（ there is no indication in his expression or otherwise that this is taken as mercy. truth be told, even that rankles — but rather than pursue the matter, or insist when every line in wei wuxian's body is protesting against him — he simply gestures for wei wuxian to join him in drinking tea. ）
Yes.
（ he's already pulling up alina's inbox, to see if his instincts are correct. he can multitask. it will help clear the mind. ）
[After a long moment he nods and his expression lightens some, though it doesn't entirely ease as he moves to join Itachi for tea.]
Do you remember the man I warned you about? Jin Guangshan? [It's rhetorical, he knows Itachi remembers.] Huaisang drew a comparison.
Whatever that woman told him, it was enough to make him think of that man. And I know they can't be alike, not entirely. [Wei Wuxian's mouth twists.] For all that Jin Guangshan was a powerful malicious bastard, he was quick to anger, and obvious. He didn't fool anyone. If there's someone like that here, but smart and good at deceiving people...[His expression darkens and he doesn't finish his sentence.]
（ alina has replied, quick and defensive as he thought she might be, and itachi lifts his eyes to study wei wuxian. ）
If there is someone like that here, we will deal with it as it becomes necessary to deal with it. Speculation is useless.
（ they can prevaricate on the what-ifs and the maybes for days without cease — but the fact of the matter is, any preemptive action they take would reflect much more poorly on them than on a man who can spin it into a narrative of his victimization. even conclusive evidence may likely not be enough when so many aboard the ximilia are driven more by feelings than facts. ）
Kirigan has been here longer than I have. He has had time to lay his foundation. Deconstructing it... mm.
（ such anger would reveal much, and be wasteful besides. all this, on behalf of strangers he barely knows — wei wuxian's curious tendency to put himself all-in on the line at even an imagined threat for those he considers unable to defend themselves.
[He lets out a disgruntled noise of complaint and then reaches for his tea, taking a long sip before sitting quietly in his thoughts. He isn't actually going to go punch the man unwarranted (at least for now) if only because it would open up a lot of questions that could potentially put others here at risk, but it's nice to dream.]
Hey. [He keeps his eyes on the tea, refusing to look up as he rubs at the top of his nose with the side of a finger; a nervous habit he's never managed to break.] I know we don't know anything for sure, but could you do me a favor and warn Gwen?
She's taking some time away right now and. I don't see her as much. ["As much" meaning "at all" but he's trying to downplay it. If it weren't for the Kirigan issue, he wouldn't bring it up at all, but there's no way to ask Itachi to warn her without offering some kind of explanation.]
（ there is blood in the water. he could find its source easily enough. pressure applied in the right places. he knows what to do, what to say, to make wei wuxian fold like a paper crane.
instead, he rubs his thumb against the lip of his cup, and acquiesces with a nod. ）
Very well. Would you like to stay with me until we leave for the mission?
[The exhale of relief he lets out is subtle and barely noticeable, and a second later he's summoning a weary smile and shaking his head.]
Ah, no, it's fine! I've got a perfectly good room! [One that feels horribly empty without her, but he's not going to make himself a burden on someone else for such a stupid reason. The brief smile fades into something more appropriate to the recent discussion and he lifts his gaze again.]
And thanks for hearing me out on all of this. I've never been good at being patient about these things but...things are different here. [He risks a lot more than himself here for one, and it's not like he can just make a scene and fuck off like he would have at home.]
[No, he hasn't. Wei Wuxian snorts softly but doesn't argue.
He's quiet for a few minutes after, sipping at his tea until there's nothing left and he can no longer justify his presence. Still, he doesn't rise to leave, expression twisting in contemplation.]
When you speak to Viveca, if she has it managed, I'll leave him alone. [It's not...a great outcome, and it doesn't mean he won't still consider warning more people, but it'll have to do for now.]
You trust her, don't you? [He hasn't stated it outright, but it seems that way.]
（ his track record of putting his faith in those with power has been pocked with betrayal. perhaps he shouldn't. perhaps he wouldn't, if things had gone differently. but her reaction to him at the first, and their subsequent rapport... if he is retreading old mistakes, it is with a clearer and settled mind.
he has always wanted to have belief in others. to trust. it was the cruelties of a wartorn world that took those things from him, and he is learning to claw them back. he wants to have faith, and has decided to put that faith in her unflinching. ）
She and I had a rather... curious beginning. Without it, I do not think I would have trusted her so readily.
[It goes a long way, Itachi's trust. He'd be stupid not to know by now how precious a thing it is. That Viveca has earned it speaks highly of her character.
It's a response that catches his attention though, and he tilts his head slightly.]
Curious? [Possibly it's too personal to share, but in that case he trusts his friend to simply say as much.]
（ there is amusement there, dogging the heels of his words. ）
Not intending to — in my ignorance I asked if she had been human once. She took that to mean that I could not trust a machine. We had something of a disagreement in what followed, and perhaps an exchange of veiled threats.
