That child's removal isn't the cause. Too many people have been breaking the rules, too frequently, and it's causing the Realm to destabilize as we warned. We are doing our best to hold it together, for the moment.
Do you need anything -- Um, besides people to stop breaking rules. Would it be beneficial for us to remind everyone, tomorrow..? Is there anything we can do to help?
Of course... that is the least we can do. Only three people is what you told me...so, I've told the three people who shared with me as much, although Soo-won already knew.
[ xie lian gives them a little smile, to that, and a small bow of his head. he's like hovering slightly less now that goat's sitting down, and will go to sit over on usagi's hammock instead of his own so he doesn't (lol) destabilize them and send the hammock flipping over or something. ] Thank you, for sharing your hint with me for him - it has helped a lot.
Does that destabilization have to do with the... um, oddness, of the message for Miss Izumo? [ a brief pause. ] ...Or, did that have to do with me?
Me either. It's quite silly, that they have people like us trying to decode these things, as if we have any idea what they're like. In my world, we send messages to each other through communication arrays - your thoughts don't exactly require you to press on strange letters with your fingers...
[ YOU KIDS AND YOUR TECHNOLOGY!!!
anyway. beyond that, there's a brief moment before xie lian pauses in his next question, and something flickers across his expression - an older, deeper sadness, beyond the lightness. ] ...It seems I was close, this week, but not in any way I wanted to be.
[ izumo, after all, had been his choice for protection. it weighed on him from the moment her name was chosen. ]
[ there's zero hesitation, the other part of the conversation forgotten, as xie lian curls his hands into fists in his lap. ] Even if I fail every week - as I learn more, I can try and make better guesses. I can try. If I quit, then I'd be giving up even the slim chance of helping, and a shot in the dark is so much better than taking no shot at all.
I won't stop. Even I forget who I am, I'll keep trying this task you've entrusted me with, Brother Goat.
...I just hope that I haven't disappointed you, all of the times that I have failed.
[ slowly, they shake their head, before they... reach up? In particular, to pull down their hood and remove their mask, which they place on the hammock. ]
[ me: omg am i getting a reveal i'm so excited to see
also me: I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS IS ]
Oh --
[ genuine surprise flies across xie lian's face, immediately, as goat reaches up to pull their mask off...! ]
...Oh. [ he says, again, touched, and then, that surprise shifts into a smile. xie lian reaches up to touch his own face where goat's mask was, warmth flooding into his tone. ] ---Brother Goat... how nice it is, to see you face to face.
[ he shifts, moving to clasp his fist to his hand, to bow to him, a little more properly in greeting. ] ...Your words and actions both honor me, my friend.
i mean. xie lian shakes his head, to that, and his smile stays. ] That isn't true. You entrusted me with the power in the first place, even if I haven't used it successfully yet, and you've given me guidance, and comfort, often in times when I needed it, even when I didn't say so.
There are people who pray to gods for less, you know. [ that last bit is said a little bit teasingly. ]
[ wow maybe zia or francy play an obscure character nobody else would recognize!
yea it's jan ]
Praying to the gods, is it... [ he looks thoughtful for a moment. ] I suppose that may be true. Still, those are things only natural to give, are they not?
I like to think they are, but...does those things being natural mean that they are not worthy of gratitude? I think the things that are taken for granted sometimes deserve it even more.
xie lian smiles gently, fondly pleased, and dips his head. ] And I will do my best to live up to the high expectations you have for me.
...I do have some questions for you, but, we can talk tomorrow evening, since we will see each other then. It seems like you need your rest - and you must be busy, with everything that's been going on.
Haha. I might be old, but I'm not so easily tired out, you know.
[ xie lian smiles at that! ] We don't have to talk about the Realm. Perhaps we can share a memory, as we've become wont to do. I think I have some cookies or something around here, somewhere...
[ is he digging around in his sleeves and not in his dresser...? yeah, you bet ]
[ this is why xie lian and goat get along this well, unfortunately
xie lian makes a little "aha!" noise, and pulls out a pack of ore*s! well, a sleeve of them. the bottom of them are a little crushed? i'm sure they're okay. ] Here, the snacks here are so interesting! I can't eat many of them, because they're quite sweet, compared to anything I would eat at home, but they're delicious.
[ he hops up from his spot and shuffles over to offer them to goat! ]
I'm not sure if I have anything in mind, this time. What kind of memory would you like to hear about, Brother Goat?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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That child's removal isn't the cause. Too many people have been breaking the rules, too frequently, and it's causing the Realm to destabilize as we warned. We are doing our best to hold it together, for the moment.
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--Come, come sit down, please. Don't waste your strength.
[ USHERING THEM OVER, please come sit on the hammock bed, goat. ] ...Is it the sharing of teams rule, do you think? Or is it just all of them...?
