Owner	Pose
Shen Wei	The wanted had been turned in, and the bounty collected, in another part of the station that is Knowhere. Once that had been done, Shen Wei had gone deeper into Knowhere. Where he'd gone isn't obvious, and Xie Yun had assured that this was normal. He'd locked up the ship, giving access to both Ming Qiu and Bai Wuyun, despite his boss' orders to the contrary. He'd also apologized that said boss wanted both of the Haixingren gone. And then, he'd gone to the pub. Unbeknownst to Shen Wei. All of the all having anything to do with the two Haixingren. He'd tucked tail and ran for it again. But, supplies are needed, generally, and there are contacts he has in the Marketplace. And so, here it is he's come. He's not using the shadows at present, as he walks through the place. He enters into what passes for a local homeless shelter and remains therein for a good long while. He's in there for at least an hour. When he emerges, he seems little different than when he entered. He turns and walks further into the place. Further away from the ship. Further away from the Haixingren who'd been unexpected passengers on his ship. Further from confronting or accepting reality.
Bai Wuyun	Normal. There are so many shades of it, and so very many perspectives of it. When Xie Yun offers up the reassurance, Bai Wuyun believes him. As does Ming Qiu. They each thank Xie Yun for providing them with access to the ship, both of them appreciative for the fact that it's done. Especially given the fact that Shen Wei wishes to be rid of their presence. There has been no opportunity for Bai Wuyun to speak with Shen Wei, either with or without the presence of the others, between when they were rescued and now. In a way, that has its own sting, but Bai Wuyun is ever patient and forever stubborn. He isn't ready to give up on Shen Wei. Ming Qiu had been torn between staying with Bai Wuyun or following after Xie Yun to the pub. Or at least, he had been, up until the point where Bai Wuyun had lifted a hand to gesture after Xie Yun. "Go, enjoy a drink or three. I will be fine to be alone," he says, offering the younger man a small smile. Ming Qiu glances towards Xie Yun for a moment, then back to Bai Wuyun before he gives a nod and a murmured, "If you're certain." There was a nod from Bai Wuyun, and then Ming Qiu ran to catch up with Xie Yun. There was no reason for Ming Qiu to keep him company, and no reason for him to not enjoy drinks with the Dixingren fellow. Once Ming Qiu has vanished from sight, Bai Wuyun wanders the marketplace for a little while. Browsing across assorted wares and items, though his attention is caught by none of them. He is quiet, and watchful, for the last time he was at a market it proved to be less than beneficial to his health. Moving his right hand slightly, he plucks an orange lollipop out of his pocket of air, removing the wrapper and slipping that away into a pouch at his waist before he slips the lollipop into his mouth. Within his mouth, his tongue idly curls around the lollipop, then shoves it past his teeth to his cheek. He hadn't set out with the intent of looking for Shen Wei, but that is exactly what he finds himself doing. He thinks that he catches a glimpse of him near to that homeless shelter, and on the chance that it happens to be Shen Wei, he follows after.
Shen Wei	What might be normal for Shen Wei won't be normal for someone else. Normal is relative. Sadly, Shen Wei seems to be determined not to give any chances at all for talking. In this, he hasn't changed a bit. Not a single bit. Xie Yun had tried for reassurance, but... well. His boss is stubborn and he knows it. With his having shorter hair now, it's harder to tell him apart from other humanoids. At least out here there are more aliens than those who look like someone from Haixing. As it turns out, the one that Bai Wuyun had chosen to follow is not Shen Wei, though from behind, the clothing and hair are similar. It isn't until that one has turned a corner that Shen Wei is sighted. Coming out of a bar. With a bottle in his hand. He swigs back whatever brew is in the container and nearly walks into the street light in front of him. He clips it with his shoulder and bounces off of it, but rights himself in the end. He shakes his head and keeps walking. Another swig. Still walking. Still away from where the Illumination is docked. Another swig. He staggers sideway and walks into a large, burly looking fellow that looks like nothing more than a giant mud ball that grew arms and legs and a head. "Hey," comes the deep voice. "I pulverise you!" The large, muddy looking arm swings, the closed fist swinging toward Shen Wei's head. The fist is bigger than his head. He doesn't even seem to notice.
Bai Wuyun	Normal took a little bit of a sidestep when Bai Wuyun woke up from death. Shen Wei had already been gone from Haixing by that point. The experience had changed him, stolen away some of his memories and changed some of the things that he could do. There was nothing he could do to reach out to Shen Wei, all those years ago. Time sometimes has a way of making things more complicated than it needs to be. The Haixingren's thoughts are distracted, wandering over the time that they've spent on the ship. Shen Wei has avoided him, and all he had asked for was a chance to speak with him. He gives a small shake of his head, his gaze still tracking what he thought was Shen Wei, and his steps still shadowing along after the fellow. It's then when his gaze happens to find the actual Shen Wei, leaving a bar. He lacks the memories to know that this is not something that fits with the Shen Wei that he knew. He takes a moment to look over the Dixingren, noting the bottle being held in hand. He watches as Shen Wei drinks and walks, and his brow wrinkles as the street light is impacted with. Shifting his weight slightly, he turns his steps to trail after him, a flicker of worry chasing through his dark eyes. He doesn't know this place, and he doesn't know a lot of the species that he's seen in the marketplace, though he's tried to keep track of where he's ventured in relation to where the Illumination is docked. Bai Wuyun tries not to be obvious about the fact that he's following Shen Wei. He has a suspicion that the Dixingren wouldn't appreciate it if he knew. When Shen Wei walks right into the -- well, Bai Wuyun isn't sure what exactly it is other than something that seems quite willing to smash Shen Wei! -- Bai Wuyun's steps stop, his eyes widening a touch. There isn't time for words, there's barely time for action in the moment. He makes a slight movement of the fingers of his right hand, summoning up a shield of air to attempt to swiftly create it between that swinging fist and Shen Wei's head. To protect the Dixingren.
Shen Wei	That arm and fist swing down, inexorible in the descent. Shen Wei doesn't seem to notice at all. He might feel the glimmer of magic that's been used so close to himself. Or he might be too lost in his cups. The way he's swaying on his feet, it's really hard to tell. The fist hits the shield of air and the shield shatters under the impact. It shatters into a thousand shards of semi irridescent light before it dissipates into nothing. The shattered spell rebounds back toward Bai Wuyun. At the same time as Shen Wei sidesteps the swinging fist. He swings around and sways there, glaring up at the muddy alien. "Didn't.. didn't anyone..." He pauses and hiccups, still glowering at the alien. "Y'know," he slurs. "I forgot.. forgot what I was sayin." Shen Wei shakes his head. "You shouldn... hit a man.. when.... when.." He trails off. Tears fill his eyes. He turns abruptly and walks away. Still swaying, but managing a mostly straight line as he beelines for the shadows. Curiously, he wears a pair of goggles, the lenses of which are black. Before the shadows swallow him, he can be seen taking another swig from the bottle. The alien looks on, dumbfounded. "When whut??!" it roars, and turns to chase after Shen Wei. It stops at the edge of the shadows and stands there, lifting a hand to scratch, with one finger, at its forehead. "Where'd he go?"
Bai Wuyun	When the shield of air shatters into so many thousand shards that shimmer and glisten in the air, Bai Wuyun is caught off guard. That was a thing that he had not expected to have happen. It's not the first time that he's had his magic broken or shattered, but it is something that hasn't happened for a fair while. The magic rebounding back to him strikes in the moment that Shen Wei sidesteps the alien's strike. Bai Wuyun doesn't notice that happening, flinching as he staggers backwards half a step at first, then another half step as he sinks to his knees. One of his hands reaches out, his fingers bracing against the ground. Ouch! His breathing goes a bit off normal in the moment, some of his dark hair spilling forward over one of his shoulders and pooling on the ground near to him. That was a reminder that he could have done without, all things considered. It's a moment before his gaze lifts back to where Shen Wei and the alien are... or were. And it's just in time to see Shen Wei be swallowed by the shadows. Though Bai Wuyun does, at least, give a soft breath of a laugh at the alien's response to Shen Wei's disappearance. Now that? That makes it more worth it, it really does. Given Shen Wei's drunken state and how easily he'd ended up in this particular piece of trouble, the Haixingren isn't going to leave him to his own devices. Bai Wuyun is a bit more stubborn than that, and he has another little trick up his sleeve, so to speak. Shifting his weight, he pushes himself up to his feet. And given that the Dixingren had vanished into the shadows, he's not likely to find him if he remains as he is. There is nary a thought to if his next action is safe or not, he simply does what he feels he must in order to find and protect Shen Wei. He steps aside into the space between two buildings. He concentrates for a moment, drawing on his magic even though it still stings from the backlash. A soft white glow of light swirls around him, and when it fades away, he is in the form of the five-tailed Haixing feline. Quietly, he steps out from between the buildings, his tails lightly flicking behind him. His gaze turns towards the street light, and he tilts his head a touch to one side. Shen Wei had touched that. His tongue flicks out, licking up and over his nose, and he starts to pad his way over towards the street light. If he can get Shen Wei's scent from the street light's pole, then he might stand a chance of finding the Dixingren. Hopefully before something else happens.
Shen Wei	It just goes to prove that you can't count on aliens to play fair. Nor to be clean. Especially not in a place like this. As Bai Wuyun places his hand to brace himself against the ground, he encounters something cold, wet, and even worse? Squishy! Worst of all? It wriggles. Ooh, and worse yet? His hair lands in the squriming, wriggling, squishy mass of whatever the hell it is that can't be seen in the relative dimness of the market. Whatever it is, it's black. And it /stinks/. Like something rotting. And then? Whatever the hell it is latches onto first the fingers, and then the hair, touching it. Latches, and sticks. As the Haixingren shifts to the larger, feline shape, he'll find that his left front paw has been what feels like /swallowed/ by that wriggly squishy mass. It trails up along the back of his leg and into his mane on that side. It glistens, like it's wet. And now it's all over his left front paw, leg, shoulder, and mane. Stinking. Wriggling. When the cat pads, his paw /squishes/ like he's stepping in cold, wet mud. Soft, cold, wet mud. If he isn't distracted by the effect of the thing, he'll scent Shen Wei by the light pole. Leading into the shadows beyond where the alien mud creature still stands. Within the shadows, Shen Wei pauses, and sways from side to side. He stays that way only long enough to take another swig from his beer. Upon lowering it, he disappears. At the far end of the street, just beyond the light of a streetlight, he reappears, but blends into the darkness. The breeze from the vents wafts, from that direction toward the mouth of the alley the Dixingren had gone down. Giving an idea of which way he'd gone.
Bai Wuyun	Sometimes... sometimes, it could be beneficial to have information about the various and assorted things that happen to live on planets. This would happen to be one of those times. There isn't really any information that Bai Wuyun has ever looked into about alien species or the various and assorted life forms that happen to exist on planets other than Haixing. The initial feeling of cold and wet on his hand simply makes him feel as though he's placed his hand into water. It seems plausible, after all. And given his distraction from the magic backlash, it's understandable that he doesn't particularly pay it more attention than that, in the moment. Sometimes, he's a little bit too much like Ming Qiu, and this is one of those times. It's after he's padded a few steps in that alien feline form that he stops. Squish? SQUISH?! Why is there a squish? There shouldn't be a squish! His nose slightly quivers at the aroma of rot that seems to be moving along with him. He retches. Something is WRIGGLING! between his toes. He chuffs a breath of air out of his nose, and then he gives his head a brief shake. Then he lifts his left paw and gives it a shake that's experimental in nature. What. The. Hell. He shakes his paw again and gives a slight shudder from nose down through all of his tails at the wriggling feel of the things between his foot pads. And the sight of the wriggly squishy mass makes him glurk like a domestic cat with a hairball on the rise. Then he shakes his head and rubs his nose on his front right leg before giving another retch. Why? Why must he be so afflicted with such things? He doesn't even know why! He paws a little bit at the ground, with his left paw, as though trying to wipe the things off. Bai Wuyun's breathing has turned a bit uneven, simply from being distressed by the -things- that are stuck to him. The muscles of his left leg and shoulder twitch a bit off and on, much in the way of trying to chase off a fly. It's difficult to put the feel and smell of the things out of his mind or even further from his mind, but there is a purpose that he needs to see to. Shen Wei. He takes the last few steps over to the light pole, and then he reaches out with his nose to snuffle at the pole and pick up Shen Wei's scent. His eyes half close as he concentrates on it, partially opening his mouth to chuff breath through his mouth to pick up the scent better. It's only once he's filled his nose with the scent of Shen Wei that he rubs his left front leg against the pole in an effort to try to scrape off the... whatever they are. Trying, again, to get them off. He shudders and flicks his tails, licks his nose to prevent himself from retching again. Then he pads his way down the alley, following his nose. Following Shen Wei's scent. And doing his level best to not let the squishy, wriggly feeling wreak havoc in his mind.
