noblerise | IC Inbox

[Either the lion's den, or worse, a social call. He'll follow Jusis to the kitchen. He supposes he shouldn't be surprised to get this question, though there's a slight hesitation on his end]

...It was unintentional. When those hands went to grab me, they were blocked from doing so by...an ability I have. The hands then went after the teenager, who happened to be near.

I had no idea it would happen. I'm sorry.

[He listens to what Jun has to say about it, and then shakes his head.]

There is nothing to apologize for. I'm simply glad that he was rescued. That said, if anyone should apologize, it should be me. Both for dragging people into this situation, and for what this mission ended up being.

You didn't know any of this would happen.

We were able to recover everyone and retrieve the peach. That's what matters.

[So.

That was a lot. There was some stuff to talk about, but Fugo wanted Jusis to have a couple of days before to rest before talking about... that. About the whole dad thing.

Mind you, it's actually just because of the rest part of that that Fugo waited. He'd actually made his decision right then and there. Having a couple of days worked out, too, he'd ended up finding something he wanted to give to Jusis anyway! So it's with this Dream Flower in hand that he goes to track Jusis down.]

Ah... Jusis, do you have a few minutes?

That does make it easier to bear, but I expect it will weigh heavily on my mind for some time still. However, I'd rather look at that as a lesson to learn than something to chain me down.

[Jusis sure as hell is going to try his best to make sure another debacle like this won't happen again. He won't do that alone from now on, either.]

Thank you for doing what you could when the plan fell apart. Truthfully, I don't think we could've recovered nearly as well as we could've without that.

[Neither of them do casual very well, it seems. Zhongli is trying to learn, though. He's gotta be hip.]

Please pardon my intrusion.

[He bows his head briefly, then steps inside.]

I came to offer some healing soup and these flowers as a wish for your good health and recovery. I will tell you a little about both, if you like.

[Well, at least he seems honest about it. And not just coming from a place of excessive guilt like his actions last month ... maybe this had an impact on him.]

...I just did as I said I would. It's the other app users who did most of the work.

[HE IS SO AWKWARD WITH THANK YOUS OK]

[Velvet is quiet for a moment, unsure how to process the condolence anymore than she knows how to properly process the grief. Nor does she fully comprehend what support would even look like in her path ]

Just don't get in the way once I find the guy who did it. I'm won't stop at anything to kill him.

[Yep sure is just admitting her murderous intent to a lawyer. Velvet sure is Velvet. ]

...Fine by me. I don't mind getting my hand dirty- [no shit you just said you're gonna kill someone] But whatever came up with the MetaNav can rot in Hell.

[Jusis did take time off of work to rest, as he promised pretty much everyone. He's not hard to track down, having a cup of tea in the living room while looking over something on his laptop. When Fugo asks his question, the blond man puts his laptop to sleep and closes it up so that he can turn his full attention to the teenager.]

Of course.

[He looks curious, but he'll patiently wait for Fugo to speak.]

[Jusis closes the door behind Zhongli and points out the kitchen to him.]

Both are welcome. I believe I have a vase that would suit them.

[There's a cabinet where he's pretty sure he's stored one of his mother's vases. Jusis heads over to the living room to quickly dig it out, grateful that he's remembered where it is. It's not as if it gets much use, but there are occasions where he's definitely needed it because of a gift. The blond then joins Zhongli in the kitchen to fill a simple, yet elegant glass vase with water.]

I would like to hear their stories. [And he is genuine in that desire to hear them.] Would you be more comfortable telling them in the living room?

[Jusis stares at Shroud for a moment before scoffing in what looks like genuine amusement.]

Hmph, I see that you feel about as comfortable with gratitude as a friend of mine does.

[Rean is just as bad and awkward about being thanked.]

Your efforts are no less significant for laying the groundwork for them to mobilize as quickly as they did. You would do well not to downplay such actions in the future. That being said... about the power that protected you from those hands. May I ask where it comes from?

[Jusis is quiet for a moment. He did have his suspicions that revenge is what drives her, as well as grief, but all of this information confirms it. However, that just means that the Order has been stringing her along all this time, if that's the case. It puts a bad taste in his mouth. Not to mention, it stirs a memory in his past life.

A man ready to sacrifice his own son—Rean to Erebonia's curse. A girl, Altina, to be made into a sword. Or another girl instead—

No. He can't remember that one. That's what his mind and heart tell him. Don't remember that.]

...Far be it from me to get in your way. On the contrary, I would like to help you track him down. That is, if you would like my assistance in that manner.

[Just for this one time, he'll overlook murderous intent. It hits too close to home for him. Not to mention, Jusis is hoping that this will give him time to figure out another way to help Velvet get out of her spiral.]

Agreed. I see now why so few people gave up information about it, and why it's so closely guarded.

[He remains silent at being called out about the gratitude, rather glad his shroud is covering the embarrassed look on his face. ]

...I'll keep that in mind.

[He says to Jusis's advice, knowing full well he absolutely won't. But the follow up question gets a brief pause, a bit of hesitance at how he should answer. ]

There's a spirit that grants me a little of His power. It seems He took issue with the plan, and acted on His own accord.

[It's not a lie, even if it downplays some aspects of it]

Edited 2023-04-24 16:13 (UTC)

Please do.

[Jusis will believe it when he sees it. It's an answer he's heard several times from certain people he can name.

He listens to what is said about the source and nods at that.]

In a way, it's comforting to know that He, in some capacity, took issue with it. [...] But this doesn't sound like possession. Am I correct?

[Look it's how these types roll ok]

You'd be correct. I have no contract price to fulfill.

Well, ah... first, here.

[He holds out the Dream Flower.]

I got this for you while I was out. Apparently this flower is one that grants pleasant dreams if you sleep with it nearby. I don't know if it works or not, but...

[Why, tho

Jusis mulls that over for a moment, thinking. Maybe to some eyes, he looks as if he's calculating.]

...Does the power He grants you extend to ending or exorcising possession?

[He pauses. That...is a complicated answer, really. Sorey could have power like that, Mikleo's told him, but it wasn't like he was there yet]

...Is there a reason you're asking?

[Jusis debates with himself for a moment on how much detail he should give. However, given that he's asking for Ash, and at how quickly the teen's situation is deteriorating... It's worth risking the guess to Shroud's identity.]

I believe we have a mutual friend who is currently suffering under a possession that causes unique problems for him. This is strictly off the record as far as the Order is concerned. However... I fear his situation is beginning to deteriorate. I almost couldn't stop him from killing that... Other side of me, for lack of a better word.

[He sighs softly.]

At this point, I'm trying to ascertain just how many options we feasibly have before it gets worse. Or at least buy more time until a solution is found.

[Zhongli nods and moves into the kitchen so he can set the soup on the counter. Truly, tupperware has advanced since the 70s. It certainly looks more elegant than it used to. He looks over as Jusis joins him, interested in the very elegant vase he's brought.]

That vase is beautiful. [He offers the bouquet. The flowers are freshly cut, so there's no need to trim them.] The living room? Yes, that would suit us just fine. I know I tend to go on a while.

[Wow that almost sounded self-aware.

As they settle in there, Zhongli starts with the bouquet.]

Chrysanthemums have been revered in Chinese culture since ancient times. They're known as a symbol of happiness and health. Peonies, the other flower in that bouquet, are often associated with emperors and nobility. Yellow peonies in particular represent good fortune and prosperity.

Going back to chrysanthemums for a moment, the poet Tao Qian wrote about them in the 4th century. A few others like him spent their lives in relative seclusion amongst nature, enjoying simple pursuits and finding enlightenment in the quiet. One of these poems is particularly famous, and simply evoking the first line can convey a similar feeling... In this way, it reminds me of the American poet Robert Frost and the Road Not Taken.

Tao Qian's poem can be translated something like this:

'I built my hut in a world of men,
But there's no sound of carriages and horses.
You ask me how this is possible.
When the heart is far away, surroundings become remote.

I pick chrysanthemums by the east fence,
And idly gaze at the southern mountain.
The mountain air is so beautiful at sunset,
As the birds fly home together.

