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[duplicitous_dimples]

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action; coincidentally just after his talk with jin ling

[equivocations]

[ It's such a little thing, really. He'd been shopping at the little farmer's market nearby, picking up vegetables and fruit and delighting in finding new things to try, when he'd come across a vendor that sold both fine teas and the plants that were used to make them, all native to Noctium.

There'd been something about the vendor's smile that reminded him of the owner of a tiny shop that Lan Xichen and Meng Yao had come across when they were in hiding, the one who'd traded a hot meal and a bag of tea for some help around the shop. Lan Xichen had mostly lifted things up and down, stacking and moving things around, but he still remembers her kindness, and he still remembers how he and Meng Yao had enjoyed the tea later, huddled together.

It's one of the slowly growing number of things that Lan Xichen believes with certainty was real, the hundreds of tiny moments that had kept him sane while they were in hiding. Even now, even after everything, he believes in the depth of the bond that they had formed during that time.

The vendor had offered him a set - a pot with two seedlings, and a box of tea made from their flowers. The tea smelt lovely, grassy and floral with faint hints of cinnamon and hibiscus and mint. Though the small pot it came with only held two little green sprouts, the examples of a fully grown white cap and cinder flower were equally lovely - the one with pure white petals, silky soft to the touch, and the other with orangey red blooms that glow with a warm, soothing light that the vendor called bioluminescence.

He'd boughten them right then, and he'd only stopped at his home long enough to put away his other purchases before he headed over to see Jin Guangyao. Balancing the tea and plant in one hand, he knocks on the door to his room with the other. ]

A-Yao, are you in?

[duplicitous_dimples]

[The knocking comes not long after his return.

While it would be a lie to claim he does not remember how he made his way home - his flawless memory is no secret, especially to himself - he does feel as though he went through the motions in a fog, not fully present in any of the actions that his body so convincingly performed. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, the way his mind assumed maintenance of his actions and projected capability and collectedness while his heart sulked into a corner to nurse its wounds.

It mutters bitter reminders, somewhere unseen and safe, and always, always alone. He actively slashes at that pathetic and resilient piece of himself, that dares to hope and never learns, and never dies.

Since his arrival, Jin Guangyao has done little more than sit at his small desk and stare at the paperwork on its surface as he compartmentalized, his mind moving to the comfortable task of planning based on what he now knows. His relationship with Jin Ling may not mend, but his determination to care for the boy had not waivered, even with the deep and empty ache he now added to the maw in his chest. At least he can formulate a clear system to handle his nephew's presence in Noctium - working as a benefactor, remaining subtle and anonymous. It would be easy enough.

The sound at his door startles him, his gaze snapping towards it - though the sound of Lan Xichen's voice quickly eases the sudden tension from his muscles. Though visitors are rare, he hardly wanted to see anyone at the moment...of course, his sword brother remains an exception, even now. Or especially now, he isn't sure.

He stands and makes a silent approach, gripping the handle hesitantly while resting his other hand against the surface of of the door. He leans against it, pressing his forehead into the wood and taking a deep, careful breath - feeling for the gentle synchrony he can already sense on the other side, the positive and benign emotions there brushing his scorched edges like cool water.]

Yes, Er-ge, I'm here.

[His answer is quiet, but there is a smile on his lips as he opens the door, the soft and small version of the expression that exists only for the Lan Sect leader. He dips to his customary height, though pulls himself up from it quickly when he notices that the other man's hands are occupied by the box, and two small plants that make his eyes widen with genuine delight and curiosity. His voice brightens a bit.]

Please, come in. I must admit this is a welcome surprise.