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moonrealm2018-10-14 09:15 pm
bellflower) wrote in moonrealm2018-10-14 09:15 pm
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CALL ME OUT |
LINKS |
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A simple call me out post Bell. Got an idea for a PSL or meme with one of my characters? Hit me up here! I've set up an OOC thread to chat about it if you wanna ask about preferences, ideas, anything like that... check out the links to the side! |
» MUSELIST » OOC CHAT » PREFERENCES |
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By vigils
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tfln continuation.
[ To his credit, he crosses out the portion that he feels is "not short." To his detriment, it is only done with a single line through the words thus making it easy for Xu Shu to easily read what is supposed to be "omitted" from the letter.
Mitsuhide is nothing if not someone that understands and adheres to all the promises he makes with people. If a person honestly promises him something, he will honestly break that promise. Because people should not make promises with mad men! Are they idiots?! But Daud said "please". Daud used the word "please" to a maggot like himself. It does not make Mitsuhide feel easy to break the word "please" as it does to break the word "promise."
"Please" should come out of a mouth that is gaping red and spewing blood! "Please" should come while the insides of a person have become their outsides! "Please" should come while the light is dying from someone's eyes!
He didn't know it could be used to request and command! No one told him that it could be in regards to himself! What does he do with a word that he did not drag out of a person? What does he do with it? He mentally cups it in his hands and feels how soft and delicate it feels. He thinks that if he crushes it as easily as he crushes "promise" than he will come to regret his actions. This word should be cherished.
So he listens to the word -- he brings it back close to his ear to listen hard. "Please." I see, I see. It can't be me that talks to Xu Shu anymore. I see. I understand. His chin bobs up and down as he comprehends the word a little more.
Then, it will not be me. Mitsuhide locates his old mask. He slides the mask onto the lower-half of his face, feeling the metal bite into the skin. His eyes close as he searches his other face. When his eyes open, he is no longer Mitsuhide. He is no longer that mad creature driven to the point of shattering by Nobunaga Oda. No, he is Tenkai. The enigmatic monk.
He giggles to himself as he walks -- less like a puppet being dragged along the ground by loose strings and more as a specter, drifting slow and careful over the ground. In his hand, he holds a letter written by "Mitsuhide." ]
My apologies. Would you happen to be Xu Shu? [ Tenkai calls softly as soon as he sees the young man. He tips his head to the side as his eyes smile soft and warm. ] I have a letter for you from a strange man. He was very strange but adamant that I hand this to you in-person. I hope that is all right with you.
[ The letter is held out to the other -- and the smile of Tenkai does not change. ]
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[He stares up at 'Tenkai,' eyes wide and confused behind his glasses.]
From a strange man...
[This is definitely Mitsuhide, isn't it? He's hardly a man you could ever forget. Without even really intending to Xu Shu has found himself feeling somewhat responsible for keeping him in check (or as much as you could someone like Mitsuhide, a force of chaos so potent it feels like trying to wrestle with a spinning tornado every time they talk). It's a difficult thing to do for more than the obvious reasons, though; the insight, the way that he sees and prickles at your weaknesses and talks of them with his wild metaphors, it's... troubling for someone wounded in the way Xu Shu is. Those eyes manage to be both clouded and clear at one and the same time.]
[But those eyes, the eyes of Mitsuhide right now, they look... different. Almost softer, though that seems almost impossible. Barely knowing how to react, Xu Shu settles on just taking the letter and hoping it fills in part of the puzzle. Half a minute letter and, well, the pieces it gives him really aren't helping much. Daud told Mitsuhide to leave Xu Shu alone. That's clear. That is something Xu Shu is going to have to talk about with his father-figure as soon as he can. But it's not the most immediate concern, is it?]
Umm, thank you... [He says, eventually, voice quiet and uncertain.] And what name is it you go by?
[Best to start with that and work out how best to approach this slowly.]
