anyway, that darkness makes him sluggish. he stumbles, just slightly, but moze and feixiao don't notice. they keep walking, and he opens his mouth - but nothing comes out. the chain around his foot rattles, and when he tries to take a step forward, he can't go any further. they're leaving.
many weeks ago, he saw a tiny child in danger in the luofu and did not hesitate. in this moment, he doesn't see a a baby, but he sees a friend. taair khalisa nasir, little bird, cannot do many things - but one thing he can do is sing. ]
Hey - [ too quiet, and then - ] General Feixiao!
[ taair takes off, going from a hesitant step forward, to then half of a run as he lunges into the proverbial fray and takes off after her and moze, coming right out of his hiding spot. he cannot let jiaoqiu be trapped like that, he can help - if he can help, dream or not. ] General!
[ he takes off - and jiaoqiu startles, not expecting to see him. he tries to call out, but there's darkness in his throat. vines, crawling up around his vocal chords. he chokes. don't leave him, don't leave him behind, please --
feixiao's ears stand straight up, and she looks over her shoulder at taair, eyebrows raised. she reaches out for him, even as moze slides like smoke to protect her, instinctively. ]
[ thank god. he was worried it wasn't going to catch - he immediately drops a hand to his heart and bows his head like a very good boy in greeting, but the motion is hurried, clearly manners remembered in a moment of distress.
he can use his voice and he can maybe help. ]
I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, I - will you come with me, please? It's urgent. Both of you. Please.
his hands clasp in front of his chest; honesty is the best policy, isn't it? ]
There's someone caught in a trap, and - I don't know how to get him out. But I know, I know that you could, general, that the both of you could. He needs the both of you.
[ genuinely, warmly, he bows his head again, and then turns, immediately leading the way back to jiaoqiu - back a few steps. it wasn't far. he better still be here. ]
[ he's still here! he's just sort of standing, watching as they come back, trying to speak. he can't, but he looks... sort of relieved that she and moze came back.
feixiao glances at him, and at taair, and then: ]
"Oh. Are you sure this is who you meant? This is where he's supposed to be."
[ the dreamscape wavers. cracks in places, as jiaoqiu's mouth shuts abruptly. ]
[ no. absolutely not - his hands curl into tiny little fists, and unwittingly, he puts himself a little in front of jiaoqiu, as if this would do anything protective, but it is sheer instinct. ]
You would describe your dear companion as a thing, and not a person? [ not much 'use', she said. he's catching on by now to this concept of a dream, and so likely, it's probably jiaoqiu's subconscious being a jerk to him, but he can't help but puff up a little anyway. ] Do you not trust him?
I never said he was a thing - now listen here. [ she says, frowning. ] He's safer here. I can't risk him, and I can't risk myself. If I have to keep an eye on him for the whole battle, I won't be able to look after myself.
[ well!!! GOOD!!!! he frowns too, a puffed up little bird. ]
You want to keep an eye on him because you care for him, I understand. [ he says, at first, because taair is empathetic, to a fault, and he's not about invalidate every part of jiaoqiu's dream version of his general even though he desperately needs his brain invalidated. ]
But - I can speak from experience that one of the most valuable skills he could ever have is his tenacity. In that, he has healed so many of our cadre and most of us never even knew he was blinded. His skills are not his only value by any means, but it has impressed me time and time again of all of the things that he can do in any condition.
[ ... ]
General... you did not answer my question, either. Do you trust him?
this is a dream, in the end. it's from jiaoqiu's mind. and as much as he'd like to give an answer for this... he can't. he doesn't know what she'd say, not for sure. he knows what's likely, he knows what he'd want, but that isn't always the truth.
which is why before feixiao can answer, he wakes up with a start, not too far away. ]
[ ah - just like that, he's back to where he was, still half reaching back as if to put his hand on jiaoqiu's wrist.
but then... he blinks. once. twice. looks around.
and then immediately takes off to start looking for the source of said dream, running just like he had after feixiao, his thoughts bubbling over his head in elegant script. Where is he. Jiaoqiu, where are you... ]
[ his ears stand up - he looks around, trying to... trying to see. and when he hears taair's voice, there's a scribble of thoughts above his head before he pulls himself up to sit properly. ]
Taair?
[ it's - he's fine. it's fine. he's only a little disoriented. ]
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historicals) wrote2025-02-08 03:32 pm
no subject
anyway, that darkness makes him sluggish. he stumbles, just slightly, but moze and feixiao don't notice. they keep walking, and he opens his mouth - but nothing comes out. the chain around his foot rattles, and when he tries to take a step forward, he can't go any further. they're leaving.
they don't notice. stop - come back. please? ]
no subject
there's a moment- a breath, one, two, and.
many weeks ago, he saw a tiny child in danger in the luofu and did not hesitate. in this moment, he doesn't see a a baby, but he sees a friend. taair khalisa nasir, little bird, cannot do many things - but one thing he can do is sing. ]
Hey - [ too quiet, and then - ] General Feixiao!
[ taair takes off, going from a hesitant step forward, to then half of a run as he lunges into the proverbial fray and takes off after her and moze, coming right out of his hiding spot. he cannot let jiaoqiu be trapped like that, he can help - if he can help, dream or not. ] General!
no subject
feixiao's ears stand straight up, and she looks over her shoulder at taair, eyebrows raised. she reaches out for him, even as moze slides like smoke to protect her, instinctively. ]
"Whoa there. Steady. What's the problem?"
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he can use his voice and he can maybe help. ]
I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, I - will you come with me, please? It's urgent. Both of you. Please.
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"Don't apologize, I'm here for you. Tell me what it is first - I don't want you to be in danger."
[ moze stays silent, watching him distrustfully. ]
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his hands clasp in front of his chest; honesty is the best policy, isn't it? ]
There's someone caught in a trap, and - I don't know how to get him out. But I know, I know that you could, general, that the both of you could. He needs the both of you.
[ softer: ] Please.
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"Yes, alright. Then, lead me to him. But don't get into trouble, okay? Let me handle it."
[ she makes moze stand down, and follows wherever taair will take her. ]
no subject
[ genuinely, warmly, he bows his head again, and then turns, immediately leading the way back to jiaoqiu - back a few steps. it wasn't far. he better still be here. ]
Jiaoqiu. Jiaoqiu?
no subject
feixiao glances at him, and at taair, and then: ]
"Oh. Are you sure this is who you meant? This is where he's supposed to be."
[ the dreamscape wavers. cracks in places, as jiaoqiu's mouth shuts abruptly. ]
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What?
no subject
Well, he can’t come with us, can he? We don’t have much use for a blind healer. I need him to stay behind.
[ the darkness rises up jiaoqiu’s foot, slides up and up and up, threatening to devour him. there’s another cracking sound. ]
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You would describe your dear companion as a thing, and not a person? [ not much 'use', she said. he's catching on by now to this concept of a dream, and so likely, it's probably jiaoqiu's subconscious being a jerk to him, but he can't help but puff up a little anyway. ] Do you not trust him?
no subject
I never said he was a thing - now listen here. [ she says, frowning. ] He's safer here. I can't risk him, and I can't risk myself. If I have to keep an eye on him for the whole battle, I won't be able to look after myself.
[ that's worse. useless. useless, liability. ]
no subject
You want to keep an eye on him because you care for him, I understand. [ he says, at first, because taair is empathetic, to a fault, and he's not about invalidate every part of jiaoqiu's dream version of his general even though he desperately needs his brain invalidated. ]
But - I can speak from experience that one of the most valuable skills he could ever have is his tenacity. In that, he has healed so many of our cadre and most of us never even knew he was blinded. His skills are not his only value by any means, but it has impressed me time and time again of all of the things that he can do in any condition.
[ ... ]
General... you did not answer my question, either. Do you trust him?
no subject
this is a dream, in the end. it's from jiaoqiu's mind. and as much as he'd like to give an answer for this... he can't. he doesn't know what she'd say, not for sure. he knows what's likely, he knows what he'd want, but that isn't always the truth.
which is why before feixiao can answer, he wakes up with a start, not too far away. ]
no subject
but then... he blinks. once. twice. looks around.
and then immediately takes off to start looking for the source of said dream, running just like he had after feixiao, his thoughts bubbling over his head in elegant script. Where is he. Jiaoqiu, where are you... ]
Jiaoqiu...!
no subject
Taair?
[ it's - he's fine. it's fine. he's only a little disoriented. ]