i soar, pure azure.

❛  for anyone unrelated to the joyseeker, it is still quite an sad situation to hear. ❜ luocha reiterates. any previous motions of fear begin soften, the biting tone and twitch of his palms dropping into something calmer, the reaction of a man both capable of understanding and yet calculating, consideration buried within his somewhat 'unshakeable' expression; this is the sort of story he'd prepared himself to hear, sitting in the middle of what might just be the dragons den, fingers held onto a cup that might be his last drink as an entirely innocent man, wherein 'luocha' is nothing but an ill-timed name, a guardian above the man-eating spirit he'd be surprised if the man before him hadn't picked up on such a double meaning as well. this is where things could go entirely wrong, he can tell, the precipice before reaching the path of no return and he has little qualms about that / he has the least amount of fear for it regardless, will continue to do so no matter what consequences will shatter so easily within his palms, segments of himself, long since fallen, not yet buried.

❛  but it's difficult to say it manages to sever me from my fears regardless. the alliance's predisposition for isolation means that anything beyond that will no doubt cause eyes of suspicion before we have even begun. i cannot imagine many of the leaders having my back as they would the vidyadhara, not when those akin to the dozing general himself seem more happy to watch every step i've managed to take. ❜ for a half-truth, it's the perfect picture; the general of the luofu is watching him, he is walking most steps with a head that remains somewhat looking back, this will be the riskiest part of such agreements ━━ but something that may keep him safe from anything nefarious on the same track, his presence is known well enough that his disappearance will be investigated and this remains his safety net as well as the shadow on his back.

which means that this is the dangerous part of the gamble he has tried to take yet.

❛  i am more than agreeable to a deal with yourselves, i have been since the moment you approached me in the market this morning. yet it remains paramount you understand that i do not believe that such ... trade can only be our argument for a deal to be planned out. when any form of politics become involved ━ the deal goes beyond the ipc's usual trading routes. if it were that simple, i'm certain you would have plenty of other merchants show up at your door with plenty of recommendations to hand, but ... they stick to the port, arum alley, for a reason. one they preferably do not wish to share with you for pride or greed or something more. ❜ he speaks with undeniable certainty, a pointed gaze leaving both speaker and receiver both drawn in far beyond the phrases he mutters in return, so much more direct than the plan he's inviting the high elder to offer in it's place ━━ the one he truly came here for many years ago / the one he set his eyes upon before anyone on this ship ever had a chance to meet him before.

He hadn't known it and he wouldn't know it, but the Preceptors had been gripped by excitement the very moment Luocha's existence had been made known to them. The path to Emanatorhood wasn't one lightly given, and while there could be many scattered across the cosmos, that didn't mean they were easy to find. For the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and now the Preceptors, they were as exalted and illuminated as saints. Perhaps what enthralled them the most was that Luocha seemed like such a perfect embodiment of Sanctus Medicus: the blond hair, the white and gold garb, the fabulous healing ability that eclipsed even his own-- It were as though this man was heaven-sent by Yaoshi THEMSELVES. But, as Dan Heng could clearly tell, this man wouldn't be so easily swayed. The fulcrum of this deal seemed simple enough; he wanted to establish a foothold in the Xianzhou Alliance, to be more than a guest the Arbiter-General was wary of. A plight that Dan Heng similarly shared, even if it wasn't without reason. His just happened to hurt more because of the face he wore.

"I've... always found the Xianzhou's predisposition for wariness and prejudice to be an embarrassing one, Luocha," Dan Heng began as he considered his tea, as if it were as fascinating as those earthy green eyes, like fresh forest moss that sparkled with morning dew. It was enchanting to gaze upon, but Dan Heng knew better than to stare. "To them, every outside scholar wants to steal their immortality, every short-lifer is a potential Elixir Seeker, and not even the Vidyadhara are spared from this suspicion. Ever since the Sedition of... my blasphemous predecessor, the Six Charioteers and Arbiter-Generals have looked down upon us with contempt. Perhaps they don't say it to our faces, but we are hostages on these ships. In exchange for a semblance of acceptance and life... the one who was once a Dragon King must bow their head and tend to their Plaguemarks as if we were the ones who planted them." It had been a sore point that Dan Heng had been indoctrinated into ever since he was a hatchling, and one he was far from forgetting.

