[pfsb]

[acrookedpath]

The good news: the energy-revealing array works!

The bad news --

It's not bad news, he insists to himself. It just... is. It's a complication, a hole in the road, a little snare tripping him up. That's all. It doesn't have to be more. It might not even be in the first place, yes? He is dead, Lan Zhan is alive, of course seeing just how very alive would stir something in him. That's all it is.

Right?

Never mind that he's fairly certain if he placed the same array on Harrow, or Tom-gongzi, or Ingress, he would not have been struck the same way. That -- it's ridiculous, this is all ridiculous, and that's why he's out here by the lake, standing on a flat rock with another array of talismans fluttering in his hand.

The key is not just luring resentful energy from the forest, despite the suppression around the inn. It is how swiftly he can do it. During his coffee-fueled spree of work last night, he drew up some new lures that ought to work faster than a traditional set. Now he scatters them in a wide circle around his feet, gestures sharply, and sends a bolt of red energy into the yellow paper slips.

Silently, in his head, he begins to count. One... two... three...

At the count of thirteen, something boils at the forest's edge, dark and oily.

Wei Wuxian smiles and lifts his flute to meet it.

Comments

[acrookedpath]

Obvious as it may be, Wei Wuxian has never been a particularly subtle person himself. The set of his shoulders loosens as he welcomes the subject change with open arms.

"It might," he says, as thoughtful as if they had been discussing this all along. "I think it would need to be coupled with similar principles as attaching my senses to a paper doll. And it would need to be aimed very precisely, so what you see would not only be identical to what I see, but located in the same place."

Yes. He can talk about this professionally. He does not have to dwell on exactly what he saw, or how Lan Zhan might react to knowing Wei Wuxian thinks him beautiful, or --

Professionally, damn it.

[lightamidchaos]

"As opposed to making it visible for anyone," he concludes.

They are near the door now, and he moves to open it for them both.

[acrookedpath]

"Yes," he agrees, following Lan Zhan into the inn. "Which could have its own advantages! A whispered conversation is more useful than a shout sometimes. But perhaps once I have the principles secured, it could be amplified the same way as amplifying the lures, so more people could see."

He approaches Madam Bar and executes his usual polite bow. "Madam Bar, if I may request tea and gan guo, and -- what would you like, Lan Zhan?"

[lightamidchaos]

"Lo han jai," he says, after making his own bow. "And tea. Thank you."

"It might be good to have both options. For those you want to see, as well as those you would conceal it from."

[acrookedpath]

The food materializes; Madam Bar, now familiar with their tastes, makes certain there is an extra pot of chili oil included. Rather than taking it away to a table, Wei Wuxian, after a brief glance Lan Zhan's way as if to ask is this all right?, takes a seat at the bar.

(Maybe if he is seated next to Lan Zhan, instead of across from him, it will not be so obvious that he flounders every time he looks at him.)

"I thought so too," he says, as he immediately begins heaping extra spoonfuls of spice onto his food. "Some may wish to keep it more private. Like Harrow, yes? And approaching the same problem from more than one path can only help in the end, besides."

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

While Wei Ying busies himself adding enough spice to burn anyone else's tongue from their mouth, he quietly scoops rice into a bowl for him and sets it within reach before beginning to prepare his own meal.

"Doing so may give other options, too. For other things."

[acrookedpath]

Curious: "Like what?"

He pulls the bowl of rice closer to add some to his food.

[lightamidchaos]

He slants a sideways look at Wei Ying.

"I do not know. That is for you to figure out."

Dry as dust.

[acrookedpath]

He snorts a small laugh. "Lan Zhan," he says, and makes the mistake of nudging his shoulder, as if this were no different from any other meal they have shared. Instantly it feels as if Zidian has sparked across his skin, washing his mind clear of all thought again, and, hurriedly, he withdraws to take a bite of his food.

It needs more chili oil, he decides, and adds another spoonful.

Once his mind is not so desperately blank, he goes on at last, "What will I do if I run out of ideas and you cannot help me think of more? I will need to spend even more time talking about theoretical talismans. You will fall asleep well before hài hour with all my chattering."

[lightamidchaos]

"You will not run out."

He pours tea for Wei Ying first, then for himself.

"And I will not mind listening."

