[ a quiet rumble is first sign that something isn't right. you don't get a chance to wonder what could be coming when the ground upon which you stood collapses without warning.
you fall, and everything goes black.
when you awaken, it's to stale air, dust, and only the dimmest of light from an unknown source. as your eyes adjust, you'll realize you aren't alone - there are four of you here, each with their own daemon at their side, each experiencing the same rude awakening. rubble covers the area, bits and pieces falling to the floor as you brush yourselves off. it takes only a single glance above, where the sky seems to have fallen with you, to know that there is no going back from whence you came.
it appears you're stuck here in this mess of a chamber for now, with only each other and another distant rumble to keep you company. take a moment to pull yourselves together, enjoy this precious moment of peace while you can. it may be some time before you get another. ]
[ wow i love starting with truama right out of the gate
by which i mean!! the crumbling of an entire room sends xie lian's memories spiraling towards the past - for a moment when he lands, he feels like he's standing in xian le, but -- no, no. it's not real.
xie lian pushes himself to his feet after a moment, honed battle senses making the hair on the back of his neck stand up; his daemon, a ferret as he walked, transformed into a qilin the second he landed, and almost immediately shoving his nose and giant, clawed paws into the rubble to attempt to throw it off and out of the way just in case someone got crushed. ]
[rochalizo slowly rises, brushing dust off his clothes and things. after taking a moment to orient himself, while his daemon flies around nervously as a bird, he looks over his gun to make sure there's no damage.
[ kaeya emerges from the rubble with a puff of dirt and dust, polaris giving a whine as he shoves off some rocks. as he has a look around to survey the voices, he gets to his feet. his daemon joins him, padding over rocks in wolf form, sniffing around for anyone else! ]
Seems like we just fell... how far down could we be? [ looking up because he's still trying to see if he can squint out anything. of course not. ]
yuri will get to experience a lovely blast of spiralling trauma for a hot minute as he just drops however many feet to the floor beneath him. pravda twists and turns in midair like a livewire, shifting and landing on all four pawed feet in her lioness form.
he feels like he's on edge, but also not like it's coming from him at all. it's unnerving, and he glances, very briefly, at the group like a glance will give him answers. but it doesn't.
there's also his own feelings mixed in there. tense, and on edge in a different way. like he's experiencing a momentary flashback himself. ]
As well as anyone's gonna be, falling like that. [ he curls his hand in pravda's fur for a moment, until she settles. ]
[ sorry yuri. the tenseness is present in xie lian too - he looks around the group as a whole, making sure no one's injured, and briefly locks eyes with yuri before returning to his general surroundings. he looks relieved. at least we're all alright. ]
I'm not sure, though... I don't think I recalled seeing any of you all where I just was. [ no offense but also what the hell. xie lian picks a piece of rubble off of his white silks, and then nods to san lang, who trots back over to his side. ] I wonder if this is perhaps like what happened with the others, last week.
[ from a random localized earthquake. you think they would've noticed that! ]
[ as he looks among the four of them his stomach twists just a bit. it's just the four of them, and the distant rumbling in the distance is something that grates slowly against his mind. regardless, it's overlaid with a thin sheen something cool and collected, wrapping it all up in a neat little package. business.
for later.
he steps forward, polaris herding the group carefully together, looking up and down each individual. ]
If last week was an indicator, then we should proceed with caution. If that rumble is anything to go by... we could potentially fall again.
[ eyyy xie lian, you come here often? — no. yuri doesn’t let the shared glance linger for too long, instead focusing on looking around and trying to get a read on everything he can see. ]
You think that’s the floor?
[ …. he… stamps his heel onto the ground once, and listens to see if he can hear anything hollow. ]
Given the state people have come back from these things in, we should try and keep alert and in one group.
[ the good news: you aren't being kidnapped by mole people!
the bad news: something is coming.
the people shift anxiously, murmuring amongst themselves. though each bears a weapon of their own, the fear is palpable, the distrust clear in how they regard these strangers. once again, rainier speaks, addressing kaeya directly. ]
Why would we trust someone from above? If you want to do something, find your own way; I won't arm you with the weapons to hurt my people.
[ bitch they're offering to protect you?
the sounds are drawing closer, having reached that chamber, though now it almost sounds like footsteps...? the whispers continue. ]
We should go back! Forget them, we should get behind the doors, it won't matter who they are...
[ the mole people are fine. even if they're moles.
xie lian glances back at kaeya when they won't offer a sword, but, otherwise, some of his calm aura shifts. yuri gets to feel the rolling adrenaline, and more than anything else, xie lian's confidence and compassion, his intent on protecting those around him. ]
He would never. [ but... xie lian also recognizes the fear, here, because it's familiar. ]
Kaeya. [ he says, quietly. with that, xie lian shifts, and offers kaeya the blade fang xin, black as night, putting off an ominously cold aura. san lang changes forms into a qilin- leaping down from his shoulder with a roar, he plants himself in front of the four interlopers, ready to face whatever's footsteps are coming, and xie lian takes a martial stance. ]
Unfortunately, the blade is all I've ever known, Rochalizo... Xie Lian... I'll take good care of this.
[ his words echo: he would never.
oh... kaeya feels a strange, soft rush, a surge of both relief and adrenaline both. what he doesn't expect is to have fang xin offered to him. the cool aura is not unfamiliar--the cold has always been kaeya's companion, it's almost familiar as he takes the hilt and looks xie lian in the eyes. hope. ]
I suppose we will have to prove it to them.
[ idiots that they are. but they're frightened idiots. he doesn't blame them (but also kind of does because they're underground in strange caverns with some unknown enemy headed their way.) kaeya holds a graceful stance, polaris leaping off his shoulder to take his wolf form once more and flank the group with a snarling lip curl. ]
[ he just taps Dein Nomos, where he has it resting against his shoulder. there’s no way he could use a bow and not make a complete mess of fighting with it (childe style). ]
I don’t need a prove a damn thing. If they want to run and hide, they can do just that.
[ yuri does not have quite the same patience for this. he gets it, sure. but he thinks about the things people he knows have faced and come to terms with and their growth, and… well. he doesn’t have the breadth to his shoulders to carry everyone’s everything. he knows that.
whatever is out there is standing between him and getting out of here. the people behind him are doing the same thing, only in a different way. one of these is more of a current threat than the other. pravda slips down from his shoulders, and back into her lioness form, shoulders shifting as she crouches low to the ground, eyes peering into the distance for any sign of movement. ]
[ footsteps drag along the ground, and gradually, something steps into the light.
or rather... a person, leaning against the wall for balance as their foot drags along the ground. at first glance, their face appears red and inflamed, bubbling with fresh, scathing burns. it's in an instant, a trick of the light, and all you see is the tired eyes, the sheen of dirt all over their body, and blood painting their cheek and pants red.
the mole people do not lower their weapons as the person reaches out. ]
Finally... [ a rasp of a voice, colored with both strain and relief in equal measure. ] The ground collapsed... Please, help me. My leg...
[ it appears to have been crushed, yet they continue struggling to move forward, expression twisted in pain. ]
[ xie lian is confident - he is strong, and he is steadfast, and he does not need his blade. fang xin, a blade he has sworn never to use to harm another human being, will be safe in kaeya's hands. for whatever comes, he waits.
... and what comes is like being struck by lightning.
yuri will feel it in xie lian's emotions - that steady confidence flashes into terror and realization, a sweep of a stomach sickening guilt, as he sees the bubble of burns, because in his mind, it is so much more than that. what do those burns look like, ray. do they make a certain shape?
because xie lian sees it. he sucks in a sharp, horrified breath. ]
You -
[ no - nononononono. no, no way. not now. not here. it can't be, it's not - it can't be
xie lian shakes his head - the fear is almost crushed downwards, abruptly, as he forces himself not to falter. ]
-- Sir, your injuries, you will only agitate them worse. [ move, help him, move - but xie lian can't - he can't move forward, even if he wants to, for a moment frozen in place, heartbeat thudding in his ears. ]
[rochalizo glances to xie lian, who is apparently have some sort of internal breakdown, but—well. rochalizo isn't a bleeding heart, and he can recognize there are probably a lot of things wrong about this situation, as he swaps his gun out for his bow and aims it at the person.
[ the last thing they see as the lanterns die is an explosion of steam as the sea dragon tries to hold the creature back, buying time for escape. they feel a rumble shake the tunnels, hear another roaring crash echo off the walls.
the door closes behind them, and shudders as the walls give another shake.
welcome to the shelter of the mole people, but it may not be that for long. the rumbling continues, and no one relaxes. they move quickly, ignoring the newcomers, ranier barking orders as he marches down a hall lined with shards of the looking glass, flickers of memories greeting them all as he goes.
