[Sometime in the late evening, there's a knock on the door. He can't spend time with him, considering how his Wei Ying is emotionally fragile as of now. It was a neatly folded note, sealed with a drop of red wax and written in elegant calligraphy addressed to him. When he opens it, it reads]
Thank you for the help. I'm in debt to you. Wei Ying has return. However, he is covered in gold.
[He leaves it at that. Short, but said much. He left to attend to his fiance.]
[He doesn't find it right away, not until the next morning, but he recognizes the tidy writing. The message is a little cryptic, though that seems Lan Zhan's usual brand of blunt and straightforward. If he's taken the time to write things out, and affix a seal, things must at least, be somewhat all right. Thankfully, his soul-twin has returned. But...
Covered in gold? Surely Lan Zhan didn't mean he'd come back dressed up like he'd been outfitted by the Jin clan. The only gold he'd seen much of here was... he'd seen that strange molten metal, attached to Lan Xichen's arm, and that was cause enough to worry. Maybe Lan Zhan wasn't comfortable talking over text, but... he should still follow up.]
Lan Zhan? Debt, don't be silly, there's no debts between us. I'm glad he's come back. He's gold, though? Is he okay? I'm here if you need me. Stay safe, okay?
[Lan Zhan wasn't sure if their empathy devices is rigged so that anyone who is working for the Queen can tune into the communication line and keep track of their messages, hence why he resorts to the old fashion way of messages and that's writing notes. He's usually not a paranoid man, but now he can't take risks. Reading his message, just like that, he felt something inside of him opens up and Wei Ying as always has the key]
He is okay and he is safe.
[He's going to wait for his Wei Ying to rest and take a nap from the sheer exhaustion of everything, so he can disentangle from him temporarily to run for errands.]
[It's a relief to know his soul-twin is safe, but he's also seen the devastation his absence caused for Lan Zhan. He'd never hurt Lan Zhan on purpose, and he wants to believe the same is true of his soul-twin, but it doesn't change how he's suffered.]
Good. And you, Lan Zhan?
[Meeting up in person is still something that makes him nervous, but a public place isn't the same as the privacy of their rooms. There's no reason to believe it's anything but a meeting between friends.]
Right now. Meet up with me in the dining for tea and cake, at least.
I'll wait.
It's going to be a short meeting. Part of it, he just wants to make sure the other Wei Wuxian is all right, safe and sound for his peace of mind. His fear and anxiety has been on high, but with his Wei Ying returned, it was lowered somewhat.
It took him half an hour to reach the dining room, and wait at one of the tables for Wei Wuxian to join him.
Tea and cake doesn't seem too urgent, he tries to tell himself that things must be okay as he hurries down, dressing messily. It's rare for Lan Zhan to go out of his way to ask him to talk, and it's hard to guess if it bodes well, or if there are more terrible things they've learned in his soul-twin's absence.
When he spots Lan Zhan in the dining room, he waves and heads for the table, taking a seat.
"Lan Zhan?" he asks carefully. The last time he'd seen the man, he was distraught, consumed with fear and worry over his Wei Wuxian.
Hearing him speaking his name, he looks up, sees him sliding into his seat, and he sighs in relief. His expression remains remain stoic, but there's a collected soberness, deep and grave.
"You're all right." He relaxes the tension in his body somewhat as Wei Ying's presence graced him. Once he sat down and becomes comfortable.
"I want to tell you...that your soul-twin, he's been found. I found him in his room."
It's good to see that Lan Zhan seems... better might not be the right word, but it's definitely an improvement from the last time they spoke. He has the good grace not to ask why Lan Zhan would think he wouldn't be all right, figuring he's probably been through enough over the last few days.
"I'm fine," he assures, settling more comfortably into his chair.
If Lan Zhan had found his soul-twin in his room, and mentioned gold, it sounded suspiciously like what'd happened to Lan Xichen, but that had been a thin band of gold around his arm, not covered in it.
"Mm, you mentioned that in your note. I'm glad he's back. Did... he say what happened?"
