[ open post: Lan Wangji and guests ]

[lightbearinglord]

In the wake of his disorienting and unpleasant stint in Gu Xiang's body, Lan Wangji has done his utmost to resume and enjoy all of his usual pursuits. He has, he believes, thoroughly made up for his lapse in his promise to Wei Ying. He has wielded kitchen knives, his ink brush, and Bichen with precision and enthusiasm. He has sunk into long, restorative shichen of meditation. He has, at Claudius' behest, thoroughly perused Emily Post's instructions regarding how to conduct oneself as the best man at a wedding.

There is the matter of his qin, too. The discovery of the spirit in Gideon's sword struck Lan Wangji with greater surprise than he might have expected. Such things were once commonplace for him; he hardly went two weeks, before he came to this place, without finding himself called to some night-hunt. He does not like to believe that he could become complacent, and he has always practiced diligently, but still.

The tableau is a familiar one: a certain parlor near the entryway of the mansion, one that often houses this particular cultivator along with his spiritual instrument. Wangji is balanced on a table at the center of the room, polished black wood gleaming and strings freshly tuned, and Lan Wangji sits cross-legged before it. He is not actually playing it at this precise moment, however, because he currently has guests. A small white rabbit sits next to the qin, munching his way through a piece of lettuce. An equally small brown rabbit is perched in the crook of Lan Wangji's elbow, eyeing his brother with some envy. Ostensibly, the rabbits are in trouble, because they have recently laid waste to Lan Wangji's copy of Emma. It is impossible to tell, because Lan Wangji is petting Danding's head with exactly as much solemn focus as always.

Comments

[futaille]

Grantaire is walking by, passes the room, realizes what he actually saw in the brief glance as he walked by, and returns, standing in the doorway.

"Small friends?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji stands when he sees Grantaire; Danding is used to this, and remains tucked into his arm. He bows to the best of his abilities when one arm is immobile. "Mn. Danding." He nods toward the rabbit currently in his possession. "Xiaoxue." This nod goes toward the rabbit huddled next to the qin, now staring at Grantaire with ears cautiously quirked.

[futaille]

He nods and looks between the two. "I think Xiaoxue is quietly judging me." He sounds more amused by the prospect than anything, though.

[lightbearinglord]

"Xiaoxue is the more timid of the two." Lan Wangji gives Grantaire a prompting, open sort of glance. "You may come to meet them." He would, actually, like it if the rabbits became more accustomed to the variety of people who inhabit the mansion.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad is used to finding Lan Wangji here, and indeed was planning on finding him here today. He has his sketchbook as usual, and he's wearing the cloud-soft, sky-blue sweater Magnus picked for him; he has to roll the sleeves up over his hands or they're too long, but there's something pleasing about the sensation.

He hasn't seen Lan Wangji since Enjolras' meeting. He comes in quietly and sits nearby -- at a respectful distance from the table and Lan Wangji -- and flips open his sketchbook. In the last two weeks all his drawings have taken on a blasphemous cast: he keeps adding hagiography to his portraits, lambs and doves, croziers and aspergillum, vestments and symbols (Laertes with a discipline, Gideon in her skull paint with her sword aflame; Tress holding spores in her hand the way St Lucy holds her eyes, Claudius with great angelic wings; all of them haloed). There's something soothing about taking this language that he knows so intimately and using it to write about the people here, knowing God would hate it.

The latest sketch is Lan Wangji. With the rabbits and the qin he already looks like a saint surrounded by his associated objects, the way St Cuthbert is always shown with the otters who warmed his feet while he prayed in the north sea at night.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji takes in the sight of Galahad with a nearly imperceptible softening of his features. When he comes to care for someone, there is almost a single moment, sharp and sudden like a needle pricking one's finger, at which a fierce protective impulse comes into focus. He remembers it a little shamefully with Wei Ying, who knelt in punishment after his fight with Jin Zixuan, sharper still years later with Chenqing twirling in his hands. He remembers it with A-Yuan, wide-eyed and heeding a Cloud Recesses rule at a restaurant in Yiling. With Claudius, it must have been watching as he held Shen Yuan's gaze, by far the most vulnerable man in a room with two cultivators, and met Shen Yuan's disregard for his life with bravery and wit. That moment was impossible to miss as he sat beside Galahad in the café and watched his careful breathing.

For a time, he lets the quiet remain between them. He feeds Danding his own piece of lettuce, and patiently moves Xiaoxue aside as the rabbit makes a move to begin chewing on a qin string. Then, however, he sets Danding beside his brother and turns to face Galahad. Without rising, he arranges himself into an otherwise formal bow. "I owe you my congratulations."

