A Faded Talisman

Lan Wangji walks towards the Jingshi, happy to have the meeting with the Elders behind him. They are very set in their ways and, after having to endure a few snide remarks at Wei Wuxian's address, he's glad to go home.

When he opens the door of the Jingshi, however, he immediately notices something is wrong. Wei Wuxian is sitting at the table, his back to him, his shoulders shaking.

"Wei Ying?"

There's a flurry of movement when Wei Wuxian spooks. He slams shut a book and wipes at his face before turning around with a bright smile on his face. There's no denying the redness of his eyes though. Lan Wangji can tell that the smile is faked by the way it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"Ah, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian exclaims. "You are back early. Did the Elders annoy you too much?"

"Wei Ying has been crying," Lan Wangji says, walking up to him.

"It's nothing, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian answers, following Lan Wangji with his eyes. "Ge-ge, will you play a song for me? Or you can try teaching me again, if your ears are up for it."

He laughs but it sounds brittle. Lan Wangji sits down next to him, close enough to touch but not doing so.

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji says again.

Wei Wuxian ignores him and drapes himself against his side. "Or maybe you want to do something else, hmm, Lan-er-ge-ge?"

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji admonishes.

"You're turning me down?"

Wei Wuxian pulls back and pouts, but there's a hesitance in his voice.

"Talked about this," Lan Wangji says before Wei Wuxian can find something else to chatter about.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian whines in a last attempt to evade him.

"Wei Ying." He watches as Wei Wuxian stiffens and looks away. "Talk, Wei Ying."

Because that's what the healers and the books said, as well as the elderly in the villages he's travelled through. Lan Wangji has learned that the common people have their own wisdom, so he asked them as well, asked them how to deal with trauma. 'Talk.' Their answers were all the same. 'Share in another way if it can't be through talking. Your person needs to let it out.'

And where he has had years to deal with the pain of history, Wei Wuxian has only just started. His brother's wounds are still fresh as well. So Lan Wangji prompts them both to talk, to share. He hopes it works. Only time will tell. At least he feels like he's helping the two people who are most important in his life.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian says again.

It's no whine this time. It sounds both unwilling and defeated. Lan Wangji stays silent. He knows Wei Wuxian would rather carry his burdens alone, hold his pain close to him so he doesn't hurt others with it.

It's how he's lived his entire life. Not only from the moment he returned from being thrown into Burial Mounds, but also when he was taken into the Jiang family. He knows because, apart from her brother and husband, Lan Wangji was the only one Jiang Yanli could talk to about Wei Wuxian without being met with harsh words. He listened to a lot of childhood stories.

When it becomes clear that Wei Wuxian won't speak, Lan Wangji reaches for the book on the table. There's a piece of yellow paper sticking out and he has a fairly good idea what it is. He's the one who kept it through the years, after all.

He opens the book on the page that holds the talisman. Wei Wuxian's eyes flicker towards it and he shivers.

"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji prompts again.