[That's good information to have. He's curious to hear more, but he isn't going to press for details while they're talking to these kids.
He lets 9S do the talking, especially since 9S already knows them. Lan Wangji, meanwhile, kneels down to put himself more at their level, uncaring of getting his nice suit dirty. He offers both of them a smile--a small one, gentle, the same kind of smile he uses for Haku or NPC A-yuan if they're feeling overwhelmed.]
Hello.
[He leaves it at that, and doesn't try to reach out for them, or otherwise invade their space. Dad!ji vibes, activated!!]
[ Good job, Lan Wangji!! Exude that kindness. 9S looks back to the kids with an encouraging smile. ]
See?
[ The girl doesn't seem convinced, but it's clear from the boy's expression that he's taken by the goodwill on offer. 9S does what he does best and continues to chatter, filling in the silence. ]
That was some timing last time, huh? If you guys had stayed a few seconds longer, you might've gotten caught up in that crazy gunfire. I thought those goons might've been after you, so I was afraid that was the last I'd see of you. They haven't been bothering you, have they?
[ And easy as that, the little boy opens the floodgates. He really likes 9S and thinks he's super cool! Which means he is extremely glad that 9S didn't get murked by the gunshots either. The girl, unfortunately, is taking longer to warm up. She is super suspicious of 9S still, and though she's curious about Mister Right-hand, she also thinks him suspicious, too.
The boy, thankfully, speaks for both of them because he is soft. He says they're kind of hungry, and wonders if they have any warm noodles. But then he goes on to say that the gunshots scared them at the tower, and they ran as fast and far as they could. Some men they didn't know had been trying to get him and his sister to go with them. The men had come from out of town. But they had really fancy clothes! So him and his sister both ran away to hide in the bell tower.
The sister shushes him after, and she won't let him speak about it anymore to them, and she won't talk about it herself. She seems afraid even with such a strong face. ]
[He's doing his best! And by that I mean he's mostly hanging back and letting 9S do his thing. He meets the sister's gaze calmly, but only until the little boy starts talking, and his attention is diverted.
Men in fancy clothes, huh... from out of town? That's... Bad, to put it lightly. Lan Wangji doesn't like that at all. Not only do these people seem to be targeting Middleton, but if they're snatching up kids--well.
He doesn't ask why they're not back in Xian Le territory. If they're not with their family, then they must have a reason, especially since the girl seems to be alert and somewhat or fully conscientious of the situation. And if she's too afraid to keep talking...
Smoothly, Lan Wangji gets to his feet. He rests a hand on 9S's shoulder, leaning down to speak quietly to him.]
[ After absorbing that juicy chunk of information, 9S nods firmly, lowering his voice. ]
I agree, sir. I think they've already been through more than enough.
[ From the perspective of a Mori, it would make sense to want to take the kids back to Mori territory. Nines would've thought that way -- but 9S is a much more skeptical creature, and after some of the things he's seen here, he isn't beyond questioning the virtues of his own team. ]
Mr. Wuxian runs an apartment building -- I think we should have them stay there. I'll handle the payment.
[ The kids can have all of his money, really... 9S has no reason to hoard it, and frankly he doesn't care about Nines's future. ]
[That's--not the suggestion he expected. Lan Wangji frowns; maybe it's because they're Xian Le?
But also, first of all--] Wei Ying would not charge money for this.
[Lan Wangji is this really the time to get defensive over your not!boyfriend, please stop... also, he's still under the impression that Wei Wuxian doesn't want to be involved in mafia business, but maybe Nines doesn't know that? He's never been one for interactions with any Xian Les, as far as Lan Wangji knows.]
[ now that we know the future all of this is horribly ironic but ]
I'm not so sure about that. I have reason to believe that the people who were firing at them may have been ours. I didn't get a chance to speak with them so I couldn't tell you their motive, but I'd rather play it safe and keep these kids in neutral territory. Just until we know more, you know?
[He uses his name instead of "the boss", mostly because he doesn't want vague terminology to spook the kids. It's important, though--if Chuuya already knows, then he supposes they won't get too much shit for not bringing these kids to HQ.]
