[He doesn't answer right away, distracted by the wash of color that stepping outside of the tent immediately brings with it. It was already bright and colorful before, but now the colors are more vibrant, almost glowing, and he steadies himself on Itachi's shoulder when an especially colorful Hivawei skips by them.]
Ah, [He chuckles to himself, closing his eye and pressing them briefly to the back of his hand on Itachi's shoulder.]
Maybe somewhere quieter. [It's beautiful, honestly, but it's all so bright and lively he's feeling dizzy with it.]
（ he has already mapped out much of the area, and his feet find a tangled path that he doubts is often traversed. it leads them away from the village, and to a quiet place where an artesian well has created pools and odd, spongy patches of ground. but it is quiet, with no sound save the insect life and the soft burbling of the pool — which is faintly warm to the touch, and so clear you can see directly to the bottom.
the canopy is open above them, bathing the clearing and its pools in starlight, and itachi gives wei wuxian a sideways look. considering. ）
Are you sober enough to swim?
（ obviously, he'd save him from drowning if needed. but it would be an altogether unpleasant experience to begin with, should that need exist. ）
[Though the brightening of his smile is still dimmer than usual, it's a far cry from a couple of hours before, warmed by the waterpipe's euphoria and Itachi's offer. He moves to one of the pools to dip his hand in, sighing in contentment at the temperature. When he stands again to move back to Itachi, he offers him a quick nod.]
I'm sober. [Well. His lips twitch.] Sober enough. I can swim fine. [That much at least is true.
He makes quick work of disrobing, stripping down to his trousers and then setting the rest of his robes hanging off of a tree. He doesn't run and jump into one of the pools as is his usual wont, instead choosing to sit on the edge and slowly slide down into the water. The water is the perfect temperature and the spot secluded enough that the overwhelming haze of light and noise from before dies down entirely.]
This place is beautiful. [He mutters softly, unwilling to break the quiet of the night. The words ache, a tinge of sorrow returning to his expression before quickly drifting away again.]
（ he is slower to disrobe, each article neatly folded as he strips down to nothing, and then he joins his friend in the water. it's warm enough that the night air feels chilled in contrast, but not so warm as to remind him of the springs in the land of fire.
he gestures to wei wuxian: ）
Duck under the water. I'll warm it up.
（ he likes three things, okay. silence, tea, and bathing water hot enough to burn the top layer of your skin off. ）
（ he just. looks at him in return. sobriety indeed.
but once he dives, the hand seals for a fire jutsu are executed and the technique performed. steam rises off its surface in the wake of the fire, and overall — the temperature of the pool is considerably increased before he texts wei wuxian a quick: I'm finished. ）
[Except Wei Wuxian does not immediately rise having discovered that the view of the shimmering water above is way better from beneath it. He does send Itachi a response though, aware enough not to want to worry him.]
（ he considers simply telling him to go to the surface regardless, but after a moment he dives as well, letting himself sink. difficult not to think of cliffs and open air, his fingers closing on the space where shisui had been. the way it had felt like hours, between the fall and the sound of his body hitting the water below.
difficult not to wonder if shisui had looked up through the water like this.
did he regret it? the poison, or the fall? not using kotoamatsukami when they had a chance? trusting danzō?
leaving the clan's fate in his own hands, to its ruination?
these thoughts have a waltz their own. they do nothing to rule him, they only weave through the tapestry of his thoughts the way one traces a scar. he is looking up from the depths of the small pool when a leaf chances to land on the water. he blinks, and then casts his gaze aside to land on wei wuxian. ）
[He had been watching the water as Itachi descended to float beside him, but by the time Itachi looks over, Wei Wuxian has shifted his focus to his friend, watching the soft ripples of light that shift over his face. Itachi is always beautiful, but there's something about the water and the light dancing across his features that makes it impossible to look away.
When Itachi glances his way, his lips pull up into a soft smile, clearly pleased that his friend had decided to join him. He holds Itachi's gaze for a moment longer before gesturing to the surface and beginning his ascent upwards.
His hands swipe water from his eyes as he breaks the surface, and he turns immediately to wait for Itachi, bobbing in the water until Itachi surfaces as well.]
（ he doesn't actually need to tread water. with enough practice, you can use chakra to stand not only on water, but within it as well, and so he absentmindedly steadies himself. ）
Quiet.
（ it's said agreeably, with a glance upward. the silence pressing in around you with the water's weight is oddly freeing. ）
Mmm. [Wei Wuxian agrees with a soft hum, swimming forward until he reaches a place where his feet just touch the ground and he can stand without treading. He isn't tired, but it's too distracting.]
Xrisora was beautiful too, but I prefer this. Open air and everything growing out of the ground. [His gaze dims again, remembering that in a few days it'll all be gone. The drugs make it easier to push that thought aside and let it fade into the background.
A memory comes unbidden and he huffs, directing his gaze at his friend again.]
I woke to your feathered friend yesterday. I'm sure you already know. [The crow that had clearly kept vigil as he slept, only taking off once Wei Wuxian was awake.]
（ he cants his head to one side, birdlike himself. his attention falls from the bright moon back to wei wuxian, brow furrowed at the question. ）
It was a clone. The transformation to a crow is a relatively simple one, merely a henge. There is little that cannot be adequately mimicked if you are familiar enough with what it is you wish to resemble. I could appear as female to you, or a mirror image of your own likeness.
[He could appear...female. What would. What would he...(he can almost picture him, softer features, the line of his jaw smoothed out just a little, and his voice...)
...
Wow, yeah okay, that is absolutely not something for him to think about while mildly high. Back to the crows—]
Like in Giva. [He remembers Itachi creating those clones and changing their features. Unfortunately his memory is apparently extra on top of things tonight, because it also brings with it the memory of Itachi protectively shielding him against the wall.
Anyway, birds.]
So you can do anything you know well enough? Why crows?
[Well of course not now, they're in the water. Clearly he'll ask again when they aren't swimming.]
Does it feel strange being something else? Do you take on the animal's senses and instincts as well? [Sorry Itachi, this is all very fascinating to him. He tips his head back and fixes his eyes on the sky.]
No. One does not physically become the person or creature. One merely assumes the shape.
（ no instincts involved, you weirdo. why would you even ask that. this isn't animorphs.
he ducks his head briefly beneath the water to slick his hair more fully back, and when he surfaces again he gives wei wuxian a curious sideways glance. ）
He closes his eyes and grins, suddenly remembering the wind in his air as they flew through the sky on that dragon at those old temple ruins. He opens his eyes again.]
Yes. But not today. [He wants to be totally sober for that. ]
And then I can turn into a bunny. [Beat.] Or a crow. [Since Itachi liked them and all.]
[It elicits a soft little snort from him and he bows his head, diving under momentarily before coming back up. He swims for a little while after that, back and forth just to enjoy the motion of it. It isn't an especially large pool, but it's large enough for a few laps back and forth. When he grows bored with that, he glides on his back instead, expression warming at a thought.]
Do you know where this place reminds me of? Taeum, the hike we went on. You remember it, don't you? [It wasn't very similar aside from being a pool of water in a forest, but they went swimming together then too just like they are now.]
（ his expression softens, just a little. thinking of taeum... it has as many bad memories as good. but he will never regret trusting angrial as he did. ）
You did. （ he cups water in his hands. the pool reflects the moon very briefly, before he lets his fingers part to sieve it away.
no one knew what he did in taeum. what came about as a result of that trust. as far as anyone knows it, the tide of the battle would have gone that way regardless.
but very abruptly, he wants wei wuxian to be aware of it. that the favour he had gained by the betrayal he wrought was the thing that saved them all in the end. the sacrifice of both wei wuxian and gwen's freedom hadn't been for nothing.
the words stick in his throat, and when he finally speaks his voice is very soft. ） I spoke with Angrial, before the battle.
[Wei Wuxian pauses in his gliding, letting his arms stretch out to each side and keep him afloat like that on top of the water.
It's the shift of his tone that catches his attention first, and then the words.
Itachi had spoken to Angrial fresh from his betrayal. It means something that he has never shared this before. It means something that he is sharing it now.
He hums softly in response, a quiet encouragement to continue.]
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Ah, [He chuckles to himself, closing his eye and pressing them briefly to the back of his hand on Itachi's shoulder.]
Maybe somewhere quieter. [It's beautiful, honestly, but it's all so bright and lively he's feeling dizzy with it.]
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（ he has already mapped out much of the area, and his feet find a tangled path that he doubts is often traversed. it leads them away from the village, and to a quiet place where an artesian well has created pools and odd, spongy patches of ground. but it is quiet, with no sound save the insect life and the soft burbling of the pool — which is faintly warm to the touch, and so clear you can see directly to the bottom.
the canopy is open above them, bathing the clearing and its pools in starlight, and itachi gives wei wuxian a sideways look. considering. ）
Are you sober enough to swim?
（ obviously, he'd save him from drowning if needed. but it would be an altogether unpleasant experience to begin with, should that need exist. ）
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I'm sober. [Well. His lips twitch.] Sober enough. I can swim fine. [That much at least is true.
He makes quick work of disrobing, stripping down to his trousers and then setting the rest of his robes hanging off of a tree. He doesn't run and jump into one of the pools as is his usual wont, instead choosing to sit on the edge and slowly slide down into the water. The water is the perfect temperature and the spot secluded enough that the overwhelming haze of light and noise from before dies down entirely.]
This place is beautiful. [He mutters softly, unwilling to break the quiet of the night. The words ache, a tinge of sorrow returning to his expression before quickly drifting away again.]
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（ he is slower to disrobe, each article neatly folded as he strips down to nothing, and then he joins his friend in the water. it's warm enough that the night air feels chilled in contrast, but not so warm as to remind him of the springs in the land of fire.
he gestures to wei wuxian: ）
Duck under the water. I'll warm it up.
