[ closed post: hold fast to the center ]

[lightbearinglord]

With Dark behind them, most of Lan Wangji's routine has managed to reassert itself. He awakens at mao hour and disentangles himself from his clinging cultivation partner, who tends to sprout several additional limbs in the night. He dresses and slips away for his morning meditation. He takes Bichen to the air, circles the grounds of the mansion and checks the woods for any changes beyond the known quantities of Ragnelle's nest and Magnus' camp, and runs through his sword forms. He stops in the kitchen and makes breakfast for his husband. By that point, his day can branch in several ways: he can, upon bringing the breakfast to Wei Ying, also opt to return to his bed, a perpetually tempting option. He can find Magnus and indulge in listening to him talking about whatever strikes his fancy. He can practice his qin, work on his calligraphy, retreat to the library for the endless project of educating himself, or embark on some more ambitious culinary endeavor.

Recently, however, Lan Wangji was reminded of a promise he made to someone important. Where possible, he prefers to keep his promises. So this morning, after he has sufficiently fed Wei Ying, made his apologies in the form of several lingering love-bites along his neck and shoulders, and changed his boots for house slippers, he approaches Claudius and Galahad's room. This route is one of the few persistently familiar paths that seem to exist in the ever-changing mansion.

It is early, but not so early. And Claudius did ask him for this, not once but twice. He lifts a hand and knocks crisply at the door.

Comments

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji is grateful, just now, that Claudius knows him, and that he will see the softening look of affection that lights his face. "I know." Pushing past his own hesitations, he sets a hand at Claudius' shoulder, heavy enough that it can't be mistaken for a reluctant touch. "Eat, make yourself ready, and then come with me."

[wickedwit]

Then Claudius takes a moment savoring the fluffy youtiao (and since he knows Galahad likes fluffiness, he makes sure to reserve the second youtiao for him to try whenever he returns to their room today). "This is quite good," he observes. "Shouldst thou ever make too many of these, thou shouldst bring them to the café. Thou couldst be one of our patissiers, alongside Laertes and Galahad."

[lightbearinglord]

"Thank you," Lan Wangji says; it's an almost reflexive politeness, but he does mean it. In the absence of most of his old methods by which to be helpful, he has found it more and more fulfilling to ensure that the people around him are well-fed. "Perhaps I can make a better impression on the café than I did at the talent show."

[wickedwit]

“I thought thou madest a magnificent impression,” Claudius says, quite cheerfully. “I bade thee to impress thy husband, and so thou didst. And I learned we share a common interest, though we’ve never spoken of it.”

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji narrows his eyes in a credibly playful performance of suspicion. "You are not referring to rearranging furniture," he says dryly.

[wickedwit]

"No, I always find a fit young man to do that." More to the point, he says, "Making proper bindings is both a skill and talent. And to do it so swiftly! It shows a practiced hand." He is aware that Lan Wangji has no memory of lashing together Wei Wuxian's wrists with his hair ribbon, in front of an audience, but he still deserves to be commended. In Claudius's opinion, it was quite the commendable and creative use of a hair ribbon.

[lightbearinglord]

Regrettably -- or perhaps not -- that was not the first time Lan Wangji has done that in front of an audience after a drink, and the audience the first time was arguably a worse one. At least he married his victim in the interim. There is nothing he can do to stop the immediate and predictable reddening of his ears, but he manages to gather himself in order to say, with perfect gravity to it, "He escapes too quickly if it is done improperly."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs warmly at that. "Sagramore won't struggle unless I ask him ... and then I think he likes to test the boundaries, and find them firm. I've reconciled with Sagramore," he adds, softening. "I attempted an apology, but he wouldn't have it. You know I'm manipulative by nature ... I can never be certain I haven't influenced someone unduly. But Sagramore's been quite insistent that he made his own decision, and he wants to make his own amends."

[lightbearinglord]

Wei Ying likes the same thing. He likes to know that there is nothing he can do that could convince Lan Wangji to let go of him. Possibly Lan Wangji ought to have removed his hand from Claudius' shoulder during that little conversational detour, but now he is glad he didn't. "Sir Sagramore spoke with me." He frowns, briefly, at the memory of that, Sagramore's contrition and his own inexpertly-controlled anger. "He loves you. He could have done nothing but end his association with Luo Binghe. And he was right not to allow you to apologize for wanting to be loved without compromising yourself."

[wickedwit]

"E'en so?" Claudius shakes his head, but smiles. "I think too oft on what stories can spread from a single action. Others, I'd argue, don't think oft enough on how they'll be perceived by others ... but it is a fault in me. One I'll lay on the cut-throat rumormongering at court. I fear to be misrepresented, to be misunderstood, but an thou dost understand me, I find my reputation bothers me far less. It's a virtue of thine," he says. The only request Claudius ever wrangled out of Lan Wangji was to protect Wei Wuxian's reputation here -- but in Lan Wangji's presence, with his quiet conviction and devotion, Claudius is sure Wei Wuxian rarely worries about reputation himself. It's because Lan Wangji loves so loyally, Claudius thinks. Having someone that loyal always at your side is naturally reassuring.

[lightbearinglord]

That earns Claudius another warmly fond look, not exactly a smile but something close to it. If Lan Wangji's regard for him can ease the built-up fears left behind by the sticky hands of that cutthroat court, then that is all the better. "I would prefer to say that reputations do not matter at all," he says, "but Wei Ying was cast out for his and died for a rumor he could not control." His own reputation was spotless, until he married the Yiling Patriarch. He would do it again a thousand times. "Still, even the most skilled social architect I have known could not attain complete mastery of the hearts and minds around him."

