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[pfsb]

The lantern is done. It's a momentous achievement; a culmination of all of Wei Wuxian's work since he first arrived at the inn...

And now it means he doesn't have a project to work on anymore. The agony!

He'll think of one soon enough. In the meantime, he's settled for sketching out an update to the Compass of Evil, whittling away at a block of wood Madam Bar provided him. If he has all the tools of a thousand worlds at his disposal, it should be no trouble at all to fine-tune the instrument.

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"Lan Zhan!"

He'd expected the reprimand (though did not expect it to come quite that swiftly) and had been all set to wind up into no worse than a dramatic pout in response. But now --

Almost as fast as Lan Zhan moves, he does, too, stepping around him to throw an arm across his husband's chest.

"Lan Zhan." His eyes stay fixed on Moiraine for a beat, then shift to Lan Zhan. "Don't. There's been no harm done."

You don't have to protect me. Not now.

"And there will not be." His tone is as level as Bichen's blade or the gaze he has locked on the Aes Sedai, watching for any reaction.

"You are not hers to chastise."

"I'm fine, Lan Zhan."

Cautiously, Wei Wuxian moves again, settling his hand atop Lan Zhan's sword arm. He tries to catch his gaze.

"Lan Gaidin." There is something very complex about her tone as she gifts him with the title, but if there is amusement, she keeps it well hidden.

"Your point has been made, as it were." Deliberately, she allows the glow around her to fade, although she holds herself open to seize it again in an instant if need be.

He does not understand what Moiraine calls him, but just as he felt the weight of the bracelet's power, he feels the weight of this word.

Slowly, he presses on Lan Zhan's arm. He knows Lan Zhan won't lower Bichen unless he truly wishes -- not with that arm strength! -- but just as Lan Zhan wants to make his point clear, so does Wei Wuxian.

He holds the woman's eyes for another moment, then lowers the blade and sheathes it before he glances at Wei Ying.

He will not apologize, not for this, but he cannot help the worry that flickers in his eyes.

Wei Wuxian quirks another lopsided smile. He gives Lan Zhan's arm a small squeeze in reassurance, then draws his hand away.

"Well!" he says, too brightly. "I'd rather go see the anomaly than sit inside and read all day anyway. How far is it from here?"

"Too far to walk easily," Moiraine says, matter-of-fact. She moves back across the room to the bookcase, sets the box on its shelf, then reconsiders and removes the bracelet from it.

She snaps it into place around her wrist, and flicks her fingers. The box acquires a silver gleam around its edges, and then the entire bookcase fades from view once more.

"I must make a call," she says, as she crosses back out toward the main room. "You are both welcome to join me."

Wei Wuxian eyes the bracelet, but if he had hope of sating his curiosity before, the moment will not be returning any time soon.

So, with an amiable shrug, he says, "All right," and follows along after her.

Lan Wangji prowls along beside Wei Ying into the other room, watching closely as Moiraine moves to a long counter and picks up a bright yellow device in her hand, one that's connected by a twisted cord to a box with buttons. She holds it to her ear and presses a few buttons, then waits.

"Hi, Lucy. This is Moiraine. Is Hawk around?" Another woman's voice screeches from the device, which Moiraine pulls away from her ear with a faint sigh.

"Oh hi Moiraine, you know, it's really good to hear from you, I was just thinking that it had been a few weeks since we met up for coffee, and with Agent Cooper still out of town - you know I still think that suits him better than Deputy, so--

And Wei Wuxian thought he could chatter incessantly about nothing!

Crossing his arms, he leans his hip against the counter, listening with the avid entertainment of one hearing the choicest court gossip.

"Yes," Moiraine interrupts, calmly. "I know. Where is Hawk, Lucy?"

"Oh! He's not here right now, which I guess you already know because if he was here then I'd have already put him on to talk to you. I think he's at the Double R. Or maybe at one of the parks, if he's already stopped at the diner and got the coffee to go, but probably still at the Double R because he just left here a few minutes ago. You could meet him there, if you wanted?"

