[it's hard to suppress the sense of foreboding—that they've made a wrong, and this will get everyone killed anyway. still, at this point, what choice do they have but to see their resolve through to the end?
assuming the monsters don't leap out and attack them while they're still in the tunnel, he heads over to the door that they've yet to go through, where the whisp of fresh air came from.]
... It's warm. The sunlight might hurt your eyes at first, though—the world is so much brighter than you know.
[he holds up the feather, as the only light he has, before he enters.]
[ kaeya will follow and guide, making sure that their numbers are complete--the four of them and their nervous, whispering charges. they're so young, and the echo of now you take our children? doesn't fall upon deaf ears.
but he will not allow them to rot down here.
they have to have a chance, xie lian is right. ]
Just stay close to us. [ fang xin at the ready, polaris slowly moving behind them and making sure! that everyone is following. how many do we have in our little caravan? ]
[ yuri looks behind him. there's no frown, or real look of anger on his face. ]
Suit yourself.
If you need someone to blame, then blame away. But they made a choice themselves, just like you do.
[ there's a layer of the adrenaline wearing off now. the wound on his back is still aching, pulsing with the burns and the pain of the stab itself and he can feel a slight wave of light-headedness from the blood loss.
it's abundantly clear he doesn't have the time to spare persuading everyone. even if leaving some behind doesn't sit well with him. ]
Wait, if it hurts then why are we going back? Isn't that what they warned us about?
[ still they follow, trembling with fear but committed to their decision. another feather falls before kaeya, another gentle glow to help guide the way. the group isn't large, no more than ten, as the rest have stayed behind and hidden away in the darkness.
as xie lian tries to convince the last remaining people, there is a crash down the hallway. the monsters have broken through. time is up; it's now or never. will you escape with these precious few, or lose the sky forever? ]
[ he stayed quiet for a moment, scolded properly, but as things carried on --
xie lian will never understand this sort of behavior. never, never. maybe it's because he's always been courageous, only ever afraid once in his heart, in his entire life -- but he cannot imagine choosing death. he feels, for the first time, completely powerless. their pleas, and even what was basically a threat just fell on deaf ears.
the elder who meets his gaze is steady and proud and xie lian meets it with desperation. yuri will feel it most of all, how heartbroken he is, at this choice - but he swallows it back. has to force himself, and when he speaks again, it's soft and affected. a plea of compassion, a last, plaintive try of; ] It doesn't have to be this way.
[ why does it always have to be this way?
you can't save everyone.
no one in xian le chose to die. even then, a part of him wondered if they would have, if they had known the cure - the idea had made him physically ill, and he refused to give it more than a moment of thought beyond it.
the rumble comes, and the crash comes. xie lian's head snaps up. to the group of people in the darkness - ] If you have to - if you have to go deeper, then run!
[ and then - ] Kaeya, Fang Xin! [ it's just a shout, holding his good arm out and back for the blade itself. ]
I'm coming. I'm coming! [ to the scolding from before that he felt from them all, at least, he will try to be reassuring, pedaling backwards with the group but keeping his distance.
but if that monster comes running, he has to buy these people just a second longer of time. if he gets his blade back, he'll take it, preparing, waiting for the last final second, anything to buy the running people a little more time -- xie lian waits. he waits just a little longer.
a little longer. and the minute that thing is in sight, he shouts to draw its attention -- ] COME ON, THEN!
[ if it attacks him, that's fine. if it hurts him, that's fine, too.
switch in one hand, sword in the other - xie lian will buy those people every ounce of time he can, and he lunges forward to raise his blade.
it is only at the last, last second, when it seems like it's been too long, that he will finally press the switch, turn, and run. ]
[rochalizo opens his mouth, but he doesn't answer, when the crash interrupts whatever he was about to say. to the youth, he says just one thing.]
Run.
[and then he whirls around and turns back the way he came to join the others at the front lines again, bow in hand to fight to fire at the monsters and hold them back if need be.
but when it seems as though they can't wait anymore (when it looks like xie lian is finally ready), just moments before xie lian presses the switch—so that it's not his decision alone, rochalizo yells out the order.]
[ fang xin is tossed to xie lian expertly, kaeya doesn't wait a beat. he sees him, moving backwards, and he is assured that xie lian will not be buried here in this wretched place. when the sword is in xie lian's hands, he turns to help the rest move outwards, tripping and scrambling, he grabs the back of a young child's shirt and rights them, pushes them along steadily, polaris skirting the sides carefully to keep them going.
kaeya's blood sounds like thunder in his ears as he focuses on the task at hand. ]
[ he’s going to get grey hairs because of one (1) god. ]
If you get yourself killed here, I’ll drag you back and end you myself, Xie Lian!
