The one conceit of this meme: humans (or human-expies, whatever beings they may be) mate for life. With this comes the typical trappings of "mating for life" - indescribable closeness, contentment around your "destined," and, of course, in your all-too-familiar worst case, jealousy and rage should the bond be threatened.
Oh, and there's also the little caveat that, should your mate die, you die as well. But that's not too much to swallow, is it? The whole thing is only a small conceit, you know.
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PROMPTS
romanticism | You approach the potential of mating with a dreamy hope. It will be just like a romance novel! distaste | Ugh, mating? You're going to put it off...or maybe even try not to do it at all. imprint | That's them. That's the one. You both know it, and you can't keep away. first | The first time you come together sets the bond in stone, not to mention sets the stage for the rest of your lives. share | Some mates are able to communicate and share their secrets through a mental link; others have to do it the old fashioned way and just speak up. calm | When one partner goes berserk, there's only one person in this world who can get them to settle down. comfort | Merely being in the presence of your mate can turn your stormy day around. heal | Scars, mental or physical, can be mended with the right love from a mate. need | Your body is going through actual physical withdrawal due to being away from your one and only. protect | Whether the threat be real or jealously perceived, you have to keep what's yours from harm. obsessed | You're beyond jealous. You've taken it too far mistake | Mating with them was not the right decision, but you can't take it back. cheat | Despite your being mated, you've chosen to break a sacred trust and go outside the home. death | There's not much will left to live in you after your mate has passed. Even if there was, it's not like you have much of a choice not to die. old mated couple | You've lasted a long time. This may be your "happy ending."
They had been mated before Wei Wuxian's death. Had been inseparable much to the dismay of the Lan sect. Possibly even the dismay of the Jiang sect, or at least of Jiang Cheng. Their sister, however, had not been surprised. It was something that Lan Wangji had asked her about once. There had been no real answer and just a smile that spoke volumes. She'd known.
He should've died with his mate's death. In a way, he felt as if he had. No matter what his brother, or even reluctant uncle, had tried he'd barely functioned. Sometimes slipping in and out of fevered dreams. There was no one among the Lan or Jiang sects who knew how to fix things. Not when it was unheard of for a mate not to die when their mate did. That was unheard of.
Lan Wangji is barely with it, barely feels that bond reach out to him. A part of it made him sure that his broken mind was playing tricks on him. There was no way that was possible. Not when he'd felt that bond shatter and break. This, however, felt like something that was barely holding on by a thread.
Enough so that he doesn't realize when his brother escorts someone into the Jingshi. He doesn't have the heart to tell his big brother that there is no one he wishes to see. This was normal, after all. His brother sending whoever he could in to see if it would help. To try and mend what was broken.
[ Imprint? Thought the idea of them knowing it and avoiding it constantly because of the friendship between Lan Xichen and Nie Mingju and eventually everything with Ming Yao would make it interesting. ]
He knows.
Well, perhaps more accurately, they both know. For how long he’s not entirely sure, it’s just like that piece of knowledge you are aware of and then tuck at the back of your mind… trying to forget it but being unable to. It wasn’t even an agreement, they didn’t just decide to not talk about it. They just—didn’t. Lan Xichen was sure it was because of Nie Mingju. No matter what Huaisang thought, his brother was protective of him and he was honestly the only friend Nie Mingju had.
They hadn’t wanted anything to affect that. At least, he thought. Then Nie Mingju died and they still didn’t talk about it. Not that he tried to bring it up or anything, actually—he felt in a way he almost avoided Huaisang more. Then everything else with Wei Wuxian and Meng Yao happened and—a crack. A break. Lan Xichen didn’t think he could look anyone in the eyes for longer than a few minutes, much less Huaisang.
He spent a few months in seclusion before he realized Wangji was trying to carry the entire weight of both the cultivation world and the sect on his back. That he needed help but wouldn’t ask for it, not verbally anyway. He dragged himself out for Wangji but didn’t leave the Cloud Recesses. He sat at a desk, did his job as the Sect Leader, and tried to keep the pieces together. It was easier to just go through the motions, to not stop and think about it for too long. He might break if he did.
If he spends longer than necessary repeating the Sect rules to himself instead of thinking well no one would think it was odd. A breath, one motion after another, and he dips his brush in ink to continue writing the letters in front of him. He’d sat frozen in place for so long that the ink on the paper in front of him was already dry.
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bakerstreet2021-03-11 07:43 am
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