#;; xiao chiye speaks to qi zhuyin ;;

[mvsicinthedvrk]

hwevent17 starter for xiao chiye & qi zhuyin // @masqce

“Qi Zhuyin,” Chiye calls out to get her attention, as soon as he catches sight of her. She might have been able to best Jiming while sparring, but that’s an entirely separate set of skills than actually actually surviving an assassination attempt. Making it through the hellish Halloween maze without dying was one point in her favor, and his as well, but-- still a completely different scenario. One person versus an unknown threat, though, isn't as promising as two people versus two potentially unknown threats. He can trust her to watch his back, and he can watch hers in return. "The closest thing to a weapon of self defense I have on me is a fountain pen," he admits frankly. "So I hope you have something better."

[xiao-erlang]

I think Hua Xiangyi’s conversation with Qi Zhuyin before her deployment to Dengzhou explained it best why the winner of the throne can only be Shen Zechuan. The moment Li Jianting chose to deploy Qidong to attack Dengzhou while Libei was heading to fight Amu-er, she already lost to Shen Zechuan.

Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye made the choice for Libei and Lu Guangbai to go on the expedition against the Biansha tribes knowing it was the best momentum right after Hasen’s death to end Amu-er’s reign. If they missed this timing, Amu-er would recruit new generals and launch attacks on Dazhou using the Scorpions, who have already infiltrated Qudu and the imperial palace.

Xiao Jiming could have backed up Shen Zechuan on the fight against Qudu, but it was still extremely risky. Going by the number of troops alone, Shen Zechuan most likely would have been defeated by Qidong, and subsequently without his support, Libei would lose to the Biansha Cavalry.

“Shen Zechuan's withdrawal of troops when you attack Dengzhou is a minor matter, but Xiao Chiye's military defeat is a major issue. A military expedition afar is arduous. Without Shen Zechuan, the 90,000-strong Armored Cavalry will undoubtedly be defeated. Should the Biansha Cavalry stage a comeback at the time, the common people in the three regions to the east would still have to face this menace. Your loyalty today is to make the expectant common people in the three regions suffer again.”

Li Jianting was driven to a corner as her origins were starting to be questioned and she also couldn’t keep letting the rebel forces continue to get stronger. She already lost the war of words; as Shen Wei’s infamy couldn’t tarnish the Prefectural Lord’s reputation. Furthermore, once Xiao Chiye returns victorious from the expedition, he and subsequently Shen Zechuan would have risen to prominence amongst the common people. At that time, it remains to be seen whether her claim to the throne would still be accepted as legitimate by the people. Her best opportunity was, both politically and militarily, when Libei was away at the expedition.

It was the best time for Li Jianting to launch her attack, but it was also the worst time for Dazhou to have her launch the attack. In the end, it was as Hua Xiangyi said:

“The opportunity Commander-in-chief Qi speaks of is not an opportunity for Dazhou or the common people in the world, but merely for the emperor.”

Now, personally, I love Li Jianting. She is an intelligent, dignified, and talented woman. But this is where they differ: Shen Zechuan chose to risk himself for the people, while Li Jianting chose to risk the people for her victory. I’m not saying that Li Jianting is a power-hungry ruler who was willing to sacrifice people’s lives for herself, but she was willing to take risks for the sake of the bigger picture. This brand of ruthlessness shows that she is truly the student of Xue Xiuzhuo; the mastermind who killed Li Jianheng, forced Hai Liangyi to his death, and tried to kill Xiao Chiye and Yao Wenyu.

"You stop at nothing to kill others and yourself." Yao Wenyu released his grip on the chess piece. "You won't be able to save all of the so-called masses in the world."

Yet at the same time that Li Jianting was betting on Qi Zhuyin’s deployment for her victory, she failed to understand Qi Zhuyin’s character and motivations. Qi Zhuyin did not waver because of a noble title, but because she understood the real stakes. Otherwise, Hua Xiangyi could not have possibly moved her no matter what she said. Shen Zechuan won because he and Qi Zhuyin naturally shared the same cause: to save the common people.

“Shen Zechuan improves the lives of the people so that they thrive. He has just cause, and he has the respect and support of the people—he is the hope of all in the world." She slowly raised her eyes to gaze at Qi Zhuyin, as if she was gazing at the stabilizing force that would determine the rise and fall of the empire. Her gaze held both admiration and heartache. "And now, the lives and deaths of the people all lie in this one decision of yours."

Qi Huilian dared to bet on Fengquan, and Shen Zechuan dared to bet on Qi Zhuyin. True to how they were taught by Xue Xiuzhuo and Qi Huilian respectively, Li Jianting regarded people as pawns, while Shen Zechuan regarded pawns as people.

[mvsicinthedvrk]

winter market '24 starter for xiao chiye & qi zhuyin // @masqce

Chiye circles the ice rink another time to lap Zhuyin one more time. His hair flutters in the breeze left by the wake of his propulsion forward as he swings his taut arms back and forth for momentum, leaning into the air as in front of him as though to slice it in half with force of will alone. He's not the most graceful of skaters on the ice, and it must not look beautiful from a distance-- but neither grace nor beauty matters in this scenario, when his sheer determination for speed makes up for it as he barges between tottering couples who are brave enough to let go of each other's hands. Scraping the toe pick against the ice, he slows as he comes up behind her, then catches up to her left side towards the inside of the rink. "I never tried skating until a few years ago," he informs her, breathing heavily from his previous exertion but continuing the conversation from generally where he'd left off the last time he'd lapped her. "You get better and faster each time." There's a lilt of teasing in his voice as he adds: "Or... most people do."

[mvsicinthedvrk]

It's useless to expect anything less than a nonsense answer from her, it seems. And though her comment about running drills for such a thing is clearly a joke, he can't help but state bluntly, "I can't think of a single situation where that would be a useful skill." If it weren't clearly a joke, he would be too busy anyway for something so worthless; he only has limited free time, given all the shit he has to do at the office on a daily basis. Which makes him wonder-- "Do you even have an actual job?" She must, everyone does, but Chiye can't remember ever hearing what it was.

                         “You could’ve used the element of surprise to your advantage, had you not been restrained by your own good manners,” Zhuyin countered in mock admiration. And then, she laughs again, not questioning the sincerity of his statement. At least he’s self-aware enough to realise that he had been the one to start this nonsense— that should count as a point in his favor. But his indignant remark is just as funny, and Zhuyin doesn’t even bother to try and keep a straight face when she counters: “Yes, my army of umbrella-stabbers. We practice every Thursday evening, at 7 pm sharp. You’re welcome to join one of our training sessions if you wish to— I’m sure you could benefit from the practice!” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

"Yes, in a hypothetical life-threatening situation, not just for the hell of it," he tells her with a scoff tinged with arrogance. At this point, he's half-certain she'll either laugh or make fun of him no matter what he says; he doesn't know why he puts up with it. (If it's because she's a good distraction from feeling melancholy about the continued too-long absence from seeing his older brother, he won't admit it.) "Mature, responsible." he answers. Someone who doesn't get dead-drunk in public, or make too-impulsive decisions, or act like a rich, spoiled brat. Standard maturity-related expectations. He doesn't always succeed at meeting them, but he tries more often than not, especially since his family name's on the line nowadays. He does admittedly try more around an audience that matters. "Not someone who wrecks an umbrella for no good reason. You should know how I'm supposed to act, weren't you twenty three about a hundred years ago?"

                         “You’re the one who said it’d be easy to stab through my umbrella with a pen,” Zhuyin counters airily, left unimpressed by his observation— accusation? Chiye’s disbelief makes it hard for her to keep a straight face, her amusement betrayed by a subtle twitch at the corners of her lips. Whether serious or not, Chiye’s spending far too much time mulling over his options. As she watches him, the general cannot help but to wonder what’s going on inside of the younger’s head, certain that any other day, he would’ve accepted the challenge without a beat, no matter how ridiculous. And then, when he finally speaks up, and he still doesn’t have an answer, her restraint breaks, her grin cracking. “And what is a 23-year-old supposed to act like, according to their handbook?” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

"You're not being serious," Chiye clarifies, in dry disbelief that she would really challenge him to such a thing. But the older woman is hard to read; he can't tell when she's joking and when she's being genuine. Logically, surely no one in their right mind would make him earn lessons by trying to get ink on them. But then again, this is Qi Zhuyin, who seems to take joy in making his life difficult even if the heart of the reward is very much to his benefit, which he does appreciate, despite being annoyed. If that's the challenge, he'll do it! But he's also not in the business of making himself look a fool for no reason, so he doesn't want to lunge at her with his pen if she's only teasing. "I've often gotten told to act my age, why is it that you keep influencing me to do the opposite."

                         Complaints, grumbling, an overall sour mood: it’s almost as though they’re back to where they’d started in Washington, only without the arrogant edge to Chiye’s voice (or at least a milder variant of it). She’s almost certain that catching him off guard, rattling him, must have hurt his pride and thus led to this show of defiance. It’s alright— Zhuyin finds her pleasure in believing that he will retrieve his memories one day, and likely will be begging her to forgive him when the time comes. “It’s not my problem if you don’t carry an umbrella— that’s your own responsibility,” the female points out matter-of-factly, complaint disregarded. Ironically, for all the issues he seems to have with her methods, Chiye’s eager to remind her of the birthday present that she did still owe him. Momentarily forgotten as a consequence of the chaos, though Zhuyin would be happy to grant the favor immediately. “If you and your pen can manage to get ink on me before I disarm you with my umbrella, I’ll even teach you every week, for as long as you’d like. You can stab through my umbrella with the pen, can’t you?” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

He wouldn't dare to stand by and watch her struggle (if only because that would be an incredibly boring way to spend an afternoon at the ice rink), so he'd rather try his best to help her out. Chiye's never explicitly tried teaching anyone how to do this before, though, which is where the difficulty comes in: trying to put the explanation of motion into words. It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts and try to come up with a game plan for how to tackle this particular project. "Pick up your skate, and put your weight on it when you take a step forward. Like walking, but put some force into it, and lift the foot in back that you're not moving forwards on." Admittedly, he throws his body into it and hopes for the best, and so far he's only gotten faster and smoother, though it's more due to kinesthetic luck than any intellectual skill. He demonstrates for a few paces for her benefit, shifting his weight left and right with each gliding step, before stopping abruptly and turning around, going against the flow of circular traffic around the rink to return to where Zhuyin is still very solidly standing. "The blades might look and feel thin, but they're flat on the bottom and designed to hold weight; you won't topple over or snap your ankle if you treat them like normal shoes. Step and lift. The key feels like it's to push your weight forwards with each step," he states, which is the best way he can come up with to describe it. "I'll even let you hold my hand while you try it if it makes you feel better." He doesn't at all expect her to take him up on it, but the offer is there regardless. Holding back a laugh, he adds: "Though if you start to fall and you don't let go, I'll fall on top of you out of spite."

                     Oh, really? Clutching the side barriers isn’t helpful? Zhuyin raises her brows at the unhelpful commentary, her expression blank. It’s only logical that she needs both arms to gain momentum and to keep her balance, but that still doesn’t change the fact that she can’t stay upright to begin with. The ice is slippery, of course, and these thin blades underneath her feet are doing very little to offer her balance. Each time she does so much as try to let go of the railing, she finds her feet slipping away underneath her again, and the problem is— there isn’t any railing to hold onto once she’s let go of it. What if she stumbles and falls, and crushes some poor little kid underneath her own weight? She’ll have to explain to their parents that it wasn’t her intention to bruise (or break) their little angel, despite what her flailing about might have anyone suspect. But Chiye is right that she’ll have to do something. She’s got great balance; that’s not the problem. The problem is those awful skates (and the ice) (and not gaining momentum). “I can definitely afford to let you be better than me at this,” Zhuyin argues, not tempted by his challenge. There won’t be many opportunities for them to go ice skating, so there’s no chance for her to catch up so quickly to begin with. Nevertheless, she does want to learn. Bending her ankles inwards seems to help her in keeping her balance, even if it does not help her move forwards. Frowning, Zhuyin remains in place, a little shaky, though still standing straight. No unexpected movements. For now. She eyes Chiye again: “Now what? Are you going to teach me, or are you just going to stand by and watch me struggle?” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

Chiye valiantly holds back an eye roll at the older woman's joy about startling him. People normally don't sneak up on others on purpose, so he can't be blamed for being surprised. "I could stab through an umbrella with that pen, so I don't think it'd be as good of a shield as you're making it out to be. Besides, I don't carry an umbrella," he points out. If he's going to bother learning some more defense, he'd rather practice with something he'd be certain to have on him. Speaking of which: "You told me you were going to teach me how to spar, and you never did. If that's the case, you still owe me a birthday present." Only since she'd offered, and it'd be disappointing not to follow through.

                           Sneaking up on him had been intentional, but that doesn’t mean she’d expected to be quite so successful at startling Chiye. Zhuyin doesn’t even bother hiding her delight, her attempt at feigning innocence a mediocre one at best. “You’ve been paying attention,” she proudly notes, purposely mistaking his sarcasm for genuine gratitude. And he should be grateful; they are useful tips. This city is more unpredictable than any other place she’s been, and with Chiye’s martial skills currently being subpar, he would do well to always be prepared. “Great. Next time, I’ll teach you how to defend yourself with other everyday objects. An umbrella makes for a decent enough shield, and a reasonably powerful weapon.” Of sorts. He’d still be better off fighting bare-handed; she knows the younger could beat up most anyone if he set his mind to it. The memories may be lacking, but the skills must still be in there, somewhere. Her confidence in him is unwavering, which is why she’s surprised to hear him complain (whether or not he means it). “I instructed you to fight with a fountain pen,” Zhuyin remarks drily, “what part of that makes you believe I have no faith in you?” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

Chiye can't argue with that; her time as a general during their brief stint in medieval times had been impressive, though she can't rely on that as an excuse for the rest of their lives here. And he genuinely thinks she would enjoy the experience of ice skating if she stopped worrying so much about staying upright. From Zhuyin's tone, though, it seems as though positive encouragement may be necessary. Besides, she's moving so slowly that even children who are also sticking close to the railing are braving the unsupported ice in order to move around her. "You don't need to cling to the side as tightly as you are," Chiye advises as he skates (slowly) next to her. "You need both arms free to get some momentum going, and it helps to be able to move them to keep your balance anyway." What's the worst that can happen, she falls? He's sympathetic to the desire of not wanting to look like a fool, but one falling skater among the masses who have already planted face-first on the ice won't draw any more attention than the others. "Come on, you can do it-- you can't let me be better than you at this, can you?" He hopes that if nothing else, the challenge in his voice will spur her to be more daring despite her wobbling.

                     Zhuyin’s open to trying everything at least once— that’s the only reason she’d been so easily convinced to accept Chiye’s invitation (or his challenge?). And in theory, ice skating had sounded like a perfectly fun activity. It had looked easy enough, too. From a distance. Skaters gliding back and forth, twirling every so often, and all around seeming to have a good time. Zhuyin had been enthralled by the swiftness of their movements; like the wind in their backs was all they needed to float across the rink. If she’d paid any attention to the less impressive skaters, perhaps she would’ve thought twice to agree so readily. Regret had first hit her when she’d exchanged the comfort of her boots for a pair of ice skates, her steps wobbly as she made to follow Chiye (with his back turned towards her, fortunately). Yeah, sure. A few years ago. That should be impossible, Zhuyin reasons, considering those memories of his weren’t even real to begin with. But real or not, the younger does speed away from her the next moment, the wind carrying him along as it had done so many others. An unexpected pang of jealousy hits Zhuyin at the realisation, especially when she nearly slips and crashes into the ice the very moment she first moves onto the rink. She barely even gets to see Chiye show off. “Ha ha,” Zhuyin chides in response to his insult. No, she’s not a sore loser— that doesn’t mean she has to like looking like a stumbling fool. “Most people here don’t know how to command an army,” she counters, holding onto the railing for dear life, “but you don’t hear me gloating.” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

Not paying much attention to his surroundings-- because he hadn't seen the need to-- Chiye startles when Zhuyin's voice comes from directly behind him. "A little warning," he requests intently, once his heartbeat returns to its normal rate. He's certain she must have done that on purpose, but since he's relieved to see her well and grinning, he forgives her. This time. "Sure, I've loved learning what daily office supplies can be used to fatally injure someone. The next time someone questions my decisions at work, it's over for them." There's clear enough sarcasm in his voice that he doesn't feel the need to clarify that it's a joke. "But it sounds like you had such little confidence in me, I don't think that's fair."

