Food. Real actual food. Food that tasted good. Food that was a delight for the senses. Food that Wei Wuxian could stomach the thought of eating.
Yet when he looked at his bowl, which was full of just a basic congee—he didn’t want anything too complex for his body to digest—he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. It had been so long since he’d had real food. He’d eaten questionable things in the burial mounds, but he was still alive and that’s what mattered.
But looking down at his congee was unsettling. It didn’t look any different from how it was meant to and Wei Wuxian was sure it wouldn’t taste any different from what he expected. But still, an invisible barrier existed between him and the bowl. It should be easy, just pick up the spoon and dig in but something about it would mark a turning point. Him being in an inn, eating congee. It was proof. Proof that he’d survived. Proof that he was real; that the last few months hadn’t been some mind-induced nightmare. Eating the congee was acknowledging that turning point.
With renewed determination, Wei Wuxian took hold of the spoon. His hand trembled as he scooped up some of the congee. He blew on it, which was pointless since it had been served ten minutes ago, and then timidly placed the loaded spoon in his mouth. The congee was still somewhat warm. It tasted how he remembered, maybe a bit more bland than he was used to, but still it was familiar. Familiar in his memory but unfamiliar to his adapted-to-survive stomach, which almost instantly wanted to reject the food when Wei Wuxian swallowed.
Wei Wuxian forced it down and took another spoonful; swallowed it down without thinking about it. He did this as many times as was necessary until the bowl was finished. If somebody had asked how it tasted, he wouldn’t have known how to respond past the obvious descriptors, i.e. warm and bland. He didn’t really taste it; his stomach wouldn’t let him indulge in such a luxury. Not after what he had gone through in the burial mounds.
No. It would be a slow process to re-accommodate himself with proper food, but he just had to be patient and persevere. There was much enjoyment to be found in eating. Wei Wuxian hoped he would rediscover that in time too.