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The letter was short. I cut off all the unncessary words. Cut them down with a thin little line. Like the swinging song of my scythe. A manic series of words burn in his skull. His eyes drift to the side, acknowledging his thoughts with a small shake of his head. No, no, the me that loves killing. It's not the length of the letter that is the issue. He is digesting the implications.
The lower covered half of his face that is Mitsuhide radiates bright chaotic energy. Ah, implications? Ah, the me that hates killing, do you mean like what it means for that man to ward me off? The upper half of his face that is exposed as "Tenkai" gazes on with calm, understanding eyes. Yes. The two of them understand one another. They understand and have a fondness for each other. They do not wish the other to be harmed.
His head twists violently to the side. Then, does he think I'm someone who would attempt to darken Xu Shu's soul? Is that what he is thinking?! Shall I remove his head without any respect to him? He turns his head back and shakes it once more slowly. No. We're seeing righteousness but the man has none. The color of his soul is what it is. That ocean black blocks out the shades of righteous and justice. What it leaves behind is purpose and duty.
Hm, duty. Duty, huh? He opens his mouth a little, letting out a high-pitched giggle. The giggle echoes in the space of the mask. Yes, duty. But no duty that anyone has given him. It is only those he gives himself. He gives them to himself because he sees something that must be put right. That is not righteous or justice. He is not blinded by such concepts, but he is blind by the black of the ocean.
So, what implications is he digesting? Lifting his eyes upward, his looks up toward the bright blue sky. The meaning behind Daud's warding, as I said. And the depth of what it means for me. For while we are as we are -- we are chaos. He worries that we will find this an affront and kill Daud for it. Yes, that sounds right. He worries as a human worries. But he does not recognize our squirming maggot state.
This would not offend me!! I am filled with warm and honest love! Warm and honest love! To think there is someone who would ward me away with a desire to protect another -- not protect him from my blade but from my chaos. It is endearing. It makes the shape of the sinking stone take that of a human! A human! He's forming back into a drowning man after growing comfortable being a stone! His eyes start to shine with mania. But Xu Shu is uncertain. He is uncertain because he cannot see our shape. Anyway, it seems like his digestion is done, but the meal was unsatisfactory. Might this humble Tenkai please continue without further interruption?
Go ahead. Go right ahead. Please do not let this starved stray bother further. The conversation between the two faces end. But he knows he is both of them. He knows he is only Mitsuhide. But it is nice, he thinks, to have a second "opinion" to his own musings. He stands straight with his hands folded -- so different from Mitsuhide who sways back and forth, twisting his body in an invisible wind.
At the gracious thanks (or rather he will take it as gracious), the "monk" bows his head. ] Think nothing of it. I am only fulfilling a request given to me. Though, I would have thought the request would have given you a happier face. [ His eyes give another soft smile. ] And I am Tenkai, a humble monk.
... I have to wonder how it is that you caught the eye of such a strange man... but I hope that you will not let it worry you too much. [ A soft hum. ] Though... I do not know what comfort my words can be as you look to be quite troubled.
Were the contents of the letter so distressing?
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[A new name, and a mask to go with it. There is no doubt whatsoever that this is Mitsuhide, of course. Even just focusing on the purely physical attributes it's as obvious as the sun is bright; the cascade of admittedly fine silvery hair, small but bright eyes and incredibly tall frame mark him as that man. That just leaves Xu Shu with one question he's not sure he's going to get an answer to and most definitely isn't going to ask directly; why? What's this all about?]
[Daud wanted Mitsuhide to stay away from Xu Shu. So Mitsuhide is... staying away from Xu Shu by acting as 'Tenkai' instead? This can't be a new persona, though, not judging by the way Mitsuhide is holding himself, the way he talks and the drastically different aura he possesses. It's something he's done before.]
[Xu Shu thinks about 'I would like to kill him,' those badly hidden words in the letter that he's not soon going to forget. The day that Mitsuhide tried to kill Daud would be the day Xu Shu would have no choice but to fight to protect his boss, something he does not wish to do where it can be avoided. His main weapon should be his mind. It should be the first thing he tries to do. Think through a problem, try to avoid that blood, even if it seems like he's just putting off an inevitability.]
