[[open post and announcement: no mourners, no funerals]]

[ravkanwitch]

[cw: discussion of death!]

Nina knows that word of Shen Yuan's death has been slowly spreading. She tried to put out a general warning of danger right after it happened... but she's not sure how many people were warned by it. She wasn't in the right mind at the time, after all. This time, she's more careful and collected. With SecUnit's help, she's alerted and gathered everyone who's interested for an important announcement in the lobby of the mansion. Despite all appearances of bossiness and stubbornness - all quite true - Nina has never been in charge of anything so serious. Kaz, Zoya, and the King himself; she followed their lead. As people slowly begin to gather and she attempts to compose herself, she wonders why she decided to put herself up to this.

Deep breath, Zenik. Pretend that - well, that this is pretend. She's back in the orphanage as the official greeter, making an important announcement to all the other children. She's the governor of a small town, making sure that all the citizens are aware and prepared. It does have to be her, after all. She's playing a crucial role in everything. She also doesn't want anyone else to carry the emotional load.

"Hi," she tells everyone gathered, trying to paste on a somber but not-too-morose expression. "Thanks for coming. I'm sure some of you have heard part of this announcement already and I'm sorry that it took so long to pass this information onto everyone else... but there was an incident not too long ago. We're not sure what caused it, whether it was the house or whether it was an individual, but... Shen Yuan is dead." There's most likely a reaction at this point and Nina forges onwards as confidently as she can, pitching her voice above the hubbub.

"But there is a way that he can return. We're sure of it. We're just trying to figure out the details, which might take a while. If you want to know more about that, you can ask Magnus, but I'm not sure how much he can tell you. Also, if you encounter any signs of Shen Yuan's spirit, you can talk to--" Here she meets Aleksander's eyes almost instinctively; this line of conversation is something she's purposefully kept from him. "You can talk to myself. Or... to Lan Wangji. ...That's all. Thank you."

A confident start but slightly deflated by her last few sentences, Nina steps back and allows for conversation to happen. If anyone would like to speak to her, she's looking much less strained and grim than she has in a while.

[[Feel free to post a single comment reaction and/or start a thread with Nina in the comments!]]

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[summerdude]

Magnus thinks about what Sagramore said, about how Luo Binghe needs friends who will hold him accountable for what he's done but not abandon him because of his past deeds. He's been holding on tight to that information during their countless mornings together under the pavilion.

He also thinks about the day he met Claudius and had his first lesson in diplomacy. Finding common ground and compromise, when possible, and making sure a disagreement doesn't erupt into further violence, when necessary

"Not explicitly," he admits. "Yet. I've been, like. Building common ground. You know? He's not my friend," also yet, "but we're, you know, allied right now." He squints at Claudius. From what he's heard from Galahad and, to a lesser extent, Hanguang-jun, Claudius is probably too traumatized by the blood stuff to be satisfied with Magnus's extremely objective vibes-based assessment protocol, which suggests that Luo Binghe is better now but even if he wasn't, he's too sad to hurt anyone, but luckily Magnus has other guarantees up his short sleeves. "So it'll be a condition. When I talk to him tomorrow. And I'll be there the whole time in case there's any disagreement." He pauses. "They don't call me the Middle Ground Guy of the pagan afterlife for nothing." Who calls him that? Mostly himself and his dad and, to a lesser extent, Alex. Still counts.

[wickedwit]

Claudius smiles at that confidence -- it's not a naive boast. The provisions that protect Shen Yuan's friends always excluded Claudius, because his friendship with Shen Yuan had been so awkward and unnamed. (It was friendship, he admits to himself now. Otherwise, Claudius wouldn't have been crushed at losing the chance to share the uncomplicated delight of dancing with him.) Magnus is not only a friend of Shen Yuan's, but necessary for Shen Yuan's resurrection. If Claudius felt he was sending Magnus into a lion's den, he would dissuade him -- but as it is, he can only be touched. "Thou hast attended to thy lessons, and outgrown them," he says with fondness. "Galahad will be assured by thy diplomacy, too. I'll leave it to thee, to boast of thy success to him, and then I'll spread word thou art the Middle Ground Guy of the Mansion."

[summerdude]

Magnus rubs the back of his neck, awkward. "There's no need for all that," he says. He's just, like, doing his job.

[wickedwit]

"Yes, I know, no one ever wants me to brag about them," Claudius says, sliding into easy teasing. "It's appalling modesty. And it all comes down to my vanity, anyway: I want to celebrate my friend's successes, and toast to my good taste in companions."

[summerdude]

"You do have really good taste in companions," Magnus (who largely has the same taste in companions) allows.

[wickedwit]

"I'll take the compliment." After a moment sitting in companionable closeness, Claudius stands, and says, "I think we'll be able to surprise Lan Wangji soon. Let's talk a walk, see what's left to be done, and call it for today, shall we?"

[summerdude]

"Yeah," Magnus says, rising too. "Yeah, that sounds good."