We all seem to have the potential for it, at the very least.
[he exhales, with a little shake of his head. maybe it's the proximity, though, maybe something else-- either way, when the memory-sharing takes hold, it's huaisang's memory first, standing on a training field with a saber in his hands. he's scolded, then threatened, and eventually can't stop himself from lashing out, either. his emotions are all in turmoil, both anger and-- also the sense that there's another reason he's avoiding this all so much.
and then there's a shift, the memory turning to another one that doesn't seem to take place too much later. it's a more crowded area, this time, and there's an overwhelming, suffocating sense of desperation; huaisang's arm hurts, his leg is so injured he's dragging it behind him, but his brother is ahead and he has to reach him. nie mingjue looks utterly lost to something, bleeding from the eyes, the nose, the ears, the mouth, unseeing and uncaring as he attacks anyone he can reach. huaisang's throat hurts, and he only dimly realizes it's because of how much he's been screaming for his brother. look at me. look at me, please. look at ME. i don't understand, it's too soon, you're so strong, why why WHY--
another scream of "brother!!" and nie mingjue finally turns to him. he finally sees nie huaisang, clarity back in his eyes, and huaisang could cry. "brother! brother! it's me, put down your saber, it's me-!!"
before he gets any further, nie mingjue falls to the ground, and the resulting anguish is too much for nie huaisang to bear.
that's where it ends, and even though he's experienced all this, it still leaves nie huaisang reeling, a large splotch of paint on the paper where his brush has fallen from his hand.]
[ The anger and indignation feel so foreign somehow, backed by frustration that's pent up over the years whereas Ayabe is always angry and shouting but there is never any heat behind his words when he does so. Different from this. The emotions overwhelm him more than the pain, but pain is foreign too, searing in his arm and leg and deep within his chest so that when he finally comes to out of these memories, he's sitting back with the heels of his hands pressed up against his eyes, like he's trying to massage away a headache- a nightmare- or simply introduce an outside pain to bring him out of the inner one.
He's left gasping for a moment or two, and then he lowers his hands, looking over at Nie Huiasang. ]
[Nie Huaisang, for his part, looks-- almost immediately closed off. Guarded, more than anything, a practiced shift of his expression to try to hide his actual feelings--
But he's not entirely unaffected, his hands trembling slightly after reliving all of that again, and the breath he exhales is also a bit unsteady.]
I-- I'm sorry, you... shouldn't have had to see such things.
[ He breathes out, collecting himself, frowning a little at the paint that had splattered on his pants because he'd also dropped the brush and overturned the paint when the memory took over, a good excuse for him to get up and look around for paper towels or something to wipe this up with. ]
No, I'm sorry. That you had those memories shared. [ That he had those memories at all? Nie Mingjue gives his Jiang Cheng vibes. The "I'll break your legs" vibes from every time Jin Ling talks about his strict but revered uncle. ]
[ He grabs some towels and was working on finding a small bucket or some sort to carry over water, but he doesn't even make it back to the easels before the bucket clatters to his feet in surprise. ]
What? But- He was bleeding everywhere, like that... [ He can't even imagine how that would happen, by accident or on purpose. ]
Did you find out who did it?
[ Did you exact justice? Did you kill them? For the sake of avenging family, Ayabe supports murder ]
...Something like that can't continue. I'll make sure you go home too.
[ For REVENGE but also if whatever guy is out there making things happen to all Sect Leaders, then everybody's dying? Jin Ling's uncle that threatens to break his legs? That guy's sort of sketch but Jin Ling would be sad if he bled everywhere and died, so it's really all for the best that Nie Huaisang goes home and stops this guy. ]
[ Looking into things here, what he's most curious in... ]
Protect Ling, first and foremost. And then, if you can, I want to know how much we can trust the staff here, and the ghosts summoned by the Ouija board. They're our ties to this place, whatever happened in the past. One of them must know what's going on, and what we must do.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i'm gonna get to the memshare part bc i've been slow GOMEN CARDORI
[he exhales, with a little shake of his head. maybe it's the proximity, though, maybe something else-- either way, when the memory-sharing takes hold, it's huaisang's memory first, standing on a training field with a saber in his hands. he's scolded, then threatened, and eventually can't stop himself from lashing out, either. his emotions are all in turmoil, both anger and-- also the sense that there's another reason he's avoiding this all so much.
and then there's a shift, the memory turning to another one that doesn't seem to take place too much later. it's a more crowded area, this time, and there's an overwhelming, suffocating sense of desperation; huaisang's arm hurts, his leg is so injured he's dragging it behind him, but his brother is ahead and he has to reach him. nie mingjue looks utterly lost to something, bleeding from the eyes, the nose, the ears, the mouth, unseeing and uncaring as he attacks anyone he can reach. huaisang's throat hurts, and he only dimly realizes it's because of how much he's been screaming for his brother. look at me. look at me, please. look at ME. i don't understand, it's too soon, you're so strong, why why WHY--
another scream of "brother!!" and nie mingjue finally turns to him. he finally sees nie huaisang, clarity back in his eyes, and huaisang could cry. "brother! brother! it's me, put down your saber, it's me-!!"
before he gets any further, nie mingjue falls to the ground, and the resulting anguish is too much for nie huaisang to bear.
that's where it ends, and even though he's experienced all this, it still leaves nie huaisang reeling, a large splotch of paint on the paper where his brush has fallen from his hand.]
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He's left gasping for a moment or two, and then he lowers his hands, looking over at Nie Huiasang. ]
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But he's not entirely unaffected, his hands trembling slightly after reliving all of that again, and the breath he exhales is also a bit unsteady.]
I-- I'm sorry, you... shouldn't have had to see such things.
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No, I'm sorry. That you had those memories shared. [ That he had those memories at all? Nie Mingjue gives his Jiang Cheng vibes. The "I'll break your legs" vibes from every time Jin Ling talks about his strict but revered uncle. ]
That was when your brother...?
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[He just gives Ayabe a slight nod at the apology, because, well. It's hardly his fault. This place is just determined to cause trouble, he thinks...
He'll at least help wipe up the mess a bit once Ayabe fetches something to do it with, though.]
When he was killed, I should say. That-- it wasn't an accident.
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What? But- He was bleeding everywhere, like that... [ He can't even imagine how that would happen, by accident or on purpose. ]
Did you find out who did it?
[ Did you exact justice? Did you kill them? For the sake of avenging family, Ayabe supports murder ]
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[Where Ayabe's surprised, he's... totally calm, outwardly. He's had a long time to get used to suppressing his feelings about this.]
I do know, though. If all goes well, he'll be dead shortly after I return home. I just--
Have to make it there.
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[ For REVENGE but also if whatever guy is out there making things happen to all Sect Leaders, then everybody's dying? Jin Ling's uncle that threatens to break his legs? That guy's sort of sketch but Jin Ling would be sad if he bled everywhere and died, so it's really all for the best that Nie Huaisang goes home and stops this guy. ]
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[They're both needed, right? Ayabe for his living family, Nie Huaisang to finishing avenging his.]
I'm trying to do what I can, but- if you ever need help looking into anything here...
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[ Looking into things here, what he's most curious in... ]
Protect Ling, first and foremost. And then, if you can, I want to know how much we can trust the staff here, and the ghosts summoned by the Ouija board. They're our ties to this place, whatever happened in the past. One of them must know what's going on, and what we must do.
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[How has Jiang Cheng done it, all these years?? He's so glad he hasn't had any children to raise yet, himself, teenagers are horrible sometimes.]
But I do mean to keep looking into those things. I'd like to know just what's going on, too.
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This whole thing is stupidly complicated... They owe us answers, no matter what. We'll get them.