Well met. [Just go along with it for now, he thinks, grasping his drink so tightly it almost burns and offering the smallest smile.] I am sorry if I look so bothered, but, umm... I have many things to worry about. It's something like my job to watch over people. To keep things calm. Not the easiest thing to do, and I am not the most talented of men, but I still have to try.
[There is only one Xu Shu. He was once Shan Fu, it's true, but those were just two different names to mark the two very different periods of his young life; Shan Fu might have jumped far too quickly to the 'fighting' option but he learned how badly that could go, and so, instead, he's Xu Shu. Who is, despite all of his instincts telling him to get away from this, talking calmly to the most dangerous man he's ever met.]
[Mother wasn't wrong when she called him foolish.]
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I see. you know ... sometimes, it is all right to not think. [ His eyes soften to gift another warm smile that his covered mouth cannot. ] Once a stone starts rolling, once it starts to sink... it will not stop until something impedes its descent.
[ He holds his hand out, cupping it slightly like he is attempting to catch the stone. ] If we take too much time to think of how to stop it, it will have already rolled by. [ The monk chuckles -- a saner laugh than the high-pitched giggling of his other face. ] Still, looking after others, though... I like looking after people, too.
[ Leaning forward suddenly, he draws himself into Xu Shu's space, tilting his head as he looks at him. ] That makes the two of us like brothers. [ Another chuckle, but towards the end of the laugh it spikes to a higher octave. ] But as I was saying, yes, as I was saying... you need not worry yourself so much.
... even though you hve planned and planned, you will end up feeling wretched for it... that you have missed something when there was nothing to be missed."
[ He draws himself backwards. ] The stone will keep rolling. The stone will keep falling. It won't stop until the stone becomes a human. Then... and only then ... the shape has the means to stop, because they know they must. [ Crouching down, he tucks the folds of his clothes underneath him. He lifts his gaze to get a good look at the young man through "Tenkai's" eyes. Yes, the monk likes him, as well. ]
[ A beat. ] The only thing waiting at the bottom ... is a shattered rock. The only thing waiting at the ocean is black... endless black and a pile of other stones that can never become human, again. [ Resting his hands on his knees, he folds them one over the other. ] No one wants to see what is at the bottom of the hill. No one wants to see what is at the bottom of the ocean.
But stones don't care.
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[That small invasion of his personal space makes him flinch a little, naturally defensive, and the comment about brothers is so bizarre it makes his eyes widen. But he recovers quickly and decides it might be wise to put his tea to the side before he drops it; leaving his cup in the grass, Xu Shu pushes the bridge of his glasses up and then tugs at the collar of his shirt. The latter habit is a show of nerves, or uncertainty, common to the young man while he ponders on any thought.]
...I've shattered once already. [He says, after a short while.] Because I didn't know when to stop back then. But I'm still human. Too human, I think? And I'm not sure I can fit all the pieces back together but I'm trying.
[Why is he even saying this? Xu Shu isn't sure. It's not even a full reflection of what 'Tenkai' was saying but it fits his own past and the struggles he deals with well enough. Smile widening a little, he tries to shove off the feeling that his shoulders are getting heavier and focus.]
That's not important, though, not really. I'll keep worrying no matter how much it might cause me problems because that's how I am; if someone needs me, I feel compelled to give them my aid, even if I know it's foolish.
[Trying a laugh, he runs a hand through his hair and looks at Mitsuhide with interest.]
If you don't mind me asking, why is it you felt compelled to deliver this strange man's letter? I'm curious.
