Arrival... reunion... things?

[alittlespicy]

Who: Lan Wangji and open
Where: Around Gazin, possibly around Bhalris's shop for a time specifically.
When: November 1, evening before the storm, and onwards
What: Lan Wangji arrives, is silently confused, possibly acquires a language understanding. Probably gets found by his husband, a day late for said husband's birthday. Things like that.
Warnings: Possible references to canon-specific violence, gore, other issues (suicide, suicidal ideation). Spoilers for the series. All these are possible but not certain. I'll add if anything else comes up.

I. Arrival

The man is tall and very beautiful, clad in flowing white, cloud-patterned robes, with a white-handled sword at his side and a wihte-wrapped board-looking object on his back. And a white ribbon across his forehead, threaded in his long, dark hair. The eyes that look out at the world are pale, like colored glass, and a little wide because everything here is strange, very strange.

He understands not a word spoken to him unless it's in olden Chinese, so if anyone asks him a question, he's most likely to answer with a slight, graceful headshake. He does not understand.

II. Herbs and understanding

Wangj might not understand words, either spoken or written, but he can observe people, and he has some sensitivity to the flow of energy.

And, also, a sensitive enough nose. Herbs tend to require some knowledge, and he thinks that, perhaps, some information could be exchanged? Possibly?

He goes in, browsing the wares. Some herbs he knows, some he doesn't.

... hopefully, he will leave the place with knowledge of English.

III. Inn.

Wangji was going to be more likely to try to sleep under the stars, but the sudden storm is too strong, and while his cultivation is more than enough that he wouldn't be really troubled by it, this is a strange place and he knows not what else the harsh weather might bring. So, with his newly acquired understanding, he finds his way to the inn, sitting quietly at a table to the side, having only asked for tea.

Herbal tea, it turns out.

Well, he can drink that.

IV. Investigation / runes (Time)

Wangji does not wait long after the long storm ends to go investigating. He's trod the town on foot, so he starts with that, but he will wind up in the forest, contemplating the glow, too.

The rune he sees is the one for time, so once he does sleep, he dreams of his brother trying to tell him something. It makes him wake up with his lips pale. His brother always understood him, and to fail to understand in turn...

V. Wildcard

ooc: Anything else, just tag in, or hit me up at kikibug13, etc.

Comments

[jiangzaid]

Oh he fully expects to be watched. It won't stop him from his new routine in Gazin though. Xue Yang might even be a little offended if Lan Wangji wasn't suspicious!

The question doesn't get an immediate answer. He taps a finger against the table as he gives it the attention it deserves, but after a moment he nods, short and sharp.

"Same people. Perhaps different timelines - if we can come here from different worlds, doesn't it make sense we can come from different points in time?"

[alittlespicy]

"Come from different worlds?"

Wanji might have heard a little bit of other arrivals, but other than Wei Ying and now Xue Yang, he hasn't met anyone else who is not local, no. Asking about this, too, not that his source is the most reliable.

[jiangzaid]

The question earns Wangji a mix of incredulous, disgust, and odd fascination. He bites back the barb at the tip of his tongue though, sitting on insults with a breath and picturing his husband's sweet face to remind himself of why he bothers to try and be nice.

Xue Yang huffs that breath back out, eyes rolling a little as he settles on mild exasperation. "Obviously." ...Well he tried...

"I can introduce you to some. But think about it." Try harder, he tells himself. "This isn't our world. We are here. Why can't there be people from others as well?"

[alittlespicy]

Excuse you, he had most of a day before the storm hit, and after that he has not come out of their room much. Where would he learn all the things that Xue Yang expects him to know?

Not that Wangji's expression falters beyond a slight tightening of the lips. "Could be. Shouldn't be, any of us."

Which is correct, but the lack of particular glare makes it a statement of fact, not a jibe at Xue Yang's existence in this place specifically.

"Worlds, places, times. Is there a reason why here?"

[jiangzaid]

This is Hanguang-Jun. He should know everything!