"In short, Xiansheng... we are both mistrusted and seen as outsiders. However, among the Vidyadhara, you would be accepted. We're no strangers to collaborating with others... such as the Intelligentsia Guild. We've been able to further their understanding of the ancients and their immortality that the Realm-Keeping Commission and the Cloud Knights prevents. Of course, a stagnating people... wouldn't be able to understand the benefits of immortality as we embody." And that did seem to define them well, what with how the Xianzhou Alliance was running out of Abundance Abominations to decimate, they seemed painfully oblivious to the reality of their own Aeon would soon be destined to sunder them with Luxarrows like fowl and rabbits scattered through a wild plain. It was their doom, it was their destiny, and Dan Heng knew that it would take the Vidyadhara with them who had little to do with the Abundance.

But, Dan Heng remembered himself and the fact that this was supposed to be a trade deal, not a blatant seduction to lure one of the few Abundance Emanators they knew of to their side. But, even if he abhorred the Abundance, it wouldn't matter; the Abundance had derived from the Permanence, and Yaoshi's demise wouldn't spell their end. But, the Vidyadhara needed to survive. In the end, even their alliance with the Disciples was superficial, and they knew it. For now, the shared goal was to restore the Vidyadhara's ability to conceive life was tempered by a transactional promise to reconvert the Xianzhou back to the Abundance like it had been in its yesteryear. Whether it was a folly or not simply didn't matter; the Vidyadhara needed to survive, even if it came at the cost of never regaining the ability to propagate that had been taken from them by the Sand King. They had been robbed time and time again, but no more. Surely even Luocha could empathize with their desire for preservation above all else, even if they never found what they sought.

"Tell me, Xiansheng: does this interest you?" Dan Heng lilted once it became clear that he no longer bore any interest in sipping at their tea like gossipy old maids. No, this was going to be pivotal. "Play our cards right... and this can be as lucrative for you as it will be for us. A... return on the investment, with interest." His voice traveled as he rose to stand, a silent invitation to follow passed when he glanced over his shoulder coyly, waiting. If anything, Dan Heng didn't mind playing the agent of another angle if it meant winning Luocha's trust and collaboration. If the Arbiter-General suspected him, then this wouldn't help or hurt his standing aboard the Luofu; it would reinforce it a little, perhaps, but not enough as to be noticeable.

"Pfaha, sorry sorry! I don't know why I reacted that quick." Yumi always had a sort of sixth sense for jumping to protect someone. But when she had to rely on it simply walking around her city with a friend, it was a bit annoying, for lack of a better word (maybe "concerning" was a better one?). Regardless, she watched the crowd start to quickly disperse, setting Dan Heng back down on his feet as she let out a sigh full of mixed emotions.

"It's hard trying to show tourists that this place isn't as chaotic as they think when it's like this, huh?" Not that she minded most of the time, but she got the feeling that such antics weren't exactly something Dan Heng would enjoy. She watched as the DoAD officers set about scraping the Ploo off the billboard, the amorphous little thing putting up as much resistance as it's rattled self could. Yumi certainly did not envy the day that imagenae was about to have.

"...Thank you. And... it's really not your fault. I'd do the same," Dan Heng said once he was back on his feet. If anything, he felt more ashamed that he hadn't reacted quickly enough to protect Yumi when the inverse had happened. Not that he was ungrateful, but it did make him want to be more alert in the future. After all, Yumi was a genuinely kind, selfless woman. She was someone worthy of that protection, especially as someone he was genuinely coming to consider his friend on this strange planet.

"It's... understandable. The Phantasmoon Games are bound to be wild, no matter where you go." Or maybe it was endemic to Duomension City? After all, outside of Fulwish's machinations, places like Seafeld City seemed fairly tame in comparison. Or, maybe he was just a bit biased because of his inherent connection to the sea. After all, March and Stelle seemed to like this part of the city just fine... Then, it occurred to him. Of course they'd like it. Given how chaotic they could be on a good day, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise to him.

"At least until the battle against Irontomb. As you might now, we lost many Cloud Knights that day," the teen then add, growing a little somber for a moment. "Thanks to you and your crew members, the battle was won, though."

It's been about a year since he last saw Dan Heng, yet Yanqing seems to have matured more than the time that has passed. Part of it started to happen with the Wardance and Hoolay, but feeling himself getting dismantled and then being... put back together again, it had been an... experience. Though, the worst part had been that glimpse of Jing Yuan starting to break apart a millisecond before himself. The helplessness of that sight, the instant feeling of grief and pain. The loss of comrades hurt, too, like it always does, but it's nothing new to him. Experiencing Destruction in that way had been new.