There's true meaning in this.
I want to explain, but I've already forgotten the words.'

Even someone who has never set foot in the Chinese countryside can understand the feeling of being in a place like this.

[Jusis takes the flowers and arranges them nicely in the vase.]

Thank you. It was part of a gift from my mother after I graduated high school.

[It's clear by how clean it is that he's treasured his mother's gifts greatly. Satisfied with how the flowers settle in their new home, the blond follows Zhongli into the living room and takes a seat.

Jusis listens attentively as the older man goes on about the flowers, and then immediately gets side tracked into poetry. He's almost impressed by Zhongli's memory. He'd be far more impressed if this happened before the cello incident, but it's fine.]

There are still places in Germany like that, though I was quite impressed with the landscape in the part of North Carolina I used to live in. It didn't take much time to get away from the city and find yourself in a forest.

I can imagine that China has a beautiful countryside, though I've never been there personally.

["A mutual friend"- well he certainly catches that and the implication that Jusis has figured out his identity. But more trouble than that is what Jusis is referring to, that Ash's possession is getting worse. He's heard the stories before, how ugly it can get when a possession loses control.

Ash...]

...Such exorcism magic exists, but I don't have access to it right now.

[Or if he'll ever be able. He may have to go to Sorey for that. But Sorey is far from ready to take on such possession cases, and it's not sure when he will be. So Jun decides to forgo mentioning that, Sorey doesn't need that kind of pressure put on him.]

Besides...I don't know if he'd accept my help. I suspect what I am runs a little too close to wounds he's never fully healed from.

[he remembers how Ash reacted to his pact with Mikleo. He can only imagine him finding out about the Holy Spirit would go much more poorly]

Edited 2023-04-24 20:20 (UTC)

[Jusis will listen without interruption, though it's hard to tell from his expression if he's disappointed, expected the answer, or both. Or the secret fourth option of uncaring, which is far from the truth.]

I see. Unfortunate, but I can see where Ash would struggle with it. It was why he had a hard time in that prison I was in.

[It's getting out of hand, or at least starting to, and Jusis can't be everywhere to support the teen. No matter how much he wants to. Not even Elliot and Rean can be everywhere at once, and they have their own, normal lives to attend to, too. However, Jusis should give it to Jun straight.]

I won't ask for you to take any permanent actions against him, no matter how dire it gets. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure he comes out the other side alive and without his passenger. All I ask is for your help in watching him.

[The blond hesitates and then crosses his arms.]

Ash is a friend from my past life, and I'm proud to continue to consider him family, if that's what he wants. I don't want anyone to kill him, and that goes double for if that person is a friend of his. I'm not giving up on him, not even if he's given up on himself.

[A gift from his mother... Zhongli can guess how valuable this vase is, then, not in a monetary value sort of way but a sentimental one. Jusis's mother is one of those few bright lights in the young man's life. He nods, acknowledging the honor.

The vibes in the room are a lot different when he doesn't have all of Jusis's roommates waiting to rip him apart like a crab tossed into a flock of seagulls. That was deserved, but still. He likes the room much better today.]

Is that so? Perhaps I'll make the time to travel through the eastern states later. I've been to Germany, at least, and I quite enjoyed it. [He loves the food, but can you blame him really?]

China is very large and diverse, and parts of it are still untamed even today. There are still gods living in those mountains according to the villagers. [He smiles a little.] If you ever get the chance to travel there, I could give you a few personal recommendations.

[Which reminds him--]

The bamboo shoot soup that I brought has its origins in Jiangnan cuisine. The taste is complex though the ingredients are simple, because it's been cooked at low heat for a long time. Be sure to eat it slowly as it's very rich. [A pause.] I recommend reheating it over the stovetop rather than using a microwave.

[This message comes up the day after Xiao shows up in town.]

Jusis, I hope you're doing well. I... apologize for the inconvenient timing. Is there somewhere we can meet?

This isn't an emergency, but it is a delicate matter.

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a couple days post-Alcatraz; action

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latter half of april; voice; un: freelancer