Another update on/snippet of Field Trips with Wei Wuxian
I finally reorganized the scenes yay. Once again went over the predicted word count but at this point I'd be worried if I didn't.
It’s lunch again, and Wei Wuxian decides that if he’s going to be put with the kids, then he might as well bully them into doing what he wants.
Meals have been silent so far, because the little disciples all silently sit in rows, sometimes nervously glancing at him, and Wei Wuxian has no one to bother while he dumps hot chili oil on his food. Sometimes the Lan disciple nearest to him sneezes when the ground spices are too much. But they all finish quickly and rush out of the building, speedwalking past him with barely enough time for a polite acknowledgement.
Today Wei Wuxian rests his chin in one hand, idly watching the first of the Lan disciples set down their chopsticks, and decides that it’s time for a little fun. He’s long since finished his allotted amount of food. The Lans probably have a rule against wasting food, but there’s a fat pile of vegetables left on Wei Wuxian’s plate and no one’s yelled at him about it.
“Hey,” Wei Wuxian says, when the first Lan disciple pauses to acknowledge him on the way out. “What’s your name?”
The poor kid freezes, and Wei Wuxian almost feels bad. “This one is Li Qiang, courtesy Huizhong, Head Disciple Jiang,” he says, bobbing his head nervously.
“Li Huizhong,” Wei Wuxian muses. “Tell me, what are you disciples doing after lunch?”
Wei Wuxian asks because he knows from his experience as a guest disciple that the disciples have a one hour break for lunch before their afternoon studies, and the disciples before him have spent about twenty minutes eating lunch in their haste to get away.
Li Huizhong’s eyes dart to the side, where the line of Lan disciples has been held up, waiting for Wei Wuxian to release this kid from conversation. None of them make a sound. “W-well we have a bit of leisure time. Temporarily.”
“Great!” Wei Wuxian says brightly. “So you have time to come with me.”
“We have afternoon classes,” Li Huizhong says hurriedly.
“Oh, you won’t miss them,” Wei Wuxian says, waving away his concern. “C’mon, I promise, it won’t take long. I just want to show you guys something. It’ll be fun!”
Li Huizhong and his fellow disciples look unconvinced.
“Don’t you have to respect and listen to your elders or whatever?” Wei Wuxian asks. Li Huizhong nods reluctantly. “That’s me!” Wei Wuxian says proudly. “So you have to listen to me. And I say we go on a field trip!”
The disciples all look amongst each other, and then at one who appears to be the eldest among them. Her forehead ribbon’s blue embroidery marks her as a member of the Lan clan, but not of the inner family. She nods slowly, and Wei Wuxian springs to his feet.
“Alright then! Don’t you Lans have a walking formation? Go on, chop chop, we haven’t got all day!”
The little Lans all shuffle into two lines, behind the eldest and Li Huizhong.
“What’s your name?” Wei Wuxian asks the girl.
She bows politely. “This one is Lan Jiaying.”
“Lan Jiaying,” Wei Wuxian repeats. “We’re going to have fun today, Lan Jiaying." He whirls around. "Onwards!”
