heng_like_a_dragon

If you went by yourself, you can sleep on the couch alone or spend an entire day with March.

[This sounds mild at first until you realize all the things March can get up to in a mere day.]

We would be wise to scout out a little bit of the area first. We should also take a closer look to see if we can discern any clues from the entrance alone.

[Dan Heng hums softly in thought.]

It's your forge, A-Xing. Anyone else coming along for the exploration is ultimately up to you.

[ oh, that sounds concerning even to Jing Yuan. ]

Between the three of us I believe we can handle whatever may be hiding inside. But as Dan Heng said, anyone else coming along is your decision to make.

... And that is why I called. I don't have time for those things right now.

[HE HAS TO WORK.]

You're right. If we scout it out first we'll have a better idea of what to expect... but I don't want to get trapped. Let's stick to the first room or two.

All three of us can handle ourselves, but I don't want to risk getting separated from one another. I'm thinking we might want more people, at least for the support.

Agreed. That should be more than sufficient to get an idea of what to expect, at last for the most part.

[There's a sound of clothes rustling and then the typing of a keyboard.]

I'm going to open up a database entry for this... dungeon. We can update it with information and upload a map onto here, just in case it's bigger than we thought.

[He says "we," but it's most likely going to be Dan Heng maintaining the entire entry with data collected from everyone.]

Since it's in a Spirit Realm, I will be in my Vidyadhara body, but I will not be using cloudhymn unless absolutely necessary. I've informed the others that I will be helping with the situation at your forge.

[He considers it.]

Could you get the usual for my partners and I? I'll tip 35% this time.

[Because he feels a little bad.]

You don't have to tip that much. Be right there!

Mm. See you.

[Too late, he's tipping Caleb that much!!!!]

[ you know how much he loathes the thought of paperwork, Dan Heng. he wrote more than enough reports in their past life, don't make him write more in this one. ]

Should all go well you may not need to use any cloudhymn magic. But should things turn dire I can get out there swiftly enough.

[ he would rather they did not risk it, even if the price not come upon Dan Heng immediately. ]

As for getting others involved, I am not against the idea however we should be careful not to inflate our numbers too much. A smaller party is easier to manage when venturing into the unknown.

[Thank goodness for his boyfriends.]

... That's a good idea. Thanks for setting that up.

[Yeah, probably... Blade likes pen and paper.]

I think Jing Yuan and I are strong enough that you shouldn't need your cloudhymn magic. This is supposed to be light exploration, not a fight for our lives. But if it comes down to it, you know I can take a few hits—I fight better when I do.

[Some scribbling.]

No more than seven or eight. If we split up, which is fairly likely if it's big enough, that wouldn't put one group at too significant of a disadvantage.

... I do what I can.

[Dan Heng feels a bit useless, but he's still trying to make the most of his strengths to help his apprentice.]

One can hope that all three of us won't need the assistance of cloudhymn for a light scouting party, but we'll have to see. I worry that this lack of practice is going to be detrimental. [He pauses and there's a soft, slightly draconic sigh.] My apologies, that's not helpful right now.

[The biologist starts typing away at his computer.]

I agree with that many people. Any larger and we risk overcrowding. We'll revisit it depending on how the corridors branch off, but I think that a reserve team waiting on the surface will be enough of a buffer.

[ 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'. ]

[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.

[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.

[Someone had to have the awareness. And that's a double edged sword because it means Ragna can't keep himself going strong through anger fuel. He deflated more knowing Blade was safe but the fumes of knowing he was attacked in the first place kept him going at some sort of pace.]

Jesus Christ... good. Figures between the two of you nothing's gonna get to Blade. You don't sound any worse for wear either.

[Which was also good, but Ragna was half thinking aloud at this point. He was flagging quick.]

Thanks...

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?

[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.

[ This is where they are today. Thanks March! ]

Ah, so you were on the... space train earlier, that makes sense.

Honestly, my main question is how on earth he managed to make black holes? And also how he managed to control what was sucked into them because by their very nature they are extremely uncontrolled.

[ And the one time he's seen someone try to control one was the Event Horizon and that was bad.]

Indeed. I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I accepted the offer to be their archivist and Guard.

Hm... those are tricky questions to answer. Mr. Yang didn't particularly wish to talk about the specifics of those powers, and I had the sense it was for good reason. From what I remember, he used his cane a lot as both the normal function of such an item and also to channel certain powers through it.

I recall he was also able to create an animated show using that power as well. He was a huge fan of mecha anime in particular. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that Mr. Yang is capable of "creating" things through his magic, though I don't know what the limitations are. In my experience, such powers generally come with certain restrictions or downsides, if not both.

If I had to hazard a guess, perhaps such power is limited to whether or not Mr. Yang knows the thing he is creating, and he can modify that to a certain extent. Such as knowing that makes up a black hole, but ensuring that the event horizon only goes out so far. But this is pure speculation.

No kidding? What was that like?

Okay, that makes sense so far. Dad got me a quarterstaff I can use to help focus my earth elemental abilities when I need it. It's like a conduit, I guess.

...Oh boy, Blade must have loved him. March likened his abilities to that of the anime with the alchemy in it- which is how we got onto the subject in the first place. So I guess all of that makes sense, with that you're saying. I definitely don't understand how that works. But I can see how she got to where she did now.

[ Varian is capable of building just about anything. So long as he has a chance to think it through, let him have time and space an resources? The sky's the limit. But even he needs materials. He can't build something out of nothing. ]

Sounds like a very dangerous power to have.

Is Blade okay???

It was never boring, that was for certain, but it was also rewarding. Each of us chose to board the Express for different reasons, but one can walk the Path of Trailblaze without needing to be a passenger. That's... a side tangent for later, I think. To more fully answer your question, despite the dangers for going to new planets, it was the best decision I had made. I was among people I could call family, even if I didn't have the word for it due to my Vidyadhara heritage. And it was the first time I felt... safe and free to be myself.

[Dan Heng isn't usually so open about discussing his past life, but it seems to be more that he prefers being asked about it rather than dumping it on an unsuspecting person's head.]

Exactly. A conduit or perhaps even a limiter. He was very conscientious of when, where, and how much to use it. So, while I very much agree that it's a dangerous power to have, I believe Mr. Yang can be trusted with it.

[He pauses for a moment. Mostly he just wants to choose his words carefully here.]

Unfortunately, in our past lives, Blade was part of a different faction. In public our factions were vehemently opposed to one another, but we came to a tenuous truce after some truths were revealed to us. That being said... Blade back then was a very different person to who he is now. I can't speak about his past fully as it's not my place.

[Dan Heng hesitates for a fraction of a second.]

Let us say... someone he thought was a friend did terrible things to him in order to "forge" him into a blade for her own ends. Primarily to make my incarnation as Dan Feng, the life I had before I was Dan Heng, pay a price. Even now, Blade refuses to do much as say her name and I have respected that.

However, I feel that it's only fair to warn you since you're close to him: if you ever encounter a swordswoman named Jingliu, do not engage with her. Inform Jing Yuan and I so that we might assess if she's safe to approach.

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i sure did lose this notif like a doofus

and then i was too lazy to tag

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[ APRIL 1ST ]

after venti is stable. voice; un: ragna

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text: un: trienemybest

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

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