avalaughs | TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 6

Check out the OOC intro meme for this month to say hi to new players/characters!

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⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️

A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival

KERPLUNK, SPLASH!

Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, but seems to be focusing on coordinating a band of mossatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Mossatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plant life growing on its back. While some are fully green, many sport blooming flowers or fairy circles of mushrooms.

If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the manatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly.

*Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players.

B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones, a pair of earbuds, and animal-themed ponchos and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go.

These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with nip bottles. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service,

avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk. Which given the fact that it's pouring down rain in April? Not ideal. You were only given ponchos, not rain boots.

C ⦿ The Red Spring

The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies.

Unfortunately, due to a bee infestation and massive amounts of rain, the hot springs of the Red Springs are not available this month! Instead, an underground salt cave is offered as a way to relax and unwind. Gather around in the rejuvenating, dimly lit caves and breathe in the relaxing effects of salt crystals. Feel the sand between your toes, or if you don't like sand, try one of the many pools with tiny garra rufa for a fish pedicure. Or, lie down in a recliner and stare up at the "stars"-- magic sparkles in the ceiling that move to spell out single-word concepts you may be experiencing. (Maybe you're relaxed? You might get something like "Chill." Find your relaxation buddy hot? Just be careful to look away before the stars spell "Thirsty" to the whole room.)

The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there.

As it turns out, a mythical land that's been around for a few centuries has a few things in common with many modern worlds. It's got the internet, and games have evolved a little bit past hoop trundling and draughts. April, being the traditional month of mirth and games and lots of rain making it hard to have fun outdoors, is the time for Camelot City Gaming Convention, affectionately shortened to CameCon. Come into the large convention center located in the south part of town, get dry, and check out some of the awesome things to do.

A ⦿ Couchless Co-Op

Fighting games

NASTAR Racing Game

rhythm dance game

Grand Theft Automation

really

B ⦿ Arthurian RP in your Arthurian RP

LARP as their favorite Knight of the Round Table

rock-paper-scissors-magic

dress-up

props that will magically give you sword skills

picnic on the concrete floor

C ⦿ It Figures...

A convention isn't a convention without a little shopping. Come check out what cool games are upcoming in the exhibit hall, buy figurines of your favorite game characters (or.. new ones you've never heard of since this is a new world, but are still cute and/or kick-ass), and most importantly, check out the cool magic you can apply to them. A spell available for purchase in the convention hall that's popular this year is Recipe: Figure Anima, which makes your figures move in place and say popular lines as if they're an actual, miniature version of the character. It's recommended you practice while you're in the convention hall though so figure experts can help if things go.. awry. People have been known to have their own emotions influence the spell, and sometimes toys have started taking on the attitude of the caster. There's nothing quite as tragic as your favorite angelic game character telling you they're gonna kick your ass because you were in a fighting mood. So OOC. Maybe you can find someone who's a little better at magic to fix the problem?

Of course, when the rain breaks through and floods the exhibition room, there's a lot of mass hysteria as people scream and climb up onto tables, trying to protect their merch above all else. Hurry, help someone else up onto your table before their ent dakimakura they just purchased gets wet! Only you can save the gamers from water! ..Or that's what you thought, until a second later the electricity goes out and you're left in a total electricity blackout in the convention hall. It may be a good idea to use some magic to try to light the way and find a way out of the flooded hall...

A ⦿ Keep Your Vines to Yourselves

overgrowth of prehensile, very friendly vines

destructive magic

without

tickle the person the vines have captured

B ⦿ Selfies with Selkies

very, very large flower

Take a trip up to the Archivist

Cereus de Anima

the Silent Shore

shirtless selkie

take a selfie

eventually

a cottage on the other side of the Pure of Heart Bridge

old man that Morganna tried to kill and save in a quest a couple of months ago

C ⦿ The Answer is No

Back in Camelot City, it seems that anyone who's been touched by the vines has been replaced by a doppelganger in their lives. They're just barely off from the original- they have all the memories, but may be slightly more skilled at things they didn't used to be, or may seem to make less ethical choices than they might otherwise. There's just something slightly off. But when people start using AOL to contact their friends and let them know they've been gone.. well, it may seem like the jig is up, or at least in question.

Those who find out they've been replaced may want to return to Camelot quickly to try to reclaim their lives. Doppelgangers will attempt to kill their original if they come into contact with them when they aren't around other people, so you may need to flee for your life if you haven't gotten good enough at magic to defend yourself yet. Around other people, the doppelgangers will do their best to try to prove themselves the real person and since they were made from the original, will have the same memories as the original character so asking questions that "only ___ would know" may not work. Eventually it will come out that the doppelgangers have occasionally wriggling vines instead of spines underneath their clothing, if you're willing to check that to see who's real, but that won't be common knowledge.

What can be found out from the old man at the Pure of Heart bridge if you choose to leave your doppelganger alone is that Cereus de anima doppelgangers can only live for a month without killing their original and absorbing the rest of their essence. However, if the original plant isn't taken care of with a special venom you can only obtain from certain creatures in the Forest of the Fisher King, the problem will just keep happening over and over until the city is overrun and becomes nothing but a breeding ground for the flower and its replicas.

MOD NOTES:
• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post.
• If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities.
• You can have any animal-style poncho you want! They are themed, not made from actual animals. No animals have been harmed in the making of these ponchos!!
• TIMELINE: The resolution to the third prompt will be in April's event! The first two prompt sets will be during the first week of the month. The doppelganger problem and obnoxious traveling and research will be occurring for the second and third weeks of the month.
• People with green magic may be able to fill something off about the doppelgangers, but may not be able to identify what it is right away. Blood mages will be able to feel that their blood feels the same as the original as they are essentially copies. Cognitive people will be able to use their magic normally except for hypnotic suggestion- the doppelgangers are immune to it, so while you may be able to find other ways to out them, hypnotizing people to tell the truth won't work this time. Doppelgangers are made from the essence of the person, so they will be able to access their phones and accounts. Note that the Cereus de Anima and doppelgangers are not fairies and cannot be contracted with. If a Death Mage attempts to possess a doppelganger, it will technically come in contact with the doppelganger's vine and may end up with more than one doppelganger depending on how many times they try it. Siphon magic can be used to destroy a doppelganger easily, however, the essence that was stolen from the original's soul may be destroyed in the process so it is not recommended as the original may start to feel as though they are no longer a whole person.
• If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt.
• The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. Make sure to read the Red Spring section on this month's even if you're normally familiar-- the springs are closed this month, check out the alternate prompts!
• Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is true that the melody carries a heavy weight, that it isn't lively and joyful as it could perhaps be, if it were played by a different instrument, by a different hand. But the weight has been a constant companion to him for years now, when even the name attached to it couldn't be spoken in polite company, when the cultivation world has done its very best to erase any trace of its true memory. When all that's left is this song, the oath he holds his every action to, and a young boy. What better, more comfortable weight to hold him down while he feels so adrift, than the weight of his own heart?

But even his heart should not be able to conjure the sound of that voice saying his name, a sound he knew he would never hear again. His fingers freeze in their positions, unable to move on, and now his heart feels like it's missed a step, two steps, feels like it's falling. No, not falling.

Rising.

For a breathless moment, his eyes refuse to follow suit and he stares unseeing at his guqin, held in place by the hollow fear of what he might not see if he looked up. But then the spell is broken and he raises his gaze and there he is. Like much of their shared past, it seems both impossible and utterly inevitable that they would see each other again. And if he had to go to another world instead of the afterlife for it, that hardly matters.

"Wei Ying?" he breathes, as if afraid he might wake himself from this dream like he has done so many times before.

Edited 2021-04-11 23:32 (UTC)

Lan Zhan looks not unlike he's seen a ghost, in the non-cultivational sense, and that's pretty fair. Truthfully, Wei Wuxian is almost second guessing his impulse to follow the song, all things regarding their last parting considered, but it hadn't even occurred to him as an option at the time, and besides. The world that hesitation belongs to is one he very deliberately left behind. With... extreme prejudice. And what he'd assumed was a certain degree of finality. No, Lan Zhan has every right to be a little stunned and disbelieving, even if it's a struggle not to, to do something, something probably stupid, to deflect the weight of being looked at (however rightfully) like someone returned from the dead.

Lan Zhan...is probably more than stunned, and by more than the sudden appearance of a spectre from his past that he had hopefully forgotten the edges of years ago, come to think of it. This is a cave in another world, and a far cry from the tastefully appointed Cloud Recesses or the familiar chaos of the cultivation world where he belongs. It might even be good that Wei Wuxian is here, who knows? Who else has as much experience relearning cultivation from the ground up, in adverse circumstances? If nothing else, he's familiar. Up til hearing that song, he hadn't realized how much of a difference that could make, and that's just for him, a person who'd already detached from his own world and his place in it. How much worse, for Lan Zhan?

Now determined, Wei Wuxian vows internally to provide whatever grounding he can, since unlike him Lan Zhan can't possibly deserve this. That's hardly enough, but it's a start, and a much firmer commitment than he felt to this place alone. So he nods, with a ghost of that promise, and a closed smile tinged with apology, "I'm here, I really am." Oh this is so inappropriate, he should definitely not laugh about this, it's just that it's really funny and that's definitely why he feels both lighter and over-filled with joy, and also like it will take a superhuman effort not to tear up a little? Well, it's been a long day. "Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are."

