[His eyes widen at the sound of that growl and he lets out a soft whimper, but even as his whole body twitches and his mind screams at him to run, Wei Wuxian stays put, forcing himself to take another deep breath and focus on the situation at hand. Felix is the enemy here, not Jake.
A single glance at Finn's bruised and bloody face is enough to settle him for now.]
I d-don't know. [His hands curl into fists and he wrenches back control of his voice, forcing it not to quiver.] I don't know where or when. Probably the simulation room. [Because it can be locked, he doesn't clarify.]
Does it matter where? [His eyes narrow, vision fixed on Finn again.] Is there any place or kind of training that can justify this? [The last is asked in a growl of his own.]
This isn't training, this is an angry fool who can't control himself taking out his anger on someone younger and weaker.
[ Even through the haze of everything else, the flinch registers as fear for Jake. He cows back reflexively, curled lip falling back over his teeth with a sympathetic pang in his expression. Crud.
As he lets Wei Wuxian stammer out his answer, Jake's hackles raise again, though he keeps the corners of his mouth firmly pointed down. No more growling. He could at least do that much. This man was as angry as him, probably as scared as him in his own way, he didn't need to be any more petrified. ]
I--[ Jake sucks in a breath, willing it to come out less heated when he starts again. ] I knew they were training together. He introduced me to him as his teacher.
[ Jake's ears were back, paws clenching against Finn's blankets. ]
I could tell the guy was off, but I thought maybe it was just. Y'know, he was scared of dogs. [ There's a briefly guilty glance over at Wei Wuxian before Jake's eyes return to the floor, sternly reanalyzing that encounter. ] Finn didn't want me coming to their trainings and I thought, sure, y'know. Why cut the kid off at the knees if he knows the guy better than me? It's been going on since he first started here.
[ That fact seems to renew anger in Jake, though it's direction seems different. Directed inward, rather than outward. He shrinks a bit, unconsciously. ]
Have you seen anything before now? Any... sign of this? Give it to me straight.
[He can hear the guilt in Jake's voice and his fingers twitch to reach out and offer a comforting hand to his shoulder, or well...back, but they curl instead at the last moment. He isn't that brave, even now.]
Nothing. [He wracks his brain trying to recall anything at all, any hint he'd missed, but if it had been there he hadn't caught it.]
He didn't even tell me he had another teacher. I met Felix on Ciraiwei and if I'd known he was training Finn, I would have said something.
[He goes quiet for a long time and when he speaks again, his voice is steadier than before.]
I made many mistakes back home. Mistakes that hurt people. And sometimes I hurt people on purpose. Finn doesn't know, not really. [He'd alluded to some of it but that was hardly a confession.]
I'm not a good person, Jake, but I try to be. But this man, this is the kind of man I hurt on purpose. Someone who can hurt an innocent like Finn...
[ Jake's not sure if nothing is the answer he wants or not. It was either a sign that this only accelerated to this level of intensity recently, or that Felix just got sloppy about hiding his tracks. It just didn't make sense. What the hell did some adult man have to gain from this?
Jake is lost in his own thoughts while Wei Wuxian explains his ignorance of their connection and for the lengthy pause that follows. It's only when the young man breaks the silence again that Jake looks up from Finn's hand, paw sheltered over it protectively. ]
You--[ He stops, once it becomes clear Wei Wuxian isn't done speaking. I'm not a good person, I've hurt people, I've made mistakes, and sometimes they aren't mistakes. It was a sentiment that washed over Jake in waves. Apprehension came first, followed by concern, followed by sympathy, followed by gratitude.
At day's end, the ones you had to watch out for weren't the Wei Wuxians of the world. They weren't even the Itachis of the world. People who could acknowledge the terribleness of their deeds with no caveats or excuses, who had the capacity to know they were capable of while still able to grasp onto the fact that taking a life was powerful. That it was worth something, that it mattered to somebody, even if they had no regrets in moving forward with that kill. Those people? They weren't the ones that kept Jake up at night.
It was the kind of person who could do this, and who wasn't even here now to face him. Those were the ones that set Jake's teeth on edge. ]
You can't. [ Jake says suddenly, firmly. There's no indication yet what he thinks of what Wei Wuxian has confessed to him. If anything, he looks more preoccupied with the young man across from him than Finn for those few scant seconds. ] I know that look. I know what you're thinking. And I know you've got a million thoughts swirling around in that head, so let me say this slow so you hear it: Viveca will send you home. You can't go home.
[ He takes a step toward the man, careful, emphasizing his point with a gesture back to Finn. ]
This kid cannot lose anyone else. Each time he gets close to someone, they go. You're his home here, as much as I am. Don't you dare do anything stupid to wreck that, you follow me?
[Despite the way Jake's volume increases and he's obviously upset, Wei Wuxian finds himself softening in response (for a dog!)and his eyes grow warm as his gaze flickers from Finn to Jake. It's the best possible response because it's the response that puts Finn first, and he finds words spilling from his mouth before he can think about them at all.]
You're such a good brother. [He shakes his head and the anger takes a backseat as he turns his attention fully to Jake.]
I know. Viveca would send me back. [More than that, he knows she'd be angry at him for making her do it. He cares about Viveca and he'd like to think it's a mutual feeling, but she wouldn't have a choice. He won't put her through that, not for Felix.
And he'd lose everyone. (Finn, Ziggy, Yen. He'd lose Itachi so shortly after the man had admitted he would struggle if Wei Wuxian ever left. So soon after Gwen. Felix sure as fuck isn't worth all of that.)]
I'm not going to kill him, Jake. He isn't worth it. I would never do that to Finn or anyone else here that I love. Not over a worthless waste of space like Felix. [He smiles, and it has an edge.]
[ The way Jake seems to instantly deflate, catching himself against the bed in relief, goes further to show just how worried he'd been. Maybe it was projection, maybe it was recognizing what he, himself would like to do in some fantasy version of events where consequences didn't exist, or maybe he's just glad that Wei Wuxian had it in him to smile at him so directly.
Maybe it was relief in the hope that, someday, the low laying tension between them would be so found it may as well not exist. ]
Glob, man, you nearly gave me a heart attack. I'm old and fat, you can't do that to me, dude.
[ Exhaling, Jake looks back up just in time to catch the edge in Wei Wuxian's smile. Without missing a beat, Jake returns it with a smile of his own. It's a weird thing, feeling himself grin in the middle of all this. Then again, it wasn't exactly happiness he was communicating.
Finn would be fine. He knew that. And now, Wei Wuxian would be fine too. The only person who wouldn't be fine wasn't his problem right now. ]
Heh. Well, in that case. [ He hoists himself up on the bed, ready to settle in alongside Finn, shooting a quick finger gun at the direction of the door. ] Do it to it, brother.
[ And then, more sincerely, shrinking down a bit to fit snuggly against Finn's side: ]
[He snorts lightly and the complete insanity of the situation isn't lost on him. Laughing with a dog. (No, he reminds himself, laughing with Jake.) The fear will return as soon as all of this is over, he knows that. It isn't even gone now, only buried beneath something stronger and more important, but for the moment he allows himself to dwell on the strangeness of it all and then he offers Jake a single nod.]
I will. You take care of him. He needs you. [And then just like that, Wei Wuxian is gone. He won't find Felix because the man has gone to hide and won't end up confronting him for several days, but regardless he'll keep his promise to Jake and return to Finn's side.]
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no subject
[ His lips peel back into a snarl, growling around the edges of his words in anger. ]
When the heck did this happen? Where did it happen?
no subject
A single glance at Finn's bruised and bloody face is enough to settle him for now.]
I d-don't know. [His hands curl into fists and he wrenches back control of his voice, forcing it not to quiver.] I don't know where or when. Probably the simulation room. [Because it can be locked, he doesn't clarify.]
Does it matter where? [His eyes narrow, vision fixed on Finn again.] Is there any place or kind of training that can justify this? [The last is asked in a growl of his own.]
This isn't training, this is an angry fool who can't control himself taking out his anger on someone younger and weaker.
no subject
As he lets Wei Wuxian stammer out his answer, Jake's hackles raise again, though he keeps the corners of his mouth firmly pointed down. No more growling. He could at least do that much. This man was as angry as him, probably as scared as him in his own way, he didn't need to be any more petrified. ]
I--[ Jake sucks in a breath, willing it to come out less heated when he starts again. ] I knew they were training together. He introduced me to him as his teacher.
[ Jake's ears were back, paws clenching against Finn's blankets. ]
I could tell the guy was off, but I thought maybe it was just. Y'know, he was scared of dogs. [ There's a briefly guilty glance over at Wei Wuxian before Jake's eyes return to the floor, sternly reanalyzing that encounter. ] Finn didn't want me coming to their trainings and I thought, sure, y'know. Why cut the kid off at the knees if he knows the guy better than me? It's been going on since he first started here.
