maskormenacelogs | Untamed/MDZS catch-all

What remains in the alley once the attacker and the shadow depart is nothing but a body. A teenage boy, expensively dressed, with a bow still clutched in his hand and unused arrows splayed out beneath him. He may as well be dead.

But after some time passes, the body stirs and rises. It gathers up the arrows and adjusts the quiver on its shoulder. It checks its messages on the network. Nothing new, not yet. No one has even noticed that he is missing, or perhaps they do not care.

His sword is missing: an important belonging. A few minor gashes on his cheek and hand from when he was thrown to the ground. They do not heal as they should. When he focuses to try and heal them, he cannot. He cannot feel the golden core in his chest. If it is still there, something is wrong.

There are people who care for this body. People who will assist it. But the body knows that something is wrong, and the people who care for this body do not like things to be Wrong.

There is one who will accept him no matter what he becomes, and who will be able to provide practical aid no matter how wrong he may be.

Without bothering to send any message of announcement, the body makes its way to the residence of Meng Yao and knocks at the door.

The knock takes him by surprise - he isn't expecting company and so he assumes the visitor must be for one of his housemates. Yet Meng Yao is nothing but polite in such circumstances and he rises, walking to the door and opening it with a small, welcoming smile. Only to find Jin Ling looking...strange. Instinct takes over and he gathers the boy inside, his arm wrapped around him protectively.

"Jin Ling? Why are you here? What happened?" he immediately thinks that he should contact someone, but who? Can't he comfort his nephew? Meng Yao leads the poor boy to a seat, smoothing a hand over his cheek. He finds the skin unnaturally cold and that frightens him. Without knowing why - surely there must be a pulse - he presses his fingers against Jin Ling's jugular.

There's...nothing. That silence, that emptiness breaks his heart - what is left of it - and he quickly grabs his communicator, his hands shaking. Who? Who? Lan Xichen? Lan Wangji? Wei Wuxian?

"Something's wrong, Uncle." Jin Ling obediently lets himself be settled down and touched, but he reaches for the communicator and puts his hand over it when it appears. His uncle seems so upset. He doesn't seem to be thinking clearly. "Don't get me in trouble for coming to you."

He holds out his hand, the one that got scraped as he fell, expecting his uncle to heal it for him. "I can't heal myself. It's not working."

He missed a few answers to questions there, but he doesn't see any reason they're in a hurry for question-answering.

"Yes, I see that." he responds absently, though he is so very glad to hear Jin Ling's voice. Meng Yao can't understand how the boy can be both alive and dead, yet he will care for him. There must be something in his knowledge that can change this.

"Jin Ling, you're not well. Protecting you is more important than us being found out." he lowers the communicator nonetheless and sits beside his nephew.

"Tell me what happened."

They can start there and then, maybe, he can give the others a fuller story.

"I was attacked," Jin Ling explains, trying to remember the details. It feels like something that happened to someone else. "There was a strangely dressed, very tall man. White hair, white gloves. He had a bare, muscular chest with this strange sigil on it. Like one of those stylized butt-hearts, crossed with lines, that had grown roots at the bottom."

He's entirely calm about all of this. These things are merely facts. He feels nothing.

He memorizes the description, relieved that he hasn't locked away his sword. The white haired man won't be alive much longer if he has any say in the matter.

"You are safe here with me." Meng Yao brushes back Jin Ling's hair, remembering far too easily what it was like to hold this boy as a baby.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" he frowns, knowing the answer. If Jin Ling isn't technically alive, he won't want anything.

"Not really." The physical comfort is nice, so Jin Ling leans into it. Though his emotional attachment--and conflict--is absent, he appreciates the attention and touch. It's pleasant, and he isn't used to it. Ever since his uncle Jiang started saying that he was too old to be so clingy, Jin Ling stopped seeking or accepting physical contact.

His sense of shame is absent now. He tucks his legs up, resting them against Meng Yao's thigh, and nestles his head on his uncle's shoulder.

He considers that he might be delirious and hallucinating Jin Ling's presence. The hospital has him on a regimen of rather strong medication, so it is possible. However, thus far, he has had no such side effect. Therefore he must trust the gentle weight of his nephew leaning on him. Meng Yao holds him close, stroking over his hair and resting his cheek against the crown of Jin Ling's head.

"I'm sorry you were attacked."

He is more than sorry and once he finds the one responsible, mercy will not be an option.

Jin Ling makes a quiet noise of acknowledgement, though he's not as interested in the sympathy as he is in the physical pleasure of being petted. This is nice.

"I'm missing my sword," he points out, looking around and taking stock again. The bow and arrows are where he set them down. "Oh. I have a dog."

Dog: also missing.

"Fairy!" he calls aloud, and his dog somersaults out of thin air a moment later, looking around confusedly.

Jin Ling has no idea that she had just been guiding Lan Wangji back to the scene of the attack, and now Wangji will have no guide. He pats the couch by his side and Fairy climbs up at once, curling up protectively by his side. She doesn't understand what's going on, but a responsible adult is here to take care of Jin Ling, and Jin Ling is no longer lying on the ground unconscious, so everything is probably as it should be.

"Where did you leave it? I can return for it." Meng Yao murmurs against Jin Ling's soft hair, "Yes, you do. We need to find her."

Fairy can fend for herself - she is a smart girl - however these cities are filled with dangers they never faced in their world. But he is loathe to put an end to this contact. He feared he would never have this again.

The call makes him blink and he chuckles in surprise when Fairy appears. He embraces the boy a bit tighter, wanting so badly to protect him. And he will if another attack is eminent.

