Intelligence. [ he says, easily. ] I'd just like you to confirm it. Besides. A foxian like you will always return to its master. I have nothing to worry about.
I see. [a slave... just assuming there will be someone watching, tbh. more out of curiosity than anything:] You'd take a foxian at his word?
[well. getting the heck out of here, even if something inevitably drags mizu back, does sound nice. so even though doing as asked feels humiliating... might as well go through with it.]
[ just the eyes of this borisin guy watching you. he'll watch until you're out of sight.
the world outside is lively. people are getting ready for an event, it seems, and they're decorating and selling things. the ship is busy! lots of traffic, and a lot of people that are ripe for destroying. they're just citizens.
there are guards around! cloud knights. they don't seem tense at all. you can talk to them, or you can talk to random passerbys, or you can just head straight to the port itself. doesn't seem like you're being watched at all. ]
well. first thing's first. since this hostage situation has been going on for A While, how much are we sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of this ship? mizu will quietly examine the guards and passerby, trying to gauge if anyone is having any sort of reaction here...]
[ surprisingly... not very? you'd think there would be more of a fuss. you'd think people would be looking for you, but they're not. the streets are relatively calm, and nobody seems to recognize you. but this is a sister ship to your home - you're not from here. so maybe people don't have reason to know who you are.
still, it's strange. you would've thought that general f̷̨͖̀̈͜e̶̢̮͌́̕ḯ̶̡̖́̕x̶͓̉͝͝į̷̗̾͜a̷̗̖͝ǒ̴̳ would have set off the alerts. things kind of just seem like every day behavior. ]
[general... who? hard to think of the name. just how much does mizu remember, anyway? this brain is not braining.
but if people aren't making a fuss, then that's just fine. there's no way the borisin aren't keeping an eye on things, though. so as tempting as it is to go in and sound the alarms...
well. approaching a passerby first. whoever looks the most receptive to being chatted up by a stranger.]
[ it's hard to remember everything. it comes and goes in flashes. he can remember specifically everything that happened in this cyoa with blinding clarity, but... there's that wrong feeling. the feeling of drowning, or... losing your senses, one by one.
the first person is a guy! it's... a ginger. he looks so familiar. but you heard that his heart got ripped out, that century ago. this can't be him. it can't be, right? he grins at mizu. ]
well, it's possible mizu is just misremembering. it's certainly been long enough for that man's features to start blurring in that terrible, faulty little thing called memory. perhaps they just have similar features.
it doesn't matter. this isn't the time to bother a strange with useless sentimentality.]
[as lovely as that sounds, probably not because they likely have eyes everywhere. no trust.]
The ship's very lively today. What's the occasion?
[ignoring the pang of regret at not really getting the chance to pay respects to the deceased. at not being able to confirm their deaths directly, as terrible as it would have been... it's fine.]
of course, there's a part of mizu that still sees childe as a friend even after all this time. they were rivals once. shared tips and sparred with each other. childe never won. but it was... fun. nice. he was missed. mizu already thought him dead once, and this is not the way he deserves to go out.
but there is also a part of mizu that has been held captive for god knows how long. a part that wonders, callously, if the sudden appearance a mara-struck man so close to the ports would enough for everything to get shut down. childe is strong. he could make a mess of things. it could be alarming enough, perhaps...? but it would come at a cost, and it might not even be worth it.
well. there is one thing mizu can try, and it could go either way.]
Childe. Please, listen to me. I— [a sharp stop, mid sentence. and then focusing on something just over childe's shoulder. point.] Wait, just a moment. Over there. Isn't that...?
[there are nothing but randos over there, but. childe. listen. please look over there.]
[ the thing is, mizu is right. a mara-struck soldier right in the middle of everything would be alarming enough to shut the ports down. it could be the way he's going to win this. the only way.
and childe really shouldn't fall for this.
but he trusted mizu, once. so he looks over his shoulder, away from mizu. ]
with an eight, though, it doesn't do shit. it does not knock childe out, but it does make him... explode? sort of. see, when someone gives in to the mara, the flowers bloom across the skin like a wildfire. it clearly hurts, considering the scream childe lets out as they sprout, violent and beautiful. he writhes, dropping to the ground, shrieking himself hoarse as it takes over, as it consumes him.
the crowd around the two of them freaks the fuck out. people start running, stumbling backwards and trying to get away. childe doesn't seem to notice. in fact - what was childe doesn't care about anything other than mizu.
on the ground, he shudders. and his neck makes an alarming cracking sound as it yanks backwards, breaks, so that he can look up at mizu from an unnatural angle. silence. and then he laughs, and he keeps laughing, and keeps laughing - and launches himself at mizu gleefully, forming ice knives in both hands and shanking them into whatever flesh he can reach. ]
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holyspirits) wrote2025-02-16 05:05 pm
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the borisin huffs. ]
Intelligence. [ he says, easily. ] I'd just like you to confirm it. Besides. A foxian like you will always return to its master. I have nothing to worry about.
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I see. [a slave... just assuming there will be someone watching, tbh. more out of curiosity than anything:] You'd take a foxian at his word?