（ it is not a perfectly accurate representation of his conversation with viveca, but it is the one he offers. what words they exchanged were personal, and while he does not mind imparting the spirit of their discussion he will not offer the letter. ）
Once it became clear that I was not asking the question as some cruel jibe, we arrived at an understanding with one-another. I told her then I would keep my theories about her prior existence to myself, and she... （ he reaches up, briefly, and drags the tips of his fingers against his cheekbone, just below his eye. ） Assisted me in overcoming the illness that had claimed my life in my home.
[In the wake of his explanation, Wei Wuxian doesn't immediately respond. A thoughtful look crosses his features and eventually he shakes his head back and forth, exhaling a huff of amusement.]
You have a habit of befriending your enemies, don't you? [He raises a hand before Itachi can interject and adds] At least here. Not that Viveca was your enemy, but you know what I mean. [He grins lightly at Itachi, and doesn't voice the question that's plaguing him now.
He hadn't known Itachi had died from an illness. Given what he knows of Itachi's life, it's honestly a little bit shocking. Still, as curious as he is about that new bit of information, now doesn't seem the right time to ask.]
（ it's rare that he's caught so entirely off-guard that he's stunned to speechlessness. he is silent for a time, brows drawn down in disconcertion, and then — ）
[His smile dims for just a moment before he catches it. Wei Wuxian's sure that if it had been an option for Itachi in his home world, he'd have taken peace.
It would be a foolish thing to bring up Itachi's comparison to the Darkling again so he doesn't. Still, it's all just further proof to Wei Wuxian that they aren't the same kind of man, no matter what lies in Itachi's past. When he's given the option, Itachi chooses peace. The betrayal between them lies as the single outlier, and even that hadn't been an act of outright violence despite how capable he'd have been of it. He could have just as easily fulfilled his goal with a violent act.
It makes his heart ache deeply for his friend, because it settles something in him that he's suspected for some time. Whatever Itachi did—whatever atrocities lay in his past—he was backed into a corner and robbed of choice.
But he says none of that, only shoots his friend an affection filled smile.]
And yet here you are, acting as my better conscience. [And since there is a compliment threatening to spill from his lips—the kind that he knows Itachi will hate, he bites his tongue and looks in the direction of the door instead.]
Just don't befriend too many of them. I don't need the competition.
（ there is a sharp awareness that exists between them, honed to the edge of an impossible knife. itachi knows — can guess — what passes through the man's mind in what follows, and he sets his jaw stubbornly, feeling more vulnerable now than he can recall ever being in his presence. even on his knees, bent to the floor in obeisance, he had not felt so seen. ）
I will endeavour to keep the number suitably low, for your sake.
（ it's a joke, mostly because he does not care to examine the matter closely enough to respond with any measure of seriousness. ）
Good, thank you. [Flippant and not at all sincere. He's too close to the edge of something that will throw them both off balance if they tip over, and so he takes care not to test it.]
Alright. I should get back. [There's nothing to get back to, but he doesn't like overstaying his welcome even if Itachi always gives him a look if he suggests that's what he's doing. He rises to his feet and pats invisible dust from his robes.]
I'll let you know if I learn anything else, and I'll do my best not to punch anyone for now. Unless they deserve it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Yes.
（ he's already pulling up alina's inbox, to see if his instincts are correct. he can multitask. it will help clear the mind. ）
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Do you remember the man I warned you about? Jin Guangshan? [It's rhetorical, he knows Itachi remembers.] Huaisang drew a comparison.
Whatever that woman told him, it was enough to make him think of that man. And I know they can't be alike, not entirely. [Wei Wuxian's mouth twists.] For all that Jin Guangshan was a powerful malicious bastard, he was quick to anger, and obvious. He didn't fool anyone. If there's someone like that here, but smart and good at deceiving people...[His expression darkens and he doesn't finish his sentence.]
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If there is someone like that here, we will deal with it as it becomes necessary to deal with it. Speculation is useless.
（ they can prevaricate on the what-ifs and the maybes for days without cease — but the fact of the matter is, any preemptive action they take would reflect much more poorly on them than on a man who can spin it into a narrative of his victimization. even conclusive evidence may likely not be enough when so many aboard the ximilia are driven more by feelings than facts. ）
Kirigan has been here longer than I have. He has had time to lay his foundation. Deconstructing it... mm.
（ would require a great deal of patience. ）
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I don't want to deconstruct it, I just want to take care of it. [It's more of an aimless complaint than an actual plan at least.]
Would it be so bad if I punched him? Just one punch? [A really good one though.]
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（ such anger would reveal much, and be wasteful besides. all this, on behalf of strangers he barely knows — wei wuxian's curious tendency to put himself all-in on the line at even an imagined threat for those he considers unable to defend themselves.
and perhaps even those that can. ）
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Hey. [He keeps his eyes on the tea, refusing to look up as he rubs at the top of his nose with the side of a finger; a nervous habit he's never managed to break.] I know we don't know anything for sure, but could you do me a favor and warn Gwen?