Yes, sir. He said he'd look into it, but I'll admit I may not have given him the most substantial description to work with. The gunmen were in a soft-topped black car, and that's all I got.
[ He continues to look up expectantly at Lan Wangji. Yiling Ridge! Yiling Ridge!! ]
Well... he still doesn't really like this, but if Chuuya's already aware of the situation, then it's different. He still thinks they'd be safer under his watch, but he's got his hands full as executive as it is, and 9S has his own work, too. Plus, they'd likely be comforted being with other children around their age... mostly he just doesn't want to drag mafia business to Wei Wuxian's doorstep, considering he'd promised himself to never do exactly that.
It's looking like the best option, though, so he sighs quietly.]
Fine. But you must convince Wei Ying to take them in.
[Wei Wuxian is going to need absolutely zero convincing and Lan Wangji knows it, but still. He's going to have to apologize to his not!boyfriend anyway... for now, though, they've ignored the kids long enough, and he turns back to them, kneeling down again.]
[ 9S doesn't know Wei Wuxian (Wei Ying??) nearly as well, but the little bit he does know is enough to tell him that the kids will have an easy home in Yiling Ridge. Yeah!!!
The girl is quiet and her expression defiant, but the boy's mouth falls open with excitement. He likes fat noodles but also skinny ones, and when they're chewy and long, but the short ones like penne and farfalle have such nice shapes and once he put fifty of them in his mouth at once--
Which is to say all the noodles.
The girl watches her brother as he speaks, her hard look softening as he goes on about the food they once had. Eventually, she stops him with a hand on his shoulder and asks Lan Wangji why he's asking, guarded but not quite hostile. ]
[ALL THE NOODLES... well, luckily Lan Wangji can afford all the noodles, so this is fine. His face softens at the enthusiasm; honestly, his heart aches whenever he sees kids on the street, but especially ones like these. They're too soft for a city like this.]
We know someone with a kitchen. He is a good friend of mine, and he would not mind letting us make some noodles there. [He's trying to go about this carefully; the last thing he wants is for these kids to think they're trying to coax them into yet another kidnapping attempt. It's why he makes no attempt to physically reach out for them, instead patiently letting them decide.] You are welcome to come, if you'd like.
It's in Middleton, not too far from here. Yiling Ridge. The guy's a huge softie. He'll probably let you walk all over him.
[ He suddenly rubs his chin as if thinking. ]
But you know, noodles sound pretty good to me too. You guys don't have to come. It would mean three times the noodles for me...
[ Actually, three times the noodles sounds like hell to 9S, but his bluff seems to work because the little boy takes on a look of horror and immediately spins around to stare pleadingly at his sister. She holds up for a valiant two seconds before sighing and nodding. ]
[GOOD JOB NINES. Lan Wangji lets himself smile softly at the two of them, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to the little girl, if she wants to take it. If she doesn't, that's fine too, but he isn't going to spook her by trying to touch her brother.]
My name is Lan Wangji. [Which they already know because 9S called him that, but still, it's polite to introduce yourself first.] Will you tell us yours?
[ The girl doesn't look inclined to take the hand, but the boy happily intercepts the offer and clings onto Lan Wangji's hand instead. The girl frowns but doesn't tear her brother away; instead, she firmly takes hold of her brother's other hand, just in case Lan Wangji gets any funny ideas about running off. Meanwhile, 9S will be content to walk unlinked alongside the group. Holding hands with humans?? Blasphemy.
"Bennett!" the boy replies to Lan Wangji. "And my sister's Bianca!"
Entirely unsolicited, Bennett loops back around to chattering more about the creepy men who tried to get him and his sister to go back outside of town with them. They really did have fancy clothes. Like Mister Wangji, the boy says excitedly! ]
So whoever they are, they're pretty well-to-do. The kidnapping gig must really pay off, huh?
[Well, that works too. He's content to walk like this, Bennett's hand in his grip just firmly enough to make sure he doesn't swing himself into other people on the sidewalk. He's a pretty quiet man, so he's content to let the kids chatter as they will, and--well. He can't say more information is bad, but it's not info he's happy about either.
