[♪♫♬]

[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]

[the thumping gets a little fainter, but he hears a faint, effortful coughing ahead instead]

[weiyingdown]

[continues forward, picking up the pace as much as he can while still being wrapped in way too many ribbons]

[one_note]

[he hits a small side chamber. Lan Wangji is here, sans weapon and ribbon and outer robe, leaned against the wall like he's been injured. he straightens noticeably when a beribboned Wei Wuxian walks in on him, though, his eyes widening]

[weiyingdown]

[most of those ribbons are hidden under a Lan sect robe. which probably doesn't make this situation less weird to see, visually, with two whole eyes.]

Lan Zhan? What are you doing all the way down here?

[one_note]

Wei Ying...?

[there's a trace of uncertainty for, obvious reasons,]

[weiyingdown]

It's me! I promise I'm not an illusion or a hallucination or anything like that.

[he makes his way over to Lan Wangji with the intent of checking him for injuries. is there bleeding anywhere??]

[one_note]

[there are dark bruises on his throat and showing on what little Wei Wuxian can see of his arms; no blood that he can see. Lan Wangji holds very still for the inspection]

...how...?

[weiyingdown]

I'm not really sure either. But I just crawled through the trapdoor in your bedroom.

[the smile leaves his face as he inspects those bruises]

What happened to you?

[one_note]

[his eyes track away from Wei Wuxian's face for the first time, toward the tunnel mouth and the dark there, the noises]

...qi deviation.

[weiyingdown]

I didn't expect it to be so violent.

[he takes one of Lan Wangji's hands without really thinking about it, holding it like he intends to transfer spiritual energy to him to help him heal...and then he remembers that's not a thing that he can do. after a heartbeat he starts to dig around in his own sleeves for a healing salve instead]

That's what all the noise is, then?

[one_note]

Mm.

[...shakes his head, putting an arresting hand on Wei Wuxian's wrist]

...you should return upstairs.

[weiyingdown]

[shaking his head and giving the hand that's on his wrist a reassuring pat]

I came here to fix it, not avoid it.

[one_note]

...unwise. It will devour you.

[weiyingdown]

If it tries to then I can just run away. But I won't know anything until I actually try, will I?

[one_note]

Wei Ying.

[weiyingdown]

[pulling Lan Wangji's hand off of his wrist]

I'm not leaving until I take care of it, so you can save your arguments for someone who will actually listen to them.

[one_note]

Wei Ying...!

[reaches for him again]

[weiyingdown]

[lets him, but only because he took that space of time to pull out the healing salve from his sleeve finally. when Lan Wangji grabs onto him again he just uses the opportunity to open the little jar and apply some of Lan Wangji's arm where he can see bruising]

You're not being very persuasive, Lan Zhan.

[one_note]

Do not.

[weiyingdown]

Hmm. Since you asked so nicely, I won't.

[he does not sound sincere at all. he does, however, keep applying the salve to Lan Wangji's arms until it's all gone; it wasn't a big bottle]

[one_note]

[he allows it, though he's trembling very slightly.]

[weiyingdown]

[he tugs experimentally at one of the ribbons tied around himself to see if it'll come off. he has no bandages to cover said salve, this is the only thing he's got]

What were you doing fighting something without your sword anyways?

[one_note]

[it won't loosen...but after a moment, Lan Wangji reaches up to tug it instead, and it slides off with no trouble]

...

Fighting myself.

[weiyingdown]

[ties it around his arm, and then gestures for Lan Wangji to pull another one off]

Yourself? --Ah, does this qi deviation look like you?

[one_note]

[there's a depth of confusion in his eyes as he tugs that one off too: why would it not look like him? everything here is Lan Wangji]

Mm.