jigokulogs | (Open) March March March March March

Entry tags:

(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

[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 and ~~help him out~~ ~~make his life worse~~ help 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.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[another laugh, soft and odd into the fabric of his robes]

Ah, that wasn't what I was offering, I think. Though you don't need to worry about me either, responsible bun. It's not as though I'm not enjoying the meals here.

[sleep and strange substances are something else entirely. even in this state he doesn't easily make that promise.]

It is what you offered.

[he doesn't explain more than that, or argue about the rest. he just goes quiet, guiding Wei Wuxian carefully farther down the street.]

...

Where do you stay?

[he's already trying to think what he'll do, if Wei Wuxian won't tell him. take him back to his own place...? would it be taken as attempted imprisonment? a hotel...?]

[hums, starts to point vaguely in the direction of the Sutoku area, pauses, and drops his hand]

Huh.

[mildly surprised]

I don't really remember...?

[he will when he's sober, and he might if he'd stayed in it longer enough for any personal connection to register, but right now his housing is just a place to heat up food and sleep at the end of the day. not that he doesn't appreciate that, but it's not his.]

...

[he'll just ask, he supposes. if it doesn't seem like a good idea, he can reevaluate, but he'd rather at least try to give Wei Wuxian his choices. despite the poor results his choices have had so far on this particular evening.]

Is there anywhere you wish to go?

[he's probably not going to take him to another bar, but...]

[that thoughtful little hum again. the answer is, perhaps, unexpected:]

Take me somewhere nice.

[there's a few moments of silence, then a "Mm" of acknowledgement. Lan Wangji turns them southeast. it's a bit of a walk to get where he's going, but the pace is easy, he keeps a supportive hand on Wei Wuxian's back, and they do pause for at least one break while he stops to speak with a street vendor. he receives a paper bag for his trouble, hands over some money, and keeps them gently moving.

it turns out that a short distance from the corner of Kyoukao and Toukatsu, there's a spot with a tiny green park and a little terrace. if one gets steered that way by a silent escort, one can sit on the small, grassy hill there to watch the river and anachronistic, unbelievable play of lights from the city beyond.

it seems to be what Lan Wangji has in mind. he'll sit and tug Wei Wuxian down (gently, making sure he doesn't just fall over).

Edited 2022-03-18 01:38 (UTC)

[Wei Wuxian's thoughts are soup, pleasantly so, and Lan Wangji has been handling him so gently, and so without killing intent, that it raises no alarms even from his over-honed reflexes. he follows along easily, more interested in keeping his face on his new rabbit friend than watching where they're going, and when they sit he leans heavily into his shoulder, a little like this except hiding his face.

despite his request, he might actually need some coaxing to eat or look at the view.]

[he isn't immediately disturbed; as fussy as Lan Wangji is, he needs a minute or two to carefully extract his purchases and spread the bag on the ground for a place for them to eat. he'd have brought a picnic blanket and a basket and maybe chairs if he'd known this was coming, probably. he's very devoted to being disgustingly prepared.

when he's done, he'll finally nudge Wei Wuxian and wait for him to acknowledge it before folding his hands around a takeout bowl piled high with malatang skewers, broth and extra chilies. he hasn't said anything since his brief injunction to "wait" back at the shop where he bought it.]

[he whines in complaint, but slowly emerges, drawn by his nose and the smell of hot spicy food and the warmth seeping into his hands. stares down at the bowl, dumbfounded, as though he thinks it's appeared in front of him by magic]

...eh?

[Lan Wangji tilts his head to watch Wei Wuxian out of the corner of his eye. there's something soft about his near-changeless expression.

Wei Wuxian's face, painted by the darkness and the rainbow glare of neon from across the water, is still unbearably beautiful to him. the last time he was able to eat a meal while resting his eyes on these familiar features feels like a lifetime ago. in many ways, perhaps it was.]

...

Eat.

Ah, friend, are you perhaps a miracle-working rabbit? Should I...what was it?Accept strange substances from you?

[there's a laugh in his voice as he says that; teasing, like he teased Lan Wangji before everything went irrevocably wrong. perhaps he's thinking of that time too, somewhere in the muddled haze of his mind; Lan Wangji doesn't know.

strange, how much one-sided anonymity helps them. let's hope stuffing his face with hot broth and skewers doesn't clear the drug from his system just yet.]

[the soft hmmm noise he makes in reply follows the same pattern, calling back to that easier time. Wei Wuxian's unconscious mind may fill in ridiculous without any need for help from his ears.

whether it does or not, Lan Wangji stays silent while he eats as well from his less-spicy bowl. the lights shine down on them, shifting slowly as the city moves.]

