You took all of me (December Catchall)

[esurientabyss]

🌊Who: He Xuan, and anyone else.
🌊What: A brief catchall.
🌊When: December.
🌊Where: Varies.
🌊Warnings: None, unless someone ends up convincing him somehow to do a NSFW bingo square or something.


i. silent nights (closed to Gaku Yaotome)

[ Well following the culmination of the activities of this, it is doubtless that the two had their own business to take care of. Maybe it would take a day, but probably not because when nightfall is upon them, it doesn't change the fact that sleep will be needed. Well, technically He Xuan could go without it, though it hasn't exactly...come up. ]

...It's late. I assume you're coming to bed.

[ He Xuan doesn't know how to phrase that less awkwardly, help. ]

ii. these abandoned fields

[ ...Well. These fields are not going to cultivate their damned selves, as much as He Xuan would like for them to. So here he is, out in the early morning, hair pulled back into a familiar ponytail, despite how long it is, and sleeves rolled up.

He's doing farm work, with the hoe and whatnot. Though, apparently not without a few curses. His family had a farm when he was young, yet it has been ages since he has been on a farm. Not to mention, they didn't go into misfortune until a certain point, so his experience personally attending to one is extremely limited.

Maybe a certain shovel would prove to be useful here, in retrospect. Or maybe not, because he doesn't know how to use it. Anyway, more effort is being exerted here, without trying to ruin the soil. ]

iii. responsibility is a heavy (annoying) cross to bear [various prompts]

[ He Xuan can be seen in town at various early points of the day. Though he looks annoyed to be there, and if for whatever reason someone comes closer to him, he frowns, but he does like...the minimum effort to look like he's not about to kill someone, expression more neutral. ]

What?

[ Later on, he can also be witnessed hanging around at the actual beach, seeming caught up in the way the setting looks in the late afternoon. He seems more at peace at this time, on account of the fact he is more at ease with this sort of surrounding. ]

iv. wildcard

[ Feel free to throw in a random scenario that doesn't fit the above if you'd like. I haven't actually gotten around to making a plotting post since I just commented around, but here is his bingo so far! ]

Comments

iii with a dash of iv;

[feralheart]

[ He Xuan's serene time at the beach is about to be shattered. Disrupting the pristine view is a tall man sprawled out a good distance away from the tide, unseeing eyes staring up at the sky. A body has been--

No, M-21 is just starfished out as long as he can make himself, absorbing the heat of the sand and apparently completely dead to the world for a few moments. He can move when he remembers how again. He's just been basking in the discovery that the beach is actually pretty nice. ]

[esurientabyss]

[ Oh. Did he unleash his fishies into the water and kill someone by accident already?

Jokes aside, he quietly approaches the (un)dead body. ]

Now that I'm up close, I realize you're still alive.

[ Hi to you too, M-21. ]

[feralheart]

[ M-21 startles a little, but when he glances up to see He Xuan he relaxes again and gives him a grunt that definitely means "hi." ]

For now. Sand feels nice.

[ ...Because this probably invites an explanation of some kind. He pushes himself up into a sitting position unhurriedly, stretching to pop everything that needs popping. After a moment he adds curiously: ]

Why're you here?

[esurientabyss]

[ Hi to you too. One of these days He Xuan himself will learn to communicate a greeting himself...

...

Nah. At most it will be a grunt like what M-21 made. ]

I'm here because it's better than being anywhere else.

[ Until dinnertime or lunchtime or breakfasttime. Also, it's quiet and peaceful. ]

If you're hanging around, we should get something done together. Our houses won't fix themselves.

[feralheart]

[ Why should he, when they communicate so fluently in grunting? This is working great. ]

The forest isn't bad either.

[ M-21 looks up with interest. He Xuan was a good partner last time... ]

...I'm sick of splinters already. What do you have left?

iii

[hypnowhip]

[The beach proper is a favorite spot for Sylvando to take a break from farming. He's here to do just that, when he finds He Xuan there this time around. They've only briefly spoken, but this still seems like a marked difference in temperament from their first meeting.

