This is Halloween!

[we_bring_hell]

The Bar loves her holidays, but she is also capable of respecting religious strictures. That's why she put a lot of thought into finding a Halloween costume for Harrow that works with her face paint and general insistence on the monochromatic.

Harrow, for her part, is baffled by the white-pinstriped black suit and the oversized bow, but the gloves are very cool, and the buckled shoes suit as well. She has no idea what's going on but she can live with this.

The Bar seems even more unusually populated than usual, and there are a lot of gourds around. Hm.

Comments

[lightamidchaos]

"Of course I want to meet him - why would I not?" he asks, bemused, before realizing that he will likely have to wait for another day for any meaningful answer.

Wei Ying puts his arm around him, and he lets himself be drawn closer, as it is much easier that way to keep him from falling over -- or potentially Ingress, too, now that the two of them are hugging. He does his best to brace Wei Ying with his own body so that no one falls over in a heap on the floor.

[herald_ingress]

It’s group hug time because Ingress has strong arms that were made for hugging. Well, and fighting, but hugging, too. The wings make it a little tricky, but Ingress will not be deterred.

Also it’s really, really easy to lean into Lan Wangji because he’s just so... nice and solid.

“But yes, we’ll have such a good time, and you’ll meet the other Companions - I think they’re excited to meet you, too, or that’s what I pick up from Megwyn when I burble at her about it.”

She sniffles, her head resting on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, and sighs. Leaning into her friends’ embraces, she feels more anchored than she has in quite a long time. It’s like there were several puzzle pieces for her adulthood that were missing and now a few more are slotting firmly into place.

[acrookedpath]

It's such a nice group hug that Wei Wuxian doesn't want to disrupt it by making that planned grab for his drink.

(Yet.)

"I want to meet everybody," he says, nodding firmly. "All the Companions. All the cultivators. Everybody! It'll be fantastic, Ingress, it will."

[lightamidchaos]

He is more than a little startled when Ingress hugs him as well, throwing herself against him -- and even more surprised to find that he automatically extends one of his (?) wings around her, returning the embrace and supporting her so that she does not fall over.

"It will," he avers, to them both. "We will visit, and meet everyone, and it will be very enjoyable."

Is this why people drink?

[herald_ingress]

“Oh,” she says with a gasp, pulling back a little, but not enough to leave the hug.

“We have to work on your cover stories! You can be a little bit sneaky, right? Only a few there know about Milliways and me being from an entirely different world. They just think I’m from a foreign kingdom. I’ll teach you what to say; it won’t be intensive but more just in case.”

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian perks up. "I can be sneaky!"

...Sometimes.

"Lan Zhan, don't look at me like that," he adds without even glancing Lan Zhan's way -- and then, with the hug loosened just enough, he snakes a hand between them to snatch the shot glass from Lan Zhan's grip and down the rest of it in one go. "Hah! See?"

He punctuates this with a quick kiss.

[lightamidchaos]

Wei Ying's kiss tastes strangely golden, fizzing with light and laughter, enough so that when it breaks he cannot do anything other than sigh.

"Wei Ying."

He is smiling.

"Fine. You can be sneaky."

To Ingress, he adds, "Lying is forbidden. I will have to be careful."

[herald_ingress]

“We’ll make it work,” she promises. She and Wei Wuxian can do his lying for him, if need be!

“It’s less lying and more not saying ‘oh yes I’m from a far away world you have no idea exists which might make me a threat to the kingdom’, so it will be fine.”

[acrookedpath]

"He's allowed to do that!" says Wei Wuxian with an enthusiastic nod. It makes the room wobble a little more than he expected, and he lists into Lan Zhan a bit. Beautiful, solid Lan Zhan. He loves him so much.

...maybe the Atlantean really was as strong as Ingress declared.

"And if not, I will lie for him. All you have to do is keep quiet, zhiji. You're good at that. We'll play to our strengths! I'll talk and you... won't talk."

He dissolves into more giggles.

[lightamidchaos]

He does not think that he has ever seen Wei Ying as drunk as this. But he is happy.

They all three are.

"Yes."

To both of them.

