( he laughs, the slightly awkward way of someone taking a moment to assess after being caught by surprise. it loses the awkwardness within heartbeats, wei wuxian adjusting as he replies. )
Hahaha, this is fine! I'm handling some research and some building, nothing that needs all my attention. How have you been?
A kind offer, Zewu-jun. There's... little that comes to mind offhand right now, but it's appreciated. And mutual, should you find yourself so inclined.
( there's very little chance offhand he'll take him up on it, he suspects. then again, he himself has only over the last few years been really working to share with lan zhan. )
Lan Zhan wishes to give you what he believes you need, to be eased here. My only concern is helping him realise what he wishes, to what extent we can.
( it's gently said: he's dealing with a husband who has come undone with family, the long and deep feeling kind, finally here. it's a very different relationship. as an older brother in heart if not in factual reality, protectiveness is more easy to understand, but when he thinks of how he'd handle his shijie... in that, he can better understand lan zhan. )
He's had a long time in adjusting. He doesn't wish to disappoint, from what I can tell.
Wangji will never disappoint me. He is concerned he is changed, lesser than Gusu Lan would approve of, and I believe I remind him more strongly of what he has been missing. [ There is a moment's thoughtful pause. ] It is true, he is more disobedient, but I hold nothing born out of necessity against him.
You have been constantly at his side, then, these past few years?
( the mental cough concerning disobedience, to the man who is excellent at exactly that. )
Mm, since we found each other in the salt mines in Sa-Hareth. We found Sizhui not long after. That was... over two years ago now, ah? Something of the kind.
( he chuckles, because that's just one absurdity in their collective lives. )
Our group at the time was smaller and in hiding, with refuge granted in the lower levels of a local brothel. Nothing improper happened. We had no supplies at the time, and no funding. The ladies were very kind and well compensated by the Merchant while the more enterprising of us sought ways to procure funding to leave the citadel.
[ He wishes his brother would move out of the cave at the moment, especially with Hua Cheng's dominion spreading over the bathhouse apartment to (mostly) keep out other ghosts and provide a semi-peaceful residence, but he knows why Wangji won't. ]
Many people have come forward as his close friends, some are more credible than others.
[ Jiang Cheng has been helpfully weeding them out for Xichen. ]
I am relieved he always has Master Wei to count on.
He has quite a few! People have come to know him, and he to know others.
( it's silly, but he feels... proud? happy. getting to see that, and the circle of lan zhan's heart friends growing. )
There's no one else I'd rather stand with.
( even when he's suffering insecurities and poor decision makings and long silences. because the right edges are never the sum totals of either man, and they've both grown, adapted, changed. beneficially, and perhaps not. )
[ He has no idea whether Wangji has admitted his crush on Wei Wuxian, whether it needs to be pointed out (again, somewhat, with less alcohol this time), or whether Xichen is seeing things, but he resolves not to meddle there and out his brother if so. ]
You standing with him throughout the test of time and adversary is unsurprising to me, though it is good to hear from the source.
[ It doesn't take long to make his way there, stopping only to buy the boys some fresh fruit because he doesn't trust them to be eating enough and has the excuse of feeding the rabbits. At the cave entrance where he pauses while holding the basket of fruit, he clears his throat and peeks in. ]
( From further inside the surprisingly well lit cave interior, natural light slipping down through cracks and crannies in the stone overhead. It smells like fresh sawed wood as he sweeps forward, two well fed rabbits of white with black-brown spots dusting their heads and backs holding their ears back as he cradles both enthusiastically to his chest. There may, in fact, be some sawdust on his shoulders. Robes. His clothing. )
Here's the both of them! I've had them inside eating fresh sweet grasses, there's a great trade with the, ah, local gardens... ahahaha, anyway, come in, come in!
( The rabbits try to sink out of his hold. Then squirm. Next step will be kicks, because they want to be Mobile, Thank You. )
[ That ... all seems about en par for Wei Wuxian. Xichen slides the basket to an elbow with one of his voluminous sleeves (outer one purple, since he is still waiting for his own to be returned) and offers to take one of the rabbits off Wei Wuxian. ]
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un: average sighren, audio
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( he laughs, the slightly awkward way of someone taking a moment to assess after being caught by surprise. it loses the awkwardness within heartbeats, wei wuxian adjusting as he replies. )
Hahaha, this is fine! I'm handling some research and some building, nothing that needs all my attention. How have you been?
