Liu scaps

Scraps to do with Wei Tang Liu. 
==Glimpses of the Seams==
(by MayQueen517; Originally posted here on April08/2018.)
:shmoo92 asked: Vanessa and Liu!
(Liu is from @shmoo92​s own headcanon of Liu being the Weis next of kin. Hannibal Chau is a figurehead for one of Liu’s many fronts) (and that’s what you missed on WRITE ALL THE SPITEFIC)
I’m just gonna go ahead and headcanon that this is in the Jaeger Ladies universe!
.
“Tendo, my love, can I ask you for a favor?” Vanessa asks, grinning and sending a wink to Alison across the table. Hermann snorts into his lunch as Tendo cants his eyes over.
“You only call me love when you want something. What, Ness?” he asks, amused and fond as Alison turns to start talking to Hermann, clearly ready to ignore Tendo and Vanessa. Since piloting together, Vanessa finds that she and Hermann orbit Alison and Tendo more than ever before.
“Tell me you have more of those synapses I use in my prosthetic,” she says, propping her chin on her hand as Tendo huffs out a laugh, smirking over at her. The purple shadows beneath his eyes shine dully in the light, pulling the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes further down. He’s exhausted - all of them are, in the last days of war - and Vanessa feels a deep affection and concern for him.
“Gave the last ones over to Sasha this morning, I’m afraid. You’ll have to go see Liu for those,” Tendo says as Vanessa groans, flopping to the table.
That, to be fair, might be a problem.
.
“Vanessa, you don’t call, you only see me when you want something. I’m starting to feel unloved,” Liu says as Vanessa is ushered through the door. The duster is a dead-giveaway as to Liu’s mood so Vanessa smiles and accepts the squeeze of her forearm as though the two are preparing for battle.
Vanessa has gotten to know Liu in every form but the duster is a particular favorite.
“Well, darling, you know how Shatterdome life is. Besides, your cousins send their love,” she says, handing over the packet of letters (Cheung always gives her a pained expression; his feelings on Liu are the most complicated and Vanessa knows it’s hard when Liu as a person is so complicated. Vanessa takes the letters because that’s the trade-off for the Weis giving her Liu’s location, but she always finds herself wishing the cousins were closer).
“They are good boys,” Liu says, dismissively, but Vanessa knows the regard held for the triplets. They were once street kids, after all, and street kids take care of one another, no matter what.
“And you?”
“Well, I’m not a boy today,” Liu says with a wink.
The flirting is familiar. One that defines her friendship with Liu and Vanessa accepts the seat gracefully. Tea is brought out and even though the meeting is held in a derelict warehouse, it’s easy to forget that she’s not in the most expensive of tea halls.
“I suppose you’ll do,” Vanessa says, letting her eyes skate over androgynous features as Liu hums, sitting on the edge of some rubble, left there by either a Kaiju or a Jaeger; either one is as likely as the other. Vanessa has always been the one to chat with Liu - after she needed a prosthetic, Liu had provided the materials and it had been the jump she needed after the amputation.
“How is your leg?” Liu asks, divining the reason behind Vanessa’s visit. She pulls the list from her pocket, along with one of the chocolate bars she had brought with her from the Russians.
“It’s doing well, but it’s time for an upgrade. I’m getting a little too much feedback from this. But we’re out of synapses,” she says, handing the list and the chocolate over. Liu sniffs the bar and throws it behind the desk - it’s a practiced move and Vanessa knows that chocolate is one of the dearest things out there now. Inflation raising prices nearly two hundred percent; but the Russians can get anything for a price.
“I’ll see what we can do,” Liu says, dismissing the guards with the list before sitting beside Vanessa.
“Now that business is done, let’s talk about fun things. How’s your Jaeger?”
.
Vanessa walks back into the Shatterdome smugly, greeting Tendo with a flourish.
“Your parts,” she says as he rolls his eyes. Nearby, scaling Vesta, Alison barks out a laugh as Vanessa smacks a kiss into Tendo’s cheek.
“How do you do it? Always coming back with more than we asked for, I mean,” Tendo says, laughing finally. The shadows under his eyes are slightly lessened and Vanessa nods to herself, knowing that Tendo is the one working hardest out of any of them.
“I just ask,” Vanessa says, breezily, walking off to find Hermann and be congratulated for a job well done. 
==Stealth==
Liu wants to be stealthy. The knife has other ideas. 
LY’s in the tiny designated ‘kitchen’ space scooping rice into a bowl—
/THUNK above her head—
LY’s insides lurch evey which way. 
—from a knife buried deep in the cupboard?
Lulu sweeps by, absolutely livid, and storms into the washroom. 
LY blinks.
A voice nearby sings, “YOU CAN DANCE~” 
LY ... says to the knife, “Did you just sing?”
“YOU CAN JIIIVE~!!!!”
Lulu, from behind the door, “”SHUT. UP.””
LY stifles a giggle. 
“HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIIIIIIIFE~”
Lulu shrieks; there’s a clatter, and the water starts running. 
LY does giggle as she gathers up her supper. 
“OOOOH SEE THAT GIRL~”
She slides onto the couch. ”Lulu, did that knife ruin—“
“”I do NOT want to talk about it!””
“WATCH THAT SCENE~”
With a perfectly straight face, LY replies, “You got it!”
“DIG IN THE DANCING QUEEN~”
LY dissolves into giggles.
==Liu & Ori==
===2nd Time===
The second time Ori worked for Liu ... they don't talk about the second time. 
[A fancy party]
"What happened? Are you hurt?" 
Liu grins, teeth bloodied, forces out, "Not anymore." 
.
Ori rounds the corner onto the homestretch and winces--found a stray fluorescent light, apparently. He knocks on a door and opens it--
Shadows scatter into the corners--
It's just the light. Seems he's still jumpy. 
Ori says to the bed and the combat boots and floral dress sticking off it, "Your mom's asking for you."
Lulu says, ""I know."", slithers down, and strolls passed him. 
"Hold it."
Lulu stops. 
"Lemme get that." Ori brushes Lulu's hair away--no new tattoos or marks he can see--unknots the ties and redoes a bow. "There." Pats Lulu's back--skin temperature's normal--"All set."
Liu steps away, turns, bows. "Thank you, Mr Cohen." 
"No problem, kid." 
Liu spins back around and trots off, shadow bobbing along and very dark in the harsh light. 
===X===
[Liu's gotten stabbed]
Nothing good ever happens in Nevada. He never should've come back. 
"Then why did you?"
"I wasn't aware I was speaking out loud."
Fucking thermostat. 
"You weren't."
.
"Will you tell ... /It to stop breathing down my neck?"
"It?"
Daiyu gives him a Look. 
"I honestly don't know. It's been going on for years, but whenever I ask I just get a smirk."
Liu laughs like a dying squeaky toy. "Most you're ever gonna get."
"Quit the snark and call off your pet."
"Not a pet." Wheezes. "Business partner."
==Liu and LY==
===Liu and LY getting engaged===
Liu's parents were pretty much certain that no one under the sun would marry (or stay married to) Liu. LY’s parents, on the other hand, were distressed by her lack of interest in finding a spouse. 
>Pickle-plum: (Already sounds like a match made in heaven. XD ); Shmoo92: (They're perfect for each other in such a weird way! XD ); Pickle-plum: (Certainly seems that way!)
 
