Open - Event and Pre-Event Shenanigans with Lan WangJi

[achickenformylove]

Who: Lan WangJi and Open!
Where: All Around the Train
When: From Platform Day through the event
What: Open prompts including event posts
Warnings: None yet

Pre-event
Platform Day and Beyond
It probably was not too much of a surprise for people who had been on the train for a while to see WangJi not long after the train departed the station walking his rabbit through the train. On platform day, it was Little Carrot the black rabbit who liked to take the lead on his own, hopping ahead of WangJi as he walked steadily through the train. Periodically Little Carrot would poke his nose into different carriages, looking around while WangJi stood in the doorway. Little Carrot seemed to be rather amused by the sights and sounds of the games carriage, the training carriage, and the sports carriage, sitting there for a few minutes as though watching.

As they went through the train, if a familiar face were to cross their path while walking through the train, Little Carrot would make a beeline for the friend.

The next day, WangJi could be seen with Little Radish the white rabbit, who he carried in his arms. They did end up in the music carriage at some point during the day, WangJi sitting and playing his guqin while Little Radish alternatively hopped around the carriage or tried to figure out how to sit in WangJi’s lap while he was playing.

Event
Save the Buns! - Greenhouse
Naturally when WangJi awoke that morning, it was quite alarming to see out of the periphery of his vision the swirling void far more active than it was normally. As WangJi stepped out of his cabin and into the rest of the train, he could practically hear that incessant whistling that was usually only between carriage was now in the actual carriage. So anyone who happened to be awake at an early morning hour would see WangJi actually running through the train to get to something.

For those that were in the greenhouse carriage or decided to follow WangJi through all the challenges of the carriage between the sleeping carriage and the greenhouse, they would see that he was trying to get to his rabbits because he wasn’t sure what would possibly be going on there. He was very glad that he had decided to. There was a definite feeling of being watched and it was not pleasant. He glanced around the carriage to see what could possibly be causing that feeling.

That was when he saw the swirling faces within the void, practically screaming. Quickly, WangJi looked away, scooping up his rabbits and tucking them into the front of his robes. No way he was letting them stay here with that sort of thing leering down at them.

Then WangJi would be rushing back towards his carriage, two little rabbit heads sticking out of his robes as he carried them, one arm crossed in front of him so they could balance on his arm.

A Little Too Strong – Training
Now that WangJi had gotten his rabbits settled in his room, he decided to try and continue with life as normal – while avoiding the greenhouse carriage for the time being.

Well, of course, he didn’t realize how difficult that was going to be. He decided that he wanted to go to the training carriage do some training, which was normal for him. However, today, it was not normal. When WangJi broke out the training dummy to try. While he always tried to hold back on his abilities rather than use his full strength, today he was unable to control it. When he punched the dummy, still attempting to hold back, but when he punched, the training dummy went flying across the room.

Even WangJi was taken aback by this, standing there is shock as he looked at the dummy much further away than it had been a moment ago.

Silence is Golden – Quiet Car
Well, after that little mishap, WangJi decided to take it easy and go to the quiet car to sit for a while. Everything seemed to be perfectly normal in there. Famous last words if someone decided to join him in here.

[ ooc: mostly curious to see how long a thread with no dialog can go before they decide to leave the room ]

Comments

save the buns

[happyends]

It's hard to not spot Wangji rushing like that - especially since there doesn't seem to be anything as bad going on in the halls of the sleeper carriages as there is in any of the other carriages. Which makes someone rushing as he makes his way through these hallways stand out even more.

And not necessarily in a good way. Madoka definitely thinks she knows Wangji enough to think he wouldn't be rushing for no reason.. Especially not with his little bunny friends in his robes like that.

So as she peeks her head out from the open door to her cabin, Madoka calls out: "M-Mister Wangji..? Is something wrong?"

[achickenformylove]

Yes, it was unusual for WangJi to be running anywhere. Majority of the time he walked at a rather stately pace. Most he ran was when required to for missions or when someone was in danger. Well, in this case, it was somethings: the two little rabbits carefully balanced in his arms. Normally he wouldn’t carry both of them like that, but this was required.

But hearing the voice of Madoka and since he had made it back to the sleeping carriage where it seemed quieter, he did slow down and walk over to her, two rabbits peering out at her. Little Carrot began to squirm seeing a friend. If she reached for him, WangJi would certainly lower down so she could take the rabbit.

“Be careful today. It seems there are strange things happening on the train. It looked as though there were screaming faces outside the greenhouse carriage.”

