[♪♫♬]

[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

[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.]

[weiyingdown]

What's so special about this one?

[carefully scooping up that bit of broken shard. he squints at it and frowns, but after a moment he takes a sip]

[one_note]

[He is weary, when he returns to the Cloud Recesses, Wen Yuan safely in his arms but no trace of Wei Wuxian to show for his pains. He cannot make himself rest. Lan Qiren insists he return to seclusion to recover from the discipline wounds, that he rethink what to do with A-Yuan.

Lan Wangji goes down to Caiyi that night, and buys one jar of Emperor's Smile. He is not thinking clearly, at all, only wishing. Lan Wangji has always been better at making gestures than speaking words, and he wishes to make a gesture of his sorrow towards Wei Wuxian.

The wine is fragrant, mellow and smooth. He has never drunk before, and it lights a fire through his body. He dislikes drinking it, but he feels he understands why Wei Wuxian liked it so.

Everything after that is hazed, but he still wants, he wants. He wants to make the gesture. He wants to memorialize Wei Wuxian, if he is dead. He wants something to call his spirit back to this place. Why does he want to? To say goodbye? To keep him there? To try and becalm the raging ghost he must be and then decide? That night, his heart in turmoil, he cannot say.

He breaks into the storage rooms, the Treasure Pavilion. Other try to stop him; he pays them no heed. His brother does not try to stop him, but sees the lost look on his face, actually asks him his wishes. His brother has always understood him better than others.

"A flute," he says. Perhaps, if Wei Wuxian's flute is here, he will come. Perhaps, if he calls with Wei Wuxian's flute, he will come back.

Lan Xichen gives him a flute of white jade, not understanding clearly after all, and he hurls it away. "Not this one!"

He is still searching when a gleam of black iron catches his eye, so like Chenqing. He opens the box, and sees the iron branding rods, the familiar sun.

He does not find Chenqing, but he makes the gesture anyway. In the grip of the drink, the pain is only a faint haze.]

[weiyingdown]

[so this is the worst way to find out exactly how Lan Wangji got that scar

putting the ceramic shard down and, at a loss, putting his face in his hands]

Lan Zhan, you really...

[shaking his head and closing the second compartment. he doesn't put the jars back, though; he sets them all on the table in the room, along with the ceramic shard]

[one_note]

[the air around the compartment has grown very heavy.]

[weiyingdown]

[Lan Zhan please chill

puts the ceramic shard back in the compartment, testing]

[one_note]

[NO CHILL DETECTED]