[pfsb]

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian's notes have long been a haphazard disaster, and it has reached a point where he knows he's circling a revelation, missing only one or two key parts, and said parts are probably lying half-forgotten in a notebook he thought he'd reserved for another project entirely. In theory, he is trying to dig through everything to organize it a little better.

In theory.

In practice, however, Wei Wuxian is staring out the window with his chin in his hand, and he hasn't touched the papers scattered across his table for about two hours. He's too busy smiling an absolutely foolish smile at nothing in particular.

It has been a very good couple of days.

Comments

[we_bring_hell]

"You look pleased with yourself," Harrow drawls, but it lacks the barbs it might normally have. In fact, Harrow looks like a bit like the skeleton of the cat that got the canary herself.

[acrookedpath]

"Perhaps."

(Honestly, it's a minor miracle Wei Wuxian wasn't humming under his breath when Harrow approached.)

He eyes Harrow, his smile unabated. "And I do not seem to be the only one. How are you?"

[we_bring_hell]

Her expression is always hard to read, but it's clear to anyone that her face is painted with exceptional care, in an ornate pattern with considerable, immodest flourishes. She has edged the perimeter of the painted skull with midnight purples and deep blood reds, an even greater departure from propriety.

"I am quite well," she agrees, taking a seat. "Gideon and I are synchronized and we have had a conversation that has been needed for a long time."

And she's still alive! What?!

[acrookedpath]

Somehow, he brightens even more when he hears this.

"You told her everything?" he asks, leaning forward eagerly. "And it went well? Harrow, that's wonderful!"

[we_bring_hell]

"It went better than I had any right to expect," she says solemnly, but behind the too-old-for-her solemnity and the paint there's joy burning like a torch.

"We are sworn. One flesh; one end."

[acrookedpath]

"What?"

His voice skews up a few notes in absolute delight. Wei Wuxian has spent enough time around Harrow to know how awkward she is with physical contact; that is the only reason he doesn't seize her hands, as he would with any other dear friend, in his excitement.

"We need to celebrate," he declares, slapping a palm atop his scattered notes. "What about -- ah, no, you do not drink, I forgot -- but food! You said we would take a meal together. We should!"

[we_bring_hell]

"I am reminded that even a necromancer requires protein to function," she says, with a faint smile. "By all means."

"Even if I had not met Lan Wangji already, I would recognize that your business is also well-concluded."

[acrookedpath]

"Ah." He laughs, only a little sheepish, as a faint sheen of red touches his cheeks. "Yes. I suppose I am being very transparent, aren't I? We have spoken. He had recognized his own affections long before I recognized mine, but did not want to tell me, and then when I confessed I loved him..."

There is no describing his smile as anything other than doofy.

"It is well-concluded. As you said."

[we_bring_hell]

"Both a true companion and a lover, then. You are doubly blessed, Wei Wuxian. As is he."

"What a lovely and extraordinary surprise that none could have foreseen."

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian snorts, too happy to be anything other than amused.

"Reverend Daughter, I fear you may be mocking me," he says, with as much mock gravitas as he can muster when he is struggling not to laugh. "But it is deserved. I will bear it as I must."

He beckons to one of the waitrats; it immediately scurries over to take their order.

[we_bring_hell]

"I promised to eat a meal of your choosing," Harrow reminds him. "But have a care with your spices; I have someone to avenge me, now."

[acrookedpath]

"No chili oil," he promises with another laugh. "I do not wish to be on the wrong end of Gideon's sword. She's as skilled as you claimed."

No chili oil for Harrow, anyway. He will get his customary pot and upend the whole thing on his meal, as is only just and proper.

"Er kuai with chicken and -- " He runs through his mental catalogue of foods Lan Zhan would be able to tolerate. "Steamed stuffed tofu? And tea. And wine! Thank you."

The rat squeaks and scurries away.

[we_bring_hell]

"What is tofu?" she asks. "Chickens are known to me--at least in legend--but I don't think I have heard of tofu."

[herald_ingress]

Ingress finally spies Wei Wuxian in the bar at the same time she's able to be there. She's relieved and excited to talk to him, but she's so, so sad from talking to Lan Wangji about how Wei Wuxian ended up at Milliways.


She pokes him on the shoulder to announce her presence and says, "You-" But her voice, which is pitched higher than usual because she's trying not to cry through her smile, cracks. "I don't know whether to hug you or punch you. I think it's going to be both."

[acrookedpath]

"Wait, what?"

Wei Wuxian straightens out of his reverie, scrambling a short distance away from Ingress in mock fright. "What did I do? Don't punch me! I have only sat here! This is not your favorite chair, is it?"

[herald_ingress]

She grabs him, enfolding him a huge hug. Then she pulls back and punches him in the upper arm, just hard enough to make her point, which she will absolutely make once her main question is answered.

"There. Okay, first, you have to tell me how things went with Lan Wangji. I ran into him and I was barely able to keep from blurting out anything because I didn't know, and he said he'd been gone when you got back from London, and I have been suffering, Wei Wuxian. Suffering terribly!"

[acrookedpath]

"Ow," he complains, but he cannot keep up the pretense for long. He is beaming too brightly for that.

"Well, ah. Yes. He was gone for several days." (He will conveniently gloss over the why of Lan Zhan's departure for now.) "But when he came back, we spoke, I finally managed to admit my affections, and..."

His cheeks have begun to color.

"...he kissed me before I could even finish all I wanted to say?"

[herald_ingress]

She squeals! And then she hugs him again.

"I'm so, so, so happy for you! I thought so, when we talked, because of how he was looking at your pictures from our night out and what he said, but I couldn't be sure. He gave you the pictures, right?"

[acrookedpath]

He laughs, bright and joyous as his smile, as he wraps Ingress in a fierce embrace in return.

"Yes. He did." He's going even redder now. "Thank you for passing them along -- they're all lovely."

And Lan Zhan clearly enjoyed them as well. To say the least.

[herald_ingress]

Ingress raises her eyebrows at the blushing.

"Oh, did he like what he saw?"

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian bites his lip, looking rather shifty all of a sudden.

"Maybe?"

[herald_ingress]

She elbows him playfully. "I have to tell you how bloody jealous I am, because Wei Wuxian, he is so beautiful. I am just... I'm thrilled for you. I'm so glad everything is okay. No, it's better than okay, right?"

[acrookedpath]

"He is," he says, dreamily, before he catches himself and starts to laugh again. "And yes. It is."

His ridiculous smile softens.

"It is better than all right."

[herald_ingress]

She beams another moment. And then a stern look falls over her face, and she shakes a finger at him in mostly mock consternation.

“As for the arm punch, why didn’t you tell me? I mean, I know why you didn’t tell me and it’s perfectly understandable, but Wei Wuxian, how you got here... Lan Wangji had to explain why he wasn’t there when you got back from London Above, and what had happened in the battle when he couldn’t save you. I feel terrible for just blithely laughing and drinking when I should have at least cared about how you ended up at Milliways.”

[acrookedpath]

...well, this conversation just swerved over a cliff. The grin drops off Wei Wuxian's face as he stares at Ingress.

"What?" he says, a little blankly. "No, Ingress, why would you -- ?" He tries for another laugh; it is strained, now, clambering over the rubble of this sudden shock. "It does not matter how I got here."