蓝湛 Lan Zhan | 蓝忘机 Lan Wangji (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
strikingchords) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
jigokulogs2022-03-07 11:45 pm
strikingchords) wrote in jigokulogs2022-03-07 11:45 pm
(Open) March March March March March
Who ⬤ Lan Wangji and YOU (in March)
What ⬤ March 2022 Substories & Lan Wangji's day in the life (in March)
When ⬤ March (March)
Where ⬤ Various locations (in March)
Content Warnings ⬤ Drug use for High Definition! Others will be added if they come up.
1. high definition (March 2022 substory #2)
1a. body blocked
1b. civic responsibility
2. look at this sweet jacket (March 2022 substory #3)
3. welcome to the Night Parade (March 2022 substory #4)
3a. this feels familiar
3b. something fishy
3c. on the heights
4. literally anything goes here
What ⬤ March 2022 Substories & Lan Wangji's day in the life (in March)
When ⬤ March (March)
Where ⬤ Various locations (in March)
Content Warnings ⬤ Drug use for High Definition! Others will be added if they come up.
1. high definition (March 2022 substory #2)
1a. body blocked
[Lan Wangji does not prowl the streets. that word has connotations of hunting stealth, and while there's definitely something predatory about the way his sharp pale eyes take in everything in front of him, even in a city of fantastical yao there's nothing hidden about the way he contrasts with his background. he's a tall man dressed all in white, and he sweeps through the highly-saturated advertising in a shopping district in Tamamo territory like a spirit with a spotlight focused on himself.
his eyes are narrowed, as if in annoyance, and his face is blank as a statue's. the only acknowledgement he makes of the wares being offered on either side of him is a particularly intense glower whenever something especially racy catches his eye or waves to him from a window.
whatever his destination, he doesn't quite make it -- his stately progress is interrupted by someone inebriated stumbling directly into his path.]
--!
[Lan Wangji jerks aside just in time to avoid a collision and reaches to get a hand under the offender's elbow before they crash into him anyway and finish the job. it saves them from falling, but not from the fierce weight of his full attention when he glares down at them.]
...
Careless.
[do you witness this poor soul's misfortune and come to the rescue, or is the hapless Lost Soul you?]
1b. civic responsibility
[alternately, it's been several hours, and three or four blind or panicking clinical testers have caught Lan Wangji's attention. he's identified the source and dragged them all back to the gyokuto's drug testing headquarters location. Lan Wangji (tall, dignified, arguably surrounded with photoshop lens flare effects) is staring across a steel counter at the gyokuto with what appears to be a kind of high-octane Charged Bemusement. the gyokuto is gazing back at him with equal bemusement, but of a much more polite, clinical variety. I am waiting for all of this to make sense, her look seems to say, but I am a rabbit of science and willing to let the experiment play out. it must be emphasized that she is a rabbit.
you are presumably here perceiving this because you've come for your drugs or been dragged here through the streets. frankly, it is a weird staring contest to witness.]
...
Irresponsible. At least, guard those incapacitated.
[Is-This-A-Real-Doctor Rabbit does not seem to be following Lan Wangji's logic.
do you see his point? or has this straight-edged Dhaoists Gone Wild model wannabe interrupted your evening? has he been standing between you and your paid high to argue with a bunny for like, ten fucking minutes already?]
2. look at this sweet jacket (March 2022 substory #3)
[Lan Wangji is no stranger to resolving differences between humans, human spirits, and other creatures. there's a process to these things: in order to achieve the preferred outcome of liberating rather than destroying an an earthbound spirit, you need to convince it to go willingly. that means observing the evidence carefully and listening to what people say. eventually, the grudge or strong feeling at the bottom of the spirit's urge to cause mischief reveals itself, and you have something to work with when you return to lay down your demands.
in this case, he's observed the circumstances. he's heard the both sides of the story. and the answer is that everyone here is annoying.
by sheer force of personality and the tendency of others not to argue when he tells them to follow him and walks imperiously away, he's managed to get one of the hashihime and the man with the jacket to a neutral, non-bridge patch of waterfront to discuss the situation. but at this point he's listened to the man patronizingly explain to the hashihime three times over that she shouldn't be jealous of his jacket, because not everyone can wear them like he can. she has started repeating everything he says back to him in a higher voice, while making air quotes with her fingers, and while this feels understandable it is not helping. as an approach, it also just causes Jacket Guy to decide she doesn't get what he's saying, and restart his explanation.
