(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?

Comments

[lightbearinglord]

It takes Lan Wangji a moment to sort out the sentiment he wants to express here. He looks down at their joined hands as he thinks, then back up at Magnus. "I minded that I couldn't understand, but I did not mind listening to you," he says, then. To some extent, he is grateful for Shen Yuan's intervention, but surely the less said about Shen Yuan, the better. If he thinks too much on him, he will remember what Shen Yuan said over Magnus' head knowing that he wouldn't understand it, and he will become irritable again.

[summerdude]

Magnus takes a deep breath. "I, um. Kind of was taking advantage of the translation breakdown. I kind of was telling you that you're a little bit like a father figure to me," he says, all in a rush. "Like, the mythological kind that doesn't suck."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji could not have said what he expected Magnus to have been telling him in the absence of translation, but he knows that this was not it. Startled, he stares at him, for once not entirely certain what his own expression is doing, which leaves it a little softer than usual, a little more open. He knows how complicated Magnus' feelings about his father are. He knows how complicated his feelings about his own father are. If a father is simply an elder, meant to be revered and respected from afar, then Lan Wangji's feelings for Qingheng-jun were appropriate. Anything beyond that is a snarl of fear, anger, and abandonment that sits in one of the quietest and least-explored parts of his heart.

He knows that he can be competent, brisk, and gentle all at once as a teacher and as a senior disciple. Sizhui is special to him in a way that unavoidably recalls the way that he feels about Magnus, but he would not name himself Sizhui's father outside of Wei Ying's jokes on the topic. He hesitates, realizing abruptly that his grip on Magnus' hand has changed, bordering suddenly on crushing. Although he knows Magnus can endure it, he instructs himself to relax. He is faintly embarrassed to feel a certain tightness in his throat. "I am?"

[summerdude]

Magnus nods, once or twice, ending with his chin tucked against his chest. He glances up at Lan Wangji like that, a little sheepish, a little embarrassed. "Is that okay?"

[lightbearinglord]

"Yes," Lan Wangji says, this time without hesitation, because if nothing else, he doesn't want Magnus to be ashamed or afraid. Then he is quiet again, helpless for a moment. "I..." Uncharacteristically, he struggles briefly mid-sentence. He wants to say that he hopes to be worthy of this. He wants to say that he already knows Magnus better, and loves him more, than Qingheng-jun ever knew or loved him. "It is an honor," he manages, once he has his voice under better control.

[summerdude]

"Aw, shucks," Magnus says. He moves Drosera carefully to the side, despite her obvious and rather noisy protests, and flings himself into a big bear hug.

[lightbearinglord]

In fact, this is easier to answer than any of the rest of it. Lan Wangji releases Magnus' hand, but only so he can wrap him up in that hug, indulging himself by squeezing him as tightly as he would like, which is very. If ever he sees Sizhui again -- a briefly horrible thought, because he needs to see Sizhui again one day -- his disciple will be getting quite the surprise when Hanguang-jun immediately sweeps him up into an embrace.

[summerdude]

"So uh anyway," Magnus says, muffled against Lan Wangji's shoulder. "Yeah."

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn," Lan Wangji says, as if in thoughtful agreement with some eloquent sentiment. He holds onto Magnus for a moment longer, and then lets him go, gently disentangling the two of them. This separation is only so that he can think for a moment, focused, and then shake back his sleeves and lift his hands to sign Magnus as he was taught, and then I'm here, just as he asked.

[summerdude]

Oooh, something else to focus on! "Hey, look at that!" Magnus enthuses. "Quick study there, Hanguang-jun."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji gives him a bit of a look, although it's fond. "As are you," he points out.

[summerdude]

It must be said that Magnus's focus right now is zilch. His mind is jumping from thought to thought. He feels, a little, like he's just run a marathon. "How was, uh, the rest of the translation breakdown?" he asks. "For you?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji is more than used to spending time with a person whose thoughts are given to unnecessary acrobatics, so this hardly fazes him. "I could not understand Claudius," he says. Naturally, that was extremely irritating. "Crowley took some advantage of the situation."

[summerdude]

Crowley? Oh, right. "Why?" Magnus asks. "I mean, I can see why you wouldn't understand Claudius. Why did Crowley take advantage?"

