"The planet? It isn't - it's just far away."

"...I wish I could paint."

"You could learn. After everything settles down in a few years, you can most likely arrange to have all the time you'd need for practicing."

"...no, I mean, I wish I had my brushes and paints with me right now."

"Oh. Do you want to pop back down and grab them?"

"Yes. No. I don't-- I don't-- I just don't know!"

"...well, I don't know where they are, so if you don't tell me, I guess I won't fetch them."

Okay! He will tell the alien where his paints and brushes are!

And then stare at the Earth.

Sai Ding pops down to collect his art supplies for him and brings them back up.

And he paints the stars. 

...he is, in fact, a very good artist. Not too astonishing to Vanda Nosseo, which has elves and daeva who have spent centuries perfecting their craft, but very good for a human who is barely forty. 

People drift by and look at the work in progress. Sai Ding waits.

Meanwhile--

The discussion at the Wei Sect has been paused until two men who look like identical twins arrive. One of them has no facial expressions whatsoever--

--and one of them is projecting an aura of misery so intense it's almost physical. 

"Thank you for coming, Sect Leader Lan. I know this is difficult for you."

"You're welcome," he says, miserably.

"Sect Leader Lan is in seclusion," Lan Sizhui explains to the interdimensional guests, "and doesn't leave his rooms. His presence here is a violation of the rules of the Lan clan, and we prefer not to let people know that he's violating this rule, because they'll want him to leave seclusion when he doesn't want to."

"...would it be better if we went to his rooms?" asks Nelen.

"That would be noticeable to his servants. I have no reason to request food and tea for so many people. But here the servants can just leave the food outside the door, as they typically do for confidential meetings."

"Would it help if we gave him a device he could use to talk to us without meeting in person?"

"...I would appreciate this, yes."

They will give him a phone and explain how to use it.

And so Lan Xichen shall return home. 

While they are waiting for him to return home, Lan Sizhui will determinedly continue small talk about comparative interdimensional music traditions. (Everyone except Wen Ning can contribute to this conversation.)

Tarwë knows the most about music in the group and will demonstrate nonmagical Elf music, or the healing song if they'd like.

Excellent! Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian can demonstrate some simple musical cultivation.