Against all reason, speaking his name aloud does not make Wei Ying disappear like a fleeting wish and that deep hollow fear in his heart dissolves in a rush of relief. He is still standing there, solid and real and reassuring him of the same. He looks-- not like Lan Wangji had last seen him, but like he'd always remembered him, whole and smiling.

On the heels of this heady mixture of dread and relief, longing and disbelief, his mind is overcome with a flood of questions - where has he been, how has he returned, what does he remember, does he know he'd been searching for him, does he know he regrets-- But then Wei Ying laughs and all these petty concerns are brushed away. It's no surprise at all to realize that whatever memory he'd done his best to keep of this particular joy was a poor substitute indeed.

His own smile answers him, tinged equally with affection and incredulity still. How foolish of him, to worry about what to do next. Of course, it's time to greet his dearest friend. "Have you been well?"

What, like since being dropped into a body of water in a new world, and absolutely no further back in his own personal history than that? Has he been well since then, which is a matter of hours? Because that is what Wei Wuxian is going to answer, with all the cheerful finality that question deserves, since it is officially unnecessary. The business of being dead is behind him, with the least said about it the better ~~at least until it becomes funny or threatening to reference to someone else~~. "Of course! I always am."

And like a wave back to the sea--or rather, like some kind of invitation has been issued, Wei Wuxian is already helping himself to a seat on the floor, with as much assurance and decorum as if there were actually a table and seats laid out in a banquet hall for them. Which is to say, not very much, but not less. This is fine, right? There's something a little precarious feeling, in leaving behind all that processing he was doing on his own, but Lan Zhan is ~~more interesting~~ ~~a higher priority~~ here and he may as well process that instead.

Though that is its own challenge, in some ways. Lan Zhan's entire life is out of his reach, and he doesn't need Wei Wuxian stirring it up as tactlessly as he would have done in the past. "And...you?" He doesn't get the chance to further this line of inquiry, which otherwise surely would have happened, tact or not, before his mind circles back around to his own arrival and he manages to pre-interrupt himself. "Lan Zhan! You didn't get thrown into the ocean too, did you?" That's so disrespectful to Hanguang-jun, and but also he has a regret in his second life already and that's not seeing it. "And not even an ancestral guqin to make up for it, I bet."

The finality in Wei Ying's reply does not escape his notice, like a door being shut in front of him. And that is a feeling whose bitter familiarity should have no place in this reunion. Are there still things Wei Ying can't or won't share with him? But then, why should that have changed since they parted? How would he have earned it? Or perhaps it was a foolish question. Perhaps it was foolish not to expect a lie.

But these thoughts are interrupted by Wei Ying rushing forward to sit with him, close enough to touch if he just reached out. Though before he has a chance to come to terms with that thought and the sudden racing of his heart, he has his question turned on him. How to put into words the past 16 years, the intractable void in them as well as the people and the duty he has filled them with? Words have often seemed too small to express what he's feeling, especially where Wei Ying is concerned, and it's no less impossible now. While he is struggling with all that, Lan Wangji can do nothing but stare at him.

Of course that only lasts a moment before Wei Ying has arrived at a new thought and was he ever able to keep up with this? The stars in the ceiling, having been an excitable and unintelligible spectacle up until now, finally settle into fond even as there's a slight crease of annoyance between his brows while he recalls his arrival in this world. He looks down at his instrument and brushes his palms over the strings gently before settling his hands in his lap. "Only Wangji," he confirms and it's clear he'd rather the familiar and reliable any day.

That moment of worry, of hurt, is still there, but he suddenly realizes he wants nothing more than to listen to Wei Ying talk and that would be enough for now, or possibly ever. So he looks back up at him. "This is a strange place, isn't it?"

Edited 2021-04-19 01:43 (UTC)

Look, he would love to join Lan Zhan in being dissatisfied with this explanation of his experience with death, but also, he just kind of isn't. Isn't he doing them both a favor? So why the face, minuscule as it was?

But trust Lan Zhan's gift for understatement to save the day, and also motivate him to actually engage with current circumstances in a more deliberate way. Lan Zhan isn't someone to make idle, redundant comments; he will appreciate this as... something, not quite an olive branch, but an acknowledgement, a shared determination. And, of course, another invitation, this time real, which he will accept without hesitation. Even if the attention still feels nerve-wrackingly heavy, makes him want to let his posture lapse into something even more appalling, in the absence of any non-ceiling related distractions.

"That's one way of putting it." He starts ticking off experiences on his fingers like they're things he's bought at a particularly vivacious market, but quickly flubs his own records. "I've met a demon--two demons? A sand cultivator, at least. Maybe no demons. And a guy grew grape vines on me, but was pretty nice about it. Not even the craziest one so far. And that was me trying to stay out of trouble!" The three counting fingers become a sincere tripartite swear, with barely a break for breathing.

