[♪♫♬]

[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]

[Wei Wuxian gives him a look, a single raised eyebrow, but doesn't object any further to him tagging along

is he at least going to take out Bichen to use as a light, since he's tagging along]

[one_note]

[yeah u get a sword torch. he's able to make it glow brighter, too, so that's more useful for not falling on one's tipsy face]

[weiyingdown]

[that is useful when it comes to not tripping on things. he...goes slow, so as to also not trip on things. just in case. the light probably doesn't help them sneak up to where the qi deviation version of Lan Wangji is, but hey, he can probably hear them coming anyways]

[one_note]

[another dirt chamber, another Lan Wangji. this one's distinctly bedraggled-looking, hair and robes and ribbon askew and dirtied, odd ugly black veins standing out around his closed eyes, a heavy frown on his face, hands bloodied and knuckles split. they happen upon him in a moment of stillness, but he is breathing hard.

the one standing by Wei Wuxian grabs his wrist again when they're still some distance away.]

[weiyingdown]

[raising an eyebrow at the Lan Wangji that grabbed him; he gestures towards the other Lan Wangji and shrugs. he seems tired?? this is a good chance??]

[one_note]

[just

shakes his head? as close to alarm as Lan Wangji's face ever shows]

[weiyingdown]

[GESTURES AGAIN, more insistent and tugging at his arm]

[one_note]

[it's a very long tense moment before he lets him go, though it seems to cause him physical pain to do it.]

[weiyingdown]

[looking between both Lan Wangji's before leaning over to his and whispering]

I can distract him while you grab him?

[one_note]

[oh...my god]

Mm.

[weiyingdown]

[LOOK THIS IS A GOOD PLAN!!

since qi deviation Lan Wangji has his eyes closed, he sneaks closer as quietly as he can with the intent of drawing his notice away from Lan Wangji.

he doesn't say anything to catch his attention, but he does pull out his bamboo flute and play a cheeky three second melody]

[one_note]

[qi deviation Lan Wangji's eyes snap open -- they're so bloodshot they look almost purely red -- and he's moving toward the sound with terrifying speed and immediacy. oh shit]

[weiyingdown]

[immediately moves backwards to keep some distance between them, trying to keep an open tunnel behind him so that he won't be cornered. "dodge and don't get caught" seems like a good plan here]

Lan Zhan, Lan Wangji, you don't have to look at me like that. You have my undivided attention.

[one_note]

[growls, closing the distance entirely too fast]

Wei Ying.

[the saner one is trying to circle around to help, but there's not a ton of room to maneuver, actually,]

[weiyingdown]

[despite being told that Lan Wangqi won't kill him, it sort of feels like he will? the hair on the back of his neck stands up, and he takes a few more skips backwards and tries to duck around Lan Wangqi to avoid getting stuck against a wall]

[one_note]

[no you are getting BODILY WALLED, young man. Lan Wangqi grabs for both his wrists and the trailing ribbon]

[weiyingdown]

[guess what: getting walled while you are still tipsy does not help your coordination at all. he's not expecting the full force of it, and the back of his head smacks into the wall hard enough to get a yelp out of him.]

--Ow!

[since his hands are pinned, he sweeps his feet at Lan Wangqi's in an attempt to knock him off balance in turn]

[one_note]

[it's like hitting a tree. he may have miscalculated his odds here.

Lan Wangqi stares with incredible bloody intensity at his face. he is like three inches away. the rest of his body, pressed up against Wei Wuxian's, is fever-hot. his hands are holding Wei Wuxian's wrists against the wall on either side of his head.]

...

[weiyingdown]

[in retrospect it seems more understandable that Lan Wangji got beaten up by Lan Wangqi when he appears to be chiseled out of solid rock.

he leans back, or as far back as the wall will let him. which is less than an inch.]

...Calm down, Lan Zhan. Aren't you embarrassed that I, of all people, have to tell you to calm down?

[one_note]

[leans down and kisses him, hard enough to hurt.]

1/??

[weiyingdown]

[please hold, wei wuxian is not here at the moment]

[weiyingdown]

[keep holding]

[weiyingdown]

[KEEP HOLDING]

ok done

[weiyingdown]

[he doesn't do anything as he tries to let his brain catch up with what is happening, the shock clear in his wide eyes. his body very much needs to breathe, though, and when he starts feeling lightheaded and his lips feel far too bruised and numb, he reaches up to pat Lan Wangqi's shoulder to let him have some air.]

[one_note]

[Lan Wangqi jerks back a bit and coughs blood on him instead, because that's when Lan Wangji completes sneaking up on him from behind and just. stabs him.]