[ friendship. ]
[ well, they’re going. he’s… in pain, so he can’t pick up a kid and run, but he does try to herd them a little faster towards the exit. ] C’mon, c’mon. The sun won’t hurt you, it’ll just be difficult to look at — so don’t.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
assuming the monsters don't leap out and attack them while they're still in the tunnel, he heads over to the door that they've yet to go through, where the whisp of fresh air came from.]
... It's warm. The sunlight might hurt your eyes at first, though—the world is so much brighter than you know.
[he holds up the feather, as the only light he has, before he enters.]
no subject
but he will not allow them to rot down here.
they have to have a chance, xie lian is right. ]
Just stay close to us. [ fang xin at the ready, polaris slowly moving behind them and making sure! that everyone is following. how many do we have in our little caravan? ]
no subject
Suit yourself.
If you need someone to blame, then blame away. But they made a choice themselves, just like you do.
[ there's a layer of the adrenaline wearing off now. the wound on his back is still aching, pulsing with the burns and the pain of the stab itself and he can feel a slight wave of light-headedness from the blood loss.
it's abundantly clear he doesn't have the time to spare persuading everyone. even if leaving some behind doesn't sit well with him. ]
no subject
[ still they follow, trembling with fear but committed to their decision. another feather falls before kaeya, another gentle glow to help guide the way. the group isn't large, no more than ten, as the rest have stayed behind and hidden away in the darkness.
as xie lian tries to convince the last remaining people, there is a crash down the hallway. the monsters have broken through. time is up; it's now or never. will you escape with these precious few, or lose the sky forever? ]
no subject
xie lian will never understand this sort of behavior. never, never. maybe it's because he's always been courageous, only ever afraid once in his heart, in his entire life -- but he cannot imagine choosing death. he feels, for the first time, completely powerless. their pleas, and even what was basically a threat just fell on deaf ears.
the elder who meets his gaze is steady and proud and xie lian meets it with desperation. yuri will feel it most of all, how heartbroken he is, at this choice - but he swallows it back. has to force himself, and when he speaks again, it's soft and affected. a plea of compassion, a last, plaintive try of; ] It doesn't have to be this way.
[ why does it always have to be this way?
you can't save everyone.
no one in xian le chose to die. even then, a part of him wondered if they would have, if they had known the cure - the idea had made him physically ill, and he refused to give it more than a moment of thought beyond it.
the rumble comes, and the crash comes. xie lian's head snaps up. to the group of people in the darkness - ] If you have to - if you have to go deeper, then run!
[ and then - ] Kaeya, Fang Xin! [ it's just a shout, holding his good arm out and back for the blade itself. ]
I'm coming. I'm coming! [ to the scolding from before that he felt from them all, at least, he will try to be reassuring, pedaling backwards with the group but keeping his distance.
but if that monster comes running, he has to buy these people just a second longer of time. if he gets his blade back, he'll take it, preparing, waiting for the last final second, anything to buy the running people a little more time -- xie lian waits. he waits just a little longer.
a little longer. and the minute that thing is in sight, he shouts to draw its attention -- ] COME ON, THEN!
[ if it attacks him, that's fine. if it hurts him, that's fine, too.
switch in one hand, sword in the other - xie lian will buy those people every ounce of time he can, and he lunges forward to raise his blade.
it is only at the last, last second, when it seems like it's been too long, that he will finally press the switch, turn, and run. ]
no subject
Run.
[and then he whirls around and turns back the way he came to join the others at the front lines again, bow in hand to fight to fire at the monsters and hold them back if need be.
but when it seems as though they can't wait anymore (when it looks like xie lian is finally ready), just moments before xie lian presses the switch—so that it's not his decision alone, rochalizo yells out the order.]
Xie Lian, now!
no subject
kaeya's blood sounds like thunder in his ears as he focuses on the task at hand. ]
no subject
If you get yourself killed here, I’ll drag you back and end you myself, Xie Lian!
[ friendship. ]
[ well, they’re going. he’s… in pain, so he can’t pick up a kid and run, but he does try to herd them a little faster towards the exit. ] C’mon, c’mon. The sun won’t hurt you, it’ll just be difficult to look at — so don’t.
[ go go go ]