Lucky Lan Zhan probably hasn't done any of that, the crowd at the cliffs alone must have been a lot for him. At least he gets this cave as a consolation! Though it does come with Wei Wuxian. That's truly a metaphor for life. "I don't know about learning new abilities, but I guess there's something to it. We'll see. I'm sure you'll be very good at it. Probably the best."

The weight of Lan Wangji's attention isn't likely to diminish, unfortunately; he feels like he could look at Wei Ying for the rest of his days and never get his fill. The sprawling posture, the lively gesturing, like his own personal space can't contain him. He watches Wei Ying recount his experiences - his own encounter on the road at least assuring he doesn't feel overly alarmed at the mention of possible demons - and he watches him swear to stay out of trouble with an unbearably affectionate smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. To think he'd ever employed the Silence Spell on him, and now his words are filling an emptiness in Lan Wangji that had become an inextricable part of him, like a tree grown around a ragged rock. No, he doesn't think he could ever silence him again. Not that he'd ever been able to ignore him to begin with, even then.

Though turning the conversation towards the issue of their spiritual abilities does manage to distract his attention for the moment. He hadn't truly engaged with the idea yet, besides feeling very frustrated and unnerved by it. Having skills and abilities he'd trained to perfect all his life stripped from him, all his progress towards self-cultivation, it's vexing, to say the least. Horrifying, even, if he were to admit as much. And there's the issue of being expected to cultivate anything other than the sword path; he can hardly help but feel a deep unease at the thought.

But there is something else, in Wei Ying's suggestion that he should be very good at it, probably the best. Sudden dread at the idea of failing at something he has absolutely no experience with, an iron obligation to excel at anything he tries that he has made sure not to instill in his disciples - try your best but know your limits - but that he somehow finds difficult to shake off himself. His gaze falters and drops from Wei Ying, uncomfortable and almost guiltily.

And yet, we'll see. The implication that he will face this immediate future together with Wei Ying takes a moment to really sink in, but when it does he feels strangely grateful to this world, too, for having made this possible. If the price for this is his cultivation, he will accept it readily. And of course, there is no denying Wei Ying's aptitude for learning new methods, regardless of their application. He can think of no better teacher, if he must learn. So resolved, he meets his eyes again with a small nod. "You too."

Well, it's worth noting that Wei Wuxian has only sworn that at a point in the recent past he was trying to steer clear of trouble, despite any seeming evidence to the contrary. As a kind of testament to how this place seems not just strange, but potentially fascinating, in the truest sense of the concept, and that can't be at all blamed on Wei Wuxian. Whether he means to take that tack going forward is notably not covered by the swear. Easy mistake to make! Lan Zhan should not smile about this~~, and definitely not so devastatingly~~. Hasn't anyone bothered to make an entertaining presence of themselves since Wei Wuxian had to take his leave? Maybe his defenses are a little lowered, too. Have mercy.

Though if he doesn't really get what's to smile about here, he's got even less of a handle on the next few expressions. What he said wasn't just empty words, though he's been accused of that before, so much as it was just--a grounding conversational touchpoint, and a deflection, both. Wei Wuxian usually has no problem reconciling Lan Zhan's brilliance with his humanity, it's everyone else who never learned to do it properly. Unless they did, and he missed it. Whatever, the point wasn't to make Lan Zhan experience some kind of existential doubt about his own capabilities.

Nor was the point to fish for reassurance, which that hardly even seemed like, from the outside, but is still the real unbearable thing in all this. Whether he is destined for any real success here very much remains to be seen, though of course there's something to be said for it as an academic exercise already. It's that which makes Lan Zhan's quiet approval seem a lot more precarious than he probably realizes. But 'guess we'll just have to both be heretics!' is probably not the comfort Lan Zhan is looking for, here. Even if it is enough to make him laugh, a little nervously.

"Well, if that's what I'm here for, then it's what I'll do, of course," he allows, too casual, missing only a cup of wine to gesture with. Is this fine? Shrug. Can he manage? Definitely. Besides, he's unknown here, so it's a pretty good trade off, even if being alive turns out to come with responsibilities. That's normal. "But am I not allowed to be out of practice? Be reasonable."

It seems his own encouragement, in turn, had some sort of unintended effect. Wei Ying laughs, but tinged with a kind of discomfort or anxiety, covered up with levity, and that's... While Wei Ying isn't in imminent danger of disappearing from view, there's a precariousness to this encounter that Lan Wangji doesn't know what to do with. Perhaps the intervening years could be blamed for it, perhaps he doesn't remember quite what to say to him or how to understand him. Perhaps the memory of the man he cared for had slowly run out through his fingers after all, over time, despite his refusal to let go.

