[He closes his eyes for a moment.] Just wait. [He takes another centering breath, slow, before opening his eyes.
And then he opens to door to let them inside.
The room begins, at first, exactly like it normally would look. But once they get in, it starts to shimmer at the edges, to change. The room they knew before washes away like a wave, replaced instead by the grand, elaborate entrance to some new place. The wind sweeps down the mountain, grabbing Ash's jacket and shaking it. The air is crisp and smells like the peonies which line the stairs up.
Jin Ling rushes forward and up a few stairs before turning around to Ash. He looks... excited? Wrow.]
[ wrow. he can be endearing when he’s not being a little shit. who knew?
ash gives the setting an appropriate look around — the breeze ruffling his hair and the scents carrying along wherever it goes. it’s nice, but he’s no clearer on where this place is, other than that it means something to Jin Ling. ]
[He turns back to look up the length of the stairs, letting the wind grab his own robes and his long hair and throw it back. It feels just like home, he thinks. It looks just like home. Smells like home, too. But there's a heavy ball of iron in his chest; he knows it's not home. This isn't Koi Tower, but an illusion.]
[ Ash just stays quiet and lets him wallow in ... nostalgia? Or whatever it is he's caught up in right now. ]
Sure. I just had an issue with you denying everyone else's homes were real in the process.
[ He takes a few steps in, tapping a foot against one of the stairs like he thinks his foot might fall through. Even if it doesn't, and he knows how real the stuff is in here. ]
[As expected, Jin Ling looks terribly offended.] Coward. [He quickly starts marching down the steps around Ash. From the building high on the mountain, everything starts quivering away again.]
Oh, well that I can do. A little rich boy like you'd get eaten up by somewhere like Raquel, you've got wealth and privilege spilling out of you whenever you talk.
[ He turns around and, after a little focusing, the room shifts to look like this -- specifically the bright lights that come out to play when the sun goes down and Raquel goes from quiet and unassuming to the nightlife powerhouse it is. ]
Those kind of people are the ones who get drunk on the atmosphere and bleed away the most mira.
[He whips around to argue with Ash, but the room changes, slapping him in the face. Shocked, he turns slowly in place to look around. The—lanterns? They aren’t lanterns. They are like the lights in the mansion.]
What... is this...?
[He starts moving in a random direction, trying to see more.]
[ Ash reaches out and taps a knuckle on one of the walls of the building nearby. ]
S'where I grew up. You get all sorts visiting -- everyday folk who just want a good time on vacation, to those rich noble types who show up on the regular to piss away their inheritance gambling, drinking or talking with pretty ladies.
They have a wall with three thousand rules carved on it. It's called the Wall of Discipline, and the Lans all follow them. Things like... "Alcohol is prohibited," and "Venturing out at night is prohibited," and "Do not be picky with food."
They go to bed at nine and wake up at five in the morning.
[Again, he turns in place to look around. All of the architecture is so different than what he's use to ever seeing.]
[He glances back at Ash, but doesn't say anything else about it, probably for obvious reason. Both his curiosity and his lack of follow-up. He looks away again.]
Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi get on my nerves, but they aren't as bad as some of them. [Lowly, like he thinks the man will hear:] Like Hanguang-jun.
Cloud Recess is a nice place, though, I guess. It's high in the mountains with a lot of waterfalls.
If I had money to spend here like the rich, I'd be livin' in Ordis. Nah, but I like the nightlife and playing the suckers throwing that money around fools.
Because it’s gambling, idiot. If they’re gonna wave the cash around and demand to be played for it then I’m not gonna say no. Card games are a good time.
‘Sides, before that they’d be dropping enough of it to sit around chatting with mom anyway.
[Welp. He looks like he debates at least for a few seconds whether or not to keep his mouth shut. He's Jin Ling, unfortunately, however, and he's nosy.]
Is your mom a...?
[concubine
Granted, not all prostitutes where he's from are there for sleeping with men. A great deal of them were entertainers. (jin ling voice) anya is a prostitute]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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And then he opens to door to let them inside.