Shen Wei	Even Shen Wei doesn't have information about all the various things that live on planets. Not that this is a planet, mind. The shaking of the paw has zero effect on whatever the hell has wriggled onto it. It's still moving. And it's starting to engulf the leg. Crawling up the leg until it's been all but swallowed by whatever the hell it is. His pawing succeeds in only one thing. To make it squish more firmly between the toe pads of his foot. The things keep squirming and wriggling. Rubbing them off doesn't seem to hurt them. Once he's in the light of the lamp, he can see them. Black worm like creatures that seem to be semi sticky. Maybe they have tiny suction cups for skin. They crawl and shift, inch and wriggle. Soon, they leave the paw behind and are fully entangled within Bai Wuyun's thick, long mane. And there, they wriggle like a slimy, cold, wet, squirming collar. At least they aren't getting tighter around his neck. No, they just seem to be burrowing. Maybe they like the warmth. Shen Wei's scent doesn't go away. It's mingled and mixed with the scent of alcohol. Not too strong of an alcohol, either. Some sort of beer, from the scent. It begs the question, why was it affecting it so? How many had he had? And why had he waited until they reached Knowhere to get drunk? Was there no alcohol to be found aboard the ship? Or had Shen Wei been worried about getting drunk and running into Bai Wuyun there? Somewhere during the trip, he'd found out the man was called Bai Wuyun now, instead of Bai Guang. That had come as an almost physical blow. Shen Wei lifts the beer and takes another drink of it. It's got to be very nearly empty now. He staggers and turns into another bar. The bottle is thrown away, empty, and he makes his way to the bar. Despite being drunk, he's still at least graceful enough to get there without mishap. Another bottle of beer later, he is outside once more, and continues on. Deeper into Knowhere. Further from the Illumination.
Bai Wuyun	Though he doesn't have a reason for why he doesn't, there's something that keeps him from doing as a cat would and trying to grab the wriggling things with his mouth in order to get them off. It doesn't change the fact that he wants the creepy, crawling things OFF! His tails quiver and flick, dancing lightly through the air. He stops and half lowers his head, his tongue partially sticking past his lips, and a shiver chases down the length of his body. It's the squirming and wriggling of them, in and on his fur. He coughs and retches, yet given what little he's been eating (this time by his own choice, as he doesn't want to deplete the ship's stores by too much given the unexpected nature of their passengership), there isn't much that comes up. He shudders, his breathing shallow and quick. His eyes close for a moment, and he gives his head a little shake as he attempts to regain some semblance of control over himself. Ugh. Even once they're in his mane, the presence of them is discomfiting. The cold and wet part of their presence isn't the part that bothers him. It's the slimy and squirming and wriggling part, as they burrow deeper into his fur. It could be that they like the warmth of him. Or it could be that they're trying to get to his skin in order to bite him. He isn't sure which is the case, but he doesn't like them and he can't do much about them beyond tolerate them, given that shaking himself off doesn't seem to dislodge them or bother them at all. And that is exactly what he tries to do, with varying amounts of success. His attention turns back to Shen Wei's scent, and following it. He recognizes that the alcohol is some kind of beer, for there's a certain aroma that goes along with such a brew. As to why Shen Wei is drinking, or why he's chosen beer, or any of the other questions that spring to mind -- Bai Wuyun has no answers. He hasn't even a glimmer of an inkling. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, quite simply. It's like some thick bank of clouds lurking in his head. And the only way to find out... well, that involves talking to Shen Wei, who happens to be avoiding him like he's the plague of all Haixing. He exhales a sigh, his tails lowering somewhat. All he can do, at least for the moment, is to follow the Dixingren. And so, that's exactly what he does. Bai Wuyun stalks after the man, following him deeper into Knowhere. The man that, for all the stories he's been told, had been at the least a good friend. Maybe that's why he's been so stubborn and patient about having the opportunity to talk to him.
Shen Wei	Unfortunately for the alien feline looking creature, the black squirmies are well and truly entrenched. Clearly, they do like warmth, for that's exactly where they've gone. To the warmest part. Bai Wuyun should really be grateful they haven't... migrated. South. To the other warmer area of his body. To Shen Wei, the currently feline looking Haixingren might well be a plague. And not even of all Haixing! Probably the whole galaxy, given how he's avoided him. Whatever the reason, Shen Wei is being equally stubborn in that avoidance. He lifts the beer bottle and takes another swig of it. The label is red, and shiny, and some alien script that probably proclaims it as being cheap light beer. The scent leaves a lot to be desired. The trail continues as Shen Wei keeps going. Still swaying quite a bit. Staggering every so often. He hasn't bumped into any other aliens just yet. But he has walked into a couple of building corners, and one upright post.
Mon-El	Lar doesn't exactly like Knowhere. A hive of scum and villainy, as they say. Most of the time, it's filled with unsavory types whom he has little respect for. But sometimes, you can actually find someone who might be at least -little- bit honorable. Like Peter Quill. Still, people don't always need to be honorable to be useful. Especially when there's a war raging against some of the most vicious predators in the galaxy.     As it is, he watches what appears to be a drunken bounty hunter ambling about aimlessly from the window of a nearby cafe. Along with quite a few other interesting characters, who look like they might be in need of something useful to do. Like that gigantic Kree dude who looks like he's in a terrible mood because he washed out of Nova Corps or something (yeah that old uniform gives the impression) and who is also about to be the first alien to get walked into by said drunken bounty hunter.