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I think you will be able to pull the pieces free not put them back together. [ He tilts his head to the side. ] A shattered stone is best in this situation. It allowed you to break free. There is no need to keep sitting around and picking up the pieces that remain. [ It is the sinking stones that are the worry. They sink and never break. They only fracture slightly, if at all. ]
Milk and shattered stones. There's no use crying over either. [ His head slowly shakes before he makes a soft humming sound, indicating he is listening to the rest of what Xu Shu says. ] I suppose that we are both the same in that manner. Yes, we are both the same. It is best to help people. As a monk, I can't not help. [ Unfolding his hands, he holds his hand out in a loose gesture towards the man before he rests his palm over his chest. ]
And so that is the answer to your question. I felt compelled because I was asked to assist someone. As a monk, when someone honestly asks for my help, I cannot refuse their cries. ... No, I will take their cries instead within me until the sorrow drains from the voices I hold. [ A soft chuckle. ]
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[Yet those two traits don't sit easily together, and so... here is 'Tenkai,' visiting Xu Shu because Daud asked Mitsuhide nicely not to do so. It is breaking that request but perhaps somewhere in this man's odd logic it absolutely isn't and this is fine.]
[Oh dear.]
Right. [He bows his head, looking down at the grass briefly.] That does make sense. Thank you for your kind act. I fear reading between the lines has left me with a difficult riddle to solve, though.
[How does one take this unfortunate situation, with Daud and Mitsuhide and the sensation of being between a rock and a hard place, and make it out bloodless?]
That's not your problem, though, Tenkai. I hope you weren't pulled from anything important.
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Xu Shu should figure things out without hints. Too many and he may feel like he is being made a fool of versus that the me here wants to help. ]
No. I was finishing up my prayers when I was called upon. I find a great sense of relief in the bathing in the incense and the kneeling. [ His body aches a lot when he carries out such tasks earnestly, so how could he not love it? ]
But it does seem like I have interrupted your tea and book... You know... tea is very good. Very good for the soul. You can feel that heat in drinking but if you drink it too cold... you may end up feeling worse inside. [ Another giggle. ] So, brother, if I may ask ... have you eaten lately?
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[Wait, the 'brother' thing again? Is he going to fixate on that idea? Xu Shu pauses and then shakes his had slowly.]
Umm, no. Not since the early morning.
[He glances down at his, well, yes, cooling tea. The half-cup is probably not worth touching now, is it? Honestly Xu Shu doesn't often eat during the daytime and he's not one to make complex food either, usually sticking to simple meals in small portions. Tea is something he takes more time over. There are days where he wonders if he could get through the day without it.]
Why do you ask?
[A question with a probably obvious answer, but Xu Shu is learning not to assume simple logic with this man.]
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[ His head tilts ever so slightly as his aura seems to radiate disappointment. Breathing in deep, he sits a little straighter. Clicking his tongue, he makes soft tsk-tsk-tsk sounds with each flick. ]
That is because... I worry about you. Also, food is good. [ A beat. ] Through my travels, I have come to understand how nice it is to eat with others... sharing meals is a luxury... and the gratitude felt in that small bubble of hot food and table is... it is worth experiencing.
[ "Tenkai" feels his shoulders sag. His gaze becomes distant -- the sharp, bright green mania fades little by little from his eyes and replaced with a warm, soft gold. Kingo, are you eating well? Not crying too much into the broth, are you? That will make it too salty and lose its warm flavor...
The face settles on the flesh; it smooths over the broken, shattered pieces. There is no "Tenkai." There is only Mitsuhide. There is only ever him. But in remembering that small, weak Lord, he pretends earnestly for that one's sake. Even if he is not here to see him, Kingo is waiting; if that "him" does not exist outside of Kingo's sight, "he" does not exist.
He can't do that to him -- and for a moment, he forgets why he is wearing the face of Tenkai and pretends. ]
... I carried on but eating is very important. Skipping meals is no good. When you skip them, you feel more empty inside when riddles and puzzles come. [ Pushing himself up to stand, the monk awakens. ] Well... shall I gather the supplies to fix this problem? A rabbit, perhaps? Meat is always good for when one is stewing. Stew would be better but we have no pot... most unfortunate.
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[That's even more interesting, in its way, because it's a reflection of Mitsuhide's... other side? Other persona? As 'Tenkai' this would be their first meeting but it's not, not really, so. Goodness. Just how did this man end up this way? Violent and bloody and mad, a danger to almost everyone and unquestionably the sort one might label a 'villain' were he a character in a story, Mitsuhide is also incredibly human and fragile for it, in his way.]
