[Mingjue hates to see Huaisang like this, no matter what form he takes, and the urge to hunt down and destroy whatever is causing this rises steadily with every nervous gesture. Because the answer to 'why' is...not what he expected and he didn't understand it. The idea that one could lead for too long, would willingly set down the mantle when there was still work to be done, snarled in his head like a tangled skein.
But Mingjue's job had always been to shield his little brother and make sure he was prepared for whenever he was forced to take up leadership. Future-Mingjue did a shit job of preparing Hauisang, apparently, if present-Mingjue needed to start over and try again.]
You're not okay.
[He nodded, once, in acquiescence, something sharp and jagged and protective building in his chest. But he doesn't under Huaisang's fumbling words at all. His grip flexes on Baxia, and he tries to frame 'stuff happened, I need to run' into something that makes sense.]
You're injured. This is a tactical retreat.
[The words are growled out. He doesn't reach for Huaisang, even though this is his little brother looking so pale and unhappy, only because Mingjue's firmly on the 'more murdery' side of problem-solving at the moment.]
no subject
But Mingjue's job had always been to shield his little brother and make sure he was prepared for whenever he was forced to take up leadership. Future-Mingjue did a shit job of preparing Hauisang, apparently, if present-Mingjue needed to start over and try again.]
You're not okay.
[He nodded, once, in acquiescence, something sharp and jagged and protective building in his chest. But he doesn't under Huaisang's fumbling words at all. His grip flexes on Baxia, and he tries to frame 'stuff happened, I need to run' into something that makes sense.]
You're injured. This is a tactical retreat.
[The words are growled out. He doesn't reach for Huaisang, even though this is his little brother looking so pale and unhappy, only because Mingjue's firmly on the 'more murdery' side of problem-solving at the moment.]