"Excuse me," he says, and walks slowly until he gets out of sight of New York and then runs.

Annaka would like to lie down and take a FUCKING NAP but instead she goes looking for St. Petersburg. She hates her life and feels she deserves the Nobel Peace Prize or something.

He finds Lan Xichen in the Shanghai reading room and pulls him into a private corner.

"Where's Wen Qing?"

"Busy, she's saving the life of a girl who got drained by a maleficer."

"Good. They think Masozi did it." He summarizes the situation.

"So we're going with 'shock, horror, demand a full investigation'?"

"And then deep offense that they'd make a false accusation at a Shanghai ally, if we can swing it."

"Right. Spells--"

"Standard ones, I think, plus I've looped my thoughts away from being offended-- they're so rude--"

"That's an ugly patch, I'll repair it."

"We need to get someone to guard Masozi, show we're taking this seriously--"

"Wangji? He's my brother, combat affinity--"

"A senior, I think. Annaka's sister is utterly incompetent, I don't think she'd get it."

"I'll call in a favor from Kyoto too-- maybe ask New York to send someone? So they know there's no funny business."

"Yes-- where's Masozi-- why are all the people he likes so offensive, I want to give him a guard he knows so he's not terrified but we can't put Wei Wuxian or Nie Huaisang in a delicate situation like this--"

"We need Wangji after all."

Wangji, Masozi, and a trustworthy senior are fetched; meanwhile, Meng Yao and Lan Xichen put on their politics spells.

"I should know more about New York-- this is my fault--"

"No one is perfect, a-Yao."

"I should be!"

Masozi is still in Lan Xichen's room. He's been trying to focus on practicing copying out Mandarin characters. It's incredibly hard to focus, though, now that Lan Xichen and his calming effect are gone. Which at least means he's getting more mana from it. 

And then a senior comes in and says, "New York has accused you of maleficing, we're going to put you under guard in your room while this is being investigated."

(Poor kid. Obviously it's a false accusation but equally obviously they can't say that to The Literal Worst At Politics In His Year And His Year Includes Wei Wuxian.)

Masozi is mostly just very confused! 

"I...mean...I did do maleficing before I came to the school? I thought you knew that?"

Is that the sort of thing you get put under guard for if New York is offended enough? He really wishes Lan Xichen were here to explain what's happening in a way he can understand. 

"In the school. They think you killed a girl. Sophie something?"

"....Sophie's dead?" Masozi manages to push out. And then starts crying, despite his best efforts not to. (He told her she needed to be more dangerous... And it wasn't enough, something happened and he wasn't there and he didn't manage to protect her...) 

Oh god poor kid.

Instead of saying this the senior says, "so there's going to be an investigation and if it turns out you maleficed we're going to kill you."

Sorry, kid, but horrified and broken might keep you alive. She hates this job.