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It may be others, but from what we can tell, the main cause is from breaking that rule.
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Do you need anything -- Um, besides people to stop breaking rules. Would it be beneficial for us to remind everyone, tomorrow..? Is there anything we can do to help?
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But if you could remind everyone, I think the others would appreciate it.
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[ xie lian gives them a little smile, to that, and a small bow of his head. he's like hovering slightly less now that goat's sitting down, and will go to sit over on usagi's hammock instead of his own so he doesn't (lol) destabilize them and send the hammock flipping over or something. ] Thank you, for sharing your hint with me for him - it has helped a lot.
Does that destabilization have to do with the... um, oddness, of the message for Miss Izumo? [ a brief pause. ] ...Or, did that have to do with me?
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I am not familiar with this technology... but I believe it was a symptom of the Realm's destabilization.
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Me either. It's quite silly, that they have people like us trying to decode these things, as if we have any idea what they're like. In my world, we send messages to each other through communication arrays - your thoughts don't exactly require you to press on strange letters with your fingers...
[ YOU KIDS AND YOUR TECHNOLOGY!!!
anyway. beyond that, there's a brief moment before xie lian pauses in his next question, and something flickers across his expression - an older, deeper sadness, beyond the lightness. ] ...It seems I was close, this week, but not in any way I wanted to be.
[ izumo, after all, had been his choice for protection. it weighed on him from the moment her name was chosen. ]
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[ goat has apparently never heard of such a thing. but anyway.
they're silent for a few moments. ]
... Yes. Even so... you will still persevere, correct?
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[ there's zero hesitation, the other part of the conversation forgotten, as xie lian curls his hands into fists in his lap. ] Even if I fail every week - as I learn more, I can try and make better guesses. I can try. If I quit, then I'd be giving up even the slim chance of helping, and a shot in the dark is so much better than taking no shot at all.
I won't stop. Even I forget who I am, I'll keep trying this task you've entrusted me with, Brother Goat.
...I just hope that I haven't disappointed you, all of the times that I have failed.
[1/2]
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You have never disappointed me, Xie Lian. If anything, I am even more glad than before that it is you.
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also me: I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS IS ]
Oh --
[ genuine surprise flies across xie lian's face, immediately, as goat reaches up to pull their mask off...! ]
...Oh. [ he says, again, touched, and then, that surprise shifts into a smile. xie lian reaches up to touch his own face where goat's mask was, warmth flooding into his tone. ] ---Brother Goat... how nice it is, to see you face to face.
[ he shifts, moving to clasp his fist to his hand, to bow to him, a little more properly in greeting. ] ...Your words and actions both honor me, my friend.
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he returns the bow, if a bit awkwardly since he's sitting down. ]
I've done nothing. All of it is you.
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i mean. xie lian shakes his head, to that, and his smile stays. ] That isn't true. You entrusted me with the power in the first place, even if I haven't used it successfully yet, and you've given me guidance, and comfort, often in times when I needed it, even when I didn't say so.
There are people who pray to gods for less, you know. [ that last bit is said a little bit teasingly. ]
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yea it's jan ]
Praying to the gods, is it... [ he looks thoughtful for a moment. ] I suppose that may be true. Still, those are things only natural to give, are they not?
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[ no YOU'RE great, goat!!!
i wuv u jan ]
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[ he looks a little awkward at xie lian's compliment. ]
... Y-You're welcome, I suppose. I will do my best to continue to live up to that gratitude.
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xie lian smiles gently, fondly pleased, and dips his head. ] And I will do my best to live up to the high expectations you have for me.
...I do have some questions for you, but, we can talk tomorrow evening, since we will see each other then. It seems like you need your rest - and you must be busy, with everything that's been going on.
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You don't have to worry about that--I can make time for you. Though perhaps you should get some rest, as well.
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[ xie lian smiles at that! ] We don't have to talk about the Realm. Perhaps we can share a memory, as we've become wont to do. I think I have some cookies or something around here, somewhere...
[ is he digging around in his sleeves and not in his dresser...? yeah, you bet ]
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goat would accept sleeve cookies ]
All right... I have more I can offer this time, too.
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xie lian makes a little "aha!" noise, and pulls out a pack of ore*s! well, a sleeve of them. the bottom of them are a little crushed? i'm sure they're okay. ] Here, the snacks here are so interesting! I can't eat many of them, because they're quite sweet, compared to anything I would eat at home, but they're delicious.
[ he hops up from his spot and shuffles over to offer them to goat! ]
I'm not sure if I have anything in mind, this time. What kind of memory would you like to hear about, Brother Goat?
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[ he takes them! yay, ore*s. ]
... You spoke of gods. What are they like, where you're from?
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Would you believe me if I told you I was one?
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