isleofavalon | Catch-all [closed]

Although the constant rain and oppressive heat are certainly no reason to skip his daily training, Lan Wangji had not spent more time than strictly necessary before heading back to the inn today. On the way back, he'd passed by one of the places advertising supplies for that wedding custom mentioned on the quest board and, on a whim, he'd purchased a few sheets of red paper of tolerable quality, a few lengths of red fabric, thread and golden wire and some tools. There are ways to serve a place that don't require the use of a sword, after all, and it's only dutiful to take part in a festival meant to contribute positive energy to this world.

He now sits in his room with his hair still wet and loose from a cold bath, though his only concession to the heat is the fact that his outer robe is hung up to dry. Supplies neatly arranged on the table and on the floor around him, he sets to cutting the paper to size. He's not quite sure which size or material will work best, not being familiar with the traditional techniques for this particular custom, but he has enough to try a few different approaches, and nowhere else to be.

Lan Zhan can barely have made a start on the project before Wei Wuxian turns up, like some kind of terrible specter summoned by the prospect of actually concentrating on a task. Or possibly like something even more inevitable, like water running downhill, especially considering the weather. He thought he could just not engage with Outside and do something edifying, but that was a mistake and he's here to tap incessantly on Lan Zhan's door instead, sort of like he's been chased here and needs shelter but is trying to be super casual about it. He has absolutely been told off for yelling from the hall before, so he won't do that (yet), but the energy is there.

Of course, Lan Wangji should know better than to expect to spend a quiet afternoon by himself. That's certainly been one of the many things to get used to, here. One of the better ones, he thinks with a small smile as he finishes the cut and sets his tools down, rising to his feet unhurriedly. It's impossible to mistake the source of that tapping, and he trusts that if there were any sort of emergency, there'd be a lot more shouting, or more purposeful knocking.

Not for the first time, he wonders if he shouldn't simply inquire about a second key for Wei Ying. It would just be more convenient. Would Wei Ying want a key? Would it saddle him with an obligation to offer him access to his own private space in return? ~~Wouldn't it be nice to share a space for good?~~ Well, maybe later.

He opens the door with a mildly questioning expression before turning around and returning to his seat, letting Wei Ying see himself in and share whatever is obviously very urgent.

Poor Lan Zhan, obviously by his expression still believing there might be, like, a reason for Wei Wuxian to be here. Though in his defense, there often is something more external than 'crushing boredom,' even if that is frequently just 'something weird on the network.' What he wouldn't give currently for something a little weirder than requests for gossip and the occasional talking animal. Even the frequent references to kidnapping and murder are becoming a bit bland, all told. The rain and heat have made his brain steam-soggy and he really has no choice but to get under Lan Zhan's feet about it. "If this keeps up I am going to grow mold, this weather is very disrespectful. I'm going to petition somebody about this! After I lay on the floor for awhile."

The crafts however give him pause, wiping his mind clear off course from further plaintive wailing about roofs and rain. He approaches the scene of the crafts very gingerly, as though they might sense his approach and flee. "You're doing this?" Immediately he realises that isn't the tack to take, he didn't mean it that way--obviously Lan Zhan should do whatever crafts he wants-- so he quickly corrects course with his hands raised to forestall any Looks. "It's a good idea! If it works. Though I assumed it was just to pass the time. I guess that's almost as good though, right?"

Ah yes, complaining about the weather is a matter of utmost urgency indeed. He lets the words wash over him far more contentedly than the downpour going on outside, comfortable in the fact that Wei Ying doesn't need his input to hold a conversation at all as he picks up his work again.

If the incredulity in Wei Ying's question makes him feel at all self-conscious, it doesn't show in more than a blink of his eyes, though that's more confusion than anything. Even if the task turns out to be nothing more than baseless superstition - unlikely, given the existence of both storms and sprites in this world - there is no harm in participating. The care and diligence with which he works on this puppet is still real, still matters, and... the familiarity of such a festival so far from home is still comforting.