Bai Wuyun	Since the stinky black squirmy things have at least somewhat settled down, they're a bit less disturbing. A bit. As there's nothing that Bai Wuyun can do with or about them in this moment, he does his best to put them from his mind just now. He can deal with them later. Hopefully. The alien feline stops, lowering his nose to snuffle a little bit near the ground, and then he gives himself a brief shake. It leaves his spotted fur a bit fluffed up in places where it's longer, though he doesn't seem to mind that. His tails lightly flick through the air, each of them moving in its own path behind him, some of them seeming a bit more static while others move more side to side. Whenever Shen Wei goes inside of an establishment, he finds a place to settle in and wait. What else is there for him to do? And so, each time, he waits for Shen Wei to have his drink and then leave the place, and it's only after the Dixingren has wandered a distance away that he moves to follow again. He doesn't want to follow too closely and be too obvious about it lest he draw Shen Wei's notice. With the scent of Shen Wei in his nose, he isn't worried if some distance opens betwixt them, for he'll still be able to track after him in such a way. Which he continues to do. The other species that happen to be on the streets don't earn his attention, and he knows naught of them, simply picking his way among them with an effort given to attempt not to jostle any.
Shen Wei	In truth, the only reason Shen Wei had chosen this as his port of call is because that's where the bounty had originated. And so here is where the Illumination had been docked. And here is where finding alcohol to blunt the edges had happened. This particular bounty hunter isn't known for getting drunk. There's never been any gossip about such having happened, at any rate. Shen Wei had done really well for close to twenty minutes. And then the second gigantic fellow in less than an hour gets walked into. This time, Shen Wei bounces and lands on his butt. He leans forward and rubs his forehead with his left hand. With his right, he lifts the beer bottle. One finger, the pointer, is uncurled and put to its use. Pointing. At the Kree dude. "How.. How...." The bottle gets too heavy and Shen Wei's arm sinks to rest on one knee. He lifts the bottle and takes a swig. In this moment, Shen Wei isn't really capable of noticing the Haixingren cat following him. He acts entirely oblivious to being stalked by a giant predator. Who can't possibly stay inconspicuous in a place like this. Of course, with as many aliens are about, maybe he can. Maybe he can, at least for Shen Wei. Shen Wei looks up, his jaw length hair falling a bit into his eyes. "Where'd you come from?" Finally, a whole sentence! If slurred.
Mon-El	The collision barely throws the man off balance. If anything, it just exacerbates his already foul mood. He has short, white hair and is...very muscular underneath those old Nova Corps fatigues. "You got a problem, merc?" Yep, that's definitely the Corps talking. This must have been recent. They don't typically think very well of "outlaws" and "Knowhere scum". He looks like he's about to punch Shen or grab him or something, but suddenly there is a blur of motion and someone else is there, grabbing his arm. And despite how strong he looks to be, he can't move it an inch.     "Hey, hey now no need for violence, okay?" Lar tells him, before his gaze goes over to Shen. "Just say you're sorry, you didn't mean to run into him, right?"
Bai Wuyun	Unless one has been to Haixing, then the particular large form of feline that Bai Wuyun happens to be is likely not familiar to the assorted onlookers. And Haixing is pretty far out in the galaxy and tends not to do much of anything to draw attention to itself or to draw visitors from other planets. The Haixingren-turned-feline is relatively unaware of Shen Wei's bounty hunting reputation. When he had sought to find his friend, all those years ago, there hadn't been a reputation yet to hear anything of. Then there's Shen Wei's collision with the blue fellow. Really? Can't it ever be someone that's /small/? The last one hadn't been small either. Shen Wei seems to have a knack for blundering into the largest person in the streets. The feline gives his head a brief shake, a touch wryly. His tails lightly flicker from side to side, their movement fluid. He pads quietly forward, and his head tilts a touch to one side. One of his ears flicks and his eyes narrow a touch as he watches the stranger who had suddenly appeared on the scene. He stops, chuffing the air, one of his front paws lifted as he watches and waits. His tails twitch and flick, and his attention is fairly singularly focused on the unfolding scene.
Shen Wei	On a normal, regular basis, Shen Wei is quite sensible. But not only has he been drinking, he's also a light weight when it comes to drinking. Those two beers, or is it three now?, have quite gone to his head. "Course.. course I didn," starts Shen Wei. "But I'm not.." He hiccups here. "Not sorry," he finishes. Shen Wei shifts and drags himself to his feet. "I didn mean to. But he has eyes too! Did he mean to? Is he sorry??" Oh there's anger, there is. As far as it goes, at least now, Bai Wuyun is, technically, larger than the blue fellow. Afterall, that feline form is what one would quite easily call huge. And this is when the wrigglies strike again, when Bai Wuyun is distracted fully from them. And they squirm fiercly, digging further into the mane. The few closest to the skin find it, now. And there's a sting. It starts out slight at first, in three different places beneath his mane. One between his front legs, to the left, almost in his arm pit. One at his right shoulder. And one smack square over his spine.
Mon-El	The large Kree man seems to calm down once Lar grabbed him and told him there was no violence necessary. "Hmph. Fi--" He begins to say, but then Shen has to go and start showing his Angry Drunk side. "Why you disgusting piece of Knowhere scum....!" Fortunately, Lar decides not to let go of him yet at this point so he's just stuck with yelling. "I may not be able to arrest you anymore but I know who can! Me and the Worldmind, we were close I'm telling you! I'll get you thrown in the Kyln where you belong!" he shouts.     Lar groans and gives Shen a look. "Seriously?" How hard could it be, saying 'sorry'? He didn't even have to mean it, just had to -sound- like it. Back to Big Angry Blue. "Listen...Walk. Away. Don't make me hurt you."     The ex-corpsman glares at Lar, his gaze flitting from him to the large feline, to Shen and back to Lar again before he finally deflates. "Hrnn. This isn't over." he grouses, shooting one final scathing glance toward Shen before he finally walks away.
Bai Wuyun	There's a slight tilt of his head to one side, and the feline's ears flick forward, listening as Shen Wei responds. He blinks at the words. Then he blinks a second time, perhaps for good measure. His nose lowers a touch and he shakes his head a little bit. Oh, dear. Somehow, Bai Wuyun isn't sure that response is going to make things much better at all. He flicks that paw that he holds aloft, and then he settles it to the ground. His tongue flicks out, sweeping across his nose briefly, and his tails make a sinuous movement behind him. Technically, he is larger than that blue fellow happens to be, and larger than a lot of other things as well. Sometimes, it's quite useful to have a certain amount of size to throw around. And then there's the wrigglies -doing things-, all of a sudden! Ack! He shudders, and his skin twitches at the first bite that happens, which also makes him sidestep a little bit. His ears lay back and he lowers his head to give a fierce shake from nose to tail, half-retching. His tails suddenly lash from one side to the other, swirling back and forth, and there's a half-formed yelp that escapes him. Biting isn't fair! There's a shudder that sweeps down the length of him, and he does the entirely feline thing of lifting one of his back legs up to scratch repeatedly at his thick mane where the blasted wiggling-wriggling-crawling-biting things have burrowed into, to try to get them out, grumbling sounds of feline discomfort rising from him.
Shen Wei	It's really easy being sensible when alcohol isn't in your system. Sadly for Shen Wei, he's far too drunk for his own good. On his feet now, he sways a little in place. And seems to reconsider things. He takes a breath, and shakes his head. "No. You righ'. My faul'. Am sorry." Of course, it's probably too little too late. Or might be seen as 'begging for mercy'. As the Kree guy walks away, Shen Wei abruptly sits back down. More falls down, but somewhat controlled. Sort of. He lifts the bottle and swigs down another long drink. This is about when the half-formed help finally penetrates his drunken foggy brain and alerts him to Bai Wuyun's presence. His eyes narrow and fix on the feline scratching at himself. "Wha's your probem?" Of course, he can't see the wrigglies for the thick mane they've squirmed into. Deeper and deeper they burrow. More of them reach skin. The sting grows.
Mon-El	Lar sighs at the belated apology. "Too late." he tells the bounty hunter. The Kree man had already walked away, anyway. "Let's just hope he wasn't actually serious about convincing the Worldmind to get you arrested on trumped-up charges."     Then he turns to the large furry creature, who seems to be having some trouble with some kind of insectoid creature. "Hold still." he says, and whether or not Bai Wuyun heeds that, he begins strategically targeting the biters with his thermal vision, aiming for the largest clumps first and then whittling his way down to the stragglers. Hopefully, if Bai didn't move around too much, he'd be able to do this without actually burning him. Although probably not without singeing a few hairs...
Bai Wuyun	It's not as though he can very well say what the problem is, at the moment. His eyes half close as he turns his head and keeps scratching at his thick mane, trying to use his claws to comb the wriggling things out of his fur. He pauses, flicking the back paw he'd been using for scratching. His gaze turns to Shen Wei and he makes a sound that seems apologetic by the tone of it. His ears flick forward then back again, and he sidesteps in order to rub his left shoulder against the pole of a street light. His breathing is shorter and uneven, and his tails contiue to flick back and forth behind him. He takes a step closer to Shen Wei, pausing to shake himself off, his skin shuddering as more stings are delivered, side-stepping and shifting his weight from the discomfort of them. As the stranger's attention comes to him, his ears flick forward and then lay back again, a glance going towards Shen Wei before he looks back to the fellow. He's uncertain, and a bit hesitant. Yet the stranger had helped Shen Wei. His tails give a sharp flick, then still and lower slightly. He tilts his head a little to one side when he's told to hold still, a breath whuffling through his nose. It isn't easy to hold still whilst he's being stung by wriggling things! He does try, though there's more than one shudder that passes over his skin, and more tha one series of twitches that occurs as the wriggling things get zapped by the thermal vision. There's a soft grumble of sound that comes from him, and though he tries to hold still, he's not still enough to completely avoid a couple of minor burns or singed hairs. The latter of which gives off that typical burned hair smell that's never pleasant. He half chuffs a breath through his nose at the smell, and his head lowers slightly, his tails stilling to the point that the ends of the five of them actually rest on the ground. He's not as distressed as he had been, and not as agitated, both of which are likely good things.
Shen Wei	Shen Wei grunts. It would be troublesome if a trumped-up charge happens. Ultimately, probably survivable, but troublesome. He stays where he is as the man who'd tried to help him goes to the cat. But at some point during the process, Shen Wei gets up and continues down the street. Further into the depths of Knowhere. Away from Bai Wuyun while he's distracted. The process with the heat vision is slow, but steady. Slow, but it really doesn't take long to clear all the creepy crawlies. Five or six minutes and none of the nasty buggers are left. That ought to teach the kitty to watch where he's putting his paws! However, it was plenty long enough for Shen Wei to slip off. Wherever he'd gone, the scent is diffuse, now, and hard to read direction. Darned ventillated air, anyway.
Mon-El	Once the bugs have been removed, Lar uses his enhanced vision to peer into Bai's internals to make sure nothing serious is amiss, especially if he did get bitten by the things. "Looks like you're going to be all right." he tells the large feline. "Sorry about the burns, though." He pats the mammalian's fur-covered back. He had been hoping to try recruiting them to help with the war against the Brood out in Shi'ar space, but the bounty hunter is definitely too drunk, and he's not sure if the cat-like creature understood him or not. Ah well, better luck next time! So with that, he flies off.
Bai Wuyun	The process of having the parasites removed from his fur is one that requires patience, and it is a distracting one for Bai Wuyun. And it proves to be distracting enough that he doesn't notice that Shen Wei has escaped until after it's all finished, until the last of the wrigglies has been chased out of his fur. He has a lot to learn about the dangers that exist outside of his native Haixing. His attention turns directly to the stranger who had helped him, and he gives a small nod of his head. There's a sound from him that seems to have a grateful tone. Perhaps he had understood what was said, after all. He watches the stranger as he flies off, tilting his head a bit to one side out of curiosity. Interesting. His attention comes back to the area around him, and his nose gives a slight tremble as he lifts it to scent the air, his mouth parting a little bit in an attempt to try to pick up Shen Wei's scent. He's able to follow it only a short way before it becomes more diffuse in the ventilated air. Sigh. His tails droop and he keeps his nose lifted, whuffling and chuffing the air through his mouth, tasting and smelling for the scent. He walks a little bit as he does, to try to figure out the direction that Shen Wei had gone. If his sensitive feline nose can figure it out and find any whiff of Shen Wei's scent, then he'll keep on his chosen task of following the Dixingren.
Shen Wei	Alas, the scent remains diffuse. Indirect. Indistinct. It's there, but it's impossible to tell the direction it's coming from. But then, a found. A familiar voice. Shen Wei. From the left and ahead some. It sounds like... well. It's impossible to tell. It's not in the languae of Haixing, but some other language. But it's definitely Shen Wei's voice. Seconds later, he steps from a doorway. Ahead and to the left. He has yet another beer in hand. The scent is slightly different, of berries and some sort of hops. The label is blue this time, instead of red. He lifts it to his lips and takes a long pull from it. Once outside, the Dixingren leans against the wall some steps past the doorway. He leans for a few seconds before sinking to the ground. Shen Wei continues to slug down the beer, drink after drink, until it's gone. When the bottle is empty, Shen Wei drops it onto the sidewalk beside him. He draws his legs up, wraps his arms around them, and leans forward to rest his forehead against his knees.
Bai Wuyun	It's a frustrating thing, when the scent stays so diffuse and unable to be followed. Bai Wuyun flicks his tails out of frustration, and he chuffs a breath out through his nose. Then there comes the sound which, even though he hasn't heard Shen Wei's voice a lot these days, he recognizes as being him. Both of his ears perk in the direction of it, his attention secured, and there's a quite soft sound that comes from him. He watches, his dark gaze unblinking as Shen Wei steps out of the doorway, and he quietly steps forward just a little bit. He picks up the aroma of the berry brew that the Dixingren is drinking, and he tilts his head a little to one side. It's an unusual aroma, but not unpleasant. He holds where he is for a moment, watching as Shen Wei moves to the wall to sit against it. He waits until Shen Wei has drunk the beer and dropped the bottle, and then he pads forward. His gaze holds on the Dixingren, studying him as he approaches. There are a lot of things that Shen Wei could do, especially if he really doesn't want Bai Wuyun's company. He avoids the others in the street, crossing over to where Shen Wei is sitting. He settles to his rump near to him, his tails neatly flicking around him (three to one side and two to the other) and then he lowers his head to very gently, very lightly, attempt to touch his nose to Shen Wei's shoulder nearest to him. There is what seems to be a 'please don't run' sort of air to the gesture.
Shen Wei	Shen Wei doesn't move once he leans his forehead against his knees. He doesn't notice the cat approach, let alone react in a negative fashion. He doesn't move until his shoulder is touched. He shifts a little, and grumbles. He lifts his head and glares at the cat. The look is /not/ a friendly one. At all. He lifts his right hand and points one finger at Bai Wuyun. "You. Lef me. I..." He pauses, as his train of thought apparently wanders some. His e yes wander as well, then return. "I.. couldn'. Couldn' stay. Why're you back? You.. you're dead.." He shakes his head and shoves himself to his feet again. Head is shaked again. Empty bottle is forgotten as he turns to stagger away. Back the way he'd come. Heading back toward the ship. Several steps along, he stops, and swings around, swaying dangerously in the process. "I.. I don'.. I don' like you anymore." He pauses, and hiccups. "Mad a' you." Well, as if that wasn't obvious! Another swing around, another dangerous sway, and Shen Wei is hurrying away at a swift, stumbling gait.
Bai Wuyun	The grumble from Shen Wei causes Bai Wuyun to lower his head, his ears lowering in an almost submissive sort of fashion. He desperately doesn't want Shen Wei to run from him again. The glare and the look he earns doesn't help, and he lowers his head just a touch further and makes a soft apologetic sound. He didn't leave on purpose! He tilts his head slightly to one side as Shen Wei's words trail off, curious of where that train of thought has ventured off to. He lowers to the ground when Shen Wei speaks further, and he moves one of his front paws to very lightly touch his toes to Shen Wei's. His ears perk up and then he gives a shake of his head when Shen Wei says he's dead. Because, well... he isn't! He's alive. Somehow. He doesn't know how. His ears lower and he exhales a soft sigh when Shen Wei gets to his feet, and he rises to his paws a moment later. He concentrates, and that white nimbus of energy rises up around him, surrounding him. It lasts for a moment before it fades away to leave him in human form. He still hears what Shen Wei has to say even in the midst of the transformation, and he can't help but to inwardly flinch at it. "Shen Wei, wait. Please," he requests, his tone pleading and gentle. He moves then, to hurry after Shen Wei, to try to catch up with him. He probably should have remained feline, but... the desire to speak with Shen Wei was too strong.
Shen Wei	It's not fair. It's not right. It isn't okay. But it's how Shen Wei feels, and how he acts, and what he says. None of it is fair to Bai Wuyun, but it is what it is. Shen Wei doesn't stop when he feels the shift in the magic behind him. Feels the other Haixing native transform. He doesn't stop at the words to please wait, either. But, let's face it. Shen Wei is drunk as sin by this point, entirely unsteady on his feet. As a result, he really isn't all that fast. And teleportation is almost certainly right out as a choice. That requires not only some thought, but also being able to see where he's going. And he's really not seeing very well. Because drunk. Even so, he continues to stumble along. His path seems to be taking him more or less back toward the Illumination. But he could take a side detour at any moment. Especially if his drunk brain gets distracted by anything on the way. Shen Wei doesn't get distracted, and ahead, the docks. Shen Wei makes a beeline for the Illumination. Whether he'll get there first, or Bai Wuyun will catch him before that happens... is an unknown for a long moment. And Shen Wei manages it, by just a hair. He gets to the hatch, and there he has to stop, and fumble for the 'keys' to get into the ship that Xie Yun had locked.
