(accidental) video; un: man's greatest treasure

[reparo]

[ -- and the camera starts transmitting, as someone pulls away from being very near Hermione. The talisman does not pick up the features of that person, at first, but what it does pick up is Hermione's faintly dazed murmur or:]

A-are you truly a witch?

[There is a brief pause, from the person - woman, you can see it's a woman (Miang-Si, if you've already met her) - in front of Hermione, before she darts forward again, darkening the view completely.

Before the trasmission cuts, from bodies pressing together too tightly, there is one audible clue: the sound of lips meeting lips in a surprisingly thorough kiss.]

- L A T E R -

[OH LOOK AT THAT, IT'S HERMIONE'S FACE. She looks a little more dishevelled than usual, a bit surprised.]

Th - [Clears her throat.] Did this thing turn on? [The indignity. Her first kiss in as long as she's been here, witnessed by the whole network. (Her first kiss with a girl, too! A woman even.) Earth swallow her up.

No, this is fine. She's going to grit her teeth and smile tensely.]

Right, so - on the bright side, I don't think Quangze suspects that I am one of her accomplices? The rest of the inhabitants still think I'm a writer of books on manners - there's something to be written about shoving your tongue in someone's mouth uninvited - regardless. I'm not - I've never met her before just now.

So, in light of that... Please all do me the favour of not mentioning to anyone that I am a you-know-what.

[ooc: Please consider this backdated to Miang-Si's parade on the 25th.]

Comments

[weifinder]

( oh, the day she actually gets to see he's very physically capable

... and still prone to swooning when he overextends himself, something that still happens in the worst moments here. )

What do objects have to do with appreciation of beauty, intelligence, skill?

( half his attention on the shore, half in his young companion in the boat. )

Knowing you recognise someone as attractive doesn't mean you also think less of them, or that you plan to act on that knowledge. More, the person you are, and the people worth respecting, won't. Things like that are mutual, ah? But things like knowing who you find beautiful, that's singular, that's yours.

( a pause, and a small grin: )

Emilia, too?

[reparo]

[ He's got her fooled into agreeing with his speech, over here, nodding along. Yes, it's distinctly different to admire someone, think them attractive, and have the courage to do something about it.

It sounds kind, too. In a way, it sounds like Wei Wuxian accepting and encouraging her (recently realised) interest in both men and women. In a way, maybe it even sounds a bit like ditto.

And then - Emilia, too?.

The sneaky bastard makes her choke a little. She hisses: ] Are you trying to guess my list?

[ Good job, Hermione: admitting there's a list is not denying that Emilia's on it any more than that Wen Qing is. ]

[weifinder]

( he has eyes and a healthy appreciation of women, Hermione, and one he's known since his world, and the other one he's known for years here, really. her spluttering is a touch amusing, and it shows in his eyes, but he shakes his head and laughs, guiding the boat closer in to shore as the shoreline starts curving away from them again. )

Only if you want me to, but I could guess that finding Wen Qing attractive for her many good qualities would potentially have some common feeling with Emilia and her own. I'll say nothing else! Beyond Wrath certainly agreeing.

( said with a wink, because to him it's funnier, and kinder, that couples do find themselves in positive emotional connections with spouses. it's not a guarantee in his world at the higher levels, and he suspects this is them beating odds stacked against them.

besides, he thinks people finding your spouse attractive is a compliment. more people should say that about his! (nevermind that lan zhan tends towards being a vinegar jar in the reversed situation.) )

[reparo]

[Ah yes, Wrath. The demon. The demon named Wrath. The General of Hell named Wrath, who is most definitely entangled, romantically, with Emilia. Who is also her house-mate at the moment, and possibly can tell that Hermione has a list.

She clears her throat very pointedly, in the way of let's not talk about Wrath and Emilia.]

I am very grateful to have your approval and support, Wei Wuxian, but please. Let's talk about literally anything else.

[weifinder]

( he smiles, still tending to the tiller they've made of an oar, and pulls a thoughtful expression. )

Do you think if we were ever turned into fish, we'd try to drink the water?

( literally anything else, right? )

[reparo]

[ That startles an incredulous laugh out of her, and she would ask if he's coming down with a fever, if not for the fact that it's a very decent change of subject.]

Do fish drink the water or do they just swim with their mouths closed?

[weifinder]

The fish I've seen go ( here he mimics a fish opening and closing it's mouth ) underwater even when not trying to eat, but not all the time. Think that's when they drink?

( or breathe the water, who knows, he's not a fish! )

[reparo]

[There is no reason for her to mimic the same mouth gesture as him, but there she is doing it anyway.]

I thought that they do it as part of their breathing cycle. Open to draw in the oxygen in water. [Another pointless gesticulation, she actually mimics sucking in air.] And then the expel water out through their gills.

[weifinder]

Couldn't they do both at once? Breathe in water, some gets swallowed, some goes out their gillaaah!

( in repeating the motion with his mouth, he reached up with one hand to mimic the water flowing into his mouth, and momentarily lifted the hand otherwise on the oar up to his neck to gesture to the gills he doesn't have, causing the whole boat to rock as a wave catches it and the oar. water splashes up and over the side as both his hands come down to grab the oar before it ends up pulled into the water, leaving them with only one.

splashed, thus now wet, and boat steadied, he wipes the back of his wrist across his face and shoots her a grin. )

Don't think we can ask a mermaid the next time we encounter one, do you?

[reparo]

[She lets out a little squeak of her own as the boat suddenly swerves. It all happens quickly after that, the scramble and the splash and Hermione taking her wand out of the water and blowing wind into the river, causing another splash behind them.]

Finite finite finite!!

[One was enough but she panicked. She looks at him, and at herself, and lets out a tired laugh.]

Don't tell Sizhui, I promised I'd keep you safe.

[weifinder]

( Water beads and drips off the tip of his nose, Wei Wuxian slowly lifting his eyebrows as she starts to laugh; a heartbeat after, and he's laughing too. )

I'm sure he'd charge me the same with you, Miss Hermione, so consider us well covered for each other and without dignity. He's not of Yunmeng, we're used to getting wet there!

( Still, he shifts to grab the second oar and drop it into the water, returning to a simpler rowing and angling toward the shore proper. The woods loom steady now, the bank disappearing under gnarled roots and scant indications of impressions which would allow landings. )

Mm, keep an eye with me to shore. Let's see if we find any places to beach, ah? Make good meeting places, ones like that. Surely will be safer than zooming around on the waters, ah?