voidtreckerexpress | Have the fire extinquisher ready

Entry tags:

Have the fire extinquisher ready

Who: Xue Yang and OTA
Where: Training carriage
When: For the entire week after the new arrivals
What: Xue Yang has decided to experiment with his new swords and making up some new techniques. Experiments with fire and deadly weapons. Proceed with caution.
Warnings: Xue Yang may accidentally set something on fire.

Scenerio 1: Double blade
Xue Yang is currently seated in the center of the training carriage. Two swords on the ground in front of him, various tools whose soul purpose is for attempting to cut through steel and several pieces of paper that are very clearly talismans.

He picks up one of the swords and studies the hilt and handle, he then places it on the floor alongside the second one but going in the opposite direction. He becomes quite intent with taping the two together with what appears to be some sort of medical tape that he likely stole from the infirmary while no one was looking. Once he is content, he stands up and picks up the swords that are now stuck together to form one very long blade.

He tests the balance of it first and then starts to swing it around with the skill of someone who is very used to using a double ended blade. After a few moves he stops and looks at the connection.

"It's not strong enough with the tape..and also wouldn't be very quick to assemble when needed." Which is a problem when one is used to the sword simply transforming in his hand.

Scenerio 2: Talismans
Xue Yang picks up one of the blades and a talisman, moving a little bit away from the rest so that he doesn't accidentally light his entire set up on fire. He has two ideas to try and make this work and perhaps it won't work at all but he at least has to try.

He takes the talisman and with one swift motion, slides it along the blade as he attempts to transfer the fire onto the steel. The Talisman lights on fire but the blade does not and Xue Yang tosses it away quickly before he can burn himself. Failure one.

Next attempt he writes the talisman design right onto the blade. The fire lights up the sword and when he swings it as he normally would the fire doesn't appear to make things unwieldy, but it also doesn't go any further then the blade. Second attempt is marginally better then the first.

"Decent but not exactly what I'm hoping to achieve." Time to figure out plan three.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

To his relief, he heard the sound of his swords being lowered and heard his footsteps coming toward to him, and he accepted his candy. He thought his message doesn't come through to him, but it turned out it did. So, this is a start, a small change between them.

"Because..." He starts slowly, also nervous. It was something on his thoughts when he was meditating and he realized that Xue Yang haven't come after him since his arrival. "I wanted to be fair. I don't remember what happened from the time I was here from before. And as to what happened in our past, it happened. We can't turn back time and it was too late. I may not forgive you for the many things you did, at least not yet. But consider this, the train gave us a second chance for life and maybe we can have another chance at peace like we did when we lived together in that house we shared in Yi City. That I remember."

Another pause as he lowers his hand down on his side. Peace, they can work on it. It's possible. "I remembered the story you told me. About a boy who wanted nothing more than candy. I know that story to be true. While the man before me is no longer a boy, even now, he still wanted candy. So, I wonder if that is something you still wanted...?"

Not forgiven but..a second chance. Xue Yang could accept that much. He knows he doesn't deserve forgiveness. But for Xingchen to even offer him a chance for redemption, that is all he needs to prove himself. He still doesn't entirely know how to do that, but perhaps simply living on the train, day by day with no acts of violence will show him just how much Xue Yang can change.

"I promise you can live in peace here, Daozhang. I'm working at being better." Better then he was. He'll never be as pure as Xingchen, but he can at least get over his constant need for revenge and his rambunctious tendencies towards trouble making.

"Tell me what I can do to prove I can change." He'll do anything. Xingchen was the only person to ever show him what true kindness was like. He is too pure, too kind and Xue Yang ruined that. He tainted those hands that had always been so sure of themselves. He can never give that back and he knows it. But perhaps there is something he can do to make up for it.

Is that...is that what he wanted? To change? He was skeptical. "You promise? I find that hard to believe. Promises are easy to break and harder to keep. You shouldn't say such words unless your honor is at stake." He has some worries, but he has been living in peace for the past week, so maybe there is some truth to his words. "You're aware it's going to be a challenging struggle?"

At that, he is surprised to hear that from him. "I'm not sure what I can tell you to make the change. First, you need a take a good look at yourself and then make the change. Commit to it, then take it one day at a time." Then after some thoughts. It's not a demand, but a request. "And the girl, A-Qing. I know this asking a lot from you, but she is here too. Grant her some peace and freedom to be, and leave her be. She's only a girl and I care very much about her."

Xue Yang sighs and folds his arms in front of his chest. "I haven't touched her since the day she got on the train. I have no interest in doing anything to her." And she should say so herself but perhaps that is asking too much. "If she has said I have given her trouble since then, she is lying. Of course lying is something she seems to be good at as well." She made Xingchen believe she was blind for years.

"That alone should be proof I have changed. There are many on this train that could vouch for me that I have been an asset."

The man is still having a hard time trusting him and he can understand that and of course he doesn't expect it to happen overnight but Xue Yang is at a loss for what else he can do. The only thing he knows is to just keep going as he has.

Well, that was the first step. With approval, "Xue Yang. I think that would be enough for now. I'll take your word for it and I will try to believe you." As long he leaves A-Qing alone and guarantees her safety, that would be his proof, as his intent is to protect her from now on from him to ensure the peace. For now, the weight of guilt in his chest has lightened, so now there is peace between the three of them. There's a mutual agreement, and as for himself, he can heal from his guilt that earned him a scar on his neck.

"I think you can change. It starts when you stop wanting to lie and kill. That's the first step." He becomes quiet and thoughtful, and he searches for a seat to sit down.

