shiftingwinds | [7rings] catchall for douman

[Hey, look, its a clown!]

[Its a clown who, upon seeing someone else around, frowns deeply and instantly walks very fast to try to pass them without making eye contact. Sorry. Not staying! In fact, they definitely seem to be in a hurry.]

[Try to catch this clown if you can...?]

[...?!

she's just raising her hand to give a little wave and a smile when the clown just decides that it's time for them to start making their way down town, walking fast. startled, she turns to watch after him, and then after a moment, take a few steps in pursuit, her brows furrowing in concern.]

Hey! Is something wrong..?

No! I mean...yes-! Just...!

[They don't even finish their sentence, just moving faster.]

It is alright, Qingxuan-!

[IT DOESN'T LOOK ALRIGHT??]

If it's alright, then why are you running?!

[she also runs faster]

Because I don't want to see...anyone, please!

[YOU MIGHT JUST HAVE TO TACKLE THEM, SQX]

But why—?

[well, shi qingxuan doesn't tackle them. at least, not intentionally. but she does trip on her robes, and throws out an arm to try and catch herself - her fingers just barely brush against douman before she hits the ground.

that brief contact is enough to send them both falling into a series of memories.

it's a little strange, seeing it from this vantage point - as something she'd experienced, and couldn't consciously remember. it's horrifying, hearing that voice again and again, and the last taunt, from when it had found her up in the heavens (or, him; douman's getting the chance to see her male form after all), still echoes in her mind as they come out of it.

her hand reaches out for douman again. please don't go she's scared.

(also stick around and give her a memory in return.)]

[They don't understand.]

[This isn't their life. A brother. A family. A terrible curse, in the form of a horrifying voice, hungry for power. Douman knows none of it, and experiences it all the same.]

[But still, even after all that has ended, and they mean to leave, SQX's hand catches them, they turn, frowning, and-]

[There is a bleak landscape. Two powerful beings stand against one another. One floats, scowling, with Ashiya Douman at his side. The other, gritting his teeth, is no less angry, with what seems to be a mismatch of humans and other strange-looking people at his side. The floating one barks out a haughty laugh, gesturing to what seems to be a strange, tall column behind it that reaches far, far into the sky.

"Yes…fufufu, look at you! You and I…are both close to being perfect Gods! Go on. Try to dissuade me! As you stand, I see us as near equals!"

The one with vivid red hair only shakes his head.

"…? What a peculiar thing to say. Neither of us are perfect Gods. That much is evident. If we were perfect Gods, would you be so fixated on my name for our approaching fight? That much is clearly…human of you."

The floating god reacts with an indignant sound. The red-haired being continues.

"Arjuna. That part of you is still there. It’s why you have the urge to fight me. I thank you…it confirms that neither of us are Gods. Here, together, we are only two warriors."

Arjuna's face contorts with vivid anger.

"Blasphemy…ignorance….!"

And then, suddenly, Ashiya Douman speaks up with a loud peal of laughter, turning to Karna and the others with a wide smile.

"Nnn~, goodness, what a shock! Even the Hero of Charity can twist words around! Alas, it is my sworn duty to ensure His ears are not polluted by such despicable lies! For He is God! God, God, God! Ah, but if you still feel like he is lacking!If you cannot place that feeling! I will take the task of resolving that issue for you!"

And in one large, dramatic movement, Douman gestures to the tree behind them, laughing with delight.

"Come, come! Our true God will bestow us with a mighty gift! Here shall be the Stairway Above! All shall change into the duplicate, proper texture: the velvet curtain before the true show! We have reached this one of a kind scenario through this Losbelt’s providence over a fragile humanity! I rejoice not towards a broad, profound future, but a narrow, singular one! Aaah, we are but moments away from my final goal. The sole merit this Lostbelt possesses! From sharpening of its walls, each fracture from the elongated, revolving cycles! All of it was to arrive at the apex of eradication! The roots of fantasy latch, and the tree of abstractness spreads! Witness the budding of a new world!

On the name of the Fantasy Tree - Spiral! Encircle this planet, and bring us to the infinite multitude of “The End”!

Everything begins to shake. The sky deepens red, like blood. The Fantasy Tree cracks and vibrates, like an egg about to hatch a ravenous dragon. With a loud, horrific noise, the white bark is charred black, and the tree opens itself up to reveal what appears to be a starry sky inside.]

