[Lan Wangji probably has his own fuckin telephone, honestly, if only so that he doesn't tie up the Mori HQ phone line when he's having gay chats with Wei Wuxian. God. He's likely only here because someone (probably Chuuya), advised him to check and see if Haku had made his way home by himself--and he'd probably been half a second away from heading straight to the armory to hit the streets again before the phone rang.
He moves fast, picking up before the first ring even finishes, and his voice is probably more urgent than Haku's ever heard in his life.]
Hello?
[It's not much better when Haku speaks--he lets out a ragged breath, and it's only the sound of Haku's voice that has him noticing, for the first time all night, how his heart is pounding. Have his hands really been shaking this whole time? Unimportant.]
Where are you? [The worry in his voice is palpable. For anyone else, it'd sound like a full-on breakdown.]
[Okay, so Dad sounds more disturbed about what has happened than Haku original thought. For some reason, Lan Wangji has always seemed like a wrought-iron pillar in the midst of... well, everything. Any kind of danger, or upset, and he remembers his father taking it in stride.
It's bizarre to hear the worried quiver to Lan Wangji's voice. He feels immediately guilty, even if none of this had been his fault.]
Westside. [He wonders how much Lan Wangji knows, and if Lan Wangji would be angry with him if he covered for Okuni. He wonders if Okuni deserves to be covered for--her intentions weren't bad, but her execution was awful.] I was with Mizuki for a while. I looked over the temple until I thought the auction was finished.
I'm going to walk back over the bridge after I hang up.
[(jack sparrow lwj voice) I show emotion quite a lot, actually, yet people are always surprised
But honestly, he's only half-listening to the explanation, too overwhelmed by the relief he feels to actually take in most of his words. He definitely catches that last part, though, and answers immediately.]
No. Stay where you are. I'm on my way.
[And if any Xian Les try and give either of them trouble, they're going to be the ones who regret it.]
Haku's sigh isn't sassy so much as understanding in knowing his father would be strict this way.] I'll be at the temple. Outside of it. [He can compromise, HE GUESSES.]
[That's the most time he's willing to waste on a verbal response, when he's halfway out the door already.
(He's really not the one who needs to be careful anyway. He isn't one for unnecessary cruelty and violence, but his idea of "unnecessary" is currently... slightly skewed.)
He's on his way the second he hangs up, though, not stopping even to leave a note for Chuuya, who is almost as worried as he is. Lan Wangji is the sort of man who usually moves at the same steady, moderate pace, but now he runs without a care for how he must look, making full use of his skills and the back roads, both to make use of every shortcut he knows and to avoid as much foot traffic as possible. He only slows down once he's fully in Xian Le territory, and even then he walks with purposeful speed, not even trying to hide his presence. He ignores anyone who might look at him, all of his attention focused on his destination.]
Haku--!
[As soon as he spots his son, he's running again before he even realizes he's done it, reaching out to drag him into a fierce hug. Haku already confirmed his safety, but it's not quite the same as seeing it for himself, after he'd really, truly, begun to fear the worst. Haku is smart, and skilled, far more than Lan Wangji was at his age, but he's still a boy. He's still a child, who should be able to trust his own father to keep him safe, not--not let him end up in enemy territory, alone--
He'll ask what happened, when he can trust his voice again. Just give him a minute.]
[Things by the temple aren't so bad. They found a very skinny, but very cute black cat. Well, he found it, but Xie Lian helped him find something for it to eat. He's not sure what it'll be named; however, the little guy keeps him company while he waits for Lan Wangji to arrive in a whirlwind of business.
What he doesn't expect is--no, he hadn't been scared necessarily, though he had worried--to feel like he does when he first spots Lan Wangji cresting into view. The way Lan Wangji looks; he's not sure if he's ever seen such relief in Lan Wangi's eyes.]
...Dad!