She's taking some time away right now and. I don't see her as much. ["As much" meaning "at all" but he's trying to downplay it. If it weren't for the Kirigan issue, he wouldn't bring it up at all, but there's no way to ask Itachi to warn her without offering some kind of explanation.]
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instead, he rubs his thumb against the lip of his cup, and acquiesces with a nod. ）
Very well. Would you like to stay with me until we leave for the mission?
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Ah, no, it's fine! I've got a perfectly good room! [One that feels horribly empty without her, but he's not going to make himself a burden on someone else for such a stupid reason. The brief smile fades into something more appropriate to the recent discussion and he lifts his gaze again.]
And thanks for hearing me out on all of this. I've never been good at being patient about these things but...things are different here. [He risks a lot more than himself here for one, and it's not like he can just make a scene and fuck off like he would have at home.]
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（ have you learned nothing!! ）
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He's quiet for a few minutes after, sipping at his tea until there's nothing left and he can no longer justify his presence. Still, he doesn't rise to leave, expression twisting in contemplation.]
When you speak to Viveca, if she has it managed, I'll leave him alone. [It's not...a great outcome, and it doesn't mean he won't still consider warning more people, but it'll have to do for now.]
You trust her, don't you? [He hasn't stated it outright, but it seems that way.]
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（ his track record of putting his faith in those with power has been pocked with betrayal. perhaps he shouldn't. perhaps he wouldn't, if things had gone differently. but her reaction to him at the first, and their subsequent rapport... if he is retreading old mistakes, it is with a clearer and settled mind.
he has always wanted to have belief in others. to trust. it was the cruelties of a wartorn world that took those things from him, and he is learning to claw them back. he wants to have faith, and has decided to put that faith in her unflinching. ）
She and I had a rather... curious beginning. Without it, I do not think I would have trusted her so readily.
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It's a response that catches his attention though, and he tilts his head slightly.]
Curious? [Possibly it's too personal to share, but in that case he trusts his friend to simply say as much.]
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（ there is amusement there, dogging the heels of his words. ）
Not intending to — in my ignorance I asked if she had been human once. She took that to mean that I could not trust a machine. We had something of a disagreement in what followed, and perhaps an exchange of veiled threats.
（ it is not a perfectly accurate representation of his conversation with viveca, but it is the one he offers. what words they exchanged were personal, and while he does not mind imparting the spirit of their discussion he will not offer the letter. ）
Once it became clear that I was not asking the question as some cruel jibe, we arrived at an understanding with one-another. I told her then I would keep my theories about her prior existence to myself, and she... （ he reaches up, briefly, and drags the tips of his fingers against his cheekbone, just below his eye. ） Assisted me in overcoming the illness that had claimed my life in my home.
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You have a habit of befriending your enemies, don't you? [He raises a hand before Itachi can interject and adds] At least here. Not that Viveca was your enemy, but you know what I mean. [He grins lightly at Itachi, and doesn't voice the question that's plaguing him now.
He hadn't known Itachi had died from an illness. Given what he knows of Itachi's life, it's honestly a little bit shocking. Still, as curious as he is about that new bit of information, now doesn't seem the right time to ask.]
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（ it's rare that he's caught so entirely off-guard that he's stunned to speechlessness. he is silent for a time, brows drawn down in disconcertion, and then — ）
It was never an option in my home.
（ is what he finally offers, discomfited. ）
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It would be a foolish thing to bring up Itachi's comparison to the Darkling again so he doesn't. Still, it's all just further proof to Wei Wuxian that they aren't the same kind of man, no matter what lies in Itachi's past. When he's given the option, Itachi chooses peace. The betrayal between them lies as the single outlier, and even that hadn't been an act of outright violence despite how capable he'd have been of it. He could have just as easily fulfilled his goal with a violent act.
It makes his heart ache deeply for his friend, because it settles something in him that he's suspected for some time. Whatever Itachi did—whatever atrocities lay in his past—he was backed into a corner and robbed of choice.
But he says none of that, only shoots his friend an affection filled smile.]
And yet here you are, acting as my better conscience. [And since there is a compliment threatening to spill from his lips—the kind that he knows Itachi will hate, he bites his tongue and looks in the direction of the door instead.]
Just don't befriend too many of them. I don't need the competition.
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I will endeavour to keep the number suitably low, for your sake.
（ it's a joke, mostly because he does not care to examine the matter closely enough to respond with any measure of seriousness. ）
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Alright. I should get back. [There's nothing to get back to, but he doesn't like overstaying his welcome even if Itachi always gives him a look if he suggests that's what he's doing. He rises to his feet and pats invisible dust from his robes.]
I'll let you know if I learn anything else, and I'll do my best not to punch anyone for now. Unless they deserve it.