Lan Wangji stares at the tableau in front of him with his hands tucked into his sleeves. he is a picture of majestic and intimidating calm. he has a headache and wishes deeply to throw them both into the river.
does anyone with a better command of words (or fewer inhibitions about river tossing) see this and care to come along andhelp him outmake his life worsehelp him out?]
3. welcome to the Night Parade (March 2022 substory #4)
3a. this feels familiar
[obviously, booze is going to flow like water on the night of the Night Parade. just as obviously, those who want to be selling it at marked-up prices during the event don't want people slipping illicit BYOB goods through the checkpoints around their businesses.
Lan Wangji gives the latest enterprising would-be smuggler a flat stare across the box of decorations and other materials he's just examined. he tugs a piece of cloth away to reveal the shine of a bottle, not breaking eye contact. more boxes to check are stacked up next to him on either side, making it clear that this offense is just One More Fucking Thing in his evening. thanks.]
Alcohol is forbidden.
[do you care to comment from your own duties nearby, or are you a booze criminal?]
3b. something fishy
[like many Lost Souls barred from the Kappa's parade route have found, Lan Wangji hasn't found the explanations given for why the area is off limits very satisfying. he did climb to a higher vantage point one night to try to observe any illicit activities, but wasn't able to see much from there -- and he isn't unaware that stealth missions aren't his strong suit. with the rest of the Sukotu Alliance's tacit disapproval of doing anything that might sour relations with the Kappa hanging over his head, he's not inclined to push that route further on his own... but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to know what's going on.
he's decided to try to pry more into the cover story instead. what's so special about the city's utilities that the Kappa can use them for whatever they're doing, anyway? why would they be positioned in a way that makes them a good excuse here? are there actually vulnerabilities to guard, incidental or not?
unfortunately the only way to get information like deeds and records is to petition the city's administration, which they discourage by any means possible. which is why you can find Lan Wangji either glaring down a bored clerk in one of the lower floors of Kaigo no Bou, or tucked into a small eating-house with a window that faces the disputed part of the parade route. once in a while he'll look up and rest his eyes on the uninformative water of the river; then he'll return to filling out the stack of forms an inch thick in front of him.
the bureaucratic peanut gallery -- or the other seat of the booth -- is open.]
3c. on the heights
[of course, if you had been standing on the roof of a tall building to observe what you could of the Kappa activities on the same night as Lan Wangji proved great minds thought alike... you might have seen someone else on the skyline, doing the same thing as you nearby. uh oh! your new spy friend is dressed in white and if he steps out one more foot he's going to be really obvious.]
4. literally anything goes here
((respond with your own prompt, or hit me up by journal PM if you want me to write a specific starter for you! from fights to gambling dens to street theater to host clubs to more dangerous info gathering, there's an opportunity to meet Lan Wangji there and get judged for your life choices.
more event-related prompts available here.))
no subject
Just because you don't like something, doesn't mean everyone else can't enjoy it!
[He yells before attempting to snag the crate in hopes of saving the precious goods. While the two of them are squabbling over it, the bootlegger from earlier uses this moment to make his escape. It would've been a damn shame for this guy to pass up such an opportunity, especially since Dante is such a good distraction.
The man is already sprinting down the block as they speak.]
Let go of the crate!
[He orders as he forcefully yanks on the crate. It seems that the current Master of Gusu Lan Sect isn't the only one who works out. Dante might be slightly underpowered here but he's still pretty damn strong. It must be because he's a Cambion. Regardless of some of the restrictions on his abilities, a half-demon is still a half-demon.]
C'mon, man! I'm getting tired of you busting my balls here.
no subject
(and while breaking the rules is breaking the rules, Lan Wangji would freely admit that he's not particularly invested in restricting someone's freedom for the righteous cause of nothing more than Tamamo Clan's future bottom line.)
in the meantime, his eyebrows go up slightly again as Dante yanks at the crate. for just a moment, Dante feels real resistance, something he might not have expected from an apparently-normal human... but Lan Wangji is also not interested in having an undignified, relatively pointless match of tug-of-war in the middle of the street, so at this point he simply lets go. their official arm-wrestling match will have to be settled in the future.]
