[pfsb]

[acrookedpath]

The latest idea that struck Wei Wuxian mid-lunch: if he combined one of the theoretical energy talismans with a paper doll, would that allow him to search the grounds for resentful energy without having to blanket the whole inn with talismans?

It seems like a sound idea! It won't replace the planned night hunt with Lan Zhan -- nor would he want it to -- but if he succeeds, it will be a fun experiment.

First, though: combining a paper doll with a simpler talisman. Which brings us to Wei Wuxian at a table underneath the Observation Window, not an inch left uncovered by his notes, scribbling onto a tiny cutout with a ballpoint pen Bar gave him. (What an invention!) He completes the last character with a flourish and waves his hand over the doll; it springs to its "feet," and, grinning, he directs it toward the empty cup perched precariously on a corner of the table.

Comments

[riddleofthebelow]

Tom has cleared time in his schedule to stop by Milliways for the first time in, well. Years.

After meeting Lan Wangji and trying - and failing - to link any kind of talisman to the still indecipherable magical scroll, he reckons that it will be time well spent, especially if he can locate this friend of his who’s an expert in talismans.

Tom’s tried using a silver locket spelled to ward its wearer, crystals and gems of various types and uses, a platinum medal imbued with a detecting charm - nothing has made any difference, no matter what spells he casts on the damned scroll. He wonders if what he thinks of as a talisman is not what the serious magic user meant at all.

He obtains a scotch from the Bar, looks around, and immediately notices the paper man walking across the table of a patron who’s dressed in a similar enough style to Lan Wangji for Tom to feel certain enough to approach.

Also... what is up with that animated paper man? Fascinating!

“Pardon my intrusion, but I’m looking for a patron called Wei Wuxian. I’m seeking assistance with a magical problem I can’t unravel.“

[we_bring_hell]

Harrowhark approaches the table, dressed in black trousers and a black high-collared shirt. In place of her usual facepaint, however, she is wearing a plain black niqab. The mailslot of visible skin is a pale light brown, like milky tea, and her fierce black brows are visible. Her hands are gloved as ever, however.

She's not wearing the necklace of teeth or corslet of ribs, but one of her bone bangles is in place. Her expression is invisible, of course, but her eyes are guarded. "Wei Wuixian. Greetings."

[acrookedpath]

"Ah!" He looks up from the paper doll; it mirrors his movements to peer up at the unfamiliar man as well. "You have found him. I am Wei Wuxian."

Rising to his feet, he bows to the man. (This time, the little doll waves a cheerful hello instead.)

"May I be so humble as to ask your name?"

[acrookedpath]

"Ninth!"

He's still grinning as he stands up to bow to Harrow, but there's a slight furrow to his brow, a flash of concern he can't wholly mask. He hasn't forgotten about the avulsion field Lan Zhan told him about, nor what it did to the Ninth's cavalier.

"Greetings to you as well. How do you fare?"

[we_bring_hell]

"I am contemplating a longer visit," she says. "I have retained a room here."

Neither of those exactly answer the question.

"A material construct? I have heard this magic is quite difficult for some." She examines it with eyebrows pulled down.

[riddleofthebelow]

"I'm Tom Riddle, Lord of the House of Arch," he replies, giving Wei Wuxian a small bow at the waist in return.

"Please call me Tom."

He glances down at the waving paper man and can't help but listen for rustling in the shadows of strange, yet oddly endearing, finger puppets. He hears none. That's not a bad thing.

[acrookedpath]

"Ah, this?" He tips his head toward the paper doll, which straightens to its full three-inch height and waves an enthusiastic hello to Harrow. "It's a modified animation talisman. I admit I mostly used them to pester my friends during lectures, but there are other applications. I am trying to see if I can... hm."

How to explain?

"Use it to deliver the effects of a second high-level talisman to something."

[we_bring_hell]

"Interesting. Is that paper?" she asks, leaning closer.

"Overlapping spell perimeters is something I've been studying myself."

[lightamidchaos]

Xichen had arrived at the start of wǔ hour as expected, bringing A-Yuan with him.

A-Yuan, in turn, had brought one of the rabbits, insisting that the bunny had wanted to see Lan Wangji, too. Lan Wangji can feel his expression soften as he stares at the small child holding the even smaller rabbit carefully in his arms.

Eventually, the two are playing quietly on the wide shelf at the far side of the cave, while he and Xichen sit side by side.

"Wangji."

He glances at his brother. Xichen's smile is small, and somehow hopeful.

"You seem ... better, today."

Lan Wangji draws a slow breath, and gives a single nod.

"I am."

* * * * * * * *

The afternoon drags on after they leave, but he forces himself to wait until yǒu hour before he crosses the portal to the inn. It would be a disaster if someone came to look in on him and he was not there. It rarely, very rarely happens during the day, has never happened after yǒu hour and has happened not at all in the last year, but it is best to be cautious all the same.

The portal opens without difficulty, depositing him on the other side, and he breathes a sigh of relief before looking around the room.

[acrookedpath]

"A pleasure to meet you, Tom." He grins, and starts to push aside some of the papers to clear a space for the new arrival. "I'm surprised to hear you ask after me by name. What magical problem do you hope to solve? Tell me, and I'll see if I can help."

The paper doll hops onto the rim of the teacup, where it sits, legs swinging idly back and forth like a bored child.

[acrookedpath]

"Yes. What else would it be?"

There's no malice to the question; he sounds genuinely curious. Is there another future invention he needs to investigate? Something to complement the ballpoint pen? Maybe Bar will provide it!

The paper doll waves its arms at the Ninth as if begging to be picked up. Wei Wuxian goes on, "And where have your studies taken you? If you're willing to share, I would be excited to hear."