He sighs.]
It often does. Many immoral things do. [Which is knowledge he wishes he DIDN'T HAVE, but probably something he's run across before, considering he's lived the mafia life for this long.]
[ 9S has always had a loose relationship with the rules, so he understands the temptation of breaking a law here or there. Kidnapping, though... It's a lot. Unheard of in android society, and something he only knows about peripherally thanks to their time on the Isle of Champions. ]
High risk, high reward, as they say. But if there haven't been any people reporting ransoms, I wonder what the kidnappers are getting out of all this. It seems like a lot of trouble to go through for, say, cheap labor.
If they are taking children from the streets, there would not be any ransoms. That does not mean they are not being sold.
[And if 9S truly wants a crash course in all the terrible things humans are capable of, Lan Wangji will set aside plenty of time to have that discussion with him--but, perhaps, not in the presence of the children they're trying to rescue. Bennett may not be old enough to quite grasp the content of their conversation, but Bianca certainly is, and even though Lan Wangji is speaking quietly, he's not exactly whispering.]
For now, we must focus on making sure these two are not targeted again.
[ Humans selling humans is another unfathomable concept to 9S, and he has to mull it over. Killing is one thing, but selling means there are other humans out there willing to claim ownership over other unwilling humans for a price. Strange, very strange -- not to mention disturbing -- to an android who's always been led to believe that every human life is priceless. ]
Mr. Wangji, has Mr. Wuxian spoken to you about the disappearances lately?
[It is definitely disturbing. Lan Wangji has never tried to pretend he is a saint--he did not get to where he is today through innocence, after all--but he has never condoned things like this. He would like to think that many of his people would be on the same page, but experience has taught him not to make assumptions about people on either side of the river.]
A little. [As in, he'd warned him that he'd heard kidnappings were happening, but that's about it. Lan Wangji makes an active effort not to drag his work to Wei Wuxian's doorstep.] Wei Ying... does not wish to be involved.
[Which is part of the reason he's not crazy about the plan to take these kids to Yiling Ridge, even though he knows Wei Wuxian won't turn them away.]
[ 9S stares at Lan Wangji a little at that because actively seeking people out to ask about disappearances sounds like a funny way to avoid involvement to him. He ain't no SNITCH though so he keeps that to himself. ]
Er... right. How long have you two known each other, anyway?
[YES PLEASE DON'T SNITCH because then Lan Wangji will have to go and frown at Wei Wuxian and they both hate that when it's over something serious.
BUT, OH YEAH. Sometimes he forgets that not everyone just Knows about him and Wei Wuxian, considering he doesn't exactly try to hide his feelings... but of course, Nines wasn't even born back then, so.]
Since we were children. We spent time in Middleton together, before we were old enough to start proper work for the Families.
[YEAH... that's what they are... just good friends. Totally platonic bros.]
We were much the same as we are. [WELL... in a manner of speaking. They've both done a fair bit of, shall we say, character growth over the years. But he likes to think that the both of them have always maintained their cores.]
Wei Ying has always been social and kind. He has always had a good heart.
[And he himself has always been... (boring, quiet, disturbingly diligent) serious.]
[ Lan Wangji as the kind and reserved half and Wei Wuxian as the friendly, more outgoing half... That's not too far off from 2B and 9S or even Bianca and Bennett. Satisfied with the connection, 9S nods to himself. ]
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He lets 9S do the talking, especially since 9S already knows them. Lan Wangji, meanwhile, kneels down to put himself more at their level, uncaring of getting his nice suit dirty. He offers both of them a smile--a small one, gentle, the same kind of smile he uses for Haku or NPC A-yuan if they're feeling overwhelmed.]
Hello.
[He leaves it at that, and doesn't try to reach out for them, or otherwise invade their space. Dad!ji vibes, activated!!]
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See?
[ The girl doesn't seem convinced, but it's clear from the boy's expression that he's taken by the goodwill on offer. 9S does what he does best and continues to chatter, filling in the silence. ]
That was some timing last time, huh? If you guys had stayed a few seconds longer, you might've gotten caught up in that crazy gunfire. I thought those goons might've been after you, so I was afraid that was the last I'd see of you. They haven't been bothering you, have they?