She can feel the faintest twinge of a headache at the thought of taking these two into the Double R Diner, but it may yet be necessary.

"Will you radio him and ask him to meet me at Upper Twin Park?"

"Sure! Unless you'd rather go to the diner. They got in a new batch of tea for you, I hear."

She raises her eyebrows at her two visitors.

Wei Wuxian perks up further and gives Moiraine an enthusiastic nod.

Lan Zhan will love going somewhere with tea! (Well. Probably. He supposes it depends on the quality of the tea -- some of the inns in Geralt-qianbei's world had truly atrocious stock -- but they'll never know unless they see for themselves!)

Somehow, she manages not to sigh. Moiraine inclines her head in assent to the two young men, then tells Lucy, "Very well. Please tell Hawk that I will meet him at the Double R."

I will! And then maybe you can come by the station after on your way home? It's book club night, you know.

"We will see," the Aes Sedai demurs. "Goodbye, Lucy." She hangs up the phone and looks at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. "You heard, I presume?"

"We did," says Wei Wuxian, his customary cheer in full force. "Something about tea?"

"Unless you would prefer coffee," Moiraine says, and observes with interest the visible flicker of alarm in Lan Wangji's glance.

"We are going to the Double R Diner, there to meet Hawk, who is a deputy and one of the protectors of this town. He knows the truth of the secrets here."

"Ah, so we can uncover the deepest secrets of the anomaly and drink coffee?"

He does not even have to look at Lan Zhan to know his reaction, and adds, only a little plaintive: "Lan Zhan, I promise I won't drink too much!"

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji murmurs, and no more than that. He is confident that his zhiji will make the right choice.

Ah, Lan Zhan, you have so much faith in your husband!

But perhaps it isn't misplaced, because while Wei Wuxian affects a grumpy look and a sigh, he makes no further protest. "All right," he says. "Let's speak to this Hawk and learn what we can."

"Very well. Follow me."

Moiraine opens the front door for them and waits for them to make their way down the walk before she shuts and locks it behind them. As she glides after them, a short burst from a siren catches her attention.

Andy Brennan sticks his head out the window and waves wildly at her before pulling his car over. "Hey, Moiraine, Moiraine's, uh, friends," he says, cheerful. "Or are you more of her brother's cousins? Anyway, Lucy radioed and said you were going over to meet Hawk - want a lift?"

"Friends," says Wei Wuxian quickly, but his eyes are alight as he studies the car. He's never ridden in one of those before! "And we would be honored, xiansheng! Our sore feet thank you."

Now, if he remembers right from seeing cars in London Above -- and the inn's garage -- all he should have to do is pull on that little handle there...

"Mn." A panel in the side of the vehicle swings open at Wei Ying's touch. Lan Wangji eyes it dubiously, but nods to the stranger and follows Wei Ying inside.

"My thanks," Moiraine murmurs to Andy. "To you and Lucy both."

"No trouble at all," Andy assures her. He slides back behind the steering wheel and starts the engine as she settles herself in the front passenger seat. "Heard from Coop lately?"

"He is as well as might be expected," Moiraine replies, without batting an eye.

"We've yet to have the good fortune to meet Coop," says Wei Wuxian, settling back against the plush seats. (How fancy! The constant earthquake-like rumble is a bit disconcerting, though.) "Will you tell us about him?"

He has absolutely no idea who Coop might be -- perhaps the Agent Cooper that Lucy mentioned in her call? -- but if they're someone Moiraine knows, Wei Wuxian ought to know about them, too!

"I am not certain the drive is that long," Moiraine murmurs, without missing a beat. Andy laughs, delighted.

"She's right, you know," he offers, cheerfully, glancing in the rearview mirror. "How long are you two gonna be in town? Maybe you'll have a chance to meet him when he gets back from Olympia."

"I hope so!" says Wei Wuxian, then adds with real regret: "But we will probably not be able to stay long. A day or two at most."

If they're only examining the anomaly, it's more likely they'll be back at the inn in a matter of hours. But one never knows -- especially not with something as fierce and old as the Black Lodge seems to be.

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