jigokulogs | (Open) The Cruelest Month

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(Open) The Cruelest Month

Who ⬤ Lan Wangji and YOU (in April)
What ⬤ Night Parade fallout/catchall
When ⬤ throughout April
Where ⬤ Various locations
Content Warnings ⬤ Will be added as necessary!

1. food runners (April 2022 event #4B)

[before and after the assassination, food still has to get delivered. though he pointedly hasn't followed the kuidaore philosophy of the city, Lan Wangji has enough uses for money (and is unused enough to having to ration it) that it's worth earning more -- and because he's recently reacquired certain abilities, he sees no reason to limit himself to his feet or a motorbike. no, he's a cultivator who's regained his golden core, which means he can fly. if you've ever wanted to see a man carry food strapped to himself while riding a sword like a hoverboard, now is your chance.

finances aren't Lan Wangji's only motivation, either. before and during the festival, he’s also doing his best to keep his ear to the ground -- he’s making a point to deliver to the Kappa and anyone else who seems nervous or tense. sometimes, he'll even put some of that new lucre directly into delivering complementary meals to small gatherings, just for the excuse to see and hear more of the conversations happening within them.

after the assassination attempt, he’s doing the same, but now his goal is even more targeted: he's keeping a special eye out to learn the reactions of the other factions, or catch up with and reassure the Kappa who are unwilling to talk to anyone but Sutoku Alliance members.

are you a Tamamo restaurant worker, receiving your payment from the last order before giving him a new one? are you coming to your door to take your food, complimentary or not? or are you a fellow beast of burden, helping him deal with an large delivery to an equally large -- and potentially information-rich -- gathering?]

...

Here. Take this.

2. busking for spirits (April 2022 event follow-up, #6)

[in the few days immediately after the disaster, you may come across an odd sight near the city center. a man is sitting around some of the rubble still not cleared away with a traditional instrument on the ground in front of him, eyes closed, frowning.

he plucks a few notes that seem to tremble on the air. the hair at the back of your neck rises -– there something not just sound in those chords. they tug at something you can't quite explain; you feel it in your throat and behind your breastbone.

after moment, the man takes his fingers away and waits expectantly. what happens next has no immediate explanation –- all the strings on the instrument shiver at once, very softly, enough to create a helplessly muddled home of noise.

the man frowns deeper before he jerks his head up and notices you watching.]

Hm.

3. club life (April 2022 event follow-up, #1, #6)

3a. open

[later in April, Lan Wangji is still trying to find new connections with the events of the Night Parade... with the help of some connections he made along the way.

specifically, his performance among the festival's spectral cherry trees caught the interest of one of the more music-oriented club owners in a district controlled by the Sutoku Alliance. now Lan Wangji has been installed as a performance artist at a live music venue, one that specializes in a sophisticated, traditional flavor. the manager here had suspected that a smoking-hot man in hanfu, playing a seven-stringed zither under in front of a projection screen that showed drifting wind and flowers, would create exactly the kind of ambiance some customers would want. they might have been on to something.

Lan Wangji seems at peace with playing along, the gentle lighting softening his severe face. if you just wanted to listen to the music and feel calmer after these crazy weeks, it goes no further than this, and you might notice the song becoming even more peaceful as your food and drink show up.

but Lan Wangji and the club owner also have an understanding. you might wonder: is he close enough to that table full of faction higher-ups with serious expressions to overhear their conversation? are you?]

3b. closed to Sutoku Alliance

[this particular group appears to be from the Sutoku Alliance, and something about the seriousness of their conversation and the way they're sitting feels like business. they're leaned in close to each other, voices low. if you wait long enough for Lan Wangji's set to end, you'll see him lift his hands away from his guqin and watch them openly, eyes sharp.

after another few moments, he'll glance at you briefly, confirming that you're also part of the Alliance. then he'll rise to approach the table.]

4. we love an open prompt

((respond with your own prompt, or hit me up by journal PM if you want me to write a specific starter for you!

for further reference, my plotting comment can be found on the ooc post, some starters that go down specifically during the festival itself are available over this way, and Sutoku Alliance members can find Lan Wangji available for ~~the forbidden gossip~~ post-Night Parade IC brainstorming here.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Well, Felix just so happens to catch the other man playing a tune. He wouldn't exactly call himself someone who has been overly fond of music, but music has been something that has caught his interest from time to time. So, he is drawn to it, expression curious before stopping a decent ways from him. ]

...What were you doing?

