๏ผ he'll be there early, of course. which means that he is faintly surprised to find the room already occupied, and wei wuxian within it. he raises an eyebrow as he sees the man, faint question in his expression that he will not voice. ๏ผ
[He's messing with something at one of the tables in the teahouse when he sees Itachi and he yelps, standing up and jogging over.]
Has it already been an hour? Or are you early? You're early, aren't you? Aiya, I should have known! [He doesn't give Itachi time to answer any of those questions (if he would have) and instead gestures for Itachi to follow him to one of the tables already set for tea. As they sit, a waiter arrives and leaves a steaming tea pot on the table.
Wei Wuxian rises to serve Itachi and then himself before placing the pot back on the table.]
The tea is real. I received the Yunmeng tea I'd requested in the last supply drop, and I promised to share it with you. [He gestures happily for Itachi to try it. It is a traditional Yunmeng osmanthus tea, scented with the osmanthus flower and built upon an oolong base. The flavor is mild and pleasant.]
There were a variety of styles in my hometown, but this was always my favorite.
๏ผ he trails after wei wuxian wordlessly, a silent shadow, and sits when directed. the server is given a cordial nod — it may be a computer-generated program, but itachi has learned that even artificial intelligence can be more human than you know. ๏ผ
Back before the war, it was common for me and Jiang Cheng to grab a drink with friends or sect siblings. [His eyes glitter with mirth and he adds] It wasn't usually tea, but I'm nothing if not adaptable.
And if you must have a reason, then the occasion is keeping the promise to share this with you.
[He's quiet for a moment before he adds, voice thoughtful] I miss the art of it. The routine. Having tea I mean. Such a common thing I never thought twice about back then.
We couldn't waste money on it at the Burial Mounds, but I didn't miss it as much then. It's stranger to be without it here. Every convenience in the world, and so little time and care for tea.
[Wei Wuxian takes a sip of his own tea, closing his eyes at the wash of memory the taste evokes if only for a moment.]
Hmm, I didn't drink it alone very often, but it's more than that. [He sets he cup back down and allows his gaze to pass over the traditional teahouse.]
It was intrinsic. It's absence here...it isn't a bad thing, but it's a reminder I think, of how far we are from home.
[He doesn't miss drinking tea. It's only that walking into a room to visit someone and not being offered makes his heart ache just a little bit.]
...you're mostly right though, it is different drinking tea with someone who appreciates it.
๏ผ less the geographic place, he misses then, and more the people he lived alongside. itachi cannot quite relate to that — home is a graveyard shrine for him now — but he does... understand, to an extent. ๏ผ
There is no reason we cannot take tea daily when we are aboard the Ximilia. It does not have to be like this, even though this is... nice.
๏ผ that word, clearly a stretch for him. he might have used adequate before. ๏ผ
[He pauses and then shakes his head with a soft huff.]
It is nice, isn't it? [It isn't exactly what he's getting at, but truth be told he's having trouble putting the feeling into words. Having tea every day won't alleviate the knowledge that no one else is doing it. (Or almost no one else.)
Like no one else noticed Qixi passing, no one else seemed disappointed about them being underwater during the Mid Autumn festival, but everyone seeming to know about Christmas. He isn't angry or bitter about it, only...aware. Aware of that fact that even among people from different worlds and universes, there are constants in the cultures that he doesn't share. It's a strange feeling is all, and one that makes him appreciate moments like this with those who do share those traditions even more.]
It'll be new year soon—by the calendar we use at my home, I mean. [He gives Itachi a half smile, aware that for most of the crew the new year celebration had just passed.] We measure the year by the journey of the moon.
๏ผ perhaps it is different for him. he has been away from his home for long enough to have made peace with all the things he might have missed. festivals, celebrations, gatherings. expressions of culture that have never left the borders of konoha. but the dissonance was perhaps blunted — tea, for instance, was a constant across all the regions and countries of his world.
still, he has neither struggled with nor cared as much as wei wuxian does about the unfamiliarity of certain rituals, and the excision of those they both would know.
he studies his cup, and then lifts it for another drink. ๏ผ
We do. Each of the five great countries has something of a different approach, but Lunar New Year is observed by all.
[His posture loosens further and his face brightens, relief and excitement that Itachi knows what he's talking about.]
We'll be off world by then, obviously, but I'm going to celebrate if possible. I haven't been able to properly celebrate since...[He shakes his head.]
Years. I don't know how many. Before I defected, before the war. It was always such a special time. [His smile grows wistful for a moment before he reins himself in.] If the mission allows it, will you celebrate with me? For a meal. Lunar New Year is meant to be celebrated with friends and family after all.
I'm going to ask Viveca. As long as it will, I can likely bring several things along. [Not anything that perishes, but enough, most likely. A thought occurs to him and he gives Itachi a curious look.]
What about your scrolls? Do you think they'll work?
( his fingers flex faintly around his cup, and he lifts it up. the only indication at all he is maybe less than pleased at the prospect of losing his chakra for two months. )
Do you have time to make another between now and when we leave? It would be appreciated.
