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.

[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.

[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."

[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."

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin regards the man with heightened suspicion. Clearly he knows how to act, but is choosing to ignore it. Jiang Wanyin knows and distrusts the type. "What."

[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]

Shen Yuan tucks his hair behind his ear. "As if you don't get that all the time," he says. "Has anyone showed you the welcome table? I could, like, show you around?"

[lightbearinglord]

Immediately, Lan Wangji wants to gather up Wei Ying, step onto Bichen's blade, and whisk him away. Jiang Wanyin does not deserve his shixiong's company. He doesn't even deserve the spiritual power that he has. It belonged to Wei Ying, once.

He knows, however, how much Wei Ying loves this noxious man. He does not interrupt -- yet. He does keep his arm firm around his husband's waist, however, and he does grip Bichen's hilt with intent, gaze locked on Zidian.

[wwx_isdead]

The knowledge that as yet, no one who has come to the mansion has been able to leave again, hits Wei Wuxian suddenly and he squeezes Lan Zhan's forearm tightly. Lan Zhan may have stepped home briefly, but when they had tried that door again, it hadn't brought them home.

Maybe it would be good for Jiang Cheng to be here. Maybe it would be horrible for all of them. The barrier between these worlds may be thin today, but Wei Wuxian knows in his bones that it won't be forever. "Jiang Cheng, turn back! Before you're stuck here!"

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin, however, advances. "Is that your excuse?" he demands. Sandu glints in the light. "You got stuck? What the fuck does that even mean, stuck. Stuck avoiding your responsibilities?"

[qingxinling]

"Who are you," Jiang Wanyin demands, furious in his confusion. "Is this some joke? Did the Chief Cultivator put you up to it?"

[lightbearinglord]

"Jiang Wanyin!" Lan Wangji snaps, the frostiest possible warning. He releases his hold on Bichen, but only so that he can summon his qin loose from its place on his back. Wangji leaps into his touch, strings at the ready beneath his fingers.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan's smile grows puzzled. Why would Lan Wangji tell him to show Jiang Cheng around? They hate each other. Unless the adaptation got that wrong, too? "My name is Shen Yuan," he says, "and no one's put me up to anything. It can just be confusing, when you first arrive, and I thought I might offer a friendly face."

[wwx_isdead]

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian hisses. Jiang Cheng's words have struck home; Wei Wuxian has been avoiding returning to any sort of responsibility other than his experiments and Lan zhan. And yet, it would hurt him to see these two hurt each other. As calmly as he can, he continues. "No one who has come to this place has been able to leave. We aren't alone here."

[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.

[qingxinling]

"A convenient excuse," Jiang Wanyin snaps. "What is this, some array? Some trap? Have you even tried to get out?"

[qingxinling]

"Shen Yuan," Jiang Wanyin snaps. He bows: a shallow affair. "What is there to even show around? A shitty lake?" He glances past the glare of the sun to the strange building rising in the distance. "A weird house?"

[qingxinling]

Jiang Wanyin does not like this guy's vibe. He looks strange and acts strange and speaks strange. "What are you?" he asks, getting a closer grip on Zidian, fingers flexing around Sandu's hilt, poised to lash the spirit out of this guy's body if need be. "Some demon? Some spirit? Is this your array?"

[lightbearinglord]

If such a thing is possible, Lan Wangji's jaw tightens even further. He could be made of pure jade, a pillar of protective anger. Jiang Wanyin spent an entire Lotus Pier childhood observing how clever and hardworking Wei Ying can be, and he thinks they have not even tried to get out?

"Wei Ying," he says, low enough for Wei Ying's hearing only. "Do not take his bait."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan pulls his fan out of his back pocket so he can hide his smile behind it. He's very tempted to just loop arms with Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Cheng still very much has Zidian, like, out and crackling. "Quiet your weapons, Sect Leader Jiang," he suggests, "and I'll see if I can find something on our humble grounds to impress you."

[qingxinling]

This Shen Yuan wields the fan like a man who knows how to use it. Jiang Wanyin's suspicions escalate. He's heard tales of traps that come in the form of comely beings, waiting for a man to show but one weakness before they're sprung. "What are you?" he asks, though he does not expect the truth.

[aflashbastard]

"What?" Crowley asks, irritated now. "Demon, if you need to know."