The parents got to talking at one of the reunions and realized they both a) had the same problem and b) had an opportunity to solve that problem. It's not /perfect (they don't exactly /gain anything in terms of status (Liu's family outranks LY’s but they're on the underworld side of the clan, so.) but it's literally as good as it gets so they compromise and arrange for them and their kids to Meet.
The Meeting is at a traditional restaurant; the parents get their own table while Liu and LY have their own spot a table over. >(Liu keeps insisting on wearing a dress and I'm like, 'don't push it, please'); Pickle-plum: Well, might as well get that aspect of himself out in the open right away.; Shmoo92:I really love the image of these two young ladies in sun dresses and floppy hats sparkling at each other over tea (with anxious parents Not Watching nearby); Pickle-plum: it /is a great image.<
===Apartment===
Ms Wei’s apartment isn’t the tiniest flat on the market and it’s by no means spacious, but it has a (tiny) kitchen, it fits all her stuff (ie her bed’s in one corner, one doesn’t sit at the table on chairs, one sits on the couch, and the walls are covered in posters and photos), and the shower’s big enough that she doesn’t hit her elbows /each time she uses it. Her flat’s right by a train station, the commute’s less than an hour, and she only has two transfers. The most important aspect, though, is that she can afford it herself. 
A knock—
Lanying heaves a sigh, noms her yoghurt spoon, answers the door. 
From behind her, “”You need a better lock.””
“???” LY turns—
Lulu winces—“I’m sorry, that was—Can we—Can I try this again?”
Eyebrow raised, LY steps back, Offers the door. 
Lulu slips by.
===Painting===
One of the first 'gifts' Liu gives Ms Wei is a multimillion dollar masterpiece of some sort that he doesn't actually tell her about, just moves some stuff around on the walls and hangs it up.
>Pickle-plum: Liu, sweetheart, that's not ... *sigh*<
 