Sylvando's calmer when he approaches this time around, though no less warm and friendly.]

It's a lovely view, isn't it? Secluded beaches like this have such an allure that you just can't get anywhere else.

[Well, it's not so secluded at the moment, but still.]

How are you today, darling?

[esurientabyss]

[ It indeed happened to be a brief thing, though He Xuan admittedly was (still is) on the gruff side then. Well, this time he seems more at peace than just, quite frankly, cranky like he had just crawled right out of the bed. ]

...true.

[ He will turn his head to properly look at Sylvando at the question, before looking back at the afternoon horizon, seemingly contemplative. ]

Less annoyed. There are less around to deal with and no stupid goddess to hear in the background. Why ask?

[hypnowhip]

[...yeah, that sounds about what he expected. But that's okay! Less annoyed is still an improvement.]

Oh, I don't have a particular reason. I just wanted to know is all! It's no fun if you're just miserable all the time.

[esurientabyss]

[ Is it. ]

There are hardly ever many resentful beings that are anything but 'miserable' all the time. That is the crux of why most of them exist.

[ ...Yeah, he just had to say that. ]

[hypnowhip]

[After a moment of stunned silence, Sylvando's face falls.]

"Resentful beings"...?

[Is that what He Xuan is calling himself? But why?]

iii

[framestory]

[ This man is so scary, but he recognizes him being one of the farmers that the goddess brought to the town square on their first day, so he holds up a bingo card as if to ask if he wants any help to complete any. Ellis... isn't looking to fill his own right now, so he's just going around to try and help others as long as they're willing. ]

[esurientabyss]

[ So scary he can freeze the hearts of many...! But when Ellis raises his bingo card after the admittedly flat response he has given, He Xuan nods, pulling out his own. ]

I need to fill out more. We can go ahead and use a 'paddle boat' together.

[ If it is on this bingo square, there must be some lying around to use. ]

[framestory]

[ He Xuan is no longer that scary, which makes Ellis smile. He thinks so too regarding paddle boats, so he puts away his own bingo card and nods. Ellis hasn't gone on a paddle boat before either, so he's not sure what it's supposed to look like... those swan or duck boats where you pedal and steer? He doubts there's one near the goddess's pond since it's her home and she probably wouldn't want anyone to ride a boat on her home.

So Ellis brings out his pamphlet and points to the beach. Maybe there's something there? It has a big body of water, after all. ]

[esurientabyss]

[ He made someone smile?? He doesn't understand how that's possible, but he does pay attention when Ellis points to the beach.

He Xuan is also noting that this person is relatively quiet, huh. ]

Then we'll go there. There'd better be one so we don't have to bother with the goddess.

[ He says that in such a final manner, but then make his way down to the beach...anyway, not sure if there are boats hanging around at the beach?? ]

[framestory]

[ Unfortunately, there are no boats at the beach because in between tag time, I was told that they're actually in the mountains. Ellis goes up to a local on the beach to ask by showing them what he wrote in his notepad and they nod, saying "ah yes, there may be up in the mountains where the lakes are". To which Ellis thinks, "there are lakes in the mountains???" but I digress.

Ellis looks back at He Xuan, looking apologetic that he got the location wrong. ]

i

[associative]

[ Hmm.

This is weird, and there's no way around it. They both need sleep (probably???) and the floors are too decrepit to sleep on. So... bed it is.

But Gaku stares down on it like he'll be shocked if he gets under the covers. ]

Yeah. Just... give me a moment.

[esurientabyss]

[ He Xuan doesn't really need the covers at all. So if Gaku is the type of person to hog them all, he will find himself pleasantly surprised or something. ]

Take as long as you want.

