[sidereal - the dreaming]

[laughitoff]

[for MDZS AU plot-related shenanigans]

Comments

[strikingchords]

[...

he frowns and retrieves his guqin and the spirit-trapping pouch with the couple in it. his arm is already less painful, fortunately; without having to worry about Wei Wuxian in his head temporarily he's healing himself as fast as he can.

Are these yours as well? What are they?]

[laughitoff]

[no is the first answer. when they try to answer the second his guqin just

goes dead

like it still looks fine and it's working as it should but the notes just stop and his vision goes bad when he tries to sightread from the strings]

[strikingchords]

[...frowns deeper

Why can't you answer?]

[laughitoff]

[this is not your dream

this is not your nightmare]

[strikingchords]

[...goes very still...]

[laughitoff]

[the couple rests on the last string they landed on, quivering. Wei Wuxian has long since turned away to scan the tunnels]

[strikingchords]

[My thanks. Which way?

he'll put everything away again and stand up once they've answered, if they can.]

[laughitoff]

[our heads lie west]

[strikingchords]

[all right.

after finishing up with the couple he moves over to where Wei Wuxian is, and kneels down]

Wei Ying.

[...

extends a hand palm-up to him, a convenient stepping stone]

[laughitoff]

[looks at him for a very long time through that one expressionless paper eye, before stepping on]

[strikingchords]

[brings him up to eye level so they can look at each other better. gravely, after another pause to sort through his words]

I was unclear.

[laughitoff]

[folds his tiny paper arms and turns away again

no talk me im angy]

[strikingchords]

[i should not be thinking "no that's cute" in this situation but there it is, my taste is terrible. softens a little]

I will try once more, by your leave.

[laughitoff]

[. . .





peeks back over his own shoulder, just a little]

[strikingchords]

[looks at him, the flicker of amusement fallen away again but the invisible-from-the-outside warmth still present. it takes him a minute, finding and bringing the words very carefully to place between them, as if from a great distance]

I prefer to be here if you are.

[laughitoff]

[makes a tiny angry jabbing gesture at his head, his hurt arm, his ribs]

[strikingchords]

[...

rests a fingertip from his other hand on his paper head so-delicately for a moment to stop him gesturing]

Wei Ying.

[laughitoff]

[pokes his finger fussily instead]

[strikingchords]

[a touch dry, but the corners of his eyes are still unexpectedly soft. doesn't poke back, but leaves his finger there.]

...

...

Does one hundred steps laugh at fifty steps?

[laughitoff]

[flops over like a tiny fainting goat]

[strikingchords]

[repeating himself, very gentle, shifting to cradle the stupid collapsed paperman in both hands around chest level - he can look down at its face easily from that angle]

I prefer to be here if you are.

[laughitoff]

[rolls around in his hands! fuss, fuss]

[strikingchords]

[puts a fingertip softly on his tiny paper chest to still him again. this is important. listen.]

Wei Ying. Do you understand?

[laughitoff]

[wiggles, and then shakes his head]

[strikingchords]

[his brows knit; in context it is possible even for someone not familiar with Lan Wangji's blank face to guess that he is thinking hard of how to explain better.

finally, slowly, the words trickling back in an echo from not very long ago]

When I did not stay.

I was wrong.