"It will be fine."

[herald_ingress]

“He is patient, isn’t he?” she says to Wei Wuxian. Looking up at Lan Wangji, she continues, “You really are lovely.”

She sighs happily. Getting back to Haven after this is going to be a trick. She’s not entirely sure she can get out of this hug, much less the bar.

She’ll worry about it later!

[acrookedpath]

"He is," says Wei Wuxian with a nearly identical sigh. He settles his chin on Lan Zhan's shoulder and beams up at him. "And he's mine."

How wonderful is that?

[lightamidchaos]

His ears flush bright red.

"Mn."

He keeps his wing around Ingress, though, and his arm around Wei Ying.

[herald_ingress]

Ingress yawns hugely.

“No, don’t want to be sleepy for birthday parties,” she mumbles, eyes closing.

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian cackles when he sees Lan Zhan's ears redden, but before he can crow that he's still able to make his zhiji blush after all, Ingress yawns against his shoulder.

"Noooo," he protests, jostling her very lightly. "Don't fall asleep! We could get you coffee. Lan Zhan, help, should we get coffee?"

[lightamidchaos]

"Not for you," he says, very firmly.

"Perhaps just a little, otherwise. Ingress, have you had coffee before?"

[herald_ingress]

“Mmmhmm,” she says, lifting her head from Wei Wuxian’s shoulder with great effort.

“Coffee is nice. With the fluffy milk in. Bar knows.”

Bar will indeed know to give her a latte with plenty of frothy milk in.

[acrookedpath]

Overlapping with Ingress's mmhmm is a very small, disappointed aw from Wei Wuxian.

"Just because I stayed up 'til yin hour one time," he says, mournful. "You'll never let me have coffee again, will you, Lan Zhan."

[lightamidchaos]

He just looks at them.

"Wei Ying. Do you really want coffee? Now?"

"Ingress, open your eyes. You will need to be awake to drink it."

[herald_ingress]

Her eyes are open! Well. They were. No, for real they are open.

She blinks up at him because while she’s a tall woman, they are both taller still.

“Thank you.” Then she mouths to Wei Wuxian, “You can have a sip of mine.”

[acrookedpath]

Wei Wuxian grumbles, pulling a face as he rests his head more comfortably on Lan Zhan's shoulder. "No," he admits. "I just wanted some because Ingress is having some."

But she's going to share! So that's all right. A sly smile sneaks over his face as he whispers to her, "You're the best of friends."

[lightamidchaos]

There is something very, very fond about the expression on his face as he looks at them.

"All right."

He turns carefully to face Bar-guniang and says, politely,

"Bar-guniang. May we have a cup of the coffee with milk that Ingress prefers? And--"

"--a small cup, otherwise. For me." Remembering how bitter it had been when he had tried it before, he adds, "Perhaps with milk as well."

A large latte manifests in a mug the color of Ingress's hair, along with a white mug of freshly percolated coffee with cream.

[herald_ingress]

She steps back from them enough to take her latte and sip it. It’s the perfect temperature - not too hot, but just enough to provide delicious comfort. Especially since she’s not wearing much clothing. Diana Prince must... run a lot or something?

“Delicious. Just what I needed.”

She stands on her own two feet without leaning on either of her friends. Inside she still feels happy bubbles of love and contentment, but the coffee does help steady her. She takes another sip and then offers the mug to Wei Wuxian.

[acrookedpath]

"Ah, thank you!" Quickly, before Lan Zhan can object, Wei Wuxian steals the mug and takes a sip. His eyebrows lift in pleasant surprise. "Mm. That is much better than the coffee I had."

Wait.

Did Lan Zhan just ordered coffee for himself?

He shoves Ingress's cup back toward her -- fortunately, it doesn't slosh too much -- and grabs one of Lan Zhan's hands. "Lan Zhan! Don't drink that! What if it's like alcohol to you and you don't sleep at all for three days?"

His eyes have gone huge with worry.

[lightamidchaos]

"Then I would have noticed, when I tried what you had before," he reassures him.

He picks up the mug and takes a cautious sip, waits for a moment, then tries another.