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pc catchall | superhell | childe again... no problem
im too sleepy for a shitpost
[ this memory is so fucking cute im mad. i love you childe noogies him to death
anyway. well! this is a lot. the technology of the - mr. cyclops, is that what the little kid called them? that's fascinating, but watching childe dart around the battlefield like that is, too, and then - well. it resonates with lu bixing, too, even as the memory itself fades out. they're left sitting in a hole sort of in the dark, but it's fine.
he sounds soft, when he speaks up. affectionate. ]
... Your family is very lucky to have you, Childe. Were you alright, after that? Was your brother angry that you left?
anyway. well! this is a lot. the technology of the - mr. cyclops, is that what the little kid called them? that's fascinating, but watching childe dart around the battlefield like that is, too, and then - well. it resonates with lu bixing, too, even as the memory itself fades out. they're left sitting in a hole sort of in the dark, but it's fine.
he sounds soft, when he speaks up. affectionate. ]
... Your family is very lucky to have you, Childe. Were you alright, after that? Was your brother angry that you left?
I'm not sure. [It's an uncomfortable thing to admit--he seems a little annoyed about it, actually. Not having all the cards.] It would fit with the last thing I remember from before I woke up here. But it's never seemed to fit quite right, in my opinion. There are too many things that don't make sense.
[CHILDE IS JUST A GUY*
(*who also happens to be part-Abyssal creature and villain and also goes way too fucking far for small children.)
Childe looks--a little embarrassed though? It's hard to say why, but he glances away as the memory ends, rubbing the back of his head with a touch of awkwardness.]
Ah--yes, I'm fine now, don't worry. [Well. Fine for being dead anyway.] I doubt he was mad--disappointed, probably. I don't know for sure, though. I didn't send him off myself.
(*who also happens to be part-Abyssal creature and villain and also goes way too fucking far for small children.)
Childe looks--a little embarrassed though? It's hard to say why, but he glances away as the memory ends, rubbing the back of his head with a touch of awkwardness.]
Ah--yes, I'm fine now, don't worry. [Well. Fine for being dead anyway.] I doubt he was mad--disappointed, probably. I don't know for sure, though. I didn't send him off myself.
[ lu bixing would wink but he can't - he gives him a cheeky little grin instead, and right as he's about to reply, the screen flickers.
childe's turn for a memory! ]
childe's turn for a memory! ]
[ at the edge of your beloved eighth galaxy, you wonder if perhaps you're going insane.
two fleets have descended upon the eighth galaxy, two massively powered, heavily armored fleets of mechs ready to destroy your beloved homeland for its insurrection. it's been seventeen years since the rebellion - seventeen years since your entire world was turned upside down, and you have worked far too hard to fix the broken pieces of the galaxy into a unified whole for this to happen.
to your left is the fleet of the Interstellar Union System - the government you once belonged to. led by chief woolf, archtect of so many of your despairs, of your system's suffering, who calmly informs you that you must return to the union or face consequences. you would politely love to tell him to kiss your ass.
to the right, the fleet of the freedom corps. led by lin jingshu, lin jingheng's sister, hellbent on destroying the IUS and taking over the galaxy. hellbent on destroying everything. they launched a missile at one of your planets, earlier, and while the missile defenses held up, it could have been catastrophic.
they're holding that entire planet hostage, at the moment - planet serbia, just on the outskirts of the heart of the rose, the wormhole that connects you directly to the first galaxy, and a tiny civilian ship of refugees. that's just fine - you were aware of this, and you were aware of the fact that the central IUS troops are here to fight, too. in fact, you open the door and let them, moving your wormhole troops to manipulate the very space and time fabric to give them same passage through the dangerous heart of the rose. they may just destroy each other. you're going to give them the stage to do it.
you sit back in your chair, and then, your entire life changes, because a battered fleet of mechs appears, before the two forces can even think about trying to destroy each other, and cuts through them both like butter and creates a route for the civilian ship to zip to safety, out of the middle of a chaotic, three way battlefield. you're stunned, in the moment, staring, watching, because you don't recognize any of the mechs that are there, but a voice cuts ito the opening of your communication channel that you created to talk to lin jingshu and chief woolf, and you realize in stunning shock that the voice belongs to a ghost.
a voice you've only heard in your dreams, for the past seventeen years.
