renascinem

[renascinem]

"What are you? A cat in a cake...?"

Changsheng tilts her head at it curiously.

"Can you emerge from that... er, shell of yours?"

"Mrrrp."

Unable to answer the question with anything other than a demonstration, Dancake attempts to crawl his way out of the little "house" of his. However, as he does, his body simply seems to... well... stretch? until he loses his grip and it squishes itself back, complete with a funny sound effect.

"... Mrreow."

[renascinem]

“huh? i could've sworn the conductor said that dan heng was still in his room...” wherever he is, though, it seems like he's not around to stop march 7th from crouching to scoop the cat cake into her arms with a beaming smile. “hehe, hey there, little guy! you're soooo cute! are you dan heng's? i didn't know he got a pet... it's funny—you kind of look like him, you know?”

Mrraw?

Mrrow meeow mau

Mrraaau!! MRRRAUUU

MEEEOWW

(WHEN I INSISTED I DON'T LOOK LIKE THIS THING THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT—)

[renascinem]

Mrrp

mrrrp, mrrrp, meoowww

(How the heck am I supposed to work on the data bank like this??)

[renascinem]

The appearance of a partner intent on helping as his guide and companion for this mission was unexpected — but, as Dan Heng quickly realized at the back of his mind, not unwelcome. He had agreed to this sudden request much more quickly and on a whim than he normally would, and it wasn’t until after the fact that he realized it would be a tall order for someone like him, descending into the Chasm for the very first time.

So Yelan’s arrival was, in truth, exceptionally well-timed.

“My name is Dan Heng,” he said, the content of his words truly genuine, as he accepted her hand for a light shake. “Thank you for the help. I agreed to this request… a little impulsively, so I don’t mind the ‘forced’ help at all — I believe I would need it.”

And besides, the company of someone who knew their way around would also prove beneficial to his notes for the data bank, without a doubt.

Here however, he paused as he looked behind him to say good-bye to Cheng Jun, only to find the boy had disappeared. “… Where did he go so quickly?” He knew kids could be fast, but all around them were nothing but sharp cliffs — how did he leave just like that?

He looked at Yelan, the look in his eyes evidently a little puzzled.

“Well… should we just leave him to it and go? You probably know a safe way down?”

The Depths of the World and Everything Wrong With Them || Dan Heng & Yelan

Commission: Chasm trouble || @muscle-blues || Commission Season: Harmony

[renascinem]

“An enemy, staging an ambush?” Dan Heng echoes Zhongli’s words, ever thoughtful as he carefully analyzes their content. “I’ve heard here and there that certain parts of Teyvat’s past are not peaceful ones. I am guessing this may be a remnant of those times.”

A statement, rather than a question, signifying that Zhongli is free to either confirm or deny, or simply leave it as is, should he prefer to leave it as a potential candidate for the “reward” he has offered for completing the challenge he has presented to Dan Heng. It’s almost an amusing notion, he would think to himself, should he give himself the time to do so. Solve my puzzle, and I will reward you with the knowledge you seek. A classic premise for the many stories and fairytales told in the teahouses in Liyue and at the Xianzhou alike.

Usually, Dan Heng is not one for games, and needs to be pulled into them by others, but… something about Zhongli’s demeanor and sincerity compels him to play along. He gets a feeling that he, too, has awoken multiple wonders and questions in the other's mind, and in that sense, can understand the need for... a test, if one will.

“Alright… Very well.” He leaves aside the lingering curiosity as to exactly who the man conceals behind the word we.

The reassurance of both the explanation and Zhongli’s simple presence allows him to approach the maze with a newfound peace of mind, and he turns to the reappearing and disappearing pathways, now more calm, collected and focused as he observes them.

… Indeed, just as his guide had said, beside the path he had previously taken that nearly sent him tumbling into the endless clouds below, another one now appears before his eyes, more radiant and vibrant. He pauses briefly, before understanding dawns upon him — and he walks forward towards the next isle, only once glancing behind him to see if Zhongli will follow.

*Record Scratch* *Freeze Frame* Yep, That's Me || Dan Heng & Zhongli

Chance meeting in adeptus abode || @jadeshielded || Commission Season: Harmony

[renascinem]

Dan Heng nods to Welt’s words, for the sake of his peace of mind treating them subconsciously as a command — trying to focus on the task at hand, instead of his still lingering discomfort with Mr. Yang’s presence in the place that should never be visited by any of his friends and companions, not even in nightmares.