Hence why bunnies were with him and not in the greenhouse carriage.

[happyends]

Oh, Madoka is very much for taking a momentary hold of the rabbit. She wouldn't just do it unprompted, but she can see the way one of the bunnies is starting to squirm, and she can't imagine that it's easy for Wangji to contain multiple of them inside of his robes - especially when he might be tired from running over.

So she gently takes Little Carrot out of the robes, making sure to hold it in her arms very gently. She momentarily smiles down at the small creature before glancing back at the man in front of her.

And what he's saying.. well, it makes her smile fade slightly, instead turning into something akin to concern.

"Screaming faces..?" She might be trying to imagine that right now. "What do you mean..?"

[achickenformylove]

It certainly wasn’t easy, especially with a squirmy rabbit like Little Carrot who just wanted to hang out with a friend now that he was out of the weird carriage of many faces (tm). So WangJi was more than willing to let her take him, bending his knees a bit so it was easier for her to reach him as he was rather tall.

But once out of the robes, Little Carrot curled up in her arms, very much a happy rabbit to be sitting with her. Now it made it easier for Little Radish to balance without help and WangJi could move his arm as the rabbit had done this plenty of times.

“There are the illusions of faces in the void. With unpleasant expressions. As far as I can tell, they cannot enter the train, but I did not want the rabbits to have to look at them. And I do not know what is happening with the other carriages as of yet.”

[happyends]

"That sounds bad.."

Okay, maybe it's a bit too simple of a conclusion to reach, but what else is Madoka supposed to say in the face of him saying something like there being illusions of faces with unpleasant expressions? It sounds a little like.. ghosts or something.

That thought in particular makes Madoka frown, even with the adorable bunny still in her arms.

"Isn't.. that a little like the last voidstorm..?" The train did announce that they were heading into one, right? "You know, when all those ghostly versions of people we knew appeared on the train.. O-or did you not recognize the faces this time around, sir..?"

[achickenformylove]

“It doesn’t appear pleasant at all. However, it doesn’t seem like they can get in.”

Little Carrot didn’t seemed to mind if she was distracted or not. She was holding him after all and that was the most important thing to a rabbit. Attention and food.

“Yes, it does seem similar to that, but they are not in the train as of this moment. I did see some faces that were familiar to me, but others that were not so it might be that they are assuming the appearance of those who are in or close to the greenhouse carriage.”

[happyends]

That's.. odd, Madoka thinks. How come it's kind of similar to last time, yet so different?

She starts to stroke the bunny's soft fur again, just to have something to idly do while she's still thinking about all of this.

"Why would this storm be so different from the last.." She shakes her head. "I just hope nothing will end up being dangerous for us."

Madoka might be a bit scared here.

music carriage

[soldier_blade]

Platform days were always bitter sweet (and more leaning towards bitter); a part of her always hoped a familiar face might appear, and yet she knew the real likelihood was something she knew walking off, rather than on.

Between that and the usual chaos that the day brought, the music carriage was a safe destination. Unless someone was exploring the place, it was unlikely they'd linger, or if they did it was just to play or listen to music.

So she couldn't say she was surprised to find (and hear) that someone was already playing. She was getting better at playing the piano herself and had since stopped minding if the occasional passenger stopped to listen.

More surprising though, she actually recognized the person playing. One of the people who's appeared, vanished, and yet re-arrived on the train. They were bunk mates before, but didn't exchange more than a few words here and there.

She gave him the courtesy of listening to him play, before looking to see what music she could add to her device.

[achickenformylove]

WangJi definitely agreed that platform days were more bittersweet now. He always watched people leaving. Even if he didn’t know them, they were friends or family of others on the train. Unless someone had lived completely in a bubble the entire time they were here, it was impossible for someone to have not met them and be sad that they were leaving.

Music was a good outlet for that so he came to play when he could. He enjoyed coming here as it was a good place to practice his guqin in relative quiet since most of those who used the carriage were respectful of others. Also it was a good place for Little Radish, who currently sat by his side.

He glanced up from his guqin hearing the sound of someone enter, noting the woman before him and gave a very slight nod of his head in greeting while he was still playing. After not much longer, his playing slowed and gave her more of his full attention, Little Radish sitting up on his hind legs to look at her.

“Greetings.”

[soldier_blade]

"Afternoon," She returned, looking back only partially at the selection, before turning to fully face him.

And yet she was suddenly reminded, after all this time, why she still wasn't all that great at small talk. Interacting with people, outside of a professional level, had never really been her thing, but she would've thought that after a year on this damned train, she would've improved at it.