[Xu Shu pulls again at his shirt, feeling nervous. Despite those thoughts and the intellectual mystery it provides, the idea of being worried about by his current companion is rather unsettling.]
I'm not worth worrying about, but thank you. [Glancing down at his tea and his book, Xu Shu thinks for a moment before downing the lukewarm tea, picking his things up, stashing them in his little bag and standing up as well.] Wouldn't it be easier to go and find a pot elsewhere, though? I'm sure there are easier ways to eat right now... though I have caught rabbits in the past.
[You can't be a wanderer in a land as big as his original home without learning how to gather and hunt, after all. He's no expert but has skills enough to do it without coming to harm. Been a while since he's done so, though.]
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No, that is not what you meant, but rather... it renders someone's feelings worthless to consider yourself so. Please take more care with yourself? If you pile on too many words, you will find it difficult to walk forward and become disheartened by your lack of progress. [ He claps his hands together, moving onto the topic of "food." ]
Indeed, it may be easier, but it won't allow you to eat faster. So the matter becomes... we need only ask directions. [ Lifting his head up, he turns his head about as he searches the sky. ] Ah, there, they are... there, they are. [ A pair of ravens flying high in the air suddenly plummet down out of the sky. It seems like they are going to meet a bloody end but suddenly swoop up to fly straight in their direction. Slowing down as they approach, the pair come to rest on "Tenkai's" shoulder. ]
Ah, yes? Yes? Rabbits? I promise not to take the most juicy of ones, but you see my companion here has not eaten. [ One raven pecks at the straps of his shoulder-guards, whilst the other twists its head around to look to the strategist. A sharp cry comes from the two. ] Oh. That is most kind of you.
[ One of the ravens bites onto the feather of another. It tugs viciously before pulling the feather free. "Tenkai" takes the offering with smiling eyes. ] Yes, yes, I would like to promise that you will eat well soon... but you will have to take that up with another face. [ The ravens fluff their feathers before taking off from his shoulders. ] Well, I got some good directions... shall we go? I should like to see you catch rabbits.
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[It's easier to focus on what comes. The entire 'display' is watched with wide eyes, his gaze following the birds, and when 'Tenkai' suggests they go Xu Shu finally finds his voice again.]
Umm, you have interesting friends.
[Did Mitsuhide really just hold a conversation with ravens? The world is a fascinating place filled with many odd powers, it's true, so it can't be discounted... and they had certainly acted like they were responding. That doesn't make it any less strange, though, and Xu Shu really doesn't want to think too hard about the 'eat well' comment. The 'another face' one, though, is tucked away into his thoughts to dwell on later.]
[For now, well. It looks like he's going hunting.]
If you like. I'm not sure how quickly I can catch a rabbit, and it's been a while, but I can certainly manage in the right spot.
[It's a decent-ish time of day for it, heading into late afternoon, though the methods of hunting they'll have will be somewhat limited as things stand. Traps? Something to think on while they walk. It might not actually take less time to get their food this way but if it keeps Mitsuhide occupied that's fine, right?]
There's probably edible mushrooms around as well.
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[ Holding the feather between thumb and index finger, he rolls it quill in small, quick circles. ]I would like to learn how to act the same way to those I feel indebted toward. [ With careful fingers, he weaves the feather in among the other raven feathers that adorns his shoulder-guards. ]
... mushrooms will go well with a roasted rabbit. We shall be eating very well. [ He bobs hic chin up and down, yet again, in a thoughtful nod. ] But ... allow me now to give you the problem that is before you and ask how you are to accomplish the task.
[ Lifting his hand, he holds it out as he gestures towards his dear companion. ] My friends have given us directions to the rabbits... or where we shall have the most luck to find them. By my word, I promised not to take the juicest of them.
So ... among the rabbits, how will you choose which one to die? [ He turns to look and smile kind with his eyes. ] We have only our small window... if we choose wrong and snag a rabbit that we promised not to snag... what would your next course of action be?
[ This is the same sort of games that he would play with Kingo. He loves to watch the steam come out of the little lord's head when he gives him a riddle. His eyes close as he can already hear his voice. "Tenkai-sama. I don't know. But wouldn't it be okay to say 'sorry'? Aren't we very hungry?"
Opening his eyes, he decides to add to his riddle, because unlike his sweet Kingo, Xu Shu is very clever and will probably be bored without some added stipulations: ]
Will you appease the long-standing friendship I have with the ravens, and the promise I gave them? Or will you appease my selfish wish to see you eat well? Which one would you allow to take precedent, little brother?
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[There's one thing Xu Shu hasn't really thought on too hard, that being the reason why Mitsuhide even wants to keep interacting with him. What's that about? Just what about himself could keep such a man interested in talking to him? And what's with the brother thing, anyway? He can't have latched onto that word from one single comment, one method of comparison. There's too much to work out about this man and probably only a small amount that has a real answer.]
[Back to the hunting, must focus on the hunting. The dwelling can come later. 'Tenkai' has posed questions that are much easier to find answers for, and Xu Shu hums thoughtfully, closes his eyes for a moment and then looks up at the sky. This does at least help him choose the how he's going to do the capture.]
...there's no reason both the wish and the promise can't be kept.
[His gaze drops again, sweeping over the green before them. Creating the traps will be the challenge but with a bit of inventiveness they'll manage.]
I'll need to trap several non-lethally and choose between them. Leave the fattest for your friends, let the thinnest and smallest go free, and those that are in-between would serve well for a meal.
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Indeed, Mitsuhide was certain that Xu Shu would want to protect imagined familial lines. He believed that the young man would grow discontent and eventually furious at having a stranger readily call themselves his brother. But he has cooled all of his fury to where it is just smoldering coals over minor offenses. Lifting his gaze up, he admits that he has chosen the wrong path to himself. Peppering it into the conversation is not enough to feel the spice. Pressing the issue will end in... ]
No reason both can't be kept, huh?
[ He claps his hands together. Once, twice. ]
And if I were to give you a time frame in which you must complete this task? [ He decides to hold onto the idea of brotherhood. He holds onto it and rolls it around in his hands. The word does not yet sound bad. The word does not yet sound useless. He just is not ringing the right bell with it yet. ]
Or would that be too mean to do? [ So "Tenkai" focuses on hunting. He focuses on Xu Shu's ingenious nature and see if he cannot give him some words of praise if he can fulfill the whimsical expectations of an eccentric monk. ]
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I can't promise you I'd succeed within the time frame.
[It depends on how many rabbits are within the place they are heading, how many good materials are around, how quickly the rabbits fall for the traps... so many variables to consider.]
But I can try. [His mouth quirks just a little as he attempts to smile.] You won't get to witness much, though... give me a time limit and I'll have to sprint off in the direction you point.
[That'll do. There will be nothing but the task until it's done.]
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[ His fingers tap against his metal mask, before he drags his nails across the surface. The soft gold shifts as he smiles. Yes, "Tenkai" exists for that young lord that cares so much for him. The monk would never be so cruel as to time a person without a means to check the time. Bullying is bullying but there has to be limits to it. ]
I shall give you ... what is fair? Thirty minutes? Forty-five? Yes, let's go with the latter. And I'll time you. Please ... if you would lend me your phone... I believe there is a timer function on it. [ Holding his hand out, he steps forward. ] I'll play with that until you return with your choice of rabbits.
[ Turning his head, he looks back over his shoulder -- looking out toward the wide sky. ] And by then, the ravens, too, should return and be able to determine if the choice was right. They are far more impartial than I am. [ Leaning in: ] Even though I am a monk, even though I must do what is fair, when someone is working their hardest... I wish to be partial to them, in turn.
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[(Trying to get a good image of his beloved found family is half impossible).]
Please don't look through my messages. [He says, sounding painfully shy for a moment.] They've been rather embarrassing, lately...
