#wow no tw's on this one good for u wangji

[tragcdysewn]

@irresistiibles​ asked: 🍒  :    how much does my muse value companionship?  do they constantly keep people around them,  or do they prefer to be alone often?  do they have or desire to have many friends?  do they see every meeting as an opportunity to make a new friend?  (wangji)

see, this is a tough question, because the short answer is yes, he does value it? but it’s a lot more complicated than that so i guess it’s time for another essay on lan wangji’s psyche! if only these were the topics i got assigned in college i’d have been a 4.0 student

wangji’s relationship with people in general is complicated. i’ve already talked about how part of him feels like people are only by his side out of a sense of debt or duty, but even if that were true, he values the time and companionship he gets with those people so much more than you would ever think by casually observing him, as he very rarely shows that enjoyment clearly. he’s almost always surrounded by people, as he’s a teacher and mentor and now unfortunately a political figure. and while i do think he does sometimes get overwhelmed in social situations, and will need to take some time alone to settle his thoughts and pull himself together, most of the time he does enjoy being with other people. big crowds and banquets are never going to be his thing, as that is one hundred percent where he is the most likely to need to leave and take some time to himself to regroup, but smaller gatherings of people? that’s absolutely good with him. obviously this does depend on the people involved because while there is no force on this or any other version of earth that could make him enjoy time spent with jiang cheng or jin guangyao (even before his crimes were exposed), he spends most of his life surrounded by a dozen juniors, and i truly think that night hunts with those kids is one of the times he’s the happiest, and the most in his element.

as for friends... i don’t think he’s someone who thinks about that very often, in part because of his other issues? he definitely doesn’t look to make friends with people, but he also isn’t against it. he also isn’t entirely sure of what constitutes a friendship with someone, as he was raised to be very aloof and unattached, and is only just moving past that as an adult. but if you asked him, he would definitely say huaisang is a friend? he doesn’t know if the other man would agree, and will absolutely never ask because that’s horrifying, but he does consider him so. huaisang is probably the person he’s known the longest outside of his family, and he does enjoy his company. he would also say that wei wuxian is a friend, but that’s more the result of not wanting to dig in to the complicated feelings involved there. beyond that, most people he would more consider acquaintances, and really, he’s perfectly content only having two friends. he’s a firm believer in quality over quantity, and he cares very deeply for his few friends and family he keeps close.