[sidereal - the dreaming]

[laughitoff]

[for MDZS AU plot-related shenanigans]

Comments

[laughitoff]

[before they reach that point, Wei Wuxian shakes himself and the paperman falls off Lan Wangji's shoulder, held in place only by its tucked in-arms; he feels that spirit-presence in the back of his mind again, less a flood in and more of a tentative easing.]

[strikingchords]

[...he tucks the paperman into one of his sleeves.

Wei Wuxian feels him carefully making space for his passenger, just as tentative, marking his presence with just a narrow edge of mental attention; it's rather like someone looking out of the corner of their eye.]

[laughitoff]

[ah; he can see the hazards now, and a faint greyish haze of light at the end of the tunnel

Wei Wuxian just sits there kind of huddled in on himself, nervous and bristly but no longer actively protesting this whole situation]

[strikingchords]

[Lan Wangji gradually, gradually relaxes into the available space again as he starts to feel out where Wei Wuxian has settled himself.

he's still shaken but-- genuinely calmer, mostly open and tranquil, only a little wobbly around the edges. the wounds are healed over, if thinly. it was a huge relief for him to be able to say what he had to say to Wei Wuxian in a way he seemed to understand; so much so that Wei Wuxian can feel the weight gone. he'd badly wanted to.]

...

[laughitoff]

[he doesn't say thank you or sorry, but the feelings of mingled gratitude and apology are there nonetheless, gossamer-fine and tentative]

[strikingchords]

[he's open to those, too. Wei Wuxian feels them accepted.




he didn't mean to get that upset and lose control either.]

[laughitoff]

[oh :X

finally relaxes a little]

[strikingchords]

[Lan Wangji... ALSO relaxes a little more, when he does

oh no!

the mouth of the tunnel is right ahead.]

[laughitoff]

[he can see the bamboo stands already, and the churning of wraiths around them]

[strikingchords]

[half turns in towards Wei Wuxian's mental presence, a bit more certain in the contact now, still steady

Wei Ying. Do you remember this?]

[laughitoff]

[Kind of. I didn't have much reason to go here; I sealed it off. I think a lot of the ghosts were...prisoners, or traitors, or something. They died of the bamboo torture.]

[strikingchords]

[Thoughts?

he'll do his own thing if not, but he's deferring to Wei Wuxian's expertise here.]

[laughitoff]

[I could try to command them, through you, hold them. There's not really a way to...convince them to go do something else. We don't have any leverage, and they're very fierce, so there's no point trying to sweet-talk them.]

[strikingchords]

[he hesitates; Wei Wuxian can't read his mind, but he catches the cool smooth flow of his thoughts as he thinks it through, an unfamiliar feeling like the progression of water spilled and channeled over perfectly level glass.]







All right.

[laughitoff]

You'll have to come closer.

[strikingchords]

[...he does come closer after another hesitation, slowly; cautious of Wei Wuxian's personal space, but not wary...]

[laughitoff]

[gives him the notes he wants him to whistle; sitting poised and ready to act now; Lan Wangji can feel his mind racing]

[strikingchords]

[he whistles them obediently. could he find Chenqing here, he wonders? he saw the memory of its discovery from the other Wei Wuxian's dream...]

[laughitoff]

[he presses near as Lan Wangji whistles, so close they're nearly overlapping, and intent spirals into the air with the sound, a press of pure willpower and resentful energy carried on the channel of his breath: obey me

the frantic whirl of half-visible ghouls stills, but they immediately start to struggle against the grip]

[strikingchords]

[he instinctively plants himself at Wei Wuxian's "back," natural as breathing, and reaches out to anchor him against the pull. he doesn't have much time to analyze the dynamic because he has to keep whistling, narrowing his eyes in concentration and walking out fearlessly among the ghouls. making Wei Wuxian hang onto them longer than necessary is counterproductive.

he's looking for HEADS or PLACES LIKELY TO CONTAIN HEADS]

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian continues to bear down. the ground is so hard; it is unlikely the skulls can have been buried. the clear paths between the bamboo stands don't contain skulls. so that leaves the stands themselves...]

[strikingchords]

[he takes a heartbeat to judge the landscape and leaps to the highest point around, a wall or ridge if he can find it; getting literally lost in the weeds here will not be useful if he could have spotted something from above. still holding Wei Wuxian in place, immovable as stone]

[laughitoff]

[there: shapes in the stands at the opposite edge of this area that don't belong, too rounded and too pale against the sharp slashes of the bamboo]

[strikingchords]

[jumps down again and heads for them, swiftly]

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian is straining, even as they draw closer to the skulls; a couple of wraiths break loose form the edges and head for Lan Wangji with a shriek]