[ hm. yin yu's observant enough to see that, but, he's also not going to pry, not now. if flayn wants to tell him, she will, and he'll be there to listen. any worry on his face fades into a smaller, softer smile, watching her talk delightedly about her home. ]
That sounds wonderful. [ it certainly sounds like the kind of place flayn would love. something full of life and joy. and to have family there, and friends... a kind existence, indeed. for her to return safely to this when its all over again will be imperative. ] It sounds a bit like a sect, in that respect. [ familiar... old, old memories, but familiar. ] Is that where you met Lord Dimitri as well?
...well, I suppose in some ways it is a religious sect...?
[hmm. does it count? there's differences between the central church, the eastern church, and the western church, but they all follow the same teachings at their core. flayn looks thoughtful as she considers that.
...but then her expression falls again at his last question.]
In a manner of speaking. [...] My memories and Dimitri's... they do not quite line up. I am... not certain that we shall be going back to the same version of the monastery, once we leave this place.
[which is a frightening thought, if she's being honest.]
[ oh... some kind of alternate timeline, or something...? it's not completely implausible.... ]
...How interesting. [ what a strange possibility. to think, that there are different versions of different worlds. is there a world where yin yu dianxia is still around, in the west?
...that's a depressing thought. hm. let's shove that down and ignore it. ] ...even so, I'm glad that there's at least a small amount of familiarity for you, at least, Lady Flayn, even if it's a bit odd. Your world seems quite different than mine.
[ but, he likes hearing about it, goes unsaid. it's pretty obvious, though. ]
...I am glad for having had the chance to get to know him better. I joined a different class than his, in my world, so I did not have many opportunities to spend time with him before.
[she wishes that she'd been able to, though. the dimitri she's come to know can't be that different from the dimitri of her own world, can he? given the opportunity, they've proven they can be friends.]
It does... I would like to hear more about your world sometime, though. That is, if you would not mind sharing.
[ there's a moment's pause, as he seems to think, but.
eventually, he turns his head to look at her properly. he sounds a little hesitant, but not scared--more awkward. well, it's not that anyone ever really thinks to ask, and he doesn't want to tell her something boring....
but flayn asked, so, he'll do his best. ] ...What do you want to know?
flayn considers it. there are plenty of questions she could ask - and will ask, if he doesn't seem too uncomfortable with it. but for now, she'll just start with one.]
You said before that Ghost City was full of a wide variety of different types of people... [ghosts. demons. gods.] But what is your favorite place within Ghost City?
[ oh... that's an interesting question. he pauses, for a moment, trying to think--the city unfolds in his mind's eye, red, shining lanterns, the hustle and bustle of ghosts, paradise manor looming in the background. he knows it in and out, every street and corner, every busker, every stall.
...and therefore, it doesn't take him too long to answer. ] There is a stall owned by two elderly spirits in the northwest corner of the city. Most of the food in the Ghost City is... [ .............. ] ....an acquired taste, but, they use ingredients that are common to the Western half of my country, and it's always very good. I helped them with a business issue a long while ago, so, they usually greet me when they see me.
[ it's the little things. sometimes a good meal, and a face that knew him - even if it was just as the xianxianyue officer - was enough. ]
[she wishes she could picture it half as easily. for now, she uses the little she does know of where he comes from to paint a picture of it in her mind's eye - and she can almost picture it. the couple calling out to him, a small, gentle smile on his face as he nods back to them in return...
...no, that isn't quite right, is it? he'd seemed so accustomed to wearing his mask, before; likely, it would be firmly in place.
something about that thought makes her heart hurt, just a little. yin yu is a truly wonderful person - she cannot fathom why it is so difficult for others to really see him.]
The food they make... what does it taste like? Do they talk with you, while you are waiting for it to be ready?
It's... spicy. [ his voice softens, a bit, warm with a nostalgia he rarely displays. for a minute, yin yu's recalling, too, focusing on the familiar warmth of the memory, as if he was still standing in that little stall for a break between his patrols. ] Very much so, but that is what I'm used to, so, I don't mind. It's not the most popular stand in the city, but I see humans around, sometimes.
They always insist I don't have to pay. [ and that gets a huff of a laugh. ] I always do, though. I can't say I stay around very often to chat, and..
[ he trails off, briefly. well... when he does, he usually tends to just fade into the background, anyway. that's fine. he prefers it that way. ] ...they're usually busy with chores, so I try not to bother them too much.
[spicy, huh? something about that makes flayn smile. yin yu won't have to wait long to find out what that is, though, because she speaks--]
Akira told me last week... apparently, in his world, the spicier the food, the more love in the dish.
[it's not exactly what he said - it's definitely not as widespread a sentiment as she seems to think it is - but it's kind of nice to imagine that there may not be so many differences from one world to the next.]
I am sure that they must enjoy what they do. ...and I am even more sure that they must enjoy your company, no matter how busy with chores they might be.
[ yin yu makes a soft noise, a little laugh, and that gentle smile reappears, mixed with a similar fondness. spiciness is love, is that it...? ] If that's the case, then the cuisine from my homeland is full of it.
[ it's true. he can remember, if he thinks back far enough, to gathering around the table with his shidi, with his old teachers, big bowls of steaming hotpot in the wintertime. his sect was utterly polite and didn't always speak during mealtime, but sometimes things were a little more raucous, and the food and conversation would flow. he tended to watch, on those days, fondly over his martial brothers, listening to them tell stories, yizhen sticking as close to his side as possible and swatting the hands of other members of the sect with his chopsticks, and jian yu would scold him and yin yu would ruffle his hair, and--
mm.
those memories are a little more painful than 'love'. in the end, they fell on the other side of that spectrum, didn't they?
it doesn't show much on his face, save for a brief pinch to his brows, but, yin yu returns to his conversation with flayn and sets that memory far to the side. ] Perhaps. [ he doubts his company is really worth enjoying, nowadays.
...well. maybe it is for one person. it seems to be. he doesn't know why, but, yin yu is all the more glad for it. ] At any rate, it's nice to be able to enjoy a meal that's made with the correct parts. [ his mouth twitches. ] You wouldn't want to know some of the things other shopkeepers sell.
[...but will they ever get that chance? It's possible for humans to appear in ghost city, but it isn't just the veil between the living and the dead that separates them - it's the distance between their own worlds. in all likelihood, once they do leave this place, they'll...
thinking of that future hurts, somehow, and flayn pushes it far aside as well, returning to the conversation as yin yu sets aside his memories.
she can't help but look intrigued by what he says, though.]
...I am quite certain that I would like to know, actually! How bad could it possibly be?
[is there food out there, in some world, that's worse than hers?]
It's not very... [ you asked, ] Demons and ghosts don't often eat human food, but rather.... the parts of other humans. One of the most popular butchers is a pig demon.
[ SIGHS ] That's what I meant by 'unbelievable'. There are only a few places that cater directly to human beings, instead of to demons and ghosts, and those are the only ones that I frequent. More often than not, I just eat at Paradise Manor and cook for myself.
[ see he didnt want to tell her something gross or weird or boring!!! flayn!!! yin yu ducks his head and looks away, feeling awkward and now extremely self-conscious of the weird place he spends all of his time. ] ....sorry. We don't have to talk about something like that.
well, at least the food would definitely be worse than hers. she's just not going to think too much about the whole eating humans thing. it's not like yin yu has ever eaten humans! see, he's even gone on to say that he normally just cooks food at home.]
No, it is all right - I did ask, after all... [...] What is Paradise Manor like?
that's a topic he can move onto with ease. please, allow him to paint a picture for you. ] Paradise Manor is... massive. You can see it from most places in the city-- a tall building with four curled roofs. The entire thing is painted as red as blood, and it casts a shadow over the market itself. It is my master's private residence, though I reside there, as well as a few ghosts and servants, and the manor is filled to the brim with anything and everything you could possibly imagine--I don't think even I have been to every room. In some ways, it is much like the village we visited, but... imagine it in one complex, instead of an entire village. There's an armory, a treasure hall filled with treasures beyond compare... even a hot spring, added recently. The list goes on. [ he could talk all day about paradise manor and still not describe most of the parts of it. chengzhu's 'paradise' is unbelievable, as are most things that he owns, does, or says. almost everything in the manor is, in essence, for someone else, as well...
ah, actually! that is an important feature, too... ] The Qiandeng Temple is attached directly to it, containing an altar to the Crown Prince of Xian Le, as well. Though it seems a bit odd to have a temple in a ghost city, Hua Chengzhu is more devoted perhaps to the Crown Prince than anyone would ever even dream. Every piece of it was created by Chengzhu himself, down to the murals on the walls and at the head of the altar.
...it sounds as though it would be a fascinating place to visit...
[she'd liked the village well enough. so a manor, with a variety of different things within a single complex - why not? it seems a bit much to be someone's private residence, but perhaps things work differently in ghost city.
...she kind of wants to check out the treasure hall.
but an altar - and a temple, created by yin yu's boss himself - hmmm. she smiles.]
...this Crown Prince must be of great importance to him, then.
he doesn't think hua cheng will mind. yin yu doesn't know all the details, but he knows from the stories he studies in his old days, and... from what he knows of his lord and master, too. ]
Taizi Dianxia is most well known by a nickname of his own - "The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods". His story is far before my time, but he was known as one of the four great tales of heaven. The kingdom that he lived in, Xian Le, was one of the most beautiful of our land, and was well known for having treasures, though none so rare as the crown prince himself. Taizi Dianxia's most famous act, among many, was that during a great parade at the Autumn Festival, the prince interrupted a parade that was supposed to be performed a great number of times in order to bring luck to a kingdom, because a young child fell off of the city walls in the middle of the parade. The prince leapt from the parade route, where he was supposed to perform a routine, and safely saved that child's life.
Though I don't know the specifics, I know that child grew to become a fearsome soldier, and when Taizi Dianxia ascended to the heavenly realm, became a follower of his, as well. The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods - Flower in one hand, sword in his other - was well loved by his people, and the soldier who was once a child fought valiantly for him and worshipped him, placing a single white flower in the hands of his statues when he saw them. The gods are unable to communicate with humans, but the soldier's love for the god carried him through his life.
...however, the kingdom of Xian Le suffered a terrible tragedy: a great war, and a great plague. It ended in the deaths of many, including the soldier, and the Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods fell from the heavenly realm to be a mortal, and walk among mortals, as punishment for defying the will of the heavenly emperor to attempt to save his kingdom.
As Taizi Dianxia moved through his life as a mortal, he suffered quite greatly. I don't know the specifics, but I know that it took a great act of kindness for him to reascend, only for him to be banished less than an incense stick's time later by the emperor. It made him quite a laughingstock amongst the heavenly realm, and so, immortal and unable to die, Taizi Dianxia lived a life of suffering and poverty for eight hundred years, until only recently, when he reascended again.
In my land, when a human dies with a great attachment keeping them in the world, they are unable to move on to the next life. Through those eight hundred years, that soldier who died on the battlefield in Xian Le became one of these spirits, evolving from what must have been a weak spirit flame -- [ he pauses, cupping his hands around the shape roughly of one of the little fireballs ] -- to a powerful ghost, to one of the most powerful ghosts in the land.
I'm sure you can guess who that soldier may be.
Edited (whoops sorry hc you aint that special ) 2020-06-30 00:07 (UTC)
[who else could it be, really? in fact, flayn remembers the last tale he told her of his homeland - her eyes go wide as she recalls it.]
"Crimson Rain Sought Flower"... this Taizi Dianxia must be the flower he sought, then? How lovely.
[it isn't great that the crown prince suffered. it isn't great that hua chengzhu wasn't able to move on to the next life, either. but to be able to be so attached to someone, to remember them - to be remembered...]
...have they been reunited, now that Hua Chengzhu has grown so powerful, and Taizi Dianxia has reascended?
...Of course, his royal highness is unaware that that soldier is my master, and my master has not told him. He hasn't told me either, but, I can put enough together to understand. [ yin yu doesn't quite laugh, but, his mouth twitches like he's trying to hold it back, because he's too polite. he can understand what it feels like not to deserve the love of someone else, but. ]
...Everything Chengzhu does, and has done, is in some way for Taizi Dianxia. When he eliminated the temples of 33 gods overnight, it was because they tormented Dianxia when he was at his lowest. The Ghost City exists because of Taizi Dianxia's thoughtfulness, that such a place might be nice to have. Even Paradise Manor is so named because of Taizi Dianxia's adage he said just before he ascended -- "Body in the abyss; heart in paradise."
[ so... hua cheng was hoping that xie lian's heart would reside in paradise. ] And, Taizi Dianxia's luck is, ah.... worse than anything you could ever imagine. My master has been powerful for some time, so he searched for him all of those hundreds of years, and it is only just now that they've reunited. And now that they have...
[ yin yu pauses, recalling running into the flustered cultivator in the streets of ghost city for the first time, where he shouldn't have even been. he recalls helping hua cheng track him down when they searched for the brocade immortal, completing tasks for him to help make dianxia's life easier. every night that hua cheng was gone to puji shrine, yin yu watched over the city for him, as his lord and master found the thing he had so been looking for.
he sounds fond, now. softer as he looks away. yin yu respects hua cheng greatly, and... xie lian, his royal highness, deserves so much more kindness than the world has ever given him. ] ...it seems they keep finding each other, again, and again.
For eight hundred years, my master has been Taizi Dianxia's last follower. His belief and love for him could very well be the thing that has kept Taizi Dianxia alive.
[when he tells it like that - it sounds beautiful, really. a love and a belief so strong that it could span centuries, that it could keep someone alive for that long... she's always believed that love and devotion are powerful forces.
a story like this is proof of it.
flayn hides a smile behind one hand.]
Thank you... for telling me about them. It is nice to know that even in other worlds, people are able to find happiness together.
[ yin yu nods, turning to give her a gentle smile of his own. ] ...I think so too.
[ if anything, he's glad he could share it with her. it's not a novel, but... well, chengzhu is the kind of person that is terrifying, and amazing, in many ways. but, his loyalty isn't necessarily blind. hua cheng saved yin yu's life, and hua cheng's love and loyalty for his dianxia--those are the things that have helped him to put aside the stories as part and parcel of his lord's existence, instead of all of him. ]
[it's not a novel. but it's a wonderful story, and flayn is glad to know about it, all the same. and who knows? it involves ghosts and gods - perhaps someday it will be told and retold so that even thousands of years later, people will still know about them.
she hopes so, anyway.]
...there must be many interesting people in your homeland.
finally emerges from memshare starter writing hell
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fishingforcompliments) wrote2020-06-06 12:53 pm
no subject
That sounds wonderful. [ it certainly sounds like the kind of place flayn would love. something full of life and joy. and to have family there, and friends... a kind existence, indeed. for her to return safely to this when its all over again will be imperative. ] It sounds a bit like a sect, in that respect. [ familiar... old, old memories, but familiar. ] Is that where you met Lord Dimitri as well?
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[hmm. does it count? there's differences between the central church, the eastern church, and the western church, but they all follow the same teachings at their core. flayn looks thoughtful as she considers that.
...but then her expression falls again at his last question.]
In a manner of speaking. [...] My memories and Dimitri's... they do not quite line up. I am... not certain that we shall be going back to the same version of the monastery, once we leave this place.
[which is a frightening thought, if she's being honest.]
no subject
...How interesting. [ what a strange possibility. to think, that there are different versions of different worlds. is there a world where yin yu dianxia is still around, in the west?
...that's a depressing thought. hm. let's shove that down and ignore it. ] ...even so, I'm glad that there's at least a small amount of familiarity for you, at least, Lady Flayn, even if it's a bit odd. Your world seems quite different than mine.
[ but, he likes hearing about it, goes unsaid. it's pretty obvious, though. ]
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[she wishes that she'd been able to, though. the dimitri she's come to know can't be that different from the dimitri of her own world, can he? given the opportunity, they've proven they can be friends.]
It does... I would like to hear more about your world sometime, though. That is, if you would not mind sharing.
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eventually, he turns his head to look at her properly. he sounds a little hesitant, but not scared--more awkward. well, it's not that anyone ever really thinks to ask, and he doesn't want to tell her something boring....
but flayn asked, so, he'll do his best. ] ...What do you want to know?
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flayn considers it. there are plenty of questions she could ask - and will ask, if he doesn't seem too uncomfortable with it. but for now, she'll just start with one.]
You said before that Ghost City was full of a wide variety of different types of people... [ghosts. demons. gods.] But what is your favorite place within Ghost City?
no subject
...and therefore, it doesn't take him too long to answer. ] There is a stall owned by two elderly spirits in the northwest corner of the city. Most of the food in the Ghost City is... [ .............. ] ....an acquired taste, but, they use ingredients that are common to the Western half of my country, and it's always very good. I helped them with a business issue a long while ago, so, they usually greet me when they see me.
[ it's the little things. sometimes a good meal, and a face that knew him - even if it was just as the xianxianyue officer - was enough. ]
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...no, that isn't quite right, is it? he'd seemed so accustomed to wearing his mask, before; likely, it would be firmly in place.
something about that thought makes her heart hurt, just a little. yin yu is a truly wonderful person - she cannot fathom why it is so difficult for others to really see him.]
The food they make... what does it taste like? Do they talk with you, while you are waiting for it to be ready?
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They always insist I don't have to pay. [ and that gets a huff of a laugh. ] I always do, though. I can't say I stay around very often to chat, and..
[ he trails off, briefly. well... when he does, he usually tends to just fade into the background, anyway. that's fine. he prefers it that way. ] ...they're usually busy with chores, so I try not to bother them too much.
no subject
Akira told me last week... apparently, in his world, the spicier the food, the more love in the dish.
[it's not exactly what he said - it's definitely not as widespread a sentiment as she seems to think it is - but it's kind of nice to imagine that there may not be so many differences from one world to the next.]
I am sure that they must enjoy what they do. ...and I am even more sure that they must enjoy your company, no matter how busy with chores they might be.
no subject
[ it's true. he can remember, if he thinks back far enough, to gathering around the table with his shidi, with his old teachers, big bowls of steaming hotpot in the wintertime. his sect was utterly polite and didn't always speak during mealtime, but sometimes things were a little more raucous, and the food and conversation would flow. he tended to watch, on those days, fondly over his martial brothers, listening to them tell stories, yizhen sticking as close to his side as possible and swatting the hands of other members of the sect with his chopsticks, and jian yu would scold him and yin yu would ruffle his hair, and--
mm.
those memories are a little more painful than 'love'. in the end, they fell on the other side of that spectrum, didn't they?
it doesn't show much on his face, save for a brief pinch to his brows, but, yin yu returns to his conversation with flayn and sets that memory far to the side. ] Perhaps. [ he doubts his company is really worth enjoying, nowadays.
...well. maybe it is for one person. it seems to be. he doesn't know why, but, yin yu is all the more glad for it. ] At any rate, it's nice to be able to enjoy a meal that's made with the correct parts. [ his mouth twitches. ] You wouldn't want to know some of the things other shopkeepers sell.
no subject
[...but will they ever get that chance? It's possible for humans to appear in ghost city, but it isn't just the veil between the living and the dead that separates them - it's the distance between their own worlds. in all likelihood, once they do leave this place, they'll...
thinking of that future hurts, somehow, and flayn pushes it far aside as well, returning to the conversation as yin yu sets aside his memories.
she can't help but look intrigued by what he says, though.]
...I am quite certain that I would like to know, actually! How bad could it possibly be?
[is there food out there, in some world, that's worse than hers?]
no subject
It's not very... [ you asked, ] Demons and ghosts don't often eat human food, but rather.... the parts of other humans. One of the most popular butchers is a pig demon.
[ SIGHS ] That's what I meant by 'unbelievable'. There are only a few places that cater directly to human beings, instead of to demons and ghosts, and those are the only ones that I frequent. More often than not, I just eat at Paradise Manor and cook for myself.
[ see he didnt want to tell her something gross or weird or boring!!! flayn!!! yin yu ducks his head and looks away, feeling awkward and now extremely self-conscious of the weird place he spends all of his time. ] ....sorry. We don't have to talk about something like that.
no subject
[oh!
well, at least the food would definitely be worse than hers. she's just not going to think too much about the whole eating humans thing. it's not like yin yu has ever eaten humans! see, he's even gone on to say that he normally just cooks food at home.]
No, it is all right - I did ask, after all... [...] What is Paradise Manor like?
no subject
that's a topic he can move onto with ease. please, allow him to paint a picture for you. ] Paradise Manor is... massive. You can see it from most places in the city-- a tall building with four curled roofs. The entire thing is painted as red as blood, and it casts a shadow over the market itself. It is my master's private residence, though I reside there, as well as a few ghosts and servants, and the manor is filled to the brim with anything and everything you could possibly imagine--I don't think even I have been to every room. In some ways, it is much like the village we visited, but... imagine it in one complex, instead of an entire village. There's an armory, a treasure hall filled with treasures beyond compare... even a hot spring, added recently. The list goes on. [ he could talk all day about paradise manor and still not describe most of the parts of it. chengzhu's 'paradise' is unbelievable, as are most things that he owns, does, or says. almost everything in the manor is, in essence, for someone else, as well...
ah, actually! that is an important feature, too... ] The Qiandeng Temple is attached directly to it, containing an altar to the Crown Prince of Xian Le, as well. Though it seems a bit odd to have a temple in a ghost city, Hua Chengzhu is more devoted perhaps to the Crown Prince than anyone would ever even dream. Every piece of it was created by Chengzhu himself, down to the murals on the walls and at the head of the altar.
[ a Love Story ]
no subject
[she'd liked the village well enough. so a manor, with a variety of different things within a single complex - why not? it seems a bit much to be someone's private residence, but perhaps things work differently in ghost city.
...she kind of wants to check out the treasure hall.
but an altar - and a temple, created by yin yu's boss himself - hmmm. she smiles.]
...this Crown Prince must be of great importance to him, then.
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he pauses, briefly, and a little smile comes across his face. gentle. fond. ] ...You said you liked tales of romance, right, Lady Flayn?
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Yes, very much!
[Tell her a love story!!]
no subject
he doesn't think hua cheng will mind. yin yu doesn't know all the details, but he knows from the stories he studies in his old days, and... from what he knows of his lord and master, too. ]
Taizi Dianxia is most well known by a nickname of his own - "The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods". His story is far before my time, but he was known as one of the four great tales of heaven. The kingdom that he lived in, Xian Le, was one of the most beautiful of our land, and was well known for having treasures, though none so rare as the crown prince himself. Taizi Dianxia's most famous act, among many, was that during a great parade at the Autumn Festival, the prince interrupted a parade that was supposed to be performed a great number of times in order to bring luck to a kingdom, because a young child fell off of the city walls in the middle of the parade. The prince leapt from the parade route, where he was supposed to perform a routine, and safely saved that child's life.
Though I don't know the specifics, I know that child grew to become a fearsome soldier, and when Taizi Dianxia ascended to the heavenly realm, became a follower of his, as well. The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods - Flower in one hand, sword in his other - was well loved by his people, and the soldier who was once a child fought valiantly for him and worshipped him, placing a single white flower in the hands of his statues when he saw them. The gods are unable to communicate with humans, but the soldier's love for the god carried him through his life.
...however, the kingdom of Xian Le suffered a terrible tragedy: a great war, and a great plague. It ended in the deaths of many, including the soldier, and the Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods fell from the heavenly realm to be a mortal, and walk among mortals, as punishment for defying the will of the heavenly emperor to attempt to save his kingdom.
