Archive of Our Own

Planting Seeds of Insecurities

The tail was difficult to maneuver in tandem with A-Ying’s little legs kicking through the warm, flowering pools interspersed throughout the connecting bridges of Lotus Pier, and no doubt it would be more cumbersome as he grew with age, but it didn’t seem to hinder his enthusiasm. A-Ying was a cheerful child, now of nine, far removed from the fearful little kit of eight that arrived in Yunmeng, clutching at Jiang Fengmian’s robes so tightly four months ago. The Sect Leader was beyond pleased to see Wei Ying swimming carefree with his own son, A-Cheng, laughter loud and clear in the pre-dusk sunshine. A-Ying playfully flicked his water-logged tail towards A-Cheng’s webbed feet as he swam past, but it couldn’t slow the young koi down.

His son enjoyed being able to teach the older boy how to swim, but he seemed to enjoy beating him in racing more. “Careful not to leave the shallows, boys.”

“What’s that brat doing in our estate ponds?” A familiar hiss questioned behind Jiang Fengmian; a hiss from someone that used to sound so alluring, but was slowly becoming grating. “We’re to host guests with wet fur dirtying the walkways? Choking the stupid fish, who’s only purpose is to be a pretty sight for said guests?”

Yu Ziyuan and her equally venomous ladies, Yinzhu and Jinzhu, stood just feet away with distaste twisting their faces. “It’s nearly dinner, yet our son is wasting time with a serving boy?”

“A-Ying will not be training with the new staff members,” Jiang Fengmian felt his teeth ache from constantly clenching in his wife’s presence. “He will be training as a disciple with his age-mates next week.”

“Is this some jape?”

“Forgive me, my Lady, for not making my intentions clearer when I adopted A-Ying into the Sect-.”

“Adopt,” she interrupted. “Is that the word you wish to use?”

Jiang Fengmian heard his own jaw creak, before slowly breathing out to respond, “I feel I have already explained my feelings on A-Ying’s placement in our home.”

“Yes,” Yu Ziyuan hissed again, but this time louder. “And I feel that I have explained my feelings on where the servants’ placement should be.

“In our home.”

The children were no longer laughing. Jiang Fengmian’s smile was gone. The sun had disappeared with Yu Ziyuan’s final word… but he would have his.

With a hard, censuring look to the woman he married, the Sect Leader addressed the children without looking away from her burning gaze, “A-Cheng! Your mother isn’t feeling well and has decided to take dinner in her rooms’.”

“You dare-!”

Finally turning away, cutting her off, he forced a peaceful smile to his lips and approached the dripping boys, “Why don’t you two dry off while I fetch your sister? We can go to the night market for some sweets after we take our meal on the east pier; we shouldn’t waste our first clear night of spring indoors.”

Jiang Fengmian could see his distraction didn’t exactly cheer up A-Ying and A-cheng, but he would certainly do his best to change that before seeing them off to bed. Yu Ziyuan would not crush A-Ying’s spirit as long as he was around.

***

“I’m so sorry, didi!”

Lan Zhan curled his long tail over his sore snout, trying his best not to let any whimpers of pain escape. He knew his brother didn’t mean to sit on him; he didn’t want him to feel bad over an accident. It still hurt though.

“You’re so small in your second skin, I didn’t properly look out for you,” Huan-ge sounded so regretful. Lan Zhan couldn’t stand to hear that.

With a small shake of his scaly head, Lan Zhan ignored the dulling pain in his nose to unwind and wrap around the older boy’s neck to nuzzle under his ear in silent reassurance. He never spoke much in his first skin, so Huan-ge knew this gesture of physical affection was all the acceptance he’d receive.

After some time simply just holding each other, the distant ringing of the dinner bell reminded both of the late hour, but instead of placing Lan Zhan on the ground to shift back, Huan-ge cradled him in one arm while picking up his robes in the other, and began the trek up to Uncle’s rooms from the Cold Springs.

“Once you begin cultivation, one of the first lessons will be how to shift while wearing your clothes,” Huan-ge informed him whilst tucking the expensive silk like an oversized blanket. “When I first learned the technique, Master Qiaolian had us change into, what he called, practice robes. At first, Rou-xiong and I were confused as to why the robes were covered in visible stitching and a patch-work of different fabric, but then we shifted!”