The room begins, at first, exactly like it normally would look. But once they get in, it starts to shimmer at the edges, to change. The room they knew before washes away like a wave, replaced instead by the grand, elaborate entrance to some new place. The wind sweeps down the mountain, grabbing Ash's jacket and shaking it. The air is crisp and smells like the peonies which line the stairs up.
Jin Ling rushes forward and up a few stairs before turning around to Ash. He looks... excited? Wrow.]
It worked!
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ash gives the setting an appropriate look around — the breeze ruffling his hair and the scents carrying along wherever it goes. it’s nice, but he’s no clearer on where this place is, other than that it means something to Jin Ling. ]
Great?
[ it IS great, yeah? ]
This somewhere from your home, then?
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[He turns back to look up the length of the stairs, letting the wind grab his own robes and his long hair and throw it back. It feels just like home, he thinks. It looks just like home. Smells like home, too. But there's a heavy ball of iron in his chest; he knows it's not home. This isn't Koi Tower, but an illusion.]
I told you it existed... It was real.
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Sure. I just had an issue with you denying everyone else's homes were real in the process.
[ He takes a few steps in, tapping a foot against one of the stairs like he thinks his foot might fall through. Even if it doesn't, and he knows how real the stuff is in here. ]
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Show me yours then. Where you came from.
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Nah. I'm not gonna.
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Fine. Who wants to see it anyway.
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You already saw it. [ Then he shrugs. ] I was three, asshole. I don't remember what it was like.
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[He doesn't turn around. The image of Koi Tower breaks away, but when it gets to them, it sort of just fades, leaving his hand on the door.]
You have to come from somewhere now.
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[ He turns around and, after a little focusing, the room shifts to look like this -- specifically the bright lights that come out to play when the sun goes down and Raquel goes from quiet and unassuming to the nightlife powerhouse it is. ]
Those kind of people are the ones who get drunk on the atmosphere and bleed away the most mira.
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[He whips around to argue with Ash, but the room changes, slapping him in the face. Shocked, he turns slowly in place to look around. The—lanterns? They aren’t lanterns. They are like the lights in the mansion.]
What... is this...?
[He starts moving in a random direction, trying to see more.]
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[ Ash reaches out and taps a knuckle on one of the walls of the building nearby. ]
S'where I grew up. You get all sorts visiting -- everyday folk who just want a good time on vacation, to those rich noble types who show up on the regular to piss away their inheritance gambling, drinking or talking with pretty ladies.
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[Ash gets on his last nerve. His eyes leap up the building behind the mask.]
The Lans from Gusu would tear this place apart [not really, but it's funny to think about] if they didn't die setting foot here first.
...You really grew up in a place like this? With a family?
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[ He drops his hand and cranes his head back to look at the building. ]
It quietens down during the daytime, but yeah. With my mom.
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They go to bed at nine and wake up at five in the morning.
[Again, he turns in place to look around. All of the architecture is so different than what he's use to ever seeing.]
...Did you like your mom?
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...
Yeah. She was a good person.
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Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi get on my nerves, but they aren't as bad as some of them. [Lowly, like he thinks the man will hear:] Like Hanguang-jun.
Cloud Recess is a nice place, though, I guess. It's high in the mountains with a lot of waterfalls.
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Friends of yours? [ jin ling has friends? ]
Sure. I'm a city boy though. I find other things nice.
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[He turns around again to huff, but doesn’t seem to be riled up.]
What other things? Spending money here like the rich?
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If I had money to spend here like the rich, I'd be livin' in Ordis. Nah, but I like the nightlife and playing the suckers throwing that money around fools.
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You’re awful. Even if they’re stupid enough to do that, why are you taking advantage of them? Be a better person!
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‘Sides, before that they’d be dropping enough of it to sit around chatting with mom anyway.
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Hmph. Your mom sits and talks to those kinds of people...?
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Is your mom a...?
[concubine
Granted, not all prostitutes where he's from are there for sleeping with men. A great deal of them were entertainers. (jin ling voice) anya is a prostitute]
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