"stay away from the old catacombs. if they can break through once, they can do it again."
a gloved hand pulls a sea shell from the sand, freshly uncovered by the tides. your prize. with a smile, you call your brother over to show it off, to see that characteristic quirk of his brow that you know and love.
deft hands fiddle with the wiring, and you watch closely, trying to follow, but not quite understanding.
"i'll set you free."
the door rattles behind you as something hits it. the keychain stays cool as a touch of moonlight in xie lian's hand, bringing him a moment's peace through the pain of fire.
"if the sky must fall a second time in order to keep our children safe, so it will be."
after a long, endless battle, sudden laughter fills your ears, and you begin to smile, always glad to have your friends at your side, especially when they suffer so. and then -
you sneak one last glimpse of a sky on fire, the last you'll time you'll ever see it. your lips start to form a sound, but you cut it short as a shriek of pain erupts to your left, where your best friend falls to the fire.
"i will protect you as one of my own people, no matter what."
it seems there is no time to rest just yet. now you have three choices: follow ranier, or the others, or that young girl as she disappears down another hallway, dust shaking from the walls as the earth quakes all around them. ]
[ xie lian pauses once they're inside, no matter how quickly things are moving, and his attention goes to the little girl. ]
Miss, thank - [ he starts, his voice cracking from the smoke and the cuts on his throat; xie lian lifts his hand to press it to the cuts still freely bleeding, and most importantly, to cover his cursed shackle. his other hand stays with the keychain, and he takes it to center himself, focusing on the feeling of the memory.
by the time he blinks free of it (as one of my own people), his eyes follow the young girl. no matter how much pain they're in, they're alive because of her; yuri will feel the soft swell of gratitude in his chest from xie lian, as loving and empathetic as ever.
he glances to the others, and clears his throat the best he can, leaning a little against his qilin's side. ] Is everyone alright...?
[the discomfort from having his daemon touched is real. wow. now that things have calmed down, he wraps one arm around himself to try and ground his mind, while his other hand covers the side of his face that was clawed, blood trickling between his fingers.
adrenaline is wearing off, so everything hurts, actually. still, rochalizo reminds himself that pain is at least a reminder that he's alive.]
... I'm fine.
[something about the traces of memories seems to hit him, though—he freezes, before wiping away at his good eye. kaeya will feel a sense of longing, as though there's someone dear he wishes to see again.]
So, what's the plan now? It doesn't seem like we have much time.
[ the pain echoes and kaeya's hand drifts back to press against his right eye, a furrow in his brow. polaris is limping and kaeya turns to look at him, drawing him close for a moment, pushing a hand softly into his fur. he strokes at his face, his neck, where the dust clings to his fur in the same place kaeya feel a sharp pang in his soul.
it's made worse by the longing. the longing he can relate to in general, but this feels like it stretches further. he closes his eyes and takes a breath, aims to sooth, to draw his thoughts together to a pinprick away from the pain in his eye, in his skin, in his gut and soul. he has to. but rochalizo's longing and their shared pain is a persistent throb, which makes it difficult--not impossible, but... middling. rochalizo may feel the equivalent of a mental shoulder squeeze. he coughs out a bit. ]
[ after the girl you go down a hall lined with glass. with each rumble, a piece falls and shatters on the ground, and with each blink, a fragment of memory reaches out to greet you. voices call out from strange devices set here and there - they may be familiar or unknown in turns, indistinct as murky canal water or sometimes clear as daylight - as flashes of scenes tug at the edge of your vision.
a crowd cheers, chanting the name of a hero they adore. you have no eyes for the hero of the day, only for the people around you, for their smiles.
in the next blink, it turns to jeering, to angry shouts and renouncings of heroes.
worry knots in your stomach, and you reach for a keychain, the last vestige of someone out there who still needs help. you'll get there, you have to, you'll all save h—
a flash of gold
the hallway opens into a small room, supported by brick pillars like the chamber near the catacombs. glass covers the walls, more of those devices in the corners, and the girl awaits, offering a sad smile.
behind them, a loud crash as the door crumbles inward. ]
You can't rest yet. If you do, you'll never leave, just like the people who live here.