[Lan Wangji starts running, and he shoves himself off the edge (startling the poor already startled cat) of the temple and runs, too. He hits Lan Wangji a bit too hard, but it's fine. He buries his face in his father's shoulder and squeezes.
If anyone came for him, of course it would be Lan Wangji.]
[When Haku was smaller, much smaller, Lan Wangji had constantly worried about accidentally hurting him. He'd seemed so fragile, especially at first, but Lan Wangji hadn't wanted to deny him comfort, or affection, though he lacked the knowledge of how to properly provide it. All he'd known, back then, was that he hadn't ever wanted Haku to doubt he was loved--because he was, and sometimes Lan Wangji felt so overcome by it that he feared it would crush them both.
He adjusted and learned over the years, as they grew together, but it had taken a long time before he'd stopped feeling like Haku would break if he didn't watch his strength. He feels a little of that old worry now--for the first time in forever, he has to hold himself with care, resting one trembling hand on the back of Haku's head.
It takes a long time, but when he can manage it, he pulls back just enough to kneel down, searching Haku's face to make sure that yes, he really is fine.]
What happened?
[Who brought you here, who did this, who do I have to go after--his tone isn't harsh, but that's what he's really asking. He'd insisted, despite what others said to him, that Haku was not the sort of boy to sneak off on his own, and he still fully believes that. Someone, therefore, must've forced him here.]
[Regardless of going about this side of town with a very impish, curious air, there's nothing but mimicked relief on Haku's face when Lan Wangji kneels. He hikes his chin up some, trying to stand tall and not be a baby. He has maybe never been much of a baby, though. Very different from A-yuan, he was always quiet and to himself, like a river.
His eyes shift back and forth between Lan Wangji's, searching a moment.]
Someone wanted me to spend time with Mizuki. [He's vague on purpose! He's sure Okuni will be in a lot of trouble already, so... he's trying... to keep her in Dad's good graces for as long as possible.] I had already planned to meet her at the auction. [Better out with the truth now, even if this puts them meeting secretly, how scandalous.] By the fountain.
But I didn't want to tell them as much. For her safety.
[Haku isn't a baby, it's true. Lan Wangji knows that. Even without these circumstances, he wouldn't begrudge Haku a chance to spend more time with Mizuki--though, admittedly, it would've been supervised (for their safety). But even knowing that, he can't look at Haku right now without seeing anything but his son, who will always, to some degree, be a child to him. Lan Wangji will never not want to lay down his life to protect him, and he certainly won't ever be unwilling to raze the town for him, either.
He meets Haku's gaze steadily, and he looks-- like he's trying not to look as dangerous as he can be, honestly, and only because he's still assuming Haku's been through a lot tonight. He can turn the murderous vibes down until Haku's safely back home.]
Who?
[Even if Haku doesn't tell him, he'll almost certainly figure it out on his own. It's not exactly going to be hard to narrow down a list of people who 1. are invested enough in other people's relationships to orchestrate dates for them, and 2. are stupid or oblivious enough to think that the best way to accomplish that is kidnapping.]
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He moves fast, picking up before the first ring even finishes, and his voice is probably more urgent than Haku's ever heard in his life.]
Hello?
[It's not much better when Haku speaks--he lets out a ragged breath, and it's only the sound of Haku's voice that has him noticing, for the first time all night, how his heart is pounding. Have his hands really been shaking this whole time? Unimportant.]
Where are you? [The worry in his voice is palpable. For anyone else, it'd sound like a full-on breakdown.]
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It's bizarre to hear the worried quiver to Lan Wangji's voice. He feels immediately guilty, even if none of this had been his fault.]
Westside. [He wonders how much Lan Wangji knows, and if Lan Wangji would be angry with him if he covered for Okuni. He wonders if Okuni deserves to be covered for--her intentions weren't bad, but her execution was awful.] I was with Mizuki for a while. I looked over the temple until I thought the auction was finished.
I'm going to walk back over the bridge after I hang up.
