Audience: Gu Yun

[probe]

Comments

[liuli]

[ i tormented jan with goat jokes all last game you're all doomed

anyway pride is very lucky they doesn't get PUNCHED appearing like that! gu yun jumps, though its only at the shoulders, before he whips around. ]

Have you considered wearing a bell?

[probe]

[sisi your pronouns,]

It's been suggested. [they sound just a touch amused.]

[liuli]

[ I FIXED IT IM SORRY I PROMISE I HAVE NO IDEA WHO PRIDE IS ]

You'll give someone a heart attack, otherwise. [ rude. he's at the bar! so, he's already got two glasses set out, and a jar of what looks like rice wine set between them. ]

Here, I promised. Something close to my favorite.

[probe]

[you're so funny

anyway, they glance at the rice wine, and the hood tilts to the side.]

Mm. What is it? [they very delicately take the glass with their claws.]

[liuli]

Rice wine, from a place called Lou Lan - or, at least something close to it. The people there are excellent, talented in singing and dancing, and entertainment of all kinds, and I've never met a country full of people with better alcohol tolerance. Their prince, especially - he's a demon with it.

[ he says this very lightly, though, the memory fond, as he goes to pour a glass for each of them! what a lucky find. ] They often welcome our envoy with a feast. Not because they're trying to be kind to us, but rather, because the prince thinks he can outdrink me.

[ which is very cute. he is gu yu, who drinks wine like its water. ] It's light, and sweet. Lou Lan is in the desert, so their alcohol reflects it. Go on.

[probe]

[they pause for a moment, staring at the glass, and then bring it up to take a drink.]

Not terrible. [a nod.] Your Lou Lan sounds... familiar, in a sense.

[liuli]

Oh? Do you have demonic tolerance, too?

[ that's a little playful as his gaze flicks to those claws - gu yun lifts his glass to take a sip, too, relishing in the familiarity of the flavor. he's curious for the real answer! and also gonna recognize 'not terrible' as a pride compliment. lolol ]

[probe]

[snort.]

Not quite. It just sounds like somewhere I've been.

[liuli]

[ hehe

he sips his drink, propping his chin in his hand, eyes lit up and curious. his questions can wait! ] Which parts? For us, it's the country neighboring my own - the prosperous relationship between Lou Lan and Great Liang has been very beneficial.

[probe]

The singing, dancing, entertainment parts. Exotic.

[another sip.] I'm not - mm. [and, a little more exasperated:] Well. I wasn't involved in politics.

[liuli]

They're the worst, aren't they? Politics.

[ gu yun rests his chin in his hand, now, elbow on the bar. politics. terrible. ]

[probe]

Yes. [long sigh.]

The bodyguards are worse.

[liuli]

Oh? Must be limiting. Do you have a lot of them?

[ gu yun who more or less guards the fourth prince, ]

[probe]

Four of them. I don't need them. But they insist.

[liuli]

And likely follow you everywhere, giving you little to no privacy. Right?

[probe]

[:unamused:]

Correct.

[liuli]

[ now he can't help but snicker, lifting his glass. ]

Sounds like overglorified babysitters, to me. Imagine I was your bodyguard! We'd have a great time.

[ he is entirely too qualified to be a bodyguard but also: hilarious ]

[probe]

[that just gets them to finish the glass of wine.]

[liuli]

[ oh my god

this gets him to bark out a laugh and slap the bar, delighted! ]

You're pretty funny, you know! [ genuinely excellent comedic timing pride. snickering to himself, he takes a big drink of his, too. ] I'm not much of a bodyguard - I'd likely let you get away with all sorts of terrible things.

[ since pride =/= great liang... meh! ]

[probe]

[the funny thing is that wasn't even on purpose. they're just that exasperated.]

Hm. Seems likely. [they put the glass down on the bar.]

[liuli]

[ good he's gonna grow on you like a fungus.

still chuckling a little, he nudges the jar back over to them, in case they want a refill. ] There's a reason I'm not a bodyguard.

[ it's also way below his paygrade. the snickering fades, eventually, and he swirls the drink in his glass. ] Seems some of us need one, after everything that happened this weekend.

As expected, you were right. [ about watching backs, anyway. not that gu yun is surprised. ]

[probe]

A bodyguard likely won't help you here.

[they shrug slightly.]

I knew I would be. It never takes long for people to resort to violence.

[liuli]

[ sure won't! that's fine, its not like he's really in need of one.

the more serious topic is important. he drums his fingers on the edge of the glass, expression sliding easily into something much more thoughtful. ] But not Beauregard, apparently.

...Are those results to be trusted? Or can those be bent by illusion, too?

[probe]

The results are one of the only things that can be trusted.

[liuli]

I thought as much.

[ it does create a whole host of other questions, though. he frowns, eventually settling with his hand over his mouth. ]

... When the doors locked and we were all unconscious, were you all able to stay awake? Were you still able to watch us?