Your interference was not requested.
[his eyes rest coolly on the crate in Dante's arms. this has all been a wildly irritating sidebar; he can't believe that now he has to chase a guy down through the city to give him a receipt for his merchandise. this sloshed stranger is the worst.]
Theft is also forbidden.
no subject
This little match of tug-of-war ends all too abruptly for Dante. First off, props to this dude for never skipping arm day. Not too many people can give him a run for his money like this and there will be an arm-wrestling match later someday. However, when Lan Wangji suddenly let's go, Dante is thrown horribly off-balanced. He teeters right then left for a few seconds while trying to adjust to the weight of the crate. Normally, this wouldn’t be much of a problem but this is Jigokucho and someone fucked around with his extraordinary abilities so he’s a little weaker than usual.
That and the fact he's drunk.]
Whoa, whoa, whoa—!
[Just as he tries to stabilize himself, poor Dante gets a case of butterfingers and the crate goes flying right into the river. It’s a rather anti-climatic end to this sudden encounter but the second those bottles of shochu crash into the river, Dante lets out a strangled groan of disappointment.]
There goes the party.
[He mutters under his breath as he sulks. Honestly, how the hell did this happen? Ugh. Dante will definitely remember this, Captain Buzzkill!]
no subject
[in a straight test of strength, it's not unlikely that Dante's half-demon blood would give him the win -- without his cultivation, Lan Wangji is only humanly ripped, and even once it's recovered, most demons he's exorcised haven't given him any Protagonist Clout™ to contend with. but the guy did strangle a giant turtle to death for six consecutive hours once, so even without his other tricks, he at least wouldn't disgrace himself.
that's assuming that the current affair isn't a disgrace, which Lan Wangji feels it might be approaching. "farce" is another good word.
he watches the crate vanish into the river with a neutral expression, then takes a piece of paper out of his sleeve and marks something down on it. he's going to have to pay the bootlegger back for that too later, once he's tracked his escape route. what a pain in the neck.
he probably shouldn't have been provoked in the first place -- Dante's read of the monk thing isn't all wrong, and allowing yourself pettiness isn't very above-the-world -- but if he tamps down the mild embarrassment about allowing himself to be goaded into impulsivity, it was almost worth it. he's had a tough couple of months, okay.]
...
There will be further festivities.
For purchase. Beyond the checkpoint.
[the verbal stress on "beyond" is just barely there, but still palpable. you'd better resign yourself to that overpriced movie popcorn, Son of Sparda. Captain Buzzkill: The Ice-cold Asshole is now playing in theaters.]
no subject
Yeah, depression and alcohol really don’t mix.]
You’re a complete asshole, you know that?!
[If there was a way to leave detailed reviews about a person on Google, Dante would leave the crappiest review for Captain Buzzkill over there. He feels petty enough to do so now that sobriety is starting to kick in.]
Geez, man! To think I would run into someone just as annoying as him.
[By “him” he means his brother and he hates thinking about his brother. Vergil is his main reason for drinking, especially nowadays.]
Learn to loosen up a little, you might actually have fun.
[If there’s one thing Dante knows how to do, it’s how to have fun.]
So who the hell are you anyway?
no subject
the problem is that being called out as the most boring human alive only gives him a pang because it reminds him of another irreverent drunk in younger, happier days. it doesn't actually inspire him to want to be less Like This. he is who he is, and if Dante doesn't like it, he has no doubt that he'll remove himself from Lan Wangji's vicinity quickly enough.
(he's not quite petty enough to let himself dwell on it, but if he was, he might admit in the privacy of his own head that he questions Dante's sense of humor if he doesn't think Lan Wangji could be enjoying himself. the betrayed face Dante made while staring after the sinking shochu was lowkey extremely funny.)]
Courtesy name Lan Wangji.
Will need your name, for the form.
[bureaucracy's good for some things.]
no subject
[He arches his brow a little at that but decides to introduce himself anyway.]
I’m Dante and I’m not really about to submit a formal complaint about some second-rate shochu.
