Brothel meme continued

[lastjinstanding]

Continued from here

Jin Ling had really hoped he'd have A-Yuan at his side for this, but he didn't blame the sweet man for being ill one bit. In fact, he really enjoyed holding him as they finished traveling up to Lotus Pier. He sends servants off the boat to arrange a discreet delivery of his ill and subdued guest to private chambers following Ling's disembark. He instructed only Fu Geming to carry A-Yuan with Liling.

Sadly, after that, he had to leave his pets in his servants care. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped onto the pier. He bowed humbly to all of his relatives and gave them each a proper greeting- or in Wei Wuxian's case, a cheeky one.

He was brought into the main hall and given the seat next to Jiang Cheng's throne. Wei Wuxian was seated beside him with Lan Wangji at the next seat. And yes, Wangji had been offered the throne but had chosen to stay at Wuxian's side. It was Jiang Cheng's wedding, after all.

Jin Ling is happy sitting to a nice cup of tea and some wine after a long day of travel with promise of dinner coming.

~~~

"Jin-Guniang, is the young master Zheng in this room?" A young, unfamiliar male voice asks. "I have some medicine I wish to offer if you'd announce me."

"Of course. Let me ask for you," Liling says in a warm tone. She knocks on Yuan's door and peeks in. She smiles when she sees him awake. She comes in and shuts the door behind her. "Zheng-gongzi? How are you feeling? A friend of Jin-zongzhu from the Lan Clan is here to offer you some medicine. Would you feel up to seeing him?"

Comments

[unlanylikebehavior]

Just for that, Jingyi is going to make Wei Wuxian the cinnamon rolls he knows the man likes. The recipe normally is only made with a hint of cinnamon, but when they make it for Wei Wuxian, they also double or triple the spices.

He smiles gratefully at Yuan for the very excellent suggestion. "I'd be glad to!" He glances back at the other two one more time to make sure they're okay before turning his whole focus to his companion. "The gardens here are well kept, aren't they? The white stone that's natural to this area. It helps keep the plants looking so healthy while discouraging pests."

Why was he talking about that? He supposes a person can't just jump in to suddenly asking how a fellow goes about getting another fellow to take his flower.

"How was your night?"

[notaturnip]

Yuan just nods politely, because it's very clear that well-kept gardens are not what Jingyi wants to talk about, but he's happy to let him meander through whatever subjects he wants to until he gets to the point he's actually trying to make.

"My sleep was a little interrupted," he says, his gaze flicking briefly to his father - whose story has now progressed to including wild gestures, but Zizhen is still enraptured - "but otherwise good. How was yours?"

He smiles expectantly, wondering if this will be enough to nudge Jingyi into what was bothering him - not that he minds if it isn't, he's more than happy to engage in small talk as they stroll through the garden until Jingyi's ready.

[unlanylikebehavior]

"Interrupted?" He asks with a concerned frown. "Did you have trouble with nightmares?"

If he had, it would be understandable given the new place and new bed. He knows a couple of ways to make that a little better but it was trickier if there were other people in the room who might not appreciate the qin being played! (Especially the qin being played by a less skilled player than themselves).

[notaturnip]

"Oh, no," Yuan shakes his head. He does get nightmares, occasionally, but he knows how to handle them.

(Or, more accurately, he knows how to be quiet about them)

"It was..ah.." he hesitates. Should he be putting this delicately? He probably should, right... "a mishap with a silencing talisman?"

That should get the message across, right? There's only one reason somebody would use a talisman like that late at night, surely.

[unlanylikebehavior]

That is a relief. Cloud Recesses is a peaceful place, he is glad it isn't causing Yuan nightmares! Although, maybe he wouldn't have been so quick to be happy if he knew the real reason instead.

He stops walking and stares at his new friend, shocked. He glances back toward the house and his face bursts with color, the realization hitting him like a slap. "NO!" He gasps, like this is the most scandalous thing he's ever heard. "W- while you were there? In the room? Not Hanguang Jun! He wouldn't.."

He starts to remember the handful of antics when the two men first reunited that might proof that yes, yes even his precious Hanguang Jun.

[notaturnip]

"They were behind the screen and they thought the talisman had worked," Yuan shrugs casually - he can certainly understand how the mistake happened, so he really isn't bothered by it.