Xue Yang tilts his head, listening at the short comments. Then shrugs as his food and drink are brought over and set down before him. He spares the waitress a quick grin of thanks before refocusing on Wangji.

"You're not wrong. But I refuse to not make the most of it. Daozhang Zichen feels the same way. I think Daozhang Xingchen does too, when he's here."

The fact Xingchen is gone again could be indicated by the fact he...takes a drink of ale with a bitter twist of his lips. But he's holding up with this loss better than before, because Zichen is still here. The one constant.

"If there's a reason beyond us wanting to be somewhere else...I haven't found it. That's how we seem to be brought here - a wish to be anywhere else."

[alittlespicy]

Yes, well, he knows because he reads and thinks, he hasn't quite had time for the first part here. He'll get around to it.

For now, he listens, and considers. He is still extremely suspicious of Xue Yang's motives, but the implications of what he is saying do not go unnoticed.

Instead of poking at the obvious vulnerability - yet - he offers a guess.

"If we come when we wish to be away, do we go when we wish to be here?" Most people, he knows, normally have at least some desire to be somewhere else. Even if that is in the next room. Would being content and wishing to be were they are not be the opposite of the wish that brings all of them in this place?

[jiangzaid]

He's used to others being wary and suspicious of him. It won't change how he acts these days though. Zichen has made him an honest man!

And as such, Xue Yang notices Wangji not taking the obvious opening he'd given. Wonders about it, but sets it aside for now.

He gestures vaguely with the handle of his spoon at the question. "Merlan told me she didn't want to leave here. She wished to be away from where she was back home, but didn't wish to be away while here. She's the only one I know who has left only to return with their memories of Gazin. You can go to her forge and talk to her if you want." The fact he works for her now is just extra!

"She's nice."

[alittlespicy]

Despite how savage Wangji can be, he is seldom cruel. Knowing the full story, he knows that losing Xiao Xingchen daozhang would be only causing pointless pain. And there is always plenty of that to go around without him adding to it.

"Mn." Thoughtful, as that is both similar and different as what he meant, but.

"She still left?"

[jiangzaid]

It's a delicate line and he knows it. And from what Wangji has said so far, Xue Yang knows that he's also from his future. Which is just as well. Even better, perhaps, since Wangji hasn't attacked.

And that Wangji knows how losing Xingchen had destroyed him.

He hates that he's grateful for the lack of poking at that particular wound. But sets it aside. It's easier these days to set anger aside, to curb his sharp tongue and sharper weapon.

He nods, swallowing a bite of delicious stew. "She wasn't too happy when she came back, but at least her horse was happy to see her." Even with him dropping by to play with Thunder every so often and make sure he had food and water.

"You should try the food here, if you haven't already. It's good."

[alittlespicy]

... "She was not happy, though she wanted to not leave?" He is losing some of the story here.

As for the food - he has been eating it, he arrived right ahead of the storm and so has been mostly stuck here. He knows the food.

So he nods a little, not willing to offend the people putting the effort in preparing him by saying it's a little too spicy for his taste - he knows it's his taste that is the exception, not their mastery. And Wei Ying also likes it.

[jiangzaid]

There he goes, getting ahead of himself. Hm. So he takes another bite and sits on his impatience to get this odd meal over with and get back to his Daozhangs.

He swallows, takes a sip of ale, then tries again.

"She was not happy to find she'd left. When she was back in her world, she did not remember Gazin or her time here. Only when she came back did she remember."

[alittlespicy]

Put this way, Wangji can see the sequence of events, and he nods carefully.

"No control over leaving aside, not remembering when returned is probably better. Being away with no means to come here would only make everything worse."

People wish they are somewhere else many times a day, after all. But they don't all come here.

[jiangzaid]

Xue Yang nods to confirm, and agree.

"I hope to be different," he admits quietly, warily. "Because if I remember my time here, I will not make the same mistakes as before. I know I don't deserve it. But I would try."