Lan Zhan felt Huan-ge’s giggles puff warmly against his small horns before he continued, “My first attempt was, as anticipated, a failure. I shrunk down to the floor and the robe piled on top of me, but when I crawled out, I saw Rou-xiong had exploded all of his seams! Only Rou-xiong’s furry brown ears are prominent in his first skin, so I’d wrongly assumed he took after his father,
a dog-shifter. It turns out he takes after his mother, a bear!”

Huan-ge continued to amuse Lan Zhan with stories about his new lessons all the way up the trail, barely registering their surroundings as they were so familiar with the path. The brothers could navigate the way in the dark to their Uncle’s room’s better then they could to their father’s in broad daylight. With that thought, Lan Zhan really only felt a slight sting of hurt. Though free to seek out their father’s company as compared to the limited access to their mother, he never reached out himself. Qingheng-Jun could only spare his heirs the occasional shallow questions, and one instance of a gentle pat to the crown of their heads’ for New Years. During these visits, inevitably, his familiar, melancholic air would soon consume the atmosphere. Lan Zhan used to not understand how his somber father could suddenly be so consumed by sadness,
but a comment from Huan-ge finally clued him in. Huan-ge said he looked like mother.

“Huan, there you are. Where is A-Zhan?” Uncle beckoned from the steps of the porch. “Ah, I see. Come in and place your brother behind my privacy screen.”

As Huan-ge set him down on the cold hard-wood, Lan Zhan took in the scent of Hui flowers. The incense was a delicate fragrance, so as to not interfere with the taste of their meal, and Lan Zhan felt comforted after thinking of his parents.

He heard Uncle and Huan-ge setting out their dishes as he began to quickly pull on his robes and try to gather his hair up into a simple bun, but loose strands kept falling out from the back. It was growing so fast, unlike his second skin.

As if reading his mind, Uncle spoke, “I’m surprised you’ve not grown longer since the last I’ve seen you shift, A-Zhan. Huan was nearly five inches bigger than you at your age.”

“He’ll have his growth-spurt soon,” Huan-ge kindly added once he saw Lan Zhan emerge from behind the screen with burning ears. “Here, didi, the cooks brought your favorite mushrooms.”

“I didn’t mean to tease, A-Zhan.”

Lan Zhan nodded, knowing no offense was intended. Uncle gave a small pet to his shoulder as he kneeled to eat beside him, and the aroma from the food overpowered the incense. Uncle himself was quite large when shifted; almost twenty-seven feet. Haun-ge was just about five. Surely Lan Zhan would become comparable to them with time.

***

Blooming and Withering

Wei Ying hesitated before entering into the cold pond, tan toes barely touching the water’s edge.

Why was he hesitating?

For all the months that the Second Jade of Lan had known the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang, he had only seen him doubt himself once, and that was in regard to speaking to his Uncle and brother the first night before the lectures. Not that Lan Wangji wanted Wei Ying to be anywhere near him at the moment, but the very sight caused him to pause in… concern? Wei Ying’s ears were flat to his head, almost blending in with his black hair, and his eyes were distantly staring into the clear pool.

The silence was oddly uncomfortable for Lan Wangji; he hadn’t realized how much he’d grown used to the other boy’s ceaseless tangents and humming and grumblings. They’d become a type of expected ambiance whenever in his presence, like the wind chimes in the courtyard, or the birdsong in the trees.

It was disgraceful how startled Lan Wangji became once Wei Ying finally burst into motion.
He twirled in a flurry of fabric, flinging off his outer robe too quickly to process, but before Lan Wangji could reprimand him for unexpectedly stripping, Wei Ying grabbed ahold of the tip of his voluminous tail, and started to twist the robe around the fur. A little, satisfied smile spread familiarly across his face as he finished tying a little knot at the base of the robe, and then Wei Ying splashed merrily towards a still stiff Lan Wangji.

Before Lan Zhan could even ask what that moment even was, Wei Ying started… flirting with him. Drawing closer. Attempting to undress even more.

It was time to leave.

The Cold Pond thought differently.

The two boys were sucked into a narrow passage-way beneath the rock-bed, water streaming powerfully all around, until they suddenly weren’t submerged, but gasping wetly, sliding against hard ice into a freezing, underground stream.

In all of Lan Wangji’s life, he’d never seen this cave, let alone known of its existence. It wasn’t very spacious, where they were standing at least, but he could see a wide entrance to what he could perceive to be a larger cavern illuminated by… candles?

“Lan Zhan, where are we?”

How could this chaotic boy look so ridiculous, yet simultaneously so beautiful? Wei Ying’s teeth were chattering even more than they did above ground, hair and tail sopping and tangled as shivers wracked his thin frame. Water droplets clung like shining jewels from his eyelashes and some slow-dripped down chilled-pink cheeks. The thin cotton robes clung to Wei Ying, fabric soaked and dimpled, but still revealing his lithe, strong frame.

Lan Zhan should never have seen the curve of Wei Ying’s biceps. Lan Zhan should never have known how Wei Ying’s chest tapered to his waist. Lan Zhan should never know that this was what Wei looks like; he shouldn’t see, but he can’t look away.

“Lan Zhan!”

He deserves admonishment. Lan Zhan snapped his hormonal gaze from going any further, fully ready and willing to hear Wei Ying’s demands for respect- rightful accusations of perversion.

“Please forgive me!”

“... What?”

Wei Ying didn’t look angry or flustered- wasn’t even looking in Lan Zhan’s direction, but directly below their thighs into the clear water, nervous and shaking even more, “I’ll clean all this out once I find my robe.”

Wei Ying suddenly dunked down beneath the surface before Lan Zhan could comprehend what he even meant, then resurfaced in just two breaths, smiling and gripping the limp outer robe that had previously been tied around his tail.

“Wei Ying?”

He was avoiding his face, fixated on re-wrapping the water-logged garment around the sagging tail, “Don’t worry Lan Zhan, your cold springs won’t be dirty for long! I know you Lans get shy easily, but I’ll have to take off another layer to gather all the hair. Hee-hee, I’ve only ever been this undressed around Jiang Cheng, and Shijie when I was younger.”

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan snapped, reaching out to touch for the first time (and having the discipline to only grasp a shoulder), “That’s not important”

The fox blinked up at him, confusion clear by the little wrinkle between his brow, “But my- my fur doesn’t belong in the water?”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s d-.”

Lan Zhan did not want to hear the rest of the reason, so he gentled his hold to steer the both of them towards the better lit chamber, “It’s just fur.”

Silence was louder than he remembered. Wei Ying was unerringly quiet, seeming not to have further argument, but Lan Zhan caught in his peripheral vision how Wei Ying would try to subtly capture stray hairs and put them up his sleeve. Lan Zhan didn’t know why his peer (friend) felt this way, nor how to make him believe his reassurance. It was almost upsetting to see, but he wasn’t sure if genuine concern could be discerned from his face.

Just as Lan Zhan was about to pause in their wading to try and say something to make
Wei Ying felt better (more realistically, to ask why he thought this way), a strong pulse of defensive qi flew towards them!

***

Wei Wuxian was entranced.

Lan Zhan was ethereal in the dim but colorful glow of candle-light and reflective water. Ten feet of shimmering white fur and a wild blue mane whipping up to cast off a glittering shower of water; Wei Wuxian felt his breath strangle out in shock, able to acknowledge it was not due to the cold pond rippling against his chest after being blown back the first time.

Lan Zhan didn’t have to help him; didn’t have to bring him closer to his ancestor’s secret cavern, but when the next wave of qi was sent to attack, he didn’t hesitate. First the sword, and then Wei Wuxian had the idea about his forehead ribbon. They were just about to turn away from each other’s gaze (Lan Zhan was so… intense), when a soft noise recalled their attention.

Lan Zhan was startled!

Wei Wuxian didn’t think anything save for illicit behavior could make his friend so reactionary. One moment Lan Zhan was staring at him, and the next his body morphed so smoothly into that of a dragon. Pink skin disappearing as his robes seemingly melted and warped around Lan Zhan’s strong body and his short, pale horns elongated to curve and sharpen to an almost terrifying degree.

His golden eyes’ burned so brightly before twisting defensively in front of Wei Wuxian. Lan Zhan’s large body curled and stretched, effortlessly dwarfing Wei Wuxian to rear back and face whatever threat lurked in these caves hidden beneath his home.

All that greeted them were rabbits.

Soft, non-threatening balls of downy fluff and hollow bones.

“Ah,” Wei Wuxian tried to hold in the hysterical laughter building up, but it kept escaping in little bursts interspersed in his appeal. “L-Lan Zhan! Suh-save me from those- those vicious creatures! HA HA!”

Some of the bunnies jumped away deeper into a side tunnel at his outburst, and even more scattered at the deep growl emitted from Lan Zhan as he dragged Wei Wuxian atop the stone platform where the qi attacks originated. The casual show of strength that Lan Zhan wielded in this skin was intimidating, but Wei Wuxian felt wholly secure with his safety. Lan Zhan was all bark and no bite with him! It took a few weeks for Wei Ying to realize this, but he saw past the Second Jade of Lan’s cold exterior.

Once the pair verified no real threat was going to accost them from the shadows, Lan Zhan shifted back and took a seat in front of a pristine guqin.

They heard the noise again, but Lan Zhan kept himself from shifting again.

The legendary Lan Yi stood behind them, innocuous in her stance, as well as her silent estimation of their own. Lan Zhan of course vacated her rightful seat and she revealed to them a tale of consuming power and distrusting clans and fractured friendship (mayhaps fractured love?).

Baoshan Sanren. The great, wandering cultivator who taught his mother. There was no other course to take but this one. No question in his mind to pledge his life to this mission alongside Lan Zhan. Of course this was like a fantasy! Wei Wuxian and a handsome, up-standing companion going off on a quest put forth by a respected ancestor to help protect the cultivation world. Yes, there would be danger, and the consequences of failing were disastrous to even think on, but there was a dear memory still living in his heart. His mother smiling so wide and waving her arm’s erratically, reenacting her exploits on a night hunt while sat on their old donkey, as his father wrapped a warm and calloused arm around his waist.

His parents were heroes. Baoshan Sanren raised his mother to live so fearless and lively. Lan Yi’s eyes were filled with earnest regret.

Of course Wei Wuxian would accept.

As the two stepped down from the platform in synch, Wei Wuxian reveled in how warm they water now felt encompassing his chilled legs, but he knew from experience that wasn’t a good sign. They should really figure out how to escape this underground chamber before they freeze, “Lan Zhan, I think we can try going towards where the rabbits jumped earlier. That might be where the stream exits out.

“Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian turned to face him; the other boy was regularly quiet, but Wei Wuxian thought he’d at least offer some input on getting out from under the mountain.

Lan Zhan wasn’t looking at him, but his head was cocked towards his in attention, ears blushed deep red and staring straight ahead, “Mn.”

Back to mono-syllables then. That was fine; Lan Zhan was probably just used to being Wei Wuxian’s sounding board. He had probably used up his talking quota for the day, which was understandable and totally fine! Wei Ying had so many theories to work out and plans for how and when to start searching for the Yin Iron.

“I apologize for revealing my second skin to you. I reacted instinctively, and failed to control myself.”

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian spun and splashed back towards Lan Zhan. He had ended up leading them to the darkened entrance directly opposite to where they’d entered. “Oh, that’s fine Lan Zhan! You looked so impressive! I end up doing that sometimes still when I get surprised. Just a few days ago, I’ll tell you, I tripped over a heron’s nest accidentally and the vicious mother sprung up out of nowhere and-!”

Wei Wuxian knows he talks a lot- it’s not always a distraction tactic- but when he really gets going, Wei Wuxian usually misses expressions or social cues. If he had been paying attention, he’d probably notice the blush grow and blossom across Lan Zhan’s cheeks.

He is very aware of his surroundings though. The water was rising and flowing forcefully against their thighs in the direction Wei Wuxian had been pulling Lan Zhan to by their joined wrists. They both were of the same mindset not to fight the current, which had pulled them down there in the first place, so this was probably Lan Yi’s will as well, guiding them out.

Wei Wuxian was only slightly worried when the only thing in front of them was the dark stone wall of the cave. Only slightly.

He didn’t scream!

Lan Zhan wasn’t the gossiping type.

How did he end up on top of him anyway? His friend was certainly sturdy in his first skin, as expected, “Lan Zhan, I’m sorry! It was an accident!”

Huh. Up close, his face was even pinker out of the water; Wei Wuxian had assumed these Lans would be used to the colder climate.

***

Everlasting Carnations

Wei Wuxian felt smaller. Scratch that; he knew he was smaller, but it was altogether disorienting to be able to see the change in stature, but also… to feel it.

Everyone around him seemed bigger (in essence of course as the juniors surrounding him were shorter) because their second skins were practically all predatory. Wei Wuxian hadn’t been the biggest fox of his generation, but he’d been unquestionably, perceptively dangerous in his past life. Mo Xuanyu had not been born with a fearsome second skin. Mo Xuanyu had been born prey.

“Little rabbit, little rabbit, why won’t you come play with me?”

To reiterate, this life-threatening experience certainly drew to perspective how small someone like Xue Yang could make Wei Wuxian feel. Putting aside his animal instincts seemed harder then it typically should be. His tail was quivering and ears were twitching every which way, trying to discern which direction that tiger was taunting him from. The little sable had stopped tapping. “I’d love too, but you see Xue Yang, your games aren’t all that interesting.

“In fact, I’ve grown quite wearisome of them.”

Boiling water gushed towards the wretch from behind, too rapidly for Xue Yang to turn fully and meet his death straight on. The attack was nearly deafening to Wei Wuxian’s newly large, and sensitive ears, but the deluge evaporated before it even reached the hems of the Lan disciple’s robes. The instinctual fear of being scalded caused a few of the teens to jerk back all the same, but Wei Wuxian didn’t even flinch. He was too busy staring up into the golden eye’s of the dragon who had saved him.

“Hanguang-jun is so… big.”

Big was actually an understatement. Lan Zhan had not been this size thirteen years ago. Lan Zhan had been a respectable ten feet! (Granted, Wei Wuxian hadn’t seen his second skin since they were trapped in the Xuanyu’s mountain.)

The dragon standing tall before him had to be, at the least, an awe-inspiring twenty! Lan Zhan had doubled in size; his mane was longer, opaque claws sharper, but the opalescent fur was just as beautiful as Wei Wuxian remembered. His memory may have been terrible in his first life, but not even death could erase how brightly Lan Zhan’s body glowed underneath the flickering candles reflected off of the dripping icicles in Lan Yi’s hidden cave.

“Hanguang-jun!” Jingyi’s shrill excitement broke the atmosphere. Lan Jingyi being a natural-born Lan was still a mystifying delight, but those horns couldn’t lie, “Did you and Senior Mo plan that? It was perfect timing!”

As Lan Zhan shifted back, blue and white rapidly forming into silken robes and human flesh, Sizhui quickly walked over to stand beside him and the corpse of Xue Yang. The sweet-faced ferret-badger was kindly asking after Lan Zhan’s well-being, but Wei Wuxian found it hard to look at something so reminiscent of another strong memory.

Little A-Yuan had had the same soft, brown ears as Lan Sizhui, and had looked up at the dragon with a wretchedly familiar worry. Sometimes it hurt terribly to see the young disciple, but being around him with his earnest care and gentle respect felt worth it.

Ugh. He needed something to distract his mind tonight.

***

“You still like rabbits?” Wei Wuxian giggled helplessly at the unfamiliar, dopey expression on Lan Zhan’s face. For the briefest of moments, the corners of his mouth had quirked up, and Wei Wuxian had thanked every god he could think of for his old friend’s low tolerance. Alcohol truly could be a blessing! “After all these years?”

Something flickered in the dragon’s eyes, something hard, and he stared with fierce focus up at a too-sober Wei Wuxian, “Of course.”

The playful atmosphere was all but gone with those two sharp words, and that was… confusing? Concerning? Wei Wuxian needed desperately to make his friend smile again. They’ve been through far too many distressing events in this one day, let alone the last three years of his past life. “Hey, Lan Zhan!

“The rabbits at Cloud Recesses are as cute as I remember,” he leant in closer, silently pleased to see Lan Zhan not back up like he used to in their youth. “But you haven’t seen my new skin! Do you think I’d be cuter?”

Wei Wuxian waited almost a full minute for his favorite reprimand! For Lan Zhan to get that adorably furrowed brow and his heated-deep voice to scold, ’Shameless!’ The dragon had turned a furious shade of red the first time Wei Wuxian had shifted in front of him; whispering how it wasn’t proper to do that sort of thing in front of his peers- regardless of the fact Lan Zhan had done the same thing in the Cold Pond caves!

Regardless of the fact Wei Wuxian had honestly thought the other was deep in meditation, and Nie Huaisang was sound asleep (also tactfully not mentioning how Nie Huaisang had already seen his second skin more than a handful of times playing in the back hills together) while they’d been trapped on Dafan Mountain.

“Mn.”

“Eh?”

Lan Zhan crawled even closer- Wei Wuxian was already so close- then sat as upright as he could in his inebriated state, and folded his big hands in his kneeling lap as if an attentive student, “I would like to see your other form.”

The blush warmed Wei Wuxian’s face far faster than the drinks, “So shameless, Lan-er-gongzi!”
Lan Zhan’s eyes lowered by half and he tilted his chin downward, almost pouting, “Is Wei Ying embarrassed?

“Fox or rabbit, Wei Ying is Wei Ying.”

It’s almost childish how quickly the shift takes over; Wei Wuxian hasn’t felt this young and out-of-control in years! He tells himself he shifted to avoid Lan Zhan seeing just how red his face was getting, but truthfully, it hadn’t been a conscious decision. Young children often spontaneously changed due to strong emotions or surprise, and Mo Xuanyu’s body was new to him. Where Wei Wuxian still expected coarse orange fur to grow, silky black appeared with golden brown patches; his snout did not elongate, but flattened. His whole body shrunk down, and down, and down, until he was as small as he hadn’t been since he was a juvenile kit.

It took a humiliating few seconds to wriggle free from his borrowed robes, Wei Wuxian having entered into a sleeve instead of escaping out what he’d assumed was the neck hole, but the dim candle light finally greeted him.

And Lan Zhan’s large hands, hesitating in the air before him.

Wei Wuxian blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend how the night had progressed to this moment. Progressed to Lan Zhan agreeing to drinking, and stealing chickens, and brushing aside born-in courtesy to reach for touch. Where was the Lan Zhan of their youth, so weary of physical attention or affection?

Wei Wuxian wasn’t complaining of course, but what changed?

Lan Zhan took in the rabbits’ frozen body, most likely making the assumption his voiceless request was inappropriate, and began to pull away. Wei Wuxian scrambled to kick his little legs out of the pooled clothes to hop straight atop his dear friend’s lap, and hopefully erase that heart-breaking sadness. Drunk Lan Zhan was so open with his expressions’, it was making Wei Wuxian’s little heart beat alarmingly fast. He vowed to never tease his friend in such a fragile state again!

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s voice was so quiet and deep, whispering unexpectedly close to his alert ears. “Wei Ying is the cutest.”

Ah, Wei Wuxian’s poor heart couldn’t take such drunkenly sweet confessions! Have mercy, Hanguang-jun!

***

Old Lotuses, New Hearths

“What is this?”

“What else could it be?” Jiang Cheng barked in Wei Ying’s face after presenting them (his brother) a sheaf of rolled together papers. “Wedding gifts, idiot.”

Wei Ying wouldn’t appreciate dueling during their morning feast.

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Ying spoke softly, apparently touched despite the insult. “You didn’t have-!”

“If you finish that sentence, I’ll slap you.”

Bichen shivered against Lan Zhan’s thigh.

Xiongzhang huffed, amused beside him, and caught his eye. Clearly conveying he found Jiang Wanyin’s aggression an endearing show of brotherly affection. “How is your morning faring, Wanyin?”

Lan Wangji subtly turned away, and tuned out their conversation, rather focusing on his husband unwrapping the gift. Thankfully no one expected him to have prolonged conversation with the Jiang Sect Leader given their history. A soft, barely audible gasp came from his husband’s mouth, ears upright in shock, and his eyes were impossibly wide.

Clutched in his hand was a Jiang Clarity bell, tassels predominantly red, but thick strands of dark purple were intertwined and knotted together in a rough formation of a lotus.

It was an easy deduction, based off of his husband’s misty eyed estimation of Jiang Wanyin and the clumsy, but tight design of the thin ropes, that Yunmeng Jiang’s Sect Leader had made this gift himself.

Lan Wangji breathed out slowly; Bichen ceased rattling.

“Oh,” Wei Ying blinked away the gathering tears and smiled wobbly. “Jiang Cheng, are these pictures?”

Lan Wangji looked down to the table where the gift wrapping had fallen, in his peripheral vision, seeing Xiongzhang do the same in interest. The little rolled up papers did indeed turn out to be aged ink art, yellowing around the edges giving away their age. Wei Ying picked one from the scattered pile to pull at the thin leather cord tied around all of them, and that’s when the tears finally escaped.

Every piece of paper was covered in childish doodles and calligraphy,, large and small, varying in levels of talent, and Lan Wangji noticed that some appeared older in comparison, the palest pages portraying the more experienced brush strokes.

All of the artwork held the same signatures though.

Jiang Yanli, Jiang Wanyin, and Wei Wuxian.

Ink splotched rivers depicted in thick black ink; overly fat koi fish spitting water; ill-proportioned foxes with lotus flowers sprouting from it’s fur. Lan Wangji felt his lips curling up and warmth filling his chest. Maybe a cup thunked down too loudly on a neighboring table. Maybe someone choked on their tea and needed a hasty thump to their back to clear his air-way.

Lan Wangji felt his very small smile lift even more seeing his husband crying so joyfully and staring down at what appeared to be the last picture the Jiang siblings painted together. Portraits of all three painted by each other, their faces all nearly perfect in artistry, but with their shifted features and add-on details for a no-doubt humorous finish in a lighter ink.

Wei Ying with his first face in sharp definition and a devious smirk, almost overshadowed by comically big fox ears and… what appeared to be a Lan forehead ribbon? Upon closer inspection, instead of clouds, the design was the word, Idiot. The signature read Jiang Yanli and Wanyin.

Even Jiang Wanyin’s teenage portrait seemed almost to be a different person when compared to his frown-lined adult face, but it was unquestionably him. Jiang Yanli painted her younger brother with effortless, but careful strokes. Delicate hair strands framed his forever pinched face and an unfamiliar smile, as his half-up hair flew in unseen wind. Over his cheeks laid an array of scales and freckles, and ridiculously long cat-fish whiskers, naturally not a feature of his second-skin, as included by Wei Ying.

Both of their paintings were in opposite corners, framing the real center of focus, which was their sister. Jiang Yanli’s expression of open warmth and beautific face was achingly familiar; her hair spreading out in flowing swirls to resemble blossoming lotus petals. Koi scales like a blush to highlight her eyes. No extra facets were put on her portrait created by Wei Ying, Jiang Wanyin unwilling to corrupt such a lovely depiction of their sister.

All three men were speechless for different, but significant reasons. Wei Ying, obviously for receiving a treasure from his youth- from his little brother, whom he thought he deserved only righteous anger. Jiang Wanyin was simply staring wistfully at the art, perhaps thinking back on their simpler life as children. Lan Wangji hadn’t fathomed he’d be able to learn more about his husband; would’ve been able to see such an important part of his husband’s past, kept and delivered so safely by the brother that rejected him so harshly.

Lan Wangji raised his gaze to take a new measure of Yunmeng’s Sect Leader. Jiang Wanyin was standing tall, but vulnerable, unafraid of judgment, but wholly embarrassed all the same to reveal something kept locked away in his heart for so long. Lan Wangji has of course known all along that the man was all bark and no bite in regards to Wei Ying, but it’s still infuriating to hear him constantly spitting vile towards him. It’s another thing entirely to see him perform thoughtful gestures while still trying to maintain his untouchable persona.

Perhaps, in time, Lan Wangji could allow him some patience. Perhaps, eventually, they could get along.

“Jiang Cheng, let me hug you!” Wei Ying cried, already leaping up from his seat.

“Come any closer and I’ll cut your arm’s off!”

Bichen shook threateningly.

***

Lan Qiren must be joking.

“Wei Wuxian.”

But he never jokes?

“Wei Wuxian.”

Was this some sort of test?

“WEI WUXIAN.” Lan Qiren boomed out through the narrow crevice of the rockwall they were currently standing in front of the opening (but somehow still seemed not to yell?). Lan disciples of only the inner family were trailing one after the other inside, smoothly shifting to their second skins once reaching the far end of the path. Only Lan family were permitted to witness this part of the wedding celebration, understandably as some traditions were kept solely to their Sect, so Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling had bid Wei Wuxian farewell an hour past before the party began their climb up a secret trail past the waterfall, partially following it’s stream to the very top (where not even Wei Wuxian nor Nie Huaisang had trespassed in their younger days). The view of what was beyond obscured by the blinding rays of the setting sun of what Wei Ying could only assume was a body of water. Another hidden cold pond, perhaps?

“Yes, Uncle?”

“Would you please not delay our ceremony and step forward. I do not wish to repeat myself, but as you seem to have not been paying attention,” the greying elder harrumphed pointedly before continuing, “Come here to me. It is my duty to carry you through the mountains’ passage and deliver you into the arms of your spouse.”

“... Will you be comfortable doing that, Uncle?”

“Just come here!”

Wei Wuxian felt in times like these that Lan Qiren most resembled Jiang Cheng, but he knew he shouldn’t make such assumptions about his former teacher. For instance, he’d never seen Lan Qiren address his nephews as Jiang Cheng does to Jin Ling, but that was obviously just the Lan upbringing. Maybe Wei Wuxian just brought that out in people?

Lan Qiren squinted his eyes, but did no more in contrast to the behavior as dictated by the four-thousand rules that said otherwise, as he reached towards Wei Wuxian with a deceptively gentle hand and transformed ceaselessly.

Lan Qiren was incredibly grand. So astonishing was his height- they moved so swiftly up into the air just by his growth- Wei Wuxian felt a bout of motion sickness roil through his stomach, but he thankfully held it in.

What an embarrassing end to his first day of marriage! To be presented to his husband and new family with sick covering his fine, new blue robes. Ugh! Just imagining that made the nerves wrack up.

Wei Wuxian attempted to get his bearings whilst cradled in the scaled claws of the Grandmaster (who most certainly wouldn’t appreciate being spit up on), and looked down the rocky crevice to see the remaining disciples trickling through just ahead of them. Lan Jingyi was a small, happy speck against the dark browns and greens of the rock-face, waving up enthusiastically as a taller disciple, his sister Lan Yenay, tugged at his other sleeve to hurry along. They gracefully shifted their smooth silk robes to grow and encompass their new skin and burst out into the sunshine, perfectly timed as Lan Qiren raced after them both into a wide open field.

The plateau of Cloud Recesses peak was an emerald spectacle of wavering, lush grass, and speckled across the green were giant, looping dragons diving and soaring in and around a crystalline pool constantly refilled by the trickling cracks in the earth, and gushing down the falls of the tallest cliff-face.

This view was unspeakably gorgeous, but Wei Wuxian immediately sought out the single, slightest dragon not flying, not swimming, in the center of the gleaming water. Lan Zhan was elfin, ethereal, in comparison to the rest of his family with a shining coat and clean,wispy fur that twisted and floated around his neck. Intense, gold and glittering eyes pierced Wei Wuxian’s very heart, and goosebumps spread over his chilled arms, only protected by two thin red robes specially made for this joining ceremony.

The Lans have a centuries old tradition for central family that was begun by Lan An’s great-granddaughter, Lan Liling, wherein the newly married couple would swim together in their second skins and receive familial blessings from surrounding Lans in acceptance of the new member to family. An unregulated evening of play to further cement strong bonds and unity, and by the end when the sun had fully set and the moon had risen well-past the highest peak, would the new couple emerge from the fresh water in their first skins.

Wei Wuxian was slightly anxious of course to swim for the first time as a rabbit, in front of everyone and his husband and being so dwarven in contrast to these beasts of legend, but there were thankfully accommodations made for various-sized shifters over the years.

A rolling stone carved perfectly to fit in between the natural rock wall that led to the final fall; aptly placed boulders spaced out in the pond for rest and or easy jumping distance; two compact, flat boats with a thick leading rope tied to the front.

And of course Lan Zhan would be there.

Wei Wuxian was set down on the grassy bank by a stiff-limbed Lan Qiren, but before he could take his leave, before Wei Wuxian could blink, the grandmaster leant down to quickly swipe a wide cheek and rough whiskers across his loose hair.

He knew that old man liked him!

Lan Qiren lunged head-first into the cold pond, still managing to pull the stunt off as distinguished, and swam to the furthest end near the other Lan elders sun-bathing in the final rays of warm light.

Lan Xichen stood tall and proud at the edge of the pool to greet Wei Wuxian with his own brief head nuzzle, and A-Yuan sprung from underneath his uncle’s shining mane circle around his legs. Wei Wuxian gave the sleek sable a gentle head pat, before shifting himself, into the cool water without hesitation, petite paws paddling the surface to create pretty ripples. Soft blue strands of fur mixed with white, and brown, and grey, and black commingled and spiraled in the shifting stream, looking like the most beautiful ink painting he’s ever seen.

Wei Wuxian’s new body was stronger than he thought, and even if he weren’t, there was family all around.

There was Lan Zhan, patiently waiting for him.

As he always had been.