[HERE IS THE BOY. The boy is here. The boy is here at (throws dart) let's say the athletic field!! He is studying the bulletin board with the rules. Again.
This time, though, he's holding his phone in his hand and looking troubled!! Kind of. His eyebrows are at a sharper downward angle? Close enough.
He does bow in greeting when he sees her, though; he's still injured, obviously, but he's been cleaned up and has the bandages from Otome on his leg. The ribbon he was using before is nowhere to be seen.]
[she bows back, but her expression is pretty concerned. partly because of the injuries, partly because of the look on his face! the. very subtle look on his face. sharp eyebrows usually don't mean anything good, in her experience.]
[He hesitates, clearly warring with himself internally. But after a moment, he holds his phone out, so that she can see the screen! It's open to the extra credit assignment:
Break a rule.
Which, like. That in and of itself is hard!! It's bad!!! It's a bad assignment!!!!! But honestly he could live with being a hypocrite since he'd just assign himself punishment afterwards anyway, only--]
Anyway. Even if Lan Wangji wanted to avoid people this week, there still aren't very many places for them to go unless he, like, wanted to scamper up a tree or something. Fortunately, everyone here has been pretty kind and respectful towards him, even if he's still adjusting to people talking to him like he's, y'know. A normal person, not one of the Twin Jades.
All of this together means that he doesn't (well, can't, really) go too far out of his way to dodge around the others, once it's revealed that they're being forced to share their memories. He still tries his best to give them a wide berth, but it's more out of respect for their privacy than out of fear of invasion of his own. Even if there's nowhere for him to go, he can still do his best to be polite.
Lila's a bit of a special case by virtue of their coexistence here--and even before that, for how helpful she's always been towards him. It's not that he's any less polite towards her, of course; rather, it's simply that he's grown more comfortable with her constant presence, and lost a tiny bit of his awkward rigidity. Unfortunately, that works against them today, because as soon as he nods to her, she gets a fun little memory. IT'S THE MOM MEMORY FAM you know and love it, we all know and love it. Wipes a tear.
The emotions of a young child feel massive and overwhelming--it's been over a decade since then, but the wound of her absence has yet to truly heal.
Is her house still intact? Or did it, too, go up in flames? He has no way of knowing.]
[it's obvious enough that there's no way to avoid seeing the memories of the others here, and there's no way to prevent her own memories being broadcast for whoever is nearest to see. lila doesn't really like it, but there's nothing she can do to change it.
and lan wangji has been a good enough influence on her that she doesn't throw a tantrum about it, at least.
she's just raising a hand to return his nod with a wave when his memory overtakes her.
it's lonely. the only word she can think of to describe what she's just seen is lonely, and that more than anything gets her to almost say something sympathetic. only almost, though, because - perhaps because she's thinking about mothers - her own memory starts up, just moments after his finishes.
the room in her memory is messy, and so is the living room she passes through to get to the kitchen. when was the last time her mother actually came home? a while. he'll get the sense that she doesn't believe it when her mother says she'll be home that weekend on the voicemail, because she keeps saying that, but she never follows through.
but it's okay. she's fine. she's doing great.
...or not. she pauses, her hand partly in the air, and can't quite find words once it's done.]
It's the first time he's gotten hit with a memory in return so quickly, and perhaps in another situation, he'd be grateful for it. His own is so, so personal; moreso than anything else he's been forced to show others this week. But the memory that follows, Lila's memory... it isn't exactly kind, or lighthearted. There's no way to be grateful for this.
He remembers the fondness with which she'd spoken of her mother, and after a pause, he lifts his hands, bowing.]
...My apologies. [It's his first, most instinctive response to this horrible memory-sharing situation, but it's no less sincere for that. He hates the way they're all having their privacy invaded like this.]
[He dips his head, slightly--acknowledging her apology, even if it's not quite the same as accepting it. It's not really for either of them to accept, after all, knowing that this entirely unintentional. It's not her fault.
But maybe it's the freshness of the wound that has him speaking again, when otherwise he might simply leave it at that and walk away.]
...You should not have to be.