Lan Wangji speaks in their language, hopefully not a single wonderlander native will figure out what they said once the empathy device is turned off. He spoke evenly, keeping himself calm from the emotions of pain, hurt, and anger, and trying to be objective, but part of Lan Wangji is furious as to what happened.
"He was murdered by twins. They called themselves Doctor Dee and Dum. I don't know what happened to him other than Wei Ying described them as they have the ability to change a room, and that we're on their list, and that they transported Wei Ying to Yiling where he was killed and torn apart by a pack of dogs. And that he described that's how he died there. In that room where the key access code has taken him."
If there's one thing he's come to appreciate, it's Lan Wangji's straightforward manner, but sometimes the information is far too much and far too overwhelming. He has to pick it apart in pieces, slowly digest it so he doesn't go numb. He's only relieved he's already sitting down.
Lan Zhan has said that the other Wei Wuxian is alright. Now, at least. But hearing about the traumatic death and revival of his soul-twin is enough to make him pale, stomach gone queasy. Torn apart by dogs in Yiling? If there's a worse way to die, he can't think of it. Just imagining the terror and pain he must've gone through leaves him with a cold shiver.
There's a few moments of silence as he picks it all apart; that's why he was gone for so long, why he's covered in that gold, to mend his injuries, but they can fix even death? He'd been sure, as soon as he learned they were being used here for their emotions, that even if they pushed back, they might be disciplined, but he hadn't thought death was an option. They'd been so careful to fix Zewu Jun after his injury, but if they have power over even death?
"Lan Zhan," he finds himself instinctively hugging his arms, feeling a cold that isn't there, "I'm sorry, that's..."
What else could he say? He knows he should be asking questions, finding out more information, gleaning what they could, despite the unfortunate experience, but right now? He just feels lost.
For a few moments, Lan Wangji balls his hands in fists, wanting to find those two and exact revenge. Going completely against his own peaceful, righteous nature to pursue violence.
But what's done is done. He lets the anger off his chest, "Trust no one. They fooled him, and toyed with him." He said, and in a huge sigh, he lets go of his anger. Once he sees the Wei Wuxian before him is very terrified and frightened.
Seeing Wei Wuxian hugging himself instinctively in fear and terror at the mention of dogs, "Wei Ying, I'll protect you too. The both of you. I won't let anyone harm like what they did to him."
The waitress arrives asking them for their order, in which he turns empathy on, "Oh, tea please, and a chocolate cake to go with it." In which the smiling waitress turns to Wei Wuxian to take his order.
Not only had they killed his soul-twin, and revived him once more, but they'd killed him in such a... personally malicious way. Just as they knew their memories all well enough to recreate their rooms here, they must know their fears too. How else could they know one of the most horrifying ways he could think of to die?
His eyes flick to Lan Zhan's, seeing the anger there for a moment, before his face becomes the cool, still pond he's used to. Trust no one. It's directed at him, and his penchant for getting himself into difficult situations with even more difficult people. His promise of protection... it's not that it's meaningless, he knows Lan Wangji means it, but it's also too hard to predict what this place will throw at them next. They're little more than livestock to their captors.
The waitress is enough to shake him out of his thoughts, and he folds his hands in his lap, "oh- just... just water. Unless you have anything stronger. In which case, I would very much like something stronger."
Not that there ever seems to be a shortage of alcohol here. He waits for her to leave, collecting his thoughts, and once she's out of earshot, he turns back toward Lan Wangji.
"You said... they have a list? Are they going after the rest of us too?" he had to think, but there were so many conditions and worries and they knew all their weaknesses- they could even be taking the Lan Zhan from his world as they sat here.
Lan Wangji until the waitress took their order and was out of an earshot. He sighs heavily, his hands on his laps, fiddling nervously to collect his thoughts. He knew his promise isn't unrealistic considering how very unpredictable the hotel can be, mostly from the traps and the whims of the Queen's people.
"There is a list. Wei Ying said we're on it. He wasn't sure what it means. He can't remember the name other than ours. So I don't know how much he remembers." That's a worrisome thing, since this place seem to be reading their memories and thoughts, and using it against them for what purpose and intent, he cannot fathom.
