blackfire: (pic#15574338)
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 ([personal profile] blackfire) wrote in [community profile] ximilialog2022-04-19 09:35 am

oᥒᥴᥱ ι ᥕᥲs sᥱvᥱᥒ ყᥱᥲrs oᥣd (𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃)

CHARACTERS: Itachi and various.
LOCATION: Mostly his room but elsewhere in the station as well!
DATE: post-mission and onward.
CONTENT: local asshole causes problems on purpose, confused when they don't bite him on the ass.
WARNINGS: PTSD, guilt, possibly suicidal ideation, mention of an infected wound being gross and illness-related weight loss. More melodramatic theatrics than you can shake a stick at. Hit me up @ PM if you'd like a custom starter, or feel free to wildcard with discussion.



CLARA (station return +2)
this is sent grudgingly at about 1600 hrs — «Clara, I require your assistance in dressing and bandaging an injury. If you are available, please come to my quarters.»

he would do it himself if it were not such an awkward angle. his chakra is too worn down to summon a clone — and even if he did, it would bear the same injuries as he does, making it all but useless at the task at hand.

when she arrives, she will find him sitting on the floor. old bandages have been stripped off and deposited in a trash can, and the smell of infection is clearly in the air, driven home by his — frankly, horrifying — looking wounds. clawmarks that dig in near his collarbone and carry on across his shoulder and down his scapula of his right side, overlaid with the wet, sticky mess of second and third degree burns. at the time, cauterization had been the only thing that kept him from bleeding out, but he is paying the price for it now.


My apologies — bandaging it proved too difficult on my own.

which he clearly doesn't enjoy admitting, but nevertheless.


WEI WUXIAN (station return + 4)
he leaves his room on two occasions — once, to go to the infirmary and take a selection of antibiotics, bandages and dressings — and twice, to restock the nonperishable food that he keeps in his room, running low in light of his poor physical state. it is the second of these trips that he finds himself returning to wei wuxian outside his door.

he says nothing for a long moment. what feels the heart, in that imperceptible rent in time is meaningless. nothing cuts quite so deeply as betrayal, and he has not acted to lessen its impact.

he considers simply turning and walking in the opposite direction — more exhaustion than cowardice, but ultimately he steps up to the door, inclines his head faintly, and says,


Excuse me.


MARTA (station return + 6)
he has occupied himself with scrolling back through the network, reading some of the digitized books in the earpiece's library, and idly working on the preliminary design for a jikukan jutsu — somewhat in the vein of hiraishin. he has always been curious if the yondaime hokage's signature move could be done with fire seals instead of lightning, and he has the time to puzzle out the academics of it all.

he is seated at his desk when the knock comes, and he goes briefly still. then he rises, and comes to the door. his usual assortment of security measures are disabled, and he opens it to — marta, who is holding some sort of dish between her hands.

they have not had much time to speak since they were in scorpion's bend, and he had been so cruel, so this is entirely unexpected. he raises a brow, and steps back to offer her admittance to the room — said room is immaculately tidy, but there's a lingering smell of illness in it that's unmistakable, his fever only having just broken the previous night. he looks wan, in addition to the fact his right arm is bound up in a sling, and has lost weight he didn't have to lose in the first place, throwing his cheekbones and the wings of his collarbone into sharp relief. his eyes are dark, rather than the vivid red of the sharingan.


Ah... Marta-san?



YELENA (station return +9)
he is holding the book loosely in one hand, jaw ticked faintly off to one side. the title is in what he has come to know as cyrillic, записки из мёртвого дома, which his earpiece tells him translates loosely to notes of a dead house. it had been in a bag hung outside his door, with a few handfuls of russian candy — making it clear who the items were from, at least. «Yelena-san. What is the occasion?»