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian has his chin pillowed on both hands, watching the little paper cutout scoot across the table. When it reaches the teacup, it leaps forward and smacks its whole body against it, the tips of its arms curled over the rim like tiny hands.

Nothing happens. Wei Wuxian's expression falls.

And then there is a little pop, and a rattle, as the teacup jumps an inch into the air and clatters back against the wood.

"Hah!" he exclaims, delighted. As he leans over to scoop up the doll, he spots Lan Zhan, and his expression brightens even more. "Lan Zhan!"

He waves an arm overhead.

[we_bring_hell]

"Flimsy?" she says. "Organic materials like this are rarer than rare in the Empire."

She reaches out to the paper with her necromantic senses, trying to detect what remains of the cellular structure of the plant material. If she knew more about plant biology...

"What I have mainly learned is that like many Lyctoral abilities, the power requirements of overlapping spells are tremendous," she says absently. "Palamedes Sextus says there is something we are missing. We need a furnace of power, not a slow dribble of deaths; but there's no way to produce power on that scale in a sustained way."

Not even siphoning will do it.

[riddleofthebelow]

Tom happily takes a seat and pulls the troublesome scroll out of his suit robe pocket, placing it on the clearer space on the table.

“I met a friend of yours, Lan Wangji, whilst I was researching how to translate a scroll that is encrypted by several layers of spell work that I can’t sift through, no matter what I try. He suggested the application of talismans and recommended you as an expert.”

He then takes the silver locket talisman out and sets it beside the scroll.

“In my magical system, this is a typical talisman, equipped with a warding charm. None of the variances I’ve tried connecting to breaking the spell have worked, and now I’m wondering if what I know to be talismans are not the same as they are in your world.”

[lightamidchaos]

A flash of movement, a familiar voice --

Lan Wangji crosses the room with brisk strides and comes to a stop by the table.

"Wei Ying."

[acrookedpath]

Ah, that would explain how Tom knew his name!

(And Lan Zhan is comfortable calling him an expert, as a peer would. It warms his chest; quiets a few of the doubts that still sprout up like weeds unless he tends to them carefully.)

Wei Wuxian hums quietly as he considers the scroll and locket. "I doubt they are," he says, "if that one is as typical as you say. Here -- "

He digs underneath several layers of paper before unearthing a slip painted with large black characters. "This is a talisman -- a rather average one. It conjures a fire that is very difficult to put out. Useful for lighting lanterns on a windy night," he adds with laugh. "The little doll by the tea, that is also a talisman, though not one used nearly as often."

The paper doll waves to Tom again.

[acrookedpath]

Interesting! Perhaps a side effect of a world built on necromancy, he thinks, to have so little organic material that you cannot even make paper.

But that can wait for now. He shoves some of the paper aside and holds out a hand to the doll, which obediently jumps into his palm and lays flat. "A furnace," he echoes thoughtfully as he returns to his seat at the table -- there's enough clear space for Harrow to sit as well, if she wishes. "You cannot cultivate it from your qi?"

That, too, may be a side effect of a wholly necromantic world. Hm.

[acrookedpath]

"Hello!" Still beaming. "I see wǔ hour is done. Did it go well?"

The minor levitation part of the talisman has burnt away: it's safe for him to send the paper doll toddling toward Lan Zhan, intent on climbing up his sleeve like dozens of other paper dolls Wei Wuxian flung at him over the years.

[we_bring_hell]

She sits, pulling her feet up beneath her to sit cross-legged. "I don't know that word," she says. "But I will guess the answer is no."

"Necromancy--as I know it--consumes thanergy, which comes from death. Only a dying necromancer--" in the queendom of her power, as Dulcinea Septimus once said, when Harrow was sadly not present-- "could produce their own. The Seventh House has cultivated such techniques, but it is not remotely common."

Behind her veil, thinking about Septimus makes her scowl, but it passes.

[lightamidchaos]

"Yes."

He wants to tell Wei Ying about A-Yuan, but fears that to do so would be cruel. A-Yuan does not remember anything from before Lan Wangji brought him to the Cloud Recesses. He does not remember Wei Ying. And Wei Ying is dead, and cannot come to him. Cannot even see him.

Lan Wangji cannot find it in himself to bring Wei Ying more grief than he already bears.

"It was good to see Xichen."

He gives the talisman a resigned look, but does not pull away.

[acrookedpath]

"Ah, yes, I remember you mentioning that," he says with a nod. "That you cannot generate your own thanergy. Qi is -- well, the opposite of thanergy, so it would be useless in this anyway."

A quick, rueful smile.

"It is the life force we all carry. And if a cultivator is advanced enough, they can shape it into a furnace similar to what you need."

[acrookedpath]

"Good." Heartfelt. "I am glad you aren't completely alone every day."

The talisman hops onto Lan Zhan's sleeve with a cheery flutter and gets to work scaling his robes. Maybe it will hitch a ride back with him and he'll be even less alone!

(More likely it'll just try to tuck itself into Lan Zhan's forehead ribbon like a jaunty feather.)

[lightamidchaos]

"I am not."

He eyes the talisman warily, but lets it climb undisturbed.

"I am here."

It might be a joke. If one were very generous.

[riddleofthebelow]

"I see, so that would be more like my charm casting; I use a wand for conjuration."

He tilts his head, getting a better look at the paper doll. "What does one do with this kind of talisman?"

Besides having something cute for waving at patrons.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian, generous soul that he is, chuckles.

"You are! And here I have rudely taken the entire table for myself." He begins to sweep the papers together into a haphazard pile. The paper doll, having finally summited Lan Zhan Mountain, wraps an arm around his forehead ribbon right where it disappears into his hair -- and after a pause just long enough to be shameless, keeps climbing to perch atop his hairpiece.

"Sit, sit. You are even less alone now."