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

[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?"

[aflashbastard]

"What?" Crowley asks. "Oh, I'm not calling you that. It was something a friend wrote about you. Don't worry about it too much."

[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]

So Lan Wangji has been his trademark self (i.e., a total ass) even to an immortal cultivator. Jiang Wanyin cannot even muster up the slightest bit of feigned surprise. He wonders what Shen Yuan did -- breathe in his space? Or was Hanguang-jun just jealous that Wei Wuxian makes friends like breathing and likes a drink? "Typical," he grouses.

[qingxinling]

"What the fuck?!"

[qingxinling]

"You can tell my good-for-nothing shixiong¹ to show you. He used to be good at that shit when he bothered to make an effort²." Gods forbid this man ask Lan Wangji. Gusu Lan teaching methods are the worst.


¹This is absolutely a slip of the tongue! It translates into older [martial/sect] brother. Jiang Cheng would never in a million years on purpose refer to Wei Wuxian accordingly at this point in his life, but he's distracted. Other typists might choose for themselves specifically how the mansion translator handles the word.
² Wei Wuxian's handwriting is documented as "notably messy" but calligraphy is one of the six arts, which he was also said to have "mastered." This typist assumes that, as da shixiong, he might have helped junior disciples with calligraphy in his past.

[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."

[sagramore]

Sagramore is very used to brother applied as a term of familiarity rather than literal family, almost as familiar as he is with the term being applied to someone you don't like but still have a relationship with (Agravain). "I'll be sure to ask. What did you say he looks like? I haven't gotten everyone's name, to be sure."

[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."

[lanselos_du_lac]

His grip on the sword hilt tightens, but the rest of his demeanor stays loose, relaxed. The other man is probably well able to tell that this is down to training; Lancelot knows this. He stops moving closer. "Well. It is only that you seem lost."

[aflashbastard]

"He wrote it in a burn book. That your personality is like biting into a loquat and discovering it's actually rotten. I wouldn't take it too personally, though," Crowley reassures him. "It was all part of a communal bonding experience. Just airing some grievances."

[qingxinling]

This time, Jiang Wanyin remembers that Wei Wuxian is shorter now. When he holds his hand up, it's more or less a correct estimate of his height. "Wei Wuxian. Terrible hair, obnoxious laugh, horrible taste in cultivation partners? He wears a lot of black. And red. Likes a drink and being unfilial."

Perhaps the things Jiang Wanyin are saying are also unfilial. On the other hand, it's hard to describe the guy. Every single one of the memories Jiang Wanyin has of Wei Wuxian are from before: growing up together in Lotus Pier; the terrible fallout after the Sunshot Campaign; those last awful fights. He barely knows Wei Wuxian's new body enough to describe it to someone else. And he doesn't want to!!! Wei Wuxian has done unforgivable things. There are consequences for that kind of shit!

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin might not know where he is, but he knows where he's going: home. Back to Yunmeng, back to Lotus Pier, back to the responsibilities some people are all too happy to give up. "I'm not," he snaps.

[qingxinling]

"Lan Wangji," Jiang Wanyin growls. He wants to kill that man. If diplomatic ties weren't so tenuous after the Guanyin temple --

[sagramore]

"He's never gone by Luo Binghe, has he? --No, that's not possible, you'd never say Luo Binghe has terrible hair."

[lanselos_du_lac]

He only says, "Ah. I see."

The other man bristles like a cat, and Lancelot recognizes a little of himself in that -- defensiveness, an unwillingness to let anyone (let alone a stranger) know you might be vulnerable.

[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."

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin shakes his head, impatient. "Wei Wuxian. Yiling Laozu." A pause. "Wei Ying? Mo Xuanyu?"

[sagramore]

"Is there anyone else he's affiliated with? You mentioned a cultivation partner?" This last quite innocently curious. He has read the welcome pamphlets.

[qingxinling]

Perhaps in addition to being illiterate, this man is simple? "I already said," Jiang Wanyin says. He's trying not to snap, but it's very difficult. Technically, what Jiang Wanyin had said was 'bizarrely obsessed with Lan Wangji,' but surely that gets the meaning across?! "Lan Wangji."

[aflashbastard]

This man had just said that he didn't know Lan Wangji, but Crowley understands that confusion completely. "Yes," he says, encouraging. "He's--" he raises his hand to approximately Lan Wangji's height (which is mostly useless because they're about the same height) "--and golden eyes. Very stern looking."

[sagramore]

"Oh, of course, Lan Wangji. That is a man I've met."

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin comes to a complete stop, and takes this man in entirely. "What has he done to you?" he asks, one aggrieved party to another.

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin knows better than to hope Wei Wuxian hasn't been throwing himself all over Lan Wangji here, because he's seen them already, and Wei Wuxian is definitely still throwing himself all over Lan Wangji here. He focuses on the horse; he doesn't want to yell in front of an innocent animal like that. As evenly as he can, he grits out, "Then you will also know Wei Wuxian. They're fucking inseparable."

[sagramore]

"I have to admit, I've only seen Lan Wangji's husband with him once, at the talent show. That ended rather spectacularly. Have you ever seen him tie Wei Wuxian up before?"