angryhearts | The return

The return

WHO: novel!Lan Wangji and you! ota to everyone

WHAT: Lan Wangji returned home for a canon update. He disappeared Friday to Sunday, returns Sunday afternoon (July 5th). The first prompt, he has no memory of the place. The second prompt, he remembers everything and he's drunk. The third is a wildcard after everything else.

WHEN: Sunday afternoon to Tuesday, July 5 to 7

WHERE: All over the hotel

NOTES: Emotions, depression, more to be added

I. Casino lobby, Sunday afternoon, July 5th
He had a strange dream. A man wearing a white suit and a white rabbit mask. He followed him to the mirror and upon entering it, there was darkness and then he woke up in a padded box, in a strange hotel.

What is this place? The natives call it Wonderland. Some of the staff recognized him and said, Welcome back, Wangji, it's been a while. How have you been? But he doesn't remember them or being here at all, and becomes annoyed at their friendly greeting when they didn't give him the answers as to why he is here. He frowned, this place took him here.

"..." Translation, where is Wei Ying? Where is everyone?

He wandered all over the usual places in frantic search.

II. Bar, Monday, July 6th
The memories of his previous stay came slamming back into him. Of course, Wei Wuxian is nowhere to be found.

Morose, dealing with the reality that he left Wei Wuxian back home with the others, and remember where he last left him in this place, the weight of his guilt becomes a heavy one. Wei Ying is gone.

While he doesn't drink, he can be found in a bar. The glass of his drink on the table is already empty, having drunk it down.

"..." Translation, Wei Ying.

III. Wildcard - July 7th and afterward
[Start your own starter basing on the scenarios above!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Apparently he was having chicken nuggets and tea for dinner. So much for that drink. Well, it was probably better if one of them was sober, at least.

"Yes, they're great, love them, are you sure you don't want one?" he nods, making a show of eating one. He waves over one of the staff to ask for tea, and some water was probably a good idea too. The nuggets were edible, even if they weren't his first choice, and he didn't mind eating them if it was going to make Lan Zhan happy. He'd do whatever he could to bring him a little cheer.

"How have we never sat down for a meal together here? You're right, it's a great idea," he nods, a faint smile on his face.

"My apologies. I'll try to eat and drink. It just that, I remembered everything as to what happened here. The first time I was here."

Using a fork and a knife, he gingerly cut the small piece into an even smaller piece and slowly eat. One by one, as a part of him, try to process what's happened. Drinking the tea evens out the drunkenness.

"No, we never have eaten together. Me and Wei Ying eat together occasionally. But with you, this is the first."

So much for bringing cheer. Lan Zhan was already apologizing and- ah. He remembered? And that was probably why he'd decided to drink. He couldn't think of a better way to try to forget.

"It's okay, you don't have to think about it right now. Let's just have fun."

Watching Lan Wangji try to eat finger food so delicately, even when drunk, pulls his smile wider.

"No better time than right now," he offers. Maybe he's making things worse. If his Wei Wuxian is missing, he's probably the last face Lan Zhan wants to see right now, right? He takes a moment to drink his tea, and tries not to wish it was something stronger.

"Oh- I know, tell me something good, that you've remembered. You had some good times when you were here before, right?"

With a nod, he continues to eat. At least, he's motivated in his presence. It's to get something in his stomach. A lethargic, "Mn."

At his question, he looks away, hiding the blush dusting across his cheeks to the tip of his ears. "Fun...good times? Mn."

Eventually, he managed to eat and drink everything somewhat. There is some expression in his eyes. "What is Wei Ying's idea of fun? Hide and seek?"

It's good to see Lan Wangji get a few more things in his stomach. If he's drunk, he'll appreciate it a lot more in the morning if he can eat and drink some things to help level out his stomach.

Lan Zhan looks away, and he can't help tilting his head at the action, wondering just what he's remembering. Whatever it is, it seems to make him happier.

But he flushes at the next question, remembering only bits and pieces of the last time he'd had a little too much to drink. Why did Lan Zhan have to carry him around like a bag of turnips every other time he saw him? Was he that difficult to handle?

"Oh- you remember even that, hm? Sure, we can play. Do you want to hide this time?" he can't imagine Lan Wangji agreeing, even drunk, but it does make him grin to think of it.

He heard him. When Wei Ying said they can play, a part of him is slowly crawling out of its a shell.

With a slow nod, hollowly, "I remember. I want to play. I want to hide." He is definitely agreeing to play a game with him if only to serve as a distraction from himself.

"Will Wei Ying promise to look for me and find me?"

Seeing this Lan Zhan admit he wants to play hide and seek is enough to draw a couple of mischievous giggles from Wei Wuxian. He really wants to play? Wei Wuxian can hardly say he minds the distraction. With tensions at an all-time high, he's glad for an easy evening babysitting a drunk Lan Wangji.

"Then this time you'll hide," he nods in return.

"Promise! I won't stop looking til I find you, okay? I'm going to start counting. Til 30, remember?"

At his promise, he looks happy, and if anything, any previous tensions he has, he relaxes. He wanted to play a game with him if only it helps him to forget and become distracted. It may seem ridiculous, but being drunk, his inhibitions lowered, coming out of his shell, all rules forgotten temporarily, unable to recall.

With a nod. "Mn. I go hide. You seek. Wei Ying must find me."

He sat still. He waits for Wei Ying to start his count-down. He's being obedient.

"That's how it works," he nods encouragingly and makes a show of covering his eyes, even if his fingers are spread just far enough to peek through. He might be fine with playing games, but there was no harm in cheating, just a little. Probably a good idea even, not to let his drunken friend out of his sight.

"Ready? One... Two..."

Lan Zhan thought Wei Ying had truly closed his eyes and that he is counting. He waited for a few moments.

While he was counting, he leaned forward to whisper a secret, a hint closing into the shell of his ear, warmth breath tickles him. "Wei Ying, I like books."

Now since that's a hint, it can't be considered cheating. When Wei Ying counted to ten, Lan Zhan got up and sprinted out of the lobby, through the hallway, and heads toward to the library where he's going to hide.

Once his eyes are 'closed,' he's ready to follow Lan Zhan's movements, keep track of which way he leaves the bar, at least. But what he doesn't expect, is the way he leans in, breath warm and lightly scented with alcohol, to all but tell him where he's going. He lets out a muffled laugh as he hears Lan Zhan's footsteps hurry away. Honestly, why didn't Lan Wangji drink more often?

He was still grinning as he continues his count, pulling his hands down the moment Lan Zhan is out of sight, if only so he can start to follow, making sure he's actually heading for the library, and it's not some silly misdirection.

"29... 30!" he calls out, hurrying after.

There is no misdirection. Lan Wangji in his heart's desire, has wanted Wei Wuxian to chase after him, to find him, and it's in the library with it's shelves of books is where he wanted to hide.

Lan Wangji slows down when he arrived in the library, or rather it's the biggest room in the hotel with it's collection of books. The room is lined with bookcases overflowing with books from one end to the other. There are tables with strewn about blank loose leafs, boxes of water colors, crayons, makrers, mediums for art, and passing them by, Lan Wangji takes a handful of blank pages and a box of color pencils and crayons.

Through the shelves, Lan Wangji goes deeper and deeper until he finds a empty, lonely corner with the sofas nest between the shelves. He sat there comfortably, waiting for Wei Wuxian to find him.

At this point, he isn't hiding. Now he's waiting. As he's waiting, he's drawing and sketching a picture.

He catches a flicker of white as he leaves the bar, but he lets Lan Wangji lead, following just close enough to make it fun.

"Lan Zhan!" he calls, "ready or not, you will be caught!"

His steps are light as he hurries along, eyes flicking about, searching for that familiar silhouette.

"Lan Zhaaaan!" his voice is a bit more hushed as he enters the library, but there's still laughter in his words. He walks slowly around the shelves, fingers trailing over tomes of all sizes.

"Where are you hiding?" he teases.

Lan Wangji was drawing a quick sketch of his house and the surrounding forest, with white and black rabbits that live with him in his home.

He waited until he heard his voice from afar. He waited a little longer until he sees Wei Ying passing by from further down the aisle. That was when he put his sketch down.

Then he got up, silently walk on the other side of the aisle opposite of him...

Only to turn around at the further end of the shelves and see the backside of him. He silently walks right up behind him...already planned for a playful sneak attack.

Then reached out to catch his hand to squeeze him briefly before letting go.

"I'm behind you, Wei Ying."

There was a smattering of papers and things, a trail he'd been following, watching from afar. The library itself was silent, except for his occasional calling out to Lan Wangji. So it was no surprise that he hardly noticed the quiet footsteps his prey managed, even while drunk.

So when he feels a hand wrap around his, and a voice from behind, no matter how familiar, he lets out a startled yelp and nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Lan Zhan!" he says, between breathy laughter, "that's not how the game works!"

With a quiet nod, not letting go of his hand. "I don't want to keep Wei Ying waiting. And anyway, you found me already. So please follow me."

Now that Wei Ying is here in the library, he tugs him gently toward to the back of the room where he was sitting and left his sketchbook and colored pencils.

"I want to give Wei Ying another picture."

"Alright, I found you," he grins a little, shaking his head. As long as Lan Zhan was having fun, the rules of the game hardly mattered. He follows along, unsure where he's being led, at least until he sees the little nest of papers and colored pencils.