Or perhaps this isn't any different from before. Missteps, arguments, never finding the right words that wouldn't end with a door remaining shut in front of him. Attempting to persuade, demanding explanations, when what he should have done was to simply be there, by his side. A clarity that had come to him in blood and tears and wretchedly too late.

Well, not here. Not this time. Whatever reasons Wei Ying has for pretending his death is not worth talking about, whatever worries he is hiding, he won't press. His comment about being out of practice seems not unlike his own unease with the disappearance of their spiritual energy, anyway. As much as he's an expert at adopting new methods, and not shy about saying so, it is hardly an easy feat. Considering all this, Lan Wangji may seem to give his request far more serious thought than may be warranted, lost in regret for a moment before he answers with a hum of affirmation and determination.

Though the first part of what he said does touch on one of Lan Wangji's questions. But he can't quite bring himself to voice it, instead quietly regarding Wei Ying with said question in his eyes.

If Wei Wuxian is out of practice, he's not alone. Shouldn't Lan Zhan know better than anyone not to give anything he says so much obvious thought? Just because Lan Zhan has the patience doesn't mean he should waste it on that, even if the idea is painfully Lan Zhan-typical in a way that makes him feel like he's dissolving a bit with fondness. Solid, implacable, and willing to sort through triviality with the same resolve and dedication as everything else he's ever done.

Though clearly in whatever sorting he's done, he's arrived at a place requiring Wei Wuxian's actual input and not just warm, sentimental looks that ought to be reserved for mementos and not people who are physically present to experience them. He'd feel bad if he weren't busy feeling entirely justified, having recently been dead. Unfortunately, even alive, he still finds himself out of the loop beyond that, no matter how ~~ruinously~~ expectant Lan Zhan looks. Isn't mercy one of the guiding principles? He can't help but gently shake his head, which does nothing to banish any of this, and lean forward with an air of commiseration, that is at least as well meaning as it is teasing.

"Lan Zhan ah Lan Zhan, how am I supposed to know what's going on behind that face if you won't say? Have mercy just the once, please. I'll do better tomorrow."

His silent question had been an offer, for Wei Ying to either take by asking him to elaborate, or brush aside for a different tangent, and he would have accepted either choice. What he was not expecting was for Wei Ying to lean in even closer with a teasing glint in his eyes and. Plead with him. Whatever question or concern or regret might have been on his mind a moment ago suddenly falls away like dust, his thoughts catching on the sight like the breath in his throat.

At least the urge to move forward, to reach out and do something-- and the inevitable restraint it takes not to, are familiar both. Confused memories of another cavern many years ago try to surface but this is now, this is real and in front of him and he feels lightheaded with the realization that Wei Ying has returned to him. It should be easy to set aside any other desires when his most ardent inquiry has finally been answered - will you come back?

Still, it will be a little easier to set aside if he isn't looking at Wei Ying's blinding smile and after a few seconds of helpless staring he blinks and lowers his eyes, pressing his lips together to school his expression. Of course he'll have mercy. He'd give Wei Ying the world if he asked. Though his gaze can't stray from him for long and he looks up again, finding refuge in his earlier question. "Do you know... why you're here? How?"

For all that Wei Wuxian (and, to be fair, plenty of the rest of the cultivation world as well) like to compare Lan Zhan to some kind of divine jade being floating unexpectedly down from the heavens into the mortal realm, the reality of a Lan Zhan that is cosmologically out-of-bounds seems a lot more untethered, actually. Which is not unanticipated and is in fact very reasonable, but it would be nice if he could help him feel a little more at ease, a little less at the mercy of the world. Probably it would be nicer still if it weren't Wei Wuxian taking responsibility for these things, but things are so unexpected sometimes, aren't they? He can't think about being Lan Zhan's only thread to what is familiar or he'll choke up more than can be solved with a little throat clearing, for reasons that are no doubt very sensible.

Unfortunately, more information about the specific things Lan Zhan is asking about is not something he can help with. He's not even sure what the ultimate point of this line of questioning is? It takes a significant mental reorientation just to understand that Lan Zhan isn't asking what his presumed purpose is here, probably, but more the how of it all. He just has an instinct that he is bound to disappoint, since he doesn't have a real answer, and that more than anything is what makes him a little downcast as he shakes his head. "No, not any more than what we were already told. Nothing about-- Nothing specific. It's not anything I did." Haha, crazy, right? He seems like he's still working it through, himself, and unsure which, if any, thoughts are worth sharing. "Think it's just a mistake, probably. Not that I'm going to complain."

