video: average sighren

[lanclan]

[ The scene is one of steam and muffled, echoing male voices from elsewhere, tiles covering walls. Xichen's face is in shot, hair unbound and soaked where it falls down his bare shoulders, pink from the hot water (no fear, he has a thin robe shrugged off but tied about his waist out of shot) where he is leaning over the edge of the bath. ]

This is rather unorthodox, in many ways, as first meetings go. Pardon my appearance, robes are somewhat contradictory to my surroundings. [ But he's out of seclusion, in a strange realm, and this is the only way he knows to prove the bathhouse is safe: by using it. ] Some of you already know my younger brother, Lan Wangji. You may call me Lan Xichen.

[ He sighs, nasal and soft. More of an exhale. His smile hitches back up. ]

I now live above the bathhouse. Technically, [ here he glances over blandly to a pair of guffawing sailors in the background, lips pursing as he holds back his real opinion, ] this is a private residence, but it would be rude to deny access to those who wish to use the downstairs, so I would like to invite over anyone who wishes to bathe in something other than cold lake-water — if my housemates wouldn't mind, I should like to meet all of you, too.

There is a separate area for women, of course. Please use the rinsing stations before entering the main baths and wear something discreet, for the sake of others.

[ Xichen glances around as someone calls his name and there is a momentary wider shot of him soaked to the waist as he straightens to nod in answer, raking back his hair so it isn't stuck to his chest you're welcome. He looks again to the video and smiles warmly, tilting his head in apology for the break in his attention. ]

It is seemingly busier in the afternoons.

Comments

[lanclan]

That's what agreeing is.

[vestments]

You could just say 'I agree'.

[lanclan]

Are you well?

[vestments]

( ——hmm. )

It's been debated.

[lanclan]

Wishing you good health on your recovery.

1/2

[vestments]

( that is

hopeful. )

[vestments]

Spector.

( apropos nothing. )

( then— )

We're housemates.

[lanclan]

We are? Spector. Hello, are you upstairs right now?

[vestments]

From my understanding.

Yes.

[lanclan]

Spector is quite the scary name. Are you?

[vestments]

It was my father's name, be nice.

But I can be, if the situation calls for it.

[lanclan]

Apologies. I'm curious as to whether it's too scary to let you bathe with us.

[vestments]

Well.


At least it's not 'spectre'.

[lanclan]

I thought my play on words was lost, for a minute there.

[vestments]

I've never been known for my sense of fun.

[lanclan]

Are you stressed? You do come off quite confrontational and argumentative.

[vestments]

That's just my charming personality.

[lanclan]

It is not that charming to constantly be contentious.

[vestments]

I present better in person.

( that's a 'no'. )

[lanclan]

Please, prove it.

i'm so glad within one conversation, lan xichen has the entire measure of marc

[vestments]

( marc, truthfully, has precisely zero (0) interest in the baths — he prefers showers — but he should meet his housemates at some point, and he should (quote-unquote) make an effort to not be so overwhelmingly himself.

(he will be successful at precisely one of these tasks.)

he doesn't reply. he reads the message and leaves it on read, making his way downstairs, to where he can hear the sailors and, presumably, to where lan xichen can be found and, presently, joins him.

lan xichen and marc are the same height, give or take, but where lan xichen is lithe, marc is less so — stockier, and looking for all the world like he's not long woken up (perhaps because that's precisely the case). fading bruises are evident about his person, a nose that's been broken a dozen or more times and hasn't healed quite right on at least one of those occasions, and a variety of scars — hands, notably, his back, and just the one on his face — through his left eyebrow, implying a narrow miss and a certain luckiness to still having both his sight and his eye.

(marc spector, for all that it matters, exists in a near-perpetual state of dishevelment.)

well-worn lines suggest that the frown he wears is his default expression and not an inherent display of displeasure. a breath of a pause before he speaks (he doesn't need to confirm that this is lan xichen, the video had been more than enough. then— ) —As frightening as you imagined?

c': fingerguns

[lanclan]

[ Meditating once he gains no reply, he opens his eyes to the sound of a voice addressing him, taking in the measure of the man before him; someone roughened up by life, undoubtedly. Unintentionally a little bit funny because of his grumpiness, which he incidentally doesn't mind: he prefers that to empty smiles. ]

I've seen scarier.

[ He inclines his head politely. ]

Please, join me.

[ Slender and pale, his blush from the heat stands out pink and obvious over his neck and chest and, notably, there are no scars to break it up. ]

[vestments]

( marc does, and whilst the invitation is appreciated, it's ultimately unnecessary — given their conversation, marc would've joined him regardless. the water's warm, not unpleasantly so, and marc thinks he could probably fall asleep here (he won't). he takes a moment to let the silence sit between them before, in agreement— )

—Like I said, I present better in person. ( dryly. marc may not always be self-aware, but in terms of his reputation, he's under no illusions. a beat. ) Spector's my family name. Nominative determinism at its finest.

Lan Xichen, I assume.

[lanclan]

Lan is my clan name. Xichen is fine if you wish to shorten it as some do in this realm, it's my courtesy name.

[ There are a few versions of things to call him. ]

Spector is not unpleasant, I apologise for giving that impression if I did.

[vestments]

( there's a question, a brief furrowing of his brows that implies he doesn't entirely know what lan xichen means by 'courtesy name', but context is (nearly) enough that he doesn't ask. instead— )

Marc. ( half in acknowledgement — xichen — and half as a concession of sorts. strictly speaking, it's not how he prefers to introduce himself — that's 'mr. knight', but 'mr. knight' is the suit and the mask. it's not-marc, someone not entirely different but different enough, and the suit's upstairs.

the corners of his lips quirk in a fleeting impression of a smile, thin-lipped and not entirely humourless. ) Unpleasant wouldn't be the worst thing I've been called.