[ He will seat himself on the bed, folding his hands in his lap, not lying down just yet. This is rather surreal for him as well. ]

...Least no one we know back home will necessarily know about the stupid things we do here.

[ Already picturing Crimson Rain having the laugh of his life if he heard about this, tbh. That might be enough to make him want to put an end to him for good. ]

[associative]

[ It's a very, very good thing because Gaku knows he shouldn't be dating around, much less getting married. This sort of thing is difficult when he's meant to belong to the fans.

He continues to stand near the bed, although he inches closer. Finding an excuse to not be in bed is difficult when he's already in his pajamas, so he needs to figure out how to ease into this. ]

Why? Do you plan on doing stupid things?

[esurientabyss]

You—

We're already doing stupid things by having to fill out some of those squares, is what I meant.

[ HE XUAN IS TRYING TO EVADE SAYING HE PLANS ON DOING STUPID THINGS?? Help. Now Gaku has just embarrassed him by pointing it out. Not that it could be evaded since they are, like, sharing a bed... ]

In order to evade living in squalor.

[ He absolutely refuses to experience living like that again. ]

ii

[bravesteel]

[ That's a good question. What is he doing, intentionally approaching someone who looks like they'd rather be anywhere but here, doing anything but whatever it is they're doing? He doesn't have an immediate response, which makes him stop dead in his tracks.

He isn't sure this is a great first impression but there's no going back now. ]

I just thought I'd come over and ask if there's anything I can help you with. [ He scratches his cheek. ] There's so much to do here, it's actually kind of overwhelming. So I figured I'd start by seeing if anyone else needs help and work out the rest later.

[esurientabyss]

[ Well, to be quite honest, that seems to be about Rean's luck. Anyway, being responsible is annoying, this is what He Xuan has re-learned.

Though...with Rean saying something about if anyone needs help with anything, it does give him a good idea. ]

...I need to fill out some more bingo squares.

[ ... ]

What type of hobbies do you have?

[ He Xuan has yet to properly do a ' 'hobby exchange' ' with someone, whoops. ]

iii

[of_sablier]

[If Jack looks even the slightest bit surprised to be almost barked at like that, he sure doesn't show it. Instead, he just grins and lifts one hand to wag a finger in a playfully admonishing gesture.]

... people normally say "Hello" when meeting someone for the first time, you know.

[But from the way he punctuates that sentence with a wink, it's clear he isn't bothered in the slightest.]

[esurientabyss]

[ ...He Xuan knows playful when he sees it. He's pretty sure he's seen some of the gods hanging around in the Heavenly Court do that. Besides, of course, the ex-Wind Master. ]

It's been centuries since I bothered to greet anyone like that.

[ Just going to say this, bluntly. Though, it may perhaps be evident that He Xuan is definitely someone relegated in the sour-puss category right from the beginning of this interaction. But, he'll also ask: ]

Did you need something?

[ Given what they need to have done around here and the squares, not exactly an unreasonable inquiry to put forward... ]

[of_sablier]

[Centuries, hmm? That's certainly interesting indeed-- not that Jack is going to say anything aloud that might tip off his own situation. He's just going to file it away in the back of his mind, something that might potentially be useful for later.]

A "hello" would be nice now that we're having a conversation. [...] Or a name. That would be even more useful.

I'll even start! I'm Jack.

[Sorry, He Xuan. You (probably) don't deserve this.]

[esurientabyss]

[ He Xuan sees no need to hide how ancient he is, unlike Jack. Though that is something borne of unconscious and conscious arrogance more than anything.

To He Xuan, though, the blond he sees in front of him is for the moment, just a normal human. One who seems to be unrepetantly chipper and potentially facetious. ]

...He Xuan.

[ He says his name simply, but somehow with the gravitas of speaking an announcement of someone's execution. Though, he also raises a brow, as if asking an unspoken, 'Now what?'

Even Jack might deserve more than this attitude (or maybe not.) ]