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By vigils

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Today, there is no softness... at least not on the outside. It never goes away, really, because Xu Shu's heart is gentle and kind and he wants to help the land change for the better. Protecting others and guiding them? Most of his desires focus around these ideals. Even during his wilder youth, when he'd made many mistakes in anger, that had been why.]

[That past is better put behind him but now Xu Shu is accepting that it cannot be. Shan Fu is a part of him whether he likes it or not. What did he always tell himself? 'I'm not running from my past, I just want to change myself.' It may be that the change he's sought has been the wrong kind this entire time. Mitsuhide, Tenkai, Daud and Cassie... all have filled his head in different ways and he has no real set idea anymore of what he needs to be in the future, but for now? For this time, this place, this moment?]

[It's time to put on an 'old face,' to do something he's not done in absolute years and draw on the parts of himself he doesn't like. Shan Fu. Still Xu Shu, but with more heat and temper and a willingness to fix things with steel. Anyone who knows him knows that Xu Shu is talented with a sword but they do not, in truth, know the extent of it. Not at all. Hood up so only his lips are visible, sat cross-legged with his sword across his lap and a roaring fire before him, he waits right in the centre of a forest clearing. It seems like an oddly exposed place to be but there are reasons for it.]

['I'll be where the rabbits once were.']

Where the rabbits once were, huh?

[ "Tenkai" believes the he is the one that is called -- no, he purposely decided to fool "himself" to be the one called. The face that loves killing, I believe I am the one being asked for. Even though Mitsuhide knew that was not he case, he decided to play a game with himself. Once the half-mask was fastened to his face, he feels his thoughts clear. Xu Shu. There is no need to close off your heart in this manner. Another mistake will surely happen. Fighting that face, killing that face, is not be wrong, but-- ]

There are a lot of traps. It seems he hoped to kill me before I arrived?

[ He's come! He's come! His head turns slightly as he hears the manic laughter screaming through his head. A lot of these are quite well-hidden. But he can't quite hide that bloodlust, no! It shall be something -- yes, yes, let us sing with our blades and laugh through our screams! The "monk" shakes his head as he feels a giggle echo in the space of his mask. ]

But it is "I" am the one who came today. There is no reason to switch faces. I cannot watch him avoid plummeting to the sky if things remain as it is -- [ No, Tenkai cannot. His head turns as he realizes that there is someone else that can save Xu Shu. He stares off, gaze distant. Yes? That person? Let us make this a feast! A banquet! Look at all the preparations he has made! It would be heartbreaking if I am the only one to experience them! ]

I see. Then, let us call him to join us?

[ The "monk" lacks the ability to stop what is to come. He feels an itch spreading underneath his skin. His hand resting against his mask as he is already starting to pry it free. The me that loathes killing ... that does not wish to see it... has one last thing to do. He tricks and deceives his own mind to what he is doing as he calls upon Daud. If that face should die, it should be by that man's hands.

The man who was once a stone will turn back into a man if that face dies. Because he will do it to stop someone else from suffering and regretting. Is that not right? But his hands are stained in blood as are Xu Shu's, however. What lesson will that wounded warrior learn in killing that face? What injury to his soul will-- The mask falls down onto the ground, sinking deep into the earth. ]

My, my...

[ The giggling chases after his words as he walks into the clearing. He is battered, bleeding, bruised. All the best b-words that a person could possibly be. Lifting his hand up, he ran his fingertips over a deep gash over his cheek -- smearing the blood over pale skin. ]

This Mitsuhide had thought you were calling someone else. But it seems as though you really meant to call me. [ In his hand, he holds his cellphone. The screen covered in red. He clenches his fingers, tightening his grip, as the phone breaks in his hand. The shattered pieces cut deep but he tosses it to the side without care. ]

I wanted to taste what it was like to experience some of the traps you made. Not bad, not bad. There's little malice in them, however, but they are quite clever and put together with a careful and thoughtful hand. If you had more viciousness within you, they may have... [ He starts laughing harder before reaching behind his back. A burst of black smoke erupts in the space behind him as he pulls out one of his scythes.

Running his fingers along the flat side of the blade, he muses aloud: ] What is it that your face wishes to say to this one?

[Xu Shu slowly stands the moment that the lithe, bloodied figure walks into his clearing (and for now it really is his clearing, filled and altered in subtle ways to give him small advantages); he watches that phone shatter, the bits falling to the floor as its dangerous owner talks, without say a word.]

[No matter the eventual outcome of this fight there is going to more blood, more bruising, far more than his traps inflicted. But it won't be Mitsuhide alone cut open here, will it? Xu Shu knows that at the very least he's going to get rather battered and at the worst, well, he could die. All risks he'd assessed before going down this route. All risks he's prepared to deal with. Come what may this is what he feel needs to happen and now it, well, will.]

[But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid.]

'This face' talks through steel.

