agrees, giving Wanyin a small, hesitant smile. It is probably not something he should confirm so easily, considering what he'd just said about the dangers of humans, but - he doesn't fear that, from Wanyin. "My uncle is very wise, but very traditional."

A technically neutral expression, save for the implication that he does not necessarily always see the wisdom in being so traditional. He's starting to get... comfortable, in this slice of freedom he feels with Wanyin.

Even more comfortable when Wanyin starts running his hand over his tail. It's... soothing, almost, and he can feel his fins fan out as he relaxes, pushing his tail against Wanyin's hand.

"I don't know, what is there to find?" His own tone is just a little bit teasing in response, but his hand stops its exploration as he ducks his head sheepishly. "Sorry. Do you want me to stop?"

His eyes widen when he sees the fins widen and fan out more under his touch. Jiang Cheng runs his fingers gently over the gossamer looking fins, amazed at how big they all are. This must make Xichen a strong swimmer.

"I'd say we're very similar from the waist up. You're...mostly human there." His face reddens at the tease. "And I'm sure we're similar there as well."

But are they? That part of Xichen does reside in the fish half of his body. And there is a curiosity. He doesn't push Xichen's hand away from his shorts, liking the cool touch on him. Nor does he take his own hand away from where it strokes along his tail. Jiang Cheng moves his hand further and further up as Xichen had, moving over the hips from what he could tell are hips, then up to his waist where the scales taper off to human skin.

Oh. He reminds himself to stay collected and composed, and yet he would be lying if he said he didn't like the attention that Wanyin gives his tail and his fins. It isn't appropriate for a future sect leader to be vain, but - he likes his fins, and he's proud of how strong his tail is, and he's never had someone look amazed by him before.

He hadn't quite meant to explore that much - he knows humans use clothing to protect them from their environment, but it hasn't occurred to him that they might use it to cover things up as well. But he realizes where he must have been heading, and even though Wanyin doesn't stop him and he likes the way he goes red - Lan Xichen adjusts his path, moving to the back of his thigh and pushing up that way instead.

And he still preens into Wanyin's touch, enjoying the way his hand seems to leave echoes of warmth in its wake. Now that it's on his mind, though, he finds it a little difficult to continue to think of the touch as relaxing when it moves up higher.

There's a small, sharp inhale when Wanyin slides over his waist, along the transition from scales to his slightly more vulnerable skin - and it is fairly obvious that it isn't a pained reaction.

"Sorry," he says again, his head fins flicking in embarrassment. "You are - very handsome."

That cool hand still moves up his leg, this time, along the back of his leg, and up over the curve of his ass. Jiang Cheng feels his cheeks burns more. when that cool hand rests on it. Maybe they just didn't have personal boundaries in merpeople. He nearly pulls his hand away when he hears Xichen inhale sharply. His gaze turns up to his face, watching to see if it was a pained reaction.

Jiang Cheng reaches up with his other hand to touch at his head fins, that seems to twitch with how Xichen feels. He's going to ignore the handsome comment.

"Are you sensitive here? And here?" he asks, caressing at where the scales and skin mix and at the head fin.

Lan Xichen is - fascinated. He's starting to be used to how warm Wanyin is, to soft skin and firm muscle, but the curve of Waynin's ass is different from the back of his own tail. He cups it experimentally in his palm, pressing his fingertips in just to feel the slight give.

He gives Wanyin a small smile when he looks up at him, and there's another soft noise when he touches the fins at his head. Lan Xichen tilts immediately into the touch, without even thinking about it, though he goes a little still at the question.

"Yes," he says, very quietly, as if he's worried that admitting it will make Wanyin stop. "I-"

He hesitates for a long moment, shame at wanting more of his touch mixing with the knowledge that this would very much not be acceptable at Cloud Recesses. But - he knows Wanyin already, did he not already decide that, and decide to share more of himself?

It isn't as though Wanyin is going to tell any of the sect elders.

"Physical affection is not common, where I am from. I... wish sometimes that were not the case. If I like someone, I wish I could express it."

He manages to turn another shade of red when he feels Xichen squeezing his butt. It can't be that different than a merperson's, can it? He ignores it for now, instead focusing on letting his fingers map out Xichen himself. Physical affection just wasn't common for himself. He's seen it for others. a-Jie is affectionate with him. So there's that. Jiang Cheng resolves himself and continues to caress and touch at the fins. Clearly, it feels good to Xichen, so he's going to continue to do so.

"That's stupid. A place where you can't express how much you like someone," he scoffs.

He already long resigned that his father loved his shige more and that his mother was too consumed with bitterness about his shige to care to Jiang Cheng.

It doesn't seem to be a bad reaction, so Lan Xichen doesn't feel guilty about his appreciation for the way Wanyin keeps going red. He reaches out with his free hand, resting it along Waynin's jaw and running his thumb over his cheek, delighted when it feels even warmer.

"We can sometimes! It is encouraged between spouses, in private."

In theory. Not that Lan Xichen has much practical experience with that, considering his own parents hadn't lived together even when his mother was alive and his uncle never married, but why would their teachings focus on it being acceptable to show lack of restraint with your fated one if it were not encouraged to do so?

"Just not with a friend like this. Not so freely." And yet he's continuing to practically nuzzle into Wanyin's hand, unable to pull away from the touch now that he's been given it.

His hand slides into Wanyin's hair, scratching gently over his scalp and trailing curiously over his ear, rubbing at the skin behind it. "Is this... all right?"

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