For now, he is glad to properly warn this Wei Wuxian at least if he is on the list and what could that be mean.
They'd been warned, and they'd still broken the rules. On multiple occasions now, and sometimes they'd faced consequences, sometimes not. It was hard to say which offenses would earn them the ire of their captors and which they would let slip by, but clearly their efforts had been noticed, if they were on some list. March had outlined the rules clearly, said he would show up personally if they were broken, and at least in his case, March had done just that. Though he'd only seemed to assist Wei Wuxian with getting away with his espionage, not stopped him.
Who were these doctors? The Walrus and Carpenter that he'd run into before had both seemed to know enough of their world's healing arts to reattach Zewu Jun's arm, but they weren't twins. And the names werent' on the list he'd found in the queen's council room. Not the nameless suits that appeared when there was trouble, but somewhere, perhaps, above that. Who did they report to? Who gave them the list? Just what were they doing with the names on it? Would they all be chased down when they're alone and vulnerable? Or only if they encroached upon places they didn't belong?
"Mm, we'll have to be on our guard," he nods, though he's not really sure how much more cautious they can be without wrapping one another in pillows and cotton and silks and not leaving their rooms. In any other circumstance, he'd at least be able to acknowledge that they're on the right path. The more severe the retaliation, the more they know they're going in the right direction, so his soul-twin must've been far too close to something important. It's not even the first time Wei Wuxian has lost memories here; all the more reason to start finding better ways to hold onto and disperse their information.
"Not so long ago, I ran into- into the other me," he looks up at Lan Zhan, across the table, "he was wandering the halls aimlessly, couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Do you think they're singling him out? Messing with his memories because of the things he's seen?"
He can see the confusion on the other's expression, and he felt himself confused also. Despite it seems the Queen wants them to enjoy their stay, her people don't exactly seem to mirror her sentiments toward the oysters. For Lan Wangji, he has to play a part in the Sect's politics, and at times, being deeply embroiled into the conflict to represent the Lan clan. For him, this is a different field altogether, not knowing what kind of conflict they found themselves to unwittingly a part of.
But what is it that Wei Ying knows that makes him a target and a source of political danger? At this point, there's no going back, and Lan Wangji is ever on guard.
"I think so. Why else they want to kill him? As for that, he was reckless and at one time, I found him intoxicated from the night-club. The source is the alcohol and the drugs found in the drinks." Which he is looking at Wei Wuxian squarely in the eye, knowing he can hold his drink in large quantities.
His soul-twin has been here longer, and honestly, he's no idea just how many places and people he's run into. When March warned him about the White King, Lan Zhan was quick to mention that he and the other Wei Wuxian had already spoken with him. He'd witnessed his other self using Inquiry to speak with the spirits here, and his soul-twin had even mentioned that he'd been caught before too, imprisoned while March waited, just out of sight.
He had his own list of indiscretions, rules he'd broken, and secrets he'd hidden away, but the staff here had rarely come after him. And even when he'd used the code to explore, March had actually showed up to help, not hinder, not chase him down, and certainly not thrown him to a pack of wild dogs. Was it just bad luck? Was he being singled out?
He catches the stare from Lan Wangji, unsure what to make of it. It's not as if Lan Zhan hasn't caught him in the night-club, in much the same condition.
"Ah... in his defense, the drinks there were far stronger than anything from home. And don't they want us to enjoy the drinks here?"
Meanwhile, the waitress returns with their order and that's when he fell silent. She placed the drinks and cakes on the table, and Lan Wangji waited until she's out of the earshot. "Thank you." He said. He sighs, seeing his teacup and cakes being laid out before him.
Turning back to Wei Ying, "Wei Ying. I mean it. Be careful what you're given and take care not to eat and drink anything. You should ask what it does and do, and not just eat and drink recklessly out of someone's hand." At least, any hands that isn't his or his soultwin's.
