Thread by @tragicsonglan

Role reversal where it's LWJ who shows up to the Yunmeng lectures without his invitation (Bc he was so nervous he left it at home), and WWX refuses to let this stuffy, stiff boy in, fully expecting him to push back and demand entry

LWJ turns around and immediately heads for the inn where he stayed last night (he'd arrived just before hai shi, and it seemed rude to request entry so late) (Yunmeng, he learns later, doesn't sleep so early and the gates of Lotus Pier are open until almost midnight)

He will return home tomorrow and then salvage what he can of his pride and suffer the loss of face to ask to be let into the lectures late. It will be fine. Embarrassing, but fine.

WWX would hurry after him and let him know that he was just teasing, it's clear he's there for the lectures and he couldn't be anyone but a Lan with that face and the head ribbon, but the Peacock arrives just behind, and he has other matters to attend to.

(Namely, pulling the same prank of demanding an invitation that doesn't exist)

((Sorry realized this is better actually if there IS no invitation card but WWX CLAIMS there is and demands to see it))

I think what happens next is it's dinner time that evening and all the guest disciples are in the hall for the meal and someone says in passing "have the Lan not sent anyone for the lectures? How strange" and WWX is like "oh shit, I have to go"

Luckily for him, a young man in Lan blues (bc in this au, he wore his traveling robes) and a forehead ribbon created quite a stir among the market sellers and it takes very little work for WWX to track down which inn he's staying in

The reasonable thing to do here would be to ask the innkeeper to deliver a message to the young master Lan that he should come to Lotus Pier, but this is WWX. He asks which room the young master is staying in, and bc it's WWX, the innkeeper tells him.

Privacy laws in the jianghu? Never heard of her. -Yunmeng innkeepers, probably

Instead of, you know, going upstairs and knocking on the door to apologize for the upset and offer to personally escort young master Lan to lotus pier, WWX exits left and qinggongs his way to the second floor balcony of LWJ's room.

This goes about as well as you might expect.

Did you know that if you startle a young master swordsman from his meditation by floating into his rooms via the window after having embarrassed him earlier in the day there is a Very Good Chance he will draw his sword on you and fight you on the rooftops as the sun begins to set

Also did you know the author of this story left out the part where WWX came floating in with a bottle of Yunmeng's finest lotus blossom wine with intention of offering it as an apology gift

Please imagine with me our tableau:

The sun: setting
WWX: mourning the loss of his lotus blossom wine (2 jars knocked out of his hands!)
LWJ: furious and humiliated and kind of turned on, but mostly furious
Denizens of Yunmeng: enjoying the show and cheering on the young masters

They chase each other over the rooftops, WWX teasing and laughing and LWJ more furious and turned on by the moment. He's going to catch this infuriating Yunmeng Jiang disciple, and then he'll -- then he'll --

Do something. Teach him a lesson. Yes, that sounds good.

Things do not go as planned for LWJ. WWX knows these rooftops, LWJ does not. He does not realize they have made their way back to Lotus Pier, that he's being *led* somewhere specific.

WWX gets to the top of a tower and turns. They've come to an impasse; there's nowhere else for him to go. "Lan-gongzi," he says, "won't you tell me your name?"

It trips him up to realize that they haven't exchanged names. "Lan Zhan," he says without thinking. "Courtesy Wangji."

"Lan Zhan," the Yunmeng disciple says, his wide smile turning wicked, so full of mirth. He's been laughing at LWJ this whole time. "Wei Ying, courtesy Wuxian." He bows, a little mocking. "Welcome to Lotus Pier."

He steps back without looking, and LWJ realizes with a jolt that there's no foothold beneath the boy; he'll go toppling to the ground. He lunges, but it's too late. The Yunmeng disciple -- Wei Ying -- has already stepped off the tower.

LWJ can do nothing but follow after and hope to catch him.

He expects to see WWX falling, perhaps flailing, but the boy isn't there. LWJ has a moment of pure confusion, and then there's a tug at the trailing fabric of his outer robe, pulling him back, into the open turret of the tower. It is WWX, of course, still laughing.

LWJ is furious. More furious than before, and he reacts with a flurry of strikes, making WWX work for it. They clash and tilt and turn, over and over, along the steps and stairs and down into the courtyard. Their swords ring loudly, the noise of it drawing an audience. And then--

"Wei Wuxian! What are you doing!" WWX's eyes widen, and he drops his sword suddenly enough that LWJ has to work to pull Bichen back. The two of them turn to find a woman striding out of Sword Hall. "Fighting? With a Lan? What offense have you given?"

To LWJ's surprise, WWX drops into an immediate bow, eyes on the ground. "Yu-furen, this disciple did not mean to give offense. I was--" He falters, clearly looking for a way to spin his actions into something respectable. Yu-furen's scowl deepens.

"Not even a day into the lectures and already you shame us! You will kneel in the ancestral hall until I release you."

WWX's bow deepens. "Yes, Yu-furen," he murmurs, so unlike the laughing boy he'd been just minutes ago.

LWJ steps forward and also bows. "It is Lan Wangji who gave offense," he says. WWX gasps beside him. "This one apologizes for his lateness to the lectures. Wei Ying was simply bringing me to Sword Hall." It is not technically a lie, though it is far from the entire truth.

Anyway. This is just the beginning. The lectures are, well, you can imagine. JFM is not half the lecturer LQR is, and JC is not nearly so collected as LXC. There are significantly fewer rules, which means there are many more opportunities for Shenanigans™

There is at least one person shoved into a lake (the Peacock) and at least two instances of someone climbing out of the lake to find his clothes missing (also the Peacock, and WWX, in retaliation). LWJ spends a lot of time meditating in the guest pavilion

He also spends a lot of time trying to ignore the Shenanigans™ happening around him, but that's easier said than done when a very naked and dripping WWX flops down beside him while he is meditating. "Lan Zhan, they dared me to skinny-dip and stole all my clothes."

LWJ would like to die, just a little bit, but instead he stands up and walks away. It's safer than staying there.

>>ok, I am stopping here. I am not 100% sure there will be more of this bc this was meant to be like 5 tweets lmao, but I'm glad people are enjoying it! from the top:

https://twitter.com/tragicsonglan/status/1462861971578044417?s=20