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 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?