bang! crash! the lightning flashed!! -- that's another story, nevermind, anyway!

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin sweeps along the shores of the lake, glowering. This is not his beloved Lotus Pier. These waters are cold, foreign, uninviting. Clearly there's been some trap: he's been distracted by duty in this hunt, and when he followed the slight tug in his chest, he ended up getting pulled into unfamiliar territory.

No matter. He draws himself to full height, letting cool arrogance slip down his shoulders and suffuse him. Sandu is naked in one hand; Zidian crackles in the other. He can handle whatever monsters may arrive.

Comments

[lightbearinglord]

Ah. It is not only one of those days. It is a day designed to force Lan Wangji to run the entire gamut of every emotion he can possibly feel. He could almost be resigned, but ice-cold disdain has washed away everything else.

He had meant to bring Wei Ying to the lake shore for a meditation under the willow tree, a favored spot of his, and then perhaps to entertain himself by tossing Wei Ying into the lake itself and affecting innocence. He stops dead, though, when he sees Jiang Wanyin, and his arm tightens around Wei Ying's waist, drawing him flush against Lan Wangji's side. He has nothing kind to say, so he says nothing, but his free hand drops to Bichen's hilt.

[wwx_isdead]

Wei Wuxian is halfway through a laugh when Lan Zhan pulls him close--and not in an enjoyable way. He looks up, curious as to what danger Lan Zhan has seen and then he freezes, tight against Lan Zhan's side. Even knowing that this encounter would be easier if he stepped away from Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian cannot bring himself to. He touches Chenqing and then calls out, "Jiang Cheng!"

[qingxinling]

"Wei Wuxian!" Of course he's here. Of course they're both here. Where else would they be? If this is a trap, it's a clever one to keep stupid Wei Wuxian and his awful Hanguang-jun contained for so long.

Jiang Wanyin's fist flexes. He doesn't know what to say, and he hates that. Jin Ling has been palpably worried about where his stupid uncle got to. This is the only thing staying Jiang Wanyin's hand and tongue.

[peaklordshen]

...Holy shit.

It's not that it hadn't occurred to Shen Yuan that more people from CQL, or—what was the book called? grandmaster of something?—might show up here, but he'd assumed if they did it would be other Lans, or maybe even people who had been cut entirely from the story for censorship reasons, like Laertes had been from the Lion King. He'd never considered Jiang Cheng could show up here. He was like, the coolest guy in that whole show!! Come on, lightning whip that turns into a beautiful snake bracelet?? Plus he was, like, totally wronged by the narrative. In retrospect, of course he's shown up here, who could possibly deserve a second chance at happiness more??

He's so caught up in staring at Jiang Cheng actually wielding Zidian that he doesn't even say anything, just stopped dead by the edge of the lake.

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin huffs, impatient. This man is deplorably arrayed, his clothes thoroughly inappropriate for public settings. He's also clearly socially inept. He should be bowing his greeting, not -- not staring!

"Why are you just standing there?" Jiang Wanyin demands, closing his fist more tightly around Zidian.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan startles, and then bows, deeply, as befits a Sect Leader. "Apologies, Sandu Shengshou," he says, straightening with a smile. "This one was only briefly transfixed by your power and beauty."

[aflashbastard]

Crowley had escaped to the lake, hoping to not run into anyone new there -- but here we go again. "Er, hi," Crowley says, giving him a weak but hopeful nod. "You look like you can take care of yourself?"

[qingxinling]

Zidian crackles. Jiang Wanyin's frown deepens. "Obviously."

[aflashbastard]

"It's not so bad once you get used to it," Crowley adds, slowly taking one step away. "Even though you're trapped here forever, it's kind of like a new home. You know what they say, 家和万事兴¹."

¹It is actually what they say (surprise?), "If the family lives in harmony, all affairs will prosper." -- but unfortunately it probably sounds like Crowley just went from speaking fluent Chinese to absolute terrible Chinese.

