Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day started with a headache.

Being the 28th of Fall, that likely had a lot to do with all the lights and excitement of the Day of Memories the night before, but even so, it didn’t make things any easier to handle-- especially since that also meant Wei had to deal with the end of the month celebrations. Every month, he had to tally up the scores once again, and with Slack being the type to turn in his commission reports on the very last day, it was almost impossible to handle all of it with a smile on his face.

As he opened the Commerce Guild for the final day of Fall, Slack slipped in through the open door, pushing a pile of paperwork at Wei without a second thought.

“Hey, President Yan-- Got your paper stack. I gotta go, no time to chat.”

“Wait-- Slack--” he started, but it was too late. Slack was already out the door and off on his way. Wei huffed, and he dropped the paperwork on his desk before sitting down at it. He pulled open a drawer, searching for a pen, only to find another old journal, tucked away at the very back. Yanking it out was no easy task, thanks to how it had been wedged in, but Wei managed, grabbing it and tearing it open.

A journal. After everything had been said and done, there was still Yan’s journal in his desk.

He groaned, leaning on the top of the desk, only to bump his head into the stack of paperwork, sending it all crashing to the ground in front of the door.

Just his luck.

He stood again, gathering the papers as the door to the Commerce Guild opened once more, bringing with it a familiar face.

“Oh! Hello, Pres-- I mean, Commissioner Wei!” Mi-an greeted him. “Is everything okay?”

“It's fine,” he answered, though it was through clenched teeth. Remember what you learned at those seminars. Remember what you read about. Are you really upset, or is it something else?

“You don't look fine.” She knelt beside him, picking up some of the other papers. Despite their best efforts, the rain had slipped in with Wei, Slack, and now Mi-an, leaving some of the pages dirty and hard to read. Wei sighed, using it as an excuse to focus on his breathing. Deep breaths. It's fine. I can handle this.

“It's nothing, really-- Slack just got his paperwork in, and last night was a bit much for me, but I'll be right as rain comes tomorrow!” Wei smiled after a moment, and he walked over to set the papers back on his desk. Mi-an picked up the leather-bound journal to give him some space, and though he bristled at the reminder of who it was from, Wei still took the space with the shorter stack of papers.

“And here's your journal, too.” She smiled as she extended it to him. Wei’s heart dropped.

“Thanks, but it's not mine. I'm willing to bet it's another of Yan's old things.” Wei sat down before taking it, tossing it behind him. It didn't land in the trash like he hoped, instead rattling the case for the newest trophies that Sandrock had earned. “So! How can I help you today, Mi-an?”

“I was just thinking that I'd come get some commissions, but do you think it would help if someone else ran the Commerce Guild for a day? You look…” she searched for the right word, fumbling a bit. “...Tense.”

“It's nothing. I'll be fine.” He waved a hand.

“A-ha! I knew it! I'll be fine means that it's not fine right now.” She leaned against the banister for the inspection area. “So I think it'd help if you took a break for the day.”

“Mi-an, I understand that you're trying to help, but I can't leave the point calculating in someone else's hands-- Even though I trust you, I don't know if it would be the best image if you were the one to tabulate a win.” He pulled a different pad of paper from a drawer. “So please, don't worry about me. I'll be okay.”

Is that a nine or a four?

“Then I could run the front for a bit while you calculate! That way, you could focus on that and not have to worry about anyone.”

He paused, thinking it through, but a specific thought entered his mind before he reached a conclusion. “...Mi-an, are you trying to repay me for last week? Because you don't have to, honestly--”

“What? No.” Her face flushed, betraying her intentions. 

“Thank you anyways. It's very kind of you.”

He turned back to the paperwork, putting a hand to his head with the intention to stop the pounding. It didn't work, unfortunately, and it was only made worse when the thought of the impact making the glass shatter popped into his head. He turned around, running a hand over the glass of the case to check. Sure enough, when he drew it away, a cut had formed along his index finger. He swore under his breath, picking up the journal to check the ground and it for any glass pieces. None-- the cracks were, luckily enough, small. He looked up to check that Mi-an was still there. Luckily, she hadn't gone too far-- only a few steps away to the commissions board.

“Mi-an? There is actually something you can help me with.”

“Oh?”

“I think I broke the glass on this case-- if you could either make a new pane of glass or a new case like this, I'll happily pay double rates for it.”

“I'd be happy to! I'll make sure it's done by later today.”

“You don't have to worry about that! It's not urgent by any means--”

“But President Yan always said--” she started before he swiftly interrupted.

“I'm not him.” He met Mi-an’s eyes, removing his hand from his head. “So… really, I promise, it's not that urgent.”

“...Is that what's really bothering you?” Mi-an softly asked. Wei only blinked, confused. “Being compared to Yan, I mean.”

“Sort of,” Wei confessed at last. “Slack called me his name before he ran off again. Even you almost greeted me as President. I hate to complain since this town has given me so much, but at the same time…”

“I understand. I'm really sorry I did that.”

“It's nothing, really. I know it's just a mistake, and you shouldn't have to apologize, but… Oh, it's nothing anyways.” He waved it off. “Just do the glass or case whenever, alright?”

“Okay, Mr. Wei.” 

She took off after another moment, the open door letting in James as he dripped across the floor. The rain had clearly gotten worse since Wei had come to the Guild just a half hour earlier, and the newest builder hummed a tune as he skimmed the board.

“Anything new from Burgess?” he asked out loud. “I want to help him out some more.”

“I really haven’t checked,” Wei admitted. “It’s a busy day.”

“Oh.” James went back to checking the board, pulling four requests off for himself. “Alright, let’s do this. Have a nice day, President Wei!” Once again, before Wei could correct him, he was out the door, off for his workshop just across the train tracks. 

Wei groaned, and he put his head in his hands. Three for three. I need a drink.

He stood, put the paperwork from Slack in a bag, then walked to the door, changing the sign on the door to “Closed” before crossing Main Street, directly to the Blue Moon.

Owen, as per usual, was already there, sweeping up around the stage. He waved as Wei entered, giving him a big smile.

“Hey there, what can I do you for?”

“I don’t even know,” Wei answered, taking a seat at the bar. “Anything that can help with a headache?”

“One of those days, huh?” Owen asked, as he set the broom aside and walked over. “Want to tell me about it?”

“It’s nothing, really. Just a headache and some paperwork.” He shrugged. “...And Yan. He’s not around, but… He’s still there . I think I need to deep-clean the entire Guild just to get every trace out.”

“That’s a lot of work, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Wei sighed, and he hefted the bag onto the counter to look through his paperwork. “But that, the house… It’s like I’m just pretending to be someone I’m not, just to get ahead.”

“Feeling like it’s his more than yours?”

“Exactly.” He nodded, and pulled out a few papers, before searching for a blank sheet for the tallying of points. Out of everything, though, only the leather notebook had made its way in. Wei yanked it out, pulled a pen from the pocket, and began to write down the numbers. Owen returned after a bit with a drink and some food-- apparently, some beef. 

“Sand tea beef and some water, right here.” 

“Sounds great. Thanks, Owen.” Wei set aside his paperwork to take a few bites, before returning to it. He flipped through the pages to the back of the book, just to avoid looking at Yan’s words. If there was anything he lacked time for, it was Yan.

“Is it just the guild?” Owen asked as he wiped down the countertop around Wei and his paperwork. “I mean, I remember that house of yours was his too…”

“I don’t pay as much attention to it-- I’m usually at my workshop or the Guild. Or, of course, right here. But… It’s a running problem. What would you do, in my shoes?”

“Good question. I can’t say I’ve ever had an evil twin-- Or a brother at all. Except for Justice, but that’s not the same, is it.”

“No, not really, but I see.”

“But… I think I’d ask for help if I could. Tell someone else about the problem.”