The theft /was featured on the news a couple days later. 
Ms Wei's like, 'where have I seen that painting before ...'
>Pickle-plum: Liu, /no ....<
Once she has her lightbulb moment, she asks Liu about it--"Is this stolen?" 
"What? No. That was a very good forgery." 
"Phew!" 
"This's the real one." 
"O_o" 
"It was just sitting in the warehouse? I thought it might look nice here"
===How Vanessa actually enters Liu's orbit===
>pickle-plum: !!!<
 
Liu has Ori running errands and doing audits and all sorts of stuff, and then ori gets a text from Vanessa: 
She wants to know if he maaaybe knew someone in her area who could deal with a former roommate who doesn't get the 'former' part (it's worse than it sounds). They’re a creep or just irritating and Vanessa wants them /gone from her apartment. Like, 'hey do you know someone who can break a creep's kneecaps'. 
Ori's like, 'i know lots of people who can break kneecaps including myself when and where?', calls in a vacatation day, and ditches all of Liu's errands, and heads off. 
 
Liu's like, 'wait what this person isn't on your 'drop everything and leave' list' and investigates. 
So while Ori intimidates people, Liu’s probably lurking around for like two minutes until Ori catches him, hauls him over to an out-of-the-way corner of the apartment, and sits him down with orders not to move (liu's too curious to be insulted). 
Vanessa sits down there too, wanting to also be out of the way.
 
It’s an absolutely beautiful image: Liu and Vanessa sitting awkwardly in chairs while goons go back and forth moving out the roommate’s stuff >Pickle-plum: yes, this would be delightfully awkward.< and mightily attempt small talk. 
Liu's like, 'So he's just getting rid of the trash or someting?' 
‘Yea, and hoping for some advice on a security system that's better than a baseball bat'. 
Liu's ego's like, 'there's only /one person to ask about security systems.'
>Pickle-plum: uh oh.<
Vanessa comes home a week later and there's an entire crew of people vacuuming the carpet, washing the walls, straightening the furniture, and otherwise tidying her apartment; the place smells strongly of soldering and fresh paint, and Liu's at the counter poking a tablet
after getting a summary of events. >Pickle-plum: oh boy.<
 
After getting a summary of events, Vanessa's like, 'I bet you do this for everyone you swoop in and rescue.'
'Only for the people I like.' 
'Oh, you /like me now?' 
'O_o' 
'?' 
'O_o' 
"That was a joke--" 
"I have a fiancee" 
'o_O'
>Pickle-plum: oh liu, sweetie. small talk is not your thing.
Shmoo92: did he use all his 'charisma' stats on 'manipulating' or something? XD
Pickle-plum: pretty much. XD
Pickle-plum: liu's that rare person who can critical miss on idle chitchat.
Shmoo92: >SNORK<
Shmoo92: i think i actually have some noodle in my nose from that
Pickle-plum: you're welcome~!
Shmoo92: >hugs tightly!!!<
Shmoo92: so the whole rewiring one's aparment for an awesome security system is absolutely hilarious because this is exactly the same thing that liu does to ms wei's apartment except she'd 'won' a spa vacation so he had all weekend to get the smell of paint out of the place
Shmoo92: and was a better parallel when vanessa said something about girlfriends<
"/You. Have a /fiancée." 
"Yes." 
"Really." 
"Yes--I'll have you two meet." 
"I look forward to it."
So Liu invites LY to coffee with Vanessa. 
Vanessa sets eyes on Ms Wei and inhales half a cup of tea, eventually croaking, 'You exist!' 
Liu, 'offended', "Do you really think I would lie to you?" 
Vanessa ... "don't change the subject." Straightens, says to Ms Wei, "I’m sorry, it's just that of all the things I associated with, well, ..., a fiancée's pretty much at the bottom of the list. It's less of a stretch for you to have a dog, actually." 
Ms Wei says, "If it helps, it’s arranged." 
"Yea, hard to see you going on a date." 
"That's what we're doing later! We're going to see that new rom-com--" 
"Oooo, the one with that Hindu actress?" 
"Yea!" 
"I /love her!" 
"So do I!" 
Half of Liu's like, 'yay! favourite people are getting along!' while the other half is worrying that this is a huuuuuge mistake.
Category:Scraps
Category:Ficlet
Category:Liu
Category:Liu (ficlet)
Category:Vanessa
Category:Vanessa (ficlet)