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[heng_like_a_dragon]

This is Dan Heng. Unfortunately, I'm unable to answer your call right now. Please state your name, callback number, and a brief message about your issue. Thank you.

POKEGO group chat

POKEGO group chat (2023)

Comments

voice; private, off-app

[trailblazingspirit]

Dan Heng, I called your boyfriend, and he says you guys are doing okay so I’m not gonna ask that. But you better stay inside!

[A beat.]

When were you gonna tell me about that Teresa lady?

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Having seen that message on the app, Dan Heng has been considering the best way to inform people discreetly that he and his partners are fine. March takes the initiative this time, and for that he feels both blessed and cursed... especially when she mentions Teresa. Just hearing her name is enough to make him remember the look on her face as she ran him through with her weapon over and over and over—

He takes a deep breath.]

We won't, I promise. If necessary and possible, we'll run rather than engage in a fight.

As for her....

[He pauses and sighs quietly.]

... I'm sorry. I did plan to tell you after you had settled, but... the timing hasn't been the best. There are some... consequences for the way I survived her attack. Consequences that I've been meaning to tell you and Caleb, too.

[trailblazingspirit]

Caleb doesn't know? Dan Heng.

[She's doing her very best impression of a disappointed Welt. Still, she's not surprised Dan Heng kept this big important secret from everyone, mostly because he's done it before—she'd known him ever since she first opened her eyes and he hadn't really said anything about his past, before they stepped on the Luofu.]

I'm not gonna lie, I would've liked to know all this stuff way sooner. I feel like I just got dropped into the deep end of a swimming pool and everybody's telling me I have to do a breast stroke and all I know is how to doggy-paddle. [Which is to say it's a lot, her poor one brain cell is doing its best to keep up.] But...I get why you didn't wanna tell me immediately. So I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.

Can we talk? All three of us? After this. I'll even buy you guys lunch!

[says March who doesn't even have a job.]

voice; un: photocutie

[trailblazingspirit]

[Sending along a quick link to the comment thread as context before she asks:]

So we learned about the Watchmaker and the Family from Gallagher, so I know the Family’s up to something shady. But what did he mean by “assimilating people to their cause”?

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Well, Dan Heng can't ignore a voice call like he can a text, so this is the wisest thing March has done. He reads through the thread, and both memories and knowledge begin to rise up in his mind.]

Mm... it's a little complicated, but I'll try to simplify it. The Family has methods to bring outsiders into their "Family" and further The Harmony's cause. Usually, those ceremonies are conducted on a large scale, but I have read of cases where it can be done on an individual basis without the use of such a ceremony.

[trailblazingspirit]

Really? Yikes, now I'm really glad we didn't trust the Family. That's shady. [Himeko was right, the only people the crew can really trust on Penacony are each other. Between the IPC and the Family and every other guest having some kind of agenda, it's really giving March a headache.]

He seemed to know what he was saying. I don't trust him because he was using us and Acheron to prove "death's" existence in the Dreamscape, but...I talked to Caleb, and he says Mr. Sunday was trying to revive the Order. So Aventurine wasn't wrong there.

[There's a pause, then a groan.]

Ugh, all this because of Clockie.

text, un: jingnyan.

[pranas]

Are you busy right now?

[ does he know Dan Heng's daily schedule? yes, but he is still going to ask. it is an old habit of his considering other people and their time before himself. ]

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Dan Heng understands this well as he's the same way. At least, in this life he is.]

No, I'm not, but even if I was I would make time for you, A-Yuan. What can I do for you?

[pranas]

I would not like to bother you while working, A-Heng. [ sometimes he cannot help but feel as though he asks too much. ] Your company, if it is not too much trouble.

Where are you right now?

after the arianrhod fight;

[unreachableside]

[After a long and arduous fight against the Steel Maiden, Blade makes his way home. He's tired as hell and covered in blood (his own, mostly) but he's been healed by at least one wind spirit and a pushy white mage, so he's not doing too badly. He needs a bath, though, and maybe a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol for the remaining scratches and bumps he'll feel for the next week.

Or he could wait for his regeneration, but everyone else vetoed that already.

He pushes the door open after somehow managing to unlock it, and then nearly trips over the chonky Sesame Cake loafed in the foyer. Blade looks like hell: his hair is in a messy half-up, half-down state, he's sticky and bloody, his bandages are coming off his left hand, and he's very unamused. He stares Sesame down. Sesame stares back.]

Move or else we're putting you on a diet.

[Okay, that gets Sesame to scoot.]

Tiánxīn? Yuan'er? I'm back.

[Blade gets about five steps in, and then he just lays down on the floor.]

[pranas]

Yingxing?

[ Snomwoon's insistence is what pulled him from his vigil, the pokemon refusing to let Jing Yuan continue until he found out what the sound and smell coming from the front of the house is. if they are lucky Blade would return to them unharmed, if not─

the smell of copper greets him before his gaze has even a chance to fall on the other man, golden eyes wide as he kneels down beside Blade. old Cloud Knight habits kick in before he even realizes it, hands and eyes checking over every inch of him in search of wounds. the amount of blood coating Blade is worrying, but the rise and fall of his chest is not erratic enough to indicate any danger.

still... ]

This is not a very sensible place to rest, A-Xing. [ there is tinge of worry coloring his calm tone and written all over his face. ] Do you mean to give A-Heng a heart attack?

