( OPEN ) MISSION 3.1 | time shifts, dreams fade, ripples blur the illusion

[soups]

CHARACTERS: Jiang Yanli & You
LOCATION: Jiang Yanli's Dreamscape
DATE: Throughout the mission
CONTENT: Having fallen into a deep sleep, Jiang Yanli's dreams and memories play out for others to see and take part in
WARNINGS: Possible violence, mentions of death, canon spoilers guaranteed to be mentioned. Look below for specific warnings for each memory.

⇢ LOTUS PIER: relatively tame, more nostalgic and wistful than traumatic
⇢ JIN CLAN CHAMBERS: a little more psychologically complicated; involves issues of loss of child (abstract) and abandoned motherhood
⇢ NIGHTLESS CITY: obvious death and undead yanli. totally lost in the dream sauce here. injury is highly likely.

If you want to talk out another memory to enjoy, PM me or hit me up at haseul!

Comments

[calmness]

[he's grateful for that, for the reprieve as they venture too close to the edge of a wound that does not wish to close. it won't, he knows, until he takes the time to clean and tend to it. the time for that is not now, not in this dream space where jiang yanli holds her son.

he hopes she is not one to bear witness to it at all, to his healing and the mess that will inevitably come if he's here on this ship when it comes.]

There will be. [for all his obliviousness before, he will do his best to fill in the gaps he can. he glances at the mother and child again, takes a deep breath.] You have it right now, do not let me distract you from treasuring this much longer.

[the guilt behind his words does not bleed through. the memory is from months before meng yao's trickery steals this from her? weeks? days?]

[soups]

❰ she gives lan xichen a small smile before returning to her son, looking at his sleeping face with all the love her body can bear to produce. for as long as the dream lasts, it will be a happy one. it's easy enough to push all the thoughts about the jin clan and what befalls them out of her mind, as long as she knows that her son is safe and well cared for. ❱

You do not know the world it means to me, Zewu Jun, that you have told me the future of my son. I can be here in peace knowing that his path is one that has not yet ended.

❰ for as many mysteries as that future still holds, if she was told that she could know nothing further? she would be content. ❱

So I thank you for giving me whatever time I have left her to be equally peaceful.

[calmness]

I am glad I could give you that. [for all he has lost, jin rulan deserves happiness ahead of him too.

the world is safer for him now, even if a heavy title has fallen on his shoulders. even if for time to come, he will have to prove himself against the his uncle's crimes.

he offers her a bow, a gentle smile and then turns to allow her the precious time she deserves.]