The borisin-shaped machines rise slowly as they bend to Welt’s will, and Dan Heng tries to conceal the amazement in his eyes, masking it beneath his usual cold calmness. A few times, by now, he has seen the scope of Mr. Yang’s power, or at least, some of it — he knows, by now, that there is so much more to the man than meets the eye, and he remains the walking proof that the saying about deceiving appearances is very true and real. There remains a lingering thought at the back of his mind, that there is still much he has yet to bear witness to as far as Welt’s power is concerned. Naturally, this goes both ways, but it does not, in the slightest, reduce the deep respect he has for the man who wields such great power with such harmonious demeanor.

He can only hope that, one day, he can achieve a similar level of peace with the power he has been forced to bear.

“Now, formation,” he commands, his voice sharp, yet calm at the same time, in an attempt to convey the confidence and lack of reasons to fear. “You know what you’re facing. You know you have to strike it multiple times to disable the Moon Rage module. Remember its speed and weak points. Now, go.”

On his command, the mock battle begins. The Cloud Knights’s charge is fearless and coordinated; one draws the mech’s attention, the others land their strikes, before the roles switch around. For all of two minutes, it looks promising.

And then, one guy turns out to be just a bit too slow, and the entire formation falls apart just like that as the seemingly well-trained system suddenly jams.

“Get it together!” Dan Heng shouts as, by sheer instinct, the Cloud-Piercer manifests in his hand, as though his mind has forgotten this battle isn’t real. “You can’t get so distracted the moment one thing goes wrong!”

And they try, in their defense they genuinely try, but one wrong move leads to another nonetheless — and before long, the wolf-shaped robot’s hand, armed in purposely dulled yet still dangerous claws, is about to descend upon one of the Knights who completely lost his balance and fell to the floor.

“Stop!”

Well, that could have gone better, could it?

Chained to My Past, I Fall Down || Dan Heng & Welt

Crystallize Commission: Shackling Prison || @secondsovereign

[renascinem]

… Ah.

So, Boothill was at the Xianzhou Luofu. And where Boothill was, there would usually ensue a Situation. And, indeed, he received a confirmation that a Situation has indeed ensued without even asking for one.

The Galaxy Ranger’s entire demeanor shifted on the spot the instant he saw Dan Heng, as though he turned from one person into another just like that. The Vidyadhara, for his own part, gave little in terms of a reaction to it — firstly, he has already witnessed Boothill’s ability to pull off an instant behavior change depending on who he had to deal with, and secondly, Caelus and March still gave him a solid run for his credits in the art of puzzling Dan Heng with their antics.

Which did, in fact, include going into places they weren’t supposed to go, including off-limits allegedly haunted locales. As bizarre as that sounded.

(It’s only thoughts like that that would make Dan Heng realize just how much nonsense the Express has been getting into since those two showed up.)

Anyway,

“The Fyxestroll Garden is currently struggling with some kind of vandalism case,” Dan Heng explained to his, well, newfound companion as it would appear. “The Spiritfarers are on edge because of that, and you probably got swept up in the chaos.” Behind his back, Jingyan quietly nodded in confirmation, while the archivist turned to the one who came together with Boothill.

“We will do our best to investigate and handle the situation. Please try to put your mind at ease and focus on your work…” He paused before continuing after a mostly but not fully concealed sigh. “… And please, don’t hold it against Boothill here. I assure you he’s not the perpetrator, and he meant to harm.”

The Spiritfarer considered the thoughts for a moment, before slowly nodding, albeit with a light wince still on his face.

“… If you say so, Master Dan Heng. Please report your findings to the Spirit Envoy in the Garden.”

With that, he was off, and Dan Heng nodded to Jingyan as a short goodbye before also turning to leave, gesturing for Boothill to follow him.

“While we’re making our way over there… How much do you know about heliobi?”

Have You Ever Tried to Shoot a Ghost || Dan Heng & Boothill

Commission: Fyxestroll Garden || @crackshct || Commission Season: Harmony

[renascinem]

A lot has happened.

Understatement of the millennium, perhaps, but really — how else is one supposed to describe all of that which occurred during those long years, without spending an equal amount of time dwelling on each detail? It is with that thought in mind that Dan Heng lets that statement slide.

Not only would it take forever… it’s also not necessary, plain and simple. Dan Heng has moved on, or at the very least, tried to do so to whatever capacity the life he now has has allowed him; and while he, admittedly, used to think little of the matter, he understands now that for the General, it has not been any easier. Harder even, perhaps, in some ways. He may not have hung in chains of the Shackling Prison personally, but he, before anyone else, was the one left behind by the other four, and put in a position he did not in the slightest desire to pick up the pieces they had thrown all over the place.

