riddleofthebelow | PFSB: What is time?

It has been some time since he has seen Tom at the inn, but when he does, he immediately recalls how excited and happy Wei Ying had been at the work Tom had offered him, at the invitation to the House of Arch.

He does not hesitate at all before approaching the other man's table and bowing with deep respect.

"Tom-qiánbèi," he says. "It is good to see you again."

Tom stands, because how can one not with a formal greeting like that? He dips a small bow of his own, smiling.

“Lan Wangji, it’s an absolute pleasure. Please join me, if you’ve the time.”

"I would be glad to."

He suits actions to words, taking a seat at the table and preparing himself to engage in social conversation, as difficult as that may be for him.

"Are you well? And your family?"

“We’re all quite well. Thank you for asking,” Tom says, pleased.

Impeccable manners, truly.

“You must accept my thanks for recommending Wei Wuxian to me. He’s been a credit to the House of Arch.”

His expression softens, even as a deeply petty part of him wishes that there was a way to rub that particular news in Jiang Wanyin's face, although he knows that there is not and can never be.

"I was very happy to do so. Wei Ying is brilliant. And he enjoys the work he has been doing for you."

“Has he mentioned my invitation to you for access to the House? I know his accommodations here suffice for now, but at one time the House of Arch hosted many who wished for more home-like suites of rooms. I’ve granted him access our common room and library, and if you wish, I can key you to it, as well.”

"You are very gracious, Tom-qianbei," he says.

"He has. That is not why I approached you today, to be clear - I would not so impose. But I would be grateful."

Tom waves a hand, dismissing his concerns. “Oh, of course not. I didn’t wish to forget, is all, if I got carried away with conversation. How are you finding Milliways?”

"It is still a little strange," he admits, "but I am becoming fond of it."

"I have met several interesting people. Including your daughter. Herald Ingress is quite skilled with her sword."

“Ah, yes, that she is,” he says with a proud smile. “She began lessons as a child; we arranged for a number of highly skilled warriors from different worlds to tutor her through the years.”

Ingress started dropping by the House once again, and despite any heartbreak she hasn’t divulged, she seems happier than ever. He loves that she’s making friends again who are not all fellow Heralds. Not that there’s anything wrong with her fellow Heralds! Well, not much... He wants her to have a well-rounded life, is all. And to be happy. He just wants her to be happy.

“She’s mentioned you and Wei Wuxian both in passing. I’m glad to see her find peers here. When she was younger, she had many, many friends.”

"Mn."

He nods.

"I am not surprised. She is very vibrant, and very friendly."

His tone conveys respectful approval.

Oh, is she now? He would definitely approve of Ingress seeing more of someone like Lan Wangji, if that would be something that made her happy.

But he is certainly not going to get involved. Well, not much. But talking can’t hurt, right?

“She is, at that. When she was small, she taught me a thing or three about making friends. What is the saying? A little child shall lead them.”

He is not familiar with that saying, but the memory of A-Yuan clinging to his leg in Yiling and drawing people to him is vivid, and he finds himself nodding in agreement.

Tom is fine with conversation partners who don’t speak as much as others might. That’s another skill he’s learned through the years at Milliways - the different ways to engage different kinds of people.

“When we first met, we compared our magical systems, and, I fear, you discovered that there were some, erm, jarring differences that I had no idea existed.”

He’s not going to say the d-word. He’s still horrified about that whole misunderstanding.

“I did want to make sure you knew I wasn’t intentionally a heinous representative of a terrible culture. The Wizarding world has plenty of flaws, mind you, but I was appalled to know that, well. It’s difficult to reconcile what is normal between worlds, and I thank you for your patience.”

"Mn."

He can't help but look austere, but at the same time, he shakes his head.

"Do not worry. I understand, now, how different it is in your world. The way you spoke of it -- it could not be the same."

His expression is likewise solemn and serious.

“I have been responsible for terrible thoughts and deeds, Lan Wangji, things for which I take full responsibility and atone for to this day. But with that one aspect, you’re correct; it is not the same. I wanted you to hear this straight from me, even though I suspected the issue was resolved when you stopped to greet me.”

His face softens. “That was my hope, anyway, so I’m pleased to hear your response just now. If you have any similar concerns, I’m not, nor would I ever be, offended to hear them.”

“I do not have concerns,” he assures him. “But I will tell you, should I ever.”

Ingress was right. Tom is very open about his past. He wonders what Wei Ying thinks about it, and if it is anything similar.

“Your past. Was it necromancy?”

He does not sound judgmental.

“In my world, necromancy is a small part of a larger evil. I used the Dark Arts to get whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. I used it to hurt and I used it to kill. I didn’t simply harness resentful energy; I created it.”

Lan Wangji blinks at him.

Maybe he was like Wen Ruohan after all.

“What happened?”

“I was born unwanted and I grew up wrong. I attended Wizarding school with a rotten heart and a thirst for revenge, and I learned I was immensely powerful. The more power I gained, the more I wanted. I wished to live forever and rule the world, bending it to my will. I called myself Lord Voldemort, and I arrived here as a result of a dreadful spell that divested Voldemort of the last of his humanity - which turned out to be, well, me. And then I received a second chance to try to make things right.”

Or maybe Xue Chonghai.

In any case, the man he is now exhibits no signs of the man he is describing, no selfish cruelty or murderous impulse. He will judge by the man he knows.

“I thank you,” he says, gravely. “For trusting me with your tale.”

Tom isn’t perfect, by any means, nor does he walk in the pure bright light. But he tries to do right things, and he loves beyond measure, and his heart is no longer rotten.

“And I thank you for listening to it with an open mind.”

He gives a nod, and casts about for another topic of conversation, being certain that although Tom has been at pains to reassure him of his intentions, the subject cannot be comfortable or pleasant for him.

His glance falls on the paper that Tom had been reading, and he asks, politely,

"Is that for another of your studies?"

Tom had enjoyed talking about them, before, despite his frustration with the translation spell.

“Tangentially, it is, I suppose. This is a daily newspaper from the Wizarding world. I’ve kept up a subscription even though I rarely have time to read it, because it’s important for me to keep abreast of events and changes, even if I’m not part of them.”

He scowls. “But mostly I see the same patterns of power, willful ignorance, and greed repeating themselves over and over in slightly different variations.”

"People are the same," he observes.

The idea seems interesting enough, at least.

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