[Xu Shu's voice, Shan Fu's, isn't cold. It's not angry (yet). And it's still quiet. But there's a sharpness to it that Mitsuhide can't have heard before. Yes, the viciousness is missing because even then he'd hated actual killing, but he'd also been far more prepared to do it. Right now that needs to be drawn on. He slips into a stance, sword in one hand and the dagger it's attached to via strong cord in the other.]

So let's talk.

[ For a moment, the ecstatic expression fades from his face. His mouth partially opens as his eyes soften to a warm gold. His chin slowly bobs like he is trying to speak, but it is the wrong face presenting. The manner in which the man spoke affected the other face that Mitsuhide wears enough to push forward. But that is all that it can do. It is all that it can do before swallowed back into a mania of excitement and joy.

Taking a step forward, he pauses. ]

Wait, wait...

[ His free hand -- blood running down his arm and dripping off his elbow, staining the white sleeves of the "monk's" clothes -- lifts to wiggle his fingers. He flicks a bit of his blood around as his head twists to look around the clearing. Eyes darting side-to-side, gaze sliding across the ground, he tilts his head the opposite way. ]

You put in quite a bit of time and effort. [ His tone is hardly accusatory or upset. It is hardly even sending out an insult as he sounds more than a little pleased, more than a little proud. ] Yes, quite a bit of time and effort. This really is ... it really is ...

[ He flicks his wrist out as another cloud of black smoke manifests in the air next to him. From it, he pulls a second scythe free. ]

A banquet. It is a banquet!

[ Crossing the scythes in front of him, he starts laughing -- high-pitched and shrieking. He twists his body as he pulls the bladed weapons apart before sprinting forwards. ] Yes, yes, yes, let's talk! Let's talk! [ Even on uneven ground, he moves far faster than he should. He doesn't care what pitfalls that he may fall into -- he doesn't mind them, at all.Because he is curious about what things that the blade has to say to him.

There are some things that can only be said with steel cutting into meat, after all.

So, he does not even seem to mind when his steps land him in a precarious position. The ground far softer with sharpen trap waiting to keep him from getting too close to Xu Shu -- Shan Fu. It cuts deep but he only laughs as he rips his foot free, letting more and more of his blood spread out over the clearing. Yes, this is Shan Fu's clearing, but ... but ...

One of the scythes blades start to glow bright green, bathing the space that Mitsuhide occupies in that same haunting light. ] Yes, smile! Smile! Your face is hidden, but you should smile! [ Throwing his arm back, he swings wide with the scythe -- the blade is deadly enough on its own but the glow coming off of it shoots out in an arch as well, slicing through the air.

If I am not allowed to draw close, you can't either. A cheerful, playful giggle slips out. ]

[That joy is disturbing but vivid, exactly what Xu Shu expected from Mitsuhide. So different from what he's seen from 'Tenkai,' the side of the man that would rather situations like this could be avoided entirely... and as strange as Tenkai is, it would be better if he were the dominant 'face,' wouldn't it? There's no way of telling how Mitsuhide turned into the creature he is but the part of him embodied by the monk might be a clue to who he once was, or might have been.]

[Not that it matters anymore. They are here as they are and for now it's war. Steeling himself, Xu Shu stands still as Mitsuhide runs forward (even as the shivers run down his spin) and makes no attempt to do anything whatsoever until the scythe starts to glow.]

[There's no vocal response to that request to smile but as Xu Shu dodges, as he shifts backwards and down in one sharp movement, his hood falls naturally and he doesn't bother to pull it back up. The eerie light, which has presence, which cuts the air only inches from his throat, illuminates a solemn but almost fierce expression by his standards. He's not going to stay still now, though, rolling over and rising to his feet still closer to his burning fire.]

[Mitsuhide is thinner but taller, and not lacking in strength. Those scythes are awkward weapons but give him considerable range. And the supernatural abilities... Xu Shu only has a sense of some of those and needs to learn more before he can start taking the biggest risks.]

[He drops his dagger but grasps the cord its attached to instead and attempts to whip at Mitsuhide across the gap that separates them.]

[ There is but a brief moment where Mitsuhide's expression changes. From the bright, bright joy to something like concern when the light nearly touches Xu Shu's neck. 'Tenkai' cannot feel pleased with this situation. It chews the inside of his stomach but his other face quiets down the dissatisfaction and discord within himself. The complaints and cries that the 'monk' could give are swallowed up under hysterical laughter. ]

That hurts. That hurts.

[ His calm, cheerful commentary as the dagger slices across his chest, his arms, as it is whipped in his direction. He looks down at the gashes -- not so deep to catch the dagger, but deep enough that even more of the white clothes are stained crimson. He giggles a little more as he lets more of his blood pour down onto the ground. The earth starts to bubble and hiss, but he only laughs a little harder. ]

That really hurts. [ He lifts his scythe up as the dagger comes by again, catching the weapon in the crook of the blade. Tilting his head, he looks beneath the curve of the scythe to smile at Xu Shu. The scythe is planted into the ground in front of him, pushed down so that it sinks deeper so that it will stay. ] Not to worry, not to worry. It will still connect. [ Grabbing onto the hilt of the dagger, he slams the blade deep into his own abdomen. ] How painful. How painful. But --

[ He grabs onto the whip to start to twist it around his elbow, around his arm, to attempt to pull the young man closer to him. Or have him relinquish one of his weapons. Either is fine. Either is fine. He lets more and more of his own blood flow out. The air around him starts to darken, turning into a dense fog, with his smiling, smiling eyes looking out -- glowing the same haunting green as his weapon did. ]

[Just how much blood can Mitsuhide lose before it starts to affect him? Not a question one would usually think to ponder but very relevant here, especially considering the sharp hiss of power in the air and the darkness of the ground beneath his opponent's feet. Xu Shu reacts to the pull on his cord by going with it... dramatically, almost, jumping into the air as the connection between sword and dagger slackens for a moment.]

[He has power of his own. Rarely used, it is, because the power that manifested within his body is wholly destructive and permanently connects him to the steel he wields. So many other warriors have skills that can be used in other contexts but not his, never his. Often that is a painful thing to face.]

[Now it's just a tool that might help him survive. Xu Shu flips in the air, draws on the pool of energy within and in the blink of an eye what looks like a small bolt of lightning manifests that's aimed right at the spot Mitsuhide stands in. What he doesn't expect is for it to connect but in order to pull back his weapon he needs to do something, and besides, it might provoke more out of this dangerous beast, unleash whatever it is he's calling on. It's a dangerous kind of observation to make, yes, but until it's made he can't risk the most deadly of his techniques.]

Edited 2018-12-20 19:05 (UTC)

[ No, the attack does not hit. But not because Mitsuhide dodged -- rather he dropped himself down to lay closer to the ground as his planted scythe takes the blunt of the lightning strike. The unholy weapon glows bright, electricity rippling off of it and rendering it impractical for him to take it in hand yet again. ]

Do you know the language of dragons?

[ His head twists, like the bones of his neck are too few and allows for rotation that would be impossible. He opens his mouth as the back of his mouth swims in red and crimson starts to pour out of his mouth. It runs down his chin, down his neck.

The corners of his lips turn up into a wide smile. It is but seconds later that a violent laugh erupts out, sptting an arching wave of blood. He starts giggling louder and louder the black fog gathers around him more. His head snaps to the side, spilling red into his hair.

The fog changes shape. It no longer appears as a dense cloud of black, but turns instead into the shape of faces -- translucent screaming faces that surround and wrap themselves around Mitsuhide. His eyes keep their haunting glow before he sprints forward, dragging along only one scythe and leaving the dagger still buried in his stomach, trailing the whip along with it.

But instead of lifting the scythe up to do a strike-down attack, he lets his back once more fold. He drops low to the ground as he spins at the waist in a short-fast circle with the scythe swiping about in chaotic swings. ]

Smile! Let me cut a mouth that is smiling! [ Indeed, what he means is that vicious curve of the scythe will literally cut a smile upon Xu Shu no matter where it hits. But most importantly, he will be seeing the other's blood. Blood, blood, blood, blood, blood! The ghastly faces wrap themselves around the scythe's blade. If blade touches flesh, those faces will pull the "smile" cut wider.

Because everyone wants to be smiling! ]

Edited 2018-12-20 20:01 (UTC)

[Blood there is.]

[There's no way out of this without some being drawn; Xu Shu understands that immediately, he'd understood that before starting this, but instinct in the single breath before he's going to land informs that while he can avoid the worst in this particular attack he can't avoid it entirely. Mitsuhide is a whirl of steel and dark power, something fearful, something to be afraid of, and instinct is also telling him to distance himself.]

[That is not what Shan Fu or Xu Shu will do. Bending back like that? Dagger still in the stomach? He falls, lands and something cuts into his flesh but before he can even acknowledge it the warrior is leaping up again. He gaze flickers down and revulsion threatens to rise at the sight of that blood and darkness but no. Xu Shu's expression is almost stony as he falls a second time with his feet aimed squarely at Mitsuhide's stomach while he simultaneously pulls on his cord.]

[Whatever happens, one might notice in the aftermath that blood is soaking through a patch on his right thigh...]

Edited (...I can spell...) 2018-12-20 22:54 (UTC)

That hurts. That hurts.

[ He repeats his same mantra as suddenly the dagger is ripped free from his stomach. More blood comes pouring out of the wound. Viscera dribbles out through the injury, yet he does not seem troubled by it at all. Instead, he presses his free hand against the wound. The transparent shades spread out into the injury. It stops bleeding, but -- the wound itself turns into an open mouth, complete with teeth that snap together into a bright, red smile. ]

You see, more and more smiles spread themselves from you to me, from me to you.

[ At the comment of "from me to you," the wound on Xu Shu's leg suddenly begins to bleed much, much more. How? The injury itself is no deeper than before -- it feels like it has not ripped down to the bone. The injury is no wider than before, it does not feel like the skin is yielding beneath it. Yet it begins to pour out red. His head tilts as he smiles. The screaming faces of those summoned spirits come bubbling out of the wound, spreading themselves over the leg itself. ]

Ah, what a friendly, friendly conversation we're having. So friendly, so nice. Yes, let's keep talking with our new mouths, hm? Hm? [ But as he is starting to dart forward, he stops his advance. The expression melts just a little as he looks at the blood. ] Isn't that too much? Perhaps? [ A softer voice asks as his gaze becomes distant for a few seconds. ]

[A further pull of the cord and Xu Shu has his weapons back again, fully under control, though glistening red. Not as red as Mitsuhide, though, or himself. This time Xu Shu grimaces openly as his trousers rapidly stain and his leg grows wet, the pain searing down despite the lack of depth to the wound. That's not even getting into the way those 'spirits' make him feel. But what can he do? Keep fighting, is all, because that's why he's here.]

[But he's going to be intelligent about it too. Mitsuhide hesitates in his advance and there's a tiny moment where Xu Shu thinks Tenkai is resurfacing; can't spend a moment worrying about that, instead it's a chance to start using his surroundings to his advantage again. Despite the worrying power moving through him and the increasing blood-loss he darts back, not stopping in his 'retreat,' and says his first proper words since the start of this fight:]

Watch your step.

[His goal is the edge of the clearing, though it's not immediately clear why when he turns and bolts, a swift and focused warrior. To stand a chance here requires balance, because it can't go on too long, but being too aggressive when Mitsuhide's powers act in the way that they do?]

[That would kill Xu Shu. No ifs, no buts.]

Are you running? Are you running?

[ His head snaps up as he pulls his arm back, again. The blade begins to glow a bright green before it fades abruptly. ]

It is fine to run. With that injury, there is no reason to pursue. A break in the curse may be -- [ He lashes out with his scythe, cutting himself off as he cuts through the planeted scythe at his side. It dissolves in a cloud of black smoke. The weapon in his hand does the same. ]

No! No? Running is not acceptable! We are having a conversation and there have not been good-byes given! [ He swings his arms out as cloud of rolling smoke surrounds him. Two new scythes appear in his hands -- different than the ones he started with as the blades are serrated rather than a smooth curve. His eyes shift to look at the weapons. ]

These are--?! [ Both blades glow bright, brilliant green that fills the space of the clearing. ] Wait! Wait! I have a parting word for your face! [ He screams with laughter as he slashes out into the air with the scythes sending two curved waves of energy chasing after Xu Shu. Fast. ]

[Not many would consider Mitsuhide running at them at full speed with weapons in hand to be a good thing, but for Xu Shu it is. Well. Not if he's caught, or cut, because those new scythes would leave horrifying wounds, but it means he can continue to play clever. The cord of his weapon is whipped out again but not to attack; as he gets close to the trees it's aimed into the canopy, the dagger sinking high up into the trunk and helping him to leap up into the leaves.]

[Directly following behind him would cause Mitsuhide to fall on some of tripwires that have been left, but they are a help, an assistant, rather than the main goal. For a short while there will be no more sounds from the canopy and no clear indicator of what Xu Shu is up to until, from above, when his opponent gets close enough he almost growls:]

No parting words.

[And then fire explodes on the ground, the result of a well aimed molotov cocktail. There isn't any honour in this battle and Xu Shu is a strategist, a good man, but still very much willing to use any tools he has to in order to get an edge. The rustling of the forest now indicates that he's moving across the trees, ready and waiting to throw another and get the right kind of opening...]

Not yet.

[ The message from Mitsuhide - 'Tenkai,' as he styles himself - was concise but clear, and Daud wasted no time in grabbing an extra dagger, his wristbow, even his old Whaler's blade and bolting out the door. Why Mitsuhide, Tenkai, whatever the fuck he wants to call himself had summoned Daud is an open question, and not one that's worth the energy of consideration. What matters is reaching them. What matters is keeping Xu Shu from some fatal fall.

Because the bastard's with Xu Shu; that much is clear. The bastard's going for Xu Shu's blood, maybe his soul. Because Xu Shu and Mitsuhide are already locked in combat, and there's precious little time to bring this to a halt. As fast as he can. He has to reach them as fast as he can, and what are they doing together, why have they met at all, Daud doesn't doubt it was Xu Shu who drew out Mitsuhide. That it's part of Xu Shu's unspoken strategy.

The foolish boy. The persistent, well-intentioned, damnably foolish boy.

This has all gone too far. It's time to take care of the bastard once and for all. ...If he can. If it's possible to combat the magic Mitsuhide possesses. Daud's only seen a small sample of the bastard's abilities, and that sample was enough to warn of tumultuous depths of power, something even the Void might not be able to push back.

Still. It's worth a try.

It's been years since Daud used his own abilities. Years since he called on the Void and felt its sharp jolt through his system. After everything that'd happened, after Dunwall and the Empress and the deep damage Daud had done, he'd vowed to never use the black-eyed bastard's 'gifts' again. For years he'd succeeded, but now... Now, that vow has to be broken. If Daud's going to stand any chance against the force that is Mitsuhide, he'll need to call on the Void.

The years of disuse and severance from the Void put him at a disadvantage. He doesn't doubt he'll still be able to transverse space or draw objects from a distance. Doesn't doubt he'll fall into the motions easy enough. He also isn't fool enough to believe he'll be able to put the powers to their best use. Not without practice. Not without time to practice. As it is, he'll need to slip back into old habits as best he can and hope, hope some of it works against the bastard.

(He'll need to hope as well that Xu Shu might be impacted by some measure of the Void's powers. Is banking on his own ability to halt time around Xu Shu, if not around Mitsuhide. Because if he can keep the boy out of the way, he can knife the bastard on his own terms. If he can keep Xu Shu stilled in time, he can keep the man from doing something he'll regret, something Xu Shu shouldn't have to do. The boy's got a soft heart, in spite of all his fighting prowess; best to let him stay that way.)

Finding and getting into the forest was simple enough. He hadn't anticipated the traps, though. He's come across two so far, narrowly avoiding their damage, cursing internally. Shit. Shit, it's the last thing he needs right now. They're Xu Shu's work; he knows that much almost instantly, calculates based on their style and on a supposition that it was Xu Shu who'd drawn MItsuhide here. Smart of the boy to rig the odds in his favor (and with such deft traps, well-hidden and keenly honed; it's what Daud would expect of the man). Irksome that Daud's left to navigate them when he needs, needs to reach the ongoing battle.

Now he sets off a third trap, avoids a shower of blades only to catch one deep against his shoulder, steel slicing through fabric and flesh alike. For a moment he catches himself on one elbow, pressed close to the ground and taking a breath. For all of his persistent training, he's more out of practice than he'd care to admit. Older than he'd like to say, and in his present urgency he feels the toll of time more than ever.

No time for dwelling on that, though; there's noise ahead. A shudder of sound and a sudden flaring glow of flames. Hard to tell who that came from. Hard to say who's currently under attack. All Daud knows is that he needs to be there, now. Pushing himself upward again, he rushes warily, purposefully toward the conflagration. ]

No, no --!!

[ The voice calling out is different than Mitsuhide's -- different yet the same. It is not out of pain or fear, however. Fire touches the sleeve of his attire, racing up the material to burn the skin. His head shakes as he steps back out of it. The is a panic but not a panic over the burning flesh, but his head snaps to look towards where Xu Shu is. ]

Fire reminds me. Yes, it reminds me. [ More of the flames catch onto the "monk's" clothes. His tone changes as he lifts his hand up to look over the orange glow pulling his eyes away from the man. Ignoring the smell, ignoring the bright red his skin is turning. ] This pain. This pain. This suffocating feeling. It is the same, isn't it? Yes, it's the same!

It's different. To you. Please, stop interrupting now. [ His head tilts back, hair starting to burn. He lets out a sudden, shrieking laugh -- the more he laughs, the more the fire turns from orange to a vibrant green. He lets go of one scythe to rest it against his face; his mouth hangs open as he continues to laugh. His head twists and snaps violently to look off to the forest. ]

I smell blood. I smell blood. [ He repeats that a few times as the black spiritual swarm starts to meld itself with the green flames. ] Why am I the only one tasting this pain? Please drink in deep with me? [ So he says, so he says? As the flames explode outwards starting to chase after Xu Shu, looking and acting more like it is alive. Or given life. ]

Edited 2018-12-23 00:00 (UTC)

[Green flame? Xu Shu huffs as he 'sprints' through the tree canopy, considering. before coming to a stop and glancing behind him. There isn't much time to think and so he simply leaps out of the trees again, avoiding an inferno in the forest itself but not leaping without throwing more of his molotov creations Mitsuhide's way; what is with this being? How much damage does it take to even just wear him down when the injuries invigorate like this? There has to be a point...]

[His leg throbs, reminding him that he can't just rely on a war of attrition. As Xu Shu lands his cord is almost dancing in the air, flowing behind, and snaps back to the blade when he talks.]

You are far from the only one feeling that pain.

[Balance... nothing too aggressive yet but not drawing it out? Watching and learning had been part of the plan but with his blood seeping through his clothes how much can Xu Shu allow for? Will this odd wound even be easy to bind? Again the fear runs through his body as he looks through the flame... but his expression and tone remain stony.]

[He leans forward and, not without sorrow, begins to gather together the energies within his body, the power he was born with that steel shaped as he grew. The technique is dangerous and aggressive, a deadly and true dance of the blade, but right now Xu Shu sees no other path.]

But to see someone crave it? How much do you need?

[He raises a hand...]

[ The atmosphere is wrong.

Everything feels wrong, and whatever's happened already is on the edge of faltering further, out of control. Something related to the war zone the clearing before him has become. Something to do with what Mitsuhide has already done, with what Xu Shu’s done and is about to do (what is the boy doing? he can’t dwell on that).

The bastard's bleeding heavily, but it isn't enough, and those flames - raging orange to green, moving unlike any natural fire - Daud's seen flickers of those flames before. Doesn’t like to think what magic’s been wielded against Xu Shu, what damage might already have been done. This can’t continue.

All right. All right.

He clenches his left fist, and feels time draw to slowing, slowing, and then to a hummed halt. The sound of flames fuzzes into static, the night breeze catches in place, and it's been sixteen years, but all of this feels so deeply familiar, almost right, almost as if he's missed this all along (that's a dangerous thought; he can't let that in, can't dwell on all its implications; he’s doing this because he must, and that’s all).

He can’t allow himself to lend attention to Xu Shu, has to ignore the tug of an impulse that demands to look at him, examine him, make certain he’s still standing. What must be done instead is to keep himself positioned away from Xu Shu. Keep Mitsuhide’s attention and effort focused elsewhere.

Already he can feel the Void’s pull drawing at his energy. It’s the old drain. It’s happened swiftly. And he’s going to need to be quick about this. Can’t keep this up for long, especially not when he’s out of practice, especially not when the Void seems to swallow his energy so fiercely.

Two minutes. He estimates that he can manage three minutes - two and a half, if he pushes it (he can push it) - and a series of transversals before he has to let the power drop and allow time to resume its normal flow. It’ll be enough. It has to be enough.

Gritting his teeth, Whaler’s blade in-hand, he steps into the clearing, a movement self-assured and strident. As if he has the entire situation under control. As if - almost - he isn’t worried in the least. (Better to show himself now than keep solely to shadows. Better to grab the bastard’s attention as wholly as he can. Give him another target.) ]

Mitsuhide.

[ His characteristic growl is intensified, rough and licked with fury. ]

It's me you're after, isn't it?

Let’s keep this between us.

[ The fingers of his left hand flex, and he readies himself to transverse at any moment, crossing space to take himself out of Mitsuhide’s attack range or to place himself close enough to attack from behind.

It’s time to end this. (He should have ended it the day the bastard showed up at his home, skulls aglow, reading that cursed letter. He should have known then what would happen and what needed to be done. True, he hadn’t wanted it to end this way but, but, his reticence has only harmed them all. Has only risked their safety, and he can’t allow that any further.) ]

That is --

[ His smile widens a fraction more. It shouldn't be able to do it. He is already smiling so brightly that when he widens his smile, it looks like his face is cracking in half. He blinks as he notices the movement first before hears his name -- his head snaps away from Xu Shu to focus on who has entered. Daud?

Inside of him, he thinks he hears a sigh of relief. His eyebrows come together as his gaze grows distant. He tilts his chin down, eyebrows furrowing. That cooling sensation -- what is it? You? The flames pull back to take a different shape than that of a serpent. It splinters to become hovering flames bathed in green that dance merrily behind and beside Mitsuhide. The shape of round balls of fire that occasionally distort to look like silently screaming faces. ]

No? No, it isn't.

[ Mitsuhide blinks. ] I'm not after you. You did not call me to this place, Daud. You did not call to me, and so... why would I be after you? [ He points with his scythe towards where Xu Shu sits. ] He called me. He put out this invitation. He put out these favors. He has been preparing and feasting with me in this banquet. Why would I be seeking you?

[ His eyes become a little clearer. ] This isn't where we fight. This isn't where it is. I already thought of it... I already thought of where it should be. This place is ... it's not right. This is the meal that I'm sharing with Xu Shu. This is where I carve out his insides and see every shape of him. This is where he can see every shape of me. [ He twists his head around to look to the young man. Once more, his smile splits a bright line of red across his face. ] Can you see the shape of it, Xu Shu?!

[ The flames cease occasionally taking the appearance of tortured expressions and only look like frozen in screams.

A pause. A small pause. ]

Xu Shu... you should hurry to make sure you see everything... that wound of yours... it won't let you keep dallying. [ That constantly bleeding won't let him keep waiting around -- yet Mitsuhide is talking and talking and talking, but he has to explain the situation or the man who joined him won't understand! ] Daud, did you know, did you? You didn't. You didn't because Xu Shu, you made Daud bleed.

[ He finally pulls the scythe back to point to the man before him. ]

You made him bleed. I can smell it. This upsets the stomach. It upsets the eyes. It upsets the ears. Not mine. No, not mine. You should apologize to each other. Apologize and then ... then ... let us smile. Let us smile. I can wait. I can. But you two... do you two have the time to wait?

[The appearance of Daud, sudden and strange like a shadow rising from the ground, changes everything. It almost startles Xu Shu, but he can't allow himself to drop his guard, so he inhales sharply instead and holds back from starting his cutting... feast? Mitsuhide would probably call it as such though the word fills him with mild horror.]

[Something is happening here that he does not understand, can only feel, a tickling at the edge of his senses he probably wouldn't have noticed unless he was fully shifted into a fighting mindset. He knows only a little about the former's and the latter... well. He knows it exists in his father-figure and nothing more than that, because they've never really talked about their respective powers, have they? A fact that is going to make things more difficult right now. That they have their reasons for keeping it quiet suddenly seems... silly.]

You're right. I can't waste time. [His expression is turning more frustrated, perhaps even angry, and he's bracing for a jump as he talks.] So there's no room to apologise yet. Shan Fu talks with steel, Mitsuhide, remember?

[Everything else can come after. Mitsuhide can look and observe and pick at the bond Xu Shu has with Daud in whatever way he likes but there isn't going to be time to deal with that until well after this fight is done; no, right now Xu Shu is going to have to trust that Daud can work with him despite the fact they haven't talked about it.]

[So he'll push into his jump, flipping through the air and closing the gap further. If nothing else happens he'll land at Mitsuhide's side but should either of the other men interfere, which is likely, well...]

[He'll respond. And hopefully it will be enough.]

[ So much for that fucking plan.

Mitsuhide isn’t agreeing to the battle’s redirection.

And Xu Shu’s speaking, moving. Maybe not acting with his characteristic swiftness (maybe not acting with something more than that; hadn’t Daud caught a glimpse of the man moving impossibly fast?), but acting. Not stalled wholly in time. Fuck. Fuck. He’ll— He’ll keep the power in place for now. Let it last until he’s attempted a strike against Mitsuhide. Then he’ll have to release time to its typical flow, have to make sure he isn’t hindering Xu Shu’s capacity to dodge an attack if need be.

He should have struck from the start. Shouldn’t have bothered speaking to the bastard, because what, what was he thinking, imagining that he could predict what Mitsuhide might do? Daud’s seen enough of the man to know his logic runs along its own tracks. All he’s done in announcing his presence has been to waste time and opportunity. All he’s done is fucking erred.

No time to dwell on that now, though. Nor to dwell on Mitsuhide’s words, his declarations regarding Xu Shu. ’The meal I’m sharing,’ what kind of Void-forsaken nonsense is that? And the rest… The rest is precisely what Daud expected. It’s no surprise that the bastard wants to carve Xu Shu apart. The surprise (no, it’s only half a surprise, given what he’s long known about Xu Shu) is that Xu Shu should have invited a scenario in which the odds of destruction were so high.

Damn the boy. Again, again, damn the boy, and damn the man and his scythe most of all. Blame himself most of all, for not having acted sooner. None of this should ever have happened.

The rest of Mitsuhide’s speech is nonsense. Or it’s a sense for another time, something to be sorted far from this place and once the bastard’s heart’s through with beating. Never mind MItsuhide’s insistence that this isn’t the right place, never mind his mad fucking idea that this is some, some ritual, some occasion to be shared with Xu Shu alone. Never mind the ’you made him bleed,’ this obsession with smiles.

And never mind Xu Shu’s talk of Shan Fu. Never mind the ways that doesn’t bode well, can only herald damage. If Daud can end this before Xu Shu (‘Shan Fu,’ by the fucking Void) attacks and can be attacked again. If only he can end this, there’ll be time for reflecting on the rest later. Or burying it deep beneath forgetting.

Xu Shu’s moving. The foolish boy’s moving, and it’s now or—

His fist clenches. The air goes electric. And Daud vanishes, reappearing in the instant behind MItsuhide, already moving his blade. (It feels good to travel like that again. Feels natural to transverse space so smoothly, for the Void's to spark through his nerves, his veins, and for a split moment he wonders whether he should ever have given this up. Whether he’s been denying some necessary part of himself all along.)

Daud’s intent is to slice Mitsuhide’s throat clean through, down to the and beyond the spine. As a back-up plan, he’ll stab the bastard through the base of the neck. And if Mitsuhide’s movements make both attacks impossible, he’ll improvise.

He's long, long been skilled with improvisation. ]

We remember.

[ A clouded film forms over Mitsuhide's gaze. The manic green slowly turning to a warmer gold. The wide-wide-wide smile faltering as the corners turn down. His grip on the scythes loosens just a fraction before his fingers wrap tighter around them until his knuckles crack. ]

Is this not good? You've feasted enough, haven't you? [ His high-pitched giggling and higher-pitched words shift to a slow, easy and almost soothing tone. Worry bleeds into the words. Concern etches into each syllable. Yet his face doesn't change from the wide smile. ]

We're still talking!

[ The words are not directed to the men surrounding him, but to the face that is trying to interfere. It wants him to sleep. It wants this carnage to stop! It can't stop! It can't! They haven't given parting words to each other! Why is he getting in the way of himself?! You should just sleep if you don't like it! Indeed, if Xu Shu hadn't confused Tenkai into thinking he was the one called, Tenkai would have been sleeping and Mitsuhide would have arrived. But since the monk came first, he couldn't go to sleep until he make sure everything was all right!