It’s a type of prison in its own right, when one thinks about it.

For that reason and more, whatever Dan Heng may have once upon a time held against him has evaporated, akin to a distant memory that used to hold him prisoner in its grasp, but can control him no longer — cast aside just like the rest of them.

If anything, perhaps he’s grateful that the General is willing to share this — brighter, hopefully — future with him, even though he is not who Jing Yuan may have sought for.

And that is why, alongside his answer, also comes a smile.

“Yes, until next time. I will see you around, General.”

— Thread End

General Take the Wheel || Dan Heng & Jing Yuan

[renascinem]

He keeps one hand on Kokomi's shoulder to help stabilize her as she rests, only reaching out with his other hand to offer her the Vision when she asks for its return. The power of Hydro soon envelops them; he remembers it from his meeting with the Iudex of Fontaine, who had demonstrated his element to him, as well. Kokomi's Hydro appears to be slightly different in nature, lacking just a bit of the absolute purity that the Hydro Dragon had displayed; in the context of what he has thus far learned, it makes sense, and so he does not question it, especially since this is absolutely not the time for it.

"It did, yes," he nods to her question, directing her attention to the sky. The ferocious thunder and downpour have ceased, and though some clouds still hang in the sky, they are now more white than before, replacing the dark gray that covered the firmament just a few minutes ago. Even the corpses of the Riftwolves he had killed dissolve before their eyes, disappearing into murky dust that then dissipates in the air.

"... Alright, if you say so," he says in response to her request, although there is an audible note of hesitation and doubt in his voice. "Feel free to lean on me as much as you need. I can also carry you if you can't walk."

He has the feeling that she intends to push herself through it no matter what he says, but the reassurance is still going to be useful, as he wants to believe.

Somehow, he has to later make note of all this in the data bank. Even if he isn't exactly sure just yet where he's going to even begin with that. He has to sort out his notes later and figure it out. She is absolutely not in the state to be answering his loaded questions right about now.

It hurts, fire and ice radiating outwards from the new scar and coursing through this too-frail body, and despite herself, she can't stop the pained gasp that escapes her as she sits up. She should have expected this - there had been little enough information recorded about even the ritual's existence, and nothing about any potential side effects. There is, at least, no blood, which points to the wound being not exactly physical...even if its effects very much are. No Divine Priestess before had ever needed to use it, and what it has done to this body is still very much in question.

"I just...need a moment...and 'my' Vision - ah, thank you-"

She can't quite muster the energy to conjure a Bake-Kurage, but the second the little gem is back in her hand, she calls up as much hydro as she can, wrapping it around the hand still clutching the wound. Slowly, the pain begins to subside, if only slightly. Memories begin to seep back in; the tatarigami, the storm, the trek across Yashiori in the company of a friend from afar, whom she'd told her story. She turns her head in a motion slightly too sharp for any human, and meets his eyes.

Dan Heng, of the Astral Express, who also carries an ancient power within himself...and I am...Kokomi. The strategist. The Divine Priestess, heir to a legacy of protective wrath.

Kokomi shakes her head and squeezes her eyes shut against a sudden flare of pain, feeling something insubstantial loosen its grip upon her soul. The skies seem clearer, but there's still something indescribably aware about Orobashi's lingering spirit. The remnants of an entire pack of riftwolves litter the mountaintop around her, and fresh gashes from both corroding fangs and an impossibly sharp blade mar the surface of the ancient skull. "Dan Heng...? Did it...work?"

She's still disoriented, still in pain - and what little healing she has the strength for is making little difference against this wound of the soul. And, for a moment, she'd felt...different, somehow. Something both more and less than mortal...as though not all of her had come back from that strange domain. As though something else had taken that missing piece's place.

"Help me get back down the mountain? I think I...just need to rest..."

[renascinem]

Leave it to Caelus to create a housing crisis at the Herta Space Station.

At least, that's what Dan Heng had heard in passing at the Space Station, and of course, he's not the kind of person who goes off of hearsay. When he finds a new piece of information, he tries to verify and cross-check it with multiple other sources, to ensure it's authentic, believable, and belongs in the data bank.

This time, his intention to do so is beat by none other than the supposed perpetrator himself. It's curious timing, to say the least, that just as the Station announces the whole adoption situation, Caelus pops into Dan Heng's general area and offers to show him the machine that supposedly creates those... cats. A machine that makes cats. That are supposedly also cakes. Even for the standards of everything else that this universe has put him through, it's weird and he doesn't get it.