[ He doesn't quite understand it, but it's clear that this kind of playing is different somehow from a normal musician's. ]

[closer up, he can see that Lan Wangji looks... well, tired isn't the right word for it. his white robes are still impeccable, his hair falls down his back with not one speck of frizz, and his gold eyes are sharp as ever. he doesn't even have dark circles. but there's something about the way he goes still for slightly longer than he should before he responds to the question that feels as if he's on a lag time, nonetheless.]

Hm.

...

[Felix might wonder if he'll answer the question at all for a moment, but surprisingly enough, he does continue.]

A technique of my sect.

You are unfamiliar?

[ Well, that to Felix speaks of the result of an intense focus in his playing. Maybe.

That's what he's thinking regardless, watching him carefully. Anyway, he'll wait a little impatiently and then when he receives a response with that follow-up question, Felix will nod. ]

Both with the technique and the instrument.

It even seems different than any normal musician's playing.

[Lan Wangji takes another moment to feel the strangeness of... well. it's not even that his own personal reputation isn't known here; he's never particularly relied on nor counted on that. but people have always recognized the Lan Sect before, much less cultivation techniques in general.

Felix's curiosity is interrupting him, but he's not sure that continuing to throw himself at this brick wall is even the best use of his limited reserves of spiritual energy. he rests his hands lightly on the strings to silence them. there's still a whisper of pale blue light around his fingers, as much a part of the fading hum of noise as the sound itself.

what a tiring last couple of days it's been.]

Mm.

[it's a slightly more affirmative noise this time. he recognizes the implied question, which in the normal course of things is no guarantee he'll answer it. but if any of the other Lost Souls are to be his allies -- and with the recent events, that's no surety either outside the Sutoku Alliance -- they should know some of what he can do.

he's not hiding it. and he's never picked up any ill intent off of Felix; he just doesn't make much effort to get along. relatable, honestly.]

What do you know of musical cultivation?

[ Felix's eyes flicker down back to the pale blue light before the instrument itself once more. It's doubtless that if such an instrument was seen in Fodlan people would probably gaze at it with wonder, with the way that he is.

But, when Lan Wangji puts forth his inquiry, Felix's eyes flick back upwards to his general direction rather than at the fingers or instrument. ]

...Nothing.

I don't think I'm even familiar with 'cultivation'.

[ The way he says it, anyway. ]

[he'll exhale, hands still quiet on the strings...

how to define cultivation? he could describe his own, but certainly there's more kinds out there -- however frowned upon demonic cultivation may be. he doesn't necessarily approve of it himself, but...

especially considering why he's here, he can't really bring himself to discount it, even in the kind of simple explanation you'd give to a young child.]

Referring to energy. Usually, gathering qi to form a golden core.

Sometimes, other energies.

[ironically enough, what he doesn't have the energy to do is chase that rabbit down the hole farther right now. but he can answer the rest of the question, so maybe that's all right.]

Music is used in many Lan Sect techniques.

[ For what it's worth, Felix follows the explanation closely, attention rapt in the way the other man delivers a basic explanation regarding 'cultivation'. It's not quite anything he has heard of before now, and even from what he gives him, well... ]

So you're from this "Lan Sect".

...Does cultivating with this 'qi' to make a 'golden core' help in fighting too?

[ As a swordsman, he can't help but be curious about that.

Even if Felix isn't exactly sure the man is a fighter of some sort, he'd still have the knowledge. ]

[Lan Wangji jerks his head in a short nod. he realizes belatedly that he hasn't yet introduced himself to this man, which was unpardonably rude of him, when he thinks about it.]

Both.

[he hasn't been carrying his sword and qin as regularly, up till now, but now that he has his core back he'll keep them both close -- and the sword at least will further answer Felix's question for him when he spots it. in the meantime...]

...

Courtesy name Lan Wangji.

[ Yeah, they certainly hadn't gotten around to introductions at that time, which was...admittedly a bit of a rough moment between either of them, so Felix absolutely hadn't expected one himself. But, with Lan Wangji giving one properly as of now, that is more or less happening now. ]

Felix Hugo Fraldarius.

[ His eyes do, at this time, drift back over to the sword, and the interest rises by quite a decent amount as he wonders about its craftsmanship. ]

I never knew you used a blade. Probably for obvious reasons, but I figure that's why you're carrying one.

Who or what did you usually end up fighting back home?

Cultivators are meant to protect civilians from yao and spirits.

[he begins moving to pack up his qin instead of playing further, for now -- he already has his answer. the spirits are not responding, or perhaps cannot respond. he can feel the crackle of spiritual energy in the air without even using any musical techniques, drowning out the influence of the individual entities moving through the air.

he doesn't think he'll be fighting many of what he thought about as ghosts in a land of the dead, except on a technicality.]

