summerdude: fanart by green446005 (alex is a bird <3)
Magnus Chase ([personal profile] summerdude) wrote2024-11-02 01:06 am

Perhaps Instead Of A Homeless Teen I Shoulda Been A 19th Century Newsboy, Given All These Headlines

It's been a big few days in general, and this day, specifically, has also been pretty big, and so Magnus does the number two thing that reliably lets him reach a place where he feels more grounded: he goes to Hanguang-jun's parlor at a time when Hanguang-jun is also there playing music. (Number one, of course, is burying his face against Alex's belly and groaning. Number three, embarrassingly, is still finding a summery spot outside and praying to his dad.)

This time, he has a stack of comic books to go through -- he wants to start making tailored recommendation lists, for Tally and Lancelot (who he's made general recommendations to), but also for Galahad and Sagramore and Sunny and Hanguang-jun and Gideon and Shen Yuan and Gu Xiang and Tress and Nina. So he lays on the ground for a while, paging through issues while Hanguang-jun quietly picks out a tune on his qin and Danding nibbles his hair.

But after about half an hour, he's still got excitement and overstimulation brimming through his veins, so he sets Sensational She-Hulk #39 to one side (it's definitely going on Lancelot's list, probably also Tally's, possibly also Gideon's), twists his head, and waits for a lull in the music. When it comes, he says, "Hanguang-jun? I have... stuff. Not crisisy stuff. Mostly good stuff, and also... some questionsy stuff."
lightbearinglord: (moonlight)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Lan Wangji frowns back down at him, although of course the expression is more muted on his face. "But?"
lightbearinglord: (quiet time)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
"You are allowed to speak your mind with me."
lightbearinglord: (curtain)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
Lan Wangji cups the side of Magnus' head for a moment, studying his face. "How can I help?"
lightbearinglord: (at an angle)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 08:13 am (UTC)(link)
Lan Wangji, watching Magnus, plucks the rabbit in question neatly up with both hands and sets him aside. This is offensive enough that Danding wanders off in search of something else to inappropriately chew. "All right," he says, just as quiet.
lightbearinglord: (inner monologuing)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 02:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"An apology would still mean something to Claudius. But I cannot imagine that it is forthcoming." Lan Wangji watches as Danding irritates Xiaoxue out of his nap. "Galahad and I both know that if it came to a fight, Luo Binghe could and very well might kill either one of us. And he told me that he refrains from fighting me only because it might be upsetting to others here."
lightbearinglord: (umbrella ella ella)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
With Danding out of the way, Lan Wangji smooths Magnus' hair anew, setting it to rights after it has been used as a rabbit chew toy for such an extended period. He doesn't like to think that there are truly irredeemable men in the world. He is not certain he does think that, even after all that he has seen. But he does think that there are men whose cruelty forces choices, and whose childish hunger to hold onto power cannot be indulged.

"It is not easy," he agrees. "It was not easy for Sagramore, either. But he knew that it was not worth letting Claudius continue to feel the pain of knowing that someone he loved did not see the suffering he endured as worthy of taking a stand."
lightbearinglord: (sparkly)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"I want him to hurt no one ever again. But I don't see a path to trusting that he will not." Lan Wangji thinks again of Claudius' face that day in the library. All of that as repayment for a kiss gone awry and a handful of well-chosen words of unkindness. "Luo Binghe is accustomed to ruling an empire, and he chose to torture and threaten a man much weaker and more vulnerable than him solely because he was insulted. If he sees the magnitude of an insult as equal to the magnitude of unbearable, inescapable pain, then he is not going to find that path within my lifetime. Certainly not within Claudius'."
lightbearinglord: (pensive with bunny)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-06 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
"I am saying that relying on Luo Binghe to provide that safety is not the right kind of stand to take. He is volatile and mercurial. If safety no longer suits him, its beneficiaries will become vulnerable again." He does glance back down at Magnus, catching the searching nature of his expression. "We will have safety that does not rely on placating a cruel man thanks to Claudius."
lightbearinglord: (over the shoulder)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-07 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
"I imagine Luo Binghe did not offer to take back his continued threats toward Claudius." Lan Wangji does pause, though, weighing it. Does he consider the offer of that information a gesture of good faith? It is hard to conceive of it as such; uncharitably, he can only presume that Luo Binghe did it because he is weary of the persistent mild social consequences of what he did. But he can hardly be certain of that or advise Magnus as if it is undeniably true. Luo Binghe is always caustic and unpleasant with him, calling him arrogant and pampered, as if they have wronged one another equally when Luo Binghe harmed his closest friend in a way that will follow him forever and Lan Wangji did no worse than disliking him and spilling his sugar. Perhaps he is kinder with others, as difficult as it is to picture that, but the duplicity in that does not speak particularly well of him, either. "It is not enough for me, and I suspect it is not enough for Claudius. If it is enough for you, that is your decision, but Claudius will be hurt by that decision."
lightbearinglord: (quiet time)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-07 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
"No," Lan Wangji says, almost gentle with it. There are two phrases that must be said in one's life: thank you and I'm sorry. He can imagine Luo Binghe saying neither. "As I said. It is not enough."
lightbearinglord: (moonlight)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-07 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
"I know." Lan Wangji catches his hand for a moment and squeezes it before letting go of it again.
lightbearinglord: (at an angle)

[personal profile] lightbearinglord 2024-11-07 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Magnus does tend to worry; Lan Wangji knows that already. "I know," he repeats, gentle again. "You want everything to be well."

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