ximilia | Video; UN: Wei Wuxian || Text; UN: jtd

[Even before the feed flickers into life, anyone literally anywhere in the sunlight room is probably aware that there is something going on thanks to one very shrill scream immediately followed by several minutes of panicked shouting. When the feed does flicker on, the view is oddly…tall? It's at height with the tops of the trees in the sunlight room which is because Wei Wuxian is making this post from the top of one of those trees.

The reason why becomes immediately obvious when he pans down to the familiar form of Jake barking up at him from the base of the tree. Jake's expression is partially obscured through the foliage, though a close study will find more fear in Jake's face than threat. Whatever he thinks he's looking at, it isn't Wei Wuxian.

Finally, the view shifts to Wei Wuxian who is wide eyed and panicked, his face completely bloodless as he holds onto the tree with one arm and gestures at Jake below with the other.]

Why? [He squeaks out in a desperate whisper, eyes darting back to Jake again before he lets out a soft whimper and returns his attention to the feed.]

Why is there a dog?

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[ Jake's post comes through almost simultaneously, text somehow communicating volume as much as his urgency. ]

I FOUND THE GHOST. I REPEAT, I FOUND THE GHOST. GOT IT UP A TREE IN THE SUNLIGHT ROOM. PLEASE ADVISE ON NEXT STEPS AND/OR EXORCISM.

[ooc: please indicate in the comments which you're responding to!]

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[Ziggy's not quite smiling, but the expression she offers is hardly one of anger. If anything, she's just quietly defeated by the whole situation — at least until Wei Wuxian speaks up again. She glances up only sparingly, before moving to sit down beneath the tree, folding her legs under her in a particularly familiar, meditative pose. Then, closing her eyes and putting her hands on her knees, she says:]

... Not a chance.

Do you think I've get anywhere else more important to be?

[Unless he feels like really shooing her away, making her leave.

Until he does, she's staying put.]

[He snorts, amused and exasperated all at once. It isn't like her stubbornness is new, it's something he usually finds endearing. (And, alright, it's a little endearing even now.)]

Shouldn't you be meditating? [He says, his voice sulky.] Or copying characters? I'm sure there are many more important things for you to be doing than babysitting your foolish laoshi.

... It's what you would do for me.

[She glances up, a smile aimed to disarm the sulking.]

Isn't that what it's all about? Being friends, or family, or student and teacher.

You wouldn't want me left behind in a tree and you know it.

[This is cheating. He's almost positive this is cheating, and he glares down at her from the tree to make sure she knows what he's thinking. (It's a weak glare, too affectionate to really count.)]

Aiyah, look at all this backtalk! The sass! Who'd you learn that from? [Not him, she was sassy when he met her, but he likes to think he had a little influence.

After a long pause he peeks down again and gives the ground a cursory once over.]

...they're gone, right? They're not anywhere in the sunlight room?

Have you seen the crew we're in? Who haven't I learned from?

[It's okay, she's really good at absorbing glares, be they weak or powerful. It fuels the sass, you see. But her expression does settle into something a little kinder as she nods.]

... They're gone, yeah. No worries down here, unless you don't want to get itchy from sunroom grass.

[That warrants a weak laugh and then a soft sigh. If it were just him, he'd stay up here for another few minutes, just to make sure, but Ziggy is waiting for him. He can be brave for Ziggy.

After another minute there's the sound of the branches rustling, and then he's down, feet planted on the ground looking no worse for wear if a little exhausted and pale. He offers Ziggy a tired smile and brushes a few stray leaves from his shoulder.]

...guess it seems pretty ridiculous now, doesn't it? [It's a joke, but it doesn't quite land right. He's never really been able to make jokes about this.]

[Looking over, she gives a harmless little shrug. Not necessarily dismissive, but light. After all, it's just teacher and student sitting here, appreciating their little space.]

Doesn't seem that ridiculous to me. I think it just seems ridiculous to you.

[She'd move to find him something to drink, pale and tired as he looks, but she imagines this is probably enough; she knows if it were her in his shoes, she'd be a little embarrassed at the idea, so she trusts him to recover by himself for the moment. Instead, she plucks one last leaf off him.]

If you had bad experiences with dogs, it makes sense to be nervous. I mean, I think even people who haven't had bad experiences with things can still have a fear of them, or something. I don't think that means there's anything wrong with you.

Edited 2023-04-17 22:39 (UTC)

[That earns a huff and a soft pat to Ziggy's shoulder.]

I'll admit there's a story there, a-Xing, but it's one I'd rather not tell, at least not today. [It's a total downer for one, and he'd already made enough of a problem of himself.]

But thank you for your assurances and your very brave rescue. [He aims another smile at her, and although still tired, this one is much brighter.]

Are you up for being my very brave guard for just a little while longer and walking me back to my, ah, Itachi's room? [Partially because he's being silly and partially because actually he really doesn't want to walk by himself.]

[Smiling at that, she picks up the bent magazine — ignore the fact that it's a magazine catered to 2000's teenaged girls, a-thank-you — and rolls it back up into a weapon of immeasurable power.]

Sure thing, Wei-gege.

And if anything else happens between here and there, I'll take out the threat.

[She swats the air with the magazine. Her brow quirks.]

... Itachi's room? That old sour apple?

[he's like 20-something ziggy]

[Oh no. He groans, simultaneously delighted and terrorized. He shouldn't have taught her that! Thankfully he's saved by the rest of her words and he lets out a soft laugh, shaking his head.]

He's very— ["Kind." Itachi would hate it if he said that, wouldn't he? Wei Wuxian frowns and rephrases.] He's a dear friend of mine. [His amusement softens a little, the edges of sorrow just barely touching his expression.]

I've been staying with him since Gwen left. [Because he needed time to be able to return to that horribly empty room.]

[That seems to get Ziggy to understand well enough.]

You sure like to make friends with dear people who have lots of pointy edges.

[She's pretty sure she's including herself in that — maybe Gwen, too. It's impossible to miss the little space she's left empty on the crew, even if Ziggy had never gotten to truly know her the same way someone like Wei Wuxian had been able to. Truth be told, Ziggy's only just learning how to be vulnerable and open and accept new people in. It's... more rewarding than she'd ever thought it'd be.

But also very painful, when those people you let in are gone.

She reaches out, squeezing his hand.]

He's cool, then. For being an old sour apple.

If he's making things easier for you, I mean.

[She has a hard time saying the softer things. Maybe that's plenty soft as it is.]

[He lets out a loud laugh at that and squeezes her hand back before instinctively reaching out to ruffle her hair with his free hand. Sorry Ziggy, this is just a thing now.]

He is, I'm glad he gets your approval. [He offers her a wink.]

I'll be sure to pass it along. [And now that Ziggy has gathered her magazine/weapon of choice, he gestures for them to begin the walk back to the rooms.]

Video; UN: Wei Wuxian || Text; UN: jtd

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