YENNEFER (station return +11)
it is the first time he has been out of his room since his fever broke, and yennefer had asked him to the sunlight room. his attendance there is grudging — more because of the place than the company — but he is present, dressed in his customary all-black, this time as a robe not entirely culturally unlike a kimono. it's belted at the waist, and his right arm is cradled in the bunched fabric just north of the belt — enabling him to have it stabilized in a sling without seeming to, as many would have seen him similarly positioned in taeum, including yennefer herself. he moves without the suggestion of pain, but there are dark bruises beneath his eyes that speak to sleepless nights, and his usual grace is... studied rather than seamless.

yet, it does feel good to be out of his room. stretching his legs for the first time since giva.


So. What did you think of your first mission?


FINN (station return +12)
it doesn't matter who reached out to whom, ultimately. what matters is that they are sitting side by each on his bed, backs to the wall, and there is an old projector on the floor displaying a movie on the far side of the room, bisected by the slight divot in the wall that hides his closet.

yelena informed and in many ways shaped his first introduction to movies, and so what he has on hand is largely due to her influence — popcorn, and a variety of snacks and drinks on a tray between them on the bed.

they are watching a movie about a talking dog named bolt. a movie about dogs wouldn't have been his first choice, but it has not been a considerable hardship thus far.

itachi is dressed in sleeping clothes, a sweatshirt that is notably too large for him, stamped with a logo says enjoy the ride that keeps slipping down off his left shoulder, and threadbare flannel pants that are rolled up at the ankles. he is still injured — though the infection has broken, and now he is simply sore and healing. he's wearing the sling under the sweatshirt, which means the right arm of it is curiously empty — but he hasn't mentioned it, nor does it seem to have impeded his functionality at all.

at some point, he holds out a stick of dango for finn to take.


Are there no instances of animals on Earth that can be understood by humans?

look, there are literal dog and cat ninja clans in his world, this is not a weird question.


SHANG-CHI (STATION RETURN + 13)
he is in the process of doing laundry — which, for him means that his room has been strung with wire overlaid with towels, and is as such an immaculately cluttered maze of sheets, duvet covers and blankets. he has left it too long, with his injuries, and his natural tendency towards cleanliness was starting to eat at him.

the knock on his door... does not exactly alarm him. there has been a steady trickle of individuals coming to see him or otherwise making themselves known which is more alarming than it is gratifying, but after a moment of hesitation he does go to open the door. it's always an affair with him, the removal of tripwires and sealing tags.

shang-chi is standing outside, arms wrapped around a rolled-up futon mattress, and itachi just blinks at him.


Do you need somewhere to sleep...?
laviny: (pic#15158140)

Audio; un: belova

[personal profile] laviny 2022-04-19 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yelena is in the kitchen getting food when she gets Itachi’s message.]

Well, I felt a little bad about asking you to sit through SpongeBob when it was really not your vibe. I wanted to offer you something you might enjoy, especially after this last mission seemed to stress you out.

Dostoyevsky is a famous Russian writer. Very famous. His books are known for being philosophical and psychological. Things like that. I thought it seemed more your speed.
laviny: (pic#15421911)

[personal profile] laviny 2022-04-19 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[She's not going to argue about his feelings. She felt like he was worried about Angrial, at least. But it's not that important. All missions are stressful to some extent.

But she does have something to say about the rest of it.]


You don't need to tell me what I need to feel, either. I will feel what I want to feel, okay? Thank you very much.

You can think of it as gratitude if you want... but I think you don't like that, either, actually. So, whatever. I wanted to do something nice, so I did it.

[#friendship. She's good at this.]
naloxone: (pic#15307886)

[personal profile] naloxone 2022-04-19 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ after badrock, after his letter, she had convinced herself that distance and time were in order. marta herself hadn't been as harmed as itachi's subsequent guilt might have led him to believe, but it had never really been about her in the first place. that much she understood from the clinical precision his words meant to stab her with, to push her away — whatever it was she'd done or said, it had crossed a line. one itachi probably hadn't even meant for her to see.

and then giva happened. taeum, sedorum, that whole mess that felt longer than the two months it seemed to occupy. they'd seen a heaven, a hell, a god who wasn't really one but thought himself to be one anyway, and isn't that more dangerous in the end? things happened. worse could have happened still. time and distance are good and all, but you know what's better? a good, home-cooked meal.