[acrookedpath]

"Such kindness and patience," he teases. (Yes, it is much easier to pretend nothing is amiss when he keeps his eyes on his food.) "Perhaps I will make a list of the most absurd things that could happen in a place such as this one, then set about crafting the talismans to make it happen. The inn is so strange already that the absurdities will be perfectly normal -- our food brought by people instead of rats, an ordinary fire in the fireplace..."

[lightamidchaos]

"Ridiculous."

He touches Bar-guniang's polished surface and adds,

"Not you."

[acrookedpath]

In response, a napkin pops up with a drawing of a smiley face and a heart

Wei Wuxian laughs. "It seems you are forgiven for any misunderstanding, Lan Zhan."

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

He gives Wei Ying a sideways, slightly amused glance, and takes a bite of his meal.

[acrookedpath]

The dragonflies kick up in his belly again. Unbidden, his smile grows wider before he realizes what he's doing, quickly clears his throat, and bends over his food.

Maybe he should give that "silence during meals" precept a try? Sometimes those endless Gusu Lan rules are good for something. Look at how composed Lan Zhan is all the time.

[lightamidchaos]

Wei Ying goes quiet, and after the first moment or two his own look turns quizzical at the continued silence.

He doesn't say anything, of course, since to do so would be to break the precepts, but he is a little surprised. Not to mention, he realizes, that he's become used to listening to Wei Ying chatter, even when he himself is silent.

He takes a moment to refill their tea, and continues eating. Maybe Wei Ying is trying to be polite. Maybe he has something on his mind. If so, surely he will not try to hide it.

[acrookedpath]

How does Lan Zhan do this every day?

Wei Wuxian kicks his heel against one leg of the barstool like a fidgeting child, trying with all his might to remain silent and not look at Lan Zhan. Without quite realizing, he's begun to eat faster.

Not that finishing his meal quickly will make things any easier. What can they talk about that won't make him stammer and accidentally wound Lan Zhan? Surely he thinks Wei Wuxian has taken a sudden dislike to him, with how he has flinched and veered away and hardly given him a glance. What can he say?

He has two more bites of gan guo to figure it out.

[lightamidchaos]

He is beginning to wonder if Wei Ying is going to wiggle himself off of the barstool.

Lan Wangji lets out a quiet breath, and then deliberately breaks silence.

"Wei Ying."

He sets down his chopsticks and turns to look at him.

"Is something wrong?"

[acrookedpath]

He jerks in surprise that Lan Zhan caved to the quiet before he did.

"Nothing!" His voice sounds too loud to his ears, as if trying to make up for being stifled for so long. (It was five minutes, if that.) "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine, Lan Zhan. Just, ah -- silence during meals."

[lightamidchaos]

"Yes," he agrees.

A beat.

"Which you usually do not keep."

[acrookedpath]

"I thought I would give it a try?" he offers weakly.

[lightamidchaos]

"Mn."

There is more than a little skepticism in the sound, but he does not press.

"Very well, then."

Returning to quiet, he reaches for his tea.

[acrookedpath]

And there go the last two bites of his dinner.

...Tea still counts as part of the meal, though, right? Of course it does. Wei Wuxian pulls his cup close, still frantically searching his mind for something, anything, he might say.




Oh, no.

The beds. The bed.

Any attempt at marshalling a conversation topic or two is instantly replaced with a quiet scream in Wei Wuxian's mind. He can feel his face growing warmer once more, and it takes all his willpower not to bury his head in his arms right there.

[lightamidchaos]

He takes a moment to appreciate the scent and delicate flavor of the last of his tea before returning the cup to the bartop and murmuring a quiet word of thanks as Bar-guniang reclaims the dishes.

Wei Ying has not finished his own tea yet, though, so he does not speak to disturb him, especially not if he truly wishes to attempt silence during meals.

[acrookedpath]

Maybe he can stay up late again, he thinks desperately. Maybe he can secretly ask Madam Bar to push the beds apart before they even go upstairs. Maybe he can also secretly ask her to replace all the tea in his cup with coffee so strong it will keep him awake for days, and he will never have to sleep again -- which would honestly be preferable sometimes with the nightmares a constant pressure on his chest, but that is not his biggest concern right now, his biggest concern is --

-- his tea is gone.

And the pot is empty.

Well.

Carefully, he sets down the cup, manages a feeble, "Thank you, Madam Bar," and watches it vanish into the bartop.