[ And easy as that, the little boy opens the floodgates. He really likes 9S and thinks he's super cool! Which means he is extremely glad that 9S didn't get murked by the gunshots either. The girl, unfortunately, is taking longer to warm up. She is super suspicious of 9S still, and though she's curious about Mister Right-hand, she also thinks him suspicious, too.
The boy, thankfully, speaks for both of them because he is soft. He says they're kind of hungry, and wonders if they have any warm noodles. But then he goes on to say that the gunshots scared them at the tower, and they ran as fast and far as they could. Some men they didn't know had been trying to get him and his sister to go with them. The men had come from out of town. But they had really fancy clothes! So him and his sister both ran away to hide in the bell tower.
The sister shushes him after, and she won't let him speak about it anymore to them, and she won't talk about it herself. She seems afraid even with such a strong face. ]
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Men in fancy clothes, huh... from out of town? That's... Bad, to put it lightly. Lan Wangji doesn't like that at all. Not only do these people seem to be targeting Middleton, but if they're snatching up kids--well.
He doesn't ask why they're not back in Xian Le territory. If they're not with their family, then they must have a reason, especially since the girl seems to be alert and somewhat or fully conscientious of the situation. And if she's too afraid to keep talking...
Smoothly, Lan Wangji gets to his feet. He rests a hand on 9S's shoulder, leaning down to speak quietly to him.]
We can't let them stay here. It isn't safe.
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I agree, sir. I think they've already been through more than enough.
[ From the perspective of a Mori, it would make sense to want to take the kids back to Mori territory. Nines would've thought that way -- but 9S is a much more skeptical creature, and after some of the things he's seen here, he isn't beyond questioning the virtues of his own team. ]
Mr. Wuxian runs an apartment building -- I think we should have them stay there. I'll handle the payment.
[ The kids can have all of his money, really... 9S has no reason to hoard it, and frankly he doesn't care about Nines's future. ]
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But also, first of all--] Wei Ying would not charge money for this.
[Lan Wangji is this really the time to get defensive over your not!boyfriend, please stop... also, he's still under the impression that Wei Wuxian doesn't want to be involved in mafia business, but maybe Nines doesn't know that? He's never been one for interactions with any Xian Les, as far as Lan Wangji knows.]
They would be safer under our protection.
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now that we know the future all of this is horribly ironic but]I'm not so sure about that. I have reason to believe that the people who were firing at them may have been ours. I didn't get a chance to speak with them so I couldn't tell you their motive, but I'd rather play it safe and keep these kids in neutral territory. Just until we know more, you know?
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Have you spoken with Chuuya about this?
[He uses his name instead of "the boss", mostly because he doesn't want vague terminology to spook the kids. It's important, though--if Chuuya already knows, then he supposes they won't get too much shit for not bringing these kids to HQ.]
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[ He continues to look up expectantly at Lan Wangji. Yiling Ridge! Yiling Ridge!! ]
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Well... he still doesn't really like this, but if Chuuya's already aware of the situation, then it's different. He still thinks they'd be safer under his watch, but he's got his hands full as executive as it is, and 9S has his own work, too. Plus, they'd likely be comforted being with other children around their age... mostly he just doesn't want to drag mafia business to Wei Wuxian's doorstep, considering he'd promised himself to never do exactly that.
It's looking like the best option, though, so he sighs quietly.]
Fine. But you must convince Wei Ying to take them in.
[Wei Wuxian is going to need absolutely zero convincing and Lan Wangji knows it, but still. He's going to have to apologize to his not!boyfriend anyway... for now, though, they've ignored the kids long enough, and he turns back to them, kneeling down again.]
What kind of noodles would you like?
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The girl is quiet and her expression defiant, but the boy's mouth falls open with excitement. He likes fat noodles but also skinny ones, and when they're chewy and long, but the short ones like penne and farfalle have such nice shapes and once he put fifty of them in his mouth at once--
Which is to say all the noodles.