（ he likes three things, okay. silence, tea, and bathing water hot enough to burn the top layer of your skin off. ）
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He stares at Itachi for half a minute and then dives under anyway.
Evidently his lack of sobriety hasn't impaired his trust in his friend even a little.]
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but once he dives, the hand seals for a fire jutsu are executed and the technique performed. steam rises off its surface in the wake of the fire, and overall — the temperature of the pool is considerably increased before he texts wei wuxian a quick: I'm finished. ）
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It's so peaceful down here. You should come look.
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difficult not to wonder if shisui had looked up through the water like this.
did he regret it? the poison, or the fall? not using kotoamatsukami when they had a chance? trusting danzō?
leaving the clan's fate in his own hands, to its ruination?
these thoughts have a waltz their own. they do nothing to rule him, they only weave through the tapestry of his thoughts the way one traces a scar. he is looking up from the depths of the small pool when a leaf chances to land on the water. he blinks, and then casts his gaze aside to land on wei wuxian. ）
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When Itachi glances his way, his lips pull up into a soft smile, clearly pleased that his friend had decided to join him. He holds Itachi's gaze for a moment longer before gesturing to the surface and beginning his ascent upwards.
His hands swipe water from his eyes as he breaks the surface, and he turns immediately to wait for Itachi, bobbing in the water until Itachi surfaces as well.]
It was nice down there, wasn't it?
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Quiet.
（ it's said agreeably, with a glance upward. the silence pressing in around you with the water's weight is oddly freeing. ）
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Xrisora was beautiful too, but I prefer this. Open air and everything growing out of the ground. [His gaze dims again, remembering that in a few days it'll all be gone. The drugs make it easier to push that thought aside and let it fade into the background.
A memory comes unbidden and he huffs, directing his gaze at his friend again.]
I woke to your feathered friend yesterday. I'm sure you already know. [The crow that had clearly kept vigil as he slept, only taking off once Wei Wuxian was awake.]
How does that work exactly?
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It was a clone. The transformation to a crow is a relatively simple one, merely a henge. There is little that cannot be adequately mimicked if you are familiar enough with what it is you wish to resemble. I could appear as female to you, or a mirror image of your own likeness.
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...
Wow, yeah okay, that is absolutely not something for him to think about while mildly high. Back to the crows—]
Like in Giva. [He remembers Itachi creating those clones and changing their features. Unfortunately his memory is apparently extra on top of things tonight, because it also brings with it the memory of Itachi protectively shielding him against the wall.
Anyway, birds.]
So you can do anything you know well enough? Why crows?
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I like crows.
（ the least climactic admission itachi uchiha has ever made, in his life. ）
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I do too. They're supposed to be bad luck, but I've always found them rather sweet.
[And then, apropos of nothing] Can you do a cat? Ah, wait no, a bunny?
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（ ... implication being: not inclined at the moment. ）
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Does it feel strange being something else? Do you take on the animal's senses and instincts as well? [Sorry Itachi, this is all very fascinating to him. He tips his head back and fixes his eyes on the sky.]
I can't imagine flying with wings of your own.
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（ no instincts involved, you weirdo. why would you even ask that. this isn't animorphs.
he ducks his head briefly beneath the water to slick his hair more fully back, and when he surfaces again he gives wei wuxian a curious sideways glance. ）
It would be easy to show you, if you wish.
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How?
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I could give you the full complement of shinobi skills and how to utilize them. From there, a henge would be simple.
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He closes his eyes and grins, suddenly remembering the wind in his air as they flew through the sky on that dragon at those old temple ruins. He opens his eyes again.]
Yes. But not today. [He wants to be totally sober for that. ]
And then I can turn into a bunny. [Beat.] Or a crow. [Since Itachi liked them and all.]
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（ the fond tolerance packed into that statement... honestly, ridiculous. ）
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Do you know where this place reminds me of? Taeum, the hike we went on. You remember it, don't you? [It wasn't very similar aside from being a pool of water in a forest, but they went swimming together then too just like they are now.]
I beat you in that race. [He teases.]
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You did. （ he cups water in his hands. the pool reflects the moon very briefly, before he lets his fingers part to sieve it away.
no one knew what he did in taeum. what came about as a result of that trust. as far as anyone knows it, the tide of the battle would have gone that way regardless.
but very abruptly, he wants wei wuxian to be aware of it. that the favour he had gained by the betrayal he wrought was the thing that saved them all in the end. the sacrifice of both wei wuxian and gwen's freedom hadn't been for nothing.
the words stick in his throat, and when he finally speaks his voice is very soft. ） I spoke with Angrial, before the battle.
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It's the shift of his tone that catches his attention first, and then the words.
Itachi had spoken to Angrial fresh from his betrayal. It means something that he has never shared this before. It means something that he is sharing it now.
He hums softly in response, a quiet encouragement to continue.]
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