Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 2, 2022 20:20:07 GMT -8
 It was poetic that the call came as the days were getting longer. Spring's providence, heralding growth both literal and metaphorical. Yuan stared at his phone, letting it ring several times to make sure it wasn't a fluke. A detached part of his mind remarked that he was feeling nervous. After his meeting with Loki and Eurydice, the Playmate had asked himself more than once if he had made the right choice, if he had mistake a trick of the light in the depths for the exit. No one escaped change, that much was true, but it didn't make change any less scary. More so, if was a fifty-fifty chance of changing in the right direction.
Still, it was better to bend and break than to slowly wither away in servitude. Yuan picked up the phone.
Alexandrite's voice was different, indistinguishable from a native speaker. The Beast recognized that voice; he had heard it countless times before, in every customer he's served, in every gangster he'd rubbed shoulders with. A shiver ran down his spine, settling in as a block of ice in the pit of his stomach. The realization of the Noble's potential reach and impersonation skills left him speechless for a few beats. Polite greetings were exchanged, more by rote than any conscious respect. The Knight of Masks was calling to congratulate the up and coming Courtier on his growing Mantle and recent exploits, as well as inform him that they were finally ready to make good on their promise. The recognition only served to feed Yuan's burgeoning paranoia. It took effort to chip away at the ice, to turn the condensed cold into eager butterflies.
They agreed to a meeting, at the same Hollow slash speakeasy slash social club where the Playmate had encountered the Noble for the first time. He felt like a debutante, like Cinderella stepping into her first ball. Gently, peacefully, his mind unravelled to flow around the sounds and colours. The recent roller coaster had left his sanity frayed, vulnerable. For the moment at least, his head wasn't ringing.
Faces and conversations were blurred in impressionist strokes of vibrant Glamour and spells of discretion. It was impossible to fit in and once again, Yuan found himself lonely in a crowd.
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Post by Krakenbox on Feb 7, 2022 23:22:03 GMT -8
The former whispering doubt that flickered on the edges of The Midsummer's Night, planting betrayal with a glimmering hand of starlight only to lead you astray and reveal your faithlessness. Alexandrite had evolved from a painfully devoted do-gooder to a burned out mercenary before grander designs swept them up in fire and purpose. The Spring Knight was in full regalia from whatever formal event they were drifting from. Yuan was starting to realize that the animalistic features of the Mountebank's feet were actually a consistent feature. The cutout of space erupted into her Mantle as they pried several Manilla folders from a locked briefcase, atoms and light were pulled into sprouting minerals that flowered to a crystalline geode of vibrant and dizzying riches. The hypnotic kaleidoscope further tumbled Yuan's mind, splitting one's vision into swimming futures that played out all at once as he tried to focus on the documentation that Alex was briefing him on. The Knight of Masks' reach was...thorough. Though Yuan wasn't present for the Darkling full infiltration of Buck's own motley, the Lost really did consider themselves a better spy than any Mirrorskin—their job wasn't to create someone who didn't exist. There was a brutal excitement that the Beast had yet to be privy to, indicating a deeper obsession or Arcadian quirk as Alexandrite delighted in providing individual lives as a literal menu of commercial opportunity of one less gangster in the world. A power vacuum would be provided, whether Yuan embodied the role of a new angle to the Mask, or needed the Knight to bloody their hands as himself. He didn't need to fulfill it immediately if he needed to build up his resources to maintain a position, and the timing of the Telluric was always guaranteed to be perfect. The voice of revelry echoed from the pits of Desire, taking what was owed for such devotion to Freedom. Other patrons bowed their heads in respect, or raised glasses in a cheerful toast. "With authority by her Grace, the Eternal Maiden of the Antler Crown, I grant this vassal the pearls of labour for them to adorn as they see fit. By the honour of Spring, may my eyes and ears shine on the path of glory, so that flourishing potential can be held to the cosmic weight of dignified purpose."
The star map flared with the fury of neutron stars and the crushing expanse of the void, painting a destiny across the mien of the other with words of Power. Alexandrite spoke in Mandarin. "Rise as the enemy of entropy, Hua Yuan. May your desires hold true and purge the ranks of inequity so that we may all know freedom." |
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 11, 2022 13:00:41 GMT -8
The constellations flashed before him, burning into his retina as the Pledge washed over him. His voice blossomed into an orchestra of wind chimes, unbound by the Meaning it carried.
"- My footfalls shall bring blessed rain to my liege and to those in need. My voice shall break the shackles that seek to bind us. I vow to guard the pure and punish the wicked. May we have the strength to face adversity without compromise."
The words flowed out of him on their own, guided by Desire and aspirations.
"Though my dreams may be impossible, I will strive for them still. Until the bitter end."
The Pledge was finalize, and sealed with Glamour. Yuan barely registered the toasts, starlight still blinding his vision. He tried looking over the files, amazed at the sheer diversity. Confirming that indeed, he needed a little more time to prepare, Yuan asked if he could review the possible choices on his own time. The heady smells, coupled with the Noble's Mantle, were starting to make him dizzy. He assured that he was in no way going back on their agreement, however, and was just feeling under the weather after his recent exploits.
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