It suffuses Lan Wangji with fresh fondness to recall that other Claudius, both because he liked him very much and because he likes his own chosen brother even better. He shifts a little and sits up, only so that he can see Claudius' face as they talk -- and so that he can reach up with one hand and adjust his forehead ribbon, which has gone slightly askew with all the activity.

"Haurchefant was," he says, and although as usual he does not even bother to try recapturing Claudius' expressiveness, he pulls off the timing, the pause laden with exasperated affection, "loud." His eyes soften with the memory of hearing about him. "You met your alternate self. Did you also meet Hebona?"