“Owen, that’s a lovely idea, but… I’ve already asked a lot of this town just by asking them to trust me after everything that happened. I wasn’t here for any of the trouble-- I’m just lucky enough to be here.”

“Now, now. You’re a Sandrocker, aren’t you? We take care of each other.” Owen walked away a bit, taking a small notepad from a shelf and coming back. “Besides, you know your builders better than anyone-- and what they’re capable of. So if you need the help with it--”

“No, really, I’d feel horrible asking for so much--”

“Well, then you can dream about what you’d want when you feel people trust you on your own merits, right?”

“You really aren’t just going to let this go, are you?”

“No.”

“Alright.” Wei shook his head. “Then… I’d like a different desk. Just to make sure it doesn’t have anything of his. No secret stashes, no things wedged into corners, nothing carved in where no one else sees it.”

Owen gave him a look. “That’s pretty specific.”

“And that’s for good reason. I’m almost scared to look at the start of this book.” He held up the journal. “Well, not scared, but… If I do, I’m going to have to catch a ride to Atara to punch my brother.”

“...That bad?”

“Let’s just say… He’s lucky that the last time we met, there were bars between us.” Wei sighed into his cup of water. “It’s been what, forty years? I’ve dealt with him since the day we were both born. And it’s more that I’m tired of always being compared to him, or people seeing me as like him.”

“...I get how you're feeling. It's definitely a lot to deal with, ain't it? But sometimes… if it takes changing everything to stop feeling like that, then that's what it takes. The town's ready to move on from what he did too. All the big projects are done too, last time I checked--”

“They are. I've made sure that nothing's fallen through.”

“So just ask. No one's stopping you.”

“It feels selfish of me,” Wei admitted. “Asking to build a new guild, or a new house just because of a bad feeling…”

“Well, think of it this way.” Owen paused to meet his eyes. “If you feel like that, walking into the Guild, then imagine what it's like for folks who dealt with him in that seat for years. Everyone's afraid of that cockroach coming back. If you want to change it up, then I'm sure people would agree with you that it's about time.”

Wei paused. “...You know, that makes a lot of sense. I… well, I'd have to draft a proposal, and a supply list, and see what all would be needed for a new guild and a new house-- I could always find a different place to live near town, after all-- maybe closer to the water tower and James’s workshop? That'd keep Arvio from having to hear my machinery at night--” Wei scrambled through his papers, trying to find his own again. Just thinking everything over gave him a headache all over again, and he took his head in his hands to try to stop it.

“Woah, slow down, you don't need to figure it out all at once. You got time.”

“I still have to tally up how many points Slack got anyway, I might as well add working on this to the list.”

“How about this?” Owen walked around the bar, sitting next to Wei, and he set his own notepad down. “I’ll help draft up the proposal. You can ask your builders what they'd like to see at the Guild when you next see them.”

“That'd be tomorrow. End-of-season celebrations and all that, of course.”

“That works. And until then, you got time to work on this.” Owen set a hand on the paperwork. “Sound good?”

“...Thank you. You're genuinely helping a lot.”

“No problem. Now, eat up-- it'll help.”

By the time Wei managed to get all the numbers properly added, his headache had stopped, but the clock had ticked past midnight, and he had hurried back to his home. Owen's comment finally sunk in as he turned on the light, heading up the stairs.

It wasn't just the Commerce Guild that felt like Yan would walk in and take his place again. The home felt just as off-putting, with the ornate touches that felt more for show than for actual taste, making the place feel gaudy and cramped instead of how it could have been in a more capable builder’s hands.

He sighed and set his bag down on the floor, removing the few items he had deemed important enough to come home with him: His tools, a gift from James that he had promised was “just because it'd help with commissions,” and a few extra moonstones he'd found tucked away in the drawers where Yan thought no one would notice them.

Unfortunately, the journal hadn't made it out of the bag.

Wei pulled out the old leather thing, looking it over. He couldn't deny the handicraft-- the ribbon was neatly cut, the paper was perfectly aligned, and even the leather had been carefully glued in place. It was clear that whoever had made it took care in their creations, enough that it had lasted being shoved into the back of that desk to be forgotten about.

Even so, Wei opened it to the first page.

“Fall 14 - I know this journal will be the perfect birthday gift for me! It's just as perfect as I am. Besides, it's even got my name on it. No one can take it and get away with it! I can write anything in here and no one will know!”

He rolled his eyes. Of course, it had been a gift from Yan to himself. Who else would buy him such a well-crafted item? Wei skipped a large chunk, landing on another page.

”Winter 10 - Apparently, a few folks are thinking about doing something to the water-- and they let me in on it! Score! I get the money and a share of the water!”

Of course. He'd heard about the water thievery, but seeing it in black and white, in Yan's own handwriting? That was different. He flipped ahead a few dozen pages.

”Spring 2 - Mason's leaving. Well, who cares? I'll just find someone cheaper to replace him! If they can work twice as hard for the same cost, then I'll hire them. Until then, I need Mason to fix the lifts NOW.”

The lifts? The only lifts Wei recalled seeing were the ones outside of Eufala Salvage. He wasn't certain if Mason had fixed them or not, but he knew one thing for sure-- it hadn't been Yan. Otherwise, they would've broken by the time he'd gotten there.

He skimmed through more pages-- complaints about annoying townsfolk, about each builder bothering him, about how “little” he was being paid for his “hard work.” Every bit made Wei want to throw the journal in the trash, but that would be a waste of a good leather journal.

Note to self-- See if there's a way to get new paper in an old journal.

He tossed it aside and walked up the stairs. He flipped the upstairs switch, turning off the whole house’s lights. The bed was warm and comfortable, but each noise made it feel less welcoming by the moment.

All he could do was close his eyes and remind himself that the creaking of the staircase wasn’t Yan.

Chapter Text

Whereas the last day began with a headache, Winter 1st began with a loud knock on Wei’s door. He quickly grabbed his shoes, hurrying down the stairs to greet whoever had managed to arrive before six in the morning. He opened the door quickly, expecting to see one of his builders or even Owen, but instead, there stood the one member of town he always dreaded having to talk to.

Rocky was cordial, of course, but Wei could sense he didn't trust him one bit. Rocky had been frequently screwed over by Yan, mostly due to how often he would get away with including something in the fine print that Rocky and Krystal wouldn't catch. Despite a dozen attempts, he'd barely made a dent in attempting to make up for how much Rocky hated his brother. Seeing him on his doorstep at (according to the clock just inside his house) 5:30 in the morning? Wei barely had the words to squeak out a “Good morning.”

“Hey. Thought I'd stop by, have a talk. Heard from Venti that something was up yesterday.”

“She noticed?” Wei asked, confused. Even so, he stepped aside. “Do you drink tea or coffee?”

“D’ya have Yakmel milk?”

“Of course.” Wei took two bottles from the fridge, handing one over before leading Rocky to the small table. “I'm a bit thankful you said that-- I don't like coffee, and I'm out of tea leaves.”

“Hah, makes sense. A mopstick like you ain't a coffee kinda guy anyways.”

Wei brushed off the comment, putting on a small smile as he sat down. “I suppose so. Is there any real reason for your visit?”

“Well, simple enough-- Venti was in the Blue Moon on her break when you stopped in.”

Wei took a sip of milk, hoping his face wasn't burning. He hadn't even noticed her there-- then again, Venti was incredible at blending into the background. 

“Overheard some of you an’ Owen talking. Not much, ‘cause she was ‘bout to leave, but some of it. An’ since she was worried about ya, she told me.” Rocky leaned in a little. “...Listen, if ya need a team to help clean out the place and wreck any sign of that brother of yours, I'd do it for free to have a chance to never think about ‘im again.”

“Wait, really? You'd do that?”