[well. getting the heck out of here, even if something inevitably drags mizu back, does sound nice. so even though doing as asked feels humiliating... might as well go through with it.]
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I wouldn't say that. But you'll realize your place in time.
[ does mizu leave? ]
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is there anything of note on the way out, though?]
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the world outside is lively. people are getting ready for an event, it seems, and they're decorating and selling things. the ship is busy! lots of traffic, and a lot of people that are ripe for destroying. they're just citizens.
there are guards around! cloud knights. they don't seem tense at all. you can talk to them, or you can talk to random passerbys, or you can just head straight to the port itself. doesn't seem like you're being watched at all. ]
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well. first thing's first. since this hostage situation has been going on for A While, how much are we sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of this ship? mizu will quietly examine the guards and passerby, trying to gauge if anyone is having any sort of reaction here...]
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still, it's strange. you would've thought that general f̷̨͖̀̈͜e̶̢̮͌́̕ḯ̶̡̖́̕x̶͓̉͝͝į̷̗̾͜a̷̗̖͝ǒ̴̳ would have set off the alerts. things kind of just seem like every day behavior. ]
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but if people aren't making a fuss, then that's just fine. there's no way the borisin aren't keeping an eye on things, though. so as tempting as it is to go in and sound the alarms...
well. approaching a passerby first. whoever looks the most receptive to being chatted up by a stranger.]
Excuse me.
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the first person is a guy! it's... a ginger. he looks so familiar. but you heard that his heart got ripped out, that century ago. this can't be him. it can't be, right? he grins at mizu. ]
Hey there.
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well, it's possible mizu is just misremembering. it's certainly been long enough for that man's features to start blurring in that terrible, faulty little thing called memory. perhaps they just have similar features.
it doesn't matter. this isn't the time to bother a strange with useless sentimentality.]
Do you have a minute? I have some questions.
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Sure thing, what's up?
[ what will you ask him? will you hint at the borisin threat? ]
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The ship's very lively today. What's the occasion?
[ignoring the pang of regret at not really getting the chance to pay respects to the deceased. at not being able to confirm their deaths directly, as terrible as it would have been... it's fine.]
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[ you know about this - the wardance has a lot of people in town from all over, meant to be a bonding activity between the sister ships. ]
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Hm. Maybe I will. [or maybe the borisin will kill everyone, starting with mizu.] Where are sign-ups taking place, exactly?
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... Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?
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mizu stares at him for a long moment.]
Where do you think you recognize me from?
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[ he rubs at his wrist absently. there's a peek of yellow from under his sleeve. ]
You seem sort of important, though. Maybe like something I wouldn't want to forget?
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I see. [...] Another question for you, then. Do you have a younger brother?
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[ a beat. there's a crack of a sound, and then he looks at mizu properly, clenching his fists. ]
... Mizu?
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but also... nods. hi.]
Childe. [just the slightest hint of a smile, here and gone in a second. i, quynn, hate this.] I was under the impression that you were... dead.
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Haha - I sort of was! I remember being on the battlefield after all of it. You all left me for dead. Didn't even bother coming to get my body.
[ another cracking noise. his arm... ripples. ]
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of course, there's a part of mizu that still sees childe as a friend even after all this time. they were rivals once. shared tips and sparred with each other. childe never won. but it was... fun. nice. he was missed. mizu already thought him dead once, and this is not the way he deserves to go out.
but there is also a part of mizu that has been held captive for god knows how long. a part that wonders, callously, if the sudden appearance a mara-struck man so close to the ports would enough for everything to get shut down. childe is strong. he could make a mess of things. it could be alarming enough, perhaps...? but it would come at a cost, and it might not even be worth it.
well. there is one thing mizu can try, and it could go either way.]
Childe. Please, listen to me. I— [a sharp stop, mid sentence. and then focusing on something just over childe's shoulder. point.] Wait, just a moment. Over there. Isn't that...?
[there are nothing but randos over there, but. childe. listen. please look over there.]
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and childe really shouldn't fall for this.
but he trusted mizu, once. so he looks over his shoulder, away from mizu. ]
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and immediately tries to punch him the fuck out!!
this will either knock childe out or it will make childe fully hulk out but i just rolled an 8 so HELPPPPPP]
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with an eight, though, it doesn't do shit. it does not knock childe out, but it does make him... explode? sort of. see, when someone gives in to the mara, the flowers bloom across the skin like a wildfire. it clearly hurts, considering the scream childe lets out as they sprout, violent and beautiful. he writhes, dropping to the ground, shrieking himself hoarse as it takes over, as it consumes him.
the crowd around the two of them freaks the fuck out. people start running, stumbling backwards and trying to get away. childe doesn't seem to notice. in fact - what was childe doesn't care about anything other than mizu.
on the ground, he shudders. and his neck makes an alarming cracking sound as it yanks backwards, breaks, so that he can look up at mizu from an unnatural angle. silence. and then he laughs, and he keeps laughing, and keeps laughing - and launches himself at mizu gleefully, forming ice knives in both hands and shanking them into whatever flesh he can reach. ]
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cw: eye trauma
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