today's thought is archaeologist lwj excavating an ancient tomb that has a shit-ton of protection, warning, and containment seals on it. his colleagues say it's cursed, but he disregards them.
until he lifts the sarcophagus lid and finds red-glowing eyes staring back at him.
lwj:
yllz:
lwj: *closes the sarcophagus lid*
yllz:
lwj: *closes the sarcophagus lid*
it's nowhere near bedtime, but lwj decides to just go to sleep early. he's certain that whatever he saw was a hallucination and he's overtired.
until he goes back the next day, lifts the sarcophagus lid again, and the man inside says, "I'm still here, kid."
until he goes back the next day, lifts the sarcophagus lid again, and the man inside says, "I'm still here, kid."
lwj is, unfortunately, not hallucinating.
he doesn't scream, but he does make some sort of sound. his partner, nhs—who agreed to be his partner because lwj lets him sit around and do nothing—pokes his head into the tomb to check on him.
nhs *does* scream.
he doesn't scream, but he does make some sort of sound. his partner, nhs—who agreed to be his partner because lwj lets him sit around and do nothing—pokes his head into the tomb to check on him.
nhs *does* scream.
it takes a while to wake nhs up from his dead-faint, and by that time, the yllz has already turned his head to watch them.
nhs takes one look at him and promptly bursts into tears, wailing, "WANGJI-XIONG AAAAA PUT THAT THING BACK. PUT IT BAAACK."
nhs takes one look at him and promptly bursts into tears, wailing, "WANGJI-XIONG AAAAA PUT THAT THING BACK. PUT IT BAAACK."
lwj isn't sure he can just put the man back in the sarcophagus—he already tried that yesterday, and it didn't change the fact that there is a living person inside a centuries-old coffin.
in fact, he isn't sure what he can do, except make sure the man is okay.
in fact, he isn't sure what he can do, except make sure the man is okay.
it's awkward, since he was the one who closed the sarcophagus lid back yesterday. lwj approaches the coffin.
"Hello," he greets. "I am Lan Wangji."
at his name, the man arches an eyebrow. "Of course you would be," he replies.
lwj rethinks nhs's suggestion to rebury him.
"Hello," he greets. "I am Lan Wangji."
at his name, the man arches an eyebrow. "Of course you would be," he replies.
lwj rethinks nhs's suggestion to rebury him.
of course, lwj doesn't do that.
he doesn't know what else to do, so he... just... brings the man back to the dorm at the local university he has been staying in for the excavation.
he doesn't know what else to do, so he... just... brings the man back to the dorm at the local university he has been staying in for the excavation.
lwj's roommates: so, uh... whatcha got there?
lwj:
lwj:
meanwhile, the yllz is… not entirely sure what is going on.
he'd spent an eternity simply lying in the dark, bound in chains and buried away. if the lans knew that one of their descendants would find him again and free him, they would have perhaps thrown him in the ocean.
he'd spent an eternity simply lying in the dark, bound in chains and buried away. if the lans knew that one of their descendants would find him again and free him, they would have perhaps thrown him in the ocean.
as it were, the yllz is… definitely not at the bottom of the ocean.
instead he's in a… house? room? he knows it's a building, but it is filled with odd noises as different items and tools whirl and work.
instead he's in a… house? room? he knows it's a building, but it is filled with odd noises as different items and tools whirl and work.
he's led into a room, where the lan boy fills out a basin attached to the floor.
ah, so that's how this is—the lan boy plans to drown him.
ah, so that's how this is—the lan boy plans to drown him.
of course, the yllz hardly intends to let him do as he pleases—not after the yllz has finally been let out after centuries of nothing but darkness and silence. he attacks the lan boy.
but he is still weak from such a long confinement. the fight goes… poorly.
but he is still weak from such a long confinement. the fight goes… poorly.
lwj's housemate, on the phone with 911, after passing by the bathroom and seeing what looks like lwj wrestling a corpse:
this reply was too good to ignore 😭
the police show up, and after an initial evaluation of the situation, strongly recommend that lwj take the man to either an unhoused shelter or a hospital to get checked out.
lwj wears gloves for the rest of the day.
the police show up, and after an initial evaluation of the situation, strongly recommend that lwj take the man to either an unhoused shelter or a hospital to get checked out.
lwj wears gloves for the rest of the day.
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the hospital visit is lengthy and expensive. the man, despite clearly able to understand what he is told, is incredibly uncooperative. he refuses to give his name, birthday, or any explanation as to why he was in the ground.
after the man has been cleared (for now—nobody knows when rabies will rear its head), the hospital staff asks lwj if he would like them to take over things from here.
as tempting as it is, lwj politely declines. he is responsible for digging up the stranger.
as tempting as it is, lwj politely declines. he is responsible for digging up the stranger.
and while the man has been nothing but trouble so far, lwj can't help but be immensely curious about the life the man had lived. the tomb itself is from centuries ago, and lwj would be a fool to pass up this opportunity to learn more from someone from that era.
of course, he will need to give his housemates a proper explanation and get their permission for the man to stay—which is a bit hard to do when the man is a complete stranger and won't give lwj his name.
lwj will have to make up a story.
lwj will have to make up a story.
housemate: so, uh, wangji. this guest of yours. he is...?
lwj: this is, uh, mo xuanyu. he has nowhere else to go, so he'll be staying with me until he gets back on his feet.
housemate: okay, and your relationship with him is...
lwj: he's my, uh
lwj:
lwj: cousin
lwj: this is, uh, mo xuanyu. he has nowhere else to go, so he'll be staying with me until he gets back on his feet.
housemate: okay, and your relationship with him is...
lwj: he's my, uh
lwj:
lwj: cousin
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