Of course! [The answer would have been the same whether it was true or not, he would have pulled an all-nighter if necessary, but since they're still a few days it really won't be any problem. It's rare that any of his arrays or talismans are useful to Itachi and he's always a little excited when he can help.
He rambles at Itachi for a while after about the differences between his scrolls and the inner workings of a qiankun pouch, but eventually he lapses into a comfortable silence, content to simply sit and take tea with his friend.]
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Very well.
๏ผ he'll be there early, of course. which means that he is faintly surprised to find the room already occupied, and wei wuxian within it. he raises an eyebrow as he sees the man, faint question in his expression that he will not voice. ๏ผ
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Has it already been an hour? Or are you early? You're early, aren't you? Aiya, I should have known! [He doesn't give Itachi time to answer any of those questions (if he would have) and instead gestures for Itachi to follow him to one of the tables already set for tea. As they sit, a waiter arrives and leaves a steaming tea pot on the table.
Wei Wuxian rises to serve Itachi and then himself before placing the pot back on the table.]
The tea is real. I received the Yunmeng tea I'd requested in the last supply drop, and I promised to share it with you. [He gestures happily for Itachi to try it. It is a traditional Yunmeng osmanthus tea, scented with the osmanthus flower and built upon an oolong base. The flavor is mild and pleasant.]
There were a variety of styles in my hometown, but this was always my favorite.
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What is the occasion?
๏ผ yes, clearly. has to be a reason. ๏ผ
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Back before the war, it was common for me and Jiang Cheng to grab a drink with friends or sect siblings. [His eyes glitter with mirth and he adds] It wasn't usually tea, but I'm nothing if not adaptable.
And if you must have a reason, then the occasion is keeping the promise to share this with you.
[He's quiet for a moment before he adds, voice thoughtful] I miss the art of it. The routine. Having tea I mean. Such a common thing I never thought twice about back then.
We couldn't waste money on it at the Burial Mounds, but I didn't miss it as much then. It's stranger to be without it here. Every convenience in the world, and so little time and care for tea.
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There is nothing preventing you from having it regularly on your own. Or is it the element of companionship you miss?
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Hmm, I didn't drink it alone very often, but it's more than that. [He sets he cup back down and allows his gaze to pass over the traditional teahouse.]
It was intrinsic. It's absence here...it isn't a bad thing, but it's a reminder I think, of how far we are from home.
[He doesn't miss drinking tea. It's only that walking into a room to visit someone and not being offered makes his heart ache just a little bit.]
...you're mostly right though, it is different drinking tea with someone who appreciates it.
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There is no reason we cannot take tea daily when we are aboard the Ximilia. It does not have to be like this, even though this is... nice.
๏ผ that word, clearly a stretch for him. he might have used adequate before. ๏ผ
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It is nice, isn't it? [It isn't exactly what he's getting at, but truth be told he's having trouble putting the feeling into words. Having tea every day won't alleviate the knowledge that no one else is doing it. (Or almost no one else.)
Like no one else noticed Qixi passing, no one else seemed disappointed about them being underwater during the Mid Autumn festival, but everyone seeming to know about Christmas. He isn't angry or bitter about it, only...aware. Aware of that fact that even among people from different worlds and universes, there are constants in the cultures that he doesn't share. It's a strange feeling is all, and one that makes him appreciate moments like this with those who do share those traditions even more.]
It'll be new year soon—by the calendar we use at my home, I mean. [He gives Itachi a half smile, aware that for most of the crew the new year celebration had just passed.] We measure the year by the journey of the moon.
Do you celebrate?
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still, he has neither struggled with nor cared as much as wei wuxian does about the unfamiliarity of certain rituals, and the excision of those they both would know.
he studies his cup, and then lifts it for another drink. ๏ผ
We do. Each of the five great countries has something of a different approach, but Lunar New Year is observed by all.
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We'll be off world by then, obviously, but I'm going to celebrate if possible. I haven't been able to properly celebrate since...[He shakes his head.]
Years. I don't know how many. Before I defected, before the war. It was always such a special time. [His smile grows wistful for a moment before he reins himself in.] If the mission allows it, will you celebrate with me? For a meal. Lunar New Year is meant to be celebrated with friends and family after all.
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๏ผ there is little point in arguing. he is not averse to celebration, so long as they are of a quiet sort. ๏ผ
The world may lack proper accommodations. ๏ผ a pause. then: ๏ผ Do you expect your qiankun pouch will continue to function there?
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What about your scrolls? Do you think they'll work?
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( his fingers flex faintly around his cup, and he lifts it up. the only indication at all he is maybe less than pleased at the prospect of losing his chakra for two months. )
Do you have time to make another between now and when we leave? It would be appreciated.
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Of course! [The answer would have been the same whether it was true or not, he would have pulled an all-nighter if necessary, but since they're still a few days it really won't be any problem. It's rare that any of his arrays or talismans are useful to Itachi and he's always a little excited when he can help.
He rambles at Itachi for a while after about the differences between his scrolls and the inner workings of a qiankun pouch, but eventually he lapses into a comfortable silence, content to simply sit and take tea with his friend.]