[OOM] Cold Compromise

[thesecondjade]

Once he was through the wood, trees gave way to thick bamboo stalks, and then to the coolness of Cloud Recesses. It was the ideal return, honestly; he could quickly strip and soak himself to regain his control. With the freezing waters keeping him from feeling hot shame breathing against his neck, he can find calm. It's hard to focus on literally anything except one's body when one is chest deep in icy waters.

It was only after he had forced himself into a state of calm that he felt like he was fully back in control. Wei Ying knew now: that was ultimately meanginessly. Lan Zhan never expected him to ever look his way. What would he do? Be the qidi to Lan Zhan's qixiong? Foolishness. Wei Ying asked for his friendship with one hand and spurned it with another. There was something deeply wrong with him, besides.

Something that Lan Zhan cannot mend. Hopelessness settles in his belly like ice, but it's hard to care when the rest of him is already so very cold.

Eventually, he dried himself off and dressed, picking his way up the hill a bit to seat himself among the rabbits.

"Have a word with Tu'er Shen, and ask him to spare me some kindness," he said to one rabbit, stroking it's ears. "Make Wei Ying forget me, and let my heart go."

The rabbit just nibbled on grass from his hand, and both sat in silence as the sun chased the western horizon.

Comments

[reachforblueskies]

"Yunmeng Jiang has disowned him, Lanling Jin considers him a criminal, and Qinghe Nie has shown no interest in bringing him into their fold. You must convince him, Wangji - if he is ill, he will need the aid."

There is an underlying warning to his argument - if Wei Wuxian has not been accepted by Lan Clan prior to everything coming to a head, if there isn't some proof that he is returning to the fold, there will be very little any one person can do.

[thesecondjade]

"I will not force someone I love against their will," Lan Zhan says, eyes flat and a drone. There is no feeling, just the shut down of someone who hurts too much to let himself feel anything else past this moment. His heart his heavy for it. "He will not come. He does not listen. He fears losing himself to the ferrule and the whip. If uncle will make me kneel for seeing him, is that an unreasonable fear?"

He turned, back gone rigid, and bowed. "I will leave first."

Then he headed for the path, hand a fight fist at his back, the other tight on Bichen's sheath.

[reachforblueskies]

Lan Xichen sighs. He wants to call after his brother, hug him as he hasn't since they were both children, ease that line of heartbreak.

But his shackles tug, and instead he watches Lan Wangji walk away, to face his demons alone.