"I've heard worse. I've seen worse." He adds, unperturbed "They love each other and they missed each other, it's only natural they wanted to express that."

If anything, to Yuan, it's actually quite wholesome.

[unlanylikebehavior]

"Yeah but.." It is so indecent. People weren't supposed to engage in that behavior! Except, that isn't exactly true when it comes to a married couple is it?

He thinks about that for a few minutes and decides that oddly enough brings up his own situation. "Well.. I guess.. um.. you really don't mind talking about stuff like that?" He asks, glancing over at Yuan cautiously. "It doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

[notaturnip]

"Jingyi," he says calmly, raising an eyebrow at his new friend "I used to do stuff like that. For money. Do you really think I'd have been able to do my job if I was uncomfortable talking about it?"

He knows enough about manners and propriety to know he shouldn't talk about it, but he feels like being a little blunt right now might be what Jingyi actually needs.

"Did you want to ask me something about such things?" He prompts gently

[unlanylikebehavior]

That is definitely not helping with the blush! He also feels terrible taking advantage of this knowledge that Yuan should never have had to build. However since it's there..

He takes a deep breath and blurts out, "I slept with Zizhen this morning but I think I did it wrong. We didn't get to the sleeping part, but I was under the covers with him. Then something really embarrassing happened and I think he could tell through my robes and um.. I don't know. Will he still want to marry me if I'm not a virgin anymore?"

[notaturnip]

Yuan bites back on his first response which is to point out that if not being a virgin stopped you from getting married he was, pun intended, fucked. Not that he wanted to marry anyone other than Jin Ling, anyway, and Yuan's lack of virginity was at the bottom (pun not intended) of a very long list of reasons that wasn't going to happen.

"Jingyi," he starts gently "it's quite common for young men to-" he stops, the key points of Jingyi's rambling explanation suddenly catching his attention.

"Hang on, through your robes? You were still dressed?"

[unlanylikebehavior]

Yuan's situation was so weird and unique, there was just no way it could compare to Jingyi's at all! Jingyi has all sorts of rules and who knew what Yuan was going to be expected to do or not do. It didn't seem like Jin Ling really cared. He was mad over the boy, so who cared? Never mind that the same logic could be applied to Jingyi's relationship with Zizhen and his 'not-weird or unique' situation.

He puts a hand on his chest, thrown off by even the question. "Yes, of course. I wouldn't be indecent in front of him! I mean.." He glances around, making absolute certain they weren't being overheard and lowers his voice. "I- I did remove my top few robes!" Snicker. He was so bad! "B- but I was in his bed. We kissed!"

[notaturnip]

Yuan takes a steady breath, processing Jingyi's absolutely scandalised tone and reassessing just how innocent the boy apparently is - he had assumed, with Jin Ling's clear experience and his own many, many encounters, that most young men had probably engaged in something before (and after) they were married, but apparently this does not apply to Jingyi.

"So, you kissed but you were still clothed..." he says slowly "Jingyi... what do you think 'sleeping together' actually entails?"

[unlanylikebehavior]

Jingyi frowns at Yuan confused and starts looking even more embarrassed that he was clearly missing something important. What had he done wrong? He glances toward the house wondering if Zizhen will forgive him for whatever etiquette he breached.

Taking a shaky breath, he pulls from his robe a picture like, again, it's the most shocking and risque thing ever before showing it to Yuan. It is, by far, the most mild and frankly unhelpful porn. The male couple are in bed, with the blankets covering the bottom half of their bodies. They're embracing and kissing. One has robes still on and from the looks of it, there are several layers of robes, and the other might have lingerie or just his inner robe but it has draped just slightly suggestively down his shoulder. That's it. That's the 'porn'.

"See? We did that," he explains helplessly. "But last night you said that jar was meant for something and the most embarrassing thing happened when we were kissing. I couldn't help it. I haven't um.. I haven't mastered being able to keep the 'stiffness' away. I know the cold springs is supposed to help but we're not allowed going out at night. A- and even if I could I tried really hard not to but I.." His eyes were welling up from the sheer horror and embarrassment of it all. "I think he may have noticed. How do I sleep with him without being so disrespectful to him?"

[notaturnip]

Yuan presses his lips together and tries so, so hard not to laugh. It's almost adorable, really, how flustered and naive Jingyi was about this whole thing. The picture was bad enough, but the mortified explanation that the embarrassing thing that had happened was that he had got an erection nearly sends him over the edge.

After a long moment of silence, he nods slowly, takes another steadying breath and decides where to begin.

"First of all, this?" he taps the picture "Is a... poor representation of what happens. They're still clothed for one thing, and traditionally for sex one is not,"

He'll stick with the basics, he thinks, Jingyi can't take more than that.

"The... uh... stiffness is also part of the process. It's not disrespectful to be turned on by the person you love, actually it's a good thing."

He pauses, frowning thoughtfully. He could ask Wei-qianbei if he could borrow some of his books, but they might be a little too... advanced.

"Would you like me to explain the process in full to you?"

[unlanylikebehavior]

The longer he waits, the worse this feels. He wonders what Yuan must think of him to do such a thing in Zizhen's presence. He must think he has no respect for the other boy at all!

"But.." He was supposed to be..? "How 'not clothed'?" He asks innocently. Surely Yuan didn't mean they were to take everything off. Did he? They weren't animals! Well, he was sometimes, he thought with shame. Last night, he'd waited until the issue had very painfully gone away, but he thought that was part of his punishment for being a horribly sick person.

"There's.. a process?" He asks, uncertain. He glances back up at the building. "Would you maybe explain it to Zizhen too? Not now! Just.. I don't want him to go back to Baling without.. um.. without doing this correctly."

[notaturnip]

"Completely not clothed." Yuan says, then he pauses and concedes "Well I suppose you could still wear one robe, if it was open."

He follows Jingyi's gaze up to Zizhen (who is still being very effectively distracted by Wei Wuxian's stories) and nods.

"I'll find a time to speak to him about it, as well," he agrees - just in case Zizhen is equally innocent, because the poor idiots would never get anything done if they were both like that. He pauses to consider if he should be telling Jingyi any of this, and then decides that he's only going to get himself into trouble without proper information, at least if he knows what to do there's going to be no misunderstandings or injury caused.

"Right," he says, and launches into a very thorough and surprisingly businesslike explanation of sex with another man.

(He does explain it's a little different with a woman, but doesn't go into detail)

[unlanylikebehavior]

His eyes go wide from the moment he starts talking to the moment he finishes. He is a mix of horrified and fascinated by everything he's being told. It's evident by everything in his expression that all of this is brand new information too. Absolutely nothing, even the stuff that would be similar for a man or a woman, is familiar to him.

He's quiet for a few minutes when Yuan is done processing all of this. "How.. um.. how do you know which one should do which part?" He asks finally. "Is there some etiquette you're supposed to follow to decide who gets to be the one um.. being laid upon or doing the laying upon?" He can see both being a lot of fun. He wonders which Zizhen would like. Is there one he's been dreaming of? Did he even know this was how men were together?

"Where should I go with him? It's a room of bunk beds in the dormitory."

[notaturnip]

"Not... etiquette, as such," Yuan says slowly "some people have a preference, others enjoy either, it's something you can decide with your partner."

The second question gives him pause, though, because where can they go in a place like this? They should probably avoid having their first time in a room full of other people.

"You know this place better than I. It doesn't have to be a bed, but you'll want somewhere private, warm and comfortable. The first time should be able... exploring one another. Getting to know what you like. You should find somewhere you won't be disturbed. You also don't have to rush this, you know, it's perfectly okay to just kiss until you're ready for more."

Jingyi is so sweet and innocent, Yuan thinks his first experience should be perfect in a way that his never got to be.

[unlanylikebehavior]

"You mean.. you have to talk about that?" Oh the horror! You have to talk about sex with the person you're having sex with! Yuan, what were you telling this poor guy.

The rest of what he says is so unexpectedly sweet. It's still amazingly inappropriate like the rest of this conversation- not Yuan's fault- but Jingyi can feel the care in it too. He looks at his new friend and before he can stop himself, he hugs him. It isn't fair that Yuan didn't get to be treated so nicely. It's confusing but Jingyi is certain he loves Yuan somehow. He can't quite define how since it's not how he feels for Zizhen, but it's there and it's genuine.

He draws back, his eyes a little misty. "I think we were meant to be sworn brothers. You and I."

[notaturnip]

"Jingyi," he says gently "you should always communicate during sex."