The waitress sets a highball glass in front of him with something that smells reasonably strong, as well as a water glass, which he pointedly ignores for the time being. He understands what Lan Zhan wants to say, but he can't help feeling argumentative. It's not like his soul-twin was caught because of what he was drinking, was he?
"The teas tend to be trouble far more often than the liquor," he points out, gesturing to what Lan Zhan is drinking before he starts downing his own glass.
"Why? Was he- the other Wei Wuxian, was he drunk when they went after him?" he's not sure why the sudden lecture, but aside from frustration when Wei Wuxian was drinking alone, he didn't think it bothered Lan Wangji all that much.
He only nods and releases a sigh, not in the mood to scold him. Seeing the drink Wei Ying orders for himself, he frowns, trying his best not to loose his temper and snatch it, just to throw into the sink, as he had to his partner.
He feels despondent at the question, that he picks at his cake with a fork, trying to find the will to eat. It did bothered him.
"He did. It was a strong mix. It took him a long time to detox until he felt like himself. Too much of that can make you ill."
Despite how similar the Lan Zhan from his world is to this Lan Zhan, the differences make it difficult sometimes as well. The little tells he knows from Lan Zhan's face don't always translate, and reading one or the other can be hard with that alone. If he had to guess, this Lan Wangji seems... both irritated and rather down, and he really hasn't mean to contribute to either of those feelings.
If his soul-twin had been intoxicated when he was caught, he supposes Lan Zhan has fair reason to worry. The drinks here could be strong, a lot stronger than the stuff back home, but he was pretty sure he knew his limits. He'd only drunk beyond them the one time at that nightclub! Okay, and maybe that other time when he and his soul-twin had tried to drink one-another under the table. Still, only a couple times in as many months that they'd been here wasn't so bad.
"So, you're worried I'll make the same mistake?" he presses, setting down his glass, his fingers idly tracing the condensation.
"That's easy enough. I can just make sure to only drink with friends. Or with Lan Zhan. Or back in my room even," he didn't particularly like such rules, but drinking was more fun around friends anyway. Wei Wuxian might have his vices, but even he understood the difference between having sneaky drunken parties at Cloud Recesses and letting his guard down around an enemy.
"I am. I am worried that you will, that you let your guard down. One of you is more than I could handle. So promise me that you'll be careful. He died the first time back home. He died the second time here. I don't know if I can take him back home in one piece." He sighs, distraught as he carries the weight of his guilt in his chest. He managed to eat a little bit of his cake and tea in bite-size, which he felt like he hasn't eaten in a long time and trying to chew and sip, but his thoughts are distracting.
"Wei Ying, don't be reckless." He means that, voice heavy with solemn weight.
"I'm careful..." he replies softly, though it's mostly mumbled and muffled against his glass as he glances aside. Unlike the Lans, Wei Wuxian is under no obligation not to lie, not that he thinks he's been all that reckless, despite lectures from both Lan Wangji and Dabo. And Shepard.
He takes a long pull from his cup, affording him a moment to gather himself. This Lan Wangji has more experience returning to their home world and coming back again than the rest, and even he is worried that whatever magic brought his Wei Wuxian back might not enough to keep him that way when they return.
Still, what can he do? He can't even say he wouldn't have made the exact same decisions, and the exact same mistakes, if he'd been in his soul-twin's position.
"I can promise to try, Lan Zhan," he concedes, "and I have been more careful than when I arrived! But I can't change who I am. And I can't let other people take risks for me."
Somehow, he really wanted to believe him on that, about being careful. He couldn't bear losing him too, to something so senseless as being murdered by a resident and native of this world who may hide a hidden grudge against him. If they do, he's prepared to defend him by his side at all cost.
Even with his reassuring words, he still worries. What if he's gone and he never sees him again? He wouldn't be able to bear it and stand it.
He nods in agreement with that. "Mn." He manages to finish eating the rest of his cake and then washes it down with his tea.
It seems to be enough, Lan Zhan isn't pushing the point any further, and at least he's able to finish his dessert and tea. Wei Wuxian has been nursing his glass, but he kicks back the last of it, enjoying the warmth as the alcohol burns the back of his throat.