“Yeah! I hated that guy. You're loads better already.” Rocky laughed. “You wouldn't believe how much happier Mi-an is when she comes ‘round to go mining.”

Wei couldn't help but smile, keeping a fist in front of his mouth to hide it behind cleaning his throat. “I… well, that's good. I'll admit, I was worried that you didn't like me much either.”

“Really? I wouldn’t’a guessed.” Rocky took a swig from the yakmel milk bottle. “Ya gotta tell me things, Wei. I ain’t good at guessin’.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” 

“Anyway--” Rocky stood, wiping his mouth on his arm. “Just thought I’d come tell ya that ya don’t have to worry ‘bout takin’ care of the things he left behind, ‘cause I’d love t’ tear it down.”

“That’s wonderful. Thank you, Rocky.”

“Don’t worry. See ya, Wei.”

He walked out, closing the door behind himself, and Wei yawned, checking the time again. About time for him to start preparing for the day ahead. At least this time, he didn’t have a headache pounding a nail into his head every few minutes.

He walked to the wardrobe, pulling out his usual outfit, and changed quickly. He grabbed his bag, and Yan’s journal with it, before walking out the door. The rain had stopped overnight, luckily making it much easier to walk through town. The chill, however, permeated the air already, though it was still warm enough to eschew wearing a coat. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and walked down Main Street. 

Few others were awake so early. The salvage crew was up and walking to work, but Arvio always slept in when given the option, and Jasmine, Andy, and Pebbles wouldn’t be off to school for another couple of hours. Even so, Vivi sat in the rocking chair outside, knitting over tea with Trudy. Wei waved to them both.

“Wei! Just the man I wanted to see,” Vivi called to him. Wei approached, leaning on the fence beside them.

“What can I do for you, Miss Vivi?”

“Now, darling, you know it’s just Vivi.”

“My father would come crawling out of his grave to strangle me if he heard me calling a lady such as yourself by only her first name,” Wei reminded her. Vivi smiled as she shook her head.

“Well, could you be a dear and ask one of your builders for some extra yarn? There’s more than a few people I’d like to give a nice warm hat.”

“I’ll get on it. Is there any amount you need, or just whatever’s lying around?” He reached into his bag to find a piece of paper to write the information down. Instead, he found his hand on that notebook again. Reluctantly, he flipped to the back once more, using his pen again to write down a few numbers.

“Just whatever you have, dear. Don’t worry about the amount, but make sure you tell me your favorite color with it, alright?”

Wei’s face burned a bit. “I. Oh. Thank you very much, ma’am.”

“It’s no trouble. I’d just hate to see you out here without some warm clothes.” Vivi smiled, and she continued her knitting. Wei tore out his page, then turned to Trudy.

“I, ah… Mayor Trudy? Since you’re in charge, I think this likely should be in your hands and not mine.” He handed her the book. “...Hopefully it helps the people in Atara.”

“What’s this?” she asked, opening it. It didn’t take her long to read the first page and immediately close it once more. “Oh. Oh dear.”

“Is everything alright, Trudy?” Vivi asked. 

“It’s from Yan. Where did you find this?”

“Tucked away in the back corner of a desk drawer. I was trying to find a pen, but instead I found this.” Wei put his hands back in his pockets. “...It does bring me to something else, but I’d like to work out a proper project proposal first.”

“Oh? It’s quite alright, I’m willing to hear it now.”

“...Alright.” Wei cleared his throat. “Seeing as much of the town still has some lingering doubts about me due to Yan, and the guild most certainly shows the amount of things he stole. It’s likely that a lot of people have bad memories about the building thanks to Yan, and while many buildings in town have gotten a revamp as of late, I was thinking that it could be nice to refresh the Commerce Guild.”

“The Commerce Guild?” Trudy paused, thinking. “W-well, I’d have to check the budget… We’ve spent a lot on Catori World and preparing to host the Summit just last year…”

“I understand. I’ll still make sure that I submit a real proposal-- Owen offered to help with it.”

“That boy’s always helping everyone,” Vivi said, smiling slightly. “Sometimes I wish my boy would help me out more in the kitchen, but it’s good to know that someone’s son did.”

Wei nodded. “I’d offer to help there, but I doubt I’d be any good… my taste buds are a bit broken after trying Tripion meat.”

Trudy’s eyes widened at the suggestion. “I didn’t know it was possible to eat Tripion.”

“That’s because it isn’t.” Wei smiled. “But I won’t bother you two any more than I already have. I’ll get on that yarn as soon as I can, Miss Vivi, and Mayor Trudy, I’ll get the proposal drafted by the end of the week.”

“Don’t worry, dear, you’ve got time,” Vivi reminded him. Wei nodded, and he began to walk. “Don’t forget the favorite color, dear!”

“Blue!” he answered, before realizing it was a bit too loud. “Sorry, sorry, I don’t mean to be loud. It’s blue, though.”

“I should’ve guessed from the outfit,” she admitted. “And don’t worry, dear. The only one you might wake up is Owen, and he’s usually up by now most days.”

“Take care, Wei,” Trudy said, raising her cup of tea. Wei raised a hand in response, hurrying into the Commerce Guild.

He updated the points, moved around a couple of rankings (Slack had reached third due to his efforts so far, while James and Mi-an once again cornered the market for first and second by a wide margin) just before checking for any new commissions the day before.

Not many, at least-- Cooper asking for three boards to fix a hole in the barn roof, Rian pawning off part of his work onto whoever had extra hardwood lying around, and Burgess asking for some extra food to give to those in need. Wei scribbled down a note about Vivi’s request on official Guild stationary, but kept that one to himself. The others, he pinned to the board, checking for which were reaching expiration. Those, he took for himself as well. They didn't pay much, certainly, but he didn't mind that, so long as they got done. All-in-all, that left just enough commissions for the other builders to each take two or three-- Though Mi-an and James always took four, and the rest usually offered by the day. Just enough for everyone to get some work in.

As soon as the board and the commissions were refreshed, Wei turned his attention to the space at hand, checking dimensions and measuring what they had. 

We’ll need a temporary space to keep the commission board as well. I'll need to tell the builders from out-of-town about where we're moving it to as well. What about the leadership rankings that year? We might not have the money for trophies and prizes in that case-- it could ruin their competition to not be competing for much… is it for the reward or because they want to help? How much is each? 

He stared into the empty space where inspections were usually held, wondering if he was missing something, until someone opened the door. He turned, blinking to shake himself out of the daze.

“Howdy, Wei. Good morning to you.” Owen walked up the tiny set of stairs, looking around. “Any big plans yet?”

“I was thinking about trying to map out the space, see if there's any way we could avoid tearing the place down and building it ground-up. Though Rocky stopped by this morning to mention he'd be happy to help get rid of anything of Yan's I don't want, so it's likely we could ask him and his crew to knock it down and take the scrap… The other problem then, is where to put the important things in the meantime? My house? City Hall? The Civil Corps? I doubt there's anywhere that would work as well and has owners that would not dislike the fact that there would be builders running in and out to check commission offers or just grab them and go…” Wei paced forward, then back towards Owen. “The other problem is finding a place that would allow me to be there for hours at a time-- I like to make sure everything is going smoothly, after all. Adding onto that , there's likely not enough money to completely reconstruct both the house and the Guild. I think we should go for the Guild first, of course, since it's what people see more of.”

“Makes sense.”

“I thought so. But then the problem would be how much time I'd need to spend at home, if that's where we put the board, and I still haven't exactly cleaned Yan's influence from there either--”

“Then we can all work together to do that. You're not on your own here, Wei.” Owen set a hand on his shoulder, stopping the pacing. “Just take a deep breath, alright?”

Wei did as told, and nodded.