“Long time no see, everyone." says the long dead commander of the Silver Ten, Lin Jingheng. "It’s been sixteen years, but it seems like none of you have grown up even a bit.”
--
that was about ten minutes ago, and it's turned into chaos. you've lost track of all conversation as your scramble desperately for zhanlu, because you think your heart is going to explode if you have to process this and this isn't the time. you think, i've finally lost my mind. you stare at the projection, of the man with his hair just slightly grown out, skinnier than you've ever seen him but with his eyes the same fearsome gray you fell in love with twenty years ago, and you get a relaxant. the strongest one you can. the drug seeps into your system, and you take it for clarity in the insanity of this moment. chief woolf begins to argue, that the silver ten belongs to the ius. You have no right to fight against us, Lin Jingheng. Turn your weapons on the Freedom Corps and rejoin us, and we won't have you executed."
lin jingheng scoffs and starts to sail through the battlefield, not intending to help either side, why would he? he's coming back. he's coming back to the eighth. he's alive. you let the relaxant flush the nuclear explosion in your heart.
calmly. too calmly. you stand up.
you signal your fleets to move through the wormhole, and you break into the communications channel, with your voice as calm as the ocean. ]
The Silver Ninth Squadron isn’t absent today, Commander. [ the silver ninth, of course, is elizabeth turan - she's piloting your fleet. you lock your eyes onto lin jingheng's as your image appears in the communication feed, and your fleet melts out of the wormhole completely undetected. ] The Silver Ten belongs to the Union? Sorry, but I also have an objection.
[ lin jingheng looks utterly stunned. you give him a calm, gentle smile. ] Welcome back, my commander.
[ and then turn your attention like the point of a knife to chief woolf and lin jingshu. ]
My apologies, I haven’t introduced myself yet. [ courteous. diplomatic. genial. ] I am the Executive Prime Minister of the Eighth Galaxy, Lu Bixing. Our galaxy’s Galactic Expedition Team was initially exploring a newfound territory in space when we suddenly discovered the existence of an active wormhole area. We naturally passed through it and didn’t expect to arrive in the First Galaxy; we had no intention of interrupting everyone’s meeting here today. However, because our men happened to pass by and were blocked by our fellow galactic fleets here, we had to make our appearance out of courtesy to retrieve them.
[ the second in command of the IUS fleet flaps his mouth before he introduces himself in return, and you tilt your head as you explain the situation. oh, yes. we cut ourselves off from the IUS because we no longer need you. in our isolation, we created our own government. the man stammers that you can't do that, and you smile as you remind him of a lesson as you'd school a child. ]
I'm sorry, General. The meaning of an ‘Independent Government’ is that we have full sovereignty as a governing body in a fully-recognized territory. We hold equal governing rights as the Interstellar Union and are not an autonomous region within the Union. We do not recognize the legal and governing system of the Interstellar Union, nor do we need the recognition of the Union.”
[ silence. you have ten minutes until this drug wears off. the strength you've honed over the past ten years means that you are so strong that the place where you hold onto the metal of your desk is beginning to crumple under the sheer strength of your grip. (after all, you've experimented on yourself once, ten times, a thousand times, worked your opiate biochip to perfection.)
you decide to drop the metaphorical bomb. ]
Our poor rural lands in the Eighth have a population made up of vaccuocerebrals -- nobody’s even seen what Eden looks like in their lives, including myself. We’ve never been through higher education like everyone else here and were isolated from civilization for hundreds of years; these are facts that still remain relevant today. And for the Eighth Galaxy to obtain equal rights was the greatest wish of that Commander when he was alive. For me, this was the will of my father. Commander Lu Xin.
[ and just like that, you inform chief woolf with a smile on your face that not only is your revolution complete, but it comes with the legitimacy of the very commander the union betrayed years ago. you are the son of your father, commander lu xin, as you have just learned, and you are carrying on his dream, and you will not ever return to a state where anyone can take advantage of you, ever again.
you continue to speak, as calm as can be. ]
In that regard, the Silver Ten belongs to me. If you'll excuse us, I'll be taking my men, the Silver Ten, and my Commander back to the Eighth Galaxy. The wormhole is quite unstable, and we can't stay for long.
