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[alongfallfromgrace]

(OOM: Wei Wuxian throws himself into a new project, but at least this one should cause less protests.)

Wei Wuxian strolls into the Scottish heather, tilting his face up towards the sun. While the sunlight here still isn't anything like the honeyed glow of Yunmeng, but it is so much brighter than than the ashy filtered light of the Burial Mounds. He ends up sprawled on an outcropping of granite, letting the heat soak into his tired bones and drive the lingering cold from his fingertips.

Later, he ends up at the low coffee table in front of the fire place, slurping up a plate of Dandan noodles - with the spice kicked up as high as Bar would allow. He's sure there's something he should have instead, but he's been a man denied spicy food for too long.

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[thesecondjade]

Eventually the soft swish-swish of another robed figure approaches the rock on which Wei Wuxian lays, sunning himself like a happy little lizard. He pauses in the distance, watching Wei Wuxian relax. How long has it been since he saw him looking this carefree and rested? Shadows lurked under his eyes, they were red-rimmed, and... Well, he looked like death. Here, he almost looked like the young man he'd met a few years back at Cloud Recesses, loud and rude and stubborn.

Lan Zhan misses the more vibrant Wei Wuxian. But he's sure Wei Wuxian misses himself, too.

Eventually he comes closer, Bichen at his side and one hand in the traditional posture of a Lan, one hand behind his back, held in a fist. He does not relax from this posture when he stops near the rock.

"Wei Ying," he says, letting the more intimate name come at a moment that feels closer to the time when he thought they were friends.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying is having an excellent daydream - he's back at Cloud Recesses, bunnies hopping all around, post-training to explain the ever-present ache, nothing ahead but a long afternoon of 'meditation' that for him will look a lot more like sprawling on a rock soaking in the sun, and Lan Zhan has come to find him...

"Lan Zhan..." he murmurs, his lips curling into a pleased, satisfied grin.

And then he blinks, and while the air is cool, the smell of heather is not that of Gusu, and... oh shit.

"A..ah, Lan Zhan!" He sits up, abruptly, hoping to any of the ancestors who have failed to hear him previously that Lan Zhan didn't hear him the first time. Please, his face can't take it.

[thesecondjade]

The impassive look Lan Zhan gives him gives no tell. Did he hear? Did he not hear? Who can say. Lan Zhan's not going to bring it up. Instead, he just gives his little mn response, before he says, "Wei Ying was resting. I apologize for disturbing his rare peace."

The little bow is a formality, but a necessary one.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Oh, he must not have heard. He's...

...

He's pleased. Really. That's what this feeling is.

Still, he hurries to interrupt the bow, ungainly as he drags still-too-cold limbs into something other than post-doze lethargy.

"Aiyaa, what is this, no, it's fine! Can't sleep the day away, right? There's definitely some rules about that on your wall."

[thesecondjade]

"As Wei Ying frequently reminds, we are not in Cloud Recesses, and you are not Lan," Lan Zhan gently relieves him of his panic, mouth creasing into a small smile as he does it, fleeting as it is. Then he returns to his impassiveness.

"I have practicing to establish a gateway here," he says as he looks back at the wood. "It was explained to me that a token of the realm can aid, even if it's simple as a napkin, which is given freely."

So there's no shock that he's trying to maintain a permanent gateway here, so he can take full advantage of stealing hours away, and raiding their library, ravenous for more knowledge.

[alongfallfromgrace]

No, he's not a Lan. He doesn't want to be a Lan (he tells himself, firmly, often).

He's not anything else, though, a missing piece in the puzzle of his identity. How many pieces can he lose before there's nothing left?

Still. He stuffs that down deep, and gives Lan Zhan a sideways grin.

"Ah, I am honored that you would take time away from that library for me." Considering the size of the library, he's pretty sure Lan Zhan could disappear in there forever.

[thesecondjade]

"The library is impressive," Lan Zhan says, though his eyes dart quietly to the side, "and not restrictive. I am able to expand my studies."

Someone got into trouble for breaking a lock off the library and going into the forbidden section. That someone is Lan Zhan, who is under more and more scrutiny these days. But he must do it; if he can find one single thing that will help Wei Wuxian, he will risk it all.

"But Lan-xiongzhang requests I answer calls more frequently," he says. "So if I study, here is more convenient."

Lan Zhan is not going to get into why the extra workload exists -- that Lan Xichen is worried about his Wangji, that he sees him sinking deeper into obsession, reminds him of their father drawing away for love, punishing himself for failing to be what the object of his affection needs. He knows. He is not fool enough to think that the Elder Jade does not see right through him, as if he were rice paper pounded so thin as to be translucent.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Not restrictive?" Wei Ying echos, impish glee sneaking into his expression. "Lan Zhan, you have come a long way since our time together in the library! I am so proud."