[wickedwit]

"Well, now I want to hear about the most skilled social architect you know," Claudius says, brightened by curiosity. "Would we get along, do you think? Or would we always be outmaneuvering each other?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji has to take a silent and pensive moment to consider the mindboggling thought exercise of Nie Huaisang and Claudius in the same room. It is occasionally easy to believe that he never knew Nie Huaisang at all -- that even the delicate, fragile boy who whined about da-ge's expectations, his unwilling childhood companion, was all a construction. That can't be true, however. More likely, Sect Leader Nie began the work of layering pieces of himself after the death of his brother, and that is when it became impossible to track which piece was real and which was the performance.

"You would like Nie Huaisang," he says, after that moment, "and I suspect he would like you, but that he would be unable to resist trying to use you for his own ends. He is known as the Headshaker¹ for his ability to pretend at useless ignorance."

¹This is a pretty loose translation of Nie Huaisang's title, 一问三不知, which more literally means "one question, three I-don't-knows."

[wickedwit]

“Ah, I know the type. I’m too proud of my own cunning to pretend at uselessness or ignorance … but my protégé at court was a Headshaker to the core. It’s the most efficient way to deal with the likes of Polonius. Look at him like you’re utterly lost, until he has to state his expectations outright, or else give up on whatever he’s asking. Nine times out of ten, he’ll give up. It’s both frustrating and fascinating to watch.” Claudius smirks and shakes his head, remembering. Idly, he crumples up the wax paper and tosses it into the waste basket, before turning to the wardrobe where he can consider what to wear. This will undoubtedly take some time.

[lightbearinglord]

That does sound precisely like Nie Huaisang, and even more precisely like Nie Huaisang cajoling Jin Guangyao into solving every minor sect squabble on his behalf -- ostensibly so that he could while away his days on frivolous pursuits, but Lan Wangji knows better, now. "It is an effective tactic." Sensing that the portion of events wherein Claudius gets dressed may be a lengthy one, Lan Wangji avails himself of a seat at the kotatsu. "Nie Huaisang accomplished his revenge with most none the wiser."

[wickedwit]

"He must be an exceptionally talented man." That is, by Claudius's standard, the best outcome for an act of vengeance: to have done it so subtly no one would ever suspect you a hand in it. Other men, he's sure, prefer the more forthright approach, but why paint a target on your own back? "Who was he avenging?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji has no choice but to say, just a little wryly, "His older brother."

[wickedwit]

"Ah," Claudius says with a laugh. "Well, I must admit ... if anything happened to thee, I'd be as willing to architect such a plot for thee. And I would have not thee to advise me wisely, so the plot would become more convoluted and cunning as time went on."

[lightbearinglord]

Cognizant of the fact that this is a high honor coming from Claudius, Lan Wangji gives him another of those quick, fond little glances. "Thank you." It is a good thing he is around, and has no intention of leaving Claudius to his own devices. "If you want, I will tell you the story of Nie Huaisang," he adds, "after we meditate." He is not above utilizing an incentive.

[wickedwit]

"Such shameless bribery! Know thou, it will work." With a thoughtful hum, he contemplates his two wardrobes, the curated one and the one that answers the mansion's whims. "What if I dressed in thy style today? Would it suit me?"

[lightbearinglord]

Naturally, Lan Wangji knew the bribery would work. That is why he did it. At the question, he contemplates Claudius in turn, recalling how jarringly unusual he once found his typical clothing. It no longer strikes him that way, the result of all their familiarity, but he does feel a sentimental pang at the thought of his friend dressed in the style of his world, as if preparing for that aspirational trip to the Cloud Recesses after all. "Mn. Perhaps not in Lan colors." Out of loyalty, he does not mention that Claudius' hair is much too short.

[wickedwit]

"Those are thy azures and thy argents, ay?" asks Claudius, another thing Claudius gathered quickly from observing Lan Wangji. It makes it easy to plan future wedding wear. For now, Claudius thinks of darker clothes, warmer hues, and pulls from his wardrobe a black jacket with a folded collar and pleated skirt, a golden serpent winding over its shoulder. Or and sable are Sagramore's colors, but Claudius finds himself rather fond of them. "I do like layers," he says admiringly. "What should I layer this with?"

[lightbearinglord]

That golden serpent makes Lan Wangji smile fleetingly, though Claudius isn't likely to see it, what with his contemplation of his outfit. If Claudius truly wants to dress in this fashion, he may as well do it properly. Lan Wangji stands again and crosses to that wardrobe, reaching over Claudius' shoulder easily enough to slide open a convenient drawer. "Zhongyi," he says, having produced a pair of plain white trousers and a long-sleeved undershirt, "and a skirt¹. At least one robe over those. A sash. I can tie it for you. And then that zhaoshan."

¹The specific word used here pre-translator is chang/裳, a pleated skirt to go beneath that aforementioned middle layer. Also, as usual, MDZS is an ahistorical melange of whatever, so we're partly going on vibes here as to what cultivators actually wear.

[wickedwit]

"There are many layers," Claudius says, with appreciation, taking in the many folds of fabric over one arm. "Well, I do enjoy them, as I said. In conversation and in clothing. And I would be obliged if thou wouldst assist me."

[lightbearinglord]

There could easily be several more layers than this, but they are planning to meditate as a pair of friends, not attend a banquet or a discussion conference. "I will not allow you a breach of etiquette," Lan Wangji assures him. "Begin with the zhongyi and I will assist you from there."