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But honestly, he's only half-listening to the explanation, too overwhelmed by the relief he feels to actually take in most of his words. He definitely catches that last part, though, and answers immediately.]
No. Stay where you are. I'm on my way.
[And if any Xian Les try and give either of them trouble, they're going to be the ones who regret it.]
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Haku's sigh isn't sassy so much as understanding in knowing his father would be strict this way.] I'll be at the temple. Outside of it. [He can compromise, HE GUESSES.]
Father-- [A pause.] Be careful.
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Mm.
[That's the most time he's willing to waste on a verbal response, when he's halfway out the door already.
(He's really not the one who needs to be careful anyway. He isn't one for unnecessary cruelty and violence, but his idea of "unnecessary" is currently... slightly skewed.)
He's on his way the second he hangs up, though, not stopping even to leave a note for Chuuya, who is almost as worried as he is. Lan Wangji is the sort of man who usually moves at the same steady, moderate pace, but now he runs without a care for how he must look, making full use of his skills and the back roads, both to make use of every shortcut he knows and to avoid as much foot traffic as possible. He only slows down once he's fully in Xian Le territory, and even then he walks with purposeful speed, not even trying to hide his presence. He ignores anyone who might look at him, all of his attention focused on his destination.]
Haku--!
[As soon as he spots his son, he's running again before he even realizes he's done it, reaching out to drag him into a fierce hug. Haku already confirmed his safety, but it's not quite the same as seeing it for himself, after he'd really, truly, begun to fear the worst. Haku is smart, and skilled, far more than Lan Wangji was at his age, but he's still a boy. He's still a child, who should be able to trust his own father to keep him safe, not--not let him end up in enemy territory, alone--
He'll ask what happened, when he can trust his voice again. Just give him a minute.]
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What he doesn't expect is--no, he hadn't been scared necessarily, though he had worried--to feel like he does when he first spots Lan Wangji cresting into view. The way Lan Wangji looks; he's not sure if he's ever seen such relief in Lan Wangi's eyes.]
...Dad!
[Lan Wangji starts running, and he shoves himself off the edge (startling the poor already startled cat) of the temple and runs, too. He hits Lan Wangji a bit too hard, but it's fine. He buries his face in his father's shoulder and squeezes.
If anyone came for him, of course it would be Lan Wangji.]
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He adjusted and learned over the years, as they grew together, but it had taken a long time before he'd stopped feeling like Haku would break if he didn't watch his strength. He feels a little of that old worry now--for the first time in forever, he has to hold himself with care, resting one trembling hand on the back of Haku's head.
It takes a long time, but when he can manage it, he pulls back just enough to kneel down, searching Haku's face to make sure that yes, he really is fine.]
What happened?
[Who brought you here, who did this, who do I have to go after--his tone isn't harsh, but that's what he's really asking. He'd insisted, despite what others said to him, that Haku was not the sort of boy to sneak off on his own, and he still fully believes that. Someone, therefore, must've forced him here.]
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His eyes shift back and forth between Lan Wangji's, searching a moment.]
Someone wanted me to spend time with Mizuki. [He's vague on purpose! He's sure Okuni will be in a lot of trouble already, so... he's trying... to keep her in Dad's good graces for as long as possible.] I had already planned to meet her at the auction. [Better out with the truth now, even if this puts them meeting secretly, how scandalous.] By the fountain.
But I didn't want to tell them as much. For her safety.
[And, like, her honor.]
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He meets Haku's gaze steadily, and he looks-- like he's trying not to look as dangerous as he can be, honestly, and only because he's still assuming Haku's been through a lot tonight. He can turn the murderous vibes down until Haku's safely back home.]
Who?
[Even if Haku doesn't tell him, he'll almost certainly figure it out on his own. It's not exactly going to be hard to narrow down a list of people who 1. are invested enough in other people's relationships to orchestrate dates for them, and 2. are stupid or oblivious enough to think that the best way to accomplish that is kidnapping.]