[But once that is done he steps back, inhales softly and steels himself. Mission time. It's not often he's done things to explicit time limits but there have been plentiful times in his life and in his work where doing things quickly and quietly have been important. Xu Shu is naturally athletic, swift and strong, and while he won't actually directly acknowledge that it's still true. And he knows it, on some level.]
[So he's quieter when he speaks next, but firmer, pulling up the hood of his hoodie even as he speaks. Usually he does so because he's feeling insecure but sometimes, just sometimes, it's because he's about to do something with considerable seriousness.]
Point, and we'll start.
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[ He smiles in a fond, if not a little more manic, way as he takes the phone. Indeed, what he seeks is not what is written. What he seeks is not what has been taken or kept, like the flowers pressed between the pages of books. No, what he seeks is something simpler. It's the frequency of chatter. Indeed, Mitsuhide may pretend to be someone else when writing letters but he would never read a letter not addressed to him (or his other face).
Intercepting letters is the sort of rudeness that sane men do to find out plans. Mitsuhide, however, admits to his own madness.
So, what he seeks is frequency. What he seeks is seeing how often two speak and how long. What he seeks is the connection not the words shared. The words shared are sacred, after all! Like his words with Nobunaga will always be held hallowed and dear in his heart (they will also always rip and rend and tear and bleed the inside of his soul). All the same, he understands the importance of messages and shared, secret words between two people.
... Tenkai lifts his arm to point in the direction the crows gave him. He smiles as he turns the phone over in his hand, setting the timer. ]
Go. Please go. I believe in you completely and know that you will be victorious.
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[He has plans in mind but it all depends on what he can find, and the few things he has on him. Thank goodness for his always-present pocketknife. It's been useful on many occasions in his line of work and for all sorts of purposes; picking locks, of course, the most common one. But sometimes... well, sometimes it's kept him safe, in situations where there's been no other path left. Xu Shu doesn't like to dwell on those times, but... well. They happened, didn't they?]
[But no. Not now. Focus. Run, look, hunt.]
[Left behind is his phone, in the hands of a 'monk,' and only a couple of very active message logs. To Daud above all. Their messages might be short and to the point but they are frequent. To Cass as well, with whom his messages are a little softer and often full of images of the office dog. There's a few other workmates and friends but these are much less active. In some ways, Xu Shu is still rather lonely. There's hesitation and fear in him still, the worries that he'll disappoint, the concern that he'll suffer the loss. Maybe it'll never go away in full...]
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He has forty-five minutes to mull over the number of messages that Xu Shu has received. Lifting his hand up, he taps his fingers against the mask. Tap, tap, tap.
Daud is hardly surprising. The two chat, chat, chat. They worry, worry, worry. But their insides don't twist inside like they used to because they have each other. His head tilts the opposite way. They believe in one another and recognize it yet not recognize it. The two shall come together sooner or later, because the shape of the sinking rock has become a drowning man.
The two of them can become human when they remember that their hearts can still bleed and that they have something they can lose. Mitsuhide giggles -- high-pitched and violent. He hums as he moves onto the frequency of the second. A woman? Cass? A lunatic only reads the number of messages, the times the messages were sent, and the name. He keeps his promise and does not read the messages themselves. These two are close. Fond, at least. Fond. Very easy to grow fond if one's hurting and bleeding. Xu Shu wouldn't let someone draw close if he could recognize it. But he does and doesn't recognize it.
Because he's still sitting at the hill where he shattered, picking up the broken fragments of rock that he escaped from. "Tenkai" chuckles -- soft and understanding, always understanding. So, what is it? "Cass," hm? He shortened it. Her name. Her doing or his doing? Easy enough to ask him to do anything. But this is his phone and she may never see the shortening. Mitsuhide chimes into his own thoughts, interrupting the musing. And will we gut the rabbit for him? Most assuredly, most assuredly, this Mitsuhide will. Chop the head right off and skin the beast with these hands. He shouldn't have to bloody his hands after playing our game. That wouldn't be fair.
