[Lan Wangji is certainly an acquired taste, much more so than the meticulously prepared food they're both attempting to eat. but he does try his best to follow his own rules. you have to give him that one... or at least, not everyone would, but those circumstances would need to happen in spite of Lan Wangji making often-obnoxious efforts towards consistency. hooray?]
...
My thanks.
[true to form, now that there's been some mutual acknowledgement that they're giving each other a tough time for absolutely no reason, that sense of fairness forces him to examine his awareness that this whole encounter has been... well. hm. it's not that he's behaved incorrectly, his intention wasn't truly to taunt the other man, and responding in kind to provocation isn't being unreasonable. but it's not how his brother would have handled the situation.
Lan Wangji is comfortable with the fact he's not Lan Xichen, but you could certainly make an argument that the older Jade of Lan is better at upholding somewhat contradictory family principles like "be easy on others" and "do not criticize other people" than the younger.
...he'll exhale and acknowledge his irritation to himself. it is not his master. for the sake of benevolence and justice towards all people, he should probably say at least one thing in this conversation that is not 100% being an arbitrary hardass.]
My response lacked tolerance. Your meal is also significant.
[he's saying this in exactly the same flat, uncompromising tone as the rest of his commentary. does it even help? probably not. his sincerity is matched by how profoundly bad he is at every social nuance he attempts.]
no subject
...
My thanks.
[true to form, now that there's been some mutual acknowledgement that they're giving each other a tough time for absolutely no reason, that sense of fairness forces him to examine his awareness that this whole encounter has been... well. hm. it's not that he's behaved incorrectly, his intention wasn't truly to taunt the other man, and responding in kind to provocation isn't being unreasonable. but it's not how his brother would have handled the situation.
Lan Wangji is comfortable with the fact he's not Lan Xichen, but you could certainly make an argument that the older Jade of Lan is better at upholding somewhat contradictory family principles like "be easy on others" and "do not criticize other people" than the younger.
...he'll exhale and acknowledge his irritation to himself. it is not his master. for the sake of benevolence and justice towards all people, he should probably say at least one thing in this conversation that is not 100% being an arbitrary hardass.]
My response lacked tolerance. Your meal is also significant.
[he's saying this in exactly the same flat, uncompromising tone as the rest of his commentary. does it even help? probably not. his sincerity is matched by how profoundly bad he is at every social nuance he attempts.]