she holds the plate out in front of her, more a gesture than an actual offering. (she'd taken note of his arm, after all.) ]


Carne con papas. Meat and potatoes, [ she explains, though it looks spooned over a fluffy bed of rice as well. the smell wafting from the simmering plate is one of richness and spice. she doesn't step into his space, at least not yet. ]

My grandmother's recipe. Would you like some?
hatejakku: (longing)

[personal profile] hatejakku 2022-04-19 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Finn hasn't really been... talkative since they all returned. In fact, he's been rather numb, which is probably why he's not all that surprised about this current situation. Though, perhaps he shouldn't be, anyway, since they both went through a lot on the last mission.

Not that they've spoken of it. Instead, Finn's decided to focus on now. It's easier that way.

He's been staring at this film with the most confused expression since it came on, trying to understand how this art style works, not to mention the story and the dog. But when he's offered some dango, his attention is taken away and-... Oh. So this is who made that gift for Newton. ]


Thanks.

[ He takes it with a small smile, biting into one and thinking. ]

I don't know about Earth, never been, but I suppose there are in the places I've visited. The animals use different ways to communicate, though. Movement or sounds. They don't talk. If a being talks, then I would consider them more of a person than an animal.

[ Which is how he's taking this movie, which makes the story all the weirder. ]
singlelogbridge: (6)

[personal profile] singlelogbridge 2022-04-19 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[There is a grunting sound from inside the door, a thump that sounds like something heavy being thrown into a wall, the sounds of muffled cursing, and then the door is swinging open. Wei Wuxian is...disheveled, perhaps is the best word for it. His hair is loose and hanging over one shoulder, clearly finger combed but still getting everywhere, and his complexion has seen better days. He's pale and drawn, though his eyes are still bright and alert, the worst of the concussion having worn off by now.

Upon seeing who's at the door, those bright eyes grow very wide and he glances around—checking for Gwen and Spiders' presence in the vicinity should he need to drag Itachi inside and hide him. Probably he wouldn't have to anyway, Gwen is doing much better now, but it's still good to see that she's not around right now.
]

Ah. [Well. This is awkward. Gone is the bitterness of the call he'd made to Itachi in the aftermath of their imprisonment, but there's a wariness in his gaze. Still, he steps back and swings the door open wider. If Itachi hadn't come to him, he'd have sought him out eventually to talk, and it's much better they be able to speak in private.

Glancing behind him, he winces at the state of the room and hastily scrambles over to stuff some clothes and extra blankets under the bed with one arm. The desk is a lost cause, long lost to the weight of a hundred scribbled talisman ideas.
]

You know, [he starts amiably despite the awkward tension in the air,] I swore I was going to punch you when we got back, but my arm is broken and it would definitely hurt me more than you. Which frankly, is extremely unfair. I could use my other arm, but it's not the same, you know? Anyway, come in, come in. You can use the desk chair, I'm pretty sure none of the ink stains are wet.

[They're totally wet, he hopes Itachi gets an inky butt. He deserves it.]
Edited 2022-04-20 00:02 (UTC)
laviny: (pic#15159954)

[personal profile] laviny 2022-04-20 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
[She shared some pretty heavy stuff with him, gosh. She's grateful ok, fight her.

Or not, appreciation works, too.]


Oh. Okay. Well, you are welcome. Will you let me know how you like it?
karaoqi: (o21.)

hell yeah.

[personal profile] karaoqi 2022-04-20 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
Uh. Happy birthday, man. [ His mouth twitches at his own joke. He's funny, okay, deal with it. ] No, I'm kidding. But this is for you.

[ There's a light gesture with the dip of his chin to the maze of loose blankets and sheets, and nothing else but that. Like damn, bro, you live like this? That was never a bed. And the Ximilia-provided mattress remains unused, stripped of its own bedding.

