unfriendliest | fractura

[ it's certainly a dream.

there's no danger, here, at least not yet. the shrine is utterly peaceful, silent as he walks inside. there's a large statue at the center of the shrine, and lines of pews of a more traditional church dot either side of the main aisle. it's a holy ground as any, and as kara stands, he'll feel a sudden, surprising chill at his waist.

he won't have to wait to figure out what it is, though. a ghostly figure darts through him, a young child with dark black hair, tied in a ponytail, a red ribbon hanging from the side. he's calling out, "come on, come play with us, already!", and holding something that is probably a ghostly frog in his hands. he may recognize the tiny version of one demon boatswain, at home in koun.

the smaller voice comes next, from near the statue. it sounds like it's far away, like calling down from a rooftop. "I can't. I can't come, I'm practicing."

the child boatswain says something in response, with a bright, musical laugh. most of it is lost to the sands of the dream, but the "alright, alright, kara, i'm coming!" comes out of his mouth, too. it's referred to with bright, easy familiarity. the small ghost darts forward and disappears into the statue's base, and you can hear the sound of someone running down the stairs? there must be stairs under the statue. (even if he's a ghost. don't worry about the details too much.)

maybe you wanna follow and check that out? seems like it might be a plot point ]

[ wei wuxian?

but he doesn't look like the wei wuxian that ookurikara knows - not just because he's younger in this dream. he looks... human, without even the normal four wings on his back. if he hadn't realized this was a dream already, he'd wonder who hurt him, what hunter took his wings, so that kara could find them and make them regret laying a finger on him.

but he hears his name, and that draws his attention back to the dream itself, just as wei wuxian disappears into the statue. who would be dreaming of the two of them in a place he doesn't recognize? with more questions than answers, all ookurikara can do is follow the boy, circling the statue until he finds the stairs, and starts down. as much as he hates going underground, being confined and probably having to stoop to make room for his horns, it's the only lead he has. ]

[ ding ding, correct!!

luckily for kara, this is a dream. the hallway expands naturally, the ceiling raising to fit him; in fact, the underground is just as expansively large as the shrine itself. it seems endless, a yawning cavern of a hallway with bare wood floors. the laughter of the young child continues down the hall, beckoning down to the end.

the walls are lined with portraits. some are smaller, but the faces should look familiar. in black and white, there are figures he might recognize. wei wuxian, the kumou twins, in different clothes, their faces still the same, eyes still bright. the first few pictures are more like family portraits, than anything, and they shift as the figures grow within them, older, dressed in suits.

the ghostly figure of the childlike wei wuxian weaves down the hallway, pausing at a picture, and then disappearing into the wall.

in this photo, ookurikara himself is present. holding his sword, it appears to be a candid shot, midway through training with a sword he'll have to recognize. he's blade to blade with someone else--though his hair is shorter, and his clothing is far different, there's no mistaking the human priest xie lian, that familiar smile on his face as ever, but a matching grace and intensity to the motion captured in the old timey image.

next to that, it's the two of them again, ookurikara holding a pot, xie lian trying to keep him from dumping it in the trash can, looking embarrassed. another photograph depicts a third person along with them with his hair pulled into a bun, the three of them poring over papers together. another with xie lian holding his sides like he's been laughing, the third man wearing a birthday hat and looking unbelievably displeased, a cake set in front of all three of them, wei wuxian in the background with what looks suspiciously like a party popper sticking out of his mouth.

these are photographs of camaraderie. of happiness. there's a joy to each of them, and the series ends with a more serious, 'official' picture. there stand baren kumou, wei wuxian, the man with the bun (who he may have recognized as the demon hunter jiang cheng), and ookurikara. sitting at the large desk in the photograph is xie lian, his hands folded, expression serious, regal, the clear presence of a leader.

the moment kara steps up to it, there's a strange noise, like a tear, and the paper rips at the edge, effectively removing wei wuxian and baren both in one swipe. the noise is accompanied with what is unmistakably, from behind the door, the loud bang of a gunshot. ]

[ he proceeds carefully, as if half expecting the walls to close in on him at any moment. the portraits only give him pause for a moment, frowning at the clothing style - the kumou siblings had always been into more traditional aesthetics, haven't they? none of them would wear something like that.

but he moves on quickly enough, focused on not losing the strange, human specter of young wei wuxian. seeing his own face in the last portrait startles him into stopping, squinting at how human even he looks, without even the small stumps of the horns he'd had as a young dragon - and when he realizes who this version of himself is with, his nose wrinkles in distaste. is it xie lian's dream, then? some flight of fancy that they could be friends like he so often insists, based in wherever he'd originally come from? the next photo only seems to confirm that suspicion, with the two of them in a kitchen somewhere.

it's stupid, and he almost turns to leave to find a way out elsewhere. the last person he wants to see dreams from is that xie lian. and maybe he would have, if the next picture hadn't caught his attention. jiang cheng, too? ookurikara's knuckles turn white with anger. no demon with any sense would befriend a demon hunter.

what really keeps him moving forward, though, is the odd curiosity that - this ookurikara never develops his horns. his hair never grows longer than his shoulders, and instead of showing off his dragon form, he instead gains a dragon tattoo on his left arm as he grows older. ookurikara is curious in spite of himself, wondering what sort of world this could be that he could appear so human, let alone accept someone like xie lian as a leader. at least, that's what it looks like in that last photo? it's hard to imagine that disaster of a priest as anything so dignified.

the gunshot rips him from that train of thought, and startles ookurikara into moving faster. instinct from years of avoiding hunters and other mercenaries scream at him to find where it comes from and take them down first, but kara has no way to fight back. so he moves cautiously, opening the door slowly and carefully peering inside, ready to retreat if necessary. ]

[ he is not presented with what should be inside of a shrine!! no, this is a dingy, dark room, lit by a single lamp. there's a fat stack of cash on the table, jewels and diamonds, and a woman holding a gun.

at kara's entrance, the scene itself has stopped, utterly frozen in time.

a bullet hovers in the center of the room, fired from the panicky, well dressed woman.

standing directly in front of the demonic ookurikara is that same version of xie lian, easily recognizable from his stature, the color of his hair, the white ribbon he wears in his bun even as a priest. he's midway through lunging forward, hand at his belt to grab what must be his own gun. well dressed, still giving off that same aura of decisiveness, the opposite of the goofy priest on the mountain.

what might be more distressing is that other version of ookurikara, the one with the tattoo. still no demonic features. he's frozen in time just as the others are, but he's got his arm out and is lunging forward, too. in fact, his body is just slightly edged in front of xie lian's. if the dragon kara reaches out, if he even breathes--

the scene comes right back to life.

the bullet rips out of the gun and continues its deadly, unavoidable path forward, the bodyguard grabs xie lian, and shoves him out of the way of a bullet that was meant to kill him. xie lian's horrified scream of -- ] Kara! [ is unmistakable, and there's the sound of a body hitting the ground.

the dream glitches out, magical and strange (and the worst possible outcome of a situation that luckily only presented itself in a nightmare), but in the blink of an eye the woman is dispatched, dead with a bullet between her eyebrows. xie lian is crumpled over on the floor, the other ookurikara supported on his arm, his free hand to the bullet wound on this bodyguard--on one of xie lian's most trusted people, his confidant, his ally, his friend, and his voice rings through the room panicked, terrified, not you too, not you too, kara, kara, stay with me--!! ]

[ it's over almost as soon as it began, with kara taking a startled double-take at the sight of the human ookurikara. there's hardly any time for him to react, except to take one step, two, away from the morbid scene.

even if it is a dream, how is he supposed to react to seeing himself, human or otherwise, die before his eyes? somehow it doesn't surprise him that xie lian would react so desperately, but that daft priest would surely react the same to anyone's death, given how strongly he advocates for peace between humans and demons. but why - why would any version of himself take a bullet for xie lian?

none of it makes any sense, and he's a little too disturbed to continue this. so with a shake of his head, whether he's denying the scene or just dismissing it entirely, ookurikara takes another step back and turns to the door, fully intent on leaving this all behind. ]

[ did you want to leave? that sounds like a good idea. boy, it sure would be nice if you could just step right out of this dream, huh.

....is something burning? something is definitely burning. it's coming from the direction of the stairs. the moment kara looks up, a fucking giant bronze bell goes rolling straight down the hallway.

no running for you today ]

[ hELLO??

obviously he can't go into the hall with a fucking giant bell rolling his way, but the only place left for him to go is... back into that room? with the human ookurikara and xie lian? so. guess he's going back there! but he's deliberately going to avoid looking at the two of them.

it's just a dream, and not even his own dream. so why the hell can't he wake up?! ]

[ well, luckily for kara, the scene in the dream has changed when he turns around.

no more blood, no more gaudy trinkets and women armed with guns. instead, the room has cleared out to nearly nothing--much of it has been burnt, and a fine layer of ash is coating the floor underneath ookurikara's feet.

sitting in the center of the room is xie lian, the same young, recognizable one from before, who was holding ookurikara's body in his arms. he's dressed in the same pale white as the daozhang often is, though in the crisp lines of a suit instead of the traditional robes of a priest, and he sits with his knees drawn up and his forehead rest against them, his shoulders shaking gently.

there are a few newspapers spread out in front of him. some have visible headlines - mayor of montevallo--murder or accident? says one, another, "philanthropist patriarch and matriarch xie found dead in an alleyway; no suspects known". "bodies recovered from warehouse fire; women, children among victims" and a small, clipped one reading, "benefactor of yiling ridge orphanage forced to flee from montevallo, authorities in pursuit".

there's a lock at his feet, too, the edge of it open, torn from something with pliers, and perhaps more disturbingly, directly across from them lie several large, body shaped lumps in sheets, lined up in neat rows. the further down the room ookurikara looks, the more numbers there seem to be.

the door behind him is locked. only one way out of this dream, and it appears to lie with the young man in the center of the room. ]

[ ookurikara doesn't spare much time for the priest, focusing instead on the new room he's found himself in. while it's... a relief to be free of the specter of his dead human self, it's no less disturbing, trapped in a room covered in ash. his eyes linger for a moment, not on xie lian but the newspaper headlines, expression warping from a frown into a scowl as he looks up to find... bodies. countless bodies, laid out respectfully but - it's easy to guess what happened here. leave it to humans to leave a trail of destruction in their wake. it disgusts him, and so he tries, once more, to leave.

but of course, the door is locked. he gives a quiet, frustrated sound before finally turning back to speak directly to xie lian, voice curt. ]

Oi.

[ for a moment, xie lian doesn't respond. he stays where he's settled, face at his knees.

...but, eventually, he lifts his head. his eyes widen with recognition, that turns to to confusion, eyes sliding from his face up to his horns and back down. up close, he's the same young man from the pictures; younger than the priest on the mountain, still with baby fat in his cheeks, and there are bags under his eyes. ] ...Kara?

[ such a familiar way of speaking, the short nickname. ] ...I thought you were going to chase after him.

Don't call me that.

[ it comes out as a growl, familiar to kara and just as irritable as every other time he's said it. he has no idea what or who xie lian is talking about, and he doesn't care enough to ask. so he cuts right to the chase. ]

You're dreaming. Wake up.

[ you could probably break someone's brain by pointing out to them that they're dreaming like this you know???? have some sensitivity

the xie lian of the dream gives him a confused look, for a moment, and then turns his gaze away, towards the sheet covered bodies across the room. ] ...Wouldn't this be something more of a nightmare?

[ haha. yeah, actually. ] It would certainly be easier if it was. [ he sighs. ] Am I dead too?

[ bold of you to assume that this kara cares about breaking xie lian's brain. he ignores the first part, scowling at the semantics. ]

I wouldn't be here if you were dead.

[ he might have preferred that, unfortunately. he has better things to do than babysit xie lian in his nonsensical dreams. ]

So wake up already.

[ rip. poor guy.

xie lian's quiet, arms folded across his knees. ] ...I don't suppose you would be, no. [ kara wouldn't come protect him.... isn't that what he wanted? to stop being babied, to be able to do things on his own? ]

Can I ask you something? [ a beat. the dream xie lian won't wait for a reply or consent.... coincidentally, neither would the regular one, but that's neither here nor there. ]

Is it worse to help and cause someone to suffer unintentionally, or to step away, knowing perhaps you could have done something, and watch them suffer for afar?

[ after a roll of his eyes, kara crosses his arms over his chest. this priest... he's always like this. never waiting for an answer, always just going ahead with whatever he wants. how annoying.

he does, however, answer immediately, and honestly. ]

Not even trying to help someone when you have the power to do so will always be worse.

[ xie lian watches kara as he answers, brows knit together, a flicker of light in his dark eyes, before he nods. ]

...I think so too. [ that's for sure. it rings in his chest, a familiar sense of warmth, and he looks away again, back to the newspapers spread out in front of him. ] I want to help as many people as I can. I...

[ ...mn. ] ...It should have been me. I wish it was.

I'm not here to feed your guilt complex.

[ any kara would say the same, though perhaps this xie lian's kara would find a slightly gentler way of saying so. ]

If you're alive, then make yourself useful. There's no use in wasting time wishing things went differently when you can focus on something you can actually change.

[ in the end, kara came across the right thing to say. we're proud of him.

xie lian huffs, a wry, sort of laugh, mouth curling up a bit. ] ...I know that. I wanted -- I wanted to be able to make the mistakes on my own, instead of having them made for me. Everyone was trying so hard to protect me, and no one bothered to ask me if I wanted to be protected at all. I want to -- I'm going to make as much of this right as I can.

[ there's a sense of determination, there, as xie lian stands up, rather abruptly, looking up at this dragon who he only sees as his right hand. standing like this, the daozhang presents that same spark of fierce leadership that was in that portrait; there's something bright in his eyes, an untamed fire that's been lit, again. ] Kara. [ he says, tipping his head up -

and then, he bows. the gesture is exceedingly polite, formal, his hands clasped at his sides. ] I'm sorry for being so troublesome to you, all these years. I know guarding me has never been easy, and I don't think this will make it any easier, either. Nonetheless, it's been an honor, to have you as my right hand.

[ xie lian straightens, again, and offers him a small smile. ] If you would want to leave, I would understand. But if you'll stay, let's... let's make things right, for our family. For this whole town.

[ a bow...? an apology? ookurikara's brow furrows, betraying his confusion at both the gesture and the unfamiliar xie lian before him. what is he supposed to say to something like this?

after a moment of hesitation, he decides on: ]

I'm not the Ookurikara you should be saying this to. I don't know who or where he is, but I'm not your right hand, and I never will be.

[ and he'll leave it at that, to turn to try the door again. FREE HIM. ]

fractura » inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject