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[duplicitous_dimples]

I'm sorry to have missed you. 
If you have a message for me, please leave it below.
I will reply as soon as I am able. 

 

Comments

[duplicitous_dimples]

[The response is almost immediate, delayed only by a moment of surprise in which Jin Guangyao double-checks the sender information and rereads the short message with raised brows.]

Certainly, A-Ling. Have you a time and place in mind?

[jinlingers]

[ Jin Ling wonders if this is really a good idea. He still can't reconcile things. He's still angry and hurt but he misses his shushu. ]

Tomorrow. I don't have a set place in mind.

[duplicitous_dimples]

Tomorrow, then. There is a teahouse I have frequented in the past month that I feel you may enjoy. If that sounds agreeable, perhaps we can meet there?

[He attaches the coordinates, curiosity driving his efficiency in planning their meeting.]

[jinlingers]

I will meet you there.

[ He won't back out of this even if he's nervous and conflicted. ]

action

[duplicitous_dimples]

[Jin Guangyao sends a simple “very well” in response, erring on the side of caution in hopes of preserving the chance of seeing his nephew again. Though their previous meeting had been painful, it was a pain that Jin Guangyao was no stranger to - his heart was a mess of scars from different hands all holding the same knife, and the wound he was nursing could not possibly hurt enough to stop him from caring for Jin Ling.

It would be a welcome change, to see him in person, rather than assisting and guiding from afar in ways that were engineered to go unnoticed.

He arrives early, when the time comes, and makes sure to reserve a spot in the cozy space that affords them some aspect of privacy without feeling closed off from the comfortable ambiance of the place. It is a small, warm, well-lit establishment. The menu is also small, and prominently displayed at each table on a simple placard.

He reads through it multiple times, though he knows he has it memorized, and huffs a very quiet sigh in an attempt to settle his nerves.]

[jinlingers]

[ Jin Ling had been wrestling with their last meeting all this time. He's still wrestling with it, unsure if he should have asked for this meeting, if he should even come but in the end he does.

Jin Ling is not early but he's not late either. He leaves Fairy outside, knowing she wouldn't be particularly friendly toward Jin Guangyao. Still, she's close enough to be there for him if he called her. He lets out a soft breath as he enters the establishment. It's not hard to catch sight of his uncle and he feels his feet go leaden for a minute before he wills himself forward.

He can't seem to let go of the anger and the feeling of betrayal and doubt but regardless of that he loves his shushu and he doesn't know what the right thing is. And he doesn't feel like there is anyone that can really give him those answers -- and he hasn't found them himself.

He bows before he sits down, his heart racing in his chest and he searches for the simple words of greeting and finds his mouth dry. ]