The girl watches her brother as he speaks, her hard look softening as he goes on about the food they once had. Eventually, she stops him with a hand on his shoulder and asks Lan Wangji why he's asking, guarded but not quite hostile. ]
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We know someone with a kitchen. He is a good friend of mine, and he would not mind letting us make some noodles there. [He's trying to go about this carefully; the last thing he wants is for these kids to think they're trying to coax them into yet another kidnapping attempt. It's why he makes no attempt to physically reach out for them, instead patiently letting them decide.] You are welcome to come, if you'd like.
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It's in Middleton, not too far from here. Yiling Ridge. The guy's a huge softie. He'll probably let you walk all over him.
[ He suddenly rubs his chin as if thinking. ]
But you know, noodles sound pretty good to me too. You guys don't have to come. It would mean three times the noodles for me...
[ Actually, three times the noodles sounds like hell to 9S, but his bluff seems to work because the little boy takes on a look of horror and immediately spins around to stare pleadingly at his sister. She holds up for a valiant two seconds before sighing and nodding. ]
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My name is Lan Wangji. [Which they already know because 9S called him that, but still, it's polite to introduce yourself first.] Will you tell us yours?
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"Bennett!" the boy replies to Lan Wangji. "And my sister's Bianca!"
Entirely unsolicited, Bennett loops back around to chattering more about the creepy men who tried to get him and his sister to go back outside of town with them. They really did have fancy clothes. Like Mister Wangji, the boy says excitedly! ]
So whoever they are, they're pretty well-to-do. The kidnapping gig must really pay off, huh?
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He sighs.]
It often does. Many immoral things do. [Which is knowledge he wishes he DIDN'T HAVE, but probably something he's run across before, considering he's lived the mafia life for this long.]
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High risk, high reward, as they say. But if there haven't been any people reporting ransoms, I wonder what the kidnappers are getting out of all this. It seems like a lot of trouble to go through for, say, cheap labor.
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[And if 9S truly wants a crash course in all the terrible things humans are capable of, Lan Wangji will set aside plenty of time to have that discussion with him--but, perhaps, not in the presence of the children they're trying to rescue. Bennett may not be old enough to quite grasp the content of their conversation, but Bianca certainly is, and even though Lan Wangji is speaking quietly, he's not exactly whispering.]
For now, we must focus on making sure these two are not targeted again.
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[ Humans selling humans is another unfathomable concept to 9S, and he has to mull it over. Killing is one thing, but selling means there are other humans out there willing to claim ownership over other unwilling humans for a price. Strange, very strange -- not to mention disturbing -- to an android who's always been led to believe that every human life is priceless. ]
Mr. Wangji, has Mr. Wuxian spoken to you about the disappearances lately?
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A little. [As in, he'd warned him that he'd heard kidnappings were happening, but that's about it. Lan Wangji makes an active effort not to drag his work to Wei Wuxian's doorstep.] Wei Ying... does not wish to be involved.
[Which is part of the reason he's not crazy about the plan to take these kids to Yiling Ridge, even though he knows Wei Wuxian won't turn them away.]
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[ 9S stares at Lan Wangji a little at that because actively seeking people out to ask about disappearances sounds like a funny way to avoid involvement to him. He ain't no SNITCH though so he keeps that to himself. ]
Er... right. How long have you two known each other, anyway?
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BUT, OH YEAH. Sometimes he forgets that not everyone just Knows about him and Wei Wuxian, considering he doesn't exactly try to hide his feelings... but of course, Nines wasn't even born back then, so.]
Since we were children. We spent time in Middleton together, before we were old enough to start proper work for the Families.
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[ He looks down at the kids they have in tow, Bennett happily marching along and Bianca attentive enough for both of them. ]
I can't imagine you and Mr. Wuxian as small as Bianca and Bennett here.
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We were much the same as we are. [WELL... in a manner of speaking. They've both done a fair bit of, shall we say, character growth over the years. But he likes to think that the both of them have always maintained their cores.]
Wei Ying has always been social and kind. He has always had a good heart.
[And he himself has always been... (boring, quiet, disturbingly diligent) serious.]
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Opposites really do attract, huh, sir?