The futon, rolled up in that pile of delivered items seemed right, so Shang-chi put a claim on it. And now he's here. ]


Saw it in the latest drop-off.
bossily: (clara400)

[personal profile] bossily 2022-04-20 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
[The second she gets the message, she's grateful she's studying first aid in the infirmary. She grabs one of the first aid kits Leonard put together and hurries her way on over to his room. She had seen him shortly after arriving back on the station, embracing him in a hug that he hadn't been fully prepared for due to his injury. She's mindful of that now as she makes her way into his space, the smell of infection instantly noticeable to her.

Her nose wrinkles up as she tries to ignore it in favor of getting right to work. But as she approaches where he's sitting and actually gets a good look at his injury, she's left wide eyed and speechless for a moment.
]

How did it get like this?

[She doesn't bother telling him not to apologize. He will regardless of what she says. But that's not really her focus right now. She's very concerned about the state of his injury, and settles in close behind him so she can start to get to work. Her kit is opened, and she takes to trying to figure out how to best disinfect and treat the area.]
choicely: (Default)

[personal profile] choicely 2022-04-20 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The sunlight room has been a refuge of sorts for Yennefer since nearly the moment she first woke up on the station, the closest resemblance to any real sphere (including her own) that makes Ximilia feel less austere, less mechanical. Even if the technology that creates this space is on par with the strongest of illusion magics, she is willing to momentarily suspend her natural disbelief in pursuit of experiencing what feels like warm sun against her face, or the occasional cooler breeze that travels through the space.

She's dressed like him, in dark colors, the hem of her long gown swirling around her ankles as they walk on pace with one another — she already has the intent to be idle in her movements, but thinks of it even more once she spots the manner in which he's gingerly holding his arm. ]


Something tells me that war is not always the outcome. [ The signs of exhaustion may not be as evident in her features, no dark circles to be discovered as she glances at him, but it's there in a slightly paler complexion, a softer voice that possesses a touch of rasp when she rarely aims for louder. She'd wielded a significant amount of chaos at the finale of it all, and while she can tell she's less capable of doing the same here on the station, back to treading sluggishly underwater rather than walking freely, she needs the time away from it solely for restorative purposes. ]
naloxone: (pic#15574930)

[personal profile] naloxone 2022-04-20 01:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he makes even more room for her, and still she lingers by the doorway. she's gotten about as much permission from him as she's likely to get (he's certainly more the "action speaks louder than words" type) but it's not him that has her hesitating. ]

I'll have if you don't need to make it. As for the meal, if it's too much, I can put it away for you. It will keep for a few days.

[ she glances past him and finally she steps in, taking stock of the room. of what it tells her. when she looks back to meet his eyes, the concern is obvious. ]

Your condition? Or something separate?
singlelogbridge: (105)

[personal profile] singlelogbridge 2022-04-20 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[He gives Itachi a once over.]

Glad they didn't eat you. [It's a joke, not because he's not glad, but because Gwen would actually never. (Well okay, she might if she was feeling the way she was in Taeum but she's been recovering and the probability seems low now.)]

What did you say to her? [For the first time since he started speaking to Itachi, there's an edge to his voice.]
singlelogbridge: (18)

[personal profile] singlelogbridge 2022-04-20 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[He huffs softly but accepts the refusal. From Itachi, he knows it isn't an excuse at least. He's less interested in the details anyway, and more worried that he upset her. But if he's here now and in one piece, then Gwen is fine. (Or as fine as she has been lately.)

At the rest of Itachi's words, his eyebrows rise into his forehead and he sits on the edge of the bed to face him, tilting his head to the side. (If he has to shoot his good arm out to catch himself when that head tilt makes his entire world tilt, he's not acknowledging it, shut up.)

The thing about Itachi is, Wei Wuxian doesn't hate him. He can't even say he's even really mad at him anymore, even if he does feel a certain need for petty vengeance. He's had a lot of time to sit with what Itachi did, and at the end of all of his thinking, he'd come out with a few different realizations.

The first is that if Gwen hadn't been involved, Wei Wuxian wouldn't have cared less. So he sat in a cell for a couple of days. What was lost? It's hardly like he didn't deserve it. No actual harm was done to him. As far as betrayals go, it felt a pretty tame one.

The second is that Itachi's reasoning isn't unimportant. His goal required he feel close to someone. He didn't "trick" Wei Wuxian into believing something existed where it didn't, because if he had, it wouldn't have worked. As he remembers these things, he sighs, the smile dropping from his face and a sudden exhausting taking over him.
]

What do you expect me to ask of you? Something vengeful? Something cruel? [The words taste bitter on his tongue and he shakes his head. He isn't above such things, but the men who warranted such feelings were nothing like Itachi. They didn't subtly call him annoying but then stick with him anyway. They didn't help young children deal with their bullies, or race him beneath a flowing waterfall.]

Your regret matters a lot to you. [The words come out quietly and he meets Itachi's eyes again. It isn't a question.] I know that's a stupid obvious thing to say, you're here, aren't you? But whatever it is...[He thinks of Shijie's bleeding body in Jiang Cheng's arms. He wouldn't have betrayed someone for his regret, but he can see why someone might. Shijie's disappointment in him is all that separates him from making those decisions.]

Don't hurt Gwen again. Is that a promise you'd make me? Even if it came down to hurting her and meeting your goal?
singlelogbridge: (162)

[personal profile] singlelogbridge 2022-04-20 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[A sound escapes Wei Wuxian that is halfway caught between a gasp and a groan, and he shifts off of the bed, gracelessly collapsing in a partially controlled fall at Itachi's feet. He ignores the twinge of pain in his bad arm when he reaches out and nudges Itachi's shoulders with his hands, willing him to rise from his kowtow. The only other person who has ever kowtow'd to him was Wen Chao as he groveled and begged for his worthless life, a disgusting pathetic excuse for a human being. Seeing Itachi in that same kowtow, as if he was equally guilty as Wen Chao makes something inside of him burn.]

Itachi. [The name catches in his throat and he forces himself to stop speaking as he regains control.

It's a lot to take in. There is everything that Itachi is saying and everything that he isn't. None of his admittances do anything but solidify many of the things Wei Wuxian had begun to suspect about Itachi's past. Hadn't he said on the network that he'd been a part of a group carrying out assassination for over a decade? Wei Wuxian might have been angry at the time, but it didn't compromise his ability to do math. How old must he have been when he joined? Who guided him along that path? Why did he feel it was his only option? The way Itachi speaks, the way he keeps himself closed and denies friendship with others. Wei Wuxian can't claim to understand the whole of it, but he has enough pieces to know that Itachi's life has been bloodshed and horror. He knows enough to know that it has been that way for a very very long time.

And he sure as fuck knows enough about how the world works to know that someone labeled as a criminal and a terrorist by the whole of society isn't always as straightforward as people might think.

I am a criminal, a terrorist

In that world, I am dead

It is to ensure someone I care about is spared the fate I chose
]

Fuck. [His heart aches in his chest, and to his horrifying shock, he finds himself blinking back tears.]

Get up. Please don't bow to me like this. [Emotion is thick in his voice and he swallows it back. Itachi isn't innocent, but neither is Wei Wuxian. However different their situations might be, there are too many parallels to overlook or pretend not to notice. And this. This admission of guilt. The way Itachi doesn't ask for forgiveness because he doesn't expect it—Wei Wuxian knows that is why, the same way he knows that the sun will rise each day—this strikes a chord in him too.]

I was angry for Gwen. For what it did to her. I'm not angry at you anymore and I don't...I...[He has Itachi's word that it won't happen to her again. He has not asked for himself because that doesn't matter to him. If he knows Gwen will be safe—]

I forgive you. I know you didn't come here for that, but I do. Don't you remember? You saved me from those dogs. [And maybe it was to engender closeness. Maybe it was planned all along, but that doesn't make it not real.]

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