Bai Wuyun	And yet... the words aren't entirely wrong, even though they do sting to hear them. Technically, Bai Wuyun did leave. He died. He hadn't stayed dead, but he had still died. And that's the most permanent sort of leaving that a person could ever have happen. He exhales a soft sigh, then lifts his right hand to pluck a lollipop from his pocket of air, unwrapping it and slipping it into his mouth without even looking at it, the wrapper getting tucked away into a pouch at his side. It's better than smoking, though the latter might be more satisfying at this point! Lemon-lime. It would do. The Haixingren doesn't argue any part of what Shen Wei has said, even though he easily could argue at least some of it. Any words that he might offer would be better given when Shen Wei is not so far in his cups as what he is right now. And so, Bai Wuyun does what he's been doing since he first spotted Shen Wei. He steps up a bit in order to be a bit closer at hand if something should go amiss in any of the ways that it could, and he follows Shen Wei. He doesn't try to walk up next to him, settling for a spot that's perhaps a couple of steps behind and to one side. At least the Dixingren isn't able to teleport away from him right now. That, he'll take as a small blessing. It wouldn't do if he let something ill come to happen to Shen Wei while the fellow is drunk. Somehow, for some reason, it would seem that he's decided to fall into the role of protector where Shen Wei is concerned. Drunk people are easily distractable, and this is something that Bai Wuyun knows from personal experience. And from a number of stories that Ming Qiu has shared with him. Thankfully, there are no squirrels or shinies that happen to lure Shen Wei's attention from his path to the docks and the Illumination parked there. By the time they get back to the ship, the lollipop is mostly gone, though it's been helped along by the fact that he's toyed with it both with his tongue and teeth, knocking shards of the candy off to whittle it down. Though Shen Wei reaches the ship first, Bai Wuyun isn't that far behind. He steps up behind and a bit beside Shen Wei, lifts his right hand to pluck his own set of 'keys' -- thank you again, Xie Yun -- from out of his pocket of air. He reaches forward to unlock the ship, then opens the hatch before making a slight gesture for Shen Wei to precede him. "After you, Shen Wei. I will make tea for us," he says. No mention of talking -- he doesn't want to scare Shen Wei off, again. He's done naught with the burns he suffered in the process of getting de-wrigglied, and there are some strands of his long hair that show signs of being singed -- what happens to the feline is reflected in either form he wears, and the reverse is also true.
Shen Wei	Maybe not entirely wrong, but still not fair, either. Indeed. Shen Wei is pretty drunk right now. Too drunk to listen to reason. Even sober, he might not be willing to listen to reason. It really wouldn't due to let anything happen to Shen Wei. Especially given that the only logical reason for Shen Wei to be drinking so much right now is the sudden reappearance of Bai Guang in his life. Bai Guang. He'll always be Bai Guang in Shen Wei's heart. The sudden appearance of the access token for his ship in Bai Wuyun's hands... Shen Wei narrows his eyes at him, and then turns to glare up at the cockpit. Or, where the cockpit would be were the ship not docked.Something says Xie Yun will be getting an ear full out of this. He ignores the offer of tea and turns to stalk into the ship without another word. Shen Wei's dark eyes are flashing dangerously. That fight he was looking for earlier might yet happen! He doesn't even notice, or take the time to notice, the singed strands of hair. He heads straight for his cabin.
Bai Wuyun	On this particular subject matter, there might never be a good time for reason to be trotted out and attempted. But Bai Wuyun feels a need to, at the very least, try. What kind of friend would he be if he didn't? And from what he understands, they were friends, he and Shen Wei. He notices that narrow-eyed look that Shen Wei gives him, and the glare that goes towards the direction of the cockpit. He can only hope that Xie Yun won't get in too much trouble for the fact that it was revealed about the access token. Or maybe Shen Wei will forget once the drunkenness has worn off. He isn't sure how likely either of those things happens to be. One of his eyebrows quirks up as he looks to Shen Wei, studying him for a moment. Then Shen Wei is stalking aboard, and Bai Wuyun follows him closely, closing the ship and locking it. It seems a good idea, for some reason. The access token is tucked away and back into the pocket of air. Rather than head for the small kitchen in order to make tea, Bai Wuyun steps up a bit quicker, heading for Shen Wei. He reaches out one of his hands to attempt to catch one of the Dixingren's upper arms, to attempt to stop him. This might go poorly. "Shen Wei, please. If you want to fight someone so badly, fight me. Hit me, hurt me, I'm the one you're angry with, I'm the one who deserves it," he says, his tone sincere. This might not be the greatest idea he's had, but on the other hand it might work. "If you'll grant me the chance for it, I'll tell you what I can of what happened," he adds. Even if he doesn't know all of the details, he can at least share what little he does know.
Shen Wei	Oh yes. Someone is /not/ happy. The glare he shoots at the Haixingren full of anger and hurt. He's still unsteady on his feet, too. The drunkeness is not going to go away very easily. Not at all. But he's not so drunk he doesn't notice the hand coming to his upper arm. He lets it land and then swings to Bai Wuyun. But he doesn't say anything. Oh no. That would be too easy. He lifts his opposite hand and takes hold of Bai Wuyun's hand on his upper arm. And for a moment, it seems like he might squeeze the hand or pat it. Alas, neither is meant to be. He lifts the hand away from his arm and lets go. Shen Wei's eyes lift to meet the Haixingren's. He doesn't say anything at all before he turns to walk away. Onward, once more, toward his cabin. It would seem that Bai Wuyun is going to have to try harder if he wants that chance granted.
Bai Wuyun	Though he sees the anger and hurt in the glare that he receives, there's little that Bai Wuyun can do to ease it if Shen Wei isn't going to listen to him. And even then, even if Shen Wei will listen to him, there's no guarantee that it will end up helping. One of his eyebrows quirks up just a touch, and he tilts his head faintly to one side when Shen Wei's hand comes to rest upon his own. He glances towards his hand there, then turns his dark gaze back to the Dixingren. That moment, that skin to skin contact between the pair of them, is all that needs -- there's magic that slips from him to Shen Wei, his healing easing into him to alleviate the drunkenness, to remove it from him. He doesn't offer any argument at all when his hand is pried away, for it at least gave him that opportunity. Bai Wuyun exhales a breath in a soft sigh, and he lowers his hand to his side. "Shen Wei," he says softly, his brow wrinkling. He moves to step after the Dixingren, the movements smooth and soft. He doesn't let Shen Wei simply leave, no -- instead, he follows after Shen Wei, towards his cabin, and again he reaches out to attempt to place his hand on one of Shen Wei's upper arms. To try to stop him. "Shen Wei, I died," he says softly, his gaze holding on the Dixingren. "For three days, and for three nights, I was dead. I know you don't want to hear this, but it needs to be said. The fourth night, I woke up. No one knows why. Not me, not anyone else. No one has an explanation for what happened," he explains, the words sincere and honest. "I took the name of Bai Wuyun for a reason, Shen Wei. I can't do all of the same things now as I could before, and there is... a cloudbank, within my mind, obscuring all of the memories that had been where it now is. There are things and people that I only know from stories that I've been told," he says, still in that same sincere tone. There are other emotions there in his voice as well, for even now, even with all the years in between, it still distresses and bothers him (among other things) that he can't remember.
Shen Wei	Shen Wei clearly has no interest at all in listening to the Haixingren. Nor any intent to do so. And then the drunkenness is gone. Entirely. Shen Wei bares his teeth at Bai Wuyun. Never had been one with any ability to hide his emotions. At all. And those emotions show clearly, now. The anger is stronger, the hurt not any less so. Jerking away, Shen We points a finger at Bai Wuyun. "No." One word. That's all. He doesn't want to hear any explanations. Doesn't want to hear any reasons or excuses. He turns again, and resumes his stalking toward his cabin. His stride is entirely even, now. Fully as graceful as he'd ever been. But now he frowns. He'd gotten drunk for a reason, and the emotions that he'd at least somewhat blunted are back in force. Despite having said 'no', that he didn't wat to listen, the words are spoken anyway. Shen Wei stops, and bows his head. He sighs. "Leave me alone." The words are soft. They are not rushed. Each one is spoken and enunciated clearly, in their native language. He needs to come to terms with this on his own. To somehow wrap his brain around it. And that isn't going to happen swiftly. Certainly not in a period of less than a full day.
Bai Wuyun	The Haixingren can't help but to notice the emotions within the Dixingren for as clearly as what they're showing. The anger, the hurt, and all the rest. All he wants to do is try to make it better. To make sure that Shen Wei hears it from him rather than hearing it from any other. Isn't that the fair thing to do? How would Shen Wei feel to hear it from someone other than him? He won't take the risk of it seeming a betrayal if he doesn't say what needs to be said himself. He doesn't try for taking Shen Wei's arm a second time, and instead he lowers his hand to his side. His brow furrows, and he gives a small shake of his head. He can't take the words back from having spoken them. He offers what he can, the few pieces of information that he knows. Perhaps it will grant some peace to Shen Wei, or perhaps not. It's not as though what happened to him was an every day occurrence or anywhere remotely common -- it wasn't. And he says it even though Shen Wei had said no. He takes half a step closer to Shen Wei, then stops. He considers Shen Wei's request for a moment, and then he gives a small nod. "No one could have predicted or expected what happened," he says quietly, a gentle tone to his words. He lifts his right hand, and he pulls free a small white clay bottle from his pocket of air. This, he offers to Shen Wei. "While I'm not going to encourage you to return to your previous drunken state, I did remove it from you, so... peach wine," he says softly, giving a small nod. He glances briefly to the bottle, then back to Shen Wei. A peace offering, of sorts? It might be, or it might be intended as one, at least.
Shen Wei	Worse. Topping off the emotions is shame. Hesitation and distrust are floating around there too, but less obvious than the shame. And disgust. Why he's feeling these things, or who they're directed at, is impossible to know. And Shen Wei doesn't know how to express himself in this situation. As that step closer is taken, Shen Wei steps back an equl amount. His eyes fall to the bottle of peach wine, and he takes another step back. The peace offering is, to all appearances, rejected. Shen Wei wants nothing to do with it. Or so it would seem. But then, he darts forward and takes it before turning tail to flee. Into his cabin he goes, and the door shuts behind him. The lock can be heard snicking, sealing him within. Inside, he looks at the bottle of peach wine that had been offered, and accepted. Shen Wei lifts it and hugs it to himself.
Bai Wuyun	The Pandora's box of emotions that Shen Wei is experiencing is something that Bai Wuyun isn't going to prod at. Not today. For today, he has said enough and he has pushed enough. He's not going to question the Dixingren about his feelings, for the fellow likely needs time to sort them out. Just as he likely needs time to sort his way through all of what Bai Wuyun has pushed onto him. The bottle of wine had been willingly offered, not because he had to but because he wanted to. It had no strings attached. A small thing, and yet a big thing at the same time, a significant sort of thing. He is patient as he waits, the bottle extended and his gaze resting on Shen Wei. And even when it seems it is rejected, he still holds it out to offer it. Then Shen Wei darts forward to take it from him, and Bai Wuyun lowers his hand once it is empty of the bottle. And the Haixingren watches as Shen Wei flees with it. It's only once the door to the cabin has closed that there's a ghost of a smile that finds the corners of his lips. It could have gone worse in so many ways. He's grateful that the offering had been accepted. His gaze holds on the closed cabin door for a long moment, then he lifts his right hand to lightly rub at the back of his neck. His fingers encounter one of those small burns, and he gives a slight wince, his eyes closing as he focuses on a bit of his magic in order to heal it. He crosses to the small kitchen in order to make himself a cup of tea, and then he makes his way to the living area, slipping his shoes off before he half curls up in the corner of the couch. With his free hand, he gathers up his hair to draw it forward over one of his shoulders, letting it spill across his lap and down to the floor. The cup of tea is held in one hand, and he settles so that his head rests propped up against his other hand, that elbow resting on the arm of the couch.