From the unrighteous, as well.

[and if sometimes that moniker very much included other cultivators... they'd made their choices.]

[ An unfamiliar term for certain.

He watches the man start to pack up his instrument all the same. ]

Not like I've heard of yao before.

[ But maybe they were some kind of demon? ]

And what you were doing...why were you playing?

[As exhausting as the meetings had been Jin Guangyao had to continue moving to see what information could be picked up from the ground in the aftermath of the assassination. The youkai that shared his body, hummed in agreement softly.

Places like clubs are really the best for gathering information, Yao-kun. Don't you think?

His ears twitched in response.

He had carried his guqin with him today, he thought it would be a good chance to perhaps perform to get the audiences more comfortable with his presence, if all else failed he also had a dance routine prepared in case. Though it was unlikely anyone would blink at a Tamamo wandering through the clubs.

After speaking to the club owner he made his way up through the back area where the performers were, He was taken aback at the familiar sight of the man dressed in white. Though the last time he had seen him, he had cat ears and a tail. This must not be the same one...]

Hello Wangji. I hadn't expected to see you here...

[Jin Guangyao looked quite different than he may have seen him last, for one thing, he was older, with his hair tied back at his waist. For another, he sported a set of fox ears and nine gold tails swaying behind him, marking him as both a member of the Tamamo clan as well as a Kitsune.

He gave him a bow.]

Would you mind if I played a set with you? It has been a long time since I was able to play with someone else.

[Tamamo performers in Sutoku-sanctioned venues aren't entirely unheard of; there's a certain amount of cross-pollination in the entertainment industry especially, as performers move around and experiment with styles that don't reflect their main clientele. Lan Wangji himself still works a couple of shifts per week in the kitchen of a club in Tamamo's territory, and he knows for a fact that that establishment's proprietor would let him perform in a flash -- if he was willing to do so by wearing one of their host uniforms, at least. if anything, they're a bit disgruntled that he continues to refuse after all this time. all that is to say that even in the charged atmosphere that's been felt since the assassination in many Sutoku-controlled territories, Jin Guangyao is welcomed onstage in this particular venue's less-exclusive atmosphere easily enough.

Lan Wangji was goes still when he hears the other man's voice, turning his head to observe him without blinking. he's not a member of the Alliance for nothing, so it's not that he was unaware that other Lost Souls from home were roaming the city... but the strange rumors he'd heard about who he still thinks of as the current Jin heir are certainly borne out by seeing the changes in his body in person.]

...

[he'll incline his head in a nod after a moment, the exact degree necessary to indicate polite acknowledgement -- not an inch more.]

Lianfang-Zun.

[his eyes are hard despite the greeting, as wary as a man walking into an ambush. his face is a bit thinner and more strained than Jin Guangyao would have expected from last seeing an older version of him. the faint evidence of hard use still stands out on a man from a family that as a rule barely shows such things -- but then again, no one but other Lans ever saw Lan Wangji when he was grieving and badly wounded, in the first days after Wei Wuxian's death.]

...

I will not gainsay you.

[He was not particularly surprised by the lack of warm reception from Lan Wangji. Depending on where in time he was from there could be a myriad of reasons why. He did look a bit thinner and strained. Just that fact alone helped place him in time. There was one time he had retreated from the rest of the world. He remembered how much Lan Xichen had worried about his younger brother at that time. Thinking about his second brother still made his stomach twist in an unpleasant way. There was a wound there that he would rather shove down deep inside than actually inspect.

He refocused his thoughts on the other jade instead.]

I hope you are doing well enough in spite of the recent events.
[As he spoke he took out his guqin, this thing had kept him company on many long nights in Hakakgemachi, where he would play and offer tea and conversation to any of the other lost souls who dwelled there.]

Did you have a piece in mind?

Edited 2022-04-21 03:12 (UTC)

[Wei Wuxian isn't searching down the Kappa right now -- whatever questioning or attempted smuggling to safety he did, it's happened at other times during the month. there's plenty of other things to do in the wake of the Daitengu's apparent assassination and the frantic scramble of all the factions, though.

currently he's on some cleanup crew duty on the streets; his shot leg isn't all the way recovered, so it's better to do this at his own pace rather than try to pick up another food delivery gig in the festival's shellshocked wake. and hey, it gets him discounts at a couple of the local eateries near the apartment blocks where he and a lot of other Sutoku newbies live, so that's always a bonus.

he doesn't like to work in a big group for long, so eventually his path takes him away from the others on his shift, and he turns down the street that, coincidentally, Lan Wangji is walking along after his fight...]

