[ With a new world to explore, Hua Cheng has been coming and going between the inn and the - frontier? Whatever they're calling it. The problem is, more movement means more time to have to dodge around bubbles.
And people, when dodging bubbles. He at least sees Izumo in advance as he comes from a different direction, so he can sidestep to let her leave the inn before him without either of them immediately being tossed into a memory share bubble.
But under one arm is a roll of wrapping paper from the Emporium, and he angles it away so neither he nor his makeshift scroll blocks her path. ]
[ it's good that hua cheng is making the majority of the effort to dodge the bubbles because there's a bit of a limp going on for izumo as she moves out of the way of the bubbles. one could say that's she's favoring one foot over the other which would be weird on its own but there's a bandage on the right side of her face. pretty easy to guess what happened, huh?
regardless she nods. ]
Oh, I'm fully aware of them.
[ eyeing the wrapping paper....casually, of course. ]
[ It's Tuesday, he can only imagine they've both spent the past 24 hours dealing with this already. Hua Cheng looks at her - a quick glance to take in the damages, and file it away - before he looks at the bubbles. Her eying the wrapping paper gets no reaction.
But the roll looks a bit like a large amount of it has been used. Hm. ]
They'd be less annoying if we could control what was shown, but, of course, we're not that lucky.
[ He uses the roll to fan some away without touching them. After you, Izumo. ]
[ oh yeah, most definitely, and izumo is not thrilled to relive any more of her memories with someone else. if she wanted to remember certain things then she would do that on her own. but...okay. she won't question the roll. a gift?
she won't judge. ]
Are we ever lucky in a place like this? [ like, really? is there anything good happening for them right now? ] Everything seemed harmless from the start with how it made us interact with people more but—
[ Don't worry about it, you'll have plenty of time to see what it is he does with the tacky wrapping paper rolls. Right now, he follows after her, evading a series of bubbles, himself. They have a way of creeping up on you, unfortunately. ]
No, not especially. Even for someone known for their luck, it doesn't offset much about the Realm.
[ going to sleep on sundays to see what will happen on mondays is always a "treat". and, well, even though the entirety of week five was nice for having her own room unofficially, it was kind of lonely not having someone. ...if she was completely honest (which she rarely is).
that said, waking up in a water bed is different. has izumo slept in a water bed before? definitely not but guess that's secondary to her finding how her new roomie is for the week is, which all things considered, not a bad choice? she's still disappointed though. ]
Oh.
[ look, she just woke up. it's fine? totally fine. ]
[ Her disappointment? Is mirrored, actually. Hua Cheng sees Izumo and isn't necessarily bothered by it, but there's a wry little twist to the corner of his mouth at first before he goes to -
Well, try and sit up. He freezes when he gets to his elbow, considering the fact that the bed moves. Fucking hello, he's from ancient fantasy china, waterbeds do not exist, so he's going to go still.
... mostly so he doesn't jostle her. ]
Good morning to you, too. [ Why does his eye hurt... ]
[ the jostle of the water bed, for all its worth, will not bother her injuries for the most part. or, well, more like she's kind of gotten to the pain that comes from moving around as she is.
though his panic is kind of funny. she'll spare him from being laughed at, at least. ]
...good morning.
[ is. is his eye bleeding on the bed........ ]
Looks like we're going to be roommates until we decide to not be roommates anymore, huh?
[ because izumo is not stupid. neither of them are. ]
[ Thank you for saving him some face, to be honest.
Hua Cheng stabilizes himself, adjusts to the fact this bed is full of water, and decides he'll go from there. ]
More or less. [ Neither of them are stupid. ] We'll see where gege and Alphinaud wound up later...
[ bouts that
But no, his eye isn't bleeding on the bed - it's sure starting to bleed on him, though, now that he's not laying down and the eyepatch itself has soaked up blood. He blinks his good eye, getting upright enough that he can sit and reach his hand to his cheek. ]
Maybe if we're lucky for once they'll be matched together. [ as if the realm would be that kind of them.
