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folkmore mod ([personal profile] folkie) wrote in [community profile] folkmeme2024-08-13 07:55 am
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August-September 2024 Test Drive Meme

August-September 2024 TDM
Introduction

[ TDM QuestionsJump to CommentsFull Navigation ]

This Test Drive meme is open to all.

Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.

All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain a canon item from home, especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.

Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!



🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.

and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.


🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.

Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.

[ Prompt OnePrompt Two]

Scavengers Survive .
Content Warnings: Potential Wilderness Survival, Potential Death

New Star Children arrive in Amrita Academy, the largest school in Folkmore. They might arrive in the medical wing, or they could arrive in areas of the school that don't look like a school at all: forests with animals to hunt or gather, including for their medicinal properties; rocky crags with climbing routes; fields full of growing grains; meadows with sheep covered in soft wool; lakes and rivers with unusual denizens. It's like a miniature of Folkmore all in one school.

A fox with a clipped ear and a few scars greets each Star Child upon arrival. She explains that while things can be summoned with Lore, the best survivors learn to scavenge and to find what they need. New Star Children haven't earned much Lore yet, so that surely applies to them double. In fact, as befits a survival school, there are items that will help Star Children survive hidden all around and immediately outside the school. Star Children are directed to make a list on their Relic of everything they think they need to survive. Once made, the list cannot be changed. They will be more likely to find those items than others (though it will not be impossible).

Race, jog, or stroll around the expansive school in search of these items: clothes, bags, first aid kits, tents, survival supplies, etc. They might be harder to find than expected as they will be miniature and in little cubes aka survival squares (a misnomer). These cubes may be tucked away above, below, beside, or inside something. They also may float against a rock face or in the air among tree branches. The most likely locations are those densest in Lore. The longer Star Children explore, the more they will realize that these cubes are best and most easily obtained by working together. In fact, they will try to dodge and avoid the grip of a Star Child more than ten feet away from any other Star Child. Perhaps that's because two Star Children interacting are creating Lore and a Lore dense location? Once two Star Children touch the cube at the same time, the cube will disappear, and the item inside will grow to full size. Congratulations on being one step closer to survival. Remember to share.

Come mid-September, few cubes will remain inside the school. Star Children will have to check the perimeter of the school to find more survival squares. That task grows exponentially harder as the cubes are in the molasses-thick moat of concentrated Lore surrounding the school. Should anyone dip their spoon in the moat, in the Lorasses if you will, they will find that it tastes sweet, a rich spicy sweetness. Amazing! Less amazing? It is impossible to get past the moat of Lorasses. No matter how strong a swimmer or oarsman, it is impossible to make headway through or atop the Lorasses. Anyone attempting to fly across the moat will find themselves slapped by a giant sticky slappy hand rising like a goliath from the depths with perfect aim. Star Children can find themselves slapped anywhere from the shore to the center of the school. Star Children are free to get creative with ways to dig the survival squares out of the Lorasses, but beware! They'll have difficulty freeing themselves on their own from the sticky substance, should they fall in.

Since Star Children are likely to find themselves in sticky situations quite literally, they may be pleased to know that Amrita Academy has showers available for use. Unfortunately, due to one student's experiment, the shampoo is all made of beer. That's right, beer. It's good for one's hair! Or so the study should demonstrate. Be sure to fill out a feedback card outside the locker rooms.

  • All new Star Children arrive in Amrita Academy.
  • Star Children are greeted by a fox who prompts them to write a list of what they need to survive. These lists cannot be changed once made.
  • Star Children search for tiny cubes with survival supplies, especially ones on their lists.
  • Star Children must work together to catch & open the cubes.
  • Come mid-September, Amrita Academy is surrounded by a Lore-rich molasses moat—Lorasses. Thou shalt not pass.
  • Once the moat arrives, most cubes are in the moat. Shower to get clean afterward with beer for shampoo.
This is Our Get Along Shirt .
Content Warnings: Forced Close Contact, Coerced Behavior

It can be stressful to arrive in a new place among strangers and strange things. It can be even more stressful, sometimes, to be among people one knows. The fact remains that in Folkmore, no one is an island. The Shattered Spoon Shrine is a testament to that. Interact or perish. Those interactions usually don't even have to be positive. An emotionally charged argument generates Lore same as a touching reunion. However, Amrita's iteration has taken charge of Folkmore this month. She values cooperation and connection.

What does this mean for Star Children? It's time to get along.

When Star Children fight—physically, vocally, emotionally—they get stuck together in a magical t-shirt. This plain white t-shirt has 'This is our get along shirt' written on it on both sides, one in each Star Child's handwriting. (If a Star Child does not have handwriting, Thirteen will invent a handwriting she feels best represents them). The shirt works exactly as written on the tin. Until the two Star Children can get along, they will be stuck together in the shirt. Getting along can look a few different ways. It could be working through the reason they were fighting. It could be cooperating to accomplish something else. It could be helping someone else together. It could be large or small. Somehow, Star Children will have to get along to accomplish something.

The shirt will disappear, leaving them standing next to each other, only to reappear duplicated in each of their hands, perfectly sized to fit each individual. Should they so choose, either can be used for a repeat performance, with both of them trapped inside again. While the same condition will apply—they must get along to get out of the shirt—the shirt will now make it easier for them to work it out. Note: only the two people who originally wore the shirt can put it back on. No one else can wear these shirts.

One time only, a Star Child's cooperative escape will have an additional prize: their souvenir t-shirt will be wrapped around an item from either their home universe or their partner's. That's right, getting along can get a Star Child something from another universe.

  • When Star Children get in a fight of any kind, not just physical, they get stuck together in a magical t-shirt.
  • The shirt says “This is our get along shirt” front and back in characters’ own handwriting (or imagined handwriting).
  • As written on the tin, Star Children are stuck until they figure out how to get along
  • When they separate, both partners will get a copy of the t-shirt that fits them. They can choose to get back into said t-shirt together to figure out how to get along easier in the future.
  • One time only, Star Children receive an item from their home universe or their partner’s.
shackledwithin: (pic#17108820)

Survival

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-24 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
[The grass rustles. Dan Heng steps off the beaten path and onto the grass. Even with his guise in place their face is the same. His horns and tail never leave him now.

He almost wishes they had. He still doesn’t have the answer to the question Kingsley asked. He straightens, swallows, and says carefully.]
Forgive me, it was…I was in shock. I can help if you’ll allow it.
inexpiabile: lilibei123 on Twitter (DanFeng012)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-24 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Shock...? Dan Feng's tail stills at the tone of that voice. Though he'd not looked when initially addressing the footsteps along the near path, he does turn this time. Even his weariness doesn't really interrupt the clear cautious assessment in his bright eyes.

... no what interrupts the calm is the other's appearance. The same face indeed, even with some varied differences otherwise. His own life was certainly not about to last many more years before he'd followed that Fox... so this was an interesting turn of events.]


I've no reason to refuse your offer. Catching these alone is far from ideal.

[Though his tone doesn't necessarily ease, there isn't hostility either. Centuries imprisoned had left their mark, and while he wasn't interested in being some kind of spectacle... well, his pride had been quite worn down at the edges. Besides, accepting help here could possibly answer the questions surfacing thanks to an odd sense of familiarity.]
shackledwithin: (pic#17108829)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-24 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
[For a moment, he does nothing. This is a moment he never thought would happen. In dreams and memory, it would only be the ghost of the real person.

He breathes and walks to the river. He leaps, crossing over to the other side and positions himself to flank the cube.

He lifts his head and nods,]
Whenever you’re ready. I’ll move when you do.

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-24 10:24 am (UTC)(link)


[ooc: please feel free to DM me to let me know if this doesn't work for you.]

[Dan Feng makes note of any signs of hesitance or discomfort... but for the moment he has no intention to address any of it. There would be enough time for that once the cube had been taken care of, provided the other didn't leave immediately after.

If he did make to leave in the end, well... that would be a bridge to cross should it happen.

... a bridge though, that was certainly an option for their troubles. He'd learned quite immediately after his arrival that what power he held before still remained his... and he couldn't be certain just what ability to expect from the young man now across the river.]


Very well.

[His voice is raised only enough to reach the other side over the babbling water, before he makes a small gesture with his right hand, gaze lowered to the river between them. From his observations to this point, it wasn't speed that was necessary, but simply something -- someone in this case -- limiting its escape.

The water between them raises only just, the surface becoming still as glass -- stable enough to support them easily enough. Until he knew the capabilities of the other, this was the simplest option... so when his eyes lift to meet Dan Heng's again, he takes his first easy step out onto the water.

... just in case...]
You have my word that the water will hold you as well.
shackledwithin: (pic#16634149)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-24 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[He steps onto the water. It holds him just as promised. Faint memories bubble up of times he has used this simple expression of his own power.

It occurs to him how much he could learn. Maybe he could take that back to Bailu and help her too.

He takes a few more steps, relaxed and ready to grab the cube. He looks up to meet Dan Feng’s eyes and nods once.]
This seems to be one of the bonding trials. It will likely be very simple.
inexpiabile: (DanFeng016)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-25 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[Other than the occasional shift of his gaze to the cube floating lazily between them, Dan Feng's gaze rarely leaves Dan Heng. The horns and tail were familiar, never mind their faces being practically the same, but he hadn't wanted to assume so early just who he may have met. But the young man is relaxed when stepping on something so uncommon to most.

He breathes a quiet, considering hum at the mention of a 'bonding trial'... considering how docile this cube is -- especially compared to a couple that had darted away from him which he'd then simply left behind -- it would certainly make some sort of sense if this was meant to be accomplished with assistance.]


With an observation like that one, would I be correct in assuming you've been here for some time?

[He doesn't still when he asks of course, instead taking the last couple steps to be within reach of the cube and lift his hand toward it. It wasn't going anywhere... and honestly he's quite thankful for the convenience.]
shackledwithin: (pic#17108812)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-25 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, I’ve been here for a while. I can answer your questions after we collect this cube. [He reaches for it at the same time as Dan Feng. Bonding trials are always about cooperation. He has no issue with it when what he wants falls in line with a connection.

Understanding. Answers. Ones he never thought he would have. As their hands touch the cube it converts into a rolled up tent. Dan Heng shifts his weight and grabs it. No sense in losing a shelter to the water.]
…When did you get here?
inexpiabile: (DanFeng039)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-25 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Rather than respond with words, Dan Feng simply nods. He certainly had questions to be answered... but not all of them were necessarily about this place or the Fox. Still, that could wait.

The moment the tip of his finger touches the cube, it expands into a tent and Dan Heng certainly isn't the only one to shift -- to catch it to ensure it doesn't fall to the water. Not that it would've fallen through if it simply landed between them. Still though, he withdraws his own hand, not seeing any issue with the idea of surrendering the item to the other.]


Mm... early this morning, I suppose. Though the passage of time before I found myself at the lake is less clear.

[How long had he followed the Fox? He really didn't know... but that was something for later. He didn't know how long he'd been in the shackling prison either, after all. For now, he shifts to the side, gesturing with his hand to allow Dan Heng to step past him and back to the riverbank.]
shackledwithin: (pic#16634150)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-25 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
That matches every account of a crossing into this realm. We appear to be in a space between countless realities. They have the power to match an aeon or be beyond them, but are not bound by their limitations. So far. [He walks past Dan Feng as he shoulders the tent. Once his feet touch the river bank he looks around. There is a nice spot for a tent just within the shelter of the trees.

He looks back at Dan Feng.]
Do you want to camp now or keep moving?

[Introductions on his part can wait until then. They will open a door he knows can’t be closed.]
inexpiabile: lilibei123 on Twitter (DanFeng012)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-25 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
[When Dan Heng steps past him, Dan Feng lets his eyes drift to the river beneath his feet before following to the riverbank. The still waters that had held them safely out of the river's flow dissipate after another couple steps, looking as if the water had never been interrupted in the first place as he considers the information he's been given so far.]

Given the compulsion to follow, the power to match or surpass an aeon feels likely, if not particularly a pleasant thought.

[Intervention by the aeons could be disastrous for those in the way. That there seemed so far to be no real harm caused in this case was a temporary comfort, but no more.

A glance to the sky at the question -- a glance that confirms the first changes leading toward sunset -- is certainly enough for his own decision. The space nearby in the trees, far enough above water level to be safe in all but the most torrential downpours, is honestly good enough for him.]


Having camp set up before dark sounds like the ideal option, unless you'd happen to disagree?

[In truth, camping or wilderness survival wasn't exactly something he made a habit of, even in centuries of life... so he wasn't afraid to defer to someone who may have more experience. That said... though he wasn't the type to mention it, he didn't have the same energy he'd had before imprisonment.]
shackledwithin: (pic#17108811)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-25 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
I agree. Best to conserve strength. [He walks to the spot he mapped out and sets the tent down. He unrolls it and stands up to visualize what kind of tent it is. With a nod to himself, he sets about assembling it.

