#of the stick figure with the mcdonalds caramel frappe that's like caramel frappe PLEASE

[multeasers]

Since coming back to life, someway somehow, a little over a year ago, Wen Ruohan has lived with only three things in mind: Avoiding anything dangerous, avoiding putting himself in danger, and avoiding anyone and everyone he can.

He admits that, perhaps, this can be thought of as selfish; he, of all people, now lives a life that is safe and relatively peaceful? The dead he alone slaughtered surely turn in their graves, and the dead he indirectly slew are sure to, as well, over the irony, as even before he wasn’t at peace. Few Sect Leaders ever were, after all, and he’d made it a point to not let peace into many lives. There are nights where it keeps him awake, days where it has him sitting in front of a blade...but, so far, he has lived as quiet a life as could possibly be had. He is as grateful for it as he allows himself to be.

The only problem was that, right now, there was something—someone—who went against each of Ruohan’s current ways of living.

He’s not able to bring himself to continue adhering to those ways, however, upon seeing him on the ground and injured.

“Sect Leader Nie. Sect Leader Nie. Can you hear me?”

While he has avoided contact with other people as much as he can, he hasn’t always been able to do so; in fact, shortly after he had first found himself alive again, he had stumbled into a village purely on accident. He’d managed to make his way out before his identity was realized—while he knows he died in Wen robes, he’d awoken in simple black ones lacking any identifying insignia or detail—but in this village he’d made some very important discoveries: The current list of standing Sects, their Leaders, and the date and time. It’s why he already knows that, despite the fact that Nie Mingjue had been the standing Nie Sect Leader in his time, his younger brother Nie Huaisang has now taken that position. It is part of why Ruohan cannot adhere to the principles he has set for himself.

The other part, of course, is that because neither of them would ever forget the actions of his first life (among the deaths hed caused, Huaisang and Mingjue’s father had been one, with Mingjue himself nearly being another), Ruohan knows that Nie Huaisang likely doesn’t even want his help, but it’s because of this that he can’t help but give it in turn. He doesn’t want to leave him here, hurt (though he isn’t sure how yet) and on his own; it’s really the least he could do.

“Sect Leader Nie...”

And yet, no matter how many times he says his name, Ruohan has so far received no acknowledgement from the other; not unexpected at all, but wholly unhelpful. Huaisang is neither moving nor speaking even as he shakes his shoulder, which is something he does expect a reaction for. For Ruohan to so much as touch him is surely enraging to his core, and yet...

He sighs, and against his better judgement decides to drop the title for now. He will try anything, in this moment, really; “Nie Huaisang, I understand I am not the one you want help from, but I am the one who is here. Tell me what’s happened; I’ll have to carry you from here otherwise...”

Another thing to, hopefully, entice a reaction from him, though unfortunately it’s also something one could call a warning; Ruohan now has his fingers to Huaisang’s pulse, felt upon his wrist, and is searching him with his cultivation. He finds that, somehow, the Sect Leader has been paralyzed; which, of course, explains his lack of movement, but the paralysis seems limited to only that which is below his neck. Surely he should be able to speak, if this is the case?

Unless, of course, he’s—

“Sect Leader Nie, please don’t ignore me.” Ruohan would have sounded annoyed and exasperated, were he still the man from before, upon realizing this could be what’s going on, but now, he just sounds imploring. Perhaps even a bit desperate, though even that, surely, can spark a reaction? Even if it’s only one of surprise?

“I am only trying to help you.”

@cuckoo-among-beasts