[he can see the way Wei Wuxian fixates on them almost right after he starts eating, his chewing slowing and his eyes going half-lidded as they track the play of patterns, half-hypnotized. he sways a little where he's sitting when there's a particularly wild strobe, but he doesn't tip over or follow it like foxfire, so it's not so bad.

wow, he is so out of it. it's not stopping him eating, though, if distractedly.]

[Lan Wangji puts a hand back on his back again, steadying him. he finishes his own food first, since he didn't get much for himself. he's not that hungry.

he doesn't like the city. it's too big, too bustling, too full of light and movement and noise. he doesn't understand the modern aesthetic. the fact that he's already gravitated to this little slice of green after so little time here is very telling; his spirit was crying out to feel grass and see water.

but removed a little way from it -- here with Wei Wuxian -- it's still beautiful.]

[it's something, all right. Wei Wuxian might also have thoughts on it, but he's clearly getting a little more impaired as the night and his unfortunate trip go along, not less. his opinions right now boil down to oooh, shiny.

he keeps going through the motions of eating even after he's finished for a bit, before peering down at the bowl again, eyebrows knitted in puzzlement. where go. where?]

[he'll take the bowl from his hands, very gently, and pack up their impromptu picnic. he's glad now that he didn't take him to a hotel and drop him off. he wouldn't trust him in a hotel room alone and unguarded in his current state.

Lan Wangji is going to have to take him home.

before he takes him anywhere, though, he needs to check something. quietly:]

Was it nice?

[smiles, easily if absently]

You're nice.

[a soft negative noise in response to that one.

can Wei Wuxian get up still, if he's helped?]

[yeah! the drug isn't really hampering his strength; it's just that he has to be steered to know where to put his feet, or indeed to go anywhere at all, at this point. his eyes also seem heavier, so at least this all seems promising for 'get him to pass out in a safe location without fuss.']

[he's being steered, then! back towards one of the seedier domains of the Sukotu Alliance, one of the places where the hapless newbies have had no choice but to stay. he throws their trash carefully away at the first public can he finds, of course; Lan Wangji would never add to the disrepute of even mean streets like these.

a few crowds of rowdier drunks than Wei Wuxian pass them by as they walk, making noise and calling out to them, but Lan Wangji's glare keeps them off as Wei Wuxian leans on his shoulder. Wei Wuxian can feel him straighten up further with the force of the glare a couple of times, like its full frost can only be felt when Lan Wangji's spine has turned to ice entirely.

he's still staying mostly quiet, whether Wei Wuxian talks or not. a quiet bunny, this one.]

[he mostly keeps pointing out shiny lights and objects around them, humming happily, and remarking on the sheer variety of bunnies this city has. isn't that weird, friend? I thought there was so much variety when I first got here, but maybe that was a trick, I wonder what else is a trick...

his thoughts are loose. his tongue has no filter. it would be so easy to pry a lot of answers out of him he wouldn't want to give, like this, if you were unscrupulous. thank goodness Bunguang-Jun is not, or perhaps alas, depending how you look at it.]

[if Lan Wangji was even the slightest bit more calculated in his actions, he might think, I could never. he would never trust me if he remembered me taking advantage.

of course, he isn't. so he doesn't even think of it. he could never; it would be wrong.

when they finally do get to his building, he'll do whatever it takes to gently encourage and help Wei Wuxian up the several floors of steps. the place he's staying itself, when revealed, is a brutally narrow 1R apartment, old and worn. the effect is a little improved in that there's almost nothing in it but a bed, a plain privacy screen , and a tiny side table with an incense burner, so it seems bigger than it is. the wood of the floor has been scrubbed and waxed until it glows.

the one window, with a tiny slice of view, hangs over the bed. Lan Wangji steers Wei Wuxian in that direction and coaxes him to sit down.]

[he sits, pats the bed curiously, seems to decide it's not as soft as a giant rabbit, and starts tugging Lan Wangji to sit next to him. there's very little strength to the tug, even if Lan Wangji wasn't physically stronger than Wei Wuxian by an order of magnitude anyway; he doesn't have to follow it unless he wants to.]

Edited 2022-03-20 22:37 (UTC)

[...he'll sit...

he feels helpless to resist anything that Wei Wuxian might want right now, to be honest. his death is so fresh. he seems so helpless like this; so willing to be silly. so young. it's the clearest sign that he's very fucked up at the moment. it's been a long time since Lan Wangji has seen Wei Wuxian let himself be vulnerable.]

Wei Ying.

Mmmmh.

[gets him positioned just so, which coincidentally lets the fading light through the window fall over his face at a very flattering angle. why did he even do that when he's not even perceiving Lan Wangji as a human being? who knows.

then flops sideways over his lap]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject