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[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.]
...What are you doing?
[Is he...meditating? What is this.]
[ 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. ]
Ah, good afternoon, Hansa. I was just meditating - would you care to join me?
[ there's still a bird in his hair. ]
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.]
[Pointing at the bird. LOOK, IT'S A BIRB.]
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??? ]
[ 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??? ]
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.
[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.
[ 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...?
it pecks at his fingers. ] - Ah! [ fuck you xie lian, says the bird. ] Ahaha... would you mind helping, terribly...?
Sure.
[The bird doesn't look too pleased by another person just reaching for it, and starts to peck at Hansa's hands too, but he seems, somehow, very nonplussed. Cupping the little bird, he lifts it away from the other's hair. The bird tweets indignantly.]
There we go. [And he opens his hands - the bird shoots the two an angry little look and flies off.] Bye, bye, bird.
[The bird doesn't look too pleased by another person just reaching for it, and starts to peck at Hansa's hands too, but he seems, somehow, very nonplussed. Cupping the little bird, he lifts it away from the other's hair. The bird tweets indignantly.]
There we go. [And he opens his hands - the bird shoots the two an angry little look and flies off.] Bye, bye, bird.
[ 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.
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.
...
[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.
[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.
You don't sound alright.
[like COME ON]
What exactly happened? I heard you guys talking about monsters and illusions?
[like COME ON]
What exactly happened? I heard you guys talking about monsters and illusions?
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. ]
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. ]
Hmm.
[STILL A BIT GRUMPY!!! BECAUSE XIE LIAN!!!! But sure.]
Yeah, I'll come with you. It'd better be good tea.
[STILL A BIT GRUMPY!!! BECAUSE XIE LIAN!!!! But sure.]
Yeah, I'll come with you. It'd better be good tea.
It's one of the few things I know how to make: it will be.
[ and, they're off! i'm skipping all of the setup, so fast forward to where xie lian is holding the teapot in his hands, setting it down on the counter in the kitchen once it's all done and moving to reach for a mug-- then wincing a little as he does.
he can't reach very high right now. :(]
[ and, they're off! i'm skipping all of the setup, so fast forward to where xie lian is holding the teapot in his hands, setting it down on the counter in the kitchen once it's all done and moving to reach for a mug-- then wincing a little as he does.
he can't reach very high right now. :(]
[Okay, he's not going to watch this.]
Move aside. [Getting up to just get the mug for him.] You shouldn't be pushing yourself.
Move aside. [Getting up to just get the mug for him.] You shouldn't be pushing yourself.
If you're wincing, yes.
[He'll bring them both to the table, expecting Xie Lian to follow.]
Now, out with it. What did you go through?
[He'll bring them both to the table, expecting Xie Lian to follow.]
Now, out with it. What did you go through?
[ he does! it's a slower pace than usual, but, xie lian joins him at the table, easing down to sit. ]
...It was quite strange. I was just walking in one place, and then, I took a step, and was suddenly in another place entirely, with the others. We were separated almost immediately; Won and I were together, and we went to a room with two strange chairs, as if it were waiting for us. We sat, and the... I suppose the screen? Told us that were were going to have to fight monsters, so the both of us said "yes", we would.
Only... [ his brow furrows a little. ] ...Well, we didn't do much monster fighting, at least not physically. [ despite. everything. gestures. ]
...It was quite strange. I was just walking in one place, and then, I took a step, and was suddenly in another place entirely, with the others. We were separated almost immediately; Won and I were together, and we went to a room with two strange chairs, as if it were waiting for us. We sat, and the... I suppose the screen? Told us that were were going to have to fight monsters, so the both of us said "yes", we would.
Only... [ his brow furrows a little. ] ...Well, we didn't do much monster fighting, at least not physically. [ despite. everything. gestures. ]
[Not physically? Hansa looks dubious as he looks up and down Xie Lian.]
Must have been a lot of emotional turmoil those monsters put you through if you got injured like this, hm.
Must have been a lot of emotional turmoil those monsters put you through if you got injured like this, hm.