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Dan Heng hears Blade calling out to them. After preparing their first aid kit, he's been busying himself with warming up water and finding a rag he doesn't mind getting blood on. And when that's done, he moves on to general maintenance on Cloud-Piercer. He's just finished, in fact, when Blade calls out.

Jing Yuan can definitely hear the Vidyadhara's footsteps being slow yet somehow hurried. Until Blade, face down on the floor, comes into his field of vision. Dan Heng grabs the first aid kit immediately before rushing over. He looks over him like Jing Yuan did, and meets the General's eyes for a moment.]

A-Xing is particularly adept at giving me heart attacks.

[He shakes his head and carefully turns Blade over.]

A-Yuan, could you start a bath for him? We'll need to clean him up before I can start on wound care.

[Fortunately, Yue the now Gardevoir takes the first aid kit out of Dan Heng's hands. He picks Blade up in a princess carry with the same effort he would a pillow. He blinks in mild surprise, but now's not the time to analyze that. Instead, the Vidyadhara will head towards the bathroom.]

voice; un: fourseasons

[consonanter]

Ah, this is Dan Heng, isn't it?

I'm sure I don't need to explain much about myself, but- my name is Noah Haas. In our past lives, you knew me as Sunday. [A damning name, honestly, considering what Sunday has done.] I wanted to speak with you, if possible, and-

...sorry, this sounded far more coherent in my head before I spoke. [A beat, and he exhales.] I should have contacted you sooner, as well as Caleb, but I... receiving my memories as Sunday has been a somewhat traumatic experience. As far as I was concerned, no one should want anything to do with me, especially those from the Astral Express.

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Dan Heng sits with this for a moment as the memories of his past life flow into conscious memory. He closes his eyes, letting the past Dan Heng's feelings and thoughts wash over him like waves. Some of them bring the scouring sensation of sand, but mostly it feels like clean saltwater.

Even sweet dreams can be painfully cruel.

He sighs softly and picks up his phone.]

Hello, Noah. I understand quite well how such memories can be traumatizing, and make it difficult to reach out as a result. You do not need to apologize for trying to process what was happening.

What did you wish to talk about?

text | un: chaosraccoon

[actnormal]

quick q is Arceus like an aeon

1/2

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Dan Heng stares at this for a very long time before going to make himself a nice pot of jasmine tea.]

2/2 Voice

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Dan Heng could give him the long explanation. That Arceus is closer to a god than a force of nature deity like the Aeons typically embody, with very notable exceptions. Instead, he condenses it down to a short answer that's open to further questioning.]

No.

space danmei group chat;

[unreachableside]

[Blade sends a picture of his forge in Hyrule. There is a massive hole with an out of place carved stone staircase going deep underground, glowing with faint purple sigils. It's like two feet from his workshop.]

Anyway.

Are you both free on Saturday?

Voice | un: lunae

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Bruh.]

As it just so happens, I'm free that day. I take it that's our "date" destination?

[ APRIL 1ST ]

[anyprice]

[ sometime between the hours of 1am and 3am, A small blue and red squirrel somehow finds itself in your home.

It's in as quickly as it's out, and behind it leaves a pile of about 72 different coloured rubber ducks, as well as a small two-pack of beautiful looking japanese sweets. They look like art, really. When eating them, they're flavoured Mint and Cactus. Some flavours are just better than others. Underneath the gifts is a note in big, loopy handwriting. ]

Thanks for being a Pal, and helping out a guy in his time of need. Sampo Koski never forgets his friends, nor does he forget to say thank you! So, THANK YOU! This is just a small token of my adoring affection and unending appreciation. I'll see you around!

[ it's signed with a signature that's so exaggerated you can really only make out the word 'Sam'. ]

after venti is stable. voice; un: ragna

[centralfiction]

[It isn't Dan Heng's phone but Blade's that gets a call from Ragna. He sounded like he was just coming off of a frantic episode and the adrenaline was wearing off to give way to fatigue.]

Call me as soon as you fucking get this. The demons Venti warned about are coming out to play. One of them got to Venti... he's... he's gonna be fine but keep your eyes open dammit.

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Dan Heng, thank all the gods, has the emotional intelligence to recognize that Ragna's message is urgent enough that he needs an immediate response. Blade's currently sleeping it off, and Vritra's currently making him feel... complicated about a lot of things named Jing Yuan after that sudden adrenaline rush. This is as good of an excuse as any to take a step outside the room and have Jing Yuan guard Blade while he takes this phone call.]

This is Dan Heng. Blade had been attacked, but Jing Yuan and I handled it. He's currently asleep right now. No major injuries to speak of.

I'll pass along your message to him in the morning.

text: un: trienemybest

[droptheious]

This is probably a weird question but do you remember someone named "Mr. Yang"? March was talking about him and I got a little confused about his abilities and she said you knew him longer than she did?

[heng_like_a_dragon]

[Ah... he doesn't expect to be asked about Welt by Varian, but he can see why he would. ... Especially when March is involved. She has a gift for making things as clear as mud.]

Yes, I was the third passenger to join the Trailblazers aboard the Astral Express. March came some time after I did.

I would be happy to answer your questions about Mr. Yang. My memories are incomplete, so there may be some speculation involved on my part, but I will do my best.

text | un: chaosraccoon | when Jun and Varian are posting about the engagement

[actnormal]

Is Blade okay???