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[alongfallfromgrace]

(OOM: It is has been over a decade, but Yunmeng Jiang's first disciple is still Achieving the Impossible.)



(OOM: Later, after more than a few mis-steps and a rather painful demonstration for the juniors on the Applications of Zidian, Wei Wuxian use his very best poker face against Lan Wangji. It fails. But maybe that's okay.)

Bamboo stands give way to pine forests, the ground shifting from mountain-top rockiness to lakeside mud. Two men emerge from the forest - the taller an elegant figure in Gusu Lan's silks, the shorter looking underfed and uncertain (and a bit underdressed overall).

Wei Wuxian is beginning to regret leaving his mask behind, regret agreeing to this, regret everything. He should have never been anywhere near Dafan Mountain, never should have interfered with the night hunt, never should have tried to be clever with a flute of all things. There's a memorial stone with his name on it here, he should not be walking here, alive.

So it's a bit of a mismatched pair that come into the bar, Wei Wuxian unsure if he should duck behind Lan Wangji's shoulder, or if he should create some distance so that Lan Zhan doesn't get pulled into whatever disaster is about to come down on his head.

Comments

[thesecondjade]

Walking quietly behind him, Lan Zhan is a protective presence. There is something waiting at the bar for him to pick up and deliver to Wen Qing, which-- if fate is kind -- will happen on the wings of Wei Ying's return to Milliways.

He doesn't speak to anyone, or approach anyone. He just hovers nearby, and answers whatever questions Wei Ying has to ask. He just exists to reassure as his friend takes his first hesitant steps into the life he left behind.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying is about ready to head for the hills. Or the roofline, whichever is easier, he's not terribly picky at the moment. Lan Zhan was mistaken - no one missed him here. No one wants him back. No one wants to hear anything other than a good reason as to why he failed to protect a handful of innocent people, and he doesn't have a good reason. He should just... go. That'd be good. Going.

[thesecondjade]

Lan Zhan is a faithful -- and guarding -- presence nearby. He does not demand Wei Ying's interaction, but remains a presence that he hopes is comforting. His zhiji needs him, and so he is here.

He wants for others they know, to point them out to Wei Ying as necessary, and continues to keep an eye out for Wen Qing in particular.

[zenigatcha]

Coming and going from the bar in between his daily life is good, Zenigata thinks. Keeps him busy. Not that life doesn't take much to keep him busy -- Lupin's going to make a move, he just knows it, it's been too long between real thefts for the money to have not yet run out -- but he's got protects here. The dojo's layout lays under proto-Scottish snow and frost, so it's on a halt until Spring, but still.

Today he's just got books and worksheets, going over paperwork for Interpol expenses. Also, there might be a French newspaper, with some rental listings circled. (If he's going to keep having people over, he can maybe upgrade his apartment in Lyon... You know, so they're not basically in a multi-bedroom shoebox. Plus, Ami deserves more space than she'll be getting when she stays with him in the summer.)

He does not notice Lan Zhan looking pointedly at Wei Ying, and then looking pointedly in Zenigata's own direction. He'd be acting very different if he'd noticed, them after all.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying is about a half-step from outright panic. Lan Zhan has had a front-row seat to the absolute disaster show that has been Wei Ying running across what little family he has left back in their world. But he also doesn't have it in him to turn away.

Given his upbringing, it really shouldn't be a shock as to what happens next.

Poor Zenigata now has a young man in his under-robe kowtowing properly, folded completely down against the worn wooden flooring of Milliways.

[zenigatcha]

Lan Zhan is just closing his eyes far behind Wei Ying, quietly counting to ten before he intervenes.

Thankfully, he only gets to 'two' because Zenigata's working, not blind or deaf. He seems an underfed heap of person kow-towing right to the floor, and almostt knocks his chair over as he gets up.

"Y-- young man, please, ah, don't do that! Do I know you?"

Hard to tell when someone's forehead to the ground. But that... ponytail, that hair, it seems so achingly (treacherously) familiar. Then he realizes Lan Zhan is staying nearby, ever watchful. Would Lan Zhan watch over anyone else that closely but his son? And this is no Lan Sizhui!

Zenigata reaches down for the man's hands, heart racing and trying to stay steady. Still, he can't help but ask: "W...Wei Ying?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

Some day, Wei Ying will kick himself for falling so easily back into the habits of a past life, patterns of dress and movement that barely skipped a beat. Right now, lets himself to be pushed up to a less formal kneel, his gaze still firmly fixed to the floor.

"Yes." He doesn't try to skitter away from it, as much as his heart wants to, as much as he wants to fly away from the oncoming storm. Jiang Cheng got his chance to be angry - Zenigata deserves the same.

[zenigatcha]

It's not quite the same face. Too gaunt, eyes just as large but maybe a tilt of the jaw that's different. He needs to be fed, badly. The cop in Zenigata's brain ticks off the signs of persistent abuse.

(Just like Oscar had; Zenigata pulled Oscar from the river, and now, he pulled up Wei Ying from unnecessary debasement. Why do people want to hurt his boys so much? Why do they come to him like this, when he can do nothing but hold with both hands and pray it is enough?)

The rage at the idea of someone hurting his Wei Ying, in whatever way, is still smothered by the fact it is Wei Ying in his hands, Wei Ying! They said the dead come to Milliways, but he'd never expected it like this.

Zenigata doesn't question his next reaction; he's on his knees pulling his lost boy into his arms and making a sound like a wounded bull, some new fresh anguish breaking open, joy ripping through the hurt to clean out a scabbed up grief.

"Wei Ying!" he sobs, and the tears start.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying is stunned. This is... not what he expected. Not even what he could have hoped for. For a long, breathless moment he merely exists - hugged for the first time that he can remember in this new body, tears soaking into his collar. He cannot deflect, saying that it is more for show than anything else - Zenigata did not have to lift him up.

When he warned Lan Zhan about the potential noise, this is not what he meant.

Slowly, cautiously, unable to quite accept his welcome yet, he leans into the hold, his arms settling around Zenigata's bulk. He looks for Lan Zhan over Zenigata's shoulder, wide-eyed and a little panicked, looking for reassurance.

[sunbaked_baker]

Underfed, you say?

Why, we can't have that.

So at an unspecified point in time after the two cultivators enter the bar, there is a baker with her red hair held back by a blue kerchief, currently occupied in tugging loose the knot to her sunflower-dotted apron as she emerges from the Very Warm kitchens where something fragrantly savory is simmering.

Lan Wangji gets a friendly smile and a wave when she notices him; it isn't like he's hard not to notice. But just as easily noticed is the slight difference in the way he orients himself, and the alignment of his shadows to... this other cultivator? If she saw him out of the corner of her eye, she would've sworn.... but his face is different, he is a bit shorter. Nevertheless, he gets a friendly smile, too. And the silent opinion that he needs feeding up.

She has something for that.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying half plans on being anonymous, to keep himself to the shadows and try and figure out how he feels about... everything.

If he meant to keep to those plans, he should have avoided bowing to Sunshine, the bow deep and reverent. But he can't forget how she kept his little handful of people fed and comfortable during what turned out to be their last year.

[thesecondjade]

Lan Zhan echoes the bow, thought not as deep.

"Rae Seddon," he greets quietly as he straightens up. He watches her, waiting. He's calm, but the reveal is for Wei Ying to decide on. Then again... Lan Zhan's guarding a young man who ties his hair like Wei Ying did, who dresses like Wei Ying did, and who bows like Wei Ying did. It might be hard to hide.

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine bows carefully in return, though it is with some level of befuddlement.

It's true. The young man's hair is done in the same way Wei Wuxian wore his hair, his choice of clothing share strong thematic similarities. Enough that if she had only seen him out of the corner of her eyes, she would've startled hard.

But... Wei Wuxian is dead, and while her Dark Sight can see their patterns are... similar, this young man's shadows are far clearer than she had ever seen Wei Wuxian's. She certainly has questions.