His hands pause on his work and he turns his face up to look at Wei Ying, unperturbed by his brief bout of rambling, and a little hopeful. "Do you want to help?"

Well what is he supposed to even say to that look? ~~Only because he's Wei Wuxian will he manage to say anything at all, instead of just looking a little poleaxed about it.~~ Between Lan Zhan's general "at home" state and air of unflappable contentment, saying no would be tragic, unthinkable, criminal. He's not a monster, whatever his reputation has to say otherwise. Even if working with his magic had made him feel like his bones were itchy with the knowledge that outside is Unsuitable, Lan Zhan would surely change the equation just by his proximity into something much easier to stick with, regardless of the actual activity at hand.

And it's festive papercrafts, which they didn't even have to be herded into like at Cloud Recesses, and the Lan Zhan of today almost certainly won't draw a sword on him at any point over it. Kind of ironic, actually, that this kind of thawed affability makes him seem younger than he did then, though that could just be the hair.

"You should have asked from the start. Isn't this just paperdolls, which I'm already so good at?" He gestures all-encompassing at the neat and tidy spread of craft materials, surely not long for this world, but which he at least won't put any ghosts in. "And I could hardly leave Hanguang-jun to do all the work of saving us from drowning," he concludes with a little nod, settling in near the table with all intentions of laying on the floor forgotten.

Of course Wei Ying is right, he should have expected him to be unable to resist making paperdolls, something he is already so good at ~~and no other reason Lan Wangji can think of~~. With Wei Ying's company secured, he focuses back on his work, amusement and fondness tugging at his lips. He inclines his head graciously, as if in gratitude for Wei Ying's great expertise in this heroic endeavor.

Though when Wei Ying is settled in near him and starts to pick out his own materials, that gratitude becomes rather more real. Although Lan Wangji isn't the one, for once, to recall a particular moment from their shared past, this still feels like the most natural and right thing for them to be doing. How good. He allows himself a moment to just bask in contentment, before he goes to cut a length of wire and starts trying to shape the frame of a person with it.

All joking around aside, this is clearly an edifying Lan Zhan-appropriate activity and he wishes he'd thought to suggest it himself, even if there's no way he could have predicted Lan Zhan focusing all his not inconsiderable seriousness on playing matchmaker for puppets and sprites (which is, frankly, very endearing). Ah well, if he isn't a genius in foresight he can be one in hindsight.

"If it's really so helpful you'd think there would be clearer instructions, though," he muses, now delicately manipulating paper into shape. "No guidelines on what sprites look for? Are we supposed to send our puppets off without any gifts and hope for the best? We don't even know which side we are!" These concerns have picked up steam and are verging on complaints, insincerely delivered but strident nonetheless. And sincerity notwithstanding, he could still make some tiny envelopes and parcels, right? Because it's the principle of the thing.

Having puzzled over the best approach for this task himself, he can only silently agree with Wei Ying bemoaning the lack of clear instructions and guidelines. Perhaps the sprites' preferences in puppets are as varied as those of people and there are no common expectations for this ritual, but surely all recurring customs have certain rules? Can it really be enough to make a guess and hope for the best, as Wei Ying says? For all his earlier thoughts of participation having its own merit, the idea that he might make a puppet undesirable by some elusive standards still leaves him a little ill at ease.

Any insincerity in Wei Ying's concerns clearly remains either undetected or disregarded as Lan Wangji's brows knit together in a small frown as he goes on. "The task mentioned a gift basket left behind in gratitude following a wedding," he points out thoughtfully. So gifts are involved in the proceedings, but he isn't sure if reciprocity dictates they should also offer gifts with their puppets, or if the gift basket is left in thanks for the puppet and offering even more would leave the sprites in an awkward position. Are weddings always this complicated? And still Wei Ying finds another matter to raise a concern about.

Lan Wangji pauses his work again and looks up, earnestly questioning, "Does the side matter?" Surprisingly, he isn't overly knowledgeable on the matter of weddings, having only attended one or two ceremonies of inner disciples and leaving as soon as was permissible. But surely both sides would be under equal obligations and receive equal benefits.

