Snowflakes pattered against the rime-covered windows. Guo Changcheng had dug out a thick down coat that made him look spherical and a ridiculous knit cap with a tuft thingy at the end; Da Qing was in cat form ensuring the inside of the coat was covered in an appropriate amount of cat hair.
The thing was, xiao-Guo might just have the right idea. All of Dragon City was covered by a blanket of snow after the temperatures had started plummeting last week. The higher-ups were on the SID's ass, convinced that it was a troublemaker from Dixing, the general populace was growing more and more worried about climate change bringing extreme weather, the meteorologists were crying, Zhao Yunlan's brain was frozen, and Shen Wei had gone to Dixing and not come back.
Burning the incense didn't give much warmth. Thus, he paced.
If this continued for much longer, the higher-ups had relayed to him, the pipes would freeze and burst. This would of course be contrary to everyone's interests, so Chief Zhao should do his best to make sure such events wouldn't transpire.
Zhao Yunlan had no leads whatsoever. "Fuck," he quietly whispered.
As if in reply to his pleas, the incense smoke flickered and a portal opened in the air. Shen Wei stumbled out, clad in his suit. "How has the weather been?" he urgently asked.
"Cold with a bit of snow," Zhao Yunlan said. He should get Shen Wei another jacket at least. "Hasn't changed since you left."
Shen Wei's face fell. His expression flickered through a myriad expressions before settling on internal pain. "It's me," he said.
"...causing the cold?"
Shen Wei nodded. "It's – I don't know how I lost control," he said, miserable. "I thought going to Dixing might help."
"Is Dixing also freezing?" Guo Changcheng asked.
"No," Shen Wei said.
So, a power malfunctioning and its wielder cooperative. "How does the power work precisely?" Zhao Yunlan asked.
"It's supposed to be me creating ice out of my own volition, which requres a high amount of alertness. Now..."
"Does it pause when you sleep? Drowse?"
"I don't think I can sleep, knowing Dragon City's plight is my fault," Shen Wei said. "Another of my powers is exchanging dark energy for alertness, so I cannot exhaust myself to dreamland, either."
Shen Wei, normally so very in control of it all, couldn't turn it off. He must be facing an existential crisis of some sort. Zhao Yunlan had a shudder of sympathetic terror.
"Do chemical means work on your biology? You know, chloroform, that sort of stuff."
"They should?" Shen Wei looked less despairing and more like himself. "I metabolize sugars and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water, and can consume human foods. It stands to reason pharmaceuticals would work as well."
"Okay, great." Zhao Yunlan turned to the lab. "Lin Jing! Do you have any chloroform or sleeping pills or something?"
Some indistinct yelling. A few minutes later, Lin Jing emerged with a vial of liquid, a clean cotton rag, and a sceptical expression. "We do have some chloroform. What are you going to use it for?"
"Brother Black has had trouble sleeping lately," Zhao Yunlan said. He opened the vial and poured some on the rag. Next to him, Guo Changcheng wanted to say something, but his teeth were chattering too strongly. "I thought we should help him with his problem."
"You know that doesn't work like in the movies? It takes a few minutes of inhaling, and you need constant dosing to keep someone under, and it doesn't even cause sleep proper-"
"It will suffice," Shen Wei said with finality. At his nod, Zhao Yunlan brought the rag to his nose.
It was odd to be pressing it against Shen Wei's airways. The periodic puffs of breath were warm against his hand. There was a certain intimacy to it, especially as Shen Wei had closed his eyes and leaned his face against Zhao Yunlan's hand.
"We'll fix this," Zhao Yunlan promised. The next exhalation was slightly heavier.
After some minutes, Shen Wei started to sway. Zhao Yunlan took hold of his head with his other hand and maneuvered them to the couch.
Snow no longer fell outdoors, and the frost receded from the windows. The temperature in the SID building rose several degrees.
The phone rang. Zhao Yunlan stayed put and let Wang Zheng answer it. That's why she was here, after all.
"Chief, the Haixing Inspectorate congratulates you for solving the problem," she reported.
Shen Wei's head was pillowed against Zhao Yunlan, airways supported, the chloroformed rag against his face. He looked peaceful in his slumber.
"Yeah," Zhao Yunlan said. "We'll solve the problem. Somehow."
