Being drugged is not like being drunk. In fact, it is entirely different, and Xunxian wants out, and so he struggles, every time there is any shred of loosening of the narcotics' hold. He has seen the undead. He has seen the blood.
He has not yet had enough of a clear mind to know exactly what it means, but he knows enough that when he hears Moran's voice in the night when they are being rescued, he forces himself more awake.
"My lord-- no, you shouldn't be here..."
Is he actually sure Beitang Moran is indeed there or a figment of his imagination? He is not. His statement holds true nonetheless.
The drugged haze has indeed been most inconvenient, and Moran even found the time to be angry about it in the rare moments of clarity before they were put under again. There is something profoundly upsetting to him to feel his mind be sluggish, even more than his body.
Not much of what he remembers seeing makes sense - dead people moving about is a clear biological impossibility, and yet.... - although he can see that the cages they were kept in seem to be relatively less full than he recalls on his first few forays out of the drug fog.
For now, he's stumbled near the fire, the quartz clutched in his hand, when he hears a familiar voice.
Wait. Wait, that does seem to be Moran's silhouette before the fire, and Su Xunxian who thought this was a dream and of course he just had to get on with it so he would wake up, so might as well get it done with, stumbles closer to the warmth, himself.
"My lord?"
Stumbles right into him, but that is good enough. Even through the smell of salt and stench of blood, Xunxian can smell him, and he knows his dreams don't go that far, no matter if good or bad. He drops to his knees, trying to take proper breaths in the cold, and starts to look him over.
Xunxian cashing into him is enough to make Moran wobble - he is, after all, still wearing off th drugs himself, and no better fed than any of the others were.
He also looks Xunxian up and down, quickly, and lowers himself to sit on the ground and catch his breath as well, holding his hands out to the fire.
"A few scrapes here and there."
The chains around his wrists have cut into the skin, but nothing that a good clean and a bandage won't take care off.
"I am cold and hungry, but that won't kill me. Not right away, at least. We'll need to find a way to keep this fire going if we don't want to freeze, though."
His mind is racing with all the questions - 'where is this?', 'why are we here?', what do these people want with us?', 'those can't be zombies because zombies aren't real, right?' - but those run in the background while more immediate need takes over.
"They said to move east, but it does not seem prudent to move at night. We might be better served waiting for a modicum of daylight at least, but we need to make sure we last long enough for it."
"I thought it was a dream." But the way the simple contact of crashing into him, the way Moran couldn't bear the impact - yes, he does mean that past tense.
A deep breath. "We will need to move if some of those things show up. I can't... I can't understand - anything else that might be here, and I think I heard bats."
He can't use his powers. They won't get much of a warning.
"But it would be better to rest until we have to move. Besides the fire, contact might help with the cold." Yes, he's asking permission. Hugging has not been what they do... in a while.
Really, now, with the situation they are in, is now the time for such precautions? But Su Xunxian wouldn't be Su Xunxian if he wasn't overly preoccupied with what Moran wants, even if all he wants right now is to not be eaten by zombies who by right should not exists.
"I think our 'saviors' took care of the ones in the most immediate areas, but there are some noise coming from the darkness that do not inspire confidence."
He looks at the quartz in his hand, then uses the crude leather lace to tie it around his neck. Better to have his hands free, even though he has nothing to serve as a weapon for now.
Almost unconsciously, Moran relaxes against Xunxian. The heat they will get from this is minimal, but comfort is not something to scoff at in adverse circumstances.
From Xunxian's reaction, he can guess Xunxian is also missing his. Which is more troublesome, because Xunxian's fan is his weapon while Moran's mostly has sentimental value.
Moran squeezes Xunxian's forearm, ready to chastise him gently for making promises he doesn't know if he can keep, only to be stopped by the feel of the sheer silk, so fine it is barely there.
".... Xunxian, you're not dressed warm enough for this weather. Come here."
He's going to try and take off his outermost layer so they can at least share it It's not that much thicker than Xunxian's, but it's still better than nothing.
He will find a way to deliver, whatever it takes. This is important.
... and then Moran is trying to strip and Xunxian starts shaking his head.
"My lord, you--"
... he what. It is not as though Moran will watch him freeze to death, so Xunxian takes a deep breath and disentangles himself enough to allow the disrobing - only to shift once again as close to Moran as possible and wrap the garment around them both. There. He will not argue that his usual clothing truly is not meant for cold. But he can't leave Moran with less than what meager warmth he has. So, a solution that should work for both problems.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
setting: Eastbound
He has not yet had enough of a clear mind to know exactly what it means, but he knows enough that when he hears Moran's voice in the night when they are being rescued, he forces himself more awake.