“So, my thoughts are that I'd need to ask Heidi about getting a new design for the building-- Something that matches with the rest of the town, but still looks nice. I can design the inside and come up with whatever we’ll need to build that part-- whatever desk, chairs, et cetera. Maybe we could include a little area for builders to work together? The inspection space is empty five out of seven days, after all… that's a waste of good space, but I'd hate to ask people to do daily inspections.”

“Hm. Maybe if the inspections were more out of the way, then? Upstairs could work, if you kept the second floor…”

“I think so too. It just worries me about people having to carry their work up and down like that. Though there is an Old World version of those lifts I've seen… elevators, they called them. We could ask Qi for a diagram and make one here, for ease of transportation.”

“That sounds great.” Owen nodded. “So, we'll bring Heidi and Qi into this to work on it. Anyone else?”

“I still need to see the other builders for their ideas. Speaking of--” Wei checked the clock. Quarter til seven. Time to open up. He opened the door to flip the sign to “Open” before closing it again. “I gave Jasmine the letters for them about the workshop awards-- I included a note about an urgent meeting at eight as well. Most likely, that means they'll be here soon.” Wei adjusted his bow-tie, brushing off his clothes to straighten them a bit. “I'll do my best to figure out a plan from what they say. And don't worry about telling Qi or Heidi about my idea-- I'll talk to them after the meeting.”

“Sounds like a plan. I'll be at the Blue Moon if you need me-- the first day of Winter is always packed, though.”

“I remember. First time I was there during the day, I could barely find a seat.” Wei chuckled. “Good luck with business today. I'll see you after work.”

By the time eight rolled around, Mi-an, James, Slack, Red, and Ever had shown up. That meant that Allen and Wang hadn't. Even just getting Red and Ever there was shocking, honestly, so he couldn't complain about the absences too much.

“I'm sure you're all wondering what this meeting is about, seeing as I didn't have time to include any details in my letters last night. Thank you all for coming despite that.” Wei leaned on his desk, towards the five builders. “I actually wanted to ask you a very important question: if you were to redesign the Guild, is there anything you would add to it? Anything you'd want to remove?”

“That's a bit out of nowhere,” James mused.

“I'd like some tables, so we can sit down and play Critters, or exchange commissions if we picked up something we can't do.” Mi-an picked up a pen and a piece of blank paper, drawing a quick map of the space and her ideas. Ever took it next, scribbling out the corner desk Wei had and moving it closer to the tables, where he could have some actual space and still see the door from where he was. 

“Every time I walk in, you're right there, and it freaks me out so hard. So if you were over there, then you could join in on Mi-an's games or just hang out somewhere less creepy.”

“What if there was a board here , pack? Then folks could write and put jobs up with a tack.” Slack pointed. Red, Ever, and Mi-an agreed, while James struggled to see the page. Ever added the board, and handed it to Red, who passed the page to James.

“We’ll still need space for awards and relics we earn-- that, and for the inspections.”

“I was thinking about having inspections on a second floor, if we were to rebuild the Guild,”  Wei added. The builders murmured in agreement, before Red interrupted.

“Wait, is that what this is about? We're rebuilding this place?”

“Precisely. Since this place clearly has bad memories for all of you and everyone in town thanks to my predecessor, I was thinking that it could help to fix this place into something we all like. Additionally, it means that you guys can have your own touch in the decoration, furniture, everything.”

“Woah. Really?” Ever asked. Wei nodded. “That's so cool!”

“It's the only way I can think of to finally get his influence out, too. However, we’ll need a lot of supplies, money… everything. I'm not sure the town will have the budget for a while, but--”

“I'll pay,” James interrupted. “I mean, I've got a lot of gols saved up from just doing other commissions, and this is definitely good for the town and for all of us.”

“Are you sure? It could be a lot of money--”

“That's fine.” James shrugged. “I think it'd be a great help for the town. All I ask is that I get to make something cool.”

“Well, there actually is something I was thinking of.” Wei paused, making sure everyone was listening. “There was a type of lift in the Old World called an elevator . It's like the crane lift in Eufaula Salvage, but it has walls, and works inside. I was about to ask Qi for a diagram--”

“That's so cool! Heck yeah, I'm in!” James exclaimed. “I’ll do it right after this!” It didn’t take long for the others to agree.

“I can go ask Heidi to come up with a plan for the building-- I have a commission from yesterday to give her anyways,” Mi-an added. 

“Thank you, everyone. I’ll do my best to make this project work. Mission adjourned.”

“You got this, jack,” Slack told him with a big thumbs up, before the builders moved to the commissions board, splitting up the options before everyone headed out. 

The Guild was quiet, but the ideas helped. 

A few others stopped by, but the rest of the day was simple, giving him ample time to properly graph the ideas on blueprint paper, making notes of what everything needed-- Wood for the desks, chairs, and tables; shelves; an elevator; paintings and photographs for the walls… More than enough. 

Another large project. Not that Wei was worried about that-- with the builders already hurrying to make it possible, Owen on his side, and Rocky ready to destroy the old Guild, it didn’t leave him much to fret over.

He walked across the street to the Blue Moon, greeting Owen as he entered just to take a seat near the door. Most of the room was empty, so Grace took care of the customers while Owen took a seat across from him.

“Any luck today?”

“Plenty. Mi-an said she’d talk to Heidi; James is talking to Qi. I asked them for ideas--” He pulled out the blueprint, laying it out on the table. “Tables, new shelves, and a new desk were the main ideas. Other than that, I think it’ll be mostly the same.”

“Looks great.” Owen handed over his own notebook. “I got some free time after the lunch rush, so I wrote the proposal up, even if it’s not perfect yet.”

Wei skimmed it, and he nodded. “It’s still great work. I can definitely use this, if it’s okay for me to take the page?”

“Go for it.” 

Wei gently took it out, then put it in his pocket. “Thank you for all the help.”

“Hey, no problem. You’ve helped this town; it’s about time we help you too.”

Chapter Text

Wei barely slept that night, trying to put together notes and organize his house in time-- After all, if they were going to be rebuilding the Commerce Guild, as suggested, that was the most likely place for the board to go so that pages wouldn't be blown away by wind, snow, or paws.

It also meant he'd bought out the Blue Moon’s excess supply of tea leaves and coffee beans as well as a few extra barrels of water from Burgess’s shop. That much had required explanation, of course, but Burgess had seemed almost excited about the prospect of a better guild-- especially when Wei mentioned that James was funding it.

Gathering supplies had been the easy part. The hard part, of course, was cleaning the space overnight.

He’d warned the neighbors the night before, even offered to whip up something to dull the sound if they needed, but Arvio and Hugo had brushed him off (“I sleep like a rock!” Arvio had commented.) while Vivi didn’t mind, and Heidi reminded him that she’d be up late already working on a new design for the Guild and wouldn’t notice the noise at all. Even so, he'd done his best to be quiet, not even trying to move anything big out of the way, and eventually had simply given up to get some rest.

When he woke up in the morning, it was already close to seven-- time to open the Commerce Guild, most days. He barely even managed to pull a comb through his hair as he scrambled to get everything put together, dancing around the attempted cleaning (stacks of things, mostly-- it hadn't helped, but in his tired mind, it was the right thing to do) to stumble his way out the door, still pulling on his jacket, his bow-tie undone.

Heidi was already deep in conversation with Trudy, pointing at parts of a blueprint and discussing money. Wei could see the circles under her eyes from across Martle Square, likely matching his own, but he didn't have the time to talk. He hurried down the street, ducking around Sandy, to reach the Commerce Guild, and hurried inside.

The important things (Paintings, functional tables, cases, trophies, etc cetera) had already been brought to the front area, and the bulletin board had been removed from the wall. Unsuur and Justice worked together to bring the last of the desks from the back of the Guild to the front, where it could easily be removed.

“Howdy, Wei. Thought we’d put in some work to help out with the project. Wasn't sure where you wanted these, so I thought we’d get ‘em somewhere easy to get ‘em outside.”