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winterfish
winter has come
Date: 2019-10-09 07:57 pm (UTC)Snowflakes pattered against the rime-covered windows. Guo Changcheng had dug out a thick down coat that made him look spherical and a ridiculous knit cap with a tuft thingy at the end; Da Qing was in cat form ensuring the inside of the coat was covered in an appropriate amount of cat hair.
The thing was, xiao-Guo might just have the right idea. All of Dragon City was covered by a blanket of snow after the temperatures had started plummeting last week. The higher-ups were on the SID's ass, convinced that it was a troublemaker from Dixing, the general populace was growing more and more worried about climate change bringing extreme weather, the meteorologists were crying, Zhao Yunlan's brain was frozen, and Shen Wei had gone to Dixing and not come back.
Burning the incense didn't give much warmth. Thus, he paced.
If this continued for much longer, the higher-ups had relayed to him, the pipes would freeze and burst. This would of course be contrary to everyone's interests, so Chief Zhao should do his best to make sure such events wouldn't transpire.
Zhao Yunlan had no leads whatsoever. "Fuck," he quietly whispered.
As if in reply to his pleas, the incense smoke flickered and a portal opened in the air. Shen Wei stumbled out, clad in his suit. "How has the weather been?" he urgently asked.
"Cold with a bit of snow," Zhao Yunlan said. He should get Shen Wei another jacket at least. "Hasn't changed since you left."
Shen Wei's face fell. His expression flickered through a myriad expressions before settling on internal pain. "It's me," he said.
"...causing the cold?"
Shen Wei nodded. "It's – I don't know how I lost control," he said, miserable. "I thought going to Dixing might help."
"Is Dixing also freezing?" Guo Changcheng asked.
"No," Shen Wei said.
So, a power malfunctioning and its wielder cooperative. "How does the power work precisely?" Zhao Yunlan asked.
"It's supposed to be me creating ice out of my own volition, which requres a high amount of alertness. Now..."
"Does it pause when you sleep? Drowse?"
"I don't think I can sleep, knowing Dragon City's plight is my fault," Shen Wei said. "Another of my powers is exchanging dark energy for alertness, so I cannot exhaust myself to dreamland, either."
Shen Wei, normally so very in control of it all, couldn't turn it off. He must be facing an existential crisis of some sort. Zhao Yunlan had a shudder of sympathetic terror.
"Do chemical means work on your biology? You know, chloroform, that sort of stuff."
"They should?" Shen Wei looked less despairing and more like himself. "I metabolize sugars and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water, and can consume human foods. It stands to reason pharmaceuticals would work as well."
"Okay, great." Zhao Yunlan turned to the lab. "Lin Jing! Do you have any chloroform or sleeping pills or something?"
Some indistinct yelling. A few minutes later, Lin Jing emerged with a vial of liquid, a clean cotton rag, and a sceptical expression. "We do have some chloroform. What are you going to use it for?"
"Brother Black has had trouble sleeping lately," Zhao Yunlan said. He opened the vial and poured some on the rag. Next to him, Guo Changcheng wanted to say something, but his teeth were chattering too strongly. "I thought we should help him with his problem."
"You know that doesn't work like in the movies? It takes a few minutes of inhaling, and you need constant dosing to keep someone under, and it doesn't even cause sleep proper-"
"It will suffice," Shen Wei said with finality. At his nod, Zhao Yunlan brought the rag to his nose.
It was odd to be pressing it against Shen Wei's airways. The periodic puffs of breath were warm against his hand. There was a certain intimacy to it, especially as Shen Wei had closed his eyes and leaned his face against Zhao Yunlan's hand.
"We'll fix this," Zhao Yunlan promised. The next exhalation was slightly heavier.
After some minutes, Shen Wei started to sway. Zhao Yunlan took hold of his head with his other hand and maneuvered them to the couch.
Snow no longer fell outdoors, and the frost receded from the windows. The temperature in the SID building rose several degrees.
The phone rang. Zhao Yunlan stayed put and let Wang Zheng answer it. That's why she was here, after all.
"Chief, the Haixing Inspectorate congratulates you for solving the problem," she reported.
Shen Wei's head was pillowed against Zhao Yunlan, airways supported, the chloroformed rag against his face. He looked peaceful in his slumber.
"Yeah," Zhao Yunlan said. "We'll solve the problem. Somehow."