(Almost) Everything Is Comin' Up Chase [closed post]

[summerdude]

Magnus, triumphant, has finally managed to make some old bamboo sprout. With Drosera fed recently enough that she's not complaining of hunger and resting in her new favorite perch (lounging on his shoulder tucked right against his neck, her beak tangled in hair that is once again getting long), he sneaks it into the Mansion, hides it in a large gift-bag a closet gives him, and hangs it on Claudius and Galahad's doorknob with a quickly-jotted note that reads Claudius, What next? - MAGNUS CHASE.

Then, since he's already inside, he figures, why not wander around until he finds someone to talk to?

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[summerdude]

"I want to teach you some sign language."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji looks down at his hands, which are still touching Wangji's strings. Then, again, back to Magnus. He is not certain how adept he will be at this -- he has trained himself to such stillness that he rarely even gestures -- but for Magnus, he is of course willing to try. "That may be useful."

[summerdude]

Magnus thinks about where to start. He makes a face at Lan Wangji. "I'd start with the alphabet, but now I definitely know that we don't have the same one," he says, and tilts his head. "Is there even an alphabet in Chinese? I actually don't know."

[lightbearinglord]

This takes a moment to process, perhaps as an additional function of the translation spell trying to make Magnus' meaning clear to him. "We have characters," Lan Wangji says. "You saw some that day in my calligraphy. There are thousands."

[summerdude]

"In English we have twenty-six letters that combine to form thousands of words," Magnus says. "So 'Magnus' is spelled M-A-G-N-U-S." He finger-spells it as he says it. "With friends and loved ones, you can make up name-signs that combine letters and other signs. Back home my name was M, and the sign for crown." He demonstrates this, and then shifts in to the next sign: "But then when I explained it to Galahad he changed it for me to M, and the sign for sunlight."

[lightbearinglord]

The shift in Lan Wangji's expression is so subtle as to be nearly invisible: a softening around the mouth and the eyes. "That is more appropriate." He copies that final sign. The letter has no particular meaning to him, but is easy to replicate; the gesture that means sunlight is logical and therefore equally easy to reproduce.

[summerdude]

Hanguang-jun is smiling at Magnus's name! Warmth floods through him again. "I've, uh, kind of been using this for you," he says, and demonstrates the sign: his hand, palm out and fingers spread, thumb tapping against his temple and then dragged across his forehead like a ribbon. All in a rush, and demonstrating as he goes, he adds, "And then for Galahad, it's G, plus the signs for flower and choice, and for Laertes, it's L, plus the sign for make. I keep forgetting to give Shen Yuan one so I just use the first Chinese Sign Language word he taught me. This is CSL for eat." He demonstrates it, then switches to the ASL word for eat. "This is 'eat' in the sign language I grew up learning."

[lightbearinglord]

A small part of him wants to be pettily amused that Galahad and Laertes have such thoughtful signs, and that Shen Yuan is relegated to eat, but only a small part. Lan Wangji observes closely as Magnus' hands continue to move, and then copies the sign that Magnus demonstrated for him, skimming his thumb across the fabric of the very forehead ribbon being pantomimed. "I was not aware I had a sign."

[summerdude]

"It's not based on any letter or anything," Magnus says, a little apologetically. "But name signs don't have to be based on letters or specific signs, and that felt right." He will not be admitting that he realized one day he'd been using it for some amount of time without even being aware he'd given Hanguang-jun a sign! Or that its base sign is dad! Magnus is pretty sure he, himself, is the only person who uses it. Galahad definitely knows what the sign means, though, even though Magnus hasn't specifically told him, but Galahad also knows pretty much everything there is to know about Magnus just from being observant and thoughtful.

[lightbearinglord]

Considering that Lan Wangji's own language does not have the letters Magnus is using, it makes perfect sense to him that the sign for him would not use one of said letters. They are not at the Cloud Recesses; he is the only person here who wears a forehead ribbon. He repeats it again, and then the sign for Magnus' name. The gestures come more easily than he anticipated they might when he focuses on the meaning, like fingering positions on the qin that translate into chords.

[summerdude]

Oh. Magnus hadn't expected the total wave of feelings to crest over him at the sight of something that could easily be interpreted as Lan Wangji signing Magnus's dad but with an extra spicy flourish that makes it clear it's him who holds that role. He swallows, hard. "What do you most want to know how to say?" he asks, voice a little hoarse.