To be honest, Lan Wangji isn't quite sure what he is expecting from his question either. There had been so many questions he had wanted to ask, had tried to ask over the years only to be met with a deafening silence. Yet with Wei Ying actually here, they all seem strangely far away, inconsequential. But he has lived with that desperation and confusion for too long to know what else to do.

The why, the how of his return... The idea that the Yiling Laozu had performed one last malicious trick, one more act of wickedness, to die only to rise from hell like all his monsters and creations, had spread like wildfire across the cultivation world. And it had been a hope impossible to resist. The ray of sunlight shining on a man trapped in a deep pit. He had fought for that hope like his life depended on it. Had fought his elders for it. He bears the scars of that hope. To hear it denied so simply by Wei Ying himself--

It's less of a shock than it should be. In a way, he's always known. He had seen him on that cliff, had been the only one who did, unlike all those cultivators wallowing in greed and licentious horror stories. Wei Ying had never intended to come back. He had seen it in his eyes, had heard it in his voice when he had asked him to let him go--

The painful memory is interrupted by the conclusion Wei Ying seems to arrive at. A mistake...? How could this be a mistake? Does he think whatever brought him here was a fluke, or worse, that it was wrong? He barely even hears the rest, that Wei Ying doesn't mind being back. This, being reunited, having another chance, it can't be-- This time Lan Wangji doesn't resist his impulse and closes his hand firmly around Wei Ying's wrist. "Not a mistake," he says with an almost desperate surety, and then words fail him for the rest. But his eyes are shining far too brightly in the gloom of the cave.

That's certainly enough to drag Wei Wuxian out of his pall of speculation, and for an uncomfortably long moment, it's really all he can do to stare back in stunned silence, mouth open and eyes trying and failing to read whatever is happening immediately before him. The single log bridge is all well and good, but this isn't his darkness anymore and whatever wheeling thing populates it is almost certainly beyond his current capacity for bringing it to heel. Sometimes, Lan Zhan's insistence on precision in his words and restraint in his expression is a fun puzzle, and sometimes, a higher honor even, no puzzle at all. But this doesn't feel at all like a choice or a challenge, and certainly doesn't feel very restrained, and yet somehow intensity on Lan Zhan can be just as obfuscating, who knew. What it does feel like is a lot to be entrusted with, but hasn't he already pledged to do his best?

His best in this case is to gently pry Lan Zhan's hand free and take it in both his own, making this whole thing less fraught and reminiscent of cliffsides or drowning and more comforting, hopefully. "Alright, alright, it's not a mistake." Now instead of gawping he can look Lan Zhan in the eye with determination. Is determination even comforting, from him? Question for the ages. What he isn't being, very carefully, is humoring. If it's that important to Lan Zhan that the world, worlds now, make sense instead of mistakes, then that's that. He will...do things differently. Probably he doesn't even have a choice, so that works out. "I don't intend to let it be one, either way. Is that good enough?"

Lan Wangji has always been aware that he doesn't speak or act like others. Most of the time, earning anyone's understanding is not something he feels inclined to bother with. Their lack of understanding is not a failure of his. Most of the time, it hardly makes a difference if he is understood or not. People will think what they will of him. The ones whose understanding matters, his brother and Sizhui chief among them, are capable of it just fine, and if they don't he will make the effort.

But on a few occasions, it has been his failure. This feels like one of those times; something so vital to express - you are not a mistake - and Wei Ying only seems confused. Willing him to understand is not enough, yet again not enough, and for this long moment Lan Wangji is trying to reach out through the churning depths of his thoughts and feelings for any words at all to make him understand.

But it is Wei Ying who reaches out first, to pry his hand away. He is reluctant to allow it, dreading another rejection, but what follows is... the opposite. His hand held firmly, no intent to make him let go. The comfort and care in the gesture leave him stunned in return, he hadn't-- he wasn't looking for-- but the gentle touch eases all that, too. And now, at least, the confusion in Wei Ying's eyes is replaced by determination. He seems to understand the worth of the second chance they've been given, whether by some divine providence or not, that this can only be a good thing, that they must grasp it with both hands.

And so he does, squeezing Wei Ying's hands in return. "Neither do I," he says softly, but in a tone reserved for taking vows. He will not hesitate, this time. Whatever it takes to be by Wei Ying's side, he will do it. Whatever Wei Ying needs him to be, he will be it. This time, he will have no regrets.

Never has Wei Wuxian felt less like he understands how he has solved a problem, and that includes problems that necessitated entirely new cultivational techniques to solve, but he doesn't really need to understand in order to be glad. Truthfully it's a little terrifying, to be clung to by Lan Zhan for his own sake rather than an attempt to calm or subdue Wei Wuxian. How could it not be? Terrifying, and heart-breaking as well, and he's no better equipped to deal with this than if it were the Xuanwu cave all over again. But though it's always especially wrong for Lan Zhan to encounter misfortune, Wei Wuxian is still grateful to be trusted with these cracks in the façade. They've come a long way from Lan Zhan stubbornly carrying on with a broken leg and protesting a stranger's touch. Though it seems obvious enough, with a little thought, that he can't count on knowing things like that anymore. Anyone would have changed, except the dead, who remain stagnant. He certainly feels like a too-still pond at the moment.

But while he's exceptionally glad to have Lan Zhan a little more even keeled once more, he doesn't really know...how to take this quiet intensity. Lan Zhan has neither died nor made any major mistakes to atone for, to his knowledge. Inasmuch as he can see this as a second chance at all, rather than just an unexpected 'more,' it's his alone, ultimately. Even if Lan Zhan means to be supportive...well, he can't really engage with that just yet. There's just too much in his mind right now, there's no way to turn all these things over and have them fit together just right into something indisputable. There's no way to dig (kindly, like a medical necessity) into this vulnerability without risking his own, and he's not sure if he can. The issue of his death, and the idea that it was something anyone else had to live with, and that there might be something in that whole morass that Lan Zhan takes some blame for-- just because he's alive again and in a strange new world doesn't mean he can just handle that. All he can do is nod encouragingly, lips closed in a small smile. Not the first time he's made it from one end of a problem to the other without knowing what was in the middle precisely, but hopefully one of the less disastrous.

"I don't think you need to worry about that," he tries, wry and tentative, jostling their hands with directionless energy. Maybe being at a loss for words, for the right words anyway, is contagious. How to say he believes with utmost certainty that Lan Zhan has always tried more than enough, and will undoubtedly continue to do so, the same way the sun continues to rise? The past is the past, and there's no way to explain it could only be the way it was. "I know I haven't always been the most trustworthy, but you can believe me now, on these things, and not worry so much. Alright?"

Though he can't quite tell if Wei Ying understood the promise he just made to him, Lan Wangji finds himself content - even if he hasn't, he will show him its meaning every day until he does. Even if he had the words for it right now, what good would they be without the actions to prove them true. With every passing second, the idea of tomorrow as something that they have now to share becomes more real.

What he can tell is that Wei Ying is more concerned with reassuring him than any promises made. He's never known what to do with it, with sympathy or reassurance, never known how to fit it into his view of himself and the world. Like being handed an odd foreign object, its purpose and origin uncomfortably inscrutable, his answer used to be to ignore it or to toss it back. As long ago as he can remember, whenever someone - mostly his brother - had tried to tell him not to worry, or that it would be fine, or to slow down, it was because he'd made a mistake somewhere. Although he understands now that isn't always the case, and a little boy's simple and honest compassion had assured that he won't close himself off to it completely, his first instinct is still to think Wei Ying is being too generous.

Wei Ying's generosity is an extraordinary and paradoxical thing, never diminishing or diluting for how much of it he gives to the world. But it doesn't matter that he doesn't see where Lan Wangji had failed, so long as he himself sees it clearly. What matters far more in all that is something else, and it matters so much that he leans forward by a hair's breadth to speak with the same quiet conviction as before. "I believe you," he says and this time he doesn't have to avert his eyes. Again, he lacks the words to express his thoughts on trustworthiness and faithfulness, on who was right and who was wrong, but they have tomorrow to do it differently.

And that idea stirs in him a feeling much simpler, much clearer than all torrential thoughts on second chances and regrets and strange new worlds... It's so small and precious that he lowers his gaze a little, his features softening as though it's too fragile for all the intensity that had just been burning within him.

"I'm glad you came back." And came back like this, the most impossible of all the ways in which he could have transcended death - entirely himself, whole in mind and body.

And yet, Lan Zhan seems determined to kill him again already. Seriously, what is he meant to do with all this sincerity and softness? Paired with simple, unmistakable declarations, even ones he'd all but asked for? Making inarticulate strangled sounds and rolling on the floor is a tempting option and the foremost one to spring to mind, but he'd have to let go first and he can't risk letting Lan Zhan unbalance again if these are the kinds of things that happen as a consequence. So this is, effectively, inescapable. Maybe Lan Zhan's internal clock will tell him it's hao shi and he'll pass out. Wouldn't be ideal but at least Wei Wuxian would stand a chance.

As it stands he can only curl up like a shrimp and press his forehead to their hands in a purely inscrutable observance, possibly apology? Possibly just a reaction to sincerity and Lan Zhan's essential goodness? As a member of the recently dead, perhaps he is allergic. And much like the recently dead, he groans abjectly but cannot argue more eloquently against anything Lan Zhan has said, as much as he feels a directionless requirement to try. Or again, possibly just to escape. Lan Zhan really is too good and too much, both. How good to be allowed to experience that again.

"Lan Zhan, you can't say these things. I can't take it, and I can't," he swallows, "Live up to it. But I guess it's not a mistake at all then, anyway. If you're glad." He rallies, gains a spine, tries again. He's been part of literal battles that were less harrowing. "I'm glad too. This world won't know how fortunate it is."

Wei Ying folds like an umbrella, curls around their joined hands in a gesture that is both unbearably vulnerable and entirely incomprehensible, and it leaves Lan Wangji stunned once again. He has just enough time for a few alarmed doubts; is Wei Ying hurting? Is he crying? Had he said something wrong? And to realize this is once again the opposite of the reaction he'd come to expect from him - to pull away, to put a barrier or distance between them - before Wei Ying groans, which does not clear up much of anything.

It's while Wei Ying does his best to explain with halting words that it finally occurs to Lan Wangji that he may not be the only one overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings and no means good enough to express them with. And so, although his unshakable faith in Wei Ying's ability to live up to who he knows him to be trembles on his lips, he stays silent, and just listens.

As in a familiar dream, he sees himself run a comforting hand through Wei Ying's hair, entangle his fingers with a few askew strands and that red ribbon. But his hands are pinned and he could not bear to disturb him by moving. He sees himself bend down to press a kiss to the crown of Wei Ying's head, bow his own head in observance of all the love and grief he'd had nowhere to place for sixteen years. But he was asked to have mercy.

And so, although his eyes are brimming with all this affection and gratitude, all his forgiveness and apology and his wish to have this embrace never end, there's a smile in his voice when he says mildly, "No sitting improperly."

Some mercy! Lan Zhan humour, which is catastrophic at the best of times, currently leaves him feeling like freshly and vigorously rolled out dumpling dough, assuming it were somehow capable of watery stepped-on laughter. That's better, that's back on solid ground, a Lan Zhan that quotes rules and scolds, even with fondness in his voice surely heralding a look Wei Wuxian is not at all mentally fortified to face yet (or indeed, probably ever).

So he selfishly grants himself this last moment of hiding and clinging, before letting Lan Zhan go with a final grateful squeeze and sitting as properly as the weight of today still on him will allow. He deeply regrets the necessity of this, but Lan Zhan has been very tolerant and also does not seem at risk for further destabilisation. Sometimes you have to be the example of 'fine' you want to see in the world, and that means not getting tears on your friend's hands while you come to terms with a lot, very suddenly, and more, not at all. He finds he is very amenable to letting this conversation slide into less fraught territory even for just his own sake, leaning on a rapport that he can't really be sure is there but is starting to believe in regardless.

“What, even here? Are you going to make everyone follow the rules, or just me because I know them?” Privately, he wishes him the best of luck with the former, or the more...meaningful rules, at least. Probably many people would benefit from it, if even his small sample size has anything to say on the matter. Not a position he thought he'd ever be taking, but that's life, post-death anyway. “Maybe you should ease into it, either way. Start small. Tomorrow.”

Watery or not, making Wei Ying laugh still feels like a more meaningful accomplishment than any successfully completed sword form or musical composition. A moment of quiet pride and pure affection warms him entirely, accompanied by incredulous, directionless gratitude at such a thing being possible once more.

Though it pains him to do so, though he would happily remain like this until they've both grown old and grey, for Wei Ying's sake he allows him to withdraw his hands, thumbs brushing over his fingers as they slip out of his own. Noticing the tears clinging to his eyelashes is only alarming for a moment, before he realizes this is nothing like the last time he saw tears on Wei Ying's face. No red-rimmed eyes in a gaunt pale face, so much like a walking corpse already, no anguished grimace that nobody else even seemed to see; these tears seem cleaner somehow, a relief in his shaky smile, like something freed that was stuck. Only now does he wholeheartedly believe that Wei Ying is glad to be back. He drinks in the sight like it can replace that other, horrible memory that's been haunting his nightmares, if he just never loses sight of him again.

Wei Ying's teasing is certainly in the spirit of his own, but it also has another effect. An unexpected sense of comfort entirely unrelated to his resurrection; how good it is to have someone here who knows his principles, his home. How good to have someone in this world who knows him. His answering smile is comfortable and warm and almost sheepish, as if caught out by Wei Ying, and it is above all content.

And there it is again, tomorrow. Even before that day in Nightless City, it had been so long since they'd had more than a few hours to spend together. Years, since a tomorrow together had been any kind of certainty, something he didn't have to fight everyone including Wei Ying for. Then, it had become a desolate impossibility. And now? Now, what is going to stop them? Now, that Wei Ying is here and offering him a tomorrow of his own volition?

So there is no hesitation before he nods his agreement to the suggestion, to his offer. "Tomorrow," he echoes, tender and assured and grateful in equal measure.

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