He's tempted to reach across the table, to squeeze Lan Zhan's hand, anything to reassure him, but he's not entirely sure where he stands anymore, or if he's overstepping, now that this Lan Zhan's Wei Wuxian has come back.
"And what about Lan Zhan?" he tries. Lan Zhan might not be the sort to spill the deepest feelings in his heart, but Wei Wuxian isn't sure he can stand to think of him looking so heartbroken and despairing as he was before his Wei Wuxian had returned.
He isn't over-stepping at all. He would have squeezed his hand back if he tried, but one month from now, he'll be a married man. Even now, he is always grateful for his help and support and his friendship, that his heart always has a place for him. However after marriage, the dynamic may change quite a lot, and he has to restrain himself due to his duties. He nurses his cup of tea and searching inside of his heart to spill his honest emotions.
"I'll be fine. I'm getting better. I'll be only okay when you and my Wei Ying are okay. If anything happens to one of you, the both of you, then I don't know what I'll do. I am so fond of you both. I want you both to be safe and happy, and not worrying."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Note slipped under the door
Thank you for the help. I'm in debt to you.
Wei Ying has return. However, he is covered in gold.
[He leaves it at that. Short, but said much. He left to attend to his fiance.]
[text]
Covered in gold? Surely Lan Zhan didn't mean he'd come back dressed up like he'd been outfitted by the Jin clan. The only gold he'd seen much of here was... he'd seen that strange molten metal, attached to Lan Xichen's arm, and that was cause enough to worry. Maybe Lan Zhan wasn't comfortable talking over text, but... he should still follow up.]
Lan Zhan? Debt, don't be silly, there's no debts between us.
I'm glad he's come back. He's gold, though? Is he okay?
I'm here if you need me. Stay safe, okay?
no subject
He is okay and he is safe.
[He's going to wait for his Wei Ying to rest and take a nap from the sheer exhaustion of everything, so he can disentangle from him temporarily to run for errands.]
Can you meet up with me in the dining room?
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Good. And you, Lan Zhan?
[Meeting up in person is still something that makes him nervous, but a public place isn't the same as the privacy of their rooms. There's no reason to believe it's anything but a meeting between friends.]
I can. How soon?
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I'll wait.
It's going to be a short meeting. Part of it, he just wants to make sure the other Wei Wuxian is all right, safe and sound for his peace of mind. His fear and anxiety has been on high, but with his Wei Ying returned, it was lowered somewhat.
It took him half an hour to reach the dining room, and wait at one of the tables for Wei Wuxian to join him.
[text to action]
Tea and cake doesn't seem too urgent, he tries to tell himself that things must be okay as he hurries down, dressing messily. It's rare for Lan Zhan to go out of his way to ask him to talk, and it's hard to guess if it bodes well, or if there are more terrible things they've learned in his soul-twin's absence.
When he spots Lan Zhan in the dining room, he waves and heads for the table, taking a seat.
"Lan Zhan?" he asks carefully. The last time he'd seen the man, he was distraught, consumed with fear and worry over his Wei Wuxian.
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"You're all right." He relaxes the tension in his body somewhat as Wei Ying's presence graced him. Once he sat down and becomes comfortable.
"I want to tell you...that your soul-twin, he's been found. I found him in his room."
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"I'm fine," he assures, settling more comfortably into his chair.
If Lan Zhan had found his soul-twin in his room, and mentioned gold, it sounded suspiciously like what'd happened to Lan Xichen, but that had been a thin band of gold around his arm, not covered in it.
"Mm, you mentioned that in your note. I'm glad he's back. Did... he say what happened?"
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"He was murdered by twins. They called themselves Doctor Dee and Dum. I don't know what happened to him other than Wei Ying described them as they have the ability to change a room, and that we're on their list, and that they transported Wei Ying to Yiling where he was killed and torn apart by a pack of dogs. And that he described that's how he died there. In that room where the key access code has taken him."
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Lan Zhan has said that the other Wei Wuxian is alright. Now, at least. But hearing about the traumatic death and revival of his soul-twin is enough to make him pale, stomach gone queasy. Torn apart by dogs in Yiling? If there's a worse way to die, he can't think of it. Just imagining the terror and pain he must've gone through leaves him with a cold shiver.
There's a few moments of silence as he picks it all apart; that's why he was gone for so long, why he's covered in that gold, to mend his injuries, but they can fix even death? He'd been sure, as soon as he learned they were being used here for their emotions, that even if they pushed back, they might be disciplined, but he hadn't thought death was an option. They'd been so careful to fix Zewu Jun after his injury, but if they have power over even death?
"Lan Zhan," he finds himself instinctively hugging his arms, feeling a cold that isn't there, "I'm sorry, that's..."
What else could he say? He knows he should be asking questions, finding out more information, gleaning what they could, despite the unfortunate experience, but right now? He just feels lost.
no subject
But what's done is done. He lets the anger off his chest, "Trust no one. They fooled him, and toyed with him." He said, and in a huge sigh, he lets go of his anger. Once he sees the Wei Wuxian before him is very terrified and frightened.
Seeing Wei Wuxian hugging himself instinctively in fear and terror at the mention of dogs, "Wei Ying, I'll protect you too. The both of you. I won't let anyone harm like what they did to him."
The waitress arrives asking them for their order, in which he turns empathy on, "Oh, tea please, and a chocolate cake to go with it." In which the smiling waitress turns to Wei Wuxian to take his order.
no subject
His eyes flick to Lan Zhan's, seeing the anger there for a moment, before his face becomes the cool, still pond he's used to. Trust no one. It's directed at him, and his penchant for getting himself into difficult situations with even more difficult people. His promise of protection... it's not that it's meaningless, he knows Lan Wangji means it, but it's also too hard to predict what this place will throw at them next. They're little more than livestock to their captors.
The waitress is enough to shake him out of his thoughts, and he folds his hands in his lap, "oh- just... just water. Unless you have anything stronger. In which case, I would very much like something stronger."
Not that there ever seems to be a shortage of alcohol here. He waits for her to leave, collecting his thoughts, and once she's out of earshot, he turns back toward Lan Wangji.
"You said... they have a list? Are they going after the rest of us too?" he had to think, but there were so many conditions and worries and they knew all their weaknesses- they could even be taking the Lan Zhan from his world as they sat here.
no subject
"There is a list. Wei Ying said we're on it. He wasn't sure what it means. He can't remember the name other than ours. So I don't know how much he remembers." That's a worrisome thing, since this place seem to be reading their memories and thoughts, and using it against them for what purpose and intent, he cannot fathom.
For now, he is glad to properly warn this Wei Wuxian at least if he is on the list and what could that be mean.
no subject
Who were these doctors? The Walrus and Carpenter that he'd run into before had both seemed to know enough of their world's healing arts to reattach Zewu Jun's arm, but they weren't twins. And the names werent' on the list he'd found in the queen's council room. Not the nameless suits that appeared when there was trouble, but somewhere, perhaps, above that. Who did they report to? Who gave them the list? Just what were they doing with the names on it? Would they all be chased down when they're alone and vulnerable? Or only if they encroached upon places they didn't belong?
"Mm, we'll have to be on our guard," he nods, though he's not really sure how much more cautious they can be without wrapping one another in pillows and cotton and silks and not leaving their rooms. In any other circumstance, he'd at least be able to acknowledge that they're on the right path. The more severe the retaliation, the more they know they're going in the right direction, so his soul-twin must've been far too close to something important. It's not even the first time Wei Wuxian has lost memories here; all the more reason to start finding better ways to hold onto and disperse their information.
"Not so long ago, I ran into- into the other me," he looks up at Lan Zhan, across the table, "he was wandering the halls aimlessly, couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Do you think they're singling him out? Messing with his memories because of the things he's seen?"
no subject
But what is it that Wei Ying knows that makes him a target and a source of political danger? At this point, there's no going back, and Lan Wangji is ever on guard.