Edited 2022-04-25 03:55 (UTC)

[Lan Wangji didn't search down the fight he was just in either, but it certainly found him. now, in its wake, he's still visibly marked up -- his own injuries from their night of festival chaos are further along than Wei Wuxian's, but he's added new ones. the marks are stark against his pale face, and Wei Wuxian will recognize the stiff movements that tipped him off to Lan Wangji's broken leg when they were force-marched through Wen territory, a few years and a lifetime ago.

Lan Wangji is clearly preoccupied with whatever got him in this state, because for once he doesn't instantly notice Wei Wuxian first -- he's busy gritting his teeth and concentrating on getting down the street without showing much evidence of injury, and Wei Wuxian can tell he still has his senses peeled for whatever might be going on behind him. Wei Wuxian has at least a few more heartbeats to decide what to do with this.]

[...he could just go! Lan Wangji being hurt is still none of his business, surely!

it's sort of telling that the should he-shouldn't he debate about that flashes through his head with greater ferocity and alarm every time he runs into Lan Wangji again. every time he approaches the man, he's left off-balance and confused in a way he didn't expect. something about that has to come to a head, eventually, but he doesn't know when or how...

he realizes he's gripping his heavy-duty broom so hard his knuckles hurt, and relaxes his fingers manually. it takes a second, in which he also loses the battle in his head against engagement yet again.

he lifts a heavy-feeling arm and waves, not wanting to alert that unknown pursuit.]

[Lan Wangji's head snaps around to look at him, and ah, there it is: that familiar sensation of being pinned down by a laser sight. Lan Wangji's eyes widen and he actually hesitates to the point of pausing right there in the alley, with whatever level of (hopefully mild?) physical compromise he's dealing with and clear if not immediate worry that he's being followed.]

...

[despite all the extremely good reason Lan Wangji would have to not come closer (see: Wei Wuxian screaming at him frequently, Wei Wuxian causing him to risk himself just as frequently, Wei Wuxian being inches from trying to bite his throat out recently, and Wei Wuxian getting him shot), he cannot help but feel a flash of annoyance?

fine. fine. he's going over there. he tries not to hold the broom like he means to club Lan Wangji with it.]

[he does tense a bit, like Wei Wuxian coming over and clubbing him with the broom is a present if not guaranteed threat. it's an unexpected and somewhat worrying thing, to meet him like this. Lan Wangji would have good reason to try to avoid this encounter himself -- he's not incapacitated but he is hurt, caught wrong-footed and out of place, at least a few minutes from the safe haven of his apartment, his cultivation still limited, walking away from a potential report to the Department of Enma. turning and ducking into another alley would be a good move here! Wei Wuxian promised not to attack his back, the other night, but it might not hold true in the daylight. and he's hardly waited for Lan Wangji to turn his back before.

...

he doesn't even think of avoidance in reality, of course. he straightens up instead, eyes quietly searching Wei Wuxian's face, feeling the adrenaline rush of his presence like a crackle of lightning down his spine.

with reserve, as Wei Wuxian moves closer:]

Wei Ying.

Edited 2022-04-27 01:24 (UTC)

[harsher than, perhaps, he means, or at least intends to mean towards Lan Wangji himself--]

You're hurt. Why. How?

[Lan Wangji stays steady and holds his ground, not reacting to the tone or tensing up much more than he had already as Wei Wuxian keeps moving in. his answer doesn't betray any nerves or ruffled feathers, cool as always.]

The Department of Enma's recent directive.

What, they beat you up? Who--wait, does that mean there are Kappa nearby?

[it is possible Lan Wangji will have to elaborate here, to keep Wei Wuxian from also being beaten up by an Enma member when he's far less able to take it and heal quickly than Lan Wangji is. he's already looking down the street past Lan Wangji's shoulder as it is, frowning.]

Yes, and yes.

[draws himself up and shifts a little, subtly blocking off Wei Wuxian's path...]

...

The Kappa escaped. I discouraged the officer. I do not believe he will press further.

[he obviously isn't sure, especially with no one there to guard his back, but there's no reason to think he's lying about it.]

[his frown deepens, but he seems to accept this particular truth without questioning everything about it; it's easier to do so when it's about something not himself or the Wens, it seems. he doesn't think Lan Wangji would rebreak his leg for a lie, anyway.]

Let's get you out of here, then.

2. busking for spirits;

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4. a whole lot of april stuff babey

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