No such luck, and yet she felt compelled to mention something. "Did you play before arriving here, or was this a previously new hobby?"

[achickenformylove]

It’s alright. WangJi isn’t the best with small talk either. He has been getting a bit better here since there were plenty who did want to talk to him, but talking about things like the weather were still strange for him. Unless it was something unusual, how did someone discuss the weather? It either was or wasn’t doing something.

However, discussions about music were something that he was quite equipped to handle.

“I have been playing since I was old enough to be able to play it properly,” he said. “The train was gracious enough to allow me to bring my guqin on the train. Do you play an instrument?”

[soldier_blade]

The instrument was big, but not so unwieldy that a child couldn't take lessons. By that and the way he played, well, it must've been awhile. The closest she's had to professional music lessons was as a small child and taking recorder lessons.

"The piano." She answered, idly scrolling through the music library. "But I started learning on the train. Never had time back home to devote to lessons, and moving all the time, had to get used to traveling light."

Her therapist back home did suggest a creative hobby, but she didn't specify what kind. Knitting kept her hands and mind busy, but didn't take up much space.

[achickenformylove]

It was true. A child could certainly play a guqin. Carrying one might have been a challenge depending on the age and height of the child as it was potentially bigger than young kids.

“I see. That is a good instrument. I have heard a few playing it before. I have attempted to play it before, but it very different from mine. The train does seem like a good place to learn new things.”

[soldier_blade]

"So much time between missions," She walked a little closer to him. "What else is there to do besides learn and brush up on a new hobby, and contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to train too much and too often."

Something that took several years, a few therapists and a god (not Raiden) for her to finally learn.

BUNDAY

[weifinder]

Wei Wuxian figured with the oddities throughout the train as the storm raged on, problems cropping up over language barriers introducing themselves when they'd been glossed over, the song of the Void heard throughout the train, the nightmares, well. Those were usual.

The faces in the greenhouse, less so, though having images of people screaming and in pain up there? Ah, nightmares while waking, and unpleasant, but not precisely new.

The rescue, then, of what lives here, which he presumed already has been seen to, by his brother, by one of his soulmates, but he came yet still to ensure no hopping small friend was left to the torment visited on the ears and eyes of those walking in; paused, seeing the rabbit form familiar to him as Gusu Lan, even if they'd been the tucked away companions of a spirit and former Clan Leader, freed by him after to keep a living descendent company when the half year at Gusu Lan came to its swift end.

Scooping up the rabbit, lifting it to look eye to eye and smile, bringing the rabbit's nose to bop gently against his own, "We'll get you out of here, little one, no Radish is being left behind."

Only to have walked forward, tucking the rabbit to his side, and catch sight of familiar robes and hair and a ribbon like but unlike the ones he knew best, "Lan Zhan! I think I've got one of yours?"

The rabbit held up in his hands, displayed, beautiful and white and pink touched in eyes and nose and inner ears, directed toward his soulmate's attentions.

All the bun

[achickenformylove]

WangJi had, early on, gone to get the rabbits from the greenhouse carriage. He didn’t wanted to leave Little Rabbit and Little Carrot alone in that place with the weird faces. Even if the faces didn’t necessarily direct their attention at the rabbits, it likely wasn’t pleasant for them see. If there was going to be something strange going on in the train, then they should be somewhere safe.

He had done this so early in fact that most people who entered the carriage while the train was in the void, if they could look away from the faces, they would never remember seeing the rabbits at all.

Which was exactly how WangJi wanted it right now. So he was most definitely surprised when he heard the sound of one of the Wei Ying’s calling out to him about something that belonged to him. He turned to look at him, only to be greeted by the sight of a rabbit being held up towards him.

“Huh… I do not remember this rabbit.” Since both of his are in his cabin. He reached out to gently pet the rabbit on the head. “We cannot leave him there either way. Thank you for retrieving him. Come. Let’s put him in my cabin.”

[weifinder]

Wei Wuxian blinked, caught off guard at the idea. He knew there were other rabbits on board, he'd seen some now and again, but he didn't think they were white. Had someone else purchased a white rabbit on recent pre-platform days?

"Where'd you come from, mysterious rabbit?" He asked, holding the rabbit up to his face after Lan Zhan's gentle pet on its head. They meet, eye level to eye level, before Wei Wuxian visits the indignity of noses pressed to noses, his wrinkling as he smiled and ignored the torment in action overhead.

(Worse. He's heard worse. Imagined worse. Hallucinated worse. Enacted worse.)