As Taizi Dianxia moved through his life as a mortal, he suffered quite greatly. I don't know the specifics, but I know that it took a great act of kindness for him to reascend, only for him to be banished less than an incense stick's time later by the emperor. It made him quite a laughingstock amongst the heavenly realm, and so, immortal and unable to die, Taizi Dianxia lived a life of suffering and poverty for eight hundred years, until only recently, when he reascended again.
In my land, when a human dies with a great attachment keeping them in the world, they are unable to move on to the next life. Through those eight hundred years, that soldier who died on the battlefield in Xian Le became one of these spirits, evolving from what must have been a weak spirit flame -- [ he pauses, cupping his hands around the shape roughly of one of the little fireballs ] -- to a powerful ghost, to one of the most powerful ghosts in the land.
I'm sure you can guess who that soldier may be.
no subject
[who else could it be, really? in fact, flayn remembers the last tale he told her of his homeland - her eyes go wide as she recalls it.]
"Crimson Rain Sought Flower"... this Taizi Dianxia must be the flower he sought, then? How lovely.
[it isn't great that the crown prince suffered. it isn't great that hua chengzhu wasn't able to move on to the next life, either. but to be able to be so attached to someone, to remember them - to be remembered...]
...have they been reunited, now that Hua Chengzhu has grown so powerful, and Taizi Dianxia has reascended?
no subject
...Of course, his royal highness is unaware that that soldier is my master, and my master has not told him. He hasn't told me either, but, I can put enough together to understand. [ yin yu doesn't quite laugh, but, his mouth twitches like he's trying to hold it back, because he's too polite. he can understand what it feels like not to deserve the love of someone else, but. ]
...Everything Chengzhu does, and has done, is in some way for Taizi Dianxia. When he eliminated the temples of 33 gods overnight, it was because they tormented Dianxia when he was at his lowest. The Ghost City exists because of Taizi Dianxia's thoughtfulness, that such a place might be nice to have. Even Paradise Manor is so named because of Taizi Dianxia's adage he said just before he ascended -- "Body in the abyss; heart in paradise."
[ so... hua cheng was hoping that xie lian's heart would reside in paradise. ] And, Taizi Dianxia's luck is, ah.... worse than anything you could ever imagine. My master has been powerful for some time, so he searched for him all of those hundreds of years, and it is only just now that they've reunited. And now that they have...
[ yin yu pauses, recalling running into the flustered cultivator in the streets of ghost city for the first time, where he shouldn't have even been. he recalls helping hua cheng track him down when they searched for the brocade immortal, completing tasks for him to help make dianxia's life easier. every night that hua cheng was gone to puji shrine, yin yu watched over the city for him, as his lord and master found the thing he had so been looking for.
he sounds fond, now. softer as he looks away. yin yu respects hua cheng greatly, and... xie lian, his royal highness, deserves so much more kindness than the world has ever given him. ] ...it seems they keep finding each other, again, and again.
For eight hundred years, my master has been Taizi Dianxia's last follower. His belief and love for him could very well be the thing that has kept Taizi Dianxia alive.
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[when he tells it like that - it sounds beautiful, really. a love and a belief so strong that it could span centuries, that it could keep someone alive for that long... she's always believed that love and devotion are powerful forces.
a story like this is proof of it.
flayn hides a smile behind one hand.]
Thank you... for telling me about them. It is nice to know that even in other worlds, people are able to find happiness together.
[love is universal. ...multiversal?]
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[ yin yu nods, turning to give her a gentle smile of his own. ] ...I think so too.
[ if anything, he's glad he could share it with her. it's not a novel, but... well, chengzhu is the kind of person that is terrifying, and amazing, in many ways. but, his loyalty isn't necessarily blind. hua cheng saved yin yu's life, and hua cheng's love and loyalty for his dianxia--those are the things that have helped him to put aside the stories as part and parcel of his lord's existence, instead of all of him. ]
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she hopes so, anyway.]
...there must be many interesting people in your homeland.
finally emerges from memshare starter writing hell
[ although yin yu is not one of them, for sure.
he huffs, a little. ] I think the crown prince and Chengzhu are a bit more interesting than most, though.
grips your shoulder BE STRONG SISI
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desperation 2 electric boogaloo
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