[ shouting comes from down the hall, the scratching of claws on the stone floors. ]
[ the memories feel so achingly familiar. xie lian holds tight to that little keychain, as he rights himself properly and starts forward, following the girl. from him, memories come in flashes, too, as if picking up on the golden flash from before (on the feeling, perhaps of saving someone, anyone, even just one person ) -
xie lian doesn't jump, as the door crashes in. he looks back to the group as a whole, letting the thundering of his heartbeat and the roar of his adrenaline lead the way. push through the memories. push through the pain. keep moving. keep going.
Trust me, if I wanted to rest, there are far better places to...
[they are? clearly in danger right now?
and again, memories flash.
your brother wraps his arms around your shoulders, begging you to not to head out. yet, you cannot feel warmth from the gesture. "you don't need to be strong, you endlessly silly child."
it almost makes you want to laugh. "it makes you feel better when i'm silly and useless, doesn't it, anticheiras?" it all feels silly. all those years you selfishly spent chasing after praise and affection, when you should've embraced others' happiness as your own instead. recognition seems like a trivial concern now, compared to the weight of how to protect those around you. (your family, who do not love you. your people, who mock you. your friends, who may not forgive you.) your old convictions are shattering around you, but they rebuild themselves anew.
it finally feels like you can see things clearly.
rochalizo takes out his bow and arrow again, thankfully not fully damaged in the fire. (he'd hate to have to explain that to revali.) with the back of his hand, he tries to wipe the blood from his face, wincing as his wounds smart. he looks towards the hall, with grim determination.]
What do we do? If we're not yet trapped, then there must be a solution.
[ they're all hurting, polaris moving alongside him at a careful pace as he readjusts some of his very burnt clothing now, feels the way some of it catches painfully for a second and stops messing with it after that. as he does so, memories twist, intertwine softly. brothers, ouch.
dragonspine is frigid, and you hover your hands over one of the warming mechanisms near a statue of the seven in hopes that you can thaw out your knuckles. somehow, this place still brings you peace. there's an alcove up high in the mountains here, home to an alchemist who sometimes asks you to sit for portraiture on occasion. he says that it only takes three strokes of his pencil to capture your likeness, but he tends to spend longer than just three simple strokes in your opinion.
sometimes it's nice, to know that even here in this frozen place, there is a tenderness despite the cold, a heartbeat at the core of this mountain range, a dragon's heart beating red and hot as blood.
dragonspine's heart thuds loudly beat after beat after beat.
kaeya holds to xie lian's sword firmly as he moves forward, feels the ache in his body entirely but knows that he's taken worse, albeit far better equipped than he is now. he lifts his head up. ]
Miss... how long have these people been down here?
[ he says, breathes in once, sharply, then out, as polaris shifts weakly into a small ermine and kaeya carefully places him into his satchel for safe keeping. daemon in a bag. ]
Why have they never been able to find their way back up...? [ quieter ] What does it even mean to be "hellbound"?
still the monsters come, maddened and desperate to reach him, to tear the gold they seek to shreds and scatter the dust. they reach the hems of his robes, grasp at his ankle, as he turns to run, and -
there is a distant boom, and the sky falls anew. rock crumbles above their heads and beneath their feet, outstretched limbs shattering their bones as the debris crushes them from above, waves of heat licking at xie lian and rochalizo's backs. the door to the tunnel collapses seconds after they cross the threshold.
screams of terror echo through the tunnels as the world comes down around them, dust filling their vision, choking the air.
and just like that, it's over.
someone coughs, struggling to catch their breath. a child cries, and clings to the leg of another like a lifeline they'll never let go. wide eyes stare back at these strangers, pleading for guidance to a world unknown. what now?
there is no going back. there is only forward, through this dark, endless tunnel, as it slowly winds its way up, up, up - until at last, they reach the final door. though it remains locked for now, a gentle moonlight peeks through the frame, a faint, lyrical hum wafts in to calm their nerves. the world above is ready to welcome its people back with the morning light.
rest now, weary travelers, as blue skies await you on the other side. ]
On the grave of dreams, a good end.