( transitioning! )

                                 So Ce’an had been worried about her— the thought of that had been quite amusing to Zhuyin, for more than just one reason. First, because she was more than capable of fending for herself. Even back in Dazhou, where the pair of them had known each other ever since Chiye was born, she highly doubted the man would worry about her for even a second. And here— well, they supposedly had only met a few months ago. To see the man concerning himself over her wellbeing was… odd, yet amusing, as well as vaguely endearing. Zhuyin doesn’t announce her presence when she spots Chiye on the other side of the road, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Instead, she quietly stalks up to him, only greeting him when she’s already right behind him. “Found you,” she quips, grinning. “And I'm glad to see you’re still alive. That pen turned out to be more useful than expected, huh?” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

"I went to your apartment and you weren't there. You've been here long enough to know how large this city is, that's why I'm surprised I managed to find you," he shoots back. Chiye knows his brother will be supremely upset if he finds out his good friend ended up dead, that's why he's out here, to avoid that potential future-- and he himself would admittedly be upset about it just as much-- even though Zhuyin seems more prepared for this ongoing violent scenario than he does, for some reason. "You don't want to know how long it took me. Can we go? It's brutal out here, and I don't want to have to test your pen method."

                                  Zhuyin’s only mildly surprised that Chiye manages to misinterpret such an obvious gesture, though she’d doesn’t make a point out of correcting him. In fact, she’s positive her voice alone would be enough to fend off half of these potential attackers— the rest, she had other ways of dealing with. The current situation is far of an ideal one, but it isn’t remotely close to being as bad or dangerous as the wars that had been fought back in Dazhou. More unpredictable, sure, but she had yet to find someone who knew how to handle themselves. It is the one reason Zhuyin listens to the younger with a faint hint of amusement ghosting at the corners of her lips; with his memories, the lack of a proper weapon would have been the last thing to hold Chiye back. “If you were out here to find me,” she points out, after he finally seems to be done venting, “how come you’re so surprised to actually find me here?” 

[mvsicinthedvrk]

"Your weapon of defense is your voice?" he interprets in a baffled tone, unconvinced that he's actually understanding her odd gestures at all-- and if he is, then it's not an impressive offering. What, she's meant to scold the potential attackers into submission? Zhuyin's right that with enough concentrated pressure, a fountain pen could potentially do decent damage, but that won't help them much unless the person's only a few centimeters away, unless her myriad of skills also involve flinging sharp objects into someone else's eye sockets. "It might not be 'bad,' but it's not useful either," Chiye insists, annoyed he even has to spell that out. She's right that his arms are longer than a pen, and probably stronger, and he's almost sure he could strangle someone in a hurry even if he hadn't done so before but-- "I was only out here to find you in the first place-- why the hell are you out here?"

                                  It’s easy for the familiar voice to find her through the chaos; even easier for her to find the person said voice belongs to, his posture towering over most anybody in their vicinity. In spite of the dire circumstances, Zhuyin’s face immediately breaks out into a grin when she catches sight of the younger, quick to push her way through the few people blocking her path. “A-ye!” she calls back, once she’s reached a close enough distance to put her hands on his shoulders and give him a quick once-over. No bruises, blood, or missing limbs— Zhuyin would've never thought to worry about him if he’d had even a fraction of his memories and experience from Libei. On the other hand, since it was still the same Chiye, she hadn’t been without faith entirely. Anyway, now that that’s confirmed, Zhuyin pats his shoulders in encouragement, then knowingly points a finger towards her own temple, and another towards her windpipe. “With your physique, I’d say your strength is your most powerful weapon. But in case push comes to shove and you're left with no other option— a fountain pen’s not too bad, if you jab it hard enough.”