Just like the power he feels inside him, he doesn't mention this to anyone either, even if Jing Yuan had talked to him about it.

Then, the smile returns. "I'm glad you and everyone else on board the Astral Express are safe." And he is. He had truly worried about them.

A moment had been enough. Enough to understand what they had just faced, what had almost become of them were it not for beating the unthinkable odds.

But, seeing Yanqing was reassuring. It was almost funny to think how being around him was a comfort when they'd been brief enemies before, and even after the battle with Phantylia, when the teen had been deeply suspicious of him despite a world of trust from the General. The wounds of his status as a past exile and past sinner had been immensely fresh back then, and the Luofu had been such a dangerous, unwelcoming place back then. An empty cradle of memories that hadn't belonged to him, precluded by decades of torment in the Shackling Prison he knew would've been his tomb if it wasn't for Jing Yuan.

"Hm... is there any place you'd want to try first? As far as Xianzhou natives go... Thalassa tends to be their first choice. It... might be a good opportunity to get your feet wet." Dan Heng still remembered his first time there after literal years; it had been a blue world covered in shimmering oceans and a cloudy atmosphere, countless islands of all sizes scattered across its surface. It seemed like the sort of place he could see Yanqing gladly seek adventure in, to wile away the hours just exploring and not having to worry. With so many Xianzhou peoples already there, he imagined it'd be a good place to start.

@reversescale - " you remember me, don't you?" for cyrene... \ more random sentence starters.

( 💖 ) AN AIRY LAUGH escapes the deliverer ; a cool warmth behind the way she held herself , hovering above the dragon and wielder of the coreflame of earth.

❛ HOW COULD I forget danny ~ ? two cycles worth of either walking with you or knowing about your exploits .. they rightly with miss march and the trailblazer. ❜

With everything that had occurred, with the enormous sacrifices made, it was just gratifying to see a friend and ally manage to pull through despite the unimaginable burden that had been placed on her shoulders.

             ⊹  ࣪  ˖  ――  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘  squeezed  𝐃𝐀𝐍  𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐆'𝐒,  wanting  nothing  more  to  tug  him  into  a  tight  embrace.  But  would  that  be  crossing  a  line?  He  didn't  know  everything  that  went  on  in  Amphoreus,  and  maybe  he  wouldn't  ever  know.  The  last  thing  he  wanted  to  do  was  push  him  to  tell  him  every  detail.  𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐘𝐔𝐀𝐍'𝐒  heart  felt  tight  at  the  thought,  but  now  wasn't  the  time  to  delve  further  in  those  emotions.  He  wanted  to  be  the  strong  pillar  his  𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑  needed  as  a  stepping  stone  to  getting  better.  He  couldn't  promise  for  it  all  to  disappear,  but  he  could  commit  himself  to  his  side  as  support.  The  𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋  could  care  less  about  any  repercussions  that  would  come  with  putting  off  his  work.  Would  the  other  like  that?  Probably  not.  But  at  least  he  can  take  paperwork  and  handle  it  within  the  chambers  of  his  office. 

Though Dan Heng was ultimately soothed by Jing Yuan's presence, he couldn't help but feel that distant ache that never seemed to leave him. He felt abashed at what felt like weakness, at still having such a debilitating outcome affect him to the degree that it would never go away. Dan Heng had scoured the Archives, the Interastral Peace Network, the vast repositories made and maintained by the Intelligenstia Guild for answers. While he believed he'd found them, and had worked assiduously to piece together some answers, sometimes it didn't feel like it was enough. Of course, there were others like him in the cosmos that had been negatively affected by the Destruction Equation; no two sufferers had the exact same symptoms, and it depended on species-- Dan Heng was jarred from his reverie, warmed by Jing Yuan's voice that never failed to ground him.

Donning a faint smile, Alex nods at the introduction. Certain pleasantries are beyond someone mired in uncouth behavior from an arduous past. Acknowledged. And so, Alex moves onto the matter on hand.

The particular Space Station. Alex, who traversed numerous star systems, recognized its worth—the head being a famed genius, after all. An excuse leaves Alex’s lips. Because aspects of his method of travel includes roadblocks. From major to minor inconvenience.