For your reward, you will find yourselves in possession of:
★ Your injuries. You're all extra crispy. ★ A keychain, cool as moonlight on a dark night, a pillar of hope. ★ A black box. It doesn't appear to do anything at first glance, but maybe if you hit the switch...? ★ A folded wallet with an identification card inside, the words and photo faded and unrecognizable, that may grant an extra vote in trial. ★ A necklace with shards of looking glass, to help you find the truth of what happens while you sleep. ★Rochalizo will find that there's been a feather added to his coin. Congratulations, you have been given a one-time ability to speak directly to the deceased. This cannot be renewed, but does not expire. Like other coin abilities, the associated feather on your coin will disappear after use.
For one time use, the feathers made of Dust that you've acquired will grant you abilities. The feathers do not disappear after use, but do lose some of their warmth.
★Kaeya's feather will grant him power over gravity, allowing him to make something float for up to five minutes. ★Xie Lian's feather will grant him white magic, allowing him to heal someone's wounds. ★Yuri's feather will allow him to detect a truth or a lie. ★Rochalizo's feather will allow him to thunder magic, allowing him to control electricity for up to five minutes.
Later, you'll notice that there's a scrap of paper tucked into the wallet. The paper is old, cracking, and covered in dust, written on lined notebook paper, and reads:
Few are able to prove themselves worthy of ascending, to earn their wings and join the angels. For those that do, I wonder — is it worth it? Does this truly grant the power to save those they wish to protect? Or does it simply put them directly in harm's way?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
OPEN YOUR THROAT TO SING
you fall, and everything goes black.
when you awaken, it's to stale air, dust, and only the dimmest of light from an unknown source. as your eyes adjust, you'll realize you aren't alone - there are four of you here, each with their own daemon at their side, each experiencing the same rude awakening. rubble covers the area, bits and pieces falling to the floor as you brush yourselves off. it takes only a single glance above, where the sky seems to have fallen with you, to know that there is no going back from whence you came.
it appears you're stuck here in this mess of a chamber for now, with only each other and another distant rumble to keep you company. take a moment to pull yourselves together, enjoy this precious moment of peace while you can. it may be some time before you get another. ]
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by which i mean!! the crumbling of an entire room sends xie lian's memories spiraling towards the past - for a moment when he lands, he feels like he's standing in xian le, but -- no, no. it's not real.
xie lian pushes himself to his feet after a moment, honed battle senses making the hair on the back of his neck stand up; his daemon, a ferret as he walked, transformed into a qilin the second he landed, and almost immediately shoving his nose and giant, clawed paws into the rubble to attempt to throw it off and out of the way just in case someone got crushed. ]
-- Is everyone alright?
[ hello, ]
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[rochalizo slowly rises, brushing dust off his clothes and things. after taking a moment to orient himself, while his daemon flies around nervously as a bird, he looks over his gun to make sure there's no damage.
his eyes squint, trying to see in the dimness.]
... I'm fine. What happened? Where are we?
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Seems like we just fell... how far down could we be? [ looking up because he's still trying to see if he can squint out anything. of course not. ]
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yuri will get to experience a lovely blast of spiralling trauma for a hot minute as he just drops however many feet to the floor beneath him. pravda twists and turns in midair like a livewire, shifting and landing on all four pawed feet in her lioness form.
he feels like he's on edge, but also not like it's coming from him at all. it's unnerving, and he glances, very briefly, at the group like a glance will give him answers. but it doesn't.
there's also his own feelings mixed in there. tense, and on edge in a different way. like he's experiencing a momentary flashback himself. ]
As well as anyone's gonna be, falling like that. [ he curls his hand in pravda's fur for a moment, until she settles. ]
Climbing back up's going to be a pain in the ass.
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I'm not sure, though... I don't think I recalled seeing any of you all where I just was. [ no offense but also what the hell. xie lian picks a piece of rubble off of his white silks, and then nods to san lang, who trots back over to his side. ] I wonder if this is perhaps like what happened with the others, last week.
[ from a random localized earthquake. you think they would've noticed that! ]
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for later.
he steps forward, polaris herding the group carefully together, looking up and down each individual. ]
If last week was an indicator, then we should proceed with caution. If that rumble is anything to go by... we could potentially fall again.
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You think that’s the floor?
[ …. he… stamps his heel onto the ground once, and listens to see if he can hear anything hollow. ]
Given the state people have come back from these things in, we should try and keep alert and in one group.