[ your fleet hums as they connect to the mechs of the silver ten, including lin's. he hasn't stopped staring at you. the drug is about to wear off, but you've almost finished, the little feral child who swept in and defied the union like it was a casual conversation.
you flick your hands over your keyboard, absently. ]
Oh right. [ as if you forgot, you add, lightly: ] Here’s a parting gift for you all.
[ and then, you hit a button.
a missile launches from your mech - it exceeds the range of an IUS missile because your engineers are the best in the world, and with no fanfare or warning, it slams directly into a freedom corps ship. there's no time for them to react, or defend themselves. not a single missile warning. the ship explodes into a fireball, sending a ricochet of chaos through the entire battlefield as it scatters the ships around it.
you speak one last time into the communication channel, once again, like you're delivering a basic lesson to a stupid child. ]
According to my observations, this particular pilot had bad aim and seemed to have misfired toward my men earlier. We may be poor, but we don’t like to also owe others, so here’s a missile in return. See you all next time.
[ Click.
and with that, you, a feral little child in the eyes of the union, turn your fleet and proudly sail away with the entire world's jaws hanging wide open at your back. ]
[Even just watching on a screen, it's still a little disorienting to see someone's life playing out, but this doesn't look overly personal or embarrassing, so he watches with curiosity. It's pleasant, really--even from just the screen, he can pick up on the triumph, not to mention the shocked delight of reuniting with a loved one.
He can't help a laugh, at that parting shot--he looks amused even as the video ends.]
I bet they didn't like that, did they?
He can't help a laugh, at that parting shot--he looks amused even as the video ends.]
I bet they didn't like that, did they?
[ it's a rare show of strength from someone who has been - well, mostly just a giant nerd, here. a flex of the prime minister instead of the kind teacher.
as the memory fade away, lu bixing glances down at his own hands and exhales. it's a little shaky, and childe's comment gets him to laugh, once, soft. ]
I don't know, to be honest. I'm sure they didn't. It's a bit anticlimactic that I died almost right after.
...But I was so tired of being taken advantage of. The Eighth deserves so much better than the Union. It served them right, as a parting shot.
as the memory fade away, lu bixing glances down at his own hands and exhales. it's a little shaky, and childe's comment gets him to laugh, once, soft. ]
I don't know, to be honest. I'm sure they didn't. It's a bit anticlimactic that I died almost right after.
...But I was so tired of being taken advantage of. The Eighth deserves so much better than the Union. It served them right, as a parting shot.
[ happy saturday! haha! not.
lu bixing's in the planetarium, today, after that. thankfully, it's empty besides him? which is good, because there's a very faintly smoky smell coming from near one of the star displays, and the faint light of a burning cigarette in the dark, mixed in with the pinpricks of stars.
well, maybe not a cigarette? that's definitely a weed smell. it's fine. god. what a day. ]
lu bixing's in the planetarium, today, after that. thankfully, it's empty besides him? which is good, because there's a very faintly smoky smell coming from near one of the star displays, and the faint light of a burning cigarette in the dark, mixed in with the pinpricks of stars.
well, maybe not a cigarette? that's definitely a weed smell. it's fine. god. what a day. ]
[Ahh. He nods in--well, not full understanding, but. He can get the general idea.
He's quiet for a minute, looking like he's debating whether or not to speak--but eventually he does.]
You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... did you two come here together?
[He's asking if LJH and LBX died together, but he's trying to be polite about it because he knows it's an invasive question.]
He's quiet for a minute, looking like he's debating whether or not to speak--but eventually he does.]
You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... did you two come here together?
[He's asking if LJH and LBX died together, but he's trying to be polite about it because he knows it's an invasive question.]
[He's matching his smoker boyfriend...
Hilariously I don't think Childe has done a weed but the smell is distinctive enough that he can recognize it by now; he doesn't seem to mind, though, wandering over. He doesn't spend much time in here, so he glances over the displays as he goes.]
Stressed, I take it? [This isn't a serious question, and he takes a seat next to LBX.]
Hilariously I don't think Childe has done a weed but the smell is distinctive enough that he can recognize it by now; he doesn't seem to mind, though, wandering over. He doesn't spend much time in here, so he glances over the displays as he goes.]
Stressed, I take it? [This isn't a serious question, and he takes a seat next to LBX.]
[ oh. he seems a little embarrassed that he's been caught, actually? caught Misbehaving. he looks at it for a moment and then pulls his hand down, giving childe a sheepish half smile and going to put it out. ]
Well, I did have to watch you go fight Scaramouche in your underwear. [ teasing. ] That seemed like a good a reason as any.
[ smh ] What brings you out here?
Well, I did have to watch you go fight Scaramouche in your underwear. [ teasing. ] That seemed like a good a reason as any.
[ smh ] What brings you out here?
[Ah--Childe waves a hand.]
Don't stop on my account, I won't tell.
[You can get high if you want teacher man... he ain't no snitch. But that does make him laugh]
Hey, a lot of people would kill to see that! [Oh?] It's not every day you get to watch two Harbingers dueling--well, not usually. [oh
As for the question, he just shrugs; still relatively casual, though a little less lighthearted.]
Just a little restless, I suppose. It was a long day.
Don't stop on my account, I won't tell.
[You can get high if you want teacher man... he ain't no snitch. But that does make him laugh]
Hey, a lot of people would kill to see that! [Oh?] It's not every day you get to watch two Harbingers dueling--well, not usually. [oh
As for the question, he just shrugs; still relatively casual, though a little less lighthearted.]
Just a little restless, I suppose. It was a long day.
Was that a duel or a catfight...?
[ definitely teasing, there - playful. he doesn't make any comment about hiding it or not hiding it, though, so, i guess that's already decided? it's fine. anyway he's fond of both of the harbingers at this point so obviously it wasn't that bothersome.
... the mood does fade after that, though, and he nods in agreement, shifting to look up at the planetarium stars overhead. ]
It was. It feels like each one of these is a little longer, doesn't it? And the circumstances around them have been - well. These past two especially have been worse.
[ definitely teasing, there - playful. he doesn't make any comment about hiding it or not hiding it, though, so, i guess that's already decided? it's fine. anyway he's fond of both of the harbingers at this point so obviously it wasn't that bothersome.
... the mood does fade after that, though, and he nods in agreement, shifting to look up at the planetarium stars overhead. ]
It was. It feels like each one of these is a little longer, doesn't it? And the circumstances around them have been - well. These past two especially have been worse.
Hey!
[WOW RUDE THEY'RE JUST NERFED!!! But no he seems a little amused too... he knows everyone is used to their shenanigans by now.]
That's because the ones before them had some semblance of logic. [Dryly.] When it's an accident, it makes it obvious that we're all just being used as entertainment.
[WOW RUDE THEY'RE JUST NERFED!!! But no he seems a little amused too... he knows everyone is used to their shenanigans by now.]
That's because the ones before them had some semblance of logic. [Dryly.] When it's an accident, it makes it obvious that we're all just being used as entertainment.
[ he makes a fingergun at him, grinning a little like a naughty cat at the first part, and then looking very, very innocent after as if he's done nothing wrong. he'd wink but alas he only has one eye.
it gets a little more serious after that, though, and he sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face. ]
It does, doesn't it? It's a little frustrating, that we're told it doesn't have to be this way, with our Thursdays, and yet, people wake up anyway.
it gets a little more serious after that, though, and he sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face. ]
It does, doesn't it? It's a little frustrating, that we're told it doesn't have to be this way, with our Thursdays, and yet, people wake up anyway.
[ i love how i didn't get a notif for this
but. he gives childe a little smile - grateful, maybe, that he even gave him the polite option. lu bixing's not afraid of it, though, so. he doesn't seem to mind. ]
We did. At least... I think so. It's a little hard to tell. We were in the Heart of the Rose, together, and that's the last thing that I remember. Wormhole travel is dangerous - it could kill anyone, at any time, and we'd only barely gotten any sort of a handle on it, back home.
but. he gives childe a little smile - grateful, maybe, that he even gave him the polite option. lu bixing's not afraid of it, though, so. he doesn't seem to mind. ]
We did. At least... I think so. It's a little hard to tell. We were in the Heart of the Rose, together, and that's the last thing that I remember. Wormhole travel is dangerous - it could kill anyone, at any time, and we'd only barely gotten any sort of a handle on it, back home.
[Denise we pay you so much and for what
And yeah he can be a good boy sometimes, when he feels like it. He nods, taking that in.]
I suppose there's always risks you can't prepare for. [...] Say--do you know if his memories match yours? There aren't any discrepancies?
And yeah he can be a good boy sometimes, when he feels like it. He nods, taking that in.]
I suppose there's always risks you can't prepare for. [...] Say--do you know if his memories match yours? There aren't any discrepancies?
I guess it's too much to ask for people to sit down and stay put.
[Yes because this is a murdergame
He's not serious, though--he sighs.]
I can't blame them, though. It's safer to assume someone's intentionally out for blood and try to get to safety, or prepare to fight. [They're not a terribly bloodthirsty group, as far as he can tell, but not everyone's going to get "lucky" enough to trip into an accidental murder.]
[Yes because this is a murdergame
He's not serious, though--he sighs.]
I can't blame them, though. It's safer to assume someone's intentionally out for blood and try to get to safety, or prepare to fight. [They're not a terribly bloodthirsty group, as far as he can tell, but not everyone's going to get "lucky" enough to trip into an accidental murder.]
[ ...
actually, as he says that, he tilts his head back to look at childe properly. ]
... Do you think you could teach me? [ he says, thoughtfully. this has come up once before, really, but lu bixing has been thinking about it since. ] More skills, just in case.
[ in terms of fighting. ]
I'm a lot stronger than people think I am, and I can fire a gun without any trouble, but as it stands, I have no gun, and the people here have abilities with weapons that are beyond what anyone from my home could even imagine.
[ the lu bixing sitting beside childe at this moment is different than the one that so often seems to be around. this isn't the cheerful, goofy headmaster, the friendly, bright young man who has never met a stranger. no - this is the person childe might've seen in his memories. the shrewd prime minister. the clever man who stole the silver ten and fired a missile without blinking an eye. ]
If a situation occurs where I'm going to be attacked, I would like to have the element of surprise on my side. [ ... ] I have no intention of dying here, whether we're really dead or not.
If you want me to teach something in exchange, I can find something. Or if there's something I can do for you, it can be done.
actually, as he says that, he tilts his head back to look at childe properly. ]
... Do you think you could teach me? [ he says, thoughtfully. this has come up once before, really, but lu bixing has been thinking about it since. ] More skills, just in case.
[ in terms of fighting. ]
I'm a lot stronger than people think I am, and I can fire a gun without any trouble, but as it stands, I have no gun, and the people here have abilities with weapons that are beyond what anyone from my home could even imagine.
[ the lu bixing sitting beside childe at this moment is different than the one that so often seems to be around. this isn't the cheerful, goofy headmaster, the friendly, bright young man who has never met a stranger. no - this is the person childe might've seen in his memories. the shrewd prime minister. the clever man who stole the silver ten and fired a missile without blinking an eye. ]
If a situation occurs where I'm going to be attacked, I would like to have the element of surprise on my side. [ ... ] I have no intention of dying here, whether we're really dead or not.
If you want me to teach something in exchange, I can find something. Or if there's something I can do for you, it can be done.
[Ah--the shift doesn't go unnoticed, and, perhaps unconsciously, Childe shifts to match him. He, too, has been mostly laid back--even with all his talk of battle and the scuffles he gets into, it's obvious from his injuries that he doesn't go nearly as hard as he could.
But he is still the man who destroyed those Ruin Guards in ten seconds, well aware that it would nearly kill him to do it. He is still very much the Tsaritsa's vanguard, the proud 11th Harbinger. That's been more-or-less kept under wraps until now, but only because he's had no reason to do otherwise.
He tilts his head slightly--not considering, but calculating.
This could backfire, of course; it would be in his best interests to refuse, just in case Lu Bixing decides, for some reason, that he's willing to make a move. He could very easily be lying. But Childe doesn't think so--doesn't think Lu Bixing would claim to doubt that they're dead at all, then act in a way completely opposite to that.
...And honestly--if it does backfire, he won't even mind that much. He would absolutely prefer a genuine attack over a stupid accident.]
Sure, alright. [He taps his fingers thoughtfully.] Do you have any weapons at all?
[Please tell him you stole weapons Lu Bixing he'll be so disappointed if you didn't]
But he is still the man who destroyed those Ruin Guards in ten seconds, well aware that it would nearly kill him to do it. He is still very much the Tsaritsa's vanguard, the proud 11th Harbinger. That's been more-or-less kept under wraps until now, but only because he's had no reason to do otherwise.
He tilts his head slightly--not considering, but calculating.
This could backfire, of course; it would be in his best interests to refuse, just in case Lu Bixing decides, for some reason, that he's willing to make a move. He could very easily be lying. But Childe doesn't think so--doesn't think Lu Bixing would claim to doubt that they're dead at all, then act in a way completely opposite to that.
...And honestly--if it does backfire, he won't even mind that much. He would absolutely prefer a genuine attack over a stupid accident.]
Sure, alright. [He taps his fingers thoughtfully.] Do you have any weapons at all?
[Please tell him you stole weapons Lu Bixing he'll be so disappointed if you didn't]
[ good. the serious tension shift means he's taking it seriously, and, honestly? lu bixing's thinking much of the same. he's too smart to reveal his cards in a way that he feels like would end up poorly for him. he's not the type of person to launch an all out attack on anyone, and has no interest in participating in this farce, but he has even less interest in dying, and anyone who thinks he'd go quietly into the night has another thing coming. self sacrificial, he is not.
he purses his lips for a moment. ] A harpoon gun.
[ imagine i was like "no nothing" ] The pushback on it isn't that hard to use. [ and then, with a huff of a laugh: ] Very Eighth.
[ improvised weapons are kind of their MO. ]
he purses his lips for a moment. ] A harpoon gun.
[ imagine i was like "no nothing" ] The pushback on it isn't that hard to use. [ and then, with a huff of a laugh: ] Very Eighth.
[ improvised weapons are kind of their MO. ]
[HE'D BE EXHAUSTED. In fact he does raise an eyebrow because he's thinking "that better mean 'I have my very own harpoon gun' and not 'I can borrow ljh's' in a pinch" but he will grace LBX with the benefit of the doubt.]
They're efficient, especially for keeping your distance. [Anything's a weapon if you try hard enough] You'll have to make sure to bring it with you overnight, though--well, that, or whatever you decide to keep on hand. There's no guarantee you'll make it all the way back to grab it before someone catches up to you.
[This is why he stayed in the food court that one week and the only reason he doesn't stay in his room-turned-armory every Thursday is because they've asked him to come with them to the bars... BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS IN A ROW OF CURSED LUCK MAYBE HE'LL GO BACK TO SLEEPING NEXT TO THE KNIVES]
I grabbed a sword, after that boat race. We can train with that, and you can have it once you're comfortable with it. I don't need it now that I have my blades, even if they're not exactly the same as I'm used to. [He misses his Vision... but he'll make do.] You could probably fashion something out of bones or glass if you wanted, too--it would be more lightweight, easier to hide and carry around.
They're efficient, especially for keeping your distance. [Anything's a weapon if you try hard enough] You'll have to make sure to bring it with you overnight, though--well, that, or whatever you decide to keep on hand. There's no guarantee you'll make it all the way back to grab it before someone catches up to you.
[This is why he stayed in the food court that one week and the only reason he doesn't stay in his room-turned-armory every Thursday is because they've asked him to come with them to the bars... BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS IN A ROW OF CURSED LUCK MAYBE HE'LL GO BACK TO SLEEPING NEXT TO THE KNIVES]
I grabbed a sword, after that boat race. We can train with that, and you can have it once you're comfortable with it. I don't need it now that I have my blades, even if they're not exactly the same as I'm used to. [He misses his Vision... but he'll make do.] You could probably fashion something out of bones or glass if you wanted, too--it would be more lightweight, easier to hide and carry around.
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