"I think so. Why else they want to kill him? As for that, he was reckless and at one time, I found him intoxicated from the night-club. The source is the alcohol and the drugs found in the drinks." Which he is looking at Wei Wuxian squarely in the eye, knowing he can hold his drink in large quantities.
no subject
He had his own list of indiscretions, rules he'd broken, and secrets he'd hidden away, but the staff here had rarely come after him. And even when he'd used the code to explore, March had actually showed up to help, not hinder, not chase him down, and certainly not thrown him to a pack of wild dogs. Was it just bad luck? Was he being singled out?
He catches the stare from Lan Wangji, unsure what to make of it. It's not as if Lan Zhan hasn't caught him in the night-club, in much the same condition.
"Ah... in his defense, the drinks there were far stronger than anything from home. And don't they want us to enjoy the drinks here?"
no subject
Turning back to Wei Ying, "Wei Ying. I mean it. Be careful what you're given and take care not to eat and drink anything. You should ask what it does and do, and not just eat and drink recklessly out of someone's hand." At least, any hands that isn't his or his soultwin's.
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"The teas tend to be trouble far more often than the liquor," he points out, gesturing to what Lan Zhan is drinking before he starts downing his own glass.
"Why? Was he- the other Wei Wuxian, was he drunk when they went after him?" he's not sure why the sudden lecture, but aside from frustration when Wei Wuxian was drinking alone, he didn't think it bothered Lan Wangji all that much.
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He feels despondent at the question, that he picks at his cake with a fork, trying to find the will to eat. It did bothered him.
"He did. It was a strong mix. It took him a long time to detox until he felt like himself. Too much of that can make you ill."
no subject
If his soul-twin had been intoxicated when he was caught, he supposes Lan Zhan has fair reason to worry. The drinks here could be strong, a lot stronger than the stuff back home, but he was pretty sure he knew his limits. He'd only drunk beyond them the one time at that nightclub! Okay, and maybe that other time when he and his soul-twin had tried to drink one-another under the table. Still, only a couple times in as many months that they'd been here wasn't so bad.
"So, you're worried I'll make the same mistake?" he presses, setting down his glass, his fingers idly tracing the condensation.
"That's easy enough. I can just make sure to only drink with friends. Or with Lan Zhan. Or back in my room even," he didn't particularly like such rules, but drinking was more fun around friends anyway. Wei Wuxian might have his vices, but even he understood the difference between having sneaky drunken parties at Cloud Recesses and letting his guard down around an enemy.
no subject
"Wei Ying, don't be reckless." He means that, voice heavy with solemn weight.
no subject
He takes a long pull from his cup, affording him a moment to gather himself. This Lan Wangji has more experience returning to their home world and coming back again than the rest, and even he is worried that whatever magic brought his Wei Wuxian back might not enough to keep him that way when they return.
Still, what can he do? He can't even say he wouldn't have made the exact same decisions, and the exact same mistakes, if he'd been in his soul-twin's position.
"I can promise to try, Lan Zhan," he concedes, "and I have been more careful than when I arrived! But I can't change who I am. And I can't let other people take risks for me."
no subject
Even with his reassuring words, he still worries. What if he's gone and he never sees him again? He wouldn't be able to bear it and stand it.
He nods in agreement with that. "Mn." He manages to finish eating the rest of his cake and then washes it down with his tea.
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He's tempted to reach across the table, to squeeze Lan Zhan's hand, anything to reassure him, but he's not entirely sure where he stands anymore, or if he's overstepping, now that this Lan Zhan's Wei Wuxian has come back.
"And what about Lan Zhan?" he tries. Lan Zhan might not be the sort to spill the deepest feelings in his heart, but Wei Wuxian isn't sure he can stand to think of him looking so heartbroken and despairing as he was before his Wei Wuxian had returned.
"Are you... going to be okay?"
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"I'll be fine. I'm getting better. I'll be only okay when you and my Wei Ying are okay. If anything happens to one of you, the both of you, then I don't know what I'll do. I am so fond of you both. I want you both to be safe and happy, and not worrying."
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