oom: THE CULTIVATOR JOB

[cultivation_npc]

The door opens, and on the other side is Jin Guangyao.

He puts his finger to his lips, opens the door wide, and lets people pass into a stone-walled passageway lit by torches in sconces.

As everybody enters, he lifts a finger in warning and points to his left -- there are guards there -- then leads the way to his right, towards a large gate in the stone wall.

Comments

[hat_and_dimples]

"He seems to," Jin Guangyao murmurs, watching him. "The guards were nicely agitated, apart from the one that wasn't."

[zenigatcha]

"Couldn't get you much else help but him," Zenigata says as he settles into his work with long, pins. He's glad he brought his heavy duty tools -- this is a heavy, ancient padlock; the thin tines of his more delicate tools would have snapped inside it.

Worse comes to worse, he has a 'nuke' in his pocket, but there won't be a lock if he uses it, just broken. He wants to avoid that. The less evidence left behind, the better.

Lan Zhan stays still and silent, mouth pressed in a thin line. He does not like this waiting for the subterfuge to occur, but at the same time it's necessary.

[hat_and_dimples]

"No help but him?" Jin Guangyao says, dimpling deeply with amusement. "Are you completely overlooking yourself?"

[zenigatcha]

Oh. Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like he has no self-esteem.

Zenigata just grunts once in response, trying to keep his attention where it's most needed, and it's not on his pride. He's listening to metal scrape against metal, feeling where pressure starts to give.

"You know what would have been smarter than bringing me," Zenigata says as he hears a tumbler give. "Getting the key, making a wax impression, and then then making a copy elsewhere. Ah well, ideas for the next time we need to rob your sorry excuse for a father."

Yeah, there's that self-esteem issue again.

[hat_and_dimples]

"Then I could just as well have stolen the key for this purpose," Jin Guangyao says. "I did factor in that option, but this way is better -- all keys have been accounted for the entire time."

[zenigatcha]

Zenigata mumbles something unintelligible under his breath, though it's soft and not grumpy sounding. Just - talking to himself or the lock under his breath, at this point. But then there's the satisfying click of the padlock coming undone in his hand.

He eases it free of it's latch, and then extends it to Jin Guangyao. "This is yours, I believe."

[hat_and_dimples]

Jin Guangyao takes it, nods, and pushes the door open.

Then, he gestures for Lan Wangji to enter first.

[thesecondjade]

Finally. There's a slight dip in Lan Zhan's shoulders as relief takes him for a single crystaline moment, before he ices over again. Then he steps to the door, speaking softly: "Wen Qing? Help has come."

Promises are being kept.

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing rouses herself from hunger, exhaustion, and despair. For a fleeting moment, at seeing Lan Wangji, she wonders if Wei Wuxian has appeared to save them again.

But then she remembers the sounds of her clan dying, the ropes snapping, and tears spill for he is too late to save them all.

She realizes she is being rude and pulls herself to a shaky stand, stumbling once before she's confident enough to offer a polite bow.

[thesecondjade]

Not wasting a moment, in a gesture that might be achingly familiar to Jin Guangyao, Lan Zhan steps up and puts his hands to her arms to stop the bowing.

"This is unnecessary," he says, but it's coiled in kindness instead of striking like a viper. "We are here to help you escape, Wen Qing. Please, come with us. We have a door, back to the bar between worlds."

[hat_and_dimples]

"Do not be alarmed," Jin Guangyao adds, stepping through the door. "When I learned about this dungeon, I knew I could not leave the best doctor of our generation in the ungentle hands of Xue Yang and my father. I want you to find a life in another world."

[herb_and_needle]

The kindness, after so many days of neglect and casual cruelty, makes her blink back tears. She takes a steadying breath and offers a hint of a smile in a serene expression.

"I thank you," she says to Lan Wangji before turning to Jin Guangyao to offer an apologetic nod of her head. "And I thank you and apologize for my harsh words when last we spoke. Let us retrieve Wen Ning and leave."

[thesecondjade]

"We cannot retrieve Wen Ning," Lan Zhan says, with all the heavy weight those words must imply as he grips her arms that much tighter, incase emotion overwhelms her. "If we could reunite you with your brother, we would gladly do so, but he is gone."

Zenigata's stays silent, watching at the door for guards or any other distractions. Clicking on his comm, he tells Lupin Princess in hand, prepping to rescue her from the castle. Will update soon.

[hat_and_dimples]

Jin Guangyao pauses by the door, eyes downcast.

"I am sorry," he says, softly. "Xue Yang -- took him apart to see how he worked, on his quest to make more of his kind."

Pause.

"That's how I knew I had to save you, despite my father and his wishes."

[herb_and_needle]

Tears spill at the words and she doesn't even notice. All her life she fought to protect Wen Ning and now she has failed. It feels like there is nothing left for her and she is tempted to stay.

But a stubborn voice within fights against the idea of letting the Jin have that final victory. She takes a few moments to accept the loss of her brother before taking another steadying breath and nodding.

"I am ready."

[thesecondjade]

Lan Zhan turns to Zenigata, who grunts and nods, murmuring over the comm, Princess in hand, we're leaving the castle. Come to us. Then he nods again to Lan Zhan, who is happy to lead them all out of this horrible box of a room.

Once outside, Zenigata shuts the door behind Wen Qing and replaces the padlock. Why make it easy for them, after all?

[hat_and_dimples]

Jin Guangyao walks down the corridor, then turns to put his finger to his lips.

"We don't want to wake the guard," he whispers, arching an eyebrow. "He is sleeping so nicely."

And soon, forever, he doesn't add.

[lupintrois]

Lupin dumps his loot back out in the bushes so he's not clanking with each step, and then circles back around to draw the guards off the gate with claims that he'd seen a suspicious person climbing over the wall.

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing follows along breathing calmly and building her core to supplement her body. The last thing she wants is to be the reason they are caught.

As they travel she can't help eyeing the strong and very tall man that is with them.

[thesecondjade]

Zenigata and Lan Zhan are both stupidly tall, but Zenigata barely edges out the younger man. Both of them walk with confidence, but caution, ready to act if they must, both hoping it will be unnecessary.

"Now we just need Lupin," Zenigata says as they walk. "Once we get to the door, we just need to make sure we're all through it."

[hat_and_dimples]

"Lupin," Jin Guangyao murmurs into his headset, "now is the time to return. Please materialize by the Door."

The Door, with the requisite sense of importance.

[herb_and_needle]

Both are very tall but Lan Wangji is like a willow while this other man is like a mountain. Regardless, Wen Qing waits patiently for this other person.

[lupintrois]

And suddenly Jin Guangyao #2 appears, his face and smile identical to the man he's abruptly standing next to. The only difference between them is a large sack with a swirly karakusa pattern hanging over one shoulder.

[herb_and_needle]

At the sudden appearance, her brows pinch just a fraction, and her lips part briefly before she schools her features. Looking between them, she offers a brief bow for propriety's sake before tilting her head ever so slightly at Lan Wangji with a hint of raised eyebrows.

[thesecondjade]

"About damned time," Zenigata hisses as Lupin comes into view, keeping his voice low. His eyes narrow at the bag, already turning red in the cheeks. "You couldn't have gotten that far, or into that much trouble?"

Lan Zhan, by way of explanation says, "Zenigata was a friend the Wens. Lupin is a friend to Zenigata, with skills in theft and disguise. We can discuss it as necessary on the other side of the door."

He glances to Jin Guangyao. "If you would lead the way."