Inbox: Ximilia

[singlelogbridge]

// Wei Wuxian

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XIMILIA

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[singlelogbridge]

[He furrows his brow and sits up, scooting back until he can lean his back against the wall.]

Separate? [As far as he's known, the two of them are inseparable. The concept paired with Gwen's obviously tense body language doesn't leave him with a good feeling about what she means.]

[construing]

While a symbiote is bonded to a host, sound over a certain decibel causes it extreme pain. It will release the host, me, to protect itself.

〈 her laugh is rueful. 〉 I know because we got hit with a sonic baton once.

〈 here, she finally looks at wei wuxian. her mouth is pressed in an unhappy line. the furrow on her brow has deepened. guilt and worry both line her blue eyes. 〉

I haven't told anyone this. The fewer people know, the safer we are. But if anything like Taeum happens again… 〈 gwen's eyes flit to his side. 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[He's worried for a moment about his playing, but then his mind registers the word decibel and he works it out. He doesn't know what a decibel is, though it's easy enough from the context to understand it's some measure of sound. If Gwen's own drum playing and the music she listens to doesn't trigger it, the flute will be fine.

Not that he relaxes. He reaches for one of her shoulders with his hand and squeezes.]

Don't tell anyone else. [He doesn't have reason to mistrust anyone in particular, but he doesn't trust them with this either. He's seen how people can turn on someone they think is too powerful, even when they're leaving others alone.

And then—] Will it hurt you?

[construing]

〈 gwen tips her chin down in a nod. 〉 While we're still bonded.

〈 she felt the symbiote's pain like it was hers too. like every nerve ending was abruptly and simultaneously set on fire. 〉

It ends as soon as we separate. But once that happens, no one can go near the symbiote except me. I'll drag myself over to it if I have to. But you have to promise me, Wei Wuxian, 〈 she entreats him, eyes widening. 〉 Never go near Venom while it doesn't have a host.

[singlelogbridge]

I promise. [he says, solemn. His first priority might be taking care of Gwen, but he knows better than to disobey her on this point. Wei Wuxian likes Spiders and is pretty sure Spiders is cool with him. That doesn't mean he's any closer to fully understanding what Spiders is and what's Spiders is capable of.]

What...[He frowns, pausing and starting again.] You're worried that the no powers thing could mean Spiders is...in control? Like in Taeum?

[construing]

No. 〈 she laughs quietly. 〉 That might be the only time I don't have that worry in the back of my head.

But the next mission probably won't have that limitation, and… 〈 with a tiny groan, gwen drops her face into her hands. 〉 I don't know.

I'm being good about my meds, McCoy knows about my condition, odds of another Taeum are small, but "small" is not "zero", and I can't get over the fact that I could have killed Itachi, I could have killed you…

〈 her voice breaks on the sound of her fear. the base of her palms, pressing into her eyes, grow damp. 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[He reaches his arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side, leaning over to gently try to peel a hand away from her eyes.]

Hey. You didn't. And I didn't almost die, I was fine. I'm fine now. [His voice gentles and he presses a kiss to her hair.]

Please don't be sad about me. It really wasn't that bad, I've almost died so many times, I'd definitely know. I even actually did it once, remember? [Too soon???]

[construing]

God, you're a dick. 〈 but the humor is just black enough to wrest a laugh from her. the girl who spends her life cracking jokes about her propensity for dying is the last to judge anyone else doing the same.

gwen lets her hands drop from her face. one winds into the material of his shirt. the one wei wuxian was tugging at, she leaves in his hold. resting against his chest, she can just discern the beating of his heart. 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[He shifts accordingly, quick to hold her just a little tighter as he smiles into her hair. Jiang Cheng had always hated when he joked like that. When Gwen laughs, it feels like winning something he didn't even know he could win.]

You like me like this. [He tugs his hand out of her grasp in order to thumb away her tears, and then he catches her hand again and gives it a soft squeeze.]

[construing]

〈 she is also literally psychiatric so that might not be a ringing endorsement, just saying. out loud, she only laughs again. 〉

And I question my life and my choices each and every day.

〈 lifting her head, she meets his dark eyes. the tears have stopped, but her eyes still look a little heavy. it lightens with her smile. 〉

You mean a lot to me, you know.

[singlelogbridge]

[A soft smile steals across his features and his heart aches in his chest.]

I know. [He might question many things and know that he is ultimately unworthy of Gwen's affections as he was unworthy of Shijie's and Lan Zhan's, but he does not question that he has them.]

You do too. Even when you bully me and don't pay attention to me and leave poor Xianxian all on his own.

[construing]

〈 just for that, gwen snaps her fingers. 〉

I knew I was forgetting something. I was going to leave you all on your own tonight! Thanks for reminding me—

〈 —and she starts making to do just that. 😌 〉

[singlelogbridge]

Hey! [A whine slips into his voice and he lunges forward, wrapping both arms around one of hers and giving her the most betrayed pitying look he can summon. (Take notes, Itachi. This is how you betray a friend.)]

I'll be so sad if you go. Do you want me to be sad, Gwen? Is that what you want? Are you so cruel?

[construing]

〈 zero hesitation: 〉 Yes.

[singlelogbridge]

Nooooo! [He holds on tighter, octopus-ing his arms around her waist as well.]

My Gwen is sweet and kind and would never abandon me in my time of need.

[construing]

〈 laughing, 〉 What are you—a squid? Oh, jeez!

〈 forget squid. he’s attached himself like a boa. when he squeezes, she lets herself drop back on the bed. her hands flit to the spots where she knows he is ticklish. 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[He beams in triumph and loosens his hold without letting go entirely. Sometimes it still strikes him how inappropriate this would be in his own culture, but never enough to make him care.

Not about propriety anyway. Caring about being tickled is definitely enough to have him springing away.]

Stop! No! That's cheating! Gweeen!!

[construing]

I’m sweet and kind and could never cheat!

〈 she is, in fact, cheating.

before he can escape, she catches her legs around his waist and wraps her arms around his shoulders until she’s essentially a human-shaped backpack draped against his back. unlike wei wuxian, she does not need to tighten her hold on him. the same way she clings to walls she clings to him.

this is all ridiculous and absurd and even her dad would have something to say (a lot of somethings, actually) about her current behavior.

gwen laughs again, and when he turns his head, drops a kiss to wei wuxian’s cheek. 〉

[singlelogbridge]

[Rather than try to shake her off, Wei Wuxian instinctively catches her legs to make sure she doesn't fall, forgetting entirely that Gwen is about ten times more durable then him. It's the principle of the matter. At the kiss pressed to his cheek, he blushes red and huffs under his breath, grinning from ear to ear.]

Who's the sticky one now? [And because he is the way he is, he immediately begins to spin in place, still holding onto her legs to make sure she doesn't actually fall. (As if she could.)]

Have you had enough yet?

[construing]

〈 holding onto his shoulders, she whoops loudly. thank odin for soundproofing, she thinks, and laughs again. 〉

No!

[singlelogbridge]

[Wei Wuxian cackles and opens the door, giving Gwen ample time to protest if she's against this new development. She does not, which is obvious permission for Wei Wuxian to take off down the hall yelling with Gwen attached to his back.

Nothing to see here, just two dumbass friends running through the hallways for no reason.]