[Even though he’s still very much so sloshed, Dante knows better than to go full “Karen” on anyone. Besides, this gloomy-looking bastard was only doing his job. It would be a shame to put Captain Buzzkill in the spotlight over nothing. Though, Dante is still a little pissed with this guy regardless.]
What did you use to do before becoming a Sutoku lapdog, huh?
[He asks with an amused grin upon his face. If he really hated this guy, Dante would’ve left by now. Not standing here chopping it up with them as the celebration continues.]
no subject
[Lan Wangji is writing Dante's name down on the form! uh oh. he's putting his initials on... a receipt?]
You owe the vendor for his merchandise.
[because Dante owes a guy money, apparently. at least it's probably not the first time.
...Lan Wangji hands the original of the paper to Dante and tucks the carbon copy away, as if having an IOU will make Dante do anything. they are still standing next to the water; the overall vibes of the scene aren't bad.
possibly to both their surprise, he doesn't return instantly to his post, and instead answers the question.]
I am a cultivator of the Lan Sect.
[and a member of the sect's core, the main Lan family, as it happens. but that's more who than what. in their techniques and their skills if not their name, Lan Wangji would be willing to vouch that any of the juniors he'd helped train up were as Lan as he is.]
no subject
You gotta be kidding me!
[Sorry for the increase in decibels, Second Lan, but Dante can’t believe you’re trying to pawn off all the responsibility on him. Who was the one threatening to throw the cases of alcohol into the water? Certainly not Dante! That was all just an accident.]
You’re definitely kidding, right? [He stares at Lan Wanji with such hopeful eyes but that hope is quickly dashed.] Hell no! I’m not paying a frickin’ cent!
I don’t give a damn if the entire Sutoku Alliance tries to come to collect, I’m not paying for this!
[Just to illustrate how he’s not paying, Dante crumples up that cute little receipt and tosses it right into the water.]
Whoopsie!
no subject
Very clumsy.
[you're sure dropping a lot of things in water today, Dante Devilmaycry!!
...
it would take a true connoisseur of Second Young Master Lan's face, perhaps the great First Young Master Lan Xichen himself, to catch the glint in Lan Wangji's eyes that isn't quite hidden by his habitual flat expression. Dante's extreme reaction is legitimately annoying, but if nothing that genuinely annoyed Lan Wangji was ever funny to him as well, he'd drive himself into an early qi deviation and grave even before his irascible uncle. most people annoy him. he annoys himself, not infrequently. having scrupulously high standards has its drawbacks.
if Lan Wangji felt even an ounce more urge to smooth over situations and show some social grace, more people might realize that those standards don't actually make him entirely immune to the ridiculous himself. so obviously, in the real world, he finishes smoothing the receipt out, blinks once, and hands Dane the first of the carbon copies blandly instead of adding one iota of social grace whatsoever.]
Take greater care.
[he takes out the pad again to start writing a second receipt...?]
no subject
[Before Lan Wangji could give him back that receipt, Dante bails. He takes off running in the direction of the parade with a maniac laugh. He’s pretty damn fast for a drunk guy, especially since he’s been drinking all night. It’s a wonder how someone can be that quick but Dante is already bobbing and weaving in between the crowd to get away from that stupid ticket.
He barely has any money to his name and now this randy son of a bitch monk wants to ticket him? Yeah, no. That’s not happening! ]
He got some nerve.
[Dante mutters as he hops onto the back of one of those fancy parade floats. He has no idea what the Night Parade is supposed to be but he’s enjoying the festivities so far. It’s just a shame he doesn’t have any more booze.]
Like I was going to pay. Yeah, okay.
no subject
if Dante had scanned the numbers on his own a little more carefully, he'd have realized that he was only being charged for half the amount the lost bottles were worth -- Lan Wangji was already planning to invoice himself for the other half of the ruined merchandise. he was equally responsible, after all. now he's going to have to pay in full as well as track the vendor down.
...
it's annoying, but not the worst thing that's ever happened to him. and perhaps Dante will get a surprise if they ever meet again.
he tucks both receipts away in his sleeve for later, staring for a moment in the direction of the alley Dante disappeared into at such speed. then he'll return to his post to write up what happened, mark down the rest of the inventory, and resume his job of being the most boring Lost Soul in the city...
for now.]