That's the main reason why, in the end, he willingly takes the bait and accompanies Caelus to the Secluded Zone in order to see it.

His reaction to his friend's cheesy introduction is his usual stony expression without any major changes.

"I'd appreciate that when you have a moment," is the first thing he says. "The data bank could definitely use to have the name for this device."

He approaches it and for now simply studies it visually, his finger sliding idly across the metal and plastic of the surface. A moment passes like that, before he asks what he has a feeling is the question Caelus hopes to hear.

"So... How does this thing work?"

☆ and then he turned into a catcake! funniest shit i've ever seen

【 harmony commission ── catcake adoption 】

[renascinem]

Sometimes, he really finds it mind-boggling how Penacony's snacks and inventions can be so wondrous and innovative, while at the same time proudly brandishing the lamest slogans as their advertisement.

Well, it's not like he'd come up with a better one. But then again, it's not like that's his job.

Anyway.

"No problem, Miss Lingsha." In reality, while Dan Heng generally accepts just about any kind of food just for the purpose of staying alive, he is not actually that fond of sweet things, so he doesn't exactly expect to find this all that enjoyable... but, well, what she says next is also true. He's probably done worse things for, how should he put this. This is where Caelus would come in and cheerfully exclaim something like "For science!", isn't it?

... Is it a good or a bad thing that he has developed an ability to predict what this guy would do?

Well. He discards that thought for now, focusing instead on the plate of candy before him as it's lightly pushed in his direction. He takes one, a small hint of apprehension easy to recognize in his gesture for someone as perceptive as her.

He pauses, then sighs quietly. He agreed to this, didn't he.

"I suppose nothing's going to come out of just staring at this thing."

And so, down the hatch it goes. "Oh, it really is... obscenely sweet," he mutters as he swallows it with a wince.

At first, nothing special seems to happen.

However, it does not last for long. There's a brief moment where he thinks - is he going to throw up? No, that's not nausea - he's just kind of... dizzy? The world around him begins to go off-balance, buildings, items and his companion losing their proper shape.

"Miss Lingsha, my head hurts..."

He frowns as his thoughts begin to swirl in his mind, his own inner voice starting to mix with someone else's.

Were you not supposed to rejoin your companions?

Huh? Who is that? Who's speaking to me?

Did you not tell me that you had to leave?

Wait a moment, I've had this conversation before—

"So are you still running, or not?"

Dan Heng suddenly snaps back up as he realizes that that voice was no longer in his head. No, it was very much outside of his head.

In fact, it's standing right behind him.

It takes a moment before he finds the courage to turn his head. Indeed, just a few steps behind him stands a tall man with long, black hair. Emerald antlers adorn his head, and white and green formal robes of the Vidyadhara High Elder cover his body.

Dan Feng crosses his arms, glaring at him, seemingly not yet aware of Lingsha's presence.

"Make up your mind, would you?"

storm diver

harmony

[renascinem]

Sunday slowly settles in, and while he takes his time, Dan Heng briefly turns his attention back to mark an important piece of information in the book he had been reading, to ensure that he later updates the data bank with it.

Still, he does find a large portion of his focus has now dissipated. With someone else in the room, simply going back to his reading and studying as though they're not there at all feels somewhat rude... Usually, that is why he is not fond of guests coming in for chit-chat, and the Crew members know that.

(Sometimes, that's what keeps them out, but other times, it's what brings them in. Weird how it works.)

Still, he finds he doesn't mind Sunday's presence, really. Maybe it has something to do with the guy's somewhat peculiar aura... or maybe it has to do with him realizing that he needs it -

(and that, in a way, they are not that different in their circumstances, actually. Both of them have begun a new life, which they spend running away and being hated for their previous one.)

(It's easier for him to judge Sunday for what he had done when he was there to witness it; how many lives did Dan Feng ruin with what, ultimately, were good intentions?)

When Sunday makes his inquiry, Dan Heng raises his head to look at him again. As the question falls, he takes some time to consider it before he tries to answer.

"It's... a little complicated," he begins. "When I boarded, it was just Himeko, Mr. Yang, and another traveler who left later. In the beginning, I didn't really interact much with them - I believed that my stay was temporary." For the time being, he leaves the details of the reason why unspoken. "I spent almost all my time here in the Archives, working on the data bank. If it weren't for the occasional stops on various planets, and Himeko and the conductor dragging me to eat at least some meals with them... I probably wouldn't have left this room at all."

He takes a pause here to shift his position a little, sitting cross-legged the other way around, before he continues.

"Then, we stumbled across March, floating frozen in space. After she recovered, she became curious in just about everything she saw and heard about. The Express began to take more stops along the way, and Himeko would usually make Mr. Yang and me go with her to keep her safe. So... going outside more often just sort of naturally happened on its own."

He pauses again, his eyes drifting off of Sunday and staring into space, as the next thing he says appears to be a realization he himself makes as he speaks it into being.

"... In the beginning, I found it kind of annoying, to be honest. But over time, I realized I mostly stopped minding. I find it hard to say when that happened, or why."

PEACE IN THE ARCHIVES .

sunday & dan heng . @renascinem .

[renascinem]

“… And I will not be hearing any more of our incessant rambling. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

The door slammed behind him, leaving the enraged Preceptor alone, and he leaned back against it, the sigh he stifled eventually leaving his throat in the form of a quiet tch before he stood back up straight, regaining his proper posture before walking forward as if nothing at all happened.

Truly a whole court jester show, these ones.

Well, it didn’t matter. They could have their redundant meetings and idiot arguments without him. What were they going to do, issue another complaint for him to throw in the trash?

Inhale, exhale. Running his hand through his hair to put an unruly strand in place, Dan Feng approached the window. Exiting through such means was rather beneath him, but his patience had been truly exhausted for the day, and at this point he would rather risk being seen by an accidental civilian than by another Preceptor.

With fluid calmness and confidence in every move, as though he was indeed definitely supposed to be doing exactly this, he opened the window, stepped onto the windowsill, closed it behind him — and, lightly and soundlessly, jumped down to the ground.

So much for their control over the Vidyadhara affairs when that was all it took, huh.

From there, all it took was a short walk through the streets of the Alchemy Commission. Dan Feng strode forward, ignorant and uncaring of the curious looks of the few residents he passed by — his eyes set only on the alley leading up to the docks.

Finally, there, he saw the sight he expected: a familiar head of white. A momentary smirk flashed across his lips, accompanied by a quiet huff, both of which were swiftly concealed behind his usual stone expression.

“Told you I’d have no trouble getting away from those fools.”

Once Upon a Time, We Were Whole || Dan Feng & Yingxing

Past AU || @neverendingdeath || Commission Season: Harmony

[renascinem]

The wind that blows across the surface of the Chasm feels more harsh than in many other places he has visited thus far. Perhaps it is due to the peak he has gone up to, where nothing stands in the gale’s way as it whistles across the entire area. Or maybe it is the doing of some spirits of the past that hang above the place, keeping their vigil over millennia’s worth of history.

That last version, in any case, is what he had heard in a small, nearby village, whose residents could be counted on one’s fingers. It piqued his curiosity — he knows by now that here in Teyvat, stories of spirits are not to be taken lightly, for they often have not just a grain of truth in them, but also a more literal meaning than one would think.

“Please, sir, would you help me?”

Dan Heng pauses his train of thought, realizing that with no one else around, the words are addressed to him. Turning, he blinks at the sight of a young boy smiling as he stands behind him.

Why is he here all by himself? And for that matter, when did he get here?

“… Yes, what is it?”

The boy’s smile widens at the question. “My name’s Cheng Jun. You see, my dad works down there in the Chasm, and I’d like to give him a lucky charm.”He extends his hand to show him; on his palm sits a little star carved in golden stone, reminiscent to Dan Heng of the ore he has seen around the area.

“But they won’t let me go down there, because I’m too young. Could you please take it to him? He works so hard, and I worry a lot for him, because I don’t see him a lot.”

Carefully, Dan Heng accepts the star from the boy’s outstretched palm. “Well… I can try. If I ask a guard about your dad, will they know?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Thank you!”

He nods slowly. When did he become so easy to get into those kinda situations? Just as he raises his head, however, he pauses as he sees yet another person approaching.

The Depths of the World and Everything Wrong With Them || Dan Heng & Yelan

Commission: Chasm trouble || @muscle-blues || Commission Season: Harmony

[renascinem]

And just like that, his prayers, though unspoken, are indeed answered, and someone appears with both an explanation, and a way out. In fact, he believes he recognizes the face - the somewhat enigmatic man that had given him a handful of jade hearts, to share with his companions.

