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[singlelogbridge]

// Wei Wuxian

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XIMILIA

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[singlelogbridge]

[He twitches in answer, a jerk of his head that passes for a nod. Eventually, he readjusts himself into a more comfortable position, but he doesn't move from his spot.

His eyes slip to the bed and stay there.

He's waiting for something. He isn't sure what, only knows that he's waiting.]

[construing]

〈 gwen's eyes roll to the ceiling as if praying. for patience? enlightenment? this morning before everything went to hell? (answer d: all of the above.)

she lets out another breath. 〉

Okay. Okay, 〈 she repeats. 〉 What exactly were you trying to do?

[singlelogbridge]

[The laughter doesn't return and the thing beginning to suck the air from his lungs relinquishes its grip. Wei Wuxian unfolds and raises his eyes to Gwen's. They're tired, but the distance has retreated.]

He needed to know he isn't in charge here. [He needed to know he'd be watched. That if he stepped out of line, Wei Wuxian would be there. That if he hurt anyone, Wei Wuxian would be there.]

[construing]

〈 oh, yeah. there goes the migraine. 〉Lord, love a duck.

And that was absolutely necessary for you to do?

[singlelogbridge]

[He frowns and doesn't answer for a while.]

I thought he was the one from your memory. [So, yes in short.]

[construing]

He's not.

〈 just to make sure this particular point is absolutely fucking clear. 〉

Which you would have known if, instead of running off to nail his hide to the wall, you had come to me first.

Why didn't you, by the way?

[singlelogbridge]

[That's not in his nature is the thing and he shakes his head, unsure of how to answer.]

He was right in front of me. [It occurs to him that maybe she doesn't know that's how he found out.] I ran into Itachi after. [When he'd changed his mind about letting him off with a single punch and was on his way back.]

[construing]

He was—

〈 her face drops into her hands.

it is official: she will need a stronger, charmingly southern interjection for this conversation than "lord, love a duck".

knowing she will be disappointed, but also being an indefatigable optimist, gwen begs, 〉 Please tell me you didn't threaten him.

[singlelogbridge]

I punched him. [He admits immediately. No point in trying to pretend otherwise.]

And I told him not to hurt anyone. [His expression twists as he remembers it.]

Then he tried to give me legal advice.

[construing]

You punched a blind man?

[singlelogbridge]

[Hmm. Well.]

Yes. I thought he was the one from your memory. [Repeating it because he doesn't generally go around punching blind men? But some murdocks deserve to be punched, blind or not.]

[construing]

You punched a blind man?!

[singlelogbridge]

[Okay, look.]

He seemed more than capable in your memory!

[construing]

That is not the point! Oh, fuck me, now I have to go and apologize…

〈 literally what is her life. why is her life. 〉

Anyway, for those keeping score at home—the fact that you punched him and he didn't immediately stab you? 〈 she makes a face. 〉 Definitely not my Murdock.

[singlelogbridge]

[He frowns again, looking deeply uncomfortable and then shakes his head.]

Why should you apologize for something I did? [Loathe as he is to do it, he knows how to take responsibility for his own actions.]

...I'll do it. [Ugh.] I'll apologize to him.

[construing]

〈 suspicious. 〉

You can't threaten him. Not even a friendly warning.

[singlelogbridge]

I know. [Ugh. He still doesn't trust this Murdock but he does feel just the slightest bit bad for decking a blind man. Very slight.]

[construing]

I'm serious, 〈 she continues, eyes narrowing. 〉 We agreed to a truce. I want to use it to learn more about this Matt. But that will get more complicated if he already feels threatened.

〈 gwen holds up a hand to stave off any argument. 〉

If he turns out to be evil, I will deal with him. A lot happened since those moments you saw. For one, Venom and I are in sync. Added bonus, I know his weakness; he doesn't know mine.

But he is innocent until proven guilty, and if you try to go after him again, I will web you to the ceiling and leave you there until the ropes dissolve.

I will also tell Itachi to ignore all your texts. 〈 can she tell itachi what to do? no. is she banking on the prospect being threat enough? 💯 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[He snorts under his breath and nods. For one thing, he's been serious this whole time even if he's reluctant about his apology. It's obviously of great meaning to Gwen and that's enough to make him suck up his own feelings. For another, he gets it. If it were Wen Chao or that one Jin guy, or anyone who'd come after him and his loved ones, he'd want to deal with it himself too.]

What is that? [He asks and then frowns, clarifying.] "Innocent until proven guilty." It sounds like a rule. [Not like something she made up on the spot.]

[construing]

〈 gwen frowns, bemused, but follows along on the tangent. 〉

It’s the basic principle of the justice system. “Innocent until proven guilty.” In practice, it means the burden falls on the prosecution to prove that the accused committed the crime. No evidence, no accusation. No conviction, no punishment.

〈 stretching her legs out on the bed, gwen studies her striped socks. 〉

It's the reason I got a year. The prosecutor decided to drop all charges against me of Peter's death. No murder. Not even manslaughter. 〈 she blinks back to the present, and aims a rueful little smile at wei wuxian.. 〉

The justice system is as broken as everything else, but that part they got right. A lot more people would be ground up without it. It's hard to argue guilt. It's fucking impossible to argue innocence.

[singlelogbridge]

[His eyebrows only get higher up on his forehead the more she explains, and when she's done, he shakes his head and huffs but doesn't say anything for a while.]

That isn't how justice is done where I'm from. [He settles on finally, wondering how a whole body of government settled on a system like that. It would never fly in the cultivation world.]

People rarely get trials, and when they do, they're always assumed guilty. [His voice is tired as he details the way justice works in his own world and his eyes drift far away. After a moment he adds] Even when the evidence points to innocent.

Something must be wrong with the evidence then, hmm? [His gaze returns and he meets her eyes with a tired look of his own, lips pulling up into a sad smile.] Your way sounds better.

[Even if it also sounds like an impossible dream. Ah, well.]

I'll go and find Murdock now.

[construing]

〈 gwen tugs at a loose thread on the bedspread. 〉

You'll be okay?

〈 translation: will he be needing to be sent to time-out. 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[He nods and then stands from the bed and moves closer to her, tugging lightly on a strand of her hair.]

I will be. [The smile he offers her doesn't have its usual brilliance, but it's sincere nonetheless.]

[construing]

〈 a tilt of her head pulls her hair free. she wrinkles her nose at him. when he leaves, she is still seated on the bed, arms linked loosely around her legs.

she'll text matt later to verify he is still alive and not in pieces. 〉