Oh no, Lan Zhan is taking him seriously, that's his favorite thing! Acting like his questions deserve dedicated consideration from a Lan Zhan that is wholly in the moment, even when said questions are entirely frivolous. He almost feels bad, seeing that tiny frown, but not enough he doesn't have to hide a grin, focusing on forming pleats to give the little paperdoll a (hopefully) sprite-appeasing degree of volume. As far as he is concerned, of course there should be gifts; how could more gifts be wrong either way? Using gift-giving as a way to posture and jockey for social position seems wrong, for a wedding, no matter how common it may be.

"It doesn't matter for this, I suppose," he concedes, like someone's mother-in-law choosing to be gracious rather than judgmental. The lack of detailed instructions is fine, he will just power through both that and Lan Zhan making a point, it's fine. "We just wouldn't know which holidays the puppet would get to visit, if that were a real concern, which it better not be. Otherwise though it's just convenient-- puppet elopement! No tea, no games, no invitations, gifts in a basket. If there's liquor I'll take yours."

While Lan Wangji had looked up to indicate his interest in the conversation, his interest is soon captured by the view instead. Wei Ying unusually focused on something, delicately folding the red paper with a smile on his lips as he expounds on wedding customs with enthusiasm. Once again it strikes him that he could watch him like this for the rest of his days and want for nothing, nourished and warmed by the feeling of affection and delight in his chest.

And all this silent admiring leaves him far too unprepared for Wei Ying's thoughtfulness. Remembering his abstinence and offering to make sure a potential gift does not go to waste in his stead. For a moment he stares quite helplessly, struck by the casual intimacy of implying a gift offered to him could just as well be accepted by Wei Ying, like they're-- But he cannot be caught staring and his gaze quickly drops down to the work in his own hands. His face feels flush but there is nothing he can do about that and so he steadfastly ignores it and busies himself with wrapping his paperdoll around the frame. And if some of his dampness-heavy hair obscures his face in the process he's just not going to bother with moving it out of the way for now.

After a slightly longer than usual moment of silence he muses, almost too tentatively, "We could still serve tea." He is now hotly aware that he's taken up talking about this as if they're jointly responsible for marrying off these puppets, but sending them off with no proper ceremony at all simply seems inappropriate. Perhaps the sprites have their own ceremony customs, but, well. Making an effort is never wrong.

Wei Wuxian is predictably oblivious to any turmoil on Lan Zhan's side of the table, having moved on from both his throw-away promise re: gifted liquor as well as puppet-pleats without so much as a backwards thought. The idea of making tiny red envelopes is, in his defense, both adorable and engaging. Lan Zhan's attention is near tangible when it is present but that is surely unremarkable, a function of how deliberate he is in all things; certainly he hasn't done anything deserving of censure, amazingly enough. Probably even objects feel the weight of it when that solemn attention turns their way ~~except for the kettle~~, because that's just how Lan Zhan is all the time. It isn't like Wei Wuxian has said or done anything of note, just his usual stream of words in varying degrees of absurdity, to be engaged with or tuned out as circumstance requires.

Obliviousness notwithstanding, he's still aware of a need for delicacy in handling Lan Zhan's tentative participation in shenanigans (delightful). Positive reinforcement only! He takes the opportunity to watch Lan Zhan in turn, nodding encouragingly both for the suggestion and Lan Zhan's puppet building skills. (Which are of course stellar as everyone with any sense as well as Wei Wuxian would expect.) Is it fair to feel pride for being the one to experience all this, when it is essentially an accident? Probably, because he's definitely helping and not teasing at all.

"What, do we wait for a sprite to pour? You can't hold any mistakes against them, they're very small! Or is pouring our responsibility, too? See, it does matter. Just offering will have to be enough."

Catch-all [closed]

Getting an A in Wedding Puppets; Wei Wuxian

which is both possible, and normal to want

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