“...Also, I gathered up all the boxes and stuff that Yan left,” Unsuur added. “There was a lot of it upstairs.”

“I put it there so I wouldn't have to look at it,” Wei admitted. Justice tried to talk, but Unsuur continued.

“I was thinking I would use the boxes to store some of my rocks, and let the builders use the paper as fuel.”

“...Y’know what, that sounds great. Wei, that alright with you?”

“Alright? I'd love that. Thank you both for all your help.”

“Aw, shucks, it was nothin’,” Justice said, clearly happy for the praise. Unsuur just nodded.

“Sheriff? I'm going to go on patrol now.”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Justice watched Unsuur go, and grinned. “It'll be nice to get a new Guild. Last time this place got any sort of new decoration, it was… what, ten, twenty years ago? Way before Yan got here, too.”

“I never really heard much about Yan’s predecessor, I'll admit…” Wei picked up one of the paintings-- one of a woman with a wide smile and thick-rimmed glasses. “Except that her name was Email? I think that was it. But wherever she is… I just hope Yan didn't do to her what he did to me.”

“Who knows. I like to think the old Sheriff would've found out by now if she had been, though.”

“Oh, right. Good point.” Wei paused, awkwardly shifting on his feet, and Justice cleared his throat.

“Any idea where you're moving this stuff?”

“I'm going to take the important things-- paintings, trophies, the board, maybe a few tables? And I'll keep them at my place. Other than that… who knows. Maybe the Builders will want them.” Wei shrugged. “...I'm just worried about how much of a mess my house is, to be honest.”

“Happens to all of us.” Justice clapped a hand on Wei’s back. “Good luck. If you need a hand moving things, you know who you can call.”

“Absolutely. Thank you again.”

Justice left the Guild almost exactly at seven, leaving just a few moments of calm before Mi-an entered, looking around.

“Oh, wow-- it's so empty… I mean, I get why it'd be empty, but-- it feels weird.”

Wei looked around, and nodded. “...It really does, doesn't it? I've never been a fan of empty rooms. Always feels like something bad happened there.”

He remembered another room, emptied except for the uncarriable essentials and a locked safe. Everything else, from the pictures to the relics to the small stuffed bear kept hidden in the closet for bad days? Gone. Likely sold for an exorbitant amount of gols, nowhere near what they were worth to the buyer. They'd been worth that and more to someone.

(Someone who had never come home, instead left in the wastelands. Someone who could never come home the same as he left.)

“...I can't wait to see the new space, though. Miss Heidi finished her blueprint, and I'm pretty sure with James funding it, the project is going to be fantastic!” Mi-an's positivity broke through, and Wei couldn't help but smile.

“Definitely. Though we still need someone to sweep up the last few commissions on the board while we get the stuff together for this.”

“I'm on it, Mr. Wei!” She cheerfully took the last few (Rian’s request for a chair, Hugo’s days-old request for a few chromium bars, and Jensen's eternal quest for the right materials for a new model train) and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Thank you very much, Mi-an.” He picked up the board itself, carrying it in front of himself. “...I'll be moving a few things home, but once I'm done, I'll make sure that I tell Rocky about the scrapping of the building. I'm just going to keep the paintings and whatnot, so if you want the extra desk or anything…?”

“No thanks. I have one of my own already.”

Wei nodded, and he opened the door with his foot, awkwardly shuffling out to take the board with him. 

“Need a hand there, commissioner?” James’s voice asked. “Or, like… are you doing that for fun?”

“I've got it, no worries.” He would've waved a hand if one was available. “But if you want any of the non-painting furniture from the guild, now's the time.”

“It's happening already!  Then it's a good thing I paid Qi extra for express delivery!” James’s face lit up as he hurried inside, coming out shortly with a few items. “I'll go tell Rocky that today's the day!”

“Wait, James--” Wei started, but it was too late. James was already off towards Rocky's home. He sighed, and continued to carry the board until someone stopped him, taking it directly from his hands to instead set it under their arm. Zeke wasn't a man of many words, but he still nodded at Wei, letting him lead the way.

“It's probably easier if I carry it.”

“Er, yes, but it's alright, I had it.” Wei looked up at him, and promptly realized that with Zeke’s height, it was twice as easy for him than it was for Wei. He relented, guiding the way to his home, and kept the door open for Zeke.

“Pardon the mess-- I'm in the process of cleaning up right now.”

“It's fine.” Zeke set it up against the wall next to the door, barely even a sound when he set it down. For something so large, it was almost shocking how easily Zeke carried it. “If you need anything else moved, ask someone.”

“The rest is smaller, at least. No need to worry.”

“Alright. Take care.” Zeke left as quickly and quietly as he had entered, leaving Wei alone with the house and the mess. He sighed.

I'll need to talk to Heidi about materials, but I'll also need to clean up this mess. If I do the materials first, then I could try to spend the whole day cleaning this up.

He walked out, hurrying over to Heidi and Trudy.

“Oh, hello, Wei. Heidi was just showing me her idea for your project. Apparently the builders volunteered to pay..?”

“Yep. James said he'd do it. Are there any specifics on the materials yet?”

“There are some-- Lots of acacia, lots of bricks, plenty of high-grade material. Poplar, slate, anything like that. But for the most part, keeping in line with the rest of the town-- I was thinking we could use some poplar siding, acacia trim, and the slate as the foundation. The bricks would be for the walls, to keep the place insulated. It would probably keep a lot of the same style, just with an additional floor, more supports to carry that, and removing the step in the middle. Simple as that.”

Though Heidi called it simple, it really wasn't, especially when she didn't give any numbers. Wei still wrote down what she'd given him. “Alright. Any amounts?”

“I still need to crunch some of the numbers there, but I could always ask Jasmine to help.”

Trudy smiled and nodded. “She'd love that, Heidi. Any chance to be around you always makes her happy.”

“Great! Then I'll get the numbers to you by the time your lunch break is over.”

“Perfect. I'll actually be trying to clean up my house then, so feel free to just put it in my mailbox.”

“Oh, is that why Zeke was carrying the board over? That makes a lot more sense.” Heidi smiled slightly. “Need a hand with anything else?”

“I’ve really got it, promise.”

“If you’re sure, then alright.” 

Wei nodded, and raised a hand as he turned, heading into his home once again (In the mere minutes he had spent talking to Heidi, Mi-an had slipped in to deliver the paintings and trophies he’d been about to go for, leaving his door just a bit ajar) just to attempt once more to clean.

Even that attempt didn’t last more than half an hour before someone knocked on the door, entering as soon as he called “Come in!” 

Elsie, dragging Logan behind her.

“Howdy, Wei! Mi-an said something about you an’ cleanin’, so I thought me an’ Logan would come help!”

“Oh, really, there’s no need--”

“Nope, we’re helpin’.” Logan set a hand on his shoulder. “Remember last year, when ya built me that set of daggers?”

“Oh, the Reneonm? It’s nothing, you needed some weapons to help defend the town, and--”

“An’ you need help to clean up this mess.” 

“See? He’s right!” Elsie tacked on, sticking out her tongue. “So we’re gonna help ya!”

Wei relented after that, letting the others help him to carry the trash out, fix the storage issue, and re-organize all the things he’d left around the house-- Far more things than he really needed, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but save a lot of it to prepare for harder commissions. With four extra hands, it was easy to get everything moved into place, vacuum the floors, and dust off the things even slightly out of the way.

“Is there anything I can do for you two?” he asked. “Some gols, a drink--”

“Nah, just make sure ya give Mi-an a break or two!” Elsie grinned. Before he could argue, she took off with a rushed “Daisy just had chicks I gotta go see ‘em BYE!” 

“Logan?”

