The sun was setting, casting a warm golden hue over the school’s courtyard. Perched on the edge of a large oak tree branch, Artemis ruffled her feathers, giving a soft hoot of contentment. Below, on a nearby bench, Wei sat quietly, gazing up at the sky. His talons rested gently on the wood, and his wings curled slightly behind him, giving him an almost statuesque appearance.
Artemis blinked, her sharp eyes flicking down to Wei, who had been sitting there for a while, lost in thought. While Sterling was busy grading papers in his classroom, Artemis had taken the opportunity to stretch her wings and escape to her favorite gossip spot. Normally, the owl wasn’t one to chat with the students or teachers. But Wei? He was different. Even without speaking, Wei had a way of expressing himself that Artemis found both fascinating and refreshing.
She fluttered down from her branch, landing delicately on the back of the bench beside Wei. Wei glanced over at her and smiled—a soft, silent acknowledgment. Artemis, pleased with the attention, hooted in greeting.
"Rough day?" Artemis asked, her voice a soft, melodic hum in the way only birds could communicate with each other.
Wei shrugged, his wings giving a subtle lift before settling back down. He gestured to the sky with one hand, his other tapping the flute that lay beside him.
"Ah," Artemis hooted, understanding. "You’ve been playing your heart out, haven’t you? You’ve got to watch it, or Tixo will start hovering again."
Wei tilted his head, eyes twinkling mischievously. He held his hands out wide, mimicking Tixo’s usual animated gestures whenever the Tabaxi started talking a mile a minute. His feathers shook with silent laughter.
Artemis hooted a few laughs of her own. "I don’t know how you manage it. The moment you so much as bat an eye at him, Tixo looks like he’s about to short-circuit."
Wei mimicked the expression Tixo always made whenever he tried to flirt and ended up flustered instead. His eyes widened dramatically, mouth half open in shock, and Artemis burst into a series of low hoots, clearly enjoying the mimicry.
"Oh, it’s priceless," Artemis agreed. "But Sterling’s been watching all this and says Tixo might actually implode one day if you keep it up."
Wei’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, his hand covering his mouth as he glanced away, amused by the thought of Tixo collapsing into a pile of flustered embarrassment. Then, he gestured toward the school building, his wings making a subtle motion in the direction of Ryuji and Thorne’s rooms.
Artemis’s amber eyes sparkled. "Oh, don’t even get me started on those two. They act like it’s all meditation and training, but I’ve seen them. Thorne has this little smile whenever Ryuji shows up to the greenhouse—he pretends it’s nothing, but he’s always got that ‘I see you’ look in his eyes."
Wei raised an eyebrow and made a meditative pose, imitating Thorne's calm and collected exterior. Then, he mimicked Ryuji’s sharp stance, complete with a hand resting on an imaginary sword hilt.
"Exactly!" Artemis hooted. "And don’t think Ryuji’s immune to it either. He’s always calm, but the minute Thorne says something nice, he gets all serious, like he’s trying not to smile."
Wei raised his hands to his face, pressing them together as if deep in prayer. His eyes squeezed shut, like Ryuji holding back any hint of emotion. Then, Wei exaggerated a long sigh and let his head droop as if he'd lost his battle against his feelings.
Artemis cackled in her owl-like way. "Perfect! You’ve got them pegged."
Wei’s eyes glinted as he pointed a clawed finger toward the building again, this time in the direction of Greyson’s room. He cocked his head and lifted his hand as if holding a scythe, perfectly mimicking Greyson’s imposing stance.
Artemis blinked, then gave a soft, knowing hoot. "Oh, Greyson. That one thinks he’s all doom and gloom, but we both know better, don’t we? You should hear the way Sterling talks about him when they’re alone. Sterling’s not the gossiping type, but I swear, whenever Greyson comes up, there’s this soft tone he gets. You can practically hear the affection."
Wei made a dramatic sweeping gesture, imitating Greyson's dark cloak. Then, in contrast, he mimicked Sterling’s calm, soft-spoken demeanor, his face gentle and serene. He held his heart for emphasis, conveying the softer side Sterling showed only when talking about Greyson.
"Exactly!" Artemis hooted. "It’s always like that. You’d think Greyson was made of shadows, but the way Sterling sees him, it’s like Greyson’s just some big, misunderstood softie."
Wei’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he picked up his flute, bringing it to his lips for a brief, playful melody. The notes were light, teasing, capturing the essence of the pair’s contrasting dynamic.
"And what about your friends, Wei?" Artemis asked, turning her sharp gaze on him. "You’ve been awfully quiet about them lately. How’s Ren and Onyx doing? Still playing the power couple?"
Wei’s wings lifted in a playful shrug, and he pressed his palms together, imitating Ren’s diplomatic, composed gestures. Then, with a sly smile, he formed his fingers into claws, mimicking Onyx’s more assertive, fiery demeanor.
Artemis tilted her head in thought. "They balance each other out pretty well, don’t they? Ren’s all regal and composed, and Onyx... well, he’s got that fire in him. The one that scares everyone else off but seems to keep Ren steady."
Wei nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips as he thought about his friends. He played a brief, wistful melody on the flute, capturing the harmony between Ren and Onyx.
Artemis let out a soft coo, her feathers ruffling as she settled into a comfortable spot. "You know, I’m starting to think we have the best seats in the house, Wei. Watching them all stumble through their feelings like this."
Wei nodded in agreement, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He gave Artemis a gentle pat on her head, which she accepted with a proud hoot.
"You and I," Artemis continued, "we’re the real observers. We see everything, and honestly? It’s entertaining."
Wei’s soft smile turned into a wide grin, and he gestured to the sky, his hand sweeping over the horizon as if to say, "And we get to keep watching."
Artemis hooted in satisfaction. "Exactly. We’re the keepers of all their little secrets. Not that we’d ever tell, of course. But it’s fun to watch them all figure it out."
Wei pressed a finger to his lips, his wings folding around him like a cloak. Secret safe. Artemis gave an approving nod, and together, the two settled back into their quiet companionship, content to watch their friends from the sidelines, knowing they had front-row seats to the drama and love unfolding around them.