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[ Brusquely and politely getting back to the point. ]
If there is anything you would like to share, I am here to listen. I don't believe I have made that clear in the past.
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( there's very little chance offhand he'll take him up on it, he suspects. then again, he himself has only over the last few years been really working to share with lan zhan. )
Was there... anything you wanted to say?
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[ Of ... whatever they have going on. ]
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( it's gently said: he's dealing with a husband who has come undone with family, the long and deep feeling kind, finally here. it's a very different relationship. as an older brother in heart if not in factual reality, protectiveness is more easy to understand, but when he thinks of how he'd handle his shijie... in that, he can better understand lan zhan. )
He's had a long time in adjusting. He doesn't wish to disappoint, from what I can tell.
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You have been constantly at his side, then, these past few years?
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Mm, since we found each other in the salt mines in Sa-Hareth. We found Sizhui not long after. That was... over two years ago now, ah? Something of the kind.
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[ It's a regular, normal question. ]
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( a grumbled, normal answer. )
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( he chuckles, because that's just one absurdity in their collective lives. )
Our group at the time was smaller and in hiding, with refuge granted in the lower levels of a local brothel. Nothing improper happened. We had no supplies at the time, and no funding. The ladies were very kind and well compensated by the Merchant while the more enterprising of us sought ways to procure funding to leave the citadel.
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[ That all sounds ... on paper, above board. A brothel, though.
Yikes.]And Wangji was alright?
[ Being in the same building, let alone on a different floor, would make either of the brothers uneasy. ]
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( with an upbeat: )
He found it easier when we moved to the old, snowed in farmhouse beyond the citadel's limits.
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[ He wishes his brother would move out of the cave at the moment, especially with Hua Cheng's dominion spreading over the bathhouse apartment to (mostly) keep out other ghosts and provide a semi-peaceful residence, but he knows why Wangji won't. ]
Many people have come forward as his close friends, some are more credible than others.
[ Jiang Cheng has been helpfully weeding them out for Xichen. ]
I am relieved he always has Master Wei to count on.
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( it's silly, but he feels... proud? happy. getting to see that, and the circle of lan zhan's heart friends growing. )
There's no one else I'd rather stand with.
( even when he's suffering insecurities and poor decision makings and long silences. because the right edges are never the sum totals of either man, and they've both grown, adapted, changed. beneficially, and perhaps not. )
Have you spent time with the rabbits?
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You standing with him throughout the test of time and adversary is unsurprising to me, though it is good to hear from the source.
[ Also, what. Rabbits? ]
Those back home?
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Still, hold up. He grins, then laughs, delighted. )
No, no, these are black spotted little fellows we rescued months ago and have been tending since, do you want to meet them?
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[ More little members of the Lan clan. ]
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( don't ask him what they're called, he'll just say it's after foods they eat. )
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[ It doesn't take long to make his way there, stopping only to buy the boys some fresh fruit because he doesn't trust them to be eating enough and has the excuse of feeding the rabbits. At the cave entrance where he pauses while holding the basket of fruit, he clears his throat and peeks in. ]
Wei Wuxian?
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( From further inside the surprisingly well lit cave interior, natural light slipping down through cracks and crannies in the stone overhead. It smells like fresh sawed wood as he sweeps forward, two well fed rabbits of white with black-brown spots dusting their heads and backs holding their ears back as he cradles both enthusiastically to his chest. There may, in fact, be some sawdust on his shoulders. Robes. His clothing. )
Here's the both of them! I've had them inside eating fresh sweet grasses, there's a great trade with the, ah, local gardens... ahahaha, anyway, come in, come in!
( The rabbits try to sink out of his hold. Then squirm. Next step will be kicks, because they want to be Mobile, Thank You. )
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Here, let me help. I also brought fruit.
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