"Good evening, Lan Wangji," she greets her friend in reply, and adds a smile to the young man in black. "Good evening."

The other strong similarity between Wei Wuxian and the young man in black is how he looks like he could use a solid meal or five.

"Can I offer you some supper? Cold winter days like today call for soup."

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying gets distinctly misty-eyed at the offer of soup (even though he knows it won't be The Soup, there never will be The Soup again).

"This one would be honored, Jiangguang-guniang." He knows he's giving his anonymity away, but... she offered soup. She is good people.

Look, in some ways Wei Ying is a very simple man.

[thesecondjade]

"Mn," Lan Zhan gives a soft affirmative noise, leaving it at that. He'll eat soup. And let Wei Ying do what he needs to do. Like eat.

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Hannibal Lecter has been sitting by the fire, drinking red wine and reading a book, when the cultivators enter.

He looks up, and smiles at them; then stands and bows.

"Good evening, Hanguang-jun!" he says, with a little bow that is a mix between Japanese and western, "so I see your friend is alive as well! Is there any hope for Wen Ning?"

Dr. Lecter had really liked that gentle, helpful and caring zombie.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying bows, silently. He wasn't addressed directly. He does not know this guy, or his loyalties. Wei Ying obviously knows nothing about the fate of Wen Ning.

[thesecondjade]

Lan Zhan bows to Lecter, his eyes down for a moment. Lecter had seen Wei Ying only rarely, and Mo Xuanyu has enough of resemblance that he might pass to someone not deeply familiar.

"Wen Ning's fate remains unknown," Lan Zhan says. "We have no evidence he has been restored to life."

Technically true, because what the fuck was up with the Ghost General? He's supposed to be ash. Another lie of the Jin? Jin Guangyao's suspect now, but now's not the time to bring it up to anybody.

[cook_the_rude]

"He already had been once," Dr. Lecter says. "So there's hope for him yet. I hope."

He turns to Wei Wuxian.

"Lan-er-gongzi will have told you that Wen Qing is alive, and they brought her back here recently? And I am correct that you're the late lamented Wei-gongzi that Wen Ning would always talk about at such great length?"

[alongfallfromgrace]

What? And what? Who the hell is this guy, anyway? Talking to Wen Ning is not a character reference - while he forever values Wen Ning's friendship, he'll be the first to point out that the man has some severe trouble judging people. He trusted Jin Guangyao, for crying out loud.

Wei Ying looks to Lan Zhan for some guidance because he's so confused.

[yinyangwizard]

Abe no Seimei is at a table with a pot of tea and a catalog of what looks like supplies for the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, bundled in a dark blue padded kimono against the winter cold. He gets one of those strange feelings just before the pair walks in through the door and stands up so hastily that he drops his book and nearly knocks his teacup over.

[alongfallfromgrace]

Wei Ying, who will be a long time abandoning his hypervigilance issues, sees someone jump up and stare in their direction... well obviously he assumes something big and scary just came through the door, so he whips around as well. Not that he can do much of anything, he doesn't even have his flute on him at the moment, but... reflexes. What are you going to do?

...

Of course the doorway is empty so... um. What?

[thesecondjade]

Lan Zhan puts a hand to Wei Ying's shoulder, a brief and grounding contact, featherlight but there. Then he says, "That was Abe no Seimei. He is likely caught in some divination or another."

It's okay, just go into the bar, Lan Zhan will say hello to his associate, and they'll figure out things from there.

[yinyangwizard]

Well, that is confirmation that Lan Zhan’s companion is who Seimei thought he was. Although some fairly significant things about him appear to be different from before. “My apologies.” Seimei clasps his hands together and bows. “I was...not expecting to see you.”

Pause.

“You probably do not remember me.” Or at least he never seemed to stick in Wei Wuxian’s memory before. Maybe it’s different now, as so many things seem to be.

[alongfallfromgrace]

"You helped organize remembrance of the remnant of the Wen Clan." Wei Ying recalls, having been told that much. Beyond that... he's pretty sure there was something. Nothing that rings a bell, but that's hardly unusual. He bows in gratitude, formally.