"My lord-- no, you shouldn't be here..."
Is he actually sure Beitang Moran is indeed there or a figment of his imagination? He is not. His statement holds true nonetheless.
no subject
Not much of what he remembers seeing makes sense - dead people moving about is a clear biological impossibility, and yet.... - although he can see that the cages they were kept in seem to be relatively less full than he recalls on his first few forays out of the drug fog.
For now, he's stumbled near the fire, the quartz clutched in his hand, when he hears a familiar voice.
"... Su Xunxian! Where are you?"
no subject
Wait. Wait, that does seem to be Moran's silhouette before the fire, and Su Xunxian who thought this was a dream and of course he just had to get on with it so he would wake up, so might as well get it done with, stumbles closer to the warmth, himself.
"My lord?"
Stumbles right into him, but that is good enough. Even through the smell of salt and stench of blood, Xunxian can smell him, and he knows his dreams don't go that far, no matter if good or bad. He drops to his knees, trying to take proper breaths in the cold, and starts to look him over.
"Are you hurt?"
no subject
He also looks Xunxian up and down, quickly, and lowers himself to sit on the ground and catch his breath as well, holding his hands out to the fire.
"A few scrapes here and there."
The chains around his wrists have cut into the skin, but nothing that a good clean and a bandage won't take care off.
"I am cold and hungry, but that won't kill me. Not right away, at least. We'll need to find a way to keep this fire going if we don't want to freeze, though."
His mind is racing with all the questions - 'where is this?', 'why are we here?', what do these people want with us?', 'those can't be zombies because zombies aren't real, right?' - but those run in the background while more immediate need takes over.
"They said to move east, but it does not seem prudent to move at night. We might be better served waiting for a modicum of daylight at least, but we need to make sure we last long enough for it."
no subject
A deep breath. "We will need to move if some of those things show up. I can't... I can't understand - anything else that might be here, and I think I heard bats."
He can't use his powers. They won't get much of a warning.
"But it would be better to rest until we have to move. Besides the fire, contact might help with the cold." Yes, he's asking permission. Hugging has not been what they do... in a while.
no subject
"Come closer to the fire, Xunxian."
Really, now, with the situation they are in, is now the time for such precautions? But Su Xunxian wouldn't be Su Xunxian if he wasn't overly preoccupied with what Moran wants, even if all he wants right now is to not be eaten by zombies who by right should not exists.
"I think our 'saviors' took care of the ones in the most immediate areas, but there are some noise coming from the darkness that do not inspire confidence."
He looks at the quartz in his hand, then uses the crude leather lace to tie it around his neck. Better to have his hands free, even though he has nothing to serve as a weapon for now.
Suddenly, he frowns and pats himself down.
".... My fan is gone."
no subject
Feeling Moran's heartbeat against his chest, that is the most that he needs, anyway.
After a moment, he moves to try to help tie up the ribbon beneath Moran's hair, then busies with his own, too, before the words make him stiffen.
"It - You will have one again."
His voice sounds more sober than even moments ago. The words really are - bracing. And the reminder that he has nothing of his own, either.
"I'll get us a new pair."
He is not sure if they are in zodiac land anymore, but that doesn't matter, does it?
no subject
From Xunxian's reaction, he can guess Xunxian is also missing his. Which is more troublesome, because Xunxian's fan is his weapon while Moran's mostly has sentimental value.
Moran squeezes Xunxian's forearm, ready to chastise him gently for making promises he doesn't know if he can keep, only to be stopped by the feel of the sheer silk, so fine it is barely there.
".... Xunxian, you're not dressed warm enough for this weather. Come here."
He's going to try and take off his outermost layer so they can at least share it It's not that much thicker than Xunxian's, but it's still better than nothing.
no subject
... and then Moran is trying to strip and Xunxian starts shaking his head.
"My lord, you--"
... he what. It is not as though Moran will watch him freeze to death, so Xunxian takes a deep breath and disentangles himself enough to allow the disrobing - only to shift once again as close to Moran as possible and wrap the garment around them both. There. He will not argue that his usual clothing truly is not meant for cold. But he can't leave Moran with less than what meager warmth he has. So, a solution that should work for both problems.
He thinks.