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WITH A FEARFUL TRILL
the bad news: something is coming.
the people shift anxiously, murmuring amongst themselves. though each bears a weapon of their own, the fear is palpable, the distrust clear in how they regard these strangers. once again, rainier speaks, addressing kaeya directly. ]
Why would we trust someone from above? If you want to do something, find your own way; I won't arm you with the weapons to hurt my people.
[ bitch they're offering to protect you?
the sounds are drawing closer, having reached that chamber, though now it almost sounds like footsteps...? the whispers continue. ]
We should go back! Forget them, we should get behind the doors, it won't matter who they are...
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xie lian glances back at kaeya when they won't offer a sword, but, otherwise, some of his calm aura shifts. yuri gets to feel the rolling adrenaline, and more than anything else, xie lian's confidence and compassion, his intent on protecting those around him. ]
He would never. [ but... xie lian also recognizes the fear, here, because it's familiar. ]
Kaeya. [ he says, quietly. with that, xie lian shifts, and offers kaeya the blade fang xin, black as night, putting off an ominously cold aura. san lang changes forms into a qilin- leaping down from his shoulder with a roar, he plants himself in front of the four interlopers, ready to face whatever's footsteps are coming, and xie lian takes a martial stance. ]
I don't need it.
[ sometimes...you are a martial arts god. ]
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rochalizo sighs.]
For goodness sake—can either of you use a bow? I'll lend you mine.
[he has both a bow and a gun, it's fine.]
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[ his words echo: he would never.
oh... kaeya feels a strange, soft rush, a surge of both relief and adrenaline both. what he doesn't expect is to have fang xin offered to him. the cool aura is not unfamiliar--the cold has always been kaeya's companion, it's almost familiar as he takes the hilt and looks xie lian in the eyes. hope. ]
I suppose we will have to prove it to them.
[ idiots that they are. but they're frightened idiots. he doesn't blame them (but also kind of does because they're underground in strange caverns with some unknown enemy headed their way.) kaeya holds a graceful stance, polaris leaping off his shoulder to take his wolf form once more and flank the group with a snarling lip curl. ]
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[ he just taps Dein Nomos, where he has it resting against his shoulder. there’s no way he could use a bow and not make a complete mess of fighting with it (childe style). ]
I don’t need a prove a damn thing. If they want to run and hide, they can do just that.
[ yuri does not have quite the same patience for this. he gets it, sure. but he thinks about the things people he knows have faced and come to terms with and their growth, and… well. he doesn’t have the breadth to his shoulders to carry everyone’s everything. he knows that.
whatever is out there is standing between him and getting out of here. the people behind him are doing the same thing, only in a different way. one of these is more of a current threat than the other. pravda slips down from his shoulders, and back into her lioness form, shoulders shifting as she crouches low to the ground, eyes peering into the distance for any sign of movement. ]
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or rather... a person, leaning against the wall for balance as their foot drags along the ground. at first glance, their face appears red and inflamed, bubbling with fresh, scathing burns. it's in an instant, a trick of the light, and all you see is the tired eyes, the sheen of dirt all over their body, and blood painting their cheek and pants red.
the mole people do not lower their weapons as the person reaches out. ]
Finally... [ a rasp of a voice, colored with both strain and relief in equal measure. ] The ground collapsed... Please, help me. My leg...
[ it appears to have been crushed, yet they continue struggling to move forward, expression twisted in pain. ]
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... and what comes is like being struck by lightning.
yuri will feel it in xie lian's emotions - that steady confidence flashes into terror and realization, a sweep of a stomach sickening guilt, as he sees the bubble of burns, because in his mind, it is so much more than that. what do those burns look like, ray. do they make a certain shape?
because xie lian sees it. he sucks in a sharp, horrified breath. ]
You -
[ no - nononononono. no, no way. not now. not here. it can't be, it's not - it can't be
xie lian shakes his head - the fear is almost crushed downwards, abruptly, as he forces himself not to falter. ]
-- Sir, your injuries, you will only agitate them worse. [ move, help him, move - but xie lian can't - he can't move forward, even if he wants to, for a moment frozen in place, heartbeat thudding in his ears. ]
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he isn't firing, but it's a wary precaution.]
Be careful.