“ To be frank, it was my primary choice. But my warp drive’s out of commission at the moment. You see, its make and model’s of esoteric tech. ” It’s within the purview of the black market; bits and bobs available at random intervals. Ergo, a wee bit unreliable in the obtainable department. “ So it’d be a while until the appropriate part’s available. ”

As for skepticism, Alex refused to display insult. Those who practice subterfuge or other ill-intent may cross paths, and the duty lies with a guard to snuff them out in what manner’s acceptable in their eyes. Ever so casual, Alex’s stance remains casual.

“ Invitations, mn ? ” he drawled. Lips curled into a mischievous smirk. “ Let’s say I’ve gained the favor of a woman with opalescent eyes. Nothing like a heartfelt tale of loss, eh ? ” Arms folding, unable to reign in a smarmy tone. “ I assure you that lies are anathema to me. If you’re in doubt, shoot her a message. ”

Maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised. In his time aboard the Express, the only person he'd heard of that had caused any amount of trouble had been Void Archives, Welt's reluctant ally, but he had left some time ago on his own. And that had been before Dan Heng had joined; he'd only heard stories secondhand.

Of course, that didn't rule out the fact that they'd been receiving a staggering amount of visitors. Except in times of exceptional conflict--like the Battle of Amphoreus--thanks to the Space Anchors that now littered various worlds by the dozens, those they'd befriended could discover them and instantly teleport aboard the Express.

It was limited on purpose, as only Pathstriders of Trailblaze could travel between them without restriction, but their friends and allies were able to see the place they called home and could enjoy it as much as the Nameless did.

"Actually... there should be a way to remedy that," Dan Heng said after Alex had finished speaking, not wanting to interrupt him. "Have you heard of an Omni-Synthesizer? The one in the Parlor Car is too small, but there's one in our workshop that's industrial-grade. It can fabricate any parts we need, especially seeing as the Express is rather... unique for a spacecraft."

Said Omni-Synthesizer had been Mikhail's greatest contribution several Amber Eras ago, and had been their saving grace on more than one occasion. While replacing said parts could be a costly venture, it was the difference between a functional Astral Express and one mired in the vacuum of space.

Defiance of fate is the final crown of the guardian.

For now, the little baby seal either hung out with the catcakes aboard the Express or in the Bathing Car to swim about to her heart's content, but it was when Dan Heng led Harmony by both of her hands into the humid space that the baby seal swam up to them both curiously. Untying the blindfold, heart fluttering giddily, he genuflected near the pool's rim and smiled back at Harmony.

"Happy birthday, Harmony. There's someone here who wants to say hello," he said, eyes aglow with adoration for his fiancée.

@reversescale

[I am so, so, so sorry this is late. Harmony's birthday was on May 8th and I didn't answer this until now.]

Harmony can just barely contain her excitement when Dan Heng leads her to the bathing cart. Beaming with a fit of giggles as she waits for the anticipated moment when he removes the blindfold. She bounces on the balls of her feet when they stop, her lips still stretch to that big smile.

"What is it, love?" She asks once more. "What is it? What is it? What is it?" Though he answers her questions with actions instead of words. Lashes flutter once her fiance' unties the blindfold. Her confusion to find them in the bathing car is short lived when she notice something swimming closer to Dan Heng.

Wait! Is that-

"Oh!" Harmony gasps with her eyes alight with pure love.

"Oh my goooosh! DAN HENG! She's beautiful!" She hurriedly gets on her knees next to him. Wide eyes watch the seal, only to squeal in pure delight.

"Thank you!" Arms wrap around Dan Heng and hug him tight, but not at her greatest strength or cause any pain. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best! You're the best, and I love you!" Excitedly, she presses kiss after kiss on Dan Heng's cheek, then she releases him, only for one hand to gently cup over his cheek and kiss him on the lips. "Thank you!" She smiles, and her body turns so she can face the baby seal.

"Hi!" Her voice holds a softer tone as she leans closer to the water. A hand stretches out to let the creature smell her hand, praying the precious little one will accept her.

"Hi, baby! Hi, pretty! Aaaw, look at you! You. Are. So. Cute! May I pet you?"

     Jiyan nodded, pensive. So, even the pointed ears weren’t obligatory for their kind, which meant that the death and rebirth cycle was the only trait all members of the species shared. The fact that more loong-like traits and powers could be unlocked was… curious, to say the least. From what he heard from friends of his ‘mother’ and read in documents from the Grand Library, the wind dragon that accompanies him in battle wasn’t always there. And, apparently, there were past lives in which he wasn’t even a resonator. The Madam Magistrate’s case was similar to his, though he didn’t know much about her past lives. "Cultivation and extreme circumstances probably are what triggered them. Or, maybe, Qinglong is just the manifestation of my will.” Of his forte.

     It was then that the aero long, a miniature version of it, came out of his upper back and quickly circled the trailblazer before circling its body around the general’s arm. Jiyan smiled at the aero loong. Even if it was an extension of his forte or something else entirely, it wouldn’t change the fact that he saw them as his companion. “It was only through my forte awakening that Qinglong made itself present with a roar and fought by my side.” He lifted a spoonful of stew then, as if offering it to the small loong. It didn’t waste a second to wolf down the offered meal, but since its body was of wind, it didn’t disappear with the loong. It just got cooler.

     That aside, it was reassuring to hear that he wasn’t being a nuisance, but it seemed that he wasn’t the only one tiptoeing here. So, the general smiled and gently shook his head from side to side, his long earrings swaying with the movement. “Celebrating with the rangers and our allies is my most important duty at the moment.” A general that doesn’t know the people who trust him with their lives shouldn't call himself a general. Besides, rest is just as important and needed as work. At least, that’s what Director Taoqi said on multiple occasions whenever he returned to the city, not to rest, but to find more tasks and things that need to be done. And...

As the fire crackled and projected long shadows behind them, the warmth before him felt like they were in a small, cloistered room where it was just the two of them and not in the open fields of Huanglong where the sea of grasses seemed to stretch endlessly towards the horizon, encompassed by the odd hills or mountains that seemed faraway. Though he wasn't part of the Midnight Rangers, it made him nostalgic. Whether it was with the High-Cloud quintet or more recently among the Chrysos Heirs, or even best with his own family in the Express, he liked these quieter, slower moments that bordered on meditative. Even if he hadn't been speaking with the General as he presently was, Dan Heng would've been content with hanging back and simply absorbing the warmth among those who were, fulfilling that quiet contentment he liked best among friends and allies who trusted each other.

Dan Heng was startled from his reverie when Jiyan's own dragon, Qinglong, seemed to come to life of its own accord. Though it had been brief, its presence reminded Dan Heng starkly of his own Azure Dragon, Axiuhe, and how it tended to have a life of his own. Indeed, Georios and Aziuhe were two souls that nested inside his own, coiling and slithering inside of him like two other hearts inside of his chest. It was a reassuring feeling that he'd never be alone, but it made him wonder if Jiyan felt the same about his dragon. If it existed as part of his soul, another part of him that was both its own entity and joined to his soul.

"Hm... Well, in antiquity on Sihai, after a Vidyadhara child aged to their toddling years, a sworn sibling would be chosen for them to raise them like a guardian... to be their brother or sister all their lives. Sometimes the selection would be random, but much of the time, it would've been another cycle for them. Many times... the oath between sworn siblings goes back millions of years, with each one alternating in the rearing of the other per life cycle," Dan Heng began contemplatively, ruminating on the subject he only read about most of his life. "However... this practice changed once we joined the Alliance and nuclear families were more common. Usually, the outset is the same, but instead, a couple with at least one Vidyadhara partner would adopt this child and raise them as their parents, not just sworn siblings. Some still prefer the former... but from what I've seen and learned, most prefer this more contemporary way. Were you raised in a family, General?"

vitriol  alarms  his  sensors,  windows  flashing  in  his  peripheral  alerting  "warning:  danger"  in  a  cacophony  of  blaring  red  lights.  normal  scents  would  not  trigger  an  alarm,  but  the  acidic  smell  pierces  through  his  artificial  orifices,  fumes  pungent  and  deadly.  who  would  have  thought  that  the  abomination's  blood  would  be  acid,  melting  steel  where  the  liquid  pools  on  the  ground.  "eugh,"  boothill  grimaces  as  he's  pulled  back  to  the  freight  lift,  "what  in  tarnation  was  that  thing."  the  shaft  shakes  and  tremors  as  said  thing  pursues  them.  as  they  ascend  higher,  the  tremors  grows  weaker.  fortunately  for  them,  the  lift  is  faster  than  the  monster,  granting  them  precious  time  to  find  their  way  out  of  the  ship.  boothill  shivers  at  the  thought  of  the  acid  splattering  against  his  steel  plates  and  melting  through  wires  and  hardware.  if  it  were  to  destroy  his  processing  core,  then  who  knows  how  long  he  would  remain  offline  for.  forever,  is  a  possibility.