"Of course, away to your cabin — wait, him?"

He quirked up his brows, lowering the rabbit to tuck it against his chest as he waited for Lan Zhan to lead the way. "Lan Zhan, did you figure that out just by looking?"

Is he a magic bunny knowledge man?!

[achickenformylove]

“Yes, that is an interesting question where the rabbit came from.”

He knew others had rabbits on the train, but he didn’t know all of them. He did know though that this was not Jiang Cheng’s rabbit for example considering that one had been described as a small dog.

He glanced up as WuXian suddenly regarded him about that question. “A hunch. Also it feels strange to not give it a gender.”

So in other words, he didn’t actually know.

[weifinder]

"It's all the same thing, isn't it?" He lifts his eyebrows, smile teasing at his lips while he walks, fingers ruffling over the fur on the rabbit's head. "Ta, ta, ta, ta, won't know until you write it down, ah?"

Then again it was a trick of homophones, and wordplay they were both engaging with in the first place.

"But we must admit it seems most of the rabbits here have ended up also being male, or else we'd have far more rabbits, and that is not a problem I've yet seen!"

a little too strong

[to_rise_above]

Jin Ling, who was still trying to get used to the strangeness of the train, was experiencing unpleasant things prior to making his way to training. Since, Jiang Cheng had offered to help Jin Ling get back in shape, he'd been taking his training seriously again. He had not missed a single day. Today was no different.

He just stepped into the training area when he watched the dummy get catapulted across the room, and he looked bewildered, wondering what the hell just happened. Of course, he found the culprit that sent the dummy flying. It was Lan Wangji. Well-- one of him. This one definitely looked like the one he knew, maybe from his world but not from Hakagemachi. The smell was different and he couldn't feel any demonic presence. He's only making assumptions given he was informed there were three Lan Wangjis that were here.

Normally, Jin Ling would be able to say a few words, but instead, what came out of his mouth was a very odd, "Uh---?"

[achickenformylove]

WangJi glanced up hearing the faint voice in response to his having punched the fighting dummy across the room. Seeing Jin Ling standing there, it certainly did require some explanation.

“Young Master Jin,” he said. “I was not intending to punch it that hard.”

[to_rise_above]

It certainly does! Though, Jin Ling isn't sure about the explanation itself. He wasn't intending to punch the dummy that hard? There's a clear brow raise from him at Lan Wangji's words before he speaks.

"Then--Hanguang-jun, what just happened? How did it-- get sent halfway across the...gym?"

Jin Ling is aware that Lan Wangji is insanely strong. He's seen enough of the person in combat to know that. He hasn't attempted to try any sort of practice, thus has yet to experience anything that he can't explain. He knows one thing for certain: He does not want to be on the receiving end of that punch. The thought makes him wince.

[achickenformylove]

To be fair, WangJi wouldn’t have believed it either if he had seen someone else do it. If a Gusu Lan disciple had punched the fighting dummy and sent it flying all the way across the room and had told him that they didn’t mean to punch it that hard, he would have said something about control and learning to channel their abilities properly. Since it was him, he knew that he was already capable of that so he didn’t know why this had happened.

“I am unsure. I used the strength that I normally use when practicing. It seems something is either wrong with me in here or wrong with the carriage.”

Yeah, if he is doing this, he would not practice with a living person. That was asking for someone to be injured.

[to_rise_above]

Jin Ling wouldn't blame him. He also, didn't know what happened. Though, he wasn't expecting a complete explanation for it, he was kind of curious to what had happened. He didn't want to end up doing the same thing, but who knows? He hadn't started attacking anything for his training just yet.

"That's-- really weird. I-- don't think there's anything wrong with you, Hanguang-jun."

He frowns. He sort of waves his hand around briefly, the strength feels the same to him, What if he tried to hit another dummy? Would it do the same thing? He wasn't sure if he wanted to try. If Lang Wangji of all people was having trouble with his strength, even though he controlled it, then Jin Ling certainly might accidentally set something flying. He can control his abilities, but with the mix of everything, it's hard to determine.

Someone would definitely be severely wounded if that sort of brute force was applied during a sparring match of some kind.

[achickenformylove]

“No, I do not believe there is anything wrong with me,” WangJi remarked, looking at the training dummy before looking back at Jin Ling. “At least, there won’t be when I leave the training carriage if I am correct. This void storm seems to be doing strange things.”

Well, since he had punched the dummy, the right thing to do was to go get it and bring it back. So he headed off in the direction of the dummy to set it up again.