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[laughitoff]

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[laughitoff]

[settles quietly beside him; at least this removes the temptation to look at Lan Wangji’s back some more]

[strikingchords]

[just two guys, sitting in the hot tub six inches apart and holding hands because they're not gay

he lets the silence stretch a little. Wei Wuxian seems to be working through some stuff]

[laughitoff]

You weren’t healed by the time you came here.

[strikingchords]

[shakes his head slightly]

Years from it.

[laughitoff]

Would you allow healing, if exorcism reopened them?

[strikingchords]

[... shakes his head again, though with slightly more hesitation...]

[laughitoff]

[...droops...]

Oh.

[strikingchords]

[...

reaches to pet his damp droopy ears...

gently]

Cannot justify it. It was earned.

...

In a world of wishes. Would appreciate friends visiting.

[laughitoff]

You don't deserve punishment like that, in any world.

[strikingchords]

Earned worse. My clan was careful.

[what little tone is in his voice reads as philosophical, perhaps a little rueful, sincere; he's reconciled to this, but not what happened to Wei Wuxian, apparently. still petting]

...

It was not exactly because of helping you.

[laughitoff]

...then what...?

[strikingchords]

...

I had sworn to tell you properly.

May I ask what you remember?

[laughitoff]

...

I remember up to the moment I put the Tiger Seal together. I remember Shijie dying.

Then I remember...waking up at the Burial Mounds.

[strikingchords]

...

[makes a little acknowledging noise...

soft and thoughtful, taking his time to put his words together clearly]

I know not whether you released the seal, or no corpses were left that it could control. But, the attack stopped at last.

I searched for you, while I knew the spiritual energy of most had been depleted. When you were found, I fled by sword for the mountains near Yiling.

[laughitoff]

[dully]

You ran off with me instead of letting me get killed there.

[strikingchords]

Mm. Your condition was severe.

...

Knew my brother would guess my actions. And, have known since the return of Wen Qionglin's senses that your spiritual energy is impaired. Thus, I hid us behind stone. It might buy time for me to return us both to full strength, before we were found.

[laughitoff]

[well that's a lot of staggering sentences one after the other; struggles to swallow them for a minute, visibly]

...you were found too soon.

[strikingchords]

Less than three days.

[laughitoff]

Yet, I didn't wake up in Gusu.

[strikingchords]

No. My brother and uncle came with thirty-three elders of the Lans and bade me give you over and return. I beat each until they declined to insist further.

It was for this reason that I was punished, after.

[laughitoff]

[jerks in absolute shock]

...

[strikingchords]

[closes his eyes and waits patiently]

[laughitoff]

...


How does that differ from helping me?

[strikingchords]

...

I do not regret my actions. However, they were my choice. Might have acted differently, even for the same goal.

But, it was how it was.

[laughitoff]

[on the one hand that absolutely reads like pedantry to him, on the other he doesn't really want to get into a fight about this

just...shakes his head]