text | un: wangxian

[taciturnly]

Name: Lan Wangji
Date: 10/03
Format: text

( and a wild lan wangji appears. textually, anyway. it’s a rare sight around here, a quiet presence, easily missed, but he grieves, and nie mingjue deserves to be remembered. )

Chifeng-zun, now departed. His life abridged yet again, and ours forever changed.

His name, Nie Mingjue. Never to be forgotten.

May he rest peacefully.

---

If you have left Aefenglom and returned, have your memories perdured?

Who among you has died before, and returned home alive?

Comments

[taciturnly]

( lan wangji fought his own brother over your death, jin zixuan, among many others, and stood for all of those who will never have a voice again, let alone justice. he won't forget. ever. )

Indeed. Lives robbed too early. Unfairly. Cruelly.

You have been made aware. ( it's more of a statement than a question at this point, knowing what must have ensued after he left said disastrous dinner. )

[disasterstraight]

Of some things, yes.

[ His father's death. His wife's. The things deemed most important to know right away. The rest still remains unknown to him. ]

There is still much for me to learn, though I will at least attempt to have patience in doing so.

[taciturnly]

( still? enough time wasted. )

Jin Zixuan. You are owed.

Ask your questions.

>>private

[disasterstraight]

Not yet.

[ Not out in the open, where everyone can see. Just... give him a minute. He knows how to make these things private. Or as private as any long distance communication can be. He just has to... find the settings menu again...

There it is. He locks the communication away from prying eyes. ]

Now. We are alone.

How did Chifeng-zun die? And when?

[taciturnly]

( alone. an impossible possibility here, virtually together, yet separate. someone please teach lan wangji these intricate things.

...and straight to the point then. good. no punches pulled. )

Qi deviation, time unknown. A song twisted to drive him to madness.

He was not granted peaceful rest.

[disasterstraight]

[ "A song, twisted to drive him to madness." ]

Whose song?

[ Why does he feel like he knows the answer? ]

[taciturnly]

( maybe because he does! )

Song of Clarity, altered.

Played by Jin Guangyao.

[disasterstraight]

[ Well. There it is. Exactly as he had suspected. His conversation with A-Yao in the foyer after dinner had been too laden with alarm bells ringing of untruths for Jin Zixuan not to have suspected this answer. ]

Forgive me, Hanguang-jun. I do not know much about music as cultivation.

How possible is it that the alterations could have been a mistake?

[taciturnly]

( welp, if this doesn’t feel like déjà-vu. he doesn’t blame him. nor did he blame lan xichen when he questioned, and chose to trust his sworn brother. but now... )

His crimes, exposed. Jin Guangyao can no longer abscond with his lies.

[disasterstraight]

I know when A-Yao is lying. I cannot explain it. Some consequence of becoming a monster, I suppose. But I can feel it, inside my head. An alarm bell ringing with each new lie.

[ He will have to ask Jin Guangyao about this himself, and listen for that bell. He is beginning to understand now why A-Yao was so quick to want to leave the table that night. ]

[taciturnly]

( becoming a monster… an apt term, at least for jin guangyao. )

Your questions, succinct and to the point. Corner him, if you must. Somewhere he can’t hide behind my brother.

[disasterstraight]

[ The unpleasant realities of living in this world, for Jin Zixuan at least. Lan Wangji is spared such awful disgraces. ]

I'm not sure I like the thought of this as being an attack. The dinner ambush was bad enough.

[taciturnly]

( fair enough, but hey, he did have to get used to mouthfuls of fur every night o/ )

A verbal assault, the end of Jin Guangyao? ( bitch pls. ) His hand did not falter when blood spilled, but if you must spare his sensibilities, perhaps you should ask someone else.

[disasterstraight]

[ No, just a bed full of feathers thad didn't come from a pillow. ]

I believe him when he says he intends to start a new life here.

[ Well... ]

Mostly.

[taciturnly]

( fur for lan wangji, feathers for yanli. what’s next? )

I do not.

[disasterstraight]

[ Woe befall whoever winds up with Jiang Cheng. They will need a waterbed. ]

You have reason to doubt.

[ Period, not question mark. ]

[taciturnly]

( pls don't make lan wangji choke on his tea. )

As do you.

May you find the answers you seek. Many of us, grateful for your presence here.

[disasterstraight]

I am as well. Considering the alternative.

[ Better a life as a bird in a strange world than the cold embrace of death. ]

[taciturnly]

Indeed. Should you require assistance, send word. No hesitation.

[disasterstraight]

Likewise. Hanguang-jun is family now. You will always be welcome in our home.