It might be embarrassing, but it was much better than the alternative. Yuan has learned to pick up the cues and figure out what people like based on their reactions, but Jingyi doesn't have to do that, not with someone he loves. It's healthier to be able to talk, he thinks.

Then suddenly Jingyi is hugging him and he isn't quite sure how to handle that but he hugs him back, patting him on the shoulder softly as his expression softens from surprise into a gentle smile. There's something so strange and wholesome about physical affection from somebody who definitely does not want to have sex with him, it's something he's been lacking in his life.

"Sw-sworn brothers?" he repeats, blinking "You'd want- I mean I- I'm not even- Really?"

Yuan is actually blushing.

[unlanylikebehavior]

"Promiscuity is forbidden! I'm sure talking about promiscuity falls under that too!" He protests, until he realizes just how silly that statement was. He's already admitted he's wanting to break one rule, why wouldn't he break the other one? "Are you sure you can't just tell somehow?"

It'd be so much easier if there was some fancy ritual like dropping a handkerchief and if Zizhen picks it up a certain way then it's an indication he wants to be nailed in the ass.. Whew, he fans himself, where did that thought come from?

He steps back a little to give Yuan some room, but he keeps an arm hooked around the crook of Yuan's elbow. "Yes, really! You're so sweet and helpful and kind and.. I don't know how people go about doing this but I'll find out, okay? Wei Wuxian is the sworn brother of Jiang Cheng and Zewu Ju once had two sworn brothers. They were all from different sects. I know we haven't known each other very well, but don't you feel it too?"

[notaturnip]

"Promiscuity is sleeping with lots of different people. Sleeping with the person you love isn't that." Yuan says firmly - he's long ago shed any ideas about sex being wrong or shameful and he thinks those ideas are, frankly, stupid, but he's willing to at least concede that other people have them and let people breve what they wish - as long as their definitions are accurate. Jingyi shouldn't feel ashamed for wanting to sleep with the person he loves.

"And I'm sure." Even when you think it might be blatantly obvious, you'd be surprised. You can guess, and sometimes you can be right, but it's no guarantee until you get somebody in bed and actually ask what they like.

He smiles softly at Jingyi and nods.

"I suppose I do know what you mean. You and Zizhen are sort of my first real friends, in a way..." he admits shyly.

[unlanylikebehavior]

Yuan sees yet another epiphany dawn on Jingyi's face like a secret to the universe being revealed instead of being given a different definition. It wasn't wrong to sleep with someone you loved? He looks up at Zizhen. Could it be? Was it really possible that he might not be committing a sin to sleep with.. and by sleep with, he means have sex with (since now he knows the difference).. the person he is hoping will ask for his hand?

It makes him wonder if all this time those little incidents where Wei Wuxian and Hanguang Jun were rumored to do such scandalous things if those too weren't actually wrong. Was Yuan right that even what they did last night, excluding the mistake of the talisman was a perfectly natural reunion between spouses? Would Zizhen greet him in such a way whenever they were apart?

"Really? You didn't have any friends where you used to live?" He asks with a frown. "How could that be? Who wouldn't love you? I know Zizhen and I both do."

[notaturnip]

Yuan smiles softly, both at the obvious revelation he just gave Jingyi, and at the compliment - he's glad to help his friend, especially when his affection comes so easily, without guile or strings attached.

"Things at the Golden Hare were... competitive. Everybody vied for clients, for Madame's attention," attention they were jealous of him for getting. No doubt somebody's already taken scissors to his best robes for getting the Jin Ling job. - he wonders how they'll feel when they find out what happened. He can't bring himself to feel bad, at this point the idea of anybody else being with Jin Ling turns his stomach. "We were friends but not... not with trust, or loyalty, which makes for.. poor friendships."

[unlanylikebehavior]

He reaches out and takes both of Yuan's hands gently. "You won't have to worry about that stuff ever again once you're officially a Lan. We can be competitive here but it's always fair and we support each other. There are occasional squabbles and pettiness but.. I imagine it doesn't get like how you're used to. Our elders are strict but that's because they care about us and want us to do our best. You'll have real friends here."

This time he wasn't speaking from a purely naïve place, even if it sounded like it. He knew that Lan Rong and once in a while Lan Bao could be dumb, but they were never cruel. Even if Rong crossed a line, there were other Lan disciples who stepped in and helped remind him of the righteous path. They would show Yuan this higher way of life and that he was meant to be treated so much better than he has in the past.