He has the ease of practice. Countless times he has set up tents and various equipment as they studied the places they went on the Express. And that thought-]
…Could you set up a campfire? I’ll be done here in a moment.

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-25 08:34 am (UTC)(link)


Of course, I'll not be long either.

[The first thing he does though, as he steps off to get his hands on enough dry sticks and kindling for the fire, is to pull back his long hair and simply tie its length in a simple knot to keep it held back and out of the way.

Even as someone whose experience with wilderness survival was far more theoretical than practical, Dan Feng certainly makes quick work of his role. The easiest and safest way to begin was a fire pit surrounded by dry rocks.. which even close to a river as they are, there are enough distant rocks to achieve.

By the time Dan Heng is finishing up their tent, Dan Feng is quietly coaxing the flame he'd struck with his flint to catch on first the smaller sticks he'd gathered for the fire. In the end, having obtained the flint and knife first really had been quite the stroke of luck.]
shackledwithin: (pic#17108812)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-25 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[He makes sure the tent is secure before he finally sits down. He takes his phone from his coat and makes a few notes for later.

He has a true scroll to write in the future. He puts it away and takes a second to study his counterpart. None of this is like his nightmares but he never thought it would be. Should it ever be possible.]


…I think you’ve waited long enough for one important piece of information. My name is Dan Heng. I am one of the Nameless of the Astral Express.

But that wouldn’t have been possible without the intervention of General Jing Yuan.
inexpiabile: (DanFeng020)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-26 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
[To his credit, Dan Feng listens quietly to the information he's offered, settled by the side of their merrily crackling fire, his tail tucked around himself and as out of the way as he can manage.

Certainly he'd grown curious about just who this young man was... but with the initial admission of shock, he'd not been all that inclined to press for answers just yet. It wasn't always the case, but it did tend to be simpler to let someone volunteer information on their own time.]


Between the shock you'd mentioned before, and referring to him as General Jing Yuan, might I be correct in guessing you're from after my time?

[There's nothing sharp in his question, simply a quiet curiosity and faint caution. With all he'd endured to this point in the shackling prison, he could very well be remembered in many ways. And then there was the sense of familiarity he could feel at the back of his mind that he'd still not addressed. Between all of that, and everything when he'd seen Jing Yuan earlier in the day... he'd be rather surprised if he weren't at least partially correct.]
shackledwithin: (pic#16634149)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-26 03:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[He straightens. He has nothing to lose by saying the truth.] Yes.

It shouldn’t be at all possible for us to meet. …the data I’ve collected over the years give conflicting accounts and my dreams, add a dimension to the story. But nothing was complete even when I helped High Elder Bailu look into what people remember of you.

[He gets up and sets about collecting some vines. He works on building a small trap for fish with some vines and sticks as he says,] The controlling presence of the Preceptors has been broken. She is free to do her duties as she sees fit.
inexpiabile: (DanFeng035)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-27 06:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Between mention that it shouldn't be possible for them to meet, and Dan Heng's dreams... well that's certainly enough for Dan Feng to come to his own conclusion. It's interesting, with mention of High Elder Bailu.. but considering everything he'd done, none of this is all that surprising.

As he listens, Dan Feng spends a few moments longer feeding a couple of the larger sticks to the fire, eyes occasionally shifting to where Dan Heng works to set up a fish trap.]


While uncertain what particular answers you both sought, I am willing to give you what answers I can.

[For the moment though, he pushes himself back to his feet. They would have a couple options for how to cook the fish they may catch... but first, he could focus on procuring a flat surface on which to clean the fish while they spoke.]

... it is something of a relief to hear that she is free from their control.

[Though he speaks quietly, there's certainly a sort of edge to the statement this time... not necessarily negative, but his own experiences with the Preceptors certainly had never left many pleasant thoughts.]
shackledwithin: (pic#16634158)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-28 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[He looks up from his work for a moment, then drops his gaze.] It was an unexpected boon of assisting her when I could.

[He finishes building the trap and stands up. Questions he once thought were important have slipped from his mind, leaving it as clear as the wide open sea. He walks to the edge of the river and kneels.]

...I thought I would have so much to say to you. I'm finding it all largely unimportant. For now, I want to get to know you like I would anyone else. [All his fears feel unimportant. It is like holding a book and knowing all the pages need words in them. How can he fill them?] And whatever questions you have, I'll answer them.
inexpiabile: (DanFeng026)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-28 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[With arrangements made and set aside for the eventual fish Dan Heng would catch -- he'd certainly no reason to expect the young man wouldn't succeed -- Dan Feng casts his eyes about at the plant life in the area. Not all were recognizable, but surely there would be plants in the area to add a bit to their dinner.

He approaches the water after a moment, downstream from where Dan Heng kneels. From his brief glance into the water as they'd obtained the cube, the fish were traveling downstream at this time rather than up, so there should be no risk of startling anything away from the trap.]


... I do have some questions I'd like to ask, to avoid simply relying on assumptions, but aside from that I would like to simply get to know you as well.

[He tugs both of his long black gloves off as he kneels, tucking them away as he checks for plants his time reading helped him to identify as edible.]

You'd mentioned Jing Yuan's intervention. [His voice is quiet, interested and careful.] I hope you'll not mind if I ask... what happened that required his intervention?

[There's certainly no pressure for Dan Heng to answer. He would take a refusal in stride... but he can't help the concern he can feel regarding just what answer he may get if he should receive one.]
shackledwithin: (pic#16634152)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-28 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
The preceptors took advantage of the situation created by your actions. They had intended to keep me locked up in the prison, unless needed for official duties. As I understand it from looking over records, letters, and notes about…they have been working to this end for some time.

[He watches the river. It is easier than allowing himself to think or remember the prison itself. The fish are moving on the route he thought they would. Some of the plants around would indeed be good to add to their dinner.

He sits, patient as he would be with a computer uploading data.]
The General caught wind of what they were doing and exiled me. Without it I would have been filled only with what knowledge they wanted me to have. The first thing I learned was your sin. I was…treated as the one who had to correct things.

[He closes his eyes. He can remember his first view of the Loufu. It is indeed a beautiful place.]

…I agree it is mine to bear. Mine to figure out what to do. But that was a power grab and without the General I would not be free to look across the stars for the answers.

To that and to find the answers too for your research as well. It has to be out there.
Edited (Last correction) 2024-08-28 14:13 (UTC)
inexpiabile: (DanFeng016)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-29 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
[Though it had seemed clear, it was still nice to have confirmation that this was in fact his direct reincarnation. Well... perhaps nice wasn't the word for it, especially with what he learns as Dan Heng speaks. Dan Feng's eyes remain turned toward the river as they had been... though he's no longer really seeing it.

Upon rebirth, a vidyadhara was supposed to be considered a new life... and while there was considerable tension between himself and the Preceptors, that they would do something like this was far too much. He'd resisted them at every turn, even his duties had been done his way and not theirs -- he knew they wanted control, but this?

After a moment of silence following the answers he receives, Dan Feng takes a slow breath, brow furrowed as his eyes draw closed.]


Though I'm sure there's little I can say that hasn't crossed your own mind regarding what they'd done to you, and even knowing that nothing can be mended or achieved through sentiments alone... I still believe that my sins should not be yours to bear or correct.

[The sigh he breathes then is heavy, forcing out frustrations that he has no real right to feel. What he had done was what harmed his reincarnation -- and the shackling prison was no place for a new, innocent life. Dan Feng had centuries of his own life wasted in interrogation, torture and biting cold... but he is under no illusions -- he knows that even his silence played a part in what happened after his molting rebirth.

Opening his eyes once again, the gaze he turns toward Dan Heng now is... complicated. He could fill the sea with his regrets, but that wouldn't help anyone.]


There is no apology I can make that would be even a fraction of what you deserve to hear... yet while the both of us are here, if you'll allow, I'd like the chance to help shoulder your burdens at your side.

[The chance... it's all he can really ask. It won't make up for anything, but if he can do something -- if Dan Heng is willing to accept... anything at all, then it's worth the offer, he thinks.]
shackledwithin: (pic#17108815)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-08-29 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[He drops the guise. It seems important to be as he is. His robes flutter in the wind and he meets the gaze of predecessor. None of this feels like what he expected. Yet what little he has gleamed of this man based on how the general behaves and even Blade’s relentless pursuit…

He nods once,]
You made the choices you felt were best. It is not your fault that the preceptors were moving to chain the next. I believe they intended to try this whether you made the choice you did or not. They have been moving to this end since we settled in the Loufu.

That is a truth we can’t deny. …but I know so little of what it is to even be Vidyadhara. Of the powers that are mine now. I don’t know if we will remember this when we go back to our world. But it could help us here for me to know as much as I can.
inexpiabile: (DanFeng038)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-08-30 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[When Dan Heng's guise drops... where before their faces had been the main parallel between them, aside from the horns and tail... well, the resemblance is far more striking this way.

All of this sits as a weight in his chest, but Dan Feng still maintains eye contact with Dan Heng. It was interesting, in its own way, to hear someone actually say the choices he'd made were anything other than the greatest of evils... to hear someone say it wasn't his fault. And in truth, the plans of the preceptors weren't his fault. It wouldn't likely do much for the guilt yet, but there was progress to be made here.

For a connection such as theirs... there's quite a chasm between them. One that would need crossing... and one that they both seemed willing to work toward. They couldn't change the past, but there were things they could do here.]


I still carry many regrets over my own choices, but the way they'd grasped for more power than should be theirs did seem to only grow more desperate the longer I remained alive.

[But from what Dan Heng said, they'd been dealt with as much as was possible, and he and High Elder Bailu were free from that. There was something else worth far more attention than those regrets.]

Anything that you wish to know or learn, if I have the answers, they will be yours. If there happens to be even a chance you'll remember what I'm able to tell you... though even without knowing one way or the other, I believe trying to be more than worth it.

[It wouldn't matter if he remembered this should he find himself back in their world, but if Dan Heng could remember, it could only help. And even if the knowledge didn't go back with him, it could help him here, even a little.]
shackledwithin: (pic#17108814)

[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-09-02 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree. At least we can try. [The chasm between them is a wide thing but, he feels like they are both ready to blaze a trail across it. To at least meet in the middle.]

…I would like to start with more details. I am the result of a purposefully flawed rebirth. The Preceptors enacted the flaw in secret because of secrets you didn’t impart. It is my thought that they intended to take full control over the elder section process.

I think because of this and something about the passing of high elder not complete at the time. The power split between myself and Bailu. She has the healing side of it. Trapped in the body of a child but with the mind of an adult.

I have the destructive side. We’ve been figuring things out since my exile has been lifted. It wasn’t that long ago.
inexpiabile: Twitter 'sisi19980408' (DanFeng082)

[personal profile] inexpiabile 2024-09-04 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[Dan Feng's brow furrows just a bit as he listens, a thoughtful distance filling bright eyes as his gaze trails away a little, unseeing. Much of what he's learning from Dan Heng... he would never really be able to know in his lifetime if he remained back in the shackling prison -- if the Fox had never showed up and led part of him away.

At the same time, even with the passage of centuries of torture, surely he still held some information that Dan Feng could only imagine hadn't been passed on in its entirety. Especially considering how long he kept his silence.]


I'd certainly not label any single one of them above resorting to that... though I find it likely that my own failure to fully control the High Elder selection process contributed far more to this split of your power and the current High Elder's, if... likely little other than that.

[Though considering the basis of his attempt had relied on information from the Preceptors... the idea he'd been manipulated in a time of grief and desperation wasn't especially a pleasant one. There was nothing he could do about the intentional flaws following that, though... and as he was now, he'd not experienced his molting rebirth, even if he knew it would be happening.]

... I may need some time to more thoroughly consider the events of my past, with how much time has passed for even myself... but I do believe you may be correct in your thoughts on their intentions.

[Though he appears relatively serene other than his furrowed brow... the tip of his tail has once more adopted a somewhat frustrated flick.]

At least in part, I was acting under information the Preceptors gave me.
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[personal profile] shackledwithin 2024-09-05 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[A moment of silence passes as Dan Heng thinks it over. He takes out a small journal and writes in it.] We have time to build the timeline out. I’ll record what we’ve spoken of so far and you can review it any time you like.

[He pauses then comes to an internal decision. He wants to know more about this man who is nothing like he thought.]As well as any other record you would like. I live in Gram in the Astral Archive. Consider it a branch of the Nameless here in Folkmore.

[Well he started now he has to keep going. He gestures with one hand in the direction of his home.] It isn’t a complete database of all things the Express has collected over time. Just what I recall. But in time, I’ll restore it to the sum total of generations of Nameless.

What I remember of recent events at home have been written down. It was the first thing I did here.

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