To the side. To behind. Clever, clever, but aren't they a little too close? Then? Then? I'd like to taste that blade. But? But! You're still-- His eyes widen as the flames around him burst and burn brighter, filling the whole clearing in green light and suffocating heat. He acknowledges the men coming in close, seeing the flashing of blades and feels the killing intent wash over him. ]

Yes! Yes! YES! Still talking! Still talking! Talk, talk, talk! [ His back twists in an impossible fashion, like the spine is not made of bone but something much more flexible. He drops down to the ground with the scythes held tight in his hands and spins. He spins his entire body in sudden and violent circle, twisting his being into nothing but sharp blades. ]

[Still talking. So there needs to be an end, something to truly cap off a feast; 'Shan Fu,' Xu Shu, needs to do what he originally intended and use his power at its height. That weapon won't be used to kill, though. No. The possibility had always been there but with Daud here and so much clear to Xu Shu right now...]

[No killing. For none of them.]

[Landing in his original spot is a dangerous idea, though. In the blink of an eye Xu Shu flicks his cord out, the attached dagger embedding itself into safer dull earth so he can use it to pull himself over and out of harm's way. There's a good chance he'll still get nicked by those blades on the landing which is bad but this is going to come to a close soon anyway... and, well, he hasn't seen what Daud's done because he's not had the chance, and that is the most fortunate thing of all. Rather than try to pull himself to safety he would have made a much more drastic movement.]

[No killing is most important of all for Daud. It's half the reason Xu Shu did this alone.]

Edited 2019-01-07 00:57 (UTC)

[ He needs to get out of the way. The bastard’s spinning steel, the bastard’s too fast, and Daud needs to move.

Which he does. Immediately, almost without thought, he disappears, only to reappear six feet over, taking in the sight of Mitsuhide and Xu Shu, of the blasted clearing. Mitsuhide’s become… It defies description, really, o there’s no time for finding words to match his movement. And Xu Shu’s flagging, strong but plainly wounded.

It’s no good. This is no good.

He releases his hold on time, and that’s one less problem; the effort of manipulating the flow of moments has already begun to run him ragged, but now that time’s running free again, there’s a surge of energy. (Because it feels good, doesn’t it? Even through the exhaustion, it feels good to channel such power, to perform such feats.) And there’s clarity: the lucidity that inevitably accompanies combat.

Xu Shu’s out of the attack’s range; so much the better. There’s no need to propel him out of harm’s way, but… But. There’s still the matter of keeping Xu Shu out of trouble. Because Daud doesn’t doubt that the man’s planning something, some sacrifice of himself, some foolhardy application of his (what are they, what has he been gifted with?) abilities.

This time, when Daud transverses, he appears between Mitsuhide and Xu Shu. If he can keep himself in Mitsuhide’s focus. If he can keep Xu Shu from holding a direct line of attack to MItsuhide. If he can manage these things, he might still be able to see this finished without further injury. ]

Stay. Back.

[ The words are staccato, rough. Directed primarily toward Xu Shu, though Daud keeps his eyes on his foe. Hard to kill a spinning mess of blades. Hard to kill such a creature, but he’ll need to come out of it eventually, won’t he?

And Daud will be watching. And Daud will be ready to move once again, crossing space and leveling his dagger however he must. ]

How sad.

[ He looks up towards his scythes. The serrated edges remain clean. He didn't even get a chance to taste any of their blood. His chest feels tight then at ease at not seeing any red. The blades are cursed that even a single small cut will bleed rivers of red, red, red, red. The ground is saturated in his blood, in Xu Shu's blood. But not Daud's. Isn't that sad? It's sad. ]

How sad. [ He repeats himself as he looks towards where Daud has moved. Fast, fast, fast. ] It whispers. It whispers and doesn't quite scream. But the words are getting much, much louder. You can feel it, can't you? You can feel it beneath the skin. [ A wide smile warms his mouth as he fixes his gaze on the man before him. ]

It itches? Probably? Yes, it iches. Do you know the shape of your fear? [ His eyes soften just a little as he peers at the man's cold face. ] It doesn't exist inside of you. It's there. [ The scythe gestures behind him. ] It's there. It is inside others.

[ He doesn't want to hear that. He doesn't want to have that sort of talk. Do not touch places people are healing with such sharp instruments. His eyes glaze over as he twists his head to look to the side. Annoyance burning into his expression but he shrinks back like he is scolded. ] Fine! A smile! A smile, then! Let's smile!

[ A burst of laughter pours of his mouth. Let his scythes sing a beautiful song. A song where they can carve big, bright smiles on each other. Curved into an open mouth, bleeding happiness everywhere. So he sprints forward -- with the hellfire of green following him and raises one blade to cut wide, twisting his body about to bring the other blade in a diagonal slice. ]

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