[....And it all fades away. Douman blinks, like they just saw a ghost, before turning away.]

[They're not going to say anything, at this moment.]

[she has absolutely no idea what she just witnessed. (frankly, neither do i.)

but - that was definitely douman, within the memory. they were speaking of things she doesn't truly understand, but that was them. that was their face, their voice, and though she hasn't actually heard such things come out of their mouth before (in retrospect, her interactions with them have all been pretty mild, comparatively), she can still recognize them within that memory.

but they turn away from her.

is this why they were running, then? was it something that they didn't want her to see?

- or something that they didn't want to see themselves, brought on the way it was?]

...Douman?

[her voice is a little shaky, but there's concern in it - an unspoken "are you okay?"]

...

[There's so much at stake, here. And to have these memories show themselves, like little traitors, threatens to ruin that.]

[Douman hangs their head.]

...I apologize, Qingxuan. I am shaken. All of this is...too much to think about.

[The farce must go on.]

[luckily for douman, shi qingxuan is fucking stupid, and will more than likely accept any explanation they give her. it's not like anyone's going to contradict it, probably.]

It... seemed like a lot.

[she's still so confused.]

We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

...

[And they turn back to look at Qingxuan finally. There's a light smile on their face, but their eyes...]

[Their eyes feel like the boring weight of the deep dark sea, endless, unfeeling.]

...It was a lot. I don't remember much of it. [A lie? Its hard to tell.] I know that I was pulled by the reins of someone else at the time. A Servant has to do what one orders, after all.

[that look in his eyes is familiar to her in a way that she's not fully conscious of. it makes her shiver, but it's also something she's used to enough that she can't pinpoint what it is that's unsettling her.]

...what about now? Are you free to take your own reigns now, or...?

[is the master they found here the one pulling the reigns?]

I do what my Master tells me. But I suppose I'm much more free right now than I was before. But do not worry. My master and I simply want to indulge, nothing more.

[And a light laugh, which seems like a strange sound, after all of that. Their expression turns thoughtful, though, concerned.]

...Ah, but your situation...Qingxuan, what an unfortunate curse you've been put under.

Well - I hope your Master continues to allow you your freedom...

[it's a horrible thing, not to be free.

she pauses, then looks down.]

Ahaha... [her laugh sounds a little weak] I really did think I'd escaped it when I ascended to the heavens, but it found me again.

I hope so, too.

[What an interesting situation. This curse, this...creature? A thing desiring power, above all else. And then ascension to the heavens...ah, yes, didn't they hear at the execution that people were calling her a god?]

Surely you had enough power to deal with it, then? Or...did it even pose a threat to you in your new state?

[suddenly, sqx is the one who wants to walk away?

but it's not like there's any real need to keep this a secret. none of these people are from her world, so it's not like the fact that the creature's found her again will make it back to her brother's ears...]

Monsters of that kind are very difficult to deal with. Normally it would avoid a god, but since it had already latched onto me while I was a mortal...

[it's already got its claws in deep enough to do damage, now that it's found her once more.]

It won't matter. Once I leave this place, I'll kill it before it can do anything else.

Edited 2021-02-24 01:57 (UTC)

...But how? If its been pursuing you this long, and its such a powerful thing...can it be killed?

[A furrowing of their eyebrows, look serious.]

Is it possible to ask other gods for their boons in this case?

Mm, it is. Ming-xiong agreed to help me, actually, and we were on our way to ask someone else for help, too...

[she pauses]

...but, that's when I received the offer to come here. And I thought, it's better if I handle it myself, so neither of them would get hurt... It's my problem, after all! I don't want either of them in danger because of me.

...

And yet, what if the worst comes to pass? What if you don't succeed, Qingxuan? Have you thought of that?

If something happens and I don't make it out of here, that monster's just not getting the meal it's been waiting for for more than five hundred years. Hah! Just starve, see what I care!

[PATTING HER ON THE CHEEKS]

Qingxuaaaaan, that's a terrible way to think!

[she's pouting!!]

I'm not going to die! I'm definitely making it out. But if I don't, I'll at least take a little satisfaction knowing it's going hungry.

Dying out of spite? Ahh, that shouldn't be your plan B! Bad plan, bad plan!

It's not a plan at all! It's just the one good thing that would come out of everything going terribly wrong...!!

You really are stubborn, aren't you, Qingxuan?

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