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[laughitoff]

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[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]

[strikingchords]

[exhales; his next sentences may clarify that...]

How can it be help when you did not desire it? I wished to show I acted wholeheartedly. Could be called self-indulgence.

[in less than three weeks Lan Wangji has repeated the "if you didn't want it, how could I call it something you should be grateful for?" logic several times, now. it may be less pedantry and more a Thing.]

...

I knew you did not desire it. You had asked that I go, as well.

When you were near-recovered, I took you to the foot of the Burial Mounds, and obeyed.

[laughitoff]

[stricken]

And then you went back on your own to take your punishment, is that it?

[strikingchords]

[nods, glancing at him for the first time in a while; seems a little startled at his tone]

[laughitoff]

[he looks sad and sick and angry? what was Lan Wangji even expecting there]

[strikingchords]

[NOT THAT???? tilts towards him unconsciously, deeply concerned]

Wei Ying.

[laughitoff]

I truly don't know what to say.