pc catchall | redacted | sora

[dianxias]

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w0, saturday!

[dianxias]

[ hello sora! xie lian is also coming by the gift shop this afternoon.

there's really no rhyme or reason to it, short of exploring. it's such a strange looking place, and he's on his tiptoes looking at a wall of strange sunglasses, ruoye wriggling out of his sleeve when he spots sora!! he greets him with a small nod of his head, polite. ]

...What are you looking at?

[reconnective]

[hello! sora's still busy looking through the keychains rather carefully, but hearing someone speak he looks up with a smile.]

Oh, hi. I was just browsing...[but then he seems to remember something and he perks up.] Can I ask you something? Come take a look at these.

[he'll explain why he's asking in a sec, but come hither.]

[dianxias]

[ oh! of course. he's happy to help, so! xie lian sweeps over, settling with his hands in front of himself to look curiously at the rack of keychains. ]

What do you need?

[reconnective]

[oh good, even better. someone willing to help.]

Yona and I were looking at some of these yesterday and we found our names on keychains. I wanted to see if yours was here, too, or if you recognized any of these.

[dianxias]

Let's see...

[ leaning in, xie lian starts to rifle through the little trinkets, and - he doesn't find his own name first, but he makes a little "ah!" in recognition, as he pulls out a keychain that says "hua cheng." ] This one.

[ and then, digging a little further - xue yu tan hua, "crimson rain sought flower", which makes him laugh. ] And this one! None of these are mine, but they belong to someone that I know...

w0, post trial.

[dianxias]

[ oh, sora.

xie lian gives him some space before he sets out to find him, hands tucked into his too large sleeves. it's not an easy hunt -- he eventually recognizes a familiar, spiky silhouette on the roof of one of the buildings, and hops up to join him fairly effortlessly through some wuxia bullshit.

anyway. he lands quietly on the top of the roof, within sight. ] ...Sora?

[ gently questioning in his tone. he knows he's not alright; that's not a great question to ask. ]

[reconnective]

[to be completely fair, he's actually surprised someone's managed to join him up here but he doesn't startle easily like he normally would. instead, he tilts his head back to watch xie lian approach and gives him a light smile of greeting.]

Hey. [everything is bad for multiple reasons, but he'll at least scoot a little to show that there's space for him to sit down.] ...it's been a long day, hasn't it?

[dianxias]

[ he comes over to join him, settling down in the space offered immediately and fluffing his robes out so he doesn't trip and die or something. ]

It has. [ entirely too long. ] A long day full of questions, few answers, and far too much tragedy.

[reconnective]

[no one else is allowed to die this weekend, god.]

Exactly. I wish we knew anything at all, but it feels like we're walking away more confused than before. None of this makes sense to me anymore.

[dianxias]

[ 100% ]

No, it really doesn't. [ such a killing caused a 'disturbance'; why then, did it even need to happen? isn't this counterproductive, to them working together in this realm? what kind of wish is worth sacrificing so many lives?

and virid... such a young man. so many people in this place are so, so young. it's heartbreaking.

xie lian looks up at the sky above them, his expression thoughtful, a quiet tiredness to it. sorrow, really. ] I wish I had answers to share with you, my young friend. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us have them.

...Finding those answers may need to come in the morning. For now, I think...for the sake of Miss Hajime, and for Pikachu alike, we can take tonight to grieve what has happened.

w1, thursday

[reconnective]

[at some point after everything that's happened today, sora will find himself slowly making his way through the inn. for whatever reason he still hasn't let go of the sword he came out with but it seems oddly comfortable in his grip.

however, he spots xie lian with his tea and he nods in greeting.]

...hey. How're you doing? [it's debatable if sora's heard about what happened with the other group, but by now word's probably gotten around xie lian was involved.]

[dianxias]

[ hello fellow cyoa buddy!! xie lian didn't get to hear as much about the fuss that went on as the others did, considering he was being patched up, but! to see sora is alright is a relief, and xie lian has a smile and a nod for him when he sees him, in greeting. ]

I'm as alright as I can be, I think. [ considering! ] It doesn't hurt much. What about you?

[ he's so interested in the sword but caring for his friends comes first. ]

[reconnective]

[he's curious himself because the fact that two groups disappeared is a little scary, but he rubs the back of his neck a little.]

I think I'm okay. I'm kinda worried about the others, but I'm gonna check in later. [but it is odd, isn't it?] Did you guys just wind up somewhere totally different, too?

[dianxias]

En. [ that's a yes. ]

...Here, come sit. [ he pats the spot beside him on the couch! ] Let's try to compare our experiences - perhaps we will find some commonalities.

[reconnective]

[couch comfy...he'll immediately wander closer to have a seat, leaning in just a bit to hear him better.]

Okay. Let's start...who were you with? How did you get to where you went?

w2 thursday, this shitpost makes me laugh every time

[reconnective]

[wow! yesterday happened so much! yesterday happened so much and honestly after all the work, sora doesn't feel like cooking for himself today. the pub seems fine, the town's less fire-y, and the howling rose is gently bobbing in the water and not at the bottom of the sea. overall? it's a good day.

so with that said, he makes his way over to the pub and wanders in still clad in his pirate gear, hat tilted a little as he glances around.

were you enjoying a nice meal alone, xl? hope you don't mind someone coming to join you at your table.]

What're you having today? [hello friend. from this close, xie lian will also immediately be greeted with a burst of sunshine and calm.]

i'm glad.... it's the energy of this cr

[dianxias]

[ xie lian really has been enjoying this nice meal. actually, he's really enjoyed the pub for... basically every day he's been here, because he's never one to take a free meal for granted. it's been his quiet mission to try at least one of everything on the menu since they ended up here, so! ]

Today is... [ a beat, as he looks down - ] Something called "fish and chips?" It's delicious. [ and then back up! xie lian gives sora a friendly smile, equally warm, his emotions radiating the same feeling right back. ] Hello, Sora. Would you like to join me for a meal?

[reconnective]

[there's a sound that's similar to something to understanding, mostly because he's familiar with the dish and also he's realizing he's kind of hungry himself. the smile brightens then.]

If you don't mind the company, yeah. [he'll already go through with taking a seat, practically beaming at him.] It's kind of nice that we don't always have to do it ourselves, isn't it? I don't really know where it's coming from but it tastes pretty real to me.

[dianxias]

It would be welcome indeed.

[ of course it would be! xie lian has quite enjoyed having company, actually. it’s a nice change from his normal life - he also quite enjoys sora’s company, too, so it’s a win win!

he lets him take the moment to settle and returns the smile, his emotions reading as comfortable and friendly. ] In that sense, this place has some blessings, no? Despite everything, it’s always nice to find the little moments of light like this, and there’s rarely a better place than a meal.

[ xie lian Loves Food! ] You seem to have taken to this part of the realm like a fish to water, my young friend.

[reconnective]

I think so, too. [he's making himself comfy here and it's just a continuous feedback loop of friendly positive emotions. they're both fairly pleased, it seems, and when xie lian mentions sora's own comfort levels he nods enthusiastically.]

It's really familiar to a place I've been before. The port town was the same, and the ships were really similar, too. They even had a fort! [pirates are the best right now.] ...and I guess I've kinda missed the ocean a lot.

w3 post execution

[dianxias]

[ well that was something!!

xie lian seems to be... actually, pretty heartened, today? he's certainly doing better than he was doing saturday - there's a sense of peace to him, where he sits in the lobby. it appears he's making an offering to the kamidana shrine that has been placed there, eyes closed in prayer, a small glass of a brown liquid resting on the shrine.

as he's lifting his head, he spots sora, and gives him a small, warm smile. ] Hello, Sora.

[reconnective]

[it sure was! sora enters the lobby, and while his eyes drift he spots xie lian at the shrine and he approaches with a small, curious little grin.]

Hey. Taking time to say hi to other other friends, too? [prayer is important, sure, but he also sees the shrine as a way to say what you want to say to people who've left.]

[dianxias]

[ xie lian catches onto that curiosity, and smiles back at sora, as he settles back. in his lap, it appears he's holding something -- specifically, a few pieces of paper money from a board game. ]

I am. I thought I would say rites for Miss Yoshizawa and Shiro, now that the day is done. Though... admittedly, it is a bit harder to burn paper with no flame. I think I'll have to use the oven again... but I wanted to spend time here with the shrine, too.

Would you like to join me?

[reconnective]

...yeah, sure. [he settles and sora wanders closer before settling next to him to look at this shrine.]

Rights? [no, sora, rites.] There's that bonfire in the village still. Would that work? I don't know if it's too far from the shrine though.

[dianxias]

[ oh! he forgot about that. there's no constant burning fire 24/7 that i can yeet them into like there was in crau here normally and i am a fool. xie lian smiles. ]

I think, more than anything, it is the intention that matters. Besides, I've already said the most important part - the burning of the paper money can happen anywhere we can make a circle.

[ and, despite that sora settled in next to him, he is getting up, rip. ] Shall we?