vestigenet | text | @lan.wangji

They will relent, eventually.

( stumble upon boredom and find a new hobby. he sure hopes so, anyway. )

[ Oh. Well, that's no good. Although her curiosity is piqued, she resists any urge to ask about the details. It's not her business, after all - but it still doesn't suit her to leave a problem be, even when it doesn't affect her. ]

I suppose that's true. Most people seem to lose interest if they don't get a reaction.

[ Which she's learned firsthand in ways she'd rather not have. Her situation back then was perhaps more dire, however, than she'd assume this one to be, and she's careful not to let her own experiences cloud her perspective. ]

If you haven't already talked to them about why you don't want to hear from them, that could be worth trying.
Not everyone is willing to listen, but if you don't tell them what's wrong they might never realize it on their own.

( another pure cinnamon roll ;; lan wangji unfortunately wouldn't divulge much at all unless he was ready to die. of embarrassment. )

Your advice, heeded. You have my gratitude. ( even if said advice can't really be applied in this particular case, her kindness and willingness to help is appreciated nonetheless. )

[ Unaccustomed to having gratitude expressed in her direction, Naminé has to ignore the reflex to thank him back. For what, for-- listening? Instead, ]

I'm sorry that that was all I could give you.
I've never noticed a function like the one you were asking about.

[ Despite her private decision not to pry, Naminé hesitates to leave it at that. If this fellow is the Lan Wangji she's heard about - and she assumes he is - then at least a few of his relationships are with people she knows. And since he seems to be having a disagreement with someone, well-- she doesn't like even considering the idea that he might be having a tiff with any of them, as unlikely as it seems. ]

Since we're all here together, it's important to help each other as much as we can.
I know it might not be my place to say so, but I hope you aren't having a fight with a friend.

[ Because that'd be really sad. :c ]

Nothing so dire.

( unless she means jiang wanyin, then they'll probably forever be at each other's throats, but. it's another kind of problem, this time, and it doesn't involve any of the people he cares for. grateful for small mercies! )

Please, ease your mind.

[ If she's happened upon the two of them having it out in the comments section somewhere in the past, she doesn't mention it directly. This might, however, merely be the result of politeness. As for right now, ]

I'm relieved to hear that it's not that serious.

[ Really, she is. But then she starts second-guessing whether that might sound strange; just because she genuinely cares about other peoples' problems doesn't mean it won't seem odd to them. So maybe she ought to come clean about something else, then; ]

If it's alright for me to ask
Is Wei Wuxian one of your friends?

( lan wangji is all about politeness. on the surface, anyway--re: jiang wanyin--though he does appreciate genuine kindness, propriety and all that. but not everyone deserves the same amounts.

this one’s curiosity is hardly misplaced. it doesn’t feel that way, though the question takes him a little aback nonetheless. is he? it’s a complicated question and a loaded answer, but simply put... )

Yes. ( they are friends. ) Are you? ( wei wuxian's friend? )

[ In Naminé's case, politeness is a survival mechanism; she learned a long time ago to avoid making people angry at (nearly) all costs. Her answer, therefore, is complex only in that she hesitates to use the word 'friend' without proper permission; ]

We've spoken before. He was kind to me and told me stories about some things that happened in your world.

[ Which she was super interested in, actually, but the point is-- ]

He mentioned your name, so when I saw it on the network I wondered if you were the same person.

( kind… he is that. and so much more. the smile he smiles is both fond and nostalgic, and luckily, no one’s around to witness it. )

Wei Ying has mastered storytelling long ago.

Honored to make your acquaintance.

He did seem to be really good at it.
He was very funny and I smiled a lot more than I expected to.

[ And goodness knows this kid needs that. She just needs some good solid story-time in general, honestly, to take her mind off the murder-pit they're trapped in. ]

It's an honor to meet you, too.
I hoped I'd get the chance.

[ Enough so that it takes her a slightly flustered second to remember to add, ]

My name is Naminé.
Since I know yours, it's only fair that I should tell you mine.

[ If he cares to hear it, anyway. ]

Naminé. Your name and your kindness, never to be forgotten. Should you need anything, you need only ask.

[ -- Ah. The notion of being remembered is pleasant in a way she can neither parse nor dares explain the reasoning for, but it puts a smile on her face nonetheless. ]

You're very generous to say so.
I'll remember, but I'd hate to cause you any trouble, especially since I wasn't able to help you before.
And actually, there's already something else that I should thank you for.

[ Strictly speaking, aside from her desire to help, that was the biggest reason to seek him out; her curiosity alone would have felt like a poor excuse. ]

Wei Wuxian told me that you're the one who's raised Sizhui for several years.
Is that right?

No trouble. We should strive to assist each other.

( especially in a place such as this, caged like animals.
as for naminé's question... )

Sizhui is indeed family. ( and there's really no other way to put it. )

Why do you ask?

Because he saved my life.

[ Sure, that might not mean as much here where dying can be done more than once, but still. ]

Back when all of us first got here, he protected me from a monster that was trying to hurt me.
Wei Wuxian said that you're the one who raised him to be so strong and polite.
That means I owe you my gratitude too.

( ........oh. please do excuse him while he's having a moment.

okay. okay. he's good. )

Nothing owed. Both his strength and kindness, present long before I came into his life. Perhaps he has taught me more than I have taught him.

Wei Ying is no stranger to his upbringing. ( aka, he helped raise him first. before he no longer could. )

[ Fortunately Naminé is patient enough to withstand a momentary delay - whether it makes her wonder if she's said something amiss or not. The response seems to imply that she didn't; smiling to herself, ]

I can believe that. He does seem to come by it naturally.
But even someone who is that way can learn a lot from a good home.

[ Mentally she can never quite avoid making the comparison to Sora - though that's neither here nor there. If their teaching really was mutual, ]

In that case, I'm glad that you were able to look after each other.

[ And ah, he's quite willing to share the recognition. Finding that admirable, ]

It did sound that way. Still, Wei Wuxian seemed to give you a lot of the credit.
I guess it must have been strange for him for his son to have grown so much since the last time they met.
After that many years have passed it's probably like meeting a new person entirely.

text | @lan.wangji

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