Shen and Jian - Plans

[00:12] <~Deedles> She returns to the lounge room, stopping in the doorway as she lays a hand on its frame "Taishin, I need to speak to you." she says softly, the black haired man nodding as he rises to his feet. "Of course." he says
[00:18] <~Deedles> Taishin follows her out of the room.
[00:22] <Earthflame> Jian's eyes follow the pair as they leave, before he slumps back into a chair with a soft sigh, rubbing at his ribs.
[00:32] <Shen> A few minutes pass as Shen makes his way back into the house after talking with Mingxia, but he stops as he enters the doorway. "Jian." he says quietly from across the room. "You busy?"
[00:36] <Earthflame> He glances up, and shakes his head. "No. Just achey."
[00:39] <Shen> "Then bring your acheyness over here, if you don't mind." he says as he steps back out of the doorway.
[00:39] <Earthflame> He nods, standing with a slight groan and walking towards the doorway.
[00:41] <Shen> Shen doesn't take him far, only down the hallway slightly where they were out of earshot. "What happened back at the tea shop?" he asks in quiet voice as he turns to his friend.
[00:42] <Earthflame> Jian sighs softly. "Blood will ought, as they say."
[00:43] <Shen> Shen looks at him for a few moments, confused. "What do you mean?"
[00:45] <Earthflame> Jian meets Shen's eyes. "...There is corruption within me, Shen. There always has been, I think. My rage, my pain... It let it take control."
[00:46] <Shen> "But why?" Shen asks him, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why did you just give up?"
[00:47] <Earthflame> He looks away. "...There are no excuses. I lost control. I cannot let it happen again."
[00:49] <Shen> It was clear that Shen was frustrated with him, but that was not the reason he had asked to talk. "When we return home, the elders will expect me to report everything that has happened."
[00:50] <Earthflame> He nods. "I know."
[00:51] <Shen> "Are you going to talk to Meilin?"
[00:52] <Earthflame> "Of course. I am going to tell her everything. If she thinks my life is forfeit..." He bows his head. "So be it. But in that case, I must pass a request on to you."
[00:53] <Shen> Shen nods as he listens. "What is it?"
[00:54] <Earthflame> He glances around, making sure they are alone, and speaks quietly. "...I forsee a major potential risk, with Shin and Mingxia... The two obviously love and care for one another to a great degree."
[00:55] <Shen> He looks at Jian, confused again from the mans words. "How is that a risk?"
[01:00] <Earthflame> "Shin said his father can take the bodies of others, including his own. If his father found out about their relationship, or if he knows already... He could try and seize the chance to unify his line with the true imperial blood. He could make himself the legitimate ruler of this land."
[01:09] <Shen> Shen sighs as he shakes his head. "Even if their relationship was any of our business, they will be seperated when we take her to the village. You've seen Taishin and heard what he was given up to protect her, why would he stop that?"
[01:16] <Earthflame> "I don't doubt Taishin. But I would not put anything past his father. It is why I am going to craft a seal. Something that may bind his soul to his body, and resist any possession. I am not sure how it will work, yet, I need to consult with Meilin and others in the village... but regardless of anything else, protecting his soul would seem like a good idea, no?"
[01:18] <Shen> Shen thinks for a moment, but nods. "Do you plan on consulting him about this?" he asks.
[01:20] <Earthflame> "No. Not until the seal is complete. I trust him, but there is no way of knowing how much his father knows or has planned. He could engineer a revolution against himself, with his son as the redeemed warrior prince... Only to take his sons body, and thereby only make his reign more solid, with the trust if all and a legitimate claim to the throne." Jian siGhs. "...Or I could be getting
[01:20] <Earthflame> paranoid from lack of sleep."
[01:22] <Shen> For the first time Shen feintly smiles. "No, only careful." he nods, closing his eyes. "I think it's a good idea, but only if the seal isn't forced upon him. I would not be a part of that."
[01:23] <Earthflame> "I would offer it to him as a shield against his fathers influence, nothing more."
[01:23] <Shen> He nods, opening his eyes again. "It will be a good test to see if his fathers influence has already reached him at that point too."
[01:26] <Earthflame> "...If I fall, or do not return from the village, I will entrust completing the seal to you. It does not take daoist skill to assemble the pieces, but you will need someone to cast the final charm."
[01:31] <Shen> Shen quirks his brow again. "I will do so given the event, but only if you promise me not to go to Meilin already defeated." he says stubbornly. "She will be more than enough to judge your fate, which is why I'm going to conveniently forget about informing the elders.
[01:31] <Shen> If she feels that's how it is meant to be, I'll let her decide that. What I refuse to do is throw my friends aside." his eyes spark with a certain energy.
[01:32] <Earthflame> Jian smiles, and bows his head. "Thank you, my friend. I hope we will be able to leave together."
[01:34] <Shen> "And if we don't I'm going to kick your ass in hell." he retorts with half frustration and half affection.
[01:35] <Earthflame> Jian chuckles "I will hold you to that."
[01:45] <Shen> "Also, be careful about what you say around the doctor. Even letting Reisuki know about the village puts her in danger, but the doctor is a coward. There's no telling what he could say to save his own hide." Shen grumbles.
[01:45] <Earthflame> ...Jian frowns. "...Did he ever actually say what was in that bottle?"
[01:47] <Shen> "Does it matter? Both yourself and Yoshi felt it was foul, even Mingxia came to the same conclusion." he pauses for a moment. "...Still, I am also curious."
[01:50] <Earthflame> "He did make her drink it... But he was dedicated to protecting her..." Jian shakes his head.
[01:55] <Shen> "He didn't just make her drink it, he grabbed her and shoved it down her throat." he growls thinking back to it. "Mingxia said that she felt something alive inside. If he didn't plan on killer her with it, what else?"
[01:55] <Earthflame> "...Shall we go ask?"
[01:56] <Shen> Shen nods. "Lets."
[01:57] <~Deedles> Hayato was sat by the table back in the lounge room, just staring down at his untouched tea while deep in thought. Mingxia and Taishin were still not back.
[01:58] <Earthflame> Jian moves to one side of his chair
[01:58] <Shen> Shen moves to the other.
[01:58] <~Deedles> Hayato shakes his head slightly as they move up to him, bringing him out of his thoughts as he looks up at them one at the time. "...Yes?"
[01:59] <Earthflame> "You never answered our question, Hayato. What was in that bottle?"
[02:00] <~Deedles> "Ah, that..." Hayato looks down as he finally reaches for his tea, taking a sip of it. "Compressed and modified Corruption." he replies honestly and simply.
[02:00] <Shen> "Modified?" he looks to Jian. "Modified how?"
[02:03] <~Deedles> "I'm not exactly sure how, I'm not sure of the entire process, but it's made by a very... eccentric fellow called Tsuran Chang in Jinlong." The doctor replies as he looks up at them again.
[02:05] <Earthflame> "What would it have done to Mingxia?"
[02:09] <~Deedles> "Before you make someone injest it you need to add your own little bit of chi to it to fuse, after that the person who drinks it temporarily comes under your control." Hayato explains to them as he folds his arms, his eyes narrowing sadly.
[02:11] <Earthflame> "...You were going to take control of her? Why?"
[02:14] <~Deedles> "You're not the first time come looking for the heir, like those idiots of the White Peony, never considering that they were far too weak to protect her." Hayato shakes his head "While she remained here she was safe, so despite the fact that she would hate me for it I thought it was necessary for her to fight too. She's not weak, you know." he tells them, once again being honest, but he looks anything but proud over it.
[02:14] <~Deedles> "But as it turned out, neither are you."
[02:15] <Earthflame> Jian nods. "...I do not like it. But you were doing what you felt you must. I can accept that."
[02:17] <Shen> "You force her to fight, yet she hates fighting." he says, going quiet for a few moments before punching him square in the face. He pulls his fist back and walks away.
[02:18] <~Deedles> Hayato grunts as his head snaps to the side from the blow, slowly lifting a hand to cover his face "... I deserved that..." he mutters, more to himself than either of them.
[02:19] <Earthflame> "Perhaps." Jian lingers a moment linger, then adds. "...Sorry about your shop. I made a real mess of it."
[02:20] <~Deedles> "It can be cleaned and repaired." Hayato replies quietly "It doesn't matter."