The fact that he had come to this place and clearly knows his way around it leads Dan Heng to a natural conclusion regarding his identity; however, that is a thought that he saves for a little later.

"So... I really did wander into an abode," is all he says out loud at first, eyeing the man approaching him. He then reflects, realizing that he probably owes an explanation.

"Uh... Truthfully, I do not really know." Given the circumstances, it may make for a poor excuse, but Dan Heng is speaking honestly, and he hopes that the other can see that and offer him the benefit of the doubt. "I was walking across the Guili Plains, and felt some kind of resonance in the air - it felt a little as though it was... calling to me, trying to goad me to come closer," he elaborates. "I did, as I wanted to investigate what it was that I felt. There was a flash of light... and it pulled me in."

He eyes Zhongli attentively, all while allowing the man to examine him as well.

"My name is Dan Heng, and I believe you already guessed or know that I'm from beyond the firmament. My best guess for why I resonated with your abode would be that I am from a species called Vidyadhara." He weighs his words carefully - he had been warned to be careful who he exposes his nature to; and yet, something about Zhongli's demeanor and aura makes it easier to trust him, and the situation they are in... kind of demands it.

And so, he lets it out.

"We are... dragonfolk. And among them, I in particular wield special power."

Power he never asked for, of course - but power he has nonetheless. Falling silent, he closes his eyes, and just for a brief moment, weakens the illusion of cloudhymn to allow Zhongli to see through it - the emerald crown of horns atop his head, betraying his inheritance.

"Perhaps, this power I have has allowed me to interact with this abode. Still, it was not intentional, I just let my curiosity get the better of me. I apologize." He bows his head lightly, before scratching the back of it in a sheepish gesture. "And although I managed to get in... it has not been equally eager to show me a way out."

With that in mind, he smiles lightly, and reaches out for Zhongli's hand with his own. A gesture of greeting and acquaintanceship, mixed with a silent request for help.

*Record Scratch* *Freeze Frame* Yep, That's Me || Dan Heng & Zhongli

Chance meeting in adeptus abode || @jadeshielded || Commission Season: Harmony

[renascinem]

The Astral Express is, truly, quite the lovely and pleasant place, filled with very nice people to spend time with. Whether playing games, chatting about their previous and upcoming journeys, studying together, training — whatever one wishes for, one can find.

… It’s just too bad that Dan Heng just really isn’t one for spending a lot of time in the company of others.

Of course, he’s far better with it than he used to be. Once upon a time, unless they specifically came for something to the Archives, they simply wouldn’t see him around outside of the occasional meal that Himeko or, later, March would insist they all eat together. He never said a word on it, but he used to find it quite annoying, perhaps he would even call it a waste of time. He saw himself as staying temporarily, after all — he had little interest in forging bonds or finding friends. 

(He believed himself not allowed to do so — after all, he could easily bring danger upon them.)

So yes, the fact that he sometimes actually comes to the Parlor Car out of his own will to sit with them, exchange a few words and just… “vibe”, as Caelus once put it, whatever it means; and the fact that he, himself, has begun to refer to their little misfit group as family — it goes to show that he has come a long way. But evidently, that doesn’t necessarily give you stronger social batteries.

And so, even nowadays, he still spends most of his time in the Archives, working with the data bank or simply reading. Some might still think him a loner, or believe he may need some sort of help even; but if someone were to ask him, he would say he’s quite content.

Today, however, the solitude of the Archives is disrupted by a quiet knock to the door. Looking up from his book, Dan Heng throws a “Please, come in,” and looks curiously at the figure that appears. Right, that would be why he didn’t recognize the creator of the sound — he is not yet accustomed to the way Sunday walks and knocks.

“Oh, not at all. Come in,” he says with a nod and a faint smile. Truthfully, this is a situation he is not accustomed to — and often, he isn’t big on people coming into the Archives just for chitchat or hanging out — but looking at the guy, he immediately got the feeling that it’s something he needs. And he understands that.

There is one singular chair in the room that Sunday can sit on if he so wishes; for Dan Heng’s part, he is seated on his bed, surrounded by the glimmering floor panels reminiscent of gentle waters. Several other books are strewn around the bed or propped up on the wall around it, waiting for their turn. The desks around the computer, however, are all neat and clean.

“Noise in the main car?” He inquires idly, turning a page in his book. “I think I can hear someone’s mobile phone from here.”

PEACE IN THE ARCHIVES .

sunday & dan heng . @renascinem .

[renascinem]

He does not allow it to distract him from the immediate danger in front of him, but Dan Heng can feel it — the distinct shift in the air, the appearance and arrival of something; something that is not supposed to be here, or at least not anymore, and the sheer malice and vengefulness it brings with itself, so strong that the fury of the Riftwolves around him pales in comparison, and it sends a shiver down his spine.

Somewhere deep down inside of him, something alike stirs in return — something, someone, who wishes to answer, to nod in agreement; I too was betrayed, I too once loved — and Dan Heng suddenly finds himself fighting on two fronts, both against the monsters around him and against himself.

But not even that is a new experience to him.

Fingers gripping tightly the Cloud-Piercer, the most sure thing he has ever had, that has been with him to hell and back again — he silences the voice crying out in his heart, in the same moment spearing the last Rifthound through the spot where its heart should be. It screeches, the sound seemingly distorting the air itself, before disappearing into a warped portal, never to be seen again.

Breathing heavily, Dan Heng stands up straight, hesitantly letting his posture relax a little. A few fresh bite wounds and claw marks line his shoulders and sides; he ignores them even in spite of the somewhat unnatural pain they bring him, knowing that his body regenerates at a fast pace.

He watches for a moment as the storm slowly begins to clear — and then turns sharply at the sound of someone collapsing.

“Lady Kokomi!”

He rushes to her side and, abandoning his spear for now, tries to slowly and gently help her sit up. He can see it, beneath her curled palm — something like a scar, or a wound.

Once again, he blames himself for having inherited none of Dan Feng’s healing powers. All he can do is kill.

“Rest for a while. Is there anything I can do to help you?” 

Distantly, she hears the sounds of battle all around her, and against all her instincts, tunes them out. The ritual, the power searing through her body and reaching down, into those lightless depths, is far more important. "I call upon the Covenant of the Moon-Bathed Deep...hear me, come to me, speak to me."

The island shakes beneath her, shadows gather all along the great bones covering the landscape, and darkness envelops her; and when Kokomi opens her eyes, she stands on the ocean floor. The faintest light filters down from above, countless shipwrecks surround her; and, weaving amongst the shattered hulks, a great shadowy serpent looms, forged of smoke and wrath rather than flesh.

And, in front of her, a single massive eye blinks open, filled with such fury and hate she struggles to comprehend it. "̴͔̟͎̔̽͠S̸̢̘͖͌̀p̴͔͔̙͆̓͠e̴͙̠͇̒̈́̕à̵̡̪͖́̾k̵̘͇͊̈́̈́"̵̟̿͆͌͜

She clasps her trembling hands together, struggling to meet that malefic gaze. "Orobashi no Mikoto...Watatsumi Omikami...return to your rest, to your eternal sleep-"

"̸̼͓̪͋̐͊B̴͔̞͖̒́e̴̞͔͋͝͝ s̵̘̙̻̽͊͐i̸̡͕̻̒͆̈́l̴��͍̺͍̈́̀e̵̻̙̠̓͐͝n̵͓͎͇͛͒͋t̴̘͇͙̐̚̚"̴̡͓̺̐͌̿

Her breath catches in her throat, her fingernails bite into her palms, but she does not step back. She cannot.