[lightbearinglord]

There's a brief pause as Lan Wangji considers the question. The obvious, and true, answer is that Crowley is a demon. Who can possibly say why Crowley does anything that he does? Dryly, he says, "I think it may have been an expression of friendship."

[summerdude]

"Huh." So kind of like Shen Yuan, then? "I don't really know Crowley."

[lightbearinglord]

Admittedly sounding somewhat surprised, Lan Wangji says, "I believe that I do." If nothing else: "His Aziraphale created Xiaoxue and Danding for me." Well, Aziraphale probably wasn't thinking of Lan Wangji particularly when the rabbits were created, but they were still for Lan Wangji.

[summerdude]

"Oh, right!" Magnus says, and barely refrains from saying 'my rabbit brethren.' "I haven't met them yet but Galahad said they're super cute." He's paraphrasing, but the thrust of the message was there.

[lightbearinglord]

"They are." Lan Wangji looks at Drosera. "You are welcome to meet them, but Drosera is not permitted to eat them."

[summerdude]

"Oh, Dro won't touch them," Magnus promises. "Right, Dro?"

She blinks at him slowly. hungry baby mama play?

"Exactly not that," Magnus says, nodding. He glances up at Lan Wangji. "Can we meet them? If she gets used to them now I bet she'll learn that they're off limits really fast."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji takes a moment to eye Drosera from a more assessing point of view. He would prefer not to draw his sword on Magnus' pet, but he is fairly certain he could do so quickly enough to prevent harm to the rabbits if circumstances necessitated it. After that moment has passed, then, he nods and gets to his feet. "I will retrieve them."

[summerdude]

So while Lan Wangji is gone, Magnus eases Drosera into his lap and settles her down with scratches in her favorite places. "You're gonna be meeting your... uncles, I guess?" he murmurs, voice pitched low and soothing. "If you're really nice and you don't scare them or try to eat them, I'll give you a really good treat later."

Drosera wiggles around in his lap, baring her belly, yellow eyes squinting at him. floppy fish??? baby kill?????

"Floppy fish," Magnus confirms. "Just for you, okay? But you have to be nice. Rabbits are off-limits, like squirrels, okay?"

fish baby!!!! Drosera says, kicking one of her back paws against Magnus's leg. Which seems like enough of a promise to him?

[lightbearinglord]

Less than half an incense time later, Lan Wangji returns with an armful of exceptionally small rabbits. Xiaoxue, the more timid of the two, is tucked into the crook of his elbow such that his face is hidden in Lan Wangji's robe; Danding is nestled alongside his brother¹, nose twitching with interest and bright black eyes already on Magnus as they reenter the room. He does stop after a step or two, his own eyes on Drosera.

¹Are two rabbits of the same breed but different coloring, conjured simultaneously out of the same hat by a careless angel, siblings? Who can say?

[summerdude]

"Oh, they're so tiny," Magnus says, eyes huge. He wants to reach out for them, but he keeps a hand steady on Drosera's back and the other gently stroking the feathers of her chest. "See, Dro? They're friends. Family. Like Mothwing! They're also hungry babies, okay? Just like you. Understand?"

To the rabbits, he says, "Hi! I'm Magnus. This is Her Royal Beakiness Princess Drosera Dinosaur Hungry Baby Kitty McBirdface Magnahad the Fluffy-Pawed and Murder-Taloned of Shed Kingdom, First of her Name and Cutest in all the Worlds. I know she might look scary but we come in peace."

[lightbearinglord]

Presumably startled by hearing a human he can actually understand, Xiaoxue peeks his head out. Then he spots Drosera. Oh, no, thank you! His face promptly returns to Lan Wangji's sleeve and its silken safety.

Danding, somewhat more stoic about the situation, twitches his nose at rapid speed and stares with wary interest at the tableau presented to him. Murder-Taloned doesn't sound very peaceful!¹

Lan Wangji, meanwhile, simply maintains his position a few paces away from Magnus and Drosera. Perhaps a slow introduction is best. Namely, one slow enough that Drosera's beak and claws come nowhere near the rabbits on this particular day. He does shift his arms such that he can stroke Xiaoxue's head, however.

¹There's a reasonable chance the rabbits sound British, given their source.