"yer telling me. we need to be outta here, like, yesterday." as  the  distance  between  them  and  danger  grows  larger,  boothill's  mock  adrenaline  wanes  and  he  begins  to  fuss  over  dan  heng,  grabbing  him  by  the  arm  and  turning  him  this  way  and  that  way.  "we'll  get  out,"  he  says,  frowning  and  checking  every  inch  of  the  nameless. "but  ya  didn't  have  to  step  in  front  of  me.  that  was  dangerous, pardner.  who  knows  what  that  blood  could  have  done  to  you.  flesh  is  a  lot  harder  to  heal  than  replacing  a  couple  pieces  of  metal,  y'know? hell, we're lucky that the blood we stepped on earlier wasn't from that thing. if we see it again, remind me to not shoot it when we're in a confined space." satisfied,  he  pats  dan  heng's  shoulder  and  steps  back,  looking  towards  the  freight  lifts'  doors  as  it  dings,  signaling  their  arrival  at  their  designated  floor.  "next  time,  you  should  just  use  me  as  a  shield.  i'm  a  lot  sturdier  than  you  think."

boothill  throws  a  grin  over  his  shoulder,  wide  and  toothy  as  he  steps  out  of  the  freight  lift.  he's  relieved  to  be  done  with  the  combination  of  the  creaking  of  the  elevator  and  the  danger  from  the  abomination.  although,  the  monster  remains  in  their  pursuit.  the  sound  of  muffled  scratching  comes  from  the  lift,  growing  louder  with  each  passing  second. boothill doesn't want to stick around to see how far that thing can climb.

The moment they ascended to the final floor, the sound of another explosion from within the engines sounded cacophonously, rocking the ship so terrifically that Dan Heng almost lost his footing and lurched into the elevator wall that met him harshly. But, he caught himself before he could slam into that wall. With the state of urgency that nipped at their heels, they didn't have time to stand around and ponder. As the bulwark doors slid open with a deep, rattling screech, he was bitten by impetus and snatched Boothill by the hand. There wasn't any time to talk as he strove to remember the route back to their ship. Banking around sharp turns and galloping down corridors, he skidded to a halt and noticed the ingress that would lead them back to their ship. "No talking, just-- Go!" Dan Heng urged as he shoved the gunman through and back onto their own vessel. As the airlock door slid shut and sealed, Dan Heng raced into the bridge and fiddled with the autopilot, mapping a chart back to port.

The ship lurched away as the thrusters propelled it away, Dan Heng racing back to the porthole where the freighter they'd been aboard was beginning to collapse, practically pressing his face to the glass as he saw the creature from before clawing at the exit they'd made, unintelligibly screaming into the aether as their ship put distance between them and the doomed vessel that was beinning to implode from the enormous disparity of pressure between it and the silent sea of stars. The freighter became smaller with the increased distance until it shrank to a small, insignificant blot against the vast expanse of space. A bright flash presaged an enormous explosion that bloomed like an infernal flower, billowing outwards in the vast darkness as it became consumed in an inferno. Then, and only then, could Dan Heng relax. "...Sorry. I just... had to make sure," he apologized at first, mulling over Boothill's words from just a moment ago. He sighed softly. "I know, it's just... I don't think in those moments. My body reacts on its own, and usually, it tends to mean thinking solely about protecting my comrades. I can't help it. But... I'm sorry if doing that worried you. I can't promise it won't happen again, though."

At the very least, they now had some idea what had been responsible for that freighter's demise. Dan Heng would have to go over the ship's logs he'd managed to transfer, but then and there, he honestly felt exhausted. As the adrenaline that had been powering him bottomed out, Dan Heng tried to shake off his tiredness. He at least needed to ensure his friend hadn't been compromised.

"Only the best restaurant to exist here on Planarcadia - is what the manager told me to say! For example.."

She begins to shuffle through obvious cue cards. Surely nobody will notice her eye twitching at the corny marketing dialogue she has to mentally prepare herself for reading out loud.

As he listened to the woman continue to pitch the restaurant she was working for, there was an ineffable kind of awkwardness proliferating.

It wasn't the first or last time he'd met someone unenthusiastic about their job, especially as many in places like Planarcadia or Penacony tended to be ruthlessly soul-sucking and even demeaning. So, that didn't surprise him any. Still...