[♪♫♬]

[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]

[he doesn't recognize the qi deviation for what it is, at first. after all, whose ever heard of the great Hanguang-Jun experiencing a qi deviation, of all things? but seeing him slumped over his instrument is still enough to stir something uncomfortable and agitated inside of his chest.

he reaches over and gives Lan Wangji's shoulder a light shake, and his worry spikes significantly once he reaches to check his pulse and realizes how completely out of whack his qi is.]

Lan Wangji? Lan Zhan!