[Something in what Mingjue says makes more of an impact than he anticipates. That shift, from kid-brother to Sect Leader is visible and—Mingjue is not afraid to admit—startling, considering the Huaisang he left behind. His eyes widen and he rocks back on his heels when it happens. What Huaisang says to follow up that shift, however, is alarming, to say the least, and it draws him forward again. Sharply:]
This stronghold? Your enemy is here? And you're relinquishing territory against your better judgement?
[It's not an accusation, but an...honestly rather belligerent request for clarification. A prodigious frown overtakes his face as he hunts for visible wounds in the way Huaisang is holding himself. Though, no, no, already Mingjue had been grasping for something to put his brother's behavior into context, so this is an extension of that. And a summary of a decision that Huaisang obviously had not made lightly, considering his shaky approach. It is Huaisang's prerogative not to pursue further retribution, especially when the matter had already been settled in Nie victory.
But Huaisang meets his eyes and something in Mingjue settles with a quiet thank fuck somewhere deep inside of him, because in meeting his eyes at all now there's Nie steel there beneath the grime of having wading through a brutal task. There was nothing wrong with coming out the other end of conflict blood-spattered and in need of healing. And if he's going to act like a Nie, then Mingjue's going to treat him like Nie and not storm off with Baxia towards the threat.]
Nevermind. [He says that as roughly as he'd snarled the questions he'd wanted answered, but he is subsiding.] As the victor, it's your judgement, whatever judgement that is. We'll deal with the consequences.
[The problem is: Huaisang being cagey as hell. While it isn't out of the question that ten years was after Mingjue's own death by qi deviation, this island is out of the flow of time so that...didn't matter. He lets out his breath.]
Your comrade who fell. They're from a time before they fell?
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timeasmymeasure
\o/ Beautimus (Also MAN this took me a bit to brain a proper response.)
Date: 2021-05-27 09:03 pm (UTC)This stronghold? Your enemy is here? And you're relinquishing territory against your better judgement?
[It's not an accusation, but an...honestly rather belligerent request for clarification. A prodigious frown overtakes his face as he hunts for visible wounds in the way Huaisang is holding himself. Though, no, no, already Mingjue had been grasping for something to put his brother's behavior into context, so this is an extension of that. And a summary of a decision that Huaisang obviously had not made lightly, considering his shaky approach. It is Huaisang's prerogative not to pursue further retribution, especially when the matter had already been settled in Nie victory.
But Huaisang meets his eyes and something in Mingjue settles with a quiet thank fuck somewhere deep inside of him, because in meeting his eyes at all now there's Nie steel there beneath the grime of having wading through a brutal task. There was nothing wrong with coming out the other end of conflict blood-spattered and in need of healing. And if he's going to act like a Nie, then Mingjue's going to treat him like Nie and not storm off with Baxia towards the threat.]
Nevermind. [He says that as roughly as he'd snarled the questions he'd wanted answered, but he is subsiding.] As the victor, it's your judgement, whatever judgement that is. We'll deal with the consequences.
[The problem is: Huaisang being cagey as hell. While it isn't out of the question that ten years was after Mingjue's own death by qi deviation, this island is out of the flow of time so that...didn't matter. He lets out his breath.]
Your comrade who fell. They're from a time before they fell?