....unless?
though that's gonna be short lived as, uh, well? the blood from the eye??? izumo sure isn't bleeding from the eye and there doesn't seem to be anything actively wrong with her outside of the new normal. but, uh... ]
[ It's a level of nice that he's familiar with, it's fine, they're cut from the same cloth. ]
Well, I've managed to hold onto some of my luck since getting here. Maybe it'll actually benefit me this time. [ dryly, ha ha, probably not!
More important things to worry about than where their beloveds have wound up for rooming arrangements, as he moves to swing his legs around the bed. There's still some nausea, but he's ignoring it in favor of getting off the bed. After the hammocks, this is easier to get out of, but he cups his hand against his eye and cheek to keep blood from dripping on the floor as he heads towards the bathroom. ]
If it's not the effect, then someone's cursed me - this is an injury that's a good 800 years old, it shouldn't be bleeding.
[ unfortunately for him, and for her, izumo's going to be still confined to the bed since she really shouldn't be moving and hasn't gotten herself a crutch get around with yet. you know, not a lot of inspiration to do so. new area, however, is enough to have her suffer through using a crutch.
that said, a little friend will pop out from where he was hiding around izumo and totter after hc. avoiding the droplets of blood, of course. ]
So early in the morning? You'd think they'd give it a few hours at very least before doing something like this... [ cue her locating and opening her phs to look up the new rules as he tends to the wound. ] If we want to use your luck for something let it not be curses that make you bleed from old wounds.
[ Hello, little fox friend. There's no reaction when he spots it - he saw all the foxes in Izumo's illusion, and they just had daemon week - and instead lets it totter along. But he undoes the eyepatch, and Izumo can... probably hear a splash in the sink of the bathroom before he even turns on the faucet. ]
It depends entirely on how much someone might want to hate me at the start of the week. [ Great he's going to have to wash or replace his eyepatch... ] ... well, it's not so old anymore.
[ her fox friend is just here to observe him as izumo scrolls through the phs to look for the changes this week in terms of the rules. it'll let out a concerned noise as he examines his not so old eye wound. ....as for the rules, they look all the same except. well.
"All participants must use at least one of their items before the end of Friday, unless they have no items capable of being used."
hm. ]
Well, it looks like they want us to use our items before the end of the week. [ Her New Concerns. ] Was there an item that was around that could make old wounds fresh again? I can't remember any.
[ Tossing the eyepatch into the sink, he turns the faucet on cold, waving his hand down to the fox - he'll be fine. He's just going to lean over the sink and check out his eye as he tries to clean it up. ]
Not that I can recall, either, and I pay close attention to that. It could be that someone with a role got one, or it's like your sword and our stones from our expedition. [ All options are bad! ] I suppose we'll see if anyone else is bleeding from something they shouldn't be. But this is a bit of a taste of my own medicine, I suppose - my sword from home can reopen wounds it inflicts.
[ the fox friend will and can be concerned!!! though he will just sit patiently at the edge of the sink and watch, his tail swishing back and forth every so often. ]
I definitely don't see anything different about myself—then again I probably wouldn't notice if there was any change. I think for the sake of things, it would almost be better if it was the weekly effect than an item.
[ ha ha. ]
But sounds like a nasty sword that you have. Is it cursed or enchanted?
[ which almost sound like they're the same but also not. ]
[ A little company while he deals with this isn't bad, and he cleans himself up the best he can, grabbing a hand towel to press to his eye while his eyepatch dries. Before he does, though, he offers fox friend a hand..? do you want to be carried back out, lil fella. ]
The risk of you being inflicted with an item curse like this in your current state is a little too dangerous. So if you don't notice anything different, all the better, to keep you at the total you have now.
[ But he understands - they're not the same, really. ]
A little of both? Can't remember how it was forged, but I know I did it, so I'll guess that it was an intentional effect on my part.
[ he'll take a lift! he doesn't need one, but he'll accept it if only because he's still focused on hc's eye to some degree. ]
Yeah, I'd agree. [ hmmm though— ] Honestly, if anyone decided to pick on me while I'm like this—I'd kind of like to have a few words with them.
But is that right? Sounds like you're pretty talented if you could forge a sword like that. [ and some of the other things that she has noticed that he's been capable of. though, if he's as old as he states, it shouldn't be that surprising in some ways. ] What kind of people, demons, or monsters are you using a sword like that on anyway?