[onthewillowsthere]

He looks up. He's noticed that Lan Wangji rarely changes his expression, and so he's given himself permission not to try to figure out what he should do with his own face when they speak; as a result, he doesn't smile, and his voice is as grave as ever, when he says, "Thank you." Still, Lan Wangji is a perceptive man, so perhaps he can tell how happy Galahad is.

[lightbearinglord]

Even if he could not detect that subtle but unmistakable joy, Lan Wangji would know. He knows the way that Claudius speaks of Galahad; he knows the way that Galahad looks at Claudius across a room, as if everything has gone dark but one shining beacon of a man. It is the most familiar thing in the world to him. "I wish you a hundred years of happiness." It's a rote recitation of words he was taught by his uncle, but he means it.

[kadewest]

Kade walks past! He's whistling a tune. Someone who knows something about music as a tool might be able to parse out that this tune is a communication, for all that Kade hasn't wanted--and therefore hasn't bothered--to look for the usual pan-pipes. (He's not actually talking to anyone; it's just a nigh-automatic recitation of one of the Court of the Rainbow Princess's ballads as he tries to excise it from being stuck in his mind.)

He's also still trying to be more present in this place. When he sees the open door, he pokes his head in.

[lightbearinglord]

The music snags Lan Wangji's attention first and foremost, unsurprisingly. He is already looking up and directly at Kade when Kade glances inside the room. Because they barely know one another, he takes the time to set Danding next to Xiaoxue so that he can stand and bow properly, respectful. "Young master West."

[kadewest]

"Lan Wangji," with a deep nod. "Cute bunnies."

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn," Lan Wangji agrees. They are indeed exceptionally cute. He lifts his eyebrows the smallest amount, inviting Kade to come in and meet them if he is so inclined.

[rememberettersberg]

"Hanguang-jun, hello." Nightingale raises a hand in greeting as he passes by, then doubles back to look more closely at the scene. "New arrivals?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji, somewhat invisibly pleased to see Nightingale, rises to his feet and bows, although it is not quite as impeccable as it might be due to the rabbit perched atop his arm and preventing him from putting his hands together properly. "Detective Chief Inspector." He pauses, bordering on rueful. "They are new. The angel Aziraphale created them recently."

[rememberettersberg]

"Very sweet." He smiles. "Another attempt at stage magic or were they more intentional?"

[lightbearinglord]

There's the slightest twitch of amusement somewhere around Lan Wangji's eyebrows as he recalls Aziraphale's talent show performance. "Claudius requested them for me," he clarifies. There is a fairly ridiculous story that goes along with that fact, but he chooses not to dwell on it.

[ravkanwitch]

Upon seeing Lan Wangji in the parlor, Nina has decided to test out the name that Magnus told her he likes to be called. "Hi, Hanguang-jun, it's been a while since-- Who are these?" She immediately stops short upon seeing the two small rabbits, though, interrupting herself.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji, who has just gently nudged Xiaoxue aside in pursuit of actually putting his hands to the strings of his qin, looks up, glad to see Nina despite how little that shows on his face. He notes the use of his title, wondering if he has Magnus to thank for that, but doesn't comment on it. "Young mistress Nina," he says, but he relents immediately and answers, glancing at each rabbit in turn as he names them: "Xiaoxue and Danding."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina comes a step closer and crouches down to look at them. "They're so small! Where did they come from?"

[sagramore]

Sagramore is determined to stop being so miserable around everyone, and that includes Lan Wangji, who has had to listen to far too much pitiousness about Asmodean. As an apology for said pitiousness, he's brought spicy arugula for the rabbits, wrapped in a paper towel, and coffee for himself -- he knows Lan Wangji will have tea for himself.

"Good morning."

[lightbearinglord]

It goes without saying, but if Lan Wangji were privy to any of these delusions of piteousness, he would be utterly baffled. Since he is not, he only looks up at Sagramore with a glimmer of warmth somewhere around the eyes. Since he currently has one rabbit on each knee, he half-bows without actually standing, and then nods to indicate that Sagramore is very welcome to sit with him.

[sagramore]

He sinks down to the floor and takes a drink of his coffee. "You were playing that when we first met, I think."

[temnota]

Out of curiosity, Aleksander peered into the room he was passing by and was delighted to spot Lan Wangji. His smile widened as he noticed there were two small guests. His heart was quite irrevocably given to Szarka but the rabbits were rather adorable in their own rights.

"Hello Hanguang-jun and friends," he said warmly. "Am I interrupting?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji is, frankly, equally pleased to see Aleksander, and especially pleased to see him when he is not plagued by distraction as a result of the incorrect body. He stands, setting Danding beside Xiaoxue on the table, so that he can bow with all his usual attendant politeness. "Young master Morozova," he says, just a little warmly. "You are not interrupting."

[temnota]

Aleksander returned the bow elegantly then stepped inside. "I am glad to see you. No ill effects from the switch, I hope."