“Don’t worry about it. As I said, I still owed ya from the daggers.” Logan patted Wei’s back. “B’sides, I took forever t’ get my place cleaned when I first moved back. James, Els, Haru, and Andy helped me then, so ya better expect folks to keep offerin’ help now that ya opened the floodgates.”

“...I never really noticed.”

“Ya never asked anyone here for anythin’? Word gets ‘round faster than Rambo after Roast Rutabaga. Andy got sick an’ half the town ran over to help me-- like it or not.” Logan chuckled. “And a big job like the new Guild? H-ll, the whole place is raring t’ go.”

“Oh. I… Oh boy.”

Logan walked to the door and opened it, tipping his hat to Wei. “Don’t be a stranger, pardner.” He looked down the road. “An’ ya might wanna head over t’ the Guild, looks like it’s ‘bout time.”

“About time? For what?”

“Rocky an’ the salvage crew.”

Wei’s eyes widened. He hurried out the door after Logan, running over to the Guild. Just as he arrived, Rocky waved him down.

“Just the guy I was lookin’ for! You wanna do the honors?”

“The honors?” Wei asked, confused. “Is there something I need to sign still--”

“Naw, of course not. I meant gettin’ to kick down the door t’ get us started.”

Wei paused, looking at the door. It wasn’t badly built, but based on how old it was, how the wood was likely rotting, and he’d done more than a little practice with combat… Well, it might even work.

“Oh, why not. But I’m treating the entire crew to dinner at the Blue Moon afterward-- including Krystal and Pebbles.” Wei rolled up his sleeves, despite knowing full well he wasn’t about to use his arms, walking to the front door of the Commerce Guild. He took a breath, then turned sideways, smashing the bottom of his foot into the door, breaking through the wood. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the strength to break much off of the door, leaving his foot stuck at about his chest height. Rocky quickly ran over, helping him out of his situation and punching the door for its trouble, knocking the whole section off. 

“Thanks.”

“Nice kick there, Wei. Hey, boys-- Let’s get this thing torn down!”

“Woo!” Venti cheered, running forward with her pickhammer. Peck and Fei were quick to follow, with Rocky close to follow. Wei stood back, smiling slightly.

He’d not even considered building a new Guild until just a few days ago, thanks to Owen’s suggestion. Now, with the salvage crew already on the case, he couldn’t help but feel even excited for the change.

That night, he’d send out the assignments for the materials, as soon as he split up the required things from Heidi and whatever additional things he’d pay to be created for the Guild interior.

For the moment, though, he watched as the salvage crew tore the place apart, and took orders for the Blue Moon just afterward so that Owen wouldn’t have to clean up after the dust and debris. A series of thoughts entered his mind as he walked into the Blue Moon, almost humming a tune with joy.

This might even work. 

There was a pause before the second.

I might finally be rid of him.

Chapter Text

Wei had stood in the wastelands of the Eufala Badlands before, by the trees that the town had planted together. This time, staring at the trees, he could feel that hand on his shoulder, hear that grating voice in his ear.

“It’s all thanks to me, of course-- They’d never have thought of something like this without me. Besides, my little brother here, he’s just around to help out with my great ideas. It’s annoying how often he just tags along, but I can deal with it.”

(There was a cuff on his wrist, tying him to that hand, tying him to that man again. No one else could see it but them, and only that man had the key. Wei was silent, without a chance to argue. He didn’t have the chance, and he knew he didn’t have the chance, and he knew he’d never have the chance, unless he demanded it.)

“Besides, he’s just lucky enough I let him stay around!”

“Shut up !” Wei finally exclaimed, turning to face him. He dragged his hand behind himself, pulling the other cuff closer, forcing that man to the ground. He stood over him, and finally brought his hands to that neck, his hands tightening, skin on skin as he strangled the life out of him--

Two beady black eyes stared up at him, two hands clawed at Wei’s as he held tighter, tighter, ever tighter, until the hands fell limp, the breathing stopped, and it was all silent.

He let go, falling back, as the cuff fell free. 

Yan’s body lay still, that face still contorted into a scowl despite the terror in his eyes. He was staring upwards, where Wei had just been, as the sand drifted around them with breaths of wind that Yan could no longer give.

Wei couldn’t even manage a word. He stared down at Yan, and stumbled away a few steps. He couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t even reason why-- People were staring, of course they were, everyone had been there-- Everyone was there, looking at him, wondering why he’d do that. 

Yan was dead on the ground, and Wei was still the one they hated.

(He couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. He couldn’t even try. He couldn’t see them through his own panic.)

His feet began to move, sprinting through the Eufala Badlands, as people called after him, shouting, yelling, screaming-- He couldn’t stop, he couldn’t stop running, the past would always catch up and--

Wei’s eyes snapped open in his bed, his blankets tangled into a constricting mess that kept him from moving much. His hands trembled as he worked it apart, throwing his legs out from the bed as soon as he could stand, and he nearly fell down the stairs in his hurry to reach to the small kitchen to make some tea. The water took time to boil, of course, leaving him pacing around the downstairs area.

He’d rarely dreamt about Sandrock before, and now, with the town coming together to help him, he couldn’t help but worry. It’s not like it’s important. It’s just a bad dream, and you can move past that. You have to keep moving forward.

Wei’s mouth felt dry as the sand outside, and he reluctantly poured the water over the tea leaves, even as his hand trembled enough to make it splash on his countertops. He’d have to clean it up later, he decided, as he picked up the cup, taking a sip before the leaves had even properly reacted to the warm water.

It tasted like water, with a bitter aftertaste. Not really shocking, but still gross. He made a face, mostly for his own benefit, and walked up the stairs to the desk.

A tap-tap-tap at his window interrupted him, and he glanced over. There, on the bridge between two houses, stood Pablo, wrapped in the thickest, fluffiest robe Wei had ever seen. He quickly set his tea down, and hurried over, opening the window to let Pablo inside. The cold wind blew in, making both shiver as Wei helped him inside.

“Finally,” Pablo said, wrapping his robe tighter. “I was starting to think you were just going to keep yelling and never actually open up that window.”

“What-- You could hear me?”

“A bit. Mostly just because of that bridge between the houses.” Pablo brushed off his robe, then sat down on the bed. “Something about metal and sound? I don’t know, I never listened to Qi rambling about it. He’s cute, and all, but not cute enough for me to listen to for that long.” Pablo leaned in. “What happened? I’m not letting this gossip go unheard.”

“It’s nothing, really. Just some bad dreams.” Wei did his best to shrug it off, picking up his tea, but ended up nearly spilling the tea anyways. 

“Dreams? Then you’re in luck. That’s one of my favorite things to think about.” Pablo crossed his legs. “I even bought a few books on them when I was in Walnut Groove.”

“Really?” Wei raised an eyebrow. “...Alright. I believe you. But… it’s relatively simple. Don’t take any of what I’m about to say weird--”

“It’s a dream, Wei, I know it’s going to be weird. One time one of the others in town came to me about a dream about being dragged into a magic school rebellion by, and I quote, ‘an orange weasel thing named Sunday Carlos.’” 

“Yan was back in town, and I strangled him with my bare hands,” Wei continued, ignoring that comment just to not have to question it. “And… that’s most of what I remember.”

“Oh. Well, that’s relatively simple, at least-- It usually means you’ve got some issues with someone if you’re killing them, and there’s definitely plenty of problems with your brother-- for one, his taste in facial hair was terrible.”

Wei couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“And that you’re not really feeling what you need to feel about things-- Him and everything he did, or anything about the situation you’re in.”

“...I suppose so,” Wei admitted. “But I’m sure you don’t want to hear that.”

“C’mon, it’s not like I have anything better to do. Spill the tea.”

“I’m about to if I don’t drink it.” Wei took a sip. It was much better now that it had time to steep, but Pablo only laughed at him.

“Wrong tea, old man.”

“Oh. Is that one of those terms I missed…?”

“Yes. Absolutely. It’s the gossip. Have any?”

“Not much--” He paused, thinking a moment. “...Unless. I do have to ask-- Are Burgess and James dating? Because I’ve been curious for a moment--”

“Oh my god. Burgess and James?” Pablo’s hand moved to his mouth. “I never-- How did I not guess? With how often James is hanging around every morning, I should have guessed it was him trying to see Burgess. I always thought he was trying to find Justice, but that makes so much more sense.”

“Don’t tell them, alright?” Wei added.

“I won’t, promise. I’ll just give them a little nudge.”

“...Good luck.”

By the time the day itself was actually supposed to begin, the two had been talking for a few hours, and Pablo left to get ready, still deep in conversation with Wei as he left. Burgess waved from his spot by the water tower, and Wei gave him a nod of acknowledgment while Pablo hurried off to talk to him, most likely about James. The wind and snow had picked up, unfortunately, so Wei stayed in his house for a while instead of leaving to keep an eye on the commissions board (which was entirely crowded with new things for the Guild) and builders. Few bothered to show up-- Mi-an and James did, as usual, with little chatter before they left again to try to beat the storm, but they were the only ones.

It was a while before Wei finally decided to head outside to check on the progress of the new Guild, but when he did, he bundled up the best he could.

With the materials in place, it was already underway, with Heidi’s guidance and crew picking up the pace wherever they could. The foundation had mostly been set, but the walls were next, and the snow didn’t show signs of stopping. Even with his thicker coat on, Wei still shivered in the wind, and he ducked into the Blue Moon to warm up for a moment.

It was clear from the crowd that he hadn’t been the only one. Most of the town had gathered in the Blue Moon, all chattering away. He slid into a seat near the stage, and Grace walked over before long.

“Howdy, what can I get for you?”

“I’ll take a Sand Tea and a Spicy Fish Soup. Thank you, Grace.”

“No problem.” She walked off, giving the order to Owen along with dozens of others, and Wei surveyed the room.

It was another packed Thursday, with most of the town hanging out partially for the food and partially for the company. Hugo and Cooper were bickering, as per usual, while Mabel chatted with Vivi about something or other. James drifted from table to table, talking to everyone about the day and their plans for tomorrow, while Logan and Andy sat on their own, Andy playing with his food while Logan scolded him once again. 

Even with the weather, Sandrock was lively, if you knew where to look. Wei watched them from his own table, quiet for a bit before James joined him.

“Howdy, Wei. What’s going on? Anything interesting?”

“Not especially-- I’ve had a bit of an off day today. Tried making a few things, but with this weather? I doubt that it’s really a day to do much…” He shook his head. “How about you? Is there anything I should know about?”

“Nope. Just doing my commissions, making friends, all that. I’ve been trying to have a factory in my house so I wouldn’t have to worry about the snow getting to it, but right now, I’m just hitting a dozen other problems…” James sighed. “Besides, I’d hate to be someone who has to work outside in this. I thought about ruin diving, but with how many times I used to slip on the ice back in Highwind? I’m not doing any of that stuff in this weather, especially not in the Northern Starship like I was planning.” He sat down. “But anyways! I got some of the commissions done already, but I can’t really transport that stuff until the Guild’s built, so… Soon? But the elevator’s done! I’ll help install it tomorrow too!”

“That’s exciting!” Wei smiled as Grace walked over, setting their food down.

“James, can you stick to a table next time? It makes it hard to figure out where you are to get you your stuff.”

“I’ll try.”

“That means you aren't planning on it,” she commented. James smiled.

“You know me too well.”

Grace sighed, and she walked off, back to grab more food for others. Before long, Hugo and Cooper had finally finished their latest bout of bickering, and they clambered on stage.

“Howdy, everybody! We didn’t get to last night, so how ‘bout a Coogo performance right here, tonight in the saloon!” Cooper said. Though the end of his sentence raised like a question, there was no time to respond before he was playing his guitar. James cheered, but most others were quiet to enjoy the music, including Wei.

Looking at them from his corner of the room, it was obvious-- Even if something bad happened, there was a group of people he could rely on now.

For one of the first few times since he’d left for the Peripheries all those years ago, Wei finally relaxed.

Chapter Text

The day after the snowstorm was much easier-- Every bit of construction they couldn’t do in the snow and more was done with ease, especially with half the town chipping in a hand, a tool, or a bit of extra food to keep the mood and the workers’ stamina up. Wei barely found the time to visit the site through preparing for re-decorating, building half of the furniture for redecorating, and trying to somehow keep up with the town’s many offers of help that he couldn’t accept.

It was difficult to keep up with it all, honestly-- If he looked away for a moment, it was long enough for someone to slip a gift in between the cracks.

Usually, the gifts were helpful-- Furniture, decorations, or things for the guild-- but more than a few people stopped by his house as well to offer whatever they had from their own work, be it food from the farm or an extra few meals he didn’t ask for. 

By the time the building was complete, he had more than enough he had to bring over-- from the empty commissions board to the couches, things were messy enough just trying to figure out where everything was going to be put. 

It was luck alone that he managed to get most of it through the door, using his own two hands to lug the couch down the path and up the ramp (He was beyond grateful that Heidi had thought of that-- it made it a lot easier to drag larger commissions into the guild, especially when the double doors barely kept open long enough for him to hurry down to push the couch the rest of the way inside.) 

A few others popped out, Hugo and Heidi as some of the first to join in, with James and Mi-an quick to follow in helping to carry the things around. It wasn’t like he asked for it-- he never really had-- but the others had already made their decision before he even opened his mouth.

At the very least, it made it a lot easier to set up the new furniture and supplies, the new cabinets easily slid in place by Hugo’s arms, the new tables carried in by James with ease after he remembered where they were going, and Mi-an moving in the desk with only a little help from Heidi. 

“What else do you need?” James asked once he was done.

“It’s alright, I can--”

“Mr. Wei, come on, we’re here to help! It’s our guild too, remember?” Mi-an interrupted. Wei smiled, letting out a small laugh. 

“...I suppose. I’m just still getting used to that idea-- I’m used to doing a lot of it on my own.”

“Then good thing you have us. I’ll get the paintings and start hangin’ ‘em up,” Heidi said, and walked out.

“I… Alright then. James, could you help get the inspection tables upstairs? Mi-an and I can work with some of the smaller details, so… Hugo, would you mind getting the chairs?”

“On it.” Hugo nodded, and he left, following his daughter. James was quick to follow, off like a shot, which left Wei and Mi-an in the mostly-empty guild on their own.

“...Mr. Wei?” Mi-an asked. “How are you doing?”

“I… don’t even know, to be honest. I’m still reeling from how quickly everyone’s been moving. I understand that the Guild is an important place for this town, but… I didn’t expect it to be this quick, I suppose? I didn’t expect everyone to hurry through all of this, or… Honestly, even care much.”

“What? Of course we would. You’re part of the town too.”

Wei didn't react, only rubbed his arm as if it would cause things to go back to how he expected. “...I… suppose. It's…” 

Before he could find a proper response, James returned, carrying a duo of small tables. He set them down by the door, something that Wei took as a cue to instead greet him with a wave instead of continuing. 

Mi-an, however, didn't take the hint.

"Why wouldn't you expect us to help...? I mean, I was just saying--" Mi-an awkwardly continued. 

"It's just, ah... not what I'm used to, I suppose."

"So what are you used to?" James asked, crossing his arms.

Being chased out of town because of Yan's actions. People turning on me when I need them. Others leaving, or not bothering to listen when I'm trying to explain.

"...Oh, you know, the usual," he lied, smiling just to keep them from worrying. 

"Which means...?" James gestured for him to continue. Wei did not.

“I should go get some more things.”

“Mr. Wei--” Mi-an started again. Wei didn't bother to react, only hurrying out the doors to walk home again.

Wei was never a fan of the snow. That much was obvious-- he'd never really known how to handle it and its impact when he'd started building, he'd never really enjoyed the usual wintertime activities, and with his experiences in the Peripheries, a mere dislike had escalated to an intolerance. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself, shivering in the chilly wind, and kept his head down to avoid any of the still-drifting flakes from getting into his eyes. Even so, a few made their way down his neck, dripping into his clothes and chilling him to the bone. 

Instead of heading home, though, his feet brought him down the stairs next to Tailor Made, straight to Martle’s Oasis. He didn't bother clearing off a bench to sit, instead plopping down on the edge of the boardwalk to admire the ebb of the water.

While the pipeline had revitalized the oasis, it didn't warm it in the freezing winters. It was merely the movement through pipes and the pumps constructed for the tower and Burgess's shop that kept the water from turning to ice.

Wei took a few deep breaths, trying to find a comfortable rhythm, when footsteps alerted him to someone else nearby. He turned, searching for the source, but instead of anything he had to worry about, Burgess waved at him. Wei responded in kind, but despite any attempts to the contrary, Burgess took it as an invitation to come sit with him.

“Something up?” Burgess said in lieu of greeting. 

“Yes and no,” Wei answered, watching the water. “It's not easy to explain.”

“I get it. I'm awful at explaining things.”

If it had been almost anyone other than Burgess, Wei would've taken that as a joke. However, with Burgess, there was something so sincere he couldn't help but acknowledge it as a statement of truth.

“...But I am good at listening, if you want to try.”

“You're not from here, right? Did it… did it take you a while to adjust to feeling like you belonged?”

“Oh, that?” Burgess paused. “It didn't, really-- the church really helped me settle in. Back then, there was already Matilda and Miguel, and… well, they made me feel like I had a family here, sort of. Even if it turned out both of them were working with Duvos, they helped then-- and then I managed to make some friends of my own too, like Dan-bi and James.” He smiled. 

Might just be me, then.

“Any reason that's on your mind, or…?”

“Just a random question.”

Burgess nodded, and turned to face the water as well. Wei could see him twiddling his thumbs out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't say a word about it. 

“...I suppose it's more that I worry about when I came here, compared to everyone else. People here already learned to trust others, and what with the events I missed… I would've understood if people kept me at arm's length.”

Burgess didn't respond, thinking to himself.

“It’s not like it makes any sense, even to me.”

“I get it.” Burgess finally said. 

“You do?”

“Sort of. I get being scared that people aren't gonna trust you.” Burgess rocked a bit on the spot. “I thought that people were going to stop liking me when they heard that Matilda and Miguel and Pen… but people kept coming over to talk. Even if it was scary to me, they still kept making sure I was okay. And they kept trying to help me, too.”

“So that’s just a town-wide phenomenon?”

“What?”

“The helping. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the help, but-- it’s a tad bit overwhelming.”

“Yep!” Burgess grinned. “It happens every time someone has a problem. Someone gets sick, or missing? The whole place comes together. It helped me feel like I actually belonged here, the first time it happened to me. I missed home so much before that. But… it really helped.”

Wei didn’t respond.

“Is everything okay?” Burgess asked. 

“...It’s getting there, at least.” Wei finally stood. “Thank you for talking to me about this.”

“Hey, no problem. Sometimes we all need someone to listen.”

“Wei! Burgess!” James exclaimed, waving at them from up the stairs. Both turned to face him. “Mi-an was worrying about you, commissioner.”

“Ah. I did just walk off, didn’t I--”

“Yeah. In the middle of a conversation, too.”

Wei rubbed his arm, quiet. “...It was. I’ll apologize in a moment, it was just…”

“Overwhelming,” Burgess finished for him. Wei nodded. 

“Oh.” James paused, looking between them, and sighed. “Alright. But… make sure you talk with Mi-an.”

“I will. Eventually.” Wei straightened his tailcoat, and he walked off. There was work to do, after all, and it wasn’t like James and Burgess would complain about being left alone together.

By the time Wei returned home, most of the things had already been moved, leaving him with just a few additional ornaments to carry back to the guild. He pressed most of it into his arms, carrying the trinkets down the street. The heavy foot traffic had already trampled the snow into slush, not yet slick enough to slip, but enough that he felt more than a little anxious about the possibility.

The moment he entered the guild, however, it was clear that the others had been hard at work. Heidi adjusted a portrait on the wall, while Hugo dusted off his hands of the last few chairs. While Mi-an focused on arranging the last few trophies, Wei gently set the last few trinkets on the closest table before approaching.

“Er, Mi-an?”

She jumped slightly, but turned. As soon as she realized it was him, she smiled. “Mr. Wei!”

“I’m sorry about leaving like that.”

“It’s okay. Did I say something wrong?”

“Absolutely not. It…” Wei searched for the right words. “...I'm still working out how to express things.”

“Is there any way I can help?”

“No, not really. It's mostly getting past the adjustment period.” Wei shrugged slightly. “I suppose it takes a bit longer than I expected.”

“...That must be part of why you always seem so tense.”

Wei opened his mouth to deny the suggestion, but all he could do was sigh and nod. “Perhaps so.”

“Alright, you two. This place is all set up!” Heidi cheerfully told them, interrupting without being aware of it. “I'll go tell Trudy. Is there anything else you need?”

Wei glanced around for a moment. Even if he wanted nothing more than to take a break from all the attention, he knew that there was one more thing that he had to do.

“Can you tell the town that we’ll have the grand opening in a few hours?”

“Sounds good to me. See you in a bit then.” 

Hugo and Heidi left before long, but the silence lingered in the new building, as Wei adjusted one of the decorative vases gifted by Amirah. 

“...So there's nothing else you want help with?” Mi-an asked, quietly. 

Wei almost gave her his usual answer, but he paused, taking another moment to think.

“...Actually, there is something. Could you help me with organizing the files? I haven't had the chance in a while, and it would be a big help to have a second pair of eyes.”

“Of course! I’ll do that right away.”

“Thank you, Mi-an.” Wei smiled. …Little by little. Just have to get better at asking.

It didn’t take long for the other townspeople to come by, but by the time they did, Mi-an and Wei had already taken care of any remaining organization (not that much remained by that point). Owen was one of the first to arrive, bringing most of the people who were at the Blue Moon for lunch with him, including Grace, Logan, Andy, Elsie, and Ernest. The salvage crew unfortunately hadn’t had time to join in, but Burgess and James had come, standing near the back of the room as Burgess looked around excitedly. More of the town filtered in over time, but it didn’t take too long for the whole place to feel a bit crowded.

“...This is usually when someone says something,” Mi-an said after a moment. Wei glanced at the crowd, then walked towards them.

“Hello, everyone! Thank you for coming out here today. I’m sure all the hubbub of the past week hasn’t escaped your notice, but… Well, as you can see, this is the result! Feel free to take a look around-- we’ve got some new tables to use for anything, some more space, and, most importantly, nothing here to make anyone think of my brother.”

There was a cheer for that part, and Wei couldn’t help but smile. 

“On that note, thank you all for all the help. We couldn’t have done it without all of you. With that, feel free to look around, put up new commissions, anything you’d like. Thanks again, and hope you like the results here!”

Wei stepped back as people applauded, and as he watched, Owen strode to the commissions board. He picked up a piece of paper and pen, writing out a commission. He pinned it to the board, then stepped back. 

“There we go. For whenever the guild is ready for that.”

Mi-an was the first to run over to grab it, picking up the commission and checking it over.

“...Mr. Wei?” she asked. “It’s a commission to fix up your house.”

“We’re not doing that,” Wei immediately answered. “Not until spring. I need a little break first.”