[lightbearinglord]

There is silence as Lan Wangji thinks about his response, returning both hands to his qin for now. The strings vibrate just lightly under his fingers, then settle. Names are useful, and endearing, but they can translate across languages in a way that most other words and phrases cannot. "I would like to know if someone is asking me for help. And I would like to know how to say I'm here in answer."

[summerdude]

"Okay," says Magnus. "I mean, the word for help is"-- he holds out one hand, flat, and puts his other hand in a fist with his thumb up, thumping the fist against his flat hand. "And helpless is," and he curls his lip, making a face as he brings his partially-curled hands up and down in an arc in front of him, fingers straight and separated. "The facial expression is part of the sign," he explains, and purses his lips. He hadn't really taught help to anyone here specifically, and now he's wondering why. "But you should also know that I taught Claudius and Galahad overwhelmed first," and then he walks Lan Wangji through the variations they both know: overwhelmed (positive), overwhelmed (negative), and too much.

Cognizant, thanks to Little John, of the fact that he tends to say too much at once, Magnus stops there, waiting to make sure Lan Wangji is still with him.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji watches all of these intently, committing them to memory. He lifts his hands again to recreate the sign Magnus demonstrated for help, to be certain that he knows it, and then pauses. There's something bordering on embarrassment at the edges of his voice as he says, "If facial expressions are important for this, that will be... difficult for me."

[summerdude]

"Will they?" Magnus asks, genuinely curious. He finds Lan Wangji pretty easy to read.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji gives Magnus a skeptical glance, in the form of both eyebrows quirking barely upward. "You have seen me. Most presume me cold and unfeeling because of my expression."

[summerdude]

Personally, Magnus is of the opinion that Lan Wangji is a warm and open kind of dude -- like, for example, his skepticism is written clearly all over his face right now -- and doesn't think much of people who don't give themselves the time to recognize that. "Huh," he says, doubtfully. He does recognize that, as with Galahad, Lan Wangji's facial expressions tend to be a little smaller, though, so he says, "Maybe Galahad might have advice, if you're worried about it," he says. "But I think you'll do alright."

[lightbearinglord]

This claim is difficult for Lan Wangji to believe, but he will not argue with Magnus. "Mn," he concedes. "How would I say Claudius' name?"

[summerdude]

"I don't know if he and Galahad have picked something," Magnus says, thoughtfully. "I can check. Mostly I just sign Hi, C."

[lightbearinglord]

"I will ask Claudius." There is no reason to give Magnus another task on Lan Wangji's behalf. "What else?"

[summerdude]

"You wanted to be able to say 'I'm here,'" Magnus says, and shows Lan Wangji the sign for I and the sign for here -- both the two-handed version and the single-handed version.

[lightbearinglord]

Immediately very focused, Lan Wangji repeats all of these signs, once and then again. This one is important to him. If he could say only one phrase to Wei Ying ever again, this might well be that phrase.

[summerdude]

At that point, Drosera decides she's done with Magnus waving his hands in her face; she bonks him with her closed beak. He immediately stops and strokes it, looking down fondly at her. "What's up, Hungry Baby?"

mama play??

Good thing Magnus brought toys! He takes one out of his backpack -- a little stuffed mouse. He dangles it, then tosses it so that she can stumble after it.

"You didn't give me The Talk early enough, Hanguang-jun," he jokes, and then blinks at himself. What the heck are you doing, bringing this up again, Chase... Oh well, he's pushed this sled down this hill, there's no stopping it now! "I ended up with a child."

[lightbearinglord]

With interest, Lan Wangji watches Magnus' interaction with Drosera. This occupies enough of his attention that a moment passes before he recalls the entirety of their ill-fated conversation in the kitchen. He shoots Magnus a single glance of tempered horror and then, with as much composure as he can, says, "Perhaps if I had known about condoms, I would have."

[summerdude]

Magnus stares at Lan Wangji for a moment and then splutters into laughter. "Dude," he says, appreciatively. "You're good at the, like, sniper dad jokes." Oh, gods, did he really say that? Okay, don't give any indication that you meant anything by it, Magnus! Totally casual conversation with an adult-shaped adult friend happening here, that's all!