They Don't See it How I Do

Slip Up

Lan Zhan should have picked up on it sooner really. The way his cheeks would become a slight pink as much as he tried to hide it when getting praised for doing a good job in class. The way his eyes would get a little wider when Lan Zhan directly talked to Wei Ying giving him his full attention. The biggest one was the pout Wei Ying would make when he didn't get the answer correct or someone made an off-hand comment about him. Of course, Wei Ying didn't know that Lan Zhan saw all these things as the younger tried very hard to hide it for reasons the older couldn't wrap his head around. As a caregiver, Lan Zhan can confirm that Wei Ying was a little but for some reason, he was hiding it. It wasn't like it was a secret that some people classified as littles. There were quite a few littles in Cloud Recesses. If Wei Ying was worried about someone making fun of him he shouldn't as Cloud Recesses had strict rules about Classifications and respecting them. Still, the younger held back from slipping in front of people, and if Lan Zhan was correct Wei Ying didn't slip when he was alone either. It concerned the caregiver as a little who denies themselves from slipping could cause serious problems physically and mentally.

Lan Zhan was currently in the library with Wei Ying who was copying some text from one of their scrolls for one of their classes. Since coming into the library Wei Ying hasn't said a word or even looked up from the scrolls since Lan Zhan placed them in front of him. He would look up from his reading every now and then to make sure the little was okay or finished his work. Each time he was met with a serious face concentrating on copying the words down on another sheet of paper. This time however when Lan Zhan looked up he was met with Wei Ying who was pouting at something. Concerned, Lan Zhan puts his book down and makes his way across the library to where the younger is sitting crouching down to his level to see why he was pouting. 

"Wei Ying is everything okay? Is there something that is bothering you?" Lan Zhan softly asks looking at Wei Ying before looking down at his work. 

His handwriting was beyond neat, neater than some of the disciplines in Cloud Recesses. The strokes were gentle and thin, the brush must have barely touched the page. The way each symbol was evenly spaced out and in line with the one above it. Not hearing Wei Ying answer his question he looked up at the boy again to see a very noticeable sign he was slipping. His bottom lip was quivering and his furrowed eyebrows had relaxed but in place were glossy eyes. It broke Lan Zhan's heart seeing the little holding back his feelings for whatever reason it might have been. 

"Wei Ying... can you tell Lan Zhan what is bothering you so he can help you please?" Lan Zhan softly asked again reaching out to Wei Ying and placing a hand on the boy's very thin shoulder that Lan Zhan could feel his bones.

"N-not good...not n-neat enough," Wei Ying mumbles to himself gripping the brush in his hand, his knuckles going white from how tightly he is holding it.

Lan Zhan recognized this as Wei Ying was simply overwhelmed. The way he stuttered over his words, the glossy eyes, and the trembling bottom lip. Lan Zhan has much practice with overwhelmed littles and knew what to do to help them calm down. However, Lan Zhan knew Wei Ying was not like the other littles and had to go about this differently than what he was used to. Seeing that Wei Ying has rejected Lan Zhan's hand on his shoulder he gently rubbed his thumb over his shoulder to ease some of the stress. It seemed to work because he could physically see Wei Ying relaxing into the touch. Continuing to rub his thumb over Wei Ying's shoulder he drew his attention to what was stressing him out. He said it wasn't good enough and neat enough. Lan Zhan could only think he was talking about his writing which he looked over. He was one for nice handwriting as well and would say if he thought it was sloppy. Wei Ying's handwriting was not sloppy at all, it was very neat. Unless he skipped a symbol on line he couldn't see where it wasn't neat.

"Wei Ying's handwriting is very neat, neater than some of the disciplines in Cloud Recesses," Lan Zhan softly says reassuring the little who was still looking at the paper like it personally offended him.

Wei Ying only tightens his grip on the brush his whole fist becoming white from the lack of blood flow. No doubt the way his fist was closed his nails were probably digging into his palm causing him pain. Lan Zhan reaches over with his free hand and gently takes the brush away from Wei Ying's hand afraid it would snap and hurt him more. He takes no notice of the brush being taken away but registers Lan Zhan curling his fingers and gently massaging his palm where his nails were digging into his skin. Wei Ying looks up at Lan Zhan with those wide eyes not saying anything. Lan Zhan offers him a soft smile happy to see him more aware of things now.

Wei Ying could hurt himself if he holds his fist like that and we don't want that now do we?" Lan Zhan says in his caregiver tone knowing Wei Ying was in the midst of slipping into his headspace.

Lan Zhan however didn't know Wei Ying's little age as the documents they got didn't say anything about his little age or the fact he was even a little which was a red flag for the Gusu Lan Sect. Wei Ying's siblings had documents with their classification on them. Jiang Wanyji was a neutral and Jiang Yanli was a caregiver. Things weren't adding up in the Jiang Sect and Lan Zhan wanted to figure it out, especially with Wei Ying being a little. Speaking of which Lan Zhan looks down at the little who has his fingers in his mouth drool dripping down his hand and onto his robe. Lan Zhan would reprimand Wei Ying about how sucking his fingers was unsanitary but by the looks of it, this was the first time Wei Ying slipped into his headspace and Lan Zhan would be damned if he took him out of it because of a simple comment.