[ That's fine - he can do that, from Hua Cheng's shoulder as he deposits him there to come back into the room proper. ]
More than a few words with them. [ And he wouldn't blame her! But he comes to sit down in one of the chairs, keeping the towel to his eye and regarding her, not minding the questions. ]
Well, I am a ghost. [ his profile calling him the Ghost King isn't for nothing ] Other ghosts, demons, and monsters in general, as the three realms are rife with them. But gods, too. It's more useful on them since so many think they're infallible, and if they have enough spiritual energy they can recover quickly.
A ghost, huh? [ she hasn't forgotten the fact that he's a ghost king on his profile but she kind of lost a lot of context of what it can mean for her. ...ish. ] You're pretty solid for a ghost, but I bet we can thank the Realm for that.
[ among other things but she'll consider his sword for a moment longer. (and i, naru, wish that this came up earlier where she could remember more of her own canon.) ]
A weapon that can wound a god... I don't think I have gods in my world similar to what others here might have. [ hmm. ] We just have demon kings.
[ Hua Cheng comes into their room, long enough to grab some more bandages and clean the ones under his eyepatch. Once he's done with that - and a pat to Izumo's fox friend in passing - he grabs one of the chairs in the room and carries it with him. ]
Hey, I'll see you tomorrow. You can thank me later.
[ And as he leaves, he wedges the chair in the door., his jingling fading down the hall. ]
sometimes things happen so much and there he goes??? her fox friend is going to be just as confused as izumo is as she just watches this all happen. ??? ???? ???? ]
[ well, whenever hua cheng finally makes it back to the room, even for a pit stop, he can find izumo just laying flat on the waterbed. she...looks indifferent? angry?? tired. definitely tired.
her little fox friend is standing on her stomach and keeping an eye out, apparently. ]
[ No guarantee he'll stay all night, but here Hua Cheng is, and he - pauses, as he clicks the door shut behind him. Assessing her, even as he can feel the blood welled up underneath all his gauze and bandages, because...
Hm, unfortunate that his character arc has been caring about people. ]
[ it's fine. she'll automatically drift to wherever alphi is by default and because of her own reasons. funny how her character arc has been allowing people in. ]
Oh, Xue Yu. [ she'll sit up, or well, sort of sit up. ] I didn't expect to see you.
[ Proud of them for progress, really, but he comes over when she starts to sit up. He doesn't sit on the bed itself, but the - frame? that the waterbed is set in, Snow used to have one growing up it's a precarious perch of being unable to get the fuck out if you don't sit on it right. ]
I'm making rounds, I suppose. [ A pat, for her fox, just because. ] I need to change my bandages again - but I'm surprised to see you, too.
[ beat ] This is the part where I awkwardly ask if you want to talk about whatever has you making that face, because neither of us is adept at that sort of thing, or if you want to pretend everything is fine.
[ she'll deeply appreciate how he isn't rocking the bed by sitting on it and just the frame. even though it might not be that comfy, but if it's for a short time. her fox makes a soft pleased noise from the pat.
[ At least she laughs. He's 800-something years old and has spent all of that time hating almost everyone, it's very hard to adjust to liking some people. Slowly, he brings up his ankle to cross on his other knee, propping his chin in his hand and his elbow on his thigh as he looks at her. ]
En, or I think most people would give you the disservice of saying you're "brooding" when there's so much going on in your life even without murders every weekend.
[ izumo's pretty okay when it comes to approaching certain things, but she's not exactly graceful most of the time. if want someone who is great at pissing others off, though! boy!!
nevertheless, she'll pause for a moment. ]
I don't think I "brood" in the first place. It's kind of a waste of energy. [ and a waste of time. she has never thought of time being so precious as she has now. ]
No, I was angry because of how she was caught and what it meant.
[ A hum escapes him in his own moment, and it's a little bit approving as it is agreeing - it is a waste of time. Especially in a place like this, where it's important at every turn. ]
How so?
[ What does it mean, to you? in its way, because he's genuinely curious. ]
hmm. she thinks about how she wants to phrase this but there's no real way to go about it in any other different way than it is already. hc was there....he'd understand. ]
The people that she knows—Alphinaud—he's close to her. Seeing her caught and knowing that she'll be executed is not something that I wanted to witness him enduring.
[ It's a little funny, that he makes his way down through the dining hall of the inn, only to find that Izumo is there already. But Hua Cheng doesn't seem to mind that at all, as he makes his way in, assessing to make sure she's still healed after the fiasco that was today. ]
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w4 tuesday
And people, when dodging bubbles. He at least sees Izumo in advance as he comes from a different direction, so he can sidestep to let her leave the inn before him without either of them immediately being tossed into a memory share bubble.
But under one arm is a roll of wrapping paper from the Emporium, and he angles it away so neither he nor his makeshift scroll blocks her path. ]
Careful of the bubbles, there's a few.
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regardless she nods. ]
Oh, I'm fully aware of them.
[ eyeing the wrapping paper....casually, of course. ]
Nasty things, aren't they?
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But the roll looks a bit like a large amount of it has been used. Hm. ]
They'd be less annoying if we could control what was shown, but, of course, we're not that lucky.
[ He uses the roll to fan some away without touching them. After you, Izumo. ]
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she won't judge. ]
Are we ever lucky in a place like this? [ like, really? is there anything good happening for them right now? ] Everything seemed harmless from the start with how it made us interact with people more but—
[ another side step of another bubble. ]
This by far is the most annoying.
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No, not especially. Even for someone known for their luck, it doesn't offset much about the Realm.
[ tch ]
I'll be glad to see them gone.
w6 monday
that said, waking up in a water bed is different. has izumo slept in a water bed before? definitely not but guess that's secondary to her finding how her new roomie is for the week is, which all things considered, not a bad choice? she's still disappointed though. ]
Oh.
[ look, she just woke up. it's fine? totally fine. ]
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Well, try and sit up. He freezes when he gets to his elbow, considering the fact that the bed moves. Fucking hello, he's from ancient fantasy china, waterbeds do not exist, so he's going to go still.
... mostly so he doesn't jostle her. ]
Good morning to you, too. [ Why does his eye hurt... ]
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though his panic is kind of funny. she'll spare him from being laughed at, at least. ]
...good morning.
[ is. is his eye bleeding on the bed........ ]
Looks like we're going to be roommates until we decide to not be roommates anymore, huh?
[ because izumo is not stupid. neither of them are. ]
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Hua Cheng stabilizes himself, adjusts to the fact this bed is full of water, and decides he'll go from there. ]
More or less. [ Neither of them are stupid. ] We'll see where gege and Alphinaud wound up later...
[ bouts that
But no, his eye isn't bleeding on the bed - it's sure starting to bleed on him, though, now that he's not laying down and the eyepatch itself has soaked up blood. He blinks his good eye, getting upright enough that he can sit and reach his hand to his cheek. ]
Oh, what now.
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Maybe if we're lucky for once they'll be matched together. [ as if the realm would be that kind of them.
....unless?
though that's gonna be short lived as, uh, well? the blood from the eye??? izumo sure isn't bleeding from the eye and there doesn't seem to be anything actively wrong with her outside of the new normal. but, uh... ]
I really hope that isn't the week's effect.
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Well, I've managed to hold onto some of my luck since getting here. Maybe it'll actually benefit me this time. [ dryly, ha ha, probably not!
More important things to worry about than where their beloveds have wound up for rooming arrangements, as he moves to swing his legs around the bed. There's still some nausea, but he's ignoring it in favor of getting off the bed. After the hammocks, this is easier to get out of, but he cups his hand against his eye and cheek to keep blood from dripping on the floor as he heads towards the bathroom. ]
If it's not the effect, then someone's cursed me - this is an injury that's a good 800 years old, it shouldn't be bleeding.
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that said, a little friend will pop out from where he was hiding around izumo and totter after hc. avoiding the droplets of blood, of course. ]
So early in the morning? You'd think they'd give it a few hours at very least before doing something like this... [ cue her locating and opening her phs to look up the new rules as he tends to the wound. ] If we want to use your luck for something let it not be curses that make you bleed from old wounds.