"̴̠̙̈́͒͜I̴̦͇̝̐́̚ c̸͇̺͙͑͐a̸̡͚͐͆͝r̸̝̺̀͝͝e̸͔̘͇̔͐́ n̵͎͇͕̾͊͝ö̵̦͍͎́̀͝t̵̟̦̟͌͌̾ f̴͚͍͛̐͜͠o̴̪̪̟͆̈́̐ŕ̴̦̦̼́̚ t̸͇͎͓͊̐͠h̵̦͖̓̚e̴͔̪̘̿͐ o̸̡͖͖̐͛̐b̴̝̪͊͛͆s̴͎͍̟̿̀e̴͙͔̫̐͝͝q̴̡̢̺́͒͊u̵͙͍͕͑̕͝i̴̼̪͙̐͛͝ó̵̘̝͓̈́͐ǘ̵̠̫́̽s̴̞̘̾̿̕͜ ẅ̴̡̻͙́͒͘o̴̫͍͖̿̔͘ŕ̵̠̺͒͐͜d̸͔̼͑͒̀s̴̢̼͚̾̾̚ o̸̢̢̟͋̾͠f̸͎̘͌͑́͜ a̴͕͔̦͆͌͠ t̴̘͚̿́̕͜h̵̝͓̓͑̾o̵̢̫̦͋̈́̓u̴̪̺̫͋͒͒s̵͖̝͒͑̔a̸̺̫͚͑͝n̴͓͚̝̔̕̕d̵̢̞͆̒̕ H̵̡͓͑̓͐͜ë̸͍͚̙́́͘i̵͚̝͆͐͝r̸͉̦̀̾͒ș̴͔̽̒͠ b̸͇̠̝̕̚͝e̴̢͎̠̽̀f̴̦͉͇͐̈́͝o̴̝͔͑͆̕͜r̸̡̘͕͐͠e̸̪̺̠̿̾̓ y̴̢͇̝͐̾o̵̙̻͇͑͊u̵̡̫̞͑̀̚,̸͉͉̠̐̓̚"̵͚͉̟͆̿͑ the fallen god declares, each word washing over her like a tsunami. "̸̠̪͉͛͋̀S̸̺̻͛̾͐h̴̢͓͛́͘o̵͍̦̒͋͝ẅ̵͙̫́̀̈́ m̴͇̞̝͆̈́̚e̵͙̫͙̿̓͆ t̸͙̝͌̚͘h̸̼͉̿̀͠a̵͍̻̓̓́͜t̵̡͎̻̓͒̈́ y̵̙̺̿͠o̵͇͎̓͛͘͜u̵̟̝̘̐͑͝r̴̡̼͉̽̓́ o̴̟͍͎͆͐͘w̵͇͓͛̀̀͜n̸̢͍̙͐͆̚ W̴̢͓͆̿͌i̸͙̘͇̾̔̿ĺ̵̢̢̡͆̿l̸̢̻̝̕͝ i̴̦̺̟͐̀͝s̸̫̟̪͆̒̒ w̵̡͉͑̔͝o̵̡̪̓̈́̀r̸͙̙̙̒͆͠t̴͓̼͛̒͜͠h̵͎̼̪̽͆̚ ś̸͎̙͉̿͒o̵͕̘̞̿̈́͝m̸̫͕̓̚̕e̴̦͙͐̾̕t̵̼͕̐̈́́͜ḧ̸͓̪͔́̽͘ì̴̫͉͉̕͠n̴͕̟͔̓͒͝g̴̢̢͖͑͆͠ -̸̢̝̝̈́̐͐ ö̸͔̙͎́͒̈́r̴͖̻̾͋̚ d̸̠͍̔̽͠ì̸͎͙̿͊͜e̵͔͍̟͘͠͝"̴͔͍̘͋̐͝

There's no time for hesitation, for careful forethought and planning. Before such a challenge, there can only be action. "Just as the vast ocean can accommodate countless souls and their individual desires," she declares, holding her god's gaze with all the strength she has left, "so shall my reign be. I will protect all of Watatsumi's people, all their hopes and ambitions-" and though she could have finished there, with the wish that carries her through all the long days and cruel duties, something deep within drives her to keep speaking, to lay bare the darkest of her truths. "-and I shall bring us the justice we have been so long denied, no matter how much blood stains my hands in doing so. I will find the truth behind Celestia's lie, and destroy all who would stand in my way!"

She's breathing hard by the end, steady hands clenched into fists, gazing into that great eye, into that pitiless void that shines the same color as her own eyes, as though she can excavate the very secrets of the universe from within. And, slowly but surely, it begins to close.

"̵̫̪̺͆͊̚G̴̡͉̫͋̿͝o̴̠̘̟̽̕͝o̵̡̡͓͑̾̽d̴̡͔͔͒̽,̵͖͙͉̒́"̸̢̪̐͆̐͜ Orobashi decrees, and lunges. Kokomi does not cry out, as a massive fang pierces through her body - it feels like the sea, welcoming her home.

The darkness shatters around her, bleeding back into storm clouds and shadowed hills. Energy utterly spent, every part of her body screaming in pain, Kokomi collapses as the ritual circle sears itself into the mountain-sized skull below her.

Slowly, she raises one limp, trembling hand and traces the long, fresh scar over her heart.

"̴̼̘͕̈́̽̿R̴͔̙̻̈́̔e̴͇̝̔͋͛͜m̵͉̝͚̀̈́̒e̸͉̼͍̾͌̒m̵͍̫̻̔̓́b̵̦̙̪̒͠͠e̴̙͚̦͆́̚r̸̡̻̓̐̈́.̴̝͚͓̿͛̚.̴̢̙̟̀̚͝.̵̡͔̼̓̈́͝"̸̺̠̻͐̐̈́ Orobashi whispers, as the storm slowly begins to clear.