singlelogbridge | Inbox: Ximilia

（ he sends acknowledgement the message was received, but says nothing more — slipping away from the silent plunder is... harder, given the role he's taken on aboard the ship, but once the ship disembarks it's a simple enough matter to use shunshin to disappear unseen into the crowd.

when he finds wei ying at the beach, he is barefoot. his hair is done in a needlessly complicated braided but clearly several days' old updo one of the other members of the crew had insisted upon and he had done little to resist — it had most assuredly been the most difficult thing he had sat through to maintain his cover. his clothing is drab and threadbare and his appearance — usually so immaculate regardless of the circumstance — is a bit disheveled. smudges of dirt here and there, a series of visible bruises on one arm that look like the press of fingers.

he could have chosen to heal them — even this much is child's play for one with basic shinobi first aid — but it would draw suspicion from the rest of the crew, so he left well enough alone. it matters very little, though he he already knows wei ying will cast his attention to it with concern.

pointedly: ）

There is a cove nearby.

（ where they can speak more privately, he means. ）

[His eyes track the bruises and he doesn't comment on them—not yet at least. He knows why he wouldn't heal them but the distinct finger print shape of them still sends a pulse of anger through him. It passes though and he nods, following Itachi in the direction of the cove. He's only been to Golden Haven once before and he hadn't spent much time on the beach then so he follow's Itachi's lead as they move.

Once they've entered the damp cove, Wei Wuxian inhales quietly, eyes glued to Itachi's form as he drinks in the welcome sight.]

Hey. [His face blooms into the smile it's been threatening to burst into from the moment he disembarked.]

（ he regards the smile, not quite realizing that the faintest glimmering echo of the same expression is briefly mirrored on his face — and then after a very long moment, he reaches out and brushes an errant strand of hair back from the man's face. ）

You're developing a tan.

（ hm. ）

I know! [He laughs, and it's the soft brush of hair away from his face that breaks the last of his resolve and has him stepping forward to quickly close the distance between them to envelop Itachi in a hug.

God, but he has missed him. He inhales deeply, and though all he can smell is the dirt, sweat, and grime of a life on a ship, it is still Itachi and he tightens his hold on the other man, burying his nose in his hair for a moment longer.

When he pulls back, he keeps a hand in Itachi's hair, patting lightly at the intricate style and letting out a soft sound of curiosity.]

Did you do this?

（ he... allows the hug, though returning it takes a moment longer. eventually, he lifts one arm and lets his hand catch in wei ying's shirt, though his posture remains somewhat rigid. ）

No. One of the women aboard the Silent Plunder.

（ not an orber, otherwise. ）

[He lets out a soft hum and then begins a more thorough inspection of Itachi, reaching for his bruised arm to turn it up and then fix Itachi with another questioning look. He doesn't ask though, only sighs and drops his gaze back to the mark.

It wouldn't have happened if Itachi hadn't allowed it. Still, on a whim, he brings up his arm to press a quick kiss to the bruised area before letting it fall back to his side. He won't say he wishes Itachi were on a different ship because the truth is of all the Orbers, he's one of the few Wei Wuxian doesn't worry about. That doesn't mean he's happy about it though.]

So what did you want to meet me for?

（ he had asked, once, that wei ying listen to a story and display no anger. now, as the man lifts his hand up and presses his mouth to the bruises — he wonders if it was a lesson he learned too well. ）

You missed me. It felt appropriate.

（ i missed you, he does not say. ）

[It probably says something that the idea that Itachi wanted to meet him for personal reasons never even crossed his mind. It's stupid, he knows it is. He knows by now that Itachi enjoys his company but with the way they'd left things the last time they'd met in person followed by Itachi's desire for space, he simply hadn't allowed the thought to cross his mind. Now as it does, his gaze flutters away and his cheeks pink slightly, warm with affection.

He lets out a soft huff of laughter and nods.] I did.

[His gaze flickers back up and he smiles, warm and sincere.] Will you be staying the night on the island?

No. I have duties back aboard the ship to which I must attend.

（ being meek and subservient chafes him, but he is not willing to endanger jake for the folly of his invented stories — his annoyance has weight enough with the dog. ）

But I did not wish for you to think that my request for space was punitive.

（ he had intimated as much in an earlier conversation — it feels important, somehow, to reaffirm it anew. ）

[Wei Wuxian nods, first to the knowledge that he won't be staying too long, and second to the comment about their time apart.]

I know that, Itachi. [He raises his eyes when he says as much, smile more somber but still present.]

And I meant what I said before. Just because it's not something I'm good at, doesn't mean it isn't important. [Enough serious talk though, if they don't have the whole night, then they should use the time they have.]

Come on, how far back do you think this cove goes? I bet we might be able to find a pool to swim in. [Although a portion of the cove is above the water, there's a steady stream coming in on the other side, and it's probably calm enough here to at least go for a dip.]

What kind of duties do you have anyway? I tried working in the kitchen for a night but got kicked out. Honestly, no one has any taste these days.

（ and he simply... sighs, and then falls into step alongside the man as he begins to explore.

his enthusiasm, at least in this, is not infectious. though the idea of water is luxurious comparative to the relative squalor he's been living in, itachi does not relish the idea the swim might be a cold one. ）

I see to a little bit of everything. My skills have a very broad application.

（ faint humour creases his brow, and then: ）

I suppose you nearly killed your crewmates with spices and they forbade you from a second attempt?

They're pirates! Aren't pirates supposed to have strong constitutions? [He snorts and rolls his eyes, pausing when he comes to a spot where a tunnel in the wall turns the cove into a true cave. It's wide enough that he continues into it, conjuring a few light talismans to float around them as they go. What he finds at the end is worth the trip and he turns to Itachi with a flash of a smile. The water has pooled into a small lagoon inside of the cave, and it glows an almost impossible blue against the light of his talismans. It looks calm enough so Wei Wuxian doesn't hesitate to begin stripping and kicking his clothes aside.

The Hawking might be a less oppressive atmosphere than the Silent Plunder, but they didn't have much more opportunity to bathe.]

And I didn't get that far. Someone came over to taste test and I got kicked out of the kitchen and relegated to cleaning for an entire week.

Edited 2023-09-04 04:38 (UTC)

I imagine pirates become accustomed to the sort of food that is easily kept on long journeys. Flavour is not terribly relevant to the caloric intake required for survival in this lifestyle.

（ he folds his arms and comes to a stubborn halt as they reach the lagoon not entirely unlike a skittish horse being lead to water and refusing a drink. make no mistake, it is beautiful — but beauty has never been enough to sway him.

but wei ying might.

he had missed him... more than he had anticipated, a fact that he did not become aware of until just now. there is a startling sort of ease to be had in his company. a lessening of the clenched fist of his heart. it is strange to think that this is the longest they have been apart by choice rather than by design since they met now nearly two years ago.

itachi has always considered himself a solitary person by nature. he has never come easily to friendship, or fondness, or anything but blithe tolerance. so the sudden awareness that there has been... an absence at his side is keenly felt. as if something has been patterned into his negative spaces, torn away and is now being gingerly stitched back to his shadow.

his heart aches — and it is the sort of ache that echoes the pain in a bone that has been broken, and set.

quite without giving himself permission, he finds he has somehow taken up at the man's side, reaching out to assist him when his long hair tangles on one of the silly buttons of his borrowed, mission-specific clothing. ）

[The fingers at his hair are welcome, and he flashes a soft smile over his shoulder, handing Itachi the red ribbon that had been used to keep it up.]

Will you help me tie it up? [For as tactile as Wei Wuxian is, Itachi is the only one aside from himself who handles his hair, and the presence of his hands there now fill Wei Wuxian with a peace he's been missing for several weeks. His eyes fall closed and he settles into the moment. Without opening his eyes, his fingers twist in front of him, deftly forming the seals for a couple more light arrays that float to the ceiling of the cave and stay there.

It's still dimly lit, but the light makes the water glow even more and he lets out a hum of satisfaction when he opens his eyes to take it in.]

（ his hands are... rougher than he's used to, in places he is unaccustomed to. the mending of sails and nets and scaling of ropes largely without chakra, the cleaning and tarring of the decks mean that his nails are chipped and in some places broken from a glut of hard labour, and he flexes his fingers briefly before taking the ribbon with unaccustomed gingerness.

he knows that if he protests that his hands are dirty, wei ying will only say he does not care.

so, instead, he is just very mindful and deft with how he ties it up, not to let it snag or snarl on any of the man's hair. ）

[When Itachi is done, Wei Wuxian turns to face him and brings one of his hands up to lay his fingers on Itachi's cheek. He says nothing as he stands there and looks at him, drinking in the much missed sight, and allowing his own (calloused and dry) thumb to slide along Itachi's cheek just for a moment.

I missed you He doesn't say because he already has said and Itachi knows. Instead he stays there holding his gaze, soft smile on his face, and breathing in as a missing piece inside of him slots into place.

He exhales after a while and steps away to the edge of the water, and because he does nothing by halves, immediately dives in. He surfaces a moment later and swims to the edge of the pool to rest his arms over the rock. The water is cold but there must be a warm current in this part of the sea because it's really not terrible.]