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fiiiine i guess
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OF THINGS UNKNOWN
the door closes behind them, and shudders as the walls give another shake.
welcome to the shelter of the mole people, but it may not be that for long. the rumbling continues, and no one relaxes. they move quickly, ignoring the newcomers, ranier barking orders as he marches down a hall lined with shards of the looking glass, flickers of memories greeting them all as he goes.the door rattles behind you as something hits it. the keychain stays cool as a touch of moonlight in xie lian's hand, bringing him a moment's peace through the pain of fire.it seems there is no time to rest just yet. now you have three choices: follow ranier, or the others, or that young girl as she disappears down another hallway, dust shaking from the walls as the earth quakes all around them. ]
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Miss, thank - [ he starts, his voice cracking from the smoke and the cuts on his throat; xie lian lifts his hand to press it to the cuts still freely bleeding, and most importantly, to cover his cursed shackle. his other hand stays with the keychain, and he takes it to center himself, focusing on the feeling of the memory.
by the time he blinks free of it (as one of my own people), his eyes follow the young girl. no matter how much pain they're in, they're alive because of her; yuri will feel the soft swell of gratitude in his chest from xie lian, as loving and empathetic as ever.
he glances to the others, and clears his throat the best he can, leaning a little against his qilin's side. ] Is everyone alright...?
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adrenaline is wearing off, so everything hurts, actually. still, rochalizo reminds himself that pain is at least a reminder that he's alive.]
... I'm fine.
[something about the traces of memories seems to hit him, though—he freezes, before wiping away at his good eye. kaeya will feel a sense of longing, as though there's someone dear he wishes to see again.]
So, what's the plan now? It doesn't seem like we have much time.
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it's made worse by the longing. the longing he can relate to in general, but this feels like it stretches further. he closes his eyes and takes a breath, aims to sooth, to draw his thoughts together to a pinprick away from the pain in his eye, in his skin, in his gut and soul. he has to. but rochalizo's longing and their shared pain is a persistent throb, which makes it difficult--not impossible, but... middling. rochalizo may feel the equivalent of a mental shoulder squeeze. he coughs out a bit. ]
Where's she going?
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behind them, a loud crash as the door crumbles inward. ]
You can't rest yet. If you do, you'll never leave, just like the people who live here.
[ shouting comes from down the hall, the scratching of claws on the stone floors. ]
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xie lian doesn't jump, as the door crashes in. he looks back to the group as a whole, letting the thundering of his heartbeat and the roar of his adrenaline lead the way. push through the memories. push through the pain. keep moving. keep going.
he's never been good at resting, anyway. ]
What about you?
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[they are? clearly in danger right now?
and again, memories flash.
rochalizo takes out his bow and arrow again, thankfully not fully damaged in the fire. (he'd hate to have to explain that to revali.) with the back of his hand, he tries to wipe the blood from his face, wincing as his wounds smart. he looks towards the hall, with grim determination.]
What do we do? If we're not yet trapped, then there must be a solution.
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kaeya holds to xie lian's sword firmly as he moves forward, feels the ache in his body entirely but knows that he's taken worse, albeit far better equipped than he is now. he lifts his head up. ]
Miss... how long have these people been down here?
[ he says, breathes in once, sharply, then out, as polaris shifts weakly into a small ermine and kaeya carefully places him into his satchel for safe keeping. daemon in a bag. ]
Why have they never been able to find their way back up...? [ quieter ] What does it even mean to be "hellbound"?
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BUT LONGED FOR STILL
still the monsters come, maddened and desperate to reach him, to tear the gold they seek to shreds and scatter the dust. they reach the hems of his robes, grasp at his ankle, as he turns to run, and -
there is a distant boom, and the sky falls anew. rock crumbles above their heads and beneath their feet, outstretched limbs shattering their bones as the debris crushes them from above, waves of heat licking at xie lian and rochalizo's backs. the door to the tunnel collapses seconds after they cross the threshold.
screams of terror echo through the tunnels as the world comes down around them, dust filling their vision, choking the air.
and just like that, it's over.
someone coughs, struggling to catch their breath. a child cries, and clings to the leg of another like a lifeline they'll never let go. wide eyes stare back at these strangers, pleading for guidance to a world unknown. what now?
there is no going back. there is only forward, through this dark, endless tunnel, as it slowly winds its way up, up, up - until at last, they reach the final door. though it remains locked for now, a gentle moonlight peeks through the frame, a faint, lyrical hum wafts in to calm their nerves. the world above is ready to welcome its people back with the morning light.
rest now, weary travelers, as blue skies await you on the other side. ]