countermeasures | chroma | catchall for vax'ildan

[ . . .

i mean fuck it he starts laughing. it's like a little hysterical. it has been a long day. ] I - Emet thought you did it because of that thing! [ help this is so stupid ]

[ ! ]

I knew he was being thorough, but -

[help oh my god. jiuqing's vibes are amused, but... also the teeniest, tiniest bit worried? help.]

...I suppose I had better talk to him about it!

[ god. he just can't help it - he laughs a little more and scrubs a hand down his face afterwards, exhaling noisily. fuck. ]

Definitely. I will, too. [ lmao... under all that exhaustion, he just seems like - fond? a little fond. ] I knew you'd be ready to go to bat for him.

[ doc you're the best. ] ...Thanks. For looking out for us.

Of course I was. And for you, too.

[she looks up at him, her expression and her vibes earnest.]

I wasn't going to let anything happen to him, and if it had turned out that way - I wasn't going to let anything happen to you just because you were trying to keep him safe.

Same goes to you. I would've gotten Emet to back down, if I had to.

[ but he was pretty sure she didn't, at that point! so. he smiles, a little lopsided. ]

...Guy was a dick, anyway. [ wow ] I don't know who did it, but - with the way he was talking about Percy last week, I can't say I'd mourn him.

Thank you, Vax.

[she smiles - and then realizes she called him by a nickname instead of "sir vax'ildan". which he doesn't really seem to mind coming from other people, but he's never corrected her when she's used the longer version of his name (that she or i can remember, anyway), so she feels a little awkward about it, even though she's also grateful.]

...I can't... say that I would either. If he'd tried to do anything to Percy, I...

[...honestly, just thinking about it makes her angry all over again. it's not as intense as it would be without the calming hairpin, but it's there, like flames licking at the edges of her calm.]

I know some people got along well enough with him, but he sort of... made me uneasy. But I think that's personal, mostly.

[ oh, he smiles, when she calls him vax - and the minute he feels that emotional sway, he shakes his head. ]

Vax. [ just, gently. he prefers this being a sir is super weird most of the time but he likes jiuqing so much he let her call him whatever she wants. no awkward! just warm vibes.

but, yeah - that feeling of anger's familiar, and even the mention makes him briefly annoyed, too, brow furrowing. ]

's not that personal. He's so smug, I wanted to punch him in the nose. Like Percy at his worst, but worse - and condescending, too. [ ok this is actually just biased grumbling now. he's percy's attack dog. ] Told him to go fuck himself last week when he tried to act like he could've volunteered but didn't, or something.

...Vax, then.

[she's quietly grateful. she likes vax pretty well - she would, even if he wasn't percy's (future?) brother-in-law - but some part of her had always wondered if the lack of correction was his way of keeping her at a distance.

that's clearly not the case, though.]

What is wrong with him? Percy clearly wanted it to be you there with him. He's not doing anyone any favors by acting like he could have volunteered. [she gives a little huff.] He told me to take care of myself because I'm "too valuable" to get hurt, but I'm pretty sure he only said that because he wanted me to be able to treat him if he got injured.

I know my medical skills are useful, but he shouldn't have just said it like that!

Told you what's wrong. Guy's a dick.

[ vax thinks his summary is very succinct, personally!!! they shouldn't talk this way about a dead guy but whatever don't expect him to be sad ]

I'm gonna take his bed. [ stop you aren't moving out ]

[that startles a laugh out of her]

No, I want it! You can share Emet-Selch's.

[ :3 ]

I think his reaction to you trying that would be hilarious.

What, sneaking into his bed?

[ lol

there is something

distinctly amused here ] Yeah, probably.

[she

grins

this is not how she expected coming over to see him was going to go but you know what she's not complaining

anyway, in her best emet-selch impression:]

Vax'ildan, you didn't. Get out from under those covers this instant!

Edited 2022-03-20 04:58 (UTC)

[ hHFHPPTTTT HELP HE CHOKES LAUGHING ]

Doc! [ wheeze ] Could've thought he was right there! That, and then he'd make a face and keep bitching about it, but he'd let me stay anyway.

[ i hate that i have to do this

anyway jiuqing will get a sense of something very affectionate underneath a thick layer of gremlin amusement while he's snickering. ]

[these are some choice vibes here.

jiuqing smiles at feeling that affection.

is good for you an emotion? because she's feeling it right now.]

That sounds like something he'd do, yes! ...but it also sort of sounds like you're speaking from experience?

's a pretty big bed.

[ playful!! he winks.

whew. he was not expecting this conversation today, either! sometimes you vibe over both being ready to knife somebody for percy.

anyway it's not clear whether he's going to give an actual answer to this good for you emotion so jiuqing will have to decide if he's just being a terrible little gremlin or actually serious. who's to say! ]

He's a pretty big guy!

[jiuqing did not mean that as an innuendo but i did and then i immediately got embarrassed about it. anyway.

some of her amusement fades - it doesn't vanish entirely, just becomes an undercurrent to the gratefulness that bubbles up in her, instead.]

...thank you, Vax. For asking me about what you thought I did directly.

[ britt. im crying.

anyway he's equally amused by this, though as jiuqing continues, he pauses - and then nods , ducking his head a little bit. ]

Course. I didn't want to beat around it. [ especially considering how suspicious emet was.... and that they had the same protect percy brain. ] I respect you more than that, doc.

[can you imagine if i got murdered next week because someone else thought she killed november but didn't talk to her about it. that would be hilarious.]

I appreciate that.

[a beat.]

I was going to ask you, too, but you sort of beat me to it...

[and his question had made it pretty clear he hadn't - why would he have asked her if she had, if he'd been the one to kill him? he would have already known the answer.]

[ slaps you shut up

vax's eyes crinkle at the corner when he laughs, a quiet noise. he's tired, and this has been a lot, but... it's just nice to know he and jiuqing are still on the same wavelength. ]

Wouldn't have had to be refracted, if it was me. If this place would've let me tell you, I would've told you straight up.

If it was you and you'd told me yesterday, I'd have made up a story about you helping me practice fighting and given myself some injuries to match so we could vouch for each other.

[jiuqing PLEASE.]

...but if it wasn't either one of us, then it probably was someone who was refracting. So... that's something we're going to have to take care of as well.

[ .....

actually.

he frowns. ]

.... Fighting and giving injuries, huh.

[ now wait just a damn minute ]

...

[

oh.

jiuqing pulls out her phone and texts something to someone.]

Did you just think of the same thing I did, Vax?

[

looks into the camera like this is the office ]

The fucking blood was a pair of pants.

...I'm going to see if I can find her. There's something I want to check on.

[heading for the door!]

Hey - doc.

[ before she can get away, she'll feel a ripple of concern. vax's expression is very honest - worry, and care. ]

...Be careful, alright?

(no subject)

countermeasures - 2022-03-20 16:21 (UTC) - Expand