"Good girl, Fairy. I'll get you a bowl for water in a bit." since she seems comfortable and happy at Jin Ling's side at the moment.

Edited 2020-02-13 01:35 (UTC)

"I didn't leave it. It wasn't there when I awoke. I looked. Someone stole it." He pets Fairy's ears, warmed by all this physical contact and attention. Maybe nothing is Wrong after all. Aside from his missing sword and his stifled powers, he doesn't see a problem with the current situation. Nestling comfortably into his uncle's arms, he sighs once.

But almost as soon as he's settled, the physical pleasure of the contact is inadequate and he's restless. His intelligence is intact, after all, and without emotions or introspection to keep his mind busy, he craves stimulation. "I'm bored."

Entertain him, uncle.

"It won't do much for them." except they might sell it. But this is one city and Meng Yao can keep an eye on the pawn shops. Making deals comes easily to him even if he is trying to turn over a new leaf.

In just about any other situation that declaration would make him scoff. However it feels odd after everything else and he cradles Jin Ling's face with one hand, peering into his eyes. There is a definite lack of warmth there and he smiles sadly, kissing his nephew's cheek.

"I'll figure this out. Until then, have you seen a television?" they are rather entertaining - especially if you're stuck in bed feeling like death.

"That's the box with the moving pictures?" He's totally pliant about being handled. He wants the touches and holding to continue, after all.

Televisions hadn't really caught his interest yet, they seemed to be mostly flash and noise. He preferred the interaction with the network. But right now people sounded boring, and flash and noise sounded interesting.

"It is indeed." he finds the remote control without moving much, turning on the strange box, his arm remaining around his nephew's shoulders.

"There are programs about dogs." Meng Yao thinks of Jin Ling when he finds them, "Shall we look for them?"

Fairy might get jealous.

"Yes." Jin Ling doesn't mind letting his uncle make decisions for him. As long as there's entertainment and petting, he'll do whatever his uncle says.

After a couple minutes, he reaches for a pillow and sets it on his uncle's lap, shifting over to rest his head on Meng Yao's lap as he watches the television. Fairy rests her chin on Jin Ling's leg, eyes rolling to keep an eye on her people while she, too, watches the strange pictures on the screen.

He says nothing at the position Jin Ling chooses, but his heart is soaring. Once he finds a show about dogs, he brushes back his nephew's hair with a gentle hand, admiring how much he has grown. He almost smiles yet the expression won't take. There is something very wrong with Jin Ling and he needs to get him help.

With a gentle tap of his prosthetic, he is able to open up the network on his communicator and read some of the posts. Maybe others are experiencing something similar? He really has no desire to give away Jin Ling's location and have him taken from him.

Once he has the entertainment of the television, Jin Ling really doesn't want anything else for hours. He's not capable of wanting things, so he only cares to tend his flesh body and to entertain his mind. The television is better than people. He doesn't have to care about the pictures on the screen.

Fairy whines softly every so often, nuzzling at Jin Ling, but when he pats her she quiets again. She, too, can tell that something is wrong with him. His spiritual energy is all wrong. But all she can do is be loyal and good and keep him safe while the humans figure out an answer.

"I know, Fairy." he answers the dog, his brow furrowed when his search for information comes up empty, "Jin Ling, I need to touch your golden core."

The process isn't comfortable - rather like someone reaching inside and touching a place that shouldn't be touched - but this will prove what he suspects. If the golden core has been stolen, he will need to leave his nephew here and retrieve it.

Forcefully.

"Fine." He'd come for help, after all, and he wants to have use of his powers again. He sits up to make it easier, looking at his uncle emotionlessly as he waits to have his golden core checked. He can still feel it, but he can't use the power from it, so he doesn't know what's wrong.

His attention remains half on the television while he waits.

His hand sinks under flesh, under bone, locating the golden core. He pulls free once his fingers make contact, drawing Jin Ling against him. So it is present. But far less active than it should be.

"I need to speak to the others. But you are safe here, I promise."

More than safe. Anyone who comes through that door seeking Jin Ling's harm will be cut down.

Jin Ling makes a choked, awful sound as the fingers sink into him, panting heavily once they retreat again. That's awful. He doesn't intend to do that again. Maybe being fixed isn't worth the discomfort.

"Fine. Don't get me in trouble. Hanguang-Jun will make me do handstands again."

He settles back into his uncle's lap, returning his attention to the television.

It will be worthwhile. Meng Yao will soften the edges as much as he can because, really, he has accepted Jin Ling as his own. His true son; not a tragic mistake.

"You won't do handstands." he props his communicator against the boy's back and sends out a few messages. One is sent to Wei Wuxian and the second is sent to Lan Xichen. They feel like safe choices.

He sets his communicator aside and enjoys the simple comfort of having Jin Ling at peace around him again. Even if it's feigned or faked.

Jin Ling shifts as he becomes aware of the typing and thus curious about the content of it. He's being discussed. He wants to know what's being said. Turning over, he watches his uncle attentively. "What did you tell them?"

"That you were attacked and I am concerned for your well-being. I made it clear that you are safe here with me, however. They might contact you to make sure." he smiles at the position Jin Ling chooses, lightly ruffling the boy's hair, "We want you to feel better."

"Mm." Jin Ling nestles comfortably, nuzzling his cheek against the pillow. The answer is adequate. He simply isn't interested enough in the topic to press the issue. "As long as I don't have to do anything else uncomfortable." Dozy, he cuddles close, slipping into a restless slumber with his uncle and his dog to watch over him and keep him warm.

Untamed/MDZS catch-all

For Meng Yao: I am Nobody, I am free

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I IMMEDIATELY NEED MORE UNCLE CUDDLING

;n;

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