[ at that, xie lian glances at his cup. the corner of his mouth lifts, as if he's finding something, privately, a little ironic - or more so, that all he can really do is feel a twinge of hopeless amusement at how right that hansa is. ]
That's not where the injuries came from - at least, not mine, or Won's. For us, it was as if we were in nightmares; experiences based off of our real lives, though twisted.
[ he's moving on quickly past the emotional part of it, though, not willing to dwell. ] ...What we experienced was tied quite directly to what Miss Ochako and Archer were doing.
They were the ones engaged in combat - and the monsters they fought were somehow connected to us. Supposedly, when things were happening in our experience, the monsters fought would react accordingly... Miss Ochako and Archer were successful in defeating them. They must have fought quite valiantly - from the extent of their original injuries, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been.
That's not where the injuries came from - at least, not mine, or Won's. For us, it was as if we were in nightmares; experiences based off of our real lives, though twisted.
[ he's moving on quickly past the emotional part of it, though, not willing to dwell. ] ...What we experienced was tied quite directly to what Miss Ochako and Archer were doing.
They were the ones engaged in combat - and the monsters they fought were somehow connected to us. Supposedly, when things were happening in our experience, the monsters fought would react accordingly... Miss Ochako and Archer were successful in defeating them. They must have fought quite valiantly - from the extent of their original injuries, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been.
Oh. So you were essentially...you were the ones behind their fights. That's horrible.
[He frowns. Turning people against each other, or at the very least, using them as tools to hurt others is something that he doesn't like thinking about.]
Do you know what they fought?
[He frowns. Turning people against each other, or at the very least, using them as tools to hurt others is something that he doesn't like thinking about.]
Do you know what they fought?
[ he shakes his head. ]
I'm not sure. I wasn't aware it was happening - I only found out after the fact. But... these injuries - [ a pause, as he reaches to touch his chest, gingerly. ] -- they weren't from that, either.
According to Miss Ochako and Archer, when they defeated the monsters, they entered the same room that we were in, we had all the same injuries that monsters did -- that is to say, we were dead.
I'm not sure. I wasn't aware it was happening - I only found out after the fact. But... these injuries - [ a pause, as he reaches to touch his chest, gingerly. ] -- they weren't from that, either.
According to Miss Ochako and Archer, when they defeated the monsters, they entered the same room that we were in, we had all the same injuries that monsters did -- that is to say, we were dead.
..........Well, that's a bad joke.
[Implying the monsters were those people! For shame!]
But wait, was it a copy of you two that died? Or did you two actually die?
[Implying the monsters were those people! For shame!]
But wait, was it a copy of you two that died? Or did you two actually die?
Well, death is a bit complicated for me... but we were quite dead.
Miss Ochako informed us that they had something they could inject us with to revive us, with drastic side effects. They acted, to do so and the "monster's" injuries were healed.
However, when I awoke again... [ and here, now, something flickers across his face. he's told the story calmly up to this point, with few reactions, but as he remembers, xie lian feels the frustration well up in his chest, and he looks down into his cup, gripping it tighter. ]
...I wasn't myself. It was as if I were possessed.
Miss Ochako informed us that they had something they could inject us with to revive us, with drastic side effects. They acted, to do so and the "monster's" injuries were healed.
However, when I awoke again... [ and here, now, something flickers across his face. he's told the story calmly up to this point, with few reactions, but as he remembers, xie lian feels the frustration well up in his chest, and he looks down into his cup, gripping it tighter. ]
...I wasn't myself. It was as if I were possessed.
[He watches Xie Lian's reaction, and his own grip tightens on his mug, not out of frustration, but a deep uptick of anger. It reminds him too much of what he's seen from certain creatures who use others as puppets, as extensions of themselves to destroy others.]
...
[He stares down at his tea, deeply frowning.]
And let me guess. You were made to fight Ochako and Archer.
...
[He stares down at his tea, deeply frowning.]
And let me guess. You were made to fight Ochako and Archer.
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