"Oh, you want to draw? Why don't we do one together?" he suggested with a smile.

Leading Wei Ying to the back, he took a seat. There's another chair for Wei Ying to sit across from him over the table.

"All right together. I was drawing a picture of my home, the jingshi, and I was drawing a white rabbit and a black rabbit. That was us back home."

Picking the colored pencils, he managed the energy to draw and continue where he left off. While he is still lethargic from the alcohol he just drinks, he has some little clarity now that this Wei Ying is near. His presence is a comfort in the absence of the other one.

"What are you going to draw, Wei Ying?"

He takes the seat, looking over the drawing as Lan Zhan starts to work on it again. Wei Wuxian picks up one of the pencils, twirling it between his fingers.

"Oh, I see, that's you and that's me, right?" he nods, "mm, well then I think I should give the black one a nice jar of Emperor's Smile, and what should I give the little white one? A guqin maybe? A ribbon to wear on his forehead? Maybe both."

He leans forward enough to start sketching a little pot next to the black bunny. Oh, and a red ribbon would look nice around one of his floppy ears, he thought.

Lan Zhan was drawing in the details of the trees and flowers that surround his house. The picture and design of his Jingshi is very different than that of his soul twin. He drew the magnolia trees, the orchid flowers, and the cherry blossoms over the hills in Cloud Recess.

"Mn. Emperor smiles and guqin." He murmured under his drunken trance. "Ribbon around the forehead." He smiles when he adds in the details of the red ribbon.

But then he frowns, his expression is a blank. "No, this is the Wei Ying is the one I grew up with. Not you..." He said softly, trailing off because he doesn't want to hurt him. "But if it were you, then yes, it should be you. The black rabbit with the red ribbon."

"Good choice," he nods and starts scribbling in the details, switching between different colors, reds, light blues, and black, decorating Lan Zhan's carefully rendered drawing with his own details.

He has to bite his tongue when he realizes his mistake. Hearing Lan Zhan say 'us' just felt natural, part of their playing along. But it was a reminder that he didn't belong here. This wasn't his Lan Zhan, wasn't his place. But Lan Zhan is the one hurting now, missing the one closest to him.

"Oh, right!" he adds some extra cheer to his voice. "What else should I add for him? Maybe some lotus pods to nibble at later?"

He draws in the details in an effort to distract himself from his own pain and loneliness, which is an old wound, old grief. He was worried more for Wei Wuxian than he isn't comparable to his own, but deep down, he knows, that while the both of them are similar, like soultwins, he also knows that the both of them are different.

Quietly, "You may add lotus pods. Just like yourself, he loves to eat lotus seeds, either out of it or as candy."

Eventually, the picture is being drawn out and taken shape. Even though Lan Zhan is in pain, this is a picture that he and Wei Ying draw together to fill in the colors, the details, that to Lan Zhan, the picture itself holds special energy, like putting in their heart and soul into the picture.

As the picture is almost finished and it looks like a portrait, rich in details and color, while he is hurting and missing him. Lan Wangji felt the care and warmth that this one has for him.

So turning to him with gratitude, "Wei Wuxian, thank you. You may not realize it, but you saved me."

"Mm, right, of course he does. I think they're best when they're freshly picked, but candy is alright too," he nods, scribbling in a couple pods and their long stalks beside the rabbit. They probably preferred other sorts of greens, but for a Wei Wuxian bunny, it was just right.

He takes his time with the details, letting Lan Zhan fill in most of them, and only helping to color. The picture turns out surprisingly well for one of the participants being drunk, he thinks. What he doesn't expect though, is the heartfelt gratitude. He pats Lan Zhan's hand gently.

"No silly, that's you. You're always saving the day," he smiles, "but I'm here whenever you need me, okay?"

Seeing the picture, it comforts him. This is a picture that they made together. It's cute and Wei Ying helps complete it.

The moment their hand touches, almost like a quick reflex, he holds his hands, finger locking, and lacing, seeking his warmth. Looking into his eyes. He sees a very warm human, whom he holds special and dear in his heart. Of course, it's Wei Ying.

He wanted to smile back, but he couldn't. "Whenever I need you, really? Do you promise?"

"Oh-" he laughs a little when Lan Zhan takes his hand so suddenly, but he doesn't try to pull away, instead squeezing his hand lightly in return. His actions when drunk like this are so childish, it's hard not to want to indulge him.

Harder still to look away when he asks so sincerely. It's the alcohol talking, Wei Wuxian has to remind himself. And without his soul-twin here, Lan Zhan must truly be missing him. Maybe he's not quite the same person, but he'll do what he can to bring comfort.

"Of course, I promise," Lan Zhan was his friend, no matter what form he took.

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