He knows that's probably not what Lan Zhan meant, that it's probably something to do with his qin music, but... he has missed teasing Lan Zhan, and the opportunity is right there.

[thesecondjade]

Even as it creates a strangely bubbly warmth in his belly, Lan Zhan schools his expression into neutrality. His ears turning pink give him away, though, and he glances away, flustered as ever.

"I shall go study qin and leave you to your relaxation," he says, managing to not sound stiff and awkward with great effort.

[mogget_cat]

That outcropping of granite is a very good rock, especially on days like today. Even the slanting light of late summer, the rock is heated through with hours spent soaking in the sun, offering warmth and light from above, ache-melting heat and solid support from below.

So Wei Wuxian eventually has quiet company that takes the form of one of the many cats that call the strange bar their home. It catloafs comfortably, its paws folded under its body. Its fur is stark white against the hot rock, its eyes closed in contentment.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Oh! He has a companion, the same fluffy white as some much-missed rabbits. Wei Wuxian stretches out a curious hand, testing the friendliness of this new potential friend.

[mogget_cat]

The cat's eyes open, bright leaf-green against the white. Its gaze follows the approaching hand until it is close enough to sniff at, and - approval granted - lean into with a mild purr.

[alongfallfromgrace]

There is a certain magic when an unfamiliar cat purrs for you - Wei Wuxian smiles, and shifts so he can reach the cat better, enjoying the soft, soft fur.

[mogget_cat]

Strange cats may sometimes be wary or indifferent of new acquaintances, not quite sure how to approach them. This cat shows no wariness or agitation, contented to be a loaf left to rise in the warmth of the sun. Its fur is quite soft to the touch, though of a different softness from the fur of rabbits. Its ears are certainly not like a rabbit's, either, though to judge by the increasingly steady purring the white cat is enjoying the attention being paid to them.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian dozes, lured by warmth and the soft white noise of a rumbling purr. When he has more energy, he murmurs poetry at it, as one does - one must make use of an extensive education somehow, after all.

"Only my cat keeps me company, it's so soft touch and warm to hold in bed..."

[mogget_cat]

Cats are pretty good at regulating their own body temperature, but does that keep them from seeking out the warmth of laptop computers, warm laps, warm patches of sun, sun-warmed rocks, lounging humans on sun-warmed rocks? Nope. The cat eventually curls up close beside the sometimes-dozing human, the purr a faint, steady drone, its green eyes mostly shut in contentment. It even seems to like the poetry, listening with upright ears and watching Wei Wuxian as he speaks.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"So brave and capable that it has ousted the rat nest... mmm." Wei Wuxian boops the cat's little nose, grinning. "Better not do that here, you shouldn't assault the wait staff."

[5ame_heart]

It's the smell of the noodles that attracts Fives' attention - he's still on a quest to sample as many different foods as Bar can suggest, but this has a flavour to it that he doesn't recognise so far.

He has finally acquired a decent replication of his black republic-issued body suit, so he has that one rather than sweatpants, but hasn't given up the white-and-blue hoodie quite yet. (It's cold around here.)

He takes a seat at a nearby table and looks over.

"Mind if I ask what you're eating?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian startles, slightly, but recovers smoothly enough, offering a bow from his seat, Chenqing held in the circle of his arms.

"These are Dandan noodles - they are very good." He explains, completely failing to warn about the variance in spice. He doesn't think it's that bad, really.

[5ame_heart]

Fives isn't sure what to do about the bow - Jedi bow like that and they sure as hell don't bow to clones. So, he ignores it and nods from where he's sitting.

"I don't get much variety back home," he explains. "Always looking for something new to try out."

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Bar made it, so there should be plenty." Wei Wuxian still thinks the spirit that is evidently happy to be trapped in the wood of a bar is very odd, but is happy that she seems willing to provide good food.

[5ame_heart]

"She's never done me wrong so far," Fives admits. He'd agree it's odd, but he thinks Jedi are odd and they're from his universe so he can't judge.

He holds up a finger wait and rises to go and get himself something, which he brings back and if there's no objection, sits with his new acquaintance before trying.

The resultant yelp of pain is pretty loud.

"Kriff."

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Wuxian, who is still happily digging into his own bowl, looks up, baffled.

"Bite your tongue?" He asks, because the fellow does sound hurt, even if there's nothing sharp anywhere about.

[5ame_heart]

Fives glares at him. Not entirely hostilely, because it's not like the noodles are poisoned, but he definitely feels tricked into something.

And there's nothing to drink in easy reach.

"What is in this?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

"Aiya, such a look." Wei Wuxian protests - it isn't as if he had anything to do with this fellow choosing to eat dandan noodles! He just said they were good, and they are, so what's with the glare? "Noodles, and vegetables, and pork... what were you expecting, stones?"