[Used to it. To the absence of a family member, especially one who's alive, just out of reach.
His tone never changes very much, but there's--something. Something quiet, there, that lends a weight to his words, more personal than he usually gets with anyone. Something that says he understands--that he's used to it, too.]
[lan wangji deserves so much better than to be "same hat" with lila.
anyway.
his tone not changing overmuch is a good thing. if it changed too much, she'd find it hard to believe that he was sincere. but because it's not over-the-top - and because of what she saw - she gets the feeling that he, well... he gets it.
[Well, after she leaves the meeting and the rest of them disperse, he will come find her. He doesn't say anything, or even get particularly close--he just sits down with his guqin nearby. Music therapy for both of them? Music therapy for both of them.]
[music therapy for the both of them!! lila is hiding in a pile of pillows and blankets in the nap room, but she lets out a sigh as lan wangji comes in to start playing, and shifts a little so that she can peek at him from under the blanket.]
[Honestly, he doesn't blame her. He's not the type to hide under the blankets, but he did go spend time meditating after the trial, which is basically the same thing for him.
This, too, is calming for him, and it seems to do the same for her, so--he plays this song.]
slowly, her vibes start to mellow out. she's still resentful and bitter and ragey and sad, but. it's becoming a little more muted as he keeps playing.]
[His own vibes, if she gets close enough to sense them, have also mellowed a little. It's more of a sense of a slowly receding tide. Strong emotions that are still there, always there, but gradually starting to ebb in the face of his focus. Concentrating on the song, on helping her, helps him stay calm too.]
[after the trial and the reveal that denji should be just fine unless something really disastrously wrong, lila heads outside with her flute out to the play area! she's climbed up onto the jungle gym and is playing something.
(she's not actually transformed but she only has the flute in transformation icons.)]
A brief thought will flicker over--...alright...?--but Lan Wangji doesn't know how to words, so he's just going to kind of. Awkwardly stand here in silence for a minute. Forgive him he's come so far and yet gotten nowhere at all with his social skills.]
He glances away, a little embarrassed. DON'T CALL OUT HIS POOR COMMUNICATION SKILLS LIKE THIS.
...
...
...Eventually, slowly--]
...I would like to hear your thoughts, if you wish to share them.
[Rather... another flash, but this time, it's memories of her anger and resentment from their first week here. He's a little concerned that this save arrangement might've upset her, is all.]
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w0, monday
This time, though, he's holding his phone in his hand and looking troubled!! Kind of. His eyebrows are at a sharper downward angle? Close enough.
He does bow in greeting when he sees her, though; he's still injured, obviously, but he's been cleaned up and has the bandages from Otome on his leg. The ribbon he was using before is nowhere to be seen.]
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...hey, everything alright?
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schoolwork]
...I am conflicted.
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Break a rule.
Which, like. That in and of itself is hard!! It's bad!!! It's a bad assignment!!!!! But honestly he could live with being a hypocrite since he'd just assign himself punishment afterwards anyway, only--]
...I do not wish to cause Sally trouble.
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Oh! You already did that by showing me that, see? [she points at one of the lines -
» Do not openly disclose your Extra Credit with each other.]
So you don't need to worry! That shouldn't cause Sally any trouble, right?
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...
...Lan Wangji.exe is processing this revelation...]
2/2
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w3, like tuesday idk don't look at me time is fake
Anyway. Even if Lan Wangji wanted to avoid people this week, there still aren't very many places for them to go unless he, like, wanted to scamper up a tree or something. Fortunately, everyone here has been pretty kind and respectful towards him, even if he's still adjusting to people talking to him like he's, y'know. A normal person, not one of the Twin Jades.
All of this together means that he doesn't (well, can't, really) go too far out of his way to dodge around the others, once it's revealed that they're being forced to share their memories. He still tries his best to give them a wide berth, but it's more out of respect for their privacy than out of fear of invasion of his own. Even if there's nowhere for him to go, he can still do his best to be polite.
Lila's a bit of a special case by virtue of their coexistence here--and even before that, for how helpful she's always been towards him. It's not that he's any less polite towards her, of course; rather, it's simply that he's grown more comfortable with her constant presence, and lost a tiny bit of his awkward rigidity. Unfortunately, that works against them today, because as soon as he nods to her, she gets a fun little memory. IT'S THE MOM MEMORY FAM you know and love it, we all know and love it. Wipes a tear.
The emotions of a young child feel massive and overwhelming--it's been over a decade since then, but the wound of her absence has yet to truly heal.
Is her house still intact? Or did it, too, go up in flames? He has no way of knowing.]
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and lan wangji has been a good enough influence on her that she doesn't throw a tantrum about it, at least.
she's just raising a hand to return his nod with a wave when his memory overtakes her.
it's lonely. the only word she can think of to describe what she's just seen is lonely, and that more than anything gets her to almost say something sympathetic. only almost, though, because - perhaps because she's thinking about mothers - her own memory starts up, just moments after his finishes.
the room in her memory is messy, and so is the living room she passes through to get to the kitchen. when was the last time her mother actually came home? a while. he'll get the sense that she doesn't believe it when her mother says she'll be home that weekend on the voicemail, because she keeps saying that, but she never follows through.
but it's okay. she's fine. she's doing great.
...or not. she pauses, her hand partly in the air, and can't quite find words once it's done.]
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It's the first time he's gotten hit with a memory in return so quickly, and perhaps in another situation, he'd be grateful for it. His own is so, so personal; moreso than anything else he's been forced to show others this week. But the memory that follows, Lila's memory... it isn't exactly kind, or lighthearted. There's no way to be grateful for this.
He remembers the fondness with which she'd spoken of her mother, and after a pause, he lifts his hands, bowing.]
...My apologies. [It's his first, most instinctive response to this horrible memory-sharing situation, but it's no less sincere for that. He hates the way they're all having their privacy invaded like this.]
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...it's fine. I'm fine. I'm used to it.
[a pause, and then - ]
But... I'm sorry, too. About what I saw.
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But maybe it's the freshness of the wound that has him speaking again, when otherwise he might simply leave it at that and walk away.]
...You should not have to be.
[Used to it. To the absence of a family member, especially one who's alive, just out of reach.
His tone never changes very much, but there's--something. Something quiet, there, that lends a weight to his words, more personal than he usually gets with anyone. Something that says he understands--that he's used to it, too.]
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anyway.
his tone not changing overmuch is a good thing. if it changed too much, she'd find it hard to believe that he was sincere. but because it's not over-the-top - and because of what she saw - she gets the feeling that he, well... he gets it.
so.]
...neither should you, you know?
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w4, saturday
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This, too, is calming for him, and it seems to do the same for her, so--he plays this song.]
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slowly, her vibes start to mellow out. she's still resentful and bitter and ragey and sad, but. it's becoming a little more muted as he keeps playing.]
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...this is almost over, right? At the rate the seasons have been changing, we only have to do this for a few more weeks...
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w6, saturday
(she's not actually transformed but she only has the flute in transformation icons.)]
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ANYWAY I don't think??? Wei Wuxian ever played the flute around Lan Wangji this early in canon??? So it does not give him a gay pause.
He does, however, respectfully stop and listen! He'll wait until she's done playing before he dips his head slightly.]
You are well-practiced.
[That's very high praise coming from him, amazing]
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...thanks! I've had a lot of time on my hands to practice.
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...
A brief thought will flicker over--...alright...?--but Lan Wangji doesn't know how to words, so he's just going to kind of. Awkwardly stand here in silence for a minute. Forgive him he's come so far and yet gotten nowhere at all with his social skills.]
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after a few beats:]
If there's something you want to say, you can just say it, you know...
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He glances away, a little embarrassed. DON'T CALL OUT HIS POOR COMMUNICATION SKILLS LIKE THIS.
...
...
...Eventually, slowly--]
...I would like to hear your thoughts, if you wish to share them.
[Rather... another flash, but this time, it's memories of her anger and resentment from their first week here. He's a little concerned that this save arrangement might've upset her, is all.]
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