[♪♫♬]

[one_note]

[after Yi City and the second time Wei Wuxian gets Lan Wangji drunk, it takes about a day for them to reach the Garden of Annual blossoms. this curious incident takes place in the space of that day.

outside of appeasing the corpse pieces they've been collecting each night, it's not uncommon for Lan Wangji to take the time to practice on the guqin. he doesn't play entire songs, since he's not trying to interact with any spirits at the moment, but safely broken-up sections of Inquiry and Empathy (was Empathy always a musical technique? it is in this timeline, shut up) and the other songs he uses for battle hum through the walls of the rest stop they've paused at on the road.

it's partway through a passage of Empathy that there's a notable shriek of strings, and then silence; when Wei Wuxian goes to check, he'll find Lan Wangji half-collapsed over the instrument, his breathing harsh and a strange fluctuation of energy around him.

a qi deviation...? oh no.]

Comments

[weiyingdown]

Kicking me out already?

[but he nods, agreeable, and steps back the way they came]

I did say that I would go and find it. I just have to check below, then?

[one_note]

...have a care, Wei Ying.

[weiyingdown]

I have a lot of cares about what's going on in your heart, Lan Zhan.

[weiyingdown]

[oops that was too many feelings, time to flee]

--Anyways, I'll go fix that qi deviation for you!

[HE JUST. TAKES OFF RUNNING back to the white foggy area]

[one_note]

[wow

it's easy to find the road again. the rabbit picks out the path for him one more time, if he doesn't grab it.]

[weiyingdown]

[he was too busy running away from feelings to grab the rabbit. good rabbit!]

I don't suppose you're going to point me in the right direction, are you?

[one_note]

[it tilts its head at him, one long ear flopping sideways]

[weiyingdown]

How hard can it be to find one qi deviation?!

[ok he's. back at the fork i guess. has anything new magically appeared or is it just the 3 paths]

[one_note]

[it's just the three paths! happiness, grief, and the way back to the jingshi. the rabbit gives a small and definite hop onto the latter and looks at him again.]

[weiyingdown]

[he is taking the one back to the jingshi, yeah. it's the remaining place that he feels confident he didn't fully check, on account of being mildly freaked out but constantly seeing memories that weren't his.]

You know, if you're not going to be helpful, I could just put you back in the bookshelf where I found you.

[one_note]

[the rabbit pauses on the path and scratches its floppy ear vigorously, before continuing.

the jingshi doors come into view.]

[weiyingdown]

[resists the urge to scruff the rabbit and heads back inside!! is everything as he left it]

[one_note]

[pretty much! you left everything but the scrolls messy, buddy]

[weiyingdown]

[it was a mess when i got here!!!!!

he goes back to the Emperor's Smile jars under the floorboards. does it look like there's enough room for him to jump down there?]

[one_note]

[if he takes all the jars out he might be able to squeeze partway into the small compartment with its dirt floor, certainly]

[weiyingdown]

[he's gonna take the jars out and stick his head and shoulders down in there. MAYBE SOMETHING IS HIDING, LIKE THE EMPEROR'S SMILE WAS. doesn't hurt to check]

[one_note]

[he sees nothing out of the ordinary, except the dirt is wet and smells absolutely soused with alcohol.]

[weiyingdown]

[that's within expectations so it's okay.

he's definitely going to grab one of the jars and take another drink, though, to see if it's still doing the memory thing]

[one_note]

[weiyingdown]

[smiling fondly, like a huge doofus, before shaking his head and proceeding to pour a little bit of the alcohol into the dirt.]

[one_note]

[it splashes some of the dirt aside, revealing a gleam of metal underneath...?]

[weiyingdown]

Hmm?

[reaching down to wipe away the dirt with a hand, to see what said metal thing is]

[one_note]

[it's a band of metal holding together a trapdoor.]

[weiyingdown]

[SQUINTS...at the trapdoor. this seems very out of place.

but also trying to open it, obviously]

[one_note]

[it's very heavy and very reluctant, like it's gone unoiled and unopened for a long time.

there is a second compartment dug roughly out of the dirt. the shattered remnants of another jar of Emperor's Smile lie inside, reeking. a little of the liquid inside has been preserved, where it landed on some of the upcurved ceramic shards, but the rest has long since soaked away.]