In this memory, you are a blade. You possess no hands to touch, no mouth to speak, no heart or knowledge of emotion. You are forged steel, beautiful for the crescent moon marks upon your metal, and already you are hundreds of years old.
You sit in a room among other countless treasures. In this era, you belong to Ashikaga Yoshiteru, who holds an impressive collection. All but one of the Five Greatest Swords Under Heaven are in this room with you - blades of renown if only for the meaning that humans have ascribed to you. But this room is cold, and you are never held. You are viewed, admired, and never touched.
‘How beautiful,’ guests say - always right before they leave.
Days pass. Months pass. Until one day, there is a disruption to your existence - cries of battle and the sound of clashing blades from outside. There has been an attack upon the castle, upon the shogun himself.
Ashikaga Yoshiteru, already bloody and weary, arrives in the room full of his beloved swords. He is attacked on multiple sides, but he puts up a great fight. He picks up sword after sword, once only decorative pieces but now answering what they were forged for. They break in the fight, their steel cracking and splintering. But it is fine - for there is always another sword, and another.
Until at least Yoshiteru reaches for you.
Your sheath slides off and your steel is bared. Light catches upon your crescents, and you see the way in which your shogun - your master, your lord - falters for just a moment. You are his treasure. You are his most beautiful blade. Will he stain you with blood? Will he break you too?
He falls to his knees, his own body breaking before he has a chance to shatter yours.
When he dies, you are in his hand. You feel the warmth of his palm fade.
You do not know emotion clearly - but you feel. You wanted to protect him. You wanted to be used. You wanted to find your purpose in the hand of another. You did not wish to wait anymore. You wish, and you want. You are never answered. ]
[ hua cheng is so tired of memshare week, and this is only monday. they could avoid the glass shards that caused memories to be shared in otamo, so the fact that these can't be avoided? is a little disorienting, so early in the week.
at least it's not his memory, first. but it is an interesting one, in many ways, especially considering the perspective and the moment that it is. you can't do anything but watch, and -
and he's been there, before. and it was a terrible experience. one of the worst that he had ever experienced. ]
... to watch, unable to do anything, is the worst suffering in the world.
[well sometime after all of that, mikazuki will be in the garden, gathering flowers. he is pausing at a cluster of calla lilies, as though trying to decide which to pluck
when he hears hua cheng approach, he will nod in acknowledgement]
[ tanhua trots ahead of hua cheng and right into the flowers, disappearing like he's on a mission. hua cheng is still slower going, moving stiffly, but he seems to be appeased that he's found mikazuki here. ]
This saves me the trouble of having to find you. [ OMINOUS? no. ] Kaeya left me a letter asking to help you with the flowers.
Ah.... how considerate. [though he tilts his head] But you need not push yourself, if you are still in recovery.
[regardless, he will make an open-handed gesture toward the calla lilies]
Though if you are able, I would appreciate if you would pick an assortment that is most pleasing to your eye. I believe it more meaningful, if it comes from your hand.
[jiji knows they're kaeya's favorite flower, but his npc should be the one to give them if he's around]
Better to have something to do that does not exert much energy.
[ a glance to the calla lilies, and there's a flicker of recognition before he hums his agreement and understanding. it's easy enough to ease down, favoring his right side as he cups one of the flowers in one hand to assess it. ]
The book claims that I'm proficient at flower arrangement, so I don't mind doing this, anyways. [ it's not wrong. he moves to another flower, carefully plucking it with a long stem to trim down. ] You've been leaving them so far?
En. [ it is both, he agrees. after all - he's a ghost. he knows both rather well, even if he did not get either, himself. he's quiet for a moment as he makes his selection, apparently picky.
but he does offer, along with the selection: ] I've left portraits with Orion to place up with every grave that's added, so I understand.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
week 2, monday
when he sees hua cheng he offers a smile]
Good day.
week 3, monday
[a greeting aND THEN STARDUST memshare time
In this memory, you are a blade. You possess no hands to touch, no mouth to speak, no heart or knowledge of emotion. You are forged steel, beautiful for the crescent moon marks upon your metal, and already you are hundreds of years old.
You sit in a room among other countless treasures. In this era, you belong to Ashikaga Yoshiteru, who holds an impressive collection. All but one of the Five Greatest Swords Under Heaven are in this room with you - blades of renown if only for the meaning that humans have ascribed to you. But this room is cold, and you are never held. You are viewed, admired, and never touched.
‘How beautiful,’ guests say - always right before they leave.
Days pass. Months pass. Until one day, there is a disruption to your existence - cries of battle and the sound of clashing blades from outside. There has been an attack upon the castle, upon the shogun himself.
Ashikaga Yoshiteru, already bloody and weary, arrives in the room full of his beloved swords. He is attacked on multiple sides, but he puts up a great fight. He picks up sword after sword, once only decorative pieces but now answering what they were forged for. They break in the fight, their steel cracking and splintering. But it is fine - for there is always another sword, and another.
Until at least Yoshiteru reaches for you.
Your sheath slides off and your steel is bared. Light catches upon your crescents, and you see the way in which your shogun - your master, your lord - falters for just a moment. You are his treasure. You are his most beautiful blade. Will he stain you with blood? Will he break you too?
He falls to his knees, his own body breaking before he has a chance to shatter yours.
When he dies, you are in his hand. You feel the warmth of his palm fade.
You do not know emotion clearly - but you feel. You wanted to protect him. You wanted to be used. You wanted to find your purpose in the hand of another. You did not wish to wait anymore. You wish, and you want. You are never answered. ]
no subject
[ hua cheng is so tired of memshare week, and this is only monday. they could avoid the glass shards that caused memories to be shared in otamo, so the fact that these can't be avoided? is a little disorienting, so early in the week.
at least it's not his memory, first. but it is an interesting one, in many ways, especially considering the perspective and the moment that it is. you can't do anything but watch, and -
and he's been there, before. and it was a terrible experience. one of the worst that he had ever experienced. ]
... to watch, unable to do anything, is the worst suffering in the world.
no subject
it's not like he can disagree. after the memory passes, mikazuki's expression remains pensive, as though thinking.]
.... then I am afraid that it sounds as though by that definition, I have suffered for well over a thousand years.
[because that's what it means. to be only a blade.]
week 4, post-execution
when he hears hua cheng approach, he will nod in acknowledgement]
Hello.
no subject
[ tanhua trots ahead of hua cheng and right into the flowers, disappearing like he's on a mission. hua cheng is still slower going, moving stiffly, but he seems to be appeased that he's found mikazuki here. ]
This saves me the trouble of having to find you. [ OMINOUS? no. ] Kaeya left me a letter asking to help you with the flowers.
no subject
[regardless, he will make an open-handed gesture toward the calla lilies]
Though if you are able, I would appreciate if you would pick an assortment that is most pleasing to your eye. I believe it more meaningful, if it comes from your hand.
[jiji knows they're kaeya's favorite flower, but his npc should be the one to give them if he's around]
no subject
[ a glance to the calla lilies, and there's a flicker of recognition before he hums his agreement and understanding. it's easy enough to ease down, favoring his right side as he cups one of the flowers in one hand to assess it. ]
The book claims that I'm proficient at flower arrangement, so I don't mind doing this, anyways. [ it's not wrong. he moves to another flower, carefully plucking it with a long stem to trim down. ] You've been leaving them so far?
no subject
Each week, as the cemetery has made the markers of the departed available to us.
It is simply a matter of ceremony and mourning.
no subject
but he does offer, along with the selection: ] I've left portraits with Orion to place up with every grave that's added, so I understand.