ximilialog | Open | RIP Sebastian + catch all

Entry tags:

Open | RIP Sebastian + catch all

CHARACTERS: Wei Wuxian, a giant dead crab, and you!
LOCATION: The kitchen/mess hall
DATE: September 17th
CONTENT: Eating crabs
WARNINGS: None at the moment

A

[The day after their return from Xrisora, Wei Wuxian can be found having taken over one of the stoves in the kitchen. Lying on the counter next to him are two crab legs—that is, two giant crab legs from a Titan Crab. How did he get them here? It is a mystery. Anyway, he’s taken over a part of the kitchen with his crab shenanigans and is slowly but surely beginning to cook one of the legs up. After a while, he makes the executive decision to freeze a leg and a half because there is absolutely no way they’ll be able to eat all of it.

Anyway, he is cooking so much crab.

At some point he is absolutely burning some of the crab. Maybe someone can supervise? Please come save the crab.]

B

[Somehow, most of the crab gets cooked without being burned or ruined in some other way, which means it is time to season it! Do you like your crab spicy? Obviously you do, why wouldn’t you? Who doesn’t like spice? Only crazy people, that’s who!

Thankfully, Wei Wuxian is friends with Itachi which means he’s aware that some people on the station can’t handle spice. This means that most of the crab is boring and only has some melted butter on it, and absolutely zero eye searing red flakes and spices.

Everyone should help themselves to crab. Their options are terrible, boring, (perfectly fine) normal crab, or delicious, stunning, wonderful (hope you didn’t need your tastebuds or your esophagus!) spicy crab.]

C
[And at some point, a text across the network.]

I’m making crab!

[That’s it, that’s the text, he doesn’t have time for this network nonsense, his pan is on fire!]

D

[Wildcard it! Crab related or other!]

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[ there is something about watching his delight that makes her glad to have shared it, especially if he is as ill likely to see his sister again as it seems. ]

[ siblings doesn't quite encompass all that she and her boys are to each other, but it's the simplest explanation. 'still family' works even better. they've never really fit into rigid roles anyway. ]

[ but, for the most part, she follows along with what wu wexian says, putting what she's seen him do in a new context thanks to prior conversations. ] He explained cultivation to me, and I've seen him use his. I'm familiar enough with qi too, even though there's differences across our worlds. It definitely exists more as just a concept than an actual tool like it does for you. Hence the magic to me.

[He nods in understanding, recognizing why cultivation seems so much like magic to others. It doesn't bother him, but he does like to explain the difference if only just to make it known.]

That's what I've seen. Everyone here has qi, but it seems like the ability to refine it into spiritual qi isn't a familiar one to most. Refining spiritual energy requires a start at a young age, or else I'd teach others how to do it. [He isn't the best teacher for the job, what with the fact that he doesn't actually have spiritual energy anymore, but he'd taught it to his junior disciples for so long, it's not so hard even now.]

I'm working on Ziggy though. [He grins.] She's my star pupil.

I don't think I'd have the patience for it either. [ on top of the age thing, which extra amuses only herself for now. ] The kind of cultivation you do doesn't exist on my Earth, but I don't doubt it's teachable here.

[ her face softens at the mention of ziggy. ] She's come a long way on the axe front too.

[ yes. she is teaching the teenager to use an axe properly, but as far as andy's concerned, ziggy is learning to do it safely, and sixteen with a weapon was common a lot longer than people think! ]

[He'd known that Ziggy had many teachers here—that she was determined to hone any and all matter of skills in order to grow stronger—but he's never actually met another one of them and he brightens when he realizes Andy is one.]

Has she? I'm not surprised. Give her a few years and she'll end up surpassing all of us. [He laughs at that, not even a little concerned about her age. He went to war at sixteen. He'd been using weapons long before that. As far as he's concerned, Ziggy is in safe and capable hands with Andy.]

Do you have any other students here? I bet you're a great teacher. All of that big sister energy.

[ she's fairly certain her experience extends to her own youth, though she struggles to remember details given just how long ago her youth was. andy grins. ] She's very enthusiastic and very willing, which helps significantly. She's definitely going places.

[ given the nature of this place, isn't it better for ziggy to learn how to defend herself anyway? andy is sure plenty of people would step in without a second thought to help ziggy, but it doesn't mean there's always going to be a savior laying in wait. ]

[ for the other question, andy shrugs. ] I spar with others, sometimes, but Ziggy's the only active learner.

[He grins at the description of Ziggy and nods in agreement. He'd had several students in his lifetime, some motivated and some not, but Ziggy's different. Most of his students were a bit younger than her for one, but even then she was different. Despite her struggles, she was a more determined student than anyone else he'd ever met. Then again he supposed that made sense given what she was fighting for. His shidi didn't train in a time of war.

If they had, then maybe they'd still be alive.

Pushing that thought aside, he tilts his head in interest.] Oh? What kind of sparring do you do?

[ andy likes ziggy a lot too. she doesn't typically have students, not like wu wexian is thinking - teaching and fighting with her brothers is not the same as guiding ziggy through wielding an axe. but working with the girl did leave her open to the idea of helping others on board. it just hasn't really come up too often. ]

[ again she shrugs. ] Whatever people want to use. It seems to be mostly swords or hand-to-hand.

[ it's not that much of an exaggeration. she has familiarity with most weapons on board ximilia, even if they're slighter altered from forms she knows. ]

Edited 2022-10-15 15:13 (UTC)

And your axe? [He remembers that from E23-b. He hadn't seen her wield it and they'd spoken briefly about her use of it sparring others. He doesn't remember if she'd said she used it here against anyone though.]

It's hard to forget such a beautiful weapon.

[ she half grins at the mention of her most favorite weapon of them all. she still mourns the fact that it's not always the most appropriate blade to take on a mission. ]

Most people don't know how to use one, and I don't need the practice, but it does come out, don't worry.

Was it a family specialty where you're from? [Given its rarity, he wouldn't be surprised that perhaps it had been passed down from one generation of her family to another. Or maybe she was lucky enough to have the only teacher who chose her to learn the art.]

[ there's a pause, where she shoves the rest of the crab into her mouth to give herself a few extra seconds to avoid answering. ]

Something like that. The axe was my mother's. [ somehow, admitting it was her mother's is easier than explaining the family specialty of wielding battle axes on the steppe has long since died out. ]

They're just not really common anymore, when I'm from. [ maybe moreso in his time, since he's from the same place as xichen. ] Do you know how to use one?

[He'd known when he asked it that the question had the chance of being too personal, so when she acknowledges it and quickly moves on, Wei Wuxian follows her lead. Everyone here is here for a reason, and asking anything having to do with someone's family is always risky.]

Nothing like that, no. Back home my specialty was the longbow and the sword, and I've been picking up a few other things here and there. [He grins.] I don't use a sword anymore and the bow isn't a great fit for all missions. Itachi is helping me train with throwing knives.

I've played around with them back home, but only a little. They weren't considered appropriate weapons. [He rolls his eyes.] Easy to conceal and all that. Unsportsmanlike. A weapon for assassins and thieves.

Because you know the gentry has always been the picture of righteousness and justice. [He grins and gives her a look that says 'What a load of bullshit.'] Anyway, I'm refining my techniques now so that I have a more compact weapon to use on missions.

[ she recognizes that he drops it, and it's a pleasant surprise. plenty of people might have pressed onward, especially given the rarity of axe use, but the fact that he doesn't leaves the window more open than it might have been otherwise. ]

[ andy remembers his aim and she nods approvingly at his skills, even the unsportsmanlike choices. ]

I like the composite bow more, even if they have gone a little out of style. [ she's biased, but any bow will do. ] The gentry are full of shit. [ it's fine, she'll say the quiet part out loud. ] Maybe they shouldn't do things worthy of assassination and they wouldn't have to worry about downplaying the usefulness of a knife. What about a gun? They're a little ahead of your time, but I've showed Xichen how to use one.

[That gets a loud laugh out of him and he grins up at her after he's finally stopped laughing.]

Have I mentioned that I really like you? Because I do. [He's made a career out of saying the quiet part out loud, unfortunately, it didn't end too well for him. Still, it's always so nice when he meets other people who aren't afraid to speak their minds.]

Itachi showed me the basics a few months back. I wasn't sure if I wanted to learn it or not. It's...it's different. [More efficient in a way that its easy use unsettled him, but he's been coming around to them lately.] Recently, I decided to start practicing.

Do you use them often?

[ aha, success. she grins throughout his laugh as she helps herself to more spicy crab. ]

Now that you have, I'll never let you live it down. [ it's much easier for her to not give a shit when even the worst consequences don't stick. but she finds wei wuxian easy to get along with too. ]

I do. They have their ups and downs. They're quick and efficient, but they do run out of ammunition, and bullets can't be reused like arrows. I like to have a bladed back up, and guns don't always fit on the missions either.

[He laughs softly and then nods when she begins to speak in earnest about the pros and cons of firearms, some things that he himself has come to notice as well.]

It has been difficult finding something mission appropriate. Especially when it becomes necessary to appear unarmed. [A thought occurs to him and he seems to get distracted for a moment.]

Da-jie, how do you carry your weapons when we're on mission?

[ second crab helping accomplished, she takes another bite and chews it while she mulls over the question. ]

It really depends on the mission and the weapon. We're supposed to blend in, so I try to figure out what'll fit in best. Knives fit up sleeves pretty easily. A small gun can hide in a jacket. When I take my axe or a sword, it usually stays in the room unless I know I'm going to need it.