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It depends entirely on how much someone might want to hate me at the start of the week. [ Great he's going to have to wash or replace his eyepatch... ] ... well, it's not so old anymore.
[ ha ha, what does that mean!! ]
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"All participants must use at least one of their items before the end of Friday, unless they have no items capable of being used."
hm. ]
Well, it looks like they want us to use our items before the end of the week. [ Her New Concerns. ] Was there an item that was around that could make old wounds fresh again? I can't remember any.
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Not that I can recall, either, and I pay close attention to that. It could be that someone with a role got one, or it's like your sword and our stones from our expedition. [ All options are bad! ] I suppose we'll see if anyone else is bleeding from something they shouldn't be. But this is a bit of a taste of my own medicine, I suppose - my sword from home can reopen wounds it inflicts.
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I definitely don't see anything different about myself—then again I probably wouldn't notice if there was any change. I think for the sake of things, it would almost be better if it was the weekly effect than an item.
[ ha ha. ]
But sounds like a nasty sword that you have. Is it cursed or enchanted?
[ which almost sound like they're the same but also not. ]
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The risk of you being inflicted with an item curse like this in your current state is a little too dangerous. So if you don't notice anything different, all the better, to keep you at the total you have now.
[ But he understands - they're not the same, really. ]
A little of both? Can't remember how it was forged, but I know I did it, so I'll guess that it was an intentional effect on my part.
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Yeah, I'd agree. [ hmmm though— ] Honestly, if anyone decided to pick on me while I'm like this—I'd kind of like to have a few words with them.
But is that right? Sounds like you're pretty talented if you could forge a sword like that. [ and some of the other things that she has noticed that he's been capable of. though, if he's as old as he states, it shouldn't be that surprising in some ways. ] What kind of people, demons, or monsters are you using a sword like that on anyway?
[ typically. ]
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More than a few words with them. [ And he wouldn't blame her! But he comes to sit down in one of the chairs, keeping the towel to his eye and regarding her, not minding the questions. ]
Well, I am a ghost. [ his profile calling him the Ghost King isn't for nothing ] Other ghosts, demons, and monsters in general, as the three realms are rife with them. But gods, too. It's more useful on them since so many think they're infallible, and if they have enough spiritual energy they can recover quickly.
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[ among other things but she'll consider his sword for a moment longer. (and i, naru, wish that this came up earlier where she could remember more of her own canon.) ]
A weapon that can wound a god... I don't think I have gods in my world similar to what others here might have. [ hmm. ] We just have demon kings.
w6 tuesday
Hey, I'll see you tomorrow. You can thank me later.
[ And as he leaves, he wedges the chair in the door., his jingling fading down the hall. ]
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sometimes things happen so much and there he goes??? her fox friend is going to be just as confused as izumo is as she just watches this all happen. ??? ???? ???? ]
Okay..?
w6 saturday
her little fox friend is standing on her stomach and keeping an eye out, apparently. ]
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Hm, unfortunate that his character arc has been caring about people. ]
Amalie?
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Oh, Xue Yu. [ she'll sit up, or well, sort of sit up. ] I didn't expect to see you.
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I'm making rounds, I suppose. [ A pat, for her fox, just because. ] I need to change my bandages again - but I'm surprised to see you, too.
[ beat ] This is the part where I awkwardly ask if you want to talk about whatever has you making that face, because neither of us is adept at that sort of thing, or if you want to pretend everything is fine.
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though she has to laugh at his approach. ]
Which face are you referring to? Why I was angry?
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En, or I think most people would give you the disservice of saying you're "brooding" when there's so much going on in your life even without murders every weekend.
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nevertheless, she'll pause for a moment. ]
I don't think I "brood" in the first place. It's kind of a waste of energy. [ and a waste of time. she has never thought of time being so precious as she has now. ]
No, I was angry because of how she was caught and what it meant.
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How so?
[ What does it mean, to you? in its way, because he's genuinely curious. ]
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hmm. she thinks about how she wants to phrase this but there's no real way to go about it in any other different way than it is already. hc was there....he'd understand. ]
The people that she knows—Alphinaud—he's close to her. Seeing her caught and knowing that she'll be executed is not something that I wanted to witness him enduring.
w7 saturday
What're you making?