XIE LIAN CATCH-ALL

[robopriest]

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day 0, late afternoon

[robopriest]

[Someone is back in the forest near the bridge, it seems. At least, that's what Hansa sees - his hands in his pockets, he wanders up to Xie Lian, giving him a curious look. There...are a lot of cute animals around, huh.]

...What are you doing?

[Is he...meditating? What is this.]

[dianxias]

[ there sure are! there's a bird perched on top of xie lian's bun, sitting there as if it's going to make it into a nest. he's perfectly at peace, eyes closed, in tune with the world around him, and when hansa speaks to him, xie lian inhales, exhales, and then opens his eyes to greet him with a calm smile. ]

Ah, good afternoon, Hansa. I was just meditating - would you care to join me?

[ there's still a bird in his hair. ]

[robopriest]

Well, sure. But you...do realize you've got yourself a friend on your head, do you?

[Pointing at the bird. LOOK, IT'S A BIRB.]

[dianxias]

Oh...?

[ xie lian attempts to look up at the bird, and naturally fails. it's making a nest out of his bun, currently, plucking out strands as it sees fit. ] Um, that's fine. I didn't think I'd been out here that long.

[ should. should he move? probably not??? ]

[robopriest]

Haha. You sort of look like one of those princesses from those movies - you know, the one who sings to all the woodland creatures, and they just come up because they love her that much.

[me closing my eyes at the fact HANSA MIGHT HAVE SEEN DISNEY FILMS]

Anyways, if you don't mind it making a home on your head, you should try to shoo it away.

[dianxias]

[ you are saying words that mean nothing to him atm so xie lian just nods kind of blankly, and then starts to reach up for the bird!

it pecks at his fingers. ] - Ah! [ fuck you xie lian, says the bird. ] Ahaha... would you mind helping, terribly...?

w1 thursday... closes eyes...

[dianxias]

[ hello, hansa!

xie lian is supposed to be in bed, probably. he is not, currently, in bed, coming back from the river with a ball of wet white clothing draped over his arm. when he spots his fellow priest, he has a greeting for him, bowing his head politely, though not as far as usual.

his voice still sounds like he smoked a pack of cigarettes but that's fine. ] Hansa, good evening.

[robopriest]

...

[Someone looks grouchy.]

Good evening. I heard that you and the others got up to quite a lot last night. What are you going walking around? You should be resting.

[dianxias]

[ ... don't look at him like that! ]

Ah, well, nothing's bleeding... I'm alright. [ ? ] Besides, I couldn't let my clothes sit like that much longer. It takes a long time to get blood out of them.

[robopriest]

You don't sound alright.

[like COME ON]

What exactly happened? I heard you guys talking about monsters and illusions?

[dianxias]

Ahah... [ oh, yeah, that. he gives him a small, sheepish smile. ]

It is a bit of a long tale. I was on my way back to hang these up and make a pot of tea. Would you like to join me...? I can tell you what happened. [ and tea will help with that! talking hurts. ]

[robopriest]

Hmm.

[STILL A BIT GRUMPY!!! BECAUSE XIE LIAN!!!! But sure.]

Yeah, I'll come with you. It'd better be good tea.

week 1 post execution

[robopriest]

[Hansa is just cross-legged and sitting down in the garden here, in full Anakin Skywalker getup. Don't judge him, his other outfit was torn. He looks up when Xie Lian walks up, gesturing to the plants around him - he looks. Very tired.]

Hey. Do you recognize any of these, Xie Lian?

wow i love when i completely miss entire pcs

[dianxias]

[ hello, hansa! xie lian's walking a little slowly when he spots him, and he gives a small nod in greeting, then looks from plant to plant. ]

...I don't, but I thought perhaps they may have been from some far flung future. Why do you ask, Hansa...?

[robopriest]

No big reason. [A beat.] Actually, the only thing is that I was thinking of those girls. You know, the ones who said they were feeling funny?

Some plants, if prepared right, can have medical effects like that. I'm not a big plant expert, though.

[dianxias]

[ why are you asking god if you want to get high.

he tilts his head. ] Like an incense, or something of the like...? I really can only identify poisons every now and then, and the occasional medicinal herb, and even that's by trial and error.

[robopriest]

[why not,]

I see. Wait...trial and error?

[STARING...]

Do you poison yourself often, Xie Lian?

[dianxias]

[ .... ]


Um... not recently?

week 2 post trial

[dianxias]

[ here it is the world's worst pc starter

by which i mean once things have settled enough, xie lian flags hansa down with a little wave of his sleeve, when they get a quiet moment. let's find somewhere to walk and talk! ]

I know that you must have questions, my friend... thank you, for your patience in waiting for me.

[robopriest]

Not a problem, Xie Lian.

[He gives him a light, appreciative smile.]

I knew you'd have it handled. I just didn't know what to expect.

[dianxias]

I wish I had had it handled just a bit faster.

[ still, he has a little bit of an appreciative smile for that, too, matching. ]

...It wasn't an item. I don't think that an item can last that long. San Lang started acting oddly towards Claude on Wednesday, and it clearly hasn't stopped. I don't think it's going to stop tonight, or maybe even tomorrow, either.

I have a working theory that the Realm through a leader may have specifically gifted someone an ability to make such a thing happen.

[robopriest]

It definitely wasn't an item.

[Xie Lian pretty much says what he was suspecting, after hearing what he and Soo-won had said. Which is...worrying.]

[Hansa folds his arm, scowling.]

If its a gifted ability, why give an ability like that? Do they want to cause more chaos?

[dianxias]

I think that is exactly why.

This started happening on Wednesday. San Lang made his proclamation about gathering resources and all on Monday, did he not? That gave someone time to find someone else that he may often communicate with, and then use this ability somehow. By that point, he had already established himself as someone who takes control of what has become a major part of this process each week.

On the other hand, Claude is clever, and observant. He also helps to lead us in these trials, in one way or another - he often has bright theories. He and San Lang are both guaranteed to be involved in many of the proceedings, in some way.

I had wondered, at first, if someone was simply trying to target San Lang, and not Claude. But, if you would have such an ability, and wanted to target him... wouldn't I have been the more natural choice? It would have caused San Lang a great amount of distress to suddenly despise me, both during the week and after.

But, that wasn't the case.

I think it is because the gifted ability was gifted to create chaos. They had several small arguments during the trial today, each of which caught attention, which eventually culminated into a large one - right at the moment when San Lang was preparing to take over the body check.

If I had been targeted, I wouldn't have argued; I have more patience than Claude and San Lang combined, and San Lang can be... childish, sometimes. [ some gentle shade thrown at both of them but ain't it just the truth. there is a reason his hua cheng gets along so well with a teenager. ]

So, my thought is perhaps that someone who was involved with one of the two killings this week did it on purpose, in order to both incapacitate two people in times when we need to be utterly focused, and also to sow seeds of discord.

w3 tuesday

[robopriest]

[Guess who is sitting outside the inn! Hansa swivels his head when he hears Xie Lian approach. The first thing he should notice is that he has taken off his eyepatch.]

[The second thing he should notice is the strange right eye - a crystal set in metal, lens within swiveling and adjusting as he looks around.]

Hm? Who's there?

[dianxias]

[ oh...! fascinating... xie lian should not stare, but he is absolutely staring. this eyeball reminds him of something almost immediately.

when he's called out to, he jumps, a little surprised. ] -- Hansa, hello! It's Xie Lian... have you lost your sight, this week?