You're coming in, right?

（ the talismans flicker overhead. the bioluminescent waters shift with a gentle current, shielded from the ocean by the rocks and caverns of the cove. he casts his eyes skyward as if searching for an answer writ damply in stone.

then, with a faint exhalation through his nose, he begins to remove his clothing piece by piece. there are other bruises beneath his clothing — nothing that could not be explained away through combat — and he moves with no more difficulty than normal.

rather than dive in, he simply walks out across the water, and then lets himself sink into it, jaw set against the ambient temperature which is much lower than he likes. ）

Against my better judgment, yes.

[He laughs warm and bright, and then as if pulled by a gravitational force, he swims closer to him if for no other reason than to be near him. He notices the bruises just as he noticed the ones before, but this time he does frown, a flicker of question across his brows.]

What kind of role are you playing on your ship?

（ treading water is simple enough, but so is simply channeling chakra to his feet and anchoring himself within the water so he does not need to much trouble himself about it. a trick learned long ago from kisame. ）

Jake took it upon himself to craft my cover story. To hear him tell it, he rescued me from a circus. （ his mouth twists, and wei ying can no doubt gauge how his fondness for the absurd creature wars with his deep irritation. ） He informed them I was not much of a fighter. Partly, I think, to see if I was capable of behaving as such.

（ or, perhaps it was because jake understands his refusal to kill, and was attempting to give him what he felt was a kinder recourse.

or perhaps a bit of both. the dog's motivations are often a mystery. ）

You have my word they are largely superficial. I have no interest in allowing myself to be harmed unnecessarily.

[It isn't often he finds himself genuinely annoyed at Jake's antics. Terrified of his barking? Absolutely, but actual annoyance is rare. Does he not know how serious Itachi takes his roles? How framing him as a noncombatant would leave him vulnerable? He exhales and shakes his head. There's no way Jake would have intentionally put Itachi in harm's way, but it was a careless idea.

That Itachi could wipe the floor with any one of his assailants means nothing if he's been cast as someone who can't.]

Good. That dumb dog...[He mutters under his breath without any real heat behind it. He is going to have word with Jake about it later though.

He leans on his back to float just for a moment because some of them do have to tread water the whole time.]

If our ships ever fight each other, point out which ones got the hits in. Just for fun.

（ he snorts. ）

If our ships ever meet in combat, we will have a great many other concerns to deal with before you take it upon yourself to defend my honour, Wei Ying.

（ he reaches out, and gives a little tweak of his fingers to the man's forehead. ）

Enough.

I can multitask. [He quips back, but when he pops back up after that flick, there's amusement in his eyes as he clearly knows the ridiculousness in the suggestion. Not that it means he wouldn't actually do it.]

We've only fought with other ships a few times on the Hawking. Mostly we're just searching for a way to Dracness. [He pauses then, his thoughts drifting.]

I wish you could have met Warrior Leixi. I liked her a lot.

（ he has kept tabs on the hawking as much as he has been able — there are many people aboard for whom he cares too deeply to allow ignorance of its journey and fate.

he is glad, certainly, that it has been more peaceful for them. ）

Tell me of her.

[For a moment there is only the sound of the waves lapping softly against the cave walls as Wei Wuxian considers what to say about her.]

I know the falling of a kingdom is never simple. Whether the Kalains were entirely just and the rebellion a grave injustice, I don't know. It seems more likely to me that there were good and bad among them. But Warrior Leixi was good. She was a proud warrior. [Not arrogant, just proud.] And she was loyal to the end. She gave her life to protect the High Queen's retreat with the princess. She gave her life to protect her sister. [Itachi knows enough of Wei Wuxian's story to know why such a decision would land so heavily and why he would view it with such admiration.]

She was the general who led the High Queen's army. She fought to the last. There was a strength about her, and a calm too. And she loved her dragon partner.

I asked her if there was anything I could do to honor her, and she only thought of her dragon and protecting any surviving kin.

（ dragons, hm?

itachi closes his eyes briefly — it is not a difficult scene to imagine, for all that it is sparsely painted. he has toppled enough kingdoms to know.

he lifts a hand, then, and begins to take out the braids. leticia was trying to be kindly, as much as is tolerated aboard the plunder, but they are unpleasantly tight against his scalp. he cards his fingers through the hair as it is freed, ends dipped in the water like an inkbrush, the rest wavy with several days' captivity. ）

Will that be a possibility, do you think?

（ it is not in the man's nature to let such a request go unfulfilled — at least if it within his power to do so. and in all matters of wei ying setting his shoulder to the wheel of some task, itachi will take up beside him. ）

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