[catch all with lwj]

[supercatty]

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week 0, monday

[supercatty]

[ANYWAY. . . sometime on Monday Catra is actually (gasp!) seeking out LWJ! for reasons? for mysterious reasons. . .]

[when she finds him, she stares at him for a moment with her arms crossed and her ears slightly drooped before she speaks up]

Hey.

I need to talk to you.

[souheki]

[lwj IMMEDIATELY turns around and leaves—

—no I’m kidding, he does not. Does he even look suspicious??? No because RBF syndrome... it’s fine. His injuries obviously haven’t magically healed up but he’s cleaned up and his leg is properly bandaged, so he looks more comfortable?? Kind of???

Anyway he just stops and stares at her.]

Hm?

[supercatty]

[stares back at him for another ten seconds]

[DEEP BREATH IN AND OUT. . .]

I think we should try to get along. Or whatever.

[souheki]

[Okay like

Normally, maybe he would’ve just accepted this (er, in his own way) and gone on his way

But tragically Catra gives him massive Wei Wuxian vibes, and the last time Wei Wuxian “””apologized””” to him, he immediately swapped out one of Lan Wangji’s books for porn

So he narrows his eyes just the tiniest bit, clearly trying to gauge whether or not she’s being serious.

“What changed your mind” is what he really wants to ask but lwj doesn’t know how to use his words so:]

...Why?

[supercatty]

[truthfully, she isn't apologizing, per se. and she won't say the words "I'm sorry." but Adora did ask her to get along with her dorm mates, so. . .]

[she huffs, slightly exasperated, and replies--]

Because we're on the same side, idiot.

[-- WAIT]

Uh. I mean-- you're not an idiot. We're on the same side, and it'd just be more trouble for our team if we didn't work together.

[souheki]

[He doesn't visibly react to being called "idiot", besides, like. A blink. Apparently that doesn't bother him.]

If you follow the rules, there will be no trouble. They apply to everyone equally.

[So he's not, like. Singling her out or anything. He's an equal opportunity stick in the mud, does that make it better or worse...]

1/2

[supercatty]

[STARES AT HIM LIKE SHE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE, THEN STARES AT THE CEILING AND JUST. . . sucks in another deep breath]

[supercatty]

[and then, overly pleasantly, like she's trying way too hard not to be sassy and snarky]

Yes, of course. I'll behave myself from here on out. Perhaps not entirely up to your overly-high expectations, but more than I did before.

[be nice be nice be nice be nice ADORA ASKED HER TO BE NICE]

[souheki]

[Imagine if he told her his sect has over 3000 rules that he follows every single moment of his life

BUT HE DOES NOT, at least not for now. He tragically does not acknowledge her tremendous efforts whatsoever, though he does incline his head.]

...Thank you. [He can be polite, even to gremlins. Though he looks at her again, after a moment.] Do you require assistance?

[With following rules... is this a joke?? It does not look like a joke. He looks like this is a 100% genuine question]

week 0, sunday

[supercatty]

[she waits until after the execution to find him, though she's been nursing her thoughts since the trial ended the night before. either way, she finds him outside on the outskirts of the forest, doing LWJ things! whatever that entails]

Hey.

[a tail flick]

Got a minute?

[souheki]

[DOING LWJ THINGS which in this case is just meditating by the water, in as quiet a place as he can find that's still near the dorms. Lotus pose isn't good for his leg, but that's the least of his concerns right now.

He doesn't stir at the sound of her approach--really, he might as well be made of ice for how still he is--but he does open his eyes and look at her when she speaks to him.]

Hm?

[supercatty]

[what is meditating. someone teach Catra to meditate, she needs it]

. . .

Uh.

[okay, Catra. come on, Catra. you can do it, Catra. you can do it! you're learning!!]

I wanted to say-- thanks, or whatever. For what you said at trial.

[souheki]

[It's been a long couple of days--his brow furrows just a little, as he thinks back over what he might've said that would warrant thanks from her.

Oh, right.]

About your refusal?

[supercatty]

Yeah.

[tail flick. she seems a little self-conscious??]

You got it, when other people didn't.

[quickly, she adds--]

It's not a big deal, so I won't talk about it again. But I just wanted to say that, okay? That's all.

[souheki]

[Lan Wangji isn’t really the shrugging type, but if he was, he’d do so now. He dips his head once, just to acknowledge her words.]

It is absurd to suspect someone of taking a life based on discomfort alone. [So he stands by it, even if he thinks she made it worse unnecessarily. He, too, wasn’t about to let just anyone look him over—anything beyond a hand check he would’ve refused unless Otome asked.] Kaoruko’s judgment was equally unfair.

[She was guilty, and deserved to be punished for that—but nothing about the way this was handled sits well with him. Not a single part.

Still... he looks back towards the field, grim.]

Other forces are at play. We will need to cooperate to investigate them.

[supercatty]

[she absolutely made it worse, unnecessarily so, but. she too stands by her objection. and she will likely continue to voice it!!]

It was unfair. We just. . . got lucky.

[with her being the killer, she means. otherwise, red hands, a growling dog, and a simple injury when everyone is so injured means nothing]

. . . everyone talks about working together to figure out what's going on here. Cooperation, team work. . . that sort of thing.

[. . .]

[she looks like she wants to say something else, but she doesn't, leaving things hanging in the air instead]

[souheki]

[He's quiet for a moment, observing her.]

You disagree?

[His tone doesn't seem to be judgmental--it's just a genuine question, apparently.]

w6, saturday

[souheki]

[WELL shortly after Manwol and Sakyou spill the beans about Denji, Lan Wangji will come find her! Because he's a bitch, but he's not mean, and this is important information that he thinks she should know.

Wherever she is, he will bow slightly, still polite as ever.]

A moment, please.

[supercatty]

[thirty minutes later, and her voice has returned! she's outside near the jungle gym, brooding as cats do, seated atop the equipment with tail lashing behind her. she peers over the edge at him, ears drooping]

. . . what?

[Is he here to scold me some more?]

[souheki]

[Yeah he's here to chew her out--no. Though, admittedly, the thought of trying to talk to her about it did pass through his mind, because it was more of a genuine attempt to help keep the peace than a punishment, but... expressing his thoughts clearly, through words, isn't his strong suit. And they aren't particularly close, so. Better to leave it be, unless she brings it up.

Instead, right to the point--]

Young Master Denji will be safe. If all goes well, no one else will join us tomorrow.

[supercatty]

[. . . huh?]

[she perks up a bit at that, ears swiveling forward]

What? How do you-- how do you know that?

[souheki]

Young Master Sakyou explained. It was Young Master Nier's ability, as Lady Byleth said.

[That link is an old conversation but I'm putting it here for posterity

He didn't really understand it when they explained, but it makes more sense now that he's seen it in action. He does still look a tiny bit troubled, because--those unaware... upset...--but verbally, he just says:]

Barring unforeseen circumstances, he will be protected.

[supercatty]

[she's quiet for a moment as she mulls this over-- as she remembers Byleth and Crow talking about Nier's ability-- and then. . . well. some of the tension seems to seep out of her]

Good. That's. . . that's good.

[her laughter hadn't been joyous, after all]

But. . . everyone on the other side-- they don't know that, do they?

[souheki]

[Lan Wangji doesn't lie, so. He shakes his head slightly.]

Some do. But not everyone.

[It can't be. Not with those reactions, not with votes for Dimitri, Maya, and Lalli. AND RANDOMLY LUCRETIA. WHY.]

[supercatty]

[her tail lashes a little behind her, ears drooping]

. . .

What an awful trial.