[ the axe definitely does not hide well. ]

[Without hesitation, Wei Wuxian reaches into his robes, rustling around until he finds what he's looking for. From his robes, he pulls a small black cloth pouch. It's just a little bigger than his palm and looks about the size to carry a few coins.]

Here, take this. [Aside from Gwen, he hasn't given any others away, but he still carries a few extra on him and he can make more anytime he'd like.]

It's a qiankun bag. It will carry anything up to about an entire person, and you won't feel the weight. [He smiles and then takes another bite of his neglected crab.]

It doesn't solve the problem of needing a weapon for stealth, but this way you can always carry it with you at least. Or use it for other things! [Mostly, he fills his with snacks these days. And things he'd like to bring back to the station from missions.]

[ there's a pause, where for a moment it might look like she's not sure she's going to take it, but mostly it's because she has no napkin and her hands are a mess. she does the gross thing of wiping them on her pants before she takes the bag with a curious dip in her mouth. ]

Is this like that ninja shit Itachi does? [ not very descriptive. ] He locked a copy of my axe in a fucking scroll or something, can pull it out of nowhere if need be.

[ she gives the bag a little squeeze, tosses it up. ] Are you sure I can have this? Seems like it'd be a rare gift.

[What else are pants even for???

Grinning, he waves off her concern, shakings his head back and forth.]

It's...hmm. Not exactly the same, though that concept exists in my world as well. Well. [He pauses to ponder.] Now I need to ask him the specifics. It's different but I couldn't tell you where the items in his scrolls technically go! Here they're still present in the bag, it's just the inside has been manipulated to be larger than it appears. I made this one myself!

And don't worry about it, I make them with the intentions of giving them to someone who might have use for them.

[ horseback riding, obviously. ]

You'd definitely be better off asking him. All I know is I have to track him down to get anything, so the pouch is already a leg up. [ you've been outdone, itachi. she seems pretty pleased for the bag, what a cool trick?? usually she thinks magic is stupid, but she's been warming up to some of the more useful things. ]

[ she reaches for one of the unused forks and drops in the bag, then pulls a knife out of her sleeve to do the same, before testing the weight of it in her hand and feeling the delight slip on her face. it reminds her of the old style pockets that would simply tie on. those should have never gone out of style, fuck modern women's pockets and lack thereof. ]

You just open it and close it as needed? No special tricks?

[He is absolutely going to ask him and he makes a mental note to do exactly that. There is little he enjoys more than picking Itachi's brain about how things work in their respective worlds.]

No special tricks. With cultivation, you can summon something out of it directly into your hands, but it still works just as well without it. I'd be mindful of putting anything sharp inside of it without a case though.

[ her delight grows more with his further explanation. she'll be able to take her axe anywhere now! ]

It's like the ultimate pocket. [ she can't wait to show joe. ]

[ sharp objects are not the same concern for her, but she supposes it wouldn't be very nice to get blood on the bag every time she reached in for a knife - if only because it's annoying to clean, and who knows how keeping a magic bag tidy works. she reaches in and pulls out the fork, just to witness it working. ]

This is one of the most useful magic tricks I've seen so far, for me personally.

[With an overly dramatic sigh, Wei Wuxian groans and shakes his head.]

Not you too, Dajie! [He whines, but whatever he's so pressed about clearly isn't actually as big of a deal as he's making it out to be because there's still a good natured humor in his eyes.]

Cultivation is not magic. [He is going to write a book about this. He is going to write a pamphlet and then he can hand it out to people whenever the subject comes up. He is going to make posters and pin them on the walls of every room in the station.]

All of these other worlds—they really only understand anything supernatural as magic, don't they? Aiya! cultivation is...it is supernatural, but where I'm from the supernatural and the natural don't have as many lines drawn between them.

We've spoken a little of qi I think, right? Everyone has it. You, me, any plant or animal. This is universal of everyone in the station. Cultivation is...it's using that qi to form ling qi—spiritual energy. Everyone is capable of it. From what I understand of magic, this is one of many things that sets it apart.

[ his reaction pulls a small grin out of her, almost a laugh, as she shoves another bite of crab in her mouth. ]

If they're capable of it, no one on my Earth has learned how to use it. [ she says it with a certainty that isn't particularly boastful so much as it just is. ]

Qi exists as a concept, and I'm pretty familiar with it compared to others, but the things you do with it? Don't happen. Therefore, the music lifting people into the air, control over corpses - it's like magic to me. [ she shakes the bag. ] Pockets only exist as big as you sew them. But I can see why it wouldn't be magic for you, so I'll try to get better about what I call it.

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