[♪♫♬]

[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]

Wei Ying...not here.

[weiyingdown]

[startles at being called that by tiny Lan Zhan. it's enough to make him relent.]

You knew what you were getting into when you let me in here. But I'll stop, okay? I'll go before I give you any more trouble.

[giving Lan Zhan one last fond pat on the head and glancing around for his rabbit guide]

[one_note]

[it's occupied itself eating some of the nearby foliage, but it's still close!]

[weiyingdown]

[goes over to scruff it and heads off east without another look at little Lan Wangji. if he looks back...he'll just want to stay longer...but he promised he'd fix this qi deviation, so he has to keep going.]

[one_note]

[it's not long before the white roads appear again -- one back the way he came in Grief and one leading back up, as promised]

[weiyingdown]

[sets the bunny down]

Do you think there's anything worth worrying about if we go up?

[if down was bad, up is probably?? good?? he's curious enough that he'll probably check it out anyways, but, the rabbit's opinion counts for something.]

[one_note]

[it stares at you, grass sticking out the side of its mouth, then hops on the path, then hops off it again

it is only a small creature. it is doing its best.]

[weiyingdown]

I didn't need your opinion anyways.

[HE TAKES THE HIGH ROAD. the uh, literal high road.]

[one_note]

[back to the Jingshi level, or further up past it...?]

[weiyingdown]

[further up past it! he was told* that the Jingshi wasn't empty so he needs to go back there later to find another Lan Zhan. but that's later. right now he's looking for something new.

*he assumed]

[one_note]

[up, up, and the mist slowly clears. up, up, and he's walking in sunlight. up, up, and he reaches a plateau on top of a mountain, brilliant with flowers and replete with rabbits. there is a stream, bright and winding, that spills over the edge. only peace, here.]

[weiyingdown]

[it's hard to think that there's anything wrong here that deserves his attention. and there might not be. it doesn't stop him from wandering over to the rabbits]

Don't tell me it's just rabbits up here.

[laughitoff]

[from behind him]

Well, wouldn’t that be just like our dear Hangguang-Jun?

/4

[weiyingdown]

[YELLS]

[weiyingdown]

Oh, wait, it's just me.

[weiyingdown]

Lan Zhan, why did you put me up here instead of in the Burial Mounds...?

[weiyingdown]

[POINTS AT

HIMSELF]

Me! Explain!

[laughitoff]

[laughing — with your old face, no less]

I don’t know! I really do have a bad memory, don’t I!

[weiyingdown]

[why does he get my face and I don't get my face!!]

I do. I can't get mad at me for that. Where's Lan Zhan? I can ask him instead.

[laughitoff]

[so you can tell yourselves apart, properly]

What are you talking about? Lan Zhan's right here, and over there, and everywhere.

[weiyingdown]

I know that. I've seen enough already to get the idea, more or less. But I want a Lan Zhan that I can talk to. The air isn't going to just respond when I ask a question, is it?

[laughitoff]

Hahahaha! Can you imagine if it did? The noise would never end!

[weiyingdown]

This is Lan Zhan we're talking about here! If the air could talk, would we even know it? He'd keep quiet until someone asked him to speak.

[laughitoff]

Well, why not try it, oh illustrious me?

[weiyingdown]

[calling up into the sky, fluttering his lashes coyly for *~*~*special effect*~*~*]

Lan Zhan! Oh Lan Zhan~ Won't you answer me? Can you tell me why I'm inside of you? There's even two of me here. Was one not enough to satisfy you?

[aren't you glad you let him in here]