Returning to the point at hand? Yes, the point. There is a closeness and the times and frequency. The times and frequency. I'll leave you, my other face, to investigate the matter. The 'monk' is good at settling the racing heart, but his own face is best at seeing the face behind the faces. She feels like a bird. I don't know the shape of it. Small, large. Perhaps, it is not a bird at all? Let us discover what shape she is.
He closes the messages and returns to looking to the timer. Will they grow upset? Will their faces grow red and black with anger if I talk to her? Is she a princess being protected? Or is she-- His head lifts as he looks up toward the sky. The ravens are starting to return. Two, at first. But more and more are starting to swarm and group. Certainly, he is alone save for those two. Certainly, he is. Yet no one can live alone and no one can die alone. The world becomes too big and too empty. The world becomes just too big.
His gaze drops as the ravens turn the scenery black as they continue to gather. And now we wait. We wait because we have no answer yet. Their eyes turning bright red as they look out in the direction of the young man -- waiting, waiting. ]
Still... Xu Shu is working hard. We should not just sit here when there are so many of us. Why don't we get a fire going? Why don't we, hm? A pot for the stew? If the rabbit is to your liking, I will share some with you, friends.
But for now, let's make preparations. [ He says with a smile as the horde of ravens seem to agree. So a fire will be waiting, so a mountain of ravens will be waiting, so a campsite will be waiting yet feel very off as it sits and waits for the meat. ]
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[The timer on the phone Mitsuhide holds reads 43:52.]
[A close-call, certainly, and judging by the pace at which Xu Shu speeds towards the fire he knows it. When he slows down and stops by the fire there is sweat on his brow, his chest rising and falling with his exhaustion. The bottom of his trousers are rather muddy too, and there are leaves caught on his clothing, but most importantly? Rabbits. Four of them. Not huge, not massively fat, but still with enough meat on them to make a good meal. They are bound together by thick cord and unbloodied so far; killed by a quick break of the neck, obviously. Laying them near Mitsuhide, Xu Shu then takes a seat and heaves a deep, tired breath.]
[After a moment or two he lays down a packet besides the rabbits too; inside there are mushrooms. A mix of commoner edible ones and a small handful of a rare but tasty prize; Matsutake mushrooms, especially prized in both China and Japan.]
Enough?
[He pulls down his hood and runs a hand through his hair, now concentrating on his breath in an attempt to both calm down and recover from his sprint.]
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He holds his hand up, fingers slightly curled, as he stops himself. His head tilts upwards as one of the ravens plummets down to the ground. The corvid pecks and tugs lightly on the rabbits' ears. Its blood red eyes look over the captured prey before flying up to rest on the 'monk's shoulder. ]
It's enough, isn't it? [ The raven pecks lightly at the mask. ] Are you sure? [ It does not seem to want to dignify the question with an answer as the bird takes off from his shoulder back up toward the skies. The soft pastels of evening are blotted out in black, like a swirling storm, as the ravens group together. It is not long before they move on, traveling elsewhere, and the sky once more shines its beautifully soft colors. ]
You did very well. [ 'Tenkai' steps forward to reach his hand out to rest it on top of the young man's head, lightly petting the hair in a manner that he believes to be soothing. ] Your efforts are truly wonderful, and we are all very happy with what you have accomplished. Very happy, indeed.
[ His head lightly shakes. ] As you could tell, there is not enough for the ravens to eat with us, but that was never part of the original agreement. I had thoughtlessly invited them to join us while you were away. [ A warmer tone. ] But they were very pleased with what you had chosen for us to eat. And for their kindness and patience with me, I shall chat with another face to see if they can be properly compensated.
[ A soft laugh. ] Well done, well done. Rest now and allow this monk to handle the cooking. [ He finishes, finally, in patting and stroking Xu Shu's hair. Kneeling down, he looks over the rabbits that have been brought. ] Such kindness. Yes, you have a lot of kindness when you kill. I am certain everyone has felt it... even those that have tasted steel instead of a quick twist.
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