"The next step is wanting peace. I can show you." He pats on the empty chair next to him. "If we both want the same thing, sit next to me and meditate with me, just for a few minutes. If you forget, I'll teach you."

Xue Yang walks over and settles into the seat next to him. "I know how. I've had to do a lot of it lately." He was stuck in isolation after he killed A-Qing and so he meditated a lot as well as the time he spent in the infirmary.

He adjusts his position so that he can meditate more comfortably, "I didn't kill anyone for years when we were in Yi City. I know it seems too late but I did stop after awhile."

When he realized that Xingchen's kindness was affecting him he stopped doing all those things that would eventually come back to haunt him.

He listens and heard him sitting by him. He felt his presence. He felt tense at first but then relaxes. He can do this, working on the peace between the both of them if they're going to live their lives on the train. While it may not be the same peace as it were years ago in Yi city, it helps to simply start over.

"You stopped. That's all that matters. Even for a while, it helps." He mediates for a few moments, just simply breathing and being in his presence and listening to him without judgement, knowing he is telling his story.

"After I died, what happened to you?"

"I died." There is a lot more to that story but at the time it did feel like he had died inside. But it also lit a fire in him to find a way to bring him back.

"But that came much later. I looked for a way to collect your soul. It was shattered and I wanted to put it back together. I kept your body safe so I could put it back."

He would have been a fierce corpse but at least he would have had his consciousness. That was all Xue Yang wanted. A way to have him back even if he wasn't living.

"But no matter what I did I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to do it." It was too far gone. And so was he. Death was a welcome thing when he realized he could never get him back.

"...Oh." He'll accept that as his answer. "My soul. It shattered." Because of him and he couldn't handle it. The both of them couldn't. "But you wanted to put me back together, but you couldn't. Your cultivation can't."

There's no anger that comes forth. There's no judgement. He sounds detached as if it happened to someone else. But he is curious as to what happened after his death. Brief sad life as that was. "And A-Qing and Song Lan? Do you know what happened to them?"

"I made Song Xichen into a fierce corpse and I made A-qing into the blind person she desired to be." He also cut out her tongue. But he leaves that part out. She had lied for all those years about what she was and it was partially her fault that Song Lan ended up showing up at their door. So he did what he felt she deserved.

But he doesn't hold back in what he says. There is no point in lying to the man. He might as well know and make his judgements.

Putting his story together, Xue Yang has every intention to turned him into a fierce corpse too, but he wasn't able to. "I see." With irony to that. He'll accept his story for now, the way he wanted to tell it. The events that happened after his death. In the end, that's wrapped up their tale in their past life.

"Oh. I had been wondering. I think...unless if there is anything more to add, I think our tale in that life is finished." Since A-Qing is here and Song Lan is alive back in their world. They could finally move on and move forward.

A brief moment of silence just to absorbed his story. As for telling the truth, he gets a reward out of that at least. Very slowly he searches for and found one of his hands and gently squeezed it. "Thank you for telling me."

Xue Yang knew his story was over. This second chance at life was completely different from ones typical second chance. And in a way he has been treating it as such. He knew that once this was over he returned to nothingness. So might as well do what he can with the time he has been given.

He looks down at that hand that finds his. He feels his breath catch in his throat and his heart pound just a little bit harder with hopeful excitement. If this means that Xingchen is willing to forgive him then perhaps it really is the chance he has desired.

"There is no reason not to. Lying would get me nothing."

Even with the flurry of emotions making his insides twist into turmoil, his voice remains calm. He doesn't want to get too hopeful that things might work out, only to have his heart trampled all over again.

He gives his hand a lingering squeeze, and hopefully, that's the encouragement he needs, to have something to look forward to. After that, the meditation session is over.

Gently he lets him go, hands folded on his lap. "I don't mean to intrude to what you were doing earlier with your swords. I'm going to the library to read since I'm no good in the kitchen to help preparing meals for dinner since I'm on team blue."

Xue Yang wonders how it is that Xingchen will be able to read but he doesn't really question it. Perhaps it is just the quiet of the room that he needs.

"I just got a sword so I'm trying to make sure it works out how I want it to. It's not Jiangzai but it will do."

He doesn't move from his spot next to Xingchen. He won't go anywhere until the man makes the first move.

He tries to learn braille and some of the books have audio options, that's how he reads.

"I see...you should try reading books with me sometime." He offered. "When I was in the kitchen, I remembered you cooked in the past."

Eventually, he rose, taking his leave to do errands. He felt much better talking to him and earning A-Qing's peace for her sake too, and for the both of them.

Before taking his leave, "If you need to talk, you can talk to me. I am here."

Edited 2020-10-09 02:12 (UTC)

He has been to the library a few times. He doesn't mind it in there and he isn't opposed to reading. But he also doesn't want to push the man too much yet and he still has much to figure out with his new swords.

"Maybe after I figure all of this out I will read with you." He doesn't want to think about cooking. He doesn't really do that here. He sees no point when there are plenty of others to do it who are better at it.

So far, he wasn't pushing him. The energy between them is a lot more relaxed even. Upon hearing that, Xiao Xingchen is both amused and surprised. "Really? You would do that? You seem the least likely to read books."

After some thought, "After dinner. You can find me in the library if you want to read with me. I'll be there all evening. You have to tell me which one is your favorite."

After that, Xingchen took his leave of him as he examines his swords to help cook dinner for tonight. Should Xue Yang changed his mind, true to his word, the man is in the library, studying how to read braille with his finger tips on the raised bumps on the pages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Have the fire extinquisher ready

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject