video | un: wei ying

[weifinder]

( he starts this recording from the crows nest of the Queen or the Pariah, his pendant hooked around the mast so it records him, bow slung over his shoulder. the quiver at his back has one arrow, and he nods to the camera, indicating toward the overcast sky. )

Take care when shooting, if you do. The amulets the priests have given us draw on our energies significantly.

( that said, he unslings the bow, turning and pulling the arrow out of the quiver to string it in a smooth motion. wei wuxian pulls back, taking aim at the skies, at the concept of where the sun hides behind the muddied clouds. pulls the bow taunt as the wind teases his hair, whips it and his ribbon behind him, making this man with his serious, focussed expression an icon of what he was once: a warrior.

pulling back, the bow bending, bending, his arms steady, his gaze on that hidden light in the sky. calm and steady breathing, and a tension that is near palpable before he finally releases, the snap of the bowstring and the whistle of the arrow taking flight stabbing through the pendant's audio transmission. he watches, wind still tossing his hair to a mess around him. only when there's enough time that he's ostensibly watched where the arrow has come back down to the sea does he turn to the pendant again. he's breathing more heavily than one shot arrow explains. )

Two more things. One, the dead who boarded their deceased's ships within the heart of the crossing were acting in ways that sound familiar. They were decaying dead men who moved and spoke, some aware, some animal in awareness. A number had a dark, tar-like liquid stitching together their wounds. Feels like there's a mirror and its magics at the heart of this. Possibly a smaller one onboard the Pariah right now.

( he reslings the bow over his shoulder, and now, allows himself to smile a touch. )

The second, most important one is going to get loud. Most of you will want to cover your ears.

( his brief smile fades as he inhales, turning to the side, which would mean facing toward the prow of the ship, and cups his hands around his mouth. calls out in a strong, clear, carrying voice that's impossible to ignore over the pendants: )

Lan Zhan! I love you! The only marriage I ever wanted to mimic was my parents' marriage. Do you understand? I married you because I love you, not because you'd married me first! I want to walk every path in life side by side with you! Only you!

( ... and he's lowering his hands, panting a bit from that effort. )

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ Wei Wuxian doesn't need to list all the reasons he hates mirrors, but it reminds him of how little they understand.

He doesn't see how the tar and dark waters relate to mirrors, but he has too much history not to try to find any common theme; an explanation to why someone would choose to keep a mirror that's attracting undead. Right now it's hard to tell if the captain is a victim, or if he had a plan when he allegedly obtained one. ]

If they all work so differently, we don't know what this one will do. Maybe they're just the conduit for whatever curse is put into them. [ He's already made this point, but it bears repeating. ] How many have you handled, personally?

[weifinder]

Handled the shards of the slave ship's, to toss back into the sea. Handled the ones at the lighthouse, primarily to not reconstruct it. You know where I was when it came to the lake.

[somebadnews]

None of them affected you?

[ Not that he's surprised, but that doesn't seem fair. It seems like every single time Five touched a mirror something happened to him.

This could be where he mentions that he's kept the shards from the one he broke, but... he might still need those, according to Wrath. They wouldn't be causing this anyway. ]

[weifinder]

I've exercised caution to the continual surprise of all my family. There are other things which have sways here, linked and not.

[somebadnews]

I remember. [ In Taravast. How Lan Wangji was in the tower. A mirror was at least partially in play there too. ]

How confident are you that you can seal whatever is in it?

[weifinder]

Pointedly not overconfident. We've had enough exposures I can work to curb some of the effects, that's most of what I'd expect. Zenobius might have further insight when he's awake.

[somebadnews]

...You're still taking care of him?

[ He probably would have had a better chance in the cursed village. ]

[weifinder]

Why wouldn't I?

[somebadnews]

[ Does he really need to say? ]

You expect him to suddenly be more coherent when he wakes up?

[weifinder]

He had his moments even before, Lao Five.

[somebadnews]

He must have, if you're that desperate to hold onto him.

[weifinder]

This is your only warning that I will chance losing my hand to aggressively ruffle your hair sometime in the next few months.

( because he can understand that your sense of duty to any other person and thus any sense of generally helping people is abortive and you know. as it is. )

[somebadnews]

[ Five doesn't understand why he's doing this, unless he hopes to get some vital piece of information out of him. Or he's holding him as hostage in case they need to use him as leverage against the Merchant.

He's not any less confused at his threat. If that's some reference to letting the adults handle it... ]

Is that your way of telling me it's none of my business?

[weifinder]

More an acknowledgement of our differences, and their equal importances!

( nah, he just needs to ruffle your hair for this, it's fine, Five! )

[somebadnews]

[ Better use your non-dominant hand, he's ready for it now. ]

You know if you want my opinion, all you have to do is ask.

[weifinder]

How often have others left you behind?

[somebadnews]

[ He's been beating them to it since he was thirteen.

But that does finally manage to give him a clue. Of course it would take this long for him to figure out his motive, as flawed as it is. ]

You really think he has a better chance with us?

[weifinder]

Yes. Whatever we burn down in the process of our travels, I do think he has a better chance with us than alone and unaware.

[somebadnews]

I'm not sure I agree with you, but feel free to tell me if he suddenly snaps out of his coma and says something interesting.