[ That fact seems to renew anger in Jake, though it's direction seems different. Directed inward, rather than outward. He shrinks a bit, unconsciously. ]
Have you seen anything before now? Any... sign of this? Give it to me straight.
no subject
Nothing. [He wracks his brain trying to recall anything at all, any hint he'd missed, but if it had been there he hadn't caught it.]
He didn't even tell me he had another teacher. I met Felix on Ciraiwei and if I'd known he was training Finn, I would have said something.
[He goes quiet for a long time and when he speaks again, his voice is steadier than before.]
I made many mistakes back home. Mistakes that hurt people. And sometimes I hurt people on purpose. Finn doesn't know, not really. [He'd alluded to some of it but that was hardly a confession.]
I'm not a good person, Jake, but I try to be. But this man, this is the kind of man I hurt on purpose. Someone who can hurt an innocent like Finn...
I'm going to handle it. This won't happen again.
no subject
Jake is lost in his own thoughts while Wei Wuxian explains his ignorance of their connection and for the lengthy pause that follows. It's only when the young man breaks the silence again that Jake looks up from Finn's hand, paw sheltered over it protectively. ]
You--[ He stops, once it becomes clear Wei Wuxian isn't done speaking. I'm not a good person, I've hurt people, I've made mistakes, and sometimes they aren't mistakes. It was a sentiment that washed over Jake in waves. Apprehension came first, followed by concern, followed by sympathy, followed by gratitude.
At day's end, the ones you had to watch out for weren't the Wei Wuxians of the world. They weren't even the Itachis of the world. People who could acknowledge the terribleness of their deeds with no caveats or excuses, who had the capacity to know they were capable of while still able to grasp onto the fact that taking a life was powerful. That it was worth something, that it mattered to somebody, even if they had no regrets in moving forward with that kill. Those people? They weren't the ones that kept Jake up at night.
It was the kind of person who could do this, and who wasn't even here now to face him. Those were the ones that set Jake's teeth on edge. ]
You can't. [ Jake says suddenly, firmly. There's no indication yet what he thinks of what Wei Wuxian has confessed to him. If anything, he looks more preoccupied with the young man across from him than Finn for those few scant seconds. ] I know that look. I know what you're thinking. And I know you've got a million thoughts swirling around in that head, so let me say this slow so you hear it: Viveca will send you home. You can't go home.
[ He takes a step toward the man, careful, emphasizing his point with a gesture back to Finn. ]
This kid cannot lose anyone else. Each time he gets close to someone, they go. You're his home here, as much as I am. Don't you dare do anything stupid to wreck that, you follow me?
no subject
You're such a good brother. [He shakes his head and the anger takes a backseat as he turns his attention fully to Jake.]
I know. Viveca would send me back. [More than that, he knows she'd be angry at him for making her do it. He cares about Viveca and he'd like to think it's a mutual feeling, but she wouldn't have a choice. He won't put her through that, not for Felix.
And he'd lose everyone. (Finn, Ziggy, Yen. He'd lose Itachi so shortly after the man had admitted he would struggle if Wei Wuxian ever left. So soon after Gwen. Felix sure as fuck isn't worth all of that.)]
I'm not going to kill him, Jake. He isn't worth it. I would never do that to Finn or anyone else here that I love. Not over a worthless waste of space like Felix. [He smiles, and it has an edge.]
But we're going to have a talk.
1/2
Maybe it was relief in the hope that, someday, the low laying tension between them would be so found it may as well not exist. ]
Glob, man, you nearly gave me a heart attack. I'm old and fat, you can't do that to me, dude.
2/2
Finn would be fine. He knew that. And now, Wei Wuxian would be fine too. The only person who wouldn't be fine wasn't his problem right now. ]
Heh. Well, in that case. [ He hoists himself up on the bed, ready to settle in alongside Finn, shooting a quick finger gun at the direction of the door. ] Do it to it, brother.
[ And then, more sincerely, shrinking down a bit to fit snuggly against Finn's side: ]
Just come back after. Deal?
no subject
I will. You take care of him. He needs you. [And then just like that, Wei Wuxian is gone. He won't find Felix because the man has gone to hide and won't end up confronting him for several days, but regardless he'll keep his promise to Jake and return to Finn's side.]