[thepurpledanger]

Gu Xiang eyes the newcomer with deep suspicion. Purple robes ... whip ... general air of badassery ...

"Hey, shitstain!" she snarls as she stalks toward him. "Stop trying to steal my look!"

[qingxinling]

"Who the fuck taught you manners?" Jiang Wanyin asks, startled. Shitstain??? He'll show her shitstain!! Zidian crackles to life, lightning arcing from his fist. It doesn't approach her, though; just flows toward the ground. "That's Jiang-zongzhu to you."

[thepurpledanger]

"Oh, Jiang-zongzhu, where's your fucking clan, then?" She fists her hands on her hips. If he's going to whip a teenage girl, then she is going to cry the biggest ugliest tears until he feels like an asshole.

[sagramore]

"That's dramatic," Sagramore remarks. He's still leading his lame horse back to the stable, having gotten distracted for a while with Gertrude.

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin bristles, and then settles when he realizes that it's just some strange man and his horse. He likes horses, and knows that lightning tends to spook them. He calls Zidian back to his hand, but keeps Sandu loose in his grip in case he needs to attack. "What now?"

[sagramore]

"Ah, thank you. She's quite steady, actually. Are you new here?"

[sporesprouter]

"Moonshadows, so many new people here today." Tress approaches, looking curious if somewhat cautious. "Welcome. I know it's a strange place, but it's not usually dangerous, if that helps."

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin is not scared of danger. "So fucking what," he snaps.

[sporesprouter]

She shrugs. "So you probably don't need weapons out, is all. Even though they're very impressive."

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe's senses prickle. This cultivator radiates malicious intent. This is not a place that speaks the language of force—Luo Binghe learned that the hard way. He will gladly be the one to administer that lesson if needed. He approaches. "What is your intention, openly wielding your weapons in this place?"

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin pauses in his furious trek from the girl with the hair to the unsightly horror on the other side of the lake. He barely spares a glance at this newest interruption, which is perhaps how he doesn't realize, yet, that this newest interruption is brimming with demonic qi. Across the lake, Wei Wuxian is in Lan Wangji's arms. It's disgusting. "I have a bone to pick with Lan Wangji."

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe relaxes his demeanor, pleasantly surprised. He himself would not initiate violence with Lan Wangji—too socially complicated—but he's certainly not going to stop anyone else from doing so. "In that case, we are united in purpose. I hate Lan Wangji."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot sees the flash of purple robes, out by the lake, and goes to investigate. He's wearing his sword, as he sometimes is when he's out wandering. As he gets closer, he recognizes that this man is dressed in similar fashion to Lan Wangji -- though he is clearly on guard, well-armed.

He rests his left-hand on the hilt of his sword, not ready to draw but an unsubtle reminder that the sword is there. He calls out, "Hail, sir! Are you in need of aid?"

[qingxinling]

Zidian crackles. Whatever sort of trap this is, there sure seems to be no shortage of people insistent that it's a cozy little hellhole. Jiang Wanyin, of course, is having none of that. "Obviously not."

[wickedwit]

Claudius sees a man bristling with hostile energy and weapons drawn, and his instinct is to go in the other direction. Unless the man is attractive. There's a reason why he let Enjolras show him how to shoot a musket. He just has to be at his most disarming, starting with a bow -- one closer to Lan Wangji's when he still respected the Peak Lord than the bows of Claudius's own court. "Well, welcome," he says. As he rises, he considers how thick he'd like to lay this on. "It's always a pleasure to meet a capable-looking man. Where might you be from?"

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin, who is still bristlingly furious that some golden-haired child disarmed him through some foul trickery and then conspired to allow Lan Wangji whisk him and Wei Wuxian away, bristles at the interruption and then feels rather like he put his foot down expecting another step only to find himself on the top of a stair at the rest of what this man says.

He has manners, sometimes. He bows in return, though his scowl does not fade. "Yunmeng."