time-travelling xichen is king of the babies
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A-Zhan stirs mere seconds after, emitting several muffled peeping sounds before rolling over in his mother's arms. He yawns with his eyes still peacefully shut.

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Awwwww. He hugs his mother and brother. It's...it's so good. 

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!!!! a HUG. 

A-Zhan opens his eyes to see his brother, which he was expecting, and his MOM, who he was NOT EXPECTING.

A-Zhan stares up at Mommy with big big eyes. 

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She has failed to not start crying again. "Hi, A-Zhan," she whispers. "Hi baby. Hi. Did you have sweet dreams?"

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BLINKBLINK.

A-Zhan wriggles upright to throw his arms clumsily around Mommy's neck and CLING.

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She coos and rocks him in her lap. "Hi, hi. I'm here, A-Zhan, I love you."

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"Mommy."

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He thought he was going to have Doubts and Regrets but he is experiencing none whatsoever of either. 

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No regrets here, just hugs.

Most of this town won't be awake yet. She can put off going near people for a little longer and they can keep cuddling right here in the glass. 

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A-Zhan has no idea what's going on but he is completely content with the state of affairs. The only thing better than big brother hugs are Mommy hugs, and right now he's getting BOTH. So safe and cozy and warm. 

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So safe, big brother isn't going to let ANYTHING happen to him. Hug hug hug. 

He looks up at Mommy. "Do you have any plans?" he whispers so A-Zhan can't hear. 

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"We should go into town to buy food and supplies," she whispers back.

 

 

"After that, I am not sure where we should go." This is something she would probably not try to discuss were her five year old not thirty-five.

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"There are some other people who would die in the next few years. And other things. One of my friends and his mom would be in a bad situation in Yunping right now." 

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Hug. "Okay. Should we go there first? I can ask in town which direction to go."

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He nods. He bites his lip. "Um. The bad situation is that she's...indentured...to a..." his eyes dart to A-Zhan and his voice lowers even further. "brothel." 

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"Ahh. That is good to know." She tilts her head. "Do you know its name?"

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"...I don't know the name, but I know exactly where it is. We went there once after it had been torn down and something more respectable built in its place." This is missing some context but oh well. 

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Pat pat. "Then we'll go look. Do you know the way to Yunping?"

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"I don't know where we are now...but once I find out, yes." 

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It feels very, very nice to have any sort of mission again, even if that mission is assigned by a five year old. Any sort of purpose.

"A-Zhan," she says, soft and singsong. "We're going to go on a trip together, my love. Is that okay?"

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"Mm." A-Zhan does not care where they go or what they're doing as long as he gets to stay right here curled up against Mommy's chest. He bunches a tiny fist in the fabric of her robes and holds on tight. 

He's so happy. The bird must have told Mommy to come and see them.

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A-Zhan is so precious and good and deserves all the Mommy hugs. Xichen hugs his baby brother again and then they can go into town. Mommy's hands are full holding A-Zhan but Xichen can hold onto her skirt. 

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Good.

There are, as predicted, people in the town. Lihua is almost too afraid to think, which she deeply resents.

It has just. Been a long time since she's been seen by other people. And it has been a long time since she's had enough freedom for someone to take away.

Eyes pass nonchalantly over her and over her sons as they walk and she wants to run, she wants to scream. (Lihua never used to feel this way. She was never cowardly and she resents being so now.)

Somehow she pilots herself through buying supplies without fleeing or killing anyone. Now time to approach a stranger about where they are.

 

Or maybe time to stall by standing stock still in place for ten minutes.

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"Mommy is something wrong?"

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A-Huan is so sweet and precious that it just about breaks her heart. She doesn't know how to answer him; objectively nothing is wrong. She doesn't even know how to explain herself.

 

"I am not accustomed to strangers anymore. I want to be sure I approach them well." Not that standing here helps her with that in any way.

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